Crate Exploratory: J Majik-Slow Motion/Kindred Spirits (1997 Downtempo)

Long-standing drum and bass producer J Majik has gone through various phases in his music career. Most know him for his classic Metalheadz amen-driven sound (think “Arabian Nights”), his disco-house-meets-drum-and-bass style around the turn of the century (think “Spaced Invader”), or his current-day dancefloor fillers (think “Crazy World”). He’s actually experimented with other forms of music as well, some of which are highlighted in his absurdly underrated debut LP “Slow Motion” from 1997.

I admit to never having heard this LP before finding the 3x12” promo version at Cheapo in Cambridge for five bucks several weeks ago. Another copy was sitting on the shelves at Looney Tunes for years, but was priced a little more than I was willing to spend. Either way, the video above showcases the final two songs on the LP: the title track, along with the short coda “Kindered Spirits”. 

Both of these songs are downtempo and very soulful. The first six songs on the vinyl version of this LP are reminiscent of Photek’s classic sound: tumbling breakbeats, held together with lots of micro-edits and very little processing. “Slow Motion” on the other hand retains the pads and vocals, but completely strips the drums out of the first four-fifths of the piece. And the 90-second “Kindered Spirits” represents the UK’s answer to Farina’s lengendary Mushroom Jazz compilations.

This was one of the ealiest releases on J Majik’s Infrared label, still running to this day. A highly recommended listen. It’s long out-of-print, but if I’m able to track it down (in two locations) at a record shop in Boston, you shouldn’t have a tough time finding it either!

Crate Exploratory: M.O.O.N.-MOON EP (2011 downtempo/house)

I don’t think it’s been scientifically proven that musical talent is hereditary. However if you were related to someone from, let’s say LCD Soundsystem, I’m willing to bet you’ve got at least some semblence of beat-making baked in your blood. Stephen Gilarde just so happens to be the nephew of said band’s James Murphy, but Steve rolls solo under his M.O.O.N. alias. His first EP, a four-tracker, dropped last week. It’s a good argument that music can indeed run in the family.

MOON EP by M.O.O.N. 

What we have here are four downtempo cuts that do not really fall into any specific genre or style, not that they really even intend to. Three of them sit pretty at around 100 bpm, still one of electronic music’s relatively unexplored terrains. A fourth, “Hydrogen”, clocks in at 125 bpm, and shows instant dancefloor appeal with a simple yet transfixing lead, plus a driving distorted slap-bass riff beneath it. “Release” is my personal favorite of the batch; the pulsing arpeggios remind me of the opening riff in Underworld’s “Moaner”. The similarities end here, because Moaner goes on to become a distorted schizophrenic whitewash, while Release remains cool, calm, and collected. You can’t deny the great synth work in both the MOON and the Underworld pieces though!

The focus on the synths seem to be the common thread between these four tracks from MOON. Every song is governed by a distinct lead that lasts no longer than a single bar and is often repeated throughout the duration of the song. Little envelopes and micro-edits keep these otherwise-repetitive sounds organic and interesting. It’s often tough to balance a riff that is catchy between a riff that is constantly evolving. One gives way to the other in many cases. But just listen to “Crystals” and you will find that MOON strikes an equilibrium between both.

You can listen to the MOON EP on Soundcloud, and purchase on Bandcamp. Although it’s a name-your-own-price release, keep in mind that 20% of the proceeds go to the Elixir Fund. This is a charity which provides comfort care to cancer patients and their families. 

Crate Exploratory: Xpact-The Ocean (1998 Trance)

Yesterday I picked up a small stack of old trance and goa records from the mid-to-late 90s at In Your Ear in Brighton. Despite all the shit-talk that ensues nowadays about the stereotypical trance song being 15+ minutes long with multiple breakdowns and cheesy melodies, the trance of the pre-superstar-DJ era was quite the contrary. 

