Here it is, my Summer Party Choons electro-house mix. A variety of my top spring/summer tracks, this mix is built on club energy. Bump at max decibels and revel in the power of electronic music.
DJ STACKS "Summer Party Choons" Tracklist
B.o.B - Nothin' On You Feat. Bruno Mars & Bei Maejor (VILLAINS Remix)
The Cataracs - Like A G6 Feat. Far East Movement
David Guetta - Gettin' Over You Feat. Fergie & LMFAO (Sidney Sampson Remix)
Now that summer is finally in full bloom, I figured a new mix would be in order, given my lack of commitment to maintaining the frequency of my posts.
In the past few weeks I have found several amazing remixes of tracks that for me, embody the essence of the summer season. Interestingly enough, all of them feature females (imagine that...) on the mic. This mix is a collection of my current favorites, both (relatively) old and new, especially those tracks that are equally energizing and chill.
DJ STACKS "The Women Of Summer" Tracklist
Edward Maya Feat. Alicia - Stereo Love
Ellie Goulding - Under The Sheets (Bright Light Bright Light Boys Remix)
Marina & The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot (Clock Opera Remix)
Kaskade & Seamus Haji - So Far Away Feat. Haley
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Monarchy 'The Horse Head Nebular' Remix)
I mixed these tracks for a more relaxing groove atmosphere, but fear not, a summer party mix is slated for completion in the next couple days so stay tuned. As always, I'm looking for new music to complete my summer soundtrack and would love some suggestions. In the meantime, bump this to your hearts content and revel in these lovely ladies' vocals.
Rather shamefully, it's been a minute since I posted anything new. I've finally graduated college, been interviewing for some jobs, and as usual, producing new instrumentals and scouring the Internet for some hot, new material. In the several months since my previous post I've come across new singles and mixtapes, a few of which I'm excited to share.
First, a new joint by ATL's Donnis. Fueled by a punchy string section and various buzzy synths, Donnis' braggadocio is on point on this one.
Second, another sample of CuDi's originality featuring one of my favorites in Chip Tha Ripper. Really happy to see that despite CuDi's mainstream successes, he's maintained his true Cleveland ties...
Lastly, I gotta put in a plug for two mixtapes I've been obsessed with:
Theophilus London's I Want You Mixtape Major Lazer and La Roux Present: Lazerproof
I had the chance to see Theo open for Miike Snow this past semester at school and although most of the crowd was unfamiliar with his electro-centric hip-hop, he had amazing stage presence in what was a supremely passionate performance. Follow the link to download the mixtape, courtesy of THE FADER. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
And as for the Major Lazer-La Roux collabo, if you liked "Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do," well, you'll definitely find this mixtape as energetic and original as their album. Props to Mad Decent for hosting this craziness.
This should give y'all some early summer tuneage to bump, and I promise not to be such a ghost from now on. Enjoy.
Over the past week I've been on a curious fix of The-Dream, The Lox, and assorted Ski Beatz productions. These inspirations fueled a new beat of mine, a hybrid between classic NY styles and more modern, hip-pop synth elements. The result is "New Stack City." Here are three tracks in particular that shaped the construction of my new tracks. Check 'em out:
#1. The-Dream Feat. Kanye West - "Walking on the Moon"
#2. The Lox - "Let's Start Rap Over"
#3. Jay-Z - "Dead Presidents II" (Prod. by Ski Beatz)
So after dieting on these tracks (as well as others), this is what I arrived at:
"New Stack City" - Prod. by StackBeats
Also, for a little extra taste, here is a sneak peek of another beat I threw together in an hour or so last week. Not necessarily the same inspiration as above, but equally focused on alternating synth layers, odd drums combos, etc.
"Escape From Earth" - Prod. by StackBeats
It's been a while since I've posted or shared any of my originals, but as always comments and feedback are appreciated as this is a work is progress. Thanks.
