Archive for February 2011
New Video "Blue Movie" from Anticon Rapper Beans
Beans, beans, the musical…
Photo credit: Beans/MySpace
Not long ago, we told you about Antipop Consortium’s Beans moving his operation over to the famed Anticon crew.
We’ll he’s apparently been spending his time creatively, and he’s got a brand new video to show for it.
“Blue Movie” is like two songs smashed together. The first one is an eerie orchestral bit with Beans’ voice rolling over the beats like an additional drum. The next alternates between a fast electronic beat and a slow break.
Once again, Beans has made something that technically fits into the category of rap music, but is an entity unto itself.
As far as the visuals go, I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking at half the time. There are geodes, there’s a bunch of licking going on, I think I see some butts, and there might be a nipple or two in the mix as well. These last two questionable items might make this video a little NSFW. I guess it could be S. Depends on where you W, really. Anyhow, that’s it F me.
Beans – “Blue Movie” from anticon. on Vimeo.
Finest Ego Compiles the Best Beatmakers from Australia and New Zealand
There are beatmakers everywhere.
Image credit: Finest Ego
We know that Australia has been smashing it up with bands reviving disco and new wave, but Finest Ego is showing us another side of the South Pacific.
As part of their Beatmaker series, which has covered Japan and Russia, the collective has compiled an album of tracks from Australia and New Zealand’s instrumental hip hop community.
If you thought that the ambient, textured sounds of abstract boom bap was limited to LA’s Brainfeeder, check out these tracks from down under. You may not have heard any of the names on this list, but any of these guys could be the next Flying Lotus.
You can hear that Australian affinity for cheesy vocoded voice and disco-y synth through out this comp, but keep in mind that this ain’t the sugary good-time dance stuff you’re used to from Australia. It’s eerie. It’s wonky. It’s bouncy. Had no idea things sounded this good on the world’s underside.
Download the comp in full for free here.
Check out more from Project: Mooncircle.
http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=1155200320/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB//
Moscow Calling! The 10 Best Russian Producers Creating Killer Beats in the Cold
Russia's ten finest
Ah! Russia. Home of onion domes, hammers, sickles, furry hats and the Russians that rock them. Plenty comes to mind when we think of the land up above, and after this list, really crunchy electronic beats will be one of them.
Not long ago, we started noticing that Moscow is a hotbed for electronica, and before long we discovered producers in far-reaching areas of the country, including the frigid tundra that is Siberia. There’s too much going on for anyone to ignore, so we’re packing the best ones up into this neat little list, just for you.
So slam a vodka shot and douse your goulash with some extra… er…Russian dressing. Here’s a list of our ten favorite producers making noise in Russia.
Moa Pillar
Moa Pillar
When glitch hop crash-landed in Russia and Moa Pillar discovered it, removed it from its meteorite casing, and brought it home to experiment on. Moa blends traditional Russian styles with so much freaking glitch that it’s pretty much unrecognizable. The tracks from his 2010 debut LP Plamya pack a deep punch. Could have guessed that a guy with glasses that thick is a genius.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9877346 [G5001] Moa Pillar – The Moon and Thunder Dance EP by Moa Pillar
Pixelord
Pixelord
We liked this. You could call his stuff 8bit, but it’s deeper than that. In addition to using sounds of video game systems now defunct, this Moscow producer incorporates organic and synthetic sounds into his music. When we first heard him, we made a bet that his favorite artists were Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada. When we spoke with him, it turned out they are Aphex Twin and Frank Zappa. Someone owes us half a drink.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7320750 Magic firn by pixelord
Demokracy
Demokracy
We get it: a duo called Demokracy from one of the last nations to hold onto communism. Clever? Yes. Funny? Not after you hear their stuff. This pair of producers create the soundtrack to everyone’s nightmares, complete with spooky and scarcely discernable voice samples. Even when you hear “the last thing we want is to scare anybody” in one of their songs, it manages to scare the hell out of you.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9247016 Eon by Demokracy
DZA
DZA
Through the magic of sound processing, some Russian producers manage to convey the icy cold weather of their native land through their songs. Case in point: Moscow’s DZA. His synths sound like drops of water freezing and falling in synchronization, the drums are like snapping icicles. And yes, that is a Siberian Tiger lunging at you.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F6256800 Sacred mountain by DZA
Pompeya
Pompeya
Not all Russian bands are channeling the tundra’s weather. Pompeya, a Moscow band, combine live instruments with synthesizers to create a sound between disco and 80s pop. It’s light and mellow stuff, like their track “Cheenese,” and slow and sexy like its video.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F5636156 POMPEYA – Cheenese by POMPEYA
Lapti
Lapti
