Mellow

Just dag it out of 2013.

That's the kind of hip hop I love.

track's info
RJD2 - See you leave
More Is than Isn't
RJ's Electrical Connections 2013

Winterly

Kinda sad for Christmas season, but also winterly, mellow and so sooth.



I'd check out Soul Kix's stuff if I were you.


track's info
Soul Kix - Winter is coming
2017

Low Res High Quality

Just heard it yesterday and found out it's from an experimental London-based producer, Low Res, pretty young at age and pretty full of inspiration.

Check out the whole debut EP called Outside, download for free and enjoy.

track's info
Low Res - Wild Things
Outside
Calico 2014

Hello, I love you

I think I'm in love. With this tune.

I was pretty sure I've heard it before somehow, and then it came to me.

*The whole Vanilla page is filled with gems from french house to fine hip hop. If you're not already checkin' it out after this, you're kinda weird.


track's info:
Vanilla - Tell me
Only on Vinyl 2
Cold Busted 2016

Smurfy

Bigger days, lovelier nights. And this on.



Thomas Prime and Awon in my kinda hip-hop, in which I just adore the "smurf" tryin' to sneak in.

Check out the whole album here. 

track's info:
Thomas Prime feat. Awon - Believe in Us 
Love Supersedes II Deluxe Edition
Cult Classic Records 2013

Vintage-street situation

As I may have stated many times before in this blog -or maybe just think I have stated- I don't really like labels. I like what I hear and -in this case- what I see. Below you'll see one of the most extraordinary dance battles I've ever seen between lindy hoppers and street dancers, with each group dancin' to their own tunes and makin' a crossover attempting to dance to the opponent's music towards the end. Totally amazed by the moves, I must admit I love both groups equally.

However, as far as music is concerned -and this I've surely stated before- the street dancers kick serious ass. Among poppin' and lockin', aerials, swing outs, charleston and splits there are some awesome tunes goin' on. And I totally love, love, LOVE this one.

If only all fights and disputes were settled like this. What a wonderful world it would be.

info: 
Montreal Swing Riot 2015
Swing Dancers vs Street Dancers
Produced by Social Art Beat http://socialartbeat.com
Video by Alain Wong http://www.youtube.com/user/alainkinwong

Dream prelude

Nujabes is a Japanese hip-hop producer and dj who, sadly, I wasn't aware of till about 3 or 4 weeks ago, when this lovely gem reached my ears and made it through my top introduction-to-dreams tune.

Tragic thing is that as I was searchin' through his music tryin' to get to know him through his dope beats, I found out that he's no longer with us, as of 2010. So I guess I'll be hangin' around in his soundcloud page for a while, making up for lost time. 

track's info:
Nujabes - Aruarian Dance
Samurai Champloo Music Record - Departure 
Victor 2004

Jazzy week-ending

After an evening walk at the Athens Jazz festival with jazzy and ethnic tunes from Yoav’s Eshed Trio Millionaires from Israel, Hijaz from Belgium and Mercan Dede Secret Tribe from Turkey, I'm kinda in the mood to let this week go with a jazzy tune that's more my kinda style.



I may not really get pure jazz, but I truly dig everything that is inspired by it.

While you're at it, check out the whole LTF debut album here. It kicks ass keeping the jazzy feeling, throwing at it some dirty hip-hop beats, with a little bit of scratchin', in a combination that with the right amount of volume can send you straight to hell. 

track's info: 
LTF - Get you
Light the Fuse
Black Milk Music 2015

You and me turns thirty

Both thumbs up for the choice of sample, for the edit and for reminding me Round Trip's version which I like a teeny-tiny bit better than the original. And for bringing it back 30 years later.



Pabzzz soundcloud page is like the perfect Christmas and New Year's gift, so you better find the time to check it out and kick off this new year ahead of us with atmospheric jazzy hip-hop sounds that kick ass.

Have a great time y'all. And groove it up a notch.  :-)

tracks' info: 
-Pabzzz - You and me
2014

-The O'Jays - You and me
Family Reunion
Philadelphia Interntional Records 1975

-Round Trip - You and me
Round Trip
MCA Records 1981

Move it, move it, move it!

This is one of those beats that make every inch of your body move to the rhythm, without actually controlling it. Magical, ain't it?



Sounds a little bit like Grammatik, with less intense snear, from the point of view of Dj Vas, who all you house lovers out there might remember from Kojak. Nuff said. Download for free and start movin' y'all!

track's info:
Dj Vas - The same old thing
2014

Akshin meets Marlena

Let's start this new, hot week with new, hot stuff, bringing Azerbaijan into the game. Akshin, a talented musician and producer, did a wonderful job on Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto".



