Author Archives: Gabe Meier

Take the following with a grain of salt because the to be mentioned individual is one of our absolute favorite DJs and general curators/label bosses: Samo Sound Boy has never impressed us with his production work. Neither 2011’s Shuffle Code EP (on Trouble & Bass) or last year’s acid drenched 5 Dollar Paradise (on Body High) really piqued our interest, especially when juxtaposed with Samo’s extensive knowledge of the American dance music lexicon and prodigious command of the DJ booth. As much as we attempted to embrace both of the aforementioned EPs, they both came off as a little too derivative and dry, lacking the adventurous spirit of a Floyd Cambpell or the pure technical abilities of a Jerome LOL. That being said, “Spirit Tool” has absolutely knocked us off our feet. Relentlessly driving and positive, Samo’s latest is the exact type of track that he so often utilizes to obliterate Los Angeles dancefloors. A slinky yet simple melody enraptures as the rhythmic elements heave and kick with a hedonistic freedom that has come to define the Body High sound. It’s pointless to make predictions, but if Samo can continue in this form on the production front, he can and will be one of the most dynamic forces in Transatlantic dance music.

New Stavrogin – “Frqncy”

By Gabe Meier

July 23, 2013

New Music

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Astral Plane guest mix alumni Stavrogin recently connected fellow Brits Desimal and Kamran Khan on “Frqncy”, a subtle, beatific number that sees the London-based producer continue to advance his already unique sound palate. Stavrogin and Desimal weave homemade-sounding percussion and droning synth work around Khan’s longing vocals, resulting in both nostalgia and dream-like realism. The song is as-of-now unsigned, but that should change soon. If y’all label people were smart you’d snatch “Frqncy” up right now!

Download: Donky Pitch’s ‘We Didn’t Think We’d Make It This Far’ Compilation

By Gabe Meier

July 23, 2013

New Music, Remixes

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Last month, Dummy Mag’s Adam Harper wrote an extensive piece outlining what he calls the “neon” sound of the UK, demonstrated by labels like LuckyMe, Keysound and Numbers and characterized by bright synth work, loads of syncopation and a generally progressive spirit. Harper also touches on Bristol-based label Donky Pitch, which plays house for a globally focused cadre of talented producers, ranging from London’s ARP 101 to Seattle’s based kingpin Keyboard Kid. This month, the label reached the rather momentous 10 release landmark and are celebrating with a free compilation cleverly titled We Didn’t Think We’d Make It This Far Vol. 1. If you’re a Donky Pitch fanboy (like ourselves), you’ll recognize a good deal of already released material (10 tracks in all) that has come to epitomize the DP sound. There are also eight unreleased songs available including Ghost Mutt’s hyper rework of that one Kendrick Lamar song with the awful video filmed in a field “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”. If Donky Pitch is a new entity for your ear holes, We Didn’t Think We’d Make It This Far Vol. 1 is a perfect introduction and if you’re already in the know’s know, well, show some damn support anyways.

New DJ Earl – “Ain’t No Coming Down”

By Gabe Meier

July 19, 2013

New Music

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Earlier today, I was listening to the new Migos tape (again) and it struck me that I enjoy it for almost the exact same reason that I enjoy the footwork coming out of the Teklife camp as of late. They both rely on vocal cadence and timbre, intense repetition, expertly crafted beat work and forceful emotion (the unrestrained anger on “I Don’t Like”, the triumphant nature of “Versace”). In a way, Migos, Chief Keef and Rick Ross have more in common with RP Boo, DJ Rashad and DJ Earl than they with Mac Miller, Earl Sweatshirt and Chance The Rapper (although the latter does perform some truly amazing vocal tricks). Take DJ Earl’s update on DJ Roc’s “Ain’t No Coming Down” for example. Earl takes a few simple, seemingly innocuous Juicy J lines and lays them over a ruthlessly syncopated beat that makes Jordan Houston’s original seem pallid in comparison. In its stripped down simplicity, “Ain’t No Coming Down” is far more affecting than the original.

New Flava D – “All They Do Is Hate”

By Gabe Meier

July 19, 2013

New Music

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With an ever growing stable of remarkably talented producers, Elijah & Skilliam’s Butterz label has been on the tip of the grime listening public’s proverbial tongue for the better part of a year now. Melding the bassline sounds of the North with the more traditional, both instrumental and vocal-oriented, grime sounds of London, Butterz has catapulted themselves from local fixture to international brand in under 12 months. While this rise can be mostly attributed to a team effort, we often look to Flava D as one of the main propulsive forces behind Butterz. With a sound that is at once raucous and sweet, the South London native’s “Hold On” is already one of the year’s biggest tunes and it doesn’t look like she’s stopping there. “All They Do Is Hate” is a more traditional bassline number, working Flava D’s signature vocal manipulations into rollicking sub bass. In short, it’s a brief, effective number that epitomizes everything we love about Butterz.

