December 21st, 2012 marks the end-date of a
5125-year-long cycle of the Mayan calendar. Whether you believe in a positive
spiritual transformation or the end of the world, various astronomical
alignments and numerological formulae have been proposed pertaining to this
date. Although, none have been accepted by mainstream scholarship... and why?
Because we keep it underground yo!
Friends, fam and foes! Santa Babylon goes out in style for the all-city crew with some of the illest music on the planet. Babylon will burn this holiday seazon, so keep
them trigga-fingers locked with the home team. We got guns.
Santa Babylon presents:
LUNAR KINGDOM An old school 805 selector debuts full circle for a new
era. A veteran of his "Lunar Kingdom" renegade parties in Santa Barbara's
mountains, its only fitting to have man open up on our winter solstice.
Representing LA, ROYL also has a healthy local connection to our area. His unique style is welcomed to his Santa Babylon debut, after having effectively slayed most venues throughout our coastal paradise. Having opened for the likes of Griz, Gramatik, and Kraddy, ROYL provides something fresh for urban bass music, by keep a well-balance of bubblin' booty club, bass-heavy hip-hop, and groovy EDM
joints.
Resident Santa Babylon DJ (and bad ass artist) has ran
the party in SB for over 3 years now. His blend of southern hip-hop and
dubstep, long before EDM's new-found obsession with trap music, had made the
transition second nature for the Kansas City native. Don't expect strictly
bass-ridden dancefloor bombs, but also some serious hood shit. Check
him out on BluntBros.fm radio Wednesdays & Sundays @ 10:30AM-12:30 & 8-10PM, respectively. soundcloud.com/chadillacgreen
- - -
WABBLE
The SB native returns to Santa Babylon fresh off his
solid release single, "Falls the Sky" ft. Meliss FX. Wabble has
supplanted himself in LA the last year or two, steadily climbing the beatport
charts and setting himself up for a massive 2013. Should the world end, you
will find yourself skanking out to the freshest bass music this side of the
American Riviera.
Listen up, eyes wide. This new joint here by the man they call Lexo the Great has been on heavy rotation. Accompanied by an impressive video, the tune “Gemini” is a certified banger. Seven Lions’ original non-vox mix entitled “Deep Divide,” gets a flipped rework by the Long Beach lyricist, creating a wicked concept tune boosted by visual aesthetics.
Lexo’s approach to the artistry with this comes in the vein of that, 'me-myself-and-I-neurosis' of a man on his hustle. As he engagingly expands upon it, Lexo manifests a sick mental head-fuck for listeners. I found it to be a fitting concept for the pensive nature of dubstep, which constantly fluctuates between pent-up bass pressures, which inevitably get released on the drop. The critical ‘dark’ characteristic of dubstep is apparent from the outset on this track. Lexo kicks it off in a conversation with those angel-and-devil avatars on both shoulders. That is, so to speak… they are actually just playing chess and ting, and having a chat. What’s so brilliant is that Lexo maintains the balance within himself in response to their conscientious advice. So in the end, neither of these voices gets to him, rendering the whole situation as a badman ting in his own right. Then, that Seven Lions drop hits to let you know.
This is actually the second collaborative project of Lexo and Seven Lions, a rapidly rising south-coast producer. The first was a debut EP entitled “Keep It Dirty”, which I reviewed here. Although I highly rated the original releases, I must say “Gemini” tops them all. The following verse section ups his ante as you see Lexo’s flow develop with the tempo, showcasing man’s diverse skill-set when he busts that multidimensional west-coast style in the year 2012. With the classic ethos of ‘space/pace/bass’ dubstep was built upon, that dark void of bass-weight lets Lexo use all the tools at his disposal. More importantly, he innovates upon what is already intrinsic to that west-coast flare. In the video, Lexo proceeds to enter a dark room occupied by a sexy rendition of Eden offering her sinful apple. Man lets you know straight away that this is his last verse, setting a metaphorical tone that stakes are high as he enters into a new direction as a dubstep artist: “This is the final test, I think we’re getting near, but all that riffraff kinda makes it hard to hear.” This interpretation may be a stretch, but since this is one of Lexo’s first original dubstep productions since venturing onto the scene, it’s his shot to take the right path for himself. Either way, it maintains the concept of the tune while complimenting Seven Lions’ production. When the seductive Eve speaks back, she personifies that demonic badman voice in his head with deep vocal filters over Lexo’s words to convey the interaction. Even though Lexo is talking to each of the personalities within himself, this particular tune epitomizes something unseen from Lexo (in his dubstep endeavors at least)… and a strong characteristic for any MC: his story telling ability.
The tune and video definitely take you on a journey; one marred by interjections from the voices in his head. The video is equally massive and attests to Lexo’s quality control abilities as he markets a new sound. He definitely knows who to work with, even flying to Ohio to shoot this bad ass video with director Jeffrey Moore of Axtravaganza Films. At this point, Lexo seems to cool out with the traditional west-coast hip-hop characteristics, as well as doing away with the unspoken ‘no-no’ of dubstep: don’t spit over the big bass drops. In the video, Lexo proceeds to slap the apple out of Eve’s hands, then spits over the drop in double-time. By his literal “taking it back and I’m flipping the script, it’s time for y’all to go,” Lexo has metaphorically done away with all critics, those same people embodied by the voices in his head. Taking control of the situation through his flow, he silences those who could never comprehend his new-found exploration of dubstep. By layering the double-time bars over the heavy drop for his “final test,” Lexo does away with any naysayers to this sound. Whether that chatter comes from the instrumental-preferred MC-free dubstep/EDM tip --or opposite, from the hip-hop heads still stuck in their own MC-dominant sonic environment. Closing it out proper, Lexo then fades out for another massive drop. Man is rising up quick, and considering that he is still relatively nascent to dubstep at large, there is definitely lots of headway for improvement and progress as he familiarizes himself with the sound. It took me a few years to hone the various vocals practices drawn out from 140 UK bass music’s ‘forward-thinking’ attributes. Lexo has demonstrated a quick adaptability, which has become a key trait in our rapidly altering, global EDM platform.
