Yessir Whatever by Quasimoto (2013)

Kind of Like: Madlib, J Dilla, DOOM

Genres: Hip-hop

Buy: Stones Throw

Preview:

Goddamn you, Stones Throw Records, upping the ante again.  Just when I start thinking we are running out of cool ideas for record packaging, they go and think of something else that's neat.  This LP features a decal that can be pulled off to reveal the innards of Lord Quas.  Oh yeah, and the music is spectacular as usual too.

Listen Here:

A.M. Transmissions by NyE (2012)

Kind of Like: Nujabes, Will Sessions, Flying Lotus
Genres: Electronica, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Ambient
Preview:

This kid from California is only 17 years old, but he is already starting to make some waves with this debut album.  I feel like it can get redundant at times, but that's the ambient influences bleeding through.  Overall, this creates some really chill soundscapes that I can get down with.  He also seems to be experimenting in other areas as well; "Cellular-17" is dangerously close to what I would call dubstep (womp, womp, womp, womp) but fortunately it still fits with the rest of the album.  It is only fitting that this young producer is still finding his comfort zone with the first release, but I think the real challenge will see how he grows and what he ends up making next.

Listen Here:

Best of 2012: Electronica/Hip Hop

Seems like there is a growing number of people that aren't into the whole best of the year list thing.  Personally, I like reflecting on the year and showcasing the best that was offered up.  So, yeah, I am going to do it again this year.  I am going to kick things off with the Electronica/Hip Hop section because it is the shortest list and therefore the least time consuming.  Also, I kind of want to revisit the best of 2011 as well eventually because I think after a year of reflection, things may look a lot different.

Couple stipulations: 1) I try to avoid including bands I directly release material for just to be unbiased (so samplers are excluded), 2) I try to only use material that was posted on here, but sometimes there is stuff that is too good to not include, 3) Some really good albums may not make the list just due to time constraints and I am not familiar enough with them.  Consequentially, 4) there will be far less material represented than last year, seeing that there are about half as many albums featured this year compared to last.

5. Koda Vista by Joywave

That's a dad if I ever saw one.

This little EP is catchy as all get out, and I liked it after one listen.  It is the definition of short and sweet.  Not neccesarily ground breaking but I can't deny the amount of time I have listened to this and the waves of joy that went through me each time.  HUZZAH!

4. BBNG002 by Badbadnotgood

Badbadnotgood surfaced in 2011 with really smart music, and some great throwbacks to the music that influenced them.  Jamming out popular music from a different perspective connected people with their album, and it made our best of list for that year.  They continued with a similar approach on their latest album from this year; they remodeled popular material but had enough original material to confirm how legit they were.  In a lot of ways, this release is the complete opposite of the Joywave release.  Instead of a simple approach, these guys have so much technical skill and thrive off intricate compositions.

3. Until the Quiet Comes by Flying Lotus

There is so much to like about the airy and smooth attitude that FlyLo has in each of his albums.  After watching the short video for "Putty Boy Strut", I was hooked.

2. Opus at the End of Everything by The Flashbulb

My love for Benn Jordan and all of his musical endeavors is pretty well-documented, so it should come as no surprise that his latest made it up here.  The only thing holding this one back for me is the length and amount of ambiance that could be argued is just "filler".  Other than that, this one is a trip.

1. Keys to the Kuffs by JJ Doom

My love for DOOM is also very documented very well.  It's amazing though how much this one has grown on me.  This collaboration between Jneiro Jarel and DOOM didn't impress me right off the bat, but the weird beats grew on me.  DOOM has been kind of surrounded in controversy; the latest is his exile in England.  All of the outside stuff aside, it will be nice to see what he does once he gets settled back home.  Until then, this collaboration is somthing to groove to, which I have been listening to much more lately than when it initially came out.  Not only do you get some classic verses from DOOM, but JJ flexes his skill as a producer of many varieties.

Collections 01 by Teebs (2011)

Kind of Like: Nujabes, Flying Lotus, Air France
Genres: Electronica, Hip Hop
Buy: Discogs
Preview: Grooveshark

Teebs is skateboarder Mtendere Mandowa.  He ended up meeting Flying Lotus and Samiyam at an event, and eventually immersed himself into that style of music.  An achille's injury led him to focus more on music, and he ended up rooming with Flying Lotus and Samiyam.  The  result was some really smooth, intelligent jams.  I have been hooked on his material since it got recommended to me through last.fm.  Think more along the lines of peaceful yet rhythmic music like Nujabes instead of Flying Lotus's more disjunct, aggressive style.

On a more serious note, if you are an american citizen, I really hope you guys take the time to vote.  I know many of us feel very apathetic and insignificant about politics, but even if you don't pick a president, there are still a variety of important state amendments on the ballot that will have an immediate and noticeable effect on you.

Listen Here:

Until the Quiet Comes by Flying Lotus (2012)

Kind of Like: J Dilla, Quasimoto (Madlib), Teebs, Mono/Poly

Genres: Electronica, Hip-hop, Experimental

Buy: Bleep/Warp Records

Preview:

I think that video preview is enough, but the phrase "feat. Thom Yorke" in the track listing should also be pretty convincing.

Listen Here:

Keys to the Kuffs by JJ Doom (2012)

Kind of Like: DOOM, Jneiro Jarel, DangerDoom, MadVillian
Genres: Hip Hop
Preview:

"JJ DOOM, the collaboration between DOOM (formerly MF DOOM) and producer/rapper Jneiro Jarel, are will release their full-length, Key to the Kuffs.... Now, you can hear finally hear what the Damon Albarn collaboration "Bite the Thong" sounds like. (As well as collaborations with Portishead's Beth Gibbons and Goodie Mob's Khujo Goodie, plus a new version of "Retarded Fren", DOOM's collaboration with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood.)"
-Pitchfork.com

For all the generic, garbage hip-hop nowadays, there are still go-to guys like DOOM that make you realize that you just got used to the lingering smell of shit, but it's still shit.  I shouldn't have to write a long thing about this, just give it a few listens.  If you want some really great analysis, here is a great review.  I'm lazy and have homework I should be doing.

Listen Here:

Ohnomite by Oh No (2012)

Kind of Like: Madlib, Black Milk, Raekown
Genres: Hip-hop, Funk, Soul
Buy/Preview: Stones Throw

Talk about a family of musicians.  Oh no's brother is Madlib, his father is Otis Jackson, and his uncle is Jon Faddis.  It's been a bit since I listened to some fresh hip-hop material and this is certainly quenching my thirst for that.

Like Madlib, he was cali-bred, but has since been infusing his west coast funk with east coast techniques; immersing himself into the underground NYC rap scene and working on projects out there.

This album is long and has a long list of quality names: MF Doom, Guilty Simpson, Frank Nitty, etc etc.  This is a good one, folks.

Listen Here:

B.Lewis - Revised Interpretations Vol. 1 [2012]

For Fans Of: Bonobo, Elaquent, Miles Bonny

Genres: Hip-Hop, Beats, Soulful

Websites: Facebook, Bandcamp, Lastfm

Preview: 

You may recall B.Lewis from the Plug Ep post back a few months ago. Revised Interpretations Vol. 1 came out in March, and according to B.Lewis, it features interpretations of some songs he's been intrigued by in the last few months. These are some really solid beats he's got going. He's also doing a project with Miles Bonny, who I'm a huge fan of. You can stream Miles Bonny x B.Lewis here.

Streampad: B.Lewis - Left Disaster

BBNG2 by Badbadnotgood (2012)

Kind of Like: Modern jazz (NOT smooth jazz), awesomeness, The Beastie Boys, Danny Brown
Genres: Electronica, Experimental, Jazz, Hip-hop
Preview:

I featured this great Toronto band's first album last year, and it is something I still listen to quite a bit.  I just found out about this second album, so I am going through it right now.  My testes dropped when I saw this had dropped.  So far, it sounds even better than their first album.  I feel like after the success of their first album they really came into their own for this one.  I tend to throw around the "experimental" tag a big, but these guys are really it.  They did this in true jazz fashion as well; letting the listeners get a look into the jamming/improv process (like the Office, ya know?).

All I can say is "Flashing Lights" cover.  Fuckin' christ, so many good covers/jams on here.  Are these guys touring?  Goddamn, should've gone to Coachella.  They also appear to be coming to the UK, ya damn brits.

Listen Here:

StreamPad: Badbadnotgod - "Flashing Lights"

Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold [2008]

For Fans Of: Murs, Jay Electronica, Slug

Genres: Hip-hop

Spotify: Yip

Preview:

This duo from Minneapolis has been playing routinely on my iPod as of late. Rapper Slug and DJ/producer Ant came out with a couple more albums after the release of When Life Gives You Lemons, but this one will probably always be my favorite of theirs. Basically if you're into good Hip-hop, you'll have a good time listening to this.

