just songs or.. whatever
Summer is fast approaching
A certain premium cable provider prefers a wintry approach, but it is the dog days that should be most feared.
Are the good times ever here to stay? It seems that with each passing year their visit becomes shorter. Upon glancing at today's date the message become clear: this year is now awash. Such is the case, at least, from the author's observational porch here in the American southwest. Once April concludes delirious drivers begin to watch their car windows rise. Likewise, a hermetic seal is created between living rooms and the outside world. The Sonoran desert slowly reverts back into an inhospitable oasis of man's own creation.
Yet such an opinion bucks the trend.
There is soon to be no more school for both the pupils and their beloved professor Cooper. Some call it a holiday, others prefer vacation; but the sentiment is all the same. Rest is good and relaxation is better. The beaches of San Diego will soon be overrun by eager pleasure seekers fervently fixated on open air cooking. Festive fire flights are sure to follow. Come July red glaring rockets flex all of their of their might; beads of sweat dripping down cold bottles of Hefe now perennially in sight.
Still, the obvious is difficult to ignore.
Consider all of the bunnies - altogether too many - that suddenly appear during spring. All of the animals are equal, but none are more equal to triple digit heat. The block is hot enough to fry any kind of egg. New England tolerates the snow for months on end but here the threat is much different; not to mention decidedly less visible. Concerts are typically good, making free admission all the better. Alas, two condition exist. First, the performance will not be shut down by any fire marshals and second, attendance is absolutely mandatory. Yes, the cicadas have already started to hum and no set of rabbit ears can apprehend a signal from nature's special source of static.
Be that as it may, there is not a single sensible reason to be entirely negative about the situation at hand.
Discomfort aside, the summer packs its own brand of positivity. Nostalgia is one the loose. Memories restlessly roam. Each drag on cigarette, in the middle of the day, under Helios's glaring guise, not a single warm breeze in sight, slowly burns a new breaktime endeavor into the smoker's mind. The outside air feels different as skin is sinfully seared. And, come nightfall, a certain warmth hangs heavy overhead. The song of the summer - be is six-digit desires, gold rush groupies, or a fanciful fracas - is irregularly heard. Cinema becomes louder and brighter, too. Altogether time is persistent and appears to move slower; to the point where clocks just might melt. Clouds of dust will run rampant upon the city; funny name and all. But, best of all, are the unexpected, lukewarm rainfalls in the middle of the night.
Sometimes, one must take all of the good while accepting some of the bad.
Excessive ranting and raving now sufficed, onwards to this week's selections..
Summer nights are hardly the same without a partner to love the day before it drifts away. Appropriately, then, the week's first is a collaborative effort. Once again the Black 'n' Power Beatz crew. Despite an affinity for more exotic sounds what follows is a mid-tempo from Dj Edý & dj kingfo0xx titled "Decalé da Familia;" the second joint effort from the duo this year. The foundational beat is built around a four to the floor kick while the kuduro snare plays onward. A synth haze provides the harmony while a four beat guitar carries the run; but such is not the case throughout. Two sections differentiated by a synth seemingly taken from the "How It's Made" theme song. Frequent transitions and one-off peripheral sounds give the song a busier feel than is heard in actuality; syncopated djembe does not appear until the second half and, even then, sounds slightly drowned out. Nonetheless, the melody is well layered and the track is pleasant. As per usual, a download is available as well.
The second selection is also a mid-tempo afro-house with a beat built around the same kick/snare concept. Half as short and twice as dynamic, however, the track decidedly stands apart. Coincidentally, Dj Teklas D'cantwo - previously D'cantwo Junior - has not been featured on these pages since last summer. But in this period of time the beatmaker has been steadily at work; working alongside the likes of Dotorado among others and the progress shows. Despite being what the title suggests, "Welcome," demo the track below shows ample promise beginning with the two-bar, eight-beat intro. Beginning with a crash, the song's central element, a synth is presented after a crash cymbal, and reverb drenched guitar - later used as a back end fill - is soon to follow. As the first section begins, the Dj opts for an unorthodox transition. Rather than use a drum fill or cymbal, a single funk carioca beat is teased. The track promptly expands to sixteen beats. A second harmonic synth is added while some claves and female vocals swing; marimba somewhere in between all the while. Alas, the structure mimics that of a batida. Just as quickly as the number started, the producer leads listeners back to the beginning. A download is certainly recommended.
Outliers can be a nuisance where numbers and statistics are concerned. In the right brained realm, however, such anomalies are generally amusing to observe and typically welcome. Dj K30 is no exception. While the his Txiga cohort entrench themselves within increasingly percussive concepts, the producer at hand is a specialist in widening his gaze; a trend which is continued with his latest track. Released on Saturday, the song below is far from experimental kizomba built around a kick/hi-hat beat. Whistle and djembe providing hitches all the while; the latter adding some rolling 1/8 some batuco vibes near the end. Both structure and length are radio friendly. The song is predictably synth heavy - a total of four are ultimately heard - but in a throwback to semba the harmony is created by an electric guitar. Vocals syncopate during the chorus, piano and chimes are heard before the bridge. A well composed song given the busy make-up; the only negative being a bass that blends into its surroundings.
For the final two selection a slight left-hand turn is taken.
Far from insinuating a sudden shift toward the avant-garde, the author is merely implying a change of pace. Strictly speaking, no more Luso-centric sounds are featured in the post. Such is the case with "Tele-VCO (Tiger mix)," a mid-tempo, minimal house song released last night. Although credited to Nortec Collective's Pepe Mogt the song could just as easily fit within the Matias Aguayo/Comeme umbrella. The beat is built around a dynamic hi-hat that has been paired with claps. Some loose snare and cymbals are heard in the introduction but hardly play a role, The kick drum plays four to the floor as the standard pop structure unfolds. Organ and keyboard play the occasional fill and the horn section - trumpets up from, trombones in back - add some Latin flare to the central funk/disco bass.
But, perhaps, the writing does not do the song justice. The below is really very strong and the download is recommended; uncharacteristic statements from the author, an unrepentant house music hater.
Two years ago, upon the release of Acid Rap, Chance the Rapper sang, "I heard everybody's dying in the summer / So Pray to God for a little more spring"
Heatwaves bring violence; such a statement should serve as no surprise. Discomfort leads to anger which leads to poor decision making; at times resulting in death. But such a phenomenon is far from being limited to Chicago. Gun violence plagues the entirety of the American population; albeit skewed towards minority groups and those that are relegated to serving the economy rather than being served by it . Alas, what brought Baltimore, Maryland to the forefront of national and international focus last week does not concern a heinous act of this nature. Rather, a longstanding, and unconscionable trend exists in the United States whereby the public service sector serves different constituencies differently; a practice that has recently, and tragically been brought to the masses attention. As a result of this particular instance, scores of protesters have been arrested, a number of officers have been arrested, and six individuals stand accused of playing a role in the death of a civilian named Freddy Gray.
Music - art at large, really - hardly exists in a vacuum. Perhaps it is guilt, perhaps its altruism, but such a background is deemed necessary by the author; a decidedly caucasian individual of Puerto Rican and Jewish descent.
After all, the final selection hails from the Charm City itself. Coming off the heels of an excellent EP, titled "Starlife", alongside fellow rapper JB and producer ISMBeats, AG RapGod returns with a brief, slice of life freestyle - dedicated to family, friends, and the 301 - over the Scott Storch produced Beyonce track "Me, Myself, and I." AG speaks directly to the listener that as he chronicles the challenges that he has overcome as well as those that are still to follow regardless of confidence. The man intends to be influential while bucking claims of being excessively traditional. But while reminiscent of New York, a rapid-fire Midwestern delivery is flashed; transitions timely and clean. Enunciation is clear and the train of thought remains on point. So much so is the MC committed to quality over quantity that he spits, "Write these verses like a sermon / The stronger the message the more the conversion / I serve 'em like Erik Sermon;" a shoutout to the old Dej Jam outfit EPMD. Cop the download for sure before AG "fucks shit up for the whole summer."
- J.N.
A Noggle Brain Trust, LLP. website
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