PLAYLIST & NEW RELEASES
September was a big month for new music.New releases include Glass Animals' How To Be A Human Being, What So Not's Divide & Conquer EP, Isaiah Rashad's critically-acclaimed album The Sun's Tirade and James Blake's "Timeless" release with new raps from Vince Staples, amongst others.
My three most-listened-to artists of the month are Schoolboy Q, Shlohmo, and Father.
MUST-READ ARTICLES
I also want to introduce something new to my monthly favorites – notable articles I've read this month. In September, I recommend:
- VMAN magazine's profile of one of my favorite record labels, WEDIDIT. They discuss how the label is leveraging their cult following by branching out from music and into retail. WEDIDIT's unconventional designs now being sold via the luxury fashion brand Opening Ceremony.
- The New York Times' 2014 article about Burning Man (the festival in Black Rock City, NV) whose principles of "self-reliance" and "radical inclusion," has in some ways become a congregation of tech elites one-upping each other. I found this article while reading about the "revolution against rich parasites" at this year's Burning Man. The larger social commentary at play is fascinating, and it seems to be a trend in the industry as festivals are becoming increasingly commercialized.
- Residential Advisor's profile of LuckyMe, the Glasgow-based record label whose roster includes Baauer and TNGHT (the duo and trap music pioneers who produced Kanye West's "Blood on the Leaves"). There's a reason why LuckyMe isn't a household name, and that's intentional.
- The New York Times' article discussing the success of Beyoncé's Lemonade. The creation of short films or extended videos to go along with the music itself is becoming a vital component of any artist's content.
- The Verge's report that Spotify may acquire SoundCloud.
MIX
Tunji Ige's mix for The Fader. I recommend listening to Tunji Ige rap on What So Not's track "Feel It."
VIDEO
It's no surprise that I've been mostly into electronic music lately, but singer-songwriters like Corinne Bailey Rae will always have a special place in my heart. Plus, the NPR Tiny Desk Concerts always provide an incredibly raw and intimate venue, making the performances seem more real and down to earth.
I'm stoked to see that British grime MC and rapper Skepta has won the Mercury Prize this year with his album Konnichiwa! He beat Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool and David Bowie's Blackstar. Sales of Konnichiwa have apparently gone up 226% since the win.
Rubadub, the pro-audio shop, in Glasgow.