Streampad: Atmosphere - Painting

B.Lewis - Plug EP [2011]

For Fans Of: MNDSGn, fLako, Madlib

Genres: Instrumental, Hip-Hop, Soul

Spotify: Facebook

Preview:

This sums up how I feel about this album:

"If Plug EP were a planet, it would have a loosely dub, house, break beat surface that’s absolutely soul to the core. But, of course, it’s not a planet. Instead, it’s an eight-track adventure with synth, electro-piano and hip-hop drum cracks that’ll only sound extraterrestrial."

Streampad: B.Lewis - Cancel That

MF DOOM live video stream today/tonight!

Heads up to you MF Doom, fans.  The one and only (besides his various fake impersonators) will be DJing alongside Dr Who Dat? at the Boiler Room (UK?).  If you aren't able to go to the actual event, you can watch a live video stream of his set at this link.  It starts at 8 PM GMT, which translates to 3 PM EST for people around here.  I think.  I would take this opportunity to try and catch him live, because at least if he doesn't show up, at least you didn't pay for it...or did you?

Also, if you don't like MF Doom (or you do and have a good sense of humor) and want to listen to Aziz Ansari poke fun at him and Dr. Dre, here is a link to brighten your day.

StreamPad: King Geedorah (MF DOOM) - I Wonder (feat. Hassan Chop)

Quasimoto (2000, 2005)

Kind of Like: Madlib, J Dilla, MF DOOM
Genres: Hip-hop, Experimental, Jazz
Preview: Myspace
Spotify: Yes
Buy: Stone's Throw

Taking a quick study break.  Like the new Spotify thing?  I am hoping you guys have hopped onto the Spotify train, it will help you preview/download things a lot faster.

"One day in the studio, Madlib decided to rap to his own beats. He didn’t like the sound of his voice (his friends in Oxnard call him ‘Barry White’ in reference to his deep voice) so decided pitch the vocals up while recording to produce Quasimoto’s distinctive high pitched voice. The debut album was conceived and recorded by Madlib during a week long psilocybin mushroom binge."
-Last.fm

I admittedly, was not aware that Quasimoto was in reality Madlib until yesterday.  I just heard him pop in and out of J Dilla, MF DOOM and...Madlib tracks.  I never took the time to figure out who he was until now.  After I figured it out, I have been listening to his tow albums "The Unseen" and "The Further Adventures of Lord Quas".  The album that is a product of a shroom binge was not lost on mainstream critics when it came out.  SPIN put this release alongside Outkast and Madonna in their best of the year list for 2000.

If you played Tony Hawk Underground, you will probably recognize "Low Class Conspiracy".  Here is the video:

I also really like Jazz Cats Part 1, where Quas goes through all of his jazz artist influences.  And the kermit like voice that is in songs like "Greenery".  Pass it around.

Back to the books.

Listen Here:

Will Sessions (2011)

Kind of Like: Nujabes, The Avalanches, Madlib
Genres: Hip-hop, Funk, Soul, Jazz
Preview:


Whether it be MF Doom, Madlib, J Dilla, or any other really cool vinyl records or reissues coming out, Stone's Throw is usually behind it.  I love their catalog, and whenever I find a good contemporary hip-hop record (or classic reissue) in there, I always see their logo in the corner.

People around Detroit may know Will Sessions as the organizers of the now-staple-of-Detroit-night-life: Funk Night.  It started as random meet ups at abandoned warehouses or swanky mansions that were advertised on facebook for the last friday of every month.  Eventually hundreds showed up every night.  It was great because there was no cover, it was BYOB (or anything for that matter) and there was great live funk bands and djs to dance your ass off to.  The police eventually caught on, and they were usually shut down earlier than expected.  If they weren't shut down, you could bet they kept going well into 5 or 6 in the morning.

They still do Funk Night, but it's at a venue.  So, there usually is a cover charge of 5 dollars (not bad), and you have to buy drinks from the bar and no smoking (bad).  Needless to say, they aren't the same as they used to be.

Now that these guys are legit, they are starting to gain a lot of recognition.  Listening to these albums makes me so proud of Detroit hip-hop artists.  In a world full of autotune and mainstream garbage, these beats, nay, compositions are incredibly intelligent.  Here are two releases that I have been listening to on repeat during my mass studying for my exams in all three classes next week (how convenient, college).

