“Enoch Light is like that dude chilling with me and the Creator when I’m in the studio on some, pan this, or filter that or keep that type vibe.” Richard Leak, a North Carolina native, speaks in a passionate stream-of-consciousness about his music. He sites jazz, bossa-nova and mysticism as influences while managing to craft his own ethereal sonic pallete balanced by heavy grooves, soothing vocals and throbbing lo-end. With two tracks on the Domestic Blend Vol. 1 under his belt, a full length of exotic beats is scheduled for 2007.
RD Granados began his aural exploration living at his father’s recording studio. Inspired by unconventional sensibilities of artists like Brian Eno, David Byrne and Mark Hollis, as well as the beat driven output of labels like Ninja Tune, MoWax and Pork, the D.O.T. project fuses elements of jazz, dub and electronica into hybrid instrumentals anchored by bold percussion. The World outside EP delivers a pleasant glimpse of whats to come on the full length entitled Departures and Arrivals, scheduled for release in march 2007.
Hailing from Huntington Beach, California, Ryan Stephenson under the Glen Porter moniker started producing music four years ago with the help of some friends and dusty records from the dollar crates. Influenced by Sixtoo, Buck 65, and Keola, Stephenson crafts his own sound out of disjointed guitars, sinister beats and harmonic atmospherics. When asked about his alias, he produced the following explanation: “Originality found itself on the edge of death, ready for suicidal sentiments until something came from Glen Porter’s broadcast. Changed the tide, sent his thoughts towards the epicenter of self-demise so he could kill this reliance on the past to explain personal nature. Answers never found, understanding such concepts are in the sound of silence during passionate day dreams. Cannibalizing the self soon became a fading memory, no longer held by the desire to explain things, he was left to create a symphony no one would ever hear until his heartfelt intent could be felt with the slightest gesture of turning the middle finger up so it meant love.” A full length is in the works scheduled for late 2006.
A conceptual collaboration between RD Granados and Inoel Miranda, the series was inspired by an old box of cassettes and a desire to reconnect musically to their Latin roots. Vol. 1 explores a sphere where Latin romanticism collides with a stark hip-hop aesthetic. Legends like Carlos Gardel, Mercedes Sosa and Toña La Negra are sampled, modified and applied to a backdrop of forlorn guitar phrases, quixotic string sections and an aching urban pulse. RD & Ino are undergoing rigorous research and development seeking and selecting only the finest nuggets from obscure latin catalogs to fuel the fire on Vol. 2.
Born in Juarez, Mexico and raised in the Bay Area, Milford started DJing in 1990 and began a radio show in 1996 at UC Berkeley. Shortly after, he armed himself with a fully-loaded SP1200, hit the lab and cultivated a distinctive formula of unadorned instrumental hip-hop. Inspired by the production styles of Pete Rock, 45 King and Diamond D, his appetizing tracks on the Domestic Blend Vol. 1 illustrate his prowess in the “less is more” beat sector. A full -length, entitled “Second Hand Music, “ is underway and expected to drop September 2006.
Featured in URB magazine’s “Next 100” issue in April 2005 and a Plug Research “Sounds of LA” compilation, Take’s unique blend of laid back brilliance has caught the ears of the most discerning downbeat purists. After releasing 2 successful EP’s in 2003 & 2004 and a mini LP in 2005 with European label Swedish Brandy, this Los Angeles based DJ/Producer joins the IC roster in 2006 with 2 tracks on the DOMESTIC BLEND compilation and a bangin’ six track EP in line.
“Funk has always been the hydrogen in my balloon - the lime in my mexican beer and it continues to be so to this day despite the comings and goings of other notable citrus flavours.” Brighton-bred geezer Simon Garret, under the moniker Tsunchoo, currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. His debut EP entitled Bright Forest delivers four versatile compositions showcasing a masterful melding of organic electronics and analog percusion. After dropping a well- received electro 12” in the U.K. with Coner Records, Simon has teamed up with IC for his stateside assault.
Up from the urban decay and hi-rise hustlers comes the frozen hum of the Tundra a.k.a. Sonny Flynt. A shadowy, thug-noir beat down of Rhodes riffs, rim shots and subterranean bass are weapons of choice. After his six track EP Urban Quilt this Brooklyn-based producer is back in the lab working his magnum opus double LP entitled “Empire State Instrumentals”.
Jedediah Bernard White, resident of Gresham, Oregon, credits symphonic music and hip-hop as the core of his evolving sound. “I would describe my sound as sub-hip-hop. It’s not a bad place to be, but I really want to take it to another level. A lot of the new material I’m putting together is experimental. I want to find my niche in the “other” category... I want to keep things fresh and interesting.” White’s sci-fi cinematic thiller EP is scheduled for attack in 2007.