My Life In Music

Twitter - @Ivan_hays Soundcloud - Ivanhays

[ivanhaysmusic]

Today is the start of daily uploads leading up to my next project "23" (Adele can't copyright a number) due for May. Day 1 is in the bio | 📷👌🏻 @joshjkershaw much love brother #23 #newmusic #soundcloud #beats

[ivanhaysmusic]

Laugh Like Yours

Aiming right for the feels

I’ve never really used this platform I’ve built to promote my own music...I don’t know why, but I wanted to share this.  Billie Holiday holds a special place in my heart, and I always felt that if I even sampled her, I couldn’t do it justice, since I hold her music with such high regard. 

Hopefully I did a good job of this. I had a lot of fun making it

Enjoy! 

[ivanhaysmusic]

Pressed for time (Crossed my mind) Feat. Gold Link

Prod. By Monte Booker & THEMpeople Spread Love tour - Tickets on Sale now @http://www.mickjenkins.com/tour-1/ April 20 - Princeton, New Jersey - Princeton University 22- Potsdam, NY - SUNY Potsdam 23

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!! 

This is a squad track if I’ve ever seen one. Mick Jenkins returns after his 2016 debut album “The Healing Component” and what a return! A guest Goldlink verse, and production from the always amazing Monte Booker & Mick’s trusty go to THEMpeople for added production. Chicago and DC in here! 

[ivanhaysmusic]

Jardin

I can tell you exactly when I found out about Mr. Garbiel Garzon-Montano (thanks to my file info) 27th May 2014...2014! When Pharrell was telling everyone to be happy, Taylor Swift was releasing every track off “1984″ and people were “turning down for what” But just before the summer, I found this funky little EP called “Bishouné: Alma del Huila“ I had no idea who this was, but “Everything, Everything” had me hooked, and I immediately bought the vinyl.

To give a little context as to who Gabriel is, most people will know him from Drake’s “Jungle” which was sampled (tastefully) off Gabriel’s “6 8″ After this happened I felt that we would hear some more music from him, but alas, nothing. Instead he took his talent and his royalty check, got signed to Stones Throw (great move) and worked on his debut “Jardin”. Now almost 3 years since the release of “Bishouné: Alma del Huila“ we are graced with the debut.

Worth The Wait.

From start to finish you get a stream of tenderness and funk, a whole lot of funk. Breaks and bass lines layered with synths and strings. Now the lyrics aren’t that thought provoking, there are no political themes (or at least I don’t think there is) instead the lyrics and plucked from Gabriels colourful imagination, sometimes painting a story, or a landscape of what he is seeing for this track, with a lot of references to nature, and fruit (hence the name “Jardin”) they are care free but catchy. The production takes the shine on this, but I will say that the lyrics compliment the tracks very well, even if you may not quite understand where he is going with it.  But I guess thats the beauty of this project, it’s very...free, spacious. 

I could go into the tracks in depth, but this is really something you should listen front to back and take in the atmosphere. 

[ivanhaysmusic]

Praise to the all mighty (whoever yours may be) They are back! Continuing their reign as one of the most experimental music groups we’ve seen past the 2000 era. Enlisting Mercury Prize Winner Benjamin Clementine to deliver haunting and seedy vocals over bubbly, epic instrumental

More please.  

[ivanhaysmusic]

raindrop, droptop

migos - bad and boujee (monte booker remix) free download, enjoy :)

I’m Done. All praise Monte Booker Taking something that’s waaaay overplayed now (not even memes can save it) and flipping it into something so fresh. Props to you Monte

[ivanhaysmusic]

ayye mane (feat. blue november, lauren truee & garrott odom)

stream ayye mane on whichever platform u want (fanlink.to/ayyemane) ayye mane... @blunovember @laurens-truees @garrott-odom @rakeem-miles JULY 2017

[ivanhaysmusic]

My “Sound of 2017″ List

Every year the BBC reveals it’s list of “upcoming” artists that in their eyes, are about to blow in the next year. I usually have an issue with these lists, since most of the time at least 60% have already blown, Anderson .Paak, on this years list for instance, a guy who has already seen HUGE success this year, being featured on some of the biggest albums of the year (Schoolboy Q - Blank Face, Kaytranada - 99.9%) as well as a bevy of other features, oh, and he also released 2 albums this year, his collaborative project with Knxwledge, “Yes Lawd” and his own (amazing) album “Malibu” Although, the rest of this years list did have me digging through who the others are, but most of the time these list’s are not that impressive and usually amount to who the BBC can play on the radio without being hated on.

I would like to give my own suggestions to who has the potential to really make 2017 theirs. Most artists (like the BBC list) have already found success, but have a chance to take it to the next level.

Monte Booker/Smino/Ravyn Lenae (No Fatigue) I’m not too sure if this is cheating but I had to group these guys together. Something special is cooking up with this crew. First we have Ravyn Lenae, an incredibly soulful and imaginative vocalist, who almost has a mix of Erykah Badu and Lauren Hill in her. The storytelling in her lyrics and her passion in her voice can really carry a track. With one project under her belt “Moon Shoes EP” and now signed to Atlantic, I’m hoping they give her the creative space to continue to grow. Listen Next we have Smino, I came up on his very early this year (2016) with his EP “blkjptr” which was on repeat for a solid month, the guy can rap over anything, and even throws some singing over the beats, with his heavy southern accent, it works very well on everything I have heard from him. Now with his debut studio album “blkswn” down the pipeline, 2017 should be a busy one for him. Listen

And finally, the mastermind behind all the tracks (or at least most) for both Ravyn and Smino, Monte Booker. One of the most talented and busiest producers around today. His Soulection “white label” release launched him into space and he has yet to come back down. Now signed to Soulection, he has collaborated with resident producers and artists on the label and working on his first official release for next year, with the first single “Mona Lisa” with vocalist and always loved on this blog, Naji, has sparked a lot of attention. Listen

All these guys have something amazing going on right now and I really wish them the best for next year.

Daniel Caesar If you can take Frank Oceans tenderness, D’angelos soul, and a bit of The Fray, and you get the elevator pitch for Daniel, but the guy is so much more.

There are a bunch of R&B singers who can perform, but can’t make you feel something in the lyrics they are singing, Daniel certainly can. Whether he is heating things up with “Get You” painting a very vivid image of passion, or when he slows things down with “Wont Live Here” where the pain from being away from the person he loves is so strong he can’t go any further. Now I haven’t found any evidence of a project next year, but I will bet that we can expect something from this man to keep his momentum going. Listen

Snoh Aalegra Every time I listen to her “Don’t Explain” EP, I just want to be sitting in a dimly lit bar somewhere in New York, but I guess my dimly lit studio will do. Either way, I’ve got Hennessy. Discovering Snoh this year was a real sucker punch. A captivating sucker punch. This Swedish vocalist embodies modern and classic soul/R&B, from the likes of Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse, but with a Hip Hop twist (thanks to being signed and produced by No I.D and working with DJ Dahi) Every track is like listening to a temping siren, very pleasing to the ear and will draw you in instantly. And after seeing her live, supporting Mayer Hawthorne this year, I can tell you, she is every bit as good.

Listen

So, there we have it, my short list of artists who are on the path to having a phenomenal 2017, and I look forward to every part of it

[ivanhaysmusic]

Today was a good day

Today is one of those rare days where everything goes right. Good night sleep, great breakfast, hard gym session, work was a breeze, then you go home and there is new Childish Gambino and John Mayer...what did we do to deserve such a gracious bounty?!

Let’s start with good ol’ johnny boy.  Love On The Weekend I just picture myself driving down an empty road, roof down not caring where I’m going ( a lot like most of John’s tracks to me) it’s just smooth for the soul. With a new album on the horizon of 2017, this has me pumped for next year (partly because he has not failed me yet) But first, we have to wrap up 2016...and this next track is part of the closing ceremony 

Now onto Donald (Childish Gambino) Glover. It really seems to be his year. Hit new TV show with “Atlanta”, a fantastic festival (from what I hear) and now we gear up to his new album which comes out next month! Redbone This is one hell of a track. Like previously with “Me and Your Mama” I’m getting such a P Funk vibe to his new direction...and LOVING IT! The punchy bass line, the electric keys, and his (from what I hear) his best impression of Bilal.  I don’t like to hype too much up in this day and age, but this album has me salivating

[ivanhaysmusic]

It's been a minute since I did a vinyl update, this has been on heavy rotation for well over a month now, so much diversity on this, a must have @kaytranada - 99.9% #nowspinning #vinyl #kaytranada

[ivanhaysmusic]

Flying Lotus Is For The People

Steve Ellison or otherwise known as Flying lotus, musical genius, sometimes cult leader and all around great guy went on a bit of a PSA (some are calling it a rant...I beg to differ) about the relationship between producers and rappers.

Now firstly to point out, not all rappers are the bad guys, but, as a producers myself, and someone who has been put on the spot where an artists wants me to make a track for them on the spot, I understand where he is coming from. the tweet reads “To producers. When a rapper invites u to the studio and asks u to make beats on the spot. Tell them to pay your fee on the spot, cuz fuck that“ and yes, they should get paid on the spot, because it is a ball ache. Hip Hop producers have emerged over the past few years as the superstars these days, people like Metro Boomin’, Dj Mustard, Noah “40″ Shebib, just a few big names, but this also applies to the Soundcloud producers who have made it big. Mr Carmak, Kaytranada, Sango.

But even with this rise, Hip Hop producers are still in the shadow of the rappers they give (sell) their beats to, instead of being at the same caliber as electronic producers, where it is them, featuring the vocalist, not the other way around, because of this Flylo drew attention to the fact that producers should be getting paid. Now as soon as I saw this, I knew big media outlets would take this out of context, or make it seem like it is, with click bait titles “Flying Lotus criticizes rappers!” (who’s surprised) Nope, he’s just raising awareness and sharing knowledge.

The way I see it is, always in my eyes (ears) the production comes first, if the track has a great beat behind it, but the lyrics are trash, it doesn’t take too much away (since you will be able to find an instrumental) and a lot of the time, if the beat is huge, then the rapper/vocalists will push themselves to do it justice, but if the lyrics are great but the beat is trash, then it will turn people off on a bigger scale, because who wants to listen to a 3 minute+ track in which the beat does nothing.

This also incited discussion, about collabs. Now obviously if the artist and producers both put input into the track, then yes, it might be forgivable to let a fee slide, but if the artist calls it a “collab” but sits back on their phone telling you what sound they like and don’t like, then that where the line is drawn, no matter how close you are to that artists, if they are getting paid, so should you.

Thanks Steve (I can call you Steve, right?) for bringing this to light a little more, it got me thinking a lot...something that Twitter rarely does these days.

Flylo

[ivanhaysmusic]

TDE is about to get a lot more interesting

(Another artist I wanted to add in repeated play, but this really needs its own post)

TDE, Top Dawg Entertainment. A label that shouldn’t really need any sort of introduction, so I’ll keep it short. Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, SZA, Isaiah Rashad. That should do it.

Now they deepen their roster even more, broadening their Hip Hop & R&B depth chart by adding this new guy. A guy who literally came out of the blue, with all TDE artists tweeting “. @skiiiwalker ?”  (and a feature on the new Jay Rock album “90059″) only for a few days later to be graced with his first single “Speed”

Now, this isn’t entirely your usual TDE release...but then again, what is usual with this label? They cover so many different aspects when it comes to hip hop, citing influence from all over the world. Jazz, soul, funk, electronic, R&B and many many more, but what interests me the most, is that it’s a little more obscure then what people are used to, or maybe expect. The first half of this track is something playing in reverse, while Lance raps over it, keeping himself shrouded in mystique. For only to lead into a synth heavy bass, tight sampled break, and rich chords, while we see him sing over the top, completely switching the feel of the track.

I personally love this direction, and that “obscurity” continues with this latest track “Could It Be” (which comes with a fantastic video) This track provides a hypnotizing plucked synth lead, while Lance is singing about trying to convince a girl to notice his love. I also want to mention, that the vocals aren’t straight forward either, they ride up and down the track, with all the air being sucked out of them, giving a very dark theme to the first half of this track. Again, like “Speed” did, the beat switches half way through to a much lighter tone. Lances harmonies lace the track to provide the main melody, but his main vocals again, ride up and down the track. Something that might turn people off, and it has.

I see comments saying that people “aren’t feeling this”. To the casual TDE listener, or hip hop listener, then I can see that yes, this is different, but that's the beauty of it. Trying to have a sound is very hard, especially on a label like this, where their artists are so diverse, and if people aren’t quickly adopting it, then it’s a sign of something good, people are talking about it, not just listening. It may take people multiply listens to really wrap their heads around it, but for me, I’m excited to hear the future of this guy, and by the looks of it, so are TDE.

Seriously, check him out.

[ivanhaysmusic]

Obsessed. MadBliss - Hibiscus (Feat. Naji)

I was going to include this in my next "Repeated Play" but I felt this deserved its own post.

I haven't had a track capture my attention so quickly and repeatedly for a while. It has literally (figuratively) been on repeat for the past 2 days. Now, even though MadBliss does a fantastic job on creating this sugary beat that uplifts any mood (even if you were at your peak, this wil take you higher), as soft chords fill up the track, whilst the drums play behind them, BUT, it's really Naji that steals the show.

His is a new name to me, but I'm an instant fan, he completely makes the track his own. From the lyrics that just remind me of some tropical island, the infections in his vocals at different times to keep you on your toes and the harmonies during the chorus and at points through the verses, these are...purebliss (puns!). It is just a fantastically fun track, even if the instrumental doesn't change up, Naji does a great job keeping it fresh, constantly switching up his performance, singing, rapping, even toning it down and talking.

I can see this being played throughout my summer, and for even longer as the year goes on, to remind me of those warm evenings.

Listen Here

Naji

Madbliss

[ivanhaysmusic]

Repeated Play

So this makes it’s grand return. I forgot how hard it was to narrow down the best songs I’ve been listening to in the week. A very electric feel this week, so, on with the show!...blog post

Flume - The Greatest View (Feat. Isabella Manfredi)

There’s a lot of artists I would love to just sit down with and listen to them talk about anything, but next to Flying Lotus, ?uestlove and Prince, Flume would be in the top 5. There is just something about his production that just captivates me from the first listen, and carry’s on 4/5 years down the line, since the release, and in anticipation of his new album coming out (Hopefully very soon) I’ve been revisiting his catalogue.

Now I could of included one of his newer cuts, “Never Be Like You” or “Smoke & Retribution” which has KILLER Vince Staples feature, I always find myself back at his debut, maybe because during that time I was not only discovering my sound as a producer, but also, there was a huge shift in my musical preferences. Now, even though this wasn’t on the original version (was added later to the deluxe version) there is just something about the energy of this track. The smooth slow build, whist the vocals ride on top, that very seamlessly transition into this full horn section that give the track a new burst of energy, whilst maintaining the original track.

Oh, and the added sample (not sample) of J dilla & Quasimoto’s “Hydrant Game” is a great touch. unsure whether that was intentional, but hey, I tip my hat to you sir.

Listen

James Blake - Timeless

Holy crap, speaking of anticipated albums, “Radio Silence” is waaaaay up there, and if this an indication to how its going to be, I don’t think my body is ready.

I shouldn’t have to introduce this man by now. Debut album “James Blake” was phenomenal, boundary pushing when it came to UK electronic, sophomore album “Overgrown” still maintained those experimental elements, but added a bit more of a pop appeal with tracks like “Retrograde” & “Life Round Here” but this here, sounds like it is combining both album sounds.

James’ vocals are as always in another element, the subtle harmonies, that almost sound de-tuned to the main vocal, accompanied with a trebling organ and and booming beat, it all blends together to create something special. And the added guitar pluck sample (or what seems like a sample)that tortured me for hours, while trying to figure it out, which most people will know from 50 Cent’s “21 Questions” is a nice added touch to the beat switch. Really looking forward to what lays ahead for James in the coming months when, hopefully, he announces/releases his next full length album.

Listen 

Jamie Isaac - Last Drip/ (Rejjie Snow Remix)

I’ve been following this guy for a while now, ever since his “I Will Be Cold Soon” EP back in 2013, I always made the comparison that he was a tamer James Blake, complete coincidence they are both in this post, but he always did a great job of combining somber jazz elements with electronic music, along with his beautiful vocals, to create something you don’t need to think about, just enjoy. Something he did exceptionally well on the follow up EP “Blue Break”

Now this year we see his debut album arrive, 12 tracks. I hoping for for more diversity, as well as his usually somber goodness, and I’m happy to hear, with this single, we are getting some of that diversity. Beautiful chords with a very overwhelming sub bass keep you riding through, whist Jamie serenades you through this track. But with some very active percussion in the back, just to keep things exciting. Lots of trap styled hats and kicks, which isn’t a bad thing at all, it’s great to hear this energized version of Jamie, and I hope we continue to hear this when the album is released on July 8th.

Now I couldn’t find the original version online, but there is a Rejjie Snow remix, which adds another element to Jamie’s music, hearing his instrumentals under a rap is a match made in heaven. Now I couldn’t hear just any rapper over this, but someone like Rejjie fits very well, someone who sounds just as sombre as Jamie, complimenting his work.

Listen

[ivanhaysmusic]

Happy my have my album of the year on wax. Can't tell you how many times I've listened to it, and I can't foresee how many more times I will now this is in my life. @anderson._paak is one special guy. Thank you #andersonpaak #Malibu #vinyl #nowspinning #foreverspinning

[ivanhaysmusic]

End off the week with that new Dilla. Couldn't ask for anything better. Even after all these years, he never ceases to amaze me #jdilla #vinyl #thediary #nowspinning

[ivanhaysmusic]

YES LAWD!! Kaytranada’s album just keeps sounding better and better, not like I ever doubted him, but damn. It’s no surprise that he would have made a track with the hottest guy in music right now (especially since Kay has a beat on AP’s “Malibu” LP) Kay continue to show how versatile he is, with this beat that’s laced with something, I can’t explain it, but as soon as you hear the bass, you’ll know.

Paak also continues to prove that the world needs to wake up and hear him, showing the same versatility by basically rapping the first few verses, then during the beat switch, he lays down a smooth vocal track which compliments the track so well. All wrapped up with a video which…I can’t really explain, but it projects the track perfectly.

This album is going to be HOT!

99.9% is out May 6