Review: Boo Williams – Moving Rivers
“There is no House Music revival! It never went away, did it?” When we interviewed Bob Bhamra alias West Norwood Cassette Library last November, he expressed this sentiment as a mantra against the notion that house is somehow back. Bhamra’s words ring true without question, but we’re certainly not the first ones to tell you that the dance community at large is channeling classic house sounds with unprecedented fervor. But despite the new crop of exciting young producers churning out timeless house sounds, we absolutely love to see the pioneers return from dormancy to show them how to do things with effortless true school swag. With the freshly pressed 12″ Moving Rivers on Rush Hour, legendary second-wave Chicago house producer Boo Williams is the latest veteran to return to the controls, after nearly three years without new material. And let us tell you, this release could not have come at a better time with a more primed audience. Over the past few years, Rush Hour, along with several other labels, has re-released several of Williams’ seminal offerings, appeasing vinyl junkies and house heads while luring the prolific figure out of the woodwork. On his new outing – featuring “Moving Rivers” b/w “Peaking Point” – the Chicago stalwart gracefully fuses body-snatching grooves with carefree, melodic atmospheres to give us a hearty taste of the sound that he has tweaked and tooled to perfection over his illustrious career.
Stream: Boo Williams – Moving Rivers (Rush Hour)
Clocking in at nearly seven minutes, “Moving Rivers” is actually the shorter of the two tracks on the 12″, which lets you know right off the bat that Williams has preserved his focus on building dynamic, moving compositions. This may not be the top Boo Williams track to pull out of your bag at peak time, but it has a definite way of sneaking up on you with its irresistable bass and shimmering synths that swirl around like wispy clouds in an otherwise blue sky. Williams takes full advantage of the track’s length to create a beautifully understated sense of motion, smoothly moving between different arrangements of rhythmic and melodic components. B-side “Peaking Point” is an itchier production with a slightly lopsided bounce coming from a playful, but deliberate, bass line. Cheesy synth pads and choir sounds reveal Williams’ goofball side and give the track remarkable (and notably uncheesy) buoyancy, helped in no small way by the major-key piano stabs. But lest you be misled, this one is squarely aimed at the serious dancers on the floor. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that this release marks Williams’ return to production. But considering how huge it is that this even exists, we’ll take whatever we can get!
Stream: Boo Williams – Peaking Point (Rush Hour)
Boo Williams – Peaking Point (Rush Hour) is out now on vinyl and digital formats.
Recommended: Pariah – Rift EP
Has it really been almost two years since Pariah’s last solo release? That’s almost as hard to believe as him being only two releases deep. He popped up on everyone’s radar with “Detroit Falls / Orpheus”, which not only cemented him as a staple in the new breed of British producers, but marked R&S’s massive overhaul as purveyors of some of the freshest underground sounds. So what has Pariah been doing during this time? Only crafting some of the droneiest, off kilter techno to reach our ears in some time as Karenn with the powerhouse that is Blawan and now hitting us with a new three track EP called “Rift“. For the most part it seems to be a move deeper into the lo-fi, atmospheric textures explored in his track, “Left Unsaid”, released on R&S’s “IOTDXI” compilation. We can’t say this a terrible move, with the onslaught of resonance in the last 18 months it’s refreshing to hear something that’s a bit more drawn out and noise-heavy.
Stream: Pariah – Signal Loss [Clip] (R&S Records)
The title track “Rift” is the shining light on the EP. It showcases just how well he can mold a low-end, turning it from a wobble into a syncopated rumble, which slowly drifts off before storming back in. Even though that’s the main focus of the track a lot work is put into the textures surrounding it. Unclassifiable sounds wash over you as he takes you deeper into a shallow world with acoustics that make every kick and distorted hat sound ten times bigger. This is also the most club friendly of the tracks and no surprise requires a well-tuned sound system to do it justice, as this is meant to be a full body experience. Keeping in line with the sounds of the first track “Signal Loss” is a sparse yet swung track that slowly lulls you in with it’s simple bassline and one syllable sample. Every snare hit is so transparent and often jumbled together, but somehow it retains a minimal sound. Its simplicity is the strongest and most beautiful part of the track; it opens it up, allowing you to place meaning in the space. Four minutes just isn’t enough and makes this one the most likely to be put repeat.
