Artist of the Day: Dntel

Jimmy Tamborello likes to take his time. Thirteen years after starting to work under the Dntel moniker and almost six years after releasing his last Dntel full-length, Life is Full of Possibilities (Plug Research), he has painstakingly built and birthed Dumb Luck, an album five years in the making.

Thick with Tamborello’s signature electronic washes and genius beat placement, Dumb Luck is an album lyrically as much about human distance as connection. With vocal contributions from friends Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), Edward Droste (Grizzly Bear), Valerie Trebeljahr and Markus Acher (Lali Puna), Mia Doi Todd, Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott (Arthur & Yu), Andrew Broder (Fog), Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Christopher and Jennifer Gunst (Mystic Chords of Memory), the organic instrumentation by Chris Hathwell (drummer, Moving Units) and Paul Larson (guitarist, The Minor Canon) is manipulated, chopped and pasted amidst Tamborello’s skittish beats, house clicks, organ washes and dreamily pixelated symphonies. The result is at once understatedly epic, ethereal and concrete.

Like Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake (Plug Research), his 2006 release under the name James Figurine, and The Postal Service’s 2003 release Give Up, Tamborello meticulously labored over each element of his bit-crushed compositions in his LA home studio. Fueled by a short attention span, his distaste for working on any one project for extended periods of time meant that this was, like most worthwhile things, a process fraught with redefinition and constant change.

After all, producing, engineering and songwriting initially started out as pre-teen after-school fun for Tamborello, whose early interests were breakdancing music and ‘80s techno pop (and later the sonic tampering of Skinny Puppy and Aphex Twin). In the mid-to-late ’90s, he played in the post-hardcore band Strictly Ballroom and satisfied his ’80s techno pop appetite with the (still active) Figurine; he also played stints in So-Cal pop groups Further and The Tyde. The myriad of friends Tamborello made along the way informed the collaborative element of Dntel; each vocal is viewed as another instrument in the arsenal, helping to create a warm masterwork that is uniquely his (Sub Pop Records, 2010).

You can listen to Dntel's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Dntel



Released Albums:
Dntel - Life is Full of Possibilities
Dntel - Dumb Luck
Dntel - Early Works for Me if It Works for You
Dntel - Somethings Always Goes Wrong

Dntel - This Is The Dream of Evan and Chan EP

Reference:
(2010). Dntel. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.subpop.com/bio/dntel

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Joey Chavez

In the early ’90s, hip-hop music was introduced to a new sound. The West Coast underground made it a point to step aside from the regional emphasis on g-funk and invent a new style of production. They Drew from the school of chop-based beats that was pioneered by the likes of Premier, Showbiz, and Diamond D, but gave it a unique twist by holding West Coast roots. Joey Chavez was at the forefront of this declaration when he produced seminal records for West Coast staples Dilated Peoples, Aceyalone, Planet Asia, King T, Dr. Doom, Phil the Agony, and Defari. 

An unofficial 4th member of the Dilated team, he always holds a production slot on each of their albums and continues to provide stand-out backdrops for lyricists worldwide. His global fan base hold true as he is universally recognized as a leader in the West Coast hip-hop sound. This instrumental collection complies all of his topnotch releases from the very start of the movement-each, handpicked by him—and is the official re-mastered archive of his work. It’ sure to be an essential piece for all hip-hop heads and collectors (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Joey Chavez's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Joey+Chavez



Released Albums:
Joey Chavez - Music from the Connection
Joey Chavez - The Original Structure
Joey Chavez - Music Minus One
Joey Chavez - After The Heat

Reference:
(2010). Joey Chavez. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Joey+Chavez

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Kero One

Considered by some as a mogul in the jazzy hiphop genre, Kero One, a San Francisco rapper/producer/DJ, stands as a true testament to the do-it-yourself success story.

Using only his homemade studio and personal credit card, Kero One pressed and released his first 12” single Check the Blueprints in 2003 on his own imprint, Plug Label. Without any experience as to how he should distribute his new record, Kero One spent endless hours researching, cold calling, and seeking help from friends. Of the 50 copies that were eventually distributed around the world, one landed in a tiny record store in Tokyo, Japan. A few weeks later, it was found by a Japanese DJ who played it at a club that night and received dozens of inquires, including a Japanese label executive who immediately contacted Kero One and asked for 3,000 copies of the record.
 The record became an underground hiphop classic in Japan almost overnight, and Kero One was invited to tour the country just a few months after. He performed in cities throughout Japan where he was greeted by hundreds of fans waiting to take photographs and autographs, much to his surprise. It was at this point that making a career out of music became a reality.

Kero One went on to finish his first album, Windmills of the Soul, in 2005, handling everything from playing instruments, rapping, and sound engineering. Without a strong label backing or a street team, Kero One handled almost all the business himself. From promotions and marketing, manufacturing, finances, graphic layouts and web design, Kero One personally handed out promos to tastemakers anywhere he could find them. Eventually the hard work paid off, and Kero One quit his job as a web designer in 2006 to pursue music full time.

Since 2006, Kero One has been awarded the title of Best HipHop Album of 2006 from Remix magazine, topped iTunes hiphop charts, received praise from the likes of Emmy award winning producer Will.i.am, and toured all over Asia, Europe, Australia, and the USA. Kero One has shared the stage with artists like KRS 1, Blu + Exile , DJ Cash Money, Dj Kentaro and Epik High (where Kero One participated in arguably the first successful Asian-American hiphop tour). Additionally, Kero One has kept busy collaborating with the likes of renowned acts such as Talib Kweli, Mark Farina, Epik High, and Dynamic Duo. In 2007, Kero One opened his first office and recording studio in downtown San Francisco to house his fledging hiphop/dance/funk imprint, Plug Label, releasing over a dozen records and CDs.

