MasCultura

Post-Modern

2011-12-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

~So, I'm thinking about this term known as "World Music" and here are some quick thoughts...you ready? okay, lets go! For one, language shapes the thought process. For example, lets think of food for a minute. A man who works hard and provides for his family is said to be "bringing home the bacon." Similarly, a family that is doing well is said to be "living high off the hog." Also, a man that is muscular and fit might be described as "beefy" or a man might even say he needs to "beef up." Now, these are all sayings we have heard or might have said ourselves at some time. They are part of our language and we use these phrases without the least bit of thought of how they may affect us psychologically. Of course, the implication here is that eating meat becomes synonymous with prosperity, wealth, and physical fitness or strength--all qualities we tend to find desirable. Thus, a man who does not eat meat sometimes arouses suspicion from others, for, in the minds of some, he is, through his refusal of beef and pork, likewise rejecting prosperity, wealth, and health.

Now, lets examine the term "World" as it applies to category of music. It applies to music from outside the US and Europe, correct? But wait, it can also apply to music originating from within the US and Europe if the music contains elements originating from outside the US and Europe. So, the term is not necessarily dependent on location, but instrumentation? Its not where you are from but the form or style of the music?

I'm probably thinking about this too much by now. But, allow me to provide another example of how language affects the way we see the world. We have a way of referring to certain parts of the world--"the West," for example, refers to the Americas, while "the East" refers to Asia, usually China or Japan, although "the Far East" is also common. Those from the West are Westerners, and those from the East are referred to as Orientals, although this term in no longer cool, so most just say Asians or Asiatic to avoid sounding like a crude bigot. I wonder, do Asians (I mean those actually living in Asia of course) refer to us as Occidentals? Perhaps, that too is deemed offensive...I digress.

Now, we have no part of the world we refer to as "Central, North or South"--in a global sense, of course--although we do refer to areas east of the Mediterranean as "the Middle East." So, this way of labeling regions of the world means little to your everyday English speaker. But lets examine the implication here. Where is the starting point? Our perspective? Point of reference? If China is East, America is West and Persia is a halfway point to China, then our starting point must be somewhere in Europe. Does this cause us to see Europe as the center of the world? Perhaps? Its hard to say, this is all just food for thought, so take it with a grain of salt, if you will.

Back to the whole "World" thing. There's a division there, a wall, a way of dividing, separating, differentiating. I know, this isn't the first time. Remember R&B, wasn't that just a way to market Blues music to white audiences? Isn't this close to the same thing?

Ok, who cares anyhow, right? Does it really make a difference? People are going to pigeon-hole and label things; its almost human nature. My point in all this, if there is a point, is that language affects the way we think and certain phrases and forms of categorization can cause us to see the world in a certain way. If we want to change the way people act, we need to change the way people think and see the world. Language is essential. Change the language and you create new ways of viewing the world....maybe??...I really don't know but just felt like getting that off my chest...now get off your ass and go change the world already.

Its Been a Long Time...

2011-12-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

...I shouldn't have left you...

I've been neglecting this little corner of cyber space for a few months. Not for lack of content, just haven't managed to get around to it. Like some squeaky door that needs a shot of WD-40, and you keep reminding yourself you'll get to it, but just never do...until you do.

Anyhow, heres a few tracks I'm feelin these days...

Eric B & Rakim Dont Sweat The Technique WDRE & Freqnik Blue Label Remix by Freqnik & WDRE

~nice remix of an Eric B and Rakim classic here by Freqnik and WDRE...I remember the video for this one was dope too, kickin it in the mansion surronded by a legion of dimes...check it.

Katy On A Mission (Captain Planet Remix) by DJ Captain Planet

~killer remix on the reggae tip here by Captain Planet...looks like the d'loads are gone, but still worth a listen.

The Doors-Soul Kitchen-Shimi Sonic Remix by Shimi Sonic

~I've been rockin the DJ Spooky edit of this track for years and its always been a killer tune...but now this, damn...gonna hafta give put this in the rotation for a bit...lovely mix!

My style cumbiero - Luigi Sound Selectah by luigisoundselectah

~I like this, the mixture of cumbia and reggae is just so damn good...solid mix here, grab it!

Soundcloud Heaters!!

2011-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

~been busy working on new tracks as of late, so hadn't had much time to post...just finished a remix of Chulita by Cholita Sound...you can check it out here...I'm also working on a remix of Cherman's latest track, Borne Basstard for the ~~Cabeza~~ Caballito label...I'm havin fun makin it, hopefully will be done soon...okay, time to share a few heaters.

MEXICAN DUBWISER - TROUBLE IN MY SOUL by MexicanDubwiser

~this track features BILLY GOULD OF FAITH NO MORE, ULISES LOZANO FROM KINKY AND ARTWORK JAMAL, kickin some really soulful/bluesy vocals over a cumbia beat...some guitar licks and I think I hear an organ too...yeah, dont look at me for precise terminology and insightful description...but I know a great song when I hear it...cool video to boot.

Sabbo & Ori Shochat - Shine & Cris by Sabbo

~Im a sucker for reggae vocals over bangin beats...add some DMX and Missy vocal drops and its a wrap...this was a no-brainer instant fave for me...if you cant make it to the islands this summer, bring the islands to you.

Cumbiaton ep minimix by DJ DICE (CHICAGO)

~Chi-city native DJ DIce hittin the massive with a preview of his Cumbiaton EP...lovin the intro on this...hey yo, turn off the radio, turn off that bullshit! this minimix soundin lovely...jump on it.

Whats golden? (remix) by djtzinas

~like I just said, I'm a sucker for that island flavor...DJ Tzinas brings the J5 crew and puts them over some Jamaican rock steady funk...add a few lazers and backspin effects, and its official...downloads expired but looks like Bandcamp still good.

~last but not least, gotta send some blog-love to dj umb and the generation bass crew! these dudes are relentless in their pursuit of the latest and freshest sounds coming from every conceivable corner of the globe...their latest release is sounding like they're taking charge and leading the ~~phalanx~~ vanguard of the global fusion massive...peep the video for starters and check the links for more info...

www.generationbass.com

http://soundcloud.com/djumb

Generation Bass Presents MoomBaH - EP Series Volume 1. from Videomit on Vimeo.

500 years and counting....

2011-06-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

~every now and then a movie comes along that strikes me in a certain ineffable manner. Its a rare feeling that doesn't come along often, so when it does, I feel a need to share this feeling that inspires, ires, and irks (excuse the alliteration). Even the Rain is one of those movies for me. The movie, set in present day Bolivia, adeptly illustrates the parallels between the exploitative and cruel treatment of the Conquistadores with the downright oppressive conditions under which the largely indigenous population of Bolivians live today.So as not to spoil the movie for any readers, I will leave it at that...Recommended!

Lets Get Dusty....

2011-05-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

~i know the pic is blurry, but i wanted to use it b/c its of me when i was probably around 4 or 5 years old, hanging out in my room, playing 45s...now, granted, it was probably some Buck Rogers or Black Hole read-along record, the kind that were popular in the late 70s....whatever, i use it as evidence of some young fascination with all things vinyl...

...speaking of vinyl, came across this mix and thought it deserved some recognition...properly mixed assortment of soulful, psychedelic beat fodder...good stuff!

Swell Mix by DJ Digga (2011) by Dj Digga on Mixcloud

...i put one of these together myself a few days ago...similar theme, different tracks...same, but different....download links available for both mixes.

The World of Sound (pysch, soul, jazz, funk, rare groove) by Mascultura on Mixcloud

You Must Learn!

2011-05-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

~I'm quickly gettin into my summer reading mode, stacking books to tackle over the next few months. Summer in central Texas starts in late February, so I'm actually a bit late here, but thats okay.

~Robin D.G Kelley is, at least in my opinion, the official historian of the hiphop nation (yes, Jeff Chang comes a close second). I realize I'm probably showing my, how can I say, experience? veteran status? in the game by using such an antiquated term as 'hiphop nation,' but I can think of no other term that fits.

Kelley's treatment of Monk goes deep, tracing his roots back to the Carolinas to New York and around the world once the legendary pianist gains his due spot in the Jazz scene. The author portrays Monk as an eccentric character, a playful artist who could intimidate lesser-skilled musicians with the glance of an eye--a man with a deep moral conviction that guided his somewhat chaotic and turbulent path in life. Monk's life was difficult. He lived the cliched life of the struggling artist, always searching for that big break, the next check, the next gig, never really finding comfort, or a steady income. This, of course, in no way detracts from his musical genius. At over 450 pages, the book is not a quick read. However, it is a must for any Monk fan or jazz fan.

~I first came across this book while visiting the always excellent Mudd Up site. I've traveled to D.F. (Mexico City as its more commonly known) numerous times in my life. First as a child visiting relatives in the early 80s (my grandparents came from Toluca, just outside D.F.), again in the late 90s to spread my grandfather's ashes in the volcanic crater that overlooks the valley, and most recently just a few years ago, to visit family. My memories are of family gatherings, trips to the pyramids, and VW bugs, so it was nice to get an insider's perspective on the music scenes of D.F. from Hernandez.

Although his book seems to focus more on the emo and punk scenes, as opposed to the cumbia/sonidero/hiphop scenes that I might be drawn to, he still manages to keep the subject matter fresh and interesting (I read the entire book in just over a day). As a fellow 'pocho,' I identify with Hernandez's struggle to find a place in society (US or Mexican)--not American enough for the US, not Mexican enough for Mexico. So we straddle the fence, eat tacos, root for the Lakers, listen to Cumbias, and spend our days mastering the King's English.

