Hudson Mohawke – Butter

Review by Jules Hallam.

It’s early on an overcast Saturday morning. I’m sitting on a train flicking through my well-worn cassette player when I find Glaswegian producer Hudson Mohawke’s debut album Butter. Out on Warp on 26th October and a follow-up to the brilliant PolyFolk Dance EP, it must be one of the most anticipated records of 2009. So let’s not dilly-dally.

If you’ve heard the Butter Snips you’ll know there’s nothing coherent about this release from Hudson Mohawke. With a new logo that appears to have been cast from PVC in the 80s, the album cover literally depicts an apocalypse created by mystical creatures with defined hair styles. You can say the same about the tracks.

A markedly different approach from his previous releases, a real sense of urgency becomes apparent just a few tracks in. The drum beats come thick and hard with an array of hopelessly opulent samples that have clearly been forced through an overabundance of electronics with a big stick. The synths are no less in-yer-face either; one can imagine HudMo arranging a track and then hitting it with a hammer to ring out every last blip and clap. The whole album could easily be a soundtrack to an anime fight sequence, which leaves me feeling slightly overwhelmed afterwards.

And I love it. From the ripping (maybe) guitar solo during Shower Melody I’m instantly hooked. Gluetooth doesn’t hesitate to shout in your ear and tell you what Butter’s all about. I can’t get enough of Rising 5, the featured pre-release track, which encapsulates his sound as much as Overnight did earlier this year. FUSE is another highlight, but this is certainly one of those albums where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s almost comical how outlandish this album is, with no instances of hesitation to launch into a frenzy of electronics and adrenaline-fuelled beats. It would now be typical to make references to a plethora of artists describing where HudMo drew influence from, but I’m half-way through the insane closing track Black n Red and have a real sense that he’s just out there doing his own thing.

mp3: Hudson Mohawke – Gluetooth

Best album of 2009? Without doubt.

Jules also attended Nail The Cross @ Amersham Arms in London…

I don’t think I could have been more excited about this years’ Nail The Cross if I tried. So, naturally I spill my drink all over the door-girl when I arrive. Scanning the running order: Sbtrkt 21:30, Joy Orbison 22:45, Ikonika 00:15, Hudson Mohawke 00:45, Kode9 01:30. Let’s hit it.

Sbtrkt was the real surprise of the evening. After adorning a voodoo mask he proceeded to blast out a sublime mix of minimal and grimy dubstep that left me properly up for more. Joy Orbison was also stellar, going for a tribal feel that got the room bouncing hard – expect an EP coming up on Hotflush Recordings and a Four Tet remix in the pipeline too. Quoting my tweets from the night, “Over two hours of fucking great dubstep, topped off with Hyph Mngo. That track’s the next Get Familiar.” No time left to saunter, off to the Amersham for the man of the hour.

Nonchalantly bustling around the stage with his Mac, some seemed confused about what to expect from the young HudMo. But from the first track’s beat, he tore up the room, spinning a live set predominantly constructed from the aforementioned release. The crowd were really going for it; his beats are almost primeval live with a hard-hitting bassline that fuelled what appeared to be almost a pit at one point. I just about depicted; Overnight, Ooops!, FUSE and 3:30 in amongst the electronic fury, I think.

A UK DMC finalist at 15, I have a feeling that there’s plenty more to come from this chap.

PODCAST: A Fall Suite

It’s been a while since the last volume of the Jus Like Music podcast, but this is hot off the press! It’s a special guest podcast from the incredible Apple Juice Break blog. I’ll let AJB explain…

AJB has done a number of podcasts, the last one with the label/brand GAS’D, which caught quite a buzz. This time we had the opportunity to make a mix for Gavin at Jus Like Music, a site we follow and love. The podcast is called A Fall Suite which is a (circa) half-hour long music journey, with its goal to keep you warm under these cold days and nights during fall. The mix is put together with slow-tempo vibes, a bit of soul, and with the flava of funk – all in one with beautiful sounds. It features such AJB favourites as Electric Wire Hustle, Shuanise, AFTA-1, Shafiq Husayn and plenty more!

Enjoy, listen and love.

Podcast RSS feed URL

A Fall Suite tracklisting:

01. Vikter Duplaix – In The Middle Of You (Freddie Joachim Remix)
02. The xx – Basic Space (Mount Kimbie Remix)
03. AFTA-1 – 7th Sun (first draft)
04. Electric Wire Hustle – Waters
05. Shafiq Husayn – Le’Star feat. Rozzi Daime, Noni Limar and Nia Andrews
06. Shuanise – Purple Haze
07. Anthony Valadez – Dawn feat. Wendisue
08. Eric Roberson – Still
09. Clara Hill – Endlessly (Freddie Joachim Remix)
10. Quadron – Day
11. Jackhigh – Airspace

mp3: AFTA-1 – 7th Sun (first draft)

Dear James, With Love, Orsi

Dear James,

We don’t know each other (although sometimes I feel like you’re one of the few people who has ever really “known me”), but when I was asked to write something in your memory, I jumped at the chance, not fully realising just how difficult I would find it. I mean, what could I possibly have to say about you that hasn’t already been said by so many other more influential and more articulate people than me? Hopefully it shouldn’t matter what I say or how I say it, as long as it comes from the heart, right?

Having said that, I would like to start this letter off by saying that I am sorry. After I found out that you had been taken away from us (and I say ‘taken’, because I don’t like the thought of you having left willingly) I kind of stopped listening to hip-hop for a period of time. I was too angry and upset. Not with you, but with the whole situation, which I thought was so brutally unfair. I know, life isn’t fair… I guess I was just too young at the time to consider anything else. I couldn’t even bring myself to read anything relating to you or your music for a very long time, I just couldn’t handle it.

I know it might sound strange coming from a 22-year-old girl, a person who has never met you, or even had a conversation with you. But just like for so many other people out there in the world, you changed my life forever, whether you even realised it at the time or not. You see, I fell in love with your music long before I even knew who you were (I guess that’s why I’ve never had the guts to consider myself as one of your “hardcore fans”). You were behind the sounds of so many artists that I still hold close to my heart today. You were the mastermind behind music that helped “shape me”, music that helped me “find myself”, and consequently your music had a part in the whole process that made me the person that I am today. I discovered so many new sides to myself, and the world around me, through your music (no matter how silly that might sound). And it truly opened up a whole new universe of sounds, feelings and thoughts that I had never previously experienced. I guess another way of putting it would be that you contributed to the soundtrack to which I grew up to as a person.

People have called you a genius, you’ve been hailed as the greatest hip-hop producer/artist of all time, and rightfully so. I am not ashamed to admit that I only really “discovered you” (‘you’ as in J Dilla) a couple of years before you passed away.  I would be lying if I said that I hadn’t experienced that same ‘aha’ moment, so many other people have no doubt also experienced, when I realised who you were. But then again, I have never been bothered with names or trends when it comes to music. If it’s good it’s good, simple as, and in your case it wasn’t just good, it was (and still is!) amazing.

I could ramble on for an eternity, name-dropping all the tracks and collaborations that have touched me on a somewhat spiritual level, trying to find the right words to describe how much you and your music means to me and the huge impact you and your work has had on my life. But to be fair, words are just simply not enough… (as you might have noticed by my attempts above).

I can’t even imagine my life without you. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t shed a few tears whilst writing this. But in a way, it gives me a sense of comfort to know that you will always be remembered. Not only through your music and through your close friends and loved ones, but also through everyday people like me, whose souls and hearts you’ve touched.

So thank you, for everything.

Much love,

Orsi

P.S. I miss you.

-

mp3: J Dilla – Don’t Cry

Essential Reading:

• The Battle for J Dilla’s Legacy
• Raise It Up for Ma Dukes!
• Dilla page at Stones Throw

Shows around America paying tribute throughout Dilla Month:

• DETROIT FOR DILLA
  TUES, FEB. 10, DETROIT
  Slum Village, Guilty Simpson, Phat Kat, Black Milk, House Shoes, Dez, K-Fresh & others
  Tv Bar. 2554 Grand River Ave.
• NIGHTLIFE: SONGS IN THE KEY OF “D”
  SAT, FEB 14, LOS ANGELES
  J. Rocc, DJ Babu, Rhettmatic & Mr. Choc’s Los Angeles even returns for one night.
  Venue: Echoplex, $10, 10:30-2AM, 18+
• SUITE FOR MA DUKES
  SUN, FEB 22, LOS ANGELES
  Miguel Atwood-Ferguson & Carlos Nino with orchestra, performing “Suite for Ma Dukes” for the first time. Opening DJ Sets by J. Rocc and House Shoes.
  “Timeless” by Mochilla. Venue: Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex, 7pm – 11pm, All Ages, Tickets via Ticketmaster.

PODCAST: Soul Food

A guest podcast today for you lucky, lucky people, direct from groove-weaver extraordinaire Orsi and also with words from groove-weaver extraordinaire Orsi…

January is the first month of the year, and consequently also a month when people don’t have a lot of money (after having spent most of it during the holidays). And if that wasn’t enough to turn the milk sour, it is also a very cold and gloomy month for us living in the northern hemisphere, not leaving much to smile about. But have no fear my dear Jus Like Music friends! In an attempt to make life more peachy, I decided to throw together this tasty little dish especially for you, containing some very groovy and funky ingredients. I hope your taste buds are ready for this explosion of booty-shaking flavours!

