A free track given to us by Sharkslayer thru Top Billin to wet your appetite for Saturday night…
(From their Swamp Dubs EP)

Sharkslayer – Who Is He

SHARKSLAYER – SWAMP DUBS VOL. 1 by SHARKSLAYER

I’m currently touring Europe with the Cumbia Cosmonauts, and Berlin is also on our itinerary (playing at Club Magnet and Cafe Zapata) in September.  But one of the main men in Berlin we are keen to meet is Man Recordings head-honcho Daniel Haaksman - who we are playing with on the Generation Bass stage at the Incubate Festival (Netherlands).  So here goes my interview with Daniel Haaksman, watch out for more exclusive Scatterblog interiews with European producer powerhouses we are meeting on tour…

M > Saca La Mois DJ!!

D > Daniel Haaksman

M: Man Recordings HQ is in Berlin.  Is that just coincidence, or why have you chosen Berlin?

D: I moved to Berlin from Frankfurt in 1997 when I fell in love with a Berlin girl. Even though we split only after one year I decided to stay there as Berlin´s the only big city in Germany which offers a lot of space and cheap rent apt., so for artists of all kinds it´s the perfect place as you can follow your art 24-7 and not do it as a side job.

M: I have to say every remix of yours I’ve heard explodes the dancefloor (and there are many!).  How do you do this? Do you have a formula or secret production technique? We want to know!

D: Well before starting Man Recordings and getting into music production I was DJing for many years. When I make tracks or remixes I make them from a DJ perspectiving aiming to achieve maximum mayhem on the dancefloor.  There´s really not a formula for this, I also try to not stick with one BPM format but rather program all kinds of tempos and grooves for my remixes, all depending how the original track inspires me.

M: How would you describe the musical philosophy behind Man Recordings?

D: It started as the European platform for baile funk, and until today it´s the only label outside of Brasil that has dedicated to this sound. The last five, six releases were opening up to a more musically open reference system, where baile funk is one reference, but also music from Africa and the Carribean is becoming more included with artists such as Ku Bo or Bert On Beats. . But the over all philiosophy would be: Man Recordings releases fresh, exciting, nostalgia-free music from all over the globe.

M: Initially Man Recordings mainly released Baile Funk, what made you start a label so strongly representing Baile Funk?

D: In 2004 I released the compilation “Rio Baile Funk Favela Booty Beats” on my old label Essay Recordigns (which I ran from 1996 to 2004). When I saw how well the compilation was selling and what a global media resonance it created, I decided to start Man Recordings, establishing a multi leveled platform for baile funk in Europe. Still up until today it´s really hard to get hands on really good baile funk tracks, and especially collaborate with Rio funk artists, so Man was conceived as a label which would release the hard to get tracks from original producers such as Sany Pitbull, DJ Sandrinho, DJ Edgar or Amazing Clay, and artists such as Edu K and parallely establish an artist network in which producers from Europe and MCs from Brasil could work together. The Funk Mundial series for example is one of these platforms: I started it in 2006 when noticing that I was missing musical “bridges” in my DJ sets, i.e. tracks that would lead from baile funk to European club music. A lot of baile funk tracks are released in 128kps or 160kps MP3s, so when played on a high-quality European club sound system the tracks would usually sonically fail when mixed with some other electronic dance music tune. So I asked producers like Stereotyp, The Count+SInden and Crookers to make their versions of baile funk and sent them sample-folders of baile funk. On top of that, I sent them baile funk acappellas which I recorded in Rio with various MCs. The series had ten different releases and I´m happy to say that all producers made very individualistic adapations of baile funk – and all tracks worked perfect as “bridges” in clubs and became real anthems, such as “Tamborzuda” by The Count And Sinden or “Para De Graçinha” by Crookers.

M: In the past few years there have been a number of musical styles from Africa and Latin America making an appearance in European/North American/Australian club scene such as Baile Funk, Kuduro, Cumbia etc.  Do you see these as fads or is there an increasingly inclusive musical revolution happening?

D: I think baile funk kicked off this new wave of music which emerges from cities that were formerly considered peripheral, being located in the “3rd world”. And considering the fast paced fashion of dance music, all the styles you mention have become fads. Nevertheless, I think those styles are representing a musical revolution. With the advent of the internet and file sharing, music from these formerly peripheral cities all of a sudden travel at high speed across the globe. Before the internet, it was always labels and media channels that would decide which music from which part of the world the audiences in Europe, Australia, Japan or US could listen too. Now that these barriers are gone, and music from the most obscure cities all of a sudden gets discovered or put into new contexts. But this is not only happening in the rich countries, also in places like Brasil, Colombia or Angola this accelerated speed of travelling music has effects, I mean look at Guarachero in Monterrey, Mexico which is a blend of speeded up Cumbia and European electro. Ten years ago, we wouldve heard of this music on one compilation, now you can watch and hear it unfold in real time as also the kids in Monterrey are blogging, doing mixtapes and sharing music so the whole world can follow it.

