We reviewed Clear Soul Forces’ new album, Still. It’s been way too long since we last wrote about Clear Soul Forces. So when I heard they had a new album out, I had to right that wrong. The acclaimed Detroit trio released Still, their first full-length album in four years after numerous solo projects in that time. The last joint LP was Fab Five, released…
This edition of Leftover Links is all about the rappers. We get so many submissions every day, it’s not possible to get to them all as and when they come through. That means we miss things and get to them late. A bit like when you’re stuck for something to eat and have nothing substantial in, you put together a mish-mash concoction. And then it…
Black Milk is at it again with another fine Boiler Room set in Moscow. I always look forward to Boiler Room sets involving my favourite producers as it allows me to hear what music they’re rocking at the time, as fans and musicians themselves. Black Milk has already put on quite the show in a set before but for his recent set in Moscow, the…
Relive the origins of Detroit techno with our Saturday Matinée documentary. Before EDM became a plaything for frat bros and TV adverts, it started out in the underground clubs of the Midwest and New York. Chicago had their house, New York had their garage music (not to be confused with UKG) and Detroit had their techno and the latter is the focus of this week’s…
Black Milk goes in a whole new direction for his latest track, Detroit’s New Dance Show. The speed with which Black Milk has been working since his self-imposed hiatus a few years ago is pretty breathtaking and the best part is the quality hasn’t been hindered. No Poison No Paradise was a hit with fans and critics alike in 2013 as was his Glitches In…
There’s something to be said for a rapper who can generate a buzz as loud as a hornet’s nest without blessing the world with a full album. Kid Vishis is one such emcee and we reviewed his debut album, Timing Is Everything. Kid Vishis has managed just that armed only with a few mixtapes and appearances on older brother Royce Da 5’ 9”’s projects. Granted, being…
The upcoming National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. has a new exhibit courtesy of J Dilla’s custom Moog synth and MPC3000. As I remarked on Facebook, this is bigger than you think. The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. is still under construction but when it’s ready for visitors, Jay Dee fans will be excited for a…
Detroit’s Theo Parrish has us shuffling with his broken beat/house/techno joint, Footwork. Since the early days of 4hero, Jazzanova and Bugz In The Attic, the genre known as broken beat has fascinated me. Its roots stem from advancements of rhythm in jazz fusion, electro and techno and work as a counterpart to the flat 4/4 of traditional house we hear today. Of course, there are musicians…
From janitor to jerseys – how one Detroit entrepreneur sold off his entire sneaker collection to start Perennial Merchants, an online fashion shop. Having lived in Atlanta, Charles Roberts returned to his hometown of Detroit with a dream. Problem was the capital wasn’t there and working as a janitor on $8 an hour wasn’t going to achieve that. His aim was to start an e-commerce…
Detroit’s SoundBoyMusic channels the spirit of Dilla with his latest project, DeetroitSoundS. Good luck if you’re a producer coming out of Detroit wanting to keep you name away from Dilla’s. Even Black Milk, as diverse as his sound has become over the years, gets the comparison wherever he goes. But some harness the vibe he left behind and it “sounds” like SoundBoyMusic has done just…
