Deep in the lab The Flying Skulls have spent the last year and a half putting together a crunked out ‘post-dubstep’ album specifically for 1320 Records which spans a wide breadth of West Coast styles, aptly named ‘West Coast Bass.’ The ten track album includes songs that pay tribute to styles from Dub, Downtempo, R&B, Ambient, Dre-inspired beats, and yes even dubstep, and is chock full of the kind of irreverent lyrics and interludes that have made The Flying Skulls favorites in the underground electronic music scene. Collaborators on the tracks are far-flung with players and MCs from the West Coast, to Philly, Atlanta, the UK and Germany. The album’s mastermind J.Tonal, explained, “We wanted to put together a post-dubstep album that a lot of people could relate to. I’m all for downloading floor-destroying tracks one at a time, but the really game-changing music that I’ve experienced has been in the form of albums.”
The collaborating musicians are as slunk and diverse as the collection of tracks. ”Beats by the Pound” includes funky, pitched down Mellotron and bass stabs from Philly band Lotus, old school jazz influenced choruses by Audio Angel, ripping verses by Cardiff Wales bad-boy Mudmowth over a track flavored with Steely Dan inspired electric guitar by Bender and robot sounds by Stevie Dubs. The third track, “Welcome to the Zoo” is a roller coaster ride through dubstep-land guided by BBC favorites Astroid Boys, featuring razor sharp synths by Lokae of San Francisco’s Slayers Club. This version of Welcome to the Zoo has been in rotation on BBC Radio One, and the Astroid Boys takeover of BBC’s 1xtra in August showed that these Boys are definitely from another planetoid. Also worth mention is the title-track, “West Coast Bass” featuring ill45 on vocals and JLS on cuts. Ever since J.Tonal, JLS, and ill45 were featured on CSI:NY in 2005 it was inevitable that they would collab on an floor rocking anthem and this is a great example.
Other tracks of note include “Drizzle”, an Ernest Ranglin influenced dubbed out electric-guitar romp featuring the six-string stylings of Foster Duval, and “Luz Juice” which winds acoustic-guitar from Sebastopol hermit Smokavich around banjo from Germany-based blue grass guru Peter D’Elia with guitar and harmonica by J.Tonal himself into a song designed specifically for cruising the boulevard. Constant throughout the release is J.Tonal’s sense of drum production and sound design… the tracks are held together by a love of 808 kick drums, freaky bass, Dre inspired synths, and epic breakdowns. With only-in-California dance floor interpretations of Germany’s Mike Genius and Warsaw’s Think, this album runs the gamut and gives a funky glimpse through the prism of West Coast Bass.
Release date Oct 25th 2011 on STS9’s 1320 Records imprint.
Executive Production by J.Tonal.
Mastered by Casey Nefcy.
Track listing:
1. Beats by the Pound (feat. Lotus, Mudmowth, Audio Angel, Bender, Stevie Dubs)
2. (Think) Scraps – Flying Skulls remix
3. (Astroid Boys) Welcome to the Zoo – Flying Skulls Remix (feat. Lokae of Slayers Club)
4. Drizzle – (feat. Foster Duval)
5. West Coast Bass – (feat. ill45 & JLS)
6. Rageface
7. Luz Juice – (feat. Peter D’Elia & Smokavich)
8. (Mike Genius) Sounds Dope – Flying Skulls remix
9. Iodized Rain – (feat. Nonagon)
10. Monte Rizzo – (feat. Foster Duval)
Ontheheels of a successful Denver showcase, 1320 Records and Euphonic Conceptions are teaming up once again to present the San Francisco installment of a 1320 records showcase. On Wednesday, October 5th Temple nightclub will host this very special, completely free event. The 1320 showcase features the San Francisco debut of Little People from the UK , Ableton professor Steve Nalepa , local bass heavyweight Djunya , the genre bending live collab Chron4 , LA synth master Fuzz , along with up and comers The Bins and Smash and Grab.
Another STS9 weekend in Colorado has come and gone, and on behalf of everyone in the STS9 organization, we thank you all for being there. This year marked STS9’s 5th consecutive sell out at Red Rocks with over 18,000 fans strong. Incredible! Special thanks to Snoop Dogg, Savoy, Up Until Now and LTJ Bukem for supporting us over the two nights.
