I get a lot of emails through this blog from a lot of artists trying to get attention for their little piece of the internet. I try and listen to what I can. Very generally speaking, most of it is mediocre at best. Few make the cut onto these hallowed digital pages ;) However, it’s always super-rewarding to find a gem amongst them all. Maehlib, AKA Thomas Kaske, is one of these cases. He sent me a track via SoundCloud and I was immediately intrigued by his atmospheric, downtempo hip-hop beats. Leaning heavily on jazz, Maehlib creates layered, head-nodding soundscapes. He’s quite a mysterious character, with almost no information about him available online. However he was kind enough to provide me the details over email.

Born and raised in East Germany, he moved to Berlin after school. He began DJ-ing at age 14, and then started to make beats 2 or 3 years ago, after being introduced to production by his brother, an electronic music producer. The two collaborate as odd/even. As you may guess from listening to his music, he is inspired by Madlib, hence the similar name.

You will find a collection of his beats available for download via his BandCamp page, and each one comes with different cover art which he also designed. The cinematic nature of his beats may be explained by the fact that he is studying film along with anthropology, so you’ll find a wide variety of samples in his music, from academics like Mcluhan or Niklas Luhmann to African music.

I highly recommend you check him out, and then let me know what you think in the comments.

Download TiRon – Ketchup

TRACKLISTING

1. Still Never Happy (Prod. by Madlib)
2. Go Ronnie (Prod. by SA-RA Creative Partners)
3. The High (Prod. by Jack Sample Pros)
4. My Wingman & Me feat. Ayomari (Prod. by Phonix)
5. Throwing My Money (Prod. by Fisticuffs)
6. She feat. Pacific Division (Prod. by Cook Classics)
7. 3 Drink Minimum feat. Ayomari (Prod. by SA-RA Creative Partners)
8. So Called Twenties feat. Ayomari (Prod. by Cook Classics)
9. Go feat. Miguel (Prod. by Fisticuffs)
10. Def 82 feat. Buff 1 & Ayomari (Prod. by Cook Classics)
11. Yea, You Crazy feat. Mibbs (Prod. by Swiff D)
12. Paper feat. Pacific Division (Prod. by Phonix)
13. Sydney feat. Ayomari (Prod. by Cook Classics)
14. Quitter feat. Tunji & Ayomari (Prod. by DJ Dahi)
15. Shine On (Prod. by Oren Yoel)
16. All The Kings Men (Prod. by GodLeeBarnes)

The Blurb:

Here’s some exclusive new heat from Queens emcee, Spectacula as he joins forces with Dub MD for this brand new project entitled “Unexclusively Exclusive” a 16 track digi-zip jam packed full of classic hip hop music. The new mixtape features beats from a whole host of producers from the likes of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Alchemist, Black Milk and many more, and in the immortal words of the homie Fresh Daily, it’s supaspectacular!

This new project is in preparation for Spectacula’s up and coming new studio album “Every Second Counts” which due for release sometime this year. The Queens emcee will be releasing a mixtape every month until the summer in the lead up to his album, this mixtape being the first in his “Quality In Quantity” series. Also check for some new releases from Dub MD this year as he tags-up for a second time with Nametag for Volume 2 of the “Classic Cadence” collection, along with projects with an army of other artists in 2009, keep it locked!

DOWNLOAD
01.) Intro (Produced By Kon and Amir)
02.) Shine (Produced By The Alchemist)
03.) Pressure (Produced By Pete Rock)
04.) Your Welcome (Produced By 9th Wonder)
05.) Let Go (Produced By Madlib)
06.) Full Time Job (Produced By Pete Rock)
07.) Just Venting (Produced By Khyrsis)
08.) For The Websites (Produced By Black Milk)
09.) What’s Next? (Interlude)
10.) Going Out Of Style (Produced By Pete Rock)
11.) The Forefront (Produced By Bronze Nazareth)
12.) Wasted Potential (Produced By DJ Premier)
13.) Snakes In The Grass (Produced By Khyrsis)
14.) For The Hell Of It (Produced By Easy Mo Bee)
15.) Gravity (feat. Gorillaz) (Produced By Gorillaz)
16.) Unexclusively Exclusive (Outro)

Strictly Social’s DJ Destroyer has put together another dope mix that captures the essence of LA’s best progressive soul/hip-hop/electronica monthly. Check the tracklist below and download the niceness. Thanks Destroyer!

Download here:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/54447718faa69551/

