FRIDAY NIGHT say Mazel Tov to the Bunker crew, having their TENTH birthday tonight at Public Assembly – two rooms of top shelf techno, probably going well past 4am. Joker is gonna be at Webster Hall , alongside bigroom electro acts Kill Paris and Peacetreaty. Weird booking, guys.

Best bet tonight? Hit up the Astro Nautico party at Free Candy, a parking garage turned neon rave cave. The Range and Howse coheadline along with Time Wharp, Chits, and residents Paul Jones, Michael Jukeson and Obey City (whose name you will be hearing a lot this year). Experimental house, techno, juke, hiphop and who knows what else. And comin in at the last minute, Rub n Tug are gonna be upstairs at Santos spinning some party disco, free before midnight!

SATURDAY NIGHT has Shigeto and Heathered Pearls, who both tend towards downtempo, spinning dance music at Glasslands. And on the LES, Machine Drum will be headling Tammany Hall with a Berlin-centric set, joined by Allies for Everyone, Evan Michael (of Brooklyn Bass), Dan Wender (of Rinsed) and Sheepshead (of un[be]known).

SUNDAY, cool out with a showcase of  Tabletennis/WNYU alums Jordan Rothlein and Momo Araki, headlined by enigmatic Jersey producer Joey Anderson (who is opening for Joy O and Boddika later in Feb).

Want more info about any of these? Check the the events page for links, and sign up for the WompList to get this + the updated calendar in your email every friday! Form is at the very top of this page.

Fuck yeah! See you on the floor!

Been listening to this mix about twice a day all week now, so I reckon it’s time to share it. Ostensibly a mix to promote their upcoming Miami shows, but for those of us outside the 305, what matters is that it’s an hour of killer funky house. Great selection of newer stuff (Duke Dumont, Oliver $, Dirtybird, Maceo Plex, etc) sandwiched by some deep cuts I’d never heard. And the transitions here are just immaculate.

DKDS is a DJ duo from Brooklyn. The name might stand for Dutch Kills Death Squad, and I think they’re cousins, but that’s all besides the point: this mix kills, and if you see these guys on a flyer, you should go see them.

Tracklisting:

4E – Temple Traxx
The Francis Inferno Orchestra – I Need It (Fantastic Mans Electric Boogaloo Remix)
Betoko – Space Invader
Wehbba Antonio Eudi – The Real Thing
Gene & Deep’a & Biri – Booty Call
Phonique & Sharam Jey – Special
Disclosure – What’s in Your Head
Maceo Plex – Why
M.A.N.D.Y. Vs. Booka Shade – Donut
Oliver $ & Sqim – Hoes
Duke Dumont – Street Walker
Claude VonStroke feat. J. Phlip – California (Julio Bashmore remix)
Darling Farah – Body (Jimmy Edgar remix)
Maelstrom – House Music (Boston Bun Remix)
Para One – When The Night Feat. Jaw (Logo Remix)
Aeroplane feat Jamie Principle – In Her Eyes (Chopstick & Johnjon Remix)
Moullinex – Take My Pain Away (Strip Steve Remix)
DJ Le Roi – Heartbreaker
Scuba Stew – This Goes
The New Elastics – It’s Just A Word (Kellerkind Remix)
Pete Heller – Big Love

A blissful marriage of projection mapping and choreography. Truly next level shit – 720 or gtfo.

This is the first single off Nosaj Thing’s new album featuring vocals by Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino.

Absolutely stunning set of tunes from Ruckspin, mixing as Submotion Orchestra. Capturing the Submotion vibe is a daunting task, but everything you love about them is fully represented here – tasteful vocals, jazzier progressions, and a whole lot of soul & bass.

Things start off extremely gently with tracks by Quark, The Weeknd and Burial before Machine Drum’s now-classic remix of Bonobo serves as a transition into deeper territory. Weaving original tunes with excellent Submotion Remixes, Ruckspin subtly increasing the temperature until boiling over with the euphoric Planas‘s single “Better Days”. Then we cool off with some classic purple synths and tremendously soulful cuts by Jack Sparrow and others.

Stream via mixcloud above, or get the download here.

Tracklist:
1. Quark – Bernado [dub]
> The Weekend – What You Need [n/a]
> Planas – Rain On Me ft. Ed Thomas [Exceptional]
2. Burial – Street Halo [Hyperdub]
3. Khan – Polar [Electronic Explorations]
4. Bonobo – Eyes Down (Machine Drum remix) [Ninja Tune]
5. Ruckspin & Quark – Lydia’s Theme [dub]
> Icicle – Redemption ft. Robert Owens [Shogun Audio]
6. Submotion Orchestra – Blindspot (Distance remix) [Exceptional]
7. Ruckspin & Medison – Pastry Riddim [Pressed forthcoming]
> Submotion Orchestra – Hymn for Him (Phaeleh remix) [Exceptional]
8. Ruckspin – Belong [Electronic Explorations]
9. Submotion Orchestra – Times Strange ft. Rider Shafique [Exceptional]
10. Submotion Orchestra – Pop & Lock (Blacksmif remix) [Exceptional]
11. Cauto – Far From You [Disboot]
12. Submotion Orchestra – Perfection (Ed Thomas remix) [Exceptional]
13. Icicle – Need A Job [Shogun Audio]
14. Tarn – Train (Medison remix) [Smudge]
15. Planas – Better Days [Exceptional]
16. Ginz & Joker – Re Up [Kapsize]
17. Jack Sparrow – Can’t Dance [n/a]
18. Icicle & Joker D – Forseen [dub]
19. Jack Sparrow & Ruckspin – Good Old Days [Deep Medi]
20. Krts – Hold On (Glenn Astro remix) [Project Mooncircle]
21. Mount Kimbie – Carbonated [Hotflush]
22. Foreign Beggars – Flying To Mars ft. Donaeo (Ruckspin & Medison remix) [Mau5trap]
23. Joker – My Trance Girl [4AD]
24. Cymatic – Breakthrough [Dispatch]

Local badman Dunes was nice enough to send this mix our way, and I’ve been hideously delinquent in posting it. But we’re getting  It’s the fifth installment in Bass Squad’s Bassment Noise series. Oscillating between mellower, poolside-appropriate house and more club-ready tunes, this is one of those mixes that could work equally well as a warm up or a cool-down.

It’s worth noting that the track selection pulls heavily from underground NYC producers in and around the Broke City collective – names you’ve probably seen but might still be sleeping on. Sleepyhead, Cream Dream, Figgy, Dunes, Obey City – there’s a tremendous amount of talent bubbling up here. It would behoove you to pay attention.

