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Lagniappe (la·gniappe) noun ˈlan-ˌyap,’ – 1. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. 2. Something given or obtained as a gratuity or bonus. Welcome to the tenth installment of the Lagniappe Sessions – in which we invite our favorite artists to cut exclusive covers paying tribute to their favorite artist/songs. This month we catch up with [...]

Noise pin-up (and clippings fiend) Dominick Fernow is more likely to be found stamping his feet than putting them up.

Fernow already helms the punishing Hospital Productions label, which puts out much of his voluminous output alongside all manner of noise/metal curiosities. He’s about to double his paperwork with a new imprint, the cheerily titled Bed Of Nails. If his first release is anything to go by, Fernow will be using the label to explore more rhymthic structures than Prurient aficionados might be used to.

NAIL001 will be from Fernow himself, under his gyratory Vatican Shadow moniker. The four-track September Cell EP will arrive in June. This year’s Kneel Before Religious Icons rerelease reminded us what a potent force the Vatican Shadow project is, a pounding exercise in politically engaged industrial groove. Looking at the martial tracklisting for the new release, we’re expecting similarly forceful kicks from the new release.

The record is cut at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin, and strictly limited to 700 copies. ‘September Cell’ is due on June 18. You can read our classic 2011 interview with Fernow here.

Tracklisting: A1. September Cell (The Storm) A2. September Cell (The Punishment) B1. Cairo Is A Haunted City B2. One Day He Heard The Call

Remember Holy Ship, the rave cruise that ran aground?

Well, it’s back. And bigger than before. Much, much bigger in fact.

Whereas Holy Ship’s first voyage, which lest we forget, almost ended in tragedy, sported a line-up that read like a who’s who of loud, brash dance music (Skrillex, Fatboy Slim, Rusko, Diplo, Steve Aoki et al – though there was room for the really-quite-good Brodinski and, er, Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee), their 2013 one is a more diverse affair, with Night Slugs’ Girl Unit, L-Vis 1990, Kingdom and Bok Bok, Jackmaster, Claude VonStroke, J Phlip, Eats Everything and more stopping by for sets.

At the top of the card, meanwhile, you’ve got Major Lazer, Boyz Noise, Knife Party, Justice, Diplo, A-Trak, Skream & Benga, Crookers and more.

Holy Ship sets off in Florida’s Fort Lauderdale on January 4 and patrols the Caribbean until January 7. For more information, head to their website, and for a taste of what to expect, check out these pictures from the first one.

Frank Ocean Factoid #20574: Ocean writes his lyrics using Notepad.

Pitchfork report that Ocean offered us a peek into his writing process, posting up a screengrab of some new lyrics over the weekend. The image was followed by a video post of Ocean performing in his house (Frank Ocean Factoid #20574: the man prefers blinds to curtains). It’s an offhand take of Ocean “just at home fuckin around, no judging”. Ocean’s a compelling live performer, but there’s something especially spellbinding – devotional, even, about watching him hunched over a keyboard, lost in his work.

 

Submotion Orchestra perform instrumental neo-soul, performed with the vigour of Funky and the exuberance of Timeless-era Goldie.

The Leeds ensemble are occasionally a little too po-faced, but when they’re at their best (as on the utterly heart-stopping ‘Perfection’, from last year’s Finest Hour LP), they hit the boss bang-on. In its original form, ‘Always’ is a prime example of their modus operandi; this is how The Cinematic Orchestra might sound if they played bashments rather than theatres. It’s the sort of track you can imagine DVA absolutely falling in love with, so it’s no surprise to find the miscevious Mr. Smart stepping up on the remix.

DVA’s take is much dinkier than anything on Pretty Ugly. A catchy/infuriating (delete as applicable) synth motif loops without end, and tin(ny) drums invoke a similar carnival feel to ‘Just Vybe’. DVA’s straightforward approach certainly diminishes the grace of the original, but in its place is a piece of effective, unrelenting dancefloor fodder. The synth lines are hollow, but there’s plenty of sparkle – eski after the thaw.

