Well needless to say I have been balls deep in Baile Funk whilst here at Man Recordings, but this is a mix I have been enjoying a LOT. Made in 2005, but still a full energy blast and booty booom boom MESS...
So last night, along with a great selection of artist in my CD wallet, I met DJ Zhao... he seems to be pushing the whole African vibe in Berlin, and is in fact putting on the Ayobaness party here.
Man FM is the Man Recordings podcast radio that gives you access to exclusive first listens to all the new Man Recordings releases, interviews with all Man artists, DJ mixes by special guests plus brand new tracks and classics that inspire the Man Recordings crew.
Hosted by Tim Turbo.
This installment’s guest is Estonian stallion, “Kid Conga” remix competition winner and Tallin's most wanted DJ: BERT ON BEATS.
Tim Turbo talks with him about his first EP on MAN RECORDINGS, the SUOMO EP (featuring the gorgeous Anbuley), his music career in Estonia and of course he blesses the show with an exclusive DJ mix. On top you’ll get the usual heavy bass accessory parts added by our host.
Lucas Hunter of Zombie Disco Squad (I think by default anyone interested in world music or world influenced house is a fan of ZDS) unveils not only his solo project, but also a new label; KLASSE RECORDINGS orchestrated by himself and fellow Berlin-dweller Daniel Zedelmair of the uber agency JACKMODE.
In preparation for the album launch this Sunday in Berlin, Lucas has released a super sick mix (I have had it on repeat all day) which includes a new track under his solo moniker; LUCA LOZANO
1. Luanda/Lisboa (feat. Dj Znobia) - Buraka Som Sistema 2. March Of The Soundbwoyz - Original Mix - Tayo 3. Morning Drums - Gregor Salto 4. Dama Salon - DJ Gregory, Sidney Samson 5. Beach Brazil - DJ Sany Pitbull 6. King Riddim feat. Lady Chann - Warrior One 7. Jump n' Shout - Basement Jaxx 8. King Of The Dancehall - Beenie Man 9. Insane (feat. Warrior Queen) - The Bug 10. On a Ragga Tip '97 (Original Mix) - SL2 11. No, No, No (You Don't Love Me) - Dawn Penn
But there are a few more fashion blips on my OH DEAR radar that have to be highlighted. These include;
The Terminator:
The Stand By Me cast:
And the Almost Boys Noize:
All thriving styles here in Berlin.
You can drink on the Tube here. Beer bottles are worth money, and can be cashed in at newsagents; thus there are less smashed in the streets/on heads.
I got the chance to go to the Havana Cultura release party; beautiful German girls who were all taller than me filled the room. It was ace.
There have been squat parties, bonfire parties on building sites, swimming in lakes, very little payment for travel to anywhere, outdoor raves, clubs that are open for days on end...
I also got the chance to sit down for dinner with Daniel Haaksman and Edu K; something which made me want to wee just a little bit.
Using the revolutionary blueprint of afrobeat as a launching pad, the dozen-strong members of Antibalas weave a rich tapestry of latin, jazz, classical, funk and soul into their rhythmic, horn-driven mix.
As distinguished as their recordings may be, Antibalas has truly become renowned for their relentless live shows. The band has averaged over 100 concerts a year, incessantly traversing the U.S, Canada and Europe in venues large and small be they the sweaty clubs of Brooklyn or in front of hordes of festival goers around the globe in exotic places like La Reunion and the Canary Islands.
The New York Times, the New Yorker, Rolling Stone magazine and a slew of others have taken serious notice.
Last year, Antibalas spent their time working as arrangers, orchestrators, composers and performers for the Off Broadway show “Fela!”.
Podcast 7 featured a number of songs from the Havana Cultura CD series. Out today, Havana Cultura: Remixed, an album that is well worth your attention in our view.
'Havana Cultura: Remixed' is the follow-up album to the outstanding 'Gilles Peterson presents Havana Cultura: New Cuba Sound', that was put out by Brownswood in October at the end of 2009. The original album was the product of an in-depth two-year exploration of the underground Cuban hip hop, afro-jazz, reggaeton and funk music scene, and a series of recording sessions taken over twelve months in the world famous Egrem Studios in Havana, culminating in a double CD release.
The first of the two CDs featured cover versions, as well as some original material as played by Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura Band; The result of hours of improvisation in the studio. It is these tracks that have been remixed by a whole host of exciting global electronic dance artists on the latest album.
