Run The Jewels 2018 Tour Dates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k7kk1lUnis
Image: Supplied
It’s time for your weekly dose of the hottest new musical visuals, and this week we’ve got a bit of everything, including healthy doses of nostalgia, action and surrealism. Some of these videos are truly cinematographic while others are a bit of fun, either way they’re made for solid viewing, so you best pull up a seat.
Kllo – Sense
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSPETjXwLOA
First up for this week’s collection of weird and wonderful videos is the new one from Melbourne duo Kllo, off their EP Well Worn. A hazy meander, the video for Sense opens with a shot of the instantly recognisable Royal Arcade off Bourke Street. From there,the duo travel through the suburb they grew up in and wrote a majority of their music and other parts of the city they hold dear – everything from a typically chilly coastal adventure to restaurants, arcades, shopping centres and blossom dappled, homely gardens. The muted tones (courtesy of the Super 8 camera the entire thing was filmed on) of the video offset the nostalgia dripped mumble of the track, the piecing together of the different locations calling to mind the duo’s knack for blending pop and r&b. Intentionally unrefined, the duo have said that the am of the video was to “capture the honest aspects of our life at the moment,” in the same way they do their music.
Rainbow Chan – Pearled Into
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbifrpOlWOg
Headed to Sydney now with Rainbow Chan’s new visuals from her debut album Spacings. Her clip for Pearled Into is decidedly minimalist and plays with blank space. Dressed in all black, she pulls shapes around a stark white box of a room. The simplicity of the clip is captivating and calls attention to the crux of the song, which about working to rebuild yourself. With Rainbow’s angular, interpretive moves and the song’s themes, there is a wonderful marriage between the idea of dancing as though no one is watching and the line “Wear it with pride, girl/ Nothing can hurt you now”. Directed by Rainbow’s frequent collaborator Ellie Graham, the dance was choreographed by Amrita Hepi and while at first it seems simple and perhaps delicate, as it progresses it becomes clear that there is a certain strength at play here.
Tkay Maidza – Carry On ft. Killer Mike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXKN_IBdhRA
Back down to Adelaide and we’ve got a fresh clip from the wonderfully talented Tkay Maidza. The first single off her highly anticipated, upcoming debut album TKAY (out October 28) Carry On was already a beast of a track and now it’s got a video equal parts gritty and vibrant to go with it. While the song features one half of Run The Jewels, Killer Mike, who was quoted last year singing the praises of Tkay, he doesn’t make an appearance in the clip. Rather, the video focus on Tkay and a small troupe of dancers as they switch up outfits, stomp around what looks like a makeshift photoshoot set and unashamedly make their presence known, as Tkay so often does. Filmed in London during her recent UK & European tour, the clip is a frenetic flurry of colour, style and shape that calls to mind Tkay’s live show and makes you want to dance like nothing else.
L-FRESH The Lion unBECOME ft. Jimblah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry4YrknLDdU
While Sydney’s L-FRESH The Lion has just finished a national tour, that doesn’t mean he isn’t taking time off. He’s just dropped the video for his Jimblah featuring track unBECOME. A captivating gray scale simplicity, the clips follows L-FRESH and Jimblah as they explore the implications of burnout that is often experienced by activists and social workers. Speaking about the concept, L-FRESH said that upon first approaching Jimblah to feature on the track, they spoke about “balancing your own expectations with other people, including you own community’s… We’d spoken about all of this a few times in the past.” The song itself discusses the anxiety that can come with trying to balance all those expectations while still doing the work to be a better person every day and how “many times, we are our own worst enemies.” The stripped back approach to the video allows the lyrics to really come across on their own.
Ta-ku & Wafia – (m)edian
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSQUYCh1rd-SSrQW6ckOofOtIDovWEiVh
Not content with selling out a New York date on their maiden US voyage, for their next trick Australian duo Ta-ku and Wafia have presented not one, not two, but three new videos for an EP they’ve titled (m)edian. Comprising of three tracks, the videos were co-directed by Ta-ku (his debut) with Collider’s Damon Cameron. A surreal, a cool-toned three part series, videos for the songs Treading Water, Meet in the Middle and the inescapable Love Somebody make up (m)edian. As the videos progress, we follow a number of central characters on their strange adventures that are best explained through simply watching the videos themselves. A highly stylized aesthetic which showcases Ta-ku as a multi-talented and yet utterly focused artist, the series feel more like a short, wordless and wonderfully perplexing film than video clips.
