Subzero Soundworks

Subzero Soundworks, Episode #12: August 2, 2009

“SOUNDWORKS SPOTLIGHT” ARTIST: PRETTY LIGHTS

Thanks for joining us for Episode #12! There’s lots to enjoy in this episode–chilled-out abstract hip-hop, downtempo, ambient, trip-hop, lounge, jazzy electronica, and even a little dub for you to enjoy. I even mixed the tracks a little differently this time. The first half of the show is more upbeat, while the second half is a little darker. All in all, it’s a very chilled out mix that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. I’d like to tell you about some new developments here at the home offices of Subzero Soundworks. First of all, Subzero Soundworks is now accessible via MySpace. I just started up a MySpace page to keep in touch with the many artists who are featured on the show, and Facebook and Twitter are sure to follow. You can find us at myspace.com/subzerosoundworks, and the page isn’t anything too spectacular right now, but if you’re on MySpace, drop me a line. Secondly, I’m beginning a new feature of Subzero Soundworks called the Soundworks Spotlight. Every so often, I’ll feature a few tracks from an artist I think you’ll enjoy. I started the trend last week by kicking off the show with some tunes from Merge of Equals. This week, our Soundworks Spotlight artist is Pretty Lights.

TRACK LISTING:

**Backing track/theme: Cheju – “Bellflowerroot (Preston Remix)” from the Album “Broken Waves,” available for purchase from the Boltfish Recordings website.

1. Pretty Lights – “Make You Feel,” from the “Filling Up The City Skies” 2 CD set, available for download (or with donation) from the group’s website at prettylightsmusic.com. Pretty Lights is the work of Colorado-based producer Derek Vincent Smith. When performing live, he is accompanied by drummer Cory Eberhard. I actually discovered Pretty Lights through MySpace Music and they’ve got this amazing blend of hip-hop beats, soul samples, and deep electronic grooves. The result is some of the most versatile and addictive electronic music out there. Derek’s latest album, “Filling Up The City Skies,” is a 2-disc set of 26 tracks that explore the depths of instrumental hip-hop and fantastic beats. Whether you enjoy trip-hop, hip-hop, or just downtempo music, there’s something very special waiting for you on “Filling Up The City Skies.” You can always learn more about Pretty Lights by checking out their MySpace page, where you can listen to some of their tracks…or visit their website, where you can download them—either for free or for a donation.

2. Pretty Lights – “Stay,” from the album “Taking Up Your Precious Time,” available for download (or with donation) from the group’s website at prettylightsmusic.com.

3. Pretty Lights – “Maybe Tomorrow,” from the “Filling Up The City Skies” 2 CD set, available for download (or with donation) from the group’s website at prettylightsmusic.com.

4. Junior Wong – “Donny And Roberta,” from “The Spaceman Chronicles” release, available from the Just Plain Sounds netlabel. Stop by Junior Wong’s MySpace page to learn more about him or to check out some tracks from this great release.

5. Kämmerer – “Lazy Beach Breaks,” from the album “Leaving Paradise,” available from Jamendo.com. Kämmerer is a chillout, funk, and electronica artist from Göteborg, Sweden, and he has been very active on Jamendo through numerous projects like Cliffhanger and GroovydracuLINDA. Visit Kämmerer at Jamendo.com to listen to some of his other works, as well as some other tunes off “Leaving Paradise.”

6. 100percentelectric – “Snooze,” from the “Electrica” release, available from Jamendo.com. 100percentelectric hails from Adelaide, Australia and their album “Electrica” is full of great downtempo and mid-tempo electronic tunes. Head over to Jamendo to hear it today.

7. SineRider – “Harmonics,” from the “Binary Flowers” EP, available from the BFW Recordings netlabel. SineRider is the work of Devin Powers, who calls Norwood, Massachusetts home. Devin specializes in IDM and ambient, and if you’ve ever played guitar, you should why “Harmonics” is an appropriate name for this track. Find out more about SineRider and hear more tracks at his MySpace page; you can also check out some additional artwork for the album at SineRider’s NewGrounds page. A big thanks goes out to the fine folks at BFW Recordings for the nice words about Subzero Soundworks and for the link on their website.

8. Soundsache – “Here For You,” from the album “Klangwelt,” available from Jamendo.com. Soundsache is another one-man operation, producing cinematic electronica, electropop, and downtempo from Germany. Stop by his MySpace page to give some of his tracks a listen.

