February 2013
1 post
3 tags
Loose Synths Version 2.0 - loosesynths.com
Loose Synths just got upgraded! Please head to loosesynths.com for the new version of the site. We will no longer be posting through Tumblr. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far, come say hello over on the new site.
Spokes, DLVRY, Shooting Horses
January 2013
14 posts
Waze & Odyssey - Be Right There
We dig a bit of W&O at Loose Synths HQ and ‘Be Right There’ on Kerri Chandlers Madtech imprint is another little gem rewarding our faith in the duo. Hypnotic as it is danceable, it’s a pure slice of perfection.
You can cop this, complete with Citizen remix from MadTech on February 25th.
DLVRY
8 tags
Maybach w/ Ryan Hemsworth - 01/02/12 @ Birthdays
The Maybach gang are back, copping a serious booking for their next party in the form of hotly (and deservedly) tipped Canadian producer, Ryan Hemsworth who’ll be performing his first London show for them. The Frank Ocean remixer and Main Attrakionz producer has dropped a slew of fresh productions in the past 12 months, with his sun-kissed and decidely idiosyncratic take on hip hop and...
8 tags
Trevino - Klockworks 09
Another strong release from Marcus Kaye under his Trevino guise (he’s probably better known as D&B veteran Marcus Intalex), this time through Ben Klock’s eponymous Klockworks label. The A-Side ‘Forged’ first featured on the label owner’s ‘Fabric 66’ mix - it’s rattling throb sandwiched nicely between the technoid skip of DJ Bone’s...
4 tags
Baauer - Slip
Bauuer sure knows how to rattle ‘em off doesn’t he?
‘Slip’ has made it’s way onto a few places including Diplo on Radio 1Xtra and Rinse. The sparse textures favoured previously on his Dum Dum EP (we liked) now take the backseat for an all out assault with familiar signature sounds and “that bass”.
Hoping to hear this one out on a system soon.
DLVRY
3 tags
Lapalux - Guuurl
Blogging took a bit of a backseat to our Alibi party this weekend (more to come on that soon), however, it was too much to not give Lapalux’s latest some love. ‘Guuurl’ is the first single to drop from his forthcoming Brainfeeder album ‘Nostalchic’, dropping March 26th.
It’s a gorgeous show of sonic depth combined with a powerful execution of production...
3 tags
Call Super - The Present Tense
Since their teaser video for the Houndstooth label emerged a few weeks ago, Loose Synths HQ has been excited as to what the first release from Fabric’s new label would sound like.
We’re pleased to say that the audio clips that have surfaced for ‘The Present Tense’, the inaugural release from Call Super are sounding really rather good. We were digging his release for Five...
4 tags
Kyle Hall - Untitled (Free Download)
I missed this when Kyle Hall dropped it first time round on Christmas Eve but the Wild Oats boss has re-upped a free download of the Karizma inspired jam ‘Untitled’. Considerably less abstract than some of his more recent output alongside Kero or Funkineven, this one grooves along nicely on a warm fuzzy bassline and shuffling drums. File alongside Andrés, Moodymann, Rick Wade et...
8 tags
L-Vis 1990 - Circuit EP
Clones ever-consistent Jack For Daze imprint has just announced a new four track EP from Night Slugs boss and neon warrior L-Vis 1990. If you are a fan of his output through the ‘Slugs ‘Club Construction’ series then this one will be right up your street. Proper boshing machine jams that suggest less mouse clicking and more knob twiddling. From the bouncing, colourful strut...
8 tags
Jackmaster - In New DJs We Trust Show
Everyones favourite Scottish DJ and all round hero, Jackmaster, kicked off his ‘In New DJs We Trust’ Residency on BBC Radio 1 last night with an absolute stormer of a show. The 60 minute slot saw him drop a wealth of quality tunes including unreleased material from Deadboy as well as some classic Model 500 and a personal favourite of mine, Model8, which is a 90s Dutch rave classic by...
