Little Dragon | Ritual Unions (PRFFTT & Svyable X Manila Killa Remix)

Sven Benson and Sam Driver of PRFFTT & Svyable have paired up with the Manila Killa to produce a rather anomalous track considering each of these producers already established electronic music portfolios. However, we must address the fact that the previous statement serves to establish a couple of facts about the world of electronic dance music as we very well know it and by no means should any negative connotations be inferred alongside what is written.

Anomalies in music, especially electronic, are a great thing. When an artist has successfully blurred the lines between two or more concepts that you thought you once knew nearly everything about, he or she has done their job. Well, maybe not just a standard job, but a phenomenal job. This is what makes a legend out of a producer. Many of the most famous musicians have earned their respective spots amongst the stars because of their ingenuity, not because of their conformity. It is this fact that we must celebrate.

We here at Rager Onions encourage you listeners to be more open-minded with you musical choices.

Experiment. With a close minded attitude, you will never ever listen to and enjoy something that is “new” until that particular thing is what everyone won’t fucking shut up about (*cough* Big Room House *cough*). What is the fun in that? For us, it is the hunt to find to music that provides the thrill. It is the sharing of this music with our friends that provides the inspiration to explore.

This next remix of “Ritual Union” by Little Dragon is in our professional opinions, a taste of the future. The Future Bass that is. Our European and Australian brethren are a bit ahead of the curve when it comes to enjoying these types of productions, but what did you expect? After we (America) collectively shed this last bit of our residual dubstep obsession, I believe these downtempo, hip-hop influenced future jams will conversely take root.

People here in the United States LOVE rap music. To us, on paper, rap music is a fantastic concept: spoken word poetry recited over chilled, bass bumping beats. However, unfortunately it would seem the rap game will not pay a single homage to this fact. Besides a select number of still outstanding rapping lyricists, who, as a result, do not seem to gain nearly as much access to the spotlight, the lyrical quality in most modern rap is at par with what my seven year old cousin could write. Well, besides the omnipresent encouragement to the objectification of women as “bitches,” gang violence and unhealthy money lust.

Gotta get paid though.

I think we all need to take a step back as music listeners and objectively assess the things we choose to listen to. Do we listen to it because it is quality? Do we listen to it because it is original? Or, do we listen to it because it’s easy?

PRFFTT, Svyable and the Manila Killa have come together and brought you listeners something a little different. I encourage you to give it a try because although it may sound like something you have never heard before, it is in a million different ways just like the things that you have.

Big Sandz | Homegrown Artist Spotlight

We stumbled upon this artist when going through our SoundCloud feed rather recently. Luckily, other Chicago homies of ours are keeping it real and reposting great tunes. It makes it even sweeter when the musician we discover happens to be from the greatest city on earth. You know where we’re talking about…

What first intrigued us about AJ Navilio, who also goes by the stage name Big Sandz, was the content contained in his brief bio on The Cloud. It reads, “An electronic music producer pursuing the truth behind everything and sharing what he finds through his sound.”

This blew us away. Rarely do we find other endearingly passionate existentialists like ourselves, who are interested in one of the few things that seems to matter these days: the truth. Although, kind of a funny concept for a music producer to be concerned with, right?

Wrong.

Music is the most popular and accessible means we have of escaping reality, and the musician is our guide out into the ether and onto the unknown. Who else would you want piloting your proverbial ship into the abyss? Obviously someone who has the experience, not only musically but intellectually. These are the human beings capable of truly lifting off of the weight of reality from your weakened shoulders. These are the people who pour all their experiences, feelings, hopes, dreams, aspirations and all of their soul into an engrossing musical experience for the listener. These are the artists we love to listen to here at Rager Onions, and Big Sandz is assuredly one of these artists.

When he is not producing insanely complex, melodic and chilled-out transgenre beats, AJ Navilio is filling his position as Co-Owner of Rage Face Records, a Chicago-based dubstep, electronic and house label. This is actually the very same label that houses Enoptix, another Chicago EDM group who we happened to interview sometime ago.

AJ credits the sound and evolution of his music to the combination of his prior musical experiences playing piano, sax and guitar (all before starting to DJ at age 17) and his desire to expand his mind/mental awareness through activities like mediation. Big Sandz thrives on the world’s energies and loves to shape people’s thoughts, experiences and feelings through the music he produces and releases at Rage Face Records.

Below, we’ve included a few jams that we know will get you going on this dreary winter Monday.

#ChiTownLove

#ThinkI’mGonnaPLUR!

Hippie Sabotage | “Stay High” (Tove Lo Flip)

Assuredly one of the hottest songs in the world of EDM currently, this jam by So Crates and Sour Beats (as they refer to themselves on SoundCloud) of Hippie Sabotage is out of this world spectacular. Artistically flipping the original jam “Habits” by Tove Lo, this duo of the Future variety has struck gold with their re-work titled “Stay High.” The chilled-out, electronic dance hip-hop beat is indicative of a style of music produced by trailblazing artists like Flume, Disclosure and Cashmere Cat. It is referred to as “Future Garage”, or more simply, “Future.”

By definition, Future Garage generally employs production techniques such as “repitched vocals (very common), soft leads with a round attack, subbass or a square bass with a modulating filter, and finally, a 2-step garage drum beat with off-the-grid high hats” (Thank you Wikipedia). Future music is rather technical to produce despite the seemingly simple sound design, often times focusing on late or humanized high-hats between the kick and snare patterns.

However, technique and genre aside, it doesn’t take a genius to realize the true nature of this next beast of a track.

The heartbreaking but highly relatable lyrics paint a picture of a lost love and the former lover who can’t help but “stay high all the time” to simply “keep you off my mind.” Much like the grief stricken female in the song, at some point in time, everybody wants to escape. Here, Hippie Sabotage grants listeners a chance to step away for a moment with their unbelievably chill, highly passionate anthem.

We cannot stop listening to this. Seriously, I think it’s been played at least fifteen times here today at R.O. Headquarters.

It’s that good. You’ll see…