Selected: Arctween chooses his favourite beat tapes
With his new Plane Of Existence LP arriving via O Sótão Records, Porto-based musician and producer Arctween steps into the Groovement Selected spotlight to share five records that have shaped his relationship with beats, texture and space.
Born from Tito Romão’s background as a drummer, his work as Arctween has always existed somewhere between rhythm and atmosphere. From the groove-led experimentation of his earlier releases to the more immersive sound worlds of Plane Of Existence, his musical language draws from a wide range of places, with jazz, hip-hop, dub, ambient and electronic music all finding their way into the picture.
That openness is reflected in his five selections here. Rather than simply picking a set of obvious beat classics, Arctween digs into records that reveal different approaches to rhythm, sampling, production, space and repetition. From the deeply musical world of Karriem Riggins and J Dilla to the dub-inflected electronics of Kruder & Dorfmeister and the uncompromising atmosphere of Dean Blunt’s Black Metal 2.
Together, these choices offer a glimpse into some of the musical territory surrounding Plane Of Existence. Rhythmic but spacious, detailed yet instinctive, and always leaving room for the unexpected.
Released on vinyl and digitally on September 25th via O Sótão Records, Plane Of Existence is Arctween’s most fully realised statement yet. An atmospheric, beat-driven record shaped by years of listening, playing and experimenting across different musical worlds.
Here, Arctween talks us through five beat tapes and beat-driven records that continue to inspire him.
Buy/Stream Arctween – Plane Of Existence LP (O Sótão Records) HERE
Karriem Riggins – Alone Together
Karriem Riggins was first introduced to me by my jazz drumming mentor Neal Smith. He said Karriem had one of the best ride swing in the jazz world and it’s true, his drumming is truly remarkable. This album shows not just his swing and groove but his amazing skill to put together soulful beats.
J Dilla – The Shining
Couldn’t mention Karriem Riggins without talking about J Dilla (you can hear Karriem Riggin’s drumming in the track “Body Movin” from this album). Dilla’s influence is heard in so many records from the past and present, pretty sure we ‘re also going to hear Dilla’s drunk and laidback grooves influence people’s music in the future. Forever a legend.
TBZ – ( )
I love this album for the variety of genres it touches. From leftfield to hip-hop, always with a feet on experimentalism and lo-fi. It has thirteen loop-based small tracks of aquatic synthscapes and guitar wizardy.
Kruder & Dorfmeister: The K&D Sessions
The K&D Sessions TM – It’s a compilation of tracks and not a beat tape but it was highly influential on the making of my last album “Plane of Existence”. I chose this compilation because it oscillates between different moods and tempos, a bunch of well put together tracks and remixes mostly by Kruder and Dorfmeister apart from the tracks by Count Basic and Aphrodelic.
Dean Blunt – BLACK METAL 2
A true visionary of our times. Part of the duo Hype Williams and the mind behind Babyfather. This album is just one of many extraordinary examples of Dean’s brilliant music, a hypnotic indie rock album that feels like a beat tape. Favourite track: “SKETAMINE” !