Music: Quantazelle - Coaster

Here is a nice piece of chill braindance, from the album Coaster...

Quantazelle - Blazing Kinch

Buy the album

Music: Rainstick Orchestra (Ninja Tune)

Ninja Tune is one of those labels along with Warp that have consistently spit quality since their inception. The Rainstick Orchestra is one of their latest signees... and lemme tell ya... producers Baku Tsunoda and Naomichi Tanaka have delivered a lovely piece of chill instrumentation accented by a few electronics here and there...

Their album The Floating Glass Key in the Sky... is a gem. Do not overlook it.

Rainstick Orchestra - Waltz For A Little Bird

Ninja Tune

Music: Madlib - Shades of Blue (Blue Note)

Madlib was given full access to the legendary Blue Note catalog last year... Here is what he came up with...

Madlib - Shades of Blue

Listen. Love it. Buy it.

Music: How to Flip a Sample - Part 2 / Breakage

BRING THAT BEAT BACK! YA'LL WANNA HEAR THAT BEAT RIGHT!?

The thing I've missed lately in the ever changing world of Drum and Bass are the breakbeats. Ya know classic breaks, chopped the fuck up, and played back double time. This is the back bone of 174 BPM dance music. From Hardcore through Jungle to its current incarnation as Drum and Bass the way producers slice and dice old breakbeats is what drew me to this music in the first place. Unfortunately, as the genre became more and more popular and the new producers less and less technically acomplished we have seen the use of breaks decline. Fortunately, we are seeing a new renaissance in breakbeat based dnb thanks to a new generation of producers such as Breakage.

Breakage is probably best known for his hits Stoneheart and the 'Amen' based horn stormer So Vain. Ill joints. Both breakbeat driven.

His new cut is a perfect example of what I miss(ed) in Dnb.

Utter breakbeat science.

Breakage - 9th Hand (Bootleg)

Using the classic 'Apache' break.

Incredible Bongo Band - Apache

Music: Arovane - Lilies (City Centre Offices)

Where as Autechre has strafed into the less listener friendly realm of idm technological f*ckery. Arovane has maintained that melodic edge. This album is a delightfully chill piece of braindance. One of the best "experimental" albums of 2004.

Witness...

Arovane - Cry Osaka Cry

Music: Madlib - Live at Chocolate City

Here is a bootleg recording of Mablib (Quasimoto, Yesterday's New Quintet) live on KCRWs Chocolate City. Stones Throw is offering this download from their website. Apparently some dumb f*cks were selling it as an official release.

Enjoy...

Madlib - Live At Chocolate City

Stones Throw

Music: Mark E. Quark / MF Doom / Brother Ali Live in LA

Damn, wut a weekend! I have been up to me ears in work for the past two weeks and haven't had a chance to do anything. But when I finally did, I split SF and headed south for some R&R...

Let me just say... LA knows how to get down for Hip Hop... I saw MF Doom and Brother Ali at the Knitting Factory on Hollywood and it was off the chain. PACKED!!! Ive seen Doom 2 other times, but it was never like this... the crowd was going NUTZ. Doom did all the ill joints from his incarnations as Viktor Vaughn and Madvillain (Madlib didn't perform) as well as King Geedorah and his newest shit from the MMmm Food album... Spitting straight lyrics and freestyles, like fiya. It could've only been better if someone threw a chair or the building caught on fire. ILL.

Madvillan - Powerball 5

Brother Ali... a cat who I haven't heard much of... opened up and brought serious pain.

After that show I hit up a incredible set by Mark E. Quark of the now defunkt SF Wicked crew... and I was blown away. One of the best house sets I've heard in a while.

Each time I go outta town or take a trip I like to sum it up in a song... a sort of soundtrack to the weekend if you will...

This cut pretty does that...

Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better

Music: Kid Koala - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Ninja Tune)

Kid Koala - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

on Ninja Tune.

Listen. Buy it.

Music: Kompakt / Ada / Superpitcher

Damn, I have been so swamped in work that I haven't even had much time to think about anything else.

Well my love/hate relationship with the great/terrible place that is The Rx Gallery continues. And I am pleased to announce that this was a good week...

The Blasthaus show last Saturday was a Kompakt show highlighting two of their best... Superpitcher and Ada.

