more soon. for now check out the brief bios and sample some music from these guys…

http://www.soundcloud.com/heartworm

http://www.soundcloud.com/666gangstaz

MRK1 April 2010 Mix

At dawn, as the party was winding down, I went for a walk around the block and found this Niche tribute:

(Click to see larger version)

Photos of MRK1 and 6Blocc live in Oakland 2009

I don’t know if I ever posted the pix from that party, so here ya go – eye candy to enjoy while listening to this April mix…

KALX Radio 90.7 FM and Bikes N Beats Present:

Battle of The Suits: Mochipet Vs. The Polish Ambassador

10pm-2am Friday May 7th, 2010 at Elbo Room in San Francisco, CA

Artist info:

The Polish Ambassador

The Polish Ambassador (also known as Ample Mammal) has been rocking shows up and down the West Coast with an electrifying blend of glitch hop, breaks, and dance music sure to make that booty shake. Not pigeon holed to one specific genre, the ambassador rips up and down the tempo range, building all of his sets live from a monstrous stash of 100% original beats, bass, synth, and vox lines. Think the party atmosphere of Girl Talk combined with the skill and dexterity of Pretty lIghts and you have some idea of what he's throwing down.

“Taking music as you know it and feeding it through a human being dosed with only the most complex computer algorithms.”

www.facebook.com/thepolishambassador

www.facebook.com/amplemammal

Mochipet (Daly City Records)

Born in Taiwan R.O.C. to Rocket Scientist father and Kindergarten Teacher mother, David Wang (a.k.a. Mochipet) has been tinkering with electronics since he was a child. However, not until he added music to the equation, did something special begin to take shape. Having grown up listening to metal guitar, avant-garde jazz, and mainstream hip-hop, David’s eclectic taste can now be seen in his music – ever changing, and always evolving.

www.facebook.com/mochipet

Deceptikon (Daly City Records, Merck Records)

Deceptikon recently relocated to San Francisco via Tokyo via Seattle. He spends his time making music for the future, a soundtrack for future-minded space travelers and skiff-jumpers from the 23rd dimension. "Mythology of the Metropolis" is the highly anticipated just-released third Deceptikon album, and is easily his most ambitions work to date. The record is a genre-hopping, bass-heavy, mind-bending album of epic proportions, one that is equally suited for the home stereo as well as the dance floor. Heavy analog bass lines, vocals mangled just beyond recognition, vocoded samples, and thumping drums play like a soundtrack to genres that haven't yet been invented.

www.facebook.com/dkonmusic

KALX 90.7FM Berkeley

KALX 90.7 FM broadcasts freeform radio 24 hours a day to a large portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. You can catch all stripes of underground music accented with news and alternative informational programming.

http://kalx.berkeley.edu/

Bikes N Beats

Bikes N Beats is a brand new Bay Area promotional group, focused on bringing bike friendly electronic music events to San Francisco and beyond. Look for a promotional booth at this party with newsletter signup, stickers, and a representative to answer any of your questions. Add us on facebook to stay up to speed on all of our events!!

www.facebook.com/bikes.n.beats

$10 with facebook RSVP, or SFBC membership. $12 at the door without.

Doors at 10 p.m. 21+

“eldritchtronic”, a non-existent genre that cuts across a bunch of zones (hauntology, the trippier end of microhouse, hypnagogic/glo-fi, the Brooklyn school of “ecstatic experimental”, etc). Mostly electronic but rarely intersecting with the dancefloor, this music merges blissy and eerie, the wired and the wyrd. And because the 2000s was when the linear temporality of music definitively dissolved, there’s leakage from the remote past, musique concrete and text-sound by artists I encountered for the first time during the Noughties.

Listen to the mix and read more @ Pontone’s Special Guest: Simon Reynolds – Eldritchtronica and Wyrd Bliss Mixtape.

Eldritchtronica and Wyrd Bliss Mixtape Playlist:

1. Black Moth Super Rainbow Rollerdisco (“Dandelion Gum” Graveface, 2007)
2. Belbury Poly The Willows (“The Willows” Ghost Box, 2005)
3. Ricardo Villalobos Fizheuer Zieheuer (“Fizheuer Zieheuer” Playhouse, 2007)
4. AFX PWSteal.Ldpinch.D (“Analord 8″ Rephlex, 2005)
5. Isolee Text (“Rest” Playhouse, 2000)
6. Mordant Music The Black Crush (“Dead Air” Mordant Music, 2006)
7. Ducktails Neptune City, NJ (“Landscapes” Olde English Spelling Bee, 2009)
8. Dolphins Into The Future B9 (“Mountain Saturnus” Dreamtime Taped Sounds, 2007)
9. Oneohtrix Point Never Physical Memories (“Rifts” No Fun, 2009)
10. High Places From Stardust To Sentience (“high Places” Thrill Jockey, 2008)
11. Henry Sauguet Aspect Sentimental (“Archives GRM” Ina-GRM, 2004)
12. Harrison Birtwistle Chronometer (“Creelsploitation 1″ Creel Pone, 2006)
13. Lily Greenham Experience (“Lingual Music” Paradigm, 2007)
14. Animal Collective Panic (“Here Comes The Indian” Paw Tracks, 2003)
15. Moon Wiring Club Roger’s Ghost (“An Audience Of Art Deco Eyes” Gecophonic, 2007)
16. The Advisory Circle Sundial (“Other Channels” Ghost Box, 2008)
17. Sean McCann Look Out (“Phylum Sigh” DNT Records, 2009)
18. The Focus Group Modern Harp (“Hey Let Loose Your Love” Ghost Box, 2005)
19. Gang Gang Dance Dust (“Saint Dymphna” Warp, 2008)
20. J Dilla Won’t Do (Instrumental) (“The Shining (Instrumentals)” BBE, 2006)
21. Blectum From Blechdom Bastard Child (“Desnaunted Haus” Tigerbeat6, 2001)
22. Ariel Pink Life In L.A. (“Worn Copy” Paw Tracks, 2005)

classic Gang Starr

While in hospital with terminal cancer, Guru wrote a letter, which was provided by Solar, to his fans addressing his illness, his shining music career, his family and loved ones.

“I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options. I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting,” read the official Guru statement.

“My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.”

More @ Guru Passed Away After Hard Battle R.I.P. on DJ Premier Blog | The Only Fansite Approved by DJ Premier.

Guru and Solar

Naturally, “Guru” and “RIP Guru” are already a trending topic on twitter. An article on MTV.com shares tributes and reactions from different friends & peers of Guru, including this tweet by ?uestlove:

The Roots’ ?uestlove tweeted, “In my 10 greatest voices in hip hop, Guru was easily top 5 … Smooth. velvet. will be missed. RIP Guru … Back when we first took getting into the industry seriously, Gang Starr’s Daily Operation LP got us thru 1992.”

Read more @ Gang Starr’s Guru Remembered By Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, More – Q-Tip, ?uestlove, Tony Yayo also pay tribute to late MC on MTV.com

In addition to his pioneering work blending hip hop with live jazz music, Guru was also a successful solo artist since 1993 and has worked with loads of talented peeps, including Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes, Chaka Kahn, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Common, Jamiroquai, Macy Gray and Damian Marley.

More info @ The official report from The Associated Press

<a href="http://crunchtime.bandcamp.com/track/drop-it-feat-arabyrd">DROP it / feat.: ARABYRD by Stereotyp</a>

DROP it / feat.: ARABYRD | Stereotyp.

And here’s his lawyer speaking on the case:

And finally, some new-ish music:

Buju Banton – Dem Sell Out (2010)

Buju Banton live in Berkeley – Rasta Got Soul Tour 2009

Listen to Vex’d – “Disposition” from Cloud Seed:

Vex’d at Underground SF in San Francisco, photo by Molli Fire

Vex’d Links

Jump to XLR8R for the free download!

Vex’d space

Jamie Vex’d space

Planet Mu page

The album is due to drop on June 21, 2010

UPDATE: TRACKLIST ANNOUNCED!!

Kode9 – DJ KiCKS

1. Lone – Once In A While
2. Aardvarck – Revo
3. Kode9 – Blood Orange
4. Kode9 – You Don’t Wash (Dub) [DJ-Kicks exclusive]
5. Cooly G – Phat Si
6. Ill Blu – Bellion
7. Ikonika – Heston
8. Scratcha DVA – Jelly Roll
9. Mr Mageeka – Different Lekstrix
10. Grievous Angel – Move Down Low
11. Sticky feat. Natalie Storm – Look Pon Me
12. Sticky – Jumeirah Riddim Sequel
13. Mujava – Pleaze Mugwanti
14. DVA – Natty
15. Aardvaarck – Re Spoken (Nubian Mindz Released Mix)
16. Morgan Zarate feat. Sarah Ann Webb – M.A.B.
17. Rozzi Daime – Dirty Illusions
18. Zomby – Spiralz
19. Kode9 – It
20. J*DaVeY – Mr. Mister
21. Digital Mystikz – 2 Much Chat
22. Terror Danjah – Stiff
23. Digital Mystikz – Mountain Dread March
24. Zomby – Godzilla
25. Digital Mystikz – Mountain Dread March (Reprise)
26. Addison Groove – Footcrab
27. Kode9 vs. LD – Bad
28. Maddslinky – Cargo
29. Ramadanman – Work Them
30. Terror Danjah – Bruzin (VIP)
31. The Bug – Run (feat. Flo Dan)

Kode 9 – “You Don’t Wash (Dub)” is only available on this comp…