Wednesday 30 July 2014

Beat Me Up, Scotty

Hello again. Guess what, it's that semi frequent time where I go out and hook myself up to an IV of instrumental hip hop. That's pretty much all for this intro, tracks as usual after more art.

Indie 184 - Call The Shots

The Special Herbs series courtesy of MF Doom has been a major player since I got me mitts on it maybe a year or so ago, chock full of awesome instrumentals with fittingly foody names. Here's the closer to Vol. 2 that's pretty special (plus a little bonus track on the end after the silence).



I finally got around to getting my hands on some of Swedish audio-visual artist Niklas Åkerblad's stuff, or as he's more commonly known El Huervo. His artwork is pretty sick, you should definitely check it out. Onto the track, this is another of those instrumentals that just scratches all my itches like Walking Endustries' Makee I posted some time ago. Think Nujabes or early Bonobo and you're in the right area.



And finally, before the unique vibes of Los Angeles and the like, FlyLo had a more conventional hip hop sound going on. Given his on and off relationship with the [adult swim] crew this isn't that surprising and I appreciate the evolution he's done over his releases, but damn if these early instrumentals aren't sweet (no pun intended). I highly recommend you track down the demo tapes like this he has floating around the 'net, they've got some gold on them.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Monday 28 July 2014

Nite Interviews: (exitpost)


Hey guys, Nite here once again! I was checking out some of the submissions we've been receiving the other day, and I happened to run across something (an LP) that perked my interests. So much so, that, within five minutes of briefly skimming over the LP, I fell in love with the whole thing. You're probably wondering : "Who is this guy?" Well, let me give you a brief rundown on him.

The guy's name is Kenneth Herman, and he operates under the alias (exitpost). Born in Tokyo and currently living in NYC, this gentleman creates downtempo-styled electronic music that is highly reminiscent of works like Bonobo, Kimchi, and Four Tet. His album, titled, Sweet Fade , takes these elements, and blends them together in a form of synergistic harmony.  The album was so impressive, in my opinion, that I could not help but set up an interview with the man himself, so you, the viewers can learn more about him. Let's get on, shall we?

 Nite: First off, Tell me a bit about yourself.
(Exitpost): My name is Ken, I reside in Manhattan and I perform and record electronic music under the moniker (exitpost).


Nite: Alright. What inspired you to get into the music business?
(EP):  I think music is pretty cool. As hopefully most people do. What inspired you to getting into music blogging?
Nite: I'd say the same thing myself. I've had a passion for electronic music for years, and felt that I could show others different types of electronic music that are not as well known stateside.

Nite: When composing music, what tools, equipment or program's do you use?
(EP): Yeah totally.
I would love to give a cool answer and name off countless analog synths and priceless hardware but I keep it relatively small. I just use a portable MIDI controller, a Telecaster, some pedals, a mic and an interface. Logic Pro is the bread and butter of all recording and sampling but I've started using Ableton a little bit for some sampling as well since I use that to play live. One day I'll probably try to do it all in one program - but for now I can record an idea fastest in Logic. When I'm working I like to have a little glass of soymilk on the side too. That's crucial.

Nite: Excellent. If there was one thing about being a musician that frustrates you, what would that be? More specifically, what about it frustrates you the most?
(EP): That's a good question. I'm not really sure to be honest because for every frustration, there's the validation of releasing music that resonates with people. The good tends to outshine the bad. I think the term 'musician' kind of frustrates me. It's a self-important title people latch onto. It's kinda meaningless, particularly today. Because of that, I think musicians and bands take themselves way too seriously just because they make music. They get so competitive! My favorite past time, other than crying and eating soup, is reading Facebook bios of bands I know. They're all so bad and all written by themselves. It's like being your own wing man at a party. Imagine introducing yourself in the third person. "My buddy Ken, now HE is unlike ANYONE else."


Nite: Very well said. Now on to a more album-centric question. Your LP, Sweet Fade was just recently released. What were your inspirations whilst making the album? 


