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Mike Davis - Baniza EP

Hot on the heels of their recent EP from a seemingly revitalised Domu, fledgling UK label Sector 12/12 returned to the fray last week with a brand new release from Berlin-based producer Mike Davis.

The digital imprint Sector 12/12 first appeared on our radar a few months ago following a low key launch at the beginning of the year. In that time, label head Mr Shift has already delivered two free Bandcamp releases to pique listeners’ interest, following up an initial EP of deep ambient electronica from the producer Infest with the well-received (and somewhat out of the blue) comeback release from Domu. Both shed some light on the agenda of the new label, a love for pushing twisted electronic sounds overground clearly proving to be a pivotal force that initially brought Sector 12/12 into being. This fact is further confounded by the release of this third EP, written and produced by Mike Davis, a quality four-tracker that features conflicting takes on forward-thinking techno.

Davis is a new name to us, although we’ve been reliably informed that he’s been making electronic records since 2011. Of Canadian heritage but currently based in the musical hotbed of Berlin, he’s a prolific producer (so much so that when asked to submit a demo, he sent through 22 tracks) and by the sounds presented on this EP, a well-versed one at that. Here he flexes his production chops in various ways, pulling together diverse strands of the techno genre and showcasing them in a more than cohesive manner. The productions unmistakably share a common bond with the rawer elements of 90s house and 303 acid culture, yet each of the tracks explores the territory in a different way.

The title track ‘Baniza’ opens things up and heads straight for the jugular with a deep and gnarly sound propelled forward by the simplest of kicks and a relentless bassline that provides perfect fodder to fuel those 6am shuffles on the dancefloor. ‘Toasted Acid’ begins in a similar vein before breaking out into a more refined and driving slice of futuristic funk, while the 303 (as the name suggests) is heavily worked in the background. It’s a mixdown which is more than capable of blowing the doors off any night at Berghain, yet has enough going on to stand out from some of the more soulless productions of its contemporaries. The second half of the EP is slightly more ‘soulful’ kicking of with ‘Synaptic’ which layers syncopated synth stabs on top of a driving hypnotic groove. For us though, it’s perhaps the final track ‘Pedestrian Sound’ which takes the prize, a warm old school style jam with skippy drums and sweeping synths that create an evocative hybrid of deep house and soul-infused techno. Overall, it’s an inviting glimpse into the world of Davis and another solid collection of sounds presented by Sector 12/12.. We can’t wait to hear what’s in store for #4!

Check out samples of the all four tracks below and if some take your fancy, make sure you support by picking them up via the label’s Bandcamp page.

Jesse Futerman

The Toronto beat maker follows up his trilogy of atmospheric Jazz drenched EPs for London label Jus Like Music Records with an album of unreleased tracks, b-sides and remixes.

There’s something a little melancholy about the music of Jesse Futerman. Whether it’s the siren calls of long forgotten Jazz divas excavated from the past that are often so richly sampled, or rather the moods that he creates with each additional layer of instrumentation, Futerman’s work is deep. Rooted in hip-hop, but with flourishes of soul, Jazz and electronica, the producer has already crafted three exquisite EPs for the Jus Like Music imprint and here he closes out this particular chapter of his work with the release of ‘Hidden Basement’, a ten-track exploration of previously unreleased beats.

At just over 30 minutes in length, it’s a short but engaging listen, one bubbling with a traditional hip-hop sensibility but twisted in way that somehow makes the end result sound otherworldly. In the process of constructing his tracks, Futerman pulls from a variety of sources to elaborate on the ethereal vibe he very often creates, a crisp kick drum or snare pushed front and centre in the mix to bring that little bit of bite to each piece. The first five tracks very much tread the same route, beat-driven downtempo sounds rich with samples derived from dusty old jazz records, film dialogue and a touch of psychedelic folk in places. The results are well produced and glide effortlessly along but it’s not until the producer pairs with Toronto associate Deebs on the excellent ‘Lonely Soul’ that we get a little something different, handclaps and a Moroder-esque synth workout pushing things in an almost nu-disco direction. There’s further experiments in four to the floor territory as ‘I Don’€™t Go Out Very Often’  turns into memorable late night jam heavily inspired by the late Terry Callier, while the all too brief ‘Futureman’ is perhaps the most straight ahead take on house with its analog synths and bassline throb. A pair of remixes close out the set, both firmly planted in beat territory, Kidkanevil dropping a tasty reflip of ‘A Good Man Is Gone’ (originally released on Futerman’s ‘Super Basement’ EP) while Ryan Hemsworth reworks the previously unreleased ‘Santiago’ into a bass heavy monster.

Overall it’s another inviting glimpse into the world of the producer and his ongoing experiments, and with a release forthcoming on the R&S affiliated Apollo Records, the future looks bright for the young Canadian. Stream the album below and head on over to Bandcamp to name your price.

Playing catch up? Complete the series >>
Jesse Futerman - Exquisite Basement EP Jesse Futerman - Fuse The Witches EP Jesse Futerman - Super Basement EP

Charles Trees

Following the release of his extended set of electronic gems on Christmas Eve last year, Ann Arbour producer Charles Trees once again steps into the limelight with a new EP on Madrid’s suitably eclectic Lovemonk.

Enter stage left Charles Trees, so far a pretty likeable character out of Ann Arbour, Michigan, a state that single-handedly seems to have a stronghold on our writing of late. Truth be told this post had already been half written before the full samples of his new six-track EP had even been unearthed. There was just something totally irresistible about the title track “Rootwork” which had us hooked when it turned up in our music stream on Bandcamp earlier this month (shout to Mike Guerreri on that one). A unique mix of spaced out jazz, sax, electronic badness and 303 bass lines, it’s five and a half minutes of totally original music, all twists and turns – oh and it bangs HARD. That’s Dan Bennett on baritone sax (you may have already heard his work previously as part of the band Nomo) and we presume Mr Trees on all other machinery.

