Afro Monk

Top 5 Best Releases
1.  The Weeknd – House of Ballons
2.  Robot Koch – The Other Side
3. Tycho – Dive
4.  Thriftworks – Zen Zero
5. Tokimonsta – Creature Dreams

The way I came up with the list for this year was thinking to myself which albums did I listen to the most and can think off the top of my head as standing out. The Weeknd has been my obsession and biggest inspiration to my transformation into sexy bump n grid live sets. Tycho makes some of the greatest music to just drive/work too. Dive represents one of those timeless LPs that will never get old and pick me uppers when music seems to get dull. Robot Koch’s The Other Side is one of the most incredible albums that took me away into a dreamland and thought to myself why has no one talked about this release. I listen to it on a daily basis since I got it. Thriftworks is one of my secret weapons when playing to a crowd. Zen Zero is one of the fullest albums out there this year in my opinion. Tokimonsta stole my heart when she released Creature Dreams. I always somewhat enjoyed her music but never LOVED it but she sealed the deal on the Creature Dreams release. These are not as hype or heavy dance floor albums but encompass what I listen to on a regular basis.

Top 5 Best Songs
1. NastyNasty – Sweety Bodies

2. Kastle – Walking Away

3. The Weeknd – Wicked Games

4. Antenitas – Los Bandidos Cosmicos (Nico Luminous Remix)

5. ill-esha – Only Fair (Gladkill remix)

Top 5 Underrated Releases
1. Robot Koch – The Other Side
2. Shigeto – Full Circle Remixes
3. B. Bravo – Kiss ‘n’ Tell
4. Knowa Knowone – Sound Paintings
5. Chris B – Whats Your Fantasy

I mentioned that the Robot Koch album was rarely talked about this year and man did it go under the radar. It’s just beautiful and feel like all of you should take a listen to it. Shigeto is one of my greatest finds last year and the Full Circles release was mind blowing and just when thought it couldn’t get better it did this year with a remix version with some of the most talented in the game. B. Bravo is one of the most listened to artist in my entire library. I’ve been following his work for quite some time now and he doesn’t get enough attention in my book but I know he will over the next few years. Knowa Knowone has always been on my radar but never really put anything out that captured me till this year and take it might have been the same for many of you. His release Sound Paintings put him back on my map of an artist to keep an eye on. Chris B’s Whats Your Fantasy is one of those album I’ll never forget talking about with Simplify head hancho about before it got released and explained to him that was so glad to see Chris was finally putting out an official release. Simplify has now become one of the biggest labels in the bass scene and feel like despite the overall feel the labels puts out this was their best one.

Top 5 New Producers
1. Quitter
2. The Human Experience
3. Slidecamp
4. Guttstar
5. Lo Bounce

There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Quitter is the hottest new sound that brings back memories of that hip-hop/beats/bass mixed into a high quality product. Absolutely love the direction they’ve started with. Can’t go wrong with a NastyNasty + So What collab. The Human Experience caught my attention last year and really inspired me. His new release this year almost made it to the most underrated list but overall I feel like he’ll be making quite a stir soon as he just was in Europe doing a tour. Slidecamp is another astonishing project that Boreta and Comma have put together that blew my mind. I truly hope we’ll see more from them and not just another abandoned project from another Glitch Mob member. Guttstar is the new Joker for me. I first heard his music and thought to myself this guy is the purple king. He’s also in the SEO business and instantly connected. He’s got much ahead of him in the coming years. Lo Bounce has been working hard all year pumping out some of the biggest bangers of the year in my eyes. His Me & U remix that was exclusive to Afromonk.com always gets play time in any of my live sets since I received it.

Top 5 Events
1. Lightning in a Bottle
2. SXSW
3. Emissions
4. Sonic Bloom
5. Art Outside

Lightning in a Bottle is one of those magical events where some of the biggest names come together and express themselves in art, music, dance, and more. It’s commonly described as the closest thing to Burning Man out of all the festivals. I know that till the end of my life I’ll be going to LIB. This past year had so many incredible memories and being backstage with some of my close friends that I only get to see during these festivals makes it that much better. SXSW this year was complete madness. Austin is where the event takes place and mainly focuses on bands and live music but this year it seems like electronic showcases were the spotlight to many. The amount of talent and people around this year made it one of the best weeks of my life. I’m quite sad that I no longer live in Texas but think I’m going to skip out on WMC this year and just fly to ATX for SXSW instead. Man too think I played at 5 different showcases last year is insane. Emissions this year was one of the best line ups of all the festivals. If you heard of that one festival that it snowed and screwed up a lot of things up that’s Emissions. It’s a shame because it was setup to be one of the best showcases all season. I assure you that next years will be one for the books. Despite the snow I had a great time and was one of those extremely intimate festivals where all the talent is walking around freely and not separated from everyone else. My favorite memory of the year was when I first arrived and was by main stage checking out the booth and having Jasper hugging me and being like hey whats up! It’s just one of those events where everyone is there just hanging out like one big family. This year I was fortunate to visit Colorado for Sonic Bloom. I hadn’t ever been since I started getting involved into the scene. Sonic Bloom was a dream becoming reality. I expected to get such a warm welcome from everyone there. I got to meet so many friends in person after communicating with them via online for years. The lineup was stellar and was able to interact with everyone with my press pass and even got invited to play on one of the side stages. Overall a wonderful experience and great community in attendance since such a large portion of the scene lives in Colorado. Art Outside is a small homegrown festival in Texas. I was proudly invited to go play at it. It was a honor to play alongside such talented people as well as a great farewell to Texas. I found out a few days before Art Outside that I would be relocating back to Miami so it was that last hoopla in Texas. I’ll be sure to make it a point to return next year and recommend you all to give it a chance if looking to try out a new festival you have never out too.

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!

NastyNasty aka Jasper has finally put a release date to his highly anticipated new Poison Flavored EP! I’m not going to lie and say that this is probably the best thing he has put out since The Reef. Jasper has been touring heavily in 2011 and yet still has time to put together one of the best EPs of the year.

This release contains some of my favorite songs that he plays. I can’t tell you how excited I was when a copy of Sweaty Bodies was in my possession. Sweaty Bodies is one of those tracks that I kid you not I listen to at least 5x a day (it’s unhealthy). Another track that I absolutely love that finally has an official release is Jelly. Every single song on this EP is incredible and completely approve. The moment I got a promo copy of this I put it in my phone and listened to it non-stop since it was the only release on my cell phone at the time. This most likely be one of my top 3 releases for all of 2011. Flawless.

Over the few years I’ve been part of this community I can’t help but say that Jasper is one of the best in the game. His dynamic range, unique style, and overall personality are unmatched. He’s one of those few people that can actually drop house music or juke and actually have me grooving (that’s huge). There are so many people who try to dip into a bit of everything but NastyNasty takes 1st prize for creating the best overall sound with every genre he takes a stab at. The best part about him is the fact that he’s actually one of the best people to chill with. Overall the guy is living life up and has a smile on his face. If you ever watch him play you can see NastyNasty come alive and pour out this explosive side to him. He has openly admitted that almost all the music he writes is about women which shows quite well. Jasper is just another guy like us who happens to make incredible music that has introduced him to a culture and scene that is quite unique. He’s the guy everyone loves and knows how to please any crowd he is given. Even today someone asked me what I recommend since nothing seems to really satisfy them lately and in that list NastyNasty was on the top of it. Be on the look out for another stunning release from Quitter (NastyNasty + So What).

I can’t tell you how honored I am to call him a friend. This summer I had the luxury of seeing him a whole bunch and feels good to know he’s a friend. Never will forget that moment he found me at Emissions and just gave me a hug and had no idea who it was at first but soon realized who it was. That’s when I knew that I had to be doing something right to get this mans respect.

