Invisbl Skratch Piklz‘ Mix Master Mike and Grammy/Emmy award winning multi-instrumentalist Steve Jordan will release a collaborative album, Beat Odyssey 2020.
Releasing August 28 on Jordan’s Jay-Vee Records, the album was put together as an exploratory duo-based improvisation. Recordings were completed as live takes with Jordan on the drums and Mix Master Mike on the turntables. No sequences or loops were utilized across the entire LP.
Accompanying the announcement is the release of the album’s first single, “The Gospel,” and its official music video. Created by Anaka Marie, the visual was created as a dedication to the history of peaceful protests, with vintage film clips immersed around footage from this year’s protests. A portion of the proceeds from “The Gospel” will go to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Vogel Alcove.
The current protests align with the lineage and culture Jordan’s family raised him in. His father took part in the march on Washington in 1963, hearing Dr. King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
“In 1968, when Dr. King was taken from the world and hope was in doubt, we kept marching,” reflects Jordan. “In 2020, we’re marching louder, longer, and more collectively than ever before. We’re keeping the dreams and hopes alive for a just and peaceful society. We are all created equal.”
Tracklisting
01. Valet Intro 02. Venom GT 03. Balco 04. Handles 05. Abstraction 06. Vortex 07. Morphine Flow 08. Teleport 09. Meltdown 10. Hybrid Bloodline 11. Shogun 12. The Real Teamaster 13. Roscoes 14. The Gospel
Beat Odyssey 2020 will release across streaming platforms and has also been pressed on vinyl. Pre-order options are available here.
Moby has shared a tutorial outlining how he made his latest single, a Roxy Music cover called “My Only Love.”
“My Only Love” is the second track on All Visible Objects, Moby’s 16th studio album, released on March 6 via Little Idiot and Mute Records. Staying true to his emphasis on environment and animal welfare activism, Moby, real name Richard Melville Hall, has shared all proceeds from the project with charity, with each track benefitting a different organization.
All Visible Objects is available now, with the tutorial video and the single streaming in full below.
Charles Dickerson, better known as MONO/POLY, has spent the better part of lockdown in Brighton, a popular seaside city on the United Kingdom’s south coast. It’s a long way from Los Angeles, his West Coast home where he’s cemented himself as a leading name in the city’s pool of instrumental hip-hop producers with his face-melting beats through labels like Faces Records and Brainfeeder. In September, Dickerson released Monotomic, his third album, based on a trippy lucid dream and featuring contributions from Kaytranda, Kimbra, and Thundercat. It’s available now on Hit+Run and Naymlis.
Born in Bakersfield, California, Dickerson began composing music at the young age of 14, and later attended Fullerton University to study computer engineering. Adopting his name from the 1980s Korg keyboard, a symbol of his multi-faceted productions, he began sharing his music in 2006, before dropping Paramatma, his first full-length solo album, stemming from experimentation in astral projection. In 2011, he debuted on Brainfeeder, opening the door to his second album, Golden Skies, underpinned by a dreamier and more melodic aesthetic.
Dickerson’s podcast, recorded in the midst of lockdown, will get you off your seat from the opening beat. It’s dense and dynamic, and laden with crazy, manic sounds, many of them MONO/POLY exclusives. Striking instrumentals are intertwined with slick, punchy vocal chops and immersive soundscapes. It’s not short of groove or melody, but menacing, abrasive beats rule the day, making for a podcast that keeps you moving until the very end.
01. What have you been up to recently?
Luckily, I left the United States right before the riots happened and finished up some tracks for a release. At the moment I’m in England with my girlfriend, Alice (a.k.a Alyss), making music and other forms of art.
02. How has the lockdown period been for you?
The lockdown doesn’t feel like much since I’m used to being locked down in my apartment most of the time creating music, but it’s been strange to see the world go through this. It’s all unbelievable, and I don’t think we’re being told the truth.
03. What music have you been listening to recently?
Kaytranada’s Bubba, and Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush.
04. Where and when did you record the mix?
I recorded this mix in Brighton, United Kingdom on June 12, 2020.
05. How did you choose the tracks that you’ve included?
I just picked music that makes me want to get up, no concept or deeper message to this, just pure fun.
