Even when I was wrong, I got my point across.

Feb
08

Son Raw really wants to tour Japan one day

With New Epoch, Japanese producer Goth-Trad has created a rare beast: an album providing plenty of top-quality DJ-food for selectors that also stands up as a straight-up front to back listen. It’s a tough trick to pull off as the extended intros and breakdowns inherent in EDM can make for repetitive listens at home but then again, you’d be hard-pressed to qualify New Epoch as ordinary club music – drawing on Goth-Trad’s past work in noise, jungle, Trip-Hop and UK Bass, it’s satisfyingly physical without bowing down to typical trends.
Read more »

Feb
07

Flash Bang Grenada ft. Riddlore & Verbs – “Teleport Remix”

Flash Bang Grenada top Spock at his own game and teleport alongside Verbs and Riddlore. The latter is a Project Blowed O.G. and one-time member of Chillin’ Villain Empire (CVE). You should be aware of him, but you are likely not. This is a good place to start.This remix tweaks the original “Teleport” from last year’s 10 Haters, arguably the best rapped project that didn’t involve a man who shares a last name with a memorable character from Revenge of the Nerds. Like the only remixes worth a damn, there are all new verses. Busdriver wins this round by bragging that he can “teleport to Tripoli.”

The son of the man who wrote Krush Groove also has a new album coming out later this month. It is called Beaus & Eros. He may like a pun even more than me. You can pre-order it here. Last week, he dropped a song called “Superhands Mantra” featuring Aesop Rock. I am posting it here because I like music from people who are great at rapping.

On a Previous Episode:

Knocksteady Podcast: Flash Bang Grenada

Video: Flash Bang Grenada – “Moisturizer”

Flash Bang Grenada ft. Open Mike Eagle – “In a Perfect World”

Feb
07

Too Advanced, Digi Stance: Pulp Banga 101 Taught by the Wrecking Crew

Pelican briefs, Craig Ehlo, Lil Mac, the beat for Wu Banga, the ghosts of master killers, all channeled on the latest leak from the Wu Tang Pulp project. Some more strictly fam members only shit from the Wrecking Crew (Has-Lo, Zilla Rocca, Curly Castro), plus Boogieman Dela and David Little. Small Pro slices and dices the beat.

This is better than any rap tribute album that I’ve heard (admittedly, I can readily think of few beyond In tha Beginning.) Why cover the songs when you can re-imagine them? The Wrecking Crew know they can’t do better, so they think differently. Peace to Steve Jobs, Maximilian Pegasus, Lex Louis Rich Liberace, cold currents, giant landscapes of broken rocks, bottles going off in the church, people who slap pastors, number spots, Egyptians, Haagen Dazs goggles, Nieman Marcus, Carlo Gambino’s stash house in Hackensack, coconut, incense, and jiffy pop. Just chant Wu, aight?

Previously:
Scallops, Tossed Salads, & Rap Ballads

Full Spectrum, the Sequel: Starring Has-Lo, Zilla Rocca & Open Mike Eagle

The Endless Nights & Weekends of Zilla Rocca

Feb
07

Jolly Green Giants Get Cut: Serengeti’s “Shazam”

It’s been a rough week for Shaq. Last night, Kobe Bryant passed him in scoring on the all-time list, now Serengeti has unleashed the power of the Killa Deacon on the Big Aristotle. For those who don’t know the back story, Kenny Dennis (Kdz) and Tha Grimm Teachaz were signed to Jive Records in ’93. After a Teachaz performance at the label’s showcase in Philly (other performers included the Fu-Schnickens and Tevin Campbell), Shaq-Fu got brazen and mocked Kenny’s mustache live on-stage.

“Shazam” is the ‘stache’s revenge. Shaq don’t want none. How can he in the face of a militia? It’s the Teachaz vs. the Magic and magic isn’t a real thing. How indomitable is the Kdz? He makes Shaq look like Greg Kite. Or Larry Krystkowiak. Premiering today on PotW, “Shazam” is swiped from Serengeti’s forthcoming Kenny Dennis EP, a brilliant and hysterical record that I will discuss at length when the time is right.

Don’t take this Litterial Green. For those who don’t grasp the Andy Kauffman-like genius of writing diss songs directed at the star of Kazaam in the voice of your 45-year old white alter-ego, David Cohn is working on a project with Sufjan Stevens and Son Lux. Because the world needed to hear Serengeti’s Illinois.

