I am in touch with the dope duo Kickraux (check out their website, it’s sick) for an upcoming interview. Understandably, the guys are too busy for a phone/video interview. But the text interview will still be a great read – and I am pumped for it. This is a sample preview post to get you guys amped up for it.
Why should you be so amped up? Because Kickraux are some up and comers who have already worked with artists like 2Chainz, Ree$e, and more. Harriet Thugman, their new EP, is free to download and it is so dope. It focuses on trap, but also brings in some house, electro, and chillstep to constantly keep the feel different. I can honestly say that there is not a bad track, in my opinion, on the 17 track, 55min EP. Enjoy it all here – and get pumped for the interview. I know I am.
Today I have to talk about one of the most fundamental, serious, and earliest decisions a musician needs to make. That is: what name are they going to take when they perform or produce? Many people choose to simply go by their name. There is nothing wrong with that. Really, you cannot pick a bad name. It is how you choose to express yourself and the image you want to portray. However, I wanted to write about this because I feel like there are several artists in the EDM community that have gotten extremely creative with the name they choose to step on stage with. Be it funny, intense, or just really clever, I bring you the Top 5 Names In The EDM World, as decided by me.
Number Five
ETC!ETC!
Jose Guerrero from L.A. is a producer who specializes in Moombahton and is heavily influenced by bass. I like his name because it matches his style, getting in your face and explosive. Using the exclamation points is an added bonus.
His remix of Lana Del Ray is really fucking good – and has already hit 144k plays on SoundCloud in just NINE DAYS. Do you understand how good this mix is? You will once you click play.
Number Four
Bro Safari
Bro Safari, What a dope name. Just like a bro going on a safari what’s not to like? It’s like, “Hey, bro, jump in my Jeep and lets go scout out some trill music on the plains of EDM. I don’t fucking know. I’ve never been much for his music, but that is just me. It seems to never develop enough, and that goofy face he puts on all of his artwork haunts my dreams… Bro Safari often pairs up with UFO for some intense trap mixes. Hear one here.
Number Three
RL Grime
Paying tribute to the amazing R.L. Stein who made me a pro pants shitter when I was a kid, RL Grime puts out the dirty beats that could probably scare small children still. But I dont hate it. They’re dope. He just released his new EP, High Beams. The cover art sticks to the Goosebumps tribute.
Number Two
Zeds Dead
Paying tribute to the classic amazing movie Pulp Fiction. That’s how you get to #2 on my list. Not to mention being one of my favorite artists. How do you do that? Oh that’s easy just remix a track like Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”. Some of the heaviest and best DnB this side of the sun. This is a track that has me relaxed. Completely and absolutely relaxed. While still on edge and feeling the DnB rhythms racing through start to finish. It’s a nice break from the trap and house overhauls that I’ve been through lately. Fuck yeah Zeds Dead, baby.
Number One
Rell The Soundbender
This name is number one to me because just imagine actually having the ability to bend sound to your will and how much more intense that would make the music you listen to? That would hands down be one of the coolest things in the world – since music has influenced me so much. Plus Rell is a really cool name. On top of that, Rell backs up his title by bending some intense beats into your ear receptacles. Specially this collab he did with Far East Movement – Ain’t Coming Down. Last, who the hell hasn’t watched “Avatar: The Last Airbender”? Seriously, if you haven’t then get over yourself and do it. Clearly influenced the name choice.
If you disagree? This is America go right on ahead. Better yet, suggest some names in the comments section that I passed up.
Let me start out by saying that I do not think ALL the artists I am about to mention are idiots. I think some are brilliant and know how to work the system. They have built an image of straight ignorance that has them rolling in dough and probably hooking up with your girlfriend, if they wanted to. Who am I talking about? I am talking about rappers like 2Chainz, Trinidad James, Waka Flocka, Chief Keef, and I guess you could stretch and include crews like A$AP and OFWGKTA but I think they actually have messages to send and are not ignorant.
Shit, maybe “ignorant” is not even the right word to use, but basically the music I am trying to get you to picture is shit that just makes you want to jump around and get hype and go wild. Almost like that one track:
But you know that one is done right, when you bring in Skrillex on the production like what else do you need…
Either way I am here to talk about trap remixes of these already dope songs. Most of them are GOD AWFUL. Like I get that usually so far on this blog all I have done is put people on, like praised you for your talents. But there comes a time when trap enthusiasts need to sit down and remember that just anybody can sit down and make a track. I am not just shitting on the entire discography of the guys I am going to feature today – but as previously discussed each trap remix of a track needs something different. Some tracks need more work and others only need to be slightly changed up to make for an amazing remix.
I really love that ignorant rap. That’s why I want the trap remixes to do it justice – to enhance it and make the experience better for the listener, who it’s all for in the first place.
So first we have Spenca and AFK remixing 2Chainz – I’m Different. They slow down the song, which bores me. Then they try to hype it up with some low drums in the back, and lay this loud horn beat over it for the “drop”. I don’t want to hear your loud horn. Then when they bring it back, it’s just more of the chorus. I want to hear 2Chainz. I just want you to hype me up for it. And this track is just lackluster like it doesn’t have it.
Then we’ve got KMillz Remixing Chief Keef – Don’t Like. It’s deceptive. It actually is really really good in the beginning. The beat gets you going. You’re ready to kirk out with possibly the most ignorant man in the game. The guy singing about macaroni. Then KMillz just ruins his own track by changing the tempo, the pitch, and cutting the song so hard that you literally can’t understand or enjoy anything. I had to turn it off.
But I will leave you with DJ Carnage and Protohype. That is how you do it! We need more like Carnage and HEROESxVILLAINS who can do this genre justice. Carnage just takes the drop on Trinidad James – All Gold Everything, and lets you enjoy the lyrics, while speeding up the beat, boosting the bass, and making you want to kick holes right through the closest wall you can find. I might need to see an anger counselor.
My last request: Like if I were to die today, someone – preferrably someone I trust like Carnage or HxV, please remix Feds Watchin’ by 2Chainz and make it amazing.
Get ready EDM fans, Trancercise is rolling out our first of many interviews to come on Monday. Not specifying whether this will be a once a week thing – but I want to provide EDM enthusiasts the opportunity to find new and talented musicians. That’s the great thing about EDM. You can feel the passion for it. Shit, the music IS passion. It’s like emotion in sound.
So without further adieu, this Sunday we will be having our premiere interview with two talented artists: Klastic and J.T.R.A. Klastic (Daniel Cornelison) is the founder of his own music label – Industrial Parasite. J.T.R.A. (Justin Archer) is also a part of the music label.
Klastic produces Trap, Dubstep, Footwork, Hipstep, and Moombahton.
J.T.R.A. focuses on Juke, Footwork, Trap, Galactic, Moombahton, Seapunk, and House.
Yeah – found this track while I was writing Part 1 of the blog, and it’s worthy of its own post. I was just writing about how each track in trap music needs something different to make it good. Well Natsu sure as shit does Gentleman justice. He takes the beat, puts a pretty simple trap beat alongside it, and lets the track play. He also tweaks it so that it’s a little darker, a little more dope.
I think more than anything I am just amazed that people found a way to properly trap Psy. Goofy fucker. But damn if he isn’t catchy – and you know he gets all the Korean poon he wants.
I’ve always had the opinion that trap music is extremely hard to do proper justice to. This is because trap needs to let the song it is remixing do its own thing, and retain its original sound, while turning it into something completely new. Each song you remix needs something different. Some need a subtle beat addition. Some need a hard drop to counter the original beat, and some need a completely new trap beat overriding the song to give it a whole new feel. If you don’t – which many don’t, you’ll probably just sound like a homeless man banging on buckets.
The last bit there is the exact case with this track – Gangnam Style. Get the AED out, get the paddles out. That dead horse was definitely beaten to death. But it has been brought back to life. Seabiscuit in this bitch. No, not really. But Arion does something amazing – throwing a whole new beat over the track to fit it in something new.
You can feel the original song that – don’t lie – you liked. At least for a week. But what Arion adds to it has you screaming what any cliche newbie to the scene has to say. “ITS A TRAAAAAAP”
And then the drop. Oh the drop. Just enjoy people. Words don’t do it right.
Big shoutout to TrapStepNetwork, another Youtube channel that kills it constantly.
As per usual, Flosstradamus with another banger. Undeniably reminding you how they started trap music as a genre (more on that to come later). They really do what trap is meant to do: They let an amazing track by Flux Pavilion do its own thing, then they grab it by the haunces and hump it into submission.
Seriously, this has to be one of the most dope tracks to ever come out. You get the rap talent of 2Chainz and Tyga, just dominating the lyrics, while you have Major Lazer, someone who has been on the EDM scene for a long time, mixing the beats. Once you note that its produced by Diplo (you know, one of the kings of EDM) you realize why this song is so great.
I couldn’t ask for anything better.
I’d advise replaying the Tyga verse at least 3 times.
If you really wanna get weird, watch the music video:
Trancercise 