Soundclouds of the Underground: Wildlife Edition
ABOVE: CASHMERE CAT. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEFFEN KØRNER LUDVIGSEN
These days, music truly lives online, with an infinite number of websites dedicated to hosting tunes for the laptop-wielding masses. However, the web’s bottomless pit of blogs isn’t the only place to troll for mp3 treasures—some of the newest and most exciting (Internet-friendly) artists can be sought out via Soundcloud, the online stage that allows musicians to promote and distribute their music to fans and friends across the globe. In this weekly column, expert Internet sleuth Alex Chapman goes into the depths of the music-sharing site, in hopes of shedding light on emerging acts, as well as sharing some digital diamonds in the rough.
In the endless quest to procure the most alluring and recherché DJ name, beat makers have taken to the animal kingdom. Only hidden behind computers and recording equipment may a cat be cashmere or a turtle trippy. Some artists take the whole zoo for themselves. No animal is safe and, as always, we privileged humans are reaping the benefit. So please: listen, dance, and embrace your animal side, but don’t forget to warn PETA.
Miguel: “Do You…” (Cashmere Cat Remix)
Who: The 25-year-old Oslo-based producer otherwise known as Magnus August Høiberg and DJ Final has amassed a strong following of today’s it-DJs with his gritty R&B and slow jams. Høiberg used to linger behind the scenes, working with labels like Kistuné, True Panther, and Ninja Tune, but with his barely year-old project, Cashmere Cat, he’s taken center stage. The experimental electronic jams feel like the soft tickle of a cat sitting on your lap and just goes to show that all you need is some deep bass and the sweet purr of a kitty.
The Song: Yes, we all love Miguel. No, he has never been this beautifully electronic. Cashmere finds a way to make this already incredible song truly his own, extending just the right chords and making Miguel’s silky smooth vocals even easier to bounce to with an energetic bass and heavy high hats.
Current Project: His debut EP, Mirror Maru, came out on the independent Belgian Label Pelican Fly in October. Stay up-to-date on his website. According to his Twitter, a song with Jeremih, Ludacris, and Wiz Khalifa is coming soon.
Trippy Turtle: “Southside Deep”
Who: This is a bit of a mystery. Nobody knows Turtle’s real name or gender, though some say he’s the same man behind Cashmere Cat. All we know for sure is that Trippy T. loves Jersey club. It’s a dance music mystery!
The Song: Trippy knows a special place where we can go and takes us there. This minimalist Jersey club track mixes Ashanti and Lloyd with BLACKstreet, bed creeks, and the sooth sounds of dripping water. Perhaps the most unique aspect of this song is how it uses complete silence to make the ears beg for more—only to soon receive. If you like that rare R&B, get to know trippy turtle.
Current Project: Check out the latest from Trippy Turtle on his Soundcloud and Facebook page.
Jameszoo: “Poek”
Who: Mitchel van Dinther is a producer from the Netherlands. His music is a fantastical mix of jazz, folk, and electronic that blend to construct rhythmic jams like nothing else out there. The strangest instrument he’s used: “A watering can that sounds like Ramses Shaffy.”
The Song: This is what a trip to the forest might sound like, but only if you had no eyes and a heightened sense of hearing. Jameszoo expands, bends, and crooks the spectrum of rhythms and melodies to create a jazzy, electronic, and very smooth hit. This guy fits the whole zoo into one song, and instruments have never worked so well together.
Current Project: Jheronimus, Jameszoo’s most recent EP inspired by the images of Dutch artist Jheronimus, was released in the beginning of July and is now available on iTunes. Check his website for all other Jameszoo updates.
Soundclouds of the Underground runs every Thursday. For more, click here.