LessThan3

Electricks

phange@lessthan3.com — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:00:47 EST

It really seems like the Brazilians have electro their running in their blood--Felguk, Dirtyloud and Darth & Vader have rocked us through the past few months with their massive smashers. So maybe you've heard of Electrixx, and maybe you haven't. This producer duo hails from Germany but calls the land and sounds of Brazil home. If you remember that Tetris redux, get ready for a second coming.

Far from dormant, Electrixx has been sticking it to the man with a brand of electro much unlike today's typical fare. Some Beats focuses on the singularity of that driving analog line, eschewing complexity for hard-hitting simplicity. The remix of Blow Out takes things to the next level, endowing Felguk's track with a heavy, stop-start groove that just rounds it out perfectly.

Full Disclosure

mania@lessthan3.com — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:00:06 EST

As music technology is becoming more accessible, kids have started producing electronic music at a much earlier age. This is the case for London's Guy and Howard Lawrence--two brothers just 19 and 16 years old, respectively, that go by the name Disclosure. Their newest hit Tenderly is a soul-affected tune that hearkens back to early days of Detroit techno and Chicago Warehouse music as championed by names such as Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. While still relatively new in the game, they've already been making rounds with BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac and are set to open for SBTRKT sometime in late February. Make Mine Records would be wise to sign these boys to an exclusive record deal as their footprint in the dance music scene is set to grow at an exponential pace.

The EP's two tunes, Flow and the aforementioned title track, are both imbued with a soulful flavor that falls somewhere between deep house and future-garage. Both tracks exemplify this duo's exceptional compositional skills insofar as their ability to layer sounds that are perfectly complementary to one another. While Make Mine has certainly delivered on this double A-sided EP, it's regrettable that the tremendous remix of Flow by Amusement didn't make the official release. This version delivers a luxurious deep house rhythm on top of the silky smooth sounds of the original. With some additional sweeping pad sounds, Amusement pushes the envelope of remix ingenuity.

Where To?

toothless@lessthan3.com — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:50:25 EST

Feed Me's back for more adventure, this time bringing you his Escape From Electric Mountain EP, a six-track electro, moombahstep cross-genre release that follows the paths of both this legendary producer as well as today's emerging genres themselves.

While we get glimpses of classic Feed Me through tunes like Trapdoor and Whiskers, a stupidly massive collaboration between Feed Me and up-and-comer Gemini, it seems like Escape From Electric Mountain is a foray into new things, some working better than others. My favorite new sound on this release is found on Relocation, a tune that plays up Feed Me's melodic prowess so well that it could shed new light on the prog house genre altogether. If you've been digging the latest string of Skrillex and Knife Party releases, you're also likely to twang over Feed Me's new mid-tempo track, One Click Headshot, a tune that toys with playful melodies while proving to be a slaughterhouse from start to finish.

Whether you're a fan of the new sounds that Feed Me is emerging with or not, you can't deny that the guy's production values are second to none. If you're one of those old school diehards that just wants more of "that sick Calyx sh*t," fear not, as the man himself recently Facebooked that we'll be seeing a Spor album later this year.

Interview: Daedelus

phantom@lessthan3.com — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:00:56 EST

LessThan3: It seems that in every record you produce there is always a story to tell. What were the feelings and concepts that went into producing your recent album Bespoke?

Alfred: Music always carries a message, or is speaking to an audience, even if it's only indirectly. I try to take responsibility for what my music might be saying, but it is a hopeless endeavor; you just can't know entirely what people will get out of it or even how they listen. All that being said, Bespoke is a record about speaking clearly but not in words. The whole LP makes references to fashion and adornment, which says so much about the wearer, or the intention. The record was going for understated and serene at times, and low-down and dirty at others. But this is all my own muddled view. Albums don't live in my hands; they hopefully are resurrected by others and they'll get what they get no matter what my intention was.

LessThan3: If you could have personally lived through any one event in history, which would it be?

