In Class With 9th Wonder

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

By Jake Krzeczowski

Verum Magazine, February 2012

A college lecture hall hardly seems like a home for the musical form of hip-hop. Since it’s inception in the mid-70s as a offshoot of funk and jazz, the genre has been categorized largely by its placement as an outlier in American culture’s lexicon. With the passing of hip-hop greats in recent years such as Heavy D and Pimp C, a disconnect has begun to emerge as new artists get younger and younger. Veteran Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder (Patrick Douthit) who has worked with everyone from Jay-Z and Destiny’s Child to Murs has set out to bridge the gap between the new and old school and he’s doing it on a much different stage, within the walls of Duke University. As a member of an older generation of hip-hop evangelists, Douthit has assembled a crew of young MCs such asRapSody and Tyler Woods under the name It’s A Wonderful World Music Group to help foster a new style and groom the newbies on the history of the game. Continue reading In Class With 9th Wonder →

Music, Music Review

ALBUM REVIEW: CHILDISH GAMBINO

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

By Jake Krzeczowski

Childish Gambino’s (aka Donald Glover) Camp is the renaissance man’s first studio offering. If EP was a warning then Camp is the attack, showing the progression of an artist determined to be successful. Having written for 30 Rock and earned a recurring role on Community before his 25th birthday, he is no stranger to the concept.
Whatever name you call him by, the man with the birth name Donald who found his Wu-Tang birthright from a name generator was poised to be a cross-over flop, as any cross-over entertainer is often looked at with raised eyebrows. And while his first offering, I Am Just A Rapper was a minor hit with clever samples from Grizzly Bear, it wasn’t until he dropped EP earlier this year that the witty rhyme schemes and swagger to match really came to the surface. and it is yet another step for Glover in garnering the kind of cross-over success of acts like Drake, and he’s fully aware, as he shows on the unlikely hit Fire Fly. “I’m still not down, but I upped the ante/ me and hip-hop, the Black Sid and Nancy.” Glover’s blending of hip-hop and indie is a refreshing breath into an already diverse rap game, and he’s not the only one noticing.
What was expected was a smooth lyricism filled with smart anecdotes and clever metaphors. An accomplished writer, the words were sure to be there, but Gambino picks up the swag he left on the floor of the warehouse in the “Freaks and Geeks” video and takes it to a new level on the first song on the album, “That Power”.
Demonstrating hunger in his voice reminiscent of an early Lil’ Wayne the young hipster dives in immediately, rhyming over the subtle beat, “Uncool but lyrically I’m a stone-cold killer, so it’s 400 Blows to these Truffaut ni**as,” referencing iconic French filmmaker François Truffaut before singing the hook to boot. Ja Rule wouldn’t even know where to start on that line. The album continues in this fashion, Glover/Gambino eager to prove to the world that he is to be taken seriously, regardless of the shorts dangling somewhere above the knee.
The song that has gotten the most repeat plays on my library has been “Fire Fly”, the beat a mix of 90s west coast and r&b sounds far too sultry for the “only black kid at a Sufjan concert.” As Gambino explains, “These black kids want something new I swear it, something they wanted to say but couldn’t cause they embarrassed, all I do is make the stuff I want to make.”

Dealing with such typical rap topics like telling a girl he just met he loves her, Sufjan Stevens concerts, and Human Centipede Gambino is able to string them together while going harder than many of the more established stars in the game today. Songs like That Power, “Bonfire” and “Fire Fly” are the equivalent to Eminem’s final freestyle in 8 Mile; an open chorus of the grievances and a pledge to make it in spite of those and pointing to the impersonators out there. When being “real” is at an all time premium, Glover shows he is out to make it on his own terms and he is out to lead a new generation of rhyming hipsters and outcasts of the previous hip-hop generations; Camp is a great step toward that.