Seven Lions, aka Jeff Montalvo, is also kicking off big moves in 2012. He recently charted in the top 5 on Beatport for his contest-clinching remix put on by trance dons, Above & Beyond. You can cop this beautiful hybrid of trance and dubstep, here. Seven Lions has also just announced his participation in the UKF So-Cal tour. This company is by far one of America’s favorite UK promotions and his inclusion is to be applauded. The tour dates will hit all up the central-coast from San Francisco to Santa Ana and features a huge line-up of artists such as the UK’s Gemini and Koan Sound, in addition to another Cali loke, Bassex. Lions. Keep locked on that massive tour coming through in late-March into early-April. Lexo’s pushing strong with shows throughout Los Angeles, including opening for another Mickey Avalon show at the Malibu Inn on St. Patrick’s Day (tickets here). Last year, Lexo had our crew come through one of these parties, and with nothing but beautiful woman on the Malibu coastline, it was straight vibezing. Keep locked on both these artists for 2012, as they will be making big moves in their own complimentary endeavors. Until then, keep up with that pressure and flip that script any chance you get. P.E.A.C.E.
*To skip the blurb and go straight for the sections, just scroll down to 1st picture.*
Happy 2012!! Bless outs to you and yours. It’s that time of year again when various entities throughout the music sphere all offer up their annual top selections for the year in review. I’ve tried this before but have always found it so taxing to choose out right once you realize how much quality music is put out over the span of 365 days. As such, many of my selections come from tunes released on the latter points of 2011, all still fresh on my playlist… Think “Oscar season”, when Academy awards come near, the nominations are usually released just a few months prior when still in the hearts and minds of the committee. Seasonal-timing aside, there are still some early releases that have stayed relevant throughout the year.
These days there are so many perspectives on music and so much accessibility to disseminate those feelings through the global circuit. So let’s be real… no matter how much knowledge or status one has in a music scene, these lists are all based on slanted opinion. As such, I will make no attempt at an unbiased list for 2011. Foremost, I love grime, rappers and other vocalists. I love dubstep and hip-hop, both of which can be classed as the two top types of urban music in the world right now; the former still riveting from its massive explosion circa 2009, and the latter in its golden age but presently still heavily influential on music worldwide. It’s the amalgamation of all of these urban styles that have fit into my top rated this year.
However, the other unique aspect of my approach comes from dubstep, which has also greatly impacted the sounds of grime and hip-hop this year. In 2011, I also heavily began to notice a balance between mainstream music and the ambiguous underground depths of urban/EDM scenes. How do you define what is “underground” via a particular sound-style (dubstep) versus a “mainstream” sound? Dubstep was a completely independent movement having manifested itself into the consciousness of millions of people around the world, without any major label or mainstream assistance. In fact, the term “resistance” could be implicitly put out there in regards to the major players, taking tenants of dubstep and applying it to various musical styles with absolutely no acknowledgement of the London star child. Any insiders of the LA music industry privy to the details of Rusko’s business ventures can attest to this. So with that in mind, some of my selections will have that tinge of pop; which is really just a natural progression for anything coming out in the public eye. That said, my selections are still very much in the independent or “underground” realm that dubstep no doubt occupies, having facilitated that realm in its own right. Sure, the prevalence of dumbed-down, cheeseball music comes out of the pop industry (with product placement in excess), but there are still high-quality outputs hitting the charts. Katy B currently being a prime example of quality 140 urban bass music. Yes, regardless of how you feel on the topic of “mainstream”, some pop music is there because it is so fantastically formulated and executed by recognized artists; artists whom have all came from the “underground” at some point.
A song that can reach across genres with appeal for all sorts of people, whether the zealous or the ambivalent, is a truly great accomplishment and attests to the quality of that music. So although I do really rate these tunes as the best of 2011, understand as well that the pop-appeal in all of these selections is indeed a factor for my selections of recognition. This music blog’s focus has always been oriented around the culture that fosters the foundations of our music and facilitates further growth. This year, the breakthrough of dubstep into the mainstream was a huge moment. The year for dubstep as LoDubs boss man Jon A.D. put it, “2011 was a clearing of the smoke.” And I personally cannot wait to see what’s what our newfound clarity for bass weighted and urban music inevitably reveals as we progress into the future.
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Best MC 2011
#3. For this, I would imagine that most people would rate P-Money this year... and rightly so. Following recognition in the grime scene in 2010 via his now infamous clashes with Ghetts, 2010 also saw his deviation into dubstep proper. Following the massive reaction to his vocal version of Doc P’s “Sweet Shop”, P-Money took off on the grime-step tip, benefitting from the close links grime shares with dubstep. Mic controlling regularly on London radio with his OGz crew (Blacks had his breakout year), as well as touring 2011 with Plastician, P has gained fans all over the world. He then teamed up with the top producers, getting on massive rave anthems such as the Swerve x Marco Del Horno collab, “Ho! Riddim”, Magnetic Man’s “Anthemic”, (plus a huge remix from Faze Miyake), as well a terrible vocal version for Flux P on “Bass Cannon”. (It’s notable to mention the “Bass Cannon” effort simply because the original version was one of the largest dubstep anthems this year).
