Outer Spaces - a free EP created on the iPhone

DopplerPad is an iPhone app that utilizes the touch screen to put a put a fully-loaded beat station in your pocket. What better way to see what it can do than put it through its paces by four top future groove producers? Outer Spaces, a free EP by producers Eskmo, Exillon, Jneiro Jarel, and Starkey, was created utilizing only DopplerPad, and you can grab the EP on DopplerPad's website.

Starkey, Philadelphia's leading purveyor of street bass, lays down some luvstep on "Hurricane's Doppler." The track is a funky, swirling attack of synths, snares, and - of course - bass. San Francisco's Eskmo has released material on leading labels Planet Mu and Warp Records, and his "Eyephone Around the Pad" is a chugging mix of simple guitar riffs and left-field samples.

The offering by Exillon, "Popplerdad," is the most danceable of the EP - a bouncy electro romp with midrange wobble. The wobble continues with a grimey track by Jneiro Jarel, who has worked with groundbreaking artists like TV on the Radio and DOOM.

For a relatively expensive iPhone app ($7.99), demonstrating worth is key. So while Outer Spaces is an interesting EP on its own, it's an even better advertisement for DopplerPad. If you're into future grooves, you should check out both.

The Verge: The #DirtyPopTour

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. Let's talk about pop, pop, pop music.

From our coverage of Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, to our teen pop extravaganza FRIENDS, it's clear that TGRIOnline is committed to bringing you everything pop music related, no matter how saccharine or ephemeral. So it should be no surprise that a concert with a Twitter-friendly name like the #DirtyPopTour would be on our radar.

The #DirtyPopTour brings together three up-and-coming bands, each with a different take on pop music, to six cities this summer, including DC9 on Tuesday, July 6th. The bands have put together a little mixtape for the occasion, which you can download for free on Bandcamp.

Electroclash popsters Menya, after playing Virginia and Maryland in April, are hitting the road hard this summer and will bring their unique party vibe to DC a few times. The trio of Good Goose, Angie Ripe, and Coco Dame best exemplifies the "dirty pop" moniker, effortlessly shifting between Top 40 re-works and sex-crazed club bangers. For a taste of the former, check out their recent cover of Motown classic "You Can't Hurry Love."

NYC's TVTV specializes in new wave flavored rock. The band will be releasing its debut record on Mom and Pop Records, the home of Sleigh Bells and Metric, and has a sound closer to that of the latter. TVTV combines big riffs, smooth synths, and catchy hooks on their lead single, "Much Too Much."

Headliners 2AM Club play a radio-friendly mix of blue eyed soul and pop rock, with touches of electro and hip hop. Think Maroon 5 meets Gym Class Heroes. The band is coming off a tour with Chiddy Bang, and has a track on - I shit you not - Now That's What I Call Music. Check out their video for "Worry About You" and you'll see why these guys are on the verge of serious crossover success.

The #DirtyPopTour hits DC9 next Tuesday, and you could do a lot worse than an evening of guilty pleasure pop music.

The Drop: Dragged and Screwed (or, witch house cover songs)

The latest development in electronic music is the sonic darkness known either as drag or witch house. Equal parts chopped-and-screwed hip hop and gothic industrial, the mysterious scene is all over the internet yet difficult to pin down, due in large part to glyph-filled band names that are both unpronounceable and unsearchable.

With new releases from Disaro or Tri Angle dropping seemingly daily, it's getting difficult to keep our triangles and crosses straight. So apart from SALEM, where should you start with drag? How about some macabre makeovers of pop and hip-hop songs?

San Francisco's oOoOO has released an EP that features several gloomy cover versions of formerly-upbeat dance tracks. The title track, "No Summr4U" is a a reworking of Nocera's 1986 hit "Summertime, Summertime" which replaces the freestyle melody with a stark beat and hypnotic synths. "PCKRFCRMX" is short on vowels but big on dissonant keys and cut-and-paste Lady Gaga vocals.



