XLR8R Audio Podcast

Jubilee

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:00:00 -0800

Until now, the 2010 XLR8R Podcast series has been filled by heavy hitters from overseas, but we haven't lost sight of all the great DJs on our own side of the pond. Take Jubilee (a.k.a. Jess Gentile), who regularly whips dancefloors into a frenzy with her rambunctious combination of bass-heavy electro, upfront house, UK funky, and plenty of tropical flavor that can be traced back to her younger days as a Miami Bass-worshipping Florida raver.

Cooly G

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:00:00 -0800

Of all the new producers to pop out of the London underground, we must admit that there's an especially warm place in XLR8R's collective heart for Cooly G. Not only do her dark and techy beats sound like no one else's, but her sexy vocals subtly turn up the heat while maintaining a totally cool vibe. Plain and simple, we love the girl, which is why we've been hounding the UK's funky queen to put together an XLR8R podcast ever since she graced the cover of our magazine last fall.

Greena

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:00:00 -0800

Yes, we know. In recent months XLR8R has been on London overdrive. Normally, we try to avoid endlessly stoking the hype machine, but these Brits are just making it so damn hard. It seems like every week a new producer magically pops up out of the London underground and breaks our brains with a mind-melting new spin on UK garage, funky, 2-step, house, and whatever other urban sounds are bubbling over there. This week, you can go ahead an add Greena to the list of artists to obsess over.

Motor City Drum Ensemble

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:00:00 -0800

As his Motor City Drum Ensemble moniker implies, Stuttgart's Danilo Plessow is a fan of classic Detroit techno, but, as this exclusive mix shows, the man also has an affinity for old-school Chicago house, not to mention vintage soul and disco. Through his Raw Cuts series and releases on the Four Roses label, Plessow has developed a hypnotic deep house sound that simultaneously reveres the past while remaining clearly focused on the future.

Shortstuff

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:00:00 -0800

The bevy of music bubbling out of the London underground still doesn't have a proper name, but we here at XLR8R are happy to keep lapping up the infectious mix of house, garage, funky, and bass sounds being produced by artists like Shortstuff. With only a handful of proper releases to his name—albeit on top-flight labels like Planet Mu, Ramp, and Berkane Sol—Shortstuff (a.k.a. Richard Attley) also runs the Blunted Robots label (with fellow XLR8R fave Brackles) and has quickly risen to the top of this nebulous scene.

Shlohmo

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:00:00 -0800

LA native Henry Laufer may be a young fella, but the 19-year-old producer, better known as Shlohmo, has rocketed on to our radar screen in recent months with his lo-fi, psychedelic mix of abstract hip-hop, dubstep-flavored wonk, bouncy synth-funk, breezy trip-hop, and what sounds like lost gems from the mid-'90s Mo' Wax catalog.

Martin Kemp

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Given that Martin Kemp has Brackles for an older brother, the fresh-faced London DJ and producer certainly has some big shoes to fill. Kemp's discography may be short, but he's certainly been impressive out of the gate with his first few tracks and remixes, most of which haven't even been given a proper release yet.

Starkey and Dev79's Philly Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Over the past month, our ongoing City Guide podcast series has been digging into the underground sounds of some of our favorite cities.

Star Eyes' Love from NY Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Until now, our City Guide podcast series has been focused on the West Coast, but we've also got plenty of love for our friends on the other side of the continent. This week we're sampling the sounds of New York, and who better to survey the Big Apple than our homegirl (and former editor) Vivian Host (a.k.a Star Eyes).

Nosaj Thing's LA Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

As part of the kick-off for our brand-new City Guide page and mobile application, we've invited some of our favorite artists to put together special editions of the XLR8R podcast highlighting the artists and sounds that make their hometowns unique.

Ghosts on Tape's Bay Heat Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Matías Aguayo

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Between the rise of his Cómeme label and the release of his new album, Ay Ay Ay, 2009 has seen Matías Aguayo taking a major creative left turn. While the former Closer Musik member once made a name for himself crafting the finely tuned techno of his Cologne-based peers, he now spends his days twisting and turning the sounds of rhythms of Latin America into new-school dancefloor workouts.

Zombie Disco Squad

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Earlier this week we peppered the boys of Zombie Disco Squad with questions for our weekly Inbox feature. While that displayed Lucas Hunter's and Nat Self's lighter side, we figured the only way to really showcase their hip-hop-flavored and tropical-tinged house sound was to enlist their DJ services for the XLR8R Podcast series.

Dre Skull

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Although he's been making noise as a DJ and producer for years, 2009 found Brooklyn's Dre Skull expanding his sonic range into the worlds of hip-hop, bounce, electro, and dancehall. He's also founded his own label, Mixpak, as an outpost for his own productions.

Kode 9's Bubble 'N' Squeak Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

When it comes to dubstep and the outer fringes of UK garage, few names ring out quite like Kode9. Next week, the Hyperdub label head will release 5, a two-disc compilation that both looks back at the influential label's history and lays the groundwork for its future. To help commemorate the release, we asked Kode9 to submit something for the XLR8R podcast.

