The Beat – The Transcript

The BEAT: Calvin Harris continues new direction

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

With yet another single released, Calvin Harris is showing signs of a new production style and artistic direction.

It’s been a little over a month since Harris released his funky single “Slide,” featuring singer Frank Ocean and hip-hop group Migos. And now he’s back at it again with another unique pop collaboration, “Heatstroke”.

This new track features a variety of artists, including Young Thug, Ariana Grande and Pharrell. Young Thug carries the first verse while Grande and Pharrell mainly sing the chorus, creating a melody that hits very high notes.

The single is similar to Harris’ last release in that it incorporates a disco-pop sound that is very danceable.

“Slide” was Frank Ocean’s first appearance since the release of his summer album “Blonde.” The combination of his singing with verses from Quavo and Offset of Migos made for a popular single, hitting No. 34 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in its rst week.

Both tracks are a step in a different direction for Harris. He has been making electronic dance music for years, which has made him the richest DJ in the world, according to Forbes. These new songs are both de nitely pop, and are possibly an indicator for what type of music is to be expected from the producer in the future.

“Slide” came out on Feb. 24 and this most recent one, “Heatstroke,” was released March 31. One would think a new Calvin Harris album is on the way, however there is not.

According to Complex Magazine, Harris doesn’t plan to make an album at all. Instead, he plans to release
10 singles throughout the year, with ‘Slide’ and ‘Heatstroke’ being the rst two. While the reasons for this are not confirmed, Complex looks at this as a marketing strategy for Harris. There may be more money to be earned spreading these types of singles out over time, rather than in one single album release.

Album or not, we can be positive that a new Calvin Harris has arrived, and has a lot more in store for us in the coming months.

The Beat: Drake beats streaming records with “More Life”

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

Drake continues his reign as the biggest hip-hop artist in the game with his record-breaking release of “More Life.”

The Toronto rapper released the 22-track album (which he refers to as a playlist) on Saturday and it broke streaming records on both Spotify and Apple Music.

“More Life” was streamed 88.9 times on Apple Music on its first day of release, which is more than any album has ever streamed in one day through the service, according to Billboard.

The playlist also received more than 76 million plays on Spotify, which is the most an artist has ever been streamed in one day. Both records surpassed the ones previously set by Ed Sheeran.

Drake has released four studio albums so far in his career and while this looks like a fifth, he’s chosen to call it a playlist, not an album. According to The Atlantic, this is because many people were involved with the project and it became more like a project created by many artists rather than just Drake. Some songs barely feature Drake at all; instead, featuring artists do a large bulk of the vocals.

The project has a lengthy and eye-catching list of features. He collaborated with some of the biggest artists in hip-hop including Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Migos’ Quavo, Young Thug and more.

Drake seems to draw back to his roots on many of the tracks in the playlist. His last two projects were seen as a victory lap and featured a lot of boasting over hype instrumentals. “More Life” features serious and emotional tracks and feels much more like “Take Care,” Drake’s second studio album released in 2011.

With 22 tracks the album is very dense and hits a variety of themes. It acts like a rollercoaster hitting many highs and a lot of lows which makes the tracklist diverse and interesting.

Playlist or album, “More Life” has been another smash hit for the most popular artist in hip-hop right now.

The Beat: Future releases two albums in the same week

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

Hip-hop artist Future has put out two albums in the past week, and he might be breaking records as both soar to No. 1 on the charts.

On Feb. 17 Future released his self-titled album and it immediately shot to No. 1 with more than 100 million streams and 60,000 sales in its first week, according to Billboard.

However, Future wasn’t finished. Exactly one week later he released a second album, titled “HNDRXX”.

This album has also done extremely well in its first week and according to Hits Daily Double, it could reach the No.1 spot in its first week.

If “HNDRXX” makes it to the top, Future will make Billboard history as the first artist to release two No.1 albums in consecutive weeks.

