Last month, we witnessed the first variation from MPM signed artist Mar [Full Crate & Mar], as part of his new collaborative project that is aptly titled 'Mar Variation'. The first variation was the vocalists own rendition of Lil Wayne's 'Single', which you can conveniently listen to here. Did I mention that Mar did it better?
Within the last 24 hours, the second installment of the 'Mar Variation' series finally dropped, noting that the Amsterdam vocalist now takes on Louis Bordeaux's '1st Session', whilst adding his own personal flare to it.
Listen to the joint! [watch the official video after the jump]
Nb. This was the first track I had listened to this morning.. as I usually compile a playlist to accompany my daily morning routine [a routine in itself]. So whilst I was vibing out to this down-tempo joint, I proceeded to open my blinds only to discover that the conditions outside were questionable, as dense grey clouds were approaching [with haste]. Struggling through a sake induced hangover, lack of sleep and miserable weather; my only solace has been listening to this 'nu-jazz' styling of Mar.... whilst sipping on some green tea my room mate [dad] brewed this morning.
Like purveyors of fine foods, Stones Throw, Ninja Tune and Jazzy Sport have been delivering connoisseurs with only the finest sounds for years now. I can safely state that I've been a devotee to each of these labels... almost to the extent of paying homage to them with every new moon. But I don't need to delve into how these aforementioned labels "do", as their respective team rosters speak louder than any of the words I lack in trying to describe them.
Earlier in the year, I stumbled across a little act by the name of Full Crate & Mar, two homies from Amsterdam who have been making music together since high school. You may remember me posting a little something about Mar here. At this point in time, I do have to thank Garth over at Yeah-Homies, for putting me onto their EP 'Conversations With Her'. Vibing out to the EP propagated a hardcore internet leering session that consisted of firstly finding out what label these guys were signed to; and secondly, there must be more talent signed to said label... so who were they?
So began my infatuation with Melting Pot Music. MPM, a relatively small label based in Cologne Germany, boasts an impressive line-up of ridiculous talent from all around the globe. In actual fact, I had previously heard a lot of material from one of their distinguished artists, one Mr. Miles Bonny, an amazing beatmaker/trumpeter/vocalist/gentleman and all round superhero good-guy hailing from Kansas City. Countless digital downloads later, I managed to buy a chunk of the labels back catalogue and immerse myself in total auditory bliss. With the release of Hi-Hat Club Vol. 5 on vinyl, I decided it was time to invest my hard earned dollars on some MPM issued wax (at last). MPM’s roots lie deep in hip-hop culture, but their current roster consists of talented beatmakers and vocalists who like to push their talents beyond any fixed genre, whilst experimenting through a fusion of down tempo jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul and electronic blends. You could say that this is in the same vein as the artists belonging to the aforementioned labels. They seem to be artists that venture out of their safety, they seem to be artists that refuse to be categorised in one particular style. And because of this, they produce a cut of music superior in quality.
I’ll start you off with a few joints I dig, but I advise you to go educate yourself. You have a lot to take in, a lot to buy, so brace yourself and “turn it up”…