NastyNasty – Poison Flavored EP
01: Sweaty Bodies
02: Jelly
03: Hyda
04: Legionnaire
05: Ghost Down

Gravitas Records has just announced its second official release, Virtus in Sonus, for FREE on Addictech! The 24-track compilation is comprised of a diverse roster of producers that invite you on a gratifying musical rollercoaster ride. The album kicks off smooth and sexy for the first few tracks (my personal favorite of these being Rion King’s “Bliss”) and evolves into more funky and ethnic varieties found in Blunt Instrument’s and Govinda’s work – where the coaster is doing pleasing twists and turns. Then after enjoying the scenery for a moment comes the exhilarating peak, where you can sense a division between soul and body with One4All’s, Cryptex’s and Brede’s awe-inspiring tracks. Cryptex’s “Reset” is absolutely phenomenal; it’s drippy and melodic yet packs in some serious heat. After finding yourself again, you have a chance to reflect on the experience with some effervescent tunes including Jake Scarborough’s bouncy “Radar Junkie”, The Digital Connection’s lazerblappy “Starwalker”, and Bobby Tank’s 80’s-inspired “Good Girl Bad Girl”. The Virtus in Sonus coaster may have left you stunned, and that’s simply because it encompasses such an array of sounds that flow impeccably.

Given the fact that Gravitas Recordings has only been in the game since May 2011, the caliber of this release is exceptional. Jesse Brede, founder of Gravitas Recordings explained that he “reached out to guys that [he] knew would provide a certain type of sound so it wasn’t the same BPM or style the whole time. The compilation has just about every genre of electronic music on it – everything from downtempo to dubstep to house to electro to dnb to trip hop to glitch hop, so if you listen from start to finish you really don’t get bored.” I agree; the genre-encompassing album is brilliant for listening all the way through while on a road trip, at work, or chillin with friends. Grab it here from Addictech, give it a thorough listen, and gain the “Power of Sound”!

Whats your Phobia?  Do you have a overwhelming fear of Heavy Bass, Melodic synths, and Sick Beats then Woofer Cooker’s new release Phobia is going to drive you over the edge!  This compilation was created by the members of the Glitch Hop Forum Community.   The winners of the 2ed forum production contest were picked for the best original song following the theme, Phobias.  The results were across the board and were judged by some big names in the Glitch Community.  There were prizes and the such, but the selected were offered to be released for everyones listening pleasure!  After listening to this collection, I’m proud to be a member of our little community at Glitch Hop Forums and once again am totally impressed by how talented our members our!

Make sure you check out Noel Planet’s sick ink blots.  Each tracks gets its own orginal creation! Check Her out here!:

Here is a little Tease!

The release is going to be exclusively on Addictech for one month and then will be for sale through Woofer Cookers.  Grab it here!

Hypha just hit us up over here at Afromonk with some stellar sounds.  He is dropping 22 tracks that consist of a collection of originals and remixes that have been released during the last year.  As of right now, you can download all these dope tracks in one place.  Pretty diverse mixture of sounds in this collection from melodic bass poetry to some fun and funky remixes that are sure to get people moving on the dancefloor!

Protohype ft. Ozone – With the Stars (Hypha Remix)

Hypha, representing Humboldt County has developed a unique sound in the West Coast Bass world.   Each track I’ve gotten to listen to from this producer/Instrumentalist has highlighted one of his most impressive skills, the ability to keep things fresh and new.  Letting us swim in a sea of acoustic mayhem, but keeping our feet moving and the party soaring!   If you haven’t checked him out in the past this is your opportunity to grab his tracks for free.

Grab all of Hypha’s tracks here!

If you like what you hear check out BassStream Radio on Glitch.FM on October 25th where he will be dropping a brand new Mix!

