The Blinkhorn Batch is a deliberate and meticulous selection of new dark, deep, and occasionally sinister sounds followed by a classic production of the same style. This ongoing series of posts is curated by Blisspop author Patrick Blinkhorn.Â
Now that the colder months have struck us, it seems that many producers are hunkering down in their studios to produce quality tracks. The amount of good music that I come across on my Soundcloud stream these days has become so overwhelming, it’s almost a relief every time Soundcloud goes down and I cannot listen to new music. That said, I’m very grateful for all the top-notch music that is uploaded – please keep up the good work, artists.
I start this edition of The Blinkhorn Batch with Paul Leary’s beautiful rendition of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy.” An Oswego, NY based composer and SUNY Oswego music professor, Leary is no stranger to songwriting and composition – he teaches a course on it. Leary takes Pharrell’s acapella and gives it plenty of room to breathe in a musical atmosphere filled with a piano, strings, and other instruments that will take your breath away. This remix is the perfect introduction to any DJ set or blog entry. Listen:
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While deadmau5 has gained notoriety over the years for various reasons, he remains one of the most creative and talented producers around. Even before he acquired his armada of hardware synths and plugins, his skill as a sound engineer was evident. “Imaginary Friends” is a testament to deadmau5’s sound design prowess – his distinct, well crafted synth sounds are present throughout the track. After the track progresses through two pairs of builds and heavy sections, deadmau5 ends the track with what sounds like wind chimes that he put into a sampler. Listen to “Imaginary Friends” here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/232346918″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Now back to our original programming: deep, dark techno. First up in this section we have the techno giants and my favorite producers at this moment, Tale of Us. Since my last post about their music, they’ve put up to new tracks: “North Star” and a remix of Kiasmos’ “Swept.” While both tracks have the distinct Tale of Us sound, “North Star” is a peak time jam and you’re likely to find the Kiasmos remix in the build of a Tale of Us DJ set. Listen to them both here:
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[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/230334594″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Russian producer Plagz released YYY with our friends at Karasho Recordings. Plagz has an ethereal electronic sound, and the progression of each track is organic. Listen to the release here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/170892502″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Next up we have Daniel Avery’s new record on Phantasy. Avery went in the dark and atmospheric direction with Sensation / Clear, his first solo work since Drone Logic. Out of the two tracks on this record, our top pick is “Sensation” – listen here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/232405461″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Pisa, Italy based techno duo Undercatt remixed The Temper Trap’s “Sweet Position” for Diynamic Music. The remix possesses deep house/techno qualities that made many of us fall in love with the music. Listen to Undercatt’s gorgeous rendition here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/233478813″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Toronto’s Carlo Lio put out a free edit of Chicago house icon Derrick Carter’s “Where U At?” with Only The Dopest Techno. With a warehouse feeling kick and a driving bass line, the vocal sample from Carter’s track is given a new spin. Listen here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/235767324″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Techno hoss Alan Fitzpatrick is no stranger to tracks that bump in the night, so we aren’t surprised by his on point rework of Mister Woo’s “Black Eyes.” Fitzpatrick keeps the energy high yet not over-the-top for the duration of the track. Check out Fitzpatrick’s Loft Rocker Rework of “Black Eyes” here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234499727″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Jens-Uwe Beyer is a Cologne based artist who has a brilliant forthcoming release on MAGAZINE, a label he co-founded with Crato. “White oversized flame yarn bolero with John Stanier” starts off with an eerie high-pitched sound reminiscent of something you would hear in an X-Files episode. When the kick comes in shortly after the 45 second mark, it’s apparent that we are dealing with some form of techno. However, Beyer introduces a snare drum during the breakdown to spice things up. Listen to Beyer’s brilliant piece here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/235904150″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Venezuelan duo Fur Coat remixed Stephan Bodzin’s “Singularity” to great effect. They give Bodzin’s beautiful, ethereal techno more drive and grime. Keep an eye on both Bodzin and Fur Coat – they will continue to go places from here. Check out the Fur Coat Remix of “Singularity:”
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/235927648″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
I will close out the new track section of The Blinkhorn Batch #5 with Dusky – “Parakeet Feet (Hodge Remix).” Hodge takes the “talk to me” vocal sample from the original track and builds a techno peak-time jam. Listen here:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/229704203″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
I know I primarily post dark, sexy techno and deep house tracks, but I used to be a trance addict. While classic trance will always have a special place in my heart, both the genre and my taste have changed substantially over the years. And I know that my taste changing from trance to techno is not unique – many trance fans have gone through a similar metamorphosis.
Before he crossed over to Club Life and the other music he DJs now, Tiësto was known as DJ Tiësto, and he was trance’s ‘it’ DJ. This week’s classic, “Lethal Industry,” was first released in 1999. “Lethal Industry” is a prime example that not all trance is unicorns and rainbows. I refer to “Lethal Industry” as dark trance. Listen to the original “Lethal Industry,” and hear for yourself why it is a classic dance music track and why I call it dark trance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJrJCjSJ-ho