Barrel~dEM

Barrel~dEM is a collective of artists, deejays, music lovers, and more ... bringing you the best in music, culture, and anything else we think of.

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This is a short little music mix and video I made. Enjoy!

Fantastic Voyage with Superman in a Buggy from Noble Long on Vimeo.

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I wanted to, first off, apologize in not attending to this site as often lately. I've been busy with a lot of other things and I sometimes wonder if there's even a point, as it seems people don't even seem to wander away from social media sites. One of the things that I've been doing lately is making actual mixes on a regular basis and wanted to share them here. I'm trying to do something a little different. I am trying to spin every genre that I love and even make some mixes with different genres. Check out my most recent mixes and follow me on Mixcloud. All have download links as well.

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Another banger recommended by my buddy, Weston - Ghettoblaster keeps firing until the clip is empty. DJ and Producer, Enrico Sangiuliano brought his skills on this track. Starting out as a sound engineer in Italy, he started to produce electronic music in the 90’s. Italy was his playground, with the illegal rave scene exploding, this was where he made his first break.

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Jacques Lu Cont

It's been a while since I've posted and I apologize. I've been going thru some struggles with depression and addiction. It feels good to be sharing with you all again. Today's track is a song that I've been looking for since 2008 (I think). I can't be certain of the date, but I went to see the DJ, Dave Seaman at Soundbar in Chicago around that time and this was his closing track. I found it quite easily this time after having tried and failed numerous times before, it's funny how that happens. Anyway, Dave played a great set, and I remember saying to him as he was finishing up - the dumbest thing … "My ex is from Manchester." Which is pretty close to Leeds, England; where he is from. He just said - "Well that sucks!" As for the track itself, the remix was created by Stuart Price aka Jacques Lu Cont aka Les Rythmes Digitales aka Zoot Woman aka Paper Faces aka Man With Guitar aka Thin White Duke. Stuart is also from the north of England, North Yorkshire to be exact and he creates dope remixes. I'm so glad I was able to retrieve it from the vault of my mind and listen to it again. It's been on repeat, as of late, because it is a great motivational song for just moving the fuck forward in life. It's also good for workouts. So, what the fuck are you waiting for?

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Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out

Yacht Rock or 80's New Wave ... Joe Jackson's Steppin' Out was a perfect combination of both. As if a transformation of Cinderella to the ball - this song is the perfect pre-party jam. Joe, not to be confused with Joe of the famous Jackson 5, is an English Singer / Songwriter ... most famous for Steppin' Out, He has also composed classical music. He has recorded 19 studio albums and received 5 Grammy Award nominations.

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Yacht - Psychic City (Classixx Remix)

This song has been stuck in my head for a while. Also, in my ears. I've been listening nonstop since I learned the name about two hours ago. Originally, I had heard it through the ether or internet or somewhere. Anyway, I heard it again when my bawse sister played it for me. This is an iconic remix of a Yacht song, as well an iconic song! That bass line ... and you can hear feedback in those first two measures! OMFG! Classixx transformed this song almost completely. The original almost songs like the remix after hearing this so many times. Great tune!

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Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Happy

Wow, this one brings back a lot of memories! Ned's Atomic Dustbin was pretty crucial in my life in the early 90's. From Britain, They developed skate rock into early emo. I bought a VHS tape of their tour through the UK and Europe and would play on repeat. Happy is a sweet gem of a song. It hit's all the right points in a bouncy bob your head kind of way. The band didn't last, unfortunately, having released their last album in 1995. They did reunite in 2008 for some reunion shows but haven't produced any new tracks.

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Josin - Company (Kiasmos Remix)

Need some nice chill tuneage? I've got you covered. This Kiasmos remix of Josin's Company is midtempo chill at it's best. Josin's voice reminds me of Radiohead's Thom Yorke in a slight way, and I mean that as a compliment. You can check out more of her work in the Soundcloud profile below.

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Yacht Rock (Web Series review)

First of all, I've got to thank my sister Sara for introducing me to the Yacht Rock series. With all my time on the net, this one had completely passed me by. I was familiar with the term Yacht Rock and what it described - but what was the real history and the origin of the name? The Yacht Rock series was released in 2005 after being written, directed and produced by J.D. Ryznar and co-produced by David Lyons and Hunter D. Stair. It's a fictionalized mockumentary in 12 episodes, following the smooth rock superstars of the late 70's and early 80's. It follows the careers Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, and others. In fact, the term "yacht rock" was used to describe this genre of music only after the release of the series in 2005. The storylines are hilarious and the caricatures are completely over the top. You'll recognize comedians and other celebrities such as Jason Lee, Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland, Steve Agee, and Drew Carey. Go now, watch all 12 episodes (they are roughly 5 minutes each) and enjoy. You can learn more at: http://www.yachtrock.com/ Start here with episode 1:

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Les Sins - Grind

Happy Mother's day to all you special moms out there! I want to dedicate this post to you. Les Sins aka Toro Y Moi aka Chaz Bundick is a talented mutherfucker. His first full length album as Les Sins, named Michael, is blowing up. Let's go back though, 5 years to be exact. Grind is one of those tracks that is instant classic. With soulful vibey synths and "yeah" samples throughout - this one gets that ass waggin and feet shuffling. Check out anything and everything by Toro Y Moi or Les Sins - you won't be disappointed.

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Roy Of The Ravers - Emotinium

It's great having friends with taste in music. This tasty tune comes from my friend Weston and it might be the beginning of a new genre - dare I say it, Chill Acid. Not much is known about Roy of the Ravers. He comes from the UK and is indeed from the ravers. His Facebook profile said this: In 1981, deep within the laboratory of the Roland Corporation, Japan - Tadao Kikumoto invented the TB-303. But when Kikumoto heard it was being used to create the acid sound, he ordered that all TB-303s should be recalled and DESTROYED. However, soon after; Kikumoto discovered that the last remaining TB-303 was in fact owned by Roy of the Ravers and vowed to destroy both Roy of the Ravers and the TB-303, putting an end to the acid sound FOREVER!!! Long live acid! Check him out on Soundcloud, Bandcamp and Facebook.

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Prisca (the interview)

It was at least a few months ago, that I was at a so-called "speakeasy" in Atlanta. You see, Atlanta has drinking laws so that you can't drink out past midnite on a Sunday, but there are ways around it, such as making a private club and charging membership. This was the case, at HUSH in East Atlanta Village, where I first met Prisca. She was there with friends and I quickly learned that she was a singer/songwriter. She has some real talent. I'm so grateful because she tonight took some time to talk with me about her music/life/career. First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today! Now, I met you in Atlanta. Did you grow up there? I moved to Atlanta about 11 years ago to start my music career. I Moved from Ohio where I grew up. Nothing brilliant in Ohio going on.

That's what I hear. So how old were you when you started singing? I started singing at age 4 as the special music for my dad's church - I would join my mother on stage. The first concert I attended was Etta James when I was about 8, and from that point on, I connected and grew from soul music - but from an early age, music meant something more than just words or notes. I had a feeling that was the case. There's something about singing in church that carries through. Is that also where you learned piano? I started piano lessons when I was six for a few years - my grandma was a piano teacher. When my parents split, the piano didn't make it in the divorce - I started writing songs with my voice and cassette tapes at age 8, recording harmonies in stereo without really understanding what I was doing. Then a few years later, my father got me a keyboard when I was 13, and I started writing via the piano. Well, your dedication definitely shows. When we first met, you told me you were a singer/songwriter. When I went to listen to your music the next day, I was blown away. Particularly, with the song Kamikaze, which you collaborated with KB on. How did that come about? I wrote a song called Kamikaze with my writing partner and producer Nick Chahwala, and we released a one take live version to YouTube. The rapper KB and his team found it and ripped it offline, created a dope rap around it and called me into Reach Records to listen and approve for it to be on his EP 100. It was a quick and beautiful experience and the song ended up being my first charting song on Billboard - his EP made it to #1 on the Christian/Gospel Billboard charts on it's the first week of release. ❤ It has been a beautiful ride with that song. There have been incredible covers of our song Kamikaze online, and also super dope choreography videos submitted from all over the world. ❤ It is so so wild and I am still excited about that song! 🙂 Well, it's a great song - all the different versions. The video with the carjacking is really powerful too. Let's talk about Nick, you guys started a studio together, yes? Bravo Ocean? Nick Chahwala and Charles Malone started it about 15 years ago, and 10 years ago I joined in as the first artist they wanted to develop after they had had some of their first successes. I wrote so many songs that eventually we became an incredible system together and were called upon to write songs for a lot of major label artists alongside indie artists. It has been a wild ride, and I am happy to say that we have found new hats to put on and are working as updated gears in a beautiful system at Bravo Ocean focusing on the independent artist.

