Known as the SXSW of electronic music, this year marks the DECIBEL International Music Festival of Electronic Music Performance, Visual Art and New Media‘s ninth year. Founded in 2003 by Sean Horton, DECIBEL can be prided by its originality in creating experiences that are unique with a focus on live performance, interactive multimedia art and state-of-the-art sounds. Similar in style to SXSW in turning a complete area into a music haven, DECIBEL will be utilizing 15+ venues to host events.

Headliners for DECIBEL 2012 includes The Cannabinoids featuring Erykah Badu, Carl Craig, Arial Pink, Orbital, Shpongle, Matthew Dear, and so many others from across the globe — the list is LONG.  For more information on this ground breaking event, check out the DECIBEL roster, and get to planning, as this is a festival not to be missed!

JJ Doom is the latest collaborative effort from the enigmatic rapper and producer DOOM. This time he teams up with producer, emcee, multi-instrumentalist, Jneiro Jarel.

No stranger to the game, Jarel has a pretty impressive resume. From joint work with Khujo Goodie of Goodie Mob and TV on the Radio‘s David Sitek, to projects under his Dr. Who Dat moniker such as Beyond 2morrow, Jneiro Jarel has had is hands in some really good, envelope pushing work. DOOM‘s past projects like Madvillainy and MM..Food are considered classics by many and speak for themselves.

On a quick initial listen, I honestly felt a pang of disappointment with the project. By the time I got to my second listen, what sounded confusing and a bit scattered, began feeling more and more cohesive. Jarel‘s off the wall sample based loose electronic beats fit well with DOOM‘s unpredictable, well thought out, “did he just make _____ rhyme with _____?” style. This is an album that grows on you. It can take a few listens for some to grasp the subtle intricacies in the beatmaking and rhymes and skits. Others will love it immediately.

Highlights on the album include “Guv’Nor,” “Winter Blues,” and “GMO” featuring Portishead‘s Beth Gibbons. Digital album is available on iTunes and the CD and double vinyl will be available September 18th on Lex Records. Check out a few cuts below.

“GMO” featuring Beth Gibbons

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“Winter Blues”

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Now this is really soothing to the ear and much needed. Moonchild, the trio of musicians who met during their stint at USC where they studied Jazz performance, recently released this sweet noodle, “Don’t Wake Me,” giving us more of their musical stylings.  Earlier this year, Max Bryk, Amber Navran, and Andris Mattson, who make up Moonchild, released their debut album Be Free (if you missed it, check it out here). I think it is exceptionally cool when the female band member not only has a lush vocal style, but also when the woman can also play the tenor saxophone! I am totally digging this group. Check out “Don’t Wake Me” below.

Last week ImageNation and Central Park’s Summerstage hosted a special evening to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the African National Congress, with special performances by South African award winning singers, Goapele and Yolanda Zama, followed by a special screening of the classic film Come Back, Africa, which explored the racial conflict of apartheid in 1959.

Muphoric Sounds was able to speak with Goapele for a few moments during her hectic schedule between touring and the premiere of “Sparkle,” of which is she plays a role. Her set at the ANC celebration was a mixture of her past recordings, a rendition of Bob Marley‘s “Concrete Jungle,” a Motown inspired track called “Running,” and of course, a little Roy Ayres (it never gets old). The incense burning crowd (seriously, someone was burning incense), created an ambiance quite fitting to Goapele’s relaxing vibe.  It was a lovely celebration.

**INTERVIEW WITH GOAPELE**

MS: What does being a part of this anniversary mean to you?
Goapele: Being here today for the 100^th Anniversary of the ANC and getting to perform at Summerstage is like a full circle for me. Just a big honor. I was emotional before the show, and was just thinking about how full circle everything is, the music I grew up listening to — Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba, where things were as a youth, what was going on in South Africa, and some of what my family was wrongfully experiencing while I was growing up in the Bay Area. I am so thankful that in my lifetime the apartheid system was abolished. South Africa is still in some transition, like America is in some transition to still really equal things out economically. But there is a new South Africa and how inspiring that the ANC has been around for 100 years and still going strong!

MS: Do you feel a part of that tradition? You talked about Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba, all of those artist who were so instrumental to giving hope to the people. Do you feel a part of that long tradition?
Goapele: Yes, I do feel a part of that long tradition because they’re artists who influenced me. The music that they did was so honest, and that it wasn’t even allowed to be played in South Africa as they were touring the rest of the world. I believe in reflecting honesty and reflecting reality in my music and making music that will touch people emotionally and bring us together.

MS: One of the things I didn’t know was your involvement in community, doing outreach and activist work. What project are you most proud of working on?
Goapele: I think one of the organizations that has been the most personal to me is Be Present, Inc., which is about the empowerment of girls and women and bringing people together across diversity to just having honest conversations, and not getting caught up in politics, but make it very personal. And then through personal change, we can make political change.

MS: Will you pause this weekend to go and see Sparkle movie?
Goapele: Yes, in the middle of this whole tour, I’m going to go to the premiere on Thursday and fly back. I’m really excited about it.

MS: What was your favorite memory of the whole Sparkle experience?
Goapele: My favorite memory was getting to work with Fatima Robinson, the choreographer, who I’ve been wanting to work with for a long time. Getting to sing and dance at the same time, which is what I did as a kid and haven’t done much of it as an adult. So it’s kind of like, I’m living out my dream.

