Reel Review: Fabric 61 - Visionquest

The Motor City itself may be in a distressing state of urban decay, but the city widely-lauded as giving birth to techno — and to pioneers like the Belleville Three (Jaun Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May) and Carl Craig — can still, in 2012, lay claim to blooding some of the EDM scene’s most talented young stars.

Enter Visionquest, comprising the evergreen Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, Ryan Crosson and Shaun Reeves, four “Detroit Refugees” who started organising parties across Detroit about ten years ago. The international acclaim has come thick and fast since then, with extended stints in Berlin providing the four with the club scene and inspiration required to hold floors in their own right. It’s been over the past 18 months as Visionquest, however, that the quartet has emerged as one of the house and techno scenes’ most original and progressive collectives.

On the back of remixes completed for the likes of Everything But The Girl’s Tracey Thorn and Kiki, as well as a number of original cuts released on their burgeoning self-titled imprint and labels like Crosstown Rebels, Get Physical and Wolf+Lamb, the lads have drawn well-deserved plaudits for their deep, dark, adventurous and fun take on EDM.

It’s here then, on their stellar Fabric 61 mix, that we’re treated to the full Visionquest experience. There’s plenty of deep, dark, bass bangers here; the eerie ‘Portside Waves’ from STL kicks things off, before offerings from Soul Center and Vancouver’s Konrad Black give way to a little-known remix by Franco Cinelli of Cassius’s 'The Sound Of Violence'.

The atmospheric, almost hypnotic, sounds keep coming, courtesy of more obscure names like Terje Bakke and Kollektiv Turmstrasse. Visionquest aren’t afraid to enlist the big guns either, with Carl Craig chipping in his remix of Catz’n’Dogz 'I’m Free' featuring Paul Randolph.

Pick of the album, however, is Phreek Plus One featuring Mr White — 'Passion' — here given the remix treatment by Frankfurt’s DJ T. This is late-night fare, perfectly suited to one of Troxler or Curtiss’s sets at Fabric or at Ibiza institution DC10 (those who know, know). Elsewhere, Green Velvet’s 'Abduction' sets a spaced-out tone, and Aquarius Heaven’s 'Can’t Buy Love' is a bona fide party starter.

A few choice offerings from the Visionquest label feature too, in the form of My Favourite Robot’s 'Forest Fires', Footprintz’ 'Heaven Felt Like Night' and the absolutely brilliant 'Tale/Foot Break' from Tale Of Us & Footprint. Reinforcing their expect the unexpected playing style, the lads round off the mix with Wildcookie’s ‘Song With No Ending'; if only that was the case.

Fabric 61 stands out from other recent series instalments because you can sense throughout the fun the Detroit four have had putting it together. Their large personalities and playful approach to interviews (this hack has first-hand experience) has long endeared them to music lovers, and it’s this same fun-loving spirit that shines through on Fabric 61; highly recommended.

Reel Review: Laszlo - 'Radial Nerve'

Radial Nerve, the debut album from London-based Aaron Wheeler, or Laszlo, very nearly never was. When the young multi-instrumentalist broke his right arm – the radial nerve to be precise (join the dots) – neither his arm nor fingers would move.

Wheeler, who had previously fashioned a career composing music for TV programs and adverts around the world, was faced with the prospect that his days of playing piano, guitar, mandolin, bass, drums, low whistle, dulcimer and percussion were all over, as doctors suspected he would never have the reactions to play any instrument again.

Luckily, the quacks were wrong. Had they been right, the world would never have this, a wonderfully diverse LP released on he and friend Liam Nolan’s burgeoning Lydian Label. The release is near impossible to define, at least by genre; put simply, it’s unlike anything I’ve heard before. Mixing elements of jazz, classical, world, Balearic electronica, funk, folk and ambient techno with heaps of piano (Wheeler admits many of the tracks began as solo piano pieces), accordion, various atmospheric effects and God knows what else, Wheeler has fashioned one hell of a musical journey.

While much of this album was previously showcased as three individual EPs, including last year’s Mr Sunshine EP (the title track of which is a positive stand out with its broken beats, mandolin line and other instrumentation), the way the tracks fit together as one long soundtrack is impressive.

Zeitgesit is my pick though, with its cool rolling bass, chimes, soft vocals and steadily building intensity that then turns into some kind of nursery rhyme hybrid before morphing back again. Like I said, this album is brilliant in its complexity.

Rhodesy is another brilliant effort – a low-slung, down-tempo tune which benefits greatly from the near ubiquitous piano loop, clapping effects and some wonderful, understated strings. Lydia’s Dream, too, is fantastic, a laid-back number that sets the scene for the minimalist Anatolia, and the closer, Bohemian Groove, which with its funk-laden bass line, ups the tempo just when it’s needed.