Hitting No.1 is not a new feat for the Atlanta rapper. This is his fourth and possibly fifth time reaching the top, with other releases such as “DS2,” “Evol” and his collaborative album with Drake, “What a Time to Be Alive” topping the charts.

While the albums came out within a week of each other, Future definitely takes a different approach to each project. Future has no featured artists and definitely sticks to the melodic trap style that Future has created for himself.

“HNDRXX” has features from both Rihanna and the Weeknd. It takes on a unique style as many of the tracks are more upbeat and at times take on a much more mainstream sound. This might be a result of those artists featured on it.

Both albums take on a variety of themes. He addresses things like transitioning from a poor to wealthy lifestyle, partying, drug usage and falling in and out of love. “HNDRXX” addresses a softer side that is uncommon in a lot of Future’s music as he talks about some of the more personal problems in his life.

While it remains unknown whether both of Future’s albums will make it to No. 1 it remains certain that he is on a winning streak. The artist has continued his rise to becoming one of the most popular and influential hip-hop artists today.

The Beat: Migos release “Culture”

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

“Culture” has hit the shelves explosively and could potentially see a number one spot in its first week out.

Migos have released their highly anticipated album, “Culture” and whether you like the hip-hop trio or not, you can expect to continue hearing their music in the coming months.

Migos are an American hip-hop group from Georgia formed in 2009. It consists of rappers Quavo, Takeoff and Offset.

The group have been gaining popularity since 2013 when they released “Versace” and have since had big releases like “Fight Night” and “Look at My Dab.”

“Bad and Boujee” was the first single off the album and it is currently the number one song in the U.S. With such great success from this track and large circulation of the album on social media, the trio may see a number one album very soon.

According to projections from Hits Daily Double, the album is projected to move around 80,000 units in the first week, a huge amount of this from streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music. At that rate, “Culture” could soar to the top of the charts sooner than many would have expected.

Migos are a famous name in the world of hip-hop and the featuring artists on this album definitely show that. With big names like 2 Chainz, DJ Khaled, Travis Scott and Gucci Mane on the tracklist, the album will be pulling from a variety of fanbases.

Whether the album hits number one in its first week or not, it has solidified itself as one of the biggest album releases of 2017 less than a month into the year.

The Beat: Gud Vibrations tour comes to Columbus

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

Electronic music fans gathered at the Bluestone for a sold-out show put on by NGHTMRE and Slander.

The Bluestone, located in downtown Columbus near Ohio State, welcomed concertgoers on Nov. 6 for a night of dance music and light shows.

NGHTMRE and Slander did a back-to-back show, in which they switched off on the decks to play what turned out to be an exciting show. They are currently on their “Gud Vibrations” tour, which is named after the EP the two artists did together

NGHTMRE and Slander are two different artists. The former is a producer named Tyler Mareny and he is from Los Angeles, California. He has been active in the music scene for a few years and mainly creates dance music like dubstep or trap.

Slander is an electronic music duo consisting of Derek Anderson and Scott Land. They were fraternity brothers in college and created the music group in 2010. They mainly focus on trap music, but have also explored genres like hip-hop and house.

Bluestone, where the event took place, was formerly a Baptist church built in 1898. It has now been converted into a hall for music of every genre, according to the Bluestone website. The church still has its stained glass windows.

Before the main acts began, producers Habstrakt and LDRU opened with some of their music to get the crowd excited. However, the crowd really got going once NGHTMRE and Slander came on stage. Multiple mosh pits formed and people began surfing the crowd.

A large group of Ohio Wesleyan students attended the event, one of them being sophomore Josh Martineau. He said the concert was a fun and intense experience.

“I had really fun time going to the concert with all of my friends,” Martineau said. “The crowd did get really rowdy, though. I saw people pushing and falling in the mosh pits so I had to join in.”

Columbus has been becoming an increasingly popular place for electronic music artists to visit on their tours.

