While this young woman from South East London may not appear to be much more than a pretty face, Andreya Triana’s debut album Lost Where I Belong is an exquisite 9 track journey through heartfelt melancholy and sage contemplation of her place in this world. The British self-taught singer and songwriter grew up submerged in a multicultural atmosphere, and the impact of this has clearly influenced the formation of her music to create aural art that exists outside of traditional boundaries. Andreya began singing when she was only 7 years old, using the sights and sounds of inner city London as her inspiration and the foundation to her inception as an artist. Her natural affinity for communication through music encouraged her to dedicate huge amounts of time to writing poetry, making homemade mix tapes, and recording her own original tracks on battered cassette decks.

Lost Where I Belong is a beautifully crafted album, pairing Andreya’s profound and smokey vocals with masterful production by jazzy beat master Bonobo. Andreya’s haunting and soulful voice manages to rest on that perfect balance that so many R&B singers strive to attain – the delicate tipping point where beautiful melancholy and near sorrow maintains an underlying resilient strain of light and hope. Her voice imparts a certain sense of belief – a steadfast faith that through the darkness of heartache and loneliness, the future is bright with possibility, and every day is alive with chances for new beginnings.

The album opens with the appropriately entitled”Draw the Stars”, a tune who’s wistful melody speaks volumes of dreams and night skies. A simple deep bassline in the background is sprinkled with ethereal sounding chimes, truly transporting the listener to the realm of imagination, as if the notes are raining down from the twinkling stars themselves.

The title track and single “Lost Where I Belong” is next, opening with sultry and scratchy brass notes before introducing her overlaying vocals. The essence of this album, this core feeling of confusion and loneliness underlined by hope, truly flows in earnest from this one central track. This aura  of melancholy and faith is underlined by the string section at the end of the song, which seems to carry the listener into the future, as if to say that the journey is only just beginning. It also serves to transition into the second single off the album, “A Town Called Obsolete”. This mournful psalm is a heartfelt plea for patience and faith in the face of indifference, and once again reflects Andreya’s frustration and inner turmoil through the emotional weight of the production and melody.

Another deeply beautiful song is “Daydreamers”, an incredibly sexy and penetratingly blue tune, with Andreya’s open and raw voice gracefully smoothed across a simple melody, impossibly heavy with heart. Listening to this song feels like floating on still water and staring at the sky, or gazing deep into a fire, in many ways creating an actual manifestation of the content of the lyrics themselves, namely floating away on daydreams.

The concluding track “X”, provides the perfect end to this beautifully emotional album. A feeling of drama and sorrow is carried on the strings of the harp and cello, like saying a painful goodbye to a lover or dear friend. The painful goodbye of this nostalgic and relatively simple song ensures that even after the last note sounds, the remnants of a twinge of heartache is left resounding in your chest.

Ultimately, while the album’s funkier and more upbeat tracks may be more danceable and fun, Andreya Triana truly creates something meaningful and profound through the works of art that are her quieter, simpler, and weightier songs. The heart heavy and dreamy quality that pervades through both her voice and the message of her lyrics shines most brightly when the melody and production is reflective of this quality. It is during these tracks that the material world melts away, and the listener is transported into this emotional journey, where the path may we winding and the road lonely, but there always remains light at the end of the tunnel.

Lost Where I Belong drops September 7th, 2010 from Ninja Tune. Until then, visit Andreya Triana’s WEBSITE to watch the music video for “A Town Called Obsolete”, listen to the Mount Kimbie remix of the same track, download the Flying Lotus edit of “Lost Where I Belong”, and place advance orders for the CD or LP.

