V.A. - Mellow Beats, Sunshine, Twilight

Various Artists
Mellow Beats, Sunshine, Twilight
[Hydeout Productions: January, 2010]

 8.8 








Tracklist
01. Judy In June / Kira Neris
02. With J / Specifics feat. Jesse Maxwell
03. Vacation / Jazz Liberatorz feat. J Live
04. Good Times / Pat D
05. When The Sunshine Comes / Kero One feat. Ben Westbeech
06. Four Square / Young, Holdt, And Bess Unlimited
07. We Got To Live Together / Rideout & Terry Cole
08. Smile / Hocus Pocus feat. Omar
09. Today / Skiggy Rapz feat. Tienus
10. It's About Time / Think Twice & David Ryshpan feat. Manchilde & Schubert
11. Money In The Rhymebook / Think Twice feat. Coates
12. Round And Round / DJ Alibi feat. Giant Panda
13. Tide Of Life / Cyne
14. Feed The Homeless / Starving Artists Crew
15. Paradise / Dragon Fli Empire feat. Moka Only
16. A Tribute To Troy / J. Rawls
17. Lock Down / Jneiro Jarel
18. Flex Off / People Under The Stairs
19. Speak To Me / Dragon Fli Empire
20. Les Mots / Moar
21. Train Of Thought / Pat D & Lady Paradox

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Track 14: Feed the Homeless

Various Artists - Modal Soul Classics II: Dedicated to Nujabes

Various Artists
Modal Soul Classics II: Dedicated to Nujabes
[Hydeout Productions: October, 2010]

 8.8 






Tracklist
01. Pase Rock - Kamakura (Conversations With Jun) feat. Uyama Hiroto
02. Calm - Music Is Ours (Saxmental Version)
03. Zack Austin - No One Like You
04. Specifics - Beach Of Life
05. FK - Another Reflection (Seaside Dusk In Kamakura Rework)
06. Kenmochi Hidefumi - Modal Soul (Kenmochi Hidefumi Remix)
07. Five Deez - Latitude Tribute Mix
08. Emancipator - A Day By Atmosphere Eternal
09. Haruka Nakamura - Faure feat. Uyama Hiroto
10. Clammbon With Yamazaki, Mino, Yamane - Reflection Eternal
11. Uyama Hiroto - Homeward Journey

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I have already introduced Nujabes a.k.a. Jun Seba in my first post. To summarize, Nujabes is the most influential Hip Hop producer in Japan and in Asia. His talent and fame could not contain in Japan and has surfaced even internationally to France, the United States, Korea, and Germany. His sound has influenced and touched many including Uyama Hiroto, Nomak, Talib Kweli, DJ Deckstream, Dela, Pase Rock and many others. However, in February 26, 2010, Nujabes died of a car accident which shocked the world. This album is made to dedicate to Nujabes. It contains tracks that Nujabes was working in progress before he passed away. The sound is still very much Nujabes influenced. It contains a lot of mellow horn and piano with fat and subtle Hip Hop beats. A lot of influential underground artists came together to produce this album. One new element that is introduced in this album is the sound of Japanese folk music. Homeward Journey, Reflection Eternal and Faure all presents elements of classical Japanese folk music. However the mix between Hip Hop and Japanese folk music is very soothing and nice. Please take a listen I hope you will like it.

Track 9: Faure

DELA - THE ROBERT GLASPER BEAT TAPE

Dela
The Robert Glasper Beat Tape
[Bandcamp: April, 2009]

 7.8 






Tracklist
01. Kiss
02. The Thief's Theme
03. Get Busy
04. Something New
05. Dizzy
06. Can It B So Simple
07. Jay Hova / Music (Final Mix)
08. Tribute
09. Praise & Praise

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First of all, I need to introduce Dela. He is not known by many but I really love his beats. His sound is significantly influenced by old school Hip Hop artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang Clan, J. Dilla, Pete Rock and Large Professor. He remained underground for most of his career; releasing free for download albums on large music sharing website such as Bandcamp, Myspace and Jazzysport. One could definitely hear the progression of his music from the first album to the last album, which is this one that I am bringing for y'all. His first album, Changes of Atmosphere, has subtle Hip Hop beats and old school vibes. However, this album, The Robert Glasper Beat Tape, is significantly Jazz influenced. Its a different taste of Dela and I really enjoy this album. Here is Dela's own words on this album.

The first time I heard Robert Glasper's music was in the summer of 2007. I was hanging out with the homie phinydee in the jazz record shop he used to work at, in Paris. We were trying to finish Changes Of Atmosphere at the time, so quite often I would stop by the shop so we could discuss featurings, label deals, yadda yadda.. So anyway, Phinydee had In My Element playing in the background, and of course Dillalude caught my ear... “hold on, what is this ?!” But shortly we got back into babbling about distribution, mastering, budget and all that, so I didn't get to give the album a proper listening. Until october 2009. A that time, Robert's latest, Doubled Booked, was on heavy rotation at the crib, and after I twat (twitted ?) about it, twitters @FROactiv and @fwmj advised me to get my hands on In My Element. A couple weeks later I found a copy in Archambault in MTL, so I copped it, went home and played it and... DAYMN! This album is 1) very dope 2) absolutely full of samples. Some of the interludes are basically hip-hop beats already... So.. I was like, I can't sample the whole album and get away with it, can I ? Can I ??? I felt guilty already, so I figured I might as well do it, but call it a remix album or something.. And I started making these beats. So there you go now, The Robert Glasper Beattape is up for free download. If you like it, please support good music by copping In My Element, you’ll like it too. It’s on iTunes, and you should be able to find the CD in the jazz section of your nearest record store.. Enjoy

Digital Album

Album Review: DJ Cam Quartet - Diggin'

DJ Cam Quartet
Diggin'
[Inflamable Records: February, 2009]

 8.5 






Tracklist
01. Nebulosa
02. Montara
03. Everybody Loves The Sunshine (feat. Inlove)
04. Bossa Guitar
05. Think Twice
06. Little Sunflower (Tribute To Freddie) (feat. Inlove)
07. Quincy
08. Mystic View
09. Climax (feat. Fillet Of Soul)
10. You've Got To Have Freedom (feat. Inlove)
11. Inside My Love (For Minnie)

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DJ Cam is a French DJ who surfaced in the 1990s. He is probably the most revolutionary hip hop DJ of all time. He introduced early Jazz and created a new genre "Jazz Hip Hop". His music is very abstract and mostly instrumental with heavy saxophone mixed with hip hop style beats. His bass is fat and subtle while the treble is mellow and smoothing. Mad Blunted Jazz was DJ Cam's most popular album which was released in 1996. It combined songs from his first LP and second LP which shocked the music industry. His sound was something new, something no one have heard before. He influenced many, including Nujabes, who I introduced on my first post, J. Dilla, Dela, The Foreign Exchange, Nicolay and so many other artists in the underground Hip Hop world.

Diggin' is DJ Cam's thirteenth album. Although it is still influenced by Jazz and Blues, most of the songs from this album were sampled from popular Motown songs from the 1970's. This album consists heavily of instrumentals with the same old DJ Cam style: abstract, mellow, and heavy beats. I put this album on whenever I need to concentrate on homework or when I am taking a break just chilling on my couch. Take a listen and you will like it.

Track 11: Inside My Love (For Minnie)

Introducing the Revivalist

Via http://revivalist.okayplayer.com/
The Revivalist is the leading online journal for the burgeoning jazz community. By illuminating the renewal of jazz: history, culture, and music, synthesized with the influences of hip-hop, The Revivalist is the center of a cultural resurgence of live music. We are music innovators, musicians, and music lovers documenting and foretelling the stories of jazz and how it has influenced today’s popular music.

Check The Revivalist out here

Album Review: Nujabes - Modal Soul

Nujabes
Modal Soul
[Hydeout Production: October, 2005]

 8.9 







Tracklist
01. Feather (Feat. Cise Starr & Akin from Cyne)
02. Ordinary Joe (Feat. Terry Callier)
03. Reflection Eternal
04. Luv (Sic) PT3 (Feat. SHING02)
05. Music Is Mine
06. Eclipse (Feat. Substantial)
07. Sign (Feat. Pase Rock)
08. Thank You (Feat. Apani B)
09. World's End Rhapsody
10. Modal Soul (Feat. Uyama Hiroto)
11. Flowers
12. Sea of Cloud
13. Light on the Land
14. Horizon

Nujabes is maybe the most affluent Hip Hop producer in Japan. His producer name comes from his real name, Jun Seba, spelled backwards and combined. Not only is he a producer, he is also the owner of multiple record stores in Japan and of the independent label Hydeout Productions. Like artists of originality, Nujabes' music style is very difficult to describe. It is much like a fusion of Japanese folk music, Jazz, and 60's Motown mixed with solid Hip Hop beats. Its flow consists heavily of piano, backgrounded by mellow horn and soulful saxophone. I fell in love with this musical style the very first time feeling it. Nothing in the music industry has the same unique sound.

Modal Soul is Nujabes' second album. This is one of the more jazzy albums which contains samples from Jazz pioneers like Miles Davis and Yusef Lateef. However, similar to his other albums, Hip Hop elements are also heavily incorporated.  For Modal Soul, Nujabes collaborated with six emcees, providing emotional lyrics to his soulful music. The most significant aspect of this album is the range of emotions embedded in each song. Nujabes is great at bringing up feelings for his listeners. His songs brings people close to nature, the moon, sky, stars and sunset. This will make sense after clicking play on the player above.

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Digital Album