Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year....

Thanks for all the love and support this year, I'm proud to say its been a successful one. Thank you to all my new devoted, sporadic and one time readers, a pleasure to have had your eyes and ears.


The blog will be shut over Christmas until early in the New year.... Until then Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year....


Peace & Blessins

K7 unveils Wolf + Lamb vs Soul Clap DJ Kicks

The next edition of !K7's DJ Kicks series is mixed by American duos Wolf + Lamb and Soul Clap.

Over the past few years, the two DJ teams have carved a new niche for house music in the US, thanks in part to the Wolf + Lamb label and its parties at The Marcy Hotel in Brooklyn. Both outfits push a sound that's a bit slower and sexier than what you're likely to hear in a European club, a vibe that Soul Clap's Eli Goldstein dubs "gentle and deep." After a couple of European tours and a series of big EPs, the foursome have settled in Miami for the winter and gotten to work on their first major compilation, which aims to encapsulate their trademark sound by highlighting many of artists from their enclave in the Northeast.

"The concept for this mix was originally going to be to use our favourite tracks from the last two years--y'know, classic stuff," Wolf + Lamb's Gadi Mizrahi says. "But then we thought it might be a stronger idea to do something that was about our world. We have such a strong sense of collective about the way we do things at the Marcy Hotel and on the Wolf + Lamb label... We figured if we could bring that to a mix and keep it in the family, with people who've released on the label we would have something special."

This means loads of new material by Wolf + Lamb regulars, such as Deniz Kurtel, Slow Hands and Greg Paulus of No Regular Play, plus Zev and Gadi themselves. Meanwhile, Soul Clap pay homage to their hometown of Boston with exclusive tunes by Tanner Ross and SECT. Goldstein makes his solo debut as Eli Gold, while Charles Levine (Soul Clap's other half) tries out his vocal talents on "Lonely C." Friends of family like Lee Curtiss and Benoit & Sergio fit into the tracklist as well.

According to Charlie Levine, there's one thing you can specifically expect not to hear on the mix: pop edits. "For Soul Clap, a lot of what we've done that has been hyped over the last couple of years has been edits," he says. "Now we're looking at all original material released on !K7. It's a timeless label and DJ Kicks is one of the oldest compilation series. It totally legitimizes Wolf + Lamb, Soul Clap and this new sound."

Tracklist
01. Greg Paulus - My Man's Gone Now (Intro)
02. Greg Paulus - Yellow Sky
03. Tanner Ross - Goodbye, Summer
04. Deniz Kurtel & Wolf + Lamb - Love Triangle (Interlude)
05. Double Hill - Everytime I Go
06. Charles Levine, Deniz Kurtel & Gadi Mizrahi - Stay Home
07. Michael J. Collins - You Lose (Interlude)
08. Greg Paulus - Suchashame (Soul Clap Remix)
09. Deniz Kurtel & Gadi Mizrahi feat. Camburn - Crank It Up
10. Eli Gold - Throw That (Interlude)
11. Soul Clap - 3 Wheel E-Motion
12. Lee Curtiss - South Aphrika
13. Soul Clap feat. Charles Levine - Lonely C
14. H-Foundation feat. Aion - Tonight (Wolf + Lamb Remix)
15. Eli Gold - Slow Down (Interlude)
16. Nicolas Jaar - Don't Believe The Hype
17. SECT feat. Ben Westbeech - In The Park
18. Slow Hands - Rough Patch
19. Nicolas Jaar - Can't See What Is Burning There
20. No Regular Play - Takin' U Back
21. DJ Harvey Presents Locussolus - Next To You (Soul Clap Remix)
22. Wolf + Lamb feat. Smirk - Therapist
23. Zev feat. Greg Paulus - We All
24. Seuil & Le Loup - Nautil Us
25. Gadi Mizrahi - I'll Set Your House
26. Benoit & Sergio - Walk And Talk
27. Voices Of Black - Fridays With Her

!K7 will release Wolf + Lamb vs Soul Clap DJ Kicks in March 2011.

This Weekends Activities

This weekend is abit of a roll over with christmas and all.... have fun and be safe...

Nlp Nightlife Sessions @ Dex Club,Sunday 26 December.

Line Up

Neil Pierce
Sy Sez
Mark Radford
Able
Carlos Florez
Kev Chase
DJ Jason Sol
Prolific Deejay


Time: 9:00pm - 07:00am
Venue: Dex Club, 467-469 Brixton Road, SW9 8HH
Cost: 10


Crèche Christmas Gathering with Glimpse Live & Maya Jane Coles @ Queen of Hoxton, Monday 27 December.

Line Up

Glimpse (Live) (crosstown rebels/buzzin fly/cocoon)
Maya Jane Coles (Real Tone/Hypercolour)
Alexis Raphael
Cozzy D
Lee Brinx
Johnny Mikes
Tom Webb
Aaron Ashley

Time: 2pm until midnight
Venue: Queen of Hoxton, 1 Curtain Road, London. EC2A 3JX
Cost: FREE B4 4pm/£5 after [cons list]

Some Of My Favourite Tracks 2010

There have been soooo soooo many wonderful tracks over the course of this year, I don't have the time to write about them all. So I have chosen a few that sprung to mind... Trust me when I say this wasn't the half of them...

Phil Asher and Kai Alce - Someone (feat. Kayenne)

This has to be one of my fav tracks this year, a new classic in my opinion. It has all the right ingredients to make your dancefloor move, no matter where you are or what kind of audience you have and for the connoisseur it has production elements that keep coming out from nowhere every time you listen. All in all this tune captivates and is a must have.

Phil Asher and Kai Alce - Someone feat. Kayenne - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format


Kay Suzuki - Opening EP (Incl. Atjazz & Ezel Mixes)

Absolutely loved the whole ep from start to finnish with some stand out mixes from Atjazz & Ezel, superb quality productions and such a great way to start Kay's new label off. I'm really looking forward to hearing all the stuff coming from Round in Motion, as i'm sure its going to be mind blowing.

