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Levitation France 2022 recap – Day Two

When in Angers, you should check out the Apocalypse Tapestry at Chateau d’Angers. It’s one of the most doom metal things ever made.

Day Two (June 04th) of Levitation France was our busiest day of the festival. There was a small worry of rain and thunderstorms hitting the festival all three days, but it stayed away on Friday and had hit the area on Saturday afternoon. The skies looked clear for Saturday evening, and, thankfully, that turned out to be the case. We walked in for about the last third of a set by You Said Strange, who were highly popular judging by the number of their band shirts I saw at the festival that day.

You Said Strange getting strange on the Reverberation Stage.

Up next were Death Valley Girls. I hadn’t seen them live since the Psycho Music Festival last year, and they’d written a couple new songs since then (with a new album due in 2023!). They came out, battling the sun beaming directly into their eyes, and put on a heavy, spooky set to counter the light pouring over them.

Death Valley Girls battling the sun and casting spells.

I finally got to introduce myself to them afterwards, which was a delight. We’d only “known” each other through mutually followed Twitter feeds until that time. They’re currently on a three-week European tour and will have a big U.S. / Canada tour this summer (as well as a return to Psycho Music Festival). Don’t miss them.

Some blogger / radio DJ with Death Valley Girls

We then zipped across the lot to see Gustaf. I’d been itching to see them, as I heard their live shows were as fun and weird as their album, Audio Drag for Ego Slobs, and I had heard right. They were just as quirky and sharp as I’d hoped.

I’m not sure if Gustaf or the crowd were bouncing more during their set.

We took a food break (Thanks, BBQ food truck!) and then returned to the Reverberation Stage to see the legendary Kim Gordon come out and rock a mini-skirt better than most women half her age and rock a guitar and stage better than most anyone in the game. It was great to see someone exude so much sensual, raw power.

Australian rockers Pond were up next and put on a fun, energetic set. Their musicianship was tested and on full display when one synthesizer broke only a few songs into their set. They had to adapt their set list on the fly and play songs they hadn’t intended, and did it without missing a beat.

Pond, changing like chameleons from song to song.

Japanese psych-rock legends Kikagaku Moyo were next. In case you weren’t aware, they are on their final tour for a long time – possibly forever – so don’t miss them if they’re near your town. They sound great as always and dazzled the crowd for their whole set.

The festival closed with Canadian electro-industrial duo Pelada, who, if I heard right, were booked a bit at the last minute. They got the entire crowd dancing, with singer Chris Vargas owning the stage (and crowd) from the first moment she appeared. Tobias Rochman‘s beats were a wild switch from the trippy psych-rock and post-punk of the day. Watching douchebag guys being intimidated by Ms. Vargas was one of the highlights of the day.

Pelada dropping beats and spitting fire.

It was a fun day all-around, and the next day would bring psychedelic Shinto music, a band that plays like their hair is on fire, some psych-rock legends, four men on a mission, and a bus ride that will be talked about at the festival for years to come.

Keep your mind open.

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Robin Wylie is set to release a bunch of hot tracks this summer.

As a producer and DJ, Robin Wylie brings something distinct in a sea of the same. Choosing to ignore the typical house and techno format of Belfast, Robin’s ear for breakbeats, 2-step, jungle and pretty much anything associated with the UK sound has earmarked him as one of the Ireland’s most dedicated and respected selectors; bringing a fresh take on local electronic music and inspiring others breaking through in the process.

After becoming infatuated with the burgeoning house and techno scene being spearheaded by David Holmes and Iain McCready to the backdrop of the Northern Irish violence in the 90s, Robin moved to Birmingham. Brum had a huge techno scene in the mid-90s, but it was the back and side rooms of the Que Club where Robin would settle quickest. “There was always drum & bass in the back rooms of nights like Atomic Jam and House of God and that immediately clicked.” With a chance meeting with promoters of a drum & bass night called Antidote, Del & resident MC, Shyan took him under their wing, he was treated as part of the family. Antidote was definitely where the obsession for breaks started.

Belfast has always had a small and dedicated jungle scene, despite it being most notable for its house and techno electronic exploits. Kato and Judge Dread flew the flag for Belfast’s junglists in the early 90s playing early hardcore and followed the progression into drum & bass. When Robin moved back to the Northern capital, techno was progressing to something very hard and minimal. It would be the dubstep sound that would spark the inspiration for him to dive into garage associated sounds.

