Chillout Single & Video: Raycord - Wurlitzer a Nu

This is a beautiful downtempo song - very chilled for a Saturday morning, almost ambient. The song title, "Wurlitzer a Nu," refers to the Wurlitzer piano, which is the source of the distinct piano sounds that balance this song with the reverberating bass throughout. The Wurlitzer piano is also the subject of the video - which I really enjoy because it puts all the focus on the music and the implement - sometimes videos can distract from the music, but this is a showcase, an homage to the source of the sound.

Here's more about the artist: "Raycord is a Canadian composer who lives and works in the countryside, a lifestyle steeped in the elements that inspires his music and suits his sensitive nature, the warmth of which permeates and humanises the electronic music he channels. Raycord composes vibrant and atmospheric music. After an inconspicuous release of his debut album L’hiver Blanc, Raycord is coming back with a new sound experimentation: Ruban-Ruban on Phonosaurus Records. Raycord patiently crafts his compositions with a great attention to detail. He also occasionally incorporates tracks by other musicians. His upcoming album Ruban-Ruban is a musical experimentation assisted by Steve Cloutier and will be available on iTunes, Amazon, phonosaurus.com and many more on September 12."

Ymbelydredd (Them&Us Remix) - Gwenno

I first heard about beatbox pioneer Killa Kela a few years ago at the Boom Festival in Portugal, and I've been a fan of Basement Jaxx for years. Now, Killa Kela and a former member of Basement Jaxx - vocalist Ami Carmine - have partnered on a new project called "Them & Us." The duo is producing excellent remixes using Killa's beatboxing prowess and Ami's vocals, and just released an original EP. Check out their latest - the amazing remix of Ymbelydredd by Gwenno, plus a new track off their EP.

Ymbelydredd (Them & Us Remix) is also offered as a free download:

Monday Mix #6: TrueNature - J'Aime Le Dubstep Podcast #179

I came across this great site: J'Aime Le Dubstep, founded by basshead DJ Construct, out of Montreal. The site promotes amazing bass music, ranging from Drum&Bass and Breaks to Dubstep and UK Funky. In honor of the anniversary of U.S. dubstep party RECONSTRVCT held this past weekend in NYC, J'Aime le Dubstep handed over its Podcast over to one of the party's founders - Brooklyn DJ True Nature. True Nature delivered an amazingly melodic and dark mix of tribal, dub and bass-themed downtempo. This is not a light mix, and it is not for the faint of heart. But it is for readers of Downbeatscape who continue to appreciate the yin and yang of music and its mystical powers. Check out other great music at J'Aime Le Dubstep - full credit to them and True Nature for this.

New EROK Chill Hop Mix - Odyssia (FREE DOWNLOAD)

My summer goal was to write a lot and compose a mix a month. So far, so good. Here's my latest - Oyssia - a "chill hop" mix with hints of funk, dub, reggae and middle eastern ambiance. The mix art is one of my brother's sketches - check out his website, MJD Artworks!

I've been posting a lot of mixes lately because I've been studying other DJs' 1) mixing techniques and 2) song selection. When I DJ, I focus on mastering these two core components to create an interesting story. I believe a set mixed simply (and technically sound) with great song selection and a bit of style is always superb to a technically complex mix with only OK song selection. As DJs, we must not overcomplicate things, but rather we must create sets where the songs enhance each other and are experienced differently together than they would be alone. Do you think this set achieves this?



Tracklist:
1. State of the Union (Rewound) - Thievery Corporation
2. Pearl - The Deadbeats
3. Deep in the Cut - J Boogie
4. Mr Universe - Mos Def (Max Tannonne Edit)
5. Boomster - Rapscallion
6. Starfall - Michal Menert
7. Bongo Dub - Dub Traffik Control vs. Manu Chao
8. Last Night (J Boogie Remix) - Ancient Astronauts
9. Tangolypto - Heyoka
10. The Others - Second Sky
11. Chez Roger Boite Funk - Troublemakers
12. Kiara - Bonobo
13. Hip Hope - Marzebian
14. Facing East - Thievery Corporation
15. Out of Time - Pretty Lights