Hundreds ‘pon hundreds of songs, albums and PinBoard posts later, our end of season tape. A gift compiled together by all of us here, to say thanks to everyone who’s been with us year on year, readers, peers, old friends, new ones. We’re hopin’ you had a chance to share these with us in 2011. These are SOME (emphasis on some, or all we could fit) of our favourite records popped up in the last 365 days. Oh & if you’re new here… hang tight, peruse, we gotchu’.
Large respect to all the bloggers and independent platforms out there dedicating their hours to documenting the sounds of a post-mod civilization. Larger respects to the culture of music fans who comprise it. But I guess, largest respects to the artists and creators who nourish our little spiritual obsession. We’d be fucked without all of us…
Below isn’t in award order by the way, more a flight path from 1 to 15 taking you through sexy, bumpin’, shifting musical territory, both up tempo and down. So hit play, do your thing wherever you’re at with the laptops out and the cable jacks shinin’.
Happy new-new. Be safe!
Tracklist:
1. Adele – Rolling In The Deep (Jamie XX Shuffle Remix)
2. Sbtrkt Feat. Sampha – Living Like I Do
3. Full Crate – Joy
4. Azelia Banks – 212
5. 14th – Hide Yourself
6. J. Cole Feat. Missy Elliot – Nobody’s Perfect
7. A$AP Rocky – Peso
8. Fatima and Floating Points – Mind
9. CREEP Feat. Nina Sky – You
10. Jessie Ware – Strangest Feeling
11. Gary Clarke Jnr. – Bright Lights
12. The Weeknd – Trust Issues
13. Ifan Dafydd – Treehouse
14. Switch Feat. Andrea Martin – I Still Love You
15. Hudson Mohawke – Pleasure Principle
Someone really ought to check the water supply in Toronto, something very strange has been happening over there. It would appear that T.Dot is in the midst of an artistic uprising – at least when concerned with developments in R&B.
The Weeknd / XO affiliated DropxLife (co-producer of ‘Initiation’ from Echoes of Silence) is a seemingly mysterious creative whose existence is primarily felt through the songs he chooses to upload online (a familiar XO model). Very little is known or can be found on him – a mixtape ALLXLEGENDS and albumPawncho have flown about before this new 3-tracker which dropped today.
While we acclimatise ourselves to the seemingly endless inventory of faceless producers, our ears are forced to balance the precipice – a task made much easier when such expansive experimentalism is done so vividly. DropxLife’s productions are lasciviously dark, merging the beauty of obscure R&B with 2-step idiosyncrasies and empyreal mysticism. Lo-fi thick basslines, dank drum patterns and enough rotundness to wet the most sapless of minds.
This is deep. ‘NuerxOld’ is on repeat especially.
Update: DropxLife updated the tape with 6 additional new tracks, listen below & download up top.
The R&B rebirth continues. Up now is Phlo Finister, a Cali-based singer currently making a name for herself with her brand of contemporary-throwback R&B.
Finister’s recently released FreEP entitled Crown Gold is a 6 track project featuring known productions from the likes of Dr. Dre, Tupac & The Doors, plus two original compositions from Jay Curry. Clearly affected by the traditions of 90′s R&B and the trademarks of artists like Aaliyah, Brandy and Ashanti – she aims to produce “classic R&B” with a “avant garde” edge. Phlo does possess a clear patent voice well suited to the style of R&B she’s producing and despite some of it’s languor, the EP does offer some promising insight – most discernibly on songs like ‘Shades’ & ‘No More’.
Critical to any artists’ success though is their ability to embody the influences of their formative years whilst amalgamating them with the modern. Fail to do so and you run the risk of boring your audience, or worse – pissing them off entirely. Pretty confident her video for ‘Shades’ for instance will raise a few eyebrows – Finisher’s “I fuck with Tommy Hilfiger, simple as that” approach may not go down too well with the die-hard traditionalists. But with a pinch more distinction, tighter productions and stronger focus on “avante garde” methods – Phlo Finister should be an interesting one to watch.
2012 will mark the return of The XX. With feverish anticipation to see how the South West London band will follow up on their seminal debut, the appetite wetting machine begins: label Young Turks have put out this uber-hissing demo and it feels like the glorious, minimalist, come-down we’d anticipated from the trio.
In a recent interview, production backbone Jamie XX stated they would experiment with a club direction, so we’re impatient to hear how elaborate they’ll get with this trademark sound of theirs.
Original badman, Sir Paul, sweetly swags his sh*t out on this smooth title-track from the man’s first upcoming solo album in five years. My Valentine is due next Feburary and slated to also feature Diana Krall and Stevie Wonder.
Wholly active 69 year old McCartney sounding wonderful as ever on this morose but softly jazzy number, ideal for those who like a spot gin in their camomile and a side-order of medicinal piff. It’s just one of those voices that will always transport you back to childhood if you were played old Beatles records (not so much Wings records) in ya ole man’s Nissan growing up. Made all the more heady with celestial guitar prophet Clapton’s twinkly strums all over this. Real OGs never die, they just collaborate.
It takes a brave artist to take on a Michael Jackson song, but when Quadron covered ‘Baby Be Mine’ – we all applauded (it remains one of the best MJ covers we’ve ever heard). Now, lead singer Coco has embarked on reworking another gargantuan classic – this time Lauryn Hill’s ‘Ex-Factor’. Watch how she fares up top…
R&B purists, awaken – the Sisters with Voices are back!
In an age where David Guetta is “R&B”‘s biggest producer, it’s difficult to fathom how one of the defining girl groups of the 90′s would reemerge and reestablish themselves, 15 years after their last release. Would Coko, Taj & Lelee stay committed to their natural roots of credible-commercial rhythm & blues or would they return with a mindless euphoric R&B anthem?
Thankfully our girls bring it home…
Boasting their trademark harmonies, a 90′s inspired melody and a traditional R&B arrangement (listen for those chords) – SWV reemerge with class. ‘CoSign’ is a mature and dignified comeback single; nostalgic enough for heads to rock to, but “cool” enough for 90s hipsters to connect with.
Marques Toliver’s marriage of varying styles amidst his Amp Fiddler-tinged vocals create a refreshing sound which alone would be inspiring enough, but combined with his talents as a violinist – sets him apart from any other contemporary.
Studying For My Ph.D uses traditional samples merged with mod influences, balanced cleverly atop an often subtle classical backbone. It’s a well-formed reminder of Toliver’s ‘mad scientist’ approach to music – incorporating insights and commentaries from the likes of Beyonce, Eartha Kitt, Roberta Flack, Nicki Minaj, news reports and disturbing pre-civil rights movement chants. Premiered exclusively on the Guardian’s website, the tape is an abstruse window into Marques’ inspirations, motivations and most poignantly, his political concerns – frequently using interview snippets, speech excerpts and loops to express his message(s).
Love for Sampha runs deep. His masculine, gritty yet vulnerable tone slots into every electronic/bass and ballad put out this year. His wails this time are inserted on Koreless bass ridden riddim. Punctuated toy sounds and kick heavy drums are all over this one.
Leaked earlier this year, and given the full length treatment via Jacques Green Allez Allez mix late this year, this one needs to have a release date come 2012.
Following the success of the runaway track ‘Hide Yourself’, taken from their debut EP, the 14th return with another slab of 90′s-esque dance floor raving. A nod to the garage ghost of yesteryear with the intricate production is bought to the forefront with a bubbling vocal. Art deco soul and beating hearts vulnerability all over this one.
It would appear Christmas has come early! Our beloved London chanteuse Tawiah has (finally!) released some new music in the shape of an free EP entitled Run.
We were fortunate enough to have heard some of the new songs a couple months back and couldn’t wait to share them with you. This project will remind anyone needing reminding that Tawiah’s voice is among the best we have in this country.
With a couple more projects in the pipeline and that all important debut album coming in the new year, it’s without doubt we say – 2012 is Tawiah’s year.
A certified Garage-finger bubbler from across the pond, Brooklyn beatsmith Obey City drops off this jumping jack flash of a jam with the loveliest, lucid toy keyboard percussion. Still it’s for all the growed up, po’ed up and severely sexy skankers. Wait for the b-line drop. Joyous stuff.
First featured Vince Kidd a little while back, since then he has gone on to support blog darling Lana Del Rey at her Scala gig in London as well as paving out some nice movements on his own which. This video is a stripped down version of his track ‘Smother Me’, as always really capturing Vince’s stunning vocal range, his voice gets me every time. Really looking forward to more new material in the new year!!
What Ifan is doing right now is coming into such a realm of it’s own, that also by now you should’ve dismissed any Blake-based scuttlebutt. How the young producer glides across the Post-apartheid-rhythm-lines over the course of these five & a half minutes makes for a demanding listen. Slices of synthetic organ and corporeal symphony drifting over Off-Step, as strings vertigo with silky ricochets of siren-voice turning the ground to an orchestral Winter wonderland disco with a subby little soul. It’s sweeping, intricate and lush as f**k – transports ’40s romance to a dim bedroom dancefloor.
Forthcoming on Treehouse out in Jan via label Push & Run. Oh & shouts to the YouTube DJs by the way, holding down the planets by uploading radio rips like the one above. You man – life-savers.
“Sometimes I feel you lookin’ for the devil in me”…
Enter Natalie Duncan.
Currently working on her debut album, singer/songwriter/musician Natalie Duncan (of Nottingham) recently released two live videos recorded at Universal Studios.
‘Devil In Me’ is a enchanting ballad, built on a plethora of influences. Vocally, you can observe Duncan channeling the disaffected pain of Soul & Blues but musically, it’s the majestic calm of Classical which glues the composition together. Displaying a powerful instrument through her textured voice box and commanding such elegance and poise on the piano should make this young lady a very interesting observation over the next 12 months. It’s with great hope she retains the passion, authenticity and rawness heard here across all her future work.
After the jump, watch Natalie’s performance of ‘Uncomfortable Silence’ – a noticeably more Pop (via Adele) styling.
