Monthly Heatrocks: Ocotober 2009

“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music”
-Sergei Rachmaninov
It what has to feel like typical fashion by now, I vanished from these parts of the Internet once again. As usual there is no telling when and where I'll strike again but one thing I hope to continue in the coming months will be collections of tracks that were in my ear for the last month. October was crazy for me as I quite my jobs and left Oregon to once again return to Seattle – I just can't stay away!

Between the move, not having a place of my own and the general craziness that is life on party mountain I wasn't surrounded with as much time to devour new music as per usual. I did have 10 cuts catch my attention and I hope they might catch yours as well.

Anyone around me lately knows that I've become fascinated by all things electronic music. While mainly focused in the dubstep sub genre, house, glitch, electro and an assortment of other sounds have been blowing my mind. B. Rich (I know nothing? Any info would be much appriciated) drops this synthed out funky banger “Ain't Here To Party” featuring a decent performance by Whiskey Pete on the raps this track will raise the energy where ever it's played, just be sure you are ready for a party.

Brother Ali delivered a STELLAR LP in Us (If you haven't heard it don't waste time, get this before you fall asleep) and while any track could really be selected from the album “House Keys” was the one I chose. Ant's laid back production is the perfect canvas for Ali to get soft spoken on and tell a tale about theft and friends.

Exile has been making noise for years now, on multiple fronts. With the release of this year's Radio, his solo debut, and countless shows filled with MPC theatrics I was inspired to go back and check out his debut compilation from a few years back, Dirty Science. “Maintain” captured my mood as I packed and left OR – Blu is at his every man best describing the bitter struggle we all go through just to get by, maintain if you will.

Hudson Mohawke has been the subject to much blog hype recently with his full length Warp debut, Butter, hitting shelves a couple weeks ago. While that album is certainly worth your time, if you want to hear Hud Mo doing more straight forward but still futuristic Hip Hop type shit look for his Hudson Heaters Vol. 1 collection from '06. “Star of a Story” was the first cut by him I heard and still the best. It captures all the best parts of Butter without getting lost in the experimentation.

Coming back to Seattle 8 months later doesn't seem like things should be all that different, and in reality little has really changed, but the music being made and released has been taken to another level. This forward progression has been made possible due to a number of factors the biggest of which I think is love. Everyone is working together, listening to each other, and getting inspired to push the boundaries.

Kublakai has never been one of the most adventurous artists in the town but he says himself that he has lots of ideas and multiple albums created in his head already. The Let Go has provided him one outlet for these ideas and a Free EP with Slouch behind the boards is another. A more personal project than he has ever released Lights for the Dark Nights was a surprise for me. Gone are the childish jokes, silly voices and overall comedic approach to songs and in place are some serious lyrics for you to really chew on. “Appreciation” sees Kubi grab Sol for a tribute to their region of birth and the place we all call home. Northwest stand up and be heard!

If you have frequented this site over the duration of my time here you have probably heard me declare my overall love for Wax Poetics magazine. One of my favorite things about the magazine is that with every issue you are given at least a few new names to check out and music to dig up. With their recent Brazil issue shedding light on a country responsible for some of the greatest music made it was only a matter of time before those groups they wrote about and others found their way into my iTunes, and hopefully my crates soon! Os Mutantes are the ones of the moment and this slow, melancholic tune had me from the first moment I heard it. “Dia 36” is beautiful. Anyone place that sample? I swear I've heard it used somewhere.

Sol has impressed me since I heard his debut The Ride right as I was leaving the town 8 months ago. Go figure that as I come back he is right there at the top of the new music I'm checking for. His Dear Friends Vol. 1 EP hit the Internet and should be getting regular burn form anyone who burns on the regular. “Music Crazy” is the jam for anyone who lives for music.

Another familiar name around these parts is Flying Lotus. He and his Brainfeeder crew are killing it in in LA. The Motherfucking Gaslamp Killer was just up here for decibel fest and I hope to see Ras G make the trip up before too long – he has to know about what we have for his backwoods! “Funny (How Love Can Be...)” just came on shuffle one day and was exactly what I wanted to hear. When music captures your mood it sticks with you in a whole different manner and that's what this song did for me. If you aren't hip, you've been warned. Ras G and the Afrikan Space Program are the modern day Arkestra or mothership – are you ready to take an interstellar voyage into sound?

G Mane & DJ Burn One released this mixtape entitled Smoke Some Kill which I never could listen to all the way through, yet this track #9 was just waiting to be snagged by some unsuspecting ears. Sounding straight out of Herbie Hancock's keyboard circa Sunlight this synthesized funky jam needs to be heard!

One of the groups responsible for much of the hype surrounding music out of the Northwest right now is They Live. Gatsby and Bless One crafted another one of the stellar FreeP's to reach the masses this year (which was actually one long track released in '08 on Bless' blog). “My Weed” with its looping, trance inducing back drop and the triumphant horns is one of my favorite songs from a Seattle rap crew ever.

If you think you might dig some of this grab the folder here and tell your friends!

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