Big shouts to the Live Convention crew, and all the homies we got to hang with during the event. We are looking forward to more of these in the future, put it on your calendar.
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Get ready for an unforgettable weekend that brings together the crustiest of the crusty record dudes, cultural icons, and jerk chicken for late night eats!
Live Convention is back with a bang, promising to be bigger and better than ever before. This year we have teamed up with them to make our Transit Pass that is made from vintage Steep Tech jackets. Buy tickets to get your hands on one!
With an impressive lineup of renowned DJs such as Diamond D, Spinna, Supreme La Rock, Dave Haffner, and Double Peas, this event is set to be a music heads summer camp.
So mark your calendars and prepare to be blown away by the fun, rare records, and lots of our friends will be at Live Convention 2023. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity - join us and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Tickets here and more info below!
Live Convention, Toronto’s annual vinyl-themed festival returns Sept 14th-17th. The 2023 incarnation of LC includes four days of parties, live chats, exhibitions and the return of its marquee international record fair.
The Live Convention Grail Pass is the top tier, ultimate ticket* to all four days of the festival and the entire limited edition Live Convention 2023 Merch Capsule.
Cop a LC Grail pass for $325.00 and save $65.
The Live Convention Grail Pass includes:
Entry to:
Dealer’s Choice (Opening Party)
Featuring David Haffner, Voluntary in Nature, Hedrek Hender, DJ Yasushi
Cratery Record Exchange dealers share and sell their favourite selections
Sept 14th @ 915 Dupont
(Single ticket, $10 value)
Doors 10pm
Heated Words
Featuring selected ephemera from authors Charlie Morgan and Rory McCartney
An exhibit on hip-hop’s founding typeface
Sept 15th @ Worth Gallery,
830 Dundas St W
(Single ticket, $10 value)
Doors 5pm
Disco Rap
Featuring Diamond D, DJ Spinna, Supreme La Rock, DJ Serious
A party celebrating the origins of hip-hop
Sept 15th @ BSMT 254,
254 Lansdowne Ave (Single ticket, $40 value)
Doors 10pm
Catalog
Featuring Diamond D, DJ Agile, Jake One and Arcee
A live chat with the legendary DITC producer
Sept 16th @ It’s Ok World
468 Queen St W
(Single ticket, $20 value)
Doors 6pm
Cratery Record Exchange
Featuring Local and International sellersBargain beats and premium pieces
Sept 17th @ It’s OK World
468 Queen St W
(Single Early Admission ticket, $25 value)
10am-5pm
The heart of Live Convention Toronto is the unmissable record sale, a treasure trove for vinyl enthusiasts. Here, rare records that span decades and genres are up for grabs, offering something for every collector out there. Whether you're into soulful jazz, gritty hip-hop, or classic rock, you'll find records that are as unique as your taste. With vendors from across the country, the variety on offer is unparalleled, making this the perfect opportunity to discover new music or find that elusive album to complete your collection. The thrill of the hunt is real as you flip through crate after crate, and the joy of finally finding that one record you've been searching for is unmatched. Remember, these records aren't just music; they're artifacts of history, waiting to spin their stories on your turntable. Make sure to come early and ready to dig!
Work it Out (Closing Party)
Featuring Double Peas, Karl Marthon, Memphis Jone$, Famous Lee
Music for Soul Lovers
Sept 17th @ Little Jerry
(Single ticket, $10 value)
PLUS The Live Convention 23 Merch Capsule which includes:
Live Convention X Heated Words Cassette 60 minutes of rare foundational rap mixed by Supreme La Rock ($30 value)
Live Convention X Heated Words T-shirt ($40 value)
Live Convention X Heated Words crewneck ($60)
Live Convention X Karl Marthon Record Guide ($20)
Live Convention X Heated Words X Tucker-Bloom Transit Pass ($125)
*does not include entry to
“The Sound of Success” Featuring XL Middleton, Bus Crates, Gil Masuda
Saturday Sept 16th @ 915 Dupont$15
Doors 9pm
Or you can skip the merch capsule and but still make sure you guarantee your entry into this year’s events with the
LIVE CONVENTION 2023 EVENT PASS
Live Convention, Toronto’s annual vinyl-themed festival returns Sept 14th-17th. The 2023 incarnation of LC includes four days of parties, live chats, exhibitions and the return of its marquee international record fair. The Live Convention Event Pass is your all-access ticket* to every day of the festival.
Get yourself a LC event pass for $100 and save $15 across all events.
Important: The Live Convention Event Pass does not include the Limited Edition 2023 Merch Capsule or any of its pieces. For the full Merch Capsule, you must purchase the Live Convention Grail Pass.
