A while back we posted a stream of “Once In a Lifetime,” a stellar track from an up-and-coming Brit by the name of Hourglass Sea. Now the tune has finally seen a release of sorts, appearing as the a-side on a new digital single. The new version of the track is a touch cleaner, and even comes with (for better or worse) a bit of shameless guitar-shredding attached to its second half. Even sweeter, Hourglass Sea was nice enough to tag on an impressive remix to serve as the virtual b-side. You can stream/download both of those efforts below.
The Crash Symbols imprint has a new tape on the way next month from Philadelphia-based outfit Power Animal, and they’ve gone ahead and teased their tape-hungry faithful with the gorgeous title track “Exorcism.” The tune proves to be a perfect example of what Power Animal is capable of, pairing a marching progression of drums and percussion with heavenly glitched chords and instantly memorable melodies for a song that somehow sounds like the moment when all your thoughts fall perfectly into place. You can stream/download “Exorcism,” before the full LP sees a release February 21, below. (via No Fear of Pop)
We unfortunately suffered a temporarily devastating server error over the weekend, causing us to loose the past two months worth of posts, so you may notice a few things missing from the site over the next few days. But all the important stuff is still intact, like our entire archive of Mapzzz EPs and the inaugural Elephant & Castle-featuring episode of our new live video series Sharkbite Sessions. We’ll begin posting new music tomorrow while putting the site back together throughout the week, and we’re happy to say a relaunch of the Mapzzz EP series is not too far away. In the meantime enjoy the all-too-appropriate video from Oakland’s own Parentz, who we’re hoping in the future will help us remember that when it comes to building/running a website, you need to always “back it up.”
We’d never even heard the 50 Cent song “Five Sesnes” until Russian producer myown decided to try his hand at remixing it. Honestly, the original tune is nothing more than a guide here, as myown unfolds yet another impressively dense and fluid post-everything style beat below. It’s dark, it’s brooding, it’s just another reason we’re throwing our support behind this Russian up-and-comer. Check the remix below and head to the man’s Soundcloud (where he also posts work under his other moniker, Vtgnike) for even more worthwhile offerings.
We’d never heard of DC trio Ra Ra Rasputin before stumbling over this little gem on the excellent Lost Lost Lost blog yesterday, but boy are we glad we did. Trapped somewhere between the more Arthur Russel-inspired side of chillwave and the more introspective sensibilities of ’00s indie-disco, “Forward” is a tune that is bound to stick in your head for a while.
In a continued effort to receive the title for “best producer of 2011 who didn’t get anywhere near as much hype as he deserved,” Placeholder quietly added yet another impressive track to his Soundcloud yesterday in the form of “Under.” The tune dives into a little more sound-design territory than the rest of his catalog but is just as stirring as anything else we’ve heard from the man to date. After giving a listen to “Under” below, we suggest you check out the rest of Placeholder’s offerings on his Soundcloud page, which play like one of the year’s best EPs if you ask us.
Yalls, another prolific member of the Mapzzz “inner circle,” dropped a new digital 12″ for the continuously impressive Crash Symbols imprint early last week. We first got wind of the release thanks to a note from the producer himself stating that—paraphrasing here—”he knew he had been a bit misleading in regards to his stance on house music.” Well, the two edits here are definitely the closest Berkely’s Yalls has ever come to crafting a certified piece of dance music, but it still isn’t house. Rather it’s his own take on woozy dance vibes, through the almost bizarre but always rewarding Yalls filter, complete with glimpses of The Spinner’s “It’s a Shame” peaking through. You can stream/download the three minute and ten minute (our personal favorite) edits of the tune below.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Couldn’t think of a better way to start the Monday after a long weekend than with some quality newness from London resident Drop/Dead. Apparently out of the goodness of his forward-thinking, bass-music-crafting heart, the UK producer offered up the unreleased “GetMe” track earlier this morning over on XLR8R. Melancholy pads, rich chords, pattern-building claps and toms, and a Detroit-esque undertow make this one an ace indeed. [Download]
With the year coming to an end and our release schedule beginning to slow, head Mapzzz-maker Glenn Jackson found some time to put the finishing touches on three tracks which he’s decided to present here for our sixteenth Mapzzz EP. The outing—his debut solo effort—consists of a trio of elongated excursions into the land of blissful, melancholy house, or as we’d like to call it “bummer house.” The tunes are sample-heavy, relying on distant loops, chopped-and-pitched vocal samples, and steady drum programming to move them along—revealing moments of stoney introspection along the way. Sure it’s “house” music, but not the kind you’d necessarily dance to at a swanky night club, but instead probably more appropriate for dancing alone in your living room or as a head-nod inducing soundtrack to a long, seemingly endless journey (holiday traveling, anyone?). You’ll find Mapzzz EP16 – Glenn Jackson available to stream/download below as well as on our Bandcamp page.
UK producer Dauwd has finally dropped his debut 12″ for the excellent Pictures Music imprint. After first appearing on our radar with the impressive (and almost free) “Could it Be” b/w “Shimmer” single earlier this year (still available for a “Name Your Price” fee and email address here), the man finally has a proper release and has noticeably stepped his game up for the occasion. The swirling, steppified a-side can be streamed below, along with the effort’s closing track (which we first posted a few weeks back) “Ikopol.”
“What’s There”
“Ikopol”
Our Latest EP
Our Latest Mix
Mapzzz is on Facebook and Twitter
