23.8.23

Taking his cue from seminal mix albums of days gone by, Glenn Astro is back with a compilation of original productions from a cast of fictional artists on Nothing Is Real, releasing May 4. 

Across 13 tracks, the Tartelet mainstay celebrates the thrill of discovery which came as standard listening to new entries in series’ like X-Mix and DJ Kicks, moving between head-nodding downtempo, ambient techno, broken beat and all manner of chill-out room delights. You might be left wishing artists such as DJ 1999, Mental Trance and Eye Soul8r had actual discographies to go and explore, but as Astro himself is keen to point out, “nothing is real.” 

Astro has never been shy to embrace classic tropes and tones in his past albums for Tartelet, Apollo and Ninja Tune, but he’s drawing on a different set of influences for this album and embracing the flexibility afforded by using imagined aliases for varied production styles. 

“I had the idea to do a mixtape, preferably with unknown dance tracks that also reflect that whole 90s/early 00s vibe,” Astro explains. “Instead of digging for some records that haven’t been sourced yet or trying to find those ‘forgotten’ treasures, I made the tracks myself. That way I had full control over BPMs, feel and the whole arrangement of tracks. I thought of a few alter egos and started producing the tracks in the order that I intended to play them in a mix. In the end a whole compilation of tracks emerged.” 

While the concept might suggest you’re going to hear a lot of over-familiar sounds, don’t be fooled. Astro is inspired and inquisitive, channeling the experimental spirit of the 90s and early 00s when electronic music was still continually being redefined in all kinds of micro-scenes. In many cases, Astro’s productions slip into the cracks between genres rather than specifically mimicking a style. 

In the run up to its release on May 4, the album will be framed by four key single releases which embody the omnivorous attitude Astro brings to the album. As Crystalline Reality, he explores classic breakbeat in detail, fusing it with starry eyed ambient techno synthesis in an unlikely but wholly convincing combination. Eye Soul8r’s ‘Autumn Subs’ injects ambient synth work in a Fax Records style with a rolling drum funk calling back to the trip hop era. ‘Steppers Worldwide, Unite!’ by The Foundation lands somewhere between pitched down breakbeat hardcore and dubstep, echoing the seldom-mentioned breakstep sound but injecting it with a subtle touch of dub techno. Brain Liquor’s ‘Jaque?’ revels in beatless, Detroit-informed machine funk, laces in some wriggling 303 squelch and gives everything a generous dubbing, but hold tight for the plot twist. 

Even if the reference points are detectable, the end result is a curious blend as indebted to ambiguity as the overall concept of the compilation. Like the spine-tingling sensation of hitting play and awaiting the waves of unknown sonics on one of those seminal mixes, you never know exactly what you’re going to get as you take the trip through Nothing Is Real. 

“In terms of dance music, the 90s and early 2000s are pretty much the blueprint for everything that I’ve later on made myself,” Astro admits. “At the same time, I don’t want to be overly nostalgic about it. We often look at those times, specifically the Y2K years, as being a lot simpler, realer, more honest, which in some cases might even be true. Simultaneously, it's insanely naive. Everything plastic isn’t necessarily futuristic, you know?” 

Nothing is Real drops May 4th on vinyl and digital. 

All tracks written and produced by Glenn Astro

Nothing Is Real V.A. - DJ MIX - Mixed by Glenn Astro

Luscious, head-nodding beats from Berlin. 

Tracklisting and download: https://bit.ly/XLR8Rpodcast_GlennAstro

@glenn-astro

XLR8R Podcast

Tracklist & Download

XLR8R Podcast 798 - Glenn Astro

Klaus Layer aka Rick Flair took part in our new concept compilation album: 
Beats on Boat vol. 2 . pressed on a 2LP black vinyl running at 45 RPM and limited to 300 copies. 

As part of this album each artist recorded a live set whilst crusing down Berlin's river Spree. 
Full set with video is also on youtube: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LlbqCEz86M 

ear-sight
https://ear-sight.com

Klaus Layer
https://soundcloud.com/captain-crook

Educut
https://soundcloud.com/educut

Klaus Layer aka Rick Flair w/ Educut⎪Beats on Boat S2E3 (full set)⎪ear-sight

Leroy Hutson - Situations
Toro y Moi - 50-50
Sam Gellaitry - Jungle Waters
Aaliyah 
Pepe Bradock - Deep Burnt
TRG - Broken Heart (Martyns DCM Remix)
Jeremy Sylvester & USL - Making Love
Anthill Mob - Promise Of
Heavyweight Kru - The Dream 
Sunship - Ready To Rock
SBTRKT - CLK Rate
El-B - Buck & Bury 
Kelela - Washed Away
SBTRKT - The Light (Kaytranada Remix)
Lynda Dawn - Fonk Street
SBTRKT - No Intention (sbtrkt remix) 
SBTRKT - 55th Street
Vanessa Marquez - Want You To Know
J. Tejada & T. Duvante - Coax
SBTRKT - Drift 
Kaytranada - Track Uno
Joy Orbison - So Derobe
SBTRKT - Untitled 
Speakers Corner Quartet - On Grounds
Burial - Young Death 
Wild Bunch Vs Soul II Soul 
SBTRKT - Palm Reader
Jodeci - Feenin (LTJ Bukem Remix)
Mr De - Whonleeone
SBTRKT - Dream Forever
Machinedrum - Do It 4 U (feat. D∆wn)
SBTRKT - Miss The Days
Dead Man's Chest - Tears (Fantazia Version)
W. Michael Lewis - Legend Of Lone Wolf
LTJ Bukem - Demons Theme
Tim Reaper - Sequence  2
DJ Budgie - Never Alone
4am Kru - High Time
Brent Faiyaz - Loose Change
DJ Swisha & Kush Jones - OMG
Cash Cobain - Slizzy Like
Ni'Jah - Sticky (feat. Childish Gambino & KIRBY)
Arthur Verocai - Na Boca do Sol
SZA - Blind
SBTRKT - Starting Point
SBTRKT - Days Go By (ft. Toro y Moi)
Tyler The Creator - Wharf Talk 
SBTRKT - Outro

BBC RADIO 1 ESSENTIAL MIX 2023

Snippets of my forthcoming release "Sensitive People EP" on Blur Records ...

Tracks:
1. Erik Ellmann - Sensitive People
2. Erik Ellmann - Troubadour
3. Erik Ellmann - Christa's Beat
4. Erik Ellmann - Taste of Jazz
5. Erik Ellmann - Troubadour (HATT.D Remix)
6. Erik Ellmann - Christa's Beat (Scruscru Remix)

Remixes by: HATT.D (@hatt_d) & Scruscru (@scruscru) ❤️

Label: Blur Records (@blur-records)
Catalogue: BLUR047
Release date: 01. September 2023

Erik Ellmann - Sensitive People EP (incl. HATT.D & Scruscru Remixes) (BLUR047) - Snippets

Music Lover. Interested in Jazz, Funk, Soul, Elektronic Music, Songwriting, Old Stuff, New Stuff, Hip-Hop.

23.8.23

Julia