I know, I know, I know…
we’ve been promising this album for almost a year now,
but we really really mean it this time.
We Get It In True -
the full-length debut from Portland golden childs, TxE
WILL be available for free download right here soon enough.

Making good on that promise,
first thing we have to offer from the project is
the first single, “Higher” –
a longtime crowd favorite at live shows,
released here for the first time
in its full form w/ a lead verse from none other than
Strong Arm Stead-ian, Phil The Agony
& an assist from Illmaculate – the official 5th member of the 3-man TxE squad.

Produced by G_Force – the team’s one-man band,
the synth-heavy, anthemic chugger
is the perfect cannon for a live one from Phil -
who shines here in rare form right from the song’s jump,
sending a nice alley-oop to TOPE for the second verse
& then a strong victory lap of a third from Epp.
Add to that some shit-talking phoneticism from Ill on the hook,
backed by some Big L and Phat Kat quotes cut up by 4th member DJ FlipFlop
& there you have it -
the bar for PRTLND has officially been raised
Higher.

Now go ahead & talk it out.

Raps by Phil The Agony and TOPE & Epp of TxE
Hook by Illmaculate
Produced by G_Force of TxE
Mixed, Mastered & Scratches by DJ FlipFlop
Artwork by Nate James for FRSH SLCTS
Photography by Arian Stevens

Today we have the exclusive premiere
of a brand new leak track from St. Louis vet, Black Spade.
“Spand” finds Stoney Rock himself using the Knxwledge beat by the same name
(from last year’s self-released Komposure.EP)
as the springboard for a lament on the struggle of his upbringing
& how it still effects his everyday life,
as he reflects on the calm before a long summer ahead -
one already “reeking of drama.”

W/ still much to look fwd to before said summer,
Spade promises that “Spand” is the first in a new series of leaks still to come,
intended for fans to be able to compile their own mixtape at the end of the run,
as he is no longer making his own after 2010′s Build & Destroy -
all leading up to Black’s longawaited official sophomore album,
the follow up to the personal classic, 2008′s To Serve With Love.

Given the official thumbs up from Knxwledge for use of the track,
this is just the first in a few very exciting collaborations Knx has in store for 2012.
We’ve been sworn to secrecy regarding the details of his next move,
but stay tuned for some big news on that front in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, you can download “Spand” below -
& as a bonus, you can catch two videos of Black Spade
from his feature in Converse’s Rubber Tracks campaign,
showing him in the same studio which “Spand” was recorded at.

Rap & Vocals by Black Spade
Produced by Knxwledge
Mixed by I, CED
Recorded @ Rubber Tracks Studio by Leon Kelly
Artwork by Nate James for FRSH SLCTS

Adding on to one of our biggest releases from last year,
Cali agent Planet Asia & Portland blazer G_Force
bring us the official music video for “Cruise Control” -
the stand-out cut from their free Camouflage Jackets album.

Completing the entire album through MySpace messages,
e-mails, & file transfers back in 2008,
this recent L.A. trip was actually one of the very first times
the two collaborators had met in persons –
months after CamoJackets‘ release last October.

Shot on location by Artistic Outlet Media
in Asia’s West Hollywood neighborhood
& local barbershop on Crenshaw -
the clip for “Cruise Control” is the culimation
of a week-long trip the Oregonians took
to build w/ Asia & take-in those Cali rays.

With still much to come in 2012 from both artists -
including Asia’s newest LP, Black Belt Theatre on the Wandering Worx label,
and G_Force dropping another Calvin Valentine album – Red Eye Flights next month,
as well as albums w/ his groups TxE and Fang Tshida -
“Cruise Control” is like the breath before the big plunge.

You can watch the music video & download the full album below.

It’s always good to see some music,
that was a little bit ahead of its time,
get its just due later on.
Such is the case w/ Maryland producer,
DJ RODDYROD (of the group Maspyke & the Low Budget Crew)
& his much underrated & still largely unheard
instrumental opus, Oakwood Grain.
Originally released in 2005 through Jazzy Sport -
the album was only released in Japan
& never officially distributed much outside of the country,
but it still remains one of the best offerings
in the instrumental hip-hop genre
that came out before the current “post-Donuts” beat CD craze.

And now, six years later -
not only is the album seeing a proper US release
thanks to Nature Sounds,
but its also coming packaged along with an all new follow-up album,
simply titled Oakwood Grain II.
Although the double CD is not due for to drop until February 28th of 2012,
RODDY decided to release it digitally this week for the fans,
as he explained:

“Everyone’s been hitting me up, asking when it’s coming… [so] I wanted to give them something for the holidays.”

