feather in your cap

we're new here

2011-01-12T00:17:00.003-05:00

brooklyn flower

2011-01-06T17:03:00.005-05:00

"brooklyn flower is a privately commissioned project in conjunction with slice-of-spice records, and redef records.

the title track is a reworking of the ramsey lewis and minnie ripperton versions of the charles ttepney classic, 'les fleur'. the intention of this track and project is a dedication for the birth of my daughter. these samples, and others deemed relevant, were referenced to damu the fudgemunk, when the project was first commissioned in late 2009, and as expected he produced something quite extraordinary and sublime. this is not a track he created for himself, or intended for commercial release."

download (right click and save as)

damu the fudgemunk - brooklyn flower

onra interview (bbc world service)

2011-01-06T16:44:00.005-05:00

onra gave an interesting interview on his use of far eastern samples for the 'chinoseries' record in the wake of its follow-up due for release this year. he talks about the influence of both french and vietnamese cultures on his music, providing an insight into the creation of such a unique sound.

onra interview (bbc world service 27th dec 2010)

avalanche/victory lap

2011-01-06T16:37:00.003-05:00

fick soul

2010-12-06T20:02:00.000-05:00

flat pocket (twit one & lazy jones) - fick soul (mixtape)

freedom suite

2010-10-28T16:33:00.000-04:00

"echoing the style of guru’s jazzmatazz, jazz vocalist and multi grammy nominee nnenna freelon join hip-hop quartet the beast torelease 'freedom suite', a 10-track collection of creative reflections on jazz and hip-hop hosted by 9th wonder.

drawing from a traditional jazz canon as well as hip-hop “standards” from the recent past, the album brings a live jazz sound to some of the most loved tracks in popular music. the album features six original songs written and produced by the beast and also re-makings of modern classics such as mos def’s “umi says,” johnny mercer & hoagy carmichael’s “skylark,” and lauryn hill’s “doo wop”. the project has guest appearances from branford marsalis, phonte (of the foreign exhchange/little brother), yahzarah and geechi suede (of camp lo).

recognizing the importance of talking about the convergence of jazz and hip-hop and its role in forward-thinking culture, the album also features conversations among some of hip-hop and jazz’s greatest intellectual minds including ?uestlove, herbie hancock, amiri baraka, branford marsalis, angela davis and more."

kill your co-workers

2010-10-18T15:17:00.000-04:00

"the minute you catch the striking, psychedelic artwork of theo ellsworth you know you're in for a treat. the insatiable, electrifying talent of flying lotus is back to treat us again. high concept beat-science is again order of the day, frazzled with invention, propelled by myriad time signatures and colour burst, cosmic-electronics. it's been noted before but flylo is slowly unravelling as the natural hip-hop heir to sun ra, a maverick oneness with sonic art is his, sit back and jump in."

jet set siempre 1°

2010-10-17T17:11:00.000-04:00

'clive tanaka y su orquesta' release 'jet set siempre 1°' with a dense electronic sound and a miami vice edge. split into two halfs, 'for dance' and 'for romance', we can hear the two different personailities break away but intimacy remains throughout.

death gate

2010-10-15T12:52:00.000-04:00

"the gaslamp killer, AKA william bensussen, is a peculiar entity. on the one hand, he's an artist that refuses to be bound by convention or accepted practice. on the other, he's an obsessive perfectionist. while the L.A. beat scene within which he operates has been around for several years now, its musical parameters have not been completely set. there's no time signature to work within, no rules regarding melody and harmony, and definitely no constraints when it comes to rhythm.

'fun over 100' kicks the EP off and is testament to that. it's downtempo and, unlike the rest of the package, doesn't purport to have been built around dusty analogue sampling. "when i'm in awe" follows, calling up san diego-based vocalist gonjasufi to sing out-of-tune lyrics over a kick-less excursion into psychedelic rock, with bensussen blending digital bass with vintage strings, which results in an eerie three-minute loop.

it's with the arrival of 'carpool dummy' that bensussen's skills behind the boards really shine. the drums are programmed to perfection, but daring at the same time. unlike other members of the brainfeeder clique—lorn, daedelus and even flying lotus, for example — bensussen frequently departs from the conventions of melody. sometimes, it seems, he just wants you to bang your head. the rhythms crafted from sampled breaks on 'carpool dummy' are superb. they're looped, looped and looped again, and while some would call that lazy, in the hands of bensussen they're superb, as every few bars brings a slight shift in the snare arrangement.

'shatering inner journeys' and 'monsterfromtheundergound' close out the release. on the former, fellow L.A. resident computer jay provides guest synths over a shifting snare and hi-hat loop. the latter is the EP's shortest and most relentless, making use of a distorted midrange and up-tempo pace, closing out a solid and adventurous release."

carpool dummy (feat. mophono)

why like this?

2010-09-28T15:02:00.000-04:00

teebs is a producer and visual artist signed to brainfeeder and his debut album 'ardour' is out pretty soon. lead single from the record 'why like this?' can be downloaded here.

soulsessions

2010-09-25T03:29:00.001-04:00

'loving you is killing me' by aloe blacc.

timeless: j rocc

2010-09-23T20:09:00.000-04:00

this video is from mochilla's 'timeless' film/music series and features a live audio/visual mix from j rocc.

rapohnelizenz

2010-09-06T15:25:00.002-04:00

"here it is. our first very own beatcompilation. when we started this about a year ago, living together in the same building, sharing the same passion for music, we were passing on links of the stuff we found online. it´s a bit like digging for wax - a lot of crap but then at the end of the box you find a beautiful piece of music. so the next step was to share what you find on an bigger platform. while browsing the web and selecting everyday what stuff is worth promoting, we meet artists who catch our attention. we just want more of their music. we invented this compilation as fans and asked our favorite underground producers to contribute. we´re happy to deliver you a selection of mainly unreleased beats. get your mp3-player ready and let us know what you think.

we thank all artists for contributing and making this happen. for more information about the artists, click his track and check his info-section!

SOLO.JIMMY.JONES.YACKFOU.IP"

Rapohnelizenz.com
twitter.com/rapohnelizenz

01. boom baptist – 8-bit-try
02. xperiment beats – sound barrier
03. jon phonics – face music
04. chemo (telemachus) – dirt digler
05. das geraet – beck’s
06. dibiase – choke ya hood
07. anatol atonal – a-tzeton
08. torky tork – signal rap
09. dday one – give and take
10. suff daddy – message break
11. boom baptist – asian march
12. bugseed – break of dawn
13. elaquent – good fortune
14. j. bizness – biz reason 105 nevermind
15. pigeondust – wingless believer

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://rapohnelizenz.bandcamp.com/track/chemo-telemachus-dirt-digler"&amp;amp;gt;Chemo (Telemachus) - Dirt Digler by rapohnelizenz&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

who says boys

2010-08-30T19:57:00.004-04:00

five-piece oxford pysch-pop band fixers are guys to look out for, bringing the beach boys into the 21st century.

rattling cage

2010-08-18T12:48:00.001-04:00

get the new forest swords 7" 'rattling cage' here.

someday we'll all be free

2010-08-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

miguel atwood-ferguson ensemble performing 'someday we'll all be free' live in los angeles at the grand performances, california plaza july 23rd 2010. free download here.

bilal (vocals)
flying lotus (laptop)
miguel atwood-ferguson (violin)
evan francis (flute)
dontae winslow (trumpet)
joey dosik (alto sax)
kamasi washington (tenor sax)
garrett smith (trombone)
rebekah raff (harp)
marcel camargo (guitar)
brandon coleman (keys)
stephen 'thundercat' bruner (bass)
chris 'daddy' dave (drums)
nikki campbell (percussion)

the outsiders are back

2010-08-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

perhaps one of the most pleasantly suprising debut records to be released this year comes in the form of this brilliantly infectious funk/soul LP from kings go forth on luaka bop records. this 10-piece soul unit from milwaukee, wisconsin consist of seven players and three singers. this band have created their own sound from a broad palete of classic rhythm & blues, from mid-60s chicago to early-70s philadelphia, and those even more obscure. groove-heavy and horn-powered, 'the outsiders are back' cements its place in the exciting soul-revival.

