Davic Nod -Happy Tune

     Just what the name suggests, a bright and bubbly foray into electronic beats with light, sparkling keyboards and playful synthesisor stabs. Blissfully Fun and guaranteed to help put you in a good mood. As Nod himself says- Happy Day, Happy Tune :D 

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!

Mysterion Mix

      Kind of a weird mix of Smokey, Mysterious sounding beats and some chilled-out goodness Featuring tracks from Portishead,Blockhead,UNKLE, Mr Cooper, Bonobo, and many more . The intent of this mix remains an enigma to me. I hope it might make some sort of sense to you and that you'll enjoy.

Mysterion Mix from SleepNemesis on 8tracks.

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.


 

Quanta- Recept

    Very dubby and tripped-out as funk, with gargling bass drifting in and out, reverb galore, and the soft ticking of reggae keyboards- moving at a deliberate snail's pace. This is roots-dub updated for scoring space-stations and the vast unknown. Off Quanta's new EP, Overflow this is a free single given away to promote the album. Hopefully it will inspire some of you to buy it/check it out.

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.

Existence 76- Easy Living Summer

   Fresh off the Smashtales records compilation Smashtales presents: BadDudes Apr004- a wildly eclectic variety of sounds and styles of electronic music, Existence 76 gives us an absurdly catchy piece of music that is parts groovin' 60s influenced hook and part seductive and smooth bass-driven bounce. A track guaranteed for put you in a sunny disposition. Check this track out and many more on the SmashTales compilation here.





 

Zaika- Earth's Children

        His debut single (at least on bandcamp) German producer Zaika delivers a track of murky and mysterious bass music- wispy, out-of focus atmosphere with punchy 2-step drum programming and a low-end  hum for a bassline that will rattle your headphones. A great ambient dubstep sound I hope we hear more of.

WaMoo Papez- We Float

      Gifted New York Producer offers us a round of subtle  but experimental glitch music with delicate melodies buried in the mix and stuttering rhythms propelling music into touching and emotive fabric of sound. A difficult style to pin down, WaMoo papez' sound touches on a light, but hectic hip-hop and electronic sound, with the hazy ethereal sample chopping of Gold Panda and Four tet. (That's actually how I found out about this guy- a link posted on Four tet's Last.fm page) Familiar styles but totally unique and original approach- A sound you can't quite place or put your finger on. Listen to Elise, with it's meloncholy vocal sample and sense of longing,  the almost anthematic title track, or the sublime nod to my home state, Detroit Piston. with all the varied moods, buried                instrumentation, and stuttered ambiance, (if that makes any sense.) We Float is unmissable.

Chill Mix Volume 2

Another batch of laid-back grooves. This time with more artists from across the pond- Featuring tracks from Kid Loco, Blue States, Jon Kennedy, and many more. So sit back, relax, and soak in the sounds.

Chill Mix Volume 2 from SleepNemesis on 8tracks.

Broke for Free- Layers

      Slow waves of soothing melody and atmospheric grooves with a deep and heavy boom bap influence- making for a beautiful piece of sound and chilled-out moods with a rock solid beat to grasp onto.Californian producer Broke for Free's latest release, Layers is a perfect contrast; placid soundscapes melded with head-nod inducing drum patterns for the hip-hop lover in all of us.
    Broke for Free blends peaceful lullabies of glitchy serenity and is the perfect soundtrack for a stress-free afternoon. Breathe in, Breathe out, and absorb the Layers.

Faust Ghoul- Brainforest

      An Album of experimental, lo-fi, ambient breakbeats and idm electronica with murky, mysterious undertones. Step into Brain Forest, a dark and out-of-focus creation by Boston/NYC musician Faust Ghoul- a collision of the acoustic and industrial to make an album that is both understated and psychedelic, with strange washes of melody and blurring atmosphere. A walk off the beaten path into uncharted territory that can captivate and confuse.






 

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. 

Best of Beatscape Volume 1

    Its about time for some review and reflection. A mix made from some of my favorite tracks I've covered the past month along with some tracks I may have missed along the way. Glitchy Instrumental goodness. Did I miss any of your favorite songs? let me know!
   Hopefully you'll enjoy the mix and it might give you a second chance at some awesome artists you might have missed the first time around. Much more to come!

Best of Beatscape Volume 1 from SleepNemesis on 8tracks.

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.





 

Ghost- A Tale of Life in VI Parts

       Dramatic and meloncholy, A tale of life... is a concept album that channels Ghost's thoughts on life, death, and the great unknown. Comprised of organic string instrumentation and propelled by understated instrumental hip hop percussion- part clattering drum breaks,  part stark classical overtures and moody piano loops. Created as a way to deal with the fragile mortality of humanity, Ghost summons a cinematic 22 minutes to get us through tough times of the daily grind, and question parts of our existence.





 

Edamame- Greenhouse

          A euphoric Journey into a lush amalgam of glitch-hop, melodic IDM, and pondering down tempo music. Exploratory and complex- Chicago Producer Edamame weaves a unique landscape of sound and nature to spike the senses.Turning a steamy glass prism we knew so well into a world unto itself.
         From beginning to end, Greenhouse will rank up there as one of the most creative and lovely collections of electronic music you will hear all year, and it only came out in February.




   

Balmy- The Center of

       Ambling, tranquil, space-age hip-hop with a murky psychedelic pulse. Like a bio-dome in another galaxy, The Center of harnesses a breathy, out-of-this world haze and sets it in slow-motion to music. You can practically visualize the rainbow colored mushrooms sprouting from fallen logs and a supernova above in the sky- Shimmering beats made for other planets.






 

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..

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.