James Blake Revisits His Roots on ‘Playing Robots Into Heaven’
Playing Robots Into Heaven is ultimately a flawed album, but at times it’s a worthwhile foray for James Blake into more beat-led, dancefloor-friendly music.
electronic
Is Lo Fidelity Allstars Style Big Beat Back After 25 Years?
The current resurgence of Britpop could trigger nostalgia for late 1990s big beat like Lo Fidelity Allstars, while trip-hop remains a vital influence.
RP Boo Traces the Chicago House Roots of Footwork
Foundational footwork producer RP Boo takes us through the history of the influential electronic genre, a mutant offshoot of ghetto house that makes you dance.
Requiem Construct Heavy, Dreamy Soundscapes on ‘POPulist Agendas’
The first full-length release from Requiem packs an emotional, post-rock punch with its unique sense of adventure and calming, cathartic hope in the darkness.
Reflections of a Revolutionary: Interview with Egyptian Musician Ramy Essam
Ramy Essam, whose protest song in Tahrir Square deemed him “a voice of the [Egyptian] revolution”, sings of suffering, longing, and torture, and uses irony to at times, make a point about certain oppressive conditions.
Hannu Saha & Pakasteet Take Finnish Folk to an Electric Future
A tremendous combination of old and new, Hannu Saha & Pakasteet’s Taas kerran, äkkiä should inspire artists looking to take long-held tradition into new spaces.
Georgia Channels Her Inner Pop Diva on ‘Euphoric’
Euphoric is a breezy, chaste recording that places producer/singer Georgia squarely into mainstream dance-pop. It’s love letter to 1990s pop.
Ben Gunning Creates Gorgeous Electropop From Another Planet
Prolific, Toronto musician Ben Gunning makes weird but oddly pleasant experimental music on an album that’s a “solo” work in every sense of the word.
STS9 & Maddy O’Neal Beat the Heat at Area 15’s Secret Garden
STS9, Maddy O’Neal and the Crystal Method team up for a two-night desert dance party at Sin City’s most mystical new venue, Area 51.
Flow Is Key to Ekiti Sound’s Masterfully Eclectic ‘Drum Money’
Ekiti Sound’s Drum Money highlights seamless connections between London and Lagos, vintage and contemporary, acoustic folk and electric funk.
Primavera Sound Madrid Is a Cautionary Tale in Macrofestival Logistics
The inaugural Madrid edition of Primavera Sound, one of the world’s largest musical festivals, saw many of us trudging through mud like zombies in the middle of the night, exhausted and confused.
Zenobia ‘Warriors’ on Their Fearless Palestinian Electronic Music
Palestinian duo Zenobia on their love of Arabic and Western music scales and the freedom electronic music gives them to fearlessly explore women’s folk music.