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September 25 - October 8
Earplug is a twice-monthly email magazine, delivering a handpicked selection of news, sounds, videos, and original features
to the international electronic-music community.
"I like being a stranger," says Tricky. The '90s icon should know; he's gone from being a Bristol trip-hop fixture to an LA outsider, and his new album forces bloggers
and biographers alike to reconsider the gravel-voiced producer's larger role. Of course, Tricky's not the only veteran showing
new stripes: acid original A Guy Called Gerald follows his recent Perlon reappearance with a reissue of the landmark Black Secret Technology, and UK rave/hip-hop pioneer Tim Simenon's Bomb the Bass are back with their first album in years. In other dispatches from the old-school, Martin Longley immerses himself in a performance
of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, James Chance and the Contortions court super-skronk, and Stefan Goldmann goes for the roots of minimal.
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Dave Aju Mouths Off
Open Wide pays tribute to lips, teeth, and larynx
As '70s experimental musician Joan La Barbara used to proclaim, "Voice is the original instrument." The idea still resonates
in certain corners of the electronic-music world, from Austrian beat-box ensemble Bauchklang to the self-sampling Jamie Lidell. San Francisco musician Dave Aju (aka Marc Barrite) is the latest digital artist to sink his teeth into the concept. Out this month on Paris' Circus Company label, his debut album, Open Wide, was made entirely using electronically processed vocal samples. "I wanted to use a sound source that was as personal as
possible," Barrite told Earplug. "Partly as a statement against the very impersonal approaches of digital plug-ins, presets,
and gear dogma, and also because I've always loved the use of the mouth in music."
"It's so versatile," said Barrite. "From Ella [Fitzgerald], Cab [Calloway], and [George] Benson, to Biz, Doug Fresh, and Rahzel,
to Art of Noise, Iggy, and Mike Patton, some great music has been made with the mouth or non-lyrical voice as instrument —
so the idea is nothing new per se. I just wanted to take it a step further and go beyond the novelty element and focus on
the musical content with a full album of truly my own sounds."
keep reading »
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A Reissue Long Overdue
A Guy Called Gerald re-visits Black Secret Technology
Dance music's reissue culture gathers more steam this month with the highly welcome reappearance of British producer A Guy Called Gerald's Black Secret Technology on his own A Guy Called Gerald Music imprint. A brief, founding member of classic acid-house group 808 State, Gerald Simpson left the '80s outfit to record acid house, techno, jungle, downtempo, and acid on his own. His 1995 album
Black Secret Technology was a jungle landmark; coiling writhing, ectoplasmic breakbeats around bassy detonations and radiant, fragrant sweeps of
texture, BST reminds exactly how far out jungle went in its heyday. Featuring a co-production by Goldie, the record also boasts one of
the earliest appearances on record by Finley Quaye.
This reissue relies on Black Secret Technology's original tracklist — sans "Hekkle and Koch" or "Touch Me," the tunes which topped and tailed the Juice Box's 1997 edition
— and features highly superior artwork. It all sits nicely alongside Simpson's recent collaboration with Berlin techno producer M.I.A. (of Sub Static fame), a leap from peripheral audition to 20/20 hearing that's a welcome
turn indeed.
- Jon Dale
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MORE HEADLINES
Missed Opportunity?
New York's first Minitek not without hitches more »
'Tek Takes Charge
Minitek responds to criticisms more »
Heavenly Sent
The Rapture prep Tapes installment more »
Chem No
MGMT deny block-rockin' album collab more »
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Artist: |
Bomb the Bass |
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| Title: |
Future Chaos |
| Label: |
!K7 |
| Release: |
September 15 |
In the '80s and '90s, Tim Simenon produced a number of megahits, inspired the ill-fated genre tag "progressive dance," and
became a pathfinder for UK DJ/club culture. He's been pretty quiet since: Future Chaos is the first we've seen of the producer in over five years (and it's been even longer since Bomb the Bass dropped an album).
