Pretty Lights - Around the Block (ft. Talib Kweli)

New Pretty Lights single "Around the Block" - from new album coming out July 2! Free download here

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!!! 

Pretty Lights - The Day Is Gone

New Pretty Lights track - "The Day Is Gone" !!! Pretty Lights at his best, chillin w/ a dash of bass, funk and electro hop .... bring this down w/ the best and the crown...

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...

Thievery Corporation - Stargazer (Second Sky & Thomas Blondet Remix)

Second Sky and Thomas Blondet just released this excellent remix of Thievery Corporation's "Stargazer," a track off their 2011 release Culture of Fear. I've been listening to Thomas Blondet and Second Sky for several years, having found their sounds through the network of chillout, trip hop, dub and international fusion that continues to pour from Washington, D.C. based labels ESL Music and Rhythm & Culture. For the past year, Thomas and Second Sky have been partnering on many great remixes, collaborating to remix tracks such as "Stargazer" and Thomas even remixing some of Second Sky's original work. Check out the Stargazer remix, and many more below.

Thomas Blondet is a regular DJ and producer supporting ESL and Rhythm & Culture artists. His influence can be heard all over ESL and Rhythm & Culture recordings. Second Sky is a trio on the Rhythm & Culture label who continue to create amazing original work and do remixes with Thomas Blondet. Follow both of these artists and their DJ, production, original work and remixes - you won't EVER be disappointed.

Two Fingers - 101 South (free download)

Y'all have likely heard by now that Amon Tobin is back with a profound new side project "Two Fingers." Amon is famous for his pioneering experimental Drum & Bass and trip hop - he simply makes the music he wants and pushes entire genres forward by making his peers think differently. As Two Fingers, Amon takes a similar approach and experiments with hip hop inspired bass music. Two Fingers' new album Stunt Rhythms comes out Oct 1 on Big Dada (Ninja Tune's sister label). You can download the new single off the album for free:

And here's more about Stunt Rhythms directly from the Big Dada website - go there and check out more great music from Big Dada artists!

"Although Amon’s love of the lower reaches of low end will undoubtedly cause people to reach for lazy comparisons with dubstep, Stunt Rhythms is in fact more accurately viewed as his love letter to hip hop – less the rampant consumerism of, say, G-Unit’s “Stunt 101” than the early culture of innovation and freshness, of showing off simply that you’re better at what you do than anyone else. So while tracks like “Snap” could be said to literally break down classic hip hop to its constituent components and put them back together in completely new shapes, the more uptempo tracks like “Razorback” come on like a whole new soundtrack for an as-yet-uninvented future pop-locking. If you imagine Mantronix as a Kenworth K100 truck, Two Fingers is what happens when the truck turns into Optimus Prime."

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:

Usher - Climax (prod. Diplo) (Paper Diamond Remix)

I don't normally share mainstream music, but I do when some of my favorite artists - and other talented downtempo producers - do remixes of whats popular. Here's an example: Paper Diamond (on Pretty Lights Music) remixes Usher's Climax. I love Paper Diamond's original work and his remixes are always very steady and funky, and this remix is a deceptively basic, chilled out head nodder. Definitely something for any electronic music DJ or fan to add to their library.

The New Law - Jiri

The New Law are back with an incredible glitch hop single that, in my ears, sounds like a continuing journey of the unnamed hero/outlaw from their last three albums into a Middle Eastern or old Eastern European underworld. "Jiri" is an ethnically-inspired song created entirely from samples and, according to The New Law, was inspired "by a street musician in Prague named Jiri Wehle. He plays the hurdy gurdy and sings epic Czech folk songs." The samples originate from the following songs: Jiri Wehle-"Pisen pro Barsinu", 4 Strings-"Take Me Away" and Styx-"Mr. Roboto". Stream & download the song here:

Pretty Lights - You Get High

Pretty Lights has been busy, playing festivals and concerts all over the country while producing his online podcast/radio show The Hot Shit and recently releasing a new single "You Get High" that does just that - gets you high on life in Pretty Lights style.

This Pretty Lights track is true to form in what we've come to expect from him - steady hip hop beats laying the foundation for a perfectly mixed mash of funk, electronica (lighter dubstep in this case) and glitched up vocal samples. According to Pretty Lights, this is the last single he's dropping before releasing a brand new album this summer on his own label, Pretty Lights Music. I'll be sure to share the release date on my blog or via the Downbeatscape Twitter handle when it is announced.

Hear "You Get High" by watching the video and Download it for free at Pretty Lights Music website:

E4RTH - "It's Where We Live" - Earth Day Edition!

