Frankie Rose | Et Musique Pour Tous

EMPT Presents – S U M M E R : a n t i – w i n t e r 3d by Ryan Radler

I used to wanna rap like Jay-Z
Now I feel I could run laps around Jay-Z
Nas ain’t seen nothing this nasty
B.I.G. & Pac got it coming when I pass too
You got the mic, I ain’t the one you wanna pass to

My ni$*@s say my new shit past due
I paid dues, even got that shit tattooed
HiiiPoWeR on another plateau
I know you know we need a few plaques too…” – Ab Soul

I love those lyrics. That’s the confidence, belief and attitude one needs to make progress. You can never sit around looking at the throne as something that can’t be achieved. You work hard, create your own lane, challenge it and get what you demand from it – in order to be the best, you must challenge the best.

That 41st law mentality is what makes Ab Soul is one of my favorite rappers right now. Aside from being highly intelligent, he sounds driven, like he cares about being great, like he practices everyday and wants no one to question his ability as a rapper. That use to be the norm in Hip Hop, you couldn’t try to be rapper without being incredibly good at it. I’m not talking Mr. Brainwash good here, I’m talking Picasso great. You had to be amazing, you had to innovate, you had to have your own style, you had to be the real deal. In the age of “swag” rappers the playing field is different but it’s nice to know there are still people that still value mastery and perfection of their craft. So many people want recognition or success, few actually know what it really takes, even less are truly willing to do it.

So why all the talk about rap in during a Ryan Radler release? Well it’s simple, these tapes come with that same fire and artistic integrity to not just exist but stand out as something special and worth while. I love that energy more than anything in an artist, it’s seductive, irresistible and necessary. When are artist is in the zone and that energy translates to their work the observers mind opens up and respects it. That’s usually when people say – I don’t really like this type of music but this is cool. I haven’t heard a Ryan Radler tape that hasn’t done that to me and I love it. That said, press play on this one and feel the energy of someone working hard to be great. Immerse yourselves in the Ryan Radler zone, it will treat you right.

S U M M E R : a n t i – w i n t e r 3 D

GRAND RESORT – Night Is Dark
MILES BONNY x B.LEWIS – Bottom To Top
XXYYXX – Tied2U
JOHNNY HAMMOND – Can’t We Smile
WARPAINT – Undertow (Blackbird Blackbird Remix)
SANDRO BRUGNOLINI – Alipid vs. Franciose Hardy
GORDON REES – In a Bossa Mood
FRANKIE ROSE – Know Me
PHÉDRA – Aphrodite
FINAL DJs – Salt On Our Skin (Sebastian Scotch remix / Normandy Edit)
LABYRINTH EAR – Snow White (DREAMTRAK Remix)
SMASHING PUMPKINS – 1979 (StardonE Remix)
BRAIDS – Glass Deers (Teen Daze Remix)
YOUNG MAN – Fate

You know that hungry feeling where you know you’re hungry but you don’t know what for? You could get a burrito, a slice of pizza, or dive head first into a salad but nothing sounds appetizing? So you decide to suck it up and make some toast with nutella and convince yourself you’re satisfied – “There! That toast did the trick,” you say as you walk away from your dirty plate rolling your eyes ’cause you know you’ll be hungry in an hours time and your indecision will come back with a vengeance. I often feel the same way when it comes to what music I want to listen to. I scroll through my library aimlessly judging each artist and often end up landing on some song I’ve listened to a thousand times like a Rihanna’s “What’s My Name?” I play it, lip-sync, maaaybe make a photobooth video to it, but at the end of the 3 minutes or so I’m left wondering what’s next? Do I listen to more Rihanna? Shamelessly yes, but I know that there are tracks stashed in my obscenely large library that will fill me up more than some pop tune.

Former Vivian Girls member, Frankie Rose, released this track early this year off her EP of the same title. Admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of her older work but this track changed my opinion on her. Since going solo, Rose seems to be on a quest for some sort of spiritual enlightenment. The track’s beginning sounds like we’re floating in some glittery abyss: little chimes and synths echo and melt together. Rose’s ethereal voice welcomes us to this place known as the interstellar highway where moon-dust apparently pours out of us. With a burst of light, the drums kick in and we’re moving on through space with Rose guiding us with each “ah-ah-ah.”

Earthless, guilty in five million parts now

I have left you

Weightless free from predictable ways my

Feet had touched the ground”

There’s a theme of earthly abandonment in this song. Wherever this highway Rose is taking us on is unlike the predictable ones we’ve grown accustom to. I listen to this and I feel weightless. There’s a part of me that has a huge soft-spot for tracks that take me out of my body and into some limbo space: where the sounds I’m hearing match the colors behind my eyelids when I close them. Rose’s solo celestial progression is working its magic. Put on some headphones, turn up your speakers, close your eyes and simply listen for a solid 3 and a half minutes – you’ll end the song full, satisfied, and hungry for more.

Frankie Rose – Interstellar