Check out Winstrong’s track “Fi Mi Nation” here.

Featuring Jah Dan, M1 of Dead Prez, Haiku De Tat (Myka 9, Abstract Rude, Aceyalone) and more.

Taking the lead where Mad Lion and KRS-One left off with his blend of Dancehall and Hip-Hop, Reggae artist Winstrong is stirring up the Bay Area, building a reputation as a moving, high-energy performer and recording artist. The South American born artist is currently set to release Ghetto Hymns (M9 Entertainment) and features Jah Dan, M1 of Dead Prez, Haiku De Tat (Myka 9, Abstract Rude, Aceyalone) and more.

Winstrong has been delivering his brand of “singjay” (a combination of singer and deejay) for a minute. After migrating to the US in his late teens in 94, he started recording at Conscious Sound Productions (Ursa Minor) with Benjamin Grand Depaux and later recorded a Jazz-fusion album Noble Nature.

His 2008 debut album, Eye of the Storm propelled the devout Rastafarian onto the national music scene. The single “Sounds of the Gun” (aka “Boom Boom Blah Blah”) solidified his place in the Reggae music scene. He has performed with and is featured on compilations with some of the industry’s best, from Capleton, Sizzla, Prince Malachi, Tony Rebel and Black Uhuru’s Mikal Rose to Hip-Hop artists Wu Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Warren G and the bay area’s own Delinquents.

Born Winston van Ewyk in 1971 in Paramaribo, Surinam, Winstrong was raised in a family of musicians. His mother was a schoolteacher who always took the time to sing falsetto around family and friends. It was her influence that encouraged Winstrong’s love of music. “My moms used to tell everyone, “Dis kid has something…watch dis…”

“After featuring Win on some mixtapes,” explains partner of west coast label JtheSarge, “I wanted to do a record with him. Sarge explains that he met Win through a mutual friend Ishi Dube of the Humboldt County Reggae Stars. “I’ve always been a serious Reggae and Hip-Hop head, so when Win wanted to a Hip-Hop record on M9, I jumped at the chance.”

Feat. Lee “Scratch” Perry, Cee Knowledge the Doodlebug from Digable Planets, Del The Funky Homosa­pien, Rita J, Juice, and more~

Chicago, IL –September 29, 2011–Illuminati Congo is a Chicago based hip hop group with their second full length album All Eye See scheduled to be released on November 8, 2011. Vocalist Jahn The Baptist and producer Nic The Graduate create an infectious blend of head nodding beats and unexpected subject matter that will have you begging for a rewind! Musical influences range from classic reggae to classic rock creating an equal blend of modern synth-and-sampler driven hip hop and danceable, live band instrumenta­tion. The sound is reminiscent of artists such as Nas and Damian Marley with a hint of Gym Class Heroes thrown in. There is much more space for the musicians to shine than is typical in hip hop. Instrument solos and “dubs” are mixed throughout, giving the lyrics time to settle in and just feel the rhythm. Breakup songs come across just as heart-felt as songs about sexy yoga chicks and the anguish of having a foot fetish- often in a not so subtle tongue in cheek manner. Vocal collaborations include major reggae recording artists Lee “Scratch” Perry, Big Youth, JahDan and Lutan Fyah, Hip Hop legends Cee Knowledge the Doodlebug from Digable Planets, Del The Funky Homosa­pien as well as Chicago veterans Rita J, Juice, Ang 13 and Sharkula.

Jahn The Baptist is unlike any other rapper out there. He is able to utilize his mantra of “as above, so below” to formulate a refreshing unity of the higher self and lower self. His lyrics reflect both his practice of spirituality and his embrace of earthly, human desires. His words are meant to appeal both to Yogis as well as the inner city Hood- with an authoritative demeanor that lets you know he is equally of both. Having studied and taught Kundalini Yoga and Rebirthing Breathwork as well as being an avid herbalist in the Rastafarian community, Jahns true goal is to heal. Heal the world of its ills through awareness of self and the practice of unconditional love. Hip hop is an art form that has the ability to com­municate complex ideas to a potentially large audience, let it not go to waste!

