Posts by Jakub

This one slipped under the radar but i’m glad I could find a full stream for those that haven’t heard it. We first wrote about Ptaki in April 2013 since then they’ve been a highlight on a ISO50 playlist and now I couldn’t find a more enjoyable LP to ride into the weekend. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Mr Zambon’s (of The Very Polish Cut-Outs fame) new label Transatlantyk has made quite an impact across a handful of releases. This is their debut artist album, and who better to represent the free-wheeling spirit of their ethos than fellow Polish pals, Ptaki. The high-flying Warsaw based duo (Their name translates to ‘Birds’ in Polish) have found themselves the object of hysteria after a mere trio of very well received releases on parent label (TVPC) and more recently for LA’s Young Adults. Their music has a depth and enduring quality that has clearly set them apart from contemporaries, and Przelot has given them a broader canvas to, pardon the pun, spread their wings. Familiar textures, acoustic guitars, rhodes and treated bass are assembled in a fresh and uplifting way as the duo seem unencumbered by any sense of homage or reverence to past masters. Cod Reggae (done well!), sleazy chuggers, and dreamy mid-tempo workouts sit easily alongside the Yacht Rock leanings and straight up blissed-out beach bar fare. All shot through with an undeniably Balearic sense of well being throughout.

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An important find for your most casual smooth stroll, the whole EP is solid, this one could have gone an extra 20 minutes.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Sometimes listeners get lucky and are given these faint rewards from artists when they have downtime on the road. What i’m getting is Huerco S. recorded a piece while he was in Montparnasse Paris and uploaded it to his Soundcloud, even though i’m a huge fan of his old work this nugget of sound could be one of my favorites by him.

Danny Wolfers is my generations most prolific synth musician, this maybe far from a summer jam but the quality in the quantity he releases is sort of unreal. Going to mark this one under Indoor Summer Headphone Jam.

This summer hasn’t been crowned with a summer jam in my mind, this has been my go to, its all about the pace of this cut by DJ Koze. It doesn’t scream for your attention and works as a great cool down in a set.

Jessee Egan’s Blue Nile project has an elegant and awarding take on ambient house. Ranging from crisp textures that sit under a magnifying glass to the sound of gliding glossy objects being thrown through the night air. What’s refreshing is the chopped up different styles being sequenced out. At a point you feel the chance that the record might sit like a stone statue under a grey murky storm thats passing but with the glimpses of her voice and the sheen of the synth work you get the feeling there’s plenty more to explore with this album.

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We couldn’t recommend Mark Barrott any higher, I actually think the B-side is better than the A-side, well its less PBS Nova in my mind. B2 Der Stern, Der Nie Vergeht really swept me off my feet, soo genuine!

A1 Right 4 Me
A2 The Mysterious Island Of Dr Nimm
B1 Cirrus & Cumulus
B2 Der Stern, Der Nie Vergeht

Two years ago, as his first summer in Ibiza beckoned, Mark Barrott was heading off to bed one night when he had an idea for a track. That was the first track to feature the infamous Uruguayan Botanist Dr Nimm and spawned what ultimately became the first Sketches from an Island EP.

Although International Feel are known for sometimes been a little mysterious and contrarian, that first EP was only a 300 press as Barrott didn’t think that many people would be into what he called ‘slow, weird music’…it turned out he was wrong, it sold out on the day of release and that coming winter, he hunkered down to work on what became last years acclaimed ‘Sketches from an Island’ LP, lauded by everyone from Terje to Trevor Jackson, it’s evocative, melody driven atmospherics and beautiful birds of paradise artwork has taken on a life of it’s own.

He briefly broke cover again last winter with those Tuff City Kids for the Balearic classic ‘Balanzat’ and again in April this year, with the ultra deep ‘Bush Society’, but as soon as the first sunset of the year forms on the horizon, Barrott’s thoughts always go back to his beloved Sketches project and he now returns with four new tracks for EP 3, again with beautiful artwork from Stevie Anderson.

‘Right 4 me’ feels like the natural successor to the sunshine in a bottle vibe of ‘Baby Come Home’ and he also revisits the bizarre world of Dr Nimm (this time via his Mysterious Island ). The polyrhythm’s of ‘Cirrus & Culumus’ trace his love of Ghanan Music & Steve Reich and closing track ‘der Stern, der nie vergeht’ is reminiscent of every beautiful sunset you’ve never seen, blended with the delicate sounds of Roedelius and recontextualized for his Sketches world.

Although now firmly entrenched in his Ibizan compound, this summer will see Barrott break cover to take up a residency at Harvey’s Mercury Rising night at Pikes and also provide sunrise sounds at this years final Garden Festival, before decamping back to Ibiza to start work on the second Sketches from an Island LP.

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Hiroshi Manabe

Early ending to the week hopefully for most of you in the States, had to drop 2 easy ones on you. First one is a remix from Fort Romeau, perfect to ramp up the dance floor for a deep house sort of night while the other is from a ISO50 regular Dolphins Into The Future who delivers the best coastal field recordings you’ll ever find on cassette.

This is the 2nd of 3 singles from the Heathered Pearls album. The Fader had the exclusive for most of the day but I finally got it up here. The song features my good friend Thomas Mullarney III aka Outerbridge aka 1/2 of Beacon.

It’s not often that you can pre-order a record online and, while you’re at it, add the sculpture that’s photographed on the album cover to your cart as well. To Heathered Pearls, also known as the Polish-born and Brooklyn-based artist Jakub Alexander, it’s all part of his obsession with texture on his new release, Body Complex. Today we’re premiering “Warm Air Estate,” a gracefully unfurling techno cut featuring wispy, Rhye-esque vocals courtesy of Outerbridge from the electronic and R&B duo, Beacon.
“Warm Air Estate,” which Alexander calls “the misfit on the album,” is true to its name in warmth and beat-driven resplendence. “In the early stages I had it paired up with a song that didn’t make the album that my friend Tycho was going to play on,” Alexander told The FADER, “When I listen to ‘Warm Air Estate,’ I think more about the early stages of it; it only had this gliding emotional feel to it which I loved, but it was missing something. [Outerbridge] delivered this game-changing angle to it. I was going to go with a Detroit ambient techno with strings route but it ended up being this other animal that really made it a special one for me.” Ghostly International will release Body Complex on August 7th (pre-order it here).

via The Fader

What an edit from John Talabot, not surprised but i’m stunned it hasn’t gotten more love, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

When I’m on tour traveling I like to do edits. While waiting in airports, cars, vans, trains, customs, hotels, soundchecks I do them. This is one of my favorites.

– John Talabot