Tone Trezure – My Destiny

Please allow me introduce you to Latonya “Tone Trezure” Givens! If you can’t recall the name, but the soulful vocals and slick production work sound familiar, and if your musical tastes are anything like mine, that may be because you have become familiar with her work through her writing and production on Bilal‘s Love for Sale project. Or, perhaps you have heard her features with Strange Fruit Project and on S1‘s fantastic Music Box album? No? Maybe you recognise her voice from Victory Is In My Clutches by Jay Electronica? After establishing credentials in the music game and accumulating a resume which boasts household names such as Quincy Jones, Dr. Dre and Erykah Badu, the phenomenally talented singer/songwriter/producer from Flint, Michigan prepares to step into the limelight with the release of her own 5-track EP entitled My Destiny.

My Destiny is one of the most impressive and inspiring efforts I have heard in a very long time and has basically owned my speakers for the last week! The entire project is written and produced by Tone Trezure herself, with the exception of some additional production work on the title-track courtesy of Josef Leimburgh, and Detroit legend Mr. Porter on Come With Me. All of the beats are bang on-point and complimented perfectly by Tone’s beautiful vocals, somewhat reminiscent of Georgia Anne Muldrow, fluctuating between asservations of gospel inspired spirituality, the smoothness and sexiness of classic RnB, and the independent street-consciousness of hip-hop revealing both the strengths and vulnerabilities of this incredibly dynamic singer-songwriter.

The EP possesses a cohesive classic post-90s US Soul feel throughout and manages to be artistic and inventive, whilst maintaining an honest and traditional musical approach in an age too often characterised by incoherent eclecticality and recherché experimentalism. I urge all fans of great music to support this fantastic project, which is available to buy for only $5 (just over £3) from Tone Trezure’s Bandcamp page!

mp3: Tone Trezure – You Mean

Eric Lau & Friends – See & Under Standing (Reprise)

You know what’s better than amazing music? Amazing music for a good cause. Jus Like Music favourite, Eric Lau, has struck that exact combination under the guise of Eric Lau & Friends and their release See & Under Standing (Reprise) – out now via Kilawatt Music to benefit Save The Children. And surprise, surprise an incredible producer has some incredible friends!; Rahel, Szjerdene, Fatima, Sarina Leah, Ben Jones, Akwasi Mensa, Finn Peters, Pauli Stan McKenzie and Floating Points.

This is a beautifully orchestrated neo-soul release that is organic sounding and rich in both soul and heart. Each of the artists adds their own signature style to the creations, and the blend between Eric Lau‘s production style and the accompanying instrumentation is simply awe inspiring. For just £2 you can not only own these brilliant tracks, but also help to make a difference to the lives of children who really do genuinely need your help. Do the right thing.

REVIEW: The Blessings – Galaxy High EP

The Blessings are part of the LuckyMe family in Glasgow, Scotland. Their debut EP, Galaxy High, is due to drop imminently on the Nod Navigators imprint of Dutch label Kindred Spirits. And guess what… it’s really rather good. With elements of Hudson Mohawke, Dimlite and Machine Drum to their sound, The Blessings – comprised of Dominic Flannigan and Martyn Flyn – offer up their own unique angle on the electronic beats scene.

Galaxy High is a delightful six-track EP that manages to stay away from the generic beats format and instead offer up something more in the way of ethereal soundscapes and fresh electronic ditties with a pinch of boom-bap.

Tracklisting:

01. Arisseee Henson
02. Faberge
03. Moranis Riding Ants
04. Keith Sweats
05. Ibaseta
06. Hot Song

The EP kicks off with Arisseee Henson, a track that initially gives the impression of being a delicate keys-led song. But, don’t be fooled or taken in by this trickery, it’s a heavy, heavy track with a nasty attitude! The bass-heavy steady beat, with the piano melody and slick synths over the top, makes for a bizarre, yet brilliant track. Ethereal, but hard hitting, the combination is wicked. Faberge is a progressive track that straddles the line between 80s electro/synths and tripped out electronic chaos, ala Daedelus. Once again though, the balance is just right. Whilst some of their influences might seem immediately apparent, what is genuinely satisfying is how relevant and well constructed the tracks are.

KSNN10 The Blessings Galaxy High by LuckyMe Music.Art.Parties

Moranis Riding Ants is slightly more laid back, but gently builds layer upon layer until we’re left with something resembling what the Avalanches could have sounded like today. A short interlude in the form of Keith Sweats provides, well, what is basically a humid breakdown of hypnotic electronic stabs and beats. Ibaseta, is the biggest hint yet on the EP that The Blessings have a lot of hip-hop in their style, just bubbling away under the surface. It starts steady enough, with that boom-bap style, then gradually moves up the gears until it lands in more upbeat head-nod territory. The last track on the EP is Hot Song, and it really has that vibe of being an outro track. Outlandish, yet almost reserved synths build steadily alongside vocal samples before a broken beat kicks in like a call to arms, yet it remains steady and reserved. Teasing bass hits rumble, whilst the synths continue – the track refrains from just letting rip, and at this stage that decision feels rather appropriate and the EP comes to a close.

