Smokeland California

Nick Thayer + Valentine's in San Francisco = LOVELY!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:37:00 +0000

Here are a couple short vid's I shot while dancin' my @ss off to Australia's Nick Thayer with my fiance this Valentine's weekend in San Francisco.

Check out his myspace or facebook, and bookmark this for future reference.

Sir Dark$eid Interview on AccidentalPractice.com

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:52:00 +0000

Sir Dark$eid Interview on Accidental Practice 2009-12-27

We caught up with NYC rapper/producer, Sir Dark$eid, for a couple of moments for NYE2010 and are proud to share with you the fruits of our labor! (by labor we mean drinking, ha!)

You can find the direct link here, and can also view the interview on AccidentalPractice.com.

10 Reasons to Check Out AccidentalPractice.com

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 22:06:00 +0000

OK, we're not actually posting 10 reasons to check out AccidentalPractice.com. AccidentalPractice.com can now do that for itself after today's release of AP's 10th Episode!

"An aural collage of indie artists from around the globe (outside of the US, Episode 10 explores Britain, Belgium & Brazil to name a few) and local artists from "Smokeland", California that touch on genres as diverse as acoustic, electronic, jam and experimental, and as traditional as drum & bass, dubstep and hip-hop -- but done up with a twist...forging "found sounds" with remixes, movie clips with collaborations and practice sessions with the world's finest indie artists is what we pride ourselves on at Accidental Practice." -Brian Ball (Oakland, CA)

Episode 10's Rockstars:

Audioescapism [Britain]
Sixfingerz [Antwerp, Belgium]
Cy Tru [Wuppertal, Germany]
Eric Grabczyk [Milwaukee, WI]
Jones Fo Sho [somewhere between Antarctica & Spain]
Natur-al [Britain]
Tape Deck Apocalypse [Milwaukee, WI]
The Malander [São Paulo Brazil]

Stream/Download (WAV) on SoundCloud:

Alternate MP3 Download: http://sizzlinsoundz.audioacrobat.com/rss/accidental_practice.xml

Burning Souls Pay Deathly Tolls

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:48:00 +0000

This exclusive One-Of-A-Kind Performance marks a brief and tranquil moment in history, where time stands still, and musical notes hover about weightlessly in the air.

Armed with a new venue, a high-output fog machine, plenty of lighting and effects, candy sushi, a case of Rockstar, a fully-stocked bar with sexy bartenders that love to pour, 36 marijuana-laced cupcakes, 30 of our closest friends and 1 spellbound musical hex conjured up by Primate King himself, we aim to outdo ourselves every Halloween, and this year was no exception!!

Tune In and discover the haunted sounds that span throughout the many different styles presented in this mind-bending brainchild of Oakland California's most versatile and elusive artist, Primate King.

Tracklist:

01 - intro - alfred hitchcock - music to be murderd by (primate king edit)
02 - phon.o - trick or treat
03 - wade denning & kay lande - halloween dance
04 - zombina & the skeletones - come on!
05 - squidward - sponge bob scaredy pants
06 - cunninglynguists - hellfire (instrumental)
07 - rjd2 - the horror (primate king edit)
08 - peeping tom (mike patton) - your neighborhood spaceman (ft. jel & odd nosdam)
09 - the bastard fairies - we're all going to hell
10 - those legendary shack shakers - blood on the bluegrass
11 - deadbolt - channel 5
12 - david lynch - ghost of love
13 - concrete blonde - bloodletting (the vampire song)
14 - lee ross - the mummy's bracelet
15 - primate king - the wolfman vs. super mario world haunted house bgm
16 - outro - benji hughes - mummy

Download the Live Performance WAVE file on Bandcamp

Download the Studio Mix WAVE file on Bandcamp

Download the Studio Mix MP3 file on MediaFire

Stream it all right here courtesy of SoundCloud:

Burning Souls Pay Deathly Tolls by primateking

Accidental Practice: Episode 09

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:05:00 +0000

When exploring the depths of both real life and the internet for the world’s finest independent musicians, a lot of gems can be turned up—many of which come from the most peculiar places. In the 9th episode of the Accidental Practice Podcast, all listening ears will be filled with freshly recorded sounds both local to Smokeland California and reaching around the globe. Discover underground heroes in genres as far reaching as dubstep, glitch, trip-hop, psychedelic blues, ambient, experimental, funk, 4-bit, hip-hop and MORE!

Super fun happy bonus extras include in-house jam sessions, live (and studio) remixes, UC Berkeley freshman band practice, David Bowie and Weezer karaoke, a live taping of The Ellen DeGenerous Show, movie clips, local folk music and some Atari 2600 SFX!

