I've really been feeling the work released on Numbers by artist SOPHIE. Numbers is a club & record label, ran by a group of house // electronic DJs including Jackmaster. It has dropped a couple of songs with SOPHIE which are blowing up in numerous mixes.
The production is very broad. The song "EEEHHH/Nothing More To Say" has a poppy and upbeat feel, where in contrast the track titled "Elle" - released on Numbers, is darker with Hip-Hop at the core. Whatever your fancy, SOPHIE brings heat with every release to date. A personal favourite in my iTunes at the moment, and I'm looking to go to a live set in the future. I have linked a couple of mentioned tracks below. Check out more if you haven't already on SoundCloud.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Nas :: Illmatic
For this post I thought i'd focus on Illmatic, my favourite Hip-Hop album. As i'm typing this up I have Illmatic playing in the background. It's hard to believe this album is nearly 20 years old, and nothing reminds you of that more than the album artwork of Nas as a kid, fading into a street in Queensbridge, New York. Most people reading this will probably know Illmatic is Nas' first and, arguably his illest record. It's even coveted in the industry as, 'one of the best hip-hop albums ever'.
In my opinion, Illmatic sums up urban life in NYC during the 80-90s. Hailing from Queensbridge, Nas incorporates the struggle of making something of yourself in the concrete jungle that is New York. The realness which he expresses in the record is flawless, and in a wise & fitting way. From the lyrics, to the album's structure, to the artwork... Illmatic is the perfect hip-hop album, which covers all dynamics.
Even though I don't dislike a song on the album, I do have my favourites. "N.Y State of Mind" // "Memory Lane" // "The World is Yours", are three of the stand out songs for myself.
"N.Y State of Mind" comes forcefully into the album after the intro. Nas lets us know he's not messing about through some hard hitting lyrics. 'I'm like Scarface sniffin' cocaine. Holding an M-16, see with the pen i'm extreme, now. Bullet holes left in my peepholes, i'm suited up in street clothes. Hand me a nine and i'll defeat foes'. This is wrapped up nicely in a DJ Premier beat, - see my previous post for the admiration & thoughts I have on Gang Starr & East coast hip-hop.
Other favourites are, "Memory lane" & "The World is Yours". Both are more subtle beats, but still feature strong lyricism - 'Suede Timb's on my feet, makes my cypher, complete'. Presenting the culture of Queensbridge to the audience. Illmatic is a musical treasure, and an album best used to educate people on hip-hop.
Below is the track "The World is Yours", listen out for that Timb's reference.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Top 5 Tracks :: So Far This Year
Here are my favourite top 5 tracks so far this year, as a countdown. It was pretty hard, and even now i'm unsure of my choices... I haven't included any of the stuff i've previously posted about, to mix it up a bit.
No. 5:
So the first song in my Top 5 is 'Wanna Party' by Future Brown featuring Chicago rapper Tink. Future Brown is a project by an array of dark & mystical hip-hop producers: Fatima Al Qadiri, Asma Maroof & Daniel Pineda. I'm a big fan of Fatima Al Qadiri's work, she has produced some massive tracks such as 'Hydra' & 'Ghost Raid', which led me to find this joint project, and this banger.
No. 4:
RL Grime's 'Because of U' was only released this week, and was a large factor in writing a top 5 post, as I instantly knew it has to go in there. I love his previous work such as 'Art Money', and this offers a slightly different vibe. 'Because of U' is a beautiful tune.
No. 3:
I am such a big fan of Mount Kimbie, so I had to put them in there somewhere. This year they released 'Cold Spring Fault Less Youth', and to be honest I could have chosen any song from this album - in particular the collaborations with King Krule. But instead I chose 'Home Recording', an extremely laid back and chilled tune.
No. 2:
I first heard this song in a Boiler Room set, and had to listen to it properly outside a mix. An instant favourite of mine, and I've been listening to a lot more of this Swedish nutter. 'Solarflare' is another favourite, check it out if you haven't. 'Gatorade' edges it out in this case, to go in at number 2.
No. 1:
Not overreacting or anything, but this song in my view is a masterpiece. Slow disco & r'n'b vibes all over the place. I'm one of those people who prefer Drake's singing voice to his rapping voice, and the argument for that is best seen in this track. I'd probably just edge this as my favourite so far this year.
No. 5:
So the first song in my Top 5 is 'Wanna Party' by Future Brown featuring Chicago rapper Tink. Future Brown is a project by an array of dark & mystical hip-hop producers: Fatima Al Qadiri, Asma Maroof & Daniel Pineda. I'm a big fan of Fatima Al Qadiri's work, she has produced some massive tracks such as 'Hydra' & 'Ghost Raid', which led me to find this joint project, and this banger.
