K Theory kills it with this huge mid-tempo release due out January 25th on Simplify Recordings. Teaming up with Blunt Instrument for two tunes combines the talents of these producers to bring us some fantastic sounds. Dylan and Dustin have been hard at work making some fantastic remixes and they plan to bring us lots more from their workshop this year. Strange how I was just struggling to find new tunes that I enjoyed and now K Theory brings me the 3ed release this week that has gotten me excited about music. Both tracks on this release are excelent, but my favorite was “Good and Gone” because of the blend of funky blues with the future sounds of glitch. I’m a sucker for the mixture of old and new. Check out the teaser now.
Just last week K Theory dropped a remix of Modest Mouse’s track Float on that I have already pictured going over huge at parties around my home in the northwest. Great remix of a old favorite. Grab a free download from the Simplify Recordings website!
Kalya Scintilla is ready to beam you to a totally different dimension with the new release “Dance the Spiral Never Ending” Ever release I have heard of his as been excellent in pulling my head out of every day life and transport me to somewhere totally new. This multidimensional tranmission is no exception. Grabbing influences of dubstep, glitch hop, and sounds from his home star system,”Whomp” and blending them naturally with the seductive sounds of the middle east and traditional gypsy. Hard to believe I’m sitting here watching snow fall as I listen to the release because my mind is somewhere all together much more exotic. Pick up “Dance the Spiral Never Ending” over atKalya Scintilla’s Bandcamp!
Knowa Knowone is back with with a brand new EP out on January 24th on 1320 Records. Things in my life have been super busy as of late and I have felt overwhelmed by the amount of new releases that find their way to my inbox, but when I heard news of this release I immediately contacted Knowa about getting a preview of these tunes which he was super generous with providing. Truth be told, my musical taste is all over the place right now and I’m personally struggling in what direction I want my musical journey to unfold. This release by Knowa brings things into focus and reminds me exactly why I fell in love with mid-tempo glitch hop. Full of booty shaking crunk vibes, deep bass, and psychedelia sounds that are uniquely Knowa!
iONik’s debut EP “Sexy Shapes” on Simplify recordings melds many diverse musical flavors together into one complex groove that is all win. I heard his mini mix a few days ago and was dying to get my hands on this release which Ian was nice enough to send my way today. Sexy Shapes quickly became the soundtrack to my day off from the mountains. What grabbed my attention first was the beats. He must have had funk on his mind when designing these beats because they are all types of sexy. The synths are layered all over with crazy complexity and detail, but keeps a clean sound without all the excess busyness. My favorite song on this release was Slightly Digital which is a straight up party destroyer. I only listened to this through headphones, but I can imagine it rocking a large sound-system with quite a punch! Pick up this release from additech.
Decided to put a quick mix together of a bunch of the tunes I have been digging lately. Bit different feel then previous mixes I have put up on soundcloud so Id love some feedback! I have only been mixing for about a year now and play gigs here and there during that time. My motivation is purely for the enjoyment of the music. I have played stringed instruments for years and felt like it was time to try something new. So here is my 2011 Mix, No fancy tricks, Just solid tunes mixed in Traktor with the S4. Hope you enjoy!
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.
“You are obviously getting paid….I have checked your blog and it sucks….you play everything safe…you are paid off by muti..
headtron and thats about it….you miss so much… your blog has become old news …..Your Part of the problem….Your the PEPSI of my industry……Living off us real producers…..YOUR BLOG SUCKS……”
I just got this message and wanted to share it with you all because you know how much I get paid to write blog post. LOL.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!
Guess I’m doing something right if have my first official hater.
Sucks I can’t use this to make more cash on this post. hahahaha
VibeSquaD’s new remix “Good Love” by Hellfire Machina ft. Infuze has been rocking my house today. So here in the moutains of the northwest, we have been waiting for snow for what seems like enternity, so when I woke this morning at 5:30 am to prepare for my guiding meeting I needed something that matched my mood. With 5 days of heavy snow forcasted for my area you could say I woke in a good mood, and VibeSquaD’s rmx fit it perfect. After waking all in my house to this pumping out of my system I quickly discovered that not everyone was so pumped this early in the morning. Hellfire Machina has just released this album with a few remixes available through their Bandcamp. I have only listened to the VibeSquaD version, but it got me amped enough to decide to share it with all of you. Hope it help kickstart your mornings as well!