M: Any piece of advice to young and aspiring producers who want to hear their music explode in clubs all over the world?

D: First, find your own style, no problem if you try to emulate the styles of your favourite producers first, but then at one point take it from there and create an original sound. Then try to release as much quality tracks, remixes or mashups as possible, add some theme oriented mixtapes, the not-so-good tracks should remain on your hard drive, try to release at least one track every two weeks or at least once a month, no matter if it´s on a blog, label or mixtape. But most of all: Tell a story with what you do.

M: This year is the fifth anniversary for Man Recordings.  Any special parties or releases planned?

D: There´ll be the “Valeu” compilation, released in early September, featuring exclusive tracks and remixes by Crookers, Zombie Disco Squad, Seiji, Schlachthofbronx, Oliver $, Edu K and many others, additionally we are planning a string of Man Recordings parties across Europe from September until November, and then hopefully a Man Rec party in Australia in March 2011.

M: What is the future direction of club music according to Daniel Haaksman?

D: I think a large part of mainstream club music will remain in the disco/house/techno continuum, but on the fringes it will continue to innovate. Watch out for producers from cities you never dreamt of having a club music scene.

Buy Daniel Haaksman’s latest release “Hands Up EP” from Beatport and download his unreleased remix of Classixx below:

Classixx – “I´ll get you” (Daniel Haaksman Remix) by Daniel Haaksman / Man Rec

It was really not all that long ago that i was speaking to Munchi about the idea of a Moombahton compilation. It actually feels like only yesterday, because all of a sudden here is a giant Moombah compilation of past and present gems from the big and quickly emerging names in the still incredibly small Moombahton community.

It was originally gonna be a release through Scattermusic, but obviously with all the big samples and copyright issues that would have followed, it was a bit hard.

It’s hard to pick out a few as my favourite – i’m definitely into the original productions thought – apart from the fact that they’re good, they also really push the sound forward into making it more it’s own thing. I do have to say that the Munchi originals are constantly getting my attention. His production is so upfront and original and from what i’ve found by playing it, it always gets dancefloors going spastic.

P.S. be on the look out for a FULL LENGTH album release of awesome Munchi Productions out later in the year. Seriously, he’s amazing me at the moment.

Munchi Presents – Summer of Moombahton [2010]

Future:
1. Modjo – Lady (A-Mac Moombahton Rmx)
2. Picksterone & Melo – Mas Poderoso
3. Sabo – No Pare Moombahton
4. DJ Epidemic – Ravaged Toadstool Girls
5. Hyper Crush – Ayo (Wyld Stallyns Moombahton Edit)
6. Moombahtron – Space Runner
7. David Heartbreak – Moombahma (Munchi Edit)
8. Sabbo – Make It Sexy
9. Sigur Ros – Saeglopur (Yeah! Remix)
10. Riggs & Murtaugh – Moombalator
11. Kid Kaio – We Don’t Give a Fuck (Uncle Jesse Fuckin’ Moombahton Edit)
12. Datsik – Firepower (Munchi Moombahcore Rmx)

Past
1. Dave Nada – La Gata
2. Sandro Silva – Told Ya (Melo Moombahton Edit)
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll (A-Mac Moombahton Edit)
4. N.A.S.A. – Watchadoin (Alvaro Remix – Uncle Jesse Moompatron Edit)
5. Lady Gaga – Alejandro (Afrojack Remix – Audio1 Moombahton Edit)
6. Rihanna – Rude Boy (Tommie Sunshine Mix – Morningstar Moombahton Edit)
7. Neoteric – Hey Got Lines
8. Drop The Lime vs East Flatbush Project – Tried by Sex Sax (Doc Adam Moombahton Edit)
9. DJ Apt One vs Josh Wink – Higher State of Moombahton
10. Slap & Dash – Fried Toy Moombahton
11. Knight Riderz – Party Alarm (Wyld Stallyns Moombahton Edit)
12. Munchi – Sandungueo

Cover art by Paz

Here we go, this is the real deal. We’ve all been super exited about this release here at the Scattermusic HQ for some time, from first hearing the hype and heavy original, to then having three amazing remixes come back from our extended family.  Perhaps more than any of our previous releases, this baby sums up where our sound is at right now as a bunch of certified music nerds. Check the official press spiel below.

From the inner reaches of Scattermusic comes Mu-Gen, with his own distinctive brand of warped, percussive, distorted and slightly mad club music. After playing a pivotal role in the Melbourne club scene for the last fifteen years, playing festivals, touring abroad, running club nights, and contributing to numerous side projects, Fizzdom represents his first and well overdue solo release. The result, an unruly beast where marching snares collide with fragments of dancehall toasts, non-regulation lasers, mile-deep kick drums and atmospheric disturbances. Fizzdom is a lethal club weapon bound for packed and sweaty dance floors around the globe, having already gained support from respected DJ’s such as Dave Nada, Sinden and Neoteric.

