Their mix of garage-rock and psychedelic-dance-pop falls somewhere between Male Bonding, T. Rex, MGMT and Gang Gang Dance and their tracks have already caught the attention of NME, Drowned in Sound and CMU and released through UK label One Bird Record, as well as through electro-kuduro kings Buraka Som Sistema’s label, Echufada and they are now working on their first full length LP.

“The Beasts is what happens when you take a screaming wall of feedback as a starting point, and then pare the clutter back. By taking a razor blade to a formless noise-lump and ruthlessly snicking away segments, they present us with a song that is no less – and more importantly, no more – than is needed: a song pristine in execution, clean as a whistle and a skinny as a supermodel.” (ANBAD)

Youthless – The Beasts [mp3]
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Cover art by Isabel Pinto (photo by Guillermo Landin), read the interview to Alex and Sebastiano after the jump!

Where do you live actually?

A: In Lisboa, in Alfama, right over the river, where its warm in winter.
S: In Lisbon on a hill, at the very top, where its fuckN cold in the winter.

What is the last thing you ate?

A: A banana
S: Quiche with salad, very yummi. Home-made by my women, not the shit you buy made in the supermarket.

Your addiction ?

S:At the moment wine.
A:Whisky.

What sound or noise do you love?

S:I love to hear the hair dryer early morning when my girlfriend driesher hair, it gives me goose bumps.
A: The ocean.

What do you collect?

S: I dont have a collection to say i collect. I have a few instrumentsand a few recording machines if thats what you mean.
A: Nothing.

What is your favorite word?

S: Mississippi
A: Pankas

Who is the most interesting person you’ve ever met?

S: Everyone is interesting in their own way, i don’t think there is amost interesting person for me, but if I had to chose it would probably be Alex.
A: Thanks man.

What is your most recent extravagance?

S: I ate at a very expensive restaurant with 10 dishes and when thebill came….ouch… lol
A: Absynth.

One quote?

S:”Good things come to those who wait” (some patient dude)
A:“Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink.” (Charles Bukowski)

One movie?

S: Chasing the Lotus the images are so beautiful , seen it like 20 times.
A: La Mustache. A gripping- thriller about a dude who shaves off hismustache and then slowly goes insane when no one notices. Chasing the Lotus is pretty awesome too, especially cause Jeff Bridges narrates.

One book?

S: VW Golf & Jetta Service and repaire Manual (Thick Book), it’s saved me lots of time and money lol.
A:The Master and Margarita – Mikhail Bulgakov

The song to be played at your funeral?

S: Black Bird by The Beatles,  but only if Paul McCartney plays itthere live on his acoustic.
A: Swag Me Out by Odd Future, also preferably performed live by OFWGKTA

A song you wish you wrote yourself?

S: Black Sabbath- Children of the grave
A: God- John Lennon

Which song do you listen to when you wake up?

S: Beeep beeep beeeep only song i hear in the morning is my alarm.
A: Out There by Dinosaur Jr or Let the Sunshine in by Milton Henry.

A song for relaxing on a beach?

S: Garden Grove by Sublime
A: Pagan Dawn by Liturgy

Your sunday morning track?

S:  Believer by Ozzy Osbourne (Diary of a Madman Album)
A:  Groovin’ by The Rascals.

One website?

S: Youtube.com
A: www.pippinbarr.com (the existential video-games section).

What do you think about music industry?

S: Too Digital. Where will it go next? I am waiting for the head chip era where you put a chip in your brain and then you can access any music in your mind, which you listen to in silence. Internal music for the mind!
A: I’m glad there are people still putting out music they love andbelieve in and having fun. As far as the serious “industry” side of things, I want less and less to think or have to deal with any of that (unless its reading about Anonymous hacking Sony, which is pretty awesome).

What about Creative Commons?

S: I am a little ignorant on this subject but all good from what i have read, we share most of our music anyways.
A: All for it! Share the love!

Favorite venue?

S:Coliseu in lisboa. Great sound.
A: In Lisbon? Definitely Coliseu.

Favorite concert?

