Yeah yeah, this happened last year. But I didn’t blog about it. And since today is 9/02/10…

Here’s what Tripwire said:

Last night on 90210, when explaining why he and his girlfriend are made for each other, the character played by Tristan Wilds (the dude from the fourth season of The Wire) says, “WE BOTH LIKE DJ /RUPTURE.” WHATTT! Either the screenwriter was consulting Wilds as to what DJs he’s into, or the screenwriter was like “OH YEAH DUH, PRIVILEGED BEVERLY HILLS TEENS ARE TOTALLY, TOTALLY INTO GUARACHERO AND CUMBIA!” Maybe they have better taste than we thought? We’re pulling for a guest appearance next. We’ve already written the plot: So the girl he’s dating finds out that he’s still in high school (she’s an older woman) and dumps him because, ew. But then they GO to a DJ /Rupture gig (one where he’s DJing all obscure dancehall maybe), they meet him and he gives them sagely advice about how age ain’t nothin but a number, and they get back together. COME ON! Watch the show after the jump… the moment comes at about 12:40 in a beach scene.

originally posted on Rupture’s blog, Land o’ Mudd

 

Yesterday’s guest mix & interview by The Sick Girl(s) was excellent thumping late-summer fun, and I’m pleased to announce that on Monday September 13th, I’ll have South African boy wonder Spoek Mathambo live in-studio on WFMU 91.1 FM! Us black internationals gonna throw an on-air Tea Party.

I first encountered Spoek as part of Sweat X, his duo project that I wrote about for Fader’s Africa issue [PDF] two years back. That piece involved a lively interview and allowed me to get the following sentence into print: “Spoek Mathambo is a slippery post-Apartheid glam-rap prince from Soweto who is descended from distant African royalty, or Jewish, or both.”

Since then Spoek has been making steady moves for world domination, rapping, singing, sending me emails about mythical dinosaurs that can stop the flow of a river (and concept band/videos based on same), generally manifesting polyglot amazingness in all sorts of places (Johannesburg, Stockholm, Mrs Internet, Paris, Twitter), and, finally, AMERIKKKA, the country with the best hamburgers & weapons. Although I do love the gun-fetish object on Mshini Wam’s cover:

So. We welcome him to our strange land with open arms. Fader is streaming his album for the rest of today, and we can watch these 2 videos to get some angles into Mr Mathambo’s complex musical visions… (HINT: the damaged Joy Division cover I’ve been playing out since Pitchfork festival last summer is 100% Spoek…. he’s lost control…)

cross-posted to Mudd Uppity

[The Sick Girls: A & J, pic by Push It]

Last I heard, the cost of living in Berlin was 1/4th that of New York City. Let’s think about that. You stop working in New York, buy a plane ticket, and can go there and stretch out your life for an entire season – spending roughly the equivalent of one NYC-month. True, the 1/4th thing was back when the euro was higher, but still…. Berlin exists as an alternate universe, where, despite the influx of cool tourists, the price of everything from coal-heated apartments to MDMA (so they tell me) remains very affordable. Plus it’s deliciously leafy and quiet and healthy, wide avenues and canals, if you want that. (Also: Turkish music! Let’s save that for another post.)

“Techno” famously rules within this alternate universe – one of my friends wakes up at 10am on Sundays to go dancing at one of those parties which hasn’t stopped since Friday night: she treats it as surreal morning exercise – so by playing crunked-up (non-techno) fantastic music and throwing a zuper party called Revolution no. 5 the Sick Girls are like rulers of an utopia moment within an alternate universe, which makes them superheros in our vaguely real world (and among its crowds of virtual doppelgängers). Which they are visiting tonight…

This is a roundabout way of saying: Jay-Oh, 1/2 of The Sick Girls, will be my special guest on today’s radio show. Berlin’s finest!

[Jay-Oh and someone's sneaker]

Jay-Oh will do a live mix and talk about Berlin’s musical climate, the upcoming Sick Girls compilation album, testosterone’s impact on club microgenres, promoting events versus producing beats, and, if we’re nice, we’ll get to hear some unreleased tunes from them…

Key Phrases: sick tricks, urban bass, scented revolution.

Note: the Sick Girl’s compilation will be released this fall on BBE Records, which is the same label putting out Fader coverboy Spoek Mathambo’s debut album. ‘Post-Apartheid post-hiphop posterboy’ Spoek will be my next WFMU guest, joining us live in-studio on September 13th.

So. Mark yr calendars, subscribe to the podcast (regular XML | iTunes), and tune in tonight, live 7-8pm, on WFMU 91.1FM. Nouveau Yorque, the city with the biggest rats.

