In a recent interview with XLR8R he stated “As a teenager growing up in the suburbs, I would write a song on guitar and then play it with a band. That rarely included production, which is something I regret now. I feel like I started late.”

His debut EP, entitled ‘Sunburn’, features gorgeous piano-driven pieces of tropical house with steel drums, crisp percussion and shimmering chopped vocal samples. The final track on the EP, ‘Tanto’, also features vocals from Matias Aguayo.

The ‘Sunburn’ EP is out now on Greco-Roman, the team responsible for releasing music by Joe Goddard (who co-runs the label), Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Drums Of Death. You can stream the whole EP below.

http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1890707&show_artwork=true

In anticipation of the new release XI has made a non-EP track available for free download. The new track, ‘Glythe’ (which you can find at the bottom) is brimming over with fuzzy distortion, underpinning an otherworldly melody. Not exactly a stomping club-banger, rather a tastefully crafted piece of electronica for the post-party cool down.

You can download ‘Glythe’ below before heading over to the New Kanada Soundcloud page for previews of each track on the EP.

Download: XI – Glythe

I’m sure I don’t need to explain to you how big an opportunity this is, but I will anyway. DNAEBEATS’ credentials are second to none, gaining plaudits as tour DJ for The Gift Of Gab’s (Blackalicious) Escape To Mars, he’s also worked with the likes of MF Grimm, Quannum Projects, Psalm One, Mistah FAB as well as the mighty Prefuse 73.

The successful remixer will be treated to a huge amount of benefits: they will see their remix released on Seclusiasis, £100 worth of Juno vouchers, SoundCloud Pro account (worth €250), Mixed In Key, Platinum Notes, and a Seclusiasis goodie pack containing assorted CDs, vinyl, T-shirts and stickers. It’s a hell of a prize (or series of prizes) so naturally competition will be hot.

You’ll need to act fast too. The closing date for this contest is 30th May, so get your home studio fired up and a steaming vat of coffee on the go because you’re going to be up all week.

Head here to enter the competition and get all the bits and bobs you need.

In a recent interview with FACT, they also stated that this album would see them shift away from the garage influences of their first album, moving toward a sound explored in tracks like ‘Boomslang’. It’s at this point the tribal percussion and analogue synths of Gervase Gordon’s South African heritage come to the musical table.

While this may sound new to some, South African house has always been at the heart of their sound; off-kilter beats and peculiar time signatures have always set LV apart from the crowd. All we’re left to wonder now is who will be their chosen vocalists this time around? With Idehen out of the picture, one can only speculate as to the collaborations in store.

As ever, it’s soaked in ethereal synths and mutilated R&B hooks. If that wasn’t enough to persuade you, try the pounding kick drums of ‘Can’t Explain’ for size. Owing as much to 80′s techno as it does to 90′s garage, this is a genuinely new and inventive step forward in the increasingly saturated post-dubstep landscape.

The new EP will feature four original tracks as well as a lilting remix of ‘Can’t Explain’ by Londoners Maribou State.
On top of this announcement, Kastle also let slip that this release will be swiftly followed by packages from Jason Burns and Sleepyhead. ‘Stay Forever’ will be released June 4, until then stream a preview of the EP below while you still can!

http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1988339&show_artwork=true

Having already made a name for himself with some rather spiffy releases on Discobelle and Hemlock, his output has been somewhat restrained. All we’ve heard from Andrews since ‘Shades’ / ‘Textures’ are a few mixtapes, albeit very good ones.

Well, now he’s back with a new double a-side for Scuba’s impeccable Hotflush, continuing where he left off with ‘Shades’ and ‘Textures’. Expect heavy drums, chest-rattling bass and deep, dark synth washes as Andrews merges classic house and techno with funky drums and dubby grooves.

You can grab a copy of ‘The Wait’ / ‘Hands In Mine’ when it comes out on May 28. While you wait, have a listen to a preview below.

The London producer, who is also the in-house knob-twiddler for XL Recordings, described the decision and their mutual approach to composition in an interview with Sound On Sound last year: “[the xx] had worked with about four other producers before then that had — and no discredit to them — I guess they’d seen a lot of space to add a kind of stamp on.

“There was a lot of empty space in The XX’s music, even then, in the ‘Early Demos’. But we just found that the best stuff was the most sparse. The intimacy of the early demos was the important thing.”

Though Jamie Smith’s career seems to be in a permanent upward trajectory, this could be a risky venture for all involved. ‘XX’ was, for many, the first sign of life after dubstep; it was sparse, thoughtful and gentle, yet utterly powerful.

If the band build on the success of the first album it may go down well, but could lack the longevity of its predecessor. If they go in another direction altogether they may gain critical plaudits but lose a large part of their fanbase. Since they’ve chosen McDonald to return to the mixing desk it’s unlikely they’ll stray to far from their minimal sound, though time will tell since Smith in particular is fond of throwing curveballs our way.

Which is probably why he gets on so well with Modeselektor. Having contributed to their last two LPs, it was announced that, following the success of the first Mouse On Mars album in ten years, Otto Von Schirach would be welcomed into the Monkeytown fold and would be releasing his first album since 2009′s ‘Magic Triangle’.

‘Supermeng’ will be available on CD, digital, and double vinyl on August 3 in Europe, August 6 in the UK, and August 7 in the US.

Tracklist:
01 / A1 Salpica (Miami)
02 / A2 Ultimate Universe
03 / A3 The Blob
04 / B1 Breathe The Beat
05 / B2 Diamond Eyes
06 / B3 Quasar
07 / C1 Supermeng
08 / C2 Portal Prayer
09 / C3 When Dinosaurs Rule Earth
10 / D1 Gravitron
11 / D2 Mind Power
12 / D3 Reptile Brain Wash

I know it’s a day late but I thought I should still include this rather delightful remix of my favourite Donna Summer tune, ‘I Feel Love’. There really is nothing to compare to the feeling you get when Donna Summer’s vocals glide into earshot, whether it’s on the Giorgio Moroder-produced original or this thumping tech-house reworking.

Read what Mr. Natives has to say about things and then have a listen to his version at the bottom.

“Wrote this over a year ago.
I tried to get the vocal redone but it never worked or found a vocalist,
So it’s been in my bag ever since, in case I ever felt it a good opportunity to drop it.
Tbh. I’ve only ever played this out a few times, to nice effect.
First time, in Italy to a crowd who went nuts when it became obvious what the song was, then the police came and shut down my set early and they the crowd got upset lol.
Anyway im very sad to hear of the loss of Donna Summer.
I Feel Love was influential, I’ve always loved that bassline and especially how she ethereally floated over the original.
So im putting my version up for you to hear, out of tribute.

R.I.P Donna Summer”

dannyNATIVE (ALTERED NATIVES)

http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F46773503&show_artwork=true