Monday, December 27, 2010

Mixtape Downloads #7A & #7B: Party Van / Night Owl

I've been accumulating too many great songs lately, so here are two new mixtapes to help you celebrate the holiday season!
-


Party Van Mix / Dec 2010
Mixed / 41:11

1. DJ Zinc - Nexx
2. Wiley - Never Be Your Woman (Herve Re-work)
3. Xxxy - Ordinary Things
4. Boddika - Syn Chron
5. DJ Zinc - Wile Out ft. Ms Dynamite
6. A1 Bassline - Stabs
7. Jacques Greene - Tell Me
8. Jacques Greene - (Baby I Don't Know) What You Want
9. Taz - Future Funk
10. Y Tribe - Enough Is Enough
11. Jacques Greene - Another Girl
12. Kingdom - You
13. Submerse - Passion
14. Groove Theory - Tell Me (George Fitzgerald Remix)
15. DJ Nate - Back Up Kid

See Downloads Section

Meant to keep you moving for all 41 minutes. Made with holiday parties in mind! Mixed tracks.

-


Night Owl / Dec 2010

1. Mystery Track 1*
2. Orbital - Belfast
3. Kollektiv Turmstrasse - Uneins
4. Mystery Track 2
5. Cooly G & Scratcha DVA - Dis Boy (DVA's Hi Emotions Remix)
6. Starkey - Playing With Fire
7. Cassie - Must Be Love (Jacques Greene's Marriage Proposal Mix)
8. M2J - Infinity Complex
9. Creep - Days (Deadboy Remix) ft. Romy Madley Croft
10. Disclosure - Offline Dexterity
11. Dawn Landes - All Dressed In White
12. Primary 1 - Never Know (Submerse Remix)
13. Ramadanman & Midland - Your Words Matter
14. George Fitzgerald - Weakness
15. KingThing - Mad Hatter
16. B-Complex - Raindrops
17. S-Type - Medusa
18. Actress - Maze
19. Jack Dixon - Be There (Cairo Remix)
20. John Roberts - Glass Eights

See Downloads Section

Accompaniment for quieter nights. Tracks kept separate.

*Mystery tracks are for the benefit of the RIAA.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Dec 6 / Releases

I haven't been this excited about the music released in one day for quite a while:

1. Starkey - Space Traitor Vol. 1

2. Planet Mu - Bangs & Works Vol. 1

3. Jam City - Magic Drops


Expect reviews soon.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Review: Night Slugs Allstars Vol. 1

Review
Night Slugs Allstars Volume 1
Dubstep / House / Funky

1. Mosca - Square One VIP
2. Lil Silva - Golds 2 Get
3. Girl Unit - IRL (Bok Bok Remix)
4. Kingdom - Bust Broke
5. L-Vis 1990 & T. Williams - Stand Up
6. Jam City - Arpjam
7. Lil Silva - Seasons
8. Egyptrixx - Liberation Front
9. Bok Bok & Cubic Zirconia - Reclash Dub
10. Optimum - Broken Embrace
11. Jacques Greene - (Baby I Don't Know) What You Want
12. Velour - Booty Slammer
13. Girl Unit - Wut

9.5/10

Definitely one of the most anticipated compilations of the year. A gathering of tunes from one of my favorite labels of 2010, Night Slugs (started by Bok Bok & L-Vis 1990). The subgenre's are quite varied here, so there's something for everyone. Personally, Jacques Greene's "(Baby I Don't Know) What You Want" takes the cake as one of my favorite songs of the year, finally seeing a real release. Of course, "Booty Slammer" and "Wut" are old favorites (I've put both of them in mixes!).


Review: Teen Daze - Beach Dreams & Cold House/Everywhere

Review
Teen Daze - Beach Dreams (2010)
Lo-fi / Synthpop / Chillwave

1. Let's Fall Asleep Together
2. Water
3. Cliff Jump Love Song
4. Beach Dreams

8.5/10

Not to be confused with Beach House's Teen Dreams. From the man himself:

I really came to fall in love with the whole lo-fi pop scene this summer, and I wanted to see what I could come up with. After writing “Let’s Fall Asleep Together”, the last three just sort of happened in the span of a few days.

I know that it’s starting to get cold, and that carefree love songs about beach life may seem out of context, but I hope that you guys can look back on your past summer, and let these songs remind you of some of the good experiences you had! 

