Most sample based hip-hop producers discover a vast array of Jazz, Soul and Funk records by digging through their parents' dusty old collections. Born and raised just minutes from Philly in the borough of Haddon Heights, New Jersey (part of Camden County); a son of avid Rock, Psychedelic and Blues fans had a different deck to draw from, resulting in a unique blend of genres rarely sampled within the art form. Using an SP-404 (most of the time), Keswick (let's just call him Kez) keeps that golden age '95 sound alive, orchestrating raw soundscapes that can tell the story of a song sans the help of an emcee. Add to that an admiration for and study of beat pioneers like Madlib, DJ Premier, Just Blaze, and the late, great J Dilla; and the result is a pretty incomparable new sound coming out of this 21-year-old's bedroom studio.
Having released a street demo, as a producer/rapper, entitled Hear 2 Stay back in high-school, Kez has experience in the field of vocal recording as well; his vox are also featured on the song "ChILLin" from our most recent collaborative effort, What's Mind is Yours. **
Currently residing in between the Brooklyn neighborhoods of East Williamsburg and Bushwick, Kez can be found DJ'ing at events (mostly hip-hop) around NYC. On top of that, as a soon-to-be graduate of the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (where we met through a friend of mine in the acting department) and an intern/audio engineer at Fat Beats Studio, you will probably be seeing the name Keswick (and most assuredly will be hearing his work) sometime soon.
**Keswick is working on a solo, mostly instrumental album with planned features from guests who are TBA. It should arrive at our ear drums sometime in 2012.
Take a break from whatever it is you are doing (it will only take a moment), find a [secluded] spot for you to relax for a minute, and close your eyes... then inhale/exhale almost ferociously for about 1 minute... when it feels like you are approaching the final few seconds of your minute, exhale while opening your eyes to the world in which you were born.
It works...
See, most people whom smoke cigarettes claim to do so in efforts to better regulate their stress (or because they are addicted... Continue reading...
You want some neo-soul-funky-hip-hop-ish? Huey Neutron, the combination of Bobby Blunt's suave vox over DJ Vex's crisp chops, is at it again with their new EP- Almosthere- coming out sometime within the next month. Here's a video for "Love Is", one of the many great tracks from the impending EP, starring Jocelyn Coleman and Bobby... not too bad for a Nikon d5000, though we do plan on upgrading pretty soon.
The long awaited day as arrived, Keswick and I have finally released the 7 track EP that went to hell and back just to see the light of a final mixdown... we have released it through the medium, Bandcamp, and hope that the price of FREE will be good enough for the casual and avid listener. We hope you enjoy what you hear, and if you do/don't, do let us know by dropping a line [or hash tagging #WMIY] on Twitter (/ilooklikehim/KesWerd) or FB (/ilooklikehim)... we appreciate you taking time ou... Continue reading...
I watched this phenomenal film, Immortal Beloved, the other day. It's a loose adaptation of Ludwig van Beethoven's 57 year existence, though it's main focus is set on the female components of his life. See, before he died, he left a very revealing letter for an unspecified woman; this, among several other aspects of Ludwig's life, peaked the interest of his secretary enough for him to search for answers. Wait, the film does not just limit itself to the journeys for truth that took place af... Continue reading...
Though I partially agree with the need for a tighter moral fiber, be it by means of ethical responsibility or religion, creationism cannot be a widespread belief in the times of the Information/Big Data Age. I say this because the Bible does not evolve (unless modern man edits it... but then it is no longer credible, right?), it can only be interpreted in more current contexts; where as in science is accustom to constantly evolving, meaning that the more we know... the more we will eventua...
I've only recently been turned on to this David Choe guy... and man, am I turned on. If you've ever stopped to think that you were a freebird- someone liberated from the systematic functions of society- you will most likely redefine yourself after watching this, or this, or this. Choe takes this free form life that, roughly, 106 billion people have experienced and truly made it his own. How he has stayed alive for this long, only God knows... I say that because, for some odd ass reason, Ch... Continue reading...
This guy! One of the most integral forerunners of modern day "hip-hop" and "rap", James Brown stylized a movement that would embrace the passion infused, free flowing expression that we all seek to release (on quite a regular basis). His attraction to the vigorous loops and melodies produced by small bands (usually consisting of brass, percussion, piano, and strings) was one that was nationally/globally admired by many enthusiasts, soul or not. I believe that Brown polished the art of soul ... Continue reading...