S: Nirvana
A: 10 insane psychedelic trash bands pouring beer on each other in the basement of Cake Shope in NYC one night. I dont even know the name of a single band that played that night. Also, my drink may have been intentionally spiked.

Favorite place in the world?

S: I don´t have a specific place but any Beach with waves or on top of a mountain with snow will do nicely.
A: The cliff over Ribeira D’ilhas in Ericeira, Portugal.

Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?

S: I would like to wake up in a chalet in Austrian Mountains. Then goride some fresh snow.
A: In my baby’s arms.

You don’t mess with the Web. Isn’t that what the battle between Napster and the music industry taught us? That despite having the law on your side you just can’t win?

Meanwhile, the pirating of music is in its sunset years. People will pay for streaming services just like they used to pay for push button phones and now pay for mobile handsets. It’s inevitable, it’s about convenience, but just don’t ask anyone in the content industries to see the future, they’re afraid of the past.

If it weren’t for the Web, Lana Del Rey never would have been on SNL. And you might think this is a good thing, but it’s Interscope’s worst nightmare. The dirty little secret is these media companies employ the Web to build buzz. And sure, they might trade this ability for a complete Internet shut down, but that ain’t gonna happen.

If you want to enter the future you don’t put on the brakes, you press down on the accelerator. But the only people doing this are computer-savvy youngsters, who are running circles around the old guard. Hell, hackers brought down Sony, Howard Stringer is gonna lose his job, do the members of Congress truly believe they’re impervious?

In a land where Congressmen are beholden to monied interests, swaying whichever way the Benjamins are blowing, and have better health care insurance than most Americans, the injustice is palpable. And people know. And are continuing to spread the word.

I used to say we’d have a revolution in America the day abortion was outlawed, god forbid. But if you want to see people revolt, take away their cell phones. And now it’s all about smart phones, with Net access, but in some misguided attempt to turn our country into China, the government wants censorship. But it’s worse that that. Innocent until proven guilty? That’s history. And now they want to spread that concept far beyond war criminals to you, the general public.

Oh, that’s not what they’re saying, they say it’s all about those damn foreigners. But did you ever notice the Web has no bounds, and you’re used to getting information from overseas, and once censorship begins, where does it stop?

Yup, you’ve got the dreaded law of unintended consequences.

I don’t think content should be free, but I refuse to put my head in the ground and believe the Internet does not exist, and that I can change it with laws.

This is a seminal moment in America. This is when the public gets power. Used to be, he with a broadcast license had power. That’s the essence of television and radio. But now, everyone’s got a license to broadcast, online. And this is what they’re afraid of, this is their worst nightmare. Gun nuts might think they need firearms to protect their rights, but rifles are no match for the Internet, where armies of people all over the world can band together to bring down governments and change policy.

Soon, it’s gonna be a government for and by the people. Sure, Citizens United is heresy, but the real story isn’t that money so much as the power of people to organize using modern communication methods to get their message out. Those Middle East despots were wealthy, but that didn’t keep their regimes from tumbling down.

A politician is no match for Google. Obama was smart enough to question SOPA. People love their Google, their Wikipedia. Make the Internet go dark and everybody knows. It’s like your cable going out, but worse. You can’t get a date, can’t expose your music, can’t discuss your favorite topic, can’t get the news…

That’s what everybody now uses the Net for.

It’s undeniable.

And it’s the best organizational tool known to man.

You’ve got to play nice with the people. Erect a wall and they’ll tear it down. Both old media and new is rife with stories of corporations who felt they didn’t have to listen to their customers. Those days are through. You’re in bed with the people, you’ve got to respect them, they’ve got the power.

And the ruling class doesn’t like this, to the degree it even understands this.

I’d say the times are a-changin’, but they’ve already changed.

It’s them versus us.

And we’re us.

The individuals banding together online and saying WE’RE MAD AS HELL AND WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!

(via Bob Lefsetz – rollo&grady)

A technical examination of SOPA and PROTECT IP by a reddit engineer.

Midori anticipated his new album Tokyo Dreamer, that is now available on free download on his bandcamp.

Get more BEAT CULTURE on facebook | soundcloud | bandcamp | twitter | tumblr .

“Sam is a mastermind in creating soundwaves of  fragile and water-like type, almost like a dandelion cutting through the dry earth, gracefully opening its bud towards the blood-red sky.”

Check out the interview to Sam Ray after the jump and taste & download his new track.

Ricky Eat Acid – A Smoothie Robot For My Moon Mansion [mp3]
Artwork by Colleen Wynn

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Where do you live actually?

Bouncing around Maryland. I really want to be a vagabond. Or a witch.

What is the last thing you ate?

As of writing this – pez. I love candy. My friends all swear i’m a child.

Your addiction ?

I’m not sure i could say i have one. Everything is pretty whatever.

What sound or noise do you love?

Cassette fuzz/static, old school sampling keyboards, toy pianos, the sound of old televisions turning on or off, the super nintendo/nintendo 64 soundtrack sounds (especially old rpgs/adventure games), really any white noise like rain/water running in the shower/ceiling fans at night in an empty room/footsteps, etc. i love field recordings and ambient sounds. my favorite parts of a lot of songs are the accidental (or not so accidental) bleeding in of ambient noises like that.

What do you collect?

Aside from tapes/vinyls – old postcards. like the really old pseudo-photographic ones that i can’t think of the proper name for. it’s fun scanning them and manipulating the images.

What is your favorite word?

Ah – i’ve talked about this with friends a lot and never come up with an answer. there are certainly a lot of colloquial things i like to say, but for someone who has been both a creative writing and english lit major at different times, i’m at a loss for a favorite word.

Who is the most interesting person you’ve ever met?

I think to single any one person out would be doing everyone i know a great disadvantage, as almost everyone i know is very interesting. still, i’d say my friend dan, if only for the great deal of mystery surrounding him. i’ve known him for probably eight or ten years now and if someone asked me to tell them everyone i knew about him i’d only be able to explain that i was fairly sure he had one eye, but i wasn’t certain.

What is your most recent extravagance?

The last thing i actually spent any money on was probably the cloud nothings “didn’t you” 7”. that and ‘blue suicide’ on vinyl finally too. one of my favorite albums that i just never had before.

One quote?

i’ve always liked that richard brautigan’s suicide note just read “Messy, isn’t it?”

One movie?

Lately i really like man bites dog – i want to watch it a lot. i don’t know why. it’s not particularly amazing, but i really just like everything about it. and although it’s not in english, it’s visually striking enough that it makes a good filler movie/sound while working on something else.

One book?

The older translations of the stranger by camus. the new translations for highschool students are fucking awful. though i can’t talk until i learn french and read the original.

The song to be played at your funeral?

Come Softly by grouper, or maybe something by attic abasement.

A song you wish you wrote yourself?

Come Softly by grouper. or “door of our home” by goldmund.

Which song do you listen to when you wake up?

It’s never the same, but lately it’s probably something by cloud nothings. or maybe “i luv your girl” by the-dream.

A song for relaxing on a beach?

I don’t know the last time i went to a beach, but if i went i’d probably go at night and listen to grouper or something drone-y.

Your sunday morning track?

I could spend all sunday in bed listening to “the bedside drama” in its entirety over and over. in fact, i have many, many times.

One website?

Twitter

What do you think about music industry?

i think the music industry is dead but it’s also better than it’s ever been before. there’s such an opportunity for good music to get out there now – though a lot of awful music still gets a lot of attention (even moreso almost among diy or ‘independent’ music than popular music it seems), it’s amazing that anyone can create something, share it, and have people hear it.

What about Creative Commons?

my friend matt would kill me, but i know next to nothing about any of this. i should probably have him teach me or something.

Favorite venue?

Lately i love the metro gallery. i need to get to more shows in baltimore though, i’ve heard nothing but good things about so many places there. in dc, it’s gotta be subterranean a. that place is so amazing and the guys that run it are awesome.

Favorite concert?

probably either one of the gem club/holy spirits shows i saw this past october (one with the amazing lands&peoples and the other with the equally amazing soft cat + winks/ineveryroom) or the holy spirits/mutual benefit/philip seymour hoffman/lands&peoples show i saw over the summer.

