Black Light Smoke - Lovework
This joint appeared to me not so much a tight groove as sheer epiphany on Appleblim’s FACT mix.
Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers (Tyler The Creator Remix)
I wouldn’t bet against this kid. Neptunes chords.
Pearson Sound - Blanked
I have maybe 3 or 4 drafts of a working 2010 favorites list that I’ll probably never post (it was Actress & Oneohtrix way ahead of the rest of the field). Rather, here’s my top 10 David Kennedy/Ramadanman/Pearson Sound tunes of 2010, far and away the producer of the year:
1. Don’t Change For Me
2. Glut
3. Work Them
4. Night Air (Remix)
5. Blanked
6. Stifle (Unreleased)
7. Fall Short
8. Pitter
9. Blue Eyes
10. Your Words Matter w/ Midland
Jam City - Magic Drops
So with London rapt by student protests (dubstep rebellion?!) and the rest of us marveled as Assange & crew leaks the world, it would go without saying that a grime-inflected wot-u-call-it ditty by the name of Magic Drops would sound pretty crucial.
Madlib - To Produce “Pure” Euphoria
The latest Madlib Medicine Show is a lot of fun, but you already knew that.
DJ Screw - Brandy - Wanna Be Down
One of the more unique releases in Screw’s discography is Late Night Fuckin’ Yo Bitch ‘95 (Screw-Tape Chapter 16 of 235), a collection of screwed R&B sexjams. The original songs were already tailored for intimacy and the Screw treatment really teases those anxious moments to unbearable levels, but the process itself transmutes enough of that sexiness into toxicity and maybe you’re not in the mood anymore. Try to think of episodes of Moesha uploaded and re-uploaded to Youtube, artifacted into oblivion, voices and bodies thawing like glaciers of cough syrup.
Jay Electronica & Jay-Z - Shiny Suit Theory
I’m just going to leave this here.
“You must be off your rocker if you think you’ll make it off the strip before they Pac ya.”
edit: Noz has the sample already.
DJ Screw - Tell Me Something Good
The lasting influence of DJ Screw was the focus of some healthy cerebration over the weekend in articles by Jace Clayton, Jon Caramanica and Philip Sherburne. Clayton is on-point and illuminating as usual. Caramanica makes some lofty claims that Sherburne rightly deflates by opening up the discourse to the work of Philip Jeck, Demdike Stare and Raime1, refuting any lingering notions that the Salem/20JFG/Altered Zones set is a kind of singular-unheralded-immediate movement, something I’ve also had some apprehensions about. Altered Zones always felt like Pitchforks last-ditch attempt to get on board the trend. Struck me as transparent and false from the start, right down to the drummed-up mystical-geometry iconography.
Sherburne leaves this take-away:
I don’t think it’s any surprise that an unironic post-punk/goth aesthetic has taken root so widely; western culture is suffused with anxiety and self-doubt right now. We’re no longer worried about the Big One blowing us all to bits; now it’s economic landmines, suicide bombers, hurricanes, cyberwar, downsizing, you name it.
As proof of my OG pedigree and downright prophetic foresight, I should note that I originally posted this track almost two years ago to the date. It also reminds me that my blog turned two years old yesterday! Fitting as this might be the most harrowing interpretation of ‘Moments In Love’ ever. And I love tumblr2 (sorry I’m never around as much as I want to be, boo-boo).
1All three have put out some incredible releases over the last few months. Jeck’s An Ark For The Listener is a total banger as far as that avant-drone thing goes. Sup, solarflares.
2 shout out to Ian, Doug, Cam, J. Roston, J. Charles, Saelan, Standardgrey, Britticisms, Natty VC, Axel Wav NYC, YR MOMZ & the YR MOMZ Krew, The Sustainable Rennovations Crew, Swag & Despair aka Deeptats, Truth Is Light, Jeff Wall, Hana, Rico, Ivzhao, Mel P., Pizzapuke aka Lars Falk, Jenilee M, uhh Momus, Terry Gross & The NPR Fresh Air Crew, James PR, Noele in SF, Knicks Fans United, Renee & Kasha, Upnorthtrips, ‘87 Kids, Dahjay what up, Vaughn Shirley what up, Babylonfalling, my mans QD in Greece, Erik Carter if dude is still on the internet, DTYBYWL OVER EVERYTHING, Jay Electronica and of course, East Van and the 41st side of Vernon Posse. Sorry if I forgot anyone.
Ill Will rest in peace, kid.
Peace to all the gods and the earths.
Kanye West & Pusha T - Funkmaster Flex Hot 97 Freestyle
These guys are just having fun out there!
via vgacard
Zomby - Natalia’s Song
Ripped off the Burial & Kode9 mix from the last Mary Anne Hobbs.
“Zomby, where’s my fucking money?”
Hype Williams - Ooovrrr
I ‘like’ Drake. Like him even better washed out & screwed over beats like Vangelis & DJ Paul slouching through the Mojave.
Young Monayyyy.
Jody Breeze - The Way I Move
Gorgeous footwork track I caught off this Dro Carey mix. Totally dreamy, totally teetering on the verge of collapse with that manic 160bpm juke, the kind of ‘rhythmic danger’ Reynolds talks about. Only Sade can hold it together in these conditions.