Here, a demure, trip-hop-courting Simenon works a radically limited, relatively sample-free toolbox of basic synthesizers,
reined-in and unhurried beats, and guest vocalists (Mark Lanegan, Fujiya & Miyagi, trip-hopper Toob, co-producer Paul Conboy).
The record wins for being simultaneously free and humble in an environment where electronic music tends to be punished for
not being brash. The result is alluring and expressive: melodies are drawn and smooth, vocals depressed and sensual, evoking
the feel of late-night drives and even later mornings.
- Michael Byrne
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Artist: |
TV on the Radio |
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| Title: |
Dear Science |
| Label: |
Interscope |
| Release: |
September 23 |
Relentless and righteous as hell, TV on the Radio soar through Dear Science, retreating from the buzzing, hotwired rock of Return to Cookie Mountain for a wide swath of lush hymns and muscular tracks. Made for confusing times, the record tends to look outward, not inward,
and sounds more crisp, electrified, and anthemic than anything the band has done before. It's even, occasionally, upbeat.
Though tense riffs and sheets of noise still grind and smoke, there are more sugary strings ("Love Dog"), taut rhythms ("Dancing
Choose"), and clipped guitars ("Shout Me Out"). The thicket of damning lyrics in "Crying" and "Red Dress," meanwhile, offer
a counterpoint to the last record's tales of toxic attraction. Stirring and poetic, it's a lithe, gorgeous art-rock record.
- Pat Sisson
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Artist: |
Roots Manuva |
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| Title: |
Slime and Reason |
| Label: |
Big Dada |
| Release: |
September 1 |
On Slime and Reason, his latest Big Dada outing, Rodney Smith (aka Roots Manuva) welcomes a new-found sense of maturity. Like previous works,
the record embraces ragga, hip-hop, grime, and R&B, sitting comfortably alongside the likes of Outkast and Gnarls Barkley.
Smith's cutting humor also remains intact; on self-produced opener "Again and Again," he appropriates Jamaican toaster Admiral
Bailey's signature wail ("Laaahhhd!"), telling newbie rappers to check his back catalog if they question his clout. Smith
comes off more reflective on "C.R.U.F.F.," mentioning that, a decade into his recording career, he's "walking a bit more like
Moses." Influences clash on "2 Much 2 Soon," which merges Kanye-like marching snares with a chorus that recalls the Specials'
social urgency. "Kick Up Ya Foot" swerves between jerky beats and elaborate lyrics, and "A Man's Talk" is a piano-led scorcher,
proving that, three years after Awfully Deep, Smith still seems wonderfully so.
- Tomas Palermo
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Artist: |
Jacopo Carreras |
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| Title: |
From Bed to Couch |
| Label: |
Lan Muzic |
| Release: |
September 8 |
While the title and cover art suggest that Jacopo Carreras doesn't often leave his Berlin flat, the music on From Bed to Couch indicates he's a pretty energetic explorer. Opener "Rox Tox" parachutes into 1996 with a startling bit of rave 'n roll, with
sulfurous chords, merrily smudged, churning to a skulking DJ Shadow clomp. It may be a stylistic red herring, but it certainly
sets the album's slightly cantankerous, decidedly manic tone. (Why blip when you can blast?) A disjointed map, pinpricked
by seemingly random references — volcanic riffing, jittery beat splicing, raspy arpeggios, slobbering oscillations — the ten-minute
"Manky" condenses the album into miniature form, offering sounds that are at once omnidirectional, crankily alluring, and
downright impure. That it's followed by the warped cycles and melting dial tones of the downcast "Schi-is" is evidence enough
of Carreras' likable recklessness. From Bed to Couch may not always please, but it certainly surprises.
