John Cale (remixed by Tim Hecker, Maria Minerva, and Actress)
Extra Playful: Transitions [remixes]
Nah, it’s not a dream team if you just remix tracks separate from collaborative works. But, yo, there’s potential here. I mean, what a grouping that would be: Cale, Minerva, Actress, and Hecker. Holy shit. (Saw Minerva live on Sunday and it was the bee’s knees. Here is another one of her efforts live as crooner-collaborator.) What do you think? Think they should all smash together they’s music styles? It might be hot. Maybe not video hot, but audio — I don’t mind ripping my ear buds to shreds. So, yeah. Hear are some remixes. Can’t believe I’m still posting remixes. But people keep making ‘em. #usingtheforce
By the way, these tracks are taken from the John Cale 12-inch that Double Six released on Record Store Day, which also featured remixes by Leyland Kirby and Alva Noto. Double Six will have a small batch of them for sale on its website starting next Tuesday, May 1.
• John Cale: http://john-cale.com
• Maria Minerva: http://www.myspace.com/mariaminervamusic
• Tim Hecker: http://www.sunblind.net
• Double Six: http://doublesixrecords.com
Young Smoke
Astronaut Status 1.0 [album preview]
Last year, Chicago footwork producer Young Smoke released three albums: Gutta House Muzik 1.0, The Flight Zone 1 & 2, and The Space Zone. I heard none of them (if you find a copy, get a hold of me!). But I’m happy to hear that Young Smoke has a shit-ton of releases due this year, including — bear with me — Disco Flight, Pluto Lounge, Smoketronix, Astronaut Status Planet Invader 2.0, Gutta House Muzik 2.0, Flight Society (with fellow Flight Muzik cohorts, DJ Diamond and DJ Metro), and, most excitingly, a Planet Mu full-length called The Space Cadet, due sometime in September. (You can hear three of his tracks off Planet Mu’s stellar Bangs & Works Vol. 2 comp.)
Whether the releases mentioned above are LPs, EPs, singles, or USB sticks shoved in gummy vaginas is not 100% clear, but we do know that, in addition to the Planet Mu release, Young Smoke is set to drop an album this summer called Astronaut Status 1.0. The preview below is presumably a mix of some of its tracks, much like the Space Zone and Gutta House previews from last year. It sounds like his planetary aesthetic hasn’t changed much — we still have airy synths, militaristic shuffles, stuttering snares, and spaced-out melodies — but that’s a good thing: no footwork sounds like this, and I love it.
• Young Smoke: http://soundcloud.com/flightmuzik-1
• Flight Muzik: http://flightmuzik.blogspot.com
• Planet Mu: http://www.planet.mu
Starring
“the best”
The rustling start of “the best” is a good transition between Northern Spy Records’ free-jazz outputs and Starring’s newest joint ABCDEFG-HIJKLMNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ. Now, they ain’t no Guardian Alien when it comes to recorded performance music, but you can hear how Starring juxtaposes bass lines, drum beats, and sighing-screeching electronics just before falling into a pattern, then “SIMPLY THE BEST.” It presents a purposeful performance-driven outlet, as most of Northern Spy’s peeps have attained. They ain’t just giving you a one point performance, either. It’s the whole package of five people doing that same sort of “we’re giving you something that’ll help your mind more than your ears” vibe. See if they touring your way anytime soon. And don’t forget to check out ABCDEFG-HIJKLMNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ June 12 on Northern Spy. Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEAD SINGER CLARA HUNTER!!
• Starring: http://www.starringmusic.com
• Northern Spy Records: http://www.northern-spy.com
found my grinder.
