Ready for the weekend #25

Posted on August 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

I have nothing witty to say about this weekend, but I’ve now done 25 of these. Enjoy.

Image by Gwen Vanhee, via @FFFFOUND

The Plan

The Soundtrack

Anyone who was at Moombahton Massive V knows firsthand why (thee) Mike B was voted LA’s Best Club DJ. For a taste of what he dropped last month, check out his second “Watch Your Ton!” mix. Listen to the whole thing, or just keep rewinding Morrison’s remix of “Show Me Love.” That’s what I’ll be doing.


(thee) Mike B – Watch Your Ton Vol. 2

<prince Zimboo – Intro
Munchi – Learn
Xeta Jones – Look At Me Now
The Count & Sinden – Llamame (Dave Nada Remix)
Sazon Booya ft Amy Douglas – La Arana Negra
DJ Ayres – Bangkok/PR Parade
Woodhead – In De Ghetto
DJ Orion ft Big Freedia – You Can't Win
Rishi Romero – Rain Forest (Obeyah Edit)
Phases VS Million Styles – Miss Fatty
Riot Earp – Feelings For You
Robin S – Show Me Love (Morrison's Remix)
Sabo – Spock's Deee-Lite
Heartbreak – The Legend
Munchi – Gracias
Toddla T – Take It Back (Dillon Francis Remix)
Feral aka MC Kinky – Tweet Retweet
Nadastrom ft. Natalie Storm – Gal Where Yuh Come From
LOL Boys – Aisle Seat (VIP Message Mix)

Leave a comment

Posted in notes

Tagged

Video Rundown: Matthew Dear / Oh Land / Katy B

Posted on August 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

Matthew Dear, “Slowdance”

The video for Matthew Dear’s “Slowdance” is a monochromatic collage about “the disruption of memory, at it’s visual core,” according to filmmaker Charles Bergquist. These disruptions are expressed through beat-matching cuts and visual effects that lend the clip the look of degraded film or mixed paint. The blend of urban decay and fleeting romance echoes the themes of Dear’s Black City.

Oh Land, “White Nights”


Video music auteurs Canada craft a whimsical, surreal clip for Danish singer-songwriter Oh Land. The result is a musical version of Inception, if directed by Michel Gondry. Not as frenetic as their earlier videos, they take a more traditional approach with their choreography. Oh Land is a joy to listen and watch, whether in hipster-friendly Indian headdress, 50s styling, or animal-print.

Katy B, “Witches’ Brew”

http://vimeo.com/27247269

One of the strongest song’s on Katy B‘s On A Mission gets an equally vibrant video. Colin Tilley keeps his focus on the chanteuse, playing a bit with the titular witchcraft. A fine example of focusing on a singer’s inherent sexuality without resorting to the lowest common denominator.

Leave a comment

Posted in Film, Music

Tagged , , , ,

Mishka Presents Keep Watch Vol. XXVIII: Spooky

Posted on August 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

Grime is riot music. But as England burns, reactionaries who try to blame music for the violence have the cause and effect backwards. Grime is vicious because youth life in poor boroughs is vicious, not the other way around. That’s why grime has an energy and urgency like nothing else.

Fittingly, the latest entry in the Keep Watch series is Mishka’s first grime mix. Curated by East London producer Spooky, the mix is an unrelenting mix that captures the spirit of the resurgent sound. Spooky (not to be confused with the house duo or trip hop DJ of the same name) started DJing at 13, breaking out in 2006 when his bashment riddim “Joyride” became a surprise grime hit.

Since then, he’s produced and remixed tunes for a grime who’s-who that includes Slew Dem, OG’s, Skepta, Kele Le Roc, Family Tree, Teddy, Rude Kid, Infared, Brick & Lace and Mark Morrison. In addition to playing gigs all over London, he holds down three weekly radio shows and runs his Ghost House label. In 2010, Spooky scored another grime hit, the “300”-quoting “Spartan,” a banger reminiscent of those by Alias and J-Sweet. He’s also released tracks on the label that’s spearheading the grime renaissance, Oil Gang Records.

