With the plethora of genres, sub-genres and micro-genres (yes, we know how ridiculous that sounds) that we’re presented daily as bloggers, it’s not all that common to come across something that feels completely unique. Recently, we were introduced to Oakland three-piece Wicked Man, who possess a sound that’s nearly impossible to place, but draws on indie-folk, jazzy jams and impeccable guitar plucking combined with a nearly-sinister voice. Their debut EP, Fingership, felt like a project of discovery for the band but they’re gearing up for the follow-up and, if the first single is any indication, it’s one you’re going to want to look out for.
“Soil Leaking Water” is built on a sort of haunting, oscillating guitar accentuated by the mischievous vocals of frontman Yonatan Tietz, who’s voice finds itself somewhere between Bob Dylan and Alt-J’s Joe Newman. That instrumental loop is quickly followed by layered synths and steady percussion. From that base, the track develops into a magical composition invoking a range of emotions through out tied together by a common groove–whether it be from the guitar, synths or vocals. The complexity of the instrumentation and dynamic nature of the piece don’t take away from its accessibility, though, and neither does the unconventional crooning.
It’s a jam that oozes a variety of vibes that we’ll definitely be saving for our 4th of July BBQ. Do yourself a favor and give this multiple listens above–it gets better with each one. Wicked Man’s upcoming EP is due out mid-September.
It wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say that any track on Odesza‘s In Return has been overlooked considering it was one of the most popular electronic albums of 2014. That being said, I’ve always felt “Memories That You Call,” especially after hearing it live, was the most powerful cut slipping through the cracks amongst radio hits like “Say My Name” and “Sun Models.” As a result, few producers, besides Henry Krinkle, have elected to remix it rather choosing to focus on the tracks offered up for Odesza’s official remix competitions.
Just a few minutes ago, though, San Francisco producer Blackbird Blackbird dropped an absolutely gorgeous, dynamic take on “Memories That You Call.” His re-imagination opens with the original’s ethereal vocal samples accompanied by glistening sonic elements before building up in a similar fashion as Odesza’s composition but dropping into a tropical groove. Rather than constrain the style to that genre, though, Blackbird brings back the original’s enormous chorus around the 2:49 mark re-layering and re-pitching vocals along the way. That transition drowns back into a beautiful house culmination of the song’s broad-ranged moving parts.
Blackbird’s rendition of “Memories That You Call” proves the perfect example of retaining the best of a song while adding a completely new flavor and cadence. Take a break from your mid-week stresses and soak in the radiance of this fantastic remix. You can grab a free download here.
On ‘Ego Death,’ The Internet have truly caught up to their initial vision just around the same time the rest of the music scene is striving to do the same.
When The Internet, spearheaded by Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians, put out their first album Purple Naked Ladies, in 2011, they were already ahead of the curve. With Syd on the mic and Matt on the boards, their debut favored jazz, neo-soul, N.E.R.D.-esque vibes tied together with silky R&B vocals and unique hip-hop-tinted lyricism. Their predilection for live instrumentation and extended jams–the type that could be heard on Matt Martian’s Jet Age of Tomorrow projects–led the duo to put together a 6-piece band that would help them catch up to their musical ambitions. The resulting project was their sophomore record, Feel Good, which progressed their sound with the help of that ensemble who brought a marked musicianship to match Matt and Syd’s executive direction.
With deeply collaborative albums like Kendrick Lamar‘s To Pimp a Butterfly and The Social Experiment‘s Surfboth solidifying the reincarnation of funk, soul and live instrumentation in hip-hop and R&B, it’s clearer than ever just how innovative The Internet were with their undertakings. Their latest album, Ego Death, which is out now, continues that progression building off the rawness of their debut all the while incorporating the complexity of its predecessor. More than ever, it feels like The Internet, who describe the project as their most collaborative yet, have congealed into sonic bliss.
Musically, Ego Death finds itself in a place of minimalism, which is not to be confused with simplicity. There’s gorgeous jams through out on tracks like the Janelle Monae-featuring “Gabby,” moments of bounce on cuts like the Kaytranada-assisted “Girl” and bedroom anthems like “Special Affair.” What ends up really bringing cohesion to the project are Syd’s captivating voice and the common theme encapsulated by the album’s title–an inner-conflict between a heightened ego and a broken one. On Ego Death, The Internet have truly caught up to their initial vision just around the same time the rest of the music scene is striving to do the same.
We were lucky enough to chat with Syd and Matt about the MySpace days, Odd Future and the making of Ego Death. Pick up your copy and read the full Q&A below.
TMN: What were your earliest musical memories, as far as what was playing around the house or anything that you were listening to growing up that you felt like has influenced your sound?
Matt: I think my very first memory was hearing my dad play stuff in the car all the time. My very first memory musically was The Commodores song called “Machine Gun.” It’s a song that has no lyrics or anything, it’s just a fucking jam–a jam-out Commodores song. And I remember I would always ask my dad to play it on repeat, and as a kid I didn’t know this wasn’t normal, but now that I’m older I realize that type of music is not something a normal five year old really grabs onto. Because I’ve never been a trained musician, but I’ve always known what sounded good and what not to do, which is kind of a gift in itself.
