Good Teal & Noir Benny - "BLEUS"

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Photo by Jordan Mikhail

Baltimore hip hop artist Noir Benny and New Jersey hardcore band Good Teal have teamed up on an upcoming split release, and have a new single out. "BLEUS" sees Noir Benny and Good Teal vocalist Reg Mason trading verses. The song is one of the most creative hip hop tracks we've heard this year. I was expecting rapping over a hardcore song, but that's not what "BLEUS" is. It's a rap song with the edge of hardcore, but it almost sounds like a cut and paste version of jazz and rock samples. There's a dizzying effect that comes with the song, and this is underground hip hop at its finest. If modern mainstream hip hop doesn't work for you, chances are you're going to love what Good Teal and Noir Benny are doing.

Reg Mason says of the newest single:

“Benny, Curt, and I got snowed in during a weekend stay in Baltimore. We blasted Max B, played Video Games, and made jams all weekend long. ‘Bleus’; a byproduct of that time spent in the blizzard, is wholly Benny and I challenging each other to talk shit to the highest degree on record. I think being around black folk with a strong sense of self can give you collective strength. Jazz was punk before punk anyways.

"I laid my verse down in a couple takes and took a nap. Benny was rapping nonstop for almost an hour. He was still rapping when I woke up.”

You can watch the video for "BLEUS" below. Good Benny is due out June 5. For more on the project,  check out Noir Benny on Instagram. You can also find Good Teal on Instagram.

On Repeat...

TORRES - "I got the fear"

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Photo by Ebru Yildiz Somehow TORRES keeps surprising us with her music. The musical project of Mackenzie Scott has released a new single that features her vocals and acoustic guitar that would feel at home in a neo-folk song over a pre-programmed drum beat with sounds that at times are either a light squall of guitar feedback and electronic noises. The song has this haunting and unsettling feeling to it, despite sounding like it's trying to be upbeat. I'd say art doesn't always have to be a pleasant experience, but "I got the fear" can be a pleasant listening experience, except for the times it's not. Mackenzie Scott says of her latest single: “A collective dread has been mounting. Everyone I know is having a brawl with the universe, with themselves…wars, climate catastrophe, a pandemic, the worldwide regression on human rights, the political hellscape — it affects everybody, and I know we’re all feeling it in waves of varying degree all the time. I think it’s...
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DJ Haram featuring Bbymutha, SHA RAY, & August Fanon - "Fishnets"

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Photo by Sultana Garritano Brooklyn's DJ Haram has a new single out that shows off her trademark boom bap sprinkled with Middle Eastern instrumentation sound. "Fishnets" features verses from Bbymutha, SHA RAY, and August Fanon, and has an intense and almost menacing vibe, despite being an absolute banger of a track. It's hypnotic and immediately grabs your attention, and if you're unfamiliar with the trio of rappers on the song, you're sure to start pulling up their bodies of work. "Fishnets" is one of those songs that just feels cool and makes you need to hear more from all of the artists involved.  DJ Haram says of her latest single: "‘Fishnets’ is for the eclectic bad bitches. The people united will never be defeated." You can listen to "Fishnets" below. Beside Myself is due out July 18 on Hyperdub, and is available for pre-order here . For more on DJ Haram, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter . Upcoming tour dates a...
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Indigo De Souza - "Heartthrob"

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Photo by Hannah Sommer The latest from Indigo De Souza is a glorious mix of rock and pop music, stirred up in such a unique way. "Heartthrob" is an upbeat song that is guaranteed to make listeners want to dance. As dance focused as the song is, it has such a raw and rough element in its instrumentation that makes it rock based. Then there's De Souza's vocals that truly blend both genres. There's something a little extra rough about her singing that keeps the song from being pop, while she also has a slacker pop thing going on, too. "Heartthrob" might be the greatest definition of alt-pop possible. Indigo De Souza feels like one of those artists that is set to explode at any minute. Indigo De Souza says of her latest single: "I wrote ‘Heartthrob’ as a way to help process something that is often hard to talk about—the harmful ways I’ve been taken advantage of in my physical memory. ‘Heartthrob’ is about harnessing anger, and turning it into something ...
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