The end of my year has been consumed by reading best EP/LP lists of ‘09, and I’m honestly surprised that Realpeople, Beirut’s side project, hasn’t been on any of those lists. Beirut’s Balkan-meets-Brooklyn sound is clearly an acquired taste, but I believe he should at least have been commended for embarking in an electronic direction. This has been one of the few albums of the year that I can enjoy from start to finish. Hopefully Holland isn’t his last foray with Electronica.

Realpeople – Venice

Realpeople – My Wife, Lost in the Wild

Realpeople – The Concubine

2 com

I’ve recently been introduced to a plethora of serious dubstep artists, and Joker is still standing out. Hailing from Bristol, Joker’s sparse, pseudo-psychedelic beats have made him a staple in Britain’s dubstep scene. All this at only twenty years old. Purple City has to be one of my favorite songs of the year. I never thought I’d ever be into anything by Little Boots, but she sure knows who to do her remixes.

Joker – Do It

Joker & Ginz – Purple City

Little Boots – Meddle (Joker remix)

none

It’s no secret that here at Dipped in Dollars, we love us some Theophilus London, so I was pleased to hear about this nice little documentary on his blog. His mixtape is phenomenal, and if you haven’t heard it already, what are you waiting for?

none

I’ve been busy recording my half of the D.I.D. feature for Breakthru Radio, so please enjoy these MGMT remixes while I get my shit together.

MGMT – Electric Feel (Justice Remix)

MGMT – Electric Feel (Aeroplane Remix)

MGMT – Kids (Bukez Finezt Dubstep Bootleg)

one

Julian Casablancas‘ solo project has been getting a lot of love on D.I.D. over the last few months, but this video for 11th Dimension is kind of a flop. Casablancas‘ loose reinterpretation of Bruce Lee’s Game of Death is pretty confusing, and it only highlights how lucky he is to be working with an astounding director like Warren Fu. Fu’s other videos for The Strokes and Little Joy are a hell of a lot better than this.

none

I didn’t hear much about Blaqstarr until Empty Cups introduced me to Shake It To The Ground late last Spring, but he’s been on blast ever since. This rapper/producer/DJ is a facet of Baltimore’s club scene and was the second artist to ever sign with the boys over at Mad Decent. I’m loving the flow he throws over his tracks, especially this recent Idle Warship + Mick Boogie beat. His video for Shake It To The Ground may be a couple years old, but watching this early collabo with Rye Rye is still so good.

Idle Warship + Mick Boogie – Momma May I (feat. Blaqstarr)

Blaqstarr feat. Rye Rye – Shake It To The Ground

Diplo + Blaqstarr – Get Off

one

Rounding out an exceptional week of Brainfeeder artists on Dipped in Dollars is the big boss himself, Flying Lotus, who just dropped a fresh retrospective on his ten year catalog. That’s a pretty fucking brave thing to do, especially having it mixed by someone else, fellow Brainfeeder The Gaslamp Killer. There is no way in hell I’d ever let anyone listen to my earliest jams with Crimson. Those unfortunate souls who still have those cds and can form complete sentences should be commended. Anyone who’s into any of the hyperdub artists I’ve covered will love this.

Flying Lotus – A Decade of Flying Lotus

2 com

I just saw these Nike commercials for the first time today, and I am in awe of how awesome they are. Though maybe I’m just a sucker for puppets…

none

What, was this track delivered in a time capsule straight from the 60s? The duo Broken Bells (featuring Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins [neither of whom can do any wrong in my opinion]) released this track off of their forthcoming album for free on their website earlier this week. In all honesty, after hearing of this collaboration, I was expecting a little bit of an electro-pop explosion. That’s certainly not what I received, but I’m not disappointed in the least. This song is clean and simple, and the beat contains a hint of funkiness. It’s low-key and positively delightful, and I can’t wait to hear what else they’ve dreamed up. Oh, and Merry Christmas! (if that’s your thing…)

Broken Bells – The High Road

3 com

Merry Christmas from Dipped in Dollars! No Christmas is complete without Santa Claus conquering some Martians. Hope you’ve been enjoying the Holidays as much as we have.

one