INTERVIEW: We catch up with PTU

Russian duo PTU – consisting of Kamil Ea and Alina Izolenta – are destined for a big 2017, with debut EP A Broken Clock Is Right Twice A Day out now via Nina Kraviz’s Trip Records.

The duo, whose name comes from the old Soviet institution of “Professional Engineering Specialised Schools”, have a dark and edgy sound, where high-velocity techno takes on a heavy, industrial edge. We caught up with them to chat about getting signed to Trip records, their debut EP and their influences.

Are there any key pieces of equipment that you are using to define your sound?
We are using two Octatracks and two synths for live sets. We usually sample a lot at home, borrowing synths from friends, or looking for some sounds, voices. This approach kind of defines our sound. We use the computer merely to record the output.

How do you end up being signed to Trip Records?
Once we received an email from Nina asking us to send her some material. We did, and in a while she suggested we join трип. Of course, we agreed.

Can you give us any insight into the title of your EP? What themes do you hope listeners find in your music?
When clocks hurry or lag behind, they never show the exact time, and those that have stopped – show the right time twice a day. Themes a listener finds in our works will reflect their internal state. We’ve been trying to make more abstract music lately. We seek to create sound combinations without references to “culture of consumption” of this or that genre, avoiding habitual reactions to them. When you are in a new place, you are deprived of an opportunity to make habitual actions, you have to improvise.

Read the full interview and listen to PTU's 'Yes' on The Playground....

Kafuka Shares 'Fine Rain' from New EP

Kafuka, the solo electronic music project of Japanese artist Eshima Kazuomi, will see the release of ‘Fine Rain’ from the EP Laws Of Nature, which is set to drop on May 26th via Project Mooncircle.

Kazuomi, a television and film composer, creates dreamy collages of slowly evolving melodies  by reprocessing samples and recording guitars and other natural sounds. The basis of the album is strongly influenced by nature, and the amalgam of textures contained within it are the result of adding algorithmically generated elements using audio software.

‘Fine Rain’ is an interesting exemplar of Kafuka’s distinctive sound. It conjures the kind of emotional response to that of damp air, water-laden leaves and fragile droplets falling with monotonous regularity. Although the track contains an abundance of different sounds and textures, it does not deviate from its underlying organic foundations, and serves to remind us that man’s contact with nature still remains both extensive and profound.

Single and New Video By Nite Jewel

“I’m looking for a real high and a real low, isn’t that the way love goes?” sings Ramona Gonzalez, aka Nite Jewel, on the Real High title track.

The  Los Angeles- based chillwave artist, has shared her new single, “Real High”, off her upcoming album out  May 5th via Gloriette Records. Along with this she has also released an accompanying music video.

“Real High” is a fresh take on our traditional view of a love song, by incorporating soft electronic elements, which complement the somber, yet catchy, lyrics : “I’m looking for a real high and a real low, isn’t that the way love goes?” This is seen the music video’s cinematography, which superimposes flashbacks over Nite Jewel’s reflective face.



Catch Nite Jewel LIVE:
5-24 - Bucharest, RO - Control Club
5-25 - Vienna, AT - Hyperreality
5-26 - Rome, IT - Spring Attitude Festival
5-27 - Ancona, IT - Loop
5-28 - Padova, IT - Student Summer Festival
5-29 - Livomo, IT - Aurora
5-30 - Bologna, IT - Freakout
5-31 - Milan - Secret Showcase
6-01 - Baden, CH - Werkk
6-04 - London, UK - Camden Assembly
6-08 - Paris, FR - Le Point Ephemere
6-09 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
6-10 - Rotterdam, NL - V11
7-07 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop *
7-08 - Portland OR - Doug Fir [tix] *
7-09 - Seattle WA - Barboza *
7-11 - Vancouver, BC - Fox Cabaret *
7-13 - Boise, ID - Neurolux *
7-14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
7-17 - Denver, CO - Lost Lake *
7-18 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry *
7-19 - Chicago, IL - Chop Stop *
7-21 - Toronto, ON - Baby G's *
7-22 - Montreal, QC - Vitrola *
7-25 - Burlington, VT - Arts Riot *
7-26 - Boston, MA - ONCE *
7-27 - Brooklyn NY - BK Bazaar *
7-28 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenca's *
7-29 - Washington, DC - Rock n Roll Hotel *
7-31 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade *

8-01 - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa *

Tobias Crossing Oceans With TOY TOY

Tobias Freund will be travelling from his native Germany to South Africa to perform at two ‘TOY TOY” parties, which will be taking place this June in Cape Town and Johannesburg respectively. Known for his unique brand of abstract- electro-meets-techno, Tobias has built up a strong international fan base.

With over a decade’s worth of experience in the music industry, Tobias has taken part in many different music projects -and collaborations; including Odd Machine and Recent Arts. He takes a multi-genre approach to his performances, which allow the listener to experience a spectrum of sound, rather than be confined by genre boundaries.

His latest EP, Eyes in the Center, was released on 21 April 2017. The “TOY TOY” parties form part of his worldwide tour for the EP. The album has a definite techno sound, but elements of electro, house, and EDM are also present. The tracks have an infectious beat, and melodic feel that will have you on the dance floor within seconds.

“TOY TOY” will be taking place at And in Johannesburg on Friday 2 June 2017 and at ERA in Cape Town on Saturday 3 June 2017. Tickets can be purchased here.
 

Interview: We Chat to Charlotte De Witte

There are few young voices in the contemporary techno scene as distinctive as Charlotte de Witte’s. The young Belgian producer is a fearless composer, artfully mixing harsh and aggressive beats with dark and distorted sounds, creating layered, complex tracks that are dancefloor-ready but also musically interesting.

Q: To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?

I’m a very big fan of stripped techno music. Think 126, 127 aggressive dance floor effective music, but containing – in my case, quite a lot of time – a vocal that gives it a sort of hypnotic, screeching twist.

A: Are there any key pieces of equipment that you are using to define your sound?

I’m a big fan of Native Instruments. I bought their Komplete Ultimate bundle a while ago and it’s a never-ending source of inspiration. Besides that, I could really recommend Waves Soundtoys bundles. I love using their Tremolator for randomising effects and Sie-Q for adding depth and limiting. The latest synthesiser i bought was the Elektron Analog 4, an amazing piece of equipment.

Read the full interview on The Playground.

'Never Get Enough' - new JackLNDN single via Ultra Records

Known to his family as Jack Aisher, British DJ JackLNDN has released his new single, ‘Never Get Enough” via Ultra Records. 

JackLNDN is fairly new to the music scene, but he has already played at esteemed festivals; including Lollapalooza, Electric Forest, and Maryland. He is also embarking on his own tour this summer.

“Never Get Enough” is perfectly poised to be the song of the summer, due to its infectious beat, catchy lyrics and uptempo feel. Aisher is a classically-trained multi-instrumentalist, which comes through in his smooth vocal performance and soft percussion, while still staying up to date with synth beats and a strong bassline.

Be sure not to miss JackLNDN live on 12 May 2017 at Sonia in Cambridge, USA and on 4 June 2017 at Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco.

The Playground Presents Seven Lions and Illenium

On 12 May 2017, Seven Lions and Illenium will be performing at Electric Brixton in London, presented by The Playground.

Despite only being on the music scene since 2014, Illenium has already risen to fame amongst electro, house and trap fans; a fact which is best shown in him having sold out his debut tour. He has also remixed tracks by Flume and The Chainsmokers, which have millions of Youtube views. He is very deserving of his title as the breakthrough artist of 2016.


Seven Lions has been transcending musical boundaries since 2012, and is still creating exciting, fresh sounds. His 2016 EP, Creation, once again pushed the limits of house music as we know it by having acoustic elements in his tracks. He says he “didn’t worry if something was going to be a big banger on the dancefloor”, but in doing so he created successful crossover tracks.

Tickets for this event can be purchased here. Also be sure to check the Facebook event page for giveaways.

Listen to Seven Lions' singles:

Latest Machinedrum Single Out Now

Experimental electronica artist Travis Stewart, known to the world as Machinedrum, released his new single, 'U Betta' early last month through Ninja Tune.

Born into a musical family, Stewart made his first recordings at his grandparents’ house at age 5, but Machinedrum as we know it was born in 1998, in his penultimate year of high school. Since then he has over twenty albums out, has been remixed numerous times and is a festival regular (such as SXSW in Texas and Sonar Festival in Barcelona).

'U Betta' fuses R&B and electronica, creating a mood that reminds you of looking through kaleidoscopes as a child. Using vocal extracts, synth drum beats, and dream-like instrumental sounds, Machinedrum evokes a sense of nostalgia that achieve his aim for the track, which was to revert back to the style of music he was making a decade ago.

The track will easily become a firm favourite on Spotify playlists, electronica-friendly radio stations and at festivals in 2017. 'U Betta' can be purchased via Ninja Tune.  Definitely don’t miss the opportunity to see Machinedrum live at one of his concerts in his upcoming European tour.

Listen to 'U Betta' below: