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New Music

Romare Remixes The Children Of Lov’s “Fly”

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April 29, 2013
New Music, Remixes
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London-resident Romare has never had a problem with taking a left-field stance on rhythm, whether it be the overt West African influence on his Meditations On Afrocentrism EP or the more Chicago-inferred style that permeates his most recent Love Songs: Part One extended player. His latest effort, a rework of The Children Of Lov’s “Fly”, falls in line with his juke fascination and features some eardrum splattering sub-bass. The fact that the remix falls into a hip hop crawl two minutes in shouldn’t surprise any longtime fans and the jarring tempo changes are more than welcome in our book considering the paint-by-the-numbers character of much of today’s dance music. With a huge set of Summer tour/festival dates coming up and new material on the way, expect Romare to come out of 2013 a major player.

New Clams Casino x DOOM – “Bookfiend”

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April 29, 2013
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At this point, Clams Casino might be the last person with the capability of saving one Daniel Dumile’s worth as a relevant cultural signifier. More interested in producing and betraying fan’s confidence in the past half-decade, [MF] DOOM has always been an enigma, but the truth is that the iron clad villain hasn’t turned out an front-to-back engaging project since 2004’s seminal Madvillainy. It’s easy to get caught up in DOOM’s “free associative” lyricism or his outdated comic book references, but the truth is that he’s lost a step in recent years and has come to rely more and more on gimmicks and outlandish production. Enter Clammy Clams. if there’s a more fitting backing for DOOM’s pedantic rambling than the molasses thick, treehouse beats churned out by New Jersey’s very own, then I don’t know what life. Matching both DOOM’s cadence and carelessness to a tee, “Bookfiend” is the best thing to come from each respective camp in the past 12 months and if you don’t recognize that, you might just need get out to the Amazon for some of that good stuff.

Druid Cloak Remixes 123Mrk’s “Invisible Colors”

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April 29, 2013
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There’s a lot to love about the explosion of half-step dance musc that has emerged in the past five or so years. That is quote-on-quote dubstep that appeals not just to the heads and candy ravers, but to electronic music fans of all shades and stripes. Ohioan Druid Cloak is among the best and brightest when it comes to crafting this type of music and is/will be making quite a splash for the remainder of 2013 with forthcoming work on Infinite Machine and Hot ‘N’ Heavy. Lately though, the cloaked crusader has been getting his toes wet in the remix game, most recently taking a stab at the likeminded  123Mrk’s “Invisible Colors”, which will be released on May 6 via Infinite Machine. If you don’t know, now you know.

Maths Time Joy Remixes Karma Kid’s “In My Arms”

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April 26, 2013
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Both Maths Time Joy and Karma Kid represent a trending scene that has essentially bull rushed its way into the United Kingdom and America’s pop consciousness. Whether you call it rhythm and bass,  future garage, house or post-dubstep, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the Disclosure’s, the Duke Dumont’s and the Kastle’s are relevant. Of course, these artists come from a wide range of musical traditions and their music doesn’t even sound all that similar, but that’s irrelevant for this narrative device. Karma Kid trends towards the pop radio side of the spectrum while Maths Time Joy’s music is slower and more bedroom- vs. dancefloor-oriented. Sometimes though, all it takes is a little sensuality to reign in a piece of floofy pop and that’s exactly what happened here.

Kid Smpl Remixes Laura Welsh’s “Unravel”

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April 25, 2013
New Music, Remixes
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When we receive a remix of a song that we don’t initially recognize, our first move is generally to pull up the original for compare and contrast purposes. This is a fruitful process that shines light on the remixer’s creative process and often introduces us to new artists. Unfortunately, this was not the case when we visited with Laura Welsh and her unravelling talent. Luckily, we have Joey Butler aka Kid Simple to right the wrong and solve the mystery of exactly who OK’d the original. All hate aside, it’s difficult to imagine getting sick of the Smpl treatment. Butler’s work is just so voluminous and engrossing. It’s virtually impossible to avoid getting wrapped up in the warm, yet distant blanket that is a Kid Smpl track and, really, why would you ever want to.