In 2009, Kero One independently released his official sophomore album Early Believers showcasing the talents of some of his favorite vocalists such as UK singer Ben Westbeech, Finland's answer to modern soul," Tuomo, and Portland's Ohmega Watts. Bouncing between soulful jazz tinged tracks to upbeat synth-driven party bangers, Early Believers showcases Kero One’s growth and maturity as a writer, composer, vocalist and arranger.

In 2010, Kero One released his third solo album entitled Kinetic World which again features some of his favorites, including Fashawn, Tablo of Epik High, Dumbfoundead and Othello. In addition, Kero One's interest in the youtube generation has inspired features from young talents such as Esna and Sam Ock (Plug Label, 2010).

You can listen to Kero One's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Kero+One



Released Albums:
Kero One - Windmills of the Soul
Kero One - Windmills of the Soul Instrumentals
Kero One - Early Believers

Reference:
(2010). Kero One. Plug Label. Retrieved from http://www.pluglabel.com/artists/kero/kero_bio.htm

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Ammoncontact

Carlos Nino and Fabian Ammon are Los Angeles-based production duo Ammoncontact. Over the past 5 years they have released their unique brand of jazz and funk-influenced hip hop on a wide variety of celebrated indie labels such as Emperor Norton, Eastern Developments, Soul Jazz and Plug Research. Recently these highly acclaimed music makers signed an exclusive recording deal with Ninja Tune.

The majority of Ammoncontact’s releases have been instrumental, with sparse vocal elements and samples and an occasional full on collaboration with a rapper, singer or poet. Their latest - and in every way greatest - work to date, “With Voices,” is a new step for the group, where artists like living legend Yusef Lateef, Dwight Trible (“Love Is The Answer”) and Kamau Daaood (L.A.’s premier poet) are featured on tracks next to Prince Po (Organized Konfusion), Brother J (X-Clan), Abstract Rude (Project Blowed) and many others. Folk singer Mia Doi Todd and DJ legend Cut Chemist (Jurassic 5, Ozomatli) also make appearances.

Friends for over 10 years, Carlos Nino and Fabian Ammon consider themselves musical kindred spirits. Writer/arranger/producer/musician/DJ Nino is very busy in the music world with his projects The Life Force Trio, Build An Ark, Hu Vibrational, Go: Organic Orchestra, The Sound Of L.A. and Spaceways Radio, but he has always made his way back to home-base with Ammoncontact to focus on reaching a hip-hop audience. Ammon stays busy in his home studio making beats and taking care of his young son. Together, the two find time to share ideas and add to each other’s individual tracks. Nino is the primary producer and conceptual mind behind the Ammoncontact releases but the unique sound comes from the support, encouragement and creative input of Ammon, too.

“With Voices” was the result of an effort to collaborate with a diverse cross-section of L.A.-based artists. Nino and Ammon put together the tracks and Nino set out to enlist as many of his friends as he could to participate. The tracks flow naturally as an album and feel linked in a deeper way than is usual on “producer plus guests” albums. Live instrumentation and numerous sample and programming sources make up this soulful and profound sound. Please read the credits to see who did what and sail deeper into the sea of Ammoncontact (Ninja Tune).

You can listen to Ammoncontact's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Ammoncontact



Released Albums:
Ammoncontact - Sounds Like Everything
Ammoncontact - Brothers From Another EP
Ammoncontact - One In An Infinity of Ways
Ammoncontact - New Birth
Ammoncontact - With Voices

Reference:
Ammoncontact. Ninja Tune. Retrieved from http://www.ninjatune.net/ninja/artist.php?id=114#biography

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Michna

Growing up in both NY and Miami, Michna (real name: Adrian Michna) is that unique breed of artist that draws from both the urban and the tropical. As a youngster, Adrian started DJing parties with cassettes and playing trombone in a band on the NYC bar circuit including the infamous Lion’s Den and CBGB’s.
After moving to Miami in the mid-90’s, he co-founded the pioneering Secret Frequency Crew, who deftly mixed instrumental hip-hop and electronic into a coherent whole. Their appropriately titled 12” “Miami Eyes,” became an underground hit and caught the attention of a then-unknown Diplo who would ask him for production work. SFC’s debut LP “Forest of the Echo Downs” also put Adrian on Ghostly’s radar as it was one of label founder Sam Valenti IV’s top LPs in 2004.

Currently based in Brooklyn NY, Adrian Michna (aka DJ Egg Foo Young) has become a staple in the NYC club scene, known for his chameleon like abilities. Outside of the club, he has been able to pursue a few hobbies such as building furniture, bicycles, photography, skeeball, and gloss lustre collages. While working on his solo album, he also found time to remix the mysterious Jandek (the only artist ever to do so) and produce on Brazilian group Bonde Do Role’s debut LP for Domino/Mad Decent.

It seems Adrian has found his stride as a solo artist, bringing together his myriad influences into a succinct sonic personage. His debut LP “Magic Monday” and the elevating single “Triple Chrome Dipped” are works of distinction and taste, getting asses on the floor in style (Ghostly International, 1998-2010).

You can listen to Michna's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Michna



Released Albums:
Michna - Magic Monday
Michna - Eggstra EP

Reference:
(1998-2010). Michna. Ghostly International. Retrieved from http://ghostly.com/artists/michna

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Sound Providers

The critically acclaimed production duo known as The Sound Providers, are back once again, and ready to drop more funky beats, scratches and hip-hop vibes.

