REVIEW: Terra Grimard – Unconventional Shining

Singer-Songwriter Terra Grimard released her first full length album back in December 2009. She created a contemporary acoustic collection of incredible jazz influenced/pop infused songs, and named it Unconventional Shining.

Unconventional Shining was mixed and mastered by Icelandic producer S. Husky Höskulds, a Grammy Award winner who is known for his work with Tom Waits, Ani Difranco, the Gypsy Kings, Fiona Apple, Yael Naim, and many more. Since his work on her album, Terra Grimard is now part of Groundlift, Husky’s non-exclusive online record label.

Terra grew up in a small and quiet town in British Columbia, Canada where she developed a passion for folk and jazz music so wild, that she decided to study it to a degree level. That takes a lot of commitment, people! She began writing Unconventional Shining whilst in Guatemala after obtaining a BA in Music, Jazz Studies.  Terra now lives in Vancouver, and I think it’s only fitting for Jus Like Music to review a Canadian artist whilst the Winter Olympics are currently taking place right there!

If you enjoy listening to soft, reflective, and fuss-free songs with beautiful vocals, then Terra Grimard is the woman for you. She sings with peaceful conviction about unrequited love, new beginnings, and self-discovery.

Tracklisting:

01. Shape The Girl
02. The Mountain
03. Running Home
04. Afterthought
05. Meantime
06. Miles
07. New Leaf
08. Unconditional Shining
09. Feet & Stars
10. Another Ground
11. On It Goes

I love a good song, I’m sure you do too, and Terra Grimard is a woman who most definitely enjoys writing and singing them. My personal favourites are as follows, but you should definitely check them out for yourself too; Unconditional Shining – a short and percussive vocally driven ditty on the subject of self-discovery, Miles, because it’s about luuuurrve, yet it’s awkward, self-aware and really sweet.

mp3: Terra Grimard – Miles

Feet & Stars, Running Home, and also Afterthought, a grown up song about persisting in trifling relationships where Terra sings, “You come to me as an afterthought when nothing has fulfilled you… I am the girl that passes, the girl that passes your time… I don’t love you, you are something to me, not someone”, her take on both sides of a passing phase gives the impression of a really sweet tragedy.

Unconventional Shining is available to purchase right now, both digitally and physically, via CD Baby. I’d strongly advise checking this album out – don’t sleep on emerging talent!

RBMA: Sin City @ Plan B, Brixton

As recently documented, the Red Bull Music Academy 2010 is currently taking place in London. On Friday night I attended Sin City @ Plan B in Brixton, one of the thirty music events that has been scheduled to take place as part of this year’s Academy.

The concept of the night was to showcase the evolution of bass-driven sounds, with amongst others, renowned Kiss FM DJ David Rodigan representing traditional reggae and dub music, Kenny Ken and MC Skibadee playing an exclusive jungle and drum ‘n’ bass set, a performance from celebrated lady of Garage Miss Dynamite and back to back sets from El-B/J Da Flex and Hatcha/N-Type, who tore it down with classic club bangers and dubstep exclusives.

The highlight of the night for me was David Rodigan, who held down roots culture to the absolute fullest with an eclectic and charismatic set which saw him drop everything from timeless reggae and dancehall jams, ska and rockabilly classics. Plus, of course, dropping plenty of the psychedelic sub-driven sounds of dub masters and originators such as King Tubby and Augustus Pablo (in the unfortunate absence of the legendary Scientist who was originally scheduled for the event). Rodigan’s track selection, interspersed with his usual hugely enthusiastic and humourous antics, proved to provide a true lesson in the history behind contemporary dance music and a highly enjoyable experience.

If this event is anything to go by, Culture Clash – the next reggae, dubstep, jungle and soul event hosted by the Red Bull Music Academy – which takes place on Wednesday 17th February @ The Roundhouse, is not to be missed. There’ll be performances from Jazzie B’s Soul II Soul, the mighty Trojan Sound System, Goldie’s Metalheadz, and dubstep pioneers Digital Mystikz.

mp3: Skibadee – Tika Toc

REVIEW: Julien Dyne – Pins & Digits

Originally released in October 2009 through BBE Records, Pins & Digits is Julien Dyne’s debut album and the follow-up record to his critically acclaimed EP Phantom Limbo.

