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News
Reviews
Events
Listen
Feature
Charts
Credits
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August 14 - 27
Earplug is a twice-monthly email magazine, delivering a handpicked selection of news, sounds, videos, and original features
to the international electronic-music community.
"Location, location, location." It's a mantra as true for music as it is for real estate. In this issue, we shine the spotlight
on artists whose homes — whether native or adopted — have shaped their work. Self-proclaimed "Berlinette" Ellen Allien is back with her fourth solo album; she talks to Earplug contributor Todd Burns about landmarks and voyages. Ibiza veteran
DJ Alfredo, meanwhile, is so deeply identified with the island that the genre he helped found — "Balearic" disco — is actually named
for the clubbing capital's archipelago. Our reviews section is full of artists inextricably bound to their surroundings: Liquid Liquid (early '80s NYC), Seu Jorge (cosmopolitan
Brazil), Arabian Prince (LA's g-funk glory days), Mike Shannon (minimal Berlin), and the Bug (polyglot bass-battleground London).
Earplug contributor Martin Longley gets really site-specific with his review of David Byrne's acclaimed sonic-architecture
project Playing the Building. In a notable exception to the theme is the Chemical Brothers, who go truly global with "Midnight Madness," a new Google Earth project. We're sure they still rep for their block, though
— or rock it, anyway.
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Your Own Block Rockin' Beats
The Chemical Brothers promote Brotherhood with worldwide video project
After 16 years together and nine million in album sales, the Chemical Brothers have finally gone global. The duo will soon pinpoint big-beat fanatics around the world with a new online-media project that
invites fans to submit videos and photos to be tacked onto a giant Google Earth map. The theme, "Midnight Madness," is inspired by the group's similarly named new single and video — which, consequently,
features the breakdancing of a particularly flexible goblin.
The best submissions will be combined into a video set debuting the week of September 1 in conjunction with the release of
Brotherhood — a two-disc greatest-hits compilation. The first disc contains 14 singles and new tune "Keep My Composure," featuring Spank
Rock. Like the earlier singles collection, however, it's a bit thin on material from the group's first two LPs. The other
disc compiles the duo's "Electronic Battle Weapons" — rare experimental tracks that have formed the basis of many of the Brothers'
songs.
Future Chemical Brothers Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons first crossed paths in 1989 in Manchester, a city whose storied musical
history attracted the omnivorous music fans. Originally DJing and recording under the name the Dust Brothers — a tribute to
the famous Paul's Boutique producers, who sued to force a name change — they fused house, hip-hop, rock, and dance for a big-beat sound. Albums like
Exit Planet Dust and Dig Your Own Hole swiftly propelled the group from underground clubs into album charts and arenas. With "Midnight Madness" they'll be re-entering
the atmosphere of Planet Google.
- Pat Sisson
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No More Dreams Deferred
Dinky's future-vintage deep house drops
Alejandra Iglesias (aka DJ/producer Dinky) isn't always in the right place at the right time. The Chilean-born musician moved to New York in the '90s, but shifting
immigration regulations after 9/11 obliged her to decamp to Berlin. Then, last fall, with her first mix CD ready to appear
on London's Crosstown Rebels, her distributor went bankrupt, and the record was shelved.
Perhaps that's why her debut album as a producer is called May Be Later: Dinky clearly refuses to give up on dreams deferred. (Lucky for us — she's even made Get Lost 3, her Crosstown mix, available for free download on her own website.) To be released October 6 on Berlin's Vakant imprint, May Be Later finds Dinky following labelmates Mathias Kaden and Onur Özer in her search for a suppler, more sensual strain of minimal
house. Featuring vocal shots from Los Updates' Jorge González, Big Bully, and even Dinky herself, the album is a lush and
unpredictable hour of understated funk, future-vintage deep house, and analog explorations — all shot through with the oddball
sonics characteristic of fellow Chileans Ricardo Villalobos and Luciano. "She Is Moving," featuring Big Bully, appeared as
a single in June.