For his Keep Watch mix, Spooky lives up to his name, kicking off with a refix of Faze Miyake’s “Take Off” and never looking back. For nearly an hour, Spooky drops sawtooth bass, rumbling beats and verses from grime heavyeights P-Money, Blacks, Tempa T and D Double E with a turntablist’s touch. In the UK, grime is the soundtrack this week. And when the riots end, Spooky will keep starting fires.



Originally posted on the Mishka Bloglin.

Leave a comment

Posted in Music

Tagged , , , , , ,

Seven surprising similarities between "Your Highness" and "Game of Thrones"

Posted on August 9, 2011 | 1 comment

One was a summer smash and the other was a summer flop, but Game of Thrones and Your Highness were more similar than not. Beyond the obvious, the medieval fantasies shared more than a setting, character archetypes, and a penchant for quests. Here’s a rundown of some of the more specific elements the HBO epic had in common with the raunchy version of The Princess Bride.

Dwarves

Danny McBride’s Thadeous begins Your Highness sentenced to die by hanging at the hands of a dwarf king, but things don’t go quite as expected. The ensuing joke, like much of the film, is predictable but effective. Similarly, Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion Lannister provided much of Game of Thrones‘ levity, albeit with more well-written jokes.

Charles Dance

The British actor is a veteran of stage and screen, and he’s typecast as a hard-to-please father in both works. However, considering the differences in tone, King Tallious is much more sympathetic than Tywin Lannister.

Crafty eunuchs

Highlighting one of history’s more unfortunate phenomenons, both Game of Thrones and Your Highness include eunuchs in key roles. Lord Varys is the master of whispers on GOT; neither the audience nor the other characters know his true intentions. In contrast, Julie is a put-upon slave who betrays Thadeous at the first opportunity. Ironically, both characters have balls.

Women warriors

Watching (Academy Award winner) Natalie Portman kick all types of medieval ass on her quest for revenge, I couldn’t help but think of young Arya Stark, the tomboyish daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark who cuts with both her wit and her sword. Give Arya a few years, and I’m sure she’ll be following Isabel’s lead.

Eating hearts

One of the most rewarding character arcs in the first season of Game of Thrones belonged to Daenerys Targaryen, whose transition into adulthood was gut-wrenching, extreme, and dramatic. A key turning point in her development occurred when she was forced to eat an entire horse heart. Thadeous has a similar experience which, as you can guess, was not as dramatic.

The next two don’t get images, both to avoid spoilers and to keep the blog SFW.

Heads on pikes

This one is tough to write about without spoilers. Suffice to say “head on a pike” was an acceptable form of burial in medieval times.

Gratuitous nudity

Much has been made about the nudity in GOT, which some felt took away from the story (I disagree). The nudity in Your Highness is supposed to distract from the story, considering that most of the female extras were topless glamor models.

Your Highness is out on DVD today; expect Game of Thrones in the spring.

1 Comment

Posted in Film, TV

Tagged ,

The Cool Kids Unofficial After Party, presented by Postcultural

Posted on August 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Cool Kids’ Bake Sale EP was released in 2008, but for some reason it feels like it’s been even longer. Maybe it’s because their long-awaited debut album When Fish Ride Bicycles was stuck in record label purgatory for so long. Or maybe it’s because their trademark 808 boom-bap style is anachronistic by nature.

Either way, the group that brought ’88 back is ready to rock parties across the nation. The duo (comprised of Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish) stop by the Rock and Roll Hotel tomorrow night (tickets are still available). Their Midwestern nonchalance and sing-along lyrics are perfectly suited to the dog days of summer.

As always, after the party, there’s the after party. Join DJs Matt Rose and Blake Nine upstairs for the festivities. To sweeten the deal, grab this $10 coupon for $25 worth of food and drink and be sure to grab a Floridano sandwich with your PBR.

Leave a comment

Posted in notes

Tagged , , , ,

S-X drops Swagged Out Grime on the "5000 Followers EP"

Posted on August 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

Love him or hate him, Lex Luger is running the hip-hop beat game right now. Sure, his Fruity Loops tend towards the repetitive, but you can’t argue with facts: “Hard in da Paint,” “B.M.F.” “H.A.M.” and “Grove St. Party” have dominated hip-hop playlists for a reason – and the dude’s only 20!

