- Red Bull Music Academy’s United States of Bass - July 19, 2016
- Red Bull Sound Select: Adrian Younge, No ID, Joey Dosik - April 14, 2016
- LA Red Bull Sound Select: Stormzy, Lizzo, and Kauf - March 28, 2016
“I rather play a cassette than a vinyl…it’s almost a quarter inch tape. It’s almost a master,” Camilo Lara (better known as the Mexican Institute of Sound) said as we settled down into the control room of Red Bull Studios Los Angeles, this past Monday night. Camilo and his musical partner in crime for the last 18 months, Toy Selectah, reminisced about 8-tracks, cassettes, Pioneer decks and live Bee Gee’s concerts on laser discs, before delving into the details of their newest project, Compass .
Compass, although not necessarily a traditional album, is a massive, organic undertaking. Healmed and curated by Toy Selectah and the Mexican Institute of Sound, Compass is something like a PhD. thesis on global music making, combining 90 different collaborators including MC Lyte, Nina Skye, Crystal Fighters, Boy George, Sly & Robbie. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that you may need an actual compass to track the project, which was recorded in various Red Bull studio locations including LA, London, New York, and Sao Paulo, with other sessions taking place in cities like Kingston and Tokyo.
Toy Selectah described the project as constantly asking “What if?” After a few months and nearly 40 collaborations in, the question of “What If?” was answered with more collaborations in more studios, with each studio having a special vibe or utility that others did not. Camilo revelled, “What is amazing is that the studio is this magnet that, like, became so powerful, that everything just began to fall in place.”
One of the 4 tracks that were played in the Red Bull Studio that night was a collaboration with Sly & Robbie and Boy George. A wobbly, slinky reggae progression with some modern production tricks and industrial, space station-like noises, somehow mixed perfectly with Boy George’s distinct vocals.
“I’ve been waiting for all my life, consciously waiting for that session with Sly & Robbie. I learned a lot from those motherfuckers,” Toy Selectah claimed.
“If we would tell anyone this happened, they wouldn’t believe us. I’m so glad it’s on tape, because there’s some epic moments you will see on the documentary,” MIS said as he talked about the documentary that will accompany the project.
The music really does embody a global vibe. Hearing only 4 tracks from the project that night, we heard Portuguese, Spanish, and English lyrics juxtaposed against afrobeat, reggae, Miami booty bass, and traditional latin rhythms.
“We’ve been DJing music from all over the world without discriminating…and this album has that spirit. We don’t care if it’s like from Brazil, or from London…and in a funny way it makes sense,” noted MIS.
The first release from Compass will be a single on Mad Decent, with much more to follow.
Photo credit: Carlo Cruz/Red Bull Content Pool