The BEAT: Committed coming to A cappalooza

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

The fourth annual Ohio Wesleyan A Cappellooza showcase is bringing the Grammy-nominated group Committed to perform for students.

The event is being hosted by OWU’s Campus Programming Board and will feature performances of movie theme songs by a cappella groups from OWU, Kenyon College, Wittenberg University, the University of Akron and others.

Committed is a five-person a cappella group that was created in 2003. The members comprise Therry Thomas, Dennis Baptiste, Geston Pierre, Robbie Pressley and Maurice Staple. The group met at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama.

In 2010, Committed won the second season of “The Sing-Off,” a musical competition on NBC. Since then, they have received a Grammy nomination for their rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear,” a track off of their holiday album Home for Christmas.

The name Committed describes the group, the members said. They live their lives committed to God, each other and music.

“With a cappella music, we are literally able pour out our souls in song and express ourselves individually and as a group,” Pierre said.

Winning “The Sing Off” was a great honor for the group and they said it has had an amaz- ing impact on their lives. Thomas described the experience as being “an honor and a privilege,” and that having people know them and their music is surreal.

For part of the show the group got to sing with artist Boyz II Men in front of a live TV audience, which was an opportunity they called life-changing.

“It was such an honor to sing with people that we have looked up to for years and it really was a dream come true,” Pierre said.

A Cappellooza will be took place at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 in Gray Chapel.

“We’re really excited to come to Ohio Wesleyan and bring some great music,” Pierre said. “Students should be prepared to laugh, to cry, to be excited and overall have an amazing night.”

The BEAT: Zeds Dead visits Newport Music Hall

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

Electronic music fans gathered at the Newport Music Hall for a sold-out show put on by artist Zeds Dead.

Newport, located right next to the Ohio State campus, welcomed concertgoers Oct. 6 for a night of loud music and intricate light shows.

Zeds Dead is an electronic music duo comprising Dylan Mamid and Zachary Rapp-Rovan, both from Toronto, Canada.

The two producers make music ranging from house to dubstep, with some hip hop as well. They came to Columbus as part of their nationwide “Northern Lights” tour, named after their album that was released on Oct. 14.

Electronic artists Unlike Pluto and Ghastly opened for Zeds Dead. The two acts got the crowd moving, but the party really started when Zeds Dead hit the stage.

Zeds Dead brought its own light system that added elaborate visuals to the entire show. The venue was packed all the way to the wall in the back, but that did not stop anyone from dancing and getting into the music.

A handful of students from Ohio Wesleyan attended the event, one of whom was Caroline Hamlin. She said she went with a group of OWU students and had a memorable night.

“Seeing Zeds Dead was an unforgettable experience,” Hamlin said. “I danced all night with my friends and it was really a bonding experience for all of us.”

The Beat: A chat with Cardiknox before homecoming weekend

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

The Campus Programming Board has planned a concert for students during homecoming weekend featuring Cardiknox, an indie-pop band from Seattle, Washington.

The group consists of vocalist Lonnie Angle and instrumentalist Thomas Dutton, who formed the band in 2013.

Cardiknox performed at Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 8.

The Transcript: How did you come up with the name?

Angle: Cardinaux is Dutton’s mother’s maiden name. It’s a French name and Americans have a tough time pronouncing it, but we thought it sounded cool, so we poached it and made it Cardiknox.

The Transcript: How did the band come together?

Dutton: I was in a band before called Forgive Durden and we had made a kind of rock opera album. We were working to make it into a musical in Seattle and that’s where I met Angle. She was helping us with the musical and we started writing pop songs together. After working together for a while, we decided we wanted to form a band and that’s how Cardiknox started.

The Transcript: You released your first album in March. How did it feel to release your first studio album? Angle: It was wonderful! We spent a very dedicated six months writing and recording music and in the process of doing that we signed a deal with Warner Bros. When you sign with a major label like that, the timeline can be delayed so we weren’t able to release the album for an entire year after writing it. We were so ready to get the songs out into the world and now that it is, it’s been amazing touring and having people know our songs.