Hooj Choons is one of trance’s most seminal labels; it was launched over 20 years ago and is still active today. One of the records I found yesterday was a double pack that featured six tracks that were rescued from the cutting floor. Jaycon Spiri and Silvio Ecomo were responsible for five of them, along with my favorite one of them all, “The Ocean” by Xpact. It’s simply a feelgood song that grooves along nicely. No pretentiousness to be found between the squelchy analog bassline, the rhythmic gated synths, and TR-909 percussion. This was released in 1998, at a time when trance was essentially what dubstep is today: crossover appeal, singles by underground artists that sell hundreds of thousands of copies, and everyone wanting a piece of the action.

Crate Exploratory: LSB- Beep (2011 Minimal Drum & Bass)

During the past decade, as the focus on music production in drum and bass shifted primarily from samples to synthesized sounds, the technical requirements to craft a respectable song increased. It’s easy to get lost in the process of writing a catchy song when you fear the critics will be too busy picking apart how the percussion is compressed, how the piece is mastered, how the synths are detuned, and other trivial tidbits. But like the popular Honda ad campaign from the 1990s, when you “SIMPLIFY”, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

LSB is a relatively new drum and bass producer who embeds the ethics of Honda’s “Simplify” campaign into every song he releases. Following a well-received soulful 12” on Spearhead Recordings earlier this year, LSB is back with another 12” on Demand Records with a stripped down track called “Beep” I’m really digging at the moment. It’s a meat-and-potatoes sort of composition that gives the listener a massive sub-bass line and crisp, swinging drums. And THAT’S IT.

There’s enough funk between these two things that little else is needed really. Although it might be tempting to add more, LSB decides not to break a winning formula, opting only to add very subtle atmospherics and textures to the mix. I’m sure listening in my Sennheiser headphones doesn’t do the bass part justice, but I still get the idea. Nicely done.

Purchase and download “Beep” today.

Crate Exploratory: Floorplan (Robert Hood): Rock (1999 Techno)

When Detroit heavyweight Robert Hood isn’t busy working with Jeff Mills, running his M-Plant label, and pretty much re-defining techno music (after helping establish it in the first place), he’s also producing under a variety of uber-aliases. One of the most interesting of these is Floorplan, basically his most stripped-down personas of the batch. There are seven Floorplan records in existence; a decade separates the most recent one from the second most recent. I own one: an untitled gold-labeled EP, which includes the song “Rock” in the video above. Released in 1999, I had no idea this was Hood hiding underneath an alias until the almighty Discogs website schooled me just like it always does.

Floorplan is like electronic music’s version of pop art, and “Rock” that of Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup” cans. Pop art wasn’t really about the work itself, it was more the societal attitudes surrounding the often overly predictable iconography it portrayed. Dance music around that time had a reputation for being overly repetitive, boring, and disposable amongst casual listeners. Hence, also predictable. With Floorplan, Hood decided to base his songs off simple loops. To a seasoned listener, they changed very little. A casual listener would equate it to a narcotic-fueled Command+C, Command+V session. 

When Warhol first exhibited Campbell’s Soup, critics dismissed it as stale; each can in the series looking exactly the same. But Warhol enabled people to look at an everyday object otherwise considered mundane and re-evaluate the aesthetic properties. And a discreet viewer saw the subtle differences between each can in the series. Hood engages the listener to seek out those very differences between each loop in “Rock” as well. And to realize that behind every “repetitive” techno track, still exists a great deal of craft, and soul, that each listener can articulate in a different, yet meaningful way.

Crate Exploratory: Dro Carey-Hum & Buzz EP (2011 Garage/Experimental)

In a decade-and-a-half of listening to dance music, I still believe one of the most interesting series of events that happened was the rapid rise and fall of garage music. The shimmering vocals, catchy hooks, and R&B-inspired harmonies for which garage was revered practically came out of nowhere, but disappeared even faster. With garage records subsequently losing value faster than the German Mark post World War I, producers and fans of the style were forced to explore other sounds if they wanted to continue putting food on the table. And ten years later, it’s clear people haven’t forgotten about garage. Dro Carey pays a nice homage to the sound on his “Hum & Buzz” EP.

Dro Carey essentially takes the standard garage template, smashes it, then dilligently attempts to re-arrange the pieces. Some of the shards fit almost in lock-step with one another. Others, not so much. The result is a collage of sound a listener knows is familiar, yet the tension created by the stutter edits, mismatched vocals, and dissonant atmospherics make both tracks an interesting listen. 

