Wednesday 17 April 2013
Monday 22 October 2012
"I'll forgive you for being better looking than me." JS
Again, there has been some gap since the last edition but it has been a hectic time whilst cloudboy has shifted homes, but never fear, we're back with some of the better tunes heard during the period of our absence.
One artist whose been a constant upon our stereo is Susanne Sundfor and her rather beautifully unique voice. Whilst the original was descriptive of her native Norway ( a remote country girl singing from the abandoned space of her snow covered, lake-side hunting shack) this remix is that innocent girl introduced to the inherent and not obvious beauty of the big city, those finger snaps symbolic of the warmth, comfort and general advantages of co-habitation.
Some dark and intensely atmospheric drum & bass from newly formed trio Ruffhouse. This track is reminiscent of the truly spectacular Battlefield soundtracks that are so dark, baron and alien they make me far too scared to play them for fear of reliving what I thought was a repressed childhood memory. It was playing the first Resident Evil and suddenly, to the sound of Hitchcock-esque stabbings, being mobbed by a horde of rabid zombies and dying to a similarly bleak soundscape; alone, scared and sitting in the dark. I've never really played video games since.
A free EP download now from Rainy Milo and a formidable new voice to emerge on the urban scene. The quality of the production on this just goes to show how much those in the industry believe in her voice (she has worked with Ariel Pink's producer on some of these tracks for example) and what is required professionally to match its strength, maturity and character.
My favourite female rapper of the moment, whose flow is unbelievably natural and works so well with these nasty, industrial beats that sound as if they were recorded entirely in the air-conditioning system of an abandoned warehouse and just ooze vice and underworld tones. Azealia who?
Speaking of EPs, one that's well worth a purchase is Candy Bar Creep Show from MS MR; one of the most exciting acts to emerge this year for me. A combination of beautiful and haunting female vocal, dense atmospheric textures, punchy, live sounding percussion and deep melodic bass lines, all representative of everything I'm into at the moment. Wonderful, cinematic stuff that beautifully suits this nostalgia inducing video.
On a similar flex, here is the gorgeous new single from Still Corners.
Keeping it on the female vocal line of enquiry, I really can't get enough of this new single from Finish sisters LCMDF, with plenty of the B52's, punk-meets-pops swagger, once sampled this is irresistible, like the first pistachio from a bag that once opened won't last a minute. They are following up their Switch produced debut with a series of EPs, which is a nice way of doing it; a drip release of what I hope will be more of the above.
This is really quite beautiful, until that abrasive dub step comes in. Although I'm not as adverse to that sound as much as I used to be, it is often applied for its own sake, rather than in relation to the track itself. In this case, rather than it juxtaposing interestingly with the beauty of Marina's voice, it just gets in the way, like the tall bloke with the Napoleon Dynamite curly hair sitting in front of you at the cinema.
At what point did The Killers become a cheap Meatloaf tribute act belting out songs written in the style of their hero to pre-carehome pensioners, drunk on sherry and budget homebrand gin and who quite frankly can't distinguish between this copycat drivel and the original? Seriously, it boggles the mind that radio stations across the country can play their single with a straight face, they're having a laugh right? It's ironic yeah? Nobody actually thinks this is good music? That, or the only other explanations can be that these execs are either as drunk as those pensioners, or they're just plain incompetent. I'm not sure which is worse, probably the later.
Anyway, I didn't think that track could get any shitter until I heard this utter turd of a remix above and then, I really considered ending it all.
'Landfill,' would be a generous word for the above track and if it has made you as angry as it's made me then listen to this Landfill, as it will help to soothe your rattled soul.
I can't put my finger on why I love this track so much, undoubtably because it's cramed full of atmosphere and lush, rich textures, but also I think because there is something multicultural sounding about it, not just in terms of musical multiculturalism where indie meets dance but also in terms of western voices meeting those of Africa to make a track that is life affirming and full of energy.
Can't say I always see what the fuss is about in relation to T-E-E-D but I must say I love this rude, and I mean rude in a more refined toilet sense, Fake Blood remix of Your Love. Lots going on percusuion wise, switch ups and changes of tone a plenty, an evolving piece, which is not often something you can say in relation to dance music.
Putting the funeral into We Found Love, a really lovely cover of an incredible pop track, which itself was great for breeding nostalgia for those first teenage loves and finding happiness in troubled circumstances. This cover takes it to the next, metaphysical level though, nourishing nostalgia for a life lived in general, like we're looking back at it from the afterlife, drawing the conclusion that perhaps finding love is its meaning. Just a thought.
Again a winner for its brooding bass orientated body, loving the piano chords punctuating like they're part of the percussion as well; this is one heck of a record.
Taken from his directorial debut The Man With Iron Fists, the hardest working man in hip-hop obviously couldn't allow himself not to contribute to the soundtrack, hence this collaboration with The Black Keys; an evolution of the Black Roc project where they previously worked together. In The Baddest Man Alive however you get more vocals from The Keys and understanding that hip-hop's roots lie in their melodic, blues rock sound explains why these two seemingly differing artists work so well together.
A really stunning remix from the one they call Four Tet, using that female vocal and framing it with that lush bass, sounding like storm clouds rolling beautiful shadows over canyonous mountains. I like the why the percussion seems to trip over itself as well like a drunk teenager at a party. Incredible.
