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After eight years of existence, New York City’s largest electronic music showcase, Warper Party at The Delancy, finally releases its first collection of music from artists associated with the event.
Available as a free download on Waperparty.com, the compilation is divided into two parts, Upstairs and Downstairs. Without being entirely commercial, Upstairs documents artists whose repertoire is more melodic and listener friendly through an extremely diverse spectrum of styles. In the first few tracks alone, the scope shifts from heavy hip-hop (81Neutronz) to insistent electronica (Maxx Klaxon) to hard italo (Daughter Vision) to neo-dub (Exaltron) to upbeat surf pop (AfroDjMac and SuperKid), and that’s just the beginning. As the disc progresses, it remains completely engaging with ATOM‘s grooving experimental stylings, OkyDoky‘s stomping mashup, the Kraftwerk-ian marchthirtyseventh and Durians, who brilliantly blend drum & bass, post-rock and jazz into a unified whole. Whether it’s Nico Covello‘s bizarro robotic march, Dan Freeman (CØm1x)‘s progressive trance-y beats or Mike Luma‘s tribal attack, there isn’t a dull track in the bunch. It’s an energetic playlist of truly captivating underground music that should be heard by anyone who at least has a mild interest in electronic sounds.
While more experimental in approach, Downstairs is no less fascinating. Here, samples, glitches, breakbeats and plunderphonics run rampant for massive effect. The Bins warp South Asian rock into an uplifting enlightenment while Defpotec creates atmospheric beats for Shelby Star‘s smooth vocals and Jazzy Burn’s layers sparse instrumentation into something that’s almost industrial. Where Infinite Kitten deconstructs dancehall reggae and The Bee Gees into a hyperactive mutant, Moldover transforms the Speak & Spell into a majestic machine, with KulanFrost taking a menacing, hypnotic approach that adds psychedelic funk to the drone.
Whether you’re an electronic music connoisseur or a curious novice, this assortment of groundbreaking artists will appeal to all, New York resident or not. Besides, it’s FREE. What do you have to lose?