Alfred: I'm into my history. I'm quite a buff for the Victorian; even bits of the 1920s sound amazing in hindsight. But by no means can I confuse the times that were and are now. We live in the most fantastic age ever known, and my musical existence is certainly only possible in a now. So as much as looking back might bring inspiration and bits of enlightenment, I'll have to go with the current messed up mix-up.

LessThan3: How have you evolved as artist over the years with the advent of new technologies?

Alfred: I came to a conclusion a while back that the spark that created hip hop was creative producers meeting up with incredibly innovative technologies. Like when Afrika Bambaataa used the drum machines and synths from Kraftwerk to make a new combination, or the Bomb Squad were allowed a few more precious seconds of samples from their Akai S-900 to make the urgent sounds you heard for Public Enemy and others. Technology is part of moving sound forward and making our current sound unlike anything that has come before. My at-home production and live music making is constantly evolving by leaps and bounds. I try to keep my ear to the ground as to what is happening out there, but it is all happily overwhelming.

LessThan3: Your instrument of choice is the Monome. Why that one?

Alfred: Before the Monome, there weren't many ways to work with samples in a live context. You could either pre-make every mix and fake your way through, or move sound backward or forward. The Monome has unlocked doors in that direction, and now a whole host of products have come along that do some of the same. I believe the Monome stands alone in the elegance by which it manipulates sound.

LessThan3: Your live sets always differ from show to show. How do you prepare for them? What inspires during your LIVE sets?

Alfred: Thank you for being there for a few shows! It is always different because of context and most importantly audience. Ask any real musician and they will tell you the audience is what they are there for. It is an honor to perform on any stage. I spent years in the audience trying to understand sound and understand how I could be up there myself, so now having the chance is fantastic and I don't take it lightly. I try and study the audience figure out where they want to go, be it because of a particularly good dancer in the front or a vocal fan.

LessThan3: You have had several releases on various labels. Do you alter your sound for different platforms or is it normally the case that the labels are happy to release whatever sound is you are creating at the time?

Alfred: Every situation is different, both from a performing perspective and a releasing perspective. Every label is like a family with it's own politics and schedules, and like it or not, it all factors into the sound you'll be releasing. Ninja Tune (my current home for LPs) is London-based and dance-centric (although a very different definition of dance than US labels), while a label like Brainfeeder based in Los Angeles and founded by Flying Lotus wanted productions of a more esoteric blend. I'm happy to have the chance to express a wide range of sounds. I really feel like listeners out there are interested in a wide assortment; look at any iPod and you'll see a crazy variety nowadays in most.

LessThan3: 2011 has been an incredible year for you, touring all around the world, and shows at some of the biggest music festivals in the states. To this point, what has been the biggest moment of your career?

Alfred: Coachella at midnight was incredible, as was Lollapalooza this year in front of 10K+ people, but those are different sensations. The moments that really have defined me were ages ago in front of maybe 60 people at the second or third Low End Theory or the first overseas touring I did pre-Monome with a band that included Busdriver, my wife, Ben Wendel of Kneebody, and a death-metal drummer named David Murray. Those were quiet but big moment moments in my musical life.

LessThan3: I’ve heard you’re a Nintendo kid at heart. Was the 8-bit sound the origin of your musical influence?

Alfred: Yes, the Nintendo and what was to follow--SNES and onward. The sounds made an impact, but I'd say the button-mashing even moreso. Take a game like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. You couldn't just press the buttons at a whim; you had to press just right to find the weakness in the opponent. I live that same life in every production, every live show--the right button at the right time.

LessThan3: What are your thoughts of the rapid growth of EDM all around the world? Do you consider yourself a pioneer of the scene?

Alfred: I'm not sure of any pioneering status, but I've been privy to some amazing moments like hosting the event that had Flying Lotus' first live show or having Jason Chung debut his Nosaj Thing show at a night I was co-producing with Daddy Kev. There are others I find myself amazed to be a part of, but I am just a part of larger, beautiful changes in the music world.

