donnis – nippon sounds

Summers always make me nostalgic for Japanther. The last two times I’ve been there during summer months to rival Chicago’s heat index, have been life changing. Seeing the boy band who changed my life for the better, finding myself (or some BS like that), and meeting new friends has resulted in a large scrapbook (if I did scrapbook, that is) of fond memories.

Did I really just say fond?

In summer 2011, Donnis released a mixtape with a bunch of Japanese producers, Nippon Sounds. Onitsuka Tiger took the initiative by creating a cross-cultural sound for his mixtape featuring three different DJs/producers from Japan: De De Mouse, Joe Iron, and Taku Takahashi. De De Mouse, one of my favorite Japanese producers who also makes some of the happiest electronic music around, put Donnis on my radar. His rapping style is clean (not in a Will Smith, Miami, sorta way) and very biting. Not too hard but still witty enough to make me smile throughout any of his songs.

This was on repeat constantly last summer. It’s catchy as all hell, with dancey jams, summer afternoon drives, and even playable for poolside sexy time.

1. All I Need Freestyle (Baby Star’s Jam remix) – Produced by DE DE MOUSE & Luke Walker

This song makes me feel like a badass. It’s riddled with references to living that “high-class” life but there’s almost a mocking tone to it. Donnis doesn’t rap as harshly as Danny Brown, like in “Radio Song” where he’s openly looking down on rappers who make songs solely for the money and fame. Following Donnis on his Academy Black Hearts blog, you know he appreciates fashion, every type of music, and legitimate artists. The production of “All I Need” is stunning. De De Mouse’s original song, “Baby Star’s Jam” is upbeat and meant for smiles. I like how Luke Walker slowed down the vocals, and took a darker tone with the remix. Solid song.

 

2. Roll Up Poe Up (Freestyle) – Produced by Joe Iron & Luke Walker

Honestly, I didn’t really focus on Donnis’ rap on this track because I was so focused on the overall musicality of the song. That’s not to say I think any rapper could be put on top of the instrumental and make it well, because Donnis compliments the song well.

3. Gone (Before Gone Japan Mix) – Produced by DE DE MOUSE

Here we have a perfect example of classic De De Mouse production. Only he can take a song about drugs, partying, and egoism and turn it into something you bounce along to and giggle constantly. He uses as a DAW a combination of Cubase and HALion, which, as a software, makes very little sense to me. It suits his tweaking personality and production style – he’s always screwing around with his sounds and layers to create a really diverse sound. The distortions on Donnis’ vocals can get overwhelming at times if you are a fan of listening to his rap in a purist sense. However, what De De Mouse does is tough – gorgeous composition.

 

4. Ring My Bell (Invader Moon Assault Japan Remix) – Produced by TakuTakahashi

 This is the third song off the tape featuring a Japanese producer as a remixer. The song itself wasn’t a favorite of mine, but after a few listens, all I wanted to do was blast this and roll around on the floor doing primal dances. So great to drop on a hard dancefloor night, where people are willing to get sweaty and turn into disgusting individuals in the name of a good time. I’m distracted writing about this track due to the dance breaks. Sorry, be back in a bit.

Biggest bonus to this mixtape – Nippon Sounds released it for free. That’s right. Link to download is in the cover image above. Enjoy.

-jo.

different sleep – be my center

Posting about Different Sleep twice in a week – what can I say, the kid has talent. He has a new release, “Be My Center,” and it makes you want to have jungle dreams.

This guy has mad skills. For one, the production itself is more complex than his previous single, due to the drums. You can tell he’s growing as a producer by the spectrum of sleep-based music he’s creating. It sounds like a lover desperate to keep the attention of his/her significant other. There’s something very primal to the sound: the drums underneath the piano parts gives the overall flow of the song a gut-wrenching pain. So sexy. We can make out the vocals saying something along the lines of, “I keep screaming for you.” How can you not fall into a destructive love to this song?

This is going on my “Surreal” playlist right now. I suggest you do the same.
-jo.

lasers – lasers EP

There are two different “LASERS” I listen to – one is made of three people and the other is a solo, Portuguese beat-maker living in the Netherlands. His name, which I have no hopes in pronouncing, is João Lobato and holy damn, is he a wizard at mood music. His debut EP, released two weeks, ago is a solid 4-track release, followed by seven remixes from various artists, with each title being a city in Europe. Based on the little research I’ve done on the guy, these cities hold a close place to the guy’s heart – “Amsterdam” and “Porto,” are cities where, one he’s basing his life out of and the latter being part of his motherland, makes for a very personal EP. You can find a link to download his free EP from the label itself.

FIRST LISTEN

1. Amsterdam

<blank stare> This made my jaw drop. Maybe it’s because I’m slightly obsessed with glitch, electronica, and dark melodies in general, but I was floored with this opening track. Amsterdam as a city has always seemed to me to be a place of disillusioned dreams. That’s most likely due to its drug-ridden stereotype, but this is a song that describes the city from an outsider’s perspective. You can he loves it there, feels a deeper connection to the place, but it’s still not quite home. The drum lines, haunting vocals over synths… oofoo. I can’t get enough of it.

2. Paris

I’ve spent a fair amount of time traveling in Paris when I was younger and this song makes you want to grab a pain au chocolat from a patisserie and stroll down the River Seine while listening to it. “Paris” is what you want Paris to be – sweet, bubbly, and everyone wearing fashionable hats with long jackets in the fall. I just see colors listening to this, with the bouncing piano break, and giggle-worthy synths.

3. Porto

This makes me homesick. I know nothing of Porto, but listening to this makes me want to drive around my own hometown and quietly go through memories of living there. You can feelhow much he loves the city just on the pace of the song. The distorted vocals are what does it for me. Pretty beautiful overall.

4. Berlin

“Berlin” did not stand out to me as strongly as the first three tracks. I zoned out until I heard the droney, pseudo-sitar like line he has going about two minutes into the song. It’s has the most “live” sounds to it, which suits the bustling, urban aspects of Berlin. It felt the most cityish out of the entire EP, but didn’t cut it for me.

5. Amsterdam (Blac Koyote remix)

Creepy. So creepy, haunting, and ghost-like that it’s absolute perfection. Definitely play this late at night with the lights off. It’s an out of body experience. The bass lines alone are jarring as all hell.

6. Amsterdam (Ruddyp remix)

This feels very Star Slinger esque, with the more “in your face” production of the drum beats, synths, and layers overall. I have nothing against it. This particular remix makes me want to be yelling off a bridge and maybe have a breakdown. If I had to put it in a movie, it would be when the main character is driving through a dark tunnel and the movie suddenly cuts out into credits. I dunno why, it’s just an instinct.

7. Amsterdam (Sun Glitters remix)

This particular remix is reminiscent of HEALTH production. It keeps the overall melody of LASERS’ original track, adds old-school synth lines, and creates a new, slightly disturbing song instead. It’s cool in its own right, and stands out beautifully among the three “Amsterdam” remixes.

8. Paris (Elite Athlete remix)

“Am I in a video game?” was the initial reaction. It felt like I was playing a hip version of Midnight Club II, which I have nothing against – it put Felix da Housecat on my radar back when I was a tween. It keeps true to the upbeat feel LASERS pushed towards in the original version. Kind of reminds me of Postal Service in its punchy delivery of drum beats. Recommend it for a late summer drive.

9. Paris (Stereoboy remix)

More video games. Lasers! PEW PEW PEW. Then we get a fade away into a very broken down remix. It’s the kind of song you’d listen to on a bench and stare out at the River rather than walk down it. I want to smile and cry at the same time when it’s on. The lack of drums will do that to ya. The intricate layering Stereoboy puts into the various piano lines is so interesting to hear. After multiple listens I’m still finding new parts to enjoy.

10. Porto (Daily Misconceptions remix)

Such a sweet remix, and I mean that in the sugary way. I want to fall asleep to this sound due to it’s lullaby qualities. I love the revs up and down in distortions throughout. It sounds like Wall-E looking through his collection of human treasures. The ending is so cool ’cause the song seems like it’s going to fall apart, but doesn’t.

11. Berlin (Sam A La Bamalot vocal remix)

Obviously this remix, and track for that matter, stands out the most since it’s the only one with legitimate vocals and lyrics. The vocals themselves don’t do it for me, but I like the ideas presented. I feel like it’s missing something despite all the added goods to it. Dunno, not a huge favorite – too disjointed but not in the right way.

SAS

The LASERS only portion of the EP is addictive. “Amsterdam” is still my number one off of it, with “Porto” and “Paris” being tied for second. Listening to the latter makes me feel happier, whereas Amsterdam satisfies that darker sound I’m always seeking. “Berlin” finally started doing it for me after listening to it through a few times. Overall, it’s a great debut EP for LASERS. Well executed, gorgeous artwork for the cover, and with excellent supporting remixes.

Having a nightcap and reading Game of Thrones now. Cheers, good people,
-jo.

a-trak & dillon francis – money makin’

Time for quick change of pace. I’m kind of all over the place when it comes to music, and just as much as I love my downtempo, I have an affair with catchy dance music. How can you not? With EDM (ew, gross, I hate that term) currently making waves in the mainstream scene, there’s an incessant demand for artists to release tracks on the fly to satisfy the needs of the masses.

I have no resentment, honestly.

A-Trak is one of my all-time favorites – how could he not be? He won world championships for turntabalism at 15, started his own label before he hit 30, and  is one of the funniest people you can follow on Twitter. He’s got mad wit.

Just over two weeks ago (15 days if you’re anal about it) A-Trak and Dillon Francis released their collaborated single, Money Makin’, and golly gee, is it a great summer anthem. It’s gracing most of my playlists as of late, and I play it at every party I’m made to be the last-minute, you-have-a-Zune DJ. No haterade sippin’ here.

FIRST LISTEN

It may be redundant, but out of formalities I’ll just say it: this single is as catchy as your dog Sparky catching a fly ball. That makes no sense, but neither do Dillon Francis and A-Trak, and that works perfectly for this song. I want to blast it from every rooftop, poolside party, yacht deck, and street corner possible. The synths, drumlines, catchy-ass vocals, and even music video are quirky enough to keep you interested. Constant surprises, you know?

 

SAS

Still on repeat. ‘Nuff said.

You can pick it up on Beatport, the link is in the cover image above.

BUY IT, SUPPORT IT, LOVE IT.

-jo.

different sleep

Producers these days are getting to be so young, or rather, the internet is allowing for these bedroom musicians to foster their talents and make a name for themselves at an earlier age. Look at Madeon, or the duo Bondax from the UK – the first has already performed at Coachella, while the latter supported Star Slinger for a portion of his UK tour. These kiddies are screwin’ with my head.

Cue in Chicago producer Different Sleep. You’ll typically see his name paired with his fellow producer-friend, Mister Lies, both sitting at a pretty 19 years of age. Different Sleeps first single released on his bandcamp page offers for very promising future releases (which we have seen with his joint EP with Mister Lies, “Mass”).

FIRST LISTEN

  1. Next Time I See You
    It opens with recorded “city-scape sounds” followed by a sentimental acoustic guitar over a quiet bassline. The song, with its eerie breathing interspersed throughout the track creates a nostalgic atmosphere. Then, suddenly, it breaks! Are we led to a happier place? There’s a promise of it under the xylophone, making what was a song meant for staring out at the Chicago skyline in the late hours of the night with tears for company, into a nostalgic, yet fond, memory. I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone shed tears over this song.
  2. Turbulence
    Maybe it’s because I listened to this song at 4AM one night (morning? Night? I’m an owl) but it definitely had a happier vibe to it. The song offered a clear day-to-night transition for the single, and although it isn’t an upbeat song per se, it’s a track which offers a sense of completion for the overall fluidity of the release. That probably doesn’t make sense, but I don’t really care, it’s the wine talking.


    SAS

    Putting this single on reverse made me feel so down: this is a release meant to be listened as stand-alone tracks, or as it was released. If you listen to it on shuffle, beware – you will feel just a little more sad about life and stuff. I have a soft spot for somewhat depressing music so I’ll probably bombard ya guys with posts with similar downtempo songs.

    Keep your eyes out for this guy, big things are gonna come from him, especially if he’s tag-teaming with Mister Lies.

    Keep it secret, keep it safe,
    -jo.

james & evander

Starting this blog off on a West Coast foot. Based out of Oakland, CA we have the producer pair James & Evander making a stronger footing in the downtempo/electronic/synth pop field(s). I’ve been downloading their music in a frenzied fashion and have yet to be disappointed. After sifting through their archives on their bandcamp page, their two EP releases, Constellating and Let’s Go, made waves in mixes I’ve made. I’ll talk about their latest album, Bummer Pop, in a later post, I promise.

