Shapes That Only Sound Can Mold

Karen Dreijer Andersson, 1/2 of The Knife is the auteur of Fever Ray and this beautifully, moody Self-tittled album. The three singles released so far, "If I Only Had A Heart", "Triangle Walks" and "When I Grow Up" are intense creations, the first with a droning, haunting repetition and guttural base, the second with inertial calypso drums a-la The Knife that feel so cold, its surprising that the instruments' origins come from the Caribbean, the third a should've-been collaboration with MIA and Switch to hit those high notes and make us dance.

On that note, I'm surprised that "Seven" is the next single. Dreijer Anderssons' fourth single is lighter and less moody than its predecessors. Personally, I was expecting "Keep The Streets Empty For Me" to be the next single, but no matter. Though she continues to sing as she only can, the production template behind her changes up, more jittery and fluffy, less dark and ominous. The single for “Seven” has remixes from CSS and Crookers, posted below, as well as from Marcel Dettmann, Martyn, Nic Chacona and Seth Troxler.

Fever Ray - Seven (alt)
Fever Ray - Seven (Crookers Remix) (alt)
Fever Ray - Seven (CSS Remix) (alt)

Bestest Single Evar

There seems to be a small sort of backlash by a certain internet sector towards Ciao!, Tiga's latest album. I don't understand it, Ciao! is a pretty solid album and has about 4 or 5 songs that are dancefloor ready, one of those being album opener "Beep Beep Beep", released on July with many, many remixes:

1. Beep Beep Beep (Dave Bascombe Radio Mix)
2. Beep Beep Beep (Soulwax Edit) (alt)
3. Beep Beep Beep (Emperor Machine Remix) (alt)
4. Beep Beep Beep (Punks Jump Up Remix) (alt)
5. Beep Beep Beep (Loco Dice Remix)
6. Beep Beep Beep (12” Extended Remix)
7. Beep Beep Beep (Toot Toot Kaine Loft Mix)
8. Beep Beep Beep (Phonogenic Remix)
9. Beep Beep Beep (12” Extended Remix Instrumental)
10. Beep Beep Beep (Loco Dice Remix Dub)
11. Beep Beep Beep (Emperor Machine Remix Dub)

As is with most big releases, there are several remixes not included in the original packaging, in this instance a Brodinski remix as well as a Crookers remix that reminds us of loud-ass Bloody Beetroots mixed by Switch. If that sounds like a match made in heaven, then download this immediately:

Tiga - Beep Beep Beep (Crookers Remix) (alt)

Buy "Beep Beep Beep" here.

In other worms

Personally, I don't understand the dislike for Crookers or their 'wonk' scene that is exhibited in the blog world and music forums. It's understandable that people want their music to be smart as far as structure, melody, tone, etc. but the nature of most of electro music scene is suited to clubs and to clubbers, which means noise, alcohol, and drugs, not exactly a place where you go to be intellectually stimulated. Not to mention that the wonk sound is really only suited for clubbing, so you can feel your entire body vibrate, not for a bike ride in the middle of the afternoon or for listening in your room as the rain hits your window, while your cozy in your bed or some shit. As far as the boring and bland tag they get sometimes, well, most of the time I hear something played by them, it gets people hopping, so it can't be that boring, can it?

What I'm getting to is this: ZZT is gonna release "The Worm" soon and it's closer to something Switch or Crookers might make than to ZZT's previous track, its philosophical opposite "Lower States of Consciousness". Can bad 'wonk' stuff be released? Sure, in fact it happens ALL THE TIME. But I hate the idea of disliking an artist based on reputation/sound they built up before. Instead, I choose to dislike things after I heard them. Apples and oranges, i guess.

Enjoi:

ZZT - The Worm (Original Munich Version) (from I Love Techno 2008 mixed by Boys Noize)

Bonus:

Fatboy Slim - Champion Sound (Switch Remix)