 

R. Kelly’s new album, Write Me Back, will be released on June 25.

The r’n'b legend has descended into one of music’s most ridiculous characters in recent years: even putting aside that court case you’ve got the cruise-line, the book, Trapped in the Closet, the recent “celebrity hosting” kerfuffle. You know the deal when it comes to Robert Sylvester, basically, but the man’s still got one of the best voices in modern music – even surviving recent throat surgery.

Write Me Back is one of two albums Kelly has in the pipeline – the other is, brilliantly, titled Black Panties - and will, so reports claim, be released packaged with a postcard that fans can use to write a letter to the singer. The record is described as “a celebration of love’, representing the “natural progression of Kelly’s musical time machine, recalling the sultry and seductive sounds associated with such icons as Barry White, Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass, among others.”

You can check the Write Me Back tracklist and stream ‘Feelin Single’ below. And how’s this for a bit of Monday fun (Fun-day)? In the comments section at the bottom of this post, let us know what you would write R. Kelly in a letter. If we ever get sent the album, the best suggestion wins our copy.

Tracklist: 1. Love Is 2. Feelin’ Single 3. Lady Sunday 4. When A Man Lies 5. Clipped Wings 6. Believe That It’s So 7. Fool For You 8. All Rounds On Me 9. Believe In Me feat. Young Jeezy 10. Green Light 11. Party Jumpin’ 12. Share My Love Deluxe Edition: 13. Beautiful In This Mirror 14. You Are My World 15. Fallin’ From The Sky 16. One Step Closer

Laurel Halo’s new album Quarantine has been one of this year’s oddest pop records.

We’ve been hosting a stream of Quarantine for the last week. The fusion of heady synth work and Halo’s wisp-thin voice offers a very singular treat. If it’s Halo in person that you’re craving, good news: the New York artist has announced a slew of European tour dates.

Halo’s UK dates include appearances in Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. Field Day and Italy’s Modena May Day! Festival are among the festival stop-offs. No word yet on whether there’ll be any visuals, but, if there are, we’re really hoping they call the same person who designed that eye-exhausting front cover. Dates are below.

Dates: 24.05.2012 P Lisbon ZDB 25.05.2012 P Guimarães Centro Cultural Vila Flor 26.05.2012 IT Modena May Day! Festival 27.05.2012 GR Athens Bios 30.05.2012 FR Paris Point Ephémère 31.05.2012 SCO Glasgow the arches 01.06.2012 UK Manchester Islington Mill 02.06.2012 UK London field day 05.06.2012 UK Liverpool Kazimier 06.06.2012 SWE Stockholm Färgfabriken 07.06.2012 DK Copenhagen loppen 08.06.2012 DE Berlin Berghain 09.06.2012 CH Luzern Südpol 11.06.2012 RUS Moscow the design center Artplay 14.06.2012 ESP madrid picnic sessions / CA2M 15.06.2012 ESP barcelona nitsa / off sonar

On Saturday July 7, We Fear Silence will toast two of the most formidable labels in grime/garage/wotchucallit: Butterz and Hardrive

Elijah & Skilliam’s Butterz imprint will team up with Terror Danjah’s modest Hardrive crew for a night of aggie thrills at London’s Cable. Mercurial ex-Roll Deep MC Trim will be bringing some freewheeling menace to proceedings. As this year’s excellent Bandoolou demonstrated, Trim’s both a commanding vocal presence and a fabulous creator, able to call on stellar beats from the likes of Harmonic 313 and Rudekid. Few Roll Deep members have quite as much fun with language as Trim, and it should make for a compelling show. Old hands Newham Generals, currently nestling under Dizzee’s wing, will also be keeping things riotous, as will Logan Sama‘s UK garage set.

Further additions include Champion, Swindle, Notion and Mr Mitch. And, of course, those label figureheads will be stopping by: Terror Danjah will be teaming up with Riko, and Elijah & Skilliam will continue to scour out curious new quarters of grime music.