Thankfully it turns out the EP isn’t just a one-tracker as the Trees has a talent for constructing slow building jams that approach the age old problem of ‘genre’ in such a haphazard way, that things just seem to end up sonically pleasing. Take “Exodus” for instance, a tune which at the start bears more than a passing resemblance to a drum circle attempting to recreate a beatdown track, before a heavy kick punctuates the groove and we go off in search of that dark corner in the disco, next to the speaker stack. “Get Advanced” is what you would call futuristic hip hop if Konono No. 1 happened to employ a DJ, Detroit rapper, poet and Egyptologist Intricate Dialect effortlessly spitting lyrics over a distorted wall of percussion and acidic stabs. Then there’s the final of Tree’s four productions here, “What’s Next”, a shimmering, celestial build that breaks out into the most delicious of synthed out boogie cuts, the aforementioned Mr Bennett returning to add a little further sax spice in the second half.

The EP is rounded off with two very different remixes from Madrid’s very own veteran techno producer DJ F and fellow Ann Arbour native Shigeto. On his “DJ F Restructure”,  F strips away the organic feel of “Rootdown” and concentrates on building a fairly angular piece of house, all tripped out keys, breaks and mechanical beats, while Shigeto sets about contorting “What’s  Left” into an extended 9 minute behemoth, ramping up the original’s atmospherics before unleashing a driving slab of deep techno.

The EP is out today digitally and you can download it direct via Bandcamp. There’s also a 12″ floating about in all your usual spots (always nice to know). Try before you buy below!

Mo Kolours

We’ve already touched on the fact that there’s perhaps something in the water south of the river. A rich vein of creativity has been carefully simmering for a few years now in South London and a strong proponent of this new wave is the man who goes by the name of Mo Kolours, the recording alias of UK producer, percussionist and singer Joseph Deenmamode.

Deenmamode first ascended onto the scene in early 2011, a Gilles Peterson co-sign and his inclusion on Alex Chase’s One-Handed Music roster helping him to transcend the usual trappings of the underground circuit. Three years later and following a triptych of EPs that first introduced us to his forward-thinking sound, yesterday saw this initial chapter draw to a close with the release of his self-titled debut album.

An 18-track odyssey (but clocking in at a mere 32 minute running time), Deenmamode’s first full length is an inventive wander through a myriad of musical influences, with elements of psychedelic soul and funk, hip-hop, electronica, house and dub all juxtaposed deep in the mix. It’s a collection of sound collages, some fully formed, some presented as sketches, but nevertheless a cohesive work, predominantly born out of the extensive use of percussive techniques and chopped samples that pepper each track. As with his previous EPs, there’s a languid, almost disjointed feel to the album, influenced no doubt by the producer’s dual Mauritian-British heritage and his reported studies into the sub-tropical sounds of the island’s traditional Sega music. It’s these loping rhythms that seemingly give a worldly, exotic feel to the beats, as hand claps, shakers, whistles and wood blocks collide to form the basis on which the rest of the melodies sit.

While the atmospheric opener Brixton House sets the precedent for the sonic experiments to come, the album springs into life with one of the early standouts, the recent single Little Brown Dog, a feel good groove built around a heavy kick and whimsical steel drum sample while Deenmamode recounts a tale about his dog. Elsewhere, Mike Black, a tribute song to 1970s British funk group Cymande, saunters into view, the laid back vocal drifting over a whirring synth line and galloping beat, while In Her Eyes (Funk Heart) is a low-slung, bass heavy beast of a tune that comes highly recommended. It’s this kind of left leaning approach to beat making and songwriting that make this album such an intriguing listen. With every new rewind comes a new discovery, and it certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously, Play It Loud (In Your Car)being a great example in point, Deenmamode taking something as mundane as an in-depth knowledge of car makes and models to craft a playful two-minute gem, weaving in as he does shout-outs to fellow beatsmith and label mate Paul White and the 22a crew.

Overall the album is another fascinating glimpse into the mind of one of London’s most promising (and creative) producers, offering up as it does a number of accomplished nuggets for our summer soundtrack, if not also for our end of year list. Stream the album in full below and grab the vinyl or CD at your local store (be quick though, pre-orders on the OHM Bandcamp sold out!)

Playing catch up? You need these >>

Mo Kolours EP1: Drum TalkingMo Kolours EP2: Banana WineMo Kolours EP3: Tusk Dance

 

Low Leaf

Just before we shut up shop for the weekend, we think there’s enough time to drop one last new discovery for this week. Seemingly set free this past Monday by the awesome Oregon outfit Fresh Selects via their Bandcamp, this tasty morsel from Los Angelena Low Leaf just oozed into our headphones after one of our end of day jaunts on the web (at this point we should probably show our Late Pass to security). Apparently an outtake from a forthcoming album ‘AKASHAALAY’ (due April 29th through Fresh Selects) and featuring a production credit from none other than King Britt (Oba Funke, Scuba, Sylk130 to name but a few aliases), it seems the vocalist / multi-instrumentalist caught our attention fairly easily. An excellent slice of experimental soul, which simmers and smolders throughout its four minute length, ‘A Light Within’ is just the right kind of beat-orientated goodness we love to add to our daily diet. The fact that it’s a free download too is kind of a no-brainer.

As we look forward to the new album dropping next month, preview and download the beat below and if like us, you need a little more to Low Leaf in your life then a good place to start is right here.

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