Bastien Keb to release a fourth album following up on his experimental tracks from 2020

Organ Recital is the multi-instrumentalist’s latest psychedelic production

Organ Recital is the latest album by Bastien Keb, following up to the 2020 album The Killing of Eugene Peeps. The artist is known for his layering of jazz, soul, and funk with a psychedelic twist to create a uniquely dynamic sound. Based out of England, Bastien Keb is a producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, drums, bass, keyboards, trumpet, and the flute. Keb is also the co-founder of the project ‘Grandamme’ in partnership with Claudia Kane through the London-based label Def Pressé.

Bastien Keb’s first album debuted in 2015, titled, Drinking in the Shadows of Zizou. His work later appeared with the First World label in 2017 after remixing tracks from artists including Submotion Orchestra, Paper Tiger, and more. In 2020, Keb returned to the music scene after a short break to release an experimental album, The Killing of Eugene Peeps, which was conceptualized as a soundtrack to an imagined film.

The latest album, Organ Recital, is set to release in July. From the album, the first released single is “Pasadena,” a track that speaks to the fading memories of intimate encounters. The album weaves a combination of psychedelic, funk, and cinematic elements. The result is a construction of a fantasy world, an escape from loneliness, and subtle integration of the sounds of everyday life. Fragments remind listeners of the world around them while offering a dreamlike journey away from the present.

See more from the artist:

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Odin moves with power, and composes with delicacy: Double Bubble

Producer Odin starts to claim her space, low end rhythms supporting her intensely personal style

The connection now formed between up and coming LA label SXN and industry heavy hitter Alpha Pup is starting to give rise to some interesting sound and charismatic artists. As SXN hunts out producers fired up with imagination and the need to create and find their sound, Alpha Pup is ready to give them the platform they need give voice to that energy.

Odin Smith, sometimes known as Odiespice, is one of the creators emerging from that intersection. Deep into DJ culture from a young age, the turning point into producing has been recent for the San Fernando Valley born artist. Now working as ‘Odin’ she’s releasing a series of EPs and singles which draw on emotional undercurrents, translating raw feelings into tracks of meditative melodies.

There’s a sense of experimentalism at play, but part of that is simply a question of tuning into the atmosphere that Odin is looking to create. Unpredictability becomes irrelevant once control of the music has been given over to the young producer, who seems determined to walk her own path.

Odin’s newest single ‘Double Bubble’ will drop on August 28th, with vocal contribution from Kohinoorgasm. Minimalist samples strip away distance between the listener and the sound; an intimate relationship.

Support the single on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify

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Sifting through vinyl, with Klanger: ‘Ghetto Sale’

Klanger’s heart and soul seems set on music collection. Through flea markets, record shops, blues, jazz and funk, this German artist walks the path to find the perfect sound, and clearly has no problem stopping along the way with each new discovery. The samples Klanger collects find their way into his tracks, as the curator turns producer. Influences on his work are plentiful, including Lee Perry, MF Doom, Jay Dee and far more than I can write here.

His tracks tend to follow a Lo-fi Hip-Hop feel, a genre which is everywhere right now, to the point that the market is a little saturated. Surely everyone’s managed to get all their chilling and studying done by now? Quality is obvious when you hear it though, and what Klanger brings out with ‘Ghetto Sale’ is something fresh, with a real twist of funk. It’s warm, cool, and the low quality sound really does add flavour here. The percussion is tight and sharp, but the bass and vocal samples beneath sound it like they’re underwater, something that just works magically.

Klanger’s online discography is still growing, currently consisting of individual singles rather than full albums, but hopefully we might see some larger movement in the future.

Support the release on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify

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Thick vintage flavour with Madwreck's The Raw Exotic

There’s just something about the sound of 90s ‘golden era’ Hip Hop that has stuck with many of us to this day. Perhaps it was the old-skool studio gear or the fresh creative foundation of vinyl digging and sampling, or it might have been the convergence of various musical styles and genres all wrapped in a uniquely urban flavour. Whatever it was there’s no doubt that era left an indelible mark on the world of modern music and continues to inform alot of great releases to this day.

Case in point, North Carolina veteran producer Madwreck gets back to his roots with his new release ‘The Raw Exotic’ harnessing that old skool flavour alongside his own unique dark and dusty signature sound. But to say the 17 track album was simply a love letter to that particular time in Hip-Hop might be a bit of an oversimplification; the multifaceted release draws on a variety of influences from funk and soul to rock and world music. Despite the vast range of sounds and influences found throughout the release it never feels too wide or fragmented, instead coming forth as a wholly cohesive collection of tracks painted with a thick glaze of vintage flavour.

Grab a taste over on Madwreck’s Bandcamp

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The work of a veteran in the modern sphere of beats

Juan Miguel Alsace, aka Bmbu, is a producer based out of Philadelphia who has been honing his craft over the past 16 years into an impressive collection of instrumental / chill out pieces. He has numerous releases across the web and is signed to German independent label Vinyl Digital. Bmbu mastered the skill of synthesis along with sampling and apart from his 13 solo projects and 4 collaborative beat tapes, Bmbu has also produced albums for various hip-hop artists around the world.

The piece ‘fun dip’ is part of his project titled Interludes III, and it holds true to the art of instrumental beats whilst at times taking on a more modern approach that can be heard through the rolling hi-hats and heavy basslines. It is a project that will satisfy the younger lofi crowd and old skool hip hop heads alike. Bmbu takes an open minded approach whilst sticking to the roots of his craft, delivering intricate melodies that will surely set the mood for any room of people. The short pieces leave you wanting more and encourage us to further delve into his discography. Interludes III was released on September 24th of 2019 and is a great example of the way Bmbu manages to incorporate all sorts of stylistic elements rooted in a vast number of musical genres, from trap, R&B and hip-hop to modern electronic sounds, Interlude III has them all.

