Downbeat Lounge Vol 3 Playlist ft Artifakts, Chrome Sparks, Tekvision

JUNGLE Solid Steel Guest Mix

JUNGLE rocks the Solid Steel (Ninja Tune crew) mix and blows your mind.

Downtempo Compilation: Cold Busted - Bust Free 19

Cold Busted is a west coast label founded by downtempo master DJ Vitamin D. It just released a new sample compilations of artists on its roster. I have several Cold Busted series and they are always great. This news compilation - Bust Free 19 - ranges from chilled out breaks to experimental downtempo. A must listen for any downtempo or chillout fan! Download it for free, via Bandcamp!

New Album: The Deadbeats - Soft Focus

The Deadbeats released a new album a few weeks ago titled "Soft Focus." I got into The Deadbeats many years ago after hearing a few of their tracks featured on the Wax On Records compilation series (founded by downtempo legend Nightmares on Wax). This album is more of the same and more of what I love - downtempo, chilled percussion grooves with intriguing vocal samples. Check it out on Bandcamp:

Downbeat Lounge Mix Tape - Volume 2

Happy Labor Day! Sit back and enjoy volume 2 of the Downbeat Lounge Mix Tape series - brought to you by yours truly. This compilation features new tracks from remix master Benji Boko, bass and dub god Liquid Stranger, and Leeds based deep artists Submotion Orchestra.

*NEW MUSIC* --> Odesza - Light (feat. Little Dragon)

Two of my favorite artists come together on this beautiful mid tempo track. Love how Little Dragon's vocals sound over Odessa's chill percussion and beats. Out on Odesza's album 'In Return' on September 18, mark your calendars!

Octosynthesis - Club Skylight Trip Hop Set

Check this amazing trip hop set from Octosynthesis - a true gem of new and old skool trip hop.

Octosynthesis - Club Skylight Trip Hop Set [August 29 2015] by Michael Anthony Martinez on Mixcloud

#ElementsNYC Festival (BangOn!NYC) Playlist - Liquid Stranger, Eduardo Castillo, Autograf, Minnesota, and more

The Elements Festival in NYC was a great party with amazing DJ and production talent. The festival was set in industrial Brooklyn among what felt like a construction site and rock quarry. It was a truly unique music and art experience - the scenery set it apart and the music took it to amazing levels of dance and energy. Check out this playlist of DJs who performed. 

My favorites were Liquid Stranger (bass, dubstep) and Eduardo Castillo (deep house). I missed Autograf (deep, tropical house) but I've heard he's really good live - wish I could seen him. 

Stoked Life DJ Set - new EROK feel good funky mix

I played a really fun and feel good funky set last week for the STOKED 10 year anniversary and collaboration event with MOMA curated artist James Victore, Zoo York brand and Tattly. There's a lot of funk and hip hop remixes in here, plus some summer glitch and a taste of tropical house. Enjoy!

Stoked Life by Downbeatscape on Mixcloud

Playlist: Summer Funk - modern funky sounds w/ glitch & EDM influence

Enjoy this curated playlist of funky sounds I've been jamming to all Summer long. I've really come to enjoy two artists in particular on this list - Island Riot and Slynk. The entire playlist is great - put on play and let it jam out!

ELEMENTS Music & Arts Festival - Brooklyn, NY, August 22 - featuring Liquid Stranger, Autograf, Minnesota, more

I'm so stoked to go to the ELEMENTS Music & Arts Festival in Brooklyn next weekend! It's got the lineup of DJs and producers who you rarely hear together on the same show or circuit. This is the underground festival for emerging artists. Here are some of my favorite tracks from DJs I can't wait to see, including Liquid Stranger, Autograf, Minnesota and more! Buy tix here!!!

In Honor of Jon Horvath, Fort Knox Five founder - 20 Minutes of F.U.N.K.

Jon Horvath, founder or Fort Knox Recordings and funk band/production/DJ group Fort Knox Five passed away today. I had the honor of meeting Jon before a few Fort Knox Five sets in DC and NYC. He brought insane energy to Fort Knox Five sets and recordings, and you couldn't miss his electric hair fro, which became a visual signature for the duo. I didn't know Jon personally, but I want to thank him - Fort Knox Five showed me how to incorporate funk into my mixes, and made me appreciate the past, present and future funk and the joy it brings. FUNK is joy, and Fort Knox Five and Jon embodied that joy.

Thank you Jon - you FUNKED THE WORLD HARD. I'll always share your jams, they'll always be part of my sets. You'll be missed. In honor of Jon - here's one of my favorite Fort Knox Five mixes:

D'Angelo - Brown Sugar (IAMBENJI RMX) by Benji Boko

Digging this Benji Boko hip hop remix - love these beats!

