HW&W recordings releases two new cuts from the young Kaytranada. At...
Praise George Fitzgerald and his label ManMakeMusic for its policy...
In August, moments before stepping onto an airplane to fly...
Another chapter in a music diary is ready to be...
Nguzunguzu deliver boss-fight vibes on “Mecha”.
Look out for Skycell out November 5th on Fade To Mind .
01. Foam Feathers
02. Harp Bell
03. Vision of Completion
04. Break In
05. Tumultuous
06. Mecha
07. Skycell
Travis Stewart, a.k.a. Machinedrum , has re-interpreted Jamie Lidell ‘s “Big Love” for a remix compilation out now on Warp …
See previously:
From the Hebdan ‘s latest LP Rewind out now on his very own TEXT records, this is “Unicorn”…
Shlohmo ‘s remix of Samo Sound Boy ‘s “Your Love” is an expansive slow-burning soulful arp jam that will melt you.
It’s out now on Body High .
“Parallel Jalebi”, Kieran Hebdan’s latest offering, delivers a stripped-down low-slung groove clothed by warm organic sampled textures–layers of velvet R&B falsettos.
The slow-motion feel produced by the rhythmic interplay between the drums and and lead-line are reminiscent for me of certain classic Timbaland productions, such as “ Ayo Technology “.
[Kieran Hebdan a.k.a. Four Tet ]
Wolfey
Vancouver’s 8prn took his time to refine this cheeky re-interpretation of “Never” from Koreless ‘s Yugen EP debut on Young Turks . Armed with his trusty 808 kit, 8prn has injected momentum and groove into Lewis Roberts’s g ently evolving sparse melodic synth lullaby.
If it resonates with you, be sure to cop the free download …
See Previously:
Wolfey
On July 7 th , for the second time, Ray-Ban and Boiler Room teamed up to host the Pitchfork Festival official afterparty situated at Lacuna Lofts in Chicago, IL. For this special occasion, the organizers presented the crowd with none other than Jacques Greene , Nicolas Jaar , Todd Edwards , Ryan Hemsworth , Teklife alongside their crew of footwork dancers to entertain the packed room.
Fortunately, if you missed the broadcast or simply want to be reminded of how much you danced at the show, Greene’s expectedly stunning mix is available for streaming/download below.
alh
In anticipation of the impending release in early October of his latest full-length venture – Innocents , Moby has shared a moody soulful cut entitled “A Case For Shame” as well as a cinematic stormy remix from Thom Green – drummer of alt-J .
Oh and here is the official video for “A Case For Shame”:
Wolfey
Yesterday, in the midst of the excitement surrounding his forthcoming LP, Four Tet released his remix of the title track from Canadian indie band DIANA ’s debut for Jagjaguwar . As is typical with his compositions, Kieran Hebden takes his time allowing the tension to build before lightening the mood, progressively introducing a funky disco bass guitar riff, horns, and DIANA ’s singer Carmen Elle’s vocals overtop a throbbing, skittering beat.
As a bonus, it’s free. Listen and download below.
And if you missed it, listen to the lead single from Hebden’s forthcoming record, Beautiful Rewind-
alh
It has been two years since HeadSPace dropped his debut Salmagundi LP on Jellyfish . In the interim, he has been wearing other hats… Mr. Muro is one of the prime-movers of Vancouver’s electronic music underground. He is cultivating a deep eclectic catalogue of original compositions from local artists, including Astrological , Nick Wisdom , 8prn , Boha and others, on his web-label Jellyfish Recordings . And he is also a key member Chapel Sound –a colourful collective of laid-back artists who congregate in dimly lit spaces around town to commune with music.
Last week, Muro released his latest EP entitled
Tides
.
He had a few words to share with respect to the thematic direction of the project:
“Tides is about coming and going, things we love that eventually escape us only to return in a new form. The cycles that keep us awake and lull us to sleep.”
