Finest Ego Monthly Mix: Jay Scarlett & 9th Cloud

Time to head back to Finest Ego, for the last couple of installments in their monthly series. November's number came courtesy of Jay Scarlett - who's CV involves Ampsoul, Beat Dimensions, Ubeat Records & Pixelatique.

01. Dimlite – Yes, Welcome
02. Doom ft. Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood – Retarded Fren
03. heRobust – Coma Toast
04. Dimlite – Sun Sized Twinkle
05. Raj Mahal – Force
06. Hi Res – Donnasong
07. Jose James – Trouble (Oh No Remix)
08. Jonti ft. The Stepkid & Illa J – The Days Have Turned
09. MdCL ft. Sandra Nkake – Alabi
10. Grap Luva – Rocking With Elegance (One For Damu)
11. Yesterdays New Quintet – Sun Goddess
12. Super Smoky Soul ft. Guilty Simpson – Knockout Kings (Re:ill Remix)
13. Hiatus & Shura – Fortune’s Fool (Danny Drive Thru Remix)
14. Shigeto – Self Compassion
15. The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble – All Is One
16. Cristo Redentor – Harvey Mandel
17. Teebs ft. Rebekah Raff – Verbena Tea
18. Onra – Fight Or Die
19. Kuedo – Ascension Phase
20. Om Unit – Solar Cycle
21. Manni Dee – Steady Effect
22. Robot Koch – Glassdrops
23. S-Type -Sweet Vixen
24. Bobby Tank – Fireman
25. Kotchy – Turn To Rain
26. Native Machine – Electric Eccentric
27. Mike Gao – Fullspeed

Artwork on this one by V.Raeter.


Right click here, to download.

October's installment came courtesy of Marseille stalwart 9th Cloud. Stream below, and catch up with the previous installments posted here.

01. Wiley – Pink Lady
02. Timmy – Look at Timmy now
03. Lunice – Hitmanes Anthem
04. Samurai Sword – Fortune Howl (Busted by heRobust)
05. Gucci Mane – I’m Da Shit (Shlohmo Remix)
06. Millelemmi – Sad March
07. Mono:Massive – Conflict
08. Hudson Mohawke – Cbat
09. MonoLithium – Swag Equity
10. Huess – Happiness Is Easy
11. Fake Camera – Whyyy (Coco Bryce Rewerk)
12. Letherette – In July Focus
13. Débruit – Echtah
14. Arp 101 – Warriors galactic
15. Daniel Savio feat. Kissey Asplund – Cherry Blossom
16. DZA – Fireball
17. 9th cloud – 43 sunsets

Artwork on this one by Rimrimrim.



Right click here, to download.

Option Command: Horizon EP

The fifth official release from Canadian projectors King Deluxe, is Horizon Glow, the debut EP from (Australian) Blue Mountains newcomer Option Command. Fifteen minutes long and full of glitchy, neurotic, paranoid and blissful clips, claps and clicks, the six songs can be fully streamed below, downloaded in 190kbps here, or purchased in the full 320 here.

Horizon Glow EP serves as a dedication to the true defender of digital, believer of the 8bit beat and slow synth sound though sequenced with that one intangible: soul. Drawing comparison to an early melodious Cupp Cave, Option Command compiles 6 tracks in what is sure to be the 1st of many more synthphonies to come. At times, Horizon Glow resembles a slightly sedated Free the Robots (“Ellie Can Dance” or the EP’s climax, “Break Even”). While at other times, it sounds like Shlohmo on psychedelics (“Radio Echo” and the EP’s beautiful come down, “Horizon Glow”)

Artwork on this one by Hollis Brown Thornton, and the video below is spliced together from the 1961 film Baron Prášil aka The Fabulous Baron Munchausen, by the incredible Karel Zemen.

1000 Names: Machine City EP

Following up on their excellent release on Black Acre, 1000names are back with “The Machine City” EP on Svetlana Industries. The Bulgarian duo consists of Casio Blaster and 99 Mistakes, and their forthcoming Machine City EP is put out by Svetlana Industries following on from the releases on Black Acre and Eklektik. Whilst their previous slanted, J Dilla disciple style knocks made headway with me, this new EP feels like more of a distilled vision from them. Sitting straighter, often hitting on the beat rather than just after it, the five tracks have a suppleness to them that they really shouldn’t.

The 5 tracker has a variety of themes from a broodiness of “La Boheme” through the grooving beats of “Planet Video” and onto the atmospherics of “Machine City”.