Syd: Me, I grew up listening to a lot of like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, India Arie, Musiq Soulchild and a lot of reggae like a lot of Maxi Priest, Steel Pulse, and Third World. Yeah, my dad is part of kind of a musical family, his brother is very involved in the music industry in Jamaica, and my mom is just like a huge fan of music. She still wants to be an engineer, like me.
TMN: So, building off of that, when did you guys first start making music?
Matt: I would say I started late; I was a late bloomer. I was 17 and it was like my first year of college. It got to the point where I got sick of waiting on my favorite bands to put music out. And I always felt like the good bands took forever to put music out and the trash bands would put music out every three years. So, it was like, you know, N.E.R.D. would come out with an album then you wouldn’t hear shit like, “Nigga I been waiting four years! I’m not gonna wait four years for twelve songs!” So, for me it was more like teach me how to fish, eat forever type of situation.
Syd: I took piano lessons as a kid and all that, but I didn’t start making music on my own until I was like 14 when my dad got me a laptop for school and it had Garage Band. I just started and I knew at that point that I wanted to do something involved in music, I just didn’t know what. Then I realized “oh a producer,” and then I realized “oh I’m not that good at this…” (Laughs). So I just started engineering instead just to stay involved one way or another and to make money.
TMN: So, I know Matt you had done some production work with Odd Future in general. Syd were you the first person to get in touch with Matt or was it through being a member of Odd Future yourself?
Syd: No, Matt was in Odd Future way before me, like years before me. Matt is an original member, he’s like one of the first members. I was a fan of his, because he had the Super 3. I was a fan of the Super 3 so I used to just message him like “Hey, give me advice on beats” and he used to give me advice.
Matt: Right. It’s kind of weird when I think about it now, like we’re best friends and we’re in a band together, because it really was like fate. So, me and Tyler (The Creator) linked up like a few years before I met Syd, this was on MySpace as well. The Internet is just the embodiment of both, and how a lot of our lives have changed because of it. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Internet. So, we basically connected through MySpace, bouncing ideas, then she got into Odd Future. I was already in Odd Future so we got even closer. It kind of happened organically, how it was supposed to happen. It was nothing forced, it was more so like we both had very similar interests, and we grew up from very similar backgrounds so it just makes a lot of sense.
We’re excited to welcome MondreM.A.N. and Squadda Bambino of Main Attrakionz to our first ever Dojo By the Bay series, a monthly interview feature focused on talented artists from the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2011, North Oakland’s Main Attrakionz first emerged on the national scene with their Blackberry Ku$h and 808s & Dark Grapes II mixtapes, helping pioneer a style of hip-hop that combines ethereal, lo-fi production with stream-of-conscious flows–a style that rose around the same time as experimentation by Lil B, who Squadda’s produced a number of tracks for, but had an accessibility, positivity and technique all its own.
Dubbed “cloud rap,” their approach on those projects resonated with up ’n coming talent from around the country resulting in collaborations and co-signs from the likes of A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown and Clams Casino. Their ability to combine street lyricism and a distinct Bay Area flavor with atmospheric, hazy instrumentals culminated on their 2012 debut album, Bossalinis & Fooliyones, a polished collection of songs with an array of fitting, top-notch production to match. Over the last three years, Squadda and Mondre have continued to churn out projects under their Green Ova collective while working on their long-anticipated sophomore album, 808s & Dark Grapes III, which is fully produced by Friendzoneand set to drop on June 30th on Neil Young’s Vapor Records.
That breakout year was far from the start for Squadda Bambino (pictured below left) and MondreM.A.N. (right), the emcees behind Main Attrakionz, though. Growing up, the two absorbed anything that was available to them through music videos and radio during a time when rap was flourishing in the mainstream. Their rap careers began at about 12 years old on karaoke machines and any instrumentals they could get their hands on. Squadda and Mondre joined forces in the seventh grade when they entered talent shows together and, their early and shared vision of success, made them quick best friends along with their Green Ova family which solidified not long after.
TMN: What’s one musical memory that stood out to you as kids?
MondreM.A.N.: I’m going to say me buying my first CD. I was like 9 years old. My first CDs I ever bought were B.G.‘sCheckmate and Big Tymers’ I Got That Work. Moms let me buy it, had a cd player. Just, damn, listening to all those lyrics man, that blew my mind away. From there, became a Cash Money fan. I just became a fan of their movement. I realized there was 6 of them, in-house producer, kind of like a family and shit. They were doing their thing back then.
Squadda B: Yeah, Cash Money, was definitely influential. Also, Onyx “Slam” back in the day. I’ve seen a video of me rapping Onyx back in the day.
TMN: You guys first started rapping together at Carter Middle School. Can you take us back to your mindset during those days?
Squadda: Just a thirst to make it happen–a thirst and a fantasy. Really wanting that shit but it not really seeming like reality yet.
TMN: In general, you seem to really rap about what you live but, as kids, what did you rap about?