Kay Suzuki - Opening EP (Incl. Atjazz & Ezel Mixes) - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format

Lovebirds - My Man (Incl. KiNK Remix)

Now on this E.P. strangely..... It wasn't the Lovebirds doing it for me!! It was Kink, who if you ask me has been firing them out the last two years. Here Kink comes with that gritty original "Buzz" sound of his which has earned him international acclaim over the years. This and the rachel E.P. are favs of mine..

Lovebirds - My Man (Incl. KiNK Remix) - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format


Motor City Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts Vol.1

The sound generated by different noises is interpreted differently by everyone but if you claim to like house music and don't like MCDE (please exit left) or catch up!!! Because this whole album is full of good deep/soul for your heart.

Motor City Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts Vol.1 - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format


Ezel feat. Tamara Wellons - In My Lifetime (Incl. Osunlade, Deetron & Atjazz Mixes)

Where do I start with a package like this, that captivated thousands... This record was an intense ball of loving pressure which not only soothed your soul but got your dancing shoes working in overdrive.

Ezel feat. Tamara Wellons - In My Lifetime (Incl. Osunlade, Deetron & Atjazz Mixes) - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format


A.C. Layne - Addicted / Lets Go (feat. Selina Campbell)

If you don't get many pleasures in life, listening to this track on full volume should be one of them!! From the moment I heard that rough edged hi-hat, I knew something special was going to happen and happen it did. My ears were blessed by the sounds of A.C. and vocals of Selina to give me a marriage made in heaven on this track. A great collaboration on great imprint restless soul music

A.C. Layne - Addicted / Lets Go - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format

Atjazz & Mark de Clive-Lowe - Sweat No Sleep

This track right here did naughty things to my ears and mind, the Atjazz astro dub was in my car, iPhone, macbook, cd player and in my mixes. This track just has something warm and special about it, I couldn't tell you a specific thing because in fact its everything and nothing that makes this track.

Atjazz & Mark de Clive-Lowe - Sweat No Sleep - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format


Greymatter - Mind Over Matter Remixes (Incl. TRG, Fanatix, Karizma, Illum Sphere, Souled, Ceramic, Klic)

A powerful package with dope mixes from everyone on it, absolute dancefloor stompers from The Fanatix, Karizma & Souled. The karizma mix is the stand out for me though..


Greymatter - Mind Over Matter Remixes (Incl. TRG, Fanatix, Karizma, Illum Sphere, Souled, Ceramic, Klic) - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format

Mondays Music

Fresh Minute Music Podcast 15. December by Souled

b i p o l a r WAVES -ep.22- 120 and below by KaySuzuki

http://soundcloud.com/osunlade/berlins-calling

dan Mela November's Selected: Cutz & Partial Tracks (no full mix version) by dan Mela

DSoH #349 1st hour by Lars Behrenroth

Interview with Larry Heard

For those that dont know... have a look at some history...

Chez Damier looks into 2011

While Chez Damier was preparing to head in to the studio in Paris as part of his European tour, Giles Smith caught up with the man himself to talk about the follow up to “The Gathering”, his early days going out in New York and the influence that The Sound Factory had on him and his partner Ron Trent’s music, as well as Chez sharing some of his soul food tips! Read this exclusive interview as he reveals details about his 2011 plans for the very first time. Chez will be in London at the end of this month as he headlines the secretsundaze NYE bash at The Red Gallery in Shoreditch.



1. How has the last year been for you touring again? How have things changed and can you tell us about any highlights or funny stories?

I have to honestly say that I have been so touched by all the gigs I have done over the last year. There’s just been a really positive reaction to me being back on the road and that’s quite overwhelming. There was this one particularly special story for me in Milan where a disabled guy with only one leg in a wheelchair forced his way to the front on a very busy dancefloor. He was basically going crazy in his chair and as odd as it may seem this bought a tear to my eye as he grabbed my attention and was totally losing it!

2. Did you know that there is now an act called Morning Factory? How do you feel about that?

No I didn't know that. I think it's inspiring that someone has named themselves after something we made so long ago.

3. Can you tell us the story about Morning Factory and where the name came from?

The name came about as Ron and I had been on a club pilgrimage to The Sound Factory in New York where Junior Vasquez would spin. We were just partying and looking for inspiration. It was the first time I had taken Ron. It had been an amazing morning. We flew back to Detroit the next day. We were living together at that time and had the studio at home and we were so inspired by what we had heard we started to work on this track. We got stuck in a hypnotic loop and the track was designed to be something we ideally wanted to hear Junior play late in the morning of a great set. After finishing the track we kinda had a feeling that we were onto something special but it was confirmed right before our eyes when we gave it to a DJ called Troy Parish, who while playing live in a club, remixed it on the spot, looping it and mixing tracks over it and we saw the crowd go completely crazy.

4. What have you got coming up in 2011?

I am really excited to release my first LP on the Mojuba imprint. Mojuba are releasing all my original productions and some re-releases whereas Balance is a conduit for other artists that I like and want to support.




5. You are currently in Paris to play and are also making some studio time to continue where you left off with The Gathering, “In My System”, the track you co-wrote and did vocals for with Jeff K and Chris Carrier. Can you tell us about this?

Well we didn’t want to repeat “In My System” and this one definitely has a more 80’s electro feel. We are also working with another female vocalist on this.

6. You compared cooking to making music if I am not mistaken. Can you tell us you're favourite recipe?

In most soul cooking we don't measure by measurement we measure by eyesight and feel baby! So much of good cooking is done on feeling not exact measurements and yes this is exactly my approach to making music too. Being in the hotel now I can’t describe to you how I would concoct up a delight but if you were at my house I would show you how to make my meaty mushroom lasagna!

This Weekends Activities

Warm with Motor City Drum Ensemble @ Plastic People, Friday 17th.

