The Flying Skulls – “West Coast Bass”

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)

http://theflyingskulls.com