HARMONIC 313 - BATTLESTAR (2009)

As you all probably know Harmonic 313 is one of Mark Pritchards endless aliases. Here Mark gets some help from the rappers Phat Kat and Elzhi, creating two versions of a hardcore, cutting edge hip hop track. This is a club anthem in it's true meaning, probably tearing roofs of when played at a big soundsystem.

Of the two versions on this 12" I  prefer the remix version. Usually, i don't find rap on beats disturbing, but on this 12" it's too much with all the synthersizers and heavy basslines speakng for themselves at the same time as an MC tries to give us his message. So therefore I prefer the instrumentals on this one.

When we're speaking about Mark Pritchard i can give a huge shout out to his "Wind it up" Featuring Om'mas Kieth from SA-RA. It's out on Hyperdub records the 27th i think, so keep your eyes open around that date.

LISTEN TO BATTLESTAR REMIX (INSTR)

/ Jaywalk

RUSH HOUR PRESENTS - BEAT DIMENSIONS VOL.2 (2009)

Cinnaman and Jay Scarlett has done it again. The sound climate in the more twisted side of beats has changed a bit since 2007, when they put out their first Beat Dimension LP to please and inspire the beat loving crowd. 

Today many of the producers who were crisp fresh then has started to evolve their own sound and that is significant for theese two 12"s recently released by dutch Rush Hour.

It's hard to have an opinion about the two 12" as a whole, basically because theese producers differ so much in style and performance from each other, but also as i said before, the significance of theese style of music lies in the difference between the producers. That's why i love what some peple call wonky and others beats.

On theese two 12" we find guys like Samiyam, Fulgence, Dimlite, Dorian Concept, Mono/poly, Nosaj Thing and a couple of guys with a little more unknown names like Dalt Wisney.

This is the kind of release where every track is a fav, Nosaj Thing and Dalt Wisney stands out though.

NOSAJ THING - FWD

DALT WISNEY - R2FUX

Cop it!!

/ JayWalk

VA - SKWEEE TOOTH

Nowadays, Skweee is all over the place, boiling up everywhere. 

Maybe it's because i'm scandinavian myself, but i can't help to consider "Skweee" to be a rather funny and creative style of music. Someone described it as drunken swedes tryin' to create funk on ancient synthersizers. I find that description lovely. But I would consider listen to any kind of music labeled like that so that's probably saying more about me than about Skweee in general.

If you don't really feel that you know what skweee is and what this is all about, try google it since it's been kind of a phenomena on internet the last years.

The record i'm supposed to write about here is released on one of my favourite lables when it comes to experimental stuff such as wonky hiphop and the darker sides of dubstep. Ramp really puts out a large amount of wicked releases nowadays. If you haven't checked them out yet... do it. On this record, Ramp collabs with the swedish label Flogsta Danshall, which is a wicked combo in my ears!

We find some really classic names from the genre on this LP such as Daniel Savio and Joxaren. But there's also some new people that haven't really got the spotlight on them yet. This and the compliation format makes this a really good starter if you feel to penetrate the genre and don't know where to begin. 

Finally, a BIG up the designer of this record. It's a real eye pleaser!

The music kind of speaks for itself...

EASY & THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE - LEGEND OF ZELDA

RIGAS DEN ANDRE - DISOTRDELLE

BEATBULLY - REK JOHNNY REK

WANKERS UNITED - LA MOULETTE ENCHANTEE

/ JayWalk

FLOATING POINTS - LOVE ME LIKE THIS (2009)

It's been a while. It scares me how little vinyl there is in the part of this world where i've spent my last four months. So i've spent the last weeks compensating for my musical loss with purchasing unhealthy amounts of black plastic discs. Hopefully i'm back on track soon, but i'll have to write about some really interesting releases from the past month or so...

First out, this incredible 12" by a really promising producer called Floating Points. We've heard some tunes from him in the past on different shows and podcasts but now he has started to release his tracks on wax. 

Look out for the coming releases from this guy, and also do check out his 7" called "For You" released earlier this year. 

Floating Points want to share the main track on this 12" with us, so he's made it downloadable on his soundcloud page. 

I you haven't heard it yet, prepare for some mellow action on the synth over a massive 80's tune...

LOVE ME LIKE THIS

/ JayWalk

DORIAN CONCEPT - THE FUCKING FORMULA (2008)

Dorian concept is a really good producer from Austria that have a significant sound built up on some synths and heavy basslines. Add some pitch-bending to that and you'll have a great part of the concept!

Dorian have a full lenght album on the way to your recordstore, check it out! And tease yourself with this great piece of plastic first.

/JayWalk

VA - METRO SAMPLER VOL 2 (2008)

This compilation of beats from the french label Faces, was released last year. The record contains some very dope beats made in a classic way. Most of the of the beats are based on some heavy samples and all of the beats has he little extra that make them last a long time.

I'm kind of unfamilliar with everyone on this record except for Procussions own, Stro the 89th key.

In my opinion Stro also have the strongest track on the record. Beautiful voice sample.

Pick it up!

LISTEN TO STRO - PLAY THIS SONG

LISTEN TO KETEPICA - CITY

/ JayWalk

ROBOT KOCH vs CEREBAL VORTEX - VORTEX COOKIES (2008)

This 12" was released recently by a label from the Netherlands, called Up My Alley. Very nice label that's putting out some very good beats on wax. I'll have to make a big up for their former relases called "Beatnicks", check em out.

This release is by some guys that i'm not familiar with at all, Robot Koch and Cerebal Vortex. I am on the other hand, familiar with the producers behind the remixes on this record. They have been active in the remix game a while and had their stuffed played i several sets.

The Flako remix is packed with crazy drums for a great dancefloor experience, and Moo relaxes a little bit and puts a more atmospheric view to the lyrics.

Both nice, and so is the original version.

LISTEN TO THE ORIGINAL VERSION

LISTEN TO THE FLAKO SIDE OF IT

LISTEN TO THE MOO SIDE OF IT

/ JayWalk

SA-RA CREATIVE PARTNERS / BUDAMUNKY - MISDEMEANOR / WHAT I NEED

A package from the Netherlands dropped down yesterday, among some other great records, it contained this high quality release by our favourites. Jazzy Sport.

A side is a strong beat with a catchy sample that really sticks to your brain. It's signed by SA-RA Creative Partners. And what SA-RA does, is always a step ahead.

On the B side, we have Budamunky, a japaneese pruducer that has been in the spotlight some times before. Not here though. This track is mellow and genious and it's characteristic glimmering sound tells us that Budamunky is here once again.

If you havn't checked out BM's Mokstrumentals - vol 1 yet, you should do it fast, hard to find theese days though.

Pick this 7" up to while your in the mood, because something gives me the feeling that this is a future essential.

LISTEN TO MISDEMEANOR

LISTEN TO WHAT I NEED

/ JayWalk

Good records released last year that I, by no reason at all, just didn't wrote about - Vol. Two

There is a second part too.

This time I dig deeper in the more experimental crates of 2008, which in my opinion has been given us some real good tunes to have in mind for 2009!

MIKE SLOTT - FLUNKY/DEUX THREE

This is one of the records that dominated the later parts of my 2008. First of all, the artwork of the record and the sleeve attracts me alot, always nice with some thoughts behind the covers in this business of whitelabels!

Second, the two tracks is dope as hell. So if you haven't put your fingers on some of Mike's work yet, do it!

LISTEN TO FLUNKY!

LOOK AT THE COVER ART!

FLYING LOTUS - LA 2X3 EP

Good 12" with some dope remixes from Fly Lo's LA Album released earlier this year. The strongest card's on the record is the "Sleepy Dinosaur" remix på Ras G and "RobertaFlack" By Mike slott, kind of "reflunked" though. The remix of "Robertaflack" by Martyn is also a safe bet.

A wide selection of remixes with something för every beat loving head.

LISTEN TO ROBERTAFLACK MARTYN's WAY

LISTEN TO ROBERTAFLACK MIKE SLOTT's WAY

LISTEN TO SLEEPY DINOSAUR RAS G's WAY

RAS G AND THE AFRICAN SPACE PROGRAM - GHETTO SCI FI

Here's one more piece of great album artwork! And a great album too, somehow they tend to come together. Maybe there's some synergy between them. Or good artists like to work with great designers and the other way around.