Sampha – Blood On Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oM1DFL43Lk
The international entry for this video roundup comes courtesy of one of the most intriguing acts out of the UK, singer-songwriter Sampha. Having collaborated extensively with a number of widely acclaimed artists (we’re talking everyone from FKA twigs and SBTRKT to Beyonce, Kanye West and Frank Ocean), Sampha has given us a frankly stunning piece of film which cuts together a number of threatening and somewhat bizarre scenarios. Perhaps most fitting thematically is the shot of Sampha running on a greyhound track before eventually collapsing, however it is the dramatic ending to the entire piece that tends to stick with you, giving off a sort of Weasley’s-flying car-meets-macabre-Green-witch vibe.
Pixx – Grip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4kONnKvqG0&feature=youtu.be
Also out of the UK is the new offering from Pixx (real name Hannah Rodgers), titled Grip. The song is lifted from her debut album slated for release early next year. Through a series of angular yet fluid movement and a forever twisting and turning camera, the song shows Pixx in what appears to be an abandoned home. Of the song and video, which seems to defy gravity, she said that “we go through life facing backwards, moving forwards without a clue what is in front of us.” much in the way we did watching the video, she said that is a concept she finds herself getting lost in.
Flatbush ZOMBiES – Trade-Off
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPYsfMd16JQ&feature=youtu.be
Finally, we wind things up in Shanghai with the new video from Flatbush ZOMBiES and the short film that provides the visuals for their track Trade-Off. Titled 65 to Life, the film was written and directed by British filmmaker Jayga Rayn and produced by his Shanghai-based production house. The video follows a, perhaps unlikely, duo as they embark on a night’s wicked antics. From a convenience store hold up to the drunken outing that ensues to the call into work the next morning, the film is fast-aced and utterly frenetic and makes for entertaining, enthralling viewing.
Image: Pixx (supplied)
Brooklyn trio Flatbush Zombies have released a trippy new double video for their tracks Smoke Break and Fly Away. The choice of the two tracks are interesting as they are two of the more downbeat ones on the album, which mostly trades in high energy and chaotic verses.
The video, directed by Fredo Tovar, Scott Fleishman and Edwin, begins with all three of the rappers in the woods as they have a Smoke Break, before the sun going down and things starting to get trippy on Fly Away. All the while a seemingly lost girl wanders around near the group in search of something that is never clearly defined. The video follows hot on the trail of previous single releases Bounce and This Is It.
The group have been a big underground hit since their inception in 2012, but it wasn’t until this year that they released their full-length studio debut. 3001: A Laced Odyssey subsequently proved to be a massive hit and remarkably topped the ITunes charts on the day of its release (March 11th).
The trio of Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick the Architect have come a long way since they released their first mixtape D.R.U.G.S four years ago. Since then their output has been steady, but they have always had one eye on their debut full-length album. Speaking to Fact Mag recently Erick explained:
“I think the mentality going into it was to make something we can all be proud of. That’s no different than any other mixtape that we made, it’s just this was to be sold. It didn’t make a difference to me whether we do an album or a mixtape, just that we deserved the opportunity to do it.”
In the same interview Meechy discussed what differentiated the Zombies from other rappers and groups and why their independence is important to them as a group.
“We don’t want nobody telling us what to do and how to do it. We like to be very hands-on, everything from merchandise to our videos – everything.”
“We’d rather build our own machine over here than go somewhere else and have somebody try to pick apart pieces of us and tell us what to do and how to look and all that bullshit.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koBs4TsNAdc
3001:A Laced Odyssey is out now on the Flatbush Zombies’ own label Glorious Dead Recordings.
Image: XXL Mag
It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball-stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Iman – Naive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUaXUEMeOC0
First up this week is the latest single from London singer-songwriter Iman. Naive is the first new material of 2016 for Iman, and she’s thundered out of the gate on this track. Huge, echoic vocals and a chorus that hooks you irretrievably, Iman’s voice is fiery and just seems effortlessly smooth. Naive is like late-90s RnB set to 21st century production. Stellar in other words.
The video was co-directed and co-edited by Iman herself and is a damn good first effort. Simple, artistic and full of movement, the video plants the focus exactly where it should be: square on the singer. Look out for more of Iman in 2016.
