What to listen to now: New Beck remix by Mexican Institute of Sound; the hot soundtrack to Netflix’s ‘The Get Down’; and a new mixtape from JP Moregun
Beck, “Wow (GUAU! Mexican Institute of Sound Remix)” (Fonograf/Capitol). Grammy-winning Los Angeles singer, songwriter and producer Beck dropped his buoyant one-off track “Wow” a few months back, and in doing so reminded us that he’s as good with a “Devil’s Haircut”-style party jam as he is with glum, “Morning Phase”-esque mope-core.
As interpreted by Mexican Institute of Sound kingpin Camilo Lara, “Wow” has become “GUAU!” through use of congas, a mariachi trumpet line and a general Mexico City vibe absent in the original version. This isn’t the first time Beck’s explored Mexican music in a remix. His Spanish-language “Burro” was a mariachi-style take on “Strange Invitation,” and he commissioned Tijuana band Nortec Collective to rework his “Qué Onda Guero.”
For this remix, Lara hired rapper Muelas de Gallo of La Banda Bastön to add a verse, and followed it with a swirling loop of Beck lyrically honoring “another perfect night.”
Various artists, soundtrack to the Netflix series “The Get Down” (RCA). The music created for and licensed for use in Baz Luhrmann’s new Netflix hip-hop-period piece mixes new beats with old school classics, and in doing so illustrates the miraculous ways in which a sound forged in a New York neighborhood wended its way through culture and time.
That history and evolution is laid bare in the soundtrack’s opening song: It’s by Jaden Smith, whose father, Will, gained fame as a second-generation rap star before crossing over to acting. In “Welcome to the Get Down,” the prodigal son erupts through lyrics that introduce the show’s Bronx setting. Backed by a sublimely weird contemporary beat, it’s one of two superlative Jaden jams. The other, a duet with singer Raury, is built on the back of a sample by German rock group Can.
Across 24 tracks, the soundtrack celebrates the spirit through contemporary pieces by artists including Miguel, Michael Kiwanuka, Kamasi Washington, Zayn, Leon Bridges, Christina Aguilera (with Chic’s Nile Rodgers) and Janelle Monáe. As well, the series honors the originators through tracks by the Fatback Band, Donna Summer, Garland Jeffreys and Lyn Collins.
JP Moregun, “JP Moregun” mixtape (Brainfeeder). Offered as a free download through beat producer Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint, the self-titled mixtape from Chicago rapper Jeremiah Jae and producer PBDY rips through 11 tracks in just over 20 minutes. In the process, PBDY samples a series of tripped out garage rock and psychedelic rock records that Jae transforms into rap bangers.
For example, the rolling riffs that fuel “Million Bucks” come courtesy of 1960s Northwest garage rock kings the Sonics. As Jae runs through what sound like snapshots of a weird night on the town, PBDY reworks the guitar and organ line from “The Witch,” the Sonics’ ode to a disagreeable lover. Below is the new video, which is not safe for work (it features an occasional cuss and an off-screen homicide).
Texas psychedelic rock band the 13th Floor Elevators’ “Kingdom of Heaven” makes for a spooky bed to “Never Look Back,” and PBDY harnesses French yé-yé pop singer France Gall to create the beat for “English Channel.”
Were it just clever references, the mixtape would be memorable, but Jae’s seemingly effortless lyricism masks a skilled rapper whose mastery of phrasing and cadence makes even the most complicated verbal maneuvers move with fluidity and grace.
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