Andreya Triana – “Lost Where I Belong” (Flying Lotus Remix)

Mount Kimbie – Crooks & Lovers (Hotflush Recordings 2010) [Vinyl | Digital]

The U.K. society of bass stretches far beyond the bounds of audible range; one can rummage through countless tunes, sub-genres and genres until the brain just shuts down from low-frequency exhaustion. It’s a fruitful time for sure, as we have artists like Mount Kimbie providing a sound that’s so natural and so organic to their musical climate that people get drawn in and never come out thinking about music the same way. The duo of Dom Maker and Kai Campos have been releasing tunes since 2008, forging a relationship with the bass community and beyond. Their most well-known tune, “Maybes”, stunned people from every continent and proved that Mount Kimbie was a sound that wasn’t particularly stuck to one genre. Dark, inviting and enticing all at once, they continued to make tunes, unassuming of the hype that would build up towards their first album release. Enter July 2010, and Hotflush Recordings have graced us with one of the best albums of the year so far, Crooks & Lovers, an enduring journey that’s more than what one would expect from up-and-coming electronic producers.

The album starts off with a tone that’s similar to a train leaving the station in a hurry but then is taken over by a guitar and a child-like vocal sample. “Tunnelvision” is the starter that pretty much sets the table for the journey one takes in listening, as chopped and filtered percussion go between synth notes, guitar notes and vocals (presumably from Kimbie collaborator James Blake). The next tune takes the familiar tonality of previous Kimbie records and spins it into a grainy, dissipating struggle between ambience and notation. Cut-up samples, plopped bass tones and a rhythm that stays in your head for ages, “Would Know” is a perfect trip between positive and negative energies that lead to an ultimately satisfactory purgatory of cloudiness. The next few tracks, “Before I Move Off” and “Blind Night Errand” find a light in the cloudiness, providing contrasting ideas within their audible context but ultimately leading to the gorgeousness of the guitar chords of “Adriatic”. A simplistic tunes of minimal electronics, guitar, handclaps and somewhat-satisfying scat vocals, the short and sweet tune provides a look beyond bass for the duo and more towards the aspect that the Kimbie boys are songwriters and not just producers.

The next track is undeniably a bumpin’ one; “Carbonated” is similar to what you would hear on the intelligent and welcoming dancefloors of London town, expecting invigorating rhythms and cut-up RnB vocal samples. The chords, lush and lamenting, sound like the doing of James Blake, who we don’t know had officially worked on this album. No matter, because it’s a great tune that finds ways to tug at the heartstrings and provide a beat amongst its doing. Again, the next two tracks are complete contrasts of one another; “Ruby” being a dark and dusty walk amongst town drones and “Ode to Bear” being a tale of a long night, being a bit chipper in the beginning and going closer to the grain of bass-filled blues by the end of tune. The following tune might be the most intriguing on the record, as “Field” is a journey that must’ve taken place during an acid trip gone wrong, waiting for it to disperse and longing for a clear-headed viewpoint. Once the madness disperses, the guitar comes out to hopefully shake off the chemically-induced cobwebs and look towards the sun and start the day fresh once again. The final two tracks, “Mayor” and “Between Time” follow the formula of the record, be drastically different. The former, is a bouncy affair between keyboard jumpiness and high-pitched vocal cuts and bumping bass, with the occasional strike of a modular synth in the mix. “Between Time” is the excellent closer of the record, depicting the long journey back from a night on the town, whether it be the moody vocals or bass tones that will make you want to revisit Unknown Pleasures, it’s the perfect way to close out a record that’s full of everything one could expect.

While Crooks & Lovers isn’t close to a perfect record, it’s nothing short of a brilliant debut for Mount Kimbie. Alluding to their love of indie bands, hip-hop and current U.K. bass music, the duo invites us to the world of London from the eyes and ears of people, places and things they hold dear. Honest, humbling and heart-warming at times, Crooks & Lovers is an essential record to pick up in 2010.

Stream “Mayor” below and make sure you check them out October 1st at The Bunker in Brooklyn.

Mount Kimbie – Mayor

After much anticipation, A-Trak has finally unleashed Dirty South Dance 2 on the interwebs. The sequel to the 2007 original flawlessly fuses hip hop vocals with dance tracks and his signature scratching, resulting in fifty minutes of pure fun. With seamless transitions and a top-notch song selection, A-Trak makes it seem like hip hop and electro were born to mingle. Our favorites? “Trizzy Turnt Up”, in which he layers Soulja Boy’s “All The Way Turnt Up” over Claude VonStroke’s “Vocal Chords”, and “Ain’t I a Joker”, which pairs Yung L.A.’s “Aint I” with Joker’s “Tron”.

