Stinky Grooves 07.04.09 & Hyperdub hotness

Cumbia Bichera ft Pablo Lescano - El Remolon (ZZK)

Vareal Riddim - Chancha Via Circuito (ZZK)

La Misma Moneda (Chancha Via Circuito) - Princesa (Soot)

Zorzal (Instr) - Chancha Via Circuito (ZZK)

Husling - Busy Signal (Birchill)

Tek Back Yard - Beenie Man (Birchill)

Selassie Love We - Vybz Kartel (Birchill)

Nah Believe You - Movado (Daseca)

Now Him Believe Mi - Baby Tash

Jamaican John Gotti - Busy Signal

Dirty Money - Assailant (Dawghouse)

Stimulus Plan - Dead Prez (Green Lantern Prodns)

Sgt Peppers - Wafeek

Perfectionist - Asher Roth ft Beanie Sigel & Rock City (UMG)

She Came Along - Sharam ft Kid Cudi

That's Me - Stoupe ft Joel Ortiz

Aqui Princesa (Macelo Fabian Rmx) - Princesa (Soot)

Bolivia - El Remolon (ZZK)

Pa Pa Pare - Zurita (Cabeza!)

Ala Los Manos - El Remolon (ZZK)

Shy - Depth Charge (DC Recordings)

Major Blitzkreig - Higamos Hogamos (DC Recordings)

Psychedelic Circus - The Time & Space Machine (5D)

Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free - Zombie Zombie (Versatile)

Rothaus (Groove Edit) - Lindstrom & Prins Thomas (Eskimo)

Kunst Or Ars - Meanderthals (Smalltown Supersound)

Black Sun - Kode 9 (Hyperdub)

Ghost Town (DJ G Bootleg Rmx) - The Specials

Jah Rain (RSD Rmx) - Landlord & Evergreen (Ranking)

Digidesign - Joker (Hyperdub)

Private Places (Shackleton & Mordant Music Version) -Vindicatrix

Voices From The Night - Late (Disfigured Dubz)

Mecha Squirrel Pt 1/Pt 2 - Depth Charge (DC Recordings)

Major Blitzkreig (Depth Charge Rmx) - Higamos Hogamos (DC Recordings)

Tirsdagsjam (Lang Version) - Lindstrom & Prins Thomas (Eskimo)

So so many mighty and magnificent tunes tonight (and none so-so either), a man is spoilt for choice. I'm feeling, there might have to be a couple of Easteroid posts on the way - to try and unleash some more of the gritty goodness and cumbionics from this week's olfactory experience.

In the meantime I have to present (for the sum of one week), a tune that just seems to further slay with every single play. 'Black Sun' is yet another unfathomably deep transmission from Kode 9, and a worthy addition to the potent Hyperdub catalogue. To be honest, I'm hard pushed to think of a label with a comparable strike rate, especially given the musical span of their output which has really stretched over the  last couple of years. 'Black Sun' with it's discordant pads, technoid tension, frankly foolish helpings of sub-bass and trademark Kode 9 beat ballistics - is anything but a hodge podge, it's deathly direct. Like so many truly, top shelf,  tonal treasures it not only defies categorisation, but takes categorisation out the back for a serious word. This is a majestic tune that deserves volume and clarity, and only a weedy 128kbps empeetree, so the message is bloindingly clear, play, peruse and purchase popkids.... Buy A Copy!!!!

(here) for digital or emusic has it (here)

(here) for fizical waxy type object

(Hyperdubspace)

(Kode9space) there's a fierce Lee Perry, Samia & Farah track on the player btw

(pictorial review here) don't agree with this at all, but love Earl Boykins style, whatever the music/opinion.

BLACK SUN - KODE 9

Stinksclusive - Unitone HiFi meet Overproof Soundsystem Dub mix

Hokay, I've been holding onto this'un for a while, but now seems like a good time to unleash this wee belter, which is very much a StinkInc vexclusive crisp biscuit. For your downloading delight, here is the unreleased dub of our Unitone HiFi remix of Overproof Soundsystem's 'King Step'. The vocal version of this is just about to drop on 12", alongside the pumping original mix from our G Corp associated Brum chums,  however it's the dub that wins out the day for me. When we originally got the parts for the mix,  the tempo and style  suggested we should perhaps aim for a bit of dubsteppery action, but as is so often the case, where we began and where we ended up... well they're quite different places. Instead of some testosteroned wobbly hoo-ha this turned out as a very mellow little bass bomb, and without blowing our own trumpet too much, I'm really chuffed with the end result. I recently found out this is somewhat of a soundsystem fave in the Midlands, and perhaps we should have borne that in mind (had we known) with our mix... ah well, it is what it is... and sometimes the slow burn can be just as powerful as the flamethrower!

Local yokels can find the 12" though Southbound in the next couple of weeks, elsewhere and globalistically I'm sure it will be havailable through all good record shops (that are still standing!). If you'd like a hi-res version of the dub for playing out/radio etc (the one posted is 192) then please  hit me up in the comments or by email and I'm sure we can oblige, and if you'd like to re-post or link to this, you are more than welcome... but please let us know. Joost and myself (with mastering and mix assistance from the mighty Angus McNaughtonizer) are trodding on towards some more Unitone releasability, and we have some right, hot cross bun-it-ups in the proverbial oven. Next up will be another split 7" with Jefferson Belt (and just wait till you hear his side, oh my good gosh!), to keep the wintery wolves at bay in the coming months. There are still very limited copies  of the last 2008 Unitone HiFi/Jefferson Belt 7" available from various spots, or they can be bought direct from the horses gob, by pinging me a mail and whatnot.

Vox version available digitally and reasonably priced from here or here

(Unitonespace) friend us up, we slack like that.

(Overproofspace)

KING STEP (UNITONE HIFI DUB) - OVERPROOF SOUNDSYSTEM

And being as its my favourite format and no-one likes a birthday to be forgot, make haste to the Beeb ponline and check out a little filmette (of the Vinyl Factory folk who we highly recommend) celebrating the 60th birthday of the 7" right here. Yes indeed the glorious 45 must surely now have access to a free bus pass and the right to complain and grumble about more stuff than yer average young twot on them internets.... Hurrah! An audio anniversary to be proud of (you can stick them digital files where the sun don't shine mister!) Uber and oot.

Stinky Grooves 31.03.09 and Zurita-ta-ta-taaaaagh

Herb Tree - Collie Buddz (Massive B)
Bleep - Busy Signal (Jukeboxx)
Vampire - Chezidek (Massive B)
What You Fighting For - Burro Banton (Massive B)
Informer - Kharri Kill (Massive B)
Nothing Beats A Trail But A Failure - Bugle
Inna Life (Instr) - Bugle
Sweat - Untold (Hot Flush)
Voices From The Night - Late (Disfigured Dubz)
Black Sun - Kode 9 (Hyperdub)
Zariak - Joker (Grime Forum Free EP)
Digidesign - Joker (Hyperdub)
Husslin' - Busy Signal (Birchill)
Tek Back Yard - Beenie Man (Birchill)
Selassie Love Wi - Vybz Kartel (Birchill)
Last Man Standing - Vybz Kartel (Tads)
Nuh Bwoy - Busy Signal (Star Kutt)
Nah Help - Busy Signal (Big Ship)
Tease Treaty Off - Busy Signal (Big Ship)
Hustler - Collie Buddz (Massive B)
No Disturb Sign - Cecile (Danger Zone)
Old Time Hustler - Mr Vegas
Herbman Hustling - RSD
Prophecy - RSD (Angels Egg)
Late Night Blues (DJG bootleg) - Don Carlos
Koto - RSD (Angels Egg)
Saw, Sine, Square - Late (Disfigured Dubz)
What If - Kito (Disfigured Dubz)
Otherside Remix (Earth Is My Spaceship) - Boxcutter (Planet Mu)
Radiant - Jamie Vex'd (Planet Mu)
Chainsaw Calligraphy - 16 Bit (Boka)
Arctic Company - Prov (Grime Forum Free EP)
Wot U Got 4 My Pocket - Mz Bratt, Badness & DEvelopment (Lava U/Nit)
2 Far Gone - Kode 9 (Hyperdub)
Suicide Cumbia - Zurita
It's Bigger Than Cumbia - Sonido Del Principe vs Dead Prez
El Botellon - Uproot Andy (Bersa Discos)
Live From Tigre Lounge - Multau Astatke & The Heliocentrics (Strut)
Space Junky - Bosco Delrey (Klash City)
Seven Thousand Pound Bee - Cherrystones (Lo Recordings)
Through Your Mind - The Time & Space Machine (5D)
To All The Wizards In Lockdown - Richard Norris (Lo Recordings)
My Eyes Adore You - Betty Padgett (Luv n Haight)
Let's Dub It Up - Leo Hall (BBE)
Never Never Never - Betty Padgett (Luv n Haight)
Soulful Times - Jackie Mittoo (Jamaican)
This Another Festival - Jackie Edwards (BBE)

Who knows? Maybe it's an end of financial year frenzy, or perhaps it's the little box of 7" magic that arrived on the doorstep this very afternoon from the wonderful Jet Set records in Kyoto (and Tokyo... lets not get pedantic), but tonight's show felt like a scorcher. Though others, (like the increasingly pricey Soundquake), have larger catalogues, Jet Set always seems to have a couple of 45's I need that I can't find elsewhere, and their prices and service can't be beat. I know 7"s are getting harder to come by, and the vast majority of DJs are content to play sterile files,  but that just makes me want to ensure I can get every possible standout sizzler possible. Jet Set also have many local delicacies, like whanged out Nipponese sludgey disco and bizarre hoo-ha that can't easily be found elsewhere, and currently even a 7" from Macka Pee, (I was tempted....) Would the Wolverhampton wonderer and veteran UK DJ Macka B be happy about that?

There's a whole heap of tunes I could have pulled out for a week long run on StinkInc, but for sheer audio audacity it has got to be Zarita's crazy Cumbiafied take on Suicide's untouchable 'Ghost Rider'. It's one of those so wrong it's right kinda things, and given my resistance to much of this bish-bosh-bashed together type of tackle which can often be artless and assembly line ... well I dig it. I've had long bouts of intense Suicide listening over the years, and I'd consider this a song that is really personal to me, so South San Telmo's Zurita has pulled the rabbit out of the proverbial hat with his minefield gymnastics on this one. 

There's a free download EP (with a cumbiatronique 'Stopper' el masho on there for Cutty fans) that you can pick up legitimately freeeeeee here from the worth checking Cabeza!  bootleg net label, though nothing really comes close to the majestic madness and font of frivolous fun that is the Vega & Rev Argentinian away-day. This has been posted on Mad Decent and/or  some other big billing blog so no doubt everyone and your nan has it, but just in case, mp3 below (just click on the divshare logo to get to the mp3 btw, as some folks are seemingly not familiar).

We'll get some more cumbia hooha up here soon... and tomorrow I'll fling up a little double local stinkclusive.

(Zuritaspace)



SUICIDE CUMBIA - ZURITA

Stinky Grooves 24.03.09 Aagh Ess Dee & Onn Raaar

King Step (Unitone Hifi Dub) - Overproof Soundsystem

1000 Mile Dub - International Observer

Jah Jah Harmony - Jackie Mittoo (Jamaican)

Natty Congo Rides On - Jackie Mittoo (Jamaican)

Shock Shenactadys - Simplicity People ft Tommy McCook (BBE)

What Is Man - Delroy Wilson (BBE)

ROB SMITH (RSD/SMITH & MIGHTY) SET*********

King (RSD Rmx) - UB40

Wadada (Tom Watson Rmx) - Prince Fari/Dub Syndicate

Herbman Hustling/Heavenless Rhythm  - RSD

Murderer (Remix) - Beenie Man & Barrington Levy

Ninja - Unknown

This Is Life (Rob Smith Rmx) - Dubblestandardt

It Was Written - Chasing Shadows

Love Love (L-Que & J Red Rmx) - O.G.

Grumble About It - Wrexile

Rocking Down The House - Stagger

Raining ?? - Landlord & Evergreen

Trample - RSD

Good Energy - RSD (Punch Drunk)

Late Night Blues - DJ G

Und - Peverleist

Fallen Angels - Visionary

Rise Up (Rob Smith Rmx) - Henry & Louis (2Kings)

? - RSD (R8)

? (RSD Rmx) - Pinch

? - Monkey

***** ROB SMITH ENDS *****

Cha Cha - Mulatu Astatke & Heliocentrics (Strut)

To All The Wizards On Lockdown - Richard Norris (Lo)

Dreams - Onra (Favourite)

Ordinary Life - Smashproof (Move The Crowd)

Call To Arms - Harmonic 313 (Warp)

Township Funk (Ikonika Rmx) - DJ Mujava (Warp)

Nice Green - Jahdan Blakkamoore (Dutty Artz)

King Step (Unitone HiFi Rmx) - Overproof Soundsystem (Elephant House)

Gold Dust - Earl Sixteen (Roots Garden)

Herb Dust - Nick Manasseh (Roots Garden)

Done Upon The Rhythm - Jackie Mittoo (Jamaican)

House Of Love - Beat Pharmacy (Wave Music)

Rob Smith.... phew! What a great set and lovely geezer, I'm raring for tomorrow night (except I won't be able to ask him 'what's this one?' virtually every track). I may well  have missed and mis-titled a few tunes during his sublime, best part of two hour, set. I do remember one of his Punch Drunk 12"'s making an appearance, and I'm pretty sure there was another track from the Welsh wonder Monkey, I'll be keeping a firm eye out for his gear in the future and several others from Robs futuristic rub-a-dub rhythm riot. Big thanks go out to Tom for making it happen and chaperoning Mr Smith.

Up this week is Onra's drop dead gorgeous 'Dreams', a track that Rob was quite taken with incidentally. It's from '1.0.8' which is now available on vinyl (Boomkat had it as album of the week, nice) and though I've been fortunate enough to have been thrashing  it from when he was over in November, it's a record that continues to grow on me. More Onra in this post and that one, non excuses monsieurs et madames buy buy buy .

(Onraspace) where you can buy '1.0.8' digitally for a paltry €5...get to it!

(buy) the LP

DREAMS - ONRA

This Just In - Rob Smith (RSD/Smith & Mighty) on Stinky Grooves tonight!!!

It's past 12... so today is tomorrow, if you know what I mean, but I've just confirmed Rob Smith will be joining me on Stinky Grooves this Tuesday (24.03.09) to spin a few tunes (proper oper vinyl and CDs, no frippery from this leg-end) and have a little chinwag, in anticipation of his appearance at 4.20 on Wednesday, and around the country following that. I'm pretty picky about folks coming up on Stinky Grooves (mainly in respect of the many mighty artists, producers  & DJ's that have visited since the early '90s, we don't have no riff raff) and I'm really excited about having Rob going over the bFM airwaves.

 The 'Steppers Delight EP' is one of the all time great 12"s in my estimation and it was stuck in my box for literally years, I still haul it out, and every time it gets an airing it's as timeless and monstrous as ever. You can pick it up for a very reasonable price at Discogs, and working in Real Groovy at the time of its release I can testify to there being a good 50+ copies floating around Auckland, because that was hot cakes business back then (alongside all the good S.U.A.D. hoo-ha, klonk records and other malarkey Mr Buchanan and myself were similarly taken by.)

Some of the earlier 3 Stripe material is more firmly linked to its time, but no less potent and revolutionary, and the dubwise business of Henry & Louis has often floated my boat. With its phenomenal depth and the experience of all those years on the boards shining through, Rob's solo R.S.D. gear over the last few years has exposed the lightweightness of much of the sample-CD soundbite, dibby dibby dudestep action that litters the shelves these days. 

Unfortunately though I have much vinyl I don't have any R.S.D. digitally so let's settle for a trio of Smith & Mighty scorchers close to hand, and look forward to this Bristolian beat bandit getting his renk on in AK over the next couple of days.

(RSDspace)

B LINE FI BLOW - SMITH & MIGHTY

DOWN IN RWANDA - SMITH & MIGHTY
MOVE YOU RUN - SMITH & MIGHTY WITH TAMMY PAYNE

Heatwavin' Hooteanny

Most times it's hard enough to squeeze a half-legible post out of my own sorry self, let alone giving anyone else's trumpet a parp. However when the gregarious Gabriel from London nouveau-bashmenteers Heatwave slipped me a mail kindly asking if I could shine a light on their renkingly robust Rowdy Bashment 2008 mix.... well how could I resist?

For those that don't know.... more's the pity. Their own bloggy activities are often so in tune with my personal flavours that it's uncanny, last week I played Mr (not very retired) Vegas's excellent 'Herbman Hustling' remake, the next day it pops up here. I pick out the refreshing bounce of 'No Disturb Sign' (also on the welcome return of the 'Heavenless' rhythm) from Cecile's re-vamped 'Worth It' album as a must-play on Stinky Grooves, and before I even had the chance to run it, well looky here.

It was their stunning (and still superior) mix for the Blogarhythms series that spawned Soul Jazz's mighty 'England Story' comp, and even though I wish someone would put the END in blend, their Punchline label has always had enough of a different angle to maintain interest. Quite simply they've got it going on.

Soooo it's a privilege to be able to link you to this little dose of rawkus reggaematical business they have put together, called Rowdy Bashment 2008. Typically it's chopped up like a samurai swordsman going for a productivity bonus, untypically the selection is tighter than a weta's battyhole, reminding me of when mixtapes were actually something you bought from dodgy fellers on the street, and shady shops in Fulton Mall, and the like.

Enough of my endless drivel, hit the links below and cop 79 tracks in 74 minutes, plenty of these were picked out for Stinky Grooves over the last year or so, and many that I passed on rub up just right in the truncated terrordome that is ....... ROWDY BASHMENT 2008.

Get Rowdy Bashment 2008

here (direct from source) here (ZShare) or here (Sendspace)

tracklist inna telephone directory style and fashion here

check the Heatwave site

If you'd like to send me anything for potential posteration right here, or radio/review/etc, then please do.  Just check the newly installed button to my dropbox at SoundCloud on the right, it's ridonkulously simple, and much less messy than  all that share this and that fandangle. 

Something for the weekend, sir?

It's post-mania here at StinkInc and there's more... yes more ..to come.

Firstly, heralded by the previously unpublished shots from the 'Superman You're Crying' video shoot above, I think time for a wee rah about this Friday's SJD gig in the Famous Speigeltent, currently located in the non space that is the Aotea Square.

Last AK Festival a couple of years ago, Slowdeck and myself got a chance to check out Aronas in the historical poled construction and it was gently mindblowing, at the end of a Friday arvo to be sitting in an atmosphere drenched, 87 year old tent (down the bottom of town that time) with a couple of beers, hearing some genuinely next level, fiercely percussive, proper-oper jazz business. Piano prodigy Aron Ottignon has shifted his fierce fingers (and the rest of him, and band) over to the UK, and as this Guardian review shows, Slowie and myself aren't alone in nutting out over this band.

As ever, I digress. No Aronas this time at the Fest, but at the more suitable (kinda) hour of 11.30 PM, SJD and highly esteemed combo will be laying on a lengthy stroll through their musical hinterlands which I, for one, am double plus looking forward to. This is a perfect venue for some Sean Donnelley sophistication (and Daddy Dom wisecracks) and furthermore this will, almost undoubtedly, be the last SJD appearance in Auckland for a good, long while. The last time I saw 'em have a proper stretch out up at the Leigh Sawmill in November, with stoic and stunning support from Bachelorette, it was simply monstrous, I'm counting on nothing less than mind-melding magnificence. For a limited time, heres something relatively old (from 'Lost Soul Music') and something relatively new (from 'Dayglo Spectres') SJD-wise, alongside something relatively blue and deeply driving from Aronas. Hitch yerself to these tunes forthwith, and don't be afraid to use the links to support your stereophonic sport.

(buy) all shades of SJD gear from here or lots of other places

(SJDspace)

(SJDweb)

(Tickets) for Fridays Speigeleration

(buy) the reconstituted Aronas 'Culture Tunnel' CD from here, can't find any online NZ sellers..

(Aronaspace)

96 SECONDS -SJD

FIRE IN THE CRAWLSPACE - SJD

ARONAS - ARONAS

Here's a short promo clip-ette made by Sean Grattan, and it would be churlish not to include the 'Superman You're Crying' video from 2004, which was extracted from the fevered imagination, production prowess and directorial deliciousness of Dominic & Simon Taylor. 

Stinky Grooves 17.03.09 & some Pritchard Mujaveration

Old School Hustling - Mr Vegas (Kilimanjaro)

Know Fi Love Dem Up - Josey Wales & Assassin (Big Yard)

Bad Man/La La (Fardah P Mix) - Lady Saw/Delfonics

Bad Man Goin Cry - Lady Saw (Big Yard)

Spliff Tail - Busy Signal (Jukeboxx)

Priority - Assassin (Jukeboxx)

Warzone - Peetah (Jukeboxx)

Love Is Lovely - Beenie Man (Jukeboxx)

Dubwise Version - Shane Brown (Jukeboxx)

Dewel - Mulatu Astatke & Heliocentrics (Strut)

Cha Cha  - Mulatu Astatke & Heliocentrics (Strut) 

Calzado - Chancha Via Circuito (ZZK)

Genuino- Chyno Nino & Tego Calderon

No Disturb Sign - Cecile (Danger Zone)

Inna Life/Instr - Laden (Chimney)

Too Fast - Vybz Kartel (Don Corleone)

Dem Fi Know Dat - Cham (Big Ship)

Peace Treaty Put Off - Busy Signal (Big Ship)

Dem Nuh Have - Bling Dawg

Push Bumper (Rmx) - Machel Montano & Busy Signal (Ruf Rex)

No Tracing (Pop Champagne) - Busy Signal 

Da Game Been Good To Me (Instr) - UGK (Jive)

La La La - Time & Space Machine (5D)

Time & Space Taxi - Time & Space Machine (5D)

When Doves Cry - Hollywood Mon Amour  ft Daneah (PIAS)

Yawn Yawn Yawn - Sth Notional (Claremont 56)

Rally Version - Nick Manasseh (Roots Garden)

Township Funk (Mark Pritchards Version Excursion) - DJ Mujava (Warp)

Time - Beat Pharmacy ft Damon Aaron (Wave Music)

Black Sun - Kode 9 (Hyperdub)

Milk Thistle - Cardopusher (Lo Dubs)

Deathroll - Red Snapper (Lo Recordings)

Addis Black Widow - Mulatu Astatke & Heliocentrics (Strut)

The Edge (Skip On Beat Rmx) - Mophono (Space Gallery)

Space Junky - Bosco Delrey (Klash City)

Psychedelic Circus - Time & Space Machine (5D)

Major Blitzkreig (22 Inch Wife Rmx) - Higamos Hogamos (DC Recordings)

Texas Rangers - Zombie Zombie (Versatile)

I've got a right ripper for you this week that was originally destined for the previous post, before I got tangled up in me tangents and votnot. This track was remix/rinsed-dry by every Tom, Dick & Diplo-wannabe last year, and most of 'em just removed the brilliant simplicity and right-wrongness of a track that sounds like a bunch of different things, in one gloriously booming package. Township Funk feels to me like hyped-up dancehall beats meeting L.F.O.'s African cousins inna Pretorian pressure-cooker showdown - or something like that. It's phenomenal on a big system, yet it's also got a touch of the revenge of the ringtone. DJ Mujava has created a one-off crucial conundrum, and I had a blah about it here in the '08 list.

Stepping up to the unenviable task of officially remixing (rather than just retooling for scene gratification) is a former guest on Stinky Grooves (and what a set of subsonic stenchworthyness he flung down!)  - Mark Pritchard. The Harmonic 313 album 'When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence'  continues to grow in my favours but this is some other business, creating a differently conundrumonising cut of majestic proportions. Enough virulent verbosity, have a preview below and then invest in said 12", available locally through Border and in good vinyl vendors left, right and centre elsewhere.

(buy) waxilly or digitalistically from (beatport)

(Pritchardspace)

(Mujavaspace)

(Warpspace)

(Warpweb)

TOWNSHIP FUNK (MARK PRITCHARD'S VERSION EXCURSION) - DJ MUJAVA

Messed-up mix-up, no blend.

With that pesky Top 100 tunes finally over, and a lesson learnt for this novice blogger, it feels like time for a few little low-stress posts, for a bit of balance. Well.... that's what I imagined, though typically it has got more complicated, divergent and long winded in the process.

There's been a few fresh gems touching down on wonderful wax this week, that have had me hanging around the decks like a man entranced. We spoke of 'Roots Garden Showcase 2' a week or two back, with the impossibly up-full Earl Sixteen cut 'Gold Dust' leaving purchase inevitable, well that and Nick Manasseh's veritably vital dub. None of the other vocals (Freddie McGregor, Danny Red etc) have really reached me in the same way, though somewhat predictably there's absolutely no complaint with any of the versions. With dub becoming an even more mis-used and overly bandied-about term (especially round these parts), it's refreshing to hear some proper modern tackle, from a man who knows his way around a mixing board, and has classical music training to boot.

That arrived with a bunch of cuts on Shane 'Jukeboxx' Brown's 'Dubwise' rhythm, which is a timeless treasure that is thankfully done justice with the quality of the vocal cuts. True to form it's Busy Signal's 'Spliff Tail' that has been getting the rub of the stinky green, but Assassin's 'Priority' is also a very tough contender, with Peetah's 'Warzone' and Beenie's 'Love Is Lovely' rounding out a package that is even stronger than the 'Nylon'. Particularly loving the little extended outro on 'Spliff Tail', and the version is sublime, but I aint posting that ... so buy a 7" or the series purlease.

(buy) or Beat Merchants would be the spot for local yokels

(Assassinspace)

(Assassinweb)

Signor Signal ponders...hmmm...find his myspace and web details all over this blog

Assassin looking windswept and interesting

 

SPLIFF TAIL - BUSY SIGNAL

PRIORITY - ASSASSIN

Picking up that handsome little stack from the fresh shipment of Ernie B-age at Beat Merchants,  it looked like I'm far from alone in rating this one, with Jukeboxx 7"s in almost every lucky customers pile. 

Another popular selection will surely be Lady Saw's 'Bad Man Goin Cry' which comes with a choice pairing up of the veteran outlaw Josey Wales and that man Assassin again on the flip. The rhythm is of course little more than a whopping great chunk of 'La La Means I Love You' by the Delfonics, as used by Ghostface to stunning effect on 'Holla'. It's a long time personal favourite in the utterly sodden soppy songs department round at Stinky Mansions, and potty mouthed Mz Saw is just the lass to give its some estrogenic sass. For good measure have a slurp on the sumptuous original and the late Alton Ellis's sweet version for Treasure Isle. I have a few more versions up my sleeve, quite a few more, but let's try and employ some moderation for once.

(buy) or BM in NZ

(Sawspace)

BAD MAN GOIN CRY - LADY SAW

(buy) yourself a little OG la la on cee dee

(buy) the brilliant Impalaville mix CD by NYC legend Johnny Paycheck which includes this cut and 27 other crucial portions of musical comfort food (soul, latin, r'n'b and other pertinent late night riding joints) done up as a rocking radio show. This is a  big Sunday favourite round our gaff, seriously.. seriously.. worth checking.

LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU - DELFONICS

(buy) the Alton Ellis  7" or
(buy) it on this crammed 3 CD Treasure Isle comp for a piffling price 

LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU - ALTON ELLIS

Right.... before I got off on that tangent, I had another tangent in mind which related to Assassin, an artist who just never seems to get the respect he should. As is witnessed on 'Priority', and his criminally under-rated and enjoyably wide-screen 'Gully Sitt'n' album from a couple of years back, he's often lyrically exceptional and far more flexible than many of his more celebrated contemporaries. I was supposed to interview him around the time of that album, but disappointingly it fell through. However moving further tangentially south I have been giving a bit of thought to the untouchable Madhouse supremo Dave Kelly and his spar Cham following an excellent post and robust discussion (which I chimed in at the end of) on wayneandwax. I had a natter with Cham from his Miami family home (replete with bawling pickneys in the background) prior to the release of the 'Ghetto Story' album, and after getting his diplomatic responses to the plethora of do-overs of the title track, and his less diplomatic but still well reasoned thoughts on Beenie and Bounty and their beef and grief towards him, the subject of Assassin came up. I rated his response, though I don't think it made it into the final piece.

"I've had people in JA say Assassin sound like you, people have wanted me to have beef with him, but yet still I've grown to know the individual and see that this kid has so much potential. We even recorded the man on two of our beats, we even called him on stage so people can see I aint dealing with none of that bad mind, trying to hold down someone. I reached out to Dave and told him, ‘we need to get this kid on a beat, give him some guidance’. I don't understand the beefing, when them talk about personal things in songs, that isn't lyrics, that isn't competition. If you want that lets make crazy, big tunes, see who can do that for 5 years."

Even though Atlantic made a hot mess out of promoting his album, and it suffered a mild case of Kardinalitus with it's overstuffed guest list, he's clearly on another path to those he came up with. His phenomenally successful working partnership with Kelly has resulted in an artist who can come up with something as gully and sincere as Ghetto Story or Conscience that hits like a scud at street level, yet also speak easily and knowledgeably about radio PD's, marketing and reading books to get his mentality on a different level.

He said a lot of smart stuff, and reading back through it, I particularly like his response when I asked him whether it was hard to contain himself to a few releases a year in complete contrast to almost everyone else in the JA industry.

"That’s the thing about it when I just started out because I had so many things to say it was a little hard, because you have so much inside you that you want to say two songs, three songs a day. Until I bought into the system, I saw that the system was really working,  separating me from the pack. At the end of the day what I got to realise was, I went to do a song for this producer and meanwhile I was recording he wasn’t even giving me pointers. Like nothing, he wasn’t even telling me to stop. When I finished recording I said to him ‘are you going to listen to it again to make sure it’s alright?’ And his remark was ‘nah that’s cool you were bought up by the great Dave Kelly’. That means if something gone wrong you’re not even going to hear, you’re just happy that you’ve got a Cham on tape and you can bargain a certain amount of money for that. So from thereon then I never even look at producers, whether they’re going to serve me good or not I just stick to the one because Dave is the type of guy who if I’m in the studio, and it’s not right he will send me home with it. No matter how famous or popular I got, that’s the same from day one. We do it again and again, until it right. Next producer’s not going to bother with that, he just knows it’s Cham, 'I know I can sell a couple of units, I can bargain X amount of money with a distributor for that'. I’m afraid of people hearing stuff out there that’s not up to the par that I’m really capable of doing."

There was a lot more worthwhile stuff and I would consider tidying up the transcript and posting the whole fandangle but I reckon thats more (like several thousand words) than most folks would want to read, let me know if you don't think that's so. So just to be contrary to what Cham just said I'm posting a brand new, non-Kelly, Cham track with him riding the young genius McGregor's 'Adovcate' rhythm. This ones a grower, unlike the clips below which were both instantaneous love at first site biz.