One of the tracks that have been sampled over and over again, "Woman of the Ghetto" is once again remixed, leaving a new top-notch tune to all the music lovers out there.

While you're at it, take a look at "Pebbles on my road" and "Don't mess with me" which both climb their way up to my favorites list and clap your handz for Akshin.

track's info:
Marlena Shaw - Woman of the Ghetto (Akshin Alizadeh remix)
Cold Busted 2014

Funk yeah!

In 1975, this is what was happening on "The other side of the moon".

Funky bass, groovy beats, playful guitar, all pointing the rhythm to an atmospheric, jazzy piano tune that could make you press "repeat" an infinite amount of times, enough to make you start wondering about your sanity.

This very tune was a hit sample for rap and hip hop later on, givin' Chubb Rock something to work upon in the '90s (maybe this will help), as well as the Boogie Down Productions (this will certainly help) and Jermaine Dupri (there's no way this won't help).

The original version, however, comes from the Miracles back in 1974 with Billy Griffin in the leading vocals (listen here). Also amazing, but it's missing one important thing: the piano.

All these raise once again one very crucial question: how bad do the '70s rule, man?

track's info:
Redd Holt Unlimited - Do it baby
The Other Side of the Moon
Paula Records 1975

Just one step

Ain't it an inderscribable feeling when you're just one step away from something you really want? It's of no importance what that is, it may be from a slice of pizza to your favorite person in the whole world. Being just one step away from it and knowing you're gonna get it in a while, can sometimes be even more breathtaking than actually getting it.



This awe-inspiring tune catches exactly the feeling -and it's just one step away from its release!
Check out the whole E.P. here. And you'll feel one step away from heaven.

track's info:
Martin Hayes - One Step Away
Modern Love EP
Rose Records 2014

What would a dumbnation sould like?

If the snare was a bit more intense, this could definitely remind us a bit of Gramatik.

But it ain't Gramatik. It's Es-K and his point of view on a dumbnation. Maybe the only thing that makes a dumbnation sound nice.

track's info:
Es-K - Dumbnation
Bust Free 15
Cold Busted 2014

Faraway so close

I have a seriously fucked-up memory, so I only remember the Frankee More and Cactus Channel posts referring to fresh Australian artists in this blog (find them here and here). But as I browse through sounds, I find there are more and more serious stuff going on Down Under on the side of music we know and love. One more from the faraway continent.



Nice work from Rabble on "Need you forever", only 3 days old on soundcloud. Can't get enough of the hip hop beats, Lou Rawls' deep vocals (the man who released over 50 albums from the '60s till the '00s), the looping, the melody that kicks ass, the filters, the loving lyrics, the key changes. Smoochy!

tracks' info:
-Rabble - Right now
2013

-Lou Rawls - Need you forever
All things in time
Philadelphia International Records 1976

3 in 1

First heard of Keep Schtum through the Late Night Sessions. After having my regular goggle of surprise and enthusiasm, I spent a considerable amount of time browsing through this dude's sounds, getting a pretty good idea why Greg Wilson supports him, why he's got thousands of followers in soundcloud and why I goggled in the first place. For now, I 'll just give you 3 reasons to goggle too.



This is his widely-played track. Coming from my all-time favorite Odyssey and their homonymous 1980 track, "Hang together". And with a free download situation.



My basic idea was to present an all free-downloads post from the talented Irish, but I couldn't possibly leave the Whispers-inspired out. Enjoy anyway.



His unfinished symphony alive and kickin'. A Slow Train journey you never want to end.

*I'd strongly suggest to consider the above sounds as a trigger that will make you turn Michael McKenna's soundcloud page upside down, exploring and listening to sounds with a volume that allows you to really get the music - but at the same time keep you outta trouble with the neighbours. 

tracks' info: 
-Keep Schtum - Hang together (Keep Schtum re-edit) 
Keep Schtum 2008

-Keep Schtum - Can't do without love
2013

-Keep Schtum - Slow train
2013

Outta the fish bowl

It hasn't been that long since the first time a Sivel Beats tune made its way through my playlist -I believe the first one was the "Dream", clearly sampling Etta James - At last in an oh-my-god contemporary version. As you can imagine, that soothing, scratchy, rhythm-filled sound can't get away from me that easily, so this morning I checked out this talented French beatmaker and sound miracle-worker again. And look what I found.



A fish bowl full of gold, only a few hours uploaded and shared.
You 're gonna love this.
Trust me.

track's info:
Sivel Beats - Fish bowl
2013