“Among Those Metal Trees” is a fitting closer. It’s a droney comedown track and easily a 5 AM soundtrack on a Sunday morning after a weekend of partying. Layer after layer is applied and there’s not a single break in the track, this gives an impression that time has almost slowed, but in reality two-minutes have already passed and you’re just zoning. There’s definitely some sort of stretched and pitched vocal working in the back of everything and we’re sure this is where his short wave radio samples really come into play; it even sounds like there are birds chirping in the background. It’s quite stunning and something he’s pulled off well.
Stream: Pariah – Rift [Clip] (R&S Records)
Just as the artwork for the “Rift EP” depicts a mess of pipes that are distorted (maybe the negative of a photograph) and difficult to make out, so is this EP, but as you look closer you can see the intricacies and work that went into the layout of the pipes and the tracks. In an interview last year he said that he think’s he’s finally found the sound he’s been striving for and we love it. The EP is chalk full of smooth, soothing textures, but packs just enough punch. It’s definitely something that requires multiple listens and receives the highly coveted two thumbs up from us.
Pariah’s Rift EP is out June 11th on R&S Records.
Recommended: Tomas Barfod – Salton Sea LP
If only we could be friends with Friends of Friends, and Friends of Friends’ friends… the steady stream of strong releases coming from the American label this year suggests that they must be sitting on a mountain of talent and unheard goods. Their latest output is a full-length album from Danish producer Tomas Barfod, who has previously left his mark all over the map at Turbo, Get Physical, Gomma and Kompakt, through both solo and collaborative releases, under his own name and also as Tomboy and as a part of WhoMadeWho.
Our attention was directed towards “Salton Sea” through the release of the “Broken Glass” single back in March, containing the title track with remixes by Jacob Korn and Shlohmo, plus original track “Beach Party” which was featured on Brodinski’s Fabric 60 mix. “Broken Glass” was a definite highlight of “Salton Sea” for us, so getting to hear it early on the single was both a blessing and a curse. It made us excited for things to come, but it also felt a bit like that feeling when a movie preview gives away what happens. If you want to know exactly what we’re talking about, you can stream the official video for “Broken Glass” at the end of the post. Luckily, the album manages to carry the same warm feeling along towards a very cohesive final product, and one of the better executed full-lengths we’ve heard in a while.
Download: Tomas Barfod – November Skies feat. Nina Kinert (320 kbps)
“Salton Sea” is an album with a lot to give. It’s low-key and removed from the fast trends of the music world that Barfod is involved in with his other pseudonyms. It’s easy on the ears and the liberal use of vocals make it feel closer to pop music than anything else. It has its moody moments, and has certain points where we’d even call it beautiful. We’ve played it through several times already when in need of aural palate cleansing or in rare moments of downtime, and we don’t really plan on stopping. Read More..
Interview: GoldFFinch
Belgian producer duo GoldFFinch have enviably got their defining and favoured in sound on lock. “One of my favourite musical collectives of 2011″, were the words ushered by Mary Anne Hobbs in 2011, and there’s been five accomplished releases (on Numbers and Saigon Recordings among other labels) to date to help back up such a statement. With possibly one of the most minimal and straight forward sites to grace ‘producer and DJ land’, there is relatively no to little information on themselves, so an interview with the pair felt like the logical next step. With an EP on Dutch label Audio Culture out very soon, followed with the exciting news of an in the works remix EP of their own tracks some time in the future, it’s safe to say a vast amount of goldFFinch productions should be taking up people’s mixes and sets in 2012. We spoke to the GoldFFinch duo, consisting of Yoan and Gilles, to find out more about them.
Stream: GoldFFinch – EP#2: Tip The Dog / Outer Twigs [SAIGON008]
You’re quite the mysterious duo – could you introduce yourselves? Who is GoldFFinch? “GoldFFinch is composed of two people, Yoann and Gilles. We started the project little over a year ago.” Where does the name GoldFFinch come from? “Goldfinch’ is a bird that we see in Belgium, and to show that there’s two of us we added the double F. We also like the sound of the word. Plus it has a red mask – NMBRS18. Quite different from the American goldfinch though.” So you’ve worked together for about a year, how did you two meet each other? “We’ve known eachother for over 15 years and we did a lot of things together, musically and otherwise, but since a year ago we decided to take music-related things seriously.”
