Category Archives: Music

Nacey steps up on new M.I.A. remix

Posted on July 12, 2010 | Leave a comment


DC’s own Nacey is having quite the year. His remix of La Roux’s “Bulletproof” (TGRI’s song of 2009) kicks off the Major Lazer x La Roux mixtape; it’s now the number one track over at The Hype Machine. His EP with partner-in-crime Steve Starks debuted on T&A Records, and Nouveau Riche took the next step by relocating from DC9 to the U Street Music Hall (a club so electric that even a massive blackout couldn’t stop the party).

Nacey is staying busy, trying his hand at a remix of “Steppin’ Up” off M.I.A.’s M A Y A. The original, produced by Rusko and Switch, is literally industrial noise – samples of power tools punctuate the entire song. Nacey’s version is more polished, stripping away the grime and replacing it with a simple piano line and a down-tempo bass groove.

As usual, the track is hotter than a plate of truffle fries. And as a bonus, here’s another Nacey remix from a little farther back: his Miami bass, WMC inspired take on the Paper Route Gangstaz’ “Hood Celebrity.” Enjoy.

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Future Grooves: Flux Pavilion

Posted on July 8, 2010 | Leave a comment

One of the biggest dubstep tunes this year has to be Doctor P’s “Sweet Shop.” A little digging into Doctor P will net you associate Flux Pavilion. The duo have been making music together for years, and their latest venture was founding Circus Records, the Greatest Show on Earth for grimey, filthy dubstep.


Flux Pavilion (aka Joshua Steele) is another North Londoner churning out wobble-friendly, aggro-dubstep. Over just a few singles, he’s making a name for himself in the dubstep scene. His “Got 2 Know” is a downtempo jam with 90s keyboard synths, big grinding bass and vocals like those in “Sweet Shop.”

Flux also dabbles in some of the other UK dance flavors, like on the dancehall gem “Night Goes On,” or the luvstepper “Voscilate.” On the latter, he is both behind the boards and the mic, and the song shifts effortlessly between R&B influenced two-step and massive double-time wobble.

Still, when it comes to Flux Pavilion’s tracks, one thing is true: the dirtier the better. “How Rude” and “Show Off” use samples that lead some to call his work “pornstep.” Hear for yourself why on “Show Off,” a track that starts serenely enough before exploding into dubstep madness.

Flux Pavilion, Doctor P, and the whole Circus Records crew are producers to watch for pure dubstep bangers. Check out this mix the pair did for Ego Thieves for a taste of what’s to come under the big top at Circus Records.

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The Verge: Phil Adé

Posted on July 7, 2010 | Leave a comment

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. It’s been a minute since I’ve put some hip-hop in the Verge. A new mixtape from my favorite DMV rapper has changed all that.


Phil Adé, Raheem DeVaughn’s 21-year old protege, is back with the follow-up to 2009’s Starting on JV, the Don Cannon-mixed The Letterman. The mixtape affirms that if DMV hip-hop is high school, Phil Adé is the Most Likely to Succeed.

Building on Starting on JV’s high-school-sports-as-life theme, the album kicks off with the inspirational speech from 1977’s basketball drama One-on-One, before Phil flows over a Premier-esque DJ Alizay beat on “The Letter.”

Throughout the tape, Phil is laid-back and confident, whether on Golden Age throwbacks like “The Letter,” Phil-as-Pharrell tracks like “Borderline,” or upbeat jams like the Lil Wayne-sampling “Rapper Eater.” Phil’s versatility is what sets him apart from so many of his counterparts. His wordplay is sharp and his rhymes are tight, and he isn’t artificially constrained by trying to fit into one hip-hop pigeonhole.
http://vimeo.com/11333157
Raheem DeVaughn’s R&B influence shows up more than on Starting on the JV, in the funky beat and hook by Kyonte on “The Jacket;” the man himself appears on “Out Your Clothes” and “Young Black Successful.” Other DMV cameos are tastefully mixed across the tape: Tabi Bonney on “Like Dat,” Kingpen Slim on “Tipsy Mood,” and Skillz on “OMG.” The highlight of the guest spots is a remix of Starting on JV‘s “Hollywood” that features Wale, Raekwon, Tabi, and Raheem.

