DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEK: Wait What, The Checks, Domo Genesis

Wait What - Nasd Out (Nas vs Washed Out) LP - Review & Interview

What a simple concept, to take an airy indie act and combine them with the hard hitting vocals of rap. But if it is so simple then why did you not think of it? Most often a genius idea is in fact just a simple idea. Wait What (Charlie Kubal) heard something beforehand that the rest of us only recognised once it had been created. As Oprah would say, we had an ‘aha!’ moment. There is a freshness to this project that forces you to sit up and listen to all the good points of Nas as well as Washed Out. The result of this album is indie hipsters listening to ‘Illmatic’ and gangster wannabes quietly drifting away to dulcet tones of ‘Within and Without’. Charlie really should be getting some sort of commission.

Wait What has nurtured a little musical baby. Nasd Out is full of carefully matched tempos and delicately paired themes. He has managed to combine each song perfectly, matching lyrical content of the rapper with the exact mood being set up by instrumentals of the airy indie artist. It’s the best of synth-pad stuff with the best of raw, spitting hip-hop.

The best thing about Washed Out is the minimalism of the tracks. There is a copious amount of space. Plenty of room for Nas to let rip. The pairing goes like this – the instrumentalism of Washed Out makes sure you are in a happy, thought provoking dream and the lyrical spanking from Nas makes sure you dream about what ever the hell he wants you to dream about. It’s Washed Out’s house but Nas’s rules.

It is going to be hard to listen to this without comparing it to the incredibly successful and recognisable Notorious XX. And why should you try ignore that? I mean it’s in the exact same vein. Big powerful rapping voice mixed with spacious wavey tones. He has already enjoyed thumbs up from the media big boys before (Rolling Stone, New Yorker, New York Magazine, The Guardian). I am sure Nasd Out will get similar treatment.

I caught up with the masher from San Francisco to find out about his new project, how he has dealt with angry lawyers and where his inspiration comes from…

What was your original intention with Notorious XX?
I liked both artists and had always felt like Biggie had an introverted side that was hidden behind a lot of the 90s club hip-hop beats he was on, and The XX have this R&B influence that I think often gets looked over, too. I wanted to make a mix for me and a couple friends that would be cool and look at lesser-seen aspects of both artists.

You have received cease and desist letters from Biggie’s lawyers – what has been the result of all this legal action?
Without getting into the specifics too much, some representatives got in touch with me and said I can no longer host a download or stream of the mix from my website about 10 days after the album came out, so I didn’t, and it's been pretty quiet since then. It's a bummer that they can't see the value in attracting new audiences for their artist and understand the value of a not-for-profit fair use project, but I suppose it's indicative of the music industry's response to just about any new technology over the last 10 years.

How have Jamie and Romy from the XX responded to your Notorious XX project?
They've been interviewed a couple times and spoken about it, and it sounds like they enjoy it. They had an interview on NPR where Romy was saying it was a cool combination and she liked the combination.
 
Have you received any word from Washed Out or Nas yet about the release of this mash up? Do you have a plan in place to respond to them?
I haven't heard anything yet. In my experience, artists themselves enjoy the tracks and it's the labels and publishing that take issue with it. The truth of the matter is there's not much to do to respond to them unless you want to go to court, so if it came to that I'd have to play it from there.

There is an obvious pattern you have of finding music that does not seem to fit together but you make it work. Is this trial and error? Do you consciously look for artists that don’t seem to fit together?
I try to make combinations that people assume wouldn't work, and that reveal elements of the artists that might be less apparent in their original form. So for example, I think Nas has a reputation as an incredibly cerebral storyteller, though at the same time he's a major hip-hop artist so uses a lot of heavy hip-hop beats. The connection came when I was travelling and heard Washed Out's album, and started thinking about some of the themes of solitude and a feeling of relaying what's playing out in front of you that I'd also heard in a lot of Nas's tracks.
 
When did you first hear a Nas track? When did you first hear Washed Out? What made you make the connection that they would sit so well together?
I was only 8 when ‘Illmatic’ came out, so I missed it the first time around. The first Nas track I heard was later, ‘Hate Me Now’, with Puffy. I saw the video when I was 13 and the track reminded me a ton of Biggie's ‘Victory’, with it's samples and the intensity throughout. I first heard Washed Out in June of this year, right before the album came out, and dug the minimalist sound and effects he was throwing on those tracks.

What is the process you go through to put together a Nas song with a Washed Out song?
I'd first listen through to every Washed Out and Nas acapella I have and write down themes or associations I have with each song, and get a list that includes things like 'isolation,' 'achievement,' 'braggadocio,' and 'introspection.' I'd then look at thematically which songs seem to have logical connections, and then test them out. A lot of records on this album came about in the first or second pairing, but then I had to tweak a lot to get it to sound like a cohesive album.
 
If you had to pick just one of the genres (indie or hip-hop) to listen to which one would you pick and why?
That's really tough. If I had to pick though, I'd probably say hip-hop, and the reason is that I really like hearing about people's lives and their stories through music. The connection I get with an artist after hearing a record is always much more personal when its hip-hop.

What does a live show with ‘Wait What” comprise?
Live shows are probably the most fun aspect of the project. It's usually me and my good friend and drummer Will, and it's a party: lots of dancing, usually some temporary tattoos and body paint, and people hopping up on stage and filling it up by the end.

Do you make any original music of your own?
I actually started by DJing in a band and then later producing hip-hop tracks, but haven't been pursuing that as much recently. Would be cool to produce some original tracks again though, so we'll see going forward.

Are there any other artists or producers that are perhaps doing similar things to you that have inspired you to make these mashups? Are there any bands that actually play music like you have combined?
Yeah, there are some awesome artists and producers doing similar things - Max Tannone made the Jaydiohead (Jay-Z and Radiohead) album along with a couple other records I really dig. There are the Wugazi guys who did Wu-Tang and Fugazi, and then a bunch of artists that I'll be in touch with exchanging advice about production and promotion- 3LAU, Top Flight, DJ Bahler.

As far as bands, I don't really know. Combining genres in hip-hop has always been popular as long as I can remember, so mostly it's not bands but hip-hop artists choosing eclectic samples. Right now, I listen to a ton of Childish Gambino, Das Racist, Astronautalis, and some of my friends, Hoodie Allen and MC Lars- each of them put out awesome records recently, and I listen to them a lot when I'm producing my own stuff.
 
You have to pay to hear Nas, you have to pay to hear Washed Out – but its free to hear them combined!

DOWNLOAD HERE
 

The Checks - Candyman Shimmer (Single)

The best thing about this single is it really sounds like they have put out something that they really couldn’t care less if people like or not. There is something about the track that seems like they just enjoyed creating the song and wanted to share it – no record companies to impress, no sales targets to reach, just the music. This carefree attitude slips on through into the sound.

I have never really been a fan of the whole blues-rock thing and this notion that there is a ‘Northshore/Devonport sound’. I like how this track seems to be demonstrating a direction away from the predictableness of their past. After this track we are left unsure as to what they will come up with next. Refreshing.

From the get go the almost whispered husky vocals and upfront bassline make you think that the track is going somewhere. And it rewards your patience as you keep listening. Not just straight up guitar and regular sounding drums, you get some seriously weird little sounds and snippets of noise. Gongs, handclaps, thunderstorms, chip tunes, as well as synths that sound like mice being squeezed (sounds mental but that’s probably just me that hears the mice thing). And even with all this they still have put together a real catchy, commercially appealing pop song.

Get the song for free and start guessing where The Checks are going to go next.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Domo Genesis - Under the Influence LP

I wonder how Odd Future is going to pan out. I mean, they always look like they are having fun but surely ego has got to kick in soon enough and the other guys are going to get pissed off with the opinion that OFWGKTA = Tyler, the Creator. Domo Genesis is part of this antagonising skateboarding teenage mania that is Odd Future.

He is definitely a bit lighter than the weird twisted mind of Tyler. Topic choice does not tend to verge into sexual violence and suicide quite as much as our dear Tyler. Domo does what he does. Weed, THC, smoking L’s, stick-icky. I am sure you get the pattern. There is also honourable mentions of bitches and money just to complete the Snoop Dogg trifecta. The reason that Tyler is seen as the face of Odd Future is clear even in Domo’s mixtape. He steals the show on ‘Whole City Behind Us’. Tyler’s voice is just too good. Deep and powerful. No one spits a ‘p’ or ‘b’ like Tyler.

Domo raps with a nice lazy drawl. Hanging just enough behind the beat to give it a relaxed feel but not so much that it turns into a full on weed-induced hazy mumble. Domo raps like he can really handle his weed, in terms of lyrics and delivery.

The beats lean more towards the jazzy funky stuff rather than the straight up beat and bass of Odd Future superstar Tyler, the Creator. In the true ‘don’t-give-a-fuck’ style of 'Wolf Gang' this mixtape features some “borrowed” cheeky beats from the likes of Kanye and Mobb Deep. I think Domo’s voice sits nicer in the sparser, mainly drum sample beats of ‘Glory’ rather than the brass and piano of most other tracks. His style is in no way weak, but his tone can get lost if the instrumentalism gets a bit too tricky.

There is plenty of references to truths from his life that are told in some serious moments, but part of being in the Wolf Gang is that you are happy to mess around and have a good time, which perhaps explain manic tracks like ‘Smokemon’ - the Pokemon theme tune parody.

Odd Future are unpredictable and could come up with all sorts of crazy promo release plans - but this mixtape is just a nice, simple, free download so enjoy this infrequent moment of sensibleness.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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By Oli Holmes