one small seed » Music Reviews | one small seed

one small seed #30: LegoLoop

giu — Fri, 15 May 2015 13:39:39 +0000

LegoLoop is a killer act on the scene — both in Cape Town and Italy — and we had to know what’s behind it. They sure didn’t let us down. Find out more in our 9-minute-long video interview:

THIS NEW TRACK FROM THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS IS GOOD. JUST VERY GOOD. PUMP IT UP!

one small seed — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 12:59:40 +0000

The masters are back!!!

The Chemical Brothers – Sometimes I Feel So Deserted (Official Audio)

We Hope You Bought it! Thumbs up Cassper Nyovest.

one small seed — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 07:33:56 +0000

Cassper Nyovest, South African recording artist and producer, released the official music video for ‘I Hope You Bought it’ from his debut album Tsholofelo in December 2014. It has, so far, received 77,008 views on Youtube and 1,238 thumbs up!

The video shows the process of airbrushing the Tsholofelo album cover, to show that:

Although many people believe Cassper Nyovest’s career was an overnight success, this is not the case. Cassper’s career was built from the ground up… (Youtube video description)

Even though some may not be so impressed:

Yoh, not a good song, but the content, the words, hayi no, you settled the score with the so called fans and haters.” (Thuto Moloi)

one small seed loves it! You got our thumbs up Cassper!

What do you think? Leave your comment in the box below…

Die Antwoord’s #uglyboy features: Cara Delevingne, Marilyn Manson, Flea & Dita Von Teese

one small seed — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 09:28:02 +0000

Die Antwoord have done it again! Their new music video for Ugly Boy features some serious names: Cara Delevingne, Marilyn Manson, Flea, Dita Von Teese, Jack Black, and Aphex. That is all… Nothing left to say!

Seeing as we are speechless… here are a few comments from youtube viewers:

Ah mah god…. I’m squeezing so hard.All these awesome people in one video. Also Yolandi, you look fucking outstanding in that dark angel getup. <3 (RainbowMcFuzzy)

This video is amazing!! So many high profile entertainers featured and not to mention they nailed their parts throughout the film! I for one have enjoyed every second of this clip. I will still love to see the every day man/woman give it their all. Focus on some “real” life people like you once did… Congratulations on making a semi breakthrough.. It takes alot of guts and persistence to pay off… Guys, you are breaking them down \o/ (Kali Onatah)

Pretty boring song, nothing special. (Fr0gg0)

Meh, not impressed.(Maggots-ate-my-pasta)

If you missed it – watch Ninja’s performance with Marilyn Manson and Johnny Depp in our post STAGED SUPERSTARS: DEPP, MANSON & NINJA GO VIRAL WITH #BEAUTIFULPEOPLE.

Miami Horror Sets Free their “Wild Motion”

one small seed — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 08:50:07 +0000

Get ready to watch energetic geometric figures grooving to happy beats in Miami Horror’s brand new music video – Wild Motion (Set it Free), directed by Sebastian Borckenhagen.

Screen shot

South African illustrator and writer – Borckenhagen, was approached by the Australian indie-tronica band, to skillfully create the animation. The aesthetic stays true to Borckenhagen’s ‘afro-tribal’ style which fuses organically with the upbeat tune. The dancing figures and geometric shapes were painstakingly crafted by drawing with pastels on black paper creating a psychedelic feast for the eyes.

Screen shot

Miami Horror’s offering was the sunny track which will transport you to your summer holiday memories with their ‘80s inspired electronica vibes. The track is a little taster for the release of their Sophomore album late 2014. Producer, Benjamin Plant says:

“Musically, ‘Wild Motion (Set It Free) is a love child of Talking heads, Paul Simon and some sort of lost 80’s Australian anthem, while lyrically it ponders when is it time to set something free”

Borckenhagen produced his first music video animation’s for John Wizards on their tracks: Muizenberg and Lusaka by Night (2013).

Lusaka by Night

His love for animating music videos is because he gets ‘a lot from the interplay between sound and images’. Borckenhagen is also the founder of the Cape Town Zine Project, which started in July 2012 to help platform local zine creators in one central space, and facilitate with D.I.Y skills for making zines. Take a look behind the zines…

Check out our one small seed video interview on Spoek Mathambo here.

The Sound of Nature: A Vinyl Made of Wood

one small seed — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 07:01:56 +0000

Life is made up of a series of ones and zeros – these sets of data are fundamentally what connects us. Especially when they form a symphony and tell a story like no other. Bartholomäus Traubeck makes a record player that can interpret the data in tree wood into music!

Bartholomäus Traubeck

Human beings have communicated and expressed themselves through music for many years. We’ve judged situations by the sound they make and somehow – through a series of electrical nodes – we have translated those sounds into emotions.

Bartholomäus Traubeck is the creator of a converted record player that can interpret the data from tree rings into music. The record player uses a PlayStation Eye Camera as well as a stepper motor, which is attached to a control arm and Ableton Live then relays the data. Interestingly, the sound produced can vary depending on the colour of the tree as well as the amount of grooves and rings. Each tree has its own individual sound, almost like a fingerprint.

