Calling out of Cntxt

CONTIFICATION. ALSO HERE: callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com

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Available to purchase next month, Power Vacuum 008 sees Objekt, An-i, Joe Farr, T, Tijn and Positive Merge rise to the scuzzy high water mark stained by previous Power Vacuum outings. The four tracks posit a light footed but hard hitting dynamic with the mid range gristle of the tracks writhing and biting with alarming unpredictability.

[First posted on February 19, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Cop Ralf Schmerberg’s feature length documentary exploring the experiences of musicians and DJs and their thoughts on producing and living with their art. Lots of good rambling with, among others, Brian Eno, Seth Troxler, FaltyDL, Thundercat and Todd Edwards – all picked up by the Berlin based production team as they passed through various RBMA gatherings in New York.

[First posted on February 19, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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??? - ??? [Juno Plus Podcast 78: DJ Richard]

Ripped from DJ Richard's Juno Podcast (http://www.junodownload.com/plus/2014/01/15/juno-plus-podcast-78-dj-richard/) - seems to sample Joanna Law's 'First Time Ever' (3.25 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiszYL6n470&list=FLeeffAl6XcwEHI3Uig7sg1g).

[First posted on February 19, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Onto Hek - 6am (IVVVO RMX) [Golden Mist Records]

Ivvvo takes on Onto Hek's somber, detached roller released via Lisbon's Golden Mist Records and further submerges it into claustrophobic hiss - twisting the distant, hollowed synth around fidgeting peaks building to a distorted howl.

https://soundcloud.com/goldenmist/onto-hek-6am-ivvvo-rmx

[First posted on February 18, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Cloudface on Going Good Records

In anticipation of Cloudface's forthcoming Wyre Drive EP on the burgeoning Going Good Records, the day-time hardware technician offers a slice of expert machine manipulation - wringing  out every squelch and crunch.

https://soundcloud.com/going-good-records/cloudface-untitled-live-going

[First posted on February 14, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Phonica Podcast

Showcasing some of last month's freshest wares along with a couple of hearty represses Phonica put together a mix of top staff picks, including forthcoming material by In Flagranti set to appear on the Ten Years of Phonica compilation to celebrate just that. Also, includes the dreamy Max Dunbar mix down collab with House of doors and dead close cut keepyourbusinesstoyourself from LA Leaving records affiliate Jitwam.

Listen here.

[First posted on February 14, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Lord Of The Isles - Ultraviolet

[First posted on February 7, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Stream: Illum Sphere's new LP 'Ghosts of Then and Now' for Ninja Tune (via Pitchfork)

I remember catching an RMBA interview with Illum Sphere a while back where referring to his double A-side Birthday / h808er, he mentioned that for him creating music was more about achieving an artistic and aesthetic balance than churning out functional, dance floor bangers or trend referencing jams. Listening to Ghosts of Then and Now there's the same nuanced attention to weighting that gave the potentially lopsided tracks of the aforementioned release their peculiar, left field charm and which sustains a pensive equilibrium throughout Ghosts. Heavily informed by Ghostly International beatsmith, Dabyre, there's a swung, mpc2000 undercurrent that opens up a ton of space in these productions that allows Illum the maneuvering room to build his particular sense of balance. Moving from the elegiac vocal samples of At Night, The Road and Love Theme From Foreverness to the 8-bit creep of Sleeprunner and One Letter From Death the tracks hint at something between Manchester and LA, Andy Stott and Brainfeeder, a place where the ghosts of the post-industrial city and the ghosts in the machine come together. With accompanying artwork (by Silvia Grav) doubtless nudging my interpretation there seems to be something eerie going on here and as Lights Out/In Shinjuku plays out with the sounds of a departing train and closer Embryonic concludes offering an ambivalent and lustral reconciliation there's the beguiling sense of balance that follows visitation.

You can stream the whole LP here via Pitchfork here until the 10th, with the full release scheduled on Ninja Tune for the same date.

