Look, what more can I say about this guy. Harrison BDP, the master of the organic-infused bassy roller, has put another EP out and it’s top.
Okay, so I will say this: imagine you are an octopus. Imagine you are going to a little underwater cave party. And because you are underwater, you don’t just hear the music, you feel the music. And because you are an octopus you have 8 limbs, and each limb is covered with sensitive little suckers, you really feel the music. Well, if you’re that octopus, the track you want to hear/feel is Missed the Boat. Proper thudding undersea tune that.
Today I’m bringing you one of my all-time favourite house numbers. For some reason it is always overlooked and I just don’t get it. It’s Kele Okereke (of Bloc Party fame) trying his hand at a bit of house on Crosstown Rebels and getting it just right. Yeah it’s not complicated, it’s not a masterpiece, but boy is it groovy. It packs a delightfully deep rolling punch – one you have to hear loud to really get. Props Kele.
This is a pocket-sized beaut from Red Bull Studios in 2014. Riton (then new on the scene) presenting a bouncy house number. Two stars of the show here: Meleka and her vibey vocals and that cheeky little Italo squelch on the bassline. It’s a jump-up feel-good kinda track. Don’t overthink it – just enjoy.
I posted some more Riton a couple of weeks ago – check it out here.
Been busy all week earning that cash to get by? I know how it is. Relax, unwind, and chuck this funky beauty on the player. Perfectly paired with some sunshine on a Friday afternoon and a crisp drink.
Highlight is the second track Je Vulesse – no idea what it means, but I like it.
Sports and music have a long and mixed relationship. For every iconic theme tune (Grandstand, MOTD, Champions League) and huge tournament track (hey there Waka Waka, Three Lions, World in Motion) you get an utter lemon (looking at you Ant & Dec). But with sports properties constantly seeking to attract new and younger audiences, reaching them through music is always going to be an attractive option.
Which brings me to this – F1, meet the Chemical Brothers
Will core F1 fans like it? For the most part, probably no. Will fans of the Chemical Brothers like it? They’ve done a pretty good job of weaving F1 content into an authentically Chemical Brothers feel – so yeah. But these two questions kind of miss the point. Through this collaboration, F1 will get their IP in front of a few million young(ish), potential new fans, and create a positive association. That type of positive brand equity is exactly what they’re trying to build, and where the impact will be most felt. Which is great (as long as you don’t pay too much attention to the ‘World’s Fastest Remix‘…)
Bonus track: so I’m big into the Chemical Brothers and I’m pretty psyched about the new album No Geography which drops April 12th . Until then, here’s a previous post and a tasty remix by Riton.
Nujabes is my go to escapism music. His floating, uplifting beats interspersed with punchy guest lyrics take you away. He’s attributed with having had a big influence on the Tokyo hip-hop scene – he ran a couple of record shops and was a prolific producer and performer before his untimely death in 2010 – and his material sounds as good now as it did a decade ago. Modal Soul showcases the range of his production and collaboration, and is truly timeless stuff. Tanoshii.
Al
Message from Harry: like what you hear? You can find Nujabes and tonnes more of my favourite rap on this playlist called, Favourite Rap.
So this is obviously a post about Chase & Status. But stay with me. I’m talking ’08 Chase & Status. When they were playing at Neighbourhood and you have to try get in without ID and your mate was selling tickets to someone called Chasing Status because you were only 16 and didn’t really know what was going on and you probably weren’t going to be able to get in anyway because let’s face it, International Driving Licenses were a joke. But you do get in, and it is class. That’s the Chase & Status I’m talking about. And that Chase & Status is all over this album.
And let’s not forget we’ve got Kano, Plan B, Nneka and Jenna G on here. We’ve also got all-time classics like Take Me Away, and Hurt You. Put your drum n bass hat on and get jumping.
A beauty for you afro-funk heads. Danvers on editing duty, giving a bit of extra punch to Yaaba Funk’s Oman Foa. Really tasty.
A little fun fact for you: their name comes from an album called “Yaba Funk Roots”, the only album ever released outside of Africa by Captain Yaba, a musician from northern Ghana. Have a bit of that.
Jackson Almond describes himself as a Northerner. He releases his tracks on WotNot Music. The rest you’ll have to do yourself.
Anyway, Open Your Head is a tasty EP. Smooth house with some obvious afro influences. My two picks are Common (Dauwd-y fare with some crashing piano drops and tasty Romare-y samples) and Ee Ye.
Bonus track: for you, my loyal reader, you get another taste – on this number Frits Wentink meets Laurence Guy. Not a bad matching if you ask me