“This cassette was made with dust, vinyl, drum machines, breaks, kicks, snares, chops, kicks, loops, and soul.”

We witnessed this entire project unfold. Ologist, by way of Virgina and a proud Better Beat Bureau member, reached out to “some of the dopest producers” he knew via Instagram in the summer of 2015. The project’s original title, or concept rather, was The IG Beat Collective – which is self explanatory and simply amazing if done properly. But that is no issue for Ologist and producer Analog Burners, who both formulated the project now known and available as ‘When Crates Create‘.

Toggling back and forth on the which physical format to release the 18-track collaboration, they chose cassette. Oh yes, a good old classic beat tape. Boy how we miss those, huh? Perhaps this doesn’t tickle the fancies of the average radio listener or trap star, and that is totally okay. This predominately caters to an audience of true school, and old school, hip-hop heads – but not limited to. Your grandmother or country ass brother in-law could easily ride out to the wide, yet cohesive body of work.

There are too many names to list for you, but check the track list out as you stream it. If you’re not familiar with a lot of the beat smiths throughout the tape, do know they all take this craft very seriously and give eternal praise to the culture – as you should too. Yeah you. Enjoy the stream and keep up with the lords. Peace and love:

If you missed Analog Burners & Starvin B‘s ‘Starvicide‘ release feel free to splurge. It’s something you should probably be familiar with. One love.

Ologist | Analog Burners | When Crates Create

The post When Crates Create Is The Ultimate Instrumental Tape (Stream) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine have made a lot of great things together. From Beats headphones, to helping the careers of Eminem and 50 Cent, to Beats Music (okay, 2 out of three ain’t bad). Last year, they invested $70 million in the University of Southern California to launch a four-year bachelor’s degree program. The school will accept 25-30 students each year and grant degrees in Bachelors of Science in the Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.

So, how does the program measure up? A student gave Hypetrak his experience. Read below.

As a USC freshman in the inaugural class, I’m stoked to share my experience at the Iovine Young Academy because of how Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre are completely disrupting the traditional model of college education in the best way possible. Over the next three years, the thirty-one of us will go through a rigorous multidisciplinary program learning visual design, computer programming, audio production, communications, and business. A typical day in my academic life this first semester consists of analyzing the practices of innovative companies, learning my way around Adobe After Effects, building a 3D geometric cardboard model using Adobe Illustrator and a laser cutter, and working on a PowerPoint slide deck for a potential product. During our senior year, we will partake in minimal coursework and are encouraged to put our freshly learned skills into action by beginning to build revolutionary products and launch companies. In an interview with New York Times last year, Iovine said, “If the next start-up that becomes Facebook happens to be one of our kids, that’s what we are looking for.”

We see Jimmy and Dre, as we affectionately like to call them, from time to time. In late August, we went on a “field trip” to Jimmy’s home for a backyard BBQ where we met with him, Dr. Dre, will.i.am, and others. Two weeks ago, Jimmy visited our on-campus workspace and checked out some of the class projects we’ve been working on. In addition, for one of our classes titled “Innovator’s Roundtable,” we present products and solutions to people like Ian Rogers, CEO of Beats Music, and Rodney Mullen, widely known as the godfather of skateboarding. However, being a student at the Academy has perks beyond just opportunities to interact with accomplished individuals. We have access to top-of-the-line 3D printers, laser cutters, industry-grade software, and a comprehensive fabrication workshop – everything we could possibly ask for.

Despite all of this, I believe without a doubt that the best part of the Academy is the students. The school has done an excellent job at attracting a solid group of brilliant yet highly genuine, down-to-earth kids for the first class, and it truly is an honor to work with them everyday and join them on this journey. While each and every one of my classmates is amazing in their own distinct ways, we are all connected by a simple desire to build cool stuff that will make the world a better place.

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Vhvl and Bae Bro. Photo by: Eric Slyfield

It was a cool autumn day when we caught up with New York producers Vhvl and Bae Bro. We explored nature, dug for records, talked technology and got to hear what it’s like being a woman in a game crowded by dudes (which is a story we always need to be listening to). After Vhé confessed that she had been feeling a bit cooped up in the city, we ventured upstate to stretch our legs in the great outdoors. Away from the tourist attractions and dog urine we found tranquility and zen. We also happened to see a ninja-like DJ with a magic crate outside the local ShopRite and ended up copping a grip of sample material for only 7 bucks. And then we met a dj-turned-monk-turned-DJ, making it a truly special day. Peep the interview below.

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RESPECT: You got a haul today, man. What did you get?

Vhvl: [Thumbing through Bae Bro‘s new finds] Boys II Men? Oh God, I’m done with you… Oh. DMX. I love this joint!

Bae Bro: Tropical rainforest, enhanced with celtic harp and pan flute.

Still the best CD in that stack. So, Vhé, you started making beats because you were playing the guitar?

Vhvl: I was in this band with my friend, Chase. He used to sing and I used to just play guitar. Originally I picked up acoustic guitar because I was really depressed and I used to write these songs that were really depressing, all day. I couldn’t get anyone to do drums so I had to start doing drums digitally. It was kind of crappy, actually.

So, when did you start?

Bae Bro: I started making beats rapping. My uncle actually produced for Onyx so I always used to kick it in his studio. That’s how I came to understand how turntables worked and about gear. I moved to Jamaica, Queens and I linked up with some dude in the neighborhood and we always used to talk about music. He was like, “man, you should make beats.” My birthday was rolling around and he showed up with a cracked copy of Fruity Loops. But the crack didn’t work so I had to learn to make these songs in shorter time. Just verse; chorus; copy; paste; bounce. Then he got me a copy of Reason that worked. Now I’m on the Ableton thing.

Vhvl: I love Ableton.

Bae Bro: Yeah, we’re both Ableton users. Software was the only thing I had. Because I didn’t have any other gear I always dive into the new shit.

How important is that to the both of you?

Bae Bro: Software? We have a different standpoint on this. She’s on like Reason 3.

Vhvl: I like what I like and I think that’s because I’m a little bit old school in my use of almost anything. I kinda came up as an engineer. I came up around dudes who were old, like, if it works and works for you then you use it. I’m still learning the program I have. I keep finding cool things I can do. And I’m cheap so it’s like hey why not. I just now started performing using Ableton because I broke my 404 during a show.

Bae Bro: And I did a lot of sound design and to do that I had to be up on the latest stuff. I actually learned Reason in the past three years having to remake sounds and stuff.

Bae Bro beaming over his new records.

It’s funny . With the old charts you could just sit by the radio and hear good songs. Now everybody claims to hate the radio so it’s like, “Who’s buying this music then?”

Bae Bro: Well, it’s like if you found out what Burger King’s whopper secret sauce was. It’s like, “oh, this isn’t so special anymore.” Everybody knows what the formula is. It’s so formulaic that people can design these marketing schemes to further their brand and that’s why pop music is so terrible. And I play pop music on a daily basis. I’m happy to be playing gigs that I like where pop music isn’t as terrible as what’s number one in the charts. But I love pop music. I kind of like the fact that it’s shitty.

Everybody seems to.

Bae Bro: It takes the piss out of serious music. Which you need sometimes. You’ve gotta be able to enjoy — laugh!

So, why do you create and what do you hope it does for people? I know you can make a sad song and people will be getting buck to it, y’know?

Vhvl: That’s me. I know you can make it and hearing it back you remember how you felt when you made it.

