Culture Remixed

Novalima at The Moroccan Lounge, Los Angeles.

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:27:00 -0700

Novalima kicked off their US tour in Los Angeles on August 3rd, 2023. The band played in front of an enthusiastic crowd at The Moroccan Lounge on the border between the Arts District and Boyle Heights.

Jeremy Sole (KCRW, Afro Funke, Le Frique Sonique)

The evening started with a DJ set by Jeremy Sole, who had the band as guests for his global bass dance night Le Frique Sonique. The performance was a well paced blend of new songs and fan favorites showcasing the band's infectious energy.

Novalima are known for their unique mix of Afro-Peruvian and electronic sounds. This base of musical fusion has served up infectious dance grooves which have captivated audiences for the band's now twenty year existence. With hard driving live percussion of cajon, congas, and drums setting the tempo for the audience the dance party gets into high gear from the first song. And the songs are an excellent combination of their catalog and new tracks from their latest EP La Danza.

The audience on a warm Thursday night in downtown Los Angeles responded instantly dancing their way through the set while many sang along to the songs. The band apologized in advance if they sounded a bit unsure when performing the new titular track from the new EP, but there were now discernible jitters. The new songs were well integrated into the set, keeping the energy high and fans looking for the familiar hits, satisfied throughout.

Novalima interacted well with the audience. In a largely bilingual LA crowd, it was a numerous moment when they wanted to do an English version of the intro to the next song and you could hear audience members saying it wasn't necessary. After that one of the band members joked to the lead singer to do the intro in Quechua, an indigenous South American language.

For long time Novalima fans, this tour is a no brainer. If you are new to the band, their deep catalogue of danceable songs and infectious on stage energy will make you a fan. Full tour dates below.

Tour Dates:

August 03 @ The Moroccan Lounge “Le Frique Sonique” – Los Angeles, CA
August 04 @ The High Dive - Seattle WA
August 05 @ Pickathon Festival - Portland, OR
August 06 @ Pickathon Festival - Portland, OR
August 09 @ Freight & Salvage - Berkeley, CA
August 10 @ Lensic Performing Arts Center – Santa Fe, NM
August 11 @ Levitt Pavilion – Denver, CO
August 12 @ Taos Mesa Brewing – Taos, NM
August 16 @ Union Stage – Washington, DC
August 17 @ Museum of Fine Arts – Boston, MA
August 18 @ Unifier Festival – Tolland, MA
August 19 @ DROM - New York City, NY
October 05 @ Joshua Tree Festival - Joshua Tree, CA
October 07 @ The Cedar - Minneapolis, MN
October 09 @ Indigenous Peoples Day Festival – Chicago, IL

404 Day at Poobah Records

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Thu, 6 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0700

All photos by Julian Felix.

On April 24th, 2023 the Los Angeles beat community came together at Poobah Records in Pasadena. For a few years now fans of Roland's 404 electronic sampler and instrument have designated April 4th (4/04) as an occasion to celebrate the device's impact on music production. 404 Day has also taken a particular meaning in Los Angeles because of the legacy of Ras G.

Julian Felix

It is hard to talk about the Roland 404, and Poobah Records for that matter, without talking about Ras G. Ras G is a legendary beat producer from the Lemeirt Park area of Los Angeles who also worked at Poobah Records. His instrument of choice for musical production and performance was the Roland SP 404. Touring the world, the soft spoken artist was economical with his words though that did not diminish his influence and along with his own music the main tool of his craft. He passed away from illness in 2019, though his presence is strong though his own artistic output as well as those he encouraged to make their own music.

Hit+Run Crew silk screening outside of Poobah. Phot by Julian Felix.

Indeed, on this day at Poobah all of the performers were people who had a strong connection to Ras G as a contemporary, mentor, collaborator, and as a friend. Roland also acknowledged Ras G offering Ras G branded record crates. The screen printing crew Hit+Run were also present printing items with artwork celebrating Ras G. Proceeds from the sales of Ras G merchandise went to his family.

Julian Felix

The store was overflowing with people both inside and on the sidewalk in front of Poobah. The event began at 3pm in the afternoon and when I arrived shortly before 4pm it was already full. Among the crowd were plenty of beat producers, DJs, and other creatives who took part in what simply refereed to as the Los Angeles Beat Scene who so warmly embraced Ras G.

