Day 79: Bloodlines by Hot Since 82

British tech and deep house are at a really exciting place and are thriving as much as they ever have, and Hot Since 82 sits right at the heart of that. Daley Padley, who was raised in Barnsley, has been using the Hot Since 82 name since 2011 after he came to the rescue at an after party when the music stopped with an unfinished track, Let It Ride. Since then, he’s founded his own label, Knee Deep In Sound, and has released some smooth, exciting tech tracks that are club stalwarts for DJs up and down the country and beyond. To be honest, the most annoying thing about him is that he was born in 1981.

Releasing at the back end of last year, Bloodlines is the follow-up single, with Buggin’ dropping in the summer of 2018. Both are expected to be featured on his upcoming EP, 8-Track, which is intended as a new way for Padley to explore the boundaries of his creativity. Bloodlines certainly fits that definition, with a much more stripped back, mellow direction. The rhythm and the bassline elegantly pulsate through you rather than slamming into you like a wave. Both have their appeal in the techno-sphere, yet this seems like a refined, modern take on a genre most closely associated with dingy basements and rave culture.

It’s a great track, and I’m not distancing it from the roots of techno. Padley’s own description of the EP that Bloodlines will feature on makes so much sense when immersed in the track. It washes over you, and I’m excited for a full EP later this year.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 78: Moon Love by Boombox Cartel

I’ve never listened to a song that shifts so much during it’s course. Moon Love starts off with a lot of trap influences. The flow is slick and autotuned enough to notice, feeling quite modern in its sound. But then the drums build, I’m transported to a dancefloor in a rave as it drops like even the purest EDM banger.

That is Boombox Cartel in a nutshell. It’s a project that was started by Americo Garcia, a producer and DJ, alongside his writing partner, Jorge Medina. The moniker started on the circuit in 2017, and he has grown to be the biggest Mexican DJ. Hip-hop and EDM all flow through Garcia’s veins and influence his music heavily, but his Latin roots are a key component of any work he releases as Boombox Cartel. With artists like J Balvin and Bad Bunny pioneering Latin music and reggaeton, Boombox Cartel is another proud ambassador of the genre’s world takeover.

Unpredictable is the word I would use to describe this song. High octane and perfect for a DJ set, Nessly’s vocals make for a really vibrant, complex track. There isn’t much on the market that has the same feel as this, and I’m very excited for you to just listen to it and experience the record for yourselves.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 77: Sleepwalking by The Chain Gang Of 1974

What sounds like a really bad combined tribute band to The Chainsmokers, Kool And The Gang and The 1975, is actually a really exciting electronic band. It is an electro-indie project headed up by American musician, Kamtin Mohager, who you might know from 3OH!3 fame. This fact makes me a lot happier than it should. 3OH!3 released precious few songs I remember, but those I do are all absolute classics.

But we’re aren’t here to talk about 3OH!3. Instead, we’ll focus on Sleepwalking, a festival stage-ready indie banger with enough synths, drums, and keyboards to knock your socks off. Mohager’s voice is deep and raspy, reminding me of prime Britpop era vocals, which is as high a compliment I can give. It comes from the band’s third studio album, 2014’s Daydream Forever, and shows the connections that Mohager has built in the industry. Produced by Isom Innis who is from festival regulars Foster The People, they have also worked with The Naked And Famous, making for some complex indie records.

Interestingly, the only track that Innis didn’t have a hand in producing was Sleepwalking. Mohager handled production himself and it does a slightly different feel to the rest of the album. Not too much, it was used as the promotional single at the back end of 2013 after all, but enough to make it sure to listeners where the creative decision making lies in this album.

Passion Pit, M83 and The Naked And Famous all spring to mind when listening to The Chain Gang Of 1974. This track is a refreshing change for this blog, and I forget where I first heard it. The band has been frequenters of the FIFA soundtrack, whilst Sleepwalking features on the Grand Theft Auto: V soundtrack, with over 20 million streams on Spotify (a mere 3 million from the album and single release). I’m a big fan and I think you will be too, especially if you’re looking to broaden your indie band intake in the midst of new music from Two Door Cinema Club, Foals, and Vampire Weekend.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 76: False Prophets by J Cole

Let me take you back to 2016. In December, J Cole was set to release his fourth studio album, 4 Your Eyez Only, and he then stunned the world with his single (that would not feature on the album, I think to give it the biggest impact and live independently within his discography), False Prophets.

The entire first verse is dissecting the “fall from grace” of a former idol of Cole’s, and it is widely accepted this is Kanye West. Calling himself a genius, his mental health issues, and his appropriation of new, up-and-coming sounds for his own bodies of work are all targets for Cole, though he never explicitly says that Kanye is the subject of his rhymes.

The verses show a little bit of sympathy, but he speaks for a generation of fans to have been betrayed by him. Cole builds upon his criticism of Kanye and discusses the difficulties of fame, and how he is letting go of being restrained by the thoughts of others. Since bursting onto the scene as a rapper with a buzzcut, he has become synonymous with his long dreads, tied into finding satisfaction with his life and work internally, rather than on screens and from strangers.

Having been made to wait hours to give Jay-Z a beat at the Roc The Mic Studios, have Nas tell him he was disappointed with his single Work Out which he released under Jay-Z, and pushing the release date of his 2013 project Born Sinner forward to compete with Kanye’s Yeezus, Cole has famously had troubles with his idols. This song feels like therapy, perhaps not for Cole but for the thoughts he was having at the time of writing. Thoughts of fame, and the decay it causes. Thoughts of mental health and how the two of those can combine in a perfect storm to damage those we held to a higher standard than the mortality of ourselves. Hopefully it was cathartic for Cole, though even if it wasn’t, he’s created a very good track dissecting the taboo subjects that lurk in the shadows of the culture. Maybe even taken a step towards opening them up for conversation.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 74: King James by Anderson .Paak

Jazzy yet grounded in hip-hop is Anderson Paak’s modus operandi, and he has delivered yet again. Following on from the success of his 2018 third studio album, Oxnard, he announced his fourth album, Ventura, in February, set to release in April this year. King James is the first track we’ve heard in the build up to that.

In a politically unstable climate both here and across the pond, Paak tackles social injustice in King James, just hours after announcing his new album’s features and tracklist. King James is in reference to NBA star Lebron James, who is known as King James, with that even being his Instagram handle. He has done a lot of work in helping equalise opportunities for sports and education in schools. Recently, he opened the I Promise school in his hometwon of Akron, Ohio. It’s aim is to help at-risk kids get the education they need to succeed in life. Having come from a modest background himself, James is a big campaigner for social equality and, with NFL star Colin Kaepernick, is one of the most influential athletes in politics.

The song is classic Paak; saxophonists serande you into the song as if you were entering a speakeasy jazz joint. Paak’s unique voice then sings about the issues that face America right now, be that child deaths or the infamous wall that is planned to be erected by Trump.

It feels as far away from hip-hop that Paak has gotten. His music is rooted in soul, funk and jazz, but this song feels bordered off by them. This is far from a bad thing, but does show a shift perhaps in the artists approach to music. It feels more genuine as a track, less malleable by the whims of pop culture. This has got me very excited for April 12th, and I’m adding Ventura, thanks to King James, to the list of unbelievable releases next month (Game Of Thrones and Avengers: End Game rounding out the top three).

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 73: Lil Bebe by DaniLeigh ft. Lil Baby (Remix)

One of those songs where you’re not quite sure on the which is the title and which is the artist (though this time around it’s the debate between featured artist and title).

DaniLeigh is an RnB singer who started off as a dancer. She moved to LA at 16 and was dancing in adverts and music videos, meeting producers and then using her voice as her secondary, more powerful and marketable tool. Having danced for the likes of J Cole, her real break came when she was asked to star in and direct the music video, at the age of 18, for Breakfast Can Wait. That, if you are not familiar, is a song by Prince. Actual Prince.

From there, she catapulted her virality with a video on her Instagram doing the In My Feelings dance challenge started by Shiggy. It is nearly on 10 million views currently, and came to prominence at a similar time to her breakout single, Lil Bebe.

This version though features Lil Baby and was released as remix in her album, The Plan. Speaking to Genius, she said that she always wanted Lil Baby on the record with her, and used her Instagram fan base to secure the collab. With the flow and stage presence of a rapper, with the voice of an RnB singer, Dani switches between the two seamlessly throughout the track.

The song focuses on Dani’s confidence in her sexuality and feels as though we are listening to a private message between her and a guy she wants to be romantically involved with. Lil Baby’s verse follows the hook and his lyrics, just the right level of cocky, complimenting Dani’s original. I’ve said this about remixes before, they need to add something to a song but still use it as a foundation. It isn’t Lil Baby’s song and he doesn’t try to take over, he slots neatly into the record.

Now more popular than the original with nearly 30 million Spotify streams, it is an indictment of Dani’s rising star. From being blessed to be able to work with Prince, she has gone on to select the next generation of artists to work with, from Lil Baby on this track, to YBN Nahmir and Lil Yachty. Whether it’s dancing singing, or directing, expect to see more of the the Dominican Republic’s hottest property at the moment.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 72: Polaroids by Jay Prince

The first time I heard this was on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 show a few years ago when I was in sixth form. I was on the way to a house party and honestly, all I could think about was how good the song was and how I didn’t catch the name of the artist, just the song title. Thankfully, a bit of digging left me with an RnB banger to add to my library.

Hailing from Newham in East London, Jay Prince has a plethora of influences, growing up in an Angolan-Congolese household. Traditionally a rapper, Jay Prince looked to evolve his sound with Polaroids, with a more RnB feel to the melody and with self-proclaimed funk and soul roots. This is apparent on the first listen, and in an interview with The 405, Prince said he wanted to create a funky track with a purpose; a concept that goes beyond just making music. He never meant to release Polaroids, but did so on a whim on his Soundcloud with no promo and it went down a storm. Where he’d usually get 6-8,000 plays on his tracks, this surpassed 30,000. Released in 2014, it went on to be featured on Prince’s 2015 project, BeFor Our Time.

It’s a mellow beginning to the track, before bursting into a head-nodding, bouncy hook that is the main attraction for me. Prince represents East London throughout, making it clear his affinity with the neighbourhood he grew up in and how it shaped him.

Every rapper should have a come-up track in their locker; detailing their past struggles, the hustle to make it. People like Pusha T have made a career about rapping about their drug-dealing past. But Jay Prince’s Polaroids is a unique one, a track that will make you take notice from the first line.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 71: Wing$ by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Ah, the dollar sign returns. An ode to growing up, fitting in, sneaker culture and Michael Jordan. Before Thrift Shop put him on the map, Macklemore collaborated with Ryan Lewis (who he would later be joined at the hip too) on Wings.

Macklemore was the first artist I was legitimately listening to before he made it. Very hipster of me, but I remember hearing a song by an artist called Symmetry with Ryan Lewis on a Call Of Duty montage, of all things. From there, I found Macklemore and I remember listening to this song on the bus to school, thinking I was so edgy an ahead of the curve.

Now, after some weaker releases, he’s seen as a bit of a meme. This is a huge shame, as I was and am a big fan of his earlier work. Wings is an epic, angry rap-rant that goes on for a good five minutes. In it, Macklemore tackles the cycle of consumerism, specifically with Nike and their trainers. Air Max’s and Jordan 4’s are name-dropped, as the rapper goes on a journey from owning shoes that everyone envied when he played basketball at school, to them defining him as a person and the problems that can cause.

It eases in, then as the verses go along it picks up pace and momentum, gathering a viciousness and venom that stars as it reaches a crescendo. This is contrasted with a choir harmonising in the middle. A great touch, and gives the record space to breathe.

This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it is incredibly nostalgic. I think it holds it’s own and having relistened to it I now get more of the sneaker references that evaded me all those years ago. With 150 million views on Youtube, clearly I am not alone.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 70: 10 Freaky Girls by Metro Boomin ft. 21 Savage

At one time famous for a star-studded Snapchat story daily, Metro Boomin on 6th November 2018 joined forces with new-school rap juggernauts, 2 Savage and Travis ‘La Flame’ Scott. He is an interesting artist, starting out life as a producer. He then officially announced his retirement on his Instagram, yet still getting production credits on the smash albums Queen and The Carter V by Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne respectively. And then, like Michael Jordan, Jay-Z, and Paul Scholes, he teased his un-retirement. Billboards in New York City and Atlanta were teasers for his debut full-length project, Not All Heroes Wear Capes.

Roguely, this always reminds me of the little-known indie band, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. However, less indie and more unrelenting hip-hop, Metro Boomin flexed his rap muscle heavily on this track, including the likes of Travis Scott, Gucci Mane, and Drake. This track, in particular, 10 Freaky Girls, features frequent collaborator 21 Savage. Pre-emmigration debacle, 21 Savage comes in hard on this track, over what is a very gospel melody. The production, certainly at the start, feels very Christian. But 21 Savage makes sure the rest of it steers well clear of the Bible. References to Spongebob and WWF make for a very cultured, well-spat song.

An infectious hook with a beat that grows from the Christian seed originally sewn to an epic, head-bopping new-age hip-hop jam, it does a stellar job as a single for this album. Both are fine artists that combine for a short, sharp burst of excellence to go beyond billboards and provide listeners with a tangible, irrefutable track to promote an excellent debut full-length project that, in my opinion, is long overdue.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 69: Paper Trail$ by Joey Bada$$

Glossing over that 10th March is the 69th day of the year, there is a lot of dollar signs floating about today, a trend I hinted would be arriving a week or so back.

Today’s dollar signs come courtesy of Brooklyn rapper, Joey Bada$$. Another song that takes me back to my first year of uni, a friend in my halls put me on to him. He was a big hip-hop nut, casually spitting Busta Rhymes bars and knowing everything about the culture, past and present. So I took him seriously and got stuck into Bada$$’s debut album, B4.DA.$$, and I loved it. It was new but not in a throwaway, trappy, Soundcloud rapper kind of way. It was proper music, with thoughtful topics and lyrics. The name of the album also had me sold, doubling as his name (Bada$$) and as a stylised version of “before the dollar”, a theme that ran throughout the album.

Paper Trail$ is no exception, detailing the human struggle to follow money for survival, and how so many problems can be fixed with a few dollars. The hook has a very catchy rhythm, with record scratches taking the plaudits for that section. DJ Premier is the producer and sets up a moody, 90s era inspired beat that is filled with the all the angst, ambition and anguish of a young kid born and bred on the streets.

As the drums kick in during the verse, Joey’s flow is on show for all to see. His trademark lyrical punchlines are aplenty; “I got dreams selling arenas and breaking brackets/tenants racket, while I’m cracking a Serena” and “with just a penny I could multiply my worth” are clever and topical, combining with Premier’s beat to deliver a very nostalgic hark-back to hip-hop’s golden era.

I’m not saying that Joey is on the same level as Biggie (who he name checks, being a huge advocate for east coast rap), Nas or Tupac, for instance. He isn’t. But it’s a clever, modern ode to the music that raised him. Now a father himself, I’m sure the Badass household will know De La Soul lyrics before they can walk. I’d also recommend Hazeus View on this album, as well as his 2017 second album, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. Get those dollar bills out and start listening!

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex