DRC Music is a collective of producers gathered by Damon Albarn – it consists of T-E-E-D (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs), Dan The Automator, Jneiro Jarel, Richard Russell, Actress, Marc Antoine, Alwest, Remi Kabaka, Rodaidh McDonald and Kwes. Together they set out to make an album with contemporary Cologlese musicians, eventually working with over 50 local performers.
Over the course of 5 days in July an album was recorded in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo – it was titled Kinshasa One Two. On October 3rd 2011 the project will be released digitally via Warp Records, with a CD/Vinyl release following on November 8th – to benefit Oxfam.
Have a listen to ‘Hallo’ featuring Tout Pussant & Nelly Liyemge, it’s very beautiful – bumps nicely too. You can definitely hear the Albarn influence too – never a bad thing.
Pre-order the album now. All proceeds go to Oxfan’s work in DRC & DRC Musicians.
It’s sounds so good hearing Mariah Carey singing ‘grown folk music’ instead of that chart chasing foolishness she’s been churning out the past few years. Haven’t heard her like this in a long time, or rather, I haven’t heard her sing anything as interesting as this in a long time. Together, they both sound wonderful.
This, like the Amy Winehouse & Queen Latifah duets will appear on Tony Bennett’s forthcoming Duets II album, due out September 20th.
You can preview Bennett’s entire album via npr.org – it features collaborations with Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin, John Mayer and more.
As part of RBMA’s World Tour 2011, Andreya Triana performed a stunning set at the legendary Mistersaal Room of the Hansa Studios II in Berlin. Andreya singing anything is worth your time, but Andreya singing covers like ‘California Dreaming’, ‘Black Celebration’ and ‘All N My Grill’ (yes) – that’s some next sh*t entirely.
Click play, listen. Just listen…
P.s While you’re ‘here’ – you should most certainly watch or re-watch this.
Despite some fluctuating internet presence of late, the most inconsistently consistent chap in the Rap hemisphere drops this rough demo via his tumblr. Yet another display of gifted syllabic structure and regal soundscape.
Plus that chamber reverb and ‘Erykah’ reference are doing the damn thing.
Praying for a release date. Actually, praying. And I’m a flagrant atheist.
Jermaine and Sean blatantly, increasingly getting their Dubstep on. Clean version of their collabo is now public. Interestingly something about it seems like a deliberate harkening back to Timbo/Jigga’s work during the Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life period… half-time skittering, bleeps and braggadocious flow.
Despite this, the record feels underwhelming. Hate to re-enforce the comparison, but Drizzy got the epic grandmaster/apprentrice driven ‘Light Up’ and Cole’s left with… ‘Mr. Nice Watch’? Come on now. You’d forget he’s signed to Nation of Roc at this rate.
Still hoping Cole World: A Sideline Story delivers this guy’s potential, Sept 27th.
Today would have been Amy Winehouse’s 28th birthday and in celebration Tony Bennett, as promised, has released the official video for the duet he recorded with the Back to Black singer. ‘Body & Soul’ will appear on Bennett’s forthcoming Duets II album, due out September 20th, all proceeds from the single will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation set up by her family in her honour.
…A beautiful reminded of the enormity of Winehouse’s talent. Rest in power.
Bristol badman Joker is (finally) readying the release of his debut album The Vision. Behold the albums artwork and tracklist (the latter can be found after the jump).
The LP contains Joker’s current 12″ ‘Here Comes the Lights’ & ‘My Trance Girl’, as well ‘Back In the Days’ featuring Bristol MCs Scarz, Double & Buggsy – which can listen to and watch [it's overly hood video] after the jump. It also contains some older material, most noticeably 2008′s ‘Electric Sea’.
As an added bonus Joker (unofficially) remixed Ellie Goulding’s song ‘Starry Eyed’ – he titled the mix “Joker Bait Drum Remix”, listen below…
Tony Bennett’s forthcoming album Duets II (Sept 20th) will see the legendary singer pairing up with some of the biggest names in music including Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin and of course Amy Winehouse. Bennett also teamed up with Queen Latifah and together they recorded the 1964 penned ‘Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)’. Like everything else we’ve heard from Bennett thus far – this is very a tender and very beautiful duet and while I long for her Black Reign days – Latifah sounds gorgeous on it too.
… It’s inspiring to see such a veteran artist staying so current.
A lot of people been waiting on this release, myself included and after numerous delays – TiRon & Ayomari’s album A Sucker for Pumps is finally unleashed. Executive produced by TiRon and featuring appearances from Thundercat (their collaboration is fantastic), Yummy Bingham, BJ The Chicago Kid – the album is “a concept album for the love of women”…
Listen & download A Sucker for Pumps via the bandcamp player below…
Keeping it London for a minute, the homegrown beatmaker conjured up this tribute mix of beats, sonics and an ode to the world of electronic music and it’s pioneer Raymond Scott with Tokyorkshire Research Inc.
Download for free and mess about with the track order. Don’t feel restricted, ‘Kaneveil instructs us that: “This beat tape is intended to be listened to on shuffle / make your own tracklisting”.
His brand new album There’s More to Life Than This was released today and if you’re into Soulful grooves, funky basslines and summer House vibes – you’ll need to pick up a copy. Recorded in Berlin, New York, London, Bristol, Munich, Stockholm & Stuttgart with a multitude of producers including Motor City drum, Redlight and Ensemble – the LP is the perfect antidote for the fast approaching winter…
Listen to a preview of the album below. Then, buy yourself a copy here.
Cee-Lo unearthed a previously unreleased song today entitled ‘You Promised Me Love’ – not sure why this never made the album, it would have been a fantastic addition…
I recently discovered Amenta, a Toronto born singer who graduated from the Red Bull Music Academy in 2010. Her debut release, Sacred Places, is a 5-track extended player featuring production from an impressive list of beat makers including Kidkanevil, Om Unit, Throwing Snow, Clinic and Lost Twin.
Amenta’s voice is quite striking – it’s quietly confident and permeates beautifully over the intricate and sometimes persistent production she sings over. I was also impressed by her musical direction – Sacred Places feels cohesive, it feels whole and from it you’re able ‘see’ the type of artist she is – always quite powerful. It’s also clear that she has been inspired by a number of contrasting influences – alternative Soul, boom clap Hip Hop, Electronica and most noticeably on the EP’s last song ‘Stormy Weather’ – Jazz too.
Have a listen…
Sacred Places is out now via First Word Records – buy it here.
Aubrey aptly gets his drawl on for this forthcoming WAKA WAKA(!) single/Lex Luger lacing that veers more towards mid-Noughties Three 6 Mafia than their regular brand of straight goon-step.