The Elmatic Instrumentals are a collection of beats that would put many bands to shame.  The Real Sessions is a collection of live performances by various Detroit hip-hop artists within the Will Sessions movement: Mayer Hawthorne,  Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, and Phat Kat.  The overall feel of Real Sessions is great, you get that feeling of being at the show, but it is still mixed really well.

Oh yeah, and Megaupload just got shut down by the feds.  The good news is that maybe now legislators will recognize they have the power to shut down sites that host pirated music without idiotic/far-reaching acts like SOPA and PIPA.  The bad news is that I have a feeling all the other sites like mediafire and fileserve will be next.

StreamPad: Will Sessions - One Love

Soulquarians Vol. 1 by D.J. Enjay

Kind of Like: A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Common

Genres: Neo-soul, Hip-hop

Preview: Listen To My Vibe

For some reason I didn't discover this musical collective from the late 90's/early 2000's until just recently, which is pretty lame of me, since it inclues some of my favorite neo-soul and hip-hop artists, such as: Questlove, Common, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Q-Tip, and Talib Kweli. They have produced numerous albums either whole or partially over the years.

A guy by the name of D.J. Enjay, who deems himself a "hip-hop specialist", mixing R&B, new soul, funk, and soul music, put together a Podcast of their most memorable hits - a continuos track that's about an hour and a half long. It's a pretty chill collection. I challenge anyone to listen to it and keep from bobbing their head along to the infectious rhythms. If you like this mix, or even if you just feel like finding some more good hip-hop, it's worth checking out his website here. He has featured artists from Detroit, as well as a tribute mix to A Tribe Called Quest.

Listen Here:

Best of 2011: Electronica/Hip-Hop

Happy Holidays!  So here is how shit's gonna go down.  Right now: Best of 2011 Electronica/Hip-Hop Edition.  Soon after that: Screamo/Hardcore Edition.  Then on the radio show Tuesday will be the big one: Punk/Indie/Emo Edition.  Let's get this started.

10. 

Childish Gambino - "EP"

Read SIGD Feature

Donald Glover has had a pretty amazing year (music-wise, Community got cancelled).  After releasing this EP himself through his website and then doing a comedy/music tour, he skyrocketed into hip-hop community.  He even played this year's Rock the Bells; a huge accomplishment for a hip-hop artist.  I remember when I first heard of this.  His comedy cracked me up, so I had a feeling he would have a sharp tongue in the rap game.  It turned out that he had not only some incredible tongue-in-cheek lines but also a nice set of pipes and good beats.  He went on to release his debut LP "Camp" later on this year, but it didn't really hit me the way this EP did.

9.

Tycho- "Dive"

Read SIGD Feature

This hit this blog a little under a month ago, and although I didn't react to it like it was a big deal initially, it had become something I listen to quite a bit when I am in a relaxed mood.  He is currently touring, and I am really excited to get the live experience next month when he stops around here.  Look to get lost in this one.

8.

The Flashbulb-"Love is a Cold, Dark Hallway"

Read SIGD Feature

The Flashbulb is one of Benn Jordan's many aliases.  With this album he infuses his usual breakcore style with a heavy influence on jazz, and if you read this blog then you know how I have a sweet spot for jazz.  I am currently reading about the history of early jazz, and it is really fascinating.  I guess there was something good that came out of slavery.  Ok, that's horrible.  Anyways, I loved Benn Jordan's approach on this album, and it can be added to a collection of great works by him.

7.

Beastie Boys- "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two"

Read SIGD Feature

When it became clear that this album was going to happen this year, a lot of people were questionable: could the Beastie Boys make a successful comeback?  Although in my eyes this is not one of their best works, the answer for me is yes.  I still watch the half hour long music video that featured a plethora of great actors and comedians.  I think it was a great move by them.  When the album finally did come out, it was bumping in my car for a good while there.

6.

BadBadNotGood- "BBNG"

Read SIGD Feature

This was my introduction to Toronto's BadBadNotGood.  Instead of drawing inspiration from jazz songs for making hip-hop songs, this trio draws inspiration from hip-hop songs (along with many other things like Legend of Zelda, and the Joy Division) for making jazz songs.  This was the second of their two debut albums in 2011, and they have recently been seen on youtube working with Tyler, The Creator.  So, it's a wonder what this band will be up to in this coming year and who else they will collaborate with.

5.