Jay and Soulo, the two-man hip-hop production team which has been blessing eardrums since their first release in 98, have consistently dropped well crafted hip-hop joints on wax platters, all of which to the pleasure of hip-hop fans worldwide. Their back to basics format of flavorful beats, scratched choruses, and hype rhymes, garnered the Sound Pro's an enthusiastic following which continued to grow as each anticipated 12 inch dropped. Motivated by the positive feedback, from both press and the hip-hop community alike, Jay and Soulo headed straight to the lab and never resurfaced. In 2001 when faced with the departure of their lead mc, the Sp's kept it moving and reached out to some of their favorite mc's for collaborations on a new project. The results from these sessions made up the long-overdue, and highly praised debut lp, "An Evening With The Sound Providers". With a much more polished sound, the two beat scientists showed (and proved) that they could take the weight of a full length lp, and hinted at the potential of the fly San Diego maestro's. The Sound Providers were in full effect... but they we're just getting started (Sound Providers).

You can listen to Sound Providers' music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Sound+Providers



Released Albums:
Sound Providers - An Evening With The Sound Providers
Sound Providers - Looking Backwards: 2001 - 1998
Sound Providers - True Indeed

Reference:
Sound Providers. Sound Providers. Retrieved from http://thesoundproviders.com/

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Casino Versus Japan

Casino Versus Japan is the recording name for Erik Kowalski (born May 5, 1973), a United States-based electronic musician from Lexington, Kentucky by way of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who produces intelligent dance music (IDM for short) with baroque melodies and distorted trip-hop beats.

As a young boy in Wisconsin he recorded episodes of television series Miami Vice, sampling Jan Hammer’s music, later collecting them, and playing them over the backdrop of other musical genres. After a brief stint with model railroading such experiments with tape grew less obvious. Samples were collected from a range of sources, and eventually mixed with meagre homespun recordings. Later attending Lincoln High School in Manitowoc, Kowalski would often be found playing the grand piano in the empty auditorium rather than attending class, slowly teaching himself chord progressions. During this same period, he also learned the basics of other instruments including guitar and drums in an effort to put together simple songs. By then, other influences began to take hold (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Casino Versus Japan's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Casino+Versus+Japan



Released Albums:
Casino Versus Japan - Go Hawaii
Casino Versus Japan - Whole Numbers Plays The Basics
Casino Versus Japan - Casino Versus Japan
Casino Versus Japan - Hitori + Kaiso 1998 - 2001
Casino Versus Japan - Night On Tape

Reference: (2010). Casino Versus Japan. Last.fm. Retrieved from
http://www.last.fm/music/Casino+Versus+Japan

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Koushik

Koushik Ghosh, a first-generation Canadian born to two genetic engineers and brother of Himadri Ghosh from the techno group Teste, goes by just his first name as a producer and singer on Peanut Butter Wolf's Stones Throw label. DJing since 14, Koushik grew up outside of Hamilton, Ontario, going to Indian classical singing lessons with his mother and listening to bands like My Bloody Valentine and Funkadelic, and later on, Madlib and Jay Dee. After completing his masters degrees in biostatistics and ethnomusicology from the University of Vermont, Koushik went on to release 2005's Be With (whose sound reflects the eclecticism in his musical tastes), which includes songs off his Be With, One in a Day, and Battle Times EPs. Previous to that he co-wrote and sang two songs on Manitoba (later re-named Caribou)'s 2003 Up in Flames record. Koushik's long awaited full-length debut, Out My Window came out in 2008 and not very coincidentally, had much in common with Caribou's 2007 Andorra (Brown, 2010). 

You can listen to Koushik's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Koushik


Released Albums:
Koushik - Be With
Koushik - Out My Window
Koushik - One In A Day EP
Koushik - Battle Times EP
Koushik - Beep Tape
Koushik - KG Rhytm Trax

Reference:
Brown, M. (2010). Koushik. All Music. Retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Bullion (producer)

It’s not often that a young artist is happy or even keen to let people know how un-‘cool’ he is but that is precisely how Bullion willingly describes himself. Raised on ‘over-the-top Gangsta Rap’ he also confesses to having been a young fan of some distinctly shady Pop Music – boy-band-five to be precise! His first experience of making music was when he and a friend made a Rap tape ('it was terrible') before graduating to making 'rubbish Chill-Out' on a Playstation. Hardly your standard producer head's education then! But perhaps this is how Bullion developed his ability to combine catchy, instantly gratifying hooks with a cutting edge 'beat-generation' production aesthetic. If you heard his much lauded 'Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee' selection (which in the interests of not being hip he seems to be trying to shake off) then you’ll know what we mean. Perhaps this mix – recorded exclusively for RBMA Radio – will yield some clues as to how he managed, against all odds, to become quite such an inadvertently cool producer (Red Bull Music Academy, 2010).

You can listen to Bullion's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Bullion



Released Albums:
Bullion - Pet Sounds: In The Key Of Dee
Bullion - Young Heartache EP

Reference:
(2010). Bullion. Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved from http://redbullmusicacademyradio.com/shows/884/

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Aeed

AEED set off to illustrate what the minds of information-saturated teenagers sound like. All bleeps, stuttering kicks and misplaces snares, this Tessin-based bad man is something very unique. His loose Rap is strongly influenced by 8bit music and videogame soundtracks, but at the same time, Pop and spaced-out Dub are important, too. If computers could die from karōshi, their elegy would be an AEED tune (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Aeed's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Aeed



Released Albums:
Aeed - Synesthesia EP
Aeed - Error Code

Reference:
(2010). Aeed. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Aeed

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Chinese Man (producers)

Chinese Man, signed by the label Chinese Man Records, is a French hip-hop collective formed in 2004. Its main influences are funk, dub, reggae and jazz. Comprising of the Marseilles DJ Zé Mateo and High Ku and the beatmakers SLY and Leolebug, the collective is particularly known for the piece “I’ve Got That Tune,” which was chosen by a large German automobile firm for an advertisement, as well as being the theme song for the French film festival in Hong Kong. The label Chinese Man Records is based in Aix-en-Provence (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Chinese Man's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Chinese+Man



Released Albums:
Chinese Man - The Pandi Groove EP
Chinese Man - The Bunni Groove EP
Chinese Man - The Groove Sessions Volume 1 and 2

Reference:
(2010). Chinese Man. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Chinese+Man

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Backini

Backini is the Marty McFly of the downtempo beat, his ever evoloving sound distils a century of pop music into a seamless and satisfying whole. Building on the success of last terms lauded debut ˜Threads", Rob Quickenden's empire now incorporates an energetic and fascinating live extravaganza.