TRACKLIST:
Catz & Dogz feat Pol On- Me
Figgy- Yesterday Was (Unreleased)
Karmon- Wowshit
Soul Clap- Conscious
Superflu & Andhim- Reeves
Urulu- Reason With Me
Re.You- Junction
Vid- Nouinceput
Sleepyhead & Cream Dream- Go Back (Broke City Summer Collection)
Gorge- Changin
Kate Simko- Go on then feat Jem Cooke
Sleepyhead and Figgy- Reason to Believe (Broke City Summer Collection)
Jimmy Edgar- U Need Love
Dan Ghenacia & Shonky- Close to the Edge
Sleepyhead and Dunes- Illusions (Broke City Summer Collection)
DUNES- Look at the Sky
Makam- What Ya Doin’
Tyree- Nuthin Wrong
Kon- Earthbound
Obey City- Percalatin
Worthy- Lost Dog (LOL Boys Remix)
Jim E Stack- Come Between
Manare- Pearl vs. DJ Jay- Back it up
Mohegan Son- Spirit Balm (Broke City Summer Collection)
Bwana- Baby Let Me Finish vs. DJ Tameil- Tek 9

Get excited. The Percussion Lab Radio Live! nights have been a highlight of the summer, both in the club and listening at home. Tomorrow they’re doing a special collab event with NTS radio and featuring one of my favorite producers, XI.

Check out his incredible work here remixing Sepalcure:

In a lot of ways, XI is the ideal future bass producer – playing off the tropes of 2-step, darker strains of techno and meditative dubstep, and congealing them into something both introspective and floor-ready. But more importantly, his tunes all have this plaintive, poignant melodic thrust that makes them seem instantly nostalgic.

Check out these juicy clips from his latest EP, just stunning:

They’ve been kind enough to get an exclusive mix from him, full of “uncompromising, up-front club music” — you can listen to that HERE, and they also have a guestmix of his HERE that he did for the hotflush podcast from 2010, and still sounds fresh as hell.

XI is going to be playing Thursday night at Tammany Hall on the LES – All the relevant details are in the event listing HERE. It’s only $5, and goes from 7-2, so you can’t really use being employed OR being unemployed as an excuse.

Outlook Festival is, first and foremost, a soundsystem festival. Much can (and should) be said about the remarkable setting, lineup and vibe, all of which contribute to its notoriety. But it’s the soundsystems that are the heart of Outlook, both literally and philosophically. Soundsystem culture started in 1950s Jamaica, and provided the cultural foundation for the music we now call dub reggae, hip hop, dancehall,  drum n bass and of course, dubstep. The artists booked to play Outlook come from across that spectrum of genres, as well as techno, house, UK Funky and grime. Hence all the dubplates, emcees, rewinds, and the massive, massive bass.

Yes, it really is in an abandoned fort. Yes, there are massive soundsystems inside the walls, tunnels, dungeons, and even the fucking moat.  There are also beaches, boat parties, camping and so so so much booze. And lest we forget – the lineup is out of this world. You can tell that the artists are just as excited to be there as the ticket-holders.

It really is as beautiful as it sounds.

The Soundsystems

By my count, there are 13 soundsystems at Outlook. 9 on the festival map, plus 4 boats. Though they vary in size, none could be called “weak,” not by any stretch of the imagination. Everywhere you go, you’re greeted with stacks on stacks on stacks of massive subwoofers, mids and tweeters, banging out some of the cleanest, warmest, most powerful bass music I’ve ever heard. We’ve all heard people use superlatives like “bone-rattling,” “chest-caving” and “bowel-loosening” to describe huge soundsystems; for the most part that’s hyperbole.

Not at Outlook. The system at the Fort, for instance. It cut right through me. It made me feel transparent. I’ve felt bass in my chest before, sure, but this I felt in every cell. You know that scene in Jurassic Park where they know the T-Rex is approaching by the way the water glass is trembling? It’s like that; you are that glass of water. All of you is vibrating. So is the ground. So is the sky. It’s like you’re in the speaker. Every hair stands on end. The air becomes palpable, like the fluid medium that it is. This must be what it feels like to be a fish, or a bird. You’re literally swimming in the sound. Even a mid-sized system at Outlook completely outclasses the best soundsystems in New York City (I’d take Mungo’s HiFi rig over Cielo’s Funktion-1 in a heartbeat).

The Clearing

You walk everywhere at Outlook, on dirt roads. From the main entrance, or from the campground, stages are at least a 10 minute walk. So it was a welcome change this year to see they introduced a new venue this year, situated halfway between the entrance and the rest of the venues. The Clearing is where the trail forked: the path to the left took you directly down to the the big outdoor stages, and the path to the right took you to smaller stages within the walls of the fort.

Between the two paths was a massive mural of the festival map, which drunks pondered at length before just asking stewards and random bystanders about the stage they were seeking.  Last year the same space served as a de-facto chillout zone, nitrous bazaar and meeting point; it had some of the only outdoor seating in the entire festival, and most of it was poorly lit.

This year, The Clearing was a mid-sized dirt field big enough for a game of soccer, ringed by trees and equipped with a massive stack of Funktion-1 speakers and a generous arsenal of lights and lasers. The entrance sign was well placed, framing the brilliant Croatian sunsets and sunrises as festival goers entered and left the venue area. Around the stage comfortably held close to 1,000 people, or so I’d guess.

The Clearing was an inevitable first and last stop for everyone, and Outlook definitely took advantage of that with the lineups. Koan Sound and Funtcase both went off, playing early on Friday to healthy crowds going appropriately nuts. At 1am Phaeleh played a typically gorgeous set to a rapt Clearing. Sunday was another big night at the Clearing, with Bonobo easing folks into the final night with a 2-hour set. Outlook fam Mosca, Jack Sparrow, Zed Bias and finally The Heatwave closed out the stage Sunday night in suitably epic fashion.  Also gotta mention Kode-9, whose set here featured some of the only juke I heard at Outlook 2012 (which was a mild disappointment, as last year it seemed abundant, but maybe that’s just me)

Dockside

A few minutes past the Clearing, down a rocky dirt trail, there’s a point where the trail switches back before the final descent to the waterfront, and where the above sign frames a killer view of the Harbour stage, the Dockside Stage, and beyond that the actual waterfront where the boat parties load up. Harbour and Dockside are the two biggest stages at Outlook, and a bit of  a hike from the rest of the venues situated in the fortress itself. However, both had immense capacity and killer lineups, so it was quite possible to spend an entire evening between the two.

The Dockside stage was in many ways an ideal system. It sits on the docks, as promised, and the audience has a wide open field (of gravel) to occupy. So there was always room to move, and never a queue. The speaker stacks were in towers, elevated enough to project over a wide area, but still powerful enough to give you a rich dose of bass, even 100 feet back. And the big stage, with its distinctive, angular visuals, was great for emcees to prance about on.

Thursday night was a metalheadz takeover, gratifying all the drum and bass heads. Friday was a lineup of all Rinse.FM DJs – big sets in particular from Roska, Oneman and Zinc. Saturday it was back to drum n bass; with the rain pouring down, the Shogun Audio takeover kept kids raving their faces off despite the downpour. The final night was a packed lineup as well – a showdown/showcase with two of  the biggest labels in deep dubstep – Osiris and Chestplate. A stacked heavyweight lineup featuring Biome, Kryptic Minds, DJ Madd, Razor Rekta, Cyrus v. Tunnidge, Distance, and V.I.V.E.K. (most of whom played at reconstrvct in the past year).

The Harbour

Comparable in scale to the main stage at any major festival, The Harbour sits right on the ocean, with a massive arch of lights and two speaker towers. It has the largest capacity of any Outlook venue and hence played host to some of the biggest acts. Gentleman’s Dub Club and Fat Freddy’s Drop both played to a packed field on Thursday night. Submotion Orchestra broke 1,000 hearts on this stage, Max Romeo chased the devil off it, and Lee “Scratch” Perry sanctified it with a full band. Saturday saw Souls of Mischief and The Beatnuts rock it, before teenaged house heartthrobs Disclosure stepped up to keep people going despite torrential downpours. The sky cleared reverentially, though, for DMZ. Mala, Loefah, Coki and Sgt. Pokes had people skanking their asses off in the massive puddles. After that, Joker, Skream and finally Hatcha vs N-Type finished off a unparalleled night of classic dubstep.

Ironically, this was the only stage where one could quibble about the sound not being loud enough for certain acts. This was also the case last year, and I think it has to do with the Harbour stage being the most exposed – all the other venues enjoy some form of natural sound insulation from the fort or the hills, but the Harbour is essentially on flat ground.

The Moat

One of the most talked about stages, the Moat was a long, narrow venue dug about 60 feet into the ground, with the highest stone walls of any part of Fort Punta Christo; it was litch-relly a moat. I chatted a bit with the guys installing the sound there, and they told me they spent 2 days measuring the distance between the speakers with lasers, so as to precision time the speaker delays. That effort paid off – the sound was pristine all along the length of it. Due to the limited capacity and spectacular view into it, the moat typically has a massive queue to get in.  One entered via a 2-flight metal staircase, and turned the corner into a harrowing tunnel of bass, lazers and lights.

The Moat was my first stop on Thursday night for the Swamp81 takeover, with huge techno sets from Pinch, Loefah, Boddika, Oneman and Mickey Pearce. Boddika was really the highlight for me though – even the emcee’s moronic chant of “sexy bod” couldn’t manage to put a damper on the energy of his set.  Saturday was also a stacked lineup in the Moat, with Ben UFO, Pearson Sound and Blawan all playing extended sets.

The Fort / Arena1

This was probably my favorite venue at Outlook. A perfect balance between spaciousness and sound insulation – the Fort was the biggest area fully enclosed by the fort’s original stone walls. The distinctive purple Void soundsystem provided the largest sweet spot of any system at Outlook, comfortably enveloping a few hundred ravers in deep, lustrous bassweight.

Notable sets here included Addison Groove, who rocked the place with a mix of  hybrid bass sound, George Fitzgerald with some upfront house, Hatcha’s history of dubstep set, and basically all of Sunday Night – the GetDarker takeover. Von D and Kromestar both brought extra-heavy sets. Extra special shouts to Chefal, who completely flipped the vibe with a rousing set of house that had me dancing my ass off. Then Silkie and Quest hyped up a capacity crowd with straight party vibes (ie: mixing “Do the Jazz” into “Source 16”). Finally Jay 5ive and Truth played the last sets there.

Outside the Fort

Just past the entrance to the Fort was the cleverly-named Outside the Fort stage. Basically a big flat dirt pit about the size of a tennis court, dug out sort of terrace-like, with its own bar and massive Blackboard Jungle Soundsystem. Outside the Fort played host to all-night soundclashes between the Blackboard Jungle residents and parties like Dub Station, Hot Wuk, and OBF (the latter of which was a dream-team of Nicky Blackmarket, Remarc and Lion Dub with MC Navigator).

Mungos

Mungo’s HiFi is a travelling soundsystem that ranks as one of the finest in the world. As a longtime collaborator with Outlook Festival, Mungo gets his own stage for his bespoke wood paneled soundsystem. Situated the furthest afield of any stage, Mungo’s is worth the trek. A footbridge takes you over a moat, through an arch and into a courtyard. The layout is unorthodox; two massive banks of speakers sit diagonally from each other across a rectangular courtyard; front left and back right. But this creates a much wider sweet spot, cutting a wide swath across the middle of the space. Which, incidentally, is right where you enter, putting you right into the vibe. Across the courtyard from the entrance is a staircase up to one of the best bars at Outlook. This is definitely the highest point of any publicly accessible area of Outlook, providing a stunning view of the ocean, the Harbour stage, and of course the dancefloor below.

The programming at the Mungo’s stage had an emphasis on dub and reggae. Jah Shaka played an epic 6 hour set here, and Sunday night it was a Dancehall Science takeover. Standouts for me included a classic dub set from Earl Gateshead, some live gameboy PA from Disrupt, and the Scottish badgirl swagger of Soom-T. Mungo’s also hosted a massive techno night on Friday with Walton, Damu, Girl Unit and XXXY. Mungo’s deserves special recognition as one of the friendliest vibes of any venue. Bigups!

The Courtyard, Noah’s Ballroom, The Dungeon

Deep within Fort Punta Christo, these 3 rooms provided the most intimate venues at Outlook. Entering through the high stone arch, the Courtyard is a roughly rectangular space, comfortably holding maybe 200. Every wall was lit with amoeba-esque projections. A small stage and 2 modest (by Outlook standards) stacks of speakers make for a medieval version of your favorite club back home. The Black Acre/ Tempo Clash night here was the one for me – all manner of beats from Blue Daisy, Kelpe, Kutmah, as well as some more techno-ish stuff from Fantastic Mr Fox,  Hyetal, and a special late-night set by Dark Sky.

From there, stone tunnels burrow deeper into the fort, bringing you to Noah’s Ballroom, a circular stone drum with one speaker stack and an open ceiling, pictured below. Deeper still is the Dungeon, where the sound loops spookily around a figure-8 shaped vault of tunnels.

