Timeline for April

So, you've heard me tell tale that April is going to be a big month of podcasts from me.

Well, you're right!

April 1 - King Dub is taking over the Chilldown Period with a nice, tight dub mix to start off the month of Showers. The cover is awesome and you have to wait to get at it!

April 8 - Dubstep Directive - ooooo, bass, wobbles, thumping, and speaker shaking! I've been working on this mix since January and I hope you truly enjoy. This is my first attempt at this so I'll need all the feedback I can get.

Here's a taste of what you can expect (I found this little gem on IODAPromonet)

The End by 6Blocc

April 22 - The Chilldown Period Episode 15* - I get back into the swing of things with another chillout mix.

See, one great month of music ahead!

*sorry, I had to use my toes to count tonight, and with that sixth toe on one of my feet it throws me off. (I actually don't have six toes on one foot... lame attempt at humor)

Prettyhideous's latest is out

I'm pretty late to the dance, but guess what? Prettyhideous' latest "Balanace" is out now! Check it out here to find what you're looking for!

Totally digging the cover!

Thanks to Inner Light Spectrum

Joe, who is Inner Light Spectrum, just shared some kind words about my latest podcast.

Thanks so much!

Oh, and by the way, buy his album "The Path to Reality". It's great and will tranquilize you into the clouds!

Orishia - Falling Open

I finally bought Orisha's album "Falling Open."

After having her as my Artist of the Week, or Wrap Your Ears Around This Artist, or something like that, I had some money leftover from my birthday presents and bought the album.

So, what do I think of it?

You know, in school, when they tell you that the first answer that comes to your mind is usually the right one (and on multiple choice tests I usually thought of Z - which is not on there). Well, thinking about how to answer the style of music which comes across your aural canals the first think which came to my mind was: humble beats.

Yeah, you just read that! Humble beats.

Now, how do I describe this...

They aren't bombastic or overly processed. Just simple, delicate and humble.

The lyrics are great. Full of honesty and emotion; they can be what you expect to out-of-nowhere frankness (To my grammarians out there, you may wanna toss me a bone on this sentence if you get a chance). "Beautiful Thing" is one of the later. The beats, the melody, the vocals all intone a sweetness but when you listen to the lyrics - it's a totally different world.

"Waiting for a Change" has become a favorite on this album (outside of Beautiful Thing). The orchestration and lyrics match up (and a catchy beat doesn't hurt either) wonderfully to help the story to be told.

In my mind I've been trying to find another way to describe this album, going about it the Ben Frost way, by not just saying "dark" or "moody" or "emotive." He suggests describing music as if you were describing food, or wine (if my memory from his interview with Solipsistic nation is holding true).

So, I'll describe it the way my mind's eye sees it.

Stick with me now, alright?

I was taken back to when I was at the drive-in with my friend's family in Twin Falls, ID watching a movie. It was late at night, had to be pushing 11:30 or so, and off across the desert you could see the sun at the nadir making its last push to not be sent away for the day. The sky is pitch black with this one little squint of day making its way into view.

Take that visual, now space out arcing electrical units placed every 5 miles (just well enough to be in view). After that, place cannons (go with me now!) every so often.

If you head to the title track to the album "Falling Open", with the wobbling bass line representing the electrical generators and maybe the cannons as part of the beat and throw in some fireworks to represent the melodies - you may get a weird mental picture.

For me, it just seems to work.

The sun being the hope of something new with the visuals taking you along the path to that fruition with reminders of the trials and pains which you overcame to get to where you want to be.

Speaking of "Falling Open," Emah Fox's vocals play with the words, taking them from merely just sung, to parts of the orchestration. The enunciation and punchiness make it worth the while.

This album also has quite a few instrumental gems added in which punctuates the mood and progression.

It's just an endearing album. I've only touched on a few songs here, so go out and get the whole thing and find out for yourself.

Cover for the Dubstep Directive - coming in April

First off, gotta give credit where credit is due! Christian Haugen took this photo from his trip to central America. I was searching flickr for some creative commons photos I could possibly use and I stumbled across this awesome picture. I felt I needed to give credit where credit is due. So, I'm giving attribution (in a way stated by the agreement) and sharing my "remix" of the work. Here's a link to the original photo, and here's a link to the creative common's file:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianhaugen/ / CC BY 2.0

HOW FREAKING HARDCORE IS THAT SLOTH?

Plus, I thought it fairly fitting for a hardcore sloth to be the cover for the thumping, wobbling, and distortion we're bringing next month. It's going to be a wild month. (Three, count them three podcasts are in the works for next month)

Also, if this name is already taken - let me know! I don't want to step on any toes.

The Chilldown Period - Episode Thirteen

LUCKY THIRTEEEEEEN!

Welcome to another track listing for the Chilldown Period. This episode just flows - so be prepared to be chilled into a coma... or into relaxation.

ANYWAY, I hope you enjoy this episode.

I forgot to mention the song and the album of Inner Light Spectrum's entry into this month's episode. So here it goes: Chasing the Clouds featuring Flicker off of his album "The Path to Reality".

As always, thanks to the ambienteer!

Also, I mispronounced the website bandcamp. My accent came out a little strong there.

