The debut album from genre-skewing hip-hop producer Hudson Mohawke was always going to be a mad one. His first beat tape Hudson’s Heaters hinted at him being a madcap party starter that fused strange and sometimes goofy samples with hip-hop sensibilities to create something all together different. A vision of hip-hop that has a lineage with people like Madlib and J Dilla where the beats do the talking. But it’s more than just a look back at those producers things are being pushed forward. A slew of young artists are taking inspiration from all over the place whether it be the slick R&B of Brandy, Timberland and so many US chart hits or the hip-hop underground via the vibrant bass sounds of dubstep and the off-kilter smeared synth sounds of Skweee/Chip-tune or the LA/Glasgow beat scene. With all that and more in the pot a whole new dance sound is coming to the fore, one that’s been bubbling under for some time.
With Butter HudMo picks up where he left off with the Polyfolk Dance EP earlier in the year, that was full of colourful cartoon-like playful beats with so much energy it came on like a sugar rush. Butter takes the goofy cartoon style even further but manages to keep things the right side of cheesy/fun by setting it against some seriously well-crafted tracks with a shimmering, highly polished mutated party sound.
The hair-metal meets grimy hip-hop opener that flows into ‘Gluetooth’ with its bright and glitchy bounce and buzzing low-end bass funk getting things off to a rip roaring start and sets the tone for the more instrumental beat based tracks perfectly. He comes on like instrumental Outkast at their most insane and follows in the hip-hop tradition of silly skits with the lead into the supper sugary ‘Joy Fantastic’ with the vocal tones of Olivier Daysoul that gives a good performance on a track that straddles the fine line between cheese and brilliance. A trick that’s pulled off to better effect on the prince-like ‘Just Decided’, which might not be as insanely ear worm inducing but it hits the spot for me.
But where he really shines on Butter for my money is on the super shiney glitch addled instrumentals like the skippy chipmunk soul and synth funk of ‘3.30’ or the broken beat twisted horn action of ‘Trykk’ and the skipping high-hat funk of ‘Velvet Peel’. These tracks make you want to sing along even though they have no words, you can almost hear Andre 3000 letting rip without him actually being present and to me that’s more powerful than much of the vocal contributions on offer here, which do show potential and work a treat but get trumped by the power of the productions.
The beat boxing, bleeped out ‘ZOo00OOm’ is another highlight for sure the flowing bass drones and SNES bleeps come on like Timberland with an eye on the dance floor, its future funk at it’s best. ‘Rising 5’ pulls off a similar trick but comes off as a more laid back smooth groove, the twinkling soul vibes snapping drums and Rhodes keys give it a poppy Dre-era vibe, which brings us nicely onto: ‘Tell Me What You Want From Me’ with Lo-Fi-G-Funk maestro DâM-Funk which is a vocal highlight that meets somewhere between the pure computer game synth funk of his own productions and the glitchy soul of HudMo’s there is a sweet, smooth flow to it with a healthy air of cheese. Nadsroic’s contribution on ‘Allhot’ works well too she comes across like a robo-songstress over the big beats.
The track that was almost vocaled by R&B superstar Rihanna, ‘FUSE’ is brilliant you can only imagine what it could have been like with such a vocal on top, there is melody a plenty and so much slick shine. The charts need a bit more fun injected into them with a bit more freaky, interesting yet insanely addictive instantly enjoyable beats and going by this effort HudMo could well be the UK’s answer to the R&B super producers and deliver on that. It sure would cut through the vapid auto-pilot pop that comes off like background music for fashion show or the soulless/sexless teen-bop/auto-tune R&B imported form the US and imitated here by TV show contestants or people chasing the money sound all of which lacks so much funk and fun that its depressing or the coffee table indie anthems by numbers of so much more joyless chart fodder… I can dream can’t I? Sure keep it slick, fun and shallow with loads of up front pantomime and bring on the show but a little more twinkle in the beats a big more fun experimentation with personality would go a long way.