With his Zen like philosophy of anything goes. Backini has traded the well trodden route of sampling funk 45's in favour of slipping between the sheets with the likes of the Andrews Sisters.

Weaving an elegant web of lush samples and sonics Backini manages to evoke images of 1940's big bands, 50's bebop and 70's pop divas.The feelgood factor of his work is never far away, but there's a distinctly ironic darkness to the overall vibe.

Always looking to buck the trend, always expect the unexpected with Backini. He has developed the sample based sound of his debut album to incorporate rappers, guitarists, and the proverbial kitsch-in-sink, but refuses to compromise on his catchy, hummable manifesto, one of many policies that sets him apart from generic back benchers that can often lead us to spoil our ballot papers (Lumenessence Recordings).

You can listen to Backini's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Backini



Released Albums:
Backini - Dreamer EP
Backini - Threads
Backini - Re: Creation

Reference:
Backini. Lumenessence Recordings. Retrieved from http://www.lumenessence.co.uk/artist.php?id=2

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: The New Law (producers)

Seattle based producers Adam Straney and Justin Neff are sonic wizards. Together, they have created a unique style of instrumental music featuring organic and synthetic hip hop beats combined with evolving soundscapes, dreamlike sax, dusty samples, soaring synths, and pulsing drum machines that can only be defined as The New Law.

Adam began his musical career playing guitar, bass, and drums in punk bands throughout his youth. In college he discovered a new love for Drum ‘n’ Bass music, which soon led to DJing and producing. Justin began playing the piano at age six, picked up the saxophone at age twelve, and has played in jazz, funk and rock bands ever since. The duo met during college while working at a movie theater, and their mutual passion for music of all genres served as a foundation for what would become The New Law.

More than half a decade later, The New Law has been featured as an up-and-coming artist in magazines and websites such as properlychilled.com, textura and 80bpm.net, in addition to being selected as Urb Magazine’s Next 1,000 Artists (The New Law).

You can listen to The New Law's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/The+New+Law



Released Albums:
The New Law - High Noon
The New Law - The New Law

Reference:
The New Law. The New Law. Retrieved from http://thenewlaw.com/bio-2/

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Skipless

Producer from Finland, on the Bulgarian online label Dusted Wax Kingdom (DWK) where all his tracks are downloadable for free. His sound takes you back to the early 90s with golden chilled beats. Instrumental hiphop with jazzy and soulful soundscaping, totally comparable with the style of Pete Rock and DJ Premier (Last.fm, 2010). 

You can listen to Skipless' music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Skipless



Released Albums:
Skipless - Jazzamentals EP
Skipless - Rooftops EP

Reference:
(2010). Skipless. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Skipless

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Deadly Avenger

Having cited the obligatory downtempo influences - from the spooked atmospheres of The Exorcist through to the synth orchestration of John Carpenter - it was hardly a surprise to find Damon Baxter's early material for J Saul Kane's Electron and Depth Charge imprints a blend of arepeggiating vintage keys and shuffling electro rhythm sections. A series of remixes for the likes of Travis, the Charlatans and Stereophonics - together with his own accomplished contributions to Pussyfoot, Fused & Bruised and Wall of Sound - reinforced an enviable reputation in the studio before the launch of his own Illicit label.

Deep Red, his debut album released in the fall of 2002, expanded upon previous singles, panning from a growling brass section in a rework of the highly sought after "We Took Pelham" to a spine tingling crescendo provided by a 47 piece Hungarian orchestra. Like contemporaries Easy Access Orchestra, Blue States and Ninja Tune's Herbaliser, the Avenger is far more than just a dash through string strewn cinematic streets, touching upon thoughtful electronics and eased listening with a resultant aural tapestry as accomplished as they come (Marshall, 2010). 

You can listen to Deadly Avenger's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Deadly+Avenger



Released Albums:
Deadly Avenger - Blossoms and Blood
Deadly Avenger - Deep Red
Deadly Avenger - Where Fools Lay Dead EP
Deadly Avenger - Illicit EP
Deadly Avenger - King Tito's Gloves EP

Reference:
Marshall, K. (2010). Deadly Avenger. All Music. Retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Comfort Fit

Comfort Fit (Boris Mezga) is an electronic music producer known for breaking the boundaries and conventions of genres. Using music codes of genres such as Hiphop, Dubstep and Electro as a mere comic template, Comfort Fit inspires the music enthusiast with his unique and heavy beat techniques.

Since 2000 he has released music under a variety of labels, most of his work can be found on Tokyo Dawn Records (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Comfort Fit's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Comfort+Fit



Released Albums:
Comfort Fit - Forget and Remember
Comfort Fit - Pollyshufflez
Comfort Fit - Musuem
Comfort Fit - Private Primate EP
Comfort Fit - Use It or Lose It EP
Comfort Fit - Never Look Back EP

Reference:
(2010). Comfort Fit. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Comfort+Fit

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Dert

Dert is a hip-hop producer from West Covina, California, best known for his beat-tapes of featuring mash-ups of artists such as Jose Gonzeles (album: In My Nature), Pink Floyd (The West Side of the Moon) and Björk (Talk Strange).