Remix duties are correctly handled by Munchi (NTL) who slows down the tempo while turning up the heat to create a certified heavy moombahton thriller, Sam Tiba (FRA) who shifts things into a more slightly stable yet none the less freaky club stomper and Mexico’s Maria y José flips that whole deal into a grinding, psychedelic, cumbia rave anthem.

SCM007 – Mu Gen – Fizzdom

1 Fizzdom.

2 Fizzdom (Munchi Moombahton Remix).

3 Fizzdom (Sam Tiba Remix).

4 Fizzdom (María y José Guarachadoom Remix).

Download entire release as MP3s

Download entire release as WAVs

Or for those feel inclined to offer monetary support you can buy this release off Turntablelab or now Beatport(!) by following the links below.

Fizzdom on Beatport

Fizzdom on the lab.

Artist Links:

Mu-Gen

Munchi

Sam Tiba

María y José

This release falls under the Creative Commons Licence – Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

These tracks went down real hard in the club the other night. It was actually one of those nights filled with a bunch of exclusives and unfinished demos from us and other soon-to-be-released people from the label that went down like wild fire. We got excited (lewis got real excited, i got footage to prove) the crowd got excited and it was all fun.

Both of these were originally made as edits for our club sets, but seem to have gotten a bunch of attention and requests from people to get em so we thought it was time to throw em out for free.

First off is Lewis CanCut’s fucken hot horn tune. Filled with his trademark percussion and stabs, it screws and bends a horn hook while referencing notes reminiscent a “Spraycan”. This one is like my favourite tune at the moment, i’m playing it every set and it comes highly recommended.
Oh and it’s a riddim/redo of his original remix of Harmon ft The Psyde Projects which can be bought @ Beatport.

Lewis CanCut – Sip Sip Riddim

The other one is my do of “Push It“, which i chucked up on soundcloud recently and watched it get a thousand plays in a couple of days- so thought it needed a post. I had the idea for the mix for a bit… Basically i just redid the main hook with a big 808 kick, rearranged the song to make it more current and cut up a vocal snippet to make a sorta synth line. It fits perfectly into my sets and i’ve found a bunch of ways to mix it which are fun – notably with that Dubbel Dutch remix of “Pimp Jackson” and with the new Zinc heater, “Nexx”.

Salt n’ Pepa – Push It (Scattermish Remix)

As surprised as Berliner DJs may be about Cumbia being produced in far-away Australia, the Berlin scene surprised me last year how switched on they are to Cumbia.  Now a label dedicating itself to Cumbia is born in Berlin: Chusma Records, started up by DJ TioChango and DJ Don Chicharrón of La Chusma.  Their first serving is a compilation that claims to define a new sub-genre known as Cumbia Bestial.  The compilation is called Cumbia Bestial!, and available as download, vinyl EP or CD with a great booklet.  The first half of the comp is more hip hop influenced, with the second half really taking off in a more electronic direction with the likes of Toy Selectah, Zurita, Copia Doble Systema, El Remolon and the Cumbia Cosmonauts.

Cumbia Bestial! (Chusma Records, 2010):

01. Instituto Mexicano Del Sonido – Cumbia
02. Systema Solar – Ya Veres
03. Bomba Estereo – Fuego
04. Sekreto – Gota [Hijo De La Cumbia remix]
05. Benny Bazz – Cumbia, Tabaco Y Ron
06. Miss Bolivia – Alta Yama
07. Master Blaster Soundsystem – Pan Con Vino
08. Toy Selektah – Half Colombian Half Mexican Bandit
09. The Binary Cumbia Orchestra – La Inconformable
10. Zurita – Llega Fauna
11. Cumbia Cosmonauts – Cumbianauts Incoming
12. Paco Mendoza – La Frekuencia
13. Tio Chango – Bocachico [feat Frente Cumbiero - remix]
14. Copia Doble Systema – Colegiala [Pista mix]
15. El Remolon – La Guajira
16. Frente Cumbiero – Aguanegra

Berliner Cumbia DJs TioChango + Don Chicharron

Here is an interview exclusively for Scatterblog with DJ TioChango (which I translated from German into English) -

M > Saca La Mois DJ!!

T > DJ TioChango

M: How did you get so deeply into Cumbia?

T: I’ve been listening to rare Latin music of the 60s and 70s for some years now.  As a DJ I started out with Latin Funk and Boogaloo, especially outta New York.  Via this path I stumbled upon classic old Salsa and Latin Soul, and then via this connection I also discovered the first Cumbia songs.  I really liked the groove of Cumbia, to listen to as well as for the dancefloor.  The 2/4 time and the simple basslines in Cumbia fascinated me, and excited the crowds on the dancefloor.  Back then I mainly played the old Colombian Cumbias.  I went crazy with Andres Landero, or also even older artists like Petrona Martinez.  All of these made me travel to Colombia, to go digging for more old and new sounds!

