Current Music Vibings

August 9, 2011

     It's been about a half year since I shared some music that I'm vibing, save for the pieces I've written for XLR8R and Chicagoist. And as you might have guessed, I don't necessarily have the opportunity to write about everything I like, simply because that's the nature of the beast. But since I've got some free time, I'll go ahead and offer some recommendations, whether or not you're looking for any.

Machinedrum (Planet Mu)

Machinedrum rapidly came onto my radar after a Red Bull event here in Chicago. He was one of the people to play the event, and though I'd heard of him and a few of his tracks, I wasn't a fan, per se. That night showed me what I was missing, and I haven't looked back since. Machinedrum is among those juke revivalists who take the backbone of the genre and give it a refined facelift. While original juke is still highly lauded to this day, it's still a messy genre. You'll often come across tracks that were meant to be devices for footwork battles - and, as such, the tracks didn't necessarily receive the production attention that something meant for listening would. Regardless, juke is a burgeoning scene these days, and Machinedrum is right there in the thick of it. I suggest checking out his latest LP, Room(s).


Lil B (BasedWorld)

I don't think anyone is trying to say Lil B is the best rapper. In fact, he's pretty medicore when it comes to "flow". However, of all the people making hip-hop right now, few convey an actual sense of "realness". Lil B does. After hearing "I'm Paris Hilton", I was convinced the whole thing was a joke, that he was a character making a commentary on the state of hip-hop. And maybe he is. But when he released I'm Gay, I was pleasantly surprised. Aside from some good production, Lil B touches on a lot of different topics that he is struggling with, and you hear that unfold throughout the album. It's as if he's thinking aloud and we get to see him sort through whatever it is that afflicts him. That's refreshing.


Nguzunguzu (Fade To Mind)

Nguzunguzu are apart of the ever-expanding, undefined genre of "bass music". Such a vague term is actually appropriate, given the wealth of influences that comprise it. Bass music, really, encompasses a lot, but the focus here is rhythm: how to mess with it, how to make it interesting, and how to make it the forefront. High-end melodies always seem to be complements and not the main feature, hence the word bass. Nguzunguzu's output consistently explores rhythms, and the result is often heddy. Though they'll probably never make a pop track, Nguzunguzu do just fine with weirded out jungle beats.