Following the sucess of the‘Nude’ remix contest, Radiohead have decided to cash in follow on with ‘Reckoner’. You can buy the stems from iTunes at 99c a pop. (There’s usually 5 stems per track). Pay what you’d like for the album. Heck, get it for free. Then wait a few months. And charge 5 bucks for the same track. So many people buy it it gets on the iTune charts! And then toss a few grand at a ‘winner’, even though you’ve asked Diplo, James Holden and Modeselektor to remix for you.
I know I’ve used Kanye’s image in vain in the past, but at least he’s giving the ‘Love Lockdown’stems away for free on his blog. No word of a prize or competition, but did you really think you’d do a better remix than James Holden?
UK Grime artist Random Impulse released his second album on Black Unicorn records recently. Apart from the fact that Black Unicorn is a US based label, what sets this release apart is not just it’s length - it runs 17 tracks long - but the production quality of this genre hopping release.
Grime hasn’t made much of an impact in Australia yet, while other more US-centric variants of Hip Hop have managed to get a foothold. Dirty South and Crunk regularly get air play on JJJ - maybe it’s just another indication of how Australia looks to the US for cultural stimulation - surely an oxymoron.
‘Full Metal Alchemist’ samples rock, soul, funk and Sci-Fi, with Jovel’s rapid fire delivery sitting nicely over all of these genre. He plays guitar on most of the tracks, and maybe that’s what elevates this release from other ‘electronic hip hop‘ like Akala. The narrative is strong and not in the least pretentious. There’s not a single ’shory wants to freak me’ track on here. No ’slangin’ crack’ tracks. And that’s another reason why you should check out this album. A breath of fresh air from ‘ghetto-booty-tech’ soaked air waves. ’Full Metal Alchemist’ is one of the most original albums I’ve heard this year.
Jovel Walker ( Random Impulse) answers our questions after the jump -
The Faint return with their Eight full player released on their own blank.wav label. If you’re not familiar with the music of this four piece dance-punk band by name, you most certainly will be by sound. The Faint could be credited with the whole ‘dance / rock / punk’ cross over thing. Bands like The Presets, MGMT, Offend you, Yeah? (the list goes on) all owe a debt to The Faint.
Fame arrived early with the departure of Conor Oberst ( he didn’t even record with the band), and the grabbed plenty of column inches in the press. Citing Death Metal and techno as influences, it’s fair to say that The Faint persued a sound all thier own. A pity then that ‘Fasciinatiion’ won’t sound as original as it should. It’s as if they’ve been beaten to the punchline.
‘Fasciinatiion’ is a great album. The lyrics are sharp and occasionally acidic ( and we all know how I love that) as on ‘I Treat You Wrong’- ‘I don’t mean to sound like I want a fight, but if you’d see it my way, we could both see it…..right’. The stomping bassline of ‘Mirror Error’ becomes becomes tomorrows earworm when paired with the uplifting chorus - strange in a song about hating your appearance. That’s the beauty of The Faint - if you want some great tracks with thumping beats and an edge, they’re for you. If you’d rather tracks with a little more substance than how to spell dance, the The Faint are for you. Thinking mans electro-punk. One of the best electronic albums of the year, a contender for the top ten for sure.
Bang Gang 12″ - The Death Set
Negative Thinking (Treasure Fingers Remix)
Friday - Yay! To help you get in the mood for the weekend those nice Bang GangDJ’s have dropped a cracker! Wrap your ears around this little beauty…
And while you’re bobbing your head ( Big up to all those in Bobbin Head ) check out the new list to the right. A friend recently asked if I’d heard of Fleet Foxes. I gently pointed him to the June 4 review. But that got me thinking that you could miss a review easily - so I’ve listed all the _wednesday_weviewsfor easy browsing.
31_Borrowed_Beats_September_08_Edition - Super Cool
Welcome to the Triplejaysus ‘School of Cool’. In this seminar we will cover the history of Cool, moving through different genres to further your understanding. There will be case studies, further listening suggestions and plenty of super cool examples for your entertainment and edification. Let triplejaysus turn you from Geek to Chic.
Because here at Triplejaysus, we’re cooler than you, and we know it!
