Available for pre-order now, a special four-vinyl edition of N*E*R*D’s seminal debut record In Search Of… features the US “rock version” and the European “electronic version”—each in their own two-LP gate-fold jacket. The 2001 album saw N*E*R*D (at the time Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley) catapult to international acclaim, thanks to their melding of countless genres (from funk to rock, hip-hop and beyond) …
Set to appear on Norwegian-born, NYC-based Okay Kaya’s next album (which is due out next year) “Ascend And Try Again” combines multiple genres, melding them together with haunting songwriting. The track itself literally describes the artist’s attempt to becoming scuba-certified for a role in a Swedish film—she was prone to ear infections and had to bow out—but it also stands in as a meditative guide …
Several Mexican-American musicians unite for “Los Ángeles Lindo Y Querido,” a three-track EP—and mash-up compilation, produced by Ulises Lozano— that celebrates bicultural identity. Commissioned by Tecate, the collaborative project draws attention to Mexican-Americans’ influence on the culture of Los Angeles, and pride over Mexican roots and Mexican Independence Day. The song’s diverse sonic spectrum reflects many genres, but all of them toast to the same …