Author Archives: ChiefDoomsday

Moving Melodies :: Croom Connects With Allanah Maarteen For ‘Onyx Eyes’

Posted on March 8, 2019 | Leave a comment

Adrian Croom (professionally known as Croom) has all the potential in the world to be a breakout producer. Again and again, he releases electronic-‘pop’ music with weight, dynamics and soul, seemingly almost effortlessly. His latest release is a collaboration with vocalist Allanah Maarteen titled Onyx Eyes, a hypnotic tune with a momentum-gaining track that sets up Maarteen to explore her feelings on connection. I believe that Croom has a full-length project on deck, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes and ears open, because I can only imagine what a collection of songs sounds like when Croom is in charge.

-chief

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Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged allanah maarteen, chief, croom, onyx eyes, the doomsday device

Screen Gem :: ‘I AM TX’ Prepares To Make Waves

Posted on March 7, 2019 | Leave a comment

I am so happy to announce that I AM TX is wrapped and ready to make a festival run. Ryan Darbonne worked hard to bring his vision to life, and with a strong crew to back him, Audrey Campbell, Jonathan K. Horstmann and myself came with our A-games. As a result, we are getting festival placements, and hopefully, we can make bigger and better opportunities happen! The premier of the film will be at The Method Fest in Los Angeles, with screenings to follow at several more festivals (which will be announced over the upcoming weeks/months). If you’re not following I AM TX on Facebook, be sure to do so as soon as possible, and keep yourself in the loop!

IAMTXselections

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, Chief News, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged audrey campbell, chief, i am tx, indie grits, jonathan k. horstmann, method fest, ryan darbonne, the doomsday device

Lo-Fi Displacement :: Virgil Wolfe Gets Raw With ‘Temporary Residence’

Posted on March 6, 2019 | Leave a comment

Hip-hop can be quite the bittersweet discipline. For all of the beauty and raw emotion it harnesses and unleashes, beneath that initial layer lays this ability to peel away all layers of lies and falsification in order to hit true nerves and address issues directly. It can be a jarring process, but ultimately quite the therapeutic one for both listener and MC. Exhibit A : Virgil Wolfe and his latest single, Temporary Residence. While I don’t know what has gone on in his personal life, as a friend of his, I do know that he’s been on the same rocky road that many of us have been on recently, and with a recent laptop crash, that can leave a songwriter and recording artist feeling constrained and restricted. Wolfe, however, is one of the more resourceful creators out there, and after a bit of time with a SP404sx, he was able to record Temporary Residence, vocals and all. You can hear the emotional release that the process gave him in his performance, and it bolsters the track greatly. Definitely a diamond produced from the pressure that is life.

-chief

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Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Underground Me Now

Tagged chief, SP404sx, temporary residence, the doomsday device, virgil wolfe

World Music :: Salvasquared Releases ‘The Overseas Instrumentals’

Posted on March 5, 2019 | Leave a comment

Nothing rejuvenates and uplifts the human spirit like traveling, especially traveling to locations that are considered ‘exotic’, for lack of a better word. Austin-based producer Salvasquared recently got to experience this via a stay in South Korea while traveling through Asia. I am sure that his life changed in many ways, but one tangible bit of proof that the trip had an influence on him is The Overseas Instrumentals, a group of beats with Salvasquared‘s foundation used to build towers of sound influenced by other parts of the world. The Asian influence is clearly there, but aspects of Latin and African music also find their way into the mix as well. This is definitely eye-opening and mind-expanding music, even in instrumental form, as it shows how all of our worldly textures can be weaved together into coherent and moving compositions. Definitely check this one out, and encourage others to do the same.

-chief

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Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Underground Me Now

Tagged african, asian, austin, chief, hip hop, latin, salvasquared, south korea, the doomsday device, the overseas instrumentals

Righteous Noise :: Muenster Makes A Statement With ‘Chances Are’

Posted on March 4, 2019 | 1 comment

Denton-based MC Muenster has decided to hit us with the summer vibes early by embracing the reggae sound on his rapid fire call to action that is Chances Are. The track comes on light and uplifting, with a message of forward momentum via unity, and that point is hammered home by the machine-gun-esque darts that Muenster drops on the verses. This one sounds completely fresh and unique, within the realm of Texas hip-hop or otherwise, in the way that it mixes pure reggae and hip-hop elements together while allowing each to stand alone. Definitely one that’s gonna get some spins from me.

-chief

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Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged chances are, chief, denton, hip hop, muenster, reggae, texas, the doomsday device

Reflection Session :: The Elephant In The Room Stops By ‘Rappers Playing Games (RPG)’

Posted on March 1, 2019 | Leave a comment

Protextor and the Baby Lion collective are doing great things with Rappers Playing Games (RPG), with each episode getting sharper and sharper in terms of both presentation and interviews. The latest guest, The Elephant in the Room, stopped by to do some sparring via Sega‘s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers fighting game, while simultaneously speaking about the songwriting and production process, influences, their favorite aspects of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and more. This is one of the most natural and organic conversations yet, as the mutual respect between Protextor and The Elephant in the Room is clear and obvious. Keep supporting this channel, and hopefully we can see things grow!

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged (rpg), austin, baby lion, chief, hip hop, mighty morphin' power rangers, protextor, rappers playing games, sega, the doomsday device, the elephant in the room

BluMoon Rising :: ‘Slow Burn’ By BluMoon Now Available

Posted on February 28, 2019 | Leave a comment

There are times when referring to a band as ‘local’ feels slightly like undermining their quality and potential, and in the case of BluMoon, I often feel that way. True, the band is based out of San Marcos, but if you throw their music in the mix with any current pop/soul/R&B/jazz band, you’d be hard pressed to point them out and peg them as simply a ‘local’ band. Case in point? Slow Burn, their latest release, sounds like a million bucks, with its dynamic range of sounds and energy that it encompasses musically, courtesy of Taylor Louis, Andrew Harkey and Isaac Pulido. Add to this the fact that vocalist Kendra Sells effortlessly balances deeply introspective and thought-provoking lyrics with lyrics that shine a spotlight on injustice and the ever-changing highs and lows of human interaction, and you’ve got a project that puts an early flag in the ground as a key 2019 release. You can find this one most anywhere you find your music, so do yourself a favor and get hip, quick.

-chief

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Posted in General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged andrew harkey, blumoon, chief, isaac pulido, kendra sells, san marcos, slow burn, taylor louis, the doomsday device

Spirit Lift :: Dr. Ew (Indubes) Drops ‘Salt [Beat Tape]’

Posted on February 27, 2019 | Leave a comment

Quite often, I take deep dives into the abyss that is YouTube, and one of my favorite discoveries is the lo-fi beat scene emergence, complete with looped anime clips to seal the deal on aesthetic. That’s what makes it so great when a peer pops up in that realm, sort of like when I stumbled across Austin-based producer Indubes and a video titled Salt [Beat Tape]. The thirteen-ish minute beat tape consists of familiar piano and guitar samples, solid drum loops and programming, vocal samples, and a wonderful clip from Spirited Away that gets more and more delightful with each loop. This is the kind of music that sets a mood, and that mood is one I won’t mind revisiting. Quality work, and work that deserves sharing, commenting and liking.

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged austin, beat tape, chief, dr. ew, indubes, lo fi, salt [beat tape], spirited away, the doomsday device, youtube

Forever Flow :: D.O.S. Drops Bars At Hip-Hop Mecca’s Weekly Event

Posted on February 26, 2019 | Leave a comment

It’s true that D.O.S. is a man of many diverse talents, having reinvented himself from rapper/performer to a successful business owner and chef. That being said, D.O.S. never lost his love for the mic, and clips like the one above prove it. During a recent Hip Hop Mecca event at the legendary Flamingo Cantina in Austin, D.O.S. jumped on stage with DJ Massiv to perform a few selections from the Ruler Why produced Obey The Raw, and as always, the flow and performance were on point. If you’re looking for your hip-hop fix in Austin, Friday nights at Flamingo Cantina are definitely where it’s at, and mad props to D.O.S. for continuing to grow in all aspects of his creative and professional life.

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight, Underground Me Now

Tagged austin, chief, d.o.s., dj massiv, flamingo cantina, hip hop mecca, obey the raw, ruler why, the doomsday device

Bitter Sweet :: Jane Claire Connects With (iN)Sect Records For ‘Sour Grapefruit’

Posted on February 25, 2019 | Leave a comment

Jane Claire has already made an indelible mark on the Austin scene as the founder of BossBabesATX, but a recent connection with (iN)Sect Records founder Butcher Bear has resulted in a powerful statement in the form of Sour Grapefruit, a four song EP featuring Claire‘s songwriting prowess positioned on the production of Exploded Drawing all-stars Reaganometry, Out of Place and kinder. The project is a reflection on embracing the nature of life and leaning into it rather than attempting to adjust what is to fit your idea of what it should be, be that relationships, identity, or any other elusive aspect of life that we all face. This project is definitely a strong one, and hopefully, it will result in a follow-up LP at some point with production from other members of (iN)Sect Records‘ extensive roster (or any other producer, for that matter).