Dro Carey - ‘Candy Red’ by BOILER ROOM

“Candy Red” is the more listener-friendly of the two, based primarily around a 4-beat R&B vocal loop. This singular loop is treated with a variety of different filters and permutations; the resulting sounds get layered on top of each other. Dro Carey basically micromanages the four beats to generate the entire song, but also subtly chops and folds other sounds in to gift wrap the final product. “Hungry Horse” compiles samples from more sources than Candy Red, but experiments very heavily with their pitch and tempo here. It can be compared to a conversation a schizophrenic patient with multiple personalities is having with himself in a lone cell, albeit accelerated to chipmunk speed. Dro Carey gives these samples a life of their own by manipulating them, and I really like the call and responses that result. It’s a different way of working with samples, yet so appropriate for the unpredictable times our world currently faces.

With everyone talking about “post dubstep”, let’s not forget that garage has just as much ink in the history books of electronica. And these two tracks serve as a reminder that “post garage” can be equally as stimulating a listen.

Pick this EP up today on Junodownload.com

Crate Exploratory: Blawan-What You Do With What You Have EP (2011 techno)

In dance music’s embryonic stages, there were no computers, no soft synths, no endless arrays of plug-ins, and certainly no posh mastering suites. We didn’t even have superstar DJ’s back then; we just had regular to-do producers trying to make the most out of what their stint allowances could afford. Did you want a drum machine? You had to try the Ramen diet for three months first. Blawan, a producer who’s signature sound serves as the amalgamation between the venerable stylings of Detroit techno and current-day dubstep, pays these producers homage on his most recent 12” release.

“What You Do With What You Have” is Blawan sporting entirely his techno outfit; the dubstep remains hidden in the closet. The vocals mirror the title, revolving the “What you do…” line with “It ain’t what you got, it’s how you use it.” An important communique all artists should know by now! This track centers around an intrinsic, squelchy acid riff, with more aloof atmospheric sounds filling the sonic void than your typical Detroit techno song would lead you to believe. But I could tell only a few components make up the entire collage, as Blawan ensures each one is being used in a way to create maximum impact with minimal effort.

Side two of this single is “Vibe Decorium”. Another 4-on-the floor techno piece, this time very dark and vexing. The instruments remain surprisingly clean; Blawan doesn’t go for the obvious distortion effects like a lot of producers would when working on a brooding piece. Subtlety is the key, but regardless of how he handles his drums in Vibe Decorium I can tell you one thing: those vocal chants scare the hell out of me.

Available digitally now on Beatport.

Crate Exploratory: Paul Johnson-Flange Beat (1995 house/ghetto tech)

If you think of legendary Chicago house producer Paul Johnson and the only songs that come to mind are “Get Get Down” and that Price Is Right cover thing, you may want to read further. In 1995 and 96, this guy was an absolute record-making machine. In these two short years came what I personally think is his strongest and most spontaneous work. You never knew what you would get out of him; one week it may have been a ghetto tech record on Dance Mania, the next an acid house jam on Peacefrog.

Johnson easily cut about 40 or 50 plates in that period, many of which change hands for absurd amounts of money on sites like Discogs. If you’re morbidly curious to hear some of the more expensive ones, I recommend Claude Von Stroke’s RA mix from earlier this year; there’s a couple gems tucked away there.

A recent (and relatively affordable) Paul Johnson record I picked up the other day was his “Flange Beat” EP on Dance Mania. The last 12” he put out in ‘95, the title track is a pure 909 stomper from start to finish. A classic example of the “make more with less” production approach; Johnson probably incorporated nary a duo of drum machines, a synth, and a basic sequencer to get the job done. The flange, while not the deal-maker here, is more the cherry on the proverbial techno sundae. And because it’s analogue gear, that cherry is real, not one of those cocktail joints.

Crate Exploratory: Vibes & Wishdokta-Keep Rushing (1993 jungle/hhc)

OK I know stringing the words “happy” and “hardcore” together in the same sentence will not bode very well to all the readers that frequent this place. But in its earliest iteration, circa 1993-94, what labels and fanboys were already starting to label “happy hardcore” was actually not that bad at all. Really, it isn’t. 

It’s almost tough to dissect a 1993-era happy hardcore song from a jungle one, but there were two distinctions. The first was the equal balance between the amen break and the menacing and distorted 4x4 kick, hence the “hardcore” part of the equation. The second was the key the song was in, shifting away from the minor scales of the darker jungle and towards a “happier” major scale. A good example of this would be “Keep Rushing” by Ravers Choice (aka Vibes & Wishdokta).

Vibes and Wishdokta were actually two of the key people involved in helping forge the happy hardcore sound, which progressively gained speed (and cheddar factor) as it distanced itself from jungle, losing the amen breaks entirely by 1996. But when “Keep Rushing” was released, the car had just passed the fork in the road, the parallels between the two styles still being very close. I love the heavily processed 808 kicks and 909 hats, they really add a great boost of energy behind the already dancefloor friendly breakbeats. The piano riff is catchy, and I honestly don’t find the chord progression generic at all, this is feel-good early 90s dance music, pure and simple.

The Ravers Choice project only surmised in a couple of releases, but under their real names this duo was quite busy in the studio around that time. If you ever see a vinyl-sporting DJ play a song that happens to don a Volkswagen label, and the energy in the room is pretty high, chances are it’s a Vibes & Wishdokta joint!

Crate Exploratory: Sinistarr-Mainstay/Solar 9 (2011 drum & bass)

Image Source: www.412dnb.com

As a listener of drum and bass music for a decade and a half, I feel with each passing year it’s getting tougher to be awe-struck by new tracks that truly explore unchartered territory. Lots of what I hear is well produced and has dancefloor appeal. However the tracks that share the funk and low-end groove that drum and bass has always possessed while bringing unconventional sounds to the table are few and far in between. 

Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins began a legacy in Detroit thirty years ago that no house or techno fan can deny. Sinistarr is a drum and bass producer who shares the same city of origin, and you don’t need to read his bio to be aware of that. A listen to any of his work tells the story instantly. He has the knack of bringing a colorful array of warm pads and sampled bits from what are probably long forgotten Motor City 12” singles into the 175 beat-per-minute paradigm.

Bringing elements of house up to drum and bass speed is hardly anything new, but Sinistarr’s execution sets itself apart from other artists. Most journalists labeled this sound “liquidfunk” a decade ago, and traditionally utilized sampled drums and synthesized keys. Sinistarr’s work is the opposite: the percussion actually has a more synthetic and metallic sound, something few drum and bass producers have been able to accomplish as fruitfully as himself. Then the keys and leads sounds consist of samples clocking in at various lengths, instead of sustained saw waves. Flipping the source material like this is a pretty fresh approach. A prodution style not unlike Subwave, another drum and bass producer on the other side of the globe who is also enjoying a reasonable amount of success right now.

Look no further than Sinistarr’s most recent release, a 2-track EP on Metalheadz Platinum that includes the songs “Mainstay” and “Solar 9” (featuring French producer Redeyes). I recently picked up a promo vinyl version, but it’s now available digitally too. Sinistarr’s sound is fresh, yet if I played this at 33rpm it would somehow transport me right back to the mid 1980s.

With the Lions now 2-0 (plus an undefeated pre-season), a Chrysler spot with Eminem from earlier this year that people in my industry are STILL clamoring about, and now Sinistarr, dare I say Detroit might be back in style again!

Crate Exploratory: Mike Dehnert's Bricolage EP-Classic Dub Techno For 2011

There’s just something about a song that incorporates reverberated synth sounds, stacked high to the ceiling like a tower of Jenga blocks, that stays near and dear to my heart. On Mike Dehnert’s Bricolage EP, plenty of these sounds are incorporated into a dub-techno template that powers the four tracks it contains. And just like a game of Jenga, many of the sounds we expect to hear are extracted and stripped back from the main body. Yet a delicate balance of what remains stands confident and tall. 