Call me a xenophobe but I didn’t consciously listen to any music from New Zealand until I heard Pins & Digits by New Zealand’s (adopted) son Julien Dyne. But, many music lovers across the world listed Pins & Digits in their Top 10 releases of 2009.  If I had heard it in 2009, and most importantly if I enjoyed making lists, I too would have placed it in my Top 10 albums of last year.

Pins & Digits, it’s also worth noting, is the soulful electronic creation of a former Red Bull Music Academy participant, percussionist and producer who has worked with the likes of Opensouls, Fat Freddy’s Drop and The Tornadoes & Tyra Hammond.

Tracklisting:

01. Steel Legs 11
02. Layer feat. Mara TK
03. Board Forge [Interlude]
04. Incredulous
05. Deaky
06. Stained Glass Fresh Frozen feat. Mara TK
07. Conglomerates
08. Fallin’ Down feat. Parks
09. Behind The Forage
10. Toothnail [Reprise]
11. The Jung And The Fine
12. New New Zealand
13. Spirits
14. Stained Glass Fresh Frozen feat. Mara TK (Submariner Mix)

I have listened to this record at least six times from beginning to end since receiving it; this is no minor compliment because I have an extremely short attention span, so believe me when I tell you that this album is golden. Each track is a magnificent display of slick and soulful production. The key tracks are Layer, and Stained Glass (which both feature the blissful vocals of Mara TK from Electric Wire Hustle), Deaky, Conglomerates, Incredulous, and a downtempo beauty featuring Parks of Ladi6 on vocals called Falling Down.

mp3: Julien Dyne – Layer feat. Mara TK

I hate labels, I’d sooner say a song sounds like “cheese running away from its nightmares” than place it in a restrictive straight-jacket, more commonly known as a ‘genre’. For those who think the way I do, I’d say that Pins & Digits sounds like space exploring tribal percussionists that have worked out how to unleash rainbows without rain or sunlight. Those that like conventional labels could describe Pins & Digits as an amalgamation of future funk, jazz, hip-hop, glitch with a whole lot of warmth and soul – It’s just magical!

INTERVIEW: Peanut Butter Wolf – 45 Live

Like many genres and sub-genres out there at the moment, hip-hop continues to move through changes, stretches and amalgamations of sounds. Hip-hop music is, as most people are already very much aware, a component of the hip-hop cultural movement which started in New York during the 70s. But you didn’t have to be a teenager living in the Bronx to be a part of the hip-hop revolution. New York City, even today, only has a population of around 8 million people – but far, far more than that have been involved in hip-hop music, or at least been influenced by it in some manner.

One of those who has been both influenced by hip-hop, and gone on to be heavily involved within it, is Stones Throw label head Chris Manak, AKA Peanut Butter Wolf. There doesn’t need to be any explanation with regards to Mr Wolf’s contribution to the hip-hop world. But, when the boutique record label Five Day Weekend approached him to ask if he would do them the honour of creating a mix CD that would take people on a trip through the golden era of classic rap music, well… how could he say ‘no’? The good news is that Peanut Butter Wolf said ‘yes’, and hence 45 Live: A Classic Rap Mix was born – an 18 track journey encompassing all that was good “back in the day”, and available on shelves right now.

Staying true to the ethos of old skool mixtapes, the entire CD is mixed, with all 18 tracks selected, and also edited where Peanut Butter Wolf saw necessary. For anyone who grew up worshipping this music, or for any old skool rap afficionados out there, a lot of this material will appear familiar. Present are classics from the likes of; T La Rock, Just Ice, Biz Markie, Marley Marl and Big Daddy Kane, whilst Peanut Butter Wolf has also included a few tracks particularly close to his own heart. Peanut Butter Wolf was given the keys to the archives of labels like;Enjoy, Sleeping Bag, Fresh, Cold Chillin, Strong City, Nia and Idlers, and he raided those archives good!