- Philip Sherburne
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MORE HEADLINES
Disinterred Identity
Burial comes clean more »
Clinching the Deal
El Guincho signs to Young Turks more »
Setting Fire to Paper Planes
Sri Lankan rapper DeLon takes on M.I.A. more »
There's Me and There's You
Matthew Herbert Big Band return with new album more »
Not Just More Idle Chatter
Computer musician Paul Lansky goes acoustic more »
It's All Gone Pete Tong
UK DJ hooks up with William Morris Agency more »
Xanadu
Textura launches label with "Kubla Khan" tribute more »
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Artist: |
Liquid Liquid |
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| Title: |
Slip In and Out of Phenomenon |
| Label: |
Domino UK |
| Release: |
May 19 |
It's often sampled, but the concise, near-perfect discography of Liquid Liquid rarely surfaces intact. While the group's oeuvre
— three EPs and a 7-inch released in early '80s New York — was compiled on CD in the '90s by Mo' Wax and Grand Royal, it quickly
went out of print. (Grand Royal's license in the US still holds, making this new release import-only.) Gathering additional
unreleased tracks, Domino's Slip In and Out of Phenomenon is even more comprehensive: with 23 tracks in all, it outlines Liquid Liquid's entire career chronologically. In addition,
the record comes with clear-eyed liner notes by pop critic Sasha Frere-Jones and a flashback epilogue, featuring bonus cuts
from the group's earlier Liquid Idiot incarnation. "Cavern" is the ghost hit here, better known by its discoid pop-rap iteration
as Grandmaster Flash's "White Lines." Minimalist and tribal, Liquid Liquid's music burbles with percussive activity — shimmering
tambourines, Rototom thwacks, and clanging metal — marbled with bass lines as thick as elevator cables. Ectoplasmic vocals
glimmer in the dark, as the group's undiluted, futuristic primitivism reminds us that Liquid Liquid were post-punk itself.
- Bernardo Rondeau
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Artist: |
Seu Jorge |
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| Title: |
América Brasil o Disco |
| Label: |
Discos ¡Como No! |
| Release: |
June 30 |
Seu Jorge's latest album sets out to address Brazil's symbiotic relationship with the USA, but it's paradoxically a less international
disc — one that would sound at home soundtracking a Rio barbecue. Most of the songs chop out a strummy new hybrid of bluesy
funk samba, with ukulele and banjo ostensibly replacing the traditional, tinny strum of the cavaquinho. Jr Gaiatto is a crucial presence as he strafes harsh violin one moment, then blows grimy harmonica the next, all while the
distinctive cuica drum rubs out its forest-call wobble. Seu Jorge's conversational vocal delivery is rugged to match, and equally individualist.
There's the occasional cluster of calm, with a few naked bossa ballads, but the best songs are invariably crammed with Jorge's
hooky choruses and underpinned by pliable bass-line spines.
- Martin Longley
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Artist: |
Arabian Prince |
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| Title: |
Innovative Life: The Anthology, 1984-1989 |
| Label: |
Stones Throw |
| Release: |
August 19 |
A onetime member of incendiary rap act N.W.A., freaky electro producer Arabian Prince exudes period style; Innovative Life, Stones Throw's loving anthology of his early work, is so energetic, exaggerated, and of its time that it makes ironic, retro
efforts seem pale by comparison. After decades of building on his foundations, his output doesn't always sound novel, but
it's still recklessly enjoyable. It's all squishy, primordial electro melodies, crisp handclaps, sleazy vocoder come-ons,
and climactic squeals. "Professor X Saga" fires off lasers and Kraftwerk beats; "Let's Hit the Beach" juxtaposes seagulls
and calculator bleeps; and "Innovator" offers plain, raunchy fun (sample lyric: "What's coming down her leg?"). Boasting of
hot beats and bedded chicks, this fresh prince comes off as confident and unapologetic as he did 20 years ago.
