Darkstar: North
Darkstar's latest and much anticipated album North was released today. It's a beautiful and complexly layered work that manages to harness the deep cinematic sounds that exist just beneath the surface in so much of the dubstep genre. With North, Darkstar has created something truly earnest, engaging, and otherworldly. The first hit single of the album, "Aidys Girl Is A Computer", was released over a year ago, and it seems that this opened two distinct doors for Darkstar: they could have played it safe (in context) and continued to walk along the edge of the dubstep genre, or they could have dove head-first into this new synth-drenched emotive world. We're glad to see that they opted for the latter.
Hear it and buy it online at Juno, read the review on Resident Advisor, and the interview on Hyperdub.
-Tyler
Album Reviews – The Slew : 100%
4/5
Turntablist virtuoso Kid Koala has put out a new album with production wiz Dynomite D, bringing a much needed injection of fresh sounds to the genre. The album was originally set to be the soundtrack to a documentary feature film about the band of the same name, but production on the film was derailed. Luckily for us, the music lives on.
The album is a mix of Koala's usual turntablist mastery combined with psych rock guitars and vocals somewhat reminiscent of Hendrix - the type of sound that hits you in the gut, and makes your blood pump faster. It conjures images of driving fast with the windows down. It breathes with dirty rumbles and the controlled chaos of a concise production. In this digital age, it reminds us of the rawness of the analog sound, and Kid Koala's ability to use the turntable as a true instrument brings it all together to exciting effect.
The Album was originally released for free on Kid Koala's web page for a limited time, in combination with a national tour that included 6 turntables and the former rhythm section of Wolfmother. The tour was such a success that the venerable label Ninja Tune has now decided to distribute the album worldwide.
Definitely recommended!
Deeper Shades EP Vol. 1
For all the house heads out there, some recommended tunes coming from Deeper Shades of House front man Lars Behrenroth. A nice mix of the deep and the deeper, "The Way You Move" feat. Chezere brings it straight to the dance floor with haunting synths and soulful vocals, while "Dissever" journeys into the deep and sexy side of house that is showcased so often on Behrenroth's stellar "Deeper Shades" podcast. Our choice of the album, "Dare Degree", is a percussive groover that refuses to let up. Finally "Are you sure" rounds out the EP with a downbeat excursion for the late night hours.
Gourmetbeats was introduced first hand to Behrenroth's music in 2005 when he made an appearance in Baltimore at Patrick Turners "Movim Lounge" with an opening set by our own DJ Tai. Since 1996 his productions have matured into a consistent flow of quality deep house, and we look forward to future releases from Deeper Shades Recordings.