Tracklisting:

01. The Fearless Four – Rockin’ It
02. Spoonie G & The Treacherous Three – Love Rap
03. Tricky Tee – Tricky Tee Rap
04. Universal Two – Dancin Heart
05. Sweety G – At The Place To Be
06. Busy Bee – Old School
07. Dimples D – Sucker D.J.s (I Will Survive)
08. T La Rock – It’s Yours
09. Just Ice – Cold Gettin Dumb
10. Biz Markie – Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz
11. Marley Marl – Marley Marl Scratch feat. MC Shan
12. Mantronix – Hardcore Hip Hop
13. J.V.C. Force – Strong Island
14. Jungle Brothers – Jimbrowski
15. Cash Money & Marvelous – Mighty Hard Rocker
16. Stezo – It’s My Turn
17. Big Daddy Kane – Just Rhymin With Biz feat. Biz Markie
18. Boogie Down Productions – The Bridge Is Over

Essentially, this release is like a story-book depicting how the young Chris Manak, from San Jose in California, came to fall in love with rap music. If the tracks on this CD had never existed, then I doubt very much that there’d be a Stones Throw record label here today.

mp3: Biz Markie – Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz

Perhaps it was not an obvious choice ‘geographically’ for Five Day Weekend to invite Peanut Butter Wolf to curate such a release, so I was interested to know how someone growing up over the other side of the United States had experienced the hip-hop explosion. How did Chris Manak hear this music? What was influencing him? How did he sate his hunger for the music? San Jose, situated in North California, doesn’t even host a million residents, yet this was the home of a man who went on to found one the most highly respected independent hip-hop labels in world; Stones Throw. But all these questions needn’t stay unanswered. I managed to catch up with Peanut Butter Wolf recently to talk about 45 Live: A Classic Rap Mix, and to satisfy the aforementioned curiousities!

Jus Like Music: First off, thanks for taking the time to speak with me about your forthcoming release on Five Day Weekend, 45 Live: A Classic Rap Mix. Now, as a hip-hop DJ and producer (and record label owner!), who’s been in the game since the late 80s, you obviously must have initially found hip-hop as a ‘fan’ first and not as a performer or artist. Can you tell me a little about your first experiences of hip-hop and subsequent exposure to rap music?

Peanut Butter Wolf: My first exposure to rap music was Rappers Delight in 1979. I bought that 12″ and stuff like “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow, “Birthday Party” by Grandmaster Flash, etc. I bought everything I could afford. I supported hip-hop from that era, to the drum machine era of the mid 80s, to the James Brown era of the late 80s, to the jazz era of the early 90s, and so on and so on. In the mid 80s, I started doing talent shows and sent demos to college radio stations and so on.

JLM: You hand selected the tracks for this release, from the vaults of labels like Cold Chillin’ and Strong City, but were there certain tracks you instantly knew you would have to include? Tracks that really resonated from your youth and perhaps to you, personally, represented the epitome of rap from this era?

PBW: There were certain groups I knew I had to include, like Tuff Crew and Jungle Brothers and Just Ice. “It’s Yours” by T La Rock was an exciting one for me too. The main criteria for me was to try to make it all songs that had never been on 7″ before. What I realised while putting this together was that most songs that were never on 7″ before were too long to put on 7″, so I had to make re-edits.

JLM: I appreciate that growing up in San Jose, as opposed to New York, meant that you didn’t necessarily have that first hand experience of such an emerging scene, but how did you observe what was happening there and then transcribe that into your own surroundings? Was there much of a movement early on in San Jose or were you in a minority, as such?

PBW: For me, my first exposure to rap music was through the radio station KSOL. They were a soul station that would play rap stuff here and there. And there was a record store, Star Records, which shaped my taste too. They had all the ‘underground’ stuff I was looking for. By the early 80s, movies like Beat Street, Wildstyle, and Breakin helped as well. There were breakdance competitions at Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza that I’d go to, and of course the mixtapes that were dubbed and cut-up records that you could only buy at the flea market. By 1984, I was making my own mixtapes and recording my own rap songs with local rappers, two of which I included on this mix.

JLM: I’ve followed the Stones Throw story since about 2003, at which point I worked my way backwards till I’d listened to as much as there was left to listen to! But, I know that previous to Stones Throw, from the late 80s and into the early 90s, you had been working with the emcee (and your close personal friend) Charizma. I must have listened to Red Light, Green Light over 500 times and my copy of the Stones Throw 101 DVD is looking quite tired now, but when you were making music with Charizma back then, how did you feel about what you were actually creating at that time and what would you say were your main influences?

