XLR8R
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Stacey Pullen
XLR8R got started back in 1993, right around the time that Stacey Pullen began releasing records. Given our parallel trajectories, it makes sense that we'd enlist the Detroit stalwart to put together a mix as part of our month-long 20th anniversary celebration. A key member of Detroit techno's second wave, Pullen came up under the tutelage of Motor City pioneers like Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, but quickly made his own mark, particularly once he hit the global DJ circuit in '93 and...
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Paul Johnson
Last week, we here at XLR8R kicked off a month-long series of special podcasts to commemorate our 20 years of existence. Obviously, a lot of music has come and gone in the last two decades, so we figured the best way to celebrate our own little milestone would be to highlight a few of the artists whose output has helped define the era. This week, we've enlisted Chicago house veteran Paul Johnson, a producer and DJ with an impressive resume that dates back even further than our own. read more
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Omar-S
Believe it or not, XLR8R recently celebrated its 20th birthday. It's not an occasion we've been hyping with lots of fanfare—perhaps we're getting a bit shy about our advancing age—but we figured that we needed to do something to commemorate our two decades of existence. Ultimately, we decided to recognize the milestone via our podcast series. Granted, the weekly mixes are something that we're already fairly excited about, but throughout the month of May, we'll be taking things up a notch...
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Bondax
Bondax has been simmering below the surface for a while now, but there's little question that last year's "Baby I Got That" took the teenage duo to a new level of recognition. Granted, the song is an almost impossibly catchy piece of sun-kissed electronic pop, but it's doubtful that anyone anticipated just how big of a single it would be. Now, nearly a year later, the UK outfit has only let loose a handful of additional tunes, yet it sits at the precipice of a full-fledged crossover—it's no...
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Cosmin TRG
Cosmin TRG (a.k.a. Cosmin Nicolae) has been releasing music since 2007, yet it still feels like the man doesn't have much of a "story." That's not a slight, nor is it meant to imply that the Romanian-born artist is some sort of shadowy or secretive figure. It's simply an observation that he prefers to let his tunes do the talking, which isn't a bad course of action when one considers his track record. Over the past six years, Cosmin TRG has offered up more than his fair share of quality...
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Dam-Funk
It's hard not to like Dam-Funk (a.k.a. Damon Riddick). The LA veteran is not only incredibly prolific, but his unique mix of West Coast G-funk, old-school electro, and vintage soul always sounds almost impossibly cool. Last weekend, he delivered one of the standout performances during the first go-round of Coachella's 2013 festivities—check our review for more details on that—and it's a safe bet that the man will be similarly charming when he hits the main stage again this Friday. With a new...
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Ejeca
Ejeca (a.k.a. Garry McCartney) burst on the scene in 2012—most notably with "You" (a collaborative track with Bicep) and the Horizon EP—and the Belfast-based producer's pace hasn't slowed in 2013. Shortly after we tabbed him as an "Artist to Watch" during Bubblin' Up Week back in January, the man dropped the Frequency EP via Last Night on Earth, and he has two more offerings making their way into the world this month—the Different Rules EP on Lokee Musik and the Life in Flux EP for 2020...
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DJ Qu
DJ Qu is not a flashy artist. Though the New Jersey native is essentially a house-music lifer—he detailed his early days as a house dancer in our Bubblin' Up feature a couple of years back—he continues to quietly go about his business, DJing around the globe and releasing a steady stream of quality deep house, mostly via his own Strength Music imprint. Gymnastics, his first and only full-length, dropped back in 2011, and although 2012 saw a handful of new records from Qu, we nonetheless...
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Mark E
Mark E is remarkably consistent artist, one of those guys who quietly releases at least a few records each year; they may never be flashy or over the top, but they're always full of solid tunes. Given that, it's easy to overlook his catalog, even after nearly a decade of releases and a discography that contains efforts for top-notch labels like Spectral Sound, Running Back, and Golf Channel, not to mention the numerous outings on his own Merc imprint. As if all of his solo activity wasn't...
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Bobby Champs
Like many members of the UK's current crop of up-and-coming producers, Bobby Champs has a style that's hard to pin down. Falling somewhere between house, techno, and the increasingly nebulous terrain of bass music, his tunes are frequently marked by their propulsive drive and chunky low end. After making a splash in 2012 with releases such as Moonlight, Drag Queen, and the Steve Martin EP, the young, Brighton-based beatmaker recently kicked off his 2013 with a four-track effort for the...
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Nautiluss
Over the past year, XLR8R's love affair with all things Nautiluss (a.k.a. Graham Bertie) has been plainly visible to anyone paying even a modicum of attention to our coverage. After all, we gave his αlpha and Habitat EPs glowing reviews—the latter eventually nabbed the #15 slot on our list of the Best Releases of 2012—and we also labeled the Toronto-based producer as one of the year's Best New Artists. Now, the same week that Nautiluss is slated to perform at the XLR8R-sponsored Icee Hot...
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Versalife
Boris Bunnik is a man of many talents, and perhaps more notably, many names. Over the past several years, the Dutch producer has turned out a steady stream of quality music while operating under a number of monikers, including Conforce, Hexagon, and Versalife, amongst others. While all of his projects vary somewhat, Bunnik can always be counted upon to mine vintage electro for inspiration, a trend that continues on his first Versalife full-length, Vantage Point, which drops this week via...
