Every so often, I’ll take a chance on a track from an artist I’ve never heard of, or seen mentioned in any great detail in any media outlet, just to try and stumble upon something special. Often, it doesn’t come off but this is quite possibly one of the times it has.
The track opens with a surprisingly easygoing introduction, as a soft yet punchy electronic production saunters its way through your speakers, blending light and airy melodies with a hip-hop inspired percussion for a fresh and engaging instrumental. The fun doesn’t end there, as some solid vocals are thrown in on top, switching between an innocent softness to a more heightened emotional delivery, with both deliveries complimenting different elements of the production. A superb piece of electronic/alternative music that makes for a very easy listen.
If Pharrell and/or The Neptunes didn’t produce this then they’ve strongly influenced the duo: the electronic-style production has a very strong Neptunes feel about it from start to finish, combining a base pop element with an infusion of alternative lashings for a great production that boasts energy, power and a touch of cool, making it one that could certainly be a favourite with the mainstream. The Autotune is initially a little offputting, but gradually it works well enough with the instrumental and the whispery nature of their vocals. Inevitably, the track would be better without it, but it works well enough.
The video’s a good accompaniment to the track, using a mostly-monochrome filter and general minimalism to take the audio away from feeling like a pop track and further into a less-definable realm. Worth a watch, worth a listen, and a duo to keep your eye on.
After a forced hiatus due to various other commitments, we can finally resume the latest weekly series from the OTU brain trust. I must admit, this is fast becoming my personal favourite series in OTU history, purely because it allows both yourselves and I to rediscover tracks that we either once loved or once forgot about, and that’s frankly a lot of fun.
Enough of the self-appreciation.
Click on below for another diversity-laden edition of SYFA, featuring a trio of prominent current mainstream names, alongside a couple of acts that have slipped away somewhat.
After their hugely disappointing A Thousand Suns album of 2010, Linkin Park look set to return on 26th June with Living Things, and have preceded that release with the first single Burn It Down.
Immediately concerning is the dance/electronic melody that opens the track, almost having a Calvin Harris-esque style, suggesting another turn down the wrong creative avenue. Thankfully, the song recovers quite sharply, bringing a little more meat and power courtesy of a thudding percussion and thundering guitar work on the hook, whilst Chester’s ever-harmonic yet angsty vocals compliment both the electronic elements and the rock core well, alongside Mike’s short rapped contributions which are enjoyable and certainly leave you wanting more from him. A stronger lead single than that of the last album, fingers crossed that the album will deliver in the same vein. Stream here, and grab it on iTunes next Monday.
If you enjoyed Cudi’s recent work as a part of WZRD, you’ll definitely appreciate this brand new effort from the upcoming Hunger Games soundtrack.
Dark, grungy and packed with an eerie, ominous quality that makes for a very addictive listen throughout, this is certainly an effort that deserves to soundtrack the film its set to. The track opens with a thudding percussion and sharp guitar work, creating an edgy and almost industrial feel, whilst Cudi’s hook furthers that by virtue of capturing the film’s dystopian vibe with some controlling lyrics. The verse work is melodic and delivered in a menacing manner that wraps around the instrumental nicely, and essentially serves its purpose of building to the hypnotising hook. A creepy, disturbed effort that definitely captures the essence of the film its made for.
We’re into our second week of what proved a popular new feature last week, and you’re in for another journey not too far down memory lane. I call it Recollection Avenue.
This genre-less weekly episodical seems like the perfect opportunity to mix things up, and whilst there’s still ‘normal’ stuff in there, feel free to indulge yourself with the two curveballs I’ve thrown in this week.
Last week you may recall Kid Cudi featuring heavily, and this week’s theme is…April 2009. I’ll be honest, it was more coincidental than anything.
That’s right folks, do not adjust your monitors. R&B Friday is actually available on a Friday. As a result, it does mean the material isn’t particularly plentiful this week, but it doesn’t mean the quality isn’t there. In fact, I suspect many R&B Fridays fans will rather enjoy this episode, with 2 Frank Ocean-related tracks and a remix of one of The Weeknd’s best tracks featured.