M: You just spent a bit of time in Colombia.  How did this trip influence you?

T: Many new sounds, rhythms and instruments that I hadn’t previously known.  What really impressed me above all was all this music from the Pacific region – the Marimba, Currulao etc.  Things I had previously hardly known or had no knowledge of at all.  On top of all that, I was hugely impressed by the music scene.  How both the older Generation and the young musicians are creating a new Colombian sound.  Example of that are Systema Solar, but also Choc Quib Town or the lesser known bands like La Makina del Karibe, who produce Urban-Champeta.  Champeta is a sound originally from Cartagena, with roots directly from Africa, Congo, Ghana – and really reminds you of “rumba congolaise” from Congo.  There is heaps of new experimentation exploding everywhere.  I’m planning for my own productions, to return at the end of this year and make some recordings with the Marimba, but also with the Champeta Kings and produce something for the club.

M: What do the Colombian producers you’ve spent time with think about these new interpretations of Cumbia going on all around the world?

T: For the many who are in this scene themselves it’s great, as they are finally receiving recognition globally and are thus getting bookings.  Many of them are very motivated by it all, and I believe that there will reciprocal development – meaning that many of the tools of the European and US producers are being embraced by the Colombians.  The base of Systema Solar or Bomba Estereo for example are very well-produced electronic beats and effects, which are then processed with Colombian influences – so it’s a mix!  I think this process is increasingly prevalent in the so-called countries of the South – a type of fusion by a new generation – and the base of this is roots music as well as mixers, compressors, production software, samples, effects, loops…

M: Why did you start up the Chusma Records label?

T: A lot of reasons…. DJs and producers from our own “La Chusma” platform and the associated scene are getting better and better and everyone wants to release their own things.  So it’s also about finding our own label for our own sound.  Also, the big record companies are increasingly facing economic crises – although they are only putting out pop and music for the masses – and the smaller label aren’t exactly having an easy time either, but there are always new niches.  In Berlin and actually in Germany there isn’t really a label yet focusing on releasing “Urban Tropical Music”.  There are mainly World Music labels.  But we don’t want to make World Music, but focus on releasing a more exclusive sound which nevertheless has the potential that many people will love it.  “Urban Tropical” could be a band or producer from Sarajevo, Barcelona or Melbourne producing new sounds with the inspiration of tropical music.  I think this is the future direction of the label.  Experimentation, trying new things, and giving small bands and unknown producers from all corners of the globe the opportunity to release their music.

M: What more goodness is going to be released on Chusma Records?

T: One should see it as a sound-lab.  Some artists get in touch with us because they want to release through us.  The label is open to many new and old styles.  I can also imagine releasing an LP representing some of the many old sounds from Caribbean; as well as negotiations with an old Marimba-King from Colombia and perhaps even Sonido Amazonico!  In addition there will be countless productions and remixes of our own.  I would say, as with our first releases there are many more suprises with great sounds in store!

It’s pretty close to release time (27th July) for my Fizzdom joint so i thought i would start the promo train and share a mix i did a bit over a month ago now. At the time of making this i was really getting down to futuristic dark club music, stuff that sounds like it was made for ravers in 2020. Drums, deep bass and dark synth lines from start to finish are not my usual style, but this mix and the fizzdom release signifies a turning point in my sound i would say. I wasn’t really concerned with putting together a set of well known bangers, it was more of a self indulgent process and something i really needed to get out of my system at the time. Recorded live on two 1200′s, Rane ttm56 and Serato. I cant believe it’s taken me this long to upload it, but its here now so ill just shut up and give u the tracklist.

Mu-Gen – Fizzdom Promo Mix (No Bangers)

1.  Mu-Gen – Scatterblog In Space
2. Sia – Clap Your Hands (Diplo Remix)
3. Melé – Bombay (Nadastrom Remix)
4. Nic Sarno – Mana Wasa
5. María y José – Selva Cósmica
6. Expendable Youth – Cannibalistic (LOL Boys Remix)
7. Chico Ye – Chico Ye
8. Milt Mortez – Lungisani
9. Spoek – ? (Canblaster Remix Demo)
10. Imperial Tiger Orchestra – Djemeregne (Canblaster Tribal Remix)
11. Ghost on Tape – Equator Jam (Canblaster Tribal Remix)
12. Daniel Haaksman – Jesus – (Schlachthofbronx Remix)
13. Slap & Dash – None Of Dem Then
14. French Fries – Senta (Bok Bok Remix)
15. Girl Unit – IRL (DVA’s Hi Emotions remix)
16. Mu-Gen – Fizzdom (Sam Tiba rmx preview2)
17. Chico Ye – Chiquito
18. Douster – Miss Fatty (Douster Bubblin VIP Remix)
19. Isa GT – Funketa (Douster Recabeza remix)
20. MadKids – Mumboi (Original Mix)
21. Marcus Price & Carli – Var E Näääken (Bok Bok Remix)
22. King Cannibal – Virgo (Canblaster remix)
23. Dooze Jackers – We Love Moogie (Canblaster remix)
24. Dillon Francis & DJ Ammo – Westside!
25. Samo Sound Boy – The Bandit
26. Samo Sound Boy – Five
27. Bok Bok – Hands In the Air
28. Crookers – Put Your Hands On Me (Beataucue Remix)
29. DVA – Ganja
30. Sandro Silva – Told Ya (Original Mix)
31. Delphic – Halcyon (L-Vis 1990 Remix Dub)
32. Brodinski – Arnold Classics (Egyptrixx Remix)
33. Sharkslayer – Hammerhead (Dub)
34. Bok Bok – Dance Report
35. María y José – Duro Duro
36. L-VIS  1990 – United Groove (Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team VIP Dub)
37. NGUZUNGUZU – EL BEBE AMBIENTE ( THEM JEANS REMIX )

…………….

…………………..

Check me out on Soundcloud and Twitter by following the highlights

Chico Ye is the name of a new standout artist that we’re really excited to release. If his stellar remix of Lewis CanCut’s “Get Low” ain’t enuf to convince you, then this post surely will.

Situated in Mexico (SCATTERMUSIC LOVES MEXICO! we need t-shirts i think) his style is tirelessly playful and infectious. I can only begin to imagine the energy that would flood through a giant underground desert/bush rave with his tunes blasting out a massive sound system.

His genre’s range from Tribal to Reggaeton (mmm “Rayo Lazer”) and a whole lotta something else in between.
We’ve got one tune to post for now, but expect his release out in the coming months.

Chico Ye – Tu Ku Tu (Feat. Mc Malquino)

I felt it just wouldn’t do justice to post one tune, so here’s everything in Chico Ye’s Soundcloud. A whole lotta originals and a couple of dope recent mixes that are a great listen. STAY TUNED!!!

Cover art by Paz

At the inner core of Scattermusic is Lewis CanCut with his clean cut, calipo / splice nature. Always perverting club tropical beats, layering bass like cake, flipping a sound library into a deep carnival crumpet. A flanged horn forms raspberry kisses, and a punch and kick resemble the crowd participation at the West Indian 2010 20/20 Cricket Finals. LCC is Melbourne’s Pizza slice of Cumbia’s and Carioca. His gumbo is titled Neon Saxophone. The fiesta can he heard in Get Low and Can of Drink both preaching club tropical, and the now revered Cumbia Theme adds to this chapter via respect to a traditional Cumbia rhythm. The whole project then gets a remix treatment via a huge Latin connection. Chico Ye gets Mexican and puts the tribal club touch to Get Low, the Netherland’s Sonido Del Principe drops cumbia club tropix over Can Of Drink, and Scattermusic newbie’s Cumbia Cosmonauts re-shake Cumbia Theme, knowing its full heritage, then sending it to Alpha Centauri. The package is 100% tempos for a tropical throw down, and is the essential club package from LCC and his cohorts.

Grab the whole release here. To buy the release, grab it on iTunes, Juno and other stores.

SCM-006 – Lewis CanCut – Neon Saxophone

1. Lewis CanCut – Get Low
2. Lewis CanCut – Get Low (Chico Ye Remix)
3. Lewis CanCut – Cumbia Theme
4. Lewis CanCut – Cumbia Theme (Cumbia Cosmonauts Remix)
5. Lewis CanCut – Can of Drink
6. Lewis CanCut – Can of Drink (Sonido Del Principe Remix)

Download the release as MP3s
Download the release as WAVs

Artist Links:
Lewis CanCut
Chico Ye
Sonido Del Principe
Cumbia Cosmonauts

This release falls under the Creative Commons Licence – Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
…
Don’t forget to check out Lewis CanCut’s “Digital Dubplates” mix as part of our Scatterblog Radio series…

I’ve been hanging out for this one for a while now and if you’ve seen the Cumbia Cosmonauts super heavy live show you’d understand why. With so much of the club music right now being crowded, intensely compressed and generally over the top, it’s so good to hear anything this spacious that’s still full of energy. The attention to detail here is also of the hook with every track being completely remixed to the point where you could safely call it an album of versions. But this really is only just the beginning for this unruly cohort of cumbia hustlers as they’re currently putting the finishing touches to a truly dope EP and European tour for later this year. Don’t sleep.

Cumbia Cosmonauts – Scattermusic Podcast #5

Tracklist:

Cumbianauts Incoming
Since My Love Died
Jungle Chichatón
Congo Jungle
Cumbia Disco
La Pollera Rebaja
My Grandfather ‘s Dead
My Mule Don’t Like People Laughing

Also recently I took time to head over to the Cosmonauts studio and quiz them as to how their super heavy, deep bass and blazing horn arrangements had come into existence. The result is the short, transcribed interview below.

L > Lewis CanCut

M > Saca La Mois Dj

S > Soup

Taken 17/05/2010

L: Moses, so as far as I can gather your background comes from traveling around collecting regional styles of music digitally yeah?

M: Mostly physically, but more recently also digitally.  Yeah, that’s what I did even before getting into DJing actually.  Having a selection of music that other people didn’t but found to be exotic got me invited into being on radio and from there it then got transferred into the live context of being a DJ. Obviously once you’re in it then you start looking for music specifically for your DJ set and I’ve always been mostly dance floor focused. Before all that when I was kid growing up in Switzerland I played the accordion, though that disappeared when I moved to Australia. But that sound has stuck in my head which is why years down the track, hearing a style of music that is dominated by accordion with a very simple beat being Cumbia, it just grabbed me.

L: You’re known in Melbourne as one of the granddaddies of the world music club scene, at what point did you start specifically start collecting global sounds?

M: I’m too young to be any type of grandaddy…but I’ve always collected global sounds, even as a kid in Switzerland. Growing up in Europe you don’t understand 90% of the words, which tends to destroy the barriers of what is the known world and what is the unknown world. If it’s a sound I like then I grab it. When I moved to Melbourne though it became like a political mission in the pioneering days when anywhere you played people would be “Uhh..What is that”?

L: Now worldly sounds are trendy though ever since Baile Funk blew up right?

M: Basically yeah, that was a really big thing.

L: And Soup your musical background from what I can piece together is in experimental beats?

S: Well yeah but when was a kid I studied guitar and up until my late teens wanted to be a session jazz guitar player and get like $300 every time I recorded. That’s obviously a bygone era though which made me think, “what do I really wanted to do anyway”, like develop an identity and experiment with new ideas and new mediums. Then I realized that I much preferred to make music using a computer rather than a guitar anyway because it gave me a sound canvas that was a million times bigger.

L: Soup you’ve got several projects on the go besides the Cosmonauts right?

S:Yeah Miso and Editor, which are both going strong. Because of those projects though I’m also doing well with a bunch of freelance production work. I’m definitely more rooted in the live music scene of Melbourne because when I got here and wanted to play guitar I met a lot of bands, drummers etc.

L: Has that helped you out being a musician that knows production because in Melbourne those scenes don’t cross over much?

S: Yeah, the protocol is so different. It’s such a competitive edge and a benefit to your music if you’re a producer that knows how to talk about instruments and ways of writing for them.

M: With the Cumbia Cosmonauts we work with so many acoustic musicians and Soup already had a big network, which is what we now use for the sound system.

L: So how was it that you guys actually formed as the Cosmonauts?

M: We’d known each other for a while and Soup was always very encouraging for me to get into production and I was trying to get Soup to do more DJing haha. “You can make money DJing!” I got obsessed with cumbia and asked Soup to help me musically and technically to produce it and he said “yeah sounds awesome, lets do a track”. Soup had a sound system party in the park and I DJed cumbia there. Carlos (Cosmonauts’ accordion player) was this guy I’d never met there who was dancing like mad saying “this is the music my parents play”. So the first productive meeting we had was the three of us in the studio actually.

S: I didn’t even know what cumbia was when we wrote the first track haha.

L: All you need to know is the chh…..ch.ch.chh…..ch.ch.chh…..ch.ch.chh..

S: That’s how I now describe it to people.

L: So to finish up, you guys not only have this mixtape out now but also an EP of original material that’s not far off?

S: Yeah, it’s funny because we’re calling it a mixtape due to the sampling that’s going on and we need to obviously give it a moniker that’s a homage to the original creators of the music which we’re, for want of a better word; appropriating. In saying that though, the amount of work that’s gone into (remixing) each track on the mixtape is similar to writing a new track. For me that was really important to get inside the sound, I feel informed now so when it comes writing tracks where we don’t sample traditional cumbia, I’ve got something to draw upon.

M: That’s the first offering of getting to know the music; you start with samples and build something around it. Then after a while you realize you don’t need to have the foundation from a sample, you can build the foundation yourself.

 Cumbia Cosmonauts [28:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Cover art by Michael Cusack

Scattermusic is proud to announce the label’s fourth official release, ‘The Calling’ by Melbourne based producer Lucid. It’s a solid package of three original tracks and not a single remix to dilute the charisma and raw energy of Lucid’s tunes. Tough dark spaces bound together with relentless marching snares and fragmented vocal shouts that make for an unrivaled hype-soaked sound. As warped and bubbling Dutch house meets landscapes reminiscent of Detroit’s golden era of techno, ‘The Calling’ is the perfect record for a packed nightclub at 4am.

Grab every tune for free!!! To give us some monetary support please buy the release on Juno and iTunes.

SCM-005 – Lucid – The Calling

1. Lucid- The Calling
2. Lucid – Night Go
3. Lucid – Run It

Download full release as MP3s
Download full release as WAVs

This release falls under the Creative Commons Licence – Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

Video Promo Mini-mix:

Gameboy/Gamegirl are celebrating their 100th show at thr Mercat Cross Basement on May 14th (facebook event for Melbourners). Should be rad! I wanna go and am going to. If you don’t know about Gamegirl/Gamegirl try reading this lil bit from their press release:

4 or so years ago, Gameboy Gamegirl became a surprise hit when blogs started writing them up as a new kind of awesome before they had even played their first show. But in reality, it was a bunch of mates who were just having a joke. Tranter, Jess, Katy and Miami Horror made music that for many Australians was unheard of. It was rap music that wasn’t gangster, it wasn’t about how hard it is being a blue collar Australian, and it wasn’t sung in a really “ocker” accent. Instead, they made bubblegum rap music strictly for the club, full of sexual innuendo, references to crunk and hyphy tracks they love, and beats that inspired fists to pump and hips to shake. They released an EP on Sweat It Out, toured the world, and showed the world how to party with their live shows that included frequent nudity and drunken antics. And while they have been quiet for a while (Heck, they had broken up last year to focus on other projects), they have now got back together (minus Miami Horror) to kill it again. New material is coming out very soon, with Tranter now doing the production, heavily inspired by tropical club, afro tech, garage, uk funky, and juke house. It will be a lot more clubby and will make your face melt possibly. Depends really on how much fun times your face can take.

As a present, they’ve leaked an awesome remix of their tune “Go 2 Skool”. The “Club Dub” by Scattermusic signing and romantic love-affair, Tranter is a perfect little insight into the hooky and cute world of Tranter‘s production and Gameboy/Gamegirl’s sound – stripped back, carefree and lovable. The track doesn’t say a lot, but says everything it needs to and all of a sudden i’ve got it on repeat. I can’t wait to see what comes from all their new ventures!

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Tranter‘s double EP release on Scattermusic in early June!

Gameboy/Gamegirl – Go 2 Skool (Tranter’s Club Dub)

I’v been meaning to post a short piece on the guy for ages but to be honest I just didn’t know where to start. Michna (previously known as Egg Foo Young) has been responsible for producing some of my favorite records over the last decade and despite maintaining a constant presence as one of dance music’s elite, he’s still remained pretty damn elusive. Anyhow the best way to deal with this I figured was to hit him up with a couple of broad questions concerning the last 10 years of his career in an attempt to shed a little light. This is what he had to say.

Q I first came across you stuff years ago when buying records on Turntablelab. I guess your tracks, mixes and the way you reviewed stood out because at the time the shop seemed like a total New York thing with a heavy disco and hip hop angle by reviewers like Eli and Language yet you were pushing all this heavy bass stuff. Was it actually like that? Like pushing your own angle?

A I think I was just contributing what I knew. But yeah you are spot on with the New York thing. At that time (around 2003-2004) if you were a working DJ in NYC you had crates of disco/funk/hip-hop/80′s/90′s and rock. I was coming from a whole Miami based DJ career that was rooted in electronic. My crates were full of electro/house/techno/breakbeat/drum ‘n bass/downtempo/hip-hop/experimental.

Q You’ve had a diverse history of releases from downtepmo hip hop beats to hard booty bass, yet you’ve somehow maintained a constant kind of relevance and sound, particularly with your mixtapes. Has there been a sound in your head all along that you want to represented by, rather than following what’s happening musically around you?

A I think one of the consistent things is that no matter what tempo, I like things that knock. Good basslines, good melody, things that have grit, texture, and things that aren’t cheesy and derivative.

I’m always influenced by new music around me, like there are so many new producers and bands coming out these days and a lot of them are really great. But when I get in the studio I kind of just do what I do. Even if I’m influenced by the newest trend when I go into my studio the end result is always something a bit different. Probably cause of the equipment setup I’m using too is pretty custom at this point.

Q Your Magic Monday release is almost like a return to kind of sound you had with the Secret Frequency Crew, but with all the club records that came in between such as the Bonde Do Role track you produced, was there a clear decision on returning to making records as a listeniang experience?

A Yes, with Magic Monday I wanted it to be an album that you could listen to from beginning to end. The intention of the album was to be a journey, but also have some joints that bump whether you were at home, in the car, or on the train.

____________________

Now if that small insight left you curious for more then I highly recommend getting to know some of his top notch back catalog listed below.