LessThan3: If the world were ending in LessThan3 minutes, and you had an iPod with every song ever made on it, what would you listen to?

Alfred: You Only Live Twice by John Barry and Nancy Sinatra.

LessThan3: Describe your sound in LessThan3 words.

Alfred: Electronic Romantic--I'm taking the "less than 3" seriously!

Heavy Feeling

fooboi@lessthan3.com — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:00:27 EST

We've got a special treat for all you Nero fans out there. If you haven't heard yet, Delta Heavy (pictured) put out a nasty remix of Must Be The Feeling from their critically acclaimed LP, Welcome Reality. The best part? The remix can be downloaded for free right here!

The remix marks a change in the Delta Heavy's choice genre. We've had almost exclusive drum'n'bass content from the duo in the past, but it seems they're trying their hand out in the complextro/moombahton game as well. The result sounds refreshingly crisp--venturing into new territory while not straying too far from their synth-heavy style. If it reminds you of a Knife Party track, then you'd be pretty spot on. This surge of hard-hitting, fast-paced electro is flowing from blogs over all the web, and we here at LT3 proudly support this trend of nu rave production. Enjoy!

Good Vibes In LA

meshblorg@lessthan3.com — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:05:48 EST

Come out this Friday, February 10th, as we indulge in breaks, bass, and good vibes at Hollywood's Boulevard's King King nightclub! LA's top breaks blog The Good Vibe is once again taking over the Hollywood venue with a cast of local talent and breaks music DJs from the UK.

So what can we really expect at the Big Bass Allstar Variety Show? Well we can definitely look forward to tribal rhythms like Bizarre Is Beautiful by headliner Meat Katie, as well as bass-hungry grooves like Burning Up by fellow headliner Peo de Pitte. Other performers include Loomer, The Fuzz, Joe Con, and The Real Thing. We look forward to seeing you--grab discounted presale tickets here.

Caught in the Crossfire

mania@lessthan3.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:00:36 EST

To the delight of drum'n'bass fans worldwide, the mighty Technique Recordings has delivered yet another heavyweight release featuring the camp's top producers and fledgling talent in the form of an EP called Crossfire. Technique label-head Simon "Bassline" Smith has squeezed an inordinate amount of talent onto his label's first release for the new year. The six-track EP features Technique usual suspects Tantrum Desire and L Plus, and also features tunes from Technique sister label Worldwide Audio's 2DB and Dub Foundation. The inter-label all-star cast is rounded out by dnb's newest female producer Dushi, and on-again-off-again Playaz bad-boy Erb N Dub. After one full listen, it's apparent that Crossfire is largely representative of the technical and creative trends in drum'n'bass right now; from electro to drumstep, this EP is a jump-up voyage through several subgenres of drum'n'bass.

Tantrum Desire's Uncontrollable is an angry, angry tune. The main synth is built around the formant vowel sound ubiquitously found in the current iteration of dubstep. The bassline is anything but subtle, letting loose a growling series of stabs at the end of every 16-bar phrase. This tune is a perfect example of why Tantrum Desire gets top billing from all of the big DJs on the dnb circuit. 2DB's tune Virus is a fast and furious drumsteppy tune, starting with a cinematic intro but eventually evolving into a growling, modulated bassfest. The tune thunders along until it hits its first break, when the drums cut to half-time, providing a perfect variation to the high energy rhythm deployed throughout the verse. For those that prefer more of an electro-infused style of drum'n'bass, look no further than L Plus's Gas Grenade. Well-crafted arpeggiation effects and deeply modulated synths make this tune an instant hit. L Plus's inimitable ability to blend electro and dnb is sure to have his tunes front and center on dancefloors worldwide.

