new: Get Well Soon

"You Will Get Well Soon"
This popped in our inbox yesterday and I'm sort of taken by its message of optimism. There isn't much here in terms of traditional pop structure (you know, verse-chorus-verse), but Get Well Soon (25 year-old Berlin based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and Philosophy student, Konstantin Gropper) sure knows how to build a track from mellow bell orchestrations into a beautiful and grandiose mantra, "Rest Now, Weary Head, You Will Get Well Soon!" Get Well Soon keeps it short, simple and sweet. Keep an eye out for Get Well Soon's LP Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon!, which has yet to be released in the States.

Get Well Soon- Prelude

"Witches! Witches!" from Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon!
WITCHES! WITCHES! REST NOW IN THE FIRE

prevue: Booka Shade- DJ Kicks

"Move Out / Don't Mess Around"

Nowadays it seems like everyone and their mother are jumping on the mixtape bandwagon, making it difficult to sort through the crap to find the worthwhile gems. Long considered to be one of the jewels of the genre, !K7's DJ-KiCKS series has consistently delivered the goods over the years and now carries the well-deserved reputation of purveyors of top quality mixes. Since 1995, the DJ-KiCKS series has sought out the hottest names in electronic music (including Bobka faves Hot Chip and Erlend Øye) to craft exclusive mixes targeted towards the home listening audience.

The latest DJ-KiCKS comes courtesy of Berlin-based electrohouse wizards Booka Shade. Founders of the successful Get Physical label, Booka Shade are more accustomed to producing and remixing tracks rather than simply spinning other artists, which made this mix even more of a challenge. And like every mixtape crafter, Booka Shade were forced to strike a balance between finding obscure tracks to make their mix unique, while not sacrificing the overall pacing and cohesiveness simply to prove how large their record collection is. In response to the challenge, Booka Shade have created a strong and well-balanced product. The tracklist is eclectic yet focused (mostly new-wavey tech-house with a few curveballs) and the mixing itself is nearly seamless. The flow and pace keep the listener engaged, but isn't overly demanding. Simply put, this mix is one of the gems, and proves why DJ-KiCKS is a reliable name and how Booka Shade got to the top of their field. Check out a three track sample below and look for the album in stores October 22.

DJ-KiCKS Preview mixed by Booka Shade
Featuring:
Yazoo- Situation (US 12" Remix)
Akiko Kiyami- The Misida Monarchy
Lopazz- 2 Fast 4 U

nu musik: Apparat

"Holdon to all you've got"

When we are not raving about all of the great music coming out of Scandanavia, we can usually be found with (at least one of) our ears tuned in to the frequencies of Berlin. Once a drab Cold War metaphor, Berlin has reinvented itself as a thriving artistic metropolis. It's no coincidence that one of our favorite Scandanavian artists has made Berlin his second home. Besides the warmer weather, Berlin's attractiveness lies in the fact that it is one of the pioneering cities of the 'microhouse' or 'tech house' or 'minimal' or 'whatever-you-want-to-call it' electronic movement.

Apparat (aka Sascha Ring) is a Berlin native and a large figure in the city's musical renaissance. DJ, producer, and owner of his own label (Shitkatapult), Sascha has made important contributions to Berlin's musical tapestry over the years. Released in mid-May, his latest solo album, "Walls", is further evolution of his (and Berlin's) style: the LP infuses glitchy beats, warm string arrangements, and sometimes even classic song structure and vocals (courtesy of Raz Ohara) into colorful tracks that run the gamut from IDM-inspired pop to downtempo sound collages to latenight dancefloor fillers. It is Apparat's variation of style that makes this album his most accessible to date, yet there is somehow a cohesiveness that ties the whole thing together and makes for a rewarding listen from start to finish. While the album most definitely shows its Berlin roots, it also fearlessly extends its branches to create something wholly original and refreshing. Berlin's native son has made his city proud and raised the bar once again.

Check out some tracks below:
Apparat - Fractales Pt. 1
Apparat - Holdon (feat. Raz Ohara)