The sound of Arnaud Rebotini's dark wave disco group, Black Strobe, mutated as it shed members, becoming closer to a death metal band than dance floor mechanics. But his solo tracks have always held true to a stripped back, no-frills techno sound which he expounds upon in his recently released album, Music Components. His simply vintage synths set up, played with an aggressive, unrelenting spirit could easily whip a massive rave into sweaty frenzy, and makes nu-ravers like Klaxons look like kids with My First Casios (and probably gets them dancing as well). Download a minimix of Music Component tracks below for a taste of Rebotini's headbanging goodness.
Sounds like: Housemeister, Justice without distortion, Klaxons with bigger cohones
Rebotini - Music Components Minimix
Rebotini on RCRD LBL
Rebotini on Myspace
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Perhaps now is not the best time to be named Broker/Dealer, but Ryan Fitzgerald and Ryan Bishop are making the best of it. After a four year hiatus during which Fitzgerald played guitar on Polyphonic Spree albums, B/D regrouped their financially-themed production duo to release "Soft Sell" on Spectral Sound. The EP also features remixes from legendary German producer Thomas Fehlmann, who toughens up and dubs out the pair's smooth techno pop sound. His grainy, pumping beats anchor the track as ethereal pad melodies flow in and out of focus. It's just the kind of track you'd want to hear instead of looking at your stock portfolio -- a bit out of this world.
Sounds like: Thomas Fehlmann, Quantec, Juan Atkins
Broker/Dealer - Soft Sell
Broker/Dealer - Soft Sell (Thomas Fehlmann digital only remix)
Broker/Dealer on RCRD LBL
Broker/Dealer on Myspace
Thomas Fehlmann on Myspace
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Even without wordy MCs, you can feel hip-hop's undeniable swagger in the frothy instrumentals of Eliot Lipp. Free from rappers' blinged out egos, the New York-based producer puts whatever twist he wants on his banging beats, from squelching sci-fi beats ("Beamrider") to a spray of Bubble Bobble glitches ("Sentinel"). It also allows him to be incredibly prolific, and the forthcoming Peace Love Weed 3D on his own Old Tacoma Recordings label is album number six in less than five years. Lead single "Beamrider" is a triumphant opening that rides tough on descending bass lines and toasts the good life with blissful melodies. "Sentinel" jabs playfully at listeners' ears with blurry synth funk stabs. Be prepared to crank these up.
Sounds like: Michna, Daedelus, Prefuse 73
Download: Eliot Lipp - Beamrider
Exclusive stream: Eliot Lipp - Sentinel
Eliot Lipp on RCRD LBL
Eliot Lipp on Myspace
The warm and inviting music of the Swedish duo Studio should be prescribed liberally for sour moods and dreary days. Their overlapping waves of clearheaded guitar riffs, cascading synths and limber, bountiful bass lines evoke tropical, almost Balearic vibes in the aptly titled "Life's A Beach!" and laid back baggy chic in "West Coast." Lest things get too relaxed, Studio holds together long-winded near disco jams with boyish, yearning vocals seeking "solid good times" and "to fall in love." As endearing as it is danceable, you can get your first dose of Studio's feel good medicine below.
Sounds like: Windsurf, The Tough Alliance, Lindstrom
Download: Studio - West Coast
Studio on RCRD LBL
Studio on Myspace
Buy Studio releases
To try and define Carl Craig in a paragraph would almost be an insult to his immense contribution to techno music, so let's instead focus on "Brainfreeze." While keeping with the massive build and break tactics which distinguish his music, this cut (under his Tres Demented guise) finds Craig cutting loose, laughing howling, "She gives me brainfreeze, baby!" His shuddering synth arrangements trundle forward like foot soldiers, interrupted occasionally by digital shivers and the odd guitar growl and bongo patter. Like many of Carl Craig's massive tunes, "Brainfreeze" is not for the faint of heart.
Sounds like: Pepe Bradock, Recloose, A Guy Called Gerald
Download: Carl Craig - Brainfreeze (Edit)
Carl Craig on RCRD LBL
Carl Craig's website
Buy Carl Craig releases
Download !K7's 2008 sampler
Berlin club Bar25 is equally notorious for top quality line ups and its patrons' behavior. The club also expanded into releasing music, much of which fits the loose, disorienting sound blared from its speakers until all hours. The music of long-time resident DJ Brian Cares is quite in step with this aesthetic as exhibited on his forthcoming Bar25 debut, Fingerprints, and its teaser EP. It's blessed with real levity and sense of humor, helping his quirky twists and turns go down easily. The lazy stride of "Say Say" is tugged by Latin guitar strums and buzzing synths, its laconic vocalist nagging listeners into showing a little life. Also recommended is "Hey DJ," a hilarious and catchy tune narrated by Jake the Ripper, who demands dancers stop bumping the decks while requesting Hot Chip; check it out on Brian's Myspace linked below.
Sounds like: Thomas Brinkmann, Raz Ohara
Download: Brian Cares - Say Say
Brian Cares on RCRD LBL
Brian Cares on Myspace
Before the Ed Banger contingent and their forefathers in Daft Punk thought to incorporate heavy, distorted synths in their arsenals, Kid606 was slaying ravers with fierce riffs at breakneck speeds. But the latest from the founder of IDM hotspot Tigerbeat6, the forthcoming and threateningly titled "Die Soundboy Die" EP, offers a few less aggressive flashes. Chief among these is the surprisingly funky "Raving Cain," which incorporates the sloshing bass tones of bassline house and helium-pitched frantic vocals into a grinding techno structure -- contained chaos, in other words. Kid606 shows once again why his genre-bending sound has stayed relevant by throwing his own curves into popular pathways.
Sounds like: ZZT, Boyz Noize, Housemeister
Download: Kid606 - Raving Cain
Kid606 on RCRD LBL
Kid606 on Myspace
Buy Kid606 releases
Photo by Shawn Mortensen
It's quite fitting that Brooklyn's own Italo disco ass-shakers, In Flagranti, were tapped to remix the latest from Golden Bug. Both parties yearn for the days of Giorgio Moroder and Cerrone, but neither is content to merely emulate their forefathers. When In Flagranti is done with "LookLookLook" it's become a dizzying piece of rave-inspired disco bursting forth with fizzy synth riffs, gregarious bass lines and disjointed radio announcer samples. Ready to keep dancers on their toes? Drop this hot remix and tell them RCRD LBL gave it to you.
Sounds like: Diskokaine, Daniel Wang, Black Devil Disco Club
Download: Golden Bug - LookLookLook (In Flagranti Remix)
Golden Bug on RCRD LBL
Golden Bug on Myspace
In Flagranti on Myspace
Tender is not an adjective often used to describe hip-hop instrumentals or IDM beats, but Diego Chavez, aka Aether, is one producer who doesn't seem to care. Although he started out producing for East Coast hip-hop crews and rockers The Panic Division, he's come into his own with a more whimsical style explored on Artifacts, his full length debut. It's almost as if the San Antonio-based producer is scoring dramatic movies before a frame is filmed. His piano-heavy productions swoon under the weight of melancholic melodies, breaking neatly under subtly shifting beats. The exceptionally concise "Anywhere" crackles with finely chopped energy as a female vocalist intones, "I'm not going anywhere." But it's his remix of Lykke Li's "Little Bit" that's likely to grab ears first, with the Swedish starlet's ethereal vocals floating above a dreamy and stuttering post-punk instrumental.
Sounds Like: Michna, Prefuse 73, Nightmares On Wax
Download: Aether - Anywhere
Download: Lykke Li - Little Bit (Aether Remix)
Aether on RCRD LBL
Aether on Myspace
The name Catz N' Dogz goes a long way to describe the crowded techno sound of this young Polish duo. After starting off (and still producing as) 3 Channels, the pair took on the new nom de plume to match the sonic evolution fully explored in their forthcoming debut album, Stars of Zoo. Blending techno sub-genres without sacrificing many of their traits, Catz N' Dogz's dense and constantly unfolding tracks sound a bit like a canine vs feline cage match, leaving dancers sweating as the fur flies. For an example, look no further than "Yes They Still Play Casio": propelled by gulping bongo rolls (courtesy of Mathias Kaden), swaying back and forth to a ticking Casio and Rhodes chords, and broken up by the howls of cats and dogs. Rest assured, Catz N' Dogz are no novelty act, but rather two guys with a slightly novel way of filling the dance floor. Rawr!
Sounds like: Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts, Mathias Kaden
Download: Catz N' Dogz - Yes They Still Play Casio
Catz N' Dogz on RCRD LBL
Catz N' Dogz on Myspace
Buy Catz N' Dogz releases
Previously:
Download: Catz N' Dogz Summer Lato Mix
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