Tag Archives: future grooves

Future Grooves: Azari & III

Posted on February 10, 2011 | 1 comment

The transition from “dated and lame” to “retro and cool” takes about twenty years. For most of the last decade, the 80s dance party was a reliable staple of nightlife. But once the dancefloor is flooded with kids born after the time period in question, it’s time to move on to the next ironically detached, nostalgia fueled trend.

Forget about Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Dead or Alive, it’s time for C+C Music Factory and Deee-Lite. Fear not – leading the charge is Toronto’s Azari & III.

While the duo, comprised of Dinamo Azari and Alexander III, might claim otherwise, they make house music that is heavily influenced by a time period that is finally ripe for homage.

Their first EP features title track “Hungry for the Power,” a deep house groove that relies on Casio loops and rubbery synthesizers. The interplay between diva vocals and spoken word is provided by frequent collaborators Fritz Helder and SYF (Starving Yet Full). The sinister clip evokes the seedy, coke-and-whore clubs that the track belongs to (it’s also very NSFW).

“Reckless (With Your Love)” is the duo’s breakthrough for a reason – from it’s first syncopated beat, the track is relentless. Reminiscent of Robin S’ classic “Show Me Love,” the track is a modern take on house music of yore. And as strong as the original is, Tensnake’s remix goes even further in its tribute to an era, sampling Snap’s classic “The Power.”

[wpaudio url=”/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Reckless_original.mp3″ text=”Azari & III – Reckless With Your Love” dl=”0″]

[wpaudio url=”/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Reckless_tensnake.mp3″ text=”Azari & III – Reckless With Your Love (Tensnake remix)” dl=”0″]

House music is nothing if not played properly. Luckily, judging by this DJ mix, Azari & III have the turntable skills to match their beat making. See and hear for yourself: the group plays tomorrow at U Hall for the weekly Red Friday party. At the very least, it beats another 80s night.

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Future Grooves: Trouble & Bass

Posted on September 23, 2010 | Leave a comment


While this column usually serves as a first look at an artist, this week’s feature needs no introduction: for 4 years, NYC’s Trouble and Bass collective have lived up to their billing as Heavy Bass Champions of the World. Whether playing electro, dubstep, grime, or jungle, the crew does it with excellence and a trademarked gothic-rave chic.

As their anniversary party rolls into the venue best suited to their selections, take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the T&B crew.

Like the best (and most evil) corporations, the tone is set by the man at the top. Luca Venezia, better known as Drop the Lime, founded Trouble and Bass back in 2006, and is known for his psychobilly trappings and bass frequency dominance. While his Sex Sax may be the tune of the moment, “Set Me Free” is an even stronger song, with it’s “Show Me Love”-esque diva vocals and nonstop, layered bass. Here’s a live performance at last year’s Fool’s Gold vs. Trouble & Bass Halloween Party:

Next to DTL, the most recognizable T&B crew member is AC Slater (and not just because of his Saved by the Bell namesake). AC Slater is a remixer without peer; he’s given his patented electro-bass treatment to tracks by Moby, Little Boots, and Steve Angello, to name a few. “Take You,” his collaboration with Ninjasonik, is, to paraphrase Kanye West, a motherfucking monster – and that was before Nadastrom got their hands on it and turned it into the tech house banger you’re most likely to hear tonight.

The queen of Trouble and Bass is none other than Star Eyes, who sat down with TGRI a few months back. Star Eyes is another jungle fanatic who now makes grimed-out but party-friendly dubstep. Dexplicit (also in the crew) offered up this remix of Star Eyes’ “Disappear,” which makes an already haunting song more sinister.

[Editor’s note: A previous version of this post included Udachi who, while part of the T&B extended family, is on Party Like Us. -CK]

For 4 years, Trouble and Bass have been the definitive DJ collective, label, and party for bassfreaks. So what’s next? DTL will be touring in support of his next single, “Hot As Hell,” which is guaranteed to be just that. Never content to stand still, the latest volume of Heavy Bass Champions of the World features a track that combines the two most satisfying trends in underground EDM. Flinch’s “Hiero” is all throwback jungle breaks before a bass blast that hits like an 18-wheeler. It’s also the odds-on favorite to be the next big hit from T&B.

Catch the Trouble and Bass DC crew at the U Street Music Hall tonight, with Bart B-more and Deathface. And don’t miss these upcoming T&B DC dates:

Oct 31st – Trouble & Bass DC Halloween!
Nov 10th – Trouble & Bass DC w/ Supra1
Dec 8th – Trouble & Bass DC w/ Zombies For Money

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Future Grooves: Dubbel Dutch

Posted on September 2, 2010 | Leave a comment

Austin is known for being a hipster hideaway deep in the heart of Texas, due in large part to the growing dominance of SXSW. And while it’s not known as a hotbed of electronic music, producer Dubbel Dutch is creating buzz from the capital of the Lone Star State.

Dubbel Dutch is Marc Glasser, a 24-year old New York native. Over two criminally underrated EPs for Palms Out Records and a handful of remixes, he is establishing himself as a vibrant voice in the underground dance scene. His tracks blend elements from current trends (dubstep, UK funky and tropical) with nods to old favorites (house and hardcore).

