Love of the music should be driving force of any producer, performer or dj. Everything else stems from that core, that love. With that love, sampling can become a tribute, an expansion on ideas long forgotten, reconstrutruction, collage. Using this same understanding openly & respectfully, can turn djing into spiritual partecipation. It can turn a few hours of selection into essential history. Neccessary listening through movement. Theo Parrish!
Every now and then I go back and watch the following video again, over and over, and I still can’t believe how much talent this woman has been blessed with.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the original badass soul sister, so ahead of her time. Her use of guitar was nothing short than groundbreaking.
Now, here’s the video I was talking about. Check out the guitar solo in the middle. Check out the Pete Townshend windmill at 1:47. I don’t have nothing to add.
And now, check out a nice biography, an intersting audio documentary (don’t miss the guitar solo from 1938 inside), and go get her album HERE.
Look what the Wu family have done. Wu-Tang on Dubstep beats? Are you kiddin me? No, it’s true, and it’s coming out soon.
Honestly it’s the first time since we started this blog that I won’t even take into account the actual quality of the music. This is a milestone album: our idols from the 90’s are somehow experimenting on the same beats we’re into right now, and this is a deeply interesting combination, no matter what the result sounds like.
It’s important for us having the proof that we were right: dubstep is proper future music and it’s changing the course of electronic music forever. After 2 years of reviewing more dubstep and less hip hop (thus probably disappointing some hip hop fans), we now know that maybe some of our choices were right.
“With Scuba, Parson, Trillbass, Dakimh, DZ, Rogue Star, Stenchman, Datsik & many more producing not remixes, but complex re-interpollations that include a veritable goldmine of Wu-Tang verses from the vaults that feature Raekwon, Ghostface Killa, RZA, GZA, Method Man, U-God & Masta Killa, and many more Wu affiliates and Guests. This one of a kind compilation is at the forefront of an emerging cultural and musical blend that is taking place on the margins of the mainstream, but will be talked about for years to come”
I listened the preview, there’s some nice stuff in. I’m definitely feeling the Method Man track and the one produced by Stenchman. Sure Wu-Tang dont sound wrong at all over such a post-nuclear-war sound carpet. It would have been even more interesting hearing contributions from the original UK Dubstep masters. All the producers here are from the USA if I’m not wrong. Anyway, If RZA, Ghost, Rae and Method are feelin’it, why wouldn’t you?
“Your reign on the top was short like leprechauns, as I crush so-called willies thugs and rapper dons…”
One of the greatest lines ever, if you never happened to nod your head to this one, turn off your computer now. And throw it out of your window.
And what about the instrumental to this song? One of the best ever, easily.
The roots of this masterpiece are deep into Premo’s collection, to a dusty vinyl from 1958. He already revealed us the source where he took the sample, but i want to focus on the original track once again. This track is so exotic, unusual sounding and the performer is nothing short than weird. A very original enterpreneur, nowadays I see few stage talents like Mr. “Screamin” Jay Hawkins around. I mean, Reggae frontman Anthony B usually waves a wand when he performs, but a skull Wand is still one step further. Let’s watch one of his crazy performances once again.
This song became a classic and saw so many interpretations, peep this one
Apparently, the inspiration Screamin’ Jay put into this song is far from exhausted. Check the version Stenchman just put out, droppin straight to your nearest dancefloor. What do you think of it? I love it. I find it very loyal to the spirit of the original one.
Anyway, the proper way to end this post is goin back, way back, back into time. This live album by Nina Simone, recorded in the last 60’s, is simply awesome.
I absolutely like to promote people from my country but you know, you have to be skilled. If you got skills and on the top of that you got a good taste, you are exactly what we are looking for. Said that, the mix I am about to introduce is a short but well selected Jazz podcast by Fugu. He is a man of few words but he definitely speaks loud thru the music! Check it out!
