Mellowtunes is the latest collection of instrumentals from the Vancouver production duo Potatohead People, known separately as Nick Wisdom and AstroLogical. The album is composed of laid back grooves, lush sampled textures, Fender rhodes, live guitar and synth lines, deftly mixed for an overall smoothed out vibe. Look out for full length albums from both these artists in the near future.
Now available at our Bandcamp site is Blocktreat’s instrumental album “Traditionals”. Accompanying the digital download are cd’s with hand screen printed art work done my Blocktreat himself. You can pick those up from the bandcamp or from our online store and both will include a free digital download.
Blocktreat is the solo-moniker of Vancouver producer and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Hoffman. A self-described control freak, it was just a matter of time before Brandon took a detour from playing in bands and producing other artists to concentrate on his own breed of sample-based instrumental music. Blocktreat draws from a diverse musical background to blur the lines between electronic and acoustic music.
Traditionals takes inspiration from the blacksheep of the electronic community like Four Tet, the Books, and Prefuse 73. The album was constructed from field recordings of friends jamming out bluegrass standards in the back yards and living rooms of East Vancouver. The fresh, spontaneous vibe of the source material is contrasted with Blocktreat’s signature ‘tiny equals beautiful’ sampling aesthetic. Brandon let the music take on rich variety of forms — from mildly ADHD, to smooth, organic and evolving. Like a collage of blurry photos from a summer road trip with friends, Traditionals is a soothing microcosm of earthy, down-tempo goodness.
Brandon works in Vancouver under the alias of Gnomegrown Music, producing and performing with acts such as Miami Device, Colin Easthope, and Myriam Parent. The name ‘Blocktreat’ is a reference to the silviculture industry. Treeplanting is a job and lifestyle that, for a month or two each spring, allows Brandon to escape from the city.
Blocktreat is the solo-moniker of Vancouver producer and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Hoffman. A self-described control freak, it was just a matter of time before Brandon took a detour from playing in bands and producing other artists to concentrate on his own breed of sample-based instrumental music. Blocktreat draws from a diverse musical background to blur the lines between electronic and acoustic music. Blocktreat’s second album, Traditionals, is out April 17th, with the help of Jellyfish Recordings.
Traditionals takes inspiration from the blacksheep of the electronic community like Four Tet, the Books, and Prefuse 73. The album was constructed from field recordings of friends jamming out bluegrass standards in the back yards and living rooms of East Vancouver. The fresh, spontaneous vibe of the source material is contrasted with Blocktreat’s signature ‘tiny equals beautiful’ sampling aesthetic. Brandon let the music take on rich variety of forms — from mildly ADHD, to smooth, organic and evolving. Like a collage of blurry photos from a summer road trip with friends, Traditionals is a soothing microcosm of earthy, down-tempo goodness.
Brandon works in Vancouver under the alias of Gnomegrown Music, producing and performing with acts such as Miami Device, Colin Easthope, and Myriam Parent. The name ‘Blocktreat’ is a reference to the silviculture industry. Treeplanting is a job and lifestyle that, for a month or two each spring, allows Brandon to escape from the city.
The album will be available on April 17th on a pay what you want basis or in hand printed, 100% recycled packaging through our online store.
After a hiatus from Jellyfish Recordings e.d.g.e returns with the first single “Chapter VI : The Chase” from the upcoming Hashbrown collaboration The Edgar Penwork Agenda.
Expect detailed story lines from the assignments of a secret agent. Stay tuned for more…..
“Shots fired in a high-speed, trying to peel back AMG E-Class the color of Wheeljack Phone ringing off the hook, blip on the radar Rear view, see him load a clip in his AR Both cars bulletproof, roof to fender I heard he had a link to McManus and Fenster Firearms dealer with a hidden agenda Bugatti Veyron money hidden in a Sentra Forgot that I’m a secret agent… Edgar Penwork, I never knock when I enter Trained by the Dark Blue Agents Arts are Asian, guns German, the car swerving One-way U-turn, shells burning nicks in the paint job Igniting the paint chips Reason for the chase? I took his connect down Now I’m on the highway trying to deflect rounds Shit, behind him, light flash…cops First instinct I reached for the stash box Twin 4-5s and a quarter of kush Hidden by a laser where the transporter wouldn’t look Tried to book me on manslaughter by the book So I threw the book at the judge and then he was shook 8 passport work, flirting with the famous Dangerous, cops trying to shoot at my assailant Think they got a file from the Feds, no statement You only find rats face down in the basement Pulled a hard left on the exit Followed by a hail of gunfire that could ricochet reckless End it, car came with jet conversion Slight levitation, now the rockets burning Last thing I saw he crashed into a wall Blood spilling from his jaw, handcuffed by the law Gone with his files in a black briefcase Pulp Fiction gold glow on my new clean slate Found a hotel in the South of France I put a satellite up and sent my Agent the plans… Penwork over and out, I repeat, over and out.”
Jellyfish Recordings is very pleased to present The Walk Off by Hashbrown. Another Vancouver native partaking in the beat culture that we hold so dear. The Walk Off is 37 (count em) tracks of instrumental delights. This release, as with most of our releases, will be a pay what you like album. So feel free to download it for free, but if you want to support Jellyfish Recordings and the culture that we represent don’t hesitate to drop a dollar or two in the hat
NEWTON, Surrey.
In the precarious township of Newton resides a burgeoning producer in search of a voice and a path of his own. 19 year old Hashbrown, the product of a courier driver father and a social worker mother, finds himself standing at a proverbial fork in the road contemplating which direction to take. On one hand, the paved pathway forged by his influences, contemporaries, and predecessors, while on the other, the long and winding road of the unknown, full of unpredictability and the promise of adventure.