For this final tribute to the hazy summer of '10, the Canadian/elusive/very friendly Teen Daze has set aside his traditionally electronic style for something decidedly more analog and guitar-based. I'm actually quite impressed that he was able to make the switch so easily. The catchiness of his dance-floor friendly tunes made Teen Daze one of my favorite new artists of the year, but these songs hold their own quite well despite falling closer to the very crowded style of noisy lo-fi pop. Oh wait, that reminds me...




-


Review
Teen Daze - Cold House/Everywhere (2010)
Lo-fi / Synthpop / Chillwave

1. Cold House
2. Everywhere

8/10

This was a single released a bit earlier, much more electronic than lo-fi. "Everywhere" is probably the catchiest, most uplifting song I've heard all year.



Saturday, November 27, 2010

Review: Submerse - Gundam EP


Review
Submerse - Gundam E.P.
Future Garage / J-Pop (J-Garage?)

1. Gundam
2. Kashoku
3. OVA
4. Passion
5. Full Metal

9/10

This is what makes Submerse one of my favorite artists today--you know he grew up watching anime and playing Japanese games like the rest of us. This is a free EP with J-Pop samples, aptly described as "J-Garage" by the man himself.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Mixtape #6: Silly Business


Silly Business 
Mixtape Download / 54:10
-
1. Luke Abbott - More Room
2. Phaeleh - Fallen Light
3. Bonobo - Eyesdown ft. Andreya Triana (Floating Points Remix)
4. A1 Bassline - Breathless (Original Mix)
5. Fantastic Mr. Fox - Sketches (SBTRKT Remix)
6. Daedelus - LA Nocturne
7. SBTRKT - Step In Shadows
8. ??? - Crystalized (Dark Sky Remix)
9. Drop The Lime - Thwomp Stomp
10. Supra1 - Ghoster
11. Raffertie - Rank Functions (Ital Tek Remix)
12. Terror Danjah - All I Wanna ft. Lauren Mason
13. Marco Del Horno vs. Swerve - Ho! Riddim ft. P Money
14. Dark Sky - Leave
15. Girl Unit - Wut
16. Hyetal - Phoenix
17. JME - Famalam
18. Maddslinky - Special (MJ Cole's Back To The Future Remix)
19. Submerse & Resketch - Hold It Down
-
See Downloads Section
-
As promised. Another month, another mix!

Friday, November 12, 2010

What do Aphex Twin, Kanye West, and Chris Rock have in common?

This song. Kanye samples one of my favorite songs of all time on his album...





For what it's worth, I think the song/album are fine, though I wish Kanye's samples weren't so pronounced sometimes (and of course Aphex Twin won't get the recognition he deserves).

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Future Sound: An Underground Electronic Music Documentary

Future Sound - An Underground Electronic Music Documentary - HD from Jamie Whitby on Vimeo.


Dir: Jamie Whitby & Rachel Lob-levyt // UK // 2010

Future Sound is a short documentary that looks into a small cross section of London's forward-thinking underground dance music scene, exploring some of the things that define and affect it as it moves into a new age of digital innovation.

Featuring interviews with Roska, Scratcha DVA, Blackdown, Mark Fisher, and Lisa Blanning, plus footage from a live SBTRKT DJ set.

Single Sundays #2

Sorry for the absence of posts lately. Here's another batch of tunes. Expect a November mix next!

-

Terror Danjah - All I Wanna ft. Lauren Mason


Teen Daze - Everywhere


Shuttle - Rotten Guts ft. Cadence Weapon (Gold Panda Remix)


Pretty Lights - Out Of Time


Nosaj Thing - Caves (Teebs Remix)


MORE AFTER THE JUMP

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Single Sundays #1

THIS IS WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY THERE IS TOO MUCH MUSIC TO LISTEN TO


Darkstar - Dear Heartbeat


Jamie Woon - Night Air (Ramadanman Remix)


Shed - Leave Things


Gold Panda - Same Dream China


Phaeleh - Changes ft. Soundmouse

MORE AFTER THE JUMP

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Review: Clubroot - II - MMX


Review: Clubroot II - MMX
Dubstep / Garage

CD1
1. Orbiting
2. Waterways
3. Dry Cured
4. Sjambok
5. Toe To Toe
6. Whistles & Horns
7. Running On Empty
8. Physicality
9. Dust Storm
10. Closure
11. Cherubs Cry

CD2
1. Chamber
2. Solar Flares
3. Remember me

9/10

Wow. This release completely flew by me, but I'm glad I had the chance to listen to it--it's one of the best albums I've heard all year. Clubroot turns atmospheric dubstep into an art-form, masterfully blending heavy synths and basses with garage rhythms and some chopped-up, down-tuned vocals. The album is very reminiscent of Burial, Scuba and Synkro; a bit derivative perhaps, but you won't hear me complaining.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Review: Dark Sky - Frames / Something To Lose


Review: Dark Sky Frames EP
Dubstep

1. Reflex
2. Night Light
3. Drowned City
4. Fly

4.5/5



Review: Dark Sky Something To Lose

1. Something To Lose
2. Ghost Notes

4.5/5

Dark Sky is very, very quickly becoming one of my favorite producers, and is definitely one to watch. Grab these, and hope for an album as much as I am.