Ben Samples has finally announced his second full album, Malbec. Samples has not stopped putting out tracks since I’ve heard of the guy and I’ve always said he is the most prolific glitch-hop artist. His sound might have gone from lazer bass to more of a dubstep sound but don’t count this guy out for anything. He’s notorious for getting crunk and raging a dancefloor all over the States. He has decided to give away a track that was originally on the album out for FREE, Shadow of Love. It’s probably one of my most favorite tracks when I first received the promo. You’ve probably even might recognize it from my luvstep mix back in February for Valentines Day. You’re going to one to grab it now!

Malbec will be out on Old Tacoma Records Elliot Lipp’s label November 8th, 2011. This def has more of that glitch-hop vibe mixed with dubstep. There some straight bangers on here that will give you the power to rock a crowd like Ben Samples himself, haha. Look out for his upcoming Halloween tune he’ll be giving away and a funky 90s jam. For now grab the free demo track for Malbec!

DOWNLOAD: Ben Samples – Shadow of Love

Kastle is back with another to follow up the most recent Time Traveler release a few months ago. If you haven’t heard of Kastle get in the know now because he’s making some of the most incredible music out right now. I can’t think of any recent set I’ve played that I haven’t played one of his tunes.

The So You EP has the traditional sound we have come to love from him but adds much more emotion where some of his earlier tracks come from. I’ve listened to So You numerous times since I saw it appear on Soundcloud last night. I felt that Kastle was sort of falling flat compared to some of his earlier work but this track So You totally has grabbed me. The other two songs on the EP, Could U Want Me & You Know That I Know You Know, have been on his SC for awhile now but finally get a release on this small EP. He will be doing a small tour it seems to help promote this one. I’ll be sure to make it out to the show in Miami.

Be sure to grab this EP when it’s released on November 7th.
It’s perfect for those sexy R&B luvstep sets.

Our friends at Be Green Records just tipped us off to a their first official release, 2 tracks from the Denver based Bass master, Seied!  I was lucky enough to get to preview these tracks today, and I could see why they  jumped at the opportunity to release these tracks.   Bugz In My Headphonez and Skewed Up have been secret weapons by some of the best performers out there, but now they are cleaned, polished, and perfected to be released to the world.  Cherry on the cake,  they have been mastered by Bill Bless.  Constant repeat around my home today!

Just a quick word about Be Green Records,  These guys are really on to something.  If you don’t know about them be sure to check the website out.  This sustainable label is founded by artists for artists. They understand the artist’s they work with and work hard to distribute their music in the most sustainable and green way possible.  On top of that 33.3 % of all their profits go back into non-profits.  I must say that would make the folks at Occupy Wall Street proud.

Just to get you even more excited for the upcoming release listen to Seied’s last release  Subdimensional Harmonics out now on Addictech.com.

Holographics-Seied & Diverse

Futurebounce-Seied

Cryptex is well learned for being an 18 year kid bursting onto the Glitch Hop scene.  His new release, Isolated Incidents, out today on Austin-based Gravitas Recordings is sure to push some speakers to their bass limits!  Cryptex has educated himself well, and the production quality speaks for itself.  The clean bottom end is complimented with an onslaught of lasers attacking from every direction.  Isolated Incidents sound has roots in solid Hip Hop beats, but Cryptex has taken that flavor and created something much more out of this world.  Even with all the comparisons to Glitch Mob, Samples, and Crystal Method, this sound is still fresh.

The song “Footsteps” did its job fullfiling my bass addiction providing a pure unadulterated fix of  deep bass sounds, futuristic synth sounds, and glitched up vocal samples.  This midtempo bass slammer delivers glitched out greatness!
Footsteps-Cryptex

Cryptex is giving this track away for free download.  The Glitch Anthem is a crazy mashup of The Glitch Mob, Kraddy, and Skrillex with covered with Cryptex’s signature sounds.

Grab your copy at Addictech