Anywhere - Anywhere II Review

As a fan of experimental and psychedelic rock, and of bands that push boundaries beyond what is normally accepted such as The Mars Volta, I was extremely pleased to discover that their frontman, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, became involved in a new project, including former musicians from grunge rock bands Nirvana and The Melvins, a band called Anywhere in 2012. Listening to their exclusive record store day limited pressing of their debut self-titled album, Anywhere sounded like a mix between tribal music, world, progressive rock, and transcendentalism, with Eastern European musical influences and a feeling like they travelled to the top of a Tibetan retreat to channel their music. Maybe it's this eclectic mix that gave them their name, as it sounds like the music itself originates from a multitude of places.

A Perfect Circle - Eat The Elephant Review

Almost a decade and a half has passed since the last release of a full-length proper studio album by A Perfect Circle, not counting their anti-war cover album eMotive, released in late 2004. One might ask themselves then, if too much time has transpired to give reason for releasing a third studio album, given A Perfect Circle's short timetable in the first place. It's this and other concerns which give Eat The Elephant a lukewarm return for the band, for it functions as a welcome back album that covers time-tested familiar ground, but also chooses to deviate, sometimes heavily, into newer, uncertain waters.

Jack White - Boarding House Reach Review

For someone as prolific and steeped in as rich a musical history as is Jack White, expectations were sky high for the follow-up to his much acclaimed sophomore solo outing, Lazaretto. Already bending the rules in genres such as garage rock, blues rock, and country, there seemed to be a bar set almost too high by White after proving he could have a solo career that is just as, if not more, successful than his time spent fronting The White Stripes. That's why it came as such a surprise when 4 years later, White came out of the studio with an album that surely tops Lazaretto with even more experimentation and a vision that is inclusive to all genres of music: Boarding House Reach. To classify this album is to describe it as a garage-blues-country-funk-electronic-jazz hybrid with sprinklings of hip-hop and stream-of-conscience absurdity, something which I never expected to see combined all in one record by Jack White. There was however, a hint dropped early before BHR's announcement that signaled White's departure from traditional blues and garage rock anthems toward a more experimental and jam rock approach in the release of his non-album single "Battle Cry", in 2017. This single builds into White's traditional heavy, fuzzed-out guitar riffs from the tribal chanting and clapping, and it sounds like it's a next step in evolution from his instrumental wild card, "High Ball Stepper", in Lazaretto. When looking at "Battle Cry" as a bridge for listeners to take to Boarding House Reach, this new record should feel like just the right follow-up from someone who has never stopped growing musically.

B Dvine & Various Artists - Dvine Intervention Review

B Dvine and Various Artists - Dvine Intervention Review

Dvine Intervention, the hotly anticipated mixtape by Long Island resident and beat conductor, B Dvine, is an extraordinary collection of collaborations for hip-hop heads everywhere. Dvine's first exclusively produced hip-hop mixtape is hosted by mixtape curator J-Love, and features collaborators such as Prolifik, Vital, Meyhem Lauren, D-Rugz, and J-Love himself. It’s been a long time coming for listeners and fans to be graced with something as completely Dvine as this mixtape package B has put together. From D-Rugz and Timbo King’s jazzy “The Message” to J-Love’s badass “Fan The Fire” to Vital’s “Smoke Good” with Dvine’s lo-fi guerilla beat, there are sure to be a number of favorites for any listener.

Jahan Nostra - ESP Review

When it comes to intelligent, forward-thinking and eclectic hip-hop, the name Jahan Nostra as one of the more prominent emcees with this title becomes a no-brainer. Jahan, having been writing verses and slaying beats since he was a teenager, has already made a name for himself with a number of professional grade albums and releases. From releasing 2012's Bedtime Street album, and after releasing 2013's Sleepwalking LP, Jahan has made moves in directions both up and down the East Coast, touring in locations such as Newport and Providence Rhode Island, Brooklyn and New York City, and Greenville and Columbia in South Carolina. Now in 2016, ESP marks one of Jahan's greatest achievements in hip-hop storytelling and songwriting.

Lots of Changes and Content - Blog Updates!!!

Blog Updates

What's up drifters!!? There have been so many changes to DJ Dark Flow and "Adrift In The Airwaves" since my last post on Airdrift Signals a year and a half ago. (:

Since slowing down posting music reviews after securing a full time job in 2012 (all my music reviews for Surviving The Golden Age can be viewed here), I have made myself a weekly 4 hour time slot on WPKN 89.5FM in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Every week, I feature independent and local artists, either through their music, or as live in-studio guests or callers, mixing experimental electronic music, dance music, hip-hop, and psychedelic rock infused with abstract reggae and world styles. 

