So there are exciting things happening in 2013 for some of mine (and your) favourite and biggest Indie acts around. Here is what we know thus far:
After 10 years The Postal Service have announced that they will reunite and tour the US for a bit starting off at the ultimate music festival in the world, Coachella. They have also re-issued a re-release version of their debut (and only) smash album Give Up. All this activity and one can only speculate (and hope) that perhaps some new music is on the way!
French Indie rock superstars Phoenix have released the album artwork to their upcoming 2013 album Bankrupt! Set for release on the 23rd of April. It is a picture of a peach.
My enthusiasm for the music however is far greater than that for the album artwork as this is their first new offering since 2009's amazing Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The tracklist has also been released.
Super excited for this album of French indie amazingness! Below is a brand new lyric video for the first single off the album called Entertainment! Awesome!
Vampire Weekend have released the release date, album artwork, tracklist and tour dates for their new album Modern Vampires of The City. The 12 track album is set for release on May the 7th and I am quite a fan of the cover too. No singles as of yet but I'm expecting good things!
So those are a couple of things to definitely look forward to in 2013! In the meantime, listen to this brand new Two Door Cinema remix. Super remix magicians RAC have just released their rendition of 2DCC's song Next Year off their super sexy smooth and soulful 2012 album Beacon. If this remix is anywhere near as good as RAC's remix of Something Good Can Happen then we definitely have a winner here! Stay tuned for more indie-velopments!
Just under a month ago Fake Blood released a brand new remix of British rapper Wretch 32's Pop on his Soundcloud. Naturally, the words 'new Fake Blood remix' always tickle my fancy with a flamingo feather and get me all excited and sweaty. This remix was no exception, it's classic Fake Blood, complete reconstruction of the original track, only when he rebuilds it he uses a foundation of growling bouncy nasty bassline, held together with spooky chopped up synths and finished of with frenetic breakbeats and of course his signature vocal slicing and dicing. Give it a listen below. Juicy.
Yes indeed. Deep house. Literally. I often get over the deep house tunes that I have and then I'll go out and listen to deep house or a friend will play me some tunes, they'll blow my mind, I wont stop listening to them for weeks and then the process will start all over again. These tunes however will be smashed until I get old and wrinkly (which will be never). I highly suggest putting the volume on illegal levels and listening to these tracks with some decent speakers/earphones. Big shout out to my boy Guy Adam for providing me with some treats for my ears!
Outstrip - Home Thursday
Ukrainian DJ's Anton Sever and Denis Borisov known as Outstrip have received massive support from the likes of Funkagenda, Richie Hawtin and Dubfire and have started their own label "Outstrip Music". This track reminds me somewhat of John Tejada's classic "The End of It All". This track is so mellow and so beautiful!
Luke Abbott's EP "Modern Driveway" came out in May last year. I'm glad that his "modern driveway" inspired him to make this tune. Its very spacey but once again, sick!
Today's track comes straight out of the top drawer of a chest in the Thug Mansion study/jacuzzi room. Straight-up electronic gangsta music from Cape Town's very own Glitch Hop maestro Dank. Dank's music is bass heavy heavy (not a typo), glitchy squelchy electronic hip hop beats that pump up the jam and show gang signs when they roll in the Cadillac down the streets with the sound turned high and the windows turned low.
Today's track is no exception, although I found it quite a while ago it still needs posting. A remix of a song by Slim Thugg and Mike Jones called Still Tippin', I think we can all agree that Dank murdered the track and then paid the police to be quiet about his crimes. Check out Dank's awesome Soundcloud page where he posts most of his tunes, a lot of them for free high quality download too, what a G.
Ultra Music Festival is without a doubt one of the biggest electronic dance music festivals in the world. Held every year in March, hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe gather in Miami to party with argueably the biggest DJ lineups there have ever been. This year, the festival takes place over two weekends (March 15th-17th and 22nd-24th) at Bayfront Park in Miami. And yes, the lineup is bigger then ever before. Think of a DJ and they'll probably be playing at Ultra this year. Dont believe me? Check out the lineup so far. Hard to believe that its not even complete yet.
A huge attraction for many is the "ASOT" stage on Sunday in the megastructure. Hosted by the worlds number 1 DJ Armin van Buuren, this part of the festival draws huge crowds due to it having the best trance lineup in the world with the likes of Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate and Gareth Emery taking to the decks. If you are a raver then this surely has to be high up on your list of things to do before you die. Take a look at this video from the ASOT stage last year! That shit cray!