Sonically, the title is fitting in the sense that it conveys the ebb and flow of Muro’s morphing synth textures. With the intention of relying more exclusively on his own creativity than he had on some of his earlier sample driven productions, for Tides , Muro more or less abstained from sampling the recorded music of others. That said, the vibe isn’t far removed from his earlier work–Muro offers a selection of smooth chilled-out West-coast flavoured instrumentals. In terms of emotion, Tides feels nostalgic, contemplative, and exploratory. There is also a tinge of youthful innocence or naïveté.
I have selected two of my personal favourite cuts from the record to share with you. If these jams strike your fancy, be sure to cop the album for the very low cost of free .
Clumsy Alligator ‘s bittersweet interlocking plucked nylon-string guitar and whirling synth melodies tug at my heart strings.
To me, Virtual Spirits feels like a warm relaxing afternoon at an under-populated beach with a handful of gorgeous scantily clad women and a handful of joints–(I’ll speak for myself). The fluid cyclic modulation of synth textures simulates a palpable sense of waves washing in and out or the rise and fall of inhalation and exhalation.
Wolfey
“Sorry for Busta Rhymes adlibs taking over tha song.”
Once again, Kaytranada artfully taps into ‘90s R&B nostalgia with his latest bootleg- an edit of Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson’s “What’s It Gonna Be?” And, as per usual, the track is available for download via the Montreal-bred beatmaker’s Soundcloud .
See previously:
Jill Scott | Golden (Kaytranada’s Life Living Edition)
Kaytranada | All We Do ft. JMSN
Kaytranada | Holy Hole Inna Donut
Janet Jackson | If (Kaytranada Remix)
alh
“Detroit Part 1″ is the first single from Shigeto ‘s No Better Time Than Now full-length forthcoming on Ghostly International August 19th.
“Detroit” is a warm picturesque journey–like driving through the city after work on a summer eve while the sun is going down… Zach Shigeto Saginaw, a.k.a. Shigeto, layers spastic synth arpeggios, improvised melodies on a warm plucked idiophone–(a kalimba is my guess) and jazzy melancholic Rhodes chords with pulsing tremolo over top a slow rolling break-beat.
Can’t wait for more–
Find the track list for the upcoming LP below…
01. First Saturn Return
02. Detroit Part 1
03. Ringleader
04. Perfect Crime
05. Olivia
06. Miss U
07. Ritual Howl
08. Soul Searching
09. Safe In Here
10. No Better Time Than Now
11. Silver Lining
12. Tell a Tale
Wolfey
Two of Vancouver’s most talented hip-hop producers and beat-makers, Nate Drobner and Nick Wisdom , a.k.a. Potatohead People, have put their spin on Outkast’s anthemic pop classic “Ms. Jackson” and it sounds delightful. The pair layers Big Boi and Andre 3000 over top a cheeky impetuous boom-bap groove that will leave you in need of a neck-brace. They also weave in some vocals from Kendrick Lamar’s “Sing About Me, I’m Dyin’ of Thirst”–one of my favourite cuts off his acclaimed Good Kid, M.A.D.D. City LP.
The pair will be sorely missed by the denizens of Vancouver’s electronic and hip-hop enthusiast community. Nate recently re-located to Montreal and Nick has plans to join him before the summer is out.
Love,
Wolfey
Here is 8prn ‘s take on Outkast’s anthemic pop classic “Roses”. This may be the dopest remix we have heard from Patrick Holland so far…
That said–he has a handful choice cuts in his remix discography already. ( His adaptation of Evy Jane’s “nothing so great” is a personal favourite.)
If you are feeling 8prn ‘s steez, put on his ‘escape’ mix; it’s fresh out of the oven:
You can catch him tomorrow night in Vancouver at Fortune. He will be warming up the crowd for Kaytranada and Kastle . Here are the details …
See previously:
8prn | Crazy In Love & Forgive bootlegs
Evy Jane (8prn remix) | Nothing So Great
Love,
Wolfey
Just over an hour ago, Jellyfish label head Eli Muro dropped a stunning, laid back joint from his forthcoming record Tides . He had a few words to say about the release-
“Tides is about coming and going, things we love that eventually escape us only to return in a new form. The cycles that keep us awake and lull us to sleep.
