New Tune Tuesday (12/9/14)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Culprate – Deliverance
Inspected mainstay and general beat peddler Culprate seems to make two kinds of music: straightforward and anything but. Deliverance is decidedly the latter – so much so that I’m struggling to fit it into a category, or indeed compare it to anything else. Sure, some of the more atonal elements are indebted to Amon Tobin, and perhaps you can hear shades of Tipper in the expansive downtempo soundscapes. But “Deliverance” is an album that rises above its influences; Culprate swirls them together like a sonic chemist, utilizing the elements he already possesses to manufacture wholly unique compositions. “Acid Rain” is a bloop-fueled, breakneck sprint through no less than four genres. “Within” bubbles and builds into what could almost be called dubstep – if only for a few measures. Throughout, acoustic guitars twang, ethereal voices vocalize, flutes toot, bells ring, and all manner of other sounds round out the vast sound palette Culprate has constructed. This is a daring endeavor, and it paid off; Deliverance is an easy contender in the top ten albums of 2014 conversation.
D.V.S* – Comfort Zone
A while back we reviewed the first single from this album, “We Could Be.” It was a sultry future jam that had us itching to hear more, and today is the day. “Comfort Zone” is an eight-pack of steady downtempo brimming with chilled-out energy. Released on Loci Records – the label run by fellow chill expert Emancipator – this album is an appropriate accompaniment for the cold months ahead. “Winter Is Coming,” for example, plods along in perfect emulation of the season it’s named for. Other tracks, like the disco-bouncing “Elbow From the Sky,” and the off-beat “Scents And Paints,” stretch the definition of “downtempo,” yet even these don’t feel frantic or overwhelming. It’s an interesting direction for D.V.S*, and we hope his partnership with Loci is just beginning.
Tincup – City Lights
This young producer is quickly rising through the future-trap ranks, and with “City Lights” he’s delivered another dancefloor-ready speaker-shaker. It’s just heavy enough to satiate those traditional trapheads, and just playful enough to appeal to the more informed listener, with more than enough of the glitchy, non-traditional sound Tincup has grown more and more comfortable utilizing. It’s head-nodding, it’s not overly serious, and it’s damn catchy – plus, it’s available as a free download.
Craz – Multicolored Diamonds
As a total unknown turned Bassnectar collaborator, Craz has got to be feeling pretty good about himself. The New York native co-created a white-knuckle banger in “Thursty,” and I was hoping beyond hope that his follow-up, “Multicolored Diamonds,” would live up to the lofty expectations set before him. The layered, slow-building tune oozes with Nectar influence, and possesses a production level befitting a much more seasoned producer. It’s both delicate and in-your-face in all the right places, and in my mind solidifies Craz as anything but a one-collab-wonder.
Bleep Bloop – 10 Watt Lazers
Self-described as his “favorite” of all the music he’s ever made, this three-track EP is trap at its oddest and most intriguing. It has all the hallmarks – the high hats, the gang vocals, the heavier-than-heavy sub-bass. It also has a uniqueness about it that fans of Bleep Bloop know quite well, opting to use a small amount of stems and samples instead of overloading each track with unnecessary sound. The result is three tracks that are both sonically normalized and hugely diverse within their defined parameters. In less words, it’s quite good.
Stel*Leo – I Told You
Unsurprisingly, the Friends With Robots crew continue to pump out fresh, quality tunes. Ahead of the release of FWR03 (set to be an all-throwbacks mixtape), collective member Stel*Leo just dropped a futuristic track with some creepy altered vocals and a hell of a bassline – not to mention a fun little breaks interlude. It’s a short, sweet track; a perfect primer for FWR03, due out this Thursday.