METTLE DETEK

I'm Shady (Kat Fyte Re-Deployment)

2010-12-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

If you're on my monthly email blast then you know I like doing pop edits and remixes to take them to strange and unfamiliar places. This is the first in my "NOUGHTIES" remix series and it's been getting a solid response so I decided to make it available for download.

I'm Shady (Kat Fyte Re-Deployment) by maxpearl

This is also an exclusive for TRADE, the new DANCEHALL / HIP HOP / R&B party at the Phoenix Landing in Cambridge that I've got going with DJs Rizzla and Justincredible alongside the Bona | Fide production crew. Our launch party was last month and it was a m a z i n g so check out the info here if you're in Boston and you wanna come party.

WHERE MY GIRLS AT

2010-12-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

So I guess R&B is back? So Bones has been predicting the revival for some time now and I was just diligently waiting for everyone else to catch on. Once dismissed by "educated white people" as sappy commercial garbage, R&B has made the move from ironic / half-hearted "guilty pleasure" to genuine object of affection. Whereas other parts of the world have stayed loving R&B, we hipsters are becoming reacquainted.

We can thank people like Kingdom and Brenmar, and generally the recent movement back towards 2step and garage in the UK (which have R&B sensibilities at their core), for the reintroduction of these styles into our cultural landscape.

Also, I assume y'all have been watching the Nicki v. Kim beef closely and I just wanted to say: GOOD PR MOVE KIM!! honestly I've been listening to Lil Kim more in these past two weeks than I did at any point in my life and it's all because she picked the right time to pounce.

ANYWAYS, here's a classic that I found in time for a party I played on Saturday in Cambridge. It's low bit-rate but its certainly good enough for the floor. Just listen.

702 - Where My Girls At
702 - Where My Girls At (Fanatic Remix)

Fact Mix 206: Ikonika

2010-11-29T09:33:00.001-08:00

Sorry about the delay, we've both been busy. I'm working on the planning stages of my own magazine right now and Oliver's been trying to kick ass at academia while also keeping up the good work over at Palms Out. Anyways, on to the content:

So Ikonika is sent from the future to educate us about unrealized musical configurations, bringing us DJ mixes, singles, and albums that at first feel completely nonsensical because they break with tradition to the extent that they do. There is so much wrong with the aesthetics she's pushing; odd syncopations, dissonant melodies and chord progressions, raw, unpolished synthesizer sounds, and with these avant-garde instincts she has pried open the the UK's beat box, calling established practice into question and destabilizing any orthodoxy built around notions of what is or is not aesthetically acceptable.

She's done it again with this week's FACT mix, showcasing a lot of material from her new record label, Hum + Buzz, and oddities from other left-field electronica labels like Warp, Planet Mu, and Hyperdub.

Direct download: FACT mix 206 – Ikonika

(Available for three weeks)

Tracklist:

1. Ikonika – Rope (Hum+Buzz)

2. Don Morris – In Da Groove (Bok Bok Remix) (Deep Teknologi)

3. Martyn – Shook Up (3024)

4. Ikonika – Off Mode (Hum+Buzz)

5. Karizma – The Damn Dub (R2)

6. Ikonika – Dance There & Back

7. Egyptrixx – Liberation Front (Night Slugs)

8. Distal – Feed Me

9. Ikonika – Fleas

10. Optimum – Light Year (Hum+Buzz)

11. Terror Danjah feat. Baby Face Jay – Breaking Bad (Hyperdub)

12. Ikonika – They Didn’t Bury You Deep Enough (The Last Of The Bleeps)

13. Girl Unit – I.R.L (Bok Bok Remix) (Night Slugs)

14. Optimum – Max Power (Planet Mu)

15. Nu Design – Subsonicfreedomskyank

16. Africa Hitech – 93 Million Miles (Warp)

17. Dro Carey – Candy Red (Hum+Buzz)

French Reggae Bootlegs?

2010-09-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

So I was in Paris this past winter, you know, scouting for culture. The city kind of sucks in general (closes relatively early, very expensive, exceptionally conservative -- or maybe that's just my experience) but I did find this amazing record store called Patate Records, which pretty much only sells reggae. I'm talkin' all types of reggae- roots, conscious, digi-dub, ragga, some jungle refixes, but the real gold-mine was their selection of 7" bootleg remixes.

That's where I first heard about the Bombists, a french production team that puts out super DL bootleg remixes of popular party tracks. I was getting my set ready for a night at the Enormous Room in Cambridge, MA, and I came across one of the few Bombist remixes available digitally, a sweet remix of Cassie's "Me and U." I also came across a fabulous roots remix of Daft Punk's "Harder Better Faster Stronger."

You can order Bombist 7 inches from Juno. But for now you can have this awesome Cassie bootleg. And the Daft Punk remix. All yours.

Download: Cassie "Me and U" (Bombist Bootleg)

I can't stream the Daft Punk remix 'cuz it's hosted on mediafire and isn't a direct download, but seriously just take my word for it -- you should cop this.

Download: Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger (Bombist Bootleg)

GRIME 2012

2010-09-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Well if you missed the Maxsta EP you should really hear that one; it's got grime sensibilities transplanted onto Jerk instrumentals. Aggressively syncopated flows with tasteless brazen synthesizers and PS2 beats. But these new-jack MCs must be listening to American Top 40 charts 'cuz you can hear Kanye, Trey Songz, and the New Boyz' influence on Maxsta's song-writing, especially in the choruses where the MCs aren't deep in machine-gun bars. Honestly, "Progress Is My Religion" is the jam on that tape.

That's what's up.

Then there's also Shorty's Short Man Syndrome mixtape. Also good. Maybe better. This one came recommended from Jammer in an interview over at XLR8R magazine... It's got cameos from the biggest and best in the scene; Jammer, JME, Boy Better Know, Skepta... my goodness!

Download that here.

serious

The Bug feat. Hitomi - "Catch A Fire"

2010-09-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Bug, one of the dirtiest and most innovative producers on the UK scene right now is set to release a new EP with Autchre, Roots Manuva, Hitomi and Scratcha on November 15th. Roots, according to FACT, is going to be voicing over the "Poison Dart" rhythm on "Tune In". Shit is bound to be epic. The video above is "Catch A Fire" and you can hear that "Skeng" instrumental bumping in from the beginning. Tamed, but still strong.  

via FACT

J-WOW & Toy Selectah, “Mo’chaxo” MP3

2010-09-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks- once again- to Julianne over at the Fader magazine, who has done an amazing job providing a respectable media platform for new and unusual sounds and artistic movements.
I would say this is Kuduro or Guarachero or one of those things but honestly it's probably caught somewhere in the Atlantic ocean floating around untethered to any pre-established musical category. Let's call it... "brown atlantic rave wave" ??
Love this tune!

Download: J-Wow & Toy Selectah, “Mo’chaxo”

Hitler hates Dubstep

2010-09-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

This shit has gone viral in the last few hours and in internet-meme-time I'm actually probably slow on getting this up, BUT IT'S AWESOME. I love that Hitler represents the aging Burner orthodoxy, it's so antagonizing.

"You want to start a soundcamp?... We'll call it Trance Trance Revolution."

A few things- first of all, free music;

So I love Brackles. He's leading the charge towards left-field, brukked-up electronic music that doesn't suck in the way that 98% of IDM does. The stuff is rhythmically, tonally, and structurally unpredictable, totally weird and art-y, but still groove-y and FUN for the floor, which is the primary goal here, yah?

Here's his remix of Ellie Goulding, "Under the Sheets"

Here's another original Brackles tune that made its way out to free release somewhere on the internet. Choppy, surprising, and slightly dissonant, but without losing its immediate visceral appeal.

Brackles - Blo

These were released as promotion for the man's new mix CD, which you can check out here.

AND. We're huge fans of Ms. Dynamite over here at Mettle Detek, so since this was released yesterday we should all rejoice and watch it together. SHE IS TOO FUCKIN' FABULOUS and this tune is huge. Total dancefloor destroyer.

FREE REGGAETON!

2010-08-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

I was watching the international little league tournament on ESPN yesterday and I saw some little Mexicans opening a can of whoop-ass on some little Boricuas so I decided to post up some super-theatrical dramatic Puerto Rican rap music in honor of their defeat. The video's here and the download link is below. I'm pretty sure most of our readers are going to dismiss this as overstated commercial garbage (which it is) but let's try to see the beauty in it, yah?? This track is called "No Me Dejo" by Genio & Baby Johnny with the help of an enormous hype crew.

Genio & Baby Johnny Ft. JKing, Guelo Star, Syko & Chyno Nyno - No Me Dejo

And to round out the free reggaeton session, here's some OLD SCHOOL ASS Brooklyn Reggaeton from MC Ceja, a track called Confusión from 1997, accompanied by a great club remix that updates the track a little bit, giving it overstated, dark gangster strings and synthesizers à la LUNY TUNES. YES THEY'RE 320S!! I like the older one 'cuz its kind of just reggae en espanol, from before the genre really developed its own distinct vocabulary, but its also got kind of a 90's hip hop breakbeat edge to it. You can still hear the ragga in it.

Mc Ceja - Confusión

Confusion (Official Remix) (By Wisin1018)

Oh while we're on the reggae tip, here's a cool remix I did of the infamous dancehall anthem "Under Mi Sleng Teng," bringing it into 145 bpm booty house mode for all ur mazh up partiez.

Under Mi Sleng Teng (Kat Fyte Re-Jack)

Circus Riddimmmmmmmmm

2010-08-18T13:08:00.001-07:00

Circus Riddim Megamix - DJ Engineroom (2 Hard Music) by zincbeats

COCO BROWN AKA MS. NO TONSELS

2010-08-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

COCO BROWN AKA MS NO TONSELS AKA QUEEN OF PORN MUSIC.

Coco Brown - Fuck My Face

I played this burner during a DJ set at a drag show a couple nights ago and the trannies went nuts.

NastyNasty - Junkie

2010-08-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

This track is killer. I dare you to not like it. Thanks Fader...

<a href="http://nastynasty.bandcamp.com/track/junkie">Junkie by NastyNasty</a>

SALEM - "Asia" Video Teaser

2010-08-14T09:31:00.001-07:00

We'll Bring You Up And Then Make You Want To Rip Out Your Eyes (Maluca / ℑ⊇≥◊≤⊆ℜ)

2010-08-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

So, first off...

Maluca, one of the new golden figureheads of Mad Decent has just released a mixtape for free download on the label site. Produced by Oliver Twizt, Mumdance, Ruckazoid, Kevin Seaton, and mixed by Paul Devro, practically every track is refreshingly danceable and interesting. Genre-wise, it's all over the place culturally (mambo de calle shakes to vogue house rhythms) and temporally (old school "undergraund" style "dem bow" to the hip and twitchy production that we have grown used to from the Mad Decent clan). All in all, this complete indifference to actually charting literal historical connections between various types of bass music in exchange for demonstrating their tonal, rhythmic or vibal (yes, I just invented that word) relevance to each other in the all-available signifier web of the internet is a great example of the way the "global base" movement has completely rearranged and re-quantified popular music for us. I don't think DJ Playero would have seen something like this coming in 1995, that's all I'm saying. 

p.s. both "China Food" and "Fourescent Beige" are off the hizzay!

Second, let me drag (pun intended) you down into hell for a second with the new Mishka-released "Zombie Rave" Witch House, Drag, whatever mix from ℑ⊇≥◊≤⊆ℜ. Get it here. 

That's right, that's his name. But don't stress trying to figure out how to say it, just don that ankh necklace that you haven't worn since NIN was big, splash your Doc Martins with blood and listen to him ssllooww dooooowwwn some real dirty rave shit for you. I think it might be the closest you can come to knowing what a heroine overdose feels like without, well, overdosing on heroine. 

Oh, and check out the label if you don't know what I'm talking about. 

LADY GAGA - Alejandro (ℑ⊇≥◊≤⊆ℜ of Mater Suspiria Vision ZOMBIE RAVE REMIX) from Mater Suspiria Vision on Vimeo.

3BALL GUARACHERA FREE-P

2010-08-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

I kind of slept on this, but Toy Selectah has released an EP from Erick Rincon, Sheeqo Beat and DJ Otto, leaders in a budding techno movement that has grown out of a sweaty and frenzied underage rave scene in Monterrey, Mexico called "Gaurachera"or "Tribal" (pron. tree-ball). Not one of the three proteges is over the age of 19, and there is a kind of whimsical evil in the deranged stutter of the rave synths and shakers. For some reason, I can't stop thinking about how terrifying it would be to be stabbed in your bed repeatedly by a clown to the 3BallMTY! soundtrack.
Enjoy.

