I’ve held a grudge against Oklahoma City since the Sonics were sold back in 2006 (fuck you Schultz, Bennet and McClendon), but recent newcomers Tallows might just be able to mellow my disdain. They sound a little like Fleet Foxes with a backbone, with the ability to grab the attention of people like myself who don’t usually listen to music with, you know, guitars and shit. This clearly isn’t my forte, but if “Soft Water” and “Small Talk” are any indication, these dudes are be going places. The second good thing to come out of OKC after The Flaming Lips? I think so. Stream/download/do whatever you want with their first two demos below.
Slugabed Remixes Deech’s “Urnite”
2012 has been something of a coming out year for Slugabed, releasing the critically acclaimed Time Team on Ninja Tune and starting up his own label, Activia Benz. Slugabed’s first signee, Belarus-native Deech‘s Urnite EP will drop on December 10 and feature a remix from the boss man himself, which you can stream and download below. The retwerk actually leans towards a lot of the electro fare these days, but with that special Slugabed flare. There are epic chords similar to the ones found on “Mountains Come out Of the Sky” (which is still in rotation) and a twangy guitar. There are pitch shifted vocals. Honestly, this borrows a lot from a lot of places, but the fact that I can’t stop nodding my head is probably a good sign. Look out for the full EP on December 10th and stream snippets here.
Skip Rage And The All Black Bandana
In a recent Shots Fired podcast (highly recommended by the way), Jeff Weiss and Nocando discussed the ratchet phenomenon, basically explaining that it is all derivative of Lil Boosie and anyone that tells you otherwise is full of shit. Boosie’s trademark energy, and well, general ratchetness pervade hip hop in 2012 and whether you like it or not, you can’t deny his influence. South Jamaica Queens MC Skip Rage is the latest MC to grab our attention, and frankly, he’s pretty fucking ratchet. With the visuals for the SpaceGhostPurrp produced “Black Bandana” being released today, I figured it was the right time to introduce y’all to Skip. So yeah, get ratchet widit!
Maribou State Remixes Ultraista’s “Gold Dayzz”
Out of all of the projects that have sprouted out of Radiohead, Nigel Godrich’s Ultraista might just be my favorite. Godrich’s silky-choppy production and Laura Bettinson’s lofty vocals just hit the spot in a way few other acts can. Hot off the release of the Scarlett Groove EP, London duo Maribou State have taken on Ultraistra’s “Gold Dayzz” applying their luxurious house aesthetic to the already brilliant original. This is electronic music for people who don’t like electronic music. It’s delicate, vocal-based and crisp, but also reliant on an intricate percussion and otherworldly guitar. Maribou State have really dug out a niche and are widening their scope with every release. Stream below and cop the remix here.
Hackman Remixes The 1975’s “Sex”
After a series of successful collaborations (what up Bruh Jackman), Hackman is back on his solo grind, remixing one of the buzzier buzz acts around, The 1975. Ryan Hemsworth made “Sex” tolerable a few weeks ago, but Hackman has one upped our favorite Nova Scotian, flipping it into a laid-back house joint that won’t be leaving the tapedeck for quite some time. Removing the large majority of the original’s obnoxious sing-along qualities, Hackman does what he does best, utilizing synth pads and a simple, but catchy as hell, bassline for maximum booty shaking. So yeah, that’s two of our favorite producers flipping an otherwise intolerable song into something beautiful. Pretty solid argument for the goodness in human nature. Or something like that. Stream and download Hackman’s “Sex” flip below.
M|O|D Clique Turns In Most Fully Realized Project To Date
Boston’s M|O|D is an act you kind of have to take with a grain of salt. They’re young, immensely talented and release gargantuan amounts of music. A lot of that music is good, but some of it is really bad. So just know that you have to take the good with the bad with these guys. Anyways, REWROTE, LiL TExAS, Arnold (formerly TrapArnold), C.Z. and Yung Satan (did I get the stylization right?) just released their most fully realized tape to date, PENG, which is supposedly the first of three in a series. At only one track a piece, the tape offers a more controlled vision from each producer, as well as a step back from trap histrionics. The snare rolls and hi hats are still there, but they are just one component of a greater whole. PENG is labeled “Bass” on Soundcloud, an apt descriptor for a tape that jumps between hip hop, juke and Jersey club with ease. Yung Satan’s “Sugar” is the tape’s standout, combining 8-bit sounds with sexy vocals, resulting in one of the better club songs of the year. Stream and download PENG below.