PBW: At the time of Charizma, I was really having fun with making ‘beats’. I had gotten to know the Ensoniq EPS sampler really well and had started finding odd things to sample from. By the early 90s, I made it a point to not sample from James Brown or George Clinton or anything like that. I had been buying ‘breaks’ since around 1986, even though it was hard to find good stuff in San Jose where I lived. The best way to get samples was by borrowing my friends parents’ records.

JLM: As is evident from this fantastic mix CD, the classic material from the likes of Biz Markie and Marley Marl was indeed both innovative and strong. A lot of younger people around today might not be so familiar with the tracks or artists on 45 Live: A Classic Rap Mix, but seeing as this is where modern hip-hop’s roots are set, do you think the music is still relevant today and something that younger people can relate to?

PBW: I definitely think young people can relate to it. In the 80s, I was fascinated with the 60s and 70s. By 1987, I stopped listening to new soul and funk and went back to Sly and Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding and got really into that kind of stuff. I get MySpace messages from lots of high school students who are fascinated with Charizma. Seeing pics of kids with hi-top fades and gumby cuts now and thinking they’re old pics until I look closely.

JLM: Hip-hop has most definitely changed over the years, and now there seems to be more of a focus on individuals obtaining riches and flaunting them in music videos, and perhaps some of the old values of hip-hop culture have disappeared. Some even say hip-hop is dead, how do you feel about that and where do think the future lies for hip-hop music?

PBW: A lot of what’s popular isn’t very interesting right now. I got into commercial rap stuff a few years ago ‘cos it seemed more interesting than the underground stuff, but I haven’t been too impressed lately. I’m excited about a lot of the emcees we’re working with, like Guilty Simpson, DOOM, MED, KRAK ATTACK, and Strong Arm Steady.

JLM: As the label head of Stones Throw, what are the biggest challenges you face, as a label, when releasing a new record or pushing a new artist? Does Stones Throw have a particular ethos or credo with regards to operating in what is clearly a very tough time for the music industry as a whole?

PBW: Biggest challenge is maintaining the support from people in the industry. The fans are there for us, but the mainstream media, stores etc. are generally not supportive of a lot of our artists. Mayer Hawthorne and Dam-Funk have been recent exceptions, which I’m thankful about.

JLM: Finally, would you have any tips or words of wisdom for any aspiring artists or labels trying to get off the ground and get their music out there? Perhaps a few “dos & don’ts”?

PBW: DON’T DO IT.

Sage words from Peanut Butter Wolf! 45 Live: A Classic Rap Mix is a solid mix definitely worth getting your hands on, regardless of what sorts of hip-hop/music you find yourself currently listening to. This is where it all began and Five Day Weekend (and Peanut Butter Wolf) have done a fantastic job of reminding us all of that fact. It’ll be a beautiful nostalgia trip for the old skool heads, and a great insight for anyone looking to check out the roots of rap a little more closely.

It’s also worth noting that Five Day Weekend are the label who will be bringing us the first Edan album since 2005’s Beauty And The Beat. They’ve given him access to Traffic Entertainment Group’s extensive back catalogue to mix and re-work – but two years hard work have seen Edan produce a masterpiece encompassing synthesizers, guitars, percussion, an echoplex and even glockenspiels and some kazoo. Echo Party promises to be one of the most extraordinary hip-hop releases of 2009 and will mark the return of a man responsible for some of the most unique hip-hop in recent years. Official release date is 17th November and Edan will be making the vinyl sleeves himself, each will be one of a kind and original. But that’s Edan all over; unique. When he was recently discussing the new album on American radio, the host asked him how he felt about all of these genres and sub-genres around today. His response, “I just don’t care. I just like music!”

Extracts from this article will appear in the upcoming winter issue of the fantastic Shook Magazine (Vol. 1 No. 7), so definitely make sure you grab a copy when it’s out!

Foreign Beggars – United Colours Of Beggattron

It’s out now! The new album from the UK’s premier hip-hop crew, Foreign Beggars, is now out via their Dented Records label. The album is called United Colours Of Beggattron and it’s a 19 track monster featuring the likes of Noisia, Guilty Simpson, Phat Kat, DJ 2tall and Jehst.

