Usually when someone compares an artist to Lana Del Rey, I immediately switch off and move on to something else that will be inevitably more worthwhile. When Adele is mentioned in the same sentence, violence may occur. But even Bago’s press release couldn’t deter me from becoming slightly obsessed with the Los Angeles based singer. There’s something about that lo-fi R&B aesthetic I just can’t get enough of and Bago fits the profile to a T. The dark, ephemeral production from Bay Area-native Alexander Spit sets the table for Bago to do the whole “born bad” (there’s literally a song called “Born Bad”) act on her debut, Sunday’s Best. It really shouldn’t work, but she has the vocal chops to pull it off and the chemistry between her and Spit is clear enough. Start with “I Forget You”, the clear album standout, and if you can get past the somewhat contrived nature of the whole deal, then stream/download the entire album at Bago’s Soundcloud. Apparently, there’s a new EP coming in January with some big collaborations. Bago, you have my ear, but I’m still skeptical. Prove me wrong.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
EP Review: S-Type’s ‘Billboard’
Disclaimer: I’ve probably listened to the various radio/mix rips and live recordings of “Billboard” over one hundred times since Rustie debuted it in April. Just sayin’.
From the opening proclamation of “oh check this out”, S-Type makes his intentions clear for the Billboard EP. He will take no prisoners. He will push the volume into the red. He will not short you on bombast. His drums will crack. His synths will be crisp. And most importantly, he is the heir apparent to the LuckyMe throne. 25-year-old Bobby Perman has been releasing music since 2005, but it wasn’t until Rustie premiered “Billboard” back in April that people really started paying attention. And I mean really as in turn your head, let your jaw drop and stare.
What S-Type does with “Billboard” is truly remarkable in its conventionalism. The Glasgow-based producer uses a tried and true mold of huge Southern hip hop and essentially does it better than anyone else and the result is a song of the year candidate. Similar to what DJ Toomp did way back in ’06 with T.I.’s “What You Know”, Perman has gone bigger, badder and better than everyone else.
Amidst all of the hysteria over the melding of hip hop and dance music, “Billboard” manages to be immensely danceable without pandering to the “EDM”/Mixmag crowd. That means no dubstep-like buildups, a cool 99 BPM, and most importantly, no moombahton synth stabs! You thought it was impossible, but with a chord progression as infectious as “Billboard”, the world might as well have been turned upside down.
Perman could have easily churned out two or three more mediocre tracks within the same format as “Billboard” and had a success EP, but he admirably didn’t rest on his laurels The remaining five songs, while all similar to “Billboard” in their bombast, , mix the melodrama of radio R&B, smooth Egyptian Lover-esque electro and modern dance tropes. The result is something like Rustie’s seminal Glass Swords, although songs like “You Da Best” and “Walrus” lack the chaotic precision of the modern day classic.
In the end, Billboard is a collection of six huge hip hop instrumentals that are just aching to be rapped over. It’s no surprise that an A$AP Mob collaboration is in the works and I would expect the masses to follow. In the meantime, pump “Billboard” and “You Da Best” the next time you’re working out and/or getting hyped for just about anything. It’s clear that S-Type is going places and while he might not have the dexterity of a Hudson Mohawke (at this point), he knows how to craft a banger and sometimes that’s all you can ask for.
Rinse RATKING’s Take On King Krule’s “Octopus”

Enjoy the next few weeks of RATKING before XL re-releases Wiki93 and the shitstorm of hyperbolic think-pieces and comparisons rains down upon us. They’ve already been called a “young OF” and really, what could be more off-base? The fact that Wiki93 is being remastered (much needed) and released on a label as respected as XL is kind of a mindfuck considering how raw these dudes are, but power to them. The hype machine revved its engine last week as the official RATKING remix of (similarly hyped) British crooner/producer King Krule’s “Octopus” hit the interwebz. Adding a simple drum pattern and some typical New York gulliness to the saccharin original, the boys get all retrospective, spitting about the “rusty rumble in the drums” and “peddling dimes”. At this point, RATKING are pretty one-dimensional and re-releases and hype machine collaborations aren’t going to change that. The remix will be released on Rinse Records (which does get me a little wet). Stream below.
New Roc Marciano – “Momma’s Song”
What would throwing rice on the block look like?
Drinking St. Ives out the vase, bang a young Josephine Baker, coins on steroids. The truth is that Roc Marciano would rather watch paint dry than fuck with the weak MCs nipping at his heals. Marciano evokes more vivid imagery in just over two minutes than most artists will over an entire album.”Momma’s Song” is self-produced and features a mean Hamilton Bohannon sample. Like I said a few weeks ago, another day another brilliant Marciano track that will not appear on Reloaded (still tagged with a November 13 release date via Decon. Enjoy below.
New Local Natives – “Breakers”

