Articles by " Magic Teepee"
Paw Paw – “Half Seas Over”
Posted under: 
On April 23rd, Paw Paw will drop a 16 track double cassette Temporalis on Fire Talk. If you’ve been keeping tabs on Eston’s earlier Paw Paw work, Temporalis is less organic, finding it’s serenity through simple rhythmic patterns, that peal open like beautiful flowers, track by track. Here’s a first look at the single “Half Seas Over”, which features looped hand-percussion, woven together with new-raga licks and a bleeding synthesizer. By the way, the first solar eclipse of 2013 occurs May 10th “at the Moon’s descending node in eastern Ares”.
JODY – “Echos”
It’s always interesting to see how young artists calculate their next move, ultimately trying to navigate their evolution and potential ascension in this ever saturated digital era. With that in mind, The-Drum from Chicago present themselves as a very interesting case-study. The-Drum has more potential than 99 percent of the modern RnB beat-makers out there, and often I feel it’s not a question of “if The-Drum is going to make it”, but more like “when and how is The-Drum going to make it?”
So out of the blue, and nipping at the heels of their first ever full-length release Contact, The-Drum just announced they’ve been getting busy on a new side-project called JODY. Often, side-projects are a bit more stripped down than their progenitor, but if the first track “Echos” featuring full on hooks and lyrics (courtesy of David Robertson, James King, and Cole Johnson) is any sign, this is not a side-project, but the next level of evolution and potential ascension for Jeremy Chrome and Brandon Boom. Keep an eye out for a JODY mixtape in the near future.
Gracie – “Habits” / “Creature Pleaser”
The best thing about this site is that each of us post about once a week. On a good week, I have many things I want to post, meaning some of that music must find another virtual home or be hoarded in my own private musical stash (do people have these anymore, like stuff they keep to themselves?). This sets up the perfect scenario for an in-home battle of the bands/artists/”I just started playing music yesterday” every time I go to write on PORTALS. I’m positive this experience is mutual between me and all my other fellow PORTAL’ers. So what I’m getting at is this: what you read and listen to on this site is pretty much our personal crème de la crème.
All the above rambling was to properly set the stage for what I’m posting today, two tracks by Gracie, off the upcoming Bleeder EP and 7″ from Small Plates Records. “Habits” is easily one of the best tracks I’ve heard in quite some time. Dare I say, this song is perfect, from the first notes of the familiarly epic keyboard introduction to last high-hat and croon. Be sure to check out the big and bouncy b-side “Creature Pleaser” too. Thanks Gracie, it’s people like you that are only encouraging the continuance of my own habit, forever and happily stuck in this portal.
Majical Cloudz – “Turns Turns Turns (Blue Hawaii Flüchtig Mix)”
In an age where music is becoming more and more electronic, when most of the artists producing that music are using the same software, the future can appear rather bleak. But, never fear, it’s a new year, and believe it or not, new sounds will be created; just like new styles will appear on trains, new T.V. shows will enter homes, new art will fill unheard of gallery spaces, people will find new ways to communicate with each other, etc.
Yes, that’s right, there’s one thing we can count on in this world and that’s change. Speaking to change and the recent electronic music influx in North America, that groundswell of creativity and evolution consistently seems to seep from north to south. Lets face it, Canadians are some of the best (if not the best) electronic music producers this side of the pond, and this remix of Magical Cloudz‘ “Turns Turns Turns” by Blue Hawaii (via XLR8R) is every indication of that. Consider this track a love tap on things to come from Blue Hawaii as they prepare to release their long-awaited debut LP Untogether through Arbutus Records on January 22nd.
Paw Paw – “Kaleidoscopic” (Official Video)
Paw Paw (the lake) holds a special place in my heart, check my previous post here. Fast-forward a year and three quarters, Paw Paw (the artist, Eston Lathrop formerly of Woodsman) has put out 4 albums worth of world space drone looping goodness. Here’s the first look at the video for “Kaleidoscopic”, the stand-out final track off the most recent release Lay Down In The Flower Bed (via Fire Talk). If you like what you hear, be sure to stay tuned for Paw Paw‘s spring 2013 double cassette release entitled Temporalis/Epiphysis.
