TUESDAY TRACKLIST (CHRISTMAS)

Merry Christmas! Here's this weeks laid back Tuesday Tracklist!

1. Jakil - "Look Like Gold"
Jakil have returned after an extensive break from the release of their Swings E.P back in 2012. This track is gorgeous and has been made free on their Soundcloud, just in time for Christmas!

2. Amin Payne - "Remind Our Souls"
I enthusiastically tweeted about Payne's subtly smooth George Benson tribute album (also available for free). This is the first track and also one of the standouts on the delicately produced labour of love.

3. Al Green - "Lets Stay Together"
I went for a haircut today. Instead of hearing Shane MacGowan dribble through his few remaining teeth, this wonderful track was softly playing in the background. An oldie but a goodie!

4. Lord Echo - "Bohemian Idol"
Number four this week is a serving of sweet bubbling electronic soul/reggae from Lord Echo signed by the brilliantly named "Bastard Jazz" label. Vocals provided by Toby Laing really make this feel like a soul and reggae lovechild.

5. Michael Christmas - "Jackie Brown ft. Manu Manzo"
Finally a slightly Christmas related track, if only it's just by name...Jasper Sheff does a fantastic job producing this one. Check out the interview by my mate Martin Holmes over on The Shirker.


Ok that's it until the New Year. Have an amazing Christmas!

TUESDAY TRACKLIST 3

This weeks colloquial serving of what's been thumpin' my eardrums.

1.B. Lewis - "So Close"

I couldn't help myself...I just had to include a track from the most recent Pragmatic Theory compilation Horizons. This enchanting piece of beat heaven was just too good to be mentioned only once in this blog and is one of the stand out tracks on this December release. I'll definitely be investigating more from this exhilarating producer.

2. Chassol - "Odissi, Pt. II (Emotif) [Yuksek Remix]"

Probably the most intriguing find of this week. French composer, Christophe Chassol creates fascinating Steve Reich inspired works which he calls "Ultrascores". As well as displaying these flashes of minimalist compositional structure, Chassol has also embraced modern hiphop/jazz culture, going as far as including this refreshing remix on his latest compilation release entitled Ultrascore.

3. Ladi 6 - "Ikarus"

"Ikarus" is spellbinding, mysterious, sexy and powerful. The vocals drip with such dark, sultry allure, that they make Mrs Robinson's attempts at seduction seem amateurish. Don't blame me if you end up getting pregnant to this song.

4. Samuel Truth - "Arizona Iced Tea"

Samuel Truth embodies consistency in the best sense of the word. The guy has simply done it again...Over the course of a week this fresh faced producer has delivered five exceptional beats for us to enjoy. Track after track they just get better. "Arizona Iced Tea" is his latest invention and it's delicious! Those drums!

5. FLYLO - "Getting There (feat. Niki Randa)"

In anticipation of his upcoming release, I've been listening to a lot of Mr. Steven Ellison. In an interview with Dazed Digital, he expressed acknowledgement that a lot of producers these days have been heavily influenced by his sound. By listening to "Getting There" it's obvious why.

Hope you enjoyed this week's "Tuesday Tracklist". Come back next week for some more sweet recommendations.

PRAGMATIC THEORY - HORIZONS (COMPILATION) + NZ BEATSCENE FEATURE

Something utterly amazing happened on the 7th December 2013. Pragmatic Theory, "a collective of artists from around the world", released an astonishingly extensive compilation of some of the most exciting artists in the current beat scene movement, including B.Lewis, Ta-ku and Amin Payne to name only three of the thirty eight different talents displayed here. The best part? IT'S FREE!!! What more could you want? More free stuff? Ok, fine, just head over to their bandcamp site where you can download another six albums, all for sweet nothing!

All this 'music gratis' may seem daunting at first, because let's face it, who has time to listen to that much music in just one sitting (besides nerdy music bloggers...)? But, if your current iTunes library is feeling rather stagnant, why not give it the boost it needs by injecting it with some excellent new artists you might not have heard of otherwise?

Click the image below to kick start the festive season with some musical freebies.

As previously mentioned in an earlier blog post, I've started writing for an awesome new website called The Shirker. These guys have been cool enough to publish a feature of mine on a subject that is very close to my heart. It's all about the New Zealand beat scene, introducing five truly inspiring artists* as well as providing a link to one of my all time favourite playlists available right now.

Check out the feature by clicking on the picture below.

*Artists include - Electric Wire Hustle, Benny Tones (who seemed to like the feature, retweeting it and sharing it on his Facebook page!), Samuel Truth (also retweeted!), Si Res and Paddy Fred.

TUESDAY TRACKLIST 2

Another informal look at what has been pumping through my speakers this week.

1. Harbour City Electric - "'Bout Time"
These guys are my favourite find of the week. Their album Without A Sound is nothing short of astonishing. Comprising of a collective of diverse musicians, it features some stunning vocals from Louis Baker aka 'Alby Love' amongst many others. This track "'Bout Time" is an absolute funked out, head bobber, displaying unbelievably tight musicianship. Fans of Snarky Puppy will love this.

2. Jay Electronica - "Eternal Sunshine"
Jay Electronica is probably one of the most well revered MC's out there. This week I went way back to his 2007 release Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge). This title track is such an organic idea and well worth the nostalgia.

3. Si Res - "Third Round"
Somewhat connected to Harbour City Electric, (working on the production on Without A Sound), Si Res is one of those deliciously underground musical gems. "Third Round" is a very short and sweet example of the harmonious marriage between jazz and hiphop.

4. Synkro - "Mountains"
The mesmerising Lost Here EP has just recently been digitally released (12" expected to arrive soon), sparking an interest in me to go back and listen to where it all started. This sleepy glitch track is fantastically mellow. Put your headphones on and dim the lights for this one.

5. ESTA. - "Paradise"
ESTA. has absolutely killed it with this latest release. Alina Baraz's vocals ooze from the speakers seductively as ESTA. creates lofty musical wizardry that will send you to an etherial synth wonderland.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks 'Tuesday Tracklist' instalment. Check back next time for another five track rundown of what I've been tapping me feet to.

THE SHIRKER (WEBSITE)

Recently, I've been lucky enough to write for an awesome website called "The Shirker".
In it's previous incarnation the site was dedicated to reviewing entertainment over a wide range of media including film, television and music. The creators have now decided to focus solely on everything music related and have produced a beautifully presented logical layout, providing up to date reviews of the most exciting new releases.
Currently I'm working on a feature for them that will aid as an introduction to the brilliant underground beat scene in New Zealand, which will recommend some truly inspiring artists to a wider audience.

You can explore the website and read my reviews of the latest Death Grips and Drake albums by clicking the red links provided or the image below.