Review | What We Can Learn From Kygo
Posted by BIGLIFE on June 28, 2014
Whenever meeting an artist for the first time, you never know what you’re going to get. You go into with a certain trepidation and understanding that these artists could be a giant twat. It’s often hard to reconcile that idea, because it’s hard to separate the man from the music. So many times you’ll find that your favorite producer or artist makes great music, but isn’t the best person to be around.
Review | RiFF RAFF – NEON iCON
Posted by BIGLIFE on June 19, 2014
I like RiFF RAFF. It’s no secret. And not in that ironic “hipster” way. I find him infinitely fascinating, and can’t help but cheer for him. Sure, he’s polarizing. Many love him and many hate him. What you have to respect about RiFF RAFF is that he’s not afraid to be his own man. He’s original, hilarious, full of contradictions, and isn’t afraid to live outside the box.
He’s come a long way since his first appearance on “G’s To Gents”. Many dismissed him as a novelty artist, destined to make laughable cameos on World Star. Strangely, Diplo discovered his videos, signed him, and here we are. Come June 24th, RiFF’s appropriately titled “NEON iCON” album drops via Mad Decent, and is arguably the most heavily anticipated record to release in 2014.
RIFF RAFF’s brand of hip-hop is a friendly one. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a large part of the appeal. There’s something for everyone in RIFF’s music, which is a large reason why he’s been so successful up to this point. Somehow, his music is enjoyed by impressionable young white female teenagers, hip-hop purists, and people who write for Vice and hang out in Brooklyn.
House | Soma – Get Back With Him
Posted by BIGLIFE on June 3, 2014
I’m always on the hunt for tunes. It’s seldom I come across a song that makes me look up the artist and listen to their entire Soundcloud account. Soma did just that with his new “Get Back With Him” original mix that’s full of so many vibes. Sampling Trey Songz’s “Can’t Help But Wait” Soma transforms the track into a future house banger. If this doesn’t get you dancing, I don’t know what will. Tune!
Albums | B.Love — Who Says? [Mixtape]
Posted by jeffwbaird on April 28, 2014
One of the great teases in our society of late is the ease with which many assume they’ll attain rap stardom. With the growing diversity of emcees’ backgrounds, and, more importantly, the lowering bar of the skill necessary to receive that long-coveted record deal, we’ve entered a time when many think it’s totally plausible they’ll make it big with their rhymes. And that scares me. I’m all for artistic expression, but when an artist is after fame and not necessarily making music for expression’s sake or as a result of their love for the craft, it’s clear. And because the former happens to be the vast majority of what makes up my inbox, here’s a chance for you to learn what the alternative sounds like.
B.Love (one-third of the FNT favorite Suns of Society), is a Cali-based rapper/songwriter/producer with a tremendous amount of versatility, and a desire to keep his sound authentic and unaffected by the industry’s love to keep artist’s boxed in and conformed to a specific sound. On his latest mixtape, Who Says?, B.Love produced the entire thing (with the help of some close friends and colleagues, including Benny Blanco and One Love) and tried to keep the record hard to describe and as broad in sound as possible. The result is a project that—while less unified by consistency in sound—is certainly consistent in terms of its experimentation and the fact that every track sounds like it was made exactly how B.Love intended. It’s a reminder that music is a passion for all of us, first and foremost, and whether or not you come out at the other end as marketable and easily packaged as would be ideal for making that shot at the big time shouldn’t be why you’re doing it. If you’re making records like this, then I have no reason to be scared at all. You can find Who Says? in full for free right here, or support the movement and make the financial gesture here.
Exclusive, Pop | King Deco — Tigris EP & Interview
Posted by jeffwbaird on April 24, 2014
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Amidst this facile pop culture climate—in which producers and writers alike have problematically concluded that lucrativeness follows the more nugatory and hollow creations—an artist with a clear identity and sound is at once both palpable and powerful. Hence, my enthusiasm for King Deco. A month after releasing her EP’s lead single, “One”, the full project is here, adding two mesmeric and lushly-produced tracks in “Laila” (produced by Adam Pallin) and “Ocean” (produced by Cobra Starship’s Ryland Blackinton & One Love), as well as a Kinetics verse with every bit as much of the intricateness and carefully-crafted lyricism we’ve come to expect from the astute rhymer. What is most compelling, though, about King Deco’s project, is how much depth and weight this project bears in just three songs. She excels at combining lyrical tension with her softening, tranquil harmonies, and ultimately leaves us craving a more ample dose of her world. Luckily, we don’t have to wait long, with her Euphrates EP release around the corner. For more, we spoke to the talented songstress herself:
Hip-Hop, Rap | Sean Leon: Juice + Hey Pretty Girl With The Dirty Mouth
Posted by BIGLIFE on April 22, 2014
Sean Leon drops off an impressive mix of content, pairing a visual for his latest hip-hop cut, “Juice,” with his new punk rock sounds on “Hey Pretty Girl With The Dirty Mouth.” Toronto may have another rising star for 2014, as Sean Leon continues to release a body of work that clearly points towards the young artist blowing up.
Albums, Deep House | ZHU – Nightday EP
Posted by mimada on April 22, 2014
Between 4/20, Coachella, and any other holiday weekend festivities, you might have missed the highly anticipated release of the mysterious producer, Zhu’s freshman EP. This EP is ultra-satisfying not only for its content, but also because it marks the end of our suspense in seeing what this Zhu guy is all about. However, as far as who this Zhu guy actually is, well, we’ll get there.
In case you haven’t been following the steady rise of this artist, let me catch you up to speed. Back in February, music bloggers across the country (including FNT!) received emails from an anonymous source with the attachment later to be identified as Zhu’s first single, “Moves Like Ms. Jackson.” Following that, another even more addicting, and this time original track, “Superfriends” took the internet by storm. But it wasn’t long before fans made use of their Internet skills and uncovered the artist as Los Angeles based Stephen Zhu of No Ego Records. What was even more remarkable then the fine detective work provided by Joel McRae via Do Androids Dance was the evidence that Zhu had planted the seed for this EP and all its branding quite some time ago. And still, leading up to the release and even today, there remains an air of intrigue as to who the man behind the smoke is.
As for the music, it without a doubt lives up to the hype. Zhu has really established his own distinct sound: dark, seductive, bass heavy and overall sexy. The tracks released prior to the EP, like “Faded” and “Paradise Awaits” are among some of the more stand out ones, while “Stay Close” and “The One” offer a more subdued, deep house // UK garage feel.
Now that we can finally enjoy this artist’s work as a whole, I’m dying to know what his next move is. No doubt it’s been carefully calculated so he’ll leaving us hanging by a thread until the time is right. Until then, stream “Nightday” in full via Zhu’s website here or cop it from iTunes and test it out by driving fast on empty freeways late at night with a Russian model in your passenger seat and your hand on her thigh. Or something devious like that.
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