When I was young, I used to listen to all kinds of music, different time periods and different genres from The Beatles, The Four Seasons, Nirvana, Sublime, Marvin Gaye, etc. However, when I came across Nas' Illmatic, 2pac's All Eyez on Me, Donell Jones' Where I Wanna Be, and Babyface's For The Cool In You I just became consumed solely with Soul and Hip Hop culture. It wasn't just the sound of the music itself, it was the personality and emotion that was put into the music. So I got caught in the genres, swaiting for more and more music to come out slowly getting away from the other types of music I used to listen to. I had a close minded perspective which I should have dropped because in music, everybody borrows elements from other genres and time periods as its just a creative process to get that fresh sound.
For about the last year I started to open up again after I started listening to some Daft Punk and I started seeing a lot more value in electronica. I used to be one of those people just saying techno is boring and repetitive, but then I started listening to certain cats and I stopped feeling that way. For the record, I don't like all techno but I am definitely not putting labels on it anymore, I give it a chance and I listen.
I got heavy into Theophilus London because of his amazing sound with Machine Drum as he was dropping 80s and electronica beats from him to spit to. Check out my interview with him if you haven't yet. Crystal Castles are a beast duo that have put together some beast electronica beats, their song "Courtship Dating" was sampled by Timbaland on "Ayo Technology" and Crystal Castles even sampled Grand Master Flash on their track "Magic Spells."
So, slowly I started listening to other genres again, the Australian group Cut Copy has a sound that fuses trance/electronica and indie rock as their CD "In Ghost Colours" is simply a masterpiece from top to finish. Similarly, the Canadian group Chromeo is obviously inspired from electronica and has a fresh 80s sound on their album "Fancy Footwork." MGMT and Death Cab for Cutie are other groups that are doing some crazy original things.
I kept on hearing rave reviews about this group Portishead, and I kept on ignoring them until Joe Budden made a mixtape based on them called, "Mood Musik Third: Joe Budden meets Portishead" that blew me away. So I got the CD and I started listening and I was thinking this is not my kind of music, but then I started feeling it. It's not something I can bump all the time but I like that joint. A couple of weeks later I saw Mickey Factz sample Portishead on his track "Machine Gun." It's a circle, music has no boundaries, genres are not static, so consumers should not be either.
Joe Budden Meets Portishead (Click Pic to DL)
I did an interview with Chester French a couple of days ago and Max dropped the name Vampire Weekend, so I got their CD and I started liking that stuff too and indie rock is not one of my favorite genres. Charles Hamilton even got a little rock in him as he sampled Offspring on that track "Rock Star" girl from his mixtape. I'm feeling scatterbrained now just dropping names, but that is just how music flows in my head, anything I'm feeling or thinking at the time is what I will listen to. By the way, if you don't have that Coldplay, get it, it's a soothing chill CD with incredible songwriting.
Another cat I'm going to vouch for is Jason Mraz, on his last LP at least. The kid got some soul in him and it is a pretty sensitive, touching, and inspiring CD at the same time.
Ok, so there that is the last couple of months where I have randomly been picking up music outside of my spectrum. That is why I support cats in hip hop being true to unique music, Mickey Factz, Wale (Mark Ronson is a G, he didnt' win a grammy for best producer for no reason), Theophilus London, Charles Hamilton, Kidz in the Hall, N.E.R.D., Cool Kids, etc. If you are looking for something new, something good, check the music from the people I named throughout this joint. Hip Hop/R&B are still at my heart, but other genres are starting to get me to catch feelings.
For about the last year I started to open up again after I started listening to some Daft Punk and I started seeing a lot more value in electronica. I used to be one of those people just saying techno is boring and repetitive, but then I started listening to certain cats and I stopped feeling that way. For the record, I don't like all techno but I am definitely not putting labels on it anymore, I give it a chance and I listen.
I got heavy into Theophilus London because of his amazing sound with Machine Drum as he was dropping 80s and electronica beats from him to spit to. Check out my interview with him if you haven't yet. Crystal Castles are a beast duo that have put together some beast electronica beats, their song "Courtship Dating" was sampled by Timbaland on "Ayo Technology" and Crystal Castles even sampled Grand Master Flash on their track "Magic Spells."
Crystal Castles "Courtship Dating"
So, slowly I started listening to other genres again, the Australian group Cut Copy has a sound that fuses trance/electronica and indie rock as their CD "In Ghost Colours" is simply a masterpiece from top to finish. Similarly, the Canadian group Chromeo is obviously inspired from electronica and has a fresh 80s sound on their album "Fancy Footwork." MGMT and Death Cab for Cutie are other groups that are doing some crazy original things.
Cut Copy "Heart on Fire"
I kept on hearing rave reviews about this group Portishead, and I kept on ignoring them until Joe Budden made a mixtape based on them called, "Mood Musik Third: Joe Budden meets Portishead" that blew me away. So I got the CD and I started listening and I was thinking this is not my kind of music, but then I started feeling it. It's not something I can bump all the time but I like that joint. A couple of weeks later I saw Mickey Factz sample Portishead on his track "Machine Gun." It's a circle, music has no boundaries, genres are not static, so consumers should not be either.
Joe Budden Meets Portishead (Click Pic to DL)I did an interview with Chester French a couple of days ago and Max dropped the name Vampire Weekend, so I got their CD and I started liking that stuff too and indie rock is not one of my favorite genres. Charles Hamilton even got a little rock in him as he sampled Offspring on that track "Rock Star" girl from his mixtape. I'm feeling scatterbrained now just dropping names, but that is just how music flows in my head, anything I'm feeling or thinking at the time is what I will listen to. By the way, if you don't have that Coldplay, get it, it's a soothing chill CD with incredible songwriting.
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Another cat I'm going to vouch for is Jason Mraz, on his last LP at least. The kid got some soul in him and it is a pretty sensitive, touching, and inspiring CD at the same time.
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Ok, so there that is the last couple of months where I have randomly been picking up music outside of my spectrum. That is why I support cats in hip hop being true to unique music, Mickey Factz, Wale (Mark Ronson is a G, he didnt' win a grammy for best producer for no reason), Theophilus London, Charles Hamilton, Kidz in the Hall, N.E.R.D., Cool Kids, etc. If you are looking for something new, something good, check the music from the people I named throughout this joint. Hip Hop/R&B are still at my heart, but other genres are starting to get me to catch feelings.
Album List Clockwise:
1. Coldplay -Viva La Vida
2. Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
3. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
4. Chester French - Love the Future (Will Be Released Soon)
5. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
6. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
7. Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
8. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
9. Portis Head -Third
10. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours*
1. Coldplay -Viva La Vida
2. Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
3. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
4. Chester French - Love the Future (Will Be Released Soon)
5. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
6. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
7. Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
8. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
9. Portis Head -Third
10. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours*
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