Last month, she dropped her self-titled debut album amidst a teeth-rattling tour with labelmates Amon Tobin and Eskmo. From the very first track, you could tell she was onto something new; something sultry yet smart. We caught up with Emika backstage at her Los Angeles date to find out how her new album came to be, and what’s on tap for 2013.

The last time we spoke back in January, it was really early days with you.

Emika: Yeah, really early on.

I wanted to touch on something you said recently about how, in this day and age, it’s hard to not be co-opted by whatever trend is going on, and how you’re wary of not wanting to be commoditized by a passing fad, especially in relation to bass music. Fair enough, but how do you then establish yourself? I know a lot of that starts at the root with your label.

Emika: I guess the main thing for me is that my work is sincere. I’m really inspired by trip-hop and all the musicians I met in Bristol. They don’t look outward to what the rest of the world demands. They just do what they do and try and improve what they love. It is a conscious decision to look inward for sources of inspiration. It took me a very long time to get this record together because I kept making music that was imitations of other stuff. Then a little bit of time goes by, you listen to it, and you play it to some people and they go, “Oh, that sounds like so-and-so.” I don’t want to make something that sounds like a whole bunch of other people. I don’t watch TV and I don’t really go to the cinema. I really just eat and breathe music, but at the end of the day, when it comes to creating music, I just create from inside my soul. If then it sounds like something else, then fair enough.

You said you wrote “Drop The Other” very early on, then you shopped that around and got signed to Ninja. But there was a pretty long gap between that tune and writing the rest of the record. Were you constantly scrapping stuff?

Emika: Yeah, sure. I would write something and then I wouldn’t know how to perform it or I wouldn’t have the courage to sing those lyrics and I’d think, “Yeah, I’ll just be a producer give beats to someone else.” I had to kinda get a hold of myself. “Stop writing music that you’re not going to want to sing to people on stage!” I guess I was writing really ambitious, more commercial pop songs, but I really didn’t want to be a pop star. There was a difference between me, the artist, and the output I was making. Over time, the distance between that got smaller and smaller.

Is it hard for you to get up there on stage and perform? I mean, just based on what you were saying earlier.

Emika: No, I love it. That was more from a lyrical point of view. I was writing stuff that was very sexy and there’s so much boring music with sexy girls in it.

Why did you feel like you had to go down that road in the first place? Just years of female evolution?

Emika: Conditioning, really! I’m nearly 26 now, but I was 22, looking around thinking I should dress like this or shop there. It’s hard to have a strong mind when you’re young. Ninja Tune could sense that conflict, so they just left me alone.

They’re good at that.

Emika: They’re awesome at that. Because they know that if you sort your shit out you’ll come back and knock on the door, they’ll be like, “Right, let’s go.”

I also heard you say that you didn’t want to be known as a producer but as a composer. Take tonight’s show, for instance. It’s nice to hear electronic music that’s not dance music, per say.

Emika: Exactly.

I actually have a weird theory about why women make really, really good techno and bass music.

Emika: Ok, let’s hear it.

The way women respond to bass is instinctually different than the way men respond to it. For men, it’s more of an aggressive, immediate, powerful thing, whereas women view is as a very maternal phenomenon.

Emika: Bass is maternal. That’s why boys love it! (Laughs) Besides, women have to wait. They wait for things…many things. Women know about control and seduction, and women know a lot about underlying emotions and subtext.

There’s something about “The Long Goodbye” that’s totally different from everything else on the album. It almost reminds me of old Portishead records. The vocal are almost operatic. Was that one of the last tunes completed?

Emika: I think that’s the last one I wrote. The vocals are wild, aren’t they? I met this amazing singing teacher from Texas who lives in Berlin. I realized that in my music, the voice is the most powerful instrument. It makes the quickest connection with an audience, so I really decided to develop it more. I was worried about having singing lessons because it’s the one thing that hasn’t been touched by education. “The Long Goodbye” was my first few months of singing with her. She taught me how to go through your nose to reach the high notes and how they come out of your head. Then I’d get home and sing things and experiment. There’s loads of music I haven’t recorded yet that’s composed for voice that’s really high, and I didn’t realize I could actually sing that high. This record is quite “speaky” and in the rap range, and it’s not really my true resonant singing voice. “The Long Goodbye” is the first song on the path of my transition.

Which begs the question…

Emika: My next record is going to be so wild. I’ve just bought a couple of new synthesizers: an Oberheim SEM and this really awesome percussion synthesizer. It’s a drum synth, but it’s hilarious. The guy that made it wrote this manual that’s one piece of paper and it says, “Fuck you if you think this is a drum synthesizer! Don’t fucking try and play this like it’s a fucking drum synth!” So I wrote him saying I loved it and he wrote back, “Don’t fucking write me unless you’ve got a fucking question!” (Laughs)

He’s like the Hunter S. Thompson of synth developers. So the new record is going to take full advantage of the new instruments and the new voice?

Emika: Yup, exactly. New voice, new range. It’s gonna be really simple and really pure. The first record is a big sound orgy; lots of layers. This one is still going to have really detailed melody and nice choruses and arrangement, but it’s going to have less sounds. Just a couple of instruments, but I’m going to push them as far as they’re gonna go.

Words by Rich Thomas (@TheLandfill). Photos by E.M.S. (@ems_photo).

Two electronica shows this past Monday helped illuminate for me what inspiration looks like—whether or not the caffeine/alcohol induced sort. Electronica giant DJ Shadow held a free in-store performance at Hollywood’s Amoeba Records and later that day, the Echoplex headlined with Gold Panda. Even if you’re not a fan of this music genre, you should be a fan of these guys. They literally drip with inspiration.

When people dismiss DJ’s as they do dentists (as though neither are legit professions), such people obviously do not understand the components of DJ-rendered music (or dentistry). I had never seen a DJ perform live, so I was curious to test whether one person could create a complicated piece while standing stoically in front of a computer and turntable. Turns out, they don’t stand at all, let alone stoically.

At both shows, the DJ’s entire body rocked, pushed and pulled back and forth to music that would soon vibrate inside my ribcage—literally. What should blow your mind is that, at this point, the music they were engaging did not actually exist yet, except inside their heads. Each DJ had a mathematical understanding of the color, length, depth and texture of countless components of sound; so precise that I assumed, in life, these guys must be unable to function normally. How can you sculpt David and still have mental space left to know whether you wanted a Grande or Venti?

Their music was layered with such intention and respect that it recalled a recent performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall of internationally renowned Israeli violinist Itzhak Perlman. For these musicians, inspiration is not a matter of getting lost inside their head. It is a matter of standing in awe of the organic and mathematical relationship between concepts—tangible and intangible. Their pieces were not noise; they were music.

So, kids… if you have not caught DJ Shadow, Gold Panda (or Itzhak Perlman) live, get on top of changing that right quick! Lucky for you, DJ Shadow and Gold Panda have just begun their 2011 tours. Until then, get a free taste of their sound at djshadow.com and iamgoldpanda.com. Enjoy!

Words by Ariel Maccarone.

If you showed up early—which you should have because that Bears/Vikings game was one of the worst you’ll see all season—you caught one of Ninja’s newest signings, Emika. With her self-titled debut dropping only days before, she turned out a nearly continuous set of twisted, undulating bass, hushed lyrics and neck-knocking beats, including “Double Edge,” “Drop The Other” and “3 Hours,” which might be the best song about toking spliff I’ve heard in a while. (It’s probably not, though.) She later told ChinaShop that she’d been severely under the weather with flu, but you wouldn’t have known it by her performance. This is bass music as it should be; sexy, simple and with just enough texture to keep things interesting. Lingerie for your ears. We popped backstage after her set to chat for a bit. You’ll be able to read that interview soon.

Next up was Eskmo (a.k.a. Brendan Angelides), who we’d previously checked out at the Ninja Tune XX party at the Echoplex last Halloween. Like Emika, he holds it down onstage solo-style, surrounded by knobs, keys and blinking lights while dropping verses behind the mic. Where his predecessor hummed, Angelides howled and contorted himself through 45 minutes of slow rolling gems. Now that he’s planted himself in Los Angeles, hopefully Eskmo will pop up more often on the club circuit. Dude knows how to move a crowd.

Which brings us to Amon Tobin. Electronic artists have long looked to lights and elaborate set design to help communicate their message. If you’re a Coachella regular, you’ve seen Daft Punk, Deadmau5 and Plastikman all raise the bar. With his cube hive, Tobin sets the bar, does about 50 pull-ups on it, rips it out of the wall, splashes some Tapatío on it, and eats it like a Twizzler. Photos do not do it justice, but the 25’ x 14’ x 8’, multi-dimensional art installation is a blank canvas for the projection mapping of generative and reactive realtime and pre-rendered high definition elements and “scenes” which shall henceforth be known as Super Tron, Pulsating Honeycomb, Digi-Meat Grinder, Romaine Lettuce Matrix Explosion, Spaceship To Crazyplace and Baby Blocks On Acid. This is the proverbial “team to beat,” and a perfect compliment to the aural micro-universes Tobin has been creating since 1996’s Adventures In Foam. Dear Goldenvoice, I think you hear him knocking, and I think he’s coming in. Sahara Tent 2012. Let’s make it happen.

