I’m on a music kick this Saturday afternoon! Spent a lazy afternoon feeling uplifted since music has a way of creeping into my spirit like that. Started by tuning in to the sounds of one of my favourite radio selectors, Gilles Peterson (amazing show today, featuring Lonnie Liston Smith and plenty of spiritual jazz and cosmic funk), then on to this free stream of Future Foundations (courtesy of FACT Magazine), a fine UK bass compilation put out by London imprint, 2nd Drop. Check out the nice packaging for the vinyl! The comp features tracks by the likes of Djrum, Pedestrian, Alex Coulton, South London Ordnance, and more.

Got a bit sidetracked there (music can do that to ya!).. this is the main reason for my post today:

On more of that industrial techno tip that has me happy these days, here are a few live mixes from November of last year when oldies Surgeon and Regis, and newbies Karenn (aka: a project of Pariah and Blawan) graced the Boiler Room one evening with their magic. That slow, tense build that starts the last mix by Surgeon is devastating (my friend Earl Grey likes to use that very appropriate word to describe amazing musical things, so imma steal it from him!)…

Enjoy!

(View the Regis video here)

(View the Karenn video here)

(View the Surgeon video here)

Check out this new short film by Kahlil Joseph, with music by Flying Lotus from his highly anticipated new album, Until The Quiet Comes, due out on October 1st/2nd on Warp Records. The album features collaborations with artists such as Erykah Badu and Thom Yorke.

Go here for film credits, more info on the album, and live tour dates.

In other news, FlyLo will also be releasing a non-album single in which he collaborates with Beck…

StudioFeed Radio – The Bass Kulture Show: Episode #1 from StudioFeed on Vimeo.

Here is the complete tracklist for sticklers like ourselves:

Scientist Meets The Roots Radics – Whip Them
Mikey Dread – Go-Go Girls
Burning Spear – Down By The Riverside
Johnny Clarke – No Woman No Cry
Johnny Clarke – Left w/ a Broken Heart
Johnny Clarke/I-Roy – Do You Love Me
Johnny Osbourne – On The Right Track
Lt. Stitchie – Wear Yu Size
Yellowman & Fat Head – Operation Radication
Sly & Robbie ft. Sheila Hylton – Bed’s Too Big Without You
John Holt – Sweetie Come Brush Me
Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse
The Mighty Diamonds – Have Mercy
Max Romeo & The Upsetters – War Ina Babylon
Rapper Robert & Jim Brown – Minister For Ganja
Dennis Brown – Some Like It Hot
Johnny Osbourne – Ready Or Not
Ken Boothe – Everything I Own
Ken Boothe – Silver Words
Delroy Wilson – Cool Operator
Susan Cadogan – It Hurts So Good
Susan Cadogan – Do It Baby (Nice & Easy)
John Holt – For The Love Of You
Hortense Ellis – Woman of the Ghetto
Randy’s All-Stars – Guns in The Ghetto
Barrington Levy – Prison Oval Rock
The Heptones – Book of Rules
Toots & The Maytals – Time Tough
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Small Axe (Paul & Price remix)
Bob Marley – Mr. Brown (DJ Spooky remix)
Solo Banton – Music Addict
Toots & The Maytals – Take Me Home, Country Road

Been feeling this self-released debut EP for a little while now (thanks to the music head behind this site). The talented 22-year-old Mara Hruby has a voice as sultry and smooth as honey and unbelievably, she’s unsigned.. but probably not for much longer since she’s been gaining growing attention since bursting onto the scene in 2010. From Her Eyes features cover songs originally recorded by male artists such as Jamiroquai, Mos Def and D’Angelo.

Earlier this month, ?uestlove bigged up the Oakland native’s cover of The Roots‘ “Stereolab” via Twitter after catching the video:

I’m really into this Bob Marley cover:

You can check out (and download!) Mara Hruby’s entire EP for free here.

Bonus #1:  This (live) cover of Al Green‘s “Simply Beautiful” is not on the EP:

Bonus #2: I love this: the spoken word poetry (floetry), the vocals, the music, the collaboration (and the musical qi), the style, the song itself (thanks, Andre 3000!). This is Mara Hruby collabing with 6 other talented artists and together, they make up Sartorial Sounds. Check out/download their cover of “Take Off Your Cool” here and check out their stories via video here:

(I actually like love this Sartorial Sounds version and like the Mara Hruby EP version better than the original Andre 3000 / Norah Jones version…)

Director Lucas Duchemin contacted us to share this video which has been authorized by  Circus Company to be labelled as the unofficial music video for “Keep Me There” off of Nicolas Jaar‘s new album, Space Is Only Noise (released in February on Circus Company). Lucas says:

“I’m a great fan of Nicolas Jaar’s music, a friend and I started to listen to his LP album over and over. The idea of meeting him visually was thrilling, so we decided to create this old cop Gregorino, eaten alive by his pale existence. Once we found the idea for the video, we only had to start from scratches. It took us a week of shooting and 3 weeks of editing. . . Please keep in mind that this video was created by a very young team (20 years old average) and…..220 €.”

Enjoy!

p.s. Don’t forget to revisit last year’s interview with Nicolas Jaar here.

New official video for Onra‘s “Sitting Back” is collage dopeness! That’s right, ya’ll.. throw your hands in the air for the ’80s!

p.s. Don’t forget to revisit the interview I did with Onra when he was in town last Fall.

When I really like a tune, I’ll listen to it over and over for awhile without getting tired of it, and this song by Brooklyn’s Taylor McFerrin (with vocals by Ryat) has been on endless repeat for the past little while. Haunting and beautiful, from the forthcoming Early Riser full length on Brainfeeder. Not your typical Brainfeeder fare (or like McFerrin’s other work for that matter).

Video written, produced and directed by Simon Benjamin

And here’s a behind-the-scenes jam session from the same music video shoot:

I don’t think I’ve ever hit the ‘zone’ this hard, especially at a family get together (that’s what it looks like?). But damn, this is what dancing and having a good time is all about. Nobody rocks it like these boys do.

Thanks to Claus for this one!

Getting into the ‘work zone’ at the office or studio is a common experience for everyone one, whatever job you do. Today was one of those days, where once the headphones were on, they stayed on until the work got done (midnight). Fueled on a large double Americano, and a very loud bumping playlist (for this Saturday’s Hot Sauce event), heart was pounding, mind racing, eyes red and glued to the monitor. It was impossible to take a break really, because I was so focused, dealing with productions files (graphic design stuff) you need to be pretty meticulous. Anyhow, it wasn’t until Brandt Brauer Frick‘s “Bop” started playing, and it’s just so incredibly good, it broke the ‘zone’ spell. I needed to take a break to fully appreciate it, or rather to give it the respect it deserves. Then that lead to youtubing the video. It’s absolutely brilliant. Reminds me of Michel Gondry’s work, but German. Check it below.

BBF is made up of acoustic-techno musicians: Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer, and Paul Frick from Germany. The trio combines live instruments with analogue synthesizers, creating a sound that is warm, yet minimal. Danceable, yet very sophisticated. Combining live orchestral sounds with dance music, they really inject a great energy and lots of texture, which is absent in the coolness of minimal techno. Fellow Hot Sauce DJs MissRuckus and urbansteve managed to catch the tail end of their show at Mutek 2010, and they said it was pretty impressive.

BBF is playing in Toronto, Thursday May 10 @ the Drake Underground for CMW. The full Hot Sauce crew will be checking this, and we rarely go out together these days! What’s up with that MissRuckus & urbansteve?

Brandt Brauer Frick – Caffeine



BRANDT BRAUER FRICK live at Club Contemporary Classical – Berghain, Berlin September 2009



At Mutek 2010

This month, we remember J Dilla along with the rest of the world. Watch the full video, just released today:

 
Created in 2006, this remembrance piece is created as a tribute to the memory and legacy of James “J.Dilla” Yancey. This is a piece designed for his fans and supporters who knew of his accomplishments before February 2006 and those that have grown to appreciate his genius. Here, we gain a greater insight and understanding about our musical icon.

J.Dilla is Still Shining.

(2:55) – Work Ethic Starts In The Basement
(7:35) – What To Listen For in A Dilla Beat
(9:10) – J.Dilla’s Range As A Producer. The King of Reinvention
(12:16) – Going Beyond His Influences
(14:39) – The Dilla Approach To Production
(20:21) – Jay The Producer vs Jay The MC
(26:08) – The Personal Side of J.Dilla
(29:04) – A Soldier Unstoppable!
(32:05) – Venturing Out. (as explained by Phat Kat)
(33:59) – Heading Home… Job Well Done.
(34:48) – We Salute You.
   
You can learn more about the project and watch a bigger version here. Grab some of that dope Jay Dee wallpaper for your screen while you’re at it!

Okay, okay… I admit I’m digging the new Kanye West album on first listen so far. It’s the interesting instrumentation, arrangements and guests that really grab me most (not so much his own vocals which are just okay).

You’ve heard about this video/short film. Watch it again:

Amazing.

Pulshar are Barcelona based duo of producer Pablo Bolivar and composer/singer/visual artist Aphro. Their new album Inside, on Loco Dice and Martin Buttrich’s fine Desolat label, is a hauntingly beautiful dubbed-out affair that should be listened to in its entirety. Some albums are best to be heard rather than described. Listen here to all 12 tracks on the new album. The following clip from 2008 is a personal favourite for its soothing, utter blissfulness (based on an original on Lee Perry’s Black Ark Upsetter label). The images were taken from Koyaanisqatsi (1982) directed by Godfrey Reggio.

Brand spankin’ new Maylee Todd video is out for “Aerobics In Space,” directed by J. Lee Williams (1188 Films). And yeah, of course it’s just as weird as everything else she ever puts to video… so that means it’s best enjoyed while smoking something really potent.. or not. Plus, Elvis breakdancing? Yes, guy! (Just watch the vid..)

She’s also playing a few Canadian dates soon, mostly supporting Toronto synth and drums duo Woodhands – check it out:

October 26th: Drake Hotel, Toronto w/ Soko
October 29th: Horseshoe, Toronto w/ Golden Dogs
November 9th: Pit Pub, Vancouver w/ Woodhands
November 11th: The Pawn Shop, Edmonton w/ Woodhands
November 12th: Broken City, Calgary w/ Woodhands
November 13th: Amigos, Saskatoon w/ Woodhands
November 20th: North York Library, Toronto

Tonight I happened to stumble upon DJ Hell’s tracklisting for his new mix cd “Body Language Vol. 9″ on RA, and what caught my eye (other than Ryuichi Sakamoto & David Sylvian’s classic: “Forbidden Colours“) was track 8: “The Balanescu Quartet – Robots“. It’s taken from the “Possession” album by TBQ, and wow it’s absolutely amazing. I mean it’s real strings doing Kraftwerk’s melodies originally created by synths. To listen to an already awesome song, presented in a totally different context (and executed really well), is pretty exciting (ie: Carl Craig w/ Les siècles Orchestra). Just hope, commercial hip hop, pop, and smooth jazz artists would stop ruining old classics.

By the way, anybody else going to the Ryuichi Sakamoto show on October 24 in Toronto?