ALBUM: DJ Okawari – Kaleidoscope (Japan)

Celebrating DILLA

.:DILLA MONTH - All Things J Dilla

To Celebrate J Dilla month, we thought we'd put together all previous posts on this master beatmaker. Click below to find all the Dilla goodness we posted through out the year. There's 10 pages worth of Dilla content for all hardcore fans.

CONTINUE READING...

REVIEW: Dewey Decibel

.:ALBUM REVIEW: Dewey Decibel -- #BOOMBOXBOOKWORM

After I discovered Dewey Decibel with the tracks Met Her in L.A. and Hello Hello, I have to admit I was quite curious about this mixtape but didn't really know what to expect, apart from a constantly crazy flow and witty wordplay, which seem to be some of the MC's trademarks.

It turns out I was not disappointed as #BOOMBOXBOOKWORM is a way for him to showcase his lyrical and technical skills. Nevertheless, despite this curiosity and interest in Dewey Decibel's talent, I was slightly taken aback after the first listen and didn't really know what to make of the project. I persevered though and listened to it again, and again, and again.

CONTINUE READING...

INTERVIEW: Eric Lau Exclusive

.:INTERVIEW: Eric Lau -- Word Is Bond Exclusive Interview

After Moka Only and Chief last week, it is now time for London producer Eric Lau to be featured here with a very interesting video interview we recorded at the end of 2011.

First of all, we would like to thank the owner of Guanabana, a wonderful restaurant in Camden, London, for lending his space for the time of the interview and providing such a lovely setting. Not to mention, the food is delicious there! It was also a great pleasure to catch up with Eric and get to meet Simon from Kilawatt, and we are very grateful to both of them for taking some time to chill with us and answer our questions....

CONTINUE READING...

MIX: DJ FYO – Beats To The Vibes 2

.:MIX: DJ FYO - Beats To The Vibes 2 -another side- (WIB EXCLUSIVE)

Japanese DJ and Word Is Bond affiliate DJ FYO has once again blessed us with an exclusive mix. You should know the deal by now from his previous mixes; 40 tracks blended with some additional gems showcasing the sounds of WIB and DJ FYO's own musical palette.

Previous Beats To The Vibes mixtapes have now become available for download, you can find them via the link...

CONTINUE READING...

9Jul/114

ALBUM: DJ Okawari – Kaleidoscope (Japan)

DJ Okawari - Another Sky

DJ Okawari - Temperature Of Tears

This is something I'd been waiting on for a while. After finally getting my ears around it after its release last week, the wait was worth it. The third full release by Japan's DJ Okawari, Kaleidoscope follows on from Diorama (2008) and Mirror (2009) and brings a collection of tracks featuring the jazzy lounge sound synonymous with Okawari, as well as the emotionally charged compositions that follow a more progressive nature. The albums artwork itself is amongst the most amazing, created by graphic artist, designer and illustrator Marumiyan, who has created all the cover art for DJ Okawari's previous albums. Click the image above for full size appreciation, and head over to the artist's page for more at http://marumiyan.com/

I'm aware there is some criticism of Japanese artists in this genre, and the seemingly blurry sonic boundaries that distinguish each one's music. Whilst I can appreciate this opinion in certain circumstances, Okawari in my opinion does stand out and make distinctive releases. The choice of instrumentation, whether piano/violin etc, tends to be a lot more fleshed out and have a more substantial presence in the tracks than a lot of other similar artists.

The album also feature's a heavy line-up of female vocalists; Amanda Diva, Stacy Epps, Lauren Amaris, Brittany Campbell and Tekitha. A staple present in his previous releases, this is possibly the only qualm I had with the album, and the previous ones. Not to detriment the quality of them however, it is perhaps just a personal taste as I find myself skipping these tracks and picking out the straight instrumentals.

Overall a nice album, with DJ Okawari playing to his strengths well. Definately for fans of Nujabes, Blazo, Nomak, Nitsua, Marcus D, heRajiKa tracks etc.

PURCHASE: CD Japan • Amazon (JP / UK)

DJ Okawari: Twitter • Website • Facebook

soulquarian14

http://twitter.com/thewordisbond •WordIsBond•

WOW, felling this!!! You dropped some heat this week brother, but this no doubt tops it all. So soulful and beautiful mang. Now…excuse me…I am off to cop the album.
http://twitter.com/wermagkuchen Lars

dammit german amazon is releasing this on wednesday. so i have to wait while you all listen to this! cant wait
Pingback: I Found My Love On A Saturday « Som en färsk cocosboll
nykolas

when i press play to hear the “a cup of coffee” is totaly different than the same title / artist in you tube… pls help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB092JuK–o