Favorite place in the world?

My bed.

Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?

Anywhere but my bed.

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Where do you live actually?

Gainesville, Florida

What is the last thing you ate?

Curry

Your addiction ?

Yerba Mate, Tea, Coffee…

What do you collect?

Very small boxes

What is your favorite word?

“Worcestershire”

Which sound or noise do you love?

murmuring crowded places

What do you think about music industry?

I think the “music industry” is a phrase/idea that is meaning less and less these days. As music has become utterly accessible through the internet and file sharing, paying for it seems to be more about showing support for musicians and their work than getting past restrictions. I think this is a very healthy sign but I know this depends on perspective. For someone making their living on music or music distribution, these changes can seem malignant and people that “steal” or share “music” are branded by them as a cancer to the industry. However, I think it’s just as important to wonder whether or not the “music industry” is the kind of model that makes the most sense for music today. This “cancer” might just be the cure for a dying industry, and the possibilities that are out there for a responsible “music collective” are much more exciting for me than the old “pay to play” music-model. What is most important I think is to remember that people that share music do so out of enthusiasm and there will always be music out there to listen to/being made even if there is not a career or market for it. I look forward to watching the shift.

All the remixes will be licensed as CC-BY-NC-SA and the lucky winner will see his remix + one of his own track remixed by Kodak To Graph released on a Bad Panda monday.

The contest ends February 13th, 2012. Please submit your entry here.

BPM: 120.

Look forward to hearing your remix!

Influences reach back trip-hop with its slow burning drum machine beat, the subtle synth pads and an overall restrained instrumentation, leaving the listener alone with Harper’s beautiful voice that’s almost entirely hidden behind a thick layer of mist.

Find Running In The Fog on facebook | bandcamp | soundcloud | tumblr | twitter

Running In The Fog – Know When To Run [mp3]

Where do you live actually?

San Francisco

What is the last thing you ate?

Vegetarian kung pow chicken from Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant, one of my favorite places in the sunset district. It was very “enjoyable” and I think everyone would “enjoy” being a vegetarian at Enjoy Vegetarian.

Your addiction ?

Any Zelda game. I can never quite walk away from a Zelda game so it’s dangerous whenever I start. I always feel the need to accomplish more in Zelda before I can accomplish anything in my day to day life like eating and sleeping.

What do you collect?

Lipstick. I have a ridiculous amount of lipstick but somehow I still never find the “perfect” red.

What sound or noise do you love?

Heels on tile floors. More specifically, chewing spearmint gum while walking on tile floors in heels.

What is your most recent extravagance?

I bought a pretty nice Juicer and have now developed a much more loving relationship with fruits and vegetables. Yesterday I made carrot and cantaloupe juice with mint and it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

One movie?

The Jerk. This movie will never get old or unfunny to me. EVER.

One book?

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. This book actually kind of changed my life when I was 21 and I plan on continuing to re-read it as I get older.

A song you wish you wrote yourself?

Prince- If I Was Your Girlfriend. The bass line and beat kills me. “Can I make you breakfast sometime?”

A song for relaxing on a beach?

Quadron – Slippin. Coco has songs good for grooving and relaxing anywhere.

Your sunday morning track?

oOoOO- Burnout Eyess. On re-peat. All day.

One website?

(yours of course!) but I’m also a big Ted Talks fan. www.ted.com I got rid of cable TV about 3 years ago ago and started watching Ted videos whenever I was bored and have been constantly inspired and entertained. I’ve actually written a couple songs about some Ted talks

What do you think about music industry in 2011?

Sign me up… yeah I know it’s almost 2012 but I’ll still join in on the fun.

What about Creative Commons?

Over the last couple of years I have developed a renewed sense of faith in artists stretching boundaries and that don’t fit into a trend or commercial stereotype.When I turn on the radio I know I will only hear the same 50 songs. The station will play these same songs over and over again all day for the rest of the year. It’s unfair to the listener, but these are the songs that studies have proven to bring in money for the radio station.Bloggers pick “new favorites” and post free downloads on a daily/weekly basis. It keeps the music industry challenged and growing, which I think is the best thing possible for artists and listeners alike.Then again, I’m kind of a hypocrite because I might be driving and thinking to myself, “I really want to hear that Nikki Minaj song” so I turn on KML and it’s probably already playing or will be playing within the next 10 minutes. Ah!