As well as producing for the likes of KRS-One, Pigeon John, LMNO and Tunnel Rats, Dert is a member of the Tunnel Rats crew. Solo albums include The Seattle Situation (2006), The Short List (2008), and CMYK - Ep (2009) (Last.fm, 2010). 

You can listen to Dert's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Dert



Released Albums:
Dert - Talk Strange: A Beat Tape Inspired by Bjork
Dert - The Short List
Dert - In My Nature
Dert - Sometimes I Rhyme Slow
Dert - CMYK EP
Dert - Fledgling

Reference:
(2010). Dert. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Dert

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Berry Weight

Berry Weight is a soulful electro-organic-space-jazz duo, harmonizing storybook-like melodies and cinematic atmospheres. Sounds are brought to you by instrumentalists/producers/DJs : Apewok & Stab from Canada and Switzerland, occasionally to be accompanied by Danish singer-Astrid Engberg and French clarinetist-Kledsy Jy. They’re taking matters into their own hands in the wake of the supernova-like disintegration transition of the music industry as we know it.

Berry Weight, in its very essence, is a space capsule of melodies and sounds once found navigating the inner cortex of our minds. Sounds, much like so many a shooting star, rocketing since the very instance of their creation into the the very outskirts of space-time. Only to return altered: streaming, pulsating, vibrating and mutating in gentle accord. The various facets of the new dimensions, to which our cosmonauts Apewok and Stab give birth, carefully recorded via their on-board monitors (Berry Weight).

You can listen to Berry Weight's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Berry+Weight



Released Albums:
Berry Weight - Music for Imaginary Movies

Reference:
Berry Weight. Berry Weight. Retrieved from http://www.berryweight.com/bio

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Ancient Astronauts (producers)

Ingo Möll & Tom Strauch

Their very name, “Ancient Astronauts,” implies a mash-up of the distant past and the far future; traits exemplified in their melding of old school hip hop, funk, and dub reggae with forward-thinking flair and production technique. The Ancient Astronauts are Kabanjak and Dogu hailing from Cologne, Germany . . .via outer space! Coy with their true origins, the duo can only confirm that they returned to planet Earth in 2001 after traveling the musical cosmos for thousands of years.

Those familiar with the phenomenon of “ancient astronauts,” a belief that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth in ancient times to mingle and trade ideas with early human civilizations, won’t be surprised that upon returning this particular spaced-out duo quickly set up a terrestrial sound studio, a record label Switchstance Recordings, and a successful production, remixing and DJ career dropping sound bombs all over the world.

Already having remixed for Fort Knox Five, Up Bustle & Out, Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets, Zion I, and Dr. Rubberfunk the Ancient Astronauts have linked up with a variety of new sonic collaborators including Bootie Brown and Imani of legendary hip hop group The Pharcyde, Azeem, Tippa Irie, Bajka, Phat Old Mamas, Ulf Stricker, Raashan Ahmad and Entropik to record their debut album We Are To Answer! A block-rockin’ boom-bappin’ sonic tour-de-force, We Are to Answer is a musical vision of life on Earth and beyond!

The label itself is famous in the international club and boardsports circles for its extremely funky productions as well as the dynamic sets of its DJ Collective. Renowned events such as Air & Style/AUT, Winter Music Conference/USA, Midem/FR, Roxy Chicken Jam/CH, Burton European Open/CH, Popkomm/GER and many more have experienced the unique and typical styles of Switchstance, while the likes of Nightmares On Wax, Fort Knox Five, LTJ Bukem, Soulpatrol, Mr. Scruff or Kid Loco have long become fans of the label and its music (Discogs, 2010).

You can listen to Ancient Astronauts' music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Ancient+Astronauts



Released Albums:
Ancient Astronauts - Classic EP
Ancient Astronauts - Put Em Up EP
Ancient Astronauts - We Are To Answer

Reference:
(2010). Ancient Astronauts. Discogs. Retrieved from http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ancient+Astronauts

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Pasobionic

Shehab Tariq aka Pasobionic spent younger years in the graffiti scene, picking up his alias there, before moving onto pause-record techniques back in the tape days. He is also a fundamental producer and DJ in TZU and Curse ov Dialect - two leading hip hop groups out of Melbourne, Australia.

Empty Beats is the debut ‘solo’ album from Pasobionic, but he’s currently working on new material as well as a heavy touring schedule in TZU (Last.fm, 2010). 

You can listen to Pasobionic's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Pasobionic



Released Albums:
Pasobionic - Empty Beats for Lonely Rappers

Reference:
(2010). Pasobionic. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Pasobionic

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: 2econd Class Citizen

2econd Class Citizen’s emergence on the scene has created a buzz of anticipation from a diverse collection of music circles. The young man from London, England (originally from Huddersfield) makes music that he simply calls “Wyred Folk”: a hybrid of electronically produced folk combined with instrumental Hip Hop. Swinging between melancholy and pure anger, strong guitar riffs mined from old psych rock records and the weeping voices lifted from old folk music, he seems to find his real home in a crate of old and dusty vinyl.

There is a beat but this is not Hip Hop – at least not as we know it. Yes, there are guitars, but this isn’t folk music anymore. An anonymous voice sings of being lonely within a hundred other voices and there is this music with a new sound, yet, somehow, it still is the old sound – the old loneliness. It is just that now we are listening to it again, for the first time – and we want to listen. Here is the feeling that Hip Hop may have lost. But Aaron himself wouldn’t dare to say these things so loudly. He just sees himself as an arranger or conductor standing in front of an orchestra of forgotten records, waiting for their time to be played (Equinox Records).

You can listen to 2econd Class Citizen's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/2econd+Class+Citizen



Released Albums:
2econd Class Citizen - Divided Reality EP
2econd Class Citizen - Wyred Folk EP
2econd Class Citizen - A World Without
2econd Class Citizen - One By One EP

Reference:
2econd Class Citizen. Equinox Records. Retrieved from http://www.e-q-x.net/artists/

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Dirty Elegance

Dark, melancholy and hauntingly epic melodies interwoven with city grit and prowess into the human easel of emotional experience, Dirty Elegance’s debut, Finding Beauty In The Wretched, takes its seat at the seminal table, innovatively capturing the depth of the human condition while maintaining a non-genre specific consistency. Passionately expressing a bountiful palette of emotional experience, Dirty Elegance introduces himself to the world with seeds of timelessness and gifts of audible ecstasies… Finding Beauty In The Wretched is not to be overlooked (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Dirty Elegance's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Dirty+Elegance



Released Albums:
Dirty Elegance - Finding Beauty in the Wretched
Dirty Elegance - Ode to Bartleby

Reference:
(2010). Dirty Elegance. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Dirty+Elegance

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Dj Egadz or Egadz!

Egadz, a californian native, got his musical start as a battle DJ/turntablist in San Diego during the mid-ninties. In 2002 Monotony, his solo production debut was released on Monotonous records which he founded with partner Paul Peterson. Egadz continued to release albums that recieved world-wide acclaim and landed his songs in a myriad of video’s and programs such as 411 video magazine and Fuel TV. His emotionally charged hard-hitting productions and polished live sets transgress genre-lines, painting sonic pictures in his distinctive electronic fashion. This true D.I.Y artist handles everything from licensing to bookings. With 3 solid full length’s under his belt, new-comers to Egadz, have some catching up to do to prepare for some promising projects on the horizon under his new label called “Kid Without Radio” (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Dj Egadz!'s music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Egadz!
http://www.last.fm/music/DJ+Egadz



Released Albums:
Dj Egadz! - Sad Music Makes Me Happy
Dj Egadz! -Monotony
Dj Egadz! -Shining Hours
Dj Egadz! -Pushing Buttons

Reference:
(2010). Egadz!. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Egadz!

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Hudson Mohawke

Hudson Mohawke, (b. Ross Birchard), also known as DJ Itchy, Hudson Mo or Hud Mo, is an Electronic music producer/DJ from Glasgow, Scotland, affiliated with the LuckyMe collective of musicians and artists. He is signed to Warp Records and released his debut album Butter on that label in October 2009.

At the age of 15 Birchard, under the name DJ Itchy, was the youngest ever UK DMC finalist. His earliest gigs as a club DJ were with Glasgow Uni’s Subcity Radio where he was part of the culture city kids show and later other shows including Turntable Science with Pro Vinylist Karim and Cloudo’s Happy Hardcore show. 

Birchard became Hudson Mohawke after seeing the name engraved on a statue in the hallway of his accommodation. He was signed to Warp Records despite a very limited track record of official releases; the bulk of his releases were unofficial tracks and DJ mixes circulated on the Internet. His first official release to get major notice was “Free Mo”, a track on the Ubiquity Records various-artists compilation Choices, Vol. 1 (2007); subsequently, he was featured as a remixer on Choices, Vol. 2 (2007). In 2008 his 12” EP Ooops! on LuckyMe/Wireblock became an underground sensation, particularly once word spread of his recording contract with Warp (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Hudson Mohawke's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Hudson+Mohawke



Released Albums:
Hudson Mohawke - Ooops! EP
Hudson Mohawke - Butter
Hudson Mohawke - Polyfolk Dance

Reference:
(2010). Hudson Mohawke. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Hudson+Mohawke

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Peace Orchestra

With the Kruder & Dorfmeister collective apparently unwilling to produce a studio album as a duo, Peter Kruder a Viennese trip-hop-dub producer debuted his Peace Orchestra alias in 1999 for a self-titled album of blissfully stoned beats and a cinematic/orchestral flair (Bush, 2010). 
  
Peace Orchestra is also the title of an album recorded by Kruder under the Peace Orchestra banner. The album’s most well-known track is Who Am I, which received a great deal of exposure through its use in the Wachowski Brothers’ Animatrix project (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Peace Orchestra's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Peace+Orchestra



Released Albums:
Peace Orchestra - Peace Orchestra

Reference:
(2010). Peace Orchestra. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Peace+Orchestra

Bush, J. (2010). Peace Orchestra. All Music. Retrieved from
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dbfrxqejld6e

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Mux Mool

“I know it’s electronic music,” Brian Lindgren says, “but sometimes I feel like an old-timey traveling musician with an M-Audio Trigger Finger instead of a guitar.” As Mux Mool, Lindgren has been criss-crossing the country by himself for years, collecting records, loops, and samples, and rocking parties in towns both large and boondock-small. Lindgren is a self-confessed nerd to the bone, an incurable doodler, a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan; he lives on energy drinks and barely sleeps, spending his days working on music and his nights absorbing Internet memes by the hard-drive load. Mux Mool’s homespun electro hip-hop is the product of an introverted mind, an extroverted imagination, and a bottomless cultural appetite.

Lindgren’s life in music began in Minnesota with a cheap toy sampling keyboard (“I remember being so fascinated by how much a sound changed when you dropped it down several octaves”). Flash forward a few years (and more than a few keyboards), and the teenage Lindgren began recreating his favorite sounds—Dilla’s stutter-step beats, classic video-game music, abstract electronic noise—using software and digital effects, glazing them with tape hiss and vinyl static. An early Mux Mool track, the slinky strut of “Lost and Found,” was discovered by Moodgadget Records and released on their Rorschach Suite compilation, eventually finding its way onto iTunes’ Best of 2006 Electronic list. A string of EPs, tracks, and remixes followed, including the song-a-day project Drum EP, the grimy talkbox anthem “Night Court” on the Ghostly International/[Adult Swim] comp Ghostly Swim in 2007, and the Ritalin-fueled “Ballad of Gloria Featherbottom” on 2009’s Moodgadget-curated Nocturnal Suite on Ghostly. Mux Mool’s 2010 full-length debut, SKULLTASTE, is the culmination of years of toil and experimentation, gathering Lindgren’s myriad talents and obsessions into one gloriously sprawling document.

