Now it's time for something a bit different than what I might usually post.
Usually I'm all about electronic music, but don't get the wrong idea, we're not joined at the hip. As for rap, most of the mainstream stuff doesn't float my boat, but recently I heard an absolutely bangin' track courtesy of Yung L.A. (rapping in my least favorite style of rapping, which I like to call "liddle-liddle" rapping) but the production from Nard & B, Ricco Barrino's strong, panning, melodic vocals on the chorus, and goodness, that flute riff...holy shit is that catchy. Ricco Barrino is the best R&B singer to perform on a rapper's track in a long time. He does it the RIGHT way. Not the T-Pain way. I could do without Yung L.A., but sheesh I'll be damned if this isn't the catchy track in a long while. Pray for a remix featuring anyone BUT Mr. Austin. Preferably Jay-Z.
So now we come to Javelin. The best track of the self-released "Jamz n Jemz", "Vibrationz", is a cavalcade of nursery-rhyme tinks and dings. Spacey, cheery, breezy, all are words to describe this short, yet oddly catchy track. Before you can get into it, it's over, not overstaying its welcome by any stretch. Reminds me a little of Ratatat, but a little more rooted in ambient and house and less in straight-forward rock. Love the fractured vocals and the lush, mellow synths. Enjoy.
Last but not least, we have Canadian electrofunk duo Chromeo doing their version of the Eagles' ballad "I Can't Tell You Why". If you know Chromeo, you know what to expect: catchy, plonky, shimmering synths, light, simple guitarwork, vocoders, and of course, funky drum work highlighted by hi-hats and snares. Love the chorus most of all!
There you have it. Enjoy, bop out.
-RBGK
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
The French Connection Pt. II: Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, & Daft Punk
Anyone who knows me knows I love Daft Punk. I mean, who HASN'T heard of Daft Punk? Even if you aren't familiar with the French house duo, you've most definitely heard their 2001 hit "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" sampled by Kanye West for his own hit "Stronger" off of 2007's "Graduation". Or maybe you've heard their nu disco megahit "One More Time", which has been played at countless proms, homecomings, and annual dances the world over. Here are a few of my personal favorite, and less well known, Daft Punks tracks off of both their stellar 1997 debut "Homework", and 2001's "Discovery", which happens to be one of my favorite albums of all time.
Now that we got THAT out of the way, let's get to the main topic of discussion: Daft Punk as parts.
One of these parts is Thomas Bangalter. The taller of the two, Bangalter is most well-known for Daft Punk and for running his own amazing French house label, Roule. Here, he spouted a whole ton of glittering, sparkling house gems in a style that would be echoed in his creation as one half of Daft Punk. His personal tracks are all about soul samples, rippling, funky bass, catchy synth riffs, and dynamic, one-of-a-kind grooving drums. Like Fred Falke, but a little heavy and a bit more funky. Enjoy! Here are some of his best:
With DJ Falcon (fellow labelmate) Bangalter takes a typical soul sample and slingshots it headlong through his signature boppin' synths, and thumping, bouncing kicks and snares.
That last one is one of my favorites. I absolutely love the synth riff and the happy-go-lucky refrain!!
Alright, Bangalter is absolutely amazing (here's one of his best remixes (or edits rather))...
BUT
Guy-Maunel deserves just as much credit for what he did before the birth of Daft Punk. With fellow Frenchman, producer, and label co-owner Eric Chedeville (under the alias Le Knight Club), Homem-Christo released his own French house gems, with a similar feel to Bangalter's tracks: soul samples, synths, laidback drumwork, the works. His are some of the best hits, off the label, Crydamoure (a variation of the French phrase cri d'amour or "cry of love"):
And together, they formed Daft Punk, which we all know and love. I will follow up to this post with a little more info on the two individuals, but for now, enjoy and as always, the music sounds better with you!!! Bop out.
-RBGK
Now that we got THAT out of the way, let's get to the main topic of discussion: Daft Punk as parts.
