FRICTION NYC

Jahtarian Dubbers

Jahtari steps out with its first-ever label compilation full of their unique slant on heavy dub, dancehall, and dubstep. The Leipzig, Germany label that coined the term “Digital Laptop Reggae” produces some of the finest classical computer generated dub and reggae. You won’t find Dub-techno, straight bassdrums from this reggae label, just a classic dub approach, done with at computer.

With this comp, Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 1, Jahtari digs from the low-end depths of dub and features seven new tracks along with three new artists that captures the “deep” spirit of the label. Disrupt contributes three heavy-hitters including the 8-bit dub blowout “Kozure Okami” and the deep reverberating “Selassi I Continually.” The mighty Afrikan Simba shows a glimpse of his lyrical flow alongside Rootah on the lead-track of the album “Alternative Power,” while John Frum delivers deep atmospheric gems with “May In Dub” and “January Dub.”

Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 1 is available now via the label and digitally from eMusic. Highly recommended for fans of Lee Perry, Burial, Disrupt, and maximum low-end deepness.

[MP3]: Afrikan Simba and Rootah  ”Alternative Power”
Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 1, Jahtari; 2008

Celebrate the Solstice with Studio

Today marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, with the sun not setting until a late 8:31pm. Kick back with your favorite iced cocktail and chill to the dubbed out cosmic-disco vibe of Studio’s remake of A Mountain of One’s “Brown Piano.” Go ahead and make the track your jam for Summer Solstice ‘08 – staying up late and waking up even earlier as the planetary grooves play out in the background. Summer’s officially here. Embrace it.

[MP3]: A Mountain Of One  ”Brown Piano (Remake by Studio)”
Yearbook 2, Information; 2008

On the heels of last year’s captivating Yearbook 1, the Swedish duo are primed to release seven more unique takes on everything from pop princess Kylie Minogue to California folk act Rubies to the aformentioned remix of England’s dreamscapers A Mountain of One.

Yearbook 2 is out June 23, on Studio’s own label Information. Check out the preview video for the record above and grab “Brown Piano (the Studio way)” above.

FRICTION @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | 6.8.08 w/ These New Puritans, School of Seven Bells, Effi Briest

GET HYPE!    Southend, UK’s These New Puritans are bringing their trance-inducing post-punk across the pond in their first U.S. tour, which includes a stop in Brooklyn to play FRICTION at Music Hall of Williamsburg! The show also marks the quartet’s New York City debut. Two of Brooklyn’s most ambitious bands, the futuristic psych trio School of Seven Bells and the mystical dub wielding Effi Briest, round out the bill. Brooklyn, by way of DC, by way of France, Anicet, spins between sets.

Tix available now / Doors @ 8pm / flyer, mp3s & more below

Balancing staccato rhythms and itchy guitars with a neat line in woozy, trance-like synthesisers, THESE NEW PURITANS have an oblique lyrical bent that’s all their own. [Uncut]
[MP3]: “Elvis”

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS, founded by ex-Secret Machines guitarist Ben Curtis and featuring twin-sister singers Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, slipped easily between epochs – medieval polyphony, laptop sorcery, the rhythmic turmoil of Public Image Ltd.’s 1981 album, Flowers of Romance – with smart hooks and the Dehezas’ alluring vocals, liberally greased with reverb. [Rolling Stone]
[MP3]: “Chain”

There’s sorcery afoot in EFFI BRIEST‘S primitive droning psychedelia and hypnotic post-punk clatter. Like Yeasayer, Dirty Projectors, and MGMT, Effi Briest are reason to celebrate the casting-off of New York’s skinny jeaned shackles. They’re a willfully wonky NYC troupe making music that’s way off the typical spectrum of CBGB heritage-punk. Signed to Loog in the UK, fans of The Horrors’ occult will find plenty to enjoy in their strange incantations. [NME]
[MP3]: “Mirror Rim”

In part with:

Architeq | Birds Of Prey EP

I’m not really into dub but this live in-studio of Sam Annand aka Architeq performing Birds of Prey caught my attention. With its constantly changing time signatures and smooth electro glitches, it makes for a pretty interesting listen. Architeq’s “Birds Of Prey” EP is out on Tirk on March 31st.

[MP3]: Architeq “Birds Of Prey”
TIRK035: Architeq ‘Birds Of Prey’ Tirk Release Date: March 31, 2008

Abe Vigoda: Tropical Noise Punks

I first stumbled across Los Angeles tropical punk outfit, Abe Vigoda, while checking out Brooklyn faves High Places’ West Coast tour dates. I was initially intrigued by the quartet’s peculiar moniker, taken from the “late” Abe Vigoda, the American actor who’s been “reported dead as many times as he’s been reported alive.” However quirky the name, it soon became irrelevant after soaking up the group’s recorded material and checking out some of their live vids.

Abe Vigoda comes from the same experimental downtown LA scene as bands like No Age, Mika Miko, Health, Mae Shi, and Barr, which is centered around the infamous all-ages venue, The Smell. Abe Vigoda dishes out quick and catchy island dance music, where Caribbean melodies and conga beats meet speedily strummed no wave guitars and molesting walls of noise. Their songs thrash and bounce at the same time and have been described as “a cross between Captain Beefheart and Crass” by No Age guitarist Randy Randall. Think of High Places on speed with thrashing guitars and you have Abe Vigoda, well, something like that at least.

Check out “Animal Ghosts” below and head over to RCRD LBL to get a taste of the group’s new track from their forthcoming record, “Dead City/Waste Wilderness.” Given the weather here in the Northeast for the last few days (dull grey skies), these two tracks are a blast of warm and colorful tropical island air.

[MP3]: Abe Vigoda  ”Animal Ghosts”