Yes, the fact that it’s a vinyl only thing is a big part of it: it brings the DJ back to his roots, reconnects them to their collection. But it’s not the primary point of this event. Beyond the whole Vinyl is better than any other format argument the 24HOV events are about life changing music discoveries. It might sound cheesy but every time I finish one these I am floating on a cloud for a little while…

All of the pictures and some of the sets will be available soon.

THANK YOUs: All of the DJ’s, to Dan @ Death of Vinyl, Philippe Sawicki, Scion Sessions, the guys @ Tonton, 10Kilos… and of course to all the listeners! (and to the wonderful MF Gold for the great little video recap below)

SORRY: We had a few problems with our broadcasting options and doing it through UStream was really the very last option we had. We absolutely hate those ads as much as you did and promise never to do it on that platform again.

Mucho Love
Lexis

MusicIsMySanctuary.com in collaboration with ScionSessions.ca presents

24 HOURS OF VINYL #4
- Lineup to be posted soon.

In partnership with:
Tonton.ca
10Kilos.Us

Amir (NY, Wax Poetics)
Zattar (Ottawa, Timekode)
Tazz (Tsuba Records)
Christian Pronovost (Lost Heroes)
Professor Groove (WEFUNK Radio)
Cosmo (Get Nice Blizzarts Fridays)
Corey K (Montreal)
Phil Sparkz (Booty Bakery)
Jazz Amnesty Sound System (Andy Williams + DJ Luv)
Phil Larochelle (Beat Boutique)
Claire (Lost Land Records)
Seb Fauteux (Beat Boutique)
Ruby Jane (Montreal)
Lexis (Founder of MusicIsMySanctuary.com & 24HOV)

What started last December out as a pretty wacky idea to beat the winter blues has turned into one of the most rewarding and fun projects we’ve done in the 5 years since the creation Music Is My Sanctuary.

The concept is pretty simple, invite some of our friends to share some of their favorite music in an intimate setting. Oh yeah, and broadcast the whole audio / video for 24 hours straight! Yes, it is a vinyl only event and although there is a certain magic about the one format that just won’t die the event is about more than that. It’s just about a deep appreciation of music, and the joy of sharing it with others.

So far, the response has been nothing short of amazing. People from all over the world are tuning in (over 4,000 for every edition so far) and some of them stay on pretty much the whole 24 hours. Also, pretty much every single DJ has taken the challenge very seriously and left feeling very inspired after rekindling with their first love; vinyl.

In order to redress the balance, XL boss Richard Russell (most recently heard behind the boards on Bobby Womack’s The Bravest Man In The Universe) has teamed up with associate Trevor Jackson to curate a wide-ranging mix of the stuff. The set covers a range of hip-hop released between 1982 and 1993. The UK Hip Hop 82/93 Mixtape is a salutary reminder what a diverse (not to mention downright odd) scene this was: Malcolm Mclaren/Buffalo Gals and Art Of Noise nudge up against Blade and Demon Boyz. Massive Attack, Blade and Derek B all feature.

Russell gave us the lowdown on the project: “I met an aspiring DJ and Graphic Designer called Trevor Jackson when we worked in Loppylugs Record Shop in Edgware together as teenagers. We bonded over a love of rap music, particularly anything British we could get our hands on. To celebrate that moment, a few months ago Trevor and I chose the records to go on an Eighties UK Rap mixtape. We did this live on uStream.We went into the early 90′s also as that period was especially good for British rap, leading into hardcore and rave. Since then I mixed everything, Trevor did the cassette inlay artwork, and we made a handful of tapes”.

You can watch said Ustream recording here. Only fifty copies of the tape are in existence, some of which went on sale at last weekend’s wonderful Independent Label Market.

FACT have managed to secure five copies to give away. If you’d like to grab yourself one of the super-limited tapes, send an email through to competitions@thevinylfactory.com, including your name and the words ‘UK Hip Hop 82/93 Mixtape’ in the title field. Best of luck!

sdjaslkjsas

Globetrotting producer Onra has staked his claim as one of the most exciting beat-makers of the past few years, thanks to releases like his Chinoseries collections (made from scratch with samples found while traveling Asia) and the acclaimed Long Distance LP. All the while, his electrifying live MPC performances around the world – everywhere from the Red Bull Music Academy in Bucharest and Giles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival, to LA’s down-and-dirty bass sanctuary the Low End Theory – add new dimensions to the cosmic grooves Onra puts on tape.

With his first release for Fool’s Gold, the Deep In The Night EP, Onra continues to chart new musical territory. The EP’s five tracks meld the snap of vintage jheri curl R&B with squggling disco synths and deeply funky, late-night vibes. From the new jack swinging “After Hours” (featuring T3 of Slum Village) to the moody, screwed loops of closer “Hold Tight,” Deep In The Night‘s cut-and-paste danceability proves a must-listen for any occasion. After all, it’s always after hours somewhere…

Deep In The Night tracklist
1. After Hours ft. T3
2. L.O.V.E.
3. Somewhere (Deep In The Night)
4. V.B.B. ft. Jay Kin & Amalia
5. Hold Tight

Onra North American Tour Dates:
Thurs 5/24 – Chicago @ Beauty Bar
Fri 5/25 – San Francisco @ 1015 Folsom
Wed 5/30 – LA @ Low End Theory
Sun 5/27 – San Diego @ Kava
Thurs 5/31 – Dallas @ Dallas Contemporary Museum
Fri 6/1 – St. Louis @ Lola
Sun 6/3 – Upper Lake, CA @ Raindance Festival
Wed 6/6 – Calgary @ HiFi
Thurs 6/7 – Toronto @ Supermarket
Fri 6/8 – Montreal @ Underworld !!!
Tues 7/17 – NYC @ Santos Party House
Wed 7/18 – DC @ U Street Music Hall
Sat 8/4 – Maui @ Loft in Space
Fri 8/10 – Vancouver @ Waldorf Hotel
Sat 8/11 – Seattle @ The Crocodile
Sun 8/12 – Portland @ Mississippi Studios

To describe the musical depth of this album I’m gonna allow myself to quote the back cover “The core of Davis’ music, even at it’s most brooding, is strength. There is, for one thing, the relentless probing of the song, of himself and of his horn. There is also the constant drawing of melodic and emotional lines as taunt as possible before the tension is released only to build up again. And there is the unabashed sensuality of tone, together with the acute pleasure of surprising oneself in music.”
Couldn’t of said it better myself. This is a must for music appreciators.

Oh and did I mention that it features the dream team: Miles Davis, George Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.

“Jet Cadett”, a 20 year old record, is easily one of my favorite tracks of their catalogue. The ethereal intro exudes a message of peace and harmony, quite literally, and builds into a nice acidic groove. Coco Steel & Lovebomb’s productions are never forced, or over-thought, leaving them with a finished product that’s simple yet effective. A release easily over-shadowed by the giants of 90’s house music, and completely deserving of a revisit.

This post could also be a musical response to the last line of Lexis’ very imformative piece on the student movement happening in Quebec (link). “Don’t let them turn us against each other.” Come together in peace and harmony!

Coco Steel & Lovebomb – Jet Cadet (Acid Mix)

Download Link

via the NY Village Voice Blog

5. Sly & The Family Stone, “Underdog” (Epic)
This is a different version [to the one] that’s on his album; the drums are mixed very loud. It’s definitely a different pressing. I thought it was promo only until recently when I found out that there is some stock copies of it. You’ll see Sly Stone stuff all over the place, but this record for some reason I thought was promo only but it was released—although I only have the white promos of it. It’s an all around great club record.

4. House Guests, “My Mind Set Me Free” (House Guest Records) 
This is actually Bootsy Collins. It’s just a real deep-funk, uptempo record. It’s out of Ohio, after the whole JBs and James Brown thing. I love to DJ this record and still play it today—I’ll probably play it out tonight. I picked this up on one of my buying trips into Pennsylvania.

3. Bob James, “Take Me To The Mardi Gras” (CTI)
Initially this was found on a CTI little EP, which was the main one we knew about, until a friend of mine about five years ago told me there was an Italian pressing of the record with a picture jacket. It’s also the whole song—the American pressing is only about a minute, but this Italian pressing has the whole song and it’s stereo, so it meant the bells are on the left side and the drums are on the right side, or vice versa. It’s pretty obscure. You don’t see it, but if you do, it’s a couple of hundred dollars.

2. Manzel, “Midnight Theme” (Fraternity)
It’s on a label out of Ohio. It’s a classic breakbeat record [as sampled by Cypress Hill, De La Soul and Eric B & Rakim]. I actually ended up licensing it for one of my reissue projects and got to meet Manzel and he handed me a copy of the record. It’s up there in about the $700 range, but just being personalized by the man himself and it being a classic breakbeat that people have sampled and cut it up, that makes it my second favorite 45 in my collection.