Favorite concert?

Little Dragon. I was going to their shows when they played at small venues in Santa Cruz to almost empty crowds and Yukimi would dance through the audience. They are just so much fun and were playing such different music when everybody was seriously sounding same. They have truly been an inspiration.

Be ready for dense, rich in atmospheric vibes inspired by Star Slinger, Shlohmo, Jamie xx, Gold Panda and many more (read Burial, James Blake, Animal Collective, Hudson Mohawke, etc).

Midori is the third track off his upcoming album Tokyo Dreamer, which will be released on January 15 and it come with an awesome-as-always video by Synesthesiæ Films.

Get more BEAT CULTURE on facebook | soundcloud | bandcamp | twitter | tumblr  and read the interview to Sunik after the jump.

Beat Culture – Midori [mp3] [mp3 via archive]

video by SYNESTHESIAE FILMS on facebook | twitter | vimeo | youtube

Where do you live actually?

I’m Korean, I live in Hong Kong but I go to boarding school in the US.

What is the last thing you ate?

Nutella over toast after a cross-country practice…amazing.

Your addiction ?

SoundCloud. It’s my most visited website (more than Facebookand my email).

What do you collect?

Nothing really, but I guess I see my iTunes as a “collection” that I’m constantly adding to. Sometimes I download several albums in one sitting, and end up deleting half of them a day later…anyway I love finding gems,especially on the blogs that I follow on a daily basis

What sound or noise do you love?

Rainhitting your window at 5AM on a Sunday when you know you’re going tosleep for 6 more hours.

What is your favorite word?

Ravetronica.

Who is the most interesting person you’ve ever met?

Hard to think of the most interesting, but in recent memory, probably this one old guy I randomly came across in a deli in New York after watching the Tribe Called Quest movie with some friends. Basically he told us stories about how he used to be a reigning champion in board games, and pinned each of us down as a certain type of board game – like, “You seem like a backgammon type of guy.” It was really bizarre.

What is your most recent extravagance?

I got $60 worth of Thai food with some friends…completely worth it.

One quote?

“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” – Calvin & Hobbes

One movie?

“Dazed &Confused”. Perfect in every way, I even sample it in one of my upcoming songs.

One book?

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami. Absolutely the craziest work of fiction I have ever read but I guarantee that if you pick it up you will not put it down until the end. Definitely a huge influence on my creative work.

The song to be played at your funeral?

“Someone Great” by LCD Soundsystem…just kidding (ha), definitely “Hellhole Ratrace” by Girls. That song is just so incredibly depressing, but uplifting at the sametime.

A song you wish you wrote yourself?

“You” by Gold Panda, that was one of the first songs that really opened my mind to“organic” electronic music, rather than just house/electro.

Which song do you listen to when you wake up?

This changes all the time,last week it was “Heart in Your Heartbreak” by The Pains of Being Pureat Heart, but right now it’s “Wet Hair” by Japandroids, gets me going every time.

A song for relaxing on a beach?

Nujabes – “Lady Brown (ft. Cise Starr)”.

Your sunday morning track?

My Bloody Valentine –“Sometimes”. Beautiful, nothing more I can say.

One website?

Freesound.org, it’s where I get all my really eclectic, ambient samples. Really great stuff.

What do you think about music industry?

Well it’s really disappointing to look at (for example) the iTunes Top 10 and see acts like LMFAO, David Guetta and Flo Rida. So on that front it’s looking a little grim. But on theother hand, the indie, DIY scene seems to be exploding, with acts like James Blake and the Weeknd finding mainstream popularity, which I think is fantastic.  And dozens of stellar albums come out every month– even if they don’t get airplay alongside Katy Perry, they’re still a great sign of where the music industry is heading.

What about Creative Commons?