The digital version, dubbed the Solid English Oak Edition,
contains 10 mostly new & unheard joints,
as well as a few unreleased classics, i.e. the instrumental to
Maspyke’s “Lightly Anxious” from their underappreciated Static 2005 album.
The album also one features one new vocal track,
which Rod had given FRSH SLCTS an exclusive free download.

“Keep Transit” features three guest talents,
all of which we’ve heard from all too rarely this year -
the seldom heard & often missed Detroit veteran Finale returns to the raps,
while both Muhsinah and Bilal Salaam share vocal duties -
all coming together to bring us that classic Midwest hip-hop meets DMV soul sound
that we’ve all missed this past few years.

Also, included below, as a bonus video
is Roddy’s interview/behind-the-scenes clip for the The Ghostface Beat Tape -
an upcoming beat compilation from Digital Hustle/Digital Fresh TV
that featuring some of the DMV’s best producers
paying tribute to the production tastes of the Wallabee Champ himself.
In the clip, you get to see Rod live in his studio
chopping up some tracks from both Buju Banton and D’Angelo
(as he did on the Vudu.For.U EP),
& also discussing his favorite Ghostface tracks
& talks of a possible Maspyke reunion + other upcoming projects.

You can check that,
stream the whole digital version of OWGII
+ watch an exclusive clip of RODDY digging in South Africa
w/ his buddy J-Live -
all before getting your free single of “Free Transit”
or copping the album below.

Getting things on back track -
we teamed up w/ Surefire Agency & the Abstract Earth Project
to once again pick up our FRSH SLCTS WKND BEATS series,
w/ an exclusive, all-new EP from the man himself – Dibia$e.

By now, you should already know Dibiase from either his debut album on Alpha Pup last year,
for winning the Red Bull Big Tune beat battle in 2010,
his work w/ 14KT, Exile, Blu, devonwho, or his Green Llama crew constituents,
or for just generally being the muhfuckin man…
so lets pretend like you do & move on.

For this 9th installment in our series,
Dibi offers up Comfort Zone -
a 7 track beat EP, w/ more worthwhile morsels in its 17+ minutes
than most producers could give you in a full album’s time.

Not only that – but these particular tracks are literally hot off the presses,
being heard here for the first time,
all of them just being bounced down from their respective programs early this same morning.

& w/ this week’s tragic passing of our man J-1 still being fresh on our minds,
we decided to dedicate this project to his memory.
W/ his active passion for fwd-thinking funk music &
everything he did for the beat scene w/ both of his Starship 27 compilations
(which Dibiase contributed a track for each volume to) –
we hope that he would approve of this project.
Dibi explained a little bit more about one specific tribute moment in his e-mail,
copied below:

track 4 sub factor ( so ruff ) has a lil [audio] footage from so ruff so tuff in l.a. – thats j-1 on the mic… i thought that beat would be something he would gettin amped up on. if its funky he mess with it. went with a smooth approach ,and a lil funk influenced on a few joints too. hopefully heads dig this project.

He also broke down the different soft/hardware he used for each track.

Knxwledge gave me a tutorial on ableton while he was in sacramento. So i been using that more as of late. So i used ableton on Send me , Deep Winter ,and Applebeez .So those pretty much my first batch of ableton beats.

Track 2 Bulletproof was made on the 404 alot of my llama project joints i use that piece. i get a different gritty sound out of that. I try taking on a different character with any machine.lol speaking of machines i used the maschine on track 4 sub factor.

For the tracks blessings and serchin for it i made with reason. I get all over the place with software and hardware at times.

You can preview 3 of the tracks
before downloading the full EP below.

Also included as an added bonus,
is live footage from Dibia$e’s first show in PRTLND
@ the Fresh Selects Presents… concert series
@ The Fix last September,
as well as the clip for his new brand new 7″,
“Fly Me t’The Moon” w/ Versis,
directed by Ruffmercy.

1. Send Me
2. Bulletproof
3. Deep Winter
4. Sub Factor (So Ruff)
5. Blessings
6. Applebeez
7. Serchin For It

Produced & Mixed by Dibia$e
Artwork by Nate James
Selected by KNNY FRSH for FRSH SLCTS

Keeping things moving fwd, as the homie J-1 would’ve wanted them to -
today we have an exclusive sneak preview into two new, under-the-radar releases
from St. Louis multi-talent Veto Money, better known as Black Spade,
coming in the form of the new full-length LP, The Sweetest Revenge
& the corresponding “N.R.L.” 12″ EP.

The Sweetest Revenge is Spade’s first official retail release
since his solo debut, 2008′s To Serve With Love,
which, on the sly –
was really the St. Louis equivalent to The Chronic or Welcome 2 Detroit -
serving both as a proper introduction of the city’s talent for anyone outside of its scene,
& also, a launching pad for much of the city’s unheralded talents.

