Nine months ago, Elizabeth Stark and I dreamed up the ideal MP3 blog scenario. A network of labels and artists who bind together to share tracks and resources and make them available to the public, split the ad revenue and create the new record business paradigm. It was going to be called Choo Choo and it was going to be great.

RCRD LBL made those dreams a reality. What’s even more astonishing is the group of labels the blog has signed up. sQuare production favorites like Kompakt and Ghostly. sQuare principles David Day and Amy Grill are involved tangentially, as well. I’m a blogger for the website (under the dirtybird label) and Grill’s employer Current TV, recently broadcast a piece on the blog. Coincidence? Maybe.

There was a lot more to the concept that Stark and I had dreamed up, and those dreams were fast becoming a reality until a little thing called money got in the way. Guess that’s usually the way it is for us dreamers. It’s like with the movie, you can think of what you believe to be the best movie ever, and then make it, pouring credit and cash into it and not have the resources to finish it fast enough.

It’s getting done, but it won’t see a final cut until next year. Our director and assistant editor are working on the tapes and the footage and it’s all coming together as planned. But we don’t have Peter Rojas or the resources of Engadget, so you’ll have to give us a little more time.

We do have time to continue to blog (well, not really, but you know, we can dream) so here’s a chance to tell you about some great new music and events. Like Thunderdome IX:

Which has finally captured the artist they always dreamed of, DJ Assault. The very first Thunderdome is a slice in the film, and now it is in its second year, thanks to the support of forward-thinking money types like Puma, Karmaloop (who just launched Karmaloop TV), Yelp and the support of local dreamers like Properazzi, Pop! and Basstown.

Morgan Louis and Red Foxxworth have a similar vision in a night simply called Dreamers:

It’s a Saturday night that tries to re-define “Saturday night”. Instead of catering to the lowest common denominator of club culture, the two DJs play nothing but French Touch, ecstatic rave anthems and endless re-edits. It is one of the best things going in New England nightlife and the next one happens December 8th at The Enormous Room.

The duo are consistently producing tracks and reedits. Here’s two that really kick:

Test Icicles - “What’s Your Damage (Alan Braxe and Fred Falke Remix) (Morgan Louis Edit)”

Kanye West - “Stronger (Red Foxxworth Remix)”

And a bonus MP3 from the Tocadisco set. A brilliantly simple rework of the enigmatic Nicolette:

Nicolette - “No Government (Tocadisco Dub)”

Keep dreaming.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The heart of dubstep always thumps with a meaningful lament. Due to its considerable downbeat, the genre tends to look toward minor keys, brittle samples and heavy, heavy bass. Those who dismiss the new genre as a one-trick pony also have another thing coming. While definitive mixes from outstanding labels like Tempa continue to solidify the template, artists like Quantize further expand on the bass-heavy beat. Here, a stunning bass pulse pulls the floor from under you while the nefarious voice brings you further down:

Quantize - “Meatgrinder (Remix)”

(If you don’t have a subwoofer, find one).

The true champion of Dubstep, though, is an unknown Brit named Burial. The fact that the producer has remained anonymous in a world of surveillance footage, web 2.0 and the end of privacy is one thing — that he makes some of the most beautiful music of the decade is quite another.  His debut, a compendium of his tracks on the Hyperdub label, was quite simply the best album that will be released this decade. The follow-up, which is undoubtedly bending all the rules of sales, buzz and hype, is an even more refined piece of genius. You can, and should, pick it up here for $10.

Leave it to the king-makers at Vice Records to get Burial on a remix. The unknown dubstep master has put down a few remixes already, but none as large as the new face of Brit Rock, Bloc Party. Of course, our hero transforms an already sorrowful song into one lamentation regarding the loss of home. Under digital showers Kele Okereke’s voice is modified, transformed and bent into Burial’s already timeless style. Totally thrilling.

