When I first heard that pioneer of bass Stephan Jacobs was putting together a remix album of Mad Era and In the Vortex I was beyond stoked; those two EPs bring back some of my favorite music memories of 2011. Then when I saw the list of producers behind the remixes I became even more pumped! The compilation includes banger tracks from the likes of Mr. Bill, jOBOT, Freddy Todd, Psymbionic, Ruff Hauser, Jupit3r, Knowa Knowone, and more. The album did not disappoint – these remixes are hot and I will definitely be bangin’ them in my headphones for quite a while. I have been following Stephan Jacobs’ music for years and it is a pleasure to hear some of my other favorites throw a spin on his already excellent tunes. The 12-track album starts off with a bang with One4All’s remix of Tatter which is also my favorite of the release. It’s upbeat, catchy, and melodious with just the right amount of bass, providing every component necessary for a memorable track. Another favorite is ChrisB.’s remix of Izzo feat. Smash LeFunk… it has some very nice brass instrumentals paired with crunk samples and a nice steady beat. Although I haven’t heard much about Dubvirus, I also found his remix to pop out to me; it’s beautiful in an odd and heavy way. Stephan Jacobs certainly provided an expressive and agreeable canvas for the remixers to work with!
Seeing Stephan live is an awe-inspiring experience that I recommend to all. His set at Lightning in a Bottle 2011 was legendary and I would say one of the best of the entire weekend. He also crushed it at SnowGlobe 2011. He has never let me down during a live set; his contagious energy and sincere passion for bass music are undeniable and compelling. He will be playing at SnowBall in CO in the beginning of March so be sure to catch him play if you’re there! I know that he is a huge influence on many other electronic musicians as he is a master of his craft, and I’m always looking forward to hearing more from the man!
Thriftworks (Jake Atlas) may be the most underrated producer these days. Given the bona fide quality of his production, not enough people know who I am talking about when I bring his name up. His newest release, Rainmaker, encompasses the perfect combination of eclectic sounds with stunning harmony and satisfying bass. It is my, and a few others’ who I have discussed the matter with, favorite bass album of 2012 thus far. I have no qualms listening to it all the way through and soaking up every second of it; the name is fitting as the album is perfect for a chill rainy day. Infiltrated with gorgeous strings, swanky bass, and some peculiar sounds that I honestly can’t even identify, the 14-track album is thorough and gratifying. Just as I feel myself falling into a state of relaxation the next track will be a gentle pick-me-up. I especially dig Teach Me How To Camelot; it’s more on the glitchy side than the others and I love the assortment of pitches. I have yet to see Thriftworks live but would love to… I hope to catch him at the Naughty Yaught: Valentine’s Day Party in San Francisco that Afro Monk is playing at as well. That looks to be one rockin’ party!
Ever since I heard their pleasant sound on the Bass From Above Volume 1 compilation, I have been tuning into Colorado pair Slim Thugz, comprised of Cody Yozipovic (Frequent C) and Julian Garland (The Candyman). Well Slim Thugz are no more – welcome their new alias, Crushendo! Today they released a dazzling minimix that showcases their project under this new alias; it is a glimpse at their upcoming debut EP, Drop Logic, which will drop on February 15th. The mix, which is up for free download, incorporates a tasteful amalgamation of melodic strings, “intelligent bass”, fresh hip hop samples, and assorted tempos. It starts off with a bang with their collaboration with rhyme master Kruza Kid, who has been featured in a lot of the Mile High Sound Movement guys’ production. The whole mix masterfully blends playful audio delights with a touch of gangsta elements, which I find to be irresistible. I have always loved Frequent C and Candyman’s signature flowy yet upbeat synth patterns; I like that whenever a track of theirs comes on my iPod I know right away who it is and know that I will enjoy it.
Although I did love the old alias I can see why they wanted to change their name; whenever I talked about Slim Thugz, a lot of my friends would be like, “Oh Slim Thug is rapping on Friday?”. No people. Slim ThugZ is playing, who I would rather see live any day to be honest. And I was blessed to see them twice when they came out to the Tahoe area – they absolutely crushed it! I really love the new Crushendo alias and think it is very fitting. Catch them live if you get the chance; they will be playing at the upcoming SnowBall Music Festival in Colorado in March which is sure to be an epic weekend. Check out the minimix below and be sure to grab Crushendo’s Drop Logic EP on February 15th!
