May Roundup 2013

White Noise may have taken a break from writing, but we certainly never stopped listening. Before normal service resumes with a fresh set of reviews and features, here's a 25-strong selection of our top tunes from the month of May(ish). In keeping with the inconsistent weather, our list is split, kicking off with bumpin’ party grooves and backloaded with dark, percussive stompers. Get listening.

Tracklist:

Wildchild – Renegade Master (Applebottom Power Bootleg)

Genius of Time – Love Thang (Genius of Time Re-edit)

Innershades – That Girl

Huxley – Walk 2 U

Kingdom – Bank Head feat. Kelela

Head High – Burning (Keep Calm Mix)

Laszlo Dancehall – Gave Up

Lucretio – Want

Glimpse – True South

Pev & Hodge – Bells (Dream Sequence)

Dark Sky – In Brackets

Laurel Halo – Throw

Ron Hardly – Subway Antlers

Cliff Lothar – Dro Friday

DJ Haus – Cold As Ice

Helix – Whoosh Ice Dispenser

Kowton – TFB [Clip]

Akkord – Navigate

Paula Temple – Colonized

Huerco S. – Apheleia’s Theme

HNNY – Boy

Kevin McPhee – Who Loves You

Pearson Sound – Figment

Koreless – Sun

Mala – Changes (Harmonimix)

Best Tracks of 2012: 50 – 26

Year End Coverage

* Best Albums of 2012

* Best EPs of 2012

* Best Labels of 2012

* Best Breakthrough Artists of 2012

* Best Tracks of 2012 - 101-76
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 75-51
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 50-26
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 25-1

Follow White Noise on Facebook and Twitter!

Here goes part 3 of our 4-part collection of the year's very best tracks. Enjoy! 

50 – Loops Of Your Heart – Cries

Stunning slow-burn synthwork from Axel Willner, the brain behind The Field. Ambient at its patient and emotive best.

49 – Illum Sphere – h808er

Unhinged acid trip from one of the big names to watch for 2013. Starts out as fresh analogue 303 jam before dissipating into a lush acoustic instrumental.

48 – Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka – No One feat. Abigail Wyles

The opener to the UK duo’s album They!Live was one of the most addictive, atmospheric cuts we heard all year. Superb moody synthwork and a nagging vocal lead into a tough House workout that we had on heavy rotation. Album Review.

47 – Breach – You Won’t Find Love Again

Ben Westbeech was back with a vengeance this year, releasing a great collab single with Midland and this, one of the most propulsive slices of House to grace club speakers over the summer. One of those cuts that’s sure to get any party moving.

46 – Special Request – Lolita (Warehouse Mix)

Rough and ready Techno workout that takes its time to get going, and that venomous synth burn before the drop is all the better for the wait.

45 – Storm Queen – Look Right Through (MK’s Don’t Talk To Me Dub)

Let’s Make Mistakes was great, but our favourite Storm Queen (aka Metro Area legend Morgan Geist) tune of the year was this MK remix, which revamped the classic to monstrous proportions. An example of MK at his very best: stylish vocal work and (two different) enormous bouncing basslines.

44 – Romare – Down The Line (It Takes A Number)

The man who capped off our Best EPs list did no better than the slow-mo Hip Hop crunch of this tune. A dangerous bassline underpins sharp finger clicks, classy vocal sampling and a phenomenal jazz-inflected drop. Cross-genre, cross-cultural, damn good music.

43 – Recondite – Tie In

Patient and meditative acid groove from a true original.

42 – Duke Dumont – The Giver

This is one of those tracks that makes you sit up and take notice from the first note. A guaranteed dancefloor weapon, and one of the catchiest dance tracks we heard all year. Just massive.

41 – Kahn & Neek – Backchat

Typical Dub-inspired weirdness from Kahn’s corner. A dangerous grime riddim featuring robo-Reggae vocals and sharp beats.

40 – Geeeman – Bang’t

Second entry on the list for Gerd, because he can do no wrong when it comes to House. Super-simple tune that pairs a nagging pitchbent bassline and punchy beats with an understated vocal. Dancefloor dynamite (and mixes with everything).

39 – Midland & Pariah – Untitled 2

Dirty analogue Techno roller that stole the show at loads of London clubs this summer.

38 – Capracara – Ronin

Everyone who’s trying to emulate the 90s House sound, give up now. Capracara perfected the sound with the flawless Ronin, where outrageously huge beats duel with slick synthwork and a pitch-perfect vocal line.

