Demented Sound Mafia, besides being a dope name for a music production group, has actually impressed me with this project. I don’t usually go in on this kind of stuff, but I have to make an exception for Inspired. This is a compilation of soundscapes, cinematic offerings and tracks that need to be in your next extreme skiing video once you figure out how to get the GoPro off your helmet. The tracks are soothing, ambient & perfect for your student film, skateboarding/surfing video or generally as a downtempo soundtrack for life. And just in case you think this is a random CD from a random outfit, you’d be wrong. They’ve had their work in soundtracks for Captain Phillips, Divergent, Paranormal Activity & a number of other movies. That’s right, you’re hearing them here before they even make it into the movie trailer you’re going to hear them in 6 months from now. Some of my favorites include I Conquer, Within My Reach & Earth From Above, but throw this on while you’re driving, getting things done, or winding down from a long night of partying. You’ll be thanking the global (literally, one from Oklahoma, one from Tel Aviv) pair of composers before the first track finishes up.
Monthly Archives: February 2015
PM(A), PMMA, Who Got The Keys To My Bimmer
This week, Ravelrie, Stay Safe Seattle, NY DanceSafe & I are talking PMA/PMMA. Just like the rap joke in the title, this topic is as old, and potentially devastating. PMA In case you weren’t paying attention, fake pills killed some people in the UK over the holiday season. When The Guardian is taking time to talk about this, you should be paying attention. To stress, this stuff has been killing people since 1973. The USA, Canada & the UK have dealt with this stuff, even the Netherlands & Denmark has had its problems with it.
Now remember, it’s not like we don’t know how to get information out to the public. Mixmag reminds us that in the UK people, will call out the gov’t for not issuing safety warnings about pills. That’s right, the Warehouse Project gets information out about this stuff, and even local newspapers in Bristol were getting the word out. Isn’t that really what we should be trying for? Using this crazy security & surveillance apparatus they’ve built under the guise of protecting us, and using it to like…tell us when there are things out there that might hurt us?
But I digress. You may be wondering why I’m bamboozling you with UK statistics when you, dear reader, likely aren’t reading this from Brixton (BIG UPS BIG APPLE RECORDS!). Here’s the really scary reminder that ties this little post of mine together. Anyone who has been in the scene for more than the last couple of years will remember the Superman pills here in NYC. These pills are seen as the like, the dope shit. And they really are dope. They will ruin your night/life, and we need to be cognizant of the fact that reputations when it comes to MDMA can be used against users. This is DanceSafe advocates drug checking if you’re really brave (stupid) enough to use these things. To note, besides a random trip report or two, this drug doesn’t have a recreational following. No one is trying to score PMA, they just get it because their dealer is a terrible person. Be safe, don’t take drugs that will kill you & join us at 4:30pm on Twitter using #PMMA.
Midnight Music: Unlike Pluto & KickRaux – Palace
This is the 1,000th post on this blog & I am so proud to use the opportunity to talk about Unlike Pluto. ATL-raised, he’s been training on the mean streets of the LA dance music scene, and has it ever paid off. This track is one of a kind, and Mad Decent knows it. He & KickRaux pushed the boundary of what dance music can sound like, way into territory I’m loving. The major chord progression respect, squelchy vocal samples & stunningly good production value on the trap beat is second to none. This is bordering on psychedelic, which, considering it’s a Mad Decent label tune, is astonishing. This has dharma punk written all over it. The pull back into the beat at 2:42 is everything I want to hear out of Mad Decent right now. Whoever convinced diplo to pick this tune up, I’m buying them a bottle of champagne, and none of that plastic top shit neither. Peep the track and show Unlike Pluto & KickRaux some love for this.
Music Connects People.
I don’t often post content from Tumblr, because WP breaks the long line of heart/note chains that make for epic Tumblr sharing among the younglings. This caught my eye though. Share more things, listen to more music together. Sing, dance, laugh, shine on your crazy diamonds. (Via Higgins, originally from Zonixx)
Pussy Riot I Can’t Breath
Hey. This is important. I know you may not think so. I know you’re not posting about it. I know we’re boiled in with some stupid argument about free speech and whether black people “deserved it.” But this. This is real. This is their first English music video, and they’re being buried alive. Let this wash over you & come out better because of it.