Definitely one of the more exotic, ambitious and original albums of 2009, Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion hosted some beautifully arranged tracks like "My Girls," "Daily Routine," and this track, "Brother Sport." This video is simply bizarre. Then again it's Animal Collective so I'm not too surprised.
And I had to throw in the video for "My Girls," perhaps my favorite track on the album. I'm not sure the exact effects used in producing these two videos, but the concepts are visually mind-boggling.
Well the day has arrived. Lil Wayne is off to the pen. This is a definite downer for many hip hop heads, but I'm going to remain optimistic. Here's my theory:
1. Prison is brutal. Never been, never gonna go, but regardless it's safe to assume Wayne will receive some pretty quality treatment inside (celebrities always seem to do OK).
2. Being "sober" is prison will clear his head. True, a sober Lil Wayne may not be the creative, lyrical craftsman as when under the influence of:
a) marijuana b) alcohol c) cough syrup d) all of the above
But I'm anticipating Wayne's prison term as a reconstructive, reflective period that is sure to churn out some deeply introspective s**t. Think street braggadocio meets prison hardness, a la "Playing with Fire" off Tha Carter III:
I'll admit I'm a fan of Wayne's stream-of-consciousness, "absence-of-narrative-quality" approach but I'm also hoping this changes. His punchlines are unique, often hilarious, but there's usually no story, no dramatic quality like NaS or Biggie. My reasoning is Eminem created Relapse "sober," therefore, I expect something similar to evolve from the demented mind of Dwayne Carter.
Here's a video of Lil Wayne's final time before reporting to prison. A bit slow to develop, but altogether pretty amusing. Plus, for serious Wayne fans, there's a sentimental "goodbye" from Young Money's finest as he pulls away from the studio in his Bugati.
The one good thing that came from the Grammys? Well, I guess, this might be it. Common and NaS give some brief explanation as to the emotion behind their music, as well as addressing violent lyrics as a bi-product of emotion, not necessarily "the hip-hop image." No, it won't end the ceaseless debate on the relationship between hip-hop, violence, misogyny, yada yada yada, but it's satisfying to know these artists are actually conscious of what they're producing and can intelligently verbalize their logic. I applaud you Common and NaS.
In light of the depression I'm experiencing following last night's Grammy award show, I needed to do some serious digging to uplift my spirit. Not only were (most) of the award winners pathetic, status quo industry garbage, but the performances were poorly executed, poorly mixed, and downright agonizing (exception granted to Dave Matthews). The M.J. tribute had potential, but a Michael tribute without dancing = huge mistake. And what was the deal with the frequent dead audio during the Eminem, Wayne and Drake performance? Anyways, in my search for musical uplift, I found this track by CA's Fashawn, "Life as a Shorty". It's a bit dated, but turned my mood nonetheless. It's artists like this whose stories and creativity make music enjoyable, not the trite BS Taylor Swift "sings" about (is it me, or was her duet with Stevie Nicks out of key?). All I can say is that 2010/the next decade must redeem the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for what it considered "the best" music of the last year.
Fashawn - "Life as a Shorty" Feat. J. Mitchell (Prod. by Exile)
Of course it wouldn't be right to knock "the best music of 2009" without divulging my own favorites. Here are a few of my personal artists/albums of 2009, and I encourage you all to check out the following, or at least give them a chance:
Miike Snow - Miike Snow Passion Pit - Manners Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Calvin Harris - Ready for the Weekend
And the list goes on...
So after last night I've made a resolution I encourage listeners everywhere to adopt. In 2010 (and for the rest of my life), I pledge not to support crap musicians who are incapable of advancing their artistic careers, instead continuing to produce weak, self-indulgent records that do nothing for the listeners. It stands to reason why album sales are on a rapid decline: few people respect modern musicians enough to pay them for their work. So lastly, a word to the musicians, producers, engineers, mixers, and label execs: maintain the integrity of your industry, do not sacrifice quality, and please, NO MORE TAYLOR SWIFT NONSENSE!