Nic The Graduate has taken Jahn’s eclectic background and layered it with equally eclectic beats. As a Multi-instrumentalist, producer and dj for many years in Chicago, he is most attracted to music that elicits an emotional response. Rather than just being impressed by songs that get the dance floor packed or stay in your head for hours, he is always more interested in music with a meaning- or soul. In producing the Illuminati Congo album, he has made it apparent that hip hop is truly a global style, combining traditionally heavy beats and bass lines with some unexpected twists and turns from other genres. In using a wide variety of live instru­ments and samplers The Graduate is able create a fusion that activates the soul as well as the dancing spirit.

This year sees the 30th anniversary of one of the UK’s most beloved and influential sound systems, Norman Jay’s Good Times. Instrumental in the development of the Rare Groove scene and the identity of Notting Hill Carnival, Norman’s influence on music tastes can’t be overstated. Hear what those close to Norman have to say about Good Times, from its beginnings to its status as a cultural institution. Good Time 30, an anniversary collection, is out now on Strut.

This Summer, Strut teams up with one of the most revered of all DJs, Norman Jay MBE, to celebrate 30 years of Good Times, the party that changed the face of the Notting Hill Carnival and zwhich has become a Summertime fixture at festivals worldwide.

Jay set up his first sound system, Great Tribulation, in 1979 with his brother Joey which became Good Times Sound System in 1981, the start of a 30-year residency at Notting Hill Carnival. Norman changed the face of the music played there, introducing a range of gritty, soulful styles to complement the predominantly reggae-based sound systems. The move paved the way for the open-minded Carnival we know today, with Good Times still at its core.

From Good Times, Jay’s career burgeoned. He became a key DJ during the ‘80s London rare groove scene, hosting a series of legendary clubs – Shake ‘N’ Fingerpop, High On Hope (inspired by New York’s Paradise Garage) and famed sessions at London’s Bass Clef (later the Blue Note), all of which built his reputation for open-minded soulful selections spanning soul, funk, disco, early house, reggae and hip hop. Through his club nights, he was one of the first to introduce legendary US DJs like Tony Humphries, Louie Vega and Blaze to the UK. Further success followed – he was one of the founders of London station Kiss FM and ran the seminal Talkin’ Loud label alongside Gilles Peterson at Phonogram.

Jay’s tireless work as a DJ has earned him many accolades – he has appeared on the BBC’s Question Time, and received an MBE for his work in 2002, the first time any DJ had received such an accolade.

In the wake of his many achievements and the ongoing success of Good Times, Jay has enjoyed a series of essential compilation albums on React, Resist, Nuphonic and Azuli stretching back to 2000, as well as a recent spin-off album, ‘Good Times Australia’. Now, the maestro returns with a special 30th Anniversary collection for Strut, another bumper set of genre-hopping classic and rare Good Times favourites. Tracks include boogie rarity ‘Dreamin’ by short-lived band Zalmac and Fries & Bridges’ ‘Forever This’, a 4×4 belter featuring an early vocal by chart superstar Cee-Lo Green. Jay touches on independent hip hop with Basement Chemist, jazz grooves courtesy of Kira Neris and Attic Tree, skanking reggae from Jacob Miller and doo-wop soul courtesy of Little Anthony & The Imperials.