…Revenge carries on in that tradition,
but it isn’t exactly a solo album
as Spade teams up w/ STL indie label, F5 Records,
and its founder, DJ Crucial –
who also ended up handling a bulk of the production on the album.
The LP also features an extensive cast, all from The Lou,
including his brother Tef Poe, Rockwell Knuckles,
Crucial’s partner Hi Fidel (who also handled the album’s artwork),
Ill Spitta, Jia Davis,
& Spade’s former partners in Soul Tyde – Kash, Nato Caliph, & more.

Offered up as a free download for the project
is the album’s title track, produced by DJ Crucial,
featuring Black Spade w/ his patented natural voice singing/stream-of-conscious rap styles -
his voice sounding as smooth, & his lyrics as personally lighthearted, as ever.

And tracking backing some…
In between TSWL, and The Sweetest Revenge,
& his group project, the Hawthorne Headhunters -
Veto also released the excellent free release, Build & Destroy, last summer.
For anyone who missed out on that,
after the jump I’ve included the three videos released from the tape, namely -
“I Heart” feat. Simeon Viltz & Vic Spencer, directed by Drew Jordan;
“Running Gunning” w/ Coultrain on backing vocals, directed by Ryan Powell;
& “New African” directed by Thaione Davis.

Released exclusively thru F5′s website,
& available as vinyl-only (w/ a free download card),
along w/ The Sweetest Revenge – they’ve also pressed up
a single EP for “N.R.L.” (listed on Build & Destroy as “N*gga Ray Leonard”).
The EP features 4 tracks in all, including a new one featuring Sadat X,
all pressed on clear blue vinyl.

Links to download the title tracks from both projects
& the link to purchase the respective records can all be found below.

It was w/ a heavy heart last night that I found out my friend J1 had passed. “Too soon,” “out of nowhere” & all of the other cliches you hear when something as unfortunate as this happens – apply all too real in this case.

J1 was a dedicated, self-taught musician & self-made artist in the truest sense, constantly pushing himself & those around him fwd for years now, & steadily getting more & more recognition for it. It is no hyperbole to say that he was at his absolute height & creative peak when he passed away. He had just wrapped an extensive tour w/ his group Master Blazter to rave reviews & stunned audiences everywhere. The band had played here in Portland this past September & ABSOLUTELY MURDERED IT – it was easily one of the best pure performances I have ever seen by a single band. & having just released his first solo retail release, The Yellow EP, as well as the second in his Starship 27 compilation series earlier in the year – 2011 was a monumental step for the drummer/producer. With already so much accomplished, Jovan “J1 tHE DEER” Coleman was still only getting started, & was just 32 years old when he passed in a fatal car accident in Sweden yesterday.

The first time I heard of J1 was on C.R.A.C. Knuckles‘ “Buy Me Lunch” record. I remember thinking how unique the sound of the drums were – so lively & punchy, but yet quick & precise at the same time. When I first heard the song I scratched my head like “how the fuck did TaRaach did his get drums to sound like that?!?,” & then when I later got my copy of the album – seeing it was actually a live drummer (credited as J*One) both made perfect sense, & impressed me even more at the same time. J also played on the “CRACHAUSE” interlude on that same album – which was a completely different drum sound altogether, but yet still hardhitting as ever, & one that I still really haven’t heard anything else like since.

After that, I’d keep seeing the name J-1 around from time to time. I remember his name being listed on the side of the old Black N Bling site – w/ a mention of him being a member of the Animal Kingdom & always wondering what that meant (I’d later learn that he had gone around & given all of his closest friends & associates their own corresponding animal name in the crew, w/ he himself of course being “tHE DEER”). Then in early 2009, I was asked to come on board at HVW8 for the record label they had just started. They had two supergroups on their roster – the Hawthorne Headhunters (w/ Black Spade, I CED, Proh Mic & sometimes Coultrain), and (((MASTER BLAZTER))) w/ DaM-FunK, Computer Jay and of course, J-1 on the drums. Both groups had been formed out of live jam sessions held at the HVW8 Gallery off of Melrose in LA for their podcast series. Master Blazter’s was held on December 21st, 2008 & was released on HVW8.com on Christmas Day that same week.

This was still months before DaM-FunK would go on to release his gamechanging solo debut, Toeachhizown, on Stones Throw – but the anticipation & feeling of something new & important happening (“hype” is not the word) was still very much real, not just in L.A. but worldwide. Needless to say – it was an exciting time. & J1 was right there for all of that – forever holding down the backbeat & still keeping things moving fwd at all times.

