The new french movement: #4. Ahmad (Montpellier)

I've had a weakness for French rap ever since I discovered Le Funk Mob and Motorbass remixes on the MC Solaar b-sides that started to surface in the early nineties. That interest turned to addiction during (what I would define as) the golden age of French rap which I would define as around 1996-1999.

In my view, French producers outplayed most of their American counterparts in that era . With acts/producers such as DJ Kheops, IPM, La Cliqua, Double Pact and Sages Poètes de la Rue they brought something new to the game with minimalistic but hard boom-bap beats often with samples from non-traditional sources.

But as the millenium turned, many French acts followed their overseas colleagues in a spiral of bling-bling mentality, stereotype lyrics and beats. There are of course exceptions like some of the spin-off projects from the TTC-crew, Abd Al Malik and OFX but for a quite a while our focus has been elsewhere.

About two years ago something changed. If most acts (at least the once that got international recognition) earlier was based around Paris and Marseille now we got fresh sounds from all around the country. All those new encounters sparked us to kick off a new Beatheart's series entitled "The new French Movement".

Among the once we've covered here are #1. Don Da None (Caen) and #2. Zerolex (Besançon). Last year we met up with the Robert Glasper's evil twin in France - #3. Remi Panossian (Toulouse). More jazz than rap but they got that same fresh attitude and I still get the feeling that the musical innovation is spreading around the hexagone we know as La France. Last week, we discovered another interesting artist that is now our #4 feature in the series. Enjoy!

#4. AHMAD (MONTPELLIER)

Ahmad based in Montpellier is no newcomer with already three albums under his belt. But he recently released a whole string of videos, EP's and singles that to me represent that new movement of French musical innovation. Atmospheric instrumentals that tell a story of their own and could easily be stand-alone releases combined with beautiful poetic flows that makes Google Translate work hard to decipher. Just check the clip for "Drago" below:

To help those of you who don't speak French to appreciate his rhymes we got in contact with Ahmad and his team for an in-official translation of the lyrics for "Drago". Enjoy below.

The title "Drago" is a reference to Stallone's Rocky II movie with Russian Boxer Ivan Drago (played by Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren :) so the track begins with a quote from him: "if he dies - he dies".

My high kicks are just like Haikus / I want my Liquid Sword / Before choosing one of the 6 millions ways of meeting the homie Biggie Smalls / And I'm sounding just like a 6 chords guitar from Nashville / It's raining problems and I'm throwing a future together / I'm innovating in a dirty trick / Only crime pays, but how much does it cost ? /  I'm perfecting an itinerary which is oddly big / Waiting for a change to come just like Sam Cook / I got some childish dream; my sleep is the one of an adult / and trust me when I wake up, the bohemian lifestyle is being canceled / The nobel price is being smoke through a peace pipe / while the sun is in a bad mood. 

My launching ramp is in a bad shape / but I remain fair play : Detroit Pistons / I'm whispering a small detail, completing the course of History / strinking the future with a crystal ball / And I'm freestyling my motto / I'm turning over a new leaf but I'm falling asleep on the wheel / I'm here in this dirty world, so I can make figures with the alphabet / a humble happiness / and if he dies he dies, a russian boxer once told me / And you can check it out, I'm just kidding about it / It's the real truth, and it's true for real / a preamble on an epitaph / Broken dreams / Destiny / Plexiglas / And I'm dropping a verse in advance / But god be blessed, everything is not for sale.

Pretty awesome right?

Ahmad has just released an EP on Bandcamp entitled "Ne mourez jamais seul" (which I think translate to "Never die alone") and a clip called "Noveau Sinatra". He is currently working on new material for an upcoming album or EP hopefully due later this year. Be sure we'll keep you updated!

Ahmad on Bandcamp

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Melo-X - Yoncé-X (Beyoncé remix EP)

Stumbled over this this a few days ago. Now concept remix projects sometimes are more a curse than a blessing ever since the remix frenzy of Mr Carter's "The Black Album" but this is an exception. Sean Rhoden (a.k.a. Melo-X) is a diverse producer based in East Flatbush in Brooklyn. We earlier featured his work for/with Jesse Boykins III and a few years ago his rework of Maxwell's BlackSummersNight made some noise.

