How many people do you know who can say that they have partied with both Sid Vicious and Joe Strummer? How about collaborating with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ice T? How many musicians do you know who can play virtually any instrument, have produced music in virtually every genre, and have their own iTunes-esque music distribution network? It could be none other than the creative tour de force known as Keith Levene, which is why we were thrilled to sit down with him and discuss his new solo album, The Search for Absolute Zero, and the process of turning thin air into hit records.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features Keith Levene
Back to the Culture
If your favorite movie and TV show are still Back to the Future and Miami Vice respectively, if your favorite accessories are neon anything and hairspray, if you have actually used a cassette tape to listen to music in your lifetime (and not just because it was retro or faux-cool), then there is a good chance that Kavinsky has just the fresh throwback tunes you didn’t know you were craving. This French electronic music producer has dedicated his life to his three biggest passions: music, film, and the decade of decadence. ’80s kids are in luck because his new, totally radical album, Outrun, is the throwback that they need in 2013. Although the record comes 26 years after the arcade game that shares the same title, these 12 new and used tracks promise to wax nostalgic memories to the max.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in Reviews Kavinsky
Music maven DJ Muggs just can’t help but break ‘em off some of that west coast hip-hop flavor, no matter what he’s into. A legend to previous generations with Cypress Hill, now Muggs confronts a new generation with a brand new sound. This time, he’s going solo, but that doesn’t mean he can’t get help from Chuck D and Freddie Gibbs to name but a few of the guest MCs on Bass for Your Face, DJ Muggs’ debut solo album. As the popularity of DJ culture becomes insane in the brain, you know Muggs ain’t goin’ out like that.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features DJ Muggs
A Brief Recovery
Ambient electronica is Germany’s most precious export, next to beer and chocolate. It must be something about the lush green fields and vibrant mountain landscapes that helps to produce great musicians. Or maybe there is something in the beer.
The thing about great musicians is that they almost always have been producing music their entire lives. Deutschland native, Ulrich Schnauss, has produced 25 albums since his teens. You may be more familiar with his pseudonyms, Ethereal 77, View to the Future, Hair, or any number of his many collaborations. Clearly, Ulrich’s most precious export is ambient electronica as well. Read more…
By Ryan Stabile Posted in Reviews Ulrich Schnauss
Ambiance: Beyond Dub and Downtempo
To those who say the ambient electronica scene peaked during the early 2000s, I say the best has yet to come. When it comes to the often esoteric, downtempo outfit, Tosca, this Austrian twosome helped blaze trails back when chill music was the hip thing and have since been expanding the ever pronounced divide between dub and downtempo electronica. Fast forward to 2013 and their 10 track studio album, Odeon, still displays an array of downtempo delights.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in Reviews Tosca
When paired with DJ Zegon, he is known as N.A.S.A. (a harmonious acronym for North America / South America). When he stands on stage with Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, he is referred to as Stop the Virgens. With more screen credits than the cast of Entourage, Sam Spiegel is an unquestionably well-rounded musician. His latest project is a collaboration with Derrick Green of Sepultura and Grammy winning film scorer, Harold Faltermeyer. They call their band Maximum Hedrum and Sam couldn’t wait to tell us about it.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in Features Karen O, Maximum Hedrum, N.A.S.A., Stop the Virgens, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Chinese Takeaway
The advent of affordable, accessible music production software at the turn of the century saw an enormous surge in, not only emerging artists and independent record labels, but an explosion of new music from places you would never expect. While the Netherlands’ second largest city isn’t exactly the first choice vacation destination for tourists, Rotterdam’s resident rhythm-smith, Taras van de Voorde, swooped on the opportunity to produce his own music in 2007 after years of slaving away behind the decks at European underground clubs. That was several EPs and plenty of coffee shop trips ago. Now, with his latest rave-tacular release, “Manila” and “Hong Kong,” Taras is saturating the lines in front of venues once again.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in Reviews Taras van de Voorde
Skank Express
Rodney Smith has broken many a barrier during his double decade career-span, electrifying audience with his range of dub, electronica, experimental noise and beyond. Big Dada’s hip-hop all-star is back on his toes after a year of touring, and while fans always expect something new and innovative from Roots, as to whether or not he can keep up is yet to be seen on his new EP, Banana Skank.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in Reviews Roots Manuva
Step Into Another World
It is few and far in between when we see an emerging artist who brings an entirely original style of music to a sample-saturated industry of cut-and-paste producers. Thankfully, Eskmo has been doing just that for years. One would think that an artist such as Eskmo lives in a secluded cabin in the woods, but this Los Angeles resident draws his inspiration from a city packed full of innovative musicians.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in High Fidelity, Reviews Eskmo
Dance Like They Do In France
While a thriving electronic music scene is taking France by storm, the Paris based music group, Gotan Project, opts for a simpler approach. Their 2010 album, Tango 3.0, celebrates not only the advent of tango electronica as a prominent form of music, but also their 10 year anniversary as a band. The album consists of 11 tracks which takes listeners on a whirlwind tour of the most gorgeous parts of France without leaving home.
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By Ryan Stabile Posted in Reviews Gotan Project
