The xx - VCR (Live in Porto, 2010)

Spartan but lush at the same time. 

It's about time we had something new from The xx but for the moment old tunes will have to do.

The sound of this live take on 'VCR' is spartan but lush, cold but warm at the same time with the vocals intertwining beautifully.

Download The xx 'VCR (Live in Porto, 2010)' (live, indie, The xx mp3) (Box.net)

#Bestof2011 - SBTRKT 'Heatwave (Live at Abbey Road)' (Young Turks)

Best album of 2011. Perfect hybrid of soul and machine. 

SBTRKT's debut album is my album of the year, displaying an aptitude for mind bending beats, gorgeous sequencer lines, a bit of dubby space and warm, soulful vocals.

SBTRKT released a series of very tasty records, culminating in his debut album that didn't even contain all the best tracks. Check 'Living Like I Do' for more greatness.

This live version of album-opener 'Heatwave' takes the mix of flavours/flavas even further with some delicious, chunky, almost Post Rock drumming courtesy of the masked man himself. This makes the sparkling, airy sequencer lines shine even more.

Somewhere between dubstep, postrock, looped-up electronica and house - great stuff.

Having had an mp3 of this tune removed a couple of times by our friends at the DMCA, you'll have to enjoy this otherwise unavailable track via Youtube.

#Bestof2011 - Creep ft Romy xx 'Days' (Young Turks)

Best xx side-project of the year! 

A tough call up against Jamie xx's 'Far Nearer' but 'Days' is an icy piece of lusty electropop. It bursts into life with some curly synth that sounds like it came from  Blakes 7 before settling into a menancing sinewave bass groove.

The song is graced by Romy Madley Croft's dulcet tones, providing a warm, intimate contrast to the otherwise austere, glassy sound.

The only thing I don't get is why the 12" cost me something like £13. Is it impregnated with some kind of 'dance drug'? Made of gold? Anyway, a fine, fine track.


YT053 - Creep - Days by Young Turks

Radiohead - Jamie xx and SBTRKT remixes (XL, 2011)

More great remixes from Radiohead's 'TKOL RMX' project.

Following on from yesterday's archive Radiohead post - 'No Surprises' live acoustically from 2007 - today brings us bang up-to-date with some more remixes of tracks from 'The King Of Limbs'.

Jamie xx spins 'Bloom' into a spacious, angelic vignette.

Anstam's remix of 'Separator' is a clattering, dark synthed late night car ride, bordering on dubstep before breaking down into a clattering piece of broken beat-ery in the style of classic Warp like Autechre and Plaid.

SBTRKT's remix of 'Lotus Flower' opens with a twinkly riff before being consumed with slow, simple beats, Thom Yorke's vocals cocooned deep within. It bursts into some propulsive beats, getting a real groove on, conjuring images of Thom Yorke busting some frenetic moves like in that 'Lotus Flower' video.

There's also a live Radiohead DJ set streaming from The Boiler Room "around 8pm UK time" according to the official Radiohead website. Expect the Four Tet/Burial/Thom Yorke tracks to be in the mix.

Goldie vs SBTRKT 'Inner City Life' (Bootleg, 2009)

Soulful, post-dubstep type re-rub of Goldie's drum'n'bass classic.

I'm a bit behind on my homework - this little gem was snuck out in 2009 before SBTRKT hit the post-dubstep news.

This is a lovely, rolling re-edit that respects its forebears while bringing the beats up-to-date, playing off dark drum and bass against SBTRKT's brighter flavours. It then drops out the vocal and moves into a passage of SBTRKT niceness with some twisty synth action. The vocals and shifting synth strings of the original are brought back and it develops into a fusion of the spirits of the old and new.

Very nice indeed.

Download Goldie vs SBTRKT 'Inner City Life' (post-dubstep, drum'n'bass, remix, mp3) (Mediafire)

Listening Post - SBTRKT 'SBTRKT' (Young Turks, 2011)

SBTRKT's album is shaping up to be one of my favourites of the year.

Spectacular shifts in mood, rhythm and melody. Great stuff, delivering on the promise of tracks like 'Heatwave' and 'Wildfire'.

If this isn't working, there are previews over at itunes too.

Creep 'Days (featuring Remy Madley Croft of The xx)' (Young Turks, 2010) (Stream)

It would seem that the Young Turks label is on a spectacular roll at the moment. If I were them I would a lottery ticket. First The xx, then Glasser, SBTRKT and now Creep.

'Days' bursts into life with what, to be honest, is a pretty naff, curly synth sound that belongs in Blakes 7 (ask yer dad) before settling into a menancing synth bass groove and Remy Madley Croft's dulcet tones. It's cold wave-y and austere musically but the vocal is, in stark contrast, warm and intimate.

A swoonsome brush of shimmering guitar adds colour and the track shifts in intensity, creating a mood of late night, sodium-lit contemplation.

It's a real grower and a fine, fine track.

Available to buy with, like, money and shit direct from the Young Turks webshop.

YT053 - Creep - Days by Young Turks

New Music - SBTRKT 'Wildfire (featuring Little Dragon)' (Young Turks, 2011) (mp3 download)

Moody, squelchy and somehow managing to spartan yet soulful. 'Wildfire' is from the upcoming SBTRKT album on the red hot Young Turks label and it promises great things.

Where the recently posted live session cut 'Heatwave' was a flurry of loops and live drumming, 'Wildfire' is taut and programmed, a more conventional song but betraying a fascinating approach to structure and space, building tension without using an ounce more sound than is necessary. Props to Little Dragon for the perfectly judged vocals.

Download SBTRKT 'Wildfire (Featuring Little Dragon)' (mp3 download) (Stereogum)

Rough Trade is doing the album - out June 27th - with an exclusive bonus mix CD.

New Music - SBTRKT 'Heatwave (Live at Abbey Road)' (2011) (mp3)

Awesome hybrid of electronics, loops, soulful vocals and some very tidy live drumming from producer/artist/whatever SBTRKT.

Somewhere between dubstep, postrock, Emeralds looped-up electronica and house - I'm liking this a lot.

Download SBTRKT 'Heatwave (Live at Abbey Road)' (mp3) (Mediafire) (Removed by request - which is a shame as this is a great version and a great advert for the SBTRKT album. It doesn't seem to be available anywhere now, legal or otherwise. Which is stupid IMHO.)