New A.Dd+ – “Suitcases”
Earlier today, I posted a photo of Outkast from back in the “Player’s Ball” days on our Facebook page. Big Boi is wearing a Braves hat and jersey, which is pretty standard garb for Sir Luscious, but Three Stacks is virtually unrecognizable. He’s not wearing mink, silk or denim. He doesn’t look like he just arrived from 19th century London. He looks like, you know, a Southern dude in the 90’s. It’s almost disconcerting. Anyways, I’m bringing this all up because A.Dd+’s “Suitcases” sounds like the picture makes me feel. Paris Pershun and Slim Gravey weave intricate rhymes over PicnicTyme’s phonky production. The rhymes are intricate enough to woo the stuffy backpackers, but the reason why it reminds me of young Outkast is that Paris and Slim appear to enjoy rapping together. Remember when Big Boi and Andre liked rapping together? I don’t because I was a young child, but I’ve spent most of my adult life constructing false nostalgia about it. Anyways, A.Dd+ have quietly and unobtrusively developed into one of the premier acts in Texas’ subdued rap scene over the past few years. Oh and the cover art for their upcoming tape, Divehiflylo, is beyond unbelievable. Stream and download “Suitcases” below and look out for Divehiflylo in the near future.
Them Jeans Remixes SALM’s “Architecture”
Most Steve Aoki associates aren’t really ok in our book, but Them Jeans might just be the exception. The LA-resident has assisted in throwing some of the most raucous parties in the City of Angels over the past few years and has steadily improved as a producer in his own right. His latest rework sees him reworking SALM’s electro mediocrity into an exceptionally smooth piece of violin-driven house music. This isn’t the most revelatory music or anything, but it’s exceptionally good for what it is: a remix of a mediocre electro song. So yeah, stream below if you so choose.
Druid Cloak Remixes Cashmere Cat’s “Paws”
Cashmere Cat’s Mirror Maru is just about impossible to pin down, running the gamut of in the moment sounds. Druid Cloak’s sound isn’t all that much more grounded, although it is reminiscent of something we’ve heard before, perhaps it’s the druid in all of us. Anyways, the Symbols rep took on Cashmere Cat’s “Paws” (which is currently running rampant in the soundcloudiverse) and flipped it into something that would not be out of place in a movie commercial. Actually, my first thought was that WWII movie that used a Skrillex song in the trailer. That was godawful of course, but this Druid Cat combination has a similar cinematic, larger than life quality about it that would fit perfectly in the fantasy and sci fi films he’s inspired by. As he’s known to do, Mr. Cloak is giving away his remix of “Paws” in exchange for a facebook like.
Who Is Sahtyre?
To a certain extent, LA rapper Sahtyre follows the ASAP Rocky blueprint to success. He’s young and brash. His lyrics revolve around his crew, extensive drug talk and vague location indicators. His production is weird, but still digestible on a somewhat mainstream level. Despite being from LA, Sahtyre is not an “LA Rapper” in the traditional sense. He’s too rough around the edges and devoid of car culture. No, Sahtyre is a different animal. He’s worked with Hellfyre Club members Open Mike Eagle and Nocando, which sheds some light, but he’s not nearly as intellectual as the aforementioned MC’s. “LSD (The Anthem)” was my introduction to Sahtyre and gives some insight into his drug-addled mental state, which is sort of derivative of the region-less hip hop the interwebz have fantasized about for the past few months. Highly recommend downloading this one, at least to get a taste of a hip hopper who really defies categorization.










