Fridge

Apr 17th, 2007 Electronic/Dance, IDM, Instrumental, Rock steve 2 min read

It’s been about six years or so since the last Fridge LP and during that time each member of the UK trio has done nicely for himself. Kieren Hebden’s Four Tet project has garnered the most attention but don’t overlook the pastoral elegance of Adem Ilhan’s releases as Adem. And while third member Sam Jeffers may not have any solo work to reference, he’s formed…

Joe Beats

Apr 4th, 2007 Breakbeat, Downtempo, Hip-Hop steve 1 min read

Big apologies for not posting but the day job is getting the best of me right now. But good shit has been piling up and I have a large stack of some incredible music, first and foremost some new stuff from one of our favorites Joe Beats (aka Joey Beats), of Non-Prophets fame and currently associated with Cunninlynguists. Aaron was kind enough to remind me…

Pelican

Mar 16th, 2007 Instrumental, Rock steve 1 min read

Metal is currently waist deep in a really exciting transformative stage. Just look at all the former metalheads returning back to the genre with renewed excitement. Think about it — Mastadon, Jesu, Isis, Red Sparowes, Pelican, Converge etc. — all amazing bands twisting expectations about what metal is and should be. Personally, I like how these bands mesh a sort of mathy, indie melancholy with…

Thisish Volume 1

Mar 13th, 2007 Breakbeat, Downtempo, Hip-Hop, Instrumental steve 1 min read

I’ve read quite a lot about the Thisish crew before this post because I’m always curious how an often myopic hip-hop media approaches eclectic production. The truth is that for all his success, a celebrated producer such as Timbaland for example, who is often showered with deserving albeit hyperbolic compliments, isn’t really that forward-thinking or groundbreaking. In the context of mainstream music, there is little…

Battles

Mar 9th, 2007 Instrumental, Rock steve 1 min read

Experimentation in music, as in all things, inherently comes with miscalculated risk. A fact of life for adventurous musicians, there’s no shortage of legendary performers who may have misstepped before taking their great leap forward. With a trio of engaging EPs and a storied collective history in bands like Don Caballero, Lynx and Helmet, the four members of Battles know a thing or two about…

Small Sails

Feb 27th, 2007 Instrumental, Rock steve 1 min read

Labels use a variety of tactics to get a writer to notice a record. One of the most effective techniques — especially to the freelancer with a day job and limited time — is the old RIYL package sticker. It’s a quick reference that allows me, within a glance, to determine if I’m about to listen to speed metal, drum n’ bass, or indie rock….

Scissorsounds 2

Feb 12th, 2007 Live Event, Site News steve 1 min read

I am thrilled to announce the second installment of what I hope continues an annual celebration of 21st century music: Scissorsound. Last year, we packed our favorite Brooklyn spot, Studio BPM, as Kudu, 33Hz and Matters & Dunaway absolutely killed it on stage

Loo & Placido

Jan 29th, 2007 DJ Weapons, Downtempo, Dub/Reggae, Mash-Ups/Blends steve 1 min read

Although I don’t post too much dub or reggae, today’s post ventures into that much hallowed territory without the least bit of confidence or expertise. Take it from me, if there’s an SK post on the topic, you can guarantee that it’s of the re-edit/mashup variety. The Paris Duo Loo & Placido (Thanks Andre! Fatcity mis-posted. This is not by J*Star) drops this mysterious white…

The Lymbyc Systym

Jan 19th, 2007 Electronic/Dance, IDM, Rock steve 1 min read

Tempe, Arizona’s sibling duo The Lymbyc Systym represent another of the newer Mush Records signings (Bibio is another example) to incorporate both mood and ambiance with a combination of electronic and more conventional means. Like former touring mates The Album Leaf, brothers Jared and Michael Bell use a smart combination of vintage keyboards, analog effects and laptop programming to weave tracks both cinematic and narrative,…

PostPrior

Jan 11th, 2007 Electronic/Dance, IDM, Rock steve 1 min read

Ben Mullins, the architect behind the brilliant Midwest Product on Ghostly, returns from a hiatus with that project as one half of PostPrior, a new duo with vocalist/drummer Michael Kuzmanovski. Fans of Midwest Product will absolutely enjoy the pair’s new digital EP, Touched Pilot, available in the iTunes store. I may get in trouble for posting the title track, but I’ll take the risk of…