At this time in 2007 we were getting ready to step on stage for the very first time as Smoke Screen at the no longer standing Peabody’s on the Pirates Cove Stage.
Since then we’ve gone on to travel the country doing what we love and meeting incredible people along the way. This is just the beginning of the journey though.
Thank you for supporting us and the Broken Keys, MOOKE DA GXD and Smoke Noises projects as well throughout the years.
Brand New Smoke Screen full length album, the official follow up to Imagination Beyond Illustration, our first in 7 years, coming this Summer.
The debut EP from MOOKE DA GOD, 1/2 of Hip Hop duo SMOKE SCREEN & 1/3 SMOKE NOISES. “Glamorous” reflects MDG’s inspiration drawn from early Neptunes & Timbaland forward thinking production. LA based producer/songwriter Connor Musarra’s original sound design paired with MDG’s style gives this project a distinct flavor and an underground club aesthetic.
Club Atlantis is the first single release off of the upcoming “Glamorous EP” available Friday March 31st (prod, mixed, & mastered by @connormusarra). Inspired by Club Atlantis of Now That’s Class & Zebra Katz. Artwork by Dakari Akil (dk1994)
To pigeonhole a producer is to limit their sound and style to an audience. It’s fantastic to hear a fresh take on house music, especially coming from someone so ingrained in the forward-thinking hip-hop scene in Cleveland, OH. When you compare the methodology of the two mediums, however, you get a similar workflow and expressiveness. It’s all about groove and feeling, and Broken Keys does a great job at conveying both while moving out of his own comfort zone.
‘What’s The Answer?’ is a monster track with heavy, cut-off sub bass contrasted with bright, washed out synths. A thick groove & dubbed-out vocal chops carry the track along.
‘All I’m Saying’ is the deep house cut from Broken Keys we’ve all been waiting for. It’s simply and sturdy arrangement produces a well-built system for club purposes, however, its slick and matte sound design create a track that’s cerebral enough to zone out to. This is a safe bet for the DJs.
‘Late Nite Ride’ proves to be a slow roller with classic-house inspired rhodes chords, while straight-from-fingers instrumentation man Broken Keys lays it down with a fat, un-quantized bassline. FUNK.
‘4-11’ changes up the groove and finishes the collection of tracks on a softer, more garage-tinged thought. A rhodes chord rides in the back while the drums skitter along and sawtooth synths provide movement. Towards the middle of the track, we break into a soulful drum break complimented by emotive synths, adding a perfect nightcap onto this great EP.
As a way to cap off 2016, we present Gasso. The A Side consists of the “OG Version” produced by RA Washington while a Broken Keys produced version rounds out the B Side.
The “OG Version” Instrumental originally appeared on the Pastiche Album by LeRoi Da Moor (AKA RA Washington) (clevelandtapes.com/track/gasso) and we decided to put our spin on it. Much love to RA for inspiring with his creativity over the years and much love to everyone that has been along with us on our journey so far as we step into 2017!
2015 was filled with shows, singles, videos, mixes, press, projects and much more. From Broken Keys’ live mix on WRUW, hosting the weekly House/Techno night The Breakroom, sharing bills with DJ Craze, Aesop Rock, Galcher Lustwerk and more, to Smoke Screen’s third consecutive year performing with Broccoli Samurai at Summerdance on the Nelson’s Ledges stage and Smoke Noises performing at Brite Winter Fest, it was a busy year to say the least. The Alloy-X collective also collaborated with RVAH at NYFW for both the Spring and the Fall collections and graced the cover of the 4th issue of Pressure Life Magazine.
Check out the full list of things we did throughout the year as well as the annual Smoke Screen Highlight Recap video plus a Broken Keys Highlight Recap video featuring a brand new single available for free download!