Music, Music Review

Subsynthesis.com: Bass From Above Vol. 2 Review

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

Date: Sep 27, 2011 (Tuesday) TheUntz.com

by Jake Krzeczowski

sub Compilation albums are a tricky beast to tame; many times a string of solid tracks can be upended by the wrong mixture of artists, sounds, or theories. With their newest release,Subsynthesis.com shows that they are very much capable of putting together a package that can be entertaining from start to finish. A thirty-three track behemoth of an album, Bass From Above: Volume 2 is a beast in itself, listeners may want to stretch and prepare themselves before delving into the flowing throb of electronic masterpieces that live up to the album’s namesake.

When I first got the album I wasn’t sure where to start, the massive track listing a daunting undertaking, in itself. As is customary I just dug in from the top and began rifling through the beautiful mixture of highs and lows the album provides the listener. The album itself is the second in a series produced to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross in response to the devastation caused by the tsunami. The previous Bass From Above raised over $1000 for the fund. For a small charitable donation, it’s worth grabbing the album, which is bursting with talent.

“Bass Freaq” by artist Protohype is by far my favorite song off the album. The song reels you in as you may expect, using thick bass rhythms and grinding dubstep to latch you to the music. Well-placed samples accentuate the compositional impact of what Protohype has put together here. Letting the synth roll at points he works the bass in slowly before unleashing it full speed, which may cause your back button on your iPod to get a bit worn. All in all “Bass Freq” really became my interpretation of the album. For an album called Bass from Above, this song definitely feels as though it were sent from the heavens. Protohype recently finished up a string of shows on the west coast in Arizona and California.

For sample-happy electronic listeners, the Love and Light duo of Probiotik & 4Centers (Matt Madonna and Ryan Anderson) provide a funky remix of the Doobie Brothers classic tune “Black Water” mixed in with a host of synth measures and dub beats that turn a classic into a club banger.

Also satisfying that blast from the past is an artistic re-styling of Marvin Gaye’s timeless hit “What’s Going On.” NiT GriT does an impressive job mixing light and heavy synths with throbbing bass lines, turning Marvin’s tune into something your parents won’t recognize. The transitions between samples, synth hits and bass vibes will leave your head spinning, while Nit Grit tosses in well-placed samples of that melodic voice to keep things interesting.

The tempo gets pushed hard on Project Aspect’s banger of a track, “Let Me See Ya Sneakers Work,” intertwining heavy bass with timely vocal samples and a piano line that would rock the listener to sleep if it weren’t for the plethora of sounds that also pump from the headphones. Listening to this track I had a hard time keeping my head still, the rhythm keeps the song going while the piano guides the listener safe and sound through all 7:32 of the track.

For a funkier beat sample I would turn to Pairadimez’s track “Fire and Ice,” which is all over the map with hard bass lines, light synths and tempo changes that will keep listeners on their toes for the duration. The Colorado-based duo of ONik and r.e.g.’s ability to pick and pull the tempo is what kept me listening, there being no way to know where the song would head next. These two are definitely ones to keep an eye on, if they produce more tracks like this one they are in for much more success.

The final track on the album, “Fractalfield,” packs lots of piano and is heavy on the bass. Pressing play will make the listener pay attention regardless of whether or not they felt like they had a choice. It literally propels one’s ears on a journey of epic synth rides and throbbing bass lines. Artist soCinematic allows a light piano drop in once in awhile, a bit of relief before the wave rises again and crashes against the ear-drums bouncing the listener back, dangling them on a bass from above.

From top to bottom I was pretty happy listening to the entire Bass From Above: Volume 2 album. It’s hard to pass on the lineup of young artists they assembled such as Gladkill, Skytree, Elfkowitz, and Fast Nasty. With the money going toward the Red Cross and the music an excellent opportunity to listen to a variety of sounds, there is little not to like about the most recent release from Subsynthesis.com.

Music, Music Review

The Polish Ambassador: Future, Sex, Computers (Remixes & B-Sides) Review

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

Date: Sep 13, 2011 (Tuesday)

by Jake Krzeczowski

TPA David Sugalski is the man inside the brightly colored jumpsuit slinging together samples and drum kits that, when taken as a whole, could very well suck you in until the artist known as The Polish Ambassador decides you’ve had enough.