Bloc Party - “Where Is Home? (Burial Mix)”

The second mix I wrote about for Pitchfork Media was from the almighty Diplo, who recenly visited Jamaica to record some of the island’s most devastating vocalists (watch an interview about it over at XLR8R.tv). Diplo is leading the way of the new music business and creating some astonsihingly fresh-sounding music along the way. For my money, dude should be supported for everything he’s doing so far.

Here’s the tracklisting as he wrote it:

i like turtles
mr vegas lean wit it
paper planes ft bun b and rich boy
schooly d - gucci time
yyy’s - rockers to swallow
madonna - sidewalks talk
belle stars - iko iko
the knife - heartbeat
diplo & switch ft elephant man - east, west (remix)
nirvana drain you /
baby huey -pop lock and drop it
bay of figs ward 21 mix
dj tamiel bump like this
queen under pressure
eddie money - take me home tonight
souljah - crank dat superman
bat for lashes - whats a girl to do break
organ donar sandrinho remix
solta frango ft beanie man
hot fuk - diplo mix
calabria - enur (2006 mix)
spoon - paper tiger
circle children - zulu
boyz remix ft akon
hi powered boyz get down
boy 8 bit - suspense is killing me
kw griff tonys back
diplo work is never over
m.i.a. - bamboo
sizzla - bamboo dubplate
blaqstarr supastar
shai - if I ever fall in love again - dub
orbital halcyon
LA priest - engine (diplo edit of erol alkin remix)
petter - some polyphony
rihanna - umbrella (vandalism mix)
justice - phantom pt 2 (soulwax mix)
white stripes - little cream soda
ZZT - lower state of consciousness
kia shine crispy
bartman so kripsy mix

Here is the mix:

Diplo - “August 2007 Mix”

Speaking of XLR8R, Speaking In Code stars Modeselektor appear on the cover of the new XLR8R magazine:

Download the whole issue as a .pdf here.

Their latest remix is being heard out in some clubs these days. It’s a remix of their buddy Apparat (who also appears in our film). Buy more from the chaps here.

Apparat Featuring Raz Ohara - Holdon (Modeselektor Remix)

Sounds a bit like Meatgrinder, we reckon.

 

 Quantize - Meatgrinder: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bloc Party - Where is Home (Burial Mix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Diplo - August 2007 Mix: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Apparat Featuring Raz Ohara - Holdon (Modeselektor Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As the funky new techno style demonstrates, the sounds of the city intrude on popular music more than ever. Today’s producers can sort through sounds like never before. The latest and greatest to emerge are from the genre of dubstep, named in reference to both the Jamaican dub technique and the break-core jungle style that came later.

Together, it’s a future Reggae interpretation of urban life — of streets and salvage and aluminum, bullet-casings and windblown signage. From what began as an easily brushed-off fad, young producers emerged with striking quick talent, and mostly from out of nowhere. Just as quickly, they managed to establish the art as legitimate, quickly reaching prominence on the BBC and more hip pirate radio.

The infection has set the style at the cusp of popular music. With the kinetic effects and a minimalien groove, it could easily work onto a pop record.

Skream! is considerably more sticky than nearly any producer at the moment. From his Googleable name and razor-sharp edits, the young designer has aims to challenge some of the biggest pop names. Most recently he worked on a remix of the hotly-tipped Klaxons, which has the young hitmakers in a perfectly dark chasm. Despite its nature, the dubstep style maintains its cool form:

Klaxons “It’s Not Over Yet (Skream Mix)”

That remix comes from a radio rip, so a proper release is somewhere forthcoming.

Skream made what some still maintain is the ideal dubstep track, a play on radio itself:

Skream “Midnight Request Line”

Also, a few months ago, we interviewed DJ natural JD Twitch of Optimo fame and - due to the file-size of the file, it was taken off the web (”The interview is almost as good as the mix itself” said one blog). We thought the mix itself was stunning, so here’s a link to download it here for now:

Optimo - July 2007 Mix

Tracklist:
01. Test Dept.: “Cha Till Sinn Tuille (Extract)”
02. Tim Maia: “Rational Culture”
03. Whitefield Brothers: “Yakuba”
04. Nino Nardini: “Afro Beat”
05. Black Sabbath: “The Wizard”
06. Johnny Wakelin: “In Zaire”
07. Lindstrøm and Solale: “Let’s Practice”
08. John Cooper Clarke: “Evidently Chickentown (Betty Botox version)”
09. Paul Haig: “Reason”
10. Betty Botox: “Cosmic Orgasm”
11. Mark Shreeve: “Assassin”
12. Ralph Lundsten: “Horrorscope”
13. Sonic Youth: “Shaking Hell”
14. Paul Johnson: “Rubber Band”
15. Jodeci: “Freakin’ (MK mix)”
16. Faze Action: “In the Trees (Carl Craig mix)”
17. Panico: “Guadalupe (An Optimo (Espacio) mix)”
18. Solomun & Stimming: “Feuervogel”
19. Truffle Club: “Gone Blue”
20. Lee Douglas: “Breakwind”
21. Grinderman: “No Pussy Blues”

More dubstep and sQuare productions later this week. If you’re in Boston, check out a local dubstep party near you.

 

 Klaxons - It's Not Over (Skream Remix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Skream "Midnight Request Line": Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Optimo - July 2007 Mix: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Haven’t really been keeping up on this since the advent of playlist/music sharing technologies like Last.fm, but here is a little something for those search engines out there:

1. Burial - Archangel (3:58)
2. 16EtienneAme01 (9:12)
3. Klaxons - Golden Skans (David E Sugar Remix) (2:45)
4. Gregor Tresher - A Thousand Nights (7:38)
5. impedance - tainted love (dub version) (3:31)
6. A-Trak - MIA-roder (Kavinsky vs MIA) (2:55)
7. SnekAttak-1318 (0:30)
8. Ewan Pearson - Don’t Let STars Keep Us Tangled Up (11:57)
9. dunawayrealrendered2 (4:49)
10. Diplo - pitchfork mix AUGUST final (68:10)
11. Animal Collective - Peacebone (Pantha Du Prince Remix) (10:02)
12. Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored (Bloody Valentine Edit) (7:40)
13. DJ Koze Vs. Sid Le Rok - Naked (Original) (6:59)
14. Yuno - California (Phonique Remix) (6:10)
15. Blue States - The Electric Complement (4:08)
16. Kanye West - Stronger (5:14)
17. Freezepop Ninja of Love
18. kingdom - jump up step back
19. B The Acrobat (Efdemin Remix)
20. A The Acrobat
21. depeche mode - enjoy the silence [ricki tik tik mix]
22. music is my hot hot heat (dj mehdi remix)
23. new young pony club - the get go
24. smith & hack - falling stars
25. 3mb feat magic juan atkins - die kosmischen kuriere
26. boom bip - snook adis
27. lesans int
28. Umbrella (LED remix)
29. Colorwheel(2)
30. Colorwheel
31. 01 zuco 103 - gravata florida (world of apples florida fantasy by ewan pearson)
32. Ghost Hardware 1
33. bookashade interview
34. Married Young (The Glass Remix)(2)
35. Married Young (The Glass Remix)
36. rhianna ft jay z - umbrella
37. 08 dentaku xs
38. the chap space = volume (pier bucci remix)
39. 03 sandsings (remixed by boards of canada)
40. david e sugar -oi new york this is london (hot chip vs ragga twins remix)
41. karesvolcana
42. Notch - Dale Pa Tra (2oo7)
43. Jowell y Randy Ft Voltio - Let’s Go To My Crib
44. Don Omar - Calm My Nerves
45. Zion ft Akon - The Way She Moves
46. Daddy Yankee Ft Fergie - El Impacto
47. glacier - ultrasonic humidifier - original mix
48. air liquide - sun progress
49. sujinhos beautiful girls
50. justice theparty chewychocolatecookiesrmx 320
51. animal collective - peacebone
52. platinum pied pipers– deep inside ft. sa-ra creative partners
53. ian pooley-chord memory (daft punk remix)
54. 01 Harmonic Steel
55. 03 Ghost Woman
56. 02 Egokille