‘Don’t Copy That Floppy’ Will Make You Want to Pirate Every Game You’ve Ever Played
Archives
All posts for the month June, 2013
Bassadelic.com presents: ‘Epic Crash Cymbal Samples’
______________________________________________________
Click the link above to get these nice, polished, and punchy cymbals now.
William Dunn (the audio engineer who also produces electronic music under the monikers StrangeFlow and 5ifty$ix K) has provided this samples resource, which contains 31 high-fidelity cymbal drum crash samples in .WAV format.
These samples are, in many cases, layered, and some of them boast incredibly long sustains, to help fill in sound gaps in music production.
They each range in time from 11 seconds to almost 30 seconds in duration. They are rinsed and affected samples that were recorded, originally, from a variety of sound sources, including the TR 808; the TR 909; the TR 68 (an especially rare drum machine); the DMX 606; and more. They are unique in structure, and each have received a full range of hi-fi sound manipulations (including different forms of compression; and in some cases, minor phasing and slight frequency-shifting) to make them much more palatable and professional-sounding.
Basically, these cymbals have been designed to be as useful in mixing and music production as possible. If you’re looking to give some real weight to a drop or breakdown in the middle of a song, these ultra-crisp crash cymbals will really help! You won’t have to worry about whether or not your cymbal drums will be sound sufficiently thick and satisfying when you drop one of these into your next massive tune.
They are recommended for electronic dance music of all forms; especially house music, trap, drum n bass, electro, and juke.
Samples of this quality really speak for themselves, and when you hear them in your final mix, you’ll hear the difference.
Want a few free samples?
_________________________________________________________
All of these samples are royalty-free, encoded in 16 bit, 44.100 hz .WAV format , and usable in any standard DAW component or software that allows for .WAV audio support.
You can use these samples in any production, both personal AND commercial. You can NOT, however, resell them as your own.
Welly, welly, well! I’ve just parachuted out of my awesome Bassadelic 747 to touch BASS in Saint-Petersburg, where an artist by the name of Raumskaya is killing the dancefloor with his awesomely-catchy strain of juke music.
Yes, footwork and juke music have gotten to Eastern Europe, and yet there are a number of Americans who STILL don’t know what it is. But that’s ok, that’s always how it is. Honestly, I have friends back in Michigan who have no idea what trap music is. Ah well. The point is, the high tempo has been sweeping across the GLOBE in the last few years, and it’s interesting to see how different cultures interpret a musical language in slightly different ways.
Here’s another one by Raumskaya, featuring samples of a Russian musician, Mihey, called ‘Suka Ljubov (Tribute to Mihey).’ It has a certain melodic angling that I don’t hear as often in Western music, and it also jukes out pretty damn well, too. It fits in anywhere footwork and uptempo dance music is played.
Then, there’s Pixelord. Though Pixelord spans the gambit of electronic music, from colorful 2-step to wonky 8-bit dancefloor symphonies, he is also on a new compilation of juke producers from Russia, with a Gucci Mane mashup with arpeggiated 8-bit-sounding notes of raw and fast color. The kind of colorful notes that you don’t even have to have synethsesia or be on LSD to appreciate. SAFE’N’SOUND vol.1 is the name of this release, by the North-West Community. Actually, Raumskaya, whom I just mentioned a bit earlier, is on this release as well. It’s a… TWENTY-NINE-SONG-COMPILATION – and it’s also FREE, somehow!! They have some bonus material, too; like a limited edition CD, but that one’s sold out, unfortunately.
Hey, since I’ve already mentoned Raumskaya twice, here’s ANOTHER release he’s involved with; a compilation by the Russian Ghetto Community. It’s called, simply, ‘Russian Ghetto Compilation, Vol. 1,’ it’s 22 tracks (with artists such as Gillepsy, OL, Tronical, Malefique, Lokiboi, Munguugnum, Mihey, Spaceman, Sofia Rotaru, DJ Ramzan, and DJ Lishniy, among others) it’s only seven bucks, and they had this to say about it:
Appealing to Russian pop-heritage of the 90s always seemed to be ambiguous. One could laugh, one could seriously call it “reincarnation”. But obviously no one could deny,
that this tendency reached everyone who loves underground electronic music in Russia.
Russian Ghetto Compilation Vol.1 is a reflection of this tendency. We gathered 20 tracks from different producers all over the country in order to redefine forgotten pop melodies from the past and give them a new life by means of ghetto music.
Берёза (Beryoza) who apparently started and helped organize the Russian Ghetto Community, put a mixtape out; and what’s better than a mixtape? Nothing, if you ask me. So, here you go:
And yes, there’s a free download of that one.
So, it appears as though juke and footwork music have begun to transcend international borders (well, THAT already happened when it went East and West to London and Tokyo) but now it’s in Eastern Europe. Good! Now, I know what your next question is…
You’re thinking, StrangeFlow, or 5ifty$ix K, or Will, or whatever the fuck your goddamn stupid name is – who was your tour guide, in all this? Surely you didn’t just land in St. Petersburg by yourself, and explore dance club after dance club for months on end, with only a few dollars and a bagel in your pocket, hoping that you might find the new sound of Russia?
Yes, you got it; that’s precisely what happened.
No, actually, my tour guide in all this was a dude named BEARDUS! He’s a talented motherfucker, capable in the many realms of footwork (as well as FOOTWORK JUNGLE!!!!) and whilst I petition him to be on my own footwork jungle label (‘Dynasty Shit,’ of course!) he was kind enough to give me the heads up on some talented musicians in the scene…
I dropped in on him during his live set, which is called, ‘Beardus special for ƒ⊗⊗✞ωσяк נ∇ηgℓє.’ And, well, Beardus, I’m sorry that when I drifted down out of the sky, I landed smack dab in the middle of your mixin’ table, my parachute knocking over your turntables and smashing several of your rarest records. That was straight up RUDE of me, and I hope you’ll forgive me. But anyway, here’s the mix he was playing, for ƒ⊗⊗✞ωσяк נ∇ηgℓє:
I told Beardus I wasn’t able, during my travels, to buy him a new set of turntables, but instead saying that, “I’d be glad to buy you a drink of vodka – perhaps that will make up for it?”
He looked a bit displeased, but he understood it was all an accident.
So, we sat and had a drink, and I asked him about the electronic music scene in Russia, to which he responded, “So, today, Russian bass n beats scene has a lot of talented musicians,” as he explained, he pulled out a sheet of paper – twas a list of artists to check out, and I will let you in on the contents of that sheet of paper, now:
Raumskaya
Pixelord
✿ DZA ✿
BMB
Eight One Three
Aleph ܐ
Damscray
OL
So, THANKS AGAIN, Beardus, for enlightening me about the music scene in Russia. Super glad to see so much juke coming out from Russia!
Signing out!
-Will
Deon Custom (Deon van Ooijen) has a new album out. What is it? Well… as already stated, it’s a “smorgasbord of dutch meta-wonky TRAPocalyptic skwee-rock!” Duh.
Really, some might say that a better way to describe it would be to say that it’s eclectic (but I wouldn’t, as ‘eclectic’ is the most lazy and inarticulate word anyone could ever use.) but to dumb it down, let’s say it’s ‘GOOD EDM.’ I guess I’m just excited about it and decided to over-defined it. But it definitely sounds skweeeeelicious to me! (“meta-wonky,” on the other hand, doesn’t mean a damn thing.)
It’s an album filled with thick textures and pads, trappy & steppy beats, and synthesized melodies that sound like they were sampled from some oddball alternative-European-Sega Genesis that Hudson Mohawke has been manipulating for the last year and a half, secretly.
The album is called, ‘Ametrine,’ and it’s definitely worth a go. A standout track is, ‘Howling,’ which sounds like some retro ice-level (from a Euro-Sega) complete with shiny, ringing bells and a vageuly desolate frostbit-feel; melding into a complex, funky and synth-happy rhythm with a delightfully thick snare to keep things snapping… Like other tunes on the album, this one reminds me of other wonky or downtempo artists, such as Nosaj Thing. Though I’ll point out right away, Deon Custom sounds pretty unique, even compared to such aforementioned wonkyists as Nosaj Thing or Hudson Mo. There’s an experimental feel, and yet the whole thing stays pretty driving, maintaining a perfect balance between dance-and-art – making it clear that you CAN have your cake and eat it, too. Because, first of all, what the fuck else can you do with cake, really? And second of all, I wish some artists (that’ll remain nameless) should REALLy get the memo that you can make big thumpin’ trax that are ALSO beautiful and interesting and unique and playful.
The synth work on this album is so fucking fun and expressive – and in such a unique way. To me, and my musical biases, I can’t help but hear a ton of squeely and floaty skweee sounds popping all over the place. The difference, however, is that THIS skweeelectable piece of music doesn’t have that, uh (how do I put this?..) OK, you know how skweee can be fun, but… REALLY ANNOYING, in a certain way? Occasionally hurting your ears? Yea. But this stuff? Neh, it keeps the good and deletes the annoying!
I’m going to keep an eye or two on Deon, and I’d recommend you do the same :) PROPS, Deon!
Deon Custom’s ‘Ametrine,’ is available on Basserk Records. It just came out, and you should definitely check it! Word up, Dordrecht, Netherlands!
Trill Scott Heron has been blowing shit on fire for awhile now with his blend of ultra purple “future screw” material. But what the fuck is future screw? Well, do you know what chopped n screwed music is? It’s basically that, but, uh… more future’d out…
So what’s chopped n screwed?
Over two decades ago, DJ Screw, a Houston hip hop DJ, slowed down the hip hop – waaay down – and then chopped it, adding a faux-stutter to parts of the song. Then, he would phase it out while occasionally spicing up the intro or outro with his own vocal toasting on top. It’s a fun remix style. And, like many styles of music, there is a strong drug connection to it; in this case, it’s called syrup. You don’t HAVE to be on syrup to enjoy the music, that’s for sure – but the slowed down and phasey quasi-psychedelic nature of the music goes well with codein and sprite.
Anyway, what the fuck is future screw?
There are definitely different variations of it, but some of the most notable strains seem to include the same slooooowed-down aesthetics that you would expect from a screw (or skrew) track (using modern hip hop / trap beats as the primary source of remixed material) but in addition, those dutch house synths that were made popular in moombah (and trap) are added, as well (slowed down considerably). The result? Bing, bang! You got future screw!!
So, how the fuck is Trill Scott Heron, why does his name sound familiar, and what is this new mixtape of his?
Ok, seriously, stop swearing at me, and I’ll tell you!
Gil Scott Heron was a vocalist from the 60s and 70s (and actually had a comeback recently) who is best known for his civil-rights-era politically poetic vocals and beautiful jazzy instrumental music, with songs such as “The Revolution Will Not be Televised,” and “Winter in America.” Trill Scott Heron is most likely a play on Gil’s name, just as Philip D. Kick is a play on Philip K. Dick, Diles Mavis as a play on Miles Davis, etc.
Trill Scott Heron is a fucking champion, though! He’s been prolifically future screwing the fuck outta music lately, and I thought his new mixtape (which I’m listening to for the third time, now) deserved a mention on Bassadelic. So, the mixtape is presented by Trill Scott and trapstyle.com, it’s called, ‘Future Screw 3,’ and it’s available here, or you can listen below:
Gimme more future screw, I’m addicted. Or allergic. Or something, but I’m having a strong reaction to it!
Ah, no problem!! There’s “STYLSS SUICIDE PACT : T H R E E – Future Screw Mixtape Hosted by 8oh8 of ȘƱƁx₡ῌɌØИῗϾ.” (FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m not gonna lie, I copied and pasted that entire name. I have no idea where all those letters and doodles are on the character map, and I’m too lazy to go lookin… Anywhoooo….) ȘƱƁx₡ῌɌØИῗϾ is dope, and 8oh8 shows definite capability in the purple department. The mixtape is very enjoyable and chill, and I recommend a good ol’ fashioned listen!
Top Ten Chillwave Trax! by Will Dunn (aka StrangeFlow, aka 5ifty$ix K)
So, in the last few years, there’s been a new sound in music.. For now, I’m going to refer to it as ‘chillwave,’ as some other folks have been – but really, it’s a loosely applied label. It’s a broad-ranging sound, and really, it’s best to understand it (in my opinion) as more of a mood that’s taken told, rather than a genre. Alternative r&b is another label given to it. Or, just ‘vibes.’ Some of it you could call downtempo-wonky, an some of it has a decidedly throwback 80s-shoegaze-y feel to it, as well. But, as I said, it’s better to understand it, for the time being (again, in my opinion) as more of a mood that’s gotten bigger in the last few years, perhaps as a cultural shift has taken place. When you’re done raging out, and want some chill grooves (but still want the same drum boxes, grooves, and aesthetics as what you might hear in electronic or hip hop music, you might journey over to the smoking lounge, put on some chillwave shit, and chill.
Modern, retro, lush, chill, thick, vibey, and dreamy; these are all, in a surprisingly cohesive way, descriptions of this sound. As with much of the music of the Internet Generation (Ha, yea that’s right – I’m not calling it Generation Y. Sorry, condescending Baby Boomers) there is such a willingness of young people to learn about and engage themselves in a large range of artistic and musical styles that a music as open and loosely as chillwave was bound to emerge.
Also, it’s good to point out that this is often how new styles of music have always organically emerged, until corporate media whores like Rolling Stone, NME, MTV (or the idiots at VH1) pick up on – and over-label the fuck out of – it, stagnate it, look for their “Kurt Cobain” of the art form, and then, a few years later, declare it ‘passed it’s peak;’ only to pick up on the next wave of music they can jerk off and sell back to us in a cheaper, triter shell.
Or, you could look at it from a much simpler angle; people need music to chill out to, and this shit is modern chill out music, plain and simple. I say, since there are so many variations of modern hip hop-ish / electronic-ish / retro-80s-ish lush of chill out music, I’m happy to just find some good tunes and go with ’em. Eh?
Hell, I’ll probably have to do a top ten for wonky, a top ten for alt. r&b, top ten for shoegaze shit, eventually to; just to differentiate a bit. Though if there’s crossover, that’s fine. This top ten is ALL about crossover, really.
OK, Let’s get to it!
10. Washed Out – Feel it All Around
9. Neon Indian – Polish Girl
8. Flying Lotus – Massage Situation
7. Lindsay Lowend – Mmmmm
6. Flying Lotus – RobertaFlack(Mike Slott’s Other Mix)
5. Luvian – Haze
4. Samiyam – Return
I can say, from personal experience, that Samiyam is GREAT sex music ;)
3. Teedra Moses – Be Your Girl (Kaytranada Extended Edition)
2. Samiyam & Hudson Mohawke – Eff This – Juice Vol. 88
1. Xxyyxx – About You
Bassadelic.com :: #1 samples source online! We help electronic / hip hop producers with sounds, resources, tutz, theory, interviews & more! 