kings go forth - fight with love

last chants

2010-08-14T15:17:00.000-04:00

here's a track from the forthcoming sun araw EP out on woodist this october. this is the project of magic lantern's cameroon stallones which takes you down a distinct psych/dub/drone path of escapism.

sun araw - last chants

heritage

2010-08-11T12:03:00.000-04:00

"hypnotic brass ensemble are one of a kind. graced with soul, funk, and spirituality these guys have captivated audiences worldwide. their music is a combination of all genres. with the undeniable drive of hip-hop, the freedom of rock and the melodic thread of R&B these guys are nothing short of unique.

all band members are the sons of legendary sun ra trumpeter phil cohran. the group began performing together as children (some as early as 3 years old). in 1999 they formed what is now known as the hypnotic brass ensemble and have performed or collaborated with some of the greatest musical stars of the last two decades. from mos def to maxwell, wu tang clan’s ghostface killah to UK superstar damon alburn, erykah badu to fela kuti’s drummer tony allen. if you don’t know these guys you’re missing out.

during one of their many stays in dublin with choicecuts, hypnotic decided to shack up in a studio located high in the dublin mountains to rehearse for a week and write new material. hypnotic and choicecuts had a bit of down time in between these sessions and with plenty of guinness and jameson in tow chose to rework some of their favourite records from other artists that have influenced them both.

hypnotic know their fans. they also know their fans know real music. the heritage EP released by choicecuts with hypnotic is a nod to that fact, a sprinkling of the hypnotic dust over some of the tunes that influenced the band and their musical direction over the course of their lives."

hypnotic brass ensemble - spottie (free download)

lloyd miller & the heliocentrics

2010-08-08T09:44:00.000-04:00

"following their award-winning collaboration with ethio jazz godfather mulatu astatke (sunday times world music album of the year), pioneering UK collective the heliocentrics resurface alongside another fascinating jazz enigma, ethno-musicologist, jazz maestro and multi-instrumentalist, lloyd miller.

learning various instruments and immersing himself in new orleans jazz through his father, a professional clarinet player, lloyd miller first trained himself in the styles of george lewis and jimmy giuffre and cut his first dixieland jazz 78 rpm record in 1950. during the late ‘50s, his father landed a job in iran and miller began to develop a lifelong interest in persian and eastern music forms, learning to play a vast array of traditional ethnic instruments from across asia and the middle east.

he toured Europe heavily, basing himself in switzerland, belgium, sweden, germany (where he played with eddie harris and don ellis) and, most famously, in paris where he worked with oddball bandleader jef gilson, a phenomenon in french jazz during the early ‘60s. miller returned to the middle east during the ‘70s, landing his own TV show on NIRTV in tehran under the name kurosh ali khan. his show became a national fixture and ran for seven years.

miller has since been a vocal ambassador for preserving the traditions of many forms of wastern music. In recent years, his mid-‘60s album ‘oriental jazz’ has become a collector’s favourite and the UK’s jazzman label have issued a compilation, ‘a lifetime in oriental jazz’, covering work from across his career. the renewed interest in his music has spawned this new collaboration with the heliocentrics, a freeform mix of eastern arrangements, jazz and angular psychedelics and represents the heliocentrics’ most accomplished work to date".

lloyd miller & the heliocentrics - nava

compass

2010-08-07T11:40:00.000-04:00

jamie lidell's latest album on warp, 'compass', is a kind of electronic funk/soul hybrid which doesn't particularly lend itself to pigeonholing. there have been many retro comparisons of this record, and perhaps rightfully so, likening some of the sounds to prince and stevie wonder, but the album's off the wall and more wacky nature is just as much comparable to beck - the album was actually recorded between beck's hudson studios in LA and feist's ranch. his voice is quite unique, especially in terms of being a white british soul singer, and ultimately the music is innovative. the track below captures the fun side of the record and the video is part of the 'take away show' with his band performing the track live in the streets of paris.

jamie lidell - enough's enough

spilling over every side

2010-08-07T08:17:00.000-04:00

pretty lights, a colorado-based producer, has released the second EP of a 2010 trilogy - 'spilling over every side'. derek vincent smith stated in a description of the EP that he tried to incorportate different genres into his work, "transitioning between something pretty and organic to something heavy and electro". this record sounds pretty fresh, hitting us with a blend of hip-hop and soul samples, breakbeats, and an element of dubstep. you can get the EP for free here.

pretty lights - a million tomorrows

the shady daze

2010-08-05T14:00:00.002-04:00

this band emerged as part of the garage/psych-rock scene of '60s chicago. USA records were prolific at this time, and the subsidiary destination records was set up to focus on music in the local area. both labels, headed by jim golden, put out classic after classic of mid-western garage-rock.

the shady daze - i'll make you pay

latin ala lee!

2010-08-05T08:53:00.000-04:00

this record features the great peggy lee singing to a latin-styled musical backing. some of the tracks are classics from the great american songbook and broadway shows but peggy makes them her own, and with the latin style there are made even more distinctive. the rhythms, arranged and conducted by jack marhsall, are authentically afro-cuban and rarely watered down.

peggy lee - heart (from 'damn yankees')

ain't no sunshine

2010-08-05T08:25:00.000-04:00

this reissue courtesy of now-again records picks out a lost dark soul/funk masterpeice from a classic high school funk band of the '70s. the equatics were hampton, virginia high school champions of pepsi's 'new sounds of 1972' challenge. 'doin it!!!' combines funk, soul, blues and psychedelic-pop to create some real beat-heavy tracks. make sure you check out the full liner notes and buy the record. below you will find the band's mournful cover of bill wither's 'ain't no sunshine' which is also available as a free download.

the equatics - ain't no sunshine

donut shop

2010-08-04T09:18:00.000-04:00

these dilla tracks consist of previously unreleased instrumentals selected by j.rocc from the dilla archives and three original beats of dilla's production for mos def, q-tip, and busta rhymes. out of interest, the q-tip beat 'move' samples 'dancing machine' by the jackson 5.

01. safety dance
02. sycamore
03. bars & twists
04. history (mos instrumental)
05. move (tip instrumental)
06. you can’t hold a torch (busta instrumental)

download

history (mos instrumental)

trouble in wackyland

2010-07-25T06:40:00.000-04:00

a mixtape from german producer/beatmaker suff daddy including rare remixes and unreleased material.