Radial Nerve is a real slow burn; each time you listen, some other instrument comes to the fore or another subtle effect becomes apparent, making it an adventure to savour. I can’t say I’d heard of Laszlo before this promo found me, but I’ll never forget him now. Open-minded music lovers feel this one.

Laszlo 'Radial Nerve' is out now through Lydian Label.

Reel Review: Parklife, Brisbane - 1.10.11

Amid the sea of ubiquitous shirtless, gurning toffs, 'RoidBoyz', scantily clad festival bunnies and other people (of both sexes) wearing, quite frankly, next to nix (all of whom were freezing their proverbials off after sun down as the wind picked up), was a more discerning crowd at Brisbane's Parklife at the Botanic Gardens. These weren't hipsters here to see Duck Sauce play, nor were they dubstep tragics burning to see Nero. No, some of us were here to to see if, years after first coming to town and clashing keys like a teenage bedroom DJ, Mylo had managed to come to grips with his 1210s and CDJs.

Thankfully, he has; praise his name. Taking to the stage in a sharp looking suit, the Scot proceeded to lay down just over a hour of smooth, well-mixed nu-disco and house grooves, just the ticket for the late afternoon crowd. Much has been made of the dearth of new material coming from Mylo since his brilliant debut LP, 2004's Destroy Rock & Roll; indeed, some people were beginning to wonder if he was just having a lend of us all (a-la Dr Dre's Detox, or any Massive Attack album), but his set presented a few new productions - including the wicked 'Wings Of Fire' - so I guess he's off the hook. Please Sir, I'd like some more, though.

Enter Philly’s finest, Santigold, who kept the lower crowd bouncing with tunes from her new album, including the quality first single ‘Go’ featuring Karen O and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and produced by none other than Switch and Q-Tip. Fellow Philadelphian (and, on account of his ego, definitely not Philly’s finest) Diplo took the stage just as the sun was going down, and it was party time. Mixing in his dancefloor-inspired ‘riddims’ – including several cuts from he and Switch’s Major Lazer outfit (including Pon de Floor), he showed his willingness to taunt the crowd in between mixing in the likes of Beastie Boys’ ‘Intergalactic’ and a slamming remix of Goyte's ''Somebody That I Used To Know'. A quintessential festival set, which was soon to be followed by Beth Ditto and the Gossip.

Reel Review: Crazy P - 'When We On'

Crazy P – the club-focused production outfit that first broke out of Nottingham in the late 1990s with singles on Manchester’s Paper Recordings, went onto sample Willy Wonka in There’s a Better Place in the early noughties, and has long since grown into the five-piece oozing with soulful disco and house sounds – is back.

When We On – their sixth studio album and the second to be released on Ralph Lawson’s 2020 Vision imprint following 2008’s Stop Space Return – showcases a more mature sound from the group; over 11 tracks we’re treated to uplifting dancefloor-aimed fare as well as deeper, atmospheric and mid-tempo tunes, all making this another triumph for the British group.

Chris Todd and Jim Baron have always been the brains trust behind Crazy P’s house and disco-based productions (both having released their own solo albums on San Francisco's OM Records and ISM in the period between Stop Space Return and When We On), and the quality grooves, crisp beats and uplifting melodies on this new LP again reflect their enduring links with – and love of – the EDM scene.

It’s been the voice and stage presence of frontwoman Danielle Moore, however, that has fashioned the group into the soulful, accessible crowd favourites they are on stage, and who has been largely responsible for endearing the group to Australian crowds in particular over the years.

When We On again demonstrates her versatility, and while there’s a wealth of soulful, emotionally-charged lyrics and synth and piano-laden beats on this new release, Baron explains the writing and production process for this LP differed markedly from that of Stop Space Return, resulting in an album that is, in his words, “probably a bit more….grown up”.

“We wrote the majority of that as a band,” he explains of Stop Space Return. “For this, we decided to strip it back to me and Toddy writing with Danielle. We gave Danielle the Loop Station and she’s really taken to it. You can layer vocals, you can hear harmonies immediately, so she can jam along with us now. It shaped a lot of the vocal sound for the album.”

First single Open For Service is already gaining widespread support, and the remix package which includes efforts from Todd and Baron’s studio alter-egos – Hot Toddy and Ron Basejam respectively – promises that Crazy P’s early fans, the ones who first got down to the likes of Summer Bummer in the late ‘90s, will again find something deeper and darker to make their bodies move.

Change is deep and funky, with Moore’s vocals layered over a fat bassline and energetic beat, while The Unbearable Lightness Of Being is a slower tempo, Moore’s vocal shining over layered production which demonstrates Todd and Baron’s versatility in the studio. Eruption, meanwhile, is classic Crazy P: a piano loop combines effortlessly with guitar and a walking bassline for what will surely be a summer favourite down these parts.

