Monday, December 19, 2011

Artist of the Month : Mystery Skulls

Holly EDM, Batman!

There is something so completely refreshing about 'Mystery Skulls', a new comer to the Electronic Dance Music scene.  He maintains the integrity and styling of traditional dance music; smooth bass-lines, love struck vocals, a great beat, yet blended so effectively well with contemporary styled synths. I managed to have a sit down with Lu(is) the main contributor and creator of Mystery Skulls, he is incredibly humble, talented and has mad style.
DnM : After a few hours of scouring the Internet, save a Wikipedia article, I couldn't find much detailing your current project, Mystery Skulls, or your last project The Secret Handshake. So let us start off light. Care to tell us a little about yourself and Mystery skulls?
 MS : Mystery skulls is something I started as most other things happen just for fun. Played the first show a few months ago just to see how it would go, and people have really accepted it in a short time.

The Secret Handshake - Magic by Drugs and Mirrors
A release from Lu's past musical journey...some Nu-Town


DnM : Mystery Skulls has combined those two previously mentioned genres in a brilliant way. The vocal and lyrical styling of Motown, and contemporary electronic; was this intentional?
MS : Thank you, no not intentional, but is just a meshing of what I'm personally into.
Sort of a retro futuristic sound if you will.



DnM : I'm told you are a self taught musician, not only keyboard, but several other instruments as well. What can you play, and how did you find the devotion and time to learn?
MS : Yeah that is true, Im not really amazing at any one instrument, Id say im more of a song writer than anything. Its not so much devotion so much as just the desire to want to explore music.


DnM : Being that you are so well versed in musical instruments, how much of your production is digital, and how much is live instrumentation?
MS :  At the moment, Id say 80% of my production is digital.
I still use actual analog synths (moog/prophet) and then I usually track a little guitar over top. But other than that its mostly done in logic



DnM : You have an amazing vocal range, did you have proper training ?
MS : Thank you, the vocals are actually the area of contention for most people when talking about my music.
Never had training though I wish I had!


DnM : Your music styling is so diverse, who are your most predominant influences?
MS :  I'm all over the board for sure. I love everything from J.Pop like capsule or perfume, and all the way across to good old motown soul. just anything that feels genuin and fresh.

DnM : What is the process of producing / writing one of your more current tracks.
MS : I always start with the drums, and I usually roll with the same beat, which is probably a bad Idea but then Ill usually pull out the prophet and start plugging away with chords and structures. Anything that sounds cool and new.
I try never to force it.


DnM : All right, I gotta ask. What are the obsessions with all-things-90s? From Contra to He-man and even what appears to be Donkey Kong Country.
MS : Good eye. Its just part of my childhood. Thats something that I Identify with greatly.
Just the innocence of youth and discovery through music and video games and television.
I moved to Canada from Venezuela when I was 8 and couldn't speak english so I was fascinated with everything going on at the time.


DnM : Now for my status-quo question; if you could do any drug, with anyone, past or present, who and what would it be?
MS : wow. never thought someone would ask this question. It's not a drug, but I wish I could go back and have a beer with Nick Drake. Always a big inspiration for me.

Mystery Skulls - You Got Me ( Demo ) Live @ El Sibil by Drugs and Mirrors
http://mysteryskulls.tumblr.com/
http://www.facebook.com/MysterySkullsOfficial?ref=ts

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Fred Falke - Bare Knuckle

Oh my Falking God. ..
Fred Falke - Bare Knuckle by Drugs and Mirrors
  Fred Falke has been producing and remixing songs for nearly 8 years, however, Part IV is his first official album. Comprised of old and mainly new tracks, Falke's album has been longly anticipated. However with Bare Knucle, irony strikes harder than the convolution and distortion of the song itself, for it feels like your ear canal has been punched with an overdose of awesome. Atypical to Fred's style, french house, Bare Knuckle borders on the genre hard house., with a deeply revered filtered synth and dark melody.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Beast of the weeK : Mac Lethal - Happy to be Living

" ...Fixing, all the broken parts and twisted screws, that were once missin' "

Mac Lethal - Happy to be Living by Drugs and Mirrors

  The true defining factors for hip-hop, are; the lyrical content, rhythm, flow and emotional rapport. These embodying terms of hip-hop, tend to get passed over in the genre of rap. However, Mac Lethal, a first-timer at DnM, fully encompasses these specification of hip-hop, in his most recent release 'Happy To Be Living". His emotional prowess, and pure, unadulterated honesty, clearly sparkle as he approaches the half-full cup of life. Indicating the simple pleasures, that we tend to forget; from enjoyment of casual drinking 'Heyo, I am sittin here, sunday morning, I just  woke up but I'm sipping beer...so lucky that its crystal clear" to the fruitful bounty of love "I love a  women that can squeeze the sun like it's a lemon".  Accompanied by an melodic instrumental that is as tranquil as Mac Lethals' flow. A simple approach is taken,on the beat, by containing a minimal, reverbed, chord progression, and a true to form hip drum pattern.

DnM