Deniz Kurtel – The Fifth House EP
Leading lady and artistic talent Deniz Kurtel returns to Crosstown Rebels to explore new production sounds, venturing deeper into the realms of dub and beyond with The Fifth House. It’s also with huge honour that the release includes a stunning melodic remix from highly sophisticated producer Trevino following his recent passing.
“Over the last few years, I’ve been cultivating The Fifth House both as a physical space and a state of mind, where I have joined my various artistic projects under one banner. Conceived from the astrological concept that life emanates from twelve terrains of experience, the Fifth House is the house of pleasure associated with creative expression and true love. This release is one part of a continuous journey where I explore new sounds and creative territories, which I developed simultaneously with an art and music space of the same name in Brooklyn. I am honored to have met Trevino through his remix of The Fifth House, and deeply saddened by his recent passing. Massive respect for this beautiful talent.” – Deniz Kurtel
Since her first album Music Watching Over Me was released on Crosstown Rebels back in 2011, Deniz Kurtel has continued to push boundaries creatively through her art and music. Focusing on LED light installation, Deniz has travelled the world with her stunning live show which incorporates both of her talents. Her second album The Way We Live dropped on Wolf + Lamb in 2012 which received high acclaim. More recent releases have also appeared on Rumors and No.19.
Marcus Julian Kaye is better known by his drum and bass stage name Marcus Intalex, and also his house and techno pseudonym Trevino. He founded the record labels Soul:R, Revolve:R and Birdie which served as a platform for his music with notable recent releases also on the likes Hotflush, The Nothing Special, Aus Music and Klockworks. Such a highly respected figure in the industry, many have been shaken by Marcus’ passing and in his honor all profits from his remix will be donated to the charity of his family’s choice.
Video: TOKiMONSTA (feat. Yuna) – Don’t Call Me
LA -based super-producer Jennifer Lee, better known as TOKiMONSTA, is set to embark on a massive world tour and summer festival dates, beginning this month and running through the end of the year, in support of her upcoming album, Lune Rouge. Slated for fall release via her own Young Art Records imprint, the album’s name translates to “red moon” and is named after the rare scientific phenomenon that holds an ominous weight across cultures worldwide, as also depicted in her just released cover art. Today, she also shares a mesmerizing new video for the album’s first single, “Don’t Call Me” featuring Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna. The video, premiered earlier on Stereogum, features both TOKIMONSTA and Yuna amongst shifting natural and supernatural landscapes, with Yuna clones multiplying while TOKIMONSTA stays at the helm controlling the soundscape.
Inner Tongue – Underworld (Robot Koch Remix)
ROBOT KOCH Remixes Inner Tongue ‘Underworld’
A project undertaken by one man in his mid twenties, Inner Tongue offers the sound of victory over an uncertain future: in 2013, its exponent was diagnosed with a vocal cord disorder so severe that only a handful of specialists throughout the entire world were capable of treating it at all. Still, given that the gift of voice is sacred to a musician, he worked day and night to raise the funds necessary to pay for the required operation, and, after the procedure, embarked on a protracted period of silence. With this, inevitably, came the unbearable uncertainty of not knowing whether he’d ever be able to use his voice again.
Kedr Livanskiy – Ariadna
Moscow’s Kedr Livanskiy (real name Yana Kedrina) confesses “Synthesizers help me maximally feel the present moment.” Livanskiy was born into a shifting and critical time for Russia. The Soviet Union had exhausted and old values were anathematized because of reconstruction. A sense of displacement drove Kedr to find herself. She’s escaped reality repeatedly in her explorations into the imagery and ideas of romanticism, mythical and fairytale themes which visibly bleed throughout her work and especially on her debut full-length ‘Ariadna’.
Kedr considers this album to be divided into a couple of different parts – like how one person can contain many different moods. The first half revolves around mythological thoughts and the second takes cues from the urban and suburban environments around her, all the while in the middle of everything is the hero who experiences real feelings and emotions.
Kedr also channels the places in her neighborhood on the outskirts of Moscow (affectionately dubbed by her as “BORDER MOSCOW”). There’s a river there where identical Soviet high-rises stand on both sides, with a bridge and garbage processing plant adjacent. Where nature and industry meet. The whole scene looks very apocalyptic, but also mystical and mysterious, especially at twilight.
Her inspiration for this record comes from the Izhevsk (sometimes referred to as “the capital of Russian electronic music”) sound of the 80s, including groups like Stuk Bambuka V XI Chasov (Bamboo Crash at 11AM) and Samtsy Dronta. The movement in Russian experimental music is especially inspiring, with acts likes Valery Chkalov, Sergey Kuryokhin and Pop Mechanica; in general, the late-Soviet period was very inspiring with all its figures in music, cinema, their energy and their approach towards life and art.
‘Ariadna’ marks a change in her recording approach: her critically acclaimed breakthrough EP ‘January Sun’ was written and recorded completely in Ableton, while ‘Ariadna’ was written using the Roland SH-101, Roland Juno 106 and Korg Minilogue synthesizers, then mixed down in Ableton. According to Kedr, “This way, one gets into a flow of live interaction, here and now, with the instrument.”
To her, this interaction is more “raw and sacred” than actually mixing the track down, which seems like “mere formalism” in comparison. There is a definite leap in production values this time around, but Kedr manages to keep true to her sound despite the greater polish and depth.
Video: Grandbrothers – Bloodflow
Düsseldorf duo Grandbrothers have signed to City Slang for the release of their second album, ‘Open’, which is to be released on October 20th 2017, and have confirmed live dates including a London headline show. Now, they share a first taste of the new record with enchanting track “Bloodflow” and an accompanying video.
Pre-Order: https://grandbrothers.lnk.to/openYD
Video: SangLien – Insekts
Ellie Rose Giddings (from the Flume/Disclosure clip) stars in Sydney local SangLien’s new music video for ‘Insekts’, the second single off SangLien’s upcoming EP on Beatle Soup Records.
Slip into a trance of eerie atmospheres and mysterious melodies as the grooves grab you like a fly on a web.
Crooked Man – Happiness EP
Crooked Man comes back around with their second release of 2017. The Happiness EP contains three alternate versions of this epic album track closer. Extended dance floor edits & bleeped out glitchy funk. Three new takes on one instant-classic song.
Earlier this year Crooked Man released the Remix EP Volume 1, which contained reworks from Whatever / Whatever, Juan Maclean and Barker & Baumecker.
Coming soon is the Remixes Volume 2 featuring versions from Tee Mango, Luke Solomon & Lovefingers. There is also a four part 30-minute new track on the way, entitled “Echo Loves Narcissus.”
Maggie Rogers – Alaska (Tycho Remix)
Listen to Maggie Rogers “Alaska” (Tycho Remix) released now. Rogers breakout single “Alaska” charted in Spotify’s Viral 50 in 40 countries and hit #1 in 23 countries, including the U.S. With more than 80 million global streams to date, it earned Rogers a place on the Spotify Best of 2016 list and set the stage for widespread international acclaim. “Alaska” is featured on Rogers debut EP Now That The Light Is Fading, out now on Capitol Records. The EP includes four original songs written, produced and performed by the 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist, and also features the tracks “Dog Years,”and “On + Off”. Now That The Light Is Fading is available at all digital providers and now on limited edition vinyl.
Rogers will perform sold out headline shows in Los Angeles at The Teragram Ballroom (August 10th) and The Fonda Theatre (August 11th ) followed by two nights headlining NYC’s Brooklyn Steel (August 16th + 17th). Fresh off her sold out North American spring headline tour and Firefly Festival performance, Rogers is also set to play both Lollapalooza and Outside Lands in August.
Vitalic – Tu Conmigo feat. La Bien Querida
‘Tu Conmigo’ started life as an idea in Vitalic’s head many years ago, eventually ending up as the opening track/introduction to ‘Voyager,’ titled ‘El Via,’ ‘the voyage’ in Spanish. “It was good, but I didn’t get to explore completely what I had in mind,” he explains. “An essential element was missing – Spanish lyrics, something that can make a track radiate, make it universal and positive.”
Now remodelled and extended with Spanish lyrics, the track has taken on a new life. Renamed ‘Tu Conmigo’ it’s a real departure from ‘Voyager,’ and one that might have some Vitalic fans a little taken aback. Evoking memories of holidays abroad with lyrics reminiscent of your first summer loves, it’s refreshingly nestled in a sweet spot between pop, disco and electronic music. Think 70’s crooner meets analogue synths on the dancefloor over thirty years down the line.
Video: The Range and Jim-E Stack – With You
The Range and Jim-E Stack – With You available on the New Lots / With You 12” from the Domino store: http://smarturl.it/NewLotsWithYouDM.
