cold get ill

Hey everybody, I'm laid up with the flu with no end in sight (I had to postpone my gig this Sat. at Funky Sole), so this will be a quick one.














Here's a couple joints from my man Kev aka producer and owner of Chop Shop Records.
Some of you probably remember his production from LPSD's "Microphone Enhancer", but before that he was dropping the ill beat records that made their way to many a mixtape back in the day.

Chop Shop - Simply Marvelous
Chop Shop - Brooklyn Keeps on Takin' It

I'll try to upload a scan of the LP when I'm back in effect. Have a good weekend yawl.

Heavy in the Streets

I did a short digging/record related interview with DJ Sorce-1 over at Heavy in the Streets. You can read it here and be sure to check out the other interviews in that series with heavyweight dudes like Egon, Soulman and Mr. Supreme.

Change Your Mind

DJ Day - Change Your Mind
The b-side to the last 7" I put out on Subcontact Japan.

BBQ the Police

Here's a blend I did a while back (not "mash up"- blend. Say it with me now).

R.I.P. Joe Gibbs

Joel Gibson 1945-2008

FLASHBACK

I've been going back and recording old records for Serato and came across some shit I hadn't heard in a loooooooooong, long time. We played this record out back then (you can tell by the sound of bacon frying on some of these tracks) and some of you might remember a few of these beats from old INL tapes. This is in the same style as those old Nubian Crackers/Kenny Dope/45 King records. There's a couple songs missing, but I managed to get the better one's on there. This record has seen better times and there's scars and memories all over it so take it for what it is! Enjoy and have a good weekend.
Blazing Break Beats Vol. 1

Brother From Another Mother

Blu & Exile - Soul Amazing



Saturday March 1st, 2008
Soul Exploration II of IV
Presented by: KCRW and ArtDontSleep

Platinum Pied Pipers [NYC] *Live*
Tiombe Lockhart [NYC] *Live*
Blu and Exile *Live*

Located @ The Crash Mansion :: 1024 S Grand Ave. :: Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
15$ @ the door :: 21+ Wiser :: Doors Open @ 9pm Sharp
Info :: myspace.com/artdontsleep :: artdontsleep@sbcglobal.net

The MIghty Two

When it comes to music knowledge my weakest link (besides country, polka, and woodland nymph pan flute) is reggae. Years ago I bought a giant box of reggae and 90's dancehall 7"'s from a local record dealer. Whoever the original owner was must have DJ'd in a cave because these things were completely covered in dead bugs and mouse turds. The lengths we go for records never ceases to amaze me.













After much cleaning I managed to salvage quite a few Studio One joints, a lot of dancehall classics ("A Who Seh Me Dun", "Ting a Ling" "Hot This Year", etc.) and this 45 by Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson, better known as The Mighty Two.
The only other record I had by them was the famous African Dub - Chapter Two and outside of that, I knew little else.

















By the time The Mighty Two was formed, Joe Gibbs was already well established in the world of reggae and rocksteady, having started the Amalgamated label in the late 60's and creating chart topping hits by the likes of Delroy Wilson and The Heptones. Errol Thompson also had a heavyweight resume as a sought after engineer in Jamaica working with Bob Marley, Agustus Pablo and Yellowman, and one of the first studio engineers to be involved with dub music. They began working together in the early 70's and had over 100 Jamaican #1 hits over the course of their career.

The vocals you hear on this record are by the late great Dennis Brown with backing by Sly and Robbie. Needless to say it's a heavy chune, mate, but I'm sure you already guessed that by the title.

The Mighty Two - Malcolm X (version)

and...

Mom, is that you?


















Here's another one I pulled out today. A little re-edit for the b-boys out thurr.

Aspiring Answer

Every day I wake up like "damn, what am I gonna blog about today?". I'm still trying to sort this whole thing out and find my niche. I didn't set out to make yet another MP3/Youtube/what's-cool-this-very-second type of thing, but shit, what else is there to blog about? I doubt everyone wants to read about what goes on in my regular everyday life, so... here's another MP3!
I always sit on records like "I'm gonna use this one day" but who am I kidding, if it's that serious I'll stop whatever it is I'm doing and get to work. Otherwise it ends up on a mix or as an interlude so I'm sharing the music. I've had this record for forever and it's by no means rare, but the intro to this song is
(and the rest isn't bad either).



