First Listen: Dirty Beaches "Drifters/Love Is The Devil"

This is a record about the world and oneself. Actually, it is two distinct records that Dirty Beaches - Taiwanese born, Hawaiian and Canadian raised Alex Zhang Hungtai - will put out via Zoo Music next week. The first one, called "Drifters", is more outgoing, more about the world, while the second one, "Love Is The Devil", is more quiet, more introspective and, well - more awesome. Hungtai told Pitchfork that "Drifters" turned out to be much more of a pop record than he had intended it to be, and to some, that may sound like a pretentious statement. Because "Drifters" is definitely more experimental than Hungtai's last record "Badlands" from 2011, and that one was a Rock'n'Roll-Drone-Ambient concept album far from anything pop!

But there is some deeper truth to it, as "Drifters" has a simplicity to it - a sometimes intriguing, but too often rather boring dominance of drum computer and haunted vocals that unfortunately suffocate the other elements. "Love Is The Devil" then is a completely different thing. It is more experimental, captivating and much more personal. Hungtai's comment on Youtube: "I was crying my fucking eyes out when i wrote this and punching myself in the face. I don't give a shit about what peoples expectations are. This is why I'm doing this record. its for myself and my life."



Although style and instrumentation are similar to "Drifters", it somtimes is hard to believe that this second album is by the same musician. Synths, guitar, piano and strings are much more prominent, and it is mostly instrumental, but that isn't what sets the two records apart. The thing that makes the difference is a sense of melody, of beauty and of the feeling of belonging that "Love Is The Devil" evokes. Feelings are hard to describe, personal, and oftentimes not transferable, I know. But Dirty Beaches somehow succeeded in making a record that takes you in its arms, holds you lightly and says: "It's all gonna be alright." And I believe that feeling is universal. Dirty Beaches is on tour in Europe right now.

Best Video: Max Cooper feat. Kathrin deBoer "Numb"

The new video by German visual artist and designer Henning M. Lederer for British producer Max Cooper's "Numb" starts out with a pictogram of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. Originally a study on human proportions, the Vitruvian Man has later on been used to symbolize harmony, symmetry and wholeness. But it seems as though mankind has become too busy, too much held perpetually motion and is too closely monitored by machines to stay that way: Still and whole. The pictogram of a man in the center of the installation is standing still for one second though, but only to be jump started again, when the complex system explodes to the sound of heavy bass and dark beats. Everything is hardwired, connected and on the move, but without ever going somewhere. "Man" could be seen as to have external forces pushing him to pointless movement, but as is shown by the end of the video - he already has internalized all of it.

The video is an extension of Lederer's work "Machinatorium" from 2009, and Max Cooper said it is themed as "numbed by the capitalist machine". Watch below, and full screen equals full effect, of course.

First Listen: Valentin Stip "Angst EP"

Valentin Stip is on Nicolas Jaar's Clown&Sunset label, and that says it all. Just like the master of lush, atmospheric sounds himself, the apprentice Stip is truly adapt in bringing an analogue, bodily feel to his tunes. His claps, snaps and bass "thumps" resonate directly in the eardrums of the listener and thereby invoke a sensation of closeness that is rarely found elsewhere. The master/apprentice wording does not truely fit their reationship though, because while Stip seemed to have taken lessons from Jaar regarding electronic production techniques, Jaar got to learn the classical piano from Stip.

Parisien born Montreal resident Stip now released his second EP "Angst", a five track beauty of very careful music, on said label. The four originals do not set themselves far apart from his last EP "Anytime Will Do" from 2011. They are still  special sonic experiences. While "Hiathaikm", which has been around for a year, is still one of the highlights of the EP, the other three tracks - including the title track - don't fall far off that height. Especially "Nwia" is a beautiful, evolving, living organism of clicks, ambient noise, sax and chopped vocals - one of the best pieces of music Clown&Sunset ever put out. But as with most of Stip's tracks, you need to take care not so scare it off, as it is a shy, delicate creature. So click with care below.

First Listen: Phaseone "If I Tell U"

Brooklyn/St. Louis producer Andrew Jernigan aka Phaseone has created a spectacular sonic eargasm. Was he so far mostly known for his remixes - of Burial or Animal Collective, for instance - his new LP "If I Tell U" will put his original material in the heads of a lot of people. Because while those were nice, but too often quite conservative takes on familiar melodies, this LP is an intense journey into Bloopyland, the place we love the most. Well, I just made that place up, of course, but Phaseout indeed takes the best of neighbouring worlds and creates a place of his own.



The LP is a border triangle built of heavy synth layers (almost droning/drowning in it), of smooth delayed hip hop beats and of the reverbed/chopped up vocals of dream pop. All of those ingredients are well know and en vogue right now, true. And this place indeed instantly feels familiar to the listener, but Phaseone gets the mixture so perfectly right that it never becomes boring. The key is the experimental ambient feel to all of it, and it is the reason I am talking about places so much in this review. Ambient music is designed to create imaginary rooms the listener can drift off to. But though the eleven tracks flow smoothly and ambient, this drifting-off rarely happens, because there is too much going on, and most of the songs are just too tightly built around grounding beats and synth walls.



The vocals get used too little though, but then again they aren't always too interesting when they actually are there. One positive example of vocals use is "Bianca", which may be the most conventional song on the album. But "If I Tell U" is at its best when Phaseone just lets the synths go wild, and boy, he does that a lot. The last, self-titled track is a favorite of mine and the epitome of synthbleeps. You will need to head over to GvB to listen to that one, and to album in its entirety, as it is only streamed there as a whole before it is released via Adult Swim's Williams Street Records on Tuesday.

Best Remix: Miguel "Do You..." (Cashmere Cat Remix)

In his 2012 R&B pop hit, Miguel asked "...do you like drugs?", but it was a sleazy pickup line, later revealed to start with "I want to...". So while Miguel really only wanted to do the girl, Norwegian producer Cashmere Cat has remixed this track now - and he really wants to do the drugs. And some drugs those have to be! They kick in after about 1:20 mins and result in some major drop, the typical Cashmere Cat chopped claps, hard bass and shifted vocal chords. It is one intense trip, Kitty Kitty, and may be his best remix work yet.

Track Love: Koreless "Sun"

Experimental/chill artist Koreless from Glasgow posted the first track off his debut EP "Yugen", out on Young Turks on May 21st, on his website this week. Although he only ever released single tracks so far, he already has quite a standing in the scene - by remixing How To Dress Well and Jaques Greene, for instance. The synth ambient piece "Sun" is Lewis Robert's best work so far, featuring a shortlooped wobbly vocal element, some dry drums and lots of glacial synth "strings" later on. And that is some intro! Marvelous.

Track Love: Touch Sensitive "Pizza Guy"

Australian Future Classic label - home of Flume, one of our favourite Aussie artists - hit it big again with this track by Touch Sensitive. "Pizza Guy" is the most driving disco track of 2013 so far and had me snapping my fingers within seconds. The golden synths over some solid bass and chopped up vocals don't offer any surprises, but its composition and production are simply superb. Something for the summer.