Dripping in ‘sace, Chicago rapper Z-Money delivered “Dope Boy Magic” to the world yesterday. Like a mix of Atlanta’s Migos and drill sergeant King L with a sprinkle of Gucci, Z-Money has a flow that doubles and triples back on itself and a voice that stays sounding like strained whisper. “Dope Boy Magic” sees the 20 year-old on a JNeal beat that teases at continuity, but instead stutters and stumbles into a dark, smoked-out world of foreign clothes, foreign cars, and condos. After dropping two mixtapes on the same day last summer (Rich B4 Rap and Heroin Musik) and gaining some notoriety with “Regular,” Z-Money is ready for the spotlight. Check out the video for “Dope Boy Magic” below.

Mike G Mix For The Astral Plane

By Gabe Meier

February 12, 2014

Mixes, Uncategorizable

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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.

New Sudanim – “The Link”

By Gabe Meier

February 11, 2014

New Music

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Last year, south London club night/record label Her Records appeared to make a huge leap by releasing Miss Modular’s Reflector Pack/Cruzer Edge, a world-beating affair that launched MM and Her onto the tongue of just about every tastemaker in (and out of) the business. “Reflector Pack” was obviously the star track of 2013, but what some people forget is that the young label also released two other EPs and a compilation throughout the calendar year. Not only has Her broken open the sound bank with their angular, metallic take on club music, but they’ve already amassed an impressive catalogue in just over 13 months in existence. The label’s next release will come from co-head Sudanim in the form of The Link EP and it’s already sounding like a belter. The title track brings to mind the work of Jam City and Girl Unit’s Hysterics side-project, but Sudanim isn’t just your run of the mill Night Slugs derivative, instead he has an aesthetic all his own. It’s an aesthetic built on ever-building percussion that can tumble down in a violent crush at any moment. It’s nominally dance music, but offers an equally impressive post-industrial sentiment. With some of the bigger names in London already on their side and names like Fraxinus in their camp, expect to hear a lot more from Her over the coming months. The EP will feature four original tracks and an always coveted Neana remix. Out tomorrow (February 12) on Her.

New Main Attrakionz – “G.O. All I Know” (Prod. Friendzone)

By Gabe Meier

February 10, 2014

New Music

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Back in December, we caught our first taste of Oakland duo Main Attrakionz’s upcoming 808s and Dark Grapes mixtape, the followup to the 2011 tape that launched them into the national consciousness. That song, the Friendzone-produced “G.O. All I Know”, is now available for free download and offers a lens into where Squadda B and MondreM.A.N.’s minds are at. Stream and download the song below and hit the jump to peep the accompanying video.

Glacial Sound Mix For The Astral Plane

By Gabe Meier

February 6, 2014

Mixes, New Music, Uncategorizable

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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.

Download Folie Douce’s Cold Confessions

By Sam Meier

February 5, 2014

New Music

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Coming straight from the hustlers of Belgium collective Folie Douce is their third compilation titled Cold Confessions. With nine near stand-alone tracks, Folie Douce rounds up every hitter they could get their hands on for what could be anyone’s 2014 Freshman list. Familiar faces include P. Morris (formerly Morri$ of Fade to Mind), S-Type, and DJ Paypal, but it was PC Music head honcho A.G. Cook‘s euphoric “HAD 1 (Club MIx)” and Kon‘s take on Ariana Grande’s “Honeymoon” that came through as the sleeper cuts. Jumping from footwork to rnb edits to jersey club, let Cold Confessions be your 2014 music chaperone. Stream/download for free Folie Douce’s Cold Confessions through soundcloud below and for more goodies from the Belgium braniacs check out Folie Douce Compilation Vol. I and Vol. II..

New Wen – “Intro (Family)”

By Gabe Meier

February 4, 2014

New Music

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On March 17, Owen Darby aka Wen will release the Signals LP on Dusk & Blackdown’s Keysound Recordings. As Wen’s debut full length, the album will offer up a kaleidoscopic view of UK pirate radio culture, London’s urban, grey-scale aesthetic and other signifiers we’ve come to expect in his productions. “Intro (Family)” is a swirling combination of eski/8 bar/wot u call it stabs and cinematic synth pads. The perpetual MC chants below the track’s surface, but acts more as a foil to the beatific pads and whirling spin backs. In the end, it’s a self-described intro, but the track shines more than enough light into Wen’s thought process to get us chuffed for the album.

Download Chris Travis & BONES’ SeaBed Mixtape

By Sam Meier

January 29, 2014

New Music

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After releasing a couple songs together, Water Boy Kenshin Travis and TeamSESH headmaster BONES finally give us a complete mixtape (coming in just under 19 minutes) titled SeaBed. The tape flips between romance-leaning tracks like opener “FijiFalls,” which features BONES’ crooning, “I just hope you’re safe and sound” and darker cuts like “FallenLeaves,” which (after a build featuring a rain stick) sees Travis’ monotone finishing the track off with, “yeah I make a killing, just by killing.” The two flaunt designer water and murder without discretion, cutting themselves off mid-bar to let haunting beats from soundcloud producers take over. This project allows the two to fully realize their Solomon Grundy-like return from the grave and similar in more ways than not, Travis and BONES’ embrace their anti-hero role on SeaBeds. Download here and stream the full project below.

Logos Mix For The Astral Plane

By Gabe Meier

January 29, 2014

Mixes, New Music, Uncategorizable

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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.

New Iamsu! Feat. 2 Chainz and Sage The Gemini – “Only That Real”

By Sam Meier

January 28, 2014

New Music

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Coming out with his first official single, the Richmond, CA native Iamsu! enlists 2 Chainz and Sage the Gemeni for “Only That Real.” Over low synths that ooze between sparse hi-hats from producer P-Lo, Su gives us an account of where he’s been (New Orleans strip clubs) and what he’s been doing (throwing money/making it back) before giving it up to veteran 2 Chainz who has apparently been doing the same. But it’s Sage the Gemini who comes through with the best verse on the track with a voice sounding something like a gravelly Ty Dolla $. “Only That Real” will be the first single from Iamsu!’s Sincerely Yours LP due April. Stream below.