Skrillex - Recess (LP)

This week marks the first official full-length album release from one of EDM's most consistently intriguing artists. Skrillex has been changing and morphing his sound ever since his debut with Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites back in 2010. Recess seems to be the culmination of all the experimentation Sonny has been doing with his music over the past few years.

My initial thoughts on the album were that he seemed to be trying a little too hard to make this album avoid any kind of commercial sound. However, upon further listening, I believe this album is just Skrillex being Skrillex. It is very clear that he refuses to be pigeon-holed into one genre of music. Recess covers all the bases from bro-step to deep house, and does so with a strange continuity that only he could pull off. The first track, All Is Fair in Love and Brostep, is Skrillex's tip of the hat to all of his older dubstep fans that were hoping for an album full of dirty beats and gnarly drops. He couldn't leave them hanging. However, the title-track, Recess, is much more of the kind of stuff I was looking for out of this album. It's a solid moombahton track that is sure to get your blood flowing faster and faster with every decible louder it is played. Check it out below.

Another track I want to highlight is called Fuck That. This is definitely the most interesting track on the album to me. I call it deep-step, as it sounds like dubstep and deep house had relations out of wedlock and chose not to abort their illegitimate child. Skrillex uses the signature bass wobbles you can find in most deep house tracks, but does it over a mellow dubstep style beat. I really like the way it all came together though. Check it out below.



The last song I wanted to shed light on is the drum and bass inspired Coast Is Clear, featuring Chance The Rapper. I love that Skrillex reached out to this rising rap star and got him on a track. I love everything Chance does, so I knew this collaboration was bound to be amazing. It isn't a very ragey song, but thats why I love Skrillex. His music has no boundaries or limits. To him, all music fits under one roof, and everything is fair game. Check out this collab below and "dance like it hurts to stand still."



Other notable tracks on the album include: Stranger, Fire Away, Ease My Mind and the certified banger with my boy Alvin Risk, Try it Out.

The album is for sale on iTunes or Amazon and can also be heard on Spotify! Make sure you catch Skrillex and his various DJ cronies on his Mothership 2014 tour, coming to a city near you very soon.

Enjoy! <3

Coachella Spotlight #4: Chance The Rapper

If you have not heard of Chicago's Chance The Rapper by now, you most definitely will in 2014. Besides OutKast, his set is one of the most highly anticipated hip-hop performances of Coachella this year.

Chance topped what seemed like every single top 10 list for mixtapes released in 2013. There was nothing but the highest praise for his Acid Rap mixtape last year. His unique sound and productions, which he has self-dubbed as acid rap, first grabbed the attention of Childish Gambino, who gave him his first major break by using him as the opening act on his tour back in 2012. Since then Chance has seen tremendous growth in his music and his fan base. Here is one of my favorite tracks of his, featuring Childish Gambino!


The very first song I ever fell in love with of Chance's was Acid Rain. I loved the laid back, minimal beat that really allows his storytelling ability to shine through. His personal stories and experiences he shares also bring a nice emotional side to the song as well. Check it below!



Since Acid Rap, he has been featured in tracks with major artists like Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne and James Blake just to name a few. Despite so much attention lately, he has turned down record contracts from major labels, including an offer from Kendrick Lamar's TDE label. I respect his commitment and passion for the music and not about cashing in on early success. Here is another really cool track he did as a hidden track on his Mixtape with Nosaj Thing called Paranoia. I love the combo of EDM and hip-hop coming together for this track that was later featured on Adidas' "Songs From Scratch" series.



You can download Acid Rap for free on Datpiff, so make sure you take advantage of that! Also, if you dig him, Like him on Facebook! I cannot wait to check him out live at Coachella. It is sure to be memorable!

Happy Coachella! <3

Top 10 of 2013: A$AP Rocky - Long.Live.A$AP

It was hard for me to pick a favorite hip hop album of the year. There were a couple contenders: like Pusha T (Who I have already told you my thoughts on last month) or Chance The Rapper with Acid Rap. But, after thinking about the diversity of songs that each rapper had on their album, I had to give it to A$AP Rocky's debut, Long.Live.A$AP.

The very first thing that stands out to me about this album are the features. It has some of the biggest rap names in the game sprinkled all throughout. The radio hit, Fuckin Problems, features 3 of the biggest names in 2013: 2 Chainz, Drake & Kendrick Lamar. He also attempts to blend genres and leave his comfort zone by bringing on the likes of Florence Welch from Florence & The Machine and Skrillex. Check out what I mean in I Come Apart.

This song has so many good tracks on it that it is hard to pick which ones I want to highlight. However, there is one song that was a big influence on picking this as the only hip hop album to feature on this list. 1Train is almost like a cypher of sorts, as it features a bunch of heavy hitters all over the same, repetitive beat. Kendrick Lamar kills it, like always. Joey Badass, Yelawolf and Danny Brown also lay down bad ass verses. Check out this gem of a track below.

Then there is classic A$AP tracks on the album, like Goldie. This is quintessential A$AP Rocky, just casually spitting over a hard, simplistic beat about what makes him better than the rest. I love this track, as it's perfect for just cruising around town. Check it out below

Check out the rest of the album on my Best of 2013 Spotify Playlist or follow him on Facebook!

Enjoy! <3

Childish Gambino - Because The Internet (LP)

I know the album was leaked last week, but I wanted it to be official when I posted this. So... *drum roll* ...Childish Gambino just dropped his second full length album called Because the Internet today!!! WOOHOO!!!

It has been a long wait for all of his fans to hear the new tracks. After checking out the leak and listening to every song, I can easily say that his music only gets better with time. His lyrics are as clever as ever, the production is more interesting and unique (reminiscent of Frank Ocean's Orange album), and his features take the album even one more step up. The album features the likes of Chance The Rapper, Azealia Banks and Jhene Aiko all over Gambino's own productions. The album is really solid. I feel like most rap albums have the hits and the rest is mediocre, but not this one. You won't feel the need to skip songs at all, as each one is cool in it's own way. That's not to say it doesn't get a little weird at times.. because it does. However, his talent still shows through the weird intros and interludes he creates to maintain a specific mood from one song to the next.

You can listen to the album in it's entirety on Spotify above or hear my favorite tracks from the album on the Audible Twilight Spotify playlist! For the real fans, you can purchase the album on iTunes or on his website. Support the artists you love!

Enjoy! <3