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Best Fuckin Morning, Play The Playlist, SKOASelfCare, SKOA fam, mixtapes, Mental Health, Baby Bands kibbe Best Fuckin Morning, Play The Playlist, SKOASelfCare, SKOA fam, mixtapes, Mental Health, Baby Bands kibbe

[PLAY THE PLAYLIST] BEST FUCKING MORNING ☕️

Recently I’ve trying to be more thoughtful with how I start my day. With all of this time in quarantine I’ve taken the opportunity to observe how impactful tiny thoughtful adaptations can be. Not just on a daily basis either, as I’ve found that sometimes the change can be so swift it’s often within an hour or even a matter of minutes, depending on the situation.

We all know music is a major mood shifter. Unfortunately, sometimes it feels like because we’ve gotten so accustomed to the habit of recklessly consuming things to make us feel better that we do this with music a lot more than any of us would like to admit. I know I’ve certainly been guilty of that myself. Additionally, when you’re already not giving too much thought of what you’re consuming, it’s hard for me to believe that it means that all that unused thoughtful energy is shifting to what you’re putting out into the world and any subsequent side effects, either positive or negative.

I intend to take more ownership of how this space factors into this consumption habit equation for everyone, so of course I felt the need to make a fucking playlist about it. 🤪

I took some time thinking about not just what makes me feel good, but exactly what makes me feel my ⚡️fucking best⚡️. IMO, there’s truly nothing better in this life than the opportunity to identify how your talents/strengths can help people, throwing all of your energy into that thing, and then witnessing the magic that comes from those efforts. To be clear, I’m not just talking about ways that earn you money from doing this either. It can also be little things like knowing you’re a good personal cheerleader and being able to notice when someone could need some pom-poms waved in their direction and seeing their reaction. It’s ✨ literally the fucking best✨ ESPECIALLY when all parties involved decide that shit is going both wayyysss.

Community.

Connection.

Intention.

These are the things that BEST FUCKING MORNING☕️ is made of to the best of my ability. Sometimes you’ll get ✨a feeling✨ from the music, but as often as I could, I wanted the words ringing through your ears to make you feel fucking great, too. Additionally, I wholeheartedly believe that it’s equally important that the people making the good vibes you ingest should absolutely coming from good fucking people and I can say with a great level of confidence that these are all really good fucking people. I took a lot of care to make sure that even if one were to treat this playlist like a LoFi Chill Beats To Study To kinda deal where it’s mostly going to be background noise, that the few times that your brain decides to focus in on what’s actually happening that hopefully in that moment you feel empowered to remember that you always have the opportunity to choose happiness in spite of whatever bullshit gets thrown at you.

Let me be very clear that this is not me tryna shove some toxic positivity on your ass. That shit is annoying as fuck and not welcomed in this house. You always are entitled to however you feel, absolutely.

BUT

When you wake up feeling meh and decide you deserve to feel at minimum a little bit better.

Or you wake up feeling fucking great and want to hold onto that feeling as much as you can, possibly even going next level with that shit.

I promise you this shit will take you there, wherever that may be.

Although this collection of vibes was arranged in a way to be uplifting incrementally, feel free to let The Algorithm™ move you and shuffle this shit if you are so inclined. That said, I def invite you to see if you can notice a different if you listen both ways. Additionally, I intend to honor the inspiration behind this playlist and occasionally implement tweaks every now and then, hopefully to further enhance this vibe. Mostly likely additions only, no removals or substitutions.

As long as this playlist is in your life may you never forget that you deserve the fucking best. 💖

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#diSKOAverweekly: Week of June 17, 2020

Hello it’s your friendly playlist junkie poking her adorable lil head out to say hello. I had all of these lovely things to say about all of these songs but then the entire day just kind of imploded so next update (which will not be in two months sorry sorry sorry but also not sorry) will be thorough and what you deserve. You just really need to hear all of these things because they’re what have been keeping me sane. Maybe I will come back in and edit this up to my standards but for now please enjoy lots of love. 💖

  1. Onsen - “Be There”

  2. HUMANS - “Beggin”

  3. Anthony & Cleopatra - “Why Don’t You Just Call Me”

  4. Midnight Pool Party - “Nonchalant”

  5. CLYPSO - “D.Y.S. (Defend Your Situation)”

  6. James Indigo - “Cxntour”

  7. Anoraak - “Between Love (feat. Outside The Disco)”

  8. RAC - “Change The Story (feat. Jamie Lidell)

  9. Approachable Members Of Your Community - “Only Friend”

  10. Miro Shot - “Someone Else’s House”

  11. Dumbfounded - “Outside (feat. SATICA)”

  12. JR JR - “This Side of Paradise”

  13. Duck Sauce - “I Don’t Mind”

  14. Le Couleur - “Concorde”

  15. JEANA - “808 (How Would You Like It like That)?”

  16. Jamie Lane - “Sweet/Bitter”

  17. Martin Luke Brown - “J.O.Y.”

  18. JMR - “Cheap Happiness”

  19. Young & Sick - “CAN I CHANGE”

  20. Steve Cousins - “Start Again”

  21. Jake Isaac - “10 Steps To Heaven”

  22. Day Wave - “Crush”

  23. Nana Adjoa - “Love and Death”

  24. Poté - “Lonely”

  25. Husky Loops - “You Bore Me”

  26. Blonder - “Bees In The Sun”

  27. Timi Temple - “Fa-Fa-Fading”

  28. Bombay Bicycle Club - “I Can Hardly Speak”

  29. tiLLie - “The Heart”

  30. Genesis Owusu - “Don’t Need You”

  31. Vacationer - “Treat”

  32. Mark Ronson - “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (feat. Raissa)”

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Night Out, Tour kibbe Night Out, Tour kibbe

[Night Out] Big Data @ Warsaw (11/08/2015)

It's yah boy Big Data looking bawse as hell at Warsaw (11/08/2015)

So, um, a lot can happen in 7ish months.

Wow. 

I knew that touring pretty much incessantly was going to be good for broadband bud and mastermind behind Big Data, Alan Wilkis, but I did not realize just how fast he would accelerate once it was all set in motion. Inertia is a crazy thing, man. It only took somewhere around 45 seconds of their opening number before I grabbed Sprout's shoulder and disrupted her snapping to exchange delightfully astonished glances and mouth, "OH MY GOD!" to each other. 

When last we met our hero, Wilkis was still feeling out how big to go as a performer, which I know has to be tough considering his backstory hasn't really ever been performance based. What I witnessed on Sunday night was what happens when someone takes the time to actually cut and polish a diamond in the rough. That mofugger **SPARKLED**. It wasn't just his stage presence, which has been updated (nerdy pun intended). *Someone* has also obviously been taking singing lessons because dare I say I didn't miss Jamie Lidell's vocals on "Clean" this time nearly as much as I did back in March. 

Highlight of the night for me was what transpired behind me at what was happening in front of me that inspired me to tweet this: 

Considering his current momentum I just keep wondering to myself if he's ever going to slow down. My guess (and hope if I'm honest) is that he won't. 

You're right, Alan. I didn't know that you were dangerous. 

Catch Big Data on tour with RAC and see what I saw. You can peep dates over on Facebook. 

If you haven't listened to Big Data's debut album, 2.0 you better bump it via the Spotify player below before I shake the stupid outta yah. 

For proof of Big Data's newfound badassery, you can relive our night courtesy of Sprout's snaps below:

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SKOA Radio kibbe SKOA Radio kibbe

#skoaradio 11/07/2015 liner notes

Really feeling this week's mixtape you guys.

Can't stop. Won't stop. Can't stop working. But it's chill though, the atmosphere I've been launched into has me surrounded by people who are music junkies just like me! In fact, I found Michl courtesy of one of my dope new friends at the office I'm in right now. (Thanks dude!) Sprout and I also hit up Honne on Tuesday this week where we hung out in the dungeon of a basement at Mercury Lounge and chatted with with James and Andy before they got the entire place pregnant. It's good to be busy. Then we had Flagship at Rough Trade on Friday night. Those guys were super great too. Can't wait to interview them and officially usher them into the skoa fam. But yeah, there's a lot going on but the majority of it is awesome. I guess you could say I'm #stressedbutalsoblessed. I hope you enjoyed this week's show. I'd love to hear from you if I just introduced you to your new favorite song (I know I'm kind of obsessing over SOULS right now).

Until next week!

<3

kibbe!

 

And here's the headlines I rushed through that you can read more about (and you should so you're smarter than everyone else):

As always, feel free to snag the Spotify playlist below so you can listen to the sweet jams I picked out for you on the go!

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Reviews Adrian Reviews Adrian

[Listen] RAC Brings Kele Okereke and MNDR in for "Let Go

Leave it to RAC to deliver an incredibly infectious pop song perfectly fit for the summer. Even though the summer months are soon to be over, that doesn't matter. His new single "Let Go" will be on repeat for months to come. Featuring vocals from both MNDR and Bloc Party's Kele Okereke, the song is just so damn catchy with its groovy bassline and upbeat chorus.

Things are sounding good for RAC's upcoming Don't Talk To EP—it's out on October 1st. Check out "Let Go" below.

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Remix, Reviews Adrian Remix, Reviews Adrian

[Listen] RAC Remixes Joywaves' "Tongues"

For his latest remix, RAC set his sights on Joywave's glitchy and addictive electronic number "Tongues." Taking the horns out of the equation and toning down the pulsating beat, RAC inches the dial away from electronic a bit. He adds strings and harps, simplifies the percussion in favor of bassy synths, and overall gives the song a breath of fresh air. Check out the lush remix below, along with the original.

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Remix, Reviews Adrian Remix, Reviews Adrian

[Listen] Mayer Hawthorne - "No Strings" (RAC Remix)

Whenever RAC puts his efforts into a remix, the result is almost always fantastic. What is even more impressive, though, is his ability to create something fun and danceable no matter the source material. Tackling Mayer Hawthorne's "No Strings", RAC puts an incredibly funky spin on the soulful stylings of Hawthorne, a welcome fit that is the perfect way to start off the week. Stream and download the remix below, and head here to stream all six remixes from Hawthorne's just-released How Do You Do Remixes EP.

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SKOA Presents, interview, Reviews Adrian SKOA Presents, interview, Reviews Adrian

[Interview] RAC Talks Approach, Original Music, His Disinclination to Sing, and Future Releases

Andre Allen Anjos, aka RAC, has become one of the most well known remix artists out there, establishing a name for himself with some of the most evocative and creative remixes in the world of music. Each remix he puts out masterfully grasps the most important aspects of the original, all the while giving it an entirely fresh and fluid sound. It makes sense, then, that Andre is finally venturing into the realm of original content, and the first taste we got of that was his debut single "Hollywood". The song, which featured the vocals of Penguin Prison's Chris Glover, was a seamless evolution from the remixes RAC has been making for the past several years, taking those experiences and applying it to a made-from-scratch song. The result is an incredibly catchy and wholly indelible piece of music, one that, from start to finish, is tirelessly enjoyable and simply fun to listen to.

During his recent tour, RAC made a stop in Vancouver, performing at the city's famous Waldorf Hotel. Before his show, however, Alec Ross of Ca Va Cool and myself had the opportunity to chat with him about all things RAC. Throughout the interview, we discussed his approach to remixes, how he has applied that to original content, his singing abilities, and future releases. Below, you can stream the entirety of our interview with Andre, which will also be appearing on Ca Va Cool.

UPDATE: The interview has been transcribed and is also available to read in full after the jump.

Andre Allen Anjos, aka RAC, has become one of the most well known remix artists out there, establishing a name for himself with some of the most evocative and creative remixes in the world of music. Each remix he puts out masterfully grasps the most important aspects of the original, all the while giving it an entirely fresh and fluid sound. It makes sense, then, that Andre is finally venturing into the realm of original content, and the first taste we got of that was his debut single "Hollywood". The song, which featured the vocals of Penguin Prison's Chris Glover, was a seamless evolution from the remixes RAC has been making for the past several years, taking those experiences and applying it to a made-from-scratch song. The result is an incredibly catchy and wholly indelible piece of music, one that, from start to finish, is tirelessly enjoyable and simply fun to listen to.

During his recent tour, RAC made a stop in Vancouver, performing at the city's famous Waldorf Hotel. Before his show, however, Alec Ross of Ca Va Cool and myself had the opportunity to chat with him about all things RAC. Throughout the interview, we discussed his approach to remixes, how he has applied that to original content, his singing abilities, and future releases. Below, you can stream the entirety of our interview with Andre, which will also be appearing on Ca Va Cool.

UPDATE: The interview has been transcribed and is also available to read in full after the jump.

Adrian: Each remix you put out, carries the intent of the original song, but takes it to a whole new level with a more fluid sound. What approach do you take when creating a remix?