Download the WAVE file on SoundCloud

Download the MP3 file from AccidentalPractice.com

Stream it here:

More about these Rockstars:

Alone Together

Alone Together is a Sound Collage artist. Sound Collage: the aggregate of the many tiny samples plays an original score. Do the live show with a computer, talkbox and vocoder. Member: Yuki Ota

http://myspace.com/alonetogether2030

Analog Affair, The

The Analog Affair began in the spring of 2008 in a small college town in Wyoming. When Cody Moser and Evan Baker discovered that they both shared said passion during an intermission of bi-weekly beer pong, The Analog Affair was born. Since then, the brainchild, influenced by the likes of Stars, Straylight Run, Ben Gibbard, Brand New, Dallas Green and Styrofoam, amongst many others, slowly has grown legs and is on its way to becoming a fully-functioning, developmentally sound, upstanding citizen in underground indie electrodramatic pop (technically not a sub-genre....yet....). To put it plainly, if music is war, then the Analog Affair has become adept at the art of guerilla style music making.

http://www.myspace.com/theanalogafair

Ballademaker aka Ivar. F. Hansen

Hello I am a musician who play keyboard and piano, I teach in keyboard and piano. I have play piano since age of 9 now I am 47, I love to make music, and listen to music. I make my own music, but I play some cover songs sometimes. Like Elton John and Billy Joel. I have my great Korg Karma and my Roland XP80 and my DX7 love them all, make good sounds all of them. I have my own home studio, have play in several groups. Style is ballad now but I also like funk jazz rock blues gospel.

http://soundcloud.com/ballademaker

Brian Knarfield

Brian Knarfield is a music producer, remixer and DJ located in Oakland, California. He co-owns the Sonus Collective label and is resident at the label's Sone parties, a prominent minimal and tech-house Tuesday night weekly, in Berkeley, California. Brian records minimal and tech-house tracks at his Oakland recording studio and plays weekly residencies at Sone on Tuesdays and Butter on Thursday nights.

http://www.brianknarfield.com/

Christiaan3 aka Christiaan Pistorius

Have been playing piano for a while and now I'm pursuing my love for electronic and acoustic music alike. I like Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Matthew Herbert, Underworld, Depeche Mode, NIN and much more ... I'm not interested in creating music that is "polished" and "clear and crisp" sounding. I like it when a song sounds a bit rough - I like that type of energy. What is most important is that the integrity of the song is sovereign to everything. I don’t work on my songs too long and most of them have been done in a day or 2. I would like to collaborate with others.

http://soundcloud.com/christiaan3

Diakon

Diakon is a Dubstep and Electronic music producer/DJ living and working in York. Diakon and his girlfriend Demeter are the resident Dubstep DJs on Radio Equinox. Tune in to their show diakonanddemeter on 103.1 in the York area or online at www.crankyradio.co.nr. This couple also regularly collaborates on beats together. In addition, Diakon produces Glitch Hop as Breakmagos and is also a member of Breakcore outfit 1/4master, Electronic Drone Behemoths STR255 and bleepy glitch crew Mutant Algorithms with Ghostwriter.

http://myspace.com/diakondub

Evan Westmoreland

Audio Engineering student, phat beat extrordinaire.

http://twitter.com/etwestmo

Genesis aka Prophet of the Womb

http://www.myspace.com/genesis2012

Sixfingerz

My name is Tim, I live in Belgium, in the city of Antwerp. I have been making musical tunes for about ten years, I started of with techno, trip hop, break-beat, drum n bass and electro. Every year I have the urge to go about a new direction and as of may this year, that would be very hip hop oriented. But I always seem to carry personal style with me. My style is a combination of transformed rare samples and clean vst basses/synths with some live instruments in the back. Some of my big Beatheroes are: Dj Shadow, Coldcut, J. Dilla, Dj Premier, Pete Rock and Dj Muggs, Lamb, Blockhead, Aphex Twin, … To name but a few.

http://myspace.com/sixfingerzholdingitdown

WelterWill

Starting and finishing tracks within’ an hour or two is something I am always guilty of. I make the music that comes out at the time that I’m recording. My recent flood of songs has been influenced by cabin fever and a slow unraveling of thoughts and understandings.

http://www.myspace.com/welterwill99

Accidental Practice Podcast: Episode 08 ft. One Man Krass & Sir Dark$eid + Living Dred

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:07:00 +0000

Hi, this is your Host, Primate King, welcoming you to the 8th Episode of our try to be but not so weekly rotating jam session . . . Accidental Practice!

This episode has been a long time coming and believe you me, we didn’t pull any punches when it comes to bringing you the finest independent musicians our beloved Smokeland California has to offer. Actually, we’re bringing together artists from all corners of the globe. Yeah, we had to step it up a little bit…it helped get you tuned in though, didn’t it?

We’ll hear from Smokeland California’s very own resident guitarist Dennis Wong who will actually be playing keys for a short while in this episode…also, we will hear some recent guerrilla-styled performances from Nice Guys Finish Last and Fill (that’s F – I – L – L) from Southern California that took place at our good friend Rose’s 24th birthday party. Another treat we have to offer on this episode of the Accidental Practice Podcast is a collaboration between Swiss producer Patrick Kiener aka One Man Krass and NYC rapper/producer Sir Darkseid aka Johnny Freaking Awesome. We also have a brand new remix of a song by Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s very own Living Dred. If that doesn’t quench your thirst, perhaps a couple exclusive prim8king remixes + mashups will dump the proverbial cooler of Gatorade over your head while you’re not looking…either way you crack it – it’s going down!

Now we bring you . . . Accidental Practice!

Accidental Practice Podcast: Episode 08 by primateking

More about Sir Dark$eid:
Born in Trinidad and Tobago. . .The name's Jonathan Quamina a.k.a Johnny 5.1 a.k.a Johnny Freaking Awesome a.k.a Sir Dark$eid. I reside in BROOKLYN N.Y! I was raised in Harlem, Brooklyn and Oakland. Sound complicated? It's not! I'm an east coast kid at heart. Music, among a list of other things, is one of my deepest passions. Hip Hop is my religion and it's how I get my mind right and force the negative energy out of my spirit. Some of my role models in Hip Hop right now are MF DOOM, Mad Lib, Jedi Mind Tricks, Apathy, Aesop Rock, Eminem, Ludacris, and Busta Ryhmes. . .just to name a few. Danger Doom is probably my biggest idol combos. When they came out with the Mouse and the Mask album it was just mad stoopid. Every song on that album is pure gold. Like I tend not to rap about guns, drugs, and cars. I mean I've lived the street life but your not gonna hear me glorifying killing nigga's on the block. People listen to your stuff, especially the youth and one should really wanna set a good example and send a decent if not good message. Now not to say my lyrics are on that Will Smith level, but I hope you'll notice that when I rhyme I rhyme about silly stuff but keep in real. The fact is I rap for the people plain and simple. I Like to have fun with rap. People like Busta, Kanye, Common, Mos Def. . .these are guys who are having fun with rap. It don't always have to be about killing and drugs. I love music and I would be lost and dead without it. Hands down, palms up!

More about One Man Krass:
Hi my name is patrick. i'm from Traintown, Switzerland. i'm a bassguitar player, also i play the guitar and lots of air drumming or just programm it in reason 4 (rewired to logic). I listen to anything that rocks - metal to funk and jazz to hardcore and everything in between. i produce my own songs. i love music.

More about Living Dred:

Living Dred is an ever growing musical adventure, made up of a committed and talented group of musicians who give nothing less than every ounce of energy into capturing the brilliance of reggae and rock, fuzing them together to create their own unique sound coined acid-reggae.

It gets cold up here in the north woods, so we learned how to make our own sunshine. Best described as a hint of mint with a twist of poison Living Dred's unique style know as acid-reggae in-fuzes elements of punk, rock, metal, blues, salsa, polka, surf and dub with their own special style of reggae. And the story begins...

Living Dred looks forward to what the future has to offer. The band continues to grow and develop their individual talents while writing and learning new material.

Electro Pusher Deux

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:11:00 +0000

"Electro Ain't Electro No More" is the Atomic Hooligan vocal that seems to sum up the Electro Pusher Mix Series in a phrase...but to experience the creative genius behind this project is the only way to let the dance-friendly, remixed and re-fixed sounds of Primate King enter your brain.

You'll find local talent from Smokeland California (Divasonic), SoundCloud friends (RuNRiOT & Elektropusher), BIG names (Dizzee Rascal, The Ting Tings, Princess Superstar, Kanye West (please listen before criticizing), LMFAO, Yeah Yeah, Yeahs, Haddaway, Robin S.), and yes the late great Michael Jackson in the 2nd installment of the Electro Pusher Mix Series.

