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Alina Izolenta and Kamil Ea, aka PTU, distil their outsider techno into an hour that still feels epic in scope. More info here →https://crackm.ag/36YsSQp
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Grime has its fair share of enduring figures, but Slimzee's tenure as a cornerstone of the scene is more or less unparalleled. As a founding member of the Pay As U Go Cartel- the pioneering crew headed up by Wiley, God's Gift and Flowdan- and a key player in Rinse FM's formative years he was instrumental in Grime's transition from a niche genre to a nationwide phenomenon. However, Slimzee has never been one to dine out on his credentials, and over the course of his twenty-something year career he has remained a humble but prolific selector, steadily amassing an arsenal of dubplates, specials, and VIPs whilst continuing to break fresh talent via his eponymous Slimzos label and numerous radio shows. Slimzee's contribution to the Crack mix series is exemplary in style, flitting through a rapidly-mixed selection of sinister dubs and frosty instrumentals to devastating effect. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2RODkCv
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This year Planet Mu celebrate 20 years of surviving as an autonomous record label; that’s two decades of fearless, boundary-free experimentation to the furthest reaches of electronic music. It’s come to become one of the UK’s most idiosyncratic and reliable imprints: a guaranteed stamp of approval. As Shitmat, Kyler, one half of Misty Conditions and under his own name, producer/DJ Henry Collins has always been associated with the wilder, noisier side of Planet Mu, with five albums under various synonyms. The Bristol-based artist made his name pushing his own intense but playful take on jungle, hardcore, gabber and plunderphonics but here, to celebrate the label’s anniversary, he’s accumulated a selection of his favourite weird cuts from the catalogue in a mix titled The Strange World Of Planet Mu. Planet Mu will be celebrating their landmark with a deluxe 3xCD compilation and a book, due out later this year. Keep an eye on planet.mu for details. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2R0iqn1 Tracklist: 01. Konx-om-Pax – Hurt Face 02. John T. Gast – Green 03. The Gasman – Horses on Ice 04. Leafcutter John – Untitled (Microcontact) 06. Capitol K – Darussalam 07. Ekoplekz – Tantrikz 08 Hrvatski – Echoes 09. Jlin – Black Ballet 10. Frog Pocket – Sea Angel Lament 11. Leafcutter John – Untitled (Microcontact) 12. µ-Ziq – Strawberry Fields Hotel 13. Ed Lawes – Fewer Ways/More Ways/24v.a.ish 14. Vsnares – We Are Cesspools 15. Urban Myth & Steve Beresford – Sparks of Grey 16. Guilty Connector – Beats, Noise, and Life 17. Speedranch and Jansky Noise – Bring me the ear of celine dion 18. The Gasman – Frolic
ItaloJohnson operate a zero bullshit policy. An uncomplicated musical vision that rests on preserving intimacy, sociality and space in the club, the faceless trio have been making a name for themselves since 2010 with a series of hand-stamped 12” releases showcasing their timeless house sound. The collective expanded on their no-frills musical vision in our recent feature with them. Off key fondue parties and records "handstamped by virgins" aside, guiding the three is an underlying imperative to make decisions for the right reasons: their anonymity nothing more than a method that works well for them, something that relies on a sociality that the internet has effectively negated over the years. More info here: http://bit.ly/1J8uI0T You don’t go to see ItaloJohnson play – you go to party with them, and that’s exactly how they like it. More info here:
Hodge wasted no time getting started. Bulldozing his way through last year with a series of releases on Hotline, Berceuse Heroique, Tempa, Livity Sound sub-label Dnuos Ytivil and more recently releasing a double-pack through Untold’s revered Hemlock imprint, the Bristol-based producer has made quite an entrance, identifying a singular sound through a series of stylistically diverse releases. Following on from the feel-good house project Outboxx, the Hodge moniker has provided an outlet to explore murky, low-end fuelled techno, echoing the percussive, bass-heavy hybrid of Livity Sound and frequent collaborator Peverelist. There’s a similar community spirit evident in his mix for us – focusing exclusively on unreleased and forthcoming material from likeminded producers such as Randomer, Logos, Gramrcy and Rhythmic Theory. Mining the fertile ground between steely, heads-down techno, the twisting rhythmic perversions of the UK’s hardcore lineage and more abstract electronics experiments, it’s a mix that harks back to the heady, dubplate-filled sets of dubstep’s recent past while remaining resolutely forward-facing. Heavy stuff. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2UXYeRy Tracklist Ossia – Blood + Ice (Version) (Forthcoming Blackest Ever Black) B.Traits – Panacea (Unreleased) Rhythmic Theory – Future Tense (Unreleased) Hodge – Nursing A Grudge (Unreleased) Alex Coulton – Concealed Weapon (Unreleased) Gramrcy – 18 Drums (Forthcoming FTD) Batu – Numen (Forthcoming Hotline) Pev + Hodge – 21 Versions (Livity Sound) Endian – Finish Me (Forthcoming SZE) Webstarr – Midnight Walk (Unreleased) Gramrcy – Bargain Jam (Hodge Remix) (Forthcoming Ancient Monarchy) Randomer – Ju Ju (Forthcoming L.I.E.S.) Logos – No Skyline (Forthcoming Different Circles) Hodge plays the Crack Magazine Stage at Loves Saves The Day on Sunday 24 May. Head to lovesavestheday.org tickets and more info.
Being a resident at Panorama Bar is something to be pretty proud of. Being a resident at Panorama Bar, Trouw (RIP), Output and Rex Club, working at Hard Wax and releasing on Zip's Perlon label is pretty incredible - and that's just a portion of what Cassy's accomplished in her career to date. In-between a relentless schedule of festival gig and club shows across the world, Cassy's recorded us this exclusive mix featuring heavyweight jams from Robert Hood, DJ Koze and Benjamin Damage, showcasing the tougher side of her craft in the process. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2CnGuYS She plays Snowbombing Festival, 6th-11th April.
Crack's 88th mix comes courtesy of Jimi Jules. While holding down residencies at the acclaimed Hive club in Zurich, finishing up his debut album, playing in his band Le Dompteur and DJing internationally through Watergate's esteemed booking agency, he also managed to knock up one of the biggest house tracks of 2014 - Pushin' On, a collaboration with German producer Oliver Dollar (remember Doin Ya Thang?). This exclusive mix is filled with the kind of heady, effortless vibes that make a lot of sense this time of year - endless beaches, boat-parties and balmy all-nighters are just around the corner. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2BuMLA6 Jimi is a resident at Hive club, Zurich and represented by the Watergate Agency - www.water-gate.de/agency
Part of the future never dies. And as owner of the long-running Cultivated Electronics label, Phil Bolland's been making sure that the electro sound pioneered in the early-80's by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Afrika Bambaataa (among others) remains the forward-thinking dancefloor ammunition it always has been. Since starting the label in 2007 (though he's been releasing music on other imprints since 2003), Bolland's dedication to the genre has been unwavering. Electro has fallen in and out of fashion over the years, but it seems to be enjoying another purple patch of late. Recent music from stalwarts such as DJ Stingray and The Exaltics and newcomers like Shanti Celeste prove it's a style that continues to find favour with dancefloors over 30 years since its inception. This exclusive mix from Sync 24 hammers the point home - featuring contemporary material from the likes of Marco Bernardi, J.T.C. and Truss as well as a number of unreleased and forthcoming tracks, it's a heady, focused ride from start to finish that proves electro continues to remain the potent force it always has. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2QEO3Tr Sync 24 plays as part of the Electrix Records showcase at Bloc, 13th-15th March. Tickets and more info here - http://blocweekend.com/
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Legend isn't a word we like to use lightly round here. But if your name is Rolando, you were part of seminal Detroit techno outfit Underground Resistance and you happened to break into the UK Singles Chart with one of the best techno tracks of all time (Jaguar), then we'll call you a legend, no problem. We're delighted to have the man himself contribute our second-last mix of 2014 (we got another big one coming on NYE). Moving through blissful ambience, through emotive, Detroit soundscapes and bucking, jacking drum workouts, this is a mix put together by a true master of his craft. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2UXqCDF
There isn’t really anyone that sounds like Samuel Kerridge. A singular artist with a true and brutalist vision of club catharsis, his is a blend of bleakest atmosphere and exploded blast-beat weight that toils through acres of distortion till it reaches the floor. So far his music has found fitting homes in Karl O’Connor’s Downwards, James Ruskin’s Blueprint and the shadowy world of Horizontal Ground. Kerridge’s next move, inevitably, is to do things his own way. His 2nd album, Always Offended Never Ashamed will inaugurate his new label, Contort Records in early 2015. Named after the now-infamous parties he runs in Berlin with his wife Hayley, it promises electronic music from the very edge. This exclusive mix for Crack sees Kerridge pull together droning swamps of noise, ten-tonne percussion and drowning seas of bass into just under an hour of relentless turbulence. Everything you’d expect from one of electronic musics most unclassifiable producers. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2Shc7bK
The fact the urban sounds of London Town continue to resonate with fresh audiences and fresh generations over and over again have meant the stalwarts of the scene have continued to find prominence. Two-step, garage and the more uptempo strains of the house spectrum continue to dominate the London airwaves and Matt ‘Jam’ Lamont has been there since the start. Having initially found noteriety in the garage explosion of the mid to late 90’s, Matt’s production work and DJing have seen him stay remarkably true to the UK sound that forged his career. This mix is a ride through these strains of music and keeps the rolling feel of a radio mix and featuring a number of instantly identifiable moments. Lamont’s sound is set to be brought to life at the Where Were You? event in London this Saturday alongside luminaries of the London urban music scene. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2Ra9aMQ
