Rework Q&A

reworkpic1Your latest single for Visionquest: Rise and Fall comes just ahead of your third album release and highlights the different aspects to your sound with the title playing full on for the dancefloor, while Ask You blends cosmic sounding funk together with vocals. Who has influenced your sound most?

All three of us our real music lovers and record collectors, we listen to all kinds of music. We were always lucky to release our music on our favourite labels, like Items & Things and Visionquest – their music and dj sets are a big inspiration for our work. Also the time we released on Playhouse was a big influence with all those great artists around us like Losoul, Isolee, Ricardo Villalobos.

Can you talk us through the process of producing one of the tracks from the new single (or from the album)?

The idea behind Rise And Fall was to produce an uplifting big room bomb. We still like these moments when the bass fades away and after a 16bar break it’s redemption time when the track kicks back in. The track was made in Ableton. Drums are 909, 808 and 707 samples. We never get tired of the classic Roland sounds. It’s like Fender or Gibson sounds for guitarists. It always fits. Then comes the main synth sound which is a Waldorf Pulse sample combined with a very short chopped voice sample. After the first break the organ bass completes the sounds. What we like to do after the song is roughly arranged is we assign some parameters to a controller and tweak the faders and knobs. In this case it was the filter and the decay time of the Waldorf, the volume of the voice and the effect sends. At the end we did some edits to the fader runs but not too much to keep the feel of a live performance.

The two phrases you have used to describe your sound: cabaret-independent-house and NEW WAVE DISCO sound exciting and hot. What ideas are most important to you as artists?

rw-picture-02The pseudo music style cabaret-independent-house was kind of a joke and ghost that has been following us for many years. We don’t even know what that expression means. New Wave Disco comes more close to our sound as we really love new wave and synth pop music. The idea is to be inspired by all kind of artists, musicians and filmmakers and try to express this in our own work. We also love it when people dance to our music.

How would you describe the importance of vocals in today’s Dance music? The two more melodic vocals on You Play: Perfect Gun and Dreaming is Fun sound different to the rest being heavily influenced by Euro-Disco/Pop. Can you tell us about how that style came to appeal to you?

From the early start of Rework in 2000 with our first release “Anyway I Know You” on Playhouse we decided to work with a girl singer. This became our trademark sound. I don’t know if vocals are that important its just another facet of dance music and we see vocals more like an additional instrument in our work. Perfect Gun and Dreaming is Fun refer to October Love Song or Wrong In All Our Ways on our previous albums.

How would you describe the difference between playing ‘live’ and Dj’ing?

We really love both. Sometimes we grab more attention when we play live and Sascha is standing in the front row doing her live singing and sometimes a stage dive. But on both we like to play with new rework tracks and loops and started to keep it more minimal. We destroyed many synths on our earlier tours so we decided to leave them at home and play with our controllers. On our Dj sets we love to play tracks from other artist and when they are real cool in the club, we both look at each other like little kids and ask how did they do this track, its so crazy good. Guess we always like the music from other artists more than our own.

Where can people get to hear you play over the summer?

We play a showcase with the Visionquest guys at Sonar in June. Some other gigs are just in the planning.

http://www.wanna-rework.de/
https://www.facebook.com/wannarework
@wannarework

https://soundcloud.com/wannarework

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reviews:55

Mr G
State Of Flux
Rekids

Mr G’s second album for Rekids sees the renowned producer continue his trademark theme of smoking beats and funky attitude to supply yet another winning formula. What I love here is the way that the music embraces technology yet retains a distinctly soulful element – State Of Flux couldn’t be a more apt title. Take the first track G’s Riddem which perfectly sums it all up:  Thumping kick drums, heavy-duty bass, offset by treated timbale and emotive chords to produce a stunning, uplifting effect. The album then continues to fuse together a range of influences and styles, taking the best cues from House and Techno. From the brutal end of Pumped Up to the twisted Disco of Absurd Beatz No.4 this one journey that you won’t want to get off in a hurry.

release: July 23

http://www.mr-g.org.uk

http://www.rekids.com

http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/products/MrG-StateOfFluxLP-Rekids-84150.html

 

Items & Things
Variables
Items & Things

The first label compilation for Magda, Troy Pierce and Marc Houle’s Berlin-based label ‘Items & Things’ is fittingly called Variables. Variable in so far as the imprint champions cutting-edge electronic music that’s neither afraid to get deep and nasty, or even comparatively subtle such as on Miro Pajic’s infectious intro: Love Love Love. What follows next is a selection from the aforementioned and the likes of Jimmy Edgar, Tomas More and Andy Martin plus a few newer artists. There’s plenty in the way of hot syncopated Disco action to get into here too, all with Items & Things distinctive twist of course. Try Howard Watson’s, Keep Away and Nyma’s, Brain Crunch plus the beyond comprehension: In The Mirror for size. Satisfaction guaranteed.
release: July 13. Mixed CD version by Magda released July 29

http://www.itemsandthings.com/

http://soundcloud.com/itemsandthings

http://www.facebook.com/itemsandthings

 

dOP
Kisses
Circus Company

Your Feelin’ undoubtedly references synth-pop with its fizzy keyboard lines and restrained European melodies, but also counter balances it all with subtle contemporary pads and punchy beats. And just to drive the point home an Acapella follows so you can judge the vocal for yourself, although this proves to be something quietly addictive the more you hear it. Title track, Kisses sounds more like what you would expect with deeper, moodier sounds playing off against intriguing vocals, and this time comes in vocal and instrumental versions.