1. Salt, “Hung Up” (Choctaw)
These days, this one comes in at about three thousand dollars. I had pulled this record out in my travels from a private dealer in the late ’90s, just to find out later it was a very sought out record. At the time it cost me about $400. I would say that’s got to be one of the rarest singles in my collection. I was first attracted to the label and the way it looked, basically. Then when I played the record it was just this open drum break and really ugly horns. It’s a crazy track to me; it’s essentially a hip-hop record.

via Pitchfork: “Dub pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry now has a doll of his own, designed by cartoonist and musician Archer Prewitt of the Sea and the Cake. This is a Japanese import from Presspop, and is available in an edition of 1,000 via Aggronautix (who also brought us bobbleheads of J Mascis, Andrew WK, Roky Erickson, G.G. Allin, and more). It has been officially sanctioned by Perry himself.

The Aggronautix website notes that the doll has adjustable arms and head and is accompanied by a cloth hat, gold bracelet, and gold necklace. He holds a lighter and microphone.

A package is also available that includes the doll with a copy of the Lee “Scratch” Perry documentary The Upsetter. Watch the trailer and check out more photos below.

Designed by Archer Prewitt of the Sea and Cake”

And then today I was writing about the sad state of affairs right now in Montreal and I was thinking about a few of those kind of anthems à la “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye. Then I remembered that nice little 45′ I bought a few months ago from a London record shop. The record was apparently pressed in 300 copies only so I’m happy I managed to get one.

Jeb Loy Nichols “Hard Times” is a cover version of the Pablo Gad song. A really beautifully sad soulful folk song. The full record is out now and is called “The Jeb Loy Nichols experience“

Jeb Loy Nichols – Hard Times

But, if I had to choose a theme song for this post it would be this one:

Some of you might or might not have heard about it (a lot of MIMS’ audience aren’t from Canada) but students here have been on strike to protest the tuition increase that has been passed by our Liberal Government. Our site is not a political one and I don’t pretend to be the most informed on the issues, but I do know the key facts. And for or against the tuition increase let’s just agree at least that, making your voice heard and protesting is a fundamental right of our democracy. Also, let’s get one thing straight: the group we are talking about here is students. Not hippies, low life moochers, anarchists, thugs, cry babies and so on… these are kids that are or want to go to University, which is what i’d like to think as a pretty positive thing to do. I read comments on youtube and i’m really saddened at the hateful comments directed towards these students.

Personally, I think what they are doing is admirable. Not necessarily because I am against the tuition increase but because I strongly support what they are doing about it: making your voice heard in the streets VS only starting a facebook group to complain about it.

So, the start of the strike was 100 days ago… Now here we are: at the end of May after 26 straight days of protests in the streets of different cities of Quebec. Thousands of people in the streets, and probably over 95% of them extremely peaceful.

Two days ago our Government passed a law that is just bone chilling. Basically, since they have no power over the situation they decided it would be a good idea to pass a law that forces protesters to request approval from the police and city as to where they plan to walk, which directions and so on. So you pretty much have to request a permit to protest. Obviously this law isn’t just in order for students protests but all future protests (until hopefully this law / government is overturned)…

It’s like saying: instead of getting rid of the rotten apples we’ll just make them illegal.

What do you need to do  to get an outrageous law like this approved? You need to convince the masses that the situation in the streets is worst than it really is. That we’re dealing with out of control thugs that will stop at nothing. This is the point when the government needs the mainstream media more  than ever. This is where the media starts making and framing the news instead of reporting it. This is when people need to understand that behind every newspaper of TV station there is a corporation. A corporation whose first responsibility is towards its’ shareholders, not its faithful audience. There have been countless examples of absolutely shameful calculated disinformation…

BY FAR, the best news coverage has been provided by CUTV which is Concordia University students’ grassroots television station. They have been broadcasting every night for 4-5 hours straight from the streets. Unedited and LIVE. That is what I call reporting the news and not framing the news. CUTV is literally teaching all the other TV / Radio / Newspapers that the revolution will be televised; just not by them.

Some of the footage of protests than you’ll see on Youtube and CUTV is just so sad to see in the city that I love. In Montreal where people are so friendly and welcoming. (Something I’m always so proud to say to artists that I welcome in my city). You see police officers in clear cases of abuse of power (some are downright criminal). Yes, you also see kids being obnoxious and angry. Yes, maybe 5 out of 5,000 will throw something at the cops. But we have reached a point where violence is creating more violence and like a gang war you’re not even sure who started it anymore.