01. Pete Jolly – Leaves
02. Super Duck Break
03. The 45 King Feat Latee – Brainstorm
04. Resonance – Leon’s Club
05. Hubert Daviz – Tdk
06. Wu Tang Clan – Mystery of Chessboxin (Suff Remix)
07. Suff Daddy – Simple Suff
08. Connie Price and the Keystones – International Hustler Feat. Percee P
09. Diamond D – I Went for Mine
10. Andre Previn – Executive Party Dance
11. Jimmy Van & Richard Hieronoymus – I weight with kilos
12. Foster Sylvers – Misdemeanor
13. Main Source – Down Low
14. Notorious Big – Kick in the door (Suff Remix)
15. Disco Break
16. Suff’n’kurt
17. Cypress Hill – Somethin for the blunted
18. Johnny Pate – Maude Reminisces
19. Pete Jolly- Seasons
20. The Climax – Persuasion
21. Roger Webb – Grey Sigh
22. The Checkmates Ltd – Got to see you soon
23. Bronx River Parkway – Donde
24. Suff Daddy – Liquorhounds instrumental
25. Hubert Daviz – Undisputed
26. King Tee – Played ike a piano
27. Suff Saddy – Bo break
28. Big L – Flamboyant (Suff Remix)
29. Manzell – Midnights Theme
30. Johnny Pate – Untitled
31. Slum village – Look of Love (Remix instrumental)
32. Stacy Epps – Oh
33. Suff Daddy – The big hit

if you're looking for love

2010-07-24T10:13:00.001-04:00

this track is lifted from the 'home schooled: the ABCs of kid soul' compilation by the numero group . the triads are some great kid soul from the florida scene of the 70s and this particular track moves at a quick pace with frenetic guitar and drums setting the groove, with a topping of harmony kid vocals that perfectly blend with the urgent funk.

triads - if you're looking for love

aloe blacc on gilles peterson

2010-07-24T08:40:00.000-04:00

californian soul man aloe blacc swung by the renound gilles peterson worldwide show recently to provide words and music. they chat about his favourite singers and how the artist became signed to stones throw records, with a few tracks from his latest album 'good things' also featured.

skrawberries

2010-07-22T11:57:00.000-04:00

latest release from knxwledge is a 22-track album full of bit-sized electronic and abstract beats. available to buy from bandcamp below.

<a href="http://gloof.bandcamp.com/album/skr-wberries-funr-isrs-vol-3">Kafe by Knxwledge.</a>

various assets - red bull music academy

2010-07-22T11:05:00.002-04:00

the audio yearbook for this year’s academy edition is finally here: various assets – not for sale: red bull music academy london 2010 boasts 41 exclusive collaborations by participants and lecturers from more than 30 countries. download the compilation in its full 320 kbit/s glory here and get more info after the jump.

01. Flava D – Ragga Sun
02. Robin Hannibal & Jullian Gomes – I Need Your Love
03. J-Wow & Sui Zhen – River Song
04. Marco Passarani & Julian Gomes – Walking Down Tooley Street
05. 00Genesis feat. Oddisee – Jackin4beats Pt. 1
06. Hudson Mohawke, & Myele Manzana – Ain’t Nobody Like You
07. Lucrecia Dalt & Makes Pants – Too Much Light
08. Chester Lone Ranger
09. James Pant & Lucrecia Dalt – A Breezy Slide Into Hell
10. Ango feat. Katy B – Fireworks
11. Poirier feat. Hasan Hujariri – Loop 1
12. Space Dimension Controller – Hazeygalacticwonkafunk
13. 00Genesis feat. Tranqill – Jackin4beats Pt. 2
14. Andras Fox, Sui Zhen & James Pants – Touch-N-Talk
15. Modeselektor, Akshin, Ad Bourke & Vlad Caia – Jacbob Has Arrived
16. TOKiMONSTA, Lunice & Swede:art – Alpenglow
17. A Lone Boy, An Oud, A Theremin & A Funky Dread – T M 2
18. Clinic & Sui Zhen – Tell Me Once
19. Bala – London Mantra

01. Kidkanevil feat. Oddisee – Jackin4beats Pt. 3
02. Kool Clap & Venice – Vitamine
03. Ross McHenry, Jakob Schneidewind & Infestus – The Song
04. Jackmaster, Mau’lin, Markur & Tony Nwachukwu – UK Hunky
05. Lunice – Strahl
06. Master MP6-60 & Robim Hannibal – Rocking All Night
07. TOKiMONSTA feat. Andreya Triana & Oddisee – Jackin4beats Pt. 4
08. B. Bravo & Robin Hannibal – What’s It Gonna Be
09. Dam Funk – I Need 2 Know
10. Sergej Fresh, Tutu Sweeney, DJ Klem & Sui Zhen – Told Me
11. Lucrecia Dalt & Hasan Hujairi – Mimbre
12. 00Genesis – Endless Ocean
13. Homeless Inc, Juan Son & Jakobn Schneidewind – Solo
14. 00Genesis feat. Tranqill – Jackin4beats Pt.5
15. Tony Nwachunkwu & Tutu Sweeny – Breathin’
16. Daisuke Tanabe feat. May Roosevelt – Cказка
17. Amenta & J-Wow – Like That
18. Dza feat. AD Bourke – Endless Wishes
19. Flava D – It’s So Hard
20. Biel Nascimbeni & Juan Son – Cucaracha Madness Mix
21. Minus – Calling Number
22. Hasan Hujairi & May Roosevelt – Improvisation No. 136253892

sexslaveship

2010-07-13T09:53:00.000-04:00

1000names mix

2010-07-09T13:34:00.001-04:00

this collection was mixed by 1000names for drugoyhiphop.ru and showcases a great selection of dubstep/electronic/ambient tracks.

01. mount kimbie – vertical
02. osborne – there (lukid remix)
03. illum sphere – technopolis
04. ital tek – heliopause
05. architeq – mind games (feat. ilija rudman)
06. funkineven 1956 – must move
07. low limit – where you been 7.5
08. powell – street life
09. charles trees – mahjongg
10. run dmt – money 1 (dem Hunger version)
11. paul white – dance scene
12. knxwledge – pattern klear
13. Debruit – Bigger That Kom Pa
14. atlas sound – walkabout (feat. noah lennox)

j.birly

2010-07-08T13:11:00.000-04:00

the ins (consisting of producer twit one and friends) teamed up with miles bonny last year for a 'super soul' 12" with three tracks and the instrumental versions. 'j.birly' is a cover of the jerry butler classic 'just because i really love you' which was sampled by dilla for the 'luv u' beat. butler was the original lead singer of 'the impressions' alongside curtis mayfield who went on to produce some of the best soul/funk records you will ever hear. this is a real laid-back number with fleur earth providing backing vocals.

bohemian beatnik lp

2010-07-04T06:40:00.000-04:00

new lp from japenese artist bugseed is essentially a beat tape combining mellow rhodes piano and melancholy horns with those dusty drum breaks we love so much.

<a href="http://bugseed.bandcamp.com/album/bohemian-beatnik-lp">harlot by bugseed</a>

tunnel vision (miles bonny refix)

2010-06-30T06:59:00.000-04:00

miles bonny, known for his hip-hop and soul productions, develops the track 'tunnel vision' from the latest lp by the roots 'how i got over'. miles bonny has an lp coming out late summer called 'lumberjack soul'.

<a href="http://milesbonny.bandcamp.com/track/the-roots-tunnel-vision-miles-bonny-refix-remix-math-freestyle">The Roots - Tunnel Vision (Miles Bonny ( Refix Remix math freestyle) by MILES BONNY</a>

the different 'hey joe'

2010-06-29T06:48:00.001-04:00

the track below is taken from the legendary 'time and place' by lee moses. lee moses is a kind of mystery figure in soul music relatively unknown to mainstream audiences. he was one of several artists (including the ohio players, hermon hitson, gloria barnes, bobby brown and freddie terrell) to work with johnny brantley (known as a mover and a shaker on the new york soul scene) during the late 60s and early 70s. 'time and place' is by no means just a soul record, however, with a strong presence of heavy funk/psych-guitar throughout the album. despite the bulk of lee moses' work being produced in new york or new jersey, he was originally from atlanta, explaining the roots of the gospel and bluesy aspect to his singing style. his voice has such a natural rawness, a wounded-like quality that pulls your heartstrings. 'hey joe' is certainly a gritty and passionate cover, somehow managing to successfully combine funk/psych/blues into this 6 minute jam.

lee moses - hey joe

beat bbq

2010-06-28T04:33:00.000-04:00

"on may 23rd we celebrated the art of beatmaking at friedenspark, cologne together with 700 likeminded music lovers. upmyalley and MPM say thank you with a free tape with unreleased beats from suff daddy, dexter, powell, twit one, adlib, moo, hubert daviz and tobrock. download the tape for free and check robert's photos."