Podcast RSS feed URL

Guest Podcast Tracklisting:

01. The Soul Snatchers – People People Feat. Jimi Bell Martin
02. Breakestra – Little Miss Funky Sole
03. United 8 – Getting Uptown to Get Down
04. Lettuce – Move On Up feat. Dwele
05. Ruckus Roboticus – Here We Go
06. Diplomats of Solid Sound – Come in My Kitchen Feat. The Diplomettes
07. Baby Charles – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
08. The Jazzinvaders – Perugia
09. Brownout – Latin Asscape
10. The Apples – The Bell Step
11. The New Mastersounds – Idle Time (Lack Of Afro Remix)
12. INO Hidefumi – Blood Is Thicker Than Water
13. The Bamboos – Can’t Help Myself Feat. Ty
14. Medeski, Martin & Wood – Where’s The Music

mp3: Lettuce – Move On Up feat. Dwele

Illa J – Yancey Boys

Illa J is the younger Brother of one James Yancey, AKA J Dilla, who sadly passed in February 2006. J Dilla was a legendary beatsmith, perhaps revered more posthumously, yet that cant mask the creativity and sheer talent he possessed. His parting gift for younger Brother, Illa J, was some beats. So here is Illa J, emceeing over said beats, for his debut LP on Delicious Vinyl. The LP is called Yancey Boys and it’s available now.

Rich and soulful, Yancey Boys spans 14 tracks and 48 minutes of music. It features appearances by Guilty Simpson and Debi Nova, yet refreshingly isn’t totally engulfed by cameo appearances. I find that to be commendable in a time where one way to shift units in the form of a hip-hop album is to cram as many familiar names on there as possible – which 9 times out of 10 actually has a detrimental effect on the album.

What follows is a review of Yancey Boys written by the wonderful Orsi, exclusively for Jus Like Music…

Tracklisting:

01. Timeless
02. We Here
03. R U Listenin’? feat. Guilty Simpson
04. Alien Family by Frank Nitty
05. Strugglin
06. Showtime
07. Swagger
08. Mr. Shakes (Skit) aka Affion Crockett
09. DFTF feat. Affion Crockett
10. All Good
11. Sounds Like Love feat. Debi Nova
12. Everytime
13. Illasoul
14. Air Signs

The first Illa J track I ever heard was We Here in early October 2008. My friend Thristian was spinning it in the club, and I was thinking “what’s this? This is good…” and slowly started nodding my head in approval (you know, like all those cool hip-hop cats do when they are digging the beats they are hearing). Safe to say that by the end of the first chorus I couldn’t control myself anymore and had to go up and dance. I remember having a nice little giggle at the Krusty Kreme reference in the second verse, and I begged Thistian to hook me up with a copy of the song. Of course, he never did, and I forgot all about it. Until Gav sent it to me whilst I was stuck and bored at work (Australia-UK time difference can be a bit tricky like that). I got so excited I made my boss play it for the entire office. Since then I have been listening to the album at least twice a day, and I have to admit, I’m feeling it more and more for every time I hear it.

The short piano intro on the first track Timeless makes you think jazz for nine seconds. Then the beat appears, shortly followed by soulful vocals that will make even the most uptight suit from the city relax. What I especially like with this song is that the piano actually follows through the whole track, and adds that extra jazzy/groovy touch that sort of lays there in the background, but still manages to become defiant at times and grab your attention. A perfect start to the album if you ask me.

R U Listenin’? feat. Guilty Simpson is one of my favourite tracks on Yancey Boys. I usually put it on in the morning when I’m on the bus. I close my eyes and imagine myself in the sun on some distant island, with the ocean close by and light breeze in the air. Don’t know why… might be because the beat that screams Dilla, or maybe it’s the chilled out flow Illa J has when he raps (I love it when emcees rap effortlessly), whatever the reason is, the track is definitely one of the best ones on the album.

mp3: Illa J – R U Listenin’? feat. Guilty Simpson

If you’re a fan of old school hip-hop then DFTF feat. Affion Crockett might tickle your fancy. The scratching at the beginning makes me think of early Common songs, and takes me back to when I was the only white girl in the neighbourhood running around in Adidas Superstars trying to learn how to breakdance and had just fallen head over heels in love with hip-hop (good times, people!). Just like most of the tracks on this album, DFTF is very laid back and chilled out.

And I think that’s why Yancey Boys is one of my favourite hip-hop albums of 2008. The beats are top notch and have that “Dilla sound” that I have always loved. It’s not crammed with a million featuring artists (that most of the time serves no purpose in my opinion), and I think Illa J’s method of producing effortless and laid back raps adds to the cool vibe and relaxed atmosphere that the entire album projects and seems to be consumed by.

Could Illa J ever replace Dilla? No, but I don’t think he is trying to either (and good for him, that would be some pretty big shoes to fill!). Does he have the potential of becoming something amazing? Yes, I think he does, and Yancey Boys is a damn good start if you ask me. 2008 had some good hip-hop releases, but this was the album that made me think that hip-hop might not be dead after all. It’s fresh, but timeless. So if you haven’t had a listen yet, make sure you do!