This is on some French violin/Herbie Hancock/prog ish from 1980, but don't be scurred.

The More You Know - Blame One

For those of you who don't know about Blame, he is a student of that Real Schitt™ and has been holding down San Diego for over a decade. I first met Blame years ago through Aloe and Exile. We ended up working together and we've been cool ever since. Over the years he and I have made a few joints so I thought I'd post some for those who might have missed it.. All bias aside, dude is one of my favorite MCs and someone you need to check out.

Blame One & DJ Day - Hip Hop Hell
Blame One & Kankick - Untitled (scratches/DJ Day)
Blame One & DJ Day - Closer

Blame One - Supreme Beings

The morning after

I'm on chill mode still riding the high from yesterday. This is what I'm listening to.

Jimi Tenor - Sirens of Salo

















I can't believe it took hearing his wife's music (Nicole Willis) to find out about Jimi Tenor. Especially since he's been putting out records since the 80's. I need to step my Finnish music game up. Here's a short video of the making of the song.
I need to get on that level.

More info:
Jimi Tenor

Heart Breaks prt.2

Here's a Valentines Day mix from the one Magneto (bo! bo!) for your listening pleasure.
Some of it is a little bugged out (in a good way) and it's one of the best mixes I've heard in a minute.
Definitely on some original stylin'.


































Sea Koala Heart Breaks prt. 2

Attitudes

Attitudes were a group of session musicians (some of who went on to have successful careers of their own) signed to George Harrison's Dark Horse label in the seventies. I never bothered to check for them until I heard Florian Keller play this 7" in Munich. Once the Rhodes came in I knew I had to have a copy.
I don't think this made it on either of their albums, but it was the b-side to their only "hit" record and can be found pretty cheap.

Attitudes - If We Want To

Breaking Atoms

Yo everybody, I'm not dead but I am busy! Posting might be hit and miss every once in a while, but I'll always come through.

I was organizing/listening to some files and I came across an alternate take of "Looking at the Front Door" (thanks to DJ Anonymous). While it's not that drastically different, there's a few noticeable changes in there. I always geek off things like this. We played this song so much when it came out that every syllable is embedded in my brain so hearing even little differences is dope to me.

Main Source - Looking At the Front Door (uncut version)

Keeping it Main Source related, these next 2 tracks come from Joe Thomas' "Flash" LP which I think was a compilation of his earlier work put out by Chiaroscuro. "Down Home" has a sample from "Peace is Not the Word to Play" (for you trainspotters - it's on the original, not video version) and I added "Mike" because I dig that song.

Whenever I hear a sample I recognize come out of nowhere it makes me stop and think about what made them sample it. I know for me I'll usually go through records until I find something that's in the same key, but the way they used the flute sample from "Down Home" was like kicking in the door and bringing in the bridge. It's just a bugged out way to use it. For me, listening to things like this now can give a different insight into making music.

Joe Thomas - Down Home

Joe Thomas - Mike



p.s. watching these videos again is a trip! I'm glad I was around for that whole time period for real.

Find a Way

Good Lord. I don't even know what to say.
I'm willing to put money on this being one of the best songs of 2008. Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson did an incredible job producing and arranging this.
I mean really listen to it. The flute arrangement at the end is face melting. This is what you get get when you cross an orchestra with Dilla.



















Happy Birthday Jay Dee.