This is a very good EP and definitely serves to put The Blessings well and truly on the musical radar. I’m still digesting the music, even now. I’m more than aware that it’s very good on many levels; production qualities are very high, the construction of the tracks is excellent, but there’s just something about the way they’ve amalgamated all these sounds and influences that still leaves me rather intrigued. It would be too easy to just say they sound like Hudson Mohawke, or a plethora of other artists of a similar ilk, but the reality is that they genuinely have carved their own space into this arena. It might take half a dozen listens to truly appreciate the brilliance of the Galaxy High EP, but the penny will most definitely drop sooner or later. Conundrums aside, it’s a wicked listen from the first time you hit play – but, you might also find it turns out to intrigue you as much as it does me!

EXCLUSIVE: Greymatter – Mind Over Matter (Throwing Snow Remix)

I’m proud to present to you today a Jus Like Music Exclusive FREE download of Greymatter – Mind Over Matter (Throwing Snow Remix).

This is taken from the upcoming Mind Over Matter Remixes Part 2 EP, due out via Unique Uncut Records on Monday 12th July. The EP features amazing remixes by Altered Natives, Milyoo, Mr Lager, Klic, and the digital version contains the aforementioned Throwing Snow remix.

The original version of the track, Mind Over Matter, was a dark and ominous broken beat/dubstep affair, but now the talented Throwing Snow (aka: Ross Tones) has turned it into a beautiful and intricate dubbed out track that gradually progresses along a filthy bass-ridden, wall-shaking path. To call this remix heavy would be a bit of an understatement!

The UK’s Throwing Snow is hot property at the moment, gaining recent airplay from Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 1 and he also has a 12-inch dropping imminently on Alex Nut‘s (EGLO / Rinse) new label Ho_Tep.

To download Throwing Snow’s remix absolutely FREE, simply visit the Jus Like Music Records Bandcamp page.

Tracklisting:

01. Eu Fumo feat. Deize Tigrona (Altered Natives Remix)
02. When I Was Lost (Milyoo Remix)
03. We Are One feat. Domu (Mr Lager Remix)
04. Raw Root (Klic Remix)
05. Mind Over Matter (Throwing Snow Remix) – DIGITAL ONLY

You can currently stream Greymatter‘s new EP via Soundcloud, but you’ll be able to purchase the entire EP as of Monday 12th July via Bandcamp, Juno Download, and all your other favourite online and offline destinations.

REVIEW: Alex B – Moments

Colorado-based beatmaker, Alex B, came to prominence last year when he provided a very popular mix for Flying Lotus‘ Brainfeeder collective. Since then, he’s teased us with more original creations, supplied mixes elsewhere, and also contributed a track to Jus Like Music & Apple Juice Break present: Oscillations. But the wait is over – Alex B‘s hotly anticipated debut full-length is out right now on his own Elm and Oak imprint, and it’s called Moments.

Moments is a collection of 17 beautifully crafted tracks, many no longer than two and a half minutes long, but all absolutely incredible. Alex B most definitely has his own distinctive sound, plus his production techniques are exquisite, but what is really pleasing about this album is how easily the sound shimmies from electronica to instrumental hip-hop to downtempo neo-soul to fully blown rap and back again. In theory, this is something that should sound chaotic and disjointed, but the reality instead sees a very complete sounding record hit the ears.

Tracklisting:

01. At Channel One
02. Pad 5
03. Hot Chop
04. You And I Both Know
05. Nothing Is Always Something
06. Kick Drones
07. Talk It Out
08. Clicking Away
09. Getting To Know You
10. Show Me
11. Drip Splatter
12. Waste
13. Hide Extension
14. Impressions
15. Standing On Me
16. Seriously Again ?!?!
17. Timing Correct

At Channel One is the perfect introduction to Alex B’s sound as it emphasises his connection with jazz, hip-hop and electronica – all in varying ways and to varying levels. Not that a comparison is particularly necessary, but it sounds like a laid back Harmonic 313 ate a Dimlite filled pie! That’s all very tenuous though really – just know that the beats are crisp and heavy, and the electronic sounds are pure. The record continues onwards with the steady head-nodder, Pad 5, and ultra-heavy Hot Chop with it’s gritty claustrophobia. Hot Chop is actually a really apt name for the track, you can almost feel the bass hits reverberating off the walls as the sweat drips off your back.

mp3: Alex B – Hot Chop

The track You And I Both Know has to be one of the best tracks I’ve heard all year. It comprises of, what initially seems like, such simple components, but in truth it’s a very fine blend of semi-acoustic samples, a heavy beat and precisely placed electronic cuts. Those are just the components though. Alex B then layered and arranged them all to create something with a real melody and soul. That is what I think places Alex B above many of his contemporaries at the moment, his ability to take his tracks to a level at which they become fully-fledged song creations, with all the life and soul a listener yearns for from a song. Nothing Is Always Something is born of the same cloth, yet exchanges some of the fierce bass elements for more delicate, progressive sounds.

