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

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

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!

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 --> 

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: 

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. 

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):

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. 

The Fugees X Cali Swag X Henry Pope - Ready to Dougie

I heard this edit/mashup of Fugees vs. Cali Swag District vs. Henry Pope in Henry's Source Festival set and I wanted it - I wanted to rip off his idea and put it into my sets, haha! It's a perfect balance of classic and chilled hip hop, with modern bumpin bass and electro beats. And then I just got an email today that he put this Edit on Soundcloud for all to hear and use - it's f***ing DJ gold! I've got three gigs coming up in the next two weeks and this will fit perfectly into two of them - I can't wait to play it. Thanks Henry!!!

Keep em coming! Listen and download here:

Friendly Intentions - Beautiful Clothes

I have a love/hate relationship with Dubstep these days. I hate that it's generally overused and so many producers and labels have taken good artists and just thrown dubstep into their music and devolved into "wall of sound" imitation crap. But when I hear dubstep done really well, with some finesse and character, especially downtempo melodic dubstep, I f***ing love it! And Friendly Intentions shared a new track that falls into the latter category - "Beautiful Clothes" - a "vintage dubstep" downtempo track sampling the Beach Boys. Friendly Intentions is a Toronto production duo with experience in DJing, EDM and metal/rock bands. They're like a Canadian version of Skrillex. Listen to the track and learn more about it from the duo themselves: 


I asked Friendly Intentions about the inspiration and "vintage" theme behind the track and here's what they had to say: "We are big fans of older songs particularly groundbreaking songs. This [Beach Boys] song was released in 1966 and was extremely innovative for its time, from its composition to the instruments used. We are also fond of the beach boys singing because often they use well thought out vocal harmonies and the two brothers: brian and carl wilson, have excellent voices that punch through a mix well.

The inspiration from the song came from the warmth that the intro had. It presented a deep and wonderful atmosphere which we felt we would work into a relaxed unique song. We felt like that the main chorus of the song did not fit so well with the intro of the song since the released version of this song was recorded in 4 different studios giving each part its own defining character. It seemed like that part stood out the most of the original song. Rather then doing a remix we decided to more or less sample the intro/verse and expand it. All the composition was done with derivatives of the current existing melodies and a new chord progression. We also wanted to keep the vintage and warm essence of the track so the way the song was mixed was something similar to the way songs were mixed during the mid to-lade 1960's using vintage analogue equipment with not so much eqing and more dynamics. The result of this was something we decided to name "Vintage Dubstep" since it has the warm feel of the 1960's and the elements present mimic earlier synth sounds in terms of timbre."

Here's another side of Friendly Intentions, a great electro-house track with a funky vibe, produced to get you GOING!!! 

DJ Shiftee on the Traktor iPad App

This is why I love and use Traktor... I'm not DJ Shiftee level, but I'll keep practicing!

Extraordinary Magnitude Vs. Blackstreet - No Diggity 2013

This is an amazing mashup track from the new producer group Extraordinary Magnitude - composed of five Brooklyn beat makers Gramatik, Illumntr, Eric Mendelson, Drastiq and Buffalo Analog. I'm most familiar with Gramatik, Buffalo Analog and Illumntr and am super excited to hear these guys' collaboration album drop in July. As a teaser, they've blessed us with this really incredible acid jazz, trip hop track of instrumental beats with the acapella of Blackstreet's No Diggity. I dare to say, I think this version is even better than the original...and if its a vision of things to come, then I can't wait for the album "Proportions" to drop this summer. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook to hear more as it comes...

Moduloktopus - FutureClassics MIXTopus Mix and a Look Into the Imagination of the Electronic Music Chameleon

MODULOKTOPUS is officially a producer to watch. This Dominican Electronic Music Chameleon is creating amazing remixes and original beats in Boston, making waves around the country and via many blogs, like EarMilk and FutureClassics.ca - where he recently created the first in a Mix Series called MIXTopus. 

Moduloktopus has amazing range, which is what I look for when I write about and promote music. This guy and his sounds really caught my ear. His remixes are extremely creative and vivid, and pull from various electronic genres. Many are dance oriented, several of which are in various downtempo styles, fusing hip hop, trap, DnB, jazz, international flavors, and electronic sounds. I reached out to Moduloktopus to have a "discussion" about his music. I was excited to hear he's soon releasing new collaborations with rising stars NOMS and BRITE LITE BRITE. Like I said, Moduloktopus is someone to watch - he's got an amazing attitude, philosophy, sound and approach and that's what creates memorable music experiences. Read the interview with Moduloktopus below, listen to the MIXTopus and watch "Formless"!

