I post this every year. I’m not sure I’ll ever stop. Happy Freaking Turkey Day y’all. OBBL OBBL OBBL!
Category Archives: News/Lolz
Belgian Federal Asylum Center “phonecard” Party! Global Vibes From Brussels!
This is really cool. There was this party in Brussels at a (wait for it) federal asylum for people seeking refuge in Belgium. For serious. Syrians, Afghanis, Palestinians, Albanians, Senegalese and more all jammed out on music from their phone. I think this is probably one of the most authentic non-Western parties I’ve ever come in contact with, and I’m delighted this mix is available for people to listen to. There’s a crazy amount of good shit on this mix, and the idea that people all over the world were playing their version of party music for the crowd, who was then understanding, respectful & danced to it, makes me feel like there’s some good in the world. I know some of us need to know that exists these days. You can thank Higgins, because without people like him, there wouldn’t be. (via P.O.E.)
Ownglow Is 17 & Makes Gorgeous Liquid Drum & Bass.
The idea that I’ve yelled into the internet so much about how awesome liquid drum & bass is that it has started getting emailed to me, blows me away. This two-piece from A FREAKING SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD named Ownglow out of Bournemouth blew me away this week. The vibes are effortless, but gorgeous. It really reinforces my belief that liquid D&B is proof that the universe loves us. Gold was actually featured on Friction’s BBC Radio 1 show and the UKF YouTube channel, which, speaks to my point. This kid is banging. I didn’t even know the music existed at his age, much less make Hospitality quality tunes. Someone needs to sign this kid ASAP, because if this is what we’re seeing at this stage, the sky is the limit. If you don’t believe me, just ask Keeno or Etherwood. Grab it Sunday off Pilot Records.
Jamie XX Is So Freaking Good At Music.
Jamie XX continues to blow me away. I’ve used the word lush before to describe music, but there’s a thickness, a richness to the soundscapes that Jamie XX creates. This is something I don’t think many artists in the scene approach, much less match. The samples intersperse a different UK scene in his music. This is equivalent for progressive house quoting Chicago House DJs discussing the Chicago House scene. If it was done by anyone less skilled than Jamie XX, it would be downright disrespectful. However, the massive & perfect use of bass and synthetic feels, provides this classic UK rave feel combined with these ragga drums. This jungle infused-garage is sophisticated but effortless. The massive beat seems to fill the spaces in your shuffling awareness, as the samples echo in your mind. Hardcore is a genre that seemed unstoppable, but now you’d be hard pressed to find someone old enough to remember it at a lot of NYC parties. Which, to me is bonkers, but just goes to show you. Nothing lasts forever. Carpe that diem y’all.
Oxfam, Simon Pegg & Eclectic Method Team Up To Talk Inequality.
Almost 1/2 of the world’s wealth is now owned by just 1% of the world’s population.
I know, not exactly the subject matter you were expecting on this Thursday morning, but Eclectic Method got about 18,000 people to send in videos of them making songs & dances. It seems that when you give this guy literally days worth of footage, he can make a beat using anything. Hand claps, kazoos, Simon Pegg (not kidding, he’s totally a core part of the backbeat I swear), and a whole lot of jolly good fun seem to be where this tune comes from. Eclectic Method is known for his bonkers mashups and this one is for a great cause. So give it a listen and learn more about Oxfam International & their fight against poverty worldwide.
It’s A Long Journey To The Top. Get To Work.
This is a picture of the Beatles in Aldershot, England, in 1961. There were 18 people in the crowd. 18. In case you don’t believe me, there’s a picture below to provide further context. That’s right ladies & gentlemen. This is pre-Ringo, pre-Sullivan, pre-everything. Everyone, even the best, start somewhere. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. It’s a new week, what plans do you have for making your life/art better?
ENFERNO’s Live Mix Of 3005 Needs Gambino’s Attention
ENFERNO, master of the live mix, dropped a gorgeous rework of 3005, one of the ill joints from Childish Gambino. This guy has been making “press play” DJs look awful for years now, and he’s no stranger to hip hop. The future bass edition of 3005 needs to be featured in a live show as soon as possible. The live edition shows just how much it takes to really make some of the music we’ve come to expect, but right in front of your face. You can score a free download of the track over at Audiomack, so there’s even that going for it. Really, what’s not to like? Hat tip to Vman from Fresh New Tracks for this tip, as always.
Someone At Starbucks Loves Notorious.
Mo Money, Mo Lattes. Wait, that’s not how it goes…
5 UK Drum & Bass Tracks That Need To Be In Your Life.
I got bored and decided to piece together a little pack of Drum & Bass tunes that you may not have heard before. If you haven’t, you’re definitely in for a treat, because these liquid, melodic & deep dnb anthems are exactly what you need to get you through the week.
First up, Etherwood reworking a Jakwob piece. Both UK producers & maestros, the smooth, almost Eastern vibe pushes into your awareness slowly. Debuted first on Annie Mac, this silky ethereal vibe
Fred V & Grafix do stellar work out of Hospital Records, but this remix of my favorite Netsky track from 2014 is an absolute gem. Running Low ft. Beath Ditto is a crucial track for any of the distressed party people we all know, with Fred V & Grafix bringing a symphonic feel to the original that I bet even Netsky didn’t see coming.
If you’ve not heard this before, or the words “Strife II” don’t ring a bell, stop what you’re doing and listen to this. Right now. It’s got some of the most powerful composition & production I’ve ever heard from a producer. This kid needs a label to discover him and it needs to happen yesterday. This track is a frisson-inducing tear jerker that would reduce dancefloors to quivering piles of feels. I would pay good money to see this live and I hope it happens
This was on my October 2014 Soundcloud playlist and if you missed it, change that. The heaviness is powerful, but it keeps the energy up surprisingly well.
Keeno is the crown prince of Hospital Records, and with tracks like this, it’s easy to see why. The effortlessness that seeps into every aspect of his production is readily apparent in this track. It’s got the vocal pop that it needs to hopefully even get some radio play in places that actually play drum & bass on the radio. This American is going to go sulk now.
I Literally Can’t With Literally I Can’t, The New Lil Jon Video. Is Frat EDM A Genre Yet?
When it comes to criticism of the dance music community, a lot of it is off base, and I don’t agree with the vast majority of it. However, LMFAO alum Redfoo, Lil Jon & Enertia McFly got some DJs (Play-N-Skillz) and created a tight 4 minute explanation of everything that is wrong with EDM/Party culture. The track fuses misogynist lyrics with a butt-ton of questionable consent & substance use practices, and that’s the most politically kind way I can describe it. It’s as if someone dropped the girls from #Selfie into a Steve Aoki show outside of the VIP. Except worse, because it’s at STFU, a “frat” where people are breakdancing with beer bongs and there’s inflatable pool wrestling going on. While I understand large swaths of the country think that this is essentially the apex of party, can we not?
At what point does propagating a culture of binge drinking, combined with drug use, become complicit? I’m not saying these people are responsible for any stupid decisions, but I get really tired of watching people idolize crunk, then be confused as to why they’re so fucked up they did something stupid that has big boy consequences. Do I think this kind of party exists at colleges all across the country? Yes. Is that their right? Surely. Are there probably thousands of consent violations and bad drug experiences because of it? You know, I hope not, but I can’t be confident about that.
Terry Gotham 