FIRST LISTEN

1. Constellating

It opens with a blend of piano lines setting the stage for a sentimental track but still poppy enough for a quiet late-evening summer drive. From the get go, with the layering vocals, it adds for a very introspective foundation for the lyrics. It’s a song of loss but the melody helps bring in a more “hopeful” feel to the track, making for a complex composition for the song. The track, is reminiscent of California pop-rock from the mid-2000’s. They vaguely remind me of the days when I’d listen to The Fictions on repeat and wish there was an oceanic beach around for me to bum around at.

2. Slap Bracelets

After a strong opening with “Constellating,” this has an almost throw-away quality to it. “Slap Bracelets” has this fantastic chorus though, with the a strong drum line, making you bob your head along to it. The EP continues to have this constant desire to drive around and be blasted from a convertible. In terms for a flow of an EP, the song makes sense, in context: without a track like this, there wouldn’t be a flow going for it. I’m all about the flow.

3. Really Real

We end the James & Evander only portion of the EP with an instrumental. Continuing with the evening-vibe already set in motion, they made a future-pop heavy track to create that disjointed, hyperactive head bopping they led into with “Slap Bracelets.” This is definitely the happiest song off the EP and it makes me want to run around outside. That is, if I actually liked the outdoors.

4. Constellating (Ander remix)

This was the first track that put me on the James & Evander wagon. On some random night of YouTube music hunting, I stumbled upon this remix to add to my glitch/downtempo playlist I had going. Addictive. So addictive. What makes this such a killer remix is when compared to the original, this is the vibe you’d expect the song to have based on lyrics alone. Ander did a beautiful rendition of the song with interesting breaks, a haunting melody, and much creepier vocals.

4. Slap Bracelets (shortcircles remix)

I’m a huge shortcircles fan. After I heard his “iwishthatyouwould (pleaseloveme) off some random mixtape a friend of Giraffage made, I loved all of his dreampop heavy tracks. Uwaa, I love drifting off to sleep to this song. He makes “Slap Bracelets” a lot sweeter of a song, where James & Evander actually created a more “piss-off” sentiment with their lyrics. Damn, whoever that girl is, she really dicked someone over.

SECOND AND SHUFFLE (or, SAS)

This is the part of listening to an album I love. Usually, the first time through, I’m doing something else when listening to a new EP, album, single, whathaveyou. Based on the amount of times I look up while going straight through said music piece, I judge that on how fluid of a production quality it is. After that, I listen to the entire thing again except on shuffle. That is where my full judgement lies.

So for this EP, “Constellating” continued to be a favorite of mine. Everything from the lyricism, to the melodies, and sub-melodies made me grin. “Slap Bracelets” was a pleasant surprise. I think it was the part where it goes, “And I read all your letters, but I never wrote you one back/ I knew you were doing better, with your Facebook facts(?)/ and now I’m glad that you know I was wrong, but this is not a love song.” I’m about 99% sure I botched those lyrics but that was the best part of “Slap Bracelets” for me. The vocals are so distorted that you have to struggle to make out what they’re saying. Always loved a mysterious man.

This EP I’m going to do a bit differently, mainly because I haven’t been able to pull  myself away from the title track. “Let’s Go” is one of the reasons I love electronic music to begin with. Being the music nerd that I am, the first five seconds of this song had me freaking out. Like, legitimately running around like a guillotined chicken.

Where did I get my excitement from? No, not from my mama, but instead from James & Evander’s keen sampling. They took the main melody from one of my favorite songs, “Sunshine Luv,” by Korean hip hop producer, The Quiett, and used it as the building block for this here track. They thought they could be tricksy, but HAH, I bested them (not really though, that’s not a thing).

They slowed down the main melody and added poppier drum lines, along with second and third melody lines for a much fuller sound than The Quiett originally gave us. James & Evander makes an effort to use their recordings of live instruments (like the drums and pianos) mixed with electronic production to make a less perfect-sounding track. Sometimes that gets on my nerves, despite how much of an electronic geek I am. Uwaa, love their stuff so hard so fresh so good so clean. Another huge perk – this EP is a free download. Who doesn’t love free shit?

If you enjoyed any of the tracks, the images link to their bandcamp pages for the EPs. They have a monsterload of free downloads so make sure to check them out.

Till next time,

-jo.