Michna Selected Discography

Secret Frequency Crew – Miami Eyes 2003

Egg Foo Young – Pop And Lock 2004

Bonde Do Role – Quero Te Amar (Michna production) 2007

Andrea Parker – Freaky Bitches (Michna remix) 2008

Michna – Triple Chrome Dipped 2008

…..and of course we can’t have post without giving up a track. Here is his rework of Take Off that was released as part of Adult Swim’s ATL remix compilation.

Young Dro – Take Off (Michna remix)

Cover art by Michael Cusack

Scattermusic releases DirtyBeats first official EP with remixes by Tom Piper, French Fries, Swick, Slap & Dash. A truely amazing package and DirtyBeats’ first official release. Really excited about this one, it’s been getting heaps of attention and support already and i think has already settled into a Scattermusic classic (in our minds anyway) Enjoy…

The fourth release on Scattermusic sees us traveling to a favourite Scatterblog part of the globe for modern music: Mexico. A young, relatively unknown duo, DirtyBeats have been hiding away in the Tijuanan desert jungle to put together an EP that truly captures the essence of Scattermusic.

The way the EP came together exemplifies the advantage of the blog/label hybrid. The track “Alone In The Jungle” was sent to the Scatterblog promo email and immediately picked up and posted. Romance was born and DirtyBeats were signed on for a multi-track release that has steadily grown into it’s own monster. The EP is like a deep-space voyage into the artists’ musical landscape: heavy on over-compressed basslines and obnoxious spacey vocals, combined with plenty of rave chords and sampled folk instruments.

“Alone In The Jungle” is a bouncey rendition of everything Scattermusic loves at the moment. A set of angry hand drums and wood sticks, strange synthy effects, hype screams set out in space-verb land and a huge deep bassline that you never truly appreciate until you hear it in a dark club at peak time. “Whats Happen” gets even more wild (and we mean wild) and dark. It’s a tune that always manages to make other DJ’s run up to the booth to stare at our computer screens. The raveyness is almost reminiscent of a Laidback Luke track – just add some explosions and some sort of amphetamine. “Shiaww” then steps into the territory of what sounds like an upbeat, freaked out Mexican Cumbia tune, if not by all the accordion then certainly by the cheesy sampled radio voice dominating with calls of “La chica sexy”. “Carnival Trip” comes in late, much like it should when you play it. Drawn out and brooding, yet constantly rolling, it references a minimal San Franciscan sound as much as it recalls Revolver, Melbourne at 8am.

The remixes throw us into four different areas of club music; a mix-mash of genres all brought together by one constant in the Scattermusic sound – “Hype”.
To call Tom Piper’s track exciting would be a gross understatement: it’s a tour de force in the art of remixing. After a few listens you might start to realise that there are almost no new sounds, everything is merely a well edited sample. French Fries takes the feel of the title track to a whole ‘nother level, really taking on the “Alone In The Jungle” theme. Moving away from his trademark Ghetto Bmore(ish) Club sound he invites us into a new world, sinister and minimal. Swick’s Tropical Club hit is completely infectious and spells out F.U.N. A young producer from Melbourne with an upcoming Scattermusic release, he needs to be watched with a close eye. Finally, with a trademark Ghetto Hip-Hop influenced Dance tune, Slap & Dash flip the whole release on it’s head – distorted marching drums, hectic percussion and phat, warm bass are no stranger here.

SCM-004 – DirtyBeats – Alone In The Jungle

1. DirtyBeats – Alone In The Jungle
2. DirtyBeats – What’s Happen
3. DirtyBeats – Shiaww
4. DirtyBeats – Carnival Trip
5. DirtyBeats – Alone In The Jungle (Tom Piper Remix)
6. DirtyBeats – Alone In The Jungle (French Fries Remix)
7. DirtyBeats – Alone In The Jungle (Swick Remix)
8. DirtyBeats – Alone In The Jungle (Slap & Dash Remix)

Download full release pack as .mp3
Download full release pack as .wav

If you would like to give us some monetary support you can grab this release from almost all major online mp3 stores, including iTunes (only $6.99 USD) and Juno Download.

This release falls under the Creative Commons Licence – Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

Wear this shit and you’ll play the piano accordion like a pro!

As Scattermish, the serial Slap n Dasher mentioned in an earlier post, Tremor’s track ‘Viajante’ was remixed late last year by two artists from our roster. Both the Cumbia Cosmanauts and Lewis CanCut put their sound on it and while former was proudly an official rework for the release, the latter was a submission for the remix competition held by ZZK. Anyway where are we going here? Aw yeah, happy to report that the CanCut version won a place among six others for release through ZZK in the coming months. Here it is for listening only but stay tuned for the download.

Lets also revisit the Cumbia Cosmonauts version while we’re on the subject.

Tremor – Viajante (Cumbia Cosmonauts remix)