DOWNBEATSCAPE: What's in a name...Moduloktopus?

MODULOKTOPUS: Suggested by my best friend Jose Gil Bernabe, the name is inspired from He-Man villain Modulok, whose powers included the ability to shape shift his body parts into weapons and plan complex schemes. I decided to infuse the name with the mythical reference of the Kraken and the Camouflage skills of cuttlefish. From those sources I created the name Moduloktopus. My interpretation behind the name is an Electronic Music Chameleon on a mission to adapt his imagination to any style he touches.

DBS: Tell me more about the set MIXTOPUS you just released with FutureClassic.ca...

MOD: Since I began uploading music on Soundcloud, Gabriel Pitman who runs the blog Future Classics, has always provided support for my releases. He wanted to start a mix series for his blog and I used it as an opportunity to start a new series of my own. MIXTOPUS consists of originals and remixes from my body of work. It also includes a lot of unreleased productions to make it special. This first one goes through 32 tracks in 50min. My goal is to make one every month or two for a specific blog, and include as much music as I can.

DBS: When did you get into music production and what does the future hold for you?

MOD: I got into production in my teens after my CDJs broke down. I had no money to fix them so I learned beat-making instead with Reason 2.5. Since those days I tried imitating my influences, but my real voice in production developed when I made the duo Dice Motion with Joel Friedman. We experimented so much and learned to piece together songs from start to finish. The future for me is uncertain, but I'm looking forward to playing more shows, artist collaborations, weekly releases, monthly releases, remixes, videos, and an undying effort to spread my diversity to various scenes in electronic music. I only want people to always expect something new from me every week.

DBS: What type of song do you look for when doing a remix?
MOD: I can pretty much play around with any essential element of a song to make a remix. What I look for is something easy to sample and to improvise with melodic or rhythmic twists. Most of the time I'll just recreate the original with a different flavor or experiment making my own dance floor hybrid version. My vision is to always find an uplifting feature to develop cause that's what the original song will initially do for me.

DBS: You collaborate with video artists and other producers when creating tracks, how do you connect with other artists and what is your collab process like?
MOD: Collabs happen naturally. Mostly because I come from a background of being in a band and acquainting with musicians on a daily basis. Always grateful to have musicians I am a fan of be my friends (Noms, M Constant, Jonathan Hoard, etc.. to name a few). It's a growing experience to have them add their musical strengths to your songs and push what you do in ways you never thought possible. When I was approached by videographer Michael Gold, we became fans of each other's style and the energy to work was seamless. He is such a chill guy to collab with cause he'll take my tracks and visually flip them inside out regardless of genre. Being a fan, having flexibility and staying inspiredly committed are the best qualities for a successful collab.

DBS: What producer, DJ or artist would you love to collaborate with?
MOD: I'd love to collab with so many, but to keep it simple I'd like to use the soulful side of my sound to go with: Sid Siriam, Jesse Boykins, Dvnny Seth, Hiatus Kayote, Erykah Badu, Lapalux, The Underachievers, Saul Williams, Sonnymoon, Bjork, Thriftworks, and Prefuse 73 to name a few...  On the Dance Music side I'd love to collab with Ookay, Willy Joy, DJ Sliink, M|O|D crew, Cashmere Cat, RL Grime, Herobust, DJ Rashad, Obey City, MikeQ, Brenmar, Hucci, Freddy Todd, Flosstradamus, gLAdiator, and many more... For the most part I'm pretty open when it comes to collaborating with anyone as long as the music serves its elevating purpose and reaches people. I encourage anyone out there who wants to collab to hit me up. At the moment I can announce you I'm collabing with Noms, Brite Lite Brite, and Jonathan Hoard for some releases in the upcoming month.

DBS: What's your take on the whole "trap" music explosion?
MOD: I have my personal view on it. To me Dance music will be Dance music regardless what tag we apply thru the ages. Whenever I see a genre being overgeneralized or overexposed, I like to use that opportunity to mix it around with other genres or ideas that could give it a different character and add diversity. For example in “Bessie's Bounce” I mix Baltimore Clap with my twisted trap style, “Wiggizm” trap with DnB, or on “Fckn Dance Flow” I infuse trap with Juke.