The music produced from the interpretation is extremely chaotic and random, yet somehow in the chaos it all comes together.

What do you think of Bartholomäus Traubeck’s idea? Let us know in the comment section bellow or tweet us @onesmallseedSA.

Words: Matthew Alexander
Images: Bartholomäus Traubeck

Bartholomäus Traubeck

For a bottle that can trap sounds on one small seed click here.

Original Swimming Party Release Their New EP

one small seed — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:11:17 +0000

Made up of Jeremy de Tolly of the Dirty Skirts, Thomas Glendinning and Greg Abrahams, Original Swimming Party is a new music project that defines itself as ‘experimental electronica’. While Thom Yorke’s influence is recognizable in de Tolly’s mood-setting vocals, the trio’s Blue EP is definitely full of experiments and not void of novelty. It’s a 21st century, visuals-inspiring sound that doesn’t shy away of mixing up the classic with the future. The EP was launched at The Fugard Theatre on 9 April, 2014, is downloadable for a donation and features five songs that alternate between mind-strolling melodies, avant-garde drones and beats as intense as apocalypse-fearing pulses. Here we go, lean back, listen and stay posted for an upcoming interview with Original Swimming Party!

Image: Michelle DP

SON LUX’s ‘Easy’ – a dark, futuristic soul track

one small seed — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 11:48:11 +0000

Son Lux “Lanterns”, image: joyfulnoiserecordings com

With his new album Lanterns set for release on October 29th through Joyful Noise Recordings, SON LUX shares a hip hop reworking of recent single ‘Easy’ featuring LA rapper & producer Busdriver.

Showing the diversity and eclecticism of Son Lux’s work, this dark, futuristic soul track lends itself with striking brilliance to what might sound an incompatible collaboration. Busdriver has created not just a remix, but an entirely different vision of this captivating song. Equal parts producer and composer, Son Lux (aka Ryan Lott) bridges an unusual gap between old-world music discipline and next-level experimentation.

Meditative but heaving with energy, Lanterns finds a peculiar congruency between futuristic soul and ancient sentiment. Driving orchestral pop (‘Lost It To Trying’, ‘No Crimes’) is placed alongside haunting minimalism (‘Pyre’, ‘Enough Of Our Machines’), often starkly juxtaposing densely layered arrangements with Lott’s intimate voice.

Son Lux ‘Easy’ image: c/o Stereo Sanctity

In recent past, Son Lux has gained notoriety both for his s/s/s project (with Sufjan Stevens andSerengeti), and for being named NPR’s “Best New Artist of the Year”. His third full-length album, and his first for Joyful Noise (Kishi Bashi, Sebadoh, etc.), positions Son Lux at the helm of an impressive ensemble of instrumentalists and singers, including Chris Thile (The Punch Brothers), Peter Silberman (The Antlers), DM Stith, Lily & Madeleine, Darren King (Mutemath), Ieva Berberian (Gem Club) and yMusic (Dirty Projectors, Bon Iver).

In addition to CD & Digital, Joyful Noise will release two separate versions of limited edition vinyl:

– Deluxe VIP Edition: 500 copies on black & clear “colour in colour” vinyl. Each copy is hand-numbered, and personally thumb-printed in silver paint by Son Lux himself.
– Split-Color Edition: 1200 copies on black & clear “split colour” vinyl.

Son Lux – Relevant Links:

SoundCloud
Web
Facebook
Twitter

Son Lux ‘Easy’, image: lediscolab.fr

copy c/o Stereo Sanctity

LOVE INKS: Generation Club

one small seed — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 09:48:55 +0000

Austin trio, LOVE INKS, are excited to premiere their stunning first single ‘Solar Diary’; a new track from their upcoming second album titled Generation Club, which is out on 23 September via Austin label Monofonus Press.

LOVE INKS: “Generation-Club”

2011’s debut LP E.S.P. received praise from NME, Dazed & Confused, The Stool Pigeon, Grazia and many more for it’s sparse yet sweet hazy summer anthems. Now LOVE INKS – comprised of couple Sherry LeBlanc and Kevin Dehan, and accompanied by Derek Brown on bass – present the fuller yet equally mesmerizing Generation Club.

Blending dreamlike synths, Sherry’s distinctive caramel vocals and a brooding undertone, LOVE INKS invite you into a woozy realm of contemplation that, whilst still paying homage to the beauty of a simple melody, digs to a slightly more unsettled place.

There’s a lot of loneliness and isolation… and time is mentioned a lot. Time passing slowly is a theme for some reason. Austin is a lazy town and time goes very slowly, we love it here but people don’t really hop to it so to speak.(Sherry LeBlanc)

LOVE INKS Posters, image: facebook.com/loveinks

To get the record done, Kevin didn’t talk to anyone for a long time and just focused on recording,’ says Sherry. ‘Isolating himself really angered all of his friends, who thought he was being weird, which furthered the level of isolation… Overall it’s a positive album, but it is very reflective.