(EP): Before making electronica, I was writing very forgettable indie rock anthems while trying to make exitpost more of a band. A couple of years ago, I got super into what guys like Mt. Kimbie, Bonobo, Four Tet, and Shigeto were doing. I was interested in a more electronic sound but I was learning the software while doing that so the first incarnations of tracks were pretty bad. 'Sweet Fade' starting taking off in the last 6 months, but the first track "Going" is from those early recordings. The whole thing has been cooking in the oven perhaps a little too long. I wanted to take a blend of real instrumentation, field recordings, vocal samples and electronic drum sounds into something emotive but also danceable. As I wrote this answer I learned that "dancey, "dancier" and "dancelike" are not real words but apparently "danceable" is. While making the album, I was getting really into Jon Hopkins, Bibio, some Bill Evans, and a little J. Dilla too so that informed the recordings. A lot of the samples are from my mom's record collection and stacks of CDs. She has a bunch of compilations from the Japan Airlines Midnight Cruise Radio series. It's all karaoke music. So yes, Japan Airlines was a big inspiration.

Nite: Very interesting. Where do you see yourself a year or two from now? 
(EP): As 24 and still getting carded. 

Nite: Alright. Lastly, do you have any advice to give to other music enthusiasts and upcoming artists out there?
(EP):  Support your fellow musicians. Listen and give feedback to each other. Also, when you wake up in the morning, have a glass of water before your cup of coffee. A nice, tall glass. Leave it by your bedside if you must. That quick morning hydration will kick start your day, I promise.

Thanks for chatting, Gavin. 
Nite: Likewise, thanks for taking the time to do this. 


 Ken's new album, Sweet Fade, is out now on bandcamp, for the low price of whatever you feel like paying for it. It's a nine-track EP, filled with etherial sounds and beats. I highly  recommend you guys listen to this. If my words are not enough to convince you, here's a few tracks from the EP that, hopefully, will do so.


 








Until Next Time,

Nite

Friday 25 July 2014

So Many Songs. So Little time.


Its Relevant

Earl here with a couple new tracks for you to start you weekend with, lets get right to it.

First up is the Sun Glitters remix of the song "St Louis" by Shocking Pinks, its very ethereal sounding but also kinda groovy, the vocals are reminiscent  of shoegaze music, i love shoegazing.




This song is groovy, so groovy that i'll just shut up and let you listen to it .



i cant explain why i enjoy this song, it reminds me of tumblr for some reason.



Enjoy!

- Earl

Thursday 24 July 2014

Back In Blighty

I have returned over the channel to the familiar isles of Leeds, with no sunburn to report thankfully! Over there was surprised to find I don't have really any Spanish tunes in my archive, but at the risk of sounding nationalistic I do have a ton of British tunes, so have some of them why don'tya?

David Hockney - A Bigger Splash (1967)


Kicking off with my summer album circa 2007, Simian Mobile Disco's debut stands strong as ever even though it's only a ten tracker. The vibe captured on tunes like this is pretty much perfect and is just at home on the beaches of wherever as it is back in England at your uncle's crap summer barbecue.



Another moody bit from the 'Tron's debut. The LP Starts incredibly strong and even though it is pretty simple in comparison to their later work it has a real charm to it that's very sweet, no doubt helped by the strictly synthesized accompaniment.



And finally yet another debut, this time the trip hop pioneers Massive Attack. Unlike their more mellow output circa 1998's Mezzanine, this track is much more rooted in the original trip hop stylings with more of an emphasis on the Hip Hop part, with just a sprinkling of some soul in there courtesy of Shara Nelson.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Ilictromix: Bobby Green

No, no, I didn't forget about this series. I've been vacation and then at Pitchfork Festival all weekend. This week's Ilictromix comes to us from Dallas native, Bobby Green.

I came across this talented producer after the track "Changing Me" came across my inbox. It was bright and had some stellar production so I knew he would be a great fit for this weeks mix. 



After listening to the mix a couple of times though its safe to say its our most "Broiest" ilictromix, but its a perfect fit for that summer hustle. Enjoy!




Tracklist:
ZXX, Paul Anthony - Drink by the Jug
Nom de Strip - Techno Saturday
Diplo - Pull up Dat Booty
Skrillex - Stranger
Nom de Strip - I Can’t Believe
Diplo - Freak
Tujamo - Hey Mister
Duck Sauce - Mondo
Bobby Green - Drug Testing
Knife Party - Lrad
TJR, VINAI - Bounce Generation
MIA - YALA (Bro Safari & Valentino Khan Remix)
Milo & Otis - #FESTMUNCH
LAXX - Brainbug (MUST DIE! Remix)
Bro Safari - That A$$
Major Lazer - Aerosol Can
Calippo - Back There (EDX’s Dubai Skyline Remix)
Kevin Prise, Crazibiza - Reach Out (Leston Remix)
Hoxton Whores, Melleefresh - Let’s Get Dirty (Crazibiza Dub Remix)
Bobby Green - Goin’ Crazy
Iggy Azalea - Fancy (GTA Remix)
Usher - Good Kisser (Disclosure Remix)
Bobby Green - Changing Me
Bobby Green - My PT Cruiser is DOPE
Autoerotique - LZRFNK
EDX - Blessed
Tiger La - Now You Know (Bobby Green Remix)
Jessie Ware - Running (Disclosure Remix)
Wolfgang Gartner - There and Back
Jay Frog, Melleefresh - Peekaboo
Wolfgang Gartner  - Latin Fever

Dive deeper into his work here:
Soundcloud
Facebook
Twitter



Tuesday 22 July 2014

There's That Smell Again

I will always talk up Stenchman for as long as I live. The guy is seriously underrated, even back when I was championing him as one of the few keeping dubstep in check with creative spins. He's since branched out more with his creative chops and I gotta admire that. Even more so given that he's absolutely killing it in these new genres too.



I adore anything he puts out under the relatively new Philestine moniker, I was skeptical when he mentioned branching out into 'house' given the sorry state of the genre these days. I have never been more happy to be wrong. give your shelves a good old wobble with this one above.



Even when it's more on the more mainstream side of things I love it. I could totally see this being banged out on Radio 1 after dark, It's awesome to see his dubstep and house sensibilities collide here, hits my future garage button nicely indeed.



And finally, I was holding out for some full versions of these to be dropped but no such luck yet. I still pull this sampler out every now and then because each little part is so sweet. I'm dying for the Stench to put out more stuff like this, I can't get enough. Rest assured you'll know when I do

-Claude Van Foxbat

Friday 18 July 2014

Up In The Clouds

I reall need to start hanging on Soundcloud more, I miss so much stuff by not keeping up with it it's unreal. Have a dump from my latest travels into the sky of sound. I didn't even realise Knxwledge had a soundcloud, he probably gets good mileage out of it with his usual ~1 minute tunes, heres a sweet one I stumbled upon



Lied a bit with this one, I actually saw it go live, meant to post it and plain forgot. HudMo finally released his tune 100HM that I heard a ton on the streets of Los Santos thanks to Flying Lotus. The release is a bit slower than the one in game but I don't mind because this is some heavy stuff. Hope it makes an appearance on an upcoming from him!



Cruising his remix playlist I happened upon this, never heard it before but I had to on the title alone. Was a bit meh on it at first but then HudMo hit his stride and made it happen. Awesome sounds in this one, full of that gorgeous organ synth seen on Robin S' Show Me Love that was a big part of the local house scene of my youth.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Sure and Pure Music

Konnichiwa

I love Japanese pop music, and this new track by Ai Otsuka shows a lot of the reasons why, the production is great and has a nice, dancy feel to it.  The video is awesome as well, i want a bike like that.



Next up,  is a remix of the Clean Bandit track "Rather Be" from Brooklyn Duo TKDJS, its a huge sounding track with excellent melodies, and a welcome break from the one note sameness of a lot of modern EDM(kids these days)




Last but not least is a beautiful song by Atoms Apart called "Turnaround" A poppy tune about love and turning, mostly around.

- Earl

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Sum Of Parts

What d'ya make of multi-part tracks? I don't like the ones that lead directly into each other because I love shuffle too much, but they're not without merit. Here's a cross section of a few I have.

Atelier Olschinsky - Structures V (01)

For a long time I thought the title of this was a typical piss take you see from the likes of 'Pusher and crew. Lo and behold there are actually multiple Male Pill parts (they still aren't in any sort of order though). Another quite jazzy cut from his debut Warp LP Hard Normal Daddy though with much more prominent breaks. A tad long, but a good listen.



Real love/hate relationship with this one, it takes a while to get going, and the quietness means I crank it up and always jump when those rough drums come in befitting the name. Still that sample is brilliant, and as a track its great, it brings the fire and really shows off DJ Shadow's production chops. Not what I'd associate with the album (I much prefer the trip hop parts), but still a solid track.



