Listening to “Believe Porpoise” at the moment, by We from their first album, As Is. This whole album was such a seminal release to me, came out my senior year of high-Sghool. I remember being so proud that there was someone fusing dnb and trip-hop (I didn’t even really know that much about straight dub then), and doing IN AMERICA. I was so fortunate to get to interact with these guys later in my career, but listening to it now brings me back to a rainy North Carolina spring and cueing this up on my janky discman, with speakers I borrowed from my bro’s boombox.

But memory lane is just a diversion when there’s a ton going on here and now. Basically I just wanted to shout out this producer who I know nothing about but who has already made my favorite album for the year. It’s J Todd, and you can find him on Myspace here. I found out about him because he had one of the most charming tracks on the superb Beat Dimensions comp from 2007, The Night. That was a little more sample-based hip-hop, like his first album XOXO. Now he’s got Ryzzynynce out through Itunes direct, and it totally rocks me. And I almost can’t even say why. It exists at this weird intersection between what Flying Lotus and all the Brainfeeder cats are doing in the wonky hip-hop space, 80s synth throwback stuff that you’d almost expect more in an electro set, and something else sort of undefinable. Actually, what it mostly makes me think of is rainy hot summers in the South, something about those syrup-y bass and synth lines. Strange, considering Todd’s from cold-ass Milwaukee, a city I have great love for. Sometimes the music gets a little hyper, like on Otaku Sunrise, but all the better for switching up the energy. Anyway, XLR8R tells me that he’s also part of some other fine groups, seems more a beat man for others in those cases. There’s even pictures of him MCing all over his myspace, so perhaps he’s got talent across the spectrum. Amazing that clearly he’s been doing his thing for forever (which you can kind of tell in how developed his sound is on Ryzzynynce) and yet he came at me like a bolt out of the blue. Thanks to Salva, Frite Nite, and Bryant/Lazer Sword for turing me on to him beyond the Beat Dimensions comp!

My new mix will feature him heavily, as have all my sets recently, so definitely check him! I myself hope to stay in the loop with his upcoming productions.

PS 1 on this – Looks like Beat Dimensions 2 is FINALLY on it’s way! Rush Hour just shows a couple of EPs right now, but it’s all the dopest beat makers out there at the moment, and, like always, a few that I’ve never heard of. Big up Cinnaman and Jay Scarlett as always. EP 1 here. EP 2 here.
PS 2 on this – Holy Schnikee’s I hadn’t actually taken the time to really check out the new Brainfeeder site! Go there right now and let your brain explode.

Also wanted to point out that a group that I’ve been following for a long long time is on the verge of releasing their first solo album, finally, after like years of tweaking. Think I’ve been in touch with these guys for 3 years and they’ve only had one official release before they struck out on their own and founded their own 3by3 label. It’s Cloaks, and they’re mindblowing if you can take it. Their album and site features awesome artwork by my buddy El Kano (which you can see to the left). Can’t post any tracks here, but just head to their myspace page and check out the sound (also, their website itself is gorgeous)… That sound is, well, …  judge for yourself, but to me it’s this crazy clash between glitch, dubstep and industrial. But genre descriptions aren’t actually that helpful to describe their music, it would be more accurate to say it sounds more like a digital robot tearing apart chunks of rusted metal … it’s right on the edge of beat music, but whenever you start to lose faith the rhythm creeps back in. Plus, as bonus points, I’ve heard that they make ALL this music complete with analog gear. I know they’re based somewhere way outside the mainstream of the UK music scene (I’m thinking Norwich … which, forgive me Brit’s if that’s like THE place to be at the moment).

Anyway, all this to say that their 9 track (get it? 3×3?) LP Versus Grain is out on their own label a month from tomorrow. I’m sure Boomkat will carry it. Looks like they’re playing at Corsica Studios in a week, so check ‘em out there if you happen to be in London (man do I ever wish that SF had a place where we could do shows like Cloaks… oh wait… maybe that’s GAFFTA! But more on that to come…)

Ah, what the heck, here’s one short track, Low Quality, with drops in it, to give you an idea. Be scared or enjoy, it’s your choice.