Picking highlights from the album is a tough task but there are some stand-out tracks. The three remixes of 'Arroz Con Pollo' by Carl Cox, MJ Cole and Gotan Project's Philippe Cohen Solal, are all incredible songs in their own right. Whereas Carl Cox takes the track down the spaced-out dubstep route reminiscent of a Benga tune, MJ Cole keeps much of the upbeat Latin soul from the original, adding a driving bassline to some processed soca rimshot rhythms. Meanwhile the 'Solal "Soy Cuba" Remix' is a downtempo afro-beat take of the same song, but focuses much more on the playful vocal aspect of the original.
Also worth mentioning is the remix of 'Chekere Son' by Wichy de Vedado, who was specifically chosen as a Cuban remixer, and presented with the opportunity to fully exploit the Havana vibes from the Egrem recordings. His remix is a beautifully percussive, organic Latin explosion that really hammers home the origins of the overall release.
'Havana Cultura: Remixed' also comes as a double CD. On the second CD is an hour long mix by Gilles Peterson himself, that brings together all the remixes from the first CD including the four already mentioned and the remaining remixes by Seiji, Productor en Jefe, Michel Cleis, Skinner, 4hero, Rainer Trueby and Louie Vegas, plus a few extra remixes that do not feature on CD1. Below is a teaser of what you can expect from both CDs.
Dickon was also lucky enough to be at the release party for the album in Berlin, with live music from Kumar, one of the artists from the original release:
Gilles Peterson is playing at East Village in Shoreditch this coming Friday with support from Seiji, get yourselves down for a spot of dirty UK funky, broken beat and of course, plenty of Havana sounds.
Ninja: Yo, wat pomp? I’m Ninja (shows tattoo on hand), and this is my homegirl Yo-Landi Vi$$er. We’re kicking it here by Snoekies, at the harbour in Houtbaai. Yo-Landi: That’s right. Just eating a chip roll and some fish.
How’s your day working out so far?
Ninja: Fokken lekker. I just made up this track today thinking of that whole Yin-Yang concept we were talking about. The lyrics was going something like, um… Yin, Yang/Yin, Yang/Good, Bad/Happy, Sad/Kwaai, Kak/Life’s tough (beat box)… It’s gonna be duidelik.
Right. So, are you hip-hop or what?
Ninja: Ja we’re from the hip-hop family, but we do rap-rave next level shit. Die Antwoord started with my one homeboy, DJ Hi-Tek (shows tattoo on hand)—He’s got his own PC computer and he makes basically like phat rap-rave beats. I was checking out his shit, and we started making some beats, you know, next level shit. So then I was speaking to my homegirl Yo-Landi, you know she’s got some funk and super flavour, so we started with a kind of, like, 2Unlimited, C+C Music Factory kind of thing… but a bit more gangster, with a street edge. Then we found out you can put the songs for free on the interweb, no problem. Now the album’s pumping worldwide, like some next-level futuristic shit. Scotland, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Japan… In like, one second we’re in the overseas, it’s instant—like the matrix.
Umm, rave’s been a bit quiet lately.
Yo-Landi: It’s never been quiet in our homes. Ninja: Here in South Africa the taxis play rave music fokken loud my bru. You can hear it from the next city when the taxi comes through, you hear DOOM DOOM DOOM—they gooi the rap-rave megamixes pumping like a nightclub. So my main inspiration is the taxis. The whole album is based on the sound it’s gonna make when it’s pumping through a taxi—It’s that high energy shit you can’t compare. Yo-Landi: Our whole philosophy basically is, like, drive fast and play kak music loud. It’s a zef rap-rave jol, with lasers, smoke machines, 3D graphics, rappers… and everyone’s gonna be there.
Zef?
Ninja: Zef is our flavour, our style. It means fucking cool. But even more cool than fucking cool. No one can fuck with your shit. Zef’s the ultimate style, basically.
You reckon zef rap-rave in Afrikaans has any potential beyond, say Sunnyside or Parow?
Ninja: Our first album we decided to dig into our own personal flavour and just keep it real you know, and represent where we’re coming from and how we speak. The next album we’re working on is called Ten$ion, and on this album we want to rap more like tour guides of South Africa, like maintain our SA style and flavour but still bring it for people in the overseas to understand… with like 95% English and then just a bit of Afrikaans Yo-Landi: Afrikaans for all the swearing bits. Ninja: To sum it all up, in this place, South Africa, you get a lot of different things: whites, coloureds, English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, watookal—I’m like all these different things, all these different people, fucked into one person.
That may be true sir, but nobody from South Africa ever really makes it overseas. You do realise that?