All thick slabs of bass, with drums compressed to shit, the EP is powered by these little jaunty, arpeggiated synthesizers on tracks like the opener ‘La Boheme’ and the title track ‘Machine City.’ The tunes wriggle around, making neat work of any expectations; playing out like sketches of this grander idea where the day to day business of life, complete with jammed pavements and lines of careering rush hour traffic, is all populated by machines – ‘Planet Video’ in particular gives that frenzied feeling of compulsive movement like you cant ever stop still because of the rushes of the lines of movement tearing all around you.

Head to Svetlana Industries to grab this one, & stay alert for their new LP set to drop on Project Mooncircle in the coming days.

Artwork by Rimrimrim from France.

Aboard the Starship 27 for the last time.

“At this time we send our most deepest condolences 2 the family & friends of J-1/Jovan Coleman, who passed in Sweden. Details on his passing are not available at this time. Just know that our brother will be missed deeply. *R.I.P. 2 our brother J-1 (Jovan Coleman) aka THE DEER & drummer of Master Blazter. *We love U sincerely brother & we will always rep U!!”

- Dam Funk

Awoke this morning to the tragic news of Jovan Coleman's passing. Better known to many as J1 aka the Deer was part Benard Purdie, part Incredible Hulk, and part NWA all blended into one, and was one of the nicest OG's in the game - not to mention his talent as a self taught drummer for Master Blazter, producer in his own right & a self made artist true to his work in furthering the funkscape of his adopted city, Los Angeles.

Everyone that knows will miss him terribly. Condolences to his family and friends. Rest in Power Jay, the band upstairs just got a hell of a lot funkier.

The Jazz Gangsters: Golden Jazzyland

The Jazz Gangsters are back on the scene. Succeeding the Ma Player mix is their latest project, 'Golden Jazzyland'. Again, this one is dedicated to music that’s on the verge of hip hop, downtempo and acid jazz sounds, that was rained down to us in the mid-90′s. The first pressing of Golden Jazzyland has been completely sold-out and their label, Lucky Time Records, doesn’t plan on pressing some more. That is the bad news. The good news is that Lucky Time decided to drop the project digitally.

Artwork on this one is by Denizo Shummer.

The Flyhopster ||

Morning Coffee ||

Random Memories ||

Magic Mania ||

I Love ||

Very, Very Lazy ||

Rio - Rome ||

Take Gangsters ||

Louis Louis ||

Tenderness ||

Sultry Evening ||

Farewell ||

Freddie Joachim: Patiently EP

Freddie Joachim recently released this 5 song EP, Patiently. The EP is being sold for a whopping $3.33 with all sales being donated to a charitable organization for the holiday season. Check the snippets below; full songs will be available with your purchase. Look out for Freddie’s new EP, Fiberglass Kisses, due out early 2012 in digital and vinyl format on Mellow Orange Music. That one will involve a clutch of soul singers, marking the first project that Joachim will have worked on with other artists, since his first full-length album in 2008, 'In With Time'. In the meantime head on over to the Bandcamp for your charitable order of 'Patiently'.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Thuggin

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Madlib is still well and truly on it. As he took his Medicine Show tour en route to San Francisco, the producer announced a collaborative project with the rapper Freddie Gibbs. The 6-track record is released on Madlib's Madlib Invazion label - the imprint the producer founded to release his 13 Madlib Medicine Show volumes. The duo’s as-of-yet untitled album is planned for release in first quarter 2012, but they found time to debut 'Thuggin' & 'Deep' and put out the Thuggin EP.

For Madlib, this marks another entry in an exciting series of collaborative albums that he has created with the likes of DOOM (Madvillainy), the late J Dilla (Jaylib) and Strong Arm Steady (In Search Of Stoney Jackson). For Gibbs, the album serves as somewhat of a departure: coming off the heels of his acclaimed Cold Day In Hell album, and before the release of the album he’s finishing for Young Jeezy’s CTE imprint, this project gives the Gary, Indiana-bred, LA-based rapper a chance to stretch out over the Beat Konducta’s lush musical tapestry. If the first single is any indication, this collaboration will find Gibbs’ rough raps landing atop smoldering soul and jagged psychedelia.

Created specially for Madlib’s Medicine Show Tour, late 2011 the Thuggin’ EP contains vocals, instrumentals and two bonus beats. Artwork by Jeff Jank features a dual A-side, "Madlib" embossed on one side, "Freddie Gibbs" on the flip. Head over to Stones Throw to grab it.

Be sure to keep your ears peeled for Blackstar's reunion album too with Talib and Mos hinting that Madlib is handling a large part of the production on that one too...

Brenk: Gumbo II (Pretty Ugly)

Brenk Sinatra is your favourite producer's favourite producer. The Wien-Kaisermühlen homeboy is a mystical figure. A Westcoast rap fanatic and hardcore producer, Brenk is one of the most complete European beatmakers. You can't pinpoint his sound but you know immediately that it's him when you hear a Brenk production. Westcoast Gangsta-rap and grimey Detroit rap are as present in his music as sweet soul from the 60ties + 70ties.

"Gumbo II (Pretty Ugly)" is the follow-up to his slept on instrumental masterpiece "Gumbo" (Supercity, 2008). Added to Chop Shop, his Hi-Hat Club collabo with Fid Mella, this is Brenk Sinatra's third all instrumental LP in three years. Since "Ole Woam", his first 7“ on MPM, Brenk has established himself as one of the most promising European producers. Besides lacing tracks for an armada of Austrian and German MC's (e.g. Kamp, Kayo), the Kaisermühlen representant has worked with Guilty Simpson, King Tee, DJ Premier or MarvWon and produced all of MC Eiht's upcoming full length album "Which Way Iz West" (Year Round Records). Most recently Brenk has finished "S3" (Super Soul Shit), an album with MPM singer Miles Bonny, who features on Gumbo II's "Dedicated".

Gumbo II (Pretty Ugly) marks a new state of the art for sample-based productions. Taking his trademark formula to perfection, Brenk brings together 70's soul with twisted electronica, analogue korg lines, Lil John ad-libs and police sirens, all backed by the most relentless grooves and drum-loops. While every track works for itself, Gumbo II (Pretty Ugly) takes you on a heavy ride through music history: From the embracing brazilian sounds of "Perdido" to the grimey talkbox craze of "Wolves 2 (Still Hungy)" or the prog-rock stompin' "Hit U".

Hashfinger: 11 November

Back to the Hash Lab with Bradford based beatmaker HashFinger dropped this ill little bunch of instrumentals as is the case on the 11th of each of the last 6 months. Dope chord progression on these jawns, real promising stuff.

Head to the Bandcamp for this one.

BEAT.IT - This Is Not A Revival

BEAT.IT: This Is Not A Revival brings together sixteen producers from the Italian underground in a glitch-laden collection of tracks ranging, as they put it, “from funk to abstract”.

As we all know Bass Music is a global force nowadays, with the latest hot producer being just as likely to hail from Lithuania or Norway as from the UK or The States, and this is undeniably a great thing. But it can often mean that while we might celebrate the individual artists, we learn very little about the local or national scenes in which they operate. BEAT.IT serves as a nice little antidote to this problem, providing a great window into the current Italian Abstract-Beat scene (via London, Sydney and California!)

Although coordinated by just one man – Andrea ‘Railster‘ Uliana – the release involves so many labels/club nights/crews:

“The project is a collaboration of Error Broadcast, Made in Glitch and ReddArmy, with the support of Get Beat, Homework Records, Il Vinilificio, Laid Back, Overknights, PTW School, Sentire Ascoltare, Snob Production and Snowy Peach.”



Head over to the official website, for the download.

Jimmy Flamante: Hip Beats Vol. 1

Juan Medina, aka Jimmy Flamante, is a laptop musician and music producer from Caracas, Venezuela. Sampling from numerous stews, Flamante has a bit of straight up funk here, some Eastern inflections there, and a touch of 70s sunshine all around it finishes as a sort of hybrid between Wu-Tang style beats, basslines and melodies composed with synthesizers, mutant cuts and textures. This is another one for the head nodders, no doubt.

This EP is finally put out there via Jus Like Music Records as a FREE download on Monday 14 November.

Head on over to the Bandcamp for this one.

The Future of Funk 2

After a lot of positive responses to the 1st “The Future of Funk” mix, me and Mr. Speak decided we wanted to do another one. It wasn’t very easy to keep the quality high, but we did our best on the sequal. I’m very pleased to present to you: “The Future of Funk” Pt. 2. Now Modern Funk music is still pretty niche so we’d like to contribute to the cause in our own way, since we’re not musicians ourselves. Big shout out to artists for hitting us up with music and special thanks to Tokyo Dawn Records who are releasing their “The Boogie” Vol. 2" compilation soon! Get ready for a 40 minute ride down the nasty side.

Nilez - Moovmnt.

Tracklist
01 ARP 101 - Groove
02 Jon Phonics - The One
03 813 - Street Beats, Big Cloks
04 Sasac - Bourgies Must Chill
05 Def Chronic - Apple Juice
06 Bobby Tank - Tangent
07 DāM-FunK - Forever
08 Opolopo - Hexagon Love
09 East Liberty Quarters - Lucky Charm
10 Replife - Ready Set Go (AD Bourke Dub Mix)
11 Ulysses82 - Fax
12 First Touch - It's Yours (2011 Mix)
13 Salva - Obsession Ft. B. Bravo
14 B. Bravo & Teeko - The Roll Out



Head here for the download.

