With the much-anticipated upcoming release of Danny Krivit's re-edit record Edits By Mr. K Vol.02 being only a few weeks away, I thought I would post Krivit's re-edit of Titanic's early seventies psychedelic rock classic "Sultana". This heavy funk rock re-edit was originally released on Ibadan Record's 2002 Space Lab Yellow Phase 2 compilation, which I mentioned in a post(see More Mwana) early last week. Krivit really does a nice job here, extending the original, which is only about four minutes in length, and making the song much more friendly to play out. The funky edit reminds me a lot of an early Barrabas song, having an overall Latin rock feel to the entire track. Even though this track won't be included on Krivit's upcoming release, this funky psychedelic rock re-edit continues to be one of my favorites from the legendary deejay. Enjoy!
First off, a quick reminder that this Wednesday night is another rendition of Grow Up inside the Madrone Lounge (500 Divisadero Street @ Fell). Along with deejay sets from residents Hotthobo, Fenstar, and myself (Pat Les Stache), this month will feature special guest Team Everything, who will flex his eclectic mix of Boogie-Step, Kraut-Wave and Dub-Disco with the occasional slow jam thrown in for good measure. I will have the late-slot(1am - 2am), so come early and stay late!
You can read more about the night by checking out the Facebook event page, by Clicking Here.
Here is a great boogie re-edit that Grow Up resident Hotthobo recently did of Starpoint's 1980 funky cut "Get Ready, Get Down". Enjoy!
With a weekend full of great parties here in the Bay, including Beat Electric's Dance Show tonight at the Mezzanine and Go Bang! tomorrow night at the Decco Lounge, I thought would post something more fitting for these two engagement's in Ike Strong's 1981 disco boogie classic "Boogie Land". You might recognize the song's repetitive chorus, as a re-edit of the song was recently released by JDeep on his Sound of Deeper Edits, USA series. The original version of the song was released as a twelve-inch single and includes a solid instrumental version of the song, that tends to also get some play by deejays, on the b-side. Overall, it's a great track and one worth hunting down, especially if you find yourself an absolute fan of the "boogie". Enjoy your weekend!
Here is a funky African gem that I've been enjoying lately, titled "Body and Soul" by William Onyeabor. This track was originally released on Onyeabor's 1980 hard-to-find album William Onyeabor In Body & Soul. This Nigerian native is mostly noted for his 1978 album Atomic Bomb, which features the funky classic Afro gem "Better Change Your Mind". That being said, I tend to prefer "Body and Soul" with it's overall heavy mid-tempo funk groove and tasty electric organ work throughout. Certainly a prime dose of heavy African funk to chew on. Enjoy!
It feels like summer has finally arrived here in the bay. I must admit it hasn't been a good showing so far weather-wise for my first summer in San Francisco. However the past week the weather has been wonderful. Hopefully we can ride this warm wave right into October. Anyways, I thought I would change it up a bit and post a recently released re-edit by Todd Terje of Stevie Wonder's "All I Do" from his 1980 album Hotter Than July. I actually heard the original version of this song the other day when I was out walking my dog. Someone had it blasting from their apartment and I was inspired to share the feel-good track on a day that is as warm and beautiful as today. Enjoy the heat!
At this point it's pretty much safe to say that there are a number of different re-edits out there of Black Blood's mid seventies Afro classic "A.I.E. (A Mwana)". With a song of this caliber to start with, it's certainly hard to produce anything other than a great result. Therefore most of the edits I've heard of this track, have been overall pretty solid. That being said I think Special T-Kolai re-edit of this funky African disco classic, which was featured on the Space Lab Yellow Phase 2 compilation, stands above the rest. One of the reason's I feel this way is about 4:15 into the track, there is a sudden break that dives into a funky saxophone solo that helps re-energize the second half of the song. The saxophone solo isn't something I re-call in the original version, therefore I wouldn't be surprised if this was something DJ Taha Elroubi and flutist Nicolas Laget, who along with some session musicians make up Special T-Kolai, added to the edit. Regardless, it's an absolutely amazing edit of an already true African disco classic. Enjoy!
When I was recently in Paris, I came across a lesser known African compilation that was released a few years ago called Rare Afro & Caribbean Funk Volume 2. This vinyl-only compilation was released by a label called Mokili Productions and like the title suggests, the record consists of some funky hard-to-find African and Caribbean cuts from some obscure groups like Jojo L'Explosif, Black Santiago, W.J.W. And Roots Trunks & Branches, and Super Tentemba Jazz to name a few. From the first listen, I was immediately impressed with this collection of tracks and I became surprised by the fact that this compilation didn't seem to get more praise or exposure when it was released back in 2007. Regardless, it's a great compilation that I would like to see reissued again in enough quantities to hopefully get the kind of exposure and credit that it definitely deserves. Enjoy!
Here is a very funky Afro beat gem titled "African Movement" by Smahila & The S.B's. This rare track was featured on the group's 1977 self-titled album and is very reminiscent of the early recordings from Fela Kuti. The track clocks in at about eighteen-and-a-half minutes, and consists of many solid instrumental break-downs with some funky saxophone and guitar solos. Overall, a fine dose of Afro beat funk to get you through the rest of your day. Enjoy!
Here is a re-posting of the funky classic "Kilimanjaro" by the South African singer Letta Mbulu. This version of the track, which was mixed by disco producer Ray Martinez, was released as a twelve-inch single in 1981. Another slightly altered version of the song, under the name "Kilimandjaro Take Us Higher," was released on Mbulu's 1980 album Sound Of A Rainbow. Both versions of the song have a nice Afro disco groove to them, with the Martinez mixed version riped perfectly for the dancefloor. Overall, it's just another great track from one of South Africa's most accomplished singers. Enjoy!
Today, my Afro funk obsession continues with the classic cut "Talking Drum" by Ginger Johnson & His African Messengers. This heavy-hittin' percussion gem came out in 1967 and was included on the group's album African Party, which also includes the standout cut "I Jool Omo". On the album's record sleeve, there is an excerpt that explains Johnson's overall musical objectives. "...We try to get nearer the source, right down to the grass roots of the jungle - the sun, the heat, the insects, the abundance of life." I think with one listen, you'll realize the abundance of sheer music brilliance that is "Talking Drum". Enjoy!
Late last year, Honest Jons Records released one of my favorite African compilations in Africa Boogaloo: The Latinization of West Africa. This funky compilation focuses on the African music that was heavily influenced by the Calypso sounds that were coming out of the Caribbean and Latin America. In contrast to some of the more Afrobeat and psychedelic compilations, this record has a more overall laid back tropical feel to it much like Soundway's recent Tumbele! compilation release. Some of th record's highlights include Orchestre OK Jazz's "A Moins Que Namikosa", Charles Lembe 's "Quiero Wapacha", Orchestre Baobab's "On Verra Ca", and my personal favorite track "Abigbedoto" by Gnonnas Pedro. Overall, Africa Boogaloo is a great compilation featuring many rare gems that help shed light on this unique blending of African, Latin, and Caribbean music. I highly recommend picking up this record, putting it on, and listening to it as you enjoy a nice cold pitcher of Sangria. Enjoy!
During this summer's trip to Paris, I met and deejayed with a number of great people. One of those individuals was Matthieu Gazier, who runs the French label Ekleroshock. We got a chance to hangout a little bit and share some music while deejaying together at the Tape Bar. One of the tracks he played was Resonance's 1974 tropical disco gem "Safari Love". I pretty much fell in love with this track from the song's opening minute, with the song nicely blending together animal and jungle sound effects alongside some funky instrumental grooves and repetitive vocal chants. It's safe to say that since I've gotten back to the states, hunting down the track, which was originally released as a seven-inch single, has been a high priority. I also came to later find that the song was also included on the group's 1975 album O.K. Chicago. Overall, it's a great tropical disco cut that I was very happy to be introduced to while hanging out in Paris. Enjoy!
Last night on KALX, I played a couple of tracks off one of my favorite compilations in Music For Dancefloors: The Cream Of The Chappell Music Library Sessions. This amazing compilation was released by Strut back in 2001, and features an incredible assortment of music taken from the renowned Chappell Music Library. Focusing on the archives of the sixties and seventies, the compilation brings forth many of the more funky and cosmic tracks from the Chappell's collection including Paul Dupont & His Orchestra's "Rainbow Bridge", Ensemble Rager Roger's "Afro-Beat/ Afro-Syn", Keith Mansfield's "Blockbuster", and Stringtronics' "Safari Park" among many others. As with most decent library music, there is plenty of great percussion breaks and sampling material to go around. Overall, with library music becoming more expensive and harder to find, a compilation series like Music For Dancefloors becomes absolutely essential to any record collection. Here is one of my favorite tracks from this compilation, and a song I'm currently re-editing in Irving Martin & Brian Dee's 1980 cosmic disco gem "Indianapolis 2". Enjoy!