Along with the New Year, I wanted to bring somewhat of a twist into the standard electronic approach of the blog. I thus introduce to you Colorado duo Bedrockk, comprised of producer/guitarist/vocalist Dave Marquess and live drummer/percussionist Phil Swain. Dave proclaims their composition style to embrace “a blend of r&b, dubstep, electro blues, and chopped and screwed rap”, and all of the above can undeniably be heard in Bedrockk’s debut album release, Get Born. As a consequence of their wide range of influences, the 12-track album has a lot of unique sounds and moods including swooning vocals, plunging basslines, striking drumbeats, rock-influenced guitar, lounge vibes, and chopped and screwed bits (have you ever even imagined all of that in one album?). Me being me, I personally love the mainly electronic-based tracks such as Streets are Shinin’, in which guitar, soulful vocals, and alluring frequencies intermingle effortlessly. I am also a big fan of Fuzzy Things which has a provocative feel with its incorporation of that deeper-delving yet downtempo bass. I also really enjoy Future Child. Download Get Born for free, you won’t regret it!
Bedrockk’s 1/1/12 debut release also marks the commencement of their record label/artist collective based out of Denver called Dirty//Clean, through which Dave claims they are “striving to push the bar with experimental and yet sexual/danceable music.” They have started off well as the release seems to accomplish just that with its lush sounds to move and groove to! Keep an eye out for Bedrockk – I foresee even more big things coming from them.
It hasn’t been a secret on here that I’ve relocated back to my hometown Miami. Truth is I haven’t really made it a point to tell anyone except my close friends. The music community is so vastly different here and knew I was giving up a lot moving back to this market. It’s not meant to be taken in a negative sense. Unfortunately the music I’ve been playing/pushing doesn’t really have much presence here. We all know the meccas are Colorado & California.
I was lucky enough to discover a market in Texas that allowed me to do what I’ve always wanted to do… Play glitch-hop. I became extremely involved in Texas and turned my life focus on music for the most part. I’d go out every night and actually network/talk to people. I’ve always been shy and moved to Texas only knowing my roommate. Texas was a scary move but once I got there it took me for one of the best rides of my life. I was only in Texas for a year but it feels like I was there for over five years. The amount of talented artist is overwhelming! The festival crowd is full force and plenty of homegrown events.
Now that I’m back in Miami I’ve started an entirely new lifestyle. I know that bass music popularity has reached a new height but it has also left me much to be desired. I don’t want to become that bitter old man complaining non-stop. I’ve decided to put this mix out there to target the Miami audience and nightlife but at the same time tip my hat goodbye to this sort of style. It’s fun, party, dance, and rave out music but truth is I’m burnt out and have been for some time now I’m sure. If you follow me on FB and Twitter you’ll know what I’m talking about. I’m a mid range bass hater. Yes, I admit it.
It’s time to focus on a positive new attitude and something different that will brighten my spirits. 2012 will be the start of many new things. As I said my lifestyle is quite different now. I don’t go out anymore and I’m going back to my anti-social recluse ways. My nights consist of me laying around my dream apartment on the beach listening to chill out lounge music and playing video games. My roots are in trip-hop/downtempo/lounge. I’ve decided to focus on that for 2012 and create a sister site that will built around that vibe. Expect a soft beta launch around Feb 2012.
This doesn’t mean this site will be executed!!! Ed and Tara have been doing an incredible job and I’ll still be writing post but come to understand I won’t be as active. It’s time to expand the market. I’ll still be around at all the events but keep in mind Miami doesn’t offer acts that I’ve been spoiled with while living in Texas. The bass scene is very alive here but it’s very brostep/moombah oriented which truthfully I can’t vibe with. Along with the sister site launch there will be a new weekly event that will be created to support the new movement here. I’m super excited to see how this pans out.
Now about this mix. It was designed on the fly to get you moving and sing along. There are times where I need to get motivated to go out to the club or bar and these tunes get me all hyped. They are mostly top 40 remixes with me giving them an extra umphhh to them and adding my glitches live. It’s been over a month since I’ve played or even mixed since I’ve been so busy with the move. Not to mention like I said I’ve kept myself isolated in Miami so not looking actively to play out. It was fun to rock out in my new studio to this. Anxious to see what the reception of this mix will be.
Emancipator has done it again. Man, Doug never fails to amaze me with his chilled out, unique sounding beats. I love the hip hop vibes that I get from a lot of his tracks – like I can imagine someone throwing down some rhymes over them, and it will sound damn good. His newest single, Elephant Survival, is comprised of a soothing blend of flute notes, a steady flowing beat, and playful vocal incorporation. It is just one of those feel-good songs that give me a feeling of delight; you can tell that he put a lot of soul into producing it. Liquid sunshine baby! Grab Elephant Survival free on his Bandcamp page.