There is an underlying groove across all four tracks on this EP that is far more infectious than pretentious. Although I’m hearing nothing new in Dehnert’s body of work, musically this is more akin to that porterhouse steak I might eat once every two weeks, rather than that mundane glass of water I drink four times a day. It isn’t like some crazy gastronomic culinary delicacy I’ve never tried before (and can hardly afford), yet like the steak, the Bricolage EP is music I can look forward to consuming. I know it won’t let me down. 

“Montage”, “Isolateur” and “Treibholz” are your everyday TR-909 workouts. Seasoned listeners will be able to identify every nuance that is happening as each one progresses: the evolution of the pads and mangled sounds, the muffled vocals, even the undulating basslines that try not to steal too much of the show. (They’re just here to provide the rhythm, mind you). “Picon” delves more into the broken beat category, while happily retaining the dub-drenched aesthetic of the first three tracks. 

In an era where the face of electronic music changes on a dime with little warning to us listeners, it’s nice to be able to spend some time in familiar territory with releases by the likes of Dehnert. Get the Bricolage EP on Beatport today.

Crate Exploratory: Goldspot Productions-Sony Beat (2002 garage/breaks)

What I enjoyed in the final hours of 2-step garage’s popularity is how the rule book was completely thrown out the window, as garage producers started to experiment with different sounds, drum patterns, and sample sources. Goldspot production’s “Sony Beat” is a fine example of how there was no structured agenda to pigeonhole it. There were components of techno (most notably the 909 hi-hats that wouldn’t sound too out of place in a Jeff Mills record), standard breaks (the percussion), and what many punters used to label “dark” garage (that the baseline shared much in common with). Geographically, you essentially have fragments of Berlin, London, Croydon, and Miami all co-existing in one super-city (and the food just so happens to taste pretty good). 

Runnin’, the label “Sony Beat” was released on, was actually one of DJ Zinc’s many labels. There were only a handful of releases on Runnin’ (many his own). Zinc’s primary label, Bingo Beats, was in its early years at the time Runnin’ was firing on all of its cylinders in 2001-02. However Bingo really started to take off in ‘03, and Zinc subsequently closed Runnin’ and used the former to release both garage as well as drum and bass on, for over five years.

Crate Exploratory: Topspin & Dmit Kitz-Elvis's House (2011 Tech House)

If you’ve never eaten a peanut butter and banana sandwich before, you would probably think it’s pretty disgusting. As humans we tend to have a lot of pre-conceived notions surrounding things we’ve never tried based on what other people tell us. After trying The King’s signature sandwich once, I came to the realization that it really wan’t that bad. Not something I would eat every day (or even once a month for that matter), but somehow, the combination of the two things just worked.

Enter house producers Topspin and Dmit Kitz. How the hell do these guys relate to Elvis Presley and sandwiches that dry the roof of your mouth and make you beg for a glass of chocolate milk do you ask. Well, let’s put it this way. This duo managed to release a song, a tech house song to be precise, that is loosely based around subtle and abbreviated vocal samples of Mr. Presley himself. And unless you’re looking at the label of the record, you wouldn’t even realize, and they go well together. If I told a dance music purist to go pick up a song that heavily samples Elvis, I would probably get the cold shoulder and a pair of rolling eyes. But like the person who has never had a peanut butter and banana sandwich, you just have to try it on yourself for size.

Three mixes are included on this LP, and while I enjoy the original the most, Angelo Ferreri and Simone Vitullo’s versions bring plenty to the table. Each version samples Presley’s vocals very carefully, extracting mere sections of phrases that complement the overall rhythm. In other words, no full-on “Hound Dog” karaoke sessions or anything like that. Each is in a different key, and the original is the most stripped down. The remixes are more appropriate for peak hour duty while the original best suits the early hours of a club night. Overall a solid tune, and one out of many that Vitullo and Topspin have released together in just the past year alone.

