January 2010 ~ DancefloorResolutions.blogspot.com

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Souljazz Orchestra :: Rising Sun

The Souljazz Orchestra will be releasing its first all-acoustic afrojazz album, entitled Rising Sun, on Strut Records, a label experiencing a good amount of buzz with its recent releases from Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics, Grandmaster Flash, Tony Allen & Jimi Tenor, as well as with its slew of top-notch reissues of historical dance music from around the world. While the Souljazz Orchestra stays true to its roots in soul and afro rhythms, on this new release they take a much jazzier approach, creating spiritually-charged, improv-heavy big-band music reminiscent of Salah Ragab, Pharoah Sanders, or Sun Ra, albeit with a heavy-driving, dancefloor-conscious edge.

The Souljazz Orchestra - Rising Sun
Strut, 2010-02-16

Tracklisting :
01. Awakening
02. Agbara
03. Negus Negast
04. Lotus Flower
05. Mamaya
06. Serenity
07. Consecration
08. Rejoice, Pt. 1
09. Rejoice, Pt. 2

Links :
souljazzorchestra.com
myspace.com/souljazzorchestra
facebook.com/pages/the-SoulJazz-Orchestra/51345213656
strut-records.com
myspace.com/strutrecords

Musicians :
The Souljazz Orchestra :
ZAKARI FRANTZ, alto saxophone, flute, alto flute, clarinet, vocals
STEVE PATTERSON, tenor saxophone, vocals
RAY MURRAY, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, vocals
PIERRE CHRÉTIEN, piano, vibraphone, marimba, harp, accordion, glass bottles, vocals
PHILIPPE LAFRENIÈRE, drums, congas, bongos, cuica, vocals
MARIELLE RIVARD, shekere, gankogui, claves, guiro, basket rattle, goat-hoof rattle, bamboo chime, tambourine, bells, flexatone, vocals
with:

NICHOLAS DYSON, trumpet
PHILIPPE CHARBONNEAU, bass
NIMALI RAMANAYAKE, vocals

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Greek producer Lemos, (aka George Laimos) first came to prominence through the release of his brilliantly funky and catchy 2007 production 'Blow It', a track which was caned by every top techno jock from Magda to Ricardo Villalobos. Since the success of the record, he's been in high demand as a producer, so much so that he's been drafted in to release the Kalooo EP, the first release from Parisian D'julz's 'Bass Culture' label. The label itself is the eventual result of Paris' infamous Rex Club, or more specifically D'julz's 'Bass Culture' parties which have acquired the enviable title of the cities oldest residency. The labels plan is to "transfer the excitement, depth and variety of music from the parties to the wax." Judging by the labels first release, they're doing a stellar job at it too.

Opening track 'Kalooo' is a swinging piece of old school inspired techno, which recaptures the fun of previous Lemos productions, be it the aforementioned 'Blow It' or the very worth checking-out 'Drama.' Lemos' penchant for experimenting with different sounds certainly seems to be paying dividends. The inevitable remix arrives courtesy of Frenchman turned Londener Arnaud Le Texier. He's brought the original to slightly tougher territories here, and if the original hasn't got you on the dance floor, chances are Le Texier's impressive stab at the track should do the trick.

The package is duly wrapped up by the brilliantly titled 'Moshi Moshi' and again, it doesn't disappoint. Though not as memorable as some of his other efforts, it seems Lemos is keen to prove he's no one trick pony who relies solely on clever samples. All in all, an impressive start to label life for the 'Bass Culture' crew.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

DJ Jus-Ed Presents Nina Kraviz :: First Time ep

Two of the tracks on that mix make it onto her first full EP for Underground Quality. Opener "Your Gonna Be Mine" (sic) is one of them, and you can immediately hear how far removed she is from the deep housers around her. The beat is just enough to nudge things along, while a curlicue guitar line folds in on itself and starry-eyed synths echo off into the distance. The piece de resistance is the breakdown, which Kraviz stutters into, lovingly taking a left turn for a moment…before launching back into her groove. Even better is "Free," whose massive synths move slowly downward each bar, drawing you deeper into the bed made up by Kraviz and featured mumbler Raphael M.

Ada - Lovestoned

Ada and Raz O'Hara's 'Lovestoned' takes remix treatments from Gluteus Maximus and Gui Boratto for the latest from Kompakt's digital wing. Fresh from remixing fellow Icelandic techno stars GusGus, Gluteus Maximus provides the highlight with his gliding techno version while Gui Boratto's mix contains insistent electro-tranz synthlines and rolling tech-house bass.

Electronic Music

Is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology.Examples of electromechanical sound producing devices include the telharmonium, Hammond organ, and the electric guitar. Purely electronic sound production can be achieved using devices such as the Theremin, sound synthesizer, and computer.

Electronic music was once associated almost exclusively with Western art music but from the late 1960s on the availability of affordable music technology meant that music produced using electronic means became increasingly common in the popular domain.

Electronic dance music is a broad set of percussive music genres that largely inherit from 1970s disco music and, to some extent, the experimental pop music of Kraftwerk. Such music was originally borne of and popularized via regional nightclub scenes in the 1980s. By the early 1990s, the presence of electronic dance music in contemporary culture was noted widely and its role in society began to be explored in published historical, cultural and social science academic studies.It is constructed by means of electronic instruments such as synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers, and generally emphasizes the unique sounds of those instruments, even when mimicking traditional acoustic instrumentation. It sometimes encompasses music not primarily meant for dancing, but derived from the dance-oriented styles.

Today electronic music includes many varieties and ranges from experimental art music to popular forms such as electronic dance music.

Deep House Music

Deep house music is a style of house music which fuses elements of Chicago house, disco, 80's soul, jazz-funk and Detroit techno. The Jazz influences of deep house are most frequently brought out by chords using more complex than simple triads (7ths, 9ths, 13ths, suspensions, alterations) which are held for many bars, which give the tracks a slightly dissonant feel. The Disco music sound is a heavy influence in Deep House. The use of vocals is also more common in deep house than in many other forms of house music.

Techno Music

Techno music is a form of electronic dance music (EDM) that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988. Many styles of techno now exist, but Detroit techno is seen as the foundation upon which a number of subgenres have been built.

The initial take on techno arose from the melding of synthesizer-based music with various African American styles such as Chicago house, funk, electro, and electric jazz. Added to this was the influence of futuristic and fictional themes that were relevant to life in American late capitalist society—particularly the book The Third Wave by Alvin Toffler. Pioneering producer Juan Atkins cites Toffler's phrase "techno rebels" as inspiring him to use the word to describe the musical style he helped to create. This unique blend of influences aligns techno with the aesthetic referred to as afrofuturism.

To producers such as Derrick May, the transference of spirit from the body to the machine is often a central preoccupation; essentially an expression of technological spirituality. In this manner: "techno dance music defeats what Adorno saw as the alienating effect of mechanisation on the modern consciousness".

Music journalists and fans of techno are generally selective in their use of the term; so a clear distinction can be made between sometimes related but often qualitatively different styles, such as tech house and trance. "Techno" is also commonly confused with generalized descriptors, such as electronic music and dance music.

Minimal Techno Music

Minimal techno music is a form of dance music (EDM) that is considered a minimalist subgenre of techno. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition, and understated development. This style of dance music production generally adheres to the motto less is more; a principle that has been previously utilized, to great effect, in architecture, design, visual art, and Western art music. The tradition of minimalist aesthetics in Western culture can be traced to the German Bauhaus movement (1919 to 1933). Minimal techno is thought to have been originally developed in the early 1990s by Detroit based producers Robert Hood and Daniel Bell.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Friday, January 22, 2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

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