Soul meets future dance on this fantastically groovy track from Flume, I look forward to getting hold of this one for my non-existant decks, as I think it's gonna kick off in the clubs.
A really cracking beat to suit the relaxed but somehow angry rhymes of our protagonist; a really beautiful piece of reflective hip-hop.
I never ever thought I'd see the day when this would happen, or I thought I'd at least be incarcerated in a mental asylum by this point, but yeah, I'm posting a track featuring that house wife flushing, seducer of the elderly Michael Buble. The reason I like it most I think is because it reminds me of Pleasant-ville, all coke floats down at the diner, nice and twee, a little flat and colourless, until they discovered hip-hop! The doo whop influenced product of that magnificent discovery is this, well, rather pleasant little track featuring Mr fucking perfect, Michael fucking Buble.
I actually really rate this Taylor Swift track as a solid, catchy piece of pop music, so finding this little mash-up was an even greater delight.
What starts and appears to be so simple, actually reveals itself to be a really deep and layered piece of music and demonstrates just what a fantastic musician Flying Lotus is.
One artist whose been a constant upon our stereo is Susanne Sundfor and her rather beautifully unique voice. Whilst the original was descriptive of her native Norway ( a remote country girl singing from the abandoned space of her snow covered, lake-side hunting shack) this remix is that innocent girl introduced to the inherent and not obvious beauty of the big city, those finger snaps symbolic of the warmth, comfort and general advantages of co-habitation.
Some dark and intensely atmospheric drum & bass from newly formed trio Ruffhouse. This track is reminiscent of the truly spectacular Battlefield soundtracks that are so dark, baron and alien they make me far too scared to play them for fear of reliving what I thought was a repressed childhood memory. It was playing the first Resident Evil and suddenly, to the sound of Hitchcock-esque stabbings, being mobbed by a horde of rabid zombies and dying to a similarly bleak soundscape; alone, scared and sitting in the dark. I've never really played video games since.
A free EP download now from Rainy Milo and a formidable new voice to emerge on the urban scene. The quality of the production on this just goes to show how much those in the industry believe in her voice (she has worked with Ariel Pink's producer on some of these tracks for example) and what is required professionally to match its strength, maturity and character.
My favourite female rapper of the moment, whose flow is unbelievably natural and works so well with these nasty, industrial beats that sound as if they were recorded entirely in the air-conditioning system of an abandoned warehouse and just ooze vice and underworld tones. Azealia who?
Speaking of EPs, one that's well worth a purchase is Candy Bar Creep Show from MS MR; one of the most exciting acts to emerge this year for me. A combination of beautiful and haunting female vocal, dense atmospheric textures, punchy, live sounding percussion and deep melodic bass lines, all representative of everything I'm into at the moment. Wonderful, cinematic stuff that beautifully suits this nostalgia inducing video.
On a similar flex, here is the gorgeous new single from Still Corners.
Keeping it on the female vocal line of enquiry, I really can't get enough of this new single from Finish sisters LCMDF, with plenty of the B52's, punk-meets-pops swagger, once sampled this is irresistible, like the first pistachio from a bag that once opened won't last a minute. They are following up their Switch produced debut with a series of EPs, which is a nice way of doing it; a drip release of what I hope will be more of the above.
This is really quite beautiful, until that abrasive dub step comes in. Although I'm not as adverse to that sound as much as I used to be, it is often applied for its own sake, rather than in relation to the track itself. In this case, rather than it juxtaposing interestingly with the beauty of Marina's voice, it just gets in the way, like the tall bloke with the Napoleon Dynamite curly hair sitting in front of you at the cinema.
At what point did The Killers become a cheap Meatloaf tribute act belting out songs written in the style of their hero to pre-carehome pensioners, drunk on sherry and budget homebrand gin and who quite frankly can't distinguish between this copycat drivel and the original? Seriously, it boggles the mind that radio stations across the country can play their single with a straight face, they're having a laugh right? It's ironic yeah? Nobody actually thinks this is good music? That, or the only other explanations can be that these execs are either as drunk as those pensioners, or they're just plain incompetent. I'm not sure which is worse, probably the later.
Anyway, I didn't think that track could get any shitter until I heard this utter turd of a remix above and then, I really considered ending it all.
'Landfill,' would be a generous word for the above track and if it has made you as angry as it's made me then listen to this Landfill, as it will help to soothe your rattled soul.
I can't put my finger on why I love this track so much, undoubtably because it's cramed full of atmosphere and lush, rich textures, but also I think because there is something multicultural sounding about it, not just in terms of musical multiculturalism where indie meets dance but also in terms of western voices meeting those of Africa to make a track that is life affirming and full of energy.
Can't say I always see what the fuss is about in relation to T-E-E-D but I must say I love this rude, and I mean rude in a more refined toilet sense, Fake Blood remix of Your Love. Lots going on percusuion wise, switch ups and changes of tone a plenty, an evolving piece, which is not often something you can say in relation to dance music.
Putting the funeral into We Found Love, a really lovely cover of an incredible pop track, which itself was great for breeding nostalgia for those first teenage loves and finding happiness in troubled circumstances. This cover takes it to the next, metaphysical level though, nourishing nostalgia for a life lived in general, like we're looking back at it from the afterlife, drawing the conclusion that perhaps finding love is its meaning. Just a thought.
Again a winner for its brooding bass orientated body, loving the piano chords punctuating like they're part of the percussion as well; this is one heck of a record.