Line Up

Motor City Drum Ensemble (MCDE)
Warm Residents




Time: 10:00pm - 4:00am
Venue: Plastic People, 147-149 Curtain Road, EC2A 3QE
Cost: £8 in Advance / £10 on the door







Dig Deep Christmas Special with Trinidadiandeep @ The Brickhousek, Saturday 18th.

Line Up

TrinidadianDeep
Pablo Martinez
DjDoubleO
Joseph Hines
PA by Adeola Ranson




Time: 10.30pm till 3am
Venue: The Brickhouse, 152c Brick Lane, Shoreditch E1 6RU
Cost: Door: £8 door / email: info@pablomartinez.info for £5 concs list



Soul Clap presents: Yoyoyo 90's Jam Rave E-Dition @ Hearn Street Car Park, Saturday 18th.

Line Up

Soul Clap
Danny Rampling
Rob Mello
Robert Owens (LIVE)



Time: 10:00pm - 6:00am
Venue: Hearn Street Car Park, 7-11 Hearn St, Shoreditch, London, EC2 3LS
Cost: £15 second release £20 on the door

iPad Music Apps

Osunlade Video Interviews

Maya Jane Coles Interview & Trax

As we head into a New Year, Maya Jane Coles finds herself riding pretty atop a wave of interest. We catch up with the girl everyone's talking about...

Although now on the tip of everyone's tongue in the wake of her organ-lead anthem, 'What They Say' on Real Tone, Maya Jane Coles has been doing this a while. Still only 23, she casually started producing in her mid teens, whilst the first releases proper have come in the last two years on Dogmatik and 1trax. Besides both a house and tech bent, though, there is also dubstep in Coles' arsenal, with chilling cut "Can't Hide the Way I Feel' (released under her Nocturnal Sunshine moniker) the proof she is to be bound to no one niche in particular.

Her Hypercolour EP, Hummingbird (five tracks of variously percussive, dancefloor, sultry and vocal house), is out now, and word is there are plenty more remixes and productions in the pipeline. So, we decided to get in touch with surely one of the hottest prospects for 2011, Maya Jane Coles...


What music did you grow up around as a child, what did your parents play?

I was lucky to grow up hearing all kinds of different music. My parents are very eclectic people so it opened my mind to a lot of different styles from a young age. Growing up I'd hear everything from Dub to Punk to Soul and Jazz to World to Classical music around the house.

When did you first hear electronic music? How did it make you feel and what was it?

The first electronic sounds that I got into was anything Bristol sounding. I remember the first time I ever listened to Portishead and Massive Attack I was absolutely blown away. I was also really into Drum & Bass as well back at school, and those were the first kind of parties I used to go to.
Did you start collecting records/DJing/producing straight away? How long after you started were you happy to play out/release records?

I started out as a producer and that's my main trade. The DJing came later off the back of the productions.

With the production I knew it was what I wanted to do from the first few tunes I ever made when I was 15. If someone had offered to release my music then I would have said yes cause I was so excited about it. Good job I didn't cause there'd be no taking it back now!

Why did you want to become a DJ/producer – what appealed to you most? The parties/making music/performing…?

It wasn't like "Oh I want to become a producer, I better learn how to make music…." It was more like, I played a few instruments, I loved writing music and one day I took it a little more seriously and realised it was what I wanted to do with my life. Actually creating the music is definitely the most appealing part for me. The parties and DJing are a bonus :)

Is making music/DJing a full time ting now? Has it been like that since you started?

Yeah it's a full time thing. Since I left education I've pretty much been able to get by spending most of my time doing music related things. I've also done things like teaching music and graphic design to help me to survive throughout the years.

Why do you have the many different monikers – why not just use one name?

There are two of us in She Is Danger, so it has to have a different name.

Nocturnal Sunshine is the alias I use for my dubstep project. I chose to keep this separate cause it's a very specific project. Everything else I do is under my name.

Can you tell us a bit about each (Nocturnal Sunshine, She Is Danger, your own name)– are they all influenced by different things and quite separate or?

She Is Danger is a collaboration between myself and Vocalist/instrumentalist Lena Cullen. We have worked together to create a very distinct sound and work mainly on full vocal stuff with a more conventional song structure compared to what I like to do with some of my solo stuff. Nocturnal Sunshine is a project specifically for my Dubstep based productions which have quite a dark sound with a hint of light (hence the name). And anything else that I do goes under my own name. All projects are definitely influenced by different things but at the end of the day you can definitely hear that they are all my own productions.

Contradiction by Maya Jane Coles

Do any of your aliases get more time than the other? When writing, do you think “OK, I'm going to do some Nocturnal Sunshine music today” or do you just write it and then assign it a moniker?!

I guess the MJC stuff gets the most time cause that's not genre specific. With the other stuff it's music that I usually plan to do (even though I'm rubbish at planning!), whereas with the stuff under my own name it's just whatever comes out. Although most of what has been released so far under MJC is House based stuff, the music I generally make in my own time covers a lot of different areas. I'm currently working on the MJC album and I definitely wouldn't class it as House music.
Do you think you have a distinctive style to your music? Are there any rules you impose on yourself in the writing/recording process?

I'd like to think I do! I don't really like to create too many rules for myself when I make music cause it takes the fun away from it. I guess it's just to make sure I finish anything to the best I can do it, cause my best is all I can do :)

So you DJ as well as play live? What sort of set up do you use? (Do you perform under all your different monikers?)

I DJ under my own name and play live as part of She Is Danger. When we perform I trigger FX and loops running Ableton, play some synths and do spoken word, and Lena does main vocals, plays synths, uses delay loop station and plays melodica, so we've got quite a bit going on between the two of us!

Where do you look for new music and how often? How must a record make you feel before you play it out?

A record's gotta make me feel some kind of emotion for me to play it or want to listen to it. Whether it's happy or sad or excited or just makes me wanna dance. I'm always listening out for new music to play. I like to play a lot of my own stuff and my friends' music in my sets.

