DJ Rashad - Double Cup

Label: Hyperdub

One might have assumed that with its breathless pace, demented vocal sampling and rough, DIY nature, the Chicago-born juke sound wouldn’t have the staying power of some of clubland’s more considered genres. Yet since its inception nearly twenty years ago the style has shown no signs of slowing down, and following its arrival on UK shores a few years ago juke has gone from strength to strength. Much of the genre’s appeal lies with the prolific nature of its key practitioners, many of whom ally themselves with Chi-town’s Teklife crew: an outfit who trade ideas and collaborations at breakneck speed, spitting out explosive tracks at a dazzling rate, many of them certified club-weapons.

Footwork’s success can in many ways be accounted for by this community spirit and creative fertility. Yet of all of Teklife’s members, it’s Rashad Harden who has proven most exciting sonically over the past few years. A US transplant now based in London, DJ Rashad’s two EPs for Hyperdub this year have shown a keen interest in genre cross-pollination, and it is this embracing of generic mutations which has placed his productions a cut above the rest, on the likes of jungle-indebted tear-stepper Let It Go or the menacingly abstract I Don’t Give A Fuck.

Album Clips

With Double Cup, DJ Rashad introduces a range of new sonic influences to his malleable footwork mould. Soul is still a major touchstone, from the dreamy bliss of opener Feelin to the breathily sensual Let U No (whose Floetry sample will be only too recognisable to fans of Eats Everything’s anthemic Entrance Song). Yet the softness of these tracks is new: Rashad eschews the jagged edges of footwork’s vocal cuts for a smoother ride, resulting in a more polished, accessible collection of tracks. Yet dancers need not fear: Rashad is still concerned with the ‘floor, and the astounding vocal and percussive acrobatics across the album make for a constantly-shifting tapestry of engaging, foot-spasming sound. The remarkable vocal manipulations in Rashad’s work are particularly striking, from the pitched-down trap references of Drank, Kush, Barz to the manic snips of First Choice-tribute Every Day Of My Life.

These funk-soaked moments are certainly beautifully constructed, but Rashad’s reliance on his Teklife team of collaborators at times feels as if he’s retreading old ground – some of the Spinn collaborations in particular sound like lost cuts from Rashad’s last LP, Teklife Volume 1 . These are still solid tracks, but for the sake of novelty the LP’s less predictable moments consistently prove its best. I Don’t Give A Fuck is as striking now as it was when first released over the summer, its ominous test-tone lead making for one of the album’s most blistering highlights. The only other solo offering from Rashad, Reggie, is another strong outing: a disorientating string sample searing a bed of jittery, ever-shifting percussion. Of all these exciting experimentations Addison Groove collaboration Acid Bit is the strangest cut of the lot, and whether the listener finds the fiery acid lines storming or tracky will depend on individual disposition. Later the LP’s closing collaboration with Earl also offers an interesting diversion, as a fantastically listless vocal sample is run through a blender over simmering chords, insistent synth stabs and frenzied breakbeats. Here it sounds as if Rashad’s thrown as much as he possibly could into a single track, and it’s a credit to his artistic ingenuity that it all works so well.

As with any hour-long collection of club-focused music, particularly one at such a hyperactive pace, Double Cup can be exhausting to listen to all at once. Yet as a survey of the current status of footwork – its soul-indebted past, its hip-hop-inflected present and its uncertain, hybrid future– it’s an invaluable, remarkably coherent statement.

8/10

October Dance Roundup

We’re now entering the dark depths of winter, and so what kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t try my hardest to supply you all with tunes to keep you dancing through those cold nights? I’ve collected together twenty one of my favourite dance tunes from the last month or so, downloadable as a playlist from mediafire here, so let’s get going.

Classixx - Into the Valley feat. Karl Dixon (Julio Bashmore Remix)

First off is a clear contender for track of the year in Julio Bashmore’s euphoric remix of Classixx’s Into The Valley, running classic Chicago house stylings through a thoroughly modern filter with everything you could possibly want from a dancefloor stunner; ecstatic keys, emotive vocals, and one of the most irresistible grooves around.

Maurice Donovan - Call My Name

Keeping up the retro feel is Maurice Donovan’s (aka Ramadanman / Pearson Sound) throwback cut Call My Name, in which a cloying vocal line is stretched around a straight and bouncy house track that has all the right elements in all the right places.

Coat of Arms - Is This Something

Coat Of Arms’ low-key release Is This Something is probably my most played track of the month, a gorgeous piece of bouncy bass with a Faith Evans sample twisted almost beyond recognition that can pretty much be mixed with anything to sound brilliant.

Mercury - You Lift Me Up

Still holding onto those upbeat vibes we have Mercury’s September release You Lift Me Up, where diva-licious vocals are styled and chopped with classic garage trimmings and some gorgeous bassy synth-work. This is an absolute banger.

Visions of Trees – Novocaine (Melé Vocal Mix)

Next is a lovely vocal mix of Visions of Trees’ endlessly surprising Novocaine, where a great vocal line is twinned with stomping bass in a track full of great micro-edits and details in order to keep it well-paced and engaging right the way to the close.

A1 Bassline - Falsehood

A1 Bassline’s releases have been fire recently, and the recent Buoyancy / Falsehood is no exception. The A-side’s bassy glory is well worth a listen, but for me this darker B-side stole the show. Here great percussion vies for attention with choppy footwork vocals, before dropping into one of the best builds I’ve heard all year.

DJ Godfather – Make That M.F.

Moving on to other genres, this piece of dirty ghetto techno has had me moving all month long. Joining the ranks of the likes of DJ Assault, DJ Sluggo and Maurice Joshua, here Percolator-style bounces supplement knife-sharp handclaps under that commanding vocal line.

Boddika – Acid Battery

One of the more remarkable tracks on Scuba’s excellent DJ Kicks this month, Boddika’s cold new acid take relies on treated synths, skittering percussion and paranoid searing synths to fantastic effect.

Distal – Mamanimal

I kind of put this track in because I’m still unsure whether I like it or not, but it’s definitely worth a listen. Clipped from this month’s Frite Nite Surreal Estate collection, this mutating track settles from a stuttering bass number with precise and textured percussion into an uneasy synthline, before abandoning all of this completely for two minutes of an epic synth build and powerful beats. Has to be heard to be believed.

Brenmar – Temperature Rising

First pick of this month’s bassier numbers goes to Brenmar’s gorgeous and sexy release from his newest Let’s Pretend EP. A fantastic vocal line glides smoothly over light percussion and deep bass stabs, while a constantly shifting synth-field always keeps the song firing at all cylinders. This is one not to miss.

Jack Dixon – Clear

Another gorgeous cut from up and coming Jack Dixon, this is a light and airy cut with distinctive bass stylings. A nice vocal line echoes off into a warm and bouncy track that has the real potential to get dancefloors moving.

Sepalcure – I’m Alright

Coming out as the B-side to their forthcoming single Pencil Pimp from the NY duo’s self-titled debut out this month, this is a great sign of what’s to come. Really laid back, the vocals court light synth-work showing Sepalcure’s trademark skill and bass know-how.

Jack Dixon – Coconuts (Disclosure Remix)

Another Jack Dixon cut, this time remixed by White Noise favourite Disclosure, this has had a lot of playtime on my laptop in the last few weeks. Disclosure take Dixon’s slow and sexy tune and draw those vocals and beats out as far as they will go, crafting a fantastic tune in its own right.

Arkist – 23 Summers

(Not on youtube but included in the download)

The always on-point Arkist crafts a sinuous groove across bouncing synths and vocals that are just out of earshot, showing his consistent ability to put a warm and funky twist and contemporary dance music.

Addison Groove – An We Drop

Another track culled from Scuba’s DJ Kicks release, this is quite a restrained cut for the normally intense producer, but it’s recognisably Addison Groove in the acid-house stabs that rule the latter half of this great tune.

Gugu – Rollin

Following this year’s Afro-Cuban EP with a release on DVA’s recent Some Things Never Strange EP, Gugu stole the show for me with Rollin. Deceptively simple, the bounciest of basslines rules under sharp beats and a great vocal loop.

Kahn – Tehran

The B-side to Kahn’s last Illy single, Tehran sounds totally unique, with distinctive Eastern trappings running over the top of a pulsing dance tune. Definitely one of the best tunes of the month.

Najem Sworb – Severance

(Not on youtube but included in the download)

French producer Najem Sworb’s last single was one of the best I’ve heard in a long while, and this A side more than proves why. Through what is essentially techno he creates a busy and rich soundfield, layering mutating synthlines over a head-bobbing beat and irregular percussion.

Floating Points – Danger

Floating Points’ last experimental 7” won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but it certainly held my attention. This is micro-dance at its smallest, beats sounding like rips in the musical fabric interrupted by a tiny swirling synthline that makes for quite a cerebral listen. You might find it hard to fit this into a mix, but its definitely worth a listen.

Mosca – The Way We Were

The first track from Mosca’s free 5000 Followers EP (released to celebrate a Twitter landmark), this is a track of unusual quality for a free release. The word here is groovy, and Mosca ties soothing vocals over warm keys and tops it all off with a Wu-Tang skit. What more could you ask for?

Nicolas Jaar – Don’t Break My Love

Fresh off the press, Jaar’s free EP (available to download as of this week) shows Jaar is still on form, and he’s looking in more interesting directions than ever with his sound. What is largely an experimental percussion piece unfolds at its own hypnotic pace, with organic sounds complimenting each other gorgeously. It all finishes with an intoxicating loop that you’ll wish went on for much longer.

Feature: Guest Mix

I'm very pleased to post a guest mix by a mate of mine, London-based DJ Gully Moreland. Moving from garage to house to the bassier side of dubstep, this is a live all-vinyl mix that includes loads of White Noise's favourite tracks from the last year, as well as some old classics.

 

Here's the tracklist:

Tuff Jam - Key Dub
Kim English - Nite Life [Armand's Retail Mix]
Head High - It's A Love Thing [Island Mix]
Happy Clappers - I Believe [12" Master]
MZO Bullet - Casablanca [Hot City Remix]
Seiji - Easy
Unknown - Sicko Cell
Addison Groove - Work It
Pearson Sound vs. Rob Lee - Let Me See What U Workin With [Pearson Sound]
Breach - Fatherless
Breach - Fatherless [T. Williams Remix]
Omar and Zed Bias - Dancing
T. Williams - People's Choice
Altered Natives - Oh My Zipper

The mix is downloadable from Soundcloud, and if that isn't enough then check out his other excellent mix Jack Yo' Body, which was mixed for my birthday this year and includes a great selection of Acid House classics.

This is really hot stuff, so get listening and enjoy.

Playlist #2 - Dance Mix

Okay, so I've put together a mix of tracks that just beg to be danced to. This playlist runs through House, Dubstep, Grime, Garage, Rave, Acid House and Dancehall tracks that I've picked out (not quite in that order). I've put a lot of love into this mix and I think every track is a banger but they're all quite different so play them loud, and if you're not so keen on one I'm sure there will be a few there to love. Enjoy!

Playlist:

Altered Natives – The Bitch

Addison Groove – Footcrab

Ramadanman – Tempest

Mount Kimbie – Blind Night Errand

Deadboy – U Cheated

Becoming Real – Closer

Girl Unit – Wut

Deadboy – If U Want Me

XXXY – You Always Start It

Zomby – Float

Roland Appel – Unforgiven

The Bug – Poison Dart

Terrorist – Haters Dub