At times, the book reads like a Vice guide to D.F., a sort of documentary-style narrative covering fashionistas and their overly inebriated/ intoxicated party goers as they move from one scene to another, always sure to find themselves in the light of the camera and the 'place to be.' I know the types and, truthfully, I tend to stay far away from them. Fortunately, Hernandez comes to the same realization and focuses the majority of his time on the more down-to-earth types, anarcho-punks fighting gentrification and aspiring designers that read both the Popul Vuh and the Bhagavad Gita...more my crowd. Either way, I think I'm ready for another trip down to D.F.

Acid Rumba-Gypsy Psych-Funk 69-76

2011-04-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

~I've been banging this comp all week in the ride. For most save the most seasoned beat digger, these tracks are all new to the ear. I did reach for the fast forward button a few times, but, for the most part, I'm able to kick back, drop the windows and imagine myself cruising through the streets of Barcelona in the early-to-mid 70's, wind blowing through my hair, blasting the killer funk fuzz. I cant seem to find a tracklist online (maybe its a secret) but track 7 is a personal fave. Both my inner-hippie and inner-bboy have been thoroughly satisfied with this one! Recommended!

A Few Reggae & Funk Burners

2011-04-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

~so I'm trying out a new look here. I came across some new template and couldn't resist giving it a shot...I'm diggin it for now....

...I've been scoring a bunch of new records as of late; its not like I dont already have crates full of stuff I've yet to listen to...its just that I feel a sense of accomplishment at acquiring more; no Veblenian act of conspicuous consumption, just a therapeutic act that lets me get my mind right...speaking of....

~BANGER!

~gonna hafta go watch 'Rockers' now...

~scored a NM copy of this on 7" recently...FunkBangerSupreme!

~got this on 7" as well...killer tune!

Cairo Rising--Documenting R(evolution) in N. Africa

2011-04-05T19:27:00.001-07:00

~Its no secret that great music tends to emerge from societies undergoing tremendous social/political change. Perhaps its something wholly intangible--a zeitgeist that sweeps through a nation, ignites movements, sparking the creative class--those artists/musicians/poets--to release what lurks within. Personally, I think of the late 1960s, the Vietnam era, the Civil Rights movement, the counter culture, and the incredible soundtrack that accompanied those pivotal times. I get the feeling that such music is waiting to be recorded in North Africa. Jef Stott seems to agree.

~a video I came across on Vimeo that features some telling images...

Photographer John Moore on 'Epic' Libya Battles, Arab World Revolutions from Mike Fritz on Vimeo.

Spotlight on South America

2011-04-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

~this group here hails from Lima, Peru...I'm really feeling their sound, a funky combination of dub, cumbia, reggae with some hiphop elements added in for good measure. Most of their tracks seem to fall on the instrumental side of things, which is all cool by me...plus I'm loving that groovy psychedelic artwork!

08 No mas huaska (Instrumental mix) by Sonidos_Profundos

~fuego alert! Pernett comes through with a nice Champeta remix of Isa Gt's "Pelao"-La paisita remix. The Champeta sound has yet to really gain a strong following like cumbia has. Heres a brief rundown on Champeta via wikipedia:

The word "Champeta" was first used as a cultural identifier in the 1920s, it was used to identify a dance in the 1970s and a musical genre in the 1980s.

Since before the 1920s, the inhabitants of the neighborhoods farthest from the center of Cartagena, those of the poorest social strata and of African descent, have been called 'champetudo'. The economic elite used this designation as an attempt to devalue this vibrant culture. The name, ambiguously accepted and transformed, originates from the relationship of these people, with the knife called "champeta", as it was associated with vulgarity, poverty and blackness. This culture has a past historically marked with slavery and mistreatment with its center in the oldest districts of the Isla Caimán, currently called Olaya, and the Pozón district.

At the beginning of the 1970s the Champeta culture became more visible at a national level in Colombia through a series of diverse and complex dances set to the rhythms of Caribbean music. This music was principally a mix of genres such as salsa and jíbaro but later included reggae. This music was played over large loudspeakers, popularly called "picós", that were invented during the 1960s in Cartegena. Equipped with these sound systems they held dancce competitions and other events. Those dances were called "therapy" because of their ability to help people relax and free themselves from the economic problems of the country.

In the 1980s "creole therapy" became a new genre of music, sung and interpreted by people from Cartegena and San Basillo, later joined by people from Barranquilla, Santa Marta and the rest of the country. Baranquilla played an important role in the commercialization of this genre of music. Subsequently, the music became popular in picós. Soon, it was known as "creole therapy", "Colombian therapy", and finally, Champeta.

Peláo/ La paisita remix. Isa Gt remixed by Pernett by Pernett

~this group out of BK really had me open with this track here...killer tune with some champeta-electro vibes that slays the dance each and every time..

~their latest track is pretty nice as well...

Soundcloud Heaters cont.

2011-03-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

~so my computer that houses all my work is on the fritz...no protools access these days, so I figured what better way to cope with this loss than to listen to music and shine some light on a couple tracks I'm feelin....as some may know, I'm into a wide range of music--from the hardest gangsta rap/geto tek bass bangers, to sublimely-chilled lounge---If I feel it and it makes my head nod, its all good. With that, heres a few more for the headz....

MC Bener One ft. Charley Chico - Mami Muevelo (Moombahton) by djtranzo
~this is straight-up club banger material here...the bass bangs like it should, and the lyrics are directed right at those scantily-clad females that came to get they groove on...look beyond the slight misogyny and see this track for what it is...a dancefloor filler.

Dj Javier Estrada - Ciclon by djjavierestrada
~this guy has been droppin' gems consistently now for some time...it seems every time I log in to SC, Javier has a new banger uploaded...well today is no exception. 'Ciclon' starts out like a simple edit then transforms into some monstrous dubstepped-audio carnage with some raverton-cumbiaton elements...add some horns and a few breakdowns and you're like WTF!! Seriously, I want a copy of this to play the next time someone asks me for Latin music...sure, comin right up.

Cabeza! 036 - Black Mandingo - Black Rockin Beats - 2011 by Cabeza!
~I loved this the minute I heard Kris Parker--aka KrsOne-talkin in the intro...I grew up on old skool hiphop, so you know....the homie Cherman drops this nice cumbia and others for the always excellent Cabeza label...check it here

Soundcloud Heaters of the Month

2011-03-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

~this one here is just dripping with that late 60s era psychedelic South American sound...Os Mutantes meets Arthur Verocai?? Whatever the case, I'm lovin the slow, hypnotic groove...perfect for the early set...available on Ubiquity records here.

The Echocentrics - "Esclavo Y Amo" by Ubiquity Records

~as some might have realized by now, I'm quite enamored with the North African sound...DJ Badre comes through with a solid remix of this rather obscure track...don't know a whole lot about Fnaire, but I'll definitely be looking forward to hearing more from them soon.
FNAIRE -SAHARAOUI BASADUB RMX by Dj Badre

~wow! such a killer tune by Cream taken to a whole 'nutha level by sultry soulstress Spanky Wilson...I cant say I've heard the original, but dj ken walker gets love for dropping this gem on the soundcloud massive...killer tune!
Sunshine Of Your Love - Spanky Wilson - Ken At Work Pyschadelic Extension Dimension by djkenwalker

Lets talk Latin Funk

2011-03-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

~one of my favorite blogs, Musica del Alma, has posted his top 5 latin funk tracks of all time...a herculean task no doubt. Some great tunes posted in there!! Check his site, as he is always posting some really great and obscure tunes.

So, of course, I started to think of my own top Latin Funk tunes. Its a rather difficult exercise, yet I think Ive managed to come up with at least a top 3. So here they are.

~this tune is just plain incredible in so many ways...the drums, the chanting, the ill breakdown, etc...b-boy fodder for the dancefloor indeed!

~this one here first popped up on my 'Y Chile Verde' mix back in 2006. Its off an LP by Alma Tropical entitled "La Sangre Caliente'...Ive seen a couple of tracks of theirs comped before, so this isnt any great new discovery...anyhow, its a Latin Funk banger of the highest order...check it!

AlmaTropical-QuetePareceCholito.mp3

~okay, I'll admit it, I'm showing my Texas bias...hey, this record was practically cut in my backyard...whatever, its a great tune that slays the party every time...and these guys just performed last week at SXSW, so check em out if possible.

Keepin' it Ol' Skool--the Tribe Vibe

2011-03-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

Uncontacted Amazon Tribe: First ever aerial footage from Survival International on Vimeo.

~i cant imagine what the members of this tribe must be thinking at the sight of this; its the equivalent of an alien spaceship flying over the downtown of any given city then flying away...lets be honest here, its only a matter of time before contact is made and the tribe is introduced to other 'worlds'. Perhaps thats not such a bad thing--if we can learn from them and they can learn from us. On second thought, just let them be...we have little to teach them anyhow.

~damn, this album was so fresh...wore the print off the cassette tape on this one.

"...war is not the answer; war has never been the answer." Fela kuti

Sabbo: The Freaktion EP

2011-02-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

~Im all about supporting innovative and creative artists/musicians/producers pushing the boundaries of music; so, after getting word of Sabbo's release on Generation BAss, it goes without saying that a post is in order...heres what his promo release has to say...

Middle Eastern born, producer of many trades - SABBO - is responsible for the next release from the award winning Generation Bass camp. He has worked with Mad Decent, Soulico, dancehall stars like Turbulence and Lisa Dainjah and has also been producing many charted productions in various genres in his own country.

FREAKTION EP.

This EP draws heavily on the Chicago Foot Work sound, giving it an extra boost in top notch production and bass but also sees Sabbo leaning more towards a UK angle in the Juke/FootWork history. He blends the genre into a mix of hyperactive dancefloor filler and bass heavy globalism. From Chi town via the unlikely detour of Tel Aviv, Israel and relying on classic sampling techniques and the trusted 808 boom, this EP is a Foot Work classic in the making.

Once again Generation Bass holds true to its slogan, "cool music from whereever"...

free track linkage:

http://generationbass.bandcamp.com/track/addicted-to-you

Mas Soundcloud Heatery!!