Taken from his directorial debut The Man With Iron Fists, the hardest working man in hip-hop obviously couldn't allow himself not to contribute to the soundtrack, hence this collaboration with The Black Keys; an evolution of the Black Roc project where they previously worked together. In The Baddest Man Alive however you get more vocals from The Keys and understanding that hip-hop's roots lie in their melodic, blues rock sound explains why these two seemingly differing artists work so well together.
A really stunning remix from the one they call Four Tet, using that female vocal and framing it with that lush bass, sounding like storm clouds rolling beautiful shadows over canyonous mountains. I like the why the percussion seems to trip over itself as well like a drunk teenager at a party. Incredible.
Soul meets future dance on this fantastically groovy track from Flume, I look forward to getting hold of this one for my non-existant decks, as I think it's gonna kick off in the clubs.
A really cracking beat to suit the relaxed but somehow angry rhymes of our protagonist; a really beautiful piece of reflective hip-hop.
I never ever thought I'd see the day when this would happen, or I thought I'd at least be incarcerated in a mental asylum by this point, but yeah, I'm posting a track featuring that house wife flushing, seducer of the elderly Michael Buble. The reason I like it most I think is because it reminds me of Pleasant-ville, all coke floats down at the diner, nice and twee, a little flat and colourless, until they discovered hip-hop! The doo whop influenced product of that magnificent discovery is this, well, rather pleasant little track featuring Mr fucking perfect, Michael fucking Buble.
I actually really rate this Taylor Swift track as a solid, catchy piece of pop music, so finding this little mash-up was an even greater delight.
What starts and appears to be so simple, actually reveals itself to be a really deep and layered piece of music and demonstrates just what a fantastic musician Flying Lotus is.
Thursday 16 August 2012
Shouldn't Have Left You
'It's been a long time, we shouldn't have left you, without a dope beat to step to.' Mosley & Garrett.
The immortal words sung so poignantly by Aaliyah, may she rest in peace, are particularly apt here, although we want it noted that in all other circumstances we find the use of the word "dope," when used in a musically descriptive sense, ridiculous, blame all the SoundCloud users who feel it's usage almost obligatory when commenting on established artists waveforms.
It has been a while since the last post but what with the excitement based around the Olympics we thought it unfair and down right dangerous to provide you with too much stimulation, so we eased off and let the athletes take over for a while. Now, in the post Olympic blues, remembering what it feels like to travel on a packed tube train again and with David Cameron and his band of incompetent morons pissing the "legacy" they've been quoting systematically for the last year in a desperate bid for survival, up the wall, we feel it's time to return with our own form of entertainment sustenance in an attempt to keep the united and friendly community spirit going, the likes never before seen in our generation. So embrace these moments, dance with your neighbour, for we risk loosing these moments of contact with each other forever, moments that nourish communication and breed understanding.
Okay enough of the soppy stuff, here's the music and to begin with a continuation of a previous theme, a bit of Cameron bashing from The Eyes, aka Manchester own Chimpo and Fox whose full length album is out next week.
Some more beautiful music from Grizzly Bear, the production on this track giving it a rich echoy sound, like it was recorded in the Albert Hall.
A really fantastic feel good record that reminds me of bubles running through some form of colourless liquid and as if like magic, transferring it into a range of different colours, or like that trick that's now frowned upon during fireworks night "becasue of the toxins," of tying a load of shopping bags together in a long, prisoners escape style rope, typing it to a branch of a tree and setting it alight to watch the melting plastic drip in almost neon like drops.
The oddly captivating Need U from Unicorn Kid that pairs distinctly jungle like snares with those euphoria forcing trance synth stabs that create an atmosphere of warm intimidation, like walking into a warehouse party in the middle of nowhere to find that everyone is both high and bigger than you, not helped by that tortured and wailing vocal, like the aduiable screams of fear from the rational part of your brain that was telling you to stay at home all along and watch TV instead.
Rustie having a wee re-fiddle of his tune After Light taken from his album Glass Swords, so as to better suit the lush comforting voice of Aluna from AlunaGeorge. It's akin to someone whispering into your ear in solace when you've got too drunk at a party and have begun to panic. Do you run home? Do you pretend your okay? Do you try and dance? Or take this nauseous feeling outside? Arhhhhhh to many questions, you're feeling hot, the beats might be shuffling to aggravate this mood but luckily lovely Aluna, the one always getting bread and glasses of water for people or helping them shove fingers down their own throat, is on hand to sooth you panic striken drunken woes.
The universally overrated Azealia Banks, whose latest mix tape Fantasia wasn't without it's highlight but again demonstrated her over reliance on a whose who in the production world wanting to coat tail the hype and work with her. Her rhymes are stilted and again she's over reliant on words such as bitch and niger to complete her bars and needs to employ shock tactics to give them any sort of effect that might match the depth of the beat. The above new release is just another example of her crude style furiously mouthing off as it tries to keep up with what is a fantastically dark, well executed track.
Oh and if you haven't heard of the producer of the above track araabMUZIK, then check out this video below for what he's most famous for, image this thing live, it kicks off.
This remind me of an infinity pool looking over the sea, or sitting in an infinity pool looking over the sea, then I realise that i've never actually done that and yes indeed "baby, in your dreams," is correct, this is the sound of me dreaming of sitting in an infinity pool with a long cool drink looking out to sea.