The Roots- "undun"

Read SIGD Feature

This is the latest Roots album that showed the band return to their roots by focusing on struggle and making the best out of situation.  It is a concept album centering around the "semi-fictitious" character, Redford Stephens.  In the album, he is presented with the choice to make something out of himself or turn to a life of money and crime.  He chooses the latter.

4.

Robot Science- "Good Luck"

Read SIGD Feature

I remember the night that I discovered this album, I was about to start an all-nighter in preparation for an exam the next day.  This was on repeat pretty much the whole night.  I found Charlie Yin's chillwave with a 8 bit/Nintendo sentiment incredibly refreshing, and I bopped right along throughout the night.  I don't remember how I did on the test though.  

3. 

Nujabes- "Spiritual State"

Read SIGD Feature

I was first exposed to this artist through somebody that listened to our radio show, and I found out that this had been released very recently.  I featured it on the site, and in the process found out this was a post-humous release from Jun Seba.  This extremely talented Japanese hip-hop producer died in 2010 in a car accident.  Although fans do not consider this is strongest work, it still blows away many other producers and it certainly left an impression on me.

2.

MF DOOM- "Operation: Doomsday" (Remastered)

Read SIGD Feature

Ugh, I know it's not really fair to include this on a best of 2011 because this is a classic that came out 1999, but technically this remaster came out in 2011 and I love it.  Every hip-hop album I pick up lately has been put out by Stones Throw Records and I just want to tell them I love them for their reissues.  I hope that someday I can add this 4 LP set to my collection.  Hopefully sooner rather than later because they are sold out, and they are just going to get more and more expensive on eBay.

1.

Washed Out- "Within and Without"

Read SIGD Feature

At least I do have this one in my collection, along with the limited edition 7 inch.  However, I kinda wish I had known it was in a light blue and light orange option instead of the white one I ended up getting.  Those look a tad better.  This was the debut LP for Ernest Greene's following his acclaimed "Life of Leisure" EP.  When I am looking for something to play on my turntable, I have a tendency to pop this one on quite frequently.  It fits so many moods.  It also wins the award for hottest album cover of 2011.

Spiritual State by Nujabes (2011)

Tech Boner

Kind of Like: The Avalanches, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots
Genres: Hip-hop, Jazz, Electronica

Preview: The Find Mag

"Jun Seba (瀬葉淳) (February 7, 1974-February 26, 2010) was a Japanese hip-hop music producer who recorded under the name Nujabes (new-jah-behz; which is simply his real name spelled backwards). His music is known for a strong cool jazz influence, frequently using samples from artists like Miles Davis and Yusef Lateef. 


He was also an owner of “tribe”, a record store in Shibuya, Tokyo, and led indie record label Hyde-Out Productions. He released two albums in Japan, Metaphorical Music in 2003 and Modal Soul in 2005. He was also a member of the production duo Urbanforest, an experimental collaboration with Nao Tokui (appearing on the Lady Brown 12”)."
-Last.fm

This artist was suggested to be played during our radio show last week, and after looking into him more I saw that this album was just released post-humously as his last album.  Apparently, he passed away in 2010 after being involved in a car accident.  He was only 36 years old.  His use of jazz is great, and I can already tell that he was and will be incredibly influential internationally as a hip-hop producer.  If you know someone or are someone that has a hard time finding beauty and talent in the hip-hop genre, turn off the radio and give this a listen instead.  As someone that loves jazz music and hip-hop, this is a great find.  But if you only enjoy one so far, this may get you into the other genre as well.

Fans of Nujabes were worried with this release.  It was announced shortly after his sudden death that there were still material in the vaults, but as the months turned into years before they were released people began to worry.  Was the material incomplete?  Would the next album be a shitty tribute album?  Were they waiting to find artists to rap over the material?  But most people are buzzing that although this isn't his best work, that even his lesser work puts most artist's best work to shame.  And that this album is getting great reviews helps as well, and has people on it that Nujabes collaborated with for years.

Listen Here:

undun by The Roots (2011)

Kind of Like: Common, Mos Def, De La Soul, Gym Class Heroes

Genres: Hip-hop, Soul

Preview: NPR

Happy December!

When NPR or somebody else is hosting a stream of a new album, you can bet somebody has leaked it one way or another.  I would hope you have at least heard of these guys.  They are the live house band for Jimmy Fallon's late night show.  Which, up until late, was the only reason I liked his show (it's gotten much better).  They are famed for their heavily jazz-influenced sound and live instrumentation.  So far I am digging the first few songs, really intelligent stuff, get at this.

Listen Here: