Asian Dan

Bibio graces the British popsters, Bombay Bicycle Club with his music magic. Everything down to the vocals sound like Bibio himself. What more can I say than, Bibio is the truth.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/JULY%202011/Shuffle%20(Bibio%20Remix).mp3]
Bombay Bicycle Club – Shuffle (Bibio Remix)

Hands down I can say that Hudson Mohawke has produced one of the best releases of 2011. This EP that clocks in just over 15 mins is the most cohesive release that HudMo has put out and could be a game changer for him. The third track “CBat” is definitely a crowd pleaser.

More info on “Satin Panthesr” here.

Rustie is Warp Records’ secret weapon with his productions that bend genres and distort your perceptions of electronic music. Rustie’s last release, the “Sunburst EP” showed the world raging guitar solos work next to hip-hop beats. I expect more of that on his full-length “Glass Swords” which is out 10.11.2011 on Warp – here is snippet of the title track “Glass Swords”, guitar solo included.

Reyka Vodka has teamed up with Soundcloud and the Iceland Airwaves music festival to give American bands and DJs the chance to play in the magical land that is Iceland. All you have to do is upload three of your tracks to the officially page to have a chance to be picked to be flown over and setup with gigs all over Reykjavik.

More info here.

Finally James Blake is playing CMYK live. When I caught James Blake down at the Fader Fort in SXSW it was a Bass filled set that highlighted his dance side while his show back in May at Le Poisson Rouge here in NYC highlighted his songwriter side mixed in with sparse dance moments. Hopefully he has developed his sets into something that flows and strikes a balance between his dance/song-y side. This is exactly what I was expecting from CMYK live, an amazing extended and energetic rendition of track that showcases the full musical spectrum that is James Blake.

There is something about AzarI & III that I could never put my finger on with their brand of Distopian-futurist-house. It is more than appropriate that their debut full-length album is entitled “Manic”. The entire LP is a collection of genre blending dancefloor tracks that will conjure up images of 80s excess mixed in with 90s apathy. It is a collection of tunes that strike a nostalgic note while still feeling very futuristic. “Lost In Time” and “Change of Heart” are two of my favorite cuts from the album along side all the big singles that we all know and love. “Undecided” is a track that is a clash of Depeche Mode and and early NIN – a sound and vibe that I have no problem hearing in today’s musical environment. This is definitely in the running for one of my top favorite albums of 2011.

A truly Psycho-delic and awesome collaboration between The Flaming Lips & Lightning Bolt. Captain Beefheart salutes them.

When I listen to Fort lean I imagine it is a hazy summer afternoon and that their music is that refreshing summer breeze carries you into a lovely summers evening. There is something refreshing in the familiarity and vibe of Fort Lean and the the way they execute their music to-the-point Pop Rock.

“Dreams (Never Come True)” is my favorite cut off their 4 song EP that they are giving away on their Bandcamp. There is a touch of Roy Orbison thrown in with some 60s Pop vibes, but in the end just dig it y’all.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/JULY%202011/02%20Dreams%20(Never%20Come%20True).mp3]
Fort Lean – Dreams (Never Come True)

Asian Dan Q&A : Fort Lean

1. Who is Fort Lean? How and why did the five of you come together to form the band?

Fort Lean is Keenan Mitchell on vocals and guitar, Jake Aron on bass, Sam Ubl on drums, Will Runge on synths, and Zach Fried on guitar. We all met at college and have played together on and off for the last few years. We were all at a point at the beginning of 2011 where our other commitments had come to an end, and we’d all been meaning to get something going together. The timing worked out so we jumped on it.

2. As I browsed the official Fort Lean tumblr fortlean.com, I noticed a theme of “NYC Bum’s Living the Dream aka sleeping on the warm asphalt of the city”. Is this a metaphor for Fort Lean itself? A true meaning of the “sounds of the streets”? Discuss.

That is a actually part of an ongoing series that Keenan is working on titled “Guys Chillin.” . We are working with Gagosian Gallery on an exhibition of selected work in late fall 2011.

3. “The weather’s perfect all the time.” dominates the header of the Fort Lean website. What is this perfect weather you speak of?

At Fort Lean, which is a place you can go, the weather is perfect all the time. Hot but not too sticky, and you can sleep in the park comfortably without getting hassled by the cops. Fort Lean is about getting too drunk at your own picnic. Fort Lean is about leaving the city. Fort Lean is a place where you can still see the skyline but you can’t hear any cars and you can put all your stolen wine in the stream to keep it cool and when the fire dies out you can see some stars and not too many airplanes.
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The new Rapture track has been floating around the web for a while but now DFA Records understands that free MP3s make the world go round, which is why they are offering the track for free with an e-mail as the only price of admission. This was quite the grower of a track for me at first. Not until the full blown outro section comes in with that bellowing “Hallelujah!” did I have my revelation that the Rapture are onto something.

Download: The Rapture : How Deep Is Your Love?
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/JULY%202011/The%20Rapture%20-%20How%20Deep%20Is%20Your%20Love.mp3]

Vondelpark’s “nyc stuff and nyc bags ep” is one of the finest release from R&S Records this year. A collection of 5 songs that clock under 22 mins and take you on an introspective sonic journey. “TV” is the second track of this EP and is just as strong as the first release “Camels”.