The EP also contains "Flash addict" which will not be appearing on the album. This is hardly a B-side however, as it has dark-room club smasher written all over it. Scuba was well immersed in the sound of fledgeling dubstep when "minimal" was big in his current home of Berlin. I think that this is his brilliant take on that-type-of-minimal sound, only slightly modernized. Either way, coupled with "The Hope" we have two tracks that could very well be on a few year-end lists.
Scuba - The Hope/ Flash Addict (Hotflush)
Second up, Ninja Tune artist Raffertie has released "Mass Appeal" this week. The four track EP contains rugged bass lines, wonderfully syncopated percussion, and a ten-and-a-half-minute synth-driven epic. Not a lot of people know about Raffertie. He isn't particularly prolific, with only one EP all of last year, although he does get better with every release. Some people may actually remember him as one of the first champions of the heavy-distorted dubstep sound of 2009. He has certainly come a long way since then. Check out some samples.
Raffertie - Mass Appeal EP (Ninja Tune)
While both mysterious and beautiful, the Autonomic sound of minimal/ pretty drum and bass, has lost some momentum over the two years since FabricLive 50. Once at the forefront of electronic music, it seems to have been relegated to niche youtube channels where it attempts to eek out a meager existence. If you, like me, find this somewhat troubling, then fear not. Synkro has graced us with yet another brilliant track via Exit Records.
"Progression" takes on the Autonomic formula and delivers a deep and anxiously brooding track, which tugs on all the subtle heart-strings that normal drum and bass just won't touch. Included as well is a remix from equally well established ethereal-mastermind Indigo. While the Indigo remix bites a little harder than the original does in certain places, it is, overall, an even deeper and more minimal track that the original. Both tracks however, compliment each other wonderfully and are not to be missed. Synkro needs to produce more!
Synkro - Progression (Exit)
Okay, now for the big announcement. If you live in Edmonton, or in the surrounding area, you will be witness to an awesome show in April. I will give you some hints: he co-runs one of my all-time favorite labels, a label that has been featured a lot on this blog. He has contributed mixes for BBC Radio 1, RA, Fabric and At The Controls. He has two wonderful full-lengths under his belt. He is the master of all things bass... hailing from San Francisco, originally from Detroit its.... CLAUDE VONSTROKE!!!
I have literally been waiting since 2007 to see this guy. Maybe even late 2006, whenever the first time I heard "Who's Afraid of Detroit". I thought I would have a chance to see him at Shambhala (of all places) in 2009, but due to time constraints on finishing his second album, and the "if-they-cancel-on-us-they-will-never-play-here-ever" attitude that Shambhala seems to enforce, I never did get the chance. Since then I have spent time wondering if I ever would. I thought for sure I would have to go abroad to see the main dirtybird man. After all, who would bring him here? Where would he play? With him being too big to play at small venues, and with Edmonton being too lame to have him play at a big venue, I never thought I would see the day when CVS would get confirmed to play here.
So who stepped up to the plate and delivered the goods, Eli Manning-Mario Manningham-clutch-style? Once again, Level 2 gets it done. This will mark the third straight Level 2 show that I attend, and all of which were dirtybird DJs. However, that being said, Level 2 was always somewhere which I considered to be "too small" for CVS to play at. So this means two things: 1. Get your tickets ASAP!!! I know that there only a grand total of 20 people at the J. Phlip show, but this is different. This is the man himself, and to say that he has made a few cross-over fans in the six years since he has been putting out records, would be an understatement. 2. There will be absolute bedlam inside that place. It is going to be hot, sweaty, sticky, and just generally nasty in every way imaginable. But really, is there a better guy to be providing the soundtrack to a night like that than the one, the only, Claude Vonstroke!
There will definitely more to come on this as it develops!!!
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