Dr. Dolphinacus – The Magicicada Blues

Posted on May 17, 2013 by tha 1 who Trevs

Seventeen years ago. 1996. The first Pokemon game was just released in Japan, Justin Bieber was still diapers, and billions of bugs burrowed beneath the soil of the US east coast.

This month, Magicicada Brood II will emerge from underground and outnumber humans in the area 600-to-1. To commemorate the occasion, we have this acoustic ode to the cicadas by Virginia’s mysterious Dr. Dolphinacus.

The Magicicada Blues was actually written for Brood X, another 17-year swarm that last came out in 2004. That year, I burned this CD to play on my high school’s community radio station. It includes 3 version’s of the song, which you can now listen to and download on Bandcamp.

Just for kicks, and because I liked freaking out our program manager with random music every once in a while, I also threw “Live From The Russian Compound” by The Locust on that disc (PS: did you catch the gifset of Justin Pearson’s new band Retox from their Toronto show?). This video may or may not accurately describe the auditory and visual experience of a cicada swarm…

Mp3NDAYS: RCMP II

Posted on May 6, 2013 by tha 1 who Trevs

Philly’s Pittsburgh-transplant DJ Apt One has just put up the second EP from his disco outfit RCMP for free download. I got their first release on vinyl from the too-short-lived Flamin Hotz Record Club, and somehow missed this one the first time around when it came out back in 2011.

The fact that it still sounds just as fresh goes to show how ahead of the curve this guy is. As fast as super-hype ham-fisted “EDM/dubstep” is blowing up in the mainstream, a handful of big artists are coming with updated interpretations of old school sounding soulful/funky beats (see Janelle Monae, Daft Punk, and yeah Justin Timberlake).

I mean let’s go back to 2009 when the first RCMP EP dropped. Mid-range bass wobbles were just starting to take over the underground, with Rusko in his prime and Skrillex not even using that name yet. Top 40 had just begun it’s revival of four-on-the-floor pop and Pitbull.

As everyone’s ears get tired of constant side-chains and square wave assaults, expect the next wave to sound more like this.

clycl – Elwood Slow Jams ’13 (OUT NOW!)

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Unknowne Landes

“He found out that the universe was shrinking years before anybody else cared, and years before anybody else in Elwood knew what the universe was.”

We all know that “EDM” is the now it thing, savior of the big music industry, and current incarnation of glam rock: even the artists that attempt to conceal their identity behind masks end up creating massive cults of personality and KISS-level merchandising.

“The loss quality so evident at all levels of spectacular language, from the objects it praises to the behavior it regulates, merely translates the fundamental traits of the real production which brushes reality aside.”

Unknowne Landes is pleased to present Elwood Slow Jams ’13. Follow producer clycl on a journey through space and time, acid and electro, funk and ambiance.

Stream the EP below, and buy it over on Bandcamp.

ESJ13 tracklist + vintage clycl video

Posted on April 28, 2013 by tha 1 who Trevs

It’s been quiet around these parts.

As usual, that just means there’s a lot going on in the background! The first one you’ll get to hear about is our next label release!

The elusive IDM producer clycl‘s debut EP, Elwood Slow Jams ’13, drops on Tuesday, April 30. It features 7 original tracks; some new, some recovered from dusty hard drives, the collection hits a variety of styles and moods from groovy to abstract, progressive to funky.

The Rising
Fuel Station Alpha
Booty Pageant
Cloud Interval
Metro Seoul
Playtime
Scylla

Just for kicks, here’s a lil video I made back in 2006/2007 using one of clycl’s old tracks, Jellopolis. Laser tag funtimes!

Cloud Sounds × 20130423

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Unknowne Landes

Fri Apr 19: Perpetual Stress presents @ Izakaya

Posted on April 17, 2013 by tha 1 who Trevs

This Is Me As A Woman, Labour Day, The Pucumber Sasssquatch Family Band, Superlion. Friday, April 19 @ Izakaya Sushi House, 294 College St. $5/PWYC

Hey y’all it’s Trev! So in addition to everything else you see here on the blog, I play drums in this super-rad band called Superlion! This Friday we’re playing a show at a sushi house put on by the one and only Dee Rex (check out more of his events in this Facebook group).

In anticipation of that we just released our first song, Midnight Bowling in Istanbul. Stream it and hit the download below, and keep reading for some awesome descriptions from Dee of the other bands playing that night!

THIS IS ME AS A WOMAN
The hardest working solo act in Toronto. From doing drums and vocals alone I can vouche for this, now add additional layers and other instruments on top all by yrself? That’s work bruv!

LABOUR DAY
Quite possibly one of the most overlooked/underrated bands in the city. Super, super fun epic, three guitar rock’n'roll from right here in T.O.

THE PUCUMBER SASSSQUATCH FAMILY BAND (HAMILTON)
I’m going to use a description I heard from a friend of theirs, “They’re like the B-52′s if they were forced to play their set in hell for all eternity”. A six piece outfit from Hamilton that is quite literally a family band, absolute insanity!

SUPERLION
Super cute lo-fuzz pop-rock from T.O playing their second show ever. A definete must if you enjoy good times and keyboards simultaneously! Ex-Liferuiner.

Introducing: clycl

Posted on April 15, 2013 by tha 1 who Trevs

I just found out there was gonna be a rave in the basement of one of the college dorms across the street. The theme was “blue.” I called my best friend over, we busted out the blue hair spiking gel, and made a weird kinda Slipknot-esque hat/mask out of an old blue knit cap. All I knew about electronic music was the song in the Mitsubishi Eclipse commercial, and all he knew was the song in the Mortal Kombat movie

This was 2003.

We ventured over to the campus, walked in through the side door that was left open, and went downstairs for the party. It was us, the DJ, and two other people.

One of those other people was clycl, whose government name, Facebook profile, and History Channel alias will remain classified to enhance mysterious branding efforts. Also just cuz not everyone wants to be a superstar, even if they once knocked out Henry the 8th AND 9th in a boxing match.

clycl’s EP, “Elwood Slow Jams ’13,” will be released through Unknowne Landes on Tuesday, April 30, AKA in two weeks! For a taste of what’s coming, you might head over to this Soundcloud address…

Mp3NDAYS: DJ Sega – Hoodlife 2 Headliner

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Unknowne Landes

This mix runs the gamut from classic funky Baltimore chants through the current trend of up-to-the-minute rap sample flips, and into club interpolations of modern EDM/dubstep/trap bangers with kicks and breaks battling synths and bass. It’s a thrill ride of a set that’s longer than most feature films, yet somehow manages to keep the energy not only up, but constantly building.

Check after the jump for the tracklist, the free download, and links to the few other artists featured (a majority of the tracks are his own remixes!)

Continue reading →

Reviews of HSD-001 from around the web!

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Unknowne Landes

For his 21st birthday on April 13th, we offered Kotic Couture‘s debut EP, “Hey Hello Hi,” for free for 24 hours!

Before that though, the release made its way from Maryland to Canada to the UK and Sweden, via the streets of the Internet! Check out some of the reviews below:

Straight Edge Worldwide called the EP “new school hip hop at its most creative… and a defiant shot across the bow for those in the hip-hop community.“

LGBT Underground has showed consistent support for many of Kotic Couture’s past releases on their blog and mixtapes; just check the search history!

Tight To The Nail wrote an awesome review, describing the music as “hip-hop firmly rooted in the new school with not too many fucks given and everything drenched in electronic synths and hi-hats that sparkle almost out of audible human range.“

“Straight Edge,” the Minor Threat cover included as a free download, has especially grown legs on the Internet, even reaching Swedish webzine Lukinzine.

Mr. Manic from the collective Psy-Fi Dimension gave the release an amazing track-by-track review, summing it up as “a powerful mix of electronic dance music and hip hop with a punk edge… mak[ing] it clear that he will not be deterred from being himself and dar[ing] anyone to challenge that.”

IF YOU STILL HAVEN’T COPPED, DO SO HERE!

Cloud Sounds × 20130407

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Unknowne Landes

It’s been far too long since the last standard Soundcloud post around here! There’s a month’s worth of the weird random music that shows up on our dash here for ya today.

Got some hype beats, chill beats, chill wave, surf step, Indonesian hardcore punk, a remix of the Game of Thrones theme song, plus bass music from Baltimore, India, the UK, Toronto, and more!

If you want your tracks featured here, or are even looking for a more long-form review of your release, follow Unknowne Landes on Soundcloud, we follow back yo!