the one (feat. T3 from slum village)

2010-06-27T07:21:00.000-04:00

here's the new video for the upcoming single 'the one' from onra's 'long distance' LP.

jyoti (ocotea)

2010-06-24T07:08:00.000-04:00

jyoti is georgia anne muldrow's jazz persona. the name derives from the sanscript word for 'light' and is also the name given to her by family friend and jazz great alice coltrane. this alias is used by muldrow for her jazz-inspired works when taking a break from her soul/hip-hop hybrid sound with non-comformative production and song structures. the album 'ocotea' is clearly influenced by late 1960s/early 1970s avant-garde and electronic jazz. this sound is modernised and makes for an intriguing release, a half-hour instrumental journey lead by her ancestral orchestra and guided by experimental synthesizers. it will be interesting to see how the jyoti project develops over the future, you can buy the debut here.

jyoti - black mother

a town called obsolete

2010-06-21T06:33:00.000-04:00

this is the second single to feature on the forthcoming debut album from andreya triana, which is produced by bonobo and due for release this august. sign-up to the andreya triana newsletter here to get a free download of 'lost where i belong (flying lotus preview edit)'.

"'a town called obsolete' is an obliquely upbeat and heartfelt plea for patience and faith in the face of indifference. triana's voice is perfect for this mixture of longing and hope, smokey, beautiful and tonally perfect. bonobo, meanwhile, hooks up dusty break-drumming, thrumming electric bass and a horn part that peaks at just the right times. it's another example of the understated brilliance and emotional weight that the pair have packed into triana's debut."

crooks & lovers

2010-06-17T09:39:00.001-04:00

the mount kimbie album is finally here. at the forefront of the so-called 'post-dubstep' sound (more atmospheric, less 'wonky', less dance-floor orientated, and perhaps more intelligent) that has been growing over the past couple of years, mount kimbie have enjoyed critical success so far with a couple of EPs. 'crooks & lovers' drifts across genre boundaries, touching upon elements of dubstep and hip-hop, you can hear flickers of post-rock and even jazz whilst also being heavily rooted in ambient and electronic sounds. the use/sampling of real instruments such as acoustic guitar gives the album a connection to the non-electronic realm, and the delicate chopping and layering of the vocal samples could be likened to the techniques pioneered on the last burial and four tet albums. some have noted that the record can feel quite restrained at times, for me, however, its beauty derives from what could be more suitably described as a refined nature. it does not feel cluttered, over-complicated, or wasteful, but actually quite creative and extremely infectious. the album is released on july 19th on hotflush records and can be bought here.

mount kimbie - would know

ain't nothing gonna change me

2010-06-16T17:28:00.000-04:00

currently loving this track from the all female soul quartet the sweet inspirations. members have included cissy houston (whitney houston's mother), dionne warwick, dee dee warwick, and doris troy, all of which have had successful solo careers despite the sweet inspirations being predominantly known as a backing group for 60s rhythm & blues artists. the original group was in high demand by producers, artists, and songwriters for their backing vocals, leading to contributions on records for wilson pickett, solomon burke, and aretha franklin to name but a few. much of their material was originally released on atlantic records with a strong gospel influence coming through their earlier work. their name originated when atlantic records producer jerry wexler turned to cissy and told her he had an inspiration, to which she replied, "oh, sweet!".

the sweet inspirations - ain't nothing gonna change me

maker vs. now again

2010-06-15T16:43:00.000-04:00

the latest beatsmith to delve into the funk and soul of the now-again records catalog is maker from the chicago area. previous effort from oh no was a resounding success, up there with some of my favourite instrumental hip-hop albums, so the next instalment in the 'music-library' series had been eagerly awaited. maker definitely puts his own stamp on these samples with golden-era dusty drum breaks and two-bar loops. there is more of an old school hip-hop feel to this release in the series, perhaps even a more normative framework in which the producer builds around. those of you residing in the U.S. have the opportunity to grab yourself one of the CDs which were limited to 1000 copies here.

maker - the love we have

good things

2010-06-15T08:18:00.003-04:00

aloe blacc is a soul singer/rapper/musican and is fluent in spanish, it's beginning to seem like there's not much this guy can't do. his fanbase has been steadily growing since 1995 when he collaborated with hip-hop producer exile and became something of a 'stow away' on the lootpack tour of europe in the late 1990s. his public profile was significantly raised after HBO decided at the 11th hour to use the lead single from his sophomore album for the opening credits to their show 'how to make it in america". the track "i need a dollar" is reminiscent of a 70s soul number with its urgent piano and haunting vocals, originally derived at a time when blacc was listening to old field recordings of black convicts from the south working on chain gangs. the first rough recording of the track was made with his friends back in 2007 sitting in their front room stomping on the wooden floor and clapping their hands, much like a kind of spiritual you could find yourself singing in church.

there is an absence of rapping on the new record, with blacc concentrating on the delivery, and in particular the emotional aspect of his soulful voice. production comes from truth & soul at the soul fire studios in williamsburg, some might remember their remix of dinah washington's 'cry me a river'. the retrospective track 'good things' starts off quite relaxed with a funky guitar riff bubbling under the surface, the introduction of brass acts as a catalyst in bringing this song to life, and the backing vocals create a sweet soul harmony that seems to be so rare in modern music. 'you make me smile' is nothing short of a delight, 'politician' features a heavier presense of funky horn licks, 'if i' is a delicate number where blacc's vocal talent really shines, and tracks 'momma hold my hand' and 'green lights' pay homage to traditional rhythm & blues. 'hey brother' has a crazy psychedelic groove and 'miss fortune' highlights a broader musical influence of reggae.

this record addresses current social and political issues, commenting on unemployment, homelessness, the unsustainable use of natural resources, and the pitfalls of capatalism. thought-provoking and decisively mature lyrics contribute to a growing musical character in which blacc strives for positive social change. 'good things' places aloe blacc at the forefront of modern soul, head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries, emphasising social consciousness and inducing compassion.

improv jam session snippet

2010-06-14T11:17:00.000-04:00

here's a glimpse of a jam session with beatmaker afta-1 and friends filmed at mcf studio in downtown pomona. tune in every sunday to watch the jam sessions live with samplers, turntables, synths/keys, vocals and drums at ustream. afta-1's long awaited album 'forms', which is "intended to provide audible healing", is also now available to buy here.

secondhand sureshots

2010-06-13T18:48:00.002-04:00

"secondhand sureshots is a filmed experiment in creative sound recycling. dublab directors bryan “morpho” younce & mark "frosty" mcneill sent beatmakers daedelus, nobody, j.rocc and ras g on safari into L.A. thrift stores with orders to make new music out of five finds while the cameras filmed the whole process. the result is a mini-documentary about putting new life into old vinyl. over 2 hours of footage, music & bonus material.

the deluxe super set is a true sound and vision experiment. dublab scoured southern california and rescued 500 gatefold LP covers from dusty thrift store bin obscurity. our graphic friends at hit+run took the covers and screen-printed them by hand, making new visual masterpieces to house the first public release of secondhand sureshots. stuffed in this package is all-exclusive material sampled and shredded into new forms fine-tuned to blow your mind. we hope it inspires you to make your own creative gems and jams!"

full details/buy/podcast

come on back

2010-06-13T18:11:00.001-04:00

brothers of soul were a trio consisting of fred bridges, richard knight, and bobby eaton. hailing from detroit, their music was characterised by motown-esque harmonies and a rich, funky beat. below you can find one of their gems from what was a short and often overlooked career.