Electro, Dubstep, Hip-Hop, Pop, Rock and a whole barrage of other genres are seamlessly spliced into fifty eight and one half minutes that you will want to experience again and again at an uplifting 129 BPM. (workout music anyone?)

Support for the creative process (beer money) can be shown by donating at http://prim8king.bandcamp.com/ and if you like I'll even burn and autograph a CD for ya--just send your mailing address to primateking@gmail.com with the subject line: Autograph.

Track listing is as follows:

01 - The Ting Tings - Great DJ (Galaxy Of The Dead Remix)
02 - Emiliana Torrini - Jungle Drum (Tolo Remix)
03 - Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - Bonkers (Club Remix)
04 - Lee Mortimer - This Is Real Shit (Elektropusher's Dirty Shitty Bassline Remix)
05 - Run Riot - If You Seek Peace Plan For War
06 - Alexander Technique - Rock U (ft. Princess Superstar) (Chewy Chocolates Cookies Radio Edit Remix)
07 - Boemklatsch - Bonafied (Mightyfools remix)
08 - Mightyfools - Amsterdam (ft. Guerilla Speakerz) (Dem Slackers Remix)
09 - Divasonic - Can of Wormz (ft. Atiim Chenzira) (Pance Party Remix)
10 - Master Shortie - Dead End (Sticky K Remix)
11 - DJ Class - I'm The Shit (ft. Kanye West) (Ernold Sane Wobble Remix)
12 - LMFAO - Lil Hipster Girl
13 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (Dan Oh Remix)
14 - Michael Jackson - Blood On The Dancefloor (DIGIRAATI OUT2KILL REMIXX)
15 - Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (Telemitry Remix)
16 - Haddaway - What is Love (Barletta Remix)
17 - Atomic Hooligan - Electro Ain't Electro
18 - Robin S. - Show Me Love (Ruben X's Fun Punch Mashup)

Total Playtime: 58:38
Released by: primateking
Release/catalogue number: ep02
Release date: Jul 24, 2009

Click Here to Stream/Download Electro Pusher Deux on SoundCloud

Does It Offend You, Yeah?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:46:00 +0000

“It’s time to get offended.” You can hear me say these words in the opening moments of the recording of Does It Offend You, Yeah?’s Sept. 18^th 2008 performance at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, CA.

It’s not so much that the crowd was offended by the music. Rather their reaction was quite the opposite. Moshpits consumed the entire floor, stairways and balcony seats were packed in with eager teen and twenty-something-year-old concertgoers. When the first samples of “Weird Science” started to play “Get away, get away, get away, get away” and the bass drum kicks, synth stabs, and enthusiastic shouts of “oi, oi, oi, oi” coming right on beat from the crowd mixed together into the buildup and released a poignant and punchy beatbed for James Rushent’s verbal welcoming and promptly following aural assault.

“Doomed Now” carried the crowd’s enthusiasm forward with plenty of crowd surfing and on “Battle Royale” the boys broke out the cowbell and got an even dirtier bassline working each and every body up and down in synch. Our friends lost and found a wallet, the band polled the audience in downloading/purchasing their album and I shouted about the 7”. “Being Bad Feels Pretty Good” was first introduced as “Being Good Feels Pretty Bad” and proved to be a charming exhibition of the band’s formulaic pop methodology.

DIOYY? quickly offset the previous pop charm of the previous song with their three minute long psychobilly flavored “Attack of the 60ft Lesbian Octopus.” At this time we learned about the afterparty at Vessel from several different promoters and promptly finished our drinks.

Craigslist casual couples were the demographic that “Lets Make Out” was dedicated to on this evening and let Josh get pretty experimental with his grungy, Kurt Cobain-esque snarls. I’d imagine the 15 year old girls on the floor were going insane by this point. I know my 23 year old fiancé certainly was J

“These damn dinner tables!” is what Chloe Duveaux was upset about, before he started talking about the afterparty, at Vessel where they would be spinning ABBA and Guns & Roses records. “Dawn of the Dead” was also quoted as their favorite song just before launching into its opening verse and certainly earned “sing-a-long status” from our party members in attendance.

One of our favorite songs, “With a Heavy Heart (I Regret to Inform You)” came next and if I remember correctly, when we saw them on their way back from Coachella in late April 2008, this was the same song that they had the entire audience of Slim’s up on the stage jumping off and crowd surfing next to the big sign that said “No Moshing / Crowd Surfing.” It was definitely just as hype this time around, and was up there with many successful metal bands of the 90’s in creativity and emotion.

The next little jam I swear to god was a cover of “Invaders Must Die” by The Prodigy. You be the judge, but since James co-produced “Invaders Must Die” and “Omen” off of The Prodigy’s 2009 release Invaders Must Die there is at least a distinct possibility that this is the case. Nevertheless it is an amazing find that I’m not sure you can get anywhere else. Tré unique.

“We Are Rockstars,” which in my opinion is the only song in their current arsenal that could follow a cover of The Prodigy was introduced as the last song of the evening. The crowd went n-u-t-s! The blazing synthesizers of the verses parted, allowing for a soothing 8-bit chorus to replenish the crowd’s energy, while theremins and chunky basslines pounded the crowd into one cohesive-yet-chaotic mass. This was an amazing finish and could only be topped by an encore performance of something completely different.

There was a short pause before a birthday announcement and after a quick round of “Happy Birthday,” the band went right into their reimagining of “Whip It” by soon to be re-emerging devolutionary rockers Devo.

Fun fact: I met Devo this March at SXSW in Austin, Texas when they held a Press Conference confirming their reunion and plan to release a new album in the fall of 09. I was the last person to ask a question before the Press Conference ended, but I made sure to make it count with “Have you heard Does It Offend You, Yeah?’s cover of “Whip It,” and if you have, would you consider touring with them?” The original four members had not heard the version, but the newest member, super-musician Josh Freese definitely had, and can be quoted as saying that it was a “reimagining of the song” and that “there’s no reason why not” in reference to touring with DIOYY?. Truth is, I think it would be the perfect show to see this summer. Let’s see if we can make some magic happen.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Live @ Great American Music Hall_San Francisco CA USA (AUD) 2009-09-18 [MP3] [Mediafire]

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Live @ Great American Music Hall_San Francisco CA USA (AUD) 2009-09-18 [FLAC] [MegaUpload]

Mr. Holland's Viagra Opus

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:23:00 +0000

I almost feel ashamed not having posted anything since late February...three months go by and no show from your blog host...very unprofessional. Hopefully the quality of the content will at keep you coming back :)

The dark opening of Ladyman’s Viagra Opus twists around slowly like a good build-up in a horror film. Think horrific dub reggae that is confused between being either completely smoked or glitched out. We really enjoyed “Steppin’ Lady Style” with the tongue on roof of mouth samples that flow in between light percussion and reverb aplenty!

The wobbly bassline on “Womanizer Dub” gets a little punchy while a tantalizing rhythmic percussion gives the listener access to the highest levels of enjoyment…without taking five or six minutes to do so.

All but two of the tracks on Viagra Opus are under three minutes in length and with gems like “Poppy God” and “Crust,” this 45 minute journey into the darker, more experimental, “softcore IDM meets dub reggae.”

Get ready for an experience that will shake the coconuts off your trees and bring you to your knees on the dancefloor…you’ll beg for more of this hardcore Viagra Opus.

"Steppin' Lady Style" [MediaFire]

"Womanizer Dub" [MediaFire]

"Poppy God" [MediaFire]

"Crust" [MediaFire]

Neckthruster Mike the One Mix Master

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:52:00 +0000

Are you ready? Say Yeah! You Want Some of This? The classic mixtape, Neckthrust One (circa 1996) is probably the most tangible form of dj art that Mix Master Mike has offered to the world since his step up to the decks. This 2-part mix showcases some of the finest turntabilism, breaks, sfx, samples and classic joints in genres of hip-hop, rap, psychedelic rock, 60’s/70’s rock and jazz as well as a plethora of vintage commercials, sound bytes and beat-driven misc. findings. It is no wonder this man was selected by the Beastie Boys to be their DJ!

Side A [MediaFire]

Side B [MediaFire]

The Call of a "Nostalgic" 777 Nation Army

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:54:00 +0000

"I couldn't fight them off. . ."

I have to be honest in letting you know that I was caught a little off guard the first time hearing Nostalgia 77's cover of the White Stripes' song, "7 Nation Army."

Nostalgia 77’s version of this classic Stripes’ tune takes the perfect amount of time in laying down a thick n heavy groove in preparation of Alice Russell’s sopping-wet, soulful voice which gets the sweat dripping at approx. thirty seconds into this funked-out trip.

As remixes and cover songs must if they wish to get noticed, this diamond in the rough whole-heartedly confirms that it seeks not to mimic to the original, but rather to outwardly display the fact that it is an amazing funk song that just-so-happens to be masterfully produced and diabolically schemed by its creators.

In making this a standout track, It also helps to have prominent UK vocalist, Alice Russell's vocals bubbling all over a warm, vintage sounding percussion section that is lavishly complimented by bluesy-sounding horns and the familiar, hyperballein guitar line of “7 Nation Army.”

