Category Archives: iLuv

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Feb 10 2012

Jay-Z & Kanye West – N*ggas In Paris x Videojacking Graffiti Guys

Do I really need to introduce this? No.

Do I give a fuck if you like it? No.

Do I care for your astronomical expectations? No.

Do I care if you don’t get that they’d rather invest in innovative ways to be creative and simply intricate rather than be tacky and vulgar? No.

Do I give a fuck if you think I’m posting this just for traffic? No.

If you thought the questions which preceded this sentence were anything but rhetorical, you are a DICK.

These two are my IDOLS. They represent two prominent polarities at opposite sides of the Rap spectrum. Their partnership has propelled Hip Hop culture to dizzying heights. They are an absolute partnership in both business and creativity. If you think otherwise, you can shut the fuck up and piss off because I’ve listened to Rap since my conception in the winter of 1984 whilst a bunch of you discovered it a few years ago. I’ve seen many come and go. Yes I know I’m babbling but fuck it. I can write what I feel and I will because you really didn’t have to read this far, did you?

I personally love the way they kept it quintessentially about the live show and energy to keep it simple with sprinkles of luxury i.e the panthers and lions, but kept it archaic with the kaleidoscope.

I FUCKING LOVE THIS!!! … But did you see this one?

Ghost.

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Jan 2 2012

Corinne Shields – Maybe I’ll Miss You (Audio)

I’ve found a new ‘favourite’ artist that I’ll be on the lookout for in 2012!

I was doing the sporadic twitter/soundcloud rounds when I come across this song Maybe I’ll Miss You. At first I didn’t think much of it, I slyly dismissed it but I got to the chorus and I was like “WHAT THE FUCK!? THIS IS A BANGER!”. It was there that I began to share it on my Tumblr blog whilst listening to it and sorta started writing a commentary in real-time. Since posting it I think I’ve listed to it a few dozen times. At first I didn’t know why I loved it so much but then I put my finger on it, she has an angelic vocal timbre similar to Ellie Goulding. It’s also the way Corinne layers her vocals, the harmonies, the ad libs -simply majestic, add that to her overall sound and song choice; an amalgamation of quirky, ‘booty shaking’, feet shuffling electronica (UK Garage), and a piano ballad with sprinkles of manipulated oscillators on a variety of modular, granular, and additive synths -reminiscent of my gaming excursions on Nintendo gaming consoles in the late ’80s/early ’90s, it’s no wonder why I’m captivated by this particular song.

Corinne Shields’ Maybe I’ll Miss You has won a place ‘Up In My Ear‘ because she -with the help of a creative collaborator perhaps, has managed to capture the sentiment of nostalgia almost absolutely. Also befitting of the song title and subject matter -WELL-FUCKING-DONE!

Live Tumblr Commentary

Randomly seething through twitter/soundcloud before finding this. Flicked through it and fell in love with it. Not perfect but I’d love it because the chorus is sick and it reminds me of one of those video games, you know the travelling through space in a spaceship on a mission to rescue Zelda…

Pretty much wrote this as I’m listening and I’ve just heard the breakdown… The backing vocals, harmonies are on point. She’s looking for work as a writer so artists and producers get in touch.

The track continues to grow on me with every listen, by the time I got to this sentence I had actually began to listen through all the other tracks.

corinne_shields@yahoo.co.uk | @CorinneShields

Click To Buy/Download
Oct 6 2011

::Made In Heights:: – Aporia: In These Streets (Album)

I don’t think there’s anyone else in the world who I’ve had the option of downloading their release for free but decided to purchase the music because it was so fucking good. While most artists are busy emulating the last successful release in the pop charts, ::Made in Heights:: are busy creating something special. It’s not your bog standard ‘amalgamation’ -urban electronica mash up malarky, it’s inventive innovative juxtaposed bricolage.

Click To Buy/Download

::Made In Heights:: lift elements from the genres of Dubstep, Rap, Drum and Bass, R&B, Folk, and Pop, with unquestionable panache to create a subtle sound which simply cannot be classified nor put into any categorised box. There’s some songs that shouldn’t work, you know if it were made by any other person/group it would simply sound generic but the manner in which the two elements of ::Made In Heights::, producer Sabzi and vocalist Kelsey ‘Kelz Bellz’ Bulkin, combine adds a uniqueness that is unparalleled in anything deemed to be a pool of their so called contemporaries (no gibberish).