The aura that Emancipator has during his live performances is almost luminous and god-like. He is so composed and you can watch and feel his essence seeping out of his fingertips and into your eardrums. I have seen him quite a few times, but the most memorable that I have seen was his sunrise set at The Bounce Festival 2011. I was in a state of pure bliss. Nothing beats watching the sun come up next to a river in the woods of Northern California with Emancipator and his violinist Ilya – the energy between them was unbelievable. It was the perfect culmination to a night of raging to some more heavy bass sets – it allowed me to reflect on the previous night, as well as look forward to another unbelievable day on the beach of the Feather River. I am so psyched to see him at SnowGlobe again, although I know that nothing can possibly trump my last experience in Emancipator’s presence.
Although it’s not brand new, I also wanted to share with you this inspiring song by Sadistik that Emancipator produced. I guess they are homies because Doug is Sadistik’s driver in the music video (check it out on Youtube!) – I believe that Emancipator produced the entire album. This is what I mean by his beats being prime for hip hop. I love the depth of this, and his voice almost reminds me of one of my all-time favorite rappers, Slug.
Yes, this is a review a few hours after this was released. I haven’t done a review in awhile and figured this would be fun to do after the first listen. I’d like to big up Ben Samples for being the way I found out within the hour. Thanks.
I watched that scroll bar fill up and my heart was pounding hoping that some how he could match or even top House of Balloons. As the top list made by everyone start crawling in for 2011 it’s obvious House of Balloons was one of the biggest releases of the year. If you haven’t heard about The Weeknd yet… GO DO IT. We’ve been two releases deep and this one is the third.
Opening track is something I didn’t expect at all but classy. Montreal begins and it seems like he’s just warming up. The lyrics are on point as usual. He’s definitely putting himself out there. There’s going to be a theme it feels like it. Shits blown up and he knows things are different. It’s pretty gangster and fresh R&B styles. It’s not so much on that grind stuff but it’s got its feel. We continue… Outside. Alright this is starting to warm up real nice. We might have a monster brewing with this guy. Everyone is talking Drake but there’s no question my response is The Weeknd whenever he comes up. I’ve been so bitter at where music has been going in the electronic scene and I’ll proudly wave The Weeknd as the hero of 2011 not Skrillex. You want to know what people say how EDM is on the map now because of everything has happened. Sorry dude the person you should be thanking is The Weeknd. That’s how I feel, straight up. XO / The Host is solid but still waiting for my Wicked Games baby making hit. This is great but not perfect. I know I’m going to jam them because hell House of Balloons becomes something you just hear in your head and want to freshen it up sometimes. The transition of XO / The Host is interesting. It’s pretty extreme. I’m going to chop this track up is what’s on my mind. The tracks starts winding down and ohh boy this is it…. This is what I wanted. Thank you for that massive crossover.
Initiation starts off and you think the whole album is going to go somewhere else. It does but not what you might of expected. I’m started to get a bit worried and questioning myself. This isn’t going as well as I hoped but it’s not bad. Not bad at all but just not hitting the spot for my personal taste. Same Old Song seems like a title I’d lean towards to be what I’m search for on this listen. BINGO. Same Old Song has hit the spot and man it’s perfect for how I’m feeling. Sold. This is the one tune I’d bump. The end of the track is hilarious. It’s Christmas!!! hahaha. The Fall sweeps in as your finish laughing to yourself. Another bump n grind tune?! It resembles a lot of what made us all fall in love with this guys style for. The track is almost over but it shoots off into next level business as it hits half way point. The emotion and rawness is there. This one is another instant classic. What sets this one apart is the closing. Damn. Chop that up son. Man, this one is going to be fun to play live. Makes me want to setup my gear to mess with it. Could he deliver another one? Please keep this vibe. Next delivers. All my doubts have vanished. This release has approval written all over it after this streak of fire. Next is going to be an anthem. Lots of babies will be made to this one. Echoes Of Silence closes this one off this release perfect. This is the sort of music I’m in love with right now. Expect this sorta thing from me when you hear something… beautiful piano work.
The Weeknd you’ve officially done it again. Thank You.
I don’t care what anyone says this is the energy I’ve been waiting for.
The reason I’m so critical and harsh with a lot of things I hear is because there’s music like this being made. Drake’s new release was alright but nothing stood out. This release has a few that you can’t help but go back to and think damn that’s real. Thank you for one of the best Christmas presents sir.
Female vocals take tracks to a whole new level. My true passion is Trip-Hop mainly due to the fact that I melt when I hear solid vocals from a woman. I’ll even go as far as saying that some tracks would never live up to their full potential if wasn’t for the vocals.
Rayne, is one of the few female vocalist that I don’t think you might know about. Truth is the point of this post is specifically to put her on the radar because I was informed that she wasn’t getting credit for her vocals on an upcoming release by June Miller. The track is even the titled track for the release. The music industry has a way of forgetting to mention things in all the mess and decided to put this together.