Review: Darkstar - North


Review: Darkstar North
Dubstep / Electronic

1.  In The Wings
2.  Gold
3.  Deadness
4.  Aidy's Girl Is A Computer
5.  Under One Roof
6.  Two Chords
7.  North
8.  Ostkreuz
9.  Dear Heartbeat
10.  When Its Gone

8.5/10

Darkstar's trademark gloomy, chopped up production has lead to some of my favorite songs in the past couple of years, so it's no surprise that the debut album for the group came with very high expectations. It turns out they added a singer to the group and went with a more vocal route, veering slightly toward the realm of moody electro-pop a la ... well ... The Postal Service and Styrofoam. Thankfully, the production is top notch throughout and the songs are quite memorable when done well ("Dear Heartbeat"), but the album can seem a bit too gloomy at times. Once listen to "Aidy's Girl," which has been floating around for a while, and you'll miss the Darkstar of old.



Sunday, October 17, 2010

Protect Your Neck (Fall Knitwear)

Everyone needs a good necktie, and wool seems to be the perfect choice for the coming winter (just don't spill anything on it). After shopping around the internet, here are some of the nicer options I came across, with some samples:

Howard Yount




Berg & Berg

Pierrepont Hicks


Alexander Olch

Drakes of London

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Mixtape Download #5: Still Not Doctor


Mixtape Download
Still Not Doctor
Dubstep / Future Garage / 2 Step


RIAA killin' me. See Downloads section.

New mixtape for October! This one is mainly songs I've been using lately to psych myself up for interviews, hence the name. Hope you like it! 

Monday, October 4, 2010

Robert G. Edwards Wins The Nobel Prize

Congratulations to Robert E. Edwards, and congratulations Britain, for winning the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
-
In vitro fertilization innovator Robert G. Edwards wins Nobel Prize






British biologist Robert G. Edwards, whose contributions to the technology of in vitro fertilization have made more than 4 million couples parents, has been awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
Working with Dr. Patrick Steptoe, Edwards, now 85, developed the techniques for removing mature eggs from a woman's ovaries, fertilizing them in test tubes and inducing them to begin dividing before implanting them back in the mother.
Their efforts yielded the July 25, 1978, birth of Louise Brown, the first "test tube baby," both demonstrating the success and the safety of the technique and bringing hope to infertile people all over the world. An estimated 10% of all couples are unable to conceive naturally.
Edwards, an emeritus professor at Cambridge University, is in failing health and was unable to accept the early morning call from Sweden's Nobel Committee. "I spoke to his wife, and she was delighted, and she was sure he would be delighted too," the committee's secretary, Goran Hansson, told a Stockholm news conference.

via LA Times
-
And in the other corner...
Vatican: Nobel Win For Robert Edwards 'Completely Out Of Order'
via Huffington Post

Really?

GYAKUSOU: Nike X UC


Bit of a late pass on this one. Nike and Undercover have collaborated on a range of running gear, a good fit given Undercover's tendency to experiment with synthetic fabrics and practical innovations. The price points seem very reasonable as well. I wasn't too interested at first seeing as how I already have a bit of running gear, and I get the feeling everyone and their marathon-running mothers will be lining up for this. Then, I saw this:


I mean...damn. That is a beautiful jacket. The sleeves are detachable as well for year-long usage. It looks like just the thing I might need in the NY rain...perhaps over a nice new base layer...and perhaps a set of pants while I'm at it...



Sigh. Looks like I'll be lining up with the rest of 'em after all.



More here.

"Let It Bleed Vs. Let It Be" by Yoshi Sodeoka


"The entire track is constructed out of two of the most well-known songs in the history of music, Let It Be by Beatles and Let It Bleed by Rolling Stones. Each track was sliced up into small pieces and rearranged. Let It Be is panned on the right channel, Let It Bleed is panned on the left channel."

I had seen the photos before but I never realized there was a video to this. It's always nice to come across something you've seen before and realize there's much more to the story.


Also by Sodeoka:



Beautiful. See more here.