Magnetic Man ft. P-Money -"Anthemic" (Faze Miyake Remix)"
Swerve v. Marco Del Horno ft. P-Money "Ho! Riddim"
But it wasn’t merely dubstep that P should be recognized for this year. Without a doubt, his largest (if not the largest) tune of the year was Royal T’s vocal remix of TRC’s “Oo Aa Ee”, entitled “Boo You”. A garage-grime hybrid, with nothing but the naughtiest, sexually explicit lyrics from P himself, Blacks and Slickman. Inspired by Oxide & Neutrino’s “Remy On The Dancefloor”, this tune singlehandedly re-energized 2-step garage styles at the perfect moment for grime when it has began moving back to its instrumental roots of UKG; spearheaded primarily by the brilliance of the Butterz label. Props to P for hearing the Royal T remix and creating a massive garage-inspired tune with an inhibit ability to cross genres with ease, resulting in airplay from top selectors amongst UK Funky, Grime, Dubstep and beyond. Expect much more from P-Money as we go into the new year.
P-Money & Blacks ft. Slickman - "Boo You" [Butterz]
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#2. Stateside across the Atlantic, where dubstep seems to drown out its sibling-styles, P-Money seems the most likeliest to be the top MC of 2011. However, there were other artists who made homegrown waves as well, which just didn’t get marketed well outside of the British Isles. That said, the runner-up for best MC of 2011 was Dot Rotten. The former OGz member was one of the few to be signed to a major this year, a huge accomplishment for any grime star. However, in grime, a major label deal is something of a glass ceiling. The artist almost always will enter into commercial pop music far removed from grime. But Dot getting signed to Mercury Records was more special because of the relationship he has with music and grime.
Dot is an uncompromising grime artist, yet always maintained a level of soul and depth that few within the hyped aggression of grime can deliver. A primary factor for success in 2012 as he develops into a mainstream artist, is his singing skills, that ability to hit his notes in key, as well as using auto-tune in a quality, aesthetic way. And that’s not to mention he is a fantastic producer, which is a strong tenant as it acts as a filter for his beat selection for upcoming projects. Like P-Money, he also had huge dubstep tunes with ace producers such as Breakage and True Tiger this year. He’s recently just come off tour with Chase & Status, so here’s to hoping he gets in studio with them in 2012. Along the lines of pop appeal, his collaboration revealed an affable character for mainstream radio play. His recent collaboration with Diplo was bass-pounding electronic hip-hop, with that bass coming more from those smashing kicks than any sub-bass patterns, with Dot’s delivery on point for each snap of the drum. Dot was busy this year, but it's no long ting... his work ethic is uncompromising.
Breakage ft. Dot Rotten - "Ain't Nobody"
Ed Sheeran ft. Dot Rotten & Scrufizzer - "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" (True Tiger Remix)
Dot Rotten - "I Want To Annoy" (prod. Dilpo) Dot Rotten's final release as an independent artist was a celebratory/promotional free-release he gave out for just after getting signed. The Above The Waves EP carried an immense quality that makes one feel it could carry over to any urban audience.And just this month, Dot dropped the first single since being signed to Mercury. Released along with a wicked video, which literally takes place in a ‘paper stacking’ facility, the song “Keep It On The Low” is, as Louise Brailey at NME put it, “uplifting grime-derived pop music in hi-def.”This song epitomizes so much about the trends I foresee with 140-bass music in the coming year and beyond; that is, in regards to the pop-sphere. The relationship to mainstream music is so evident in this tune, with a smooth, vocoder-induced chorus followed by a hard-hitting drop accompanied by equally hard bars that can stand on par with the most aggressive of grime. It’s that appeal that makes it so unique across the board, and this style may very well be remembered as a breakout track for 2012. Dot Rotten - "Normal Human Being"
Dot Rotten - "Keep It On A Low"(prod. TMS) [Mercury Records]
***Update Note: Although it's now 2012, I'd like to share the exclusive 2nd single from Dot's work with producers TMS and Mercury Records. The follow-up tune to "Keep It On A Low" (also a TMS production) is further indicative of the huge things on the horizon for Dot Rotten in 2012. Cop the release on March 5th, 2012. Massive!
Dot Rotten - "Are You Not Entertained" (prod. TMS) [Mercury Records]
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#1 Although Dot Rotten is on track to have the biggest year in 2012, he was just shy of the best in 2011. That honor goes to the man that’s “badder than the baddest bad boy that you’re bad with… and that’s badboy, Trim” aka Trimeleon, aka Monkey Man, aka Trimbal aka Trimothy, aka Taliban Trim aka… well, you get me. Trim is one of the most unconventional characters in grime. Only could he make an off-beat flow sound so on point. So maybe you’ve always known Trim but didn’t vibez off that flow... Or perhaps those massive pars on his talking dubs maybe just aren’t your thang, fair play then.... Or maybe you’ve never heard Trim before since he’s always been heavily underrated.... Understandable. But for 2011, “You don’t have to know of me, I’m Trim I kinda used to flow off beat, but it’s fresh Trim now, I do not sleep… and do you not see, I do not need, no one […] I’ve got this, but who’s got me”.
I won’t even begin to mention his past history with Roll Deep, et all. That's because 2011 is fresh Trim now. Man is primarily just an independent artist, even running his own crewdem, Circle. Independence noted he is nearly a living legend amongst his niche, cult following of Bow E14 and beyond London City. The master of word play is more a poet than anyone in the “rhythm applied poetics” definition of ‘rap’, especially for grime. On the surface, an aesthetic is brought forth from the abstract and free-flowing expression, which floats atop deep substance contained within each rhyme scheme and word put together. The whole piece then comes off as pre-emptively systematic, yet also brazenly effortless. And in 2011, “effortless” shouldn’t ever be applied to Trim. Man just did not stop at all this year, dropping a respectable four mixtapes, adding 12 to his total work rate still, with a debut album still waiting. They were all well received for their experimental formulation of beats, accompanied by diverse content and subject matter delivered from the methodical London lyricist.
