The Future: Benga

I thought when I wrote a post last month about Skream, I figured I would have to write one too for Croydon's other dubstep phenomenon: Benga.

Benga, along with Skream, is one of the genre's originators beginning with 'Skank / Dose' for Big Apple in 2002, followed by singles for his own Benga Beats starting in 2004. In 2007, Benga appeared on the Planet µ compilation '200' with the track 'Broken Dubstep'. During the same year, he released what has become one of dubstep's most enduring singles: 'Night' with Coki. In 2008, he released his debut full length album 'Diary of an Afro Warrior', which includes heavy cuts like 'Crunked Up' and the single 'Pleasure'. Most recently, Benga has released his 'Buzzin' / One Million' single with the chunky A-side track 'Buzzin'' and the Fatboy Slim sampling cut 'One Million' that nabs some of the vocals from 'Star 69'.

For Seattleites: Benga will be appearing at this year's Decibel Festival, be sure to check him out.

The Lowdown:
Benga 'Skank'
from 'Skank / Dose' (2002) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Benga 'Broken Dubstep'
from '200' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Benga and Coki 'Night'
from 'Night' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Benga 'Crunked Up' and 'Pleasure'
from 'Diary of an Afro Warrior' (2008) (MP3/Import CD)
Benga 'Buzzin'' and 'One Million'
from 'Buzzin' / One Million' (2009) (MP3/CD not available)
Fatboy Slim 'Star 69'
from 'Halfway Between the Gutter and the Star' (2000) (MP3/CD)

Related Posts:
The Future: Flying Lotus
The Future: Skream

The Future: Skream

There haven't been many posts in the category for The Future and this one may not be the best way to restart it as this dude's been the future for a while, but the focus of this post will be on Croydon dubstep artist Skream.

After early appearances on the Big Apple label, one of the few labels breaking the dubstep sound at the time, Skream hit it big in 2005 with the single 'Midnight Request Line', which is still in the pantheon of the most recognizable singles of the genre. Following the single's success, Skream began to issue music with his Skreamizm series, starting in 2006 with 'Skreamizm Vol. 1' which contain slamming cuts like 'Glamma'. In the same year, Skream released one of dubstep's first full length albums: 'Skream!'. The album contains tracks like the JME backed single 'Tapped' and the B-side cut 'Dutch Flowerz'.

More recently, Skream has honed his style on newer singles like 2008's 'Hedd Banger', which pulls a clever sample from Missy Elliott's Timbaland produced hit 1997 single 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)'. Just a few months ago, Skream released a split single with the dubstep artist Benga with a new intense track titled 'Trapped in a Dark Bubble', which will surely ignite dubstep heads.

If you are in Seattle this week, Skream will be playing at Trinity on Wednesday, June 10th. See you there!

The Lowdown:
Skream 'Midnight Request Line'
from 'Midnight Request Line' 12" (2005) (MP3/CD not available)
Skream 'Glamma'
from 'Skreamizm Vol. 1' (2006) (MP3/CD not available)
Skream 'Tapped' and 'Dutch Flowerz'
from 'Skream!' (2006) (MP3/CD)
Skream 'Hedd Banger'
from 'Hedd Banger' (2008) (MP3/CD not available)
Missy Elliott 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)'
from 'Supa Dupa Fly' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Clean: 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)'
Skream 'Trapped in a Dark Bubble'
from 'Trapped in a Dark Bubble' (2009) (MP3/CD not available)

Bonus Cuts:
'Midnight Request Line' is so popular that it has spawned two fairly high profile remixes: Switch's remix of 'Midnight Request Line' adds signature blog house grinding synths to a slowed down rhythm while Hot Chip's remix of 'Midnight Request Line' banks on the band's indefinable style.

The Future: Flying Lotus

Welcome to the second installment of The Future. In this edition, I'm going to cover recent Warp Records signing Flying Lotus who delivered one of the best laptop sets I've ever seen a few months ago. Think one half Dilla, one half Calecovision and you have a fair idea of his style.

While filming a movie based on his great aunt Alice Coltrane (born on this date in 1937, rest in peace), Steven Ellison caught the music bug and without too much forethought, he submitted his early work to the Cartoon Network who proceeded to use his beats for Adult Swim bumper spots. In 2006, his first album titled '1983' appeared on the experimental Plug Research label. The album introduces the world to his unusual style, one great example is the track 'Pet Monster Shotglass'. In June of this year, his second album was released on Warp Records. 'Los Angeles' is teeming with more broken beat structures and newer, more organic instrument sounds. Check out 'Golden Diva' from 'Los Angeles'. Flying Lotus has also remixed other artists including Mia Doi Todd ('My Room is White' (Flying Lotus Remix)) and Ghostly produced Dabrye with vocals from J Dilla and Phat Kat ('Game Over' (Flying Lotus Remix)).

Look for rising interest in this great new artist and catch him if he comes through your town on tour.

The Lowdown:
Flying Lotus 'Pet Monster Shotglass'
from '1983' (2006) (MP3/CD)
Flying Lotus 'Golden Diva'
from 'Los Angeles' (2008) (MP3/CD)
Mia Doi Todd 'My Room is White' (Flying Lotus Remix)
from 'La Ninja: Amor and Other Dreams of Manzanita' (2006) (MP3/CD)
Dabrye, J Dilla, and Phat Kat 'Game Over' (Flying Lotus Remix)
from 'Get Dirty' (2008) (MP3/CD not available)

BONUS CUT:
Dabrye 'Game Over' (Flying Lotus Remix Instrumental).

The Future: Cool Kids

This is the first post in this blogs new serial titled The Future that will cover new, noteworthy acts in hip-hop and beyond. The group I'm covering in this post is none other than the blog-hyped Cool Kids from Chicago aligned with A-Trak's Fool's Gold Record label and Chicago's Chocolate Industries. 'Black Mags', the Cool Kids' latest single, makes flossing on BMX bikes seem suddenly possible. Fool's Gold single '88' (referencing / interpolating Nas' 'Made You Look' in its chorus) is a striking boom-bap throwback. One of the new tracks from the latest Cool Kids EP, 'The Bake Sale', is a house party anthem titled 'Jingling' that lifts some party fun from LL Cool J's '88 single 'Jingling Baby' from 'Walking with a Panther'. I admit that I'm not fond of the exploits of the internet's blog rap explosion, most artists littering the web with poor flows disguised as clever hipsterisms. The Cool Kids, though calculated, never dresses their music like it's a joke - their throwback 'Paid in Full' sound seems like it belongs. Check it out to see if you agree.

The Lowdown:
The Cool Kids 'Black Mags', '88', and 'Jingling'
from 'The Bake Sale' (2008) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Black Mags', '88', and 'Jingling'
Nas 'Made You Look'
from 'God's Son' (2002) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Made You Look'
LL Cool J 'Jingling Baby'
from 'Walking with a Panther' (1988) (MP3/CD)