Loefah is one of the earliest supporters of your tracks, having plugged them in early 2011 on his Rinse shows. How did the connection come about, and what did it feel like gaining such great support not only from him but from the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs and Jackmaster so quickly? “It’s been about a year since we finished our first tracks, and we didn’t really know who to send them to. We just chose DJs that we were fans of, like Loefah or Mary Anne Hobbs, and also Boddika and 2562. Although they had never heard of us, they played our songs – we were quite surprised at first but it allowed us to gain credit and to write more songs that we could put out later. This kind of support was really important because it’s through them that DJs like Jackmaster got in touch and we ended up signing with Numbers and Saigon.”
From listening to a lot of Rinse FM shows it seems like your tracks lend themselves quite easily for an MC to work over. Has working with vocalists on a full length track crossed your minds yet, and if so is there anyone in particular you’d like to work with? “As you’ve probably noticed, we add bits of sentences ourselves that are pretty incomprehensible to our songs, and for now we’d like to keep playing with that and continue in that direction. We’ve never really written a beat while thinking about having an MC over it, but all the better if the MCs are comfortable with our songs. We’ll see in the future, but for now we’re not really thinking about doing tracks in that direction.”
You have five releases out that in total consist ten tracks, but you haven’t done any remixes yet. What’s your point of view when it comes to remixes? ”We have had more and more requests, but we do not want to do them at the moment. We like the idea of remixes a lot as long if we’re free to do a personal interpretation. We’re working on our first official remix right now, with more information on that coming very soon. We do however like to hear remixes of our own songs, and Audio Culture will release a 12” with remixes of our tracks in the future. It’s very nice to hear a new version of a song that you wrote.” Speaking of Audio Culture I wanted to ask what was coming out on say label. When will the 12” come out? “The release has got three tracks titled “Model”, “Belle” and “Let Me See”. It should be available on the fourth of June!”
Recommended: Last Step – Sleep
It’s not uncommon to hear musicians talk about music that came to them in their dreams. It is, however, uncommon to hear of musicians actively composing music during their period of slumber. Strange as it may seem, that is exactly how Canadaian producer Last Step, better known to most as Venetian Snares, put together his latest album. “For a while, when I was really tired and ready to go to bed instead of going to sleep I would make a tune. Get some stuff going on my sequencers, drum machines, patch up my modular and just jam it. Would fall asleep a lot listening to the sequences, few seconds of sleep or a few minutes, wake up in it. This is what I sound like in my sleep.” While the album artwork caught our attention, and the central theme ensured out full focus, the music itself is what makes this remarkable collection stand out.
The individual tracks are wrought from the same materials, painted from the same palette, though the album does not suffer from any sense of repetitiveness, as each track turns down unexpected corridors in the artist’s mind. Simple club tracks are turned nightmarish through the use of unsettling time signatures, unfamiliar phrasing and discordant modulating synths. Imagine a collage of classic drum machines, gurgling acid and snarling synth lines. “Xyrem”, named after a drug that combats narcolepsy, fizzes and shakes on a seven-bar loop, nervous tension lifting it through movement after movement before drifting off as the drug takes effect. “Somno”, from the Latin word for sleep, kicks like a Tyree club banger on medication. “Microsleeps” rattles with creaking pipes and ghostly themes, before shifting into an arpeggiated jam, shifting through different patterns like a sleeper moves through different doorways in a dream world.
“Obispo”, the shortest piece, is a percussive yet melodious piece that is as heavy as it is brief. “Avocado” could work in the darkest of clubs, albeit only if played by the most skilled of DJs, returning as it does to the liquid state of non-standard timing, bubbling and squirming with harsh acid and searing hi-hats. “Cimicdae”, meanwhile, is the darkest piece, as echoing percussion combines with detuned melodies and shrill synths to truly terrify the listener. Appropriate for a track titled for those most feared of nocturnal horrors: bedbugs. The album comes to a close with “Rohypno”, the etymology of which we’re sure we don’t have to explain. Though hardly as filled with dread as “Cimicdae”, this one still packs a chilling punch, and closes the album on as unsettling note as one would expect. Every night when you drift off to sleep, you’re as likely to be plagued by nightmares as you are blessed with restful repose. It would be easy to say that this is an accomplished work for someone who did it in his sleep, but leaving the novelty factor aside, this collection still has the power to agitate and enthral. If anything the conceit behind the album’s composition adds to its charm, rather than being its excuse.