Mndsgn & Knwxledge: Soundwaves episode 148

Two of the hottest cats at the moment have teamed up for an hour and 35 minute sonic journey of thumping soul and moving bass. Knxwledge takes a break from releasing quality music to go back to back with the elusive Mndsgn. A must have mix up thanks to Soundwaves KPFK - most probably the best since Andres Reyes stepped in for episode 140, or since Bryze One, House Shoes & J.Rocc were all in the place for episode 127.

Right click here to download.

The Deer: Lucky 7

J1 aka The Deer, has found time from between his tour dates with Master Blazter to step back onto the Starship 27 and put out another release. Head over to the Bandcamp to get your mits on this Jazzy member.

Moka Only & Chief - Crickets

Canadian rapper/producer Moka Only continues his hook up with Swiss beatmaker Chief. Moka Only and Chief first collaborated in 2008 on the tracks “Do Work” and “Felt before”, and soon after Moka Only dropped his album “Lowdown Suite 2 – The Box” on Chief’s label Feelin’ music. A good connection and the fact that each artist seemed to get the best out of the other convinced Moka Only and Chief to delve into the collaboration once more and have this natural flow of united work result in a full-length album. The result is “Crickets” and it's released today!

Head over to the bandcamp to grab it.

01. Crickets ||

02. Mess Around ||

03. Let It Show ||

04. For Always ||

05. In Here ||

06. Form The Future ||

07. Relief ||

08. What To Do ||

09. Tropicana ||

10. Show ||

11. Next Step ||

12. It’s All Us ||

13. Appreciation ||

14. First Time Back ||

15. If You Want It ||

16. The New ||

Seasons Fall: mixed by CHIEF & selected by BOO

3 months on, and as promised Chief & Boo are back. Boo did the selecting. Chief did the mixing. The end result is a ridiculous blend that’s over 30 minutes long with exclusive blaps from beat culture luminaries such as DIBIA$E, Ta-Ku, Sunclef, DEHEB and even Chief himself. Enjoy the embedded link below & head here for the download.

See Saw Kids: Beat Tape Vol. 1

B.Lewis & Xperiment conjoined a while ago to work on some beats together, and have finally put them out under the moniker of 'See Saw Kids.' This one was put out as a free download, so head over to the bandcamp to download.

Teebs: Collections

The latest offering from Brainfeeder hotshot Teebs is suitably named Collections 01. Planned to be the first of a series, he describes it not as an album or an EP but rather as a “mini collection of ideas”. It offers listeners a mesmerising aural anthology of harmonious soundscapes, tones and gentle, delicate distortion.

The tracks featured also include beautifully-crafted, angelic compositions with guests such as Austin Peralta and harpist Rebekah Raff. Like a cluster of exotic birds, anthology of short stories or secret case of sparkling gemstones, Collections 01 further explores the world expressed in Teebs’ previous album Ardour from several new perspectives.

While drawing from the universe of Ardour, Collections 01 is more varied with more samples, each song containing specific elements that give it a unique character. Rebekah Raff and Brainfeeder cohort Austin Peralta, help to offer a range of sentiment, always elegantly displayed. From hypnotic, dust-covered beats and languid daydreams to cascading shuffles and bright bursts of color, this beautiful collection is a further glimpse into the world behind the mind’s eye of Teebs, painter of sound.

It does feel like a loose sequence of ideas pieced together to create a slow train of thought. It takes its time, content within itself, an aspect that quickly washes over the listener. It feels related to his previous album, however it draws upon a wider range of samples. Each track could easily stand alone, an aspect that helps envelope an anthology-esque feel. It also means the album doesn’t scream ‘start to finish’ like most beat related works.

Things really kick into gear with ‘Cook, Clean, Pay The Rent’, a track that fully encapsulates the effortless delivery and sprawling lightness that Teebs harnesses throughout. Fly Lo once described his former flatmates efforts as an island vacation, and ‘Cook, Clean…’ embodies that notion completely. ‘Pretty Polly’ signifies a return to a more conventional style, but as with most of Teebs’ work, it permeates with catchy hooks and melodies. Teebs manages to retain elegance and charm whilst hinting at a degree of hypnotism, penetrated by dusty, understated beats.

1. Just the Yellow Bits ||

2. Cook, Clean, Pay The Rent (New House Version) ||

3. Pretty Poly ||

4. Jahara ||

5. Verbena Tea (featuring Rebekah Raff) ||

6. Your Favorite Weekday ||

7. LSP (featuring Austin Peralta) ||

8. While You Dooooo (Extended) ||

9. Red Curbs Loop (Stuff I Dream About) ||

10. Yellow More New ||


Collections 01 is released today. Head over here to grab it.