Sunday, April 29, 2012

Video: Nas - The Don


Nas is one of the greatest Hip-Hop MC's of all time, however his albums have suffered because of his penchant for choosing dubious beats.  Luckily his lead-up singles are usually fire, and this track doesn't disappoint.

The production for the track is from the late,great Heavy D, who passed the beat on to Salaam Remi to give to give to Nas.  It's in safe hands.  The refrain of 'New York CIty' is a rallying cry, and lends the song an 'Empire State of Mind' like grandeur.  As usual with these region specific bangers, it's more likely to be a hit stateside than in Australia.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Stream: Cassie - King of Hearts (Richard X Remix)


Cassie's 'King of Hearts' has had a bunch of remixes already, but this may be the best.  Venerable UK hit-maker Richard X slaps glistening synths over the top and creates a slightly ominous, yet overtly gorgeous dance-floor stomper.  Stop what you're doing and pump this in your system.  Right now.


Cassie - King Of Hearts - Richard X Remix Edit from blckmldy on Vimeo.

Essay: Sharing to the point of caring


There's been a lot of debate on the internet lately around the idea that 'facebook is making us lonely'.  I don't believe that for a second.  We're in a world now that challenges us to share everything, to engage and re-engage in specific ways, ways that we might not have been able to do before.

Music is one such way.  Back in the early 2000's file-sharing connected me to a world I'd never even dreamed of, one I couldn't have predicted.  Through links and reviews, music was shared to me and it not only opened up my perception of what music was and could be, it blew open my perspective of the world.

The explosion of global connections through the internet paved the way for social media platforms.  Sites like Facebook and Myspace started connecting us not only with music around the world, but also people, some of whom we had never met and may never meet.

We shared with them an online version of ourselves.  Our favourite music initially, followed by our favourite everything, listed beautifully on our info page, and fleshed out through photo albums that slowly built our online chronology.

When Twitter exploded on to the scene around the time I-phones came out, our obsession with sharing suddenly became mobile.  We found we could share in different ways, sometimes in 140 characters and sometimes through funny cat memes.

So now, in 2012, we've all established our online personality.  Some of the connections we have with others may solely be through tweets, some through instagram photo's and some might even be through location-based battles (foursquare).  A lot of those connections only exist in the online world, and a lot of the reason is because in our real world circles - the circles that encourage long hours of work or study, looking after children or lengthy commutes - we don't have time to meet these people face-to-face.

But we may meet these people face-to-face, and we have met them face-to-face, and the variety and randomness of these connections is what keeps us sharing.  Maybe the photo of the pumpkin under the footbridge will inspire someone to check out my portfolio and chase my business, or perhaps that congratulatory tweet will be embraced so much by its subject that they give me a lifetime supply of free passes to their tv show (Love you @catdeeley).

Social Media encourages connections.  Soundcloud is hosting music from local artists, whose links are in turn being passed around facebook and twitter with ease, creating an instant community of fans.  Vimeo and Youtube give the inner-geeks somewhere to showcase their unique view of the world, the truely creative are rewarded in kind.

Embrace the real world and the online world, and don't afraid to blur the lines.  It's what makes life fun.


Friday, April 20, 2012

Video: Rihanna dance rehearsals for new video


Rihanna's getting her chorey on for her new clip.  She even looks stylish at practice, how does she do it?

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Download: A$AP Rocky - Goldie (Produced by Hit-Boy)


A$AP Rocky came to prominence last year with the track 'Peso', a hazy, blazed-out track that recalled the best of Houston's Chopped-Up glory years.  That A$AP was a New Yorker trying to make South/Texas Hip-Hop was controversial, but his gloriously psychedelic tracks put him over the critics.

Still, he is yet to even release an album proper, but we're assured one is on the way.  This appears to be the first single from it, given that its pretty fantastic and is produced by Hit-Boy, who provided the beat for the amazing 'N****s in Paris' last year.

This is of course NSFW, so you have been warned!

Listen to the track HERE

Monday, April 16, 2012

Download: Major Lazer - Get Free


Thanks to Pitchfork for the tip, but here is Major Lazer's (Diplo & Switch) new track 'Get Free'.  You can get it here and it will only cost your email!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Video: Drake feat. Rihanna - Take Care


A few days late on this one, but you'll forgive me.  Take care!  

P.s. This song was originally recorded by activist/poet Gil Scott Heron on his 2009 album 'I'm Still Here'.  The whole album was remixed by Jamie XX in 2010 under the title 'I'm New Here', and the new version of the track 'Take Care' had the recognizable piano loop added in.

Drake sampled the loop and the used the chorus for the song, and you can even here a sample of Gil Scott Heron in the last part of the track.


Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Stream: Grimes f. Deniro Farrar, “Genesis” (Ryan Hemsworth Remix)

Grimes is a fantastic electro-pop artist from Montreal, although you won't find her making chart-topping dance tracks with Guetta or Stargate.  You're more likely to find her child-like voice floating over soaring New Wave synth lines and harsh robotic drums, the juxtaposed sounds evoking a spare, futuristic soundscape.

Here though, the sparseness is replaced by a the lush instrumentals of Ryan Hemsworth and his frequent collaborator Deniro Farrar, a North Carolina rapper.  

The result is a dense ornamental piece, pierced through by the project-laden poetry and smoked-out vocals of Farrar.  Grime's vocals are layered off in the background, giving the song airy, angelic hope alongside Farrar's depressingly accurate lyrics.

Deniro Farrar's latest album is available for FREE DOWNLOAD HERE

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Trailer: Step Up Revolution


The producers of Step Up must have heard we were showing the original movie at our Jam Session and Dance Flicks night coming up end of April, because they've gone ahead and released the insane new trailer for Step Up Revolution, which will be the 4th in the series.

They appear to be a few years too late to the flash mob craze, but when the dancing is this good, who really cares.  Am I right?

Monday, April 2, 2012

Video: Barack Obama Singing Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO

The US prez is described by some people as pretty sexy, and just in case you didn't know, he's jumped on the 'Sexy and you know it' beat to tell ya.