2011-01-25T20:52:00.001-08:00

~Shazalakazoo consistently put out some of the best balkan/cumbia stuff out there...seriously, take a listen to this one and some of their other tracks...global fusion at its finest!
Sonidera Popa (Shazalakazoo Remix) - The Binary Cumbia Orchestra ft. Caballo by SHAZALAKAZOO

~ok, this is the track that should be playing at Chichen Itza, Palenque, Tikal, Machu Picchu and all the other ancient indigenous sites for the winter solstice of 2012...the gods would smile upon us all.
Dj Javier Estrada - Crazy Indian by djjavierestrada

~FK5 affiliates, the Empresarios, teaming up with Nickodemus...and the result is golden!! Be sure to check out their new album, Sabor Tropical, on their website
http://empresariosmusic.com
Empresarios - Cumbia (Nickodemus Remix) by SchitzPopinov

~Danny Massure's Mix for January 2011 caught my eye my scrolling through SC...described as "Funk Latin Afrobeat 60s 70s Soul Breaks," I couldnt resist clicking and taking a listen...I was pleasantly surprised to discover the mix included "Boricua Bounce (Loisaida mix)," a track of mine that has popped up on more than a few mixes now! Great mix and many thanks for the love!
Danny Massure Mix January 2011 by Danny Massure

Winter in America

2011-01-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

~sometimes, around this time of year, even in sunny central Texas, the weather gets cold and chilly, the wind blows the leaves off the trees, and the skies turn gloomy and grey. Thats when its time to light a fire and slow it down a bit.....

~Gil Scott Heron...classic!

~speaking of Texas, Ms. Erykah Free...um, Badu.

~bliss.

~lovely!

~chase the winter blues away....

Chicago-ATX Connect

2010-12-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

~Soundcloud homie DJ Dice hit me up to remix a track of mine, "Mumbai 2step"--he put a lil Chicago flavor to it and posted a lil teaser on SC...check it out!!

La Mumbia Step -Avatar(EL COMANDADOS RMX) EP TEASER by DJ DICE (CHICAGO)

some Soundcloud bangers

2010-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

thought I'd post some tracks that Ive been feelin as of late...some new stuff, some older stuff

--a cumbia banger featuring some hot spit vocalization from the ladies...always nice to hear females rappin over cumbia beats...
Niña Dioz & Li Saumet - La Cumbia Prohibida (Prod. by El Remolón & Villa Diamante) by villadiamantezzk

--this one has some nice fusion--Egyptian-flavored Reggae--cool...
Diaspora: "A Jamaican In Cairo" (Free-Download) by greenqueenmusic

--another one on the Reggae tip...
See-I "The King" by Thomas Blondet

--this beat is pure fire...vocals are dope too..
Lord Of Bashy feat. Rubi Dan by warrior one

--this is a track I did a lil edit action on...tossed in some percussion, drum kicks,and lil bass...also, a huge big ups to the Generation Bass and Mad Decent blogs for featuring this track!! check it on GB! and check it on Mad Decent!
Sirvan Perwer-Heybenin (Avatar Edit) by dj avatar

RIP Gregory Isaacs

2010-10-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

~a sad day indeed...i put this mix together last weekend, just to have to listen to around the house (broken tape deck in the ride-'hatin it' related)...just uploaded in honor of Gregory Isaacs...

Rasta In Paradise: Dedicated To The One, Gregory Isaacs by Mascultura on Mixcloud

Club du Monde: a New Mix

2010-10-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

Club Du Monde @ Canada - Dj Avatar - Oct/2010 by Club Du Monde on Mixcloud

~the good folks over at Club du Monde hit me up for a mix...here it is...stream/listen here and d'load over on my soundcloud page for free!! enjoy!!

Club du Monde mix: Oct 2010 by dj avatar

Some mixtape love

2010-10-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Cherman - One shot Cumbia Bass by cherman

One Shot Cumbia Bass / Mixtape - Recorded Live at Barri Gòtic / Barcelona . 1 shot w/Traktor

Tracklist

1. Don Conejo ft. Graqc - Cumbión
2. Cherman - Witness Cumbia Dub (Los Reyes de la Milanga vs Roots Manuva)
3. El Remolón - Negros Cumbieros
4. DJ Avatar - Boricua Bounce (Loisaida Mix)
5. Mr. Ioso ft. Caballo - Mo Fyah
6. Oro 11 - Macumbiabass
7. Don Conejo ft. Donny Jared - Sonido de la Gata
8. DJ Taz . Su Majestad - Danza Su Majestad II
9. Katakresis - Straight Paraguay
10. Pibes Chorros - La colorada (Super Guachín RMX)
11. Cherman - Sure Chorro (Pibes Chorros vs Beastie Boys)
12. Beastie Boys - Sabotage

~came across this bangin mix the other day and was glad to see that the mix included one of my tracks!! Boricua Bounce (Loisadia mix) is an older cut of mine I did a few years back, but glad to see its still relevant and gettin some shine...shout out to Cherman and his crew...grab the mix and play it loud!

I Got the Jazz

2010-08-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

~i snatched this LP up at the record fair years ago for cheap...such a great record...hard to find and highly recommended!!

~when I first started djing, I used to buy more jazz and funk than hiphop...this LP was a favorite...used to fire up the ol Boss 303 and loop up this one here...good times.

~another CTI banger....Hubert Laws put out alot of LPs on this label, and this ones one of my faves...

~scooped this up in Philly back in 2001 at some jazz spot on South St....crazy cold weather, hopped up into the record spot and came out with some gems...love this LP!

Producers...drums, claps, snares, etc

2010-08-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

DRUMS

~big up to the guys over at HQ Hiphop for providing these sounds!!

as anyone who has ever dabbled in music production will tell you, you can never have too many sounds available at your disposal...so heres a lil somethin for the mpc or whatever yall use....have fun and keep it funky!

Another Killah Kumbia Banger for U

2010-08-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

Pull Up 'n Blaze Up! (Get Krunk in the Klub Killah Kumbia refix) by dj avatar

Been in the homestudio cranking remixes out all summer so far....may be time to take a break for a bit...this one clocks in at 118 bpm and features Mr Vegas alongside Tony Curtis...grab it and play it loud!

...and heres another track of mine thats been gettin a lil love from the Soundcloud massive...its an Indian-flavored cut with some groovy dance/lounge vibes...I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the club when this gets played, always curious to see how people react

Mumbai 2 step by dj avatar

Strictly Wax

2010-07-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

~Ive been wanting to do an all vinyl nite for some time now...lets face it, Seratos cool and really makes djing easier, but nothing beats dropping 45s and dusty LPs. So, if youre in Austin or plan on being in town, stop through and get your vinyl envy on!

Well be doing this every Thursday in August.

An old mix cd from 2004

2010-07-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

-was goin thru some old mix cds the other day and dug up this one here...its not a bad mix, despite the rather poor transitions. Kinda fun reminiscing...2004 seems so long ago...forgot how much i really enjoyed some of these tracks, still do....d'load for free or stream...

From the Crates--Peruvian Psych Folk LP

2010-07-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

~Ive been ripping vinyl to mp3 for several years now; every now and then, I feel a bit compelled to share the love and post one of those hard to find LPs long out of print and virtually unattainable...so here ya go, enjoy!

***these files are corrupted--will post new ones soon!!****

el polen-fuera de la ciudad (1972 virrey records, peru)

El Polen-Side One

El Polen-Side Two

New Music on the Interwebs

2010-07-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

Summers in full effect, so been busy workin on some new stuff...this track here is gettin a lil love on Fairtilizer, hangin in the top 10 in the World section...for now...log in and vote if ya dig it.

this one Im still kinda on the fence about...I love the dub/cumbia stuff, but the 1st acapellas leans a lil too heavvy toward the gangsta thug rap...Ill prolly rework it and find somethin less thuggish, at some point
<a href="http://masculturamusic.bandcamp.com/track/dub-warriors-anahuak-mix">Dub Warriors (Anahuak mix) by MasCultura Music</a>

Salsa Funk

2010-06-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

~some mellow, yet funky salsa stuff from Azuquita...I could groove to this kinda stuff all day

~on the funky tip...I need this on LP/mp3...holler at me if ur holding :)

~a classic cut from Ray Barretto--Cocinando live, feelin this...

Que pasa en Chile?

2010-06-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

~been feelin this track since I first heard it a couple weeks back; really diggin her flow, the spanish horns, the whole package...hopefully she'll find her way back into Austin soon...

another artist from Chile, Cholita Sounds aka Purdy Rocks--I actually posted her Soundcloud track 'Marachai Serpiente' a few weeks back...she was kind enough to send me some new tracks and they are really great...her sound reminds me of a cross between some 80s nu-wave/synth (think Nico,but much better!) and some more modern sounding electro-clash...check this one here....

INDIECITA Purdy Rocks aka Cholita Sound by Cholita Sound/Purdy Rocks

80s synth. Camus, Rai

2010-05-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, why post an 80s track by some British dudes on a blog that focuses mostly on Nu-World Bass music; well, to be honest, all I can say is that I found a copy of the Better Off Dead soundtrack recently, ripped it from vinyl to mp3 and have been playing the hell out of it...Im an 80s kid, born in '75, so this movie was one of my favs as a younster...but I never realized how nice the soundtrack really is...some real sleeper hits on there.

anyhow, when Im not listening to this soundtrack, Ive been reading quite a bit as well...just finished rereading Albert Camus's "The Stranger"--one of the central ideas in this book is this notion of "benign indifference," the philosophical idea that very little matters regarding one's choices in life. The character in the book is punished not for the senseless murder he commit, but because of his utter indifference toward his mother's death.