Witch house heads must see something they like from the Haus of Gaga, because oOoOO is not alone in reworking the pop star of the moment. Mater Suspiria Vision has turned her songs into delay-heavy drone-fests. Not only have they given a mindfuck remix to "Alejandro," but their take on both the song and video for "Paparazzi" is truly twisted, and not for the faint of heart.

SALEM proved that drag and hip-hop are a natural fit with their Gucci Mane edits. ✝ NO VIRGIN ✝ takes a shot at some trap music with a version of Gucci's "I'm the Shit." NO VIRGIN's appropriately titled Downer EP is full of similarly pulsing scarefests and is available for free. If you're into that sort of thing.

Whether you call it drag, witch house, or goth crunk, this music is not for everyone. Sludgy drum machine beats, grim synth lines, and samples of everything from gunshots to child-like pleading (!) may not be everyone's cup of tea. But sometimes it pays to not be afraid of the dark.

Future Grooves: Roska

Last week, London radio station Rinse FM went legit, receiving an FM broadcast license. The pirate radio station (exclusively online since a government crackdown in 2005) has been a driving force in the UK underground dance scene since 1994. Garage, grime, dubstep, and UK funky have thrived with the support of the station, which has exposed the world to influential artists like Dizzee Rascal and Skream. The station also runs a record label, whose latest release is the full-length debut by UK funky producer Roska.


Roska (aka Wayne Goodlitt) is one of the foremost producers in a genre that - while sharing some influences and sounds with dubstep - has developed in response to the aggro-bro feel of the dubstep scene. The beats are closer to those of house, with a soca shuffle and tribal elements; UK funky is much better suited for dancing than for moshing.

Roska's record is a great starting point for listeners unfamiliar with UK funky. Nearly half of the tracks feature R&B-flavored singers Anesha, Jamie George, and Nikki. These hook-based songs, especially "Love 2 Nite," are all cross-over contenders. The first single, "I need love," highlights the vocals and an insistent snare line over a bubbling bassline.

The album also features fantastic UK funky-dubstep hybrids. On "Time Stamp," reedy synths do battle with a dark, minor-keyed bassline, while "Burn in Flames" pits flamenco piano against bouncing synths and some serious bass. The title of "Squark" refers to trill, bird-like synths that are met with a pulsing rhythm and slick guitar chords on the downtempo romp.

Roska is coming off a Sonar Barcelona show curated by dubstep diva Mary Anne Hobbs that also included sets by Flying Lotus and Joy Orbison. Check out the interview and mix he did for Hobbs on BBC Radio 1 back in March. With co-signs by Rinse FM and Mary Anne Hobbs, Roska is definitely doing something right.

DUBSTEP DOSSIER gives way to FUTURE GROOVES

After ten Dubstep Dossiers, this column was having an existential crisis. Since the first installment, I've noted how dubstep is constantly changing, mutating with the influence of other genres. With that in mind, I've always selected artists whose music can be accurately placed under the dubstep umbrella, even if it veers into other sounds. Still, I've often come across a musician and found myself asking, "is this dubstep enough?"

I don't want to spend my time pigeonholing musicians. There is so much cross-pollination between the descendants of UK garage (dubstep, UK funky, grime, 2-step, bassline, et cetera) that it seems limiting and inaccurate to only write about "dubstep." Especially when elements of dubstep itself continue to influence the experimental electronic music of artists like Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, and Rustie. Wonky? Future beat? Glitch-hop? Who cares!

With all that in mind, Dubstep Dossier will be supplanted by Future Grooves, a column with the same goal of presenting cutting edge, bass heavy electronic music. No matter what you call it.

And so this post isn't just words, enjoy Joy Orbison's "Hyph Mngo."

The Verge: Rat vs Possum

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. I spend a lot of column inches on bands and musicians from the UK but not nearly enough on artists from one of its former colonies.


Rat vs Possum is all about conflicting forces, from their name on down. The Australian act's debut, Daughter of Sunshine, finds beauty in the chaos of juxtaposition. The seven songs are full of both hypnotic psychedelia and catchy pop. They click with electronic loops, but bounce along with acoustic melodies and vocal harmonies. And for all their complex layering, the lyrics are breathtakingly simple.

