ELECTRIC INDEPENDENCE

My friend Greg is getting married and it's the funniest thing I've ever seen. I like going out with him and his future bride because I know that underneath all the hugs and kisses, he's scared shitless. He's happy to say hello to a new life with his fiancée, but he's also really, really scared to say goodbye to his old life (mostly the part where he can fuck anything he wants). I know he'll get over that once he has awkward get-it-while-you-can sex with a stripper at his stag party, so whatever. Also, I get to be the DJ at their wedding, and that will rule. Here are a couple of new releases that might fit into my nuptial set.

Deadbeat, Something Borrowed, Something Blue (Scape): This Montreal dub-head has been tearing it up in clubs all over Europe and South America with his Crackhaus duo (with Steven Beaupré). Apparently, this solo album is a chronicle of the nine months leading up to his wedding. If that's the case, then it was a shitty engagement. Certainly his bleakest album to date, it's also his most emotive, with melodies and textures coming to the fore.

Telefon Tel Aviv, Map Of What is Effortless (Hefty): TTA has the instrumentation and arrangement of Tortoise and the glitch sensibilities of the laptop set. While some of the emo vocalisms on the ballads are cringe-inducing, the music itself is fucking great. Some tracks drop sick Aphex-style sound buggery, while others are more gloriously epic. Perfect to bring those slow dancers back into the party.

Erlend Oye, DJ Kicks (!K7): Kings of Convenience singer Erlend Oye mixes Kompakt pop minimalism with Phoenix, The Rapture, and Ricardo Villalobos, then flips the script on the whole mash-up thing by singing a capella over the techno beats like some kind of wedding singer/karaoke cowboy.

Pigeon Funk compilation (Proptronix/Onitor): Bring on the raw, upbeat minimal funk with this collection of 16 Pigeon Funk (a.k.a. Kit Clayton, Sutekh, and Safety Scissors) 12"s that will get every spirited granny locking and popping with her zit-faced grandson all night.

Dykehouse, Midrange (Ghostly International): This is for those gloomy shoegazing cousins who would rather sit around judging their uncles than get up and sneak beers into the catering-hall parking lot. With just a mic, a guitar, and a crappy iMac, Dykehouse has put together one of the lushest, most pastoral pop-rock albums since ecstasy went out of style.

Anything from Zod Records: This is one of my new favorite labels, based in the fertile Midwest. Pick 'em up if you want to know where extreme electronic music should be going. Their latest comp, Dura Matters, is chockablock with impossibly intricate drill & bass coupled with awesome melodies. Check out track seven, Otto Von Schirach's "Roach Motel," for a really fucked-up take on vocal sampling. Also try and find the full-length from Emotional Joystick. Bellicose Pacific is crazy like Venetian Snares, without the penchant for self-mutilation.

RAF + VINCE
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