Sonic Gardens: Day 217

And we meet again. Thanks for tuning in. It’s been a long week, opening a restaurant is always an arduous task, but in the midst of COVID things are even more interesting. But thankfully music is there to remind me to pray and breathe, always keeping me in the present and connected with the beauty life has to offer.

While my vinyl buying habit is in full force I haven’t partook in pre ordering things at all. That all changed this week upon receiving notification of two heavy hitters, one receiving the deluxe reissue treatment and one being a forthcoming new release that finally announced the vinyl presentation.


Brainfeeder, the label begun by FlyLo, is at the heart of so much of the amazing new music coming out these days - both in their own releases and via the inspiration said records exude. Teebs was one of the first Brainfeeder artists I ever discovered a decade ago and Ardour has been a constant in my ears for the last decade. Easily one of the best pieces of beat focused music to bless the sonic pathways, I’ve always found it fascinating how Teebs makes beats that sound like a painting. The man is an accomplished visual artist so it’s no surprise, but the music is lush and peaceful, yet filled with just the right amount of energy to bring about a mood of confidence and serenity with life. I’ve long sought the OG press and when I saw the opportunity to snag it and his more recent effort Anicca I jumped on it!


Mutant Academy is the latest rap fascination of mine, hailing from Richmond, VA. The crew is deep, filled with emcee’s and producers who encapsulate so much of what is phenomenal in rap right now. Rooted in dusty loops modernized by the electronic leanings of an artificially intelligent racing society, it’s rap made for those who want content and vibe. Fly Anakin is the de facto leader and I’ve made it a mission to cop anything he attaches his name too.


Pink Siifu is crafting culturally relevant missives inspired by current society and the past in equal part. His last record, Negro, was a scorching tyraid leaning into the punk ideology the Beasties never capitalized on but also held bars you can’t ignore and a tribute to the departed Ras G. He is an inspiring creative that you can’t afford to ignore, he aligns himself with winners and delivers every time.


Not long ago Anakin & Siifu dropped a loosie on us that was cool and then we got the announcement of FlySiifu’s coming next month with production from familiar names from the modern dustified beat community but also a Madlib joint - who has gone on record stating Anakin is the best rapper out. When I saw it was coming out on Lex I knew the pressing would be gorgeous and I can’t wait to sit with it upon its arrival.


Today was spent in deep meditation with an assortment of jams pulled randomly out of the crates including David Porter, Black Joe Lewis & Gang Starr. I also took the time out to watch the new film about the Chicago 7. Right before putting it on I pulled out What’s Goin On. A perfect record anytime but even more relevant right after a story of a brutal miscarriage of justice that only demonstrates how doomed our country is - our problems haven’t changed.


The rest of the week was filled with a lot of work where I was either relistening to Mizo & I’s mixes, rock or whatever pop my young chef’s enjoy. At times I wasn’t impressed but it’s important to spread the bluetooth connections and let everyone have a turn at DJ. And there were a few moments when I was grooving right along with em. It’s easy for me to forget that I’m not the end all be all when it comes to listening choices and to just fall back and take in some sounds I would otherwise ignore.


Discovery is what it’s all about after all, I can get lost in my esoteric leanings easily and sometimes it’s good to just cede the control and ride with some sounds a little more traditional. One of the coolest things about having my record collection readily accessible again is the array of things I’m discovering for the first time. I felt compared to pick it up at one point but that doesn’t mean I ever gave it its due, so today I can tune in and vibe with whatever crosses my ears. It’s truly a gift.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa "How Fly" Review

Image
Two of Hip Hop’s best kept secrets found each other, seemingly through a thick haze of weed smoke – stoners do tend to unite. While Curren$y did enjoy a brief moment of semi fame rolling with Lil' Wayne, he left for potentially greener pastures (addressed splendidly on “S.D.L”) and has been steadily on his grind with the Fly Society behind him. Wiz Khalifa on the other hand has been making a name for himself on both the blog scene and the tour circuit, although he hasn’t made it out to the North West yet. His hustle never did seem appreciated by Warner Brothers who saw a star years ago when they signed him, but sit on the shelf he did until finally gaining his freedom just over 2 weeks ago. Independent is the way to roll and these two obviously share more in common than a fetish for the greenery, fresh kicks, and designer labels. The album gives you much of what you would expect and some of what you might not have. The beats are rocking almost all the way through, some however le...
Read more

Ahmad Jamal "At The Top: Poinciana Revisited"

Image
The first time I heard Ahmad Jamal I didn’t know I was listening to him. Thanks to the Soul Brother Pete Rock I was first privy to the sounds comin’ from Jamal’s piano thanks to “The World is Yours” from Nas’ first classic, Illmatic . As I learned about samples and started diggin in the crates I began to see this piano player pop up regularly. They were cheap and I copped one. It was cool, nothin’ spectacular, no Pete Rock sample, but I new I would find it one day! In that time I have since picked up a few more Jamal LP’s (five to be exact) and the one thing to know about this man is when he is on, it’s some of the best Jazz one could listen to! At The Top: Poinciana Revisited is a perfect demonstration of why he deserves more respect and listening time from music fans all over the world. What has always inspired me in Jazz is the musician’s use of his instrument in combination with silence. The piano is one of the best ways to express this. Jamal will play and play and then disappear...
Read more

Heatrocks of June

Image
Half way through 2010. I'm another year older. Time is flying and life is exciting. Apologies for the lack of updates around these parts, the sun coming out and my own lack of direction have been on my mind lately. I'm ready to make a move and find a home, it's been a long run since coming back to Seattle in October of last year. But let's dispense with the personal stuff, that ain't why you come to The Musik Lounge! Download June Heatrocks here. Kicking off this month's edition of the Heatrocks is "Think 4 Yourself" by La Finne Equipe & Mattic. I know nothing. The name is eloquent. The song is fun. Truth couldn't be realer. Get down with it. I need to go back into my Ani DiFranco archieves and see if this really is her voice they flipped for the sample in the hook. One of the last records I rocked at my old job in the Bistro on Seattle University's campus was Long Distance from Onra. As I remember it, it's great. "Wonderland...
Read more