VIA MISHKANYC.COM:

It has been a few months since I MondreM.A.N’s 2013 masterpiece Cloudd Packk was released. I’ve already released a blurb about it, but it’s not enough. I have listened to the album over and over on Bandcamp. I looped “Cold Year” on Soundcloud. I eventually manned up and paid the seven dollars. Money well spent.

Many people on the Internet have bitched and moaned about how Main Attrakionz haven’t been at their finest recently. Many disheartened fans constantly talking about how Blackberry Ku$h, Chandelier, and 808s and Dark Grapes II were the best from the duo and nothing has been as strong since. I disagree entirely. Sure, those three albums are wonderful, almost perfect, and I still return to them weekly, but have you been keeping up with MAz outputs?

Squadda Bambino has released like nineteen albums this year alone, with enough strong tracks to pluck from each project to form two hours of solid roadie cruising.

MondreM.A.N has released album after album with consistency. Very few weak tracks. From Da Lo-Fi Railroad was a great, quick album with EMPDENNY. Not a single bad song.

In three years, Mondre has launched three albums on par with anything by the Main Attrakionz collective. Sorry Squadda, you’re on your grind as well and I respect that, but I’m on my Mondre flow at the moment.

Look at the releases. I refer to them as the trilogy. The Mondrilogy. That was a stretch.

2011: Dream Collabo released M A N, a flawless eight track EP (nine if you count the bonus track with Danny Brown and Hollywood Squadda) with timeless playback and terrific cohesion. “Surprise”? Damn.

2012: MondreM.A.N and Nem270 released an 18-track soul journey Rhythm and Zone. The two have worked together in the past, specifically on the project Dope Since ’91, but they had never released a full project together. I’m a sucker for albums entirely produced by the same person. The transition between songs on the entire album is like melted butter. It’s perfect for listening during breakfast, it’s perfect for bed.

2013: Cloudd Packk. A 24 track album. The artwork says it all. The flow is like clouds touching the ocean. Joe Wax, Marlee B, Friendzone, yes. With very few features (Shady Blaze, Squadda), Mondre manages to fly through two dozen songs with ease, choosing beats that define his sound. “Amber Skies” is my ringtone. No songs stray from being sky high, hence the album title. Violins, pianos, flutes, heavy bass. What more do you need? Even his lyrics are up. “No Hillary Banks like Phil lost his daughter. Shit, sometimes I think I can walk on water.” Finishing up with “Its Not Ova” was a genius move, making me antsy for the next release. This trilogy will certainly hold me over until 808s and Dark Grapes III comes out later this year. Grab the album and check the new video for “Ha Haaaa” produced by none other than Nem270. Since I’ve written this, Squadda has probably released three new albums, so let me get back to it.

-neon pajamas

Shady Blaze ft. Main Attrakionz - “Fucked Up” (Produced by Friendzone)

from The 5th Chapter, Shady’s new tape, released today. 

get it here: http://shadyblaze.bandcamp.com/album/the-5th-chapter

also, it’s squadda b’s birthday today!!!!!

cuttingpractice:

DX is on its way from the FRIENDZONE duo.  But for a short, digestable bite of what’s to come, we get “ALWAYS”, a vocal-sample heavy track that fires off quick shots.  For a track by this title, you’d expect a bit more consistency.  And in careful ways, this idea holds.  In others, it doesn’t, giving listeners the time to read a narrative into this instrumental piece.  I hear the story of a woman in love.  I promise I’ll explain.  

When I comment on “ALWAYS’” slight inconsistencies (variations), that isn’t an accusation, That’s praise.  This what forms the “narrative” aspect of the piece.  Your life isn’t consistent.  My life isn’t consistent.  Why should music be?  These variant inconsistencies are what give this piece character.  Necessarily, these diverge from a consistent foundation.  Tightly-strewn vocal samples, though, that wind into themselves carve out this baseline experience to work from.  Treated like drums, these voices clap to the rhythm of a woman (I’m assuming because of the lightness in the voice) unabashedly rattling off all the reasons she’s in love with you.  

About a minute in, though, another, softer voice chimes in, with a supportive lightness whose short stops mimic those clapping loudly.  Like her internal monologue; they have the same character.  She wants to tell you everything, but she can’t pick what to start with.  This voice occasionally trades places with the loudest one, creating a conversation both between the track an listeners and within the track itself.  With this, the track becomes self-referential, in my eyes (ears?).  And in this conversation, there are musical variations that morph the values of certain aspects of the track.  

A snare pitter-patters with the sharpness of a heart in love.  Cymbals shake her up as she settles into the idea of opening up to you.  She’s scared.  But she’s also reassured by a deep bass that evens out the snares momentarily.  Is this our voice?  Is this a calm born inside of her?  I’m not really sure which.  And once this instrument comes in, it remains, soothing the track.  Horns elevate this track to give it importance, we know we’re listening to someone’s deepest most personal emotions.  

And then it just ends.  No fade to black.  No slight removal of certain elements.  No shift in energy.  Lights out.  FRIENDZONE gives us a story to hear, and they give us questions to respond to : What was our answer?  What do we say to this girl?  Do we love her back?  Was she breaking up with us?  No coddling, FRIENDZONE treats us like adults.  We have to make up our own minds.  

I can write all I want, but Svante (Allmungs) and Druture (of Grown Folk) said it best on Facebook (see above).  Look out for DX, coming soon.  

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD : 

-CUTT CZAR (HERONALD REAGAN)

FORMERLY KNOWN AS : FRANKLIN WEATHERFIELD AKA DENZEL SPLASHINGTON AKA PATOIS VUITTON AKA CHUCKDEGAULLE