MS: I love the retro song you performed tonight and wondered why haven’t you and Raphael Saadiq done something in that realm together?
Goapele: Me and Raphael talk so much and we actually were in the studio years ago working on some stuff. I love his music and we support each other. We definitely have that authentic retro sound. The song that we did today, “Running” was produced by Chuck Harmony. It was just good to have that Motown feeling and sound that it is seamlessly fitting to the time.

MS: Did you get to meet Whitney on set?
Goapele: No, unfortunately I didn’t. I wasn’t on set with her. I am blessed to be a part of her last legacy. She was an amazing woman.

MS: What’s next for Goapele? What can we look for?
Goapele: I will be back in the studio and will be putting out more music and looking into more film projects also.

Here’s another artist in the “highly anticipated” category this year — Flying Lotus, with the release of his forthcoming album Until The Quiet Comes on Warp Records. He has been non-stop with the flow of music, whether it be working with various hip hop artists or his half brain, Thundercat. The first listen from the album is “See Thru to U” featuring Erykah Badu, a fusion of all sorts – African drums, jazz, with Thundercat’s bass and key sequencing give the track an underlying current, as Badu sings in lullaby, making the entire track sensual. Until The Quiet Comes is scheduled to release October 1st. Check it out below.

Stones Throw artist Homeboy Sandman‘s forthcoming album First of a Living Breed, is one of the most anticipated rap albums for this year. This short documentary FOUNDation, directed by Rel, gives us a snapshot into the life of our Boy Sandman, who was a former law student and took that leap of faith to follow his dream. We shared with you the Oddisee produced first trackoff the forthcoming album, set to release September 18. Looking forward to his album.

Back in 2010, we introduced you to Malachi Rivers with his single “Cloud 9” featuring UK singer Maria Bently. The song filled us with the emotion of happiness in relation to being in love. Now with Stereo Sound Escape EP, Rivers has found the right collaborators to assist in making his dream a reality. Describing his music to “translate what I feel through music,” Stereo Sound Escape is soulful with a diversity to capture a broad audience as his lyrics touch on universal topics with a free-spirited approach that will have you dancing and grooving. Stand out tracks are “I Want You,” and “New World” and “Where I’ll Be,” which shows how wide in sound Rivers can be laid against. A solid EP.

Produced by Brandon A. Durette and featuring Cee-Knowledge (aka Doodlebug of the Digable Planets), Nelsan Ellis (True Blood and The Help), J Ivy (Kanye West, Jay-Z, John Legend), Stereo Sound Escape fits the season of summer with perfection.

Available on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. You can hear it below also.

Always interesting to hear new music and/or see videos by  the dynamic duo J*Davey, and it’s no surprise that they are venturing out and doing projects independently of each other. Jack Davey, the sultry singer recently seeded the net with two tracks from her forthcoming self-produced electronic garage rock 5-song EP titled, LO-F!. Calling her new sound “Transcendental Rock” on “Howl At The Moon” and “Eye Can See” we hear Jack embrace a blues style reminiscent of Jim Morrison with heavy electric guitar riffs and cutting edge lyricism. It is different to what we’ve heard from J*Davey, but not unexpected; we expect Jack to try new things and do it well.

Check out the video for “Eye Can See” which is inspired by French film director Jean Luc Godard and is shot by Jack herself and edited by Joey Tripper. The audio for “Howl At the Moon” follows.

As funky and melodic as ever Crown City Rockers are coming back with some new heat for your ears. Formerly known as Mission, came to the Bay Area more than a decade ago from Boston and LA, dropping their first musical effort together as a group around 1999. Having met some of the members personally, I can truly say these are some very laid back cats who love what they do. As a crew they have three full-length albums under their belt and four EPs. But the individual members Kat 010 (keys), Max Veety (drums), Headnodic (Bass/beats), Woodstock (beats), and Raashan Ahmad have released solo albums and music collaborations with The Mighty Underdogs (Lateef, Gift of Gab, Headnodic) and La Femme Deadly Venoms (Deeandroid, Celskiii, Lady Fingaz, Kat 010). Crown City Rockers have consistently put out quality musical soundscapes for heads from the Bay Area all the way to Europe. Check out this new video. If this is a sneak peak to what’s to come, I cant wait to hear what Crown City brings next!

“Whatchu Want From Me?” is the first single from Queens, New York native, Homeboy Sandman‘s forthcoming third solo album First of a Living Breed, a track produced by another Muphoric Sounds favourite, Oddisee. Always candid with his lyrical content, touching on the misconceptions in relationships, lack of respect and crime,  the hypocrisy of politics, and with a confidence that should not be confused with play – though his delivery would make you think otherwise. Digging the track. Not sure of actual release date for First of a Living Breed, but enjoy this free download in the interim.

From “pimps up, ho’s down“, “drop it like it’s hot,” Murder Was The Case, Tha Doggfather, and a multitude of other projects that have steered Calvin Broadus, Jr. (aka Snoop Dogg) down the road of reckless crime with a lot of success, is no wonder the serenity associated with the Rastafarianism faith has finally caught up with him. “With no disrespect, I’m tired of rap,” says Snoop Lion in this new documentary titled, Reincarnated which follows Lion on his spiritual journey to enlightenment. Featuring studio sessions with American producer Diplo, (who seems to be the new reggae go-to guy) as he banishes his past to embracing the earth, with a big fat chalice to free his mind. Bless up Snoop Lion!

Reincarnated is a VICE Films production, in partnership with Snoopadelic Films and will be premiered September 7th at the Toronto International Film Festival.