Incise - Daily Methods (2010)

Genre: Underground Hip-Hop / Soul / Progressive and Positive
Label: Media Factory Japan / Zoom
Release Date: June 22, 2010
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01. Sunrise
02. Hope feat. Need Not Worry
03. Running Out Of Time feat. The 49Ers
04. Got To Go feat. Nieve
05. Bring It Back Hydropnikz & Anika
06. Paving The Way feat. Okay City, Shad K & David Morin
07. Go Back feat. Noah King
08. Mid-Day
09. A New Day feat. Ajaxx
10. Music Forever feat. The Stereotypes
11. Written feat. Don Cerino
12. Rising (Redux) feat. Tunji
13. Inequity feat. Stain
14. Stay Driven feat. Dan Johns
15. Sunset
16. Paving The Way – Remix Re:plus Remix
17. Got To Go – Remix feat. Nieve

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DL

Incise is a Toronto based musician whose career started back in 2002 when he first started DJing and scratching records. In 2004, he spun at the regional DMC Canada scratch competition as a young 17 year old shaggy haired contestant. It was around this same time that Incise began learning to make beats and started chopping sounds to create new melodies/harmonies. Although Incise’s roots were originally in Hip Hop and Jazz, he has since crossed over and has been experimenting with electronica & ambient sounds. Life being his primary inspiration, Incise intends to keep creating music that will evoke emotions of people across the world."

for more info and buy: www.incise.ca

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles (2008)

  


     Flying Lotus is likely one of the top 10 instrumental/electronic/hip-hop producers EVER. I put him on the same list as J Dilla, 9th Wonder, DJ Premier etc. I feel he is one of the world's amazing musicians. FlyLo, real name Steven Ellison, produces electronic hip-hop beats that are very abstract and sometimes jazz-influenced. Flying Lotus originated the Brainfeeder collective which sponsers musicians such as Teebs, Daedelus, Ras G, and Samiyam. He fuses IDM and electronica with trip-hop/hip-hop instrumentals. He released Los Angeles (his 2nd album) in 2008 through Warp Records and got very optimistic reviews for it. His other records include the album titled "1983" which was his first album and was released through Plug Research Records in 2006. After Los Angeles was released in 08'. Flying Lotus released "Cosmogramma" in 2010 through Warp Records and most recently he released "Until The Quiet Comes" this past October 2012. Los Angeles will always be my favorite Flying Lotus album release. He has other bootleg releases and EPs that I will review in the future.

Los Angeles (2008)

Genre: Trip-Hop/ Electronica / Instrumental Hip-Hop / Glitch Hop

Label: Warp Records 

Release Date: June 9, 2008
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1	Brainfeeder		1:32
2	Breathe.Something / Stellar Star		3:21
3	Beginners Falafel		2:28
4	Camel		2:23
5	Melt!		1:45
6	Comet Course		3:02
7	Orbit 405		0:44
8	Golden Diva		4:02
9	Riot		4:02
10	GNG BNG		3:39
11	Parisian Goldfish		3:01
12	Sleepy Dinosaur		1:56
13	RobertaFlack (feat. Dolly)		3:08
14	SexSlaveShip		2:14
15	Auntie’s Harp		0:56
16	Testament (feat. Gonja Sufi)		2:29
17	Auntie’s Lock / Infinitum (feat. Laura Darlington)

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SoundCloud

DL

"If I had to describe Flying Lotus’ work in one word, indescribable would be my choice. Sounds like a joke but it’s not, FlyLo (as his fans usually call him) has reached what most modern artists will never be able to: A unique sound and his 2008 album Los Angeles is proof of this signature in his songs, bringing influences from hip-hop and dubstep to create a flawless and addicting album.

The great nephew of Alice Coltrane, Flying Lotus was another in the legendary family destined to dedicate his life to music, not that he decided to follow his aunts footsteps. FlyLo chose a different way to his music, experimenting with the most diverse electronic sounds, remembering the creativity and the search for complexity that marked the late career of a famous saxophonist with the surname Coltrane.

“Los Angeles” picks up all these experiments and puts them together with some bass flavored hip-hop, a dark style and a sound, perfect to listen to using headphones. Starting with the space atmosphere of “Brainfeeder”, the album fits perfectly to the night climate, with songs like “Golden Diva” and “SexSlave Ship” showing a science-fiction vibe and a Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 soundtrack inspiration while songs like “Camel” and “Melt” bring African/middle-eastern inspired percussions showing one of the multiple faces of FlyLo’s production skills. Added to this variety of influences we have party-oriented songs like “GNG BNG” and “Parisian Goldfish” that gives the album a good break. But all of these different rhythms and music styles together don’t make Los Angeles sound loose. On the contrary, the album flows so perfectly that you will not realize that it’s ended.

This review wouldn’t be complete without citing what is to me one of the most beautiful songs created last decade. Giving this song the name of a soul diva is not too pretentious, it’s a well-deserved choice! The vocals of Dolly (whose real name is Ahu Keleslogu) are superb, adding a soulful melody that only makes Flying Lotus’ heavy-bass, but chill beat richer. More than a song, “RobertaFlack” is a masterpiece and “Los Angeles” is the definition of an indescribable album."  review by Arthur at rateyourmusic

J DIlla and Illa J - Yancey Boys Instrumentals (2008)

Genre: Underground Hip-Hop / Neo-Soul / Progressive
Label: Stones Throw Records / Delicious Vinyl
Release Date: November 4, 2008
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01. Timeless 03:11
02. We Here 04:10
03. R U Listenin'?  04:20
04. Alien Family  02:18
05. Strugglin' 03:23
06. Showtime 03:45
07. Swagger 03:33
08. Mr. Shakes (a.k.a. Affion Crockett) (Skit) 00:44
09. DFTF  04:24
10. All Good 03:05
11. Souds Like Love (feat. Debi Nova) 03:25
12. Everytime 04:32
13. Illasoul 03:48

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DL

I decided to post the instrumental compilation from Illa J's Yancey Boys album. The beats were created by non other than the famous J Dilla himself when he was working with Delicious Vinyl. They were released in 2008 by Illa J who is J Dilla's brother. This was of course released after Dilla passed away but the instrumentals Dilla created are very relaxing and come through the speakers into your ear-drum with love. The non-instrumental version simply has Illa J rapping and singing over Dilla's beats. I prefer the instrumental version but both came out alright. Peep it everybody. It's a classic.

Zion I - Shadow Boxing (2012)

Genre: Real Hip-Hop/ Progressive Hip-Hop/ Electronic / West Coast
Label: Live Up Records
Release Date: October 2, 2012
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1. Shadowboxing (02:39)
2. Human Being (03:48)
3. Sex Wax Ft. Collie Buddz (02:57)
4. Joe Frazzzier (06:23)
5. Life’s Work Ft. Goapele (03:42)
6. Anymore (03:12)
7. Buck Em (03:35)
8. Whydaze (02:10)
9. Rock On (03:43)
10. Trapped Out Ft. D.U.S.T. (03:49)
11. Re-Load (04:37)
12. We Don’t Ft. The Grouch & Eligh (03:49)
13. Human Being (Bassnectar Edit) (02:25)


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DL

This Zion I album is absolutely progressive, funky, and full of passion. One can listen to Baba Zumbi's poetics over Amp Live's base lines. I enjoyed listening to Zumbi even more on this Shadow Boxing album than on Atomic Clock. This time around Zumbi and Amp Live both sound more progressive than before, and I feel that every hip-hop fan can enjoy this tune.