“House and techno have always been king here”, he says. “Don’t get me wrong there were plenty of parties that weren’t house and techno, Shine used to have Drum and Bass in the second room in the Union and hip hop too, there were big beat nights in the Front Page which always had a great crowd.”

“I don’t think I was doing anything different, more trying to copy sounds and styles that I liked, there just wasn’t a huge amount of people I was aware of making those sounds here.”

A pacesetter in every regard, Robin’s work alongside fellow selectors Undadog and dubstep pioneer J.Kenzo as Polarity is to be particularly admired; bringing guests such as Sneaker Social Club for their debut in a city dominated by 4×4 kick drums. A heavy focus on pushing the boundaries of the Belfast soundscape – and pairing talented locals with forward-thinking bookings – has shone a spotlight on the night as a grassroots breeding ground for DJs with an attitude for something different.

“Polarity was Jamie’s [J:Kenzo] idea, he was doing some sessions in England under the Polarity name and wanted to try and get the same vibe here. Prior to that we did nights under the Pressure banner – myself, Nez, John King, Jody Monkphat and later 2BiT from Dublin joined us. We had some great sessions and played from hip hop through to jungle on those nights too.”

“We had a few decent guests: Oneman destroyed the Black Box one July for us. We thought no one would be around because it was July, near the 12th. I think we had a 20K rig in for that one. Mark Archer (Altern8) played for our first birthday in the Bunatee too, full on rave hysteria. El-B was in the Bunatee too, I had so many people thanking us for having a garage DJ over!”

His productions very much encapsulate the Polarity sound – a sonic understanding that can also heard on his Sub FM residency – brimming with skippy steps, lairy basslines and gun-finger energy, most recently lending his hand to a remix of rising star Becky McNiece’s “Next To You.” One of Belfast’s unsung heroes, Robin Wylie has been an essential part of the local scene with his uncompromising take on UK sound culture, not only through his own productions and events, but through what he does for others through his mastering and studio work.

“The mixing and mastering for other people has come about pretty naturally”, he says. “I think as the studio has grown over the years it made sense to try and help other local producers and artists. I’m a bit of a hardware nut, that’s just what I’m used to.”

“I started with an Atari ST, Akai S2000 and a bass station and it grew from there . My friend Cairan Bryne was my YouTube back then, any problems I would buzz him or have to read a manual. He’s also responsible for my GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) . He talked me into a lot of purchases like my 909 and the desk I currently use. The studio is a very hybrid setup these days, I have a Midas f24 handling most of the routing and hardware connections. I can capture jams really easily and it also gives me the ability to take mixes out of the box for people and run them through the outboard.

After taking so much time to help progress others in their solo careers through his mixing and mastering work, Robin’s 2022 calendar is shaping up nicely with a flurry of releases scheduled for throughout the year. First up is a release on Nez’s Computer Controlled Records on April 1st (a collaboration with friend J:Kenzo under his Hezzaine alias), then a drum & bass cut for Devon’s Road two weeks later before a white label release with Prestige Cuts on May 6th and June sees a self-released 3 tracker of jungle influenced breaks on his Belfast Pressure label.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Harbour Music Society.]

Review: Psymon Spine – Charismatic Mutations

Coming hot on the heels of their 2021 album, Charismatic Megafauna, Psymon Spine‘s Charismatic Mutations is a remix of the aforementioned album that features guest remixes from collaborators such as Joe Goddard from Hot Chip, Each Other, and Bucky Boudreau.

Goddard’s remix of “Milk” is first, and it’s lovely and peppy – a fine way to kick off a record of highly danceable and spring break road trip tracks. The “Love Injection Euphoric remix” of “Jumprope” is perfectly named because it’s made to boost your vibrational patterns, give you energy, and probably connect you to various luminous beings.

Brother Michael‘s “Downstairs at Eric’s remix” of “Jacket” gets extra points for referencing Yaz and for being so damn funky. “Modmed” turns into space station lounge grooves with Dar Disku‘s “Balearic Touch” mix of it. Each Other’s remix of “Solution” is almost an industrial dance track. Their synth and drum machine work on it is stunning. The “Safer” remix of “Jumprope” has bass so thick you can almost slice it, and Bucky Boudreaux’s remix of “Different Patterns” almost makes it into a torch song for androids.