37 – Dusky – Flo Jam

It was hard to pick just one Dusky track to go on the list, but Flo Jam’s distinctive 3-note bassline had to take the prize. Goes to show that House can still blow everything else out of the water when it’s done right.

36 – Krystal Klear – From The Start

Utterly intoxicating bassy House number from the king of disco. After an unbelievable build-up, this one drops into a ferocious slice of choppy piano House.

35 – Lianne La Havas – Forget (Shlohmo Remix)

The second La Havas remix in our roundup is Shlohmo’s stellar vocal work on his remix of Forget. Deep atmospherics make this one totally unforgettable. Massive vibes. Free Download.

34 – Omar S feat. L’Renee – SEX (CGP Remix)

Omar S is pretty big, but I’ve never heard any of his tunes played out as much in the clubs as this one. Downright dirty vocals and chilled House vibes make this one suit almost any occasion.

33 – Jacques Greene – Prism

One of the scene’s most consistent producers, Canadian Greene went darker on his Ready EP. Its biggest tune featured a bouncing 4/4 and lush synthwork. EP Review.

32 – Voyeur – Blame It On The Youth (Kerri Chandler Remix)

Apparently House legend Chandler loved this one so much that he insisted on both releasing and remixing it. You can see why,  Chandler’s moody rework takes its time with a warm atmosphere and fresh guitar and piano samples.

31 – HNNY – For The Very First Time

Easily one of our most played EPs of the year, HNNY’s stellar debut solo outing on Local Talk was a great night out in a single song. Irresistible synthwork and vocals with big, tasty beats.

30 – Trevor Deep Jr – Keep On!

Another one of our most played tunes this year, Trevor Deep Jr’s impossibly deep Keep On! Crazy atmospheric House workout with classic-style vocals and impeccable production.

29 – John Talabot – So Will Be Now… feat. Pional

The highlight of Talabot’s great Fin album was this bouncy closing tune. The looped vocal is the icing on the cake of a bouncing bassline and moody finger clicks.

28 – ItaloJohnson – B1 Untitled

Dusty House jam from the anonymous European group. Simple and effective, this one proved unstoppable on the summer festival circuit.

27 – Trimbal – Confidence Boost (Harmonimix)

James Blake and Trim’s brilliantly weird collaboration finally saw release this year, and it was just as good as we remembered it. Trim’s raw vocals and Blake’s idiosyncratic production are a match made in heaven. Those deep chords and chipmunked vocals make this one of the year’s essential tunes.

26 – Leon Vynehall – Gold Language

Vynehall’s sophisticated lofi House jam was an unexpected winner for us at White Noise, with gliding piano chords and footwork-style percussion making for an intriguing package. EP Review.

Tune in tomorrow for the final list!

September Roundup 2012

Fact: September has been easily the biggest, best month of dance releases we’ve had all year.

Fact: White Noise has collected the vast majority of them together in a Youtube playlist, for your listening pleasure.

Enjoy.

Tracklist:

Trimbal – Confidence Boost (Harmonimix)

Maddslinky – Compuphonic

Tom Demac – Critical Distance Pt. 2

Dusk + Blackdown – Dasaflex

Bicep – Vision of Love

Krystal Klear – More Attention feat Jenna G

Last Magpie – (Who Knows) Where Love Goes

Bondax – Baby I Got That

T. Williams – Think Of You

Andrew Ashong –Flowers

A Thousand Years – Flying High

Illum Sphere – h808er

Fis – DMT Usher

Recondite – DRGN

Downliners Sekt – Trim / Tab (part one)

The xx – Chained

And a lot of these tracks are included in our resident DJ Moth’s September mix, check it here:

Total Redraw: Home Listening Edition

Remixes that really shake things up

No self-respecting music fan is a stranger to the idea of the remix. After a track is completed, the stems are passed off to other like-minded producers and are reshaped to allow the style and personality of the remixer to come out while elements of the original are retained. While the odd remix on the B-side of an EP really shines, they can all too frequently come across as unnecessary additions to the original mixes, so when a really good remix comes about you’re sure to take notice.

This feature doesn’t focus specifically on ‘great remixes’, but rather remixes where the producer has taken the core track and has really invigorated the original track, leaving it recognisably the same but taking the tune in a totally different direction. After much ploughing through my music library, I’d like to present some of the most successful remixes I’ve heard where the remixer on hand has really gone beyond the call of duty; and these will be shown  and discussed along with the original tracks.

Running through a real range of contemporary music, a lot of these will be dance-focused but some are even stranger takes on recognisable classics alongside less well-known contributions. So without further ado, let’s get listening and check out some of the best remixes to be found in the White Noise vaults.

This two-part series will be split, with the first section dedicated to home listening tracks and the latter a big playlist of remixed dance music. Enjoy part 1!

Gold Panda – Marriage (Forest Swords 1am Hotel Room Redraw) 

In this stunning rework of one of Gold Panda’s best tunes, the atmospheric Forest Swords completely rebuilds the track from the ground up, entirely with acoustic instrumentation. The melody is still there, but it’s hard to imagine a more imaginative and successful redraw.

Efdemin – Acid Bells (Martyn’s Bittersweet Mix)

Sounding more Aphex Twin than Efdemin, legend Martyn relegates the original’s driving rhythms to the background, allowing a haunting piano melody to take centre stage.

Aphex Twin – Untitled (Four Tet Mix)

Apparently devised at the tender age of 17, Kieran Hebden’s IDM-fuelled mix of one of Aphex Twin’s most brilliant ambient tracks is a dream collaboration that retains aspects of both producers’ styles.

Mount Kimbie – Maybes (James Blake Remix)

James Blake applies a trademark warmth to one of Mount Kimbie’s best, fuzzing up the duo’s crisp production and lending it a woozy dubstep momentum.

Fever Ray – If I Had A Heart (Fuck Buttons Remix) 

Here Fuck Buttons take Fever Ray’s darkness as far as it will stretch, wielding a driving 4/4 and growling bass frequencies to create something black and wildly hypnotic.

Fever Ray – When I Grow Up (Version by Lissvik) 

Alongside for comparison, the most bizarre remix here is courtesy of one half of Balearic duo Studio, as Lissvik sets Fever Ray’s straining vocals to bouncing house with tropical synthlines. The strangest thing isn’t that it works, it’s that it works so damn well.

Star Slinger – May I Walk With You

Although not technically a remix, Star Slinger’s rework of Life Without Buildings' The Leanover is a brilliant recreation, taking Sue Tompkins’ jittery vocals to their logical extreme alongside tough beats and some of the catchiest looping you’re likely to hear.

Bibio – Lover’s Carving (Letherette Remix)

This dreamy hip hop rework of Bibio’s upbeat classic works like a charm, chopping up the vocals while retaining the sunshine of the original. The only flaw is that it’s all too short.

Lianne La Havas – Forget (Shlohmo Remix)

Shlohmo on excellent remixing form again, applying Lianne La Havas’ vocals both in original and chopped forms to a dreamy soundscapes replete with clicks, blips and deep haunting bass.

Agaric – No Way I Know I Feel  (Axel Boman Remix) – Clips of Original

Axel Boman takes Agaric’s dense original and cleans it up, making that nagging vocal the centrepiece of a world of swirling samples and twinkling beats.

Shlohmo – Rained The Whole Time (Nicolas Jaar Remix) 

The superb Nicolas Jaar livens up Shlohmo’s melancholy original with harder woodblock beats, blowing up the guitar in the original alongside soulful beats and samples that shift and swirl magnificently.

Colonel Abrams – Trapped (Hell Interface Remix)

Boards of Canada, under their Hell Interface moniker, take chopped and screwed to a new deathly extreme in their growling slow-down of Colonel Abrams’ 80s classic.

Burial – Shell of Light (Shlohmo Remix)

Tampering with Burial is not done lightly, but Shlohmo nails this one, isolating the hopeful last 30 seconds of the original and casting them onto an emotional widescreen with deeper-than-deep bass and ghostly vocal touches.

Nuyorican Soul – I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (4 Hero Remix)

It’d be hard to outdo the original, backed by Masters of Work production and Jocelyn Brown’s honey tones, but 4 Hero turns the tune into a feelgood jazzy odyssey, thoroughly living up to the glory of the original.

Songs to come down

For today's playlist I've created two short compilations of tracks to come down to. Whether that's after a really heavy night out or a difficult period emotionally, I think these tracks will suit any downer period. Not that these are really sad songs, I tend to prefer downbeat or curious to out-and-out despair in songs unless I'm in a serious sulk. So here are a couple of collections of tunes to relaxedly get you through those glum times.

