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There is a lot going on here – a world shrinking and expanding, traditional Yoruba ceremonial drums and chants being laced with spacious/spacey (digital?) synth-pads, you can feel the continents drifting closer and apart as the sounds unfold, combine, and mingle, the relationship between Africa and Europe in the 21st century.
I started listening to Rhythm & Sound and Basic Channel around 2004. They, Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus, struck me as complex, disciplined, sophisticated musicians. In the video below from sometime late last year, Moritz answers questions, explains his/their history, economic philosophy, work ethic, etc., at length as the audience and the interviewer sip Red Bull and doze off, and vibe to the music. It’s great to hear/see him talk, but you have to brave the aggressive marketing overkill for Red Bull. I would like to read or watch an extensive interview with him conducted in a different environment, but this one is alright for now, I guess –it’s relaxed, and he appears to be comfortable.
As I listened to Moritz’s German accent, I thought about one of Rupture’s point in an interview with Plan B magazine – “the internet contributes to the spread of English-language hegemony.” I also thought about my African/Sierra Leonean accent, which is not very strong but it’s there –a constant reminder that I am speaking other peoples’ language rather than my own. What if the interview was done in German and translated or transcribed for English and other speakers? That would be too much trouble, an unnecessary struggle, right? Red Bull Music Academy is an annual international affair hosted in cities around the world, features guest lecturers and participants, and almost everyone who spoke, had some form of accent (including British.)
Filastine sez – attention Pitchfork public: push that messy hair out of your eyes, put on some looser pants so you can sit down, and watch this here video- if you aren’t epileptic already it’s guaranteed to bring it on.
Hard House Banton – Sirens vs. Busy Signal – Step Out
Because it’s got Busy Signal mashed up on it. I think this is a blend by DJ Spliffman, the riddim is BAD on it’s own too. Check out Spliffman’s YouTube page, a bunch of wicked Funky on there.
Riddim: Hard House Banton – Sirens
This shit reminds me of old grime, in the best possible way and has the added bonus that normal people actually could probably dance to this. I am excited about slowing down.
Alex BokBok has a new short mix up to promote his Night Slugs night coming up Friday in LDN. The first tune is just listed as ‘intro’ which makes me think it’s by him. It’s sick. He mixes into Donaeo’s ‘Party Hard’ which I’m feeling, especially his little “eh!”s in the beginning. Someone has been listening to The Dream. Me too Donaeo, me too. This is a cool little quick intro into the UK Funky House sound since Alex isn’t playing a lot of the really horribly cheesy stuff that gets played in this genre too. I really like the vibe of a lot of Funky but sometimes it just swerves off into horrible cocktail house and it’s suddenly just all too much and I have to stop.
“This Friday, 30 January, Night Slugs returns for a one-off at Egg in King’s Cross where they will be playing host to DJsets from Kode9, Mak 10, Dubplate Malice and Dress 2 Sweat’s Jackmaster. “
Tracklist
1. Intro
2. L-VIS 1990 – United Groove
3. DONAEO – Party Hard
4. AFEFE IKU – Mirror Dance (YORUBA SOUL mix)
5. KODE9 vs LD – 2 Bad
6. FOOTLOOSE – Just Leave (FINGAPRINT remix)
7. GHOSTMAN – 25th Hour
8. FANTASY U.F.O. – Fantasy (BOK BOK edit)
9. CURSES! – Moss Man
10. DEXPLICIT – Judas
11. ROD LEE – Let Me See What U Workin With (RUSTIE remix)
12. THE BODY SNATCHERS ft. GOLDMOUF – I Like What I See (JOKER remix)
13. BOK BOK – No Need To Front 2009
Movado took a loss, evidently, and looked quite “wounded” in the post-clash interviews but that’s not going to slow him down. Arguably, the biggest dancehall star in the world at the moment, thanks to Hot 97 and his mega-popular hit song “So Special” – video below. He lives in a futuristic city, drives a lamborghini, sleeps and wakes up with beautiful women, not to forget the alcohol and good smoke– you know, all of the things suitable for a dancehall reggae superstar’s life.
On another note – I was talking to a vendor who has been sold out of the Sting 2008 DVDs for weeks. She’s at the intersection of Fulton and Nostrand in Bed-Stuy, so one can only imagine how fast those DVDs move.
It’s hot like hell in the South
It feel like we like we in the devil’s mouth in the South…
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from I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II, another remarkable rap album from the south that didn’t get much exposure in ’08. Killer Mike brings to life the unimaginable with this potent mix of bluntness (is there really a better word to describe Killer?) and southern/black American spirituality…
Young player from the South, tell stories like Biggie
Take the King’s English, paint pictures so vivid
Make the listener swear to God they lived it
If that ain’t God in motion, nigga tell me what is it
The church ladies weep when they hear ya man speak
They say they see God in me, but I’m in the streets
They ask me why I’m rappin’, tell me I’m called to preach
I smile, I kiss ’em on they honey brown cheeks
I tell’ em “God bless ’em” and they concerned for me
But you can never walk on water if you still fear the sea
If Jesus came back, Mother, where d’you think he’d be?
Probably in these streets with me…
Those of you who read these pages no that I am not a fan of Justice’s cock rock techno. This article accompanied by photo evidence (above) catching Justice playing “live” with an un-plugged MIDI controller is just too funny to pass up. As someone who has done real live electronic music back in my Team Shadetek days I know how difficult this is to do and do well, so on one level I’m sympathetic, on the other level, you shouldn’t lie to your fans guys. I stopped doing live electronics when my music took a turn towards hiphop, dancehall and grime and I didn’t think that any of the live improvisation I would do would improve the music. Since then my show has been me DJing tracks from a laptop, sometimes with effects. I play lots of un-released new dubs of mine that no one else has and make up my set list as I go along. I figure that’s worth the price of admission. You get to hear my music, mixed and selected by me and get a peek into my present sound, IE the future since it always takes so long to get records or CDs out. I have a new project (more on that soon) that might be appropriate to a live format and so am I actually considering going into loop djing mode (breaking down the tracks into parts and re-constructing live) for that, probably using ableton live, but we’ll see. However, you will NEVER see me on stage with an un-plugged MIDI controller making faces and pretending to do things that I’m not. Thanks to Dan @ Dubspot for the link.
Lil Wayne announced the official release date and title of his next album: Rebirth is due April 7 — and his publicist has confirmed that it will be a rock album. Of course, Wayne has been rocking with a guitar for some time now.The first single is called “Prom Queen” and will debut on the Internet right after a live stream of his concert in San Diego on January 27. The show will be available for stream on MySpace.com.
There, for those of us who have been waiting for the next likkle wayne nooz. You can thank The NMC for this pretty little leak – you don’t have to wait one more day for the song to debut, here it is loaded with tags and all, autotune-rock from New Orleans own & the best rapper alive -
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is what I typed into YouTube and found these. Spoek Mathambo’s mix a while ago inspired me to go and look for some of this weird slow house that they make in South Africa. Some of it is really cool, and the videos are great. Like this one:
And you can’t go wrong sampling Yo Yo Ma:
In my mind I think of this as snaredrum house, because of the snare patterns, which people often say ‘soca’ to talk about it. This really doesn’t sound like soca at all but it DOES sound a lot like what they’re calling Funky in London, especially the beats. Anyway I like it. I feel like the recent changes in house have made it a lot more interesting and fun and I might now go and try to make some, we’ll see. I almost never work at 120bpm which is kinda what makes it appealing to me.
For the past few months I’ve been teaching music production at Dubspot. It’s a small music school on 14th street in Manhattan that places an emphasis on teaching people how to make different forms of beats and electronic music, learning to DJ, etc. I’m surprised how much I enjoy teaching there, I like being able to guide people through some of the pitfalls of beatmaking and not make the mistakes I did starting out. MAN do I wish I had something like this when I was starting. The students are for the most part great and interesting and Dan who founded it and the other instructors are really cool. I teach music production using Logic, which is the software I use to make my own music. I’m posting because I have a new class starting in a few weeks and if any DA readers are interested in signing up you can give Dan my name and get a 10% discount. The class that’s starting next is the Advanced Logic course but there will also be a new Logic One course soon, I’ll post the dates when I get it. If you have questions about the course feel free to contact me via myspace or leave a comment on this post and I’ll do my best to answer them.
This is a cool piece from VICE’s VBS TV, about a group of dancehall artists in the ghetto of Kampala, Uganda called Fire Base Crew who have started their own Ghetto Republic of Uganja. Dancehall is a worldwide movement. Via Prancehall.
For all of you waiting for comment from Mr. Shadetek as to who won Sting 2008 Movado vs. Vybz Kartel, my vote is for Mr. Not Nice, Kartel. Vado yelling ‘Level’ again and again really wasn’t working for me and Kartel really seemed to be coming with a lot more direct counteractions explicitly flipping Movado’s lyrics back at him. For the record I love both of their music but I think that the Gully God is at something of a disadvantage here against Kartel’s lyrics. Movado relies a lot more on his singing and tone to make his music whereas Vybz is coming in hard with words and content. For example the beginning of this post-clash diss song, that has so many different wacky youtube videos for it I couldn’t post just one.
“Di bwoy run like a woouunded dooooooogggg/bruk Usain’s recoooorrddd” – Kartel
That right there is an instant super forward. For those who haven’t followed the clash coverage this is referring to Movado’s sudden run off stage (taking the backing band with him) in the middle of the clash. Not quite sure what the rationale was for that one but leaving Kartel literally the last man standing on stage is just not a strong move in a clash. It also opens the door to countless hilarious photoshop mashups of Movado’s head on Usain Bolt’s body etc etc. Watch and enjoy.
Post clash interviews, Kartel also clearly comes off better. Kartel understands the idea of message management and how to project confidence. Mavado’s defensiveness does not make him look like a winner. (via Bigger Judgement)
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