Leave it to DJ/Rupture and Matt Shadetek and their Dutty Artz label to be behind the scenes of this expansive collection of global bass music by New Yorker Adam Patridge (aka Atropolis). Oftentimes these hybridizations seem too trendy and disingenuous; however, Patridge substantiates his style with vallenato rhythms as well as the ever-present cumbia influence. Naturally, Colombia was on his mind. Vallenato, more reclusive than its rhythmic cousin, is similarly from Colombia’s Caribbean coast — the most noticeable difference being the time signatures.
     As an ethno-musicologist, Patridge traveled to Colombia to document its folkloric music and record with its humble musicians, becoming one of the founding members of the Cumba Mela collective. Meanwhile, his background in music composition lends structure to his work as a DJ and producer.
     The result is a studied and tantalizing Afro-Latin exposé. Whether rollicking accordions, shakers, or electronic sounds, Patridge pulls out all the stops to cultivate these tunes with a heartfelt sense of kinship. With pure instrumentals and tracks featuring the vocals of Uruguayan songstress Noelia Fernandez, the amalgamation of influences transcends the tribal to a multi-layered music extravaganza. Patridge shows that an element of surprise, when rendered with skill, can be awe-inspiring and daring.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

On their fourth album, this Swedish collective — founded in 2005 by Emanuel Lundgren — never veers far off the course of sunny skies. Forever Today soars with the lightness of youth and wraps up before any understanding of suffering can take root. The new album follows 2010’s 27 Songs from Barcelona, which featured the prolific wunderkinds cooking up one solo per band member per track. As one of contemporary music’s more celebrated and fully functioning collectives, I’m From Barcelona commands the feel of an intimate group, and their magnanimous approach floods each track with inclusivity. Whereas other collectives of a similar ilk seem fine-tuned for promotional purposes, the ironic hipster trope is not to be found with this bunch.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Buy this at iTunes.

Hunting for rambunctious music that honors the bygone big-band era can quickly transform into a wild goose chase. This is not the case for DC-area collective Chopteeth. As a twelve-piece Afrobeat band combining nationalities and genres, Chopteeth captures its vivacious performances at local landmark venues such as the Black Cat, 9:30 Club, and the Rock & Roll Hotel on Chopteeth Live. To a generation hooked on Vampire Weekend’s brand of Afropop and the Fela Kuti revival, this is more than a live recording. “Didjeridoo” kick-starts the celebration as a rollicking tribute to Duke Ellington; “Gagne Perdu” is a tropical whirlwind of keys and a brassy breeze. The runaway rhythm and catchy chanting on Ghanaian track “Eyi Su Ngaangaa” is a swift call to the dancefloor. Whether the influence derives from Congo or Senegal, Fela Kuti himself, or the band members’ own experiences in fields such as ethnomusicology or playing in other area bands, the layers beneath each track signals a meticulous attention to detail and an intense devotion to funk. In a city with a celebrated funk scene and distinct go-go tradition, Chopteeth’s brand of Afrofunk is the pulse of the city.

Buy this at iTunes. After the jump, check out a performance of “Eyi Su Ngaangaa”.

With our eyes turned toward Egypt, Stephan Said implores us to lend our ears as well. The Arab-American artist, who boasts acclaim for his anti-war songs, teed up a rock-infused version of the Egyptian civil rights anthem “Aheb Aisht Al Huriya” (“I Love the Life of Freedom”). Originally penned in the 1930s by Mohamed Abdel Wahab, the historic song fits the decades-old situation coming to a head in Egypt. In the simple accompanying video, Said holds a notebook with the English translation of the earnest lyrics for the camera. The activist introduces the song as a beacon for non-violent advocates “to build the international movement for a more just society.” Intended for release on the forthcoming album, difrent (out in September), Said unveiled the song early for maximum potency.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Serendipity swept up producer Michael Christie, better known as Telepath, and carried him to far-flung destinations to capture celebratory scenes. Searching for and collaborating with international artists — some of whom he has never met — brought new experiences and tones to his music. The well-seasoned producer supplies traces of Western staples, but lets his guests color the songs any which way. From urban cool to sultry Marrakesh to Bollywood’s rapturous ballyhoo, Christie and his cast populate a sonic landscape spanning emotions and experiences. Crush shares the talents of the legendary, including Pervez Khan’s excellent sitar playing and vocals on “Dust”. Combining electronic effects and Western instruments to sounds typically associated with Eastern cultures is not a new approach; however, Christie’s distinctive mark imaginatively steers the album. A typical record from Telepath would be instrumental, but Christie flexed his creative muscles to pen vocals, which serve as a “lifeline”, he says, for audiences. In resistance to wandering astray, Crush suggests a producer at the top of his game.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Buy this at iTunes.

