P043: Cabeza de Vaca – Dub techno special.

It has been a long time since we had a dub techno show on Cabeza de Vaca, but that is the subject of this weeks show over at Scanner FM .

Though it must be said that several of the artists on the show this week approach the sound, rather than really recapitulate it to its true definitions and indeed this has been one of the advantages and disadvantages of dub techno over the years. It has been a limited genre in many ways in that it necessitates adhering to a particular formula to work at its best and its esching of dance floor for atmosphere has often led it to be marginalised from the clubs to home listening. While this dependence on formula is necessary to maximise the advabtages of its particular mechanisms, it has also lead to a lack of innovation at times. The opposite is also true however, that the lack of club expectation allows it to grow in different directions and its dependence on atmosphere instead of rhythmic mechanisms also gives it greater scope for silene, experimentation and even emotion.

There is a little bit of everything on this weeks show.

Freund der Familie are a good case in point. Their recent album “Alfa” on their own label almost totally ignores the dance floor and looks only to mine a lot of atmospheric space at low BPM and using a different array of beat templates. The track we play is more dub step in approach, but the album is a diverse affair with plenty of other highlights like the vocal lead “Goldie Wilson”.

One thing that FDFs album has in common with S|EXP (Shaded Explorer) is a good balance between long and short tracks. One of the mistakes of dub techno in the past ahs always been of the notion that longer equals better when quite often the tracks have said all they need to say after 4-5 minutes. Of course there is nothing like a long, monged bliss out to dub techno, but you still need special tracks to go long distances and it is nice to see a few artists try and piece their albums together in a more considred way. “Shade’s Journey” (Eclipemusic, 2013) has one long track, “Atlantis” and the rest come in at much less. The flow is thus a bit faster and also varied, with a constant flux of textures and beat pressure.

There is also a few Spanish artists and/or labels on the show today. Exium also deliver a short and sweet track to open the show, also the opening track off their recent album “A Sensible Alternative to Emotions”. The album is a lot more vigorous than the more atmospheric opener “Dronid” as we also saw last week.

There is also something new from BLD an otherwise unknown Barcelona-based artist. His track reminds me a lot of the early Basic Channel track “Lyot (Maurizio mix)” for the rhythmic interaction, but BLD is a bit smoother and modern, whereas the original has that classic crashing warehouse drum sound.

Barcelona’s Subwax BCN label also continues its steady release run. We feature at rack from their dub techno label by SAM who has connections to the Fathers and Sons Productions label.

Orlando Voorn also had an album out recently on the Subwax house sublabel Subwax Excursions.

Sweden's Skyscaper  (Anders Peterson) also has a recent and fascinating album called “Atmospheric Stratification” of which we will play another track in the near future. Again, a little unconventional as far as albums go, with five original and five remixed tracks.

Skyscaper – Atmospheric Stratification album preview

Number	Artist	Track	Label	Year
1	Exium	Dronid	Pole Recordings	2013
2	S|EXP (Shaded Explorer)	Distant horizon	Eclipsemusic	2013
3	BLD	Before deep	BLD Tape Recordings	2013
4	Subjected	Concept 3	Vault Series	2013
5	SAM	Nangilima	SubWax BCN	2013
6	QY	Hokus	Blank Slate	2013
7	Freund der familie	Colombia	Freund der familie	2013
8	Skyscaper	Atmospheric Tide (Mindspan Remix)	Ghost Sounds	2013
9	Refracted	Along a ghostly trail	Silent Season	2013

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P042: Cabeza de Vaca – Eduardo de la Calle special and interview.

Another interview tie-in this week on Cabeza de Vaca and Scanner FM . This week’s show is all about Eduardo de la Calle, a figure of folk-lorish proportions here in Spain and who I just talked to for Resident Advisor . There were many things that didn’t make the final interview, including the opinions of many who I asked before talking to the man himself. Certainly he was painted in colourful words by those I asked, from a recloose, to a sage-like figure living in the mountain, whereas to some he is something of a charlatan. After having talked to him I can quite equivocally confirm the opposite: that he is perhaps one of the most genuine and authentic figures in modern dance music. He has a rich spirituality that influences all his work and it is both far fetched, as any belief should be, and tangible enough to keep you pursuing.

There is a couple of essential points on the video interview he did several years ago for Victor Santana’s Chaval Records label that are worth a look in. It is in Spanish with English subtitles.

Eduardo de la Calle from Chaval Records™ on Vimeo.

One thing that doesn’t get entioned much on the radio show is the Beatz documentary which just had the premiere in London and will apparently be shown in Barcelona in early September.

Beatz - Divergences & Contradictions of Electronic Music from Analog Solutions Rec. on Vimeo.

There is also plenty of other good Spanish music on the show this week, giving more fuel to the fire that the scene is raging and very much alive here. Above all is perhaps the continuing run of the Soullless Lab Recordings label who have just released Isometric Axis 2, another essential compilation that you can grab for free if hard up, though as always, better to support the artists and label with what you can. I t would be great to see some of this stuff on vinyl if possible.

Number	Artist	Track	Label	Year
1	Skaar	Reminiscent	Soulless Lab Recordings	2013
2	Hinode	Waiting for the sun	Monkey Bar Records	2013
3	The Knight Cats	Feeling It	Luv Dancin Records	2013
4	Eduardo de la Calle	Karanodakasayi (Original Mix)	Chaval Records	2010
5	Eduardo de la Calle	Untitled B1	Analog Solutions	2012
6	Eduardo de la Calle	Madhusudhana	Cadenza	2013
7	Eduardo de la Calle	Skeletalism	Semantica	2013
8	Exium	Nucleoid	Pole Recordings	2013
9	Adriana Lopez	Sequel	Grey Report	2013

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P024: Cabeza de Vaca – Spanish Electronica Part I.

This week on Cabeza de Vaca and Scanner FM we start the first of a three part series all focused on Spanish electronica. First up we concentrate on experimental, IDM styles with hints of techno, dubstep and ambient thrown in for good measure. The other focus is on the work of Héctor Sandoval who has just released a phenomenal album called “El poso que da el tiempo” on Scheme under his Komatssu moniker. My (edited down) review of the album can be found on Resident Advisor. In addition, his long-running Exium collaboration with Valentin Corujo also appears to be bearing some particularly tasty fruit also at the right time with an album also in the works. It is certainly a critical moment for Señor Sandoval and indeed Spanish electronica in general as judging by the quality on offer here and in the upcoming shows. Moreover, a lot of the music is free if the crisis has bitten you hard, as it has done to many in Spain.

 

First up as far as notes go, apologies to Davic Nod as I did not announce his track intentionally as I honestly thought I would be out of time and would have to drop it for the next show. In the end I made some last minute edits after recording the voice and I slipped it in. I will announce it retrospectively next week in any case.

 

Please also check out the “Cinematograph” compilation at José Merinero aka J.M.’s  Artico NetLabel site. It is a free download, as is J.M.s EP “Broadcast” and is a wonderful introduction to the more IDM, experimental and ambient sounds of Spain.

Next week we do house with Hivern Disc and the week after it is techno with Semantica. Finally, apologies if you think I missed your music or label as it is difficult to fit everyone in.

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