Category Archives: Of

Album of RIGHT NOW: Chrono Jigga by “2 Mello”

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Anyone who was anyone in 2004 remembers The Grey Album, heralding the birth of legit mash-up culture and solidifying DJ Dangermouse’s up-and-coming don’t give  fuck status. The playful beats and chords mixed wonderfully and created a laudable success. If you’ve never heard of this stuff, imagine if you saw this randomly 9 years ago.

Various mashup projects with the Black Album, with varying levels of success. The Linkin Park one came close to topping the Grey Album and then it all kind of petered out. Until now that is. This remix project is fantastic. The melodies are used excellently, the samples are dropped at just the right time and the project is neat and pay-what-you-can. Exactly what a hit should be, and I encourage you to toss a few bucks into the tip jar if you ever played the game or rocked the album. It’s worth it to reward people taking cool cross-boundary risks, plus hell, you probably spent more than that on corn you didn’t even want to day 😀

EP of the Week: DJ RoboRob’s “An Aria Electronic” – Old Hedgy Times Review

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(This is a review I did for the second issue of the Old Hedgy Times, which can be acquired here http://www.amazon.com/Hedgy-Times-Issue-Magazine-ebook/dp/B00BMWNDA4. They may or may not want me to write for them regularly, so show them some love so they’ll think I’m cool! http://oldtimeyhedgehog.com)

A bandcamp link landed in my inbox with the forwarding information of “I’d spin this.” Knowing my editor’s superior taste, I grabbed it, expecting some fun, up-beat chiptune. Instead, I got a reminder that chiptune can be anything, including modern, relevant and awesome. I’ve started calling the genre it approximates “Swedish Chip Mafia.” There is an almost commercial house sound to the beats that, weirdly, isn’t a bad thing. This flexibility in the chords and beats chosen gave me a heavy dose of “oh right…you can do everything with Chiptune if you try hard enough.”

“Alive Again” needs to be remixed by Sebastian Ingrosso, or slipped into one of David Guetta’s not-live sets. There’s enough good deep notes of big room in the track that it should instantly remind everyone who thinks of commercial house as simplistic, that yes, not only is it is simplistic, but it’s so simplistic that it can be run in chiptune format. The elements that are at the base of the tracks on this EP are solid and they make for a surprisingly effective dance floor I’d wager, especially if mixed in with non-chip tracks.

“The Mothersound” is a ridiculously named track that satisfies ridiculously. It’s priceless in  what it attempts & how it succeeds.  1:10 in, any fears that DJ Roborob can’t supply the tug and pull of an over the top mega-club vibe disintegrate. The crashing beats and the chippy groove give it some muscle and I’d love to hear this on some serious speakers. “Clockwork”  is where my label of Swedish Chip Mafia came from. There’s just something to hearing progressive, anthemic house being dropped using an 8/16bit beat/sound structure. There is this “I’ve heard this at a big room show” feel to the track that is inescapable, especially at around 2:15. And the chip sample usage is poignant and super-effective!

“Delectro” breaks down into this super-fun little groove 90 seconds in that will get you dancing. Around your house, on the subway, in your chair at work, the location doesn’t matter. A delightful synthy sonata that gets at the core of what some of the melodies we’re dancing to at mega clubs are about. “Paragon” features a second contributor, First Touch, and I applaud the collab. The track starts a bit more punchy & traditionally chip-tuney . And at 2:50, you’re flung into a realm of old school rave, which, for a lot of us, is the last time we heard chiptune dropped anywhere with more than fifty people at it. There is this victorious nature to the chord progression that just makes you want to rock it out.

“Plug ‘n Play” (with vocal work by SuperPowerless I assume) closes out the EP in an almost pop-punky way, bringing the chippy goodness to a close. There’s a distinct “Robot Rock” feel to the set of tracks, as it seems to be a core of deeply synthesized work that can be consumed on its own or layered in delightful additional goodness. My editor was right. I’d spin it too.

http://djroborob.bandcamp.com/album/an-aria-electronic

Mix of the Week NYC – Good Times by JustDan (Studio Mix)

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I could not be happier to post this mix. This was done by an exceptionally good friend of mine who is finally getting the exposure he deserves. He prepped this mix originally for a party that was thrown in late Feb. somewhere in Brooklyn, and it was definitely a whole boatload of Good Times.