Odesza Remix Beat Connection’s “Saola”

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April 25, 2013
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odesza

Beat Connection have always been a band that has impressed me more in a live setting than in recorded form, an odd characteristic for a band that is often grouped alongside relatively tame live acts like Blackbird Blackbird, White Arrows and Lemonade. Whether performing at a tiny house party or the dance tent at a major festival, the trio never ceases to entertain with an endless supply of energy and enthusiasm. Unfortuantely, their recorded work, while bright at times, often lacks in the same departments. Enter Odesza, fellow Seattleites and sample patchwork impressarios. Last year, the duo (BeachesBeaches & CatacombKid) released the heavily slept on Summer’s Gone and, in the past few months (a few festival dates haven’t hurt), have garnered quite a bit of mass appeal. To kick off their upcoming West Coast tour with the aforementioned trio, Odesza have taken on remix duties for the Tune-Yards-channeling “Saola”, adding an oomph-worthy kick drum and scattering the vocals through a seductive filter/chop sequence. Like Summer’s Gone, the result isn’t exactly mind-blowing, but the duo have shown a penchant for turning out impossibly sunny jams in an over-saturated market, which is no small feat. Whether Odesza take their sound in a meatier direction will determine whether they eclipse their Northwest brethren or not.

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Lord Quas’ Planned Attack

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April 24, 2013
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quasimoto

After Flying Lotus’ Captain Murphy stole the drug-addled/animated alter-ego crown from Ahmad Miller, it was only a matter of time before Lord Quas emerged from his psilocybin-induced slumber. Yessir Whatever, the third official Quasimoto album, will be released on June 18 via Stones Throw (like really, who else?) and will feature a collection tracks released over the past 12 years. A few of the tracks have been released on limited vinyl in the past, but the majority have been hidden away in the Madlib vaults. “Planned Attack” sounds like it was recorded 12+ years ago and we’re all the better for it. We rarely exhort the godliness of the “golden age” like some other nostalgic journalists, but a Jeru The Damaja sample can go a long way in the right setting. See Lord Quas’ guts on June 18.

Blue Sky Black Death Remix Gunplay & Isaiah Toothtaker’s “Frownin”

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April 24, 2013
New Music, Remixes
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gunplay and isaiah toothtaker

Is there a more fitting name than “Frownin” for a track that features both the knuckle throwing knucklehead and a man who supposedly carries around a jar of his bar fight victim’s teeth? Not in this realm of existence. We all know Gunplay, but let me introduce you to Isaiah Toothtaker, Arizona MC and calcified structure collector. Co-founder of rising hardcore clique Machina Muerte, Toothtaker has been getting some press among the heads, but has been largely ignored by the more pop oriented folk. Kind of like Gunplay. Both rappers hit like a lyrical shotgun and are some of the most prolific punchline technicians around and both fit perfectly on “Frownin”. Did I mention that this is a remix? Helmed by Blue Sky Black Death? The Seattle duo’s work sans-Nacho Picasso hasn’t garnered them as much attention as it should, but “Frownin” should change that. We’re not exactly sure when the original “Frownin” will be released so you should just grab the BSBD version below and get to headknockin’.

New Classixx – “All You’re Waiting For”

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April 24, 2013
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While everyone looses their collective shit and chops of their pinky toes for the false pyramid idols, Los Angeles’ Classixx are making better pop/disco crossovers in 2013 than anyone else. “Holding On”   (and the subsequent Jerome LOL remix) set the stage for an utter takeover, but “All You’re Waiting For” is the real announcement, all throwback chord progressions drenched in molly water and champagne glitz. When a washed up Phoenix are opening for Classixx at the Coachella mainstage in 2016 you’ll think back to this moment and show thanks that you threw “Get Lucky” in the proverbial waste bin.