Early on in my work w/ HVW8, J1 personally reached out to me, sending an e-mail saying he was excited that I was on the team, & really just taking a minute to introduce himself. This would later go on to be a recurring theme in all my interactions w/ Jovan – he was ALWAYS cool, personable, humble and just an all-around good dude, through & through. Always a man first, and a business associate second.

In April of 2009, I partnered up w/ HVW8 to co-release J1′s debut beat CD, simply titled Attack Of The Deer. It was the 4th in the site’s WKND BEATS series which was still very new at the time, & quickly received a lot of love. Reading back the comments on that post now, years later, its easy to tell that everyone else saw the same potential in him. I remember one of the first cats to really reach out & tell him they were digging the project was devonwho – who would then go on to work very closely w/ J1, collaborating on tracks, playing shows together, etc.

Later on, in the summer of ’09 – I’d finally get to meet J in person, @ the now infamous Funkmosphere party in Culver City (one of many nights that J1 would always support in the L.A. scene). Not at all surprisingly – J was cool as fuck, right off the bat. He would show me around, introduce me to everyone, & just generally look out for me however he could during my stay out in L.A. that summer. It was an instant kinship, but ask anyone else who knew him & I’m sure they’d tell you something similar from their own experience – he just rolled like that, openly hospitable to any & every one that he was cool w/.

I was staying out in L.A. for 5 weeks that summer, & I don’t think I even ever got J1′s phone number, but somehow just naturally ended up hanging out w/ him more than almost anyone else – cuz that dude was just everywhere! Funkmosphere, The Do-Over, Boombox… wherever. He was just a fixture in the scene & the culture at that time. If I saw J1 there, I already knew I had made the right choice of where to be for the night.

During that same trip out out there, me and J both ended up being invited to Abraham Beltran’s Soundwaves Radio show on KPFK at the same time. I couldn’t have lucked out & been asked to come on the show w/ a better line-up. J was promoting his first Starship 27 compilation series and its release party & in-store – so it was him, DaM-FunK, House Shoes, and DJ Inka One of Boombox, all on-air, plus the homies Groweyez and Jordan Rockswell aka Snowman Jack were both hanging out as well. It was such a fun vibe of great music peers in the studio that day (Abraham latter dubbed it the “Room Full Of Geniuses” episode)… & then there was little ole me. I was quite clearly outclassed by my company, but that feeling didn’t last long as everyone made me feel right at home & just like one of the crew – J especially. & I’ll never forget… during his quick DJ set on the show, J1 dropped a record by the enigmatic jazz great, Moondog, & shouted me out before he played it – noting a Twitter conversation we had about the record & a story about my father’s run-in’s w/ Moondog nearly a year previous to that. I remember being blown away that he even remembered that short conversation, let alone that he was thoughtful enough to bring the record, play it on-air & shout me out for it too. A small gesture to some, I guess – but to me that said so much about this man’s character, & how truly personable he was. Thankfully, that episode is still archived w/ photos & available for download here. Eternal thanks to Abraham, once again, for allowing me to be apart of that special moment.

Although regretfully, my other run-in’s w/ Jay after that summer were mostly brief and far between – including the SXSW Music Festival in 2010 and the aforementioned Portland show just a few months ago – but each time, they were all nothing but positive. J was always in high hopes w/ kind, encouraging words – always letting me know he had been keeping up w/ the site & just me bigging me up more than he ever needed to. His timing was always impeccable too – during some slower moments, w/o me even having to say anything, he’d always come w/ something reassuring like “you’re doing the right thing” or “you’re killing it, you just gotta keep on doing it,” while still always being super humble and thankful about all the great successes he was achieving at the same time.

The last time I saw J I told him how much I loved Blazt Off – the promotional Master Blazter mix that Kutmah had put together, combining the solo productions of the group’s three members, & how I wanted to either re-release the project w/ the seperated, full tracks or just do a Volume 2. J seemed into the idea & said we should rap about it when he got off tour, but unfortunately we never got a chance to.

So included below is a free download of the original version of that mix (w/ tracklisting after the jump) for anyone who missed it when it came out last year, as well a download of the previously mentioned first Master Blazter session for the HVW8 podcast, & the link to the Attack Of The Deer beat CD.

I’ve also included a few quotes from J’s friends & peers in reaction to his passing on Twitter last night, just to show how truly loved & appreciated he was while he was still here, & will forever be – and to archive this time & this outpouring some place a little bit more permanent.

Along w/ being a uniquely forceful drummer and an ever-burgeoning producer, tHE DEER was also a selflessly supportive motivator & organizer who played an irreplaceable role in making this current music scene of ours everything that is today. His shining example of good character & his contributions to the music will most definitely not be forgotten.