The government are just standing by and crossing their fingers so that all this just passes. As for me, I’m crossing my fingers that no one on either side gets killed.

I don’t want to go on and on about this but what I simply hope that people learn to do a little more is questioning the media, the government and learn to think for yourself by consulting multiple sources of information. When the world hears about Montreal and Quebec i’d like it to be for the right reason because this is a wonderful place to live!

Don’t let them turn us against each other!

Dr. MaD (of the Alaiz crew) is one of my favorite up and coming Montreal producers, a young guy with a lot of talent on the pads who should should definitely check out: his bandcamp link. We are organizing the SLUM VILLAGE show in Montreal this thursday May 24th (details here) and seeing as he will be handling the opening slot I thought I’d get him to give us a run down of his favorite SLUM V tracks.

“The Look of Love (Part 1)”

@DocMad21: First SV beat I ever heard on the radio. I only had a 25 seconds sample on my computer and I then looked for it for exaclty 3 years.

Slum Village – The Look Of Love

“Scheming”

@DocMad21: The only song that’s reuniting De La Soul/ATCQ/Slum Village. Am I wrong!? How magic is that?

Slum Village – Scheming (Feat. J Dilla, Posdnuos & Phife Dawg)

“Untitled/Fantastic”

@DocMad21 This song truely defines Slum Village : Dominating the industry for FUN!!!

Slum Village – untitled (fantastic)

“World Full of Sadness”

@DocMad21:  Try to flip the sample : filter the bass, remove the vocals, but don’t remove the keys! …ah yeah, now you know why Jay Dee’s a genius.

Slum Village – World Full Of Sadness

“Raise It Up”

@DocMad21:  The only time I saw the video of this song on television… was in Africa. Africa knows what’s up!!!

“Pregnant (Baatin)”

@DocMad21:  This is the reason why Dr. MaD goes crazy on a dance floor and don’t give a f!@k about yew, yew, yew…aaaaand yew, yeah yew in the back acting like you ain’t seen nothing. Thank you Baatin.

Slum Village – Pregnant (Baatin)

“2U4U”

@DocMad21: The complexity of the beat, the simplicity of the rhymes. Absolutely beautiful.

Slum Village – 2U4U

Japan has had an amazing cutting edge jazz scene for quite some time now: Kyoto Jazz Massive, Cro-Magnon, Jazztronik, Soil & Pimp Sessions and many more who I don’t know about yet i’m sure. But now I know about Jazz Collective quintet that for damn sure!! I sent them a message because their record was only available on Japanese Itunes. Kind of a problem. So, they just sent me the good news that the record has been uploaded to the very popular Bandcamp platform. Yes, it’s on the expensive side but so is everything in Japan. So you gotta support! A sandwich costs 40$ out there! Hhehehe…

Seriously, this is an absolutely great record. I suggest you start with the “Jazz Collective” track. Pure dancefloor bliss that will have you doing jazz steps all over your house.

Takao HIROSE – Trombone , Bandleader / Shin ARAKI – Sax, Flute / Koji KAMIMURA – Keyboard / Keisuke TANAKA – Bass/ Takashi MOCHIZUKI – Drums less
jazzcollective.net

We’re really excited to share with you an exclusive mix from one of Montreal’s most talented DJ’s. Our homie Azamat B. is the Boomclap Soundcrew’s French connection. Imported from the beaches of southern France, Azamat has spent many years organizing parties and events with his crew La Big Familia. He’s dj-d all over Europe in the finest clubs from Perpignan to Barcelona to Paris to Montpellier. He’s often called “your favorite dj’s favorite dj”. Catching one set by him and you’ll know why. He creates the dancefloor. Using his skills combined with his french sophistication to blend House and Techno with Rap and R&B.

MIMS Guest Mix : AZAMAT B (Boomclap Soundcrew)

Download Link

Tracklist
Metro – Brownstone Express (Martyn Bootyspoon Intro)
J Cub – Werds
Kris Wadsworth – Connection
Graphics – Mama grizzlies (Prince Club Remix)
Lazer Sword – Let’s Work (Ft. Jimmy Edgar)
Forrest – Trinity (James Barnsley’s Feels Good On Fridays Mix)
Midland – What We Know (MCDE Remix)
NY Stomp – The NY House Trak
Geeeman – The Fire Extinguisher
House Syndicate – Jam The Mace (Paul Woolford Re-Edit)
Steve Poindexter – Work That Motherfucker (Paul Johnson Remix)
Unknown Artist – Untitled A
Tyree – Acid Crash
Maurice Donovan – Call My Name
Tom Flynn – Jerry’s Liquor Store
Double 99 – RIP Groove
KiNK – Yako
Pasteman & Tanka – Detroit 88 (Manaré Remix)
Locked Groove – Different Paths
Piri Piri – Mami (Manaré Remix)
Roska – 480 BC
Tom Piper & Daniel Farley – LGFU (Chaos In The CBD Remix)
Don Froth – Balboa
Seldom Seen – So So So
Komonazmuk – Underground (Paul Woolford Remix)
2KWTVR – Body Feelings
Dark Sky – Something To Lose

Nora: So where does the name Addison Groove come from?