9. Merge of Equals – “Take You There,” from the album “Intoxicating,” available from the Podsafe Music Network and for purchase through Amazon.com. I featured Merge Of Equals on Episode #11 of Subzero Soundworks and more information can be found about them in the show notes for Episode #11 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com. You can learn more about Merge Of Equals by visiting their MySpace page or their website. You can also purchase music from Merge Of Equals through Beatport and iTunes. Thanks also go out to Flavio Maspoli from Merge Of Equals for featuring a direct portal to Subzero Soundworks from his MySpace page.

10. LR-60 & Mr. Moods – “Silently,” from the “Coldest Memories” release, available from Jamendo.com. LR-60 & Mr. Moods is a project that is self-described as “DJ Krush meets Miles Davis.” LR-60 is Skip Warren, a skilled veteran trumpet player based out of Texas, and Mr. Moods is Christian Denis, a hip-hop and trip-hop producer from Quebec. They initially met through online contact, and a collaboration quickly formed between the two. You can find out more about LR-60 and Mr. Moods at their Sunset Jazz Records page, LR-60’s MySpace page, Mr. Moods’ MySpace page, and their website at LR-60.com.

11. Guitoud – “Redemption & Blessing,” from the album “I & I,” available from the Fresh Poulp netlabel. Guitoud hails from France and after playing with a jam band called Burn’in, he has been actively creating electronica and dub as a one-man operation with help, of course, from his computer. Visit Guitoud on MySpace and last.fm and treat yourself to some great dubbed-out electronica. It does a body good.

12. The Warheads – “Track 1,” from the “Drawn By Hand” release, available for download from the group’s website at thewarheads.com. I featured The Warheads on Episode #10 and 11 of Subzero Soundworks and more information can be found about them in the show notes for Episode #10 and 11 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com. Thanks once again go out to JRS for giving me a heads up about this new release from The Warheads. Great stuff coming out from The Warheads lately. Not only are they very prolific, but they have a very unique vision for each of their more recent albums—like concept albums without track names. Please visit their website, where you can learn more about the group and download some of their newest works…as well as some older tracks.

13. Uranopolis – “100.3,” from the “Birds and Water Ressurection” compilation, available from the Ruszud netlabel. If you like dubstep, breakcore, ambient, or IDM, check out more releases from the Ruszud netlabel at their website or their MySpace page.

14. Sinewave – “exploded nodes,” from the “manoeuvres 3 – a collection of bc electronica” compilation, available from Ioda Promonet and for purchase from eMusic, iTunes, and Rhapsody. Sinewave is the work of Vancouver-based producer and musician Mark Wiebe, who describes his musical as “celestial musical morphine” and cites M83, Mogwai, and Bonobo as some of his many influences. I actually first became familiar with Sinewave with the track “Wizard of Ahhhs” off of his 2006 release “Unity Gain.” He started out with his first major release in 2001, and he’s since been playing live shows all over Canada and has been producing music for films as well. When performing live, he’s joined by Jeremy Unrau on bass and keyboard. Check out more from Sinewave at his website and on his MySpace page as well.

15. Michael Bross – “Subway Meditation 3,” from the “Subway Meditations” album, available from Ioda Promonet and for purchase from Amazon, eMusic, iTunes, and the artist’s website. Michael Bross is an ambient, minimalist, and cinematic electronica artist who has released 3 albums, 2 EPs, and a soundtrack. He’s also composed and produced music for movies and video games and he’s based out of Los Angeles, California. “Subway Meditations” is actually a concept album that actually consists of samples and audio collected from Michael’s subway commutes throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco. Visit Michael’s website and MySpace site to learn more about him.

16. Philipp Weigl – “Lifted,” from the “Bezdna Radio Essentials” compilation, available from the Silent Flow netlabel. Philipp is a minimalist electronica composer, producer, and musician from Munich, Germany. In his spare time, he loves to play the piano and he works as a piano teacher. He released his first album in 2005, he now has at least 6 or 7 different releases to his credit, and his latest album, Fragmentary Proof, is available through Magnatune.com. Learn more about Philipp at his Magnatune page, his MySpace page, his last.fm page, and his website at philippweigl.com.

That about wraps it up for this episode. Subzero Soundworks is produced out of northeastern Pennsylvania and the music you’ve just heard has been released under a Creative Commons license to support the artists. Lots of great music awaits you next week, when Episode #13 sets sail. If you have any suggestions or feedback about Subzero Soundworks, or if you’d like to submit your own chillout and downtempo music, please contact me at rob@subzerosoundworks.com or head over to my MySpace page at myspace.com/subzerosoundworks. Remember, it’s still very “bare bones” because I just started it, but I’d enjoy some company. Stop by and say hello.

Thank you very much for listening and checking out these great artists. See you next week!

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