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Locked Groove
Although it certainly wasn't our intention, it appears that XLR8R is currently in the midst of a week-long celebration of all things Locked Groove. Just yesterday, we tabbed his excellent new EP, Heritage, as an XLR8R pick, and followed that up by posting an exclusive stream of the whole record. As if that wasn't enough, the Belgian producer, born Tim Van de Meutter, has now put together a new mix for our podcast series. read more
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Benjamin Damage
Over the past few years, Welsh producer Benjamin Damage (a.k.a. Benjamin O'Shea) has been involved in a lot of quality music, yet it seems like he hasn't quite received his proper due, most likely because he's best known for producing in tandem with others. Back in 2010, he teamed up with Venom on "Deeper," the inaugural release from Doc Daneeka's Ten Thousand Yen label. And although that particular partnership didn't continue, Damage did find a kindred spirit in Daneeka, with whom he...
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Dusky
2012 was a good year for Dusky. Although the pair's 2011 full-length debut, Sticky By This, put the London outfit on the map, last year saw an impressive run of releases that included a solid EP for Aus offshoot Simple, the first record for Loefah's new School imprint, and the Flo Jam EP, whose title track quickly became one of the most rinsed tunes of the year. Now that the calendar has flipped to 2013, the duo of Alfie Granger-Howell and Nick Harriman stands as one of the UK's most...
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Leon Vynehall
Leon Vynehall only released two records last year, but the Brighton-based producer undeniably made his presence known in 2012, even as he refused to reveal his true identity. His last record, "Gold Language" b/w "Don't Know Why," had quite an impact—it prompted us to profile Vynehall as part of our Bubblin' Up series—and now he's followed it up with another strong effort, the three-track Rosalind EP, which is currently streaming in full on XLR8R. Given Vynehall's ascendant trajectory, we...
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Ulrich Schnauss
Although XLR8R covers many different corners of the electronic spectrum, it's fair to say that we've haven't been paying a whole lot of attention to drum bass as of late. That being said, we still have a soft spot for the genre's heyday, and it appears we're not alone. Ulrich Schnauss may be best known for the serene, shoegaze-flavored electronic soundscapes he's been turning out for more than a decade, but when we asked the German veteran to participate in our podcast series, he elected...
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Basic Soul Unit
Surveying the career of Basic Soul Unit (a.k.a. Stuart Li), it's hard not to wonder how the Toronto-based producer hasn't become a bigger sensation. That's not a knock on his reputation; without question, folks in the know place Li's output in the upper echelons of house and techno. It's just that he remains a sort of producer's producer, even after spending the last decade dropping records via a litany of highly respected imprints. Ostgut Ton, Crme Organization, Mule Electronic,...
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Trus'me
When it comes to forthcoming house albums we're excited about in 2013, it's safe to say that Trus'me's Treat Me Right is currently sitting at the top of the list. Granted, it's only January and not that many new full-lengths have actually been announced for 2013, but new music from David Wolstencroft is something worth celebrating, regardless of what page the calendar is turned to. The Manchester-based veteran and Prime Numbers boss last released a Trus'me album in 2009, so now that he's...
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South London Ordnance
The beginning of each year is always a time for looking ahead, which is why South London Ordnance is a particularly fitting choice for the first XLR8R podcast of 2013. Granted, the UK producer had himself a rather solid 2012, dropping well-received releases on a myriad of labels and snagging the #4 slot on our list of the year's Best New Artists. Nevertheless, the general consensus is that even brighter days are ahead for the youthful beatmaker. With South London Ordnance riding a wave of...
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Azari & III
XLR8R has been following the exploits of Azari III for quite some time. Back in the summer of 2010, we did an in-depth feature on the elusive outfit, and in the months and years that followed, we've seen the Toronto-based group turn out a solid array of singles, videos, and even a self-titled debut full-length, all without thrusting themselves completely into the spotlight. Even now, as the album is being reissued today—surprisingly enough, via the Dim Mak imprint—and the group is set to...
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Cajmere
Chicago's history is full of house-music legends and innovators, but few figures loom larger than Cajmere (a.k.a. Curtis Jones). While he's perhaps better known these days as Green Velvet, Jones first made his mark as Cajmere, heading up the influential Cajual label and dropping a slew of influential tunes, most notably "The Percolator," which remains a classic floor-filler to this day. Yet the quality Cajual releases didn't stop there, and now, more than two decades after the imprint's...
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Daniel Maloso
Many words can be used to describe the Cmeme label, but dull is not one of them. Over the past few years, the Matas Aguayo-led imprint has established itself as a bit of a wild card, a hub that brings together electronic oddballs from across Latin America, all of whom are putting their own unique spin on various strains of house, techno, and disco. One of those artists is Daniel Maloso, and next week, he'll be releasing In and Out, an album which happens to be only the second full-length...
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Kim Ann Foxman
New York's Kim Ann Foxman might be best known for her previous work with Hercules Love Affair, but over the past few years, she's also been gradually building a solid discography of her own as a solo artist, dropping a number of remixes, a collaboration with Kink and Neville Watson, and her own excellent single, "Creature." On October 22, she'll be releasing her next salvo, "Return It," via London's Needwant imprint. Ahead of that, she'll also be spinning as part of an absolutely stacked...
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Deadbeat
Like many of his Canadian techno brethren, Deadbeat (a.k.a Scott Montieth) long ago left his home country and resettled in Berlin. That aspect of his story may not be particularly original, but the course he's subsequently plotted with his music most definitely is, as Deadbeat continues to innovate while exploring the murky sounds of dub techno. The most recent chapter of that exploration is Eight, his latest LP. Now, just weeks after its arrival, Deadbeat has put together an exclusive mix...
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Max Cooper's Decibel Mix
As most XLR8R readers are likely aware, the annual Decibel Festival is descending upon Seattle this week, and bringing with it a stunning array of electronic artists. Given our excitement about the festivities, we're running a special series of Decibel-themed content throughout the week, and have elected to include our weekly podcast as part of that. Making that choice was easy; much harder was actually choosing an artist to do said podcast, as the festival line-up literally features dozens...
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Tom Demac
Just last Friday, London producer Tom Demac's name appeared on XLR8R for only the second time. (The first was back in March, when he offered up a free track for our Downloads section.) Nevertheless, Demac's reappearance on the site was fairly significant, as his new single, "Critical Distance Pt. 2," was given a glowing review and tabbed as an XLR8R Pick. Simply put, the track is a monster, and will surely go down as one of year's biggest tunes. Yet Demac is no one-track wonder; he's been...
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DJ Stingray's New Forms Mix
Summer may be rapidly coming to a close, but the global onslaught of high-quality electronic-music festivals continues without respite. This week, attentions are turning toward Vancouver, which is playing host to the annual New Forms Festival, four-day art and music event with a lineup featuring XLR8R favorites such as Actress, Kode9, Canblaster, Kuedo, Teebs, Pilooski, Kevin McPhee, and others too numerous to list. We asked the New Forms organizers if one of the festival artists would like...
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Peter Van Hoesen
It's pretty hard to keep secrets in the music world these days—at least it seems that way, particularly with the internet constantly nudging its way further and further in artists' daily lives. Give that reality, Belgian techno producer Peter Van Hoesen ought to be commended for keeping his new album under wraps until just a few days before its actual release. Even more impressive is that the unveiling of Perceiver wasn't unveiled via some petulant Twitter salvo or even a quiet SoundCloud...
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Midland's Dimensions Mix
If there's one word that sums up UK producer Midland (a.k.a. Harry Agius) rather nicely, it's patient. Granted, his first appearance on record, a collaborative outing with Ramadanman on a 12" for the Aus imprint in 2010, gave him a pretty auspicious beginning to his career as a producer. Nevertheless, Midland smartly avoided cashing in on the hype and instead chose to take the long road, gradually developing his sound while steadily dropping a solid series of singles and EPs. He's never...
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Royal-T
Grime is an interesting genre. Pundits have long been eager to declare the sound "dead," yet now, nearly a decade past its initial appearance on the UK musical landscape, grime is experiencing what can only be viewed as an all-out resurgence. The efforts of veteran artists like Terror Danjah and (occasionally) Wiley continue to be celebrated, and a new generation led by Elijah Skilliam's Butterz crew has brought a vibrant, neon-streaked strain of grime to the forefront. One of the key...
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Groundislava
Groundislava (a.k.a. Jasper Patterson) may hail from Los Angeles and hold a membership in Shlohmo's Wedidit crew, but it's hard to argue that the young beatmaker hasn't carved out a sound all his own. Over the past few years, he's dropped a steady series of releases, most recently this summer's TV Dream EP. On August 28, he'll be following that up with a new album, Feel Me, a full-length effort on Friends of Friends that finds Groundislava synthesizing his loves of dreamy soundscapes,...
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Otto Von Schirach
It may not be the most astute way to describe him, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Otto Von Schirach is a weird guy. Over the past decade, the Miami producer has been turning out a volatile mix of what he describes as, "Earth Wave Surf Electro Bass Tropical calypso Dubstep Broken Noise Grind, IDM Folk Glitch, Breakcore orchestral Gabber." Putting it mildly, he's a complex artist, and one who's just released a new album, Supermeng, his first for the Monkeytown...
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Shed
Although we'd like to think that every installment of XLR8R's weekly podcast series features an artist whose work is well worth listening to, we do recognize that not every mix we post will qualify for must-listen status with our entire audience. That being said, this week's podcast comes from Shed (a.k.a. Rene Pawlowitz), and should be considered an exception to the rule. Fresh off the release of his new album, The Killer, the German producer has put together an exclusive mix, the...
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Jon Convex
Whether it's fair or not, Jon Convex is probably best known as "the other guy from Instra:mental." To be certain, his former production partner Boddika has snagged a lot of headlines over the past year or so, but Convex hasn't exactly been a slouch. Building upon the stripped-down, electro-flavored rhythms that powered the final Instra:mental album, Resolution 653, Convex has been releasing a stready stream of bass-loaded, robotic funk workouts on labels such as [NakedLunch] and 3024. Next...
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Cardopusher
Cardopusher is a name that's been popping up on XLR8R for quite some time. Way back in 2007, the Venezuela-born producer was cranking out noisy bits of breakcore, but over the years, his sound has continuously mutated, evolved, and—most impressively—remained interesting as he's flirted with dubstep, tropical bass, UK funky, electro, acid, hardcore, house, and various points in between. Cardopusher's discography includes quality offerings on varied imprints such as Hyperdub, Tigerbeat6, Lo...
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Mike Shannon
Mike Shannon isn't what most people would call flashy. The Canadian-born, Berlin-based DJ and producer is a veteran artist who doesn't seek the limelight, instead preferring to operate behind the scenes—and behind the decks—and simply let the music do the talking. That said, his contributions to the world of techno really shouldn't be understated, as Shannon was one of the first artists to make a connection between Canada and Berlin, a path that has now become well worn by a myriad of...
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Ben Sims
It seems like most techno veterans hail from either Detroit or Berlin. Granted, the key word there is "most," as Ben Sims calls London home and has been dropping records and making his mark in the techno world since the late '90s. Apart from his own numerous releases, Sims has been enlisted to remix a slew of techno heavyweights over the years, including Jeff Mills, Kevin Saunderson, Joey Beltram, and others too numerous to list. He also heads up the long-running Theory label, and more...
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Graphics
After surfacing last year, London producer Graphics (a.k.a. Alfie MacGibbon) has proven himself to be a rather energetic young fellow. Sure, he's done the requisite "new producer" activities, offering up a bounty of free tunes over the past few months to help build his name while dropping records for labels such as Granholme, Well Rounded Individuals, GETME!, and Made to Play. He's even started his own imprint, LYWat Records, on which he's also been releasing music. As if that hyperactive...
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George FitzGerald
London producer George FitzGerald is an interesting case. When he first surfaced in 2010 with "The Let Down" b/w "Weakness," the music was well received, albeit with the caveat that it sounded a whole lot like Joy Orbison. (It certainly didn't help that both artists were releasing music on the Hotflush label.) Cut to two years later, and things have changed pretty significantly. Joy Orbison isn't really turning out tunes that sound like "Hyph Mngo" any more, while FitzGerald has only delved...
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Iron Curtis
It was more than two years ago when Germany's Iron Curtis (a.k.a. Johannes Paluka) first caught the ear of XLR8R, prompting us to take a closer look as part of our Bubblin' Up series. But while 2010 saw him release a torrent of singles, his original offerings slowed significantly after that—although 2011 did include a fair share of Iron Curtis remixes—most likely because the Berlin-based producer was plugging away on his debut full-length, Soft Wide Waist Band, which finally dropped last...
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Lemonade
Lemonade is a band. It's not often that bands get invited to take part in the XLR8R podcast series, but the Brooklyn trio is not the average indie outfit, even if its new full-length, Diver, is loaded with the kind of wonderfully emotive, synth-driven pop that rarely appears on our website. In fairness, the record also includes nods to early-'90s RB, grime, new age, 2-step, Balearic house, '80s freestyle, and other styles too numerous to list. Basically, many of Lemonade's tastes line up...
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A Guy Called Gerald's MUTEK Mix
This week, the 2012 edition of the annual MUTEK festival will be getting underway in Montreal. Consistently presenting some of the most forward—not to mention best—assortments of electronic and experimental artists, it comes as little surprise that this year's lineup includes an intriguing array of acts, from up-and-coming locals to widely influential legends. One of those legends happens to be UK producer A Guy Called Gerald (a.k.a. Gerald Simpson), who's put together an exclusive mix to...
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Braiden
Just a few weeks after showcasing the talents of Fantastic Mr Fox, the XLR8R podcast series has once again turned its focus to a talented Brit who's been rather quiet for some time. Granted, London's Braiden hasn't disappeared completely off the radar, as he continues to DJ regularly on Rinse FM. On the production front, however, he's more or less been missing in action. Braiden's first and only single, "The Alps," was released to all sorts of acclaim back in 2010 on Joy Orbison's Doldrums...
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Jack Dixon
Over the past two years, London producer Jack Dixon has quietly amassed a rather impressive discography, dropping releases—both solo and collaborative—on labels such as Brownswood, Silverback, ManMakeMusic, and, most recently, RS offshoot Apollo, which just put out his You Won't Let Me EP. But even with a string of quality releases to his name, it's sometimes easy to forget Dixon amongst the ever-swelling ranks of producers turning out bass music, or whatever genre tag is being applied at...
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Anenon
At this point, there's not a whole lot more we can say about Anenon (a.k.a. Brian Simon) without resorting to full-blown gushing. Fresh off the release of his debut full-length, Inner Hue (which is still streaming here), the LA-based artist has assembled the latest chapter of the XLR8R podcast series, and we can honestly say that the mix is quite unlike all the podcasts that have come before it. read more
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Lapalux
It wasn't that long ago that Lapalux (a.k.a. Stuart Howard) was just another young UK producer perking up people's ears with a hard-to-define mix of low-end-heavy, but undeniably experimental, sounds. Even when we tabbed him as a Bubblin' Up artist last summer, largely on the strength on his then-fresh Many Faces Out of Focus EP, the full extent of his potential was only beginning to reveal itself. Then came this year's When You're Gone EP, released on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder imprint,...
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Fantastic Mr Fox
For a while there, it felt like Fantastic Mr Fox (a.k.a. Stephen Gomberg) was going to be one of those artists who simply disappeared into the ether, never to return. After dropping a slew of hotly tipped releases in 2009 and 2010, touring extensively with The xx, and building a solid name for himself before the concept of "bass music" really resembled a concrete scene, the UK producer pulled back from the spotlight. Now, more than a year since his last release, news of a forthcoming new EP...
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Jonwayne
Southern California's Jonwayne is an imposing figure. First of all, he's quite literally a huge dude, someone who brings a sort of bearded, mountain-man aesthetic to the world of Low End Theory and the extended beat scene. Second, and more importantly, it seems like the former Bubblin' Up producer and rapper never stops working. Shortly after signing to the venerable Stones Throw label, which recently reissued an expanded version of his Oodles of Doodles beat tape and also plans to release a...
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Ill Blu
Whatever happened to Ill Blu? A few years back, the London duo was seemingly everywhere, an integral part of the UK funky explosion in 2008-2009. However, just as the scene reached its zenith, Ill Blu largely disappeared. In the last two years, the only releases have been 2010's "Bellion" b/w "Dragon Pop" single on Hyperdub and 2011's Meltdown EP on Numbers. However, following the recent announcement that Ill Blu was not only still together, but would be returning to Hyperdub with a new...
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Tomas Barfod
Last month, Danish producer Tomas Barfod released the Broken Glass EP, officially making him the newest member of the increasingly eclectic Friends of Friends roster. While his music may not have much in common with that of labelmates Shlohmo or Salva, it's certainly of the same caliber, something Barfod will be showcasing more thoroughly when his next full-length, Salton Sea, drops on May 21. In the meantime, we've invited the WhoMadeWho drummer to display his curatorial chops behind the...