Norman Jay presents Good Times 30 is released on CD, LP and download. For the CD and LP formats, leading journalist and author Lloyd Bradley interviews Norman Jay for an extensive career-spanning sleeve note. The package also features rare and unseen photos from across Norman Jay’s career as a DJ.

strut-records.com
normanjay.com

1. MARK CAPANNI – I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES
2. AVERY SUNSHINE – I GOT SUNSHINE
3. TED TAYLOR – GHETTO DISCO (Edit)
4. ZALMAC – DREAMIN’
5. TERRI WELLS – WHO’S THAT STRANGER
6. LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS – I DON’T HAVE TIME TO WORRY
7. MARIO BIONDI – MY GIRL
8. JACOB MILLER & INNER CIRCLE – TIRED FE LICK WEED IN A BUSH
9. THE BASEMENT KHEMIST – EVERYBODY (L I F E)
10. J BOOGIE’S DUBTRONIC SCIENCE feat. GOAPELE and CAPITOL A – TRY ME (People Under The Stairs Remix)
11. ATTIC TREE – VOAR
12. CURTIS MAYFIELD – VICTORY
13. DANTE – FREAK IN ME
14. FRIES & BRIDGES – FOREVER THIS
15. THE DETROIT EXPERIMENT – THINK TWICE (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
16. ASHLEY SLATER – PRIVATE SUNSHINE

Norman Jay MBE- Good Times 30 Mini Mix by Strut

If you sign up for dance lesson from The Queen Diva of New Orleans Bounce, Big Freedia, you can’t expect her to take it easy on you. You can, however, expect her to brighten up your wardrobe and take the art of wobbling to transcendent heights, all while whipping your sorry butt into shape.

Currently, Big Freedia is on a world wide “GO HOMO TOUR” and his shows have been known to prompt sweaty after-parties and dance-floor freak-outs. But, you must see it to believe it. Freedia has been featured in theroot.com, LA Times, Chicago Reader, along with the New York Times, SF Bay Guardian, Fader, xlr8r, among others.

MORE ON FREEDIA:

Big Freedia (pronounced “Free-da”) isn’t a just rapper, or the Queen Diva of Bounce, or a performer extraordinaire. Big Freedia is a movement. Currently on a worldwide “Go Homo Tour,” Freedia is bringing her show and Bounce music — a subgenre of hip-hop born out of New Orleans and known for its lightening speed booty-shaking—to audiences around the globe. Known to prompt sweaty after-parties and dance-floor freak-outs, a Big Freedia show is an experience.

Raised on Josephine Street in uptown New Orleans, Big Freedia, born Freddie Ross, was raised by his mother, a hairdresser, and stepfather, a truck driver for Coca-Cola. After years of hard work, the family was able to move to downtown New Orleans, where schools were better and the streets, safer. Freedia—along with his brother Adam and sister Crystal Ross—were immersed in music at home by their mother, who collected Gladys Knight and Patty LaBelle records and often sung aloud around the house.

But it was the church choir where a young Freddie flourished. ”My mother made sure I never missed practice,” recalls Freedia. It’s no wonder that by the time he was 18, he wasn’t just a member, Freedia directing the choir.

A product of the 80s, Freeida was rocking RUN DMC, Salt ‘n Pepa and Adidas Shell Tops as a teenager. One night in 1991 he heard “Where Dey At” by MC T Tucker, (what many believe to be the first recorded Bounce track) and he was transfixed. When he started backing Katie Red, the original “Sissy Bounce” (a queer brand of Bounce) rapper, Freedia knew Bounce was his calling and the stage where he felt most comfortable.

Big Freedia says he refers to himself as “she” only when on stage (as in Queen of Bounce) but is not transgendered as some in the media have reported. He’s a gay man, plain and simple. But he adds that his sexuality has little to do with his music. “All types of people—gay, straight, rich, poor, black, white come to my shows.” In fact, in all his years of performing, Freedia says that he’s only had one bad experience on stage (at this years’ BOMB Fest in Connecticut where her set was scheduled between Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa). And he still finished the entire set. “A very few people aren’t accepting,” claims Freedia, “The truth is, most people just wanna get out and shake their a** and have a good time!”

