The Musik Lounge

The drawback to downloading music (when you do it to excess that is) is that even when you hear something you don’t really hear it. You listen to it and then file it away instantly to move on to the next thing you got, like there is some kind of expiration date on the file. While I evidently have heard Mr. Cooper’s 2005 disc Amongst Strangers at some point in the past I can’t remember it, and am only vaguely familiar with his name but for a different album I can’t don’t apparently have… oh the joys of four hard drives and not enough storage space. Perhaps it’s what he was going for, the album is called Amongst Strangers after all and in my mind while it’s not the most amazing piece of instrumental Hip Hop you have heard in your life it is interesting none the less. Where our last guest in the Saturday Spin column was all over the place pulling sounds out left and right and mashing things together that no one would expect to hear mixed and blended Mr. Cooper takes on a more subdued a...

Upon my arrival to PDX I almost instantly heard talk about the massive Sandpeople collective. I’d heard the name throughout my time in Seattle, but was never confronted with there music like I was once I relocated to their stomping grounds (thanks in large part to my room mate). While the crew as a whole can be heard on their impressive EP Long Story, Short from earlier this summer original member IAME dropped his sophomore full length in July and has steadily been on a mission since to spread the word about his music, his crew and our town. “Portland has this big Rock scene and stuff and it makes it interesting to do Hip Hop here because it’s not as embraced as well as the Rock music,” says IAME. While the music may not be what first comes to mind when one thinks about Oregon, the almost five year long journey he and his people have been on seems to be making head way as they continue to make moves across the country. “There isn’t a lot of industry so to make our music stand out an...

“It's just fucking dope music.” While the internet debates the legitimacy of this new breed of emcee's and Hip Hop artists I wanna make a distinct effort to get away from titles and labels. Good music is good music and that is what we are all looking for – or at least should be. Our parents generation might still be quick to judge when you utter the double H's but Fresh Espresso is proof that stereotypes and judgments are best left at the door. I wouldn't advise playing this for your parents, yet I think everyone should hear their debut disc Glamour. as there is something here for everyone. Sure it's rude and loud. It's filled with electronic instruments and some samples. The singing isn't perfect. The flows are. It's high energy. It's life. It's Rik Rude and P Smoov delivering what you've never heard before but have been waiting for. Filled with more energy than a red bull can, from the moment you hear the bass line open the album on “Espr...

While DJ Shadow single handedly created and ended the hip hop inspired, sample based instrumental album with his epic masterpiece Endtroducing you can't knock guys for trying and every now and then those attempts yield something not quite on par but still strikingly beautiful. Such is the case with the traveling beat creator, record collector Metaform . Like those before him he has a vast knowledge of music and must spend an inordinate amount of time in dusty basements and smelly broke down shops (or maybe he does it all from the comfort of his studio – it is 2009, how many people are still dedicated to the art of diggin?) questing for that rare gem that will make the world right for a moment. "PCH" But on top of his ear for sounds to flip Metaform is a multi instrumentalist who crafts an eclectic mix of sounds into something wholly listenable from beginning to end. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants will catch you off guard as it's not quite as Hip Hop as somethin...

If you were lucky enough to attend Rotture last Friday you caught an amazing show! If you missed it, too bad for you. The 10,000 LB Hamburger Tour made its stop in Portland, introducing Theophilus London to our fair city. With a strikingly original style that only shows the ever changing face of Hip Hop and music in general you will be hard pressed to find many legends who will come with more energy than this man did on stage. For those of you who are still waiting for the tour to hit your town: Don't miss it! And yeah, did I mention some guy named A Trak is headlining? He's up to his usual antics and rocks the house like only he can. A multi-genre set that is guaranteed to have you dancing all night long. Like I said, don't miss the 10K LB Hamburger tour!!! Before the night kicked off I was lucky enough to sit down with Theophilus for a little chat. Big shouts out to him and Watts for making it happen! Enjoy the convo y'all. Q: Introduce yourself, who you are and wha...

As much of a vinyl fiend as I may be, I'm still a notorious downloader of music. It's not that I don't like to buy new music... I just enjoy too many things to be dropping money left and right. Not to mention how the whole laid off thing kinda changes your spending habits. With downloading comes a constant shifting of albums and tracks to and from hard drives and for me I often get lost in a few things and eventually have to shove them into the dark recesses of said drive so as to move on to whatever else I might have found. The last couple days have been especially grueling as my laptop is steadily telling me I'm running out of space (as are the externals) and I realized I have the same 10 things extracted that I did a month ago. Obviously I've been listening to more than just those albums, but anything that has stayed in the rotation that long deserves at least a quick look. So here are my thoughts on a few things that have piqued my interest (not so) recently. Te...

While I can't say that I was a part of the masses who thoroughly enjoyed Future Talk , the debut Physics release was definitely a good introduction to a group that has a lot to offer to the scene. With that being said, I do believe the release of their latest EP High Society shows tremendous growth and great potential for what the trio of Thig Natual, Justo and Monk Wordsmith has to offer to the ever growing Seattle Hip Hop scene. From the quick intro where they let us know that “you can't rush good music” you know that you are in for a treat. Featuring smooth beats courtesy of Justo along with Phee Dill and Dyalect you can't help but nod your head along to all of the seven full length songs featured here. Filled with knocking drums, greats samples and fresh horns the music is super dope, but the rhymes and flows are on point as well. From the jump off you can enjoy the message they have to deliver with their every man type raps and personable style. “Back Track” will cat...