Albums, Review | Rusko – KAPOW EP
Posted by Spice on November 5, 2012
And thus begins Rusko’s pledge to release all of his music for free in the wake of some very public complications with Mad Decent. Kudos to the dubstep don — always something of a rabble-rouser in the electronic music community — for taking an aggressive stand and choosing to operate outside of the system. KAPOW comes on the heels of Rusko’s rather disappointing collaboration with Cypress Hill and navigates us back to more familiar territory. However, this isn’t his best effort. There’s a funky, fizzy vibe to these tracks that at times gives fresh life to those trademark glitchy womps and wobbles (“Yeah”) but at others seems unfocused and chaotic (“Booyakasha”). The latter two tracks are fresh and bouncy — he even toys with a rollicking moombah bassline on “Like This” — but lack the measure of oomph that would otherwise take this EP to the next level. (Okay, to be fair, I’m also automatically comparing this to Bassnectar’s recent Freestyle EP, and that was a brilliant mind-melt that totally blows this out of the water.) This is a 6.5/10. Possibly a 7.
Fortunately, KAPOW is free if you “pay” with a tweet/Facebook status or sign up for Rusko’s newsletter, so there’s not really any reason not to download it. And his goal of self-promoting his music without label assistance is certainly worth supporting; if he is successful, it will be a clear indication that times are officially changing.
Download Free: Rusko – KAPOW EP
Events, Review | Nero, Adventure Club & Fareoh @ Hammerstein Ballroom 10/27
Posted by Middy on October 31, 2012
On Saturday when the dance music community was fawning over the fact that Sensation was on the second night of its US debut (some of them would later show up at this concert) Nero, Adventure Club, Fareoh and Alex English were putting on a clinic at Hammerstein Ballroom. While there were some issues with the sound in that the bass all came from the floor speakers and the mids and highs came from the hanging speakers, the overall production and atmosphere was great. Alex English started off the night with a good, energetic warm up set as the crowd slowly started to file in. Fareoh followed him up with a big room set mixing in his own remixes and originals with some well crafted bootlegs. Read on to see how the rest of the night went and the full photo album is on Facebook.
Hip-Hop, Review, Videos | Reflecting on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “The Heist” [Review & Documentary]
Posted by Grubeats on October 25, 2012
[do action=”youtube” videoid=”JErUzr8GSvU”/]
First off, thank you to Jabari Presents for this fantastic production.
By now, many of you have hopefully scraped the wax out of your ears and christened your drums to the incredible art featured on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ debut LP, The Heist. Yes it reached the #2 spot on Billboard, yes it sold 78,000+ units in week one, and yes the duo accomplished this all independently, but that is not why this project is so special to me and so many others. Mack and Ryan are still the kids you used to play neighborhood ball with. They’re still the guys who will shake your hand or take a picture with any fan on the street. They’re still representing authenticity for the people.
“The Heist” will be in consideration for the album of the year come December, that’s without question. What may fly under the radar is the amount of blood, sweat, tears, and man hours that went into this project by both Mack and Ryan. Lacking anything but determination and perseverance, this documentary shines light on what it means to be an independent artist working at such an eminent level. There are no handouts, no pampering, no CEO black cards. Loyalty, love, determination, resilience and passion for the art is the driver. If you are unable to see the transparency in their music, this album may not hold the same weight, but there is enough versatility on the project that you should still be able to connect with one or two records. On a final note, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis will forever hold my respect. Although I’ve never met them personally, their music is honest, open and genuine enough to lead me to believe otherwise.
Below I’ve listed some of my personal highlights if you haven’t listened to the album and need a starting point. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the album, positive or negative, so please sound off in the comments section.
Most Creative Beat: “Thrift Shop”
Albums, Review | Dada Life – The Rules Of Dada (Album Review)
Posted by Middy on October 19, 2012
Following their debut album “Just Do The Dada” back in 2009, Olle Corneer and Stefan Engblom, better known to the world through their outrageous musical personality, Dada Life, return with their sophomore full album release “The Rules Of Dada”. When you click play on any Dada Life release, you have to be in the right mind set to be ready to absorb what you are about to be hit with. Subtle complexities are not the name of the game with Dada Life. It is about smashing you in the mouth with as big and an energetic a sound as one can make. Nothing more, nothing less. The rules of dada require it so. It may not be fair to give them a separate set of rules, but the bananas and champagne men have forged their own path in such a way that they have earned them.
Dubstep, Electro-House, Review | Seven Lions – Seven Lions EP
Posted by Mach on October 16, 2012
People have been saying Seven Lions is very lucky to have been signed under OWSLA, I disagree, it is OWSLA that is lucky to have Seven Lions. This EP may be one of the most amazing things to release through the label. I want to cry listening to these 4 tracks, they are that incredible. Seven Lions, the man behind our bass filled emotions.
The first track, “Days to Come,” is absolutely beautiful. Despite the fact that he runs with the same producing strategy for his melodic work, his style is still one of a kind and no matter how many times he uses it on a track he will still dominate with tracks like “Days to Come.” “The Truth” is actually Electro-House which came to be quite a surprise seeing as Seven Lions is known for his Dubstep/Trance. It is awesome to see him go out of his comfort zone to come out with a cool track like this. Third, “Fractals,” which might be my favorite track on this EP. Again he went out of his comfort zone of Dubstep and delivered an Electro-House track, but this time he went hard, like, oh my god the heavy bass on this track made me poop my pants. In other words, he went H.A.M. His last track he actually gave away for free a few days ago, what a class act. Anyways, “She Was” is a Glitch-Hop/Break Beat track that I could easily compare to the level of Haywyre’s great Glitch-Hop productions. This is why this EP is one of the greatest things to release on OWSLA, because everyone expected to get an EP full of Seven Lions’ usual, clearly not the case. All in all, this EP is a must have, and I would go as far to say this is my EP of the year 2012. Simply the best.
Albums, Review, Techno | Boys Noize – Out Of The Black
Posted by Middy on October 14, 2012
German Techno maestro Alex Ridha, better known as Boys Noize is back after an extended touring hiatus to work on his first album since “Power” in 2009 and presents us his 3rd artist album “Out Of The Black”. Fresh off of his collaboration with Skrillex, Boys Noize returns to the sound that has made him so revered in the dance music community, combining a unique mixture of churning bass lines with techno and acid influences, french house, elements of dubstep, hip hop and more ambient elements. It is clash of the dark brooding beats mixing with the lighter, more experimental sounds.
The album starts with singles “What You Want” and “XTC” that have become quiet favorites among many producers, notably “XTC” with their chugging bass lines and eclectic club nature. “Ich R U” has a stark similarity to his huge single “Yeah” in the progression with a twist of acid elements. The album moves through selections that alternate between the darker, brooding tracks and lighter more experimental pieces, going back and forth between the pieces that have become the staple of the Boys Noize techno sound like “Merlin” and more experimental like “Circus Full Of Clowns” that utilizes elements of dubstep and hip hop. The album nears its finish with “Got It” featuring Snoop Dogg, which I was initially skeptical of, but the blend of Boys Noize’s grungy bass and Snoop’s lyrical dexterity come together marvelously.
This album is forward thinking dance music that draws from a dizzying number of different genres. Boys Noize takes all of these different styles, adds his German genius to them and churns out this dark, frenetic album that is accessible to people of all tastes. Artists are criticized for changing their sound or for not evolving their sound enough and Boys Noize has found that middle ground of sticking to his dark techno roots with a good portion of the album, while also experimenting with lighter elements of dance music to evolve and expand the arsenal of tracks in Boys Noize’s personal arsenal. Check the preview below or you can stream the full album here.
iTunes: Boys Noize – Out Of The Black
Events, Review | Electric Adventure: Dance Music Soars at Six Flags
Posted by Middy on October 13, 2012
With the sounds of “Bizarro”, the new and improved Medusa from my childhood rumbling in the background, Arty’s blissful melodies poured out of the speakers, carrying the crowd to another dimension. I could only stand there in disbelief at what I was witnessing. Six Flags, a mecca of my childhood, a place where I had gone on countless field trips, was now hosting one of my favorite producers, Arty.
The idea was first championed earlier this year in May at Six Flags in Mexico where Dash Berlin was brought in to bring together two activities that rely on the peak time exhilarating moment and take you on unforgettable journeys. It was a logical match. The New Jersey version uped the ante, bringing in not just Russian phenom, but also young rising sensation Danny Avila, Lazy Rich, Dada Life, Excision and others.
The day (and night) was not just for the various DJs playing their sets. And though you would be remiss not to catch part of Danny Avila’s set as he makes his rise to prominence or Lazy Rich’s incredibly complex productions and hard hitting electro or Arty’s uplifting melodies, one must always remember that you are at an amusement park and you are there to take in the full experience.
Dada Life headlined the night from 7-9 starting and finishing with “Kick Out The Epic MotherF*cker” and spinning through a few songs like “So Young, So High” and “Boing Clash Boom” from their upcoming album “The Rules Of Dada” set to release Monday. It was as energetic and exhilarating as you would expect, with the sun setting during their set, letting the full display finally being used. Also they were given the ability to turn up the volume, which was a bit low during the other sets. I have seen Dada Life four times since March and every time has been a blast, however I wish they would take a few more risks in their mixing. I know they have to sync up the visuals with their songs and they have to keep up the stage theatrics, but doing something unexpected or surprising would be a welcome change from them.
Overall the event was a truly a roller coaster, for lack of a better term, of a journey. The contrast between the families with very young kids and the kids walking around in typical raver outfits was rather comical. The looks some of the kids got were priceless. A few suggestions for next year would be to get a raised sound system and get a few more LED panels, though generally it went off without a hitch. The overall feeling is that this must happen again and after an incredible successful first year, dance music and roller coasters is a match that will continue to grow stronger in the future.