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Tevo Howard
While there's no shortage of praise for the mid- and late-'80s salad days of classic Chicago house, when it comes to talk of house music's present, the Windy City sometimes feels grossly underrepresented. That's certainly not the fault of Tevo Howard, a veteran DJ who has been dropping a steady stream of quality house records in the past few years. His most recent is the excellent Monument EP, which once again finds him mining the vintage drum sounds and stylistic tropes of Chicago house to...
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Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka
While both Benjamin Damage and Doc Daneeka entered 2012 with solid track records, it's fair to say that the Welsh duo's debut full-length, They!Live, far exceeded everyone's expectations. Last year's "Creeper" b/w "Infamous" single—like the album, released via Modeselektor's 50 Weapons imprint—was an impressive, techno-leaning first outing, but they They!Live is an especially accomplished effort, one that finds the producers streamlining their sound while applying their penchant for crafting...
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BNJMN
Right out of the gate, BNJMN (a.k.a. Ben Thomas) made a strong impression on the electronic-music landscape. Last year, the shadowy young Brit dropped two LPs via the esteemed Rush Hour imprint, both of which showcased a unique brand of house and techno that was simultaneously dark, hazy, and dreamily emotive. read more
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Krystal Klear
In the bustling UK music scene, where genres come and go in what seems like the bat of an eye, there's always a strong focus on the new. New artists. New sounds. New labels. New parties. While this kind of outlook sometimes leads to novelty trumping actual quality, it's not an attitude that's been wholesale adopted by the entire slate of UK music makers. Krystal Klear is a perfect example of those bucking the trend. read more
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Champion
While pundits may say that UK funky is "over," clearly they haven't been listening to artists like Champion (a.k.a. Reiss Hanson). read more
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Distal
Over the past year or so, few artists have popped up more frequently on XLR8R than Distal (a.k.a. Michael Rathbun). Part of that has to do with the 28-year-old beatmaker's inherently prolific nature, as he's quickly amassed a hearty discography that includes releases on labels such as Tectonic, Grizzly, Seclusiasis, and Fortified Audio, not to mention his own imprint, Embassy Recordings, which he runs in tandem with fellow Atlantan Mite. Yet Distal's rise can be attributed to more than just...
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Chief Boima
While the notion of being a "citizen of the world" is often worthy of scorn, or at least a pronounced eye roll, in the case of Chief Boima (a.k.a. Boima Tucker), the concept actually makes sense. Raised in Milwaukee and subsequently a longtime resident of Oakland, Boima currently calls Brooklyn home, although "home" is a relative concept when you're frequently traveling the globe and soaking in the local sounds of places like Spain, Colombia, Bolivia, Sierra Leone (his father's birthplace),...
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Marc Houle
Last summer, techno veteran Marc Houle—along with DJ comrades Magda and Troy Pierce—left his longtime home at Richie Hawtin's Minus label and rededicated himself to the dormant Items Things imprint. A few releases from Items Things trickled out during the latter half of 2011, but the reinvigorated label is truly beginning to bear fruit in 2012, beginning with a Undercover, the soon-to-be-released new full-length from Marc Houle himself. Undercover won't officially see the light of day until...
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LV
Since the release of last year's excellent Routes full-length, LV has been fairly quiet. Nonetheless, the group's intrepid infusion of South African house rhythms into a UK funky-inspired template has often proved interesting—not to mention enjoyable—so we jumped at the chance to have the UK trio put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. read more
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Mano Le Tough
Mano Le Tough (a.k.a. Niall Mannion) is a name that popped up on XLR8R's radar in a major way last year, particularly following the release of his Stories EP and the "In My Arms" 12". Both records found the Irish-born producer exploring the incorporation of a new element—his own voice—into his musical palette, a shift which found his already melodic style moving into increasingly compelling and, yes, pop-oriented territory. This process was explored at length when Mano Le Tough was featured...
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Gerry Read
Even after dropping a host of well-received tunes in 2011—most notably, a trio of 12"s for Ramp offshoot Fourth Wave—UK producer Gerry Read remains a mysterious figure. We know that he's young—just 20 years old, in fact. read more
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Santiago Salazar
Throughout its history as one of Detroit's most storied techno collectives, Underground Resistance has counted a lot of top-notch producers and DJs amongst its ranks. One of those acts is Los Angeles native Santiago Salazar, who years ago packed up and headed to Detroit for some first-hand schooling from Mike Banks and the rest of the UR crew. While Salazar has since returned to his hometown and is now focused on his own labels, Historia y Violencia and Ican (running the latter with Esteban...
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Throwing Snow
The new year is a time when people are naturally inclined to look toward the future, so it's fitting that our first podcast of 2012 comes from an artist we're expecting to hear a lot from in the months ahead. In all honesty, Throwing Snow is a name that already popped up on XLR8R quite a bit in 2011, particularly following the release of his stellar "Shadower" b/w "Sanctum" single. read more
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Om Unit
With 2011 quickly drawing to a close, the onslaught of "Best Of" lists is already well underway (don't worry, XLR8R's contributions will begin popping up next week), and although it's unlikely that Om Unit (a.k.a. Jim Coles) is going to be pulling down a ton of accolades, that has less to do with the quality of his output, and more to do with the fact that the London producer has kept a relatively low profile while having himself a very solid year. read more
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Africa Hitech
In all honesty, we're not exactly sure how UK outfit Africa Hitech found the time to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. read more
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French Fries
French Fries (a.k.a. Valentino Cazani) is an interesting producer. Based in Paris, he's established himself as a sort of chameleon, as the young artist is seemingly capable of tackling new sounds and styles with relative ease. His breakthrough tune, 2010's "Senta," offered a raved-up take on UK funky that found its way into the sets of many DJs who had never really dabbled in the genre. read more
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Samo Sound Boy
Over the past few months, a lot of space on XLR8R has been devoted to the exploits of Los Angeles DJ/producer Samo Sound Boy, a Trouble Bass-affiliated artist who recently struck out on his own with Body High, a new label he's launched with Jerome Potter of LOL Boys. The pair have also begun producing together under the name DJ Dodger Stadium, a project which delivered the inaugural Body High release in early October. Only six weeks later, the young imprint is humming along nicely, having...
