life is noise

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

It would be foolish to look past a Metalheadz release, especially considering the recent return to form the label has experienced over the past year with tracks by S.P.Y, Need For Mirrors, D.Bridge and Rido. What makes this particular outing even more special is the fact that the label is celebrating their 100th release.

Label head honcho, iconic producer and notorious celebrity Goldie steps up to deliver just one track for the momentous occasion. Does it need a B-Side – the answer is a resounding no.

‘Freedom’ featuring Natalie Duncan is one of those classic Goldie/Metalheadz cuts. Rattling drum breaks, deep rumbling bass, luscious vocals and rich pads dripping with emotion. Textured guitar layers complement the track and lift it to another level and, thankfully, don’t go down the questionable Noel Gallagher colab path.

This really is a beautiful piece of music that wouldn’t sound out of place next to ‘Inner City Life’ but yet contemporary enough to fit into the current deeper sounds of Drum & Bass. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Montreal born and bred house music producer Ninetynine has dished up his latest offering, a full length LP titled Interstate 97. Out on the Fogbank imprint, the album oozes groove and is heavy on the French disco house tip.

Upbeat numbers such as ‘Topaz Gang’ and ‘Washington’ are primed for the dancefloor, but it’s the slower and somewhat gentler cuts like ‘Alabama Smooth’ and ‘August Kiss’ that are the real highlights on this LP, offering a more stripped back approach whilst still retaining the filtered sound the French are renowned for.

They speak French in Montreal right? Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Harking back to an era where dance music oozed sexuality, the latest release from fast-rising superstars Dead Rose Music Company is a ‘70s disco-laden aural assault on your senses.

The unknown collective of producers have managed to capture the essence of the disco vibe from the past, but rather than infuse it with over-the-top modern production, they’ve kept it simple, stripped it back, slowed it down and just let it roll.

‘Faith’ is the clear standout on the Four Songs EP with its somewhat haunting vocals and deeper vibe reminiscent of a spooky Donna Summer track. ‘Nutkins’ follows a similar path but switches vocals with a funky piano line. ‘Shake’ brings epic strings to the table and ‘Don’t Stop’ steps it up with an arpeggiated bassline guaranteed to move feet. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

“Changes” is the second single to be released off Crazy P’s When We On LP that dropped late last year on the 20:20 Vision imprint.

There’s some interesting choices in remixers, most notably Bristol based Appleblim, but they all stay true to the disco house flavours of the original. The aforementioned Appleblim remix brings the broken house sound front and center, but for me, it’s fellow band mate Chris Todd under his Hot Toddy alias’ straight up hypnotizing disco rework that steals the show. Utilising the best of the original, Toddy lets it roll out with a catchy synth hook and chunky kick and snare.

Peak time number. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

A few weeks back I threw the spotlight on one half of a production duo that have been making some serious waves this past year with a slew of quality releases on various high profile labels. This week, the torch is shining brightly on the other half of this fantastic pairing.

Bedford (UK) based producer Andy Powell, better know as Komatic, returns to the Celsius imprint unleashing a spectacular solo release in the form of the double A Side ‘The Open Choice/Earth Turns’. Both tracks are a perfect example of silky smooth production that merge lush liquid vibes with grimey basslines. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Bristol bad boy Crackazat makes his debut on the Astro:Dynamics imprint with a four track EP entitled Explanation.

The title track is straight up ‘80s boogie with ridiculously funky synth lines and Moog bass. ‘Implication’ follows in a similar manner, but it’s the two variations of ‘Loop De Loop’ that steal the show. The first is is straight up West Coast Wonk whilst the reprise flips it into a totally different direction layering guitar grooves over syncopated beats. The result — pure summer bliss. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Southwest London artist Fybe:One is a man of many talents. Illustrator, graphic designer, DJ, label boss and, of course, music producer. It’s the latter that grabbed my attention, though I must say his images are rather striking.

His Harp EP, as the name implies, is riddled with harp melodies mixed with electronics, strings, pitched and chopped vocals and clicky post-dubstep beats. It’s a rather beautiful melange of sounds that result in deeply emotional music.

Released on his own ‘Shades Of Grey’ imprint, the EP comprises of 6 tracks and is (IMHO) an absolute ‘must add’ to your collection. Amazing stuff.