Sugalski’s mantra is “No Genre Left Behind”—and he sticks to his guns. The Oakland producer strings together an electro-funk feel in a variety of tempo changes while infusing glitches, bass lines, and samples that will leave your head spinning somewhere before Solidarity.

Future, Sex, Computers (Remixes and B-Sides) is The Polish Ambassador’s first remix album featuring several artists met while traversing the country. The album also includes three original recordings that round out an otherwise maddeningly interesting album.

As it is, Sugalski’s arrangements take you on a journey, picking the listener up, plopping them down again, and then dangling them—not unlike the late, great MJ’s blanketed baby—before snatching the whiplashed listener back from the precipice. Sugalski’s forte is composing and it shows throughout the album as carefully placed samples accentuate the beat writhing below.

Outside of the three originals, “Concubot” 1,2, and 3, the rest of the album are tweaks to the Polish Ambassador’s earlier album from this year Future, Sex, Computers. The result is a dizzying array of interpretations on the music that lend itself to a more developed sound that is only possible through a combining of unique points of view.

Each of the eleven original tracks from the previous release are redone by producers handpicked by Sugalski, who couldn’t be happier with the end result.
“I couldn’t be more pumped about the producers involved,” said Sugalski on his website. Included in the project were the likes ofPhutureprimitive, The Great Mundane, and Samples, among others.

What comes of the mixing of tendencies and behaviors is an almost completely new album, reaching heights that could only be had in the fashion of collaboration. While Sugalski brings his Bay-area thematics to his compositions, they are mirrored and countered by the ultra-talented cast he has put together.

The Polish Ambassador is currently on tour with Mochipet, with dates coming up in Colorado, Arizona, and Wisconsin.

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2372201515/size=grande3/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/

Music, Music Review

MiMoSA: Sanctuary Review

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

Date: Nov 01, 2011 (Tuesday)

By Jake Krzeczowski

Tigran Mimosa wants you to feel good. The uber-talented young electronic producer reiterates that very sentiment throughout his new album, Sanctuary. Whether it’s lulling you into a relaxed trance or throbbing you off your feet in a fury of glitches, thumps, and wobble, the artist more notably known as MiM0SA recognized a chance to expand the realm of his music, and does so by exhibiting his signature distinct sounds, while not being afraid to experiment with new styles.

“Castle in the Sky” is a reggae-infused groove that demonstrates Mimosa’s careful sampling and occasional synth rides. While not quite rocking you in to a stupor, the song provides a vast realm of what the young producer can do. The layering of the songs grows increasingly more complex as the tune develops, allowing the listener to quite literally feel the piece come together and watch as other pieces are added and subtracted.

Deeper in the album, Mimosa takes a different sound on to make “Dirty Money.” Employing a throbbing, rippling bass line with a voice over chorus, he takes the listener to another planet with quick snares that climb down before building back to the heavy bass. Not a song I’d put on repeat, but the sound that is culled is mind-boggling.

On “Tiger Blood” the West Coast product takes on a much faster, dancier sound that he fuses with a high-pitched sampling. The whole ensemble builds itself into a fury before taking off to the tune of evolving basslines. “Ice Box” takes things back to a slower pace for a bit while keying on an emphatic use of horns while maintaining a dubstep feel to it.

By fusing many of the tracks with dubstep undertones and glitch over the top, Mimosa is showing the mastery of two distinct methods and transforming them into something wholly his. This comes together while the airy, fun feeling remains as it has on past samplings. Drawing much more heavily classic house and new school juke and footwork, with a strong 808-feel, Sanctuary is much more nuanced than his 58 Degrees EP, a straight up, party-igniting riot comp.

Versatility is a key cog in the music business and with Sanctuary it’s fair to say Mimosa took a chance to put his many talents on display for the world to see, and he did so while accomplishing his original goal of keeping things light. To take such sonic risks shows the hunger that he has to rise to the top of the game. The maturity he’s show with this record is putting him well on pace to do just that.

Mimosa will be playing the Global Dub Festival in Royal Oak, Michigan on November 4.

Sports

Rowers head to Big Tens

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

BY JAKE KRZECZOWSKI | MAY 01, 2009 7:28 AM

Walk down by the IMU sometime between 6-8 a.m., almost any day of the week, and just look at the river for about 10 minutes. The sleep will be knocked out of your eyes pretty quickly.

The peaceful setting of the Iowa River will quickly be displaced by the uniform thumping of oars hitting water, sounding like troops marching into battle followed by amplified voices exploding from megaphones.

“Imagine we’re racing Ohio State right now,” Iowa head coach Mandi Kowal yells to her rowers.

What you’ll see is Iowa’s 17th-ranked rowing team feverishly preparing for this weekend’s Big Ten championships, which will be held in Columbus, Ohio.

The team has been on hiatus since April 11, when it competed with No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 Michigan, and No. 18 Louisville in Belleville, Mich. The Hawkeyes have used the time to fine-tune their technique and strategy.

“We have been focusing on what our strengths have been all year, ” Kowal said. “We need to put all of those together in one race.”

The second half of the race is where Iowa excels, so much of the training has been working on building speed from the start, similar to the thought process of a sprinter running a race.

To do this, the team has focused on improving its rating — its strokes per minute.

“We’ve been focusing as a whole on taking it up a notch,” Iowa assistant coach Emily Lewis said.
All of this comes into play with the team’s race plan.

“There are little things other teams do as a crew that we’re aware of so that we’re not caught off-guard,” Kowal said.

The Hawkeyes’ first heat of the weekend will be against two formidable foes in No. 7 Ohio State and No. 14 Wisconsin.

“We think that they’re tough, but we also think they’re within reach,” Lewis said.

Iowa has already gotten looks at Wisconsin this spring, having competed against the Badgers in scrimmages as well as at the Longhorn Invitational in March.

But Kowal isn’t necessarily thinking about the competition her squad will be up against.

“The most important thing we can do is worry about ourselves,” she said.

The Hawkeyes have gotten better each week, breaking into the top 20 after their strong performance in Michigan, and they will try to continue that this weekend against some of the country’s best competition.

Six of the top 20 teams in the country are from the Big Ten. Along with Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, and Wisconsin is No. 20 Minnesota, making the Big Ten one of the best rowing conferences in the country, and the meet is one of the most prestigious as well.

“It’s going to be some very tough rowing this weekend,” Kowal said.

Sports

Rowers feel new boathouse gives them an oar up

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

BY JAKE KRZECZOWSKI | MAY 01, 2009 7:28 AM

Imagine Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz not having a football field or locker rooms to show recruits when he brings them on campus. Right now, this is the case for the No. 17 Iowa rowing team.

With no locker rooms, showers, or even a restroom to its name, recruiting has been more of a chore than an opportunity, at least until now.

In August, the Hawkeyes will receive a new home on the banks of the Iowa River. Along with the expected upgrades of restrooms and showers, the team will enjoy a rowing machine room, a medical training room, and a meeting space, along with the biggest prize: a state-of-the-art rowing tank.

“The tank will have moving water that can be set at different speeds; it was modeled after several others that exist throughout the country,” said Sloane Tyler, an associate director for athletics development for the UI Foundation.

The tank was enhanced by the UI Hydraulics Lab, making it the best tank ever built, something the Hawkeyes will need in the frosty winter months when rowing outside isn’t an option.

The amenities will move Iowa into a whole new game as far as recruiting is concerned.

“Having these new things makes a statement,” Iowa head coach Mandi Kowal said. “Athletes are going to have something to be proud of.”

While Iowa may not have the name recognition in the rowing world as, say Harvard and Yale, to be able to bring recruits to campus and show them the new facilities will be an enormous tool.

“To have bathrooms, to have showers, to have meeting rooms — I think its going to be hard to measure,” Kowal said.

The current home of the Hawkeyes is definitely not up to par in terms of a Division-I sport.
Iowa graduate assistant Melissa Schomers endured the days at the team’s current boathouse during her tenure as a Hawkeye rower.

