New Tune Tuesday (7/28/15)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Ludge – Void EP
Kicking off this week is Ludge, a new favorite here at AltFreq. With crisp, clean sound design and technical prowess that often escapes producers of far greater experience and renown, the Philadelphia native is flying criminally under the radar. Perfect example? His latest effort, the deep and dark Void EP – self-released today. The three track offering is rife with slow-churning dubstep phrases and abrasive, staccato synths, held together by the constant presence of ominous atmospheric undertones that serve to further flesh out each tune. “Light Speed” features pleasant builds and bridges juxtaposed by futuristic dub breakdowns (with bonus points for a Dr. Dre sample that isn’t from “The Next Episode”). The title track is dark through and through (as the name might suggest), sporting the heaviest moments on the EP. And “Limbo” is future trap played through molasses, with subtle horn and hi-hat accents that keep it oozing in a forward direction. In fewer words, we love this dude – and you should too. Head here to download the Void EP for free, and be sure to connect with Ludge on all relevant social networks: (Soundcloud / Facebook / Twitter).
mar|co – Closer (Stel*Leo Remix)
From a new friend to an old one: Friends With Robots regular Stel*Leo hasn’t disappointed in recent memory (or any memory I can conjure). His rework of mar|co’s “Closer” continues the streak in a haze of minor chords and cooled-off tones. The intertwining, simultaneous chopped vocals and cleanly sampled lyrics atop massive sub-bass hits should sound cluttered but instead makes for a hell of a payoff. For a track clocking in at just under three and a half minutes, there’s sonic diversity aplenty; the thirty second housey breakdown wedged into the bridge is a head-bobbing surprise that flows back into the aforementioned half-time future trillery with ease. Luckily Stel*Leo’s musical skills are paralleled by his generosity, and you can grab this track as a free download right here.
Defunk – Delights
This one has been a long time coming for us, as we’ve been Defunk fans for quite a while. A part of me wondered how the Calgary native could continue to experiment and expand his already diverse sound – with two albums under his belt, wouldn’t it be easier to play it safe and stick with what’s working? With Delights, the answer is both yes and no. You can hear familiar Defunkisms throughout the thirteen track LP – from the soulful vocal samples on “Forever and Never” and “Masters of Funk” to those high-register melody synths that permeate almost every track – but there’s forward progression abound, too. Live instrumentation has always featured prominently in his music, but no less than 10 tracks on Delights employ brass, guitar, or both. The album also feels on the whole more introspective, with less full-on party tunes and a stronger focus on the more mellow nuances of the future bass realm. I could talk this album up for days, but I’ll save that for a track-by-track run-through sometime in the near future. It’s a strong, multi-faceted effort from a maturing producer – one who has solidified his sonic comfort zone but has no problem exploring the various realms outside of it. You can download it for free (name your price) right here.
Craz – Bad Dream
While those of shorter attention spans may have relegated New York beatsmith Craz to a far corner of the mind in a folder marked “Bassnectar, misc.,” the young producer has been forging ahead, releasing all kinds of new music. His latest, “Bad Dream,” is techy, grimy mid-tempo that sports shades of bouncing bass Nectar, skittering snippets of Tipper, and an intangible otherness that coalesce to form a track that’s distinctly Craz. Keep an eye on him if you haven’t been already; purveyors of intelligent bass tunes like this one don’t stay in those far corners of the mind for long.