I revived an old music blog from the early 2000s?
Maybe it’s been a foolish endeavor, and maybe I’m the only one who misses the blog ol’ days, but I’ve been giving it a shot. I’ve been working on restoring some of the old content, though much of it was lost. I’ve slowly been rebuilding the old remix sunday archives, and even posting the occasional new edition. And I’ve been writing again.
You can find all the label’s releases here, on bandcamp, or most anywhere you listen to music these days. I’ve still got copies of some of the old vinyl releases, and I recently released the first in a set of charitable cassette compilations to raise awareness about the continued [mis]use of broken windows policing methods.
Plus, I put together a playlists section with a handful of spotify lists that hopefully start to capture a [slightly] updated version of the moods we used to peddle. Give those a listen and a ❤ if you would be so kind. If you want to get in touch, just give me a holler.
– Haldan/Boody
Twinkly brooding bass music from LA-based RamonPang. Consistent with the main lyric, the tension in this feels like being held underwater for a few seconds too long — just long enough for fight or flight to start setting in — until finally that tuned sub bass comes in with a great sigh of relief.
Out now for streaming or on bandcamp.
RamonPang – “Hold Me Under” (sc)
Full-bodied and progressive, this track from Dutch producer Full Monty bridges some of the gaps between dembow-tech and trance. It’s Nokia ringtones on holiday in Tenochtitlan. Solid stuff.
Out now as part of Bleeps, Beats & Bass 3 celebrating 15 years of Dutch label Basserk. Stream it or grab the compilation on bandcamp.
Full Monty – “Aztec” (sc)
Baalti is San Francisco-based duo Mihir Chauhan and Jaiveer Singh. They recently sent me a couple of songs from their 2021 self-titled record, and it’s perfect music for beginning the summer. Chauhan and Singh describe Baalti as an expression of their love of sample-based music, and a forum for recontextualizing the sounds they grew up hearing as kids. It does just that. Reimagining old Bengali disco and Gujarati funk records as straightforward organic house music, Baalti does well not to over-process these precious samples — if the ingredients are great, why mess with them too much?
“Aame” turns Gujarati funk into effective modern house; “Kolkata ’78” flips a classic Rupa Biswas record into shuffling percussive disco-house. The whole EP is worth checking out, and will work as well on a dancefloor as it will soundtracking your next summer cookout. Available now for streaming, or on bandcamp.
Baalti – “Aame” (sc)
Baalti – “Kolkata ’78” (sc)
Shygirl – “Firefly” (sc)
A Path Untold, real name Daniel Merrill, is an artist from a city in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.
Merrill’s music fits well within the artistic the legacy of those mountains — like the work of their greatest champion, Ansel Adams, this is monochromatic, stark, and naturally beautiful stuff, with just a touch of melodrama. Stylistically, there’s some commonality with Scandinavia’s distinct branch of broken beat dub techno, but it’s got a bit of the spirit of manifest destiny that makes it much more American. There’s gold in them hills, and this is made of it.
Both songs are from A Path Untold’s latest long player, Sourcery, which is out now for streaming and on bandcamp. The whole album is gorgeous.
A Path Untold – “Spiritus” (sc)
A Path Untold – “Heart Matters” (sc)
Sudan Archives – “Home Maker” (Edit) (bc)
Hector John Guerra – “Quantum Success Coaching Academy” (sc)
Free The Robots – “Kaduwa” ft. Teebs (sc)
Unexpected submission from the legendary techno label Tresor. This is not what you’d expect from Tresor — it is not techno, it’s glitch hop. But in context, this makes a lot of sense. First of all, The Fear Ratio is composed of UK techno heavyweights Mark Broom and James Ruskin, so it’s not surprising they’d have the attention of Tresor (Ruskin released two seminal albums on the label). And second, Tresor is not just a label — it’s club in Berlin that has been open in various incarnations and at various locations around the city since 1991. Berlin is not a city unfamiliar to this glitchy branch of hip hop — after all, the godfathers of this sound, Modeselektor, came up in the city, and have undoubtedly played plenty at Tresor. I’m just glad to see Tresor championing stuff like this.
