Grown Folk Music is an interesting one. Conceived by the loftily named The Saint, it can’t decide if it’s deep house or hip-house. Nonetheless, it’s a good album with a few choice cuts-mainly they’re growers, not showers. Influences aplenty abound production-wise, with such acts as MAW and Organized Konfusion springing to mind, but lyrically this lacks edge. Then again, with a name like Grown Folk Music, I guess it would.
Josee Lost Souls Dancing
In an age when producers and artists approach their products with a kitchen sink mentality (“If it’s got a decent hook, let’s chuck it in!”), it’s refreshing to encounter an artist who opts to walk a quieter, more introspective path. Jos»e Hurlock is one such artist. First heard on Hefner’s long-player Residue, this gossamer-voiced chanteuse easily sucks you into her cozy, warm cocoon with a haunting album that is pure poetry without the pretense. A stunningly beautiful debut that will stir you viscerally.
Sleepwalker The Voyage
Welcome to the new single from Japanese jazz band Sleepwalker. Their first album came out last year and was dope from A to Z. Pure jazz, pure vibe! This brand new single, “The Voyage, ” featuring the master Pharoah Sanders is a wonderful piece of music, giving you the essence from the old days but with the sound of now. On the flipside discover the talent of the fantastic Bemb» S»gu» scatting and singing on a long live jazz journey. Don’t sleep; get it! It’s real music!
The Free Radikalz Open Up
Reminding me of the vibe from the West side of the London broken beat scene, this tune is simply rocking! Slightly broken, slightly housey, DJ Spinna has done it once again. The soulful vocal is simple and hypnotic. The music is groovy and warm. This is future soul for boys and girls. This is what we need now that summertime is back! Put your dance shoes on, and open up!
Izzi Dunn Out of My Hands
Coming from London, Izzi Dunn is well known for playing strings on over a thousand productions. She was also the fantastic voice of the London anthem “Betcha Did.” Yes, she can do both and well-very well. On this new single taken from her brand new long player, you will find a fantastic remix by Mr. Kaidi Tatham. This future boogie tune will make you sing and dance…and dance…and dance. It’s London for you baby!
Feet First Feet First EP
Producers of cheeky club bangers or throw-away sample-based fodder? These Canadian fellas ride that thin line, dishing-up Brazilified drum & bass, percussion driven breaks, and moody downtempo stuff. It’s the type of mish mash of DJ friendly tracks you might skim over in the store only to regret the decision when you see the club crowd jump to it on the floor. Simple, but definitely somebody’s cup o’ caribou.
Dublab Presents In The Loop Dublab Presents In The Loop
Caural’s tasty instrumental is all bouncy bass and liberal sprinklings of cosmic dust. The bpms rise when Postal Service remixes Dntel, their energetic, electrofied house offspring untainted by such inbreeding. Elsewhere, Ellay Khules’ rapid-fire delivery might not float your boat even if Nobody’s Timba-like beats do.
Wiley Treddin’ On Thin Ice
Don’t waste your time trying to describe what sort of music this is. Not even Wiley is sure. His debut single, “Wot Do U Call It? poked fun at the multitude of names the genre demands, from grime to eski to sublow. What is important is that this new mutant form of two-step has thrown up its second genre-defining star. Along with Dizzee Rascal (whose Boy In Da Corner album he helped produce), Wiley is at the forefront of the London scene that takes the dead body of UK garage and turns it into something far darker, blending elements of ragga and hip-hop with crazy computer game bleeps and squelches. On top of this raw, avant-garde innovation, Wiley tells tales of his urban existence that center around mindless violence, low expectations and screwed-up relationships. Slightly too long for those not used to such sonic kickings, the album’s tour de force is the astounding “Special Girl” and the ground-breaking “Treddin’ On Thin Ice.” Stunningly creative, this is an amazing piece of self-expression and the most original British album so far this year.
The Beatnuts Milk Me
Throughout their tenure, The Beatnuts have created party anthems amidst a self-induced musical stupor of sex, alcohol and weed. Their latest endeavor, Milk Me, finds Juju and Psycho Les again greedily consuming dusty samples and regurgitating them as funky beats to cradle their capable rhymes. Bouncing a playful guitar loop and horns over subtle kicks on “Buggin'” (featuring Wild Style rapper Prince Whipper Whip), they again prove that making jams is their biggest vice. The suggestive title and raunchy cuts (“Freak Off” and “Asshole”) verify that the Queens duo would rather let other rappers rhyme righteously while they keep their brand of hip-hop a guilty pleasure.
Matt Jonson Folding Space
Vancouver’s Matt Jonson continues his quest to keep hardware alive. Matt’s signature hypnotic SH-101 is ever present in the mix with an arsenal of analog synth layers, chugging freight-train drum tracks and the patented Jonson bassline. Once again, he delivers another long play electro-techno floor rocker with a production style that will always remain timeless.