If you need more proof, please use the evaluation link below [look down] and then pick up a legit copy by clicking here [click here]

(it’s only $.99 for the highest quality MP3, which is well worth the loose change in my opinion)

Nostalgia 77 - "7 Nation Army" (White Stripes Cover) [MediaFire]

East Flatbush Edo: Tried By 12 Primate Kings?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:17:00 +0000

What a joy it has been to re-discover this (16^th century?) traditional Japanese lullaby (!!) that was not only used as a sample by the East Flatbush Project on their seminal 1996 single “Tried By 12,” but more recently (2005) gave way for inspiration to a conceptual ‘Ambient DJ Mix,’ Primate King’s Ambient Treetop Escape.

I originally found this song on Soulseek circa 2005 as a sample source for “Tried By 12” and am proud to bring it to you in 2009 via Smokeland California!

If you'd like a little more background, here’s an excerpt about Edo from Wikipedia:

Edo (江戸, Edo?), literally: bay-door, "estuary", pronounced [edo]), once also spelled Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868. During this period it grew to become one of the largest cities in the world and the site of a vibrant urban culture centered on notions of the "floating world".[1]

“Edo Lullaby” [MediaFire]

Work for Love?

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:09:00 +0000

"The hand model absolutely kills me," I think to myself as I notice exactly how similar the covers to Ministry's 1983 albums Work for Love and With Sympathy are! And the roses... oh the roses!

My second Ministry post this month focuses more on the disco-influenced synth-pop prequel to Ministry's harder-edged sound found throughout the 80's/90's, and is highlighted on such tracks as the dance-rock number titled, "Revenge." Also, some funky pop sounds worth checking out are found on "Here We Go" and general Jourgenson pop star status is found on "I Wanted to Tell Her."

It has been quite the discovery for me to learn Ministry's 'dirty little secret' on these 1983 releases, however it definitely puts their music into perspective, as they have undoubtedly helped pioneer and evolve the darker sounds of electronically influenced dark rock/metal into that which we may label 'industrial' or 'edm.'

You can pick up a copy of Work for Love (which is actually an imported, slightly different version of With Sympathy) by visiting the Smokeland California store!

Ministry - "Work for Love"

Ministry - "I Wanted to Tell Her"

Ministry - "Here We Go"

Ministry - "Revenge"

Sympathy For the Devil and His Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:54:00 +0000

It feels great to be back in the swing of things! Although I was traveling over the Holidays (from Oakland to Wisconsin to Reno to Las Vegas and back) I did have a couple moments to catch up on the tunez that have been flooding my inbox and toss a couple on the iPhone as well!

This is not one of them... This is Ministry's With Sympathy album from 1983 and it kicks a lot of butt!

The tracks I've selected for you below should give you an accurate depiction of how their style was much different then, as you could easily compare this 1983 release to some familiar bands as Pet Shop Boys, Tears For Fears, Pink Floyd and Phil Collins.

You'll have no problem warming up to the Jazzy, 80's-flavored Synth-Pop of "Say You're Sorry," which does lean slightly more towards the dark side than towards true pop music... It is however in contrast a little more Knots Landing than it is Dallas...

You can listen to a couple selections below, and can pick up the MP3 album for $8.99 on Amazon by clicking here.

Ministry - "Effigy (I'm Not An)"

Ministry - "Say You're Sorry"

Ministry - "Should Have Known Better"

Smokeland California's 'Top 21 of 2008' (Part 3 of 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:05:00 +0000

In this closing segment of the top 21 of 2008, we see a new leaf turning over... all the music included in this posting has been offered for free on other blogs/emails/black friday deals etc.... Free doesn't necessarily mean that it is 'cheap' or that I've necessarily 'pirated' the tunes... I feel that it is a new avenue for the world to explore and that the music industry needs to catch up with... This is the future, and if you don't embrace it you will be left behind. Speaking of being left behind... these following tunes/albums are something that I'd be kicking myself if they were not included in my everyday listening... check them out and let me know what you think!

You can purchase all of the music featured in this posting by clicking here.

Best Recommendation from CMJ:

Bang! Bang! Eche! – Bang! Bang! Eche! EP

This EP expands upon the dance rock scene that is tearing across the soundwaves that have been impregnating our ears throughout 2008, and has been a sincere pleasure to discover, as recommended by CMJ! ENJOY!!

