What the hell’s a Doomtree anyway My guess is it’s got something to do with the Tree of Life, maybe its arch enemy!… maybe not. Doomtree is a collective consisting of a mix of MC’s and DJ/producers from Minneapolis, including Paper Tiger. I’ve been following Doomtree ever since I heard “Flex” – check it, guaranteed like. And now for the second time, one of the group members has created a solo project – Paper Tiger’s Made Like Us.
My first thoughts after listening to Made Like Us was that it’s got some killer beats and vocals, namely Dessa, but why not include some of the MC’s I’ve come to love with Paper Tiger’s beats A recent interview with Paper Tiger at Sunset in the Rearview brought up this very question. Apparently he wanted to go solo on this one and make it all his own. Now the question is if he pulled it off… (I’d say so)
Question: On the last track of the album, “Cigana” has about half a minute of silence in the middle – why is it that on some albums the last track has a silent part towards the middle or at the end The first person who can answer this for me will get entered into the contest we’re holding next month- I really want to know!
[audio:2ndDayBack.mp3,Cigana.mp3|titles=2nd Day Back,Cigana](Download Link in Full Article)
Helllooo, sexy! I haven’t been this titillated by a song since Pretty Lights. Hell, I haven’t been titillated by a song ever… and I’ll try never to be again.
I’ve been listening to Bassnectar for a few months now, but didn’t get into him past the occasional blackout session – he never seemed to sound as good when sober. Well, after coming across these two over the past month, and sober at that, I’m hooked. Both blow me away every time I listen to ’em, wasted or sober. I’ve never wanted to go to a concert so much and get completely obliterated. And Bassnectar plays in Minneapolis on Halloween, could it get any better than that… well, if he played here sooner, but whatever.
So I’m wondering which of the two do you like better I go back and fourth, but the “Massive Attack Remix” is on repeat at the moment.
[audio:MassiveAttackRemix.mp3,MagicalWorld.mp3|titles=Massive Attack Remix,Magical World](Download Link in Full Article)
I’ve been stuck to the television watching Sons of Anarchy all day, so I’m gonna make this quick – gotta finish the second season up!
“Genetic World” sounded like another electro trip hop song, sprinkled with nature sounds, but surprised me about half a minute in. The song sparked something in my head. It’s just one of those songs that hit it right. The bass kicks in and the vocals drop nicely, which brings be to my next point, the lyrics.
I’m known for hearing words in a song that are completely, well, wrong. At first I thought the chorus was in French, saying something like, “Jun-a-tick-twa-t”. After a while I realize it was “genetic world”… sometimes I just don’t know what I’m thinking…
[audio:GeneticWorld.mp3|titles=Genetic World](Download Link in Full Article)
I’ve been a long time fan of the Quannum collective, but never got into Shadow’s work past Entroducing. Recently, the DJ Shadow team contacted me about featuring a new remix project – a compilation of remixes done by Shadow’s fans – so I thought this would be a good chance to check out more of his work… well, kinda…
Initially going through the album, I thought that most of the DJ’s did a decent job at putting their own spin on Shadow’s music, but none really stood out. There’s some that caught my ear but failed to keep my attention.
So I thought I’d turn to you guys. I’ve posted a couple of tracks on here for you to listen to and hopefully give some feedback on. If you want to listen to the full album it’s posted over at solesides. Hopefully we can find the track(s) that carry this album forward. I’ll post my thoughts in the comments below after I get a few more listens in.
[audio:BuildingSteam.mp3,WhatDoesYourSoulLookLike.mp3|titles=Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt (NiT GriT Mix),What Does Your Soul Look Like Part 2 (economics Version)](Download Link in Full Article)
A friend suggested I check out Emancipator’s Soon It Will Be Cold Enough a few months back, but I put it on the back-burner until recently. While browsing my feeds, I came across a song from the album that really hit the spot. Emancipator or Douglas Appling’s chilled-back, trip hop beats are steadily growing on me. I may not be an expert on the trip hop scene, but producers like this are moving me in the right direction.
The song that I mentioned above, as you probably figured out, is First Snow. Like a lot of the music I listen to, this song isn’t just for listening fun but seems to have a deeper meaning (yes, even without words). Another aspect I like about Appling’s music is how he switches up the tone in the middle of the track – a good example is at 3:00 in First Snow – similar to what DJ Frane does. I also found out, when researching the album, that it was mastered by Nujabes, a music legend for his jazzy/hip hop instrumentals. (R.I.P. Nujabes)
Alright, I’m off to listen to his latest album – Safe in the Steep Cliffs. Look this over and give me some input. What do you think the future for trip hop is
[audio:FirstSnow.mp3|titles=First Snow](Download Link in Full Article)
This man is the master of marijuana music. With three full albums on beats to blaze to, a stoner will never go hungry for a good tune to tune out to (that’s fun to say). I’ve featured Frane’s music countless times, and I still can’t get enough of it. Although, each album contains a wondrous story composed of an eclectic set of beats, his final album, Journey to the Planet of Birds, left me awestruck. How this man can pull together such varying beats to create a stunning soundscape is beyond me, but I like it!
