Sounds From Places: Mixed Bag
Here's a new segment I'll try to update regularly for my blog*, which is about the music I listen to knowing full well that none of this is of consequence.
* [hysterical laughing in the background] ah, this blog will (probably) never be updated again, ever.
Oh, and the length of this list is arbitrary, sorry about that, I'm just gonna write until I'm satisfied or run of material (probably leaning towards the latter, because it's late and I'm sleep deprived).
HERE GOES!
1. Madlib - Steppin' Into Tomorrow
Genre: Hip-Hop/Jazz
Year: 2003
Album: Shades of Blue
For those unaware, Madlib is a hip-hop producer from California whose style is instantly recognizable tonerds those who are, at least, a little bit familiar with hip-hop production. Madlib's production style is well established -- samples, loads of sampling. Any hip-hop geek worth their salt will instantly recognize a Madlib and proceed to bob their head in reverence. His sample-heavy style uses everything from Jazz records to Blaxploitation movies, it's absolutely great.
The thing that caught my attention is that, in 2004, Madlib and rapper MF DOOM released an album called Madvilliany under the group name Madvillain. Today, Madvillainy is considered a classic hip-hop album by nearly everyone, and I have to agree in that it's impressive. Amazing flow by DOOM over Madlib beats, with almost no hooks, most songs clocking in at 2 minutes or under in a 22-track long album. This song, Steppin' into Tomorrow, was released in an album called Shades of Blue in which Madlib remixes songs in the Blue Note archives, songs by artists like Ronnie Foster (the track Mystic Bounce remixes Foster's Mystic Brew), Donald Byrd, and others. It was released in 2003. In the beginning of this track, MF DOOM has a couple of spoken lines in which he was uncredited. It goes something like this.
2. Jamie xx - I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) (feat. Young Thug & Popcaan)
Genre: Electronic/Hip-hop
Year: 2015
Album: In Colour
Pitchfork gave this album a 9.3 on their 10 point ratings scale. I have difficulty disagreeing with them there, and I disagree with some of the decisions Pitchfork made in the past (i.e. giving Childish Gambino's "Camp" a 1.6 rating. Really? It wasn't that good, but it wasn't "1.6" bad.)
This album is amazing, again, it had to do a lot with sampling (ha, okay, you got me, I'm a sucker for good samples) and Jamie xx knows how to sample. In 2011, Jamie xx reworked a Gil Scott-Heron cover (I'll Take Care of U) of a Bobby Bland song from 1959 (I'll Take Care of You), which was then remixed into the song "Take Care" by Drake & Rihanna.
For this song he sampled the opening vocals from "Good Times" by The Persuasions as well as the underlying background vocals. The synths in the background, as well as Popcaan's dancehall vocal delivery gives this song a nice, upbeat, summertime vibe.
Also, THIS SONG HAS YOUNG THUG ON IT, who really is becoming one of my favorite rappers due to his outlandish delivery and the general unorthodoxy with which he carries himself.
3. 水曜日のカンパネラ (Suiyoubi no Campanella) - シャクシャイン (Shakushain)
Genre: Electronic/Hip-Hop/Garage, etc
Year: 2015
Album: 水曜日のカンパネラ demo6
This song is something else. Suiyoubi no Campanella (or Wednesday Campanella) is a group from Japan who play weird, quirky electronic/hip-hop. They consist of producer Kenmochi Hidefumi and Komuai. Komuai is the face of the group, and for good reason too. She has a playful style of rapping/singing, she's unique and full of energy, which shows through her delivery.
I don't know much about them since I don't understand Japanese but from what I can gather they've released a couple of mini albums and EPs. In general their style is a very eclectic mix of electronic (garage, specifically) and hip-hop.
This song's about popular locations in Hokkaido.
If you have an hour or 2 to spare, search for them on Youtube, they've got a lot of music videos online. Also, their songs are very, VERY catchy. Consider yourselves warned.
4. Devendra Banhart - Samba Vexillographica
Genre: Folk
Year: 2007
Album: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain
I got into Devendra Banhart through a friend's Path account (http://cnovreica.blogspot.com/). She posted a song by Devendra Banhart (Carmensita I think it was?) and I was instantly reminded that I've been meaning to check out this guy's music since forever. Side note, it's typical of me to write down an artist's name/album and just bury them, discovering them 5 years later when they're no longer doing live shows (which is absolutely what happened to my discovery of LCD Soundsystem). Needless to say, I got my hands on his music immediately, and Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain is slowly becoming one of my favorite folk records. This track especially got to me because it sounds a lot like keroncong music. I find this really charming as this is a song about flags (vexillography, natch) done as an acoustic samba/keroncong hybrid and is written by a Venezuelan-American.
5. Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso - Calling (Lose My Mind) (feat. Ryan Tedder)
Genre: EDM
Year: 2012
Album: Until Now
For all the weird, niche music nerd posturing, I can't resist the appeal a good old hedonistic EDM pop banger.
That's all for now, til' next time (or never)
* [hysterical laughing in the background] ah, this blog will (probably) never be updated again, ever.
Oh, and the length of this list is arbitrary, sorry about that, I'm just gonna write until I'm satisfied or run of material (probably leaning towards the latter, because it's late and I'm sleep deprived).
HERE GOES!
1. Madlib - Steppin' Into Tomorrow
Genre: Hip-Hop/Jazz
Year: 2003
Album: Shades of Blue
For those unaware, Madlib is a hip-hop producer from California whose style is instantly recognizable to
The thing that caught my attention is that, in 2004, Madlib and rapper MF DOOM released an album called Madvilliany under the group name Madvillain. Today, Madvillainy is considered a classic hip-hop album by nearly everyone, and I have to agree in that it's impressive. Amazing flow by DOOM over Madlib beats, with almost no hooks, most songs clocking in at 2 minutes or under in a 22-track long album. This song, Steppin' into Tomorrow, was released in an album called Shades of Blue in which Madlib remixes songs in the Blue Note archives, songs by artists like Ronnie Foster (the track Mystic Bounce remixes Foster's Mystic Brew), Donald Byrd, and others. It was released in 2003. In the beginning of this track, MF DOOM has a couple of spoken lines in which he was uncredited. It goes something like this.
Party PeopleWhich serves as kind of a sample of what's to come with Madvillainy, while denying any ties to Madlib with a wink towards the audience. There's a song on Madvillainy called Bistro which is all spoken lines by DOOM and you can really see the resemblance there. I know I know next to nothing about hip-hop in 2003/4 but it's fun to connect the dots and make connections from music you've only just discovered.
DOOM
Here to let you know that I have no...
Prior knowledge to any invasion... and I have no ties to Madlib.
2. Jamie xx - I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) (feat. Young Thug & Popcaan)
Genre: Electronic/Hip-hop
Year: 2015
Album: In Colour
Pitchfork gave this album a 9.3 on their 10 point ratings scale. I have difficulty disagreeing with them there, and I disagree with some of the decisions Pitchfork made in the past (i.e. giving Childish Gambino's "Camp" a 1.6 rating. Really? It wasn't that good, but it wasn't "1.6" bad.)
This album is amazing, again, it had to do a lot with sampling (ha, okay, you got me, I'm a sucker for good samples) and Jamie xx knows how to sample. In 2011, Jamie xx reworked a Gil Scott-Heron cover (I'll Take Care of U) of a Bobby Bland song from 1959 (I'll Take Care of You), which was then remixed into the song "Take Care" by Drake & Rihanna.
For this song he sampled the opening vocals from "Good Times" by The Persuasions as well as the underlying background vocals. The synths in the background, as well as Popcaan's dancehall vocal delivery gives this song a nice, upbeat, summertime vibe.
Also, THIS SONG HAS YOUNG THUG ON IT, who really is becoming one of my favorite rappers due to his outlandish delivery and the general unorthodoxy with which he carries himself.
3. 水曜日のカンパネラ (Suiyoubi no Campanella) - シャクシャイン (Shakushain)
Genre: Electronic/Hip-Hop/Garage, etc
Year: 2015
Album: 水曜日のカンパネラ demo6
This song is something else. Suiyoubi no Campanella (or Wednesday Campanella) is a group from Japan who play weird, quirky electronic/hip-hop. They consist of producer Kenmochi Hidefumi and Komuai. Komuai is the face of the group, and for good reason too. She has a playful style of rapping/singing, she's unique and full of energy, which shows through her delivery.
I don't know much about them since I don't understand Japanese but from what I can gather they've released a couple of mini albums and EPs. In general their style is a very eclectic mix of electronic (garage, specifically) and hip-hop.
This song's about popular locations in Hokkaido.
If you have an hour or 2 to spare, search for them on Youtube, they've got a lot of music videos online. Also, their songs are very, VERY catchy. Consider yourselves warned.
4. Devendra Banhart - Samba Vexillographica
Genre: Folk
Year: 2007
Album: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain
I got into Devendra Banhart through a friend's Path account (http://cnovreica.blogspot.com/). She posted a song by Devendra Banhart (Carmensita I think it was?) and I was instantly reminded that I've been meaning to check out this guy's music since forever. Side note, it's typical of me to write down an artist's name/album and just bury them, discovering them 5 years later when they're no longer doing live shows (which is absolutely what happened to my discovery of LCD Soundsystem). Needless to say, I got my hands on his music immediately, and Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain is slowly becoming one of my favorite folk records. This track especially got to me because it sounds a lot like keroncong music. I find this really charming as this is a song about flags (vexillography, natch) done as an acoustic samba/keroncong hybrid and is written by a Venezuelan-American.
5. Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso - Calling (Lose My Mind) (feat. Ryan Tedder)
Genre: EDM
Year: 2012
Album: Until Now
For all the weird, niche music nerd posturing, I can't resist the appeal a good old hedonistic EDM pop banger.
That's all for now, til' next time (or never)
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