d'you wanna play with me?

it's no lie, I love songs that sample audio tracks of children. they are wonderful and adorable and so full of imagination, I don't know what to do with myself. it may come across as a bit of cheap gimmick from time to time, but when it comes to my dearest M83... I have the utmost faith in its artistic authenticity. Speaking of, it might be a bit of an early prediction, but Hurry Up We're Dreaming has my unconditional sponsorship for best album I've heard this year. It's explorative and soaring and emotionally poignant and just... everything I love about music. i clearly have a soft spot for raconte-moi un histoire, but i would recommend the full album with everything i have. don't waste any time - get it. any way you can.

M83 - raconte-moi un histoire

as restless as we are

you guys, did i mention this remix group i'm into called RAC?

givers - meantime (RAC mix)


this second track has a backstory to it, and rather than try to paraphrase it and misappropriate it for my own, why not read it straight from the source? and follow 'em while you're at it?

RAC - 1979 (ft. Liz Anjos)

homegirl drop it like the nasdaq

kettle corn! that's a fun-time snack!

i gave up on pretty much anything that the terms "rap" or "hip-hop" can be applied to a while ago, with a few notable exceptions (j.cole, blakroc, probably kanye west too - i'm a white guy in his 20's, fairly sure that i was legislatively mandated to listen to dark fantasy). but in a world dominated by mindless hashtag rap, the consistently hilarious donald glover's alter ego childish gambino is taking off, and i'm happy to follow in his wake. i don't quite know what it is about his music that i enjoy so much - his stripped-down beats seem almost amateurish at times, and his aggressive steal-your-white-girlfriend lyrics seem at odds with his happy-go-lucky day job. maybe it's leftover loyalty from back during his derrick comedy days (i remember being frustrated by constant blank stare responses to my "girls are not to be TRUSTED.... by kevin" routine), or maybe it's the guy's ability to put lyrics out there that test the boundary of acceptable (wait... are you talking about MY girlfriend?) while still getting a chuckle out of me.

here's bonfire, and keep your ears peeled for camp, his latest expected this november.

childish gambino - bonfire

a special tribute

o hai there.

terribly sorry i didn't notice you; i was just moving to another country and such.

my love for jamie xx is far from a secret at this point; on several occasions i have expressed my considerable enjoyment of his remix work and his groundbreaking collaboration with the late gil scott-heron, and the xx is and shall remain one of my favourite low-key albums in the whole universe. like any good producer, his releases are few and far between - he seems to have mastered the art of pacing, and i feel like i've had a chance to thoroughly process almost everything he's put out there, as opposed to gobbling it up too fast or losing interest, as i am prone to do with artists who go AWOL.

while i wait eagerly for whatever it is that he has to offer next, this BBC essential mix is just lovely - a full hour plus of carefully selected and tailored tracks that do to my ears almost what his original work is capable of. pro tip - if you really want it, it is certainly possible to find a downloadable copy of this online, should you look carefully enough.

jamie xx - BBC essential mix (august 27, 2011)
Jamie xx Essential Mix by Young Turks