The Nomad - Perilous Times Review

For years, Daimon Schwalger, aka The Nomad, has been producing electronic sounds, masterfully mixing elements of dubstep, reggae, drum and bass and electronic music. His unique sounds continue on his sixth LP, Perilous Times, which features a foray of electronic beats spanning many genres that all feel related, and a multitude of singers to give every song a fresh face. The Nomad proves to listeners that they should not expect to hear the same thing twice, as his tracks all bring something new to the table. The dark funky lull of the opening track, “Give Some Love,” resonates with a neo-disco soul similar to electronic dance artist TV On The Radio. The reggae melody that races through “Run Through These Streets” takes surprising twists and turns as Vida-Sunshyne sings, “These are really perilous times.”

Georgia Anne Muldrow - Seeds Review

From here on out, music reviews that I post on my blog will be a combination of reviews I have written for Surviving The Golden Age and reviews I have commissioned on my own time. For now we have Georgia Anne Muldrow.

In r&b and soul music, nothing has made a bigger splash in recent years than Georgia Anne Muldrow’s new full-length album, Seeds. Produced by hip-hop beat wizard Madlib, Muldrow channels her inner soul and life purpose for the psychedelic array of samples and textures that pass through each track.

Music reviews, and writing for Surviving The Golden Age!

Music Reviews Incoming

It's been a few months since my last review was posted for Avey Tare's melancholy, rhythm induced, watery solo debut, Down There. Since then, I have been active in my efforts to keep the music alive in the absence of my radio show, Adrift In The Airwaves. I have been producing dubstep mixes and mashups and have been trying to DJ in areas around CT where the underground electronic scene has been blossoming.

Very recently, I have been hired for a writing internship to write music reviews for Surviving The Golden Age, an eclectic music blog that specializes in DJ mixes, mashups, as well as hip-hop and electronic music.

Avey Tare - Down There Review

There is not a moment to spare from the beginning of Down There. Instantly Animal Collective member, Avey Tare, pulls listeners into a swampscape of blurry voices and wet beats for his debut solo effort. Animal Collective are known to craft songs that experiment with the production and style of modern music, to such a huge extent, that their music has gained a considerable cult following. This steady rise in popularity has only since exploded by the time the group released their mainstream breakout album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, in 2009.

Shabazz Palaces – Black Up Review

When Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler of Brooklyn, New York, worked as part of the jazz hip-hop trio, Digable Planets, their easy-going alternative rap rocked the 90’s, when hip-hop was still in its early stages and growing in popularity. Now more than a decade later, Butterfly is back with a new name, and a new group, pushing a sound that burns a new chapter into the history of hip-hop. Based out of Seattle, Butterfly, newly dubbed as Palaceer Lazaro, heads Shabazz Palaces. Many excited fans were already buzzing from the release of Shabazz’s first two self-released EPs, Of Light and a self-titled EP. If these two releases meant anything in the world of hip-hop, it was a sure sign of something else entirely.

Thank you, radio listeners (+5,000 podcast downloads!!), and goodbyes.

Thank You, Listeners

First off I would like to say that my time here at UConn has been some of the best years of my life. Getting into radio programming here at WHUS happened almost by chance, as members from the station came to my Culture Of The College Media class to give a presentation on UConn’s radio station... I was hooked from my very first semester, and have been at the controls for Adrift In The Airwaves for over three years now.

Easy Star All-Stars - Dubber Side of The Moon Review

Another Dub Side? Easy Star All-Stars, the same guys behind the reggae cover albums for Dark Side of The Moon, Radiohead’s Ok Computer, and Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, unveil a brand new release: Dub Side of The Moon, but remixed and reworked, and inevitably redubbed; Dubber Side of The Moon. These new tracks, redone with a more atmospheric and heavy bass quality, resonate proudly through any good pair of speakers, and you can tell instantly that these songs were meant to surround you, and pull you in. From the very start of “Speak To Me / Breathe,” it is obvious that this is a re-imagining of the classic Pink Floyd album. Synth programming and sound effects add all the more tribute to the intricacies of Pink Floyd’s masterpiece.

Teebs - Ardour Review

Teebs, a popular artist on the Brainfeeder record label started by Flying Lotus, releases his debut album and blows all other producers out of the water! His multi-textured compositions come to life in Ardour, arguably one of the best beat albums of 2010. His soft beats and melodic chimes have a fulfilling presence, and I cannot stress it enough that his work bears a therapeutic, healing power for any avid headphones junkie.

MiM0SA - Silver Lining Review

Just two months after his late-night dubstep EP Your Love, MiM0SA comes out with another stunner, his super melodic, big bass release, Silver Lining. This new album, layered with bright melodies and atmospheric textures, sounds like a bright, sunny morning.