- Pat Sisson
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Artist: |
Mike Shannon |
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| Title: |
Memory Tree |
| Label: |
Plus 8 |
| Release: |
September 8 |
Mike Shannon likes subtlety in his music, whether he's cranking out precise minimal techno (Slight of Hand) or more atmospheric, dub-inspired albums (Possible Conclusions to Stories that Never End). The Canadian-born, Berlin-based producer's third full length, Memory Tree — on Richie Hawtin's Plus 8 Records — takes inspiration from both of his previous longplayers. Starting off with a leisurely
pace in the dreamy "Beyond Incubation," the record punches up the beats in evocative tracks like "The Love Fry" and "Regalos
de Pandora," setting them amidst a sea of swirling synthesizers, ear-cleansing textures, and multi-percussive off-beats. "Closed
Question," meanwhile, indulges a perky dub-techno vibe before descending into dreamy ambient waves at track's end.
- Tim Pratt
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Artist: |
The Bug |
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| Title: |
London Zoo |
| Label: |
Ninja Tune |
| Release: |
July 7 |
While Kevin Martin has made a name with dub-entrenched projects like Ice and Techno Animal, London Zoo takes his usual tricks in a decidedly unexpected direction: pop. This isn't so surprising if you've heard the Bug's latest
singles — popping up since late 2007, tunes like "Skeng," a slow-mo crusher featuring vocals from Killa.P and Flow Dan, and
the laser-bassed "Poison Dart," featuring Warrior Queen, are simply stunning. (A third single, the militant, Flow Dan-fronted
"Jah War," is also included here.) Not everything on London Zoo is as dirty and deadly as these earlier outings, but throughout, the bass lines — winding from dancehall to dubstep — speak
for themselves.
- Michaelangelo Matos
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REVIEW: David Byrne's Playing the Building
Through August 24
New York, NY
www.creativetime.org
Before entering David Byrne's Playing the Building installation, prospective visitors need to sign a waiver. What grisly calamity could possibly befall them? A tumble down the stairs into its hidden abattoir, maybe? The cranky venue is the Battery Maritime Building, a relic that's quite possibly making its last stand before being transformed by the Great Gentrification of All Points in
Manhattan (and beyond). Quaintly incongruous, it's conveniently located next to the Staten Island Ferry; back in the early
1900s, the Maritime's riverside structure used to be the headquarters of the old boat route to Brooklyn. Byrne has endeavored
to keep the building's interior as unchanged as possible, strapping up the odd dangling cable clump, or encasing hosepipes
in tight binding. But even in the days of clanging bells and creaking docks, it never made sounds like these.
The first object that we see upon entering is a smallish pump organ, unsurprising apart from the forest of brightly colored
cables growing out of its rear, tentacling upwards and outwards to all points of the space's interior. These are connected
to small engines or trip-hammers that vibrate, blow through, or strike the pipes, iron columns, and walls of the building.
Every key is capable of triggering its own respective ambient sound. The organ doesn't make its usual wheeze; rather, it prompts
physical responses within its entire environment. (This isn't quite the premiere of this decidedly anti-digital installation.
There was an initial wiring-up in Stockholm, Sweden, back in 2005, but that building was smaller than this, and, presumably,
not quite so creaky.)
keep reading »
REVIEW: Sunday Best
July 20
Brooklyn, NY
www.sundaybestnyc.com
It's unusual to see signs of life in Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal; bisecting the yuppie populations of Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, the toxic waterway tracks through a smelly industrial
zone. This summer, though, the borough has channeled a bit of Berlin venue Bar25's party-on-the-Spree attitude, with Sunday
Best parties at the Yard — a small, open swath of leafy green set right against the water.
Promoter Eamon Harkin is known for his work with Greenpoint's Studio B and Love, while his partner Justin Carter, who formerly programmed at APT, does Saturday events at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City. (The two also take to the decks as Sunday Best's resident
DJs.) In addition to cramming the lineup with American dance-music staples (Kevin Saunderson, Rick Wilhite, Afrika Bambaataa, Roy Davis Jr., John Tejada, the Wurst crew, etc.), Carter and Harkin reach out to overseas talents, braving the hassles
of tight visa rules and the bedraggled dollar. (They also deserve credit for archiving selected sets online.) Alongside well-known acts like Riton and Joakim, they've even brought in underrated artists such as Trus'me, Stefan Goldmann, and Move D. The latter's recent, exclusive US appearance turned out to be the perfect merger of form and content.