BRUK HAUS

2010-08-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

so I guess the internet is calling this choppy chunk-y UK house music "bruk house." At least that's what Boomkat is calling it and they're pretty much the authority on the subject. I recently picked up Fabric Presents: Elevator Music Vol. 1, a compilation of work from most of the hip future-electronica producers in the game right now; Martyn, Julio Bashmore, Shortstuff, Starkey, Hot City, and the list goes on.

First of all let me warn you that it's not really worth buying. Most of it is pretty standard contemporary house music, with a focus on all that wild and crazy percussive stuff that's totally hip right now. You know, shakers and snares everywhere and so much syncopation that your feet can't find the groove and you land on the ground in a pretzel shape. Perhaps they call it bruk house because it fi leave ya body bruk.

It's got a couple gems, namely the first track, Hot City's "If That's How I Feel," wherein chopped-up and detuned vocal cuts shuffle atop surprisingly straightforward percussive patterns, making it one of the more club-friendly tunes on the mix.

Untold's track on the album is also totally ballin', with lots of space-ship noises, slightly off-beat, disorienting loops and breakbeats, and big, big punch-y bass stabs to keep you grounded in the mix. You can see a picture of Untold in the dictionary next to the phrase, "negative space."

And the final track of the comp., a sparkling dream-y roller from our man Starkey, really stands out from the group with an approach that is neither specifically club-crafted nor totally cerebral. Big ups.

Splendor in the Grass

2010-08-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

So I've been in love with the record label 7even ever since I picked up their earliest release by French producer Likhan. Their brand hovers around dubbed-out atmospherics and percussive subtlety, like Basic Channel-style Dub Techno but with a little more variation in the drum programming. This recent release is from another French producer by the name of Joaan and it pairs super slowed-up, almost industrial rhythms with cornball sentimental chord progressions, developing into ecstatic synthesizer drones that make me feel like I'm in it and I just can't get out. I CAN'T GET OUT. Perfect for you all you ssssllllooowwww heads out there or whatever.

Regnbågen!

2010-07-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

DUTTY ARTZ RADIO

2010-07-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Homeboys at Dutty Artz, one of the most innovative and culturally conscious labels/secret fraternal organizations on the scene right now, have started a Ustream radio show in which Taliesin and Lamin drink beers in an NYC basement and invite friends to come spin. I did last night, and I won't post the link here because I was awful, but I will be back. Check them out every Thursday at 7pm.

THERE'S A VIDEO? AWWW SHIT.

2010-07-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

via SalaciousSound

I've been blasting this heater since it hit in February but this video is news to me, and it's fire. Ms. Dynamite has proven to be a force in the new bashment/club crossover scene since her collab with Sticky, Bad Gyal.

Here's some history, if you need to catch up...

Bad Gyal (Club Edit)(320) 
Wile Out(320)
Crackish (Myspace Rip copped from Heatwave)(96 haha)

Baobinga Is No Joke

2010-07-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Sam Simpson, b.k.a. Baobinga has been around for a while, but by some inexplicable force of evil, has completely passed me by until a couple days ago. With releases both on Trouble and Bass and Soul Jazz, he may very soon be tacked up next to Zomby and Joker as one of those dance floor wizards with such a wide breadth of stylistic interest and mastery that to say that he makes dubstep would be like saying Borges wrote fiction. Baobinga's track legacy spans and explores the history of UK underground, ragga influence included, which makes him my favorite type of creator. In March he released a full album with fellow Bristol-ite, I.D. which is one of those gems that makes the preceding hours spent sifting through light-years of internet diarrhea all worth while. Did I mention that it's pay as you wish? All proceeds go to the Dove House Hospice in Hull, UK.

Now he's got a new release on Steak House Records entitled Riddim Team EP which alone gives me the DJ jimmies. I'm not saying you could search for it on filestube and find it in full 320kbps, but I certainly wouldn't rule it out.

Batida- "Alegria"

2010-07-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Batida - "Alegria" from Fazuma on Vimeo.

Prince Fatty - Insane In The Brain Cover

2010-07-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Awesome.

Prince Fatty - Insane In The Brain by mrbongo

SKREAM Explains The Meaning Of Life.

2010-07-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

WHITE CAR - THE BRIDGE

2010-07-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

White Car - The Bridge from Thunder Horse Video on Vimeo.

YOUTUBE KONNECTION

2010-07-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Thomas Neulinger

2010-07-12T19:18:00.001-07:00

IT'S ON

2010-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO METTLE DETEK