Amtrac: "How Can She" [Original Mix]

Some old school, no frills 80s-style house right here... from Kentucky, no less. Keep Louisville weird? Actually there's nothing too obtuse about "How Can She"; if anything it has a certain naive charm to it, as if Caleb Cornett (a.k.a. Amtrac) lives in a distant suburb for which Chicago house music is just now becoming available. With this song's prominent (and probably unpaid for) "Being With You" sample I wouldn't look for this to show up in any official capacity anytime soon, but through the magic of Soundcloud you can score it for free.

Melé: "Space Jam"

While everyone is losing their shit over "loud war" EDM merchants like Deadmau5 and Skrillex, artists creating a more austere, restrained form of epic dance are largely getting overlooked. Enter Liverpudlian Melé, a 20 year old selected by Time Out London as one of the "DJ Stars of 2012". In spite of that he's not getting the Vegas residencies and whatnot, but that's probably for the better of his artistic development.

You can download his Melé Vanelé Volume 1 mixtape here.

Spector: "Never Fade Away" [Wolfgang Voight Remix]

Not familiar with these Spector cats - their debut album Enjoy It While It Lasts comes out Monday - but I dig what Kompakt honco Wolfgang Voight has done with their single, "Never Fade Away". Through the bouncy techno beat you can make out a new wave-y melody, and from the promo photo above these dudes look like a cross between Rick Astley and INXS. You know what? That could work.

Jimmy Edgar: "Let Yrself Be"

Jimmy Edgar is back in that ass with this kinetic, epileptic-averse video for "Let Yrself Be", an otherwise agreeable (rather old school) tech-house heater from his extant Majenta LP. He's also a photographer if ya ain't heard. Give it up or turn it loose.

Delect: "Love Song"

Well now. One might be tempted to paint the minimalism of "Love Song"'s four-on-the-floor house as a tepid excuse to back visuals of scantily clad club vixens writhing around sexually. Listen again. It could be that there's more to the insistent, charged rhythm than that. At the very least the video is worth seconds.

Tall Black Guy: "Sparkling Adventure"

Tomorrow sees the release of Tempo Dreams Vol. 1, a compilation on Bastard Jazz Recordings produced by Tall Black Guy full of artists I'm not familiar with but will be eagerly checking into. As a preview of the album's release Bastard Jazz has gifted us with the lone contribution from Tall Black Guy a.k.a Terrel Wallace himself, the jazz funk-y "Sparkling Adventure".
(via URB):

Sunless '97: "Azul"

"Azul" means "blue" but Sunless '97 don't get too downer on this track, it's more of an upbeat melancholia, if that makes sense. There's a lot of disparate elements here that could have taken this in a wrong direction - the squalling sax, the breathy French porn theme vocals - but it's the perfect example of sum > parts.

The "Body Weather" / "Azul" single is out July 2 on Moshi Moshi.
(via ABEANO):

KILLER COVERS || Ra Ra Riot: "Valerie" [feat. Delicate Steve]

As if the original rendition didn't tip you off (see below), the Friendly Fires remix of Ra Ra Riot's "Valerie" update - yes, the Steve Winwood classic - makes it clear that Ra Ra Riot were definitely inspired by Eric Prydz' super gay club version from a few years back. The latter (also included after the jump) has the distinction of being possibly the hottest heterosexual video ever made for a blatantly homo-oriented tune. Respect.

Professor Green: "Remedy" [feat. Ruth Anne]

It takes balls to look like the chav Rick Astley.

Moodymann: "9 Nites 2 Nowhere"

Moodymann a.k.a. Kenny Dixon is lashing out with some 90s beats for that ass right hurr. Which if he wanted to he could go back to the 1890s because motherfucker antecedes dirt if you realize what it is that I am saying. I have no idea what's going on in this video except it appears a homeless dude finds a working keyboard in the trash and instantly starts creating 90s house with no prior experience. Sounds about right.

By the way, in their extensive efforts to prove that they are indeed down with the hipsters and not in any way a greedy, faceless corporate monolith, Scion/AV continues to fund hipster-friendly tuneage and offer it up gratis. You can get Moodymann's Picture This EP free o'charge here.

Disclosure: "Boiling" [feat. Sinead Harnett]

This one's got an early 90's vibe to it, kind of a White Dove remixed for the clubs vibe. Gotta love that subterranean bassline at the very least. The song is called "Boiling" but it never really rises above a mild simmer, which is the track's primary strength. That and Sinead Harnett acquits herself well as guest chanteuse. Disclosure will be releasing their The Face EP on June 4 via Greco-Roman, home of Drums of Death and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, which leaves open the possibility of interesting future collaborations.

Artifact: "Brittle Bones" / "Freezedry"

I'm sure there are already a dozen or more men - and maybe even a few stray dogs - plying their wares under the sobriquet Artifact, so this may conceivably get confusing: this Artifact is a new out of the gate Bristol producer who didn't even have the decency to adopt some faddish affectation like spelling his name 4r71f6c7 or maybe a pirate-themed Arrrrtifakt, the better to distinguish himself from the competition. He did, however, have the decency to float us this free digital 12" as a teaser to any upcoming work that may arise out of his signing to Local Action. Resident Advisor has more on one Ryan Bonfield.

Howse: "VBS"

I don't know who Howse is and apparently neither does whoever set up his Facebook profile, but this is coming out on Tri Angle and that's all the brand loyalty you should need. A little more clubby / accessible than their usual experimental fare, "VBS" is a sexed up, jittery late night anthem... if Amsterdam's Red Light District sports any of those icy, austere ultra lounges that have popped up all over the US in the past 10 years I imagine this will fit right into their rotation.

Nina Kraviz: "Ghetto Kraviz"

Jessica Biel look-alike (minus the annoying shark teeth) Nina Kraviz has a record coming out out tomorrow and she'd like you to know about it. To that end she filmed a video for her debut single, "Ghetto Kraviz", and since it was filmed in Berlin's Arena Club there's inevitably going to be some dancing involved. This is one of those moody after party jams, though, so don't expect any LMFAO footwork hijinks. OK, I'm fresh out of humor fail for the afternoon so here 'tis:

Shlohmo: "Rained the Whole Time" [Nicolas Jaar Remix]

Shlohmo follows up last year's debut LP Bad Vibes with an EP, Vacation, featuring remixes from - among others - Nicholas Jaar. We've already covered Jaar's penchant for breezy, sensual productions in the past, and Jaar's remix of EP B-side "Rained the Whole Time" continues in that vein, adding a simmering bed of mellow beats to the original's front porch acoustic guitar and overcast vibe. Shlohmo's self-described "night time backyard noises" aesthetic makes for a nice complement to Jaar's own melancholy, washed out ethos.

[UPDATE 4/17/12: added music video]:


Shlohmo - Rained The Whole Time (Nicolas Jaar Remix) by FoFMusic

Azari & III: "Reckless (With Your Love)" [Riva Starr Remix]

I don't really post much mainstream, non-artsy house music on WKMR, so let's go ahead and redress that right now.

Azari & III are a Toronto production duo - + two vocalists - who have been making waves recently, including a much lauded FACT mix and a couple of singles stretching back to 2009: "Hungry for the Power" and the more recent "Reckless (With Your Love)". Both featured on their debut Azari & III released last year on Loose Lips, and the latter single is getting the 12" treatment later this month.  Riva Starr's take on the tune can be streamed below... beware the buildup at the 5.45 mark. It's got a mean streak.

Azari & III - Reckless (With Your Love) [Riva Starr Remix] by PurplePR

Swing Ting: "Creepin' / Hold Your Corner"

Swing Ting is Platt & Samrai, a pair of Manchester DJ's mix-and-matching genres via their club residency of the same name.  "Creepin' / Hold Your Corner" is their first release on the Fat City Recordings label, but you can stream both songs on Soundcloud.  If you want a physical copy of the 12" it'll cost you five pounds... don't ask me how many quid that is, I'm American.  We can't even be bothered to figure out the metric system.



Swing Ting - Creepin / Hold Your Corner 12" (Fat City FC12041) by swingting

Darkside: "A1"

I wish there were more of this kind of shit.  Grimy guitars produced squeaky clean and straight out of the late-70's/early-80's - half Mark Knopfler, half King Crimson - over top a Tangerine Dream styled backbeat, itself filtered through a modern, experimental house lens.  It's not as fractured as it sounds as paper.

Darkside is the new side project from Nicholas Jaar featuring guitarist Dave Harrington.  No idea who Harrington is, but Jaar has been making a huge name in the electronic scene, both for the plethora of EP's and digital downloads released under his own label as well as remixes for the likes of The Bees, Matthew Dear and When Saints Go Machine.  You can buy Darkside's new (and only, so far) EP by clicking on the blatantly obvious link below.

[UPDATE 5/15/12: wow... super belated video]: