What feels different this time around is the increase in movement. A-side Little Man’s Shoes bombards the senses with sharp frenetic bursts of percussion and hard-nosed synth stabs, cold and crisp. There’s plenty of weight to be found elsewhere, too, the spiky atmospherics given coherent structure by the sub. Little Man’s Shoes is brimming with ideas and a high-octane pressure, but is still overshadowed by the release’s B-side.

Nappy Heads feels like the crescendo of Stickman’s material thus far. Combining acidic synth-work with scatty, warped vocal samples and the same endlessly agile, inventive percussion, it sounds like the embodiment of a basement rave descending a downward spiral. With a simple hook laid over the top, it’s the most infectious track the producer’s put out yet. What’s interesting about the track and Stickman’s work on the whole is how claustrophobic it feels and yet how it also overflows with constant activity, the textures making up a dense wall that requires significant scrutiny. It’ll be very interesting to see what he does next.

Roosevelt will be playing live at the Inverted Audio & 44 party on Friday 18th May at The Lock Tavern as part of the c/o pop festival tour with Coma, Tobias Thomas, Mister Sushi and IA founder Antepop. We’re extremely excited about their performance and we hope that this interview sheds light on Roosevelt’s music.

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For those not in the know please can you introduce yourself, tell us where you’re from and what you’re currently up to?

My name is Marius Lauber, I’m from a small town in Western Germany called Viersen, next to the Dutch border. I’ve lived in Cologne for two years now and I started to record music as Roosevelt in the summer of 2011.

For how long have you been experimenting with music? Who/what do you think was responsible for focusing your attention to creating music?

I played in bands since i was 15, mostly drums and guitar but when I started producing my own music and started to get into electronic music three years ago, I wanted to have my own project.

You’re a relative newcomer to the scene, especially in London. Tell me about your musical journey so far and how you got involved with Tobias Thomas and c/o pop.

Last year I worked with Tobias for c/o pop festival, we met in 2010 when we were DJing at the same party. I always told him about my project and showed him songs, and luckily he liked it from the start. So when c/o pop launched their booking agency, he took me in their artist roster.

Your music has been compared to Caribou – What’s your opinion about this?

I like Caribou, so that’s nice.

Tell me about the lyrics in your songs – Where/when do you compose your lyrics, do you have a certain environment in which you write or does it come naturally to you wherever you are?

It only very rarely works for me to concentrate on writing songs. Usually I hook a a synth melody or a short bit of lyrics comes to my head, and after that it doesn’t take long to finish the song. I work on ideas on my laptop in my bedroom and finish them in the studio, which I share with my friends from Coma.

Over the past year what three things have inspired you the most?

1. Playing my first live gig at Total Confusion last January was actually quite inspiring for me. To see people dancing to my music and enjoying it, gave me the trust to risk some new things.

2. Relating to motivation the contact with my label Greco-Roman was really important. It’s really pushing you artistically when you realise that some people actually like what you are doing. After playing only in bands so far, I didn’t expect that, so that was a big relief.

3. Arthur Russell discography!

You’re playing at our party on Friday 18th May at The Lock Tavern – what can we expect from your performance?

It’s really hard to describe what people can expect. I can only say I have got the tightest drummer from Cologne in my live band!

You’ll also be playing live, tell me about your live setup and band members – how did you meet and how long have you been working together for and what does the future hold for your working relationship?

As my songs do not sound too electronic, I would find it boring to perform them on my own, so I asked two friends of mine to help me expand the project into a band so I can perform live. I play synthesizers and control the laptop, and my friends play bass-guitar and drums.

You recently signed to Greco-Roman – How did this relationship come about, who approached who and what does the future hold for you in terms of records?

They spotted my song Sea on a blog last summer and contacted me. I wasn’t really looking for a label, because by then it was the only song that I finished. But now it’s really pleasant to start up the project with a label in the background. The song will be out as a single this summer. I’m working on new songs constantly and hope to release more afterwards.

Being part of Cologne scene, what projects and collaborations are you working on?

I just finished a cover version for a song by my friend Aksel (Superpitcher). It needs a final mix now and will be released soon. My friend Marius from Coma dropped it in their Inverted Audio Mix a week ago, if you want to hear a preview.

When producing music, what equipment, software and processes do you tend to rely on?

My recording setup at home consists of Logic Pro 9 AND a Juno 60.

When I finish songs in the studio I also work with other synths like the DX7, a Korg 700 or a Poly 800. For most of the songs I record drums and percussion in the studio as well.

Any words of wisdom you’d like to share?

You are what you love, not what loves you.

oOoOO’s signature sound that made his name is still firmly in place here, as can be heard on opener TryTry, a glitchy assemblage of syrup-thick textures, sharp percussive clanking and ethereal chopped-up vocals. What has changed is the production quality here, the sounds; particularly the percussion, feel less cheap than they did on the debut EP (which was admittedly one if its charms), but still retain an appealing emptiness, the hollowness of the beats contrasting with rich ambient washes and drawn-out vocal variations. Although the tracks here still exist in a gothy haze, details still emerge and surprise, such as the proggy guitar-line emerging, incongruous and eerie, from the Starr’s spacious and soupy soundfield.

Elsewhere Greenspan expands his sound with the inclusion of a live vocalist, Butterclock, whose sultry vocals mix perfectly with Southern Hip Hop-styled percussion and glittering synth-lines on second cut Springs. The main attraction of Greenspan’s production has always been his great knack for creating atmosphere, and Butterclock’s vocals emphasise this continuing strength, with closer NoWayBack setting her sensuous and creepy vocals against big crunked-out bass stabs and metallic beats.

As good as the tracks on offer here are, it’s not irrelevant to consider that it has taken Greenspan almost two years to release just under 20 minutes of new material, and although his sound is still unique, it hasn’t dramatically progressed since his first outing. Another issue is that some of the tracks on offer here feel a little too short, like sketches that ultimately feel as if they’re building to be longer and more satisfying than a short 3-minute stretch.

But then we’re given a track like Break Yr Heartt, the penultimate track here and probably the best oOoOO has ever released. Here crystalline drum patterns duel with autotuned and screwed vocals to make some of the strangest RnB around, with the ghostly chipmunked refrain ‘I didn’t mean to break your heart’ echoing out over a cavernous, unstable space with searing strings to stunning effect. When an artist can make a song feel so powerful and unique in less than 3 minutes criticisms begin to fall away, and it’s all too easy to be seduced by the remarkable phantom atmosphere Greenspan ekes out of his machines. Yes, Our Loving Is Hurting Us leaves you wanting more but it’s enough for the time being and proves that here is a producer who will outlast the hype, let’s just hope we don’t have to wait so long for so little next time.

It’s hard to pick a highlight when all three tracks on offer feel so worthwhile and carefully crafted, but opener Big Baby Jesus, the straightest cut of the selection, definitely makes a strong impression. Using thick layers of ambient static as a base, Traumprinz applies a chugging 4/4 and carefully sequenced Dub Techno synthwork which filters powerfully through the mist. The Dub referencing is taken a step further later in the tune, with the echo turned up to eleven on an ethereal reggae sample which leaves a ghostly trace across the second half of the track. Even though Traumprinz uses a varied range of samples and sounds on his tracks they always meld fluidly thanks to careful mixing, resulting in tracks which feel like coherent machinations more than a collection of individual effects. Nowhere is this clearer than on second cut Love Yeah, where a similar ambient field is laid under a catchy melody of chimes and deeply atmospheric vocals embedded deep in the mix. The subtle buildup of percussive textures, each rich and organic, continues right up to the close, rewarding listeners who pay attention to the details.

Third cut Feel is the most unusual track on offer here, but that only goes to show the producer’s deft skill at implementing his unique sound in an array of different styles. A meticulously programmed drum pattern limps heftily through the opening minute of the tune before it’s joined by a host of slow, worn synth stabs and a pitch-perfect vocal sample that echoes emotively through the soundfield. A warbling vocal evokes unusual tones towards the end of the track, before only the ghostly ‘feel’ is left as the song erodes rather than fades away. The worn and dusty aesthetic of the sounds suits Traumprinz’s loping House style to a tee, showing a producer with a deep understanding of how to create punchy and unique Techno tunes which immediately grab attention and further seduce the listener on repeated spins.

Part of the increasingly popular ‘Friends Of Friends‘ record label, and the enigmatic ‘Alpha Pup Records‘ family, 2012 is shaping up to be Groundislava’s most well received yet. With a full length self-titled LP and a 5 track EP ‘TV Dream’ on its way, Jasper applies his creative freedom and densely layer melodies with bold brush stokes.

Groundislava’s mix presents an eclectic selection of music that has helped shape his musical direction over the years, featuring Aphex Twin, Ceephax Acid Crew, M83, Plastikman, Vitalic, Maya Jane Coles and Mark Morrison, what’s not to love!

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For those less acquainted, could you tell us who you are, where you’re from and what you wanted to do when you grew up?

I’m Jasper Patterson AKA Groundislava. I’m from Los Angeles and I wanted to be a chef for most of my childhood.

What records did you find yourself listening to back then, and have you had any formal musical training?

When I was a little kid I listened to all sorts of shit… Kraftwerk, Blur, The Cranberries, Weezer – those were all really early favorites. As for my middle school/high school selections (a lot of which I still frequently listen to) – Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, M83, Mew, Vitalic, Tortoise, Ceephax, to name a few. In 9th and 10th grade I took really basic piano courses at school. I’d say the actual instruction of the class was a lot less productive than the time I was given during the course to just fuck around on a keyboard with headphones on.

When did music begin to play a more prominent part of your life, and how do you see your music being received by an audience?

I’d say around 10th grade (2005) I started to make some tracks. They were very confused, disorganized mashes of a million sounds and inspirations. In senior year of high school I got more focused, and in my first year of college I really began to realize how important music was for me. A big turning point was taking an indefinite leave of absence from USC (in the visual arts program) in the fall of 2010, in order to pursue my music goals. It’s a decision I made, and haven’t ever regretted… I wouldn’t have had the time make even a quarter of the music I’ve made the last two years had I not made that decision.

Your music explores elements of Glitch, 8-Bit, Hip-Hop and House music. What has attracted you to this peculiar palate of sounds and rhythms?

I figured out what styles of electronic music I liked a long time ago, and I’ve stuck with them through the years. My music really is a sort of amalgamation of all these years of scattered inspiration – my attempt to sort of collide all the shit I want to hear across several genres, into one big super-genre.

Could you tell us a bit about how you hooked up with ‘Friends Of Friends’ and ‘Alpha Pup’?

It was pretty simple. In the beginning of 2010 I made an EP with Jake Weary as a group called “Landlord” (this is where the tracks “animal” and “panorama” came from). Leeor Brown of FoF MySpace messaged shortly after I released the EP for free. We met up soon after that and I began working on my first LP for the label.

Your second album is due out in August, would you like to discuss its content and musical persuasions?

It’s definitely an evolution of my sound and a more focused album. I felt that the last album was basically a selection of my best tracks from that year, and that this album is really a singular entity, that progresses with a introduction and conclusion. That’s not to favor one format over the other, I’m just very excited to approach this process in this way. It’s a little darker than my past stuff, a couple tracks are really chilled out, others are much more dance-y and upbeat than any of the other stuff as well. It’s all still super melodic and synthy, though. That much you can rely on.

The mix we asked you to put together, was there any particular motivation or motif behind it?

I just took a bunch of music I love, across several genres, and made a mix out of it. I spent a good amount of time creating the flow and making everything somewhat seamless. I think it will really give anyone a sense of what I listen to, and draw inspiration from, so its definitely a success in that regard.

What are your instruments and software of choice when producing music? Could you talk us through your creative process?

I’m doing most of it through Reason and Ableton. In terms of hardware, a lot of sounds also come from a Casio SK-5 and a Yamaha VSS-30 Portasound… both of which can utilize short samples. The VSS-30 is like my favorite thing ever. I also have a Casio RZ-1, which is an awesome drum machine that can record samples. It makes drums sound super grimy but also very warm, I recently have been recording and sequencing 909 sounds with it and it sounds amazing. I have a lot of other gear that I don’t use as much for recording.

What can we expect from ‘Groundislava’ in the future? Any projects, collaborations, live shows in the works?

On the new EP and LP there’s a handful of great collaborations. I have a bunch of shows lined up, and will be traveling a good amount over this summer to play shows. That’s everything at the moment.

Do you find working with others beneficial to your own sonic journey? (Jon Wayne, Young Montana?, Shlohmo)

It really depends on the artist. Some people are hard to collaborate with for what ever reason… I think some people are just more compatible in that regards. I learned a lot collaborating with Jake Weary on like 10 songs. It’s great practice to work with a singer, or anyone for that matter who does something you can’t or don’t do. I find it’s hardest to work with someone who wants to do the exact same thing as you, or try to work on the same computer at the same time. I have the most success when I set up a bunch of hardware, or two computers and just jam or whatever until shit starts sounding cool. I did a collab track with Shlohmo for the new album that came together in this way.

Lets have an insight into what your listening to at the moment?

Plastikman, Ceephax Acid Crew and AFX have been the main things at the moment. Been getting back into a lot of acid techno stuff. I find I listen to music mainly on youtube at this point. I enjoy the active nature of it and I find all sorts of bizarre shit that I would NEVER find otherwise. I like watching people make and perform tracks on dated groove boxes and lame gear. It sounds really great to me.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not grafting beats?

I cook a lot. I play video games. I was a visual artist primarily for most of my life, but that’s definitely on the back burner for now. I think if I’m not making music I’m generally staring at the wall or something.

Any words of wisdom for our readers?

Buy some cheap old gear. It’s a lot of fun. There’s so many cool drum machines and keyboards you can get for around 100 bucks. It’s really a different experience interacting with a physical object as opposed to a computer screen… definitely something worth checking out

Following Ragland’s passing, Marougi approached a variety of artists to gauge the feasibility of paying tribute to A-C with a double-vinyl release. The artists were sent the same recording of an interview between two women that Aaron-Carl had been given, and were asked to produce original music to back their favourite lines.

The featured remixers cross borders geographical and generic, from A-C and Pirahnahead’s straight-up Detroit roots; to Agnès’ Geneva-based “dubbed-out minimal techno” on his Sthlmaudio Recordings imprint; and from a host of German producers (see Baaz, Suburb, Achterbahn d’Amour, and many modern takes on classic house) to Ebb & Flow of Roundabout Sounds back in California. The tracks featured on The Power are similarly varied, with a prevailing theme of homage to the dedicatee.

A1, suitably, is the Aaron-Carl mix. Smooth and soulful, it’s dominated by full, sleek pads, and indelibly Detroit house percussion. The vocal refrain chosen by A-C – a repetition of the line “hitting G-spots,” which manages surprisingly to surpass its connotations with its rhythmic placement – commemorates a semi-lewd humour that appeared, from his personal blog and this track, to be present until the end. A quivering synth melody tops off the track, while a bleeping bassline flickers along below.

A sure highlight is the Ebb & Flow dub. Its bouncing drum intro is interrupted by a fresh line – “lemme show you what I got” (leading the listener to wonder what exactly the source interview was about) – and lightly plucked guitar is complemented by a minimal electric piano lick. Pirahnahead’s “Red Planet” mix is a balls-out ghetto tech expedition, and may be the most club-happy track on the record. Another contender is Baaz, who adds another notch to his belt of Marianas-deep house, awash with synth stabs and jangling tambourine.

Achterbahn d’Amour explore a type of slow-burning, minimal, deep house, while Agnés, whose output since 2003 is comfortably in excess of twenty releases, favours immediacy with his “Sabres of Relief Mixx” (and a refrain making liberal use of the phrase “penis power”). Finally, the Suburb remix is an outsider, an urgent, bounding track reminiscent of some of A-Cs explorations into “hard-hitting electro-funk.”

Overall, this is a touching tribute, and a strong release. It’s instilled with a warming sense of light-heartedness, a characteristic apparent in Aaron-Carl’s music and public persona. Although his legacy is alive in many forms, from his extensive discography to the work of W.A.R.M.T.H. International, of which he was founder and CEO, devoted to “preserving the integrity of Detroit Electronic Music,” The Power is a touching posthumous release, celebrating many aspects of the late producer’s career.

Releasing a slew of original classics like ‘True Romance’ and ‘Twilight’ before founding Exit Records and playing a pivotal role in the Autonomic movement, his new project under the moniker ‘Velvit’, promises to be an appealing change of pace and palette. Getting pressed on Jon Convex’s label, ‘Convex Industries’, and sighting Afrika Hi-Tech, Jimmy Edgar and 90’s Jungle as influences, it’s safe to say were riding the zeitgeist of modern electronic music.

White noise hats and chord progressions usher in ‘Passing Encounter’ until de-tuned squeaks and pop’s signal the impending drop. Sparse drum patterns and tribal percussion carry a hypnotic rhythm for the 808 Bass parts and wistful vocals to casually overlay. There is something age old about the elements and its progression, yet still feel comfortably new in its present narrative. ‘Scarlett’ has already found support from the likes of Martyn, Benji B and Jimmy Edgar, and there’s no surprise it starts as it means to go on. Restless high end sounds and a solid 4 X 4 kicks pave the way for intimidating reece bass lines that make this a floor shaking affair. Releasing a collection of well-pitched conga’s over this heady mixture quickly builds this into a solid dance floor anthem.

‘Broken Rome‘ opens dramatically into a landscape marked by a fuzz of jittery percussion; a beach for a slinky synth line to file down, nocturnal sunglasses on. The ominous tones eventually push on, the drums acquiring crunch as the track gradually cakes and spatters into celestial murmurs. There’s a circular aspect to this that is most pleasing, like watching a clock spin in and out of time in clockwise to counter arcs.