[First posted on February 7, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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1234567890qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm (DJ mix JAN 2014) (Four Tet mix)

Long time followers of Kieran Hebden will know that his engagement with the wider bass/house/techno/dance scene has always been one defined by a peculiar and brilliant eccentricity, and as an artist he is that rare figure unafraid to rock the boat when it comes to the restrictive conventions of the music industry reflecting the same fierce independence that oozes from his music. For me Four Tet embodies a persistent strength and consistency of style that can be traced from the mystifying collages of his early work through to recent tracks that refer more explicitly to contemporary trends in the underground. Anyway, true to form he offers up this hour long mix (not before taking Soundcloud to task for its recent dropping off of primary functionality) cramming in a menagerie of loosely woven tunes moving back and forth between spacious, arpeggiated plumes and propulsive drum tracks.

https://soundcloud.com/four-tet/1234567890qwertyuiopasdfghjklz

[First posted on January 30, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Nic Tasker's 88 Transition show

Without wanting to appear to be exclusively suckling on NTS' chic outsider teet, but it seems that once again my premier listening experience of the last week comes from Nic Tasker's 88 Transition show. Rescinding his usual 4/4 inclinations he selects a handful of largely beatless tunes intended to nourish after the hectic festive season. Been meaning to post this for a while so the time for reflection and relaxation might already have given way to your new year hustle. Either way this is excellent, great stuff across the board from Robbie Basho and Karen Dalton to Special Request and Kode9.

Tracklist:

Laraaji - Space Choir Heatsick  – Accelerationista Raudive  – Fragments Oni Ayhun  – OAR001-B Kode 9 & The Spaceape  – Sine of the Dub Craig Leon  – Nommos Laurie Anderson  – Let X=X / It Tango Henry Kaiser  – Free To Choose The Ganges Orchestra  – The Calling (Long) The 1979 Foundation For The Black Arts, Written by Shaytan – Rihta Gareth Williams & Mary Currie  – Restless Min Karen Dalton  – Same Old Man Robbie Basho  – Rocky Mountain Raga Talk Talk  – I Believe In You Roedelius  – Veilchenwurzein Not Waving  – Nemrut Dagi Move D  – Untitled B2 (feat. DJ Lato) Even Tuell & Midnight Opera  – Untitled 03 Steve Reich  – Music For 18 Musicians Mark Ernestus  – Mark Ernestus meets BBC Special Request  – Forbidden Laraaji  – All Pervading (Excerpt) Robbie Basho  – Orphan’s Lament William Basinski  – 92982.3 John Martyn  – Small Hours Tsegue Maryam Guebrou - The Homeless Wanderer Sea Power & Change  – Yesterday Is Dead (Jonny Nash Remix)

http://www.mixcloud.com/NTSRadio/88-transition-w-tasker-5th-january-2014

[First posted on January 23, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Tabu Ley Rochereauy - Haffi Deo

Lifted from a recent episode of NTS' DO!YOU! morning show, this tune from Tabu Ley Rochereauy seems sort of out of place among the rest of the output I've been able to hear, a lot of it owing more to the Congolese-Cuban rumba style that he was instrumental in developing. Absolutely incredible song with an unduly low youtube count.

[First posted on January 21, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Levels 002 - Ajukaja & Andrevski - Rare Birds

Jon Rust's Levels imprint sources tracks from the Estonian duo building on the burgeoning labels' morose and mesmeric debut from Lord Tusk. The B-side continues in a similar vein to the Levels debut - impressionistic percussion follows in tow as traipsing floor kicks sloppily push the track into a disorientating lollop. However, the aquatic stylings of 002 and the blissed out cadences of the A-side in particular lend the tracks a weightlessness miles away from the firmly anchored dread of Lord Tusk.

https://soundcloud.com/levels-5/levels-002-rare-birds

https://soundcloud.com/levels-5/levels-002-ajukaja-andrevski-7

[First posted on January 14, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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James Black (Radio Documentary)

Here's a great radio documentary on the life and work of James Black, a hugely talented drummer from New Orleans who went on to a prodigious career as a composer and musician becoming active in the febrile New York Jazz scene of the late 70s. Knowing almost nothing about Jazz this was a great primer as well as a captivating portrait of a pretty cool sounding guy.

