Well, now that I've had a day to listen to every track at least 10 times each and decipher (with Thrift Gang) the lyrics to Monkey On My Back, I believe I have found words to describe my experience of Low Speed High Drag, the newest release from self-made Jake Atlas, aka Thriftworks. As stated in my Bandcamp review, "Oh lawd praise Tlālōc for raining the milkiest of beats down on our souls. Jake never ceases to blow my mind with his creative flow, mmmph." With a Thrift Gang shout-out in Couple Glasses of Milk and the much anticipated release of Mug Wall, Thriftworks is sure to take you on a journey that only he can with his choppy and (mostly) inaudible vocal samples paired with his unique and best described as "milky" beats. Rain Game ft. Bläp Dëli, Ur Alive ft. Russ Liquid, and The Newter Shooter are equally as creamy as the rest of the tracks on this release and also highly loved by his fans; however, my personal favorite and the one which seems to be a Thrift Gang favorite as well is obviously the sad story delivered by the creepy Terry-D voice in Monkey On My Back. Check out the lyrics that Thrift Gang was able to decipher last night and don't forget to grab this EP on his pay what you want Bandcamp! (credit goes to CJ Bitner and Jason Larson for the lyrics):
Monkey on my back
the feeling is so amazing
cows in my pasture but they're still not grazing
I need the rain so I can get the berry
this shit is gettin scary
I'm holdin on barely
Front and Back and Side to Side
1,2,3,4 different ways I lied
if omission is a sin
I'mma need a heart transplant
This might be my last dance
You should take my fuckin hand
And yeah I drank that brew
made it myself from witches blood and some fruit
peaches, peaches, friends and bitches
Who am I supposed to trust when I myself am sneaky
At least that primate
Is just my mate
Try to show him how to keep it really high-grade
The monkey is a blessin but I never stop stressin
Livin day by day but goddamn it's pretty messy
I know I ain't flawless
I know I got problems
I know I should solve them
But I ain't even..
So take me to the shaman
Where did I go wrong, and
Can you give it up
Cause I'm feelin' fallen.
I know I ain't flawless
I know I got problems
I know I should solve them
But I ain't even..
So take me to the shaman
Where did I go wrong, and
Can you give it up
Cause I'm feelin'
Day by day is the way we play
Just cattle eatin grain
It's the cashmere dreams
It's the primate mind-state
that keep me in the time-frame
domesticate the beast
no steam for the high dream (?)
reasons for tweakin
it's the draw of the weekend
but the clouds bring rain that I really fuckin needed
Drip drop, and the rain hit the surface
I made you wet with no feelings and no purpose
Late bloomer with the early bird rumors
Only loved one --- (sounds like dove?), no pigeon or -----
It's a miscommunication in the biggest fucking station
Repeat episode
And the pig is now bacon
Forward the motion
Deep drink the potion
To draw, the gingah (?)
Pass on the lotion
Golden the colour
Sugar the mother
Lush is the Jungle
Remember your God (?)
I know I ain't flawless
I know I got problems
I know I should solve them
But I ain't even..
So take me to the shaman
Where did I go wrong, and
Can you give it up
Cause I'm feelin' fallen.
I know I ain't flawless
I know I got problems
I know I should solve them
But I ain't even..
So take me to the shaman
Where did I go wrong, and
Can you give it up
Cause I'm feelin' fallen
Forward the motion
Deep drink the potion
To draw, the gingah (?)
Pass on the lotion
Golden the colour
Sugar the mother
Lush is the jungle
Green is the order
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Although this album is not newly released, I felt the need to write about it because I have been replaying it 2-3 times a day for the past several weeks. Given the intense internal journey I have been recently, every single track on this LP speaks to me differently but in the soul-soothing way that I am craving. This is the first full length album Colorado native Ricky Shine has released in over 2 years and no doubt outshines ANY album I have listened to this year. Released in September on the popular glitch label, Gravitas Recordings, Chasing the Midnight Sky is sure to inspire, motivate, move and groove you. Close your eyes and chase that midnight sky. <3 It is available for free (pay what you want) on Bandcamp. Favorite track: "If Only You Knew"
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French dubstep producer Fytch teams up with Kushberry to capture the hearts and attention of dubstep fans with another release on Jesus Died 4 Dubstep Records (JD4D). I personally prefer instrumental tracks but the vocals of Carmen Forbes is such a beautiful contrast to the aggressive nature of dubstep, but yet a soft compliment to the melodies in the track In These Shadows. The two continue the patterns of beautiful melodies overlaying aggressive womps in Bright Lights, where no vocals are needed to express contrast. They continue to create a massive neurofunk/DNB tune with Post Mordem and close their 4 track EP with a darker, more house-like tune with no specific genre classification, Sinister Hearts...and sinister is just the right word. Support dubstep and grab this EP on Bandcamp.
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I have been looking forward to this collab for quite some time now. Cyberoptics, a 24 year old producer from Memphis, TN, is no stranger to the deep and dark world of dubstep. With recent singles like Strange Man White Van and The Secret Garden, and the genius of their last collab together- The World Is Your's- the expectations of a quality, dangerous track was real. Add in the never disappointing production of Richmond veteran dubstep producer Numbernin6 and you have a recipe for an aggressively beautiful track. Which is the perfect way to describe Rootwork. The atmosphere is thick, the melodies are soft, and although others are critical of the complexity- it has the perfect yin and yang that these two have mastered so well in both individual and collaborative production. Such a tune! Big ups to Excision at Rottun Recordings for signing it! Grab it on Beatport, iTunes, and Juno today!
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2014 has proven to be Florida-based producer Twine's breakout year. Starting off, he signed his freshman EP The Absolute to Datsik's Firepower Records, followed by a 4 track EP for reaching 5,000 followers on soundcloud a month ago (which at the moment has reached 9.4k), a single on Excision's Rottun Recordings (Mania) as well as a couple remixes for Firepower superstars Barely Alive (see Rifle Blow Kiss and Welcome To The Real World). And that's just the tip.
Seasoned dubstep stars such as Datsik, Getter, Excision, and more recently Zeds Dead have been rinsing his tunes this festival season on their travels across the country. Twine even joined Getter and AFK to open up a few select dates on their Gnartillary Tour. He's surely caught the attention of the dubstep community and has finally teamed up with 12th Planet at Smog Records to present to you Killing Machine.
Killing Machine - With an introduction that grabs your attention by the sounds of an intense hunt with screeches and growls, the track quickly builds into a brutal drop followed by the dirtiest kicks and synths that leave you stank-faced until half way through. He slows it down a bit but only to introduce the nuttiest drop of the track that clearly sets the tone for the rest of the [dubstep] tracks in the EP.
Trillaz - This may be Zeds Dead's favorite track of the EP, but I have an unfair bias toward trap music- even if it is considered to be hybrid. Needless to say, this is my least favorite track. I love some heavy basslines but not when accompanied by the infamous 'WUT? WUT? WUT? WUT?' chant. I hate to be critical of someone's work, so I will just leave it with "it's not my thing"; but, it doesn't sound like a nightmare Flosstradamus track and sticks to the general tone that Killer Machine had set before it.
Throwback Thursday - Fast paced melodic intro that drops into a screeching throwback with some Circus Talent as well as a slight Figure (or maybe the right word I am looking for here is Halloween) influence with a new, Twine twist. I can't help but look at the title and pick familiar sounds out- but, that's a good thing! This is a completely original track with some all-star influence. I dig it.
Testify - At last, my favorite track of the EP. The intro sets the spooky tone with scattered hard synths that build into the filthiest, most unique drop of the entire EP accompanied by the angriest growls. I cannot get enough of this tune, its definitely the wonkiest on this release and I love wonky. Big ups on this one man!
Trypto - Yet another trap tune. The intro, build up, and drop isn't bad and again, I'm a sucker for heavy basslines, but I'm such a white girl and don't know how to dance to this. Turn down.
Support Twine and grab his Killer Machine EP on beatport!
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12 days ago a branch of EDM.com, formerly known as "Dubstep.NET", gave us a sneak peak of Dubba Johnny's newest side project "Matchbox Orchestra" with a beautiful, soulful, melodic track featuring RJ Duke. The vocals in "One Day" flow straight through your soul- kissing it tenderly- accompanied by the most uplifting melodies and perfectly raw synths that leave you feeling rinsed with pure nostalgia. It was THIS track that caught my attention to this tasteful side project.
Today, Matchbox Orchestra released a 2 track EP on Sup Yo! Music label including "I Forget" and "Juice". These fresh, mid-tempo tracks are testimony of Dubba Johnny's range of diversity in musical production. "I Forget" is another melodic dubstep piece featuring vocal talent of singer/songwriter Matthew Emberson while "Juice" displays a break beat and garage influence. All three of these tunes are definitely good additions to your summertime playlists and I would highly suggest doing so! I'm not sure what more to expect from this side project, but I do hope there is more.
Get it on Beatport
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The Widdler, a Tel Aviv native who now resides in Austin, Texas, has recently released his newest album "OGO", featuring 6 tracks ranging from deep minimal dubstep, to "spooky" and "almost bubbly" beats. His melodic and tribal sounds are challenging the paradigm in the dubstep community by avoiding stereotypical "dubstep drops". His smooth crescendos leave you in almost a trance like state "feeling cleansed". A few tunes from this album have also been featured on DAD (Do Androids Dance) as well as The Dankles. As of today, his album sits at #5 on Beatport's Dubstep releases. Congrats to him! Check out his bandcamp and get the entire album here. On a side note, I'm really stoked to see him at Infrasound Music Festival in a few weeks! :D
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