ATSIC S06E18
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Below this write-up, you’ll find the track list, complete with artists and their hometowns. You can listen here and follow along, or if you’re using the Mixcloud app, hit the “…” to check out the track list while you listen. There’s also a video below from the stream where I slapped this mix together. I’m having fun week to week.
People give me the deer in the headlights look when I tell them I play 100 percent Canadian Hip Hop every week, but they shouldn’t be surprised. I’m serious about putting on for this scene. I’m serious about helping with building this scene into something more nationally recognized, and promoting all the artists who deserve more recognition across the board. No jokes here, just another hour of new releases worth hearing.
There’s a day early exclusive in this mix from the homie Self the Bluest Eye, a Calgary emcee who I’ve known since back in the day when we both lived in Edmonton. He didn’t tell me about his upcoming project last time we talked on Fly in Formation, but he did send the new single “Dreams” over when I msgd him asking about the announcement of his new collab album with Dutch producer Propo (of Da Shogunz Crew, who Self has collabed with over the years.) It’s the classic vibes you’d expect if you know the catalog from either of these guys, and I was happy to ring it off a day early before it hits streaming May 30.
The other exclusive this week was sent over by Winnipeg artist Kitz Willman! He sent his upcoming project “a moon on the verge of everything that you wanted” over a while back, and I chose “brains” to play for ya this time around. Its another surprisingly catchy bop with crashing cymbals and clashing symbols that has Kitz looking back at old habits in old days in his signature abstract style. The album drops June 24, and I’m told there will be cassettes.
I’ve got tracks from both of my next guests on Fly In Formation - June 3’s Nohsur & Jimmy Burnett. Nohsur’s new project “Peels” is really good and has been out a while now, but it’s still new to most listeners I’m sure so I played “Sanitizer” from it, and Jimmy Burnett (who produced “Peels”) just dropped a new single called “Sunk” complete with a shiny new visual for the socials.
Multi faceted artist Rove sent over a new one from his newly formed group Fresh A.I.R. (which stands for the memebers names - AWOL One, Id Obelus, and Rove. The track is a self titled intro to the group, and it’s funky as hell. Dice joined me last week for ATSIC Radar (where I stream and listen to the week’s new releases), and “Fresh Air” was one of the only tracks we heard together that I think he genuinely enjoyed, with his old-school sensibilities and tendency to give no fucks about what emcees are saying, as long as the beat slaps. I should mention that Freestyle Fellowship legend Myka 9 is also on the track.
There’s also brand new music from Paisteez & Luke Warmth, Tachichi & Electric City Underground, Mike Shabb, Sayzee, MLNY, Daniel Son & Futurewave, Hella Treez with Ruste Juxx, Mark Jordan, Tha Rhyme Animal, Jon Kabongo, Tone Chop & Frost Gamble, Junk & Starkore, Evil Ebenezer, & Roshin & Uncle Fester.
If I get more time maybe I’ll type more, but I’ll sum it up by saying that I liked this mix a lot.
This week there’s another “Making of ATSIC” video from Twitch, so check that out if you want to see my learning curve as I spin records and try to keep the vibe alive. In these Twitch videos it mutes out anything the algorithm recognizes - so congrats to anyone who has their business in order well enough to tell the big corporations to not allow me to promote your music, I guess. You can hear the audio if it’s live, so tap in on weekdays over on Twitch, I’m on all the time either working on ATSIC, listening to the new releases each week to make picks, or working on my own music.
Fly in Formation is flying high. On the episode attached to this ATSIC, I talked with Roshin for the centenial edition of the show! His return went smoother than his first visit, with no tech problems this time, and we talked about his newest EP with Gritfall, “You Don’t Get It”. We also talked about baggettes and how much Alberta hates them, and a bunch of other important stuff. Tune in every Tuesday for interviews with artists across the country as I learn more about local scenes and artists creative processes, talking to artists we play regularly on ATSIC. I’m looking forward to my next interview for FiF, Nohsur & Jimmy Burnett! They worked together for Nohsur’s newest album “Peels”, and they’re actual blood brothers, so it should be good welcoming Jimmy back and this time including Nohsur for some added perspective into the Edmonton scene. Come through, hit subscribe on Twitch, skip the ads, and chat live while we stream.
I buy every track I play on ATSIC unless it’s sent to me directly. Streaming barely pays, so it’s essential to support indie artists by buying their music, tickets, or merch to keep them creating. Listening to #ATSIC on Mixcloud is free for you, and makes sure that each song you hear pays the artist at least SOMETHING. Spotify pays 0.006 CAD per stream, and only if the song hits 1000 plays in 3 months. Assuming a song gets 1000 spins, that means it takes around 125 Spotify plays to earn an artist the same .76 cents they earn from my 1.29 purchase on iTunes.
Shows like After the Smoke is Clear also need support. If you appreciate discovering new music without the algorithms, or if you appreciate my efforts to get indie artists music in more ears, consider donating via PayPal to help me buy the tracks and keep the show going. Every dollar helps indie artists and ATSIC alike.
If you can’t donate, that’s all good — people who can afford it are paying, and you get to enjoy a free show while I earn a living. Do me a favour though, and help spread the word to other people who love Hip Hop! Shoutout to everyone who is already supporting financially, by sharing the show, or by coming through in comments and chat to help build community.
Stay up.
