Boy Friend – “Lovedropper”

Sarah Brown, aka Austin’s Boy Friend. The Lovedropper 7″ drops May 16 on Hell, Yes! Limited to 1000 copies, with the first 300 coming on orange vinyl. Pre-order here, or here in the States. The band is currently working on an LP, and you can purchase their first EP on cassette here.

Boy Friend :: Lovedropper

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mp3: Toro y Moi – “Made in Bed” mix

Here’s a sweet and breezy little 37-minute mix that Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi put together for the latest installment of Modular’s Modcast series. Featuring songs from King Tubby, Ennio Morricone, Julian Lynch, Goblin, and more, including a few jams that were new to me (really digging the Connan Mockasin and Kathy McCord tracks). Download it, and check the full tracklist after the jump:

mp3:
Toro y Moi :: Made in Bed mix (51 mb)

Toro y Moi :: Made in Bed mix

A First Class Dub – King Tubby
Come Live With Me – Dorothy Ashby
Part Version 8 – Piero Piccioni
Pealed Tomato – Chorafas
It’s Choade My Dear – Connan Mockasin
Mariangela e la Seduzione – Ennio Morricone
Show Me To The Window- Robert Lester Folsom
Chi Mi Cerchera – Enrico Simonetti with Goblin
Was It All In Vain – Bixio Frizzi Tempura
Rainbow Ride – Kathy McCord
O Sabia – Les Wanted
Clay Horses – Julian Lynch

Tags: mixtape, modular, mp3, toro y moiposted by: Chris

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Track Reviews: 4/27

Son Lux – Rising

I first wrote about Son Lux, the project of prodigious Ryan Lott, about a year ago. He had just released a new EP called Weapons, and I was struck by the depth of his sound. Part-classical, part-electronica, and part-rock, the most apt comparison I could think of was Ryuichi Sakamoto; he is one of the best examples of fusing the classical and electronic genres, doing so in a way that remains infectious without removing the intricate genius of classical works. Sakamoto began much like Lott, toying with a fairly straightforward form of electronic-pop that later grow to incorporate a variety of styles. Sakamoto later won an Academy Award and is now inarguably considered one of the forerunners of electronic music, but not before struggles.

Despite being impressive, Weapons showcased struggles that come natural to an ambitious songwriter like Sakamoto or Lott. It was apparent that his vocals were hidden behind instrumentation for a reason; he had little confidence in the melodic ability and incorporation of his voice, even as the instrumentation was sweeping and powerful. His technical prowess was hard to argue against, as was the exhilarating whirlwind that best defined his structural tendencies, but he had yet to fully capture the element of pop music that was yearning to be incorporated. Lott’s new album, We Are Rising, is equivalent to Sakamoto’s Left Handed Dream, the first instance of his true vision as a solo artist. It is a majestic, staggering release that finds Lott crafting a sound that is wholly unique but also expected considering the breathtaking potential demonstrated on his past releases.

A review of the album is forthcoming, but in the meantime lead track

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