Not to play on capitalization with the title of this post; it’s strictly the style of blu, who actually was the third entry on Muphoric Sounds!  So I have to defer to him from time to time.

I love this guy’s work, his lyrical flow, his play on words, choice of musical samples and elements; he’s just a good all-round rapper from the Bay Area. I heard blu. first with Her Favo(u)rite Colo(u)r, a concept album which went through all the emotions of a breakup. A pretty daring project to embark on as many rappers try so freaking hardcore, and he did it so skillfully, taking skits from movies like Buffalo 66 and Closer. Since then he has hit us with A Day Late & A Dollar Short (with Sene). Last year, he was signed to Sire/Warner Bros. Not sure how that’s working out as he’s been pretty radical on sharing his music.

With theGODleeBarnes, which he hit his Twitter family with a couple of days ago, (he often shares his musical developments with his Myspace and Twitter audience), contains some tunes shared over the past year and a few others. Though rough in production in places (but that might actually be the choice) and as one mp3,  theGODleeBarnes is available for free download HERE! I suggest you get it quick, as blu.’s links don’t stay up for long.

There’s much debate on whether hip hop music is alive or dead. Hearing producers like CHIEF, you realize there are those who work hard to keep rap music as a true art form, pure in creation and where the ultimate goal is not commercialism, but appreciation.

Born and still residing in Lausanne, Switzerland, CHIEF makes me wonder about the vibrant music scene in Europe right now, as a lot of great stuff is coming from overseas. Founder of Feelin’ Music record label, his new full-length release, Collabo Collection features an A-list group of guest artists such as Moka Only, Kissey Asplund, Le Nubians, Dynas, Co$$, Sene, and blu., to name a few. Collabo Collection is a blend of smooth and chilled Dilla infused beats where his collaborations bring the tunes to fruition, notwithstanding the cool instrumentals within the collection. The beatmaker shared with Muphoric Sounds his philosophy and method to creating, his new album, the power of the internet in making musical connections, and his various music influences. Truly someone to keep your ear open for.

Kick back and listen to some of the tracks off Collabo Collection below and for Free Exclusive Download – “Lost Love” featuring Co$$, who will be releasing his new album on Tres Records very soon. Collabo Collection is scheduled for release November 3rd.

Demon Love ft. Kissey Asplund and Moka Only from Collabo Collection

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Tru Love ft. blu. & Sene from Collabo Collection

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There is so much great music coming from Europe, to a point that people are beginning to think Muphoric Sounds only features music by European artists. How do you describe the music scene in Switzerland?
Although Switzerland is a tiny country, the music scene is definitely very rich, especially considering the size of the country. As we speak 3 different languages in Switzerland (French, German, Italian) depending on which area you live in, there are lots of different influences, sub-cultures and music styles. Each part of Switzerland somehow bears mad similarities with the bordering country using the same language, i.e. France, Germany and Italy. The rock and pop scene is the biggest, but has no chance to export itself due to the language issue.. let’s not even mention the accent for those who try anyway. Both the electronic and hip-hop scenes have been growing stronger over the last few years, and quite a number of Swiss producers have been able to make a name for themselves outside of our mountains. There’s definitely talent, passion, and involvement here.

How did you get started?
Alright, this is going to look like a “copy and paste”, every producer from my generation probably has the exact same story! I first started DJing when I was 14 years old, it was in the 90’s and at that time the hip-hop scene was really taking off in Switzerland, thus I immediately got interested in that scene. When I was 21 I started making beats, with the usual heavyweights like DJ Premier, Pete Rock and such being major influences on my sound. Over the years, as my skills developed, my style evolved, took different directions, I tackled varied styles, and it finally turned in something quite different and more personal. I guess the goal of every beatmaker is to have your very own sound signature, create beats that can be very different from one another, but still retain that one special touch of yours, whether you can pin exactly what it is or not.

How do you describe your sound?
Electric, vintage, smooth, with an organic groove! I still like to start with samples and build up from that foundation, but the elements that truly make the track are all the sounds and tricks I then add, all the twitching which kind of hide the original samples.

What collaborations and moments at the start of your career made your realize you were onto something as a producer/DJ?
There wasn’t actually one specific event that made me think I was onto something, instead it was a slow evolution. When I was a teen and I was djing and generally really into the whole hip-hop thing, I reached this point when you want to go deeper into it, get involved and add your own brick to the wall. So I bought a mpc and got started. Around the same time, I left my job and started a sound engineer formation. That allowed me to focus on music more generally, start my own recording studio, and hopefully this will allow me to avoid having to get a shitty job in the future!

Tell us about your new album “Collabo Collection” and the people you chose for the project.
“Collabo Collection” is not a real studio album, it’s a compilation of tracks I made over the latest years. You can hear different influences or styles depending on when these tracks were recorded (between 2005 and 2009). I did a number of collaborations over the last few years with many different artists. With most of the artists, it was kind of an “exchange”, you give them a beat for their album, they give you a featuring for yours in return. It all happened very naturally, I hooked up with different artists, others then came to me, etc…. and at some point I realized that I had quite a lot of tracks that I was really happy with and which had never been released, so I decided to compile the best ones and make an album out of it.

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Earlier this month, Muphoric Sounds plugged Moka Only’s impressive new album, The Lowdown Suite 2: The Box and was able to send him some questions to answer for Muphoric Sounds. The Vancouver-based rapper and producer shares his rhyme and reason to his production, working with Kissey Asplund on “Drip Drop” (great story by the way!), his influences, and the plight of the digital era for artists. Within the interview, you get a true sense of his personality, “quirky” at best, truly an artist, who never stops creating! With great musical collaborations on the horizon and even working under a pseudonym, Moka Only ain’t going nowhere! And for what it’s worth, I’ve planted the seed for a collaboration with L.A. based rapper Blu; we eagerly await.

For the readers of Muphoric Sounds, Moka has provided an exclusive download of “Lemon,” from The Lowdown Suite 2: The Box (hear it below), which can be purchased on iTunes.

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Check out the Muphoric Sounds exclusive interview with Moka Only below!

What are your musical influences?
I have many music influences…people ranging from Frank Zappa to James Brown to Eazy-E. It’s all relative, but I usually lean toward stuff that’s interesting or weird, I guess. Lol.

What did you grow up listening to in the home?
In the home when I was a kid I got into jazz rather early so I would listen to Ornette Coleman, Sphere, Monk, Les McCann, Joe Pass…all kinda great cats. Also rocked Joni Mitchell and Stevie.

For me, and this is based on my experiences of Canada, is that it’s a place of calm, order, idyllic views, fresh air, order, etc. But, clearly there is a strong urban culture there. How would you compare hip-hop culture and rap music in Canada to San Diego?
Hahaha. You have a strange view of Canada if you think it’s all streams and idyllic, pastoral beauty. I mean, that does exist out in the country but the same can be said for America or any country. I’m from Vancouver. I would urge people to Google it and see for themselves. I’m not tryna push for the stereotypical ’street cred/war stories’ but Vancouver is as grimy as any major North American metropolis. We have big gun problems, gangs, and the same horrors that need to be eliminated as elsewhere. Of course there are many cool places in the city too. Vancouver is a lot like San Diego. We are a bigger city though. I moved there on a whim. Literally. No planning. My life’s been like that. Vagabond stuff. One advantage of going to San Diego way back then is the proximity to Los Angeles and the hip hop movement that was poppin’ there at that time. L.A. cats would visit Diego on the frequent. Met lots of people there in situations that might not have happened at that time in Vancouver.

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Starting out as a professional dancer from Scotland, now residing in London, Blu toured the world dancing and singing for other people, which after a while becomes monotonous for any artist looking for multi-dimensional growth; singing and songwriting is the next phase of Blu’s artistic journey.

Standing with Giants, is a chilled mix of of tunes where Blu’s vocal move effortlessly through each track. She has a sweet and playful voice. With a host of producers from the UK and the US gracing the album, Aalo Guha, Van Ark, Peter Lewinson, Soulshine, The Navigator, and Leaf Erikson, Standing with Giants is a great start to Blu’s career as it highlights her scope and versatility as a singer. I can definitely see her stepping into heavier territories as she pushes her album States side. Check out “Spinnin’” below.

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Blu’s album can be purchased on iTunes.

This came out for Valentine’s Day celebrations and a lot of people slept on it due to the fact it is an ultimate breakup album, revealing the mixed and often misunderstood emotions we often feel when love has turned from sweet to soar. The jazzy undertones don’t lead you to slitting your wrists and wanting the love that went bad back, but actually accepting what’s done is done. It’s okay to reminisce, just a little.

Before getting a deal, Blu. was the hype man for Slum Village, Platinum Pied Pipers, Steve Spacek, and Emanon. Signing to indi label Soul in Color in 2004, it’s been non-stop for this San Piedro, California native. In 2007, he released with Emanon Below the Heavens, and has collaborated with DJ Heat for the (So)ul Amazing mix tapes, and is also a member of the Johnson & Johnson duo. It’s been less than two years and his work has been incredible.

Her Favo(u)rite Colo(u)r, is somewhat of a journey through the mind states of a breakup, albeit short and light on lyrical content where some of the actual songs appear to be skits, the composition in itself validates the album’s concept, ensuring that we don’t grow tired of looking at the bright and dark sides of a breakup. Take a listen to “Amnesia” where Blu. talks about the good days in the relationship, wrought with an apropos Billie Holiday sample, the vibe that will make you smile.

“Amnesia” from Her Favourite Colo(u)r

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