Addison Groove: The name came from Addison, being the 2009 most popular unisex name in England. I thought to have no sex applied to the name so it could be whatever, male or female. I just googled it and thought “That`s a nice name!” Groove comes from my favorite DJ who is DJ Easy Groove. He was a Rave DJ back in 1992 and I always though his name was really nice. I just combined his name with Addison. I discovered not too long after I put my first release that there is another Addison Groove in Boston, a Jazz group which I had no idea existed until I released the first record. Addison Groove Project was quite successful. I think they were around in the early 90’s or something and they’re not doing anything really now so that’s okay as long as none of their fans come to see me play. Imagine someone comes to see a jazz musician play with guitars and stuff and they hear me play Footcrab☺They would think this is a whole new take on jazz , “the craziest jazz I’ve ever heard”, you know. Yes, a kind of an electronic jazz…

N: First time in Montreal and what are the rumors of Montreal bass scene?

AG: I’ve not really heard much. Last time I was in Montreal was at Piknic Electronic last year. It was me, Scuba (GB) – Appleblim (GB) (August 14th 2011). Similar to how I feel now, we played in New York, we couldn’t’ sleep and we had to fly straight to the venue. So we flew, we landed and we got straight to the racetrack and we were all just like “Oh my God this is difficult!!!” so we just drank a lot of tequila, cause tequila is the best drink in the world, and it kind of kept us all going. Good fun, it was rainy but there were a lot of people, so it was nice to play. I also played here as Headhunter, which is my other project. The details are very vague but it was in a club during daytime. When you walked in, they gave you a torch, everyone got a tiny torch, and you walked in this completely dark room. It is all dark and you can’t see a thing. Now, the idea of the party was called “dark party” and as a DJ it was so difficult to play records! I was playing CD’s at that time and I couldn’t see what was on my CD’s … I didn’t even know if anyone was there. I couldn’t see anything. No one could see anything in this place. It was really weird. That was my first time here, it was maybe 2007 or 2008 and I can’t remember the name anymore. It’s nice to come back cause I like the French food. What did I have earlier? A pear and chocolate muffin ooohmy God…Last night I had smoked meat and I loved it. I like it when I get to play in Paris cause like I life in Bristol so it is only an hour long flight.

N: What about local cuisine, have you dared having a poutine already?

AG: I’ve had that, not on this occasion but I had it before. With gravy and chips, fantastic idea! If it was more accessible within the rest of the world I would have had it more often. It is just waiting to happen, somewhere.

N: Where have you seen the best footwork dancers?

AG: Oh, I’ve seen some in London. I think that when I play in places people expect me to play juke. Certain people in the crowd are into footwork stuff so they come to the club and they obviously have been practicing it at home and they do a few things and it’s always shocking. This little thing is happening in places around the world like in Europe, for example. People totally understand it and are kind of doing it. But you wouldn’t expect to go to Poland, play juke and have people dance to it. When you play juke and you see people dance to it, it just makes sense a little bit more, rather than just playing it in a club to smash your eyes. That’s why it was designed for, its’ crazy dancing! I haven’t seen loads, but I’ve seen it often enough. I can’t do it, I am good at mixing but I can’t do footwork. I’ve never tried though and I don’t really want to, I just like playing music! That’s my thing.

N: And what would be the weirdest place you’ve played so far?

AG: Yukon! No no, it’s not that weird. There aren’t places that are majorly weird but Yukon is definitely there. It’s a population of 3000 or something, super small. I remember flying from Vancouver to Whitehorse and it was just ice and you knew that when you landed it was going to be cold. And they tell you “Yes, you are in a 2 hour flight to the North Pole” and you’re like “wow…okay”. I ate dear there, which was nice and I played in a kind of a sports place. There were people’s moms, grandpas, sisters and brothers, it was kind of weird. There were fights happening while I was playing, but it was interesting. It was cool to see the Yukon. I am lucky enough to go to major cities but I really enjoy smaller cities too. In big cities people just know what’s up and are already cool about certain things. When you go to smaller cities though people are not used to it and they don’t know how to act. I’ve been in Jakarta, Indonesia. That was kind of cool; I mean it’s a kind of a weird place because it’s poor…

Next Page

It’s a short documentary that will take a look at some of the key players in the Montreal scene. Sadly, we didn’t have enough time to feature absolutely everyone but I guess that will be for Volume 2. We don’t have the pretention of being able to tell the whole story, we simply want to provide a snapshot of a scene we all love! The launch of the project will be on June 8th as we combine forces with the good folks at ARTBEAT MONTREAL to do a big throwdown with over 10 live performances and a very special guest! Our good friend ONRA! (Event Link)

So… until then, we have the perfect treat for you. A free compilation featuring 16 tracks of mostly unreleased tracks from Kenlo, Kaytradamus, Maxime Robin, Dr. MaD, and so on…

Download Link

June 8th @ Cabaret Underworld
ARTBEAT MONTREAL x PIUPIU featuring special guest ONRA (All City, France)

Beyond making really tasty headnod stuff one of the best qualities that Dibia$e has is that he has his sound. In 2012, lots and lots of people (too many) put out beat tapes and instrumental projects but not that many really have their own distinct voice. You can pretty much spot a Dibiase beat coming a mile away, just like you can spot a Ras G, Samiyam, Apollo Brown production… and that’s a good thing!

If you like Dibiase’s crunchy production then this you definitely won’t be disappointed. I’ve been hearing tracks like “OMG !!!” and others in his live sets and it’s great that it’s finally out. The project is really well rounded and touches on a different genres while keeping the headnod factor at 10. I strongly suggest you start by grabbing a free download copy of the sampler below.

Buy LP

“Looney Goons” Tour Dates

5/4    San Francisco // Low End Theory [with Flying Lotus, 14KT and Residents]
http://bit.ly/evenbrite_lowendtheorySF
5/5    Los Angeles // Boombox [with 14KT, Elaquent, Sunclef, Devonwho, Quelle Chris and Residents]
http://bit.ly/fusicology_boombox
5/11    Sacramento // Sol Collective Gallery [with Elaquent and Sunclef]
http://www.solcollective.org/
5/12    Stockton // Resonate [with Elaquent, Sunclef and Residents]
http://on.fb.me/resonate_looneygoons
5/16    Austin // Applied Pressure [with Residents] more information TBA
5/18    New Orleans // Headset [with Residents] more information TBA
5/24    Fresno // Audies Olympic [with Knxwledge and Quelle Chris] more information TBA
5/25    San Diego // Soul Flexin [with Residents] more information TBA
5/26    Denver // Recreation [with Jonwayne and Knxwledge]
http://bit.ly/HYqWEY

I was browsing around on one of my favorite stores in the world, London’s Sound of the Universe shop and this white label peeked my curiosity. Yeah i’m a sucker for lo-fi stamped or hand written 12″ with no cover and very little information. It’s like the old “mystery box” trick. I don’t know why it always gets me.

Well, once again I was rewarded by the gods of the white label with a reaaaally strong 3 track EP that is sold exclusively at S.O.T.U. I’m really liking 2 of the tracks on the EP, “P BUMP” and “Level 8″ both pretty simple but oh so funky. Definitely a must for fans of Roska, C.R.S.T, Brackles and so on… Prizm is definitely someone to watch out for, judging from his newer productions you can tell that he’s evolving with every track.

Tip!

I could go on and on about how much hip-hop has changed as an artform since then (the doc ends with an 8 year old kid rapping a Method Man verse) but I guess I’ll leave that to another time. This is really a highly recommended watch!

Nathaniel Woolridge and Anthony Freeman, two friends from Newark, New Jersey decided to press this LP on their start up label called New Ark (clever). Only a few hundred copies were pressed and given its experimental nature, it’s not a surprise that it wasn’t a commercial hit. After all, other singers like Shuggie Otis had done the cosmic soul thing and it was just always a bit too out there for the masses.

But we’re all music lovers here so let tell you about this. If you love guys like Sa-Ra Creative Partners then you need to hear this one. Very abstract and cosmic approach to soul with great experimentation of early synths and drum machines. Honestly, don’t even try to find the original LP (but hey you can still dream about it) but instead you can grab a copy of this on a recent compilation called Personal Space : Electronic Soul from 1974 to 1984

Thing is, as with absolutely any genre it’s always been about finding the gems. That elusive 5% of geniusness! In fact, you should never listen to any “music lover” or “critic” who dismisses a genre entirely. Real music lovers are open minded!

Well, that’s the prologue of this “future classic” pick. A track by Phoetek and Pinch, two absolute UK legends, is all the proof you need that the real shit is still there. This was originally released in January on Pinch’s very good Fabriclive mix.

I was doing music research yesterday and I must have listened to 500 tracks but this is the one that jumped out.

“Acid Reign” is just a perfect blend of the British, Jamaican and Detroit musical cultures that really needs to be heard on a big soundsystem. Actually, not to be a snooty purist but this needs to be played ON vinyl ON a big soundsystem. So please, no laptop speakers. This is not your “made for Youtube” trivial stuff that’s all midrange with the obvious drops that you’ll forget all about in an hour. This is that cordon bleu shit right here!

Oh mannn. What an absolutely glorious cover version of Ruby Andrews’ “Casanova” in 1968. One of the cases where the cover is much better than the original (in our humble opinion)

Loleatta Holloway who passed away this year is one of the overlooked queen vocalists of Soul, Gospel, Rare Groove Funk, New York Underground Disco and 90′s House.

Loleatta is one of those classic club music singers like Jocelyn Brown, who had that throaty, church- Gospel kind of yell that they used to accent the song’s situation. She added that accent more after her days as an R&B singer on the Aware record label on which this amazing track was released in 1975.

Loleatta Holloway – Casanova

I gave this a quick listen and I’m not in love with it but I still thought it was worth spreading. I had a huge 9th Wonder phase a couple years ago, going back to the days of Little Brother of course but I haven’t really liked much of his recent stuff. But judge for yourself on this one!

“Grammy Award winning producer, artist, teacher and Jamla Records founder 9th Wonder presents Tutankhamen, a new instrumental project that’s every bit as royal (and potentially deadly) as the name suggests. Included on Tutankhamen are a full 40 beats, including some of 9th’s classic instrumentals (The Bodega, BarberShop, The End) and more, as well as exclusive, previously unreleased treats. As a sample, listeners can find ten beats available for stream below. Emcees, producer, DJs, lovers of the culture, enjoy….”

Buy Link

01) Nautiluschop 02) ZulemaStopSoul
03) WindJammySoul 04) WardClaraSoul
05) ReetaGirl 06) TheMarvel
07) SomeplaceToGo 08) ShoobeedooSou
09) PushpushSoul 10) PhylSexySelf
11) Naturalinmotion 12) MuchBetterSoul
13) MontClear 14) Mellyfantastic
15) KeepYourSelfSoul 16) JoyJoyJoy
17) JoFlipSoul 18) JamesOnDrugs
19) InTheLoveSoul 20) ImagineLoveYou
21) IEyeKNowitSoul 22) HoneyBeeChopSoul
23) ChantmentReal 24) NeverBethesame
25) TheBodegaSoul 26) Bobby’s Temptation
27) BeautyofitallSOul 28) Ridinout
29) AstronautSoul 30) AscensionHaSoul
31) OkayWaySOul 32) ChangeRearrange
33) FreakEcstacy 34) StopCryin
35) Webblovin 36) Sylvercrazysoul
37) Creativejam 38) BarbershopSoul
39) OriginalNeedSoul 40) HiltonJaySoul

So well it turns out that Cormega, Action Bronson, Roc Marciano, and Saigon won’t be doing that full LP collabo after all and this is only a one off track for the Large Pro project. Come on, we need more rap groups people! Let’s bring it back to the days of EPMD and Lords of The Underground!

This one is definitely a trip back to the early Rawkus era, but definitely not just for nostalgia’s sake. This is actually a very solid track. Well, you know us… anything with Action Bronson and we’re down.

Large Professor “M.A.R.S” Feat. Cormega x Action Bronson x Roc Marciano x Saigon [Music Video] from Domo on Vimeo.

Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with these Pioneers, Shades of Culture was a hip hop trio from our wonderful realcity that was in full effect from 1991-2003. DJ Storm, Revolution and D-Shade dropped their debut album ‘Mindstate’ in May of 1998 (dang that’s 14 years ago son!) and I swear its relevance is crazy transcendent. The beats were so mad hype that they still feel innovative and their flow is that sick storytelling spitting that got me hooked on Hip Hop in the first place. I need to give Revolution a big big Shout Out for hooking up Concordia’s entire Hip Hop class with a physical copy of this epic album. Having the physical in my hands brought my MTL pride to a new level, the album art and photos are crazy beautiful, repping real hard with a dope map of NDG on the cd back.

What gets me the most about this album and trio is that after all these years, they are all still living and breathing Hip Hop. You can catch Revolution on the airs of Off The Hook every Wednesday night, DJ Storm is working on an album that should hit our shelves sometime this year and D-Shade dropped one of the hottest albums of 2011 “The Water Principle” (that really should have been nominated at the MHHA).

It’s mad important for us to acknowledge our past so we can move forward as a culture and with the strong foundation that Shades of Culture and other great artists laid down for us in Montreal its befuddling that we’re not further in our development. In honor of our pioneers I suggest we step our game up, whether you be an artist, fan, or member of the support crew.

Funny tidbits: 1- The kid at the start of the video is none other than Montreal’s own A-TRAK (!!) 2- The producer behind this pretty timeless beat is Dave One (of Chromeo) who is A-Trak’s older brother…

Loving these mixes so much! I strongly suggest you subscribe to their show on mixcloud.

It was a very fun-filled and easy going night as everyone trusted and followed Theo along his musical journey. Somehow, it wasn’t even pretentious when he held up a 12” and made a speech at the end of his set saying things like (paraphrased) “See this?! This is a vinyl record!! You can feel it! You can hold it!”. It was then understood that this wasn’t a man who was trying to inflate his ego or pass judgement on others, rather he was simply trying share his heart/passion about an important skill and format that is at risk of being greatly overlooked and under-appreciated (to say the least).

Slices (a free DVD Magazine) has an exclusive 15 minute video with Theo that explains things better than I ever could. While I think he may be slightly underestimating the artistic advantages behind DJ software, I can’t help but admire this O.G and agree with his strong convictions on the importance of mastering the art and keeping it real.

Whether you’ve been collecting “vines” your whole life, are just curious what the big fuss is about, or if you’ve any interest in our previous or upcoming MIMS 24 events, this clip is essential.

TRACKLIST
01 Anthony Valadez – Under Water Ft. Mar (3 AM Remix)
02 Blackspade – Faded Memories
03 Saoul – Want You Want Me
04 Karizma – Keep Movin’ Ft. Fruity
05 Tensei – Passport
06 Leon Ware – Orchids For The Sun Ft. Quadron
07 Slakah The Beatchild – Bare Naked (Freddie Joachim Remix)
08 Maylee Todd – Hieroglyphics (Tall Black Guy Remix)
09 Hiatus Kaiyote – Rainbow Rhodes
10 14KT – Pick Up Sticks
11 Hawthorne Headhunters – Boats In Your Eyes
12 Oriol – Shay-Lo
13 Mar – Understand The Game
14 DJ Mitsu The Beats – Silver
15 Moodymann – Pray 4 Love
16 Kaidi Tatham – Swift Inspiration (Quick Kid)

Besides, fact of the matter is, even if this skipped past only a handful of fans, we here at MIMS think that’s a good enough reason to share the love. The wait may have actually payed off a little, as listeners have properly ID’d a few of the tracks in the comments section.

Hebdan nails down the mood/arrangement of tracks like never before as he infamously blends a sweet cosmic-minded and percussion-heavy collection of techno, african rhythms, disco funk and all things electronic with finite focus until delightful disorientation. Simply put: This one’s a download-and-keeper.

Note: Included are two new Four Tet jams, forthcoming on Text Records. 36:58 is huge!!

So it’s really great to see Julien doing a conference at one of the world famous TED conferences. It was a TED x Bricklane (London) surrounding the theme “Redefining the DJ”. Interesting subject indeed!

Laidback is truly an inspiration for me and what I try to do with MIMS. So I wish J and Laidback a very happy 10th anniversary.

MIMS playlists on Laidback

Although there were a few people involved in this project, the main man behind Black Science Orchestra was Ashley Beedle who used the BSO moniker to release tracks sampled and inspired from rare groove & soul records. I used to have a reissue copy of this a few years ago (with a cool edit from Swag I think) but I’m glad I forked out a 20$ to buy an original pressing of this.

There is just something about strings in house music that just gets me. Stuff like Pepe Bradock’s “Deep Burnt”… In this case these strings are more “synthy” taken from 1976′s “Funkanova”. Such a beautiful piece of intelligent dancefloor music!

“New Jersey Deep” (1994)

Wood Brass & Steel “Funkanova” (1976)