And that’s what he’s got, there is so much personality to Hudson Mohawke’s music its full of life, energy and humour; Butter is one of the most fun albums I’ve heard for a little while, sure it’s a bit goofy and fly’s all over the place skitting from idea to idea and back again but its all the better for the playful nature of it. The super shiny and bright production gives everything a brilliant glow that just demands attention and attention is what he’s got with rumours a plenty of him executive producing for big names such as Rihanna and Erykah Badu, which could be very exciting indeed. Butter is a solid debut album from an interesting, diverse producer with some serious potential that most importantly puts a smile on your face.
A hell of a lot has been said on this album in blog land already with them being one of the indie darlings of the moment getting coverage from everyone from the smallest indie blog to the broadsheet news papers, oh yeah as well as being shit hot and making one of the most compelling and quality indie albums this year of course or that’s what the main jist of pretty much everything I’ve read is anyway. And you know what I agree. This year indie has taken a big back seat its just not been talking to me like it use to, but there is something about Grizzly Bear that draws me in. The previous album Yellow House got me hooked with its spooky Beach Boys from beyond the grave vibes and killer songs like ‘Knife’ and ‘Little Brother’ the whole thing won me over. But Veckatimest is a new beast entirely.
The same elements are in place, the sweet harmonies, gentle atmospheric drums, shimmering guitars and quality song writing but it all has a completely different feel to it. There is a sweet sunshine vibe instead of the hazy ghostly premonitions of Yellow House. The layers have been stripped away, its not as dense that’s for sure. Everything is that little bit simpler in some ways. This isn’t a bad thing it’s just different and leaves a little bit of the Grizzly Bear behind that I fell for, they make up for it though by writing some of their best songs so far.
These tracks would have to be ‘Two Weeks’ and ‘While You Wait For The Others’, they may well have been around for quite some time now ever since they got played in live sessions that were posted on so many sites and blogs including this one if I remember right… But they have lost none of there magic for me; I did refrain from rinsing them out mind. The two tracks are just brilliant the chords and melodies have this 50’s feel and the melancholy sweetness they have is kind of moving.
Video: Two Weeks
That’s not all of the highlights of course, but just the most familiar and catchy. The opening track ‘Southern Point’ is defiantly up there with the best of them on the album. With its glorious reverb and floaty aesthetics it kicks off the album in fine style, it reminds me of a dreamy modern indie version of something from Forever Changes by Love. ‘Cheerleader’ and ‘Ready, Able’ are a bit special too. The production is all so clear and full of personality all over the album; you can almost feel that these instruments were recorded in organic lived in spaces rather than a studio. Yet they defiantly have an almost to perfect sound that a big studio brings, this has been laboured over down to the finest detail you can just tell.
The album as a whole flows past you for the most part it’s subtle and doesn’t really fight for your attention. You have to dig deep and keep at it or it will just come across as any old mobile phone advert/coffee table music that has become so common place in indie circles, its certainly easy enough listening for that to happen. Yet Grizzly Bear have this slightly otherworldly feel to them as well as oozing quality. If you’ve been slacking on the indie front like I have of late then this is a good a place as any to get stuck in.
This is a six track mini album / EP from Aqua-Crunk beat master Hudson Mohawk and his debut on prolific, always on the button bleepy label Warp. Hud Mo brings some playful fun with Polyfolk Dance.
As you would expect from an Aquatic Crunk based bleep and beat instrumental Hip-hop EP it’s all off kilter and messed up, like you want to dance but you’ve got your wonk on and can’t stand up straight.
Every track on the EP is full of hooks and joyous energy, it’s no chilled out affair I can tell you that for free. The A-Side opens up with, ‘Polkadot Blues’ which has a mad high end spinning sound that ushers it in before the beats drop and the bass kicks. Helium vocal snippets get chopped and spaced around the messed up groves, it’s a bit like a day out at the fair ground, you know candy floss, bright lights and stuff spinning around.
Next up on this excitable slab is, ‘Monde’ has a similar vibe to the opener with toy town synths but with a slower groove, some epic chords and a little slap bass. This all opens up into a really sublime and hypnotic groove that just draws you in and gets so addictive. If this stuff is just a sample of what’s to come then Hudson Mohawk is going to be on fire this year.
‘Overnight’ comes in like all of UGK’s and Outkast’s beats put together, you know that Euphoric Southen Hip-hop boom bass and kick, knocked sideways and spat out for a hands in the air dance around that gives you a huge shit eating grin that just makes your face ache a little.