No. 4:
RL Grime's 'Because of U' was only released this week, and was a large factor in writing a top 5 post, as I instantly knew it has to go in there. I love his previous work such as 'Art Money', and this offers a slightly different vibe. 'Because of U' is a beautiful tune.
No. 3:
I am such a big fan of Mount Kimbie, so I had to put them in there somewhere. This year they released 'Cold Spring Fault Less Youth', and to be honest I could have chosen any song from this album - in particular the collaborations with King Krule. But instead I chose 'Home Recording', an extremely laid back and chilled tune.
No. 2:
I first heard this song in a Boiler Room set, and had to listen to it properly outside a mix. An instant favourite of mine, and I've been listening to a lot more of this Swedish nutter. 'Solarflare' is another favourite, check it out if you haven't. 'Gatorade' edges it out in this case, to go in at number 2.
No. 1:
Not overreacting or anything, but this song in my view is a masterpiece. Slow disco & r'n'b vibes all over the place. I'm one of those people who prefer Drake's singing voice to his rapping voice, and the argument for that is best seen in this track. I'd probably just edge this as my favourite so far this year.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Pusha T :: My Name Is My Name
I've been a fan of Pusha T since his Clipse days, and the work he's been rolling out on GOOD Music is some of my favourite in hip-hop at the moment - I said this in my Big Sean post a while back. I was going to review Big Sean's new album, but it just seemed all over the place. It did have some jams on it though.
'My Name Is My Name' is Pusha's solo debut album, and after giving it a few listens over the past week I thought i'd share my thoughts. The first half of the album stands out to me the most. Powerful grimey beats, with heavy bars by Pusha. 'King Push', 'Numbers On The Board' and 'Sweet Serenade', will probably be my three most go to songs from the album - these are all on point, and classic Pusha. The beats turn more mellow around the midway point. Still some good songs, but I prefer Pusha forcing his voice through so us listeners can hear what he's saying whilst reflecting the beat. Overall I really like the album, and it was definitely worth the wait.
I'm seeing him live next month at The Warehouse Project, in Manchester for 'Disclosure Presents'. He's the act that i'm most looking forward to seeing that night, and that's out of a strong lineup. Check the album out as it's one of the most anticipated this year from the world of hip-hop. The video for 'King Push', possibly my favourite from the album, is linked below...
Friday, September 27, 2013
Grand Theft Auto 5 :: Soundtrack
So I haven't posted in a while and thought i'd share my opinions on the GTA 5 soundtrack, and later on the overall game. I posted about the GTA franchise soundtrack as a whole a while back, and how it's one of the main aspects I look forward from a new instalment in the series.
Up to the release of this game the music had been leaked and samples from various radio stations in the game were released by Rockstar via their Soundcloud. This got me hyped up especially due to the annoucement of Flylo FM, hosted by Flying Lotus. This is probably my favourite station on the game, due to it's inclusion of new music by artists I admire such as DJ Rashad, Outkast and Hudson Mohawke. All this new music is added to by Tyler, The Creator, Aphex Twins, Shadow Child etc... I have linked the complete playthrough of the station below, which is played on loop during driving around the virtual world in traditional GTA fashion. I recommend you listen if you haven't.
The other stations which have attracted my attention during the build up to the release and throughout playing the game are Non-Stop Pop - which is hosted by Cara Delevingne. This is one of the most 'feel-good' stations with classics by Britney, Mis-Teeq and Hall & Oates. Nothing better than blowing stuff up whilst Wham! or Rihanna plays on the radio haha. A sample of this is below.
Radio Los Santos & West Coast Classics bring the Hip-Hop to the party. RLS features current Hip-Hop by Freddie Gibbs, Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky, whilst the likes of Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg have classic hits on WCC. I have mainly listened to RLS and the two stations mentioned above as i've listened to most of the jams on WCC many a time... Nevertheless it still brings another aspect to this incredible game. Below is another sample of RLS.
Of course, there are many other stations in the game, which will grow on me throughout time. I also like Los Santos Rock Radio & Worldwide FM. Both with some fitting songs to the game's storyline and offering new vibes. These are just my personal favourite stations from the game, but the whole package is amazing. I will probably write my thoughts on the overall game in a bit.
