The first installment of Radiohead’s limited-edition, four part King of Limbs remix series features Dan Snaith as Caribou taking on “Little By Little”. The flip side sees fellow Canadian, Jacques Greene, visiting “Lotus Flower” with his signature laid-back and lush house grooves. The 12″ is available today, July 4, in Europe and July 5 in the US. Stream both tracks after the jump.

Continue Reading

Though Diplo and Switch are still down in Jamaica, finishing up their new follow up to Guns Don’t Kill People…. Lazers Do, they decided to give the rest of us a little pre-4th of July surprise. Their new track German Elephant Killer made it’s way to the internet this morning, and has spread like wild fire. The song was originally posted on the groups Facebook Band Page, and could only be accessed if you “Liked” their page. Smart boys. However, Mad Decent just posted it on Youtube for the world to hear restriction free. The mildy abstract and minimal beats are a great aberration from the current over saturated and abundant, ear thumping, four to the floor beats. Enjoy the summer tune, and tell us what you think! (If you’re having an issue viewing the track, please click here.)

… and so are we. That’s right, next Friday, we’ll be joining the Fool’s Gold fam in the city of lights for what is sure to be a massively fun party. The night will feature a live performance by Chromeo and DJ sets by A-Trak, DJ Craze, Breakbot, Kavinsky, Nick Catchdubs and Rogerseventytwo. If you live in Paris or the surrounding area, there is absolutely no excuse to miss this event. Advance tickets are available HERE.

And if you can’t make it, fear not – Nick Catchdubs has your back with a special Fool’s Gold Takes Paris Mix. The sampler has music from everyone playing that night, along with some brand new Fool’s Gold releases, including Duck Sauce’s brand-new yet-to-be-released single, “Big Bad Wolf”. Stream or download the mix below.

Fool’s Gold Takes Paris Mix by Nick Catchdubs

Dillon Francis and Diplo featuring Maluca: Que Que

A dear friend of mine, Sam Barry, has been talking about Moombahton for months now, insisting that this genre will take precedence in the electronic scene this summer. Moombahton is a fresh genre, created in 2009 by David Nada, similar to reggaeton with a BPM of 108. Other characterizations include chopped vocals, layered acapellas, various drum/percussion elements, and extended/enhanced buildups. Mad Decent‘s founder is all about the Moombahton right now. Diplo is looked at by many as a dictator of taste, igniting the fuel behind past electronic trends that have spread like wildfire. He recently said, “Moombahton is so mad and buzzy and weird and crazy . We are on its dick here at Mad Decent. I thought I’d make a summer mix for your house parties where I can put it into a context for all you fine radio subscribers. Have fun and get that Que Que record I did wıth Dillon and Maluca!!” And there you have it. The Moombahton 2K11 Mix is posted below your ears to enjoy.

MDWWR #67 Diplo’s Moombahton 2k11 Mix by diplomaddecent

DJ Shaun D- It’s About To Go Down (maddecent)
Ludacris -The Potion (gta mix)
Dillon Francis- Masta Blasta
N2deep- Last Night a DJ Saved My Life
DJ Shadow – Organ Donor Extended Overhaul
Diplo & Skrillex – Amplifire
Cassius Slay – Based
Heartbreak & ToddlaT – That Jeffery
Dillon Francis & Diplo – Que Que (Torro torro mix)
Dillon Francis & Diplo – Que Que (Alvaro mix)
South Rakkas Crew- Get Mad Again
Missy Elliot – Get Your Freak On (Alvaro and Punish bootleg)
MIA – Pull up the People
MIA – Galang
Adele – Rolling in the Deep (Jamie XX / Heatwave mix)
Heartbreak and Munchi – Face Off
Bangles – Walk Like An Egyptian
Beastie Boys vs Major Lazer -Don’t Play No Games
Breeders – Cannonball
Flippa Mafia- Majorlazer Dub
Metele Bellaco – (Munchi mix)
La Factor – Papi Chulo
Latigo!
Shalimaresde Ahora (?)
Jwls – Bashin
Gwen Stefani- Hollaback girl
Boyfriend – Vodka House
Diplo – Horsey
Cecile ft General Degree – Nananana
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – heads will roll (Amac edit)
Alex Clair- Up all night (Nadastrom mix)
Localocalo- Miguelito Crack
Time Takers – She Blows (dillon francis mix)
Dj Ayres – Hip Hop/ Warzone
Black Keys – Tighten Up