Hopefully a few of you were able to tune in last night for my guest appearance on UC Berkeley's KALX. I first and foremost want to thank Sergio for having me on. I had a lot of fun talking music, playing records, and hangin' out in the studio. Putting on a radio show would be something I would like to take on in the future, therefore it was nice to get a little bit of an insight of what goes into doing that. I have received a number of comments via facebook, twitter, and email requesting that I post a track listing of last night set, therefore I thought I would go ahead and do that. I apologize because I didn't actually write the tracklist down, therefore the listing below is a little bit out of order. Most of the songs played last night, however can be found on this blog, so happy trails hunting for them. Anyways, I hope those that did tune in, enjoyed the show. Of course, I would love to continue to hear feedback from those that tuned in. Anyways, here is the setlist:
UC Berkeley KALX 90.7FM - Aug. 11, 2010 Setlist: The Glitter Band - Makes You Blind Amon Düül II - Da Guadeloop (Prins Thomas Re-edit) Aït Meslayene - El Fen (Rubber Room Re-edit) Rod McKuen - Easy In Babatunde Olatunji - Soul Makossa Juggy "Murray" Jones - Inside America pt.2 Stringtronics - Safari Park Ju Par Universal Orchestra - Flute Salad Tomas Ledin - Ledin Me Astray (Rune Lindbæk Re-edit) Macho - Mucho Macho Black Blood - AIE (A Mwana) Black Soul - Black Soul Music John Ozila - Hey Macumba Buari - Advice From Father (Pat Les Stache Re-edit) Irving Martin & Brian Dee - Indianapolis 2 King Sporty & The Root Rockers - Fire Keep on Burning The Har-You Percussion Group - Welcome to the Party Black Blood - Wela Wela Black Soul - Dakar Sound (Pat Les Stache Re-edit)
Here is a rare Afro funk track from the Kelenkye Band, titled "Jungle Music". This track was originally released on the group's 1974 hard-to-find album Moving World. The track was also more recently included on the amazing "Bilongo - A Third Collection Of Modern Afro Rhythms" compilation,which I've discussed a number of times on this site. This song has an early seventies funk feel, similar to the sound that groups like War, Cymande, and Mandrill were producing during that time. Overall, another solid dose of rare African funk!
Tonight from 8pm-9pm, I will be a guest on Sergio's (Go Bang!, Kinky Beats) weekly Wednesday night KALX radio show. I will be hanging out with Sergio in the studio, talking music, and playing some records live. You can listen to the broadcast live by tunning into 90.7 FM or listen online by Clicking Here.
Here is a recent re-edit I did of Malinga Five's 1977 funky Afro gem "Kaloule Woman". I played around with this edit for quite a while, trying to find the right overall arrangement/ feel, and I came to the decision to keep a lot of the original elements intact. I always thought the original track was a little short in actual length, coming in just under three-minutes, therefore what I focused on was mostly extending certain areas of the song, giving the overall track more longevity. I originally planned on releasing this as part of Cabana Disco Vol.05, however at this point I haven't decided if and when the edit will receive a proper vinyl release. That being said, I definitely would love to hear everyone's feedback. It took sometime for me to come up with something that I was truly satisfied with, however now that it's finished I can honestly say that I am happy with the overall results. Hopefully everyone else feels the same. Enjoy and Feedback Please!
As I've mentioned before, 2010 has been a solid year for African reissues and compilations. Another great Afro funk reissue that I highly recommend picking up is Ikenga Super Stars of Africa's rare and much-sought after 1977 self-titled album. This funky record features five solid tracks, including the heavy-hitting Afro funk gem "Greedy Man". Other tracks include "Ojele Woman", "Your Thing", "Nwannemu Oho", and "Soffry Soffry Catch Monkey", which are all very solid. Unlike some reissues that I've heard, this record was well pressed, preserving the overall sound quality of the original. It's also important to note that this is a limited-edition repressing release, therefore this reissue shouldn't last long in record shops. Overall, their is no denying the beauty of owning an original release, however the reissue of this hard-to-find classic is certainly one worth being excited about. Enjoy!
With the good people over at Sofrito releasing this week their funky new twelve-inch single Soweto Disco, I thought I would post one of my favorite tracks from their Tropical Discotheque vol.02 twelve, titled "Christina Lover". This funky heavy-hitting Afro cut is the opening track to the single which features some other amazing tropical gems including two edits from Sofrito's Frankie Francis. This record, much like many of their other singles, didn't last long in record shops and is now out-of-print. With that being said, I highly recommend snatching up their new single if you find yourself enjoying the funky Afro-Latin sounds this label tends to release. Until then, here is one of the labels many amazing signature re-edits to help get you through the rest of your Friday. Enjoy!
