Synkro Does What Synkro Does Best

Lowb is Andy Barlow, one half of British duo Lamb, and he is currently prepping his first solo effort in the shape of album Leap and the Net Will Appear which is out June 3rd on Distiller Records. Before that however Barlow is releasing an EP based on the album’s first single ‘Inward Outburst’ and has invited low-end supremo Synkro to do a remix.

In complete Synkro fashion we are exposed to absolutely miles deep low-end which shakes you to the core throughout the whole record. The track begins with some sweeping oceanside chords before trading places with a series of plucked guitar arpeggios. The vocals have been transformed from the original, from straight-up vocal arrangement to massively reverbed and delayed vocal yearning, the dynamics of which fluctuate with such regularity as to feel entrapped, longing for escape. The track is laden with windswept synth patterns as Synkro takes you through his entire arsenal of synth settings across 4 octaves, such layering only further enhances the sense of mystery and intrigue as no individual part really comes to the fore, asserting itself as the sole melody.

The most impressive element of the record though is the fierce percussion that is in a state of constant escalation throughout the tracks duration. He has always used unapologetically electronic and metallic percussion instruments but there is a new sense of aggression present in this record. During the remix the kick pattern never fluctuates from a straight 4:4 rhythm whilst the hats and rim shots float around it. When the track breaks down at 2:40 the track appears to tail off as if to end before the vocals are once again employed in an almost ‘come hither’ way. The usual escalation continues but takes an even more aggressive turn with the introduction of the type of kick synonymous with a certain Massive Attack track, and accompanied with the rapid hats it makes for one of the most compelling beats you’ll hear.

Mount Kimbie and King Krule Team Up

A month ago London-based duo Mount Kimbie dropped the first two tracks from their upcoming sophomore LP Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, due out on May 27th via Warp. ‘Made To Stray’ & ‘Blood & Form’ have seen the duo move themselves away from the ‘producers’ tag and instead pursue the avenue of becoming a ‘band’, this has been led by the inclusion of live drums as well as the pair themselves providing vocals rather than their customary pitched and screwed vocal samples. They have not lost their off-beat, click-clack sensibilities, however they are taking a more backseat role in favour of creating ‘songs’ rather than ‘beats’.

The new single ‘You Took Your Time’ continues the philosophy adopted in the previous two songs and sees the first of two appearances from neo-soul singer King Krule – real name Archie Marshall. Mount Kimbie lay a jazz-inflected beat of heavily reverbed open hats and staccato dampened snares whilst Marshall straddles the line between indie-crooner and speak-singer. The track builds throughout it’s duration and with the inclusion of an organ synth comes a more growly edge to King Krule’s singing, both aspects insinuating a sense of distress and loneliness that can be laid at the door of both artists’ previous work.

With these three songs Mount Kimbie are creating records that are quite different from their previous work and are opening themselves up to a slightly more mainstream audience however still maintaining the subtle inflections that attracted their fan base in the first place. It is great to see the pair continually developing their sound and achieving more success as a result.

Maribou State Take You Back To ’99

Maribou State are an electronic duo from London, they specialise in creating emotive, ethereal bass music illiciting obvious comparisons to Bondax. 2012 saw the pair rapidly rise to notoriety thanks to their track ‘Olivia’ and a couple of releases on Fatboy Slim’s Southern Fried Records. They also have a knack for creating a great remix and have given their own interpretation to Jagga, 2 Bears, Wretch 32 and Crookers in the past.

This week they released another stunning remix, this time of a track from label boss Fatboy Slim. The track in question is the 1999 no. 1 smash hit ‘Praise You’ and Maribou State have taken it to a far more mystical place than you would have thought possible. The track is slow to get going, beginning with a two-chord keys rhythm, an intermittent bass line and softly brushed snares before building in both complexity and volume. We are introduced to a playful set of percussion before a multi-voiced, heavily flanged synth section enters in an attempt to cheer up the track, an attempt that does little to change the overall pessimistic mood.

Gone are the famous piano chords, replaced instead by a swung keyboard rhythm section. Gone is the happy-go-lucky vibe, replaced instead with a depressed introverted expression however the most compelling alteration is the ability to change “I have to praise you like I should” from an outward expression of gratitude to the under-the-breath muttering of a regretful man and it is this stark contrast that makes the remix so compelling.

Chief Keef gets over-sized by RL Grime

The 17-year old Chicago drill prodigy Chief Keef has had his song ‘Love Sosa’ remixed by Los Angeles producer RL Grime. Always known for his big moombahton / trap influenced records this one is no different.

