::TAYLOR McFERRIN (Brainfeeder) & D.V.S* // Three Links // Dec 6::

Taylor McFerrin is set to release his first full length LP, Early Riser, in June 2014 on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder record label. Taylor's musical style is equally influenced by the legends of 60s/70s Soul, the kings of the Modern Beat Generation, Golden Era hip hop, free form jazz and electronic music. By playing all of the instruments on his productions, while also relying heavily on sampling and chopping up his live takes, he has found a sound that seamlessly bridges myriad musical worlds and draws the listener into a constantly shifting audio soundscape.

If McFerrin's own voice on a track like "Florasia" adds a genuine neo-soul emotion, his guests are sensational. From Nai Palm of Melbourne's Grammy-nominated Hiatus Kaiyote on "The Antidote", through Emily King on "Decisions" ("one of the best singers alive in my opinion" – McFerrin) and on to labelmate RYAT's collaboration on "Place In My Heart", each adds a different mood and lift to the music they're involved with. Taylor's father, the legendary Bobby McFerrin, teams up with Brazilian master Cesar Mariano on "Invisible/Visible" for one of the jazziest moments on the record. Robert Glasper, Thundercat and Marcus Gilmore also provide their substantial jazz chops to "Already There". But the key to the whole record is the balance which McFerrin keeps throughout – between his guest's individuality and his own vision, between the styles of music he loves, between a feeling of intense, sunlit joy and a deep aching sadness, which, it could be argued, is a definition of soul.

Brooklyn based producer D.V.S* (aka Derek VanScoten) creates that elevated feeling in the listener's chest with his guitar-soaked experimental dance beats.

He currently has music released on Soulection, 1320 Records, Electronic Musician Magazine, and his own label, Octave Memory Tapes.

Over the past few years, D.V.S* has spent considerable time on the road with electronic acts Random Rab, Bluetech, Tipper, FreQnasty, Big Gigantic, Lotus, MartyParty, emancipator, Ana Sia, Beats Antique, and EOTO.

No stranger to the live band scene, he has also performed as a respected multi-instrumentalist with acts as diverse as DJ Logic, Devotchka, The Motet, and the Boulder Philharmonic.

While his current beatsmithing pushes the boundaries of futuristic rhythms and timbres, D.V.S* hasn't always experienced music via a laptop. Influences include 19th century romantic music, motown, swing, bossa nova, afrobeat, traditional folk music from multiple cultures, hip hop, and of course, rock n' roll.