Miserable Beast Music is the standalone publishing arm of the legendary cosmic hip hop label Stones Throw Records, and is publisher and licensing house for the labels Soul Cal and Now Again.
The Miserable Beast Music catalogue is diverse with a capital D. The cosmic funk of Dam-Funk sounds as if it was made in the 70s, or in a lab in the 60s or maybe the 80s? Maybe all eras have an influence but what Dam-Funk unmistakably is is now. His synth’s got soul, and his soul has got the funk. If you were lucky enough to catch him live on his recent Japan tour (September 2009) or in Europe (October 2009) or at any of his many dates in LA and all over the US, you’ll know what I’m talking about. He is the cover star of Septembers’ Fader Magazine and has taken over the airwaves of Benji B’s Radio 1Xtra show for 3 hours, so it’s fair to say Dam-Funk is going down well right now, so expect great things of his album "Toeachizown", released October 20th worldwide.
Another Stones Throw headliner is the new school soul crooner Mayer Hawthorne, who combines his falsetto heartbreaker musings with proper organic beats and a musicality that recalls the golden eras of soul music of the 60s and 70s. His rapid rise to the fore on this side of the pond has been helped by radio play on a diverse range of radio stations such as Radio1 and then Heart FM and Smooth FM, and I’m talking about daytime as well as specialist shows. And Rolling Stone magazine has recognised as ‘breaking artist’ in the October 2009 issue, oh and some bloke called Mark Ronson has waxed lyrical about him - I’m sure that hasn’t hurt the cause…
"A Strange Arrangement" was released in September 2009, and some special products like heart-shaped vinyl and and a green vinyl 7 inch are still available for those who like a collectors’ item or two.
Whilst the catalogue is completely diverse (there’s that D word again) Miserable Beast and Stones Throw are both steeped in Hip Hop culture and history.
Guilty Simpson is just one example of that real and raw hip hop that is omnipresent throughout the two catalogues. His album "Ode To The Ghetto" is all about the reality of the Ghetto, and could be called a wake-up call to those who seem to push the idea that hip hop started with major labels and popstar collaborations. His remix/collab album "Ghettodes" with Oh No is an example of the imagination of Miserable Beast and the innovative way it reinvigorates existing albums or real old-school forgotten gems by using current artists to reinterpret the tracks into a library-like album using the traditional remix route or by rhyming over remixes. Check out "Oh No versus the Oneness of Juju", and the "Art Class" and "Science Class" CDs of reinterpreted real and hidden classics.
All in all, Miserable Beast is a catalogue jam packed with fantastic music of many genres from original electro, to futuristic hiop hop and funk, from motor city soul to experimental electronics, it all here, and Westbury Music is most pleased to represent in all territories excluding the US.
www.stonesthrow.com
