Cool Hunting
the video: “She is so FLY.” Well, a mountain of music press later, with her full-length album on the horizon for its US release (February 22), I must say. I. Agree. M.I.A. has returned me to the realm of obsessive teenage excitement with her exuberant fuck it all style. (I want to be just like her! We’'re both Dragons!) She’s a hyper-conscious, ultra-cool, bi- (tri-?) lingual artist that could, in another universe, be a science fiction superhero.
When you see the video you feel familiar with the visuals, but that’s just because you WISH. M.I.A. and the director, Ruben Fleischer, animated her original artwork to provide a backdrop for her floppy, energetic, utterly endearing dance stylings. Bright colors pop, a tiger streaks by, and rainbow-colored Tamil script hangs behind her. M.I.A.’s personal style might be a little harder to imitate but believe me I will try – the b-girl vacations in the tropics, but won’t ever forsake her kicks for a pair of thongs (cuz she’s gotta dance).
The album, “Arular”, gathers up the detritus of what hip-hop has become (oversaturated production with mediocre MC’s playing hard/whining), and what so-called “world” music doesn't accomplish (a panoptic view of both politics and popular culture) to create some of the most infectious, inventive music this year. The hard-hitting minimal production can best be described as a dancehall/garage/electro mashup, and M.I.A.’s witty verses are mixed with a bit of coy Bollywood-style call and response singing now and then, just for fun.
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Long the de facto home of techno music, it's no surprise that Berlin is bursting at the seams with electronic music. But it is a rare feat when one of these artists transcends the club scene like Modeselektor. A staple of the German capital's underground party circuit dating back to the mid-'90s, the group produces a genre-straddling brand of glitchy beats that are equal...
Broken up like a tennis tournament, the Hess is More Open began in New York 1 June 2007 with a live performance by Cool Hunting favorite, Hess is More. A trio, Mikkel Hess, Nikolaj Hess and Jens Bjornkjaer, will be performing new and original live sets throughout the month at various venues mixing electronic and acoustic elements into an entirely new experience. This weekend...
We recently traveled to Michigan to spend a few days with Texas-born musician Matthew Dear, aka Audion. ; Cool Hunting Video; dance; electronic; music; Nugroove; Singer/Songwriter; We recently traveled to Michigan to spend a few days with Texas-born electronic musician Matthew Dear, aka Audion. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid958531767http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=37009902 // By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and C // found at...
Dave 1 (aka Dave Macklovitch) has been busy as hell of late. In addition to being a prolific hip-hop producer, the Montreal native has been pulling duty as Vice magazine's rap editor and is about to release a second album for Chromeo, the cheeky synth-funk outfit he created with his high school friend, Pee Thug (Patrick Gemayel). He's also working on his thesis in...
Formed in 1996, the pioneering, now eight-member collective of underground dance music, Bugz in the Attic, bring their full ass-motivating arsenal, garnered from 10 years of single releases and classic remixes, on their long-overdue first full-length release, Back in the Dog House. With close to 100 songs already under their belt—both originals and reworkings for a diverse range of internationally known artists, including Zero...
Cold Cut's Matt Black and Jonathan More should need no introduction. Anyone who remembers their classic remix of Eric B + Rakim's "Paid In Full" or their rendition of "Autumn Leaves" that epitomized the early downtempo sound of the 90's probably knows these guys as the stealth duo behind the UK's preeminent avantgarde record label Ninjatune. Their nearly 20 year collaboration has included many...
The Pharos Project
Hank and Matlok
Neon Shoes
Radio Village Nomade
Ghostly Swim: Interview with Sam Valenti
Creative Index
Interview with Maarten Baas
A Paper Tiger
Von Totebags and T-Shirts