As for where he got that name, Lindgren offers up an oddly telling story: he was dubbed Mux Mool by a band he admired, after he posted a blog on MySpace soliciting fans to submit names for his project. “Mux is short for ‘multiplexing,’ which is the streaming of many types of information through one channel,” he explains, “and Chac-Mool is an ancient Meso-American statue of a reclining man.” A technologically complex breed of synthesis and a timeless piece of indigenous art. Sounds about right (Last.fm, 2010). 

You can listen to Mux Mool's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Mux+Mool


Released Albums:
Mux Mool - Just Saying Is All
Mux Mool - Drum Ep
Mux Mool - Viking Funeral Ep
Mux Mool - Skulltaste

Reference:
(2010). Mux Mool. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Mux+Mool

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Victor Malloy

Victor Malloy makes strange & beautiful music whilst overlooking the sea. He’s recorded two Albums under the pseudonym Victor Malloy, collaborating with singer/songwriters Kenny McCracken and Fionn Regan, along with lots of other musicians. Malloy collects sounds, and can sometimes be spotted roaming the streets, snatching soundbytes to twist and use later in his music. He once recorded an over excited prostitute who had left her window open in the flat above him. She ended up featuring on his first album. No one is safe. He likes to do music for films finding it nice having something visual to write to. You can buy victor malloy at itunes.com if you do so wish. Malloy also records under his Cuban alter ego ‘Hugo Maldoro’. Maldoro means Bad Gold (Last.fm, 2010).

You can listen to Victor Malloy's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Victor+Malloy


Released Albums:
Victor Malloy - The Musings of Monsieur Malloy
Victor Malloy - Lions and Tigers and Bears
Victor Malloy - Trying Ep

Reference:
(2010). Victor Malloy. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Victor+Malloy

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Opgave

“There are musical elitists in every genre who boast in their embittered obscurity, underrated talent, and find little complacency lurking in the shadows of their betters. Most are pretentious, some are just ambitious, and few are true artists. Opgave is arguably the latter. Opgave’s tracks are moody and dark, but lightly decorated with a humble, hopeful melody. For the technically acute ears, the backdrop of drumbeats comparable to few (a steady march with a fluid groove that you can’t help but bop your head to), the horns, strings, and other subtle samples pervade a rare mirage of hidden gems. Aesthetically, Opgave is hauntingly beautiful. Their music is indefinable, but it doesn’t reek of the forced effort to be so. Opgave is original by nature. Whether you can appreciate it or not is of course, subjective. But the facts are stubborn things” (Last.fm, 2010)

You can listen to Opgave's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Opgave



Released Albums:
Opgave - Writing the Silver Ep

Reference:
(2010). Opgave. Last.fm. Retrieved from http://www.last.fm/music/Opgave

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Quantic

Jazz sensibility with future dancefloor orientated grooves, deep funk, tough drums and tropical rhythms.

Will Holland is one of the most talented and prolific artists in the world of alternative dance music today. Recording under various guises, Will first found acclaim as Quantic. As well as Quantic and the Quantic Soul Orchestra Will is one half of The Limp Twins, a duo he formed with Russell Porter. Initially a deejay partnership, it wasn’t long before they started recording, with Russell taking on the vocal duties and Will adding the magic with his savvy production.

He has enjoyed consistent success with his Quantic moniker, releasing his first album, The 5th Exotic in the summer of 2001. It was picked up on by some of the most respected names in underground music. Richard Dorfmiester, Mr Scruff and LTJ Bukem all rated it very highly, not surprising when tunes like “Common Knowledge” and the near classic “Life in the Rain” had blazed across dance floors all over Europe. With elements of Jazz, Funk and Afro blended with tight breaks and Will’s distinctive production, ‘The 5th Exotic’ proved irresistible and won him many plaudits.

He built on this acclaim with the release of Apricot Morning less than a year later, dispelling any talk of “the difficult second album”. His sound seemed to expand in every direction on ‘Apricot Morning’ and he became the first Tru Thoughts artist to collaborate with Alice Russell as well as recording with MC EQ and Bristol’s freshest hip hop crew, Aspects. ‘Apricot Morning’ is a perfect snapshot of everything happening at the jazzier end of underground music in 2002, as proved by Gilles Peterson who ranked it amongst his albums of the year.
The release of the album Mishaps Happening in 2004 saw Quantic continuing to work with Alice Russell as well as recording two tracks with the legendary Spanky Wilson (with whom he went on to collaborate on a tour and an electrifying album for his Quantic Soul Orchestra…but that’s another story). Quantic released a two-disc One Offs, Remixes and B Sides album in 2005, which featured a collaboration with Mr Scruff and remixes by Pilooski and Seiji; and his fifth long player, ‘An Announcement To Answer’ followed in 2006, cementing his reputation as a 21st Century Quincy Jones.

Quantic regularly DJs across the world (and we mean the World not just America, Europe and Japan) spreading the unique Quantic sound with each set. His music has been featured on countless compilations and appeared in TV soundtracks, and as ever he has a busy schedule of remixes from respected labels across the board. His track, “Mi Swing Es Tropical” with Nickodemus soundtracked Apple’s worldwide summer iPod advert. In 2007 he relocated to Cali, Colombia, where he has had a studio built and is continuing to create exciting music at a characteristically prolific rate, taking inspiration from the heady mix of rhythms and sounds on his doorstep.