Boat Parties

For a lot of folks, myself included, the boat parties were a huge highlight. 4 yachts were equipped with soundsystems, each hosting 3 parties per day. That’s 12 boat parties every day, making for 48 boat parties across the 4 days of the festival. With 3-6 artists per boat, that’s something like 200 sets.; practically a whole other festival, happening on the ocean. The boats held roughly 100 people each, making for a much more intimate experience, and more risk-taking sets from the artists. However, boat party tickets were extra, and sold out quickly.

Though tickets were gone in a matter of minutes, we managed to snag a spot on the Vagabondz boat, featuring a very housey lineup of Night Owl, New York Transit Authority, Disclosure, and Lil Silva. The boat shoved off at noon on Sunday, and after 2 days of rain the sun was finally back in full effect. As folks loaded in, Night Owl warmed things up with a little hip hop before transitioning into some easy 4×4 selections. New York Transit Authority was up next, starting off with his Off The Trax VIP, and laying down one of my favorite sets of the entire festival. Jubilant, sunny house music was just what the doctor ordered. Disclosure stepped up after that, dropping a nice selection of their tunes as well as others. Then we were all treated to a fun b2b session from NYTA and Disclosure. Focusing on well known party tunes, everyone sang along to classics by Biggie, Destiny’s Child and Grandmaster Flash.

Finally, Lil Silva stepped up. While I’ve never been a huge fan of UK Funky, and was pretty tired after dancing for 3 hours in the sun, I still couldn’t help but dance my ass off. His infectious energy, quick mixing and huge basslines had everyone in a frenzy. By mid-set, there were rewinds happening on nearly every tune. When the boat finally pulled in to dock, the crowd was so hyped that they refused to get off, chanting ONE MORE TUNE! ONE MORE TUNE!

The Scene

Things always get silly at Outlook. Not much else could be expected, given that you have so many sun-starved, booze-soaked British youths partying their asses off for 4 days straight, with the surreal backdrop of a ruined Mediterranean fortress. Add to that 2 nights of unexpected, torrential rain, and you could well say that shit got ridiculous. Unlike Burning Man (which happens during the same week in Nevada), there’s not much in the way of costuming (or fancy dress) – but when things got wet, people started wearing some pretty silly items to stay dry. Below, you can see the traditional Croatian rave-poncho (as modeled by the WompBlog crew), the trash-bag cloak (very popular this year) with bespoke zip-lock hat, and a minimal cardboard box-vest. I WISH I had a picture of the two guys who were just wearing their tents, poles and all, with their heads poking through holes cut in the top, or the young MacGuyver who fashioned himself a bubble-wrap ghillie.

Between 20k and 25k attended Outlook this year – most of us college age to late 20s. I’d guess that guys outnumbered girls, but only slightly.  Roughly 4 out of 5 people there were from the UK. The non-UK minority was largely European – French, Germans, Italians and Belgians were prominent, and obviously there were a lot of Croatians (who I believe got discounted admission, and were a bit more at liberty to buy day passes) as well as Hungarians, Serbs and I think I heard some Hebrew as well. Last year at Outlook, I could count the Americans I met on one hand. This year we were still quite rare, but exponentially more of us than last year. Running in to some of my NYC fam (shouts to bassfaced!) while out there was definitely a welcome change.

The people who did come were absolute nutters. For the sizable student bloc, this was their last weekend of holiday before classes started again, so the youngest were also going the hardest. Gotta say, these kids handled their alcohol vastly better than their American counterparts would have. In 2 years of going to Outlook, I’ve seen precisely one person throw up. ONE. However, seeing folks passed out drunk on the side of a dancefloor or half in their tent was quite common. At 11pm on Saturday I saw a young lady curled up on the ground near the Clearing stage, using her half-empty 40 as a pillow.

To what can we attribute this European superiority in the inebriate arts? For starters, they did they have several years head start (the drinking minimum age is 18 in the UK). But they also came up in a culture that values marathon drinking; in contrast, American’s take more of a sprinting or powerlifting approach, valuing impressive short-term accomplishments over stamina. Most of the Brits I talked to couldn’t relate to the concept of a time of day when you started drinking – if you were on Holiday, there was never a time to not be drinking. This method is not without its consequences though; more times than I can count, I overheard stories of partying nonstop for 2 days, then returning to the tent to change clothes, passing out, and missing a whole night of music. I didn’t hear anyone say they regretted it, though.

Due to the many country borders and customs inspections most people had to go through en route to Outlook, there was a remarkably scant presence of drugs. Spliffs and Nitrous balloons were ever-present, but I didn’t see a whole lot of people overtly tripping, nor would random sketchy people solicit your business. If anyone managed to bring drugs in to Croatia, they weren’t looking to share. While I heard plenty of kids complaining about the lack of pills,  I’d like to think this actually enhances everyone’s experience, even the grumblers. By cutting out all the time and energy people typically do devote to finding drugs, the focus was inevitably on the music.

The Setting

Outlook Festival is in Pula, Croatia, on the beautiful Adriatic, which you can sea here *rimshot.* Venice Marco Polo is the closest major international airport, and from Venice you can either take a ferry or a bus to Pula.  The bus was around 5.5 hours (and was on time, both ways). The ferry I heard was a bit faster (also pricier).

More specifically, the festival happens here, at Camp Puntižela, ostensible in the city of Pula. The marker for Camp Puntižela on the map below is the entrance, and camping happens all along the north edge of that little dongle of land, with the main soundsystems on the south side, in the ruins of the fort and on the docks.

Camping onsite puts you right in the center of the action – 24 hours a day. It’s cheap as chips – £9/$15 a night, and there’s a beach (with a soundsystem, of course), and many, many bars. There’s also tons of mediocre festival food, and a decently stocked grocery. Good luck getting any sleep, though. Pretty much anywhere you put your tent, you’ll be hearing at least one soundsystem going till well past sunrise, as well as ~10,000 elated, drunken maniacs returning to their camps from 1-8 am. Which means you need to either get pass-out drunk yourself, or get your tent in the shade so you can sleep a bit during the day.

If that’s not your cup of tea, you can find places to stay in the city of Pula, which is several kilometers away (bottom right corner), or the next town north of there, Fazana (not on this map but actually a bit closer to camp than Pula). This year, The Outlook website had apartment rental listings in Pula, Fazana, and other towns further afield. Which is a great idea in theory, but the listings were all pretty vague, had 1 exterior picture, and were all listed as being 5km from the festival site. They were, however, all the same price (£25/$40 per night).

