I had one helluvah time in the Northeast last week. Heard some great music, saw some beautiful street art, and bought my first bowtie. Hit some sketchy Allston house parties, caught an Earmilk-sponsored show in New York, and witnessed the first steps of converting an abandoned warehouse into a day rager monster mansion. No maps, no GPS. Just me and my list of contacts (that’s probably why I got lost so many times).
This week’s selection is paired with some photos I took at the Green Villain in Jersey City (@greeeeenvillain). What a beautiful sight to behold. These guys are on the verge of breaking the taboo on graffiti in the tri-state area, banding street artists together and sponsoring exhibits featuring the newest post-dubstep future tunes. The Villain is one of those hidden gems you’ll only hear about through word of mouth, so heed my advice.
P.S. If you didn’t catch it, Bassnectar did an AMA on Reddit this week. Been waiting years for this. Peep it here!
UK BASS
Starts off slow yet deliberate, keeping the beat tight and unpredictable. The sub bass explores the entire track and keeps the listener bouncing with the rhythm.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77785855" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
This song isn’t new, but it is a heavy hitting bass blaster like most Deep Medi tracks. I heard “Dread” for the first time this weekend while mixing with some friends in Allston, MA and knew I had to share it with you.
This is the level of filth I used to expect from the UK Bass producers circa 2000-2008. Coming from Chestplate, I can’t say I was surprised with the grittiness of this release. Both “Titan” and “Rude” epitomize the word “Wobble.”
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77408320" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Much like “Dread”, this track isn’t new in terms of release date. It starts with a nice jungle vibe and progresses into a crazy melodic sub-focused tune. You may also notice that most of the song’s rhythm and melody come from the low end.
GRIME
This week’s grime tracks are presented in the form of video footage of recordings and freestyles. I thought I’d give you a look into the world of UK’s modern grime scene. Below are two videos, one from Chronik and another from Logan Sama’s radio show. The Chronik track is just some freestyling, while the After Hours video is an hour-long session featuring a bunch of UK rap artists.
Chronik (Slew Dem) – King Original [v2.0]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX770DoQb7s[/youtube]
Logan Sama After Hours ft. OGz and Kozzie (January 21, 2013) [Free Download]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxJcpaNy4vM[/youtube]
FILTH
I’m always a little hesitant to promote a pop remix, but this Downlow’d fix builds up into a monster filth track with plenty of layering and funky samples. Might go well in a set with a target audience of Top 40 steppers who want things shaken up a bit.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/76801652" iframe="true" /]
I love “Clarity”, plain and simple. The vocals and melodies are beautiful and the lyrics are meaningful. Elocnep chopped up the vox and gave it a complete facelift using the rusty tools I assume he used to make some of the sound samples with. This track belongs in the heaviest workout playlist you have.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/75798975" iframe="true" /]
This is a 110 bpm track, so technically it falls under the category of “moombahton.” I had to include it because of how hard it hits. If you know what to do with it, feel free to include it in a 140 set as good transition from 140>110.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77787572" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
This is the kind of filth you’re looking for. Melodic and heavy with an outro that makes mid-set transitions a snap.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/74839551" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
DRUM 'N' BASS
MRSA, who typically releases off Hospital Records, is relatively unknown by the mainstream DnB community. Super8 & Tab, on the other hand, started in 2005 and currently produce as a trance duo. Needless to say, DnB and Trance were pretty much made for each other. Listen to this remix of the calming song, “Perfect Day”, and you’ll see what I mean.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/21647814" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Japanese DnB artist Makoto has been in the production game since 1999. His sound pulls influence from 1970s soul, jazz, and funk. Like most of Makoto’s tracks, this remix of Snow Patrol has a very smooth feel and progresses nicely.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77417036" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Funky with a few Amen Breaks strewn in for good measure. It is currently out on Protect Audio. Grab it and rinse it!
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/73152054" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
TRAP
I don’t like to place special emphasis on any one Wobble Wednesday track, but this tune is straight fire. Just listen.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77277709" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
One of Brillz’s earlier tracks featuring TeddyTuxedo. It has some scratching samples and your typical trap snares and grit. It takes a crazy turn into footwork/juke after the second chorus. Brilliant.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/70539874" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
I remember this track as one of those “What the hell is this shit” songs we would play as a joke as we cruised around town. I mean c’mon, lip gloss? Really? Only Gold Top could make me listen to this song again, and he did a damn good job at reworking it. Even though the lyrics are still shitty (which they undoubtedly are), the beat is freaky nasty and worth a listen.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77429526" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
MIX OF THE WEEK
GTA – ‘Death To Genres Vol. 1’ Mix
I say “nearly impossible” a lot, but this mix is actually impossible to classify. It’s well rounded, mixed well, and includes enough genre-swapping to keep you hyped for over an hour.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77485896" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