Grab the release over here

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früit looks skyward with 'Moonkissed'

Plucky upstart label SXN already has a roster of talented beat makers from LA to El Paso, but now, with a recently inked distribution deal with legends of the scene Alpha Pup Records, they’ve turned their taste to the horizons and found an impressive newcomer in Belgium-based, Paris-born früit. früit’s debut EP, “Prism,” which releases September 27th, suggests a delicate, ethereal approach to left-field beats, and today we get nothing but confirmation of that, with the lead single “Moonkissed.”

Perfectly titled, Moonkissed floats along in a lush garden of distant, metallic pads, crunchy organic drums that swagger with just enough syncopation, and früit’s own soft voice lightly chopped drenched in misty reverb. It’s a bit of a shame that her voice sits so deep in the track, since its easy, disarming quality would surely prove effective with her production style, calling to mind Tokimonsta’s collaborations with Gavin Turek or Shuanise. Nevertheless, it’s a strong debut. früit is certainly one to keep an eye on if you can see through the prism.

The Prism EP releases September 27th 2019 on SXN, get yourself a copy if you’re feeling the single.

— review by autonomy

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Evän drops lofi gems with "Dernière" singles

Spanish up and coming beatmaker ‘Evän’ just dropped a fresh collection of chilled out soundscapes for you to float off to. "Dernière" singles is a collection of 8 lofi jams that feature crunchy drums, dusty samples and drifting melodies. With most tracks around the 2 minute mark, the collection of singles serve as a good introduction to the laid back sounds of the budding beatmaker.

The opening track ‘eternal’ sets the vibe with looping vocals, saturated drums and a dreamy flute. The tracks proceed with a kind of natural fluency, meanwhile there’s still a strong feeling of narrative. The phone message near the end of the track ‘camelia’ flows well, while giving a feeling of warmth in this chilled out world that Evän has crafted. Keep your eyes peeled for the full "Dernière" album coming May 24th.

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Bmbu digs deep into the memory banks for '#throwback'

‘#throwback’, the latest album release from Philadelphia-based beatmaker Bmbu, takes us deep inside his MPC-shaped brain, to a vivid past full of memories, chopped, sampled, arranged into a set of beats, and polished with the same patina that accrues on your own fondest mementos from days past.

Bmbu samples artfully, from jazzy brass to solo piano, and evokes a distant idea with each track. The beats swing and swagger about, providing plenty of structure, but never bombastically enough to overshadow the rich musicality he conjures. It’s a pleasant environment to sink into, one that feels personal, and at the same time relatable. This is particularly evident on #snorlax, which you can stream above, and fall into your own nostalgia…

If you’re feeling Bmbu, you can find the full album on bandcamp, as well as a 12” vinyl release over on Vinyl Digital.

— review by autonomy

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Jakspin consults the heavens for new EP series 'Zodiax'

JAKSPIN announces the March 29 release date for his highly anticipated ZODIAX EP series via Chillanthropy Music. ZODIAX I is his first EP, following his two beat tapes, "The Chillhop Era" and "Levitation", and sets the direction for the Zodiax quadrilogy dedicated to the star signs and the four elements. "ZODIAX I" is all about the zodiac signs of pisces, cancer, scorpio and their common element water. JAKSPIN delved deep into the abyss, the emotionality, their kindness, the melancholy, fluidity and sensitivity of water signs. Reduced to the core elements, each song is an intense stirring journey to underwater soundscapes, always entwined around concisely knocking hip hop beats.

German producer Jakspin harnesses the power of the stars for the first of four EPs entitled ‘Zodiax’. The release series focuses on ancient knowledge presented through the 4 basic elements alongside traditional aspects of astrology. The first instalment of the series entitled ‘Zodiax I’ takes pisces, cancer, scorpio and their common element of water and boils them all down into easily digestible lofi landscapes.

Featuring not only a well-thought out cohesive concept but also some tightly-knit sonic terrain, ‘Zodiax I’ cruises through a series of 4 tracks, each with their own unique shimmer and shine. Water, being the unifying element, seems an appropriate opener to the album and serves as a firmly rooted beat amid layers of well-crafted distortion and melodies. ‘Pisces’ then continues the interstellar experience with a steady foundation of low frequencies set against a backdrop of bubbling aqua and gently placed textures. ‘Scorpio’ finally concludes the orbital journey with a thumping beat next to floaty xylophone notes tied together with an overall air of repose.

You don’t have to be an astrological expert to know that the future of this series brings nothing but solid listening and good vibes.

Check your horoscope with Jakspin:
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Emancipator & 9 Theory stick together like buds on 'Cheeba Gold'

What happens when two of the most reliable stalwarts of the west coast indie beat scene come together for a collab? You find gold. Cheeba Gold, that is, the result of a 4-day studio session between Portland’s Emancipator and LA’s 9 Theory. The collab makes a lot of sense musically; these two have been pushing lush, organic, laid back beats for so long now that it’s become one of the signature sounds of electronic music in the PNW, gracing festival stages and outdoor events for over a decade.

On the EP Cheeba Gold, no doubt a product of the title’s slang allusion, the two musicians find effortless rhythms with rich percussive elements, and lush timbric harmonies that showcase both their sense of musicality and deft instrumental skills. These guys know exactly the kind of sound they want to make, and it’s clear on Cheeba Gold that they are operating in top form.

RIYL: Bonobo, Tycho, Thievery Corporation

Cheeba Gold is out now on digital platforms, and if you really like it, a 12” vinyl is available from Loci Records.

— review by autonomy

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