XLR8R

The new wave revivalists in Beantown’s Freezepop take aim and fire at the second single from Boy In Static’s latest longplayer, Candy Cigarette, spraying it down with a cool wash of '80s synth veneer that harkens back to the golden days of New Order and the Factory Records gang.

Between their summer tour and the recent release of both ZZK Sound Vol.2 and Villa Diamante's Empacho Digital, Buenos Aires' Zizek crew seems to be everywhere these days. That includes Brooklyn, where Uproot Andy has been holding it down with all sorts of Afro-Latin rhythms. With its bouncy synths and steady cumbia beat, it's no surprise that "Brooklyn Cumbia" leads off the ZZK Sound Vol. 2 compilation.

Bike for Three! is the latest avant-rap permutation to appear on the anticon. label, this one combining the vocal talents of Buck 65 with the production prowess of Belgium's Greetings from Tuscan. Here, like-minded leftfield L.A. beatmaker and studio wizard Thavius Beck puts a woozy spin on their track "Lazarus Phenomenon."

Dancehall beatsmith Toddla T is one of four producers to get down and dirty with this cut from Brand Nubian’s Grand Puba as part of Scion A/V’s latest remix project. Injecting his mix with a heavy coat of bass, bounce, and ping, T’s spin on the track takes the cake as far as we’re concerned.

As noted earlier, cult imprint Ze Records—who helped define the early-'80s dance and post-punk scene in New York—celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and in honor of that, Strut Records is releasing Ze 30: Ze Records 1979 - 2009. Here's a track from the release, by no-wave duo Casino Music.

L.A.'s Friends of Friends imprint might be unique in its concept, but like any good label releasing music, eventually there comes a time for remixes. Said hour is upon us, and L.A. noise-hop maker Nosaj Thing has taken on Jogger's "Nice Tights," turning it into distorted, staggered synth land.

An eight-year hiatus from making music is no small thing, and a return after said hiatus is even bigger news. Hence, our excitement over the return of DJ Food (now pared down to just Strictly Kev). A new EP, One Man's Weird is Another Man's World, is expected this summer. In the meantime, here is the lead track off the release.

One Man's Weird is Another Man's World is out July 6.

Off Roots Manuva's Slime & Reason, "Do Nah Bodda Mi" is a Toddla T-produced track where electro and dancehall meet with a bang. German hip-hop producer XRABIT's take on the track turns it into a bass-heavy, upbeat jam.

Will Holland (a.k.a. Quantic) once again steers us through the tropic regions of the globe with this track from his upcoming album, Tradition in Transition. This time around he successfully excavates the musical territory of the Caribbean and Latin America and infuses those sounds with a fresh seasoning of funk and soul elements.

Brooklyn-based duo Holy Ghost! returns with a new track, and this one includes vocals from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. The disco-loving, Serato-hating pair also shows off its fondness for old-school synthesizers here. Meanwhile, a debut album is expected sometime next year on DFA.