he States has always had a unique relationship with dance music. Whether inventing it (see: disco) or destroying it (see: disco sucks), North America is the crucible where ass- shaking, head- expanding, soul
slamming forms of music are forged, feted, dismissed, warred over and forgotten in near constant loop. Currently, the mainstream ‘likes’ dance. It ‘gets’ dance. As a result megabucks are being pumped into smearing vacuous pop product onto cookie cutter 4/4 beats, beer bong brostep is being touted as the saviour of rock and roll, and — Lord knows why — some genius decided that all Billboard R&B should sound like stoopid ‘90s Eurotrance. That’s the narrative of American dance being shot out to the world and damn right you better like it buddy, ‘cos it’s blasting outta clubs from the end of your street to the other side of the globe… There is, however, another story. This is where Bryant Rutledge — aka Low Limit — steps in. Better known as half of genre-taunting bass freaks Lazer Sword, Rutledge has taken a break from producing their fluorescent, addictively slippery house/hyphy hybrids and instead focussed on running a label, tweaking his solo tracks and curating a pace-setting new compilation, ‘Ouroboros’ (out now on Innovative Leisure). “I’m super keen on labels and artists coming from Europe and UK,” he explains when we speak to him about it,“but I wanted to use the opportunity to expose artists from our area since I think the US tends to get a bad rep for often being too extreme and tasteless. The producers involved on the compilation to me represent a far moodier and [more] intimate approach to the contemporary dance music movement happening in North America.” The resultant collection is a state-of-the-nation treasure trove of deep electronic gems, drawn entirely from American producers steeped in the magic and lore of dance music. Across 10 tracks the comp takes a nocturnal voyage through flickering memories of house, techno, garage, footwork and breakbeat, distilling the past into vital, pulsating new forms. Rutledge himself is adamant that the collection is an overview of a multitude of scenes, rather than an immutable definition of a single one.
Obey City
“The intention was by no means to group a handful of artists together and put a stamp on them as all representing a particular sound or movement, rather the opposite,” he tells DJ Mag USA. “I wanted to illustrate the diversity of excellent producers in our region who adhere to their distinctly original sound.”
Whilst it’s true that there are no tedious genre/ tempo rules tethering ‘Ouroboros’, there are strong themes running throughout. Immersed in the emotional depths the best electronic music can stir, the cuts allow as much weight to introspection as euphoria, and venture from strobe-lit peaks to heart-tugging sorrows. There is a sense of nostalgia, with the nagging pull of memory lurking just off stage, reflected in echoing synths and half-heard vocals. The name ‘Ouroboros’ refers to the ancient mythological symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, something Bryant found inspiring. “The imagery itself we found to be not only powerful visually, but also representative of the idea of recreation and cyclicality, which to me is a notable factor through music of the present. Right now there’s just such an incredible amount of inspiration coming from times past, being re- adapted by new generations in entirely different contexts, incorporating more modern tools and production techniques. Whether it’s classic house and techno, garage, footwork, jungle, or what have you, the past few years we’ve seen an interesting revival of aesthetic, rhythm and sound palette choices being borrowed from times past. Those who I reached out to for the compilation were artists who I feel deserve credit for bringing something genuinely unique and tasteful to the table in this climate where, to some extent, everyone is borrowing from each other.”
This includes familiar names alongside rising stars. True to form, Braille and Machinedrum deliver tracks referencing classic rave, their pitch shifted vocals and fractured breakbeat science acting as voodoo-summoning ceremonies for the ghost of jungle. It transpires that the Machinedrum number, ‘Whatnot’, was created well over a year ago, recorded during the sessions for his massive ‘Room(s)’ LP — something that should rightly get the fans sweaty-palmed with anticipation. The majority of the rest of the set was created specifically for ‘Ouroboros’, with one notable exception; Ghosts On Tape’s ‘Sex Chat’. A clip clopping house workout that’s part acid house bubble and part ‘Kid A’ instrumental, it was first given to Rutledge on a cassette 10 years back
Machinedrum
when the two were friends and roommates. It’s testimony to GoT’s deliberately retro technique — he writes using two antiquated Yamaha samplers, painstakingly loading samples up from computer disc — that the track sounds as fresh and as timeless as anything produced in the last 12 months. Elsewhere, HxdB & Self Evident throw up a rudeboy homage to UK funky on ‘Cloud Turtle’, off-kilter as a gangbanger getting white boy wasted, and one of the ruffest tracks of the set. New Yorker Obey City combines sweet Rhodes chords with sweeter bass explosions on ‘Nightmare Cafe’ and ends up concocting a day- glo carnival to pin a smile to your soul. Further in, Sweatson Klank shift everything to a far stranger place for ‘You & The Sky’, a sprawling head jam that navigates a unique path between woozy prog rock and diamond-hard electro snaps. Eager to showcase these disparate energies, Bryant proves himself a talented curator, weaving light and shade with a deft touch. There is, however, a big omission; nothing from Rutledge’s Lazer Sword partner Lando Kal. We ask Bryant about the gap, vaguely hoping for some unmentioned controversy. No such luck. “I’m a huge fan of the stuff that Lando is making right now,” he responds, “and he did send over a track for consideration. Ultimately, as was the case with a handful of other great producers who sent music, several songs didn’t end up fitting within the decidedly more emotional — for lack of a better descriptor — direction the record took in the end. Lando is making some of the most exciting and adventurous techno of the moment in my opinion, and if I may shamelessly plug here, I highly suggest to check out the 12” he just put out through our Icee Hot imprint.”
The San Francisco-based Icee Hot, run by Rutledge and his friends, is also gearing up to drop some new Low Limit material on the world. ‘Ouroboros’ features the producer’s first solo track since 2010’s ‘Golden Handshake’ EP kicked off the game changing Numbers label. His new offering ‘Uppercut’ is — as ever — incredibly hard to pigeonhole. Bass heavy, pretty and forlorn, it crafts vocal snippets, booming 808 kicks, white noise and escalating saw tooth synths into a forsaken symphony, closing with a slow, detuning piano unravelling over samples of street violence. It’s cinematic, heart wrenching, and possibly the best thing he’s written to date. The good news is, it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Ghosts On Tape
www.djmag.com
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