*Event pass does not include entry to “The Sound of Success” Featuring XL Middleton, Bus Crates, Gil Masuda
Saturday Sept 16th @ 915 Dupont
$15 Doors 9pm
Joining us at Live Convention Toronto means more than just attending an event; it's about making memories that will resonate long after the last record spins. It's where stories unfold between the beats, where friendships are forged over shared musical passions, and where every moment is a snapshot of the vibrant culture that defines the vinyl community. From witnessing the masterful sets of renowned DJs to running your fingers through crates of records, every experience contributes to the tapestry of memories you'll cherish. And with a Transit Pass Day Bag slung over your shoulder, you're not just carrying your day's essentials; you're carrying the symbol of a weekend well spent. So, come and create your own narrative at Live Convention Toronto, where every record, every beat, and every encounter is a potential memory in the making
]]>The new book Son of the City: A Memoir by Dante Ross, is the first release by the new author. Preorder is in limited supply and available now
]]>The new book Son of the City: A Memoir by Dante Ross, is the first release by the new author, but it won't be his last.
Stories have never been in short supply with the man. Growing up in NYCs LES to artsy bohemian types, skateboarding and scribbling on walls, Dante early on was put in the room working with the hip hop cultural elites of the day as an intern at Def Jam.
From playing basketball with Run DMC and running around with The Beastie Boys doing knucklehead shit as a teenager, working on records with Grand Puba, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, ODB, MF DOOM, Queen Latifah, Del and others.
I have had the good fortune of listening to some of Dantes stories first hand. I can comfortably say, if he only spills 1/4 of the beans, even accidentally, than you are getting your moneys worth by buying his book.
That said, the new book, Son of the City: A Memoir, is available for pre-order.
Its a good thing Dante Ross has good politics, for many of the future owners of this book. We hope you have the good sense to buy yourself a copy and consider yourself in that elite group.
So, again, buy the book before you can't.
]]>Son of the City goes behind the scenes of the Golden Age of Hip Hop with esteemed producer and music industry veteran, Dante Ross, one of the top-25 greatest A&Rs as named by Complex Magazine. Ross pulls no punches as he details his time growing up on the pre-gentrification Lower East Side as the child of political activists, his devotion to punk rock, and his eventual discovery of a brand new art form, which landed him at Tommy Boy Records, where he signed and handled the careers of such artists as De La Soul, Queen Latifah, and Digital Underground. Ross would go on on to work for Elektra records, where he signed Brand Nubian, Grand Puba, Pete Rock & C.L Smooth, KMD, Busta Rhymes, and Ol' Dirty Bastard. He is currently a SVP of A&R at Warner Music Group where he recently helped unearth Macklemore to the world.
As a producer, Ross has produced records for artists such as 3rd Bass, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Run-DMC, Santana, Everlast (working on both the multi-platinum album Whitey Ford Sings The Blues and the gold follow-up, Eat At Whitey's), plus many others. Ross earned a Grammy in 1998 for his production work on Carlos Santana's Supernatural. Ross' production work has also appeared on Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack, where he produced and co-wrote two songs that featured Macy Grey and Young Z. Ross has worked with artists as diverse as Korn, Incubus, Mobb Deep, Ice Cube, ODB, as well as a plethora of others.
When Victrola introduced the Revolution Go turntable to me and asked if we would be interested in trying one out, I was game, but these days I spend more time at my desk than hunting for records in dusty basements.
Portable turntables have been around since the 1950s but not with any assumed caliber of fidelity. The Vestax Handy Trax turntable I carried in the early aughts offered a preview to many records at flea markets around the world making shopping efficient. What a gift it was to both save a few bucks on something I didn't like and also explore a mysterious find that would be added to my collection.
When Victrola introduced the Revolution Go turntable and asked if we would be interested in trying one out, I was game, but these days I tend to spend more time at my desk than hunting for records in dusty basements.
We were about to find out!
The turntable arrived in the midst of holiday madness here at the bag shop, and without the dedicated time to play with such a toy, it remained boxed up and at the corner of my desk.
Finally, the day came early in the new year when I had just enough coffee in my system and a clean slate for the afternoon.
The Revolution Go features:
Knowing that we could connect via Bluetooth, I was interested in trying to connect the Revolution Go to an Echo device that is run into a small, solid-state headphone amp. This 30-watt amp powers a hulking Klipsch La Scala speaker parked a ways from my desk. It's a beautiful speaker, huge and tucked as far away as possible. The sound translates wonderfully, but just to note, it is overkill on the speaker using underwhelming amplification with the efficiency of Paul Klipsch's design rather than a high-powered amplifier.
To accomplish pairing the Revolution Go with a Bluetooth device, we needed to connect it in what they refer to as "Vinyl Stream mode".
Connecting on Vinyl Stream mode is a task that can be a little tricky, especially if you are the type who likes arcane technology and are prone to frustration. We found that connecting to an Echo is done by voice and must be completed within a 30-second window. Truth be told, I found this to be a little bit of a pain when I first gave it a shot, but practice makes perfect, and after a while, I was able to get the Revolution Go connected.
