With amazing new releases coming from a diverse array of genres and acts such as Grizzly Bear, Flying Lotus, Autechre, & more, Warp Records remains at the forefront of forward-thinking music labels, that’s why we here at Missingtoof love what they do and the music they put out.
Two recent releases come from Leila & Chris Clark (Clark).
Leila, former touring keyboardist for Björk, has had previous releases on Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label. ‘Blood, Looms & Blooms’ is her Warp Records album debut, which features many guest vocalists, including former Tricky vocalist Martina Topley-Bird.
Here’s a cut off of ”Blood, Looms & Blooms’ entitled ‘Mettle’; a heavy experimental downtempo track that creeps up on you like a bad trip..
Clark, since the early 2000’s, has been holding it down for the ‘experimental electronic/IDM’ scene. With his complex beat patterns and beautiful melodies, Clark sits well alongside his Warp labelmates like Plaid, Richard Devine, & Mira Calix.
Here, Clark gets 4 on the floor with this ‘intelligent’ dance music thumper, ‘For Wolves Crew’, off his latest album, ‘Turning Dragon’..
Warp Records knew what they were doing when they signed Flying Lotus. His latest album, ‘Los Angeles’, (like other Warp-released albums as Boards of Canada’s ‘Music Has The Right To Children’ and Squarepusher’s ‘Music Is Rotted One Note’) is absolutely amazing.
Clocking in at almost 45 minutes, it’s a mind-numbing experimental-electronic beat excursion not too far away from the approach of other forward-thinking beatsmiths like Madlib & the late great J-Dilla.
Thick, muddy basslines, fuzzy hissy atmospherics, and a healthy dose of blips, bleeps, and grimey beats easily makes this release a candidate for album of the year by my standards…
Here’s one cut off the album to hold you over. Listen to it, appreciate it, then go out and buy it because I guarantee you it’ll be worth every penny!
Not intended to feature the latest music out there, my ‘Pick of the Week’ is to simply share & highlight music I personally enjoy regardless of timeframe. This weeks featured artist is Scorn (Mick Harris), remembered by most as being the former drummer for grindcore legends Napalm Death. Scorn has worked with avant-garde composer John Zorn and prolific producer Bill Laswell and has been remixed by the likes of electronic virtuosos Autechre, experimental industrialists Coil, and Meat Beat Manifesto to name a few. Scorn’s sound was a precursor to dubstep, and for the most part, can best be described as nightmare music- dark atmospheric tones and super low bass frequencies over left field dub/downtempo beats.
Phillidelphia rave-band Pink Skull drop their first full-length, ‘Zeppelin 3′ today, fools! This comes hot on the heels of ‘toof favorite, the ‘Drugs Will Keep Us Together’ single, that we shared earlier this year. ”Zeppelin 3′ is pressed on Free News Projects wax and the first single is ‘Gonzo’s Cointreau’—a track that is discovered to be a journey through frequencies. It’s ear-drum contorting electronic experimentation is counterpointed with more conventional drum kits breaks for a concoction that’s rather unique. Gonzo is onto something in this organic, synthetic dance track:
In support of their successful pay-what-you-will digital album release, ‘In Rainbows’, last October, Radiohead have announced the first leg of their North America tour! And coincidentally our boy, N.Y.-come-L.A. Drum ‘n’ Bass producer Jo-S, has dropped this new ‘Weird Fishes’ remix on us. It’s true to the morose and “weird” nature of the original with just enough jump-up to get your neck workin’.
More dates to be announced. Tickets for the above dates go on pre-sale Valentines Day, February 14th, through the W.A.S.T.E. website and through other online channels beginning February 16th. Your lover doesn’t want candy & flowers, so give the gift of Radiohead! Radiohead is love.
We like Dayton, Ohio son, Ruckus Roboticus. Massive! This turntablist and cut-and-paste producer crafts audio gems on par with the O.G.’s: Kid Koala, Prefuse 73, Cut Chemist, The Avalanches, et. al. If those names ring a bell, how about the endorsement of the biggest O.G., Steinski who said, “Holy Shit! …Very impressive!” upon listening to Ruckus Roboticus’ debut long-player, ‘Playing with Scratches’.
In the recent swarm of remixes for indie rock staple Bloc Party’s ‘Hunting For Witches’, it was hard to view each mix objectively on their own merit. Ruckus Roboticus released his take in the midst of the frenzy and it was largely lost on us. I liked it—but now I like it even more. Some cuts go sour as they age—this one just marinated in the dope sauce.
Parisian rapper M.I.T.C.H. is oh-so Euro-crunk, Euro-gully, Euro-trill, etc. Released on Mental Groove, M.I.T.C.H. is making major noise with ‘Fais Rentrer Les Euros’ which features Ed Banger lovebirds Feadz and Uffie.
In 2007, the American dollar is falling and Jay-Z’s flashing Euro’s in his new video—I’m with M.I.T.C.H. on this one: Let’s get this money and make it European! Fead’z remixed ‘Fais Rentrer Les Euros’ for the official release and puts the vocal effects on hard-hitting front street:
Swiss Lausanne-based label Creaked sent over this brilliant and unusual remix by Larytta. I love stuff that doesn’t sound exactly like other stuff! Don’t let the beginning fool you, this shit gets crazy-dope electronic:
Neat eh? That mix is supposed to make it on to the M.I.T.C.H. EP. The other as-yet unreleased ‘Fais Rentrer Les Euros remix, if you ain’t heard, is a super-banger by Swiss beat-heads Audioporno. Our best-friends-forever Big Stereo introduced the world to this gem a couple weeks ago and we’ve had it stuck on repeat since. Oh, and Lil’ Jon just called, he said he ain’t mad at it! O.K.!
Need we remind you that Radiohead’s 7th studio album is available now?! From InRainbows.com at a pay-what-you-like-price?! $0.00 is still an option (if you’re stingy; 5 is better).
Those who visit the site and purchase the special DISCBOX are allowed to download a bonus disc’s worth of content and will get the CD/LP package as soon as it’s available.
Here’s an interesting concept: a friend of Missingtoof is surveying what people pay for the thing; leave your figure at WhatPriceDidYouChoose.com. The results will be posted on Record of the Day at the end of October.
We wouldn’t leave you without a teaser! Love this new opening track. Ethereal Radiohead. Good Radiohead.
After much waiting and speculation, Radiohead has released the details about their seventh album, ‘In Rainbows’. Still under the guidance of superproducer Nigel Godrich (ever since ‘The Bends’)—but now label-free—after fulfilling their contractual obligation to their former boss, Capitol with 2004’s ‘Hail to the Thief’. Radiohead is now more indie rock than your favorite indie rock band.
Now, get a load of this; the part that’s important to you: Beginning October 10th, less than one week away, you can get the full retail album through Radiohead’s official site and pay what you think it’s worth (and/or what is feasible for you). The mp3 files are yours to keep, forever, DRM-free and ready to be listened to and loved.
Alternatively, there is a tangible and glorious ‘In Rainbows’ “DISCBOX” package for sale that will ship in December—it’s pictured above, costs £40.00 (approx. $81) and will appeal to those who value vinyl LPs, 1411kbps CD masters, package design and album art (put me down for one of those types). …and yet, another option, a regular CD package slated for early 2008 release. But, the pay-what-you-will download deal is what’s current.
Leave it to the best rock band in the world to give this a try. An experiment in “gift economy“! Upon checkout at InRainbows.com, if you’ve selected the “DOWNLOAD” option, you will see the payment field is blank and the only guidance is that “IT’S UP TO YOU“. No, really. $0.00 is perfectly acceptable (you bloody pinchfists!).
Can’t wait ’til October 10th? The blogisfear is teeming with recent concert recordings of ‘In Rainbows’ tracks. So, instead of doing that, I’m passing the baton to Rawkblog, which has a done a fantastic job at collecting these various live recordings right here.
What I really want to do instead is post the classics (one from each album) and some of my favorite bastardizations of classics (a.k.a. the remixes)!
DJ Shadow remixed Radiohead in 2003, however the remix was rejected by Capitol because of the heavy sampling of George W. Bush speeches. DJ shadow pressed up some whitelabel 10″ singles of the track on die-cut vinyl that looks like a demonic Dick Cheney head (see it at Discogs). The limited run was given away with a purchase on his site some years back.
Whet your appetite? Gobble up classic Radiohead at Amazon.com (CDs are not a dead format!). Get on Radiohead’s InRainbows.com to “pre-order” the download or discbox. It’s like desert, for your ears.
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