The album launches with a song that is prototypical of the entire effort. On "War," a glitchy drum loop, simple chord progression, and dueling vocals bob and weave into a pastoral hymn: "I've been waiting for you to come home for so long / I've been waiting for you to come back, back from the war." After meditating on the man-made, the band mixes the sounds of the jungle on an instrumental jam named just that.

As can be expected from an psych-art-pop collective, drugs just may be involved. "Pills" revolves around a sing-along of "I think I love you / but it just might be the pills." Horns and keys sparkle during the breakdown, before things get confusing and the vocals start to collide like bad acid.

Rat vs Possum shows have involved copious amounts of glitter and bubble wrap. Hopefully they bring some of their art school magic stateside.

The Drop: Turn up and get down with the "Munbreakton EP"

Yes, TGRIOnline is now dropping moombahton daily. And why not? We're just past the Summer Solstice and the time is right for the tropical tuneage.

Moombahton started as Dutch house, and now it's going back home with Rotterdam's Munchi (remember him?). Munchi and Charlotte's DJ David Heartbreak have released the "Munbreakton EP," six tracks that keep pushing the nascent genre forward.

Download the Munbreakton EP!

Heartbreak and Munchi are at their best when crate-digging R&B and hip-hop and reworking it into smooth moombahton jams. "Sweet Tea" (named for the only thing the producers drank in the studio) adds a bit of baile funk to the instantly-recognizable melody and moans combo from LL's "Doin' It" for a bubbling hit. "Aponte o não," pulling both from the Fugee's classic "Ready or Not" and the Course remix of the same song, features a chill vibe perfect for whatever you're sipping. And "Soltero y sin compromiso" is an ambient, swirling take on Lil Wayne's "Single."

Sonically, Munchi and Heartbreak bring new elements to the table. The synth in songs like "Pilulas Azuis e Brancos" ("Blue and white pills") and "Boneknuckles" is raw, heavy, and unforgiving: siren calls to the dancefloor. Munchi utilizes the percussion of merengue and mambo in "Pero Que lo Que Mujer," a no-brainer move that's a perfect fit with moombahton.

The "Munbreakton EP" is the kind of release that keeps the developing moombahton sound exciting. "In my opinion, the possibilities with moombahton seem endless," says Munchi. We have to agree.

Dubstep Dossier: B. Rich

Like most liquors, dubstep can be enjoyed on its own but really shines when combined with complimentary flavors.* While some producers choose R&B and B-more club mixers, others opt for electro and house. Pittsburgh's B. Rich is one producer making such club-ready dubstep cocktails.


B. Rich (aka Barrett Richards) is another ex-club kid obsessed with bass. His tracks bounce with the non-stop beats of electro, the ravey synths and vocals of house, and the machine-gun wobble of dubstep. A song like "Killin It" on his Make Me Dance EP bangs with a best-of-all-worlds approach.

Lost among the superb remixes by Nadastrom and Dave Nada, B. Rich's remix of Udachi's "P-Funk Skank" is a fantastic 90s meets 00s take on the underground hit. And while he pulls from all types of EDM, hip-hop is also a defining characteristic of his sound. Just check the "Pop Bottles" sampling on the recently released "We Ball Harder."

B. Rich has remixed and been remixed by A.C. Slater and the Trouble & Bass crew, who he'll be joining tonight at U Hall for the T&B monthly basstravaganza. This hour-long promo mix, featuring previous Dubstep Dossier features Redlight and Doctor P, finds B. Rich moving all along the electronic music spectrum. So check the mix, grab a drink, and meet us on the dance floor.



* All alcohol-related inquiries should be handled by our friends the Edukatorz.

The Verge: Young Mammals

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. This (day late) post proves I'm not just stealing from the BBC. So there.