And finally Apparat. This is one of those ones I mentioned that lead into each other, but this one gets a pass because the two tracks can stand alone with how its cut. The second part is more along the lines of Clark-style ambient noise, so I picked part one cos I think its a better example of Apparat's output: sprinkles of minimal and ambient above an IDM backdrop.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Tuesday 15 July 2014

1 is less than 2

Hey guys, it's Nite here back with another Album Review, and boy is it a doozy. So much so, in fact, that I seriously contemplated whether or not I should do an In-Depth analysis on this review (EDIT: I'm not because that would be an easy two-parter for sure, and I don't feel like slitting my wrists, thank you). Why you may ask? Because this album is a Double LP, containing a whopping 25 tracks in all. I'm talking about the new Deadmau5 Release, of course.

The new album, titled While 1 is Less Than 2 ( I can't put in the symbol in it, as it fucks up my whole script for some ungodly reason) is filled with a bunch of tracks, both old and new, as well as a couple of remixes from NIN and How to Destroy Angels. Honestly, I was a little skeptical about this album at first, considering that I haven't been a fan of his previous albums and EPs. When I heard that it would be reminiscent to his older stuff, however, I couldn't help but give it a look over. It's a damn good thing I did too, because this stuff definitely surprised me for sure.

 The first Disc is rather Random Album Title-esque, giving us some dark-prog house tracks (Terrors in my Head) as well as some tracks that feel more etherial in nature (i.e. Phantoms Can't Hang). In addition, plenty of tracks are filled with piano bits (i.e. the Piano-Glitch tune 'Creep'), which gives a nice ambiance to the electronic music. Classical/Electronic music is somewhat of a massive turn on for me, so you can only imagine how I feel about listening to this. Overall, Disc 1 is solid, consistent, and far more refreshing to listen to than anything I've heard from Joel from a while (with notable exceptions like The Veldt, of course).

If Disc 1 was a note of Joel's talent and skill, Disc 2 shows what he can do when he's going nearly all out, because GOOD FUCKING LORD IT'S MAGNIFICENT. Whereas Disc 1 seemed more RAT with classical and rock themes mixed in, Disc 2 feels more eclectic. Ranging from the RAM-influenced Seeya feat. Colleen D'Agostino, to the hypnotic "Pets" and  the lovely piano piece "Superbia", Disc 2 had a far more airy, atmospheric approach, compared to the first discs grungier sound. I can't really explain it, but the mood in Disc 2 seemed to fit better to me than the first disc did. I love the entire album, but, for me, The second half is where Joel's genius truly shines, and goes to prove that he's no one trick pony. Also, this pretty much defines the entire message of the album and, thus, validates the LP's title: One is really less than Two.

Overall, I'm thoroughly impressed with the album, though I find that some of the tracks on the LP (i.e. the Remixes) should've been replaced with something else, as I find them to be rather bland in comparison to the other tracks out there.  Other than that, I really have no complaints to point out. Yes, I find it to be that good.

Final Score: 9.25/10

Here are some tracks from the album to entertain you :










You can buy it off of Itunes, Amazon, from the Deadmau5 site, or in most Electronic stores.

Chee5ing up the Place,

Nite

Monday 14 July 2014

Rain, Rain Go Away

Fair enough I don't like summer too much in terms of weather, but you know what else I don't like? When the old stereotype of rainy England comes round to bite me in the arse. Still makes for good music accompaniment I guess. Here we go!

Gustave Caillebotte - Paris Street: Rainy Day (1877)

Knxwledge seems to have taken off a bit in popularity since I last covered him, I still have love for his off kilter beats that are reminiscent of Los Angeles era Flying Lotus, I just wish he'd make more proper full length tunes. But then again they'd probably not be as sweet on repeat listens then.



And of course I still have love for the Massive Attack boys, actually had this one come on when me and some friends ducked into our faveourite bar to avoid the weather and I gotta say they pretty much nailed the atmosphere on this one, that piano never sets a key wrong.



Brief visit to Norway once again for some synth noodling courtesy of Svein and Torbjørn. Fell in love with this one almost instantly, then again around the two minute mark, a gorgeous track through and through, the outro is pretty special too.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Saturday 12 July 2014

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

Holiday time for the Foxbat. In my absence please report all problems or whatever to Adam, your temporary admin! also I'll be scheduling some posts to go up even when I'm away so don't get weirded out that I'm still around. As such I've been prepping my in-flight soundtrack, lets get stuck in.

Roy Lichtenstein - Blam (1962)

I said before it's tradition I always try recreate the bit from Hackers on planes, and this time will be no different. Classic tune that always reminds me of those 90's trips over to España.



No trip to the beach would be complete without a sprinkling of Gorillaz's Plastic Beach. It's chock full of chiller tropical sounds that are sure to go down a treat. Perhaps a little too downbeat in parts but the second half more than makes up for that.



Now typically I associate my favourite Norwegians with the colder months, but going through my library I've found some of the bits on The Understanding go quite well. Seeing as I haven't dug this one out in a while I think it'll be one of the many tracks accompanying me abroad.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Reprazent

Believe It

First up is a super energetic track by Drum and Bass OG Roni Size called "Made In Korea", Roni has been around for quite a while and he shows just why with this. If you can disregard the DJ speaking over the track at times(which is the worst) then i think' you'll enjoy this as much as i did.




Next we have a new remix by our Mexican friends Le Touch Lads, this time of the song "Short Dick Man" by 20 Fingers, i really enjoyed the last remix by these guys and they've definitely been keeping up the good work!




Last but not least is an excellent track by singer-songwriter Brika, "Expectations" is a smooth track that allows you to really take notice of her voice, tenouttaten!




-Earl

Mods are away, Post Trap!

Poor Trap, one of the biggest implosions of a genre since "Witch House" had its heyday. What was a fresh take on Dirty South, is now a room filling EDM parody of itself.

With a slew of high profile album releases from the always amazing Warp Records, we could see a return to form for this promising genre. Let's take a look at the year ahead.



Rustie - Green Language 

I'm going to be honest I was not too hot on Rustie's Glass Swords when it dropped. I guess my ears were not ready for that type of sugary but heavy hitting sound. I think I finally "Got" Rustie after his Radio One Essential Mix. It was a burst of treble and bass in every direction and things just clicked. He has been busy remixing everyone from Pusha T to Bloc Party and had some production credits on Danny Brown's OLD.

His follow up to Glass Swords sounds to be even brighter and bigger than the debut, Green Language is out August 14th.





Hudson Mohawke - UNTITLED 

Hudson Mohawke is one of the biggest names to come out of Warp and the stellar Lucky Me collective, and is quickly becoming a household name.

One of the biggest and most impressive career trajectories in recent memory, hudmo is blowing up in every way possible. Featured on GTA V, signed to Kanye's G.O.O.D. music, his side project TNGHT had its biggest year ever. His solo album should is coming out sometime this year on Warp, and will feature the biggest bangers of the year, guaranteed.


Lunice - UNTITLED 

Believe it or not apart from Flying Lotus it was Lunice who really got me into Future Beats, his "Stacker Upper" EP was a breath of fresh air. Hitmane's Anthem was played on repeat all summer along with Fancy Forty, and its remix from Rustie (We have gone full circle) The other half of TNGHT with Hudson Mohawke, Lunice is poised to have a breakout year with his debut. We really don't know much about this one, or if its going to be out on just Lucky Me or Lucky Me and Warp like TNGHT's debut was. All we know is the singles and the rumored tracks are hot hot hot.







-Adam 

Thursday 10 July 2014

Le Grand Départ

Things are back to normal here at Van Foxbat HQ, the americousins have left and things are slowly returning to normal. Oh and something about some big bike race in my home county. Here's some French artwork in honour of that!
Gerard Fromanger - Violet d'Egypte

I posted this on the blog Facebook yesterday but it bears repeating, I can't get enough of this track from Squarepusher's latest EP. Been listening to it solidly since about September and I'm still picking out new things on every listen. Easily stands shoulder to shoulder with the best of 'Pusher for sure.



Broadcast have returned on me in a big bad way. Well, they never left but I've had a lot more of them recently. One of the most underrated bands ever, even on the home of experimental electronic Warp. It's an absolute shame we were robbed of Trish Keenan so soon, her voice makes the Broadcast sound complete and is one of my all time favourites alongside Karin Dreijer. I urge you to check them out.