I wanted to show off “Nectar for Isis” not because it’s my favorite track, but I think it’s an overall good display of Frane’s talent. The hypnotic vocals slapped on top of a downtempo, trip-hop beat is an eargasm in its own right, but Frane slides in, ever so delicately, a classic piano solo, which tops it off nicely. One thing Frane loves to do is change up the beat in the middle of the piece. The second half of this track was featured in a post I did on Some Cool Ass Ringtones. There’s a few different ringtones to choose from, so if your in need check it out (I’m actually using one myself).
DJ Frane is one of the main reasons we started this site up. Anything he comes out with amazes us each time. If ya wanna here more about him subscribe to our Facebook Page, so you’ll get the updates sent right to ya (and so we know you like us). Enjoy!
[audio:NectarforIsis.mp3|titles=Nectar for Isis](Download Link in Full Article)
This is my final feature of a three parter I’m doing on Pretty Lights’s 2008 album, Filling Up The City Skies. Just to recap, the first was on “Solamente“, which is a cool, downtempo beat; and the second was “Hot Like Sauce“, which is more like this feature, in that it’s something to start the night off with (aka good for a pregame mix). Each of these songs have been a favorite of mine at some point in the last few months, but I’ve come to realize that they’re all good for different situations.
Getting to the specifics on “Finally Moving Remix”: this one, without a doubt, has the best vocals of the three. I did some investigating on who the female voice is and came up with.. nothing, but to be honest, I didn’t put too much effort into it. Whoever she is, she has a remarkable voice, and the ways in which Derek Vincent Smith can doctor it to fit the beat so well can be almost perplexing at times. The man not only finds incredibly talented musicians to sample, but he can butcher their voices into something strangely pleasing to the ear. This original he created back in 2006 may not be as heart-poundingly engaging as this, but it still warrants a listen if you’re into his sound. If y’all want me to post it up then give me a shout out in the comments below, and I’ll see what I can do. I hope y’all enjoy it – you’ll definitely be seeing more of his music manipulations on here in the future.
One other thing, as I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, you can download most of Pretty Lights’s music on their website, and support ’em by purchasing a t-shirt from their store.
[audio:FinallyMovingRemix.mp3|titles=Finally Moving Remix](Download Link in Full Article)
This is the second feature in a three part series, I just decided now that it would be a three parter (here’s the first part). The three parter basically covers my favorites of Pretty Lights. I discovered the group just a couple weeks ago and am already obsessed. This one, apposed to my first post, is a lot more worthy to rock out to, and man does it rock! Derek Vincent Smith is one hell of a DJ – he mixes that shit out of a bunch of samples and comes up with some amazing music. I believe “Hot Like Sauce” has Big Boi of OutKast mixed in there (at around 3:14), but I could be mistaken (I often am). This shit is bumpin, and is definitely rock out worthy while you “go hyphy in this bitch”.
Also, follow us on Twitter, so you’ll know when the next Pretty Lights feature will be! Oh, and as always, tell me what ya think…
[audio:HotLikeSauce.mp3|titles=Hot Like Sauce](Download Link in Full Article)
I was real excited for Bonobo’s new release, Black Sands, but I had one concern – I just discovered Pretty Lights about two days before I got a chance to listen to this, and was completely fanatical about my new find. I really thought they would overshadow Bonobo’s new album ’cause of the addiction I have with new artists (I thrive on novelty). Well, gladly, I was wrong. Bonobo has created one solid album. He’s changed up his sound on some tracks, and I love what he’s come up with…
Bonobo is known for his downtempo, trip-hop style with a lot of classic instrumentals, but in “Kiara” he takes some of these elements into a more hip-hop inspired piece. This is absolutely my favorite track off his new release, and it’s definitely a long time keeper. It’s a perfect beat to bump to in the ride.
Check it out and tell me what you think. The more y’all comment the more i’ll post!
[audio:Kiara.mp3|titles=Kiara](Download Link in Full Article)
Just around this time last year I came across a DJ that would change my life forever! Alright, maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but it’s true. He was one of the main reasons I started this site. In fact, he was the first feature on it. This DJ I am referring to is none other than DJ Frane. Unlike most artists I’ve come across, when I started listening to Frane I couldn’t stop; each song after another was a rich & robust set of samples ranging from hip-hop to rock. I had heard of trip-hop before, but to me this is what defined the genre. After I was familiar with his music, I wondered when (or if) I would ever come across another DJ as gifted & prolific as him. Well, that day has come… I present to you: Derek Vincent Smith’s Pretty Lights…
Scanning over some blogs a friend of mine suggested, I discovered Pretty Lights on a clever & comically titled blog, Aurgasm. I was looking through the site’s hip-hop section when I came across this beaut. It was actually the first post of theirs that I listened to the samples they provided, and let’s just say I’m glad I did. Pretty Lights currently has three LP’s and one EP out, and I have listened to each album… twice! A lot of ’em caught my ear, but only a handful really blew me away, though that number is growing on the daily.
The feature I decided to go with, “Solamente”, was actually not my first choice, but I have a reason for saving the best for later (not gonna explain myself, though). “Solamente” is a comforting dreamscape of a song with a nasty bassline. It, along with the rest of Pretty Light’s works, are freely available on their website, PrettyLightsMusic.com. Check it out, it’s a gorgeous site and there’s free music!
One other thing, if you really want to figure out my next posting of Pretty Light’s, i’ll give you two clues: it’s on the same album & features a beautiful, female R&B voice. If you post it in the comments section, i’ll give you mad props. Enjoy!
[audio:Solamente.mp3|titles=Solamente](Download Link in Full Article)