The mission statement on the website is everything: "All under one roof, our three divisions specialize in helping recording artists recognize and create their own unique avenues through our approach to record production and brand content development." Yes, I see that you've had a lot of artists record there, from Post Malone to Raury, who is honestly a personal favorite of mine. It must be great to be able to work with a lot of great talent. I understand you were picked by Kelly Clarkson to sing on her tour. How did she come across you, was that through the studio? I was chosen by Kelly Clarkson as her Open Mic Night winner from a cover video I submitted on her fan page. I had signed up on her page when I had recorded a cover of one of her songs with my friend and fellow singer and creative Ulrika (who is another member of Bravo Ocean) -- the song I submitted caught Kelly's attention and I was informed the day before Kelly's Atlanta tour date by her musical director via email. I actually misread the email and deleted it the night before, but later double checked and I'm glad I did! It was such a blessing to be able to get up on that stage and rock out for her fans - she really believes in music and has a genuine heart. I hope I get to meet her again to thank her again in person and maybe even sing with her! 💙 The talent that comes through Bravo Ocean is crazy - we love that every day is different and unexpected, and we love pouring our hearts into every moment. Wow, that's crazy! I think one of my favorite songs you've done is Skin. It is hauntingly beautiful. How did that song synthesize? That's a great question, Skin was actually a song I wrote years ago that I never showed anyone. I was involved in relationships that weren't conducive to self-growth, and I wrote/played that song as a mantra to feel stronger. I rose with that song out of the depths of my own insecurities, and then one day as I felt strong, I happened to play it as an intimate house concert. Afterward, I was approached by audience members that were touched by the song; including Rachel Truitt of gotta dance who then convinced me to play that song as a feature in her large production of Surface that included dancers from Gotta Dance Contemporary. The song kept growing, and there was a demand for people to take it home with them, while I was still learning how that song would live and breathe as my mantra, it was thruster forward into another performance art show, and then I created a Kickstarter campaign because I realized the importance behind the visuals. I hadn't worked that song into my budget at all, I wasn't even supposed to play it out loud to anyone - it was my secret. As the Kickstarter and concert raised over $6k, we then were able to make a music video happen, and today, I have learned and been reached out to by listeners of its impact. It brings me to tears saying this, but the song has saved 2 people's lives that I know of, and it is bigger than me. My purpose to speak the truth and be unapologetic has then, in turn, helped listeners get over their hard times and decide to live. I don't have words to describe the feeling, but what I can say is that I feel like my work as a human is finished and that this life is now icing, I feel called to write the only truth, and help others see their own beauty by being their true selves. ❤❤❤ ⚡️😭😭😭 And that's my short answer. 😬😬😬😳 Sam green and Steve Pitts - the director and producer, Rachel Truitt the choreographer from Rite Media helped produce it and it featured the genius Bubba Carr who has shifted the dance community with his brilliance. It was a Wiiiild ride! Wow, that's incredible! You are truly something special. You've certainly touched my life with the raw beauty and emotion that pours out of you. Supernova is another one that does that. You like to have fun too, I can tell. Robot boy is a great song and it looks like that was a ton of fun making that video? Yes? Thank you so much! ❤❤❤ Making that video with Rite Media (Sam Green and Steven Pitts) was the best!! They took my vision and ran with it!! I also made most of the cardboard props and had some help, took us a few days! Steve Pitts and his wife Dri made the robot, and I was blown away - it was a week-long shoot of a few hours each day and different locations! I have a silly side, and although slowed down robot boy can be a very somber song, I decided to kick it up a notch and really dive into an opposite emotion from skin, and embrace the layer of myself that just decides to say "beep boop" in a song hahaha it was very freeing. 🙂 All of my friends have special cameos throughout the film as well, and my co-writer, Jean Kelley, is my maid of honor in the video. Gosh, we really had some hilarious times during that shoot! Nick is my doctor in the music video, and I just laugh every time I watch it or even answer my phone on an abnormal day and people start our conversations with "beep boop" hahaha! All of my songs are produced by our team at Bravo Ocean as well, which makes the recording process fun because you are having a blast the whole time! It is fun to play Robot Boy live at my concerts because everyone joins in and it becomes a theme that brightens everyone up. I just love making people smile. I love it. I know you also toured with one of the greatest songwriters of our time - Ben Folds. I bet that was a great time. Can you tell us a little bit about working with him? I had the privilege of being Ben Fold's as an he second (love dying my hair btw) and after the second show I did with him in Pittsburg, PA, there was an open letter online written about The Singer With The Purple Hair that an audience member wrote that Ben Folds found. He mentioned it to me and shared the info with me during sound check at the Cleveland, OH pavilion. He thought it was something I should read and thanked me. He passed me his phone during sound check and the woman said that my eyes watching Ben Folds and the way I rocked out to his music as his backup singer made her fall in love with his music. So through my inspiration, she was inspired, and I had no idea, I was just a giddy child up on that stage singing with one of my idols 🙂 Dude ... there are so many great memories and pieces I hold dear to me like the Segway moment haaha which I won't share with you but dang, haaha yes, I had a blast, and that was the first time I realized that something was bubbling in me to release my own music by watching him.

Alto and Soprano for a few dates on his tour in 2014, and it was such a lovely and memorable time. He influenced me so much as a songwriter, and when I found out that I got the gig, I flipped out, cried a bunch, and then got straight to work. I had to learn twice as much material because some shows I would need to be a soprano (sing the higher parts) and some shows I would need to be the Alto (lower harmonies). It was a symphony tour, so the practice routine was intense, we would spend a few hours with the city's symphonic orchestra and then have a break and then blast off during the show. There was a lovely and striking moment on tour though - I had bright pink hair for the first date, and then purple hair for

Well, you are the true genuine article. I knew it from the moment we met. You give the best hugs, by the way! I want to know some of your early and current influences. You mentioned Etta James, what about male singers? I'm a big fan of James Blake. His singing is so sexy. Can you share some of the music you like and would be playing in your car? Thank you so much Noble! You have a genuine heart and I always give my best hugs out to people who have kind eyes. In my car, I am blasting everything ... haahaa,  as long as the song is timeless and can stand alone with one instrument and one vocal, I am a fan for life. I was. Blasting James Taylor and Queen yesterday. I can't get enough of Stevie though. ❤ Stevie Wonder? Yessssss! Stevie, Elton, Billy Joel. I'm a sucker for an artist who plays the piano. OK, because Stevie Nicks would be acceptable too. lol Yes, Stevie Nicks is raw and powerful. I also rock out a lot to Janis Joplin ❤❤❤❤❤❤ and Alanis Morisette. String chicks give me goosebumps. So, I love that you said that your life is icing now. There's still got to be a dream ahead though. What are your future goals? I want to release my debut album and tour more in the years to come- I have some intense plans in the works right now that I wish I could share with you! Well, surprises are always good too. I know you've been performing regularly in Atlanta. Is that going to continue? I love performing in Atlanta and the surrounding states - it has expanded over the past few years and am planning more traveling and music soooooon !🙂 I look forward to that. I might be able to help get you some gigs in Nashville. I certainly want to help in whatever way possible. I am truly a fan for life. Anything else that you want to add before we wrap it up? Thank you so much! I love Nashville and everything helps! Oh, I don't know! Any personal questions that you have that don't have to do with music? I have 2 cats named Chicken and Baby Kitty.

Yes, what is your favorite food? My favorite food is Biscuits and Gravy, and every year I make it on my birthday. ❤ I love Biscuits and Gravy! But the kind with the real sausage in the gravy. Yuuuuummm! I'm a great cook! 🏄🏼‍♀️ You just had a birthday, recently! Congratulations! Thanks! I turned 32! And I'm excited for this time in my life. What a perfect age. I remember 32 so fondly! 32, single, 2 cats, following my dreams, eating egg rolls currently ... it's a good life. You can find more on Prisca at: http://www.priscamusic.net/ http://www.bravooceanstudios.com/

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Interview with Anka, photographer and fetishist

I came across Anka on Fetlife. Her profile was very open and she seemed very passionate about her life. As she describes herself, in her own words - The Anka is a legendary bird from Arabian mythology. Much like the phoenix, it would burn to ashes and be reborn about every 1700 years. It was named for the white ring of feathers around its neck and lived in the mountains that people believed marked the edge of the world. It had a wing span as long as five elephants, and could pick up an entire elephant in its talons. As the story goes, the Anka was territorial and deadly. But if you appeased it, it would take you to places you had never dreamed of. She's an incredible photographer, so I was happy when she agreed to be interviewed. First of all, thank you Anka for taking some time out today to speak with us. Thank you for having me. You specialize in a certain type of photography ... Boudoir, is that correct? Yep, I do a variety of genres but boudoir is one that I do the most. For those not familiar, what would you consider boudoir? I would say boudoir photography is portraiture that contains heavy themes of sexuality, eroticism, and other more "adult" forms of beauty. It's not quite just a portrait, and it's also not just "nude photography". I could photograph someone nude as a study in the body or for some other artistic purpose and I wouldn't quite call it boudoir. When people book a boudoir shoot it's usually to either take sexy photos to give to a partner or spouse, to use them for their portfolio if they're a sex worker or burlesque dancer or something of that nature, or just to have the experience for themselves and see themselves in a new light. Seeing yourself as a powerful and alluring person like that can be really empowering. Yes, I'd consider burlesque to be the dancing equivalent of boudoir, I think. So how long have you been doing photography and what got you started moving in this direction? Well, the more endearing story I tell people is that my mom gave me a disposable camera to bring to camp when I was 10 and I've been a photographer ever since, ha. But really, I've had a camera in my hands since before junior high and it's always been my favorite way to express myself and show how I see the world. It didn't really hit me until college that I might want to pursue photography as more than something I do for fun, so I started getting paid gigs around junior year and then started up a business officially when I was about a year out of school. Well, you have a gift truly. I'm grateful that you decided to share it with the world. Thank you! The world has been very encouraging. 🙂 Speaking of gifts, let's talk about fetishes. You are pretty active in the fetish community there in Michigan? Yes? I would say I'm reasonably active, yep. I've been to events around the state, taught a few classes, and hosted a few get-togethers over the years. Please, tell us about the classes and events that you've been a part of. Alrighty, get ready for a list. 🙂 The first time I ever taught, it was at a munch that used to run every month called The Educational Munch. A munch by the way, for your readers, is just a colloquial term for when people interested in BDSM get together to socialize or learn together, as opposed to a play party where the goal is to actually do BDSM activities. I love the word munch! Ha, I know right! I think they call it that because there's usually food involved. They're often at restaurants. But anyway, I was dating someone at the time who had introduced me to what is now one of my bigger fetishes, Erotic Hypnosis. It's a fascinating field. Yes, it seems very fascinating! So anyway, we did a class together called "Erotic Hypnosis 101" and it was really fun teaching a new topic to people. We did a few of those at different munches and around the state, and we eventually created our own munch called GrHype which stood for Grand Rapids Hypnosis Enthusiasts. He was more the brainchild than I was, but I liked helping out. We've broken up since, but he's still teaching it when he can. I watched a video where you were put under hypnosis over chat. Is that pretty common? Extremely common, especially in the internet age. I really had no idea it was even possible. Most don't! I didn't, when I first discovered it I was pretty sure I couldn't be hypnotized because somebody had tried once and it didn't "work". I've since learned how to be very wrong, haha. But yeah, all it takes is any form of communication. Well, a lot more than that actually, but it can be done through any form of communication ... or at least I imagine so. Well, music is a big trancer for me. So, that is where the name Hypnobunny comes from? So, in the rope bondage community, they have a term for a rope bottom who just likes to get tied up a lot, "rope bunny". It's kind of going out of fashion now because it's a little sexist and exclusionary, but, still, some people like identifying as a rope bunny. So I thought, well, if there can be rope bunnies, why not a hypnobunny? And a handle was born. I just wanted to get hypnotized a lot and learn as much as I could about it : ) I think it's fascinating. I had a friend in Chicago who trained to be a hypnotist's assistant and she let us sit in on a few sessions. It's really about the power of suggestion and being open to it. Indeed it is So, I read that you have taught rope classes as well. Any suspension stuff? Ah, clarification. I haven't taught rope, I don't really know much about it, but I did use to host a rope-tying practice space. It was strictly practice, no education, just a spot for people to socialize and experiment and work on their knots.

