Hands up who fondly remembers the tiny impact Blue & Exile’s Below The Heavens made in the worldwide underground hip-hop community circa ’07? That was a good year for turning points in music and rising new scenes – particularly the experimental nu-Leftcoast in LA.
Well, the good times return for all you starved of Blu spitting over hyper-Soulful Exile beats. After an interesting 2011 for the gifted emcee who dropped his brave debut NoYork to mixed-response (uber-critics loved it, ultra-purists were confused) and a quiet season for the producer, they’ve just decided to be cheeky and unleash this unfinished follow-up out of the blu(e) for legions of sentimental fans.
Recorded in 2009 – the same period they were leaking gorgeous cuts like ‘Love Line(s),Dedicated To Last Fe’vrier’ which despite not being on here, ensures it’s coming from a good place.
Watch as the incomparable Janelle Monae, backed by her orchestra, performs songs off her Grammy nominated debut album The Archandroid during the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. Along with ‘Cold War’ and ‘Tightrope’, she also covers the classic Jackson 5 song ‘I Want You Back’ before being joined for an all-star cast finale who together performed Curist Mayfield’s ‘Move On Up’.
Machinedrum’s album Room(s) is easily considered one of PB’s favouite LP’s of the year. The producer amassed a beautiful concoction of atmospheric sounds, gorgeously polished within his impeccable skills behind the boards. Now, as we approach the end of the year it would seem the masked masquerader SBTRKT (who’s own album also occupies within our favs this year) is intent on unloading any loose ends – and thus, has just released his revision of ‘U Don’t Survive’. Listen up…
Here’s a dope joint. It hit the net a few months ago, but whilst on a trawl of the ol’ download folders, this struck as an essential post. Better late than…
‘Obtaining’ reminds of that Soultronica vibe that was prevalent a few years back in the European post-Dilla boom, but this feels grittier with the lo-fi fried vinyl crackles. Austrian producer Mez’s snares and kicks stumble beneath his Vienna-based muse Soia, working her honey-wail reminiscent of Badu (the ever influential neo messiah), as minor chords oscillate and teleport us elsewhere through hypnotically kush wormhole synths.
Plus good news on these two – they’re producing an EP together scheduled for Spring 2012.
The homie Full Crate played this beast of a tune on NTS yesterday – effectively breaking everyone’s neck at once. So, it’s only right we share it with you and yours (braces at the ready)…
Following the break-up with longtime collaborator Perquistite, A’Dam’s native Pete Philly recently released his debut album One. ‘Gemini Solo’ taken off said LP features sexy successive chords, dirty drums and bass injections that will bunsen burn the coldest of hearts – his production here takes on a life of it’s own, all that is asked of you is that you buckle up and enjoy ride.
Episodes 1 & 2 premiered with a few weeks between them but we get 3, 4 & 5 all in one go. Have a look at The Throne’s documentary chronicling their historic tour across the United States…
Indeed it’s been a year of quasi-weird R&B revivalism from Holy Other to Weeknd to Active Child to a heap of pitch shifting underground knob-twiddlers. One postnatal act still bubbling under the surface is LA via LDN outfit Young N’ Sick. If like myself you’ve had the brilliant ‘Room 48′ on repeat in recent months, followed by the cold, calculated ‘S.E.X.X.X.‘, then here’s another wonky, paranoia-inducing bit of acid and blues.
It’ll be interesting to see weather ’11s intellectual embrace of indie-R&B lasts into next year. Personally like any nostalgist of it’s glory days, I’m hoping it does, as it’d been a long-time since the genre was considered… Risky.
