Lansing’s John Beltran is an electronic musician hailing from Lansing, Michigan. For the better part of two decades, John has been releasing tracks tinged with deep ambient and balearic influences that have all melted together to give him a futuristic, but earthy sound. He began to elevate to prominence after his debut album Earth and Nightfall garnered attention and praise in the Detroit Techno scene.
Read MoreWith his A.Muse brand, Jason wants to connect, inspire, and motivate artists who are passionate and dedicated to their crafts, not unlike what I aim to do here at Inside the Rift. Jason has been working tirelessly to get the label running and as a result of this, the Calfornia based label has begun releasing what is sure to be the first of many musical projects.
Read MoreOverall, Eaze has proven once again that he embodies the traditional sound and grittiness of good ol’ fashioned New York productions. It is extremely refreshing to hear an artist from our generation pay homage to the old school sounds and cadences of the Golden Era.
Read MoreSolomon Vaughn (also known as Boonie Mayfield and Boon Doc) is a musician hailing from Colorado Springs that helped pave the way for artists in the early days of the online production scene. While known for his productions, Solomon is far from "just" anything and has proven himself to be an extremely capable emcee, dancer, and artist.
Read MorePENPALS is a hip-hop duo out of New York that is paying homage to the old school sounds and flavors. The group (consisting of Cynic the Apache and MC Rapswell) has done an admirable job of reviving the classic sound of sample based, boom bap hip hop.
Read MoreReggie Perry Jr. is a multitalented artist (choosing graphic design, photography, and music production as his mediums of choice) working under the moniker of Nobody Famous for sometime now. I discovered the virtuoso on Instagram and was quickly captivated by a snippet of music that he posted. After more research, I discovered that he is also the mastermind behind the "Creative Masters Podcast" where he interviews successful independent personalities.
Read MoreBrooklyn’s Ricky Lascaze (now operating under the moniker of Eaze) is a producer and lyricist who strives to keep the classic Hip Hop sound alive and well with his eclectic beats and gritty flavor. First emerging on Digi Crates Records as DJ Ezasscul, Eaze has since elevated his style and transmuted some of his creative potential into Emceeing as well.
Read MoreFloyd Cheung is a Hip Hop producer currently living in Hong Kong and has made a name for himself with his soul driven, sample based productions. In the underground circuit, Floyd managed to secure a spot on TallBlackGuy’s esteemed “Tempo Dreams” series (which is how I was introduced to him) and the track “Based Jam” for a then up and coming Lil B (the Bay Area’s own left-field, abstract lyricist).
Now contributing to the Hong Kong Hip Hop scene as one of the resident producers for Wildstyle Records and collaborating with many other artists (like Shanghai's Svbkvlt) I had the opportunity to speak to him and learn more about his roots, inspirations, and the Chinese Hip Hop community.
Read MoreHip-Hop producer Freddie Joachim (JO-AH-KIM) hails from San Diego, California and has been involved in music for over twenty years by way of DJing and instrumental production. I was initially introduced to his music a few years back after hearing his fantastic track “Ride” on Pandora. Diving deeper into his discography, it was easy to hear his affinity for Old School Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Soul; And his tracks are obligatory for fans of those genres or listeners interested in mellow, neck snapping beats.
Read MoreHello people! Today i’m bringing you an interview with a great producer by the name of Breezewax. I’ve been listening to his music for quite some time after discovering his work on youtube a few years ago. I found that I enjoyed the meditative hip-hop instrumentals that he was creating and it has been quite interesting to actually hear his music evolve over the years. A lot of his pieces are almost like stories and reflections on places that he may have visited during that time. His Aeroporto project is infused with a lot of lush Brazilian flavor and features some wonderful samples that really capture the mood of the beautiful country.
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With it’s unique take on contemporary art, Hi-Fructose has witnessed a meteoric rise to prominence since it’s inception in 2005. The magazine has since featured a plethora of high profile creatives from around the globe operating in various disciplines. Recently, the publication was has even created it’s own it’s own exhibition entitled Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of Hi-Fructose that showcases the evolution of the property and some of the artists they’ve featured over the years.
Jeff Fletcher (also known as the drum & bass producer, Outsource) is no stranger to Inside the Rift. We have spoken before about his music, inspirations, and love for classic racing titles (most notably Wipeout for the original Playstation). It was honestly no surprise when I saw that he had decided to create his own endless runner title called VeloCity for mobile operating systems.
The Sunshine Makers examines the life and times of Nicholas Sand and Robert Timothy Scully, the masterminds behind the mythical "Orange Sunshine", a brand of LSD that is still heralded as the purest and to achieve mainstream notoriety. Nick and Tim were directly responsible for much of the LSD that was in circulation during that time and found themselves in the crosshairs of what would eventually fester into what we now know as The War on Drugs.
Martin's work primarily discusses nondualism and the dissolution of the ego through psychedelic exploration. He believes that by removing social constructs that bolster the ego (like religion), one can get to the heart of the human experience and recognize that they themselves are God. He has even created the "Entheological Paradigm" which is a kind of grand unifying theory for psychedelic phenomenology based on his experiences.
Frank Yang (born in Taiwan) is an artist and bodybuilder that has made a name for himself with his impressive physique, abstract pieces (primarily photos and videos) and knack for philosophizing about psychology and spirituality. Using YouTube as his primary vehicle, Frank has successfully translated his dynamic persona into thousands of subscribers and millions of views.
I was sitting down recently and I decided that I want to start a series where I talk about albums, tracks, or instances that sparked my interest in a particular discipline or genre.
Lansing’s John Beltran is an electronic musician hailing from Lansing, Michigan. For the better part of two decades, John has been releasing tracks tinged with deep ambient and balearic influences that have all melted together to give him a futuristic, but earthy sound. He began to elevate to prominence after his debut album Earth and Nightfall garnered attention and praise in the Detroit Techno scene.
I have spoken with artist Brian Pollett before and i am still fascinated by the concept of his Binge series. Over a set course of days, Brian consumes various drugs and creates pieces that attempt to represent elements of each particular substance. It's a very underrated concept in my opinion and manages to showcase both Brian's virtuoso talent, as well as his incredible ability to translate these spaces into reality for us to admire without being pretentious.