PIXTAPE is a sonic tale. The Blues Project invites select artists to take us on a journey into their musical mind-frame. A playlist of the music they gravitate to, that shapes them, the music that soundtracks their lives. This week, iconic Jazztronica duo Blue Lab Beats share their picks. Featuring Neo-Soul, Jazz, R&B, Hiphop music and more...
Blue Lab Beats are one of the fastest rising production duos in the UK scene. Made up of NK-OK and Mr DM, the pair are multi-instrumentalist producers that are raising the bar for UK produced music. On Friday, they dropped their latest album ‘Motherland Journey’, under the legendary Jazz-house Blue Note Records. Their artistry has not only led to a Grammy nomination, but a MOBO nomination for Best Jazz Act too – leading them to an undeniable spot on The Blues Project’s ‘Ones to Watch for 2022’.
‘Motherland Journey’ is an incredible feat of a project. Filled to the brim with some of the UK’s best talent including Tiana Major9, Pip Millet, Kofi Stone, Kojey Radical, Emmavie and so many more. The album is a melting pot of Jazztronica, Afrobeats, Soulful, London inspired sounds; piecing together a story of pushing boundaries and overcoming adversity.
In their interview, the pair described the album in 3 words – “Colourful, full circle”, perfectly capturing the energy of their production. The experimentation of their sound is bursting with joy. The type of album you want to carve out an hour of your walk to listen to, or spin whilst you’re making breakfast on a Saturday morning (nod to Nk-OK’s cooking selection). It’s cinematic beats and grooves, paired with iconic vocals, have a special way of lifting your spirits and feeling like the sun. ‘Motherland Journey’ marks only the beginning of a massive year ahead for Blue Lab Beats.
From their PIXTAPE selections, it’s clear to see how Blue Lab Beats were inspired by the greats. Their choices reflect their sound perfectly, with wide-ranging influences inspired by pioneers of hip-hop, soul, jazz, and music of the African diaspora. Through their commentary around the technicalities of these legendary tracks, we can gain a glimpse into how they make their music today. Watch Blue Lab Beats’ interview to hear their story, Mr DM’s flawless rendition of ‘You Can’t Touch This’, and the beautiful message they want you to take away from the album above.
Blue Lab Beats x PIXTAPE Interview
Pick to wake up to: “Roy Ayers – Everybody Loves the Sunshine”
“Always an amazing feel good track and will get your mood right every single time! with amazing production and incredible melody lines” – NK-OK
Pick to cook to: “Q-Tip – Let’s Ride”
“Love the guitar sample in this so so much! J Dilla’s production was crazy on
this one as well and Q-Tips amazing tone it’s just a perfect combination for this song” – NK-OK
Pick to Valentine’s Day wine and dine to: “D’Angelo – Playa Playa”
“The entire video album just a whole massive vibe, this track in particular just sets an amazing tone to really chill.” – NK-OK
Pick for the Friday night turn-up: “Slum Village – Raise It Up”
“honestly there’s so much hype in this track and has the best bounce! Whenever you get a good crowd that knows this track, rapping the chorus is the best feeling ever” – NK-OK
Pick for the long drive: “John Coltrane – A love supreme”
“That track goes on so many different journeys and there’s so many points where you actually have to rewind the track because you have to really deep so many of the amazing lines John Coltrane is playing and the rest of the band is doing as well” – NK-OK
Pick to escape the tough times: “J Dilla- Flowers”
“This song kept me together during and after losing someone close to Covid” – Mr DM
Pick for your childhood: “Patrice Rushen – Forget me Nots”
“Every time. Initially in my early years as a child I used to listen to this song as Will Smith’s Men in Black. That’s also when I first started to understand what “Sampling” means.” – Mr DM
Pick you’d sing to save your life cause you know all the lyrics: “MC hammer- U Can’t Touch This”
“I can specifically remember learning these lyrics when I was 13 years old almost every day in the summer after high school. I even remember printing these lyrics in the school library and taking them home to practice” – Mr DM
Pick that feels like you’re on holiday: “Roy Ayers -Everybody Loves the Sunshine”
“The distinctive Piano riff in response to the lyrics in the chorus will always amaze me. But my guilty pleasure is actually the demo version where Roy demonstrates his tasteful vibraphone playing.” – Mr DM
Pick you play when no one else is around: “D’Angelo – Jonz in My Bonz”
“For me it’s the soulful sophisticated bass line and keyboards that make me feel like I’m out going for a midnight drive on the motorway at a steady 30-35 miles per hour.” – Mr DM
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Listen to Blue Lab Beats’s new album, ‘Motherland Journey‘ out on all platforms now.
