Best of 2011 • OKSG

(in no order)

LPs•••

Machinedrum - Room(s) • Kendrick Lamar- Section.80 • Toro y Moi- Underneath the Pine • SBTRKT- SBTRKT • James Blake - James Blake

Zomby - Dedication • Little Dragon - Ritual Union • Drake - Take Care • Martyn - Ghost People • Thundercat - The Golden Age of Apocalypse





EPs•••

Robin Hannibal - Bobby EP • Julio Bashmore - Everyone Needs a Theme Tune • Hudson Mohawke - Satin Panthers


Honorable Mentions•••

Africa Hitech- 93 Million Miles
Drive Motion Picture Sdtk,- Cliff Martinez
Jay Z & Kanye West- Watch the Throne
Radiohead - King of Limbs
Teebs- Collections01
The Weeknd - House of Balloons

Best Tracks•••

Love What Happened Here- James Blake
Niggas in Paris- Jay Z and Kanye West
Clockworks- Canblaster
Original Don- Major Lazer
Music Deep Inside- Zed Bias
Thinking About You - Frank Ocean
Rolling in the deep (Jamie xx Shuffle)- Adele
6 Foot 7 Foot- Lil Wayne
Falsehood- A1 Bassline
Free Spirit/ AT2 - Araabmuzik
AU79 - Tyler the Creator
Chrysalis Reords/ Naples - Egyptrixx
Body Work/Wish You were Mine- The Dream/ Terrius Nash
ISEEU- Lunice
Look At Me Now- Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne
I Do (ft. Jay Z and Andre3K)- Young Jeezy
Houston Head- Asap Rocky
I'll Take care of You -Jamie xx and Gil Scott Heron
Brave (Darksky remix) -Kelis
take me- kingdom
another girl- jacques greene
Berlin- Modselektor
Studio/ I Really Feel- Dj Spinn
Paradise Circus- Massive Attack & Burial
Rayne- Samuel Max
promises- kode 9 and spaceape
replica - oneohtrix point never
parallel world/ murder plaza- actress
i'm god- clams casino
motivation- lil b
miranda- ifan dafydd
la la - the stepkids
incantation- james pants

Best Mixes -

Poise (µix)- Yao
People Want Sugar- Kid Fresh
LOVERSMELT2- Flying Lotus
BBC Essential Mix - Kode9
RINSE FM Mix (April) - Sbtrkt
Guest Mix for Benji B - Hudson Mohawke
XLr8r podcast- Nguzumguzu
XLr8r podcast- Kingdom

Kendrick Lamar " Buried Alive"

Drake's new album has just dropped and the hi light for me was seeing that my fav emcee of the moment got a nice feature on that thang. Kendrick's " Buried Alive" ends "Marvin's Room" and doesn't disappoint. His words carry great weight in this verse.

Stream. Download here

Kendrick Lamar- OD (2010)

I'm so hyped on this new emcee, Kendrick Lamar, these days. First told you about him a couple months ago with this year's Section 80 mixtape/ album. Well, after playing that album out, I decided to go back to his first mixtape from last year and check it out. I'm glad I did because its just as good. O(verly).D(edicated). ~download here~ sees him rapping over some beats by the same producers who contributed to Section 80 and also a couple of instrumentals by the Legendary Roots Crew, such as the intro track here, which I've had on repeat for the past few days...

Drive - The Soundtrack

I this week saw the newest Ryan Gosling vehicle (no pun intended) Drive. To say it was intense would be an understatement. The most gripping part of the film though was not even the acting (though there was plenty of quality work, to be sure), it was the music. Gosling was quoted as saying that he wanted Drive to be "like a John Hughes movie with violence", and the soundtrack (compiled by accomplished film score composer Cliff Martinez) felt just that way, iconic 80s vibe with lots of dark and infectious beats. The last time a soundtrack clung to me like this was with Donnie Darko, but Drive's soundtrack is all the more haunting for being full of songs I had no previous association with.Take a listen to two of those great songs below and read more about the soundtrack here.





Oh and if you can take bloody Rambo-levels of violence, check out the movie too!

Three EPs for season's transition

Here are 3 EPs I'm recommending you all check out:

Robin Hannibal: Bobby EP

The producer from the amazing (and underrated) duo Quadron, produces and sings on some really soulful and slinky production here. Stream below...
Robin Hannibal - Bobby by Plug Research

Lunice: One Hunned (Lucky Me)

Like a synth rollercoaster thru the set of Blade Runner, this is full of some futuristic (what does that mean anymore, haa) bangers. It'll make you wanna get up and dance. Stream and cop here thru Bleep.com (they accept PayPal!)

Amp Live: You are not Human (The Love EP)

Have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this one here. The producer from hip hop group Zion I delves into some music concrete and jazz influences in this instrumental, dare I say "beat tape", excursion. Download for free here at his facebook.

enjoy

Video: Frank Ocean- "Thinking About You"

Frank Ocean - Thinking About You (music video) from High5Collective on Vimeo.

