Free Download: “Wonderland” by Natalia Kills

Posted on August 6, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Natalia Kills - Wonderland
To celebrate the United States release of Cherrytree Records recording artist Natalia Kills‘ debut record Perfectionist, Amazon has offered one of the singles, “Wonderland”, as a free download in the MP3 store throughout the entire month of August!

While we’ve had a mini-series, several single releases, and relentless promotion from Kills, “Wonderland” and the whole Perfectionist project is one of 2010-2011’s most underrated pop releases. We look forward to what Natalia and her team has in store for the release and promotion of the record, and it looks like they’re on the right track by offering one of the best releases this year as a free promotion for an entire month.

Perfectionist is out August 16th, 2011. Grab your copy of the MP3 by clicking here and check out the FANTASTIC video for “Wonderland” below.

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Track Review: David Guetta Featuring Sia – Titanium

Posted on August 5, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

David Guetta and Sia - TitaniumJust days after the premiere of one of the most disgusting, degrading pieces of pop music debuted onto Vimeo,  Timbaland’s track featuring Pitbull, Will.I.Am., and David Guetta called “Pass at Me,” (we’re not even reviewing it. Just know that we gave it 1 out of 5 stars) Guetta gracefully redeems himself by teaming up with one of our generation’s most admirable singer/songwriters Sia to deliver “Titanium,” a genuine song along the lines of the self-empowerment anthems that have become a staple within the pop genre.

Sia has been writing honest and emotional lyrics for years now, so it comes as no surprise that lines like “Cut me down, but it’s you who’ll have further to fall. Ghost town, haunted love.” and “I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away. ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away. You shoot me down, but I won’t fall, I am titanium”  fit right in with Sia’s catalog of music and are written and vocally delivered in a genuine and humanistic manner that allows the vocal tracks to give power to Guetta’s production.

During the verses, it’s the stereo spread guitar lead that takes focus in conjunction with Sia’s vocals, and contains a very nice reverb effect that’s automated to start at the end of each bar when the guitar phrase is almost completed, and becomes wetter and wetter as the measures progress. It’s a nice pairing with the subtle reverb on Sia’s vocals.

In regards to mixing, it’s an in your face kind of track, making it’s presence loudly known, especially in regards to the kick sample. However, while the dynamic range of the track doesn’t sound like it’s much to play with, Guetta gives the track great integrity by remaining creative to the song as a whole by giving vocals a dash of reverb throughout the run of “Titanium” and even chorusing, delaying, chopping up, and playing with the lead vocal and panning several of the harmony tracks.

And then, the best moment happens: parallel compression. We here at 2020k are big fans of this technique when used correctly and the way the bass drum is used as a sidechain to the compression of several of the synthesizers (and even the vocals from time to time) during the chorus of the track is exquisite. Everything ducks out and in for duration of that section of the track and the settings on the compressor are set to pump the effect at the perfect attack and release time to allow for the sections compressed in the track to give extreme power and drive. As opposed to taking the lazy route by just enabling the same settings on the same channels again to give you the same effect twice within minutes of each other, the effect works different during each section it appears and displays a clever use of distinguishing between the two times it is used.  A+ in our book!

While “Titanium” contains inklings of experimentation here and there, it still sacrifices to conform with the signature radio ready sound that David Guetta has made a name for himself with. Because of that, it’s doubtful that this track will stick out too much amongst the rest of the dance genre’s cespool of monotonous and loud productions. It’s not too much of an issue though, because with the help of Sia, this track is still dynamite at heart.

Listen to the track over here.

There is also a nice, more stripped version of the “Titanium” with Mary J. Blige floating around the internet somewhere. Check it out.

Track rating: 3.5/5

David Guetta’s sophomore album Nothing But the Beat is due out August 30th, 2011.

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Track Review: Iamamiwhoami – Clump

Posted on August 4, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Iamamiwhoami Clump

Track by Track: ;john | Clump | Sever | Drops | Good Worker | Play | In Due Order | Idle Talk | Rascal | Kill

12 days before the impressive Iamamiwhoami take the stage and make their “IRL-debut” for Sweden’s Way Out West music festival, they descended upon us a log in to their YouTube account and upload to Amazon & iTunes’ MP3 download sections to deliver their most electro-esque track to date entitled “Clump”.

First thing is first, remember during the 2020k review of “; John” it was said that there’s a possibility of a male vocalist going in and out of certain sections of the track? Well, we’re here to tell you that THERE IS YET ANOTHER MYSTERIOUS, DEEP, MALE SOUNDING VOCAL TRACK IN “CLUMP” AND IT’S MORE PROMINENT THAN THE ONE IN “; JOHN“. It’s still confusing thrown into the mix, unknown if the vocal track is just front-woman Jonna Lee’s vocals being pitched down and manipulated, or if a male counterpart is harmonizing with her. It’s laying too low in the mix through the first verse to really get a clear listen and while it’s heard crystal clear through the second verse, it’s so warped that it’s impossible to know if it’s Jonna or someone else involved in the project. Frustrating, but extremely intriguing. After all, it wouldn’t be Iamamiwhoami without a little mystery, correct?

Beyond the lower vocal, “Clump” once again gives us outstanding vocal production, with the majority of the track surrounding us with short vocal reverb times, allowing the dance-oriented production to surround us and take hold. During the breakdown, vocals are extremely stereo oriented, with at least five layers of Jonna’s voice being fed to various sections of the stereo image, all drenched in reverb to create a dream-like state that the b-section is meant to create.

Musically, “Clump” is a well done Electronica piece and continues their departure of experimental song structure from the BOUNTY project and remains true to building a more traditional format, consisting of “verse/chorus/b-section/verse/chorus/b-section” – It’s an interesting move in that it closely relates to “; John” by maintaining a conservative flow while programming instruments and samples in an unorthodox manner, but is different in that it contains slight references to the trance genre, with many of the synths repeating melodic phrases several times before slowly morphing into the next section of the track.
Interestingly enough, if you Iamamiwhoami Clump Coverlisten closely and loudly enough, there are more synth layers than meets the eye. The main one, a more low end oriented synth with a slower attack time and a bump of EQ in the mid-range creates one of the main melodic lines of the song, with a higher synth peeking in and out of the track at several moments during the beginning of the second verse, with a more prominent pad leading it’s way through the chorus before dropping off at the sound of a bass-drop to give way for the b-section. What makes the synthesizers even more interesting is that it doesn’t sound like too many different synths are playing at the same time, but the notes played on the instrument and the settings placed within the parameters of it create the illusion of a more dense environment. Smart work!

Since the track is mainly trace driven, “Clump” maintains a signature Iamamiwhoami style by utilizing sound effects, ambiance and interesting keyboard stutters that sounds like something The Doors would include on a 21st century downtempo remix of “Touch Me”. Without the subtle synth pad floating through the background of the verses, the airy exhale-industrial sound effects, and reverb on the sampled hi-hat, it’d be a very sparse and open track and that’s the last thing you think of when you hear the word clump, so while the mix may sound cluttered and busy during some portions of it’s 4-minute and 27-second run, it all seems part of the bigger picture.

A four-to-the-floor, very compressed, dance oriented kick is also used as a way to keep focus, drive the song as a whole and appeal to the Electronic vibe they’ve created for themselves. The kick also sounds strikingly familiar to the one used in “; John”, so it’s very probable that it was used to keep a cohesive musical theme together during these new era of tracks.

Iamamiwhoami Clump Screen CapFinally, in the realm of the rhythmic section of “Clump,” there is a higher frequency hit that follows every single snare drum hit, which gives it a more layered and industrial sense of direction, and a 16th note, extremely wet sounding tap that surrounds the majority of the track, that helps aid bass and kick.

“Clump” is yet another fantastic step forward in the Iamamiwhoami project and it’s interesting to see the video, musical, and lyrical double meanings that are cleverly thought out and presented. We here at 2020k still claim this project to be the most forward-thinking and artistic project in music at the moment and are watching out for what happes next. Bring out Way Out West!

Also, be sure to check out ForsakenOrder’s video analysis on “Clump”. This blogger does one for every Iam video and is always fantastically thorough in his findings and is the 2020k-audio counterpart to the video theories on Iamamiwhoami.

And what do you think of the track? C’mon! I know the clumpers love to chat it up when it comes to everything surrounding this project (remember, I’m RJ Eclectica in the comments section on Youtube!) Drop a comment on 2020k and let us know your thoughts! And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter!

Track rating: 4.5/5

Purchase “Clump” [iTunes]
Purchase “Clump” [Amazon]

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Album Review: Kelly Rowland – Here I Am

Posted on August 1, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Kelly Rowland Here I Am

New article: Music Business: The Mistakes and Decline of Potential – Kelly Rowland’s Ongoing “Here I am” Tragedy

Kelly Rowland seems to be having quite an identity crisis for an album ironically titled and just released Here I Am. In 2010, we received videos for the more dance oriented “Forever And A Day“, “Rose Colored Glasses“, and “Commander“. The songs seemed to try and capitalize off the international success of her collaboration with David Guetta on “When Love Takes Over,” released on his debut album One Love. They went nowhere in the United States but found success in the same places where the Guetta song took off, so it explains why the UK and many other countries are receiving a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT version of the album, with “leftovers” from the Here I Am recording sessions and a few of the songs that are currently featured on the United States release. It’s one of the many marketing strategies Kelly’s team has set up to ensure multiple copies of the album are purchased by diehard fans and is just the tip of the iceberg of the “WTF” worthy mistakes Here I Am is made up of.

The truth is, it’s hard for dance music to make it’s way onto Mainstream top 40 radio in the states and Kelly Rowland albums always seem to try to maintain a healthy medium of nice pop friendly, urban hits with more solid album cuts. A bit of a compromise, yes, but as an artist that is constantly and unfairly compared to her Destiny’s Child group mate Beyonce, it’s a sacrifice she’s been giving for years to keep up with the spotlight, while allowing herself a little niche to give us a more interesting and contemporary R&B style with songs like “Flashback” off of her sophomore release Ms. Kelly and “Train on a Track” from her debut Simply Deep.

Unfortunately, and probably because of the clusterfuck of failure that the dance tracks received domestically, we do not have any tracks on the record that do not come across as copycat and try-hard. For instance, On the album’s opening track “I’m Dat Chick,” we find Rowland delivering lines full of the hard hitting, independent female anthem lyrics, and giving us full swag on the lines “how you know? I told you so” but the delivery throughout the verses and the bulk of the song are extremely reminiscent of The Pussycat Dolls‘ sinister shouted verses and playful “ha-ha-ha-ha” on their single “When I Grow Up“.

Kanye West also did the electronic boops on his “Say You Will” from 808’s and Heartbreaks that are featured on Kelly’s “Keep it Between us” and “Leggo” has become a trademark of Chris Brown on “Look at Me Now,” not Lil’ Playy on “Work It Man.” The bulk of the album also noticeably sounds like something her contemporary Wynter Gordon, who does a nice job at fusing dance and R&B music together, would try to release. Kelly’s copycat aspects of her tracks are extremely noticeable, but doesn’t mean that they’re all completely horrible.

Kelly RowlandThe overall rap on “Work It Man” is great (“girl, I swear we go together..X and O’s. These other niggas, they can leave..exit doors” Playy playfully spits)  and the track in general is actually one of the more standout tracks on the record, with lyrics that don’t reference the all too cliche club fifty times and mention that she’s sippin’ till she’s empty. Instead, it’s a song about finding a man who’s going to kind of work it for you in all sorts of ways.

But still, “Work It Man” and rest of the record falls short because of entire-track quantization, simplified chord progressions, and focus on the bass being as big as possible to make up for it. They’re tracks that go a bit harder and as a result, the rappers featured on the album normally sound a lot better on the tracks than Kelly Rowland herself. It’s part in fact that the percussive aspects of the tracks work well against the rhythmic flow of the rappers, but also because they had more creative freedom to say what they wanted to say on the tracks, allowing for more creativity, and also because their vocals aren’t nearly as compressed as Rowland’s.

The biggest crime of the entire record is that throughout all of the un-melodic sample based, VST synth usage, cheap keyboard/piano sounds, and weird urban/dance combinations that Here I Am provides, the dynamic range of the tracks are crushed to a motherfucking pulp, with Kelly Rowland’s vocals pushed to the forefront of the mix throughout the entire record. She’s so compressed through the album’s run that you can barely tell where she’s attempting to give a quieter performance and instead her vocals run steady and loud through each and every syllable that she poured into the microphone.

As a matter of fact, her vocals are so prominent that I can set the CD at a moderate level on my stereo (or hell, even my mac speakers) walk out of my room to any room in the house and can still understand and hear every single word that’s being sung throughout the record. There’s a difference between compressing to add focus and compressing to obviously try to make an artist’s vocals stand out amongst the rest of the competition. A prime example of the loudness wars.

In addition to loud vocals, there are certain artists who have such beautiful tones and talent the use Autotune for any reason at all shouldn’t even be considered (Mary J. Blige, you’re The One I’m looking at). Kelly Rowland falls into this category and for whatever reason, these artists still rely on it. So, in order to keep the theme of “Urban Dance” that Here I Am offers, Kelly is autotuned to robotic steel throughout the album’s run and obnoxiously so. Even on the slower tracks that are placed on the album for demonstration purposes of emotion and vocal talent like “Heaven & Earth” (Deluxe Edition release only) are demolished and ruined by the combination of over-compression and extreme usage of vocal effects and autotune.

Kelly RowlandThroughout all of the misfortunes, none of which are particularly Kelly Rowland’s fault, (more so the album’s engineers, due to pressure from her record label) there are a few sparkling gems beside “Work It Man” that make this record worth buying. The album’s lead single “Motivation (Featuring Lil’ Wayne)” provides some of the most straightforward and sexiest lyrics of this year, with Rowland letting us know “And when we’re done I don’t wanna feel my legs. And when we’re done I just wanna feel your hands all over me, baby” against a Jim Jonsin and Rico Love beat.

Rico Love also continues to bring out the best in Kelly on “Feelin’ Me Right Now,” another one of the album’s independent anthems. Although it’s another track about being in the club, the album’s bridge gives way to some confident lyrics. “So back, back, back it up. You’re the one I got my eye on. Don’t give me your number, it’s already in my iPhone. I just want you close, close, close, close, nearer. Been watching you all night up in the mirror. I’m just feelin’ me right now.”

For the most part, save for a few songs here and there, it’s a mind numbing experience of poor engineering, bad marketing, and formulated-throwaway R&B/Dance fusion. Here I Am does it’s job in that the next time some guy calls you ugly, you can remember “I’m Dat Chick” and tell him “they tell me I’m so fly, I’m so fly, I’m so fly. But I don’t need a mirror, I can see, see, see, see” because even though this album is a bummer, Kelly will still break your fist, she’s dat chick.

Album Rating: 2/5

Worth it tracks: Work It Man, Motivation, Turn It Up, Feelin’ Me Right Now, Commander, I’m Dat Chick


Purchase Here I am Deluxe [iTunes]
Purchase Here I am [Amazon]

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Track Review: St. Vincent – Surgeon

Posted on July 30, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

St Vincent
Ladies and Gentlemen, after a slew of interesting teaser videos involving strange social mercy via YouTube, St. Vincent is thankfully on her way back to our eardrums and has released a download of a song off her upcoming third release, Strange Mercy, called “Surgeon” for free via the promotional website for the album.

First, let’s get things straight: everything about the structure and composition of this song is beautiful. Instruments, vocals, and mixing aspects of the song all play off of each other in that subtle way that allows everything to be brought together to make a track that sounds consistent. Different musical phrasing varies drastically depending on where you are throughout the track, becoming warm and laid back to busier and more aggressive. It’s all done in pieces with a guitar, sometimes played jazz style and sometimes sounding more funk, giving itself the lead position in designating when a section of the song ends and when it begins, giving warnings through the ending of phrases through changes in how it’s being utilized. There’s a cool effect at the end of the track that causes it to insanely oscillate and drop off to end the track. Various pauses throughout the musical composition lend hands to allowing smooth transitions.

The strongest example of the strong arrangement comes at the beginning of the track where layers of vocals melodically soar above airy synth chords and as the vocals drop out, they give way for St. Vincent to deliver the opening line of the first verse, which is where we segue into the next section of musical masterpiece, the lyrics.  “I spent the summer on my back” is the polysemous opening line, giving way for operating table, sexual innuendo, and just plain summer laziness interpretations, amongst any others you could think of. Lots of meanings could lyrically apply to a song with a hook that consists of one phrase: “The best, finest surgeon can’t cut me open”.

If we cut open the mixing aspect of “Surgeon,” we find a lot of time spent on ensuring the vocals and guitars are at the forefront and sounding great, while the drums, strings, synths, and other aspects of the song are supporting, but still give away great presence. There is an interesting synth that comes in to compliment the repeated vocal phrase “get along” that sounds quite abrupt through the left speaker, probably in part with how the envelopes were set on the synth settings. It throws off the stereo balance a small bit, but nothing too terribly noticeable unless you’re listening closely through headphones. However, at a 192kbps free MP3 giveaway, we can’t exactly dive too deep into what went on through the engineering aspect. As always, we’ll save this for the album review.