Next Friday, August 27th, come catch myself and Tanlines in a pay-what-you-want party at The Whitney Museum.

[some guitar band at the Whitney]

James Franco was trying to get on the bill with a new indie garage cumbia electro project he’s working on, but the Whitney people had to tell him no. Which is just as good, because with Tanlines, myself, and you, together we are well-equipped to build a DANCE PARTY, possibly the Last Fun Party of the Summer, and let me repeat: it’s FREE. 6-9pm = pay-what-you-wish for museum admission. Grapes will not be served, despite internet rumors stating otherwise.

Yes, today is my birthday! I survived last year (barely). Hugs, large bills, mp3s, and gift certificates to the crematorium all accepted…

big birthday post over at MuddUp! includes an old Rupture mix excerpt, chopped & screwed Nicki Minaj, free software for turning Biebz into Hopelandic ambience, 16 minutes of Algerian chaabi, GIFT OPTIONS, and, as always more.

Eat, drink and consume media, for tomorrow we get deleted.

Or maybe not deleted. Maybe just replaced with squid pictures.

[originally posted at Mudd Up!]

On today’s radio show, I’ll be joined by special guest Matt Shadetek! The top-notch producer (& my partner in all tings Dutty) just released his debut solo album, Flowers, and he’ll be treating us to a live DJ set followed by talk about production, new bizness strategies for creative folk, family man music, and more.

Check us live: Monday Aug 16th from 7-8pm EST, 91.1fm WFMU, streaming on internet & iPhone. If asynchronous event participation is yr thing, delve into my show’s deep archives or catch the podcast a week later…

In the meantime, here’s ‘Nightshade’ – I first used this in last year’s mix album, Solar Life Raft, and it resurfaced on Flowers – Matt’s instrumental album built from fresh beat momentum and a playful post-grime melodic sensitivity.

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Matt Shadetek – Nightshade

Aaah, Rita Indiana. I feel weird explaining what’s up to people since the easiest thing would simply be to wait — soon enough she’ll be as well-known in the US as she is across the Dominican Republic. But here we go-

Rita’s a former model who first enjoyed fame as a writer. Her two novels, La Estrategia de Chochueca and Papi, enjoy cult status among fans of contemporary Caribbean lit. Her innovative writing straddled pop and street, leading to her current stint as screenwriter for Grammy-winning reggaeton group Calle 13′s upcoming movie. But she’s spent the last year taking over her hometown of Santo Domingo via a musical project, Rita Indiana y los Misterios. With effortless swagger, Rita has achieved the holy grail: cutting edge musical & lyrical innovations that draw on local roots and enjoy populist success (read: capacity crowds at 1000 person venues).

[Rita Indiana y (algunos de) Los Misterios]

Rita’s powerful sound – which includes choreographed stage dancers, daring outfits, and a 5-person band – creates a space where old school merengue fans, new-school mambo thugs, hiphop kids, rockers, and fashionistas can all party together.

to continue reading this post, head over to Mudd Up!

[cross-posted to Mudd Up!]

Two point one, baby! Woof! Moo!

For three years now I’ve hosted a show on WFMU (it’s rebroadcast weekly on a number of stations in Europe, such as Marseilles’ incredible Radio Grenouille 88.8 FM). FMU is a very progressive FM radio station when it comes to extending outward into the often-confusing world that Mr and Mrs Internet are building around us like an airy cage. WFMU’s archives are formidable – including the very useful accuplaylist function. Many shows (such as mine) are podcast, and our FREE iPhone app is, to put it humbly, utterly kick-ass. Now there’s a new version!

The biggest feature in version 2.1 is the ability to download shows for offline listening. For the cloud-averse among us, this is very good news. I like being offline (despite appearances to the contrary). In fact, I rock a jailbroken iPhone with a ‘regular’ phone service precisely so I can get the fun trix/touchy user interface and *not* have to buy an AT&T constant internet “data plan.” Because the idea of constant internet is vaguely terrifying. Because data diets can be as sexy/healthy as real diets. Because everything deserves an off-switch, or at least a pause button, especially if huge undersea cables and wireless beams of zeros & ones and post-panoptic auto-surveillance is involved. #JustSayin.

There’s also some twitteration & facebookability built in, plus the ability to leave live playlist comments, and a few other delightful whistles and useful bells. So.

The WFMU iPhone app. Always free, newly updated. Read about it on the WFMU blog, get it here (iTunes). Carry my show on the go, anywhere in this hot wired world, into the clouds… into the world of Applelicious DRM hell… and beyond…

This Saturday, July 31st, I’ll be closing out the Wooly Fair in Providence, Rhode Island with a midnight set. They call it a “Providence-born DIY art carnival”, and it looks to be a very fun time. Creative grassroots events which aren’t necessarily focused on music are often the best places to DJ. Wooly Fair runs from 1 in the afternoon to 1am.

