Tag Archives: Thundercat

[Event Preview] BUKU Music & Arts Project March 10-11

Posted by Mark McNulty - December 16, 2016

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Every city in America has its own music scene, but in New Orleans, music is a way of life – a cultural infrastructure as essential to the city as its freeways and French Quarter. Jazzfest attracts the best in rock, folk and jazz to NOLA each year, but for those of us who want more youthful, visceral music and a more colorful, fluid experience, BUKU Music and Arts Project goes down on March 10-11, 2016 for the sixth year straight.

BUKU stands out in a saturated music festival market both for its timing (arguably the first big event of “festival season”) and it’s consistently nuanced lineup. No one is reinventing the wheel by stacking their lineup with hip-hop, indie, and dance music, but whom are you booking specifically? It takes balls and creativity to craft a card of eclectic, forward-thinking and often experimental artists like what BUKU has assembled. Where else can you see Deadmau5 and Travis Scott? Clams Casino and Troyboi? Shiba San and Thundercat? If you’ve answered, “I can see them at Festival XYZ,” it doesn’t matter, because that’s not in New Orleans.

BUKU is set just outside the city’s French Quarter on a sprawling riverside esplanade. The Power Plant stage is adjacent to the river and sits in the shadow of an abandoned industrial colossus. Two indoor stages diversify the vibe with The Ballroom offering an intimate aesthetic, and the Float Den serving as a massive gathering spot lined with Mardi Gras floats and craft vendors. A fourth stage, the Back Alley, is tucked beneath the Crescent City Connection bridge and offers an unbroken stream of dance music all day and into the night.
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[Soul] Moses Sumney – Lonely World (feat. Thundercat)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - September 28, 2016
Moses Sumney
Lonely World
Soundcloud

I first came across Moses Sumney during an intimate headlining performance at this year’s Form Arcosanti festival. Given the crowd’s tangible excitement, I was surprised I hadn’t yet heard much about the LA-based singer/songwriter. His performance was haunting and emotionally intense leaving the audience fully entranced. In combining ambient, slow-building soundscapes with beautiful, heart-wrenching vocals, Sumney has proven himself a force among new wave soul/R&B artists and the music world has taken notice. He’s joined James Blake on his recent tour (a bill made in heaven!), will be featured on Solange Knowles’s upcoming album and has been co-signed by Sufjan Stevens among others.

Aside from his work with prominent artists, Sumney is gearing up to release his Lamentations EP on September 30th and today he dropped the latest single, “Lonely World.” The 5-minute track, which features superb bass work from Thundercat, starts with a stripped-down instrumental leaving Sumney’s vocals to draw the listener in. As the instrumentation fills out, you’re taken into a state of hypnosis only broken by an intense, layered closing. It’s a track that I’ve already listened to 10 times and chances are you will have too by the end of the day. Give it a spin above and check out the music video after the jump. Continue reading →

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[15 To End 2015] Ninja Ash’s Best of the Year

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 31, 2015

When you listen to music as much as I do, your song selections and life experiences become inseparable–each impacting the other in both conscious and subconscious ways. That relationship embodies the uniquely subjective nature of music. You can listen to a song ten times and think nothing of it but then hear it in the right context or headspace and everything just clicks. As such, any effort of making an objective “best of” list proves a fruitless task. So rather than attempt that Sisyphean task, my ’15 To End 2015′ captures the songs that meant the most to me this year: ones that soundtracked my best memories, comforted me at my lowest points or simply possessed endless replay value. Peep my favorites of 2015 below. Hopefully they’ll take on a life of their own in your music collection.

’Beach House – Space Song’
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A trip to psychedelic space land–just close your eyes and absorb.

’The Internet – Under Control’
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A fresh and endlessly relatable take on R&B from Syd & co.

’Thundercat – ‘Them Changes”
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Built on the same Isley Brothers drum sample as “Today Was a Good Day,” this funk-injected jam crescendos a year full of nostalgia for the era of Parliament, James Brown & Sly Stone.

’Main Attrakionz – Ain’t No Other Way’
Soundcloud

Feel good Bay Area hip-hop for and from the soul.

’Raury – Forbidden Knowledge (feat. Big K.R.I.T.)’
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An absolute lyrical gem from a young artist with wisdom well beyond his years.

’Kendrick Lamar – These Walls (feat. Thundercat, Bilal & Anna Wise)’
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My most played song from my favorite album of the year: ‘To Pimp A Butterfly.’

’Jamie xx – I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)(feat. Young Thug & Popcaan)’
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It’s hard to pick a favorite song from Jamie xx’s ‘In Colour’ but this summer anthem flipped pretentious listeners on their heads while showcasing the merits of melodic emcees.

’Shamir – In For The Kill’
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The danciest track from the year’s most pioneering pop vocalist.

’Mura Masa – Lovesick Fuck’
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In 2015 Mura Masa continued to prove his dominance in the realm of emotional future bass. This is easily my most played track of the year.

’Big Wild – Aftergold’
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‘Aftergold’ captures Big Wild’s genuinely organic approach to electronic music–one full of sonic plot twists and playful melodies.

’Lane 8 – Loving You ft. Lulu James’
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Lane 8’s compositions shaped my year and “Loving You,” the opener of his debut album, brings to mind feelings of excitement and new beginnings.

