FREE DOWNLOAD – “Voices”, the first single from the album Awakening (due in April 2012): A pounding kick and effected rhythmic samples that constantly change throughout the course of the song. Vocal samples and layered organic drums build to a peaceful yet dark interpretation of electronic music.

Awakening will be first available via Bandcamp April 2012. Look for more tracks (and free downloads) on soundcloud and visit the electronic music producer‘s website for updates.

The album’s genres can be tough to pinpoint but Awakening definitely has a dark, electro-techno-industrial sound. The tracks wouldn’t be considered ‘dance floor anthems’ by any means, though most of the tracks have deep, pounding beats with undeniable techno roots. Awakening also pans into stretches of ambient, hip hop and electronica.

“The creation of the album truly was an awakening for me. Not necessarily with the production of the music, but with myself, life and who I am really. I experienced some major changes from the pre to post production of the album and I think those changes are reflected in the music.“

Electronic music producer BlakeAndrew is releasing his debut album and at least one track off the album will be available as a free download. Leading up to the release of the album, entitled Awakening, one track will be leaked each week on BlakeAndrew’s Soundcloud page. The album is scheduled for release in early April 2012. Some tracks will be available as free downloads on Soundcloud and Bandcamp, where the album will first be available exclusively. To inaugurate the album, BlakeAndrew also has a freshly designed website and free desktop and mobile wallpaper downloads. Genres for the album can be tough to pinpoint but Awakening definitely has a dark, electro-techno-industrial sound. Awakening also pans into stretches of ambient, hip hop and electronica. Read the entire press release.

BlakeAndrew Awakening Tracklist

1. Awakening
2. Reconnaissance
3. The War Within
4. Cryptic Tale
5. Deepening
6. Can’t Find a Way
7. Interpretations
8. Voices

Twilight Frequencies Podcast via iTunes

Download Twilight Frequencies Podcast 022 | Mountain Range

This month’s free music podcast is a short and lush mix composed of all original music from Mountain Range: Born from a love of Post Rock bands, endless mugs of tea, romanticizing Iceland and watching ‘Youtube’ videos of ‘Baths’. Shropshire born musician Stuart Thomas started writing music under the moniker of ‘Mountain Range’ in the summer of 2010. Blending washes of guitars and electronic beats, over the past year he has started to develop a small following in various pockets of the internet.

Twilight Frequencies: Tell us about the podcast, what was your overall direction in making the mix?

Mountain Range: I’ve never done this before, so to be honest, it was just a case of ordering the tracks in a way I thought flowed quite well, I’m just learning as I go really! As I write more stuff I can start to be more selective with various kinds of sets.

TF: You’re original music has such a cerebral feel to it, almost a perfect score to so many different things. What do you believe is at the heart of the sounds coming from your material?

MR: I started writing music that reflected things in my life that make me feel less uncomfortable/safer. I really got into Post Rock about two years ago, and that’s just stuck with me really, everything about the genre is so peaceful, it surrounds you as you listen to it, but it’s still got those aggressive parts, the dynamic really appeals to me. I’ve only just started to tap into writing that really slow, evolving quality of it and want to build on that. The electronic aspect gives it me that element of complete freedom, there are no constraints or rules, matching the two genres up is the goal! And I probably wouldn’t write anything if it wasn’t for Sigur Ros.

TF: If you were to be contacted to do a soundtrack, what do you think that movie would look like? Who would be the ideal director for this film?

MR: I love Wes Anderson, but I don’t think my stuff would work so well with him. The film would I hope be quite Happy, and quite slow, with lots of still cameras on things, like grass and trees. Shropshire basically. Something that could make you cry but in a good way. Like Wes Anderson films.

TF: Other than Mountain Range, what else do you spend your creative energy with? Is there other work you’ve made that comes through similar to the music, i.e. photography or poetry?

MR: I tried to teach myself photography last year with this old SLR I brought, but it really didn’t last very long, I want to pick it back up at some point for promo stuff, I use a friends photos at the moment that work really well. Other than that I used to draw a lot, but again, not very well, I’d like to tie things like that in.

TF: If you were walking through the woods blindfolded, what would your mind imagine in front of you?

MR: An armchair and mug of coffee. Boring I know. Worrying. Should I have said something more meaningful? A reassuring Deer then.

TF: Pick a color that best fits your sound, and then pick one thing to go with it.

MR: Dark Red. And a wooly knitted jumper.

TF: Is there an album in the works?

MR: I’d love to put out an EP, but I’d wouldn’t really be able to market it, and Soundcloud has the online side of stuff covered, so maybe when I get some more gigs going it’d be nice to have something people could take home. I’ll just continue writing and writing and see what people think, that might then become an EP.

TF: What would be the coolest thing to happen with Mountain Range?

MR: Every summer I spend hours watching festival coverage. I love festivals but never get to go to any, so playing at any festival really, at any time, to anyone. Thats my single aim of Mountain Range for the next ten plus years.

Tracklisting | Twilight Frequencies Podcast 022 | Mountain Range

1. Pylons
2. With Skates
3. The Secret Message (Mountain Range Remix)
4. Bears
5. Sky Chatter
6. And I Will Dance In Your Rays

All music written by Stuart Thomas, aside from track 3, written by Ori.

Sandwell District has called it quits. The techno record label / collective from the likes of Regis, Function, Silent Servent and Female has apparently decided to go into a new direction and possibly cease to release music all together. Beatportal and FACT have also recently reported on the matter.

On December 30th, 2011 Sandwell District first posted on their Tumblr account there would be a new Sandwell District release from Rrose out soon. The same day they also posted the following message (below) which stats that “regular audio communications from Sandwell District will cease.” Which sounds about as mysterious as their regular audio communications… Sounds to me like they are taking a break to see WhereNext? Maybe they’ll release something here or there or book some live events or some of the core members will part and something new will emerge. The label seemingly started to take a different path after the release of their full length album Feed Forward with a new (yet still mysteriously unknown) addition to the roster, Rrose. You could also sense the implosion of the collective from this recent Wire article. To top off on December 31th, 2011 they made a new Sandwell District mix tape available for free download.

R.I.P Sandwell District 2005-2011

I’ve compiled a short list for the Best Music Podcasts 2011. There are lots a great music podcast out there to choose from and I subscribe to a handful of favorites plus scan others for gems and of course get recommendations from fellow techno music enthusiasts on some of their favorite music podcast as well. Choosing the best music podcasts for the year is quite a task. The following don’t just contain great music from the best djs and electronic music producers, but these were podcasts that really made an impression on my music tastes throughout 2011 and have either stayed in the best music podcasts playlist for quite some time or I envision will continue to stay in the playlist for sometime to come.

RA Podcast 286 Xhin

Xhin – RA.286 [2011-11-21]

This is a brilliant podcast from Xhin on arguably the most influential and diverse electronic music podcast series out, the Resident Advisor (RA) Podcast. The Sigapore producer not only captured his current style in this mix but the current style of techno; an artfully crafted blend of thumping, idm and broken-beat techno music. Xhin showcased a few of his tracks from his recent album, some “past influential ones” and what really makes this one of the best music podcasts 2011 are the out-of-left-field track selections that blend so well with the beefy techno that compiles a majority of the set. Although Xhin has been in the electronic music game for quite some time the past few years may have been game changing. He was featured in Resident Advisor’s breaking through series late last year and 2011 saw a full length album entitled Sword on Stroboscopic Artefacts which has beautifully crafted sound design featuring: ambient, idm, downtempo and floor stompin techno all wrapped into a cohesive package.

Electric Deluxe Podcast : 059 : Kyle Geiger

Electric Deluxe Podcast 059 Kyle Geiger by electric deluxe

What else can I say about this mix other than… it’s the shit! First off the Electric Deluxe Podcast is my favorite music podcast out. Why? Because it’s so unpredictable and interesting to listen to. You get an outstandingly diverse mix of electronic music, present and past, which I have yet to see matched on any other podcast series. You may think you know a djs style or interests, then you hear their Electric Deluxe Podcast and get totally floored. This particular mix by Kyle Geiger is relatively short as far as the podcast series go, but it truly is one of the best music podcasts 2011 becuase it has everything: electronica, ambient, hip-hop, pop, alternative, and yes even a little techno. Amon Tobin, Afrika Bambaataa, Atmosphere, Boards of Canada, Nine Inch Nails, Underworld, Prince (Yes, Prince) all peppered with cuts from Autechre and much more.

D-Node 122 Podcast: Function + Regis at Interface 26 | Sandwell District

This mix from techno music legends Function and Regis (Sandwell District) was actually recorded in 2009 at Interface in Los Angeles. Droid Behavior resurfaced the mix on the D-Node Podcast in 2011 for those that missed the show and original recording. This is one of the best music podcasts 2011 because it captured the live aspect of Sandwell District so well at what probably will be considered the height of their career performing together.

Electric Deluxe Podcast : 043 : ADMX-71 (Adam X)

Electric Deluxe Podcast 043 ADMX-71 (Adam X) by electric deluxe

The past few years have been great for Adam X (and well deserved I might add). In 2009 he anonymously introduced Traversable Wormhole to the techno music world and they received it with open arms. In 2010 he unveiled his anonymity an re-released the originally vinyl only Traversable Wormhole digitally on CLR along with remixes from some of techno music’s heaviest hitters. He also had two solid releases as Adam X; one with Ancient Methods on his own Sonic Groove label and another on Prologue. In 2011 he has continued releasing vinyl only Traversable Wormhole and hashed out another great podcast as well. For the best music podcasts 2011 Adam resurrects his ADMX-71 moniker and breaks out some extremely dark electronica and industrial grooves that bring me back to my electronic music roots. Hopefully they steer you to a darker side you never knew exsisted.

RA Podcast 257 O/V/R

Regis made his way onto the best music podcasts 2011 twice with two separate collaborations. O/V/R includes Karl O’Conner (Regis) and James Ruskin, two of my long standing techno music idol influences. This set was recorded in Berlin and is a live interpretation of the O/V/R sound. The first few tracks are very atmospheric and minimal – from there it’s the undeniable sound of Ruskin and Regis; including O/V/R original tracks and remixes, solo efforts from the duo and various tracks from both Ruskin’s Blueprint label and Regis’ Sandwell District. Ruskin told Juno Plus earlier this year the live shows “tend to swing between structure and total chaos,” but you could never interpret that from this calculated banger.

CLR Podcast | 128 | Dadub

Dadub, Daniele Antezza and Giovanni Conti, are Berlin-based dub-techno innovators from Italy. They are a completely live act and this best music podcasts 2011 was recorded live at the Melt! festival in Germany. They’ve done several remixes starting in 2010 and a sole original release, Monad VIII, in 2011 all on Stroboscopic Artefacts. Though they are a reletively new act they take their sound very seriously and also run a mastering studio in which all the Stroboscopic Artefacts music is ran through. Look for great, new style dub-techno from Dadub in the near future.

Stroposcopic Artifacts

RA Podcast 255 Lucy

RA Podcast 255 by lucy

Lucy started Stroboscopic Artefacts in 2009 after releasing his music on various labels for a few years and I couldn’t be happier. It is absolutely my favorite label right now and in my opinion hosts some of the most innovative talent in current techno music. Lucy keeps this best music podcast 2011 nice and light to start – tossing in some dubstepish sounds and building into the signature Stroboscopic sound of broken-beat dub-techno: IDM, electronica, drone and dancefloor all in one.

Best Music Podcasts 2011

Digital music download service now available from online electronic music magazine Resident Advisor. RA publishes electronic music news, reviews and has become an immense resource for club nights, events and of course, their DJ charts; where each month, roughly 3000 DJs, from 80 countries chart 30,000 tracks. They’ve now enhanced this service by making digital music available to purchase directly from RA as MP3 or WAV music downloads.

Download Digital Music, New Service from RA

If a track shows up on an artist’s chart (and it is in fact available on digital release and been verified by RA) you will be able to preview and purchase the track directly from the chart page. RA has not let any insight into exactly what digital music vendor they have partnered with to provide the music downloads. The charts are powered by digital music dj software Traktor (more than likely just a sponsorship deal or organization/formatting engine for the dj charts). RA reviews are powered by online dance music store Juno, giving you the ability to preview tracks through the Juno Player and either add the release to your wishlist or purchase directly from the player. They also provide a link to the Juno Records (for vinyl releases) or Juno Download (for music downloads) pages to purchase directly from the Juno websites.

Music downloads purchased this way more than likely earn RA a commission for each sale. We’re assuming the new music download service directly from the RA charts may also be provided by Juno on a commission base – it just makes the user experience a little easier by not having to navigate to several websites to make a purchase.

In addition to the artists charts, RA says it will also be adding digital music downloads from account users favorite artists and labels in the coming weeks and months.  I think it’s a great addition to the site. Though, for me, purchasing digital music really comes down to the functionality of the website I purchase from. Can I store music for download later? How is the download process? How is the price? What music, artists, labels are available? How are the files named and what information is encoded?

Whether these questions can adequately be answered by RA’s new music download service remains to be seen. The RA site and system is undoubtedly a great resource for finding new music and connecting with the electronic music community and artists. This may just be a great opportunity for a few impulse buys – which I’m sure is what they’re counting on.

Download this free track by electronic music producer BlakeAndrew. “Nocturnal” from the unreleased The Darkness Speaks Softly EP. Organic samples dominate the drum track on this song. This was one of the earlier tracks I’ve written when piano and keys were always present. Download and share. Click the “down arrow” to the right of the waveform to download.