Track listing
1. BELIEVE – Q TIP
2. ONCE AGAIN – MUHSINAH
3. THIS MOMENT – ANONAMAS
4. BOND 4 LIFE – BLACK MILK
5. M.I.L.F. FT. BILAL – 88-KEYS
6. MY LOVE – WAYNA
7. ENJOY YA SELF V2 – SLAKAH
8. LOVE HANDLE – 14KT
9. DEAR MAN – VICELOUNGE+DEE FERGUSON
10. PUT IT DOWN FT. KISSEY ASPLUND – REPLIFE
11. FEELS SO GOOD – DWELE
12. PUSHA MAN – AYAH
13. SLOW IT DOWN – ROY DAVIS JR.
14. MY LIFE – EQUATION
15. MANWOMANBOOGIE – Q TIP
16. BETTER DAYZ – VELBEN
17. DANCE ON MARS – SARAH WHITE
18. TAKE YOU ANYWHERE – RASHEEDA WALLACE
19. GALACTIC FUN – DAM FUNK
20. ON A CLOUD(TRACKADEMICS REMIX) – PPP
21. REAL THING(FLAKO REMIX) – ERYKAH BADU
22. CITY OF NOWHERE – BRITTANY BOSCO
23. FREE IT OUT – ERIC LAU
24. FEEL THAT MUSIC – SLAKAH
25. SHOW UP – LMNO & KEV BROWN
26. NEW WORLDS – THE BIG PAYBACK & REGGIE B
27. TALK SEX – SA-RA CREATIVE PARTNERS
28. SPIRIT – REPLIFE
29. RIGHT HERE(SEOUL CITY REFIX) – DJ MITSU THE BEATS
30. ONCE – BUFF 1
31. YO YO AFFAIR PT. 1 & 2 – MADLIB FEAT. FREZNA
32. WHO KNOWS – STACY EPPS
33. GO – ANTHONY VALADEZ
34. ROBERTA FLACK FEAT. DOLLY – FLYING LOTUS

myspace.com/lastrictlysocial
myspace.com/djdestroyer
nu-soulmag.com

This new CD/DVD series from Time Out (of magazine and guidebook fame) takes artists/musicians/creatives from metro areas around the globe and has them act as tour guides for the “other side” of their city – the cool/interesting/weird establishments they frequent in their actual lives.” – Fader

“Pop this in your suitcase along with your translation book and currency converter and you’ll be good to go.” – Tokion

“These are insights so intimate that residents of the cities profiled might actually get defensive over the exposure of their hitherto secret spots.” – Nylon

On April 10th, Time Out and Deaf Dumb & Blind Recordings release Madlib – The Other Side Los Angeles. The fifth installment in the Other Side series features critically acclaimed rapper/producer Madlib’s personal audio tour of the City of Angels. Highlights of this genre-bending mix include the eclectic/outrageous jazz consciousness originator – Sun Ra Arkestra, 60′s psychedelic blues quintet Outlaw Blues Band, legendary reggae drummer (Burning Spear) Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, Jamaican record label head/DJ Producer Prince Jazzbo, and Madlib’s own tunes- as Beat Konducta (solo) & with collaborator Jaydee (Jaylib).

On The Other Side Los Angeles DVD, Stone’s Throw label supremo Peanut Butter Wolf is your personal guide to LA’s sights, sites and sounds. The DVD also features an in-depth interview with Peanut Butter Wolf on 10 years of Stone’s Throw as well as videos from several Stone’s Throw artists.

From the unlikely beach town of Oxnard, 40 miles north of Los Angeles, the multi-dimensional Madlib quickly rose to prominence as one of the most interesting figures in late-’90s hip-hop. With his childhood buddies in the Lootpack, Madlib quickly made a name for himself as a rapper, producer, and DJ. In particular, his expansive style and deft touch for composition made him one of hip-hop’s most sought-after producers. An enthusiastic crate digger, with a deep reverence for jazz and soul, Madlib branched out into a number of ambitious, engaging solo projects.

With the Other Side, a new generation of immersive travel guide is upon us. Deaf Dumb & Blind Communications, a new progressive and multi-faceted entertainment company, teams up with internationally recognized travel guidebook and weekly magazine publisher Time Out to produce a series called The Other Side – an CD/DVD experience that submerses its listeners/viewers entirely below the city’s surface.

Each volume of The Other Side boasts two key elements: a mixed CD compiled by a native audio pioneer and a DVD guide that acts as a visual handbook for both the seasoned traveler and armchair adventurer alike. While some travel guides aim to be comprehensive, The Other Side isn’t concerned. It simply wants its user to enjoy and discover the very best and coolest in sight and sounds. It whispers in the user’s ear advice on where to go and what to see – and it does it with unprecedented style and flair.

That’s why Time Out is a perfect match for Deaf Dumb & Blind’s concept. According to Peter Fiennes, Editorial/Managing Director of Time Out Guides, “We’re extremely happy to be working with The Other Side and Deaf Dumb & Blind on this exciting new concept. We’ve always been keen to expand into music, CDs and travel on DVD, but The Other Side gives us the chance to do it all at the same time. The Other Side has lined up some great artists and we’re convinced this will be a very successful and ground-breaking project.”

TRACKLISTING:
1) The Lightmen Plus One – Energy Control Center
2) Cybertron – Clear
3) Dabrye feat. Jay Dee and Phat Kat – Game Over
4) Steve Grossman – Inmate Man
5) Prince Jazzbo – Blood Dunza
6) Sun Ra Arkestra – Nuclear War
7) Quasimoto – Greenery
8) Outlaw Blues Band – Deep Gully
9) Madlib – Infinity
10) Leroy ‘Horsemouth’ Wallace – Herb Vendor
11) Rhythm Machine – Freakish Love
12) Mark Murphy – Sly
13) Harris & Orr – Spread Love
14) MED feat. Poke – What It Do
15) Beat Konducta – Smog Theme
16) Jaylib – Survival Test
17) Freestyle Fellowship – Park Bench People

The Other Side – Los Angeles – Nightlife:

The Other Side – Los Angeles – Food:

The Other Side – Los Angeles – Accomodation: