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.


 

Birdview Crew- MAY .EP

       Another Compilation from the Electronic collective, Birdview Crew dropping their monthly feature to Showcase some of their new found talent such as Planetmalcolm, Maximoe, and Aether along with old favorites. I gotta say- this is by far my favorite album they've released to date.
        Lush, Glitch Hop grooves along with some hectic off-the-wall wobbles thrown in to make for an adventurous ride through this compelling new project of underground producers hailing from around the globe. Hopefully the MAY EP will push you to uncover more tracks from the artists that stand out on this awesome and free mix. Keep 'em coming Birdview!


 

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!

Nosmo King- Start with the chords then bring the rest

     Nosmo King transmitting live from mars... some vintage lo-fi synth sounds create a groggy swirl of subdued hip hop beats and spaced-out, but swaggering funk.  Perfect for early morning sleep deprivation and dreaming of other planets. Start with the chords...  is an easy-going ode to fat sythesisor sound and tripped-out beat making at its finest.

Blameful Isles- Bound to Ohra

     Mystic hip-hop melodies for the soul- exotic yet low key, a secluded altar to the deities. Bound to Ohra captures smokey eastern-world Instrumentation and smooth jazz vibes in sync; washing out aggression and filling up the mind with peaceful, open-aired bliss. At only 4 tracks, Blameful Isles conjures a time and place all their own, and sounds to me like a humble dedication to ancient forces of nature. It's time to wonder down the path of Ohra's forest.





 

Gramatik- Illusion of choice

          A massive throw down of genre-defying Dub-Step. Exotic String arrangements, fuzzy, robotic synthesisers, that trademark PLM Soulful hip-hop, and absolutely punishing dub-step wobble destruction combine into what is probably the most EPIC track I've heard all year.  Check out this song and a few more killer tracks on his new E.P. Digital Freedom for free at his website, Gramatik.net 

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.

Neo-Safari- EP

     Tropical and playfully gorgeous; Dallas Musician(s?) Neo-Safari releases their wonderfully eclectic debut EP titled what else? EP. Whether it's the Balearic Bounce of the Opener Coastal Drive, the deliciously heavy and funky beat of Nightmare in the Jungle, or reworking other artist's tracks and shaping them into their own wistful creations, this debut displays that these new-comers have a vast arsenal of styles and aren't afraid to try anything. Sizzling Block-Rocking beats to blast in the summer heat. Also Check out their video for Coastal Cruise below- very retro and road-rash esque

Nice Icles- ShiverBurn

        Soothing, Aquatic Dubstep tunes From Nice Icles- an artist from the insanely fresh record label Dagobot. Whether he's using the clattering found-sound drum pulses of Burial and other UK-styled producers, or just laying down  heavy, prolonged synth chords to slowly loom over the track and provide a dense texture- Shiverburn is heading in an exciting direction in bass music; a relaxed but brooding collection of glitchy dub tunes to ponder over instead of just trying to melt your face. Check it out below..

Mad Cube- Retrospection

     Laid-back and moody. It's time for Retrospection, a great tour EP and introduction to the musical world of Mad Cube. Murky and Subdued. This is a compelling listen of Instrumental Hip Hop and Glitch fed through an nostalgic, and slightly hazy filter. When the time comes that you need to slow down and reevaluate your lot in the world,  put this on and maybe some revelations will come to you.
      Mad Cube released another EP earlier this month- titled LordoPorco- that has a much glitchier and more experimental vibe. A bit more intense listen- showing the contrast and  duality of Mad Cube's production. I'm hungry for more from this guy, but there is little to find on him. Showing me the frustrations (and wonders) of finding music on the Internet.

 

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.



 

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.

Tendts- Midnight Drive

     An uplifting and grooving slice of  electronics, funk, and the disco of yesteryear that's just begging to be played on the dance floor. They really know how to throw down, and their music really invokes the great times I've had in the past with old daft punk and avalanche records.
    I've fallen in love with this sound but with only 4 songs, I feel like this EP is painfully short for my liking, (even more so than other EPs I've listened to/reviewed) but it's supposed to be a free sampling/Demo of their sound so we'll just have to look out for more of these guys' work in the future.



 

Havelok Grim- Hoof years

   Wicked Instrumental Hip Hop with an experimental edge. A compelling album/ EP by UK Beatmaker Havelok Grim- is where you should turn to if you like your Electronic Music warped, claustrophobic, and frazzled. Fans who can't get enough of abstract producers like Daedelus and Flying Lotus, or just craving some sonic variety, should defientely give this album a listen. It may take a couple tries to grasp- with the confusing interludes and scatter-shot song structures- but once you lock in, the Hoof Years turns into a pretty fascinating listening experience that you can discover something new on with each listen. DL for free Below or on Bandcamp.

SuhnRaw- Celestial

       So I know I'm probably playing this guy out, but man, SuhnRaw just keeps coming out with great grooves seemingly every other week.  This time it's Celestial- a self described practice/ experiment in sound that captures this hypnotic, other-worldly vibe I'm really digging and want to hear more out of him. At only 1:42, it's a little too short, but hopefully this experiment bears more fruit in the form of a full length or EP in future days.

RunC.T.- Galaxy EP

           Soothing Ambient Inter-Stellar Soundscapes with a Hip-Hop twist, courtesy of 18 year old texan prodigy RunC.T. You gotta sit down and  take notice of this truly spacey adventure into the great beyond. So get in the Cockpit, turn on the visualizer, and let the Galaxy wash over you.





 

heRobust- Late Night/Morning After EPs

More Far out Tunes from the crazy prolific heRobust, Producing beats that seem like they they were crafted in another world, disorienting Electronics fed through a hazy funk filter. The sounds on these two companion EPs Late Night & Morning After are truly off-the-wall and ahead of their time. The sound of the future is here. Check it out and Name your Price.