FMA Blog

Hey everybody, it's playlist time again! 

Some genres aren't as abundant as others; music can often get released in waves and be governed by taste and trends. 

One such genre in the FMA is Deep Funk. Recognisable here by its strong basslines, often soulful vocals and laid-back swing pattern of drumming, it can be harder compared to other genres to find modern funk tracks in the FMA catalogue.

The roots of the genre can be traced back to the mid-60s and can be heard influencing many modern top 40 chart hits, but today I wanted to present you with something quite special, a slightly shorter playlist than usual from Musiio - but I think these tracks are just waiting to be heard. 

I'm particularly enamoured with track 5 by Ava Luna which starts with an incredible acapella section. And look out for track 4, Luce Lutu '623am' it definitely sways heavily into the trap and soul genres, but I love the sonic recognition across the blending genres.

Enjoy! 

In need of some funky Hammond organ grooves to keep you moving through the week? Look no further. These three guys have got you covered! In a recent appearance on WFMU for Surface Noise with Joe McGasko, they brought some seriously good music to the airwaves, and were generous enough to share it with us here at the Free Music Archive. If you aren't sure what a Hammond organ is, as soon as you hit play, you'll probably recognize the sound. They were everywhere in pop and soul music in the mid-20th century, but as this recording demonstrates, they clearly haven't gone out of style. 

Monkey Warhol is an artist from Minneapolis who collaborates with kids and has dropped two CC BY albums on FMA. He was recently approached by a big company to do a jingle for a commercial. Below, we talk about what that was like, what he's working on now, and his advice for anyone who gets commissioned by a large company to make music. Here's our interview! 

FMA: When you uploaded your music to FMA, what were your goals?

Monkey Warhol: I didn't really have any goals or expectations other than (hopefully) getting my music heard!!! From my experience, it seems that whenever you upload tracks to any sort of music site, you usually get a couple curiosity listens and then crickets. Not saying you should expect anything more from a music-hosting site (heck, they're already hosting my music for free so I have no right to complain), but what's been wonderful about Free Music Archive is that it feels like an "Online Community" in that my tracks have been picked up and incorporated into other people's projects. It’s flattering and amazing to see how my music has become part of someone else's vision! Blows my mind! KA-BOOM!

FMA: Was it surprising to be solicited by a big company for music licensing?

MW: Definitely! As an independent artist, the biggest surprise was that my music could somehow catch the ear and attention of a "big company". Not necessarily due to the music itself, but more that it actually managed to find its way through the loopholes and reach various "decision makers" within an organization. It's super encouraging and gives me (and hopefully others) a nice bit of confidence to know that it can be done.

FMA: What would you tell a musician who was going through this process for the first time?

MW: There's a fine line between business and art. Obviously, have fun and be creative, but at the end of the day you're supporting THEIR vision (not vice versa) so have a great attitude, excellent work ethic, and a quick turnaround! Also if the company you're dealing with is big enough, find an entertainment attorney. I think contracts and all the legal mumble-jumble is designed specifically to confuse the average person.

FMA: Do you plan to pursue more music options like this in the future?

MW: I'd love to if they'd have me. I don't watch much TV, but Mama Warhol will call me from time to time and say, "I heard your song on TV!" It's funny; I've been making music for 25+ years, yet all of a sudden, I'm "legit" because my song appeared on TV. The "90s Alternative Rocker" in me shakes his head at what I've become.

FMA: Your latest Free Music Archive release is Hannah Banana. How is it different from your last release The Darwin LP?

MW: It's basically more of the same... I've got some pop songs, some electronic instrumentals, and a few experimental ideas. The Darwin LP was a compilation of tracks from the first 3 Monkey Warhol EPs with a couple random tunes thrown in and Hannah Banana is basically a collection of tracks from EP4 through EP6 with a couple random tracks thrown in. I tried to make it flow like an album and I'm really proud of everything on there. I still like it when I give it a listen, which either means the album is decent, or I have poor taste in music. Probably a little bit of both, eh? Please download it and give it a listen... if anything, it's the right price.

FMA: Finally, what's the story behind "Bongo Booty"? That video is ridiculous!

MW: Thanks! "Bongo Booty" is the sonic sensation of what happens when you collaborate with a 6-year old! Basically, I wrote a little tune called "Lovely Lady" a few years ago with my daughter and my son wanted his own anthem. So, we sat down and came up with "Bongo Booty."

As for the video, I thought it would be funny to make a video where the running joke would be that you can't tell if someone is playing butts or bongos. (Yes, nothing but highbrow deep philosophical analysis here.) I ran the idea by my video collaborated-artist-buddy Gigi Ranchero, he loved it, and here we are! To be honest, all the credit for the video really goes to him. I just showed up and hung out around a green screen. Our kids (aka "Unicorn Festival") are in there, and I'm the mangy old rocker in a do-rag!

Click below for music videos!

On a recent episode of WFMU's Sophisticated Boom Boom, Hollie Cook brought her distinctive style of 'tropical pop' to the airwaves! Hollie Cook was part of the last lineup of The Slits, a legendary all-female punk/reggae group from the UK. With heavy dub-reggae influences and strong melodic vocals that accent the music rather than dominate it, this is a live session that you don't want to miss! Listen below. 

Sometimes words alone cannot paint the picture of the things possessed within, but when you add a vocal flow that carries various levels of emotions and impacts, the message can become clearer. In a reflection of life experiences, the artist behind the Encrypted Scrolls utilizes music as a form of communication to express various instances that have occurred, are impactful, and also have been life-altering.