With the record’s conception pointed at their first European tour & time spent in Berlin, it makes sense that Generation Club was created with their live show in mind, this time with a focus on creating a slightly fuller sound.

LOVE INKS, image: facebook.com/loveinks

‘E.S.P. was so short and minimal, our live performances felt like we were reading poetry at a music venue,’ Sherry recounts. She continues: ‘This time we wanted to add some mid-frequency tones to help balance out the quiet on stage. The album is still minimal and sticks with what we do best. We’re always going to love drum machines more than live drums for this band, it just fits better.’

As with all of their recordings, Generation Club was then recorded on a half-inch tape machine, by the band in their hometown of Austin, but this time mixed in an analogue studio by Matt Oliver at Big Orange Studios, using methods inspired by Kraftwerk and Brian Eno.

‘It’s a labor of love when someone does that,’ Sherry muses.

It’s about their rhythm and timing and even muscle memory. It leaves very little room for error on the musicians part and adds very distinct fingerprints from the person mixing – there’s no auto tune or cutting and pasting within the tracks. (Sherry)

LOVE INKS look forward to a US tour this fall, followed by a string of European dates at the end of 2013. Details to be announced shortly. Watch a teaser video for Generation Club:

Generation Club track list:

1. ‘Solar Diary’
2. ‘Hearts Up’
3. ‘Outta Sight’
4. ‘Night Lunch’
5. ‘Time’
6. ‘Secret Tattoo’
7. ‘I’m Gone’
8. ‘Magazine Street’
9. ‘Hold Out’
10. ‘Waiting on a Plane’

LOVE INKS Links:

Facebook
Site
Blog
Twitter

LOVE INKS, image: facebook.com/loveinks

source: Stereo Sanctity, images: LOVE INKS Facebook

#bottomrightcorner: The Contributor Edition

one small seed — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 08:29:34 +0000

Every week we compile a selection of music to sing you into the weekend and list them in a post called #bottomrightcorner. Sometimes new tunes, sometimes themed tunes and sometimes we ask a music aficionado to choose the tunes for us. This week, we hand over the selection process to our unofficial Detroit contributor, Mr Kelly ‘K-Fresh’ Frazier. Kelly has been sort of a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ in the Detroit hip-hop scene for the past decade. As the years have gone by, his focus has been that of a tastemaker for not only the hip-hop scene in Detroit, but of the whole music scene. Here’s five of his recent favourite tracks – enjoy and stay posted for upcoming interviews by Kelly over the next few weeks!

GRiZ – ‘Smash The Funk’

GRiZ- ‘Smash the Funk’

With a sound that touches so many genres it’s hard not to find a part you’ll love from this Detroit native. GRiZ continues to show his love of saxophones while still giving his audience what they want. Starting off tranquil before hitting its high; ‘Smash The Funk’ is a beautifully combined collection of sounds that get bodies moving. His album Mad Liberation is out now.

Heliotropes – ‘Quatro/Joy Unfolds’

Heliotropes – ‘Quatro/Joy Unfolds’

These Brooklyn belles should be applauded for keeping their heads on while making music that’s this rock ‘n’ roll. The sound stays neat, and never feels like four angry girls banging their instruments in an enclosed garage. ‘Quatro/Joy Unfolds’ delivers enough kick to satisfy any rocker without scaring off his double-vodka girlfriend.

Zo! – ‘Count To Five’ featuring Gwen Bunn

Zo! – ‘Count to Five’ feat. Gwen Bunn

The second single from Zo!’s ManMade album, delivers a sound that the radio loves. Whether sipping cocktails at some fancy-ass restaurant or smoking it up in your stylish new open plan apartment, it’s a sound that suits most situations without disappearing into the DJs set-list. When it comes to music, Zo! knows what sounds right and exactly how to deliver it.

Fort Romeau – ‘Jetée’

Fort Romeau – ‘Jetée’

In his latest release this Londoner delivers a single that reminds one of the ever-growing electronic sound right here on our own shores. Starting off slow, before adding the timeless element of a soft piano, he takes the song to a new level and ultimately turns it into something that will be remembered in an over-crowded electronic playlist. Day-drinking song: check!

Mayer Hawthorne – ‘Her Favorite Song’

Mayer Hawthorne – ‘Her Favorite Song’

Some songs are just sexier than others, and this track from Los Angeles artist, Mayor Hawthrone, falls right into that category. ‘Her Favourite Song’ contains all the elements needed to go from being a club hit to on the playlist for a ‘drinks-at-my-place’ kind of night. Definitely an artist to keep an eye out for, or to send to Pharrell Williams for his next mix.

album artwork: GRiZ, Heliotropes, Zo!, Fort Romeau, Mayer Hawthorne

Previous interviews by Kelly on one small seed:

12th Planet
Matthew Dear
Jeff Mills (printed in Issue 25 of one small seed, the “Bigger Picture” edition)

Kelly’s Links:

Huffingtonpost
Twitter
Website