“I remember having to go from practice to class and being cold and miserable,” she said.

Tyler feels the boathouse will have an immeasurable effect in recruiting for the team.

“We feel that Coach Kowal’s expertise, combined with the training opportunities in this new facility, will ensure that Iowa rowers have unlimited potential for success,” she said.

The new facilities will also help the Hawkeyes succeed by allowing rowers to develop quicker through year-round training provided by the new tank.

There also has been no corner cut, and everything is being built to the highest specifications.

“This has way exceeded my expectations,” Kowal said. “I think it will be one of the best boathouses in the Big Ten.”

She is excited about the opportunities the new facilities provide.

“Most recruits we bring out to Iowa are pleasantly surprised,” she said. “This will just be icing on the cake.”

Sports

Long jumper strives for consistency

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

BY JAKE KRZECZOWSKI | JUNE 08, 2009 7:26 AM

Iowa women’s track and field senior Renee White was calm as she approached the pit in the triple jump during the Big Ten championships in Columbus, Ohio. The result was the largest jump in Big Ten and Iowa history, and it defeated the second-place finisher by more than 9 inches. It was also 2 inches longer than White’s previous season best.

She always had the monster jump in her — she just had trouble with her nerves when it came time to perform at meets. It became something her coach, Clive Roberts, felt she needed to overcome in order to be successful in her last season with the Hawkeyes.

“We’ve been working on controlling her temperament, keeping her at an even keel,” he said.

White earned an at-large bid at the NCAA championships in Fayetteville, Ark., after jumping 41-71⁄4 to take 12th place in the NCAA Midwest Regional finals. While the jump was not her best of the season, it was enough to get her to her ultimate goal coming into the season and kept alive her dream of becoming a national champion.

White and her coach are not messing around — the two are all business in their preparation for her final collegiate meet and a chance to be an All-American. One of the most drastic changes is the complete focus on the jumping events and a move away from the running events that White has excelled at in the past.

“Renee and Coach Roberts agreed that they were going to focus on the jumps,” Iowa head coach Layne Anderson said.

This being her last meet for Iowa, she feels compelled to do well. The memories and past achievements would be that much sweeter to look back in if she were able to add All-American to the list.

The expectation to do well has pushed White to accept Roberts’ advice on controlling her emotions, making her sound almost Zen-like when discussing how she expects to do.

“I just want to discipline my body and discipline my mind to go out there and jump farther than I ever have,” she said.

The jump at Big Tens was the catalyst for White’s postseason, proof that she could put up jumps with the best in the country. Now, she and the coaches want her to put up with another powerful showing.

“Coach Roberts has been saying all year that she has that big jump in her,” Anderson said. “The challenge has been maintaining the consistency.”

Consistency from the Big Ten championships to the NCAA championships will be crucial, but all White will need to do is to place that one perfect jump that she got a taste of earlier in the season.

Place or not, the senior from Portmore, Jamaica, will look to influence those around her by pulling from past advice.

White said: “My coach always told me to keep my emotions in check, that you never know who’s watching or who you could inspire.”

Sports

2 Hawkeyes-to-be jostle in Prime Time

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

BY JAKE KRZECZOWSKI | JUNE 16, 2009 7:11 AM

The Prime Time League got off to a fast start on Monday in North Liberty as two incoming Iowa freshmen took to the pace quickly inside the new gym of the North Liberty Community Center.

Cully Payne of Schaumburg, Ill., and Eric May of Dubuque were pitted against each other for most of the game in their first competitive action since signing their letters of intent with the Hawkeyes.

Payne, whose Imprinted Sportswear/Goodfellow Printing team took a 89-74 win, was upbeat about the game as well as his newfound home in Iowa.

“It was a good win,” he said. “I’ve been up here for two weeks, and I really like it.”

The two Hawkeyes-to-be guarded each other for most of the game, but it was May who won the individual battle, pouring in 20 points, 12 of those after halftime for Mike Gatens Real Estate/McCurry’s.

http://web-server1.daily-iowan.uiowa.edu/video/11692.mov
( Daily Iowan video feature )

Video in QuickTime format, click here for free player download

Even with the competition, the two seem to be readily anticipating the upcoming season together.

“Me and Eric have been together for the past two weeks, so we’ve kind of developed a friendship,” Payne said. “We’re going to be good.”

Payne managed the game well, controlling the ball and setting up the offense each time down as well as handling constant pressure from the defense which he easily broke down on his way to the hoop, on the way to a 12-point, three-assist performance.

Neither of the young additions to Iowa seemed fazed by the competition; each roster was filled with current and former college players, some of whom are stars in their own right. May noticed the difference right away, not that it changed the way he played.

“Speed. It’s a lot quicker,” May said. “Everybody is a good player on the court. There are no bad players out here.”

The speed may have been a factor early in the game for May, but once the tempo became more natural, he really turned it on en route to the huge second half he had, highlighted by a dunk off of a Payne turnover.

“I got into the flow of the game a little more, but I also haven’t played in a couple days,” May said. “So it was nice to get out here and get the dust off.”

If there was any dust, it was gone quickly. Monday night’s performances from both May and Payne made the losses from the Hawkeyes’ tumultuous spring a little easier to swallow.

Other Hawkeyes joining the new guys on the court were redshirt freshman-to-be John Lickliter, who played with May for Gatens/McCurry’s, and sophomore-to-be Aaron Fuller and senior-to-be Devan Bawinkel joined Payne on Imprinted/Goodfellow.

Bawinkel was quiet most of the night, scoring only three points on a first-half 3-pointer, and Fuller finished the game with eight points on 4-for-9 shooting for Imprinted/Goodfellow in the win.

Lickliter went 0-for-2 from the field with one assist in the loss.

With one game under their belts, the two young Hawkeyes are on their way to being ready to compete with the best the Big Ten has to offer.

Sports

Women’s track looks ahead

March 22, 2012 Jake Krez Leave a comment

BY JAKE KRZECZOWSKI | JUNE 17, 2009 7:20 AM

After months of strenuous training and competing filled with many highs and lows, the Iowa women’s track and field team’s 2009 campaign ended with the conclusion of the NCAA outdoor championships on June 13.

The third day of competition in Fayetteville, Ark., saw two of Iowa’s three entries, sophomore Karessa Farley and senior Renee White finish in 17th and 14th places in their respective events. Farley, who placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA indoor championships, was unable to repeat the All-American performance.

White, meanwhile, capped an impressive senior outdoor season in which she shattered the Big Ten and Iowa school record in the triple jump with a monstrous performance at the Big Ten championships, where she jumped 43-103⁄4 for the conference title. The jump ranked 10th in the nation.

Iowa head coach Layne Anderson was pleased with the way his squad responded after a last-place finish in the Big Ten indoor meet. Even though the Hawkeyes didn’t manage to get themselves out of the last place in the Big Ten during the outdoor portion of the season, there were plenty of good things to find.

“I felt the outdoor season was better overall, just not quite at NCAAs,” Anderson said. “We got a little more experience and a little more comfortable in each event.”

The entire team did better during the second half of the season, he said, and there was no one athlete he could single out as being the only improved one of the bunch.

“It’s hard to pinpoint any one person because I felt we really did get better across the board,” he said.

The important thing going forward for Iowa will be to build off the base of solid young talent it has in its favor. Those such as Farley, freshmen Betsy Flood and McKenzie Melander, and sophomores Hannah Roeder and Bethany Praska will be catalysts for the team.

The Hawkeyes will miss White and fellow seniors Racheal Marchand and Mandy Chandler, who brought a lot to the team (in Chandler’s case, the entire throwing squad).

“I will definitely miss my past head coach and bonding with the team,” White said after four years at Iowa.

The Hawks will have a very good chance to replace the losses with their recruiting class, which, between transfers and new freshmen, will be large. Headlining the class is graduate transfer student Megan Lessard from Columbia.

“She is someone who can come to our program or any program in the country and be an All-American right away,” Anderson said. “We’ll definitely have some weapons to work with going into next season.”