Two years have passed since Diplo and Switch put out the now infamous album, Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do. The compilation of Jamaican Dancehall tracks was named the 10th Best Album of 2009 by Rhapsody. I have been to parties and DJ sets in the past two weeks where the infectious, vibrant, energy of Pon De Floor has filled the room. Every time, the crowd responded with a unanimous roar of approval, sing-a-log voices, and chaotic dance moves. How do you follow that up? Hopefully we will know soon enough, since it is rumored that the new single ‘Original Don’ featuring Partysquad will be hitting the internet by the end of this week.  Amber Coffman, Jahdan Blakkmoore, and Vybz Kartel are a few of the vocalists appearing on the new album. To hear a few clips of several new songs, check out the video below.

Today, the Black Lips are allowing their followers to stream their new album, Arabia Mountain, in full on Grooveshark. The band self produced this album with help from the legendary Mark Ronson and Lockett Pundt (of Deerhunter). The album officially drops on June 7, and the band will be hitting the road shortly thereafter. Make sure you catch them live at the Bowery Ballroom on July 29^th, or in a city near you.

Click here to stream Arabia Mountain.

Last month, we tagged along with the Trouble & Bass crew on the music video shoot for “Bloodrave”, the lead single off Deathface’s new EP, Fall of Man, released today. On set, we caught up with Johnny Love (aka Deathface) and director Patrick Rood (aka The Captain), who gave us the scoop on the EP and on the music video concept, which is based on the opening scene of the movie Blade. The music video features appearances from members of the Trouble & Bass extended family… check out our behind the scenes video after the jump and see for yourself, and CLICK HERE to check out photos from the video shoot.

Fall of Man is available today on iTunes, Beatport, and a variety of other online outlets. CLICK HERE for a full list of outlets and to stream the EP via Soundcloud.

Continue Reading

I am always astounded by how quickly an artist can gain recognition and notoriety, and there is nothing more exciting than watching someone brimming with talent and voice make the journey from anonymity to acknowledgment. James Blake is one such artist. This time last year, I was just beginning to explore the deeper and more melodic side of bass music, and thereby became acquainted with James Blake’s work through his original foray into the realm of dubstep. The first time I truly took notice of his sound was when I discovered his remix of Untold’s “Stop What You’re Doing”, which was released on Hemlock at the end of 2009. The track was deep, heavy, and complex, and caused the blogosphere to erupt with chatter. Who was this young, pale, and unassuming Brit, and how was he creating this new sound, which was at once entirely addictive and slightly unnerving?

A short time afterward, the Polish Unsound Festival came to New York City, immediately preceding the release of James Blake’s first truly noteworthy EP The Bells Sketch in March of 2010. Untold had the prime time slot at the final Bass Mutations event at Public Assembly, and closed out his set at around 5am with James Blake’s remix of “Stop What You’re Doing.” It was the first time that most of us had heard this particular form of sound on a large scale soundsystem and in the environment of a party, and it was as if we together experienced a collective shift, not only in the tone of that particular event but in the understanding of what “club” music could be. This was not music to have meaninglessly soundtracking your alcohol consumption, drug use, or pick up attempts. It was emotional, it was cerebral, and it was not to be taken lightly, even as it kept you moving on the dance floor. James Blake’s productions allowed people to connect on a deeper level with the emotion and intent behind the track, and often served as a mood changing wake-up call mid-set, as if to remind you of the humanity of the shared unifying experience of listening to music at a club or event space.