Up to the release of this game the music had been leaked and samples from various radio stations in the game were released by Rockstar via their Soundcloud. This got me hyped up especially due to the annoucement of Flylo FM, hosted by Flying Lotus. This is probably my favourite station on the game, due to it's inclusion of new music by artists I admire such as DJ Rashad, Outkast and Hudson Mohawke. All this new music is added to by Tyler, The Creator, Aphex Twins, Shadow Child etc... I have linked the complete playthrough of the station below, which is played on loop during driving around the virtual world in traditional GTA fashion. I recommend you listen if you haven't.
The other stations which have attracted my attention during the build up to the release and throughout playing the game are Non-Stop Pop - which is hosted by Cara Delevingne. This is one of the most 'feel-good' stations with classics by Britney, Mis-Teeq and Hall & Oates. Nothing better than blowing stuff up whilst Wham! or Rihanna plays on the radio haha. A sample of this is below.
Radio Los Santos & West Coast Classics bring the Hip-Hop to the party. RLS features current Hip-Hop by Freddie Gibbs, Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky, whilst the likes of Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg have classic hits on WCC. I have mainly listened to RLS and the two stations mentioned above as i've listened to most of the jams on WCC many a time... Nevertheless it still brings another aspect to this incredible game. Below is another sample of RLS.
Of course, there are many other stations in the game, which will grow on me throughout time. I also like Los Santos Rock Radio & Worldwide FM. Both with some fitting songs to the game's storyline and offering new vibes. These are just my personal favourite stations from the game, but the whole package is amazing. I will probably write my thoughts on the overall game in a bit.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Jacques Greene
I've been a fan of Jacques Greene's remixes and production for quite a while. The two tracks linked below are remixes of Ciara's - 'Sorry' & 'Body Party'. These songs are crisply produced electronic R&B, featuring Ciara's powerful female vocals; something which I have previously mentioned I am a fan of. 'Sorry' is the more chilled track, and builds up in the middle. Whereas 'Body Party' is heavier throughout.
These remixes of contemporary R&B create a shiny end product. Stretching beyond the Ciara remixes, Jacques has also remixed Kelly Rowland's 'Motivation', along with others. 'Motivation' is similar in style to these Ciara remixes, with a poppy beat. Additional collaborations with Koreless & How To Dress Well are other projects he has worked on, as well as Autre Ne Veut's 'Play by Play'. I recommend you check all these out if you haven't already.
These remixes of contemporary R&B create a shiny end product. Stretching beyond the Ciara remixes, Jacques has also remixed Kelly Rowland's 'Motivation', along with others. 'Motivation' is similar in style to these Ciara remixes, with a poppy beat. Additional collaborations with Koreless & How To Dress Well are other projects he has worked on, as well as Autre Ne Veut's 'Play by Play'. I recommend you check all these out if you haven't already.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Nardwuar the Human Serviette
Nardwuar is a celebrity interviewer, for those who don't know. He has a wide selection of videos on Youtube, where he interviews numerous artists from an array of genres. I've been watching his interviews a lot over the past couple of years, and was originally hooked from the interview he did with Pharrell & N.E.R.D, in 2008.
He pulls out rare & unknown facts to the artist he's interviewing, and gifts them with work that have influenced them, making him unique is his own right. Following on from the success of his Youtube channel, Nardwuar has been working with Pharrell on his new channel, 'I Am Other'; gaining him more exposure & hook ups. Over the two channels, he posts these in-depth interviews that average 10 minutes, and gain extra information on the personality.
His unique interview style, and individual artist knowledge have made him one of the most respected out there, and I suggest you check out his work. He is bound to have met up with the majority of your favourite artists. His most recent interview is with Hudson Mohawke, member of TNGHT & producer for Kanye West, where Hudmo is looking pretty blazed haha. However, I have linked the most famous interview he did with N.E.R.D and Pharrell below.
He pulls out rare & unknown facts to the artist he's interviewing, and gifts them with work that have influenced them, making him unique is his own right. Following on from the success of his Youtube channel, Nardwuar has been working with Pharrell on his new channel, 'I Am Other'; gaining him more exposure & hook ups. Over the two channels, he posts these in-depth interviews that average 10 minutes, and gain extra information on the personality.
His unique interview style, and individual artist knowledge have made him one of the most respected out there, and I suggest you check out his work. He is bound to have met up with the majority of your favourite artists. His most recent interview is with Hudson Mohawke, member of TNGHT & producer for Kanye West, where Hudmo is looking pretty blazed haha. However, I have linked the most famous interview he did with N.E.R.D and Pharrell below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)