I've divided the selection into two, an Acoustic playlist and an Electronic playlist. Please note these aren't strict names, for example I'm aware Baths and Shlohmo aren't really acoustic while Memory Tapes is only arguably electronic, but the titles just refer to the overall feel of the playlist. The other thing to mention is that I've compiled these playlists as downloads on Mediafire for the first time, so if you like them just click on the playlist title and take them with you wherever you go.

Enjoy! (or, you know, despair...)

Acoustic

Kicking off with a couple of classic tracks, firstly the suitably titled and pleasantly jazzy I'm Comin' Down by Primal Scream is both low-key and relaxed, proving a perfect intro. Lou Reed's soft vocals coast through Candy Says and we move onto more recent fare, such as Baths' ambient interlude Rafting Starlit Everlades and the over-exposed but not necessarily overrated The xx with the taut Infinity. One of Animal Collective's first truly brilliant tracks, Banshee Beat follows, with a tense and hushed soundscape full of twittering noises and Panda Bear's glorious wordless vocals at the end. Next a couple of piano tracks from more electro-centric artists; James Blake mournful debut closer Measurements* and Aphex Twin's slow and melancholy Nanou2. Beach House makes the first of two appearances with their particular brand of syrup-thick composition and Victoria Legrand's always-perfect vocals. Another downbeat Baths track moves through to Bonobo's gorgeous Black Sands which becomes grander and more fluid as it goes on, all rather impressively in waltz time. Then the ever-peculiar Books meditate on the meaning of the word 'aleatoric' and we enter a final stretch composed of some of my very favourite songs. The immensely simple and powerful Take Care by Beach House is without a doubt in my top 5 tracks, and this feeds into one of Do Make Say Think's best, the meditative Soul and Onward. How to Disappear Completely is majestic and sweeping, as well as being my firm favourite Radiohead track (cue arguments), and it suits the mood perfectly, leading into the final track; where we hear Jason Pierce's uniquely raw brand of sorrow in Spiritualized's comedown lullaby Goodnight Goodnight.

* - If I've put an asterisk next to a track it means it wasn't on youtube so won't play on the embedded player, but the song will still be in the downloadable compilation don't you worry

James Blake – James Blake

James Blake came out of nowhere last year. The story of a student of classical music with a sudden conversion to dubstep is certainly interesting, and he released a series of EPs throughout last year that ranged from quirky to fantastic, CMYK and Air or Lack Thereof becoming two of my favourite singles of the year.

So I had pretty high hopes for his debut full-length. Dubstep artists have sometimes fallen flat on the release of their first LPs, with releases such as Mount Kimbie's Crooks & Lovers being a good collection of singles but not really a coherent album. However James Blake has seemed to show an awareness of the importance of cohesion in his releases so far, and has a distinct style that works as well at home as on the decks.

So it was a disappointment that with this album he didn't quite live up to his earlier promise. There are certainly some absolutely brilliant cuts on the album, on his first single Wilhelm's Scream (presumably named after the stock screaming sound effect found on hundreds of old films) Blake pushes his trademark minimal beats and sounds to breaking point while his echo-y vocals provide a hook-laden melody beneath which the song swells darkly throughout its length, ultimately deflating in a subtle alternative to a crashing drop that works perfectly.

James Blake works superbly with the unexpected; his cover of Feist's Limit To Your Love builds as two separate tracks: a pleasant piano riff and a dark, dubby instrumental that come together towards the end perfectly. Sometimes, however, these tactics work to his disadvantage. In I Never Learnt to Share his own layered vocal refrain is backed up by a promising synth-y buildup, but it reaches an overblown, out-of-place crescendo that just sounds rather unpleasant.

Album closer Measurements is a beautiful, haunting track with little electronic accompaniment to his surprisingly strong voice and a good melody on the keyboard, ushering out the album with a quiet reverence. But it feels as though the bulk of the album is just trying to achieve the heights of these stand-out tracks by repeating their successes. Why Don't You Call Me and Give Me My Month are sub-Measurements piano pieces, while To Care (Like You) and I Mind seem repeats of beats and ideas implemented earlier and to better effect in the top half of the album. Opinion could go either way on the super-minimal Lindesfarne tracks, I tried to find them interesting but ultimately just ended up getting bored.

James Blake sounds different, he's chilled-out but also interesting, and there aren't many around doing what he does at the moment. And sure, this album is nice as a more ambient listen, and the songs are well sequenced in terms of its highs and lows, but ultimately there aren't enough good tracks here to hold together an LP, and from such a promising talent I honestly expected better.

6.5/10