The Transcript: How do you describe your music to people, especially in regard to your album? Dutton: I usually tell people it is like electropop, but it incorporates a lot of indie sounds as well as pop from the 80s.

The Transcript: What artists/music has inspired your sound?

Dutton: We’ve been inspired by a lot of music, especially what we grew up listening to. We draw influence from artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper. As far as production, I also draw a lot of intuition from hip-hop artists like Drake and Kanye [West]. So it’s pretty much anything we are into or that has moved us.

The Transcript: What is your music about and is there a theme to your album? Angle: When we were writing it, we didn’t go into the studio saying to ourselves, “We have to write an album that sounds like xyz,” but in looking back now, we can see that it really is a reflection of where we were at in that moment of our lives both personally and professionally. I had issues with a big family trauma as my parents split up after 39 years and heartache really wove its way into a lot of the songs. Also, Thomas and I have been fighting for this dream of making this band into a reality and that’s not an easy task, as much as it may seem from the outside. So we see these themes of perseverance and believing in yourself unintentionally because it’s what we were thinking about when we made the music.

The Transcript: Are you working on any new projects now? Dutton: We actually were just able to start writing again about a month ago, but now that we are on tour, it might be difficult to start making music. Some people like making music on the road, but to me, touring and making music are two very different things and I find it hard to be in both of those head spaces at once.

The Transcript: How is life on tour? Angle: It’s been great. We’ve only been on the road for a couple days now and this is a shorter tour than we have done before, but it is a lot of fun. This year we’ve done three national tours already with different artists and we’ve seen a lot of different venues and audiences. This tour is different because it is all colleges, which is rad.

The Transcript: Is there a difference between playing regular shows and college shows? Dutton: Yeah, totally. Often times when you’re playing a normal tour and hitting big cities you’re usually in dingier parts of town and there isn’t much to go and do. But playing at colleges means you get to go to these beautiful campuses with amazing buildings and landscapes. The students also make a huge difference and are really energizing, especially since we are at the beginning of the school year and there is some of that fall college magic in the air. It’s a really refreshing change.

The Transcript: What are you both into outside of music? Angle: I love food and wine and I love cooking with friends and having dinner parties. In general, I just love spending time with family, friends and dog.

Dutton: When I’m not on tour, I play in a soccer league, which is really fun. I’m also really into football and I’m a huge Seahawks fan.

The Beat: Mac Miller is feeling the love on new album “The Divine Feminine”

By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter

With a new approach but familiar style, Mac Miller is back at it again with his fourth studio album.

Malcolm McCormick, better known as Mac Miller, released “The Divine Feminine” Sept. 16. This comes almost exactly a year after the 24 year-old Pittsburgh native’s last album, “GO:OD AM” came out.

On this project, the rapper and singer decided to open up and dedicate every track to feelings of and about love. While it is not uncommon for rappers to make songs about love, it is rare to see an entire hip-hop album dedicated to the topic.

In an interview with Complex Magazine, Miller talked about the main idea behind the album, which is that love and the universe are connected.

“I’ve noticed that love is just a concept, but it works with life in general as well,” Miller said. “Treating the world how you’re supposed to treat a female is awesome. It’s a deeper experience with life.”

Inspiration for the project may also stem from Miller’s new relationship with singer Ariana Grande, who features on the song “My Favorite Part.”

Miller brought a variety of other artists to the table ranging from Kendrick Lamar on the track “God is Fair, Sexy Nasty,” to CeeLo Green on “We.”

While the album may differ from past projects in its overarching theme, Mac Miller still returns with the jazzy beats and clever (and sometimes cheesy) rhymes that he has become known for in his accomplished career.

“The Divine Feminine” is available on iTunes and Spotify.