Here's your weekend mix: Calculon - FABRICLIVE x Bukem In Session Mix

CHILLED D&B - BUKEM SAID => NUFF SAID:

Calculon - FABRICLIVE x Bukem In Session Mix by Ltj Bukem on Mixcloud

Monday Mix #10: Downbeatscape / EROK LIVE at Kulturez

Today's Monday Mix is another of my own - recently recorded during a live mix session at my friend's urbanwear store KULTUREZ in Cambridge, MA. Whenever I visit Boston (where I got my DJ start), I swing by and play a set at the store. The store specializes in Boston-local urbanwear - mostly graphic tees with a street sense along with being a hub for the graffiti, hip hop and breaking crews in Boston. Check out the mix - this one is more chilled out hip hop and reggae oriented, with a dose of Downbeatscape eclecticism (is that a word?). I think you'll like it :)



Tracklist:
1. Mourning Unknown - Talib Kweli (Max Tannone's Dub Kweli Project)
2. Neva Stop Riddim - Ancient Astronauts
3. Wandering Around (Spooky O Mansion Remix) - Suburban Dream
4. Do You Wanna Get Funky - London Funk All Stars
5. Scale It Back (Benji Boko Remix) - DJ Shadow ft. Little Dragon
6. Maximum ft. La Methode - DJ Vadim
7. Oblivion (Make Remix) - Ancient Astronauts
8. Thrill 103 - DJ Vadim
9. Oh! (Benji Boko Remix) - Beardyman ft. Foreign Beggars
10. Let There Be Horns - RJD2
11. HBR (Michel Menert Remix) - Paul Basic
12. Swordfish Hotkiss Night - Empire of the Sun
13. Kalimba - Mr. Scruff
14. Wanna Be Loved (Benji Boko Remix) - Kidda

Monday Mix #9: Downbeatscape Mix "Shiver" on the BeantownBoogiedown.com August Podcast

My latest mix, "Shiver," was developed exclusively for the BeantownBoogiedown.com August Podcast - a Boston web site dedicated to DJ and dance culture. Nick Minieri, the founder behind Beantown Boogiedown, writes, photographs and shares the sounds of the scene in Boston and the east coast. He asked Downbeatscape/EROK to develop a downtempo dance oriented mix to feature as his August podcast. This mix wavers between the depths of deep downtempo electronic and 140BPM bass, giving it a quality that allows the listener to chillout or get up and move.

Checkout the Podcast here and other great music at www.Beantownboogiedown.com And stream via SOUNDCLOUD right here:

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."

Monday Mix #8: Properly Chilled's August 2012 Propercast

I've been delinquent on sharing great downtempo music, but I'm back! Travel can do that to ya - which is nice though, because sometimes we all need a respite from posting/tweeting/facebooking/etc. to focus on spending a bit more time offline. So with that, I come back w/ a great downtempo mix that's all about celebration: the latest Properly Chilled Propercast by Brandon, a fellow downtempo afficionado who runs ProperlyChilled.com. Brandon really has his ear to the ground in all styles of downtempo and chilled party music, and his "Propercasts" always feature the latest and greatest downtempo - he is a constant source for me. So check out his latest downtempo showcase - a great selection of international dub, reggae, indian/bollywood, brazilian/flamenco and more.

Properly Chilled Podcast #86: August 2012 by Properlychilled on Mixcloud

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.

Monday Mix #7: Ninja Tune Solid Steel ft. DJ Kentaro

Ninja Tune's monthly Solid Steel online radio show is always a fantastic mix of eclectic sounds. Coldcut, Ninja Tune's founders, always start the show with an hour long set that ranges from trip hop to funk to ambient, and then they pass it to a guest DJ who performs another hour. This month's guest is DJ Kentaro - a Ninja Tune turntablist (and DMC Turtablism Gold Medalist) who just released a new album "Contrast." Many of his new tracks are featured in his mix, which has a hip hop vibe with downtempo dance and dubstep elements, and a healthy dose of impressive scratching. He also features new music by Slugabed, another Ninja Tune artist. When I heard this mix I instantly went out and bought both new albums by DJ Kentaro and Slugabed - great additions to the downtempo library. You'll like this mix if you like Rusko, Foreign Beggars, downtempo dubstep, turtablism and Ninja Tune in general.

DJ Kentaro - new album "Contrast" (Ninja Tune)

Slugabed - new album "Time Team" (Ninja Tune)