Congratulations are in order for Theophilus London, whose debut EP, Lovers Holiday, was released today. His previous efforts, Jam!, This Charming Mixtape and I Want You, revealed his innate personal style and impeccable taste in music; Lovers Holiday proves once and for all that Theophilus London can transcend the mixtape format that he is known for and give his fans a solid collection of original material.

Theophilus London takes his wide palette of musical influences and infuses them with his personal experiences, resulting in an undeniably unique sound. With each release, he has built upon the life experience he’s amounted, a promising characteristic that demonstrates his continuous growth as an artist and his enormous potential for longevity.

Don’t miss Theophilus London’s first TV appearance this Monday (February 14) when he appears on Letterman for a special performance of “Why Even Try”. Lovers Holiday is available today on iTunes or Amazon, and at the risk of sounding preachy, I highly encourage you to show your support by purchasing – rather than downloading – this EP. After all, we did get London’s first three full-length mixtapes for free. #justsaying

Following the success of “Humdrum Town”, Theophilus London and Green Label Sound have teamed up once again to release “Flying Overseas”, the first official single from the I Want You mixtape. The song (my personal favorite from the mixtape) has been revamped to add Solange Knowles on the hook, as well as a brand-new bridge section, sung by London. “Flying Overseas” also features Dev Hynes.

Listen and download below…

Photos from the CMJ Fader Fort featuring Zowie, Pablo Picasso, Chapel Club, Homeboy Sandman, Cloud Nothings, Jamaica, Flight, Dominant Legs, Glasser, Freddie Gibbs, Off!, Theophilus London, Nick Catchdubs, Egyptrixx and A-Trak.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM

On Saturday afternoon, we stopped by Urban Outfitters to catch Theophilus London’s in-store performance for CMJ. Backed by Zeb Malik (POPO) on drums, Theophilus debuted several tracks from his upcoming album, including “Human Feel” and “Why Even Try”. Keep an eye out for his latest single, “Flying Overseas” which features Solange Knowles and will be released on Green Label Sound in about two weeks.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM

This summer, Hard is going bigger than ever, with not one, but TWO New York City visits from the LA-based party machine.

On July 24, Hard will carry on one of NYC’s favorite summer pastimes with an outdoor concert at Governor’s Island. Headliner M.I.A. will be joined by fellow Creators Project alums Die Antwoord and Sleigh Bells, along with Skream, Benga, Rye Rye, Theophilus London, Borgore, Destructo, 12th Planet, Nguzunguze and Ninjasonik, all coming together for an evening of music you won’t want to miss. [tickets + info]

This August, Hard will also hit the road for their first tour, stopping in 12 cities across the US and Canada. Crystal Castles, Sinden and Destructo will take over NYC’s Terminal 5 on August 21, with more performers to be announced at a later date. [tickets + info]

To prepare you for the madness, the good folks at Hard released a promotional mix featuring artists that will perform at Hard this summer. Though the mix is geared towards the L.A. events, the mix is not only free, but also good, so who are we to complain? Listen to the mix below, or CLICK HERE download. Peep the tracklist after the jump…

Hard Promo Mix (Produced by Nitrus)

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This week, Theophilus London debuted the first official music video from his latest effort, I Want You. The seductive video for the mixtape’s title track – London’s second – was directed by longtime pal VaShtie. The grainy black and white quality of the video, shot with a handheld camera at the Chelsea Hotel, has Theophilus London written all over it (look no further than the cover art of his three mixtapes for evidence). Va$htie cites French new wave cinema as inspiration; indeed, the atypical style of “I Want You” is a departure from London’s MTV-ready music video for “Humdrum Town”. A sexy through-the-legs shot evokes memories of Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 classic tale of seduction, The Graduate.

Watch the music video for “I Want You” after the jump, and CLICK HERE for a free download of the mixtape.

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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)”

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Last Friday, Theophilus London performed at the American Museum of Natural History as part of the monthly event series, One Step Beyond. London kicked off the performance – his first US appearance in 2010 – with a new song that begged the listener to “accept the new”, a fit opening considering over half of the songs in his set were from his upcoming mixtape, I Want You.

With lyrics like “Hollywood has taken my heart” and “I’m going overseas, come fly with me”, the new songs are a reflection of London’s lifestyle over the past few months. Island-infused electro beats and funky bass lines impart a more mature sound from London, who draws inspiration from a wide range of artists and styles.

He played old favorites from This Charming Mixtape, including ”Humdrum Town”, “I Will Always Love You”, “TNT” and “Crazy Cousins”, and closed the set with the title track from I Want You, a soulful piece imbued with a Marvin Gaye vibe.

Keep up with Theophilus London’s travel adventures on his new blog for HypeBeast, where he has posted a preview from I Want You – “Life of a Lover” featuring Jesse Boykins.

CLICK HERE to see photos from his performance at One Step Beyond, and listen to the preview track below.

Theophilus London Featuring Jesse Boykins – “Life of a Lover” - [download]

This Friday, One Step Beyond, The Fader’s monthly party at the American Museum of Natural History, will return with live performances by The Very Best, Theophilus London and Ninjasonik. One Step Beyond, which is held in The Rose Center for Earth and Space, pairs the museum’s unique ambiance with top musical acts from around the world. Past performers include  Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Simian Mobile Disco, Switch, Matthew Dear, Jazzy Jeff, Amanda Blank and Kid Sister.

The Very Best and Theophilus London have crossed paths (so to speak) on London’s remixes of “Warm Heart of Africa” and “Julia”, and while we’ve witnessed stellar independent performances of “Julia” by both artists, we look forward to the prospect of a live collaboration. As for Ninjasonik, they’re the type of band you just have to see live.

Make sure you get your tickets in advance; the last installment of One Step Beyond - featuring Animal Collective and Fischerspooner - was completely sold out.

After the jump, catch a sneak peak of Theophilus London’s latest mixtape, I Want You, with a behind-the-scenes video from Va$htie, who is featured on the song “Flying Overseas”. The songs previewed on the video reveal a more laid-back side of London, who has clearly evolved since his last two projects, Jam! and This Charming Mixtape. Be on the lookout for I Want You when it drops this spring.

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Between his Gucci-themed record with Chauffeur and his recent six-page photo spread for Complex Magazine, Theophilus London continues to walk the line between fashion and music.

The photo spread, which was shot in November and is being released in time for Fashion Week, adds a splash of color to the artist’s signature style. “Everyone wanted me to feel comfortable and let me do my own thing,” London says in the accompanying interview, “They kept reminding me—this is about you; be yourself; be you, let you come out in the photos, and I just did that.”

London also proves that style isn’t just about the clothes: “It’s just great to project my aesthetic in pictures, not just present myself in a photo. I wanted to present a statement without talking.”

That he does. Click here to read the full interview and after the jump, check out Complex Magazine’s exclusive video of the shoot, which is scored with TL’s own “Cold Pillow” and “Fatality” from This Charming Mixtape.

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