As previously mentioned on these here pages JR Seaton is a man of impeccable taste, he’s called JR for fcks sake!

For further evidence look no further than the new release on his Nocturnes imprint from Brassica who normally has the prefix ‘Sometime Dissident Artist’ attached to him in sentences on the internet. ”New Jam City” from this release is a glorious late night preserve that ripples throughout with analogue bliss.

Download: Brassica – Late Night Jam

go forth and purchase ye vinyl

Slutty Fringe Mix Series # 14 Luke Abbott by Slutty Fringe on Mixcloud

It’s been a bit of a vintage year for electronic music, with old hands like Four Tet and Caribou, releasing standout albums, and newer names such as Walls, Mount Kimbie, Gold Panda, James Blake and Dam Mantle helping to reinvigorate a genre that has been much in need of a tonic.

The latest addition to 2010’s bumper crop comes Norfolk resident Luke Abbott who has already wowed our collective hearing with the brilliant Honeycomb EP for the Amazing Sounds imprint run by  Allez Allez. You missed it?

Well here’s a sonic reminder of it’s greatness in the shape of “One Hundred & Thrteen”.

Download: Luke Abbott – One Hundred & Thirteen

Additionally last week saw the release of Holkham Drones, Luke’s debut album for Border Community. Full of layered textures and sounds, tones and drones that build up and up to hypnotic effect, Abbott has produced an album that could happily soundtrack a night on the sofa just as it could light up braver DJ’s sets. Holkham Drones firmly seats Abbott at the top table, and as such more than deserving of a place in the Slutty Fringe Mix Series hall of fame.

Slutty Fringe: Hello Luke thanks for joining us. My iTunes has classified Holkham Drones as… Unclassifiable, whereas Phonica opted for ‘channelling Britain’s pagan heritage through an overwhelmingly satisfying electronic union of joyously Krauty arpeggios and rolling primal rhythms’ how would you describe your music?

Luke Abbott: It’s some kind of lo fi electronic psychedelia I think.  It’s homemade, and slightly wonky.

It’s taken around four years from your debut 12″ on Output to releasing your first album, how long did it actually take to write and record it?

Around four years I suppose.  There’s one or two tracks on it that go back a while anyway, but most of the album was made since my last EP (Whitebox Stereo).

Will we have to wait another four years for the follow up?

Maybe.

When you’re writing a new tune what’s your process, do you sit down with a very set idea of how you want it to sound, or do you take a more improvisational approach?

My working process is in a constant state of change, but I never really have a set idea of what I’m doing.  A lot of my tracks are built around some kind of improvisation, some of the tracks are recorded as live takes.  And other tracks are based around a little idea and then grow into something else.

Do you think, right this ones for the clubs, or this one’s for home entertainment, or just let the tracks go where they want to?

I can never tell what is or isn’t going to work in a club, so I don’t really think about it.  I prefer music to be more mystical than utilitarian.

I read recently that you record pretty much all your tracks just on a home studio, what’s your current setup like?

Yes, it’s all done at home.  I’ve just moved house actually, so I’m setting up my new studio at the moment.  Characteristically my studio is a bit of a mess, lots of wires, lots of things to play with, and pretty terrible room acoustics.

You’ve also just released a 12″ ‘Honeycomb’ on Allez Allez’s Amazing Sounds, how did that come about?

Sam and Steve (Mr and Mr Allez) are two of the many lovely people I’ve befriended in connection with music.  I’ve done a few gigs with them, and a mix for their website and stuff.  When they set up this new label my record just kind of came along quite naturally.  The tracks on it have been around for a while, stuff I made before the album mostly, but I’m glad they’ve found a way into the world.

I don’t tend to think of Norfolk as up there with the Detroit’s and Berlin’s of the techno city pantheon, but with yourself and Nathan (Fake) both residents there, is there a thriving scene there or do you the pair of you exist in splendid isolation?

Nathan doesn’t even live here anymore, he’s a Londoner now.  But there’s a healthy music scene here, it’s small but friendly, and very diverse… there isn’t a whole bunch of people making the same music here, so I don’t think there’s a ‘Norwich sound’.  I do feel a little bit isolated sometimes, but it’s all swings and roundabouts.

You’ve got a fair few gigs coming up, what can people expect from your live show?

Well, I’ve just done my album launch gig in Ginglik Sheppard Bush, and for that I did a hardware set with a small modular system and some other synths and stuff… but usually I can’t transport all that kit to a gig, especially if I’m playing somewhere in Europe.  So most of the time I do a laptop set, but still with a lot of live stuff happening like live synths and drum programming etc.  I suppose my live show is usually a bit faster and more aggressive than my recorded stuff, but that depends on the club!

So anyway to the matter in hand, tell us a little about the mix you’ve done for us?