These days when I am ready to connect the two devices I simply ask our Alexa to "connect to Revolution Go", and most of the time if I have trouble with it, that is due to the short window of time or my own distractedness.
I have also found that if you go back and forth between streaming audio from Spotify or another source, reconnection can be a bit more difficult unless you disconnect the source first.
Once you have the Vinyl Stream mode figured out, you can sit at your desk and flip through the piles of records you’ve bought over the years, determining if they are still ticking the right boxes for your ever-evolving taste in music.
That's a big deal, especially if you have a nice set of speakers to connect to and the time to spend with a turntable at arm's length.
Over the past month of using the Revolution Go turntable at work, I have found a more healthy balance in my listening than in the past. For a person who prefers to spend much of the day listening to music, this is a gift. If you like to listen to records while you chop in the kitchen or have to do homework on your bed, I could see the Revolution Go working great for you.
Victrola did not pay for this review. I hope it brings music a little closer so you too can listen to music, at your desk or elsewhere.
]]>The duo of Thes One and Double K is one of legend. The group met in High School and formed under the name "People Under The Stairs" in 1997, and right out of the gate went on to be the first rap group to ever release a bidi with the purchase of the physical release of "The Next Step" (Om Records 1998).
There is a good chance you have never heard of them: statistically speaking, I mean, they did not see mainstream commercial success. But a 16-year-old Case Bloom bought "P.U.T.S. - The Next Step" at Tower Records in Nashville, TN. He smoked that bidi cigarette at the park with his friends, they played the album really loudly in his first car, and a ton of other kids were doing the same.
We were hooked. Fans kept P.U.T.S. traveling around the globe and allowed them to work independently of the major labels. Who cares if you are famous if you can pay your bills and travel doing what you love? The era of the indy was the grind of the road followed by the studio grind. The songs tell some tales, but really the story is of two lifelong friends working together to see their dreams realized.
They thugged it out the indy way for 21 years and persevered through it all! Cheering fans, missed flights, long hours honing their craft, highs, and lows. They are great storytellers, and you really got to feel like another dude in the car while listening to their music.
With "Sincerely, The P", their 15th and final album as a group, they hung jerseys up in 2019, just before the world shut down for the global pandemic.
People were dying left and right. We lost an insane list of artists, and suddenly, we heard that Double K had passed. An immediate outpouring of mourning from the artist and hip-hop community happened in the usual ways on social media. It was sad, but also beautiful to know how much they mean to their fans, and how many there were!
Everyone immediately looked at Thes. Is he going to be ok?? How tragic a loss.
Thes did some writing and shared stories, and we smiled at the love in their friendship. You can really feel it as a fan: the P (P.U.T.S.) is a special thing, and I am grateful to have the music.
The world was at a dark time, and we lost so many people in the midst. There were both many distractions to occupy time and pitfalls to avoid. Thes One quietly began to pick up the pieces and the work of sculpting a monument to his fallen brother, Mike.
"Farewell, My Friend" is that work.
A beautiful collage of grooves that he knew were Mikey's favorites, and live instrumentation married with samples flipped. The two spent a life "digging for shit" at the record store, and "Farewell My Friend" is an impactful homage that tells the story of the duo without a single rap line.
Music like this is a powerful drug (Musical Dope). If "Farewell, My Friend" doesn't bring a tear to your eyes you should smoke a bidi, start at the beginning, and play it again. - Case
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“I’ve been documenting hip hop, sneaker, and basketball history in books, films, and magazines since the ‘80s, so imagine the thrill for me to finally write fiction, and especially for kids! The experience was liberating and allowed me to flex my
experiences as a parent, which I haven’t shared much of at all publicly. I truly hope the multiple communities I exist in have the opportunity to see themselves in the words and
illustrations …”
—Bobbito García
Brilliantly illustrated by Estefanía Rivera Cortés, an artist based in San Juan, Puerto Rico with a compassion for social causes, Aim High, Little Giant, Aim High! is an unprecedented presentation of NYC’s unique outdoor basketball culture, created for children of any background to enjoy. The book is published by We Are Little Giants, an independently Black and Puerto Rican owned business, and the NBA is an official marketing partner.
The Keo Project is currently bootstrapping on Indiegogo where, as of this writing, you can get a painting, a black book piece, or have a chat with the man over a vegan meal in Brooklyn (schedule permitting). Go support over here.
]]>Blake "KEO" Lethem, the Brooklyn-bred street legend, is the artist responsible for the creation of MF DOOM's iconic mask, is credited as being the first white rapper in the Beastie Boys Book, and has worked behind the scenes for decades in underground circles designing logos and leaving his mark.
That said, you may have never heard of Keo. Outside of folklore and tags on the street, the name is generally unsung, and less is known about the man.
Keo has lived quite a life, a few lives really, and as he moves from his most recent form into that of a grandfather, it is time to document his stories for the future generations.
The Keo Project is currently bootstrapping on Indiegogo where, as of this writing, you can get a painting, a black book piece, or have a chat with the man over a vegan meal in Brooklyn (schedule permitting). Go support over here.
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Physical copies of the mix along with shirts featuring original artwork by Nep Sidhu are available directly from Prime Time Records and Tapes, the label behind the release.
So, a few years back me and my mans Mastersihn would always kick it about library music and while discussing this often overlooked kind of sterile sound, we discovered some sessions that were absolutely unhinged:
fuzz-drenched basslines, heavy 4/4 boom bap drums, electronics going for broke, essentially pre-made hip hop.
He had made a comment after I played him a record saying “that sounds like a bad acid black tie affair” and the name stuck. When he was in town he brought a handful of records, I played a handful, and over the next couple years I kept toying around and started editing the sessions.
After a conversation with my day one Famous Lee, we realized that BABTA and Prime Time were a perfect fit for a release. - Kaewonder
Love Injection is a monthly print fanzine by Brooklyn the based team of Paul Raffaele & Barbie Bertisch. The zine covers music and culture through the lens of the NYC DJ community. Previous issues have covered seminal disco labels like West End Records, interviews with the likes of the Loft's David Mancuso.
The zine is printed in limited quantities. More information can be found in the excerpt from a gallery showing below:
"White Columns is pleased to present ‘Love Injection’: A Modern Dance Music Fanzine, an exhibition organized by the New York-based DJs, writers, publishers, and broadcasters Paul Raffaele and Barbie Bertisch. The exhibition consists of three related elements: 1) a two-wall, mural-scale display of select pages and spreads from the first 24 issues of ‘Love Injection’ fanzine, accompanied by a ‘hall of fame’-style list of all of the contributors to ‘Love Injection’ to date; 2) a display of vintage materials and printed ephemera relating to the legendary New York club the Paradise Garage (1977-1987); and 3) a display of spreads from ‘Vinyl Maniac’, the little-known mid-1980s in-house magazine of New York’s Vinyl Mania (1978-2007), arguably the most important dance music record store of all time. All ‘Vinyl Maniac’ zines and Paradise Garage ephemera are on loan from a collection preserved by Judy Russell (co-founder of Nu Groove Records) courtesy of Ben Goldfarb & Love Bertilsson. Launched in February 2015 by Paul Raffaele, ‘Love Injection’ is a labor-of-love, monthly print fanzine distributed free via a network of independent record stores nationally and internationally (and also available electronically as a PDF to download online). Now co-edited by Paul & Barbie, ‘Love Injection’ has quickly established itself as a critical platform for celebrating the constantly shifting cultures of dance music. Featuring in-depth interviews with DJs, musicians, artists, and promoters; profiles on record labels, record stores, and nightclubs; alongside record reviews and DJ charts, ‘Love Injection’ is an essential monthly read for anyone interested in dance music and dance-floor culture in all its manifestations, past and present. In a 2016 piece on ‘Love Injection’ published at insomniac.com, writer Kevin Camps – adroitly – suggested that: “Love Injection is The New Yorker of the electronic music world.” ‘Love Injection’ recently celebrated its second anniversary with a box-set edition of the first 24 issues published to date, and they will launch their 25th issue to coincide with the exhibition at White Columns. To learn more about ‘Love Injection’ or to subscribe (to online or print editions) visit: http://loveinjection.nyc" - White Columns Gallery
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"We decided to give ourselves an Anniversary present and a gift to everyone who has ever tried to carry a haul home on an airplane, bus, or to a gig by collaborating with Tucker & Bloom to create our own custom branded Light in the Attic record backpack. The sleek, but rugged black bag is composed of high-quality waterproof ballistic nylon and comes emblazoned with a custom Light in the Attic lightbulb, embossed and gold-foiled on black leather on the outer shell. Boasting a LITA-yellow interior liner, the bag holds roughly 30LPs and features a full-sized front pocket with an easy-to-access organizer panel for chargers, sunglasses, or whatever else you’ve got in there. A zippered slip pocket on the front panel provides quick access to DJ headphones or life’s other essentials"- Light in the Attic.
The bag is exclusively available through Light in The Attic and can be purchased here.
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It’s been a busy year for Jimpster, with his Soul Spectral and This Thing (with Rich Medina) EP’s both being amongst the best received and highest selling releases of his to date. He has also added his touch to The Sunburst Band, Soichi Terada, Feiertag, Baiana System, The Secret and Retromigration in the form of some massive remixes to boot, as well as having just released an Anthology spanning 4 vinyl.
