For more than seven years, the couple Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller has created electro-punk that’s fueled a generation of disorderly clubgoers from coast to coast. On it’s fourth full-length, Adult. pushes its agro-anxious sound to groundbreaking levels with the thought provoking, paradoxical Why Bother?. Directed by and starring Adult., “I Feel Worse When I’m With You,” speaks volumes for the neuro-demons in us all.
See Adult.’s “I Feel Worse When I’m with You,” at XLR8R‘s Video Section.
Baltimore’s Dan Deacon released seven albums between 2003 and 2006, but this latest full-length, Spiderman of the Rings, is the first time he marries his training as a classical composer with his skills as sweat-and-grime-soaked party master. The result is a series of dance anthems incorporating intricate melodies and humorous monologues, sophisticated as it is steeped in debauchery.
Joe Beats‘s latest release, Diverse Recourse, operates much like its predecessor–as an uninterrupted mix of his body-rocking hip-hop instrumentals, only this time with a harder, rawer, but no less sophisticated grittiness. Glitched-out guitar licks and spooked keys meet dubbed out vocals and guttural basslines, and thank god for it.
Aja West is best known as one-half of Seattle-based funksters The Mackrosoft. On Total Recall 2012, he’s joined by Money Mark (Beastie Boys), Reggie Watts (Maktub/Soulive), and others, for an album packed with minimalist drums, roughneck falsetto vocals, and lyrical content that encompasses everything from pimping to girls’ soccer.
Post-everything instrumentalist outfit Battles drops its debut longplayer, Mirrored, this spring on Warp, following 2006’s compilation EP C/B EP. On the new album, the London-based four-piece continues to defy all logic–and most genres–to create puzzling, yet captivating music.
New York-based collective Subatomic Sound System follows up On All Frequencies with the Crucial Times EP, a selection of remixes and new music that further extends their maverick mash-up of styles, be it pairing grimey hip-hop with dubbed-out dancehall, or juxtaposing jungle’s manic energy with conscious roots reggae.
The debut episode of XLR8R TV! French laptop punks DAT Politics tear it up at Oakland’s 21 Grand and reveal that – despite their name – Germans actually care about politics more than they do. We get in the studio with Zion I and the Grouch, who discuss the finer points of collaboration and freestyle especially for us. Plus Rashida grills unsuspecting clubgoers about their best concert experiences and Vivian steels her nerves with a shot before breakfast.
When it comes to the concept of unifying hip-hop diehards, one need not look further than the Rock the Bells Festival. Set to hit cities coast-to-coast on July 28, this mammoth tour is designed to “Represent, respect, and recognize” hip-hop on a world-class platform.
Already confirming The Wu Tang Clan, Rage Against the Machine, and Nas as headliners, festival organizers Guerilla Union have also confirmed that Public Enemy will celebrate its 20th anniversary by touring alongside this well-hyped (and well-deserved) bill.
Rock the Bells isn’t just another hip-hop fest justifying rappers’ zeal for financial earning potential. As stated by Chang Weisberg, founder of Guerilla Union:
“To have Rage come back right now, where the country is and be on the same bill with The Wu Tang Clan, it’s a moment that represents the possibilities of hip-hop.”
With MCs and groups as powerful as EPMD, Cage, MF Doom, Living Legends, Brother Ali, Blueprint, Hangar 18, Felt, Cypress Hill, The Roots, Mos Def, Lucky I Am, Sage Francis, Jedi Mind Tricks, Pharoahe Monch, The Coup, and Immortal Technique sharing the same stage, shit will no doubt go off.
Tour Dates:
7/28 New York, NY: Randall’s Island
8/11 San Bernadino, CA: CA Nos Event Center
8/18 San Francisco, CA: McCovey Cove Parking Lot
More Dates TBA
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Subatomic Sound System – The New York-based duo returns with Crucial Times, a selection of remixes and new music that sees the two artists continue experimenting with their maverick mash up of styles.
Battles – On Mirrors, the London-based, post-everything four-piece continues to defy all logic–and most genres– to create puzzling, yet captivating music.
Aja West – Most known for his work with The Mackrosoft, West packs a solo album with minimalist drums, roughneck falsetto vocals, and hilarious lyrical content.
Joe Beats – Much like its predecessor, Diverse Recourse operates as an uninterrupted mix of body-rocking hip-hop instrumentals, only this time with a harder, rawer, but no less sophisticated grittiness.
Dan Deacon – On Spiderman of the Rings, the Baltimore-based producer marries his training as a classical composer with his skills as sweat-and-grime-soaked party master.