http://www.beatport.com/#/release/kisses/936670

http://www.circuscompany.fr/

http://soundcloud.com/dop-3

http://soundcloud.com/pillow-talk-1

 

Tuccillo
House 19 EP
Holic Trax

The second release from Holic Trax sees Tuccillo deliver the title track House 19 in a blaze of House flavoured Techno that seeks to capture the spirit of 1988, and quite frankly succeeds – smiling faces all round. Eves Sky is next and gets deeper with provocative drums and deliciously moody bass, while teasing you with haunting voices and a killer arrangement. PercussHolic then invites into you into a creative play on instrumentation with its excellent combinations of beats and fiery percussion. These tracks appear on ltd 10” vinyl while the digital release features the added bonus of Dubao, whose addictive electronic rhythms become uplifting in the most pleasing way.

release: July 23

Soundcloud preview – http://soundcloud.com/holic-1/ht-002-tuccillo-house-19-ep

http://holic-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuccillo/116324391801231

 

Bara Bröst 
Kokolores
BBE

Benjamin Quint and Markus Schwarzbauer aka Bara Bröst deliver their second album for BBE and if you’re not already familiar with their unique sound then prepare yourself now. Quirky, lively and thoroughly excitable the music and words play with each other while seeking to let you in on the party. Having said that, this will either work for you or you may find it all not quite serious enough with titles such as Juicy Lady, My Mess and Tony Curtis (try the soundcloud link below). Despite the eager wordplay there are some fine \House and tech grooves which reveal themselves as on the instrumental Tiger Milk and as with everything else it all boils down to personal taste.

http://soundcloud.com/bara-brost/sets/kokolores-album

http://www.beatport.com/#release/kokolores/935044

http://www.barabrost.eu/

https://www.facebook.com/barabrostmusic

https://twitter.com/BaraBrost

 

Franck Roger & Mandel Turner
Through The Motions
Real Tone Records

You may recognise the beats from the eighties but if they’re fresh to you then you can relive the excitement generated for new. Through The Motions goes through anything but that with smooth vocals feeling soulfully refreshing in the summertime, as layers of keys build up the tension on yet another rewarding release from the label. An excellent Dub version pays compliment by stripping back the voice to highlight the cool bassline and hot House groove.

https://www.facebook.com/RealToneRecords

http://www.youtube.com/user/RealToneRecords

https://twitter.com/realtonerecords
 

Azari & III
Into the Night
Loose Lips

Next single to be lifted from their self titled album Into The Night is accompanied by a typically hot video along with a series of excellent remixes courtesy of Prince Language, CFCF, Nicolas Jaar, Renaissance Man and Seth Troxler, Masomenos & Jaw. All of which you could simply say speaks for itself. Like them or love them, you know this is good already from hearing the album.

http://soundcloud.com/purplepr/01-into-the-night

http://azariandiii.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AZARIANDIII

 

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Reviews 7

Magda, Marc Houle, Troy Pierce
‘Down & Out Vol 1′
Items & Things

Featured on their own label the trio continues its theme of off-kilter, imaginative music that isn’t afraid to get twisted. Opening with Troy Pierce, Majikal and a strident bassline which is abetted by upsetting electronics and insistent beats this isn’t sweet melody by any means. Fixation by Magda and Suade is next and its intense, almost acid lines are worked to fever-pitch by fiery percussion and dark voices most effectively. Marc Houle’s, Slowpe then eases the pace (relatively) with oddball horn sounds and more introspectively sequenced notes. 7

Release Date: Sept. 19. 2011
http://www.iheartitems.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/itemsandthings

 

Lee Daines
‘Club Sex EP’
Deep Edition Recordings

A change in tempo can always be welcomed as Lee Daines return to Deep Edition indeed testifies. But much as I love the slow driving beats and deep grooves, on what is essentially a great instrumental, I’m just not sure about the vocal hook on Club Sex 808 – maybe its repetition will change on next listen. Ed Maddams provides the remix with warm jazzy Rhodes, classy strings and funky techno bass while not featuring the voice in the same way on his enticing version. Guys Got Dubs again attacks the senses with swinging percussion, punchy organ and repeated words to round off impressively. 7

Released Exclusively on Beatport 12th Sept 2011
All other stores from the 22nd September
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Deep-Edition-Recordings/108353942567947

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