Your new favorite cassette is over at Wigflip right now, fresh beats from the label founder himself. Will Pesta is Inflatable Mattress, who is also known to produce psycho-ambient swirls under the Happy Family moniker. I covered the first side of this tape, Pumped Up, back at the beginning of this year.
Side B sports Blue Mattress - a deeper cosmic adventure through beats. "Silent Heads" is an early groove on the side, a stand-out lifter that rolls like clouds over a skyscraper.
This is Wigflip's newest offering, available to order now on tape from their site or digitally over on Boomkat. Also, you definitely don't want to miss out on this wonked-out romper room short for the Jazzy J mix of "Funkhouser."
Saturday night I attended a show at the Penthouse put together by Mike of Run DMT which was a lot of fun, and boasted a strong bill from start to finish. Opening was Happy Family, the solo project of Will Pesta who is also responsible for the equally amazing Wigflip Records and Inflatable Mattress. The latter is Will's beat-oriented moniker, a project of which is he's just about to relinquish another batch of jaded bangers through.
The upcoming mix is called Pumped Up, and is healthy portion of heavily-dosed beats worthy of cosmic minds that dig into a deep exploration of pop music. You see, Will started working at Sound Garden a few months ago. Thus, dude is bringing back a steadier new helping of wax to his laboratory. The new album almost exclusively samples from his newly acquired vinyl snatched up from the Fells Point record shop.
I've heard many stories about what working at a record store can do your music intake and consumption habits, and I suppose Pumped Up is an aural portrait of what Will Pesta has been experiencing since starting his new job. These super chunky beats of all varieties are laced with wonky psychedelia and a green fog that tends to be ecstatically dense with sonics. What does this say about Pesta's current pallet? The world may never truly know, but these new pieces are pretty fucking radical nonetheless.
Look for Inflatable Mattress' Pumped Up to drop for free on Wigflip Records soon.
Our neighboring sound-seekers over at Wigflip Records continue their aural onslaught of gorgeous tunes with a fresh compilation to help commemorate the end of summer. In addition to some new jams from some local and familiar favorites, this compilation features some stellar new tunes from afar.
This is my first run-in with My Friend Wallis, which is the project of Crystal Dorval who resides in Vancouver, Canada. Above is "Be Free", a steady romp through the clouds that is chock full of ethereal pop bliss. Highly recommended for the Indian summer days of October, and another stellar addition to the Wigflip family.
Another radical new find is the work of Acid Flashback. A somewhat mysterious entity based out of both Atlanta and Toronto, their contribution to the compilation is certainly a highlight. "Big Dreams" recalls the head-bobbing 60s pop nostalgia found in Run DMT's "Spruce Bringsteen" (also on this comp), adding layers of even more dreamy vibes.
These new find are paired with some gems from some of our favorites including Dead Drums, Happy Family, Semya, Do While, Gem Vision, and more. Download the entire compilation for free right here, and check out the full track list after the jump.
I've been stoked for a lot of the releases to come out of the Wigflip ranks this year, but there was one brewing all along that the mere thought of had me foaming at the mouth. Will aka Happy Family emailed me Banana Split last week, a split release with Happy Family and Run DMT. I have not listened to much else since.
We got the first taste of this release a few weeks back, when Run DMT's "Spruce Bringstein" seemed to appear magically on the interwebs from up and out of the clouds.
"Spruce Bringstein" is a clear departure for Run DMT, an incredibly catchy 60s vibe pop song that is a long ways away from the experimental sound collages painted on Bong Voyage and Get Ripped or Die Tryin'. While I was (and still am) a sucker for the his first two releases, this jam is easily one of the best single tracks I've heard all year. In what could be one of the more intriguing on-stage collaborations I've heard about, Lands and Peoples joined Run DMT on stage to play this live down at Total Bummer. L&P claims they butchered it, but they can do no wrong in my mind.
While the A side is full of four new tracks from Run DMT, the B side sports three new gems from Happy Family. "Youtube" made it's way to the internet a few weeks ago, but is now the official single of the release. Check it out in all it's glory.
I raved about Happy Family's debut EP last year, and its clear Will has one-upped his game and has is ambitions set high. "Youtube" is one of the prettier tracks I've heard this year, with sounds that warm your insides and calm your brain cells . There's a spacey and ghostly feel to all this beauty, like the feeling one gets when they go bowling with space-spirits somewhere on Mars for dollar beer night. If that didn't make any sense to you, please listen to "Youtube" once more. Yes.
Banana split is closed out with Happy Family's "Laura's Diet" and "Going To", two tracks that flow seamlessly into one another with a very pure and upbeat grace. Wigflip will be offering the split in either compact disc or cassette tape form, both of which you can pre-order right now. RUN DMT + HAPPY FAMILY BANANA SPLIT
RUN DMT 1. spruce bringsteen 2. murder she wrote 3. heavy vibin' 4. cash for gold
HAPPY FAMILY 6. youtube 7. laura's diet 8. going to
A few weeks ago I realized that I should probably just start a weekly Wigflip feature on their new releases, and yes here I am again with another release to rave about from this new Baltimore music outlet. However this one is rather special in that it is their first "official"release, and their first to be available digitally.
In addition to being an official and tangible object, this is by far the most beautiful piece to grace the label's catalog to date. The release is the debut self-titled album from Do While, and it's a full length record that you're absolutely going to need to go ahead and check out. Here's a generous taste compliments of Wigflip called "Balloons/Balloon Clouds (Alt. Master)".
Do While is John Somers, a Baltimore fellow with a knack for creating ambient sounds using guitars, vocals, and fluffly white clouds. I may or may not have meant that last one in the literal sense, but if this LP doesn't have you feeling like you're floating within the stratosphere 10,000 feet above the ground, then you are listening to it all wrong.
The album is filled with soft and fuzzy ambient soundscapes that uplift your mind and warm your soul. Do While has been a late night go-to for me as of late, a record full of mellow tones yet rich with vibrant color. While this will be, and probably should be, labeled an ambient record, every ambient vibe is counteracted by positive and elevating sounds that really give Do While's sound a unique feel. His ability to create such huge momentum and energy within such relaxing confines is truly special. This was an excellent choice to kickstart Wigflip's official releases, and I can't wait to see what's next. Will at Wiglfip recently had nothing but amazing things to share with me about their upcoming works - things that I can't share with you just yet. You can pre-order the new Do While record here, and stay tuned for more to come from Wigflip.
DO WHILE
1. One2 2. Dancing On Diamond Water 3. Balloon Clouds 4. Balloons 5. A Candy Coated Slow Down 6. Poppies 7. I Know You Said 8. At The Edge Of A Drifting Dawn
Caleb Moore, member of Lands & Peoples, dropped his first solo release a few weeks back. It was originally a free release via his own site, and is now also listed as the tenth release over at Wigflip Records. If you're following along too, this is the new Baltimore music outlet's tenth release of just this year, most of which have been free downloads. Looks like I may need to just designate a weekly segment to Wigflip releases.
Caleb's solo moniker is dubbed Dead Drums, an incredibly fitting name for the style of this first release which is called Fashion Defense. The meaning is evident in the EP's very first track, a slow building ambient shower that's topped off with warped percussion that never fully comes to life. Hear for yourself.
Dead Drums paints surreal and aurally cleansing soundscapes that are ideal for minimal use of brain cells, or deep thought... either way works. These are the kind of jams that never quite take the forefront, but hint at wanting to throughout. Sound collages that are full of melody but hidden under smatterings of murky tape hiss and fuzzy ideas. The EP clocks in at over 18 minutes, giving a nice taste of what else might come of Caleb's side sounds. It was recorded in his Waverly home, and is dedicated to his cat Fishstick, Heath Ledger, and reefer. Fashion Defense is certainly worth your while, so go grab it here.
