Nonwrestler Blog

Weekly mp3 #19: Matias Aguayo - Minimal (DJ Koze Radio Edit)

Good time party tune! Another one from RCRDLBL ... I admit the site kinda makes me throw up a little each time I look at the coolness on display. Found some good tunes there, regardless.

First up, it's yacht disco. Don't be mislead by the title, the tune is a diss of "minimal", i.e. minimal techno. Matias Aguayo sounds more assured than I'm used to - somehow less annoying than I usually find him - and Koze's remix does big nods to 80s Ballearic stuff (um, Chris Rea, dare I say it?). Mudd or Phoenix would be fair reference points for contemporary stuff. The vox mix up Spanish "mas sensual, indeed) and English to add to the Mediterranean party feel.

Matias Aguayo is a producer and singer signed to über-chic German techno label Kompakt. He was in Closer Musik and did another solo album for Kompakt too. Koze's also released some insane stuff for Kompakt. I like him a lot more than Aguayo usually, but the combination works awesomely, I reckon.

Labels: music, weekly mp3

Posted at 13:10  1 Comments Links to this post

weekly mp3 #18: Ten and Tracer - Kunstenaar

The largely excellent label Archipel gives us this week's tune as part of the ridiculously named, free EP L-Msaria B-Lglass. Gah. If it's a nod to Autechre-style titling nonsense it's not to be encouraged. Mind you, at least Autechre's titles suggest some kind of playfulness. Just seems funny to have song titles you can't say.

Kunstenaar is soft and fuzzy textural electronic stuff. Archipel is almost all techno and the choice of sounds and rhythms points that way. Tiny percussion sounds are scattered around rounded, bass drums knocking out a largely regular doof doof doof doof on every beat. An off-beat skank and a bassline that's not only longer than one bar but changes at various times (my gosh!) suggest more of a reggae feel, though.

When I first heard American producer Ten and Tracer his music was more trad "IDM", fitting in with the sound of the heavyweights on Warp Records and wherever else. This EP puts him more in the territory of Jan Jelinek, Murcof, et al - bods making stuff which shows an interest in techy house stuff, but which is really still focused primarily on texture and home listening. That still fits the uncomfortable remit of "intelligent dance music", if you take that tag at face value, i.e. bourgeois music that uses the sounds of dance music but doesn't want you to get sweaty, boozed or your freak on.

Haha, watch my neuroses about the way my own music could be criticised played out in blog-space! ;) In fairness to Mr Canupp, his "about" page suggests he doesn't take himself too seriously. :)

Labels: music, weekly mp3

Posted at 13:10  0 Comments Links to this post

Weekly mp3 #17: The Dolls - Martini Never Dries

The band offer up this tune on their website.

Loungey slow jam, all wandering piano and murmury female vox, with a nice touch of menace in the wobbling synth bass and beats.

Here's the blurb about the band from their site:

*The doll number 1: Vladislav Delay (Finland). Natural-born drummer. Acclaimed artist and producer with wide range of output. The studio doll.
*The doll number 2: Ars Electronica-winner Antye Greie aka AGF (Germany). Singer and producer who in addition to her acclaimed solo works has already worked with Craig Armstong on numerous occasions. We call Antye the art doll.
*The doll number 3: Golden Globe-winner Craig Armstrong (Scotland). Composer who has worked with everyone and everything from MOULIN ROUGE and RAY soundtracks to writing chart-topping hits for artists and acts such as Massive Attack, U2 and Madonna. You could say he's the film doll.

Labels: music, weekly mp3

Posted at 13:10  0 Comments Links to this post

Weekly mp3 #16: Daniel Maze - How's The Serenity?

This is the title track from the How’s The Serenity? EP, which can be downloaded from the Test Tube net label.

Starts off with nose(-out-of-joint) flutes, acoustic guitar, and rain sticks, with synthesized swells. Should be ridiculously cloying, but things get interrupted. The EP is experiments with tape, apparently, and when some synth + mellotron flute type lushness swamps the intro noises it springs up with that pause-button-being-released tape zhwoing. It’s a thing of awesomeness. And as abruptly as the sound arrives it squelches to a halt, everything falling back to the quiet residue of the sounds from the intro. This approach repeats unpredictably. I love it. Beautiful contrast between the pretty, fluid harmonic content and the way Mr Maze messes with it. Yum.

Daniel Maze is a Canadian who so far has released only net releases. Quite a few of them. Some have beats, but not usually. Some are really glitchy and distorted, but not usually. This EP is my favourite.

Post-rock fans will probably find a lot of interest on Test Tube. I like some of their releases a fair bit.

Labels: music, weekly mp3

Posted at 13:10  0 Comments Links to this post

Don't mean to do this, but...

Thought I'd share something of mine (kinda) here, because I really want people to see it!

A very nice man has made a video for Malty Media's tune, 'The Mescaline Man', appearing on the upcoming Angry Rabbit compilation Apropos of Nothing. More stuff in my music news... release gigs, etc.

Here's the vid on Youtube:

Labels: music, youtube

Posted at 21:55  2 Comments Links to this post