All posts by markus

Club, Electro, mp3, Pop, Saturday nite

saturday nite with… MSTRKRFT

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MSTRKRFT (pronounced “Master-craft”) is an electronic music duo from Toronto, currently signed to Dim Mak Records. This project was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler formerly of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P (Alex Puodziukas) formerly of the electropop group Girlsareshort. Al-P was also the producer for Death from Above 1979’s album You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. The duo has been close friends, as well as work partners, for a long time. MSTRKRFT also produced Die Mannequin’s first EP, How to Kill, and Magneta Lane’s second LP, Dancing With Daggers.

MSTRKRFT (ft. John Legend) - Heartbreaker (Wolfgang Gartner Remix)     

To quote Keeler and Al-P, MSTRKRFT is “interested in making people feel like they want to dance, at least a little bit, so it’s all about whatever it takes to get people there.” They adopt the same mantra when it comes to remixing other artists. No wonder the list of remixes they have produced is virtually endless, including artists such as Chromeo, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Metric,  Annie and The Kills.

Their LP Fist Of God is out since August 2009 and you can download it from iTunes. For more MSTRKRFT music go to MySpace.

Electro, mp3

BODI BILL – TIP TOE WALK (SIRIUSMO REMIX) (Indie/Electronica – Germany)

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Berlin-based trio Bodi Bill make music that really breaks boundaries. Electrofolk? Experimental electronica? Indie pop? Well, let’s forget about genre definitions and focus on the music. Alex Amoon, Fabian Fenk (aka Pantasz) and Anton K. Feisthave have already released two albums and are currently working on their third LP. Their acclaimed debut, No More Wars, was followed by their equally amazing sophomore album Next Time, released in May 2008 (both albums on Sinnbus).

Bodi Bill - Tip Toe Walk (Siriusmo Remix)     

“Tip Toe Walk” was given the remix treatment by Siriusmo, who is fast becoming one of our favourites here at umstrum||music. This mix is a completely different take on the original and its slow grinding vibe is so implacable it’s almost unnatural. Hypnotic loops, overpowering bass and jazzy keyboards wrap around compelling vocals and leave a penetrating impression of melancholy.

Check out Bodi Bill’s albums on MySpace and buy them on Bodi Bill

Electronica, Lounge, Minimalist, mp3

GLASS ANIMALS – GOLDEN ANTLERS (TripHop/Downtempo – UK)

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Not much is known about Glass Animals, except for the fact that they are based in London, they are still unsigned and their page on MySpace (where you can listen to two songs) was created only recently…

What I do know is that they were kind enough to drop one of their tracks in umstrum’s inbox yesterday and the song has been on repeat ever since…

“Golden Antlers” is one of those dark electronic tracks that stick in your mind and leave you with a feeling half way between pleasure and pain.. Much like early Telefon Tel Aviv, Son Lux or L’altra, Glass Animals build their track around the dramatic tension between the minimalistic arrangements and the frail vocals. The atmosphere is highly claustrophobic throughout the track but, for some reason, you get trapped in this structure and you end wanted to listen to “Golden Antlers” again and again…

More on Glass Animals on Tumblr or Facebook…

Club, Electronica, mp3

THOM YORKE – THE ERASER (Electronica/Indie – UK)

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Thom Yorke is best known for being the lead singer and main song writer of the alternative rock band Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar (notably during the Kid A and Amnesiac sessions).

Yorke is considered by many to be one of the most influential figures in the music industry and was named the 6th most powerful figure in music by Q Magazine.

In 2006, he embarked on a solo adventure and released his debut album, The Eraser, on XL Recordings. This album, described by Yorke as “more beats and electronics”, reached number 3 in the UK in its first week and number 2 in the United States, Canada and Australia. Here are two remixed versions of the title track for you to enjoy. The first remix, by Stretch and Vern, is built around the repetition of a few chords and gives the song a much more uplifting vibe than the original. The second rework, by XXXChange, is funky and downright awesome. Check it out!

Thom Yorke - The Eraser (Stretch & Vern Edit)     
Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XXXChange Remix)     

More recently Thom Yorke released released a double-A side single, “Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses / The Hollow Earth”, which you can get here. You can get updates on his official site or on MySpace…

Club, Electro, mp3, Pop, Russia

XUMAN – PANIC (Electro/House – Russia)

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Hiding behind the moniker Xuman is Russian indie electro-rock musician and singer Alexander Xuman.

Alex started experimenting with music at an early age, recording his father’s guitar and his brother’s voice with a small Panasonic tape recorder. Even now, Alexander hasn’t lost his passion for experiments but he carries them out at a spacious recording studio with fellow musicians.

Xuman is deeply influenced by different genres in electronic music: house, minimal techno, electro, IDM… In the past ten years, Alexander has performed as a DJ in many clubs, in Russia and abroad, but he has also released several tracks and remixes. Not until 2007 did Alexander come to realise that the whole rock aesthetics was as important to him as dance culture and that he wanted to blend the two together in his project Xuman. He is now recording his first solo album, which should be out sometime this year, and he has graced us with the first single “Panic”. This track is catchy, fun and full of warm synth goodness – and what a hook!

Xuman - Panic     

Besides his solo project Xuman, Alex also plays an active part in electro trio The O and rock band Camel in Space. He is also behind a record label, which supports the work of other artists such as On-The-Go, Bajinda Behind The Enemy Lines and Mujuice. To get a glimpse of what the label puts out, check out the compilation Tales, now available on Tales - Various Artists