My advice: get an apartment through airbnb. There are decent options at around £20/$30/night, and that will usually sleep at least 2. Another option is Bi Village, which you can see at the very top of the map there. It’s is a family-oriented resort, but probably the closest possible lodging (about 3km away). It’s a bit pricier, £56/$91 for a 2 person suite, but there’s also a big-ass pool and a private beach, it’s a resort hotel, linen service, etc. I don’t know what Crazy Beach is but it sounds awesome.

Bus lines run to and from the festival site to both Pula and Fazana about once an hour, for 11 kuna per trip (<$2). There are also cabs – local cabs will take you to and from downtown Pula for about a hundred kuna (about $17), which ain’t bad, especially with a few friends. Then there’s Taxi Cammeo, representing 12 out of 13 cabs waiting for you at the main entrance to the festival. Taxi Cammeo is a new company this year pretending (not very hard) to be yellow cabs. On their website it says the first 3km are 15 kuna, and 6 kuna/km after that. That would make a trip to downtown Pula (7.5 km from Camp) cost 45 kuna. However, when I talked to these guys in the parking lot, they quoted that same trip as 150-250 kuna PER PERSON. One of these ass-clowns tried to explain the per person pricing by saying “Iz like hotel, but driving.” I heard a steward muttering about how they were all Croatian mafia; I believe it.

The Summation

Last year Outlook came under some pointed criticism after the festival ended. Having doubled in size to 25,000 people, there were some inevitable issues: inaccurate set times due to poorly run stages, long lines for everything, rampant littering, and poorly maintained campsite bathrooms sullied the experience for some. There were allegations of campsite theft by the Croatian security. In the wake of this, Outlook Festival made a lot of promises about how things were going to be different this year. And I gotta say, they really delivered.

The campsite was dramatically cleaner – I saw barely any rubbish on the ground. There were signs posted encouraging folks to clean up after themselves, a cups-for-beer exchange program, and many, many more bins. I can’t vouch for how the bathrooms held up this year, as I stayed offsite, but there were noticeably more porta-potties at the venues, and I didn’t spend any time waiting in line for a free one. I also noticed a lot more stewards this year – volunteers who do 2 days of work  for a free festival ticket. They were posted every 50 meters along the hike to and from the venues, ensuring that even the most plastered attendees wouldn’t get lost.

The programs this year were much better designed. The map was vastly more readable than last year’s. Instead of a bound booklet of set times (that would fall apart in your sweaty pockets), the schedule was arranged like a poster, that folded up so you could see the complete set times for all stages on the front and back, and slip that into a laminated pouch that hung on a lanyard around one’s neck. The stages were running somewhat more on time, though nothing was clockwork, exactly. The one major scheduling disappointment for me was that Planas‘s set got moved to the Harbour stage, but at the appointed time and place there were no signs, nor any staff who seemed to know where it had gone. I also heard some boat parties were at the wrong times.

All in all though, the festival was much better run than last year, while maintaining the same incredible setting, soundsystems and a similar calibre lineup.  Maybe it was just better staffing and shorter queues, but it seemed like there were actually fewer people this time around. The only thing that wasn’t as good as last year was the weather – had it not been for the rain (the first in Croatia in 6 months), I think you’d have a lot of folks proclaiming this the coming of Festival Jesus. Hell, even with the rain, people were clearly having the time of their lives. The only major areas that could stand improving would be the food, keeping the scheduling as on time as possible, and posting notices when set times get rearranged or moved. The music, the venue and the people couldn’t be better. In short, I know I’ll be back next year – I sure hope some of you reading this join me.

If you go out in NYC, then there’s no doubt you’ve heard of this DJ, MessKid. Probably the hardest working local DJ I know of – following his twitter account is an exercise in FOMO-resistance, since he plays somewhere cool pretty much every night. Sometimes 2 or 3 parties a night.

All that work pays off. Tonight he’s opening for Rustie and Flosstradamus at Webster Hall.  A few months back, Noise212 posted this great video of Mess doin his thing, running through all manner of dark, minimal UK and eastcoast-inspired bass music.

MESS KID – #031 from Noise212 on Vimeo.

Be back next week with a full write up, pictures, and maybe even a few interviews for you lucky dogs.

CROATIA CROATIA!!!!

Another absolutely ridiculous mix from DJ Unkut, the German turntablist who you may know from his game-changing “Beware of ze Average Man” routine. The tracklist is pretty ambitious, pulling from the best of worldwide mutant futuristic beat scenes. Yes, there’s some trap. And it’s damn well placed, serving to establish the energy upfront before moving into more interesting, melodic descendents of instrumental hip-hop. The second half of this mix gets into some classier european strains of experimental, 808-heavy, 160bpm stuff, with Para One, Krampfhaft, Om Unit and Machine Drum. Featured as well as are some of the finest American, non-east coast production; notably Colorado’s Paper Diamond, Chicago’s Chrissy Murderbot, Lorn (outta Wisconsin) and California’s Freddy Todd.

Expertly blended and seasoned with choice scratches, Unkut delivers a concise, furious bar-raising mix that invariably leaves one wanting more. Fortunately, he has a few more on his soundcloud that are all equally well crafted.

Tracklist:

1. Melé – Lego
2. Lunice – Bricks
3. Star Slinger – Bad Bitches
4. XXYYXX – Fields
5. Zombie – Spliff Dub (Rustie remix)
6. 123 Mrk – Pleasure
7. Hudson Mohawke – Somebody
8. Lorn – Sworn to Black
9. Gucci Mane – Im da Shit (B-ju remix)
10.+Verb & Bloop Bleep – Innanet Drive by
11. Para One – Empire
12. Bonobo – Eyes down (Machinedrum remix)
13. Chrissy Murderbot – Bionic Penguins
14. Krampfhaft – Spit Thunder
15. Beans – Blue Movie (Salva remix)
16. Krampfhaft – I needed you (Om unit remix)
17. Freddy Todd ft. Black Mic – Star trek shit
18. Paper Diamond – Airlift
19. Lorn – Bretagne

50 minutes of Jon Hopkins making gritty, gorgeous instrumental music with a whole bunch of Kaoss Pads. If the beginning is too mellow for you, skip to 15:50 where things get real crunchy. His music has shades of Amon Tobin, DJ Shadow or Lorn, but his live performance far outshines anything I’ve ever seen.

I saw this guy open for Prefuse73 a few years ago and he completely stole the show. At the time, I was blown away at how his hands never stopped moving, seeming almost independent of each other. What I’m noticing now is how he never once puts on headphones. Amazing live electronic music like this is the antidote to the button-pressing cynicism of Deadmau5 and his pre-mixed spectacle

via The Kort

Rob Booth – Electronic Explorations Compilation
out July 1st on Electronic Explorations – LISTEN ☟/BUY

Eprom – Metahuman LP 
out July 2nd on Rwina Records – LISTEN/BUY

EAN – Darknet EP
out July 2nd on Cosmic Bridge – LISTEN ☟/BUY

Paleman – All Good EP
Out July 16 on Fulcrum Records LISTEN ☟/BUY

DJ Oneman – Fabric Live 64
Out July 16 on Fabric Worldwide LISTEN/BUY

Danny Scrilla – Flash Powder EP
Out July 16 on Cosmic Bridge – LISTEN ☟/BUY

Ikonika – I make Lists EP
Out July 16 on Hum and Buzz – LISTEN/BUY

Doshy – Electrophilic EP
Out July 19 on Lowriders Recordings – LISTEN/BUY

Deft – Masquerade EP
Out July 23 on Rwina Records – LISTEN ☟/ BUY

Om Unit – Aeolian EP
Out July 30 on Civil Music – LISTEN ☟/BUY

Disclosure – The Face Remixes EP
Out July 30 on Greco-Roman LISTEN ☟/BUY

I’ve had a deep and abiding love for the music and mixing of Thefft. As he is making his NYC debut tonight (for free, no less – details HERE), I decided to compile a playlist of all the Thefft mixes on mixcloud. There’s something very addicting about his style; a delicious mixture of jazz-infused techno, 2-step and a slyly swung house grooves that makes me want to listen to his stuff over and over again.

Just hit play below, and yr good for about the next 8 hours.

If yr feelin this then go see him at Le Poisson Rouge tonight. It’s FREE, all the info is RIGHT HERE. Show starts at 10, and is a super stacked lineup –  Policy, Hirshi, Juakali, Nihal and Knomad all play as well. SEE YOU ON THE FLOOR!

Really loving this mix of some soulful house (tho not soul-house, per se) and techno stuff from Policy, in advance of his appearance Thursday at OnTheSly. Seriously smooth mix here, I could listen to this on repeat all day. Policy isn’t just a great DJ – he’s also an excellent producer, with several releases on the always-relevant Rush Hour Records.

If yr feelin this, then you should go see him play THIS Thursday at OnTheSly. The lineup is ridiculously stacked with talent, the vibe is always friendly, and it’s FREEEEEEEEEE. No cover, no excuse, as they say.

Also worth checking out his recent mix for DJBroadcast, which I’ve embedded below. Similar vibes as first mix, initially, then the middle of the mix veers deeper into techno. Comes back around to more classic house/electro vibes and finished with some lovely future bass.

DJ Broadcast Tracklist
1. Floating Points – ‘Vacuum Boogie’ (Eglo)
2. Anthony Naples – ‘Tusk’ (Mister Saturday Night)
3. Lone – ‘Living in the Reeds’ (R&S)
4. STL – ‘Silent State’ (Smallville)
5. Jump “Chico” Slamm – ‘Galactic Alignment’ (Rush Hour)
6. Pépé Bradock – ‘Deep Burnt’ (Kif)
7. Altered Natives – ‘Crop Duster’ (3024)
8. Dauwd – ‘Ikopol’ (Pictures Music)
9. Anthony Shake Shakir – ‘The Floorfiller’ (Skudge’s Floor Killer Version)’ (Rush Hour)
10. Blawan – ‘Peaches’ (Coronation)’ (Clone Basement Series)
11. GoldFFinch – ‘Pixel Perfect’ (dubplate)
12. Policy – ‘Remembrance (Enoe Remix)’ (dubplate)
13. Braille – ‘The Year 3000’ (Rush Hour Direct Current)
14. Chrissy Murderbot – ‘Friendship (Legowelt Remix)’ (Halo Cyan)
15. Photomachine – ‘On U’ (2020 Midnight Visions)
16. West Norwood Cassette Library – ‘Coming on Strong (Pangaea Remix)’ (WNCL)
17. VVV – ‘Bound’ (Fortified Audio)
18. Falty DL – ‘The Sale Ends’ (Ninja Tune)

Just wanna give a massive shout out to the fine folks at Turrbotax and Discovery for bringing out Andrés aka DJ Dez on Saturday. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a DJ that good. 2 tracks in, I realized I was putty in his hands. FLAWLESS mixing, inspired selections, perfect pacing, some exquisitely tasteful scratching, all in the pursuit of a higher groove. And oh boy did we find it. Walked out of there feeling just ELATED.

Anyway, I’ve had these jams on loop pretty much since I got home that night, reliving the glory. You know it was a good show when yr still basking in the glow 2 days later.

Fourty seven and a half minutes of heavy partybass from the Don of dat shit, AC Slater. An expert brew of dirty, fidgety electro,  some very rough n bashy UK Funky, and some very tasty dubstep.

If yr feelin this, then GO SEE HIM with Style of Eye this friday at Webster Hall. Here’s all the event infos, make sure to RSVP for $5 admission!

Just added

Sunday July 15:
Summertime Rolls ft. Donato Dozzy, Neel, Bryan Kasenic, Eric Cloutier, Nihal [4PM/$15]

Monday, July 16
Percussion Lab Radio LIVE w Machine Drum, Chrissy Murderbot, Braille [9PM/FREE]

US debut of Author, the duo of Jack Sparrow and Dom Ruckspin. Deep, cinematic dubstep infused with soulful vocals, jazz, and a touch of tribal dums. Absolutely hair-raising vibes on this one. This set was a live PA recorded at Reconstrvct’s Outlook Launch Party in Brooklyn on June 2, 2012.

The next Reconstrvct party goes down on July 28th, and features Coki, VIVEK, Jay 5ive, Nihal, Joe Nice, TrueNature, and a special guest from Deep Medi.

Just Added:

Sunday, July 8th:
Dark Disco with Flosstradamus, Nick Hook, Pase Rock [6PM/$15]

Saturday, July 14th
TURRBOTAX® & Discovery Present: Andrés, Terrence Parker, Free Magic & Faso, Mayster & Space Jam [9PM/$10]

Just Updated:

Friday, July 20th:
Kingdom (Fade To Mind, Nightslugs) Added to Sleepyhead “Endless Island” EP release ft Kastle, Sleepyhead, Dunes, Figgy [10PM/$15]

Just Added:

Friday July 6 
Astro Nautico at Free Candy: Time Wharp, Raja, Howse, The Range, M. Constant, Kuhn, Obey City, Paul Jones [$8/10PM]

Friday July 20
Sleepyhead “Endless Island” EP release ft Kastle, Sleepyhead, Dunes, Figgy [10PM/$15]

Friday July 27:
FRI: TURRBOTAX 3rd BIRTHDAY: ft. Oneman, Ikonika, Jam City, Dj Spoko, more

Just added RWD.FM showcase with Dave Q, Thefft, Em-Et, J-Hilla, Cloy Pi in Jersey City, 7/28 – VIEW LISTING

Updated Lineup for OnTheSly 7/19: Thefft, Juakali, Policy, Hirshi – VIEW LISTING 

Updated Lineups for BR NYC 002, BR NYC 003 and added BR NYC 004

Just added Archie Pelago at Mister Sunday 7/8 to the Events page. See the listing here.

