Jay Ahern’s name has crept up a lot recently, often in the same sentence as his Hauntologists project with Stefan Schneider or his Cheap and Deep moniker/label born in 2009. Seasoned techno watchers, however, will recognize Ahern as the scene stalwart behind Aquarhythms (who recorded for Astralwerks), Add Noise, and a handful of other monikers dating as far back as 1992. With a new crop of listeners awaiting his next transmission, Ahern offered a personal history lesson that was remarkably germane for 2009’s sonic climate. The “Deep In the Feeling/Warm Seqs” 12,” which features mid-90’s era remixes from Morgan Geist and Carl Craig, feels more than 10 years ahead of its time.
Author Archive: Steve Mizek
My My & Emika, Price Tag EP
January 5, 2010 – 11:01 AM
2009 was a particularly quiet year for My My. With Nick Höppner busy managing Ostgut Ton and Lee Jones still riding the waves made by his acclaimed 2008 album, Electric Frank, it’s not all that surprising their output was limited to “Going Going Gone,” their contribution to the All Night Long series, and the Price Tag EP. The last two years have also proven somewhat stylistically problematic for a pair who breathed new life into the sample-heavy micro-house sound as more and more producers spiked their subdued house tracks with sampled snippets. Inviting the Berlin-based producer/vocalist Emika to appear on “Price Tag,” then, seems a fillip for audiences who’ve relied My My for unexpected sounds, providing human depth that’s difficult to evoke with even the deepest sample vaults.
The Trouble With Abundance
December 29, 2009 – 12:01 AM
For our last article of the year, LWE’s editor-in-chief, Steve Mizek, examines the incentives that encourage producers to release an abundance of records each year and the impact it has on dance music.
Win 2 tickets to Lost In the Loft ft. Chez Damier, Sven Weisemann & Giles Smith
November 9, 2009 – 8:00 AM
I have to admit, some of the coolest parties I’ve ever attended haven’t been in legendary clubs but rather tucked away loft spots that court the best crowds and most intimate sets you’re likely to hear. I even had the pleasure of throwing one for my birthday. On November 14th, it could be your turn […]
Tristen/Edward, Along These Strings/Calm
November 3, 2009 – 10:01 PM
More than any other label I know, the Berlin-based White is the antithesis of the white label culture that’s bubbled up over the last few years. Where white label producers obscure their identity, ostensibly to keep the focus on the music, White brings audiences literally face to face with its artists, care of record sleeves adorned with their pictures. Considering their manifesto of “foster[ing] an environment for young artists to play and work, create and destroy,” I suspect their aesthetic is not the result of runaway egos but rather an attempt to reconnect in an era rife with music lacking personality and labels that do little to stand out. The label’s eighth release features the mug of Tristan, a long time member of the White crew who makes his vinyl debut, and Edward, the imprint’s most prolific producer.
Download: Stimming, Silver Surfer
November 2, 2009 – 10:01 PM
When I first heard Stimming’s debut album, Reflections, in early 2009, his organic, cobblestone house tracks plucked and pulled themselves in a very different direction than his house peers. Of course now 2009 seems like a year besotted in hand drums and organic textures, yet Stimming’s sound still crackles with a unique energy and pluck that’s far more compelling. Take “Silver Surfer” from Reflections, a spidery crawl through Stimming’s string section with melodies that sting like a snapped rubberband. Seriously, take it:
LWE Podcast 34: St. Plomb
November 2, 2009 – 12:01 AM
Although it’s hard to confirm he’s performed full-fledged miracles, St. Plomb certainly has traits we consider saintly in producers: His releases for Mental Groove Records, Viking Music and Brut! are sure remedies for the easily bored, cutting across funk, house, techno and jazz aesthetics, sometimes in the span of a single record. Together with Crowdpleaser he wrote the album 2006, one of that year’s defining points which was oblivious to the surrounding trends. And rather than burn himself out after exhaustive tours, St. Plomb wisely took time off to care for his family and refocus his musical approach. Now, three years later, he’s recharged and ready to show the world the sort of grooves he’s always wanted to produce. For LWE’s 34th podcast, St. Plomb strings together an intoxicating and exclusive blend of house sounds that would soundtrack his ideal night out. He also kindly spoke to LWE in a rare interview, discussing his musical origins, the backstory of his conspicuous absence, and the self-critical approach which hangs halos on his tunes.
LWE Interviews Roman Flügel
October 16, 2009 – 10:01 AM
Roman Flügel is one of those producers whose multifaceted career makes him difficult to describe narrowly, so I’ll stick with two simple truths: his 15 years spent making electronic music have proven him to be courageous and innovative. Never one to shy away from new sounds, Flügel has tackled everything from tribal house to experimental electronic jazz. But his most lasting project have been equally bold, from the serrated edged acidic electro of Alter Ego to the soothing scope of Sensorama (both in partnership with Jörn Elling Wuttke), from reduced and acid-house as Soylent Green to the IDM-flecked downtempo created as Eight Miles High. He’s harnessed the highs of crossover hits and powered through the lows of of steep expectations, never apologizing for being ambitious as an artist or appreciating success. Mr. Flügel was kind enough to chat with LWE about underground credibility, challenging audiences and days spent producing in a garage.
Paul Frick/Scott, Would You/What You Got
October 13, 2009 – 10:01 AM
So far in his brief dance music discography, it seems wherever Paul Frick goes his pals Daniel Brandt and Jan Brauer are sure to follow. The pair, who record together as the ambiguously named Scott, have been remixed by Frick, appear on two compilation EPs with Frick (for klamauk and 30porumalinha), and round out the trio Brandt Brauer Frick (whose excellent “Iron Man” single and attendant Lee Jones remix have been unfairly overlooked). So don’t expect to win points guessing who’s on the flipside of the Paul Frick-fronted single from the brand new imprint The Gym.
Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, U & I/The Jam
September 29, 2009 – 10:01 AM
Touching hearts is only half of the Prosumer & Murat Tepeli experience, as evidenced once again by their first single since 2008, the rousing “U & I/The Jam.” Setting aside emotional themes to reach for their dancing shoes, Prosumer and Tepeli have crafted an irresistible call to the floor.
The Mountain People, Mountain008
September 22, 2009 – 10:01 AM
In the span of seven releases, André Schmid and contributors Serafin and Roman Bruderer have charted a wide-ranging course for the Zurich-based Mountain People label. But whether the records paid homage to seminal house tunes (“Mountain001”) or helped spark the return of tribalized minimal house (“Mountain005”), their impeccable construction was conspicuously identifiable as a Mountain People production. Schmid (better known as Rozzo or Peter Dildo) imparts a certain snappiness, a sexy gait such that even the label’s lowest points (the threadbare “Mountain006″) are far more palatable than the majority of house singles I receive. While the eighth Mountain People 12” is equally surefooted, the record’s droning arrangements are more aligned with those of Schmid’s other guises than its predecessors. The results are less compelling than one might imagine.
Little White Earbuds Interviews Andy Butler
September 4, 2009 – 10:01 AM
Many dance music artists are aptly described as producers, but when discussing Andy Butler the titles of songwriter or composer come to mind. He’s the brains behind Hercules & Love Affair, an ambitious project whose 2008 self-titled debut dropped jaws and shook asses with thoroughly composed, soul-baring disco/house hybrids. Tunes like the Antony-fronted club smash “Blind” or the wickedly propulsive “You Belong” illustrate an approach that is mindful of tradition without being shackled to history; the desire to create something new with disco and house templates is plainly apparent. H&LA is also a full band with whom Butler embarked on world tour in 2008; try to imagine your favorite house producer undertaking such a feat. These days he’s spending more time DJing (which has yielded the recently released Sidetracked mix CD for Renaissance) and writing the second Hercules & Love Affair album. We caught up with Butler by phone at his San Francisco apartment in anticipation of his appearance at NYC’s Electric Zoo festival. He filled us in on the sound of album number two, his take on contemporary production styles, and the vanishing influence of gay people in dance music culture.
Wax, No. 20002
September 1, 2009 – 10:01 AM
When Marcel Dettmann casually admitted René Pawlowitz was the producer behind the anonymous Equalized label (and the subsequent transformation of Shed’s Myspace account into Waxalized), more than a few lingering suspicions were confirmed. In retrospect, the rhythmic complexity and painstakingly crafted timbres of these stamped white labels shared palpable kinship with Pawlowitz’s Shed and STP tracks — a degree of production prowess uncommon in the majority of releases being cranked out breakneck speeds. Shorn of identity intrigue, the second Wax single, “No. 20002,” offers further testament to the acuity of Pawlowitz’s musical vision.