Down in Texas, Houston is a three hour drive from Austin. So while H-town is known for chopped and screwed hip-hop, it can't help but be influenced by the city responsible for SXSW and Austin City Limits. That's evident in the music of newcomers Young Mammals, a four-piece band whose debut album Carrots drops on Tuesday.

Carrots is full of atmospheric indie rock, in the vein of Broken Social Scene and the Flaming Lips. Pop melodies swirl with lush, reverb-heavy guitars. It's noisy but not abrasive; a garage band melting in the summer heat. The music is frenetic and fun, just like their low-budget zombies-versus-band video for "Wires and Buttons."

Many indie rock bands that oscillate between pop and noise reach too often for the latter. For the most part, Young Mammals strike a fair balance here. The songs average about three minutes long and don't wear out their welcome; there's enough drone to hook - but not drown - the listener. And except for the experimental "untitled" that closes the album, there is something for fans of straight-forward indie rock to latch onto during every song.

Young Mammals will rock out DC9 on Tuesday, with a solid and like-minded bill that includes Laughing Man, DEUTSCHMARKS, and Deleted Scenes. Don't miss it!

Dubstep Dossier: Mensah

Dubstep is coming of age when our appetite for new music exceeds the output of our favorite musicians. As most producers forgo full-length albums for the drip drip drip of singles and EPs, the thirstiest fans seek out new music, carefully distinguishing oasis from mirage.

For fans of Bristol uber-producer Joker, newcomer Mensah appears to be the real thing. His Untitled Future Funk EP contains six heavy slabs of the purple-toned dubstep Joker is known for. Throughout the EP, melodic synth waves cascade over shuffling, two-step beats. Mensah's toolbox isn't limited to the staples of the sound, however. On “Rock City,” a grungy, distorted guitar riff collides head-on with a exotic synthlines. For a genre known for aggressive, mosh-pit sounds, the guitar is criminally underutilized by Mensah's peers.

The simply-titled “Acid Dub” is the most dancefloor-ready cut. “Come with me,” it implores, down a rabbit hole of big beat and jungle, before opening up onto a vista of halftime house. The track is aggressive without being abrasive, a fine line that many dubsteppers have trouble walking.

While dubstep devotees wait for the next release from the enigmatic and elusive Joker, producers like Mensah are more than happy to develop the genre. So check out this sick mix that he put together for Disrupt on Inc. And remember, don't fear the wobble.

The Verge: The Drums

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. For the record, I swear I'm not just copying this stuff from the BBC Sound of polls.

I really don't want to the like the Drums. The last decade's most regrettable alliteration is "Brooklyn blog buzz band." Since the Strokes burst onto the scene, everyone has been on the lookout for four or five hipsters playing throwback tunes with a blasé attitude. When a new one arrives from that ever trendy borough, everyone is enthralled for the requisite 15 minutes, before discarding the band and moving onto the next one.

Are the Drums any different? On first glance, maybe not. They crib from the same post-punk and new wave standards as countless other Pitchfork-approved bands. Their videos even reach for the affected quirkiness of those of OK Go. So why bother?

Throughout their self-tited debut (released Tuesday), the Drums knock out relentlessly catchy, memorable songs, separating themselves from their peers. Jonathan Pierce's vocals and lyrics are darkly romantic, owing much to Morrissey and the Smiths, especially on a crooner like "I Need Fun in My Life." The album even kicks off with a Moz-like refrain: "You were my best friend / and then you died."

Reverb-heavy guitars and bouncing bass lines are met with beats right out of the Joy Division playbook (except for those on "Me and the moon," which I'm sure is an A-ha sample). Their influences are worn so firmly on their sleeves that I can't imagine the band takes themselves too seriously. They aren't Vampire Weekend, pretending they invented their style, but they aren't She Wants Revenge either, ripping off 80s sounds in tongue-in-cheek fashion. Instead, the Drums present a pastiche that combines some of the best elements of familiar genres, without pretension.

And it's fun summer music. I can see crowds bouncing and swaying along to these songs at outdoor concerts. Even a down-tempo ballad like "Down by the water" fills an essential role, providing the album's lighters-in-the-air moment. But make no mistake, these songs are deceptively well-written, even if all they ask of the listener is to join them for a dip in familiar seas.

