Vinyl of the Week: Found Sounds and Beat Music from Take and Matthewdavid [Mp3]

By Chris Martins Fri., May 28 2010 at 8:40 AM

Categories: Locals Only

In the strange wake of music's digital rebirth, vinyl has experienced a modest boom in popularity, seen by many as a replacement for the awkward middleman that is the compact disc. INCHES reviews the output of L.A.'s healthy vinyl community, believing that good music deserves much more than a handful of ones and zeros.

Read previous installments here, or email us here.

Chris Martins

Artist: Take / Matthewdavid
Title: Los Angeles 2/10
Label: All City Records (Dublin, Ireland)
Format: 10-inch, limited

Take, a.k.a. Sweatson Klank, is a beat scene affiliate and Low End Theory regular, but more than that's he's an Angeleno. He was born and raised in this city, so it's nice to imagine that you can hear L.A. in his music -- say, on the excellent Only Mountain LP that dropped last month. Well, thanks to All City Records' ongoing Los Angeles 10-inch series, you needn't imagine -- Take's three soul-steeped bangers are infused with sounds of the city, from car horns to street chatter. Also caught up in the mix are snippets of '80s R&B (see "Soul Particles") -- which brings to mind Lindstrom and Christabelle or Four Tet -- and edgy synth programming that seems to nod to vintage IDM.

DOWNLOAD: Take - "Soul Particles" [MP3]

Matthewdavid's side is more mercurial but no less fitting. The Dublab DJ and head of Leaving Records has a knack for turning found sounds and field recordings into sun-damaged rhythmic psychedelia, and he's in top form across these four cuts, which meld into one continuous side. Steady grooves emerge at odd times from the aural stew, giving the listener something solid to grasp only moments before it all becomes liquid again. Beautiful, sprawling and strangely tribal, Matthewdavid's contributions round out this limited release, which is a must-own for fans of Flying Lotus and his ilk.

DOWNLOAD: matthewdavid - "You Know You're Alone" [MP3]

Purchase at your local independent record vendor (INCHES recommends Origami or Vacation), or right now via the All City Records web store.

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Vacation Vinyl's Top Ten Best-Sellers: May 10 - 23

01. The National - High Violet (4AD)
02. Trap Them - "Filth Rations" 12-inch (Southern Lord)
03. Black Breath - Heavy Breathing (Southern Lord)
04. Torche - Meanderthal Demos (Amnesian)
05. Ancestors / Graveyard - split 7-inch (Volcom)
06. Rangda - False Flag (Drag City)
07. Goatsnake - Flower Of Disease (Southern Lord)
08. Gun Outfit - Possession Sound (PPM)
09. ISIS - Live V (Live V)
10. Burzum - Belus (Back On Black)