Archive

New Music

ryan hemsworth

Ryan Hemsworth dominated 2012 via a lengthy series of remixes and one remix heavy solo EP, but 2013 sees the Halifax-native taking to the originals game with gusto. Like “BasedWorld”, the track Hemsworth let loose on New Year Eve, “An Overture Might Help Me Stop Thinking About You” would fit right in on a video game soundtrack and actually samples Final Fantasy resulting in something of an epic orchestral sound. Pot and pan percussion adds an earthy, homemade element to the otherwise otherworldly instrumental, which will appear on Friends of Friends’ upcoming Show Me The Future  compilation. Stream below.

salva & brenmar

Tonight, dons of hype ass American club music Salva and Brenmar begin their joint US tour with a date in Los Angeles’ King Thing venue (along with RL Grime). 2012 saw Salva reach new heights of popular success, imprinting his sound on a generation of “reformed” brosteppers, wrangling a guest appearance from Pusha T at the Red Bull Culture Clash and, most impressively, garnering one of BBC’s vaunted In New DJs We Trust spots alongside Jackmaster, Monki and Brodinski. Brenmar didn’t hit the same level of popular success that Salva did in 2012, but the longtime club trailblazer expanded his sound into the hip hop and pop arenas through various mixes, production work and edits. It goes without saying that the two are some of the most in demand producers/DJs in the American scene and will be laying down some wonderfully variegated sets throughout the tour. To celebrate the opening date, the LA/Chicago duo has released a refreshing update on DJ Deeon’s Windy City ghetto house anthem “Let Me Bang”. The remix has a Dutch feel to it, exhibited through some bleepy synth stabs, which might turn off some listeners, but the uninhibited take is undeniable fun and Deeon’s vocals (“hit it from the back”) are immensely chant-able. Stream and download below.

t. williamsThe most interesting facet of T. Williams’ music, and especially his most recent Rinse 21 mix CD, is that despite its sometimes abrasive qualities (grime influences, off-kilter rhythms), it almost always appears primed for a vocal assist. The Pain & Love EP justified this assumption, pairing Tesfa Williams with several vocalists and his remix of Disclosure’s “Latch” solidified his vocal-driven credentials. Whether you prefer sans-vocals Williams is somewhat irrelevant, because it appears that’s the direction he’s taking, although a return to “Chop & Screw” would also be welcomed. Anyways, Williams recently remixed RCA songsmith Mikky Ekko’s “Pull Me Down” into a percolating piece of Miike Snow-esque pop music. It wouldn’t be a T. Williams joint without the shuffling percussion and almost imperceptibly bouncy bassline. The track is up for free download below, but Williams has hinted that he will be uploading a 320 version soon so it might be worth it to hold out ;).

keyboard-kid-dont-leave-based-worldLaying in wait for months, Keyboard Kid has finally hit the masses with the long-awaited Don’t Leave BasedWorld tape, featuring 27 brand new instrumental creations. While the tape’s cover takes cues from Eazy-E and baroque art, the songs within exemplify the prolific beatsmith’s expansive repertoire and undying work ethic. The tape description puts Keyboard Kid squarely in the Lil B taskforce and the Seattle resident shouts out Raider Klan, Grimes and an odd Nickelodeon cartoon on various tracks. Keyboard Kid is at his best on the euphoric “Based Can’t Stop” and bonus jawn “My Based Journey” and while his productions are certainly tailored to a certain type of MC, Don’t Leave BasedWorld see KK expanding on his previous blueprint into exciting new territory. Few producers manage to ground ethereal/supernatural qualities in concrete beatwork quite like Keyboard Kid. It can only be described as the most based. Stream below and/or cop Don’t Leave BasedWorld for $6.99.

natashaPhoto by Carly Birkey

Dropping Gems queen bee Natasha Kmeto appears to be listening to a lot of early-aughts Yeezy production. With a new DG EP, Dirty Mind Melt, dropping February 19, Kmeto has let loose the chipmunk vocal championing title track for mass consumption. “Dirty Mind Melt” takes a step back from the cerebral vocal arrangements on Kmeto’s debut The Ache EP, opting for The Blueprint-esque pitch shifting and skittering hip hop percussion. While airier than much of The Ache, the track matches heavenly orchestral sections with futuristic effects like the best of her debut LP. Unlike most string section driven beat work, “Dirty Mind Melt” doesn’t fall into the obnoxiously heavy handed category due to Kmeto’s commendable restraint and an expertly informed grasp on layering. Stream below and be on the look out for Dirty Mind Melt next month.

