Browsing the vinyl racks at your favorite record store and coming across the name Shlohmo might be a bit of a mystery. A name like that could mean either traditional klezmer music or alcohol-soaked fraternity band. Luckily (with all due respect to klezmer masters), Shlohmo is a different beast entirely. Beat maestro Henry Laufer has been concocting a potent mix of dirty south, avant beats, slow jam soul, and hip hop for some time on LA based Friends of Friends aka FoF Music. After releasing his first EP in 2009, Shlohmo started making waves with the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs and Daddy Kev from Low End Theory. Since then, Henry has kept busy with more releases including two full length albums and several EPs and 12"es, all released to much critical acclaim. With beats that point to a maturity level far beyond his age, we are predicting frightening consequences to come. Listen to the first half (experimental, 2nd side hip hop!) of his live set recorded at Club Nightrocker in San Antonio.
http://www.mixcloud.com/evil_concussion/shlohmo-live-friends-of-friends-fof-music-showcase-nightrocker-san-antoniotexas-120312/2012-03-13 - Friends of Friends Music Showcase - 02 - Groundislava (Wedidit Collective) @ Nightrocker - San Antonio (Texas)
For LA native Jasper Patterson aka Groundislava, creativity combined with video game sci-fi sounds and general aesthetics of the 1980s have been instilled since day one. Jasper's father both animated and directed the classic 'Take On Me' video by A-Ha and while Groundislava isn't exactly the next logical step from the Norwegian pop group, Jasper takes that same creative freedom and emotion and injects it into a sound grounded in beats, video games, technology and self-proclaimed "nerdy shit". As part of the Wedidit Collective, helmed by his old schoolmate Shlohmo, Groundislava is the next representative stepping into the light and exposing a group of youngsters each with their own nonchalantly expert takes on forms of beat and electronic music. Deeply infatuated with house and minimal techno, Groundislava takes old templates of 8 bit and chip-tune styles and turns them into worlds full of oozing, swirling melodies backed by driving drum beats, heavy bass drops & soaring vocal melodies!
http://www.mixcloud.com/evil_concussion/groundislava-wedidit-collective-fof-music-showcase-nightrocker-san-antonio-texas-120312/