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Existance - Miles Apart EP A free release from Cut

Valerie — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:01:47 +0000

Greeting 2012 with a free release, Cut Music is offering a brand new mini EP. Injecting a slightly new feel compared to their usual releases, Miles Apart EP from Existance, slightly exudes a more R&B electronic dubstep feel. This short 3-track compilation features smooth rhythms and hypnotic vocal samples.

Although it's short, the tracks in the record are easily likable, thanks to skillful mixing and just a knack for creating some fine, easy-listening beats.

From the first single, Miles Apart; listeners are treated to a smooth mix of sounds. Like a big jigsaw puzzle finding the right pieces, each beat, vocal and synth fit comfortably against each other. It's hard not to enjoy the track even if you might not consider yourself a big electro dubstep fan.

Meanwhile, Uninhabited is a bit closer to tracks previously featured under Cut. The song is a bit dark with an eerie 'walking-down-a-dark-alleyway' vibe. On the other hand, you'll find the last song, Pelennor Fields, a bit more melodic with moody drums, bass and pianos peppering the background.

Each of the three songs have a completely different feel to them but they all resonate with an overall equation; that is a good and catchy beat. You can grab the download over at BandCamp or head over to the Cut Music website. Give this a listen.

Sigmafly: Tetrachrome EP - a free release from Cut

Valerie — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:01:59 +0000

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Ever since their start, Cut Records has become a musical haven for anybody looking for some awesome electronic ambient releases. The best part is that each of their releases is available as a free or 'pay with a tweet' download. Truly a great treat.

This time around, they're featuring Sigmafly's first release under the label, Tetrachrome EP. Filled with 7 moody electronic singles; it mixes atmospheric beats with carefully chosen samples.

Sigmafly is the moniker for Manchester-based Tom Holmes. For this compilation, he incorporates various aesthetics, even borrowing from Cut artists like Great Skies to create this stunning piece that should be worth checking out.

Opening subtly, the album starts with, And We Begin With Color. The cut mixes piano work with bits of samples here and there. Although it's not an in-your-face-track, it does manage to stay within the confines of your attention. It carefully provides you with a gentle and cool hug as you begin listening to the record.

Other tracks like Radio Sleep are dreamy, giving off that faint midnight-run atmosphere. This is the longest cut on the album. There's something weirdly spectral about it; makes you feel as if you're floating and running at the same time. On the other hand, title track Tetrachrome is a nice blend of semi-upbeat melancholia and spacey rhythm. Occasionally, you'll hear sample singing in the background which adds to the mystical feel of the track.

Overall, the record becomes another great addition to the Cut Music roster. Sigmafly's sound is enchanting on its own and definitely generates a great mood. If you enjoyed all of the other Cut music releases, this one will be a shoe in for your playlist as well. Grab the download.

Sunclef: The TesserAct - hip-hop drenched electronic beats

Natalie — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:01:18 +0000

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The TesserAct might just be one of the best collections of the hip-hop drenched, head banding and finger tapping electronic beats, spicy synths, and some mind blowing electro sounds with just a touch of crunchy jazz and funk influence in all the right places, I have seen in a long while.

The album is a solo debut from a talented Toronto based musician Sunclef who, with his minimal yet surprisingly powerful tunes, brings us what is extremely hard to find amidst the many thousands of electronic releases out there - quality production.

The TesserAct, currently being offered as a 'free/pay what you want' download on Bandcamp, is a collection of five tracks from the artist. It starts off with Droski, a cut filled with hip hop nodding elements and excellent electronic beats that will keep you on your very toes. Catch A Drift is by no means different; it's catchy beats create a unique musical scale movement full of blossoming energetic synths, perfect for those new car sound system you have been dying to try out.

The Tesser?ct by Sunclef

But not all of the tracks are a clear cut electronic pieces, so if you are looking for even more substance head straight to Samolero with it's unique and gorgeous Spanish/latino strings taking over the first part of this instrumental gem.

All in all, The TesserAct is a great, not-to-be-missed, debut album. So give it a go and dive deep into your own electronic dream.

Aucan: Black Rainbow - Ambient Dubstep featured on FrostWire

Valerie — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:00:57 +0000

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Brewing on the underground European scene for some time now, Aucan are finally gearing up to make themselves heard. This trio has shared the stage with some of the several notable performers like Placebo, Tricky, Steve Aoki, Antipop, Dinosaur Jr. and so much more. They've even played more than 300 gigs in various venues all across Europe.

