It can be a bit of a cliché to talk about an artist or a musician or a writer putting themselves into their work – their emotions, their euphoria, their ugly side, ‘warts and all’ and all that. Quite often, someone’s personality can be an obstacle to engaging with whatever if it is that they’re producing; other times, it’s all there is – unbridled emotion obscuring a lack of real meaning. … Continue Reading
May 3, 2011
The bill at Cargo in East London on Tuesday night boasts two former bedroom acts who are pushing electronic music into their own unique, upbeat territories. Manchester’s Star Slinger clearly owes a great deal to the late J Dilla, though he weaves samples from hiphop, soul, girl groups and even Musical Youth into his bright, energetic compositions with a skill that makes the whole thing sound easy. Largely unknown this time last year, Baths represents the sincere, pop arm of LA’s sprawling beat scene – his absorbing, heartfelt LP, Cerulean, and almost constant touring has brought him a considerable amount of success. … Continue Reading
In many ways, the fractured nature of James Pants’ life experiences seem to be reflected in his approach to his music – the son of two Presbyterian ministers, Pants seems to have moved around a lot as a child, and has recently spent time in Cologne, New York and Colorado. His musical journey has been no less extraordinary – he began buying old, cheap records from a young age, spent some time as a DJ for a rap group in Texas while still in high school, and now finds himself on Stone Throw records, a label that has traditionally focused on underground rap. … Continue Reading
For someone who once penned the lyrics to a song like ‘Paint A Vulgar Picture’, Morrissey (aka Steven Patrick Morrissey, aka Mozza, aka The Mozfather, aka Not That Miserable Git Again – the last one was coined by my dad) isn’t lacking in the reissues and compilations department. … Continue Reading
Mike Volpe, the man behind the music of Clams Casino, seems to have risen from nowhere – the 23 year-old had been making beats for years before contacting Lil B via myspace to see if the idiosyncratic rapper was interested in using his tracks. From there, Volpe has provided beats for Lil B, Soulja Boy and Squadda B amongst others. Instrumental Mixtape collects a range of his tracks – some released and used by his collaborators, others unreleased – and, stripped of vocals, they reveal Volpe’s skill, compositional flair and talent for drawing emotion out of recycled samples. … Continue Reading
Matthew McQueen, aka Matthewdavid, arrives as yet another example of an electronic musician who has found a home, sound and audience in Los Angeles. A chance meeting with Flying Lotus at – where else? – Low End Theory in late 2006 marked the start of a friendship with the influential electronica artist, whose own career was only just taking off. Nearly five years later, FlyLo’s own Brainfeeder label have released Matthewdavid’s debut record, Outmind. … Continue Reading
If Alfred Darlington’s work as Daedelus over the last decade or so had been as consistent as his dress sense is elaborate (he often wears clothes straight out of the Victorian or early 20th century eras on stage), he may well be considered as influential as artists like DJ Shadow and Flying Lotus. Initially breaking out with 2002’s Invention, Daedelus’ music drew new lines between the early ‘00s cut-up hiphop of Prefuse 73 and DJ Shadow and late IDM, throwing in his own vintage samples for good measure. The ensuing years have produced a wealth of releases, though none have had quite the impact of his debut until now. … Continue Reading
Matt Cutler’s work as Lone has progressed steadily and impressively over the past few years, with his last few long players, Ecstasy and Friends and in particular last year’s Emerald Fantasy Tracks, bringing him more critical claim than ever. The Lone project appears to have grown from a fascination and love for IDM, particularly the washed out nostalgia of Boards Of Canada (an oft-overlooked influence on a lot of the electronica currently being produced). Increasingly, however, Cutler’s been incorporating elements of early ‘90s UK rave, Chicago house and Detroit techno into his psychedelic compositions. … Continue Reading
Drone and ambient music cross over into the consciousness of independent music fans from time to time, though you could argue that these artists are finding an audience now more than ever. Last year, Oneohtrix Point Never’s Returnal was his most widely praised – and more importantly, heard – record yet, while Emeralds also made something of a breakthrough with Does It Look Like I’m Here? Already this year, Tim Hecker’s poignant, destructive Ravedeath 1972 has reached listeners he hasn’t reached before. Perhaps as even more song-based, linear, independent music tends increasingly towards the ambient, dreamlike and unashamedly nostalgic (whatever your opinions on it), people are more open to the textures of drone and ambient music. … Continue Reading
March 31, 2011
Part 1 of our 2 part coverage of Deerhunter’s live shows this week:
Deerhunter and Lower Dens are both bands that made significant breakthroughs last year, though they find themselves at quite different stages of their career. Deerhunter have been steadily building a following in the UK since they first emerged properly online with their phenomenal second record Cryptograms and its accompanying EP Fluorescent Grey. 2010’s Halcyon Digest funnelled their less abrasive tendencies into their most reflective, musically adventurous and accessible LP yet. Lower Dens, meanwhile, impressed with their atmospheric debut Twin Hand Movement, skilfully differentiating themselves from a host of bands mining guitar music of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s for inspiration. … Continue Reading
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