Yes, the photo above is painful
This isn’t really my forte, but it’s raining out and sometimes you just need to indulge in some guitar music. Local Natives are pretty much the quintessential Silver Lake band with just enough enough fringy behavior and technical ability to belie their association with the post-Vampire Weekend “afropop” masses. Now I don’t even want to start on the dumbfuckery that is the label afropop so just going to move on. Local Natives aren’t the most innovative band in the world, but what they do, they do really really well. The harmonies are pitch-perfect and they can actually, you know, play guitar pretty decently. “Breakers” is the lead single off of Hummingbird ( outJanuary 29 on Frenchkiss), the group’s follow up to 2009’s excellent Gorilla Manor. If the track is any indication, the album will will see Local Natives expanding into bolder and broader territory. Stream below.
DJ Sliink Remixes 2 Chainz’ “Birthday Song”

DJ Sliink usually tags his songs as either “Trap”, “Jersey Club” or “Sliink” on his Soundcloud. The first two are pretty self-explanitory, but the Jersey native’s best work comes under the “Sliink” label, a mixture of the previous two that infuses verbose trap stylings (minus the moombahton synth stabs) with subtle club rhythms. Sliink is a master vocal manipulator and on his take on 2 Chainz’ “Birthday Song”, he uses that girl’s (you know what I’m talking about) vocals as an individual instrument to maximum effect. It’s Saturday night where I am, so I have no conscious posting about a song that centers on a “big booty” sample. Stream and download below.
D33J Remixes Brandy’s “Vacant Feelings”

If you even remotely follow North American beat/club music (and I use those terms in the broadest sense), you’ve probably noticed a steady stream of artists from the Wedidit Collective blowing like volcanoes over the past year. First, Shlohmo grabbed the Pitchforkians hearts via Bad Vibes, then RL Grime and Salva took over frat row in the aftermath of “Mercy”. Most recently, Ryan Hemsworth and Groundislava have garnered affection from across the blogoverse. If I had to guess who was next up in line, it would have to be recent LA transplant Djavan Santos aka D33J. Recently signed to Anticon, D33J has been on fire in the remix game recently, taking on everyone from Astral Plane favorite Kid Smpl to Sigur Ros. His latest rework exploit comes in the form of Brandy’s “Vacant Feelings”, and only reinforces Santos as one of the most emotionally exploitative producers in the game right now. Stream below and download here.
Jackmaster Soundtracks Your Girlfriend’s Next House Party

Jackmaster is one sixth of the legendary Numbers crew, Rinse.FM regular and something of a relic in 2012. In this day and age, the concept of the DJ as separate from producer, as purveyor of what is cool and fresh is outdated. Guys like Jackmaster, Annie Mac, Ben UFO and Oneman are most likely the last of their kind. Radio shows are increasingly being helmed by the likes of Skream & Benga, Diplo, etc. and respectable DJ skills are on a precipitous decline on a mainstream level. I’ve never been lucky enough to see Jackmaster perform live (and I do consider what he does performance), I have been a religious listener of his Rinse.FM show and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Yesterday saw the release of Volume #3 of his Tweak-A-Holic series, replete with “vibey” 80’s hits. The mix gets going with Toto’s “Georgy Porgy” and moves on and on from there. Stream the mix below and head here to download it in exchange for your email.
New xxyyxx – “Lay Down”

A whole lot of fuss has been made over Orlando teenager Marcel Everett aka xxyyxx over the past year, the large majority of it entirely warranted. The beat prodigy has continually impressed and has an impressive ability to manipulate samples in an innovative fashion. If I had to criticize Everett on one point, it would a lack of complexity in his percussion. 2011’s self-titled debut was, by and large, a success, but the album gets monotonous at times, mainly because of the standard Ableton drum packs (not saying that’s what he used). The water droplet noises and skittering hi-hats in “Lay Down” on the other hand, mark a huge step forward for Everett and an increased attention to detail. The track’s downloads have run out, but you can stream below and hopefully a link will emerge in the next few days.
S-Type Remixes Pusha T’s “What Dreams Are Made Of”
A few months ago, I wrote a little retrospective on British produces remixing (mostly) Southern hip hop and it looks like I might need to write an addendum soon. Glasgow native S-Type let loose the brilliantly bombastic Billboard EP earlier this week on LuckyMe and he’s already back for more, remixing Pusha T’s “What Dreams Are Made Of”. Like Billboard, this remix is all huge synths and cracking 808s, only furthering S-Type’s position as the don of triumphant, walking out of a burning building, “Down goes Frazier” beats. The track was supposed to be on a joint Decon/LuckyMe venture that would have matched Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, Lunice and more remixing various Pusha T songs, but the project never materialized. Stream and download below.