Mixing ambient dubstep with some generous helping of electronic triphop; Aucan is one of those bands that capture your attention from the moment you take a listen.

Black Rainbow is the third release from the group and features a more refined yet still very catchy hypnotic electronic dub.

Their previous releases include DNA EP (2010) which was a bit more darker compared to their first self-titled release. In Black Rainbow, the boys go deeper into electronica while infusing hip hop and trippy dub into the mix.

Opening track, Blurred (Extended Version) features the hauntingly sweet voiced singer, Angela Kinczly. As opening track, it can be a bit misleading for fans who expect the rest of the compilation to exude a Sneaker Pimps/Portishead electronic pop after hearing this first cut. The rest of the compilation is actually much heavier and lean more on ambient dub with a rock alternative edge. If anything, the first 2 or 3 songs are the closest you'll find electronic pop in the record, the rest is pure rocking, bass-thumping goodness.

Cuts like Storm and Embarque take you into a deeper, experimental route. These two songs also stand on opposite sides of the poles. Storm features heavy bass and a synth trippy beat while Embarque, is exclusively composed of melodic acoustic, low key stringed instruments. Both of the songs have their own feel and the clever mix of instruments, various bits as well as beats are quite easy to get lost in.

Although the entire album is a haven of pure triphop, electronica (even melodic) pop, it's the wonderful and dark corners of the record that seals the deal for me. Away! is among my favorite tracks. When I first heard it, I immediately thought of Asian Dub Foundation during their Fortress Europe rein, only to find out in the liner notes that they indeed have a former member of ADF, Spex MC, help them out with the cut.

Overall, this is one album that's definitely made its way to my favorites list this year. It has a little something to satisfy different music lovers' taste, from a pop, hip hop to pure electronica and dub; Black Rainbow is certainly a record that deserves attention. Take a listen.

Aucan - Black Rainbow [2011] by Aucan

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Mattic, La Fine Equipe: The Darkside (Fantastic Planet)

Valerie — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:01:59 +0000

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Released on the first half of 2011, The Darkside is the second part of the Fantastic Planet record. The album is a mix of upbeat hip hop and rap along with electronic synths littered here and there. It features remnants of tracks from the Fantastic Planet compilation that were previously unreleased.

Spearheaded by La Fine Equipe and American rapper Mattic along with other talented artists, the album is a comprehensive record that combines talented rapping, samples and beats. Pulling together 13 tracks, it's a likable record you can play in the background as you cruise on through your day.

Best part is that it's available as a free download on Nowadays Records BandCamp page.

La Fine Equipe is a four piece crew of Gin, oOga, Blanka and Chomsk' , the groups' signature skills include mixing rhymes, incorporating spoken samples and adding a resident catchy beat. The first album in the series, Fantastic Planet, also featured MC Mattic, MC Max Tailor, ASM and Danish singer, Astrid Engberg. It was done in partnership with Radio Nova and Clark Mag.

Incorporating trip-hop elements, rap, movie & TV show samples and so much more, the record gathers from different avenues and beautifully combines them to form a dope track. The short but sweet, The Boom, is a great example of this adept combination. The song is uptempo and features an amazing balance of samples, beats and mad rap skills showcasing the MC's capabilities. Like This, meanwhile, is a laid-back and relaxing single that mixes rap with spoken word. There's an air of jazz enveloping the song adding a nice layer of interest to the song.

These are just two of the tracks you can enjoy from the record. There's still 11 more cuts that each carry its own identity. Production values are really good and talent is definitely there for everyone involved. It's a very solid mix that's definitely a great find in the world of free legal music. Worth your little drive space. Give it a listen.

Azoora feat. Graciellita: Apart - great release from UK trip-hop group

Valerie — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:52:39 +0000

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Testing out new waters in their latest EP, London native John Purcell from Azoora, has teamed up with the sweet voiced Montreal siren, Graciellita, for this new compilation.

Apart, is the 7th EP released under the band's name. The record incorporates the resident electronic, trip hop sound of Azoora with the angelic voiced singer's lovely and fresh vocals.

There's an atmosphere of softness as well as one of brooding intensity present in this 5-track compilation. With beautiful piano accompaniments, lush loops and catchy beats floating in the cuts; the record is an easy candidate for your favorites list.