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Kicking things off we have Oakland’s Space Ghost taking on ‘One ft Casamena’ bring his deft, musical touch to the track complete with layers of digital synths, punchy bass and vintage drum machine groove. Next up it’s Detroit’s own Jon Dixon of Timeline and Galaxy 2 Galaxy fame. The student of Mike Banks and long-term Underground Resistance cohort turns ‘Smile For A While’ into a late night, piano driven, fusion masterpiece with all that Detroit sonic trickery we know and love so much. LA duo Aaron Paar and Dave Fogg aka Teflon Dons released a slew of incredible 12’s in the mid to late 90’s before almost completely disappearing for most of the 00’s. Thankfully things are reactivated and we’re so happy to have them bring a tough, jacking, bass-heavy warehouse workout to the package.
Atlanta’s Kai Alce is someone we’ve hoped to have contribute to Freerange for some time and finally it happened. Bags of smooth and soulful deepness drive Jimpster’s ‘Inside The Loop’ in a classic direction with Wurli pads and Moogy solo all adding to that vintage sound. Man of the moment Kareem Ali takes the baton as he reworks ‘Bought To Bare’ into a Balearic beauty worthy of playing during the most perfect sunset. If you’re a fan of Kareem Ali you’ll know the magic he brings and why he’s been hotly tipped as RA’s breakthrough artist of the month and included in Pitchfork’s best releases of 2020. Closing out the release we have the inimitable Solid Gold Playaz bringing their rolling, techy flavour to ‘Echoes In My Head’.
]]>After a sling of instantly sold-out 45s through his Bandcamp (we're talking minutes here), it's tempting to say that Soul Supreme got a Midas touch. But that doesn't do justice to his hard work and carefully crafted reinterpretations of music by A Tribe Called Quest, Madvillain, Mos Def & others. The newest addition: not one but two 45s around Jay Dee a.k.a. J Dilla.
The Amsterdam-based keyboardist/producer takes on 'Let's Ride' (Q-Tip) and 'Runnin' (The Pharcyde) on the first donut. The other 45 contains a medley of 'The Official' (Jaylib) and 'Fall In Love' (Slum Village), and two unsung Jay Dee beats: 'Still Shining,' as produced for Busta Rhymes, which has never seen the light of day as an instrumental. Another never-before-released Jay Dee beat is 'Feelin' Good', an essential case of Dilla's unparalleled ear for swing. Sidetrack: look up the Bling47 Breaks video later with House Shoes's story on giving Jay Dee the Frank Cunimondo Trio record, with a VHS video of T3 and Baatin going crazy in Detroit's The Shelter to Jay Dee's 'Feelin' Good' flip. Pure gold.
The Detroit visionary reimagined 'groove' and sampling. On his turn, Soul Supreme takes on Dilla's timing, rhythms, and harmonies. Think of how in the final part of "Runnin'," the keys start to follow the well-hidden, heavily filtered sample on The Pharcyde's original, instead of the main melody. Or how there's punch to J-Zone's drumming on "Let's Ride" as there's punch to the MPC3000. How Jonny Murray improvises on trumpet rather than replaying the sample. The marriage of Rhodes and synths on "Fall In Love" resemble Soul Supreme's trademark sound as showcased on last year's self-titled LP. Built on top of that, the two 45 releases (sold separately) are all-original takes on Jay Dee-produced classics. The swing hits different. No wonder, when one reinterprets productions by a man whose name also defines a complete “post-Dilla” era. Soul Supreme heads deep into his music. Technically pre-Dilla, even, as five out of six tracks on this double-donut are originally produced as Jay Dee. But let’s not waste Dase Boogie’s fresh sleeve design on nerding over names.
After passing tests of reworking songs by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest & Madvillain with flying colors, this double-45 feels like Soul Supreme’s ultimate thesis. Dilla revisioned the idea of ‘groove’ like no other. That—naturally—shines through in Soul Supreme’s playing on these records. It’s the type of heartfelt tribute that puts a smile on your face. A keyboardist’s loose take on how Dilla approached sampling: pushing songs into new frontiers and reimagined
compositions, with an exceptional ear for harmony.
Original yet different. “Out with the old, in with the new.”
—Danny Veekens
Personnel:
Jay 'J-Zone' Mumford (drums on 'Let's Ride')
Jonny Murray (trumpet on 'Let's Ride')
Lucas van Ee (tenor sax on 'Runnin')
Jamie Peet (drums on 'Feelin' Good')
Luc Janssens (trumpet on 'Feelin' Good')
Glenn Gaddum Jr. (bass on 'Feelin' Good')
Jeroen Verberne (trombone on 'Feelin' Good')
Dirk Zandvliet (baritone sax, alto sax & flute on 'Feelin' Good')
]]>French record label Hip Dozer is back with Volume 5 of their compiled works. Fans of dusty hip hop beats be sure to grab a copy of the vinyl pressing while stock is available.
