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Archive for Lucas Dix
Album Review: Jellyfish Brigade, Diving Lessons
Posted in Album Review, Music Reviews with tags Diving Lessons, Gavin Theory, Jellyfish Brigade, Lucas Dix, The Great Mundane on Saturday, June 28, 2014 by Tim Althaus
Aldous Huxley once said, “Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.” I know this statement very well – mainly because it was my senior quote back in 2005. After listening to Jellyfish Brigade‘s new album Diving Lessons in great detail, it’s apparent that Lucas Dix also knows this statement; in fact, based on his lyrical content, it seems as though he’s beginning to master the philosophy. Lucas has been through more in the last two years than most people have in two decades; he lost his best friend and long-time music partner Gavin “Theory” Soens to a battle with terminal cancer, and the love of his life relocated to the opposite side of the country to be closer to her family. Saturated with real-life stories and relatable metaphors, Diving Lessons is one of the most profound and honest records of 2014.
Timoteo’s 2013 Year in Review
Posted in Year in Review with tags Antman Wonder, Apollo Brown, Black Milk, Classified, Deejay Element, Deltron 3030, Father Focus Confucius, Ghostface Killah, Homeless, Ka, Koncept, Lucas Dix, M.i, Nameless, Nametag, Oddisee, Pearl Jam, Pusha T, R.A. The Rugged Man, Red Pill, Rjd2, Run the Jewels, Shad, Skyzoo, The Van Gobots, Tyler Keyes, Ugly Heroes, Vampire Weekend, Verbal Kent on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 by Tim Althaus
As I give my creaking knuckles calisthenics, I’m reminded of how great 2013 was for music. There were a lot of great releases, and I think that a few of my selections might shock a few people this year, but it’s necessary to give credit where it’s due. Leave your comments in the C-Section below, and let me know how you feel.
R.I.P. Gavin Theory (January 30, 1985 – April 10th, 2012)
Posted in News with tags Edifice, Escaping Stasis, Hives Inquiry Squad, IAME, Lucas Dix, Po'est Pimpin, Sandpeople on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 by Tim Althaus
I’ll still never forget the first time I actually met Gavin and had an in-depth musical conversation with him. Gavin was with Lucas Dix, and they were performing a Hip-Hop show at a local bar in my hometown; to be clear, this was well before Lucas & Gavin moved out to Portland.
Having an entire family that is from Kenosha, Wisconsin, I was able to find some sort of common ground with both Lucas and Gavin almost instantly, but (no offense Lucas because you know I love your music) Gavin was the producer, and I was more interested in picking his brain. I remember having an intense discussion where we talked about everyone from J Dilla to El-P, and I was able to take a sneak peek into the mind of a genius. People have always said, “be confident, but never cocky”, and upon meeting Gavin, it’s possible that people (myself included) mistook the extreme confidence that he exuded for cockiness, but in all reality, he is one of the most humble dudes I ever met.
When I listen to Escaping Stasis I’m still blown away by everything that Gavin was able to accomplish on the boards before he started using the MPC; the ethereal quality of his music is incredible – and it always has been. The first time I listened to Edifice I was completely blown away; I couldn’t believe the sounds that I was hearing. It was almost as if Pete Rock and El-P had a love child, and Gavin’s production was the bi-product. Gavin laced Edifice with spacey synths and even more sublime samples – the stuff I love. In his short time with the MPC 2500XL, it seems as though he was able to master the machine that turned regular, ordinary men into legends, and it’s unfortunate knowing that I’ll never be able to see just how far he could have pushed the boundaries of Hip-Hop by punching the pads.
In remembrance of G-Theory’s passing, Lucas Dix let this brilliant gem loose that features Sandpeople crew member IAME. The track – “Po’est Pimpin” – contains one of the last beats that Gavin ever made, and it has his signature sounds succinctly spread all over the soundscape. Me and Lucas were discussing this beat, and although it’s a toned down version of what Gavin was capable of, we both agreed that anything Gavin made was truly exceptional.
Mind Inversion Exclusive: Lucas Dix Weighs in on Hip-Hop in 2012
Posted in Year in Review with tags Action Bronson, Aesop Rock, Alchemist, Andre 3000, Dark Time Sunshine, El-P, Frank Ocean, Hives Inquiry Squad, IAME, Jellyfish Bigade, Ka, Kendrick Lamar, Lucas Dix, Milo, Rap Class, Safari Al, Sapient, Wu Block on Thursday, December 27, 2012 by Tim Althaus
Top 10 Albums (no particular order)
Kendrick Lamar: Good Kid, m.a.a.d. City
“Swimming Pools (Drank)”
Kendrick Lamar has the Outkast factor. I can listen to his songs, intently focusing on the lyrics while getting lost in the scenes he vividly describes, or I can zone out, not pay attention to what he’s saying and dance to the beat while singing along with the incredibly infectious hooks. GKMC feels like 3 Stacks and Big Boi rolling through Compton with Caine and O-Dog from Menace II Society.
Standout Tracks: Money Trees, Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe, The Art of Peer Pressure, Swimming Pools (Drank), The Recipe Continue reading
Jellyfish Brigade: The Art of Being Pulled Apart
Posted in Album Update, Media with tags Jeffrey Acciaioli, Jellyfish Brigade, Lucas Dix, The Art of Being Pulled Apart, The Character is Me on Thursday, December 6, 2012 by Tim Althaus
Let me tell you, it’s been one hell of a hectic day filled with slightly overwhelming obstacles, but I’ve come out victorious, and now I get to listen to Jellyfish Brigade’s new EP – The Art of Being Pulled Apart. I posted the lead single – “The Character is Me” – last week, and now we’re getting the full three track EP.
Here’s what the guys had to say about The Art of Being Pulled Apart:
“The Art of Being Pulled Apart is a short story about the heart, mind, body and soul drifting in separate directions and how we must inevitably pull our different selves back together. By intertwining tales from the river, love notes from distant cities, and fears of the unknown, we created a project that explores the breakdown process and the beauty in getting a chance to reassemble one’s self after a life changing experience. This collection of songs is influenced as much by campfire folk tunes and early 90’s R&B as it is story telling hip hop and melodic electronic beats. Its setting is somewhere in the Columbia River Gorge on a highway during a Sunday evening sunset. It touches on recognizing each person’s individuality while also realizing our tiny place in the collective. It jovially compares our fate to that of the salmon, who spend the autumn traveling back home to their demise. I guess, in short, we make honest, heartfelt songs about love, life and nature, all of which we enjoy deeply.”
I am completely blown away by all three of the tracks on this project, and it’s making me crave a full-length effort from these guys. As I mentioned in my post about “The Character is Me”, Lucas Dix is showing a great deal of vocal dexterity on Jellyfish Brigade’s new material, and it’s fascinating to watch him grow as he realizes his full potential as an artist. With every release the water becomes a little bit clearer for Jellyfish Brigade; however, something else becomes evident: The smack is growing, and it’s only gaining more momentum.
You can jump over to Jellyfish Brigade’s website and download the EP for free.99 here.
Jellyfish Brigade, “The Character is Me”
Posted in Audio, Media with tags Gills and a Helmet, Jeffrey Acciaioli, Jellyfish Brigade, Lucas Dix, The Art of Being Pulled Apart, The Character is Me on Thursday, November 29, 2012 by Tim Althaus
I woke up knowing that today was going to be a special day for one reason in particular: it’s Jellyfish season. You definitely heard me right, the smack is back, and they’ve got a lead single from their forthcoming project The Art of Being Pulled Apart – which drops on December 6th.
I’ve been craving new material from Mr. Dix & Mr. Acciaioli since they dropped Gills and a Helmet and Sunflowers last year, and “The Character is Me” is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.
Propelled by The Great Mundane’s mesmerizing melodies, Dix spits an eye opening retrospective and philosophical narrative about his life experiences in the Midwest and how they’ve shaped him into the man that he is today living in Portland:
” I think that I’ve learned the simplest things last/every situation ain’t a riddle or ink splat/As a teacher I can spot the shittiest mishaps/and know just what to say to make a miserable kid laugh/a warrior/a worrier/performing like a mourning bird chirping to the chords of a Wurlitzer”
If you know Lucas Dix, then you know he loves Andre 3000 because he’s such a versatile emcee. When I listen to “The Character is Me”, the influence of Three Stacks is ubiquitous; not only does Dix deliver vivid verses, but he boldly steps out of his comfort zone and defiantly delivers the track’s hook. In doing so, he expands his vocal dexterity as an artist – something that even Andre 3000 could definitely respect.
MIND INVERSION 