From the digital desk of SymmaTree :
‘The main concept behind this project is returning to a place or state of mind that’s special to you. I had a ton of fun writing these songs and coming up with cheesy nature based song titles. Thanks for listening.’
Check out SymmaTree and mf. tired‘s hard work, share it around, and cop it if you have $5.
-chief
It’s funny how ahead of the curve some MCs can be. Chris Conde released Conde Digital as a part of Fake Four Records FreeCember promotion, and nearly six months later, his second single Earth is so pertinent that it could have been written yesterday. Over an ominous, ambient, grimey track courtesy of Moodie Black‘s KDeath, Conde goes in with some extremely urgent and direct pleas to reason as he breaks down just how interconnected we are with the Earth against how neglectful we tend to be. Thanks to collaborator Wayne Fau, the message is delivered without Conde‘s signature visual flashes, instead opting for minimal effects and portrait-style presentations of Conde‘s vital message. Dig the video, leave a like and a comment if you’re feeling it, and share it around for all to experience.
-chief
My discovery of YNGLDY has been a fruitful one for sure, as it introduced me to producer DK Thundah and his creative world. Recently, he hooked up with Light Feather for Better Way, a moving mood-setter of a single that combines dream-pop and cloud rap nearly perfectly. Light Feather‘s vocals and lyrics are chill-inducing, and DK Thundah not only produced an extremely strong background track, but added a very solid guest verse as well. DK Thundah even took to the internet later to provide a breakdown of how he created the background track :
Check out the single and the beat breakdown, leave likes and comments if you dig, and share it around for others to do the same!
-chief
Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now
Tagged austin, better way, chief, dk thundah, hip hop, light feather, pop, the doomsday device, yngldy
As the majority of the world remains locked inside due to shelter-in-place measures, many of us are forced to live life as it once was through our memories of what was. Dance parties tend to be one of the things that people long for, which is what makes (RAS) Riders Against the Storm‘s update to their 2008 single Is It? special, among other things. The remix, courtesy of Ayuma, has a bounce and vibrance that pulls you in, and the accompanying dance footage (including footage from (RAS)‘s Body Rock Ten Year Anniversary) bolsters that pull by nearly encouraging the viewer to get up and freestyle dance along with the footage. This dose of mood booster is definitely a strong way to start the week running, so dig it, leave a like and a comment, and share it around for everyone to enjoy.
-chief
Over the past 6-8 months, I’ve been keeping track of the singles coming from Kydd Jones, Cory Kendrix and Tank Washington of the LNS Crew camp, all the while wondering what was in store for the next round of releases. About a week ago, the crew dropped LNS Mixtape Volume 3, and it all came together for me. The previously released singles have been paired with a collection of infectious flows and beats, like someone gave the LNS Crew new inspiration. With so many different people on the project, it could easily come off as scattered, but the collective manages to keep a strong and solid balance between styles and voices that all come together in harmony. The best thing about these songs is how, despite them sounding like an album project, they could easily be found on the mixtapes of other DJs (and more than likely will). The way that the members of the crew are taking cues from a wide range of modern day MCs and flipping them on their head to make them aspects of their own styles is truly impressive. Don’t sleep on this one.
-chief
Last week (as previously mentioned), (iN)Sect Records promised a trilogy of new releases, two of which have already been covered here. The third of these projects, the debut album Post-Love from artist Rob from Garden Street, is one of the strongest debuts made on the label. Rob‘s drums almost immediately jump out and grab you with their Dilla-esque swing, which plays well against the chiptune-ish sound implemented (though Rob finds a way to not have the chiptune elements come off as gimmicky). The sequencing of this album is nearly perfect, as each track flows from one to the next with the precision of an assembly line while remaining distinct. What really grabs me about the production on this album, however, is how lush it is. Words really don’t do this one justice, so definitely jump into a listen as soon as possible, download and donate if you can, and share it around so others can do the same.
-chief
When you F. Oh and indubes reached out separately to notify me about their new project, Special Guests, I had a feeling that I was in for something good. Having already covered both individuals on the blog, my curiosity got the best of me as I wondered how their two styles would meld, and on Dead Flowers, these two find some of the most interesting ways to make their styles harmonize. The lyrical content and styles are extremely interesting in particular… the lyrical duo present a sense of urgency that is covered in very honest self-reflection, with a subtle bravado used to support everything stated. As for beats, bvck comes with it on some deeply moody production, as if he was more so scoring monologues than making beats for rhymes, with the skeleton of the production consisting of true-shool style boom-bap. I’m feeling this one for real… definitely check it out for yourself, share it around for others to experience, and donate a few bucks if you can.
-chief
(iN)Sect Records is coming off of a major week. With an already power-packed roster on deck, the Austin-based label released a trio of debut projects. We previously covered the new BoomBaptist, and we will get to the Rob from Garden Street release, but the man of the day is Flobama, and the focus is on the immaculately produced debut project titled Warp Mode. The mix of electronic music and organic hip-hop elements connect well, with Flobama throwing shade of shade of slick track at the listener. The project flows very naturally, with any vocal samples managing to fit so well into the songs that it almost seems as if there are none present. Flobama has been flexing his skill for many years, and it’s good to see him find a label home with the brilliant beatsmiths as (iN)Sect Records. Check out the project, share it around, and cop it if you can afford to.
-chief
There’s no stopping poolboi blu when it comes to output… matter of fact, it seems like poolboi blu is outpacing the technology, which is struggling to keep up with the output of ideas. Despite the short amount of time since the release of Mason, Rain of the Squids stands firm as its own project, and not an echo of the trilogy that Mason was part of. The beats are a bit lusher, but they still manage to keep that signature aesthetic and vibe the has become poolboi blu‘s signature. The writing really stands out, with many different styles and deliveries presented that cover a wide range of topics in a short run, including references to Watchmen, Black Mirror, and a many more (some obvious, some layered). Definitely don’t sleep on this one, share it around, and donate if you can.
-chief
Austin alt-pop duo Flora & Fawna, the dynamic duo of singer-songwriter Lili Hickman Waldon and producer, multi-instrumentalist Mason Ables, have left an amazing debut impression on me with their single Slow Burn. The song itself is a dreamy, dancy tune that could easily be mistaken for the likes of Little Dragon with its dancey vibe, harmonized lyrical performance and earworm-ish nature. The experience is amplified by the video, a brief masterpiece directed by Kirk Van Sickle and crew that feels like a mix of Mandy and The Neon Demon streamlined to under four minutes. This is how a debut should be made, and I will certainly be one of those front and center for the follow-up single and eventual album. Until then, check out the video, leave a like and a comment if you’re feeling it, and share it around for everyone to enjoy!
-chief
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 