Tony Cruise's new mix sounds like something out of The Matrix Reloaded

Tony Cruise Dj-ing at Full Service Radio. Polaroid by Maxwell Young

Early Wednesday, ROOM, whose scant SoundCloud and Instagram bios proclaim “freedom of association,” premiered a 48-minute live mix by Tony Cruise.  The first streamable offering since the release of his 2018 LP, Replica, features the trademark cacophony and distortions that Cruise explores in his productions and live instrumentations.  Recorded at The Line Hotel in Washington, D.C., disco, house, drum & bass, and rave tracks are contorted to create this sonic composition that, for me, is reminiscent of the sex scene in The Matrix Reloaded, where Neo and Trinity escape a subterranean, dystopian rave—not to be mistaken for Tech Yes— to have prophecy-ordained coitus.

Stay tuned to InTheRough pages as we talked with Aamir Khuller, the designer of Cruise’s Replica cover art and website.  That interview drops next week.

Watch Thraxx King's new music video for "Mula on Medula"

Washington, D.C.—The collaborative duo of rapper/audio engineer Thraxx King and multimedia artist Maps Glover has yielded more audiovisual complements, this time regarding King’s project Tribe Ties.

Similar to “The Master of Sound’s” 2018 LP and singles Project 72, “Anarchy,” and “Talking about Nuclear War,” Glover has once again designed King’s cover art. A much simpler illustration than past covers still provides a puzzling composition, though, as Thraxx King is drawn from behind looking at a painting that resembles an identical image shown on his jacket.

What’s more, however, is their link up in Thraxx’s new music video for “Mula on Medula,” the third song on his latest 19-minute offering complete with high-pitched chords that mimic plucks on a sitar. Glover’s paintings, sketches, and sculptures he has been making inside A Creative D.C.’s studio space in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, D.C., inform the backdrop of the visual.

It’s an intimate space that becomes all the more personable as viewers get a front row seat to both King and Glover bopping around and interacting with different art media. Watch the video above and catch another live performance of “Mula on Medula” this Thursday, January 31 as part of Glover’s closing show to his 27-day residency at A Creative D.C., Don’t speak to the artist while in practice.

January 31, 5-9pm

A Creative D.C.

716 Monroe St. NE

Lunar League Delivers A 'Smash'

Art by @senzei.art

Feel the excitement from three best mates sitting in a room facing a blunt staring at the computer anticipating the release of their proud new rap song. Called “SKRRT!” by the Lunar League hip-hop crew, the group are rambunctious, eager youngsters with ant windu, keith.wav, Life of Swoosh, Mar The Artsit, Rue, Sobah, tvblack, and Zende. “SKRRT!” is keith.wav’s track featuring sobah and tvblack. Keith.wav plugged into Instagram live ten minutes before the new song dropped at 7 p.m. Tvblack started singing melodies to Internet beats while Rue punched a freestyle. “It’s a fucking smash,” keith.wav said about “SKRRT!” Lunar League has other good songs too. Check out tvblack’s “READY OR NOT!” with Keith.Wav or “PREDATOR!” that has the same Lunar trio as “SKRRT!”

“Lunar League Going Light Speed.”

Pk Delay and Slicky Williams are the Best Duo Since Martin Lawrence and Will Smith

Pk Delay (left) and Slicky Williams (right)

Pk Delay has dropped a new song every single day this month. Apparently, he works towards a full 365-song catalog by the year’s end. He wrote an Instagram caption two weeks ago, “Day 4/365.” That’s a lot of music.

Somebody needs to tell Pk the gumbo he’s cooked with Slicky Williams is fire though. The rappers are friends. “Slick Will, yeah, that’s my twin. I think he me now,” Pk said. ITR heard they were on to something back in 2016 once they put out songs like “Ain’t Nothing” or “Here.” Now, their latest tunes just snap. The guys are smooth, nifty rappers. From neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pk from the Hill District and Slicky from Homewood, they can thug out representing their hardened hoods. “Blood rushing watching niggas kill they cousins. Shady,” Pk said in his new track “How I’m Comin” with Slick. “Retaliate. Do a nigga greasy Imma fry him,” Slick finished. Or the duo has fun with music like their new party record “Temple Run.” Faint ad-lib ‘shhs’ turn the song on its head getting you to dance thinking about the playful arcade app called Temple Run.

It’s safe to say the people want to hear more from Pk Delay and Slicky Williams. Listen to more of Pk’s 365-day project here.

October '71, Pittsburgh's smoggy tale + Sir E.U on the drums

Rob Stokes—drummer, vocalist and composer of ‘October ‘71.’ Polaroids by Maxwell Young

“Legendary bills.” That’s how Washington, D.C. transplant Rob Stokes refers to music performances of epic proportions. An avid supporter of the DMV creative community, Stokes uses this expression in regard to the talented individuals who have become his comrades in the District’s locally-based, globally-minded music scene. But we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Stokes’ own iconic programming. Since the last time we checked in with the Pittsburgh born musician, he’s notched performances at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the world’s smallest live set held at the cheeky Los Angeles retail joint, Virgil Normal.

On January 4th at Songbyrd Music House, the classically-trained jazz drummer/hip hop producer/emotive crooner debuted a new body of work and band bearing the same name, October ‘71. Described as a house band, it features familiar players from Stokes’ previous bands and collaborations. They’ve been given codenames to elevate the heist style of music they portray. For example, “Mr. Biggs,” really Ledroit or Jay Z, hides in plain sight, donning a trench coat, Kangol cap, and Wayfarers. He shreds the guitar like the turntables aren’t his real get-off. Maybe they aren’t. Enigmatic as ever, he was missing from Songbyrd. Sir E.U, however, was conspicuous in his vintage suit—appropriately rockstar-chic as he graced the drum-kit for the first time live.

‘71 is not necessarily a who and when, though, rather a where. The songs on the album build up this image of a retro Steel City, smog-ridden and "steeped in sin and a MLB Championship.” As a fellow Pittsburgh native, it gave me chills to not only hear this narrative in a whole other city but to also hear listeners not from Pittsburgh react to these lyrics enjoyably.

There’s much more to come from Stokes and the October ‘71 unit in 2019. For starters, the project has not been released on streaming services, so keep an ear tuned for that, but we’ve also heard that there are some visuals that have yet to be shared.

Browse the brief photo recap of his performance at Songbyrd below. Polaroids by Maxwell Young

Rob Stokes writing lyrics prior to ‘71’s set and Opaline DC founder, Briona Butler (foreground). Polaroids by Maxwell Young

A fresh “throw up” in the men’s bathroom diffused through Songbyrd’s hallways.

“Pendy on the keys” (left) & Jesse Sattler (right)

Rob Stokes (left) & Sir E.U (right)