Like the Camo UFOs, Dubbel Dutch definitely has a jungle fascination, as evidenced by the title track on his Throwback EP. The title hits the nail on the head: an addictive breakbeat, Casio synths and echoing female vocal loops give the track a 90s feel, even if the soca beat and bouncy bassline are pure 2010.

The rest of the EP does not disappoint, going even further down the rabbit hole into deep house and cutting-edge funky sounds. Once again, the title of “Deep Underground” is plenty descriptive.

Earlier single “On the One” plays in similar sonic territory, while “Infinite Decimal” is more inline with the low-end acrobatics of the Trouble & Bass crew. The vocal sample is chipped up and percussive, while the buildups beg for hands-in-the-air grooving.

Thankfully, we’re not the only ones paying attention to Dubbel Dutch. He’s put together mixes for XLR8R and URB (the latter is below), mixing tracks from other like-minded producers and giving a sense of what’s to come in the future. It’s clear that when March rolls around, SXSWers should be on the lookout for a local with his finger on the EDM pulse.

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Future Grooves: DJ Nate

Posted on August 27, 2010 | Leave a comment


Chicago is an epicenter of electronic dance music. It’s the birthplace of house music, and like Baltimore, Philadelphia and Miami, it has its own brand of club music as well, the result of filtering house through hip-hop and other underground influences. Chicago house mutated into the stripped down style known as juke house (typified by Cajmere’s “Percolator”). In the same way, juke is giving way to footwork: music built for frenetic dance moves that are exactly what they sound like.

The fastest rising footwork DJ is wunderkind DJ Nate. The 20 year old Nathan Clark has been making footwork beats since before he could get into the clubs that play them. His stylistic trademarks are off-kilter drum beats and repetitive, pitch-shifted vocal samples, often with conflicting rhythms. A polarizing style, footwork rejects traditional dance music conventions like four-on-the-floor beats. For the uninitiated, it may sound dissonant and seem un-danceable.

Luckily, the folks at groundbreaking record label Planet Mu saw something in the young Chicagoan. Planet Mu released DJ Nate’s Hatas Our Motivation and will be dropping a compilation of Nate’s footwork tracks entitled Da Trak Genious (named after his (intentionally?) misspelled moniker) in September. Recognizing the confrontational nature of his music, the title of his EP is instructive. “Hatas our motivation” isn’t just a sample: it’s a mantra and a motto.

Throughout the EP, DJ Nate crafts beats that are exciting and new. The tracks sound like they will cause irregular heartbeats and seizures: elements collide into each other haphazardly, but when they sync up, it’s pure bliss. Looped R&B and hip hop samples practically become percussion instruments and lend a hypnotic nature to the music, especially on tracks like “We Can Work This Out” and “Ima Burn Him.”

The strongest track is the finale, “See Into My Eyes,” which brilliantly samples the goth pop of Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life.” Twisted and pitchshifted, a bizarro Amy Lee mournfully asks “How can you see into my eyes?” over increasingly chaotic drum fills. (The track can be heard at the beginning of this juke battle video).

Between DJs like Willy Joy, Rob Threezy, and now DJ Nate, Chicago is guaranteed to be central to dance music for years to come.

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Future Grooves: Kavsrave

Posted on August 19, 2010 | Leave a comment


All across the UK, groundbreaking DJs and producers are moving dance music forward. And while dubstep and UK funky in London and Bristol get most of the headlines, the sounds of Glasgow are not far behind. Home to artists like Hudson Mohawke and Rustie, Glasgow is the nexus of a style called wonky or aquacrunk. Numbers, a long-running Glasgow dance party, recently became a record label, merging imprints Wireblock, Dress 2 Sweat and Stuff Records.

Numbers signee Kavsrave may not be from Glasgow (he’s from Croydon, like Skream), but his sound certainly owes much to the Scottish scene. Kavsrave (aka Jamie Kavanagh) grew up making music and throwing parties with contemporaries Julio Bashmore and A1 Bassline. His debut “Quotes EP” showcases an exciting new sound, with the downtempo grooves of R&B, the midrange synths of wonky, and the wobbly bass of dubstep. Think a smoother Joker.

“PClart” is the Kavsrave track that you may have heard; the Luvstep guys played it at the Mad Decent Block Party. “PClart” weaves hypnotic female vocal samples with morphing synths and a stuttering (but danceable) beat. “Tightly Closed” and “Baggage Handler” follow the same formula, to great success.

For a taste of Kavsrave sound, check out the podcast he did for Numbers to mark the release of his EP. Blasting off with the classic bass groove of Ginuwine’s “Pony,” Kavsrave mixes his originals with hip-hop (Lil Wayne and Ludacris) and contemporary sounds (Hudson Mohawke and Terror Danjah).

Kavsrave also received the ultimate UK co-sign, spinning on Mary Anne Hobbs’ experimental radio show. The mix is brief, but at this point, any material from Kavsrave is welcome.

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