Ahoy thar Dtoiders! Welcome to day 3 of my week. Today I’m breaking away from anime and game music and delving into my other musical tastes.



Atmosphere – Musical Chairs

I first heard of Atmosphere when playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (you'll be surprised how much this game opened me up to new music). Their song “Trying To Find A Balance” quickly became one of my favourite songs. Though it wasn’t until last week, when a workmate that has similar musical interests as me advised me to check out one of their albums, that I realised how great they are. Practically every track on their past two albums is great; the consistency is much higher than most groups. The content is usually deep, and Slug’s rhymes and voice as well as the beats combine to create songs that can pierce the soul.



Other tracks from the group that I recommend:
• Angelface
• Like The Rest Of Us
• Your Glasshouse



Del the Funky Homosapien – Proto Culture

Once again I first heard of Del through THPS3, from his song ”If You Must”. Once again (again) I only properly listened to him after my workmates recommendation. His funny unusual lyrics along with addictive beats make him stand out from what many would say is a crowded place in modern hip-hop. His rhyme schemes are unique and though sometimes it feels like he’s talking about nothing at all it works. Many Dtoiders know of him from his song Proto Culture, in which he talks about Rival Schools, Sega, Sony and more.



It actually samples Morrigan’s theme from Darkstalkers:



Other tracks from Del that I recommend:
• BM’s
• Disastrous
• Time Keeps On Slipping



Jay Electronica – So What You Sayin'

I can’t remember how I first heard of Jay Electronica, though I do remember that “So What You Sayin’” was the first song I heard by him. Upon my first listen I couldn’t believe the how addictive the beat was, and how different his rhymes and rhyme schemes were from most other hip hop artists. His lyrics and the beat (produced by the legendary J Dilla whom I shall discuss another day) suit each other so well, and the subject matter is pretty diverse. Since then he hasn’t released that much music but has joined forces with the well known producer Just Blaze and made some great music together.



Other tracks from Jay Electronica that I recommend:
• Exhibit A
• Exhibit C
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind



Devin The Dude – Doobie Ashtray

Devin the Dude is a rapper/singer that often talks about weed, women and... well that’s pretty much it. This probably makes him sound subpar yet his music yet somehow it works. I’ve smoked weed (or anything for that matter), but I can still tell that the music would be perfect for a session (is that what the kids are calling it these days?). His lyrics aren’t very complex yet they compliment the funky melodies present in his songs and his vocals are very fitting. He’s released quite a few albums by now and though the subject matter doesn’t change much, he still manages to keep it fresh, perhaps knowing what to expect with a Devin album is a good thing, consistency, quality, hash and ho’s. Doobie Ashtray (produced by DJ Premier) is a smooth song that let’s Devin sing his heart out about his first love... the drugs.



Other tracks from Devin the Dude that I recommend:
• Boo Boo'n
• Do What You Wanna Do
• I Don’t Chase Em



Mr Scruff – Cheeky

I first heard of Mr Scruff through the iPhone game “Rolando” since his tracks were used for the soundtrack (though I had heard his song ”Spandex Man” many times before not knowing t he name of the song or the artist). A few songs in the game that I particularly liked encouraged me to find more of his music and give it a listen. Mr Scruff has since become one of my favourite artists; his career that’s been going for over a decade has produced a number of classics. “Cheeky” is one of these songs. Its infectious drum beat coupled with the simple melody and use of lyrics force my head to nod in time with the beat.



Other tracks from Mr Scruff that I recommend:
• Giffin
• Do You Hear
• Come On Grandad



Uyama Hiroto – 81summer
Uyama Hiroto is a multi-instrumentalist whom I found out about Uyama Hiroto after Nujabes was recommended to me. His debut album “A Son of the Sun” is filled to the brim with Jazz, and doesn’t rely on looped samples, instead using real instruments to create some of the most beautiful songs. When playing Burnout Paradise I often had this as my soundtrack, since it’s relaxing and a very easy listen, in fact so relaxing that the music can take me out of wherever I am at the time.



Other tracks from Uyama Hiroto that I recommend:
• Climbed Mountain
• Nightwood
• Waltz For Life Will Be Born
• Ribbon in the Sea
• Fly Love Song



Soulive – Bridge To ‘Bama

Soulive are my favourite funk/jazz group for quite a few reasons. They vary their style a lot, their songs have amazing solos and they use instruments in a way I hadn’t heard before until I heard them. Bridge to Bama has one of the nicest and most memorable melodies I’ve ever heard and the use of the organ with the saxophone blew me away when I first heard it.



Other tracks from Soulive that I recommend:
• Aladdin
• Joe Sample
• Shaheed