Friday, October 1, 2010

Visvim Americana Deck Folk


I think I've found my absolute favorite shoe of all time, and it's the Visvim Americana Deck Folk. I have worn these nearly every single day for the past 2 months and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. The Americana is sized just large enough to have a more interesting shape than a typical, everywhere-you-look boat shoe, yet not too bulky for everyday wear. The leather and the construction are holding up excellently, more-so than any other shoe I've ever owned. In fact, they got absolutely soaked today in the NY rain and the only noticeable difference is that they're a lot cleaner than they were before. I've been stepped on about 50 times and no encounter has ever left a mark.

Visvim is a favorite of mine because of how much I love the brand and hate it at the same time. Hiroki Nakamura's devotion to detail, heritage, functionality and socklessness (!) place Visvim's footwear among the best and most sought-after in the entire world. On the other hand, exorbitant prices, often-questionable originality and the occasional design misstep make the shoes hard to acquire and the cost hard to justify.

It's a testament to the brand, though, that if I could only stop by one store during a visit to Tokyo it would undoubtedly be F.I.L. I don't think I've ever been able to leave F.I.L. empty-handed, either, and this last trip was no different. I'd long put the Americana as a shoe I would probably never acquire for any number of reasons (timing, proxy costs, etc.) but it turns out F.I.L. had just done a full re-stock. There they were, tempting me, and my love-affair with all things Chromexcel certainly didn't help matters. I mean just look at the damned things.


Yes, Visvim's pricing is hard to justify, and yes, you can get very similar shoes for a very different cost (that's a full-on rip, by the way). But if you don't mind a little break from tradition (and you shouldn't), there's something to be said about the way these feel each time I slip them on, and that happens quite a bit.
-

Notes:

-If you're looking for a pair, the cheapest option is to call up a friend or proxy in Japan and have them either visit F.I.L. in person or scour Yahoo.jp auctions.

-Purchase the shoes a half-size down if possible, even though they fit true to size. They'll be uncomfortable for a bit but they will eventually stretch to a perfect fit. This applies to all Chromexcel footwear, given the leather's pull-up--purchase them too large and you risk marking the vamp with the edge of your toes. 

Review: Eskmo - Eskmo


Review: Eskmo Eskmo
Glitch Hop / Electronic / Dubstep


1 Cloudlight
2 We Got More
3 Color Dropping
4 The Melody
5 You Go, I See That
6 We Have Invisible Friends (Washed Mix)
7 Become Matter Soon, For You
8 Moving Glowstream
9 Starships
10 Communication
11 Siblings
12 Gold and Stone
13 My Gears Are Starting to Tremble

4/10

"Cloudlight" is a great song, so I was excited to hear the rest of the album. Unfortunately it's quite a huge disappointment. Every track is basically a less satisfying shadow of "Cloudlight"--sounds and instruments are reused all over the place, and I would have a lot of trouble telling many of these songs apart. The terrible vocals don't help much either. Worth a listen only if you absolutely love glitch hop, otherwise you can skip this.

-


Rick Owens Women's S/S 2011




The collection won't change anyone's mind about the designer, but it is a breath of fresh air after last season's mess. Reminds me of F/W '09, probably my favorite, but with a surprising amount of variety and refined experimentation. I love this silhouette.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

From LA to NYC

I've just touched down in New York, where I will be living for at least the next few months. Unfortunately, due to interviews and such I'm not going to be able to spend as many of my days here as I'd like. Regardless, expect more photographs from cities and schools around the country in the coming months. The apartment search officially begins tomorrow...

(If you're in the city and I haven't contacted you, shoot me a message or something!)

Review: Magnetic Man - Magnetic Man (Album)


Review: Magnetic Man Magnetic Man 2010
Dubstep / Electronic

1. Flying Into Tokyo
2. Fire (Feat. Ms. Dynamite)
3. I Need Air (Feat. Angela Hunte)
4. Anthemic
5. The Bug
6. Ping Pong
7. Perfect Stranger (Feat. Katy B)
8. Mad
9. Boiling Water (Feat. Sam Frank)
10. K Dance 
11. Crossover (Feat. Katy B)
12. Box Of Ghosts
13. Karma Crazy
14. Getting Nowhere (Feat. John Legend)

8.5/10

Magnetic Man, both the group and the album, is a big deal for dubstep. The genre's first "supergroup," the project consists of Skream, Benga, and Artwork, long-time friends since meeting at Croydon's historic Big Apple Records. Skream and Benga are two of dubstep's biggest and most prolific producers, responsible for many genre defining tunes such as Skream's "Midnight Request Line" and Benga and Coki's "Night." The Magnetic Man album contains the first dubstep-rooted single to crack the UK Top 10 ("I Need Air"), and "Perfect Stranger" looks poised to do it again. By all means, the release of Magnetic Man will mark a change in the genre. It will introduce dubstep to the masses, it will spur a league of copycats, and it will certainly split the already-divided followers of the genre. 