R.I.P Dope Jams
At the end of this month, 7 years to the day since it opened, Dope Jams will be closing its doors for good.
Rattling off a bunch of positive hyperbole or sentimental cliches without taking a good, hard look at the past would be a mistake. The truth is, we’ve made a lot of mistakes. Opening and holding down Dope Jams, however, was definitely not one of them. When we started working on the...
11 tags
Keysound Rinse FM Christmas Special
It’s been floating around on Blackdown’s blog/twitter for a couple of weeks now but the Keysound Rinse FM Christmas show really is a special one. Full of stone cold killer tunes with guest sets from Gerv LV, Logos & Visionist plus fresh young blood in the form of Wen & E.m.m.a, it’s a suitable reminder of what makes them one of most forward thinking labels around....
7 tags
Loose Synths @ The Alibi 11/01/13
So we’re back for the second installment of our new monthly residency at The Alibi in Dalston. December’s launch was a roadblock and Little 15 smashed it like we knew he would! For January we are bringing you a family affair with sets from Shooting Horses, DLVRY, Spokes and B.Smith. Expect all the music we write about on the blog plus loads more good stuff.
Line Up: Shooting...
4 tags
Soundstream - Julie's Theme/Inferno
A smoking hot new 12” from Frank Timm’s Soundstream project that is flying out of record shops currently. ‘Julie’s Theme’ starts life as a stuttering melody that evolves slowly into a steady house groove, only to fall apart as soon as it really gets anywhere, taking on an altered rhythmic state that is equally jerky yet more confident in it’s pounding intent....
6 tags
Velour - Speedway
Julio Bashmore and Hyetal have reconvened their ‘Velour’ side project to release the awesome ‘Speedway’. It’s been nearly two years since the neon-tinged ‘The Velvet Collection’ EP dropped on Night Slugs and this welcome return finds the duo working with flabby bass synths and big gated snares for a healthy dose of 80s inspired sleazy funk. DOPE!
Out...
December 2012
8 posts
4 tags
Andrés In-Store @ Kristina Records
Purveyors of fine quality vinyl, Kristina Records, have scored a real coup with a free instore set from Andrés this coming Sunday December 30th ahead of his NYE appearance for secretsundaze. The music starts at 7pm and it’s bring your own booze. For those of you wondering what all the fuss is about, the Detroit native and Moodymann associate has put out some of 2012’s best records...
10 tags
NYE 2012 - Loose Synths @ Catch
If you’re sick of the hefty door tax, luke warm beer and average tunes that characterise many a New Years Eve party then come join us for what promises to be an absolutely dope night, upstairs at Catch in Shoreditch. Alongside the chaps from Late Night Tales, we are going to be digging deep through our crates for an 8 hour extravaganza, playing the best in House, Hip Hop, Disco, Garage,...
4 tags
Heidi B2B Jackmaster Radio 1 mix
Great pic of these two, right?
Heidi went B2B with Jackmaster on Radio 1 the other night after crate digging through a most likely endless pile of old school Detroit, Chicago and UK records to put together this spiffing mix. It’s not available on the BBC website anymore so Heidi kindly stepped in and whacked it on her Soundcloud, available for stream & download below.
Too many big...
2 tags
Damu - Nothing To Fear / Nothing To Hide
Loose Synths favourite Damu has been relatively quiet since his stunning ‘Unity’ album on Keysound last year, but he’s been keeping busy remixing the likes of Spector, Ghostpoet & The D.O.T and more (check his Soundcloud for more on that).
Now he’s back with a stream of a forthcoming single coming out in January. It’s a big shift from the album, however you...
7 tags
The xx - Chained (John Talabot & Pional Blinded...
Sounding like a delayed Blinded by the Lights remix, John Talabot & Pional get their euphoria on for this remix of the XX’s Chained. Neither that club friendly nor that complexed, the duo prove that yet again less can certainly be more. A lovely finish to what has been a very busy year for Loose Synths favourite, Mr Talabot.
The XX will be playing live in Brixton tomorrow if...
7 tags
Py - Black Magic
Back from tour, and Py wastes no time in serving up another great track to sink our teeth into. With production credits from Kadabrah, Black Magic is dreamy and refreshing, both sonically and visually. Although I’m sure the production team were hoping for a dry spell on the day of the shoot, the elements make this video what it is. The rain epitomises what is essentially quite a sombre and...
6 tags
Beneath - Illusions EP
Few producers have excited me in 2012 like Beneath, a sentiment I suspect Keysound label boss Blackdown shares and indeed has acted upon, giving the Stoke native his first release outside of his own two ‘No Symbols’ EPs that came out in limited runs earlier this year. The six tracks that make up ‘Illusions’ continue the excellent form he has displayed previously, further...
5 tags
Youngstar – Pulse X Remixes
Two pretty exciting bits of news here - Liminal Sounds are starting a label AND they’re kicking off with some remixes of the classic ‘Pulse X’. To anyone reading this blog the track probably needs no introduction and it’s awesome that Youngstar has given Visionist, Blackwax, Slackk, Pedro 123 and label boss Elsewhere the parts. While it’s not the first time...
November 2012
21 posts
4 tags
MPIA3 - Acid Badger
‘Acid Badger’ is a monsterous cut from recent R&S signing MPIA3, (aka Truss) taken from his new EP ‘Your Orders’ which dropped this week. I could bandy round adjectives like ‘rugged’ and ‘brutal’ but really what’s the point. Heavily distorted kicks and a wild, gnarly 303 make for a full on acid techno banger. The rest of the EP is...
8 tags
Loose Synths @ The Alibi 08/12/12
Back in the game for our next run of parties and this time we’ve got a new home at The Alibi in Dalston. You know the score - cheap drinks, a good soundsystem and the type of music we write about on the blog. Expect the finest in techno, house, garage, hip hop, juke, jungle and whatever else we can throw through out. Come get drunk and dance with us.
Line Up:
Shooting Horses Spokes ...
9 tags
Sub Skank - SBSKNK001
A pomising debut EP from new London label Sub Skank, featuring Tanka, D Warrior and Pyramid Scheme all flexing their own take on the ‘UK Bass/130bpm/whatever the fuck you want to call it’ sound. Tanka kicks off proceedings with the Boddika esq ‘Someone Tell Me’, swiftly followed by D Warriors’ excellent, dwarf baiting riddim ‘Back Off Shorty’. The B...
1 tag
Hype Williams - The London 2012 tour mix
So Hype Williams played at the Tufnell Park Dome last weekend. As well as being an interesting show (sonically and visually from what we’ve been told) there were ‘London 2012 tour’ CDs floating around. That very mix is now available to stream below.
For those of you download inclined, head here to download. While you listen you can read more about the duo’s new World...
4 tags
Wifey 010: Badga Tek
Wifey 010: Badga Tek by Wifey on Mixcloud
The chaps at Wifey have just dropped the 10th edition of their mix series, this time with new crew member Badga Tek taking up the one’s and two’s for an absolutely DOPE garage jam. There are too many highlights here to mention but needless to say it should be soundtracking your Friday night. The guys couldn’t have put it any better,...
14 tags
The Hydra: R&S & Nonplus
The ever excellent Broken and Uneven are back with another weekend of parties for their Hydra series, hosting an R&S Records showcase on Friday night and then Boddika’s Non Plus label on Saturday. Both evenings are repping the kind of line ups that The Hydra has become known for, with Friday boasting Airhead, James Blake, Trim, Egyptian Hip Hop, Pariah, Space Dimension Controller &...
4 tags
WIFE - Stoic
Buy this record. Now. It’s really fucking good. Honestly. (Altar of Plagues’ frontman, twisted pop, sweet vocals, amazing sound design).
You can read some more sensible writing about the EP here.
Out now on Left Blank. Pick it up here.
Check the suitably twisted video for bodies whilst you’re at it as well:
Spokes
8 tags
Brackles
Whether it’s his genre blending DJ sets, solo productions, work as a label boss for the excellent Blunted Robots or his weekly show on Rinse, few have maintained the high levels of consistency across the board like Brackles has done in the past few years. His ‘Rinse Presents: Brackles’ album that came out earlier this year found a producer who was as comfortable with writing...
3 tags
Best In Class Q4 2012 - Hip Hop
It’s a pretty good time for hip-hop at the moment. Kendrick Lemar is getting the Guardian critics and dinner party fans all in a froth; RZA, Weeknd, Earl Sweatshirt and Action Bronson are all back; and kids like Ratking, Metro Zu and XXYYXX are keeping everyone on their toes. So I’ve slung together a selection of all this good stuff from the last few months. Enjoy.
E8te
2 tags
Cursa, Subliminal & Alxr - Camino
New fiyah from Cursa and Subliminal & Alxr. I can tell you now that this sounds ridiculous on a system.
Not many can make hard hitting drum & bass like these dudes - once again, beats and bass are balanced perfectly to create a monster. Be sure to check this and the rest of the ‘Drum & Bass on Demand LP’ over on the Demand Records Soundcloud, featuring the likes...
4 tags
Tessela - Hackney Parrot
Characteristic features of parrots include a strong, curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. The plumage of cockatoos ranges from mostly white to mostly black, with a mobile crest of feathers on the tops of their heads. Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism. They form the most variably...
11 tags
Boiler Room - Do Not Disturb 14/11/12
Everyones favourite electronic music livestream, Boiler Room have teamed up with W Hotels to host a hotel room broadcast tonight featuring B2B sets from the likes of Disclosure, Skream, Jimmy Edgar, Machinedrum, TEED, Friendly Fires, Jackmaster & Loefah. No fucking about with that line up, this should be a good one!
Tune in from 8pm over at boilerroom.tv/live
Spokes
2 tags
Thefft - Name Shame / No Want That
The man named Thefft drops his new release on Embassy Recordings next week, and you can stream a taster of the action below via their Soundcloud.
As you’d expect it’s a solid release, with an edge that’s kinda hard to put your finger on. Bring in guest vocals from everyone’s favourite diva (or at least top 5) and you’ve got two slices of what feels...
2 tags
Bok Bok & Girl Unit Live Set
Oh gawd. Even just hearing Silo Pass and Wut played through a load of analogue gear at the beginning just about did it for me. Check out Bok Bok and Girl Unit playing a 30 minute set through a Drumtraks, TR-909, Polysix, Juno 106 and an MPC below. You can also download it - hurrah!
DLVRY
7 tags
Okmalumkoolkat
The World Wide Web has a beautifully simple ability to connect people all over world. However, the ever-increasing ubiquity of online collaborations can more often than not prove a hindrance to the creative process, with the toing and froing of files, prohibiting the artists from actually ‘getting in the zone’ with one another, forming almost a barrier between the creators. Conversely, there...
3 tags
Bicep - Feel It (Free Download)
The chaps over at Bicep have reached the grand old age of four and to celebrate are giving away a free download of previously unreleased track ‘Feel It’. More of the tough bumpy US/UK garage stuff that they’ve been representing so well over the past 12 months, ‘Feel It’ is actually an early demo version of $tripper that the duo recently revisited and loved for...
9 tags
Ruff Sqwad - White Label Classics
I’ve always had a serious soft spot for the midi string and brass stabs that dominate much of Grime’s production throughout the noughties. Beyond the humble sqaure wave that came to define Wiley’s Eski sound, or the heavily distorted 808 kick drum of Pulse X, I can think of few other sonic signatures that direct the listener so immediately to the London-centric genre. The...