1. literally illiterate 02:37 2. girls 01:35 3. fashion defense 01:27 4. more perfecter 02:47 5. mr. horse / let us build a woodbridge together 03:35 6. narcoleptic shock 02:19 7. we live in a house 02:32 8. edna 01:24
Wigflip Records just got going this year, yet this is already the eighth digital release under their belt. Wigflip's first physical release, Do While's self titled CD, is now up for pre-order, but the label's already got a few other jaunts in swing.
There's talks of a Run DMT/Happy Family split 12 inch in the works, and the infectiously fantastic track above is said to be one of the new Run DMT diddies you'll find on there. But for now, the fellow's just dropped Lexx'sMangoblunt.
Above is "Throw Ma Thing Down", a Mangblunt track that cuts some Missy into the mix.
For those who dug the Inflatable Mattress release, (other moniker for Happy Family's Will Pesta) Real Talk, Mangoblunt is another tape of tainted beats and hazy club jammers. This EP also might mark the first time a Ying Yang Twins verse has been used in fair taste since... always. This 20 minute EP offers a smattering of synth-driven beats with found sounds and warped vintage layers abound. It's certainly a fun listen and would prove delightful for any 1 AM porch session dance party. Lexx tosses traditional hip hop of the crunked out variety and damages it with art from a wide palette, leaving behind some heavy beats.
Not without some funk, dance, and soul - this one pays homage with glitches and mashes that get you all jittery inside. Certainly worth a listen, Mangoblunt is a free download over on Wigflip. Also free for your downloading pleasure, Lexx's Slime Time.
Diva Cup is one of the newer entities to surface from the Wigflip-related circle of jaded electronics here in Baltimore. A few weeks ago Sam, aka Diva Cup, sent me over a thirteen track full length called X Minus One.
The majority of this album is spent off in space, where you are blasted off to in opening track "Bmore". Up there, time is spent in array of instances and influences that are chopped together into blissful chunks of audio. Influences are varied, but friends of Sam's like Run DMT and Happy Family are blatantly evident. Instances throughout X Minus One seem more far and wide, with samples ranging from Muhammad Ali to Kermit the Frog.
Streaming above is "Magikarpet", a vibey and up-paced track towards the end of the release that's drenched in electronic exuberance. Below, download the full album for free.
Download Link:Diva Cup - X Minus One The album is thirty lively minutes of sample-based beats and songs, that is "meant to be shared with all the living creatures of the enchanted forest". All forest dwellers will be able to scoop up the album this summer via Wigflip Records.
Sam also occasionally contributes to Happy Family, Will Pesta's amazing project that should see it's first proper full length released this year. Influences play a major role in this Diva Cup release. The tenth track is dubbed "Happy Family", sampling "Running in the Fields" which was the second track on Happy Family's 2009 Sound Farm EP. Run DMT's "Ramona" is also the base of "Ramona Ali", where Muhammad Ali's words are sprinkled over top the new incarnation.
This is an album that represents a culture that is consistently connected to media - where Youtube videos run rampant with avant beats and melodic journeys. It is the uplifting and positive side to these factors that are what's addressed throughout X Minus One, leaving the downside back on earth.
The newest release from Wigflip Records recently blessed my inbox. This one comes compliments of Will Pesta aka Happy Family, but is released under the moniker Inflatable Mattress. Real Talk is a beat tape that has been brewing over the past several months.
