DJ NaNa The World Inside My Head Vol. 2

It may sound like nonsense, but DJ NaNa’s handle is a popular nickname in his parent’s homeland of Ghana, and the world inside his Canadian head is an excitingly confusing mess of American freestyle and scratch culture, ’90s European sample culture, and modern digital post-border sonic vagabondism. NaNa’s diverse influences come together on “Wheel Life Is,” blending together Kanye-style chipmunk soul samples, string rhythms, and scratches, and a molasses-slow break out of the chopped-and-screwed playbook. The World Inside My Head, Vol. 2 balances mostly instrumental tracks with selected guest MCs, peaking on “Untitled,” a Jay Dee-ish showcase for fierce verses from Turbin and Planet Asia.

Aphrodesia Lagos by Bus

Like musical cousins Antibalas and NOMO, the Bay Area Afrobeat enthusiasts of Aphrodesia take their Afro straight-up, no relaxer: The group recently toured Africa, sucking up influences, and even playing Fela Kuti’s daughter’s club in Nigeria. Lagos by Bus shows off this knowledge, resetting highlife and Afrobeat sounds alongside American free-jazz influences and other African sounds, such as mbira playing reminiscent of Thomas Mapfumo’s Blacks Unlimited. Yet something musically timid remains, as though Aphrodesia remains slightly in awe of its influences, and for now it seems that this remarkably talented band’s best efforts remain on stage rather than in the studio.

AGF Words Are Missing

The latest offering from Berlin-based “poem producer” Antye Greie (a.k.a. AGF) cuts out the half-sung lyrics that usually accompany her songs, letting her expert production speak for itself. Choppy samples, spare percussion, and slow, bare beats come together like minimal techno and downtempo on an experimental bender, forming rhythms from blocks of random noise, vocal snippets, and carefully mistimed sounds. Fittingly, the images in the beautiful accompanying booklet focus on fragments of text painted on paper, asphalt, and Greie’s skin and hair. Failed communication is the theme, and the only meaningful word spoken on the album is “oops.” But rather than rehash error-happy glitch hop, Words delivers fresh music that is, dare we say, very poetic.

Boredoms Sign to Thrill Jockey

Avant-garde rockers Boredoms have named Thrill Jockey their new home outside of Japan, and to kick things off, the band will be releasing the first installment of its Super Roots series in eight years.

Super Roots 9 is a recording of a show from Christmas Even 2004 in Japan, when a 20-person choir joined the band onstage. It’s also the first official live release from the band. The disc will feature artwork by EYE and a 40-page booklet of musical scores and notations.

And after hearing them live, you’ll naturally be aching to see the band perform, which you can during the month of March at one of the dates below.

03/15 San Diego: Canes
03/16 Los Angeles, CA: Henry Fonda Theater
03/18 San Francisco, CA: The Fillmore
03/20 Portland, OR: Crystal Ballroom
03/21 Seattle, WA: Neumos
03/25 Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue
03/26 Chicago, IL: Congress Theater
03/29 Boston, MA: Paradise
03/30 New York, NY: Terminal 5
04/02 Philadelphia, PA: Starlight Ballroom
04/03 Washington, DC: 9:30 Club

Deitch Gallery Opens Interactive Michel Gondry Exhibition

A new exhibition of works by Michel Gondry will open at Deitch Projects in New York next month, to coincide with the release of his film of the same name.

The filmmaker, whose most notable works are 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and 2006’s The Science of Sleep, heads to New Jersey for his latest film, to tell the story of two friends who attempt to remake classic movies that have been erased from a video store’s inventory.

Visitors will be able to make their own films at the exhibition, which they can take home and which will also be on display at the exhibition and even available for rental from the gallery. Try on your filmmaking hat from February 16 – March 22 at the Wooster Street Deitch Projects Gallery. And remember, when it comes to Michel Gondry, stranger is better.

The Opening reception is Saturday, February 16, from 6 – 9 p.m.

Jay Haze Preps Single with Ricardo Villalobos

Dance music producer Jay Haze, who XLR8Rchatted with earlier this month, has announced a new single due out on his TuningSpork imprint. “Ass to Mouth” is as dirty as it sounds, with choppy synth lines, thick beats, and Jay breathing seductively in the background. The single is also the first time we’ve heard his skills as a beatboxer. On the b-side, he splits time with friend Ricardo Villalobos, who co-produced the 10-minute, groove-heavy “Free ride” with him.

The track will be available in vinyl format on March 3 and in digital format on March 10.

Tracklisting
A1. Ass to Mouth
A2. Ass to Mouth (a cappella)
A3. Free Ride w/ Ricardo Villallobos

Nicolay & Kay “Tight Eyes feat. Oh No & The Luv Bugz”

One is a producer from the Netherlands, the other is a rapper with a penchant for sharp-shooting lyrics. Together, Nicolay & Kay deliver hip-hop that brims with pretty melodies but retains a distinctly gritty edge. Time:Line is the duo’s new concept album, release through Nicolay’s own imprint and featuring guest appearances from Oh No, Myth & S1 (Strange Fruit Project), Stokley Williams, Nicole Hurst, and many more. Keep your ear to the ground for the forthcoming instrumental versions of the album’s tracks.

