- A dope collection of tongue-in-cheek tracks from the streaming world.
- In a world where streams are the (temporary) norm, it's always gratifying when artists go the extra mile. Amsterdam-based Brew Records, the brainchild of Robert Bergman, along with Tax Free, a project of Max Graef out of Berlin, have been doing just that with the streams on their Twitch channel LiveAtTheProxy. A typical broadcast not only delivers DJ and live hardware sets, but animated skits and role playing as well. One of the recent streams coincided with the release of a dual label compilation Year of the prOXy exclusive content, an eclectic collection of hardware-heavy tracks.
Many of the selections here have humorous titles, and there's a heavy tendency to use aliases or pseudonyms. There are a plethora of genres and moods on display, from electro-influenced sleaze to chillout, illbient-type songs. Nothing sounds repetitive or lazy but there's a definite vibe shared by all the artists involved. "Return Of The Birdman" by Bobby Birdman is a low-BPM chugger with liberal amounts of vocal processing, while similar effects are applied to answering machine messages over a simple beat by Jaywalker on "Voicemails." Bird noises and ambient bits are layered with a sampled radio era speech in ML's "For Thee Exotic," one of the more interesting ambient numbers.
While the compilation certainly isn't geared towards a club environment, some of the more party-oriented tracks are fantastic, like Boney Burger's "Big Boss Theme (Got Deeeeep Pockets)." This one has classic house sounds and production techniques—even the tried and true reverse drum hit—but does uses them in a tasteful, even thrilling manner. Short plays like "Brow Brow Party (45 Mix)" from Montel Palmer also have the potential to do damage, with an out-of-tune melody and full synthetic drum kit pumping alongside playful vocals before coming to an abrupt end. "The Bean" by Master Of Illusions is another dance floor killer: a slice of arpeggio funk that sounds like alien warfare.
One of the major pitfalls of a lot of contemporary dance music is how serious everything seems to be all the time. There are, of course, many important issues to raise and narratives to be challenged, but it's refreshing to see a lighthearted take on music where the most serious aspect is how much attention and detail go into the soundscapes everyone creates. Each artist involved clearly has a deep love and dedication to this music reflected in the equality of their work. In a time where uncertainty still reigns, it's great to hear artists getting together to deliver a safe and thoughtful experience.
Tracklist01. Bobby Birdman - Return Of The Birdman
02. Flaps & Ash - Year Of The Prox Radio Flyer feat. MC Mumbles
03. Doron - Wabi-Sabi
04. Skull Kid - 4
05. Jaywalker - Voicemails
06. Gerry Franke - Pflegeleicht (MG Version)
07. ML - For Thee Exotic
08. TBZ - Ccore3
09. ccctyyy - z_yzy-y
10. Boney Burger - Big Boss Theme (Got Deeeeep Pockets)
11. Funkycan - Untitled3
12. Peter Graf York - Half Brain Sleep Walk
13. Hypno Discs - Drift
14. Yosa Peit - Yak
15. Montel Palmer - Brow Brow Party (45 Mix)
16. Master Of Illusions - The Bean
17. Paingel - Hands-free Car Kits
18. O.G. Jigg - Model Village Burnt Down, Church Rejoice
19. Fizzy Veins - Secret Tripping
20. Frank West - The Allnight House Party With Dj Frankie West (2010 Style)
21. Jürgen Ratan - Milli
22. Iris - Bog Rhiga
23. Hipólito - Mossh Bar