Word by Rich Thomas (@TheLandfill). Photos by E.M.S. (@EMS_photo).

Mohawke’s set at Movement 2011 in Detroit had the crowd mesmerized. His new new new single Thunder Bay has a Transformers-esque sound, with industrial noises, driving rhythm and appropriately called, thunderous beats. Have a listen:

Hudson Mohawke – Thunder Bay by hudsonmohawke

Mr. Mohawke, it’s definitely time for another full length project. Get to work on that would ya?

Words by Barbie Brady. Photos by Joe Gall.

Swag. It’s the term you love to hate, but it’s easy to tell who has it and who doesn’t. Brooklyn’s Theophilus London has it, and not just in one place. His debut album, Timez Are Weird These Days, doesn’t drop until July 19, but he’s already been featured in more fashion spreads than your average supermodel, and his mixtape game has been on point for a minute now. A YouTube search will pull up performances at Cannes and Letterman, and London’s Tumblr is constantly popping off with stylish photos of him in various locales across the globe. Pretty soon you’ll even be able to dress like him. A collab with Cole Haan will see a limited run of TL-signature, triple blue suede loafers on the shelves of select boutiques. So are these for fashion or for function?

“F*ck fashion. This is lifestyle!” he says. “This is for kids to jump on a plane with. This is for you to wear to the all-white party this summer, hanging out pool side. You could rock these to the store. Your girls can rock these unisex!”

Consider yourselves on notice. Check out his first single, “Last Name London,” then download 2009′s This Charming Mixtape from MediaFire here.

Theophilus London: I’m excited when I’m writing this music. I would rather be in the studio writing this than writing some four-chord cheesy radio shit that everybody else would listen to. I’m gonna be sitting here making music that people can’t quantify or define. There’s no way you could classify Prince on his first record. There’s no way you thought he could make Purple Rain after you heard For You. I don’t want people to know what my next record is going to sound like.

Is there anything that you just categorically don’t get down with?

Theophilus London: I’m not down with that Eurotrash, every-chord-same-song type of sh*t. I definitely don’t get down with that, but everything else I get down with creativity. I’m into making pop tunes. I’m interested in radio.

Every time I see you mention the word “girlfriend” in press, it’s always plural. What’s up with that?

Theophilus London: (Laughs) I don’t know how to answer that one, man.

There are many different ways to write about women: coquettishly, metaphorically, unapologetically. You seem to favor the latter.

Theophilus London: Writing about women is precious, man. It’s one of the biggest topics of my music. When I wanted to become an MC and a songwriter, I just focused on my voice and what it would sound like; the way I breathe, the way I pronounce words. My dad always told me, wherever the girls are the guys are gonna be, so I dialed all my music into females. I remember after winning my first battle in high school I was the ladies’ man. I would study less, rap more. Once I figured that out three years ago I made my first mixtape, JAM! Then I started dialing into the music. I got my voice. It’s in my head, it’s in my spirit. I don’t need to work on metaphors in raps. F*ck all that. I’m gonna be on top of my game in music and make sure my beats are different than everyone else.

Words by Rich Thomas. Photo by Jonathan Mannion.

Theophilus London Upcoming Shows

June 7: Seattle, WA at Sculpture Park Event
June 10: Brooklyn, NY at Brooklyn Museum
June 19: Brooklyn, NY at Williamsburg Music Hall
June 29: Montreal, Canada at Festival International De Jazz
July 18: Los Angeles, CA at the Troubadour
July 21: New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom

Everything is sexier in Paris, especially when you start combining the worlds of music and fashion, which is exactly what Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki did back in 2002 when they founded the Kitsuné label. With releases from notables like Alex Gopher, Wolfmother, Hot Chip, Fischerspooner and Phoenix (along with countless others), the Parisian label grown into one of the country’s most eclectic and well-respected culture institutions.  One of the biggest reasons? Their compilations.

The latest Kitsuné Maison compendium—#11 in the series if you’re taking notes—seeks to combine sultry house music (what they’re known for) with more indie rock undertones (which they’re slowly become known for). The Indie Dance Issue drops May 16, and you can purchase it from iTunes or your local good music purveyor. In the meantime, label boss Gildas Loaëc waxes poetic about each song on the compilation, three of which are available for download after the jump.

1. ??? - “Let’s Go All The Way” (early version)
A band without a name just signed to Kitsuné. We won’t even tell you if it’s a guy or a girl singing. This is their first ever appearance, they’ve not even put a track on the net yet. They’re currently working hard in the studio with Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand. Yes, and they’ve still to come up with a band name. Album in 2012.