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Cedaa
While many young producers have taken up the bass and juke mantle in the past year or two, few have done so while matching the quality of the output being produced by 21-year-old Cedaa (a.k.a. Simon Ho). read more
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Damu
Damu (a.k.a. Sam Schorb) sure hasn't wasted any time while working his way into the UK bass conversation. In less than a year, the Manchester-based producer—and one-time subject of our Bubblin' series—has released an impressive series of EPs, including offerings on the Local Action, Silverback, and Keysound labels. read more
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Asura
Asura (a.k.a. Ryan York) may be affiliated with the increasingly nebulous "beat scene," but the young artist is not the typical LA producer. While he now crafts intricately detailed electronic compositions, his formative years were spent enmeshed in the world of jazz. He clearly brings a formally trained ear to his production and creates music that's as equally informed by ambient and classical sounds as it is the more hip-hop-oriented sounds favored by many of his contemporaries. read more
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Rebolledo
Make no mistake, Matas Aguayo's Cmeme imprint is a weird fucking label. While much of Cmeme's output could be roughly described as house, that overlooks the elements of techno, disco, funk, and various Latin genres that populate its tracks, not to mention its artists' penchant for bizarre vocals and the music's simultaneously raw and psychedelic vibe. Perhaps no producer encapsulates the label's spirit as well as Rebolledo, whose new album, Super Vato, offers the sound of sleazy, drugged-out...
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Jam City
Although the goings-on of the various members of the venerable Night Slugs crew are frequently documented on XLR8R, it's been awhile since one of its artists put together an exclusive mix for our podcast series. Jam City (a.k.a. Jack Latham) is one of the youngest members of the Night Slugs stable, yet the London-based producer has already made quite a ripple in the bass-music pool with his Waterworx and Magic Drops EPs, not to mention his refix of Endgames' "Ecstasy." He's currently putting...
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Robert Hood
At this point, does an artist like Robert Hood require an introduction? (After all, we did put him on the cover of XLR8R last year.) All kidding aside, the man is a Detroit techno legend, although these days he calls Alabama home. A founding member of Underground Resistance and one of the first pioneers of the minimal sound, Hood is still going strong more than 20 years into his career, running his own M-Plant label and continuing to drop releases, both under his own name and as Floorplan....
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Pezzner's Decibel Mix
Beginning tomorrow, Seattle officially becomes the center of the electronic-music universe—at least through Sunday night—thanks to the city's annual Decibel Festival, which is once again bringing a dizzying array of talent to the Pacific Northwest. XLR8R will certainly be in attendance—look for updates from the festival in the days ahead—but in the meantime, we've teamed up with the festival organizers and tapped Seattle producer Pezzner to put together an exclusive Decibel mix for the XLR8R...
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Altered Natives
UK producer Altered Natives (a.k.a. Danny Yorke) certainly isn't a shy man. From his candid interviews to his rough-and-tumble house productions, Yorke operates without paying much attention to particular music scenes or worrying about ruffling feathers. read more
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Sully
UK producer Sully (a.k.a. Jack Stevens) is a bit of a mysterious figure. When his tracks first began surfacing three or four years ago, Sully was praised for his infusion of melancholy 2-step-garage sensibilities into thicker, bass-heavy rhythms. While this now seems commonplace in today's post-everything UK bass spectrum, Sully was undeniably ahead of his time, yet was never properly celebrated for his boundary-pushing ways. read more
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Marcellus Pittman's New Forms Mix
Plainly said, this exclusive mix from Marcellus Pittman is probably the deepest, most soulful DJ session in the history of the XLR8R podcast series. The Detroit veteran, who will be headlining Body on the second night of this weekend's New Forms Festival in Vancouver, certainly dug deep when assembling this all-vinyl mix. read more
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Gui Boratto
Brazil's Gui Boratto is many things. He is not, however, a DJ. That said, his 2007 debut, Chromophobia, was one of those rare techno albums that transcended the genre, largely thanks to Boratto's use of vibrant, colorful synths and unique ability to embed sticky pop hooks within a larger, dancefloor-oriented template. That effort continued on his 2009 follow-up, Take My Breath Away, and now he's getting ready to drop his third full-length on September 12, the appropriately titled III, once...
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Alias
While much of the focus on Anticon these days revolves around the efforts of more recent additions to the label's roster, many of the long-running underground hip-hop imprint's original troubadors continue to turn out new music. For instance, next week Alias will be releasing a new full-length, Fever Dream. read more
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Magda
Top-notch DJs and producers are often known for their globe-trotting ways, but Magda takes it to another level. Born in Poland, she came of age in Detroit and was eventually adopted by Richie Hawtin and the rest of the Minus Records crew. read more
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xxxy
While XLR8R makes an effort to cover sounds from across the musical spectrum, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that we have a soft spot for UK bass music. It doesn't help matters that seemingly every week or two, another producer pops up with their own unique permutation of the increasingly nebulous sound. Take Manchester producer xxxy (a.k.a. Rupert Taylor)—who actually moved to London about a month ago—an artist whose relatively short discography sounds fresh and modern while also...