If you dig his sound, grab his free track ‘Irenidae’. You won’t be disappointed. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Every now and then I seem to get lost in an endless link-clicking cycle. You know, you see or hear something you like and you click on a link that looks like it will take you somewhere with something equally as good. Sometimes it’s something funny on YouTube and you have to click on the ‘remixes’. Other times it’s some cool new music that grabs your attention. Well… one of my random clickathons led me to stumble across this tune from a couple of Mexican producers I’d never heard before.

Bufi & Juan Soto’s ‘Monrovia’ is a 7 min slice of beautiful slow-mo disco. It’s just one of those tracks that instantly hooks you in. A ridiculously catchy melody that’s so simple, but gets your skin feeling tingly. Stabby synth bass and staccato ‘80s chords round out this deep building number.

Boy am I glad I had a spare 30 minutes to kill…. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

London based producer Technicolour, alongside studio partner Komatic, are amongst the new breed of artists pushing forward the deeper and melodic sounds within drum and bass. In the few years that they’ve been writing tunes, they’ve managed to secure releases on some of the finest labels in the genre including Shogun and Viper.

Proving he can do it on his own, Technicolour returns to the Spearhead imprint for a full solo outing, dropping two sensational liquid numbers in the form of ‘Centrifuge’ and ‘Winter Rose’. Both tracks are an amazing mix of deep emotive vibes and rolling breaks. ‘Centrifuge’ brings a smooth humming bassline laced with lush snippets of piano whilst the flip strips it right back with simplistic drums, quirky vocal hooks and a piano melody reminiscent of ‘Still D.R.E.’ Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Bonobo’s Black Sands album was possibly my favourite LP from 2010, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard he was releasing a remixed version of it, coincidentally with some of my current favourite artists of the moment.

Set to be released in the next couple of weeks, the album features all new remixes and interpretations by the current crop of who’s who in the electronic music world. Floating Points, ARP 101, Mark Pritchard are just some of the select few who were given the opportunity to put their touch on an album that received critical acclaim when it was first released.

With so much to work with, I’m intrigued to see where they take it. Layers of beautiful strings, swanky beats and bleep synths leave a lot of room for experimentation as can be heard in Machinedrum’s take on “Eyesdown” which you can currently grab for free at Bonobo’s website. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Being home to a swag of forward thinking beatmakers including Shlohmo, Swede:art and Pixelord, it’s always nice to see new material pop up on the Error Broadcast imprint. For their latest release, they’ve enlisted the talents of previous label contributor B-Ju, who brings us his latest EP, Prozac People.

Having featured on their very first release, B-Ju picks up from where he left off in 2010 on his Dog Day EP. Think cut up helium vocals, ‘80s synth pads and swinging beats very reminiscent of the recent WARP LP’s by Rustie & Hudson Mohawke. Read the rest of this entry ”

Horizons Music have unleashed their second volume in the ‘Internal Affairs’ series of albums, delivering twelve slabs of futuristic beats from a slew of talented artists.

It treads familiar territory as the first, bringing us the more minimal and moodier sounds within drum & bass. Featuring the current crop of new producers pushing the more stripped back sounds, the LP sets a deep & dark tone with razor sharp drums and half time rhythms.

The intricacies lie in its simplicity. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

It’s been a few years since Todd Terje has put out any original music, but the launch of his new label means the wait is finally over.

The man with the awkwardly funny name drops a four track EP riddled with quirky, fun & downright interesting synth melodies. The aptly titled It’s The Arps EP features a series of tracks all built around one classic synthesiser from the glory days — The Arp 2600. With more sliders & switches than an aeroplane cockpit, it’s easy to see why he’s decided to base an entire EP around this fascinating old synth.

Whilst the entire EP is a worthy listen, ‘Inspector Norse’ clearly steals the show. It’s infectious and ridiculously happy melody even managed to put a smile on my face — by no means an easy feat. It just oozes fun with a deceptively simple drum pattern driving it along.

Easily one of the catchiest tracks I’ve heard in a while. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Deep, slow and sexy seems to be the best way to describe the latest DWDK release Puralana by Federico Costantini under his Luminodisco moniker.

The Italian producer delivers three slices of sultry Nu Disco mixing that classic Italian Disco sound with a feel good Balearic vibe. The title track moves along at a steady pace with lush pumping organs and cut up vocal snippets whist ‘Last Night’ picks up the groove with it’s funky arpeggiated bass line. Slowing things down and rounding out the EP is the guitar laced super sexy ‘Dinossa’. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

I’m always keeping a close eye on what the Project Mooncircle guys are up to and I’m always delighted when I see they’ve dropped a new ‘Finest Ego’ compilation.

