Live Review: SOUNDCLOUD WRAP: CL Moons

Fresh off our SoundCloud feeds, CL MOONS has graced us with his latest offering in the form of an EP titled ‘1992’. Citing inspirations from all genres of dance, most particularly being from juke and footwork, he’s forged a sound that truly sets him apart.

‘1992’ doesn’t feel like a work that’s reflective of one aspect of the artist as such, but it is more of a collection of skills and repertoire that CL MOONS has worked so hard to achieve. Definitely an eclectic work, it’s cool to hear sounds that don’t pop up as often.

‘Ready’ features short, sharp phrases from a sultry saxophone and a crooning trumpet. ‘Sky Boats’ takes big synths and pairs them with some scratchy samples that make for one huge, bass-infused salad of sounds. ‘Deeper Than Trax’ takes a more electronic approach, and showcases some flawless technique by the producer.

The man behind CL MOONS shared with us some of his favourite tracks that in some instances, actually influenced his work, for this week’s SoundCloud Wrap.

MORESOUNDS 'Analog Steak (Danny Scrilla Remix)'

'Danny Scrilla is one of the most exciting producers in the rave right now. Every tune is huge and evokes the spirt of dancehall sound system culture, which I am a huge fan of. Danny is rated by the likes of the legendary David Rodigan, Toddla T and Om Unit. Not to be slept on.'

MORESOUNDS 'Blood'

'Released on Fractures label, the esteemed Astrophonica, this EP showcases the best of this exciting Paris based producer. Taking the best from dubstep, drum and bass, jungle, footwork and dancehall, Moresounds weaves them into huge riddims.'

CL MOONS 'Trippin (H-SIK Remix)'

'Originally from the Ivory Coast but now based in the Netherlands, H-Sik has some of the most interesting productions around. His use of drums, percussion and rhythms are like no one elses. His tracks are often long, but that suits his slow mutating brand of juke jungle. Already released on the likes of Error Broadcast and Black Acre. Can’t wait to hear more from him.'

MACHINEDRUM 'Gunshotta'

'Machinedrum has been making mutations of hip hop, beats, house, footwork and dance over the last few years. His recent work on Ninja Tunes is a beautiful blend of lush RnB and soulful songwriting juxtaposed against deep, dark and frantic breaks and bass from Jungle and Footwork. One of the producers of our generation.'

OM-UNIT 'Timelines'

'Back when he was DJ 2-Tall he was one of my biggest influences. Back years ago he was a huge influence on my SertOne project, and he is more or less the reason CL Moons happened. His Philip D Kick footwork jungle mash up made me wanna do the same. I’ve been blessed enough to have been featured by and alongside him. This is one of my favourite recents where he flexes his drum & bass muscles on Goldie’s infamous Metalheadz.'

LOCKAH & TASTE TESTER 'U Don't Know Me (Slick Shoota Remix)'

'Norwegian powerhouse, one of the most prolific producers around with a constant stream of dope remixes and original music. He has created his brand of hyperactive european footwork and juke which borrows highly from different genres from RnB to grime. Already worked with some huge names and can only see him getting bigger and bigger.'

DJ RASHAD FT. DJ SPINN 'Double Cup'

'Taken from his debut album on Hyperdub, this is my favourite track from the album. It's broken into two parts, starting out more techy and electronic influenced and becomes soulful about half way through. This album showed how advanced Rashad was becoming with innovating footwork just before he passed away. RIP x'

DJ SPINN FT. DJ RASHAD 'She Turnt Up'

'This is the perfect example of a great DJ Spinn track. His drum patterns and chops are some of the best in footwork. I love all the vocal work on this track. It’s something that's been lost in translation a little when footwork and juke came to Europe. Would love to work more tracks with chopped original vocals.'

MARK PRITCHARD 'Make A Livin'

'This is one of my favourite samples. I’ve wanted to flip it so many times, but I won’t now because Mark Pritchard killed it on this. Mark is one of the most important producers of the last 20 years because he has been able to change his sound to stay ahead of the curve. He has a perfect understanding on sound system culture. This a perfect example of mixing soul, footwork and jungle.'

SERTONE 'Going Hard'

'Outside of CL Moons I also make tunes under the name SertOne. It's more of a beat based project, but lately I’ve found myself blurring the lines between that sound and CL Moons. This is probably the best example of that. I enjoy all types of music, but right now I am very focused on dancefloor and sound system cultures, and I think that's starting to sink into my own sounds.'

Words by Caitlin Medcalf

LISTEN TO NEW MUSIC HERE

SEE ALSO:

SOUNDCLOUD WRAP: JUST A GENT

SOUNDCLOUD WRAP: SAINT