As Indi’s excellent Tweet review recently suggested, this is truly one of the standout tracks from Kid Cudi and Dot Da Genius’ recent collaboration album, and probably one of the better tracks from any artist in recent months.
It’s been a short while since I’ve seen Cudi do a TV performance (or a live piece in general), and what’s immediately noticeable is the significant improvement in his singing. His vocal work is solid from start to finish, and on the very rare occasions that he’s under threat of missing a note, he improvises far better than he was once capable of by throwing together some good harmonies.
His stage presence is great as per usual too, and whilst the performance lacks that infectious Kid Cudi energy, that’s primarily down to the style of song rather than any deterioration in his performing skills. It’s a good watch and a very good rendition of what is an excellent song. Grab the song and album on iTunes now.
Multi-talented Labrinth, who is an instrumentalist and produces, sings and even raps, has gathered this all star cast. Three leading UK urban artists alongside the legend that is Busta Rhymes? A recipe for a classic collabo.
Labrinth’s album, Electronic Earth will be released on the 19th of this month.
We’ve seen many weekly series come and go here at OTU, but it’s been a while since we’ve launched a new one, which frankly isn’t in keeping with our ‘we do things differently’ mantra.
That would be the marketing spin on this. The truth is, the thought occurred to me that as modern-day music listeners, we consume so much music on a daily and weekly basis that there have become two clear pools of choice when picking something to listen to: either a classic, old-school track or something relatively new. “What’s wrong with that?”, I hear you cry. “The vast middle in between those two”, I reply.
There are countless songs that lie in that grey area of being a little old, but nowhere near aged enough to be considered ‘classic’, and often they get overlooked. Several tracks may have been ‘ahead of their time’, and you’ll find them an almost brand new listen in today’s climate, or it may simply be revisiting an excellent track to recrete that ‘first time’ feel once again. Welcome to your friendly reminder of tracks we may have once loved (or even completely ignored), and enjoy the fresh yet familiar feeling that accompanies each one.
OTU’s live Twitter album reviews makes a return here in 2012, and what better way to kick it back off again than with Kid Cudi’s and Dot Da Genius’ ambitious WZRD album?
Never one to conform to the perceptions people have on him, Kid Cudi continues to create the music he wants to make, which at the end of the day is what artistry is all about.
Click on below to read what has already been written on the OTU live Twitter feed, each track reviewed within the 140 character limit!
A very slow week for R&B/pop music this week (those new Chris Brown/Rihanna collaborations don’t count as music), and as a result it’s a pretty short, and stream-heavy, episode this week.
I’ve made this statement before, but R&B really is in a bad spot at the minute, with a serious lack of both quantity and quality as many of its stars are either inactive or pursuing pop careers. It’s a sad state of affairs, but I retain hope that the likes of The-Dream will be back soon to restore the natural order.
Converse have once again brought together luminaries of the music world (see here for a previous collaboration), and as expected due to the track being promotion for the Gorillaz/Converse footwear, it’s dominated by that unique Gorillaz flavour. Not a bad thing at all though, as there’s a lively and upbeat feel to the track, with the production boasting a frenetic electronic sample alongside sharp percussion work for a nice blast of energy. Vocally, you’ll probably find yourself waiting on the Andre 3000 section, and he doesn’t disappoint with a mixture of singing and rapping that synergises brilliantly with the speedy production. Free grab courtesy of Converse below.
Plenty of new music being pushed out today it seems, and we’ll kick off with the real headliner that is Ed Sheeran and Yelawolf’s anticipated free EP, Slumdon Bridge.
The 4-track EP contains no other features, which is a plus as hopefully we’ll get plenty of sharp verses from Yela accompanied by excellently-melodic hooks from Ed. Truthfully, Ed’s able to work with pretty much any artists (as his Collaborations EP proved), and even without any camaradarie or particular friendship, this would be an enjoyable listen; it just helps that the two seem to actually get along! Free grab of the EP available below, courtesy of Ed himself.
