früit looks skyward with 'Moonkissed'

Plucky upstart label SXN already has a roster of talented beat makers from LA to El Paso, but now, with a recently inked distribution deal with legends of the scene Alpha Pup Records, they’ve turned their taste to the horizons and found an impressive newcomer in Belgium-based, Paris-born früit. früit’s debut EP, “Prism,” which releases September 27th, suggests a delicate, ethereal approach to left-field beats, and today we get nothing but confirmation of that, with the lead single “Moonkissed.”

Perfectly titled, Moonkissed floats along in a lush garden of distant, metallic pads, crunchy organic drums that swagger with just enough syncopation, and früit’s own soft voice lightly chopped drenched in misty reverb. It’s a bit of a shame that her voice sits so deep in the track, since its easy, disarming quality would surely prove effective with her production style, calling to mind Tokimonsta’s collaborations with Gavin Turek or Shuanise. Nevertheless, it’s a strong debut. früit is certainly one to keep an eye on if you can see through the prism.

The Prism EP releases September 27th 2019 on SXN, get yourself a copy if you’re feeling the single.

— review by autonomy

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Nikitch & Kuna Maze mix genres masterfully for their 'Mush EP'

You would be forgiven for thinking, upon first hearing Nikitch & Kuna Maze’s ‘JPS’, that the duo hailed from the PNW; indeed, the track begins with a taste of that easy rolling house sound that’s become a signature of the area. But no sooner than when you start to get comfortable with that opening, the French duo flips the script and break the track wide open with a bright, syncopated synth line that propels you in new energetic directions, ultimately culminating into a satisfying downtempo crescendo.

But give the rest of the EP a listen, titled ‘Mush’, and you’ll see that switching things up is less a surprise than a central theme for these artists. No two tracks have the same tempo, the genre influences are blurry and indistinct. There’s a seamless blend of syncopated instrumentation, beautiful synth programming, and crisp polyrhythmic beats; and yet, each track is also undeniably equal parts jazz, funk, and soul. It’s no wonder, then, that acid jazz pioneer Gilles Peterson has already been supporting this release. It catches the spirit of acid jazz, and places it squarely in a context that could only exist right now. Stream JPS above, and you’ll see why.

You can find the entirety of Nikitch & Kuna Maze’s Mush EP on Bandcamp, as well as on Tru Thoughts Records.

— review by autonomy

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Charlotte Adigéry takes her Caribbean sensibilities somewhere deep with 'Paténipat'

The Belgian-Caribbean artist Charlotte Adigéry has a new single out called ‘Paténipat’, an infectious, stripped-back, 4-on-the-floor roller that is undeniably fun and will surely occupy your faculties for days to come. The Caribbean influences poke through, calling to mind a deep dub aesthetic, but the rhythms and vocal treatment build to an energetic frenzy that will fit right in on the dancefloor. Is it any wonder, then, that the forthcoming EP, titled ‘Zandoli’, is being released by DEEWEE, the label by Soulwax founders David and Stephen Dewaele? The brothers have built a name on their genre-defying combination of entrancing rhythms and bombastic musicality, and Paténipat fits that bill to a T.

The EP is a collaboration with producer Boris Pupul. The story goes that the pair originally met on Tinder and had the kind of heart-to-heart that only kindred spirits can; the friendship growing and solidifying into the forthcoming release. If the lead single is anything to go by, Zandoli’s release date of February 8, 2019 can’t come soon enough.

Check out the video for Paténipat above, and pre-order the vinyl or digital release over at the DEEWEE shop.

- review by autonomy

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Getting lost in Machines with Poltrock.

Belgium producer David Poltrock is not like most producers. He is somewhat of a rarity. He doesn’t come from a traditional producer background, should it be Hip-Hop or some form of computer music. Instead, David comes from an Indie background. And when you are influenced more by bands rather than strictly producers you are naturally more instrument-focused and tend to be more focused musicianship.

Not saying that producers are not skilled musicians, many of them are, but in most cases beat makers tend to focus on drums and layers to create an overall sound in all of their various sequences. While a producer coming from a band background will tend to put instrumentation front and centre. This is very much the case in ‘Titanus’.

Throughout the track you can sense how passionate David is about his vintage synths and as he describes it himself, his “old and stubborn Steinway upright”, which takes centre stage in the second half of the track. You can tell how deeply connected with them he is because of how he records them, clean, crisp and raw!

The mastering of Titanus makes you feel like you are standing next to David in a intimate space while he lays everything down, pounding out pulsing and soaring synth lines and gently coaxing out notes from his Steinway. The piano sequences are edited together in a rough and ready fashion, forgoing unnecessary sheen and polish for a kind of rare authenticity. It is like Poltrock wanted you to feel every frequency vibrate through your body like he does throughout his sessions. And in this he succeeds. The synths resonate powerfully and majestically, taking flight as the track builds in its intensity, while the old, stubborn Steinway gives us relief in it’s still and gentle melodies.

If you are a fan of Nils Frahm, Jon Hopkins or Moderat be sure to check out Poltrock as he is definitely one to watch in the coming years. Also be sure to check out the pre-order for David’s ‘Machines’ album which is due for release on the 16th of November. 

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Belgian producer Stereoclip goes back to basics with new track 'Day One''

With the plethora of sounds and production options at the fingertips of today’s digital musicians it’s no wonder that tracks can often get overcrowded and over-compressed. With TV and advertisements competing for our attention we are often bombarded with purposefully loud audio to grab our focus. While it is true that acoustically our ears often perceive ‘louder as better sounding’ there is often little room left for dynamics and fine details. Acclaimed American mastering engineer Bob Katz has even gone as far as saying “loudness is a drug.”

Nowhere is this more apparent than with the past couple decades of electronic music, where club-ready music often prioritized punch and loudness over dynamics and detail. Luckily for us the ‘loudness wars’ seem to be coming to an end, and as the dust settles we are finding more and more dynamic, uncluttered, and lush productions to soothe our battered ears.

Belgian producer ‘Stereoclip’ and his recent release ‘Day One’ certainly fit this description well, with the track maintaining a skillful balance between punch and dynamics. With just the right amount of high-quality raw ingredients, the track never feels cluttered or over-produced and instead floats with a kind of effortless groove. Delicate percussion dances in the stereo spectrum while thick analog synths twist and turn in the foreground. With more and more contemporary electronic music making use of a high dynamic range and a ‘less is more’ attitude we look forward to more producers taking this ‘back to the basics’ sonically-rich approach.

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