12 December 2008
Food of the Gods—Boy From Brazil
All mention of “supergroup” aside, Food of the Gods is a psychedelic pick-up band featuring Eddie Ruscha, DJ Harvey, Tim Koh, Thomas Bullock, and Miho Hatori, all of whom have found fame and fortune from their previous musical noodlings. After reading a review of their single Boy From Brazil/Poison Apple, on RA, I was curious about the group’s supposed buoyancy, though their Can-ish quality of awesome psych is undebatable.
In any case, Boy from Brazil is set to get your next dance party, happening, or other climax moments achieved. Get it from the inconspicous Whatever We Want Records as soon as you can, since it probably won’t be re-printed or issued on CD. In fact, it might just be sold out by the time you finish reading this sentence.
These guys don’t even have a myspace, but the kind, amazing folks at WWWR did send us a copy of the record, and let us stick up a sample:
11 December 2008
10 Deep Presents: The New Deal Mixed by DJ Benzi
The New Deal is my new favorite Benzi mixtape. I made up a new dance for the Diplo remix. It involves rasta hats, bamboo sticks and the running man but with stomping. And how much of a DJ Premier bite is that Ronson beat for Wale?
If you are stoked on the Kanye remix tape, there will be slick CD copies at More Proof on Friday, so come up and say what’s up in between Jager Bombs.
09 December 2008
Mixtape: Paper Route Gangstaz—Fear and Loathing in Hunts Vegas
Two personal favourites, Benzi and Diplo, have been cooking up their Paper Route Gangstaz — Fear and Loathing in Hunts Vegas mixtape and I’ve been following it close since last winter. During a recent late night pow wow, I referred to it as ‘the most slept on tape of the year’ and I’m not preparing to take that back anytime soon.
The PRGz have something going on their own, but Diplo and Benzi bring it all together with some of the best remixes and production I’ve heard from either yet. The samples are way out there, but way amazing — Orbital, George Michael, Weezer...really? Did I hear some Cafe del Mar chillout, new age Buddha Bar type shit in there, too? No way.
It might catch you off guard, but every second of it sounds right at home. The end result is a fresh take on the genre that’s true to the OG dirty south sound.
Benzi and I have been plotting to share the stage for a while now. Come out and see us all on Friday at the Drake for More Proof’s December mixer.
You can purchase the mixtape as a complete digital download on the Mad Decent website or snag the promo sampler from Benzi’s site right here.
07 December 2008
Matthew Young: Lost and Found
In the early eighties, a hermetic musician by the name of Matthew Young released Recurring Dream — an entirely electronic, Eno-inspired album of instrumentals. Five years later, in 1986, Traveler’s Advisory was released into relative obscurity and went under the radar until this past September, when it resurfaced on California imprint Yoga Records.
Comprised mostly of folk-influenced numbers, it’s the song Dummy Line which stands out as a would-be new wave hit, albeit drenched in the ethereal sounds of a hammered dulcimer. You can buy the album here.
05 December 2008
DJ Barletta: Bass Live EP
Today is the official promo release of DJ Barletta‘s Bass Live EP on YYZ Records. With two songs by Barletta and remixes by Syntonics, TMDP, TT, 84.85, and myself, the release is a great gathering of up-and-coming Toronto dance producers ready to become the rippers of your life.
Enjoy!
DJ Barletta — Bass Live EP (YYZ Records) MP3
Password: haw9lyhi
04 December 2008
Kanye West: Love Lockdown (Pilotpriest’s 1994 Remix)
Our man Pilotpriest is a Toronto electronic music producer, songwriter, and award-winning motion graphics designer. He flips this Kanye song with a healthy dose of bitcrushed leads, super-compressed drums and 90s euphoria… can you catch the Haddaway reference?
02 December 2008
Jjjjfound: Men’s Winter Classics Shortlist
Though we’re definitely not the first to mention Justin R. Saunders’ blog, Jjjjfound — an untiring congregation of sharp cultural products and other miscellaneous stimuli — his recent article on The Moment blog has been an enjoyable read and re-read many times this week for me, never leaving the gang of leafed tabs that are perpetually hanging out on my browser window.
Apart from his fondness for undeniable staples like the Ralph Lauren Polo and the A.P.C standard jean, my interest peaked at his inclusion of Patek Philippe time pieces, and his education on the 1992 Jetta, the year the model stopped being made in Germany.
Though some might frown on this particular porthole of the internet, it’s also worth noting that J’s tumblr is a very digestible regular intake of his findings.
30 November 2008
The Criterion Collection Online Cinematheque
The Criterion name has been a mark of film classics since they shot out a Citizen Kane laserdisc in the 1984. Last May, they made the move to Blu-Ray, and now they’re marking a new chapter with online rental for $5.
The selection is limited for now, but they promise much more to come, and they’ve started with a great selection of titles — I recommend Ratcatcher and Au Revoir Les Enfants. This morning I’m going to check out Lord of The Flies.
For a detailed explanation of the new site, check out this video on the Current, their blog, and while you’re there you can read essays, keep up with announcements and read blog posts from people like James L. Brooks, and Martin Scorsese.
Photo: Jason Nocito for The Fader
28 November 2008
The Fader: 808s and Heartbreak
Five years ago this month, a young upstart named Kanye West graced the cover of The Fader with a mission to change music. And with flashing lights forward, the mission still hasn’t changed — ‘Ye is as candid as ever with another Fader cover.This time 808s and Heartbreak is inspiring heated debate for its devotion to autotune, and Kanye is just enjoying the ride.
Kanye West - Paranoid (Seewhale Edit) MP3
If you’re still undecided on the album, Kanye’s behavior at the album’s listening parties is telling. Even though I don’t know whether I would give the album an A, his headspace gets an A+. He’s writing/producing/blogging for the love of it, and apparently soon he’ll be designing forward thinking streetwear. Whether you love him or you hate him, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Go ‘Ye, go.
27 November 2008
Analogue Solutions: Dorian Gray Complex Solved By Leipzig
Lusting after gear is something close to any electronic musician’s heart. The thinking usually goes along the lines of “if only I had [insert stupid expensive piece of gear here], then my studio would be complete and I could make my hit single”. Unfortunately, like most of life, if the day ever comes when you finally bring that sacred prize home, you’ll find that your soul is just as incomplete, and you’ll immediately go looking for a new obsession to pine over.
Well, look no further, ‘cause Analogue Solutions has all the crazy expensive and authentically non-digital gear you need. Its flagship synth, the Leipzig Synthesizer, has not only everything you need out of a fully analog monosynth, it comes with the word “synthesizer” emblazoned on the back in a kick-ass font, which is a great indicator that this British company know what we all truly want from a synth: to look impossibly cool standing next to it.
I reckon they ought to re-think something about their website, however, when someone used my laptop to check their email today, this tab was staring them in the face.
