30[eks] - thirtyx

Yet another Russian producer to grace the hallowed pages of my blog! Kind of different from the stuff I usually post, but still really good tunes. I heard about this fella from the collabs he did with Foner.

This is 30[eks]'s third release, titled ThirtyX, and it's an engaging, sprawling, set of 15 ambient IDM tunes. These well-crafted melancholy soundscapes, layered with synthy textures and haunting melodies, are sometimes evocative of artists like Boards of Canada, but ultimately develop a sound of their own.

Not an instant classic by any means, sometimes even flirting with cheesiness, but definitely worth a few listens.

checkit

P.S.
His previous two releases are available for download here.

new salem chunes

For some reason I've been fascinated by Salem ever since the first time I heard them. Probably partly because two of them are from my hometown. Some people go apeshit for them. A lot of people really dislike them. After listening to their discography, I initially decided that they pretty much sucked, but I respected that they were doing their own thing, and I even like one of their tunes, "Skullcrush."

So when a couple of their new tunes snuck out, I had to grab them. Out of that same curiousity that makes you look at car crashes and roadkill, I guess. But the second I hit play on iTunes, I was surprised. I was shocked. This new stuff completely blows the old stuff out of the water.

The tunes off Yes I Smoke Crack, Water, and OhK were mediocre at best. Kind of directionless, apologetic, overly-halloweened tracks with cheesy-sounding synths and drums. Like that goth girl you knew in high school. Mysterious and weirdly cute, but also lacking substance.

Anyway, these two new ones, "King Night," and "Asia," really make a statement. Gritty, dare I say catchy, synth melodies; huge-sounding crunk beats; distant vocal snippets (including a choral version of the christmas carol "O Holy Night" on the first track); all with that crackly, maxed-out mixer feel. It's like the old Salem grew a pair.

These tracks are at the very least worth a listen. You may hate them, and that's okay. I accept and consider all complaints. I'm also including a remix of "Asia" by San Fransisco's oOoOOO.

King Night (most recommended)

Asia

Asia (oOoOOO remix)

fly russia compilation

Lately, I've been coming across a lot of cool stuff coming out of the Russian beat scene, including this nice little compilation put out by Error Broadcast and Siberian tune blog called Gimme5. 15 downtempo tracks swimming in analog lo-fi hiss and crackle, ranging from super chill tunes like Miracle Libido's "Synesthesia" to Nowcow's speaker-threatening "Dynamicize." The only name I recognized on this comp was Moscow's favorite chip hopper Pixelord.

Very cool stuff. The only way I can think to put it is that the tunes just sound like Russia - at least the way I picture Russia in my head - surely the product of long, frozen nights fueled by a vodka swagger and post-soviet melancholy. The folks over at Error Broadcast are calling this "Slav Soul."

Check it

dam mantle - purple arrow ep

The Purple Arrow EP (september 2010), is the second release of these Glasgow button pushers, who you may remember from their remix on Gold Panda's You E.P. Dam Mantle absolutely slays this record. Skittering two-step rhythms provide the pulse for these ever-changing soundscapes of reverb-laden synths and distant vocals. It's a great ambient/experimental vibe, but with the drums brought out from behind the usual veil of fuzz and delay.

Straight from your download folder to your headphones. I can't wait to hear more from these fellas.

acquire here

return

hello, my precious few readers. i am back after dmca-inspired hiatus, ready to bring the heat to your download folders like chlamydia. i've been scouring the darkest regions of the internet, machete-ing my way through popups and malware like some kind of modern dystopian joseph conrad novel.

posting music soon. keep your ears open.

flyphonic - mosaic

"Mosaic," the debut release (2007) from a duo of Swedish beatsmiths called Flyphonic is a sick blend of hip-hop, jazz, and soul featuring Sweden's finest MCs and jazzers. It's pure sonic bliss. It's ear candy. Put it in your headphones and escape for a while. There isn't too much I can even say about this record.

Just listen to it.

DIG

Free the Robots - Ctrl Alt Delete

Well, I'm really sorry for double-posting here, but as I've been away for a few weeks, I feel the need to do some catching up. I just appropriated Free the Robots' latest release (from March 2010) and as I write this I am thoroughly enjoying its assault on my aural cavities.

Imagine that Nosaj Thing and Flylo had a baby, and that Shlomo and Starkey were the godparents. This would be the music that the baby would listen to while exploring futuristic cities at night. In a space-car.

Belie DAT.

Four Tet vs. Mala - Nothing to See / Don't Let Me Go

Well, I just got back from a somewhat successful tour to find that this little gem had been released while I was sleeping on strangers' floors and getting progressively smellier from city to city.

It's Four Tet, everyone's favorite weird-looking Britain on a split 12" single with Mala of Digital Mystikz. This disc was released on July 30th as a promo for an upcoming Soul Jazz Records release called (as seen above) "Future Bass," which will feature exclusive tracks from the two aforementioned beatsters as well as Black Chow, Coki, and Others.

Four Tet's track, "Nothing to See," continues in the clean post-house style we heard on There is Love in You. It's about 9 minutes of hypnotism: waves of noise, gritty synths, and mallet instruments washing over the unyielding heartbeat of a kick drum. The result a masterful undulating soundscape of tension and release that leaves you a bit unsettled and ready for more.