There isn’t a weak remix on here, which is not always the case for remix albums. Psymon Spine chose their collaborators and ideas well.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Cody at Northern Spy.]

Marco Benevento’s new single, “Marco & Mimo,” is a bouncy delight.

This summer, hallucinatory keyboard wizard Marco Benevento pulls back the curtain on his latest studio effort, simply titled, Benevento. Due June 10 on Royal Potato Family, the 11-track collection presents 40-minutes of small-batch psychedelia, bubbled up from his home studio (Fred Short Studios) at the base of the Catskill Mountains in Woodstock, NY. Its title nods to Paul McCartney‘s first solo album and like Macca’s eponymous release, Benevento is a similarly loose, low-key affair where song sketches and sunrise jams share space with more constructed tracks. Benevento plays all of the instruments with exception of percussion from Mamadouba ‘Mimo’ Camara and backing vocals by his wife and kids on a handful of songs. He also produced and engineered the recording. The album’s latest single “Marco & Mimo,” which sets Afro-Caribbean melodic lines and sing-song, earworm vocals against the bump ‘n’ grind of Camara’s percussion, is out today (listen/share), while pre-order is available here.

“This record really acts as a psychedelic window into my studio and my brain,” Benevento explains. “The studio was a good place to be trapped for the last few years. I was surrounded by tape machines and gear. The album started to become this document of a crazy dude losing his mind in the woods—and maybe regaining it.”

Recording was conducted amidst stacks of gear in varying states of repair, all fodder for inspiration during long quarantine-dictated solo jam sessions. In this environment, Benevento unlocked his archives, mining for unfinished song ideas, and surrendered to the machines, coaxing beats and melodies from both go-to favorites and gear that had long been collecting dust. Benevento has since decamped to a new, significantly larger, home studio. As such, the album also acts as a swan song for his former workspace.

“Wall-to-wall keyboards, mics, amps, drums, the place was about to explode,” Benevento laughs.

In contrast to Let It Slide, his minimalistic 2019 full-length collaboration with producer Leon Michels, Benevento is heavily saturated and experimental, built from countless layers of keyboards, bounced to 4-track tape. Deeply indebted to the West African psychedelia of artists such as Francis Bebey, Kiki Gyan and William Onyeabor, the songs are rhythmic and repetitive, built into thick mosaics of sound. Each track features at least one keyboard solo, allowing Benevento ample time to explore sounds from the deepest recesses of his gear collection.

For the five songs with vocals, Benevento collaborated on lyrics with Al Howard, a San Diego-based poet. Howard handed over a 10 pages of lyrical sketches which Benevento worked into his tracks, occasionally chopping and mixing the lines or adding in words of his own.

“It was a new thing for me to dive in to—using someone’s lyrics,” Benevento says. “Or, I should say, finding a way to fit someone else’s lyrics into my tunes. I was a bit fed up with my own lyrical ideas, and was immediately drawn to Al’s writing.”

Despite stresses of the global pandemic, the vibe at Fred Short Studios was deeply peaceful and creative as Benevento patiently worked through years of accumulated ideas, lost, as he says, in the wonder of Woodstock. The experience ended up being so inspiring that—in another nod to McCartney—Benevento II is already in the works.

“I guess all my records are kind of experimental and weird, but this one is really unique,” Benevento says. “Records are snapshots of time, and this is from a time when it was just me, dialing knobs and making mixes and inventing how things could sound.”

As such, Benevento is sonic time capsule, a wormhole beckoning listeners to enter and explore. Throw away your preconceptions of time and space and dive in.

Benevento is out June 10 on Limited Edition Bubblegum Pink 180-Gram Vinyl,
Classic Black 180-Gram Vinyl and Digital formats from Royal Potato Family.
Pre-order available HERE

Marco Benevento
Tour Dates:

4/7 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
4/8 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
4/9 – Fairfield, CT – Stage One
6/22 – Rochester, NY – Abilene
6/23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird
6/24 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
6/25 – Rothbury, MI – Electric Forest Festival
7/1 – Scranton, PA – Peach Music Festival
7/3 – Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival
9/3 – Portland, ME – Ghostland Festival

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Kevin at Royal Potato Family.]