Skream ft. Trim “Twiddle Dee, Twiddle Dumb!” [Skreamizm]
Pritch & Trim - "Stereotype"[Planet Mu]
Last Japan ft. Trim - "Blood Diamond" [Bullet Train Records]
Trim gained a wider fan base this year, featuring on some top-notch producers. Standouts were Skream’s “Twiddle Dee, Twiddle Dumb!”, the Stereotype EP collaboration with Mark Pritchard on Planet Mu, and one of the top vocal-originals in the dubstep scene this year, Last Japan’s “Blood Diamond” (which I still get chills listening too). But just as the rest, last other top emcees of 2011, it was not the dubstep which shown through as the artist’s best this year. Once again, and not surprising in the least, a Butterz release topped Trim’s discography this year (Butterz also dropped P’s “Boo You”). Trim’s vocal collaboration with TRC on his “Skipping Rope” riddim entitled "I Am", was one of biggest grime tunes of the year. It was also released with the huge B-side "Notice Now". And thanks to Butterz marketing foresight, the acapellas were given out public and heavily remixed gaining Trim further notoriety amongst the scene. Trim - "I Am" (prod. TRC) [Butterz]
Trim - "Notice Now" (prod. D.O.K.) [Butterz]
Despite his diverse style, staying away from the rapid-fire verbal assaults, and ultra-violent aggression, Trim still defines what it means to be grime by his wordplay. Although sometimes unacknowledged, or as I’d prefer to think, “tacitly implied”, wordplay is indeed the most important characteristic in what makes grime separate from simple raps at 140 BPM. And when it comes to wordplay, Trim is unrivaled. Although he may not be the most recognized, he is definitely the best at the moment…. The monkey man went ape shit in 2011, so expect more monkey business in 2012. “If you notice this notice you will notice that, this notice is worth noticing… take note of that.” P.E.A.C.E.
***As you can see, most of the top selections for 2011 came from the Butterz camp. In fact, "Boo You" vinyl release as well as the I Am EP have been the only vocal releases from the 2-year-old label, speaking to their quality control. Check the Butterz boss dons' Elijah and Skilliam's fresh Rinse:17 compilation. Grime will be huge in 2012, and Butterz will be continue to be the ones at the forefront. So just remember on thing: Butterz is the label! Latas 2011... and onward we march!
Now that the dubstep wave has swept through the US at full speed for a few years now, the harder styles --which still remain most popular-- have settled in, which has paved the way for other low-end dubstep styles to gain recognition and further integration. These styles were typically less popular with the massive domination of mid-ranged rave anthems. They became increasingly less so after some producers started feeling marginalized in a way, and began to avoid the dubstep label altogether. Although still embracing the “space/bass/pace” ethos dubstep originally nurtured, these artists moved the label of their experimental bass music into a vague, eclectic, and temporary realm. DSF awards had classed it even so basic as “120-140 BPM”. Regardless of this dichotomy the scene on the whole is healthier for of it. That's because those alternative styles which had remained in the bass-heavy 140-area are without a doubt still dubstep. No matter how you want to slice it up and label things… it’s all still dubstep. DnB, Grime, UK Funky, Moombahton and Techno have all become factors at play as well, but that doesn’t mean dubstep’s influence should go unacknowledged simply because it’s so obviously penetrating within EDM today.
So then, before going off topic I was alluding to dubstep's appeal beyond it’s original scope. It’s infiltrated itself from the commercial ends all the way to the left-field underground; well beyond more than just ravers and party people too. This inevitably led to an ‘acquired taste’ for bass-weighted material for the masses. It created a familiarity with the sound that was not readily available to break through in the earlier stages of the global distribution of sonic pressure. Instead, over the 5+ years since, the scene has been clouded by those dominant dance-floor decimators. But now that these harder styles have settled-in, those sub-sets are rising in notoriety enough to breakout on their own.
On a cultural take --which this blog is about-- I think it’s good having producers come through being well-rounded, and mixing various related styles and genres. This positive diversification gets further enhanced if these producers also bring multi-dimensional selections to their DJ sets as well. It would be a huge plus for the scene in general, which harbors the heavier mid-ranged wobble disproportionally, (for better or for worse depends on perspective). One of these sub-styles was the “purple” sound, which I had reviewed last month via an 805 loke, Toro 43’s EP release. As previously posted, “purple” is what I defined as, (via Rebel-Elite Toro 43 feature):
["Anyone unaware of a difference, these are just my words but I believe they sum it up well: The concept of “purple” comes from the heavy synth-laded production work, labeled such to purposefully differentiate it from dubstep. The color term is because the synths are rich, 'colorful' textures. Personally, I refer to it as "purple" not "purple dubstep" as some rightly can. Besides the obvious dubstep traits, and those additional grime attributes, I also associated it with Wonky; (think Scotland’s Hudson Mohawke and Rustie). With purple, you can hear the color in it. Whereas dubstep in it’s original (now muddled) concept, was classed in a dark, black-voided spatial ethos. Purple was meant to counter that idea, and create synthetic light in the extended space created by the patterns of production that dubstep was spearheading at the time."]
So as you can tell it’s hardly a new sound having gone 2008 and strong. But in regards to a proper execution of these characteristics on west-coast productions… they always came few-and-far between. Whereas Toro 43 has pushed this for a while now… he’s also not recognized in other areas of production in the dubstep scene (yet his Moombahton is kicking off right now though!). Other, more-recognized producers on the south-coast have started coming through. I view these bass-producers as exhibiting a wider painter’s palate for their musical canvases. Over the past couple weeks I’ve noticed it being embraced by a few select in the LA-area. And when I mention west-coast bass, don’t get it twisted with the ease-vibed bass music that came from glitch; that which is being facilitated by Do-Lab type crews. What I’m on is 140-bass still though, rooted in the original dubplate culture, dubstep and jungle both derive from.
One of these producers is the extremely diverse Ashtrobot. He just broke out heavily in the LA bass scene last year, and just a few months ago produced a few hip-hop tracks for Kendrick Lamar, further propelling himself upward in the industry. Ashtrobot has not shied away from the purple qualities either. He just gave out a free tune sampling the ASAP Rocky’s “Purple Swag” vocals. Coming heavy nonetheless, the synth textures in the tune separate the sound from the overtly intense rave wobbles --which you should know, the producer also throws down relentlessly.
Another producer-DJ is Direct Feed, an old-school selecta representing the LA-area for years as Dotcom. Direct Feed has of late been pounding out everything from DnB, to Moombahton, and Dubstep… and everything in between like Drumstep, Moombahcore and now, “purple”. As I mentioned earlier, if these diverse productions can also be played in tandem with various, eclectic DJ selections, the entire bass scene will benefit immensely. Direct Feed is just that guy. I’ve had the opportunity to MC a few of his sets, and was always impressed by his selection and technical ability. He creates a crowd-pleasing edifice as a 6ft+ producer towering behind the decks. Earlier this week he made his first “purple” experiment, and put it out to the public. A remix of one of his favorite tunes at the moment, The Weekend’s “Rolling Stone”. This one came off ultra-chill, on some deep vibezing shit. Basslines massage the mental, over the sexy vocals one you always get from The Weekend.
Direct Feed had relayed to me that he and had become keen on the sound through Ashtrobot, a neighbor of his in Long Beach. It seems while the rest of LA drives through smoggy grey skies, the LBC is blazing up the beach to purple sunsets. Must be that weed thang. Lemon season all the time. Wish I had more to share, but I think it’s still nascent as far as productions, on the south-coast. I think it’s because the glitch-style, developed on the west-coast and BC, has become its alternate for those more-subtle bass vibes. Regardless, I hope these artists continue to push this purple sound. It’s been far too long coming. P.E.A.C.E.
Over the past few months, I’ve been waiting on a release project from a Santa Barbara-area native, and one of the few talented producers in our coastal paradise. In these technologically innovative times we live in, it’s clear that everyone wants to be a DJ. In a 21+ college and beach town like SB, they are everywhere. Producers on the other-hand, despite the rapid tech advancements in this field as well, still requires long studio work, high expense, and of course, an abundance of artistic creativity in order to break through to new listeners effectively. Quality productions seem especially hard to come by in Santa Barbara, where just an hour down the way is the megalopolis of Los Angeles, I've seen to too many 805 talents breakout, then bitter-sweetly --and with best wishes-- watch as they depart for better opportunities. But as the city gains a wider EDM scene in general, the producers have steady been churning out. Last month I posted my fourth artist feature profiling Toro 43’s debut release, the purple-electric "Lavanda Summa" EP which you can check out and download, here. Now again it’s my pleasure to bring you top quality production from another Santa Barbaraian, Seven Lions.
I had been hyped on this release for a multiple reasons. First, Seven Lions is the new pseudonym for progressive-house Producer/DJ Jeff Montalvo's dark-side, who has been consistently rising in notoriety. He released his first EP last year, a 5 track effort entitled "Movement", available on Beatport via Elliptical Recordings. This progression reached a climax when DJ Tiesto gave radio-play to his track, “Under Pressure”. Any release from Jeff Montalvo is something to track down. With a disciplined drive and high standard for quality music, the output is always a listening pleasure. Secondly, as mentioned, Seven Lions is the alternate identity for the heavier, bass-oriented side of Jeff Montalvo. Before entrenching himself in the world of EDM, Jeff was originally a metal head as a yout. As the transgression of American dubstep came sweeping through, it was only a matter of time until metal lovers found common ground.
This is no surprise since dubstep treats the genres before it like a harem, developing strong relationships with eclectic influences. Such crossbreeding has occurred regularly in dubstep with hip-hop, DnB, dub-reggae, electro-house and the west-coast beat-scene. The first time I heard Jeff Montalvo’s dubstep was upon our introduction, after Professor West had dropped a dubplate of his at a Santa Babylon show last year. At the time, Montalvo was still experimenting with the sound, having made a remix series of sampled metal tunes into dubstep.His EDM productions, which tend to be house or trance with a progressive flare, may seem at odds with the heavier, raved-out dubstep sound... but to Montalvo, it was really no long ting. Lastly, I was looking forward to the upcoming release because he had relayed to me that it would feature a partnership with a south-coast rapper, as well as a few other vocalists.
That rapper was Lexo the Great. Although currently residing in the LBC, Lexo is also from north-county Santa Barbara area. The 805 has always played an integral role in his musical and personal development, so I was pleased to hear the collaboration would feature another 805 loke. Similar to Montalvo, the last couple years have been precipitous of big things for Lexo the Great. In 2010 he released a respectable 4 mixtapes on top of a street album, dropping several videos along the way. In 2011 he performed with rock-reggae sensation Iration on their So-Cal Tour and SXSW. This momentum culminated into Lexo releasing his latest single “Another Day” feat. Iration, which is available on iTunes, here. Continuing in positive fashion, Lexo is making massive steps on his new album, working with reggae icon and Grammy Award winning producer, Native Wayne Jobson. I was just recently booked alongside Lexo in Malibu this past month and got to see him live. With a genuine character and vivacious stage presence, it solidified Lexo the Great as a charismatic performer in addition to a recording artist. And I look forward to rocking mics with him again, this time in Santa Barbara on August 12th @ Statemynt Lounge.