- Bernardo Rondeau
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Artist: |
Metronomy |
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| Title: |
Nights Out |
| Label: |
Because Music |
| Release: |
September 8 |
Like many indie-dance producers, the UK's Metronomy (aka Joseph Mount) made his name with remixes; most recently, his credits
have included work for the likes of Klaxons, Ladytron, and Zero 7. While similar acts often fall flat in their attempts to
issue originals (Boys Noize, anyone?), Metronomy's instrumental debut, Pip Paine (Pay the £5000 You Owe), was exceptionally well received. Nights Out aims to best it, embracing a refreshingly broad, whimsical palate. And, despite the diversity, the record plays like a proper,
well-sequenced album, not a simple collection of singles. It's a very rock-oriented crossover, with brazen electronic guitars
permeating the mix, as horns blast their way through nearly every song. Vocals, too, are frequent, with thick accents intoning
about the kind of twilight hijinx you'd expect from an album with a title like this.
- Michael Byrne
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REVIEW: James Chance and the Contortions
August 30
New York, NY
www.ps1.org
Decked in all black, the New York Press Reporter is sporting the kind of uber-stylish shades that should come standard with the press badge at any underground NYC newspaper.
"Who's cooler, James Chance or Richard Hell?" he asks, all staccato snap and affected, East-Village cool. He's doing impromptu, man-on-the-street-style interviews, and
there's no escaping once you've been singled out.
It's an esoteric question, sure, but one worth mulling while we wait. As a member of proto-punkers Television and a subsequent
celebrity in boho '80s NYC, Richard Hell had a pretty out-there sense of rocker style — his open shirts were the epitome of
fashionably antagonistic iconography. By comparison, Contortions frontman and No Wave godfather James Chance's duds seem rather stilted; his alternately white and black suits and gooey doo made him look like he was being perpetually
ditched at the prom.
But there was also a certain, superior aggression behind Chance's crooked smile. His rebellion was more consumptive, and as
with the other artists on infamous Brian Eno-curated comp No New York, his music wasn't an exercise in style as chic anti-substance — this man was an actual aggressor. And when it came to impressing people, he clearly didn't care. After all, anyone can antagonize with art, but
it takes a real fanatic to break from a sax solo and physically attack an audience. It's that visceral approach (along with
stories of Chance and fans resorting to fisticuffs) that's brought new attention to New York No Wave.
The only problem is, this ain't 1980. A far cry from the seedy enclaves and exposed basements that hosted original-era outings,
P.S.1 is a venerable art institution, and its courtyard Warm Up parties are a NYC dance-music mainstay, attracting a wide
array of party kids and art-world aesthetes. As such, there aren't as many transients and aging instigators as you'd expect
to see at a show billed as James Chance and the Contortions' first NYC appearance in 15 years. Mostly, it's boho reporters
and random dudes clearly out for headliner Matthew Dear.
Set on a raised platform above a cascade of concrete stairs, the stage peeks out over P.S.1's courtyard — currently re-fashioned
into an urban farm space, with plants trailing down from a series of raised tubes above. One expects animals to caw and caterwaul as the band makes
its approach. For its part, the crowd continues to mull and bray about the barnyard (an indicator of the Contortions' bizarre
opener status).
keep reading »
REVIEW: Signal play Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians
September 13
New York, NY
www.lepoissonrouge.com
Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians is the New York composer's signature work, the piece that marked his entry into popular consciousness. Released by the German
ECM label back in 1978, it was pressed on high-grade vinyl that pushed the maximum number of minutes allowed on an old LP.
Despite its notoriety, the minimalist classic is rarely performed, so Signal's two-night spell at Greenwich Village's new
(Le) Poisson Rouge was, in many ways, a compulsory event. A club that's swiftly establishing a reputation for adventurous sounds within slickly
professional surroundings, (Le) Poisson Rouge is the modern equivalent of the revered Village Gate. The stage can be altered
to fit the needs of the event; past performers have been set both on a conventional stage and in the round, but on this occasion,
the massed ranks of the Signal ensemble were arrayed all the way down the middle floor-space. It was a marvelously selfish
way of fulfilling the music's needs — one that left little room for the audience.