The night runs from 10.00pm until 6.00am. Tickets and further information are available from the Cable website.

Update: If any of the below press your buttons – and they really should – then you may be in luck. FACT have a pair of VIP tickets to the festival to give away to one lucky reader. If you’d like to be in with a chance of nabbing them for yourself, send an email through to competitions@thevinylfactory.com including the words ‘Field Day’ and your name in the title header. Best of luck!

Field Day’s line-up is now finally set in stone.

The Bugged Out! Stage boasts the most enviable roster. German eclecticists Modeselektor are the biggest act on the bill, and SBTRKT will be getting things moving with their dynamic live show. Day-glo beatmakers Hudson Mohawke and Rustie will be repping the LuckyMe collective, and fellow Glaswegian Koreless will be keeping things warm and immersive. Julio Bashmore and Maya Jane Coles will offer their respective takes on house music. Eats Everything, Blawan, Daniel Avery and The Internet round out the stage.

Bleed have a stonker of a line-up on their stage. Austrian electronic legend Fennesz will be on board, as will Julia Holter, Laurel Halo, Kassem Mosse, Peaking Lights and (touch wood) Zomby. The Haxan Cloak (DJ), Com Truise, Casper C, Paddy O. Neil and Blackest Ever Black DJ will keep things dark and druggy.

Weirder thrills will be in strong supply over on the Village Mentality stage. Woman of the moment Grimes will be showcasing her skewed brand of pop music. Veteran post-rock ensemble Tortoise, Gold Panda, Afrocubism and the excellent R. Stevie Moore will be appearing. Tim Burgess (DJ), Revere, Mazzy Star, Rocketnumbernine, Papa M and Django Django also feature.

The Red Bull Music Academy stage also has plenty to recommend itself. Rising singer Jessie Ware will be appearing, as will Blanck Mass, debruit, UMA, Sunless ’97, Kidkanevil and Chairlift. The Laneway Festival stage, by contrast, goes in for indie-inflected sounds. Kindness, Spector, Sleigh Bells, Here We Go Magic, Errors, Summer Camp, Two Jackals, The Vaccines and Blood Orange will all be appearing.

The Eat Your Own Ears stage boasts the big indie names: Franz Ferdinand, Metronomy, Liars and Beirut are all stopping by. Finally, the Shackleton Arms stage will host Jeffrey Lewis And The Junkyard, Theme Park, THE MEN, Friends, Baxter Dury and a stash of DJs.

Field Day takes place at Victoria Park and is on June 2 this year; an earlier date than usual due to the Olympics. For more information and to purchase tickets, head to the Field Day website.

On the eve of the worldwide release of our WITCH We Intend To Cause Havoc! anthology, the good folks at Red Bull Music Academy Radio have posted the second of their Zamrock Specials. This, A History Of Zamrock, is an important listen: WITCH bandleader Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda discusses the Zamrock ensembles that the WITCH considered peers and the subtleties of the Zamrock scene. Includes rare music by Paul Ngozi and Ngozi Family, The Peace, Amanaz, 5 Revolutions, Keith Mlevhu and Musi-O-Tunya.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, they’ve posted a transcript of Egon’s Red Bull Music Academy interview with Jagari from Madrid, 2011. Links below.

Link: Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda’s “Fireside Chat” on Red Bull Music Academy Radio. Link: Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda interviewed by Egon at Red Bull Music Academy, Madrid, 2011.

Dollop are presenting a series of three clubnights celebrating the originators of Detroit techno.

The series will launch on June 29 at a secret east London location, with Juan Atkins (pictured) headlining. Kevin Saunderson leads the charge for pt.2 on July 13, and Derrick May brings things to a doubtless ecstatic close on July 27. More acts for each night to be announced in the coming weeks.

Each night will run 10pm-6am, and super early bird tickets are currently available for £10. Limited series tickets – £25 for entry to all three nights – are also now on sale. Get yours, and find more information, here.

