Monday Selection | Show Your Love
…Or whatever it is you have for us by voting for Low Life under Music Blogs in this year’s Urban Culture Conference Awards . What do you get for your support? Well, some tunes of course! Keep the Change, ya filthy animal.
From my favourite psychedelic hip hop collective…
Swerve… the reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding) – Shabazz Palaces [recommended]
Whydafuqmyshirtsobig – Ashtre Jinkins
Abattoirs – Enigma [dubstep]
Rappa Pom Pom (instrumental) – 6blocc [dubstep]
Penguini – Hugg and Pepp [electro]
High Rise – Dark Sky [garage]
From the lighter side of Flux… 192 kpbs for now.
The Story of Shadrok – Flux Pavillion
Tough – LV ft. Joshua Idehen [served chilled]
To: Love (Tightface Remix) – Ahu [served chilled]
A curious little WAV sent from the offices of Le Belge.
Technicolor (Le Belge Electrod prod.) – Anneka [served chilled] [recommended]
Another tasty WAV. This guy must have had a blast with this one.
Flickermood – Forss [recommended]
With love,
sam.i.am
Thundercat | For Love I Come
Thundercat
This song makes me feel like I’ve woken up on a bench on a balmy dream-like afternoon somewhere in Los Angeles and I’ve forgotten my name. Thundercat effortlessly croons astral melodies over top Fly Lo’s melancholic relaxed electric bass and wiggling lead synths. The song eventually breaks into a whirling splashy percussive crescendo.
This is a single off the forthcoming much-anticipated Brainfeeder release The Golden Age of the Apocalypse due out this fall.
For Love I Come – Thundercat (prod. by Flying Lotus) [served chilled] [recommended]
Wolfey
Ghost Mutt
Thoroughbred – Ghost Mutt [recommended]
Platinum Skull – Ghost Mutt [recommended]
These two gems are off the Donkey Stomp EP, a collaborative effort with Slugabed and Ghost Mutt ‘s only release to date. Check out the whole thing here when you like what you hear.
BONUS
What You Need – The Weeknd [served chilled]
Boudicca (Telekenesis Remix) – Optiv [d&b]
T
Koreless
It’s my pleasure to bring Koreless back into the spotlight here on Low-Life: Lewis Roberts, (out of Glasgow), is putting out some exceptionally polished and sexy minimal future-garage on Pictures Music . You’ll hear intricate broken beat grooves on vintage Roland TR-808 & TR-909 drum machines and yearning female acapellas chopped and screwed. Koreless will make you feel clean like ‘fresh out the shower’ without your clothes.
Up Down Up Down – Koreless [future garage] [recommended]
The Look (Koreless remix) – Jacques Greene [future garage] [recommended]
Oh and here’s a link to an interview if you wanna find out more about Koreless. And if you missed our first post on Koreless, you’ll want to check that out here .
Wolfey
Thursday Selection
Don’t fuck with me- Don’t fuck with me
Good evening ladies and gentlemen- It’s a balmy summer night here in Vancouver and I’ve got some crisp sonic beverages for you.
BTSTU – Jai Paul [recommended]
Cherryade – Darq E Freaker [recommended]
Footcrab – Addison Groove [recommended]
Too Late – Commodo [served chilled]
Wolfey
Curren$y | Covert Coup
A New Orleans native and a seasoned rapper with ten years of experience under his belt, Curren$y delivers a lyrical Lousiana drawl over top of the Alchemist’s gut-busting low-slung beats and golden sample loops of sparkling pianos & string sections and sinister slinking guitar arpeggios. Thematically, Curren$y doesn’t venture into uncharted territory; that is to say that he spins up his own portrait of the American dream (and the road to riches and diamond rings). But his delivery is effortless and refined, and his self-aggrandizing confidence is infectious. Pick up the whole LP here .
Full Metal – Curren$y (prod. by the Alchemist) [hip hop] [recommended]
Double 07 – Curren$y (prod. by the Alchemist) [hip hop] [recommended]
Wolfey
Jonwayne | Bowser
Inspired by the abundant loops of his Play Station 2, Jon Wayne releases his first full length album, “Bowser,” available here , long after bulldozing through the chests of his supporters at L.A. beat clubs with no collection to his credit but the buzz of his digitally heroic live show. It is rare that an artist can linger in nostalgia and progress a genre simultaneously, but that is exactly what he has done.
1 for Wily – Jonwayne [recommended]
Andrew – Jonwayne [recommended]
Good luck with level 1,
sam.i.am
The Rapture | The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up
Well today is either the end of the world as we know it, (according to some), or it’s the beginning of the summer- In both cases, all of you lowlifes out there will likely be cutting loose and celebrating. Here’s a music video for a song off The Prodigy’s The Fat of the Land (1997) that was initially banned by MTV when it was released to give you some pre-apocalyptic / summer celebratory inspiration.
We are
L O W – L I F E
I’ll see you in hell; otherwise you’ll probably hear from me tomorrow.
Wolfey
Jamie Woon | Mirrorwriting
Time to savor all that night air has to lend me, ’till the morning make me angry.
From the womb of Scottish/Celtic new-age folk singer, Mae McKenna, comes Jamie Woon and his soul-inflected vocals. With the emergence of intertwining genres, in the age of ‘post-dubstep’ and the like, Woon fits right in- avoiding cut & dry categorization. The London-bred producer traces the origins of his sound to his musical upbringing and to his experiences at the Red Bull Music Academy where he collaborated with up-and-comers Subeena and Debruit. More recently, Woon has been collaborating with Burial and Ramadanman.
Produced independently, his debut album Mirrorwriting ( Polydor ) is somewhat of a family affair – Woon’s mother, along with others of his blood, performs back up vocals throughout the entirety of the album, perhaps accounting for the sentimental sound-scapes. Nevertheless, despite familial roots, in a marriage of swooning lullabies and meticulous grooves, Woon casts a spell with a voice like velvet, tempting you out of your clothes and into the bedroom.
From Mirrorwriting-
And the love child of Woon and Burial-
Wayfaring Stranger (Burial Mix) – Jamie Woon
alh
[art by Anni Albers ]
Flying Lotus | Stones Throw Podcast
So listen while I recite naughty nothings that’ll wet your eardrums.
Courtesy of Stones Throw Records , FlyLo’s latest jazz-infused offering – a mix entitled Lovers Melt , complied from records that he stumbled across in the valley – a variety of soundscapes quite appropriate for the inspired words of psychotropic early-morning bedroom talk. Subscribe through itunes below.
Stones Throw Podcast #66 – Flying Lotus [served chilled]
alh
[art by Sam Chirnside ]
Monday Selection | Some Post-Dubstep & Assorted Chilled Treats
Only child, take good care- I wouldn’t like you playing, falling there.
Good morning hoodlums-
An unreleased track from James Blake-
Give a Man a Rod – James Blake [served chilled] [recommended]
Taking some cues from Mr. Blake, I give you Ifan Dafydd-
No Good – Ifan Dafydd [s erved chilled] [recommended]
Seductive chill-wave synths from Com Truise-
Polyhurt – Com Truise [served chilled] [recommended]
And a swaggering jam from FlyAmSam to propel you down the sidewalk with freshness & ease-
Green Tea Power – FlyAmSam [recommended]
And if you fancy a little update on UK bass music from Blackdown (aka Martin Clark), I direct you to Pitchfork’s Grime/Dubstep column for May-
Wolfey
The Widdler | B-Sides and Bootlegs
From the same producer who brought you Origins.
The Widdler, fresh and free.
B-Sides & Bootlegs
-T
Sunday Selection
With a thousand lies and a good disguise, hit em’ right between the eyes- hit em’ right between the eyes.
Wake up and smell the dubstep:
West Side (ft. Korkey Buchek) – Point.Blank [dubstep]
Darkin’ It – Skream [dubstep]
Klipto – Requake [dubstep] [recommended]
Boomba – Coki [dubstep] [recommended]
Wolfey
Spor | Pacifica
Spor has released his much rumbled Pacifica Ep. He has strutted out of the drum and bass comfort zone with this one, integrating euphoric house melodies, quite certainly leaving everyday basement producers quaking internationally. He has done something prolific here. See if you agree.
Pacifica (Kito & Reija Remix) – Spor
Pacifica (Chasing Shadows Remix) – Spor
Pacifica – Spor [recommended]
And I know you’ll like this. Eskmo ain’t just cool, he’s ice cold.
Knock You Down (Eskmo Remix) – Spor [recommended]
I’m getting a tad far afield here, but I’m sure you won’t mind a 320 from the Godfather and his main muscle. Ya, I didn’t think so.
Nowhere To Run (Datsik & and Excision Remix) – Apex [recommended]
Yours truly,
sam.i.am
Wednesday Selection
New tracks from our favourite producers are pouring in like this Vancouver drizzle.
Rolling In the Heat – Adele & Jamie XX vs. Cecile, Mr Lexx & Timberlee
This cat is apart of the WEDIDIT collective. Yes they did.
Dream Valley (Young Montana? Remix) – Solar Bears
Animal (Young Montana? Remix) – Groundislava
Seattle avant rap:
An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum – Shabazz Palaces
A mellow stroll through the field of Shlohmo’s brain:
Blacks (Shlohmo Remix) – Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross [served chilled]
And a track from the original creators…
Blow – Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross [served chilled]
This track is hyping their upcoming ep “Carbonated” set to be released June 27th.
Baves Chords – Mount Kimbie [served chilled]
Here’s a taste of Com’s new collection:
Eventually, Truise becomes one with his newfound cosmos, like Pinocchio becoming a real boy, but in the nether regions of imaginary space.
This is indeed Mad Decent.
Sweet Talk – Kito & Reija Lee [recommended]
This Torontonian native is really tickling my fancy.
Drive U Crazy (Bombaman REmix) – Egyptrixx [dubstep] [recommended]
This one’s promoting his self-titled LP, released by the ever fresh label Young Turks. The vocal hook of Little Dragon’s front woman Yukimi Nagamo takes this jam from a bouncy bass track to a next level pop song. Boy are we ever looking forward to this album.
Wildfire – SBTRKT [served chilled] [gold star]
sin-cerely,
sam.i.am
Low End Theory | A Pilgrimage
This past Wednesday, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the be all and end all of North American weeklies; Low End Theory. That’s right, Low-Life hit L.A.
After missing an exit or five on the Californ-i-ay interstate, myself and my associate stood in line, waiting to see Amp-live and Dials, along with the rest of the resident crew tear up the infamous Airliner Club. Little did we know that legends, Thom Yorke and Brainfeeder creator, Flying Lotus would grace us with their, for lack of a better term, epic presence.
Switching off transitions, they hit the crowd with remix after remix of the Radiohead catalogue; from Reckoner to Lotus Flower. FlyLo segued into a fresh Odd Future bit off of the much hyped “Goblin,” as Thom danced like the ugly, yet garishly sexy elvin rockstar he is. They finished with a couple thick and minimal house beats that got even the heaviest too-hip-or-scary-to-dance hispanics banging their heads on the low and dripping ceiling. This was a performance I’ll tell my grandchildren about.
Reckoner (Nosaj Thing Remix) – Radiohead [recommended]
His nervous self introduction was completely unfounded. Dials killed it. If following such a monumental act affected his spinning in any way, I couldn’t tell. A high point? LET resident, Nocando free-styling over rickety SPL thumper “In Memory.” This San Francisco native gets low.
In Memory – SPL [dubstep]
Freaky Girl (Dials Remix) – Gucci Mane [dubstep]
Daddy Kev proceeded to cut the sound as Nocando introduced the fresher half of Zion I; AmpLive. His tables, angled towards the audience, had 16 roy-g-bived buttons in place of decks. There’s a reason why Rainydayz stands as the one of the greatest remix albums of our time or any. In his own words; “I want to take you on a journey.” He certainly did.
Reckonerz (Featuring Charli2na) – Amplive [recommended]
Weird Fishez – Amplive [served chilled]
Other Low End Theory resident gems:
Rhythm – Daddy Kev and Awol One [recommended]
Tiljem’s Forest – Nobody [served chilled]
Won’t You Be My Neighbour – D-Styles [recommended]
Head Static – Nocando [recommended]
Exploits and Glitches – Nocando
Aduet ft. Ganjasufi – The Gaslamp Killer [served chilled]
Pictured left to right: D-Styles, Daddy Kev, Nobody, Nocando, The Gaslamp Killer
Happy Thanksgiving,
sam.i.am
Monday Selection
A quartet of tracks that are perhaps a little too hyphy for a Monday night but that’s just how we do.
Handpicked from one of the most noteworthy of recent releases- the Waterdrops EP (BassClash Records) from Belgian trio Requake.
An understated banger out of H.E.N.C.H. recordings.
3 Quad Bikes – Mensah, Sukh Knigt & Squarewave
And the posthumous release from the collaborative efforts of Neonlight and Blokhe4d following the sudden death of German producer Hedj.
Joker -Hedj & Neonlight [d&b]
Spirit – Hedj & Neonlight [d&b] [recommended]
alh
Saturday Selection
A few dance tunes to energize your Saturday night:
(This one’s for pulling the girls out onto the floor.)
Falling – Distance [dubstep]
A ravey rework of Night by Night-
Night by Night (Neus remix) – Chromeo [dubstep]
A new remix from two producers who cast long shadows over dubstep dance-floors worldwide.
Louder (Flux Pavilion & Doctor P remix) – DJ Fresh [dubstep]
Wolfey
D33J | She’s Deep
D33J (L.A.) lured us in with the tranquilizing So-Cal sun-soaked atmospheres on his Tide Songs EP a few weeks back. This new single from D33J is a pool of relaxation. Dive in.
Our thanks go out to D33J & WEDIDIT COLLECTIVE for making this stellar song, (and many others) available for us at no charge.
She’s Deep – D33J [served chilled] [recommended]
Yours,
Wolfey
Hauschka
Come back before dark.
The Gulf Islands, where noises and melodies are restrained to an orchestra of nature, prove to be an ideal setting for a kaleidoscopic journey through the experimental makings of Dusseldorf-based pianist and composer, Volker Bertelmann. It has been proposed, by various forms of emerging research, that it takes about ten years of ‘deliberate practice’ to attain mastery at any craft and it is certainly no shock to the system to learn that Bertelmann has been methodically studying the essence of his craft since he was nine-years-old.
A taste of something different- Hauschka’s compositions are grounded in an exploration through the possibilities of the prepared piano. Deliberately disrupting the defined idea of the piano as an instrument of perfection, the German pianist intervenes, impulsively attaching a variety of objects – wedges of leather and felt, beer bottles, telephone cords – to the strings in order to create an often eerie, enamoring form of avant-garde piano. In a frantic assimilation of beats and melodies, Bertelmann’s work emits a sense of paranoia while remaining oddly comforting and though laced with a sense of melancholic nostalgia, the playful nature of his compositions is evident- much of his inspiration stems from his childhood.
Salon Des Amateurs marinates in the stream of experiences had during a night on the town. The name itself is derived from the name of a club frequented by the musician and he refers to the album as ‘a little story of how an evening could be.’
From his 2007 release- Versions of the Prepared Piano .
Things (with TG Mauss) – Hauschka
Stumm (with Frank Beretschneider) – Hauschka
And from Room to Expand .
“Maybe we will play a little bit more of a louder set so at some point I can stage dive while the piano music is running. That’s my goal (laughs)- I wanna someday rave a little bit more.”
alh
Kin | Dormant
Today I have a crispy treat; the abstraction of
Kin
, one of Vancouver’s very own. The album is appropriately titled Dormant, for his method, as we learn shortly, often begins with a midday nap. Let there be no mistake, the awakening has begun. This is Kin’s collection of auditory, atmospheric compositions blended flawlessly into one dingy, sample-ridden cascade. We also have an exclusive interview to give you the inside scoop on the propensities of this beautiful mind, complimented with the exclusive album release for your listening pleasure.
Let us begin.
KIN, your beats are truly next level. What hardware do you use to create?
KIN: Well, I have a really small KORG controller and keyboard, but those are used sparingly. I record mostly through the Voice Memo feature on my iPod. Not too big on hardware.
I hear that. In this day and age there are so many over-priced options it’s more advantageous to work with and develop a feel for what you have. That being said, what is your preferred software?
KIN: I’ve been using Sony ACID since I started making tunes. The program just stuck with me. I work in samples for virtually everything I produce- it’s just in line with my thinking process in general.
How long have you been working in production?
KIN: 5 years.
Who are your heroes? You’re one of mine.
KIN: Haha thanks. I don’t have any specific heroes in mind. I’m inspired by films a lot, and I respect the people who made those films I suppose. I watched ‘the Shining’ last year and I think it’s really fantastic. ‘Let The Right One In’ and ‘Un Prophete’ are also high up on my list. Other heroes are probably more personal though. I think a lot of my heroes are people who put up with being marginalized in society.
What do you use to record sample sounds from the everyday world?
KIN: Like I mentioned earlier, I use my iPod for recording. I record drums, vocals, pianos, and a couple other instruments every now and then. Most of my samples come from different existing songs. I also make my own drum patterns out of various samples, which is probably the lengthiest process in production but getting the proper sound on my drums is incredibly satisfying.
You have existing recorded collaborations. Lyrical collaborations. Tell us a little about your projects.
KIN: I’ve recorded a couple tracks with my friend and rapper J.O.. I also had another friend who went by the name of Rice Cube. Both of those collaborations happened around 2 years ago and a lot has changed since. It would be cool to work with them again and to see how they’ve changed or grown, even though hip-hop is no longer a primary focus for me.
If you could record with any artist alive, who would you want to collaborate with?
KIN: A lot of people, but at the top of my list I think would be Grouper. She captures something in her music that is truly unique and evocative. I’d love to just watch her make music, actually.
How would you describe your sound in Dormant in comparison to the kind of sound you are working into now?
KIN: Dormant is definitely more hip-hop, psychedelic/progressive influenced. Since then I’ve moved to something else but I still love that sort of music regardless. I like producing music visually if that makes any sense, and atmosphere is one component that carries across the board in all my productions. The new material deviates from Dormant in some ways – in fact Dormant is the groundwork to what I produce now .
What is your favorite single instrument sound?
KIN: A piano, maybe an organ. I’m mostly interested in how instruments work in context with one another, though.
Who are the main influences on your sound? Who do you listen to/follow the most avidly?
KIN: I’m a fan of a couple of artists who really capture atmosphere- like Grouper, Sigur Ros, Caretaker. Is Burial considered ambient at times? I’ve also been listening to Nick Drake and Karen Dalton lately. MadLib, Quasimoto, Portishead and early FlyLo really shaped my sound two years ago. Lately I’ve been digging the recent James Blake record plus his Klavierworke EP, and I really liked the xx record from last year. I think those folks are more in line with what I’ve been doing in the last year or so.
What is your favorite thing to do before you produce music?
KIN: I like to come out of a nap mid day and start working. I’m convinced it has an effect on the way I perceive what I’m creating. Things tend to fall into place more readily.
The best place to relish in the uninhibited subconscious no doubt. What is your favorite book?
KIN: Probably Krakauer’s Into the Wild. I’m currently reading Schopenhauer which my sister bought me some time ago. I want to get back into fiction soon. Hopefully if all goes according to plan I’ll be reading one book a week in the near future
Where is the most inspirational place you have ever been?
KIN: Where I am now.
And finally, when is your next album coming out?
KIN: I’m not sure. It’s hard to say, but generally when something in my music starts to emerge. That’s when I start conceiving of an album.
I look forward to it. And thank you for your time Kin, your words have been most thoughtful.
Make sure that you check out Dormant, available in its entirety, for free, right Here. and Here (.zip) . You wont want to miss his latest tracks either. Four Years & Hercules . Enjoy.
Bringing you the world of intuitive electricity.
-T