The Big Freedia movement keeps growing. Last year, he appeared on “Last Call with Carson Daly” and has been lauded in The New York Times, The Fader, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, among many other media outlets. He is releasing a debut EP on Scion A/V label this summer, which is produced largely by New Orleans beat maker BlaqNmilD. What’s more, he appeared on two episodes of HBO series ‘Treme’ [as himself] and is the subject of a documentary film. Finally, Freedia is in the studio recording her highly-anticipated debut LP, due out Fall 2011.

Big Freedia occupies a rare place within the Bounce strata, somewhere between Lil Wayne and Lady Unique. She has the potential to push the genre onto a national stage and into the collective music consciousness, where it belongs. Big Freedia can’t be stopped!

Catch Big Freedia on one of these dates:

Thu 7/14/2011 • Las Vegas, NV – Beauty Bar
Fri 7/22/2011 • New Orleans, LA – Eiffel Society
Fri 8/5/2011 • Stockholm, Sweden – Sodra Teatern
Thu 8/18/2011 • Brooklyn, NY – House of Vans
Sat 8/20/2011 • Richmond, VA – Best Friend’s Day!!!
Wed 8/24/2011 • Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
Thu 8/25/2011 • Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
Fri 8/26/2011 • Phoenix, AZ – Brick
Sat 8/27/2011 • El Paso, TX – M’s Lip Lounge
Fri 9/2/2011 • Paris, France – Social Club
Sat 9/3/2011 • Amsterdam, Holland – Valtifest
Thu 9/8/2011 • London, UK – Hoxton Bar & Grill
Sat 9/10/2011 • Portland, OR – Dante’s
Fri 9/23/2011 • Lexington, KY – Cosmic Charlie’s

Days after the release of Dancehall/Hip-Hop artist Winstrong’s single “Rude Boy” comes the stunning video! The Bay Area based by way of South American is in the studio finishing his Fall 2011 LP, Ghetto Hymns, which features Jah Dan, Abtract Rude, M1 of Dead Prez, Haiku De Tat and more.

Winstrong has been delivering his brand of “singjay” (a combination of singer and deejay) for a minute. After migrating to the US in his late teens in 94, he started recording at Conscious Sound Productions (Ursa Minor) with Benjamin Grand Depaux and later recorded a Jazz-fusion album Noble Nature.

It was his 2008 debut album, Eye of the Storm, that propelled Winstrong, a devout Rastafarian, onto the national music scene. The single “Sounds of the Gun” (aka “Boom Boom Blah Blah”) solidified his place in Reggae history. He has performed with and is featured on compilations with some of the industry’s best, from Capleton, Sizzla, Prince Malachi, Tony Rebel and Black Uhuru’s Mikal Rose to Hip-Hop artists Wu Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Warren G and the bay area’s own Delinquents.

Born Winston van Ewyk in 1971 in Paramaribo, Surinam, Winstrong was raised in a family of musicians. His mother was a schoolteacher who always took the time to sing falsetto around family and friends. It was her influence that encouraged Winstrong’s love of music. “My moms used to tell everyone, “Dis kid has something…watch dis…and I’d come up with songs and performances for dem…”

Armed only with his guitar and his voice, Winstrong’s music will inspire and entertain. Ghetto Hymns coming this Fall.

Web: winstrongmuzik.com
Facebook: facebook.com/winstrongmuzik
Twitter: @winstrong

Kabanjak is one half of the block-rockin’ German hip-hop production and DJ duo Ancient Astronauts.

Kabajank
Tree Of Mystery
Release Date: November 2, 2010
Label: ESL Music

myspace.com/kabanjak
facebook.com/Kabanjak
kabanjak.wordpress.com
facebook.com/eslmusic
eslmusic.com

Click Here for a Free download of CD track “Don’t Worry”

Kabanjak is one half of the block-rockin’ German hip-hop production and DJ duo Ancient Astronauts, and ESL Music’s newest unique artist signing. With a deep passion for music dating back to a childhood fixated on watching faded footage of Jimi Hendrix performing guitar pyrotechnics, Kabanjak has spent decades honing his skills as a musician, producer, remixer, and DJ. Now he is ready to present his own musical vision with his debut solo album

Tree of Mystery!

