Hope everyone had a wonderful Hallow’s Eve this last weekend – following it up with some killer music this week in a bit of an eccentric set today. We’ve got a pair of special guests in the house: Andrew Davidson is no stranger to this show as the Australian prog act Sun Control Species, and Royal Sapien is a name the friskyFaithful will recognize as the man behind the show “Movement” on our parent station and the Olaris Records imprint. Both are dropping brand-new music for your earbuds.
.
[download] or stream the full show below:
[audio:http://www.freshproduceonline.com/audio/podcast/freshproduce022_11-03-2010.mp3|titles=Fresh Produce: Episode 022 – November 3, 2010].
Also featuring music from Apparat, Bicycle Corporation, Groove Armada, Alan Fitzpatrick, Steven Haines, and much more.
.
1. Apparat – Circles [!K7 Records]
It’s been a busy year for the !K7 crew – 2010 has seen no less than THREE releases in their long-standing “DJ Kicks” mixed compilation series, but it may very well be safe to say they’ve saved the best for last. Sascha Ring is the man behind Apparat, an artist this very program has referred to as “the man who can do no wrong.” Apparat is truly one of the biggest talents electronic music has ever seen, and this entire release is nothing except exceptional, especially in regard to his own tracks. This is the one of them he saw fit to open his mix with and we won’t argue with that idea. It’s also the fastest selling single off the compilation…can’t argue with that noise.
.
2. Bicycle Corporation – Complex Situations [Recovery Tech]
This little gem of a track is actually nearly a year old, but it’s getting the re-release treatment here from the colossal Recovery family of labels who have put out an ASTONISHING list of compilations in just one year of operation. It’s impossible *not* to get lost in the shuffle of such a land-slide of content, but the track is well chosen. These two Italians walk a very fine line between tech house beats and progressive almost Holden-esque melodies. It’s a delectable result, and not the last time you’ll be seeing these two.
.
3. Sun Control Species – Pi in the Sky [Iboga Records]
If you’ve been listening to this program, then you’ll recognize this name. If you haven’t, then meet Drew Davidson, the upstart behind Sun Control Species. His unique flair for combining old school melodic progressive with the polish and heft of the current DJ palate is on full display with his newly released artist album simply titled “II.” It’s four to the floor and so crisply produced you could put butter on it and call it toast (ha! like that one?). It’s also the most buzzed about track on the release, recently number 1 on the Release Promo Hype chart. We buy into the hype, hands-down.
.
4. Ben Coda – Contact (Steve Haines) [Method]
Long-time progster Ben Coda has been lurking around waiting for a breakthrough now for the past couple years. 2010 has seen a definite leap forward, especially on this partnership with Steve Haines who has likewise upped the amp-age on his recent work. The two were brought together on the Method imprint, a division of Baroque. It’s the simple things that are done well with this one, and it makes all the difference.
.
5. DJ Winn – Wonderland (ReZone remix) [Rezone Records]
ReZone is another break-out story this year and the second time appearing here on the show. This time its on his own semi newly-formed label. There’s something outright ballsy about his productions that perked our ear in the first place, not coincidentally on a remix of another Ben Coda track, an unconventional way that he handles his frantic percussion and deep deep basslines. It doesn’t always work, but here it’s a banging result that wisely uses the original’s epic piano for just the right amount of time.
.
6. Dinka & Lizzie Curious – Green Leaf (Stanley Ross Mental Techno remix) [Bianca Negro]
This trio of Swiss producers really ups the ante on what was already an upbeat track. Stanley Ross, member of the super-group Helvetic Nerds, firmly takes the reigns on this one and proves with his remix title that one man’s techno is another man’s “progressive”. It’s a genre discussion that means little when you have a track so packed with dark driving energy. I find his take on the tough Swiss prog sound to be refreshing – he refrains from or twists up the conventions they’re already pigeon-holing themselves with and really takes their essence, refashions it, tweaks the effects button, and then adds a good dose of bass. Well done.
.
7. Alan Fitzpatrick – Involve [Bedrock]
What’s surprising about this particular Brit techno head is that he’s escaped the show up to this point. He’s followed up a huge 2009 with an even bigger 2010. His artist album “Shadows in the Dark” on Drumcode is one of the best techno releases of the year and has been absolutely dominating the sales charts. With “Involve”, he’s gracing the Bedrock 12 EP, and it’s with this unique blend between his signature dark heavy beats and an almost Sasha-like rising melody that he’s found his well-deserved place in our tracklistings. This track is a cut above, a highlight for the week, and possibly his best of the year. It’s certainly unique.
.
8. Groove Armada – Look Me in the Eye Sister [OM Records]
We told you this week was going to be an ecclectic one – well, we’re really just following the lead of innovators and hybridizers out there like the legendary Groove Armada. They’re downright rockstars on their newest album “White Light” which is a more electronic-laden follow-up to their “Black Light” release earlier this year. It’s fascinating and hugely successful revision, taken from the studio and their live tour, with some truly massive massive tracks. This is one of them – Anthem is the word that comes to mind, one of those guaranteed to make the crowd lose their shit. With that, we’ll turn it over. Watch out for more from this release.
.
9. Apparat – Sayulita [!K7 Records]
There was the urge to spread the two new Apparat cuts out between a couple weeks, make the experience last a little longer, but they’re so effing good we couldn’t resist them. Where “Circles” is a baby of an intro, “Sayulita” is a full blown anthem Apparat-style. It is, of course, packed full of his signature soaring vocal-style pads and stringed synth leads, but the real twist here is the absolutely mind-bending percussion line – a talent for which he’s shown flashes of brilliance before, just listen to Arcadia from a couple years ago. The entire mixed compilation its taken off of, DJ Kicks, is a must listen – look out for more from this one as well.
.
10. Imogen Heap – Little Bird (Royal Sapien remix) [unsigned]
Ben Mautner, the man behind the Royal Sapien moniker and the Olaris Records imprint, has taken it upon himself to redo as many of the tracks on Imogen Heap’s new album “Ellipse” as possible with the blessing and promotion from the original artist herself. He’s taken the idea of granular wave cancellation and put it creatively into practice to isolate the vocals he needs to work his magic, which is always a unique departure from the source material. In this case, it’s one of Royal Sapien’s specialties, prog Drum ‘n Bass.
.
Thank you to everyone for listening and reading today. Thanks again the Sun Control Species and Royal Sapien for coming on the show! Check us out on our twitter and facebook pages for more up-to-the-minute information on everything Fresh Produce. Be a tastemaker and join the discussion! We’re back right here next week with more hand-picked music, guests, and commentary. Remember to think outside the genre box, buy your music, and keep it fresh. We’ll see you next week!
.
Fresh Produce is managed and produced by friskyMedia, a division of Frisky, LLC