André Allen Anjos: With the remix, it’s kind of like writing a new song. I know that people don’t perceive it that way, or people don’t think anything is original, but it’s kind of like taking out what makes it that song – whether its structure, or a hook, or one of the main things – and then building around that. It’s really about what’s important in that song, and changing the rest, because the rest is irrelevant and interchangeable. That’s kinda what it is, on a practical level it is a lot of time just listening to the song and figuring out what’s important.

Alec Ross: When making a song on your own, is the approach more difficult? Is there anything different in the process?

André: The only real difference is how much pressure I put on myself, because with remixes, normally you’re working with ridiculous deadlines and a lot of the times you just wing it. Sometimes it’s kind of crazy to have a remix I listen to and think “Oh man I wish I had more time for that”, but it doesn’t work out that way. With this it was different because I had all the time in the world and I didn’t have deadlines and I could do whatever I wanted. It was really fun, it was just more pressure on myself. Working with Chris [Glover] was great, that was the easiest part of it.

A: What did you enjoy most about the song? Was it making the song itself, the reception it received, or perhaps the music video with the ridiculous cowboy?

André: To some extent it was the freedom of doing whatever I wanted and establishing myself as an original artist. It’s kind of strange, but really fun. Obviously working with Green Label [Sound], they made a lot of stuff happen financially with the video, and got some pretty big names mixing as well.

AR: It’s pretty cool that you’re with Green Label Sound, it seems like they provide you with a certain amount of “you guys can do what you want, and create what you want to create”, it’s very multi-faceted who is on that label, and all of you are great in your own way.

André: Yeah, well the thing with them is that I had the song way before I even met them. A lot of people worry about labels messing with their music, and they get super protective, but I already had the song so it was never a conversation that came up. I don’t think they’re the kind of people that would do that anyways. They’re all indie label people, with Mountain Dew money basically. They’re doing a lot of real cool stuff because of it, and it’s really exciting, and I’m glad to be a part of it.

AR: Up here in Vancouver it was really noticeable the amount of new listeners you got from your remix of Lana Del Rey’s "Blue Jeans". Did you expect that amount of attention?

André: I can look at facebook stats all day long, but a lot of these things are kind of intangible and you only really notice when you go somewhere. Obviously when the offer came in it was an easy decision because I knew it was going to do well, I never realized it was going to do this well. I definitely noticed some change, but where I really saw the difference was when we played it live and I was like “Woah, people noticed.”

A: How do you prepare for your live shows? With your large amount of output, how much decision and thought goes into the set list?

André: Everything is on the spot. We just gauge the crowd a little bit, and there’s always a couple misfires, but it’s more that way. If we played the same songs every night I’d go insane. DJ’ing is easy enough, and if you already pre-planned your set, that’s just incredibly boring. It’s almost for selfish reasons that we do it on the fly.

AR: With your original sets, are you going to continue to use vocals of other artists or are you playing with the idea of using your own vocals? What’s next for your original content songs?

André: Yeah, I can’t sing. I just really can’t. I also really enjoy the musical side of it, and don’t feel like I have that much to say, and I also want to collaborate with other people. To answer your question, there will be a whole album with collaborations like that, and this is only the beginning of that. We’re going through the labels right now, and I’d love to tell you about all the other artists, but I’m going through all the legal stuff. So once that’s over we’ll make a big announcement and announce solo artists. I’m pretty excited about it, I got to work with some crazy people.

A: In the near future, will you be focused more on original content rather than remixes or vice versa? Can we expect an EP or an LP?

André: It will be an LP for sure. I have something like twenty-five songs with vocals and I have to narrow that down. It’s going to be the most difficult thing I have ever done, but that’s going to be coming out. I’m definitely not going to stop doing remixes, that’s what got us where we are and we’re not going to turn our backs on that. I still love doing remixes and it’s an easy way to collaborate with somebody and do something fun.

AR: Are there any Vancouver bands you ever thought of remixing? What’s your perception of Vancouver’s music scene?

André: Bands? Well, I know a lot of DJs from Vancouver, and maybe I do know some bands, but I just don’t know if they’re from Vancouver. There’s actually a really cool scene in Vancouver with a lot of not well-known artists like Cyclist, PAT LOK, and U-Turn is from Vancouver.

AR: Aside from listening to your own music, what have you been listening to? Are you reading any good books?

André: Well, I’m actually not really much of a reader, but I read a lot of music bindings and music production stuff. Musically, I’ve actually been listening to Afrobeat stuff and Tame Impala.

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