Wow! When I see talent like this, makes me wish I had the ability to “make” music! Taking the Roy Davis Jr. soulful house all-time classic, “Gabriel” featuring Peven Everett on vocals, Tanya Auclair strips it down and builds it back up, turning it into a lullaby. In the video, directed by Will Hank, you get to see Tanya play the various musical elements as the track builds. I love the Radiohead-esque airiness towards the end.

Tanya Auclair will be releasing her new EP Origami on June 13th. Will keep you posted! In the meantime, check out her remix of “Gabriel.”

“I’m a recovering, undercover, over lover. Recovering from a love I can’t get over.” Such a revealing and vulnerable song on how the mind turns things around in ones head, till there’s no other way to describe the condition than it be an addiction one needs to kick. Donning a tattered nightdress and wild hair, Ms. Badu goes back to her contemporary dance roots in an abstract dance, as a form of recovery.  This woman would pop, break, and make it from scratch for him. As I always seem to end my posts on Erykah… I love this woman!

It’s been quite some time since we’ve featured Muhsinah on Muphoric Sounds. We introduced you to her work with Oscillations. Now she’s about to hit us with her next project, entitled Gone and first single, which is a free download is “How Great.” It’s true Muhsinah—layered vocals and harmonies that are airy and free. With “How Great,” she stretches herself beyond the sounds of nu soul or its various iterations, and moves solidly into the alternative. She’s uber talented woman, who started her career by making productions in her bedroom and posting them onto Youtube. “How Great” is a heavy rotation tune, with those melancholy piano chords and a reverberating bass line which gives the tune light punk rock edge. So check it out and add it to your collection by downloading it below.

“How Great” [DOWNLOAD]

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At first, hearing about Elzhi doing a tribute of Nas‘s Illmatic, I was dubious about the project. How can one do a reworking of what was, and still is, a perfect album? Illmatic was released the spring of 1994, when Nas was only twenty years old. 1994 was the year we received Notorious B.I.G.‘s Ready to Die, Gang Starr‘s Hard to Earn, Pete Rock & CL Smooth‘s Main Ingredient, Jeru the Damaja‘s The Sun Rises in the East, Digable Planet‘s Blowout Comb, Keith Murray‘s The Most Beautifullest Thing in the World, Craig Mack‘s Flavor in Ya Ear, Lords of the Underground, Organized Konfusion, to name a few. East Coast rap was alive and thriving. It hadn’t started drinking gin ‘n juice nor partying hard with Puffy and friends, as Jeru the Damaja rapped on “One Day.”

Elzhi has breathed more life into Illmatic with his tribute Elmatic, and in doing so, he has pushed himself lyrically and sonically, translating Nas‘s storytelling into stories of now, confined to Detroit streets and realism. Not taking anything away from the original, but magnifying musical arrangements by bringing live instrumentation. Elmatic is pure labour of love, produced entirely by funk fusion band Will Sessions, who have worked with Black Milk, Mayer Hawthorne, Slum Village, and Guilty Simpson.  The album has appearances by MC Royce da 5’9, Stokely Williams from Mint Condition, and also Pete Rock, who was one of the original producers of Illmatic alongside DJ Premier, Large Professor, Q-Tip, and L.E.S. All I can say, ”It’s Elmatic, shout outs to the homey, nah son, words from the wise one, make both your eyes run.” I often revisit Illmatic, and now I can include Elmatic to extend my Illmatic-isms. Get your Free Download right now! You’ll have it on heavy rotation!

“Genesis”

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“One Love”

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And check out the video for “Half Time.”

Here’s a little visual treat from our favourite New Zealand band, Electric Wire Hustle. The band’s longtime friend Vibol Moeung of Foxtree Studio in Wellington, ceased the opportunity to follow the band during their New York tour last fall. I was fortunate enough to see them live at the Sugar Cuts event at Haven in Brooklyn, which is also featured in the video vignette. The guys rocked, jammed, funked, jazzed it out! Everywhere they performed, the audience were left on a musical high. Electric Wire Hustle are a force; looking forward to their next project and for their next visit to NYC!

Electric Wire Hustle European Tour Dates
5 June – Coldpro Fest, Co Clare, Ireland
16 June – OTB Block Party 2011, Paris, France
17 June – The Red Bull Music Academy stage @ Sonar, Barcelona, Spain
23 June – The Pussy Parlure, Glastonbury, UK
24 June – Magic Bubble, Glastonbury, UK
26 June – Wow! Stage, Glastonbury, UK
10 July – The Garden Festival, Zadar, Croatia
15 July – The Melkweg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
16 July – Dour Festival, Belgium
17 July – Colours Of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
22 July – Boogie Brain Festival, Szczecin, Poland
31 July – Applesap Festival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
4 August – Stadtmusik Festival, Basel, Switzerland
5 August – The Big Chill, UK
6 August – Fasching Jazz Club, Stockholm, Sweden

Back in March, we put you on to the sounds of Mar and his variations, with “Variations 1 + 2“, which were a combination of smooth new soul fused with jazz, and the grit of dubstep. The third variation is provided by DC producer Oddisee, a track of the same title taken from his West Coast Beat album. Though the music remains in its original form, the addition of Mar‘s vocals turn it into something deliciously sexy, as he dedicates the song to “the hard working girls” out in the world. Check out the equally sexy and suggestive video below and get your free download of the track HERE!