Basically Sabzi seamlessly mixes the experimental with the generic whilst cross pollinating mixing and production techniques associated with particular sub-genres, which culminate into a soundscape that Kelsey blends into effortlessly. Her voice is what distinguishes ::Made In Heights:: from all other bands and collaborative projects that have tried to do the same and failed. The chemistry, mechanics, and architecture of the album is nothing short of perfection. They offered it out for free but I decided to pay because when I heard the opening song, Wildflowers, I was sold from the first line and the beat drop.

Bandcamp | @MadeInHeights | Facebook

I love this band, I love this album, and I encourage everyone to PAY for their music. I also recommend that you cop the preceding EP, Winter Pigeons.

K O.

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Sep 26 2011

Yo! MTV Khally #1

I remember watching these Rap videos on VHS in the late 80s/early 90s, waaay before we got satellite in my residence, my sister used to bring the videos she had taped from Cable (remember Videotron and the games?) and I’d watch them all day. Back in the 80s you could rent a VHS from the local video shop which was filled with music videos, I miss those lil luxuries of a bygone era where everything weren’t so accessible…

Alrightttty!!!!! So if there were a show or any way that I could jump in a time machine and remake any Rap video, I’d jump at the chance to remake these three songs by legends that are: Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, and The D.O.C.

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Sep 15 2011

Mr. Little Jeans – Valentine/Suburbs (Directed By High5Collective)

I don’t know about you, but when I discover something new to my ears, I get all warm and fluffy inside. I get this overwhelming feeling of euphoria which makes me want to shout about and share this ear candy with the rest of the world. Out of the many ‘new’ songs and sounds I hear, only a few motivate me to stop whatever it is I’m doing at that particular moment and shout about it. I literally stop whatever it is I’m doing and flash straight to the laptop, yes the laptop rather than the iPhone app, to share my latest discovery with you. Fair enough Mr. Little Jeans isn’t exactly a new band but to me, someone who’s only just heard of them, they’re on par with the Boom Clap Bachelors.

Firstly I’d like to point out that ‘Valentine‘ was a song that I heard after watching the video to ‘The Suburbs‘, which was directed by a creative mob, who are making major waves out in the sphere for their high quality conceptual visuals, the High5Collective. Valentine and the overall sound of Mr. Little Jeans is reminiscent of the lush ambient soundscapes comparable to the likes of Goldfrappe and Little Boots, vocally Monica Birkenes has the charm and intrigue of the aforementioned, with hints of Ellie Goulding‘s soft timbres. I really love the sound and her voice…

@MyMrLittleJeans | Facebook

When H5C direct and share videos with their social network -facebook, twitter etc, I always take a peek because I always know I’ll witness something epic! If I’m to be totally honest, a lot of the time the visuals have almost always outweighed the music, but it hasn’t been until now that I’ve seen a partnership flow so organically. I was only five seconds into the video when I fell in live with the song, Suburbs. Upon further research I found that Monica had actually covered an Arcade Fire’s song, but I doubt I’d need to hear the original after falling in love with Birkenes’ rendition almost instantaneously. Perhaps it was the sentiment that matches my current temperament almost absolutely, perhaps there’s something about Monica Birkenes‘ majestic tones weaving its way through such a haunting soundscape. The one thing I’m certain of is that Mr. Little Jeans fits perfectly into my ears, and without sounding mahoooosively cliche, I’d say it’s a match made in heaven…

http://vimeo.com/h5c/littlejeans

Directed By – @H5C | Facebook | Website

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Sep 14 2011

FRANK.

Happy Birthday Amy Winehouse!

Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011)

Winehouse’s debut album, Frank, was released on 20 October 2003. Produced mainly by Salaam Remi, many songs were influenced by jazz and, apart from two covers, every song was co-written by Winehouse. The album received positive reviews with compliments over the “cool, critical gaze” in its lyrics and brought comparisons of her voice to Sarah Vaughan, Macy Gray and others. (wiki)

I love this album and Amy to bits and it breaks my heart that I’ll never get to see her live. I’ve always got Frank which I’ll play to my last dying day because it is such a timeless album.

R.I.P AMY WINEHOUSE…

I actually feel like I’ve been widowed now you’re gone.

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Sep 4 2011

Lykke Li – Little Bit (Video)

This song popped into my head on the way home and I remembered how much I loved it. I haven’t listened to it in ages, years in fact, so today it’ll be on loop. I’ve never seen the video, and I happened to find the lyrics pasted to the video so I thought we could all sing-a-long to the song together (holding hands beside a camp fire or just prance around doing her segmential rip off thriller move she turned into a dance of it’s own). I also forgot how beautiful Lykke Li was too…

“Ooooooooo Errrrrrrrrr she’s quite lush!”