Download this free track by electronic music producer BlakeAndrew. “Bleed With Me” is from the unreleased The Darkness Speaks Softly EP. A dark, slower-grooved, downtempo track which has strong elements of techno, electro and industrial. Download and share. Click the “down arrow” to the right of the waveform to download.

Two stages dominate my Detroit electronic music palette for the first day of Movement, Saturday, May 29th 2010. The Vitamin Water Main Stage is a safe bet throughout the entire day and a great place to start; especially since Matthew Hawtin (12-2), brother of Richie Hawtin, has the only set starting right at noon. It should be an interesting 2 hour set for an artist mostly known for his minimalistic visual art and texturous ambient sets. The Movement Torino Stage is also well stacked and has some great talent and sounds.

Mark Ernestus

The Rhythm & Sound (2-5) set directly following Matthew Hawtin should range from chilled out reggae grooves to deeper house and techno: Von Oswald and Ernestus’ Rhythm & Sound recordings are much more dub-influenced and less techno-orientated than the duo’s previous, and more legendary, dub-techno recordings as Basic Channel and Von Oswald’s solo work as Maurizio. Ah, great way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon in Detroit.

Picking up the Scion (5-6:30) live set after that is a perfect transition. This duo, René Löwe from Potsdam and Peter Kuschnereit from Berlin, started this experimental platform nearly 15 years ago though without much released material. After solo projects Scion live performances have been reintroduced and promise to bring serious dub techno.

Next I could catch Woody Mcbride (6:30-8) or make the short trek over to the Movement Torino stage and catch the tail end of long time Detroit resident Kenneth Thomas‘ (5-6:30) set. Only on the assumption that his set will go more progressive to techno and not trancy. Remember Kenny it’s the D.

Martyn

More than likely I’ll travel riverside to the Red Bull Academy Stage to catch Martyn (6-7:30) and get my dubstep fill for the weekend. DZ (4:30-6) , the previous set at this stage, pulls some good dubstep but I just don’t care for MCs over Drum & Bass and Dubstep sets these days. I may also stick around for the Exclusion (7:30-9) set, depending on where the crew is at. Typically half are the die hard drum & bass fans all closely nestled together, bumping shoulders and staking claim to their spot a top the spiraling concrete stoop adjacent the (one) stage dedicated to their chosen genre. The other half can move freely, stretching our legs and scenery while bouncing from stage to stage, experiencing the lush sounds from Detroit techno, deep house, minimal and just plain bangin techno.

Following Kenneth on the Torino stage is Kirk Degiorgio (7:30-9) who has some solid techno releases on Planet E and ART. My inclinations point towards a groovy tech house set.

Next is Marco Carola (9-11), one of the world’s premier techno DJs. With a vast array of production credits and a whole host of labels under his belt (Design, 1000, Zenit, Question, Do.Mi.No) Marco Carola has emerged in the last decade to be one of Italy’s most influential exponents of techno and electronic music.

Theo Parrish

I may get a sudden rush of Detroit soul and check out Theo Parrish (9-11) at the Made in Detroit Stage. Though it’s the underground stage, known for its horribly echoing sets with bass kicks ominously tapping your shoulder throughout this concrete cave. Plagued by incredibly high humidity created from a dense haze of human moisture that starts to pick up just as the night falls. Though Made in Detroit has worked with Paxahau to redesign the stage and improve sound quality for 2010. Well overdue.

The highlight of the evening takes us back to where we started at the Vitamin Water Main Stage. The return of Plastikman live (11-12). This set promises to bring back much of what made the infamous early Detroit Plastikman parties great with an integration of new technology, audio, visual and crowd participation via the Plastikman SYNC app.

Vitamin Water Main Stage: Big names and a nice mix of genres and performers. Lives sets and one not to miss: the return of Plastikman live in Detroit, we’ve been waiting a long time for this…

Beatport: Three years ago I could hardly leave this stage, then dominated by Minus label artists and zeitgeist minimal. Last year Ellen Allien poised her set as my favorite for the weekend. This year (for Saturday at least) it’s the techno-pop stage. Instead of pool side in Ibiza it’s riverside in Detroit.

Made in Detroit: Deep, House, Minimal and Detroit. Theo Parrish to close it out. Should be nice.

Red Bull Music Academy: As last year, Drum & Bass and MCs dominate this riverside stage. This year also sees the introduction of Dubstep to Movement.

Movement Torino: A solid groovy day here, seems like a hand picked sets from the Innovator Derrick May. Starts off progressive, moves into Tech House and Techno.