&mdash; The Astral Plane

Jumping on to the map with a co-sign from genre-line toeing Micachu, London newcomers MOLLY release Better Halves, a 12 song, 20 minute mixtape. The duo, made up of Raisa K and Evian Cafun, doesn’t find a happy medium; instead it thrashes between Evian’s pointed afro-punk rap and Raisa’s stripped down, industrial production. It is chaotic and it is feral, but it is alive and it pulses. MOLLY will need to refine their craft, but hearing Evian say “Balance is the answer” in response to Raifa’s “I am half made up of you” on the mixtape’s title track, it is easy to imagine their trajectory. With hits in “Apparently You’re Mental Pt. 2” and mixtape closer “Beast”, MOLLY will (hopefully) soon find themselves working alongside affiliate Tirzah on Greco-Roman taking over UK charts. Watch the video for “Better Halves” below and stream the full mixtape on Soundcloud after the jump.

PC Music Is A Youtube Channel

By Sam Meier

April 7, 2014

Earlier this morning, London-based label PC Music (so cool so cool) uploaded their first official music videos. PC Music has been a visual experience since its inception, creating eclectic, gif-championing individual webpages for each release (see Dux Content’s Lifestyle and “My Miss 2.0“) and, if you dig deep enough, you can find early videos for affiliates Serious Thugs, DJ Warlord, and others along with other early goodies (where is Lil Gash ??!?) on the various tumblrs associated with the label, but bossman A.G. Cook has kept most video content under a tight lid. Now, in a step of maturation, two full-length videos have appeared along with the full easyFun EP on a brand new Youtube channel.

The tracks, “Odyssey, Pt. 2 (A. G. Cook Remix)” originally by Dreamtrak and “Sondico” by easyFun, mirror the full spectrum of artists seated on the label. “Odyssey Pt. 2 (A.G. Cook Remix)” with a hook of “We drove to Miami / because Miami is the place” features one of A.G. Cook’s nameless guest vocalists and is pure pop. The video takes a literal parallel and showcases clip after clip of Rick Ross meets Ultra type shots, all with a pink tint beneath the cover art. “Sondico,” while given a similar video made up of neon-dripping aerobic dancers, has no discernible beat and instead jumps around the sonic synth sphere in a scat-like manner. Both videos indulge in stock footage and manufactured bliss. Watch “Odyssey, Pt. 2 (A. G. Cook Remix)” below and click here for “Sondico”.

New William Skeng – “Two Parts Nightshade”

March 31, 2014

In only a few months, rising square wave impresario William Skeng has proven himself as one of the most melodically gifted producers on either side of the Atlantic (or any ocean for that matter). The wily American producer has quickly ingratiated himself in a number of UK circles, garnering support from the likes of Slackk, Tom Lea and Mr. Mitch. Skeng is prolific as hell, but doesn’t just throw half-assed sketches on Soundcloud. His work is polished, equal parts referential and forward-thinking and dynamic to work in a settings. “Two Parts Nightshade” is a deft take on contemporary instrumental grime, a near-trance melody riding over buckshot percussion and meticulously prepared sub-bass. If the sound is familiar, that’s probably because you’ve hear Skeng’s tunes in any number of popular mixes over the past several months. Be on the lookout.

Chants Mix For The Astral Plane (w/ Interview)

By Sam Meier

February 18, 2014

Interviews, Mixes, Uncategorizable

3 Comments

Chants gives me goosebumps.

Jordan Cohen, better known to the world as Chants, has been making everything from lullabies (“Way Awake“) to topshelf makeout (“I Feel Like I Feel It”) music out of sleepy Madison, WI for the last five years. After getting a few EPs and remixes under his belt, Jordan offered last November’s I Feel Like I Feel It through Seattle’s Hush Hush Records. The album defined his sound as warm and lovely and catchy and somehow perfect in any weather. Favoring drums and doing everything himself, Jordan didn’t leave anyone much choice, but to look at him and the music that he is creating. We were lucky enough to get Jordan to send us over a mix and answer a few questions about who he is/what he does/how he does what he does. Stream Chants’ Mix For The Astral Plane below and get to know the sweet man/find a tracklist after the jump.

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Mike G Mix For The Astral Plane

February 12, 2014

Mixes, Uncategorizable

2 Comments

Steeped in millennial culture and bred on East Coast club sounds, Austin-based DJ/producer Mike G draws lines between the Internet, insular regional scenes and the ears of young listeners. It would be impossible to place Mike, born in Los Angeles, in any particular genre or sub-genre, his music instead evoking everything you’d want from the “bass” music genre without any of its pedantic proclivities. You know him via releases on Car Crash Set, Freshmore and B.YRSLF Division, but Mike’s remixes, bootlegs and one-offs might just have garnered him even more attention. Maybe you heard his “Code Switch”/Divoli S’vere edit on the Night Slugs/Boiler Room event or saw his Thomas White remix burning up the web. It might have been his collaboration with Falcons that caught your eye, released through the wide-gazing Mad Decent. Gathering up breakbeats, horn stabs and volatile “ha” samples, from across the avant-garde of yore, Mike has developed a sound in both his DJing and production that is always accessible, but never pandering. It’s as implacable as it is fun, fully existing in the prosperous nether-region of the Internet, without crossing over into self-indulgent fapping. Mike’s Astral Plane Mix elicits all of the above, a genre smashing affair, pedal-to-the-metal affair that actively refuses to be boxed in. In a simple sense, the mix and Mike G’s musical output in general offers up a quintessential progressive spirit, constantly striving for change and apotheosis. Stream/download below and hit the jump to peep the track list.