An interesting idea that has its perks, for one could very well go through life without a care...utterly indifferent to the world. Camus was from Algeria, participated in the French Resistance, and wrote "The Stranger" at the age of 29!Camus died on 4 January 1960 at the age of 46 in a car accident. In his coat pocket lay an unused train ticket. He had planned to travel by train, with his wife and children, but at the last minute accepted his publisher's proposal to travel with him. I wonder if Camus would choose to take that train if given the opportunity, or would he maintain a 'benign indifference'.

Also from Algeria comes Rai music. I first heard about Rai years ago while at a dj gig. I was playing some Bhangra music and assorted Eastern vibes and someone approached the booth and asked me if I'd ever heard of Rai music. I hadnt but I went out soon after and picked some up. Needless to say, I found some really great stuff. The vinyl was pretty limited, although I did find a comp or two on LP. Most of what I came across was on cd though.

Ive only come across a few Rai-hiphop tracks, one of them being really good. Im always looking for some of this stuff, but it doesnt always pop up for me. Heres one I used to play out. Its a beautiful track featuring some lovely vocals from Fadela, I believe.

Fadela-N' Sel Fik

bombas y bangers

2010-05-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

~been busy finishin up grad school, but still findin time to get a hold of some great music...heres a few more worth peepin out

flipped the la lupe sample pretty nicely...diggn it
KOTR - Raw Hip Hop (Original B-Man Remix) (instrumental) by original b-man

another cumbia track ive been playin quite a bit...shouldve put this on my 'Its all world music mix' but spaced out instead.....
Cumbia Mundial by Sonido De La Frontera

also check out the ill flyer...killin it!

Sonido de la Frontera--Linda Mariposa

another one thats been gettin some shine locally...
Macharai Serpiente by Cholita Sound/Purdy Rocks

What Im Feelin....

2010-04-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

Kingston Logic vs. El Marranazo by AndresDigital
this cat here, Andres Digital, killed it with this blend...Kingston Logic over a Cumbia track...dayum, how come I didnt think of that....haha...nice one Andres!!

stereotyp feat warrior queen - gangsta - BUY IT ON WAX !!! by stereotyp ©
I heard of Stereotype from my days on myspace searchin for the killer soundz...dudes still makin some crazy beats...this ones kinda fresh...

MC Marcelly-Bonde das Prostitutas (Bumps-Twilight In Rio Mix) by Bumps
..and this one here...Rod Serling in the favelas of Rio...crazy...

Rastar Ursula 1000 Rmx--Nappy Riddem

2010-04-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

~the good dudes over at Fort Knox Five were kind enough to send over a promo copy of a track called Nappy Riddem by Rastar...heres what they have to say....

The new act on Fort Knox Recordings, Nappy Riddem, is the Ragga-psychodelic funk project comprised of producer/DJ Rex Riddem, Fort Knox Five & Thunderball vocalist Mustafa Akbar, and Thievery Corporation Bassist Ashish ‘Hash’ Vyas.

Rastar is the new single from our upcoming label compilation The New Gold Standard 2, due out November 3rd, 2009 on Fort Knox Recordings. Nappy Riddem represents strongly with deep ska stepping on Rastar. A tune that incorporates Rex’s Prince-like vocals, melded with skank reggae guitars courtesy of Rob Myers (Fort Knox Five / International Velvet), and an infectious hook from soulful crooner, Mustafa Akbar. With Hash’s bouncing funk bassline, and a dubbed out breakdown, we introduce the new era of the Rasta Rockstar…. The Rastar!

definitely some heat for the dancefloor...grab it here for free!!

Rastar_Ursula_1000_Remix.mp3

Fishin on Fairtilizer~Nu-World Music

2010-04-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

~some tracks on Fairtilizer I came across...

~some funky Funk bizess from the US...found this in the "World" category...not sure how it ended up there...good stuff.

~kinda dig this one...the drums are nice; feeling the horn action...she needs a rapper cameo or somethin...too much yin, not enough yang...

~some Brazilian electro funk....this is the kind of stuff I like to come across out of nowhere...this is why I still check Fairtilzer.

~some rapz from Togo...might need to check a map for that one...

~French mashup of MIA and a MSTRKRFT Rmx---cool.

shaanti-disco warrior

2010-03-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

just did a lil mix over the weekend and put this track on there...man, forgot how dope this cut really is!! and the video, kilin it!

heres the mix

its all WORLD music (Transnational Sounds mix) by dj avatar

edit---also check the fantastic hatnhoodie blog where this mix was also featured

Astral Travelin and the Indigenous Spirit

2010-03-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

~uploaded this one to Fairtilizer a while back...not gettin too many plays...hmmm? Is it the oddly worded title or the Zapata pic? Dunno, maybe a combo of both...anyhow, here it is...

I made this song after a slew of fairly weird dreams; weird is probably an understatement.....the "Indigenous Spirit" comes from my time spent in Chiapas, Mexico, more specifically Palenque, the incredible Mayan temples and the Food of the Gods (see Terrence McKenna)...this track was originally title "DreamingofMyToad," I figured I'd change the name to one that doesnt cause such confusion...FAIL.

Salsa Breaks

2010-03-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

~i missed the record show this weekend; its a good thing really---I still have records I bought from the show last year that I havent listened to...I love the days when I can just kick back and throw on some jazz, soul, or, if I'm in the mood, some funky salsa....

love this track---listen carefully now....shhhhh!!! dont tell on me ;)

quality...

youtube killin it...

cant leave out Fruko....this one just kills me every time....

as far as the whole sxsw thing, let me just say this...Evil D is a beast on the decks, 'KidCapri-ing' dudes for trying to request a song---WE DONT TAKE REQUESTS!!!---sayin...

J-Rocc murdered the Apache break, Cut Chemist dropped Major Lazr and some ill Brazilian Geto Tek bizness, Jazzy Jeff kilt it, and Mos Def did his damn thing...and yes, I missed Bomba Estereo again...I blame VSOP dammit....

Rethinking Eurocentrism

2010-03-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

~I picked up this book several years ago, having found it while wandering around the bookstore. Its a serious book that delves into the ways the media encourages viewers/readers/ listeners to accept a Eurocentric perspective--to be quite honest, this book influenced me to create the MasCultura banner through which I make music and propagate the rhythms of so-called Third World nations. Heres a brief excerpt from the book:

"Unthinking Eurocentrism focusses on Eurocentrism and multiculturalism in popular culture. It is written in the passionate belief that an awareness of the intellectually debilitating effects of the Eurocentric legacy is indispensable for comprehending not only contemporary media representations but even contemporary subjectivities. Endemic in present day thought and education, Eurocentrism is naturalized as "common sense." Philosophy and literature are assumed to be European philosophy and literature. History is assumed to be European history..."

The authors go on to add that Europe is placed at the center of the world--when we refer to the Middle East or the Far East, we unconsciously place Europe as the central focus point...the "arbiter of spatial evaluation," as the authors state.

All this is not to say the Europe/Europeans are bad or wrong---no, rather the authors are simply making us aware of a Eurocentric discourse that permeates much of popular culture across the globe. Think Indiana Jones, James Bond, or the nightly news that, when referring to some post-colonial nation consisting of dark-skinned people, must show them screaming and hollering at the camera, most of the time setting fire to an American flag or some other symbol of our nation.

As someone greatly interested in what corporate music marketing stategists have blandly labeled "World Music," I am curious to see what the future holds as the rhythms of post-colonial nations in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East blast loudly out of speakers in cities across the US and Europe. The youth of today are sweating on the dancefloor to cumbia, kuduro, baile funk (which is rooted in Miami Bass with some Brazilian influence), balkan beat, etc....How is this fact going to alter the Eurocentric discourse that has dominated popular culture for the last century or so?

El Hilwa Di (coucou)

Fela--Viva Afrika!!

Cumbia Internacional_Avatar by dj avatar

Terry Lynn

2010-03-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

I first got wind of Terry Lynn a lil over a year ago when she dropped her somewhat graphic, yet symbolically appropriate "System" video--shes definitely a talented mc with the potential to bring some more heavy tunes to the bass-hungry massive...heres a few youtube vidz worth peepin....

-a lil mashup

some quasi-dubstep rmx

the 'system' video---I swore off pork years ago, cant say I miss it--some brutal imagery up in here...

Jamaican Girls

"JAMAICAN GIRLS" TERRY LYNN & JOHAN HUGO of RADIOCLIT from phred on Vimeo.

Terry Lynn--Jamaican Girls-Radioclit

Jingle Jangle

2010-02-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

~so this one here is an old favorite of mine--The Legion made some noise w this single back in like '93...the track featured Dres of Black Sheep, the beat was nice (Mr Lawnge prod??), and BET was showin the video love on RapCity....not sure if they ever dropped a full length or not.....probably.

this is an edit I did real quik in protools---nice extended intro and I cut out the 3rd verse that I never really cared for....

another High Quality WAV file..........
The Legion--Jingle Jangle (avatar edit)

Hiphop vs Academia

2010-02-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

~so, as some may know, Ive been laboring my way through grad school for the last 4-5 years--its been an interesting ride(and its almost over!!)--Ive learned quite a bit and, despite my borderline-poverty existence, have found my time in grad school to be 'enriching,' as they like to say.....

so, Ive decided to post a copy of my research paper (29 pages) for any that may be interested...its not perfect, as few essays are--however, I feel it reflects my perspective adequately...and if you grew up on hiphop in the late 80s/early 90s, then you should no doubt feel where Im comin from...

heres the intro...