Playing with dynamite isn’t for everyone, but this music-video collective from Colombia’s Caribbean coast harnesses the blaze into an impressive debut. With backgrounds as DJs, producers, dancers, and rappers, the ambitious bunch gathered in 2006 to connect disparate styles with a reverence for electronic music and the jubilation of rave culture. They share a deep love for the verbena, which is the carefree and footloose spirit of revelers along the coastline. “Bienvenidos” aptly welcomes everyone to the party with Afro-Latin percussion and dizzying claps and raps. Like the mobile pikos sound systems, Systema Solar is a sprightly jaunt zipping through the airwaves. It’s not all partying, however. Systema Solar tackles Colombia’s stigma as a land overrun by drug dealers on “Quien es el Patron?” and the inequities between north and south. No one is left untouched and the old-school hip-hop flavor of “El Amarillo” gives voice to a populace coerced into upholding the status quo.

Ring is the intimate debut from Cameron Mesirow. Known by her stage name, Glasser, Mesirow’s atmospheric musings blend the styles of Florence and the Machine lead singer Florence Welch with Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes. While her former tour-mates, the xx, Jonsi of Sigur Ros, and Delorean reflect her sound’s wide appeal, Mesirow is quite the wandering spirit. Shoe stores and airplanes were unlikely places in which she recorded her 2009 EP Apply. Meanwhile, Ring manifests these drifting tendencies by diverging in different directions and withholding both a definite beginning and ending. “Apply” marches in with tribal drums and reverb, giving way to hypnotic chanting on “Plane Temp” and “Mirrorage” as well as tambourines and mighty bass on “Clamour”. But Ring is a complicated record and beneath the tender vocals and graceful movement from one track to the next, there is a hint of darkness.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Buy this at Other Music or iTunes. After the jump, check out the video for “Apply”.

Critics and fans alike rally behind José González work for good reason. True to form, González’s songs are more impressions than fully fleshed out pieces, but these fragments woven together achieve a grand tapestry of textured soul. Relying on longtime friends Tobias Winterkorn (organ, Moog) and Elias Araya (drums), Fields is a tranquil compendium of González’s strengths. Rife with intimacy and restrained experimentation, Fields is the follow up to the Gothenburg trio’s EP debut, Black Refuge, and though it has been five years, the contributions complement the velvety smooth vocals of González. The formula is simple: slowly build a song layer by layer and ease out after the climax. Transitioning at a stately pace, the soft percussion on “It’s Alright” balances the vivaciousness of “Off Point”, only to transform into the lushly finger-plucked “Rope & Summit”. At times, Fields is sparse, infused with rock, or echoing the psychedelic — regardless, it always lives up to González’s expectedly spellbinding work.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Buy this at iTunes. After the jump, check out the video for “Always”.

Despite her label’s pastoral emblem, Los Angeles native and up-and-coming fashion designer Kimberly Ovitz’s aesthetic is distinctly more downtown avant-garde than Upper East Side traditionalist. In her label’s third major collection, Ovitz maintains command of her slightly off-kilter interpretation of the iconic equestrian lifestyle so key to American sportswear.
     Ovitz’s spring/summer 2011 collection centers around the colors white, black, oatmeal and navy, and combines asymmetric cuts for a very graphic effect. Yet Ovitz’s signature architectural aesthetic is counterbalanced by a restrained use of detail, adding dimension and softness to edgy designs. Consistent with her homerun fall 2010 collection, Ovitz’s new effort reveals a collection that buyers and consumers alike should flock to for its versatility.
     What truly sets Ovitz’s work apart from other rising designers, though, is her eye. Ovitz boasts an intimidating resume: internships at J.Crew, the Chanel design atelier in Paris, W magazine, and with the heralded fashion photographer Herb Ritts. She also completed her undergraduate degree at Brown University before attending Parsons School of Design. After working at contemporary lines such as Imitation of Christ and Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, Ovitz developed a proprietary stretch fabric and was ready to venture on her own in 2009.

Less is more — so much more when in the hands of Mountain Man. Made the Harbor, the debut by this Vermont-based trio of women, is a musical meditation harking back to pastoral scenes and folksy tunes of a passing America. Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, and Amelia Randall Meath produce spartan instrumentation and rapturous vocals that are brimming with an unassuming charm. The effect makes for a daringly beautiful release. Far beyond gimmicky or complicated messages, Made the Harbor manages to be organic, earnest, and competent. The stately, “Dog Songs”, blends to the soulful, “How I’m Doin”, and then to the rapturous “Honeybee”, as the doleful notes of a singularly plucked acoustic guitar complement the bountiful, uplifting harmonies. On the road with the likes of The Low Anthem and Deer Tick, the ladies of Mountain Man will perform at the Wilco-curated Solid Sound Festival, August 13-15, before joining Sigur Ros’ Jonsi in Europe and North America this fall. These siren songs promise unexpected glories once reserved for a choir of angels.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Buy this at iTunes. After the jump, check out a performance of “Honeybee” overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.