brothers of soul - come on back

send me your love

2010-05-30T10:27:00.000-04:00

the latest lp from french beat maker onra is released on all city records who have been killing it of late despite being in the perhaps suprising location of northern ireland - not normally the place you associate with experimental contemporary hip-hop. the miami-vice artwork sets the scene for a refreshing blend of '80s electro and '90s hip-hop. the parisian has emersed himself into a distinct new avenue of sound, a break away from the more chopped-up dusty vinyl sound of 'chinioseries'. you can hear elements of prince or vandross, but at the same time its forward-thinking irony keeps the record instep with the likes of flying lotus or hudson mohawke. this blend of electro-soul suitable for the disco floor takes you right back to '80s miami. buy the album here.

onra - send me your love

quanny sitar

2010-05-29T08:34:00.000-04:00

dr. quandary, a boston-based producer, uses psychedelic samples while introducing dusty hip-hop breaks. his first record 'quanny sitar' is a tribute to india, mixing folk traditions with mid-70s bollywood soundtracks. download the record for free courtesy of bandcamp.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://quandary.bandcamp.com/album/quanny-sitar"&amp;amp;gt;Intro (Kahe Paise Pe) by Dr. Quandary&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

1958 jazz drumming

2010-05-08T13:08:00.001-04:00

a short clip of jazz drumming from 1958 with gene krupa, lionel hampton and chico hamilton.

the gin diaries

2010-05-02T08:41:00.001-04:00

latest release from german beat-maker suff daddy, 'the gin diaries', is a real treat for fans of soulful hip-hop. collaborations with the likes of miles bonny, fleur earth, mariama, and jim dunloop produce a similar neo-soul feel to that created by erykah badu's latest record. 'the gin diaries' has been described as a beat novel consisting of 13 musical short stories providing snapshots of the producer's life.

listen...

suff daddy - konnopke

suff daddy - feelin' fly (feat. mariama)

the album can be bought here

how it should sound

2010-04-28T16:10:00.001-04:00

washington dc's soulful beatmaker damu the fudgemunk has a new album out entitled 'how it should sound vol.1 & 2', and as damu himself states in the first track - 'interpret the title how you will'. this is a great instrumental hip-hop record made with little more than an MPC 2000 and a large record collection which harks back to the '90s era of jazz-rap. most of the footage in this promo video was shot by damu's younger brother while 'how it should sound' was being recorded...

more info/buy

traveling man

2010-04-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

info and on the new instrumental hip-hop album from oddisee...

"as a musician, life is often lived on the road. each city leaves its imprint on the artist as they develop their craft. touring, recording, and keeping up with friends and family took oddisee beyond his hometown of washington dc to australia, europe, asia, africa, and south america. from cities like east africa’s khartoum in sudan, to cosmopolitan jaunts like paris & tokyo. the influence of these travels can be heard on every one of the 24 tracks included on “traveling man"

each track was produced while oddisee stayed in the city it was titled after. the result is a 24 city sonic tour of the world. listen as oddisee guides you throught his instrumental journed around the globe. visit the lonely winter streets of detroit, festive san francisco, hynotic khartoum - or let your swagger loose with the theme music of chicago or the bounces of south central. oddisee sees the world, so that you can hear it."

listen...

oddisee - san fran

buy on cd/vinyl

i need a dollar

2010-04-20T14:36:00.000-04:00

latest single from neo-soul artist aloe blacc who stays true to his soulful influences. look out for the new album out this year called 'good things'.

listen...

visit stonesthrow for free download.

hi-hat club vol. 3 the jazz files

2010-04-19T18:18:00.001-04:00

this album comes from german dj & producer dexter and provides some great jazz samples arranged around a contemporary hip-hop beat. this dusty sounding record retains a modern element and even looks forward to the future of the relationship between jazz & hip-hop. quotes and samples are interspersed from interviews and tv shows adding to the narrative of the album.

dagger paths

2010-04-10T07:06:00.000-04:00

this 2010 ep from forest swords (one-man project from wirral) is an atmospheric journey where drone guitar meets dubstep-esque rhythms. soulful yet ghostly vocals rise above minimal psych-guitar loops; this record is certainly haunting.

listen...

forest swords - miarches

download...

forest swords - dagger paths (ep) [mediafire] or [megaupload]

ohiana sua efir

2010-04-06T03:57:00.000-04:00

this track is lifted from one of the spell-binding soundway compilations. a real bluesy feel to this song with the delicate guitar and heart-felt vocals, yet the african rhythms still shine through. asaase ase (meaning 'underground') was a side project of the great highlife guitarist ebo taylor. as a reaction against the success of bands like wulomei and hedzoleh soundz there was a movement focusing on playing more traditional folk music and for ebo this meant moving away from his background as a big-band musician and arranger towards a more guitar-based, rootsy style with soley local boys in the band and no other professional musicians. ebo explains:

"we started to play music of the sailors, hunters and fishermen in the centre of cape coast where i was born. we played old folk songs that i'd grown up with and heard for years, stripped down with no horns, just traditional percussion, vocals and guitar. 'ohiana sua efir' is the lament of the hunter who never seems to catch anything in his trap but snakes, whilst the richer more successful men go out and set traps in the same place and always come home laden with bush-meat. it's a real african blues number."

listen...

download...

asaase ase - ohiana sua efir (mono version) [mediafire]

the album can be bought here.

blunted in the bombshelter

2010-04-05T03:50:00.000-04:00

the 'bomb shelter' is the name given to madlib's basement studio in oxnard, california. trojan records sent much of their catalog over to madlib for the purposes of a mix cd and it was eventually created in the space of an afternoon. this is perfect for a laid-back, dub-soaked, hazy smoking session.

listen...

cornell campbell - girl of my dreams

download...

madlib - blunted in the bombshelter (mix) [mediafire]

dr. no's ethiopium

2010-04-03T04:16:00.005-04:00

hip-hop instrumentalist oh no is the younger brother of madlib and is seriously rivaling his sibling's beat-making abilities. as a follow-up to his album 'dr. no's oxperiment', created with turkish and lebanese-psych samples, 'dr. no's ethiopium' is another region-based beat album created using strictly 60's and 70's ethiopium samples.

listen...

oh no - melody mix

download...

oh no - dr. no's ethiopium [mediafire]

odessa

2010-04-01T04:17:00.004-04:00

here's a track from caribou's brilliant new album 'swim' which can be ordered here.

listen...

download...

caribou - odessa [mediafire]

we can rap

2010-04-01T04:07:00.005-04:00

carleen & the groovers were a 1970's funk band from south carolina. after only releasing a couple of singles during their time and until recently were largely forgotten, we can thank stonesthrow for this wonderful re-issue.

1. Right On
2. The Thing
3. Can We Rap
4. Hot Pants

carleen & the groovers - we can rap (12") [mediafire]

beat konducta in africa

2010-03-13T17:54:00.001-05:00

here are a couple of tracks from madlib's 'medicine show no. 3: beat konducta in africa' which is out this month from stonesthrow. the album features samples from african funk, pych-rock, soul, and afro-beat.

listen...

madlib - warrior's theme

madlib - mtima

today

2010-03-07T18:51:00.002-05:00

jefferson airplane were one of the prolific californian psychedelic-rock bands of the 1960's. the acclaimed 'surrealistic pillow' was a defining album to emerge out of the 1960's counterculture movement, fusing folk rock with psychedelia. the 'beat' culture was typified by interest in eastern religion and spirituality, experimentation with drugs, and the rejection of mainstream culture.

listen...

download...

jefferson airplane - today [mediafire]

smoking buddha

2010-03-03T09:04:00.001-05:00

onra is a french beat-maker who uses predominantly asian samples. his first album 'chinoiseries', which features this track 'smoking buddha', uses mainly chinese and vietnamese samples which gives it a really unique feel.

listen...

download...

onra - smoking buddha [mediafire]

cold beats

2010-02-27T14:02:00.003-05:00

this is a track by producer koushik and underground hip-hop artist percee p that features on stones throw's 'science class: heavy funk & raw disco soul' compilation. the song samples the deep funk classic 'cold heat' by lil' lavair & the fabulous jades which can be heard in its original form here.

