Category Archives: Spotlight

Artists of all varieties that I know and work with.

Relocated Rhythm :: ‘A Collection Of Sounds’ From Out Of Place

Posted on January 5, 2018 | Leave a comment

In October of 2017, Austin (by way of Nashville) hip-hop crew Out of Place dropped their latest project, A Collection of Sounds. The album is not only a celebration of their collective nature, it is also an ode to collaboration, as a handful of solid MCs find their way onto the project. Guest verses from Love Space, Wick-It The Instigator, Denice King, Tenci and Ufulu Child bolster top notch production from the crew (plus guest production from Loot Tester and Lucky Punch). The thoughts shared are complex, but presented in a way so easy to relate to that you realize you more than likely share many of the same lines of thought. Although this was a 2017 release, I recommend checking this out as a good way to get your 2018 going.

-chief

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

Tagged a collection of sounds, austin, bandcamp, chief, denice king, loot tester, love space, lucky punch, nashville, out of place, tenci, the doomsday device, ufulu child, wick-it the instigator

Healing Sounds :: Dr. Bobby Banner, MPC Drops ‘Tape B’ To Close Out 2017

Posted on January 4, 2018 | Leave a comment

Dr. Bobby Banner, MPC (the production half of Ndelible Ink) is well known for his deeply textured and hypnotic tracks. Tape B finds this tradition continued… each track is a journey upon itself, and the variety from track to track keeps the listener enthralled and deeply tuned in. With a partially alphabetical listing, and an incomplete one at that, I hope that this is merely part one of a duo… I will definitely have my eyes and ears open in hopes that this is the case. Be sure to give this one a listen, a share, a download, and maybe even a buck or two if you have it to spare.

-chief

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

Tagged chief, dr bobby banner, mpc, ndelible ink, tape b, the doomsday device

Neural Stimulation :: Jonathan Brown Releases ‘Math Music For Kids That Can’t Rap’

Posted on January 3, 2018 | Leave a comment

Brain food with a side of ear candy. That’s what Jonathan Brown has decided, on a whim, to serve up with Math Music for kids who can’t rap. Literally for no other reason than ‘just because’, which can sometimes be the best reason to do something, Jonathan Brown has yet again keep us listeners guessing in regards to his creative limits. Or maybe I’m just behind the curve, and most of y’all knew he had proper beatsmithing skills already. Regardless of when I became woke, I am definitely well aware now, and glad to have something nice and weird to usher me into 2018.

-chief

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

Tagged chief, jonathan brown, math music for kids who can't rap, the doomsday device

Textured Soundscapes :: ‘Miluseon’ by Miyavé Is A Sonic Journey

Posted on January 2, 2018 | Leave a comment

Miyavé of Lardeo, Texas (and Feedback Alliance member) clocked in right at the end of 2017 with a truly amazing miniblast. Miluseon is one of the more textured and expressive electronic releases I’ve heard of late, comparable to the likes of Kinder or Yppah. There are many other releases on his Bandcamp page (which I plan on looking into shortly), but this gem was too good to not share in regards to an already memorable year, now set aside for the hopes and possibilities of 2018. I’m sure we’ll hear more from Miyavé, his peers, and scores of other creatives, and I am excited to see and hear what lies in wait.

-chief

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

Tagged bandcamp, chief, feedback alliance, kinder, laredo, miluseon, miyavé, the doomsday device, yppah

Exploring Styles :: Click-Clack Drops ‘Sleep No More II’ EP

Posted on December 29, 2017 | Leave a comment

Anyone following this blog knows that Click-Clack is one of my favorite Austin-based artists. He stays working, stays pushing his creative boundaries forward, and on projects like Sleep No More II, he finds ways to take what’s hot now and transform it into something unique to his style and delivery. Click-Clack is a gifted producer in his own right, but for this project he curated production from Cop Boy, Boy Arthur, shyguy and levitating man X chango. Shout out to Ballteam for breathing some fresh air into the culture, and putting some artistic integrity into the vibes.

