Yes, there are nine of these things, but this is the first one I have posted. These mixes, all falling under the umbrella theme of “Modern Soulness” have been some of my favorite to make lately because the world of Soul/R&B is constantly becoming more complex and intriguing. New talents like Jorja Smith, Kali Uchis, and Daniel Caesar continue to emerge and integrate themselves into the community that is modern R&B. The greatest proof of this “community” is that all of these artists are collaborating with each other, often on the most distinguished tracks of the record. Kali Uchis is featured on Daniel Caesar’s phenomenal track “Get You”, Jorja Smith is on Kali Uchis’ track “Tyrant”, Daniel Caesar on H.E.R.’s track “Best Part”, and so on and so forth. Then there are entire region’s of the world that enter the fold and give us unexpectedly amazing music.
I don’t know what’s in the water up there in Canada, but you look up and one day OVO Sound is on the vanguard of R&B. Yes, it’s Drake’s record label, but they are also producing other artists that are simply amazing Soul/R&B musicians. I have been equally haunted and aroused by the voluptuous music of Dvsn for some time now, and the mysterious duo that make up Dvsn are on OVO. Majid Jordan and PARTYNEXTDOOR are also on OVO Sound as well as promising newcomer Roy Woods. Then there are other tangentially related artists in Canada (specifically the Ontario region) like River Tiber (featured heavily on the mix), the aforementioned Daniel Caesar, and BADBADNOTGOOD. All are making a splash and finding themselves involved in the Soul/R&B scene in the U.S., and vice versa. One of my favorite tracks on the mix is a little interlude by River Tiber featuring Daniel Caesar called “West”, which you may also recognize for being sampled by Mac Miller on his track “ROS” from GO:OD AM (2015). The track has everything that I love about the modern production of R&B: the texture of the vocals made with echo, reverb, and distortion, the electronic resonance, and the warm and plaintive vocals.
In fact, this mix can be distilled to three distinct geographic regions, yet as a whole I think the mix has found a way to prove the common linkages and inspirations between all these artists and regions.
The first region is Los Angeles, where some of my favorite Rap and R&B artists hail. It’s not surprising the see a megalithic metropolis like L.A. either birth or attract artists to the form of music that is arguably the most innovative and promising of genre(s) today (I am insisting it’s Soul/Rap/R&B). However, what is surprising is how Rap and Soul have fused together in modern music, from the ranks of unlikely rappers, and from music collectives displaying both “hardcore” rap sensibilities and at the same time a real knack for groove and softer Soul nuance. The prime example is the Odd Future music collective based in the L.A. region. Mike G, Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler the Creator entered the music scene as brash and antagonistic as an artist could, and then we find out that artists like Frank Ocean and The Internet come from the same collective, yet display a sort of reverence for the heritage of R&B, Funk, and West Coast Soul. Listen to the early material from Odd Future like The OF Tape Vol. 2 (2012) against Frank Ocean’s incomparable Channel Orange, also released in 2012, to see how disparate the sounds from Odd Future can be. One is raucous and incendiary, the other honed and expertly-produced. Though we’ve seen promising intersections, or rather bridges, between the two different sounds – like Tyler the Creator’s Flower Boy (2017) released to acclaim last year, it’s still a wonder you can have one member of Odd Future being accused of homophobic tendencies and being banned from concert venues (Tyler) and another on the Grammy stage openly singing about being gay (Frank Ocean). I haven’t even discussed SiR, Anderson Paak., or Miguel, but those are other L.A. musicians leading the way and constantly being featured on other artists’ albums.
The second region is Great Britain, and more specifically the epicenter that is London. The really intriguing part of the London-scene is how all the varied races, ethnicities, and cultures of this giant megalopolis have mixed, mingled, and fused to form new expressions within old genres of music. Take the classically-trained pianist Jason Isaac, a 24-year-old pup blurring the lines between jazz and electronica the same way fellow Londoner Jamie XX has been blurring the lines between DJ-Producer led Dance/House and R&B. Isaac’s crisp and clean track “Doing Better” is featured on the mix. Jorja Smith, also from London, opens the mix with her seductive track “Lost & Found”, which is also the opening and title-track to her full-length debut. Nobody has more promise and early influence both in America and overseas in this genre than Jorja, probably since Amy Winehouse, and it’s easy to see why. Sampha and NAO are other British R&B artists also of note, and will hopefully continue to be mainstays on the music scene worldwide.
http://www.thefader.com/2016/09/19/uk-artists-r-b-ella-mai-ray-blk-nao
The third region is the aforementioned Toronto/Ontario scene. Whereas L.A. is notable for the breadth and depth of their R&B scene and London known for the eclectic groups of people attracted to and appropriating R&B, the Ontario scene is marked by a salient darkness and subdued melancholy in most of their R&B music. There’s a signature feel to the brand, more moody than other forms of R&B. I would say this is a completely understandable mood from the colder and harsher geography that our neighbors to the North have.
Other regions are also represented on the mix, albeit to a lesser degree. Jeremih from Chicago is a staple of all my ‘Modern Soulness’ mixes, mostly because he’s a groove-based gent adding soul to what would otherwise be pretty serviceable dance club hits. His danceable hit “The Light (feat. Ty Dollar $ign) found it’s way into the belly of the mix. Another more upbeat, club-friendly track is from another one of my favorites, Louisville-bred Bryson Tiller. His track “Teach Me A Lesson” is probably his best from the latest album True to Self, released last year. The fairly unknown Atlanta singer Summer Walker has probably my favorite cut on the mix, called “CPR”, which is a sultry song with clean production that really helps to make her pristine vocals shine. That voice is seductive as all hell, so enrapturing that it has me begging for an LP as soon as humanely possible.
Other arcs or common threads in the mix include the showcase of female singers/artists, which has been a common theme for me since last year. I’m starting to sound like a broken record, yet I won’t apologize when I say these are the times for female music artists to embrace the limelight, and they are. The best music in R&B is probably coming from the talented ladies in the genre, and I tried to showcase this with the use of the intoxicating vocals of Kali Uchis, Gabi Wilson of H.E.R., and Syd from The Internet as many times as I could while also trying to include as many different artists in the game within the span of an 80 minute mix (which I believe is the perfect length). The use of Hiatus Kayote interludes to segue between segments of the mix is also a common thread. It feels appropriate to use tracks from the Australian outfit as the “great unifier” since they are outliers in the R&B sphere, but incredibly influential. Hiatus Kayote have been unlikely muses for so many modern R&B artists, and plenty you wouldn’t expect. Tying this mix together and coming full circle, it has been reported that Drake is a huge fan of the group and sampled them on his track “Free Smoke” off of More Life (2017). That entire album made many odes to the inspiration of Hiatus Kayote – something I didn’t expect at all. “Molasses” was also sampled rather famously on Anderson Paak.’s track “Without You” from his flawless album Malibu (2016). To find out there is a cult following of Hiatus Kayote within the burgeoning Soul/R&B community is pretty interesting. It’s also great to hear that the “community” is so willing to call-out those they appreciate and to commend the talented folks that are influencing and inspiring one another. For me, that is what the music community should always be doing.
Anyways, I think this one turned out particularly well. It’s cohesive, has some unifying themes and sounds knitting it all together, and I hope that you enjoy!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/modern-soulness-vol-09/pl.u-EdAVzMYFX9YVW7