Originally written on hardware, these tunes made their way from dusty old samplers and drum machines to Ableton. Virtual Spirit is the first official track from my upcoming release of tracks I made all with no sampling in an attempt to be more original with my tunes.”
If you weren’t aware, the Jellyfish crew also hosts a weekly night at the Keefer Bar in Vancouver on Monday nights and it’s worth your time if you feel like sipping on well-made cocktails and bobbing your head to a fine selection of beats handpicked by some of Vancouver’s finest local artists. Tonight is Melt ’s one-year anniversary.
alh
[TNGHT: Lunice, and Hudson Mohawke]
In anticipation for TNGHT’s upcoming U.S. tour, the glorified duo have released a one track single titled “Acrylics”, released via Bleep ( Warp x Lucky Me ). After consistently lighting dance floors on fire with their previously released TNGHT EP (Warp x Lucky Me), fans and followers were eagerly awaiting the next product released by the super-group. Make of it what you will, but surely expect DJs to play out this jumpy, horn-heavy club sound across the international electronic music scene.
Buy the single via Bleep, here .
Due to blocked embedding, click the link to stream here.
Atom
Following up his debut EP Time Waste ( Jellyfish Recordings , 2012), young Vancouver-based electronic music producer and Chapel Sound crew-member, Patrick Holland, a.k.a. 8prn , has crafted this smoky soulful brooding beat-tape entitled Over It for our very own Blenheim & Celtic Recordings . The record is cheeky, dark, and intoxicating, but also souful and sincere.
On this project, Holland draws heavily on hip-hop and R&B for the rhythmic framework, which was constructed using a Roland SP-404 and Ableton Live . Holland’s chopped re-pitched vocal snippets, skittering swung hats, and weighty morphing analog bass synth tones (courtesy of his Dave Smith Instruments Mopho ) on “Runnin’” and “Over It” are reminiscent in some ways of the work of Henry Laufer a.k.a Shlohmo .
“ Late 2012, with the whole new age trap thing going on, I kinda wanted to dabble in it a bit, so I went for a heavier sound, 130-140 tempo and all that. Artists like Bames , Falcons , Lunice , and Sango were references for that feel. The distorted analog bass/synth sound comes from my love for garage punk stuff like Ty Segall and Dead Meadow. I also got into some old Triple 6–pre Three-Six Mafia, like Koopsta Knicca, DJ Paul, and Juicy J… So, that old southern triplet hi-hat and deep sub rubbed off on me. ”
“ Like any music, there are things I’ve heard, while out and about, that I like but that I find way too cheesy and over used… certain vocal processing and pitching, drum machine samples and song structures. I feel like I’ve taken the things that I don’t like, and morphed them into a sound that I enjoy… not quite a mockery or parody of shitty club music, but definitely a cheeky rip into it. ”
“ I made ‘runnin’ a week before opening for UZ , in December, so that I could have a track of my own that could be considered a ‘club track’, haha. So when I started making ‘over it’, I was going for the same feel… Then I realized that I didn’t want to make ‘certified club tracks’… so I added the guitar, vocals, odd percussion, and a chill bassline to wash out the trappyness of the piece …”
[Patrick Holland a.k.a. 8prn]
The Over It EP was put together in a small bedroom studio in a basement suite on the east side of Vancouver.
Download the full release:
You can follow 8prn on SoundCloud as well as Facebook .
Yours,
Wolfey
[Kaytranada]
A few minutes before Montreal’s beloved Kevin Celestin took to Igloofest’s Sapporo stage, I got the opportunity to sit down and ask him a few questions. Kevin entered the small room with a humble demeanor and an anxious smile stretched across his face; Kaytranada was eager to get on stage, but more than happy to discuss topics not limited to: the city of Montreal, making music with family members, and trap music’s ever evolving fan-base beforehand.
Low-Life: Kevin, first of all, thank you for your time.
Kaytranada: No problem man.