06. What’s next on your horizon?
An audio/visual instrumental album and a lyrical album, that’s if the world doesn’t completely collapse.
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XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to download the podcast you will need to subscribe to our Select channel. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.
Tracklisting
01. Mono/Poly “5.23.19” (Unreleased) 02. JID “151 Rum” (Dreamville/Interscope) 03. Joyner Lucas “10 Bands” (feat. Timbaland) (Twenty Nine Music Group Distributed by Tully) 04. Skrillex & TroyBoi vs. MC Lan “Malokera” (feat. Ludmilla & Ty Dolla $ign) (Warner Music Brasil) 05. Mono/Poly “8.30.19” (Unreleased) 06. Mono/Poly “Techgnosis” (Unreleased) 07. Tommy Genesis “Tommy” (Downtown Records) 08. Mono/Poly & Alyss “Syrius B” (Hit+Run) 09. Doja Cat “Rules” (Kemosabe Records/RCA Records) 10. Mono/Poly “11.17.19” (Unreleased) 11. Mono/Poly “Crew” (Hit+Run) 12. Mono/Poly “B Adams” (Unreleased) 13. Mono/Poly “Audio Dope” [Naymlis] 14. Mono/Poly “Ras G” (Unreleased) 15. Cesco “Drones” (1985 Music) 16. Mono/Poly “Situation Systemic” (Mono/Poly Media) 17. Ivy Lab x Onoe Capone x L-Zee Roselli “Space War 169” (2020LDN) 18. Mono/Poly “Teach You All A Lesson” (2020LDN) 19. Noisia & Mono/Poly “The Nomad” (Division) 20. Mefjus & Noisia “Foundations” (Vision) 21. Ivy Lab x Two Fingers “Orange” (2020LDN) 22. Mono/Poly “Promise It’ll Never Be The Same” (Unreleased) 23. Ivy Lab “Astral Pirate Theme” (2020LDN) 24. Tsuruda “Dragon Of The Darkness Flame” (Alpha Pup) 25. Mono/Poly “The Realest The Illest” (Unreleased) 26. Mono/Poly “Test” (Unreleased) 27. Volume 10 “Pistol Grip Pump” [RCA Records] 28. Thundercat “Black Qualls” (feat. Steve Lacy & Steve Arrington) [Single Version] (Brainfeeder) 29. Flying Lotus “More” (feat. Anderson .Paak) (Warp Records) 30. Jaylib “Survival Test” (Stones Throw Records) 31. BJ The Chicago Kid “Man Down” (feat. Buddy, Constantine & PJ Morton) (Motown) 32. Tame Impala “Breathe Deeper” (Modular Recordings) 33. Mono/Poly “Needs Deodorant” (Brainfeeder) 34. Thundercat “Friend Zone” (Brainfeeder) 35. Mono/Poly “When I’m Comin For Ya” (Naymlis) 36. Mono/Poly “Stackin Ones” (2020LDN) 37. Kaytranada “Gray Area” (feat. Mick Jenkins) (RCA Records) 38. Mono/Poly “Vision Quest” (feat. Alyss) (Naymlis) 39. Mono/Poly “Demiurge” (Unreleased) 40. Mono/Poly “Keepin’ It 100” (Unreleased)
Songs of an Unknown Tongue is McFarlane’s fourth album, after 2017’s Arise. The UK label describes it as “a rumination on history and black heritage” which speaks in richly patterned electronic beats and McFarlane’s characteristically crystalline vocals.
Across 10 tracks, McFarlane, a British jazz and pop singer, reflects on her journey into the folk and spiritual traditions of her ancestral motherland, Jamaica. She spent a month and a half in the country researching early Jamaican folk music and rituals, visiting the grave of the great Jamaican female warrior Nanny of the Maroons, and meeting experts.
Trawling through black history archives at The National Library of Jamaica and the Institute of Jamaica in Kingston for audio and video samples led her to discover an array of rhythms associated with old Jamaican rituals, and although initially she struggled to differentiate between them, slowly the rhythms began to speak to her. “I listened really carefully, deeply, and began to hear the emphasis and accents,” she says.
Back home in London, McFarlane collaborated with producers Kwake Bass and Wu-Lu to deconstruct the elements of the folk rhythms from her research and transfer them into new formats. Moses Boyd, who produced McFarlane’s last album, introduced McFarlane to Kwake, who fell for the concept immediately.
We’re told that while each track has a story of its own, the album overall speaks not only to Jamaican folk histories but to contemporary issues of empire, colonialism, race, and identity.
Tracklisting
A1. Everything Is Connected A2. Black Treasure (Vinyl Edit) A3. Broken Water (Vinyl Edit) A4. Run Of Your Life (Vinyl Edit) A5. Saltwater (Vinyl Edit) B1. My Story (Vinyl Edit) B2. Native Nomad (Vinyl Edit) B3. State Of Mind (Vinyl Edit) B4. Roots Of Freedom B5. Future Echoes
Songs of an Unknown Tongue LP is scheduled for July 17 release via Brownswood Recordings. You can pre-order here, and stream “Future Echoes” in full below.
The 11-track album is almost entirely produced by Rory Allen Philip Ferreira, who also releases as Scallops Hotel and R.A.P. Ferreira, with additional production by TV Nicks (a.k.a Kyle Johnson) on tracks one, four, six, and eight. Much of the work on it was completed in Brooklyn, New York during the close of 2019, but it was finished during a series of sessions at the Soulfolks HQ in Biddeford, Maine. Like many of the releases across Ruby Yacht, renowned engineer Daddy Kev mastered the work in Los Angeles at his Cosmic Zoo studio.
S.al, from Wisconsin, has been releasing records for close to a decade, launching his debut LP, Hermitage Academy, in 2012, and since releasing over 10 solo albums and working collaboratively on numerous projects. As one of the co-founders of the Ruby Yacht, he has become a critical member behind the inner workings of the label, managing releases, designing artwork, heading the Soulfolks shop, shipping packages, and much more.
Tracklisting
01. Anger 02. Just a matter of GRIN 03. Habits 04. Tiki Bar 05. WORLDSPEAK 06. My Secret 07. The Great Seeker 08. Butterfly Net 09. Seed of Faith (Orange Tree) 10. SomeThings from the Lips 11. K.O.A.D. (Knock On The Door)
SAFARI AL FORNITES AT THE SCALLOPS HOTEL: The First Orange Tree Has Been Planted in my Room LP is available digitally now. You can order here, where you can also listen to the record in full.
Philadelphia poet and musician Moor Mother has linked with Olof Melander, from Malmö, Sweden, for the launch of a new tape series, ANTHOLOGIA.
The series begins with ANTHOLOGIA 01, comprising eight poems recorded during the week of March 14. The project is available now on digital formats, and a limited edition cassette pressing from Don Giovanni Records will be available soon.
All profits will go to Philadelphia’s Afrofuturist Affair’s Futurist Fund. “Our goal for this tape is $700 for a motorized wheelchair,” Moor Mother says. “Anything over that will be split between those who need.”
There are no details on additions to the series.
Tracklisting
01. MODECCA 02. OL TIME RELIGION with Joy Kmt & Elliot Levin 03. HEMLOCK 04. OLEANDER 05. MORNING SONG 06. WOLFSBANE—GIFTED with Vijay Iyer 07. NIGHTSHADE 08. THOUGHT FOR BONE
Eki Shola will release Essential, her new album, in August.
After barely escaping the 2017 Sonoma County wildfires, writing music became a healing necessity for Shola, a keyboardist, vocalist, and producer based in California. This period led her to write a trilogy album, beginning with Possible and Drift, both available now, and closing with Essential. The series follows her 2016 debut album, Final Beginning, inspired by the passing of her mother.
Opening and closing with a rhythmic meditation, Essential evolved beyond its original intent to embrace newness and self-discovery through the power of voice. The album envelops you in instrumentals, spoken word, and lyrics that share hope and inspiration inspired by periods of contemplation among movements of climate change, coronavirus pandemic, and Black Lives Matter advocacy. It broadly combines electronica and jazz-soul.
Partial proceeds will be donated to the Freedom Community Clinic serving underserved people of color who live in the Bay Area. Shola will host an album release listening party livestream on August 8, 2020, 7pm PST here.