Previously:

Strange Whips, BEeffs, and Leafs

You Really Never Know Someone Until You’re Both Buried: Serengeti’s Family & Friends

That Blog Post Got Viewed the Most: Serengeti’s “California”

Feb
07

Shlohmo’s Vacation

Jonah Bromwich’s favorite vacation spot is the Isle of Wight.

There’s only so much concrete meaning that we can infer from beatmakers’ music. Without lyrics acting as signposts, all we have to go on is tempo, mood and the occasional sample. Not much really.

That’s what makes it so fun when a producer like Shlohmo drops a few more clues to puzzle over. His excellent new Vacation EP plays the meaning game extremely well. At first, the title seems like a total misnomer. These aren’t sunny sounds; in fact, every song prominently features the sound of dripping water. So it’s great when Henry Laufer gives a nod to a different Shlohmo with the Rothian punchline serving as an apt title for the third and last track: “Rained the Whole Time.”

Feb
06

Blu Jesus

Fun fact: this video was created entirely out a photo collage of pictures taken from Blu’s Instagram page. Media TakeOut told me that Lana Del Rey demanded her swag back after watching this (and a full definition of what swag means in 2012).

Madlib is credited with the beat. Only the IRS knows if he got paid.

Feb
06

Ugandan Warhorns and Eagles

Dear Internet,

Remember that one time when a bunch of you gave money to foot the bill for the weed carrier in Animal Collective to travel to Mali to play a concert and buy all sorts of exotic sandals. Well, this time I have an even better and less culturally noxious offer for you. Mike Eagle and Ras G are two of the best musicians that Los Angeles has yielded in the last decade. The former popularized the phrase “art-rap” to make Animal Collective fans feel guilty for ignoring experimental rap in favor of exclusively Dipset (I know, you’ve all changed.) The latter helped found the Beat Scene that brought you such artists as Flying Lotus, Nosaj Thing, and Allen Ginsberg.

Now they’ve collaborated to help promote a trip to Africa to school the Ugandan youth on both the boom and the bap. A full-length project will come out of it and Mike and Ras have already raised half of the necessary funds thanks to a grant from the LA Department of Cultural Affairs. Now they need another $5,000 in matching donations. Mike’s spiel is below the jump. So is the song they’ve recorded, which I highly endorse. You can donate here and you should. But don’t take my word for it, listen to the advice of the famous Hollywood celebrity.

Feb
06

Ride the Pace Like At 33 Dark Shades: Gangrene, Evidence & Roc C Throw Shade

Jonah Bromwich moves on to the year 3000.

The knock on Gangrene is fair: the beats are mostly more interesting than the raps. The easy fix is Evidence, the slow-flow professional, who adds his pedigree to a beat which echoes the dank inter-workings of a futuristic factory — the slow-clanging and gurgles suggesting the mechanical movements that murderers move with.

Evidence is in his element here. His sharp pronunciations rings out above the clamor, clearing the way for humanity amidst the dusty and dirty sounds — as though Pigpen programmed the keys. Evidence’s Cats and Dogs was unfairly ignored last year, an unflashy album that showcased an MC who hasn’t stopped growing in two decades.

Feb
06

Son Raw: Araabmuzik – Vocal University

Son Raw was bored so he made this. If aggregating Hulkshare links can be considered “making something.”

Newsflash: rap beats almost always sound better when emcees rap over them, so while Araabmuzik’s Instrumental University may be of great interest to aspiring swag rappers from Harlem to Houston Street, there’s not much there for the rest of us who enjoy hearing songs in their final form. That’s a shame though because while Electronic Dream remains one of my favorite releases last year, there’s a whole side of Araabmuzik’s production that doesn’t revolve around making DeadMau5 palatable to people who aren’t on ecstasy. Read more »

Feb
03

Should you bank on Azealia?

Jonah Bromwich slightly prefers Ashley Banks.

What made “212″ great? It’s actually pretty easy to explain.

1. It came from a person that no one had ever heard of.

2. It was well-rapped, (incredibly well-rapped, actually) by a person that no one had ever of.

3. It was raunchy as hell, while being well-rapped, by a person that no one had ever heard of.

Now that we’ve heard of Azealia Banks, now that we know she can rap exceedingly well, she’s going to get judged a hell of a lot more harshly. Two minutes into “Bambi” she goes off like we know she can, for all of thirty seconds. This is after two minutes of irritating blather over pretty generic beat. It’s not going to cut it.