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Mike Huckaby
The history of Detroit music is littered with artists who have been called legendary, but there is really no denying the crucial role Mike Huckaby has played in the Motor City's dance scene. Over the past two decades, the man has been in the thick of it as a DJ, producer, record store clerk (at the now-defunct Record Time), and instructor (as part the city's Youthville program). read more
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MK & Scottie Deep
When it comes to early-'90s house music, there are few artists who rival the influence of MK (a.k.a. Marc Kinchen, pictured above). Seminal singles such as "Burning," "Always," and "Love Changes" helped shape the sound of the era, and his remix work was even more important, as Kinchen reworked tracks from an incredibly diverse array of artists, including the Nightcrawlers, Moby, Jodeci, The B-52's, Tom Tom Club, Masters at Work, Bobby Brown, Bizarre Inc., Jodie Watley, Brandy, Pet Shop Boys,...
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Dark Sky
London bass trio Dark Sky first caught our ear last year with a smattering of singles and top-notch remixes—the crew's rework of Kelis' "Brave" is still getting plenty of spins in the XLR8R office—and the momentum has kept building throughout 2011. read more
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Rolando
2011 has seen a significant uptick in Underground Resistance worship, something we here at XLR8R have no qualms about taking part in. The year has also seen a new wave of reverence for one-time UR member Rolando, the man responsible for 1999's classic "Jaguar," which just so happens to be one of the biggest techno records ever. read more
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Nguzunguzu
XLR8R has been gleefully following the exploits of globally minded bass outfit Nguzunguzu for quite some time, but it appears as though 2011 might be the year when the LA-based duo comes into its own. Today marks the release of the Timesup EP, which is not only the pair's latest collection of energetic, RB-flavored tunes, but also the first salvo from the newly christened Fade to Mind label, an imprint headed up by Kingdom that Nguzunguzu also has a hand in running. read more
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Lindstrm
After running a podcast from fellow Norwegian space-disco maverick Diskjokke just two weeks ago, it might seem like it's a little soon to post an exclusive mix from Lindstrm. However, while Diskjokke put together a solid, dancefloor-oriented DJ session, Lindstrm has gone in a completely different direction. read more
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Fred P. a.k.a. Black Jazz Consortium
Although it seems like his name has only risen to prominence in the past few years, New York City's Fred P. (a.k.a. Black Jazz Consortium) is no newcomer. After quietly logging time and paying his dues in the New York DJ circuit, the man began turning out deep, thoughtful, jazz- and soul-infused house that eventually caught the ear of artists like Move D and DJ Jus-Ed. read more
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Diskjokke
For several years, Diskjokke (a.k.a. Joachim Dyrdahl) was the sort of producer whose music could fairly easily be put into a neat little box. Granted, it was a really nice box; Diskjokke's lush, spaced-out productions expertly wove together Balearic strains of disco and house and were rightly lauded alongside those of Oslo contemporaries Lindstrom and Prins Thomas. However, things have changed with the release of his third album, Sagara, an ambient effort which takes its primary inspiration...
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Robag Wruhme
When the Wighnomy Brothers announced that they were disbanding their oft-celebrated project in late 2009, the disappointment was palpable. Yet Robag Wruhme (a.k.a. Gabor Schablitzki) quickly dropped a number of singles and, just a few weeks back, followed them up with a new solo full-length, Thora Vukk, an album we thoroughly enjoyed. read more
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Richie Hawtin vs. Plastikman
When the XLR8R podcast began nearly five years ago, the initial premise was simple—get DJs, producers, and labels to put together exclusive mixes, and we would make them available for download. Over the first 199 chapters of the podcast, XLR8R has featured artists and genres from across the musical spectrum and across the globe, mixes put together by veteran hands and promising newcomers alike. Thankfully, XLR8R readers have responded, coming back in droves each week to devour the latest...
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Mala
The second half of our two-part 200th podcast comes courtesy of another musical heavyweight, dubstep kingpin Mala (a.k.a. Mark Lawrence). Whether operating solo or as one half of legendary outfit Digital Mystikz, the man helped put dubstep on the musical map in the mid-'00s, not only as a producer and DJ, but also as the co-founder of the genre-defining DMZ label and club night with Coki and Loefah. read more
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Rod Modell's MUTEK Mix
Next week, Montreal will play host to the 12th annual MUTEK festival, which always serves as one of the year's premiere showcases for techno and forward-thinking electronic sounds. In hopes of getting everyone as much in the MUTEK spirit as we are, we decided to enlist one of the festival's heavyweights for the XLR8R podcast series. And who answered the call? Detroit techno veteran Rod Modell, best known for his work as Deepchord and as one half of Echospace with Steve Hitchell. read more
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Virgo Four
After re-emerging from the Chicago house ether last year with the Rush Hour reissue of its seminal self-titled album from 1989, the duo of Merwyn Sanders and Eric Lewis (a.k.a. Virgo Four) has seen its music and, perhaps more importantly, its influence, finally given its proper due. read more
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John Talabot
XLR8R has been tracking the progress of John Talabot for more than a year now, and although we've gleefully devoured one washed-out, blissful house tune after another from the Spanish producer, precious little information has emerged as to who he actually is. read more
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Demdike Stare
Sample digging is a long-standing tradition in the world of electronic music, but few artists really have the chops to repurpose sounds quite like Sean Canty and Miles Whittaker, collectively known as Demdike Stare. read more
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Shigeto
Michigan native Zach Saginaw (a.k.a. Shigeto)—who now calls Brooklyn home—crashed onto our radar last year, dropping two EPs and his debut album, Full Circle, on Ghostly International. However, despite his childhood proximity to Detroit and current presence on Matthew Dear's label, his music has little to do with techno, instead lifting grooves from further back in Motown's history, namely the world of funk, soul, jazz, and hip-hop. read more