How has your year been? What have been your biggest challenges?

My years been amazing! Didn't expect so much to happen before the end of the year. I've had some real highs and real lows but that's how it goes, and overall it's been fantastic. One of my biggest challenges recently was dealing with getting all my equipment stolen after a live gig. I lost loads of new stuff and work in progress. But I just had to accept it and move on. And to be honest it was just a push to make my new music better than what I had lost!

How have your musical tastes evolved for you this year? What has got you going?

My musical tastes evolve (or broaden) all the time. I love discovering new music and new sounds. At the moment I've been absolutely rinsing Warpaint's album "The Fool".

What have you got planned for 2011?

To take over!

Humming Bird by Maya Jane Coles

Dj Koze Interview + Mix

What are you listening to right now?
Dudley Perkins, Holy Smoke, High Places, Bibio.

What's the weirdest story you have ever heard about yourself?
That I will be the leader of a new generation and I can change the world with my wonderful music and stuff like that.

What band did you want to be in when you were 15?
Public Enemy. I was thinking maybe I could replace Terminator X 'cause I can scratch better than him, and fight shoulder-to-shoulder racism.

Worst live show experience?
I don't know, but my last strange experience was in Bogotá three days ago, where two minutes after I started my set, the technician tangled himself in a cable and completely wiped out the DJ set-up, breaking the table. We were able to fix it a few minutes later, and the sound came back, and the atmosphere was even better than before. Let's all make mistakes!

Favorite city in which to play?
Bogotá.

Favorite studio toy?
My balafon.

What is one thing you couldn’t live without?
I have a small favorite soft pillow. I can't sleep without it.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
I have a clothing problem.

If you could reduce your music to a single word, what would it be?
Warm.

If you had to listen to one song on repeat for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?
Maybe a part of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians. It's so long and there is so much to discover.

What did you always get in trouble for when you were little?
Being honest.

Which other artist would you most like to work with next?
I will not say. If he/they read it now, it would be a bit embarrassing for me.

What's the last thing you read?
Tom Wolfe's I Am Charlotte Simmons.

Complete this sentence: In the future...
I want to paint more and become a better person.

Stupidest thing you've done in the last 12 months?
After [many] years I bought myself a new laptop. It was not easy to get all the stuff copied from the old one, but finally I got it. Three days later I put my laptop on the security belt at London City Airport and forgot to take it after scanning... but—Swahimi-style—they found it and I got it back.

What's next?
Running our the PAMPA label, which I just founded with my friend Marcus Fink to release good music from nice human beings.


And heres the mix of Koze's I always used to play....
DJ Koze - "Resident Advisor Podcast 145" by wwwsososoondotcom

1 Mount Kimbie - William
2 Soulphiction - What's Your Name
3 Moodymann - Freeki Mutha F cker
4 NSI - David Hassell
5 Lowtec - I Remember
6 Syncom Data - Beyond The Stars (Speedy J Remix)
7 Ben Klock - OK
8 Modi (2) And Fegiz - El Solitaire
9 Missing Link, The - 911
10 Lazy Fat People - Low Profile
11 AntonZap* - Pm Please
12 When Saints Go Machine - Fail Forever (dOP Remix)
13 Lowtec - Untitled
14 Animal Collective - My Girls

This Weekends Activities

Buzzin' Fly Winter Party @ Cable London, Saturday 11th.
Line Up

Ben Watt
Lawrence (Dial)
Tim Sweeney (Beats In Space / DFA)
RNDM (Dial)
Disco Bloodbath
Chris Woodward




Time: 10:00pm - 6:00am
Venue: Cable London, 33 Bermondsey St, London SE1 2EG
Cost: Door £13 (Advance £7.50 - £10)



Community presents Sebo K @ Plan B, Saturday 11th.
Line Up

Sebo K (Mobilee/Watergate)
Delano Smith (Detroit)
Nick Agha
Alex Batchelor




Time: 21.00 - 05.00
Venue: Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, Brixton, London, SW9, UK
Cost: £8 ADVANCE, £10




Tribe Xmas Party with Josh Milan @ The City Arts & Music Project (CAMP), Saturday 11th.
Line Up

JOSH MILAN
ZEPHERIN SAINT
MATT L-S
KRISTEL MORIN



Time: 10.00pm - 4.00am
Venue: The City Arts & Music Project (CAMP), 70-74 City Road, Shoreditch, London, UK
Cost: £10 in advance from Ticket web www.ticketweb.co.uk. £15 on the door

Moodmusic starts new series with Forgotten

Moodmusic has a new compilation series in the works, beginning later this month with Forgotten - A Moodmusic Compilation.

Sasse launched Moodmusic in Turku, Finland back in the mid-'90s. In the years since then, he's set up shop in Berlin and put out more than 100 deep records. With a catalog that includes Dirt Crew, Lil Tony and Henrik Schwarz, their 12-inches tend to aim squarely for the club, but Forgotten shows a slightly deeper side of the label, thanks in part to debut appearances from Tony Lionni and Dessous Recordings boss Vincenzo. The collection will be Moodmusic's second this year, following last winter's Moodmusic Chapter 4. As with that release, Forgotten will only be available digitally.

Tracklist

01. Filipsson & Lindblad - Reflections (Tokyo Black Star Remix
02. Nick Chacona - Fear (Sare Havlicek Vocal Remix)
03. Dirt Crew - Deep Cover (Vincenzo Remix)
04. Axel Boman - Cinquenta
05. Geelong Breakfast Club - Amboy (Nick Harris Remix)
06. Phonogenic - Feel The Hear
07. Sasse & James Flavour - The Right Way (Tony Lionni Remix)
08. Martin Eyerer & Sasse - Save My Life (Phonogenic Dub)
09. Lemon Popsicle - Chordelia (Sasse Remix)
10. Stel - Last Night On Earth (John Dalagelic Dub)
11. Filippo Moscatello - Kleinmond (Taras Van De Voorde Remix)

Moodmusic will release Forgotten - A Moodmusic Compilation on December 22nd, 2010.