2008 saw a new project come to life, under the moniker Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno, a summery dub and reggae-inspired affair with an authentic tropical vibe. The album, ‘Death Of The Revolution’ came out in July 2008 and features Will Holland on various instruments with contributions from a host of Latin American musicians, including the legendary Peruvian pianist Alfredo Linares. This album pricked up the ears of many tastemakers and fans alike, including Gilles Peterson and Mark Lamarr (BBC Radio 2), who were excited and curious about the new progression in Quantic’s music – and impressed that it sounded as stunning and original as any Quantic album to date.

The big story for 2009 is Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, a handpicked band of internationally renowned musicians (several of whom featured on the “Flowering Inferno” project) set to take over from The Quantic Soul Orchestra in realising the next stage of Holland’s musical vision, starting with the summer release of the highly anticipated album, Tradition In Transition (Tru Thoughts, 2010).

You can listen to Quantic's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Quantic


Released Albums:
Quantic - The 5th Exotic
Quantic - Apricot Morning
Quantic - Mishaps Happening
Quantic - An Announcement to Answer
Quantic - Primate Boogaloo Ep
Quantic - Dog With a Rope
Quantic - Death of the Revolution

Reference:
(2010). Quantic. Tru Thoughts. Retrieved from http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/artists/quantic

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Thunderball (producers)

With their latest full-length album, Cinescope, Washington, DC-based trio, Thunderball return from their Fort Knox duties in full form. Cinescope features 12 vivid soundscapes that fuse Latin funk, Afro rhythms, Indian dub and Mediterranean soul. With this release, Thunderball broaden their scope pushing the boundaries of their music both sonically and vocally. On Cinescope they teamed up with long time collaborator Mustafa Akbar on the jazz funk thriller, "Return of the Panther" and on the soulfully introspective, "Elevated States." Mustafa teams up with Miss Johnna M to rock the party on the '60s rave-up track, "Get Up with the Get Down." Thunderball also enlisted the talents of Thievery Corporation's MC's Roots and Zeebo of See-I to create the dub ragga, "Strictly Rudeboy," and the godfather of hip hop, Afrika Bambaataa, for the electro-pop anthem, "Electric Shaka."

Thunderball are globally renowned purveyors of sophisticated, stereophonic-thrillers, and cinematic dub. Since 1997 their productions have shifted effortlessly between the genres of drum & bass, breakbeat and downtempo, building a strong following for their signature sound. The former duo of Sid Barcelona & Steve Raskin are now officially joined by long-time collaborator, Rob Myers. Rob, a fellow ESL Music compatriot, records & tours with Thievery Corporation playing sitar & guitar, most notably on the Thievery classic, "Lebanese Blonde."

As one of the first artists signed to ESL Music, Thunderball released their first album, Ambassadors of Style, (1999) to critical acclaim. Rolling Stone lauded the album with 3 1/2 stars for its "smooth, cosmopolitan drum and bass." Drawing from their love of '60s and '70s soundtracks, Brazilian beats and Afro-funk rhythms, Thunderball creates multi-faceted soundscapes designed for modern spy chases and late-night encounters. Thunderball's seminal second recording, Scorpio Rising, (2001) was a downtempo classic, hailed by All Music Guide as "blaxploitation funk, cinematic soul, bossa nova lounge, downtempo dub, and downtown drum'n'bass [that] all come together to create a hipster vibe few other groups could even aspire to, let alone create." Scorpio Rising's integration of live instrumentation helped establish the organic sound that shaped the future of Thunderball.

After Scorpio Rising, Steve, Sid and Rob joined forces with Jon "JonH" Horvath to found Fort Knox Recordings and the DC-based mega-group Fort Knox Five. As the Fort Knox Five the group has released six highly successful singles and completed many high-profile remixes for the likes of A Skillz & Krafty Kuts, Skeewiff, Tito Puente, and Louis Armstrong. They also produced 4 tracks on Afrika Bambaataa's latest album. Their efforts culminated this year with the release of the Fort Knox Recordings debut CD, The New Gold Standard.

Thunderball actively perform their music worldwide as DJs; as the Thunderball Sound System (featuring Mustafa Akbar and Rex Riddem), and as an 8-piece live band. Thunderball have brought their explosive performances to jet-set destinations like Australia, Bangkok and Moscow, to the warm beaches of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (Artist Direct, 2010). 

You can listen to Thunderball's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Thunderball


Released Albums:
Thunderball - Scorpio Rising
Thunderball - Ambassadors of Style
Thunderball - Cinescope

Reference:
(2010). Thunderball. Artist Direct. Retrieved from http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/bio/thunderball/856557
please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com

Artist of the Day: Saru (producer)

Los Angeles Producer / DJ / Volunteer Monkey Ranger SARU spends one month each year trekking through the mountains of Nepal searching for rare herbs. Are they in between a baboon's brow, under a long forgotten trading card, or possibly in the folds of a sequined prayer robe? Who knows. He seeks these rare and mystical plants for a magic elixir that will one day wash away the woes of the world. Someday he'll find the elusive ingredients. In the meantime he settles for twisting vinyl discs into eighty-minute mandalas and brewing his special tincture of throat-soothing beats (Downtempo Dojo, 2009) .

You can listen to Saru's music at:
http://www.last.fm/music/Saru



Released Albums:
Saru - Downtempo Dojo
Saru - Tsunami
Saru - Machine
Saru - Reboot EP
Saru - Trap EP
Saru - The Pearl
 
Reference:
(2009). Saru. Downtempo Dojo. Retrieved from http://www.downtempodojo.com/bio.html

please follow me or subscribe to www.the13thplate.blogspot.com