It’s an extremely unique blend of sounds that gives us a little bit Kanye West experimentation, or something as summery and warm as a Goapele record, while giving us some of the best lyrics we’ve seen all year. Bring on Strange Mercy, St. Vincent. We’re ready for it.

Track rating: 4/5

Click here to be directed to St. Vincent’s promo website for the new record and get your free copy of “Surgeon”!

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Infrasound: Sadsic – [b. now]

Posted on July 29, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Sadsic - [b. now]There is an experimental Electronic musician that’s been around since 2006, based out of Florida/Maryland called Sadsic that I’ve literally been introduced to this morning and he’s very, very good. His newly released EP [b. now] is a short 26 minute journey of music that takes you through the valleys of optimistic sounding synths, vocals, and samples that come together to bring you a great combination of Trip-Hop, Chill out, and even little dashes of Alternative Hip-Hop.

The album’s opener, “Tango Down” begins with two different samples spelling out what you’re about to listen to: Sad. Sic. Sad. Sic. Sad. Sic. Sad. Sic. It’s an interesting twist in introducing yourself on record the way emcees often hype themselves up (think “This is a Missy Elliott one time exclusive..” her catch phrase throughout most of the Under Construction era, but better). The sample is repeated a million times in it, but blends so well with the organized chaos, including string and horn samples and sonics that are reminiscent of viral Chillout artist Pogo‘s work that it doesn’t get tiring or overrated by the end of the song’s run. There is also an interesting parallel compression technique (or perhaps just manipulation with the sample’s envelope) used on the outro of the song that provides a bridge into the last 38 seconds of the morphing track.

Track 2, “Alone”, sounds like a lovechild between Mono and Terranova with Sadsic creating a musical soundscape of record hissing, choir-oohing, hard knocking percussion and supportive samples that create layers and layers of dense sound, providing the foundation for the several melodic aspects of the track that play off of the stereo image to add added chill and trip. The most impressive parts of this song comes from all of the attention to detail in the production of the vocal, a rap provided by Jstjr. They’re doubled and panned in some parts, several reverbs are added and manipulated throughout the 4:44 run and it’s sometimes chopped up, delayed, and reversed through the bulk of the track. (This also holds true for “Homesick Mountain” with vocalist Willie Versteeg).

Though there’s extreme praise for “Alone,” it and most of the other tracks on [b. now] focuses a bit too heavily on ensuring the kick & low frequency aspects of the songs have a lot of high energy, which sometimes can be a distraction to the other loops, samples, and instrumentation going on. It’s one of the only downfalls on the EP, but the consistency of trying to use a lot of something is heard throughout it and on several other aspects of the record, including the beautiful and emotional Boards of Canada sounding “2 + 2 = 22” in which an effect is used to distort a synth on several aspects of the song. While the idea of using distortion to give the the loop-esque sound that’s created an extra punch is great, however the setting, which sounds like an extreme EQ boost in the high frequencies, with some intentional clipping and a compressor so it’s not actually distorting the track, is a bit too extreme and is mildly grating on the over all sound of the song.

All in all, it’s an EP that obviously draws from it’s influences, but comes off sounding genuine and fantastic sounding for an unsigned artist. You can download it for free or at your own price through Sadsic’s Bandcamp website. We recommend throwing in a few dollars, because it’s worth it. Click here to stream the record and/or download/buy it. Then, leave a comment on what you think of this record! Sadsic’s awesome! Especially all of the amazing panning and play with the stereo sound that he does! We want to hear more!

Album Rating: 3/5

Got an unsigned or indie artist you’d like us to take a listen to? We love exposing talent and expanding our musical knowledge of the underground scenes on 2020k! Shoot us an E-mail, send us a wall post on our Facebook page, or Tweet us what you think we should be writing about.

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2020k Giveaway: Win One of 3 Copies of “Pennies in a Jar” by Nikki Jean (One Copy is Signed!!)

Posted on July 28, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Nikki Jean
It’s safe to say that 2020k reps Nikki Jean pretty hard. You’ve read our interview with her, seen the celebration post, and enjoyed our album review. Now, to close out our excitement and exclusives upon the release of her debut Pennies in a Jar, we’re proud to say that courtesy of the songbird herself, we’re giving away a few copies of the record!

