Author Archives: Ivan Chung

[Indie Folk] William Fitzsimmons – Fortune (Acoustic)

Posted by Ivan Chung - August 14, 2014

William Fitzsimmons
Fortune (Acoustic)

Chicago-based singer/songwriter William Fitzsimmons has recently released his Acoustic Sessions EP, in which consists of the unplugged version of four songs off his “Lions” album. Among these gems we have the acoustic version of “Fortune”, where Fitzsimmons gives an excellent display of his musical genius through minimal instrumental.

Taking away the electric guitar, the fast-paced drums, the harmonizing female vocals and replaced them with melodic acoustic fingerpicking, the bearded musician provides a stripped-down, naked and more emotionally driven version of the song. His under the breath singing is similar to Joshua Radin‘s whisper-rock style, but it surely amuses us how much this tune contributes to the audience with just his voice and a guitar. His voice is too soothing for words so go give it a listen, but we definitely want to see what other tricks William Fitzsimmons got hidden in that giant beard of his.

Folk

[Lo-Fi] Spooky Black – Leaving EP

Posted by Ivan Chung - August 13, 2014

You were probably just as confused as we were when Spooky Black a.k.a Lil Spook, released his music video for “Without You” back in February. “Is this kid serious?”, “Why is this so low quality?”, and “What is type of music called?” were among some of the questions that came to mind.

With the release of his Leaving EP, the 15-year-old singer from Minnesota gives us a peek of what his music is really about. It consists of eight melancholy tunes, all titled in lower-cased letters and in such nonchalance. Collaborating with producers like Kid Hnrk, Psynum and Smitty The BG, this EP is a full on display of Spooky Black’s vocal talent and musical style over the dreamy, slow, lo-fi and occasional trap-style beats. The sustain added to his vocals accentuates the quirky yet creepy style of his songs, and with him dressing in all black attire in the “Without You” video, you can kind of guess where this is going.

Put it this way, Spooky Black is sort of like the R&B version of King Krule. Similar to his music, you either love it or hate it. We definitely love him in a weird kind of way. The whole EP is available off his soundcloud, so go get a copy here and tell us what you think!

’intro (prod. Curtis Heron & Thestandard)’

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’pull (prod. Kid Hnrk)’

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’HotelSixNine Ft. SolomonDaGod (prod. Smitty The BG)’

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’interlude’

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’take the blame so i dont have to (prod. Kid Hnrk)’

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’echoes in my mind ft. wiccaphase springs eternal (prod. Kid Hnrk)’

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’dj khaled is my father (bonus) (prod. Psymun & Spookyblack)’

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[Trip Hop] kuma – Beneath the Flowers

Posted by Ivan Chung - August 12, 2014

kuma •ᴥ•
Beneath The Flowers

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Ever come across a tune so amazing that you feel good about life after listening to it? Here we have “Beneath The Flowers,” a re-work by kuma sampling Lupe Fiasco‘s hip-hop classic “Daydreamin’.” The LA-based producer took Jill Scott‘s vocals from the hook and turned it into something beautiful and tranquil. With the lo-fi styled beats and pitched-down samples, the 18-year-old showcases his talent and creativity through the track, resembling the sounds created by producers like Giraffage and Slow Magic.

Being the frontrunner of the Flow-Fi record label, kuma takes us on a journey of his life through the recent release of his BERA EP, where he describes the writing and producing of the tracks on his soundcloud. With so much talent at such a young age, kuma is definitely one of our favorites in the downtempo/electronica genre.

[Acoustic] Years & Years – Take Shelter (Unplugged)

Posted by Ivan Chung - August 7, 2014

Years and Years
Take Shelter Unplugged

Soundcloud

British trio Years & Years recently came out with their new EP, and here we have an acoustic version of their lead single “Take Shelter”. With only the piano as the accompaniment, their lead singer Olly’s voice shines in this poignant little tune. They describe themselves as Electro Soul Pop, and when you take away the electro element of the song, Soul and Pop are exactly what these guys sound like acoustically. It’s simple, emotional, heartfelt, and most importantly, it calls for your attention. It’s almost like you’ve gone through a bad breakup and here you are reminiscing about the old times. Okay this might be going too far but you get the point.

Also, check out their original version of the song here. We are pretty excited to see what else these guys have to offer. With the release of this single, Years & Years are definitely on the right track to make it big in the UK, maybe even here in the States.

[Alternative R&B] Doja Cat – No Police (Prod. Dream Koala)

Posted by Ivan Chung - August 6, 2014

DOJA CAT
No Police (prod. Dream Koala)

Soundcloud

LA singer Doja Cat just released her new EP titled Purrr!, a selection of alternative R&B tracks sampling dope beats from local DJs/producers. Among them we have “No Police”, a spicy tune sampling over Dream Koala‘s “We Can’t Be Friends.” The beat is so smooth, dreamy and chilled-out that you will probably get caught in the midst of daydreaming to it. Doja Cat’s half-rapping, half-singing technique and the electric guitar riff further add on to the R&B style of the song, turning it into something so hip and creative.

Another well-known hip-hop take on this sample is “Thim Slick” by Fabolous featuring Jeremih. Yet Doja Cat’s version of the song is much more laid back and slowed down. You just can’t help but sway your body side by side to this beat. With producers Evil Needle, Dream Koala and Iman Omari featured on her EP, Doja Cat is definitely an artist to watch out for.

[Indie Electronic] BASECAMP – Shudder

Posted by Ivan Chung - August 4, 2014

BASECAMP
Shudder

Soundcloud

Since their single hit “Emmanuel“, Nashville trio BASECAMP has once again proven that genres don’t define how artists make their music. It was difficult to categorize this track because of all the different elements put into it. From the house beat and repetitive wave sounds in the background, to the chillwave-like synth and a voice similar to John Legend’s, “Shudder” stands its place as one of the most distinctively sounding songs by BASECAMP. The soulful vocals magically capture the R&B melody, and together with the joyful yet complex beat, we have a track so tranquil and laid back that you’ll never get tired of listening to. The downtempo breakdown towards the end catches your attention with its intentionally clouded bass and background noises, but at the same time remains its glitchy beat with abrupt pauses.

There are so many good things we can say about this track. We’ll just let you be the judge of it. With a new EP coming Fall 2014, BASECAMP is definitely one to watch for all you music lovers.

[Electro] Lil Silva – Don’t You Love (Feat. BANKS)

Posted by Ivan Chung - August 3, 2014

Lil Silva
Don't You Love (Feat. BANKS)

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Do you love BANKS as much as we do? Well her recent collaboration with British producer and DJ Lil Silva will deifnitely satisfy all of Jillian’s fans. This new track by Lil Silva titled “Don’t You Love” has an interesting yet lengthy buildup. From the get go, Lil Silva is incorporating his funky elements into the beat. There are the echoing male vocals in the beginning, something resembling BANKS’ style, most notable in “Brain” produced by Shlomo. Then as the funky bass comes in, the anticipation builds up. The vocals from BANKS don’t come in until over half way to the track, but the result is a drop that gets you vibin’ and headbobbing all over the place. BANKS’ solo towards the end of the tune shows every bit of her goddess-like sassiness. Everything comes together so well with the overdue beat drop that it was worth all the hype and anticipation.

With his new project “Maple EP” coming out August 4, Lil Silva is definitely looking to diversify his fan base by recruiting some of BANKS’. With the addition of this track, we are very excited to how BANKS is going to change the game with the release of her new album.

Electronic