Stream: Last Step – Microsleeps Sample (Planet Mu)
Stream: Last Step – Cimicdae Sample (Planet Mu)
Last Step – Sleep is out now on Planet Mu.
Chronicles: Gunplay
Stream/Download: Kendrick Lamar ft. Gunplay - Cartoons & Cereal (160 kbps)
In a recent interview, Kendrick Lamar spoke about his recent collaboration with Don Logan alias Gunplay and the fact the people don’t understand him. The problem is less about people understanding him, and more to do with where to place him. He has the energy of Waka Flocka Flame but with a lot more lyrical content. It’s this balance of the two that sets Gunplay apart from most of his peers. He can carry a Lex Luger style banger, while still managing to sound comfortable on more laid back, “smaller” beats. There is also the fact that Gunplay isn’t afraid to get a little weird with his delivery and subject matter. Like on “Food Chain” where he compares other rappers and general lames to ants. Gunplay being an ape in this scenario, and hungering for actual chains. “Top of the food chain, your chain looking tasty….I gotta eat, I gotta eat.”
Stream/Download: Gunplay - Herbalist (320 kbps)
”Herbalist” is a great example of Gunplay going over something that isn’t a trap banger.
Stream/Download: Gunplay ft. Waka Flocka Flame - Rollin' (160 kbps)
Back on the big, loud, banger front we can’t forget the track that’s largely responsible for most if not all of Gunplay’s solo buzz. The Waka Flocka Flame featured “Rollin’” was a minor hit last year with it’s distorted and stretched horns with a catchy anthem for the chorus. With a music video that features miami strippers doing giant pole drops (NSFW), it’s mind boggling why the song never reached a wider audience. Despite positive response for the mixtape “Inglorious Bastard”, the album it was meant to be a prequel for never materialized.
Stream/Download: Gunplay - Food Chain (320 kbps)
While he was mostly quiet for the rest of the year after “Rollin” and the mixtape it’s from, there seems to be a real fire under Gunplay in twenty-twelve. Transitoning into the year with the track/video ”Bogota, and following it up with the mixtape “Bogota Rich” in April. A short tape with mostly excellent freestyles and new tracks. “Tats On My Arm” being one of the big standouts. Gunplay beats the beat up in such a way that Rick Ross and Wale probably wish they had. In their defense, it’s hard to match the kind of energy and drug fueled gun raps that Gunplay delivers. While Gunplay is very much a serious rapper, he still seems to be having fun and it definitely comes across in his music. He’s never too serious (unless the track calls for it like on “Cartoons & Cereal”) and in interviews appear to be fully aware of how ridiculous his persona may seem to critics. We sincerely hope the momentum he’s generated with “Bogota Rich” keeps going and we don’t get anymore shelved tapes and albums in the future.
Download No DJ version of Bogota Rich in 320 Kbps and download Pure Baking Soda’s “Inside I’m Sufferin’ Outside I’m Stuntin’ Deluxe Edition” compilation here, 106 & Snort Coming Soon. Read More..
Truancy Volume 44: Chippy Nonstop
Chhavi Nanda alias Chippy Nonstop is the Queen of the Internet. We first got to know of her a few years ago when she was making moves with the Trap House collective, mainly as a designer and writer. A little bit over a year ago Chippy stepped up as a vocalist with her first single being “Yous A Chote” with The Pack’s Stunnaman, after which she started collaborating with the likes of G-Eazy (“Outta Pocket“), MTV-star-turned-rapper Andy Milonakis, released a couple of singles in collaboration with Grizz Lee and more recently worked together with Friendzone and Metro Zu. Although the maneuver to music wasn’t a conscious nor weighty decision, Chippy is making big moves nowadays. She dropped her #GLOBALSCHOOLOFTWERK mixtape (stream below) last month, with all beats on it exclusively provided by Brentwood producer Nanosaur (who has produced for the likes of the Based God in the past, see “I Got Bitches XXX“). A video for the mixtape’s “Bitch, I Bought It Out“ dropped last week and next week will bring us a video for “Kicked Out Da Club”, directed by sidekick internet authority Kreayshawn. Any information about any other projects in the near future are under wraps, but she has revealed that she will be featuring on the new Major Lazor full-length so there is no denying the fact that Chippy will stay grindin’.