LL: You were born in Port Au Prince (Haiti), and moved to Montreal shortly thereafter. On your Bandcamp , you list the city of Montreal to be one of your main influences… What aspects of this city influence your production most?
K: Well… It’s more about the nightlife in Montreal, It’s really dope, and everyone is open to everybody. There are all kinds of people here, its really nice.
LL: People dress the way they want to and such..
K: Yeah man, it’s dope.
LL: From what I understand, your little brother has played an impactful role in your music career, introducing you to production and whatnot. What is the relationship like between you two?
K: Yo – he’s been my best friend since day one! Ever since he was born we’ve been really close… like really close.
LL: Absolutely man, I’m in the same place with my older brother. We would find new beats and wile out to them all the time.
K: That’s exactly the same shit man.
LL: And you’re working with him on a mix-tape I hear?
K: Yeah. Supreme Laziness… It’s coming out soon. This year, probably March, maybe later.
LL: What’s it like working with a family member?
K: Well, It is kind of like… kind of more direct, more emotional, you know. It’s always negative when we’re recording a track. Right now I’m not really down to record a track, because I don’t have that patience no more… He does a lot of takes when he’s recording his raps.. you know.. So I’m like fuck it. No more time, and now he’s kind of mad that I don’t want to record for him, or with him. I critique him and he’ll scream at me. But you know, at the end of the day, we’re just brothers arguing about a mix-tape and it doesn’t change anything.
LL: It’s all better the next day?
K: Yeah man.
LL: So, for your forthcoming album, titled Kaytra Thomas, what kind of beats can we expect to groove to?
K: Yo. It’s gonna be everything… you’ve seen lately I’ve been into house… trap… hip-hop beats, its gonna be more complex with more suprises too.
LL: Can’t wait to hear it.
K: Haha thanks-
LL: The name you produce under, it started with Kaytradamus, and you changed it to Kaytranada… Kaytra, where did the ‘Kaytra’ come from?
K: Kaytradamus came from Nastradamus who took it from Nostradamus, and that was just kind of like random, it was a unique name at the time. So that’s where the Kaytra came from, it’s like a smaller name for my stage name.
LL: Correct me if I’m wrong, but you started DJ-ing prior to producing.
K: Yeah.
LL: Has any of the skills that you acquired from DJ-ing transferred over to your production process?
K: Well yeah, it kinda helped for mixing, and more creative stuff with effects. At that time I didn’t even know how production worked so i learned everything from there. The BPMs, mixing acapellas and all of that.
LL: So tell me your ideal setting for working on a track? 4 in the morning.. a sunny afternoon.. Snowfall perhaps? What’s the ideal?
K: Well, back in the day I usually worked early in the morning, like at 4am when I didn’t sleep at all. I had pretty bad insomnia; I was an insomniac for a really long time. I’m kind of recovering from it now, but back then it worked really well to make beats during the night. Now today, it only happens one time a week when im about to go to sleep or when i come back from school.
LL: Do you have any other passions besides music?
K: Yeah sure, i freaking love drawing and i also love filming and directing videos. I have a passion for food too.
LL: Your top 5 artists in the game right now?
K: TNGHT … Kendrick Lamar … Sean Price … umm… Action Bronson … Schoolboy Q … Its kinda weird for me cause I rarely listen to today’s music at all. I’m more into disco like Diana Ross, Soul music like Marvin Gaye or some rock music shit like Jeff Buckley. So right now, I’m catching on the albums that I’ve missed in the past years whether its from the 90′s, 80′s or the 70′s.
LL: Where do you look to find new music for your sets?
K: SoundCloud. Just discovering new music, scrolling up and down. I look for new artists; I look for new shit, original stuff. Then when I discover a new artist I dig, I check out his favorites and it links me to other artists that I’ve never heard of, which is amazing.
LL: Last question, what’s your outlook on the trap-music scene looking forward?
K: I don’t know, its getting kind of weird. I don’t hate the musicians who make trap but I think the fans are getting annoying and corny only waiting for a drop or saying “its a trap”. I don’t think its trap, it supposed to be a sub genre for hip hop.