Kabanjak not only tackles much of Tree of Mystery’s live instrumentation, including guitars, bass, keys, kalimba, flute, and melodica but also teams up with various other vocal and instrumental talents: Steady collaborator Ulf Stricker provides snapping live drum rhythms, Canadian DMC champion and Juno Award winner DJ Brace provides cuts and scratches, poet Azeem (who also appeared on last years debut Ancient Astronauts album We Are To Answer) drops conscious rhymes, and Sitali (from Thievery Corporation’s live show) and Rykarda Parasol provide soulful incantations.

With its broad spectrum of haunting melodies, rough riddims, and solid arrangements, spanning from downbeat to hip-hop to dub reggae, Kabanjak lets Tree of Mystery dig its roots deep into the musical underground and grow its branches right up into the sky!

Tracklisting:
1. Lullaby of Leaves
2. Blind Lights
3. Evaflow
4. Don’t Worry (feat.Sitali)
5. High Priest
6. Follow the Storm
7. The Man Who Spoke Flames
8. Rhythm (feat. Azeem)
9. Rubicon
10. Baby, Don’t You Know? (feat. Rykarda Parasol)
11. I Don’t Want to Work Today
12. I Am a Tree

Poirer’s record Running High (2CD/digital) features vocals by Busy Signal, Face-T, Warrior Queen Burro Banton, YT, MC Zulu, Mr. Slaughter, Mikey Dangerous, Serocee, Boogat, Erup and has a range of remixes by Sticky, Douster, Stereotyp, Maga Bo, WILDLIFE!, Baobinga, Mungo’s Hifi, Uproot Andy, Marflix, Hovatron, Dub I.D., Machinedrum. Get at this bass-heavy rude boy material. Listeners who aren’t serious need not apply. More than a year in the making, this project is something else.

Buy here :
– iTunes
– Amazon
– Juno

Check out the remaining end of the Canada Tour while you still can!

Running High – Canada Tour

4/23 – SASKATOON – SKRATCH (w/ MC Zulu)
4/24 – EDMONTON – STARLITE (w/ MC Zulu)
4/30 – VICTORIA – SUGAR NIGHTCLUB (w/ MC Zulu)
5/1 – VANCOUVER – BILTMORE CABARET (w/ MC Zulu)

Facebook event for the whole tour.

Also check out the block at: rbma.exclaim.ca.

Rhythms have been run, Soca systems have been sounded (not to mention air-horns), ceiling’s have been brought down, and now it’s time for the man called Poirier (Pwa-ri-ay) to rewind and come again (selector that he is…)…

A twelve month period has seen the release of three EP’s, all showcasing very different (yet at the same time very coherent) sides of Poirier’s production…from digi-dancehall bangers, to hyper Soca rhythms, and techno/Caribbean hybrids. That same time frame has also seen Poirier reaching to all parts of the globe to drop his signature “all things bass” sound on ever increasing crowds. Whether as a solo DJ or with one of his various M.C’s by his side, he’s murdered it in pretty much any place you can pronounce on a map, and along the way has cemented his status as one of the top names in an ever growing group of producers rocking dancefloors with a globally curated pastiche of sounds.

Now it’s time to drop the culmination of those last twelve months into his 7th full length (2nd for Ninja Tune)… the two disc “Running High” album

Disc 1 compiles the 3 EP’s into album running order. Originally released in such a way as to focus on each facet of his production, these tracks are now compiled in such a way to show the ease with which it all meshes and to present within a new context. Revisiting the tunes that smashed the floors… with Burro Banton, MC Zulu, YT, Face-T, and Mr Slaughter on the mic…and presenting them for the first time to the public at large… however don’t think of this solely as a collection of EP’s…. rather more like an album where the vinyl has been released early.