2. Alexander Dexter Jones – “Phantastic Phone Call”
The son of Mick Jones is a New Yorker who does everything on his own: writes, programs and plays all the instruments. His future’s looking bright. A bit of drama in his voice. Adorning pink nail varnish and wearing leggings, he made a splash when visiting the Kitsuné offices telling us how he awaits hurricanes on Montauk beach hand in hand with his sister.

3. Housse De Racket – “Roman”
First French band to sign to Kitsuné for an album out this summer. They’re produced by Zdar, who fit them in between Phoenix and The Rapture. Their name’s written on 2011. Highly recommended live.

4. Polarsets - “Sunshine Eyes”
Super mega cool band. They record their tracks almost live so that they can translate them effortlessly to the stage. Their reputation is fast growing.

5. Gallops - “Miami Spider” (Ponciau Edit)
Already acclaimed by Radio 1 with far-out influences like Aphex Twin, Fugazi, Vangelis, Sun-Ra and Steve Reich. A well focused track.

6. Cosmonaut - “Say What You Want”
Oh yes…this makes you wanna shake your rump after three seconds. They’re Aussies and we suspect their music is designed for people to come down to.

7. Creep - “Days” (Azari & III Remix) [DOWNLOAD]
It is indeed The XX’s Romy on vocals, who does a rare guest appearance for this Brooklyn trio, and it’s Casey, the singer from Fischerspooner, who directed the video. We’re not just name-dropping here, we’re right in the thick of it.

8. Is Tropical – “The Greeks” [DOWNLOAD]
They’re masked, they’re mental, you already know of them, they’re a human Molotov cocktail. Kitsuné is producing and releasing their debut album, which is coming out on the 13th of June. We reckon they’re the new The Cure.

9. Peter & The Magician – “Twist”
In case you didn’t know, Stephen has left Aeroplane and started his own project, The Magician. Here he teams up with the ubiquitous Yuksek (real name Pierre, get it?) for a slice of italo-disco.

10. The Touch – “Sermon”
These Swedes understand well the nostalgic dimension you sometimes find on the dancefloor: beer tears, wine sad and more like heartbroken and sleepwalking. The kind of stuff that builds lasting memories. The track’s about an oxygen-less civilization that’s about to collapse. Beautiful!

11. Logo x Icona Pop – “Luvsick”
Two Swedish girls and two French guys, a civil partnership signed for this compilation. Because receiving demos just isn’t enough anymore for Gildas, he’s now orchestrating musical marriages. Logo are set to big things and Icona Pop is another proof that it’s kicking off too in Sweden.

12. Beat Connection – “Silver Screen”
The indie-dance peak of the compilation, which reminds us of Madchester’s flowery and idyllic atmosphere, extra-wide flares and bowl cuts for boys. The track’s about spring, being lazy, girls, Sunday mornings and all that.

13. Nightbox - “Pyramid”
They’re Canadians produced by Al from MSTRKRFT, which is legendary in its Toronto hometown. “Well groovy,” as my dad would say. We can tell they’re going to do rather well on Hype Machine.

14. Guards - “Resolution Of One” [DOWNLOAD]
These Americans were already on Kitsuné Maison 10. Their garage rock is typically New York; brutal and energetic. Chairlift, Cults and MGMT are buddies and pop in during recording sessions. Richie, the guy behind it all, tends to put the tracks online for free. So this is especially for those who don’t have the right bookmarks or the time to download.

15. Fiction - “Big Things”
Another indie-dance peak of the compilation. Gildas likes the Tom Tom Club vibe of the track. Klaxons love them. A London trio that’s so much cooler than you, it could become depressing.

16. Exotica - “Conte d’Eté” (Afrofunk Version)
These Frenchies were on the recent Kitsuné Parisien compilation. They’re part of the new Paris breed and nicely mix pop and electro. The kind we can never get enough of at Kitsuné.

Words by Rich Thomas.

New Year. New Music. New Favorites. ChinaShop handpicks the Women to Watch in 2011. Don’t sleep…

NAME: Deniz Kurtel
LOCATION: Berlin
RECORD LABEL: Crosstown Rebels
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Quartz Composer

A feast for both the eyes and the ears, Kurtel is an accomplished visual artist and sculptor whose work transcends modernity. Her sophisticated mix of computerized LED and mirror installations have beguiled attendees everywhere, from the playa of Burning Man to the cavernous interior of London’s Fabric super club. Her debut album is full of pulsating tech-house rhythms and haunting vocal passages, and is the ultimate compliment to her stunning visual pieces. You can check out videos of her installations on her YouTube channel.

WHAT’S NOW: Listen to and download her 47-minute “J Dilla Tribute” mix here.

WHAT’S NEXT: Her debut album, Music Watching Over Me, comes out March 14.

IN HER OWN WORDS
“I built my last installation, Equilibrium, to respond to my music during my live performances, then installed the same piece into a pitch dark room in an art festival where it took a new character; from complementing a music show, to being the centerpiece in a small room where the viewer had a direct relationship to the piece, which responded to the viewer’s voice.”

Deadmau5 is the guy who wears the giant mouse head and produces a dynamic combo of new dance, techno, electro and house music.  Deadmau5 is also known for collaborating with other popular artists in his genre like, for example, Kaskade and Rob Swire.  Once you get passed the giant mouse head and into his music it’s not hard on the ears.

Deadmau5 pronounced ‘dead mouse’, thus explaining his ensemble, is not just a DJ.  Although he may be recognizable from DJing this year’s MTV Music Video Awards, he is adamant about not being labeled as just that.

This past weekend Deadmau5 shared his creative talent in front of a large energetic crowd at Voodoo Experience in New Orleans.  His live performance was amazing and he blew everyone away with his melodious beats.  The crowd cheered and swayed as the stage lit up with his unique sound and presence.

Words by Yael Reed Wachspress. Photos by Craig Medlin

No one could escape being called American Trash for at least a good 4 minutes. But the zealous fans kept calm and carried on. IPS had a little technical difficulty mid-set…but that was more the stages fault than the bands (I witnessed at least 4 other bands throughout the day having such issues). Despite the glitch, the band came back strong. Lead singer, Patrick Nissley, looks unassuming but I have to say, impressive,  as he belted out his lyrics like “I am the life that you adore, I feed the rich and f!@k the poor”.

I asked Patrick back stage if he ever writes any optimistic songs or if they all are equally as fatalistic. ” Its hard to write a happy song, much easier to be a pessimist”, he quipped with a smile. Regardless of their angst, Jared Piccone(drums), Kris Barman (gadgets) and Patrick come off as 3 of the most approachable, sincere fellas in their industry. Devoid of ego, or even alter-ego, they play the music they feel and they don’t make excuses.

Catch innerpartysystem November 26th in Denver at the First Bank Center. Also check back in with us here on ChinaShop for an exclusive song/video produced from the weekend in the Big Easy coming SOON!

Words and photos by Barbie Brady

If you thought raver style went out with the 90’s, you are wrong. It still exists and is going strong, as exhibited this weekend at New York’s Electric Zoo.  There was a strong showing of the favorites– tons of neon, beaded bracelets and so, so much glitter. But it seems 2010’s ravers are taking it to the next level by mixing current trends with old electro staples.

If you’re going to show up at an electronic music festival in the near future, here are a few tips. Don’t even think about stepping out of the house without something animal or safari related. This could be true in real life but for the sake of keeping this under 500 words I’ll leave it at that. An animal print jacket or pants are absolutely acceptable, but some tiger ears or a leopard tail would really set it off. You’re going to be dancing like an animal anyway so why not dress like one?! Hello Kitty themed items are obvious, so for the sake of progress, leave them at home. You’re an adult godamnit and just because you’re going to get f’ed up and suck on a pacifier does not mean you should dress like a child.

The best accessory spotted? Feathers. Lots of them. In your hair, on a necklace, it doesn’t matter. Just put them on and don’t worry about it later when your comrades are plucking them off and tickling each other with them. It’s an entirely acceptable side effect of dressing so damn good.

Another neo-hit? Geometric patterns. Ranging from 60’s minimalism to tribal prints, this is a prime example of the old becoming new and beautiful all over again. The guy in the Texas flag shit obviously knows whats up– look at that amazing shirt, complete with side ventilation!

And that leads me to my next and final point: Whatever you do, for Christ’s sake, don’t forget to slut it up. Guys, I’m talking to you too. Your hair may be the perfect shade of cobalt blue but if you don’t turn up the skank then you’re not really enjoying yourself. It’s hot out there and these are the last few days of summer and, more importantly, our youth. Next year there will be a new crop of neon clad kiddies and you’ll have an underpaying day job that forces you to work on weekends and wear ill-fitting suits because god forbid you wear a low cut shirt in the office– you’d just be asking to be sexually harassed! So take hold of your fleeting sexual freedom, rip holes in your tights, cut that shirt into a crop top and don’t wear a bra. Or only wear a bra. Just get creative! There are a handful of events across the world where you can get away with literally anything as long as its peaceful. Thankfully, this is one of them.

Words by Courtney Dudley