Glacial Sound Mix For The Astral Plane

February 6, 2014

Mixes, New Music, Uncategorizable

3 Comments

If you’ve been following the deluge of “new wave” grime round-ups in recent months, the name Glacial Sound will be quite familiar at this point. Often lumped in with fellow upstart outposts like Goon Club Allstars, Coyote Records and Liminal Sounds, the Dublin-based imprint only has two releases to its name to date, but label-head Paul Purcell has flipped a keen eye for talent and an adoration for vinyl into a groundswell of UK and international support. Launched last June via Rabit’s now scene-defining Double Dragon EP, Glacial Sound is nominally a grime label, but if you’ve spent any time with the aforementioned Rabit release or Murlo’s highly touted Last Dance EP, you’ll know that Purcell’s vision far surpasses anything that could traditionally be dubbed grime. Double Dragon is a spacious effort that derives much of its sound palette from Wiley’s Devil Mixes, but exists in a protean universe of wildly twisting melodic content that defies its influences. Hailing from Houston, Rabit exists far from grime’s epicenter, but has managed to funnel some of its most left-field elements into a final product that eschews the more stultified components of the original product.

Whereas Rabit has developed and maintained a sound that is mutually exclusive in its own right, Murlo has synthesized the bright sound palettes and skittering rhythms of Caribbean music like soca and dancehall into an ornate, fully original byproduct. More than just about any other producer, Murlo’s music, especially Last Dance, mirrors the multi-cultural, multi-denominational nature of contemporary London.

Both Double Dragon and Last Dance have created a sustainable platform for Glacial Sound and the future seems bright with an upcoming Rabit & Logos white label in store. In a remarkably short time, Purcell has attained what most labels struggle over for years: an idiosyncratic identity. For Astral Plane Mix 018, we asked Paul to showcase Glacial Sound and to give our readers a taste of what he’s listening to at the moment. The result is a whirlwind journey through the kaleidoscopic sounds of London and grime’s various mutations. We also asked Paul what he likes to listen to when he’s on the go as there is a certain sense of movement (or lack thereof) that is inherent in the Glacial Sound aesthetic. Check out Paul’s addition to our guest mix series below and hit the jump for his on-the-go selections and track list.

Logos Mix For The Astral Plane

January 29, 2014

Mixes, New Music, Uncategorizable

Dusk & Blackdown’s Keysound Recordings label functioned as a home for experimentation and left-field recordings for the past several years, churning out more than their fair share of seminal records. With the recent spate of grime “revivalists” (sorry) in mind, the label has released the likes of Visionist, Rabit, Moleskin and others, preferring a sub-freezing, enveloping take on the traditional sounds of Wiley, XTC and Musical Mob. While their are more than enough examples to choose from, Logos‘ 2012 Kowloon EP exemplifies the brittle, yet protean sound that the aforementioned producers, Keysound and, especially, Slackk’s monthly mixes have come to exemplify. Crystalline in nature, Kowloon has been compared to the piano compositions of Phillip Glass, relying more on wispy melodies than on machinegun snare bursts or patois banter. 2013’s Cold Mission LP (also on Keysound) acts as an apogee of this sound, an exquisitely constructed 11 song album with several collaborations and out-of-nowhere interruptions to keep the listener on edge.

At this point, we’ve left it to other, more talented writers to espouse the venerable qualities and inherent frigidity of Cold Mission, so instead we reached out to the man himself (born James Parker) and asked for a contribution to our guest mix series. After a few months of emailing back-and-forth, we wrangled the following 30 minutes of hazy techno, forceful drum tracks and 90s Memphis rap. The track list has been left intentionally vague, but if you’ve been following us, you’ll surely recognize a few choice cuts and will surely recognize more as they emerge (or not) in the future. Enjoy.

Write For The Astral Plane!

January 3, 2014

It’s 2014. A new year, which means new aspirations, new goals, and a new purview for this “old” music blog. With its genesis in the early months of 2012, The Astral Plane has grown steadily, gained traction and has flourished into the multi-dimensional animal. These past two years have treated us well and now, we find ourselves in the rare position where we have actually begun to realize and surpass our original intent. We have developed an ongoing mix series featuring exclusive content from our favorite producers, interviews that not only showcase transcendent artists, but are also interesting and readable, and have immersed ourselves in a world of forward thinking music that we (and hopefully you) couldn’t fathom not being apart of. Our future is in front of us and it looks really, really good. But, in order to take this blog where we want it to go, we need help.

This is a recruitment letter to anyone hoping to join our little family of music writers here at The Astral Plane. As a non-profit entity, it’s a challenge to churn out original content on a regular basis so we’re looking for writers, visual artists, videographers, web designers and/or general music enthusiasts who are interested in contributing their skills to the blog. While we do cover a rather specific corner of the respective electronic and hip hop spheres, we are always open to expansion and new perspectives. The job is non-paying, but is often rewarded in free shows, promos and ephemeral Internet respect. If you are interested in contributing your skill set to the team, please send several writing samples (or another example of your work) and a short introduction to gabe@dotheastralplane. There’s always a range of involvement so please don’t hesitate to reach out and we can subsequently figure out the best way for you to contribute! We’ve got love for the crew.

Holiday Freebie Round-Up

December 26, 2013

2013 Recap, New Music, Remixes, Uncategorizable