Wow, this is an awesome fucking video to my favorite Frank Ocean song. Bravo, High5Collective.

Watch it now!

SBTRKT -Pharoah feat Roses Gabor (video)

Already love this song (and album- SBTRKT- SBTRKT) and now there is a stellar visual treatment to accompany it. Great stuff here !

Badu Interview

Here is a nice lengthy interview by Out the Ox TV with Erykah Badu. You already know I'm a big fan.

Thundercat "The Golden Age of the Apocalypse" album stream

Arguably the album of the year right here, take a listen...

Actress giving away free trax

Actress' 'Splaszh' (Honest Jon's) was one of my favs last year. A real emotive, soulful and cerebral journey that I'm still playing on the regular. So it is to my delight that he has recently unleashed some tunes on his twitter.




go and grab em here

Thundercat "Shenanigans Pt 1" mix

We are eagerly anticipating the new Thundercat album to come out later this month on Brainfeeder. Thundercat, who is a frequent collaborator with the likes of Erykah Badu, Sa Ra and Flying Lotus, is a bass player whose work you've surely heard. On his debut album "The Golden Age of Apocalypse", produced by Flying Lotus, him and the band will sonically explore where fusion jazz legends like George Duke and Jaco Pastorius left off.

Until its release, you can check out this mix put together by FlyLo of some released and unreleased tracks the cat has played on.

Thundercat "Shenanigans Pt. 1" Mixed by Flying Lotus

Roche - Calcine VIbration

The homie Roche of Solos Records getting some love for his new track , "Calcine Vibration" over at XLR8R. I was lucky enough to get this track some time ago back in its demo stage when it was entitled "Smoke Weed Man Mix 2," hehe. Regardless of name, its still sounding as fresh as ever.

Download it over at XLR8R

Little Dragon "when I go out"

Pretty awesome/ psychedelic video from Little Dragon from Sweden. This is from their very very good new album entitled, Ritual Union, go and cop that.

Summer Hip Hop Offerings

Couple hip hop treats making the rounds in my music player right now...

Kendrick Lamar - Section80

This is a really really good album from up and coming rapper Kendrick Lamar out of Compton, California. He has a real nice voice and unique delivery as he narrates many a ghetto tale over real jazzy yet hard beats. This is a real refreshing album in an utterly stale hip hop environment. The fact that I'm even recommending a vocal hip hop album alone says tons of how special this album is, hehe.

Knxwledge- Hexual Sealings

This here is a nice remix album from a young producer by the name of Knxwledge. He lays down great slinky, chopped natural loops as a sonic bed for accapellas from the likes of Andre3000, J Dilla, Jay Z, Musiqsoulchild, Telepopmuzik and Faith Evans. Really soulful and fun stuff here.

Listen to the whole thing here.

Kat 010 - Mammatus Mindtricks

Really feeling this track from Kat010 (keyboardist for Crown City Rockers). While Crown City Rockers isn't fully my cup of tea, this here is the type of ish I love. Reminds me of Stereolab with a touch of experimental Stevie Wonder. Taken from her Natural Phenomena album.

Enjoy

For Amy

A real shame, innit?
This here is one of my favorite moments spawned from the impeccable Back to Black album she gave us.

Omar - Dancing...and being LEGEND!

Just heard Omar on this week's Gilles Peterson. OKSG and I LOVE this catand have been fans since we first heard him on acid jazz compilations in the early 90s; he is a modern soul music LEGEND. Too many people sleep on him, don't you be one of them. Here's your marching orders:

Listen to him on Gilles,

listen to him on this Tru Thoughts podcast (MP3),

and get into this video. I am devoting my life to this track at the moment.

Sum Summer Mixes

Summer is one of our favorite times of the year for obvious reasons. Whether you are relaxing on rooftops, in backyards, on the beach or just in your room, these are some excellent mixes that will make all that relaxing even more enjoyable.



Nguzunguzu - XLR8R mix
Nguzunguzu's mix of unique 'mythic' bass/ dance music will have you dancing at moments but mostly modding your head and grooving to the big sounds.



Flying Lotus - Lovers Melt 2
A follow up mix to his Lover's Melt podcast mix for Stones Throw, here Flying Lotus breaks out the soulful, funky and jazzy sounds mixing everything from Stevie Wonder to Curtis Mayfield, CAN and Donald Byrd. Alot of my favorites on here as well. This is a grand mix round these parts. [highly recommended]

Gil Scott Heron lives on thru the music...

photo by Ron Paz

Man, I'm pretty sad right now just hearing of the passing of one of my all time favorite artist. The raw and honest voice and musicianship of Mr. Gil Scott Heron has passed. I can't think of another artist who has had such a rugged existence and still shined so brilliantly thru all the trials and tribulations. His catalog which easily stretches some four decades is full of poignant moments that have symbolized movements in black America and beyond.