A-Trak has once again enlisted Shepard Fairey to create the accompanying artwork, to be released in a deluxe pack that will include a poster, t-shirt, and hard copy of the CD. Stream or download the mixtape below, and if you can’t get enough of the dirty south, then definitely check out Southerngold – Terry Urban’s concoction that melds southern hip hop with Santigold’s eponymous debut album.

When we last saw Holy Fuck in New York City, the band took us by surprise. Having heard them numerous times, and attracted in part by their nifty name, their music drew us in like flies on stink. If you’ve ever seen these guys live, this analogy is only fitting, because a fly does not envision this stink how we perceive it, and its attraction is only natural – the same inclination I have towards the music of Holy Fuck. Borderline, their sound is a trance of rock and electronic music. Up to date, they are one of the best live electronic and percussion groups I have ever seen. Their instruments include excursions of makeshift items that are manipulated for their sound and output. From vocodors, stripped magnetic tapes, 35 mm film synchronizers to toy keyboards, their style relies heavily on physical infusions of instruments in an era where anything can be programmed into a laptop. Within their process, considerably,  Brian Borcherdt (keyboards, effects), Graham Walsh (keyboards, effects), Matt McQuaid (bass) and Matt Schulz (drums) are masters in making of a whole new genre and style of electronic music in their orchestral approach to a contemporary form of digital composition.  Beyond performance, the music of Holy Fuck is an experience and a journey in sound. Their latest album Latin is a great encapsulation to their musical testament.

Latin, the band’s third album since their formation in 2004 was released yesterday. The album, in sporadic fashion, follows the format of their title-track, “Latin America”. It is a non-stop excursion of swinging drums, bass and synths pumping irregularly as the group works up a symphony of multiple instruments. When we last checked, their sets included over twenty pieces of electronic equipment between the two mixers alone. This album sounds just as accurate with a multitude of instruments that require skill and coordination, even in a studio. But amazingly, these guys know their instruments and how to blend them in unison.

The driving beats on this album make for quite the experience as one makes their way around the city. In all its infusions, the band reaches a nice plateau that accomplishes a symphony in electronic sound. After hearing the Latin of Holy Fuck non-stop, there’s only one thing left, (and I know Brian Borcherdt will appreciate this), and that is to hear what it sounds like off a vinyl.

Listen to a couple tracks below and click through for an Interview with Brian Borcherdt of Holy Fuck and the Video for their track “Latin America”.

Holy Fuck – “Latin America”

Holy Fuck – “Red Lights”

Continue Reading

Last Wednesday, Theophilus London released his highly anticipated mixtape, I Want You. Gone is the sense of urgency in his voice, heard in tracks like “Ultraviolet” (Jam!) and “TNT” (This Charming Mixtape); the Theophilus London we hear in I Want You is cool, laid back and smooth as ever. The best artists are ones that evolve from project to project while retaining their signature sound, and Theophilus does this beautifully on his third release.

A free mixtape gives an artist the freedom to sample, remix and cover tracks without having to pay astronomical fees for the rights, giving them a creative reign they may not necessarily have on an official label release. Theophilus has capitalized on this opportunity in the past (see “I Will Always Love You” on This Charming Mixtape), and does it again on I Want You, bringing a newfound originality to familiar songs. The mixtape’s title track stays true to Marvin Gaye’s original while adding a modern twist, the Hudson Mohawke-produced cover “Oops (Oh My)”, is a bass-heavy update of Tweet’s 2002 hit, and “Give it up Dad” is an upbeat track that has Theophilus rapping over Vampire Weekend’s “Giving up the Gun”. Remixes on the mixtape include the long awaited release of The Very Best’s “Julia”, which he often performs live, and Ellie Goulding’s “Starry Eyed”.

Fusing LA electrofunk, UK indie, tropical escapade and obscure afropop with the signature style we’ve all come to know and love, Theophilus London weaves a delightful story of life and love. Listen to my personal favorite, “Flying Overseas (Version 1)” below, click through for the music video for “Accept the New”, and above all, CLICK HERE to download the mixtape.

Theophilus London – “Flying Overseas (Version 1)”

Continue Reading

This HiFi Cartel’s very own Music Monday. While our weekly music picks may not always be up-to-the-minute “brand new,” it’s what we’re into at the moment. This week’s selections bring a taste of global music, with albums by Dorean (non traditionally Basque), New York Pony Club (British), Alcoholic Faith Mission (Danish), Gogol Bordello (New York), Balkan Beat Box (New York), and Crystal Castles (Ontarian).

Continue Reading

Flawless brought São Paulo’s minimal tech god Gui Boratto to LOVE for one of the most epic sets to date. Constructing basslines and layering effects with his Lemur and Akai APC 40, Gui kept the crowd going till the “wee hours” of the morning, playing for more than five hours. Highlights included his fantastic rendition of Massive Attack’s new single, “Paradise Circus”, with Hope Sandoval’s haunting vocals, and “No Turning Back” off his latest album Take My Breath Away, which brought everyone to their feet, hands raised, to sing along.

Gui, we can’t wait to have you back…

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM

Massive Attack – Paradise Circus featuring Hope Sandoval (Gui Boratto Remix) [iTunes]

New Yorkers are spoiled in terms of music; in a night where great parties run simultaneously, people must pick and choose which way their doldrums must go. In the end, the best way to go is with the anticipation of the vibe of the party that one goes to. With the Magical Properties tour (which features Jogger, Nosaj Thing and Daedelus), the sounds go between earthy, muddled, spastic and euphoric all at once. With a lineup that personifies audible contrast, the trio of acts would come to the art-deco-basement that is Le Poisson Rouge and provide a plethora of audible treats that ranged from IDM to dubstep all at once. Starting late into the early morning (quarter past midnight to be exact), openers Jogger came on and played a set that had its moments of unusually ethereal to downright weirdly trippy. Fiddling between MIDI controllers and guitar pedal boards, the duo found ways to include sweet melodies into near-WARP-like rhythms. While this was interesting, it certainly did not have a flow to its purpose. Jogger showed signs of musical curiosity but will need more to prove their weight in their tracks live. However, they did do their job in hyping the crowd up for what was to come; which was artistry through blinking lights and beat pads.

Nosaj Thing came on to a healthy dose of claps and woos, set up his MPD32 and did he what he does best; blow the roof off the place. The crowd went nuts with every changing beat pattern, every trick he had in his sleeve, and every time he fiddled with the knobs of his controller. The dancefloor shook with a definitive intensity that was powerful as much as it was passionate. Playing for almost 60 minutes, Nosaj Thing went between playing his own tracks and remixes while stopping by to France via a drop of Mr. Oizo’s “Z”, which got a screaming applause from a few particular audience members. Closing out subtly, the crowd applauded wildly while he gracefully bowed out to the final performance of the night, which would be provided by Victorian revivalist Daedelus.

The performance art that is a Daedelus live set is centered around the controller that is now famously know as the Monome, which provides custom control between sequencing, looping, editing and all other sorts of nerdy musical gigs. With the Monome facing the crowd, Daedelus let the audience savor in the artistry that took place live. Breaking bits of current dubstep tunes into crazy synth lines and vocal sample cut-ups, new songs were formed almost instantaneously, and with that a collective force of loud and aggressive crowd that seemed to have emanated from the ground up, starting with foot stomps and ending with fist pumps.  Piecing together bits from tunes of artists such as Untold, James Blake and Joy Orbison, the craftiness of Daedelus showed that he was in charge of the night’s destiny, taking the souls standing on the dancefloor to an entirely new world of mashed-up euphoria. The result was a crowd full of smiles, excitement and longing for the next time these artists would come together to dominate a floor like they did on this night. One may never know, but one will remember the night’s peaks and valleys; from the occasional shouts of sample-heavy love to the knee-shattering bass wobbles, there will be no way to get the sounds, sights and sensations felt on this night out of anyone’s mind.

Be sure to check out our recent interview with Nosaj Thing and have a look at the rest of the night’s photos.

Meet Fool’s Gold’s latest signee, Telephoned, the brainchild of Maggie Horn and Fool’s Gold DJ/producer Sammy Bananas.  The 18-track “Off The Hook” Mixtape features a new spin on many songs that we already know and (in some cases) love.

The project’s tracks are neither remixes nor covers, rather a hybrid of both. Sammy Bananas expertly morphs the original beats into infectious tunes fit for the dance floor. Paired with Maggie Horn’s vocal stylings, each song on the mixtape brings a fresh take on the original track. The reggae-tinged “Dancin’ On Me” (Featuring Jahdan Blakkamoore) samples Enur’s Calabria and has a hint of dubstep, while “Million Dollar Bill” (originally by Whitney Houston) samples Major Lazer’s “Keep it Goin Louder”. The mixtape also features reimagined versions of “aNYway” by Duck Sauce, “Turn My Swag On” by Soulja Boy (featuring Telli Gramz from Ninjasonik), and “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

Cop a free download of the mixtape from RCRDLBL or stream it after the jump. The duo’s self-titled EP, released today, is available on iTunes and features full versions of “Dancin’ On Me”, “Turn My Swag On”, “Rockin’ That Thang”, “Pop Champagne”, and “Can’t Believe It”.

Telephoned will be celebrating the release of their EP tomorrow night at Ella. Check out our events page for more details and to RSVP. You can also catch the duo at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on January 30th with Cubic Zirconia and Cage. Click here for tickets.

Continue Reading

Initial impressions of Vampire Weekend’s sound would hardly place them in New York City, where the band originally formed. Lead singer Ezra Koenig and drummer Chris Tomson first joined forces on the comedy rap band L’Homme Run, before creating Vampire Weekend with Chris Baio and Rostam Batmanglij. The influence of African popular music – including Ladysmith, Black Mambazo, and Kanda Bongo Man – can certainly be heard in “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “Diplomat’s Son”; Koenig has also collaborated with Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya on the title track of The Very Best’s Warm Heart of Africa.

Contra, Vampire Weekend’s sophomore effort, is a contemplative album that derives from the fun and playful vibes of their 2008 mainstream hit, “A-Punk”. Throw in a bit of ska, baile funk, violins, marimbas, some simple electronic infusions and a smidgen of auto-tune, and the result is a jamboree that has become the signature touch of Vampire Weekend. While many critics have tried to compare their sound to a variety of artists and genres, what they have ultimately proven is that Vampire Weekend has established a unique sound of their own in a remix era where everything is pop.

If their eponymous debut album wasn’t enough evidence of Vampire Weekend’s longevity, then Contra solidifies them as a lasting part of the music scene. While Vampire Weekend established the band’s sound, Contra uses the play of melody and lyrics to showcase a depth in the ballads that makes the album a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

“California English” and “Run” show the brighter side of their youthful pleasantries in a story format that unravels with a somber tenderness of (happy) memories being recalled. While Contra has a preppy tone, its carefree nature is reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, especially in the track “White Sky.” On a broad scope, the album has a breakthrough feel like the duo’s contributions to The Graduate. In the embroilment of preppy innuendo, Contra reveals a gem of complications that is foreshadowed by the album’s cover, an image of a Polo-clad blonde with one of her collars standing up.

Overall, Contra is an album that is ‘hot under the collar’. While it may be Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album, its nature shows the band’s ability to follow through on an album concept that is consistent from start to finish, while unraveling refreshing tracks that reveal Vampire Weekend in a whole new light. The whimsical cover of the album couldn’t have made it any clearer as the story within – Contra is a serenade worth falling for.

In anticipation of today’s release, Vampire Weekend has already sold out three performances in New York City. They will appear at the United Palace Theater on January 17th, Webster Hall on January 18th, and the Bowery Ballroom on January 19th. Contra is in stores now, though a stream of the full album has been available on their MySpace page and official website for a few weeks.

Click through for the video for “Cousins” and the the album below.

Continue Reading