Downbeat Lounge Mix Tape - Vol 1 - A Collection of Downtempo Sounds

I've been listening to these tracks for the last month. They represent the downtempo chilled but energetic and fluid vibe I truly love. Enjoy!

Ghost Order - Hollows EP

Ghost Order is an artist based in Britain, currently remixing and designing beautiful downtempo melodies. I love tracks that have driving percussion that makes your head nod with very chill melodies and layers. I stumbled across an older Ghost Order album called Hollows (EP). The title track is my favorite, with light piano over percussion and reverberating bass. It's a great straight forward song - Hollows - that I can listen to over and over again.

BadboE - Ghetto Funk Testament Mixtape (May 2015)

Listen all the way through - this funk/breaks/nu-dub mix is killer. This is the type of mix where you want to make sure you can listen to it for the full hour. Enjoy!

Jeff Oster - Chillout Trumpet Remixes by Chris Coco and AfterLife Chill

Jeff Oster is a California based trumpet player who contributes to and has released his own downtempo and chillout albums. He recently shared some of his tracks from "Surrender" - a very nice downtempo album he released in 2011. The album is a collection of tracks that make me feel like I should be in a beach sunset, slight breeze while listening to them. Check out two highlights - remixes and edits by none other than the legendary Chris Coco and AfterLife Chill:

Social Sounds from Planet Dub - Playlist

The name of this playlist says it all - dubbed out tracks, chill reggae vibes, transport yourself to Planet Dub. Perfect chill jammin', right here.

Gelka & Phoenix Pearle - Catching Sunrise Mixtape

Really enjoyed listening to this chill mixtape by downtempo veteran Gelka. The mix starts with ambient sunrise and builds into lounge beats that are perfect for an active grilling afternoon on this holiday weekend, or for some poolside sounds. Listen here!

Gelka & Phoenix Pearle - Catching Sunrise Mixtape by Gelka on Mixcloud

Adam Warped Downtempo Mix - Strange Days / Hypersonic Radio

Stumbled across this beauty of a downtempo mix by Adam Warped, selectah supreme for Hypersonic Radio in Austin, TX. Oh, i'll be in Austin next weekend and hope to catch some live mixing!

Nice mix of electronic downtempo with a bit of Texas whimsy and twang sprinkled in.

New DJ Shiftee Traktor Routine

Just sick, I want all these toys (oh and the skillz would be nice too!)

Artifakts - Midwest Electro Hip Hop

I saw GRiZ at Terminal 5 in New York City last Friday and to my surprise the highlight was his openers -The Floozies and Artifakts. (GRiZ was just okay, he quickly forgot his sax and devolved into a poor man's Bassnectar and leaned on dubstep way too much for my taste). I had Floozies tracks but had not heard of Artifakts. So he took the stage first and immediately grabbed the audience - triggering funky samples and beats to command the audience and bring them into his sounds.

I'm from Milwaukee, so I loved hearing he's from Minneapolis - MIDWEST 4 LIFE! His sound is great, it's got that funky electro hip hop flavor similar to Gramatik, Pretty Lights, GRiZ (makes sense for his tour), Odesza, you name em. Check out this mini-mix here and follow him on Soundcloud!

World Sound Exploration: Sahel Sounds - New Mali Music

One of my favorite things about music is learning different styles and interpretations around the world. The instruments, sounds, rhythms vary everywhere - no two places are the same.

I've really enjoyed this podcast of music from Mali. It's a mix of modern Mali sounds and educational too, talking about the history of Balafon (Malian street party music), specific instrumentation and file sharing through cell phones and MP3 street markets. It's a mix of Mali folk, hip hop, tribal rhythms and it is FUN. Click play & listen with open ears - you're going to enjoy and learn a thing or two!

Shout out to Sahel Sounds Bandcamp- the record label and blog that brings this to us all the way from Mali, via Portland --> Sahelsounds is a project begun in 2009 exploring the cultural and musical phenomena of the Sahel region of West Africa. Through field recording, interviews, video, youtube archeology, cellphone data collection, sahelsounds uses archiving to transmit a story.   

Praktikos - Breaks of Dawn (Chillout Mix 2015)

Klue - Way I'm Lovin You

Nice blend of jazz and funk, with a great beat. This is good. 

Suburban Dream - 26 EP (this is special)

I consider Ciaran of Suburban Dream a friend. I've never met him, but when I was first getting into DJing and writing about music, he was also starting to share this stuff with the music blogs. It was many years ago and still one of my favorite tracks to play in my downtempo DJ sets is his song "Wandering Around".

