Archive for November, 2011
Here’s the video for the title track from Schlachthofbronx’s most recent EP. The song definitely outshines the visuals, but it’s all love. As far as I’m concerned, these guys are the coolest Germans in the game right now. Das cool.
The world got sad new yesterday: J-1, aka The Deer, aka the percussionist extraordinaire behind Master Blazter and, hence, Dam Funk, passed away unexpectedly in Sweden. Though we didn’t know him personally, J-1 meant the world to a lot of our people, and his music touched us all. Rest in power.
Here is the full length official video/short film for the Weeknd’s “The Knowing”, directed by Mikael Colombu, the mind behind dark and twisty videos like Cee-Lo’s “Bodies” and Bilal’s “Robots“. The journey to and cataclysm of planet “Ethio X” in the year 16311 is a cascade of imagery evoking Stargate, Ethiopian Poli sci/Cultural studies and the grotesquely beautiful art of H.R. Geiger, all in all giving me a rare case of the slightly aroused willies. With so much provocative content to analyze – I leave further interpretation to the viewer.
As a bonus, here is a track Mr. Abel Tesfaye released last month called “Initiation”, featuring his signature R&B-for-vampires vocal stylings screwed, auto-tuned and everything in between. Peacepeace.
Today reveals a nice Fader-curated collaboration between LxNxM favorite Lunice, the Montreal bass-master himself, and Ohio/BK beard rapper Stalley. Not a combo I would have expected, but one that delivers the goods. Happy Tuesday!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s Monday. The one after Thanksgiving. All that turkey is still in your system making you pass out at work, but you’re pushing through it. Nice job, champ!
On the well-timed tip, the second episode of Das Racist/Dapwell‘s “web tv show” Chillin Island just dropped, which means you’ve now got something to do with your morning. No, it’s not music, but it’s close enough. Plus, this episode is almost twenty minutes long, so if you watch it twice, it’s practically lunch time already. Did somebody say leftovers??
Ah, Thanksgiving. Sure, it’s a celebration of colonialism and illegal invasion, but it’s also a day for that most important thing around you: friends, family, and the good people who make up the constellation of your life. In a convenient piece of synchronicity, NYC’s Tecla just released The THANK$GIVING Mixtape, an hour long dip into future sounds that is absolutely, crucially, a family affair.
The mixtape features guest appearances and production from the current crop of New York’s rising moguls, including those wacky Das Racist fellows, Kassa and Carlos Overall both, Lakutis, Gordon Voidwell, and Fat Tony. It’s not unreasonable to imagine some of this album coming together before, during or after a long dinner among friends.
The mix is an evolution for Tecla, building off her last release Strangers in Masks, and moving from that release’s future r&b sound into a happy combination of outre boom bap and late night bump. It’s an album that gets its priorities straight, and puts the focus on good times and good people. If only there were some gravy to pout on top…
I just got back from a two week long European vacation yesterday, and the jet lag is real. After pulling an all-nighter, I left Amsterdam at 11AM, flew for ten hours in a giant metal tube, and arrived in Seattle at noon (the same day). How’s that for a mindfuck?
After unpacking, starting a load of laundry, and getting a steaming bowl of duck noodle soup from my favorite noodle shop, I fired up the Macbook and started clicking through my favorites to catch up on some blog action. I didn’t make it too far, as I started to pass out about five minutes into it, but I did find this incredibly appropriately titled mix featured on Largeup.com’s Mixtape Mondays from last week.
Montreal’s finest, Ghislain Poirier, comes through with some serious heaters on this mix(tape), which features LxNxM favorites Bonjay, Emvee, Boogat, Spoek Mathambo, Dubbel Dutch, and mucho mas. I’m not sure how this worked out or what the connection is, but the mix was made for Aritizia, a boutique specializing in women’s clothing. Check em out, I guess.
I’d write more about how awesome this mix is, but my brain is still a little melty from traveling through space and time. I think I’m just gonna let this one play on repeat until I start feeling normal again.
LA producer/musician kingdom has a new ep, dreama, dropping this monday (11/21) courtesy of london-based quality music purveyors night slugs. night slugs has a preview up on their soundcloud, but i’d like to draw your attention to the ep’s first track, “let you no,” which kingdom has on his soundcloud. this song is hitting the sweet spot in the venn diagram of music i’ve been feeling the past few months. check it out below:
As we all know, good things come in threes, and apparently mixtapes are no exception. Here are three new mixtapes that deserve time on rotation.
It seems like it was just yesterday that Berlin/Vancouver DJ and producer Blondtron was dropping collaborative mixes with Ned Kelly. Ah, the olden days. Not satisfied to let things sit, Blondtron’s back with Dibby Dibby, a happy go bassy mix to promo her upcoming moombahton release. It’s sort of a sequel to last spring’s Bouncin’ Bush Stew mixtape with Prince Zimboo. Solid end to end!
Dibby Dibby Mixtape (Bouncin’ Bush Stew 2!) by blondtron
Next up is the latest from Mungo’s Hi-Fi, the New York Boogie Mix. Going in heavy on original production, much of which is sitting in a vault somewhere at Mungo’s HQ, the mix drops 47 minutes of groove. Mungo’s great power is the ability to keep the vibes just right without tipping over into anything off message. It’s really a lesson in quality selecting.
New York Boogie Mix by mungoshifi
And last but certainly not least is a nasty, nasty live mix from Santiago, Chile’s LATA. There’s a lot of LATA’s original production thrown in (from what I can tell), and the whole thing pretty makes me want to chuck it all and catch the next plane southbound. Probably not an option, so in the meantime, LATA’s on repeat.