Mondays Mixes...

Some nice mixes to start your week off....

4 DECEMBER RADIO FG by DJ Yellow / Alain Ho /

Shur-i-kan In the Mix December 2010 by shurikan

Neil Pierce beat players launch party mix by djneilpierce

Nick Harris - Ibiza Voice Podcast (November 2010) by nicknrk

Interview with Dj Gregory

Y'know it, even if you think you don't. DJ Gregory, soft-spoken by nature, is one of those producers who have filed down the ammunition for your Saturday night fights without drawing undue attention to himself.

Gregory began his recording career in the late 1990s, ultimately becoming affiliated with the Africanism project before founding his own label, Faya Combo, to push the sophisticated blend of dancefloor-friendly House and roots music from the African continent. Many of his tracks - "Tropical Soundclash" and "Paris Luanda" in particular - had a great deal to do with prepping the underground audiences for the onslaught of tracks from the new generation of African House Music producers.

"The explosion in South Africa is not sudden," he told me. "More and more people hear about what is going on there now but the scene has been there for years."

To celebrate his recording career, Defected is releasing a Gregory-centric edition of their famed House Masters series on December 6th, bringing together his original productions and many prominent remixes together in a DJ friendly, unmixed collection. I had a brief chat with Gregory ahead of next week's release date.



This article is from my pals over @ 5Magazine


What importance do you attach to the Africanism project (and your involvement in it) in maybe getting an audience prepped to hear the sounds coming out of Africa?

Africanism is really a great moment for all of us who were involved in the project. Back in 2000, we had this idea of doing fresh basic tracks to play at the parties, releasing the music without any promotion, just for the fun of it. The success has been way above any of our expectations. They were great days.

The House Masters series pulls together a bunch of your productions and remixes, so it seems appropriate we go into a few of them in detail. I want to start with "And". It seems to gather together elements common on many tracks but which are rarely combined into one. Can you tell me something about writing this track and the Rancido Dub on House Masters?
"And" is the typical track I jammed in the studio and had a lot of fun with it. Back then Kerri Chandler did a dope remix. For the new House Masters compilation I asked Rancido, first because I moved to Amsterdam two years ago and I love the idea of working closely with the amount of talents that you have there, and secondly because I really wanted to have something from Rancido who among others represents the Deep House sound in Holland.

From what I can tell, Kenny Dope's remix of "Tropical Soundclash" is now a "House Master" track twice over, as it appeared on the K-Dope installment as well. I know this was a huge hit in 2003 - can you tell me a bit about writing it, and what it's meant for your career?

"Tropical Soundclash" was the first release of my label, Faya Combo. After the huge wave of the Africanism project, it was important for me because this was the opportunity to say to the audience that I had more to drop. The success of "Tropical Soundclash" has been really huge which I didn't expect at all. So for sure it allowed me to have more attention on releases I've dropped since then.

I gotta ask about "Paris Luanda", which is one of the most unusual dancefloor killers. It breaks just about every cliché of a House anthem and yet it's an anthem anyway! Is there a reason that this track opens and closes the project?

"Paris Luanda" is funny because we were working all day, and at the end of the day we were speaking with the boys working with us. I don't know why but all of a sudden one of the guys just dropped the lyrics for "Paris Luanda" and we just went from there.

I love the idea of travelling and making the music out there - I may finish it at home but for me it has to be made at the place.

What more can I say? Defected, Gregor Salto and I really liked the track and we felt putting two versions in the compilation was the right thing to do. As simple as that - when it's good you may want a bit more, right?

Ezel featuring Monday Michiru "Path to Love" Remix Contest

.... "give me shelter from the rain" says Monday as Autumn is upon us. We are excited to share with you Monday Michiru's beautiful vocal in this 1st ever Ocha Records remix contest. Ezel's created an amazing jazzed out backdrop for Monday to do her thing and now we want to see who can take it in another direction. 2 winners will have their mixes released digitally on Ocha Records in Spring 2011. Ezel, Osunlade and Carlos Mena will be your judges for the competition.

We are providing you with just the vocal parts to encourage creativity. Good luck! You have till January 7th.

Remixers will not infringe on any copyrights with their use of samples. All mixes submitted become the property of Ocha Records. Deadline: January 7th 2011.

Sumbit your remixes to remix@ocharecords.com

Heres the parts:

Ezel Ft. Monday Michiru "Path to Love" Remix Contest by casamena

This Weekends Activities

Bbe Records Xmas Party @ Paradise, Friday 3rd.

Line Up

Pete Adarkwah (BBE)
T.Maronie (Ladybugz/BBE)
Phil Asher (Restless Soul/BBE)
+ Special Guest



Time: 8pm till 2am
Venue: Paradise, 19 Kilburn Lane, London W10 4AE
Cost: free b4 10pm £3 after



Beat Players @ East Village, Friday 3rd.

Line Up

Neil Pierce
Sy Sez
Collin Patterson
Shaun Samuel




Time: 9.00pm - 3.30am
Venue: East Village, 89 Great Eastern St, London, EC2A 3HX
Cost: £6 before 11pm £8 after




VIVA LA HOUSE presents Rocco & Bugz in the Attic @ The Den, Saturday 4th.

Line Up

Room 1

ROCCO (Real Tone / France)
NICK DOE (Viva La House)
SY SEZ (Soul Heaven / Aphrodisiax)
TOM BULWER (Ministry of Sound Radio / 2Deep)
MARK RADFORD (CSWS)
MANIO (House Hunting)

Room 2

BUGZ IN THE ATTIC
With Support from

T MARONIE (LadyBugz)
SHANE B & WEZ WHYNT (Deep Secrets)


Time: 10:00pm - 6:00am
Venue: The Den, 10A West Central St, WC1A 1JJ ,London.
Cost: Advance £10 tickets or Limited £12 Concessions list.

