Mixed Tape 07 band Micatone is back! After seven years of absence, the Berlin-based quartet announced its fourth album for March. But don’t be mislead: the band members didn’t spend their time idly since 2005. After all they released three LPs as Nylon with almost identical personnel, beside three solo efforts of their great vocalist Lisa Bassenge. We’ll have a listen to ‘Handbrake’, the first herald of the forthcoming long-player.
As one of the most successful acts of the Jazzanova-associated label Sonar Kollektiv the jazz-not-jazz ensemble released the three splendid albums ‘Nine Songs’, ‘Is You Is’ and ‘Nomad Songs’ between 2001 and 2005. While the group’s first two LPs were both purveyors or even an embodiment of the electronic jazz sound of that time, the third, ‘Nomad Songs’, including the Mixed Tape 07 song ‘Out Of The Game’, presented a rather unplugged live-sound, although it was still deeply rooted in the same musical reference system.
In this regard their new album seems like a continuation of the path the quartet followed at last, this time with a broader musical spectrum. As far as we can judge on the basis of ‘Handbrake’ vocalist Lisa Bassenge, bassist Paul Kleber, guitarist Boris Meinhold and keyboarder Sebastian Demmin incorporated elements of surf, beat, blues and soul into the moody spheres of their warm and organic sound. With the addition of the warm timbre of guest vocalist Stuart A. Staples of the Tindersticks and Air’s live drummer Earl Harvin, the song ‘Handbrake’ creates an oblique and simultaneously deeply relaxing atmosphere combining the vibe of Angelo Badalamenti’s surreal score for David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks’ and the surf-inspired soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino’s ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’.
‘Handbrake’ is the first track of the new Micatone album ‘Wish I Was Here’ which will be released on 5th of March via Sonar Kollektiv. The single will be available digitally from tomorrow, while the vinyl will be released February 20th.
When the native Venezuelan Dominik Deonarain moved to Berlin eight years ago, he discovered a whole new world: the microcosm of electronic music and the nightlife in the urban jungle. He dived into that scene and absorbed the vibe and the music of that time, in order to merge this potpourri with his earlier influences, that stem from his background as a hip hop/soul lover and musician.
He says that he grew up mainly listening to soul and pop like Terence Trent D’Arby, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys and Minneapolis funkateer Prince. ‘When I moved to Berlin, electro and new wave enhanced my stylistic array, two genres that play a vital role in my music nowadays.’
We can hear some of these influences in his latest track ‘Something Like Love’, a track that bounces with a bass-heavy foundation, crispy breakbeats, fat synths and an interesting soul-pop-new wave twist. It’s the kind of gritty digital pop funk that Funkstörung-member Michael Fakesch or Jamie Lidell’s project Super Collider stands for, the sound that Justin Timberlake and Timberland champion in their best ‘Sexy Back’ moments – a moving combination of raw, edgy club sounds with catchy hooklines. To audit what we’re talking about have a listen via the www.soundcloud.com player below:
Being one of Rinse FM’s most diverse and respected DJs, he’s used to dig a little deeper than his peers. On top of that, he runs Eglo Records together with Floating Points and his own Hotep Records imprint. Both labels are established as platforms for extraordinary electronica by trailblazing artists such as Floating Points, Letherette, Arp 101, Fatima and Un Vingt.
However we’re not sure if we have to thank his good nose for up-and-coming producers for the discovery of the mysterious Dirg Gerner, who just released his debut ‘Preface EP’ via Hotep. Why? Because Dirg seems to be the vocal alter ego of the renowned German cutting-edge beat maker fLako.
No wonder that these two outstanding artists are close-knit and collaborate frequently, just like on fLako’s ‘Lonely Town’ from his latest EP for Project Mooncircle. The song is a melancholic, mellow, deep and jazzy affair – full of soulful and floating vibes. Check out these beautiful sounds via the www.soundcloud.com player below:
We’d like to present another delicate fruit resulting from the collaboration of fLako with his supposed alias Dirg Gerner: the remix for Dirg’s sublime track ‘Rubies & Diamonds’. fLako morphs the darker original into a moody, organic and warm sonic sphere, which alternates between the melancholia of the original and the blissful vibes of a swinging garage bouncer, while Fatima’s voice shimmers on top. Listen to this vinyl-only-track via the www.soundcloud.com player below:
It’s half time again: while we are working on the forthcoming Mixed Tape edition, which will be launched next month, we wonder how much our fans enjoy the current Mixed Tape ‘Silver Vibrations’. Thus we’d like to invite you to share your thoughts on the compilation as a whole and your favourite songs.
Please let us know your personal picks by putting down your favourite artist and/or song in the comment box below or by posting a comment on our Facebook page. If you haven’t done it yet, get your free download of the compilation now by clicking the download button next to the music player on this site (see above) – Mixed Tape ‘Silver Vibrations’ will be available until February 28th, 2012.
Please note: with the release of the next Mixed Tape compilation we will switch platforms and join the fun at our new home: mb! by Mercedes-Benz!
Choose your favourite ‘Silver Vibrations’ song from this tracklist:
01 Never – Kaleem Taylor
02 No Ego – Foxbird
03 A Friend Of Mine – Steven Smirney
04 Years (The Sound Of Arrows Remix) – The Never Years
05 Be Around U (Soda Plain Remix) – o F F Love
06 Underfence Passes feat. Emily Easterly – The Decent Lovers
07 Secret Sisters – Soledad Vélez
08 Apples – Wyla
09 City Of Lights – Summer Underground
10 Visions Part I – The Ugly Club
We are looking forward to your votes! Also don’t forget to be fair and share the news about these terrific artists.
Do you know that feeling of melancholy during the cold season of the year, when you’re yearning for a warm sonic shower once in a while in order to warm up and illuminate your spirit and soul from within? If you do, you should test the musical medicine of South African producer Jullian Gomes, who supplied one of the most blissful winter warmers with ‘Love Song 28’, his first single for the London-based Marketing Music imprint.
As it seems Jullian was able to convert all sunbeams and aestival vibes he absorbed growing up under the warmth of the African sun into the stunning beauty of this track. With a simple and effective arrangement, warm keyboards and Bobby’s enchanting vocals ‘Love Song 28’ induces a deep and hypnotic knock-on effect, that will probably have you listen to it over and over again.
The single offers additional remixes by Ewan Pearson and Anonym – but in our book the original steals the show despite the big names on remix duty. The enthusiastic support of numerous DJs like Ivan Smagghe, Osunlade, Ellen Alien, DJ Koze, Michael Mayer, Kenny Larkin and many more validates our feeling that this instant classic will be around for a while.
If you’re into the magic vibe of this tune, we recommend to check out Chasing Kurt’s lovely ‘Reflecting Love’ as well.
Mixed Tape 07 band Micatone is back! After seven years of absence, the Berlin-based quartet announced its fourth album for March. But don’t be mislead: the band members didn’t spend their time idly since 2005. After all they released three LPs as Nylon with almost identical personnel, beside three solo efforts of their great vocalist Lisa Bassenge. We’ll have a listen to ‘Handbrake’, the first herald of the forthcoming long-player.