Back in 2015, when we started Hip Dozer we were overwhelmed by the amount of talents that were still defending that old school way of doing beats and the amazing creativity that was circulating in the scene. In a period of time where hip hop was evolving so much and getting always further (sometimes for the best but also for the worst), it appeared evident to us that we had to defend this rising scene of young beatmakers that were so tied up to the roots of the ‘old-school’ beatmaking but still bringing it to another level.
It has been 5 years since we have created Hip Dozer Records with our 1st Anniversary compilation and this is what makes this compilation such a special project every time. Its goal remains the same and will always be, championing the art of beatmaking that we love and help to showcase new artists from the scene.
This year we have the chance to have onboard some of our favorite new talent from the scene with the likes of Burrito Brown, Loland, Imagiro, we also have the chance to have standard bearers like Jinsang, Saib, Flofilz, Melodisinfonie, Kazam, Shuko and, cherry on the cake, the french hip hop legend DJ Cam on top of that.
We want to thank so much all the artists who took part in this project and that were as enthusiastic as we are in its realization. It’s been such a thrill since this venture started and this is just the beginning. Much love to all of you guys listening and supporting wherever you are. - Hip Dozier
released December 11, 2020
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Cover Art by Hugo Mut (@gazzz.pacho)
Launched in 2018, EARTH NIGHT is an annual celebration to harness the energy of the global dance scene to power solutions and generate climate action. Check it out on Youtube. With the pandemic still keep most live shows and clubs closed, DJs4CA are again in 2021, presenting this event online. This year the collective are introducing panel discussions, connecting stories of arts, culture and climate. Participants include members of organizations like Music Declares Emergency, Fridays For Future and Greenpeace, and artists like Fakear, Ninda Felina and Simon Meija of Bomba Estereo.
Music will still be at the center of EARTH NIGHT, with a massive back to back DJ set linking artists far and wide. Each participant will play a single track, and then pass the aux cord across the planet to the next selector. This year’s B2B will highlight many of the artists featured on DJs4CA’s upcoming music compilation ‘Climate Soundtrack: Future Visions’is currently crowdfunding to press a record using a new process friendlier to the planet.
EARTH NIGHT 2021 will stream live on Sunday April 25th from 8am - 6pm EST / 2pm - 12am CET on the Greenpeace International YouTube channel, and on Earthnight.org and on twitch. Climate Soundtrack: Future Visions’ compilation crowdfunding will launch April 19th on Kickstarter and will be released across all platforms on May 21st. In late 2020 DJs4CA engaged their community to create original music using a free sonic toolkit of sounds recorded across the globe.
Over 300 tracks of all styles came in including contributions by Acid Pauli, Fakear, Mark Farina and so many up and coming producers. Nicola Cruz, BLOND:ISH, Cosmo Baker and Matt Black of Coldcut are the judges helping choose which tracks will be pressed onto a truly unique, green double record.
The record will be pressed by the Dutch company GreenVinyl Records, who are pioneering a new injection molding production process which reduces CO2 emissions by 95%. The technique is also free from toxic PVC
]]>JOAO SELVA returns with a second album, a true hymn to creoleness and tropicalism, embued with flavors of funk, jazz and disco. An exhuberant travelogue diary featuring some shiny souls such as the sprightly Flavia Coelho and the multiinstrumentalist producer Patchworks (Voilaaa, The Dynamics, David Walters, Mr President, Taggy Matcher). Cast off on a thrilling musical cruise with this Brazilian nomadic spirit, sailing freely on the mythical Black Atlantic.
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'An Insight To All Minds' is Kaidi's 3rd solo album under his own name, following several EPs and two albums for First Word; 2018's acclaimed 'It's A World Before You' and the re-press of his seminal 2008 sophomore album 'In Search Of Hope' last year.
For those that don't know, Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist. Once dubbed "the UK's Herbie Hancock" by Benji B, he's a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound. Over the years his musical prowess has blessed numerous projects, initially with the likes of Bugz In The Attic and The Herbaliser, and more recently with DJ Jazzy Jeff (through the PLAYlist projects), Andrew Ashong (on the acclaimed 'Sankofa Season' EP last year) and with longtime accomplice, Dego. This in addition to session work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates such as Eric Lau, Children of Zeus and Darkhouse Family. Kaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as 2000 Black, Eglo and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature.
On 'An Insight To All Minds', Kaidi says it's "not about a destination, but a process. It's about how you drive, not where you're going. Nothing in this world can torment you as much as your own thoughts… We are all going through it. We can all feel what the next person is feeling, believe it or not. It's learning how to tap into it".
The album is comprised of an assortment of Kaidi's unique flavours - uptempo jazz-funk bruk, laced with rhodes, flutes, live bass and delicious percussion. Using that blueprint he moves effortlessly through latin and samba, half-step, deep afro house and a sprinkle of curveballs, all presented in Kaidi's inimitable way.
'Intergalactic Relations' brings with it some 110bpm synthed-out spacey electro-breaks, 'Could It Be' sets off sounding like a Morricone film score, whilst 'Rodney' is some serious heads-down business; stark and punchy off-kilter broken beat and vocal stabs. There are a few guests too - 'Chungo' sees the return of Uhmeer (who previously appeared on 'Cupid' on the album 'It's A World Before You'); here the young Philly MC deftly rides a 9/4 time signature beat. Meanwhile 'Stro Kyat' invites in another supreme talent, Stro Elliot (The Roots), who provides a suitably crisp & crunchy riddim to accompany Kaidi's key play over a mind-bending 5/4 time signature.
With this new album, Kaidi Tatham adds further to his already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance once again; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes peers such as Madlib ("ahead of his time"), Gilles Peterson ("a key part of an entire movement"), K15 ("a limitless source of inspiration"), Alexander Nut ("a true virtuoso") and Kyle Hall.
'An Insight To All Minds' is released on double vinyl & digital via First Word Records, April 2nd 2021. We are excited to have some copies headed our way.
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The year is off to a great start musically speaking. Madlib's Sound Ancestor release has been on repeat since it dropped. A collaborative work with UK based Four Tet and Madlib, the record is jazz, sample chops, and lovely electronic sound scapes drawing from a wide span on influences. "Road Of The Lonely Ones"is an ear worm featuring a sample by the Ethics track "Lost In a Lonely World". We are looking forward to stocking the release when it's not sold out but recommend you grab a copy wherever you can. File under "modern classic".
“A few months ago I completed work on an album with my friend Madlib that we’d been making for the last few years. He is always making loads of music in all sorts of styles and I was listening to some of his new beats and studio sessions when I had the idea that it would be great to hear some of these ideas made into a Madlib solo album. Not made into beats for vocalists to use but instead arranged into tracks that could all flow together in an album designed to be listened to start to finish. I put this concept to him when we were hanging out eating some nice food one day and we decided to work on this together with him sending me tracks, loops, ideas and experiments that I would arrange, edit, manipulate and combine. I was sent hundreds of pieces of music over a couple of years stretch and during that time I put together this album with all the parts that fitted with my vision.” - Kieren Hebden AKA Four Tet ]]>
The Flying Mojito Bros are two disco mescoleros pioneering the great electronic wilderness. With their boots firmly planted in dusty seventies sunsets, their productions take cosmic country rock and funk to modern day dancefloors via New York Latin Disco and Acid house. Think the first summer of love meeting the second, where Crosby, Stills and Nash meet at the Haçienda, The Doors dance at Shoom, where The Orb meets Woodstock, and you’ll be in the right sonic space. These acid cowboys are producer and musician Ben Chetwood, and DJ and collector Jack Sellen, their disco-house-gone-country sound turning crowds loose in clubs, desert dances, late-night festival tents at Glastonbury and around the pool at Pikes.
On this release The Flying Mojito Bros have worked their magic on this cult AOR gem, and in the words of Rudy Norman himself “They’ve brought ‘Back To The Streets’ to the future”. Mastered for the first time on 12” vinyl alongside official remixes commissioned by the artist, in a package to please lovers of glistening disco reworks and those would love to bag a copy of the original. On the digital package, these new versions will resonate with a world that wants to get back out there and bond meaningfully with others. The artwork is a colourful and cosmic reimagining of the original cover art via illustrator Nick Potts, reflecting the bros’ transportation of Rudy’s West Coast vibe into one of their own Southwestern desertscape settings.
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American jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and Sam Shepherd ( aka Floating Points) collaborate with The London Symphony Orchestra to create an experimental jazz fusion on David Byrne's innovative Luaka Bop label.
Check out the trailer for the release and get in a preorder for the vinyl release.
Pharoah Sanders: Huh...?
Sam: Were you asleep? I'm sorry...
Pharoah: No no... I was listening... and dreaming... and listening to music in my head...
Sam: Oh wow... sorry.
Pharoah: Many times, people think I might be asleep... but in fact, I am just listening to music in my head. I'm always listening... to the sounds around me... and playing, in my mind... and sometimes I dream.
Sam: What were you dreaming about?
Pharoah: I'm on a ship. In the ocean. Bears coming around smoking cigars. The bears are singing, ‘We have the music. We have what you're looking for.’ I say, ‘Really?’ And I was making fish dinners. Shark..Lobster. Got all kinds of fish. And you know, a good pie. Pumpkin pie. You like pumpkin pie?
Pharoah: How you like that take, Sam?
Sam: It's cool. I think the bit in the middle, where it stops again...I think you can hear...We were both kind of confused. I like it as well because it sounds like two musicians that are trying to guide each other.
Pharoah: I think that's it right there. It came out different. It came out good though.
Sam: You happy?
Pharoah: Yeah, I'm cool with it.
Sam: Okay. Yeah, I think you're playing is beautiful.
Friend of the brand, Paul DeFiglia, a Nashville-based musician, producer, arranger, and engineer debuts his solo release, In Daylight, with a vinyl pre-order and digital download, featuring guest performances by Scott & Seth Avett (The Avett Brothers), Erin Rae, Mat Davidson (Twain, Big Thief), Adam McBride-Smith, Malachi DeLorenzo (Langhorne Slim), and more!
The album was recorded this summer in DeFiglia’s Nashville studio, Daylight, recorded to 2-inch tape, including remote contributions. His approach to musicality in his production, playing, and engineering are a testament to the warm, analog mechanisms of creating music and recording them to tape. The
album’s 11 cover songs are an impeccable selection spanning folk traditionals, jazz standards, and lesser known or rarely covered tracks from more contemporary artists like Nick Drake, Beck, Caetano Veloso, and Fiona Apple. In Daylight establishes the voice of the studio through DeFiglia as producer, player, singer, arranger, and mixing engineer.
“I began recording this album as a way of staying sane during the early COVID onset,” says DeFiglia. “I was trying to figure out how to keep the project on tape while including input from outside musicians, when I made a breakthrough.” DeFiglia adds, “I learned how to sync their remotely-recorded parts to tape, giving me the semblance of musical interaction that I had been craving during quarantine.”
In Daylight is available for vinyl pre-order with digital download via Bandcamp for $44 plus shipping and sales tax. Shipment and delivery of the vinyl record is expected for spring 2021, in time for Record Store Day in mid-April 2021. For more information go to www.PaulDeFiglia.com.
More about our buddy Paul:
Paul started playing music in his early teens, learning bass from his father. After studying at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, he received a Bachelor of Music from New York University in 2005. Paul has played and toured with a wide variety of groups and in many genres, including the Avett Brothers and Langhorne Slim. Paul currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee where he works as a performer, producer and engineer in his own studio, Daylight.
More about Daylight Studios:
Daylight is an inviting and comfortable creative audio workspace with lots of greenery and natural light. Classic vintage instruments are available at one’s fingertips, from keyboards and synths, to acoustic guitars, piano, and bass. The studio is equipped to record on various tape formats as well as digital ones. The selection of microphones, outboard equipment, and effects is generous, and the gabled, tall ceilings offer pleasing acoustics for a wide variety of genres.
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The wallet is hand stitched with super thick nylon thread and finished with a solid brass bolt. We made this thing to last and went through over 30 versions in development. Check it out here
]]>As a product designer, I spend a lot of time obsessing over what folks might consider mundane. Take keys, for example. The number of times I spent looking for my keys, was locked out of my apartment, or was just generally disorganized as a result of having improper key discipline, are innumerable.
To some degree or another, I feel we have all experienced this, so I started to tinker with the idea of trying to solve this problem.
]]>Friends of the brand and underground celebrities Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia have been working together for over 30 years. Their original show "The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show" opened the door to a NYC hip hop culture that was formative for the broader culture of music and kick started some legendary careers. The two team up once again, this time on Apple Music Hits every two weeks to provide a mix show.
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New two-hour episodes bi-weekly starting this Thursday 10/22 at 10pm EST, plus all mixes archived on our Apple Music Hits page here as well. And . . . since our first radio show aired on WKCR-FM October 25, 1990, we'll be celebrating our 30th Anniversary of broadcasting during this Apple Music Hits debut, playing the world premiere of remixes we've produced with our band the M19s of legendary 89tec9 freestyles featuring Biggie, Big L/Jay-Z, and Method Man/Ghostface. Not finished: we also will be playing music from all genres, talking smack, and bugging out! Please tune in
]]>The album finds Soul Supreme in a dizzying array of musical twists and turns. From the infectious house vibe on 'Rich in Soul' to broken beats on 'Keep Moving.' And from putting the soul in a synth on 'Mellow Thompson' as if the keys are singing over hip-hop drums, to the G-funk-in-space album closer 'Orbit.' And in good ol' Soul Supreme fashion, two reinterpretations of tracks he loves: French sample classic 'Huit Octobre 1971' by Cortex (sampled by MF DOOM, Madlib, Tyler, the Creator), and an ode to the late last year deceased L.A. jazz-fusion multi-instrumentalist Tony Palkovic ('Born With A Desire').
Let's skip the promotional gibberish of 'Sounds Like…' or 'For Those Who Dig…' This is Soul Supreme's official introduction to Soul Supreme. Hope you're pleased to meet him.״
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