Mr Frankie Knuckles

Knuckles began his DJ 'cadetship' alongside legendary DJ Larry Levan at the Continental Baths in New York City where they lived and played until Knuckles moved to Chicago to take the reigns of a new club called the Warehouse.

Along with Ron Hardy at the Music Box and others, Knuckles started mixing this new sound of raw drum machine-based edits that were being created by a fresh-faced bunch of budding producers who relished the 'Punk' music ethos of DIY. Knuckles would mix in this sound with a crateful of Disco, Funk, RNB and anything that moved the crowd which included people like Derrick May who would travel from Detroit to be part of the action.

He then began his production career when a young Jamie Principle approached him with some of his own tracks. The result, amongst others, was a cut called 'Your Love' which some people refer to as possible the greatest House track in the music's rich history.

Knuckles went on to score a huge dancefloor anthem in the 90s with 'The Whistle Song' along with remixing stars like Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Toni Braxton, Lisa Stansfield, The Pet Shop Boys, Diana Ross and more. He also has a street named after him.

He's an inductee in the Dance Music Hall Of Fame and recently returned in a big way with his remix of Hercules And Love Affair's 'Blind', although he really had never gone away.

Mark Murphy Interviews Frankie Knuckles by Spankrecords

What are you thankful for in music??

(This is a sourced article)

In no particular order, here are some of the ones in my mind in the days of 2010.


1. MIDI: MIDI gets kicked around a bit – it’s not a perfect protocol, commonly-used messages are low resolution, and the parts most people use really haven’t changed since the mid-80s. But don’t discount why we use it so much: it’s ubiquitous, cheap, and lightweight. Want something simple that works over WiFi and Bluetooth? Want to connect something from 1986 you found on eBay to your iPad and then use on a DIY synth with a $3 microcontroller? Want to connect an Xbox keytar without any hacking? MIDI may not be the right tool for every job, but as a lingua franca, it sure is darned useful. midi.org

2. Linux: Linux can still sometimes exhibit a punishing learning curve, and proprietary drivers for devices like video cards can cause issues. But in a world of wildly diverse hardware and painfully-quick obsolescence, Linux is a lifesaver. It can resurrect old machines, make netbooks usable, and the Linux kernel is fast becoming the solution for embedded gear from Android-powered devices to DIY projects. For music, that means an OS that can run on anything, and quickly wind up making noise with tools from Pd and Csound to Renoise and DJ app Mixxx. Suddenly, anything that runs on electricity and has a processor looks like fair game. linuxaudio.org

3. Music notation: Fun toys aside, what’s the real killer app in 2010? It might be the score. It’s still the fastest way to communicate a musical idea to someone else, or quickly play the Billy Joel tune your cousin wanted to sing along with. (Best karaoke machine in the world: your brain.) And this year, we saw improved ways to enter those scores, from ever-more-mature commercial packages to free tools like Lilypad. An iPad can be a fake book full of lead sheets; a browser can turn some quickly-typed notes into notation. All this using something that wouldn’t look entirely unfamiliar to someone who stepped through a wormhole from a few centuries ago.

4. Reaper: We face a challenge in music technology: we’ve actually got too many great options. So it’s a good thing that there’s at least one DAW that’s easy to recommend that you know people can afford, with pricing ranging from £30-120. Reaper runs on Mac, Windows, and (with WINE) Linux. It’s not bloated with features, has no DRM, is heavily extensible (with both custom plug-ins and scriptable MIDI). And if you’re trying to get a friend to try a DAW without (cough) pirating it, you can point them to Reaper’s free trial version. Add to that the fact that you can author Rock Band songs for the game platform – including full keyboard and guitar transcriptions in the near future with Rock Band 3 – and Reaper is a DAW worth keeping around. reaper.fm

5. Four-lettered Synth Makers That Remember the Past: Not one but two famous names from synths yesteryear, MOOG and KORG, have been on fire in 2010. Moog celebrated its Minimoog anniversary with an enormous XL edition. Practical? Not terribly. Something boys and girls could pin up to their walls? Yes. And Moog also had a bigger-than-ever Moogfest, proving its synths and effects weren’t just the domain of electronic music geeks, plus an affordable iPhone/iPod touch app that turns those handhelds into portable machines capable of recording anything and adding far-out effects. KORG, for their part, proves a big music tech name can remember their past, too, with the soul of their MS-20 appearing in iPad apps, wonderful, stocking stuffer-friendly hardware (Monotron), new bundles of software emulation (for those who prefer “real computers” to iPads), and, heck, even retro t-shirts. What these two companies have in common: understanding that their legacy matters to people, and finding ways to get that legacy in front of as large an audience as possible. Those are both ideas I hope catch on. korg.com, moogmusic.com

6. Portable Recorders: Then: Marantz, Nagra, Tascam Portastudio. Today: go-anywhere field recorders from Tascam, Zoom, Roland, Korg, and many others. The ability to go out and actually record stuff remains one of the most essential needs in music tech. Today’s devices add nifty extras like pitch-independent tempo adjustment and built-in metronomes, making them as much a friend to musicians as they are sound designers. Odds are, if you’re reading this, some portable audio recorder is one of your most valuable possessions. Tascam DR-03 @ CDM

7. Pd: Pure Data, the open-source offspring of Max/MSP creator Miller Puckette and contributors around the world, is a free graphical patching tool that runs everywhere. You can use it on ancient iPods, or – via libpd – on bleeding-edge Android and iOS handhelds, in addition to (of course) desktop computers. It’s been incorporated in free and open source projects, and commercial and proprietary projects alike. Thanks to terrific free documentation and sample patches, you can also use it as a window into learning, with the aid of being able to see signal flow visually. (Even Max gurus can pick up tips for that environment with some of the online help.) The beauty of Pd – as with a number of tools – is that sometimes just making what you need is easier than making something someone else made do what you need. puredata.info, pd-everywhere @ noisepages

