from the LP NuYorican Soul, Talkin’ Loud Records, 1997
No discussion of American house music would be complete without focusing the microscope on NYC, and in particular, the masterminds known as Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzales & ‘Little’ Louie Vega, rulers of the ‘90s beats scene under many monikers (most notably as Masters At Work), including this eclectic side project which focused on live instrumentation as opposed to knob twiddling, dubbed NuYorican Soul. From the insistent piano atop those loose breaks, to the epically sweeping string section, to the chorus-of-angels vocal delivery care of renowned disco diva Jocelyn Brown and some bad-ass backup singers, this track absolutely showers the listener with a torrent of sunny uplifting energy, and it garnered an awful lot of attention upon it s release (not to mention, a slew of remixes in every conceivable genre of electronica); this was actually a cover of an old Rotary Connection number from the early ‘70s, far more psychedelic in tone than what we have here & well worth tracking down also.
from the LP Light Of Worlds, De-Lite Records, 1974
It’s snowing outside, so this seemed like an appropriate diversion. This spacey instrumental jam has been sampled by a grip of hip-hoppers over the years (most markedly as the base loop for Will Smith’s “Summertime”), but it can easily stand on its own feet as a breezy reflection of the summer just passed, all the good times and fun in the sun, already looking forward to next year’s adventures & detours. Although they were previously a bare-bones, gritty hard funk crew, Kool & the Gang seemed to mellow increasingly with each passing year into the ‘70s, finding more success (but perhaps losing cred) as they softened their sound. So, all you analogue synthesizer sluts out there, you’d better put on a second pair of drawers because founding member Khalis Bayyan is gonna make you wet right here, just know that.
from the LP Promise, Portrait Records, 1985
Damn yo, does it get any smoother than Sade? If this shit was much mellower it would need to come with a prescription & a fucking warning to not operate heavy machinery while under its influence (perhaps not a good idea anyways…)! This track was everywhere upon its release, and for years after as well, but it wasn’t exactly the kind of music you copped to liking if you were young & rebellious--- that said, it seems like everyone between the ages of 30 and 50 now openly proclaim this band’s brilliance, so we were all obviously loving their songs in secret back then. Hell, it even feels good to pronounce their name: Shah-day!!! Fronted by the exotic & beautiful Helen Folasade Adu, this London-based crew was undoubtedly the biggest adult contemporary band going, even if most people only remember Ms. Adu; interestingly, I recall there being rumours about her having been a model who was only asked to front the group for her looks, when in actuality she was already singing in a soul band before Sade, as well as being the lyricist for most of this band’s songs. “…there's a quiet storm, and it never felt like this before, there's a quiet storm that is you; there's a quiet storm, and it never felt this hot before, giving me something that's taboo…” Being in love never sounded so kinky before---well, okay, yes it has, but this one is pretty damn sultry…I’m guessing many of the students I teach today may very well have been conceived to the grooves of Sade, and that’s a legacy worth bragging about.
from the LP Underground Vibes, Street Jazz Productions, 1995
Laurent ‘DJ Cam’ Daumail has often been called the DJ Shadow of France, and although that comparison is a bit misleading (Cam has always been far more interested in jazz records, where Shadow has leaned much heavier on the funk tip), it works well enough to give one an idea of just how massive Mr. Daumail’s skillset really is. His dexterous pairing of portly drum breaks with numerous snippets of ephemeral jazz décor has resulted in some of the dankest beats ever dropped, on either side of the ocean! Thinking about it, one would perhaps be more accurate to compare Cam’s work with the nuanced masterpieces of Japan’s DJ Krush, at least in his ability to show restraint without sacrificing the density of the cut. Cam is still dropping fresh, phatty beats to this very day, evolved somewhat from what you hear here, but remaining very closely related. This track isn’t just a smart title either---this is music for getting blunted to.
from the LP Causers of This, Carpark Records, 2010
Ever wondered what house music would sound like if you slowed it down by about half? There’s no way to be sure, but I’m guessing that query may have been a part of the catalyst which resulted in many of the gauzy musical wonders loosed upon the world over the last couple years; either that, or Chazwick ‘Toro y Moi’ Bundick and fellow South Carolinian beach buddy Earnest ‘Washed Out’ Greene got mad baked one hazy afternoon and dropped the tempo (accidentally or purposefully) on the turntable. Whatever forces served as the impetus for their sonic experiments, we can all rejoice in the resulting synth-gasms they gave birth to; Greene’s dazzling Life of Leisure made numerous year-end lists in 2009, and I have no doubt that Bundick will follow along this year, as his album here ably carries that mellow torch forward a few more steps (nice Cybotron-esque cover art as well). Having also grown up at the beach, I immediately connected to these waste-y sounding vibes, like waking up on a soft flannel blanket to the sound of crashing waves after an all-night bonfire. Indeed, now we can all party a little harder on Saturdays, knowing that we have sublime music like this to help ease us back down to Earth the morning after…
from the LP The Hollywood Recordings, Babygrande Records, 2007
“…sprinkle some cosmic dust baby…” What would happen if Ali Shaheed Muhammad came to meet George Clinton & D’Angelo out at Prince’s summer pad on Neptune? Apart from some philosophizing, toking & pontificating (respectively), one could be relatively sure that the beats would come fresh enough to keep everybody warm---well, L.A. underground superheroes, the Sa-Ra Creative Partners, seem to mine the heady depths in pursuit of a fitting soundtrack for said encounter, employing all manner of skronking electronics and soothingly lusty touches in order to bring the funk, proper. It’s a difficult balance, to sound both polished and organic at the same time, but these cats make that intricate contrast work to their advantage, never too clean & never too skeezy; admittedly, they don’t reach the dizzying heights found in this sizzling cut all across the album, “…but can y’all niggas get down though…?” Indeed, they can.
from the EP oOoOO, Disaro Records, 2010
To quote Beck, a true master of the headiest steez, “…I'm just talking about a chorus like, 'Can you feel my bass drum?' That's potent, you can't even mess with that. There's things embedded in that that you can't communicate in any other way…” Can you FEEL my motherfucking bass drum?!?!! This is a ridiculously sultry cover/re-edit of a late ‘80s freestyle track by Nocera called “Summertime Summertime”, and although the original is fresh as well, this redux is some serious panty-droppin’, bottle service-havin’, slo-mo-slangin’ moistness, on the real. Having one of the more cryptic (and difficult to know how to pronounce) names in modern music, oOoOO is actually Chris Greenspan of San Francisco; this newer style of eerie electronics, essentially a mashup of hip-hop beats and coldwave synth-pop, is being called “drag” and “witch house” in the press---both of which suck as names. How about calling it “Ouija beats”? Just kidding. Whatever you want to dub this, it’s hard to deny those macabre & detached, yet strikingly bucolic & melodic, beats! His new EP drops in a week, so don’t sleep… I realize that summer is now officially come and gone for another year, but come on, “…take me, take me to the par-ty, summer time, summer time…” That’s a vibe I can get behind all year!
from the LP No Más, Luaka Bop Records, 2010
Yessssssss… This is the kind of musical pastiche that gives one hope for the future, full of brawny breaks & swirling organ, fuzzy flanged-out guitars playing alongside one determined-ass bassline, everything rolling together flawlessly like those old school green-leaf blunts. Yes, you are listening to samples and loops galore, but not clipped from other sources like duo Javelin become famous for after dropping their minty fresh Jamz & Jemz mixtape--- nope, on this LP they played all the music you hear being sampled themselves, which has a rather twisted ironic beauty to it, don’t you think? Any reviewer that doesn’t catch the heady soulful fusion that’s happening here should find themselves a new job; it’s telling that David Byrne’s label Luaka Bop snatched them up quickly. The perfect soundtrack for a hazy late summers day, look out for the mind-melting guitar solo that snarls to life around 1:40 into the track, it may just push you one toke over the line, so to speak (don’t say I didn’t warn ya)…
from the LP Toeachizown, Stones Throw Records, 2009
“I embrace the younger & the older generations… I consider myself to be an analogue futurist, if you will…the spirit is what you’re after, not the minutiae…” (from a 2010 interview) ZAPP attack, fool!!! Fresh like that bar of lemongrass soap some rasta just sold you at the farmer’s market, and hot like a basket of deep-fried pickle chips, Damon ‘Dâm Funk’ Riddick fashions funky templates so fly you almost forget how bad most popular music blows these days; for real, to enjoy his 5xLP debut Toeachizown is akin to eating a foot-long chili cheese dog, made with some Nathan’s Famous love, and washing that down behind a side of tater-tots and strawberry lime-ade (yes, I’ve been hitting up the Sonic a lot lately, so what?!). By that, I mean that his tunes go down easy, but they are filling, both for your mind & body--- homeboy is making an effort to educate people on the finer things in life, like vibing with the life-force, and synthesizers of all shapes and sizes. We are living in the middle of some strange-ass times people, a transition to be sure, so it’s reassuring to know the world has people like Damon to spread the love!
from the LP Twoism, Music 70 Records, 1995
With the possible exceptions of Eno and mid ‘70s Tangerine Dream, I don’t think any other musicians on this planet have been able to coax such sincere & glowing warmth from a synthesizer the way that Boards of Canada seemingly do in their sleep; honestly, anyone who listens to this stuff and can still walk away claiming that electronic music has no soul needs to get their fucking head checked. It’s the feel of a light snow falling at dawn, the journey of a single dandelion seed drifting about on the breeze, electrical currents moving along their neural pathways inside your brain. The ethereal moods and distanced memories their songs invoke can carry me away at a moments notice, and indeed, there is no “having to be in the right frame of mind” for enjoying this music, as it’s equally able to quell the gnarliest psychic storms or instantly deepen the calmest, most isolated moments in time. Half-assed metaphors aside (sorry, heavy wake-n-bake here this morning… word), for me it all comes down to the same basic measure I apply to anything else in life: this music makes me feel.
from the LP Suburban Tours, Olde English Spelling Bee Records, 2010
Sounding like a mix between Ariel Pink, Ducktails & early Ween, with a healthy dose of krautrock (ala Electric Sandwich) thrown in there, all melting together on a sunny summer’s day, this lo-fi gem of an album comes to us from the capable hands of Texas native Joe Knight; now a resident of the Bay Area, this album was an extension of him looking around at all the changes which had taken place, (in his own words) “…I had just moved to San Franciso — which is a real, dense city — from Dallas — which is really just a suburb — so I was probably thinking about the built environment around me and how different it was now, and how fucked up it was then…” Although some have tried grouping him into the chill-wave set, I don’t think those comparisons pan out at all--- particularly given the fact that he’s openly admitted to ripping off Chic for much of this album, rather than trying to ape elevator music like some would have you believe. Whatever the inspiration, it’s sloppy in all the right ways, like those door-chimes that sound their lazy call when you enter a liquor store: woozy, weathered & letting one know that good things lay before you…
from the LP The Richest Man in Babylon, 18th St. Lounge Music Records, 2002
This “holiday” always leaves me with mixed feelings: sure, I am very thankful for having grown up in America, as it’s among a small handful on countries on Earth where I could have had the opportunities that living here has afforded me---but, I can’t help wondering what Native Americans must think of this weekend’s festivities, particularly considering that when America defeated the Brits in the Revolutionary War (1775 – 1783), indigenous people still comprised the majority population & held the overwhelming majority of land rites in what we today call the United States. I believe strongly in the opportunity such a diverse nation presents to its populous, but it’s vital to consider the whole picture when celebrating our existence, which includes success at the expense of many human beings---a pattern which is still flourishing to this day I’m afraid, “…the people live in misery, govemment a work, but govemment them is a mockery; respect to the youths, whether in front and all dem back a me, why don't you treat them the way you should… broadcasting lies on the television screen, trying to get us hooked on your American dream, we up on your games if you know what me mean…” If I had one national wish granted to me on this day, it would be for every boy & girl in the United States to have a college education that’s provided to them at no charge; freedom ain’t free, arm your minds, happy July 4th…
from the LP In Ghost Colours, Modular Recordings, 2008
Where Neon Indian merely channeled the ghosts of Fleetwood Mac in his “Should Have Taken Acid With You”, Aussie chill-out gurus Cut Copy manage to completely re-interpret “Gypsy” on this standout cut from their second longplayer, taking the best accouterments that new wave & yacht rock have to offer and baking them into a cloud-like soufflé, like washing a couple Somas down with a spliff and a mimosa, then going for a walk on a breezy, sunny Colorado day…or so I’ve heard (eternal love to my “stoned mimosa Saturdays” crew). The gap between their first LP and this one was a grueling four years, but if waiting means they will keep the quality level as high as it’s been in the past, I’m willing to wait; although, just two years out, I’ve played this album to death and could sure use a 7” or something to tide me over… Toss us a bone mates!
from the LP The Strange World of Bernard Fevre, L’Illustration Musicale Records, 1975
Having major Spring showers here today, it even began to snow for a bit; anywhere else that would a downer, but out here weather like this is practically a novelty for crissake, so I’m enjoying the hell out of it---soaked in the tub, ate a savory warm lunch, smoked some dank wonderful, and now I’m zoning out to the enchanted sounds of Bernard Fevre. The recent rediscovery of so-called library music has proven to be rather fruitful for all the beats-heads out there, although I detest the genres given name; to steal a line from the wonderful Stereolab, how about calling it “space age bachelor pad music”? Whatever you want to call it, these spacey slices of electrical atmospheres are marvelously hypnotic, particularly when one is stoned and gazing hazily out the window at lightly falling wet snow (you know, those big-ass snowflakes the size of a half-dollar). Mr. Fevre went on to much underground acclaim in the dance music world as ‘Black Devil’, but it’s his early experimental stuff that really gets us geeks wet!
from the LP Deadringer, Definitive Jux Records, 2002
Florida is truly the inverted armpit of our nation (a quick perusal of our country’s more disturbing news stories will give you some indication, and watching the movie Bully will give you even more); I spent my whole youth growing up there, in a few different locales, and I can most assuredly attest to that fact---hell, I was joyfully a part of the problem previous to my departures. The scum of this entire fucking country eventually washes up down in Florida, as if there is some gigantic magnet for arrest warrants & bullshit under the ground that literally lures the hustlers, addicts, fools, & evil motherfuckers down south. That’s why the little vocal sample at the beginning of this track is so friggin’ appropriate, and one can scarcely imagine how many similar conversations and trains of thought wind up at that same conclusion every day. Sadly, it’s the same reason a lot of individuals wind up getting themselves killed down there. RJ ‘D2’ Krohn came up DJing in Columbus, Ohio and I saw him spin at a few parties around there in the ‘90s when I was living in Cleveland, long before he signed with Def Jux---I don’t think many ravers, including myself, had any clue what was in the works for this cat’s career. The comparisons to Shadow & Cam are fair, but RJ has his own vibe, more soul than funk maybe, like the Otis Redding to their Jimmy Castor Bunch, dig? Watch for the smooth switch-up around two minutes in, categorically seamless!
from the LP Out My Window, Stones Throw Records, 2008
I’m so stoked about the approaching spring, I can’t even lie dude, especially after a couple of days in a row where it almost hit sixty degrees; I’m already rocking sandals in the 50s, any excuse to wear less clothing! The gang over at Stones Throw sure didn’t waste any time snapping up this Canadian beats maestro, formerly known merely as that guy who sings on Manitoba/Caribou songs; this album, Koushik’s first official full-length, leaves no doubt at all as to his own proficient abilities behind the boards (as well as on the mic). The picture he chose for this album cover was a wise choice, as armies of tambourines shake madly in validation of the groove here, full brass & squishy effects giving one the impression of a parade for bubbles, of bubble, by bubbles, and about bubbles---oh, and getting stoned in the sun, that too.
from the LP Dandelion Gum, Graveface Records, 2008
It’s been snowing for a few days, and that means yours truly has a higher marijuana intake, so off we go on a little adventure: a nautical interplanetary voyage born of weed, magic mushrooms and dense soggy forests, cultivated by heady gnomes who seek audio truth, ingested by those willing to take the polysynthetic journey---this is the world known as Black Moth Super Rainbow. They do what they do, and they do it so fucking well. Of all the things I love about this band, I think the one aspect that keeps me coming back for more is that ever-present and fateful vein of doom & calamity which is laced atop everything they do, peeking around the corners of their musical collages like sleep-dep shadow people, not exactly threatening in an off-putting way but always lurking, preventing their brand of kaleidoscopic lunacy from ever drifting near the FDL (fromage demarcation line). Strawberry Fields on the moon, for real dude…
from the LP Metro Area, Environ Records, 2002
The very notion of “post-disco” is far too subtle a concept to ping upon most of our radars, either the ‘post’ portion of the title being immediately annoying to many people or the ‘disco’ portion of the label smacking like juicy Mallorcan lemons to others; fear not, for these vibes do justice to both pre- and suffix, and with no excuse if they’d missed the mark, as Metro Area (veteran producers & DJs Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani) bring us these optimal pulsations a full twenty years after this style of music hit its peak, granting them the priceless scrutiny of hindsight. Their beats are clean, but not sterile, making sure to keep enough dust in the grooves for things to be convincing (it’d be easy to mistake a number of their tracks as genuine relics of the early ‘80s), never coming across as slick---just smoooooove.
from the LP NuYorican Soul, Talkin’ Loud Records, 1997