Happy Valentine's Day! To all you silky smooth slick-talkers, wannabe Romeos, desperate Juliets, undercover lovers and hopeless romantics, Supersonic Speakerbox wishes you love and happiness and peace in the galaxy. To celebrate this most romantic of days on the calender, we're posting the only Valentine's Day song even worth listening to, Happy Valentine's Day by Outkast, a funky number from way back in 2003 from their number 1 album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Enjoy and remember to stank me later!
Whatsup young homies. I've been rather quiet on SSSB so far but things are about to change. 2012 was a great year for music and with difficulty I've chosen my top 5 in no particular order. Give them a listen!
Skeleton Key by Pleasurekraft feat. Green Velvet
Pleasurekraft has a habit of making catchy tunes that you can't seem to get out of your head. Remember Tarantula? Personally I think Skeleton Key is his best work to date. This bouncy tech track with a massive bassline had me listening to it the whole year. The vocals sound like they come from a 1970's pimp daddy and the drop comes out of nowhere to smash you in the brain! Pleasurekraft feat. Green Velvet - Skeleton Key (Original Mix) [Great Stuff] Money Trees by Kendrick Lamar feat. Anna Wise & Jay Rock
If you enjoy hip hop and you havent heard this track by now then your life is a lie. Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid m.A.A.d City is a classic record and Money Trees is definitely the best song on the album. SSSB think this may be the best hip hop track of the year. Kendrick has one of the best flows I've heard and Anna Wise and Jay Rock make this track even better. It has an infectious hook over a beat that samples Beach House's track Silver Soul. That's just how I feel, Ya Bish! Money Trees - Kendrick Lamar
Buzz Killington by Paul Thomas (Funkagenda Remix)
Dubstep is certainly not my favourite genre of dance music. To me 95% of it is noise, but some of it is pure gold. Buzz Killington is pure gold. Funkagenda normally sticks to the tech/progressive side of things but came out with this smashing melodic dubstep track. It took me a while to get into it but it's without a doubt one of the my all time favourites. The build up is huge and the drop is even bigger. Below is a preview. Massive! Paul Thomas - Buzz Killington [Funkagenda Remix] [FF013] by Funkagenda
Adam Freeland - We Want Your Soul (Klangkarussell Remix)
Deep house over the last few years has grown massively in South Africa and there's some amazing deep house that's being produced at the moment. This track's vocals have an ideological undertone about the government and corporations that feed us information that inevitably leads to them controlling us. This an amazing track. Take a listen. We Want Your Soul (Klangkarussell Remix) by Klangkarussell
Giuseppe Ottaviani feat. Betsie Larkin - Toys
If anyone went to watch Dash Berlin Godskitchen in South Africa last year you will remember that he opened with his own mashup of Toys and By The Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was an unbelievable moment that I will never forget. This track is pure trance magic. Its near impossible to find this mashup but the original is just as good. Turn it up! Giuseppe Ottaviani & Betsie Larkin - Toys
Tozz
My oh my! Great travesty! Tragedy and tyrrany! How could I have left one of my favourite South African artists of 2012 off my Best Of list? Perhaps because his album was released in such an unorthodox manner that it slipped my mind that it was actully an album. Nevertheless, I come to blog about the great man known on stage as Yesterday's Pupil!
Yesterday's Pupil a.k.a Peach van Pletzen from Pretoria, was one of my most exciting discoveries last year. He is a one-man musical machine, producer of awesome electronic pop music and overall talented musician. He is also the production-third of Afrikaans alternative rap group Bittereinder and has worked with SA rapper Tumi Molekane of Tumi & The Volume and more. His solo project however is the real gold, and Peach produces the beats, plays the instrumentation and provides vocals on all the tracks, which range from gritty electro-bangers to funky electro pop numbers to alternative rock influenced tunes. Really nice stuff in my opinion. And a great live act too!
Last year he released his second album, in four parts, releasing 2 tracks every 2 months, for free! What a champion! The way he sees it, people are going to get it one way or another, so why not give it to the people, visionary I say... Each track release had a different artwork based on a pupil (clever eh?) done by kickass local designer Louis Minnaar. Yesterday's Pupil is definitely one of my favourite guys on the SA music scene at the moment and I anticipate big things and great music from him in the future.
Alright so I know that 2012 has come and gone, been there, done that, got the t-shirt and spilled tomato sauce on it already. But Supersonic Speakerbox has only been 4 days in existence, and is in dire need of a Top 10 list for 2012. Below are my 10 personal favourite albums released last year, both local (South African) and international, spanning a number of different genres. These were the albums that were constantly on repeat, and had songs that I could not get enough of. Some are by artists that were newly discovered by me and turned me into a fan, others by old favourites that I have been a fan of for years. What can be said about all these albums however, is that they are all brilliant.