The More You Know - Yosaku

Yosaku is my man and an artist folks need to check out.
He's the most meticulous producer I know (sometimes making 400 chops in a song) and has a wide variety of styles ranging from straight Hip Hop and turntablism to broken beat, brazillian and nu jazz. He made noise with his first 12", a remix of Ray Baretto's "Pastime Paradise" (Fresco/Plug Label), getting props from Spiritual South, Gilles Peterson, Michael Rutten, Garth Trinidad and Big Bang. He has a lot more in store this year, including a James Brown project on GAMM and (hopefully) our remix of "The Bottle" will finally get an official release.
Check him out (sorry, no download-o)

Cuban Links

Since the release of the excellent Si Para Usted compilation put out by Waxing Deep last year, much has been written about Cuban records. You'll find some of the most detailed information in the liner notes of that CD, but for now I'll try to give everyone a short introduction.
Egrem/Areito is the only record label in Cuba and is owned and operated by the government. Needless to say, most records never made it here to the states. Because the trade embargo only effected the U.S., many of them found their way to Canada. I was lucky enough to pick up a few albums while on tour and Super Son by Juan Pablo Torres was one of them.












Juan Pablo Torres was one of the most popular musicians in Cuba. With a career spanning decades and over two dozen albums to his name, choosing what to take home with me was no easy task. I had to leave a lot behind, but this album had something special. They managed to keep their traditional roots and stretch out into some spacey shit. Listening to it now it's hard to believe the government gave the musicians so much freedom, but Castro was very supportive of the music scene and gave funding to music schools and musicians.

This first song is actually the opener to Si Para Usted (which I had forgotten until after I recorded it - doh!). If you're digging these I highly recommend picking up a copy.

Juan Pablo Torres - Son A Propulsion

Juan Pablo Torres - Super Son

Gilles Peterson Worldwide Mix

What's good everybody? Damn, this blogging thing is more time consuming than I expected, but I'm gonna continue to bring it to you all the way live.
Here's a mix I did for Gilles Peterson late last year. There's some exclusives and unreleased joints like a remix of "The Bottle" I did with Yosaku and a song with Blame One and Aloe Blacc that might make it on the album. You can hear the whole thing over at Giant Step, or download my mix here:

DJ Day - Gilles Peterson Worldwide Mix
Miles Bonny - Yes I Do (MPM)
Benny Sings - We’ll Make Love Songs (Sonar Kollektiv)
DJ Day - Sunday (7T5)
DJ Day & Blame One ft Aloe Blacc - Can't Let Up (unreleased)
DJ Day - A Place To Go (MPM)
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Mercury (Hypnotic Brass)
William DeVaughn - Be Thankful For What You've Got (TEC/DJ Day re-edit)
DJ Day - Change Your Mind (Subcontact)
James Brown - Dead On It (U-Tern's Disco Edit) (White)
Yosaku - Valdez (White)
Kutiman - Music Is Ruling My World (DJ Day Remix) (MPM)
Yosaku ft. DJ Day - The Bottle (White)

All-Seeing is Believing

Not music related, but something folks should know...

FBI wants palm prints, eye scans, tattoo mapping













From Kelli Arena and Carol Cratty
CNN

CLARKSBURG, West Virginia (CNN) -- The FBI is gearing up to create a massive computer database of people's physical characteristics, all part of an effort the bureau says to better identify criminals and terrorists.

But it's an issue that raises major privacy concerns -- what one civil liberties expert says should concern all Americans.

The bureau is expected to announce in coming days the awarding of a $1 billion, 10-year contract to help create the database that will compile an array of biometric information -- from palm prints to eye scans.

Kimberly Del Greco, the FBI's Biometric Services section chief, said adding to the database is "important to protect the borders to keep the terrorists out, protect our citizens, our neighbors, our children so they can have good jobs, and have a safe country to live in."

But it's unnerving to privacy experts.

"It's the beginning of the surveillance society where you can be tracked anywhere, any time and all your movements, and eventually all your activities will be tracked and noted and correlated," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Technology and Liberty Project.

Read the whole article here


Public Enemy - Welcome to the Terrordome


Pharoahe Monch - Welcome to the Terrordome

Long Island Wildin'

Sputnik Brown













I don't know if it's something in the water, or being close to NY yet far enough away to establish your own identity, but Long Island has delivered some of the most original groups in hip hop. Rakim, EPMD, De La Soul, Public Enemy, LONS and now Sputnik Brown. These dudes are carrying the torch for







Sputnik Brown - U Havin' Fun?

Go cop the 12"!