Ninja: Ja, check it, but it’s like the long distance runners from Ethiopia—they always come to the Olympics and fuck everyone up heavy! Now why is that possible my blaar? It’s ‘cos in Ethiopia the air is fucking thin. There’s like fuck-all air there basically, so when they come to the levels of the Olympics they’ve got like super oxygenated lungs and fuck everyone up ten-nil. So that’s basically how I’m feeling about this; South Africa’s the fucking shit. All my inspiration, all my funk, all my flavour is from here but also we’re training at minimum oxygen levels, so I’m basically like a Ethiopian runner just waiting for the fucking Olympics. Give me the mic, give me the baton and we’ll see whose gonna take these motherfuckers out. I’m feeling that shit, I’ve got fucking goosebumps my bru. Yo-Landi: Mmm, these pickled onions are very nice Ninja: Ja these onions are pumping.
Diplo has released fairly groundbreaking stuff to date; his Piracy Funds Terrorism Mixtape was amongst this awesome output, along with Favela On Blast and Favela Strikes Back - 2 grimey and pretty amusing insights into the world of Brasilian Baile Funk; helping bring that sound to a wider audience.
The Favela On Blast film is all over torrent sites, and things seems to be going rather well for old Dippers...
...And then...
My scepticism about Diplo's latest collaborations leads me into this mixtape rather sheepishly; La Roux and Tiesto in the space of a couple of months? Really Diplo?
Sounds like someone wants another slice of the Commercial cake... or maybe the Royalties Pie...
The opening remix of the uber-overplayed "ladies' favourite" Bulletproof features pitched up vocals teamed with half step dub vibes.
As if, after a remix competition, I could stand to hear those same naff vox again, at yet another BPM... This orchestral take on La Roux's hit wouldn't have won the remix contest. And I have unticked it from my iTunes... That song is OVER.
My faith returns somewhat with the next dubby number; a delightful Jamaican heartbeat with pretty dreamy harmonies from La Roux. Something different; refreshing.
A few tracks later and a few either; " La Roux A Cappella + new instrumentals" or "La Roux instrumentals + new vocals" formulas into this mixtape, and, although I am mildly enjoying what's going on (and there is a lot of stuff I recognise as a result of La Roux's successful radio runs and I think at this point 'recognition' can be mistaken for 'enjoyment'), this whole concept seems disgustingly contrived...
And oh god here comes the autotune ghetto vocals. Get me out of here..!
Hold on, next track, that sounds like a Rusko bassline...
Yes. It's a Rusko bassline.
Funny, for a little while I thought Major Lazer had an ounce of integrity, but this is pure pop, pure money making.
I knew Diplo was a business man, but this is pretty ridiculous. It isn't that the music is in anyway BAD, it just isn't nearly as interesting, groundbreaking, experimental as I hoped it would be; total and utter radio-friendliness.
This is an album for La Roux fans, (The Death Of) Dubstep fans, and girls with skull candy headphones...
The 'SMD does Boy 8-Bit'-esque remix of Quicksand is pretty cool, that has to be said, but i would take those steel drums over it any day.
I feel like Diplo is confused. I feel like he is naive even, to work with such big artists and not expect fans like me to moan...
This mixtape is fun. I will admit that. And i know umpteen girls that will have it on repeat on their iPods... BUT I wanted something more; I wanted something special, and instead I have been given a faux lo-fi faux Jamaican-market-cassette rip of La Roux covers.
Lazerproof is an interesting take on what is going on in the contemporary mainstream, and certainly a good listen, but I find a lot of it baffling. Some odd decisions, and I was really hoping for something with an edge.
Meh.
Get yourself a copy of the Lazerproof Mixtape HERE
Ok. So, I was going to start a seperate blog for my Berlin adventure, but then it just seemed entirely relevant to Curriculum; since I am out here doing an internship at our recent Label Of The Month (for May) - Man Recordings.
I am going to try not to waffle, and to keep things concise and relevant, and post music I find to be in line with what we have been doing with Curriculum.
So, first of all, I arrived, I met a friend of a friend at the airport, we went to a bar, we got some drinks, we ate an awesome keb'ub (4% of the Turkish population or something resides in Berlin).
We headed home and got shitfaced on 1 Euro bottles of red wine. I was introduced to this:
Next day we trammed and trained into Alexanderplatz to meet some friends...
I wanted to have a look about so we split up and I headed to see some culture, since I had 2 hours to myself.
I walked a while and found some incredible buildings at Lustgarten. Google it to see what I mean. There were a lot of Bosnian refugees who constantly harassed for money. Obviously a tourist hotspot.
Next we went to a flat in Friedrichshain for a curry, and I met some ace people. One of whom is supporting Steve Aoki on the 17th, and another who has a friend who runs a Brasileiro radio show who he thinks I will get on with... so, BOOM.
Lots of beers, lots of banter. Tomorrow I meet Daniel Haaksman. Hooray.
This is an interview I found of him, which is interesting...