He shared this latest EP with me, a beautiful album inspired by his mother. It is four tracks of glistening, sometimes ambient, melodies over simple but layered percussion. The arrangement of the sounds create a perfect chillout mood to relax and enjoy a blue sky and focus on good memories and good vibes. Definitely introspective in places. My favorite track is "The Power of Doubt" - a track that builds and swells and rides on a light piano riff, and sweeping yet driving drums and synths. Check it out here and buy it for only a few bucks on Bandcamp: 

EROK - Lifted Epilogue - Downtempo Mix

I had this feeling that my previous mix "Lift" just wasn't over. I followed my energy and created this "Lifted Epilogue" - a continuation of "Lift" and an end that brings together the balance of light and dark energy that I generally feel throughout the course of a mix. Best enjoyed chilled.

Living Light - Ecliptic ReVisions (Album Mix - OUT NOW)

Earl Sinclair (Dinosaurs) performs Hypnotize by The Notorious B.I.G.

PERFECT. 

Jenova 7 & Mr. Moods - Time Traveller LP

Jenova 7 is a 25 year old downtempo trip hop artist based in Boston. He came on my radar a few years ago and his stuff keeps getting better and better. Mr. Moods is a Canadian producer. I'm not sure how they hooked up but i'm glad they did. I'm really diggin their new LP - "Time Travellers"  It's a great collection (12 tracks) of downtempo beats. Listen here, enjoy and stay chilled --> 

Ricardo Villalobos - Minimal Set and Fireside Chat

My DJ friend Nicholas.AM turned me on to Ricardo Villalobos recently - a minimal tech house DJ and producer big on the international festival circuit. I stumbled across an older mix of his interspersed with an interview "Fireside Chat" with him by Red Bull Music Academy. I love his quote about how music is emotional and if we take too much intellectual approach to it we often complicate it or risk its purity. Listen to the mix and interview below:

Liquid Stranger - Anomaly Mix

I feel like I discovered a hidden treasure right beneath my nose - except that I didn't b/c Liquid Stranger has over 100K followers on Soundcloud so I am well behind on this one! But damn I'm glad I found it. Liquid Stranger is a producer out of Scottsdale AZ who makes the most amazing wonky dub sounds with hip hop and reggae sounds and vocals. I've been listening to this mix on repeat for the las 24 hours (literally) and just downloaded a slew of his tracks to add into my own mixes. Check it out:

Glitch Mob - Love Death Immortality Remixes out Feb 24 (preview and free download)

You must know Glitch Mob to know trip hop and, of course, glitch. I can't wait for the remixes to drop on Feb 24 to Glitch Mob's amazing Love Death Immortality. 18 tracks remixed by Bassnectar, Starkey, Filous, Chrome Sparks and more. It's going to be an incredible collection of remixes. Before the release on Feb 24, you can get a free download of "Our Demons (Filous Remix)" - i'm already drooling about how to drop this track into my next mix. And previous all the remixes below: 

DJ Fada - Fairy Dreaming Psydub Mix

I love following the trail of Soundcloud users and mixes... I came across DJ Fada by following Tree of Life psychedelic sets. DJ Fada is out of Brazil and has an incredible combination of sounds.

New EROK Mix - LIFT (Downtempo Bass Dreamscape)

After I got that house endeavor out of my system a few weeks ago I needed to get back to downtempo roots. I've come to love combinations of foundational bass vibes and light melodies - they balance out, they just do. This mix is just that -some deep bass with dub influence and downtempo style. Featuring new and old tracks alike, this truly melds some of my classic downtempo inspirations with new stuff. Check it out, plus the track list below...

Track list includes: 
- Tranquility - Direct
- Beyond Raging Wave - DJ Krush
- DRNUK - Louis Futon
- Parallax - Direct
- Phantomile - Actraiser
- The Turn Around - BRRIO (Lifted Contingency)
- Voyager - Minnesota
- Step Aside - Silkie
- One Dub - Antibalas
- On a Lake - Chims
- Lakeside - Praktikos
- Drugstore - Sounds from the Ground

David August - Her Myth (free download) and Boiler Room Live Mix

David August is a 22 year old German DJ and producer who was named one of Resident Advisor's Top Live Acts in 2014. His Boiler Room set shows why - it is a perfect mix. The deep house set is the perfect pacing, pairing of beats and sounds, vocals exactly when you want then, and yet so simple - its no frills, just perfect execution in every way. This is the kind of mix a DJ aspires to. Watch and listen to the Boiler Room set here - and download David's latest track - Her Myth - for free:

CHIMS - Truant Heart EP - chillout

CHIMS - norweigian electronic producer - brings us a new EP called "Truant Heart", it is very chill and beautiful. It's a true "chillout" album, with downtempo tunes that almost become ambient, but always hold an interesting beat to ground it in some rhythm. My favorite track is "Shielded" which has twinkling piano riffs, haunting vocals and dusty percussion.