Like Starting on JV, The Letterman is a polished, professional mixtape that lets Phil Adé shine. And like the kid in high school who could easily hang out with the ghetto boys, the cool kids, the nerds, the outcasts – Phil Adé is about to be popular on the next level.

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Mishka gets dark with Deathface

Posted on July 6, 2010 | Leave a comment


New York clothing line / record label / rules of the universe Mishka are underground tastemakers. Their designs have defined hipster chic since its founding in 2003, and its series of Keep Watch mixtapes has been just that: mixes from some of the fastest rising stars in electronic dance music. Major Lazer, Rusko, Skream, and Nadastrom are just some of the acts that have contributed to the series in what is becoming an underground rite-of-passage.

Next up is recent Trouble & Bass signee Deathface. As Deathface, Johnny Love – formerly of Guns ‘n’ Bombs – is leading the way in creating dubstep that is sonically and thematically darker than ever before. His Horror EP is equal parts bass and blood, and his Mishka mix is no different.

The mix starts our ominously enough, with the grim horns of Benga‘s “Rock Music” descending into some two-step wobble. Goth-wave duo Blessure Grave are given remix treatment on “Strangers in the House,” set to be the first release from Mishka’s record label.

The entire mix is an unrelenting, dark grindfest, but it really hits it’s stride about midway through, as Deathface’s remix of the Mexican Institute of Sound’s “Cumbia” fades into hit-of-the-moment “Sex Sax.” When Mishka says, “Keep Watch,” it’s best to listen.

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Skream and a summer of dubstep

Posted on July 2, 2010 | Leave a comment

Dubstep pioneer Skream has a busy summer ahead of him. The 24-year old producer (born Oliver Jones) had two of the biggest bangers of 2009, with his remix of La Roux’s “In For The Kill” and his original composition “Burning Up.” His 2010 is set to meet and exceed those heights.

Benga, Artwork, and Skream are Magnetic Man

First up is new material from Magnetic Man, the dubstep supergroup comprised of Skream, Benga, and Artwork. Readying their debut full-length, the trio will drop lead single “I Need Air” on July 26th. The single, with vocals by Angela Hunte, has cross-over written all over it. Magnetic Man will also be hitting major summer festivals, but alas, none in the US.


When not recording and performing with his partners-in-grime, Skream is preparing for an August release of his second full length, entitled Outside the Box. As a treat for fans, he recently dropped four free tracks on Twitter.

The Freeizm EP (a play on earlier Skreamizm EPs) contains two originals and two remixes. “Cut Like a Buffalo” gives an ominous, garage-feel to the Dead Weather track. Pitchshifted vocals on “Show Me Love” are attributed to “Robert S” – instead of club queen Robin S – on a reworking of the dance classic (and TGRI theme song).

On his original compositions, “Pitfall” is more harder-edge dubstep and “Minimool” is sweeping future funk (not quite minimal, as the title would suggest). Are these Skream’s best tracks? Not by a long-shot. But they whet the appetite of fans waiting for an album full of bangers like these:

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Future Grooves: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Posted on July 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Most producers coming from the UK underground choose a simple alias: Rusko, Skream, Joker. Not so for one “Orlando Dinosaur,” who records under the unwieldy and redundant Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. If his name doesn’t catch your attention, his totally enormous tracks definitely will.

The mysterious Oxford producer has released two EPs on Greco-Roman, a DJ collective and record label that is also home to Buraka Som Sistema and Drums of Death. TEED makes bass-heavy dance music, a sweet concoction of electro, fidget, and dubstep.

Last year’s All In One Sixty Dancehalls alternated between summery dance tunage and throbbing sub-bass wobble, sometimes all in one song, like on opener “Bournemouth.” The standout track, “Moon Hits the Mirrorball,” adds glitchy chiptune and Factory Records-esque vocals to the mix.