Signal made their first public splash during New York's Bang on a Can 12-hour marathon concert in early June. They were also playing Reich on that occasion. The Wordless Music organization prompted the recently formed group to revive tonight's piece, but conductor and composer Brad Lubman was the
marshaling force. Signal are a largely youthful aggregation, and their construction on this particular weekend featured marimbas,
piano keyboards, xylophones, metallophone, cello, violin, two singers, and a pair of clarinetists, who hoisted up their bass
instruments when the pulsing reached its peak. Even though the character of each instrument rose up periodically, depending
on the work's flow, the ultimate aim of the piece is for all parts to mesh into a joined sonic construction, with traces of
individuals blending into each other, grafted by invisible joints.
Because of the proximity to the performers, the audience became part of the ensemble. But besides the closeness, the immediately
noticeable difference between this and a conventional new-music environment was that the gathering held pockets of head-nodders
who reacted to the lengthy pulse development of Reich's music. Thirty years after its first appearance, the piece has come
to sound much more like dance music, due in no small part to its inspirational legacy within electronica.
Thick clarinet textures creamed their repeats against disembodied vocal washes, while mallet instruments and keyboard sounds
threaded into shimmering, shifting gauze. It's not 1976, but Music for 18 Musicians retains a fittingly disembodied air, in both chronological and musical terms. It remains one of Reich's most inspired works,
and Signal gave an equal reading.
- Martin Longley
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Animal Collective: Micro Mixes (MP3)
The rock-star-as-DJ thing isn't always a good look, but Animal Collective's Panda, Avey, and Geologist wear it with style
on this trilogy of wide-ranging mixes.
 LISTEN |
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Tobias Freund: PMT#33 - Farwell Mix (MP3)
Non Standard Institute's Tobias Freund ventures from the dance floor with this incredibly personal mix "remembering a very
special time in the year 2003," that takes in Plaid, Caetano Veloso, and Aphex Twin.
LISTEN |
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Dre Skull: Sissy Bounce Mix (MP3)
Brooklyn's Dre Skull unearths New Orleans "sissy rap" — mindblowing, cross-dressing, electro madness. Strike a pose, there's
nothing to it.
LISTEN |
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Hank Shocklee: Dazed Digital Mix (MP3)
Public Enemy's Bomb Squad going dubstep sounds almost too good to be true. Fortunately, it's not. Here's to re-invention!
LISTEN |
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Mike Monday: Sonar Mix (MP3)
Just in time for his bewitching new album, Songs Without Words, Pt. 1, Mike Monday re-ups a summertime mix that's heavy on his own productions and edits.
LISTEN |
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WATCH
Bloc Party, "Talons"
watch »
Tetine, "What a Gift to Get"
watch »
Sonseed, "Jesus Is My Friend"
watch »
Sia, "Soon We'll Be Found"
watch »
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Tricky's Homecoming
Trip-hop veteran revisits his roots on Knowle West Boy
A lot has happened since Tricky dropped twisted, shape-shifting trip-hop classic Maxinquaye in 1995. Now a daddy with a teenage daughter by vocalist and former collaborator Martina Topley-Bird, the Bristol-bred artist (born Adrian Thaws) is taking great pains to remain animated and kinetic as he enters middle age.
Named after the Bristol neighborhood in which he was raised, Tricky's latest album, the eclectic Knowle West Boy, continues to incorporate guests, as well as the producer's own raspy lead vocals into aggressive singles such as "Council
Estate." In addition to new tunes, Tricky has also turned label impresario, working on the Brown Punk imprint alongside Island legend Chris Blackwell. Earplug's Patrick Sisson spoke to the artist about paranoia, fighting skills, and the joy of genre tags.
Earplug: It seems like "Council Estate" is your answer to people who said you can't do anything or go anywhere if you come from Knowle
West...
Tricky: Well, yeah. The track is me saying to kids in council estates that you're a superstar; you're success waiting to happen. I
am the same person who grew up there. At my school, there were teachers who said, when you go for a job interview, as soon
as they know you're from Knowle West, you're not going to get the job. I'm glad that teachers told me that, "You're kind of
a no-hoper."
