Sunday, November 22, 2009

Sound of 2010



It is that time of year again. The leaves are falling off the trees, the weather is getting cold(er) and soon all kinds of music magazines, blogs and the like will publish their end-of-year lists as well as their predictions for what is going to make it big in the next year. Trying to predict what is going to be big "next year" is always going to be sketchy business, especially as most lists act as selffulfilling prophecies as the journalists themselves have much to say in who will "make it". Luckily, my blog is small and insignificant so I have no such worries. I win again! No? Damn...

Saturday, November 21, 2009

It's A Life That I Can't Believe

This year has seen some excellent hiphop releases with personal hightlights being Mos Def’s The Ecstatic, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Part II and Lushlife’s Cassette City. The latter has especially struck a chord with me, mixing chamber pop with old school early 90’s east coast hiphop influences. Taking influence as much from DJ Premier as Burt Bacharach. The album has an impressively cohesive feel and it is obvious that a lot of thought and heart has gone in to the making of the record. A great album that really deserves wider recognition.

The song that ignited my interest for Lushlife was The Kindness. The song sounds like a J Dilla production – which is quite a compliment in my book – and immediately caught my attention. From the weaving soul sample to the chopped strings and harp, it is extremely well produced and executed.

LushlifeThe Kindness



Another  song that really deserves a mention is Meridian Sound [Part Three], which combines a Beach Boys sample with a drum beat heavily influenced by The Ronettes' Be My Baby. Your average piece of hiphop it is not. What it is though is really clever and I love it.

Buy the album. Now.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Songs of Euphoria

My two favorite songs at the moment are both songs of overblown proportions. Songs that are drenched in massive big synth, bubbly bass and soft-the-hard-way drums. I don't know if it says something about my current state of mind, but these songs are just on constant repeat at the moment.

VEGA - No Reasons



VEGA (spelled all capitals) is Alan Palomo. VEGA is great. Succinct and to the point.

VEGA is also the guy behind the first of my two current favorite songs. No Reasons is unashamedly catchy and just bounces happily along. I love how it sounds like the french touch house of yore, such as Mojo and Stardust (and more recently The Phantom's Revenge and Louis la Roché), but in an edgier post-Justice less polished sort of way. It sounds like an old soul song has been sampled and chopped for the song (the gorgeous and so-simple-yet-so-effective "can't live without you"), and yet it blends so well with his own voice that I'm not sure. The song in itself is not too complex with the bass and drums pretty much just bouncing along together, but that is also what I love about it. It does not try to hide the fact that in essence it's just a great pop song. The sort of song that just makes you smile.

Siriusmo - High Together



Similarly, but even more explicit, High Together is clearly new wave french touch house. I love french touch, because it's such a feel-good genre. Most of the music (bar Justice) is filled with these great warm sounds, which feels like being hugged by this big blanket of synth.

Siriusmo (a name I was always forget how to spell) has thus far gone under my radar in favor of other acts such as MSTRKRFT, Yuksek, LifeLike, Pilooski, etc., but this song just grabbed my attention instantly. How could it not? The way it opens up with the faded and chopped salsa beat, which suddenly breaks and explodes into an amazingly lush sounding synth and bass. Once it explodes, it does not pause for a break - it just goes on and on. It is relentless. It is euphoric. I have no idea what the voice says and I really do not care. Just listen to that synth. Can you say aural orgasm?