August / September Roundup 2015

Here's White Noise's favourite songs of the last two months, including a few that slipped through our net earlier in the year. It's a bumper package spanning all our favourite styles, get stuck in.

We kick off on the sunny side, with top soulful house from Damiano Von Erckert, Braque, Chaos In The CBD, and new blood Flørist. Things get deeper and stranger via new material from top producers John Roberts and DJ Richard, alongside new slices from 45 ACP and CAll Super. Bicep and Midland keep the heat up in darker waters, before we descend to full-on electro with Helena Hauff, Aurora Halal and intriguing new voice Rita Furstenhof.

Tracklist:

Leon Vynehall - Midnight On Rainbow Road [LP Review]

Damiano Von Erckert - We Flow ft Amalia

Flørist - Final Bounce

Laguna Ladies - Egyptian Bag (Moomin Remix)

Braque - Diners En Ville

Chaos In The CBD - Midnight In Peckham [EP Review]

Bell Towers - Hyper - Realised - Self [EP Review]

DJ Richard - Vampire Dub [LP Review]

John Roberts - Orah

45 ACP - Fjm

Call Super - Meltintu

Jayda G & Fett Burger - Velvet Vortex (Sleep D Rainforest Version)

Severed Heads - Greater Reward (Piano Power Edit)

Paradise 100 - Heat.Wav

Lipelis - Weirdshit Xu Paelk (ft. Simple Symmetry)

Khotin - Sorry Sequence

Midland - Stop (Don't Let The Beat)

Bicep - Carmine [LP Review]

Rita Furstenhof - Hadron Collider

Helena Hauff - L'Homme Mort

Aurora Halal - Shapeshifter [EP Review]

Andrea - Outlines

2 8 1 4 - 恢复

As ever, here's the one we couldn't find on Youtube:

Kasra V - Last Orders

Midland - Drumtrak / Diving Bell

Label: Graded

There’s a quiet, subtle quality that has pervaded Midland’s work to date. From his breakout collaboration with Ramadanman to last year’s Placement EP on Aus, his productions excel without ever going all-out, relying more on tasteful house mechanics and a eagle-eyed knack for atmospheric detail. While his work rarely strays into mould-breaking territory, his crop of 2013 releases have been a dependable source of quality tunes, from the crowd-pleasing Trace to African-themed Checkbob via the growling Archive01 on his own Graded imprint. For his second outing on Graded Midland continues to plough his particular furrow, focused on the ‘floor with just enough weirdness to stand out from the crowd.

Drumtrak is a pleasurable trip, its incoherent vocals adding a nervous edge to the undulating bass riff that dominates the track. Midland’s approach to groove remains shadowy, teasing dance motifs from a monochrome palette and simple drum patterns that remain fleet-footed despite their muscularity. Meanwhile Diving Bell takes a step into more abstract territory, watery synths casting a filtered light over patiently arranged bleeps and clicks. The languorous chords contrast delicately with the increasingly anxious percussion, making for a curiously compelling journey almost reminiscent of Actress. On the Drum Dub the B-side is inverted, its melodies reduced to an aqueous break from a stuttering field of precise beatscience. Midland doesn’t operate far from the mainstream, but his work remains just singular enough, relying on leftfield hooks and a jittery momentum that continues to impress on each successive release.

7/10

June / July Roundup 2013

2013 is shaping up to be the best year for dance music since White Noise began, and this summer has been incredibly exciting, particularly on the album front. To pay credit to the best of the best, here's a selection of our favourite tunes from the last couple of months, all organised in an easy Youtube playlist. The list comprises instant classics and lesser-known works, venturing from big-room bangers to techno rollers, finishing off with a satisfying selection of synthy noodlings. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

Sophie - Bipp [Single Review]

Paul Woolford - Untitled

Ikonika - Beach Mode (Keep It Simple) [Album Review]

Simian Mobile Disco & Bicep - Sacrifice

Todd Terje - Strandbar (Disko Version) [EP Review]

Floorplan - Never Grow Old [Album Review]

Midland - Archive01

Alden Tyrell & Gerd - Luv Thang

Walton - Need To Feel [Album Review]

Special Request - Broken Dreams [EP Review]

Zomby - Memories [Album Review]

Machinedrum - Eyesdontlie

DJ Rashad - I Don't Give A Fuck

Lords of Midnite - Drown In Ur Love

June - Face This (Deep House Mix)

Tuff Sherm - Burglar Loops

The Mole - Lockdown Party (DJ Sprinkles Crossfaderama) [EP Review]

Gerry Read - Crave [EP Review]

Claws For? - Profumo

Octo Octa - Come Closer [Album Review]

Jon Hopkins - Breathe This Air [Album Review]

Boards of Canada - New Seeds [Album Review]

Holden - Renata

Forest Swords - The Weight Of Gold

Fuewa - Blhok [EP Review]

And the one that's not on Youtube:

Guy Andrews - Tapes [EP Review]

Breach – Jack

Label: Dirtybird

Breach, aka Ben Westbeech, has been mighty busy lately. Along with a couple of collaborations, with Midland and Dark Sky, his Naked Naked imprint has been seeing a steady release schedule of big-room house tracks. With this prolific output has also come a change in the producer’s style, with a notable movement towards mainstream house tunes that also sound a little generic compared to the producer’s early output. Some of his newer tracks, such as the storming You Won’t Find Love Again, are such addictive bodyjackers that this ceases to matter, but on the other end of the spectrum his work today rarely sounds as innovative as Fatherless did back in 2010.

This exact dichotomy is present in Westbeech’s latest, a suitably sensuous pair of cuts for Claude Von Stroke’s crowdpleasing Dirtybird imprint. A-side Jack is pure gold, the looped vocal inciting the floor to dance is sure to turn heads, while the dirty low end progression and straight-edged 4/4 combine to form a simple but irresistible stomper that’s sure to get a lot of playtime in clubs. It’s basic but ruthlessly effective, combining unsophisticated house tropes with overtly sexual vocals that fit in perfectly with the UK’s current turn towards eroticised deep house sounds.

B-side Let’s Get Hot bears more than a passing resemblance to Westbeech’s recent Dark Sky collaboration The Click, from the descending bassline leading to the drop to the curiously unadorned beat pattern that leaves the overall sound more than a little hollow. Here the simplicity hasn’t paid off, the whispered vocals sound derivative and tuned, ricocheting toms do little to conceal the lack of substance to this simplistic roller. The package also comes with a Dub, which is a straight-up carbon copy of the original sans vocals. It all amounts to an oddly disaffected package from Breach, showing both the positive and negative results of adopting a more popular, mainstream sound; unless you score by making it pitch-perfect, you end up with nothing at all.

5.5/10

Midland – Trace

Label: Aus

Up until now, the majority of Midland’s tracks have been patient, classy numbers that play on big room house tropes with the subtlety of some of the bass music set’s best. Despite killer collaborations with Ramadanman and Pariah, the UK producer never went for the banger on his solo material, preferring more restrained and delicate takes with his timeless house sound. This has been no bad thing, the producer’s Placement EP in particular was a deep and mature set of unique house tunes, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that Trace, his latest 12” for Aus, is the biggest, brashest track he’s put out to date.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Title track Trace kills in the club, and it’s certainly be doing the rounds of the UK’s dancefloors over the past few months. The minimal combination of an intriguing pitched-down vocal, punchy bass stabs and a big-room breakdown works a treat, but it necessarily sacrifices a little of the subtlety the producer has become known for. The refined sensibilities are somewhat recaptured on B-side For (Yacht) Club Use Only, a pummelling percussive workout with insistent hi-hats keeping time to a hollow melodic pulse and searing synthwork that rears its head in the track’s latter half. It’s a polished affair, and Trace in particular is sure to attract a lot of club play, but the skeletal sound and big sounds threaten to efface the moody, detailed sound engineering that gave Midland such a unique voice in the first place.

7/10

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

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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!