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Posts Tagged ‘Hip Hop’

Featured Artist: Kero One

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

featured release big Featured Artist: Kero One
By: Michael Madavi

255872 72 Featured Artist: Kero OneArtist: Kero One
Title: Early Believers
Label: PLUG Label
Genre: Hip-Hop : Soul
Release Date: 4.7.09
UPC: 884501092654
Territories: World

Kero One is proof that with genuine inspiration, hard work, and a little luck, it’s still possible to find success in a corporate dominated music scene. A true testament to the DIY philosophy, in 2003 Kero One released a self produced, pressed, and released 12″ single on a fifty unit run. Per chance, one of those fifty copies ended up in the hands of a Japanese DJ who played the song that same night at a club to a strong reception resulting in many inquiries about the single, including from a Japanese label executive who contacted One to cut a distribution deal.

The record became an overnight success in Japan, resulting in a tour and a decision on Kero One’s part to quit his day job as a web designer, complete an album, and make music his true career. He finished his first album, Windmills of the Soul, in 2005, handling everything from playing instruments, rapping, and sound engineering. Without a strong label backing or a street team, Kero One handled almost all the business himself. From street promotions to production, he truly took a DIY path the whole way.

In 2006 his hard work paid off, earning many honors such as the title of Best HipHop Album of 2006 from Remix magazine, a top 10 record for iTunes Japan’s Hip Hop Charts, positive reviews from Urb and Spin magazine, and continued world touring. He continues to work and tour with artists like KRS1, DJ Kentaro, Talib Kweli, and Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz to name a few. He formed his own label, the Plug Label, in 2007 and opened his first office and recording studio in San Francisco. The label has found success with artists such as The Tones.

In 2009, Kero One presents his official sophomore album titled Early Believers. This is an album that bounces between soulful jazz tinged tracks to upbeat synth-driven party bangers showcasing Kero One’s growth and maturity as a writer, composer, vocalist and arranger. Although Kero One has already made some noise both overseas and domestically, it is his goal to make a deafening impact with this new album. As before, this album will release independently in hopes of penetrating the barriers set-up by corporate major labels, all on a do-it-yourself work ethic that Kero One knows best. Support your local talent and take a listen!

Featured Label: Rough Guides

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

By: Michael Madavi

featured label rough Featured Label: Rough Guides

A true meeting of passion, taste, and dedication, the Rough Guides Music Series has become the go-to label for reference compilations on a myriad of world music genres. The Rough Guides name is instantly recognizable for their status as a leading publisher of travel and reference information, respected for their accurate, up-to-date content and informed contemporary writing. Today, their music series has been released through World Music Network in association with the Rough Guide travel book publishers for over fifteen years. They originally decided to collaborate together in 1994 when the first world music Rough Guide book and album were released. Both achieved instant success and the Rough Guide book went on to become known as ‘the bible of world music’. The series encompasses and provides access to music from every corner of the globe, compiling a faithful and tasteful sampling of artists from each genre. The albums have covered diverse destinations from Iran to Vietnam, India to Hungary , and musical styles from reggae and hip hop to klezmer and merengue. Big successes have included Rough Guides to Salsa Dance, Paris Café Music, Bollywood and Bellydance. The Rough Guide albums are of consistently high quality and remain vital and comprehensive sources of information for anyone interested in a specific country or area of music. This success is largely due to the company’s original and simple intention – to provide people with the best possible introductions to music from around the world.

Review: Mike Relm- Spectacle

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

featured release big Review: Mike Relm Spectacle
By: Erik Nava

241255 72 Review: Mike Relm Spectacle

Artist: Mike Relm
Title: Spectacle
Label: Radio Fried Records
Release Date: 1.22.09
UPC: 718122907564
Genres: Hip Hop : Electronic
Territories: World

In 1999, turntablists had finally made a name for themselves, the bay area was at the top of the hip hop game, and Mike Relm was perfectly in the mix between the innovators and originators. Since then Mike Relm has moved past the underground battle break records, away from his turntablist crew STA, burned the cease and desist orders, and re-imagined his own identity as one of the world’s best Producer/Djs.