LL: I’m looking forward to your set, thank you very much for your time Kevin.
K: Yo thanks man. That was cool.
See Previously:
Kaytranada | Kaytra Todo EP
Igloofest | Retrospective
words: Adam Rutledge
images: Kane Ocean
[Kevin Celestin]
Local hero and funky beat-smith Kevin Celestin -a.k.a. Kaytranada - has polished his forthcoming EP (via Jakarta & HW&W Records) and made it available to stream on Soundcloud. “Kaytra Todo” consists of 8 well-fabricated beats that showcase not only Kevin’s signature style, but a development of it. My two personal favourites: “All We Do”, and “Hot Jazzybelle” are two tracks that exemplify Kevin’s growth; rest assured, the other 6 tracks are bangers in their own right.
“KAYTRA TODO? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ITS THE CONTRARY OF KAYTRA NADA. KAYTRA NOTHING TO KAYTRA EVERYTHING. THAT WHAT KAYTRA TODO MEANS. AYE.”
If you like what you hear, catch Kaytranada tonight at Le Belmont , and pre-order “ Kaytra Todo”, here .
Atom
[Shlohmo]
A match made in cyberspace, or Brooklyn, or perhaps somewhere else, L.A’s premiere exhibitionist of a contemporary unwound sound pairs his abilities with another American talent from under the same umbrella and the result is a beautiful one.
So we’ve learned from the very informative RBMA series, ‘ Hashtags ,’ that it is no longer couth to refer to this interpretation of R&B as ethereal, but I must say, Tom Krell and Henry Laufer, How To Dress Well and Shlohmo respectively, do indeed make it difficult not to.
[How To Dress Well]
Shlohmo ‘s Laid-Out EP will be out via Wedidit and Friends of Friends on 3/4/13
Pre-order on digital and vinyl -
wedidit.bandcamp.com/album/laid-out
fofmusic.bandcamp.com/album/laid-out-ep
See it in the flesh -
www.facebook.com/events/453136671420777/
sam.i.am
[Kevin Celestin]
Appearing on HW&W Recordings ‘ soundcloud page this afternoon was a taste of what is to come from Montreal’s own Kevin Celestin . “All We Do” is a silky hip-hop groove featuring vocals from Detroit-based artist, JMSN ; the track will be featured on Kaytranada’s forthcoming EP, titled “Kaytra Todo” . At this juncture, it seems as if the sky is the limit for Kaytranada. Keep your ears open on February 25th, as “Kaytra Todo” drops via HW&W Recordings.
Atom
In anticipation of his debut LP Nostalchic arriving late March via Brainfeeder , Lapalux , a.k.a. Stuart Howard, has shared this soulful textural R&B cut entitled “BETHR”.
It’s a simple disjointed groove drenched in layers of lush atmospheric crackle and bubble. Aesthetically, it fits neatly next to many of the other releases in the Brainfeeder catalogue. The focus of the song is the melancholic yet hopeful and soaring female vocal performance sampled from Quentin Tarver’s “ Everybodys Free ” (from the soundtrack of the 1996 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet .)
See previously:
Wolfey
A few days ago, Vancouver-based producer GRLFRIEND , a.k.a. T.J. McDonald, shared this dark spacious brooding cut.
It’s a sparse groove punctuated by spurts of 808 percussion and slices of pitched down R&B vox. The bass is deep and rich, and the snake-charmer lead synth melody that dances over top (1:21–) is sexy and infectious.
Wolfey
Last night, a handful of talents from Vancouver’s Chapel Sound crew– 8PRN , BOHA , Nick Wisdom , and Jolin Ras –stopped by Sup World ? to broadcast an eclectic seventy-minute selection of music and to exchange banter with charming host miss Ali Haberstroh.
(On a side note, during 8PRN’s set, you’ll hear two cuts that are coming out soon on our very own Blenheim and Celtic Recordings .)
Wolfey