Lately I’ve been squeezing more Arabic moments into my sets. Here’s a clubby/rootsy gasbah flute track from Algeria:

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Kamel Nemri – Lemrabta (from 2 CD Maghreb Dance Party)

and a re-up of a great clattering Tunisian beat workout (nobody commented on the original post. sigh.)

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Ramzi – Cocktail Tounsi (Maghreb Dance Party)

The image below is a drawing of a temporary/permanent/growing installation, centerpiece of this year’s Wooly Fair. It’s “the Flower Tower, a pyramid of container gardens that will be distributed after the July 31st event to hospitals, schools, and other organizations.”

I’d forgotten that I have a Soundcloud page. Remembered. Pasted up a set from the good ole days of January 2008 – the cumbia mix I did for Rob Da Bank’s BBC1 radio show. You can stream or download below. Enjoy! & feel free to send me trax.

DJ Rupture – BBC 1 Cumbia mix by djrupture

download DJ Rupture Cumbia mix for Rob Da Bank | BBC Radio 1, January 2008

TRACKLIST

El Hijo de la Cumbia – ‘Pista Para La Contra’

Pesadilla – ‘La Pava Congona’ (Discos El Papi)

Unknown – ‘Cumbia de la Selva’

DJ Panik – ‘Like This Like That’ (Bersa Discos)

Crunk Cumbia Bootleg

El Hijo de la Cumbia – ‘Para Bailiar Alika RMX’ (Soot Records)

La Yegros – ‘Trocitos de Madera:original mix’ (Dutty Artz)

Armando Hernandez – ‘Cumbia Doris’

Petrona Martinez – ‘La Vida Vale La Pena: Uproot Andy Remix)’

Pitbull – ‘Ya Se Acabo’

Noble Society – ‘The Swarm: Zuzuka Cumbia Klash remix’ (Klash City)

Los Destellos – ‘Elsa: Sonido Martines remix’ (Soot Records)

El Hijo de la Cumbia – ‘Cumbia Regional’ (Soot Records)

Los Daddy’s – ‘Cumbia Sampuesana’

J-Kwon – ‘Tipsy: instrumental’ (So So Def)

Julieta Venegas – ‘Eres Para Mi: Sonidero Nacional remix’

Ñejo feat Arcangel y Dalmata – ‘Algo Musical remix’

Crunk cumbia bootleg

Calle 13 – ‘Atrevetetete remix’

Crunk cumbia bootleg

Celso Piña – ‘Cumbia Poder’

DJ Rupture featuring Sister Nancy – ‘A Little More Oil: reggaeton remix feat. Pe Ere’ (Soul Jazz)

Uproot Andy vs. ODB – ‘Brooklyn Cumbia’

Maga Bo – ‘Earthshaking Riddim’ (Dutty Artz)

Jahdan Blakkamoore – ‘Earthshaking’ (Dutty Artz)

Matt Shadetek – ‘Pure Riddim’ (Dutty Artz )

Jahdan Blakkamoore feat Durrty Goodz – ‘Mesmerized’ (Dutty Artz)

Modeselektor and Matt Shadetek – ‘Dem A Idiot Riddim’ (Dutty Artz)

El Hijo de la Cumbia – ‘Conciencia de Barrio’ (Soot Records)

Grupo La Cumbia – ‘La Mulata’

Unknown – ‘Poco a Poco ‘Yes Yes’ (Discos Bones)

Celso Piña – ‘Cumbia de la Paz’

The second episode of Dutty Artz Radio is up! Me (Matt Shadetek), DJ Rupture, Mosholu Park aka Lamin and Taliesin all got together in the basement of Dubspot to all DJ some short 20 minute sets and do the first episode of our new book club!

The book we talked about is Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower.

I chopped the audio into separate parts for your mp3 player pleasure.  We streamed it on UStream although somehow the video got lost. The full chat transcript is after the jump though so you can read back if you want.  We’ll be doing this weekly on Thursday nights at 7PM NYC time (EST) at http://www.ustream.tv/duttyartznyc

This coming Monday we’ll have a special edition after Dubspot Radio which is at 8 (and I also run) with special guests NGUZU NGUZU! YAAAAA!  We’re very excited

first posted at Mudd Up!

Today I’m going to host WNYC’s Soundcheck from 2-3pm on 93.9FM, then at night – tonight, Wednesday June 23rd – I’ll switch into my DJ /rupture costume and shake up the Que Bajo party.