Last semester I composed these two tracks for a creative project in an African-American Studies course. The first, "Super Predator (Elaine Brown Remix)" was inspired by ex-Black Panther and soul singer Elaine Brown's book The Condemnation of Little B. Chronicling the struggle of African-Americans in modern America, Little B evoked in me despair and frustration of which I transformed into this neo-Gothic, RZA/Wu-Tang-esque beat. Using samples from Elaine Brown's original recording "All The Young And Fine Men," this is what I created.
"Super Predator (Elaine Brown Remix)" - Prod. by StackBeats
The next track, "Year of the Boomerang (Revolutionary Suicide Remix)," I created as a complement to the first. This time I was inspired by the philosophical, emotional integrity in both Huey Newton's Revolutionary Suicide as well George Jackson's two writings Soledad Brother and Blood in my Eye. Unlike the bleakness of the first track, I used this second track as my interpretation and celebration of these two men, and their collborators', lives. Drawing its title from a statement by the brilliant Frantz Fanon, this track brings the despair of "Super Predator (Elaine Brown Remix)" full circle, confronting the future with optimism. The samples for this track are taken from Nina Simone's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," a song played at George Jackson's funeral.
"Year of the Boomerang (Revolutionary Suicide Remix) - Prod. by StackBeats
In tandem, these two tracks are musically representative of the philosophies embodied by Huey Newton and George Jackson and their ultimate sacrifices.
OK, so my TUF Black Supra Vaiders are getting a bit worn. They're still my go-to sneak for all occasions, but Supra released the Bandit as part of its spring 2010 collection.
Similar in style to some models by Clae, the Bandit is at the top of my spring wishlist. Clean, bold, with a hint of streetwise style Supra is popular for. Keep the colorways coming Supra.
Without a doubt, the MPC revolutionized hip-hop beatmaking. I stumbled across this video a few weeks back, courtesy of Dipset's araabMUZIK. This dude's fingers combined with the MPC's unmatched tactile workflow provide for one of the dopest original beats I've heard in a while, a la anything Dipset .
While I don't have an MPC in my arsenal, once the cashflow is good, I'll be getting my hands on one of these. And last but not least...a little throwback tribute to one of the greats, DJ Premier: the MPC virtuoso. One of my all time favorite beats. Plus Nas kills it.
It's been a while since I've come across anything this visually captivating. These two videos, one from Grizzly Bear, the other from Chairlift, took visual concepts to new levels. Not only are both songs incredibly original, but the videos follow suit. Enjoy!
Now that I've got all the audio issues figured out, here's another 100% original beat from a few weeks back. As always, comments/opinions are appreciated.
Here's a track I put together a few weeks back, created using samples from Chaka Khan's "Ain't Nobody". I was going for a little '80s throwback, cocaine pop beat, so please let me know what you think. Also, if anyone wants to collab I'm more than willing to make that happen.
"Ain't Nobody" - Prod. by StackBeats
And props of course to my boy Jay for showing me the original track. Family Reunion 2010.
It goes without saying that Haiti in its current state needs as much help as possible. UNDRCRWN, like many others, has released this tee to raise money for Yele Haiti. Fresh tee for a cause.
I'm gonna save the intro and get straight to what matters: the music. I'll let these jams speak for themselves, tell you a little bit about me and what I do.
First off, U-N-I are doing big things, in the same vein as Kidz in the Hall, keeping hip-hop energetic and original. Props for individuality.
Next, Chip killed it on The Cleveland Show. If you haven't yet, definitely download his mixtapes; the dude's delivery is on point.
And of course Raekwon's gotta make the cut. Cuban Linx Pt. II was deep. The Wu man has truly mastered the art of storytelling.
Just a taste, more to come including originals. Stay tuned.
A music fiend and DJ/Producer, keeping in touch with the music world.
All videos, music and images used on this page are the property of their original creators.
All original beats are property of StackBeats.