 

 

This week sees the release of Words And Music, the new album from British pop institution Saint Etienne.

The trio of Sarah Cracknell, Pete Wiggs and Bob Stanley have been enchanting fans with their wistful suburban songcraft and careful curation of pop-cultural ephemera for 22 years now, and Words And Music is among their most affecting releases to date. To celebrate its arrival, and given the band’s reputation as record collectors of impeccable taste, we asked Wiggs to talk us through five songs that are currently enjoying heavy rotation round his gaff.

FACT, longtime readers will know, are rather partial to Teengirl Fantasy.

The New York pair, made up of Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi, make lush, romantic house music that rarely skimps on the endorphins. Their 2010 LP 7AM knocked our socks off, and the album’s flagship single ‘Cheaters’ was our track of 2010. ‘Dancing In Slow Motion’, featuring Shannon Funchess from of-the-moment combo Light Asylum, was also one of that year’s more undeniable tunes. Consequently, we were very interested indeed to hear that the pair had signed to R&S for a second album.

As a precursor to the new full-length (due in summer), the pair have now announced a new 12″ single, titled ‘Motif’. The track will arrive backed with another new cut, ‘Eternal’, and a remix from Actress. FACT have the first UK play of the title track, and it’s a great way to reacquaint oneself with the pair’s inimitable charms.

On ‘Motif’, Teengirl Fantasy peer back into the past without ever falling into the throwback trap. The track starts off with dreamy synth washes and juddering Kraftwerk percussion, but it’s something of a red herring. ‘Motif’ is full of odd twists and turns, from the brief flirtation with acid lines through to the ambient coda. Weiss and Takahashi chuck in a bewildering Stomp!-indebted breakdown around the two minute mark, then snap into the euphoric club mode they know so well.

‘Motif’ will be available on June 25 on vinyl, and on July 9 as a digital download.

Following the death of Donna Summer late last week, Franz Ferdinand (looking proper Westlife in the picture above) covered her hit ‘I Feel Love’ live in Limerick, Ireland [via Stereogum].

Like Coldplay’s cover of the Beasties’ ‘Fight for Your Right’ following Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch’s death, we’re aware this is going to be divisive – you can watch fan footage of the short cover below, and make your own mind up.

Synthesiser pioneer Giorgio Moroder, who produced several hits for recently deceased disco singer Donna Summer, has spoke about how he’d love to make Nicki Minaj his modern day muse.

Speaking ahead of the Ibiza International Music Summit, Moroder claimed that he’s become reinvigorated by the success of dance music in recent years (we’re really hoping he didn’t say “EDM”), and is ready to get back in the game.

“I’m probably going to do some songs featuring a singer – a female or group”, explained the Italian. “I like to work with female singers, which I’ve done a lot in my life. Rihanna would be my favourite, also Nicki Minaj would be great – those are the top girls who I would like to work with” [via Gigwise].

Given how generic some of the production was on the more dance-y end of Minaj’s recent Roman Reloaded album, this could be a match made in Heaven – if still admittedly a long shot. Having said that, we can’t imagine Minaj not being into some of Moroders clothes back in the day, and that tash speaks for itself. While we’re getting excited: can you imagine Moroder working with Electrik Red?

Stream Donna Summer’s Moroder-produced ‘I Feel Love’ below.

FACT is seeking photographers to cover festivals taking place this summer in the UK and beyond.

If you’re handy with a camera and interested in taking pictures of acts and crowds at any or all of the following – Field Day, Glade, Lovebox, Sonar, Bloc, Camp Bestival, Eastern Electrics, Lounge On The Farm – we’d like to hear from you.

All photographers will be paid and of course receive free entry to the festival(s) they’re assigned to.

If you’re interested, email factinternapplications@gmail.com on or before Friday 25 May with your name, your location and a link to some of your work.

London record store Phonica kick off a new series of releases with a single by New York-based artist Sinkane.