6 tags
Lulu James - Be Safe
Following the label’s new found vocal vision, Black Butter bring together Lulu James, Kidnap Kip and Hostage for their latest offering. Deep and full of soul, Lulu’s voice is given centre stage, crying out emotively over the stripped back bass track beneath. It’s really rather nice.
Released on 19 November, you can pre-order right here.
SH
2 tags
Raime - Your Cast Will Tire
Ahead of the release of their debut album, Raime have released a stream of ‘Your Cast Will Tire’. It’s a dark and brooding number, let by a solitary bass guitar riff which plods along endlessly until being swallowed up by a swarm of feedback.
Be sure to also check our their FACT mix which we featured previously.
Quarter Turns Over A Living Line is out 19th November on...
3 tags
Teen Daze - The Inner Mansions (album stream)
We got pretty excited about Teen Daze’s ‘New Life’ on Loose Synths so the fact he’s now streaming his entire album comes as a lovely gift for a cold Monday.
The Inner Mansions drops tomorrow on Lefse - listen below.
DLVRY
2 tags
Elsewhere - Trippin'
Wicked stuff from Elsewhere right here. Mindset are on a roll with recent releases from Synkro and Troy Gunner particularly whetting our appetites at Loose Synths HQ.
I’m feeling the influences of a lot of new drum & bass coming out at the moment on the title track - gorgeous rolling basslines below punchy drum programming. Definitely a cheeky one for the DJ bag.
Listen below and...
October 2012
21 posts
3 tags
Mike Paradinas - The Legacy of RP Boo mix
Mike Paradinas is on point once again for a new RP Boo legacy mix. It’s an exhilarating hour and three minutes of RP Boo tracks, showcasing the breadth of his footwork productions and influence on music coming out now.
Read an interview with him here to get an insight into his musical mind (plus a bit of dancing), and check the mix below.
DLVRY
1 tag
Patrice & Friends - Cherry Sorbet
Two bits of good news.
1. It’s Halloween.
2. The brilliant Patrice & Friends (aka Slackk and….?) have a new album out, and you can stream the whole thing here. You can name your price for a download - be generous!
Once you’ve copped it, sit back and enjoy 13 slices of joyful electrofunk and R&B run through the footwork machine to create a monster.
DLVRY
8 tags
Above The Clouds @ Old Blue Last, 01.11.12
Hyponik are doing a great thing and bringing the likes of Memotone, Raffertie, Romare, Pedestrian and Noah Hope to the Old Blue Last this Thursday.
Not only is the music set to be banging but it’s also on the charity flex, meaning 100% of donations for will go to Macmillan Cancer Support. Totally rad in my books.
Facebook event: http://on.fb.me/YjJHfE
01.11.12 The Old Blue Last,...
5 tags
John Talabot & Pional - Braves
Still riding high as the creator one of my favourite albums of the year with ‘Fin’, John Talabot hits all the right notes here with new track ‘Braves’, written with frequent collaborator Pional for the upcoming Divina Pastora Marathon in Valencia. Continuing the rich, melodic house that made the album shine, the duo manage to successfully aovid the inherent pitfalls...
4 tags
Utrecht - APC
I’ve got no idea if Utrecht is referencing the ever classy Parisian clothes brand by calling his track ‘APC’ (probably not) but either way, the Brighton based producer has turned in a slick cut of slow bumping house for his debut release on Seb Chew’s fledging ‘Good Years’ imprint. I tend to run a mile from house/pop crossovers but this has been done really...
5 tags
FACT mix 353: Scuba
It was always going to be killer, wasn’t it?
We’ve been wetting ourselves with excitement since Scuba posted a screenshot of the waveform of his FACT mix a few days ago.
With tunes from the man himself alongside a host of other label bits from Sigha, South London Ordnance, Locked Groove, Machinedrum and Dense & Pika, it’s a dense but seamless mix. Oh, and there’s a...