Disciples of Headtron is a compilation made up by some of the members of the Headtron Agency. The roster includes: Sugarpill, Gladkill, Chris B, +verb, Russ Liquid, Goldrush, Stephan Jacobs, Jobot & Jupit3r. This past week they have recently just added a new member to the family, Griz!
The collection of artist that make up this team is lead by Alex Becket one of the best agents in the business. Headtron has only been around for merely two years or more and they’ve made such an impact in such a small amount of time that I can only imagine how busy Alex has been. The entire roster in some sort of fashion have played some of the biggest festivals and events in 2011. There isn’t a major event that you can’t find at least one or two members representing the Headtron family.
This compilation is a prime example of why they are such a driving force in the EDM community. There are even a few surprises that caught me off guard, Swordfight! I’ve heard much talk about this over the course of time but here is their debut! Another surprise is to find more Jobot tunes, especially one that features ill-esha! =O It’s great to have something unified and put together and this is only the beginning as this is Volume 1. I’m looking forward to Vol 2 already which I hope features more from them in particular More Champagne & Griz.
My favorites you ask? Sugarpill stole this one from everyone in my opinion with A Gift To. There is no question that tune is perfect to open up the release. It’s one of those moving tracks that you can listen to in any state of emotion. Russ Liquid’s Pars Lunae also blew me away. Chris B stepped up his game big time and only look forward to see what he and Boris have been cooking up. Also do I need to bring up how I’ve been dying for Jobot’s debut album?!
All in all I can’t wait for 2012 because this is just the beginning and there’s a lot more where this came from. Also big ups to Muti Music and Dov for putting this out. Be sure to grab it on release date Jaunary 2nd, 2012! Be on the look out for any of the Headtron members this year. I’ve had the pleasure of booking many of them in Texas and man do they deliver <3
Much Love & Respect to the Headtron Family!
1. Sugarpill – A Gift To
2. Swordfight – We Will Never Know
3. jOBOT & ill-esha – Fossils
4. +verb – Mileage
5. Gladkill – Insomnia
6. Stephan Jacobs – Groove Around You
7. Jupit3r – Shark Bark
8. jOBOT – Bottle Of Bumpy
9. ChrisB – It’s All Good
10. Russ Liquid – Pars Lunae
11. Goldrush – Katura
So most of you don’t know me or have interacted briefly via the crazy digital world so you might be thinking who cares what this guy thinks! This year has once again been a major transitional year for me music wise. I have played so many different genres of music over the year that it amazes me where my musical journey will take me. Ever sense becoming involved with Afromonk my experience has been heighten. Thanks to demo submissions, JM recommendations, and all my letters to artists in our community I have had an average of 5-10 releases, tracks, or mixes in my mailbox a day! Overwhelming, but I love it! I am really finding the sounds I like and what works for the crowds I play for. I thank JM a million times over for the opportunity. So Here is my list of tracks and releases that I loved for 2011. It was a hard choice thinking back to music I loved in January of the year and not just picking things that Im super hyped on right now. My tastes have changed a lot, but I felt it best to honor the songs I listened to the most, rocked the parties, and will keep me dancing for years to come. Hope you enjoy, and If you think Im missing the boat and should have your tracks on my list for 2012 all I can say is submit them to the site and educate me. I love this journey of discover of new sounds!
Being newer to this community of creative musicians I would have a hard time coming up with lists of my favorite new producers and events. This year my highlight was Decimal Festival in my town of Seattle where I got to catch a lot of the sounds and beats that had been on constant repeat around my home. I’m really hoping to make it to some of the other large festivals around this country next year. Lighting in a Bottle is my top choice for next summer. I just need an invite to camp with some new friends and would love to start getting to know all you people face to face instead of in the virtual world. This world we live in is pretty amazing and inspires me each and every day. Pretty excited about the coming year and all that it will bring. Wish you all the best for the last days of 2011 and lets ring the new year in with some bass!
Afro Monk
January 22nd by Mr Ed 
Tags: Blunt Instruments, K Theory, Modest Mouse, Simplify Recordings
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