MUSIC: DONCHRISTIAN
Everyday we surf the Internet from LA to Australia checking in with every region and the respected brands representing their geographic culture. Before their was Feedly, Twitter TL's and Hypebeast INTL magazines were my way of escaping the mainland and yet still learning about interesting pockets of culture happening our boarders. They still are you never know what Dazed and Confused is going to hip you to before the rest of the world gets a chance to stream it. Numerous bands that now overrun my itunes have been found because some exceptional writer at i-D magazine enticed my appetite for new. The problem is being is usually that I no one to share my findings with - if you are haven't played with your palette you may find a distaste for the edgy stories and eclectic that music that won't find its way to your itunes for another six months when introduces through the proper channels. You've also got to WANT to go and find it. It's rare that gems just end up in your lap.
Yesterday I was cruising the web and 032c (a magazine that always helps flip the creative switch) and ran into something that I had been searching for unintentionally. Vespa a DJ and our close friend hipped me to Theophilius London Jams tape and I've been a fan since. It felt like he filled the grey area between hip hop and everything else. TL is one of my favorites still but his sound has always been a bit more dance influence - that is his branding, his lifestyle. There is a rhythm and soul aspect side of it that was missing for me. Until yesterday I didn't know how to phrase that.
Meet DONCHRISTIAN born in Philly living in NY and incredibly skilled as a producer and sculptor of his own unique. His sound is easy flowing, full of bass, and eerie melodies that feel floaty, it sounds like smoke floating around a room, even with it's fast its slow. DON uses his voice as an instrument often with soft background melodies (the soul I was referring too) in his latest song Liu Kang he was a real life Jodeci/HTown breakdown at the end, some how pair that with the stolen Three6Mafia cadence every rapper is using and its more Three6 the most. I suggest playing Liu Kang without watching the visual first - give yourself a chance to like the song. The visual for Liu Kang goes back to palettes and whether or not you can seeing out of box as much as you can handle hearing out of the box. There is a sexual ora around DONCHRISTIAN persona that can be off putting for some. He's willing to bare skin and wear copped, slit and silky items pieces. Paired with the sound it works but it can still change your perception of where you feel his sound is derived. Obviously the style elements of the visuals upped the ante for me but I'm sure I would have been a fan otherwise. Edgy is the word that I'll use.
Check out his visuals in collaboration with director Sam Jones pretty much perfection.