The release of The Bells Sketch, and of CMYK a few months later, was clearly indicative of James Blake’s movement away from his more dubstep centered production and towards the stripped down and melancholy sound that would characterize his first full length album, which was released in February of this year. While the album still falls safely within the realm of the electronic genre, it heavily emphasizes piano, the first instrument that James Blake fully embraced as a child, and increases the integration of vocal elements, pairing this with the minimization of dubstep’s characteristic bass line (watch the video for the single “Limit to Your Love” HERE). After the release of the self titled James Blake, it is clear in hindsight that even as he was continuing to include a more bass heavy sound in his DJ sets, he was becoming increasingly disinterested in “party music,” and was progressing toward a more exploratory sound that invoked an increased level of emotional understanding from the listener.

Until now, James Blake has never played in the United States, and it is perhaps this fact that has assisted in crafting the almost mythological hype that surrounds him. Not only is his sound, even now, extremely foreign to American ears, but no American has actually had the chance to experience a DJ set or a live performance directly from the source on home soil. Due to this, his status as a groundbreaking artist has not yet been tainted by experiencing one of his sets at a party, which can often have the effect of normalizing and desensitizing it. It is in fact possible that this entire disillusionment that can frequently take place has been avoided with James Blake in the United States, because the tour on which he is now embarking will not only be one of DJ sets but will also consist of performances with a live band. This tour includes a just announced second date in New York City, so stay alert as tickets are expected to go on sale soon.

James Blake – 2011 Tour Dates
03/14/11 Music Hall Of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
03/16/11 Stubbs BBQ (NPR Party) – Austin, TX, SXSW
03/17/11 Central Presbyterian Church (Pitchfork Official Showcase) - Austin, TX, SXSW
03/18/11 French Legation Museum (Other Music Party) - Austin, TX, SXSW
03/19/11 Fader Fort – Austin, TX, SXSW
05/08/11 Rock N Roll Hotel – Washington DC
05/09/11 Johnny Brendas – Philadelphia, PA
05/11/11 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
05/12/11 Le Poisson Rouge – New York, NY
05/15/11 Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL
05/16/11 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
05/19/11 The Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
05/20/11 Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
05/23/11 Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
05/24/11 Masonic Lodge – Hollywood, CA
07/15/11 Pitchfork Festival - Chicago, IL

Listen to James Blake’s set from the Boiler Room in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2010 below.

It is seldom that such a visionary comes about; someone who at such a young age has already accomplished so much in contributing to pushing the evolution of music forward. I am sure that I’m not alone in saying that I am anxious to follow the progression of James Blake’s career as his perspective as an artist cannot help but have a profound impact on the future of electronic music, and furthermore in the development of our understanding as an audience of experiencing live music as a collective.

Congratulations are in order for Theophilus London, whose debut EP, Lovers Holiday, was released today. His previous efforts, Jam!, This Charming Mixtape and I Want You, revealed his innate personal style and impeccable taste in music; Lovers Holiday proves once and for all that Theophilus London can transcend the mixtape format that he is known for and give his fans a solid collection of original material.

Theophilus London takes his wide palette of musical influences and infuses them with his personal experiences, resulting in an undeniably unique sound. With each release, he has built upon the life experience he’s amounted, a promising characteristic that demonstrates his continuous growth as an artist and his enormous potential for longevity.

Don’t miss Theophilus London’s first TV appearance this Monday (February 14) when he appears on Letterman for a special performance of “Why Even Try”. Lovers Holiday is available today on iTunes or Amazon, and at the risk of sounding preachy, I highly encourage you to show your support by purchasing – rather than downloading – this EP. After all, we did get London’s first three full-length mixtapes for free. #justsaying

On Tuesday night, Talib Kweli presented his latest album, Gutter Rainbows, to an intimate crowd of about 100 people at SNAP. “These songs were the songs from Prison of Consciousness, which is not ready yet, that I felt like needed to be out, needed to be heard, right now,” Kweli said of the track selection for Gutter Rainbows, “these are my favorite tracks of the moment.”

Not only did we hear the whole album from start to finish, Kweli also introduced each song and rapped along with some of his verses. Several of the album’s collaborators stopped by to show their support, including 88 Keys, Outasight and 6th Sense. Gutter Rainbows will be released on January 25, 2011. Prisoner of Consciousness is also slated for a 2011 release.

CLICK HERE to view photos from the night, and check out some nuggets of wisdom that Kweli dropped during his Q&A after the jump…

Continue Reading