The track begins with Keef’s mutterings and a muted melody of synths underneath. This then builds to a massively over-sized set of synths accompanying the chorus and you may well think that that was the drop and that this is the main melody of this already massive record, but you would be mistaken. Dropping in to a stripped-back trap melody synonymous with Grime himself the track loses it’s hectic nature and returns with a staccato horn synth and massive kick-bass combinations.

This contrasting relationship between the two sections is played well, with the track bouncing between heavy and overdeveloped to refined and subtle and it makes the remix a very successful one.

Do You Like Drugs?

Well me too.

In a musical landscape full of genres, sub-genres and sub-sub-genres it is almost impossible for a new artist to avoid some form of categorisation, however Norwegian DJ-turned-producer Cashmere Cat appears to have evaded such classification. Now Magnus August Høiberg, the man responsible for BITR8′s 6th Best EP of 2012 (which in hindsight should really be higher), is back with a remix of ‘Do You…’, the 2nd single from Miguel’s excellent Kaleidoscope Dream. Having circulated the blogosphere courtesy of rips from his Rinse FM set the track now has an official upload.

The track begins with Høiberg’s customary arpeggiated progressions before peeling away to allow the vocals to take hold. Underlay by hats struck with such frequency that they are not too dissimilar to a hundred crickets chirping and accentuated with occasional pitch-shifting of vocals, the track builds towards the drop and then let’s loose; it is as if he has hundreds of ideas of how he wishes to remix this track and just decided to incorporate elements of them all. We have big kick-clap combinations adding punch with vocals shifted both an octave lower and higher before returning back to the arpeggios and a more refined feel before reverting again.

The beauty of a Cashmere Cat record is the apparent spontaneity with which the track changes, as you get used to one section he’ll flip it on it’s head and show another way of interpreting it. Drums flicker between normal, double and half time feels and the vocals can never work out whether they want to be reverbed and atmospheric or grungy and trap-orientated with significant pitch shift. Whatever the decision you can always be confident that this producer will take you on an entertaining journey.

The ‘Great Gatsby’ Soundtrack Just Got A Hell Of A Lot More Epic

Just when you thought that nothing could top Beyonce and Andre 3000 covering Amy Winehouse, or Florence & The Machine releasing an epic ballad, or Lana Del Rey crooning about young love, Interscope Records have just dropped UK E.D.M trio Nero‘s contribution to the film score. The track was premiered this evening on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 show and on first listen it stunned me, this track is incredible.

Beginning with a series of female deep breaths, the song builds towards singer Alana Watson’s breathy vocals that have been drowned in reverb, delay and many other effects. The tempo is a lot slower than you would expect from a Nero track but incorporates all the computer-orientated elements that made their debut album Welcome Reality such a commercial success. The astonishing thing about the track is the pure depth of the layering, kicks and snares skitter along in the background as the synths incorporate about 50 different voices. The song is a beautifully undulating symphony as drops are insinuated but never quite provided, where you would expect to hear loud bass and synths you instead get string quartets.

The standout, show-stopping moment occurs at the 1:45 stage when Watson sings a chromatic escalation that is so perfect that, having listened to it now in excess of 20 times, I am still blown away. The synths underneath are complimented by the orchestral section which then both provide incredible foundations for the aforementioned vocal. We are not allowed to enjoy this for long however as the production almost immediately brings the track back to earth for another verse but, as you expected and prayed for, this is the not the last time it is heard.

This track has only made me even more excited for the release of this soundtrack on May 7th, and earlier today I didn’t think that was possible. I think the awards for Best Film Score are already in the post to executive producer Jay-Z.

Stream Jai Paul’s Debut LP

Well it’s about time. It’s been 6 years since the Rayners Lane export released his game-changing ‘BTSTU’ and 1 year since his R&B-infused hit ‘Jasmine’. Now Jai Paul has slyly dropped his debut LP, or so it seems. The self-titled album contains all of the eclectic, hyperactive themes that we’ve come to expect from Paul alongside skits containing quite a few Harry Potter clips, amongst others.

The LP is made up 16 untitled tracks however we know a few from previous releases: track 9 is ‘Jasmine’, track 16 is ‘BTSTU’ and track 7 is ‘Crush’ which is a cover of a Jennifer Paige song.

There has been no word yet from his label XL Recordings so speculation suggests that Paul has dropped this without permission from the authorities, such a Jai Paul thing to do. Stream the full album below.

Update: Jai himself has disputed the leak, see below

To confirm: demos on bandcamp were not uploaded by me, this is not my debut album. Please don't buy. Statement to follow later. Thanks, Jai—
Jai Paul (@jai_paul) April 15, 2013

The plot thickens.