Squadda: I used to rap about see-through PS2s and shit. Fantasy raps. You know, our visions.
Mondre: We had the imagination, man. [We rapped about] shit niggas ain’t have.
TMN: You started rapping on Karaoke machines and whatever instrumentals you could find. What were some of the ones that stood out to you back then?
Squadda: All the traditional shit—that’s what was presented to us. You get your 50 cent instrumentals, you could find that. You could get the down south ones real then but you couldn’t really get a lot of beats back then, and nobody was giving us them. So, we were on a lot of instrumentals, products of the music and what was going on. We rapped on David Banner & Lil Flip, “Like A Pimp.” We rapped on Lil Flip “Game Over” and “Blood Hound,” 50 Cent back in middle school.
TMN: Did you listen to anything outside of hip-hop growing up?
Squadda: It’s funny because whatever was on the TV or radio was what was making it happen back then. You’re watching TV, see what comes on, top 20 hits—all that shit had influence on us. It’s just evolving to the point where we’re like just making whatever we like to hear now to replace that shit. Songs still come to me to this day from the 90’s or early 2000s—just life has a big influence on everybody. We just re-do it and re-create.
TMN: Can you talk a bit about the formation of Green Ova?
Squadda: We always had families. In middle school we were part of a squad but in high school there was just too many people. There’s only 6 of us now and if you listen to 808s & Dark Grapes III songs we got all of them on there–Robbie Rob, Dope G, Lo Da Kid and Shady Blaze. It just evolved and came to where it is now but we always kind of rapped with a lot of people and moved with big numbers.
TMN: Squadda, as a producer yourself, you always use some really interesting samples. Where do you usually look for those?
Squadda: It’s evolved. Always trying to recreate what influenced us. I would always hear about producers with vinyls and shit but I always grew up with hella CDs so I kind of wanted to make it a thing and create my own culture out of what really touched on me. It’s always different but that’s why I like working with Friendzone because they kind of have a culture of their own too of how they find samples.
TMN: With the Internet being such an integral role in your careers thus far, what are your thoughts on its role in the music industry in this era?
Squadda: Shit, if you got your head on straight, it can only be a good thing. I love it. I remember hearing about other artists really talking about us. It’s a good thing to have so many people have other ways to find your music other than going to a store. Yeah, the money changes and things change, but I think it’s great.
TMN: Mondre, what’s your favorite thing about working with Squadda? And visa versa?
Mondre: I mean, shit, everything man. Watching him grow, you know what I’m saying? With the beats, the music and everything. Shit, I say everything man. We came in this together and we still here. Better than ever. Wiser and everything.
Squadda: Just bringing the flavor, man. When he come with the effort, it’s real nice. The flows that he comes with every time, you can definitely count on it—it’s consistent. From when I first rapped with him, you know Mondre’s gonna come with it. Makes you think about your shit even more. It’s fun working with him because you know he’s going come with something. It’s kind of rare for me to feel like that too. I don’t really get that feeling rapping with other people—no disrespect. But it’s always been like that since we were kids with Mondre.
Since releasing his debut album last year, Chet Faker has been touring pretty much non-stop so it’s little surprise that we haven’t heard much new music from him. Hopefully that’s going to change soon but, to hold fans over, the Australian artist let loose some unreleased material today from the Built on Glass sessions that must’ve just barely missed the cut for the album. “Bend” carries the same synth-laden backdrop and soulful vocals as Chet’s debut but has a bluesy guitar riff at its chorus that’s not quite like anything we’ve heard from him before. It’s an intoxicating and experimental tune that captures Faker’s distinct style and broad range of influences. Groove above–the first 1000 downloads will be free so grab one while supplies last!
Atlanta’s Rome Fortunehas pushed boundaries in hip-hop for the last year in more than one way. His work with pioneering electronic producer Four Tet is just one great example making for some of our favorite tracks of 2014. Today, we get possibly their best collaboration to date with “Leaders,” an accurate title for both artists. Starting with some classic-sounding boom bap percussion, Four Tet adds layers of atmospheric keys and arpeggiated synths to take the backdrop to outer space. Equipped with just the right instrumental, Rome shines with a delivery that dynamically switches between matter-of-fact and melodic as he motivates others to take chances in the same way he has. It’s the type of tune that will inspire you to chase your dreams.
Fittingly, Rome also announced his new iPhone app today, which will allow fans to chat with him as well as receive exclusive content and browse his whole library of music. You can download it for free here.
Mac DeMarco‘s got a new mini-LP on the way and, after a breezy first single in “The Way You’d Love Her,” today we get “Another One,” the title track from the project. This time around Mac goes the dreamy pop route with vintage synths and distant vocals. It’s a simple, yet layered, hazy melody that captures Mac’s wonderfully strange essence. The visuals, which you can check out below, are equally weird seeing Mac dance and sing on a beach wearing a Michael Jackson mask and t-shirt through out. As with all of Mac DeMarco’s music, this one’s headed straight to our summer playlist. Another One drops on August 7th and can be pre-ordered here.