Featuring fellow Brit King Kashmere, “Spinning Globe” sounds a bit like what I imagine we might be hearing if Company Flow had never broken up and had instead moved across the pond at the turn of the century (and maybe El-P’s EPS-16 had been lost on the way, forcing him to start using a cracked version of Acid Pro and whatever thrift shop drum machines he could get his hands on). It’s sci-fi hip-hop for a new decade; and the production is sharp as nails.
The song is the first single from the upcoming album Slinky out on June 24th. Pre-order the album now on bandcamp and get the first two singles straight away.
The Fear Ratio – “Spinning Globe” (ft. King Kashmere) (sc)
I have a thing for melodies that have a naive quality to them. Maybe it’s the eternal teenager in me, but I love when a song manages to capture the feeling of early teenage melancholia through the use of a sort-of miniaturized and humble melodic loop. This song, sent over by Australian producer 44 Ardent, does just that. Mellow modern house rhythms right for a ride to the forest on a spring day, “nomoreheat” relies largely on this kind of sweet child-like and comforting melody–to great effect.
Out now for streaming, but unfortunately no bandcamp.
44 Ardent – “nomoreheat” (sc)
Back in the earlier days of Palms Out, we were emphatic champions of a breed of house music that was coming out of the Bay Area. It seems quaint to say now given the ubiquity of what became known as the Dirtybird sound, but at the time, it was cutting edge stuff. Claude VonStroke was the torchbearer, and pockets of the sound sprung up all over, including in the UK (where artists often framed themselves more as an evolution of the fidget sound). But behind VonStroke, Justin Martin and his brother Christian were probably the most visible names of the pack.
I lost touch with that scene as the blog wound down in the early 2010s, but I’ve come to find that Justin Martin never let up, eventually starting his own What To Do imprint, and realizing impressive levels of main room success. His work got deeper, as is demonstrated on the track his label sent over recently, but it’s still got that characteristic Bay Area mixture of sharp percussion and big bottom end. The track comes with a nice remix pack, including the ace 2-step version below by British phenom lau.ra. But definitely check the whole pack, it also includes a really lovely mellow breakbeat rendition by Tom Jarney and one from old Palms Out favorite DJ Sliink, among others.
Justin Martin – “Let’s” (ft. Claire George) (bc)
Justin Martin – “Let’s” (ft. Claire George) (lau.ra Remix) (bc)
Parisian producer ooo_k sent me this shimmering club cut a couple of weeks ago. People love to talk about the distinct sound of French house music, but often overlook how well that pillowy aesthetic translates on French takes on the genres championed by the likes of HudMo and Rustie in the early and mid 2010s.
“WDYK” is a perfect example of this — it’s not as weeded as purple music from Joker or JKamata, or as orchestrally grand as Taz or early Girl Unit, or as glitchy as the catchall vapor twitch term, but it’s got the ingredients that tend to tie all of those references together, plus a bit of something else. I find that extra something distinctly French, though I’m struggling how else to say why. In any case, this is supremely enjoyable music.
I’ve also included a couple of previous releases from ooo_k for a little context. These are all out now for streaming, but no bandcamp unfortunately.
ooo_k – “WDYK” (sc)
ooo_k – “Way Back” (sc)
ooo_k – “Aaa” (sc)
And if you’re looking for more quasi-purple, we’ve got a new playlist for just that.
As inspired by house and techno as she is by the likes of classic Missy and Timbaland, Heroicgenius (real name Tranée Pope) is making really compelling music. She recently sent me her debut song, “Humans”, and I’m hooked. Near-operatic vocals over tight M1 organs and modern house shuffle, the song is catchy as fuck without ever veering into the saccharine. Though it’s her first proper release, Pope clearly has the chops of a seasoned producer. Without doubt one to watch.
Out now for streaming, or on bandcamp.
Heroicgenius – “Humans” (sc)
Can acid be summery? Sure, I used to love to drop it lying under the sun in the fields in Central Park. Same goes for the music, why can’t squelchy resonant filters be used in the context fun uplifting breakbeat happiness? They surely can.
Picpoul, an artist from the UK, sent me these two tracks recently. Picpoul is the name of a variety of grape that literally means “sting the lip” — named as a result of the grapes’s high acidity. So it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that Picpoul (the artist, not the grape) is going to have a knack for the acidic.
The first track I got is a remix for fellow Londoner Hardt Antoine–all dark swirling acid psychedelia over tight JB yelps. Perfect acid breakbeat workout, if you ask me. Out now for streaming, or on bandcamp.
Hardt Antoine – “Awa Power” (Picpoul’s Awa Acid Remix) (sc)
The second, “The Feeling”, is from the recently released maxi-single of the same name. It takes those acidy basslines and pairs them with the kind of go-lucky unfiltered breakbeat looping and piano stabs you might hear on a Dusky record, then layers that with the intermittent use of a low in the mix robot telling the listener to keep up the search for that feeling (which I’ve interpreted to mean that feeling I used to get in the fields of Central Park). Also out now for streaming, or on bandcamp. (And be sure to also check the B-side for more of these lip stinging summertime vibes.)
Picpoul – “The Feeling” (Extended Mix) (sc)
MIKRO.MONO is an artist from Poland. The first thing that struck me about MIKRO.MONO’s music is the atypical work he’s doing with panning in the stereo image. This is a touch ironic, given the second half of the artist’s handle — this is anything but mono music. While this may sort of preclude the effective use of these songs in the club, it makes for a pretty mind-bending headphone experience.
The eight songs on the artist’s latest release, Rituals/Habits, run the gamut from the west coast beats of “Slow B”, through more traditional house and techno rhythms, to the stuttering uptempo minimalism of my pick of the litter, “Drill N Base”. All of it is carefully sculpted and vibey stuff, and really listenable. The record is out now for streaming or grab it on bandcamp.
MIKRO.MONO – “Drill N Base” (sc)
MIKRO.MONO – “Slow B” (sc)
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
– Steven Wright
Remix Sunday 160 Zipped Up. (103mb zip)
LFO – “LFO” (Doctor Jeep NYC Warehouse Mix)
Natasha Kmeto – “Deeply” (Atma & Rhythmicon Remix)
FKA twigs – “tears in the club” (windowseeker hypėrjūng|e Edit)
FKA twigs – “cellophane” (es.cher Remix)
Flowdan – “Horror Show Style” (Soul Mass Transit System Dub)
Pa Salieu – “Bad” (Kishan Edit)
Guleed – “Boomin” (Slackin Beats Edit)
Children of Zeus – “I Want You” (Kobe JT Edit)
Felix – “Don’t You Want Me” (Engelbert Remix)
Drake – “Know Yourself” (Jacques Greene Intro Edit)
image/ Jodie Bateman
Precursor – “Opulent” (sc)
Space Ghost & Teddy Bryant – “Heaven Sent” (sc)
Metavari – “Páirc Sequence” (sc)
Venezuelan Jorge Antonio Alfonzo Arteaga, aka Jaxxtone, is another one of those names whose music you’ve probably heard without knowing it. Signed to Mad Decent publishing, Arteaga has worked as a songwriter and producer for the likes of Diplo, Steve Aoki, and Puerto Rican superstar Rauw Alejandro. These may not be the kinds of references you’re used to seeing on this site (or at least not anymore), but Arteaga’s work as Jaxxtone is as varied as it is strong.
While maintaining the kind of sheen and round bottom end of his previous productions, his latest release, Ad Astra, is thoughtful and deliberate work. The first two songs I’ve shared below rely largely on the kinds of rimshot-driven shuffling 2-step I like so much, and–while minimalist–are full of emotive sweetness. I’ve also included a third song for good measure, and this one speaks much more than the other two to the kind of main room post-trap sound with which Arteaga has had so much success–put plainly in the language of yesteryear, it’s a fucking banger.
Ad Astra is out now for streaming. No bandcamp on this one, but you can grab the mp3s for free on hypeddit.
Jaxxtone – “Inicio” (sc)
Jaxxtone – “Kūsō 空想” (sc)
Jaxxtone – “What’s Da Drill” (sc)
Ben Ohr is a 20-year-old Canadian producer who’s been sending me music for the past couple of months. His style is really tricky to pin down, which readers of this site know is a big plus for me. Given his youth, his volume of output has been really impressive–it seems like he’s got a new song every couple of weeks. The two songs I’ve selected today are fast; rhythmically, they’re probably best placed somewhere in the universe of juke, but that’s definitely not particularly descriptive. Notwithstanding their speed and emphasis on aligned triplet kick+bass hits, these are dreamy songs. Ohr wouldn’t be the first producer to make “dreamy juke” (is there some obscure subgenre tag I don’t know of yet?), but he’s doing so really effectively. One to watch for sure.