Well, I’m not really much of a DJ, but it was fun to do.  I called the mix ‘Sound 23′ in honour of the magical number 23.  I wanted to use some of my sound-effect records (which I have a small collection of) in the mix, so there are some engine noises and clocks and stuff in there.  It’s all off vinyl, so there’s quite a lot of noise and crackle, sorry. I tried to choose tracks that represent what I’m listening to at home at the moment, so it’s a bit eclectic.

Finally we’ve passed comment a few times recently on the current state of Border Community boss James Holden’s barnet, as a friend isn’t it time to stage an intervention?

As long as he doesn’t go back to having dreadlocks I’m not going to intervene.

Tracklist

(engine noise introduction)
(uncredited musical interlude)
(sound 23 introduction)
Tom Waits – Just another sucker on the vine
Holden – Flute
Flying Lotus – Dance Of The Pseudo Nymph
(clock ticking, with chime and 12 strike)
Tamion 12 Inch – International
Bell – Rhythm Machine
Peverelist – Clunk Click Every Trip
Mit – Rauch (Luke Abbott remix)
Hanne Hukkelberg – Ease, in C mix (Sutekh remix)
(steam train)
Lucky Dragons – Tune For Wind Dog

Stream from the above Mixcloud widget now or download from here.

Yesterday’s supremely hung over journey back from a weekend of excellence at the Tauron Nowa Muzyka Festival in Katowice was made all the more bearable by repeat listening to The Upsetters’ barmy Kung Fu Meets The Dragon album.

Amongst the album’s legion of fans are the Seven Inches of Love crew who included a brilliant of “Enter The Dragon’ on their recent 45 by Koosh and Slumber Jack. It’s the sweet uptempo skank of “Exit The Dragon” that proved most soothing yesterday.

Download: The Upsetters – Exit The Dragon

JimJam Graphics make a welcome return to these pages with this visually stunning interpretation of the thumping qualities of Post Human’s excellent Mobile Mast

In which Hot Flush duo Mount Kimbie add a steppy haziness to the quite sublime voice of Andreya Triana, whose debut album Lost Where I Belong successfully challenges the notion that the world needs another singer song writer like I need a hoof to the balls.

Download: Andreya Triana – A Town Called Obsolete (Mount Kimbie Remix)

Shunting aside the likes of Blondes and Teengirl Fantasy and occupying the space in our hearts for American excursions into the deeper and stranger echelons of house music is Night Plane.

For those of you yet to experience the aural delight of “Str8 2 Ur Heart” the New York producers forthcoming single a seven minute visit to the relevant soundcloud page is in order.

With Thisisnotanexit Recordings not releasing “Str8 2 Ur Heart” till October 4th there’s plenty of time to further acquaint yourself with Night Plane. London dwellers could for example attend the debut live show from Night Plane at CAMP on September 24th with some shoddy sounding support act called Shit Robot.

A quicker fix can be found in this subtle edit of Ariel Pink’s “Round & Round” by Night Plane which shears off the psychedelic fuzz of the mid section to focus on amplifying the hypnotic groove.

Download: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round & Round (Night Plane Disco Edit)

Fans of vinyl records can get their preorder on for the “Str8 2 Ur Heart 12″ and enjoy two months of sweaty palms here.

In which BBE offer up a slice of proto New Jack Swing ahead of the release of their excellent GI Disco compilation which is curated by Berlin DJ heroes Kalle Kuts and Daniel W. Best and contains an brilliant selection of Cold War era Funk, Soul, Disco and Boogie.

Download: Timex Social Club – Rumours

Now in its fifth year the Berlin Festival is alongside amazing techno and dirt cheap rents just another reason for our German friends to look all smug.

This years looks event (10th – 11th September) is looking quite spectacular with appearances from what appears to be half of hypedom from LCD Soundsystem, Soulwax and Hot Chip, through to Caribou, Fever Ray and Gonzales playing.

Now wouldn’t it be nice if someone had a pair of tickets to give away, what’s that? We do? How handy!

You’ll have to make your own way there and find somewhere to stay (unless you just dance for 48 hours solid or already live in Berlin, both perfectly feasible) but if you fancy giving it a shot, answer the question below, email us by noon Friday 27th and we’ll randomly pick one winner.

Q) Which big furry animal is the symbol of Berlin?

The new deeps sea video for “Hang Four” from Walls created by Morphologic Studios proves to be just as hypnotising as the music.

Silver Columns are one of my favourite acts of the moment. Their debut album ‘Yes, and Dance’ is a thing of rough hewn beauty, unpolished electro pop that is part Hot Chip, part Kraftwerk and part Bronski Beat.

If you haven’t you really should go and buy it ASAP.

We were lucky enough to have them down play with us last week and hearing Brow Beaten played live, and watching them perform with total joyous, reckless abandon was my highlight of the night (much better than having my wallet nicked anyway).

Anyway they’ve just made a new video for ‘Always On’ and I think you should check it out.