The idea behind the series of albums is simple – target a region on this vast planet of ours, find the freshest beatmakers in the scene and drop an LP of future beats… all for free!

For the fifth edition, they look to central Europe — namely Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Comprised of 33 tracks of musical manifestations, it merges organic sample-based sounds with electronic experimentalism into a unique head-nodding experience.

Head to their BandCamp page and snag yourself a copy. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Those of us that grew up in the ‘90s will no doubt remember the commercial dance track ‘Rhythm Of The Night’ by Corona. Cheesy anthemic vocals in true Italo House style, it was hard to escape that awfully classic track that has become a staple of every ‘Best Of ‘90s Dance’ compilation since it was released.

Well, fast forward nearly 18 years, and it’s been reworked by Roberto Rodriguez under his Manolo guise. Retitled ‘Night Rhythm’ Manolo has flipped the track into a totally mistakable Nu Disco masterpiece. Yes, the vocals are still there (although pitched down and cut up) and there’s still an arpeggiated bassline, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. Featuring disco guitar licks, an ultra sexy bassline all placed on top of slowed down 4x4 drums, this rework ticks all the boxes. Read the rest of this entry ”

Yesterday, Sardi gave you his best of the rest — a mix of tracks that didn’t quite make it to his list of the best tracks of 2011 (check it the mini-mix over here). Today, we get to see the proper list of Sardi’s favourite 10 tracks of the year.

If you like what you see, you can tune in to hear Dart and Sardi host Full Frequency every Wednesday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm on RTRFM 92.1.

1. James Blake, “I Never Learnt To Share”, James Blake
2. Noisia & Hybris, “Crystalline”, Invisible 003 EP
3 Spada, “Gap”, Gap EP
4. Friction, “Someone feat. Mclean (Rockwell Remix)”, Someone EP
5. Shlohmo, “Anywhere But Here”, Bad Vibes
6. Spinline, “Made Guy”, Transit One
7. 1000names, “Kaleidoscope”, Black Acre
8. EBK, Octane & DLR, “Mainframe feat. Gusto”, Inception EP
9. Mono:Poly, “Needs Deodorant”, Manifestations EP
10. Marcus Intalex, “Stark”

With another year (almost) over, it’s always a perfect time to look back and reflect on the year that was, in this case, musically.

It’s easy to say music isn’t as good as it used to be, I like the old stuff better than the new stuff etc. and whilst I’m guilty of making such comments myself, it really isn’t true. Sure, some artists, labels & even entire genres have gone to shit, but advancements in technology have literally given everybody the chance to have a crack at writing music. On top of flooding an already submerged market with more mediocre music, it’s also unearthed an astounding amount of new talent that we may never have had the chance to hear.

Every year the Full Frequency & Out To Lunch collectives compile their Top 20 tracks and Top 10 albums of the year and unleash it on the RTR FM airwaves. To say that it’s getting increasingly hard to narrow it down to such a small number would be an understatement. For me, the list keeps getting bigger & bigger and so I thought I’d put together a mini mix of tracks from some amazing artists (both old & new) who didn’t make the final cut. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

After a sensational album release earlier in the year, James Blake has teased us with a few slices of genre bending electronica. Not one to rest on his laurels, the man’s back with a new release on the legendary R&S imprint.

The Love What Happened Here EP features three tracks — each one distinctively different to the other. The title track treads down familiar Blake territory with lush synth pads and vocal edits but there’s something about the extremely minimal tech sounds of ‘At Birth’ that keeps you reaching for the replay button. ‘Curbside’ rounds out the release sounding like some spaced out old school hip hop cut, with its slow broken beat and grimey sax sample. Read the rest of this entry ”

Every Wednesday, Sardi lets us know what’s tickling his eardrums in the world of dance music…

Local beat-maker extraordinaire Ta-Ku, has just released his latest mini LP/EP on the HW&W imprint.

Comprising of 9 tracks completed on his recent trip to New York, Late NYC is a journey through deep, electronic influenced, soulful beats.  Packing just enough bounce and summery vibes to make it a perfect fit for that warm Sunday afternoon laze out. Read the rest of this entry ”