Nekochan is back on February 22nd, with a delightful 12″ & digital.

With a wide array of influences, a very distinctive style and a strong taste for melody and crafted musical skills, French artist Chloé Arnaud aka Nekochan is surely one of the most exciting and refreshing producers at the moment. Her stylish blends and arresting collisions of electronica, bass and glitched-up beats, led by her aqueously expressive voice, mark her out immediately as an artist destined for widespread acclaim.

A classically trained cellist, she evolved into Nekochan in 2006 after a few years applying her unusual voice and skills as part of an electronic duo. Inspired by baroque and classical composition as well as a flamenco-player stepfather, and a passion for oriental melodic patterns, her gift for catchy figures and intricate rhythms is no surprise given the sheer range and depth of her sonic colourbox, while her highly individual blend of sound and mood switches adeptly from electronica and techno to the more underground tones of dubstep and glitch hop … all with her unique vocal signature. Nekochan’s 2009 debut download-only release met with success in pushing dubstep into new zones, and now comes the first foray into vinyl, with the three-track killer ‘Minimal Bump’ EP, that will further reconfigure notions of what bass music can be.

The title track has already been featured on Mary Anne Hobbs, who played an early version in may last year after hearing it on myspace. ‘Minimal Bump’ is a powerful techno/break/dubstep instrumental with a huge kick and seismic bass work, custom built for dancefloor mayhem, with its layered synths, advanced rythmic shifts, cavernous drops, and an explosive production style that recalls the intricacies of prime Meat Beat Manifesto at the same time as giving most wobble dubsteppers a run for their money.

On the flip, ‘Bombine’ is another view entirely; an emotive disjointed stepper with melancoly pop tones, which unfolds in a smokey torch-song style to reveal further layers to Nekochan’s innate musical instincts. It’s fluidly evolving contrasts between dominant bass levels, powerful rhythms, and subtly-pitched Japanese strings mix and grow around that voice, putting the listener as much in mind of Burial’s sadness as Bjork’s vivid expression.

Finally, Vahiné – already released as ARX002D, but pressed due to popular demand – is a refreshing journey into a lighter and atmospheric dubstep style, reminiscent in mood of Scuba or Martyn, with a dynamic bouncy drum pattern delivering the perfect groove for the heavy bassline to ride on while the sweet string melody leads from the front. Essential purchase for anyone seeking out new directions in bass-driven dancefloor electronics.

The digital version of this EP (ARX004D) features an exclusive track : ‘Harmful’, a delicious blend of pop and glitched-up Dubstep, balanced between a narrative voice performance and funky bass synths. This track sounds like LaRoux’ pop music meeting Vaccine’s lush, aerial and melancolic works.

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The vinyl is available as an exclusive pre-order on Cargo Records website. Check it out !
> http://www.cargorecords.co.uk/release/11039

Also, We just set-up an EXCLUSIVE digital pre-sale, so you don’t have to wait.
The Minimal Bump EP is available RIGHT NOW from Juno.
> http://www.junodownload.com/products/1510871-02.htm

LISTEN : http://www.mixcloud.com/airflexlabs/hubwar-the-modulations-mix/

Hubwar Exclusive DJ Set
Recorded Live February 2010
CLICK HERE OR THE PICTURE TO DOWNLOAD
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TRACKLISTING

en DL ici : 01 Hubwar – Back From The Shadow
02 Benga – Buzzin’
03 Babylon System Feat. Candy Vox – Hyphy
04 Rusko – When Science Fails
05 Hubwar – Flashback
06 Hubwar – Synthesis
07 Caspa – Rat-A-Tat Tat (Feat. Dynamite Mc)
08 Benga & Coki – Night (Geeneus Remix)
09 Ld – The King Of Kong
10 Dj Zinc – Killa Sound (Skream Remix)
11 Hubwar – Teky
12 Joker & Ginz – Purple City
13 Headhunter – Prototype (Modeselektor’s Broken Handbrake Remix)
14 Scuba – Reverse
15 Nero – Bad Trip (Rob Sparx Remix)
16 Reso – If Ya Can’T Beat Em
17 Sub Scape – Wrong Number
18 Bassnectar – Art Of Revolution
19 Led Piperz – Peppermint (Dub)
20 Boxcutter – Sidetrak
21 Stripper – Stripper Theme Feat Dj Omega (Akira Kiteshi Remix)
22 Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Zeno ‘Regloved’ Dubstep Remix)
23 Rob Sparx Feat. Zurcon – What U Gonna Do
24 Flux Pavillion – Night Goes On
25 Rusko – Take Me To The Hospital
26 Nero – Act Like You Know
27 16bit – What Time Is It
28 Samurai – Rusko Safe Sex Remix
29 Benga – 26 Basslines (L-Vis 1990 Dubble Step Edit)
30 Flux Pavilion – Fucking Noise
31 Giant – Drumstick
32 16bit – Jump
33 Emalkay – When I Look At You

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Hubwar will release his first EP (“Back From The Shadows / Hub’warped Mind”) on Airflex Labs on March 22nd 2010.
His sound is a fine blend of dancefloor bass music with ethnic, tribal and deep ambiances.
As a DJ, he’s playing some fine dancefloor friendly dubstep, with a special care given to the selection and meaning between each track and transition.
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More About Hubwar : http://www.myspace.com/octave1981

Ok, I just found one of the smartest and freshest beatmaker to ever hit our town… Carrying a wide array of influences from 70′s psychedelics & surfing, French Touch, New Age and Rare Grooves, vo|phoniq| outputs a brilliant blend of actual glitch hop trends. His sound is really tinted of Brainfeeder’s love for experiment and high-as-shit gimmicks : off-beat drum sequencing, sidechain abuse, full track dramatic effects, drastic eq games, vinyl grain and hums, etc… but somehow, if you stop thinking about what it sounds like, the main feeling is that what you’re listening to still remains personnal and playful. A briliant journey into other territories, usually served by the likes of Flying Lotus, Gonjasufi, or Mount Kimbie.

Just don’t miss his first release. It’s FREE, and it’s just THAT fuckin really good. Reaaaally…

>> DOWNLOAD & spread

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The collective vo|phoniq| is currently involved in is known as Dawn Records. The young label currently focuses itself on event and parties, an plans to release soon an EP by Jean Paul Sarce as well as a new EP by vo|phoniq|. Prolly one to watch for 2010/2011.

Theses 20 years old “kids” are just setting everything up for their music to spread and explode to your ears.
Keep an eye on all of them.

You’ve been warned.

opti

2nd passage pour le Minimal Bump de Nekochan Dans l’émission de Mary Anne Hobbs sur la BBC 1 datée du 21 Janvier. Thank you Mary for supporting !

Playlist : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pwsb2
Download : http://hotfile.com/dl/25134594/f126e2a/Mary_Anne_Hobbs-live_on_radio_1-01-21-2010.mp3.html

Le Hell Yeah EP de Gritt nous emmène dans une version très personnelle de la Bass music. Gritt est tombé amoureux du Dubstep en 2008. C’est probablement son passé de producteur de breaks qui l’a très vite mis à l’aise avec le son à la fois riche intense et définitivement crapuleux introduit par la nouvelle vague Dubstep/Breakstep, après une longue période de musique mentale et cérébrale.

Mêlant une écriture rythmique des plus fines et des basses écrasantes, Gritt est fort d’un univers en constante évolution. Avant la sortie de cet EP, les membres d’Airflex Labs ont souvent comparé le son de Gritt à celui de Led Piperz pour leur amour commun pour les sonorités brutes et les envolées acides indus.

“Hell Yeah” est le morceau instigateur de cet EP, sa capacité à secouer le public a d’ores-et-déjà été testée par le crew Airflex Labs dans bon nombre de clubs et de mixs. Un rouleau compresseur résolument taillé pour le dancefloor, à utiliser sans modération, notamment en mix set !

“Found It” mélange efficacement Break et Dubstep à grands renforts de basses saturées, vrombissantes et vacillantes. Le résultat est à la fois claustrophobe, dérangeant et incroyablement efficace. De quoi vous faire compter les victimes sur le dancefloor après quelques secondes !

“Prepare” ou la rencontre idéale entre Dubstep, Break et Drum&Bass. L’exemple parfait de la Bass music, qui mélange les codes des styles précités en n’en conservant que le meilleur : dynamique omniprésente, son brut, énergie pure.

“Collider” est le morceau le plus imprévisible de cet EP. Sa structure progressive variant entre arpèges de piano et basses synthétiques massives en étonnera plus d’un : sans doute le morceau de choix pour le DJ talentueux et curieux, mais aussi le plus narratif pour l’auditeur. A découvrir absolument !!!

LED PIPERZ IS BACK ! Ce nouvel E.P. “Plan B/Acid Queen” nous confirme son envie d’en découdre avec les sound systems !

Le premier titre – Plan B – est un pur trip sf, la bande originale d’une bataille stellaire.Servi par une rythmique solide et des basses puissantes,le morceau se developpe en plusieurs phases où les textures rugueuses et acides des sons evoluent sans cesse. Cérébral à souhait…

Acid Queen remporte la palme dancefloor de cet E.P. Avec sa rythmique 4X4 breakée soutenue par un tapis de basses grinçantes et un sample vocal efficace, on est directement catapulté dans une ambiance de rave jungle de 1996….revue version 21eme siecle !

Le premier EP de Nekochan sobrement intitulé “VAHINE/WISE” – du nom des deux morceaux le composant – donne un sérieux aperçu du potentiel de cette artiste atypique.

Avec Vahiné, Nekochan nous dévoile une facette groovy, résolument proche de l’esthétique des productions de Martyn, Scuba, Vaccine ou Mount Kimbie. Le rythme syncopé et les basses omniprésentes se développent, accompagnant une mélodie à la fois mélancolique et entraînante. Un morceau frais, original et qui saura prouver toute sa valeur dans un mix dubstep ou electronica.

Wise quant à lui est construit sur un habile mélange de groove dubstep et de sonorités electronica, le tout enrichi d’une mélodie de chant dont vous aurez du mal à vous défaire. Ce morceau résume à lui seul la démarche de Nekochan: une approche sophistiquée et audacieuse de la musique électronique où la subtilité de sa voix cohabite avec des sons puissants, riches en basse. A la fois mixable et écoutable.

Hello All !

Opti a préparé un petit cadeau de Noël pour vous tous.

Cliquez sur l’image pour le télécharger

Enjoy :)

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Opti – The Cloud Surfing Mix
December 2009
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01 – Martyn – Elden Street
02 – 2562 – Superfight
03 – Burial – South London Boroughs
04 – Nekochan – Bombine
05 – Jus Wan – The Crossing
06 – Likhan – Daoine Sidhe
07 – Headhunter – The Haunted
08 – 2562 – Morvern
09 – Untold – Just For You
10 – Brackles – Glazed
11 – Krill.Minima – Apfelbaumgrund
12 – Psychonaught – Warm & Easy
13 – Falty DL – Alpafun
14 – Boxcutter – Silver Birch Solstice
15 – Scuba – The Upside (Martyn remix)
16 – Scuba – Systematic Decline
17 – Pangaea – Nest
18 – Moonchild – The Glass Lake
19 – Myrkur – Why
20 – Jus Wan – Affletic
21 – Opti – Uncertain (Dub)
22 – Subeena – Analyse
23 – Mount Kimbie – Fifty Mile View

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2009 was good.
Let’s make 2010 way better !

Cheers

Opti
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www.myspace.com/optimusic
www.facebook.com/pages/opti/94905423214
www.myspace.com/airflexlabs

Gritt is a Dutch producer/dj who started creating music somewhere in de nineties. As the main producer of breakbeat-collective Longplayers, he won the “Grote Prijs van Nederland”, performed at many different venues and released several records, including international released 12” vinyls.

Somewhere in 2008 he got infected by the dubstep-virus. This would lead to the birth of Gritt; a solo-project focussed on these heavy basslines and brutal beats. Next to dubstep, also other inventive non-linear beats & grooves can be heard. This results in massive tunes, who show off to be killer-tracks on the dancefloor.

Airflex Labs felt in love for this raw energic sound, full of the seminal energy we felt in early Breakstep productions. We really feel like there’s still a lot of things to do in the XXX-step sandbox, and personal point of views such as Gritt’s one are in our opinion really valuable to this scene.

http://www.myspace.com/grittbeats

Our friend D-Wax just put together a solid dubstep mis for us. It features tracks from our recent releases ARX002D Nekochan and ARX003D Led Piperz, as well as loads of forthcoming releases and bass bin blowing tracks.

D-Wax is a real dj who loves to tell stories in the mix. His junglist background allowed him to get lethal pitch and tempo accuracy, and his collection of vinyl could make any dj-wannabe get mad and go cry to mama. Moreover, he’s a real friend of us for ages, and has always been supporting the vibes, from their origins to what they’re becoming now.

In a word like a hundred, thank you mate.

Now you know why we’re quite pleased to release this mix.

Enjoy !

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Tracklisting :

1 – Wedge – Fever – Paradise Lost
2 – Nekochan – BOMBINE – Forthcoming Airflex Labs
3 – Reso – Toasted – Pitch Black
4 – Uzul – Rumble inna station (Skream Remix) – Dub Technic
5 – Gritt – Prepare – Forthcoming Airflex Labs
6 – Hubwar – Back from The Shadows – Forthcoming Airflex Labs
7 – Excision – Wasted – Rag & Bone Records
8 – Distance – Night Vision (Skream So Nasty Version) – Planet Mu
9 – Indigo – Golden Proportion – On The Edge
10 – Babylon System – Hyphy (Instrumental Mix) – Argon Records
11 – Bassbin Twins – Whistle Choon (Original Mix) – Bassbin Records
12 – Bassnectar – Cozza Frenzy ft Z-Trip (Hellrazor Remix) – Child’s Play
13 – Don Goliath – Mega Hit – Dubstep Division
14 – Led Piperz – PLAN B – Airflex Labs
15 – JFB – Duck Jam (Original Mix) – Sludge
16 – Excision & Datsik – Calypso (Original Mix) – Rottun Recording
17 – Krumble – Born_Bad – In Vitro Records
18 – Axl Ender & Tony Anthem -Foxy Lady (Original Mix) – Sludge
19 – Bar 9 – Shaolin Style (Nero_Remix) – Z Audio
20 – Dr Pytor – The Walrus – F4T Music
21 – Bassbin Twins – Woppa (Original Mix) – Bassbin Records
22 – Teck Itch – Soulstone (Original Mix) – Digital Ascension
23 – Datsik vs Downlink – Against the Machine – Substruk Records
24 – Led Piperz – AcidQueen – Airflex Labs
25 – Jack Beats – UFO (K-Hole Riddim Mix) – Cheap Thrills
26 – Nekochan – Minimal Bump – Forthcoming Airflex Labs

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LISTEN : http://soundcloud.com/airflexlabs/d-wax-fall-of-the-titans-mix
DOWNLOAD : http://www.airflexlabs.com/bin/D-WAX_Fall-of-the-Titans-Mix_Airflex-Labs-Fall09.zip