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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Moshuss and Hanses take inspiration from Japanese pop culture for their beat album 'Poltergeist'

If there was ever any doubt that music styles in our current age are a global phenomenon, let Moshuss & Hanses put that to rest. The German duo’s debut release, ‘Poltergeist’, is classic American west coast beat scene, but produced entirely with Japanese samples. As is common with the style, Poltergeist is composed of 24 rapid-fire beats, none longer than 1:49. But there’s a wide variety of moods and feelings presented here, giving the release weight and texture that pull you in at the start of every new beat. There’s some Dilla-style sampling, some Q-Tip jazziness, classic Madlib texture, and a bit of Knxwledge whimsy to boot.

On the stand-out track ‘Sidmidak’, which you can stream above, Moshuss & Hanses deftly meld a heart-tugging orchestral arrangement with a classic rap beat that dances around the lush string harmonies. Label Fennek Records has pressed a small run of 10” vinyl, with 5 different woodcut-style illustration album covers, which match the timeless mood of the album well.

Slink on over to Bandcamp to hear the album in full, and pick up the vinyl release if you’re really feeling it.

— review by Autonomy

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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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Kurt Stewart has me dreaming of Laundry!

it's getting cold outside & i think that's pretty dope.. i gotta do laundry

When Kurt Stewart described what was going through his head when he put “Laundry” together it said “ I made this beat looking out the window watching fall turn to winter.” And I think that is the perfect way to describe this seasonal, chilled out track.

Funny enough in the UK there is a laundry softening detergent named “Comfort”. Now it’s a simplistic name but a powerful one because that one word associated with fresh clothes invokes an image of something basic, something soothing. On a cold, blustery autumn day it’s nice to do things around the house, tidy up the living room, light a fire, make a cup of coffee maybe while listening to Kurt Stewarts new release because you know what? It has the same effect as all of the above. It comforts you, from the deep resonant bassline to the crackling background sound of vinyl, the crisp drums and the dreamy Rhodes chords. All of these elements bring you the auditory version of that feeling of fresh laundry, of a warm fire on a cold day, protected from the winds outside. Kurt has captured this feeling perfectly. The only thing I wish is that the run time was a bit longer. At 1:38, we get just a brief taste of this breezy, laid back world. Regardless, there’s no doubt that this is a solid Lo-Fi Hip-Hop gem for any playlist.

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West Coast Swag from LA's Sol Beats

“Crush is meant to make you feel.”

A simple one line quote from 20 year old California beatmaker ‘Sol Beats’ about his latest chilled out offering entitled ‘Crush.’ Just like his description, the track is a simple and straight to the point, a vibe drenched synth-laced gem clocking in at just under 3 minutes.

But to think that Sol’s sounds are some kind of beginners luck you’d be kidding yourself. Despite his young age, the Californian has already been grinding at it for 6 years taking influence from Esta, Kaytranada, Taku, Mr. Carmack and more. It’s really just been within the past year that the budding beatmaker has started posting his work online, finally getting to the point where he is happy with how things are sounding.

And just how do Sol Beat’s productions sound? Well taking a browse through his soundcloud reveals beat heavy influences alongside touches of Rnb, hip-hop, trap and soul. Take a listen for yourself and I think you’ll quickly realize why we feelin’ it.

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Chilled out Naptime from California's Young Citrus

Something sleepy.. free dl under "... more"

Creative inspiration can come from just about anywhere. Other musicians, childhood memories, nature or just a particular sample you can’t get out of your head.

For west coast beat producer ‘Young Citrus’ it’s often a certain sound or sample that he just knows he wants to work with or chop up. As Citrus explains about his recent release ‘sleep’ -
”I was really inspired by the piano sample - it's so chilled out and relaxing. Oftentimes, I turn to music when I need a break from the stresses of day to day living. It's honestly therapeutic.”

Young Citrus grew up listening to ‘The Album Leaf’ and ‘Nujabes’; their chilled out, peaceful sounds can be heard as a definite influence on his own productions today. Also working with sample based techniques, Citrus creates beat-heavy sound collages, layering chopped up clips with original riffs and basslines. For his latest track ‘sleep’, Citrus started with a sample and ran with it. “Once I heard the sample, I knew I wanted to chop it up and build around it. I added some drums, a bassline, and a wavy guitar with a bunch of reverb on it to give it a surf-rock inspired chill vibe.”

Grab this lofi siesta as a free download over on his Soundcloud

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Lush Lofi from Kurt Stewart and Tomcbumpz

one for the weekend follow the boy @tomcbumpz

As contemporary music pioneer Brian Eno once said “Every collaboration helps you grow”. Whether it be the combination of different musical skillsets, production techniques or the sharing of unique ideas, theres no denying the fact that working with other artists or musicians can be incredibly beneficial for the creative process.

Technology and the internet have made these collaborative undertakings that much easier with creatives sharing ideas from across the globe.

Although this particular collab is a bit closer to home, the results are none the less impressive.

Kurt Stewart is a young up and coming producer from Burlington, Vermont and Tomcbumpz is an established name in the beatmaking community hailing from Long Island, New York. The two join forces for an ultra chill excursion entitled ‘Headrush.’

It might be the crispness of autumn, or the waveyness of the great lakes, but something is up in the Eastern United States! The track features a rough-edged beat accented by the falling keys of a dreamy Rhodes. It’s an infectious headnodder, that would be the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon spent strolling under the fall colours.

Stay tuned for more laid back beats from Kurt Stewart
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