Big changes are coming to WompBlog, and I want you to all be in the know. Here’s the tl;dr – I don’t have the time to make this a good music blog and a good events listing. And since there are a million music blogs, this is going to become an events blog. For bass music events in New York City. There will also be a mailing list with weekly blasts of what’s coming up.

I work as a UX designer, and we’re always talking about minimum viable product. What is the experience at the core of your product? What provides the value? What makes it different and valuable when a potential user is looking at all the competition? I realized that, as music blogs go, this is a pretty half-assed one – sometimes I go weeks without posting. There are already a million blogs out there who do it better, and more spring up every day. I imagine most are run by college students, or people with mindless dayjobs, or trustafarians with DJ aspirations. Folks with gobs of free time. I can’t compete with them, nor do I want to. My dayjob keeps me challenged and busy, and after work I’d rather spend time with my girlfriend than with my computer. And, oh yeah, go out and see music.

But WompBlog IS a fairly decent events listing (just check the sidebar). And as far as I’ve seen, nobody else is consistently curating bass music events in New York City. Sure, each promoter has a website with listings of their events and stuff they are co-promoting, but that’s hype. There’s resident advisor and songkick, but those are only good if you already know what you’re looking for. What this scene needs is curation – not only in selecting what’s worth going to, but also in telling you why it’s worth going to. My modus operandi here is aggregating the best stuff from both the underground scene and the more established clubs. The only prerequisites are good DJs/producers, a good soundsystem, and a good crowd.

As the prophet Ron Swanson once said, “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing”. The time has come to whole-ass the events section. The basic site structure will remain the same (for now) but the editorial focus is going to shift towards upcoming events. Expect more quick posts to tell you what has been added to the listings, and longer ones focused on upcoming shows. Once a week, all those will get rolled up into an email that will keep you in the know, and probably have some exclusives as well. Signups will be open shortly. There will still be mixes, and gems from bandcamp and soundcloud, but music will be more closely related to who is playing in NYC in the near future.

So if you’re a concertgoer, get ready for a whole lot more awesome events. If you’re  a promoter, get ready for a lot more fans. And whoever you are, get ready for a whole lot more WOMP!

SUBSCRIBE HERE: [nm-mc-form fid=”1″]

I’m kinda blown away by this live performance by iamyank (via amb). He’s using the forthcoming ipad app, Beatsurfing, which is unique in that it’s designed to let you draw your own midi instruments. iamyank posted the audio from this a few weeks back on soundcloud, and it sounded great, but seeing it happen in front of yr eyes is a whole ‘nother thing.

Lest you think it’s all tricknology (the ipad app he’s using can trigger 8 sounds from one hit), keep in mind that the whole idea behind beatsurfing is that you lay out your own interface, so that you can naturally trigger sounds with a series of smooth motions (aka ‘surfing’). Anyway, to appease the purists, here’s a vid of him rockin out on a traditional mpc.

Everyone’s favorite expat beat-gourmet, Kutmah just upped his excellent all-Dabrye mix. Best way to introduce this is to quote the comment Shigeto left at 0:00:

DABRYE. THE ONE THE ONLY. THE HEADS ALREADY KNOW & THOSE WHO DON’T – NOW WILL.

When a certified star of the current beat scene is giving you props in all caps, that says a lot right there. Of course Zach Saginaw would have the proper reverence for Dabrye – he’s followed in his footsteps in a lotta ways; they’re both from the Detroit area, both on Ghostly International, both purveyors of richly textural instrumental hip-hop. But I digress. The comment is indicative of the status Dabrye enjoys amongst beat-heads, which is demi-godlike. He was a pioneer of next-level instrumental hip-hop beats in the first few years of the 2000s, laying the groundwork for the lush worldwide beat scene we enjoy today.

Simultaneously more raw and more subtle than anything else going on at the time (hell, or since), Dabrye’s minimalism, unique and detailled palette and hypnotic swing instantly sets his work apart. His beats worked with minimal percussion and sub-bass in a way that eerily forecasted early dubstep. While guys like Shadow and Prefuse73 deconstructed boom-bap, Dabrye went inside boom-bap and reconstructed it from futuristic materials. Bottom line: if you make beats, or enjoy beats, this is essential listening.

If you want to really get the full picture, listen to One/Three and Instrmntl all the way through on good headphones. Then remind yourself that they came out in 2001 and 2002, respectively. I know, I know. It only gets more unbelievable with repeat listens. If you REALLY want to go deep, check out Fact Mag’s fantastic 10 page feature, The Essential Dabrye. And if yr in London, go see em all Thursday at Basing House: Kutmah, Dabrye, as well as Patchwork Pirates, Darkhouse Fam, and Widows (featuring Jams F. Kennedy, the best rapper alive).

Sub Swara have returned! Not that anyone who knows the work of Dave Sharma and Dhruva Ganeson ever thought they left. They were most likely just off the map finding the finest Balinese cymbals, then recording them in an acoustically perfect Wampa ice-cave with custom-built tube pre-amps reverse engineered from martian sound weaponry, and then doing their final mixdowns it in an Ayahuasca ceremony atop  Mount Kilauea. Shit takes time to do right.

But soon, your patience will be rewarded. They’ve announced that they will be releasing 15 brand new tracks, not as an LP, but as a mixtape titled “The Rudiment”, dropping May 1st. Today they’ve given  us a taste with the Amy Winehouse-sampling track “You Don’t Know”. No easy feat, but they’ve matched the Lioness’s passionate vocals with galloping drums and a ferocious tearout synth-line. Cop the free download on soundcloud so you can really savor all that luscious reverb.

Ninjatune has done it again, bringing us yet another brilliant release at the intersection of  LIVE and ELECTRONIC. YPPAH is the alias of Joe Corrales Jr., and now a full live band that fuses dusty breaks with poignant instrumentation to great effect. I’d seen the name a few times recently in official Ninjatune communiques, and while my interest was piqued by it’s androgynous unpronouncability, it was hearing the “Eighty One” Album minimix that really got me electrified. Turns out YPPAH has put out a half dozen releases on Ninjatune since ’06. Dunno how I slept on ‘im till now.