The set is a full hour of classic liquid drum & bass, mixed expertly. Dan has some of the best track choices around and the set reflects both an ambitiousness and a competence that we don’t see much very often. It flows from track to track, pulling through a stupid number of tracks by the time the hour is up. The list includes the who’s who of liquid D&B, from old stalwarts like Danny Byrd, London Elektricity & Deekline to new kids on the street like Moti, Camo & Krooked and nu:tone. Put it into yo face. You’ll thank me.

Tracks of the Month: February 2013

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Coming at you again with another 25 tracks that dropped in the last month, I think you’re going to like the collection I’ve put together here. A bit more trance heavy than last month, which is always a plus for the trance people out there, some really deep dubby stuff, a few chilled out tunes,  a track off that sick Arkasia EP I raved about a week ago, a track by Flexstyle that can only be described as Trance-Hop and a few choice tunes from MixMag, who has been killing it lately when it comes to their Soundcloud stream.

Also at the end is my favorite mix of the month, the magnificent Luvstep IV done by Flufftronix & Dirty South Joe. It’s one of my most favorite mixes of the year, and if you don’t know it, get at it 😀

Get at them and post up your favorites in the comments!

Mix of the Week: Rudimental’s Live DJ set on Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1 24.2.13)

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This week, I am delighted to bring you this amazing new mix that Annie Mac delivered up to us this Sunday past. If you don’t know who Rudimental is, you should peep the November Earworm of the Month & some of the better D&B shout outs coming out of the UK (If you don’t know who Annie Mac is, you should…buy headphones for the first time. I’m not sure how you can listen to EDM and not have an awareness of Annie Mac & her importance to the world-wide dance scene.). Rudimental showed up and dropped this 26min mix for BBC Radio 1 and it’s just a delightful little bite of what we can be expecting from quality artists this summer.

The mix is only 9 tracks long, and only features 3 Rudimental tracks. This is a perfect example of what the US has never experienced when it comes to the proliferation of EDM culture and really has only gotten experienced by Americans at good after-parties and the unicorn of all sets.  This being the early-career live-mix by the talent, as opposed to some pre-generated track-list that never get recorded and just exist to blow the minds of people who heard them. The stoop-side freestyles of MCA & the Beasties, early underground shit that Eminem dropped, sets that the two guys that went on to become Daft Punk did before they turned into robots, these are just a few examples of “if you weren’t there, you missed it” shows. This is one of those sets that, if/when Rudimental blows up, you’ll be able to point to a moment and go “wow, they used to be new at this.” It feels so real. It’s not a studio mix, but that’s what’s fun. There’s an intoxicated “this is a party” feel to it. In addition to the surprising Harlem Shake drop. I wasn’t aware it was a dance floor standard, but it works quite well, and I’m starting to understand why there are approximately 451,000 Harlem Shake youtube videos.

The mix moves along pretty well with a breakdown for bassy/grindy goodness at a few points, but then we get a special treat. A live studio performance of I know is going to be a massive track “Waiting All Night” ft. Ella Eyre . I’ve not heard a live studio performance of a track since the last time I paid for one. A fantastic way to both get a new track out there, and reward Radio 1 listeners by providing them with something they’ll probably never hear again. The single is below, the mix is above. Listen to both and understand the difference between live & mastered 😀

Earworm of the Month: “Empty Space” by xKore (ft. Ooo)

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As February the month of birthday, heart-shaped chocolates and gray wintry mix comes to a close, I wanted to drop this tune that I absolutely cannot get enough of. The track on the label’s page has gotten a paltry number of hits, and it seems the time has not yet come for this sound. However, I could not give any fewer fucks.