It's safe to say that Strut Records has been very busy recently releasing some of the year's best albums and compilations. Their hot streak continues as one of the summer's most highly anticipated releases in Walter Gibbons' first multi-label retrospective tilted Jungle Music (which was first discussed on this blog back in late May-See 'Jungle Music') has started to makes it's way to record shops, with an official release being August 17th. This retrospective sheds light on some of Gibbons' best work, as he became a fixture in the studio while setting the blueprint for all disco twelve-inch mixes. Some of the album's highlights include Dinosaur L's "Go Bang", Jakki's "Sun... Sun... Sun...", Arthur Russell's "Calling All Kids", Gladys Knight's "It's A Better Than Good Time", Bettye Lavette's "Doin' The Best That I Can", and Double Exposure's disco classic "Ten Percent" among many others. It's hard to capture the brilliance of Gibbons' legendary music accomplishments in just one release, however Strut has done an impressive job of recapturing some of the magic and musical genuineness that was Walter Gibbons. Enjoy!
When it comes to travelling abroad, I always enjoy seeing new places, experiencing different cultures, trying new foods, and of course doing my best to hit up as many record shops as possible. That being said, the thing I always enjoy the most on these trips are the people I meet and come across. That statement was certainly true this summer when me and my wife (Stacy) visited Paris. During our week long trip, we met so many great people that really turned a good trip into an unforgettable one. From my deejay night at Chez Moune to the good times at Tape Bar and everything in between, we certainly couldn't have met and hung out with better people and we are truly grateful for that.
One person I got a chance to meet was Jerome Caron, better known in the music world as Blackjoy. He came out the first night while I was deejaying at Chez Moune and we got a chance to chat a little bit. I was very excited to finally meet him, because I've been a big fan of his productions for quite sometime. Before the night ended, he handed me a CD of Blackjoy's Edits vol.III, which is the third and final volume of this limited edition re-edit series, which was fist spawned back in 2008. When I finally got back to the states and had a chance to listen to the CD, I was pretty blown away. The re-edits that make up this final volume, are well crafted and really explore a vast selection of different genres of music and artists. I'm unfamiliar with many of the originals that are edited on this album, therefore I won't get dissecting specific tracks. However, their is an overall sexy psychedelic undertone to many of them. Funky music that you can both dance to and/or produce an erotic French movie around. The more I listen to the CD, the more that I wish some of these edits would make it onto wax at some point. Regardless, it was a nice and unexpected treat from a great person that continues to produce and re-edit some amazing music. Enjoy!
Tonight I'm excited to be making my resident debut at GROW UP, which takes place every first Wednesday of the month at Madrone (500 Divisadero Street, San Francisco). The night will also feature founding residents Hotthobo and Fenstar, along with San Francisco's very own electronic party collective Party Effects. It should be a fun night, therefore get there early, drink often, and stay late!
Even before Strut records released the third and final volume of the critically acclaimed compilation series Next Stop...Soweto, the label had put together an astonishing selection of underground South African music that ranged from soul and funk, to the golden age of the Zulu-influenced sounds of mbaqanga. With this month's release of Next Stop Soweto Vol 3: Giants Ministers & Makers: Jazz In South Africa 1963-1978, Strut certainly saved the best in the series for last by putting together an impressive collection of hard-to-find jazz gems that surfaced in the South African region during the sixties and seventies. The music on this compilation captures some of the best South African jazz music that was able to survive a region that, at the time, was full of radio restrictions, government repression, and an environment full of hostility. Some of the highlights include Spirits Rejoice's "Joy", The Heshoo Beshoo Group's "Emakhaya", Mankunku Quartet's "Dedication (To Daddy Trane & Brother Shorter)", Dennis Mpale's "Orlando", among many others. The jazz music here at times features elements of Afrobeat and highlife, showcasing some amazing instrumentation and complex arrangements. Overall, the third volume of the Next Stop...Soweto series is a powerful and brilliant compilation that results in one of the year's best releases, making the "final stop" a remarkable one. Enjoy!
With the much-anticipated upcoming release of Danny Krivit's re-edit record Edits By Mr. K Vol.02 being only a few weeks away, I thought I would post Krivit's re-edit of Titanic's early seventies psychedelic rock classic "Sultana". This heavy funk rock re-edit was originally released on Ibadan Record's 2002 Space Lab Yellow Phase 2 compilation, which I mentioned in a post(see More Mwana) early last week. Krivit really does a nice job here, extending the original, which is only about four minutes in length, and making the song much more friendly to play out. The funky edit reminds me a lot of an early Barrabas song, having an overall Latin rock feel to the entire track. Even though this track won't be included on Krivit's upcoming release, this funky psychedelic rock re-edit continues to be one of my favorites from the legendary deejay. Enjoy!
