Browse by Artist: DAVE AJU

Artist:	DAVE AJU
Title:	Open Wide
Label:	CIRCUS COMPANY (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	CC 005CD

This is San Francisco producer Dave Aju's debut full-length release, including a bonus remix by Luciano. After three amazing EPs on Circus Company, including the underground hit "Be Like The Sun," he has really outdone himself this time with his most conceptual and personal, yet accessible work to date. The album was made entirely with sounds from his mouth, but it's no novelty affair -- these are all wonderful pieces of music, covering a variety of styles. "Roundabout" starts things off with fat, shuffling drums, an infectious bass line, and a vocal refrain that builds into a "horn-section" crescendo -- straight from Chicago via Aju's mouth. "Bump" is a fun and futuristic approach to hip-hop storytelling with a "bumpity-bump" bass. "Crazy Place" is an homage to disco, pop, and wave styles, but Aju's version takes it to the next level -- pulsing LFOs, "live" mouth percussion, and a chorus and breakdown guaranteed to melt hearts and dancefloors worldwide. Next up is "First Love," a super-deep and soulful house track with spoken word connecting Aju's personal music history, referencing song titles up to this moment -- pure class. "Tapatio" shifts back to his raw party side with huge sub-bass, sick bleepy synth hits, and playful vocal cut-ups. The title track follows, bringing a crazy broken reggaeton-style groove, complete with clattering teeth percussion, squeaky funk synth riffs, and a dark and lovely chorus. "Anyway" is Aju's take on an uplifting house music anthem, recalling Lil'Louis with Sun Ra Arkestra vocals. "With You" closes the album on a slow and sweet note, bubbling over with smooth synths, warm bass, and some of the most tasteful vocoder work around, on a 21st century Roger and Zapp love tip. Open Wide, friends -- Dave Aju has arrived.

Artist:	DAVE AJU
Title:	The Tables Turn
Label:	CIRCUS COMPANY (FRANCE)
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	CCS 013EP

"Dave Aju continues his exploration of unusual sound sources and recording techniques that again results in a uniquely fresh and powerful sound. While the music on his Unorthodoctor EP harnessed a wide variety of external and environmental sounds via field recordings, The Tables Turn is a more focused, internal and personal set, inspired by Aju's American Indian, hip-hop and jazz roots and, most importantly, his undying love for the turntable and vinyl medium. On 'Xibalbanasazi,' track A1, Aju's native roots are very apparent. The relentless percussion and huge bass hits are all derived from recordings of the mechanical components of a Technics 1200, but the track, however, is a very warm, organic, and almost tribal jam punctuated by bits of clay flute and percussive breakdowns that will shake any floor into a frenzy. A2 sees Paris mad scientist Krikor rework 'Xibalbanasazi' into an all-out electro funk storm that compliments the original perfectly. On the flip, 'Runout' is a seriously banging homage to Chicago's finest, complete with jacking drums, sliding minimal keys, and fiercely provocative vocals. The title refers to the runout groove of a record which was used as the sole sound source for the track, while MC 101 flips the term into hilarious rhymes about people who don't support new, cutting edge music until it's trendy and fashionable."

Artist:	DAVE AJU
Title:	Crazy Place
Label:	CIRCUS COMPANY (FRANCE)
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	CCS 030EP

A taste of Dave Aju's full-length Open Wide, Crazy Place is a deep, extended journey into Aju's vision of slow-burning melodic space disco. The warm vibe, building synth lines, and catchy choruses are guaranteed to please. There's a remix by Luciano, who stretches the track out even further, traveling into the sublime musical territory of his finest work, perfectly complimenting the original. A strong and truly balanced 12″ with "future classic" written all over it.

Artist:	DAVE AJU
Title:	Dive and Lie Wrecked
Label:	CONTEXT FREE MEDIA
Format:	12"
Price:	$9.00
Catalog #:	TEXT 014EP

"A relatively new face on the international scene, Dave Aju has been an important part of the San Francisco-bay area electronic music community for nearly 10 years, first as a DJ and now as a producer. His debut release appeared recently on the Circus Company label from Paris, and Context is proud to present the second of many. On 'Dive and Lie Wrecked,' Dave excavated his sample bank from a handful of scratched up LPs found at a garage sale for 25 cents each. Realizing that most of them were live recordings, he focused in on the idiosyncrasies of the live environment: stage interjections, crowd noise, and room ambience, looking for the sounds that most listeners would neglect. Out of these elements, he has crafted a multi-faceted six track EP with beautiful noisy textures, edgy percussion, warm bass, and a healthy dose of minimal funk. The two middle tracks will get the dancefloor rumbling, but the six tracks together make for an engaging listening experience from beginning to end."

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