Douster

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:00:01 -0700

Youthful French producer and ZZK compatriot Douster has certainly made a splash in 2009 with his clubby European take on the various tropical rhythms (and riddims) emerging from around the globe. Whether it be dancehall or kuduro, cumbia or UK funky, Douster can be counted on to deliver an uptempo, chopped-and-sliced dancefloor filler.

Roska

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Anyone who's read our current cover story knows that we here at XLR8R are digging the underground sounds of London and all the ways that UK funky is intermingling with dubstep, house, and other genres. Leading the way are artists like Cooly G, Geeneus, and the author of this week's podcast, Roska.

The Heatwave's Funky Bashment Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:05:00 -0700

Recent months have seen a whole lot of hullabaloo surrounding the burgeoning UK funky house scene (including our current issue's cover story), but significantly less attention has been given to how these rhythms are intermingling with the world of dancehall. In search of more information, not to mention a sampling of new music, we turned to The Heatwave, the London-based DJ and production crew headed by Gabriel Myddelton that has spent much of the decade firmly planted on dancehall and reggae's bleeding edge.

Move D Live in Portugal

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Veteran house DJ and producer David Moufang, better known as Move D, is a hard man to pin down, so when he offered up a portion of a recent live set for the XLR8R Podcast, we jumped at the opportunity.

Untold

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

XLR8R recently took a closer look at U.K. producer Untold (a.k.a. Jack Dunning), whose handful of releases on Hessle Audio, Hotflush, and his own Hemlock imprint have quickly established him among a handful of artists pushing dubstep beyond bass-in-your-face nonsense.

Labels We Love: Wireblock Records

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

For the final installment of our Labels We Love podcast series, we head to Glasgow, Scotland. The city has a reputation for gloomy weather, but you'd never know it from the crunked-up glitch rave turned out by the Wireblock Records gang.

Labels We Love: Modern Love

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0700

As part of our ongoing Labels We Love podcast series, we shift our focus to the gritty streets of Manchester, where the Modern Love crew has been turning heads since 2006 when Claro Intelecto began dropping his Warehouse Sessions 12-inches.

Labels We Love: Diynamic

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0700

After kicking off our Labels We Love podcast series with a beautifully moody offering from Type Records, this week's installment comes direct from the dancefloors of Hamburg, Germany.

Labels We Love: Type Records

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Whittling down the candidates to make XLR8R's annual list of Labels We Love is no easy task, but the inclusion of experimental U.K. label Type Records was a no-brainer. In fact, we like the label so much that we commissioned label head John Twells (a.k.a. Xela) to put together a mix encapsulating the imprint's unique mix of ambient and drone sounds with just enough pop melodies to keep things interesting.

Brennan Green — Prepare to XLR8

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0700

New York City DJ and producer Brennan Green has carved his own little niche in dance music's leftfield—between his genre-bending DJ sets and releases on Modal, Balihu, and his own Chinatown imprint, it's hard to predict exactly what kind of otherworldly sonic experience he's about to cook up.

Brackles

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Something interesting is brewing on the fringes of dubstep, and 24-year-old Rob Kemp, better known as Brackles, is right in the thick of it. The London-based DJ has been spinning garage records and wowing crowds with his insane turntable skills since he was 15 years old, but it's his next-level production work that has truly thrust him into the limelight. Singles on Planet Mu, Applepips, Berkane Sol, and Pollen, not to mention high-profile remixes for the likes of Kid Cudi vs.

Traxx - Entrance to the Alter

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Chicago is home to a lot of house music history, and veteran DJ/producer Traxx has long been in the middle of it all. As he prepares to unveil his debut full-length, Faith, the man born Melvin Oliphant was also kind enough to pass along Entrance to the Alter, an exclusive mix for XLR8R. A vinyl loyalist (as the mix's various crackles can attest), Traxx weaves through a variety of jackin' beats, including a number of unreleased tunes and a couple of sneak peeks from his forthcoming album.

Awesome Tapes from Africa

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

While studying hip-hop in Ghana in 2004-2005, Brian Shimkovitz quickly realized that most people outside of Africa have little to no idea of what life there is actually like, even when it comes to music. Although a small handful of African artists gain exposure outside the continent, much of the music that everyday people listen to at home, work, parties, and in the club remains a mystery.

Shit Robot's Simply Shit Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Irish-born Marcus Lambkin (a.k.a. Shit Robot) may be one of the lower-profile members of the DFA crew, but that doesn't mean the man doesn't have some serious DJ chops. Now living in Stuttgart, Germany, Shit Robot may not emerge from the shadows too often, but when he does, we here at XLR8R are sure to pay attention. His latest single, "Simple Things (Work It Out)," is an ace offering of new-school disco that features a WTF?

Strange Famous Megamix 2009

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

With Sage Francis at the helm of the Strange Famous brand, it comes as no surprise that the label's artists—showcased in this exclusive mix—deliver a similar style of hip-hop—sharp, gritty, and unabashedly to-the-point when it comes to lyrical content. DJ Pickster One compiled the tracks for the Strange Famous Megamix 2009, and if you don't know the work of Cecil Otter, B.