8. Bandcamp: The Web is littered with services catering to artists – not least being the chaotic mess that is the remains of MySpace. Bandcamp, in contrast, is simple, efficient, and functional, and for many of us has been a place to acquire music direct from artists as well as to publish it – no complicated jukebox/storefront middlemen needed. Some of my favorite listening this year came from Bandcamp. bandcamp.com

9. Contact mics: A few dollars in parts and a soldering iron will make you a perfectly-functional device you can use to explore sound. Or, you can splurge on high-end devices. Either way, the surest antidote to endless choice in software synthesis or enormous sample banks is to go out and get a little closer to sonic vibrations. brokenpants DIY contact mic tutorial

10. The Internet: Distraction. Time suck. Scourge to privacy. A funny thing happened on the way to the Internet: you may have found a group of people who inspired you to make more, and share more, helped you solve problems and get back to music.


What are you thankful for? Let me know in comments.

The Best Of Soul Underground 1987-91

SOME RARE SHIZZLE HERE MY PEOPLE PLEASE DONT SAY I DONT TREAT YOU.......

Peace an Blessins have a good weekend....

A unique time capsule of the early years of hip hop and house, pulled from the super-collectible fanzine. 440 pages of fresh writing on dance music and clubbing in London Manchester and New York, with fantastic articles on everyone from KRS-1 to Bobby Konders. The Sound Factory, warehouse parties, the first raves, the birth of acid jazz, not to mention about 200 brilliant charts.

Download FREE 40-page sampler pdf (10MB)

A little bit about Britt

King by name, King by nature; King Britt is a truly pioneering musician who is widely recognized a member of the royal elite of the Dance Music world. Based in Philadelphia, King Britt has been breaking the traditional boundaries and forging a unique path as a producer, musician, DJ, label boss and media revolutionary for over 20 years.

Taking influence from a wide spectrum of musical genres, as well a number of seminal producers such as Trevor Horn, Quincy Jones and Arif Marden, King has always found a way to escape the strictures of any single category of music by working across genres such deep house, hip-hop, broken beat, nu-jazz, funk and afro-tech. Releasing his first record (E-Culture – ‘Tribal Confusion’) through Strictly Rhythm in 1990, King went onto tour worldwide with Digable Planets – the Grammy award winning hip-hop fusion band – whilst continuing to develop his love of Dance Music culture and laying the foundations for his prodigal solo career.

In 1994, alongside Josh Wink he launched Ovum Recordings and also formed Sylk130 – a collective of Philadelphia’s finest musical talent including Lady Alma, Alison Crockette and Ursula Rucker. He produced Sylk130′s first album (‘When The Funk Hits The Fan’) and licensed it to Sony through his own Ovum label. ‘When The Funk Hits The Fan’ went onto sell over 500,000 copies and essentially provided the blueprint for the Philly Neo-Soul resurgence. King also produced Sylk130 second album (‘Re-Members Only’) – which featured the likes of Alison Moyet (Yazoo), Martin Fry (ABC), Grover Washington Jr., De La Soul and Kathy Sledge – and also the ‘Lets Make A Record’ LP for Sister Gertrude Morgan.

In addition to these achievements, King is one of the world’s most respected remixers. He has added his unique touch to hugely diverse range of artists such from Miles Davis, The O’Jays and Curtis Mayfield through to Macy Gray, Solange, Femi Kuti and Everything But The Girl. King Britt’s remix of ‘Contemplation’ (Josh One) was nominated for the Dancestar Remix Of The Year Award and maintains its killer status upon the most discerning dance floors. King has also scored and underscored music for films, TV series and commercials (Miami Vice, Rolex, Mini, and True Blood) while in 2007 he became the first DJ to be awarded The Pew Fellowship – one of the most prestigious grants for creative arts in U.S. King is also a Creative Cultural Ambassador for his hometown of Philadelphia.

As a DJ, King Britt is hugely versatile – a chameleon behind the decks. Taking inspirations from the likes of David Mancuso, Frankie Knuckles, David Morales and Francois K, King plays right across a broad range of genres, using his experience and creativity to fit the demands of any dance floor. He has toured extensively across throughout Europe, the U.S. and the Far East as well as rocking premier night spots throughout the world.

Most recently King Britt has released the ‘Intricate Beauty’ LP – a solo artist album for Nervous Records – and is also collaborating with Rucyl Mills on the Saturn Never Sleeps project which incorporates, primarily, a unique live show fusing audio and visuals into a thought provoking world of sight and sound, and is also an independent record label. Britt has also recently produced the new Bedouin Soundclash LP, a track for the new King Sunny Ade album and a number of remixes for the likes of Preservation Hall Jazz Ensemble feat. Mos Def, Glitch Mobb, Jay Haze and Dilouya.

This Weekends Activities

Body Drummin' & Nyumba Deep present Trinidadian Deep @ Apothecary, Friday 26th.


Line Up
Trinidadian Deep
Rap Saunders
Jamesey
Jay Russell
Sheyi on Percussion

Time: 10pm - 5am
Venue: Apothecary/ Egg, Vale Royal, off York Way. London. N7 9AP
Cost: £10 / £8 concs




Phil Asher @ William IV Pub, Saturday 27th.

Line Up

Phil Asher
Collin Patterson


Time: 21:00 - 02:00
Venue: William IV Pub, 786 Harrow Road, London, NW10 5JX
Cost: FREE B4 10PM £5 DOOR/£3 CONC. after 10pm


Infrasonics Rave @ Apiary Studios, Saturday 27th.