It’s the third full album from Metropolis, Orifice Vulgatron, Dag Nabbit, Shlomo, MC Zani and DJ Nonames – collectively known as; Foreign Beggars. United Colours Of Beggattron exhibits further growth and development of their unique sound. Revered highly by their peers, both in the UK and worldwide, Foreign Beggars have always delivered a style of hip-hop that goes beyond the conventional hip-hop methods – no room for “playing it safe”, their distinctive sound is clearly to be expected. But what’s new?

Tracklisting:

01. Intro
02. Higher (feat. Audra Nishita)
03. Keep It Comin’ (feat. Jehst, Kyza & Dr Syntax)
04. Break Free (feat. Audra & Kai Nishita)
05. Don’t Dhoow It (feat. King Knut)
06. Hereford Hospital (Skit)
07. Seven Figure Swagger (feat. Dubbledge, Badness & Rednaz)
08. Contact (feat. Noisia)
09. Shake It (feat. Noisia)
10. Get A Bit More
11. Corridors (Skit)
12. Asylum Bound (feat. Ben Sharpa)
13. Big N Black (feat. Phat Kat)
14. Prove It (feat. Guilty Simpson)
15. Some Advice (Skit)
16. No More (feat. Kashmere, Jehst & DJ 2Tall)
17. Keeping The Line Fat (feat. Graziella)
18. No Holds Barred (feat. Devlin, Noisia & DJ 2Tall)
19. Safedrian

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that people queue at the door to work with Foreign Beggars, and the above tracklisting does indeed prove testament to that fact. The lead single off the album is Contact (b/w Shake It) featuring guest production from DnB act, Noisia – that should give an indication as to how far Foreign Beggars have gone with stretching the boundaries of their sound far beyond simply being hip-hop. Albeit not a straight up DnB track, Contact does contain a distinct edginess and bass heavy angle that clearly expresses Noisia’s influence.

mp3: Foreign Beggars – Shake It feat. Noisia

There’s a fantastic blend of hip-hop, grime, soul and electronica sounds on United Colours Of Beggattron, but what really stands out is the quality of the overall production. This seems to be something that has got better and better with each Foreign Beggars release – plus the great rap skills are ever present, as you’d no doubt imagine. Detroit’s Phat Kat features on the track Big N Black, with his unique slick cypheric technique flowing over a gritty head-nodder of a beat. This then cruises naturally into Prove It featuring fellow Detroit emcee Guilty Simpson – the track is infectious and bass heavy. You’ll be moving to this one, I guarantee.

Keeping The Line Fat features longtime ‘Beggars collaborator (and recent X Factor contestant) Graziella, on guest vocals. The electro influenced bassline and melody pay sweet homage to a classic sound whilst delivering with a contemporary slant. It’s an addictive track with a great atmosphere about it. Other highlights from the album include the industrial sounding No Holds Barred, the ultra-heavy Seven Figure Swagger with the mean flows from Dubbledge, Badness and Rednaz, and also the smooth (yet sharp) Keep It Comin’ with Jehst, Kyza and Dr Syntax.

Essentially, United Colours Of Beggattron represents a new maturity to the sound of Foreign Beggars, and it appears to sound very complete and polished. A criticism of UK hip-hop over the years has been that the production has been a bit weak, and although Foreign Beggars have always represented the better end of this spectrum, it’s now evident more than ever that they are on another level entirely. It’s a truly solid album and I only hope that enough people out there will give it a chance to impress them, because that’s exactly what it will do. The inclusion of appearances by some of UK hip-hop’s elite, as well efforts from quality stateside artists and of course DnB producer Noisia, should help to push boundaries and welcome more people into the world of Foreign Beggars.

Very impressive stuff from Foreign Beggars, get United Colours Of Beggattron checked and soon!

Upcoming Live Dates:

Oct 31 2009 – Leeds Urban Festival @ Beaver Works, Leeds
Nov 05 2009 – Alpha, Dubai
Nov 06 2009 – Conservatoriumplein, Kortrijk
Nov 10 2009 – Tuesday Club, Sheffield
Nov 13 2009 – Thekla, Bristol
Nov 27 2009 – Po Na Na, Norwich
Nov 28 2009 – Student Union, Cardiff
Dec 04 2009 – The Rock House, Derby
Dec 17 2009 – Nonames DJ Set @ Club Renegade, Plovdiv
Dec 18 2009 – Party Centre 4km, Sofia
Dec 19 2009 – Thessaloniki HipHop Festival Block33, Thessaloniki