Filed under: BRILLIANT, Dance, Electronica, Upbeat | Tags: brilliance, Brilliant, Dance, dreamy, Electronic, Pop, synth-pop, Upbeat
THE FIRST TRACK TO EARN A BRILLIANCE TAG THIS YEAR!
Chrome Sparks is a USA- based artist who puts out neat music which falls somewhere in the ‘electronic-pop’ area. A wonderfull collaboration featuring the vocal talents of LA-based Steffaloo brought us Still Sleeping sometime around October last year, and it’s a fun track all-round.
Despite a focus on lo-fi folk, Steffaloo‘s voice is accustomed to geting the electronic remix treatment- and it’s a matchmade in heaven when combined with Chrome Sparks‘ dreamy production work. Overall, the track is upbeat enough to happily sway to, but not quite enough to get you embarrassing yourself all sweaty on the dance floor- although I speak for myself; I’m sure after a few too many guava shots you could find hordes of tie-dye clad and glow-stick equipped ravers moving their hands and their butts in a bizarre motion that could be considered dancing along to this great track. Check it:
Chrome Sparks – Still Sleeping (feat. Steffaloo)
Chrome Sparks Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/chrome-sparks
Steffaloo Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/steffaloo
Happy New Year!
It’s been an exciting year for Fuck the Radio in 2011, more than tripling the average daily reader count- receiving several DMCA complaints, and the launch (and subsequent censorship) of the Fuck The Radio Radio Show.
Regular readers will be familiar with the coveted ‘brilliance’ tag on the blog- awarded to tracks that are truly in a class of their own. For new years this year I’ve collected said brilliant tracks into one neat little package. For your downloading pleasure. This very special Fuck the Radio Brilliance Vol. 1 contains every track (that did not receive a DMCA take-down shake-down notice) tagged as brilliant since the blog’s creation.
You can find it HERE
The track-listing goes:
Pretty Lights – Something’s Wrong
James Blake – Air and Lack Thereof
Skream – Midnight Request Line
😀 It’s a MUST HAVE for anybody looking for some great new music, with genres including dubstep, glitch-hop, chillwave and shoegaze- it’s a great example of the sounds the Fuck the Radio blog loves so much.
In addition to the mixtape, you can find the complete 2010 and 2011 catalogues here (2010) and here (2011) for some more music if you like!
Now 2012 is a New Year and there are several ideas in the works to make even FTR bigger and better. The most important change will be that the focus will now be on independent and largely undiscovered artists that I come cross in my digi-digging. Remember, if you are an artist yourself- keep sending in links to your music at fucktheradio@dubcage.com or even on facebook.com/ftheradioblog.
Now it’s New Years, time to get drunk.
Filed under: Dance, Dubstep, Hip-Hop, Upbeat | Tags: Brilliant, Dance, Electronic, Funky, glitch, glitch-hop, Upbeat
My issue these days is that there are so many amazing artists out there putting out countless good songs- I have a tough time deciding who I want to write about!
Inaudible is without doubt deserving of a post- his music is brilliant. That’s right, he’s getting tagged as BRILLIANT. Welcome to the club Inaudible. I spent the past hour trying to decide which of your songs I was going to post until I finally gave up and picked at random. Echo Chamber is just that perfect level of heavy upbeat glitch-hop that I absolutely love. There are some crazy sounds in this track that suck you in, and on each subsequent listen it becomes clear just how much attention to small details goes into this music.
Echo Chamber does not need vocals to make it better- to the contrary, it’s actually too good for vocals… something every producer of this genre sound strive to achieve in my opinion.
Check out the Scathed Youth EP from Inaudible‘s bandcamp page too- it’s got a few more gems as equally as good as Echo Chamber.
Download:
Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/inaudible/
Bandcamp:
http://inaudible.bandcamp.com/album/scathed-youth-ep
Filed under: Chilled, Vocals | Tags: album, Brilliant, Chilled, independant, mellow, visual, vocals
There’s an inherent irony about having a blog called Fuck the Radio and then expanding it into a radio show- almost equally ironic is posting Polographia‘s 5-track long masterpiece Sunsets, as the record’s opening track Righteous Hit has enjoyed a whole lot of radio play lately- and deservedly so. If you were to delve deeper into the irony of Sunset‘s rlease I suppose you could point out that it was released at midnight, long after the sun had set… But this is where the irony stops; as everything else about Sunsets is ridiculously spot on.
