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(04/22/19 3:34pm)
Kevin Abstract has been mostly quiet on the solo music front as of late, with his last full solo project being American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story in 2016. Yet ARIZONA baby, a three–track EP released April 12, marks a return for the R&B singer in a significant way. ARIZONA baby is a brief glimpse in a new direction for the 22–year–old Texan artist, and his new sounds within the three songs are fresh and captivating.
(04/22/19 11:30pm)
Against All Logic’s album 2012–2017 is a masterpiece of sampling, unleashing loops at a frenetic clip into each song. The American–Chilean producer, named Nicolas Jaar, crafted an album filled with unique samples and production, as 2012–2017 is a whirlwind of upbeat disco–electronic and moody techno–house. Each track is memorable for the way it pulls you in, sometimes because of its trancelike melody, other times because of its compelling use of samples and drums. By all accounts, 2012–2017 is a classic in the making, a timeless set of chopped vocals and staggered dance beats. Although released in 2018, the album is both worth a listen now and time and time again in the future.
(04/08/19 1:37am)
The deep house subgenre is growing more diverse by the day as artists are learning to experiment with new influences and sounds. However, it's not the most accessible genre for non–listeners, as it can come across as too “clubby” or electronic. In reality, there’s a wide range of sounds within deep house, and it’s a matter of determining which artists’ sounds appeal to each listener. One thing that often differentiates deep house from standard house music is the “beats per minute” and bass level, as deep house songs typically possess—as you might have guessed—deeper bass. Oftentimes, deep house is even further divided into two subdivisions, “future house” and “tropical house.” In both cases, the songs themselves range from 110–124 BPM. From dark and unforgiving club beats to uplifting remixes, there’s something in deep house for everyone. For those unacquainted with deep house’s best tracks, here are a few recent standouts to get you into the genre.
(04/01/19 3:31am)
Harley Streten, otherwise known as Flume, has never shied away from an ambitious sound. Leaping onto the scene in 2013, Flume immediately captured hearts with his unique remix of Disclosure’s “You & Me,” and has never played it safe since. His new mixtape, Hi, This is Flume, marks another step in the DJ’s path of experimentation and bold production, filled with creative musical atmospheres and mesmerizing beats front–to–back.
(04/02/19 12:02am)
Fresh off their 2018 album For Ever, British modern soul/funk band Jungle stopped off in Philadelphia on March 20 as part of their world tour from Kiev to Sydney. Jungle first came on stage to “Smile,” the opening track off For Ever, to much applause from the crowd. “Smile” is an uplifting, energetic hit, and Jungle certainly made a point to set off their performance on a high note.
(03/29/19 1:16am)
Schoolboy Q had dropped no new music since the release of his Blank Face LP in 2016, despite promising on Instagram that a new album was nearly done in September of 2017. On March 15, he dropped "Numb Numb Juice," a hard-hitting two–minute track and the first single off his upcoming album. The menacing track marks Q’s first solo cut in three years, and it undoubtedly shows that the rapper from South Central Los Angeles hasn’t lost a single step.
(04/16/19 2:00pm)
Gesaffelstein, one of the leaders of the futuristic, dark, and glitchy electronic music movement, perhaps set the bar too high with his debut album, Aleph, released in 2013. His sophomore album, Hyperion, sounds similar to Aleph, but without the edge or bite. Indeed, one could go so far as to call Hyperion a step back from Aleph, as the 10–track, 40–minute album is mostly filled with forgettable filler and a couple memorable tracks. The French DJ, otherwise known as Mike Levy, has shown in the past that he has the capability to produce intriguing and unique sounds, but as far as fascinating beats go, almost all tracks on Hyperion miss the mark.
(03/14/19 6:27pm)
Saint Paddy's Day is right around the corner, and there's no better time to make a pre–darty playlist featuring the best artists from the "Emerald Isle". Whether you're from Dublin or you're only Irish on this one day a year, Ireland certainly has some excellent music that's worth a listen. Here's a breakdown of the best artists from Ireland.
(03/12/19 11:01pm)
Madlib, a producer from Oxnard, California, wields a discography that is highly diverse, prolific, and accomplished. Between working with Kanye West on The Life of Pablo to producing one of the greatest hip–hop albums of the 2010s with Piñata, Madlib has worked within some of the most exclusive and talented circles of the music industry. He rarely produces sub–par work and manages to create sounds that perfectly complement the artists he works with. Well–versed hip–hop critics have consistently ranked Madlib’s albums extremely highly and have showered the producer with praise. Why, then, has he been consistently overshadowed in popular discourse by his peers in hip–hop production?
(03/10/19 11:39pm)
Each member of Migos—Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff—has each recently gone solo in an effort to individualize themselves from the collective rap trio. Quavo released Quavo Huncho and Takeoff released The Last Rocket, both in 2018, but Offset's Father of 4, released Feb. 22, explores heavy themes and boasts memorable tracks, something that cannot be said for the two previous Migos solo albums.