Out now for streaming, no bandcamp.
Ben Ohr – “RAVE On ALMORE” (sc)
Ben Ohr – “luv4” (sc)
Auckland, NZ-based DeLaye sent this track over last week — from his 2021 EP, BLANKSPACE . — psychedelic vapor twitch intended to explore the notion that we construct our own past and future using pieces of our present selves. In this spirit, DeLaye constructed “TIME TUNNEL” using pieces of prior compositions. Heady ideas, but it’s still really fun digestible stuff.
The whole EP is indeed worth some time (pun, sorry). It’s out now for streaming or on bandcamp.
Delaye – “TIME TUNNEL” (sc)
If you like this sort of hyper-psych broken beat stuff, we’ve got a playlist for that.
Cut-up breakbeat adventures from Irish duo Solkatt. “Labels” is the pick here, with hardcore inspired vocal samples that drive home the song’s title — putting a label on something is more constrictive than it is liberating, so don’t worry about throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. Where previous releases from the duo have been more subdued, this ascends from melodic dub techno into clamoring high energy stuff fit for proper belligerence.
Gold Seal is out now for streaming, or preorder it on bandcamp.
Solkatt – “Labels” (sc)
Solkatt – “Gold Seal” (bc)
Occult A/V – “Reaching Across the Void” ft. Gloria de Oliveira (sc)
More housey breakbeat pop from Barry Can’t Swim, who I wrote about last month. Hard not to enjoy this kind of straightforward stuff when it’s full of so much familiar ear candy. “Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore” is named after a 1999 documentary short of the same name, which upon watching again just made me even more nostalgic than the song already had.
Out now on Ninjatune sublabel Technicolour (which incidentally also totally describes Barry Can’t Swim’s music). Preorder More Content on bandcamp now and get this and the last single straight away.
Barry Can’t Swim – “Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore” (sc)
Berlin-based Taut, real name Jacob Bergson, is not a new name, though you may never have heard of him. Prior to his move to Berlin, he was a longtime fixture in New York, having toured with the likes of Kimbra and Rubblebucket, among others. But now he’s struck out on his own, and the results are kind of spectacular. Balancing free experimentation with easy-on-the-ears emotion, the music he’s making solo is fabulous.
The song he sent over is just a peach. It’s delicate and minimalist in structure, but almost overwhelming in its melodic weight. The way a simple arpeggiated melody can sometimes burst with feeling is evident on this one. Not many words necessary here, it’s just lovely music.
It’s out now for streaming, or on bandcamp.
Taut – “Prime” (sc)
Want to hear more of this breed of delicate minimalism? We’ve got a playlist for that.
Absolute jungle madness from London’s newly formed 4am Kru. Crowned by a sample from a Whatsapp voice message, one can only wonder “what has Johnny done to make this articulate young woman dislike him so much”? But poor Johnny, I hope he never hears this.
I told you I’d bring you more rave.
Free download below, or grab the extended mix on bandcamp.
4am Kru – “Just Saw Johnny” (mp3)
I’m always adding lots of good stuff to our Silky, Acidic, Lofi House playlist. I figured I should point out a few recent additions here, in case you haven’t followed the playlist yet. (Do that though, for real).
Concrete house meets the seaside, from Brooklyn lofi prince Tlim Shug.
Tlim Shug – “Surf Dude” (2015)
Modern day classic from DJCJ on the venerable Craigie Knowes.
DJCJ – “SK” (2017)
Emotive Los Angeles house from JERMS. “At what age did you start getting mixed up in the street shit? Shit, I’d say about.. my whole life, really.”
JERMS – “Will You Still Care” (2022)
Firey minimalist vocal house from Girl Unit alter-ego Hysterics, featuring Kristian Hamilton.
Hysterics – “Liked You” ft. Kristian Hamilton (2020)
Check some of the other playlists too, while you’re at it.
My baby daughter’s name is Iris. So when Crash Levin, an artist from Shreveport, Louisiana, sent me this song, I was obviously a little biased. It’s not the kind of music I would normally associate with Louisiana–the probable birthplace of jazz and arguably blues too–I just wasn’t used to seeing this kind of electronica come from the deep south.
But with nods to house and post-Burial UKG, it shouldn’t really be altogether surprising. Everything from the great lineage of jazz and blues of the south, to the ever-branching trees of house and techno originating in the rust belt–and really all American music for that matter–owes its primary rhythms to the African diaspora, particularly the influence of West African and Yoruban music. So it ultimately feels fitting that an artist from the birthplace of one diasporic legacy would embrace the music of another.
Also–and not to be reductive–but the sludgy ambiance of “Iris” also feels like it would be at home in the swamps that characterize the landscape of Crash Levin’s home state. It even shares some of the shuffling percussive melodic style of proto-blues, albeit played via distorted synthesis instead of a cigar box guitar.
The song is out now for streaming, or for purchase on bandcamp.
Crash Levin – “Iris” (sc)
I always try to avoid the term “experimental” music. So much music is written with a spirit of experimentation in mind. And a song isn’t necessarily any more experimental when it simply isn’t reliant on typical genre structures. The best music is usually made within an atmosphere of freedom from strict boundaries, letting the elements speak and letting the melody and rhythm do their own work.
Anjali Rose, an artist based in Brooklyn, sent me this lovely song. The artist explained that it was written in the early stages of the pandemic, with an ear toward describing the horror of disease, and its inherent “cosmic link to climate change and destruction”. Without its concept being blatant, it can sometimes be hard to pull out of a song clear meaning. This is the case here, so I encourage listeners to simply let the song describe itself. Personally, I do hear some of the somber reflection on the possibility of future devastation that the artist describes as the song’s inspiration. But equally so, I sense in the song hopefulness: the possibility that collectivism may one day improve the conditions of humankind, in harmony with the earth, not in dissonance.
Out now for streaming, or on bandcamp.
Anjali Rose – “Reach For It” (bc)
Burial essentially birthed a whole generation of producers pursuing a [found sound + 2-step drums + ambient pads + maybe some vocal samples] formula. And I don’t say formula as a bad thing; I’m not against formulaic music, as long as it’s evocative and not boring. Honestly, I’m not sure how anyone who loves dance music can really be totally against formulas; after all, what would most dance floors be without the tropes that pervade so intensely in house and techno (or really, most club genres)? Call this post-dubstep, future garage, or whatever the fuck else, but if it makes you feel something, it’s good, right?
Patros15 and Apolo//Apolo appear to be two such producers. Patros15 is from Slovakia, Apolo//Apolo appears to be from Burlington, VT. The first song featured below, “Purpose”, is the one they sent me. A collaboration full of detailed shuffled drum programming and thoughtful sound design, it should stand up strong for any fan of the genre. Out now for streaming as a single, or for purchase as part of the excellent Shared Quarters Vol.4 on Special Species, a bandcamp-only compilation that features four songs each from four different artists (shared quarters, right?). The second, “Drowning”, is also by Apolo/Apolo — from the same compilation — and loosely follows the same formula, but leans harder into house music territory, also really strong.
And the third is a solo from Patros15. This time abandoning the shuffle, and the drums altogether for that matter–as has the godfather himself–in favor of more complete focus on streetscape ambience. Out now for streaming, or on bandcamp as part of the Street Echos compilation on Dark Heart.
Patros15 & Apolo//Apolo – “Purpose” (bc)
Apolo//Apolo – “Drowning” (bc)
Patros15 – “Forgive” (bc)
Clarity and cacophony battle on this piece of cinematic organic house from Miami-based producer The Galactic Effect. This is the kind of thing I listen to while staring at the little herb garden my mom set up for me on the fire escape, past a set of Tibetan prayer bells that hang in my kitchen window, while my cat bats at my heels asking for food. Peaceful sound design, but enough electricity to keep my sympathetic nervous system dominant.
The Galactic Effect – “Chandeliers” (bc)
And if you like this breed of organic house stuff, we’ve got a playlist for that.
Long out-of-print early nineties gem from one of Aphex Twin’s many aliases. Maybe my favorite of all. Just a dream of a song.
It’s not available for purchase or streaming anywhere, so I figured I ought to share a vinyl rip here.
Romance never dies, go kiss the one you love.
Caustic Window – “On the Romance Tip” (1992) (mp3)