Here is just one of his very many contributions that has always been a favorite of mine.

Africa HiTech "93 Million Miles"

Been waiting for this album for awhile and its was well worth the wait. Africa HiTech(Mark Pritchard and Steve Spacek)'s "93 Million Miles" on Warp is a nice mix of electronic and the emotive. The production is really on point as these two are seasoned veterans in the studio. I really love what they did with Sun Ra's "When There Is No Sun" on "Light the Way".

Stream the album below:

Africa Hitech - 93 Million Miles by Warp Records

Thundercat "For Love I Come"

Thundercat, a basist collaborator with Erykah Badu, J Davey, Bilal, Sa Ra and Flying Lotus is coming out with an album of his own this fall. Pitchfork is streaming the new single, a cover of George Duke, and its smoooooooth.

"For Love I Come"
Check it out

and as a bonus, here is another track from the album entitled "Daylight".....

Egyptrixx "Bible Eyes"

This new album "Bible Eyes" from Egpytrixx has been on heavy rotation pon my iPod. Its a synth rollercoaster of sorts with some epic tracks and other rather mellow ones with a few vocal tracks thrown in for good measure. All around excellent production and arrangement and it comes highly recommended.

Check out a track from it below: "Chrysalis Records" ft. Trust

Here is a really mellow and slick remix of Little Dragon's "Looking Glass" via the Bay Area's very own Trackademicks.

Little Dragon - Looking Glass (Trackademicks' Quasar Gazer Remix) by The Honor Roll

Downloadable (press down arrow on right column of the music player). Enjoy.

James Blake "Love What Happened Here"

Meant to post this one earlier... While James Blake is taking the world by storm with his stellar debut album, some equally if not more dope B-sides are floating about the interwebs. Here I present "Love What Happened Here," a stunning example of unreleased heat from Mr. Blake. This is working so nicely....

Nate

Nate Dogg was the lynchpin to a lot of West Coast G funk classics. His soulful crooning, at times reciting vulgar lyrics, made so much sense and really pulled songs together for the likes of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Warren G. He will be greatly missed...

Distant Relatives "Patience"

Why come I am just now seeing this video. Distant Relatives, dope new collab between Damian Marley and Nas, here featuring Amadou and Mariam! Let's gooooooo!

DISTANT RELATIVES "Patience" from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

The Bullitts feat. Lucy Liu & Jay Electronica

CLOSE YOUR EYES - THE BULLITTS starring JAY ELECTRONICA & LUCY LIU from THE BULLITTS on Vimeo.

Eh, OKSG, you know anything about this bunch? Digging the track...

Afrikan Boy versioned Tinie Tempah's "Pass Out"

Why am I so totally late on African Boy doing his thing on (recent BRIT winner) Tinie Tempah's "Passed Out"? Shame on me.

Peace to that Naija massive. Grab the track over at the ever-fantastic Fader blog.

Kid Fresh "People Want Sugar" Mix

My main man, Kid Fresh, linked up with Mad Decent to release this very ambitious and very dope mixtape entitled People Want Sugar. I'd been pestering the homie to make a mix since he hadn't in a while and all his others have been stone cold classics.

The mix literally spans all genres from footwork, hip hop, rock, afro funk, electro- house, bass, post punk, etc... doing so in a tasteful manner.

Hit the link below for the download, this one is stellar and is definitely a keeper!!!

People Want Sugar

Happy Birthday Dilla

you're Still Shining, like always...we love you like forever and ever

James Blake - Wilhelm's Scream

consider yourself forewarned. much of this year is going to belong to James Blake, so just, you know, ready yourself.

his album is purchasable as of next week.

Bilal "Levels" video directed by Flying Lotus

Stellar video for an already interstellar song, Flying Lotus at the director's helm and Special Problems knocked this one out the park..kudos!! The video continues where the "Mmmhmm" video left off. And overall, I feel like this is taking over from where the Soulquarians left off.

Featuring Bilal, Erykah Badu, Shafiq Husayn and Thundercat

FULL SCREEN
The Sounds of VTech / Bilal Levels   

For Trish

This past week saw the unfortunate passing of Trish Keenan, lead singer of Broadcast, definitely one of, if not my favorite contemporary band. If you aren't familiar with Broadcast, they are a British band who have been making great music for nearly two decades. Do yourself a favor and check out their beautiful collection of work.

Mix Jamie XX from Benji B Radio 1 BBC show

This is a great mix from Jamie XX of the XX for Benji B's excellent weekly BBC Radio 1 program. The mix is about 20-25 minutes and includes exclusives from the selectah as well as other treats. It is definitely a keeper !

Check tracklist and download at link below:

Jamie XX mix for Benji B (via Pinglewood)