(03/21/19 8:31pm)
The artists signed to Top Dawg Entertainment are some of the the most talented hip–hop artists out today. Yet, with just a couple of exceptions, TDE’s management of such a strong group of artists has been subpar to say the least. TDE has signed Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, Lance Skiiiwalker, and SiR, all artists who either possess incredible potential or have already displayed their capacity to make consistently great music. So why do they drop music so rarely, and more importantly, why does it seem that so many of these rappers have had issues with their label?
(02/19/19 12:22am)
French house, a musical genre often defined as a combination of Euro disco and Deep house, used to be everywhere. You definitely know it if you’ve ever heard anything by Daft Punk prior to Random Access Memories (perhaps "One More Time" or "Harder Better Faster Stronger") or "D.A.N.C.E" by Justice. Characterized by head–banging drum machines, glittery synthesizers and sequencers, and filtered samples of '70s and '80s music, French house can be seen as the bass–head electronic cousin of disco. Yet, despite the genre itself being just barely 3 decades old, we are beginning to see it die out.
(02/16/19 4:33pm)
Chaz Bear, known professionally as Toro y Moi, is notorious for utilizing a wide array of funky beats inspired by numerous genres in his music. Bear's latest work, Outer Peace, marks a tangible step forward in his ability to weave new sounds into a cohesive album. While his previous album Boo Boo is a pleasant, lighthearted work of psychedelic synth music, Outer Peace marks a sonic departure into a new breezy funk vibe interspersed with emotional, slow–burning beats.
(02/12/19 5:47am)
The mid–2000s were not always a great moment for hip-hop. 4 of the top 10 highest–selling rap albums in 2004 belonged to Nelly, Ludacris, and Young Buck, and somehow Robin Thicke held the top spot on Billboard's "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" in 2007. However, one great thing to come out of this era is Omarion’s “Ice Box,” a collaboration between Omarion and Timbaland that puts The Weeknd’s dramatic tracks to shame.
(04/02/18 1:00pm)
Drake might be a polarizing figure, but you can’t deny that he’s everywhere. From Sprite commercials to courtside seats at Toronto Raptors games, the Canadian rapper has been one of the most popular and recognizable figures in hip–hop for years. So when Drake dropped More Life and described it as a “playlist” in late March 2017, it was bound to make headlines. And despite some critics lambasting the use of the term “playlist” to describe what is essentially an album, the music itself was mainly met with a positive reception. For many, at least, this is because Drake managed to incorporate a multitude of sounds and subgenres in the playlist that were far more diverse than Views or If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late. This isn’t to say More Life is superior to either of those albums, but I would make the argument that More Life, albeit too long a “playlist,” has a wider range of sounds than any of his previous works except perhaps Nothing Was the Same. From “Free Smoke” to “Passionfruit” to “Madiba Riddim,” More Life capitalizes on a vast array of influences and sounds in modern music.
(04/02/18 1:00pm)
When you're listening to Daft Punk, you can't really go wrong. Whether it's their work from 1997 or 2013, Daft Punk has consistently put out some of the best house music to date, yet their incredible influences and sounds range far beyond just house and electronic music. That being said, some of Daft Punk's work is better than others. And I'm here to set the record straight for their 5 albums (excluding live and remix albums).
(03/29/18 1:00pm)
From Jay–Z to TDE, summer 2018 is shaping up to be a great season for hip–hop fans. Although tickets for many of the big name artists going on tour aren’t exactly cheap, many fans think it’s worth it to get to see their favorite artists perform live at least once. Here's what you have to look forward to:
(03/25/18 1:00pm)
Winter Storm Toby certainly doesn’t feel like the official start of spring, that’s for sure. But as Fling approaches and as the number of T–shirt worthy days increases, it’s clear that however snowy this week has been, spring is on the way. What better way to embrace the (soon–to–be) warm weather than with an upbeat, carefree playlist? So while you may be layering yourself with just about every coat you own in preparation for the hike to DRL, put on this playlist and mentally prepare yourself to bask in the sun for the next few months.
(03/02/18 2:00pm)
Destiny Frasqueri, better known as Princess Nokia, is not your average new–school New York rapper. Nokia is unique not only for her ascendancy in a music genre dominated by men but for her powerful projections of feminism. Princess Nokia came from a difficult background, but has used her past experiences to empower the young women in her fanbase and encourage independence and strength—while also making some great music, of course. Frasqueri lost her mother at age three to AIDS and was placed in a foster home for seven years after that, where she was frequently abused by her foster mother. At age 16, she ran away from the foster home, with, as she puts it, “three dollars in my pocket and 75% on my cell phone battery.” Over time, Nokia honed her hip—hop talent while also developing an attitude of strength through independence, an attitude that has become one of her signature traits as an artist. Princess Nokia also identifies as bisexual, and the early part of her hip—hop career gained traction through performances at queer nightclubs. Needless to say, Princess Nokia has overcome a lot of hurdles to get to the point where she is now, and her autonomous nature and constant determination indicate that she’s not complacent with her place in the rap game today.
(02/22/18 2:00pm)
In order to prep for Atlanta’s return, we take a look back at one of the best TV show soundtracks of the decade. The TV show is created and produced by Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), so it isn’t exactly a surprise that the Grammy–nominated musician would curate such an incredible collection of songs.