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Crack Mix 075 by Laurent Garnier Read our in-depth interview with Garnier here: https://crackm.ag/2SWiilz
Mix 073 comes courtesy of Ossia; Peng Sound label-owner, RwdFwd bossman and the latest member of the Young Echo collective. Recorded in the dimly lit studio where both the Tape Echo & Peng Sound operations are based, this strictly vinyl and dubplate session was put together using a pair of turntables, a mixer, a bunch of effects pedals, and an inspired approach to selection and genre that reflects all of Ossia's current projects and affiliations. Truly an open sound for open minds. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2A7XnoO
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Mix 070 comes from one of Crack’s favourite DJs - Jane Fitz. Since starting the seminal Peg night in the late 90’s, Jane’s been a consistently superb force for quality wigged-out dance music, and while she calls London home, the world calls to her. As a result she’s preached the gospel to clubs, rooftops and fields of dancers from New York to Bulgaria, Detroit to Berlin and Chicago to Provence. 2014’s been no different, with visits to the mythical Freerotation festival (her Sunday afternoon set at the 2013 edition was easily one of the highlights from a festival full of them) Tresor, Weather Festival, and Tel Aviv among a number of enviable bookings. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2Sb0i7h soundcloud.com/janefitz https://www.facebook.com/JanefitzE9
As Detroit veteran and one quarter of 3 Chairs, Marcellus Pittman is a true original. He first raised heads on Theo Parrish’s Sound Signature label in 1999, while further releases on Omar S’s FXHE label and his own Unirhythm imprint have become modern classics. Pittman’s work recently featured on a release from Brazilian outfit Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra, and album which comes with a second disc of remixes. A selection of Far Out Records’ favourite Brazilian luminaries and many of Rio’s finest musicians, it enlists remix work from Pittman as well as fellow admirers Theo Parrish, Mark Pritchard, John Morales, Mark E and more. For Crack Mix 69 the distinguished selector fuses an exhilarating mix of uptempo disco, funk and soul, with a degree of lo-fi crunch. As with much of his work, this one’s peak time fire. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2BtpQFy
El-B's been killing it for years. Bringing his dark, weighty sound to the sweet-like-chocolate UK Garage formula of the late 90's and forging the basis for the nascent dubstep scene in the process, he's essentially responsible for one of the last great evolutions of the Hardcore Continuum. Since then he's been working on numerous projects both in and out of the spotlight, and this exclusive mix for Crack is just one of them. Swinging between gyal-friendly vocal garage and more upfront tropical styles, it's a snapshot of where El-B the DJ is currently at, and a great example of what you can expect from him in the club. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2POPolv
Bristol-based DJ October established his style of New York-indebted house and techno with a string of sought after releases for the likes of BRSTL, Aus and Fred P’s Soul People Music, while he now finds a regular home on Skudge and his own TANSTAAFL label (an acronym for 'There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch') that he runs with Berlin’s John Osborn. In this mix he strays from the usual hard house and smoky techno, smashing together a slew of snarling post-punk, EBM, New Beat and industrial. It’s a bit of a special one, this. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2Ez1Wvv Tracklist: Senojmot Ministry - Stigmata God Bullies - Ordinary Man Sisters of Mercy - 1969 Alien Sex Fiend - E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon) Bauhaus - Terror Couple Kill Colonel Throbbing Gristle - Maggot Death / Southampton / Brighton In Aeternam Vale - Dust Under Brightness Nitzer Ebb - TWA DAF - 1st Step to Heaven Godley & Creme - Babies Public Relation - Vava Elektronische Maschine - Tanz 86 Unknown - Unknown Robert Gorl & Annie Lennox - Charlie Cat Out of the Ordinary - Play it Again (Los Ninos Mix) Liaisons Dangereuses - Peut être pas Ausgang Verboten - Consumer Three of You - Drum Electronic Sound Amnesia - Ibiza (Beat Mix) Tara Cross - Tempus Fugit Front 242 - Until Death (Us Do Part) Sisters of Mercy - Phantom
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