"For many in America, hip hop music evokes images of young, dark-skinned males sporting oversized gold chains, collectively boasting about their fancy sports cars or vast coterie of salacious women. Tune to any urban radio station marketing to the young, hip hop market and surely one will encounter such braggadocio and misogyny. As if the materialism and crude characterization of females were not sufficient, today’s hip hop artists are also perceived as overtly angry and violent, with the music they produce sometimes leading to brawls in the nightclubs in which the music is played or performed. Such occurrences have even led some club owners to cease booking certain hip hop acts altogether, so as not to have to deal with the violent and rowdy crowds that attend these performances.
Certainly one cannot simply argue that the music itself causes violence, for there exists a sizable portion of hip hop artists that view these characterizations of violence, misogyny, and materialism with disdain. Yet, at the same time, there are the gangsta rappers who use characterizations of ghetto stereotypes—such as the pimp, gangster, or hustler—to convey an aspect of social realism that aims to express the reality of ghetto life. Instead of focusing on these stereotypical characterizations, conscious rappers—a term used within hip hop culture to differentiate the ‘gangsta’ rapper from the ‘intelligent’ rapper—attempt to address social issues with aplomb. These conscious rappers deliberately attack social ills, such as poverty, unemployment, inflation, poor housing and substandard educational systems. Rap music is, as Tricia Rose suggests, “a hidden transcript” that uses “cloaked speech and disguised cultural codes to comment on and challenge aspects of current power inequalities."

When Hiphop Mattered

Raphy Leavitt--Amor y Paz

2010-02-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

~found some time to rip some vinyl finally--Raphy Leavitt "Amor y Paz" off his "Mi Barrio" LP on Borinquen Records---thought this cut deserved some shine; a couple other cuts worth rippin as well...more vinyl rips comin soon...

(high quality wav file)--also boosted the eq levels in protools to enhance the sound a lil bit ;)
Raphy Leavitt--Amor y Paz

DJ'n 101--the do's and dont's

2010-02-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

~just read this and cant agree more with this dude...so on point.

via Mad Decent blog

I’m very glad you’ve started this column as I’ve found myself lost in a number
of ways. Fundamentally I feel myself torn between the needs of the
proletariat (aka my friends) and my personal desires to hear deep as fuck
disco/rap/house etc cuts mixed to perfection (which my friends don’t). How
do you resolve this contradiction!?!?!! I cant get new friends nobody likes
me except these so I would prefer a way to manipulate them.
Thanks,
Frustrated in Fort Greene.

Dear Frustrated in FG,
I’ve been there buddy, and let me tell you, there is no solution. The tricky thing about cool music: nobody cares. 7 pm on a Saturday Night, over stuffing my record boxes with all the songs I think are amazing. With every ill 12″ I pack, a vision of their acceptance on the dace floor flashes through my head. Slipping a Pete Shelly “Homosapien” 12″ between Madonna and Cerrone records, I picture my friends bursting into jaunty dances reminiscent of the first half of the 80’s. I do this all evening, picking records and imagining their profound impact. By the time 11 rolls around I’ve got two over stuffed flight cases and a little bag bursting at the seems; every record I’ve brought is essential to the amazing night that lays ahead. Now it’s my turn to DJ, and I play my set, and it’s great except for one little thing. The records I was really excited about playing, little treasures I was sure would ignite, they were not the high points of my set, they were the low. Sure that one dude from the Hollerboard went crazy for some off beat disco treasure, but for the most part tried and true favorites were the driving force of the night. It’s Saturday night, and my friends don’t care about Ashford & Simpson, or Morrissey solo songs. Forgetting about the coming Monday or the passing Friday, finding someone to make out in the bathroom with, maybe a cheap bag of blow, this is Saturday night, not me or my impeccable taste. Diplo didn’t get famous playing electro rap from Zimbabwe or crunk from Fiji. He and one of his friends threw a party where they played popular songs everybody liked; not totally top 40 but everything crowd pleasing. Once success materialized, so did a platform to dictate rather than placate.

You want your crowd to feel your selections? Give then what they want first. Once you’ve earned their trust, and they know your dependable and will play ‘their song’ you can start tricking them. Pick a few songs to really get behind and start pushing them. Try the most accessible of your favorites to start out with. Like if your trying to go disco play Chic records at first. Get them used to a few easy to love classics. Once those records are accepted, you can go the next step deeper, and so on. Slip them in the right place and do not linger long in the audio out-lands. Nobody including me is checking for three Nu-Disco songs in a row. If your gonna take chances find dependable records to take them between. Work out the mix at home so you know the bar counts and when to bring shit in and out. Do Your Homework! Here is a good example. I have an edit of “This is Radio Clash” that goes to the dub at the end. I’ll mix something quirky into that, then the next song after my quirky song will be “Abracadabra” by Steve Miller Band. I keep the 80’s rockish through line using two classic dance songs that are easy to mix. And hopefully I’ve done my job and kept the energy up. Timing is everything and that ONLY comes with experience, so keep playing and playing and playing. The more hours you log in front of people the better you’ll get, as long as you push yourself.

People are predictable and crave familiarity. You’ve got to trick them, win hearts and minds to win the war. If your not rich, or famous, or producing chart topping records, or really good looking, your gonna have to make em happy and sneak in the jams when you can. I think you’ll find that making people happy is quite rewarding in itself, and when you get a moment where it all comes together and everyone is wasted and dancing to Sylvester, well that’s the icing on the cake. Enjoy it, it’s fleeting…

There is another school of DJing, that hard line refusal to play anything but what you want, what you think is cool or right. Thing is, if what you think is cool and right does not include a decent amount of crowd pleasing music, your probably just an asshole. Or maybe your not an asshole, your just clueless. That guy trying to force R&B Classics down the throats of kids who want to hear Misfits and Young Jeezy.
Either way, pretentious fuck or just a moron, your fucking up my Saturday night.

-Roctakon

Gunja Bros

2010-02-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

ok, I know Im waaay late on this, as Im sure this tracks made its way around the blogosphere several times now...but damn if I cant stop listening to this...

We Smoke with Ur Muthas - Gunja Brothers by Gunja Brothers

Cumbia a Una Mujer Bonita

2010-02-10T12:57:00.001-08:00

~for anyone thats ever bought some bootleg Cumbia cds off the streets of Mexico, you know they always got some sexy lady on the cover...no need to mess w/ tradition, right?

Cumbia a Una Mujer Bonita (wav) by dj avatar

Nas & Damian Marley--As We Enter

2010-02-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

~been waitin to hear this one here since I got word of this collabo...if the full length is as good as this single, were in for some serious heat!!

Nas and Damian Marley--As We Enter

Afrobeat!!!

2010-02-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

~cant help but hear Fela just chanting over this...feelin this right here!

~just stumbled upon these cats here---diggin this as well

~a real groovy AfroFunk track that Ive been feelin...
Captain Planet--Lagos Speedway via Mixtape Riot

For the Yout' Dem

2010-01-30T13:41:00.001-08:00

Traygod-For the Yout' Dem (produced by Avatar)
Traygod-For the Yout' Dem produced by Avatar by dj avatar

Psychedelic Tejano--Latin Breed

2010-01-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

~these guys put out several albums on Manny Guerra's GCP label out of San Antonio, Tx...I havent heard all of em, but this one seems to be the one thats in demand. The stand out cuts are 'Maranatha,'where the band lets the funk roots fly; some groovy basslines, and a few open breaks make it a staple in the Funk crates.

A couple other tracks are of interest here as well, to me at least. "It Keeps You Runnin' is the sleeper joint--a soulful, laidback track with a long intro for seamless blending. A lil somethin different for the early set. Also check out "Cuando de Canses de Llorar,' which is perhaps the most experimental track off the album--it starts off with some psych-ish grooves then jumps into a more traditional polka groove--midway through the song, though, the bass guitarist drops a jazz riff, then cuts back to the beat

~these are high quality wav files, not mp3s!!
Maranatha
It Keeps You Runnin

hiphop record nerdery--dork out

2010-01-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

my fellow hiphop 12" completionists will surely understand--been on the hunt for this one for a loooonng minute and its finally found its way into my hands--perhaps the only copy that is not in Japan...ok, time to crack a beer and reminisce to summer of '94

this was/still is my shit

this cd didnt leave the deck in the jeep for months...classique!!

another banger...damn i miss hiphop

no intro necessary

haha...this album was/still is legendary...another one that was in heavy rotation

and this track here...so slept on!! that horn is so sick...

R.I.P. Wille Mitchell

2010-01-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

~one of the greatest producers in the history of Soul music--the man had a hand in so many hits and had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented musicians to ever grace this great earth of ours...your work is testament to your genius...RIP Wille Mitchell

~just one example of Willie Mitchell's place in hiphop...

A New Year~A New Look

2010-01-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

~ended up djing a New Years Eve gig after all...the dj booth at the spot has a poster of Selena hanging up on the wall; the place used to be a Tejano bar and the new owners havent bothered to take it down...I kinda dig it. Damn she wouldve been huge--so beautiful and talented...such a tragedy...RIP Selena

...the nite was fun and people kept dancing---a few annoying drunks talmbout "whats your favorite song ever?" (fyi: most djs are busy tryin to work and have little time to answer such questions--please save them for later)... The highlight for me was at the end of the nite dropping all my favorite reggae selections...the drunks were too drunk to care or notice and all the real heads were feelin the irie vibes....

-not really a roots/reggae riddim...but fiyah nonetheless

Sabbo-Far To Go Feat.Little X by Sabbo

2009~The End of the Year...

2009-12-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

but the road continues on......2009 in the rearview mirror....2010!!...so, as those who know me well might tell you, Im something of a bibliophile, a reader if you will...cue Bill Hicks bit..."Looks like we got ourselves a reader." So, I thought I'd post some of the books I read this year along with some music to accompany each book..sounds exciting, huh?

~Jeff Chang's "Cant Stop Wont Stop" is the book every hiphop historian wishes he couldve written. I mined this book for source material while writing my own short piece on hiphop and found Chang to be my guiding light through the rough and tumble boroughs of New York City. Chang, along with Robin D.G. Kelley, stands as the archivist and interpreter for the embattled hiphop nation.

B-Boys-Rock the House

~Aliester Crowley, the Great Beast, was a truly unique individual who engaged in all sorts of strange occultist activity. He was into yoga and the Kabbalah way before Madonna made such things en vogue...I first heard of Crowley over 10 years ago; I tracked down a book of his (Magick Without Tears, I believe) and found it utterly incomprehensible...this biography by Martin Booth entertains and informs...perhaps I'll revisit Crowley's work this year if time permits....

Mos Def-Supermagic

~A number of years ago, I was afforded the pleasure of meeting Dagoberto. We sat at the same dinner table at the wedding of a mutual friend. I knew he was a writer, but had yet to read any of his work...too bad b/c, as it turns out, he writes about the same three cities Ive called home---Los Angeles, El Paso and Austin. For me, reading Dagoberto is like reading a letter written by some not-too-distant relative. His English/Spanish word use and his subject matter seem ever-so familiar. I almost expected him to write at some point about Chicos Tacos in El Paso, or El Tepeyac in E. L.A. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from Dagoberto this coming year.

Grupo Fantasma-Cumbia del Coyote

"If He Hollers Let Him Go" by Chester Himes may very well be one of the great pieces of African-American literary art in America...Whereas Richard Wright, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and others appear in highschool textbooks, Himes gets left out for some reason (interracial sex)...whatever, I ran through this book in a few days, hungry for more from the mind of Himes. His books can be tough to find (at least where i shop), so if ya find one grab it.

Jay Electronica--Exhibit C (one of the best hiphop tracks of the year)

Rick Strassman's "DMT: The Spirit Molecule" found me; I was in the bookstore looking about, and there it was. I bought it, obviously, and devoured it (not literally-but you knew that). Strassman is a researcher at some university in New Mexico who began performing experiments with volunteers who he would give DMT to. The volunteers would undergo incredible experiences, many of them claiming that they felt as if they had died and left their body for good. The DMT users returned to their bodies safely, telling of strange realms filled with amazing colors, shapes, patterns, music, machines, and the tale of an occasional alien presence. Cool.

DJ Avatar--DreamingofMyToad

Buyin Old Records is a Habit....

2009-12-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

but if I cant afford to pay, I'll just bag it...(not really though)...

~just came up on this one here...(mp3s to come--hold tight)...........found another great cumbia track on another record, gonna chop it up and turn it into some nasty tropical-krunk-goodness real soon like.......

~La Kabala---latin psychedelic soul out of Mexico, i believe...late 60's/ early 70s era stuff...real groovy and funky tunes...plus the covers something else.......check the link below for a taste of La Kabala.........

La Kabala--El Cumbanchero

~whoa....

I Got the Blues

2009-12-16T13:35:00.001-08:00

~finished with my classes, time off from work...time to chill, enjoy some music, and make some music....

drummmmssss.....

Little Sonny_Hard Comin Up

classic cut...

Marlena Shaw_Blues Aint Nuthin but a Good Woman Gone Bad

Gil Scott Heron on the blues tip

and of course...Stevie Ray Vaughn

Wiz Khalifa--youngin on his grind~avatar refix

2009-12-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

as much as i try to focus on global/ethnic fusion music, im always tempted by a hiphop acapella to unleash a lil rap stress out my system...so here ya go...i actually cooked this up back in like '07, but who cares...right...

wizkhalifa_avatars u-so-gangsta-refix by dj avatar

Some of that ol' Latin Funk ish.....

2009-12-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Before this record was reissued, copies on ebay would sell for way more than I was ever willing to pay for a copy. Luckily, I got my hands a quality rip and saved some serious loot....Such a great record...couple of stand out tracks for me are Lupita, which you can check out on a mix I did--as well as the Rakim flip I threw over the break---and Ritual, an absolute scorching Latin Funk monster...B-boys take heed when this one gets dropped!!!

Nico Gomez--Ritual

~if memory serves, tracks 9 and 10 should be Lupita and the Rakim flip....

and while Im at it........I still rock my Cypress Hill tape I bought at Camelot Records back in like '91....and the shirt I got at Blondies too!!! Old skool ATX cats know whats up........

Cumbia, Electro, Reggae Minimix~Summer 2008

2009-12-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

~uploaded this on Soundcloud recently~have a listen, download, stream, enjoy!!

MasCultura MiniMix by dj avatar

Sand Painting

2009-12-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

~this is so brilliant, any attempt to describe this would be futile...thanks to the sunshine girl for bringing this to my attention...;)

South America~Inna Mellow Mood

2009-12-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

~freezing cold approaches; sing a song in honor of the departed sun.....

Os Mutantes-Baby~Os Mutantes usually brings a heavy dose of Brasilian psychedelia to the table, complete with heavy fuzz, knockin drums, and spaced out vocals---this ones pretty laid back for them...but def worth checkin out...

Arthur Verocai-Caboclo~first heard this song on a Prefuse 73 sampler a couple years back; had no idea who it was, but I was really diggin it...lovin the spacy sound effects in the background; mellow goodness for the cold winter approachin...

Cesaria Evora-Sodade~this one comes off a Luaka Bop comp; Cesaria has a voice that just penetrates into the deepest recesses of your soul...you cant help but listen in awe...this song is just so raw and emotionally powerful---put this one on repeat

Turkish Psych!!!!!!

2009-12-01T19:38:00.001-08:00

Many are under the belief that San Francisco was the capital of psychedelic rock back in the 60s and 70s...Well, there was this place called Istanbul, Turkey, and they were on a whole 'nother level of psych-acid-rock fusion...

...Ive only discovered whats been comped so Im no elite source of knowledge here...but what Ive heard thus far is incredible....

...so many great tunes...what was up with Turkey?? Sure, we can only imagine the amount of psychedelic substances passing through Turkey making their way into the lucrative markets of Western Europe...Turkey is the bridge into Europe...thats what has made this little piece of land so valuable over the centuries...access to trade routes.....

...be sure to peep the videos below...Mavi Isiklar is a beast!!! and Baris Manco is simply put...that dude...he makes me envious that I was born 30 years too late in a city not Istanbul...

Mavi Isiklar--For Your Info

Baris Manco--Ben Bilirim

Yeah, You Get Props Over Here

2009-11-29T09:36:00.000-08:00

http://the13thtribe.blogspot.com/

~noticed some extra hits coming up on one of my Fairtilizer mixes, so did some quick google research super-sleuthing and found the link above...looks like a great blog, filled with the same sort of musical/cultural fun stuff I love to post...also, noticed this....

~looks like a great party...in London. But noticed they put my "Cumbia Int'l" on their mixtape, so BIG UPS to them cats for that...

"Fftang is a rum-fuelled safari through the clubs of the Tropics and beyond, exploring mutating party rhythms and culture-sound-clashes. Brazilian dubstep meets Middle Eastern mambo? Swedish hip hop over Congolese speed disco? Boundaries are melting and genres breed as worlds collide.

This week we're proud to have DJ IZEM from our favourite radio station GROOVALIZACION with us. In between delivering his monthly podcasts the Dublin based DJ and producer has played all over the globe, blazing up such musical hotspots as Recife, Casablanca, Valencia, Paris, Buenos-Aires and for tonight Matthew - Brick Lane.

Expect a global beat inferno taking in cumbia, samba, reggae, hip-hop and scorching tropical-meets-western-grooves mashups.

Joining him will be Huskiii (afro/latin/traditional-regional-music fused with b-boy beats and bastard bass) and musicians Captain Trumpet (brass) and Paolo (percussion) on jamming duty.

FREE ENTRY and 2 bottles of beer for a fiver until 8:30pm."

The FFtang crew have also been so kind as to run a feature promoting The 13th Tribe & VOCA movements on their outstanding blog.If u cant make it along to 93 Feet East to witness the aural delights live and direct then u can still sample the juice from afar-their mixes are already the stuff of legend on the 13t ipod.

grab the Fftang Mixtape 02 here

check this track list !!!

Totó la Momposina – El Porro Magangueleño
Super Sonido Changorama – La Suave Cumbia De
Kinfolk Kia Shine – So Krispy (cumbianativo remix)
Sonido Del Principe – Boom Boom
Balkan Beatbox – Red Bula (bbb remix)
Dunkelbunt – Dunkelbunt Rocks da Funky Beats
Hernan Builes – Chela (sneaky p remix)
DJ Avatar – Cumbia Int’l Mas Cultura Prod.
DJ Rage – La Companera (remix)
Tupolev Sound Crash – Green Curry Cumbia (facon darcyr remix)
De Leve – Cão Fudido
Palov & Mishkin – Ouist Atou
Willie Colón – Che Che Cole
Joe Cuba Sextet – Bang Bang
Rye Rye ft. MIA – Bang (prince of ballard remix)
Riot Kid – Shalom
Amadou & Mariam – Sabali (uproot andy remix)
Paulinho Pinheiro – Merengue Rebita (dj dolores rmx)
G.Rag und die Landlerg’schwister – Schorschl Take 3 (Isartaler Ghettoschützen Schlachthofbronx remix)
Grandpamini – Pégalé
Os Mutantes – Bat Macumba
Som Tres – Take it Easy my Brother Charle

nice playlist!! next time Im in London (lol) I'll be sure to swing by

Gin and Juice--the Country version??????

2009-11-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

~seriously, if I was at a show and these dudes came on stage and did this song...I'd be in the front row gettin hype to this....Im officially a fan....this shit is hilarious!!!!!!!!

update---holy shit!!! these dudes are from Austin...Im sleeping

Crazy Diver

2009-11-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

~back in the day, we used to cliff dive out at the lake...i swear we thought we were 'those dudes' cause we were jumping off 20-30 ft cliffs into the lake...this guy here is jumping 172 ft!!!!!!! this is crazy

Method Man--Sub Crazy

Whats Up in AFRICA??

2009-11-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

~feelin this!!

~not too sure what to think of this...music doesnt emerge out of a vacuum, so Im tryin to pinpoint this guy's influences...gary numan?? the chorus sounds eerily familiar...interesting.....

La Kmbia Kontinental

2009-11-23T17:59:00.000-08:00

La Kmbia Kontinental by Pernett

~received this in the soundcloud dropbox the other day...from Pernett in Colombia...really feelin this cut...check his blog too...I get the feeling that big things are goin down in Colombia and much of South/Latin America these days...something on the verge of an all out musical explosion...dont say I didnt warn you.....

cool psychedelic video w/ some funny moments--the dancing Bin Laden!! too much...

from his blog:
By Toto González
Vuelve Pernett, with a hand full of tricks and a track selection that can be described as his best work yet. A true artist that follow his instincts and his roots taking it to a next level and presenting them to the world in a release called “El Mago”.

The style can be described as a new generation “Folklore” Colombiano going deep and most important, studying the mastermind behind this sounds like “Toto La Momposina”, “Joe Arroyo”, "Batata" or “Petrona Martinez” to name a few. 10 tracks well layered and organized in a way that you can listen to the whole CD non-stop and not skip a track. “La Kmbia Del Sol” opens as a welcome, almost like a ritual to the good spirits of cumbia with positive lyrics that can take you to a full moon breezy beach en el caribe. “Ponte Firme” blends the typical “tambora” sounds with the usual Pernett signature of electronic beats and synth that can be delighted on different tracks like “El Mago” and the part II of “La Rumba Bacana”, which I select as my favorite track at the moment. “La Vida No Es Pa Llorar” resembles the good spirit and the optimism from the beautiful people of the pacific. “Fantasia Tropical” has a great string section that combines, once again, the classic with the autoctonal.
This is a CD that will travel in time making Pernett a pioneer and fearless Latin-American producer.

Rumi Callin--Sufi Dub

2009-11-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

Ive been a fan of Rumi's poetry for some time now. His work is considered amongst the finest of Persian poets. So when I came across DJ Umb's "Rumi Calling" I was intrigued to say the least.

What I heard didnt disappoint. The sound is straight up King Tubby-Kingston Dubbed-Out Bliss, rockin a soundclash in the heart of ancient Persia---the sounds of post-industrial Western civilization grinding against the spiritual landscape of the revered Sufi poet....like Jodeci might say, "Dont talk, just listen."

RUMI CALLING : SUFI DUB (November 2009) by djumb

History 101: 99th Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution

2009-11-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

<

Nov 20, 1910-Nov 20, 2009

For those that dont know, Im a bit of a history geek. So, today, as you now know marks the 99th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. Yes, that explains why every town in Mexico has a street called "20 de Noviembre".

Babe Ruth--The Mexican
Mexican Institute of Sound--Cumbia Deathface Rmx
Unknown--El Imperialismo Yanqui (not actual title)--sounds more Peruvian than Mexican, but you get the idea

books on the Mexican Revolution worth reading:

John Mason Hart- Revolutionary Mexico: The Coming and Process of the Mexican Revolution--absolutely essential reading!! This book altered the way scholars viewed the Mexican Revolution.

Paul Hart--Bitter Harvest--friend and mentor, Paul Hart examines the origins of the Zapatista rebellion in Southern Mexico---from historycooperative.org>>>

"This very good book fills a major gap in Mexican history. The movement led by Emiliano Zapata made the Mexican Revolution revolutionary. It developed in the State of Morelos, a warm basin south of Mexico City, where sugar estates jostled peasant communities from the sixteenth century. We have solid histories of the region in the colonial era: we know the sugar industry's early foundation under Hernán Cortés; we know the long and contested history in which estates expanded and stabilized in long waves, imported African slaves, and saw those slaves find their way into local communities that kept limited lands while providing vast reserves of cane-cutting labor.
1
The historiography of Zapata's 1910 rising and of the years his villagers ruled Morelos and shaped a revolution is vast. But we have lacked a history of estates and villages in Morelos from independence to the revolution. Thus we have not understood how the contested stability that marked the region at the end of the colonial era turned into waves of conflict from the 1840s through the 1870s, then stabilized again only to explode in revolution in 1910.

John Reed-Insurgent Mexico--the same John Reed from which the movie "Reds" is based. Reed rides along with Villa and his Division del Norte, documenting his experiences along the way. Thrilling first hand account.

--apologies for the blurry pic--

Rai_Cheb Khaled

2009-11-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

A number of years ago, I discoverd the genre of music originating in North Africa known as Rai. I found the music to be beautiful and, although I couldnt understand the lyrics, I sensed a passion emanating from deep within the Rai artists, particularly Cheb Khaled.

Heres what wikipedia has to say on Rai:

"Rai is a form of folk music that originated in Oran, Algeria from Bedouin shepherds, mixed with Spanish, French, African and Arabic musical forms, which dates back to the 1930s and has been primarily evolved by women in the culture. Raï literally means opinion but is colloquially used as an interjection along the lines of "oh, yeah!"

Singers of raï are called cheb (shabb, young) as opposed to sheikh (shaykh, old), the name given to Chaabi singers. The tradition arose in cities like Oran, Relizane and Mostaganem, primarily among the poor. Traditionally sung by men, at the turn of the 20th century, female singers became common. Raï musicians as early as the 1930s were singing about social issues which affected native populations. These ranged from disease to the policing of European colonies.

Raï is a popular music style that originated in Algeria in the 1930s. It became popular among young people who sought to modernize the traditional Islamic values and attitudes. Regional, secular, and religious drum patterns, melodies, and instruments were blended with Western electric instrumentation. Raï music mixes with hip hop, reggae, funk, blues and with North African beats and rhythms. Raï's lyrics song speak to a new nationalistic identity that encourages the union of contemporary and traditional ideals. "

Apparently, Khaled has dropped the "Cheb" and just goes as Khaled now, like when Buckshot Shorty dropped the "Shorty"...makes sense...this track Ive uploaded has more of a hiphop feel to it, but still retains some elements of Rai...also, Ive stopped using Divshare--too many problems--and am now going with Mediafire...

Cheb Khaled and Iam--Oran Marseille

El Hijo de la Cumbia--La Mara Tomaza

2009-11-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

came across this on the emayocutz blog...one of my favorite psychedelic cumbias out there...so good, great teaser!!

i obviously have a fondness for videos shot in cities in Latin America...in a way, i feel I'm reminiscing about those days I spent backpacking through Mexico, loafing about aimlessly, stopping at various towns, sightseeing, wandering, soaking in the sights and sounds of the streets, slowly transitioning from one beach to another...cocos frios, fresh pan dulce, sleeping in a hammock, staring out into the vast expanse of the Caribbean................................

you feel me??

b/w this aint no Corona commercial

Bebel Gilberto feat Mark Ronson--The Real Thing

2009-11-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

now, Ive been a fan of Bebel Gilberto since day one...her lovely, sultry vocals over electro-samba and bossa nova beats just made for some great sunday morning music to cook pancakes and sip coffee to...so when i came across this track, i was glad to see shes teamed up with Mark Ronson, whose soulful r&b funk productions hearken back to the sounds of the 70s...Brasilian Funk?? yes please...

Well, what we get is closer to any Amy Winehouse track w/ Bebel taking Amy's place. Gone are the Brasilian rhythms and instrumentation of her native country, with Ronson's funk-based sound replacing them....and rather than sing in Portuguese, Bebel opts to sing in English...Portuguese is far more gentle on the ears, plus it sounds so SEXY coming from a woman's voice...its a good track and will do well Im sure, but I miss the old Bebel sound that transported me to the beaches of Brasil.

Mexicans with Guns

2009-11-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

Mexicans with Guns---came across this track on Soundcloud...really diggin the sound here...some Latin Bmore with some nice horns thrown in for good measure...Im a sucker for horns, so you know Im sold on this...Will have to keep an eye out for these guys, as I missed their last visit to Austin

Bring It On Home (Mexicans With Guns Remix) by Exponential

dj hannibal drops some remixes on me

2009-11-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

ive been postin too much on my damn self already...anyone got some music--or any other artistic venture--they wanna share, do feel free to hit me up...otherwise....ill keep sharing whatever i come across...k?

seriously, if it wasnt for this dude i probably never wouldve gone out and bought some turntables...honestly, i felt compelled to go out and get some tables b/c i couldnt hang out at his spot all nite/every nite practicin on his...

anyhow, for those that dont know, this cat has been makin some of the illest remixes/blends/smasups, whateva u wanna call em, for some time now...Spoon v. Gorilla Zoe, Three Six Mafia v. Benny Benassi....the Britney Spears v. Marilyn Manson...damn, i could go on....so heres a couple more he was kind enough to lace me with....

MJ-Smooth criminal (hannibal rmx)

and

Ice Cube-It was a Good Day (hannibal rmx)

that bassline on the MJ track is crazy...definitely flips the vibe on it...the Cube refix is like some smooth, souled-out funk bizness...some slow rolling funk that just oozes out the speakers, plus Cube's voice fits the beat like a fresh pair of sneaks...

Fairuz

2009-11-08T17:51:00.000-08:00

years ago, i was listening to a local community sponsored station that features a variety of music from virtually every walk of life...this was back in 2000, and the show i was listening to featured music from the Middle East...at the time i was not very familiar with any of the music, so it was refreshing to hear some music that was new and, dare i say, "exotic" to the ears...well, before long this song came on and i immediately stopped doing whatever else i was doing at the time and listened, actually i probably pushed 'record' on the tape deck as that was the norm for me in those days---anyhow, the song, as i discoverd after calling the station and speaking with the dj, was by none other than the legendary Fairuz...