’Kenton Slash Demon – Harpe’
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The capacity for emotional power within an instrumental composition should never be underestimated–‘Harpe’ proves that.

’Tame Impala – Let It Happen (Soulwax Remix)’
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The magnificence of Tame Impala and the rare emergence of Soulwax combine for infinite grooves.

’Billy Kenny – I Eat Beats (Ardalan Remix)’
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This song is single-handedly responsible for piquing my interest in tech-house.

’Sonny Fodera & Gene Farris – We Work It’
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I listened to this every time I worked it in 2015.

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[15 to End 2015] Ninja Dom’s Best of the Year

Posted by Dominic Powell - December 30, 2015

As a sweeping generalization, 2015 will go down as a year dominated by collectives. Future Classic, Hegemon, Moving Castle, Soulection, HW&W, Wedidit, Monstercat, and French Express pooled their talents together to commandeer the music scene this year. The technical aspects commonly associated with “Future” crept into the DNA of producers, becoming a topical theme across genres from the most obscure to the most mainstream.

In particular, and as one of the most recent additions to the TMN staff, it has been quite a journey both as a contributor and music fan since early April. Without the collaboration of the entire staff – the guidance of editors and advice of my fellow writers – year one as a ninja would not have been possible. Along the way I’ve covered tours, shot music festivals, and met some of my favorite artists, who have graciously exposed me to their own intricate webs of sound. That being said, below is my best effort to reduce thousands of great tracks released this calendar year down to a manageable number. Enjoy the tracks below, in order of release date, and see you all next year!

’Oceaán – Veritas (Young & Sicks Mixed Feelings)’
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Although it has nearly been removed from all channels of the internet, this remix of Veritas is a fluid tune, incorporating contrasting techniques in a way that set it apart this year.

’OBESØN – Mon Amour’
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This is both my favorite song ever and the answer to the hypothetical question “if you could only listen to one song for the rest of time…”

’San Holo – We Rise’
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Deserving of a spot on all lists, this has been the de facto party-starter and pregame anthem since it’s release in February.

’Alison Wonderland – Run’
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The title track from AW’s debut album taps into the talents of fellow producers Djemba Djemba and AWE in creating this hooky, electronic masterpiece.

’Mura Masa – When U Need Me’
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For an artist focused on quality over quantity, this is Mura Masa’s greatest creation to date.

’DIVERSA – Burning House’
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Burning House is the most powerful release of Diversa’s, serving as a benchmark for the current wave of Drum & Bass producers to measure up against.

’Jamie xx – The Rest is Noise’
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Jamie XX has been graced with near unanimous approval of his album In Colour; The Rest is Noise incorporates his most polished elements in a lengthy rainbow-colored instrumental.

’Tory Lanez – Acting Like (Prod. by Shlohmo)’
Soundcloud
Another up and coming artist out of the blooming Toronto hip-hop scene, Tory Lanez, enlists the help of Shlohmo in putting together this dark, rhythmic jam.

’Golden Vessel – Borrowed Time (ft. Tiana Khasi)’
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Melbourne locals Golden Vessel and Tiana Khasi teamed up to create one of the most enchanting and soulful pieces of the year, bar none.

’Thundercat – ‘Them Changes”
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As the most groovy track of the summer season, this was also an introduction and revival of the nostalgia-pumping funk genre, which used to dominate the charts.

’Tame Impala – The Moment’
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Parker shows off his adaptability on this one; in cutting the downtrodden lyrical content against a synth-driven bridge full of cheery guitar riffs and rhythmic hand claps, the single is inextricably linked with the bridge in fellow Australian band Pond’s recent release, “Medicine Hat”.

’Moi Je – Fais Rien (PETIT BISCUIT Remix)’
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Although the title literally means ‘do nothing’, it is nearly impossible to hear this remix by Petit Biscuit and not be tempted to move by the upbeat tempo.

’Khai – Do You Go Up’
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This bubbly, minimalist tune is carried on the strength of its hook and the catchy vocals of its creator.

’SevnthWonder – Maria I’m Drunk (Ft. Deverano) (Travis Scott Cover)’
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As the most notable track by the best up and comer out of 2015, this remix displays a vision and creativity beyond SevnthWonder’s years.

’Finding Hope – Wonder’
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With roots in the ambient genre, down-tempo is the most calming style of music. The deep, pleasant reverie continues through Wonder and does not end until the close of the song.

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[NEW] Flying Lotus – ideas+drafts+loops (Mixtape)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 10, 2013
’Flying Lotus – Between Villains (ft. Captain Murphy, Viktor Vaughn & Earl Sweatshirt)’
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’Flying Lotus – Hide Me (ft. Shabazz Palaces)’
Soundcloud
’Kanye West – Black Skinhead (Flying Lotus Remix) (ft. Thundercat)’
Soundcloud

Earlier today, legendary experimental producer Flying Lotus took to Twitter to bless his fans with an unexpected project of 24 previously unreleased tracks. The eclectic collection, titled ideas+drafts+loops, definitely carries the feel of FlyLo’s earlier work with its deep, gritty sounds. Aside from the always innovative production, the tape includes appearances from Earl Sweatshirt, Shabazz Palaces, Thundercat, Doom, Baths, Mapei and Flying Lotus’s rapping alter-ego Captain Murphy among others. Grab the whole compilation for free HERE and check a few of our favorite songs above.

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