Will has been working on the Happy Family full length the past several years, but wanted an outlet for some less song-oriented sounds. I've been digging on these wacked-out hip hop beats, and got some insight from Will yesterday while he was sitting in on an abstract painting lecture. Real Talk sports 26 tracks, ranging from five seconds to two and a half minutes in length. Noting yesterday that he had been listening to a lot of abstract and experimental hip hop, it's clear these beats aren't going to lay the track for the next Kanye West single. But man, would I love to see someone take a stab at throwing some verses over these sounds. Check out "Have a Nice Trip See You Next Fall":
Just like Happy Family and other like-minded Wigflip releases, Real Talk boasts samples taken from just about everywhere. Some samples in these come from tracks by friends, including ones from Run DMT and Free Kisses. Other sounds derive from youtube videos, Tina Turner chanting on Larry King Live, and his parents records.
The result is some, at times, pretty dirty beats that are filtered through electronic haze and spliced together with intergalactic noise. Will attempted to put at least one of these together each day, eventually polishing them all into a record. They all flow together in a warped out kind of way, and are an ideal accompaniment for car rides and cosmic freestyle throw-downs.
You can grab this free release over at Wiglip Records right now.
This time of year, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region, it's often tough to spend time outdoors. This is generally a period when much time is spent inside, and the yearning for the woods and more primitive things is at its highest. While I can't offer you 75 degree temperatures and a campfire, I can offer you two new EPs from The Treehouse.
Wigflip Records, a brand new label put together by Baltimore's Happy Family, has offered both of these EPs for free download as part of their first handful of releases. The Roots The Sun and Songs About Little Things In Nature are ideal compliments to one another, and are just another reason why this collection of artists will be providing us with great things in 2010. The Treehouse is comprised of Chris Masciari and friends, and here's his thoughts on it:
"...a place of peace and immersion, where sun showers reflect off of metallic ornaments hanging from the arms of small idols, everything seems to shimmer ever so slightly, something has begun..." [via]
There is an inherent call to nature when experiencing this music, yet this is often pulled off without using samples actually from the outdoors. For example, in the track "Leaves are Falling Through", layered xylophones and bells wind in and out much like the sounds of running water in a creek and birds chirping. When the song hits a more synth-based and electronic pasture, it's almost as if the sunlight has broken through, and a breezy meadow is in sight.
While there are endless interpretations for such thought-provoking sounds, one thing is consistent, these are meditative and ambient journeys. Much like it might help you remember the outdoors in a time when it's most needed, these come at a time of the year when stress is typically at a high. While these would be great for long hikes or late night porch chats, I've found them very comforting in my current winter-like surroundings. In other words, these are just what the doctor ordered.
Download these EPs, close your eyes, and think about nothing for awhile.
Enter Wigflip Records, Baltimore's newest label. Will of Happy Family is largely responsible, deciding that he much rather start a music label than paint for his thesis at MICA.
Wigflip will house a heavy load of new and enchanting artists, ranging from the likes of Happy Family, Run DMT, Semya, Do While, Lands and Peoples, and plenty more. These releases look to be mostly of the digital variety, and also mostly free.
Download Run DMT + Happy Family's new AMANDA HUGGANKISS, and get more details on this release and a handful of others below. Will from Wigflip is particularly excited about two albums coming out in early spring, largely because he's watched them grow and is now seeing it all come together quite nicely. Semya will release a full length called Georythyms, and Do While will have a self titled release, both of which are available in March via Wigflip.
You can download Run DMT and Happy Family's collaborative AMANDA HUGGANKISS above for free in all its faded spacey glory. This release takes guitar drones and varying samples and squeezes them all through one of those Play-Doh spaghetti things, only to mush it all back together at some sort of intergalactic laundromat.
Wigflip Records will also host the next two full lengths from both Happy Family and Run DMT. I know I've been jonesing for a Happy Family LP since the Sound Farm EP, and its good to hear this is in the works. We've still got the audio up from his stellar Soft Fest 2009 set too.
Be sure to stop by the label's site, as they've already got up some other classy free sounds. You can currently grab two EPs from The Treehouse, Bong Voyage by Run DMT, and a mix made for the bathroom at Soft Fest. Look for more info/thoughts on Wigflip's releases to come right here.