Julian Felix

Ashtre Jenkins was already performing his set when I arrived. At the end of his set he related how Ras G gave him one of his earliest opportunities to perform live at Poobah for the Beat Soup event he curated. Koreatown Oddity a good friend and collaborator with Ras G was the host and emcee for the day.

Between sets the music of Ras G filled the room.

Linafornia followed with her set on a 404 and 555.

Linafornia addressing the crowd after her set. photo by Julian Felix.

At the end of her set, she recounted a sweet anecdote of seeing Ras G perform for the first time and being starstruck as she sat in the backseat of her brother's car as they leave him a rid home after the show (Ras G was well known for not having a car and riding mass transit). She also spoke about how he encouraged her to pursue her beat production.

Mndsgn and The Koreatown Oddity. Photo by Julian Felix.

Koreatown Oddity and Mndsgn followed with a rare performance of their Vivians project, something they've presented live a handful of times. With that in mind the project was quite familiar to the audience, a number of them rapping the lines along with Ktown Oddity.

Dibia$e taking in the Vivians set. Photo by Julian Felix

It was at this point that I had to leave unable to catch the last sets of the night as Dibia$e and Dakim were each scheduled to perform. Clips I saw later on social media certainly showed the event continued with the same joy and spirit I witnessed.

It was a great time, and for many a bit of a reunion as the events of the last few years strained a community kept tight through shared musical experience in small rooms and large venues. That family feeling was definitely present at Poobah. I do hope this can grow once again into the vibrant scene it was a few years back. There are those out in the city trying to bring it back, make no mistake, here's hoping they succeed. And from what I saw on 404 Day, they can.

Show Preview: Ibeyi Kicks Off Their North American Tour in Los Angeles 3/10 at The Regent

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Thu, 9 Mar 2023 14:45:00 -0800

photo: Rafael Pavarotti.

Ibeyi launch their North American tour in Los Angeles on March 10th at The Regent Theater. They are touring in support of their latest album Spell 31. The third full-length release following Ash (2017), and self-titled Ibeyi (2015), Spell 31 focuses on themes of their twin identity as suggested by their band name meaning in the Yoruba language.

Ibeyi are twin sister group born in Cuba and now living in France. The group draws musical influences from their Afro-Cuban roots, combining these with electronic beats, jazz, and sampled production for a unique sound. This is reflected in their lyrics as well, singing in English, Spanish, French, and Yoruba.

For this tour, Ibeyi will be performing with a live band for the first time. It will be quite interesting to how they translate their studio production with a live band in performance.

Bands Ojerime and Annahstasia will alternate as the openers on selected dates.

Culture Remixed 376 with Ghetto Palm Sounds

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0700

We are back! Happy to return with a new podcast after a long time off. Ghetto Palm Sounds return to the show featuring interviews with Chee-bo and Animal. Due to a screw up on my part, we only have the DJ set by Animal to present to you.

Animal spins an all vinyl set on Culture Remixed.

We catch up a bit with the guys focusing on some fo the vinyl releases they picked and what it was like buying records during this unusual time.

Chee-bo pulling the next record from the crate.

Chee-bo cueing up the next track on the turntables.

Download link 376: The Return with Ghetto Palm Sounds - 7.10.21

I'm excited to be recording these podcasts again and want to thank you for the support during the time off.

Review: Ramas by El Buho

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 15:36:00 -0700

Ramas is the third full length release from the Paris based DJ/Producer El Búho. Released on March 27, 2020 on Wonderwheel Recordings Búho is Spanish for owl, and ramas means branches. These names reflect E Búho’s interests both musically and as an environmental activists. This album represents both a continuation and departure. Put simply, he is branching out with this album.

Photo: Lizett Diaz, courtesy of Press Junkie PR.

El Búho has a strong connection to the Latin American electronic scene and the album reflects this. Having lived in Mexico for a few years and touring and collaborating with many of the prominent artists on remixes and the like, it no surprise to see the Chancha Via Circuito, Barda, Tremor, Klik and Frik, DJ Raff here.

His ties to Latin America go beyond the musical space. His first two releases, A Guide to the Birdsong of South America and A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico have focused on raising awareness to threatened birds species of the Americas. You can hear elements of these previous releases in the nature sounds, bird calls, and Indigenous instruments in many of the tracks.

The departure here is the focus on collaboration for this album on the initial production. Indeed, each of the 19 tracks on the album features a different artist collaboration on production. And the scope is not limited to Latin American artists as twelve different countries are represented.

Ramas by El Búho

The songs were recorded in many places both in person with artists or over digital connections. It is an attempt to challenge himself which led to the idea to work with so many artists on the initial production. Here the result is something which moves through various rhythms and styles while maintaining much of the overall sonic sensibility of El Buho’s previous work. At no point does one artist overwhelm and dominate a track. Something that can often happen when artists with easily recognizable styles come together. For example, Nickodemus more uptempo dance style often leaning toward house music BPM ranges meets El Búho on “Diablada Disco” for a slower tempo, yet still dance floor friendly jaunt.

I won’t go through every track here, there are 19 after all, but I will point to some of my favorites. Of the relatively uptempo tracks, along with the aforementioned “Diablado Disco,” the collaboration with Buenos Aires producer Barda titled “Hornero” and “Alegría” with Rodrigo Gallardo give you a nice South American cumbia fix.

On the downtempo side “Pez Dorado” with Chancha Via Circuito, “Sky City” with Thornato, and “Nevar” with Didacte have been the tracks I’ve been returning to most so far. Like the whole of the album each of these blends the best elements of both producers. “Pez Dorado” and “Sky City” both conjure the naturalistic themes of their titles while offering quite different rhythmic vibes. “Pez Dorado” has a the languid feeling of sitting at the edge of the ocean contemplating its vastness, while “Sky City” pulses with and reverberates percussively while melodies fly past like different birds ascending and descending over the landscape. “Nevar” uses a warm bassline with a thumping drum pattern while vocals echo in and out as if through a mountain pass evocative of the title which translates as “to snow.”

The end result of Ramas is an album lush with soundscapes evoking the natural world while undergird by electronic beats. Each collaboration is an opportunity for musical exploration for both the artists and the listener.

Video: “I’m Not Your Puppet” by Las Cafeteras

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 14:58:00 -0700

Los Angeles area based group Las Cafeteras released a charming live performance music video for their take on the classic song “I’m Your Puppet.” Titled “I’m Not Your Puppet” the addition of not, according to the band, creates "a simple and profound twist ... when you add the word, ‘Not.' 'I'lI do anything ... if you want me to ... but I'm NOT your puppet.' A statement that says, I love you - but that doesn't mean you own me. A reflection of changing times and the movement to abolish toxic power dynamics in all relationships.”

Las Cafeteras version of the song not only reimagines the power dynamics of romantic relationships of the original for today’s times, it also gives a musical reinterpretation. The band states, “our version was created with Afro-Mexican instrumentation including Requinto Jarocho, Jarana, Cajon, and the stomp box called the 'Tarima.’” The result is a song which holds on to the original soul and charm of the James and Bobby Purify while replacing some of the melodrama with a brighter vibe.

The video is directed by Damon Vonn and appears to be shot in one take. The single shot direction gives the performance a lively, almost improvised feel. The movement of the band throughout the video, they shift from playing to dancing and back, also reflects their live stage performances and reenforces the case for why they are such a great band in person.

Culture Remixed 375

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Episode 375 with new music from Great Dane, Serge Bulat, Tsuruda, Ghetto Kumbé, Son Rompe Pera and many more.

375: Social Through the Distance - 3/16/20

Thank you all for listening.

Culture Remixed 374

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 05:00:00 -0700

Episode 374. More new beats to check out. Go to radioespacio.org for more great shows.

374: Proud of You - 2.29.20

Thank you all for listening.

Culture Remixed 373

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 9 Mar 2020 19:45:00 -0700

Episode 373. Lots of new music. Enjoy. Check out radioespacio.org for more great shows.

Thank you all for listening.

373: Delayed Gratification - 2.22.20

Culture Remixed 372

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 20:14:00 -0800

Episode 372. Enjoy.

Thank you all for listening. Make sure and visit radioespacio.org for more great shows.

372: Cycles - 1.25.20

Chee-Bo on Culture Remixed 371

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 16:29:00 -0800

Chee-Bo of Ghetto Palm Sounds returns for a very special set. He reprises his “Caminito a la Villa” mixtape from 2010. For 2020, he replaces the digital versions of the tracks with vinyl and updates the set with new additions reflecting the passage of time.