Kevin Gates is the biggest Louisiana rapper since Lil Boosie and prior to that, Lil Wayne. 2012’s Make Em Believe tape was one of 2012’s best and Gates has a certifiable radio hit in “Satellite”. Nonetheless, few outside of Louisiana have even heard of the Baton Rouge MC. Eschewing much of an internet presence, Gates has garnered a huge local fanbase that is something of an anomaly in 2013’s amorphous hip hop landscape. I’d expect Gates to gain some national recognition in the coming months, but even if he doesn’t, don’t expect his shelf life to expire anytime soon. There are a lot of awful “Love Sosa” freestyles out there, but Gates’ strained struggle rap is perfect for Young Chop’s minimalist production. As always, Gates is hyper-regional in his references and gives nothing but love for his hometown. The Luca Brasi Story coming soon…

harry fraudAs a member of French Montana’s Coke Boys (which includes the Moroccan rapper’s 9 year old son, affectionately known as Lil Poopy), questionably monikered Queens MC Chinx Drugz has access to a good deal of production work many similarly gifted MCs can only dream of. I mean, Chinx isn’t the worst dude in the world, but let’s just say Harry Fraud makes “I’m A Coke Boy”. With Montana sloppily fanutin’ all over the hook and underwhelming (to say the least) verses from Diddy and Rick Ross, “I’m a Coke Boy” needed Fraud to come through and come through he does. Without a doubt one of 2012’s most impressive performers, Fraud has become the New York producer du jour in recent months and has worked with everyone from Heems to Sean Price. Once you get past the novelty of hearing a few mediocre Detlef Schrempf euphemisms, Fraud’s reconstructed strings and piano backing becomes the only real point to listening to  “I’m A Coke Boy” all the way through. Luckily, Fraud let loose the instrumental yesterday opening up the possibility that someone with less dirty money will attach themselves for a verse. Stream/download the remix below and hit the jump for instrumental version.

Read More

doc_daneeka

Like many other Brits of the same ilk, Swansea-born producer Mial Watkins, stagename Doc Daneeka (think Catch-22), has recently taken up residence in Berlin and incorporated several of the techno stronghold’s dark sonic signifiers into his music. Lazily classified within the general bass music sphere, Watkins’ music equally emphasizes soulful vocal samples and rich, intricately constructed low end arrangements. After working with Benjamin Damage on 2012’s highly underrated They!Live LP (out now on 50Weapons), Daneeka is primed to have his biggest year to date as both solo artist and curatorial mastermind. You see, along with producing some of the most thought provoking and amorphous low end-focused music around, Daneeka also runs the very much up-and-coming Ten Thousand Yen imprint, also primed for a huge 2013. For his/their first feast of the new year, Daneeka has reworked the unsearchable BeGun’s “San Francisco” into something that resembles the cross-section of Bristol and Chicago. The oppressively deep low end is juxtaposed with retro-sounding organ stabs and a halting garage rhythm. Like most of Daneeka’s output, the remix is nearly impossible to pin down and is clearly suited for a large system. Apparently it has been killing it in live sets so expect a release on Ten Thousand Yen sooner rather than later. Stream below.

dj-haus-uttu

DJ Haus has never been one to demand the spotlight. In an often crowded internet music landscape, the Hot City member and Unknown to the Unknown bossman has flown relatively under the radar while imparting superior sound design and quality throwback tunes on the masses. 2012 saw savvy releases from 5kinandbone5, Sinden and Palace on U2U and a dramatic step forward for Haus’ rave indebted sound. The early 1990’s rave era is still more of a tenuous fantasy in my mind than a concrete sound so I’m gonna have to take Haus’ word when he says that he attempts to imbibe it in his music, but I can say that “Thug Houz Anthem!” has a certain prickly, on-edge feel about it. Certainly in the banger category, the Bone Thugs sampling jawn is full of scratchy acid sounds and a busy percussion pattern. It would probably be fun to listen to at one of those mythological raves I’ve watched documentaries about. The track is part of Thug Houz Anthems Vol. 1, U2U’s upcoming compilation, which will probably be released sooner rather than later. Stream and download below and hit the jump for the accompanying druggy iTunes commercial-esque video.

Read More

boddikaTo say everyone and their mother’s dog has been waiting for Boddika’s “Mercy VIP” on pins and needles is something of an understatement. After floating around the internet for eight months, Boddika’s revamped take on his Joy Orbison collaboration has finally reached daylight in an acceptable form. You’ve probably heard the track at this point, so I’ll keep it short and sweet, but just know that this one falls in the outright banger section of techno so, like, if you’ve been wondering why there are bodies under your garage then this is probably for you. All overplayed references aside, look out for the “Mercy VIP” on the Think & Change compilation via Nonplus Records.