[jealousgold]

Hazy Mountains - Neon Velvet

The name says it all, really. When breaking it down, Hazy Mountains brings to mind notions of mist and gloom, slightly clouding the grandeur of the mountains that dot our Earth. The imagery is perfect, but so is the sound. Hazy Mountains, a.k.a. Julian Prott, is a German dream pop act, whose latest single, 'Neon Velvet', has completely blown our minds. Its immense atmosphere is slightly belied by this incredible subtlety that pervades throughout - a haze, if you will, that lulls you into its trance. It reminds me of the impact in the most powerful of Godspeed You! Black Emperor tracks, but somehow it blends perfectly into a lazy dancefloor groove. The capacity to merge such sounds is incredible, and we can't wait to hear more from him. This, and all of his previous releases (available via his Bandcamp), are highly recommended.

ELABY MACKENZIE

[jealousgold]

The Kill Off EP by Oliver the 2nd

Oliver The 2nd - The Kill Off EP 

As the 2013 'best of' lists start to get hashed out and most of rap has kicked its feet up for the year, Black Jungle Squad wraps up their busy year the right way - by continuing to drop heat. Oliver The 2nd and Jeremiah Jae, no strangers to one another as they bridged the LA x Chicago connect earlier this summer, as they collaborated on RawHyde - an 18-track album that advanced Jae's status as one of the best alt-rap rapper/producers in the game, and gave Oliver the 2nd, a larger platform and audience. Jae, who produced, and mixed Rawhyde in it's entirety, does the same for 'The Kill Off" - Oliver's 9 track debut EP that puts a lot of other first attempts to shame. He's been rapping for years, and has found a good lane that could only be elevated by Jae -Oliver's ear is penchant for odd beats (he produces as well) but he doesn't necessarily stick to the subject matter one might imply that would match up with it. On 'Hater Marks' he's quite frank - "Wise man once told me…fuck these Niggas/ Get ya game on go play/ Time is ticking." He goes from upfront, to straight up dark and threatening, best being highlighted on standout tracks like 'Red Roses' - where after the line "Red roses all on their gravestones" repeats 16 times, he goes in and flexes over a wicked Jae beat that sounds like something an ice cream truck would play in the apocalypse. While murder, cannibalism and death are consistent themes on an EP called "The Kill Off" - its well titled. The notion is that anyone who comes even in the ballpark of what these two are cooking up, should sit the fuck down. And they may just be right.

K A RICH

[jealousgold]

poplar grove (or how to rap with a hammer) by scallops hotel

Scallops Hotel - Poplar Grove (Or How To Rap With A Hammer)

Los Angeles indie hip-hop label, Hellfyre Club is no stranger to an alternative sound - and for that, label standout, Milo, turns the spotlight on himself and takes their abnormal vision further on his own, with his debut side project ‘Popular Grove (or how to rap with a hammer)’ under the alias Scallops Hotel.

For anybody that judges a book by its cover, you would imply by the album, name and track titles like ‘my granddads soul with thanks to Will for helping find it’ shows that 1. This isn’t for listeners who stop at a Rick Ross Pandora station and 2. It shows deep touches of vulnerability and character drizzled in, containing many themes and references only the creator can unlock.

His label mates from Hellfyre assist on production, but a majority of these slow tempo, tingly sounds come from Milo himself.

Standout tracks like '50 Centaurs' highlight his production work, borrowing from UK garage titan, Burial, giving an inescapably warm feeling to odd, revealing lyricism that ranges from skipping class at Hogwarts and concern of how much he has masturbated.

The content touches on anything from finding relaxation in the grocery store to not writing papers in MLA format - but becomes more shockingly realistic about the fate of his life

"my god im so nervous…to be a cog in the machine"

Regardless, this is Milo's existence, which is probably best interpreted on your own.

"how do u write songs in so little time - I spent my whole life working on this"

K A RICH

[jealousgold]

_N by 회사AUTO

회사AUTO - _N

Anyone signed up to do a cassette release via Portland-based experimental tape label, Purr Tapes, is bound to be a winner. That’s a fact. With the founders, Hunter and Krystal, committed to releasing quality music by experimental electronic bedroom producers, you’re assured to find some exciting new sonic dimensions while exploring their discography. This brings me onto their latest release by elusive experimental electronic producer, 회사AUTO, whose latest full-length, _N, showcases a huge amount of lateral intelligence, giving rise to a boundary-breaking approach to layering multiple and often dissonant sounds and samples into something cohesive and refined…well, as cohesive and refined as any vaporwave release can be. With a reliance on distorted samples, various appropriation techniques, and often long and obscure melodies sequenced down into something entirely fresh, it’s complex and diverse right down to the core. With its highs and lows, the album takes you on a journey through plains of synthetic texture and unknown sounds, but this journey through this explorative soundscape is exciting and sucks you in fast.

As usual, each release comes with a small, yet reflective piece on the sonic nature of the album itself, and this one is absolutely spot-on:

Follow the lush vapor trail to the edge of your heart. Surrender to warm beams of light and shivering towers of ice. Melt away in the obscurity of limbo, those moments before sleep. Walk slowly into the endless spectrum.

You can buy the cassette for $6 via the Purr Tapes Bandcamp. Go get lost.

ELABY MACKENZIE

[jealousgold]

Eauxwhen – w i s h

If you feel like listening to something kinda weird, kinda nostalgic, but totally cool and vibey at the same time, then look no further because you’ve hit the jackpot with this one. Eauxwhen (pronounced Owen, which is his real name), has been producing some pretty incredible futuristic trapwave jams for the last year, with his latest track ‘w i s h’ working some experimental Hip Hop into the mix, too.

‘w i s h’ begins with some washed out synths, laden with psychedelic overtones, soon cascading into a gutsy array of bob-inducing beats. Yet, bizarrely, despite its weird touches, there’s also something innocent and endearing about its sound.

A cold beer, and a beach would go down well with this one. If those are available to you, I highly recommend getting them involved in the fun.

Make sure to check out the rest of his tracks on Soundcloud and keep an eye out for anymore of these gems.

ELABY MACKENZIE

[jealousgold]

Physical Therapy - Non-Drowsy EP

In order to get out of the food coma that was Thanksgiving 2013, get up and groove to this new EP by Physical Therapy, “Non-Drowsy” on a new start up label, Allergy Season.

This emphatic, high octane seven track EP runs the spectrum by layering house and pseudo-techno bass lines and still encapsulating new wave electronica-esque synths and chillwave style sampling.

Self proclaimed, ‘genre-free’ and labeled under ‘This Package For Households Without Young Children’ Non-Drowsy paves the way for a great new start up label.

Whether it’s weaving through “4:21” and its subdued opening or getting lost in Leonia’s lo-fi drum and synth sampling, the EP is undoubtedly the best cure for post-Thanksgiving lethargy.

Available for free here, there is no excuse not to listen to this expansive, energetic EP.

AUSTIN MONTGOMERY

[jealousgold]

Borealis - Eye Blossom

Borealis, a.k.a Jesse Somfay, is an artist I have been watching closely for a while now. His deep blend of genres such as bass, techno, and even rave, always seem to exude an unprecedented amount of power, and this is no different in his latest full-length, Glittervoice, for net-label, Origami Sound. His ability to intermingle the best of those disparate genres with such ease is a quality not many producers are able to acquire, and it’s this that sets him apart and makes his music extraordinary.

‘Eye Blossom’ is one of the standout tracks on the album, with its foreboding atmosphere and persistent pulse infiltrating throughout the track. It constantly develops, getting faster and even more moody as it goes along, and eventually fades out into the rest of the album. He often focuses on layering sounds so as to give his songs a richness and depth, drawing you into the web of cosmic synth and beats. Listening to ‘Eye Blossom’ gives you a renewed sense of strength, and it is in this ability to embed such emotions in listeners that his genius resides.

If you enjoyed the menace of this track, make sure to check out the rest of the album, especially tracks, ‘Crush’, and ‘Lover.’ It’s an incredible work and worth grabbing via the Origami Store.

ELABY MACKENZIE

[jealousgold]

Flubba - Feel For You EP

Up and coming NYC based producer, Flubba is busting moves in all the right shapes. His latest release, an extremely well rounded 5 track affair entitled ‘Feel For You’, follows solid releases encompassing the last 18 months. Highlights such as his ‘Can’t Wait’ EP on 12-3 Recordings, and the ‘Don’t U Know' EP on Midnight Social have caught the attention of purveyors of the rapidly growing Deep House / Garage / Techno sound.

His latest endeavour features a natural progression of the Flubba sound, a gorgeous and well delivered combination of Techno vibes and textures delivered with House/Deep House sensibilities. The title track employs very Garage-esque pads and shuffled steppy rhythms to great effect, while the rest of the EP traverses more Deep House oriented vibes. The final track on the EP, ‘Downward,’ is by far the most stripped back of the offering, filtered pads complementing the brooding, rolling groove perfectly.

At a fresh-faced 20 years, Flubba is definitely a producer to keep a close eye on. While his production quality has always been exceptional this EP has really stepped up, and we expect big and bright things for the future.

Feel For You EP is out now on Cimelde Records.

GILES DAVIS

[jealousgold]

Green Ova's Most Hated by Shady Blaze

"5 songs in a day so add up the weeks"

Shady Blaze - Recording addict, Oakland Native, Greenova representer, and Main Attrakionz affiliate has had a productive year thus far. Dropping videos left and right, doing numerous features and emerging as one of the best talents coming out of Oakland's hip-hop scene.

His sound derives from the distinct Bay-Area style production and lo-fi loops behind his lyrics with insights on getting money, getting high and ultimately keeping positive and focused - but that's not to suggest he's an exceptionally nice guy. His latest tape, Greenova's Most Hated, suggests that.

"The fame I don’t think it be for me/niggas get that and start acting like little girls that belong on the Real World/Get your panties out your ass bruh" - comes off the intro, Hard Hitta.

With this tape and his continuing work with Greenova/MA - it shows his place in the underground hip-hop scene as a grinding artist, who stays close to his camp and roots, and even if the fame isn’t for him, there's the chance it could come knocking.

K A RICH

[jealousgold]

Gesaffelstein has unleashed his music video for “Hate or Glory”, a track due up on his new album, ALEPH out Oct. 28.

Hate or Glory weaves its way through an ominous beginning that grabs you through its entirety and never lets you go. A complete sensory overload, the video works seamlessly with the haunting percussion samples and viscerally launches itself through the speakers at you. This high-energy track really sets the stage for a great album release. The next time you coat yourself in gold, live a life of solitude. No one can escape the viscous cycle of lust and hate. A great song and an amazing video, enjoy.

Pre order ALEPH on iTunes.

AUSTIN MONTGOMERY

[jealousgold]

Make It Go Away by M∆DDEN

MADDEN - Make It Go Away EP

Dark electronic wizard and all around banger-maker MADDEN recently released a deliciously synth-y beat driven EP entitled Make It Go Away. The scope of MADDEN's music is wide ranging and encompasses elements of post-witch, hip hop, and experimental bass. 

Make It Go Away fully showcases the various sound sculpting talents of MADDEN, from trappy hip hop "See Mad Signs" (which features the always awesome SIGNS), to the experimental synth heavy "Mass", to the dark dance vibes of "Make It Go Away."

My personal favorite off the entire thing (which is amazing all around) is Kava, a bass heavy slow dripping track just barely under 3 minutes and sounds like a slice of pure dream. 

MADDEN is one of those artists in which one can never be sure what genre he'll put his personal stamp on next but guaranteed it will be worth checking out. 

ḅoƞeṣiƒt

[jealousgold]

Jon Hopkins is a UK-based electronic producer, whose latest album, Immunity  is a masterpiece of the most classically-imbued and executed techno, with driving and lush beat arrangements that draw one in completely, and wipe away any former notions of music having abstract dimensions. I say this because this album transcends musical boundaries in its ability create the effect that it has a much more real living and breathing nature, essentially allowing one to enter into its soul, where an interaction with the tracks on a more emotive level is encouraged. Open Eye Signal is one of the most notable and dance-floor oriented tracks off of the album, where the conjunction of serene beauty and driving beats thrive on to what seems like an unknowing end. The music video, directed by Aoife McArdle, conveys this perfectly, as we are taken on a physically and emotionally taxing skateboard journey with a young man. The sense of willful determination is imbued in the viewer, and it is hard to not feel your heart pulsing along to the inherent oscillations of the track. Personally it feels like we are witnessing a true act of self-liberation, but the nature of the track and the journey's hardships, which are so vividly captured in the video, remind us that true freedom is hard, if not impossible, to come by. Watch this video on full HD if possible - it is so worth it! And if you like the track, definitely make sure to check out the rest of the album.

This is what the McArdle had to say about the video: "The track is really special. I saw it as a singular, hypnotic journey that's almost endless. You get lost in it. I liked the idea of a city kid taking us on that journey... just one day suddenly deciding to escape his life and see more of the world in the only way he understands... via skateboard."

ELABY MACKENZIE

[jealousgold]

회사AUTO - Dræ.ming [$ Ⓞ $]

회사AUTO (for the record, pronounced HWAY-sah auto) is no stranger to strange sounds. He's just as inspired by R&B as he is by african tribal drumming, for instance. After a number of releases for vaporwave upstarts Ailanthus Recordings and Fortune 500, he's landed on Blockbuster Records, a relatively new label helmed by Stress, Metallic Ghosts and SAINT PEPSI of #SPF420 fame. His new release, titled "Introducing The Hardline EP [[According To Jonnny Lavendær]]," is a real doozy – a concept album inspired by his time working the night shift at an organic ice cream shoppe in his hometown of Seattle.

The EP's lead single is "Dræ.ming [$ Ⓞ $]," a beautifully cacophonous trip through the factory that scoops the ice cream from the tub, puts it on the cone, wraps a napkin around it and hands it to the customer – over and over and over. Here, his pairing of sounds gets just as quirky as ever. The lead-in might make you think that you've stumbled onto some early-90's west coast rap, but then you get slammed in the face with a glitched up Mariah Carey sample. His music has always had this frenzied quality to it, and while "Dræ.ming [$ Ⓞ $]" may not be quite as crazy as, for instance, his earlier track "Ring Tone Vortex", it's certainly got his hallmark sound, and is a great invitation to delve deeper into his extensive back catalogue. --- 3 most recent releases: Introducing The Hardline EP [[According To Jonnny Lavendær]]: Here

HyperMedia ~P☯P~: Here

ÄmírecÄ: Here

WILLIAM DONALDSON

[jealousgold]

The Underachievers: The Lords of Flatbush

As young underground talent out of NY continues to blow up, it's no doubt The Underachievers have kept it going. With a slot at Budweiser’s Made in American festival, performing the Smokers Club Tour with headliners Ab-Soul and Joey Badass, and an upcoming debut album, The Cellar Door, it's an exciting year for UA to say the least. Earlier this year they caught our attention with Herb Shuttles, off their 1st mixtape, Indigoism - praised for its tripped out production, and fast flow lyricism that accumulated into an ill zen-like stream of consciousness for hip-hop fans who can appreciate a solid mix of depth and excitement in a project.

Maybe that's why some scratched their heads when they teamed up with trap rap titan producer, Lex Luger, for nearly every song of their new mixtape, The Lords of Flatbush. Issa Gold cleared it up on twitter.

"The tape is mostly bangers. All the lyrical conscious expanding knowledge filled magial triple optic shit will have to wait for the album"

So whatever may be missing in their usual lyricism, is definitely made up for in solid production. It hits hard yet sounds spacey enough to cater to the UA's sound showcases Lex's ever-growing progress and mixes perfectly behind THC induced lyrics with brash, memorable hooks. "niggas aint really bout shit…nah" Just because their complexities might be watered down or they reached a little outside their norm, shouldn't mean for a second this tape should be written off - take it for what it is, 8 tracks of head knocking, catchy songs that amounts to a fun, and overall good ass project. "y'all know a motherfucker conscious but get off my dick, let me talk my shit"

It seems UA and #BEASTCOAST have nothing but big shit to come - sign us up. 

K A RICH

[jealousgold]

Touurs - You’re Different Around Me Knowing Touurs, it was guaranteed that this would be a very listenable track, without having even pressed play. Yet, what I didn’t know was that it was also going to be completely addictive! Toours, a.k.a. Daniel Sieh is a 22 year-old Philadelphia-based bedroom musician, who is known for his superb and consistent repertoire of eclectic of chilled electronic beats, and it has been great watching him grow as an artist! His latest track, ‘You’re Different Around Me,’ however, falls into the darker realms of his collection, and showcases a slightly different side to him. He says that he, “made this song as a way to wrap up the summer and reflect on the changes ahead,” which encapsulates the feeling of the track perfectly: oozing in retrospection and a feeling of uncertainty for what’s to come. There’s definitely a sense of melancholy within the track, but a melancholy founded in a feeling of loss for a past happiness that has slowly withered away – a summer gone. Sieh makes use of a cut from Drake’s new tune, ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home,’ which is carried throughout the track by a beautiful amalgamation of beat work and a powerful bassline, and it certainly touches on a few raw emotions on its way. Grab this track as a Free Download, put on a pair of headphones and wallow in its sorrowful tranquillity. Check him out on Facebook and Twitter for further updates.

ELABY MACKENZIE

[jealousgold]

Pure Bathing Culture - Scotty There's nothing I love more than VHS mashups. Maybe it's because I saw Tobacco play Moogfest in 2011: seeing Tom Fec drum like a maniac over a backdrop of fat boys music videos and bizarre 70's porn is hard to forget. It could also be the nostalgia of my own fascination of VHS tapes as a child: creating "video time capsules" of Burger King ads and X-Men reruns onto a beat up tape covered in stickers and sharpie scribbles (this could also explain my strange crush on Wolverine). All things considered, I think I'm just a sucker for the aesthetic of tapes--audio and video. There's something about the hisses, pops, and clicks of a tape that make you feel like your home is a movie theater, and the lines of TV snow are the ascending curtains.

YouTube video director and fellow VHS enthusiast David Dean Burkhart has a channel packed with videos that are simply described as "New Music // Old Footage". The marriage of the two is intensely captivating, with something for almost every fan of indie music (the music choices range from well-known acts like Beach House and Crystal Castles to more obscure artists like Topaz Gang and luxury elite). But what really makes David Dean Burkhart's videos stand out is his masterful use of effects, giving new life to these old clips. In his video for Pure Bathing Culture's "Scotty," a travel through space is seamlessly interlaced with a Russian breakdance performance: the dancers flow gracefully around the screen as the stars around them zip past infinitely, making their unreal movements even more supernatural.

David Dean Burkhart is truly someone with a heart of tape. With just a little under 150 videos on his channel (at the time of this writing), viewers looking for a trip into the chill unknown will have a long and aesthetically-pleasing journey ahead of them. Kick back, relax, and don't forget to rewind.

LEON WRIGHT

[jealousgold]

No Sound Lost: NSL002 by Various Artists

No Sound Lost: NSL002

No Sound Lost is a collective of three forward-thinking Youtubers who have come together to bring us the best in experimental bass and future beat music from around the world. The respective projects of the three individuals involved in No Sound Lost, namely  W Λ V Ξ V I S I Θ N Λ Я ¥,   Fingersonmyhand, and the_accidental_poet, have made a name for themselves in this scene by consistently posting and promoting what may just be the very best in what the genres have to offer. As a group, however, they have come together to form an exciting trio who have so far released two exceptional compilations. NSL002 is their second monthly compilation, and it has been haunting me ever since it was released a couple of days ago. The internal flow of the compilation from one track to the next creates a seamless stream of dark, driving baselines, industrial beats, and ghostly samples, all culminating in what may best be described as emotion in music-form. What I have found intriguing about listening to this collection of tracks, is that whatever mood it incites in you, whether it is happy or sad, is electrifying. This comes down to the mere fact that the respective producers have each honed in on this extraordinary ability to evoke unprecedented amounts of energy and feeling in their music, capitalising on the sparse atmosphere as a means for emotional arousal. Tracks like ‘Out’ by Manu Shrine, ‘No Match’ by ExT  ‘Waves Thrown’ by Dazed For Daze , and ‘Protect’ by LBN667 are the most notable ones on the compilation, yet the brilliance of No Sound Lost is that their ear for music is too great to let the quality suffer, making sure that each track meets a certain high standard. Make sure to grab the compilation as a Free Download over at No Sound Lost’s Bandcamp and keep an eye out for any further releases by keeping up to date with them on Facebook.

ELABY MACKENZIE