Azoora is one of those acts that'll change your mind about trip hop and electronica even if you aren't particularly fond of the genre. Their sound is reminiscent of the heydays of Brit dub and triphop during the middle to late 90s. With their latest album, this intriguing sound is still quite prominent and more likable then ever.

Azoora feat. Graciellita "Episodes" Apart by FrostClick

Accompanied by the fresh vocals of Graciellita, songs like, Motionless, gain a whole other dimension. The song features lush instrument work, with sounds emanating from all four corners. Thanks to Graciellita's vocals seamlessly flowing in between the rich textures, the cut becomes an instant favorite and perfectly opens up the compilation. Second track, Episodes, is more moody. Azoora's sound is a bit more darker on this one but it still manages to enchant listeners.

The last two tracks, Ugly Weather and Bit By Bit, are also more intense compared to the opener. Ugly Weather starts with a brooding sound then slowly introduces a hypnotic and dark drum beat. Graciellita's vocals add a whimsical touch to this otherwise meditative single. On the other hand, Bit By Bit, caps off the record with the same moodiness and reflective vibe as the former. Out of all the cuts, this song is one where Graciellita's voice closely echoes Kelli Dayton from the Sneaker Pimps. Even the entire atmosphere of the song somewhat reminds of the old trip hop crew.

Overall, Azoora has created a compilation that both pushes their original sound while still retaining the charisma that attracted their fans in the first place. With the addition of female vocals, their sound sounds richer in a lot of ways. The band and Graciellita are definitely two genuine artists and together they've created an awesome trip hop record worth raving about.

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Astma: There Will Be a McDonald's (2010)

Valerie — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:01:45 +0000

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Listening to Astma is like going on a really weird and wacky ride. It's filled with noises, words, and layers upon layers of sound that you can't make out of. Despite all this chaos, there is an awesome gem hiding inside.

There Will Be a McDonald's is a complicated mixture of sound that even some noise rockers might not get. The duo behind this eclectic cacophony is drummer and vocalist, Olga Nosova (Motherfathers), and industrial/electronic maestro, Alexei Borisov.

They first teamed up for the effort back in 2009 and since then have collaborated with various artists, poets & musicians to create a unique studio as well as live experience.

This talented and unpredictable duo perform improvise music while onstage so the audience can never expect the same thing twice. Their unpredictability and unusual sound make this a delight for noise rockers everywhere.

You don't really need song titles to distinguish the tracks because chances are you won't be able to tell one part as it bleeds and coalesces through to the next track. There Will Be a Mcdonald's is essentially one giant track separated by thoughtful pauses. It's this sense of unity that also brings the album together.

As mentioned, the songs are a hodge podge of instruments, synths, spoken word, samples, electroacoustics, tons of noise and so much more that it's hard to keep up with all of them. Your best bet is to sit back and enjoy all the craziness that ensues and enjoy the mastery of Alexei along with the hard rockin beats of Nosova.

It might be a bit tough to take in all at once for some, but it is an amazing record that's should be worth looking into. The compilation is available as a free download under a creative commons license.

Related Links:
Astma on Archive
Astma on Facebook
Astma on Free Albums Galore
Astma on Agier

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Jus Like Music & Apple Juice Break present: Oscillations Part 2

Natalie — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:01:44 +0000

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With more than just powerful synths accompanying the very first track of the album, Jus Like Music & Apple Juice Break take no time in properly introducing us to their more recent digital compilation. Released in 2010 Oscillations is a part 2 in series of exciting musical journey through some great hip-hop, electronica, neo-soul, and dubstep sounds.

The compilation is putting forward twenty one of the best, exclusive (or at least previously unreleased) tracks just for us. So let's return the favor by turning up the volume.

As previously mentioned, the first track, Roll Upon You Like by XLII, is setting on to welcome us to the experience by showcasing it's incredibly rich synths and vocal snippets adding that missing hip-hop element. But the incredible computer generated synths are only a mere beginning. So if you are on the lookout for more, be sure to check out the cut by Greymatter with the wonderful feel of the Caribbean weaved into the more modern electronic sounds, ambient influenced little treat by Elroy 4.0, and the beautifully integrated jazz instruments in the Negro-Orgen.