[First posted on January 6, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Murlo Fact mix

Murlo offers a much needed glimmer of colour amid the drizzly squelch and apocalyptic Met Office warnings. Loads of great unreleased Murlo tracks in the second half.

https://soundcloud.com/factmag/fact-mix-419-murlo-jan-14

[First posted on January 6, 2014 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Dawn Foster (Novara Media)

Dawn Foster is incredible in this Novara podcast, saying some great stuff on working class feminisms and class bias in the media. Her reflections on the reluctance of some groups to engage and support the actions of working class women taking direct action were also interesting and got me reading about the work of the Southall Black Sisters group and their recent action on immigration issues.

This was a great moment at 34.10:

"...if you can't afford to have children, you shouldn't have them; if you need child benefit in order to survive, you shouldn't have children. But if we get to that point nobody who earn's under £40k is gonna be able to have kids and i don't see how people can't see that as a eugenicist argument. I mean, having children should be a human right, and if working class people can't afford to have kids we need to look at why that is rather than just telling them not to."

Find the recording here.

[First posted on December 18, 2013 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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Illum Sphere - Sleeprunner (Zed Bias Remix)

Forthcoming on Ninja Tune next week, Illum Sphere's Sleeprunner is reworked by 2-step stalwart and fellow Mancunian Zed Bias. Half way between the muted groove of Floating Points and propulsive, chiming melodies of Chris Rau the original mix will appear on Illum's debut LP The Ghosts Of Then And Now on Ninja Tune in February next year - in the interim if the chance ever presents itself get down to his night Hoya:Hoya in Manchester as it is always completely unhinged.

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[First posted on December 6, 2013 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]

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SINO NEON NEW WAVE 2.0 GRIME

In the last month we've been treated to a glut of fresh releases painting the increasingly populated hinterlands between grime, techno and funky a shimmering neon. Following the irresistible rise of early luminaries Visionist and Slackk, recent and forthcoming releases on Keysound, Glacial Sound, Oil Gang and Lost Codes point to an aesthetic crystallisation as the synth work becomes brighter and bouncier and melodies continue to evoke the grime-by-numbers vignettes of Treble Clef and Ruff Sqwad.

However the productions of new-wavers such as Logos, Murlo, Dark0, LOLGURLZ & Oracle and JT the Goon are varied and fiercely forward-looking, twisting the tenets of grime and pushing it beyond the boundaries of it's past. The dread soaked swagger of Logos' Cold Mission pays homage to the sonic brutality of early grime but hollows out the frenetic mid-range creating a sparse, freezing mist punctuated by the uncannily eerie sounds of bird song, digital rewinds and smashed glass.

The coiled tension of Cold Mission is released as ticking hi hats emerge from the ether to draw out what is rushing, silently below the surface like blasts from an FM receiver as the tuner drifts in and out back to silence, hum and static. At times seeming to take cues from the clean, hydraulic mechanics of Jam City, both Logos and LOLGURLZ & Oracle create incisive tracks from a restricted palette deployed to maximum effect - both in their own way structuring their productions to create space in the mix to squeeze as much out of the raw materials. You can listen to clips and full track Matrixxx from LOLGURLZ & Oracle's forthcoming Red Pill & Blue Pill EP on Visionist's Lost Codes imprint here.

Dark0, Murlo and JT the Goon opt for a more direct approach steeping soaring sino grime melodies in flurries of hats and clicks creating tunes with huge dance floor potential. Dark0's recent offering I Ain't a Sweet Boy follows free mixtape Zero dropping the vocal samples but largely going over the same ideas, refining the simple and memorable melodies producing a cohesive 6 track EP that arranges elements of RnB (Fully Waved) and trance (Plasma Canon) inducing hazy nostalgic tones. JT the Goon's recent productions follow a less placid trajectory taking the familiar "grime 2.0" elements and whipping them up into hyperactive bursts of strings and square waves. Check out a bunch of JT tunes featured on Slackk and Oil Gang's recent mix for NTS here. The mix also includes tracks from Murlo who recently released a killer 3 track EP on Glacial Sound. The loose sino stylings on the synth lines and the sparse precussion give the tracks a swung fluidity that lifts and balances the earnestness of the melody creating something fresh, exuberant.

[First posted on December 5, 2013 at http://callingoutofcntxt.wordpress.com/]