Mala follows with "Don't Let Me Go," a dark, ambient-ish dubstep track with plenty of futuristic robot/computer sounds over a choppy, reverb-laden beat. The tune slowly evolves over it's 5 minutes in a linear form, adding element after element as it goes. It also features a melody from dubstep's least likely instrument: an accordion.

So this is some good shit. I can't wait for "Future Bass" to drop in September.

Check it

BUSY - moths ep

There are few things better than randomly stumbling across an artist you've never heard of and then consequently having your mind blown. Such was the case for me with my most recent acquisition: the "Moths E.P." by Baltimore producer Busy.

I will tell you up front that this collection of tunes is best listened to all the way through on headphones, preferably while enjoying some mild herbal remedies. The disc kicks off with "Aft," a swirling, breathing, multilayered soundscape so captivating that you almost feel like you are floating down a river through some futuristic, fog-laden jungle. The music flows seamlessly to the next track, "A Camphoraceous Elixir," where the beats kick in.

The disc continues in this fashion, alternating between thick, immersing, soundscapes, and disgusting beats, synths tickling your eardrums as they dance and wander about the stereo field. Listening to this album is like entering a dream you never want to wake up from. And when you do wake up, after a quasi-refrain of the aqueous sounds from the first track, you can't help but want more.

On iTunes, this disc is classified as "Hip Hop/Rap," but Busy achieves much more than that here. He's creating sounds and a style of his own that I haven't really heard before.

It's really hard for me to nail down a favorite track on this EP; if I had to, it would probably be the penultimate tune, "Witch Hunt," which is the bounciest, most grooving tune that Busy serves up for us. Still, I'll reiterate that you may as well just listen to the whole EP at once, as it only clocks in at a mere 17 minutes - pretty good for 9 tracks. I'd say it gets the ADD seal of approval.

So here it is, for your aural pleasure:

BUSY - moths ep

DEATH THERAPY preview

My first EP has been in the works for some time, and should be coming out before the end of the summer, and I thought I'd break off a little preview for you.

This first one is an 8-bit influenced hip hop track:
TIMESTOPPA

And also, here is a spacious, jazz-tinged hip hop track:
HOSPICE

This should give you some idea of what the EP is going to be like. The other tracks are more ambient in nature, with dubstep, world music, and experimental influences.

So enjoy the traxx, and make sure to buy the EP when it comes out. It has beautiful artwork by the very talented and legendary Jon Brown.

On a further self-promotional note: I produced a track for Petoskey rapper Leif Kolt's upcoming album. There's a preview show for that said release on August 28 at Coffee and Connect in Petoskey, where Leif, myself, and Coloreater will be melting your brains.

And lastly, myself, Crash Sunday, and Galactic Vacationer, will be playing some shows between here and the east coast next month, so try to come out to one and give us your money if you can. Here are the dates, as of now:

7/31 - Rubble's Bar - Mt. Pleasant, MI
8/6 - Old Glory Studios - Canton, OH
8/8 - Slainte Wine Bar + Lounge - Portland, ME
8/10 - Death by Audio - Brooklyn, NY
8/11 - Goodbye Blue Monday - Brooklyn, NY
8/12 - Garfield Artworks - Pittsburgh, PA
8/13 - Howard's Club H - Bowling Green, OH

FONER - love beats

Second post in 5 minutes, I know, but I have something to share with you:

Foner. He's a Russian hip hopper I stumbled across in a recent internet excursion and as far as I know, he's only got a soundcloud page. His sound is a great balance between the old and the new, blending mutilated, dusty old soul samples with those off-kilter, dreamy beats that seem to be sweeping through the underground hip hop scene.

Definitely worth a listen or two. Plus, most of his tracks on this LP clock in at under 2 minutes, a great bonus for the more ADHD of us. Enjoy.

Love Beats

OBESE OVERTURE

This is my first attempt at a mix. It's basically just a cross section of the stuff I've been listening to lately. A lot of hip hop, some future stuff, and also some dubstep. Nothing special, nothing fancy, just some good tunes.

• mf grimm - return to eden
• immortal technique - watch out (southpaw & DJ GI JOE remix)
• houseshoes - newports
• hudson mohawke - polkadot blues
• RJD2 - a moment of weakness
• nosaj thing - 1685/bach
• nosaj thing - lords
• heyoka - mowdery pildew
• M.I.A. - teqkilla
• turnsteak - broken control (jahcoozi remix)
• starkey - spacecraft
• hip drop presents - rubadub science
• joaan - splendor in the grass
• imogen heap - hide and seek (mt. eden remix)

I only recently heard of MF Grimm, and this opening track, fresh of his newest release ("You Only Live Twice") floored me upon first listen. I love listening to underground MCs, who still seem care about the music and have some sort of message beyond bitches, hos, and diamonds. One of his lines in the second verse particularly struck me: "So back the fuck from me, cause your jewels came from dirt, and when we all leave they will return to the earth." Plus you gotta love the daffy duck samples throughout.

Other high points for me include the jazz and soul influences in the Houseshoes and RJD2 tracks, and later on the expertly chopped vocals in "Broken Control."

Anyway, enough talk. Here are the goods:

CLICKY