A few years ago, Binary Star built up a deafening buzz with their outstanding Waterworld LP. Then they were gone. One Be Lo (a.k.a. One Man Army) hasn‘t given up though, returning triumphantly with this single from his new album S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. Smooth and smart rhymes take center stage backed by dope, classic-style beats from The Trackezoids and Pete Rock. Buy this.
Siege Heart Of The Game
Representing Cleveland, Siege has been doing his thing for a minute, rocking Scribble Jam and working with Ohio players like Blueprint and RJD2. On “Heart Of The Game,” he comes with the usual “I love hip-hop” rhymes, though the minimalist beat and Kanye-style vocal clips don‘t really help. However, “Cyanide” is ridiculously hype, with lively wordplay and neck-breaking production from Heiku.
Fair One Street
Being a Canadian rapper is a double-edged sword. On the plus side, competition is thin. Conversely, your chances of getting props in America are slim to none. A graf artist-turned-MC/producer, Fair One definitely has some talent, but still needs a lot of work. “Street” comes correct with thick beats and decent rhymes, but “Do You Know” spoils the show with weak R&B singing, awkward flows, and too-loud drums.
Nine:Fifteen Deluxe Laminated
On their second 12″, Nine:Fifteen (Blake9 on production, Comel15 on the mic) comes strong with three tracks firmly rooted in that classic boom-bap. Time Machine homie Jaysonic lends a hand on “Freak Out,” riding a great guitar chop and chunky drums, while “NoStylegic” revisits the beat from Black Moon‘s “Slave.” “You Deserve Less” is the mellow closer, and the B-side rocks all the instrumentals. Quality stuff.
Fatboy Slim Don‘t Let the Man Get You Down (Justice Rmx)
Young producers Justice and a little less-young producer, Fatboy, make a good combo working together on this release. Erol Alkan played this tune last time he was at the Rex club in Paris and kids went mad.
Daft Punk Robot Rock (Daftpunk Overdrive Rmx)
Only energy and madness. If you forgot what rave means-it‘s rock on a trampoline. Daft Punk is still the best, and we‘re not just saying this ‘cause we know them.
Tiga Louder Than a Bomb
Sometimes the name you give to a track is really what the track is about. This is the case with Tiga, one of our favorite producers/remixers ever.
Les Visiteurs Drop It Like It‘s Hot Rmx
Snoop Dogg stopped smoking weed-instead, he is now doing acid! Some people are saying that it‘s Boris Dlugosch who is responsible for this Snoop version. Good move!
Alva Noto Transall Series
As Alva Noto, sound artist Carsten Nicolai is the master of pointillist digital funk, balancing crystalline sine waves, angular, synapse-jiggling grooves, and bursts of seething static. On Transall, a trio of elegantly packaged 3 CDs, Nicolai focuses on the interlocking themes of the increased speed of information flow, the proliferation of post-digital utopias, and the fragmentation of ideas. The music has a dark, surprisingly aggressive feel, as Nicolai sculpts his sparse, rhythmic pieces out of sub-bass pulses, percussive pops, sine tones, and snippets of radio transmissions. Yet even at its most fragmented and abrasive, that undeniable Noto funk will have you bobbing your noggin whilst marveling at the harsh beauty of Nicolai‘s finely fragmented crackles, buzzes, and hums.
Grand Pianoramax Grand Pianoramax
Leo Tardin‘s keyboards sweep generously across skittish drums and ambient noise in this charming snapshot of contemporary jazz. An accomplished jazz pianist, Tardin works his way through distorted time signatures by pairing sinuous, undulating piano and synth lines with crisp drums from Jojo Mayer and Ferenc Nemeth. Tardin‘s freeform collaborations with the drummers is confident, carefree, delicate, and elegant, from the easy meandering melody of “Feudor” to the sonorous piano on “The Space Race (East vs. West)” and the subtle funk of Nuspirit Helsinki‘s remix of “Starlite,” hiding unexpected complexities of sound beneath an unassuming, lounge-friendly exterior.