805 pride aside, in actuality this release will get play well beyond city limits. The "Keep It Dirty" EP stays true to the name, with Seven Lions' production work going into serious head-banging wobble frequencies alongside Lexo’s party rocking bars which are always on point, and keep the dance-floor moving. In dubstep, the vast amounts of hip-hop vocals (original or remixed) in the scene these days, I like it when a producer doesn’t go over the top by layering vocals all over the mid-ranged drops. Instead, Lexo’s vocals work in tandem with the track’s drops, hyping up long beat-laden intros, or breaking out on the breaks before Seven Lions sets it off again with the second drop. Seven Lions, as a classically trained practitioner, puts a high emphasis on melodies. As such, he generally doesn’t find synchronicity working with rappers for this reason, and typically prefers sung-vocals to work with... or nothing at all. With this format and chemistry on the “Keep It Dirty” release, Seven Lions’ arranges the tunes to be consistent quality, while maintaining unpredictability throughout the entire tracks. This is especially evident on the one track I wasn’t granted a dubplate for, and happened to be my top rated on the EP.
The tune, entitled “Back Down” was last to be recorded due to a feature from Michael Peuschelof Iration. Lexo licks off two dope 16s between drops that both build-up & breakdown like a warning alarm for incoming bass bombs. Then following the third verse section comes Peuschel’s thirty-second instrumental guitar solo. The track not only maintains a heavy production, but also manages to do so while echoing hip-hop, to “brostep”, to rock/reggae styles all at once. In the multifaceted evolution of dubstep, ‘progressive’ is almost a non-use word in this rapid changing and dynamic sonic environment, but with Seven Lions, it’s certainly applicable. His ability to encapsulate these different aspects of dubstep’s hyper-evolutionary character into a single amalgamation, showcases his innovative production styles. Further adding to a maintained interest throughout, the duo brings in relief features such as the aforementioned Peuschel, the lovely Sarah Clark, and one of Lexo’s mandem, Fedie Demarco,who features on the bonus track; a Watts remix of the EP’s stomper riddim, “Fully Loaded”. Best of all, as it's Seven Lions' debut release, the decision was made by both artists to release this top-notch product for FREE. So the next time you hear the name, you’ll know what’s up!! Grab the EP for free via Seven Lion’s SoundCloud, or directly down below. And don't forget to get that sick cover art by graphic artist Cliff Nelson, who also did the art for Montalvo's Movement EP.
And an EP release wouldn’t be proper without a party, right? And sure enough Seven Lion’s and Lexo will be lighting up the sound system at Statemynt Lounge on August 12th, for the Keep It Dirty Release Party. This is going to be a rager, with an ace line-up of mixed-genre EDM. In addition to Seven Lion’s headline act, the night will include sets from DJ's Rene (Underground Souls), 9FTOFSMOKE (BluntBros.FM), as well as Zander, a wicked glitch-bass Producer/DJ who is also collaborating with Lexo. Just got word that they will be showcasing an unreleased tune at the show! Come in early and celebrate the summer with us, as well as this massive release of bass-weighted pressure. Support your local talent. Again, download the EP below, for free, and check out www.jeffmontalovo.com andLexotheGreat.com for future updates and material. P.E.A.C.E.
Just finished up my first proper mix… On that MC-to-DJ ting. Some cool down vibes via sub-bass pressure reverberating your mental; sans the midrange wobbles. Any trigger happy LFO tunes in my mid-levels are replaced by ace vocals. Blends of easy ‘purple’ vibes, deep half-step rollers and neo 2-step grime riddims, all laced up with 140 vocalists; be they rappers or singers. I decided to call this “Post-Grime” for multiple reasons. But before that, let me start of by saying this label isn't a label, just the title of the mix. It's simply a term to describe something; a pattern. So don't take it as a re-label fashion at all, it's just art, yo. Although these styles crossover into different classifications... for all intensive purpose, "post-grime" is really just "grime" music... please understand this foremost.
Now, my motive for the post-grime statement: First, the obvious derivation coming from the recent influx of a “post-genre” branding which has been heavily used in particular reference of the 140 offshoots of UK garage; dubstep, grime, 2-step, bassline-house, UK funky, and most recent, the ominous “future garage”. In some ways, this mentality recalls the spirit of dubplate culture, which speed garage and then later 2-step, had inherited from the jungle days when they shared two-room venues. Unfortunately, the influence has gone wayward in the digital age with the decline of vinyl dubplates, but also a lack of the cultural understanding by people who simply liked the music, and saw no cultural connection or any need for a connection. A shame, but no fault of theirs. All aside, the principles of anti-traditional, forward thinking production values remained from the dubplate-era, and is further enhanced by the vast amounts of musical influences and sonic technologies interacting with one another nowadays.
“Post-Grime” also speaks to a more musically inclined definition of the same concept. As mentioned, all the 140 genres have been cross-pollinating amongst each other, and it has only accelerated of recent. Where grime has always been very vague in the definition of what constitutes “grime”, the emcee was always the deal-breaker. Not any emcee mind you, a grime MC. Put a grime artist on UK funky, dubstep, ‘purple’, and even some hip-hop or reggae… it can be labeled grime to a certain degree, and hence the crossovers begin. This idea also holds true to this mix. It’s interlaced with various different, yet related-genre styles, with constant vocal features by an array of diverse grime emcees. Think, “Post-Genre with an MC”.
Now amongst the classifications of “post-genre” branding, grime is the least likely to be considered so. These “post” labels are typically applied when its predecessor has collectively lost its way, as most music styles and cultures inevitably do. In fact, grime is probably the most healthy it’s been since its inception in the early-2000s. Of course, the same can be said for its sibling sister dubstep. But while the Croydon star child is enjoying mass success, it has completely transformed from its original production principles. Think, “Jungle to DnB without the name alteration.” If that's success to you, then we just belong to different schools of thought. ‘Niche’ aka Bassline-House, another UKG offspring of the Midlands UK, has all but fallen off. But artists brought up through the grime scene have had more chart-tunes this past year than ever before. Skepta, Tinchy and Chipmunk all had massive years, though not always putting out grime, they are indeed a legacy to be lauded and supported. The grime-bred pop-stars are best epitomized by Tinie Tempah’s global chart success, have just recently received the BET award for best international artist.