Kyle Hall Remixes Cromie & Sage Caswell’s “Vines”

By Gabe Meier

July 18, 2013

New Music, Remixes

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A lot has been said/written about Detroit house prodigy Kyle Hall in the past few weeks, what with the release of his debut The Boat Party LP. At only 21 years old, Hall’s music manages to imbibe tropes from the two lynchpins of American dance, Detroit and Chicago, as well as production techniques from across the globe. In short, if you haven’t listened to The Boat Party yet, you’re doing a respective disservice to both your mind and your dancing shoes. Hall’s latest track comes in the form of a remix of Los Angeles-based producer/DJ combo Cromie & Sage Caswell’s “Vine” (out now on brand new Brooklyn-based label Peach). It is both futuristic and retro, sounds fiercely analogue, but also has moments that any listener will struggle to fit into any existing sonic lexicon. The original (listen after the jump) is also an impressive number and sees two of Los Angeles’ premier DJs wisely extending their skills into the production realm.

New Spooky Single, “New Slaves” Remix

By Gabe Meier

July 18, 2013

New Music, Remixes

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Riding on the back of a FACT mix and two (!) (one and two) “Party Packages” for Truants, East London grime don Spooky is on a real roll as of late. Always known as one of the very best grime DJs (often playing four or more sets a week on London’s long-running Deja Vu FM), Spooky has rightfully been getting more and more acclaim for the production side of his artistic acumen. On August 12, he will release “Baby”, a rollicking bassline jam, on Unknown To The Unknown. The release will feature a stacked remix lineup, ranging from Matrixxman’s buttery house to Flava D’s stringent garage manipulations. Spooky also carried out what we were all vaguely imagining, utilizing the four bar melody and bass hits of Kanye West’s “New Slaves” to create an unparalleled grime bootleg. Stream below and throw one up for the don.

New Jeremih – “Ex-To-See”

By Gabe Meier

July 18, 2013

New Music

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It doesn’t take much to get us excited about a new Jeremih album, but with the latest news that Cashmere Cat will be involved (with video evidence) and now “Ex-To-See”, our enthusiasm is boiling over. Even that mediocre Game-assisted jawn couldn’t dissuade our swooning ways. Thumpy Johnson is slated to be released by the end of the calendar year (fingers crossed) and is slated to have one Sean Combs playing the roll of executive producer. It will also surely host a slew of delectable features along the lines of Natasha Moseley and Ludacris. “Ex-To-See” is a song about drugs, exes and the club. It’s classic Jeremih fodder, complete with noodling melodies, assuaging synth washes and some not quite recognizable vocal manipulation. It’s also up for a free download at the moment. Not one to be missed.

New Key Nyata – “The Shadowed Diamond” (Prod. Key Nyata)

By Gabe Meier

July 18, 2013

New Music

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Based on Spaceghostpurrp’s uneven social media commentary, I’m unsure if Raider Klan is still an entity. It could have been dissolved months ago, its creative letter use discarded and its variegated elements thrown to the wind. It could be operating, waiting to strike and further impose its outlaw rhetoric on the hip hop listening public. Or maybe Spaceghostpurrp, Amber London and Yung Simmie are locked away in an underground lair plotting the demise of A$AP Mob. Regardless, in between Simmie’s Shut Up & Vibe Vol. 1 (formerly Basement Musik) and London’s Tru 2 Tha Phonk the (former) Klan has been putting numbers on the board with striking regularity. Seattle’s own (former) Klan representative, Key Nyata, has also been creating a respectable niche for himself via his dark, viscous rhymes and DJ U-Neek in the digital era production. “The Shadowed Diamond” was previewed months ago, but today we received the full version in all of its glory. In the past Nyata’s flow has been obfuscated under the many layers of his dense beat work, but “The Shadowed Diamond” highlights both his referential lyrical matter and production acumen flawlessly. The song will be the title track of Nyata’s next album.

Zodiac Remixes Glass Animals’ “Black Mambo”

By Gabe Meier

July 18, 2013

New Music, Remixes

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Toronto-based producer Zodiac (aka Jeremy Rose) has been relatively quiet since the release of his self-titled EP on Jacques Greene’s Vase-Forever label and the whole Abel Tesfaye fiasco. With the exception of a remix for Arclight and a feature in RBMA’s #Hashtag video series, the lightning rod producer has been almost entirely absent from the music listening public’s general consciousness. Woe is us, the silence is suffocating. With remarkable timing though, Rose emerged today with a remix for Glass Animals, our favorite British psychedelic R&B act and one of the most underrated acts on either side of the Atlantic. In typical fashion, the remix shows remarkable restraint, relying on reverberating synth pads and the deep, stultified sonics that have become Rose’s greatest signifiers. Oh and you should really listen to Glass Animals if they haven’t already entered your library. Stream Zodiac’s remix below and pre-order the 12″ here (out July 29 on Wolf Tone).