One could safely assume from the cover that this is a work awash in texture and nostalgia (and it is) – but to me it sounds a lot more like the nineties than eighty one. Yppah takes a tasteful post-rock/psychadelia sound and infusing it with potent electronics. Imagine if Cinematic Orchestra’s J.Swincoe was producing Do Make Say Think, and you’re not far off. There’s clear evidence of reverence for guys like DJ Shadow, Boards of Canada and the Chemical Brothers, who could squeeze teardrops out of psychadelic samples and breakbeats. But while YPPAH is steeped in nostalgia, they aren’t mired by it. Their sound is urgent, full, and ready to say something new (albiet with familiar pieces).

This album came out April 2nd, and is available for purchase on iTunes and at NinjatuneHQ. If you’d like even more YPPAH, check out the mix that Joe did for Solid Steel this past week, featuring all tracks from 1981.

Tracklist:

Brian Eno & David Byrne _ Mea Culpa _ Sire
Gang of Four _ What We All Want _ EMI
The Cure _ Other Voices _ Polydor
Gary Numan _ Moral _ Beggars Banquet
The Sound _ Judgement _ Korova
Cocteau Twins _ Blind Dumb Deaf _ 4AD
Siouxsie & The Banshees _ Into the Light _ Polydor
The Church _ Sisters _ EMI
Kraftwerk _ Computer Love _ EMI

When a mix starts out with a T. S. Eliot quote, you know it has somewhat loftier aspirations than your typical hour of beatmatched tunes. Masterfully put together by Soulmind, these 45 minutes showcase the more introverted, transcendent side of bass music. Burial or Sepalcure fans, take note.

The nature imagery in the title is apt; the vibe here is pointedly non-urban. Whereas early dubstep relied on dread and weight, this breed of future bass is permeated by a kind of lightness and hope. There’s no drops (unless you count the dew on the peaceful morning this mix conjures in your mind). These are headphone jams for your mind-forest.

A lot of DJs go for the jugular; Soulmind goes for the pineal gland. If you like this, grab  some more of his tasty mixes on Soundcloud.

01. Eleven Tigers – With A Little Patience (Soul Motive – 2010)
02. Zomby – Natalia’s Song (4AD – 2011)
03. Pedestrian – Hei Poa (Push & Run – 2011)
04. Submerse & Kuoyah – Bubblin’ (Frijsfo Beats – 2011)
05. Phaeleh – In The Twilight (Afterglo – 2011)
06. Mount Kimbie – Carbonated (Hotflush Recordings – 2011)
07. Disclosure – I Love…. That You Know (Transparent – 2011)
08. Fantastic Mr.Fox – Evelyn (Black Acre – 2010)
09. Clubroot – Lucid Dream (Lo Dubs – 2009)
10. Radiohead – Lotus Flower (Jacques Greene Remix) (Ticker Tape Ltd – 2011)
11. Radiohead – Lotus Flower (SBTRKT Remix) (Ticker Tape Ltd – 2011)
12. Versa – Monsoon (Smokin’ Sessions – 2011)
13. Dauwd – Ikopol (Pictures Music – 2011)
14. Radiohead – Little By Little (Caribou Remix) (Ticker Tape Ltd – 2011)
15. Michael Klein – MK’s Lullaby (Unreleased – 2012)
16. Icicle – Xylophobia (Shogun Audio – 2010)
17. Kidnap Kid – Shouldn’t Be Alone (123Mrk Remix) (Squelch And Clap – 2011)
18. Supra1 – Ghoster (Trouble & Bass Recordings – 2010)
19. Eric Goldstein – Strum (Unreleased – 2012)
20. James Blake – Postpone (R&S Records – 2010)

Stagga, of the venerable Chrome Kids, has just dropped some ferocious new tracks on his soundcloud. FITTEST OF THE FITTEST is a surefire combo of reverb-thickened reggae, a brilliant wobble and perfect percussive touches. My boo says it sounds like the beach at Outlook Festival and I concur. GRIMBOH is a drunken jammmm on a super-grindy bass sample, continuously re-spun and re-pitched to sloppy drums and etherial samples. Tearout for stoners. And the final track of his recent stuff (a collab with Monkey), GLASS BONG, is A hard hitting riddim with heady overtones. Tropical yet grimey. As if Ras G, Pixelord and Dusk n Blackdown hotboxed Dr. Dre’s studio. Hopefully some of these get a proper release, I’d buy em.

Phenomenally powerful dubstep music from Filastine (ft. Nova) and an incredible video to match. I’ve been keepin an eye on this guy ever since this crazy-ass mix, We Are Experiencing Turbulence (Insurrectionary Bass Music Sin Fronteras), which is pretty much what it sounds like – trans-national heavy bass music with a message. It’s not easy listening, but then, this is revolution music, in the tradition of Dead Prez, Rage, Marley, and Dylan. Cop the release at addictech.

Colony Collapse is filmed at sites of ecological friction, the fault lines of conflict between humanity and (the rest of) nature. For examples we used….

Lapindo (Sidoarjo) Mud Disaster is an eruption of scalding mud and flammable vapors triggered by a gas drilling gone awry. It has buried more than a dozen villages and blocked a major highway, and is expected to keep expanding for the next 25 years. Lapindo is located close to the home town of the the director (Tooliq) and singer (Nova)…

Bantar Gebang is a landscape of trash. Garbage stretches farther than the eye can see. Mountains, rivers, and even villages where the trash-pickers live. Not something easy to summarize in words.

A supermarket nested in a mega-mall within a skyscraper. Air conditioning, shopping carts, muzak, just like any posh supermarket. But right outside is a the permanent traffic jam of Jakarta, a sprawling mega-city of at least 10 million.

Also of note, the Beats Antique remix throws extra glitches and strings into the mix, properly expanding upon the original vibe.

I’m positively bursting with joy at all the attention my homies Archie Pelago have been getting as of late. Mary Anne Hobbs is a fan. So’s Gilles Peterson. And reigning DMC DJ Shiftee.  They just did a fabulous mix for ep 121 of the very reputable Sonic Router podcast, and a lovely, in-depth interview that really gives you a nice sense of why these guys are different, where the magic comes from (there’s even a diagram).  Anyway, go read it and have a listen below!

Improving on an already stellar lineup of nobel-prize deserving electronic musicians, Dimensions Festival just announced a slough of additions. Little Dragon, without a doubt my favorite band of 2011. Kode9, who has a Ph.D in wompology (no, for real). The mercurial Machinedrum, who has had been in my speakers a lot recently between his own prolific output and as 1/2 of Sepalcure. Also added were JImmy Edgar, Nathan Fake, Amit, and Object, who I’d wager are all amazing as well.

Peep the full lineup below and also check out this short, excellent video about Dimensions, sort of a teaser trailer.