ISSUE #18
Lobster is Coincidence
by Mehmet Aslan
Mehmet Aslan is a treasure. Through samples and timbres rooted in his Turkish heritage and beats ranging from downtempo, to dub, and house, Mehmet Aslan has proven that he is a pioneer of electronic music and someone you should definitely keep an eye on.
Courtesy of Mehmet Aslan
I stumbled upon Mehmet Aslan while on a musical safari of sorts. I was on a ravenous hunt for sounds similar to the French/Brazilian duo Diederdas (who I had discovered while on vacation in Mexico City) by means of scouring through related artists pages from last.fm to Spotify's rather clumsy systems of discovery. But finally, it happened. The stars had aligned for me as I found myself face to face with Mehmet Aslan's 2019 EP Lobster is Coincidence.
There's absolutely no denying that the three track EP was produced for the dance floor. Combining hypnotic, decontextualized vocal samples, a hard-hitting bass line, and a downtempo beat pattern that screams "dance for me!", the Swiss-born Turkish artist illustrates his ability to create a signature sound.
Of the three tracks (really, it’s more like two tracks, as the second track Lobster is Coincidence stands as an interlude of sorts), our favorite track is Kakusui. It’s got everything I love about good dance music: a heavy beat, dynamics, and emotion. But to pick a singular favorite track off of one EP would be criminal. Taking a dive into the rest of Mehmet Aslan’s discography has proven to be a bountiful harvest of engaging electronic music.
I implore you to check out some more of Mehmet Aslan’s output. We went ahead and made a playlist with some of our favorite which you can listen to below. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this musical genius and will be sure to keep you posted on future releases.
Start your weekend with some ass-shaking! Thank me later.
💎Armando
The Cookout Mix
by The Glitch Mob
Los Angeles-based electronic collective The Glitch Mob recently announced a North American tour in celebration of the tenth anniversary of their breakout debut album Drink The Sea. In anticipation of yet another victory lap around America, the group released a bone-shaking new DJ set on Soundcloud. Tune in below.
The Glitch Mob. Image courtesy of Billboard.
If you’re not familiar with The Glitch Mob, good job! I’m impressed. You’ll have to show me around your rock some time.
This trio galvanizes the talents of producers Ooah, Boreta and edIT, all accomplished musicians and DJs in their own rights. Ooah (Josh Mayer) is also one half of the explosive production duo PANTyRAiD, Boreta (Justin Boreta) worked with the late Ram Dass to create an ambient meditation track called Imagine which I highly recommend, and edIT (Ed Ma) has been crowned the king of west coast glitch hop many times over, stacking collaborations and features on top of his amazing solo albums Crying Over Pros for No Reason and Certified Air Raid Material. Together, their skills magnify each other many times over, and their stage shows have grown increasingly elaborate and impressive over their long history.
We’ll let you get to that mix, but I’ve jotted down some noteworthy timestamps for those who just want a sampler before committing to the whole thing.
0:00-5:50: A nasty jungle section combining the ethereal textures of Eastghost with the acid bass of Special Request.
12:35 - Bad Wings (The Glitch Mob) vs. Going in For the Kill (La Roux)
16:00 - Lapalux’s Limb to Limb (from Amnioverse), followed by Jacques Green (performing live in Portland on 2/27)
21:00 - Odesza’s Falls (Glitch Mob remix) into 2 unreleased Glitch Mob tracks - Stance and Chemicals. Nasty drops with beautiful female vox.
30:00 - Aphex Twin’s spidery percussion and skipping synths transition masterfully from the heavy bass wobbles into a Machinedrum remix of Enter Formless off of See Without Eyes.
32:00 - Things get trappy with Imanu’s Dream Mentor and Slick Shoota’s Hyperflexx before dropping into an atmospheric mashup of Drive it Like you Stole It and Analog, a vicious track from Dutch producer Misanthrope (one of my favorites in the Drum n’ Bass sphere).
38:50 - Cybernetik war elephants burst onto the scene during my favorite modern Glitch Mob track, Disintegrate Slowly.
43:30 - Things get dramatic during Camo & Krooked - Loa vs. The Glitch Mob - How Could This Be Wrong.
48:45 - Hezen & Imanu - Flower Veil is a track I’m definitely holding onto, with massive solar flare synths over a delicate, distorted female vocal.
52:20 - A slow build works its way through the reflective textures of Monuman’s Dead Skin before seamlessly dropping us into The Glitch Mob’s We Can Make the World Stop.
The Glitch Mob’s Blade live performance. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
Let us know what you thought of the mix, and thanks for reading!
♥ Zach
