The Space Between Visuals and Audio

As of yesterday I had never heard of an artist called The ILLZ. Then I happened upon one of his videos, which was so beautifully shot to exactly match the mood, tone and content of the song that I had to see more. After finding his site I saw that he is currently working with videographer Krystopher Rey-Talley to create a project entitled the "In Between Video Series" with the aim of proving that "simplicity truly is the highest form of sophistication."

With most of the videos featuring one verse, and no chorus, I'd say that simple, effective and intriguing seem to be the end result. I want more, which is what they want. And since they're making a video for every track on the album before they release the audio version, I'd assume by the time it drops I'll want the whole album. In the meantime, I just keep watching the videos. I'm caught in between the visuals and the audio. Simply brilliant.

Give yourself a few quiet moments to watch these videos (they're thinking songs people, you gotta be in the right head space for that). If you're feeling the vibe and want something to tide you over till these tracks are released, click here to download the free LP from 2009. Tracks from the videos will be released August 17.

MPA (My Public Apology)


The Moment You Feel Definite Hope


Dreams of Life and Beth

Mos Def Worth Your Time

This classic track comes from 24 Hour Karate School, the latest compilation from Ski Beatz, the producer behind Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt album. Mos is featured on many of the tracks, so don't sleep on the September 7th release. In the meantime, vibe out to Cream of the Planet.

Living Up to the Hype

Before I moved out here, I kept hearing how great Brooklyn was. Anytime something gets talked up too much, it's pretty inevitable that you're gonna be disappointed because your expectations were set too high. For once, this proved to be untrue. Since moving to Brooklyn I am constantly amazed with how many layers it has to peel back. 

So in honor of my admiration for my new home, here's a pretty dope blend and video done by the good folks at Cookin Soul. 

Hello, Brooklyn. It's been a pleasure getting to know you.

Sounds, Smoke & Amsterdam

I'm still convinced that one of the best things you can give someone is music. Luckily, since moving to NYC, I've met a good amount of people who know about music. How refreshing.

Through a music exchange, the homie Frei hyped me to some fellas out of Amsterdam by the name of Full Crate & Mar. I'm not sure what Amsterdam has in the water — but I think we all know what they have in the air — which must be part of the reason these musicians come out with some of the smoothest, most melodic, laid back music around. Full Crate & Mar definitely have a similar vibe to one of my favorite producers, Nicolay, the man behind The Foreign Exchange brilliance.

If you find yourself with a little down time this 4th of July weekend, cool out to some of these sounds. See if you can't see the smoke rising in the air as you let this song wash over you. Not to mention, this video is pretty awesome. You know I love when a video matches a song.



Note: Make sure you get to the 1:40 mark.  After you've inhaled them in, if you want some more of their good stuff, cop their EP, Conversations With Her.