Bae Bro: Man that’s a tough question. Her and I talk about this all the time. We actually used to fight about this. I wouldn’t tease her but I’d make remarks that didn’t make her feel so comfortable about her process. Like Erykah Badu says, “[she’s] an artist and [she’s] sensitive about [her] shit.” I’m not a sensitive person. I’m trying to be but through my experiences with Vhvl I’ve learned it’s a gift and you’ve got to give it back to the people. My personal reason for making music? For me I look at music like science. I like science but I wasn’t always the best in it so I look at music like its the science of sound. Now I’m trying to make art but still have fun with it. But if they hear a synth that makes ’em want to go buck, go buck. If you hear some chords that make you want to cry, cry. I don’t know what people are going to take from it.

So you’re like a door with a window in it then. It’s like you’re trying to show people something new with the sound design and open them up to the idea that music can be different.

Bae Bro: Yeah!

Vhvl: I’m a mirror. What I do is I expose the darkest corners of a person. People come up to me all the time like, ” I was listening to this song over and over ’cause shorty dumped me.” And I’m like, “Well y’know that’s where I was when I made it so peace to you.” A lot of my music comes from a terrible place. I’m a pretty sad person. I’m a happy person, but I’m sad more.

You seem pleasant overall.

Vhvl: Give it, like, two days I’ll be making something pretty sad.

Vhvl and Bae Bro.

Oh word? So, I wanted to ask about chptooth. What’s happening there?

Vhvl: We’re all the same person in five different people. It pretty much started in a Starbucks. We like the low-key thing. We keep it pretty quiet. We’re moving kinda slow and it’s good. We have some really cool artists. The two that are moving the most would have to be Selfles. Jennifer and Willy. Willy is actually from here, Jennifer is from Florida. We’re working on releasing some stuff. Everyone is too scared to drop first. It might be Simara. His project is pretty much done. [Simara], does a lot of visual art and video editing; things of that nature. And Foryei our next artist should be going soon after that. I’m supposed to drop soon after that I don’t know when. I’m reluctant to do so because —

Bae Bro: She doesn’t want to drop first.

Vhvl: I don’t. I’m a little nervous.

Well, I think where chptooth started is a good place to end the day. Before we get out of here; what are three sounds and three places you’re fond of?

Bae Bro: Sounds: wind; water; lasers.

Vhvl: Why do you like lasers?

Bae Bro: Lasers are awesome! It was one of the first sounds I learned to make with a synthesizer.

Starbucks Customer:  You make wind sounds?

Bae Bro: No – lasers sounds. Well, wind sounds, yeah.

[For the next few minutes the interview get’s hijacked by a Starbucks patron who turned out to be a pretty chill DJ-turned-monk turned born-again DJ. Psaul, hit us up if you see this.]

Bae Bro: Places? Jamaica, Queens; the moon; and I have a thing for low lit places. I really like the dark. I think the lack of that sense really makes your ears alert.

Vhvl:  Sounds: I like water… and water and water. and places…

Bae Bro: We went to the beach today!

Vhvl: Yeah, the beach! Mountains and rocks. I like to be on mountains and rocks. And the middle of nowhere. I like to be lost.

If you’re still not hip to these sound tinkerers you can download Vhvl’s new album Myrrh from her Bandcamp. Be sure to check the elusive producer on her Soundcloud as well. Also be sure to check out Bae Bro on his Soundcloud. The track “Don’t Even Be Knowin'” should be played at very high volume.

The post Interview: Vhvl and Bae Bro on Software and Process. appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Thundercat – Apocalypse

“It’s superficial, the way that you listen // Open your ears and your mind // Just take the time to look a bit deeper // You’d be surprised what you find inside.”

The opening stanza of Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner’s song “Evangelion” is a contemplative bounce offering excellent advice on how to deal with both life and his latest album. The record, which was composed following the death of close friend and former Brainfeeder affiliate Austin Peralta, is a telling tale about personal loss and coming to terms with it. With Thundercat’s infamous six-stringed bass leading the tone of the album and co-producer Flying Lotus keeping equilibrium with his signature percussion ,the album is a refined effort that drowns genre divisions in a sea of sounds.