listen...

download...

koushik - cold beats (featuring percee p) [mediafire]

do-over vol. 1

2010-01-14T10:36:00.001-05:00

this two track vinyl is released courtesy of stones throw, each volume in this series is limited to 1,000 copies and the artwork/packaging features different graphic designers. the first track is by house shoes, which can be heard below, and the second is by flying lotus.

listen here...

download...

house shoes - the making [mediafire]

i hear music

2010-01-07T07:35:00.002-05:00

billie holiday was a seminal jazz singer and songwriter, and despite a voice that somewhat lacked range, she brought a deeply emotional and intimate aspect to her performances. i am posting a track from the 'remixed & reimagined' album, a record that i think overall doesn't particularly work very well, but i am a fan of how the track 'i hear music' was re-worked. for me this remix does bring the importance of the original recording to the forefront, without being lost in some overpowerful electronic/house beat. the brass and piano samples almost reply to eachother in conversation, while billie's wonderful verse is preserved with the right balance of cut-up sampling - a balance which is unfortunately absent from the rest of the soulless album leaving the listener to feel that the over-production is only detracting from the originals. nevertheless, 'i hear music' is both elegant and energetic, and would not seem out of place on one of the amazing verve remixed complilations.

listen here...

download...

billie holiday - i hear music (swingsett & takuya's mighty fine remix) [sharebee]

stompin' at the savoy

2009-12-27T08:50:00.004-05:00

having recently completed an essay on the harlem renaissance of 1920's america, much of my research revolved around the celebration of black culture and the roots of african american heritage through the medium of art, literature, music, and progressive thought. the creation of intellectual arts worked to uplift the african american people during a time of severely unstable race-relations, producing a new sense of pride and distinction. jazz music was undoubtedly the defining sound of the 1920's. duke ellington, for example, worked to portray an authentic representation of black life in his music, with many of his songs reflecting the urban harlem culture. at the bottom of this post you will find the track 'stompin' at the savoy', an effortlessly uplifting track which oozes charm and sophistication.

the image below is winold reiss's 'drawing in two colours'. much of the art created during the harlem renaissance encompassed the positive image of 'the new negro', a reinvention of the african american into an energetic yet respectful image. i recommend anyone interested in jazz music or american history to familiarise themselves with the works of claude mckay, langston hughes, zora neale hurston, and jean toomer, as these were all major influences in the roots of jazz as we know it today.

download...

duke ellington - stompin' at the savoy [mediafire]

fancy clown

2009-12-22T20:23:00.001-05:00

this is a track from the critically acclaimed 'madvillainy' album, a collaboration between mablib and mf doom. sampling zz hill's 'that ain't the way you make love', this song has the interesting dimension of coming from the point of view of mf doom's pseudonym viktor vaughn, seemingly pretty livid with his girlfriend sleping with mf doom (the same person)...

"that's you, if you want a dude who wear a mask all day"

download...

madvillain - fancy clown (feat. viktor vaughn) [mediafire]

wanda vidal

2009-12-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

this is a track from one of madlib's projects that takes a distinct step away from traditional hip-hop - yesterday's new quintet. recently i have been on a journey discovering all the madlib-related material out there and with each new turn the music takes, my appreciation greatens. this jazz-based quintet, made up of four fictitious characters, has released a few albums that i highly recommend you check out.

download...

yesterday's new quintet - wanda vidal [mediafire]

history (live on jimmy fallon)

2009-12-11T15:35:00.003-05:00

mos def and talib kweli performing the track 'history' from the album 'the ecstatic' released this year. this song samples a j dilla beat and the backing band for this performance just happens to be the roots.

j dilla

2009-12-01T19:05:00.002-05:00

j dilla was a hip-hop producer from detroit, michigan. having only discovered his work recently, i was instantly intrigued by his use of sampling and the misty, almost nostalgic atmosphere his music creates.

download

j dilla - stop [mediafire]

the keeper

2009-11-29T07:55:00.004-05:00

this is the first single from bonobo's new album, which is as yet untitled and due for release early next year. 'the keeper' features vocals from andreya triana, a british singer/songwriter who has also had interesting collaborations with flying lotus and mr. scruff. this new track shows bonobo's continually evolving sound, melancholy yet uplifting, wonderfully soulful vocals with a relaxing trip-hop beat.

listen here...

download...

bonobo - the keeper (feat. andreya triana) [mediafire]

bird's lament

2009-11-21T17:20:00.010-05:00

moondog, real name louis thomas hardin, was a blind american composer, musician, and poet, who chose to live on the streets of new york for nearly 20 years. often known as 'the viking of 6th avenue' for his home-made attire based on his interpretation of the norse god thor, he once met charlie parker in the streets of new york and they had planned to jam together. touched by parker's death, moondog wrote the song 'bird's lament' in his memory. it has that wonderfully smooth brass ensemble mixed with the classically upbeat jazz drumming. 'bird's lament' was later sampled by electronic musican mr. scruff in the track 'get a move on' which features on the 1999 album 'keep it unreal'. below you can find the original song...

listen here...

download...

moondog - bird's lament [megaupload]

meet me at the pomegranate tree

2009-11-20T09:55:00.001-05:00

will holland, often known as quantic, creates music that draws upon elements of soul, funk, jazz, and salsa, yet retains a very contemporary feel in terms of production. you would expect most music with this range of influence to be dominated by samples, but being a multi-instrumentalist, much will holland's sound is original composition. in this particular song, 'meet me at the pomegranate tree', i love the handclaps, clicks of fingers, and how the bass works extremely well with the drums.

listen here...

download...

quantic - meet me at the pomegranate tree [megaupload]

on the vista

2009-11-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

the lastest track to emerge from the forthcoming blakroc album. 'on the vista', with mos def, features a sqealing guitar and has a really delicate ending with mos def's whispers.

listen here...

blakroc - on the vista (feat. mos def)

madlib medicine show

2009-11-14T17:23:00.001-05:00

madlib's 'medicine show' is going to be a one-a-month 12 cd series. the show will combine madlib's new hip-hop productions, remixes, and beat tapes. no.1 in the series, 'before the verdict', will feature guilty simpson and contain 17 tracks of new material. no. 2 in the series, 'flight to brazil', will be a mixtape of brazillian jazz, funk, folk, and psychedelia.

madlib & guilty simpson - the paper [mediafire]

keep an eye on stonesthrow for details of the full release, looks like it's scheduled for the new year.

time & space (a new refuation of)

2009-11-12T17:29:00.002-05:00

some really laid back hip-hop from digable planets, a trio that couple alot of old jazz and funk samples with culturally aware lyrics.

digable planets - time & space (a new refuation of) [mediafire]

when it wobbles

2009-11-09T19:46:00.002-05:00

a track from RJD2's new EP, 'the tin foil hat'

RJD2 - when it wobbles [mediafire]

love cry

2009-11-08T13:33:00.000-05:00

the new single from four tet is a nine-minute percussive-dance track with ghostly female vocals. the artork is inspired by the cyclical pattern of a 'rainbow' of downtempo electronic sounds. it looks like hebden is scheduling a release for the new four tet album, 'there is love in you', to be january 25th 2010.

four tet - love cry [mediafire]

the limited edition 12" single can be purchased here which features the b-side 'our bells', an interestingly beatless, ambient track.

bye bye bayou

2009-11-07T10:21:00.003-05:00

the new single from lcd soundsystem gives a taste of what new material is sounding like. apparently while the band is recording their new album in an old mansion in LA, they are all wearing white clothing from top to toe at all times, an interesting idea.

lcd soundsystem - bye bye bayou [sharebee]

lcd soundsystem - bye bye bayou [mediafire]

i get a kick out of you

2009-11-04T11:40:00.002-05:00

ella fitzgerald is undoubtedly one of the greatest female jazz singers of all time, and through her career she won an astonishing 13 grammy awards. this particular song i'm posting is ella doing a cover of 'i get a kick out of you', which has then been remixed by the cinematic orchestra (a british-based jazz and electronic outfit). the acoustic guitar fits perfectly with ella's purity of tone, and it really feels as if this track has been tastefully brought into the 21st century.

ella fitzgerald - i get a kick out of you (cinematic orchestra remix) [sharebee]

ella fitzgerald - i get a kick out of you (cinematic orchestra remix) [mediafire]

hoochie coo

2009-11-04T10:39:00.006-05:00

the blackroc project is spearheaded by blues-rock band the black keys and hip-hop label executive damon dash. the self-titled blakroc lp will feature jim jones, mos def, q-tip, rza, pharoahe monch, raekwon, and nicole wray amoungst others. anticipation for this album has been building steadily with the weekly release of the blakroc webisodes giving an insight into the recording process of each song.

blakroc - ain't nothing like you (hoochie coo) [sharebee]

blakroc - ain't nothing like you (hoochie coo) [mediafire]

pre-order the cd or vinyl

wolf club / moth

2009-05-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

below you'll find both tracks from the new burial & four tet 12". upon listening it appears it's likely to be more collaborative than a split ep, as both tracks feature signature burial beats/atmospherics, and four tet's organic sounding layers. if you like what you hear there are still copies available for purchase here.

truck festival '09

2009-04-29T10:26:00.001-04:00

truck is a small, independent, quirky, not-for-profit festival located at a farm in the village of steventon, near abingdon, oxfordshire. truck is usually a place for smaller bands, and often an opportunity for the annual average of 5,000 festival-goers to discover new bands they havn't seen or heard of before. the festival prides itself on its family atmosphere and community ethics, and farm itself remains a working farm, shutting down only temporarily to allow the festival to take place. bands which have played at truck in previous years include british sea power, the futureheads, goldrush, biffy clyro, the magic numbers, the mystery jets, regina spektor, the young knives, the electric soft parade, laura marling, foals, metronomy, youth movies, and many many more.

the lineup for this year has not yet been released in its entirety, although several acts have been confirmed - local favourites supergrass will be headlining on sunday night, and ASH will be playing on saturday night. smaller bands playing this year will include the red light company and detroit social club. this year's festival takes place on the 25th and 26th of july and tickets are available to buy online at...

wegottickets

seetickets

four tet/burial split release

2009-04-27T13:25:00.001-04:00

with very few details to go on, word has it that a split 12" vinyl is being released by four tet and burial, named 'moth/wolf club'. according to bleep the LP, which is largely shrouded in mystery at the moment, is due for release on may 4th. there is no artwork, no sales notes, and no audio previews or promos; hopefully the music in this collaboration will do the talking. in the mean time, here's a track from burial's 2007 album 'untrue'.

burial - 'archangel' [mediafire]

burial - 'archangel' [sharebee]

anything but love

2009-04-27T09:56:00.001-04:00

listening to songs you'd almost forgotten about is always nice. 'anything but love' featured on the libertines' 'legs 11' session. this particular session was recorded in 2000 and showcased the band's eight best tracks at that time. it has become one of the most popular of the band's many bootleg recordings probably due to the variety of instruments used, giving these demos a distinctive sound uncaptured in many other recordings.

the libertines - 'anything but love' (legs 11 session) [mediafire]

the libertines - 'anything but love' (legs 11 session) [sharebee]

one foot in the grave reissue

2009-04-23T09:20:00.000-04:00

beck is set to reissue a deluxe version of his 1994 album 'one foot in the grave' with 13 bonus tracks, several of these being previously unreleased songs. the tracklisting for the bonus tracks featured on the reissued version of 'one foot in the grave' reads...

it's all in your mind (k records 7")
whiskey can can (k records 7")
mattress*
woe on me*
teenage wastebasket*
your love is weird*
favorite nerve’*
piss on the door*
close to god*
sweet satan*
burning boyfriend*
black lake morning*
feather in your cap (k records 7")
one foot in the grave*
i get lonesome*

*never before released

the long lost (daedelus)

2009-04-21T17:22:00.001-04:00

the long lost consists of alfred darlington (aka daedelus) and his wife laura collaborating for a self-titled album. daedelus is an experimental music producer from california who pioneered the use of the minimalist monome controller. his music is often built upon vintage or analog sounding samples giving it a very distinct and almost nostalgic nature; it is clear how much the rhythms of the 30's, 40's and 70's influence his music. this particular project of daedelus is said to have arisen as a result of a renewed courtship of the couple following a four year separation. the album has been described by the label (ninja tune) as the work of two hopeless romantics making "psychedelic lullabies for lovers and the lovelorn", which seems to be an accurate description upon listening.

'the art of kissing' features a gentle acoustic guitar matching the softness of laura's vocals, and has daedelus's signature-sounding lo-fi drums as a backdrop. 'subliance' has a very groovy drumline which increases in depth as the song unfolds, with short bursts of violin helping the romantic tone. the songs are very delicate, sad at times and joyful at others, with experimental electro-acoustic melodies. as far as i can see, most (if not all) of the tracks from the album can be heard on their website which is linked below the live dates.

the long lost - s/t [streamed]

as serious as your life

2009-04-12T10:37:00.006-04:00

'as serious as your life' was a single released from the 2003 album 'rounds' by four tet, otherwise known as kieran hebden. hebden is primarily an electronic musician under the name four tet, but some of his sounds, melodies, and samples are lifted from or incorporate elements of hip-hop, psychedelic rock, abstract electronica, jazz, and folk music. much of hebden's work has a dreamy atmosphere about it, but 'as serious as your life' is slightly more punchy, and undoubtedly quite accessible. a looped funky riff accounts for the calmest parts of the track, with a mayhem of drums and cymbals interspersed for the hectic elements. the twinkling sitar actually gives the track a less 'serious' feel i think, and relates back to the music-box melody in previous tracks on the album. the real drum samples and stuttered handclaps throughout the song give it a more organic feel, balancing well with the electronically generated sounds, the cut-up rhythms, and the experimental atmospherics.

four tet - 'as serious as your life' [sharebee]

four tet - 'as serious as your life' [mediafire]

unkle - heaven

2009-04-08T11:46:00.003-04:00

UNKLE's latest video is for the track 'heaven' which featured on the 'end titles... stories for film' album of recent collective recordings, and it continues UNKLE's tendency to produce unforgettable music videos. the footage for this piece was originally from lakai's 'fully flared' skateboarding film; collaborative directors spike jonze and ty evans re-edited a sequence which shows southern californian skaters demonstrating their skills. footage of skaters is slowed down to a snail pace which makes you focus on minute details like t-shirts rippling in the wind, or the skaters wavering in balance when making impact with the ground. what separates this from a simple homage to skaters is of course the unexpected explosions of parts of the skate park which the skaters navigate through. this is really where the slowed down speed of the film has maximum effect as we see sparks flying, concrete shattering, clouds of rubble hanging in the air - all in precise detail. the album this track featured on, 'end titles... stories for film', was made to harness a relationship between music and images, an area of audio-visual association. in the credits to the album james lavelle described making music for film or television as "frustrating" because:

"a lot of the music you're making ends up sitting on the shelf, neither properly released or heard. a waste really, we thought. so this album is our attempt to alleviate our musical frustrations whilst hoping that it will find a wider audience."

the menacing 'heaven' is a great track in it's own right, and this video could be their best since the groundbreaking work on 'rabbit in your headlights' by chris cunningham. the video builds slowly in tension and expectancy, like the song, towards a gallant conclusion. the images are successfully related with the musical backdrop in both matter and timing, producing an extraordinary relationship between sound and picture that lavelle clearly wanted to achieve when making his music.