Check out the full release on Beatport

Crate Exploratory: Pete Namlook & Move-D: Drop Kick (1996 Dub/Chill-Out)

You put one producer who is well versed in synths and ambient music in the same room as another producer who is also well versed in synths, but more driven towards traditional house music. What you end up getting is a collaborative relationship that proceeds to last over a decade and a half! Peter Namlook and Move D have been releasing lengthy, dubbed-out tech house suites for just that long. In fact, they have come out with either one or two full-length albums almost every single year since 1996, when their formative 12” titled “Exploring The Psychadelic Landscape” hit underground record stores all across the world. 

“Drop Kick” is one of the tracks that was included on said 12”. This is a tough one to describe other than to think of what a mid-70s Miles Davis fusion album would have sounded like in the 90s. Replacing the trumpet with a couple of Roland Synths, and Herbie Hancock and Teo Macero with an Akai MPC and an Atari ST running Cubase 1.0 (respectively). At a daring 17 minutes, “Drop Kick” attacks the listener subtly at every corner with fluttering percussion that serves little purpose other than to inform them there is a steady beat. Not that it really needs to suit additional purposes in this scenario. There’s also a driving bass groove that almost has more in common with a jazz-funk piece than dub techno. Considering the classical training both of these artists boast, you’re know you’re dealing with more than just copy-paste mechanics here. And yes, there is a bit of soul, which listeners who manage to make it past the 12-minute mark will be rewarded with at the breakdown.

Crate Exploratory: Jichael Mackson Seamlessly Fuses Dub, Minimal & House on New EP

The first time I saw the name “Jichael Mackson” when crate digging around the minimal house page on Beatport several years ago, I thought the same things that surely everyone else did: A) Where is his mediocre electro remix of “Thriller”, and B) When is he going to collab with Bustin’ Jieber? King of Pop jokes aside, Jichael Mackson has the ability to write just as funky of a hook as Michael did back in the day, except we lose the vocals, guest appearances from Eddie Van Halen, and synth up the sound as much as possible.

Mackson has actually been around for quite some time now, the better part of the past decade. His release schedule can be quite irregular, but his most recent slab of vinyl (the “Bob’s You’re Uncle” EP) ought to keep house and techno fans satisfied for quite a while. When it originally came out back in June I actually slept on it, only listening to bits and pieces of each of the three songs. Every week when I kept checking back on Beatport, I noticed that individual tracks on this EP were sprawled across various Top 100 charts. And with each aural scan through the sound clips, each of the three songs grew on me over time. To the point that I couldn’t resist keeping my big mouth shut about them.

I’m not sure if the “Uncle Bob” name-checked on the title of this EP is in reference to the guy who brings his camera and takes an obscene number of pictures at every wedding he is a guest at. (Professional wedding photographers will get that one). But either way, the picture Mackson captures of deep house, minimal techno, and dub in co-existence with one another is far better than the pictures that Uncle Bob will shotgun with that base-model camera (and kit lens) of his.

The A-side, “Gedons”, takes 15 minutes to get its point across. There are quite a number of parts going on in this piece, opening with eerie reverberated pads that come undone and drift about very loftily in the later minutes. I’ve always been a fan of minimal house because of all the subtle changes that happen in the percussion section, and Gedons is no exception. The drums constantly evolve throughout this piece. The changes happen so gradually you won’t even notice them through a linear listen from start to end. But do yourself a favor: drag the timeline around the different parts of Gedons, and you’ll notice how drastically they actually do change. It’s weird, but the level of detail that went into crafting Gedons make it a suite worth acquiring a taste for.

2 tracks on the B-side. The Zimbabwe mix of “GTI” is quite similar to Gedons, but the slider on the keyboard leans far more towards the triangle than the sine wave in regards to the lead. In other words, the lead has more of a sharp, abrasive sound, but pierces through those drums nicely and a lot of space is built around it sonically. A remix of “Venga” follows, which is more of a deep house jam than a hybrid of multiple styles. Genre umbrellas aside, the pads are lush and evolve very nicely throughout its duration. Around three minutes in, the keys start to change like the colors of a mood ring on a skitzophrenic patient. Easily the most emotional piece of the three, and in my opinion, is the one that will stand the test of time the best. Without question.

This is one half-hour of highly recommended listening. Buy it now at Beatport, or be like me and cop the vinyl here.