Check the metrical complexity of this joint! The vocals are certainly far from the preferences of Culture System, but we can’t front on that rhythm… (The video is holds its own as well.) This song was posted by TGPB. It was part of a very intelligent response to an equally enlightened discourse on Wonky by Rouge’s Foam.

Tim Exile, “Family Galaxy” (via Audio Drums) [BUY IT]

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FaltyDL’s “Paradise Lost” manages to see hope through the fog of despair. Steppy percussion pushes on through the pain. They even find light at the end of the tunnel before the song is finished, when the drums break through the pained motion and find momentum. One melody, written with primitive technological sentiments, travels along thoughtfully, with disparate keys striking out far from the theme as if searching for other paths. Another is written in long notes that strike a mood and hold it while a harmonic secondary melody explores the thought further within the chord’s reverberation, switching up with the next. But the melody does get lost in the fog from time to time, when it broods into repetitiveness. Image by HckySo.

FaltyDL - “Paradise Lost” [BUY IT]

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As much as we hate to say it, advertising can be ridiculously creative and important, too. Why say you? The Australian Childhood Foundation’s ad campaign to raise awareness about child abuse. They put up posters that cover a child-sized mannequin. On the sign it says, “Neglected Children are made to feel invisible.” But when the mannequin is ripped out from beneath, the text underneath is made visible, which reads, “Thank you for seeing me.” Ups to Wooster Collective for catching this first and not explaining it at all.

We’re gonna start a new category called “Throwbacks.” It’ll be a semi-regular feature where we post up older joints that catch our attention again for one reason or another. To start off with, we got this cut from the BX’s Nine, “We Play 4 Keeps.” It’s off his second album, Cloud 9, which dropped in 1996. Ish is on some gulliness all around, from the lyrics to the beat. Image by Kngee.

Nine - “Play 4 Keeps”

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On Saturday, we’ll be in an art show, for those of you that’ll be in Philly this weekend. I mean, $1 beer? You might as well take a Chinatown bus down, it’d probably be a cheaper night out. In addition to dozens of artists - including the man responsible for Downbeat Treaty’s cover - there will also be a number of performers and DJs.

We got a couple tracks for you for the Seclusiasis dudes that will be there. First, Dev79 hit us off with an MPFree of his new Raffertie remix. And we got the stream of a nasty Ghost joint that we can’t wait to see a certain rapper bless.

Raffertie, “Antisocial (Dev79 RMX)”

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Ghost, “Danger”

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You know someone’s legendary when your neighbor is named after them. Such is the case with Nigerian icon Femi Kuti. This song, “Eh Oh,” is full of strings, horns, organs and singing. It’s organic, uplifting sensibilities are not your typical CS fare, but it’s still hot. The expansive melodies are tied closely to its rhythm, which is made up of richly layered percussion. It does, however, get a bit loopy, since the composition repeats itself when the lyrics come in. Enjoy this free download, courtesy of XLR8R, but you have to buy the high quality download.

Femi Kuti, “Eh Oh”

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(Via Curbed)

Kneeling alongside a polluted stream, thoughts turn to memories of a time with an Abundance of Love. Persistent syncopated percussion trickles along the stream covered with a deep slick of dark bass. Announcements urging positivity emerge garbled from damaged public speakers while arpeggiated keys float in the air with an agenda. Only for a brief interlude, a heavy truck wobbles by filled with a load of hazardous bass destined for wastelands and thoughts again drift back to a better time colored in cold hues by hindsight. But remembrance turns to dwelling in circles after three minutes and the stories are repeated with no more than mood to carry them along for the rest of the experience. Photo by yellowstoneguy.

Code of Arms, feat. Bobosaw, “Abundance of Love” [BUY IT]

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The Downbeat Treaty: Keepin’ it deep with a hip hop rhythm, this trip hop oriented, downtempo journey ranges from industrial to folktronica, from dubstep to classical, and whatever crossovers come in between.

Sodacake - “We’re A Little Strange” (Surrealism for Sale)
:10: - “Self Implode” [Now available on the Video LP]
Machmen: “Not Even Afraid Of Police” (Unreleased)
Secret Frequency Crew: “Deep Blue” (The Underwater Adventure Hop Secret Treasure)
Andels: “Qualities (Instrumental)” (Qualities 12″)
Emancipator: “Safe In The Steep Cliffs” (Unreleased)
Slouch: “Mirage” (Unreleased)
Xihilisk: “The Movement Of Dogs” (EPTwo Special Edition)
E Victor: “Mourning After” (Unreleased)
Gouseion: “More Friends For The Fire” (More Friends For The Fire EP)
Two Fingers: “Moth Rhythm” (Two Fingers LP)
Junior Byles: “Beatdown Babylon (DJ Dore RMX)” (Unreleased)

Cover Painting: American Gothic #3,” Ed Morris (T.DEE)

the jump » »

The Powerstrip Circus Mixtape just dropped and you can now cop a free download. The Powerstrip launch party will light it up on June 4 at Greenpoint’s Coco 66. You can also find more Culture System posts over at the Powerstrip blog, since we contribute there frequently.

1 - Body Language, “Work This City”
2 - Skizofonics, “Breakfree”
3 - Robot Koch, “Killa (Robot Koch vs Addiquit)”
4 - MIA, “Bucky Dun Gun (Slouch Bootleg)”
5 - The Great Mundane, “Unicorns Have Feelings Too”
6 - Pursuit Grooves, “Nasty Gurl”
7 - Caural, “Sugar Cane Girlfriend”
8 - Tom Phonic, “Skizzer”
9 - Ki En Ra, “Golden Child”
10 - KRTS, “Doran Penny Roller”
11 - Melo-X, “Google Alerts (Nite n’ Day Melo-Eclipse)”
12 - City Rain, “This I will Remember (Aligning Minds and Mussck RMX)”
13 - Hand in Hand, “Island Eyes”
14 - Outlets (Inlets + He Can Jog), “Airplanes”