I love when technology is used for good, and the right people are drawn to it. In this case the technology used is Facebook - where a group of musicians have formed a musical collective under the umbrella of  The Beat Inn. Each week, members of the group receive a beat challenge to mash up. Tall Black Guy, a Detroit-based producer, and member of The Beat Inn, has been steadily growing in popularity for the past 3 years — from winning multiple beat battle competitions, most notably the  ”Dance To The Drummers Beat” and “Red Bull Big Tune,” to receiving a few spins on Giles Peterson‘s BBC 1 radio show, and then also winning the Eric Roberson’s “Tale of Two Remix Contest.” With Therapy Chop Sessions EP, TBG shares his weekly challenges with us. True musicianmanship is displayed, and a deep love for all kinds of music from various times and genres.  Check out “Lights Out” below.

This week marked the 30 year anniversary of Bob Marley‘s death, and all week Late Night With Jimmy Fallon has had it’s musical guests perform Bob songs of their choice. In the midst of forcing myself to sleep while the television was still on (Fallon airs at 1am), I hear Fallon introduce Lauryn Hill to the stage to perform Bob Marley‘s “Chances Are,” a song which is one of my mum’s favourites (we’re talking days when the child was the record changer – no remotes), so this song means a lot to me. Despite her recent behaviourl faux pas, last night Lauryn illustrated why we love her so. Not sure of what her future plans are, but hope it entails an album of something. If you missed it, check her out below. She also performed “Could You Be Loved.”

At the end of 2010, Futuristic Soul Society member, Iman Williams released her debut album, Stupid Human Tricks, which was produced by BusCrates 16-Bit Ensemble. Now with remixes of “Ordinary Love” produced by BusCrates 10-Bit Ensemble and “Float Away” featuring Porsche Smith and produced by Atlanta-based DJ Apple Jac, we can safely call Stupid Human Tricks the album that keeps on giving. DJ Apple Jac gives “Float Away” a new dimension of a quasi-80s groove as Porsche Smith and Iman‘s vocals truly float over the track and BusCrates turns “Ordinary Love” into a true two-step hip hop dirty groove with ill keys. Both remixes are available on the Futuristic Soul Society Bandcamp page, but get a taste of “Float Away” while you’re here.

I know, I know, Muphoric Sounds has become a love letter to all things Little Dragon – but how could it not!

The Fader compares this new tune, “Wildfire” from South London tribal mask wearing producer/DJ SBTRKT to what an Aaliyah / Timbaland production would sound like, if she were still with us today. And on third listen, I have to agree — SBTRKT‘s production with Yukimi Nagano‘s unmistakable vocals is pure pleasure. “Wildfire” actually starts off sounding quite circa 1985, during the era when R&B skirted with computerized production, turning into a melodic dub step groove. “Wildfire,” would be that slow jam.

SBTRKT‘s self entitled album is scheduled for June 28th release on the Young Turks label. Be prepared for some real ear poppin’ sounds. A trip to SBTRKT‘s Soundcloud wouldn’t go amiss either – go and get your mind twisted!

Free Download – “Wildfire”

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What I thoroughly enjoy about Peter Hadar is his smooth vocal tone and his ever growing quest to explore different sounds and genres — from rock to pop to soul and calypso, from broken beat to drum and bass. Peter Hadar is turning every stone!

“Your Body” is the new single from his forthcoming album Take Off Victoria, which is scheduled to release in July, and is a true summer tune! Inspired by Joachim Phoenix‘s documentary I’m Still Here, where he documents his transition from film star to quasi-rockstar. I haven’t seen it, but can only guess from Hadar‘s lyrical content of “Body, with a story to tell, I’ll treat it well,” and a positive booty shot for the single’s cover, the documentary must have a lot to do with freedom and desire.

Peter Hadar has a lot going on and Muphoric Sounds was able to chat with him before one of his Amusement Park showcases at SOB’s (video interview to come). Check out the song below and let us know what you think.

“Your Body”

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Towards the end of 2009, Muphoric Sounds introduced you to the multi-talented Dezaray Dawn with her debut EP Chameleon, which lent itself to the sounds of Broken Beat, nu soul, and afrobeats, with a tinge of hip hop. What was even more surprising with Dezaray, is that she practically produced and arranged Chameleon by herself. Now a member of the Futuristic Soul Society — a group of singers and producers across the US, including Iman Williams, Velben, Buscrates, and Porsche Smith, Dezaray’s music clearly has gotten in front of the right people. Her 2nd EP Deep, scheduled to release on May 28th, will be produced by UK-producer Marc Mac (of 4Hero). He’s a perfect match for Dezaray, as her sound skirts between the soul and the alternative – Marc Mac, I am certain will hone in on those qualities. Check out the appetizer track “Sail Away” — it will make you want to sail to wherever it is that she’s going to.

Dezaray Dawn – Sail Away (prod. by Marc Mac) by Dezaray Dawn

If you need to let off steam, then a Game Rebellion show is where you should go. These guys are never short on energy — it comes through in their music and even more in their live performance. Hitting us with their latest video, “Blood” which is directed by visual artist and clothing designer, Artful Dodger, whose visual concepts pull the audience into New York’s Ghetto Metal life. Kind of cool seeing a few familiar faces sprinkled about. Check it out!

When I hear music like this, I’m compelled to think that something is in the water the Europeans are drinking; this is some innovative stuff! Here is Jazzo & Melodiesinfonie, a production duo hailing from Zurich, Switzerland, who haven’t been sparing together in beats for long, only since last year. Influenced by the school of Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Dibiase, and Devonwho and then catching the ear of other Swiss producer/beatmaker Chief, who snatched them up for a release on his Feelin’ Music label.

Treeology Ep is 10 nature-based tracks, that will leave you green with envy, using themes from the earth and trees. Their sound toys with classic hip hop fused with electronica, building into sonic hypnotic beats, that sound far beyond their years. Check out “Tree Times” below and head over to the Feelin’ Music Bandcamp page to purchase your copy of this creative EP.