Half way through and it’s all to good to be true, flip it to the B-Side and let the needle glide, I’ll stop now.
The flip kicks off with a really mad rhythm called, ‘Speed Stick’ it makes you feel a little drunk as it skips then flows towards you. Twinkley synths, crashing drums and plucked up orchestral strings give it an Eski beat gone wrong feel.
Another high-pitched vocal sample proliferates, ‘Velvet Peel’ the drums really do remind me of UGK this time especial the sublime, ‘International Players Anthem’ but with added wonk and shuffle. The synths are really fresh and they sprinkle over you like gleaming shards. It’s a joy to hear.
Now how the hell can you finish an EP this quality? Well go even more insane I guess, Bring in the electro drums and ere darkness. ‘Yonard’ just just that by coming on like a sparkly bleepyer version of Rustie’s ‘Jag The Smack’ or something like that anyway.
It’s so good to see the UK really pushing hip-hop instrumentals forward like this. Hudson Hohwak sound like he has a lot to give and Polyfolk Dance shows this in bucket loads. He brings together the ambient wonk of Flying Lotus, the Southern boom of UGK and the Electro madness of Rustie along with a really playful and unique vibe of his own. Grab it, put it on and fall over while you dance.
I wrote this originaly for DiS so go and check it out over there, this is the DVD extra version before the edit. Here you go!
This year has been dominated by beats and bass for me, it’s come in many different shapes and forms from dubstep to hip-hop through a bit of minimal and back again. Warp’s Flying Lotus kind of fits somewhere between the dubstep and hip-hop, he has been firmly embraced by the two anyway.
Flying Lotus AKA Steven Ellison comes from a musical dynasty that has spawned the likes of Jazz legends Alice Coltrane and John Coltrane. He continues this legacy in fine style but in his own way of course. By melting together J Dilla style off kilter hip-hop instrumentals, some deep bass and the sampling skills of one top class crate digger, some people like to call it ‘Wonky’ others ‘Aquacrunk’ I kind of like the latter.
He is not alone in making this ‘Aquacrunk’ either there is a young and talent scene emerging with the likes of Glasgow’s Rustie, London’s Bullion and LA’s Samiyam who is singed to FlyLo’s Brainfeeder label. Hell this strange music is even breaking out of it’s BPM shackles and infecting dubstep, people like Joker, Peverelist and Kode 9 are showing signs of this sound in their own work. Kode is even working with FlyLo on some tracks on his own album, but I digress…
On with the album! Los Angeles is a delight to listen to as a whole the pieces surge into one another in a crackly soup of liquid beats and soulful vibes. Off-kilter synths play off the wonky beats to make an organic and warm sounding piece of work.
Some people may find it all quite ambient and relaxing but if your lucky enough to have caught him live on a big soundsystem then it’s very likely you have felt the full sonic force of his work and then been compelled to dance in strange new shapes that you didn’t quite know you could do.
You can’t really contain his sound in mere youtube form though to be fair, but you get the idea.
Highlights from Los Angeles include the little opener Brainfeeder which comes at you like a warm crackle drenched Burial remix of something from Kid A. Beginners Falafel is a dreamy bass ridden larva lamp of a track with a subtle and gloopy groove. Others are more beat driven like the eastern jangle of Melt! Or Camel, which also layers strings and vocal snippets to great effect. His use of drum samples really are inspired, you get electro booms offset with organic djembe or other percussion that creates a world of it’s own. GNG BNG sounds like a old school gangster film soundtrack mixed with a more subtle version of Public Enemy’s wall of noise approach. Parisian Goldfish continues in this vain too. If I had to choose one track though and only one it would be the beautiful Robertaflak, which features the vocal talents of Dolly in a moving slice of laidback jazz reminiscent of his family’s past and his hip-hop present.
There is no Post J Dilla Filla here.
Check out that very wrong video of Parisian Goldfish by Tim & Eric of Adult Swim Fame, who coincidently FlyLo makes a lot of the music for can be found here (WARNING NOT SAFE FOR EYES LET ALONE WORK! May contain nuts):
http://www.dancefloordale.com/ If you have been enjoying Flying Lotus and need another fix you could do worse than check out his LA EP’s one to three. The first is a collection of the odd album track and new material and the second is a killer set of remixes highlights of which include Mike Slott’s wonky monster and Martyn’s sublime version of Robbertaflak. EP three will be out next year I would imagine and I have no idea what will be on it.
This wonderful 12” dropped through my door today, and I’m pretty excited to hear it that I can tell you for sure. It’s the first EP in a set of three and FlyLo has limited them to 2000 worldwide so it’s pretty damn exclusive. The artwork is in the same vain as the Los Angeles album with the big freaky metallic stuff. And I got the coolest purple Warp Records pin badge in with the package. Put the needle on the record baby…
L.A. EP 1 starts with Sleepy Dinosaur from the Los Angeles LP on the A side. Each side of the 12” starts with a familiar track off L.A. then whacks us with exclusive new material. Sleepy Dinosaur is a treat with skippy beats and jazz chords all warped up in that unmistakable FlyLo aquatic hip-hop way. Rickshaw is the first exclusive slab on this here wax, it loops Indian sitars and vocals over the top of a low slung dirty as hell bassline, and beats. This can be heard on The Do-Over mix FlyLo did and I posted the other day. The last track on side A is My Chippy its got a 8-bit blip to it like someone playing a dancehall, crunk version of space invaders, underwater of course this is FlyLo we are talking about. Flip it…
Side B kicks off with Los Angeles slab Robertaflack (Feat. Dolly) the sweet soul vocal and jazz sampling wonky bass freak banger. I love this tune its one of my favourite from L.A. and sets off side B nicely. Paper Crane Gang is next up and brings the third exclusive to the 12”. The beats are wicked on this one real leaning low slung and dirty with the most melancholic filtered synth line on top, it’s a beautiful track that reminds me of Warp records of the past. Interference is the final tune and it’s another excellent one, full of more skipping beats and massive bass sounds. A creaky vocal snippet from some kind of computer obviously not handling the underwater conditions very well sounds pretty cool. As does the booming dancehall vibe mixed with windy tones, excellent, not unlike the sound I imagine drowning Mr Ozio would sound like, I don’t recommend finding out mind.
That concludes the listening of L.A. EP 1 x 3 and FlyLo has done it again with yet more excellent instrumental hip-hop with that of kilter vibe to it he does so well. The tracks compliment the Los Angeles LP very well indeed and could have easily made the cut if FlyLo so wished. Another slice for the heads then as he trailblazes the underground dance scene. Warp has done well in signing this talent and I wait with baited breath, not unlike having to hold my head under water, for the next instalment of EP’s.
I have been looking forward for what seems like an age to hear this album and their singing to Warp made me want to hear it even more. Warp are so consistent with their releases it had to be great right? Plus the tune Hummingbird has been on heavy rotation since about the middle of last year on my mp3 player and computer. What a great track that is I never expected it to get on telly adverts and Skins almost a year after I heard it. Red Yellow & Blue is a pretty nice album full of poppy, jingly indie pop tracks. It’s not quite up to Grizzly Bear standards for Warp though, which is a shame. I think it will shift a fair few units though. Born Ruffian are a joyful romp in twee heaven for the summer time indie crowd. Just pure pop hooks and tunes nothing to in your face. Hummingbird is still the stand out track for me by far, with nothing quite being as catchy as that little number. I Need A Life comes quite close and is indeed a great track, with a ace hook and maybe the only other track that really lodges it’s self in your head, ‘Oh but we go out at night’ is an ace chanted chorus. Much of the album is a bit to much like a soundtrack to those annoying soft focus twee mobile phone adverts though which I think is putting me off a little bit. This kind of music seems to be all over the shop at the moment The Dodos being another artists in a similar vain. Baddnkadonkey reminds me of a Mighty Boosh song with its ‘put it in your pocket’ line and the rhythm it’s sung in. This makes me giggle each time I hear it but it just shows how catchy Born Ruffian and The Mighty Boosh are really. Born Ruffian are a little to shrill for me at times to enjoy over repeat listens, but if I wack it on sparsely it is a real treat. They remind me of Volcano! But a lot tamer and with less ideas, so maybe volcano without a capital V and ! Just the pop moments stripped back to normal song structures and short songs.
Born Ruffian are good and a nice refreshing change to other so hot right now hipsters like Vampire Weekend that really boor me senseless. They are at the good end of that kind of loose scene or sound. I think it’s a nice addition to the Warp roster as its pretty interesting and a solid album, if not mind blowing. But we can all wait and be blown away by Flying Lotus can’t we, well I will anyway. If your after indie pop your can’t go far wrong that with Born Ruffians Red Yellow & Blue.
FlyLo is incredible I am looking forward to Los Angeles on Warp records, which is released next month. The artwork looks brilliant as always from Warp and their artists. The music is something else it, it’s a cross between hip-hop, dubstep, IDM, crunk, jazz, and well allsorts really. The drums are off kilter and the groves wonky, see more about getting your wonk on, on posts bellow. The music isn’t far removed from other Warp artists such as Prefuse 73 and other releases that verge on the hip-hop. This is a classic sounding Warp record in all its glory, not the indie band kind like Born Ruffians and Maximo Park, but the good old pushing the boundaries electronic freakouts. FlyLo is the nephew of Alice Coltrain the jazz composer and wife of the famous John Coltrain, so it seems pushing musical boundaries are in his blood. There are echoes of the hip-hop producers Madlib in FlyLo’s work you could almost imagine MF Doom riding these beats with ease. Los Angeles is a instrumental album however, a superb underwater some may even say aquacrunk album. FlyLo is re-affirming my love of the excellent dance music spectrum.
Wonky? Wonk-Step? Dub-Wonk? Aquacrunk? That’s far to many ridicules questions to answer, what the hell am I on about. Well Wonky or what ever you fancy calling it is a variation on dubstep that’s getting some plays right now. I’m by no means a grime/dubstep expert but this new sound has grabbed my attention.
The main players seem to be the excellent Flying Lotus, who I have been aware of for quite some time with his remix of Mr Oizo and an album dropping soon on Warp. He makes some seriously funky off tempo high tech space funk electro dubstep A.K.A Wonky. He joined Kode 9 of Hyperdub fame in the Rinse FM studio for a back-to-back session that is blowing my mind right now. It’s out there and so wonderfully danceable and strange. Unfortunately I can’t find a track list anywhere to share with you.
Another Wonky main stay is Glasgow’s Rustie, of Wireblock records. He has just completed a mix that aired on Marry Anne Hobbes radio show the other week. The only things I recognise on the track list are the aforementioned Flying Lotus, the record labels Planet Mu, DMZ and Warp, grime/dubstep main stay Benga, another Warp new signing Pivot and a hell of a lot of Rustie.
‘As summer 2008 approaches, a theme-- not a genre-- has emerged across many existing styles of music: the mid-range is being hijacked by off-kilter, unstable synths. Crossing hip-hop, hyphy, grime, chip tunes, dubstep, crunk, and electro, one flavor unites a network of exciting sounds. What do you call it? Wonky.’
I love this new song, its beautiful and really gets in your head, like a ghostly pop song. It is a bit of a move on from the excelent album Yellow House in that its more electric. This transition can be seen on some of the tracks on the more recent Friends EP. Anyway hear for yourself as Grizzly Bear have posted a live version for you to download.
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'jimi is the apex from which everyone else fans out of' NFR Blog
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'Jimi - whose enthusiasam for this remarkable genre is humbling - he say's "Now that's a single!" And let's face it, I know who I should be more inclined to take my dubstep recommendations from' Wendy Roby of DiS
The debut album from genre-skewing hip-hop producer Hudson Mohawke was always going to be a mad one. His first beat tape Hudson’s Heaters hinted at him being a madcap party starter that fused strange and sometimes goofy samples with hip-hop sensibilities to create something all together different. A vision of hip-hop that has a lineage with people like Madlib and J Dilla where the beats do the talking. But it’s more than just a look back at those producers things are being pushed forward. A slew of young artists are taking inspiration from all over the place whether it be the slick R&B of Brandy, Timberland and so many US chart hits or the hip-hop underground via the vibrant bass sounds of dubstep and the off-kilter smeared synth sounds of Skweee/Chip-tune or the LA/Glasgow beat scene. With all that and more in the pot a whole new dance sound is coming to the fore, one that’s been bubbling under for some time.
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