If you're not here as a dubstep devotee and wonder why I keep posting about it, listen to this album. If you have any interest in electronic music at all, it may end up being the best thing you've heard all year. I personally know a few listeners who were converted after Skream and Benga played at Nocturnal last weekend, stealing the show from the other, more mundane acts.

Unfortunately, I feel that the album will leave the rest of us slightly disappointed. Granted, some of the tracks are the best I've heard all year, including "Perfect Stranger" and "I Need Air." The problem, though, is that I have been listening to them all year. And having eagerly awaited the rest of the album for so long, what we're left with pales in comparison. "Flying Into Tokyo" starts the album off with a weird Yann Tiersen-esque vibe, which is fine but unnecessary, and "The Bug" is just pointless. "Anthemic," with its heavy, melodic vibe, is probably my favorite of the new instrumental tracks. "Crossover," while far from a bad tune, unfortunately doesn't hold a candle to its Benga-produced counterpart, "Katy On A Mission."

I like the album, but given that half of it was previewed before hand, I already knew I would. I only wish Magnetic Man would have pushed the envelope a little more, and I know they have the talent to do so. They've already begun to direct the course of dubstep, certainly in a more melodic and radio-friendly direction (see: Caspa's "Love Never Dies"). They could have also taken things to the other extreme by producing more interesting and heavy-hitting tracks to balance things out, but it seems they've chosen to play it safe. This may very well be the album of the year, but I'm confident it could have been better.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Interview


Prepping for interviews has got me looking around for some suiting inspirations. If I find the time, I'll try expanding this to a what-to-wear post. What makes the interview difficult, of course, is looking as sharp as possible without drawing any attention to what you're wearing...







Review: Soul Jazz Presents: Future Bass


Soul Jazz Records Presents: Future Bass

"Future Bass! Post-Dubstep, post-House, post everything! Four Tet, Mala, Untold, Black Chow (Kevin Martin/The Bug’s latest project), Coki and loads more all-exclusive new tracks on this new album for Soul Jazz Records."

1. Mala - Don't Let Me Go
2. Four Tet - Nothing To See
3. Untold - Fly Girls
4. Coki - Ransom
5. Ramadanman - Bass Drums
6. Black Chow - Air
7. LD - Mastermind
8. V.I.V.E.K - Talking Shadows
9. Randomer - Puzzled
10. Ginz - Boss
11. Harry Craze - Gone
12. Distal - Grape Donut
13. Sub Version - Free To Funk

8.5/10

A new and very highly awaited compilation from the label behind the well-received Steppa's Delight series. True to it's name, this comp operates mainly at the sub-bass level but keeps things interesting and manages to span a few genres. Randomer and Distal are the only two artists who haven't released through Soul Jazz before, and their tracks are very impressive. If you're not a big fan of bass-heavy music this may not be the best introduction, given the lack of melody in the high frequencies, but if this is your thing then seek this out immediately.

Randomer - Puzzled


Harry Craze - Gone


Ramadanman - Bass Drums

Monday, September 27, 2010

Review: Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest


Deerhunter Halcyon Digest (2010)
Indie, Experimental, Alternative

1. Earthquake
2. Don't Cry
3. Revival
4. Sailing
5. Memory Boy
6. Desire Lines
7. Basement Scene
8. Helicopter
9. Fountain Stairs
10. Coronado
11. He Would Have Laughed

8/10

A pleasantly listenable new album from Deerhunter. A little uninspired at the beginning, but things really open up after "Memory Boy" into lush, somewhat dreamy sounds that are a bit surprising from a band known for their frequent genre-bending and experimentation. "Desire Lines" is a must-listen.



Sunday, September 26, 2010

Skream & Benga (Live)





I've finally had to chance to see Skream & Benga (joined on-stage by Plastician, Hudson Mohawke, 12th Planet and Caspa) perform together after an entire summer of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those two short hours were probably the most fun I have ever had in front of a set of (very large) speakers. Both producers pulled out their best tunes from the past few months and even threw in some new surprises (I'm pretty sure they played a new Magnetic Man track, didn't record it but it was good). The crowd was a little weak, but a few of us in front knew nearly every tune they threw out, and being in good company you bet your ass we sang along. Don't judge. Shaky, unintelligble videos after the jump.