Local Suicide create another remix of Alberto Melloni’s “Red Siren.”

Local Suicide make a second pass of the Alberto Melloni’s Red Siren which gained support and praise from the likes of Sean Johnston, Justin Wilson (No Strings Attached), Erol Alkan (Phantasy Sound), and Curses.

Berliners, Local Suicide return to the helm, offering up their hypnotic superpowers to concoct an alternative to their cobra wave anthem. This one’s entitled “Blood Red Siren” and will be released digitally through EPM on the 8th of April.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Paradise Palms Records.]

Review: Anika – Change: The Remixes

Anika has openly discussed how much she loves the dance floor as well as the dark corners of a night club, so putting out a remix album of her killer 2021 record, Change, was a no-brainer for her.

The “Planningtorock remix” of “Planningtochange” drops the pitch of her vocals and ups the beats to create a track that’s perfect for dancing in a dark basement full of sexy, sweaty people. Dave Clark‘s remix of “Never Coming Back” is somehow darker than the original. Lauren Flax‘s remix of “Critical” becomes slightly hardcore make-out music. Maral at the Controls‘ dux mix of “Finger Pies” is outstanding, mixing dub with industrial like a sexy glitch-bot.

PDBY‘s remix of “Freedom” strips the song down to a haunted house drone, like something you’d hear in a dimly lit ballroom with peeling wallpaper and warped floorboards. Lauren Flax comes back for a remix of “Change,” and it’s the closest one to a straight-up house music banger on the whole EP.

Don’t miss this is you’re a fan of Anika. It’s an interesting look at her different influences and how she’s influenced (and influencing) others.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Jacques Greene – ANTH01

Taking from ten years of his catalogue, ANTH01 brings together many of Jacques Greene‘s best tracks, killer dance cuts, and hypnotic grooves.

“I Won’t” is the answer to “Are you just going to sit in that dark corner of this dance club all night?” Greene’s snappy beats are all you need to get moving. “(Baby I Don’t Know) What You Want” literally gets off to a shaking start before this electro-bass saunters into the room and curls around you like a playful cat. “The Look” is similarly playful, with Greene mixing blips and bleeps with sexy house music vocals about feeling a connection – something we were all wishing for in the last two years.

The warped, yet still sexy lyric of “Tell me what you like.” starts off “Tell Me,” pulling you into a lush trip. “These Days” bursts like an opening flower and then descends on you like disco ball lights. “Arrow” has a beat like a ticking clock or a dripping faucet that turns into a warm rain shower – followed by sick, thick bass hits. The opening, echoed vocal sounds of “Ready” made my dog lift her head and look around the living room when she heard them. The rest of the song made me dance and bounce on my desk stool.

“Faded” brings in soul lyrics to mix with slick house beats, and “Faithful” continues the soul-house vibe with gospel-tinged vocals mixed with synths that sound like robotic eagles calling from above. “On Your Side” is an emotional plea to a potential lover for some kind of recognition and invitation. “Quicksand” mixes house with synthwave, and the closer, “Another Girl,” is lush house under lyrics about heartbreak and longing.

ANTH01 is a great collection of Greene’s work so far. He’s always experimenting with multiple electronic genres and this collection shows the scope of his talent.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Jacques Greene – Fantasy

Mostly made and recorded while he was self-isolation in Canada, Jacques Greene‘s new EP, Fantasy, came out of Greene’s exploration into presence and the blissful side of solitude.

The first track on the album, “Taurus,” hooks you within six seconds with its killer beats and meditative vocal sounds. “Memory Screen + Fantasy” is layered with trance beats, ambient chords, and images of Greene reliving his childhood through, like many of us, his computer or phone screen and memories.

According to Greene, “Relay” was made on multiple machines and recorded straight live and only fiddled with a bit in later editing. It’s a fun track that sounds like hip video arcade music. “Sky River” has thick electro-beats backed with haunting, smoky vocals from Somimagae about awakening the light within us. “Got to leave here. You are not the only one.” are the only lyrics of “Leave Here,” the closing track on the EP that, as Greene puts it, are “…kinda the most direct reference to the Get Me the Fuck Out of Here vibe of this whole record.”