10. Father Creeper by Spoek Mathambo
South African Spoek Mathambo's second album managed to meet and sometimes exceed my high expectations generated from his first album Mshini Wam. He manages to expand on his unique 'Afro-futurist' sound by diversifying with the instrumentation and production used on the album. Mathambo's music has so many different influences, both musically and in terms of subject-matter. He paints his own perspective of his South African landscape with hip hop sounds, dark electro elements, 'township-tech', traditional guitar work and just an all around eclectic mix of strange yet awesome sounds. His high-speed raps sit perfectly on a blend of electronic tracks as well as live instrumentation. My personal favourite track of the album is Let Them Talk, an awesome Spoek Mathambo-style indie rock type track with elements of Maskandi guitar, his unique rap-style, and a totally kif guitar solo part near the end that rocks hard. Spoek Mathambo remains one to look out for on the South African alternative scene. Spoek Mathambo - Let Them Talk by Spoek Mathambo
9. Good Kid m.A.A.d City by Kendrick Lamar
I was at first very sceptical to listen to this album, even after hearing all the internet buzz over it, because quite honestly most new hip hop these days is quite shit. But I am very glad that I gave Mr. Lamar a chance, because he is definitely a prodigy in the rap game. Some critics have labelled this album an instant classic, and I wouldn't disagree with that verdict. The young Kendrick has an old school sound with a new school flow, with some tracks reminding me of old Outkast songs. His rhymes are impeccable, poetic at times, a master storyteller of life in the streets from a different perspective, the struggle of a good kid in a mad city called Compton (home of Dr Dre, who executive produced the album). He has a natural talent that shines through on the album both lyrically and musically on low-tempo sometimes atmospheric beats, and in my opinion is a breath of fresh air for hip hop. My personal favourite track? Without a doubt the irrisistable Money Trees featuring Anna Wise and Jay Rock, a masterpiece of hip hop. Money Trees - Kendrick Lamar
8. In Our Heads by Hot Chip
I had only ever listened to one Hot Chip song before hearing this album, their fifth album, and was extremely disappointed in myself for doing so! Hot Chip are amazing, their synth-pop electronic dancey sound is so fresh and this album is definitely a showcase for that very freshness. Their vocal layering over funky synth beats is playful yet very well executed and their quirky lyrics can be very catchy. The tracks range from upbeat dance grooves to 80's influenced soulful pop songs to intricate electronic instrumental arrangements. Hot Chip has managed to become one fo my favourite groups through this album, which is a testament to just how good it is. If I had to choose a favourite track, it would probably be the extremely funky and seductive Night & Day. Hot Chip - Night And Day (Radio Edit) by Domino Record Co
7. Living Things by Linkin Park
When I heard that Linkin Park, one of my favourite bands, was releasing new material I lost my mind. And then I found it again a few days later, but then when Living Things came out I lost my mind again, and now, well, now I don't really know where my mind is, kind of like that song by the Pixies. Living Things saw LP blend all of their diverse sounds into one album. Many fans of the band complained that they were inconsistent, and hailed Hybrid Theory as the be all and end all of Linkin Park. But I disagree, I really like the diversity and exploration of different sounds and styles in their catalogue, and their latest album is almost like a culmination of all those sounds, that is both new and different but at the same time shows links to the past. One of the best things about it is that one minute you're screaming your lungs out to heavy metal (or 'Nu-Metal' rather), and the next you'll find yourself singing along to emotional rock ballads, and the next you'll be rapping over hard-hitting guitar riffs blending with glitchy computer beats. Linkin Park definitely show that they are a far way away from getting stale, and I think they prove it with this awesome diverse and progressive album. Favourite track? The hard-hitting rock-rap-metal (even dubsteppy) messy masterpiece Lies Greed Misery. Linkin Park - LIES GREED MISERY
6. The 2nd Law by Muse
Muse's sixth album is definitely one of their most experimental yet, if not the most. Loosely based around the second law of thermodynamics, this album is both dynamic and, um, thermo? Lead singer (and musical genius) Matthew Bellamy described the album as "a christian gangsta rap jazz odyssey, with some ambient rebellious dubstep and face-melting metal flamenco cowboy psychedelia" on his Twitter account, which should give you some idea as to how eclectic and experimental the music is, although his description is not quite apt. Ranging from progressive rock symphonic rock to Queen-influenced ballads to Nero-produced dubstep rock to synth-driven wobbles to beautiful piano-based electronic compositions and even more, The 2nd Law is a menagerie of epic sounds that prove that Bellamy and his two bandmates are truly mad (as the title of the 2nd track suggests). But madness and genius are said to be fundamentally the same thing, and in their case I would definitely agree with that theory. The final track 'The 2nd Law - Isolated System' is one of the most moving and beautiful pieces of instrumental electronic music I have ever listened to and makes my pick for best song of the album. Muse - The 2nd Law Isolated System
