LISTEN UP :: The Candyman Can.

Big ups to my new homie Fisk for introducing me to the musical stylings of some smaller-name electronic DJs this weekend! One such DJ is The Candyman (a.k.a. Julian Garland), who hails from Boulder, Colorado and along with Frequent-C, make up the Slim Thugz duo. The Candyman's music is a product of the melding together of electronic, glitch, and hip-hop sounds, with a dash of intergalactic flavor. If you enjoy the tracks posted below, visit Soundcloud to hear and download more from The Candyman.

STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 (CANDYMAN'S SUPER SUPER PHONK RMX)

SLIM THUGZ (THE CANDYMAN & FREQUENT-C :: WOOD GRAIN SYMPHONY

KIDS THESE DAYS FT. FREQUENT-C

FIG NEWTON FT. CHRON PAU

 

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

LISTEN UP :: Lunice & SAFEWALLS Collab / + Free Mixtape.

Montreal-based music-maker Lunice is a rising star in the arena of thumping, bumping club sounds. Rising with impressive velocity, as a matter of fact. It was exactly four years ago, in December of 2006, that Lunice Fermin Pierre II — a teenage breakdancer at the time, with little more than a local profile — began work on his first foray into music production, the online release Kibbles N’ Beats.

Lunice’s efforts to reconcile hip hop’s mainstream and underground sounds, bringing in elements of electro and other flavours, and his dedication to detonating dancefloors earned him admission to the widely noticed Turbo Crunk crew, leaders in the playful yet heavy-duty new club sound that New Yorker scribe Sasha Frere-Jones christened “lazer bass”. Since then, he’s rapidly found doors opening up for him around the world, and anticipation for his releases has become increasingly feverish.

We at SAFEWALLS are understandably thrilled to have a talent of this calibre and consequence creating the soundtracks for all our forthcoming our video clips as we tour the world’s cities and art scenes. For a taste, check out what he did for our video of the SAFEWALLS X En Masse artwork at Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal, or download Lunice’s exclusive mix for SAFEWALLS, featuring four remixes, five unreleased tracks and a number off his EP with the label LuckyMe, Stacker Upper. And read our interview with Lunice below, in which he proves himself enthusiastic, optimistic and above all far more humble than he ought to be!

________________________ _______________________________________ ________________________

Before you began making music seriously, you were a b-boy, breakdancing with 701 Squad. What’s your forte as a dancer, your strongest moves?

Footwork and style. I was always about finding unconventional ways to hit the beat and do certain moves that would make people go, “Hmm… Interesting…” when I would do some footwork.

Do you think your background in dancing helps you when you make music?

Totally! It gave me the ability to push the boundaries on what a club track should sound like because I would be able to tell if it’s danceable or not. And if people don’t know how to dance to it, I would just go front-stage and just wild out dancing, and as long as I look like I’m having the time of my life on stage, people will get that vibe and start dancing too. Then it becomes all fun times and good vibes, all night!

You’ve also done a bit of beatboxing. Does that affect how you make music as well?

I guess you could say that it helped shape my sense of rhythm a bit. Even in beatboxing, I wasn’t interested in crowd-pleasing tricks. I was mainly focusing on how much of a swing I could add to beatboxing, and trying out different rhythms and sounds. Then, eventually, it came to mind — but it wasn’t that moment where I decided — to maybe produce my own music.

You’ve dabbled in graffiti, way back when. Do you have any favourite visual artists, in graffiti, street art or otherwise?

Yeah, man, I’m aaaaall about street graffiti — or you can just call it “handstyles.” I like pieces and throw-ups but I find handstyles says a lot about a person’s lifestyle and taste. I’m a big fan of Remio but a bigger fan of a few local street artists I know — but I don’t think I should name them out.

You came up through the Turbo Crunk parties in Montreal. What was so special about that scene and those nights?

