Featured Artist: Xander Harris

Artwork courtesy of Amanda Brown

Horror-tinged disco, John Carpenter-inspired soundtracks, and dystopian-themed records — Justin Sweatt knows his fiction, and loves to incorporate that into his music. As Xander Harris, the Austin-based synthesizer geek released a number of albums, each telling stories of shadowy situations and horrendous settings that are not much different from cultic B-films from the 80s. With technology having the drop on the nostalgic VHS-quality of the past, Sweatt recently moved into a different territory. After a tribute album to Snow Crash — a novel by cyberpunk big shot Neal Stephenson — another work of sonic imagination comes forth. Exploring the futuristic sub-genre once again, but this time on his own terms, Xander Harris composed The New Dark Age of Love. We decided to speak to the man about his favorite TV shows, high school drama, and his new album.

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Karmelloz: Bud Air

A fine piece for a not-so-intense cardio session, or any other body-appreciative activity. We welcome Bud Air.

Hailing from Huntington Beach, California, the internet-savvy Karmelloz composes uplifting workout routines for a near-future. However, the jams he comes up with don’t require a dominant instructor, and won’t drain you in perspiration. The collection of calming club tracks named Bud Air rather envision a room of clean, white, streamlined costumes, all synchronized in pure tranquility. Archived in: dance music for individuals who don’t want to dance per se.

Bud Air is out now through Interscape Records Limited — listen to a sample below, and stream the full-length here.

Mineral Beings: Nightdrive

Enter a Windows XP rendered world of digital fauna and inevitable glitches…

Fresh from Zoology Records HQ, comes a deep dive into high definition organics and monolith structures. The odd and enigmatic sounds of André Luyten — otherwise known as Glass Eyes — have been accompanied by the poppy vocals of Merinde Verbeek to form Mineral Beings. With their new-agey take on synth-pop they construct otherworldly phenomena that could only be visualized by video-artist Roland van der Velden, as is to be seen on Nightdrive. Don’t let the pointy plants stab you in the eye.

Mineral Beings recently released Frames via Zoology Records — buy here.

Airbird & Napolian: Special

Unlike your usual corporate hierarchy, label head Airbird and signee Napolian collaborate in a friendly manner to organize a board meeting of absolute power and strength.

The two Software Recording Company associates are no strangers to MIDI and funk, which is exactly why these colleagues are able to come up with sweat-inducing solutions such as Special. By dropping a payload of club-ready drum patterns, the newly formed duo recognizes the needs of the dance floor without losing sight of carefully curated samples of soul. When the replay button on your remote has shattered, go ahead and listen to the equally funky In The Zone — the A-side to this single that explores the pop-sensitivity that the couple has to offer.

A full-length is planned to be released this winter by Cascine.

Germans: Cruel

Poppy breakup songs; we’ve heard our fair share, but rarely as carefree as this new sing-along by Germans.

Unlike the project’s name, the Brooklyn-based damsel in distress sounds nothing like Krautrock. In fact, Germany is the last country one could imagine while listening to Cruel. The funky bass lines and heart-melting synth-bells played by Kurt Feldman (of Ice Choir fame) bring back non-existent memories of cheesy proms as seen through softening filter — with The System soundtracking the evening in their teen years.

We hope to hear more songs of Germans soon — until then, enjoy a couple of more tracks on her website.

The-Drum: Sirens

The space program of The-Drum achieves breakthrough results — 2013 is the year we make contact.

After numerous genre-bending releases — of which the free Sense Net is the most recent — the chicagoan outfit reaches the final frontier. With Sirens, the duo visits a planet untouched by humans — where savagery reigns, and tribal rhythms roam around undisturbed. Footwork-like structures continue to be the main-particle of this latest material, making the new venture comfortably exhilarating. This first taste of The-Drum’s debut album raises more questions than answers, and leaves us anticipating the other journeys they’re about to embark on.

Audraglint will release Contact in June on vinyl and digital format.

Ian Drennan: Natural Habitat

With last year’s The Wonderful World, Ian Drennan took us to a puzzling musical environment that was floating between MIDI encyclopedias and abstract pop twists.

As if we’re playing a children’s TV show on a Dreamcast system, the New Jersey resident succeeds in envisioning places in which everyone with a lust for youth wants to get lost in. A new imagination of Drennan has arrived; Natural Habitat freely jazzes around in a freaky zone of dismantled pleasure. A loud social gathering with principles of behavior long forgotten, with comedy outburst lurking about every corner.

Pikdisc is releasing Drennan’s sophomore album Prelude To Blue Bird Cabaret on CD this month — get your digital version here.

Dog Man: Nice To Meet You

A hovering vessel stationed near the coast, and a nervous greaseball in what looks to be an awkward therapy session — welcome to Dog Man’s latest visions…

Sam Davis, or the Dog Man, has well made his way into our firewall-protected hearts with his synthesized romance songs. The Los Angeles-native likes to refer to his music as ‘Space Opera’, and lays his falsetto on top of stellar productions, such as Nice To Meet You. In the accompanying video to this latest single we see a variety of beautifully shot situations that we can’t grasp, but come to love anyway. Watch a disoriented nude man roam through Californian hills, while a piano ballad makes things eerily appropriate — that’s the kind of vibe we endorse.

Love Lion Recording Company is releasing Dog Man’s Dream Date Ost soon…

Torn Hawk: This Is Crime & Lace

Frenzied visitations to your favorite relics from the past — Luke Wyatt mulches another video and includes everything you wish to see, in a slightly deranged manner.

Hiding under the Torn Hawk moniker, the visual artist from New York experiments with repetitiveness and harsh sounds — making him a belonging member of L.I.E.S.’ American Noise multitude. The fast-paced atrocities we’re hearing in This Is Crime & Lace are hard to label, even for the biggest genre-fascists out there. Outburst of distorted house and fuss deprive each other from going into one direction, while imagery of Star Gate and Starship Troopers VHS tapes flash by — leaving you behind in a recollective state of mind.

American Noise is still available through L.I.E.S., among other releases you should definitely check out.

Showcase: II x Non-Reality

Non-Reality Inc. is proud to present our upcoming collaboration with Amsterdam’s II crew. More info on this matter is coming very soon…