SpectraSoul – Away With Me (Feat. Tamara Blessa)

SpectraSoul have an album set to drop imminently, and here’s a single to whet everyone’s appetite. It’s a down-tempo roller with scratchy garagey breaks, spaced out synths and some starkly delicate vocals from Tamara Blessa. It’s as atmospheric as we’ve come to expect from SpectraSoul, but this sound seems a very new departure for the Brighton duo.  Keep your ears peeled for two remixes from Calibre and Kito. One youtube commenter summed it up better than I ever could: ‘head down vibes’.

Nas – The Don

Nas is back. Enough said.

The Don, an ode to the City that birthed him, is a statement of intent, ahead of a new album set to drop in July. He sounds fresh as ever, you could mistake him for an Illmatic era Nas. He’s still riding the beat in that way no-one can imitate. What’s more, after twenty years in the game, he still sounds strikingly relevant. When you listen to one of Hip Hop’s old guard delivering shit like this, it makes you wonder what happened to the scene. This is what should be topping billboard, not Flo Rida. With any luck, the return of Nas and some of his compatriots will breathe new life into the genre. But I guess the old saying is true; if you want something done right… you gotta do it yourself.

Lung – Why Does Anyone Ever Do Anything

A charming little tune here to help you through the last few hours of the week. Sunshine’s streaming here in London today, so slip on your dunks and have a little shimmy. This one’s a lovely melodic roller from the man Lung. Why Does Anyone Ever Do Anything is forthcoming on Med School, set for release on the 16th of next month. He keeps it stripped back, crafting a minimal framework to surround the vocals from Rachel K. Collier. With a reverberating bass line, reminiscent of the Nu:Logic project, this one should provide the backing track to many a summertime party.

Odd Future – Oldie

Okay… I know its been a while. Apologies. I got  a job. Won’t happen again. For a bit.

So… the thing that has called me back to my laptop is this. Oldie by the Odd Future collective. This comes as the outro to their new album The OF Tape Vol. 2. It’s a ten minute all-out assault featuring almost every member of the crew. The video comes from a photoshoot, where an impromptu sing-a-long became a full on performance. Almost every member of the team delivers a verse at the peak of their lyrical ability. We’ve seen before that stripped back, old school beats are the perfect accompaniment to Odd Future output, and the same is true here.

What’s more, this song marks the long awaited return of Earl Sweatshirt from his exile in Samoa. A momentous moment for Odd Future fanboys. Finally, those of you that know me will be aware of my current obsession with Frank Ocean. In my opinion he is the most exciting figure in mainstream music at the minute. As a late addition to the Odd Future gang, he makes an appearance on Oldie – spitting lyrics like a natural, and unrecognisable from the RnB style of his own mixtape Nostalgia Ultra. He does this whilst  looking like the coolest cat in the world, like the mature uncle left to take care of these unruly youths. I can’t imagine the rest of the album will be able to keep pace with this one, but if it can… then Odd Future really might live up to their hype, something I didn’t suspect until now.

BlakRoc

There are few huge electronic music releases on the horizon, but whilst I’m waiting for some decent versions to appear on the interweb I thought I’d hit you with something from the back catalogue.

In light of the new album, El Camino, from American blues/rock’n'roll/soul/awesomeness duo The Black Keys - I feel its a good time to throw the light back on an album they crafted in 2009. This side project, entitled BlakRoc, threw the Black Keys into the studio with hip hop legends including Mos Def, RZA, Pharoahe Monch, Jim Jones and Raekwon. With this all star roster seizing the mic, the beats were crafted by the Black Keys and Roc-A-Fella co-founder Dame Dash. It didn’t receive as much attention on this side of the pond but its a pedigree album of absolute magic, snarling its lip and dripping with soul. Here’s a few tasters but this is an album that should really be heard in full.

Glass Candy – Digital Versicolor

Nothing brand new here, but this one’s oozing so much style I can’t resist. I rewatched Nicholas Winding Refn’s fantastic Bronson today, and was reminded how much this song struck me the first time round. Released in 2007 by synth-pop duo Glass Candy, this 80s throwback squirms with seedy glamour. It’s all flanged-out synths, Roland drum sounds and breathy vocals. Far from repetitive, the clinical first half later melts into a developing synth solo and instrumental coda. The vintage aesthetic is kept up to date by its gritty effects and attitude. It’s sexy… but that doesn’t mean it’s not sinister.

 

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Pretty Lights – I Know The Truth

Here’s the latest offering from Pretty Lights, American whiz-kid, Derek Vincent Smith. He has established one of the most engaging and recognisable sounds in electronic music – having started off making hip hop beats, he soon fused in elements of electronic music, adding buzzing bass and glitchy synths without ever losing focus on elementary funk and soul. His latest offering I Know the Truth marks a departure from his trademark style, as he brings some dubstep filth to proceedings. However, I include some of the solid gold content of his last EP, Glowing in the Darkest Night.

Furthermore, this guy has taken a novel approach to record sales. In the face of constant copyright infringement, inherent in his style of digital sampling, all his music is released free, with the suggestion of donations. Please visit his website, but I plead that if you download… make a donation. It’s money well spent, and it’s up to us to support the existence of amazing artists like this.

I Know The Truth

So Much In The Dark

Gold Coast Hustle

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