Superpitcher played a dj set. Ada did a live PA with a minimal set up: Mixer, Mic, Drum Machine and a MicroKorg. She was fantastic.

Ada - The Red Shoes

And the art was a perfect compliment to the sounds. Two interactive pieces...

Camille Utterback - Untitled 5

Scott Snibbe - Deep Walls

Film: Ludacris - Get Back (Video) by Spike Jonze

Here is the video for the new Luda single Get Back... directed by Spike Jonze...

Ludacris - Get Back (Video)

Not as good as his other stuff. But better than your average rap video, to be sure...

Film: The Grey Video

Jay Z vs The Beatles vs Danger Mouse... The Video.

The Grey Video

Music: Dillinja - Breezeblock Mix (2004)

I wasn't going to post this... till I got to 19:30... That TC cut Let's Go... HOLY F*CK! Were talking a serious bassbin workout... makin' the car alarms go off.

Dillinja - Breezeblock Mix (2004)

Madness ensues...

Dillinja - 'In The Grind VIP'
Dillinja - 'Hard Noize'
Craggz & Parallel Forces - 'Fizzy Piglets (TC Vocal VIP)'
Dillinja - 'All The Things VIP / Remix'
???
Digital - 'Sound Killer'
TC - 'Let's Go' (Ft. MC Jakes)
Dillinja - '96 Thing'
Dillinja - Basscone

Film: McDonald's / Those Crazy Japanese - Part 64

Part 64 in my ongoing series highlighting that little island called Japan...

Here are two McDonald's commercials... now playing...
McDonald Y
McDonald X

I'm Lovin' It.

Music: Baby Mammoth / Beige / Solid Doctor / Fabric 18

Being a fan of compilation and concept albums (DJ Kicks, Back to Mine, Another Late Night, etc) I have kept up on the Fabric series since it first started.

Basically... it is just another mix series but this time from the UK club Fabric which brings a lot of big names to the table. But not necessarilly good ones... and shortly after the first several releases I had completely lost interest. Few of the mixes actually moved me. So I have slept on the last couple of 'em...

The new one however...

three-way action from Baby Mammoth, Beige and Solid Doctor is totally righteous! I am a big fan of a lot of Baby Mammoth's cuts, which is why I gave this one a try. He does downbeat stuff in a way that is not generic as hell, like so much of it in these post OM Lounge days. Which is another fantastic series and one that certainly popularized the genre more than any others.

Anyway, I am rambling... so the highlight on this eclectic mix is a cut from Momma Gravy called Sizzling Finch... and its... well... listen for yourself...

Momma Gravy - Sizzling Finch

Buy this cd....

Music: u-point

Most of the music I discover on random websites sucks. This is definately not the case with french producer u-point.

Hes on that cinematic trip hop tip... He even flips some of them Wojciech Kilar samples too.

u-point

Here is a free mp3...

u-point - Toast Pursuit

But it doesn't really do his work justice. You must must must go to his website and listen to the full album.

Big big up to this cat. Release soon?

Music: Ion / Soulful Drum and Bass

If your head is still reeling from that Goldie set... try this on... it'll smooth ya out a bit...

Ion - November Rain

adam f & fresh - when the sun goes down
total science feat. jenna g - kiss chase
syncopix - general hospital
logistics - m.u.s.i.c.
the manhattan project - hotstuff
bebel gilberto - aganju (commix vocal mix)
junior cartel - visionary deeper (dub mix)
calibre - gemini
eric prydz - slammin´ (artificial intelligence drum & bass mix)
david carbone & kubiks - hold my breath
commix - you´ll see
stress level & tc 1 - take control (nu tone remix)
mathematics vs. tactile - rub a dub
cyantific - output
marcus intalex & st files - barracuda
juju - skylarking

Art: Doc Frankenstein / Wachowski Brothers

Here is a preview of the new Frankenstein comic from Burlyman Entertainment, the Wachowski Brothers (Matrix) comic book company. The Wachowski's wrote the story. Steve Skroce illustrated it.

Doc Frankenstein

Burlyman Entertainment

Music: Goldie - Live at Metalheadz

So here is a 2 hour set of Goldie live at the Metalheadz night at Herbal in London last week.