“My brother @THEDEER is gone. He was a warrior. A one of one. I cant believe this. I love you J.

…I fucking love you bro. Cant believe I wont see you again. The most ride or die motherfucker i have ever known in my life.You were the TRUTH” – @HouseShoes

“Well… we partied, drank, gave $, gave away wax, took video, signed pics & honored our brother & friend @THEDEER bka J-1 at @Funkmosphere.

We (along w/ @HouseShoes ‘all wax’ set) honored him in this way ’cause we (#MasterBlazter) know it’s the way he would’ve wanted it 2nite.

Come morning, I’ll personally be taking every red cent made from Funkmosphere’s bar + $ humbly donated straight 2 Fed-Ex & send 2 his fam.” – @DaMFunK

“Feel like I lost a big brother. Always was there for guidance and support from the early days. RIP @THEDEER aka J1.” – @devonwho

“I guess there was nothing left 4 U 2 conquer down here..SPIRIT LIVES. #deer” – TaRaach @RaachBox

“This Digital Universe can’t express the Respect, Love, and Gratitude I have for Jovan Coleman.” – @ComputerJay

“RIP J-1. He didnt know me. I didnt know him. shit it was my first time on this side of the STATE & he helped me out in a sqeeze like family.” – @quellechris

“deeply, deeply, saddened by the loss of @thedeer. thankful that i got a chance to be apart of his beautiful creations. may they live on…” – @RagenFykes

“Another terrible loss. Celebrate your friends and loved ones now. #ripj1″ – Waajeed @Jeedo47

“#THEDEER His Mama wants 2 thank every1 for there supportplease send photos/videos/songs to billyb@mugpush we’re givin his folks everything” – @MUGPUSH

(((MASTER BLAZTER)))
BLAZt OFF

:::TrackList::::
1. J1 – Water
2. Computer Jay – Funktronic
3. J1 – Feel in The Blank
4. DaM-FunK – Just Wanna Ride
5. J1 – Rescue (w/ devonwho)
6. DaM-FunK – Show Me The Way
7. DaM-FunK – She Lights Me Up
8. J1 – Slang Talk
9. J1 – 44th Chamber
10. DaM-FunK – I Dont Just Do Beats..I Do Music
11. Computer Jay – Thunder Horns
12. Computer Jay – I Was Wrong..I Take It Back
13. Computer Jay – Maintain
14. Computer Jay – Visa Stamp
15. Computer Jay – Whip
16. J1 – Sunny
17. Computer Jay – Bearclaw
18. Computer Jay – Phantom

Mixed By::::: DJ KUTMAH :::::
Recorded @ :::THE GREEN VAULT::: Los Angeles, CA
All Trax Produced by (((MASTER BLAZTER)))
J-1 | COMPUTER JAY | D-F

Adding another on the board for the home team,
today we have the latest from fellow PRTLND-based label/collective –
Dropping Gems
from their ongoing series of split podcast mixes,
featuring some of the scene’s best talents coming together two at a time.

We’re humbled to team up w/ the Gems to present this latest installment,
featuring two FRSH SLCTS family members at the respective helms -
setting things off is newcomer, BoneS – & then,
bringing it home is recent Cali-transplant, devonwho.

BoneS is a name you might not be familiar w/ just yet -
we ourselves were just introduced him to this year,
thanks to devon’s introduction at a Shigeto show
& his insistence that he Bones send us some tracks.
& boy, did he ever!

But we’ll leave the full geek-out on all of that later,
as BoneS will soon be contributing his own release in our WKND Beats series,
but until then -
the first half of this mix should serve as a proper introduction
to the rising Portland talent.
Including here are almost 20 original, & largely unheard, tracks -
all raw & self-mixed, most of them taking their
first-ever breaths outside of the hard drives they were made on.
Also included are a collaboration each w/ fellow newcomers VVO
& Lord Douglas aka Big Grizz,
as well as a Grizz solo track for good measure.

On the flip, devonwho – a name you should hopefully know by now,
provides a varied mix combining the work of some of his inspirations & peers alike,
ranging from Prefuse 73′s Savath y Savalas to recent collaborator, DaM-FunK;
All City labelmates Martyn & Mike Slott;
& of course his partners in the klip, Knxwledge and Mndsgn.
He also took this opportunity to grace us w/ the debut of two new gems,
“Strangebrew” – the A-side to his upcoming All City 12″,
a follow-up to last year’s “Keepthafunkalive” w/ the label,
and also, “Reren” – just one in a recent batch
of co-productions w/ Ghostly Int’l. artist, Shigeto.