TEED must save all his creativity for his music, because the similarly-titled All In Two Sixty Dancehalls dropped just a few weeks ago. Picking up where the first left off, the new EP finds an expanded sonic range and an increased chance for a breakout hit or two. “Garden” is laidback and funky, with a subdued synthline reminiscent of The Street’s rave-tribute “Weak Become Heroes.”


“That One” and “Dipper” flow from UK funky into deep house sounds, with the latter building into a pneumatic breakdown. Filling the EP’s “which of these is not like the others” role is “Blood Pressure (dub),” a Redlight-like dub-and-bass banger that features dub master Riko.

Like most producers, TEED is also trying his hand at remixes. His take on the Crystal Fighters’ “Xtatic Truth” takes the Baleairc beat to 11, getting grimey with it for nearly two minutes longer than the original. Which is perfectly acceptable to bassheads like us.

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Outer Spaces – a free EP created on the iPhone

Posted on June 30, 2010 | Leave a comment


DopplerPad is an iPhone app that utilizes the touch screen to put a put a fully-loaded beat station in your pocket. What better way to see what it can do than put it through its paces by four top future groove producers? Outer Spaces, a free EP by producers Eskmo, Exillon, Jneiro Jarel, and Starkey, was created utilizing only DopplerPad, and you can grab the EP on DopplerPad’s website.
Outer Spaces by retronyms

Starkey, Philadelphia’s leading purveyor of street bass, lays down some luvstep on “Hurricane’s Doppler.” The track is a funky, swirling attack of synths, snares, and – of course – bass. San Francisco’s Eskmo has released material on leading labels Planet Mu and Warp Records, and his “Eyephone Around the Pad” is a chugging mix of simple guitar riffs and left-field samples.

The offering by Exillon, “Popplerdad,” is the most danceable of the EP – a bouncy electro romp with midrange wobble. The wobble continues with a grimey track by Jneiro Jarel, who has worked with groundbreaking artists like TV on the Radio and DOOM.

For a relatively expensive iPhone app ($7.99), demonstrating worth is key. So while Outer Spaces is an interesting EP on its own, it’s an even better advertisement for DopplerPad. If you’re into future grooves, you should check out both.

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The Verge: The #DirtyPopTour

Posted on June 30, 2010 | Leave a comment

Welcome to The Verge: a column dedicated to music on the edge of a breakthrough. Let’s talk about pop, pop, pop music.

From our coverage of Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, to our teen pop extravaganza FRIENDS, it’s clear that TGRIOnline is committed to bringing you everything pop music related, no matter how saccharine or ephemeral. So it should be no surprise that a concert with a Twitter-friendly name like the #DirtyPopTour would be on our radar.


The #DirtyPopTour brings together three up-and-coming bands, each with a different take on pop music, to six cities this summer, including DC9 on Tuesday, July 6th. The bands have put together a little mixtape for the occasion, which you can download for free on Bandcamp.

Electroclash popsters Menya, after playing Virginia and Maryland in April, are hitting the road hard this summer and will bring their unique party vibe to DC a few times. The trio of Good Goose, Angie Ripe, and Coco Dame best exemplifies the “dirty pop” moniker, effortlessly shifting between Top 40 re-works and sex-crazed club bangers. For a taste of the former, check out their recent cover of Motown classic “You Can’t Hurry Love.”


NYC’s TVTV specializes in new wave flavored rock. The band will be releasing its debut record on Mom and Pop Records, the home of Sleigh Bells and Metric, and has a sound closer to that of the latter. TVTV combines big riffs, smooth synths, and catchy hooks on their lead single, “Much Too Much.”

Headliners 2AM Club play a radio-friendly mix of blue eyed soul and pop rock, with touches of electro and hip hop. Think Maroon 5 meets Gym Class Heroes. The band is coming off a tour with Chiddy Bang, and has a track on – I shit you not – Now That’s What I Call Music. Check out their video for “Worry About You” and you’ll see why these guys are on the verge of serious crossover success.


The #DirtyPopTour hits DC9 next Tuesday, and you could do a lot worse than an evening of guilty pleasure pop music.

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Dragged and Screwed (or, witch house cover songs)

Posted on June 29, 2010 | Leave a comment


The latest development in electronic music is the sonic darkness known either as drag or witch house. Equal parts chopped-and-screwed hip hop and gothic industrial, the mysterious scene is all over the internet yet difficult to pin down, due in large part to glyph-filled band names that are both unpronounceable and unsearchable.

With new releases from Disaro or Tri Angle dropping seemingly daily, it’s getting difficult to keep our triangles and crosses straight. So apart from Salem, where should you start with drag? How about some macabre makeovers of pop and hip-hop songs?

San Francisco’s oOoOO has released an EP that features several gloomy cover versions of formerly-upbeat dance tracks. The title track, “No Summr4U” is a a reworking of Nocera’s 1986 hit “Summertime, Summertime” which replaces the freestyle melody with a stark beat and hypnotic synths. “PCKRFCRMX” is short on vowels but big on dissonant keys and cut-and-paste Lady Gaga vocals.

Witch house heads must see something they like from the Haus of Gaga, because oOoOO is not alone in reworking the pop star of the moment. Mater Suspiria Vision has turned her songs into delay-heavy drone-fests. Not only have they given a mindfuck remix to “Alejandro,” but their take on both the song and video for “Paparazzi” is truly twisted, and not for the faint of heart.

SALEM proved that drag and hip-hop are a natural fit with their Gucci Mane edits. ? NO VIRGIN ? takes a shot at some trap music with a version of Gucci’s “I’m the Shit.” NO VIRGIN’s appropriately titled Downer EP is full of similarly pulsing scarefests and is available for free. If you’re into that sort of thing.

Whether you call it drag, witch house, or goth crunk, this music is not for everyone. Sludgy drum machine beats, grim synth lines, and samples of everything from gunshots to child-like pleading (!) may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But sometimes it pays to not be afraid of the dark.

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Future Grooves: Roska

Posted on June 24, 2010 | Leave a comment

Last week, London radio station Rinse FM went legit, receiving an FM broadcast license. The pirate radio station (exclusively online since a government crackdown in 2005) has been a driving force in the UK underground dance scene since 1994. Garage, grime, dubstep, and UK funky have thrived with the support of the station, which has exposed the world to influential artists like Dizzee Rascal and Skream. The station also runs a record label, whose latest release is the full-length debut by UK funky producer Roska.


Roska (aka Wayne Goodlitt) is one of the foremost producers in a genre that – while sharing some influences and sounds with dubstep – has developed in response to the aggro-bro feel of the dubstep scene. The beats are closer to those of house, with a soca shuffle and tribal elements; UK funky is much better suited for dancing than for moshing.

Roska’s record is a great starting point for listeners unfamiliar with UK funky. Nearly half of the tracks feature R&B-flavored singers Anesha, Jamie George, and Nikki. These hook-based songs, especially “Love 2 Nite,” are all cross-over contenders. The first single, “I need love,” highlights the vocals and an insistent snare line over a bubbling bassline.

The album also features fantastic UK funky-dubstep hybrids. On “Time Stamp,” reedy synths do battle with a dark, minor-keyed bassline, while “Burn in Flames” pits flamenco piano against bouncing synths and some serious bass. The title of “Squark” refers to trill, bird-like synths that are met with a pulsing rhythm and slick guitar chords on the downtempo romp.

Roska is coming off a Sonar Barcelona show curated by dubstep diva Mary Anne Hobbs that also included sets by Flying Lotus and Joy Orbison. Check out the interview and mix he did for Hobbs on BBC Radio 1 back in March. With co-signs by Rinse FM and Mary Anne Hobbs, Roska is definitely doing something right.

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