Goldie - Live at Metalheadz

Absolutely friggin' ridiculous... so tuff, and I can't stop listening, Drum and Bass is still the new/old heavy metal. Much harder than I prefer but I gotta admit Goldie absolutely shreds it. The mix is nearly flawless. He drops in one of my favorite CHOOOONs outta nowhere at 38:00 and rolls with it for about 2 minutes before resuming the madness.

I can just imagine the Herbal crowd now... the air smokey... the vibe thick... and the club is packed with hundreds of sweaty dudes... nary a female too be seen. Hahahahaa.... I'll pass.

Bang your head to dis.

Music: Bay Area Soul - Part 2

I haven't seen Kisha Griffin perform yet but... this cut is slick... the beat, the hook, the keys, all of it. Sexy as hell. Cop the CD from the link below.

Kisha Griffin - Don't Stop

Kisha Griffin

Goapele is certainly one of the bigger artists to roll out of Oakland recently... Though, I was working out of the state when she had peaked on San Francisco radio. Dunno how much radio play she got outside of the Bay Area, more people may have heard her on the new J Boogie than elsewhere. Her independent debut "Even Closer" was definately selling here and it also got her a deal with Universal.

Peep it...

Goapele - Closer

Goapele - Closer (Video)

Goapele

Buy her cd "Even Closer" now!!! And expect even bigger tings in the future.

Platinum Pied Pipers - Live in San Francisco / Fresco

DAAAAAMNIT!!! How am I ever going to leave this city and get married and have babies and a dog (or cat... maybe a parakett)??? F*ck, This musick fiend has access to SO MUCH diversity, so much incredible shit. More than NY. More than LA. San Francisco is the music mecca of the U Ass of A. Unless you're more into guitar stuff, and then I dont' know where to tell you to go. Actually, I DO know where to tell you to go...

So, here is a sampling of the fine delectable delectables that PPP droped on the HEAVY SF crowd.

Platinum Pied Pipers - Live in Manchester - February 2004

I always gots to hit up the backup singers cause godamn every crew is hidin' some major talent in their wings. Frankly, this show was all about Tiombe and Georgia they ran the stage.

Tiombe is a real show stopper. Not as out front as Georgia but she gots the skillz... her songwriting and voice... fantastic. Definately, a stand out like Jennifer Johns.

This sluggish piano playa really really caught my ear... not only is it lopping and funky but ummm.. eeerrr.. uuuuh.... Johnnie Black is my drink!

Tiombe Lockhart - Mr. Johnnie Walker

Tiombe Lockhart

Georgia has a very strong stage presence and an incredible voice. Check this sample...

Georgia Anne Muldrow - Nothingness

Georgia Anne Muldrow

So Wajeed droped the ill beats on the 1200s and Saadiq the Freek funked us up on the keys and the guitar. Fantastic stage presence. And hilarious! Of course with most small venues and live shows, Milk being one of them, the sound quality is sacrificed. Like, Sa-Ra that didn't bother me so much cause I know they are sick. But, most of the cats there tonight go to every Fresco show and they might walk away less impressed than they should be.

The Platinum Pied Pipers are ill.

Cop the album coming out in February on Ubiquity. Dwele is on that sh*t. Saadiq will funk you up. Wajeed gots the beats on heat. Wut more can I say?

Mad respect to the Fresco crew AGAIN for the wickedness. And big up to the bartendress for "sponsoring" me. Love.

Got Damn! I haven't been this impassioned with a style of music since UK Garage left me 8 Bars ago for Grime.

Unfortunately, we don't speak as much as we used to...

Music: Ashanti / Dillinja

Daaamn son! This is what it would sound like if Dillinja made Pop music...

Ashanti - Only You

Listen to that f*ckin' bassline... WHaaaaa!?!?! Hells yeah!

I heard the beginning of this joint and I was like holy sh*t! I had to check the volume on Real player 'cause i thought it was distorting... But NOOoo.. man you have got to be kidding me... that distorted ass nasty bass is ILL, mixed with bubble gum, no less.

This cut was produced by long time Ashanti / Murder INC. (what a retarded name for a pop music label) affiliate... 7 Aurelius. Who also did the best cut on the new LL Cool J album - Hush.

The same thing that drew me to this tune was the same thing that made Dillinja my favorite producer for a minute back in the day... THE BASSLINE. Witness...

Cybotron Feat. Dillinja - Revelations (Prototype) 1998

Whats cool about this Dillinja tune is that you can tell he is sampling one of those horns in a can that you hear people blow at football games. Listen close, you can hear the crowd cheering in the background. Dillinja is still a god when it comes to that bassbin science.

You just know this new Ashanti jump off is gonna get hit up with mad Drum and Bass bootlegs just cause of that bassline... Wicked.

Film: Star Wars - Episode III Trailer

A long time ago in a wack ass galaxy far far away...

Star Wars - Episode 3: Revenge Of The Sith Trailer

The movie will suck (again) but at least the FX are worth 10 bucks...

Music: Platinum Pied Pipers / Dwele

Well, everyone who knows me, knows I'm a huge fan of Dwele. Well he has done a joint with the equally ill crew PPP... Detroit's up and coming Platinum Pied Pipers. A new name on the soul scene. But incredibly sick. Head producer in PPP is Waajeed from that Village of Slum ya'll who is also responsible for the production on many of the cuts on Dwele's Subject.

If the mini PPP album/bootleg floating around is any indication... their forthcoming release on Ubiquity/Bling47 is going to outright kill it and be further food for a scene churning out some of the best soul in years. ill. ill. ill. Find it and cop it when it drops. This is some of the best music of 2004.

Platinum Pied Pipers Featuring Dwelle - Try Me

Who is the MC spitting 6 bars? Dope.

Dwele is also featured on another PPP stepper called Ridin' High. Buy that 12" when it drops. I can't wait to add this to my record bag.

I'm in funkin' soul bliss heaven right now. Got Damn! Someone pinch me. The ill *ISH.

To top it off Platinum Pied Pipers are playing in San Francisco this Friday... for $10 no less.

TIME: 10pm-2am
PRICE: $5 b4 10pm / $10 After
LOCATION: Milk 1840 Haight St. San Francisco [MAP]

BE THERE!

Music: Reggie Watts

My visiting homegirl turned me onto this cat a couple daze ago because of my undying passion for all things soul.

Reggie Watts' independent debut Simplified is good shit from a Seattle based vocalist who also has a rockier band-based side project called Maktub. Some of it does come off a little bit too light rock for me (his voice occassionally reminds me of a band I don't want to insult him by mentioning) but there are some real gems on his solo album. For example...

Reggie Watts - Wanna Get

I gots to hit me up sum Seattle. Thanks grrrl...

Music: The Invisibles Band / Halloween Sunset Boat Party

God damn... I can't believe its been a week since my last post (it feels like a month). And it is already November to boot... Crazy.

Well, some old friends came into town this past week to celebrate the day Satan was born (Halloween) and I just had to had to take em to the last Sunset Boat Party of the year.

Sunday's Sunset was pretty much the last big hurrah of SF's summer party season. No, it never stops but it does slow down a bit in the year-end months. Luckily, random house parties do spring up here and there, which happens to be the parties I dig the most.

So the annual Halloween party is often times the best boat party of the season but it also brings with it many many new faces to what is usually a very family affair. This year was no different, the crowd was in full effect, with costumes and characters that went all out. The music however was a tad different... Both decks' music seemed to have a heavy Rock element to it. The center piece being new local act... The Invisibles.

I have totally slacked on scoping them out live, which is absolutely despicable considering 1/3 of the crew is my pal and local DNB hero QZEN... Actually she was one of the first DNB djs I met the first time I visited SF many many years back. The other 2/3 are Ms. Kimi (Kimillion) and well respected local Abstract.

After hearing what they played live on Sunday, I personally cannot wait for their full length which is probably best described as that NY/DFA dance rock post punk sound with DNB basslines. And yes it is... Ill!

Their virgin EP entitled Blahblahblah is out now on DJ Hell's impeccable electro label International DJ Gigolos. Listen to it. Buy it. Love it.

The Invisibles

Also peep one of Qzen's older Drum and Bass sets while your at it...

Qzen - Live in Vancouver

You can catch The Invisibles again in the Bay Area in San Jose on December 1st and San Francisco on December 8th.

Oh, and Qzen's costume was ill too. Respect.

I ♥ SF.