The Cali based duo Virtual Boy trained by none other than the great Steve Nelepa are getting ready for another EP out on Alphapup! Symphony No. None is absolutely breathe taking. It takes you back to such a familar place where cinema and old 8bit games meet when you were young. They write such delicious synth lines that leave you hanging for more after every track. These two are seriously on that next level juice and ready to blow up.
Preston Walker and Henry Allen clearly have a grasp on what it is to express true emotions on these four tracks. The opening track Thrust explodes with a vividly clean intro line and slams you down with epic 8-bit sounds that reaches such a climatic drop that makes you just gasp. Breach of the Descendants takes you to a mellowed out chill ambient vibe from the start as you feel as everything around you has stopped but you’re on an escalator passing the world by slowly. The Future Holds a Beat takes you on an exciting tour of colorful beats and melodic bass lines. Mass closes off this release with one of the most hypnotizing intros I’ve heard. This track by far steals the show and can only wait till I get to start a set with this one. Once the beat kicks in it’s all systems go for one of the interesting tunes I’ve heard in 2011. It’s as if the beat stretches and contracts like an accordion. The sway and feel to this one sends chills… The closing line is gorgeous and encompasses such beauty with the perfect amount of bass that will have you reaching for a lighter and the repeat button.
Symphony No. None is due out February 1st, 2011 on the infamous Alphapup label.
Tracklist:
1. Thrust
2. Breach of the Descendants
3. The Future Holds a Beat
4. Mass
The lovely people at Alphapup have allowed me to give away my favorite tune off the release, Mass. Be sure to pick this one up! This is a for sure hit and perfect opener.
This week we have a SPECIAL afromonk.com exclusive Fire Friday Mix from none other than Kraddy! This man is about to blow some minds. His new Labyrinth EP is due out next week. This release is just what you’re hoping for I believe from him. I’ve been in contact with him for awhile now and he truly one person who is extremely passionate about music and not just the music he makes. His background in music is so vast compared to what you’d think.
I can’t thank him enough for this mix. It’s jam packed with some of the biggest tunes right now. This is just a small glimpse into what he’s been jamming out too. It’s always great to see producers step into a DJ mode selecting tunes besides all original sets.
Hope you enjoy! This will be the first episode of AfroMonk.com special guest mixes. If you are interested in putting a mix together for this series please contact us!
Tracklisting:
1. Magnetic Man – The Bug
2. DJ Fresh – Gold Dust [Flux Pavillion Remix]
3. Lil’ John – U Dont Like Me
4. Plan B – The Recluse [Nero Remix]
5. Deadmau5 feat Rob Swire – Ghosts n Stuff [Nero Remix]
6. Nas and Damian Marley – As We Enter [TC Remix]
7. The Moody Blues – Knights In White Satin [Zed's Dead Remix]
8. Mindelixir – Jacob’s House [ill-esha remix]
9. Kraddy – Minotaur
Kraddy’s new Labyrinth will take you on one long epic journey. The opening track sets the mood and preps you for what is ahead as you enter the maze of energy. No Comply pushes you right into the deep. Banging beats flood your ears and you can’t help but sway and feel every hit. Your heart rate can’t help but sync up with the kicks as you feel the bass push against your chest. This 6min tune is a sneak peak into whats in store. Let Go fires off with a mash of thumping beats and fluent vocals, a true glitch-hop banger. The railings are gone and fall into these mesmerizing sound waves. The synths send chills as they slide in and out of the background. That signature Kraddy crunk attack is shown off in this hit. Forget about The Glitch Mob, the original slaymaker is who you should fear as he takes the stage. Kraddy has stayed true to his fresh hype sound with a deep new take. Into The Labyrinth has to be my favorite tune off this EP without a doubt. The first time I heard it I put my headphones on and laid in bed. This tune erupted through the masterfully sexy intro. It drops and it’s as if you’ve been taken into a new dimension of sound. Piercingly tantalizing vox cuts in and you can’t help but get goose bumps as you imagine you’ve reach the climax of the journey. It pitches down for a second as a train flys by you to let you take a breath and takes you right back in. You feel the waves pulling you away as you want more. Minotaur steps in and goes in for the kill. At this point you feel as if in daze. Different sounds shift and you find yourself wondering if what you hear is a new path entirely or just another climax. It picks you back up for another thrill ride as you near the final pass. A piano cuts in and leads you out.
The Motherfucking Gaslamp Killer’s new release, Death Gate EP, is out today! One of the biggest inspirations and legends from the West Coast puts out some fresh material for us to enjoy! This man is one of the most talented and diverse people in the game today. His live performances are unmatched and no one does it quite like him. GLK is a resident at one of the biggest nights across the world, Low End Theory. LA is the central hub right now for wonky, beats, glitch, etc… The accomplishments and ground breaking work this man has done has taken everyone for brilliant ride. This release is a small glimpse into the wild ride that is The Motherfucking Gaslamp Killer!
He is currently touring the US with Magical Properties Tour along side Daedelus, Free the Robots, Samiyam, Teebs, and 12th Planet. I’m trilled to see GLK rock the crowd and have us at his control. The power he wields when he is on the decks is unmistakably one of the most commanding I’ve seen around. If there is any artist I recommend seeing live above anyone else it’s this man.
This months Low End Theory Podcast highlights resident DJ Daddy Kev and special guest Baths! Daddy Kev absolutely murks it with some of the hottest selections right now. This man is on top of the game and is responsible for some of the biggest things going on in LA. I can’t tell you how ill his set was at Lightning in a Bottle. It was something special to finally being able to see this legend play live. The best part is you can usually count on him being on the podcast eventually and this month he doesn’t disappoint.
Baths is the special guest this month and it’s just straight originals and remixes from him. Be on the look out for him because you can tell this guy is doing big things. I will admit I didn’t know much about Baths but after doing some research I’m really digging what he’s doing live. The video below is a small glimpse into what he does in his live show. It really encompasses what I’ve been wanting to do minus singing. He actually seems like a real down to Earth chill guy. Hope to run into him in the future and shake his hand on keeping it real. The whole name Baths idea I can totally relate except it’d be Showers, lol.
If there is one event that I wish I could attend right now it’s Low End Theory in LA. All the allstars are out there and preform on a weekly basis. Low End Theory might be the deciding factor when move out to California in future to be in LA over SF.
What’s wild is that it pops off on a Wenesday. I see all the flyers and event announcements about Low End Theory. One thing that is great besides the event itself is its podcast series.
They are on episode 9 now. Their eposide 8 was explosive and preview of the newest Glitch Mob material. Episode 9 brings us tons of new beats from Daddy Kev and Dibiase.
Be sure to check out all the Podcast from The Low End Theory! Some serious work on these mixes at http://www.lowendtheoryclub.com/podcast.
Afro Monk
January 14th by Afro Monk 
Tags: Alphapup, Breach of the Descendants, Low End Theory, Mass, Steve Nelepa, Symphony no. None, The Future Holds a Beat, Thrust, Virtual Boy
No Comments »