“Spectacle” opens into a room with Relm at one end, and his fans scattered beneath him, dancing against each other in a packed warehouse party. The bass lines are thick, and the arrangements even thicker as the song “Tron” progresses. I could only start to imagine the party people trading in the glowsticks for bright glowing circuit board suits before I was sucked back into the song and then realized that this wasn’t nearly as cheesy as “TRON” the 80′s cult classic. This song was a song fit for the time and place, speaking perfectly for the ever moving dance scene.

As quickly as it picks up the album cuts the tempo in half as Del the Funky Homosapien pushes himself to the front with a song that any hip hop kid can’t sweat. The song has the key elements to any great hip hop track; a drum break that doesn’t get any cleaner, a mean bass line, and one of those choruses that gets stuck in your head for days.

“Spectacle” has no shortage of guest appearances and what more could you expect from a mash up DJ who’s used to grabbing at stars by the tips of his fingers?  ”Body Rock” featuring the San Francisco hometown hero Gift of Gab and Morningwood, brings us right back up tempo with the most promising dance track on the album. Slightly reminiscent of the days of So So Def, and Too Live Crew, this track does something that not too many dance songs do. It makes you dance without feeling bad about it, and rides the line between genres so smoothly that it wouldn’t surprise me to hear this at my nieces high school dance or at an underground dance club.

The album’s interludes serve as a remote control for the changes of styles from dance to downtempo and everything in between. Spectacle is cohesive only because it’s produced by one person, but perhaps the varying styles of the 12 (actual) tracks on the album are meant to show us the ever adapting mind used to create it.

Other notable tracks include “Hot to Trot”, “You break” featuring Mr. Lif, and “Without Her” featuring Lateef.

241255 72 Review: Mike Relm SpectacleMike Relm
download icon Review: Mike Relm Spectacle “Hot to Trot (feat. Alfredo Ortiz)” (mp3)
from “Spectacle”
(Radio Fried Records)

service icon 4 Review: Mike Relm Spectacle Buy at iTunes Music Store
service icon 1 Review: Mike Relm Spectacle Stream from Rhapsody
icon landing page Review: Mike Relm Spectacle More On This Album

Review: Mike Relm Spectacle

Digital Digging: Deltron 3030

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

digital digging big Digital Digging: Deltron 3030

By: Erik Nava

233086 72 Digital Digging: Deltron 3030

I used to venture into the dollar record bins on a weekly basis, pushing through stacks of the “never hit wonders” searching for who I was and what I thought from each relatable sound. Each record was important.  It’s impossible to think that the next generation of digger nearly lost their chance to experience one of the most important hip hop albums of the millennium.

Deltron 3030, the sci-fi conception brought to you by Dan The Automator and Del the Funky Homosapien, sat in wait for 8 long years before it was finally available for sale in MP3 form. Now that it’s here, the sounds of satisfaction can be heard from the underground to the arcade.  You can replace that old CD that has tons of scratches, and always skips on the first track with a fresh version from your favorite online music store.

Digital digging is as simple as typing words into a search bar, and the only dusty fingers will be caused by the filth on your keyboard.  It sure is nice to know that kids in future generations will have music otherwise lost in the shuffle of tech development or, for physical products, natural deterioration. Can you really imagine the future? What will it be like in 3030? More importantly could you imagine a future world without a digital copy of Deltron 3030? We didn’t think so.

What other music can we dig up?

233086 72 Digital Digging: Deltron 3030Del The Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator
download icon Digital Digging: Deltron 3030 “Mastermind” (mp3)
from “Deltron 3030″
(Deltron Projects)

service icon 4 Digital Digging: Deltron 3030 Buy at iTunes Music Store
service icon 1033 Digital Digging: Deltron 3030 Buy at mTraks
icon landing page Digital Digging: Deltron 3030 More On This Album

