No Hands by Wacka Flocka Flame, Roscoe Dash and Wale feature by John M. Ellison IV

Honestly, I better keep my mouth shut on this whole subject of artists that I don’t like. Just simply because whenever I make candid remarks regarding an artist’s musical output I have less than an interest in, I usually end up helping cover a story for my sister’s more pop-urban culture site and the artist’s she covers sometimes are the previous focus of my ire and criticism. But to be fair, they end up being cool people though and they impress me with their personal taste in music.

Now onto the neurotic overanalyzing of “No Hands” by Wacka Flocka Flame, Roscoe Dash and Wale.

Actually, I first heard this song on Wale’s online mixtape “More about Nothing” but the song went under the title, “The Guilty Pleasure (No Hands).” Obviously, I’m a fan of Wale or else I wouldn’t have downloaded the mixtape in the first place. At first, I was quite resistant to the song, but I guess another thing that won me over was when I saw that hilarious and inappropriate Eddie Long/No Hands video mash up that took the internet by storm. I’d post the video but it’s hard to find now due to copyright claims from WMG.

After a few listens and analyzing the track, I enjoyed the simple yet effective classical-informed production by Memphis producer Christopher Gholson, better known as “Drumma Boy.” In fact, I’ve even learned how to play the orchestral-esque bass line to “No Hands” on electric bass. Only thing that I’m trying to figure out is how Drumma did those really fast hi-hat rolls that kind of sound like a blackjack dealer shuffling cards.

In closing, don’t expect me to have Wacka Flocka Flame’s “Flockavelli” or anything by Roscoe Dash in my playlist any time soon, I can’t deny the fact that this track is a guilty pleasure of mine.

“Bands and Artists that I Hate but Who Have Songs That I Like” week

Hey, folks…I’m going to be blunt, there just some bands that I’m just not a fan of. Either they bore me or I just downright have a disdain for! Whether it’s their musical output, their unjustified snotty attitudes interviews or whatever…I just don’t like them. Bands like that, I don’t care about how large their fan base and how other critics call them genius or whatever…I just don’t care. But, it’s not to the point of being a “hater.” Mine are justifiable reasons, though. Maybe I feel some of their work is overproduced, overrated or oversaturated but either way just not “over” with me.

But, who am I to judge? Even as a musician, you’re supposed to have an open ear for everything, right? Maybe if I learn more about the artist I can probably respect them more for their personal music taste rather than their own work or if I know their personal taste I can hear it from another point of view.

With that being said, I admit that they’re some bands that have somewhat grown on me overtime and they have a song or two that I like by them.

So this week…I’m going to focus on “Bands and Artists that I Hate but Who Have Songs That I Like.”

Digital Mystikz’s Pathways feature by John M Ellison IV

I’m closing this week out by focusing on UK production duo, Digital Mystikz. Around 2002, Digital Mystikz members Kala and Coki started to create music together that was a combination of their respected influences that wasn’t exactly made for commercial consumption but something that they enjoyed themselves. But after sharing their compositions with “FWD” resident DJ Hatcha, Hatcha felt he could incorporate their tunes into his DJ set. Months later, Hatcha played Digital Mysticz’s “Pathways” at London night club “Plastic People” with positive feedback from the record. With their sparse beats, vocal samples, and dub-influenced brand of 2-step, their music was connected to a part of similar sounding by other producers called “dubstep” and thus this record and the duo became connected to the sound. Hopefully, the brief synopsis has you up to speed. Although they’re some other great productions that I could feature by them, I’m going to finish this week with one of the tunes that kicked off what we now know as dubstep titled “Pathways.”

“Pathways” was released in 2004 and was written by Digital Mystikz member Mark Lawrence, but better known to fans as “Mala.” Sound wise, with “Pathways”, there’s a sparse yet still very apparent 2-step beat that’s commonly used in garage, a vocal sample and a violin line that gives the tune a dramatic edge and the very important sub bass. It’s really more or less an instrumental 2-step/garage track that’s very much rooted in dub; the echoed siren kind of gives it away.

Even though I’m still new to dubstep, I can definitely see and hear that this is a missing link between what we know as 2-step/garage and dubstep.

Well folks, in conclusion for this week of the sparse, meditative, audio universe we know as dubstep. For anyone that wants to get into either understanding the history of dubstep as a fan or as someone trying to produce it and trying to understand the basics, I definitely would say this one of the tracks that you should start out with and discover more. Have a great weekend, peace.

Benga-Crunked Up feature by John M. Ellison IV

Beni Uthman or better known Benga is a 23 year old dubstep producer from East London and one of the first waves of dubstep producers in 2000s. Benga started making tracks on his playstation game system and then graduated to Fruity Loops after his parents bought him a computer. He was inspired to join the grime/garage scene after hearing the productions of producer “Wookie.”

He frequented a record store called Big Apple Records in Croydon, South London and was introduced to fellow producer Skream and together they recorded and collaborated on various projects that caught the ear of grime/2-step fans and DJs such as Francoise K and Mary Anne Hobbs.

With dubstep, it sounds like, to me at least a soundtrack to some weird dream. For example, with 2007’s “Crunked Up” off of “Diary of an African Warrior” sounds like some odd carnival/circus with clowns in makeup that look a cross between Violent J of rap-metal group Insane Clown Posse/The Joker from the Dark Knight performing parlor tricks while some dude that looks like the Marvel comic book character Dr. Strange plays the calliope…wow, I have to stop letting my “really” personal thoughts seep into these reviews.

Anyway, “Crunked Up” is an example of why I consider dubstep as crunk’s younger british cousin. After repeated listening, I’m still enamored by this compositions use of sub-bass, intricate drum programming, calliope-y sounds and synth pad and the rapid fire drum rolls really are hypnotic.

I would recommend this for anyone that’s looking for something that sounds like what you could explain as “post-crunk.”

La Roux-In for the Kill (Skream’s Let’s Get Ravey remix)

Y’know how they say that marijuana is a gateway drug? Well, I see remixes as a gateway to different forms of music that one might not be usually accustomed to. Kind of like a peak into a different world that the listener might not be exactly used to. In this case, I’m going to use the Skream produced dubstep influenced remix of LaRoux’s “In for the Kill” as an example.

Honestly, I wasn’t really familiar with the original song, let alone the remix; I mean looking back I probably heard the song in passing when watching Entourage or just channel flipping and heard the song in the commercial for the video game “Bayonetta” but I just didn’t all around pay attention to it because it didn’t grab my interest. But, I’ve been on this dubstep bender recently and one song they recommended was “In for the Kill by La Roux ( Skream’s Let’s Get Ravey mix).”

Also, I wasn’t that familiar with La Roux; first thing I thought of was the wrestler from WCW.

So, I click on the song and the first thing I hear this melodic synth line with this vinyl crackle, then this deep bass tone and this echo-y vocal just had almost hypnotized. The arrangement is quite minimal; seriously, first verse and chorus…nothing but slightly wobbly sub-bass, echo-y vocal and high pitch synth. It’s so simple, but it just kept my attention throughout the song. Then when you think it’s over at 4:05, it picks back up with this hardcore break beat vibe at 4:10 and rides it out to the end. I had this thing on repeat for a little bit, in fact I even tried learning the song by ear. With me, that’s a big honor for any song.

In closing, for the anal retentive dubstep purist, this might not satisfy them. But, it’s hard to satisfy types like that. But, for the ones who are getting into dubstep, I definitely recommend this song to start them off.

Caspa-I Beat My Robot by John M Ellison IV

I’m still new to dubstep, but I thought I’d talk about producer Gary McCann, aka Quiet Storm but now known as Caspa. Well, it seems that Caspa’s career in music actually started out due to a debilitating shoulder injury that cut his budding basketball career short. Even though sports was more of his main interest, he grew up in a very musical household and enjoyed “jungle/drum and bass” but due to the injury he quit basketball and was quite depressed until he re-focused his attention on music. In 2004, Caspa released his first effort with a tune called “Rubber Chicken.” Which features the wobbling bass sound that is quite popular within dubstep.

Anyway, with the composition “I Beat my Robot” I have to say, I’m more or less hypnotized right now by the impact of a track with such a bare minimum of synth-bass and a shuffle-y 2-step pattern. As monotonous as it might sound, it keeps my interest throughout the whole song. The light build-ups and atmospheric synth makes me feel like I’m in a trippy dream or something that was left off the Saw soundtrack. Seriously, I’m feeling this track. Enjoy.

http://www.myspace.com/caspadubstep

Beginning of Dubstep week by John M. Ellison IV

Dubstep sounds like crunk’s english younger cousin and grime’s younger brother. Also, it kind of sounds like Ambient Dub’s more moodier kid. Being a fan of dub, drum and bass, grime and UK garage since I was like 16, I oddly enough wasn’t that interested in dubstep when I first heard some of it. It wasn’t bad, just wasn’t in the right head space. But, take into consideration that’s not that unusual with me.

What usually happens with me with music that I show resistance to. But, when a genre does grow on me and connects, I just dive into it head first. In fact, I even have some attempts at making dubstep but using real bass though. I’ll probably release later.

For more information, check out this video so you can become more acquainted with the sound of dubstep.

The Walk by the Cure feature by John M. Ellison IV

To cap off, the theme of bands that used drum machines week, I’ve decided to finish it with “The Walk” by The Cure. Actually, this some has even more significance now because I just found out that they used an Oberheim DMX drum machine on this song. Why is it significant? Simple, it’s because I used the same drum machine on some of my tracks back in my teens…well, that’s before the machine went kaput. Well, obviously it would conk out; I mean my dad got it back in the 80’s I was using it in the ‘00s. Ah well, luckily they’re drum samples that you can use now and sequence in FL Studio.

Anyway, enough nostalgia, “The Walk” is the name of a 1983 single by The Cure that appeared on “Japanese Whispers”, a compilation of singles by the Cure. The song peaked at #12 and making this the Cure’s first entry into the UK Top 20. Anyway, enough of the chart info…who cares?

I really enjoyed “The Walk” because of the really cool synthesizer and drum machine combo that’s reminiscent of New Order’s Blue Monday…which also used an Oberheim DMX drum machine. Wow, this was a really popular drum machine. Interesting enough, instead of the entire band on here they’re only two members of the Cure playing on this song, those members being Lol Tolhurst and Robert Smith.

Lol Tolhurst’s use of the Oberheim DMX really make the usual melancholy sound of the Cure really funky and something you would toss on at 80’s night at a club or just something to listen to in general. Robert’s trademark warbling emotional vocals and his chorus effect laden guitar playing combined with the electro keyboard sound has this 80’s classic still sounding current.

All and all I hope you enjoyed the theme of “Rock Bands that Used Drum Machines” this week as much as I’ve enjoyed sharing this info with you. Peace.

Marilyn Manson-Tainted Love feature by John M Ellison IV

Holy crap Marilyn Manson does a lot of covers, I mean from Gary Numan, AC/DC, John Lennon, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins…the list goes on! Anyway, I’m going to focus on Marilyn Manson’s cover of the Gloria Jones classic “Tainted Love.” This version was originally featured on the “Not Another Teen Movie” soundtrack and was tagged on as bonus track on Marilyn Manson’s Golden Age of Grotesque.

This version of the northern soul classic is more of a darker re-imagining of the cover by post-punk band Soft Cell. So, it’s kind of like a cover of a cover…if that makes sense to you. This version is produced by Marilyn Manson, Tim Skold of KMFDM and also collaborator on Marilyn Manson’s “Eat Me Drink Me” album and Ben Grosse. What really caught my ear is a drum sound on this song that I can best describe as a “Roland drum machine from Hell” that gives it kind of an industrial crunk kind of sound. With that, it’s accompanied with heavy guitars and Manson’s trademark strained, wailing vocal.

Like most of his covers, they’re a dark yet refreshing re-visioning of a classic. Enjoy.

Prince’s When Doves Cry feature by John M. Ellison IV

Along with the theme of bands and artists who use drum machines, I’m going along with Prince Rogers Nelson, but better known as His Royal, Badness, TAFKAP, but just known to fans as Prince. Interesting enough, most of the bands I’m going to feature this week are from the mid-west…go figure. I’m not sure if a lot of people are aware of this or not, but on his albums, Prince actually plays a good amount of the instruments himself and uses a touring band when he goes on the road…actually, kind of a similar model that Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) uses. Also, Trent Reznor is a fan of Prince…just saying. So, in this case I’m going to feature the single “When Doves Cry” off of the classic Purple Rain album. Interesting enough, Prince added the song “When Doves Cry” after all the other tracks on the album were completed.

A lot of people might not realize at first listen but, there is no bass line on “When Doves Cry.” Originally there was a bass line but Prince felt with the bass line intact, the song too conventional. But, during the Purple Rain tour, then bassist Brown Mark added a bass line to “When Doves Cry” and other compositions that didn’t include a bass line. So, it’s just stripped down to him playing guitar, him programming a beat on a Linn LM-1 drum machine and him singing. Wow, just guitar/vocals and drum, y’know, it kind of reminds me of the modern power duo model that bands like White Stripes, Japandroids and Black Keys use. Anyway, here’s Prince’s When Doves Cry.