Altered Zones

Stream: MEX100 - Ford & Lopatin + Shannon Funchess + Tamaryn

After ditching the Games moniker in favor of the italo disco-esque Ford and Lopatin, the two men behind the Software label just uploaded a new track to their Soundcloud under their first name. Between Ford's recent Airbird split and Lopatin's upcoming album as Oneohtrix Point Never, fans shouldn't hold their breath on much new Games material beyond fun internet freebies. Nonetheless, F&L's chopped rendition of the Manhattans' "Crazy" is a great romp in '80s R&B, channeling the duo's danceparty-ready mix series, Heaven Can Wait, which you can download for free on their Tumblr. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones via No Modest Bear

Games: "No Disguise"

[image by Max Capacity]

In celebration of one full year of Altered Zones, we're going back to where we began and observing our very favorite tracks of 2011 thus far. We pulled together all of AZ's contributing blogs' top picks and assembled a 25-song list of cuts that can't missed. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones

AZ's Favorites of 2011.5

Balam Acab: "Oh, Why"
Bill Callahan: "Baby's Breath"
Clams Casino: "I'm God (Instrumental)"
Devin Gary & Ross: "Four Corners"
Dirty Beaches: "Lord Knows Best"
Ford & Lopatin: "Emergency Room"
Gang Gang Dance: "Glass Jar"
Grimes: "Vanessa"
Holy Other: "With U"
Iceage: "White Rune"
John Maus: "Believer"
Julian Lynch: "Terra"
LA Vampires Goes Ital: "Streetwise"
Light Asylum: "Dark Allies"
Matthewdavid: "Like You Mean It"
Panda Bear: "Alsatian Darn"
Peaking Lights: "Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)"
Protect-U: "U-Uno"
Pure X: "Don't Wanna Live, Don't Wanna Die"
Purity Ring: "Loftcries"
Puro Instinct: "Stilyagi"
Sic Alps: "Do You Want To Give $$?"
Sleep ∞ Over: "Casual Diamond"
The Weeknd: "The Morning"
Woods: "Pushing Onlys"

Ford & Lopatin were kind enough to send us their jazz-prog "Roughly Fusion Mix II," and it seems they've raised the bar even higher since their last one, "Metal Fatigue." This mix starts off with Alain Renaud jammer "Opening Opus 19" --a song appearing on Ursa Records, a label run by Richard Pinhas of Heldon, who appears twice more here-- and then transitions into Claude Larson, an alter-ego of Klaus Netzle, who was most famously known for Bach for Computer, under pseudonym, Carlos Futura. There's a great Frank Zappa pick, "Night School", taken from the 1986 instrumental album Jazz From Hell, which was performed sans Mothers of Invention on the super-baller, mouth-watering Synclavier synth. Zappa collaborator and Synclavier user Jean-Luc Ponty also makes an appearance, on the heels of fellow countryman Patrick Gauthier, whose "Mixtur-Trautonium" appears on the deliciously titled Bébé Godzilla-- re-released on Magma's Seventh Records in 1994. Prog on. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones

Ford & Lopatin: "Roughly Fusion Mix II"

Now that you've heard the sounds that inspired F&L's Channel Pressure, get your own copy from the duo's own Mexican Summer imprint, Software

Games: "Metal Fatigue" Favorite Discoveries of 2010

FACT Magazine is streaming the debut full-length from the futuristic production team, Ford and Lopatin, formerly known as Games. But don't expect another That We Can Play; Channel Pressure puts the thick chopped n' screw jams on the back burner and focuses on their intricate, '80s pop side. Best consumed over repeated listens while staring at its cover, which looks like it came straight out of Goosebumps. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones via FACT Magazine

MP3: Ford & Lopatin: "Emergency Room"

Channel Pressure comes out June 7th, buy it from Mexican Summer imprint Software label to hold the piece of wax in your hands. Stay tuned for a totally sick sequel to their Metal Fatigue: All Electric Jazz All Night mix, which drops next week on AZ.

It's easy to miss all of those quick, subtle glitches in Ford & Lopatin's "Emergency Room." Luckily, you can hear the intricacies of Fo Lo's production in the remix by DFA's dude at large, Gavin Russom (aka Black Leotard Front, aka Black Meteoric Star, aka The Crystal Ark). Appearing alongside a dub rework by the Bug, this remix will appear on a beautiful 12" x-ray picture disc. Way slower. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones via XLR8R

MP3: Ford & Lopatin: "Emergency Room (Gavin Russom Remix)"

F&L's own Software imprint on Mexican Summer is releasing the Emergency Room 12" (available now but limited to 1200 copies) and their full-length, Channel Pressure, June 7th

The cat's outta the bag: Disco Naïveté leaked Oneohtrix Point Never's remix of "Swanlights" by Antony and the Johnsons. A Record Store Day exclusive, the track appears on the b-side of a gorgeous 10" slab of clear vinyl. Though the edit is listed under the OPN name, Lopatin told to us that "it was produced by F&L at the Mex Summer studios... I definitely incorporated huge, vertical musique concrete/cutup style cuts, in the manner by which we arranged sound on Channel Pressure." --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones

While the "Swanlights (OPN Edit)" will tide us over as we wait for Ford & Lopatin's Channel Pressure, out soon on their Mexican Summer imprint Software, revisit the first single under the new-ish name:

MP3: Ford & Lopatin: "Emergency Room"

Director Franck Deron understands what the men of Games want: fast cars, red lipstick, and the most cutting-edge '80s technology. That's exactly what you get in this vintage car commercial-turned music video for the duo's remix of CFCF's "It Was Never Meant To Be," which appeared on the b-side of last year's That We Can Play EP next to Gatekeeper's reworking of "Strawberry Skies." In other Ford & Lopatin news (as they are now called), the production dream team is gearing up to release a full-length on their brand new Mexican Summer imprint, Software. Look below for the album trailer, which dropped earlier today. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones

Channel Pressure is out June 11th via Software. Read more on the new imprint in AZ editor Emilie Friedlander's interview with Dan Lopatin

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