Downloads

Download: Ambalance "Are You Around (Grenier Remix)"

Burgeoning Toronto-based pair Ambalance has passed along this remix of the title cut from its new EP, Are You Around, which is out today. Smartly placed in the hands of West Coast low-end wrangler Grenier, the already heavy and icy production is taken into more astral territory on this particular rework. Where the original is a more driving affair, Grenier uses his remix to open the track up to more atmosphere, carving spaces within the slow-moving synth patterns to add massive kicks and touches of off-kilter percussion. Ambalance's Are You Around EP (artwork above) is a self-released effort available now through the outfit's Bandcamp.

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(320kps, 14.4MB)

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05/21/2013

Download: Scrimshire "Kindle a Fire (Aronnax Mix)"

Label: Wah Wah 45s

On Scrimshire's forthcoming LP, the London producer/vocalist utilizes an eclectic range of influences ranging from disco to fusion to more contemporary electronic styles. Much of this is present in "Kindle a Fire," even after mysterious, ungoogleable producer Aronnax gets his (or her) hands on it. Regardless of whether or not this stranger is from North Carolina, Germany, or just Scrimshire mucking about himself, this is a plodding, humble rework. Orphaned guitar and vocals try to crawl out from underneath a ride-and-snap pattern that becomes increasingly persistent over the course of the tune's seven minutes. There are a lot of details to wade through, most of them subtle or barely audible, but all of which point to either the work of an intricately detailed Scrimshire, a meticulous, curtain-shy unknown, or—most likely—both. Scrimshire's Bight LP, from which the original "Kindle a Fire" appears, is due on May 27.

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(320kps, 16.1MB)

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05/21/2013

Download: Owen Howells "Riding"

First Listen

Label: Celestial

Rising UK house producer Owen Howells has a history of writing slow-burning tunes, most notably the standout cut "The Door," which was featured at the top of this year as part of Danza Macabra's VA series. A signature of Howells' productions is the patient simmer with which they get going, and "Riding" surely fits that mold. The tune is virtually devoid of melody, favoring an accelerating, tribal rhythm that holds steady over the course of the song's seven-plus minutes, gradually increasing in intensity through sheer repetition which slowly overloads the senses. Howells' Common People EP—the forthcoming release from which "Riding" comes to us—is slated to drop on May 27 via Celestial.

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(320kps, 17.2MB)

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05/21/2013

Download: Shortcircles "On My Mind (Anenon Remix)"

Oakland beatmaker Matthew Tammariello (pictured above) has been releasing blissful instrumental hip-hop as Shortcircles for the last couple of years now, and is set to release his debut full-length, Between Waves, next month via Plug Research. Before that record sees a release on June 18, the producer today drops a single for album cut "On My Mind," a lushly produced slice of crystalline R&B featuring vocals from fellow Oakland resident Sarah K Melfy. That single also contains a loping remix from LA producer and previous XLR8R podcast contributor Anenon, offered here for download. A stream of "On My Mind" in its original form can be heard after the jump. Read more »

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(320kps, 11.4MB)

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05/21/2013

Download: Holy Other "Held (Fort Romeau Remix)"

This particular remix had its roots planted last year when nocturnally tinged, Manchester-bred producer Holy Other and London-based house alchemist Fort Romeau (pictured above) embarked on a tour together. After a few months of stewing and retooling, Romeau finally offered his rework up as a free giveaway on his SoundCloud earlier today. Romeau's remix of the title track and standout cut from Holy Other's debut LP for Tri Angle, Held, is clever in all the right ways. Right from the opening kicks—which are paired with only the original's pointed and poignant R&B chops—things proceed in the order one might expect: a fluttering organ, sharp rides, and wind-tunnel synths creep in, gradually expanding outward and filling out the sonic space. Still, for being a relatively straightforward arrangement, Romeau's formula completely works, building up and breaking down beautifully until it ends quite literally where it began.

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(320kps, 14.3MB)

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05/20/2013

Download: Magic Panda "Days Are Numbered"

First Listen

Label: Tigerbeat6

Hailing from Norfolk, up-and-coming producer Magic Panda is in the midst of readying his debut LP for the Kid606-helmed Tigerbeat6 label. Entitled Temple of a Thousand Lights, the full-length explores a wide range of electronic composition with a keen sense for enveloping arrangements and dense synthwork. One such cut is "Days Are Numbered," a driving, but melodically led effort which appears early on in the forthcoming record's run. Before the Temple of a Thousand Lights LP drops on June 24, Magic Panda has offered a streaming preview of all 12 album tracks (including remixes from Max Cooper and Kid606), which can be heard after the jump. Read more »

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(320kps, 12.7MB)

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05/20/2013

Download: Beat Pharmacy "Sometimes I'm Happy"

First Listen

Label: Throne of Blood

Dub-techno veteran Beat Pharmacy (a.k.a. Brendon Moeller) will soon add to his immense discography with the release of a new EP, the aptly titled Tricks of the Trade. Set to drop May 27 via Throne of Blood, the four-track record opens with "Sometimes I'm Happy," a cut that blends standard dancefloor rhythms with off-beat synth licks. As an artist who operates under multiple musical identities, Moeller has certainly retained a unique style for his Beat Pharmacy project, described in the EP's accompanying press release as "analog weirdness designed to move butts and make you think."