Full tracklisting & direct download of the podcast
are both available below.
Be sure to subscribe to the Dropping Gems podcast
& support all of their current releases as well.

BONES –
1. BoneS – The Pipes
2. BoneS – Clap
3. BoneS – LooPCC01
4. BoneS – FakeLuv
5. BoneS – SummerSalt
6. BoneS – Solipsism
7. BoneS feat. VVO – JB41
8. BoneS – BootyJuice
9. BoneS – Rugged Inst.
10. BoneS – Slikish
11. BoneS – NexTime
12. Lord Douglas – Trees
13. BoneS – 3gk
14. BoneS – BegiNES
15. BoneS – Hashed
16. BoneS – GameS
17. Lord Douglas – Klapt
18. BoneGrizzle (BnS x Lord DouG) – Duggy Duggy
19. BoneS – Planetary
20. BoneS – B-Rich
21. BoneS – PlayTime/Playtime(glitchflip)
22. BoneS – Heavyer-err

DEVONWHO –
23. Mndsgn – AstralProjex2011
24. LDFD – Pinheiro
25. Savath y Savalas – Paths In Soft Focus
26. Mndsgn – Post98
27. Knxwledge – (Hell∆)Pretentious
28. Lapti – In The Point
29. Mndsgn feat. devonwho – Trance.dance
30. Shigeto & devonwho – Reren
31. Martyn / Mike Slott – Pointing Fingers
32. DaM-FunK – Burgundy City
33. Hudson Mohawke – All Your Love
34. B. Bravo feat. Lady Alma – Substance
35. devonwho – Strangebrew

Tracks 1 – 22 Selected & Mixed by BoneS
Tracks 23 – 35 Selected & Mixed by devonwho
Podcast Curated by Aaron Meola for Dropping Gems
Hosted by Nag Champa
Cover Painting by Rebekah Long

In this day & age where a cumbersome plenitude of artists & their releases
are offered to us at a more rapid, & ultimately disposable,
rate than maybe ever before -
too often some of the more simply stated, or time-demanding,
works can often get overlooked
or lost in the purgatory of an overcrowded iTunes folder.

GodMustBeABoogieMan – a very non-traditional free project
by St. Louis-born singer/songwriter, Coultrain,
while generally well-received & reported in its initial release,
seems to have been a bit half-digested by its recipients,
& still widely unfound by much of its potential audience.

Although originally self-released in August of 2010
(while the FRSH SLCTS site was still on its year-plus long sabbatical),
God… always painted a much more Autumn picture in my mind -
a time of change, break-ups, moves, traveling, etc.
before settling down for the oncoming winter.
But it has, at the same time,
never been more than an arms reach from my own listening rotation
at any given time since then,
& quickly cemented itself as a personal favorite.

Along w/ the more apparent base-appeal of his voice,
the key to Coultrain to me has always been his songwriting.
In a literary sense, Coultrain’s writing style is just as much
that of a novelist, as it of a poet or a traditional songwriter,
w/ his works often times being in a free verse format,
usually tailor-made to the everchanging arrangements of a jazz piece,
but rarely conforming to the standard “three verses w/ a hook in btwn” structure.
Some songs have a chorus that is never repeated, & other songs – none at all.

& as those of us who have been following his career
(outside of his full-length projects w/ Waajeed’s PPP
& alongside Black Spade as the Hawthorne Headhunters) know…
Coultrain the solo artist is, first & foremost, a storyteller.
His character of choice being one, Seymour Liberty
for a grandiose work that thus far spans the entirety of his solo catalog,
including this release in question.

Where Train’s debut solo offering, & this story’s first chapters -
simply titled The Adventures Of Seymour Liberty (self-released in Jan 2008)
introduced us to the character of a young man
looking for love, purpose, & himself
(sometimes in all the wrong places, as we often do…)
goes thru the motions of the ever-demanding city life
while in such a state,
& ends w/ him finally leaving his hometown
to set out on his own…

& his next release, the two-sided single,
“The Wanderer” b/w “Balancing Act”
(released on Record Breakin’ Music in Feb 2010)
picks the story up where it left off,
w/ our anti-hero, Seymour,
now wandering in a baron desert
yet again searching & coming up short,
until he (not so) suddenly encounters
a new mysterious love interest
who offers his some words of wisdom
& advice of balance to set his along his way to the next chapter…

but instead,
GodMustBeABoogieMan actually takes a step back
from the timeline, to fill in the gaps of things left unsaid
between the wander & eventual balance.

