The photograph above was taken at Flying Lotus’ studio shortly after a jarring DMT trip on the morning of February 2nd, 2012. It was Groundhog’s Day and someone mistook Snarf for a groundhog and the next thing you know, this jam was recorded. It was epic and transcendent and the sounds of the Snarf are […]

So it has risen. A full review coming after digestion. In the meantime, talk amongst yourselves. Hallucinogens recommended but not required. Download: ZIP: The Underachievers – Indigoism (Left-Click)

Might as well make the Souls of Mischief comparisons explicit with a sample of Billy Cobham’s “Heather.” The Underachievers have been steadily building buzz since I first wrote about them last July. They deserve every word. I still remember hearing “93 Till Infinity” 20 years ago on Yo! MTV raps and spending an entire summer […]

Photo via LA Weekly The Essential Mix is both challenge and a rite of passage. You get two hours to summarize your entire style, selecting songs that have influenced the entirety of your musical career. There are a bunch of routes to take. You can lean heavily on your our own music, stay current and […]

There is a particularly inane acronym called “F.O.M.O” (fear of missing out) that people regularly quote in an attempt to convince themselves that it’s better to stay at home and watch “Downton Abbey.” I don’t have a television, but sometimes, you end up being lazy and staying at home because you assume that moments repeat […]

Taylor McFerrin and Austin Peralta Live 03.03.11 from Theo Jemison on Vimeo. If you want to know why the death of piano prodigy Austin Peralta was so devastating, watch the video above. Forget the fact that he was only 20 when he performed this. There is a sense of soul, rhythm, and virtuosity that belies […]

No need to rephrase what I said last week. Captain Murphy is the obtuse Quasimoto-like alias of a visual-loving and vision quest-searching LA producer. Said producer may or may not have had a Stones Throw internship at one point and may rep the Brainfeeder imprint like a badge.  That’s just my thoughts. MurphLo told us […]

Influence is unpredictable. During the late 90s and early 00s, common sense and chart placement led you to believe that DMX, Ja Rule, Jay-Z and Eminem would eventually spawn a thousand rappers mimicking their vocal quirks and rhyme schemes. And you would’ve been right. But artistic lineage often takes jagged and unpredictable turns. Some artists […]

You don’t wanna’ hotbox with Chris Daly. Following a string of nearly incoherent gibberish, the first comprehensible words on The Gaslamp Killer’s Breakthrough are: “You understand what I’m trying to say?” That sums up his Brainfeeder LP debut pretty well. The work of an obviously febrile brain, the Los Angeles by way of San Diego […]

Out of all the artists on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint, The Gaslamp Killer is the only one who makes music that sounds like he feeds on brains. Check the cover: half man, half machine, the mustache and mane shrouded in the darkness. We trippy. I’m working on a long feature about Willie the Kid, so […]