We are really glad to present "Copper Colored Joints", an unmistakable and distinctive album from the one and only LB BAD (eLBee BaD for those in the know), filled with characteristic beatdown-ish and sweaty tracks as well as a few recent collaborations, as its name suggests. It feels like a continuation of his amazing "Crossing Dimensions" out last year on New Yorker Thema Records. We had the chance to meet Mr. BaD at a very special place in Berlin called "Greenhouse", a painted green and intimidating building near Tempelhof, lost among factories, wastelands and warehouses where all kind of artists elected domicile. We were having a proper jam on turntables, when eL disappeared for a few minutes and suddenly came back with his well-tuned bass and started to jam over the records we were spinning. It was also a good opportunity to have a great talk about music in general, but nothing was planned so far. So of course, we were super happy when LB sent some demos. What would you expect from such a house music legend like him? Some cheap imitations or some warmed-over recipes which used to work well 30 years earlier? Or maybe some not so bad and more trendy deep-house thats going to be forgotten 3 months after its release? Nah! LB never strays from his consistent and always innovative underground dance music vision. His sound feels like a personal lifelong battle against the safe, no-ballz, completely risk-less kind of stuff. For those who know his classic "The True Story Of House Music", some might draw analogy to the indescribable, threatening and puzzling atmosphere of this whole new release. Or is it just updated to fit current standards? Isnt it even more relevant today than ever? And yet, LB had touched at something special in his beginnings, something that could grow through years and be developed. Among many producers, who have made a surprising comeback over the last few years, LB stands head and shoulders above the masses. No need for too much nostalgia, very few have been patiently crafting their sound like LB DID. His cautious and mindful lifelong dedication results in a man who knows exactly what he is doing, even through a very spontaneous, live, "in the moment" kind of creative process. eL is the kind of artists who needs a certain rebirth with each new recording session but he also needs a certain detachment at some point. Its all about controlling the loss of control - Face impossibility like a wall yet being able to move forward and walk through this wall. The Prince of Dance is a master at composing, playing drums, structuring and mixing yet he seems to be seeking something else. A delicate and ancestral whisper that precedes him. This way, he as the artist is the one who has to make himself available for this original whisper and become more of a relay, a smuggler than a simple-decision maker. This might be more complex than that but there surely are some elusive things in such creative process, which remains even more elusive as they differ from one artist to another. Anyway, we were surprised by these tracks from the very first listen. The first demos we had were in 128 kb/s (low quality mp3 bitrate) and even in that state, it was so well balanced that it was sounding better than some vinyls played just before. There was a general feeling of stability and fluency in all tracks which didnt have much to do with what most people consider as "technical" skills but more with a uncanny and patiently-crafted kind of control and restraint... A feeling! Nowadays, anyone can manage to be approximately skilled with all the digital tools provided on softwares as well as the huge amount of cheap tutorials on internet. But we are talking of something which is much harder to reach; A true, personal artistic intuition, this little something that no one can teach through tutorials or at music schools. Thats why, this release is not factory work, this is a proper, unique craftsmanship, music for grown minds and souls. Maybe you can hear some influences ranging from Prince to dub-reggae or a bit of records like the mighty Paul Johnsons Welcome To The Warehouse 12" yet LB is a bit like a chameleon, he perfectly adapts to his new environment and pushed that typical daunting and hectic Berlin after-hour sound to its very limit, where even the best Berlin producers are afraid to wander. Somehow, he is some kind of musical UFO. For example, if you listen to FLY! TOBII TAI!! carefully: at 0:49, there is a perfectly unexpected fracture fissure in the track that was just starting to build, which brings the listener back from drifting away, right before letting him drown again in that zone where everything disappears. This kind of things was a typical signature of some french concrete and electroacoustique composers but it is quite rare and suprising in a 4/4 dance track. Listening some other tracks of this album like Concrete or Copper Color People could make the process of sticking LB into a box even harder. Let’s not kid ourselves much longer, this whole album is far beyond electronic music but is also electronic music at it’s best; Electronic « tools » used not only for their sound but rather for their possibilities, options and amazing innovations being given in the service of the artist. It’s almost like if the pulsation, the kick was only an excuse for Mr. BaD to unfold his ideas the way he does. What about "U Going Out 2Nite?". Nobody could sit around while this is tossed, its the kind of tracks that makes you feel possessed by that cryptic energy and then suddenly driven to just reach the floor, close your eyes and move like nobody’s watching. The results « Copper Colored Joints »: a condensed reflection of all phases of eLBee BaD’s recent years. Whether youre looking for detailed and timeless music to be played at home or unique, not-boring-at-all dj tools or even adventurous soundtracks for accompanying a road trip, you cant go wrong with this. Another BaD Production.