Since 2003. Curiously forward music through hand-to-hand combat and spontaneous media.

8.22.2009

African Rhythms



Our first digital single is now available on itunes and tons of other online stores; Bookworms' "African Rhythms"

By the time something drifts to california, it's always undone, pulled apart by the sunlight: The broken rhythmic tic of UK bass musics washed up clues on the shore for Bookworms, whose re-imagining (not remix) of Mi Ami's 'African Rhythms' is what he describes as a 'an open ended question or love letter' to the musics he loves.
Delayed chants that sound lifted or remembered from Bill Gunn's 1972 avant-garde blaxploitation classic Ganja and Hess, which gradually reveal a lover's rock refrain, weave over breaks reminiscent of prime IG Culture and melancholy, foggy synth drifts. Like Gunn's film, 'African Rhythms' shares a delirious fever state that collapses past and present, the street and inner space.
In the mix are traces of garage, broken beat, and funky, but this is not reverent bass nostalgia: 'African Rhythms' pushes past fashion to wire a new set of rhythmic histories and spaces: the track sounds equally tuned to solitary late night rollage and body-dense warehouses.
The A side of this digital single is backed by two remixes: a 4x4 tuff melancholy Theo Parrish-style banger by Yao, and an ambient, abstracted daydream by Fat Transfer, whose disorienting EQ and filter work take the original even further out.

More to come from Bookworms and the rest of the Solos crew.....

8.12.2009

DJ Enso Top 5 - June 2009

This was supposed to run in Time Out Hong Kong a couple (few?) months ago but they been halfsteppin... so of course it'll be outta date when it comes time to publish! All love to Time Out but you know how that is.. So we figured we'd at least post it somewhere while it was only a few months outta date ;)

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DJ ENSO (Solos Records (San Francisco), Pimpin Ain't Easy (Hong Kong)
www.solosrecords.com www.pimpinainteasy.hk

ARTIST - TRACK - ALBUM - LABEL

1. Major Lazer - Pon De Floor (ft. Vybz Cartel) - Guns Don't Kill People... Lazer Do (Diplo & Switch) - Downtown Records

There's been major hype for a long time around this project. It's obvious why... Diplo and Switch head to Jamaica, along with lots of their friends, to make a dancehall project. This is Diplo, whose Mad Decent label has brought so many forms of international music into mainstream clubs over the years, and Switch, whose heavy-hitting production has put "electro," "fidget-house," and "dubstep" genre boundaries under increased pressure. Production spots from Crookers and Afro-Jack. Many, many guest vocalists such as Vybz Cartel, Santigold, Turbulence, Mr Vegas. I remember first hearing "Pon De Floor" on a youtube video a couple months back -- some DJ was rocking it in some school auditorium or something.. and the video footage was horrible. But you get it at 320k and it's FIRE. The whole project is not to be missed.


2. Toddla T - Sound Tape Killin (ft. Serocee) - Skanky Skanky - 1965

Toddla T is a young producer from Sheffield, UK -- greatly influenced by dancehall, grime, and bass music. This track is from his debut full-length, and is by far the most "electro" of the bunch. The heavy bass synth and vocals chops make it club primetime-friendly.


3. Mos Def - Quiet Dog - The Ecstatic - Downtown Records

Mos is back!!! The whole new album ain't bad, start to finish. "Quiet Dog's" driving rhythm, extended structure, and laid-back flow reminds me a bit of "Sex, Love & Money," my favorite track on his 2004 "The New Danger" release.


4. Joker/2000F - You Don't Know What Love Is (ft. J Kamata) - You Don't Know What Love Is 12" - Hyperdub

The b-side of "Digidesign" (a classic nu-dubstep track), "You Don't Know What Love Is" has some of the same elements, but is also G-FUNKED THE FUCK OUT. Major props to DJ Kiat (Singapore) for dropping this in the middle of his set a couple months back at a Kongkrete Bass party at Backstage in Hong Kong.


5. 12th Planet - Control (Skream Remix) - Control 12" - Basshead Music

WICKED bass-heavy dubstep remix of this excellent 12th Planet dub track. Love the synth-interpolation of the original theme. Well-rooted in the original dub, but still clearly Skream. CONTROL! CONTROLLLLLL!!!!

Javelin down for the bikes

Check out this video put together by the great people at GOOD magazine featuring a track by our homies Javelin, who happen to currently be on tour, check their myspace for dates, sweet!