As we were really feeling #GLOBALSCHOOLOFTWERK we hit Chippy up for a feature. By based chance she was very happy to oblige, so what we’ve got for you here is a little tête-à-tête with the lovely Chippy about her new mixtape, her favourite records, some of her forthcoming projects and of course a little information about her Mad Decent endeavors. The interview comes with a little mix, showcasing some of the club tracks she’s feeling and one thing is certain: Chippy is bout dat life.
Hey Chippy! What’s good? “HI BB~ I’m GOOD ! VERY BUSY! BUT LIFE IS AMAZING ! I’VE BEEN JUST MAKING ART, MUSIC, GOING TO SCHOOL, LIVING THE LIFESTYLE. YOU KNOW.”
When we got to know about you back in the days we mainly knew you as a designer and music journalist. Can you tell a little bit about how you ended up getting in music? “Well…PAUL DEVRO WAS THE FIRST ONE WHO ASKED ME TO GO TO THE STUDIO. I DON’T KNOW IF HE WANTS TO TAKE THE CREDIT OF BIRTHING A MONSTER INTO THE RAP REALM, LIKE MYSELF THOUGH. LOL. THE FIRST SONG I EVER PUT OUT WAS YOUS A CHOTE, STUNNAMAN FROM THE PACK HAD HIT ME UP AND ASK ME TO DO A HOOK FOR HIM ON A SONG, SO I DID. PEOPLE SHOWED AN INTEREST IN ME RIGHT AWAY. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTO MUSIC AND RAPPING TOO, BUT NEVER REALLY THOUGHT OF TAKING IT SERIOUSLY OR FOR IT TO BECOME A CAREER. BUT LIFE SEEMED TO PAN OUT THAT WAY. I’M NOT GOING TO DENY FATE. LOL.”
You’ve been living all over the place, and within the States you’ve moved between L.A. and the Bay Area. What’s the difference between these two places to you personally? Which place is more inspiring to you? “I LOVE THE BAY AREA. I FEEL WAY MORE CREATIVE AND PERSONALLY CONNECTED TO THE BAY. IN OAKLAND, EVERYONE HAS BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND LOVING. IN L.A. I NEVER LEFT LIKE I WAS A PART OF A COMMUNITY. HERE PEOPLE ARE A TEAM AND LOVE TO WORK TOGETHER AND BE CREATIVE TOGETHER. I LOVE THAT. L.A. IS DOPE BECAUSE YOU CAN GET WORK DONE REALLY FAST AND EVERYONE IN A RUSH TO TEACH THIS “GOAL” , BUT I LOVE THE BAY OVER L.A. ANY DAY.”
Could you tell us a little bit about Nanosaur who produced #GLOBALSKOOLOFTWERK, how did you guys meet how do you work together dynamically? “WELL, SO NANOSAUR IS FROM THE BAY AREA. HE SENT ME BEATS MONTHS BEFORE WE WORKED ON THE E.P. I REALLY LIKED THE BEATS, BUT DIDN’T REALLY END UP DOING ANYTHING WITH THEM, BECAUSE I WAS IN AUSTIN AND MIAMI TRAVELLING FOR SXSW AND ULTRA. WHEN I GOT BACK, I JUST TWEETED AT NANOSAUR TO MEET UP, WE WERE PLANNING ON JUST MAKING ONE SONG TOGETHER, BUT THEN ARE MUSIC MAKING CHEMISTRY WAS SO ON POINT, WE LITERALLY JUST BUMPED OUT THIS WHOLE E.P. IN 2 FULL DAYS OF RECORDING. IT WAS REALLY FUN, ONE OF THE MOST FUN TIMES I’VE EVER HAD RECORDING FOR SURE. LOL, WELL IT WAS CRAZY CUZ THE FIRST NIGHT I WENT OVER TO THEIR STUDIO, IT’S LIKE KIND OF FAR FROM MY HOUSE, WE JUST GOT FUCKED UP, DIDN’T SLEEP AT ALL AND JUST RECORDED ALL NIGHT. AND MORNING. I LITERALLY SMELLED LIKE SHIT, BUT I DIDN’T WANT TO STOP RECORDING.” Read More..