Happy Earth Day! Earth gave us rhythm - its rooted in our planet, in the vibrations it sends forth, and in every one of us. It gave us energy and instinct to transform rhythm into movement.

E4RTH sent me their track "It's Where We Live" to celebrate our Planet. This bouncy moombahton remix (get ready for latin drums and sires) represents their take on Earth Day. Similar to mine, its not about planting trees, rather celebrating everything the world has given us - both "natural" and "unnatural." Think about this - how are man-made creations any different than those found in the "natural" world? After all, everything we do or create is a product of this planet, it made of the same elements and vibrations that created us in the first place. So listen to E4RTH, and also check out this Earth Day-appropriate track "Beautiful World" from Amirali that I thought was a great addition to our Earth Day listening. Enjoy!

Damian Marley & Skrillex - Make It Bun Dem

Lovin' this new downtempo reggae/dubstep hybrid by Damian Marley & Skrillex. I really love both of these artists' work in general, and I respect both of them for the way they've embraced collaboration across genres and styles. Damian has been collaborating across hip hop and his recent stint in the super group SuperHeavy with Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, and AR Rahman was awesome. Skrillex has been collaborating with a ton of different people, from the remaining members of the Doors, Ellie Goulding, Korn and now Damain. Good for the them for finding awesome ways to create even more kick ass music.

Early Summer Jammin' - Pretty Lights vs. Summertime, Pacha Massive

It's ridiculously, unseasonably consistently warm in Madison, WI - it's been nearly 80 degrees for the last week and looks to stay around 70-80 degrees for at least the next week as well. This warm weather is spreading east - I like to think I'm sending Boston/NYC my warm weather ;) Everyone here has been in great spirits - its amazing what the weather can do for people.

In honor of this early "summer weather" we're having, I just wanted to post two songs that have made me feel particularly "summery" today: Pretty Lights remix/mashup from last year of "Summertime" and Pacha Massive's downtempo chill ballad "Just Want to See Ya." Keepin' me in a great mood... Enjoy

Santigold - Disparate Youth (Official Video) - new album coming soon!

Shigeto brings "Lineage' to life

You know how you hear a song and think it's nice, but then you see it performed live and then it means so much more? That happened to me when I was checking out Shigeto's new track "Lineage" - off his new EP of the same name (just released Jan 31, buy it here!)

I follow anything Ghostly puts out - it's all solid. Shigeto is no exception. His fine downtempo is a mix of jazz and ethereal sounds, with some breaks sprinkled through some of his songs. His new track "Lineage" is a fantastic atmospheric track. When I first listened to it I loved the ambient textures over a foundation of rolling drums, but then I saw a video of him performing it live and it really did, well, bring it to life. Seeing how he builds the track through his drum kit and uses midi controls for the other sounds was cool, seeing the movement of him playing really complements how the drums reverberate in your head and through your body. Check it out, and DL for free via Soundcloud:
Shigeto - Lineage Teaser from Ghostly International on Vimeo.

More about Shigeto, from Ghostly International:

Zach Saginaw consistently grounds his music in a deeply personal, familial context; his grandmother inspired two releases, his producer aliases, Shigeto and Frank Omura, both reference family names and it's not for nothing that his latest release as Shigeto is titled Lineage. Lineage combines Shigeto's jazz, hip-hop, funk and folk influences. These elements aren't new to Saginaw's work, but never has he demonstrated such complete command of his material.

New Pretty Lights Single & Video: We Must Go On

Pretty Lights has morphed and shifted his sound in the last year and a half, but has always remained true to his hip hop foundation and mashup of electronic sounds, hip hop beats and classic riffs and samples from jazz, rock, blues and more. This new single of his - "We Must Go On" - is very reminiscent of his early style, which was more hip hop and downtempo than some of his newer electro and dubstep infused tracks. I love these types of tracks, and it's this style that first attracted me to Pretty Lights in the first place. Click to download the new track for free. Accompanying this new track is a new video - which he and his girlfriend filmed and produced. If you've seen a Pretty Lights show before last summer then you've seen this style in his old live show set-up. It's a lot of beautiful images interspersed with daily life, encouraging people to see the "pretty lights" all around us:

New tracks, videos from K'naan - Nothing to Lose & Santigold - Big Mouth

K'naan and Santigold always have a solid flow and their own unique style. They each have come out with new tracks in the last week that I'm really enjoying. Check out their videos below, and you can DL Santigold's new track on her website. K'naan's new EP "More Beautiful Than Silence" is out digitally now - a great EP followup to his Troubadour success. I love each of their vibes in general, usually wavering between positive and upbeat with a slightly aggressive, take-no-prisoners flavor. They relax but amp me up - which is always a theme of this blog. It's this balance that they achieve that keeps me coming back to their tracks.