-chief

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

Tagged austin, ballteam, boy arthur, chief, click-clack, cop boy, levitating man X chango, shyguy, sleep no more ii, the doomsday device

Dropping Knowledge :: Jsun the Prophesor And College Of Hip Hop Knowledge Release ‘The Curriculum’

Posted on December 28, 2017 | Leave a comment

Anyone who feels that there is a lack of high caliber MCs in Austin needs to sit down and give The Curriculum a good, attentive listen. The project is a representation of the Austin-based College of Hip Hop Knowledge, a collective of like minded hip hop creatives looking to provide many things for the scene and culture : a place to hone live performance skills, a network to help build working relationships, education for the business and technical aspects of the business, and outreach opportunities to help bolster the community. Curated by Jsun the Prophesor, there is a wide and varying range of MCs represented on this collaborative effort. The production is solid, the lyrics are heartfelt and thought-provoking throughout, and the project as a whole provides a feeling of uplift. This one is definitely worth your time, attention and support, so make sure to spread the word and keep an eye out for more from the College of Hip Hop Knowledge.

-chief

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

Tagged austin, chief, college of hip hop knowledge, jsun the prophesor, the curriculum, the doomsday device

Spirits Moving :: Dowrong And White Jamal Connect On ‘Dowrong’s Prayer’

Posted on December 27, 2017 | Leave a comment

As Joe Budden and Charlamagne tha God recently stated in their year-end wrap-up, lyricism is back in a big way these days. That sentiment is definitely true in regards to the Austin hip-hop scene as well. For anyone doubting, exhibit A comes in the form of the latest single from Dowrong of DSR/ALVMNI/LOEG’z. Seasoned producer White Jamal flexes over a classic drumbreak to provide a nostalgia-inducing beat that perfectly suits the testimonial given by Dowrong about his life and ambitions. This is definite mixtape fire right here. Share this one around, and help boost those listen numbers, because tracks like Dowrong’s Prayer deserve to shine.

-chief

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

Tagged alvmni, austin, chief, click-clack, dowrong, dowrong's prayer, dsr, hip hop, loegz, the doomsday device, white jamal

Creative Process :: ‘SKIP’s Big Ideas’ Premiers, Needs Your Support

Posted on December 22, 2017 | Leave a comment

When it comes to creative drive, fresh ideas, and solid execution, few can match Orlando-based artist and musician SKIP of Franchise Industries. After several successful installations over the past couple of years, SKIP decided it was important to both document and share the process, for the sake of posterity and as an opportunity to educate/inspire other potential artists. In the midst of this revelation, SKIP’s Big Ideas was born. The premier episode hit YouTube in August, and now SKIP needs your help.

In order for things to move to the next level, viewer support is needed. Hopefully, we can get SKIP up to 1,000 views by January 1st, and this can be the first step to providing bigger and better opportunities, guests, and production value. Be sure to like, comment, subscribe, and most importantly, SHARE AND WATCH!

-chief

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Posted in Audio-Visuals, General Information, ShuffleCast, Spotlight

Tagged chief, franchise industries, orlando, SKIP, SKIP's big ideas, the doomsday device, youtube

Issa Vibe :: Poolboi Blu Drops ‘Sincere’ Mix

Posted on December 21, 2017 | Leave a comment

Beatmaker extraordinaire and skilled DJ poolboi blu has been at work in the lab (as per usual). After a number of live DJ sets in 2017, as well as numerous live streams, poolboi has decided to drop a new series of mixes. sincere. vol. 1, in my humble opinion, is a wonderful introduction to his DJ style, and a proper reflection on his diversity and musical taste. Be sure to give this one some play time and some share action.

-chief

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

Tagged chief, poolboi blu, sincere vol 1, the doomsday device

Mob Deep :: Ben Al And Friends Wax Poetic On ‘The Real’

Posted on December 15, 2017 | Leave a comment

There’s something about a good hip-hop song that is majorly enhanced when guests MCs jump on… especially if everyone brings their A-game. That is most certainly the case with The Real, a recent Ben Al and Iso collaboration with a who’s who of guest MCs invited to the track : Read Richarts, Lace Tunes, Marcus J, DdotElles and Karma Jones all bless this banger with top notch bars. I’m feeling bad because I already turned in my Best of the Year 2017 list for OVRLD, and had I heard this prior to forming that list, this track would have made it hands down. Consolation prize? Regardless, check this one out, heart it, comment on the track, and help boost those play numbers, because Austin deserves the chance for it’s dopeness to shine.