Another ‘Song From Scratch’

After the collaboration between Shlohmo and Jeremih on ‘Bo Peep’, the Yours Truly and Adidas Originals series “Songs From Scratch” has returned with this gem from Canadian Jacques Greene and U.S. singer Tinashe.

Greene has always had a knack for working with female vocals, this was extensively displayed in his early The Look and Another Girl EPs, and more recently on his production work on the title track for Katy B’s new Danger EP. On ‘Painted Faces’ this is no different, as Tinashe’s softly spoken words are beautifully interwoven in to a lurching, slinky beat. For a guy who says that he does not “fully understand” writing pop music he has an amazing ability to create rhythms and melodies perfectly suited to radio play. Greene’s production abilities are on full display here, his arpeggiated rhythms and infectious drum-kick patterns taking hold. He takes the vocals in and out of focus, allowing infrequent cooing to sit lower and more reverbed in the track than the verses and includes occasional, irregular harmonisation. The beat utilises Greene’s usual penchant for garage-inflected rhythms as well as big, hard-hitting kicks and undistinguishable percussion instruments.

The track is another success in the series and where it doesn’t match the purple undertones and climatic nature of ‘Bo Peep’ it makes up for it with pure class and professionalism. Greene and Tinashe compliment each other brilliantly so lets hope this isn’t the last collaboration they have in mind.

Norwegian Takeover

Norwegian producer Cashmere Cat has been remixed by Norwegian singer-songwriter and hip-hop artist LidoLido. The track in question is ‘Kiss Kiss’ from Cashmere Cat’s Mirror Maru EP, BITR8′s no. 6 of 2012.

LidoLido – real name Peder Losnegård – is little known outside of his native Norway but boasts a 2012 album, Pretty Girls & Grey Sweaters, on Norway’s branch of Universal Music. On this remix the 20-year old maintains the bouncy nature of the original but gives it an even more staccato feel. The main riff is now supplemented by a cowbell percussion to start and a staccato synth rhythm during the verses, adding to the climatic nature of the record. The chopped-and-screwed vocal sample is now manipulated even further when Losnegård takes the melody to even higher octaves during the breakdown and gives the melody an off-beat but mighty catchy rhythmic inflection.

The reason I enjoy this remix so much is that the main element of the original song, the vocal sample melody, is used to full effect. LidoLido has chosen to take this catchy, pop-infused aspect and work it and manipulate it to his liking and produce every other element to suit, and for this reason the whole track comes together superbly.

Introducing: Toyboy & Robin

Toyin Mustapha and Rob Drake, a.k.a Toyboy & Robin, are almost a complete personification of the recent resurgence of populist house music. The London duo combine R&B samples with garage-inflected synth patterns to create some of the most accessible dance music i’ve come across since the breakout of Disclosure and Bondax.

In a recent interview with Rock Feedback both Mustapha and Drake talk about the influence of hip-hop and soul on their music and say that they each discovered dance music in their mid-to-late teens, a fact that is remarkable considering their prowess in the genre.

On their earlier releases such as ‘Loving You’ and ‘To The Top’ (below) the emphasis is clearly upon the use of the depth, layering and the manipulation of the vocal samples, a recurring theme throughout their entire discography. As they stated in the aforementioned interview “dance music is electronic, repetitive and very long” and, as almost degrading as that appears, they tick all of these boxes and successfully steer themselves away from the tendency to incorporate big drops in the mould of guys like David Guetta and Avicii.

In more recent releases Toyboy & Robin have moved in to the continuously undefined genre of bass music and have significantly increased their dependence on low-end in a similar way to that which has seen producers like Julio Bashmore and Duke Dumont gain significant popularity, however it is the depth of the records and the sheer hectic nature that sets these two apart. Where producers like George Fitzgerald and Scuba aim for a more refined output these guys actively pursue synths more heavily voiced and harmonised and drum beats that elaborate from the straight kick and clap rhythms popular in current trends.

New track ‘Jaded’, forthcoming on Cool Kid Music, epitomises this pursuit. Starting off with an glitchy combination of hats and hollow kicks, it is the manipulated vocal samples that provide the main hook before the four-note bass rhythm enters. Throughout the record it is the illiterate yearning of the vocals that retain attention whilst the synth work drops out and builds up effortlessly.

To me these guys seem the real deal, and the realist, business-minded approach they allude to in their interview will only stand them in good stead going forwards. That and they’re brilliant ability with female vocals. Keep an eye and an ear out for Toyboy & Robin in future months.