Dave Aju Electronic & Dance 7 Artikel

San Francisco-bred now Berlin-based Mr Dave Aju has been making some of the most forward-thinking electronic music for the last 13 years. A diverse range of influences from his jazz upbringing and hip-hop years, to the outer realms of experimental post-rock and musique concrete can be heard in Aju's unique sound, always with a solid sense of rhythm owed to his roots as a dancer.His new ep for Matthew Herbert's new label imprint Accidental Jnr comes in the form of Boom Yeah. An explosive mix of shuffling breaks, tribal tinged house and chant like vocal incantations. The 3 tracks of the EP were each inspired by three volcanic islands: La Reunion, Maui, and Bali (Boom Yeah, Haleakala, and Badai respectively) using handmade percussion instruments from each of the islands of origin.‘Boom Yeah EP' is released on 12” vinyl and digitally with a remix of the title track from Matthew Herbert.

The maverick maestro from the Bay Dave Aju is back with his Circus family here with an incredible new release. Based on stripped-down hardware sessions rocking just a Roland TR-909 and SH-101, Aju once again proves that no sound set need be limited in itself and along with the addition of one microphone for his inimitable soulful voice, creates one of his strongest and most imaginative releases to date, the 10101 EP. A multiple homage to the 101 freeway that spans his native Golden State and the numeric classic analog boxes used vs digital binary to process them, the four rich tracks offer the best of both worlds and cover all the bases of Mr Aju’s musical multiverse. “Low Dive” starts things on a deep heads-down dance floor tip where rising synth lines soar over a blast of shuffling drums and percussion for a rocksolid DJs delight. “Always Never” comes next with pure Aju magic, equal parts song and track, an ear worm of a chorus, and full of sunny West Coast electro influences all the way through. On the flip “Sides” may very well be one of Aju’s most intense transmissions ever, with a sublime and seemingly endless build-up of dark pads, driving, shifting rhythms, and voodoo vocals that will detonate many a peak-hour sound system guaranteed. Aju then tastefully finishes with the cool psychedelic mid-tempo bump of “Tell Her Why” which harks back to his hip-hop roots and wraps up the vibe and elements of the whole EP perfectly. Welcome back with a bang brother Aju!

Musikkrause comes up with an essential 3 track EP from long-time friend Dave Aju - strong, deep, and extra funky, as only our boy from the Bay can do it. Call it whatever you like, we call it simply the freshest club music around.

Remixes by Henrik Schwarz / Freaksnuthreadsspeakeasy / Awanto3

‘Black Frames’ is a creation from two major life transitions for Dave Aju, namely the end of a long-term relationship combined with a move away from his home town of San Francisco. Punctuated with philosophical statements and political punches, the former MC proves he isn’t afraid to use his voice and production skills to unite music and passion with his latest album on Circus Company. 

After a string of successful collaborations and remixes - including an ace one one of ours, Nicolas Jaar's 'Space Is Only Noise', we are delighted to present Dave Aju's sophomore album, Heirlooms. It's always exciting to hear new music from Mr. Aju, as he consistently offers a fresh approach to the usual dance music formulas with an undeniable sense of soul and singular artistry. This is especially true on his new album, where Aju has really outdone himself with his most diverse, expressive, and personal work to date. Crafted with vintage recordings and instruments inherited from his late father, Aju taps into his roots and musical background more than ever on Heirlooms, taking us on a ten-song journey through past and present influences and a variety of moods, from proper heartfelt tributes to spaced-out bliss and straight-up funk. Dave Aju uses his distinctive voice, a fixture in his engaging live performances and DJ sets, in various ways throughout the album - from inspired songwriting in the uplifting cosmic opener 'Rise' and the beautiful end of 'Revealing', to memorable character lines in the raw deep house cut 'Away Away' and soaring choral notes on the bass-heavy beatdown vibe of 'Until Then'. Plenty of collaborators also appear on the album, including The Invisible Art Trio who bring the same p-funk-meets-free-jazz voodoo on the hypnotic 'To Be Free' that made their previous track 'Be Like The Sun' such a treat. Some fellow Circus freaks also join in as Jaw from dOP finds himself co-conducting vocals on the boogie train of 'Caller No.7' and Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts lends a hand on the skins for the party-starting ode to tequila "Ms Reposado."