I realised I've not posted much Massive Attack since I got into them, but I found it quite hard to fit them in here because as much as I like to stereotype Portishead as the moody ones in trip hop, Massive have their fair share of downbeat stuff that wouldn't gel with the above. So after much ums and ahs, have a surprisingly light bit from the very end of the very dark Mezzanine.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Do You Want To Build A Snowman

It's winter for half the world right now. Now for some people that means getting to play in the snow, but for me, it means it's just bloody cold. Bringing all you southern hemisphere dwellers my winter list, packed with crunch and things that are perfect for watching it rain. Not a 'dancing in the rain' kind of playlist, more of an 'oh bugger it's raining' type.



Chewed Corners is another exceptional album from µ-Ziq, and one of my personal favourites. With a new EP Rediffusion set to release in August, I recently started going through all of his recent material; and I'm excited. Of his entire collection, I chose the final track from Chewed Corners, Weakling Paradinas.
With smooth bell types and a thumping kick to start off, the song comes off as a little lost. It quickly finds itself, with quality µ-Ziq pads and a more definitive beat. Gradually adding complexity and layers throughout, Paradinas build the tune into something magical. The baseline comes in soon after a slight lapse, and from there it only gets louder, more complex, and more magical than Houdini. Perfect for sitting and watching the frantic world go past as it simply buckets down.




Reversing now to a really downtempo jam from Nujabes. Even though the lyrics are in Japanese, simply the softness and smoothness is enough to calm all storms.



Back to the basics of staying relaxed, Clams Casino. Again, a good one for slowing everything right down, heating you up with warm silky bass underneath all the icy high end distortion. 



Lastly some Crystal Castles. Another nice one to sit and relax to when it's gently cascading from the skies, little pure souls blessed to end.



Stay frosty,
-Sulphites

Saturday 5 July 2014

Winding Down

Waiting on my results for the year is not an easy time, lucky my long time buddy the shuffle button was there to lend a helping hand and pretty much nailed it this time. Tracks after your daily dose of culture in picture form!
Jim Rosenquist - Myth and Technology F - Fly (1982)

Dug out Felix's excellently titled Devin Dazzle & The Neon Fever LP yesterday, could have sworn I'd posted all my favourites from it, imagine my surprise when I hadn't. Harking back to the diamond days of the Kittenz & Thee Glitz, this here is a sleazy slow number that dabbles a little bit in French. Real standout, and a unique vibe from Felix, if a little short.



Then straight away I got dumped into the retro-futuristic vibes from the end of Teenage Bad Girl's debut with even more french. Think electro house meets a power ballad a la Take My Breath Away and you're almost there, save for their then trademark vocoder, A lovely more darker turn than the electro vibes on tracks like Cocotte.



And finally a bit of Moderat's newest, I wasn't expecting this the first time I dove into the LP, after the minimal-meets-garage theme their self titled had. It's a pleasant surprise mind, Apparat has shown his mettle with downtempo stuff before, so to hear it taken on by both him and Modeselektor is a real treat.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Thursday 3 July 2014

Lush V.2

Same deal as last time here, more chiller stuff I just adore the sound of. That was a short intro. Well you know the drill, tracks and words after the mandatory eye candy!

Click for big (3000x2000)
Syd Mead - Mobilage

Starting with an album I long struggled to add to my collection due to the ridiculous mark-up on it: Global Communication's 76:14(So called because that is it's total length, the tracks follow suit,though annoyingly they don't match on spotify!). Not that it isn't well deserved mind, it's a gorgeous record throughout and no doubt a fine example of the ambient style of the time. Echoes of The KLF's Chill Out all over this one, combined with that mid to late 90's sense of futurism before the turn of the millennium. Tune in, switch off.



Back to OPN for a bit from Rifts. I adore that album because it's just so dense, I had it in rotation from when I got it in like December '09 and only took it out maybe two years later. The 27 track, 3 album compilation may be too big to digest in one sitting, but it's chock full of little moments that are just brilliant. Prime example here, this track is just beautiful.



I can't believe I've neglected to mention the grandaddy of ambient so far. Eno may not have been the progenitor of Ambient but he coined the term, and his influence is plain to see. the album this is taken from is themed around space and the moon landings and that vibe is captured excellently here. This predates the Global Communication track by 11 years but the foundation is largely the same, albeit minus a drumbeat. Listening to them both back to back is pretty interesting, I definitely recommend it.



-Claude Van Foxbat

Wednesday 2 July 2014

Welcome To Leeds

Went to look over N.O.W's soundcloud again after a long while, somehow I missed this one and I've been kicking myself since this morning. Me & Evelyn's shared hometown formed the base of my first ever posts here way back in like 2010, now four years on and having actually met Nightmares On Wax in person that hasn't changed in the slightest.