There are multiple ways to dive in. You can swim, float or sink into “The Life Aquatic,” where the duo teams up for the first of the albums instrumental offerings, or you can level up to the more optimistic “Special Stage,” where Thundercat and FlyLo take you on a mellow ride that is something like cruising along rainbow road with the top down. On the reassuring “Tron Song,” Flying Lotus’ bouncy production melds with the harmony of Thundercat’s airy vocals, becoming nearly pulse-like.

In addition to “Tron Song,” the album offers another largely instrumental track by the name of “Seven.” Taking a page out of the late Dave Brubeck‘s book, Thundercat and Flylo churn out a mind-blowing prog-rock jam with a tricky seven-four (7/4) time signature. Then they lightly strut into the undeniably funky “Oh Sheit It’s X.” Based on a true story, this space-age jam is sure to have you dancing in ecstasy.

And as if the combined talents of the Brainfeeder music wizards wasn’t enough, they also enlist the help of Thomas Pridgen of The Mars Volta. Pridgen offers up a killer drum solo on “Lotus and the Jondy”, solidifying the fact that this isn’t your run of the mill Soul/Electronica offering. Dancing from soul to prog rock to jazz and back, the album showcases the possibilities that emerge when an artist is willing to shun the limitations of genres.

Most interesting is how, building on personal experiences, Thundercat finds a way to directly yet delicately address the subject of death, reminding you to “do your best” through it all on the short but sweet, “We’ll Die.” That heartfelt offering leads right into a charged symphony titled “Message for Austin.“ With the spirit of friend and collaborator Austin Peralta looming nearby, the records closing track  “Enter the Void” combines some ritualistic percussion and softly chiming bells. Strangely, that combination perfectly loops back into the album’s start, encouraging you to drift back over the previous eleven tracks to take the journey once again.

Apocalypse is an eclectic ride that has something to offer everybody,from those who have experienced loss to those eager for the next leg of life’s journey. The careful blurring of genre’s display both Thundercat’s expansive talents and his progression since his debut album. Available now for digital purchase here, the Vinyl and CD versions of Apocalypse are set to release June 9th. If you don’t already have your digital version, you’d be advised to grab a hard copy and take this musical journey.

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Photos by: Eric Slyfield

Flying Lotus recently graced the stage at Toronto’s Sound Academy. Accompanied by Brainfeeder labelmate and label boss FlyLo, Thundercat also brought the storm. Long time collaborators Dr. Strangeloop and Timeboy were also present, adding their jarring Layer3 visual show to Flylo’s stirring rhythms.  You don’t have to know math to know that Flying Lotus plus two screens of third eye astral projections equals an unfathomable audiovisual experience. Unfortunately, we can’t recreate that experience, but we can give you a glimpse. Peep the images below.

Flying Lotus and Thundercat.

Flying Lotus.

Flying Lotus opening up that crown chakra.

Flying Lotus.

Thundercat.

Captain Murphy

Captain Murphy.

FlyLo alter ego Captain Murphy also took the stage to get the crowd rocking in cult-like fashion. Stepping from behind a cloth screen to bounce through tunes like “Shake Weight” and “The Killing Joke,” Murphy brought out some of Flylo’s dark side. And the crowd followed suit, noticeably altering how they rocked to the rhythms.

Altogether the Brainfeeder crew delivered and the Layer3 show was a hit. Next time they’re in your area you’d be well advised to vibe with them. If you’re still not hip to the low end theory booming out of California right now, download Flying Lotus’ latest project, Until the Quiet Comes or preorder Thundercat’s, Apocalypse, now. It’s out on July 4th.

The post Concert Review x Photos: Flying Lotus and Thundercat live in Toronto appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Chuck Inglish, has been one of the top-tier producers providing solid instrumentals for the new crop of stellar emcees.  Get familiar with his production on his latest beat tape entitled, WRKOUT.

Download: WRKOUT

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