Directed by – 60 Frames

Next Show – 1/11/11 @Roundhouse, London.

Hands down
I’m too proud for love
But with eyes shut
It’s you i’m thinking of
But how we move from A to B?
It can’t be up to me
‘Cause you don’t know
Eye to eye
Thigh to thigh
I let go

I think i’m..

A little bit, a little bit
A little bit in love with you
But only if you’re
A little but, a little bit, a little bit
In lo-lo-lo-lo-love with me
Oh

Ooo-ooo…

And for you i keep my legs apart
And forget about my tainted heart
And i will never ever be the first
To say it
But still I,
Yes you know I..I..I..
I would do it,
Push a button
Pull a trigger,
Climb a mountain
Jump off a cliff,
‘Cause you know baby
I love you love you a little bit
I would do it, i would say it
I would mean it, we could do it
It was you and i and if only i..

I think i’m
A little bit, a little bit
A little bit in love with you
But only if you’re
A little but, a little bit, little bit
In lo-lo-lo-lo-love with me

Come here, stay with me
Stroke me by the hair
‘Cause i would give anything, anything
To have you as my man (2X)

A little bit, a little bit
A little bit in love with you
But only if you’re
A little but, a little bit, little bit
In lo-lo-lo-lo-love with me

I’ve just copied and pasted the lyrics into the track metadata on iTunes! (truth)

@LykkeLiOfficial | LykkeLi.com

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Aug 5 2011

Bad Bad Not Good – Odd Trio Performs Goblin

The Odd Trio: Matt, Alex, Chester

First and foremost I must admit that although I’ve heard of Odd Future and listened to a few of their releases, I have not yet heard any of Tyler‘s official release Goblin. Why did I make that my opening statement, because I felt it important that you know that I’m coming from a listeners perspective. These renditions could of been totally original, named differently, they didn’t even have to tell me it was an Odd Future rendition and I’d still listen and love the music because it’s got a particular sentiment I can identify with.

It’s emotive, sinister, dreamy, pleasant yet nightmarish, the music to me is like taking a walk through my mind on a overcast evening when the sun begins to fade into the horizon and the skies turn orange. Video or no video of the musicians zoning out, I could listen to this, why, because it’s exactly what the likes of Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Vince Guardi, Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and many others would do. I could picture the jazz Baroness Nica Rothschild in the midst of the darkest corner puffing smoke from what has become her throne, menthol cigarette attached to the cigarette in mouth soaking up the sounds…

This is evocative music, regardless of who wrote the original pieces, what makes this particular recording special is the way they translated something considered to be far removed from tradition jazz and bebop into a much more elaborate and moving piece of music. I respect these guys highly.

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?ek9yr333a7b393h

Video: Connor Olthuis, Sam Zaret

http://badbadnotgood.tumblr.com/

http://badbadnotgood.bandcamp.com/

Lion?

And for the record here’s the original ‘Hip Hop‘ version -well the first rendition I fell in love with- of Electric Relaxation, one of my favourite songs of all time by my favourite band A Tribe Called Quest…

Peace

K O

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May 6 2011

Vince Guaraldi – The Great Pumpkin Waltz

Vincent Anthony “Vince” Guaraldi (July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an Italian American jazz musician and pianist noted for his innovative compositions and arrangements and for composing music for animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip.

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The first time I heard this song, it near enough moved me to tears. I asked the waitress for the name of the song and I remember spending hours going through iTunes trying to find it. I don’t know whether it was the moment it played or the song itself, but it’s a beautiful composition. I really wanted to write something tonight but as I don’t have The Great Pumpkin Waltz on my iPhone, I decided to dedicate a post to one of my favourite songs in the world.

Rest In Peace Vince Guaraldi, 47 years young when you departed but you left behind a composition that will stay with me forever.

K O

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Apr 9 2011

Sweet Tooth: Maynards – Wine Gums/Sours

I used to love these as a bambino, I didn’t like the fruit pastilles because they took ages to chew and they always used to get stuck in my teeth…Anyway I was idle in the shop at Uni and I saw the pack of wine gums and popped two packs, giving one to the homie @gracebassface and eating the other.

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I swear when I got through the pack I reignited my passion for the wine gum, it’s soft and chewy, the light sweet scent, and the flavour is hammmazzzzinggggg! I actually thought there was nothing better until G asked me, out of nowhere…

Have you tasted the sours?

