blog post The Slakadeliqs (a.k.a. Slakah the Beatchild) shares his shuffle playlist

If you haven’t already heard the The Other Side of Tomorrow from the Slakadeliqs yet, there’s a good chance you’ll hear the track “Dear Lucy” in heavy rotation on CBC Music’s pop and R&B/soul streams this summer. It’s no surprise that the Slakadeliqs – the alter ego of Byram Joseph, a.k.a. Slakah the Beatchild – can create catchy, layered tracks like these. The Toronto musician is also a Juno-winning producer, known for his work with Drake and Divine Brown.

When The Other Side of Tomorrow was released in January, Drizzy showed the new album some Twitter love, earning the project tons of new fans. The album recently landed the Slakadeliqs on the 2012 Polaris Prize long list.



We asked the Slakadeliqs to put his iPod on shuffle, and share the first 10 tracks to come up. Have a listen, and see if you can hear any of these influences on his new album.

1. “Like to Get to Know You”       
Spanky and Our Gang
“I heard this on an oldies station many years ago and it had me mesmerized. The outro is genius.”

2. “Du E för Fin för Mig”    
Dungen
“Swedish group that my friend Magnus Tingsek introduced me to. I'm obsessed with the arrangement and vintage recording and mixing style; 100 per cent analog.”

3. “Revival”    
Deerhunter
“I first heard this song playing when I was in a restaurant eating some Thai food with my girl. They were playing the entire album, and each song impressed me, so I asked our server who the band was and it was a group by the name of Deerhunter. That night I bought the album. What I love about this song, and album, is that it evokes feelings I didn't know I had.”

4. “Jormine”   
Edda Magnason
“Another Swedish artist I absolutely adore, she is a creative genius and this song is just the tip of the iceberg of her unique sound.”

5. “Marching Through Your Head”    
Zeus
“I first heard this song on the CBC while driving, and the instrumentation and arrangements are so classic. I love this song so much.”



6. “7 Girls”    
Spiral Beach
“My friend Mike Olsen gave me a CD, which he had produced. It was a group by the name of Spiral Beach and the album was The Only Really Thing. When I first heard this song I must have played it 100 times. The female and male lead vocal combo is so infectious and perfectly blended with unique melodies and harmonies. I wish they were still together.”

7. “Bridge to Nowhere”    
Sam Roberts
“Just a brilliantly written song; it's one of my all-time favourites.”

8. “Heart Throb”    
Maylee Todd
“I get such a warm vibe from Maylee Todd’s voice and she has such sweet charisma, too. I am a huge fan of original-sounding compositions and everything she has done to date reflects just that.”

9. “What You Waiting For”    
Pete Rock
“This jazzy hip-hop instrumental is taken from one of my favourite albums of all time, PeteStrumentals. The way Pete Rock chopped and played the samples on this song is beyond inspiring to me. I love playing this while snowboarding.”

10. “Follow Me Down”      
Magnus Tingsek
“Darp Malone had sent me a mix of new music, I loaded my iPod and stepped out to run some errands. I remember the exact time and place I first heard this song. I was in a laundromat and when this song came on I froze, amazed by what I was hearing. I had never heard a voice, chord progressions and instrument choices so beautifully written and performed. Since then, Tingsek has been my favourite artist and continues to inspire me to this day. I later had the honour and privilege to meet and work with him on many projects.”

Related:

Q & A: Slakah the Beatchild is feeling good 
Beatchild Productions on CBC Music