‘Densed‘ again is a step inside traditional territory. Utter warmth, a simple four note bass groove is the catalyst for movement here. As ever, it’s the manner in which everything is layered together that appeals most. Tight construction and total disarray blended soulfully with wet tension. The synth brass comes waltzing in, jazz spring in its step, it hangs with humour on an emotional tightrope.

‘Into‘ features rapier hi-hats and birdsong blips that evoke an ending but is named after a conjunction. Go figure. The altogether resembles an empty field in the sunshine. Such beautiful melodies that come on like a softer version of ‘Densed’, stripped out choral segments and rainbow-rain colour segment that gradually slow like tyres bedding down for the night.

Situating himself somewhere at the intersection between Hype Williams, Downliners Sekt and Andy Stott, Vessel’s sound is still markedly individual, with his darkened atmospheres presenting worn mechanical grooves and occasional flashes of brighter textures that disintergrate before your ears. Title track Standard is an impressive piece that manages to progress despite sounding mired in a Disco swamp, with smacked-out beats chugging along under tense seesawing synths. As it has always been with Vessel’s releases, the listener is impressed not only by the unique distorted sounds but also by unusual constructions and careful mico-edits, with each track a veritable feast of sonic details waiting to be discovered. This opener is no different, with a blunted twisting bassline taking centre stage midway through the track, almost defying the listener to dance to these valium vibes.

Second cut Merge is something new from Vessel, with a mechanical synth loop and warm pads laying a strong foundation with pacing snares for an impressively structured drop midway through the track that brings elements of Detroit machine Funk to the mix without missing a beat. A lot of the appeal of these tracks lies in the application of more colourful stabs to the eroded soundfield, but despite the masterfully intricate sound design present on all of these tunes they still have quite a niche appeal, containing within a drugged-out darkness that definitely won’t be for everyone. Nowhere is this clearer than on experimental closer Zero, hypnotizing the listener through abstraction; all processed whirring and shifting synths, the Techno equivalent of quicksand. Although his deconstructed House sound is not always an easy listen it is consistently interesting, rewarding repeated listens while showcasing the producer’s skill at crafting complex and unsettling tunes that are lodged somewhere between dance and more liberated electronic compositions. For fans of the sound that Actress brought into the spotlight a few years ago, Standard cements Vessel as an intriguing producer who could well stun on his upcoming debut LP.

That however, all goes out of the window when listening to Pépé Bradock’s latest offering on his own label, Atavisme. Whilst ‘Imbroglios Part 1’ is not about brooding landscapes of clichéd atmosphere, the mood is overwhelmingly distinct. Slowly but surely he creates some kind of celestial film-strip narrated by a gaseous mass of ambience. Its serious soundtrack stuff, but with touches of humour, and as is the case over the majority of his releases over his fifteen-year career, Bradock seems to approach it with touches of genius. Although it’s no ‘Path of Most Resistance’, and certainly not his best work to date, as a collection of tracks there is a hell of a lot to admire here.

Bradock’s touches are eccentric yet completely accessible. First listens seem to baffle and pose uneasy questions of comfort, much like any wonderful flower of unconventionality. Yet if one keeps working at it the record opens up with mysterious and sudden force. Opening track ‘Katoucha’ pits flourishes of jazzed-up vigour alongside oddball organ tones and some particularly subversive bass stabs. It resonates as the soundtrack to a puckish film noir, a terse sense of energy propping up the tension whilst echoing vocals add further fuel to the fire.

‘Ataque de Boulangerie’ is personally the stand-out track of the EP and the one set to stand the test of time. The track throbs with pensive energy – sudden flourishes of piano keys, whirring detail and booming bass-stabs all collide in a schizophrenic free-fall. Yet somehow it still seems to flow like water. In keeping with its split-personality, the midway point then offers up a delicious taste of shuffling 4/4 heat, only for it to be snatched at within an instant, leaving you hanging on for more.

On paper, ‘12turn13’ is probably the most dance-floor orientated of all the tracks with chiming rave chords, heavy percussion and a closing beatdown phase. Yet in reality, its bodily dissonance is still an acquired taste for the average listener and probably best saved for those trippy early morning moments only

On the closing track, ‘Inconsequent Pussy’, Bradock creates another unique motif using micro-detailed percussion that takes nimble, nascent steps much in the same vein as Jan Jelinik’s Farben project. Whirring cat purrs, dubbed-out kicks and a glitchy effervescent groove create a moment of pure utter brilliance and a strong contender for the stand-out track.

At minimum, Bradock demonstrates the endless and forever-evolving possibilities of dance music, and at maximum, he creates some incredible atmosphere and depth. For what on paper can sound disconnected and anxious can in effect be food for your body and mind.