This tune is beautifully evil, full of screams and cries like someone has taken a haunted house from your local fairground, plunged it into the nearest lake and thrown a huge transformer in after it. It's hot, frightening, sad and evil yet like a car crash, disturbingly captivating.
This is what 21st
century psycedelica sounds like, taking LSD in the metropolis of modern life with buildings that are attmeping to collapse down upon you and large rains drops splashing
off concrete and forming into giant hands that that will grab and toss you under a
tram whose face is shaped like a clown like it’s the entertainment at Thomas The Tank Engine's birthday party. The band are rather confusingly called Eygyptian
hip-hop, even though they’re from Manchester and make music nothing like hip
hop.
Playing the piano in such manner does create incredible drama, forcing you to pay close attention to the words of the singer, living every moment with him as the tune explodes almost silently into a track of mysterious atmospheres and vocal harmonies. A lovely record that becomes almost violent with it's own sense of self pity.
A slice of upbeat melachony from The Rebel Light.
A typical TriAngle release with this haunting and ambient tune from Holy Other.
Like an American, mid-western infused Polica with more electric drum beats and plodding bass lines.
Friday 13 July 2012
Friday Feeling
Her fantastic mix tape was featured here some weeks back and now the latest and by far the greatest current female rapper returns with this stunnigly intriguing track New York, that punctuates her faultlessly rapid flow with analogy, dooms day tribal bass stabs, sparkling hand claps and all manner of sinisterly stylish background atmospheres. One of the finest rap tracks from anyone this year.
On a very similar style and easily Haze's closest contemporary in terms of style, this tune is along a similar vibe to the above, mixing the lighthearted with the brooding and sinister to form some kind of atmospheric black comedy that reminds me of that Scene in Brassed Off where the clown tries to commit suicide in full costume.
G. Vump aka Brodinski remixing Jon Convex', aka one half of Instra:Mental's, Fade, creating a beautifully bassey and atmospheric track, out now as part of an EP, leading into a full length release later in the year.
One of the first tracks ever mentioned on this blog remixed by one of the latest artists featured, which seems fitting as the CloudToy Blog approaches it's first birthday. Retaining that fantastic baseline, AlunaGeroge have added a beautiful steal drum element along with all manner of other percussion to really spice it up and give it far more garagy vibe.
That explosive statement of intent was the latest release off Nas’s forthcoming Life Is Good album out this week and after the dissapointment that was The Don this splendid spittle ball of prevado and general badness has made up a whole lot of ground. Like rolling in a low slung car with Nas himself this summons up all the experiences of life in the dark, corrupt city and in being labeled Loco-Motive and featuring relevant train like samples, beautifully and retrospectively references the opening sequences of Nas’s seminal, Illmatic album. Could with ending with the beginning Nas be suggesting this is his final full length album?
With their forthcoming album beginning produced by Diplio it is of no supprise that female vocalist from Bonde De Role has a style similar to his bessy mate M.I.A. Like bringing the rhythmic bass bashes of Rio to the saloons of old time America, this has a cross cultural, ho-down feel to it and if you listen closely you can even hear the smashing of whisky glasses and the pinging of bullets off spittoons as if this very song has caused an all out bar brawl.
So much going on in this one from Holy Strays.
Like being invited for dinner with Dracula, turning up and finding out he doesn't like the taste of your particular blood type (he can afford to be fussy now he's rich thanks to the royalties from all the films and books written about him) and subsequently having a good, if slightly spooky time and leaving with your life.
We all know it but we're afraid to talk about it, ping pong is the best sport at the Olympics by far and for those as lazy as me you also know it's the best sport period, not too much exertion and with a bit of practice you can aesthetically become quite good at it. What a delight then to find that this tune by Vessel has seemingly sampled a high velocity ping pong game, i'm sweating already.
Some dark liquid business on this double A from Fields, released on the ever consistent Utopia Music, I'm especially liking the percussion sounds on BTC, very interesting indeed.
Thursday 21 June 2012
The Times They Are a Changin'
Partly because of the title, partly because of the forlorn bass drone, partly because of the psychedelic sounding vocal and partly because I watched Master & Commander the other day just for that bit where there's no wind, but this track does sound like a bunch of pirates stranded out at sea.
Being the murderous bastards they are, once the food and water runs out and the sun stroke sets in, their hallucinations become pretty dark and involve skinning other members of the crew alive and using their epidermises as sails for the invisible wind that can only be optimised by using taught and tanned dead sailor.
Sounding as dark and as Eastern European as I imagine Bosnia is, I blame Behind Enemy Lines (big film watching day I had last week), with fiddles and regional voices echoing amongst the war strewn streets.
An Australian label called Monday Records with this realise from Circle called Fashion Me A Drum, a song so twee that paired with the label's ill chosen name, reminds me not only of the awful, I Don't Like Monday's, but that horrid moment once every few years where mole-features Geldof and his bloody Boomtown Rats somehow worm their way onto a line up under the pretence of raising money.
There, they play that one song of theirs, one song, that makes everyone realise just what a crock of shit they are and rather than learning any positive lessons from the lyrics of the song, they imagine a school ground massacre of their own, going back in time and bursting into the classroom where the Boomtown Rats first met, spraying them with bullets so their future selves wouldn't subjected to this shit ever again.