Looking for the next Lex Luger? Cast your eyes to the UK, where rising grime producer S-X has been the man behind some of the most hyped tracks in recent memory. His “Woooo Riddim,” “Bricks,” and “100 Bags” instrumentals have backed grime freestyles from heavyweights Blacks, P-Money, and Dot Rotten, among others. And while he might not have Luger’s chart positions, the young Sam Gumbley literally just turned 19.

To commemorate his 5,000 Twitter follower (as he did at the 3,000 mark), S-X dropped the 5000 Followers EP for free. Over nine tracks, S-X presents trunk rattlers that owe as much to Girl Unit as they do to Luger. While the tracks are formulaic – S-X combines orchestral strings, rat-a-tat hi-hats and a deep low-end every time – they’re never boring. His synth lines go from trancey and melodic on “Mask” to towering and brutal on “G Shock.”

Along with revised versions of “Bricks” and “100 Bags,” S-X also includes mellow grooves with “Ambience,” “Expensive Talk” and “Guidance.” The best bet for grime freestyles, however, is the very vogue “Swag Bitch Swag.” With beats like these, S-X better ready a 50,000 Followers EP.

Leave a comment

Posted in Music

Tagged , , , ,

Serious Saturdays: Get Rinsed With Roska

Posted on August 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

A journey across the UK electronic music landscape takes you from the badman bass of grime, through various permutations of dubstep, until you eventually end up at UK funky. The sound combines that last major UK movement, garage, with house, broken beat, and notably soca rhythms into something more dance-friendly than its underground cousins.

The don of the UK funky game, Roska, has taken a similar journey. Born Wayne Goodlitt, Roska began his musical career as a grime MC under the name Mentor in the late 90s. His shift from the mic to the producer’s chair was accompanied by a less aggressive sound and a new alias. As Roska, he first made waves in 2008 with “Feeline” and “Boxed In,” two prototypical UK funky tracks that force you to move.

Roska’s rising profile led to a residency on trendsetting Rinse.FM, just as the (then) pirate radio station shifted its focus to funky. Not only did it expose him to an even larger audience, but Rinse also released Roska’s debut album – the first full length LP on its eponymous label. Rinse Presents Roska is pure UK funky, from the shifty rave-whistles of “Squark” to the silky dancefloor-killer “Love 2 Nite” with vocalist Jamie George.

Last year was a hectic one for the producer. He opened the doors of his Kicks and Snares imprint to new artists like DJ Naughty, J:Kenzo and DJ MA1, and he compiled a 14Tracks collection that is as good as any when it comes to essential UK funky. And after remixing Untold‘s massive “Just For You” in 2009, the duo paired up on bass bangers “Myth” and “Long Range.”

This year’s Jackpot EP pushes the producer forward from funky to the difficult to pin down bass scene. Roska can still pump up an audience with something like “4th Blind Mouse,” but he’s also experimenting with elements of rave, tech and club that we haven’t heard from the South Londoner until now. “Blame the Speakers” is a choatic fist-pumper and “Roskallion” is a take on the dub-bashment of someone like Redlight. Roska has already seen a sea change in the UK electronic music world, and he’s definitely poised for the next one.

Originally posted on the Mishka Bloglin.

Leave a comment

Posted in Music

Tagged , , , ,

Ready for the weekend #24

Posted on August 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

In DC, it’s a summertime catch-22: congressional recess means some hill rats have left town, but the ones that are left are more apt to be out and about. Do your best and get your culture on this weekend.

Image via FFFFOUND.

The Plan

The Soundtrack

Austin’s Dubbel Dutch is doing big things in the future bass scene with his juked out rave tracks. But what happens when you combine Jersey club R&B edits with a Texas heat wave? You get Dubbel Dutch’s Swishahouse-inspired Slow Club Mix. Please let this mix be the birth of a new genre.

Leave a comment

Posted in notes

Tagged

EP Roundup: Hudson Mohawke / Dark Sky / Hard Ass Sessions VI

Posted on August 3, 2011 | Leave a comment

Hudson Mohawke – Satin Panthers (Warp)

Hudson Mohawke’s first release since his seminal 2009 album Butter is a bit uneven, teasing for a few songs before delivering on its lofty expectations. “Octan” shimmers but doesn’t really go anywhere, and the synth line on “Cbat” is a little too squeaky, distracting from the future hop beat.

Then, finally, there’s the type of orchestral future bass that HudMo practically invented. “All Your Love” features a big R&B melody, thunderous drums, and tinkling synths that propel the song forward; the off-kilter rave piano that comes into focus about halfway through is perfect. The EP closes with “Thank You,” a super collider of drumline rhythms that is reminiscent of “FUSE.”


Dark Sky – Radius EP (50 Weapons)

Dark Sky‘s Radius EP, on Modeselektor’s 50Weapons imprint, cements their place in the post-dubstep / bass music conversation. As their name suggests, Dark Sky makes foreboding, moody bass music. But it still is danceable – albeit in a very specific way: “Speeding Blue” and “The Lick” mix wobbly melodies with the scattershot riddims of UK funky and grime.

While Dark Sky has already established a well-defined style, the standout tracks on Radius couldn’t be more different from each other. “Neon” shifts from warm, house synths to chilly chiptune; both are equally addictive. On the other hand, “Be Myself” is a techy tribute to programmed beats and creepy samples.


Various artists – Hard Ass Session VI (Enchufada)

Compiled by Buraka Som Sistema’s J-Wow, the latest volume in the Hard Ass Sessions brings together four top notch producers, each with a different take on tropical bass. Living up to the series’ name (“kuduro” translates to “hard ass”), Kry Wolf’s “Picadinho Di Pedalina” and Schlachthofbronx’s “Backup Run” are kuduro bangers. For cumbia fans, Cardopusher offers the surging “Tu Bizcochito.” The only outlier stylistically is “Waiting On.” The track is pure Brenmar, though, mashing together a hip-hop sample and vibrant, funky drums.

J-Wow’s 2011 Hard Ass Mix draws on these tracks, among others.


Leave a comment

Posted in Music

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Future Grooves: Grown Folk

Posted on August 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

Is Canada the next future bass hot spot? The Great White North has given us Jacques Greene, Egyptrixx, and half of LOL Boys. On the strength of just a few releases, it may be time to add Grown Folk to that list.

Grown Folk is a Montreal-based collaboration between Drew Kim and Brendan Neal. The duo crafts house tracks that seamlessly blend old school and new school sounds; think Azari and III with the sensibilities of Kingdom.

Their debut City Wind EP, released earlier this year on Templar Sound, runs the bass music gamut. They come out strong with the throwback house of “The Uptown Shuffle;” “VVS (Very, Very Slightly)” is darker, with a clipped diva vocal loop that runs through the track like an electric current. On “Block is Hot,” Grown Folk shows the juke influences that they share with contemporaries Canblaster and Pearson Sound; Damu’s remix of the song is all sub-bass and laser-light synths. And don’t let the double entendre title throw you – there’s nothing halfway about the groove on “Halfway House.”

[wpaudio url=”/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/halfway_house.mp3″ text=”Grown Folk – Halfway House” dl=0]

The duo gets deeper on their latest offering, the Droptop EP on Silverback Recordings. The video for the title track is a summery acid trip well-suited for the song’s big bass line and sexy vocals, two things that dominate the rest of the EP. As remixers, Grown Folk has smoothed out tracks by LOL Boys and FaltyDL. They got in on the rhythm-and-bass game with a swirling bootleg of The-Dream’s remix of “Motivation,” the powerhouse single by Kelly Rowland.


Across its online presence, Grown Folk shares a telling epigram: “It’s a new decade / The usual lingo / The usual rhythm.” It’s a take on the intro of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Rhythm,” and if that doesn’t boil it down enough, the song’s subtitle does: “Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts.” Listeners and dancers alike will soon appreciate Grown Folk’s devotion.

Download: Grown Folk – U Know the Time
Download: The-Dream, Kelly Rowland, Lil Wayne – Motivation (Grown Folk Bootleg)

Leave a comment

Posted in Music

Tagged , , ,