Best 80's Remix:

Rmxxology – “Ton Loc Vs. Peaches”

This classic needs no introduction, however Peaches has touched it up with some new verses and a tiiiiiight ass f'ing blend that will get you in the mood fo sho!

Best FREE MP3 in My Inbox:

The Prodigy – “Invaders Must Die”

Wow! Can't wait to see The Prodigy on tour in 2009! This song is the prelude to their new release, which is sure to please! (As if the new Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk haven't in the last 3 years...)

Best Mashup:

ddpesh – “Nasty Feel (MGMT Vs. Justice Vs. Notorious B.I.G.)”

A VERY BIG 'Thank You' to The Hype Machine/Elbows for cataloging all of the amazing remixes/mashups/releases in 2008, and we will be sure to keeping our ears to the street for more to come in 2009! This mashup def. takes the cake, matching up Biggie's vocals over Justice's huge remix of MGMT's "Electric Feel" (which has also recently been covered by Katy Perry)

Best Black Friday FREE MP3:

Mike Relm - Spectacle

One of the most horrible nights of my life started out amazing... seeing Mike Relm open up for Fatboy Slim @ Mezzanine in SF... the ecstacy kicked in a little too hard and the paranoia took hold and contorted my mind into a position that ended up changing my life (for the better)... Nevertheles, Mr. Relm is a master of his craft, and you should definitley listen up to what he has to say on this new release!

Mike Relm - "You Break (ft. Mr. Lif & Adrian Hartley)"

Best Female Fronted Hip-Hop Track:

Lady Sovereign - "I Got You Dancing"

Wow again! If she didn't catch your ears on her first several singles, Lady SOV will be rocking your car/club/iPod speakers throughout 2009 and many years to come! There is a little pitch correction on the vocals, but hey, who isn't using that these days anyway...? It f'ing kicks a lot of buns and we love getting out there and shaking our asses anyway!

Best Hip-Hip Instrumental:

Aesop Rock - "Tomorrow Morning (Instrumental)"

For all you who love a good instrumental... we've got the real deal right here! Aesop Rock is no stranger to the hip-hop scene, and it almost seems as though he may be overlooked in this new era where hip-hop may be slightly phasing out... don't worry, as this is a sure reinforcement that the style is not dead, merely embracing the future!

Smokeland California's 'Top 21 of 2008' (Part 2 of 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:41:00 +0000

Part 2 of 3 in the Top 21 of 2008 sees some tracks and albums that have received heavy airplay in 'Smokeland' this year, and will continue to throughout the years I imagine... We have some old favorites, newcomers and Sophomores as well, so it goes to show that it's always anyone's game!

Best Drum & Bass DJ Mix:

Noisia - Fabriclive.40

Not only does this mix take the cake for d&b, breakbeat and experimental music, we see several crossovers that delve into the 'electro' vein of dark and bass-heavy music... and who better to lead us on this journey, than long-time favorite, Noisia! Cop the mix in the Amazon aStore here!

Track 16 [MediaFire]
Track 17 [MediaFire]
Track 18 [MediaFire]

Best Drum & Bass/Breakbeat Album:

Atomic Hooligan - Sex, Drugs and Blah Blah Blah...

Wow! This album came in as a promo from Botchit & Scarper from the UK and hasn't left my girlfriend's CD player yet! (OK DIOYY? slips in every once in a while...) Nevertheless, this is one of the most diverse and well-produced albums that I've literally EVER listened to... an 'instant classic' if you will... Find out for yourself here!

Atomic Hooligan - "Who's Ya Daddy Now" [MediaFire]

Atomic Hooligan - "Blah Blah Blah" [MediaFire]

Atomic Hooligan - "Too Late to be Afraid" [MediaFire]

Best Cover Song:

Violent Femmes - "Crazy"

After Gnarls Barkley covered the Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone" on their 2006 debut (St. Elsewhere), it only seems fair that the Femmes should cover Gnarles' big hit, "Crazy." Here it is in all of its glory... unadulterated and pure.

Best Alt. Rock Album:

Weezer - The Red Album

Despite low expectations for the 3rd part of the trilogy of color-themed albums by the seminal alt. rock band Weezer, this album dug deeply under my skin and showed me a new way to appreciate music, no matter how polished or mass marketed it may be... where there are roots, there will be substance above ground as well. (and Rivers is the man (period!))

Weezer - "Troublemaker" [MediaFire]

Weezer - "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" [MediaFire]

Weezer - "Pork and Beans" [MediaFire]

Best Dance Rock Album:

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into

When I first saw the video for "We Are Rockstars" I immediately knew that I had just developed a new obsession with 'dance rock' bands that are still bands in the 'rock & roll' sense, but use electronics and production tools to make the sound a bit more dance-oriented... If you aren't offended by now, I strongly suggest getting there... pronto!

