aim

genre: deep house, downtempo
artist: aim
album: flight 602
featured tracks: northwest (ft niko), birchwood
street date: 8th june 2010
label: ATIC records

What do you call a meal with a main course of ingenuity, a side of jazz, and a cocktail of funky? You call it flight 602, and you'd be hard pressed to find it as cleanly packaged as in an album from AIM. The record is upbeat but subtle-- kind of like an accidental night in with your best friends (...or that new guy/girl you just can't stop thinking about). AIM has accomplished the feat of providing us with an album that doesn't sound like anything you've encountered before. Our Stage 4 featured tracks are definitely of the electronic variety, but AIM holds a couple wild cards in the hole. An acoustic track - IT'S LATER THAN YOU THINK - that totally rocks, hip-hop gurgling beats, some brass, and a funky riff or two.

Stream now! It'll put a big ol' smile on your face.

dubLoner & Isaac Haile Selassie

genre: dub, dub house
artist: dubLoner & Isaac haile Selassie
album: The Fight, The Spirit
track(s): The Fight, The Spirit (djunya remix; dubstep harder version)
street date: May 25th 2010
label: de'fchild

According to Isaac Haile Selassie, we can thank Bob Marley for his entrance into the world of music. Selassie had reportedly fled the political turmoil of Ethiopia when he bumped into fellow travelers listening to Bob Marley-- it was at that moment he knew he had to follow Bob's lead and make music to promote unity and equality among people all over the world. Frankly, I don't see how anyone listening to any version of this track could feel anything other than at one with the universe and it's inhabitants. Selassie and dubLoner (also known as Kenneth James Gibson, a man of many aliases) have combined talents to provide us with a song that leaves its listener torn between two compelling alternatives-- I can't decide whether I want to get up and dance, or find some lemonade and a hammock.

Each remix of this track seems to target a different desire, but at its core, it remains the chillest of chill no matter what the reincarnation. Even better: I've listened to every single version, and I can't pick a favorite. Yeah, it's that good.

So thanks Bob, Isaac, and Kenneth. I found my summer jam. Yeeeeah.

Ari Rhodes ft. Jinting

genre: Electronic, Deep House
artist: Ari Rhodes
album: No Invitation-- The D-Tronic Remixes
featured tracks: No Invitation (Ft Jinting D-Tronic Remix) Radio Edit; No Invitation (ft Jinting) Radio Edit
street date: April 27th, 2010
label: Deep Tip Records

Ari Rhodes and Jinting have teamed up to deliver a flirtatious blend of deep vocals and sweet beats, guaranteed to keep you on the dance floor all night (or at least until the end of the song). The D-Tronic remixes further the sexy club vibe of these tracks-- it's enough to make any girl reach for her heels and miniskirt (even at 1130 am. while writing blogs.). If you're like me and you're itching for more after the track has run it's course, get the album and play the full versions of the featured tracks for an extra THREE MINUTES of epicness.

Stream now at the Myspace!

Johnny Dynell

When You think of Voguing, you may think of this:


But Here at Stage 4, When we think of Voguing, we think of this:



That's from hitmaker Johnny Dynell, who has been making cult classics since the early 1980s.
Ever heard a DJ or Musician say "Jam Hot?"

Yeah, that was Johnny. Remember the revolution of break-dancing and voguing?

Well I'm too young to remember that, but from what I heard it was Johnny.

Needless to say, Johnny is a legend, and the new remixes of some of his old hits by the DJs over at Smash Hit Music are PHENOMENAL. Tensnake and 40 Thieves brings it down with their mixes of Jam Hot, and The Big Throwdown gets a Nu Disco revamp by Clouded Vision and Ilija Rudman.

So get your glam face on, and get down to some Nu Disco mixes of an eighties icon!

Bonobo

Aah... look at that fine specimen. A perfect blend of sexual tension and natural energy, fermented in a sole being, the Bonobo monkey uses heavy petting, rubbing, and even sex in all elements of life, from greeting its friends to saying grace.

Taking his name from the sexual monkey shown above, Bonobo's new album is the perfect mixture of electronic beats to keep your hips rocking, and natural elements to keep your feet in the soil. His music takes a perfect mix of latin and hip hop beats meshed with foreign strings and horns to create what could be the perfect James Bond soundtrack. Imagine yourself driving a speed boat to South America while listening to this track, Flutter:


Now, I think we know why he calls himself Bonobo.

Bonobo

ELECTRONIC, DOWNBEAT, BREAKBEAT, AMBIENT
ARTIST: Bonobo
ALBUM: Black Sand
TRACKS: "Kiara,” "1009"
STREET DATE: 4/6/10
LABEL: Ninja Tune

I have to admit, I love the Ninja Tune label. It's one of those labels that no matter what music they put out I am always interested in hearing it....hell, I'm EXCITED to hear it. Especially with such great artists like Amon Tobin, Daedelus, Kid Koala, and Mr Scruff just to name a few. So as soon as I heard that there was going to be a new Bonobo album and a HUGE tour I was pumped.

Bonobo is the moniker used by British artist Simon Green. He is a multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and producer who recorded with Tru Thoughts, a label run by Robert Luis and Paul Jonas. He jumped aboard with Ninja Tune in 2001 and he is still grooving with the label with his latest "Black Sand." A massive, earthy, and sensational new album to sink your body into.

Bonobo creates down-beat grooves with flourishes of atmospheric textures. Enjoyable at a late night into early morning party or an all night grooveathon in the clubs. His style is extremely organic and at times it feels like he is gently painting a picture of beauty. Gorgeous strokes of musical color, almost like watching a rainbow slowly come to life right in front of your eyes. He is one of Ninja Tune's biggest artists and in April and May of this year he will be heading out on tour with his live band. How invigorating is that? Get on out there and check this cat out LIVE!

Bonobo - The Keeper featuring Andreya Triana from Ninja Tune.

Bonobo - Eyesdown feat. Andreya Triana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztjmnJs_2ek&feature=player_embedded

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sibonobo
Website with TOUR DATES: http://bonobomusic.com/

Can We Talk About This?

WARNING: Totally NOT music related.

As I was looking for interesting stories to talk about on air, I came across this scary creature, and I don't think words over the podcast can describe the monster called Blobfish:

From Wikipedia:

The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a deep sea fish of the family Psychrolutidae. Inhabiting the deep waters off the coasts of mainland Australia and Tasmania,^[1] it is rarely seen by humans.

Blobfish live at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient for maintaining buoyancy. Instead, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. Its relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front of it.

Blobfish can be caught by bottom trawling with nets. Such trawling in the waters off Australia may threaten the blobfish in what may be its only habitat.

Now this may be old news to some, but to me, this is a new and horrible true threat to society. Ever watched the movie blob? I don't care if they are underwater: they are strategically forming a plot against us living creatures above water... this I am sure. Zombies I can certainly handle, but I really don't know if I could hold my own against the blobfish. No joke.

Now the weird thing is that people are actually scared these creatures may go extinct. According to an article in the Telegraph, the inedible fish is caught off of the coast of Sydney accidentally buy crab and lobster nets. Don't get me wrong, I am all about saving species, but not when it is an alien race generating itself undersea! The more dead, the closer we are to the safety of our planet.

What do you guys think of the blobfish?