Ras G keeps delivering them mysterious dub flavourd beats. Someone decribed him as a blend of Lee Perry and Madlib. And that description works for me. This record is pretty far out in it's places but that's problably what an african space program would be.

GOOD ALBUM!

RAS G's MYSPACE

COVER ART

TAKE - THE DIRTY DECIBELS OF THOMAS TWO THOUSAND

This is a highly recommended 12". I've been spinning it over and over for several weeks this year. It keeps giving me that fresh feeling. Which is kind of spectacular because of the pretty worn out samples used on the tracks.

This is a new way of thinking behind beatmaking. Do also check out some of Take's other releases, always good...

Btw, the remix of "Make Believe" by austrian Dimlight is very good.

LISTEN TO MAKE BELIEVE DIMLIGHT's WAY

LISTEN TO LIE TWERKS

LISTEN TO AFTER WORDS

SNOWMAN, MIKE SLOTT, FULGEANCE, MWËSLEE, LE N?KO AND HUDSON MO
THE REST OF THE ALL CITY 7X7 SERIE

I've already praised the last release in this serie of 7" by ONRA. Here's the other six, and they're in the same league. This is a very complex serie with very different styles in beatmaking, but what the records have in common is a new way in thinking. And of course that they're in the more experimental zone of beats. Lovely serie, and very good looking in the crate.

Read more about it and listen to some snippets on the all city site.

www.all-cityrecords.com

/ JayWalk

Good records released last year that I, by no reason at all, just didn't wrote about - Vol. One

New Year, New wax!

Last year was a good year musically and I have a feeling that it was a little better year for vinyl then the last few years.

I'm not about to make a "Best of the year" list. The best of 2008 is what's presented on this and other vinyl blogs out there and it's very simple to just click back and see what was hot during the past year!

But, I've had a bad feeling about this blog when I think about how many records I actually miss to write about. So I decided to put the spotlight on some very good records relased last year that I, by no reason at all, just didn't write about.

This is part One.

PHARCYDE - RUNNIN/4 BETTER 4 WORSE

This 12" is one of the best things I've heard lately and I spent some time waiting for it beacuase it sold out pretty quick on my usual recordstores, but when UPS dropped the package on my doorstep I really felt it was worth the wait and the extra money!

The remix by DJ NU-MARK is one of thoose few remixes each decade that's better than the original! Lovely. Soundtrack to my autumn.

Relased on: Delicious Vinyl

LISTEN TO 4 BETTER 4 WORSE

ILLA J - YANCEY BOYS LP

Dilla's younger brother Illa J puts out his first full length album, packed with jazzy and soulful instrumentals produced mainly by the man himself, Dilla! This is like an orgy in scales in the rhodes piano. And it's a very worthy pcik up!

Relased on: Delicious Vinyl

ILLA J MYSPACE

PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS - FUN DMC LP

People under the stairs didn't dissapoint this year either. THES ONE keeps his fingers on the MPC and DOUBLE K is kicking it tight as usual. A Little sad that they made the vinyl release much thinner than the CD release. I've been happy to see a 3LP with full tracklist. But you can't get everything days like theese. A++ record anyway and i've had it on heavy rotation at home.

Released on: Gold Dust, Germany

LISTEN TO "THE WIZ

J RAWLS PRESENTS - THE LIQUID CRYSTAL PROJECT 2

Oh yeah, i've been waiting for this album since the first Crystal Project. Very relaxed album with the same jazzy feeling as before. J Rawls shows us that he got the jazzy skills one more time. Overall a good experience, the best songs is though those already released on the 7" that I wrote about a while ago.

Released on: Polar Entertainment, Germany

FAT LOOP - REAL SESSION OF HIP HOP TRACKS

A funny 12" pretty similar with Liquid Crystal Project is this one. FAT LOOP is some japaneese guys making instrumental funky versions from hip hop tracks. Perfect record to put on a grey sleepy day! Recomended!

Released On : Dimid, Japan

A ROLLER SKATING JAM NAMED SATURDAYS

ELECTRIC RELAXATION


/ JayWalk