DEM FI KNOW DAT - CHAM

Stinky Grooves 10.03.09 & a soupcon of Higamos Hogamos-ity

A Land For Renegades - Zombie Zombie (Versatile)

Infinity Plus One (Emperor Machine Dub) - Higamos Hogamos (DC Recordings)

Coombia Del Piano Triste - El Trip Selector (ZZK)

Speech Nah You Freedom - Bugle  (Chimney)

Nah Go A Jail (Remix) - Busy Signal ft Maino (Cipha Sounds)

From Dem Dis - Busy Signal (Big Ship)

Tira Tu Paso (Step Out) - Mr Saiko ft Busy Signal

Payaso Pt 2 - Chyno Nino ft Tego Calderon

Gimme A Chance - Azealia Banks

Bout My Money - Joel Ortiz (Koch Records)

Sky Might Fall - Kid Cudi (GOOD)

Come Closer - Onra (Favourite)

Birds Of Prey (Fulgeance Rmx) - Architeq (Tirk)

Seven Thousand Pound Bee - Cherrystones (Lo Recordings)

Lovefingers (DJ Harvey Edit) - Silver Apples (Black Cock)

Starlight Noodle - Silver Apples

Jay Rules - Zombie Zombie (Versatile)

Psychic Harmonia 2 - Zombie Zombie (Versatile)

The Hidden Door - Belbury Poly (Ghost Box)

Flaash - Harmonic 313 (Warp)

Euros Vs Dollars (Pilooski Edit) - Octet (Dirty)

Double Dragon - Cardopusher (Lo Dubs)

Spaceman - Zomby (Hyperdub)

One Day - Sarantis ft Bunnington Judah (Senseless)

Ghostship - Beat Pharmacy ft Spaceape (Wave Music)

Strangers -  Beat Pharmacy ft Spaceape (Wave Music)

You Don't Know What Love Is - 2000F (Hyperdub)

Kingstep (Unitone HiFi Rmx) - Overproof Soundsystem (Elephant House)

Herb Dust - Nick Manasseh (Roots Garden)

Binman Dub - International Observer

Corn Man - King Tubby & The Observer All Stars (Greensleeves)

I Roy The Chiney Come Around - Derrick Morgan (Pressure Sounds)

Straight to I Roys Big Mouth - King Tubby & The Aggrovators (Pressure Sounds)

Straight To Derrrick Morgans Head - I Roy (Pressure Sounds)

Straight To Trico Lee's Head - King Tubby & The Aggrovators (Pressure Sounds)

Lifes A Gas - Black Mustang vs Kerrier District (Lo Recordings)

Uli, Mein Ponyhof Remix - Carl Craig, Moritz Von Oswald (Deutsche Gramophon)

In suiting what started off as a fairly dark and dank electroniqiod show this weeks pullout is a sly wee Emperor Machine dub of DC Recordings shiny new cab on the rank, Higamos Hogamos. This duo, made up of the exotically monikered Squire of Somerton and The Black Neon (ok Steve Webster and Toby Jenkins), are cooking a mighty mess of motorik mightyness in their synth splattered kitchen. Their debut EP featuring the ballbustingly brilliant The Illumanoids (which you can check out at the marvelous RCRDLBL) is troubling the vendors of superlative waxy black purchases around the glob, as I type. The album is mere weeks away (23d of this month) and it already has the makings of something that will cause me to drool like a fool. There's a lot of folks (the good, the sad and the insipid) claiming krautrock, scuffley shoegaze and noveau-school psychedelia as their calling cards these days, but these two shady fellows have got a solid dose of their own thing going on. 

DC just seems to go from strength to strength to the extent that they are getting downright scary.... what will they come up with next?? Can their superior weirdbeard electronics magnet continue to attract such fantastic filings... I suspect so and these dark times may be perfectly in-sync (or dare I say in-stink) with their stupefying stable. 

You can check about where their suitably fruity name comes from and their Fort Lauderdale past etc etc in the links below, there's a few other tracks floating around out there so search and should you respond favourably - pursue with every muscle in your body.

(buy) the first 12", NB This track is not on it but it does have a storming Depth Charge remix.
(HigamosHogamospace)
N.M.E. has a download of another remix here


INFINITY PLUS ONE (EMPEROR MACHINE DUB INSTRUMENTAL) - HIGAMOS HOGAMOS