The 4-album anthology of Encrypted Scrolls, is inspired from a story written and lived by the performer himself, Tony Hulse. The story is being produced as a film series and the music is designed to coincide with the scenes throughout the film’s first episode. When you play the film and this music, you get a different story experience that is blended perfectly with all the scenes. This style of immersive media has never been done before (on purpose). Music fans may know of the Wizard of Oz/Pink Floyd combination that works in various scenes throughout the film. This is similar to that but with all the scenes blending to a precise beat and telling a new story to the one originally displayed.

Tony has been involved in the entertainment industry for over 5 years with his works on syndicated networks like ABC, FOX, and Disney. With his skills, he created the Encrypted Scrolls as an additional visualization of his art, wisdom, and to compliment some of his projects that are shared through various forms of media.

The first two albums from the Encrypted Scrolls are available on Free Music Archive to download and feature the musical scores from others FMA’ers with his vocals overlaid.  Tony is currently in production of the 2nd half of this set and a few other musical projects.

This is the first CD that is both a musical project and art installation. On the musical aspect, “Works” is a collection of 12 instrumental tracks written and produced by me. Twelve melodies developing through minimalism, sacred arias, electronica and tribal choirs. Twelve small audible pictures that have no purpose other than to move the listener. The album was released in June 2016. This is my first self-produced and self-distributed album. “Works” is a crafted product where the songwriting is simple. From the melodies to the sounds, from mixing to mastering, all is permeated by a DIY spirit. Self-production and self-distribution as a musical and social language.

“Works” is distributed for free in two ways: social and antisocial. With the social distribution you can download the entire album for free, leaving the listener free to share it in whatever way he feels. With the antisocial distribution, the album is handed out through an art installation. “Works” has been made into 300 numbered and signed CDs, left on the streets or in public places, there to be picked by people passing by. Every copy left is photographed and the photo is shared on the website www.roccogranata.it/works.

The project started in June 2016 in Rome, where most of the copies were distributed, and it spread around through Italy, France, Spain, Iceland, Holland, Denmark, Russia, Turkey, China, Cambodia, Senegal, Japan, Australia, Brasil, Argentina, Canada, Usa, Tailandia, Slovenia, Romania, Czech Republic, France, Croatia, Norway, Germany, Sveden, Greek, UK, Austria, Belgium. The CDs are distributed by me or by volunteers. There are copies that have yet to be distributed and are waiting to go around the world. If you want to distribute a CD, send me a message on this link.

From 14 to 16 July 2017 the Cd was taken to the Museo Macro in Rome on the occasion of Urban KING Action Figure. It's probably the first Cd to be exposed in a Museum of contemporary art.

A pianist and a cello player have contributed to the album recording. The nicknames they've chosen are Thomas Munz (piano), a homage to Thomas Müntzer, historical figure of the 16 th century and one of the protagonists of Luther Blisset's novel “Q”, and Lita Rodcenko (cello), which is a made up name. Lita, as a homage to Lita Ford, metal guitarist, and Aleksandr Rodčenko, artist and father of the Russian constructivism.

Guitarist Steve Gunn and percussionist John Truscinski recently visited WFMU's live studio and performed tracks off and on their new album, Bay Head. Their sound is impressively layered and nuanced for a two-man band. Host of WFMU's weekly radio program Surface Noise, Joe McGasko, says of the performance: "their latest album mixes Eastern modalities, a touch of psychedelia, and a grounding in roots music to produce a highly individual instrumental sound that's equal parts fiery and meditative. They supported the album with only a handful of live appearances – fortunately including this exclusive live session for Surface Noise recorded on 4/4/18 and broadcast on 4/16/18."

Please listen below! 

Welcome to the Americana edition of AI playlists by Musiio!

Today our 'seed' track is the awesome Bob Wiseman's 'In Her Dream' - now usually I pick the seed track and the AI suggests the rest... however the Wiseman track was actually chosen by an earlier version of our AI as a companion to the Kurt Vile seed track from Playlist 1. So in reality I had even less of a hand in this than usual, but I love the way tracks lead to other tracks and playlists break off into different genres - so I couldn't help but follow where it went! 

I am a huge fan of the Americana genre. I used to be a regular down the front of shows at Corridor Bar, The Basement, The Union, and numerous other great bars in Sydney, Australia that are at the core of great Australian made Americana, which has dominated the local scene for the last 5 years. These playlisted artists are from the U.S., Russia, and all over - this genre has global appeal. 

Enjoy this new playlist of ten tracks all taken from the FMA.

Hazel - Co-Founder of Musiio

Japan Ambient by ALAMO, a media artist, noise maker and sound designer from Los Angeles, California, USA.

Why, man he doth bestride the narrow world like a “Cullahsus”; and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves.

With his aptly named brand new genre-transcending album of Cullahsus, Cullah takes us back to his roots (Well, as "roots" as it gets for a 27-year-old who has already released 12 albums). His powerful voice, funky beats, and that Milwaukee melodic spirit that never left now accompanies every song. Budgeting his food solely from the small amount money he makes from Spotify since he has refused to fully commercialize his music; he declares his resolute spirit through “King Jebediah (The Falcon Messiah)”. The themes infused the album are a lack of control of circumstances to a larger benevolent beast. In Cullah’s case, King Jebediah seems to be the music itself that he creates and is provided by.

This is the first year that he has been able to concentrate his efforts solely on creating his music. Unhindered by other responsibilities, in “Hurrycane” and “Helios 3” he seems to be both overwhelmed and liberated in the storms and boundless space of creativity. Despite these new joys and pains, a bit of the previous “Cullahmity” album influences “Cullahsus”. A heartbroken Irish trill echoes in “The Grief of Ceridwen” illustrating the loneliness that comes with the freedom expressed in his other songs.

Find out more on his website: http://cullah.com