Guided and informed by sample-based productions of both golden and post-millennial eras, Hashbrown began his artistic pursuits at the age of 15 upon acquiring a secondhand sampler as a birthday present. He spent the following months rigorously absorbing a variety of approaches/ techniques and eventually applying them to his own lo-fi “trial by error” productions.
The results of his initial attempts were later documented on The Walk On – a sprawling collection of photograph-like moments ranging from playful soul re workings to vaulting vocal cut ups; from looping laments of dreams longed to the quietest of storms harnessed and weathered. Simplistic and succinct by nature, the individual pieces act as log entries in an ever moving slideshow spanning 33 tracks. Shared exclusively amongst family and fellow artists, The Walk On proved to be only the prelude to something else.
After an extended hiatus (for undisclosed reasons) Hashbrown remerges with The Walk Off , a companion/twin piece to its above mentioned predecessor. Sharing both striking similarities and definitive differences, The Walk Off acts as the spirited conclusion of a 3-year field study. If The Walk On, in all its impulsiveness and naïveté, presented the ideas/hypothesis of a young impressionable mind, then The Walk Off is the reexamination (in support or in refutation) of those very same ideas, yet with an array of life experiences and worldly knowledge as its lens/filter.
Cloaked in the guise of a pedestrian-like beat tape/mix, The Walk Off weaves 37 individual vignettes into a narrative detailing the unfolding of a day: from the moments before eyes open upon wake (“before eyes”) to the clamoring clutter of clocked commutes (“more motor”), to the hope fueled diatribes at the dimming of day (“there is a place”) to the solace and serenity of a horizon-less night (“season’s change”). Propelled by both frenetic and solemn pulses, a great sense of urgency permeates the sonic and emotional base of The Walk Off.
Drawing from a sonic palette consisting of sounds from the mid 60s-late 70’s (a product of hours mining the dollar basement of Apollo Records), Hashbrown reduces the source material to its barest elements; bringing more out of the sample and thus, allowing possibilities to become self apparent. Once-hidden characteristics are now brought out to the forefront, playing integral roles in the assembly of new grooves and rhythms, all the while preserving the integrity and magic of the source material.
With its sparse arrangements and constant shifting, The Walk Off is a fitting soundtrack to any journey (be it by foot or by wheel). Dubbed “music for heavy traffic”, the listener is invited to become an active and vital part in its full presentation. The interaction/interplay between the music and the listener’s physical and emotional environments allows the listener to participate as both the guided as well as the guide, resulting in a much deeper experience.
Originally released through the private archival label Outerbound Recordings, a chance meeting with Jellyfish founder and creative director Eli Muro secured an outlet for wider release and broadcast. The newly formed relationship with Jellyfish Recordings marks Hashbrown’s inaugural attempt at sharing his music with the general public. Though his future remains relatively unknown, Hashbrown’s The Walk Off commemorates and honors the journey, the people and the sounds that have lead him to this point. It is now, with conviction and devotion, time for Hashbrown to walk on a road of his own.
Indigo Kids are back. Higher Forms features Vancouver emcees Axiom and Kapok doing what they do best on a backdrop of sample heavy boom bap. The album features vocals by Panther, Claire Mortifee and Manitou out of France. All the cuts by DJ K-rec. Production is lead by Axiom with additional beats by Kapok, Headspace and AstroLogical. Also, Indigo Kids have teamed up with Arrius Videography to bring you 3 music videos, each one uniquely different from the last.
Nightlines is the debut album by Vancouver-based beatmaker Nick Wisdom. Ranging from jazzy instrumental hip-hop to progressive electronic beats, this 13 track album is a collection of his work from early 2010-2011. His style is loungey psychedelic and mellow, with deep bass lines and unquantized grooves providing the backdrop for jazzy/progressive samples and live instrumentation. Following the Jellyfish tradition Nightlines will be available as a pay what you like download and features verses from Moka Only and Solar Scenery, as well the vocal talents of Claire Mortifee and Panther.
Continuing to work on new projects, you can expect more music from Nick Wisdom very soon!
Polynesian Dream is a mix of lush layered samples and live instruments that marks the third instrumental release from the talented Canadian producer AstroLogical, while illustrating his advancement from his preceding albums Living Fossils and Far Far Away.
Unlike many current cut and paste styles common in the hip hop inspired instrumental landscape, AstroLogical uses his formal training to show a musical sense of melody and progression.
Elements of hip hop, jazz and ambient styles meet in dreamy grooves creating a loungy feel. Tracks are filled with Rhodes, thick bass lines and the use of his own vocals resulting in a distinct polished sound that AstroLogical can call his own.
Continuing with a steady pace of releases Polynesian Dream is the first of 2 EPs with the second, Flux EP due out November 2011.
The latest EP from the Vancouver duo Slippery Elm & AstroLogical, “Concrete Honey”, has finally arrived here on Jellyfish Recordings for free download. As with their previous musical endeavor, “Milky Ways“, AstroLogical provides the musical backdrop for Slippery Elms’ poetic lyricism.
The title “Concrete Honey” balances two starkly contrasting images. This juxtaposition reflects the vibe that the two achieve with the album — urban, hard-hitting, raw, yet still smooth and organic. These beats are thick, syrupy, and golden. Their last project, Milky Ways, was a night time album. This album is about the Sun, plants blooming, vines snaking up brick walls, block parties, and summer time in Vancouver. Concrete Honey is the Nectar of the Metropolis.
Check out the video for the song "Then" from the album