Amber Ladd

From an auspicious start singing in small-town Ontario churches through Toronto, Montreal, Denver, and soon New York City comes 28-year-old future trip-hop superstar Amber Ladd. She will be if her belief that we’re all creators of our own existence is correct. A glance at her life shows that here may be something to her Utopian philosophy… just call her the pothead trip-hop Tori Amos.

To Amber, music is doing what she loves and always having fun. After being in a Toronto-based alternative band for a few years and then an individual acoustic project, Amber chose to devote herself to her current solo electronica going full-time with her music after losing her day job as a graphic artist. Making lemon out of lemonade (or perhaps tea out of stems), her debut album “tRip” — released on 4/20 this year after two years of work — has enabled Amber to follow her dreams of music, travel, and using her vibrance towards bringing an end to the “War on Drugs.”

All of Amber’s art is solely created by her. She writes the lyrics, sings the vocals, plays the instruments, and produces her own tracks with turntables, sampling, and effects. Furthermore, Amber has to be genuinely inspired by her own work enough to include it for release. Amber’s genre-busting dubby trip-hop that she unapologetically calls “stoner music” has caused the cannabis community to fall in love with her. Regular appearances in High Times magazine and on radio podcasts throughout North America showcasing her amazing talent and deep passion for drug reform, as well as playing marijuana-related festivals including the upcoming Boston Freedom Rally, has led her to be nominated for the fan-based “Artist Activism” award to be given out at the MassCann/NORML Awards the night prior to Boston’s Hempfest.

Today’s Toker Tune is a fantastic example of Amber’s powerful voice and creative skills. Opening and ending with weed-related samples, “420″ is an homage to the cannabis reform movement and to pot smokers everywhere. The idea of a musical playground for the stoned emerged via seeing medical and recreational marijuana consumers from all walks of life enjoying spending time together in one room at a 2008 rally in Toronto in protest of the Kindred Cafe raids. It’s difficult to pin down this highly layered song. It could be said that it contains aspects of trip-hop, experimental noize, rock, psychedelia, and even the gospel music Amber grew up with; one person who walked through where I was listening to “420″ said it sounds like Hendrix. But the sheer variety of influences present perhaps means we’re not supposed to, or that the incredible depth of this highly layered composition is an individual trip to be taken.

Discover the wonderful world of Amber Ladd on MySpace, through her personal and fan pages on Facebook, or on Twitter. The “tRip” album is available on CDBaby and iTunes, and be sure not to miss upcoming special releases including a cover of Rocky Horror Picture Show’s “Superheroes” and a track featuring Rick Cusick of High Times. If you missed it live, stay tuned for the transcript of my interview on NORML Show Live with Amber Ladd!

Download audio file (Amber Ladd – 420.mp3)

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Don’t be fooled by the minimalistic bleepy intro of the unpronounceable 108_B2 (Dope Mix). The multi-layered electronica contains intense bass lines and solid breaks that lend themselves well to fluid movement and hookah use. This track is clearly influenced by Eastern (primarily subcontinental) music and instruments, including a hauntingly ethereal sample of a chanting woman. It may also include the rather surreal digitally enhanced sample of a duck.

Digital Motion can be found on MySpace.

A message from Sahra Kant: Next week we have a special Electric Tuesday: a live interview with Amber Ladd! Please be sure to listen to my first NORML Show Live interview on Tuesday August 17th at around 4:20pm!

Download audio file (Digital Motion – 108_B2 (Dope Mix).mp3)

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Since their first release in 2002, Ten Story Relapse has nixed the idea of sticking to a single genre, a choice which has provided them with rising national and international exposure including regular radio airplay in both the US and UK; they’ve performed with mainstream touring acts such as Soul Asylum and The Lemonheads, and one of their songs has been used by world-renowned peace activist Ava Lowery for her cause. The group’s most recent release “Buddha and the .38″ was in 2009.

Meet Ten Story Relapse at their official website or Facebook fan page.

It’s the right time of year to plant some seeds, so plant some seeds that you know I’d like.

audio link:
Download audio file (Ten Story Relapse – Planting Seeds.mp3)

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The elusive Seb runs a business doing production, composition, and voiceovers from his base in Wales’ capital city of Cardiff. Outside of his work and his own creative endeavors, Seb makes remixes and mashups; these regularly invite comparisons to his personal musical influences of Daft Punk and Calvin Harris.

“I Want You (Back)” tips a hat to those artists. An incredibly catchy future British top 40 dance hit and classic club anthem, its basic yet solid sound includes a beat made for dancing, great vocals and vocalizer effects, hooktastic melody, and clean production values.

Even though upbeat, the forlorn lyrics of this song recalls the feeling of being sans green without the ability to procure more, something which I hope none of you are experiencing over these hot summer days. As Seb suggests — roll some up and go to the beach.

Discover HiddenOutsideTheBox and Mr. Satchell on MySpace and Facebook.

When this track makes it big, remember that you heard it here first on Electric Tuesday!

Download audio file (Hidden Outside The Box – I Want You (Back).mp3)

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Bringing on the summer, “Herbalist” featuring Top Cat is a dubstep track originally released in 2008 from the album “Sound System Champions”. This song delightfully glorifies cannabis and those who use it with a beat-heavy party vibe and electronic stylings mixed with traditional reggae influences. This Toker Tune speaks for itself.

Vinyl, CDs, downloads, dubplates, clothing, and gig tickets are available at Scotch Bonnet Records. Learn more about the incredible Mungo’s Hi-Fi all over the Internet at their website and blog, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, and Soundcloud.

Download audio file (Mungo’s Hi-Fi ft Top Cat – Herbalist.mp3)

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“Most Beautiful Thing” has swift, fast, syncopated break beats done with snares and synths. The female vocal samples and sounds of industry add to its melodic undertones. Up-tempo and high energy, the’60s vibe brings a bit of chill to the track. Paul may have one idea about the nature of the most beautiful thing (possibly evidenced by the kick-start engine sounds in the intro) but listeners may have another. In this case, what’s “really groovy” is green and grows.

All songs are available for download on Garageband or at dnbshare.com by searching for Paul Funk.

Download audio file (Raiders of the Lost Bass – Most Beautiful Thing.mp3)

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Peff

Peff’s earliest musical memory is being electrocuted while disassembling a record player plugged into the wall socket at age two in his hometown of San Juan Bautista, California. Born Kurt Kurasaki on August 10, 1969 of Japanese descent and raised as a Japanese Pure Land Buddhist — or Jodo Shinshu — he got his Bachelors Degree at Columbia University in Philosophy, which is where he developed his love of opera and started tinkering with making his own compositions. In the early 1990s Kurt tried opening a studio; it didn’t work out, but he learned about using computers and audio software to make music instead of just concentrating on the mechanics of hardware. As a result, he began using Propellerhead Software‘s ReBirth and wrote his first hack, Tinderbox.

Kurt is now involved officially with Propellerhead Software, both with sound design as well as music technology writing and video. He occasionally produces others’ electronic and rock music along with generating his own work. Peff considers himself a “gearslut” — that is, he’s still as into hardware as he was when he was two.

The artist says it best: “[This] piece is based on the genetic sequence of Cannabis Sativa… [the] interpretation algorithm synthesizes audio signals based solely on the sequence data as well as molecular mass of the organic compounds within a strand of DNA. The gene sequence is interpreted and broken down to amino acid classifications. The fundamental frequency is based on the amino acid and the harmonic overtones modulations are created based on the codon sequence. Several oscillators are used for polyphony and to generate more overtones and subharmonics of the fundamental frequency. The rotational panning vectors are also based on the helical geometry of a DNA strand.”

Peff backs this up with scientific references of academic papers and books with direct fact-checking from professors at the UCLA Department of Molecular Biology. Obviously very much experimental electronica, this track is a audio walk-through of marijuana’s genetics, and is just quite awesome in the literal and figurative definitions of the word.

Discover more of Peff’s world on his website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Soundcloud.

Download audio file (Peff – Cannabis Sativa.mp3)

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Born on April 21, 1966 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he still resides (and a city whose electronica is quite close to my own heart), Ghislain was trained in classic music and guitar long before starting techno-pop band Amalgame with Chrystian Bourassa and Yannick Belanger in 1991. The band gained exposure in Francophone Quebec and French-speaking European countries, but finished in 1994; after working with Chrystian on a composition for an Irish children’s film short in 2000, they formed Anyma a year later. Ghislain became the sole member in 2007. Amaya’s new album “2010″ will be out soon. For more, go to the official website or MySpace.

In honor of the fact that I managed to go to prenatal yoga for the first time yesterday afternoon comes “I Am.” This is an ambient, new age-y track with a dark and winding thoughtfulness; it’s an excellent choice for doing yoga and meditating after smoking up, about which I know quite a few female readers and possibly a few male ones as well will relate. Ghislain’s use of strings, synthesized sounds, tribal drum beats, and vocals induce an otherworldy vibe reminiscent of Dead Can Dance, Delerium and This Mortal Coil mixed with Enya and Enigma.

As Ghislain says, “Close your eyes. The breath of life will do the rest.” Or a breath of something, anyway!

Download audio file (Anyma – I Am.mp3)

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“Hashisan Dreams” is an edgy techno track with an experimental bent and a jumpy bassline about the desires of the pleasures of home when at war, written in memoriam about the artist’s father’s experience in Vietnam hiding in a bunker for a month and half. Like many of my generation, I can certainly relate to war stories about ‘Nam from dad — including those about marijuana at home and in southeast Asia.

Speaking of parents, my apologies that there was no Electric Tuesday last week. There was a family emergency which required I accompany my own, who are also readers of The NORML Stash Blog and listeners of NORML Show Live, to Florida. This and a lack of computer access necessitated an unplanned pause in service while dealing with familial issues. However, this week comes to you in writing from a hotel in Savannah, Georgia and via voice from somewhere north on I-95. Thanks for the support, mom & dad!

In the battle for drug reform and the rights of future generations — like the daughter I’ve been gestating for 24 weeks — we must all work together for the benefit of a common cause, honoring those who came before us. A week with my own parents have reminded me of that and this song provides all of us with wider reflection and food for thought.

Download audio file (Lughmyrden – Hashisan Dreams.mp3)

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“Anywhere But Here” is a nuanced hybrid of electronica, scat, jazz, and trip-hop as lauded as its creator. Originally appearing on 2001 debut album “The Story of the Mechanical Man”, the remix was the opening theme for TV series Regenesis and was nominated for “Best Television Theme” at the Hollywood Music Awards in 2008. The video for this intense and original song is currently airing on Much Music Canada. The recognition is no surprise given the torn beats, complex lyrics delivered by the beautiful female vocals of Andrea Revel, and slick bassline of this non-traditional and fun song.

Find more from Michael McCann at his website and on MySpace.

After you’ve had a day of working hard within the neon concrete or perhaps have been waiting on the proverbial corner and are feeling heavy, let this track take you anywhere but where you are as you smoke up.

Download audio file (Behavior feat Andrea Revel – Anywhere But Here.mp3)

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