TGRIOnline x DJ A-Mac present... Culipandeo: The Moombahton Mixtape

Moombahton is perfect summer music. The chopped-and-screwed house elements and Latin percussion transport you to beach parties in tropical locales, complete with sand between your toes and a rum drink in your hand. But most of all, moombahton is built for that favorite summer pastime: dancing. With that in mind, TGRIOnline is pleased to present Culipandeo, a moombahton mix by rising selector and moombahton connoisseur DJ A-Mac.

Dave Nada and A-Mac have been 1A and 1B when it comes to the developing genre. A-Mac's take on the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Heads Will Roll" was one of the first moombahton jams to catch fire, and the Calgary DJ continues to dominate the sound, dropping nine of his own edits on the mixtape. A-Mac's skills don't just lie in remixing, but in finding hot tracks and coaxing out a moombahton groove, as he does with the NROTB remix of Drop the Lime's "Set Me Free" and the Highschool remix of Hot Chip's "I Feel Better."

The mix will keep you dancing for nearly an hour and hits the touchstones of the young genre. Tracks by the man himself ("KRS Moombahton Edit", "La Gata Plastica") are included for good measure, but the highlight just may be when Modjo's "Lady" melts into Timbaland & Magoo's "Drop."

Call it what you will - el culipandeo, the booty shake, the hip roll - moombahton makes you dance. So cop it, crank it, and move it this summer! And be sure to show the DJ some love: find A-Mac on Facebook, Soundcloud, Myspace, and Twitter.

Download Culipandeo: The Moombahton Mixtape



Tracklist for Culipandeo: The Moombahton Mixtape

1. Opulent Sound - Stickin Moombahton Edit
2. Momma's Boy vs MikiX the Cat - At Night **
3. Smalltown Romeo - Boom (Sammy Bananas Boombahton Mix)
4. Jacuzzi Club - Theme Riddim
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll **
6. Drop The Lime - Set Me Free (NROTB Carnival Remix) **
7. Dave Nada - KRS Moombahton Edit
8. Tom Deluxx Mat the Alien Moombahton Edit
9. Munchi - Metele Bellaco
10. N.A.S.A - Watchadoin (DJ Alvaro remix Uncle Jesse Moompatron Edit)
11. Hot Chip - I Feel Better (Highschool remix) **
12. Dave Nada - La Gata Plastica (Sabo Remix)
13. Dave Nada vs Dj Jean - MoombahLaunch **
14 . A-Mac - Hooo your crew
15. The XX - Crystalized (Lorcan Mak remix)**
16. Sabo & Cassady - La Curura
17. Mastiksoul ft. Carla Carlim - Baila Bonito **
18. Modjo - Lady **
19. Timbaland & Magoo - Drop **
20. DJ Dus - Pussy Marijuana Cumbow

** = A-Mac Moombahton Edit

The Drop: How to Destroy Angels

The biggest question surrounding How to Destroy Angels is how the new project from Trent Reznor would differ from Nine Inch Nails. Even with former West Indian Girl frontwoman (and Reznor's wife) Mariqueen Maandig on vocals, how far would the project veer from the sound, aesthetic, and attitude of the groundbreaking rock mainstay?

The band didn't take long to start answering questions. After slowly dripping out teaser clips just over a month ago, the band has released it's debut self-titled EP. How to Destroy Angels follows Reznor's music-label-free distribution model: embrace the fact that music is essentially free, give the album away, and sell exclusive versions and premium material. However, it also follows Reznor's recent musical endeavours.

Putting Nine Inch Nails on the backburner after nearly 20 years was supposed to give Reznor a chance to experiment with music that would not fit under the NIN banner. HTDA flows logically from Year Zero and The Slip, but it doesn't break new sonic ground.

As a diehard fan of Nine Inch Nails, I will happily and eagerly devour new material from Reznor. Still, I can't help feeling that this is a missed opportunity, especially with so many exciting trends in electronic music. Reznor owes much of his success to drawing on underground influences and giving them a mainstream shine (Skinny Puppy's "Dig It" became "Down In It," for example). I can just imagine the results if Reznor decided to make some Burial-style dubstep or Salem-ish drag music. Unfortunately, nothing on the EP would feel out of place in the recent Nine Inch Nails discography.

On its own merits, HTDA is worth the download (and not just because it's free). The somber atmospherics of a song like "A Drowning" reveal more layers on each listen, and the four-on-floor attack of "Fur Lined" is as aggressive and sexy as ever. "The Space in Between" is accompanied by a grim video that finds Reznor continuing to push the envelope. So even if the answer is the easy one, we're lucky that Trent is still answering questions.

Dubstep Dossier: Benga

Dubstep is a genre defined by bass. So what happens when a dubstep producer adds other bass-centric music - like Baltimore club - to the mix?

Seminal dubstep producer Benga's latest EP, Phaze One, does just that, laying down eight Bristol-meets-Baltimore bangers. Benga (real name Benga Adejumo) has been producing tracks since 2002, when grime first evolved into dubstep. His Diary of an Afro Warrior is a genre-defining record, full of stuttering two-step beats, ominous synths, and of course, heavy doses of stomach churning wobble. His breakout track was 2007's dubstep anthem "Night," a collaboration with fellow dubstepper Coki.

For fans of his earlier work, Phaze One does not disappoint. Most of the tracks cover familiar bro-step territory, like the grimey "eyeTunes" and "Your Band (Descending)." Even "Rock Music," which starts with uncharacteristic timpani and strings, devolves into an abrasive grinder. But the most surprising tracks are where Benga play outside of his usual sandbox.

The EP is bookended by two tracks that would feel right at home in Baltimore. The succinctly titled "Baltimore Clap" combines a steady beat with a rising synth-line and some pulsing sub-bass. "No Bra, No Panties" may be the better combination of styles, with it's airhorn-versus-sawtooth melody and lyrics that consist of "No bra / no panties / you playin' yourself." This one is definitely ready for the club, whether you're in Bristol or Baltimore. And remember, don't fear the wobble.

The Verge: Warpaint

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. Enjoy past Verge features like the Dum Dum Girls and Screaming Females? Then check out Warpaint.


I discovered LA's Warpaint in a roundabout way: getting caught in the IMDb/Wikipedia feedback loop, looking for more information about The Rules of Attraction. The cast of the 2002 film included both a former and current member of the band: the female lead (Shannyn Sossamon) and a pivotal minor character (Theresa Wayman), respectively. While Sossamon left to focus on acting, Wayman continues to contribute vocals and guitars to the experimental rock act. Coincidentally, the band's music echoes the themes of the film (and those of Bret Easton Ellis's brilliant novel): hopelessness, melancholy, and tragic romance.

Warpaint fill their debut Exquisite Corpse EP with atmospheric art rock. Minor-key guitar melodies collide with swirling keys and start-stop rhythms. The vocal harmonies between the band (all four women in the band sing on the EP) add another layer to compositions. Exquisite Corpse was mixed by former Chili Pepper John Frusciante, and the veteran's steady hand on the boards certainly helps keep the sound cohesive, even as it drifts leftward.

"Elephants" builds on a simple opening riff, piling on a hypnotic bassline and processed-vocals (reminiscent of Bjork, at points), building to a half-time jam that ends the song. The song's accompanying video perfectly captures its essence.

"Billie Holiday" would fit perfectly on a Saddle Creek release, with it's singer-songwriter acoustics and vocal counter-point. The song pays tribute to female singers past, with a chorus that alternates between spelling out the titular name and the iconic lyrics from Mary Wells' Motown classic "My Guy."

Exquisite Corpse is a captivating debut from yet another female-fronted band on the verge of a breakthrough. Warpaint is working on a follow-up LP, but you can catch the band at DC9 on June 13th with Mini Mansions.