Fulgeance – Ann Arbor
No secret has been made on this here site and radio show about our liking and interest in the One Handed Music label. You just have to look at the tracklists since January to see that. And they don’t even pay us!
Seriously though, as Trick pointed out to me by email a while back One Handed are obviously on it when it comes to their A&R approach and this is reflected in their next release, the ‘Smartbanging’ EP by Fulgeance. The French producer has become a favourite of mine since I first discovered him last year on the excellent 7×7 series, and even more so since I saw him live in London earlier this year. The man makes sweaty club music rooted in hip hop without taking itself too seriously, allowing for ridiculously infectious slowed down 4×4 rhythms laced with deliriously addictive synths and melodies. All of which he performs live on 2 MPCs while talking to the audience and just being an all-round great showman. If you ever get the chance to see him live, don’t miss it.
Back to the point, his new EP on One Handed has been one of my favourite releases of the year so far, with the title track rightfully getting an airing whenever I’ve been able to. After some pressing issues the EP is finally ready for release, and to celebrate this joyous fact the lovely people at One Handed are giving out a track for free (beats going round decapitating people as the French have been known to do).
So see below for a stream and download of ‘Ann Arbor’ taken from the ‘Smartbanging’ EP and also look over on the Bandcamp page for full details of the EP and links to buy the digital version (as well as a direct link for Ann Arbor if ours somehow doesn’t work for you). Vinyl version should be dropping anytime now, keep an eye on One Handed’s myspace for that. Also see PR blurb below:
Smartbanging’: it’s a made up word, but it’s as good as any to describe the style of this French don of the MPC2000: he makes the kind of goodtime party music that never goes out of fashion – but he’s about as far from ‘fashion’ as you can get. And he makes it all with a musical finesse that elevates it above the dumb club bangers and offers nourishment for the head as well as fuel for the feet. His EP features four of his own mutant discoid cuts and a strange, mesmerising late night trip from Detroit electro wunderkind Jimmy Edgar.
His two EPs for Musique Large and his alter-ego Peter Digital Orchestra have won him fans such as Busy P, Gilles Peterson and Dazed & Confused.
As usual a big big thanks to Alex for the love, and all that’s left to say is please proceed to get sweaty to this. Oh yeah and buy it, it’ll make your life better.
Dam Funk – On and On
L.A’s Dam Funk is dropping his debut album on Stones Throw later this year, but it wouldn’t be an ST release if there wasn’t something special to it and in this case it’s the fact that the release will be available as a 5 LP, with 2h30 of music!
As L.A’s ambassador of Boogie Funk, Dam Funk’s made a name for himself in the last few years as a purveyor of some of the best sounds, rocking dancefloors worldwide and dropping tracks to much acclaim and plenty of support across the board. Accordingly his debut LP is awaited by many, us included, and the first taste of it is here now in the form of the LAtrik EP, the first of five that make up the album.
LAtrick is available on Stones Throw as a digital release, with more to come. Click the link to buy and look below for official words from Dam and ST as well as a download of the track ‘On & On’ taken from the EP. Big thanks to Stones Throw for letting us share it with you.
From Dam-Funk himself:
“LAtrik is more of my ‘electric style’ (hence the title of this volume) which is influenced by, yet never bitin’, such great artist as Juan Atkins (Cybotron) & Prince to name just a few. It also highlights the more Modern sounds of L.A. based Funk right now with instrumentals like ‘Toeachizown’ & vocal tracks like ‘Mirrors’ which, I feel are distinctly my sound, humbly speaking. I hope U dig it, as this was made 4 U! Stay tuned 4 Volumes: 2. 3, 4, & 5. – D-Fâ€
From ST:
“Dam-Funk is currently putting finishing touches on his debut album Toeachizown which will be released this Fall as 5/LP set – two and a half hours of music – with CD version to follow. Toeachizown is a modern funk album, created in five distinct parts: LAtrik, Fly, Life, Hood, Sky. Stones Throw will be releasing a few of these volumes digitally prior to the vinyl & CD release in Fall. LAtrik is available now exclusively at http://stonesthrow.com.â€
Mexicans with Guns – Nuts and Bongos
Woke this morning to find the new EP from Mexicans With Guns in our inbox, the latest signee to Exponential Records, the label responsible for the excellent AM Architect album, ‘The Road to the Sun,’ which has been a firm favourite of both Mr Trick and I over the last couple of months.