OK, have you tried suspension? Either rope or hook? I've never done by hook (if you mean the piercing kind) but I do really enjoy being suspended by rope, especially upside down. It's an incredibly strange feeling and I've never felt anything like it. I got booked to DJ a piercing suspension session once. I've always wanted to try it. One day maybe. Perhaps, I'll start with rope. Nice. Yeah start with rope, a lot of it is just getting your mind to calm down about the fact that you're off the ground and being held up by a strange thing, so it takes some mental work. As far as BDSM goes, do you consider yourself a submissive, a domme or a little of both? I like to say I'm a submissive with developing toppy tendencies. So, a little of both. Hahaha, I like that - toppy! Ha, yeah! You've also done some adult stuff online, correct? Cams and videos, yes? Correct. I've dabbled in doing cam shows and I have an online store where I sell photos and videos of myself. It's something I'm working on growing, I really enjoy doing online sex work. You are very positive about your sexual outlook. Do you think the world, in general, has become healthier when it comes to kink and sex? I would say absolutely. With the internet, we've been able to share personal experiences so broadly and often that more people are realizing they're not alone, especially in their sexuality, so it's becoming less stigmatized and more normal. I would agree. I'm not sure about the whole world in general, but I think that's what's going on here at least. I met a woman at a party recently who had been organizing BDSM play parties since the early 90's. Back then you had to buy a dirty magazine, then find the right ad in the dirty magazine, then call the number, get interviewed, and be accepted if you wanted to go to a kink party. Now you can find them online, and they range from full-on play parties to social munches at sports bars. I was glad to see she was still out and participating in the scene. 🙂 Well, you are never too old to have a good sex life. I hear you cook a mean curry. You know, food is the gateway to the heart? I'm originally from the south so, preaching to the choir!

Oh snap! What would you tell someone who was kink curious but had no idea what it was all about? I'd say educate yourself. Maybe reading this interview is your starting point. Go to fetlife.com and find munches near you and try and meet some people; see if there's anyone near you who is interested in mentoring, or just answering a few questions. There are books on it out there too, go browse your local Barnes & Noble in the Romance section (but avoid the fiction section, ha :) There's definitely a learning curve you have to go through in order to really know how to do kink in a way that's safe and fun for everyone, so remember that it's ok not to know everything and just keep at it. Barnes & "Noble" ... nice! Haha yeah, that's how I found fetlife! I was bored and wandered in there one day, picked up a book on BDSM and read it in the Starbucks. It pointed me to Fetlife, and I was at my first munch four days after : ) Wow! 50 Shades of Grey? Loved or hated it? Oof, very much a love-hate relationship. Kinksters love to hate it because it's a terrible example of what BDSM is like in real life, the communication between them two is awful and he does a lot of things that would be considered abusive in real life. It's only ok in the book because books are a magical place where the guy you have the hots for automatically knows everything you like without you having to tell him, and therefore he never has to ask, so he never does. Guessing games like that don't go over nearly as well in real life. In my experience no, they don't. So, it's awful. But I think its popularity actually did a lot of people a lot of good. Reading that book was how I discovered I wasn't alone, and it got me on this path. So, I owe it a lot. As with any interest, don't just read one thing and stop there and think you know all that you need to X) keep learning! Kink is the most fun when you feel safe enough to truly let go. That should always be the goal.

http://thehypnobunny.tumblr.com/ http://ankaphoto.weebly.com http://https://www.manyvids.com/Profile/1000812766/Thehypnobunny/ http://https://chaturbate.com/p/_hypnobunny_ http://thehypnobunny.tumblr.com/wishlist

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Electric Forest Documentary by a Nonsense Man & Space Dragon A Nonsense Man

I just wanted to share today an excellent Electric Forest documentary by my friend Zachary aka a Nonsense Man. I visited Electric Forest in 2008, and I was blown away. My friend Zach created a documentary, in which he explains the magic of Electric Forest. The highlights are an interview with Dixon's Violin - an incredible live violin act and a wedding at the festival. One of the other highlights is an impromptu Nonsense Man video. Zach's got talent and a real skill at sharing that experience. He loves to stare at pretty hoola hooping girls and as a male, who doesn't. Beyond that, he captures the magic which is Electric Forest ... and the fact that he's not an undercover police officer. -No Boats

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N'to - The Hound

It should be no secret that N'to is one of my favorite producers today. His music can only be described as minimal house / tech / whatever with a hint of French Touch. At least that is the feeling I get when I hear it. The Hound is a dark and stormy night ... but that dog has the scent. He's closing in, as you run into the void trying to evade him. It's inevitable, you can't escape from the Hound. -No Boats

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Nihilist Cheerleader - Riot, Right?

Album reviews are typically out of the norm here at Barrel-dEM, but when one of my favorite bands released their new album - Riot, Right? I knew I had to. I've been a fan of Nihilist Cheerleader since I saw them back in 2016 in Atlanta. I had the pleasure of interviewing lead singer Flynne Collins at the time. The band is from Athens, GA and they've been touring the southeast for a few years, so make sure you check them out in a town near you. Their newest album is simply a pleasure to listen to again and again. It contains the perfect combination of politics, angst, sex, memorable melodies and punk rock. The track Drenched In is one of my favorites. The opening guitars are reminiscent of New Order creating a pleasing sound before the chorus breaks down into a crunchier sound. The lyrics seem to tell the story of loss and regret - repeating never look back. Who's Gonna Hear You is another great track. The tempo is stepped up on this one compared to Drenched In. Basically, it's a song about moving forward, stop throwing a pity party and take charge of your life. The song Miss You Forever is another stand out track. Like many of their songs, there are tempo changes throughout. A lost relationship is the main theme here. Finally, & She Takes It, the last song on the album is a wonderful feminist anthem. It's a perfect closing song to an incredible album. Pick it up from Bandcamp below. - No Boats Riot, Right? by Nihilist Cheerleader

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SkyBlew - Nefelibata

I hear it all the time ... Hip Hop is dead. Trap killed it. Without digging it's easy to accept - with artists like Lil Xan, and all those face tattoo mumble rappers who aren't worth mentioning. Post Malone at least tries to pay homage to the past. But if you just dig beneath the surface, you will find artists like Skyblew. This guy is positive like Raury, walking tall like Camp Lo and doesn't need autotune to sound good. His production is on point. Skyblew is a bit of a mystery. He grew up in Alabama but currently resides in Chapel Hill, NC. Not much else is known about him other than his influences are Common, A Tribe Called Quest, Lupe Fiasco, Nujabes, 2Pac, De La Soul, Scapegoat Wax, Blue Scholars, New Radicals, Common Market, Michael Jackson, Arrested Development, Sade, and Amy Winehouse. He's the kind of artist that get's me excited to hear everything he's put out.