Deku- Beginner's luck

        A gorgeous new album of soothing, ambient downtempo beats blended with an array of organic instruments such as acoustic guitars, harps, xylophones, etc.-to make up one of the best relaxing albums of the year. Hearing this EP by Deku is like watching the waves slowly washing ashore or discovering a fresh green meadow tucked away in the woods. It sounds corny I know, but if you give Beginner's luck a listen, you'll know where I'm coming from.
        A breath of fresh air and a relief after listening to so much heavily processed glitch music as of late. A welcome change of pace and will become essential listening for my journeys into Prospect Park.


 

Dagobot Records- Dagobot Reloaded

    A wonderfully cohesive complilation from the various artists that make up the electronic record label Dagobot- a collective of electronic music with a surreal touch- a collage of dreamy, serene waves of synths and sound with a distinct wonky and dub-step style of layered beauty.
        Listening through this album, it is very clear that the musicians over at Dagobot have established a strongly unified vision of what their music should like. In fact, all these songs sound like the work of one singular artist, which in this case is a very, very good thing.

DJ Mentos- Field of Vision

        Yet another wonderful addition to the Dusted Wax Roster, NYC resident DJ Mentos debuts to offer up some patient, old-school Jazz infused Hip Hop Beats filtered through the underworld. Fat Rumbling Stand-up bass, ancient, haunting pianos and smokey horn lines blend for a wonderful venture into shadowy, swinging Trip-Hopping jazz groove perfection. You can check out this EP of blunted beat goodness below or on DustedWax website, where there is a download link for this album and many more incredible Beatsmiths from around the world. Don't Sleep!

Somepling- Properly Packed

      Fleeting segments of choppy instrumentals fueled by by a love of soul/jazz samples, as well as other, more spacey electronic sounds. Through and through, Somepling's most recent, Properly Packed is a joyfully constructed album of true-blooded hip-hop beats, laid-back and ominous that only seems to get better as the album progresses.Whether its WindyNights'hat or MinttGrapess with their delicate and surreal keyboard flourishes or flavaMemo with it's halting, off-kilter piano, this is an album of beats with a uncommon gift-a collection of smokey instrumentation that has heart and soul and was obviously built from the ground up with love.


 

Astrobear- Polar Eclipse

       Brooding but delicate, spectral sounds floating in zero gravity- like some lost abandoned spacecraft, or a forgotten beacon home. The hushed ebbing of moody electronics and understated break beats like sonar pulses create a pondering and wondering look into the future ahead. Some of the later tracks on Polar Eclipse break this mold;  generating out-of-place electro house raves such as Eclipsed, but with songs like Let's not hate each other anymore and Antigua's antique elixir, you should give Astrobear a listen. 

BrokenTeaLeafs- First Steps EP

      Ethereal, Otherworldly, Dub-hop blasts from the city of love. First Steps marks the premier of BrokenTeaLeafs a Parisian Electronic Artist that specializes in Stuttering rhythms and wonky hip-hop excellence. Hard Hitting and psychedelic, this addicting sound is the hopefully a sign of things to come in the future. The First step on a long and prosperous musical journey.






 

LAKIM/ Lacuna Manti- The Radiant

     Gorgeous ebbs of heavenly sound held down by blips and thumping grooves- The Radiant is an illustrious EP propelling you into airy, beautiful realms. Crafting music you can close your eyes to, and imagine yourself cloud surfing the sky at daybreak. I'm not sure what LAKIM meant by releasing this album under a different alias- perhaps to show us a slightly different approach of his beat making. This direction is more than welcome, providing us with a lovely, 6 track dedication to the heights above. We are the Stars, we are the radiant.

Soulular- Thoughts Float

     Down tempo  Instrumentals made of moody, shifting, ambient sound and spiky electronic beats spreading out into vast sonic terrain. from L.A.'s Soulular, Thoughts Float is  a pensive trip through memory and Reflection.  As you listen, you can't help but feel a placid Emotion drift over you; a sense of welcome melancholy  and nostalgia. Check out this album out if you are in the mood for some retrospection or just need something to spur the imagination on a cloudy day.

Grillo- Mean Green

      A bouncy Glitch-hop album with a Breezy Bossa Nova Influence. Created in a Series of Chip-tune Beat Tapes Themed around various Street Fighter Characters, this time Grillo releases Mean Green- beats made to reflect the tribal beast-man Blanka. Video game themes and the music of Brazil combine into something playful and tropical while the bass-heavy glitch bumps like nobody's business.
        Other Installments of this Street Fighter series include E. Honda and Ken if you want more hard-hitting Sounds from the Video-game world.

ProleteR- Curses from Past Times

       The Dusted Wax Kingdom does it again.. Curses from Past Times by French Producer ProleteR is an undeniably awesome album of feel-good Instrumentals. Mining the olde dusty records from the 40s and further into the Pre-Sinatra Era. Curses... time travels to a crossroads where Swanky Horn loops, tin-alley player pianos, and Boom Bap drums mix into a cocktail so enjoyable, it's sinister.
 

Subaqeous- Emerald drops

         An EP composed of meditative techno and house elements with a thick wobbly undercurrent; ideal for prowling the city blocks and absorbing the surroundings. According to his description, Subaqueous created  Emerald drops to reflect the sights and sounds of walking around in downtown Seattle and it shows- Equal parts delicate  melodic flourishes and chaotic low end to reflect the nature and machinery of city living.
       The northwest is rapidly creating a fresh and terranean dub-step scene that's not quite like anything else out there. It's about time we take notice.



 

Mr Bird- On a sunny day

          And now for something almost completely different... a smooth hip-hop injected R&B/ Soul tune summoned right out in the mid- 60s, courtesy of Portugal via Britain Producer Mr Bird. An expert homage- beautiful and touching, this subtly funky track has the rare gift that the greatest soul music seems to possess- being able to dwell on the subject matter of heartache/ longing and turn it into something strangely uplifting.
       If only it could uplift me out of bed, since this New York weather is definitely not sunny today, but this helps. If you like the song, Download it of course, it's only 1 British Pound.

Halc- Zero-G & G2: Supernova

  Chilled out ambience and glitchy chip-tune instrumentals from Halc. His latest work- Zero-G and its companion EP, are an adventurous venture into science fiction video game scores and sound FX of a golden age- and when he fuses them together with dubby atmospherics and break beats, and your sent spinning into orbit.
     Zero-G has more to offer than just childhood nostalgia, this is a genuinely superb electronic album that I feel can hang with the best of em.
     Having said that, I can't think of anything better to blast at your next Super Nintendo/ Genesis party (This is really something people don't have enough of) Download these blissful 8-bit tunes in the player below.

Spring Gro(o)ve Mix

      A mix I made on 8tracks for the warming seasons. Lots of instrumental hip-hop -mostly from the UK- made for the budding leaves and  joyous, care-free, nature-filled journeys. Featuring Artists like Quantic, Damu the Fudgemunk, Incise, and a whole bunch more.  Hope you enjoy.

Spring Gro(o)ve Mix from SleepNemesis on 8tracks.

Mecca:83- D A Y B R E A K

          Manchester's Mecca:83 gives us D A Y B R E A K- some soothing sounds for the morning struggle. Light, crisp drums, soul samples, and rhodes-like keyboards that make you never want to leave bed again. Fans of Nujabes and Dilla rejoice.You can download for free (or donate and be a good person) on the bandcamp player below.