Weekly Beats 2012- Week 5 Round-up

Best Of The Week: (Top 5)

1. Nuro Z- Chapter Two- Who Will Save Our Soul: Another outstanding track from Nuro Z this week, if it’s possible this one is even better than last weeks. Well it is possible because he has managed it. Combining better vocal hooks, a more addictive rhythm in the rapping, even more emotive delivery of the story and lyrics and an outstanding chorus, Nuro Z has nailed this stuff tight. Once again the music prevails as a stripped and open landscape for which the story and lyrics can run rampant at the forefront, whilst still managing to find a point where both anchor each other firmly with meaning and purpose. An astonishing piece.

For Fans Of: Narratives, Emotion, Hippity Hoppity

2. HunterQuinn-Henticlees The Final Journey: The second the intro is out you’re met with a full forced beat-based punch to the teeth, with progressive structures and great melodies swirling like a dancefloor typhoon in its wake, until it spirals into an extremely tense and emotive climax. Addictive and true to the title on the journey side of things, Hunter Quinn once again showcases his aptitude for epic dance tracks. Another artist I am insanely proud to have worked with on my old label, and for this EXACT reason.

For Fans Of: Cincinnati Chip Scene, IAYD, A Full Nullsleep Set In A Fifth Of The Time

3. Pocaille-Glitterstim Spice: Pumping beats that move around constantly under the sway of syncopation with some face-stomping melodies and bass; this piece is sure to get you a-grooving. I’d like to babble on indefinitely about how good it is, but I’ll just leave you with the fact it is a PERFECT dance track. Equal parts beat, melody and light experimentation.

For Fans Of: House, Daft Punk, Justice

4. George Bowles- Botanimal-Every Second: A beautifully relaxed piece with a lot going on inside itself. Some beautiful strings in non-standard time signatures help create a fully hypnotic base for the track, slowly wrapping itself into a tightly-knit and very very listenable package.

For Fans Of: Ambient, Experimentation, Brian Eno

5. Trash80-Cascadia: I’m starting to think doing a Trash80 of the week section might be just as relevant as a cTrix one. Another killer track from the kind soul that bestowed WeeklyBeats unto us and a genuine floor-filler this time. Sounding cyberpunk to a tee (if you needed an example of this style of house this’d be the perfect diagram) Cascadia does its rounds eclectically before sparking off into a chilled and very progressive house sounding breakdown before returning with a vengeance. This shit is high.

For Fans Of: Daft Punk circa 2011, Either of Trash80's 8BP releases, Tension

Honourable Mentions.

AlexOgre-Along The Milkyway: Plodding and progressively twisting chiptune/dance/trance with a beautiful set of melodies and a fully realised space-y atmosphere, a triumph for AlexOgre for sure.

Andarugo-Randolph Carter [Space Vibrations]: Slowly leading you politely by the hand before throwing you headfirst into a dancepit, Andarugo seems to have had a coming of age musically and cocooned into one of the best chiptune dance artists about today. Horns for Cincinnati, that’s all I’m sayin’.

Analog-El Mestizo Electonico: Gorgeously minimalistic beats and sounds thrown about with playful enthusiasm and willingness to work outside usual genre specifications, brilliantly danceable piece.

BufordTannon-Be Interested: One of the best pieces of vocal and acoustic work I’ve heard for this challenge so far, simple and stripped down to its core but shines brightly regardless.

Iran Sanad-For M, Or The Manual To Properly Grate One’s Skin: Disgusting ambient sounds intertwine to form a murky atmosphere and the feeling of impending doom. If depression or fears are your thing, look no further.

Robotcopus-A Modest Country Proposal: Gorgeous country tune with what I hope is a tongue-in-cheek set of lyrical hooks. Well composed and brilliantly played.

Solarbear-WV:Become The Mayor Of Cans: Me gusta dem melodies. Once again delivering a high-octane fist-pumping floor-lowering booty shaker, Solarbear is the chiptune artist that just keeps on giving (you blisters on your heels). 

Thursdaybloom- Siberia I: Peaceful piano and strings flow insistently before giving way to a wave of noise, sounding altogether barren and haunting

Tiasu-Defenstrate: Using dissonance perfectly to bridge the gaps between soft, beautiful music and disjointed emotion, Tiasu once again uses the piano to great effect.

Zebra-Old Bleached Bones And Branches: Managing to be beautiful, soft and down-right creepy all at the same time, Zebra may be the king of the eerie.