In some ways i mark this point as the beginning of my interest in music from the Mediterranean/Middle East, as i took very little interest in it prior to this encounter. perhaps this was the song that played...its been a while and i dont recall; she has so many great songs, it couldve been any number of them really

Fairuz--Sa Alony El Nas

a short time later, i made a track of my own and used a sample of her voice from a different song in the track...i think it was a fitting homage.

DJ Avatar--Dreams of the East

heres another great song of hers

Soundcloud

2009-11-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

finally signed up...took me a while, yes...i was a bit hesitant, as im trying to limit my online pitstops...but thats a futile task i realize...

ok, so heres a track i did a while back...it still needs something else, i just havent quite figured out what...

01 - Avatar Like u the Champion by dj avatar

Y Chile Verde Mix__tracklist

2009-11-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

so ive been meaning to get the tracklist for this up...finally gettin round to it after a few listeners have requested some detailed info.....apologies for not knowing the names of all the songs...

1) Nortec Collective--El Lado Oscuro de Mi Compadre
2) ??
3) Christopher Goze--Sirocco
4) Morcheeba--Shoulder Holster (dj swamp rmx)
5) Max Sedgley--Happy
6) Home Team--Pick it Up
7) Supreme Nyborn--Style
8) Antibalas--Che Che Cole Makossa
9) Nico Gomez--Lupita
10) Lupita Break v. Rakim (Avatar Blend)
11) El General--Caramelo rmx
12) DJ Food--??
13) DJ Format--English Lesson
14) Le Peuple le Herbe--??
15) Frank T--Nuevo Ser
16) DePhazz--Mambo Craze
17) Alma Tropical--Que te Parece Cholito

PsychRock__Shocking Blue

2009-11-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

im still learnin the ropes of the whole psych genre...once you get into it, and you realize how deep the rabbit whole goes, you can feel a bit overwhelmed...hence, new discoveries lurk upon the horizon...

one of my first psych discoveries was this lil' gem i found on 45 whilst diggin one day...these cats are Dutch, i believe, and on another level as far as im concerned

hot sand--shocking blue

this is the same band that Nirvana covered for their 'Love Buzz' single off one of their first releases on SubPop...the self-titled album is fantastic and actually is not too hard to get a hold of

my life, my life in the sunshine

2009-11-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

the weather has been perfect lately...blue skies, cool temps, with a full moon that just illuminates the night sky...great time of year here in austin....so i leave you with

Roy Ayers: Everybody loves the sunshine

and the live version as well

and of course---Erule's 'Listen Up"

Halloween Get Ups

2009-10-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

ok folks, its dress up time...ive got my outfit figured out (look below)--if you see someone in a bird mask walkin around with no shirt, thats me!! holler....

all my good halloween themed music is on the laptop...since im posting from the desktop, this is all i could scrounge up...its an old smash up i did 5 years ago...ghostbusters v. hyphy v. j boogies "PPP"...it kinda works...play it out and you tell me...oh yeah, this came off an 80s themed smash up mix thing i did, so peep the Revenge of the Nerds drop at the end....!!

Halloween nite

2009-10-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

my austin folks, Halloween nites around the corner...come check dj hannibal @ District on w 6th....MJ tribute

Yin_random dj mix from the archives

2009-10-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

there was a time not too long ago, while living in a small one-bedroom apartment in north austin, i would, from time to time, push record and just grab records and start playing. my apt was full of vinyl--records occupied virtually every conceivable corner of the place--in the kitchen, on the couch, behind doors, in the closet, etc...it was both beautiful and pitiful at the same time...

so this mix is one from one of those nites...i called it 'yin' simply b/c thats what seemed appropriate at the time...i call it a 'mix' although i was just kind of playing records, so some of the blends are less than tight...some dreamy-jazz, pink floyd, electric prunes, gravediggaz, doors, beatnuts...and sun ra to kick it off

cant be too bad if sun ra is startin things off, huh?

Soy Cuba

2009-10-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

just finished watching the first hour of Latin Music USA online...This one seems to really focus on the sounds coming out of Cuba and these Afro-Cuban rhythms that really influenced an entire generation of musicians--from jazz cats to latin rockers such as Santana on the west coast. it never occurred to me that groups such as the Beatles, the Stones and the Kingsmen were incorporating 'latin' sounds into their music...

anyhow, while watching this i thought of this movie---

Soy Cuba, made in the 60s by Russian film makers, is really an incredible piece of film making...some of the shots are quite unique, lasting for much longer than normal and moving through a variety of scenery (the pool scene in the beginning and the end shot that falls off the building are both remarkable)...

the movie follows the lives of several Cubanos--a young prostitute, a fruit vendor, a peasant, and a disenchanted college student--revealing how each is some sense exploited, seeking political/economic liberation through various avenues...a top-to-bottom perspective that is left-leaning, yet free of the preachiness so characteristic of such an approach...a fantastic film that comes highly recommended!!

Ska Cubano_Soy Campesino

2009-10-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

just came across this track...lovin it...too bad i cant download it...

now it says 'ska' but the vocalist says 'cumbia' and it has that cumbia sound...whatever, this track is slaying me right bout now

Mexclass djs

2009-10-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

TERREMOTO DE DJ´S (19.09.09) from eldisque on Vimeo.

just saw this...its like a commercial...its advertising a gig, seriously, flyers are so static...video makes much more sense...i like

Fuego!!

2009-10-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

cant get enough of this track really...repeatedly kickin myself in the arse for missing their SXSW show this past time around....ah well..........

Latin Music USA on PBS

2009-10-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

so, back in june the whole digital switch left me sans-tv...just static these days. luckily, theres the interwebs, cuz i was feelin a bit pissed that i was missing this special on PBS on Latin music. so i got the chance to check out hour 2: the salsa revolution.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1293757593/

great interviews, unseen footage, all around exceptional work. Jerry Masucci comes off looking like some Leonard Chess exploiter of the brown and black youth of the Loisaida Nuyoricans...whatever the footage of the show at Yankee stadium, with the crowd surging on to the field, jumping on stage and confiscating instruments was pretty wild. the interview w Willie Colon sayin they sounded awful, Larry Harlow breakin down the piano, footage of Lavoe, Mongo...it was all too much...

As a historian, though, i would have liked to see the film makers tie in the African roots of Salsa and then connect the music to modern day hip hop artists who incorporate salsa rhythms into their productions--a sort of before and after if you will. i listen to salsa from a hiphop frame of mind, and i know im not alone. there are many others.

dj avatar--boricua bounce (loisaida rmx)

another thing, how bout some of the other fania subsidiaries...vaya, inca, etc...?? why no mention of them??

like i said, i'm an amateur historian with an interest in latin and modern day music, so i tend to view these things with a critical eye...forgive me.

Bellydance Music

2009-10-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Sabaya

so, at home the other nite and i toss an old bellydance cd from one of the nites i dj'ed for the Sabaya girls. my 10 yr old stepdaughter hears the music and comes in the room--midrift exposed--like some professional bellydancer who has been honing her craft for years. she literally wont stop dancing and keeps playing the same song over and over again.......take a listen.

i was getting a kick out of her, cuz usually shes not so thrilled with my obscure selections. however, shes now looking to sign up for beginner classes, so look out....heres another song i really dig...sorry i dont know the artists names here...

i love the music myself, obviously or i wouldnt have been playing it. it seems the arabic influence is slowly creeping into other genres--hiphop, dancehall, etc...American youth are spoonfed boy bands and sub-par musical acts, while radio kneels to the interests of the few and powerful...huge cultural barriers separate us from the music the rest of the world enjoys and experiences. there are attempts to keep us isolated from this music...keep radio dull, repetitive and utterly uninspiring...ok, u get the point......dig the music for now

So, where do we go from here?

2009-10-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

A blog? OMG, thats so 2004!

In the course of putting this whole blog thing together, a number of questions jump to mind. Why? What for? How come? and the like....Well, its all about the music...so, with that said, I will not be posting entire albums for downloading...theres plenty other blogs that do that already...although I will post a song off an album, and if you like that song, I encourage you to go out and support the artists and musicians who make that music.

So, who am I and what qualifications do I bring to the table?

good question. heres quick rundown...my first memories of music go back to my days as a child, waking up on Saturday mornings to the sounds of War, Sly and the family Stone, The Beatles, The Stones, Janis Joplin, Earth Wind and Fire, Santana, Malo, etc. My parents grew up in LA during the 60s, and their tastes in music reflected this fact. Where my dad loved rock, soul, blues, and funk, my mom preferred the Motown sound--The Supremes, Temptations, Marvin Gaye. Actually, my mom--prior to meeting my dad--dated a kid who used to work at a record shop off Whittier Blvd in East LA. She amassed a nice collection of 45s too, that now rest comfortably in my hands!! (I'll post on this in the future).

In the 80s, we left Cali and moved to El Paso, where my parents both found work at radio stations. I recall hanging out in the control room while the radio dj picked out records to play. Also, by working for radio stations, my parents used to get free tickets to the shows coming through town. I remember seeing Twisted Sister in 1983, Prince during the Purple Rain tour, ZZ Top the Eliminator Tour, Men at Work, Tina Turner, Phil Collins, and so many more. In 1988, we left El Paso, and came to Austin. My life as a DJ began in 2000. That year I inherited my grandfather's records. This cumbia record was one of his.

Cumbia Colombiana

Its a great record. I ended up using a sample from a different track off that same record for my 'Cumbia International' released this past summer.

Cumbia International--DJ Avatar

ok, so you get an idea of what to expect. I dont want to focus solely on one genre, when my interests are so much greater. I can easily write on some obscure hiphop 12" one day, then some Arabic artists the next, and Reggae, Bollywood, Afro-beat, Salsa, 80s, etc...dig the music.

2009-10-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

heres a slice of some lovely soul jazz...i got lucky and found this record this past summer at a local shop. i didnt realize at the time that this record is pretty rare and goes for a bit of $$$...anyhow, enjoy!!