CC is definitely something that is going to increase in significance as the years go on, especially for unknown artists. First of all, unrelated to the actual music, sites like Freesound.org have thousands (millions?) of samples that are all under CC, meaning I can just take them and do whatever I want with them. But more importantly, CC allows for great promotion opportunities – other artists can just download the material for free, which is already abonus, but they can also sample and remix it, allowing for even more people to hear it. It’s the clearly superior alternative to the current method of record labels hunting down individuals that pirate locked-down music which isn’t released under CC. I’m excited to see where it progresses, and how it will change the music industry for the better.

Favorite venue?

Central Park in NYC, definitely agreat venue for all kinds of awesome events.

Favorite concert?

Well I didn’t actually attend this, but I won free tickets toa Pixies show in New Jersey a few weeks back, and my school didn’t allow me to go. But I know that if I’d gone, it would be by far the best concert I’ve ever attended. I’m still really pissed about it. Other than that, I recently saw Real Estate which was a good time.

Favorite place in the world?

Tokyo. I spent 6 years growing up there, and Ibasically associate all my glorious childhood memories with it. Hencethe name of the upcoming album, “Tokyo Dreamer”.

Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?

In “Dazed & Confused”, where you party and listen to classic rock all day.

Anon – Bite The Hand [mp3]

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Where do you live actually?

North London, just near the Arsenal.

What is the last thing you ate?

Toast – with my coffee – still waking up.

Your addiction ?

My computer – sad but I am hooked to it – on the internet, working, making music.  I wish it wasn’t so but there we go.

What sound or noise do you love?

Crumpling leaves at the moment. I have got into a new habit of walking around with my headphones plugged into my field recorder, turned up really loud, so you’re ears become hyper-sensitive. Then just hitting shit, standing on stuff and listening in on people. It’s a bit weird and voyeuristic but you can get lost and everything draws your attention . I really recommend it.

What do you collect?

Records, Books, shit facts.

What is your favorite word?

This changes regularly – today its ‘meek’

Who is the most interesting person you’ve ever met?

John Peel – no doubt. A legend.

What is your most recent extravagance?

An electronic drum kit – especially as I hadn’t learned how to drum yet. I am learning at the moment.

One quote?

“Blessed are the Cheesemakers”

One movie?

In reference to the above – Life of Brian

One book?

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat – Oliver Sachs. Fascinating.

The song to be played at your funeral?

Always look on the Bright Side of Life – Monty Python. I fucking hate dark funerals. Make them laugh.

A song you wish you wrote yourself?

Too many to choose – so an epic one I suppose – Paranoid Android – Radiohead.

Which song do you listen to when you wake up?

Sorry – I am Radio 4 all the way (BBC talk radio) then I have no repeat patterns. That would be a shame. I need change musically as everything else is exactly the same each morning

A song for relaxing on a beach?

All this music stuff changes daily – today – Beirut – Postcards From Italy (and the Italian reference is a coincidence)

Your sunday morning track?

Probably something classical, Sibelius? I don’t know that much about classical music but if there is a time meant for it, it is Sunday morning whilst making a roast.

One website?

Guardian.co.uk

What do you think about music industry?

Its a bit fucked but on the way back from massive turmoil. I went to see Flying Lotus in the Roundhouse in Camden, London, which was sold out and if that’s happening then at least good music is getting through. It’s just a shame the UK mainstream is so focused on reality TV stars and nostalgic reformed bands. I suppose really though there’s almost so much choice that it is overwhelming.

Favorite venue?

In London – Corsica Studios.

Favorite concert?

This is the hardest question. I have no idea. Clubwise – Aphex Twin @ Sonar in 2003? As for a  band gig – as I am forgetting everything I am going to say Chic @ Bestival on a Sunday hangover when the sun was out listening to disco. It wasn’t the best gig I am sure, but it was what I needed right then. The ego on Nile Rodgers was a show in itself but after what he’s written that’s fair enough.

Favorite place in the world?

I was going to say somewhere like Tuscany, but really it would have to be London. I love to get away and there are better place, but I always want to come back, it’s home.

Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?

In the southern hemisphere – somewhere. I feel like I need summer again already. Just not antartica.