Sean on his rework of tracks from the new Beyoncé album:

"I've been doing remix albums for a while now. This Beyonce album was just so revolutionary and had so many layers and stories I kept hearing bits and pieces I could elaborate on. The remix album can also be looked at as a instrumental album because I'm sampling her music the way a producer would sample a old 1970's record. It's really a big art and passion project for me. I met Beyonce at a New Years eve party at Solange's house 2 years ago and gained even more respect and admiration for her."

"I bought the album the day it came out and vibed with it until Christmas day. On that night I made the whole Remix EP and spent the next week creating the video pieces and just refining the mixes. I decided to release the project [today] because it is Blue Ivy's birthday.  It's like the stars aligned all crazy and I couldn't pass this chance up"

Dark, experimental and beautiful. Get it while you still can!


Download: Melo-X - Yoncé-X

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Sage The Gemini - Gas Pedal (MSSL CMMND remix)

One of our top selections of 2013, MMSL CMMND, starts the year in style with this surprising remix of Sage the Gemini's "Gas pedal". Changing the pace and adding that child's play piano in the vein of Nas "Yes, I can" is just brilliant.


Download: Sage the Gemini - Gas Pedal (MSSL CMMND remix)

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Beathearts top selections 2013: Best releases

First of all, maybe we need to define what we mean by a "release". Or do we? Factmag recently described it brilliantly:

"Album lists aren’t just best-to-worst rundowns – they’re ways of demarcating what an “album” is (or isn’t) in the first place. 

Is a mini-album a full-length or an extended single? Should a clutch of Soundcloud demos be judged alongside a 3xLP pack? Are leaks off-limits – and, if so, why? In a year full of marketing campaign razzmatazz and big bruisers dropping surprise albums, it’s telling – and heartening – that much of the best music arrived through rogue channels. To quarantine mixtape releases, say, away from our albums list might have made sense a few years ago; now, it seems blockheaded and perverse. Mindful of not being Cnuts, we’ve no intention of holding back the tide.

Faced with navigating this increasingly complicated landscape, plenty of blogs have gone down the Grammys route of hyper-specification – Best Hip-Hop Albums That Aren’t Mixtapes;  Best Albums Under 15 Minutes That Aren’t Singles; Best Albums With A 16×16 Floor Tom; Best Albums That Didn’t Feature Nile Rodgers. We’ve elected to take the other road, allowing different formats to sit happily alongside one other. It doesn’t matter if it’s lengthy or snappy, physical or invisible – if it’s a great record, it’s in it." (FACT Magazine).

Amen to that! It's what we've been trying to say since day one, we enjoy good music no matter what the format, label or chanel. A rookie Soundcloud demo or a major label release. So well, here it is. Our top releases of 2013. Lessgo!

Best releases of 2013: 10th  9th  8th  7th  6th  5th  4th  3rd  2nd 1st 

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Beathearts top selections 2013: #1 JoDef - Steps

1. JoDef - Steps (Soulection)

If you haven't heard the tracks already "Swim" is a filtered broken tune with a housy feel chopping up classic Sade vocals. "TookItThurr" is a rework of Slum Village/Dilla's classic "2U4U". I'm struggling to find words to describe the style but I just love the blend of influences and genres. Amazing!

"Steps' is a timely release that comes during an experimental and fluid epoch in electronic music which proves to be a soulful, west-coast inspired footwork masterpiece. With varying influences from Jukesquad to TekLife – the original Chicago footwork crews, Jo Def carefully combines west coast leaning, bass-heavy vibes with traditional syncopated footwork sounds to produce a cohesive listen all the way through." (Soulection.com)

The album is a collection of reinterpreted tracks from a wide range of influences. From the two above mentioned to R.Kelly's "It seems like you're ready" and Louie Vega & Kenny Dope's deep house classic "Deep inside".

And as if that wasn't enough his label Soulection (label, radioshow and music collective) has decided to put out the album for free for a limited period. Absolutely essential. Get it now!


Takeaway track: "Ready"
Download: JoDef - Steps

Best releases of 2013: 10th  9th  8th  7th  6th  5th  4th  3rd  2nd 1st 

So what's next?
That's it! There were of course plenty more good releases but these ten stand out for me and are all good representatives of the music we love here at Beathearts.

Was 2013 as surprising for you as it was for us? Do you agree with our selections or think we're out of our minds? Hit us up right here, via Twitter or beatheartsblog@gmail.com. Coming up is our predictions of what we'll think will blow up in 2014.

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