Perhaps not what I'd have picked to sum up my city, but I can definitely feel it in the vibe laid down here. That intro is pretty sick, unfortunately there's no tracklist anywhere I can source for this. Regardless, enjoy the northern tones on display here (and our funny accent). 'Ey up.

-Claude Van Foxbat

Movin' On Up: Caitlyn Scarlett

This is the year that "Dub-Pop" reaches mainstream success with US listeners. One of the freshest voices to come out of the scene is Caitlyn Scarlett, an 18 year old from North London. With a killer set of pipes and infectious hooks, Caitlyn Scarlett demands that you keep her tracks on repeat all summer long. Her newest single "If you go" from her debut EP "Jurassic Jukebox & Other Drugs"  is a great jumping off point for this young talent. Ms. Scarlett made some time in her busy schedule to chat with with me this week. More after the jump.





IL: What age did you start singing and what age did you realize "Yeah,​ I am pretty good at this and I would like to do this for a living"? 

CS: Haha, I actually remember this. I was 5 and I grabbed one of the workers at my after school club, pulled them into a bathroom cubicle and made her listen to me sing Christina Aguilera. I was like “How cool is this!”

IL:  What did you listen to growing up and what are you listening to right now? 

CS:  Everything. Seriously - Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Foo Fighters, Johnny Cash, Eminem. I’m still the same, if it’s good - I’ll jam to it. On my phone playlist, I currently have a lot of Drake, Nirvana, Childish Gambino and James Blake.

IL:  As an artist in the UK ​,​ what kind of challenges do you face when marketing yourself to American ​audiences? 

CS: Well, it’s hard because I love playing live gigs and I know there are a lot of lovely people in the US, who have taken to my music. It’s sometimes frustrating to be so far away. Meetings from US to UK have to be over phone and email, so I spend a lot of hours staring at a screen sometimes.



IL:  Will you be traveling across the pond at all for a US publicity tour? 

CS:  I am going to be in LA this July, and then hopefully New York later. I would definitely love to do a tour at some point... who knows.

IL:  Favorite US City? 

CS:  The only place I’ve been to in America is Florida... does Disney count? :)

IL:  What kind of sounds are you looking to next on future singles and EP's? 

CS:  Well, I really struggle to define my sound genre-wise. I’d say very bassy, full on... could get a little weird. 

IL: So ​,​ if you weren't singing​,​ what would you be doing? 

CS:  I think I’d be an archaeologist. Dinosaurs, mummies, ancient ruins, all that stuff gets my inner nerd very excited.

​IL:  "​Sunset Cigarette​"​ is a pretty stellar cut from your debut, whats the story behind it?





CS:  Thank you, that song is actually the closest to my heart. It’s written about a girl, which tends to shock a lot of people when they find that out. We had a very unusual and special bond, but it ended badly. When we were young, she gave me my first cigarette and that’s an experience you don’t really forget. Similarly to a cigarette, she was exciting at first, but ultimately very unhealthy.

IL:  Biggest pet peeve? 

CS: Slow walkers on the underground, please move!

IL:  Being relatively indie ​,​ do you find that you​'​r ​e​ walking on eggshells because people are watching your steps, or that your able to have artistic freedom? 

CS:  I’m actually very at ease about that sort of thing, I’ve always been obsessed with maintaining my freedom, writing my own music and being myself. If people are watching I’m very glad, but it doesn’t really affect what I create.

IL:  If you could work with anyone in the biz right now ​,​ why would it be James Blake? 

CS:  I think James Blake is ridiculously talented. I love the dark weirdness to his music. I think if the inside of my head had a sound to it, it would probably be one of his songs. I like to think we’d get on really well and make some banging music.

IL:  So ​,​ you already had great success and your singles are doing great on ​S​oundcloud.​ Did you see yourself getting this much buzz so quickly?



CS:  No, honestly. Surprised is an understatement. I was just finishing my last year of college when everything started to go a bit mad and life felt like a dream world. I’m so grateful, though. It’s really rewarding.

IL:  What producers are you working with right now? 

CS:  I’m continuing some work with Ayo Beatz because he is such a babe. There are a couple of pretty exciting names I’m collabing with soon but I don’t think I can mention them just yet, unfortunately... hehe sorry.


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