Check it out - easy chill listening:

GRiZ - Stop Trippin' (with iDA HAWK)

GRiZ is bangin' in all the right ways - funky, soulful, electro feel with downtempo and flowing currents in every song. Mixing funky guitar riffs, melodic bass, jazzy and hip hop breaks, this is jammin. His jams are the kind that get you high - just chillin and then suddenly you must move! If you like Pretty Lights, Gramatik, Haywyre, Eliot Lipp, and that type of crew then you'll like GRiZ.  The producer, from Detroit, just released a new track "Stop Trippin'" - here it is: 

Direct - Tranquility [Monstercat Release] - downtempo/ambient

The Monstercat label is a treasure of electronic music. I go to them for high energy and interesting electro beats, and every once in a while they have interesting downtempo that is closer to my DJ and blogging sweet spot. This track is an example - "Tranquility" by Direct. The song is exactly as it's titled, a tranquil treat that is almost Tron-like in it's electronic melodies. Check it out here and, if you want it in your personal collection, buy it on Bandcamp using the 2nd link below: 

Haywyre - Insight (Live Performance) [MonsterCat Release]

I shared several Haywyre tracks the other day. This live performance shows why there seems to be more depth in Haywyre's downtempo and funky dubstep - there's an actual performer performing, using more than just fingers on a cursor or drum machine. My favorite parts of this track are where Haywyre's prowess on the piano/synthesizer is the focal point. I'm no technical pianist, but I know what I like and I know when I hear something interesting, and I keep coming back to this track and now I know why. 

Banshankri - Tree Of Life Festival Entry - Chillout Psychedelic Mix

Wow, this is a beautiful and mesmerizing mix. It's the perfect balance of energy that compels you to move, not quite dance, but just move however you feel like. The psychedelic nature is not of trance, like many psychedelic festival entries, rather this is something different. Downtempo for sure, but captivating and bordering on meditative (or certainly meditative if you choose). I absolutely love this mix. 

Downtempo: Romare - Prison Blues

Ninja Tune is promoting "Projections" - a new album out February 9 by downtempo groove artist Romare. Based out of London (many Ninja Tune artists are), Romare squarely has my attention. His tracks are rooted in slick drumming that allows for interesting layering of downtempo grooves and even more funky danceable beats. Check out tracks from the upcoming album "Projections" here - Prison Blues (downtempo), Pusherman (experimental ambient) and Roots (funky house):

Upside of Down: House Mix Saturday: DJ Erok - The Cut / We In Cloudz - WKND

I have eclectic tastes, but I always enjoy a good beat. I've recently been inspired and prompted to post a new house mix, something I've never really done before. I've added house and electro tracks to my mixes when they fit, but this is the first time I recorded a full house/electro mix. Take a listen, and while you're at it listen to my DJ friend Nick Mourgue and his NYC house party crew WE IN CLOUDZ. Deep, funky, house and electro for your weekend!

THE BLEND Mix Series - Midnight Cafe Vol. 3 - TRIP HOP MIX

Love this track selection from THE BLEND. It's a great trip hop mix for midnight jammin and drinking. If you dig trip hop, r&b, any jazzy smooth chilled hip hop you'll like this. 

Joker - Midnight (Bassnectar Remix)

Bassnectar doesn't need my press, but this track is really hitting the spot right now and I have to share it.

Razoof - 15 Years of Dubby Downtempo

Razoof, dub master DJ and producer, constantly selects great downtempo, dub and reggae tracks for his mixes. This mix - 15 Years of Dubby Downtempo - is exactly as the title says. It's pure dub through the years. Timeless for sure, and forever the perfect chill.

RAZOOF - 15 years of dubby downbeats by Razoof on Mixcloud

New Track: Monophona - Thumb

Monophona duo (or trio?) released a new single called Thumb off their upcoming LP, to be released at the end of January. It's a beautiful acoustic trip hop track that immediately caught my attention. Check it out here, along with the rest of Monophona's library. 

Haywrye - Glitch Hop and Chilled Dub Sounds

I basically listen to anything Gramatik posts or recommends on Soundcloud, and I'm never let down. This is another amazing share - Haywyre - a producer/artist from Vancouver, Canada who does glitch hop with the best of em. If you like Gramatik, Glitch Mob, early Pretty Lights family then you'll like this.