It was the only night of its kind in Montreal, literally! It was all about experimental rap music, really, just a group of homies getting together every month to see who’s got a new banger to play out. We’d get inspired off of each other’s new tracks and then go back to the drawing board and create the next big tune. So it was a really fun and inspiring night to be in. It was specifically that club night and my homies/mentors — Megasoid, Hovatron and Seb Diamond — that really brought my sound to where I am at now.

Now that you’ve toured the world a bit and made a lot of connections, where else besides Montreal do you think there’s a really good community for creative, next-step bass bangers?

Vancouver seems to be the next big Canadian city to get on the sound and vibe we’re doing! Other than that, there’s an amazing scene in most of the West Coast of the U.S., like Portland, San Francisco and L.A. As for the East Coast, Toronto is slooooowly catching on to this scene, and New York is already up there, but that’s all I know so far.

You have wide-open ears, finding inspiration in all kinds of music. Is there any one style or genre that you really can’t stand?

Reggeaton used to be one but not anymore, ever since I met this amazing producer from Cuba called Nando Pro. He has such a distinctive sound in his production. But ever since then, I’ve come to a realization that there isn’t a genre I hate. The only thing I could hate is if the composition and the main feel of a song is not right. I would have a harder time standing it. But in the end I always try to find the best out of anything I hear.

You’ve signed on with the Glasgow-based label LuckyMe. Why is that a good home for your music?

Because it’s something that happened naturally. It’s really like finding an amazing girlfriend — ha ha! You first become friends and build on that relationship for a while, then all of a sudden, you’ve got more than a friendly relationship going. Weird analogy, but that’s sorta how I see it. I always try to feel the grounds of a label first before signing and they’re such great, likeminded people with the same views and ethics as I that it just naturally happened without any second thought, and it’s been nothing but the best vibes!

Tell us a bit about your EP, Stacker Upper!

Yes! This project is mainly me trying to bridge the commercial sounds of rap music with the more underground/experimental sounds. In high school, I used to be the biggest backpacker ever. I used to hate anything that’s commercial, but as I got older, I started to recognize the geniuses who would compose the tunes, and that’s when I started to focus on them and, being in a completely different scene where most artists have a more experimental sound, it came to me to try to bridge the gap between the two and to see how the end result would sound!

Who did the cool cover art for the EP?

Collin Faulkes, he runs the visual communication department at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore, did the illustration. He used to paint graffiti and breakdance too, and being a good friend of the LuckyMe family, it was the perfect opportunity to get him to design the cover of my record!

You collaborated on a Deerhunter remix with Diplo. What was it like, working with the current king of global ghetto funk?

Unreal is all I can say. But I keep it professional, ha ha.

What’s your one favourite item in your wardrobe?

Snapback caps, hands down.

You participated in the Red Bull Music Academy in London this past year. What was that like?

An unreal experience! It literally brought work ethic to a whole other level. I’ve just learnt so much from the team and the participants because every one of them was a likeminded person with the same ideas and views, so we all got along as if we’d known each other for years!

You also played the prestigious Sonar music festival in Barcelona. That must have been a blast!

That’s something I will always remember for my whole life! Four days of intense partying from daytime until the next morning. I played twice, during the day and night, and I was absolutely surprised I had the energy for both performances because I was actually afraid I would be tired on stage, and that’s completely the opposite of what I am on stage! But with all the excitement and adrenaline going through me, I gave a great show and I am really happy for the positive response I got from people after the gigs!

Besides those two big events, what were some other highlights of 2010 for Lunice?

Playing Osheaga was really great! That Red Bull Megahurtz party I did in Vancouver was pretty amazing as well! There’s just so many highlights in 2010, my head will explode trying to think about every one of them.

What are you most excited about for 2011?

New music!

Given your crazy schedule and productivity, what do you do to relax? Presuming you ever do relax!

Games. Play games. Lots of games, ha ha! Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Final Fantasy XIV — can you believe these guys are at 14?! — etc. Other than that, I would just do whatever else that would put my mind at ease, from kicking it with my close friends to watching a sitcom with my girlfriend.

DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE

Lunice :: Another

Lunice :: BLAZE

K-OS :: Zambony (Lunice Instrumental RMX)

Lunice :: Hitmane’s Anthem

Mexicans with Guns :: Sell Your Soul (Lunice RMX)

Lunice :: Dreamtaker

Lunice :: Cups Up

Lunice :: Take Away (Take Two)

Elephant Man :: Shake It (Lunice RMX)

Radio Radio :: EJ Savais Pas Mieux (Lunice RMX)

Source: All content in this post is from SAFEWALLS. The original article can be found here.

LISTEN UP :: MLK Mixtape.

Montrey from EARMILK posted the following words and music, entitled "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr – We Remember," in honor of the historic leader and civil rights activist... 

Don’t worry; we aren’t getting all political or taking things to seriously here on the site. But I thought it’d be good to at least mention something about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr today. There may never be someone quite like him ever again if things keep going the way they are going. There’s not many preachers, politicians, or public speakers that you would say they are willing to die for what they believed in. Most are bought and paid for nowadays. So, I’m a big fan of MixTapeShow and 2 years ago; they created an audio version of Dr Martin Luthers King’s “The Drum Major Instinct” speech and put some good audio in the background. The speech was given on February 4th, 1968 and he was assassinated EXACTLY 2 months later. It can be a little eerie considering, in the speech, he mentions what should be said about him apon his passing. No one can give a speech quite like MLK could. He has so much more passion than people nowadays. Pay your respects and check out the speech below. 

The MLK JR. mixtape, available for download below, is amazing and if you have the time to spare, listen to it from start to finish. You won't be disappointed.

.:: MLK JR. DAY DOWNLOADS ::.

Jay Electronica :: JAZZMATAZZ FT. TONE TREASURE

Martin Luther King Jr :: “THE DRUM MAJOR INSTINCT" SPEECH 
(DEX DIGITAL - MIXTAPE 100 - BEAT TAPE 4 - KING EDITION) 

Source: MixTapeShow

LISTEN UP :: LoBounce Has A New Address.

Straight from the NEW LOBOUNCE SITE ...

Fusing multiple genres including hip-hop, funk, and downtempo electronic, LoBounce has shaped a brand new style of electronic bass music. He calls his creation, “Drippy Bass.” His powerful combinations of rolling sub bass and complex melodic elements have taken the underground dance music scene by storm. LoBounce brings a fresh perspective to the world of instrumental dance music, bridging the gap between numerous artistic styles and tempo ranges. “Its all about breaking down the walls, unifying as a musical community, and blasting out brand new ideas together,” says the young bass pioneer and Chicago native. Expect to see a constant stream of new genre defying music from this forward thinking producer. 

Wanted to show some support for the new site real quick...UPDATED POST W/ PICS, DOWNLOADS & MORE COMING SOON!!!

LISTEN UP :: Kanye & Jay H.A.M. It Up.

Kanye West and Jay-Z unleashed “H.A.M.,” on their fans on Tuesday. The highly anticipated track is the first major hip-hop release of the new year, and the first single from their super hyped-up collab album “Watch the Throne," which is due out March 1, 2011.

After sifting through, what seemed like a million reviews of the “H.A.M.” single, I stumbled upon, "Kanye, Jay-Z ‘H.A.M’ it up," written by Martin Caballero and published by the Boston Herald [BH] on Wednesday. This review was most effective because of Caballero's ability to say so much, in so few words. The following is an excerpt from the article. If you would like to read the original, there is a link to it at the bottom of this post.

"Individually, Kanye West and Jay-Z are charter members of hip-hop’s elite. As a duo, they need a throne for two.

With Tuesday’s release of “H.A.M.,”...Jay and Kanye crush any lingering doubts that success may have tempered their grand musical ambitions - or massive egos.

While West was enjoying critical acclaim (and reputation rehab) with his album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” Jay added author to his resume with his semi-autobiographical book “Decoded,” a New York Times [NYT] bestseller.

But their recent individual successes will likely be dwarfed by “Watch the Throne,” which was first announced by West via Twitter in August. Big-name collaboration albums never seem to match the lofty expectations - as Jay well knows from his two spectacular “Best of Both Worlds” failures with R. Kelly - but if any pair has the confidence to break the mold, it’s these two.

Case in point: Originally planned as a five-track EP, the project was expanded to be a full-length joint, with Jay throwing around words such as “fantastic” and “another level of recording” to describe the album in a recent interview with MTV.

“H.A.M.,” which was leaked via Facebook just after midnight Tuesday, gives weight to Jay’s words. The track, created by 19-year-old Virginia producer Lex Luger, lives up to its title: loud, aggressive and “hard as a (expletive).” Dripping with the expected sense of grandiose decadence, the beat invites Kanye’s ego to run rampant over the Southern-esque double-time bounce: “It was all good just a week ago/(expletive) feel they selves, then ‘Watch the Throne’ drops/they kill themselves.”

By the time the chorus hits, the backing swells to a symphony of crashing drums and wailing choir.

For his part, Jay takes his usual shots at the few doubters still remaining (“I play chicken with a Mack truck, y’all (expletives) would’ve been moved” is the best verbal jab he lands). As a whole, “H.A.M.” is a natural extension of Kanye’s “Twisted Fantasy” sound: dark, weird, bombastic and unapologetically indulgent - and just what you’d expect from two kings on their thrones."

The YouTube links are getting pulled down. Listen to the track at RapRadar

Sources: Martin Caballero (BostonHerald.com) & RapRadar

LISTEN UP :: Somasphere Sounds.

Unlike the majority of the artists I write about on Mama Ana, I have yet to see Somasphere perform live. I will finally get my chance when they cruise to Chicago to throw down at the official Big Gigantic afterparty at The Kinetic Playground (which is, as some of you know, my favorite venue in Chicago).

Ok, now back to what I was trying to explain. Because I have yet to experience Somasphere in an up close and personal kind of way, I do not feel comfortable writing a bio on them. So, for now, the bio featured on their official website will have to suffice. However, once I have had the chance to experience the sights and sounds of Somasphere live, I will make sure to edit this post to include a personal take on their music.

___________________________________________________________

 

"The four-piece instrumental electronica group known as Somasphere formed in 2006, and quickly became known in Lincoln, Omaha, and surrounding areas for energetic live shows that combine the dance floor sensibilities of DJ culture with the performance capabilities of rock music.

Their unique approach centers on solid danceable rhythms created by the use of both traditional and electronic drum kits. The flow of these distinct, yet equally energetic sources, allows the band to traverse the spectrum of grooves and tempos ranging from steady house, hard-hitting breaks and intense jungle, to mid-tempo and hip hop. In any of these styles, Somasphere always brings the low-end deep and dirty using both bass guitar and synth.

While the rhythm section is powerful, many of the sonic textures that have come to define the band’s sound center on melodies created by both guitar and laptop based sample manipulation. These disparate elements combine to create a sound that is equally at home in the headphones or on a packed dance floor.

Somasphere has performed alongside some of the most innovative electronic acts in the country, including Bassnectar, Lotus, Pnuma Trio, EOTO, Big Gigantic, Vibesquad, Infected Mushroom, Boombox, The Faint and Pretty Lights."

.:: MEMBERS ::.

Jesse Hodges : electronic drums/percussion  |  Andy Marker : drums/percussion
Troy Lieberth : bass/synth/sampler  |  Brett Smith : guitar/laptop/midi 

.:: INFLUENCES ::.

LTJ Bukem, Boards of Canada, Tortoise, STS9, Thievery Corporation, The Bays, Pnuma Trio, Disco Biscuits, Bassnectar, Daft Punk, Squarepusher, Bonkers, Roni Size, Prefuse 73, Air, Ooah, Bonobo, Telefon Tel Aviv, Eliot Lipp, Bluetech, Hefty Records, RJD2, Bil Bless, Shpongle, Warp Records, EOTO .

.:: UPCOMING SHOWS ::.

FEB 4 : LINCOLN, NE @ Bourbon Theatre (Somasphere’s 100th Show)

FEB 8 : SIOUX FALLS, SD @ Nutty’s North w/ Big Gigantic

FEB 10 : OMAHA, NE @ Waiting Room Lounge w/ Big Gigantic

FEB 11 : MADISON, WI @ Majestic Theatre w/ Big Gigantic & Kraddy

FEB 12 : CHICAGO, IL @ Kinetic Playground w/ Big Gigantic (Official Afterparty)

MAR 11 : KANSAS CITY, MO @ Crosstown Station w/ The Floozies & Mouth

.:: MUSIC DOWNLOADS ::.

Download SINE LANGUAGE (2010) for free HERE

.:: MORE LINKS / MUSIC ::. 

Somasphere (offical site)  |  Twitter  |  Myspace  |  Facebook  |  Reverb Nation  |  Last FM

Images: Somasphere &  Photobucket

Content (bio only): Somasphere

WORD :: That New Weezy.

I got ice in my veins, blood in my eyes

Hate in my heart, love in my mind

I seen nights full of pain, days of the same

You keep the sunshine, save me the rain

And I search but never find, hurt but never cry
I work and forever try but I'm cursed, so never mind 

And it's worse but better times seem further and beyond
The top gets higher the more that I climb

The spot gets smaller, and I get bigger
Tryna get into where I fit in, no room for a nigga
But soon for a nigga it be on, motherfucker
'Cause all this bullshit just make me strong, motherfucker

So I pick the world up
And I'ma drop it on your fuckin' head
Yeah, bitch, I'ma pick the world up
And I'ma drop it on your fuckin' head

Yeah, and I could die now, rebirth, motherfucker
Hop up in my spaceship and leave Earth, motherfucker
I'm gone, motherfucker, I'm gone

I know what they don't wanna tell you
Just hope you're heaven-sent and you're hell-proof
I, I'll walk up in the world and cut the lights off
And confidence is the stain they can't wipe off

My word is my pride
But wisdom is bleak, and that's a word from the wise
Served to survive, murdered and bribed
And when it got too heavy, I put my burdens aside

So I pick the world up
And I'ma drop it on your fuckin' head
Yeah, bitch, I'ma pick the world up
And I'ma drop it on your fuckin' head

Yeah, and I could die now, rebirth, motherfucker
Hop up in my spaceship and leave Earth, motherfucker
I'm gone, motherfucker, I'm gone

It hurts but I never show, this pain you'll never know
If only you could see just how lonely and how cold
And frostbit I've become, my back's against the wall
When push come to shove, I just stand up and scream fuck 'em all

Man, it feels like these walls are closin' in
This roof is cavin' in
Uh, it's time to raise it, then
Your tasin' them with like pages in

My book of rhymes got 'em cookin'
 

Boy, this crooked mind of mine got 'em all shook
And scared to look in my eyes
I stole that fuckin' clock, I took the time and I

Came up from behind and pretty much snuck up
And butt fucked this game up
Better be careful when you bring my name up
 

Fuck this fame, that ain't what

I came to claim but the game ain't
Gonna be the same on the day that I leave it
But I swear one way or another
I'ma make these fuckin' haters believe that

I swear to God, won't spare the rod
I'm a man of my word so your fuckin' heads better nod
 

Or I'ma fuck around in this bitch and roast everybody

Sleep on me, that pillow is where your head'll lie
Permanently, bitch, it's beddy bye
This world is my Easter egg, yeah, prepare to die

My head is swolle', my confidence is up
This stage is my pedestal, I'm unstoppable, incredible
Hope you're trapped in my medicine ball

I could run circles around you so fast
Your fuckin' head'll spin, dog
I split your cabbage and your lettuce and olives, I'll fuckin'

So I pick the world up
And I'ma drop it on your fuckin' head
Yeah, bitch, I'ma pick the world up
And I'ma drop it on your fuckin' head

 Yeah, and I could die now, rebirth, motherfucker
Hop up in my spaceship and leave Earth, motherfucker
I'm gone, motherfucker, I'm gone