Beat Konducta - Sir Bang (Bounce)

Having been caught up in a whirlwind of commissions and collaborations for the past few years, Madlib deserves some time to himself. The Los Angeles-based hip-hop savant is scheduled to release Vol. 1 of his long-awaited solo instrumental hip-hop series at the end of this month. Both volumes (there will allegedly be two of them) will first be released exclusively on vinyl, but we are told a CD will eventually follow. We’re assuming the CD will feature a ton of tracks, considering 16 were somehow crammed onto the Vol. 1 12-inch. For this project, Madlib will employ his previously unofficial Beat Konducta alias. “Sir Bang” will be one of the tracks featured on Vol. 1. If you’re familiar with his body of work, this ditty won’t come as a surprise; “Sir Bang” is Madlib doing Madlib. But in my book, that’s enough to get excited about. The track finds Madlib harnessing his trademark shuffling beats, warbled chip synths, posse-style hoots and chants, and as always, a very particular percussion palette.

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Ari Up - True Warrior

Born Ariana Forster, Ari Up acted as a founding member and frontwoman of legendary “punky reggae” outfit The Slits at age 14. That was in the mid ‘70s. That would mean Ari is in her early-to-mid 40s these days. (I suppose the mile-long dreads are an indication of that.) But for an aging diva such as herself, she still manages to muster up some perky-as-hell party tracks for the kids. Her latest solo outing, Dread More Dan Dead, is a full-on dancehall reggae venture. There are only a few subtle hints to her punk rock past, as the record pretty much stays in ragga mode throughout its duration. “True Warrior” quite possibly has the best “Jamaicanese” vocals to have ever graced my ears. Ari’s got the the whole accent thing down. Perhaps her routine lodging swaps between New York and Kingston have done the trick in that respect.

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Cobra Killer and Kapajkos - Helicopter 666

With electroclash being practically kaput these days, many of the artists will find themselves sitting around wondering what direction to take next. Should they push along with the tired trend? Should they opt for the whole reinvention thing? Should they drop the music and pick up where they left off in ‘98: designing spiked, thigh-high stiletto boots? Well, they could do what Cobra Killer did, but the notion probably wouldn’t even cross their minds. This girl duo decided to draft a mandolin ensemble (Kapajkos) to help rework its songs. The result is surprisingly wild and refreshing. The electro thud and squelch of their tracks has been replaced with kind, contemporary picks and strums. The melodies are particularly nice on “Helicopter 666,” as it tends to be among the album’s quirkier numbers. Speaking of the album, it will drop in late October on Monika Enterprise. Oh, and yes, these girls are indeed German. (What? …Did you think they were Swiss?)

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Rodney P - The Nice Up

Right, so back to the whole dancehall thing. UK-based Rodney P triples as a recording artist, a label owner (Riddim Killa) and a BBC radio host (“Original Fever” with Skitz). His latest full length, The Future, melds dancehall with hip-hop as if it were meant to be. It’s quite a summery track, combining the breeziness of a feel-good ragga track with the essentiality of a party rap joint, all the while keeping a safe distance from his garage-enthused contemporaries. Having worked with Roots Manuva and Bugz in the Attic, Rodney is on his way to making a name for himself in his home country. He may not score any Mercury Prize nominations, but as long as you’re not expecting anything incredibly groundbreaking and boundary pushing, he’ll more than do the trick. Stream the video for “The Nice Up” here.

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