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Tamoanchan by El Búho

Fire and rain have held divinity for centuries among the people of Mexico, granting them prolific yields and a sense of unbridled holiness. Even thunder has a place in the culture as a harbinger of harvest; a promissory note of bounty. These elements have played an important role in the unique pagano-christian consecration of the land. Robin Perkins, A.K.A El Búho, guides you through the sanctified city of Tenochtitlan by manifesting these sacred elements in his new EP, Tamoanchan.

El Búho issues an unhurried take on house music, allowing the listener to comfortably digest the ancestral cumbia rhythms pulsating before them. Each piece proceeds at a marching pace, as if you are steadily rolling through Mexico’s viridian hills and vermilion valleys. Quivering pan flutes are layered over muted synthesizer plucks, both being complemented by field recordings of the land’s most hushed environments. Rattles, chimes, and a variety of hand drums dance between deep bass kicks, creating an unwavering trance listeners may have a hard time breaking from. Tamoanchan is soaked in earth, wind, fire and water; a fittingly spiritual homage to the culture and mysticism that is embedded in the hallowed land of Mexico.

Favorite tracks: “Cumbia de Tototl”, “ La Hora Más Oscura”

Listen to Tamoanchan here

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Jonts by Drew Dave

On the morning of February 10, 2006, a man by the name James Dewitt Yancey passed away. Most people knew him by another title; J Dilla. The death of Dilla is a unique one. Not only is it one of the most homage-paid passings in hip-hop, but it became a thunderous call to action for beat producers everywhere that still rings throughout the world. 

Drew Dave is answering that call with a soul brother swing and eloquently slick sample chops. Jonts is his second collection of beats; a 20 track assortment of rhythms, each with the consistency of nectar. Buttery soul vocals and crisp piano loops sashay between bulky bass and steel-toed drums that come with a punch many veterans wish they could swing. Vibraphones, strings, and horns are peppered across the collection and each of these samples are sliced with sushi chef precision. What makes this compilation stand out from the hundreds of other Dilla-inspired beat tapes is not only its arrangements but also its sonic clarity. Every cymbal, snare, snap and sample cut is crystal clear and puts the listener right in Drew Dave's lab. Jonts is a satisfying ride through soul and funk reveries set to an infectious rhythm. 

Favorite tracks: "D.CSummer'09", "LiveAgain", "LonnieLISTEN", "W.W.W (SoGifted)", "MusiqMakesDaWorld...”

Listen to Jonts here

[thewarmtone-blog]

Labyrinth by X.Y.R.

Hypnosis is used to put patients into a receptive and suggestible state of mind, allowing them to access memories and contemplate ideas much easier than they would in their usual consciousness. Those in this altered state usually experience dissociation, time distortion, lowered inhibitions and a fluent imagination. Listeners may find themselves in a similar trance when hearing X.Y.R.’s Labyrinth.

Each arrangement contains phasing synthesizers that ice over subtle percussion loops to create a steady yet unearthly tribal aura. Cascading synth pads and woolly drones chart out every composition’s aisles and hallways, leading you to a new cognizance of your surroundings. Wispy vocals intermittently come in and out of your ears, as if hints of the maze’s completion are being transmitted to you. There is a psycho-spiritual air that breezes through all six tracks that grant a better understanding of the self when inhaled. Coiling pictures of an elevated light cloud your mind as you explore the bottom of your ego in this sonic gallery of tunnels and passageways.

Favorite tracks: “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors”, “False Angel Lullaby”

Listen to Labyrinth here