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.

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.

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.

R&B // Hip-Hop

So I haven't posted in a while, and I thought i'd carry on from the R&B Classics post I wrote earlier on in the blog with some more of my favourites. Although, this time I will include songs from the mid 2000s which feature hip-hop more predominantly, which are rooted in the smoother beat.

A couple of my favourite songs that fall under this category, are "Slow Jamz" by Twista (Featuring Kanye West & Jamie Foxx) & "Ride Wit U" by G-Unit & Joe. Both flow well lyrically, and feature a catchy beat. Looking back now, at "Slow Jamz", produced by Kanye, shows how his productions from that era to now have changed dramatically. Nowadays his songs are completely different and are a lot more upbeat and powerfully delivered, presenting how far he has developed his production skills over the years. The development can be seen most in "Yeezus". I plan to write my thoughts on this album in another post in the near future.

Like I said in the Classics post, the 1990s & the 2000s presented R&B in a unique light. The hip-hop genre was full of these chilled out songs, just as much as it was with 'gangsta rap'. Causing for a weird yet enjoyable blend. Anyway check em out below.

French Fries

An artist who has been releasing some decent work lately is 'French Fries', from France. After hearing "Hugz", I started to research him, and how he got into music. From scanning various articles about his musical tastes growing up, he seemed to have got into producing music and deejaying through his father being a sound-engineer.

It's clear that his production is influenced by American music // culture. The name of his musical alias, 'French Fries', supports this. His work nowadays has stemmed into a broader musical taste, whilst keeping the hip-hop and house elements at the core.

The unique sound of hip-hop rooted in house, is something I am a fan of, and makes me excited to hear his future releases. I have linked the previews of both "Champagne"& "Hugz" below. These are two of his biggest productions in my opinion.
 

Big Sean

Out of the 'current-crop' of rappers that have been the face of hip-hop in the past few years, Big Sean is one of the best in my eyes. His next album will be dropping next month, and whilst no official track list has been announced, he has released a couple of songs to tease us listeners into what he has got in store. Just yesterday he put the song "Fire", on SoundCloud. I was a fan of this song from my first listen - which is something rare for me, so I thought i'd blog it.

I am really looking forward to his new album, along with the new Pusha T album, "My Name Is My Name"- also scheduled to drop next month. According to the rumoured line up, Pusha is going to feature on Big Sean's album and vice-versa. So hopefully there will be more huge songs featuring their collaboration, such as "Mercy".

I have linked GOOD Music's "Mercy", a well known song featuring Big Sean, and his new song "Fire" below. Two songs which present Big Sean's lyrical versatility, on very different beats.
 

   

Legowelt

Dutch electronic producer Legowelt has produced an array of songs & remixes that i've really been feeling recently. I thought i'd share my thoughts on his work and mention a couple of song's that i've been listening to a lot, and why.

After stumbling across his SoundCloud and really liking what I heard, I carried out a bit of research on his past work, and listened to the various mixes he has done on his website. To my knowledge he's been producing for a fair amount of time as Legowelt, as well as under many aliases. I found he's been getting more exposure over here through mentions by UK DJs, as well as showing up for the Boiler Room & mixing for Rinse FM.

One of his stand out piece of work is the Memphis rap tapes series, which is complied from old rap tapes. These along with his futuristic techno house remixes & productions make him one of my favourite producers out there at the moment.

I have added two of my favourite songs from his board collection to this post below, "Azurian Sunset", and the remix of Chrissy Murderbot's "Friendship". Both have the same techno // house vibe, and feature silky and easy listening beats. As well as establishing an intense atmosphere. I for sure, still have a lot of listening to do to understand more about Legowelt, and look forward to doing so.