5. Trouble by Totally Enourmous Extinct Dinosaurs
The debut album by the frivolously-named English producer introduced me to a totally (enourmous) new kind of electronic music. TEED makes a combination of electronic dance, house, atmospheric arrangements, funky bassline synths, deep house, breakbeats, soulful samples and all-around fun computer beats. His smooth soft vocals are soothing and emotional, and never overpower his well-constructed beats. He combines vocal and electronic elements beautifully and has a distinct sound different from other UK producers, it's the kind of music that you close your eyes to when you dance to it. My favourite track from this great debut album is the very tasty Household Goods, which contains bouncy blips and bleeps, progressive house elements, and touching vocals about an ex-lover. Household Goods by T-E-E-D
4. Four by Bloc PartyAnd the number four spot for 2012 appropriately goes to the not-so-creatively titled fourth album by British band Bloc Party, Four. Bloc Party are just one of those bands that I love so much that I would love pretty much anything they released even if it was utter garbage. Luckily however, this is not the case with Four. Their latest release is classic Bloc Party, wonderfully chaotic instrumentality and Kele Okereke's unique vocal style. For this album the band returned to a more guitar-focused sound as opposed to their previous album which had more of an electronic vibe similar to Kele's solo projects. There are tracks that rock really hard on this album, some of their heaviest yet, and then there are also tracks with more low-tempo, emotional melancholic vocals that speak to the soul as only Okereke can. Essentially, you cannot ask for more from a Bloc Party album, and Four marked a triumphant return for the band in 2012. The number one song of course would have to be the manic Coliseum, which starts off as a slow grumpy blues arrangement, and suddenly transforms into hard rocking moshpit inducing mayhem. Unfortunately I couldn't find the song on Soundcloud, so I put my next favourite track in the player below, Kettling.
Big Boi, one half of the mighty Outkast, one whole Big Boi, released his second solo album in December last year, and it had big shoes to fill, his first solo album was an instant rap classic, and Big Boi showed that he is a formidable force on his own even without Mr 3000. The second time around he has managed to create another speakerbox-booming rap opus. Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumours takes a complete different direction to his previous effort, but it's definitely going the right way. Boi Boi has managed to blend elements of indie pop and hip hop by collaborating with indie artists such as Little Dragon and Phantogram, and the results are a fresh alternative hip hop style, with Big Boi's well-known unconventional flow weaving in and out of funky, soulful, sometimes mesmerising beats. Big Boi has always been very clever with who he collaborates with, and this album has a perfect selection of guests in production and vocals. With an album I enjoyed this much, it's difficult to choose a favourite track. I'd have to say Shoes For Running featuring B.O.B and Wavves.
2. Channel ORANGE by Frank Ocean Frank Ocean's debut album has been praised by critics as one of the best of the year and I have to agree with them. Mr Ocean has single-handedly revived the genre of R&B and neo-soul for me, the former having become a rather laughable parody of itself in a sense; cheesy, shallow, overtly sexual and repetitive would have been how I would have classified today's R&B/soul music. But Channel ORANGE takes such a radically different approach thanks to its unconventional musical style drawing from many different influences. The other thing that makes it stand out is Ocean's songwriting, he is as much a lyricist as he is a beautiful singer. Raw, honest, and extremely creative, he paints the traditional love song with far more surreal imagery, wit and metaphorical devices than your average R Kelly types could ever dream of. Frank's experiences with heartbreak, unrequited love and hardship combined with the diverse musical instrumentation and smooth jazzy soulful laidback beats can only be described as avant-garde for it's time. The top pick for Channel ORANGE would have to be the 9 minute epic Pyramids, that takes us on a journey from a Cleopatran love affair in ancient Egypt to a strip club in the modern day, and questions love, sex and morals in two different centuries.