Tracklisting
01. Quiet 02. Roots 03. Incubation 04. Trapped 05. Shattered Boundaries 06. Ignorance Veil 07. Blippity Glip 08. Purchase of Happiness 09. Youth 10. Saturday Jam 11. Blue Light 12. Risk Reward 13. Truth 14. Eco-anxiety 15. Gift of Grief 16. Gift of Grief (remix) 17. Change the System 18. Jazzolation 19. Pause
Essential LP is out digitally on August 8. You can pre-order over at Bandcamp, and stream “Change the System” below.
Bedtime Khal is the alias of Khal Malik, a producer based in Michigan, United States. Fog is his third release, and it comes as a limited edition cassette spanning lo-fi, post-punk, and indie rock, available now via Devil Town Tapes, based in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. It’s covers topics such as love, isolation, and nostalgia.
The 10-track album follows 2019’s Full Circle, Majik’s first long-player for two decades. He recorded it last year, exploring sounds beyond drum & bass and jungle, before going back to his first love, techno. It features all new material, comprising rave homages, 4/4 Detroit-inspired workouts, and “beatless moments of electronic beauty,” we’re told.
At the same time, the album underscores the impact of that music has had on Majik’s own life, and pays respects to individuals like Ranx X313 (to whom “Holographic” is dedicated), who was a mentor to during Majik’s early years and introduced him to the Detroit sound.
Majik, real name James Spratling, is known for making genre-busting jungle, as well as upfront drum & bass. He’s released on labels including Metalheadz, where he was one of the original crew, Reinforced, and Tru Playaz.
Tracklisting:
01. Always Be 02. Break Free 03. Dark Summer 04. Future World 05. Holographic 06. Life Force 06. Message To You 07. My Love 08. Sunkiss 09. Velocity
Always Be LP is available digitally on vinyl over at Infrared Records. Meanwhile, you can stream the album in full below.
Little Dominque’s Nosebleed gives listeners insight into what it was like growing up black in Koreatown, Los Angeles, in the ’80s and how the neighborhood has changed over the years.
Across 16 tracks, Purdy shares the origin story of his spiritual awakening, the result of two car crashes. The first accident happened when he was five years old, rupturing a blood vessel in his nose that resulted in frequent nosebleeds. A couple of years later, another careless driver hit him and caused a broken leg and worsened the nosebleeds.
As Purdy explains, nothing quite gives perspective on life like brushing with death. “Experiencing these traumatic moments so early in my childhood allowed me to have a unique outlook on life… I have had a deep spiritual connection and awareness since the accidents and feel like it’s reflected in all of my work and in my life as a human being.”
The album showcases soulful loops, jazzy licks, comedy, obscure samples, and odd scenarios to communicate the enlightenment. It’s produced entirely by Purdy himself but features the people of his family and community. Guest artists include Sudan Archives, Anna Wise, Baby Rose, C.S Armstrong, and Fatlip.
A unique voice in the Los Angeles scene, The Koreatown Oddity’s music comes from a deeply personal place, telling stories of the city through the eyes of someone with deep roots in it. His last album on Stones Throw came with 2017’s Finna Be Past Tense.
Tracklisting
01. Looking Back from the Future feat. Baby Rose, C.S. Armstrong 02. Little Dominiques Nosebleed Part 1 feat. Sudan Archives 03. Koreatown Oddity 04. Chase the Spirit feat. Jimetta Rose 05. Darknesses Interlude 06. Ginkabiloba feat. Taz Arnold 07. Weed in LA 08. Little Dominiques Nosebleed Part 2 09. A Bitch Once Told Me feat. Ahwlee 10. No Llores feat. Trenttruce, Edule, Emmanuel Coto 11. Attention Challenge Feat. Swift, Skyler Duf, Fatlip, Giovanni Marks, Nita Darling, Corrine Atkinson, Lewis 12. Kimchi 13. The World’s Smallest Violin feat. Jimetta Rose, Corrine Atkinson 14. We All Want Something feat. Anna Wise 15. Lap of Luxury feat. Qur’an Shaheed, Kintaro 16. Little Dominiques Nosebleed Outro
Little Dominique’s Nosebleed LP is out on vinyl and digitally on June 19. Meanwhile, you can pre-order over here at Bandcamp and hear “Attention Challenge” and “Kimchi” below.