Each of the 5 tracks on the album teem with an euphoric sense of summer-beauty that is held together with such thematic artistry it’d be fair to call Sunsets a concept album rather than a meaningless mish-mash of random tracks. There is nothing but warmth beaming from the eclectic collection sounds used- from dancing flute melodies to nostalgic 80s organ-synths, organic-sounding pads and even some dreamy vocals. There is a slight contemporary electronic-disco feel present throughout the record’s opener Righteous Hit that carries on subtly in all 5 of the tracks; this complements the overall glo-fi/chillwave sounds Polographia have composed with an authentic naturalism which seems too good to be giving away for free.
Speaking of giving away for free- stop reading and pick up your free digital download before they all get snapped up!
Yes I’m tagging it under BRILLIANT
Filed under: Dance, Dubstep | Tags: Acid-Jazz, Brilliant, Dubstep, independant, Trip-Hop
Fabled Enemies are the best find I’ve had in awhile. With only 222 soundcloud followers, I implore you to watch this space.
From The Netherlands, the duo have produced some TIGHT dubstep/trip-hoppy/glitch music. It’s probably the freshest sound I’ve heard since… a.bliss.abyss. I don’t know, it’s a pretty huge call.
The Prophecy begins with… oh I don’t even want to start describing it. It’s cool, then it gets cooler, then it gets really cool… then it gets to the point where you need to change your underwear.
Give it a listen already!
And while you are at it, check out their Soundcloud.
(yes I’m tagging it under brilliant)
Filed under: Chilled, Dubstep | Tags: bass, Brilliant, Deep, Dubstep, Hypnotic, Soothing
In a way, I’ve had Skream on Fuck the Radio before nas part of the magnificent Magnetic Man trio with Benga and Artwork.
Midnight Request Line is worlds apart from Flying Into Tokyo however. Many hail it as the dubstep tune that really sparked the fire. Back when dubstep was much more chilled, Midnight Request Line‘s melody haunts over a deep rhythmic percussion line all topped up with Skream’s perfectly crafted sub-bass. Suitably grimey, if the world had music everywhere, this is something you’d hear in a dark alleyway at midnight. I’m tagging it in the ‘brilliant’ section too!
Skream – Midnight Request Line
Filed under: Vocals | Tags: Acoustic, Brilliant, mystic, organic, visual, vocals
I started this blog as a way to escape my Mum’s terminal cancer. The reality of living at home with somebody on their deathbed is not easy.
I used music to escape. And when that wasn’t distraction enough I started this blog. I started writing early September last year, scheduling the posts to be released in October. I wrote the first post and scheduled it for October 1st, the next post for the 2nd etc… I continued to write daily, scheduling more posts for October. They stop abruptly when she started to really slip. She died on the 23rd of September. That’s a year ago today.
She asked this song to be played at the funeral, and it’s beautiful. Although I’m sure my Mum would probably disapprove of the name I chose for this blog, she’d really dig the music I post on it. This one I know for a fact that she did, and I can see why.
Mckennitt‘s vocals are beautiful, the song is so gorgeously haunting, the atmosphere it embodies is captivating, it draws me into a medieval world with it’s droning pedal tone and ritualistic drum patterns. Simply magical and powerful music. A MUST for lovers of Celtic music (although this is pretty much the Stairway to Heaven of celtic songs, so I’m sure if you’re a celtic music fan you’ve at-least heard of Loreena McKennitt before), also a perfect introduction for a novice to the genre. The percussion, vocals and overall ambiance of the song is so perfectly and elegantly crafted.
Loreena McKennitt – The Mystic’s Dream
Filed under: Acid, Chilled, Noise, Psychadelic, Rock, Vocals | Tags: Acid, Brilliant, Guitar, Happy, independant, noise, Psychedelic, Rock, vocals
Secret Knives are one of those amazing acid rock bands. A real pleasure to listen to. Really organic- if you love groups like Yeysayer, Tame Impala, Animal Collective and The XX then chances are you’ll love the sadly lesser known Secret Knives.
http://secretknives.bandcamp.com/
FTR download:
Filed under: Dance, Electronica, Rock, Upbeat, Vocals | Tags: bass, Brilliant, Dance, Electronic, Guitar, Rock, sample based, Upbeat, vocals
Pretty Lights is easily one of my favourite artists of recent times, even though he’s been around for quite awhile, I discovered his music later than I would have liked to.
Another artist who I wish I could simply post the entire discography of, Pretty Light‘s production quality and sound is something even the creme de la creme of electronic artists could be envious of. I’m very excited to see him live in December. Not only is his music brilliant, but he is generous to give it away for free. I insist you visit the website:
http://www.prettylightsmusic.com/#/home
And of-course, a FTR download:
Pretty Lights – Something’s Wrong
Filed under: Ambient, Chilled, Dubstep | Tags: ambient, Brilliant, Dubstep, James Blake, mellow, Soothing
Why has it taken me so long to post this amazing track? It earns my FUCK THE RADIO Brillance label.
Halfway between dubstep and chillout ambient music, this builds and releases musical tension with pure artistry. Are real pleasure to sit in the dark and simply listen. My one criticism is that it only lasts 4 minutes when I would gladly listen for 15.
Also a good hangover cure.
James Blake – Air and Lack Thereof
Filed under: Dance, Hip-Hop, Upbeat | Tags: Brilliant, Dance, Funky, glitch, Hip Hop, Upbeat
Robo Booty fronts off the BRILLIANT slurp and giggle album from Opiuo. A really funky booming start to one of the funkiest, sexiest most satisfying albums I have listened to in awhile.
I was especially pleased to learn that Opiuo hails from my home city of Melbourne, Australia. His debut album Slurp and Giggle is an amazing blend of glitch, hip hop and straight up pure funky beats. I highly recommend you get your hands on his album- and anything else he releases.
Filed under: Electronica, Upbeat, video, Vocals | Tags: Brilliant, Electronic, Funky, Upbeat, vocals
A good tune for the Ides of March no?
I’m an addict to the stuff Ninja Tune releases on their label. This has been heavily played to my ears. There’s a remix of it in the new years mixtape you can find a few posts back.
Filed under: Ambient, Electronica, Experimental, Febuary, Noise | Tags: Brilliant, Electronic, Electronica, experimental, noise, visual
Here’s a challenge dear reader. Tell me what music is.
Encyclopædia Britannica stated, “while there are no sounds that can be described as inherently unmusical, musicians in each culture have tended to restrict the range of sounds they will admit.”
Autechre push the boundaries with experimentation of the aural landscape, immerse yourself in æ³o and you’ll find yourself able to be moved emotionally by abstract noise. A slight increase of heart rate, soothing oceans of bass and ambiance, Autechre & The Hafler Trio are really able to take control of your body with sound. Perhaps this could be music in it’s most raw, pure form.
Not quite as easily accessible by our brains- we are too accustomed to the musical codes and conventions that most modern musicians adhere to- melody, basslines, tempo, rhythm do not need to exist for something to be music. Now is your chance to get up and really say FUCK THE RADIO because you are able to break through the musical limitations that have been drilled into you and experience music on a whole new level. æ³o is an exceptionally brilliant work of art- using your mind as the canvas and sound as their tool, allow Autechre & The Hafler Trio to move you.
-DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED AT REQUEST-
The answer to the challenge? “Music is organised sound” – Edgar Varèse
Filed under: Electronica, Experimental, November, Upbeat | Tags: Brilliant, Electronic, Electronica, experimental, glitch, nosaj thing, Upbeat
Nosaj Thing‘s album Drift is AMAZING.
Simple as that. go out and get it.
1685/Bach is an electronic, glitchy mesh of beats, synths and other noises.
And here’s a bonus video of a live set he did for KEXP.
Filed under: MIXTAPE | Tags: Aphex Twin, b&, Bibio, Brilliant, Husky Rescue, Lemon Jelly, Mixtape
b&’s THIN MAN MIXTAPE
Exams are starting soon so I’m taking a little break from the daily posting on the blog. I’ve put together a mixtape that should satisfy your musical needs between now and when I’m back though. Give it a download, you’ll love it and I’ll love you.