Mission accomplished, Mr. Greene. This EP, brief as it is (just over twenty-one minutes), is a wonderful escape from winter chills, lockdown blues, or wherever you find yourself wishing for peaceful space.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Jacques Greene releases great new track, “Taurus,” ahead of his next EP.

Jacques Greene today announces a new EP, Fantasy, out January 28th (digitally) and April 8th (physically), with the EP available today as NFT. Fantasy pushes Greene further into his down-tempo, trip-hop, and ambient influences than ever before, all while maintaining his signature style. In conjunction with today’s announcement, Greene shares Fantasy’s hypnotic lead single, “Taurus.” “In my mind there’s a real soothing, meditative core to this,” says Greene, “and the almost relentless repetitive nature of the aggressive breaks is meant to tip over into full mediation mode. There’s angst – but there’s trying to move through it.”

Listen to “Taurus” by Jacques Greene

“The things you hear when you’re alone. Walking through Mount Royal or other wooded areas you might notice a branch break. As much as I value my alone time and the subtle things you can pick up around and within yourself in those moments, a certain loneliness and anxiety permeates the quiet at some point. The past couple years created ample opportunity for that anxiety and loneliness to stretch its legs and make itself comfortable. This record was born out of weeks of willing a form of peace and inspiration into my surroundings. A large part of that came from working with Leanne Macomber on some vocals. Through a desire to form new connections and throw more humanity into the work. We made a variety of song sketches that I mostly reworked into the final recordings here. We spoke a lot about where our heads were at, certain key phrases, triggers and emotions. Joel Ford, whom I worked on Dawn Chorus with, mixed the record and helped me wrangle a few cats to get this across the finish line. Restless at home in Canada, feeling the restlessness of all my friends and loved ones I kept in touch with as much as possible, trying to make something that made the quiet a bit more peaceful.”
— Jacques Greene

Since releasing his last studio album Dawn Chorus in 2019, Jacques Greene scored the short film Exhaust starring Jimmie Fails (The Last Black Man in San Francisco), Glenn Kaino’s installation piece Tidepools (alongside Nosaj Thing), and the video game Home School. Additionally, Greene released remixes for artists including Montreal disco legends Lime, Kacy Hill, Kllo, Elohim, and more. In 2020, Greene made headlines for creating “Promise,” the first single released with associated NFT that staked the owner to music publishing, and the following year released ANTH01, a collection of unearthed tracks spanning the earliest years of his career alongside previously unreleased tracks.

Fantasy Tracklist:
01. Taurus
02. Memory Screen + Fantasy
03. Relay
04. Sky River ft. Satomimagae
05. Leave Here

Pre-Order Fantasy

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Top 30 albums of 2021: #’s 5 – 1

We’ve reached the top of the chart. Who takes the prize? You’ll find out soon.

#5: Anika – Change

Good heavens…This album is so lush, haunting, and beautiful that it will sweep you away from whatever you’re doing when you play it. Anika’s voice immediately drapes over you like a luxurious robe with a knife hidden in a back pocket.

#4: Rochelle Jordan – Play with the Changes

Seriously, why aren’t more people going nuts over Rochelle Jordan? She mixes soul, house, disco, and trip hop better than most, and Play with the Changes is, if you ask me, the sexiest album of 2021.

#3: Brijean – Feelings

This lovely mix of trip hop, dream pop, bossa nova, and house music is a delight from start to finish. It was a much-needed tonic during the crappy 365 days of 2021. It’s a perfect spin for any time of year. Got the winter blues? Play this. Need a fun record for that summer beach trip? Play this. Need a boost to start your garden? Play this. Looking forward to sipping hot cider in the fall? Play this.

#2: Aaron Frazer – Introducing…

This solo record from one of the cats in Durand Jones and The Indications is one of the best soul and R&B records of 2021. Frazer puts down his trademark sharp beats and brings his other trademark, high-end vocals, with him to create a groovy, sexy blend that impressed Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys so much that he produced it.

#1: Shame – Drunk Tank Pink

This album got locked into my number one spot not long after it was released. It’s a sharp post-punk record, and I remember being more and more impressed with it after each listen. It covers everything from Brexit and the pandemic to boredom and hope for the future. It’s snarky, witty, and powerful.

There you have it. I hope 2022 is good to all of us.

Keep your mind open.

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