The track begins majestically but cuts into some choppy wobble immediately, accompanied by some Bjork-y vocals that seem to match strangely. This is one of the increasing number of post-step (yes, I know, but please, go with me here) tracks that have stopped emphasizing the dub-steppy line (that we all know and make fun of), in favor of social justice-oriented/weird physics/confusing radio broadcast vocals in addition to a host of other sounds. This is evocative of the genre putting on big boy pants and realizing that you don’t get to play concerts to 10,000 people on the EDM equivalent of the whammy bar forever. This is also VERY good for listeners. As the song proves at 1:45.

The soaring vocals, the dubby under-current and the ebbing in and out of the track scream soundtrack and the lyrics provide a lovely little double-edged sword. The concept that the human being is 99% empty space is a factual truth on the atomic scale and profoundly depressing or uplifting depending on your mood. Same with the rest of the lyrics. Which, frankly, is great. Because the music will kinda go whichever way you are too. The beat can be menacing or empowering. And this is why I am excited to see what the hell 2013 brings when it comes to the post-Skrillex universe of UK & American Dubstep producers. Shit’s gonna be fun.

EP of the Week: [R]evolution by Arkasia

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I am so glad Arkasia has released something new so I can continue to gush all over the place about how much I love everything he does. This dude’s combination of amazing vocal sample choice, stupendous bass rhythms & epic progressions are not to be trifled with. And yes, I do mean epic. Listen to anything he’s done (especially the two tracks below) and you’ll see why his tunes need to be in the World of Warcraft Live-Action movie.

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Mix of the Week: Mat Zo’s Essential Mix

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If you haven’t heard of Mat Zo, I’m almost jealous of you. A producer that’s had some amazing trance tracks out over the last few years and a solid DJ in his own right, he was invited to put out an Essential Mix finally. What could have been a middle of the road, fun, dancey and upbeat 2 hours, turned into a soaring, inspiring and almost bewilderingly well executed mix. 70 tracks in 2 hours, narrated with quotes from Cosmos by Carl Sagan. Genre after genre of music pushed together with the touch of a master.

Again, this is one of those things I could yammer on about for a while, or, you could just go listen to it. So. Do that. Like. As quickly as you can. You’ll thank me. And Mat Zo. Mostly him, but a little for me too 😀

EP of the Week: Flux Pavilion’s “Blow the Roof”

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I have been a fan of this kid since someone bomped “Internet Connection” in their car for the first time and my head kind of got degaussed. His set at Starscape in 2011 was exactly what it needed to be and I am so glad that he was able to make a splash on this side of the pond.

“OneTwoThree” heralds the return of the massive, wobble-filled bass that we’ve come to expect from Flux. The bounce-y, vaguely gangsterish track leads into “The Scientist” which has more of that goodness but adds a fun vocal track and some triumphant chords which give it a glitchy but anthemic quality. “Blow the Roof” seems almost chip-tune’y in its liberal use of grimy bass and MC-enunciated vocals. It keeps up the energy of the EP while pushing into the even dirtier area of dubstep that seems almost rare these days in a lot of the larger EDM circles, as we are post-Skrillex. Is it welcome in this case however? Absolutely, and it’s an amazing reflection of what a banger should sound like these days.

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Album Review for Old Hedgy Times (Vol. I, 1)

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(This is a piece I wrote for a new online magazine, that’s Kindle-exclusive right now and should be available in more formats soon http://www.amazon.com/Old-Hedgy-Times-Issue-ebook/dp/B00BAWQV2I Good taste, excellent design, tightly edited and while I can’t speak for my own work, the rest of the content is written quite well. Check it out.)

NNNNNNNNNN is a 24 years young chiptune producer that a friend put in my face a few weeks ago. His EP, Cosmic Lovely Lovely, is wonderful, in a misshapen-but-formless, heavy-but-delicate kind of way, if such a way to be wonderful exists. The EP drops right into it with some serious chops in “Johnny Mnemonic.” Besides reminding me of how hard I sucked at video games when I was a kid, is exceptionally well produced and has a rambling beat to it that I think chiptune peeps will love. The beat and the well-arranged chip lines give the track some depth that I didn’t expect, which is always welcome. The main melody is fun and smacks of an unforgiving level of an 8bit game I’ve not played in over adecade. I wish I could remember what it was and perhaps that’s the point.

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