The latest from artist Saadi is titled Snowyman. The music is a mix of Arabic with Electro Rock, Tropicalia, Dubstep and Dancehall influences. Saadi herself adds vocals to the tracks which shift from one genre to the other opening up the album’s range. The racks do have their own sound (Dubstep, Arabic, etc.) but she is able to bring a consistent sound through the album putting together an album that combines different music and different cultures seamlessly.
Tracks: 2,5,7
Randon Rab’s latest sonic foray is titled Visurreal. The music is a mix of World Downtempo/Lounge with elements of Arabic, Trip Hop, Dark Ambient and minor touches of Drum And Bass and Electro Rock. The resulting sound is diverse and dynamic. Random Rab has managed to combine these different musical genres into a cohesive sound that has enough familiarity to attract the listener but brings an original sound to the music which pushes it into a new direction. An excellent album which broadens the mind with it’s freshness.
RIYD: Thievery Corp, Tosca, Zero 7
Tracks: 2,3,4,5,8,15 FCC: 9
The Remix Ep from Joker remixes tracks from his latest album, The Vision. The tracks are a mix of Dubstep and Drum and Bass with heavy Hip Hop and Reggaeton influences. The five track remix album is quick and dirty and will get you sweatin’.
Tracks: 2,4
No Application ep is a four track album from Silverclub. The first two tracks “No Application” and Golden Reiter” are a mix of upbeat Disco Dance with an Indie Rock/Indie Dance undercurrent. The third and fourth tracks are a remix of “No Application” and “Gone(Viceroy Suite Remix)” has more of a Dark Techno/Dark Ambient sound adding a different dimension to the Ep. A nice juxtaposition of light and dark sounds that balance each other perfectly.
Tracks: All Good
Headcage Ep is the latest from Matthew Dear. The four track album has that “Matthew Dear” sound, a mix of Electro Goth with old school Alternative all wrapped up in a quirky Neo-Synth package. Again you hear the ghosts of the past and in this Ep I’m reminded of Peter Gabriel or even a little Thomas Dolby. Dear has yet to disappoint and this Ep is a nice teaser to keep us satisfied until his full length album comes out in the spring.
Tracks: All Good
Luke Vibert (who also goes by the moniker Wagon Christ & Plug) displays his vibrant interest from avant garde jungle beats and sophisticate hardcore drum’n'bass. With so many tweaked out sounds in this cosmic stew, Back On Time combines flavors ranging from the bollywood-inspired “A Quick Plug For A New Slot” to the trip-hop track “Yes Man” oozing in elegance. Sounding brand new as well as being a lost classic from an electronic icon, Back On Time is a release that anybody interested in the progression of dance music should be very curious to hear and enjoy. Be sure to check out tracks #1, 2, 3, 7, 8. FCC Violation #6 Review from Terrorbird Promotion
The latest from Bjork collaborator Leila is titled U&I. The music is a blend of IDM, Minimal Wave, and Dance Industrial with vocals from Mt. Sims. You hear hints of early Front 242 or early Skinny Puppy on the track “all of this” with sharp drum machines and frentic synth wobbles. But there are some mellow, darker tracks as well like “in consideration”, “eight”, and “u&i”. The only criticism of the album is that while the tracks are good and have a good sound they lack originality. This almost has a greatest hits of IDM feel to it, with the tracks sounding like someone else’s music. Besides this blemish, the album is good and is well worth a listen.
RIYD: early Front 242, early Skinny Puppy, Wumpscut, Autechre, Sight Below
Tracks: 1,3,5,6,10,11,13
The Knocks’ Magic EP is manufactured for the sole purpose of making people dance. It seems perfect for the after-party with just you and your (attractive, young, and well-dressed) best friends. And if it does come off a little shallow, it makes up for that by the pure catchiness and dance floor suitability of all 6 tracks. Also, check out some of the remixes of the second track, Brightside, that are out there.
RIYL: Calvin Harris, Flight Facilities
PLAY: all good
FCC: n/a
The soundtrack for upcoming buzzed-about movie, Chronicle, is a balance between energetic rock with a Killers’ vibe, crazy electronic dance music, and uplifting electronic music. The soundtrack includes contributions from artists: M83, STRFKR, Simian Mobile Disco, Congorock, and more. Overall it’s an interesting combination of songs that increases my intrigue about the movie.
RIYL: The Killers, Justice, + more
PLAY: (Rock) - 3,4,12 (RPM) - 6,7,8,10,11
FCC: n/a
The Delusional single by Human woman contains nine tracks with an original edit and eight remixes. The original edit has an Indie Dance vibe to it while the remixes range from Funk Dance, Minimal techno, Downtempo and Disco Dance to name a few. A nice variety of tracks which all have their own flavor. Pick your fav and groove the night away.
Tracks: 2,3,6,7,8