I can’t breath, the dying words of Eric Garner became a rallying cry in New York against police brutality and now the famed Russian band Pussy Riot has given the words new power in their latest song. To be honest I’ve never seen the video of Eric Garners murder. I have a hard time watching people die so this song was the first time I’ve heard the audio of that event. It’s not easy to listen to and it shouldn’t be. This song is a reminder of why we are fighting. Why we shut down bridges and tunnels, because there’s a portion of our population that is stopped every day because of the color of their skin. Because they get murdered over selling a god damn cigarette and our justice department won’t even have a trial. Marches are long, thanks Pussy Riot for giving me a good song to listen…
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Midnight Music: Estiva & The Spacies – Voices (Kelvin & Lash Remix)
Hey look, people are still making stuff! So, my boy Brockelbank is killing it over at EDMTunes, especially when he’s posting tracks like this. Frankly, I don’t know where this came from but I’m not entirely sure I care. Non-tropical deep, but light house. I know that was a bunch of adjectives, but it’s kind of exactly that. It’s a driving but muted beat that seems to pull from both tropical and minimal at the same time. It’s sunny, up-beat, but there are no steel drums, no random parrot sounds and it’s still got some oomph that I can hear working on a main-stage. This is definitely going to be a sleeper track used by DJs who are on festival billings in tiny fonts. While the headliners might not be into this kind of sound, if you’re playing for a couple of hundred people, or early in the day, there’s going to be some support from the crowd I wager, and to Kelvin & Lash’s credit. These two need to start working together more often, if just because Kelvin & Lash sounds like a cool cop drama with DJs.
The Crystal Method Mashed Up With Ice-T Is Kind Of Wonderful.
Got this from a friend and I’ve gotta say, I can’t wait to see what else she posts up for us. I am always a fan of people breaking out the classic dopeness for me, and she’s given us a delightful present. A vintage re-edit of The Crystal Method, using a 7″ of I’m Your Pusher, a 12″ copy of Busy Child & a whole bunch of Fender action. This getting pushed into a DJM909, with a whole lot of Jupiter 6 work. For anyone under the age of 35, all of those words and numbers probably made no sense. But suffice it to say, two different kinds of physical media and a closet full of hardware was needed to make this. I know, that doesn’t make any sense, since you could just bomp it all on a laptop now, but this was before laptops. When DJs who wanted to make beats had to walk 10 miles in the snow, up hill both ways to the record shop. This kind of breakbeat sound isn’t something you hear outside of Vitamin B here in NYC, but boy oh boy is it wonderful. Get at it and show Ms. Mancrack some love.
Midnight Music: Strife II – Morning Chorus [Liquid Drum & Bass]
I told you I interviewed Strife II for a reason. This guy just had a new track of his bomped on MrSuicideSheep, the place for YouTube dopeness. As always, the stupendous piano work & vocals are center stage, supported by varsity drum & bass beat work. This guy knows what he’s doing, and this track totally reminds us all that he needs a bigger stage & a check to make this stuff sound even better. I don’t want to say too much more, because really, just put it into your face while you’re walking around in the rain, snow, or sunshine (depending on where home is of course). (From the amazing & crucial MrSucideSheep)
DJ Joman Is Weirder Than Ever. [Epic Always Sunny In Philadelphia Remix]
Well this is stunning. I’m not sure how you even storyboard something like this. Joman, after totally dominating my earholes for months in 2013 with Daymanstep, has returned with an even more ambitious project. Instead of just pulling from a couple of shows, he pulled from multiple seasons, all the way up to Season 9. To be clear, everything you’re seeing, was actually aired by It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, so keep that in mind. It takes 2min to even get to the explosive proglectro remix that we were waiting around for. Through and through, this is a stunning project that will make your relatives uncomfortable. This is up there with some Williams Street shit, except this one actually has a dance beat and not that sweet, sweet Aqua Teen Hunger Force money. To be clear, a tremendous effort that I’ll use on people who say they love illadelphia & hate dance music. Just try not to show this to someone who is tripping too hard. That might not go well for them.
Midnight Music: Ibeyi – River
Hey now, new awesomeness. This twin-sister duo of French-Cuban ladies by the name of Ibeyi push out some of the best live production I’ve heard in a while. This is a fantastic combination of sounds, with a severe dose of feels. The vibe has a moody intensity that feels like what would happen if trip hop, a competent drum circle and some blues hung out. It doesn’t need to be in English to get the point across. This is a really fresh sound, even though it seems to have a vintage flare to it. I think there’s a lot that artists can do in this space, so I’ve gotta give it up to the Joy of Violent Movement blog for pushing this kind of stuff out. The post has a bunch more info on the artist, so if you’re into it, get into it.
Terry Gotham 