More Label Love for Project: Mooncircle

Is it just me, or is damn near everybody out there going on and on about Ninja Tune's 20th anniversary? Don't get me wrong, they deserve all the love and attention, and probably even some more, but let's not forget the other labels out there, doing what they do for off-center, instrumental, beat music or whatever you want to call it (and yes, i realize Ninja Tune does more than that, but bear with me, i'm writing a fucking post here).

Project: Mooncircle is back at it yet again with more goodies for our earholes. Remember that new Robot Koch joint i told y'all about a while back? Well, not only has Songs for Trees and Cyborgs hit the streets, good ol' RK has his first video out for the project, too. "Threats" features a robot, weeds, grass, and occasional light-ups. Now, i'm not one to read symbolism into everything, but, well, you do the math.

And if that weren't enough, they've put together another "everybody on the label" compilation, now with theme-y goodness inside! Inspired by their new A&R, Jinna, it's dedicated to her dream of going to the moon. Now, i don't want to say this is their best group project yet, as that would diminish all the other outstanding work they put out regularly, but i'm not NOT saying it, either. You've got label standard bearers like Robot and Pavel Dovgal here, as well as up and comers like Juj. The tracks all have a spacey, dream-like quality, a bit softer around the edges than you might expect from the label, but the end result is fantastic. Not that i have favorites or anything, but MyOwn's "Tit Tit Tudi Tit Ti" definitely has made my short list of best beat tracks of the year. Here's a snippet of glitchy goodness to prove my point. Make sure to snag this beast when it drops November 5, 2010.

mp3: The Moon Comes Closer Snippet (Project: Mooncircle Artists from The Moon Comes Closer)

Beat Meet: The Back Up Edition

Can we get a round of applause for Ms. Megan's brilliant effort last week? While i was enjoying the 111 degree beauty of Phoenix and flying through thunderstorms with enough turbulence to have me grabbing the leg of a stranger sitting next to me (OK, she was a cute, blonde, Canadian nurse, but still), she was getting it done for you here at LET. At the very least, you should offer her a kiss on the cheek at the next show you see her attending. She likes that. Of course, who doesn't like getting kissed on the cheek? Nobody. Not even your grandfather.

The one good thing that came of my overly busy work week last week was the amount of time i spent on a plane. More specifically and importantly, the amount of time that afforded me to catch up on some excellent beat tapes making the rounds.

The kids over at the WEDIDIT Collective have been busy. Long timer Earnest Blount posted his work with yet another collective, this one called NOVA (i guess your collective needs to be in all caps to be taken seriously these days). The result is Illumination!, with contributions by Chris Adams and (waves:delicious), to name a few. The great thing about these groups/guys-who-get-together-to-assumedly-smoke-a-shitload-of-weed-and-play-beats is that each one has a distinct sound. These cats make music for long distance UFO runs between intergalactic convenience stores, particularly apropos if your alien captain has the munchies. Separately, WEDIDIT posted the latest from Juj, who may or may not actually be the guys in the collective itself. Regardless, the beats are fresh and crisp, not unlike good lettuce. And i'm talking romaine, motherfuckers. None of that cheap Iceberg shit here.

mp3: Golden_Dawn (Chris Adams: A Human Expressing Experience from Illumination!)

mp3: howlamme (Earnest Blount from Illumination!)

mp3: Manners (Juj from Slack)

In a world of beat production, crate diggers increasingly are getting left behind in the discussion of what's popping on the scene these days. Proving that Madlib isn't the only one out there making strides on the wheels of steel, Left Channel are back with a new one, Food and Entertainment. Sampling everything from old cartoons to "Waiting for Guffman," the boys continue to perfect their craft, building loopy beats for a madhouse world. Well done again, lads.

mp3: FOOD (Left Channel from Food and Entertainment)

mp3: Eunuch with a Hammer (Left Channel from Food and Entertainment)

Who needs to have friends in a collective when you know the cats at the label? Svetlana Industries has dropped a new mixtape featuring such roster stars as Prohor and Teebs, all for the low, low price of whatever you feel like spending. You can't beat that with a stick, and these beats are bumping, so whether you go cheap bastard or Medici with your patronage, you're still not spending enough for what this beast is worth.

mp3: Eye 2 (Prohor from Come On Let's Go)

mp3: Everyone Alive Wants Answers (Teebs from Come On Let's Go)

And finally, i've inadvertently been sitting on this one for a few weeks now, not entirely sure where to place it. Probably more trip-hop than anything else (think instrumental Zero 7), it's a haunting piece with underlying beat sensibilities. Perfect way to end the day, perfect way to end this post.

mp3: Cats in the Flat (Franklin from Wool Recordings)