keep reading »
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MORE EVENTS
P.S.1 Warm Up
Through Sept 6
New York, NY
The Warehouse Project
September 26 - January 1
Manchester, UK
c/o pop
August 13-17
Cologne, Germany
Like Minded
August 14-17
Petrcane, Croatia
Outside Lands
August 22-24
San Francisco, CA
Numusic
September 3-7
Stavanger, Norway
Minitek
September 12-14
New York, NY
A Day in the Life
September 13
County Wicklow, Ireland
Decibel Festival
September 25-28
Seattle, WA
Pop Montréal
October 1-5
Montréal, QC
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Moritz von Oswald and Tikiman, Live PA Shanti (MP3)
A Moritz von Oswald live set is about as rare as the out-of-print dub classics he draws upon. Here, he drops two hours of
roots-reggae heaven, fronted by his Rhythm & Sound collaborator Tikiman (Paul St. Hilaire).
 LISTEN |
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Ricardo Villalobos, Live at Fabric (stream)
Captured by Red Bull Music Academy Radio, the post-minimal figurehead reinvents the groove at London's Fabric. Beats collide,
and heads explode.
LISTEN |
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Nick Catchdubs, Slick (MP3)
Nick Catchdubs, A-Trak's partner in Fool's Gold, brings the party and then some in this fidgety mix of hip-hop, dubstep, and
dance jams. It's hip-house for '08.
LISTEN |
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Cassiano, Favela Clash (MP3)
The same folks that brought you "I Love Baile Funk," São Paulo and New York's Cassiano return with a 36-minute blast of cheeky
funk carioca laced with additional beats from the likes of Trevor Loveys and Dubfire.
LISTEN |
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Tittsworth, The John McCain Experience (MP3)
DC's Tittsworth has been buzzing it up with his brand of B-more-influenced club, complete with cameos from Pitbull and Nina
Sky. As a teaser for his debut album, he gave Discobelle this bumping, exuberant mix.
LISTEN |
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Looking for more hot mix sets and fresh new tracks? Check out Blentwell for an ongoing document of the evolution of blended music online.
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WATCH
With a Buzz in Their Ears
Sigur Rós, Live at MoMA watch »
Stop-Motion Pop
The Octopus Project, "An Evening With RTHRTHA" watch »
The Decline of Western Civilization
Truckasauras, "Fak!!" watch »
TGIM
Mike Monday's Monday Club TV watch »
Worship the Drummer
The Presets, "Talk Like That" watch »
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Ellen Allien Shines On
SOOL lights a world of detail
Ellen Allien seems happy — and why shouldn't she be? The frazzled Berlin native is living the techno dream: she's the founder of the revered
BPitch Control label, a celebrated DJ and producer, and the owner of her own clothing line. She's been busy in 2008, mixing volume four in BPitch's Boogybytes series and releasing SOOL, a new solo album co-produced with experimental electronic musician and self-described "e-poet" AGF (Antye Greie). Earplug's Todd L. Burns caught up with Allien to talk about the new album, the future of the mix CD, and why
she choose not to appear on SOOL's cover.
Earplug: The first thing that I noticed about SOOL is its muted quality. It seems like you've retreated from the poppier sound of your previous solo albums.
Ellen Allien: Actually, the album is very close to the music I play in clubs. It represents the sound I've liked for years. This time, though,
I felt like composing more abstract melodies or sounds without any pop references. The only song that I sing, "Frieda," is
dedicated to my grandmother. And even if the vocals may sound a bit childish, they express the words and love I had for her
when I was a child. She died years ago, but I still feel her around. In a way, I feel that she never died. This is one of
the most interesting experiences I had in my whole life. Often, I have the feeling she is flying around me or watching me
with her smile. The other vocals on the album are cut and abstracted. They are not really in the foreground. Instead, they're
one piece of sound among others.