371: Chee-Bo : Caminito a la villa. - 1.18.20

Thank you all for listening. Be sure to check out radioespacio.org for more great shows.

Listen to the original mix below.

Culture Remixed 370

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 15:18:00 -0800

First show of 2020 is a combination of old and new beats from all over the world. I run down the tracks during the set.

370: new year, new beats

Thank you for listening, Be sure to check out radioespacio.org for more shows.

Culture Remixed 369

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 22:12:00 -0800

Episode 369 with new music from start to finish.

Thank you for listening. Be sure to check out radioespacio.org for more great shows.

369: Windswept - 12.7.19

Culture Remixed 368

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:57:00 -0800

Wall to wall new releases on episode 368. We begin with new Teebs and go from there.

Thank you all for listening. Remember to listen live on radioespacio.org on Saturdays from 6-8pm Los Angeles time.

368: Keep it Fresh - 11.16.19

Steven Lee Moya on Culture Remixed 367

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 05:00:00 -0700

Steven Lee Moya returns to the show for episode 367. He returns to the radioespacio.org studio at Espacio 1839 during his LA visit from San Antonio. After a mellow warm up set from me including some new releases, we get down to an interview before he does an all 45s DJ set. Steven Lee Moya features the sounds of his Havana Hi Fi residency Thursday nights in San Antonio. These sounds include latin soul and funk, cumbia, and world beats.

Thank you all for listening.

367: With Steven Lee Moya - 10.19.19

Culture Remixed 366

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 05:00:00 -0700

Episode 366 recorded live at radioespacio.org.

Thank you all for listening.

366: Espacio is the Place - 9.28.19

Culture Remixed 365

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 05:00:00 -0700

Episode 365 recorded on 9.21.19 at radioespacio.org.

Thanks for listening.

365: Solar Returns.

Culture Remixed 364 with Dario Aravena

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 05:00:00 -0700

Dario Aravena is the guest on episode 364. The Texas native percussionist producer DJ comes by the radioespacio.org studio for an interview and Dj set featuring global bass bangers including some of his own productions. I start the show with a number of new beats including new music from Tsuruda, Bleep Bloop, Terror Danjah, Famitsu and more.

364: Dario Aravena - 9.14.19

Thank you all for listening.

Culture Remixed 363

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 22:37:00 -0700

Episode 363 with lots of new music. Enjoy.

Thanks for listening. Check out radioespacio.org who make this show possible.

363: Getting on Track - 9.7.19

Culture Remixed 362

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 9 Sep 2019 17:18:00 -0700

Delayed a little, here is episode 362. Lots of new beats.

Thanks everyone for listening.

362: Let’s Go Already - 8.23.19

Culture Remixed 361

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 5 Aug 2019 20:16:00 -0700

Episode 361 is dedicated to Ras G.

Thank you all for listening.

361: Outer Spaceways Incorporated - 8.3.19

Culture Remixed 360

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Thu, 1 Aug 2019 20:13:00 -0700

Episode 360 is filled with new releases. Music from Mateo Kingman, Tekzin, Starkey, Rah Zen, Frythm, and more.

Thank you all for listening. Visit radioespacio.org for more shows from the station.

360: Remembrance - 7.27.19

Culture Remixed 359

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Thu, 1 Aug 2019 16:33:00 -0700

Episode 359.

Thank you all for listening. Check out the other shows on radioespacio.org

359 - 7.6.19

Culture Remixed 358

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Thu, 1 Aug 2019 14:19:00 -0700

Sorry for the delay on this. Things have been very hectic lately, but getting back into a regular flow. Looking to resume a more regular show output and getting back into reviews (more on this soon).

Thank you all for listening. Make sure and check out the other shows on radioespacio.org.

Episode 358

Culture Remixed 357

cultureremixed@me.com (Julián) — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 20:24:00 -0700

Back on track with lots of new beats for you. Check out new beats from Odd Nosdam, Seenmr, Sweatson Klank, Deantoni Parks, Black Nile, and more.

Thanks for listening. Check out the live version Saturdays on radioespacio.org from 6-8pm Pacific time.

357: Boss Levels - 6.8.19