★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine
White boy modern r&b, young thug
Fake hipster
I sorta like this, it's carefree fun; maybe need a drink with it. The sound feels superfluous, like they're trying to capitalize on a trendy vibe rather than a true inspiration. It reminds me of that vampire weekend side project 'discovery’ but not as good.
https://www.discogs.com/Maka-9-Durkin-Waterproof/release/12555469
Spotify
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★★★☆☆ = Good!
Jacked up Chicago house
Sweaty
I'd say the best DJDS album to check out.
This is pumping with energy, like Chicago's answer to Daft Punk’s Homework. Songs will have a looped lyric but that's the extent of vocals, focus is primarily on the club-like productions.
As an album it's a bit much to listen to straight through as an album, feels like these tracks works best as singles. Overall the album builds to a high finish with suggested tracks 'the dust' and 'friend of mine’ capping things off.
https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Dodger-Stadium-Friend-Of-Mine/release/5863560
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi11LVYL8g4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya5pK1rOKaU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV4Gk4I-VX8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhJqVQ7vXyM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa6B2UbASIo
Spotify
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★★★☆☆ = Good!
Energetic electro with a pop element
Out dancing at a clean shiny place
Quick hitting electro, tight tracks that keep the tempo up; their a talented production pair. It's not full on pop (tracks feel like they were written by beat makers rather than lyricists) but each track features an vocal loop of some sort.
I believe this is the album the recruited the singers from Craigslist which is a cool idea: giving a chance to someone who needs it while keeping costs down. It's a rotating cast of singers but it felt like they homogenized their voices through too much production. The album starts off strong but has a generic feeling toward the end.
https://www.discogs.com/DJDS-Stand-Up-And-Speak/release/8161912
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBUil-pnNhI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tDTApVrzeU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpPwmnNNedA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBvRnp1WyM0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzMqauRDrfA
Spotify
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★★★☆☆ = Good!
Lofi house is a fitting genre name
Refreshingly original small club
Digging this, had it on repeat straight off the bat. I've seen his name a lot recently so I think he's pretty hyped. Serves as a good middle ground between John talabot and stone's throw though the second half tapers off in quality.
It's a brainfeeder release – all their stuff is worth checking out.
https://www.discogs.com/Ross-From-Friends-Family-Portrait/release/12324548
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuZEdzpt_RY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iFxeDKwdNs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFhOJKzd5X4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7G3-Uu3OsI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXLwEZcZoCc
Spotify
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★☆☆☆☆ = Bad
Rap edm
Night out, downtown Manhattan or how not to do a rap/electro crossover
https://www.discogs.com/Azealia-Banks-Slay-Z/release/8469877
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXUfBxMbC3A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usDQB21uQ1A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH90-6sCIoc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJskdaNiz6U
Spotify
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★★★☆☆ = Good!
Groove based 'fun’ electro
A ode to the joy of being lost in life
Hard not to dig a kalabrese release, his tracks are all bursting with love of the craft. Above all else this album maintains a constant groove with lots of interesting production flourishes and bursts of instrumentation that keep these extended cuts engaging.
Lyrically he sings like a wanderlust euro, not the most articulate but he makes up for it in his genuineness. The addition of other vocalists is a welcome dimension. It's an album with moments of greatness but also suffers from an uneven side 2 that felt scattered.
Worth a listen for sure.
https://www.discogs.com/Kalabrese-Independent-Dancer/release/4420013
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnDgS8Hkni4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af01NV3mqjc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQNGYgQMEaE
Spotify
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★★★★☆ = Quality release and suggested listening
Personal fun and funky electro (I guess discogs calls this left field electro?)
An electro record with feeling.
Reminds me of a slightly off kilter Lumio who shares the carefree fun quality of Koze. That description might sound cliche (and there's for sure a certain cliche cheesiness on these tracks) but there's a love and curiosity of life that's very alive in this music.
These tracks run long allowing you to get into the groove. I appreciate the songwriting, tracks are layered and evolve with a natural ebb and flow.
He’s become my goto artist for Friday late night working sessions in the lab.
https://www.discogs.com/Kalabrese-Rumpelzirkus/release/977370
Spotify
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★★★★☆ = Quality release and suggested listening
Sounds like?
Rap with an alt pop lean
Moods
Headphones on and taking in nu-NYC
Thoughts
I don’t know why, call it a natural curiosity, but growing-up I loved the radio and would spend hours taking in anything I could hear. I find pleasure discovering sounds and appreciate art that maintains this same dynamism. It’s reflected in a broader cultural awareness with my generation, whose been raised with the internet and the power of having humanity’s entire cultural output instantly available. So what do you do with it? You take your favorite parts and begin creating something new, sampling in other words.
I find this to be a representative album for today’s sample based culture as Banks, a versatile MC, floats effortlessly between pop and rap on this impressive set of alt-electro productions (think sampling today rather than the past). I appreciate rappers who are able to carve distinct sounds for themselves and feel this is a classic in the marriage of rap and electro.
Listening notes on specific time:
* 212 – immediately and undeniably great
* Idlest delilah / soda is glitchy greatness and a personal favorite
* ‘Gimme a chance’ succeeds as an OK pop song before switching into a gripping latin bit (maybe corny but I genuinely like it).
* BBD, ice princess, Yung Rapunxel take a turn into harder boomy beats that sound a little dated after the edm boom.
* Things drift off towards the end, but she soars on miss camaraderie. Not sure I’ve heard someone flow over edm so well.
More Info
https://www.discogs.com/Azealia-Banks-Broke-With-Expensive-Taste/release/6728221
Listen!
Spotify
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★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine
Sounds like?
Electro hip hop
Moods
Big Boomy
Thoughts
Meh, nothing very interesting here.
More Info
https://www.discogs.com/High-Klassified-Kanvaz/release/11953128
Listen!
Spotify
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★★★☆☆ = Good!
Sounds like?
Hip energetic electro
Moods
Friday
Thoughts
Variety is this albums appeal. Tracks rely on heavily repeated vocals and rhythmic bits to great effect, felt very inspired by the classic breakbeat aesthetic of the second track. ‘Reassuring’ utilizes a downpitched vocal sample, creating a bumping homage to early James Blake. His percussive sense comes out on the 2nd half in the form of an appealing rhythmic bounce.
This is good to great, accessible and catchy. I enjoy it just as much on repeat listens but wonder if the straightforward songwriting will holdup as an album or make these tracks more fit as singles for mixes.
More Info
https://www.discogs.com/Jim-E-Stack-Tell-Me-I-Belong/release/6907279
Listen!
Youtube
Spotify
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