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DJ SLOUCH

"Lovely Sunday morning hangover music." - Sophie Faricy (Ninja Tune UK)

The Wires Remix EP - Free Download - Available Now!

DOUBLE PRO MIXTAPE SERIES - 35 MINUTES 10 SECONDS - FREE DOWNLOAD

This new extended edition of the 2XPRO Mixtape will be performed live at the October editions of SynctTank and Out of Sequence at Bar on A and Karma Lounge in Manhattan. Featuring samples and vocals from: Dj Krush, Jurassic 5, Dj Slouch, Telefon Tel Aviv, Jackson 5, MIA, Eazy E, The Cinematic Orchestra, Orbital, Bob Marley, Naughty by Nature, Outkast, Digitalism, Free the Robots, Diverse, Beck, The Pharcyde, Nina Simone, Skalpel, Dead Prez, Notorius BIG, Rob Swift, Shystie, Koop, Enur, Nirvana, Radiohead, the Ying Yang Twins and more.

Daniel Merrill of Aligning Minds Reviews the 'Travels' and 'Labor' Releases

From 88 DC's Music Blog

"Some of you following this blog and running in the circles of 88 may know our fine friend Dj Slouch- turntablist, producer, and beat selektor with a refined taste in all that is low slung, spaced out, jazzfunk beat collage. Slouch is hardly the name for him, as he’s been more than hard at work in recent months, and is well due for an update on his most recent achievements.

First, he comes at us with his ‘Travels’ EP- which is a compilation of ‘rarities and re-releases’ of tunes that never made it to see the light of day, due to record label politics and conflicts….a shame but I suppose things happen for a reason, and these tracks seem to have found a proper home with each other on this release.

On the whole I feel that all of the tracks presented here- are variations on a particular vision, drawing from a focal point of common influence and tastes in samples. Oh, how I’d love to hear the original records from which these samples are drawn, to be able to compare source and result, if only to get a better understanding of the obviously huge amount of dedication that’s invested in their manipulation.

Starting out with ‘the Walk Home’, a tune that interlocks various layers of jazz trumpet, traditional Japanese instrumentation, Indian vocals, mc samples, breaks and beats - stitched together with organic scratching- sets the pace immediately. As the tracks progress, the arsenal of strings, ethnic samples, vinyl noise, gritty urban beatwork and loungey nuance is further defined/refined- so that a sort of immersive environment is created. Once enveloped in this environment, each element starts to take on its own identity, and form it’s own voice of ‘Slouch speak’. Therefore, a sort of language is created- in order to construct musical sentences and paragraphs of unique character.

‘Travels’ stays the course through this well defined musical landscape, moving with calculated precision through tracks like ‘Window Seat’ – with its dronal mood and soulful funk cries- to ‘The Breaks’, which is maybe the most mournful, reflective tune here. My personal favorite. The production is totally worth being paid homage to- and it delivers the musicality of the compositions with complete adequacy. The snares are snappy, the percussion is nice and loose, the pianos are full of delicate subtleties and the rich crackle is in all the right places. I mean- what is a hip hop beat collage without well placed vinyl crackle? It just doesn’t hold up at this point, it’s become a fixture in our psychoacoustic expectations.

A jump to the future, or near present of Slouch- brings us to his more recent ‘Labor’ EP. A little more upfront than ‘Travels’, some of the beats on this one could even make you dance- it’s got more ruckus in it. For instance, ‘Black Coffee’, if sped up and quantized a bit (god forbid this)- could actually be a mixable breaks tune. Where ‘Travels’ was a bit more leftfield, heady music, this EP could signify more of a focus on the floor, less sunrise and more late night.

‘Water’ might be the epitome of this, combining a raunchy-as-fuck harmonica blues jam with the sounds of a 50’s Alabama hoedown, Afro-Cuban beats, and cinematic string layers- combines the essence of reflection with that of the party. Branching out in different directions of pace like this shows the longevity of Slouch’s style while staying consistent with what defined it in the first place. That’s a desire of any visionary artist in my opinion, so I’ve got to admire that. Both releases are strong in what they set out to accomplish, and pave the way for the future. Oh, and he also puts out regular mixtapes- to keep us in tune with where that future is headed. Thoughtful, yes? http://www.djslouch.net/downloads/september2008-xnyc.html

- DM (Aligning Minds)

DOUBLE PRO MIXTAPE SERIES - 43 minutes 43 seconds - FREE DOWNLOAD

This new extended edition of the Double Pro Mixtape was performed live at X:NYC on October 2nd, 2008 at Club 205 in Manhattan. Featuring samples and vocals from: Skalpel, LCD Soundsystem, Li'l Wayne, Petter, Dizzee Rascal, Little Dragon, Notorius BIG, Nicolay, Hooverphonic, Redman, King Crimson, Nas, Sublime, Jane's Addiction, Outkast, Thom Yorke, Modeselektor, Tim & Puma Mimi, Radiohead, Hot Chip, RJD2, Cat Power, Aesop Rock, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Ted James, The Knife, MIA, Jay-Z, Spank Rock and more.

Cover Photo by Graham Meyer

Skylines EP Coming Soon

August2008.mp3 - 18 minutes 48 seconds - Free Download

Travels - Rarities and Rereleases: Travels is a handpicked selection of the best and brightest tracks by Dj Slouch that, for various reasons, were never released between his time in Providence in 2006 and his many subsequent moves throughout New York City until 2008. Various flawed record deals and twists of fate kept many of these tracks on the back burner until he decided to go solo in late 2007.

Now Available on iTunes

Labor EP: A milestone in Slouch's development as a producer, this EP blends the glow and ambiance from his debut 'Viva', with newfound sophistication in rythm and intensity. Drawing upon a wealth of global percussive influences and richer, fuller vocal threads than Slouch's previous work, the songs create a sound of their own, blending a scratched, historic tone with an energetic, modern cinematic feel. During his work on the album, which was originally intended to be an LP, the sound evolved so much that Ian felt he had to separate the newer work, and give it it's own EP. Many of the other tracks originally intended for 'Labor' can be found on the simultaneous release entitled 'Travels: Rarities and Rereleases'. Labor features the long awaited singles "Kaleidoscopes" and "Black Coffee".

Now Available on iTunes