Thanks to Tim Dwenger, Patrick McGettigan, Matthew Cremer and all the rest of the photographers who caught this magnificent weekend on film. Check out the gallery of images HERE. Check back often for updates from the many other photographers who captured the weekend including Eric Rejman and Dave Vann.
If you didn’t make it to the merchandise booth at the shows, you can still grab a limited edition event poster RIGHT HERE.
All three shows are available for download now at 1320Records.com. Grab ‘em while they’re hot!
2011.09.08 :: Ogden Theatre :: Denver, CO SET I: ReEmergence, Tap-In, Kamuy, F. Word, We’ll Meet In Our Dreams, Somesing, Frequency, Hubble SET II: Really What?, Grow, Luma Daylight, Tokyo, Lo Swaga, Lion, One A Day, Four Year Puma E: Equinox
<li> 2011.09.09 :: Red Rocks Amphitheatre :: Morrison, CO SET I: Artifact, Arigato, Hidden Hand Hidden Fist, Metameme, Be Nice, Empires, Breathe In, Instantly, Oil & Water SET II: 373 Interlude, Scheme, Rent, Evasive Maneuvers, EB, Beyond Right Now, Aimlessly, EHM, Circus E: This Us, Monkey Music
<li>
2011.09.10 :: Red Rocks Amphitheatre :: Morrison, CO SET I: NIN Intro, Tooth, Moon Socket, Simulator, Golden Gate, Abcees, Move My Peeps, The Rabble, When The Dust Settles SET II: What Is Love?, Shock Doctrine, New New 4 U U, Boards Interlude, Wika Chikana, 20-12, Inspire Strikes Back, The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature E: Grizzly, Baraka
Importantly, please know our thoughts and prayers for a full and speedy recovery are with everyone who was affected by the falling rocks during Saturday’s encore. The authorities continue to conduct a full investigation, but as of yet, cannot determine an exact cause. We are told we may never know completely what or why this happened. STS9 management and their promoters continue to speak with the City of Denver on a daily basis for any and all updates. For now, we hope the best for everyone involved in the incident.
STS9 spent the last two weekends in two of their favorite cities… Austin, TX and Chicago, IL.
All four shows are now available for download at 1320Records.com.
2011.08.26 :: Stubb’s BBQ :: Austin, TX SET I: What Is Love?, Instantly, Move My Peeps, Tooth, Beyond Right Now, Hidden Hand Hidden Fist, Atlas SET II: Inspire Strikes Back, New New 4 U U, Evasive Maneuvers, Kamuy, 20-12, Breathe In, EHM, Arigato E: Moon Socket Acoustic, Moon Socket Electric
2011.08.27 :: Stubb’s BBQ :: Austin, TX SET I: Shock Doctrine, The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature, Abcees, Golden Gate, Lo Swaga, F. Word, Empires, When The Dust Settles SET II: NIN Intro, Scheme, Rent, Grow, One A Day, Aimlessly, Baraka E: Circus, Surreality, EB
2011.09.02 :: Congress Theatre :: Chicago, IL SET: Intro, Rent, Be Nice, Golden Gate, Tooth, Instantly, Empires, Grow, Beyond Right Now, Abcees, Kamuy, What Is Love?, The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature > Peaceblaster ‘08 > The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature
The Polish Ambassador, Up Until Nowfeaturing STS9’s David Murphy and Mochipet are teaming up this September 16th at Lodo Denver’s newest and most amazing venue, The Summit Music Hall. Fans can expect a jaw dropping show in support of each artists’ releases on STS9’s record label: 1320 RECORDS. The Polish Ambassador follows up his debut LP on 1320 Records with “Future, Sex, Computers: The Remixes and B Sides,” a compilation featuring remixes of songs from the original release as well as three never-before heard B-side tracks. After Up Until Now’s successful debut album, “Gresham’s Disco” and sharing the stage with nationally known artists such as STS9, Bonobo, Emancipator and Big Gigantic, the duo released their critically acclaimed EP “Billet Doux”. Their recent effort delivers heavy electronic dance beats infused with live drum and bass. Mochipet’s “Chicxulub” is a departure from the raw dubstep that this veteran producer and DJ is known for and explores refined and spatial glitch-hop and electro, ranking him among the masters of the genres such as Justice, The Glitch Mob, and Tipper. This event promises to deliver an amazing night. Tickets are ON SALE NOW for just $13.20 right HERE. Come on down, and see what all the fuss is about!
