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
We recently reported that the techno record collective Sandwell District has called it quits. They have released a statement clarifying the reasons for the end.
“We stopped Sandwell District the same way we started it — through intuition. It’s what anyone with a passion or half a brain would have done. It will never get old. No one will be able to impose their clean values on it. We will all continue to work together. Nothing has changed but everthing has shifted. It was a glorious death, not a mercy killing, as is so often the case in these situations.” (Via FACT)
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.
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.
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 thebest 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This month’s free music podcast comes from the dark and obscure Soundmanipulator, a techy minimal experimental set. Soundmanipulator has some upcoming releases including: Viajeteck EP (loginrRecords), Hechizo EP (Dark and Sonorous), and Silence EP (Noctambular).
TF: How was the mix created, what equipment/software was used?
SM: TURNTABLES, A 2 CHANNEL MIXER, SERATO AND GARAGE BAND TO RECORD. AND 2 PAIR OF EARS AND MY SOUL.
TF: Any projects or events you’re currently working on you’d like to share?
SM: I WILL BE ORGANIZING A EVENT HERE IN MY HOME TOWN OF ELPASO FOR JUNE. PARTY WILL ONLY BE DARK ELECTRONIC. MY COMPANY NAME IS CALLED ‘CREPUSCULAR PERCEPTION’. IT WILL BE A EPIC PARTY.
Marcel Dettmann, a techno music premier dj and producer, took some time off his busy schedule, which includes a residency at club Berghain in Berlin, to perform a live dj set for the team at Beatport. The set was recorded live and streamed to their Ustream channel. Beatport described Dettmann “kicked off his set with nearly 45 minutes of dark ambient and experimental music. Diving into grainy dub techno, Berlin machine minimalism and pure Detroit deepness” Marcel concurred “The first hour of the mix was more of a background-music track selection, like I’m listening to when I’m working. The second part of the set was more of the stuff I usually play in the club.”
Stillwell: This mix consists mostly of a slightly darker side of Progressive House.
TF: Where do you reside?
Stillwell: San Diego, CA
TF: How long have you been Djing/producing?
Stillwell: Dj’ing 12 years in January and Producing 4 years.
TF: What styles are most predominant for you?
Stillwell: Progressive House – Tech-House – Techno
TF: Give us your interpretation of the mix.
Stillwell: During this time I played a bunch of after hours sets across CA. The track-list is a collection of all of my favorite tracks from that time.
TF: How was the mix created, what equipment/software was used?
Stillwell: Pioneer CDJ-2000′s and the Pioneer DJM-2000 Mixer.
TF: Any projects or events you’re currently working on you’d like to share?
Stillwell: Currently I have a remix called Ritmosura (Stillwell Remix) coming out Nov. 8th on 9G Records based out of San Francisco, CA. And you can expect an Original Collaboration E.P. of Revolvr and Myself coming out this winter.
1 Cirez D: Full Stop
2 Umek, Christian Cambas: On The Edge
3 Sam Paganini: Pleasure
4 Gabriel Rocha: Ride On Time
5 Alex Kenji: My Oscar
6 Sheff, Da Fresh: Fresheff
7 The Beta Set: Funkagenda
8 Gtx DriftBuy: Christian Fischer
9 Blade Scanner: Phunk Investigation
10 Budgie: Funkagenda
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.
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.