EP: Many of your songs mention paranoia or being watched. How do you feel about the growth of a surveillance society, especially
online? Do you think some things you said in the past are coming true?
keep reading »
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MORE FEATURES
Brooks, Dettmann, Minilogue
Pitchfork's Month in Techno more »
Generation Bass
Two BBC Radio events revive Martin Clark's enthusiasm more »
Audio Black Face
A cultural critique of Moby's Play more »
NYC Airwaves
DJ /rupture surveys NYC's late-night radio 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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Stefan Goldmann got his start making deep house records for London's Classic label, but his tracks have gotten weirder as his discography has deepened, encapsulating everything from one of Perlon's best singles to recent, revelatory productions for his own label, Macro. Now, as both a DJ and a producer, Goldmann stands at the forefront of one of house and techno's most promising trends, drawing
inspiration from the most eccentric and esoteric electronic music of yore to animate the warehouse parties of today (and tomorrow
morning). His new album, The Transitory State, fuses minimal techno's most inventive rhythms with the unstable tonalities of 20th-century modern composition. Macro, meanwhile,
remains bent on rediscovering lost works from analog pioneers like Pete Namlook and Slap. Goldmann's years as an experimental-music
DJ have left him with an unusually critical eye, one he brings to bear on this exclusive playlist: Stefan Goldmann's 10 Classics
of Minimal.
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- Jeff Mills, Growth (Axis)
Many producers never manage to match rhythmical complexity with clear ideas and arrangements. Mills developed a great way
of using polymetric structures: one element would go in cycles of seven, another in triplets, all over a 4/4 kick pattern
in a very reduced overall sound. Probably techno's most relevant contribution to 20th-century composition techniques. And
great stuff to dance to.
- Plastikman, Consumed (Novamute)
For me, this is Richie Hawtin's masterpiece. He must have been the first around Detroit who bought a high-end reverberator
so he could come up with an album that seems to be entirely based on reverb. Everything else (drum machine, bits of 303, pads)
is very reduced. The effect: mind-blowing!
- Cristian Vogel, Absolute Time (Tresor)
Cristian is a master of the art, and his albums have always been two steps ahead of the rest. Absolute Time is his most "minimal," yet it's also danceable. Simple chord patterns and great drum programming make this a timeless contribution
to club culture.
- Robert Hood, Stereotype (M-Plant)
Thomas Fehlmann visited Hood's studio and described it as consisting of two synths and one (!) monitor on an ironing board.
His sound stands out, though, and he was one of the first to recognize the power of employing just a few elements to huge
effect. Stereotype is one of the most convincing matches of depth and reduction in one record.
- Ricardo Villalobos, "2000 Abdominals" (Perlon)
Ricardo manages to create tension way beyond a few bars of beats. The longer you listen to it, the more it soaks you in. To
me, this seems to be the task for today's producers: to keep it interesting beyond the loop. Call it composition!
- Moodymann, "Dem Young Sconies" (Planet E)
This one is sort of the opposite to Ricardo's way of creating tracks; it's basically just a "dumb" pattern that gets totally
stuck in your head. Surprisingly, it never gets boring.
- Panash, "Cheval" (Atavisme)
With "Cheval," Pépé and Jackson created a prototype for a lot of records that employ a reduced, real-drums workout and not
much more to drive a dance floor entirely crazy. (Compare: Petre Inspirescu, "Sakadat.") Essential.
- Namlook, "Subharmonic Atoms" (Fax/Macro)
One of the first records to join minimal beats with a really strong melody. And we're talking about 1995! A concept that has
become ubiquitous again since Luciano & Quenum's "Orange Mistake."
- John Zorn, "Sex Magick" (Tzadik)
Not exactly techno, but a 13-minute percussion monster that employs a lot of the principles used in today's dance-floor productions.
It's always good to have an idea what's been done elsewhere, and Zorn is certainly a great source of inspiration.
- Tertius, "Structure (Deep Blue Remix)" (Partisan)
Deep Blue had developed a minimal version of drum 'n bass with his remixes for Tertius and Blame. Unfortunately, no one seems
to have followed that road later on. With today's drum 'n bass being stuck in schematic peak-time boredom, this still sounds
ages ahead.
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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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