Digital Digging: Deltron 3030

Current Priorities: January 13-20, 2009

Monday, January 12th, 2009

current priorities big Current Priorities: January 13 20, 2009

240284 72 Current Priorities: January 13 20, 2009 Doug Randle
“Songs for the New Industrial State”
Light in the Attic
Psychedelic : Alternative
UPC: 844185095198		 Writer and musician Doug Randle introspectively deconstructs a bitter industrial world via psychedelic pop harmonies and stark lyrics, all the while merging the dark and the light flawlessly through atmospheric orchestral landscapes.

cp thinbar Current Priorities: January 13 20, 2009

248079 72 Current Priorities: January 13 20, 2009 Blue Giant
“Target Heart E.P.”
Amore!Phonics (Allegro)
Indie : Southern
UPC: 723721402457		 The debut release from Blue Giant. This 6 song EP features some of the best psych-country and rural-rock from the songwriting team of Viva Voce. Features members from The Decemberists, Viva Voce, Swords, & The Golden Bears. Also includes a stunning duet with Sleater Kinney’s Corin Tucker.

cp thinbar Current Priorities: January 13 20, 2009

245054 72 Current Priorities: January 13 20, 2009 Shanghai Restoration Project
“Zodiac”
Undercover Culture
World : Electronic
UPC: 88450166556		 12 songs inspired by the Zodiac.  The Shanghai Restoration had songs featured on NBC and the BBC during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and will be featured in an upcoming L Word episode.  An experiment in cross-cultural soundscapes, The Shanghai Restoration Project draws its creative inspiration from the old 1930s Shanghai jazz bands, an early combination of East and West that’s become an international legend.

cp thinbar Current Priorities: January 13 20, 2009

241255 72 Current Priorities: January 13 20, 2009 Mike Relm
“Spectacle”
Radio Fried Records
Hip Hop : Electronic
UPC: 718122907564		 San Francisco’s Mike Relm is known for live performances which feature a series of audio mash-ups with video images, manipulated in real-time.  Coming off of a tour with Blue Man Group during 2007 and 2008, Mike brings us Spectacle to start off 2009. “Three years ago Mike Relm transcended DJing. If you missed it, that’s OK, because he’s about to do it again.” -URB Magazine

How Do You TAG Hip Hop?

Monday, December 22nd, 2008

By: Erik Nava

Today the genre of Hip Hop music has gone far beyond its beginnings of breaks and Dr. Suess raps to be able to lump the genre all together. I am brought back to Common’s “I Used to Love Her” when I think of how many off shootings Hip Hop has at the moment: Indie Rap, Old School Rap, Gangsta Rap, Backpack Rap, Electro Hop, Folk Hop, Glitch Hop, Breakbeat, Downtempo Hip Hop, Electro,  and yes even Nerd Rap to just name a few. All of these have played some part large or small in the evolution of what is considered today to be Hip Hop.

Assigning Genres to Hip Hop Releases:

I know it may be a little confusing when you’re assigning genres in the dashboard. Here are your choices:
-Freestyle
-Rap
-Hip Hop
-Gangsta
-Urban

Now if you’re thinking…Wait.. there isn’t a Glitch Hop/Turntablist category in there- that’s where it pays off to be smart- and the second genre tag comes in handy.

Here are some ideas:

Description: The sound is overall Jazzy, but with a good Hip Hop vibe, and no rap.
TAG: Jazz/Hip Hop

Description: The sound is overall Jazzy, but with a good Hip Hop vibe, and lots of uplifting church rap. TAG: Hip Hop/Jazz

Description: Hip Hop done in your momma’s house on your Tascam 4 track in the closet of your tiny room because you share it with your brother, and you constantly hide it for the simple fact that you will be called out on it at the next freestyle competition by a kid rockin’ an emo comb-over.
TAG: Hip-Hop/Indie or Indie/Hip-Hop

IODA currently distributes to three services who play host to Hip Hop, but not always generalized hip hop alone. Here’s a short description of each distinctive store:

Turntable Lab:

-Instrumental /Dance /Electro /Breakbeat / Downtempo / Electronic

Beatsource:

-Classic Rap / Mainstream Rap / Mainstream Gangsta Rap / Reggae

Hip Hop Site:

-Indie Rap / Instrumental Hip Hop / Breakbeat / Downtempo / Classic Rap

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