As long as producers can create music with an honest voice and authentic personality, any generalized music term can begin to diversify. Which is the situation when we look at the word Hip Hop for instance. I even believe trap is just another shade of Hip Hop, which for me is liberating when you think of the places to draw inspiration from.

In terms of the current hype cycle it's going thru, I'm pretty happy the dubstep lazer blasts have calmed down, and that 808 style beats with minimal elements can create the same effect on people. It has also made the entry level for producers easier to access, but the ones who thrive are the ones that stay connected supporting each other, refining their craft and share their authenticity with other artists. Now a days everyone who makes it big in “EDM” starts by remixing or collaborating with others. It's safe to say that when genre names explode it's that much easier to find people with a common taste, but you need to bring something different to the table that can stand out inside the genre. The best way for me to do this is mixing different genres or composing without thinking of genres at all.

DBS: "Formless" is a track that really caught my ear and eye, but it has a different feel from many of your tracks - how would you describe your musical range and what influences you to work with certain sounds and styles?
MOD: Good question. “Formless” is one of those situations where I didn't bound myself to genres, I was looking to simply piece together my sonic interpretation of Bruce Lee's words. That is what actually led to its diversity. As iconic as Bruce is, he resembles a wholehearted way of life and a big reminder that you gotta put your best up front. When a motivation like this is the key what drives the song, the results will always astonish you. It really gives me a confidence to leave my comfort zone and question how far can I take the music. The downside might be that I can't play this at a club, but the wisdom in its challenges can transfer unto the next club track.

DBS: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
MOD: Yes, Big Thank You to Downbeatscape for allowing me to express my views, and supporting my music. I'm currently looking to book more shows, so I encourage anyone out there to hit me up if you like what I offer. Also pay attention for new Souncloud releases and feel free to tell me what you Like, cause I love having fans be part of my creative output.

Formless - Moduloktopus from Michael Gold on Vimeo.

"Formless" by Moduloktopus

Be FORMLESS. This original track "Formless" and kung fu/Bruce lee video edit is by Boston-based producer sound man Moduloktopus. This guy has really caught my ear, with some amazing remixes that range in downtempo style from deep trap to glitchy and almost ambient trip hop. His "Formless" track connects with me at a deeper level - you don't just sample Bruce Lee without truly appreciating his higher philosophy. Stay tuned for more from Moduloktopus - I intend to share more...

Be FORMLESS.

Formless - Moduloktopus from Michael Gold on Vimeo.

Monday Mix - a "classic": Mikey Dubs - One Drop Ruination

This is one of my favorite mixes of all time. Mikey Dubs dropped this back in 2008 and I'd say it was pretty eye-opening for me in terms of the spectrum of dub and reggae. This mix is deep, chilled and dubby and as near to perfect mix composition as you can get (in my humble opinion).

Here's the tracklisting, it includes downtempo tracks from a lot of artists who have really blown up in the DJ scene since, included Zed, Caspa, Rusko and Skream:

01 Zeb-Lovers Step
02 Frankie Paul - Worries In The Dubstep
03 Skream - Dutch Flowers
04 LV feat. Dandelion - CCTV
05 Caspa+Rusko- King George
06 Clouds - Elders
07 Headhunter - Physics Impulse
08 Skream - Shake it
09 The Others - Light Up Your Spliff
10 Joker - Gullybrook Lane
11 Parsons - Big Killaz
12 Deadbeat - Babylon Correction
13 Skream - Dub Period
14 Kromestar - High is the limit
15 Unknown - Big Up An Bun Her
16 6Blocc Remix - Uptown Top Rankin
17 Carlton Livingstone - Chalice In Hand (Dubstep Rmx)
18 Syncho- Jahlove
19 12th Planet - Just Cool
20 Sublomatic - Spliff
21 Whitelabel - ??? (sorry I lost the sleeve)
22 Matty Heilbronn - Matty's Dub
23 Dread Fox - Moments in Dub

Artist Interview & Free Album Download: Simara - Yakushima EP

Simara (GTB Records) is a New York producer who recently released his EP "Yakushima." The EP features really interesting downtempo percussion that reminds me of other artists I've been into lately and including in my mixes, such as Sepalcure, Supreme Cuts and Tensei. The reverberating bass and staccato percussion sounds very natural, like they were created using sticks and stones and caves instead of a kit or drum machine. Simara combines this with Japanese strings and other lighter sounds that create a balanced and sometimes playful quality. My favorite tracks are "Water God's Lullaby" (chilled, introspection for weekend relaxing) and "All Night Long" (glitchy bass-trip for pre-partying). Check out a short interview with Simara, plus stream and download his new album "Yakushima" FOR FREE!