strokes writing new material

2009-04-06T09:42:00.006-04:00

with recent reports suggesting julian casablancas and nick valensi have started writing new material for the band's fourth album, i think it's safe to say anticipation can officially begin. by now we can assume all members have convened in new york as planned to continue writing and to start rehearsing. fabrizio moretti spoke to the bbc towards the end of january explaining that all members of the band were meeting very soon. moretti also said that the stokes are "the kind of band that it's not finished until everyone's in one room and everyone's got their parts perfectly. we're a very mechanical band." so it seems that there may be some time to wait until we hear material from the new album. in the meantime, here's an old demo version of 'i'll try anything once' with julian singing and playing keyboard.

the strokes - 'i'll try anything once' (julian on keyboard) [mediafire]

the strokes - 'i'll try anything once' (julian on keyboard) [yousendit]

birdy nam nam

2009-04-02T13:02:00.011-04:00

birdy nam nam consists of four french djs who believe in using the turntable as an actual instrument. they scratch, cut, cross-fade and loop in harmony to create some really unique tracks – often complimented at their shows with live percussion, strings, and keys. their first album which i have posted below is a great little contemporary jazz record. the clever thing about it is that you wouldn't notice it was four turntablists using vinyl as the only sound source unless you read about it. it has a very vintage style of sound, obviously originating from the vinyl samples used, yet a fresh style is present with the modern production techniques. stand-out tracks in this album include the more traditional lounge-jazz effort 'kind of laid back', the heavily scratched yet infectious 'jazz it at home', and the more epic 'abbesses'. some of their vinyl compositions are breathtaking when you consider how they are assembled; with clear influences ranging from 1990’s electronic experts to 1980’s rap producers.

1. ready for war, ready for what?
2. body, mind, spirit...
3. too much skunk tonight!
4. transition
5. kind of laid back
6. jazz it at home
7. we drummin'
8. new birth
9. escape
10. l'interlude de qualité
11. engineer fear
12. rainstorming
13. il y a un cauchemar dans mon placard (ft. d-styles & mike boo)
14. migration
15. abbesses
16. new steps breaking barriers [bonus track]
17. from here to there [bonus track]

download [megaupload]

password: featherinyourcap

superfly

2009-03-31T10:57:00.005-04:00

curtis mayfield's 'superfly' album is a classic of 1970s soul and funk. it would be wrong however to dismiss it as merely a funky sounding record with no substance or rooted meaning. in fact, we also saw deep political meaning in mayfield's first solo album entitled 'curtis'. songs like 'keep pushing on' and 'people get ready' were commenting on the civil rights movement and gave people's belief at the time another avenue of expression.

in 'superfly' he uses each song to focus on a different aspect of what he saw was going wrong on america's streets at the time; offering probing questions of his own community. he presents a critical perception on drugs, dealers, and leading a life of such nature. mayfield doesn't slip into the trap of becoming too moralistic, but simply observes what black life was often like in the early 1970s. in particular, 'pusherman' uses the metaphor of a drug dealer as a means of earning a living and running a business. talented lyricism is evident with the incisively written... "i'm your mamma, i'm your daddy, i'm that nigga in the alley; i'm your doctor when in need, want some coke, have some weed". the latin percussion used throughout the record also helps i think to convey this theme of the streets.

curtis mayfield - 'superfly' [mediafire]

curtis mayfield - 'superfly' [yousendit]

bobby darin

2009-03-28T11:17:00.008-04:00

bobby darin, a grammy award-winning singer and one of america's most popular big band performers, has one of those instantly recognisable voices in music. darin was unfortunately subject to severe health problems throughout his life. it is likely this is responsible for giving him such a strong drive to succeed within the limited lifetime he feared remained. he had a string of hits in the late 50's and early 60's, many of which he composed himself. his renditions of other songs were also executed to the highest quality; it is claimed even frank sinatra called darin's version of the classic 'mack the knife' the definitive version. his music has an almost nostalgic feel when listened to now, and i think to some degree it's a shame popular music of today doesn't draw more of an influence from that era. his music is always satisfying to hear and is the perfect blend of swing jazz and pop.

bobby darin - beyond the sea [mediafire]

bobby darin - beyond the sea [yousendit]

the philadelphia experiment

2009-03-27T11:49:00.008-04:00

the philadelphia experiment - not to be confused with the alleged US military experiment where a naval ship was rendered briefly invisible - is a collaboration between ahmir thompson (otherwise known as questlove/?uestlove, drummer for acclaimed hip-hop act the roots and producer for artists including common and al green), uri caine (jazz pianist and composer), and christian mcbride (jazz bassist). this one-off album was dedicated to recognising philadelphia's profound legacy of jazz and soul.

even though each member hails from philadelphia, they all bring their unique musical style to this collaboration. caine's avant-garde piano, mcbride's jazzy bass, and thompson's hip-hop drumming style all result in a very funky album unrivalled in originality. they have achieved a completely fresh approach to a style of music which consistently features in 'greatest albums of all time' lists; bringing that style of improvisational jazz into the 21st century. this album is a flawlessly executed homage to the greats of music. in particular, 'trouble man theme' is a rendition of marvin gaye's 'trouble man' which has been transformed into what some people have described as a 'revival-like groove'. not to be overlooked is the hidden gem of a track at the end of the album where mcbride plays a stripped back cover of 'just the two of us' by grover washington jr with a slapped bass rhythm line and handclaps. with repeat listens you can really appreciate the influences behind this highly successful experimental venture.

the philadelphia experiment - 'trouble man theme' [mediafire]

the philadelphia experiment - 'trouble man theme' [yousendit]

ohio blues

2009-03-23T13:52:00.006-04:00

the black keys now have five very good albums under their belt. it is clear how much lead singer dan auerbach was influenced by early blues music and this shines through in their style of psychedelic/blues-rock. it can only be a testiment to auerbach's talent on the guitar that they have such a complete sound with only the two members in the band. i'm posting a song i keep listening to recently from their third album 'rubber factory' which was recorded in an abandoned warehouse in the band's hometown of akron, ohio. '10am automatic' features brutal yet very catchy guitar riffs, which are emphasised by the raw and unvarnished production techniques - how a decent blues album should be made. i cant recommend some of their albums highly enough, i'm sure i'll be talking about more of their material in the coming weeks.

the black keys - 10am automatic [mediafire]

the black keys - 10am automatic [yousendit]

featured album: 'rubber factory'

da feelin'

2009-03-20T12:47:00.006-04:00

nightmares on wax, or dj ease, has a habbit of making low tempo yet infectious abstract hip-hop with influences inclufing funk, soul, and jazz. 'da feelin' was a single released from his lastest album to date, and is a again a song which has a distinct 'summery' feel - probably why i'm listening to it at moment with this week of sun we are having in brighton.

nightmares on wax - da feelin' [mediafire]

recommended album: 'in a space outta sound'

poney poney

2009-03-20T11:55:00.006-04:00

apparently this outfit started as a one-man band with an ipod playing the part of drummer and bassist, thankfully the ipod was stolen and a real band emerged. that infamous sound created by french duo justice has been dominating airwaves over the past year; whether that sound was actually coming from the pair or simply from all of the imitating artists trying to recreate that same sound remains to be seen. admittedly, poney poney are doing near enough the same thing, but this band are bringing that distorted electro and those hard-hitting snares into more of a rock scenario. one of their few tracks so far stands above the rest, 'cross the fader', in which they even recieved recording and production help from xavier de rosnay. apparently they're making an album, i'm not sure whether i could stand an album entirely comprised of this sound alone, but nevertheless this is a song to dance to in the summer.

poney poney - cross the fader [mediafire]