One of these parts is Thomas Bangalter. The taller of the two, Bangalter is most well-known for Daft Punk and for running his own amazing French house label, Roule. Here, he spouted a whole ton of glittering, sparkling house gems in a style that would be echoed in his creation as one half of Daft Punk. His personal tracks are all about soul samples, rippling, funky bass, catchy synth riffs, and dynamic, one-of-a-kind grooving drums. Like Fred Falke, but a little heavy and a bit more funky. Enjoy! Here are some of his best:
With DJ Falcon (fellow labelmate) Bangalter takes a typical soul sample and slingshots it headlong through his signature boppin' synths, and thumping, bouncing kicks and snares.
That last one is one of my favorites. I absolutely love the synth riff and the happy-go-lucky refrain!!
Alright, Bangalter is absolutely amazing (here's one of his best remixes (or edits rather))...
BUT
Guy-Maunel deserves just as much credit for what he did before the birth of Daft Punk. With fellow Frenchman, producer, and label co-owner Eric Chedeville (under the alias Le Knight Club), Homem-Christo released his own French house gems, with a similar feel to Bangalter's tracks: soul samples, synths, laidback drumwork, the works. His are some of the best hits, off the label, Crydamoure (a variation of the French phrase cri d'amour or "cry of love"):
And together, they formed Daft Punk, which we all know and love. I will follow up to this post with a little more info on the two individuals, but for now, enjoy and as always, the music sounds better with you!!! Bop out.
-RBGK
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The French Connection Pt. I: Fred Falke & Alan Braxe
This second post is going to be written in honor of one of my favorite producers/remixers of all-time: Fred Falke. Along with Alan Braxe, these two French royalties have been plopping out French house gems since 2004. Their signature glittery, bright, carefree, and bubbly synths over tight, simple snares and kicks let the mind at ease and send the listener on a blissful (albeit repetitive) joyride. Yes, I know it can get kind of boring, but if you just let your doubts go, there's definitely something to enjoy here. Here are a few choice cuts by the two, off Vulture Music's (owned and run by Braxe) treasure chest compilation "The Upper Cuts" (check it out on Amazon!) Enjoy.
Rippling bass guitar, more eclectic, dreamy synths, and stellar backing drums...
Although I do love Alan Braxe's remix of Benjamin Diamond's "Let's Get High" (check in later for a link), Fred Falke is by FAR the better producer. He's remixed countless big names, from Kelis, The Whitest Boy Alive, Annie, and even Eric Prydz himself! His brings the same signature chill, cool, and absolutely amazing French house touch to all his remixes, and it shows in all of them. Here are some of my all-time favorites:
Enjoy, my friends, and I will see you back with a new post on Monday; I'm off on vacation!!! :D
Until then, bop out.
-RBGK
Rippling bass guitar, more eclectic, dreamy synths, and stellar backing drums...
Although I do love Alan Braxe's remix of Benjamin Diamond's "Let's Get High" (check in later for a link), Fred Falke is by FAR the better producer. He's remixed countless big names, from Kelis, The Whitest Boy Alive, Annie, and even Eric Prydz himself! His brings the same signature chill, cool, and absolutely amazing French house touch to all his remixes, and it shows in all of them. Here are some of my all-time favorites:
Enjoy, my friends, and I will see you back with a new post on Monday; I'm off on vacation!!! :D
Until then, bop out.
-RBGK
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Beginning/Start/Genesis
Finally. I really never thought this would happen, but it is. It's almost a dream come true: I'm blogging about my favorite music. What could be cooler than that?!?!
Enough chit chat, the name's Rob. Or Rob Rebop. Or Rebop. Or DJ Goodknight. Anyone of those. Take your pick.
Alright, let's kick things off with a track about the beginning of things to come: Genesis. The first track of French electro duo Justice's 2007 debut (Cross), Genesis encompasses everything Justice represents: sweeping orchestral intro, squelchy, rippling synths, and dirty, gritty drumwork that has come to be known (at least by me) as the signature Justice sound. It's heard on their album, their remixes, everything Justice. The intro ALONE here is epic, and the silence builds the tension until...BOOM the song kicks into overdrive. You can't do much better than this track if electro is your joint.
In this first post I plan to outline the stuff I like to listen to most, and now that electro is out of the way, what's next? UK Garage of course.
Without a doubt, Mike Skinner (b.k.a. The Streets) is one of my favorite rappers of all-time. Case in point: Blinded By The Lights. Sure, he flows about as well as week-old mac & cheese. But does it matter? Sure, he's hardly even rapping, more rap-talking, but does THAT matter? No. The synths are spacey, otherworldly, uncomfortable almost. Skinner sounds uncomfortable as well, as if this isn't a track but an actual experience he's having. His tone, his voice, his stress, the whole track is a meta-story; a story within a story. UK Garage is definitely hard to listen to and it's an acquired taste, but it can tell stories and strike chords that few other genres can hope to touch. See the entire 2004 album "A Grand Don't Come For Free" for the entire, poignant, and gripping story.
So...electronic music, rap, and...what's left? Good ol' rock n' roll. Courtesy of French alt rock group Phoenix. Guitars, drums, vocals, yep. The whole deal.
Lisztomania is the kickoff track of Phoenix's absolutely stellar 2009 release "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix". It kicks off with seemingly monotonous two-note riff, before spiraling into the clouds with bouncing, catchy drums, ambient, sky-bound synths, and Thomas Mars' bright, almost beckoning voice, bringing the listener into the depths of the song. The entirety of the song is a flight through clouds, dreams, and all things cheery and happy. This song is simple pleasant. Rollicking, floating, diving, roaring, this song has it all. Quite the opener on such an album, but the rest does anything but disappoint. It's in stores now!!
That's it for now! Please enjoy and expect another post tomorrow. Gotta get things rollin' around here!! Oh yes, and I just ordered Major Lazer's album and SebastiAn's "A Fine Selection of Remixes", so expect those reviews soon. Bop out.
-RBGK
Enough chit chat, the name's Rob. Or Rob Rebop. Or Rebop. Or DJ Goodknight. Anyone of those. Take your pick.
Alright, let's kick things off with a track about the beginning of things to come: Genesis. The first track of French electro duo Justice's 2007 debut (Cross), Genesis encompasses everything Justice represents: sweeping orchestral intro, squelchy, rippling synths, and dirty, gritty drumwork that has come to be known (at least by me) as the signature Justice sound. It's heard on their album, their remixes, everything Justice. The intro ALONE here is epic, and the silence builds the tension until...BOOM the song kicks into overdrive. You can't do much better than this track if electro is your joint.
In this first post I plan to outline the stuff I like to listen to most, and now that electro is out of the way, what's next? UK Garage of course.
Without a doubt, Mike Skinner (b.k.a. The Streets) is one of my favorite rappers of all-time. Case in point: Blinded By The Lights. Sure, he flows about as well as week-old mac & cheese. But does it matter? Sure, he's hardly even rapping, more rap-talking, but does THAT matter? No. The synths are spacey, otherworldly, uncomfortable almost. Skinner sounds uncomfortable as well, as if this isn't a track but an actual experience he's having. His tone, his voice, his stress, the whole track is a meta-story; a story within a story. UK Garage is definitely hard to listen to and it's an acquired taste, but it can tell stories and strike chords that few other genres can hope to touch. See the entire 2004 album "A Grand Don't Come For Free" for the entire, poignant, and gripping story.
So...electronic music, rap, and...what's left? Good ol' rock n' roll. Courtesy of French alt rock group Phoenix. Guitars, drums, vocals, yep. The whole deal.
Lisztomania is the kickoff track of Phoenix's absolutely stellar 2009 release "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix". It kicks off with seemingly monotonous two-note riff, before spiraling into the clouds with bouncing, catchy drums, ambient, sky-bound synths, and Thomas Mars' bright, almost beckoning voice, bringing the listener into the depths of the song. The entirety of the song is a flight through clouds, dreams, and all things cheery and happy. This song is simple pleasant. Rollicking, floating, diving, roaring, this song has it all. Quite the opener on such an album, but the rest does anything but disappoint. It's in stores now!!
That's it for now! Please enjoy and expect another post tomorrow. Gotta get things rollin' around here!! Oh yes, and I just ordered Major Lazer's album and SebastiAn's "A Fine Selection of Remixes", so expect those reviews soon. Bop out.
-RBGK
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