ACTUALLY, WE’RE GIVING AWAY THREE COPIES OF PENNIES IN A JAR. AND TO MAKE IT BETTER, ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL RECEIVE A SIGNED COPY.
Are you excited? Good.

HOW TO ENTER: All you have to do to enter the contest is follow us on Facebook and then shoot an E-mail to cras.rkozain@gmail.com telling us your name and why you’d like to win a copy of the flawless disc.

Submissions for the contest close on August 15th and the three winners will be notified by E-mail soon after.

Good luck! Pennies in a Jar was released on July 12th, 2011. (iTunes) Check out her major cable debut performance on David Letterman where she performed “How To Unring A Bell” below!

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Track Review: Starsmith – Lesson One

Posted on July 25, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

Starsmith Lesson One CoverIn March of 2011, producer, remixer, artist, and human being Starsmith took to his Tumblr to give some very valid and respectable reasons as to why he chose to postpone the release of his upcoming debut album. He felt he was too new in the entertainment industry, he felt silly for not working on other artist’s projects, and the finances for the record were taken away from his former label, Island Records. All valid reasons and ones that should be applauded. Though, in the same Tumblr entry, we were told that he was able to keep all of his songs when parting ways with Island and there was a track that was recorded with Alex Brake that was too precious to keep locked away. That song is “Lesson One” and it’s finally been delivered as a summer release, just as it was originally planned! (It’s always extremely nice when an artist sticks to their word).

The song itself fades in quickly and opens up to us a clean and warm laid back house vibe. It’s an extremely melodic piece and one that follows the traditional instrumental driven song, coupled with a vocal hook and chopped up vocal pieces that help give “Lesson One”  an extra chilled out, rhythmic, melodic, and creative push. Even the bass is giving away more than a rhythmic pulse to aid the track – it’s rocking with the rest of the instruments, playing off the notes emitted by a secondary lead synth that comes in on the second half of the song.

“Lesson One” also contains synth chords that subtly swell in and fade out, which some may find reminiscent to early Daft Punk records. It’s also similar to the french duo rhythmically due to the sample based kick drum, compressed with a subtle breathing technique that sounds surprisingly clean and pristine and is not pushed to the front of the mix to give it an overall “CLUB YOUR ASS OFF” vibe that a lot of dance musicians try to emulate. It’s a little bit Discovery, a little bit Homework, but all Starsmith and should absolutely not be taken as an imitation track in the slightest. Just someone who got it all right.

The mixing falls in line with “got it all right” as well because it’s flawless. Every single instrument has it’s own space to live in, every synth has it’s distinct frequency-filtered and EQ cut outs to live inside and nothing is fighting for your attention. It’s all subtle and gives way for the listener to focus on whichever section of the track they want to subjectively listen to as opposed to trying to listen to that hidden part of the song (you know the part..the one where the track is brickwall mixed so hard that the vocal and kick drum overshadow any kind of beautiful melody in the underlying track that you’re trying to closely listen to). Everything is present. Everything sounds wonderful. There’s a reason Ellie Goulding’s Starsmith produced debut album Lights was at the top of BBC’s Sound of 2010.

“He’ll never love you don’t you ever start to think he will. Honey, you’re the one that got away. I’ll be there waiting if you ever want to feel the thrill. This is the lesson that you’ll learn someday.” – Beautiful and simple lyrics that repeat themselves through layers, vocoder effects, and chopped up, panned, chorused, and short reverb times to help fill up the mix a bit more and give it an extra push toward perfection.

Perfection. It’s a good word to describe a lot of things Starsmith does.

Don’t get too excited and expect an album soon. This is just to hold us off until Starsmith gets back into the studio to rework parts of the record and ensure it’s the best it can be before it’s released for all of us to thoroughly enjoy. For now, enjoy the adorable video that accompanies the track, pre-order your copy of the EP, let’s get in the convertible and put the top down because I’m proclaiming “Lesson One” to be the summer anthem in the Electronica/Dance genre of 2011.

Track rating: 5/5

Purchase “Lesson One EP” [iTunes]

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2020k Presents: An interview with Nikki Jean!

Posted on July 22, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

NikkI Jean2020k is proud to present it’s very first exclusive interview on it’s website ever! …With Nikki Jean! Her debut record Pennies in a Jar (which we reviewed upon it’s release, click here to take a gander) has made quite a splash since it’s release last week and we’re proud to give 2020k readers and Nikki fans some insight into the record, her feelings on her unique bond with her followers, and some information on what we can expect in the near future (hint: it includes videos and Patty Crash)!

In conjunction with our feature interview, we will also be running a contest in the next few days to give away a couple copies of Pennies in a Jar! If you’d like to find out how you can win your copy, be sure to like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter! But, for now, take a read below to find out Nikki’s thoughts on her David Letterman performance, taking over Lupe Fiasco’s Twitter, and more!

First and foremost: Hello, how are you?!

I’m doing very well, thank you. 🙂

You sounded & looked flawless on your Letterman gig and performed “How to Unring a Bell,” which is my favorite from the record! Your whole band looked like they were having loads of fun as well. How was that experience?

The Letterman show was an ENORMOUS opportunity. The guys and I practiced a lot to prepare for it, but when we got there the staff at the show were so amazing that it was easy to relax and have fun.

What was the motive behind your ambition to travel across the United States, track down various legendary songwriters, and strive to create the 21st century’s answer to Carole King’s “Tapestry”?

I was completely inspired by the songs I loved as a little kid, and also what I perceive to be a downward spiral of song quality in popular music. The melodic vocabulary of the average listener has shrunk so much. There’s no problem with the music of today, the challenge is to create a space for a counterbalance. So that’s what I wanted my statement to be. Also, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn from the greats.

Have you gone to the record store to pick up a copy of your record yet? How does it feel to finally be able to hold the album in your hand and say “This is mine. I made this!”?

Not YET!! I’m not entirely sure which stores have the record and I don’t want to walk in and be disappointed, but I know we’re shipping a lot of them soon, and then I’ll go for sure. 🙂

What’s your favorite song on the album and why?

I love “China” – It’s both my favorite song to record and to listen to. When we went into the studio to record the vocal on that song, it was kind of a magical day. Everything just fell into place and it was really joyful. When we finished everyone was like “yeah . . that was . special”. When I listen to the record I always remember that so it makes me smile and it’s a song that says something about the world, which is important to me.

Since having a YouTube account, you’ve used other social media platforms such as Formspring and Tumblr to keep a tight connection between you and your fan base. How important is it to you to have that connection?

It is very important. Musicians need music lovers. It’s that simple. I’ve been fortunate to have a unique and close relationship with many of my youtube viewers. They have been such a source of inspiration and strength throughout this journey. My goal is for there to be no artificial barriers between the music and the people who’s lives it is mean to touch.

Nikki Jean

How is it interacting with all of the Lupe Fiasco fans now that he’s temporarily quit Twitter and handed the reigns of his account over to you? Has anyone said anything crazy yet?!

The brilliance of Lupe allowing me to tweet from his page is that he shared access one of his most valuable assets. . his PEOPLE.  They’ve been very kind for the most part and open minded considering I was thrust upon them involuntarily. I love the power and thoughtfulness of Lupe’s fans. It was an amazing experience.

Speaking of Lupe, “Hip-Hop Saved My Life” was a huge opportunity for you. What was it like for him to return the favor and spit a verse over “Million Star Motel” along with Black Thought from The Roots?

Lupe Fiasco and Black Thought are two of the most thoughtful lyricists ever to hold a mic. I am inspired by their lyrics and to have either of them on a song would be an honor, but to have them both really blows my mind. It’s a treat for me as a fan, and hopefully also for their fans.

Previously, you graciously released two EP’s with your band Nouveau Riche for free through file hosting websites. Fortunately, your solo debut didn’t have a chance to leak to the same websites before it’s release, but the tracks have inevitably begun to spring up on various other outlets. Do you have a take on file sharing? Has it helped or hurt the industry? You?

I have given, and will continue to give away a lot of music. With that in mind, when I FINALLY release something, of course you wish people would purchase it. If they don’t, and they appreciate the music, I hope they come to a show, or buy a t-shirt or in other way show their support. At this point, file sharing can’t be helped, so attaching emotion to it good or bad is pointless. It’s like. . Sometimes it rains. . It’s just a fact.

What albums and artists have you currently been listening to?

I’m currently listening to Ellie Goulding, and this new mixtape that 88 keys is putting out. There’s some really amazing unknown lyricists on it.  I also, of course, am always listening to Elevator Fight, and J*Davey.