One thats intended to be more esoteric than it is literal -
the story of Seymour Liberty, in these chapters of it especially,
can easily seem like one where not much actually happens,
as it all seems to be lived, or at least told from, completely in his own mind -
a memoir of emotions & a dialogue of internal thoughts,
quicky grazing over the details of the story as if they were already understood,
& in this endeavor – the only outside input being from the voice of “HER”
via the two letters she writes Seymour along his way.

Themes of travel, change, the value of experience vs. missteps,
love lost, searching, those who’ve been left behind,
& and ultimately – finding oneself,
swirl around Seymour’s latest tellings,
as he Departs a Prince,
but after going thru some new lows,
& even an out-of-body Xperience upon a Rooftop,
Returns as a Charlatan.

It’s these ambiguities that make BoogieMan
not only that much more relatable to ones own life,
but also infinitely more interesting
& worthy of repeat, intent listens
as you start to understand more of the character,
& thus the story, on each go-round -
Offering a much welcomed breath of fresh air (as heavy as it may be),
when considered amongst the most recent rash
of single entendres & mundanely obvious meanings
provided by the most buzzed-about “songwriters” in modern sung music.

…& that’s just the writing.

The music, at the same time, is a whole nother feat in itself.
Going the “borrowed beats” mixtape route,
but flipping the format on its head
by instead of using well-known beats of the day,
Coultrain chose to craft his parables to jazz tunes
(Patrice Rushen, Dorthy Ashby, Thelonious Monk, Madlib‘s YNQ, among others)
& a few choice psych-inspired, atmospheric works
from electronic acts like Broadcast and TOKiMONSTA,
as well as original productions from frequent collaborators
Black Spade, J1, Teeko and “thedirtylynt” –
making the record as much of a mixtape of Train’s inspirations
as it is a new soundtrack to Seymour’s journey.
All of which were then carefully melded together,
w/ new arrangements & instrumentation added to the borrowed pieces,
& interludes stringing the story together throughout,
by Coultrain & his trusted engineer/collaborator –
Billy Bones of the band Mugpush (to which Train is also a contributing member).

Juxtaposed to this era of Auto-Tuned vocals,
& paint-by-numbers stock synth patches in R&B,
BoogieMan is a welcomingly human effort…
- a warmly imperfect listen, if you will.
Laced w/ vinyl hiss & record noise pops,
the prevalent limits of a vintage microphone,
& accented by audible breaths in between lines -
you’re reminded that this is but a man you’re listening to thru out this tale,
& not merely the options of “the oversexed robot” sound or
“the failed rapper turned non-romantic ladies man/emo life of the party”
images that are so frequently offered to us by the genre today.

All of the aforementioned combine to make GodMustBeABoogieMan
one of the most uniquely interesting,
& I’d even go as far to say important,
releases of the genre in recent years.

…& thus, in my eyes,
worthy of a proper Reprise & re-release,
this time w/ full lyrics & corresponding artwork
(beautifully handled by the one & only Nate James,
using all found source materials to match the album’s concept),
as well as the separated tracks
to go along w/ the project’s original format
of just three long tracks – one for each chapter.

You can listen to the three selections from the project,
before downloading the full Reprise w/ added tracks,
& 21-page .pdf file of lyrics, artwork & more
- all below.

Also included “after the jump”
are some of Coultrain (or technically, his given name, Aaron M. Frison)’s
own writings on the Liberty story,
further hinting at the true meaning(s) behind it all
& what’s still to come.

GodMustBeABoogieMan

I. APrince’sDeparture:
1. 1st Steps
2. Do U Remember Me?
3. Where Is My Heaven? (feat. Jessica “I Am” Neal)
4. Change-A-Thang

II. ARoofTopXperience:
5. Morning Papers (prod. Jason “dirty lynt” Moore)
6. What x It Was (prod. Black Spade aka Stoney Rock)
7. Believe Nothing
8. Parallel Universe
9. God Speaks
10. Parable Of A Shiny Miracle (prod. J1 aka THE DEER)

III. ACharlatan’sReturn:
11. Mutual Possession
12. Goodbye, Hello
13. Jubilation

Lived by Seymour Liberty
Written by Aaron M. Frison
All vocals by Coultrain unless noted
Recorded & Mixed by Billy Bones for Mugpush
except “Goodbye, Hello” mixed by I, CED
All music taken from found source material, except where noted

Artwork by Nate James
Cover Photo by Ryan Powell
Reprise Executive Produced & Art Curated by KNNY FRSH for FRSH SLCTS

