Analog heads rejoice: our favorite retail holiday of the year is upon us – Record Store Day! Figuring out where to go and what to cop can be a little overwhelming (and pocket-draining), but as usual, Okayplayer’s got your back. Paying actual money for physical copies of music may seem like a lost art these days, but since its inception, RSD has ensured that audiophiles, collectors, and casual listeners alike will have a few things worth leaving space for on their shelves. We here at Okayplayer know that being prepared is half the battle, so we’ve compiled a list of what we think are the can’t-miss releases dropping tomorrow to help keep your wallet and mind at ease while enjoying the vibes at your favorite local wax emporium. And if you’re in the major cities of New York or Los Angeles, there are a couple events worth checking out, even if dropping cash on music that won’t fit in your pocket isn’t your jam (we have a feeling it might be after seeing this list, however). Check out the (abbreviated) event listings below, and click on through to get your RSD 2013 shopping list in order, friends.

NYC Events

• Turntable Lab: DJs all day [Ayers, Eli Escobar, Dopeshoes + more], extended hours, and a thorough selection of RSD Releases
• Halcyon: DJs all day, free coffee from Archway Coffee for those who line up early
• Good Records NYC: Free food, drinks and music all day, plus an impression of rare original and out-of-print pressings

LA Events

• Mount Analog: DJs all day, stand-up comedy by Fred Armisen (!), 50% off sale select items, special exclusive releases
• Permanent Records: DJs all day, open at 5AM, exclusive releases
• Origami Vinyl: DJs all day, first customer in line gets to shop the entire store alone for 5 minutes, original RSD zine distributed while supplies last, extended hours

The post Okayplayer’s Top 20 Vinyl Releases For Record Store Day 2013 [4/20] appeared first on Okayplayer.

Detroit producer/MC Black Milk offers a full stream of his forthcoming LP Synth Or Soul ahead of its April 23rd release date. The instrumental project is the first installment of his visual art and sound series entitled Fuzz, Freqs & Colors – a collaborative project with artist Upendo Taylor. The limited edition Synth Or Soul vinyl has sold out, but the project is available for pre-order via iTunes. Scroll down for details. Check the project below.

>>>Pre-Order Synth Or Soul Via iTunes

Spotted at HHNM

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Michigan born products Nametag (on the raps) and Nameless (on the beats) just dropped their collabo LP, For Namesake. The LP has features from Black Milk (Nametag’s cousin), Guilty Simpson, Miz Korona, Mahd, and more. Take a listen to one of the standout tracks off the project, “Oxymoron” featuring Milk, then go cop it on iTunes.

The post Nametag & Nameless “Oxymoron” feat. Black Milk appeared first on Okayplayer.

Black Milk drops “Computer Ugly Ugly/Why Worry?” – the double-instrumental from his new EP Synth Or Soul Dropping on April 20th for Record Store Day. The EP will combine synth-driven beats on one side with beats derived exclusively from soul samples on the flip. The artwork for the project is the first peek at a special collaboration with illustrator Upendo “Pen” Taylor (NIKE, Leroy Jenkins, Gatorade) called Fuzz, Freqs & Colors (FFC) an instrumental art series which will marry the musical and visual. Synth Or Soul is the first in a series of records produced by the pair for the collaborative project. Take a listen below. Scroll for tracklisting and pre-order.

Synth Or Soul Tracklisting
SIDE A: SYNTH
1. Computer Ugly Ugly
2. When The Sky Falls
3. 600
4. Higgs Boson
5. Piano Moog

SIDE B: SOUL
6. 80′s TV Show
7. Why Worry
8. Deep Breath Deep Bass
9. Heaven’s Cry
10. Wish A N’gga Would
11. 10 Luv
12. Drunk Tweets

>>>Pre-Order Synth Or Soul EP

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I know I wasn’t the only one getting anxious for some new Black Milk music in 2013. To make up for lost time Black comes through with a double single (both bangin’) to get things started. Let Black take you to church with “Sunday’s Best/ Monday’s Worst,” follow both sides of the story from the Sunday service to the Monday night club drama (that beat switch at 2:07 though). And yeah, these both would be any day’s best (cop both singles on iTunes). Black’s new solo album will be out this summer.

The post Black Milk “Sunday’s Best/ Monday’s Worst” appeared first on Okayplayer.