Nicolay and Kay – Tight Eyes

Jay Haze in the Studio

In the world of digitally distributed singles being created, emailed to DJs, and ready for dancefloors before dinner time, Jay Haze’s Love and Beyond album is an anomaly. Twenty-eight tracks spread over two discs (one all vocals, one all instrumentals) and clocking in at a solid two hours, the alternately soulful and technologically unhinged Love and Beyond plays like a 69 Love Songs for glitch-house set, full of R&B vocals, hip-hop attitude, and raging tech-house beats that seem to never end (in the best way).

Haze, an American expat now living in Berlin, has long been a staunch critic of poor, boring production, and with his TuningSpork and Contexterrior labels (and Fuckpony and Sub Version monikers) he has done his best to show his contemporaries how it’s supposed to be done. Here he talks with us about crafting R&B funk from icy techno, and what not to do in the studio.

XLR8R: What’s your biggest gripe about the way most techno and house is produced today?

Jay Haze: It simply comes down to the music sounding very similar, with little to no originality. In house and techno, the formula is way too apparent and extremely overused. The music has become predictable and as a result, boring.

What are the most common mistakes artists make?

One, listening too closely to what others are doing. Two, letting the market or scene dictate what their music should sound like. Three, being afraid of what others might think of their music. Four, using way too many preset sounds and patterns. And five, convincing themselves they are a producer or musician because they can work a few plug-ins.

How long did it take to make Love and Beyond?

This album has been three years in the works! It survived a massive studio fire and a total studio re-build… The most memorable thing about writing this album was my own transformation as a human being. Before this, I was a bit too macho. Then my brethren Tikiman told me, “Jay, you got to sing about love more, tell them people your story,” and I took his words fully to the heart.

What was the songwriting process like?

Some songs were written on airplanes, and I even wrote one on a beach in Thailand (“Floating Away”). I would say on the vocal album, the songs really had a lot of work put into them. It isn’t easy for me to write songs I really feel–that takes real patience. It was nothing like making techno or house. Making functional dance music is extremely easy and fun–this was a real challenge.

Was there less sequencing than usual?

Not at all. In fact there was far more sequencing than usual. At a tempo like 90 bpm there is so much detail to explore!

There’s a strong hip-hop/funk feel to this record. Who or what did you look to for that inspiration?

I can only say I was extremely inspired by Mary Jane when writing this album. Musically, I take inspiration from life, and in my life I grew up listening to hip-hop and soul…. people like Curtis Mayfield, Sly, Marvin Gaye, P-Funk, and others. Also, I am coming from the East Coast, Philadelphia, so it is hard to escape this influence. In Philly, we just got the funkin’ soul, man!

What’s the key to making electronic music soulful?

If you’ve got soul, your music will reflect that. Not everyone can make music soulful. Sure there are lots of goodie-good textbook soul singers and players out there, but soul is about a struggle and how your mind releases that struggle… To quote Chuck D, “You can’t put soul in a bottle. You can’t quantify soul.”

What does your studio set-up consist of?

My studio is a combination of analog and digital. The monitors are Martion Audio Bullfrogs. My mixer is a Soundcraft Ghost 32-channel. Put anything through it and it sounds fatter (when you soft clip, that is)–this is my favorite piece of gear! I sequence with Ableton Live, as I find it to be the most intuitive of all sequencers, and it is a revolution! For drums, I sometimes use [Native Instruments] Battery 3 [drum sampler], and for synths I love, love, love the FM7/FM8–this has to be the best soft synth ever! Native Instruments is really on top of the game.

How did you record the vocals?

The vocals were recorded in my studio. I got one of those sE Electronics [Reflexion Filter] portable vocal booths. It worked great! I used tube pre-amps with a Røde mic. Then later, I added some compression with UAD plug-ins and added effects after the recording.

How does a Jay Haze track differ from a Fuckpony track?

A Jay Haze track has lots more effort and time put into it… With Fuckpony, it is all about having fun, no more no less–“crack a smile and enjoy”-type shit. With Jay Haze, I wanna touch you a bit more, I wanna get inside your head and get to know you.

Little Brother, Hieroglyphics, Kool Keith to Play Third Annual Paid Dues Festival

Murs and lifestyle company Guerilla Union have again joined forces to bring California residents the third annual Paid Dues Hip-Hop Festival, which showcases indie hip-hop artists from around the country in a single-day event. In the words of Guerilla Union’s Chang Weisberg, it’s “a true platform for independent hip-hop artists and their communities.”

Sage Francis, Little Brother, Dilated Peoples, Jedi Mind Tricks, Boot Camp Clik, Black Moon, Kool Keith, POS, A-Team, and others are already confirmed on the event’s line-up, as are Hieroglyphics, Visionaries, and Living Legends, who were specifically chosen to give this year’s festival a distinct West Coast feel. Murs will once again play host of the event, which take place on Saturday, March 22 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA.

$35 pre-sale tickets will be available through Guerilla Union starting Thursday, January 24, and through the Paid Dues MySpace Page starting Friday, January $25. Ticketmaster will sell them for $45 afterwards.

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