Made of Sun ReWubbed

shmurkio@lessthan3.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:55:33 EST

An old trance classics gets a serious new re-wub from the always excellent Stoneface & Terminal. Kyau & Albert's (pictured) 2005 hit Made of Sun receives fresh life from the duo, complete with a nasty dubstep breakdown. Yep, you heard right.

With a timeless melody and vocal, Made of Sun has got to be one of my Kyau & Albert faves. Just check out their breaksey album version, a track years ahead of its time. Thanks to one of our favorite German duos, time has caught up to that in the form of a progressive club banger consisting of deeper, more crackling bass lines, glitchy sound effects, uptempo beats, and an overall nice 2012 polish. Already getting plenty of play from likes of Above & Beyond and Ferry Corsten, this fresh remix could very well be one of festival anthems of the spring and summer months.

Return to Monkeytown

jrmeyer1988@gmail.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:02 EST

Everyone's favourite German duo took two tracks off the top of their stellar Monkeytown album for a gorgeously packaged vinyl release. Last year Modeselektor's Monkeytown was praised pretty much unanimously, a remarkable feat for producers who have been in the game for over twenty years. From the high--profile guest vocalists to the prime electroid cuts that drove crowds wild all over Europe, their first full length release on the Monkeytown Records label they own truly had something for everybody. The same cannot be said of the extended dub version of Evil Twin on offer here, nor of B-side German Clap. These tracks are stripped dancefloor weapons set to kill.

Evil Twin has been given a makeover with the help of Miami breakcore guru Otto von Schirach, its length extended to over seven minutes of sweaty, bombastic violence, driven by a searingly brutal synth line and an ominous, oozing vocal sample. German Clap is here in album form, an incessant big room stepper with a punch most producers can only dream of. Both tracks benefit from unbelievably good production--one of the benefits that comes with being such veterans of the scene. This release seems aimed at those who accused Modeselektor of having "gone soft" after last year's collaboration with Radiohead's Thom Yorke. Rest assured, they are still very much capable of destroying the odd dancefloor or two.

There & Back Again

phange@lessthan3.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:00:38 EST

Wolfgang Gartner is back with a serious vengeance. The godfather of modern electro has been busy touring on top of producing, and any man who spends over 300 hours per track takes his craft pretty seriously. With that being said, he's got a brand new single ready to bust out at a moment's notice on the decks.

There & Back is a beast designed for crowds, lights and spectacle. It's almost a little reminiscent of SHM's first entry into superstardom, One; a background melody dominates the track, building and building until the crescendo of sound becomes undeniably majestic. With Wolfgang being a household name among EDM lovers, expect to hear this festival-smasher all year long.

Paris Has A New Vibe

rfgbiz@gmail.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:44:29 EST

MiM0SA's got a sexy new remix for all of you hip hop fans out there. Jay-Z and Kanye West have been drawing a lot of heat (what else is new?) for recent hit N*ggas in Paris, as you probably know. What you may not have known was that good ole DJ MiM0SA has just been biding his time, waiting to drop a remix on us. It does that track justice, which isn't the easiest thing to pull off when you're remixing some of the biggest names in music. If you're a MiM0SA fan, you're sure to dig it.

N*ggas in Paris is a funky glitch hop banger that's light on the glitch and heavy on the bass. The insidious sounding beat is a perfect backdrop for the original track, and the mixing quality is pro. Love that purple sound. MiM0SA never lets us down.

Tech vs Electro

kidalien@lessthan3.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:34 EST

When the newly reunited Gabriel & Dresden team up with Austin EDM stalwart Francis Prève, whose remix of Hot As Hades garnered a spot on our Top 15 Progressive Tracks of 2011, avant-garde sounds that still manage to stay relatable are bound to ensue. What we didn't expect was a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot battle of synths where all fighting sounds succeed. This, my friends, is Servo vs Colossus.

We recently spoke with Dave Dresden and Francis about the making of "Servo vs Colossus", a full-on Gabriel & Dresden reinvention of two unreleased Prève originals. Far more than a simple mashup or remix, G&D took Prève's leads and--through the magic of Josh Gabriel's master programming skills--transformed the parts into something entirely new. "When we were putting together our Mixed for Feet compilation for Armada, Francis sent us a couple of his tracks for consideration. We loved both of them, but there was only room for one track, so we asked Francis to send us the parts so we could tinker with them. After the first day of messing around with the sounds, we realized we had something way greater than the sum of its parts," explained Dave. "The original version was much shorter, but the response to it at our shows was so strong, we decided to do a full length version for Francis's new label, Academik."

When asked about the production of the synth parts for Servo vs Colossus, Prève went into some detail about his creative process. "The Servo part of the track was done using a sound I created for the Moog Slim Phatty, and the Colossus part is pure Moog Voyager. Both patches are based on square waves, so they compliment each other nicely," Prève explained. "The sliding part of the Servo lead was done by hand editing pitch-bend information, whereas the sweeps in the Colossus part were done with automated envelopes and portamento." For you non-techies out there, that simply translates into a heaping plate of quirky synths, addictive rhythms, and a track that puts just a bit of a smirk on your face when you hear it.

This Is Dubstep 2012

meshblorg@lessthan3.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:38:45 EST

While some dubstep compilations have become the laughing stock of the Internet, a new GetDarker release is a proper representation of the original definition of dubstep. On This Is Dubstep 2012, you'll discover an excellent representation of that classic face-slapping percussion and rumbling sub-bass below 90Hz.

Skeptical? Understandable--so let's take a listen to some gritty productions like Faithless by the legendary Benga, a track that begins with four-to-the-floor beats at 140bpm before slamming into violent riffs at traditional half-time speed. It also includes more mellow tracks like the Von D remix of Four Leaf Clover by Mr Lager. This somewhat aloof tune, sung by Asher Dust, expresses a man's struggle for love in its sparse vocalizations. Lastly, there are a few tracks by some popular artists like Flux Pavilion who contributed productions like Meathead to the gruesome compilation. This is definitely the strongest dubstep compilation of the year so far, so if you're ready to get your ass kicked by some check it out on Beatport, where it includes both the full individual tracks as well as two hour-long mixes.

Broeken Electro

toothless@lessthan3.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:21:48 EST

When two giants in the industry like Boys Noize (above left) and Mr. Oizo (above right) team up on a new project, you've gotta know that there's a strong, driving vision behind it. The two wonked-out electro veterans recently came together to form Handbraekes, a project with some of the crunchiest, strangest, most epic electro beats you'll hear this year.

The track that's gotten the most attention off their first release (titled #1) is Callgurls, a tune that wistfully shows off the versatility and creative capabilities of the duo. My favorite track out of the lot is The Qat, a tune that almost seems to mock the exaggerated Dutch house style with its floppy, yet somehow well-spoken horns. Last up is Riho, a song that starts on a dark, menacing note but only works its way up from there. Funky electro and choppy beats are still the norm in this track, but the end of the tune goes into a much lighter, ride-the-wave style outro that I wouldn't expect from this duo, but love nonetheless. It's clear that the duo are able to do whatever they want with their music, and it all sounds impeccable. They're not releasing tunes that conform to the modern electro standards, and they're releasing true artist material--something that can be hard to find these days.

Freezing Temperatures

kidalien@lessthan3.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:02 EST

Filo & Peri have been known for their anthemic vocal trance tracks in the past, the most notable arguably being This Night, but it seems like the New York duo is going more big room prog these days just in time for the inauguration of their new label, Lights n Loaded.

Their first offering on the label, Subzero, is a distinct breed of the big room sound currently filtering itself through the trance and house communities. A Tommy Trash-like buildup leads in frenzied fashion into a slammin' drop complete with video game synths and allusions back to the initial melody. Unique rhythmic patterns also play a big part in the drop, giving the track a unique mark that hopefully carries itself through the rest of F&P's upcoming productions.