My favourite producer of electronic music, Fake Blood form the UK, released his first ever full length album last year, and it was everything I could have ever dreamed of. Cells' #1 ranking in this list is purely owed to how much I love Fake Blood's music. The crunchiest, dirtiest, most bizarre and insane electronic music around, Fake Blood's tunes often draw influence from old horror films, and every track on this album had me terrified (in a good way, like that guilty pleasure you got when watching scary movies way above your age rating as a child). Fake Blood's arrangements, drops, vocal samples, filthy disgusting basslines and the grimiest synths in the world make Fake Blood my guilty pleasure. Also nice to note in the album are some more light-hearted songs similar to his side project The Black Ghosts, an electronic pop duo, with tracks like All In The Blink (my feel-good tune of the year). The number one track however is classic Fake Blood, a monstrous little number called Let It Go. This song will quite literally melt your brain. Fake Blood - Let It Go by differentrecordings
Super rad French record label Kitsune has just released the third edition to their compilation series Kitsune Parisien - a showcase of all the up and coming talents on the label and compiled by the label owner himself. Hear all the great new and exciting sounds from the French capital and elsewhere on this compilation, from electronic beats to French indie vibes. I have always been a big fan of the French electronic and house scene, they have their own unique flavour (much like French toast) thanks in part to the legacy of French superstars such as Daft Punk, Justice, Phoenix and others.
The compilation packs some very decent tracks, all from artists relatively unknown outside of France, so it's a great way to peep the scene. Laidback electro-pop, funky electronica, Phoenix-like indie rock and more French quisine to satisfy the ears. My personal favourite track of the bunch is Wolf by Pyramid, a funky French electro track with some tasty synths and drum machine work.
You can download the album or the mix through the links in the player above, or find it somewhere for free on the web with a bit of searching. As a bonus here is a link to a great French website that posts new French electronica each week, or as they call it 'French Touch music'.
The Cudder is back with the latest single off his upcoming album Indicud, his much anticipated third album, set for release in March this year. The Kid is talented, an innovator, and has his own unique flow. The new single is straight stoner rap (if there is such a genre) and we love it that way.
The slow booming beat is mesmerising and laid back and the perfect accompaniment for Cudi's dope flow (excuse the pun). The track is pretty much about getting high and Cudi's inner turmoil, and could easily have been from his previous album judging by the return to a similar sound. He also shares the track with fellow rapper King Chip (previously Chip Tha Ripper, I'm guessing his real name is Chip, and he'll probably change his name to Simba Chip on the next Cudi album), but chip-jokes aside, his verse is really tight on the beat and his style is quite similar to Mescudi's, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
The music video is really great, and directed by Scott Mescudi himself. Loving the trippy video effects and the slow rolling in the Cadillac in outer space, you really get the effect of being high when you watch it, so I think they achieved their goal. Not quite sure about the golden frame though, perhaps Cudi is trying to say it's a work of art, I'll let you decide for yourself.
My main man Sibot has recently released a free EP on Diplo's label Mad Decent. If you have never heard of Sibot before you are probably a nine year old girl being raised in a log cabin in Ventersdorp, or maybe you just arent familiar with one of the biggest names in South African electronica. Sibot is one of my personal favourite producers of electronic music, and his genres range from bass heavy glitch hop to crunchy dubstep to futuristic hip hop beats, his styles are truly unique.
His long spanning career has seen him produce music for a number of other prolific South African artists, most notably Die Antwoord (back when they were called Max Normal) and Spoek Mathambo. Needless to say, Sibot is a badass gangster nommer een with eyeballs all over his face and has a live show which will kick your ass and take your lunch money.
The Magnet Jam EP is a free release containing 2 tracks from his previous Throw Away EP and one brand new one. The title track is one nasty piece of work with booming bass drops and an electronic choir of synth-powered robots preparing for battle on the dancefloor, the perfect stage for a futuristic throw-down. The second track No Question is straight-up thug with tabasco sauce in the petrol tank. The glitchy breakbeats, wobbly synths and turntable scratching make a very tasty combination, look out for the awesome vocal sample at the end too. The final track Tronarist is a step in a different direction and has more of a funky edge to it, with some 80's style synths, vocoder effects and a bouncy rolling bassline that is the perfect soundtrack for rollerblading around Saturn's ring on a Saturday night with the homies.
Our blog has come to life! We are both very excited about the future of Supersonic Speakerbox Industries, and to celebrate we're posting the hilarious new music video for Dizzee Rascal's new single 'Bassline Junkie'. SSSB are very big fans of the Dizz, and his latest video doesn't disappoint.
Dizzee and his bizarre-looking sidekick try to spread their new religious cult around the neighborhood, and try to teach the local citizens the Way of the Bassline, and to stay away from drugs and other harmful activities. My personal favourite part of the video is the intro, where Dizzee swears at a small child. But besides having a classic music video, the track itself is extremely bouncy and contagious, and you'll feel yourself bouncing as soon as that bassline kicks in. I was probably singing the chorus for about 3 hours after I watched this.