Line Up

ALTERED NATIVES
SPATIAL B2B XXXY
JAMIE GRIND
GON
WIFEY DJs


Time: 10pm - 5am
Venue: 458 Hackney Road, London, United Kingdom
Cost: £8 door, £5 concs/adv

Two new At One Remixes

Make sure you check out these new bits from me.... Feel free to comment or even buy lolol

Suges' Jam - Suges (At One Remix) by At One

Purchase link:
Suges - Suges' Jam (Incl. Martino, Gene King, Blakstar, At One Mixes) - Traxsource.com - Download Underground House and Electronic Music in WAV and MP3 format


DaveVJ ft Sinclair - Think About It (At One Vox) by At One

Purchase link:
Think About It by Dave VJ feat Mike Sinclair on MP3 and WAV at Juno Download

Opolopo new Voltage Control

Stockholm-based artist Peter Major, AKA Opolopo, the cut and paste edit king, has completed a new album called Voltage Controlled Feelings for Tokyo Dawn Records.

Major has been making synth-heavy disco tunes for years, but until now he's mostly flown under the radar, putting out records on labels like Swedish Brandy and Especial in Osaka. Sharp-eyed cosmic disco fans may remember him from Prins Thomas's Live at Robert Johnson CD, which included a remix of Major's track "I Do." Voltage Controlled Feelings shows the Swedish artist doing what he does best: crafting neon-colored funk and disco tracks with a slightly campy sci-fi feel. A crew of guest vocalists appear on the album, including fellow Stockholmer Amalia Miz Fuze Townsend and California-based artist Erik Rico, who also appeared on the first album by deep house artist Aybee, East Oakland Space Program. Hard copies of Voltage Controlled Feelings don't hit stores until December, but you can download it right now on Tokyo Dawn's offical website.

Tracklist
01. Glide
02. Kobayashi Maru
03. Our World feat. Erik Rico
04. Reversed feat. Blacktop & Amalia
05. Voltage Controlled Feelings
06. The Singularity
07. Take It Slow feat. Sacha Williamson
08. Step Into The Light
09. Bonafide feat. Amalia
10. Waiting feat. Farah
11. The Wow Signal
12. Tweak My Knobs
13. Ballad For Amalia

Tokyo Dawn Records will release Voltage Controlled Feelings on December 3rd, 2010.

Voltage Controlled Feelings by opolopo

Free Music Friday.....

Home Sweet Home by Osunlade

3rd Street Sessions by Lars Behrenroth

Ministry of Sound Radio 2Deep House Show November 2010 guest mix by Raymundo Rodriguez

Azee Project - Enjoy by azeeproject

Church vol.2: Forward (mixtape) by mashibeats

Ableton & Serato's The Bridge: Win the prize pack

After the post the other day on the bridge.... here a chance for you to win it!!!

Below is the content from RA and links to the prize page:

Two packs comprising of state-of-the-art music composition and performance tools from Ableton, Akai, Novation, Rane & Serato are up for grabs.

The Bridge represents the clearest link yet between the realms of DJing and production. Ableton and Serato's unique software offering brings together their respective flagship platforms: Ableton's wildly popular Live and Serato's similarly well-loved digital DJing system Scratch Live. DJs can now capture their Scratch Live performances as multitrack Ableton sessions for further editing, refinement or remixing, or alternatively pull up Live’s sessions view within Scratch Live to seamlessly integrate their studio productions into their DJ sets. The upshot of all this is that The Bridge opens up an entirely new world of possibilities in which the boundaries between DJing and live performance are indelibly blurred.

In order to provide one fortunate reader with the ultimate Bridge experience, we've brought together a truly complementary prize package that will fully utilize its fascinating capabilities. Sixty-Eight mixer is their top-of-the-range club solution and comes with in-built functionality for Scratch Live. The Akai APC40, meanwhile, is one of the most expressive and best-suited means of controlling Ableton Live. We have Live's latest version as well—Suite 8—and as the cherry on top, you also get Novation's Dicers—the tactile loop and cue point controllers designed for use with Scratch Live.

And the second prize isn't too shabby either. You get the Rane SL3 audio interface for Scratch Live, Ableton Suite 8, Novation's Launchpad controller for Ableton Live and a pair of Dicers.

Prizes

One grand prize winner will receive:
- Rane 68
- Ableton Suite 8
- Akai APC40
- Novation Dicers

One runner up will receive:
- Rane SL3
- Ableton Suite 8
- Novation Launchpad
- Novation Dicers

To Enter Just go to:

http://www.residentadvisor.net/competition-enter.aspx?id=682

This Weekends Activities

TRIBE 'Midnight' Party @ ON THE ROCKS REHERSAL STUDIOS, Friday 20th.

Line Up

BLACK COFFEE (SOULISTIC MUSIC, SOUTH AFRICA)
ZEPHERIN SAINT (TRIBE RECORDS, UK)
MATT L-S + KRISTEL MORIN (TRIBE RECORDS, UK)

Free pre-party from 8pm-1am at The Corner Shop, 123, Shoreditch High Street, London E1


Time: 12pm-7am
Venue: On The Rocks Rehersal Studios, 48, Kingsland Road, London E2
Cost: Limited advanced early bird tickets: £10, £15 on door.




Mistakes Music @ Ministry Of Sound, Saturday 20th.

Line Up

Box:
Sebastien Leger
Kaiserdisco
Ramon Tapia

103: Vikings
Joe & Will Ask?
Matt Walsh (Turbo)
Harry James (O’Children/Snap Crackle & Pop)

Loft: Bootleg Social
Tobie Allen
Ricky Meakin
So Called Scumbags
Jia&Jevs
Schalk and Jurgens
Kirk Kane

Baby Box: Gifted
James Murray
Sons of Audio
Dave Lee
Dirty English
Dom Chevez
George Smeddles

Time: 23:00 - 07:00
Venue: Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, Elephant & Castle, London, SE1 6DP
Cost: £15 Advance // £6 from 4am // Students £10 All Night

R2 Records presents Shakedown @ Marketplace, Saturday 20th.

Line Up

DJ Kyri R2

Time: 20:00 - 01:00
Venue: 11-13 Marketplace, London
Cost: FREE