DIOYY? - "With A Heavy Heart (I Regret to Inform You)" [MediaFire]

DIOYY? - "We Are Rockstars" [MediaFire]

DIOYY? - "Weird Science" [MediaFire]

Best Rap Song about Aliens:

Prophet Genesis - "Paleocontact"

Just because its rap doesn't mean that it fits into the 'rap' genre all snug-like... Richmond, California's Prophet Genesis comes from Los Angeles to further his study of sound and production technique while turning his listeners on to the outer limits of realization... that which has been deemed 'unanswerable' and 'otherworldly' only begins to encompass his lyrical content, while beats sound as though Dre himself may have been sitting in on the blunt session in the studio that afternoon, but hey, who knows, right?

Best Indie/Hip-Hop Song:

Flobots - "Handlebars"

Truthfully, Fight With Tools was the first compact disc that I've purchased in the last 7 years... Don't get me wrong, I've purchased music (vinyl, MP3/Lossless files) & such, but had not purchased a physical CD... Good thing Amazon.com was there and I could get a copy shipped to my house for less than $10... Thank you to Mattress for pointing this one out to me and I hope you enjoy the epic-ness of it's structure! Oh, and they have a female violinist... dope, huh?!

Smokeland California's 'Top 21 of 2008' (Part 1 of 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Ball) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:02:00 +0000

The year of 2008 has seen many interesting musical acts, and I am by no means prophesying or indicating that this is an 'all inclusive' list. Rather, it is my own personal highlights in music and sound throughout the prosperous year of 2008!

We have 21 very exciting categories and winners with several dozen MP3/Lossless files to give you a preview into the albums that you will need to purchase on Amazon after you're done reading this post!

You can purchase all of the music featured in this posting by clicking here.

Without any further adieu... Let's get started!

Best Rock Album/EP:

Obedient Waves - Rock & Roll 4 President (5 Volumes!)

Meeting and hanging out w/Billy & Jo in Los Angeles this year was amazing! They totally rocked the Hunnypot Hot Tub! Listen in the Hunnypot exccerpts below.

Obedient Waves - Drink Fuck Love [MediaFire]

Obedient Waves - Ain't Got No [MediaFire]

Best Electro Remix:

This AMAZING mix from Angel Farringdon came on a promo from Bermuda Triangle Records out of the UK and deserves to get BLASTED on every dancefloor from here to Bristol!

Shahin Badar - Laila (Angel Farringdon Remix) [MediaFire]

Best Live Performance:

Simian Mobile Disco - Live @ Mezzanine_San Francisco CA USA (AUD) 2008-04-26

Attending and taping this show pushed the limits of LED lighting and refined (actual) techno like none other! You can download the torrent here.

Simian Mobile Disco - Wooden [MediaFire]

Simian Mobile Disco - It's The Beat [MediaFire]

Simian Mobile Disco - Simple [MediaFire]

Best Radio Show:

Hunnypot Radio 2008-11-03 ft. WomensRadio, Obedient Waves & Hot Pink Delorean

Our friends @ Hunnypot put on one hell of a Live Internet Radio Show, and you can check them out live every Monday from 7-10PM PST here.

Excerpt 01 [MediaFire]
Excerpt 02 [MediaFire]
Excerpt 03 [MediaFire]
Excerpt 04 [MediaFire]
Excerpt 05 [MediaFire]
Excerpt 06 [MediaFire]

Best Live Comedian:

Robin Williams - Live @ Bimbos 365_San Francisco CA USA (AUD) 2008-04-14

This show was SOOOOO hilarious! He completely busted out someone taping with their cell phone... little did they suspect the core-sound binaurals near the back of the club... Here's the show released in it's entirety for the 1st time on the web (limited time, don't wait)!

Part 01 [MediaFire]
Part 02 [MediaFire]

Best Justice Remix:

What can I say, Justice remixes are more popular than silver 3 series in the city... Nevertheless, it is funny how they can still remix themselves better than anyone else (except for Boys Noize below...).

Justice - DVNO (Justice Remix)

Best Remix of Justice:

Just when you think you'll be sick if you hear another Justice remix... Boys Noize seem to have pulled absolutely zero punches and come out with a straight-forward fresh-sounding track when everyone else is sounding dated and unoriginal... Masterful!

Justice - Phantom pt.II (Boys Noize Unreleased Turbine)