psychedelic

Teebs – SOTM

/ David James / 2 Comments

teebs-4.10.2014

Teebs is one of my favorite artists ever. The guy makes singularly utopian music that I can vibe to for days at a time. The sound is so unique, it’s like a medium itself that the artist simply plays in. I could hear one second of a tune and know it’s his.

Today, I realized I really want to get a friend into his music. This is where I hit a conundrum: which song makes a great introduction? Despite the homogeny of his sound world, there are hooks for the uninitiated, landmarks to guide. I found a good one:

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What I’m Into This Week (3/6 – 3/12)

/ David James / 3 Comments

Solaris

This week brought one surprise obsession that pretty much everyone I know is into, plus a handful of real gems. Yes, I’m spinning the new Kendrick Lamar as much as anyone, but I’ve also been pressing a pair of incredible electronic albums you’ll want to hear. One brand new, one stone cold classic. During my usual detour into the past, I even watched one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. Hint: it’s pictured above.

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Suryummy – Genesis Clarity

/ David James / 1 Comment

suryummy-genesisclarity

Genesis Clarity is so profoundly deserving of attention that I had to dedicate a second post to it. I’ve recommended this to everyone who will listen and mentioned it on my week in music a few days ago, but I can hardly find any chatter online. I’ve got one friend who’s listened, so I’ve only got one person to talk about it with. Let’s change that!

This kind of discovery needs to be shouted from the rooftops. It’s a revelation. Suryummy has created a true blue adventure.

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Happy Birthday, Yoko Ono

/ David James / Leave a comment

Yoko Ono is one of my greatest inspirations, a true artist in every fiber of her being. Her words have symbolically marked my mixtapes, and her book, Grapefruit, sits always on my desk at work.

She is 83 today, and still making daring music that puts most artists a quarter of her age to shame. Here’s hoping there’s more to come.

In November of 1980, a few days before John Lennon untimely death on December 8, photographer Allan Tannenbaum had unique and total access to Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, who were emerging from five years of seclusion, ready to release a new album, "Double Fantasy." Many of the photographs never released before are now in the book "John & Yoko, A new York Love Story", release by Insight Editions, November 2007.///John Lennon and Yoko Ono during filming of the "Starting Over" video.

In November of 1980, a few days before John Lennon untimely death on December 8, photographer Allan Tannenbaum had unique and total access to Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, who were emerging from five years of seclusion, ready to release a new album, “Double Fantasy.” Many of the photographs never released before are now in the book “John & Yoko, A new York Love Story”, release by Insight Editions, November 2007.///John Lennon and Yoko Ono during filming of the “Starting Over” video.

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Future – EVOL

/ David James / Leave a comment

future-evol

This isn’t a review because I’m just listening right now myself. I’m just letting everyone know that, despite all the Kanye hype this week, Future is the rapper you can actually listen to today.

I’m also publishing this because, as of one full listen, EVOL is fucking fire.

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Fishmans – Uchu Nippon Setagaya

/ David James / 4 Comments

fishmansalbum

Have you ever heard of Fishmans? If not, that’s okay, because you’re here. I’m sharing their most incredible album. Uchu Nippon Setagaya is pure dub nirvana from Japan.

As a true believer in dub in all its permutations, I wholeheartedly consider this one of the best examples of the genre. Fishmans lit a constellation spanning the night sky from Kingston and Tokyo, mixing lush electronics, deep, wobbly bass lines, and the utterly distinct, androgynous vocals of lead singer Shinji Sato. Their final album may be the purest expression of this unmistakable sound.

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Best of Dream Catalogue, 2814-2815

/ David James / 2 Comments

dreamcd_1_

Dream Catalogue has quickly become one of my favorite music labels. Their aesthetic is a utopian ideal for tomorrow’s world. The music they release is futuristic, wrapped in a warm emotional embrace, full of nostalgia and hope. Everything I’ve heard is, naturally, painted with a deeply dreamlike palette. Edges are blurred, time vanishes, and the listener becomes unmoored from tactile reality.

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