Downbeatscape: What does "downtempo" mean to you, and how does your work fit into your description?

Simara: Usually I associate downtempo with a relaxed pacing and mood - like ambient music with a beat. When it comes to my music, there's definitely a downtempo element. I've been heavily influenced by ambient music, but I also listen to a lot of artists like Massive Attack, Telepopmusik, Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Taylor Deupree, etc. There's a lot of overlap with different genres but I try to stay above all of that and just feel it out.

DBS: When you're producing, what part of a song do you start with to provide the foundation?

Simara: It really depends on what comes to me first. Sometimes I'll hear a melody in my head and I have to record myself whistling the parts on my phone or something, or sometimes I'll hear a percussion groove or I'll dig a particular sound or even just want to mess around with some general concepts. Having a variety of music helps with discovering and playing with progressions and synthesis. So, if something doesn't come to me melodically, I'll just work out some vague ideas in my head and let them grow.

DBS: The new EP is called "Yakushima" - what does that title refer to?

Simara: "Yakushima" refers to the forest with the same name on a south western island of Japan. The forest was a huge inspiration for movies by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli films like Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro, which are movies I grew up with and really love. The forest itself is gorgeous, mysterious, and enchanting. To me, it represents the nostalgia and raw emotions from the memories I associate with my past and my encounters with the forest and Japan.

DBS: How has the New York scene and other areas you've spent time in influenced your style?

Simara: The New York music scene is crazy. I'm exposed to so many different styles. You can find me at a Grimes concert, a Baths concert, or even the Allman Brother's Band. A lot of people I'm around are into jazz, folk, and hip hop, so I'm thankful I don't have to go very far to be musically inspired. Before university, I thought I was going to be a house music or "electro" producer. I wanted to be a DJ. But I was never 100% into that stuff - I had always liked the alternative stuff, and my first ever album was a CD by a Japanese artist called Daishi Dance, who liked to use lots of piano and pretty melodies to accompany his beats. I really dug that. I think spending time in lots of different areas, whether they be physical or mental, really helps to carve out a groove. All the while you have to be open, you know? Inspiration is everywhere.

DBS: How do you distribute your music and achieve the production quality you expect?

Simara: This is the hardest part about it I guess haha. Actually, I'm no longer truly independent, since recently I was signed to a small label called GTB Records, which hosts a number of wonderful musicians and people. We are still getting off the ground, but its been fun even in the short time I've been involved, and the situation regarding distribution / production hasn't changed that much. To be honest, I don't spend too much time focusing on distribution. Every once in awhile I might send something to a blog I follow or a person I think might like my music. I just want to keep doing stuff for its sake. Production quality, of course, is a really tough issue when you're working alone (and when you're broke). You've just got to keep listening to stuff that sounds really nice, and try to emulate. There are tons of resources that I'm thankful for, and going through the motions of trial and error teaches me a lot. I try not to get too satisfied or fall into a particular pattern of doing things. Getting lazy never helps. If I have to automate a million parameters, or fix the smallest things, I'll do it. If I have to ask someone for their opinion, then I'll do it. But settling is never good. I can't level up that way.

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:

STS9 - Axe the Cables - Re-mastered Acoustic Set

STS9 is incredible. I've never heard acoustic versions of their music, but this all acoustic set demonstrates their true range as musicians and how/why their music has such an organic analog feel, despite being highly electronic oriented. The acoustic version of their songs shifts between classical, jazz and folksy rock. This was released in 2009 but STS9 recently re-edited and re-mastered this album to make it even more crisp and beautiful.



Gratuitous cut-and-paste description of this set from STS9's Soundcloud Page: "In December of 2009, STS9 sat down in one of America’s most pristine modern opera houses on a chilly night in Denver, CO to create the inaugural “Axe The Cables… An Evening of STS9″. What this night encompasses is one of, if not the most flawless STS9 event in the bands decade plus history. The entire show was played, for the most part, sans all “electric” gear including the common stage instrumentation of laptops our fans have grown quite accustomed to. To say the event was a hit is an understatement. It was a night legends are made of. So much so the band has decided to re-cut, re-mix, and re-master this into one massive release."