Bananas may call this the “version for those who like less singing,” and as much as that’s true, it’s more like the version that picks the best vocal parts in ‘Adorn.’ Miguel’s voice is undoubtedly powerful in more ways than one, but Sammy Bananas’ “Adlib Dub” highlights the best of it. He can really hit those notes at times.
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I hardly ever fall in love from the first go, but Malinchak’s ‘So Good To Me’ hit right from the start. It’s one of those tracks you know will stick by you for the rest of your life (yea, it’s that good).
‘So Good to Me’ starts off slow, but keeps you intrigued until the heart of it all. Once the vocals kick in, however, it’s full flavored bliss. Although it’s hard for me to describe exactly what makes this so special, it’s quite clear to see once you listen in.
Make sure to check out the rest of his music as well and let me know what you think. I won’t listen to anything else of his until I’m sure sick of this (it’s gonna be awhile), it’s just something I do.
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Catching Flies lays out for us a four-track EP, titled The Stars, and my is it electro mastery. Vocal manipulation is almost becoming a necessity for my ears and I haven’t heard such fine manips since Madeux or TIP. Catching Flies borrows from a few fine vocalists for all four songs – Coldplay, Bajka, Mt. Wolf & the last which I couldn’t find credits for (credit your samples, people). In the end, some tripworthy tracks that’ll definitely be in my next beats to blaze to edition.
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Here’s a demo we got ahold of recently, but which actually leaked late 2011. ‘Scared of Beautiful’ houses Frank’s always straight-forward, heartfelt words. Production is provided by Midi Mafia and holds well with Frank’s vocals.
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No one loves Chris Brown or when vocals are sped up to Chipmunk status, but they’re on this today and don’t you goddamn complain about it. Whether or not he’s been one of the biggest fuck ups in celebritism, Chris Brown’s voice sounds soulful even when sped up to near Chipmunk levels. Cleindl takes Brown’s vocals from ‘Yo’ & transforms them with hypnotic soul into depths Brown’s pop persona could never reach.
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I think I’ve narrowed it down to two things that I like so much about Two Inch Punch. One’s pretty straightforward, while the other’s not so clear just yet.
My first experience with TIP was his remix of Birdy’s ‘People Help the People,’ manipulating her vocals with a varied charm. TIP always pulls off the chop & skew with any vocals, harmonizing ’em at just the right moment.
The other thing I like so much about T.I.P deals with his experimental productions. It’s not only his hand in pushing this progressive style of electro soul or “lovestep” forward, but the whims he goes off in. Try out ‘BrokKen’ and see if you can hear it for yourself, it’s a bit of nonsense at first, but you’ll warm up to it quite quick.
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Oren Lyons’ first single, ‘Forever Found,’ starts off as a pleasant orchestral piece, but doesn’t get to its glory quite yet. Kristianne Bautista’s vocals may not come off that heavy at first, but once she builds on it, her power soars along the way.
One thing I did notice needing some fine tuning was its production. I felt at times like the quality was degraded, and even though this could just be my attempt at trying to find something to criticize (or maybe just my speakers), it’s been stuck in the back of my head since the very first listen.
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Running through Channel Orange over, I can’t stop going back to ‘Lost.’ I mean, I connect with a few of the others, mostly which were already released, but I just can’t get away from that melody in ‘Lost.’ The lyrics haven’t really hit me like a few of his others have, but I’m never one to look into lyrics all that much – ’cause usually when I do, some ass has to correct me, and usually they’re right. Or it could be the words and I just don’t know it, yet. Wish I could get a little more lost in life, physically – got the mental down.
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‘Sweet LIFE’ is the latest single off Frank O’s Channel Orange. Co-produced by Pharrell Williams, ‘Sweet LIFE’ changes gears from his last single, ‘Pyramids,’ with a simply smooth, jazzy vibe. Frank lays down those ever lucid lines and reminisces about high society’s secluded life of luxury. Effortlessly lovely as always, Frank.
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Ever since I started up Silence, I’ve always wanted to discover the next big thing in R&B, mainly because of my disliking for its mainstream counterpart over the past few decades. The problem with finding this underground soul that’s about to reinvent R&B is that they’re not easy to dig up online, but I managed to do it, eventually.
I got my first taste of neo soul, or so I liked to call it, when I heard the super-group out of Minneapolis, Gayngs, play ‘The Gaudy Side of Town.’ The group gained a decent following, but never enough to start a movement, even in light of all the names behind the project. Six months later, however, a duo out of Toronto created one soulful tune that set the spark for soul & R&B’s reunion, their name was The Weekend […]
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