EP: What was your working relationship with AGF like?
keep reading »
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MORE FEATURES
A Dearth of DJs
2 Many DJs praise the lost art of the mix more »
Piecing the Patchwork
Idolator begins reviewing entire Fabric series more »
All Grown Up
Adultnapper takes his techno seriously more »
Laying Down the Law
Orchestra Baobab player returns to the stage more »
A Ghost of Bush of Ghosts
David Byrne and Brian Eno, together again more »
Poison Darts
PTW probes the Bug more »
The Second Second Summer of Love
DJ History reprints i-D's 1989 acid-house profile more »
Rhythm Envy
CYNE wish they'd made these beats more »
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Each issue, Earplug sneaks a peek inside the crates of our favorite DJs. We'll even help you beef up your own bag: click on
selected titles to preview tracks, download MP3s, or purchase vinyl.
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With contemporary acts like Quiet Village and Lindstrøm reviving Balearic styles, the time seems right to check in with old-school
icon DJ Alfredo. In the pre-acid '80s, the Argentine expat became the resident DJ at Ibiza's Amnesia club. There, he introduced
an eclectic style of house that bridged disco, pop, soul, psychedelia, and American dance imports. DJ magazine named him "DJ of the Decade" in 1988, the same year he became Amnesia's artistic director. Both honors helped accelerate
his already exploding popularity with British tourists who were tasting rave for the first time. Twenty years later, Alfredo
is back with a weekly slot at Space, and, as his mix for the We Love Space Sundays 08 double-CD confirms, he retains his command over contemporary house.
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- Manuel Göttsching, "E2-E4" (Inteam)
This fantastic piece of music was the perfect one to play when the club opened the doors, putting things in place.
- Henry Mancini, "The Pink Panther Theme" (RCA)
The closing theme, the one that left everybody with a smile on her face; totally a surprise the first time I played it.
- Nina Simone, "My Baby Just Cares for Me" (Verve)
A sexy and romantic jazz tune, one for all time. It even made the owner of Amnesia dance.
- Gilberto Gil, "Girl From Baiaha (Toda Menina Baiaha)" (WEA)
One of the Brazilian records I play — "Belo Horizonte" came much later — and the one that everybody asks for.
- Thrashing Doves, "Jesus on the Payroll" (A&M)
Rock 'n roll at its best, and the one English people enjoy the most. Great track!
- Atahualpa 1530, "Andino" (DFC)
A key track in all my sets, because it changes tempo and gives the opportunity to go from downtempo to house. It's a traditional
South American melody from the indians that live the Andes.
- George Kranz, "Din Daa Daa" (Fourth & Broadway)
Another key track to change tempo and style — a fantastic idea, superb! I used to play the a cappella version. Very short
but super strong.
- Prince, "When Doves Cry" (Warner)
Apparently Prince's best-loved record, but very new at the time. What can I say: the most poetic, incredible piece of modern
funk, direct from the George Clinton school.
- The Woodentops, "Well Well Well" (Rough Trade)
The revolutionary track that made the club explode. Probably half of the people never understood the words, but the track
transmits so much power; that was enough. (Thanks to Nello, a DJ at the time.)
- Joe Smooth Inc. feat. Anthony Thomas, "The Promised Land" (D.J. International)
These were the perfect lyrics for where we were at the moment. We were there in the promised land!
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About Us |
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Earplug is an email magazine dedicated to electronic music and its many dynamic styles and influences. Published twice-monthly,
it features a handpicked selection of music news, cultural spotlights, tip sheets, CD reviews, original reporting, and music
festival previews and reviews. Earplug offers only pure editorial and unbiased news — no money is accepted from any artists,
labels, promoters, or companies seeking mention.
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Advertising Partners |
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Every other week, Earplug presents one exclusive advertising partner. Click for more information about advertising opportunities on Earplug and across all Flavorpill publications.
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Cover Art |
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We have an open call to create the covers that run at the top of each issue. If you would like to submit a design, please
email us at design and we'll send you the necessary specs.
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Submissions/Feedback |
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Tell us what you think is exciting and worth including in Earplug by dropping us an email at tips. Writers interested in getting even more involved should reach us at contribute. To criticize, praise, or generally comment on this publication, please send an email to feedback.
In addition to this twice-monthly digest of new electronic music, Flavorpill publishes a series of online magazines, covering
ART, BOOKS, NEWS, and cultural events in NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, and LONDON. Coming soon: STYLE/DESIGN and FILM. Subscribe now.
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