Oh Lana, what the hell to make of ya. She’s got the sexiest voice of the year, but there seems to be something a bit more sinister behind those big red lips. One thing I can say for her is she’s got spunk. Like the only redeeming quality of Nicki Minaj, Lana’s got some character behind that voice, which a lot of vocalists should take note of.
In her latest single to release off of Born to Die, “Off to the Races” seems to be an ode to her neglectful father. A love/hate relationship, she seems to have an Oedipus complex, only the other way around, for her dear old father. With her ‘sad core’ sounds it makes for a heartfelt tale, but one wonders what the real story behind this stereotypical delinquent father/needy daughter sales pitch is (not to be too blunt about it).
[audio:Off-To-Races.mp3|titles=Off to the Races]
To start off our Best of’s for 2011, we went with one of the more obscure lists, duh Ghetto Funk. If you don’t know what ghetto funk is then you better get to knowin it. With a blend of electro funk and bass buzzin wobbles, ghetto funk is the next evolution in the genre.
Our list is filled with ghetto funkers remixing the soulful classics, ranging from Jurassic 5 to Hall & Oates. A few of these are from late 2010, but they didn’t get to go up on our last year’s Ghetto Funk list (because there wasn’t one), and they’re just too damn good not to put up on here. So prepare yoself for a funky good time.
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The Crystal Method got a chance to collaborate with Yelawolf for the movie Reel Steal. I was excited to see the movie before, now I can’t wait to hear the full soundtrack, as well. In the duo’s collab song, “Make Some Noise (Put ’em Up),” Yela sounds a hell of a lot like Zack de la Rock from Rage Against the Machine and The Crystal Method beat isn’t far off either. Whatever it is, I’m lovin em together. Dudes should definitely think about a more legit collab in the future.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/30533423" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18"]
I can rave and rant about how well this Ghetto Funk hits, but I think I’ve set it enough, especially with hip-hop! This time Bobby C “Shuts em Down” with Public Enemy in one of his best ghetto funk remixes, yet. DAMN, does this shit BUMP! (sorry just one more time)
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Kap Slap is one of the most consistent mashers of the year. He takes such mainstreamers & mashes ’em up, fresh as new.
In his latest, “Resurrect Paradise” intros with a lil Busta, but gets into the good stuff with Coldplay’s “Paradise” (Fedde le Grande Remix) and that “You Make Me Feel” chorus that get’s stuck in my head every damn time I listen to it “La La La La La.” And it’s all backed by Michael Calfan’s “Resurrection” (Axwell’s Re-Cut Club Version), which takes it all to another level.
This couldn’t have come at a better time, just about to get out a Dance Remix Mixtape up in this biatch!
[audio:Resurrect-Paradise.mp3|titles=Resurrect Paradise (Cobra Starship x Axwell x Coldplay)]
This is no epic dubstep remix of “Crave You,” but funkedout electro fits Giselle’s voice quite well. The beat is right on pace with hers and brings a whole new flavor to Flight Facilities’ classic. Props to Michael Brun, Paris FZ & Simo T for getting together and bringing this to light.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/17400749" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18"]
I can imagine the first time I listened to Foster the People, thinking that Mark Foster’s voice was a bit too delicate for my taste. But once you habituate that lovely thang, you realize it’s not the voice, but how he carries it that makes it so.damn.fresh. + those choruses of his are killer!
This time around, we get a remix of “Helena Beat” by YoungLife, which puts a electro-funk twist to these unforgettable chorus lines. Splash in some House and a little demented dubstep at the end and it’ll get you goin at any club.
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With this Halloween themed song (at least it reminds me of it), Engima Dubz takes on Afrojack & Steve Aoki’s “No Beef,” in an allout dubstep grinder. Where it differs from the original is in the infamous drop. Where Afro & Aoki go for the high-pitched dirty bit, moombahton style (anyone got a better descriptor), Engima Dubz take on the hypnotic bass rummmmbles – and it definitely goes with Miss Palmer’s vocals like no other.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/29258082" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18"]
Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to wrack up the vivacious vocals // dirty dubstep combos for year end’s top lists (hint, hint). In this installment, we get Florence’s gazing vocals chopped & slopped by Mr. Wonk. No overstated drops, just beautiful bass buzzin throughout. And great vocals distortion to boot.
[audio:You-Got-Love.mp3|titles=You’ve Got The Love (Mr. Wonk’s Dubstep Mask Mix)]
Last month, I did a tribute to 31 great producers I’ve come across on SoundCloud in a series I dubbed SoundKlout. It was mostly just to pump out a shitload of good music, but I also wanted to engage more with the SoundCloud community and immerse myself in its user experience.
While searching for the 31 SoundKlouters, and about a year’s worth before that, I’ve noticed that most producers sample & remix other works or produce everything electronically. There just isn’t enough legitimate collaborations with vocalists & instrumentalists. One reason is the musicians that make up these genres aren’t all that involved in SoundCloud’s community. Another reason, which may be even more detrimental, is the lack of tools to help these musicians connect, especially across different genres.
So I’m gonna lay out how I can help SoundCloud attract more of these genres through two communities I’m actively involved in, the hip-hop & blogging communities. I’ll take care of how they can improve connecting between musicians in the next article.