Out of so many producers in Russia, one of them has to be the nation’s answer to Flying Lotus. That one is Lapti. With ambient sounds and stuttery hip hop beats, Lapti’s music has the atmospheric qualities of FlyLo with a little Madlib flavor. The center for this style might be in LA right now, but there are contributers all over the world. This guy is one of the best.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F8354549 Lapti – Alligator tamer by Lapti
Maguett
Maguett
Each of Maguett’s tracks takes on a different electronic beat style. The pace can be a breakbeat, a creeping dubstep rhythm, a boom bap beat, or four-to-the-floor. The common element is somber melody and incredibly thick production. Layer upon layer of sounds create a twisted, dream-like harmony. Hard to believe, but this guy is unsigned as yet.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F96029 sonars (no voice original edit) by dmitriymaguett
Miracle Libido
Miracle Libido
Dude, what does that name mean!? Is a Miracle Libido one that jumps into action after a lifetime sans-sex drive? Or is it referring to some other mysterious part of the id? Regardless, this is slightly like that FlyLo-esque style shared by producers like Lapti, but off in its own direction. These two have even appeared on some of the same compilations.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9144830 Leni meet Nubian by Miracle Libido
Noize MC
Noize MC
Thanks to Noize MC, the world now knows that Russian cops can be real jerks. Following a brief prison stint, he released a video for a track called “10 Days in Paradise” depicting cops beating the living crap out of civilians in various settings. The footage was punctuated by dramatizations the artist himself in prison. Oh, the song is pretty hot too.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1807253 Noize MC – Мерседес S666 (Дорогу Колеснице) by Marquez
DJ Vadim
Vadim
Unlike the other guys on this list, DJ Vadim has been around forever. Being born in the city formerly known as Leningrad in the country formerly known as the USSR, he titled many of his early releases (many of them on Ninja Tune) with the USSR: prefix. He’s done a ton of collaborations, including former hip hop project One Self and new hip hop project The Electric. He’s the most notable producer out of Russia to date, but if you haven’t heard his stuff, start with 1996′s USSR: Repertoire and make your way forward through time.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7752581 Running by DJ Vadim
Bands We Like: Grandson of Russian Classical Composer Throws Hip Hop Into the Mix
Redefining “classic hip hop.”
Photo credit: Gabriel Prokofiev/MySpace
Gabriel Prokofiev is a DJ that blew the dust off his grandfather’s records, dropped them on his decks and cut them up.
His brand of turntablist classical music is experimental, bringing the purist elements of his composer grandfather Segei Prokofiev into the modern age.
It’s not just orchestra+scratching though. Prokofiev experiments with composing pieces using everyday items, like Fanta bottles and drums of oil.
He’s like John Cage, except John Cage wasn’t backed up by DJ Yoda, the turntablist Prokofiev chose for his “Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra.”
Prokofiev’s label, Nonclassical, hosts club nights that bring classical music out of the stuffy realm of grand performance halls and into a general admission venue that isn’t above dance floor lighting.
For those who consider connoisseurs of classical to be uptight old heads who turn up their noses at modern forms, check out Prokofiev’s remix below.
It’s slick enough to make even a guy with a monocle bob his head. Bet you’ve never seen that.
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F374753 1st Movement (G. Prokofiev Hip-Hop Remix) by Nonclassical
MTV Exclusive Interview with Odd Future
Say the name. OFWGKTA.
Photo credit: Liveforthefunk.com
Everybody’s talking about Odd Future. Something about the rapping gang of teenage LA skateboarders is having an affect on the masses. The beats are simple, the rhymes are twisted, and the image is all kinds of warped, but what exactly makes the Odd Future carwreck of culture something the world can’t help but stare at?
MTV New got an exclusive interview with Tyler the Creator and his crew. It took place on a dingy Chinatown bus from New York to Philadelphia, choice transportation for grimy youths shuttling between big town and little town.
Tyler describes his hopes for OFWGKTA, a vision filled with the naive grandeur of any 19 year old. The difference is, this one actually has the means to do it.
Italian Producer Frank Riggio Drops A New Track from the South of France
New from Frank.
Hi Frank! Photo credit: Frank Riggio/MySpace
We know Frank Riggio for making cinematic music. Each of his tracks is a mini-movie, using natural sound and produced sound in concert to paint the scene. That’s why his new track was a little surprise.
“Eclipsed by its Star” starts off with that movie feel, but it quickly switches to a bouncy beat and an infectious bassline. Orchestral strings come in to carry the melody on. This song is the title track from his upcoming double EP.
He hasn’t completely abandoned the film paradigm, however. He’ll be releasing a trilogy of albums this year, and Frank has asked his listeners to” think of a movie ‘saga.’”
Whatever experiments Frank is conducting in his home studio in the South of France, they’re working. Here’s waiting eagerly for his first release this year.
“Eclipsed By Its Star”
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9692426&show_comments=true&color=0f212cEclipsed By Its Star by Frank Riggio
Siriusmo's Mosaik Out Today on Monkeytown!
It’s an especially good Friday for Berlin’s Siriusmo.
Mosaik. Out today on Monkeytown.
His debut LP Mosaik drops on Modeselektor’s Monkeytown imprint today.
He’s been dropping EPs and singles for a decade, and those dozen plus releases have all been building up anticipation for the record that comes out today.
I’ve ranted before about how Siriusmo’s sound is the true definition of “progressive house,” and from the snippets I’ve heard from Mosaik, he’s taking that concept into wonky directions.
There’s stuff on the album that sounds like dubstep, hip hop, and funk, all assembled with Siriusmo’s knack for brilliance.
In short, it’ll still make you dance, and it’ll still make you think. It’s all just a little bit more awesome.
The little sampling below should be enough to pique your interest if you haven’t already gotten a feel for Siriusmo. I’ll say it plain and simple, this kid is a phenomenon and he’s going to be huge in some way, even if it’s just with the nerds.
Mosaik sampler
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F482396 “Mosaik” (MTR10) by Siriusmo
TOKiMONSTA Announces TOKi-Tour Dates
Yes.
Photo credit: TOKiMONSTA/MySpace
We ARE talking about TOKiMONSTA again.
I know that she is involved in 75% of the things I write about here, but this time it’s likely she’s coming straight to you.
What kind of music enthusiast would I be if I didn’t let you know that TOKiMONSTA is going on a world tour!
Accompanying Daedelus on his rampage through Europe, Asia, and back home in the US, her TOKi-ness will be lugging around her APC40, setting up only to tear it up in Greece, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Italy… It’s a long list. See below.
Tonight the duo from LA will be rocking Sofia, Bulgaria with DJ Vadim.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Central Military Club @ Central Military Club
Sofia, (Bulgaria)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Block 33 @ Block 33
Thessaloníki, (Greece)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
BIOS @ BIOS
Athens, (Greece)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A38 @ A38
Budapest, (Hungary)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Icon @ Icon
Berlin, Ber (Germany)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Pratersauna @ Pratersauna
Vienna, (Austria)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
TEATRO PARENTI @ TEATRO PARENT
Milano, (Italy)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Tuesday Club @ Tuesday Club
sheffield, (United Kingdom)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Brudenell Social Club @ Brudenell Social Club
Leeds, (United Kingdom)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Thekla @ Thekla
East Mud Dock, Bristol, (United Kingdom)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Vooruit @ Vooruit
Gent, (Belgium)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
SonarSounds Tokyo @ SonarTokyo @ ageHA
2-2-10 Shin-Kiba, Tokyo, TY (Japan)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Coachella @ Coachella
81-800 Avenue 51, Indio, CA 92201 (United States)
Belgium's Herrmutt Lobby Uses Joysticks to Control Synths
Nerds!
Photo credit: eatconcrete.net
Yes, I am a nerd. That’s why I got all excited when I saw Belgian electronica duo Herrmutt Lobby using joysticks to control virtual synths.
Looks like they’ve got a little portable DJ control console, a 16-pad MPC style controller, a KAOSS Pad 2 for effects, and one of those joysticks with mad buttons that you use to play fighter jet simulators.
Just a few machines and some busy hands making sweet, sweet glitchy jams.
This is my first introduction to this pair of Belgians, and they’ve made a great impression. They’re at least partially associated with some of the Error Broadcast roster that I love so, and they fit right in with analog beats that carry darkness.
Have a listen to their collaboration with MC Non below. Glitch+raps=gooood.
“I’m Lost”
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11055048 Non+Herrmutt Lobby – Im lost by Herrmutt Lobby
Das Racist's Kool AD Has Lots of Tracks You Might Not Want to Hear
So, I’m the guy here who finds hip hop and electronica from emerging artists around the world that you might not have heard about.
Oh, Yeaahh! (Two 'A's, two 'H's) Photo credit: Kool AD/Soundcloud
You’ve probably already heard about Das Racist, but what you definitely haven’t heard are the tracks that Kool AD aka Victor Vazquez uploads to his Soundcloud page every once in a while just to f**k with any random person who happens to listen.
He doesn’t seem to promote this page much, and though each track has a few dozen plays, there’s scarcely a comment. This is the first time in history that people are listening to things on Soundcloud and not leaving some asinine comment with Soundcloud’s totally awesome comment-leaver thing. That’s because these people are speechless.
What IS this? They ask themselves.
Many of the tracks sound like they were recorded with Victor’s phone. A bulk of those sound like he accidentally sat on the “record” button while the phone was in his pocket. A portion of those sound like he sped up and slowed down parts to increase the shrillest qualities of the sound.
Then there’s the new stuff: tracks that Victor makes from other tracks. Y’know, like sampling. But Victor is not DJ Shadow. Victor is Kool AD. And Kool AD does tracks like this one…
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10565466 I THINK I JUST SAW A DOLPHIN by koolad
Sorry about that, but you see what I mean? There are a ton of these on his Soundcloud page. A TON. Like, five pages worth. None of them are really songs. But… and there’s always a but. Isn’t this collection of tracks — the lazy cleverness, the annoying sounds discharged at random, the sheer volume — isn’t it all very, very Das Racist?