With December being the manic month that it is, I completely forgot to grab and listen to The Internet’s debut album, Purple Naked Ladies, which is surprising considering how warmly recieved the offerings preceding the album’s release were. Nonetheless, memories everywhere have been jogged and I’m sure many of us will be looking to check that album out sooner rather than later.
Having given these 4 tracks a brief listen, I can absolutely confirm you’re in for another audio delight. The productions are a fantastic combination of uptempo, midtempo and slowed down, with each having a continuity via the atmospheric, relaxing soundscape each track remains layered with, whilst Syd’s vocals (on 3 songs, the other is an instrumental) boast that delicious, and addictive, whispery quality. In recent memory, this has to go down as one of the better free releases any music fan could hope to grab, and you can do so below.
Grab your scarf and gloves, stick on a pair of headphones and warm up with the second volume of our Winter EP. There’s been a rather large gap between this edition and the first instalment, but it’s arrived eventually and couldn’t be better timed with the weather getting much colder recently.
Once again, our resident designer (Indi) has lovingly put together a crispy new artwork, which adds a nice touch of visuals to accompany the listening pleasure of the 5 tracks included below. As per the previous edition, there’s no restriction on genre, artist or anything else: if it feels wintery, it’s got a chance of making the cut!
Click here for volume 1, and head below for volume 2.
Eric Turner’s Youtube channel mentions Turner’s “stadium sound“, and that’s a rather accurate description. I’ve had this song on repeat ever since it was released a short while ago, and it’s stadium pop style is a big reason for that, making for an uplifting and engaging listen that feels suited to any listening environment.
Eric’s been involved in some big tracks with both artists in the past, as Indi’s already covered in the audio review, and their inclusion makes for a big duo of co-signs. I’m a fan of Lupe’s verse on this, with his speed and timing sliding in nicely with the production, whilst Tinie’s contribution is surprisingly enjoyable, alongside the huge Eric Turner vocals which are an excellent listen that really anchor the track.
The video has a likeable spray paint effect throughout, as the respective performers are visualised in an exciting, perpetually-moving art style that adds an unpredictability and uniqueness to the visual, in a relatively simple manner. Decent watch that brings the audio to life.
Bad Girls premieres exclusively on Noisey, VICE’s new music channel on YouTube. Noisey will offer music fans the most extensive slate of original online music programming to date.
It’s almost frightening how a video can entirely alter your perspective on a song, and in one of the biggest turnarounds in music history, I can say that my opinion on M.I.A.’s latest single has improved considerably after this effort. Even the best are wiling to have their views challenged!
The Morroco setting for the video is perfect for the Eastern flavour in the production, and really brings out its finer points which went missing amongst the disappointing audio, whilst the general level of energy, excitement (those sideways cars are ridiculous!) and intensity of the scenes adds the depth that the track desperately needed. The fusion of Morrocan culture with M.I.A.’s own leftfield style comes off well here, and whilst the argument can be made that the easily-digestable nature of the video is somewhat ‘crowd-friendly’, overly-complicated videos tend to be frustrating for everyone so this works for me. Whilst I might not give the audio too many spins, I’ll certainly give this video a few more watches.
The news that these two were collaborating on an EP together still hasn’t sunk in yet for me; Yelawolf is one of my favourite emcees at the moment! Not sure how this came about, but I’m sure these two will deliver the goods.
On the left here you can check out the trailer for their upcoming EP, The Slumdon Bridge, which features some behind the scenes footage of them working together (always refreshing to see!). The track being played in the video is different to the one that was released (click here to get the one they did let loose), and it has a more self-reflective vibe to it, which is precisely what I like. No release date for the EP as of yet, but it’s definitely one I’m looking forward to.
After that NY Times article, I must admit it’s quite difficult to view M.I.A. in that same light anymore, and whilst I’m sure the hipster crowd won’t waver in their support, a lot of her rebellious, ‘all about the people’ aura has worn off slightly for me.
With that perspective, this watered-down offering from her upcoming album seems to fall on the wrong side of the alt-cool/pretentious borderline that her style treads. Whilst the production is decent here, it’s very pop by its nature and hence the whole track (much like XXXO) has a ‘paint by numbers’ structure that she’s been mostly removed from throughout her career. As a result, the vocal and lyrical work reduces her ‘cool swagger’ to a seemingly contrived attempt at being different. I’ll probably not be giving this one too many plays.
MeLo-X is a name you often come across (mostly in association with Mickey Factz and Jesse Boykins III), and you probably have a few of his songs and/or remixes but have never really quite known who he is. I certainly fall into that category, so hopefully this track from his upcoming Fewture album will help us all get more familiar.
I’ll not lie here: it was the title that made me initially give this a go, but the quality of the track is what’s kept me repeating it over the last 24 hours. Genre-wise, it’s mostly grounded in a chillout electronic style, with light lashings of other genres mixed in, and Melo proves himself as an excellent producer of progressive, ambient instrumental music full of intrigue and atmosphere at every turn. Opening with soft electronic samples and airy synths, the track slowly reveals itself with more lively elements thrown into the mix, with the final third of the track having a real epic film score feel about it, and credit goes to mellow for producing a track with such a wonderful depth of layers. An unmissable slice of instrumental excellence.
A one-off track with these two would be enough of a surprise, but when accompanied by the news they’re working on a full EP together, the level of surprise escalates quite considerably! Some are reporting the rest of the EP isn’t with Yela-as far as I’m aware that’s not the case, and this is from an upcoming Ed/Yela free EP, Slumdon Bridge.
The track is a good all-rounder, with Ed once again utilising his rap-esque delivery, blending his naturally smooth voice with a speedy delivery that both works in tandem with and in contrast to Yela’s own pacey, but more shrill style. The production has a magnetising minimalism, made up mostly of a light percussion and soft synth, and the combination works to spotlight the lyrical work of both artists. Worth a listen for sure.
Eric Turner’s worked with both Tinie Tempah and Lupe Fiasco on separate tracks in the past, so it’s only natural these three come together for a big collaboration (keeping with the theme of transatlantic-ism!).
If you’ve heard any of Eric Turner’s collabos with urban artists from both sides of the Atlantic, then you’ll know what to expect: Very addictive vocals from Eric with a banger of a beat to match. Lupe and Tinie both come through with decent verses, but would it be fair to say that Tinie’s verse is the better of the two? These are controversial times we live in. Download below.
It still confuses me why Theophilus isn’t a mainstream favourite already. He’s signed to a major, has a very diverse, mainstream-friendly sound, is a little eclectic with his fashion, and generally has a good knack of making catchy, easy-to-digest music.
This one is from the upcoming Lovers Holiday II project, and combines an upbeat core with a laidback sensibility that makes for a very replayable alternative/R&B/hip-hop hybrid. Thick and bassy electro synths create a thumping backdrop, whilst the soft vocal mellows things slightly, and an ever-changing percussion keeps the track a little unpredictable. The combination is effective, and the progressive nature underpinning the whole thing gives the track a feelgood vibe that will find favour with many mainstream fans. A very good hybrid effort from an underrated talent.
A rare blast of official material from Frank, accompanied by the statement that “i just listened to this a few times for myself. figured maybe some else needed to hear it. it’s called ‘4 tears’.”
It’s only a short effort at just under 2 minutes but is full of the originality and verve that makes Frank’s tracks so irresistably unique. Of course, that’s largely down to his superb command over melodies, and here he injects a raw, emotional style into the simple, open lyricism that makes for a passionate blend, without ever straying far from his naturally laidback nature. An enjoyable burst of music, and Frank Ocean fans will love this.
Much like its predecessors, the final part of The Weeknd’s trilogy arrives completely unexpectedly to close off what’s been a huge year for the singer.
I was a little disappointed with Thursday, and whilst there were a couple of excellent tracks, it lacked the cohesiveness that made House of Balloons such a great listen. Early signs suggest Echoes is an improvement in that sense, and hopefully his recent exposure to pastures new by featuring on one of the year’s best selling albums will see further evolution stylistically. With the trilogy now closed off, it’s fair to assume he’ll now be focusing on his official debut album, with which I’m sure he’ll experience much success in 2012. For now, grab Echoes of Silence below.
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