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Tom Trago
For an artist located in Amsterdam, Tom Trago's music sure does have a lot of soul. The shapeshifting DJ/producer, who's been releasing music—primarily through the unparalleled Rush Hour label—since 2006, has dabbled in numerous genres over the years, from off-kilter hip-hop to soulful house and disco. His new album, Iris, came out last week and finds Trago fusing together his various musical infatuations into the lengthiest statement of his career. read more
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SCB
At this point, Paul Rose doesn't need a whole lot of introduction. As head of the esteemed Hotflush imprint and an impressive producer in his own right, the UK-born, Berlin-based artist best known as Scuba has played an instrumental role in guiding dubstep towards brighter, more techno-influenced pastures. read more
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Dorian Concept
In late 2009, XLR8R tabbed Dorian Concept as an Artist to Watch, despite knowing relatively little about the Vienna-based producer other than the fact that his synth-warping "Trilingual Dance Sexperience" single had pretty much blown our minds. read more
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Chrissy Murderbot
Whatever you think of Chrissy Murderbot, there's no denying one simple fact—the man has a lot of energy. How else can one explain the fact that the Chicago-based DJ and producer spent most of 2009-2010 dropping a mixtape a week for an entire year? read more
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Ben Westbeech
The UK's Ben Westbeech isn't the most likely candidate for the XLR8R podcast series, as the classically trained musician and producer is often recognized for his skills as a crooner. Next month, he'll be releasing a new album, There's More to Life Than This, via the venerable Strictly Rhythm label. read more
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Salva
Although Salva is an artist who only began showing up on most people's radar during the past few months, we here at XLR8R have actually been monitoring his progression for quite some time, as the producer spent the last several years honing his chops in our San Francisco backyard. read more
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Kingdom
Even in the increasingly crowded world of bass music, Kingdom is an artist without many real peers. read more
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Uproot Andy
It's hard to believe that more than a year has passed since Uproot Andy was profiled in the pages of XLR8R. In the often-nebulous, internet-driven world of tropical bass music, the NY-based DJ and producer is basically what passes for a veteran presence. read more
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DJ MikeQ
DJ MikeQ may not be a name that rings familiar for many XLR8R readers, but we have a pretty strong intuition that's about to change. His name has been popping up in mixes from the likes of Kingdom and Bok Bok for awhile now, but a little digging has shown DJ MikeQ to be one of the leading figures of the East Coast's long-running (but still largely underground) ballroom/vogue-house scene. read more
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2562
Over the past few years, Dutch producer Dave Huismans (a.k.a. 2562) has carved himself a solid niche in the murky territory that sits between the worlds of dubstep and techno. While he’s best known for his heady, low-end explorations, he also indulges a love for (slightly) clubbier sounds under his A Made Up Sound moniker. His upcoming album, Fever, finds him delving into yet another genre—disco. Well, sort of. read more
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Nicolas Jaar
Nicolas Jaar is only 21 years old, but he's already had quite the life. Much of his childhood was spent in Chile, but his formative years were spent in NY, where he entered the world of electronic music and released his first record before he completed high school, on the renowned Wolf + Lamb label no less. read more
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Oriol
London producer Oriol sports quite the musical pedigree—the man studied saxophone for four years at the esteemed Berklee College of Music. But even with all that academic training, he couldn't be stopped from jumping on the computer and trying his hand at beatmaking, an effort that eventually resulted in last year's stellar debut on Planet Mu, Night and Day. In a way, his music successfully updates '70s soul and '80s electro-funk, and that trend continues on his installment of the XLR8R...
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Canblaster
2010 was a good year for French producer Canblaster (a.k.a. Cdric Steffens), as the Club Cheval resident and former Bubblin' subject debuted with the Jetpack EP and also dropped a string of hyperactive, genre-hopping remixes for the likes of Spoek Mathambo, Drop the Lime, J-Wow, Teki Latex, and others. read more
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The Miracles Club
We're not going to lie. When XLR8R first caught wind of The Miracles Club, we had our doubts. Granted, we were already fans of Honey Owens and her droney, experimental work as Valet and as a member of Nudge—we even made her the subject of an episode of XLR8R TV a couple years ago. But Honey Owens... doing house music? In Portland? And claiming classic Chicago sounds as an influence? No offense to our pals in the Pacific Northwest, but the City of Roses isn't exactly known for its love of DJ...
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Benoit & Sergio
DC/Berlin duo Benoit Sergio aren't DJs. They don't even have much of a catalog—to date, they've released exactly two records. That said, those two records contained some beautifully crafted slices of housey techno. The duo's sensuous songs are rich in melody and emotion, and somehow manage to sound like Paul Simon and Talking Heads without resorting to nostalgic hackery or coming across as half-baked mash-ups. read more
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T. Williams
After weeks of contributing to the standard end-of-the-year "best of" hoopla, we here at XLR8R are thrilled to shift our focus away from the past and back toward the future. After all, it's fun to make lists and arbitrarily rank things, but examining the exciting new artists, labels, sounds, and styles that are coming down the pipe is where our passion truly lies. In that spirit, we've put the first XLR8R podcast of 2011 in the hands of a relative newcomer, T. Williams. read more
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Oneman
2010 has been another solid year for music, and perhaps an even stronger year for the XLR8R podcast series. Don't believe us? Check out our Top 10 podcasts of 2010. That said, it's almost a shame that we posted the list last week, because our final podcast of 2010 comes courtesy of the UK's Oneman (a.k.a. Steve Bishop), and it's a scorcher. read more
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- Electronica, Ambient
- English
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XLR8R Magazine
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