Aaron M. Frison re: “The Wanderer” b/w “Balancing Act”…

“This is the story of 1 filled with questions. these are the effects of the evil twenties & how they change a man 4ever. these are the days of 1 perplexed with the ecstasies & sadness of what life & love offers, the innocence it robs u of, & @ the same time rescues u. this is a conquest inside the many levels of humility &arrogance… many of men have faltered 4 the sake of pride & ego. this is a story of fact & fiction. this is the story of yesterday, 2day & 2morrow… Seymour Liberty is a complicated individual 2 say the least. In his never-ending search 4 the “meaning’ of things he’s found it not as easy as it seems. Falling & growing has never been so exhausting. & tho he feels himself growing, nothing seems 2 ease the sting of falling. Therefore he comes 2 the conclusion that the only way 2 find what he’s looking 4, may be 2 just disappear 4 a while from his common existence, thus becoming a “wanderer.” Hoping 2 discover a new insight on the meaning of life, & his purpose in it. What he finds in his search is that thru studying many religions & philosophies, that they only give a unique insight on their own search, leading him back 2 square 1, with a catch. He can no longer hide under an ignorant umbrella. The questions resurface, with the addition of new knowledge & experiences, & the constant reminders of what was & could’ve been. A vivid imagination he has, a gift & a curse. He’s a poet, an artist, so he records his explorations & the questions surrounding them in that form. In the midst of him walking around in the bottom of himself, he encounters a gypsy caravan. ironically enough, he’s invited in their circle, & meets a beautiful lady who’ll never reveal her name, but nonetheless laces him with some things 2 remember her by, physical & metaphysical, influencing him on how 2 walk the tight rope, that life may be, in part anyway, a “ balancing act” ….2 be continued…”

& on GodMustBeABoogieMan…

This is a story with no beginnings and it has no end… this is the continuing story of Seymour Liberty, where once again adventure seduces and reveals herself, throwing Seymour in a circus of whirlwinds… planes, trains and automobiles. Where Seymour landed and ultimately explored,.. well thats 1 part of this story that was never told – quite in usual fashion. Y, u ask? Well, Seymour always fancied exaggerating his climbs and disasters,.. nonetheless, becuz they were fact 2 him,.. word was bond. But the details of this particular ride went unspoken,.. casting a mystery. U see the world had changed & every1 in it,.. yet, “everywhere u go, there U R, peakin thru the mask.” Wandering, trying 2 balance the heart and mind. But something happened out there, perhaps this something would only be riddled with commentary. But indeed something had been altered, shattered even, but put back 2gether oh so romantically. Nevertheless, whatever this something was, it had changed the man they all once knew. And as sad as it is romantic, “SHE” never left his thoughts, like a shadow following him around, probably weighing him down a bit, But remember, “no regrets.” & as he crossed the threshhold back 2 the city, full of temporary answers and fleeting hope, the cold skyscapers bathing in a purple drizzle, an electric thrill filled the air, silent bombs bursting everywhere. And he knew fate had wheeled (willed) him back n2 a corner, maybe bliss awaits, maybe despair,… another test.

Aaron Michael Frison is the author of this story, Coultrain is the medium, or if u like – the voice, interpreting it. It all began with the “adventures of Seymour liberty” & continues with these 2 pieces and again continues with “the great escape”, intrigued?

October 20th, 2010

Following up on the previous covered third edition w/ guest Exile,
& a locals-only fourth edition on his own –
DaveNotti teamed back up w/ FRSH SLCTS
for The Neck Brace V Producers Showcase
in October of last year.

Thanks to the gracious sponsor we had at the time,
not only were we able to bring in special guest DJ Babu
as our Featured Producer for the night,
but we were also able to fly home our
longtime friend & recent Cali-transplant, Hi-Res,
back to PRTLND for the occassion.

In case you haven’t been paying attention -
Hi-Res is a producer from Portland, OR
whose put out three solo instrumental releases since 2008,
two of which were thru this site -
as was The New Chill -
a collaborative EP w/ Neck Brace founder & host,
DaveNotti on the raps & Res holding down the production.

In the video we have for you today,
Hi-Res debuts a new beat, entitled “N64”
which he made specifically for the follow-up to that very project,
tentatively titled The New Chill 2.

You can check out the video below -
& stay tuned for a free compilation EP of The Neck Brace V,
featuring an exclusive beat each from all of the Resident Producers
of both the 4th & 5th showcases,
including Hi-Res’ “N64″ & more.

Curated by DaveNotti & KNNY FRSH
Produced by KNNY FRSH for Fresh Selects
Filmed & Edited by Paulius Kontijevas
Audio Mixed by Doc Adam
Hosted by DaveNotti
Executive Producer: Tom Bacon

The Neck Brace V – Resident Producers:
Hi-Res
& 5th Sequence
& G_Force
& Ohmega Watts

Featured Producer:
DJ Babu