Just when you thought your anticipation for the upcoming Delfonics album produced by Adrian Younge couldn’t get any more intense, the remix to first single “Stop And Look (And You Have Found Love)” had to go and drop and mess your whole day up (in a good way, of course). Featuring production from Detroit veteran Black Milk and verses by Souls of Mischief, the reworked version accomplishes just what a good remix is supposed to – Black Milk perfectly chops up Adrian Younge’s superb original production into a smooth moving boom-bap beat, complementing the title track’s gritty retro-soul sound without overpowering it.  William Hart of The Delfonics brought the Philly sound to new levels at the end of last year when he performed with The Roots at Okayplayer’s Holiday Jam, but we don’t want to rub in your saltiness if you weren’t there to see it yourself (watch the recap video here, though; rub, rub.). Not to mention Souls of Mischief do nothing less than expected by running circles around Black Milk’s well-crafted sound, so there’s really nothing not to love about it. Listen to the track below and make sure you’re ready for Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics when it drops on March 12 via Wax Poetics Records.

spotted at VICE

The post Black Milk + Souls Of Mischief Remix The Delfonics – “Stop And Look” appeared first on Okayplayer.

Black Milk drops beat reel from hell (well, Detroit) on an unsuspecting universe, running through 8 (by my count) tuff beats in just under 7 minutes on this newly uploaded soundcloud titled “Demo Beats 2012.” Microwave some popcorn, roll a somethin’ and settle into that worn spot on the couch for a thoroughly enjoyable, if brief, session of snap-your-neck. Especially buttery, of course, is the flip of the synth classic Hot Butter (on what, say what, the…) “Popcorn” a subliminal nod to J Dilla‘s ‘Kraftwerk’ period as well as the groovy 1970s. A fly little bird told me there may be a Delfonics flip in here somewhere as well. Stream below and stay tuned:

The post Audio: Black Milk – Demo Beats 2012 [Snippets Reel] appeared first on Okayplayer.

To close out the week of Robert Glasper Experiment Black Radio remixes we have Glasper’s Bilal and Black Milk collabo “Letter To Hermione,” remixed by none other than…Robert Glasper! (and Jewels. Can’t forget the jewels). Glasper vs Glasper? That’s like black on black radio. That’s jazz cannibalism. That’s like John Malkovich going through the wormhole into the brain of John Malkovich. Actually, in practice, the Bowie cover–filtered through Glasper’s bluish piano interpolation, Bilal’s smoky, echoey vocal and the percolating drums of the remix–comes out with a much more subtle flavor, like the aroma of coffee and Alamout black; the haunting morning-after memory of a dream or out-of-body experience more than the vision itself. The finishing note is a voicemail from Maureen Ma Dukes Yancey, teasing the arrival of “Dillalude #2″ (Premieres monday, right here on Okayplayer!) and exhorting Glasper with the words “Let’s make it happen,” which I hereby predict will be the soundbite of the year, right up there with “I like Big Bird.” See you Monday–and don’t forget to check out the remixes from ?uestlove, Pete Rock, 9th Wonder and Georgia Anne Muldrow.

props to HT

The post Audio: Robert Glasper x Bilal & Black Milk – “Letter To Hermione” (Glasper & Jewels Remix) appeared first on Okayplayer.

In the latest edition of Bling47‘s J Dilla breakdowns, fellow Detroiter (and some would say heir) Black Milk switches us on to the sample from “Fantastic Interlude” by Slum Village. Their breakthrough LP Fantastic Vol. 2 is known (no small thanks to our own ?uestlove) as one of the all-time classics of underground hip-hop, particularly the track known as “Fantastic Intro” (just ask D’Angelo). But this interlude–also known as “Fantastic 3″–from its predecessor, Vol. 1 is a special favorite of true Slum Vill connoisseurs and Dilla’s flip of “Age of Aquarius” (as in the dawning of) from Moog Machine‘s Switched-On Rock LP is a blueprint for the artform, not to mention a gateway drug for many an early SV adopter–including Milk himself. Watch below for the full science.

The post Video: Black Milk Breaks Down “Fantastic 3″ – Slum Village [prod. J Dilla] appeared first on Okayplayer.

Some of y’all might’ve forgotten about this J Dilla-produced Busta Rhymes joint from his Anarchy album. Black Milk hasn’t. On this episode of Bling47‘s Dilla Breaks, the Jay Dee-sciple breaks down all the elements from the intricate chopping of Dreams‘ “New York” record, to the mood that made Busta wanna “sparkle,” to the drums (y’all know Black Milk knows about those Dilla drums), to the EQ’ing job.

props to bling47

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