Sinkane is the recording name of Sudanese musician Ahmed Gallab. Gallab has, at various times, toured with Yeasayer, Of Montreal, Fiery Furnaces’ Eleanor Friedberger and Caribou. Nice connections to build up, apparently, as Dan Snaith (of Caribou) has adopted his increasingly in-demand Daphni alter-ego for a stretched out, clinically unfolding remix, which can be streamed below. The single also features a “more angular” take by Chicago’s Chandeliers, and is out now.

Sinkane – Runnin’ (Daphni Mix) by phonica records

Available on: Invada LP

Geoff Barrow has been working through his musical bucket list at a furious pace. The Portishead producer has barely unveiled his collaboration-heavy hip-hop project for Stones Throw, Quakers (not to mention a new album with BEAK>), and he’s already bombarding us from the opposite end of the musical spectrum. This time he’s partnered with film composer Ben Salisbury under the name DROKK, with the self-imposed task of producing an imaginary soundtrack to Mega-City One, the location of 2000 AD strip Judge Dredd.

For those readers who didn’t spend childhood with their nose buried in comics, Dredd is a futuristic lawman who deals out instant justice throughout Mega-City One, a bloated metropolis on the East coast of a post-apocalyptic USA. Despite the transatlantic setting, Dredd remains a peculiarly British creation and it’s fitting that he should have been an inspiration for Barrow, a man who co-opted the quintessentially American art form of hip hop into its moody British sibling, trip-hop.

The album itself is a collection of sprawling synthscapes that unnervingly conjure up Mega-City One’s bleak depiction of the future. Oscillating openers ‘Lawmaster Pursuit’ and ‘Helmet Theme’ bring to mind another sci-fi soundtrack, Daft Punk’s unfairly-maligned Tron: Legacy. But rather than indulging in Daft Punk’s neon thrills, this is dark and foreboding, a John Carpenter reel where Snake Plissken never escapes from New York.

There’s a sense that the project is a love letter to the pioneering synth soundtracks of John Harrison and Giorgio Moroder, composers in whose hands machines were capable of conveying heightened emotion. Barrow and Salisbury’s weapon of choice is the Oberheim 2 Voice synthesizer, its distinctive drone dominating the album. ‘Puerto Luminae’ and ‘Eagle’ are master classes in manipulating a single sound to create an atmosphere so intense it’s almost tangible, while ‘2T(fru)T’ is the sound of circuit boards slowly atrophying over a century of neglect. When other musical elements do appear, such as the distorted instrumentation on ‘Exhale’ and the krautrock rhythms on ‘Inhale’, it only serves to emphasise the restricted musical palette across the rest of the album. It all makes for an immersive, if occasionally challenging, listening experience.

In its moments of smothering intensity and eighties retro-futurism, Music Inspired by Mega-City One brings to mind White Car’s Everyday Grace, another album that revelled in its fetishism for analogue equipment while remaining strangely addictive. While Barrow and Salisbury have painted a forbidding picture of the overall future, their own futures as producers with an ever-expanding, consistent repertoire looks assured.

James Waldron

Juicy J, the permanently drug-addled Three 6 Mafia member and general Memphis hip-hop legend, has released a folder of new material for his last mixtape, Blue Dream & Lean.

An expansion pack of sorts to one of 2011′s most rewarding mixtapes, the folder features 10 new tracks (despite the included cover art claiming it’s only four). Miami man of the moment Spaceghostpurrp makes an appearance, producing ’20 Zig Zags’, while newcomer Jahlil contributes three beats. The rest of the production is handled by Lex Luger, Mike Will, Crazy Mike and Sonny Digital, all frequent and trusted Juicy collaborators. There’s even room for a remix of ‘Money Mane’, from Project Pat and Nasty Mane’s recent Belly on Full mixtape.

You can download Blue Dream & Lean‘s bonus tracks here, and the original mixtape here. Below, we’ve embedded the origjnal’s Speakz and Spaceghostpurrp featuring ‘Deez Bitches Rollin’.