Archive for September, 2015

YP#2 – Route 8

September 17, 2015

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On the decks for the second installment of Young Producers is my man ROUTE 8…

Singlehandedly putting Budapest on the techno map, Gergely Szilveszter Horváth, who signs his productions as Route 8, creates spacey house and techno music that taps into a strong sense of nostalgia. Most of his jams are of the eyes closed, head bobbin’, foot tappin’ variety and play out just as well on the dancefloor as they do on the couch, even if his vibe is decidedly chill.

Horváth’s first releases came out courtesy of local Hungary, Budapest label, Farbwechsel, which gained him the attention of one of my current fave presses, Lobster Theremin, where he’s dropped his Dry Thoughts EP in 2014, and the even peppier This Raw Feeling EP that came out this spring. He’s also put out the more introspective and dubby Eleda EP on Berlin based Nous Records, another emerging label that has only released class act music from young and upcoming producers.

Route 8 records all of his tracks live and says that his live gigs are the main influence on his songwriting at the moment, and in an interview with Leisure Collective from 2014 he stated that when he first started playing shows he was always shocked when he saw people dancing to his music, but now it’s become his mission to get asses movin’ on the dancefloor as he tours around Europe and perfects his craft as a DJ and producer.

Horváth’s trajectory is only on the up and up and his music as Route 8 is definitely worth checking out. Peace. See ya next week.

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YP#1 – Palms Trax

September 3, 2015

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Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know … a deplorable output so far on INAUDIBLE this year. “What gives, man?” you may be wondering. Couldn’t tell ya, really. I just didn’t feel like writing about music for the last few months. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been listening. In fact, I’ve been even more tuned in than ever…

So what I’m going to do to start things back up is a nouveau feature entitled Young Producers, or YP for short, in which I rep a fresh and exciting young musician each week. The criteria is simple: s/he must be no older than 25 and have yet to release a full-length album.

It’s bonkers how many amazing new talents are coming up in the scene and following in the footsteps of the legends that came before them. It’s a really great thing for electronic music.

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YP#1 – PALMS TRAX

First up on the decks then is my man Jay Donaldson aka Palms Trax. This young DJ and producer is based in Berlin and has released three excellent EP’s, Equation in 2013 and Forever in 2014, courtesy of Lobster Theremin, and most recently he put out the bangin’ In Gold on Dekmantel.

Palms Trax’s style seems rooted in Detroit house and techno, with warm pads and uber-melodic synths being his signature. Smooth drum patterns with a 4/4 thump, high hat clicks, and hand claps (my fave) round out his sound and ready it for the dance floor. He reminds me of Kassem Mosse when he’s at his most melodic, while some of his synth lines (most notably on In Gold) are reminiscent of some early Plastikman 909 licks.

And it’s all so good. With Equation and Forever, Palms Trax found his groove and with In Gold he just keeps raising the stakes even higher – the beats hit harder, the melodies are groovier, and his songwriting is stronger. His tracks almost play out like pop songs in their construction, as he doesn’t just build off a loop, but has proper hooks and changes in his tracks, which makes for a dynamic listening experience.

He also has a radio show called Cooking With Palms Trax on Berlin Community Radio where he plays his favourite jams from his extensive record collection. Check him out ASAP if you haven’t already! Cheers. See ya next week.

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