So one of the reasons that I wanted to do this blog in the first place was to try and represent, as well as bring together, some like-minded individuals from the city of Edmonton. Contrary to popular belief, this is not Deadmonton; there is actually a pretty decent scene here, it just needs more exposure. This post marks the first "local content" of this blog. Now if you, or anyone you know either produces or mixes and lives in Edmonton, or anywhere really, but especially Edmonton, please let them know about Alternative Selections. I will rep them, give them exposure, etc. I know that this site might not be much now, but I am working to grow it and eventually increase it's traffic/ reputation.
Alright, so I have been blessed with a brilliant first-track to share for you all. This track, entitled "Fundamental Textures" comes courtesy of Defective. Defective, real name Carl Trautman, is a local Edmonton producer, and that is all the information that is available on him. From a brief discussion with him via Facebook, I got the impression that he wants to let his tracks do the talking, and talk they do.
"Fundamental Textures" doesn't so much talk, however, as growl and snarl. It starts off with sparse percussion which might deceive you into thinking that it might lead into a syncopation-heavy, bass-inspired techno tune. However, it definitively kicks into 4/4 and quickly develops a nasty and atonal melody, almost an anti-melody. The synths are angry and consistently create tension. The percussion, along with the main synth line take their time to build until they eventually drop off and leave the listener at the break-down, which arrives much later than most dance tracks. The break-down itself, is brilliant as well. It serves to build more tension and more anxiety with robotic, indiscernible vocals and a build up that eventually leads to the most stable, and best part of the track in the last 1:40.
Over all, "Fundamental Textures" is a wonderfully produced track. It has professionalism written all over it. It builds, it is nasty, but above all else it is dynamic. Defective is definitely going to be a producer to watch in the new year. Below is a link to his Soundcloud. I certainly recommend listening to the other two tracks that he has up as well, as they are equally well produced. My many thanks to Carl for allowing me to share his wonderful productions. They have certainly started the "local content" off with a bang, and have certainly set the bar high.
Defective Soundcloud
The next bit of Edmonton related news involves an upcoming show. If I could have a great producer, and a decent show to talk about, even just once a week, I would be soooo incredibly happy. I feel privileged that I get to talk about both of those things on the same day. Anyway, the show to which I am referring is J. Phlip at Level 2 on Jan. 28th. You may remember that Level 2 brought Justin Martin to Edmonton for Halloween. I can personally attest to awesome that show was, and there is no reason to think that this won't be equally awesome.
So for those who don't know, J. Phlip is another of dirtybird's signature producer/ DJs. She has a healthy amount of releases, most of which for dirtybird, but also a real gem for Pets as well. As a producer, she is top-notch. She definitely epitomizes the dirtybird sound. So you can expect lots of bass, and general booty-shaking-ness.
As a DJ, I admit that I have never heard one of her mixes before, or even really sought out any live sets. To remedy that, I have been scouring the internet for mixes and live vids. During my travels I have come to realize that she is a very eclectic DJ, at least when it comes to recorded mixes. I found two good ones on Soundcloud. One was for DJ Mag, which isn't a bad publication when the readers aren't giving their feedback, and another for Pets Record's Petcast series.
The Petcast seemed to be more of a home listening experience. It featured a lot of hip hop, R n' B and down-tempo. The DJ Mag mix seems to be aimed more for the dance floor, as it features everything from R n' B inspired deep house, to proper jackin' Chicago house, to 808 infused UK house. So in order to get a better idea of what a show with J. Phlip might be like, I decided to turn to youtube. There wasn't a lot of great quality videos uploaded, but when she was playing at "fun" venues, it looked like she was definitely able to rock the crowd. I think that this looks like a definite show to attend.
J. Phlip DJ Mag Podcast
J. Phlip - Fever (Pets)
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