Featuring MCs Cerebral Vortex and Spoek Mathambo, ‘Nuts and Bongos’ is some straight-up, feel good party music that is sure to leave dancefloors upside down, and the lovely people at Exponential have been kind enough to let us share it with you.
The ‘Nuts and Bongos’ EP features the title track alongside 4 remixes from the likes of Ninjasonik and Robot Koch. We’ll let the guys at Exponential explain it to you:
“We are the world…we are the children. Remember that shit? The superstars of the world came together to spread a positive message…love is really all you need. Well, 3 of those children grew up and guess what…they linked up together to form a super group to spread an equally positive message…love might be all you need but what about all the sex, drugs, and club bangers, the stuff you want?
Latest signee to the roster, Mexicans with Guns links up with MC’s Cerebral Vortex and Spoek Mathambo to collaborate on the Nuts and Bongos EP, a guaranteed sure shot for the dancefloors. Each member of this collab has been generating some waves. Mexicans with Guns was selected to URB Magazine’s Next 100, Spoek Mathambo recently released a few hot tracks on the Adult Swim African Swim Compilation, and Cerebral Vortex is a name on the tip of the blogworld tongue. To make things go even harder, the crew enlisted the talents of Ninjasonik, Cobra Krames, Robot Koch of Jahcoozi, and GTO for remixes.
We are the world made the day brighter…this collab seeks to make the night darker and the clubs stankier.”
The EP comes out next week, check the Exponential website to buy directly or for details on where else to find it.
Download ‘Mexicans with Guns – Nuts and Bongos’ (right click and save as)
Mayer Hawthorne – Maybe So, Maybe No [download]
It’s Monday and the blues settles in as the realisation of a long week ahead sinks in. Fear not, for the good people over at Stones Throw have something to help keep the blues at bay and start the week on an uplifting tip.
Their plan is quite simple: putting the title track from the latest single from Mayer Hawthorne, ‘Maybe So, Maybe No,’ out there in the wilderness that is the internet, letting it spread its way and infect earphones/speakers with its sunny vibe and uplifting mood. You can download the track below. As they put it:
“If you’ve somehow missed him till now, Mayer Hawthorne is a young soul singer & musician from Michigan who brings his hip-hop background to the Motown sound. His debut single has garnered him huge props from the likes of Q-Tip, Mark Ronson, Gilles Peterson, Benji B and far too many others to mention. B-side to this new single is the lovely ‘I Wish It Would Rain’”.
Hawthorne’s first single, the rather excellent ‘Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out’, was a firm Rhythm Inc favourite in 08 and this new one is already creeping up in the favourite stakes too.
‘Maybe So, Maybe No’ is out now on digital via Stones Throw’s own shop. Grab the title cut below, and if you like it then go that little extra length and cop the whole single. It is worth it. I believe the vinyl version should be out in the coming month(s).
Download Mayer Hawthorne – Maybe So, Maybe No here! (right click and save as)
Also check the pretty nice super-cheap video for the single’s b-side here:
And if you somehow managed to miss Hawthorne’s debut single, you can find the video on Youtube here.
El Michels Affair – C.R.E.A.M
We got this wicked cover of the classic Wu Tang joint C.R.E.A.M through in the inbox this week and it’s been rotating since. Taken from the forthcoming ‘Enter the 37th Chamber’ album by El Michels Affair, it’s a perfect example of how to do the cover thing the right way.
El Michels Affair are a New York-based instrumental group that bring together musicians from The Dap Kings, The Budos Band and Antibalas. I’ll let the press release do the rest of the explaining…
‘For Enter The 37th Chamber, a name that pays homage to the title of the Wu-Tang Clan’s historic debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), El Michels Affair, took the time to interpret fifteen of some of the most legendary and well-known Wu-Tang Clan songs, including “Can It All Be So Simple,” “Protect Ya Neck,” “Cherchez La Ghost,” and “Incarcerated Scarfaces.” Also included on the album are the El Michel’s interpolations of Wu-Tang Clan anthems “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Bring Da Ruckus,” two songs fans will undoubtedly remember from their previous release as 7″ singles through the Truth & Soul label. Similar to the sounds found on those two records, on Enter The 37th Chamber El Michels Affair are able to bring their own astute musicianship, artistic touch, and soul vibe to each instrumental, breathing new life into already classic songs. It was that musicianship and versatile sound that led to El Michels Affair joining the Fat Beats family, and now, two years later, the album is finally ready for the masses’
The album drops in late April on Fat Beats. For now though enjoy this one for free and be sure to grab this when it drops.
Download El Michels Affair – C.R.E.A.M (right click and save as)