This one is the second podcast I have done for my blog: Passion Junkies! On my page you can find reviews, mixtapes, weekly playlists, videos, graphics and all the stuff I like. When I mix a podcast I start from a central idea and I try to develop a path. In this particular case I have selected an handful of Jazz tracks. Nine to be precise. 40 minutes of music selected between some classic as Thelonious Monk and some most recent stuff as Nostalgia 77 and Yesterday’s New Quintet. Anyway, here the tracklist and the mix. Enjoy!
01.Nicola Conte – Wanin’ Moon
02.The Matthew Herbert Big Band – Everything’ S Changed
03.Thelonious Monk – Straight, No Chaser
04.Art Tatum – Aunt Hogar’s Blue
05.The Five Corners Quintet – Trading Eights
06.The Jazz Crusaders – Young Rabbits
07.Nostalgia 77 – Dreamers Dance
08.Yesterday’ S New Quintet – Too High
09.Miles Davis – John Mc Laughlin
Hey, it’s cold outside! You need some warm basslines to heat you up. Here’s a short vinyl mix I did a while ago, focused on the similarities between Fusion Jazz and Hip Hop Instrumentals. You dig Hip Hop and Jazz as we do, don’t you?
45 King (right) with Lakim Shabazz and MaceoParker
Similarly to my previous mix, I tried to put together a sequence of smooth tunes that sound good together (at least to me), and tried to create an atmosphere out of it. The Lowest Common Denominator is having a warm and deep bassline, somehow Lowend-Theory-sounding, you know what i mean, we all love that sound.
You got some Fusion Jazz originals represented by virtuosos like Stanley Clarke (who provides a really cool intro if you ask me), Miroslav Vitous and german band Passport, some 90’s Hip Hop classic instrumentals, a classic UBB tune by Bo Diddley (really nasty drums), an underrated track from Funkadalic followed by a great sampling of the same by none other than the 45 King.
Then you got some Barry White, a couple of crazy jazzy beats from the Wild Style soundtrack, a Tribe Called Quest break I took from a bootleg vinyl I bought in Paris many years ago (that’s when I discovered breaks albums…crazy), and the solemn El Michaels Affair banger “Glaciers Of Ice” to close the mix. Hope you enjoy it as I did making it. Peace.
Tracklist:
Stanley Clarke – Life Suite Part 1 [Atlantic, 1974]
Nas – The World Is Yours (Tip mix) – Instr. [Columbia, 1994]
Omniscence – Amazin – Instr. [UGC 2001]
Bo Diddley – Hit Or Miss [Street Beat]
Passport – Homunculus [Atlantic, 1974]
Wild Style OST – Gangbusters [Beyongolia, 1998]
Funkadelic – A Joyful Process [Westbound, 1971]
45 King – We Got The Funk [Tuff City, 1988]
Funk Master – You Can…. [Promo]
Black Moon – I Got Cha Opin – Instr. [Wreck, 1994]
Lords Of The Underground – Funky Child – Instr. [Pendulum, 1992]
Black Moon – Reality (Killing Every…) – Instr. [Wreck, 1994]
Just a quick post to let you know that our friends from Tuscany are doing a great job with their weekly radio show called RAGNAPIZA.
The beats are dope, they play awesome live sets, they have great tunes and you definitely cannot miss it, even if you don’t understand ITALIANO speech!
Check out the playlists, this is class. And don’t forget to visit their site, it’s full of dope mixtapes from the whole crew.
Today I want to point you out to 3 mixes. The man in control is Jared Boxx owner of Big City Records (NYC)! All his mixes are ace. I mean, what would you expect from such a record dealer?
The first one comes from the Jazzman record page and it’s certainly my favourite one. If you follow me during my Internet journeys you should already be familiar with this site. I was luky enough to see Jazzman Gerald live and from then on I always check his podcasts. The name of the mix is Taste of Honey (scroll down it’s the fourth from the top). Dope blend of tropical rhythms, Latin soul and jazz, Boogaloo etc… The summer is definitely not over in my living room.
The third and last one is smooth! Absolutely obscure (at least for me) tunes from small and independent labels…ok I got to admit that, I don’t have a clue of almost any of this tracks but I am in good company. Everybody is waiting for the tracklist Jared!
This one is the second podcast I have done for my blog: 
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