Kick Drones suddenly hits you with an emcee, but it’s more of a pleasant surprise than a shock. It’s only 49 seconds long and acts as a precursor to the wonderful Talk It Out, with its hints of Flying Lotus set to a very soothing melody and trippy beat. It genuinely makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and to such a degree that I wonder if my words can really do it enough justice. The bass returns on Clicking Away, the track you can briefly hear on the Moments teaser trailer. Again, there’s evidence of this balance between bass and intricate sounds – like something so raw and heavy shouldn’t sound so elegant, but… it does, and it sounds amazing. This bridges into one of my favourite Alex B tracks, Getting To Know You, which showcases the only appearance of a female vocalist on the album. It’s worth noting at this point that we’ve made our way from heavy electronic beats, to hip-hop and now downtempo vocal tracks, but you wouldn’t realise it too much without first being prompted – it’s a smooth transition. Getting To Know You builds subtly and gradually, nothing is over done or forced, but instead it bides its time. Absolutely alluring, particularly towards the end when it shifts up a gear.

Breaking back into more instrumental hip-hop territory, Show Me, is a two-minute long killer of a track which lays focus on multiple electronic layers over a steady beat. Drip Splatter is tripped out with the presence of an emcee once more – slick rhymes over chords proves for mean results indeed. This then bridges into the hypnotic Waste, embedded with plenty of sinister dread before dropping into Hide Extension, a track that feels like a sort of homage to spaced out trip-hop in a way. Impressions continues the hypnotic theme, although strips things right back towards more of a dub feel – real steady, bass-heavy beats. Albeit subtle, there are a lot of emotional undertones present on this album. It’s never heavy beats for the sake of heavy beats – as melodies and feeling are never compromised, and I think to therefore get such fantastic results is totally admirable.

Standing On Me is pure filth! The bassline is ridiculous and could well strip the paint off your walls. Let me know if that does actually happen. The penultimate track is Seriously Again ?!?!, which contains a sense of eeriness amidst its off-kilter beat and string accompaniment. But just when you think that’s it, it pops up with a classy piano melody to offset the natural left-field nature of the track. Timing Correct acts as the finale to a fine, fine album. One for all you synth-heads out there!  Smooth and steady, it softly builds to a gradual crescendo on what is a brilliant array of songs.

As is plain to see, I think a lot of this album, in fact it’s definitely one of the best albums of the year. But, what really leaves me in awe is Alex B’s ability to create beautiful songs out of could easily be electronic chaos. Whether it’s alternative hip-hop or dubstep, there are a lot of producers out there who are just chucking heavy basslines over crazy electronic samples with no real consideration for their track’s construction and then putting them out there. Some of them sound ok for the first couple of listens, but there’s no longevity and that’s because they aren’t ‘complete’ songs, they lack soul. What Alex B has done is to take lots of careful consideration into every element of his tracks, devised stanzas and created melodies to give his tracks a proper purpose and life. It might take a couple of listens to Moments for the penny to drop, but I think most open-minded listeners would at some stage agree that this album is a bit special.

FREE: Michael Jackson – You Rock My World (BUG Remix)

It seems almost unbelievable to think that Michael Jackson has been gone for over a year now. There’s not really much I can say beyond what others already have, and what I said last year at the time of his passing – but he is missed dearly.

I do understand how to some people it all seems a bit hypocritical now, that people would mourn the loss of an artist who was looked upon by many as a sideshow celebrity for the latter part of his life – but despite what he may have become, and what problems he may have had, he still brought a lot of happiness into this world with his music and will always be a musical legend for the art he created.

Michael Jackson leaves behind a heavy legacy in the music world, one which will probably never be matched. Like Eric Roberson said, no artist can claim to not be influenced by Michael Jackson in some way. Even if not directly, then their influences were probably influenced by Michael Jackson.

I’ll leave you now with a fresh remix by BUG of You Rock My World. The meeting of MJ’s energy and BUG‘s penchant for beats and synths just ‘works’…

Michael Jackson – You Rock My World (BUG Remix) by BUGMusic

mp3: Michael Jackson – You Rock My World (BUG Remix)