Grime’s not just in the pop charters either. Dubstep’s massive appeal on the airwaves has also helped grime artists and producers, such a the respective P-Money and True Tiger, gain exposure in the at massive festivals, raves and cubs. The rise of the Butterz label, run by Skilliam and Elijah, have given grime its vinyl back, and the imprint is building a quality discography and paving the way for more instrumental releases, which were sorely lacking in the emcee dominated mixtape-era just a couple years ago. And just last year, finally a North American, Tré Mission out of Toronto, ascended the implausible act of breaking out within the UK scene domestically. But there are reasons as to the aversion of the grime label…
I wanted to avoid a general application of “grime”; again for multiple reasons. Foremost amongst them was my audience. I’ve decided to push ‘this sound’, whatever you want to call it. And as opposed to my success in pushing dubstep for a few years now **Note: strickly as an MC//Promoter**. I’m not really aiming for those ravers either. This shit for the hip-hop heads. I’ve immersed myself in this enticing, fresh 140 BPM hotbed for over 3 years now, and have pretty much stopped listening to hip-hop. Even before my style altered, my taste already had. Hip-hop just seemed to have lost the edge it always had as I started to feel I had heard it all before in some fashion. But I never stopped loving hip-hop. That's because, as KRS-One proclaimed, “I AM HIP-HOP”. Any music I listen to applies this urban street culture I’ve always been apart of, and it always will. So instead of trying in vain to expose the grime scene to Americans, it's better to start it off fresh, for the time being. Pushing "grime" just isn’t effective, and usually loses more listeners than it gains. For some odd reason, grime is a tainted name. I think it may have something to do with the abrasive, raw production style and hardcore, violent wordplay. But I actually believe it’s because it’s marketed (usually in vain) to the EDM ravers, especially stateside. (That's why as an introductory mix, I'm attempting to appeal to new listeners by I avoiding the harder, raw, high-energy grime tunes). True, dubstep and jungle both have solid roots in hip-hop, but only to a certain level… but grime pushed those boundaries between EDM and hip-hop further than ever before. With that, EDM ravers also tend to not be hip-hop heads either… there is only so much subculture to go around in one’s life. So fuck the rave, this that street bump shit. Night crawlin’ riddims. Not to say that you can't skank out on this, cause that's what grime is too! Keeping it raw and street, while still keeping people breaking out on the dance-floor. This is the beautiful balance of grime music.
But it’s not just that behind my “Post-Grime” concept. You see, similar to jungle music before it, grime isolates itself to its central hub, London. It cannot realistically be accessed by an outsider… you almost have to be brought in by the existing establishment; the controllers. So essentially, I will begin to expose this music stateside --not just through DJ sets, but through original productions, vocals (without British accents), andevents. But with my status, I will never be accepted amongst the meaningful, core artists in the grime scene. Upholding this LDN isolation, I truly believe this to be one of grime’s biggest detractors, and has unfortunately limited a music that had so much potential on the outset. So “Post-Grime” attempts to avoid the grime label, while still remaining true to the culture, even if in an oppositional way. If they want to close themselves off to outsiders, then I’d rather not call my style “grime” in return.I’ve come to believe this will help break the sound transnationally, as listeners here will inevitably trace back to the UK original sound. Also, as I try to introduce this new style to all my hip-hop heads, many of which just do not get down with dubstep or other EDM --myself often included-- a vague, temporary label will help facilitate its own forward progression, with no strings attached.
Expect much more of this sound… cause I’m going all in. Currently working on some tunes with a few producers in South Cali. I wanted to use this mix as the kick-off for my stateside “post-grime” push. Mixes will get a bit hard and more "grimy", but I wanna ease it on ya, get me? All I ask of you, the listener, is keep an open-ear and an open mind. Even though it’s quite a divergent and unaccustomed sound… I just know you’ll feel it.So let this mix introduce you to my wonderful world of “Post-Grime”, cause this is just the beginning. P.E.A.C.E.
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*If your vibezing off this, and want to know more about grime, check out rebel-elite's intel, here.
**The Post-Grime mix has been taken down on my SoundCloud and replaced with Post-Grime:DEUX. However, here is a download link to the original concept mix.
Summer has finally arrived! In SB, you can still count on the A.M. June-gloom rolling in, almost as dependable as the afternoon sun that's sure to creep out. But this particular grey morning I was pleasantly surprised to get a bit of light and color through my speakers. My top-rated local DJ amongst the 805’s relatively small pool, Toro 43 (formerly Bless the Sinner), just put out his first release which he’s giving to all of us. Even though I was surprised just now to come across it, I really wasn’t taken aback to realize man had already put it out lastmonth. Toro 43 aka Danny Mesa, is a straight talking, unpretentious Santa Barbara native and old-school 805 selecta. So as a humble individual --which speaks to an authentic character-- it also makes him the last person to be pushing his music so heavily on other people. Luckily, his music speaks for him. In a relatively small town, generic dubstep is everywhere, complete with with over-the-top LFO bass wobbles in a scene where a preference for dance-floor familiarity has overtaken a drive for anti-traditional innovation. This is expected in a smaller peripheral-city, but in my experiences Toro 43 always kept an eclectic, unparalleled selection, while rocking heavy dance floors with his mixing and live-act sets of bass-weighted pressure.
His sound selections had always appealed to me, whether it be glitch, grime, DnB or electro influences behind the vaguely labeled “dubstep” overtone which people often attach to a lot of bass DJ's various styles these days. On that personal level, it was probably because Mesa was the first to embrace the “purple” sound which I was heavily into at the time in came out. That was the sound Joker and Kulture displayed on MAH's Generation Bass in late 2008, just before I met the man that is Toro 43. For some reason, I’ve come across a lot of heads that seem intent of describing the comparisons and contrasts with dubstep and its various off-sprung sub-genres. I guess I could understand that, but it would be difficult for me to describe, or rather 'not-ascribe', a difference between the overarching label dubstep entails at large, and another one of the many sub-genre titles. But with "purple", specifically the pioneering work of Joker, I always considered it in many ways to be more grime when I first fell in love with sound. So I never felt a need to differentiate it from dubstep, as it was never apparent to. Even though in the many ways it retained some character of the London star-child at its base, the Bristol-lead purple sound was always separate to me. Which was then followed up by Ginz, Gemmy, Guido and Starkey becoming strong sound pushers of the purple movement.
Anyone unaware of a difference, these are just my words but I believe they sum it up well: The concept of “purple” comes from the heavy synth-laded production work, labeled such to purposefully differentiate it from dubstep. The color term is because the synths are rich, 'colorful' textures. Personally, I refer to it as "purple" not "purple dubstep" as some rightly can. Besides the obvious dubstep traits, and those additional grime attributes, I also associated it with Wonky; (think Scotland’s Hudson Mohawke and Rustie). With purple, you can hear the color in it. Whereas dubstep in it’s original (now muddled) concept, was classed in a dark, black-voided spatial ethos. Purple was meant to counter that idea, and create synthetic light in the extended space created by the patterns of production that dubstep was spearheading at the time. Now as I’ve said, it can legitimately be called dubstep as well, but it should be noted, this is not a conflicting juxtaposition either. These days, the cross-pollination of 140 genres is undeniable, and probably the most diverse and exciting in the current EDM environment. As an original regional pusher of the sound via his productions and live/mixed sets, Toro 43’s art bleeds with diversity and excitement. But until more recent, the latter had been his trademark: DJ mixing and live sets. But Toro’s high standard and quality-over-quantity mentality toward his own productions have finally seemed to reach equilibrium.
The EP is a 6 track digital giveaway entitled “Lavanda Summa”. The kick off track of the same title, Spanish for “Lavender”, alludes to the purple frequencies forthcoming on the release. Sure to sonics, the opening track is a synth-lead propulsion with colorful overtones. The unimaginative could call it ‘daytime dubstep’, a perfect choice for a relaxing beach day in the summer. The next track "Licorce" comes on, if not decidedly darker, certainly deeper. That summer's day falls toward sunset, a “lick-a-spliff-off” moment when you’re content knowing the nights vibes are just around the way. On comes a tingeing swath of an electrified, guttural sub-bass reminiscent of the glitch-inspired type I’ve been hearing from Do-Lab affiliated artists in Cali; but maintaining a purple/dubstep continuity, which leads into cross-pollinated blend to his work which just generally can’t be classed in full. After so many inspirational sounds coming out around the globe, the boundaries between genres have become so porous they've almost become worthless. The third track, "Baby Food" gets even darker yet, more akin to a traditional dark stasis-inducing pressure of Croydon-esk dubstep, which Toro then releases in waves of sharp, ragged basslines upon the drop.
Moving on into the only remix on the EP was the producer’s rendition of the Bassline-House’s massive hit, “Heartbroken” produced by T2. The northern “niche” music of the midlands UK never really caught on stateside, probably derailed by the advent of the similar, domestic Fidget-House scene. As a consequence, Toro’s use of the now-classic vocal by Jodie on the original feature, creates a fresh reception for a lot of the west-coasters I’ve shown it to... as a good remix should. The remaining tracks onset the summer’s darkening evening sky. What separates the “Lavanda Summa” from a 'traditional' purple productions (for lack of a better word in a hyper-evolving forward-driven scene) is the electro-infused production values it retains, while still being inherently of a “purple-dubstep” quality. That shouldn’t say it’s what separated Toro’s release from the UK-originated style, what it did however reveal to me is the similarities of the massive and diverse sound that has become "electro" (which I'm honestly not very familiar). Nonetheless, the EP seeps with a static electricity, epitomized by closing track titled “Square Meal”, which simotenously builds-up and relieves a constant pulsating tension, giving the EP its dark, dance-floor mover. And just as the EP comes to a close, it seems the summer’s night has arrived... but now so has Toro 43.
His first release is long coming, and it surely lives up to the work Toro has put in over years. When I caught up with him earlier this spring, he relayed to me even bigger things on the horizon. The South and Central Americas EDM scene has been blowing up the last decade, inspiring a taste for electronic-latin-funk around the world. Toro 43 has ventured into bass-heavy experimental Cumbia sounding production work, as well as familiarization with the rapidly expanding Moombahton sound. I’ve yet to hear any of it, but if it’s anything like Dutty Artz’ NYC Tropical sound I favor so much, it would seem Toro 43’s productions are tailored for me. But it’s not… it's simply just good music with an innovative approach. Behind the creative-artist of Toro 43, lies the intellect of Danny Mesa. A conversation with the producer will reveal a pure love for music, while being able to convey in substance exactly what he it means to him. But true to his work, he usually prefers to let the music speak for him. So download the EP for FREE off www.toro43.com, with cover art any Santa Barbarian will adore. (Mesa is also a graphic designer). Grab some of his ill mixes while you’re at it. And be sure to keep up to date with all his sounds via Toro 43's SoundCloud. This year man is sure to be making major moves throughout 2011. And in the meantime, Happy Solstice... now let’s bring on the Lavanda Summa. P.E.A.C.E.
