Where Techno Lives

While Caribou hosted a remix competition via Soundcloud a few months back with over 200 submissions, nothing really impressed me. While the winning remixes sound good (well alright the winner sounds great), nothing really added to the original – they just took certain elements, stripped them down, and ultimately made a more boring version of the original. Sometimes a simple re-edit of an amazing tune is all you can do. And Midland has mastered this with his remix. It’s currently in the top Downloads of XLR8R and really deserves to be. Listen, Download and Read HERE.

After being introduced to a slightly darker and complex side of minimal with his Today mix CD and “Mushroom”and “Heroin”,  I instantly fell in love with Superpitcher, Aksel Shaufleur. When I first heard that Superpitcher was releasing his second album, I was ecstatic. And while I know that his sounds had much changed since my minimal favorites of his, I was not prepared for Kilimanjaro (the reason it took me so long to make a post about it). The more abrasive, vocal driven pop tunes did nothing for me – at first. It was definitely clear that Kompakt is changing the game. But after a few listens, it was growing on me, and I caught myself constantly humming the vocals. Superpitcher has definitely succeeded in creating a wonderfully different sound.
Listen for yourself:

1. Prelude
2. Voodoo
3. Country Boy*
4. Rabbits In A Hurry
5. Friday Night*
6. Moon Fever
7. Give Me My Heart Back*
8. Who Stole The Sun
9. Black Magic
10. Joanna*
11. Holiday Hearts

Read Pitchfork’s and BBC’s incredibly high reviews, and check out his RA Podcast while you can.

My buddy Jeremy has just released his promo mix: Howl. It’s a very subtle and downtempo mix, understated yet highly emotional. The somewhat lo-fi and reverbed tunes add a sense of nostalgia – perfect for the slightly difficult transition from summer to fall. Enjoy it.

Howl by JéJé

Royksopp have released their latest album online for full streaming! It wont be released for another week, so getting to hear the entire thing is awesome. Read Royksopp’s own description of the album here. I’m saving up my words for now.

Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Rebellion Der Traeumer

My favorite duo when it comes to emotional techno – I cannot wait! “Rebellion of the Dreamers” (translation) will be released on Connaisseur this November. For more info, including tracklisting, check RAs post. To get you pumped, listen to:
Federleicht – On The Streets (Kollektiv Turmstrasse’s Let Freedom Ring Remix)
Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Tristesse

Royksopp – Senior

While Junior was good, it was all about their upbeat pop oriented stuff. My real love for Royksopp lies in their more subtle sophisticated downtempo tracks, which Senior is going to be full of. Due for release September 13th, I can hardly wait. I’m hoping it will be able to compare to the genius of Melody AM, but that’s a pretty big wish. To cure your nerves, check out:
Royksopp – So Easy
Royksopp – A Higher Place

Quite a coincidence for a repeat post on Caribou, but I just watched the music video: it’s absolutely brilliant! Haven’t seen anything quite like it – it speaks for itself.

After watching it a few times: Sun was the first song I heard off of Swim, and remains one of my favorites today. I’m usually pretty hesitant about music videos, especially for electronic music, but this is perfect. It adds a whole new dimension of unsaid emotion to the tune without overdoing it or trying to outdo the song. I’ve never actually gotten goosebumps to a music video until now: the way the male dancers come in after the drop is incredible.