Sours!? Wtf!? That’s all that was going through my head at the time. I asked question after question tryna work out if there was a sweet greater than what I thought was the greatest sweet of all time…

The days went by and one sunny afternoon I was in the office and remembered to buy the sours, I was expecting proper sour stuff like the skittles sours; that bitter taste that makes you scrunch up your face in taste bud agony, but to my amazement Maynards Wine Sours were deliciousssss!!! I can’t pass the SU shop with getting a pack. Usually I buy one of each and wonder why I didn’t just purchase one pack but hey best of both worlds I guess. *Better have my dentist on standby because I got my first filling after 21yrs for having a Percy Ingles Belgian Bun addiction -me and my sweet tooth

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Here’s a lil spiel about Maynards that I lifted from wiki:

Maynards is a sweets manufacturer in the United Kingdom and Canada, and is most famous for its Wine Gums. Founded in 1896 by Charles Riley Maynard, he and his brother Tom manufactured the sweets in their kitchen whilst Tom’s wife, Sarah Ann worked in the shop. Although the company was founded in 1896, Charles had been making his sweets since 1880. Maynards Wine Gums were introduced in 1909 by son Charles Gordon Maynard. Maynards has since been bought by Cadbury and now sells over £50m of sweets annually in the UK. *check that figure muthafuckaz!!! 50p per pack on average, grossing more than £50m… (Think I’m gonna faint)

  1. Maynards Wine Gums
  2. Maynards Wine Pastilles
  3. Maynards Wine Sours
  4. Maynards Sports Mix
  5. Maynards Midget Gems.
  6. Maynards Wine Gums Light
  7. Maynards Swedish Berries
  8. Maynards Fuzzy Peaches
  9. Maynards Swedish Fish
  10. Maynards Sour Cherry Blasters
  11. Maynards Sour Watermelons
  12. Maynards Ultra Sour Patch Kids
  13. Maynards Sour Patch Kids
  14. Maynards Sour Chillers
  15. Maynards Juicy Squirts Berry

I’ve only tasted 1/5 of the sweets on the list, to my knowledge. I’m on a quest to taste them all like “Ma-hay-nards!!! Gotta taste em allll” *Pokemon rip

K O

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Apr 4 2011

Supermalt – Loss of Viscosity

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The ‘Original’ was viscous and foamy

I could go through a 6 pack with no problems but I can’t help but dislike the current viscosity of Supermalt, it’s too watery!!!
With every passing year since the millennium, Supermalt has lost it’s viscosity.

What’s with the current watery formula Supermalt?
Why is Supermalt no longer viscous?
What’s with the trend of losing it’s viscosity with eery passing year?

This is a travesty!

I, on behalf of the billions of other Supermalt consumers, have decided to start a revolution against your vile operation which compromises taste at the hands of dwindling it’s viscosity.
We shall not stand for such -cost effective, health guidelines, lack of additives?- nonsense, we pay good money in return for great product and you don’t seem to be sticking to your side of the bargain!

Bring back the viscosity of yesteryears!!!
Bring back the Supermalt I fell in love with as a young man!!!
Bring back the power of viscosity!!!

Who’s with me on this?!
Answer the call to arms!!!

Join the crusade!!!

K O

Mar 16 2011

Lily Allen – Alright Still

I’ve always been a fan of Lily Allen, I remember when I first stumbled across her myspace page back in 06/07. I taped all of the the featured songs onto cassette tape and showed everyone.
I was excited and inspired because the sound and style was soooo different; It was animated, thought provoking and pleasant. I remember listening to the songs and instantly trying to load up Reason, to find that the user license had run out of my bootleg copy, I was fucked! I told everyone that she’d blow up soon, I don’t think anyone believed me at the time nor remembers but that first album was amazing, so were the b-sides.

I miss Lily, I miss her music because I think she’d make an ill Rap album as I believe she’s got flows, as anyone who’s heard Knock Em Out.

I’d always show love to Lily because she was rocking vintage Chanel dresses with Air Max 90s on some fly tip. She’s also one of the only women who could still look foxy in a dinosaur outfit.

I think it’s rare that you find an artist who is naturally themselves: music, visuals, attitude, swag. I’m glad that Lily Allen’s debut album, Alright Still, captured what she been doing up to that point. It was an album where she didn’t care about what people thought, she was just herself. Alright Still was a beautiful first offering because it was honest, no matter how blunt or thought provoking. Alright Still is a juxtaposition between content and soundscape, forever special because I remember the moment where I had discovered something new, scoured limewire for the demos, got them, listened to them in tracklist order before going out and getting the album from HMV on the Kings Road on my way to work.

You’ll always be a legend Lily, Up In The Ear salutes you.

K O

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