John Morrison’s Philly Top 5: Fierce Hip-Hop And Dance Worthy Beats
Reef the Lost Cauze | photo by Megan Matuzak
Spring has (kinda) sprung! Amidst the unpredictable weather, one thing that’s been unsurprisingly consistent has been the brilliance of Philly’s music scene. In both my DJ sets and in my own private listening at home, I’ve been digging into some great new releases and cool stuff from days past. There’s never been a shortage of great material coming from our city’s music community. Here are five gems that caught my ear this month.
G I N A – EP
Hot off the heels of her fantastic cover of Kraftwerk’s “Computer Love” that came out a few months ago, Philly DJ/Producer G I N A is back with a new EP called MOVE. A lean four-track release, MOVE is packed with heavy, dancefloor-ready heaters perfect for DJs looking to explore the darker side of electronic dance music. “Move Me” (feat. LOUISAHHH) is built on top of a syncopated kick and snare pattern and a vicious blast of synth bass. The Arvin T remix puts a completely different spin on the tune with house rhythms and bass that bring to mind turn of the millennium-era Full Intention. “Move Me” is a dreamy track with an addictive lead synth and ghostly vocals. JEWELSSA’s remix is a gorgeous, Philly Club take on “Move Me,” rounding out an EP designed to enrich any DJ set.
King Britt Presents Scuba – Hidden Treasures
Speaking of Philadelphia’s rich and diverse electronic music culture, I’ve been revisiting the production and remixing work that DJ King Britt did under the Scuba banner in the late 90s and 2000s. Released in 2002, Hidden Treasures is a stellar compilation of house, broken beat, and future jazz cuts that still hold up beautifully. The entire record is gold, but the standouts include a breezy electro-house take on Tweaker’s “Linoleum” (feat. David Sylvian of ‘80s new wave band Japan), and Scuba’s soulful, minimal house jam “Heavenly.” The compilation closes with one of Britt’s finest productions, the epic and heavenly, Underwater Dub of Soul Dhamma’s “Flower.” DJs who like to spin soulful, experimental dance music would be well served to incorporate these tracks into their sets.
Reef x Emynd – Your Favorite MC’s Favorite Beats Mixtape
A meeting of one of Philly’s best MCs with an elite DJ/Producer, Reef The Lost Cauze, and Emynd’s Your Favorite MC’s Favorite Beats Mixtape is 100 percent fire beats and bars. Crafted blend tape style, Emynd layers some of Reef’s dopest songs over classic hip-hop instrumentals such as Mic Geronimo’s “Masta I.C.,” Jay-Z’s “1-900 Hustler,” and Mobb Deep’s “Hell On Earth.” The verses and songs selected here are prime Reef in his rawest and most viscous form.
Pieces Of A Dream – We Are One
From way back in 1982, We Are One is the sophomore album from Philly jazz ensemble Pieces of a Dream. Top to bottom, these nine tracks are slick, breezy, and summery. The album’s opener “Don’t Be Sad” is an instrumental reggae jam with gospel-influenced piano lines. “For Ramsey” is an understated jazz ballad while “When You Are Here With Me” picks the energy up a bit with a bouncy jazz-funk cut. The crown jewel of the album is “Mt. Airy Groove,” with its twinkling electric piano and futuristic synthesizer. More than four decades later, it’s a Philly block party anthem that still sounds good today.
Ryan Louis – Soundtrack to My Spiritual Journey I Took This Past Future Infinity
Without question one of the most unique and singular albums I’ve heard in a while, Ryan Louis’ Soundtrack to My Spiritual Journey I Took This Past Future Infinity is sprawling, multi-part opus. Combining glitchy hip-hop, jazz, and orchestral music with the scope and complexity of progressive rock, Soundtrack is as arresting as it is revelatory. Song structures shift from piercing noise to gorgeous orchestral arrangements, and the music captures the pain and relief of a spiritual journey that drags you from the chaotic depths of hell to the ecstatic heights of heaven.