The most adorable song on the record has got to be “Patty Crash”. Considering you two are best friends I’m going to assume she’s heard the song, so what’s she think of the track!?

It’s such a complimentary song that I would be totally bummed if she hated it. But she seems to like it 🙂 We’re making a video for it . . starring. . PATTY CRASH!

You’ve opened up for Train, was featured on the Glow in the Dark tour, and even basically toured through people’s living rooms. Are there any plans to do more touring in the recent future? Are there any shows coming up?

We are currently in the process of trying to fill up my schedule with shows as much as possible. I’ll have more information soon. . sit tight.

In the same vein of planning, what can we expect in terms of promotion for “Pennies in a Jar”?  Music video? Future single releases? Radio and TV interviews? Etc.?

We’ve been doing a lot of radio promotion on NPR which is amazing. In addition to Letterman, we also just finished taping Tavis Smiley, which I’m thrilled about. I’m planning 4 videos for the album right now. . but I look at the promotion of the record more as a journey than a destination and look forward to rolling them out over the next year.

You mentioned several times about “The Complete Artist’s Way” and Morning Pages. Can you expand a little bit more on how those helped you and if you have any other certain processes or rituals when it comes to songwriting?

Morning pages are a practice I started doing 10 years ago. It helps me connect to what I consider to be my inner wisdom. At the end of the day, we all have a gut feeling about what we SHOULD be doing with our life, or the right or wrong decision in any given situation, morning pages help me identify those. I try and look at the world around me with an eye for detail and the relationships between seemingly unrelated things when songwriting. . Things that make me wonder about the world and our place in it.

Nikki Jean

In the years leading up to the release of “Pennies in a Jar” and through all the ups and downs of working toward putting it together, what would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned & kept with you? And what advice can you give to other aspiring artists (or people with ambition to follow their passion in general)?

I don’t think that a career in music is something that should ever be encouraged.  I think a professional music career is for people who are so passionate and hard headed that no matter how much discouragement is hurled their way they fight through it. If you want security, a retirement plan, health insurance, the ability to care for your parents as they age, the ability to have kids, and buy a house in a timely or predictable manner. . IF ever. . make music your hobby, not your career.

Do you have any announcements, closing comments or statements in general that you’d like to throw out into the world to the readers of 2020k?

I would like to thank the amazing people who have helped and supported me along the way.  I hope you always believe in yourself, the way I believe in you.

2020k would like to thank Nikki Jean for taking time out of her schedule to take the time to talk with us! Her debut record Pennies in a Jar was released on July 12th, 2011 under S-Curve Records. Click here to download it from iTunes! Leave a comment below to let us know your thoughts on this piece!

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Track Review: m83 – Midnight City

Posted on July 20, 2011 by 2020k | RJ Kozain

m83
According to Hype Machine, M83 completely dominated the blogosphere and took the #1 spot as “Most blogged about” throughout the entire internet yesterday. Why? Well, they gave away a song off of their upcoming 2-disc Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming record! It’s called “Midnight City” and here is what 2020k has to say about it: IT’S THE FIRST M83 SONG I’VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE AND IT’S EXTREMELY GOOD.

Now, I’d love to say the song is perfect, but the download is only offered at 160 kbps MP3, which means a lot of sound degrading, and since 2020k is a blog thrived upon the engineering, mixing, and mastering process of a song, we’ll save the actual review for when a lossless quality is released.

As for the actual composition and song structure that is featured on “Midnight City”? It’s flawless. Gorgeous bass, lots of gorgeous sounding synths, 80’s drum sounds, and spaced out sounding vocals. They all give way to a great Electronic nighttime summer anthem. And there is a saxophone part? How wonderful!

The best part of the track are all of the vocal layers. There are lots of them, they are dry, they are wet with reverb, they ooze vocoder, they spring delay and the main vocal yelp that provides one of the strongest melodies throughout the track is a standout.

Along with the release of this track and news of the record, the band has announced official North American tour dates. Venues and more information are available here.

Admittedly, I haven’t listened to much M83 in my lifetime. There’s far too many legendary acts in this world for me to possibly follow all of them, but after the release of “Midnight City” there is an eagerness inside to check out more of what they’re about. Have any suggestions? Tweet me, Facebook me, or leave a comment below!

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is due for release on October 18th, 2011 on Mute Records. Expect a review from us!


Download “Midnight City” for Free [M83’s Official Website]

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