As far as it goes as what I think I’ll keep quite and not raise my voice. I’ll just let the vocals on this one do the work. Rayne’s vocals are the closest thing I’ve heard to timeless trip-hop that I love on a drum and bass track. The track goes hand in hand with her voice on this one perfectly.
Rayne and I randomly became familiar with each other before I left Miami for Dallas. Over the past year we’ve become close friends and I have to say never have come across such a sweet girl with one of the most incredible personalities out there. She really does give me faith for humanity. Now that I’m back in Miami she shortly left for LA unfortunately. She’s one of those good people that you hate to see people take advantage of because their so nice. I couldn’t believe it when she told me they weren’t putting her name on the track and haven’t responded to any forms of contact. This one is for you. I don’t post much drum & bass but man this is one of those few tracks that just hit the soul and majority of it is because of her stunning vocals.
Sounduo, is the greatest act I know in the Florida region. I can say that with tremendous confidence. I was lucky enough to interview them a few months ago when I lived in Dallas and thrilled to hear of such an act had finally appeared in the Miami area.
Now that I’ve moved back to Miami everyone has been asking me how things are out here. The truth is I knew I was signing my death note for my music career moving out here. The Miami bass scene targets more of the mainstream dubstep fans and not so much of the glitch-hop west coast scene. Don’t get me wrong Miami Dubstep is alive and thriving but it’s quite different from what I’d consider myself part of. The first week-end I was in town I heard about Archnemesis playing a show, which totally blew me away because I had never heard of anyone like Archnemesis coming into town since I left the city. Turns out that Sounduo was opening for them for a few dates in FL. I was thrilled to finally hear and see these guys play live.
WOW. These guys are incredible performers and have their own unique sound which mixes their dub, reggae, and bass roots together into a great package. Zach absolutely crushes it on drums live and Will is behind many controllers playing live keys during many of their songs. They play all originals and can expect them to glitch it up just how we all love and even some massive bass drops. Needless to say I was impressed and consider them one of the best live acts with a drummer in the game.
I’ve had the pleasure of being able to become friends with these guys and man they’re totally legit. They’ve got a lot ahead of them and have a great outlook on everything all around. I’m honored anytime they come over to jam out or play live on my Glitch.fm show. They truly give me hope for the Miami local scene in regards to what I’d consider myself part of. The Archnemesis show showed me some light for this city. There was a super chill crowd and even could pick out about 5-6 Grassroots California hats in the crowd which usually is a good sign.
Overall these are guys you want to keep your eye out for. Their debut release is due out on Made in Glitch which makes me really happy to hear. I assure you everyone who fancies most of the music we post on here will love their upcoming release. Now for the real treat. They contacted me recently that they were working on a tune specifically for the site. It has been awesome getting to know them and playing beside them in my studio and we’ve gotten to discuss what sort of sound I enjoy and am trying to accomplish. The track they send over totally took me by surprise. It’s EPIC. A 7min long tune that sends chills down my body just because after hanging out with them they’ve created something so perfect that fits exactly what I would want to represent Afromonk.com.
I’ll also be working on some new stuff with them in near future, which makes me scream with excitement.
Much love to Will and Zach!
Expect that Made in Glitch release soon!
So first things first – how can you not want to give a listen to a group that calls themselves Robotic Pirate Monkey? This fun trio from Boulder, CO brings the heat in their 4th release, Colors in Disguise. The nine-track album is upbeat, unique, and all-embracing; it provides an easy listening, soundtrack of your life kind of feel. Sprinkled with vibrant melody, tasteful samples, and resonant bass, the dynamic album leaves you with a feeling of bliss and exuberance. I have already been consistently listening to and really digging Rio de Fuego, which they released quite some time ago. The rest of the album is nothing short of brilliant! I love the deepness of Moon on the Man; the pulsating bass had me grooving in my chair at work. I think that Pantone Polygamy might be my favorite overall as I tend to lean towards synthy vivacious tunes.
I caught these guys at Lightning in a Bottle 2010 and have to say I really enjoyed their live set. They seem like the kind of guys you’d want to kick back and crack open a beer or light one up with. I’m also stoked to see them again at SnowGlobe on New Years Eve – if you’re at the festival (which you should be – the lineup is insane), make sure you don’t miss Robotic Pirate Monkey!
Grab Robotic Pirate Monkey’s free new release, Colors in Disguise, here.
Afro Monk
February 2nd by Taradactyl 
Tags: In the Vortex, Mad Era, Mad Era & In the Vortex: Remixed, remixes, Stephan Jacobs
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