Tropical enthusiasts will not be disappointed: humid city, rich old cumbias, synthed-up new beats, we got you covered. Geko Jones and I trading off all evening. Santos Party House, $5, 11pm. Village Voice writeup.

para empezar: a nice ‘Cumbia de la Playa’ version, group unknown:

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? – Cumbia

and a 6-minute medley from Ecuadorean genius, Polibio Mayorga. Mayorga’s telltale bounce goes through subtle musical shifts as shouts of encouragement animate a real or imaginary dancefloor. The guy who gave me this CD was worried that, back home, it was old people’s music – but, he said, it would get them dancing every time. There’s little bass in the original; you need to boost the low-end to get an idea of how it’s supposed to sound. “Bass weight”, in dubstep parlance…

I have a wonderful life-affirming Polibio Mayorga / soundsystem hoarding story from Mexico City, will share soon.

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Polibio Mayorga – medley

cross-posted to Mudd Up!

I’m pleased to announce that I will be guest-hosting a few episodes of WNYC’s Soundcheck this week! WNYC is New York’s flagship public radio/NPR station, and Soundcheck is the daily talk show about music. I’ve been on twice as a guest – once with Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein discussing myth & mystery in music in relation to our inclusion in the Best Music Writing 2009 book, and once for a live performance (which got bungled by the head of the label who put out Uproot, alas).

This Wednesday and Thursday, however, I’ll be hosting the show while regular presenter John Schaefer escapes NYC’s current heatwave on vacation somewhere undoubtedly nicer. You can tune into the live broadcast on 93.9 FM from 2-3pm, or catch the various incarnations as online stream, podcast, 10pm rebroadcast, etc.

Check Soundcheck’s site for information on the guests and live performers I’ll be speaking with. (Hint: undead Paul McCartney).

The following infographic should answer any additional inquiries you might have:

Radio – freely available music & talk about music delivered locally to anyone with access to a cheap FM receiver – played a huge role in my musical upbringing (I’m remembering high school evenings spent taping shows beamed out from Boston’s college stations); it’s an honor and a pleasure to participate with the Soundcheck team.

Further left on the dial, you’ll find WFMU 91.1 FM entering its summer season, where my weekly show maintains the 7pm Monday night slot. Tonight’s episode was fun…

[cross-posted to Mudd Up!]

[???? - Cleveland Museum of Art calendar screenshot]

Regrettably, I can’t understand or link to anything particularly useful on the Cleveland Museum of Art’s calendar/CMS/blog, but I am happy to say that I’ll be DJing a midnight set at this Saturday’s summer solstice party (whose pricing system resists simple understanding), taking an increasingly crunk crowd into darkness on the longest night of the year. I play til close so we’ll have time to sink deep. Also on the bill, Javelin, Phenomenal Handclap Band, Omar Souleyman, etc.

Omar Souleyman plays dabke, and if you like his SubFreq-filtered brand of Syrian wedding folk-techno you should get yrself to a nearby Arabic Music Shop, because dabke is a hugely popular genre in several countries, and you’ll find gems like this 14-minute flute-float party number, here chopped off midway because I’m saving the best half for my Arabic mixtape, which will be coming “soon”.

I love all languages countries and people that have words or phrases for different denominations of ‘now’ and subtle variations of ‘soon’, like in Mexican Spanish with its ahora and ahorita.

Where where we? Brooklyn. Andy Moor bought this CD in Bay Ridge. It’s either Palestinian or Syrian. The cellphone/music store has either sold or removed the ceramic black Sambo figurines it had on sale.

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Mudd Unknown – lovely flute

& here’s another song I might play. Latin fight song! A 128bpm banger from Papi Sanchez, Dominican in Miami, complete with ragga English language intro courtesy of Shabakan. Drop this at the right time & place and you will be rewarded. Or bottled. Maybe both.

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Papi Sanchez feat. Shabakan – Guayamo’ o Peliamo’

what up Dutty familia? Summer’s starting but we put on our Santa hats here and decided to release a new jam by Matt Shadetek + I. Enjoy – spread it like hot sauce!

Matt sez: “Tacos Matamoros is a wonderful restaurant in sunset park Brooklyn where for a time most of the da crew lived. Rupture and I still eat there pretty much every time we meet to produce. The food is fresh, delicious and cheap. It’s mexican mexican food, not to be confused with culinary chineras like tex-mexican or chinese-mexican, both of which are very available in nyc. To my taste buds its the best taqueria in Brooklyn (prove me wrong! Please!) This track was made post- lunch one day and after struggling for a title for a while we decided to give our favorite restaurant a shout-out.”