A slice of Ladyhawke inspired dream pop from Goldroom, available as a free download. I'm especially fond of that chirping bass line, reminds me of a fat bloke with a t-shit that's too small for him, wearing some red Hasselhoff stye shorts and a hat with a helicopter on it, making his sad, daily, indication fuelled waddle down to the ice cream van by the seaside.
I think this title is mistaken, it does't seem like she hates the wind at all, infact she seems to be relishing having it blow in her face, the dreamy textures supporting the notion that having it do so is akin to a state of euphoria. Why would they mislead us like this?
With all these kids making this spacious, down-to-no tempo ambient stuff at the moment you could see an argument for perhaps putting prozac into the water along with the fluoride. Refreshing it is therefore to have these young pucks Fidlar, just getting on with it with resigned glee. They ain't got no money for food or heaven forbid, weed but they're not going to bore you to death through the "conceptual minimalism," of their compositions, no, their going to bring the fun back to depression. Amen.
Traces of Karen O in the vocal (probably vice versa depending at what stage current front woman came into the fold) and the general sonic chaos you'd expect from Savages.
Sad, dramatic and all together beautiful.
This makes me happy although his voice sounds somewhat lonely and detached. Taken from Beach Fossils forthcoming solo project as Heavenly Beat, out on 24th July.
Heavy on the Jazz influence on this one from Teni and Afro- Renassiance, who, if you haven't already guessed by the name, are on the move to resuscitate afro soul music and by the sound of this and others on their Soundcloud, are doing a fine job of it.
Even thought this isn't the most expertly mastered tune in the world I like the way all the different elements build into the mix.
A funky bass line and some borderline acceptable similes, delivered with a soulful female vocal.
To see what I had to say about this then head over to www.strongroomalive.com/2012/06/arp-xp-with-a-new-full-length-release/, get used to this web site because if things go to plan, the new mouthpiece of cloudboy could be the blog on Strongroom Alive.
Cool beat on this one from Joey Bada$$, what I like to call motivational hip hop, that is, it got me to temporary relinquish my position at the computer chair and pretend I was in Eight Mile for a bit.
Kind of purposefully bad quality sounding, like a party in your mates garden shed through his dates old eighties throw back boom box. Like the beats and switch up to the drum and bass as well, you could never play this in a club though, it would deafen everyone, even those with earplugs.
Thursday 14 June 2012
A Brief Hiatus
Sorry for the lack of a blog recently, I have had a birthday, a coronation and a festival of sound and fun to celebrate. Not the best excuse I know, but we all need a holiday. Anyway, cloudboy is back with the usual mixed bag, so feel free to rifle your grubby little hands through this pick n' mix as you see fit.
Watch this space in the next 24hrs, a little mix of tunes that didn't make it too the blog is on it's way.
And here it is........ not the best mix of all time but it's more for playing all the tunes rather than it being perfectly smooth, some great ones in there, enjoy, it's Friday!!!!!
For those who are deaf and can't hear the tracks clumsily falling into one another, mix cloud below will show you the way, full track list below that.
The sexual fantasy of skinny jean adorned indie boys nation wide, has released this video likely to give them all wet dreams, what with her doing mad, indie, Napoleon Dynamite shit like bouncing a massive bouncy ball down some stairs and leaving without even witnessing the consequences (she's so cool!!!) or tying a skipping rope to some railings (random!) and genuinely being all indie with her even randomer red suitcase. Focusing on the song itself, love the brooding bass we've come to expect from Foxes and it builds into a well produced wall of an indie loving anthem.
Some atmospheric hip hop from Jeremiah Jae, the latest signing to Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label.
One of them subtly uplifting numbers from Eternal Summers, a song that you can listen to when the odds seem stacked against you, a song that will help you to appreciate that yeah, things are a bit shit but really, does any of it matter anyway!? Not for the next 2 minutes 25 seconds it doesn't.
Every time I hear FM Belfast, I'm like "shit, this band is good, I should really download some more FM Belfast, what with their old school keys and bouncing, reverberated synth stabs and repeated vocals that I can't resist bouncing my head to," but I always seem to get distracted by something or forget. Well not this time my friends, ooooh look, new Kuedo.
Cannot stress enough how good live recorded strings sound, even when they are subsequently cut up and compressed like on here. Along with all the track's other elements, it creates so much atmosphere and interest. Taking K in the Albert Hall it should be called.
Released this week is the Pushing Red EP from Until Silence, showcasing wonderfully two different sides of the techno spectrum. On That Shine, you have the confused and darkly syncopated beats, like an escaped squirrel, squirming about in the echoey expanse of a theatre house's props basement. Moving onto the inherently more rhythmic, deeply beated, Hands Tied, complete with a euphoric, pitch shifted vocal breakdown that makes it impossible not to move once the beat kicks back in.
Gorgeous tune from Bondax. Repeated, chopped-up female vocal over bubbling beats and expansive synths, what could go wrong?
Next release on Apollo, part of the R&S empire, is this silently moody track, on the downbeat dub step flex, from Gacha.
There is something massivly optimistic about this track and sometimes, that just what you need to hear, especially after seeing millions of flag waving fascists, moronically moving their Union Jacks on the banks of The Thames in the pissing rain, and banging on stupidly about how the Jubilee has made Britain great again, united the people once more, when really, it's just proved how susceptible people are to propaganda and a fictitious romance; it's enough to make you despair. Then you hear this and realise like them, you too are easily amused.
Showing that an artist commissioned to make a soundtrack for a video game can make better, more atmospheric music those currently getting indie-idolised for what is basically electronic, shoe gaze crap, ahem Gold Panda.
Hahahahahahaha this is brilliant, it reminds me of King of Kong; A Fistful Of Quarters, a documentary about a man's attempt to take the Donkey Kong high score off the reigning champ, a task made impossible by the champ and his ridiculously loyal bunch of obsessed disciples. I was convinced it was made up un till I released that you just couldn't invent characters that ridiculous, seriously, I recommend you see it.
Anyway, not to give too much away, the champ has this one, properly devoted fan who phones him regularly with updates on the challengers current score and bad mouths all opposition. So involved is he with the champ, he must imagine making sweet, computerised, Donkey Kong themed sex with him inside a Game Boy. His rapid and explosive orgasum is what Sophisticuffs sounds like.
Something of shuffling off to work in a vacuous factory in an Orwellian style distopia in this track from Pariah; as depressing as it is engaging.
That effected organ and flappy finger bass makes a delicious combo with that vocal on this tune from latest, Secretly Canadian sining, Yeasayer.
Killer Mike hating on the lies of Reagan and subsequent US governments; always entertaining.
This song has been on frequent repeat for me over the last three weeks, love the simple yet deep content of the lyrics and the way in which they're sung, compliments the brooding, Massive Attack style, birth of a beautiful metropolis like synth texture. Beautiful and free for download in exchange for an email here; www.msmrsounds.com.
Liking the actual sample of water crashing against the rocks and those synths bubbling away like foaming water, her cries so realistic that it has me looking for the nearest rubber ring but all I have to hand is a Tesco's bag, that I could attempt to blow up and throw to her, but likely has a hole in it. Arh well, might as well enjoy the sound of her suffering, there's no point in us both doing so.
This is what I call concise teenage angst, a youth on the cusp of adulthood, who after years of bewildering hormones expressed in a teary blurred fog of erections and emotions, has come to see exactly what it is he wants. A coming of age tale you might say.
Haunting gorgeous female vocal of the week!
Although I'm starting to go off this dreamy, thick textured sort of music, purely for the fact that there is so bloody much of it, this is an excellent example of the genre. Well produced, rich and full of fluttering lemonade sounds to counteract the seriousness of the more brooding, oscillating bass line.
A sneaky peek off the forthcoming new album and it sounds wonderfully and deliberately like a thunderstorm happening within the recording studio, crashing about all over the place and leaking into everything including every angle of your eardrum.
I like steal drums, and what? they make me happy, as does the sum total of this tune.
I find For Tet almost consistently hit and miss, luckily this is all hit, well worth the wait for when it goes all dark and almost jungly with those flappy sounding snares.
Free download of this happy yet all together sad tune from Saint Motel, full of the sort of nostalgia that could cause you to cry come the Tuesday after a hard weekend. This comes from recent experience, pathetic, I know.
Watch this space in the next 24hrs, a little mix of tunes that didn't make it too the blog is on it's way.
And here it is........ not the best mix of all time but it's more for playing all the tunes rather than it being perfectly smooth, some great ones in there, enjoy, it's Friday!!!!!
For those who are deaf and can't hear the tracks clumsily falling into one another, mix cloud below will show you the way, full track list below that.
Serengeti – Amnesia
Elite Gymnastics – Life/Trap
Jaybee & Sinistarr – Life/Trap
Silver Medallion – Rabbit Hole feat PropaneLv
Beat Inc. – Black Tea Morning
Mr President Were In Trouble
Colour Climax – Discque O Heights (RS-ReShape)
Age Of Consent – Heartbreak (T.W.I.N.S. Remix)
Age Of Consent – Heartbreak (Wax Pharon remix)
Saint Saviour – Reasons (Maribou State remix)
Physical Therapy – Record Sales
Sonar Pilot – June Dub (Brendon Moeller Dub 1)
Morcee – It’s You (Lakosa remix)
Thomas Barfod – November Skies feat Nina Kinert
Lemonade – Softkiss
Fatima Al Qadiri – Copcore (Kingdom remix)
BRANKO – Going In Hard feat Dominique Young Unique
Baauer – Harlem Shake
Kuhrye-oo – Give In (For The Fame)
Sleigh Bells – Demons (Diplo remix)
Opossom – Blue Meanies
ScHoolboy Q & TiRon – Love Me Not (pod. By Chuck
Inglish)
Azealia Banks – Jumanji
Alphabets Heaven – Arka (wArkawArka remix)
The sexual fantasy of skinny jean adorned indie boys nation wide, has released this video likely to give them all wet dreams, what with her doing mad, indie, Napoleon Dynamite shit like bouncing a massive bouncy ball down some stairs and leaving without even witnessing the consequences (she's so cool!!!) or tying a skipping rope to some railings (random!) and genuinely being all indie with her even randomer red suitcase. Focusing on the song itself, love the brooding bass we've come to expect from Foxes and it builds into a well produced wall of an indie loving anthem.
Some atmospheric hip hop from Jeremiah Jae, the latest signing to Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label.
One of them subtly uplifting numbers from Eternal Summers, a song that you can listen to when the odds seem stacked against you, a song that will help you to appreciate that yeah, things are a bit shit but really, does any of it matter anyway!? Not for the next 2 minutes 25 seconds it doesn't.
Every time I hear FM Belfast, I'm like "shit, this band is good, I should really download some more FM Belfast, what with their old school keys and bouncing, reverberated synth stabs and repeated vocals that I can't resist bouncing my head to," but I always seem to get distracted by something or forget. Well not this time my friends, ooooh look, new Kuedo.
Cannot stress enough how good live recorded strings sound, even when they are subsequently cut up and compressed like on here. Along with all the track's other elements, it creates so much atmosphere and interest. Taking K in the Albert Hall it should be called.
Released this week is the Pushing Red EP from Until Silence, showcasing wonderfully two different sides of the techno spectrum. On That Shine, you have the confused and darkly syncopated beats, like an escaped squirrel, squirming about in the echoey expanse of a theatre house's props basement. Moving onto the inherently more rhythmic, deeply beated, Hands Tied, complete with a euphoric, pitch shifted vocal breakdown that makes it impossible not to move once the beat kicks back in.
Gorgeous tune from Bondax. Repeated, chopped-up female vocal over bubbling beats and expansive synths, what could go wrong?
Next release on Apollo, part of the R&S empire, is this silently moody track, on the downbeat dub step flex, from Gacha.
There is something massivly optimistic about this track and sometimes, that just what you need to hear, especially after seeing millions of flag waving fascists, moronically moving their Union Jacks on the banks of The Thames in the pissing rain, and banging on stupidly about how the Jubilee has made Britain great again, united the people once more, when really, it's just proved how susceptible people are to propaganda and a fictitious romance; it's enough to make you despair. Then you hear this and realise like them, you too are easily amused.
Showing that an artist commissioned to make a soundtrack for a video game can make better, more atmospheric music those currently getting indie-idolised for what is basically electronic, shoe gaze crap, ahem Gold Panda.
Hahahahahahaha this is brilliant, it reminds me of King of Kong; A Fistful Of Quarters, a documentary about a man's attempt to take the Donkey Kong high score off the reigning champ, a task made impossible by the champ and his ridiculously loyal bunch of obsessed disciples. I was convinced it was made up un till I released that you just couldn't invent characters that ridiculous, seriously, I recommend you see it.
Anyway, not to give too much away, the champ has this one, properly devoted fan who phones him regularly with updates on the challengers current score and bad mouths all opposition. So involved is he with the champ, he must imagine making sweet, computerised, Donkey Kong themed sex with him inside a Game Boy. His rapid and explosive orgasum is what Sophisticuffs sounds like.
Something of shuffling off to work in a vacuous factory in an Orwellian style distopia in this track from Pariah; as depressing as it is engaging.
That effected organ and flappy finger bass makes a delicious combo with that vocal on this tune from latest, Secretly Canadian sining, Yeasayer.
Killer Mike hating on the lies of Reagan and subsequent US governments; always entertaining.
This song has been on frequent repeat for me over the last three weeks, love the simple yet deep content of the lyrics and the way in which they're sung, compliments the brooding, Massive Attack style, birth of a beautiful metropolis like synth texture. Beautiful and free for download in exchange for an email here; www.msmrsounds.com.
Liking the actual sample of water crashing against the rocks and those synths bubbling away like foaming water, her cries so realistic that it has me looking for the nearest rubber ring but all I have to hand is a Tesco's bag, that I could attempt to blow up and throw to her, but likely has a hole in it. Arh well, might as well enjoy the sound of her suffering, there's no point in us both doing so.
This is what I call concise teenage angst, a youth on the cusp of adulthood, who after years of bewildering hormones expressed in a teary blurred fog of erections and emotions, has come to see exactly what it is he wants. A coming of age tale you might say.
Haunting gorgeous female vocal of the week!
Although I'm starting to go off this dreamy, thick textured sort of music, purely for the fact that there is so bloody much of it, this is an excellent example of the genre. Well produced, rich and full of fluttering lemonade sounds to counteract the seriousness of the more brooding, oscillating bass line.
A sneaky peek off the forthcoming new album and it sounds wonderfully and deliberately like a thunderstorm happening within the recording studio, crashing about all over the place and leaking into everything including every angle of your eardrum.
I like steal drums, and what? they make me happy, as does the sum total of this tune.
I find For Tet almost consistently hit and miss, luckily this is all hit, well worth the wait for when it goes all dark and almost jungly with those flappy sounding snares.
Free download of this happy yet all together sad tune from Saint Motel, full of the sort of nostalgia that could cause you to cry come the Tuesday after a hard weekend. This comes from recent experience, pathetic, I know.
Wednesday 9 May 2012
Thanks MCA
Quite simply without MCA and The Beastie Boys this blog or mix would not exist; they are therefore dedicated to week to Adam Yauch.
And for those who wish to download for your chosen MP3 device, well lets face it, it's going to be an apple product.
Frankie Rose – Apples For The Sun (The Go! Team Remix)
The Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
Alphabets Heaven – Genggeng
Heavenly Beat – Messiah
We Are Standard – Bring Me Back Home (Age Of Consent Mix)
Saint Savour – Reasons (Marabou State Remix)
Dems Remix – God Of Loneliness
Space Ladies – Fields
Thomas Barfod – November Skies feat Nina Kinert
Elliphant – TeKKo Scene feat Adam Kanyama
Drake – Crew Love feat The Weeknd (Star Slinger Remix)
Alphabet Heaven – Woman (Robot Koch’s Around The Moon Remix)
Menik – Addict
Angel Haze – Higher
Mayhem Lauren feat Himanshu and Action Bronson – Special
Effects (Produced by Harry Fraud)
Ditt Inre – Manljus (saknad)
Twin Shadow – Five Seconds
Major Lazer – Get Free feat Amber of Dirty Projectors
The Stoops – Free (Xsessiv Remx)
Mikal – Head Banger
Terminal State – Unwritten Law
Yes yes another Submotion remix but Ruby Wood's voice lends itself so well to being remixed, especially on this lush, deep roller from Alix Perez as featured on Friction's Radio 1 dnb show, amazing, be interesting to see if this get a release, here's hoping so. The original ain't half bad either.
Pretty hard to pick just one tune to remember MCA by so this pretty slick Medley is by far a more fitting tribute. I was genuinely sad to hear about his passing, no shit when I was younger a real career aspiration of mine was to be a Beastie Boy. One of my earliest and fondest musical memories, I can still picture myself sitting on the floor in front of the TV now, was watching the Intergalactic video for the first time, with that fish eye lens and all in one hazard suits and aggressive rapping motions and thinking it was the coolest thing I had ever seen, probably still is. From there on in I was obsessed, getting into their back catalogue and hip-hip in general.
It was sad watching some of their earliest performances, notably one on the Joan Rivers shows and seeing them just mucking about as carefree kids do, as it was reminder that no one can avoid the inevitability of time, that no one can avoid the evaporation of youth toward old age and mortality. Saying that, 47 is by no means old, especially for some one still so active, another Beastie album was on the way. He will be missed; thanks for the music MCA. For a good little bio featuring some tunes, the hilariously negative, conservative reaction to the group back in the 80's and some tributes, look no further than here.
Is it the wonderful stabbing synths that makes this compelling? Or the intermittent bass? Or the glitchy harmonious vocal? Or the simple clean drum beat? I probably think it's all of these things working together, beautiful.
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Come on boys grow up, this is some horrible Kasabian, Hard - Fi (who? Yeah I had fucking forgotten about them as well until I heard this) love child, born unto parents who have long since given up on life, especially music.
Born into a depression, Wind Cries Mary world of headline tours at V festival and sold out T4 shows where either twelve year olds or people who look like Greg James or that other wanker, Grimmy, sing along to your tunes in plaid shirts, red chinos and stupidly wicked up hair hoping it won't be too long till they can say something like "random," or "epic fail," again.
This is the sound of strolling down the road towards the local corner shop, knowing full well they only pay out on winning lottery tickets that are less than a 100 quid, gloating as you go and promising everyone you meet a fair share of your cash.
Some nasty industrial business on this one Headbanger, like the Deceptacons from Transforms taking a load of ketamin by accident thinking it was antirust powder and actually liking it. I saw that film the other day and jesus christ is it shit, if you look at just the editing alone (forget the acting, plot, costume, sexism, gratuitous sexism, massive lets all stare at the fit bird fixing a car sexism, pointless inconsequential action and shear uncontrolled noise), it's like the directors dog was trying to do them all a favour by eating all the film, only to have it sneezed out of by some pepper placed in his Pedgree Chum, landing in some form of order on the wall, which the team took one look at and thought, "good enough for us," opening up another beer, turning up the football and shouting at poor Megan Fox to bring them more cheese strudels wearing only an apron.
Mikal's second tune, The Chant, is more like the Decpetacons taking way too much into the K hole where they kick massive metal footballs around a city full of phallic sky scrapers or what ever it is that turns massive alien robots on these days
This 17 track project from producer 184 called Where's My Parade features lyrics from the cream of UK hip-hop, Jehst, Stig Of The Dump, Wordsmith, Dr Syntax and Chester P to name but a few. You can stream it all above or press the buy button and own it forever and ever for the extremely reasonable sum of just a fiver.
Cool, obscure production on this from Animal Collective, full of playfully interesting sounds like comical springs being pinged into puddles of water. Lots going on, I would expect nothing less.
Again there is plenty of depth in the production of this, the rain in the background providing ambience, a plodding bass drum, the occasional sound of a ghost passing by, gospel like synths and plucking guitars and percussion all create a surprisingly upbeat atmosphere.
I love the juxtaposition of the "do da ba dum," 50's harmonies, with the depressing lyrical content.
This beautifully atmposheric, dream like track is ruined by Bearcubs obsession with the gain, an intermittent cutting in and out effect like what it's going to sound like when I bash their midi keyboard into their heads. The rest of the tracks on their SoundCloud don't have the same issues thank god.
This has a rousing quality to it, like Lou Reed has given up the smack and become a spokesman for the Isle Of Dogs Independence Party.
Come on you know you can't deny how good that bass line is?
Really deep, rumbling bass line and female vocal combo; I never stood a chance.
This is a track about hair extensions and the incorrect semantics of those who claim "that ain't your hair." Absolute genius. There is also a remix featuring Lioness and other female grime artists.
She's like a French - Canadian Bjork, amazing vocal and arguably even better production, as recommended by Jekyll, whose killer double A is out now on Diffrent and whose guest mix for Kmag can be downloaded here.
Give this some time, just look at the waveform, it soon gets so dramatic, moving and loud.
I Love It.
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