Alex The Astronaut – Half Of 21st Street
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D2z7zbbtm8&feature=youtu.be
You would assume someone going by the name Alex The Astronaut would lead a life full of adventures, and you’d be correct in this case. At just 20 years of age, she’s already lived in Sydney, London and now Long Island, New York; where she is on a soccer scholarship, studying maths and physics and also somehow finding the time to be a burgeoning musical artist. There’s no way she sleeps though.
Half Of 21st Street is her debut single and is a ripper. A simple acoustic riff anchors the song, surrounded by a cacophony of different noises that add layer after layer to the song, its clever lyrics delving into a love story made stronger by her confident voice. The tempo picking up to play the song out was a fantastic touch too.
The video was filmed around New York City and will have anyone who has ever been wistful to return, the scenes in Washington Square Park (where you’ll see Alex The Astronaut showing off some of those soccer tricks) in particular.
Sky’s the limit for Alex The Astronaut from here.
LANKS – Golden Age
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OJMyl23GVI
Melbourne multi-instrumentalist producer LANKS has gotten all kinds of creative this week on the video for latest single Golden Age. A punchy backbeat and some stabby synths, the song crests and falls beautifully while steered along by LANKS’ vocals showing off a wide range.
If the song doesn’t ensnare you, the video it’s accompanied by surely will. Points to LANKS again for creativity and dedication, rigging himself upside down in his living room for over three hours because really all of your blood belongs in your head and consciousness is overrated anyway.
Catch LANKS on his East Coast tour launching Golden Age when it kicks off in April.
Sex On Toast – Doubt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xAopnsc05Q
The Weekly Video Roundup awards for both Largest Group and Best Band Name go straight to Melbourne 10(!)-piece Sex On Toast this week and their latest single Doubt. It’s one of the most unique songs and videos I’ve seen so far this year, elements of everyone from Queen to Brian Wilson to Journey with a solid background of jazzy noise, the chorus will make you want to leap out of your seat.
The video only makes it better, with Sex On Toast enjoying all kinds of Caddyshack-esque hijinks on the golf course. ‘Zany’ is definitely the operative word here.
If you’re digging what you’re hearing (and seeing) and you happen to be in Melbourne then you can catch Sex On Toast all throughout the remainder of March as they enjoy a residency at the Gasometer.
The Last Shadow Puppets – Aviation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd1Xc6-6VVg
If you’ve not heard of The Last Shadow Puppets as a group before then you’ve definitely heard of them as part of their individual efforts. Like a British (and one Los Angeleno) indie rock version of The Avengers, members include Alex Turner (of Arctic Monkeys fame), Miles Kane (of The Rascals fame), producer James Ford (of Simian Mobile Disco fame) and Zach Dawes (of Mini Mansions fame). They released their debut album The Age Of The Understatement back in 2008 and went through a period of inactivity until last year, when they announced a new album was on the way in 2016.
Aviation is the third single from that upcoming record (titled Everything You’ve Come To Expect) and there’s an air of almost gothic darkness about it, with a very The Smiths-y guitar riff and backbeat coupled with Turner’s unmistakeable voice and some atmospheric strings. The video complements it well, shot on a sunny beach while Turner and Kane appear to have run afoul of a mob boss, ho has them digging their own graves in the sand while a blindfolded strings section plays them out.
Everything You’ve Come To Expect is out April 1st via Domino.
Massive Attack – Ritual Spirit (ft. Azekel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhI5T_NKYxc
Bristol trip-hop royalty Massive Attack have a new single out. Featuring fellow British singer Azekel, Ritual Spirit (from their recently released EP of the same name) is a slow-burning and almost menacing track held down by a handclap backbeat and pulsating synths, layers of sound surrounding Azekel’s haunting vocals.
They’ve enlisted some star power for their music video, one Kate Moss lending her talents to this one, swinging a lightbulb around as she dances in the dark. Simple yet very effective. Massive Attack reportedly have a new album in the works, the first since 2010’s Heliogoland. With Tricky back in the mix now after 20 years, Massive Attack fans have every reason to be chomping at the bit.
Ritual Spirit is out now via Virgin.
DMA’s – In The Moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZAfwHLnmlk
Presently taking over the entire world after the release of their wildly acclaimed debut album Hills End, Newtown’s own DMA’s have released another video for one of the album’s many highlight tracks in In The Moment.
A soaring chorus, infectious and fuzzy guitar licks, Tommy O’Dell’s now unmistakeable croon, all have become part of the sound that has brought DMA’s to a worldwide audience and all are present on In The Moment. It’s accompanying video sees the trio looking unfairly cool in every shot, be it at sunset on a rooftop, riding pushies and kicking soccer balls in the street or a strobe-lit room in tuxedos.
DMA’s are killing it with everything they touch at the moment. You can catch them on their Hills End tour of Australia (that’s swiftly selling out!) when they return home from a monster American and European tour in May and June.
Flatbush Zombies – This Is It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxplVYIN1Fc&feature=youtu.be
One of the most hyped and widely anticipated debut albums in quite some time was Flatbush Zombies’ 3001: A Laced Odyssey, which dropped last week to some rave reviews. Their second single from the record was launched this week with a video to boot, This Is It.
The Brooklyn trio have absolutely brought the goods, This Is It just one very nifty slice of a cracking album. Clocking in at nearly six minutes, it’s sprawling and dark and magnificent. A simple piano melody dancing with some rapid-fire trap beats and some fiery hot verses on top of it all. What you might almost call some easy listening hip-hop.
The video mirrors the song’s simplicity, black and white shots of the group on a stark white background, the focus solely on them. We’re all waiting very patiently for an Australian tour…
3001: A Laced Odyssey is out now via Flatbush Zombies’ own label The Glorious Dead.
Image: YouTube.
Maybe it’s just be, but it’s weird to think that hip-hop trio Flatbush Zombies have not actually released a debut album yet, considering how aggressively prolific their sound has become in underground hip-hop – but all of that’s about to change.
Today sees the release of the video to their recent single Bounce, the very first track we’ve heard from their long, long awaited debut album 3001: A Laced Odyssey, which is set for a March 11 release via Glorious Dead Recordings.
The clip was directed by Fredo Tovas and Scott Fleishman, who have worked with TDE labelmates Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Reportedly inspired by Grand Theft Auto, watch below – and feel the adrenaline race through from start to end. From strip clubs to back alley thefts, from car chases to boxing homeless men, and of course, a wild police showdown, at the very least there is never a dull moment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwaE6UpMk5s
Having built a heady reputation as a driving force in the east coast underground, Flatbush Zombies have recently worked with Skepta, Joey Bada$$ and A$AP Twelvy, following on from 2012 and 2013 releases D.R.U.G.S, BetterOffDEAD and Clockwork Indigo, a collab with fellow Flatbush lords The Underachievers.
3001: A Laced Odyssey tracklist
1. The Odyssey
2. Bounce
3. R.I.P.C.D.
4. A Spike Lee Joint (feat. Anthony Flammia)
5. Fly Away
6. Ascension
7. Smoke Break
8. Trade-Off
9. Good Grief (feat. Diamante)
10. New Phone, Who Dis?
11. This Is It
12. Your Favorite Rap Song
Flatbush Zombies sent a ripple of applause through their fan base last month, by announcing that their debut album, 3001: A Laced Odyssey, will be out in March. Not that they haven’t been keeping fans happy; they have consistently put out new releases including two mixtapes and a handful of collaborations (with Joey Bada$$ – Did U Ever Think, Trash Talk – 97.92, and Skepta – Redeye to Paris), but this album is set to be huge.
Not only did we have the delightful album news, but they have followed that news up by dropping their lead single. The track is called Bounce, and it confirms our need for their highly anticipated first full-length.
3001: A Laced Odyssey will be entirely produced by Zombie member Erick Elliott, and is available for pre-order on iTunes, with the release set for March 11 via Glorious Dead.
The track Bounce sees the Brooklyn trio rhyming over a chilled, elastic beat that will send listeners into a surreal floating, aural experience only grounded by Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick’s rhymes.
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Flatbush Zombies also recently shared Glorious Thugs, a tribute to Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony‘s Notorious Thugs. That song will not appear on 3001 but if you’re a fan of the original it is definitely worth a bump.
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With just over a month to wait for the album, these couple of tracks should hold you over. It looks like tomorrow will be even better, with the visuals dropping.
BOUNCE VIDEO TOMORROW #3001ALACEDODYSSEYpic.twitter.com/AJ5Ymw99fK
— Flatbush ZOMBiES (@FlatbushZombies) February 7, 2016
Image via iTunes