Epigram, a short saying representing a larger meaning or idea. The album art for Gramatik’s ninth album, Epigram, is the epigram. Being an outspoken advocate of free music sharing, Gramatik often engages in discussion on Twitter. The concise and lucid quips people send in 140 characters – epigrams – are often the initial inspiration for his music, which led to the album’s name.
Epigram is a short, yet powerful, album featuring collaborations with many popular names in hip hop, such as Raekwon, ProbCause, and Adrian Lau. The album’s 10 tracks span the range of electronic music and includes bits of dubstep, downtempo, and straight up electronic hip hop. Gramatik strays from his usual sampling of music from the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s for his latest release. Instead, he chose to sample the music of his musician friends. The result is a concise album that flows from track to track and keeps the listener engaged and awaiting the next hook or beat to drop.
“Tempus Illusio” kicks off Epigram with a short, intensifying tune. “Satoshi Nakamoto” is a rap, loosely based on Bitcoin, invented by Satoshi Nakamoto, sung over jazzy samples. It features both Adrian Lau and ProbCause trading up the vocal duties. “War of the Currents” is straight up dubstep. Gramatik remixes Laibach’s “Eat Liver!” into a more danceable track with elements of dubstep and house. The album closes out with the more downtempo “Anima Mundi,” featuring Russ Liquid, which nicely bookends the first track.
Overall, Epigram is an excellent collection of beats displaying Gramatik’s skills. In staying true to his ideals, the album is available as a free download or through traditional paid download outlets, such as iTunes and Amazon.
Key tracks: Satoshi Nakamoto, Native Son, Native Son Prequel, Back to the Future
This album can actually be enjoyed on two very different levels. On the surface, if you happen to just be listening in passing, this album can be appreciated for its simplicity and repetitiveness in both the instrumental and lyrical aspects of the music. Full disclosure: I admittedly was not overly impressed by this album when giving it a first listen, in part due to the fact that there aren’t any complicated jams or epic solos, but upon truly listening to the lyrics – which is something you evidently must do to be able to fully appreciate this album – it becomes clear just how impressive this album is. The heartfelt lyrics take you on a journey through something most of us have been through or are presently in: a relationship.
compositions are rooted in tight dance rhythms precisely metered out by drummer James Muschler. Mike Wilbur’s saxophone melodies typically take the lead while Wenzl McGowen produces womping bass lines using anything from a contrabass clarinet to a baritone sax to a woodwind MIDI controller. Song arrangements did vary in surprising ways, though, such as when
A Journey show never disappoints, regardless if they are your all time favorite band in the world or you’ve merely sang (or screamed) “Don’t Stop Believin” at 3am in some random, dark bar in the East Village. You will love every minute of the show. The old favorites come back to you like it was yesterday, fielding distant memories from years gone by, you are sure to leave with the swagger of an 18 year-old.
cover began, the audience started to thin out for a fresh beer or cigarette during what was sure to be the break of an already stellar set until they heard the opening riff to this Let it Be classic. People began sprinting back inside to be part of the action and as the cigarette flames were extinguished outside, a new fire started within. Since the last time Turkuaz ignited the Brooklyn Bowl flame in 2015, the band’s sound has evolved through hard work, relentless touring and attention to their craft. Ask any die-hard Turkuaz fan and they will tell you that the band gets better every time you see them in Brooklyn. Smiles covered the group’s faces as they proudly sang the symbolic lyrics “Everybody had a good year, everybody let their hair down, everybody pulled their socks up, everybody put their foot down.” Oh, yeah!
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Wandering into the large building, hundreds of glorious beings milled about, most of which standing like a rippling ocean of rhythmic movement at the base of stage. And just as stood there in awe of the spectacle, you heard a noise above you and looked up, only to realize there was a full balcony of music freaks overhead. Sure, there were two full sets of music, roaring like a freight train across the spectrum of the band’s career, making musical stops ranging from reggae to hip- hop, gypsy to nitty-gritty blues. And yes, it a performance that sent a chill through your body, where you raised your arm and could see the goose bumps emerge. But, that wasn’t what the evening was about, at least for those in the band and their inner circle.
And as I stood there on the side stage, watching my musical brothers take their final encore for may be awhile, I was struck by how loud the standing ovation was from the enormous crowd. It wasn’t surprising, it was more so awe-inspiring, this never-ending roundabout circle of passion and energy shooting back and forth between the band and the audience — the essence of what music is, always and forever. Lucid chose “Whiskey Dreams” for their encore, a song whose word ricocheted around the depths of my heart when the lyric “we are them, and they are us…” catapulted out of the speakers, tying a bow on a career that, to at least myself, still
The guys follow opening track “The Builder” with a tune called “Blue Dream,” a lovely reggae song that evokes mental images of innocence, relaxation, and contentment. Guitar and drums gently ease listeners into a euphoric mix of horns and hand percussion. With that, the scene is set for the vocals, sung in a style adds to the overall reggae flavoring.