Jus Like Music & Apple Juice Break present: Oscillations Part 2 by Jus Like Music Records

Probably one of the best features of this release is the fact that it introduces us to the whole new array of talented artists, some of which, I hope, will stay put as part of your permanent musical collection. But aside from being armed in some great sounding tracks, the download comes with a great little bonus in a form of a booklet full of info on the musicians and a little showcase of art by some really incredible visual artists.

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Eskaei: Bits Is All There Is - interesting hip-hop electronic dub compilation

Valerie — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:02:39 +0000

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Eskaei is actually the one-man crew of Stefanos Kourtis. This talented artist has been making his own mix of eclectic electronic hip hop; skilfully creating a lush soundscape filled and inspired by hip hop music.

Stefanos is also the brainchild for netlabel, Memory Format. He started it around 2006. He has released several songs as well as compilations using different monikers in various netlabels.

As Eskaei, he focuses more on his love for "electronically generated sounds", creating a wonderful hodgepodge of elements that are both pleasant, complex yet easy to relax to.

Starting with the spacey sounding, Debrief, the song exudes a video game 8 bit sound that's mixed with a super cool electronic dub. Flairy (The Mishap), on the other hand, brilliantly combines synths with a moody atmosphere. It's like going through a dark tunnel and being enveloped in nothing but beats and sounds. One of those tracks you could easily get lost in.

The third song from the promo compilation is Fragmentation. Like the other cuts, the song flows seamlessly. It's a track of exploration, letting listeners discover the various sounds that swirl through the song.

Even though the compilation is a bit short, it's definitely worth checking out. All of the songs are pretty solid and resonate an amazingly cool vibe.

Eskaei has been making electronic music since 1997. He has also contributed to several other projects dealing with "sound production, including sound editing & mixing for TV, composition for theatrical plays and music making."

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Prosthetik Intelligentz Presents: Man-Cave Music Mixtape Compilation

Valerie — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:34:54 +0000

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Echoing a 90s hiphop sound, Prosthetik Intelligentz' music focuses on good beats, simple and meaningful lyrics, and groovy vibes throughout. What started as a couple of minutes of listening time turned into an entire day. By the time I was done with the review, I had the album downloaded on my player and was playing it as a background to the rest of my day.

This amazing duo is currently based in NC and consider themselves creating "thought-provoking Hip-Hop." Listening to the record, this isn't hard to see. In fact, they're one of the few hip hop groups that make you want to listen to the lyrics apart from the awesome beats. B. Doom and Ezzie B. are the brainchild of this enjoyable crew. It's one of those albums you shouldn't miss.

On their Tumblr blog, the duo states that they make music for the "thinking man and woman." For these two, creating hiphop music isn't just about the bling or which big superstar shows up for a "feature." This producer/ emcee duo take samples, add descriptive lyrics and infuse it with undeniably good beats.

Prosthetik Intelligentz Presents: Man-Cave Music Mixtape Compilation by Prosthetik Intelligentz

Welcoming their listeners with a minute or so of teaser intro, We Got It is, what some might call, a "typical hiphop" but in a very good way. It perfectly greets and prepares us for the good music that will come our way for the next 20 minutes or so. SupercalifragilisticexpialaDOPESHIT officially introduces you to the twosome and yes, it' might not have the most convenient title but it's one dope track. With a slow, steady vibe, the track easily finds itself onto the playlist of any laid-back party.

On the other hand, Rock On, reminds me of Snoop Dogg. It's one of those tracks that easily cling to you. Even if you don't necessarily know the lyrics, the coolness of the music is enough to keep you playing it. Headphones which was produced by Skittzo, is one of the longest songs on the record at 3:02 minutes. Another producer making an appearance is Depakote. He helped produce two tracks on the record, particularly Don't Bat Your Eye and My Rib.

My biggest favorite, however, is the quirky ditty, Diddy-Dum-Dum. I love the sample as well as the fun and catchy beat. Finally, the duo caps off this Man - Cave Music Mixtape Compilation with the rowdy, hiphop cut Rhyme For a Reason (I'll Do You.)

Man-Cave... is only one of several mixtapes the duo has compiled throughout the years. They continue to offer their music for free under creative commons. Despite being unsigned, they march on as ambassadors of good quality hip hop music, something that most groups out there have clearly forgotten.

On Twitter
@ItsProsthetik

Ezzie B. twitter.com#!/mindmissiles
B. Doom: twitter.com#!/doomgotbeats
Hip+Hop: twitter.com#!/hipplushop

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