Rodriguez Jr.

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Jamie Jones
feat. Art Department
Our Time In Liberty
Crosstown Rebels

What else needs to be said of Jamie Jones meteoric rise? Nothing, apart from that you need to listen to this. Powered by dark, brooding stabs this pulls no punches whatsoever combining not only a sense of urgency via Kenny Glasgow’s hot vocal: I Know It’s The time, but also by a devastating succession of deep, pulsating beats and rumbling basslines which make it feel never less than anthemic. In one word then: HUGE. Russ Yallop continues the prediction by running the classic chord progression over yet more outstanding atmospheres, which only serve to enhance the experience still further. In other words: equally HUGE. 9

release: April 30

http://soundcloud.com/jamie-jones

http://soundcloud.com/russ-yallop

http://www.crosstownrebels.com/

Dog Days
Dog Days EP
Gruuv Records

Great release from Audiojacks’ Gruuv Records however I’ll try to spare you the references as the first track is called, 92. Of course it’s time related but who cares – that much – as this has a funky JB snare break sounding irresistible over fuzzy pads and timely voices. Uplifting, and yet very tastefully deep. Pol_On provides the Edit with an impressive alternative take on the bass plus thumping toms coupled with inspired cinematic strings, and with such an unhinged arrangement this can really only be described as excellent. Next is the fiery, Mia which lifts the tempo and atmosphere while hitting more 90’s notes in the course of refocusing your memory to youthful times – see jealous. Rodriguez Jr. provides exemplary remixes that only heighten the dancefloor appeal with excellent percussion fuelled by big-time keys and MK styled vocals. Perfect. 9

release: May 1

http://soundcloud.com/gruuv/sets/gruuv-016-ep-dog-days-pol_on/

http://www.facebook.com/gruuv

Jay Bliss
The Art Of Doing Nothing
Initials

Alex Jones and Ste Roberts (also of Hypercolour) along with Dave ElkabasÂ have formed the Initials imprint and theÂ deceptive, The Art Of Doing Nothing is their second release. Jay Bliss, having previously released on Bang Bang and Dynamic, gets straight down to business with low-slung bass and old school sensibilities pitted against moody organ and an edgy vocal loop. An easy formula for sure but one that works a treat – the bassline is extremely hypnotic. Second track, X continues the text with deeper tones and evolving keysÂ feel just that bit more poignant. Petre Inspirescu then reinterprets X over the course of fourteen minutes and astonishingly there is never a dull moment in all of its electronic sequence. Added to the digital release is bonus, Atonement which isn’t as sombre as it suggestsÂ and certainly re invigorates you with pulsating rhythms and excitable keys. 8

release: April 26

http://soundcloud.com/initials-1/sets/initials002-jay-bliss-the-art/

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Initials/277052469028075

Dan Ghenacia & Shonky
Close To The Edge
Apollonia

The labels second release from two of its talking heads’ is somewhat of a killer combining energised dancefloor sensibilities with breezy melodic appeal. It’s all about the drums, the bass and the voice here, and this cool combination of all three feels instantly infectious along with a hefty sprinkling of funky guitar – indeed, you can just picture the smiling faces on the dancefloor. The Mole then turns it all upside down with a feverish remix transforming the elements into something moodier, darker but no less intoxicating. 8

release:Â April 30

http://www.lola-ed.com/artists/dan-ghenacia

http://www.lola-ed.com/artists/shonky

Your album is very diverse musically. How important is that for you as an artist?

Dance music has always been a fusion of a lot of music genres, so we should keep on being forward thinking, mixing flavors coming from a very large spectrum of influences. That’s part of the fun – particularly with an album – and I don’t want my music to be pigeonholed in a particular genre forever, like house, tech-house or whatever.

The album feels soulful yet is electronic. What makes sound emotional for you?

Digital technology offers us a lot of creative freedom in the studio, but it can also sound cold and clinical if it’s not used in a proper way. I mean all this amazing software is so powerful when it’s about cleaning and calibrating sounds, that you can quickly over-use it and remove all the life from the music.
To avoid this problem, I mix both digital and analog technologies and I still use a lot of vintage synthesizers, guitar pedals or effects modules. These babes are quite temperamental sometimes, but they definitely bring the warmth and organic vibe I need.
In addition to that, melody and harmony also help to make sounds emotional, because they are directly connected to our own emotions. I know that’s a very classic way of thinking, but that’s the core of most of my productions and I love spending time in front of my keyboard searching for these little gimmicks.

What are you listening to at home?

When I am back home after a long tiring weekend, I relax while listening to WBGO – that’s quite a big jazz music radio station in New York. I also pick oldies from my vinyl collection: Serge Gainsbourg, Can, Kraftwerk, Aphex Twin, Erik Satie, Air, Boards Of Canada … Or I basically browse the new tracks I buy on iTunes, Beatport or What People Play when I am on the road. It’s not only about electronic music.
Right now, as we speak, I am listening to Karlheinz Stockhausen’s ‘Mikrophonie I’ and my cat is freaking out!

What is your favourite piece of studio equipment and why?

On the back of the MacPro running Logic, which is the brain of my studio, I massively use my Roland Jupiter 6. It’s a beautiful analog synth from the early 80s and it has some really nice features and a very distinctive sound: two oscillators, a creamy multi-mode filter, two envelopes, a super fat sounding unison mode, plus MIDI inputs and presets memories so it can be easily integrated in a modern setup without any problem. You can hear it on almost all of my tracks, next to the 101 and the ATC1 – two other pieces of gears I like a lot.

How would you describe yourself as a DJ – what for you makes a good DJ?

It’s important to be open-minded, to properly feel the vibe, and to stay connected to the people. Actually, most of my gigs are live sets so I mainly play my own music – that’s kind of narcissistic but it works! My set-up is built around Ableton Live and controllers that allow me to improvise and dramatically change the structures of the tracks depending of the feedback I receive from the crowd.