No more chatter, let's get to the tracklisting!

alessandro crimi - alaska - changements EP - broque - CC

Bangguru - Target Love - Bang the Guru - iD.EOLOGY - CC

Helios
"Mountain of Ice" (mp3)
from "Live at Triple Door"
(Circle Into Square Records)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Microbunny
"Gravity and Air" (mp3)
from "49 Swans"
(Static Clang)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Chris23 - gentle - Western Rains - CC

Autorotation - Flika - Everything is Everything

Inner Light Spectrum - Chasing the Clouds feat. Flicker - Path to Reality

Luke Parkin - Serenus - Est. MMIX

Ya Za
"Like Music" (mp3)
from "Bipolar In Stereo"
(Per Capita Records)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

airnino - sloth on a temporary emo trip - spacesuite radio - retrofuturism - CC

Mint
"Personal Spaces" (mp3)
from "Glued, Stapled, Remixed"
(Boltfish Recordings)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

Creative Commons Choosings - 2 March 2010

February flew by so fast! My goodness, I can't believe that March is here and I'm gearing up for the next installment of the Chilldown Period.

In the meantime, I thought it'd be wise... well - uhh, necessary, ummm... - okay, I've heard a lot of great music over the last month. I'm almost bursting at the seems with so much tasty tracks that this is going to be yet another sampling of what I have heard. These are some nice gems to come out of the tracklistings on my iPod and from my downloading.

Now to begin!

Chris23 - Western Rains

In my journeys through the sounds of dubstep (I'm still in the learning stages of this genre) you can hear sounds ranging from stomach shaking wobbles to what you hear in this sampling of music: laid back chillout! I've called music like this before "chillstep" (I wonder if that has been used before) where the basics of dubstep are there - such as the drumlines which have been toned down, driving synths which aren't as destructive and happening melodies (for example on this record: gentle). "Western Rains" takes these chill elements, with a mix of eastern vocals, and helps you rethink the way you view the genre of dubstep. At first, I didn't even consider this at all along those lines - I thought of it as just good chillout. With his tutelage, and repeated listenings, I'm a firm believer in both Chris23 and the flexibility of dubstep.

I first came in contact with Chris last year when I was looking for artists to put on an episode of the Chilldown Period. He was working on some music and I was going to play some of it on the show. Then he broke his ankle and he had to put some of his production on hold. I'm so glad he is back to health! And with his health came this gem of an EP.

You'll get to hear one of the songs from this album on my next installment of the Chilldown Period.

Ras Amerlock & Special Guests - 2010: A Bass Oddity (Trinity All-Stars) - LCL

All thanks to Thomas Raukamp for this head's up!

Dub, dub, dubbity dub! This is a sweeeeet album. To add more frosting to this cake: it's been a staple of my listening habits for the past month due to its raw production quality and keen meanderings through the neat sounds of dub. Ras Amerlock drops a tasty treat of an LP on your doorstep and brings some guests along the way. In my early mornings in the kitchen at work, the skanking guitars, bouncing synths and tight beats have helped me out of many a eeeeeeeeeeeeeearly morning funk. So, do yourself a favor and head over to the LCL netlabel's website and download your copy of Ras Amerlock's latest.

Nameless Beats - BE[ats]ORIGIAL Vol. 2

This technically isn't a Creative Commons release, but you know what? I'm adding it anyway! I was introduced to Nameless by the one and only Illingsworth about a month ago while on Ustream. The doctor informed me that the Nameless one had beats! So, I figured that if the good doctor is a fan, I might as well check it out. After listening to his killer first beat tape, I was waiting with anticipation for his second installment.

And it doesn't disappoint! One hour of sampling, mixing and head nodding makes this album worth the download. Plus, anyone who can take the Old Spice commercial with Isaiah Mustafa ("I'm on a horse") and use the samples without it getting too kitschy is okay in my book. He takes some old favorite tunes (example on Doot-N-Doo), some new flavors, and toe tapping beats and throws them all into one nice mix.

Plus, "I'm on a horse" - c'mon, what's not to love?

Titus Twelve - Dig and Delve - Planet Terror

I was meandering around the interwebs looking for music to highlight on a future dubstep program I will post in a month, and I came across a fascinating netlabel called Planet Terror. I found some choice cuts for my show and I found another interesting take on the dubstep sound. It's a sound that's heavy on dub with touches of step to keep it's feet firmly planted on the ground.

Titus Twelve's Dig and Delve album is another piece to my past month's listening puzzle. Inventive, creative and calculating are three words I use to help explain what I listened to. There are the nostalgic themes of skanking guitar and beats, but throw in accordion samples, harmonica and speaker testing bass/synths and you have Dig and Delve. Only one song hasn't caught on with me as much, and that's the last track, "The Table of Six." It starts of with some speedy dnb, happy hardcore, something. It comes back into the thesis of music he brings later on in the song, and maybe I haven't been broken yet of my tentativeness of the happy hardcore subgenre (I used to like it...), but it has some nice sounds in the song.

With a few more listens...

Mt. Eden Dubstep - Mt. Eden Album

Another not-so-creative-commons album.

I've been listening to this album over and over for the past few days. He's got remixes of Bat for Lashes, Sarah McLachlan, Sigur Ros (?), Imogen Heap and Freshlyground, and ranges from drum n bass to floor stomping dubstep to chillstep. The last remix mentioned (called Sierra Leone) is the on that made me a fan of the man from Mt. Eden. I posted a few videos in a previous post - so check them out.

Now, to get one of his songs on my dubstep show...