Track of the album, however, is Heartbreaker. Largely instrumental apart from a sample and a few powerful lines from Moore (“You’re No Good!”), this is deepness with a guitar riff that will make the hairs on your neck stand to attention.

Towards the end, WeCanOnlyBeWhoWeAre sees Moore cooing over a low BPM and a funk-fuelled bassline before Future Beat rounds off the album, its urgent beat combining with acoustic guitar to build and build before climaxing with some synth stabs and….it’s over. Damn.

Fans of Crazy P will feel right at home here. Those who might not be familiar with the group, but who might have heard the likes of Lady T or The Time Is Right out on the town and wondered who this talented group was (or perhaps knew them vaguely when they were known as Crazy Penis), should pick this up. This hack has it on very good authority that the group are about to announce an Australian tour, too, so stay tuned.

'When We On' is out 14 October through 20/20 Vision & Balance Music. Distributed through EMI.

Reel Review: Fabric 59 - Jamie Jones

Summer may be just around the corner in these parts, but for wild-haired Welsh producer Jamie Jones, a jam-packed European summer season is just drawing to a close, and with a flash, too.

The coming week will see him continue his residency at Ibiza institution DC10, taking the house and techno sounds of his own Hot Creations and Hot Natured labels to the late, baked summer crowds. He’ll then head to Tamariz in Portugal for a mid-week set, and then to London, where this Saturday he’ll headline Fabric.

It was in the dark depths of the pioneering British club, as a recently transplanted Welsh national, that Jones first developed the loyal following that today sees him lauded as one of the EDM scene’s most exciting names. Regular appearances at Fabric over the past few years have endeared him big-time to Europe’s chin-stroking clubbers, and his relationship with the brand has developed to the point that he’s now been enlisted to contribute to its legendary mix series. Fabric 59 is a winner to be sure, and showcases Jones’ own varied love of electronic sounds, but fans expecting an intense and bouncy 70 minutes of sounds a-la his much hyped (and much deserved) debut LP ‘Don’t You Remember The Future?’ might be left disappointed.

But not that disappointed. Over the past five or six years, Jones has showcased on labels like Freak’n’Chick, quality London imprint Crosstown Rebels, Steve Bug’s Poker Flat, Sven Vath’s Cocoon and, more recently, his own labels, that he’s happy, indeed eager, to lead the dancefloor on musical journeys that feature a slew of sounds. While it’s quality house and techno that might first come to mind when Jones’ name comes up, he shows on this new Fabric release his ear for melodic downtempo grooves, catchy nu-disco, pop-tinged vocal remixes, and tracks by lesser known and up-and-coming artists. The result is a fantastically accessible mix.

Jones’ own Hot Natured project kicks off proceedings in the form of ‘Time Intro’, before French producer Sebastien Tellier’s ‘La Ritournelle’ is given the remix treatment by pop darlings Metronomy. The top shelf, late-night, head-in-hands-inducing ‘Is This Something’ by Coat Of Arms’ follows, before Cajmere and Jamie Principle’s wicked ‘God Sent Me’ washes through, complete with dirty bassline and playful vocal. Felix Da Housecat’s 2002 classic ‘Madame Hollywood’ follows, and then the funk continues with Waifs & Strays’ ‘Body Shiver’.

Jones varies the tempo soon after. The energy is still there, yet he appears to delve into his own, after-hours tastes a little, shifting the mood but doing so seamlessly and without sounding self-indulgent. Nottingham nu-disco group Crazy P feature in the form of their new single – ‘Open For Service’ – taken from their forthcoming LP ‘When We On’, to be released on Ralph Lawson’s 2020 Vision imprint. This change in groove works; Danielle Moore’s upbeat vocal is altogether brilliant, evoking for the first time on the mix a laid-back, summery feeling, one maintained by the disco-edged Holy Ghost remix of Panther’s ‘Goblin City’ which follows.

Chipping in his own track ‘The Lows’, Jones then gets ultra soulful in the form of ‘Get Up Disco’ by little-known soho808; it’s a smooth, sexy and emotional vocal layered over deep bass and the perfect warm up for the 80s-inspired mix closer, ‘Fear Of Numbers’ courtesy of Montreal-based Footprintz.

So, to repeat, Fabric 59 is not all bangers and mash; to have chipped in 17 dark thumpers would have been far too easy for Jones and no doubt led to this compilation being labelled “unadventurous”. Rather, Jones has sought, successfully, to showcase both the variety of sounds currently streaming forth on his own labels and the diversity of talent he himself is seeking to nurture through Hot Natured and Hot Creations. When matched with quality upfront tunes and the odd gem from yesteryear, Jones succeeds where far too many have failed in the past. A quality mix.

Fabric 59 is out now on fabric/Balance Music, distributed by EMI.

Solar Fields – Scandinavian Surprise

Over the course of 12 years, nine solo albums and even a video game score, the Swedish multi-instrumentalist has fashioned a sound all his own.

Magnus Birgersson’s ‘evolving dreams’ (what he calls his productions) have been labeled everything from electronic ambient and atmospheric to deep, ecstatic, broken-beat industrial and organic. The truth is, however, that this artist – who confesses to having “no primary musical influences’ – looks to change his output with each passing release, cherry-picking sounds from around the world to challenge himself, and his listeners.

His latest album and the first in a planned series – 2010’s ‘Origins #1’ – continues this quest.

“The Origins series is a little different from my other album,” he explains.

“I started to go through all my computers and hard-drives…and discovered that I had so much unreleased music from the 12 years of doing Solar Fields.

“So it is basically a collection of my discovering from the past.”

About to return to Australia to headline Manifest — one of Queensland’s biggest community, arts and music festivals — Birgersson is set to further build on the success of his well-received tour here last year.

“I’m coming with pleasure to experience the Australian audience once again,” he says.

“The Australian crowd was fantastic when I was there last year [and] I will do a mixture of ambient, downtempo, uptempo set, with both new unreleased stuff and some rare mixes from my already released music.”

Confirming his eclectic tastes – and demonstrating an impressive knowledge of the Australian music scene - Birgersson admits to have “really enjoyed” Wolfmother’s debut album, and also confesses to digging Infusion, having completed a remix for Jamie Stevens a few years ago.

Eschewing the trend of hopping labels, he has stuck with French imprint Ultimae Records since the release of his debut LP ‘Reflective Frequencies’ in 2001, and it’s a relationship that, over a decade later, continues to evolve just like his productions.

“They are really great people [to] work with,” he says.

“It is a label that releases different kinds of electronic music…I’m doing a lot of different things under the electronic spectrum. I don’t want to just do one kind of style; it’s not what it’s about for me. I like to go in and capture small parts from here and there and fuse them together to [make] something new.”

Solar Fields headlines Manifest at Best Brook Mountain resort from 23-25 September.

Reel Review: Vincenzo - 'Wherever I Lay My Head' (Dessous)

Italo-German producer Vincenzo Ragone has kept fans of quality house well-oiled since the late 1990s with a slew of EP releases on some of the finer underground labels including Poker Flat, Winding Road and his home label, Steve Bug’s Dessous.

It’s been nearly 10 years, however, since his second album ‘Welcome To Zanarkand’ dropped, and many have surely wondered whether he had eschewed the album concept like so many other musicians struggling with the new digital paradigm.

But then, a little while back, came ‘Wherever I Lay My Head’, at once expelling any doubts we might have had. This third album, released as per the previous two on the Hamburg-based Dessous, is, as they put it, the shit. Vincenzo has put together an LP of beautiful electronic sounds ranging from ambient techno to more energetic house and atmospheric downtempo sounds, all of which reflect the talent of a producer who takes his time for all the right reasons.

Enlisting San Francisco vocalist Lisa Shaw (of Naked Music fame and regular tour vocalist for Miguel Migs) to open up proceedings with the deep yet mellow ‘Hello’, Vincenzo then ramps things up with a nod to his new home – Australia – with ‘Tasmania’, a track reportedly written while hiking in the hills around Hobart.

Whatever the inspiration, the now Melbourne-based producer has used it to his advantage, turning in a dark, late-night cut with haunting string segments throughout.

Elsewhere, ‘The Clearing’ further ups the tempo, while Shaw again steps up with the more peak-time ‘Keep Moving’, which is one of the more up-tempo offerings on the LP.

‘Seduction’ is another urgent, techy offering, while ‘Baited Breath’ is an ethereal number that reminded me of early Atjazz singles. ‘Where You Are’ bounces forth after that, and it’s abundantly clear by now just how much Vincenzo digs such laid-back electronic sounds. Two of the best such offerings – ‘106 Downtown’ and ‘Calimero’ – demonstrate just how versatile the German is in the studio. ‘The Clearing (Reprise)’, meanwhile, is my pick; no beat, no bass, just sounds of wildlife permeating through an echoing soundscape complete with the sound of feet crunching on soil and deep piano segments. This is beautiful stuff and a perfect track to bring a massive night to a close.

I could go on, but I won’t. I’ll go out on a limb, however, and say this is one of the best albums I’ve heard all year. ‘Wherever I Lay My Head’ is a wonderful mix of electronic sounds obviously made with love by a now-adopted Australian who is at the top of his game. Get on this.