LWE Podcast 28: Paul Brtschitsch
August 31, 2009 – 12:01 AM
Don’t let the consonant-laden name trip you up, Paul Brtschitch (like “bridge-itch”) has too much to offer. The Berlin-based producer has been on the scene since 1996, both as a collaborator (André Galluzzi was his most frequent production partner) and solo, crafting knotty, floor-tested techno for Frisbee, Music Man Records, Ongaku, Leena Music and Ostgut Ton (in fact, his “Twirl/Under” was the label’s second ever single). These days, though, he’s concentrating on his own label, Rootknox, having just release his fifth album, Me, Myself and Live and its attendant singles. As you’ll read below, the focus of Mr. Brtschitch’s album is how his music works when being performed live without the aid of computers. In kind, our 28th exclusive podcast highlights a propulsive live performance from one of techno’s more underrated artists.
Little White Earbuds Interviews Prins Thomas
August 28, 2009 – 10:01 AM
Sometimes LWE suspects Prins Thomas is hiding a few extra sets of hands to keep up with the dozens of projects he’s juggling at any one time. The Norwegian super producer manages to find time to breathe and tend to a family between recording organic interstellar disko tunes, remixing everyone from Doves to Black Devil Disco Club, running the Full Pupp and Internasjonal labels, and DJing for rapt crowds around the world. Yet Thomas still had a moment to chat with LWE in anticipation of his appearance at NYC’s Electric Zoo festival, telling us about his forthcoming solo album, his jammy influences, and a tip or two for fighting jetlag/airplane boredom.
Talking Shop With Innervisions
August 24, 2009 – 12:01 AM
We’re happy to report that the subject of our latest interview is the spectacular Innervisions label. Born under the auspices of Sonar Kollektiv, Innervisions ventured off on its own with founder Steffen Berkhahn aka Dixon (and later Frank and Kristian of Âme as well) at the helm. Although there is no one Innervisions sound, it’s fair to say the label releases deep and innovative house music from a stable of in-house artists including Âme, Henrik Schwarz, Marcus Worgull and Tokyo Black Star. Forward-thinking 12″s from Laurent Garnier, Château Flight, Stefan Goldmann, and Culoe De Song are further signs of the label’s stringent quality control; compilations like Muting the Noise and the Innervisions-curated The Grandfather Paradox (for BBE) underline how their vision extends beyond the dance floor. And with the recent launch of the Innervisions web shop they’ve begun sharing their taste-making insights with fans directly. Dixon was kind enough to let LWE pick his brain about filters, how to best present a record and the label’s unusual birth before playing live at DEMF as part of A Critical Mass.
LWE Podcast 27: DJ T.
August 16, 2009 – 10:01 PM
In many ways Thomas Koch is living the techno pundit’s dream. After nearly a decade developing a following as DJ T., the Frankfurt-based jock founded Groove magazine, a vastly influential voice in techno/house journalism, in 1989. Serving as its publisher (as he still does today), Koch also found time to operate the Monza club in Frankfurt, launch the eventually massive Get Physical Music (with Booka Shade and M.A.N.D.Y.), and begin releasing his own tracks. As Koch reveals below, these accomplishments were long in coming and seem developed with the same audience-attuned approach informing his sought after mixes. T was kind enough to provide us with more than a morsel of his signature, light and groovy tech-house blends for our exclusive 27th podcast. Don’t miss this one if you’re craving summer spirits.
LWE Podcast 26: Ripperton
August 2, 2009 – 10:00 PM
Like many techno and house producers, Raphaël “Ripperton” Gros first laid down musical roots as part of a band. Though his groups Soul Merge and Reasons mined the live dance territory that was his calling (and even garnered critical renown in his native Switzerland), the appeal of coordinating eight members and their ideas wore off in favor of solo production. Soon his sleek, tech-house tracks adorned Connaisseur, Systematic, Sthlmaudio Recordings and liebe*detail singles, and he paired with Mirko Loko to form Lazy Fat People. While the pair’s project yielded their most widely received tracks to date (for Planet E, Border Community and Wagon Repair), Ripperton once again rides solo, dedicating much of his time running Perspectiv with Sam K and DJing around the world. The Swiss label boss and top notch jock curates LWE’s 26th exclusive podcast, offering a peak into his monthly residency at Lausanne’s D! Club.