Disc 2 presents an alternate version. Taking elements from Disc 1 and presenting them as alternately voiced rhythms, remixes, and new tracks. It’s both an audio companion and a statement/document of the scene that Poirier finds himself running in. Kicking off with a new tune featuring Warrior Queen (last seen on Ninja Tune on The Bug’s ‘London Zoo’), followed by re-voiced rhythms with Canadian/Juno Award winning reggae sensation Mikey Dangerous, chart topping hit Erup’s ‘Click Mi Finger’ meshed with the ‘Untrust Rhythm’, and the spanish flow of MC Boogat ; remixes by France’s Douster, UK funky/ two step heavy hitter Sticky, UK sound-system Mungo’s Hi-Fi, WILDLIFE!, Uproot Andy, Baobinga, Marflix, Maga Bo, Stereotyp, and rounded off with Poirier’s remix of the Busy Signal hit ‘Cool Baby’…

Not one to rest, 2010 sees Poirier racking up more air-miles with stops in Australia/New Zealand (Big Day Out and more), cross Canada/US tour, SXSW, a return to Mexico, and Europe/UK dates already confirmed in support of this album.

CD Version :
Disc 1 :

1. Wha-La-La-Leng
2. Marathon
3. Get Crazy
4. 90′s Backyard
5. Enemies
6. Gyal Secret Pictures
7. Warehouse
8. Trust None Of Dem
9. Let Them Hate
10. Coco Drunk
11. Immigrant Visa
12. Karnival

Disc 2 :

1. Bang Bang feat Warrior Queen
2. Can’t Stop My Flow feat. Mikey Dangerous
3. Enemies (Sticky Remix)
4. Gyal Secret Pictures (Baobinga Remix)
5. Coco Drunk (Douster Remix)
6. 90′s Backyard (Wildlife! Remix)
7. Let Them Hate (Mungo’s Hifi Remix)
8. Wha-La-La-Leng (Uproot Andy Remix)
9. Get Crazy (Marflix’s Iron Remix)
10 Immigrant Visa (Maga Bo’s Anisitia Remix)
11 Trust None Of Dem (Stereotyp Remix)
12 Erup – Click Mi Finger (Poirier Remix – Untrust Riddim)
13 Que Viva feat Boogat
14 Militaris Riddim
15 Cool Baby (Poirier Remix) feat. Busy Signal

And here’s some older Poirer that we find just luscious:

Jahmek Power aka Jammer is one of the true pioneers of the grime scene. A builder of bridges and peacemaker rather than a loose cannon, Jammer is one of the few people in London who can count both Dizzee Rascal and Wiley amongst his friends and who has worked with Kano, Tinchy, Chipmunk and just about everyone else, underground and overground. And if none of them have a bad word to say about him, that’s because, at heart, Jammer believes more in music than he does in ego.

Jammer always knew he’d do something in music. His dad was a musician and he grew up fiddling with the buttons on the family stereo. As a teenager he started out DJing drum & bass and ragga with a mate, DJ Supa D (now one of UK funky’s biggest names) after the pair of them found some cheap decks down Hackney Wick market. After leaving school he went to work at the distributors Essential Direct just as So Solid and Ms Dynamite started to come through from the underground. Jammer saved up his wages to buy a basic production set-up which he installed in the cellar of his family’s house in Leytonstone. The space was to become known as The Dungeon and to many people is one of the key locations in any geographical history of grime.

With friends D Double E and Hyper Jammer formed 187 Crew, the three of them eventually migrating to join Nasty Crew around 2000. Nasty were to become one of thedefining crews within the early growth of the musical style which would eventually be named Grime. Their famous Monday night show on pirate station Déjà Vu started at this time and they were amongst the first to be playing releases from the likes of Roll Deep and Dizzee. And as well as the radio show, Jammer was producing, for instance putting together the beat for “Take You Out” – the first Nasty Crew track to feature Kano. Jammer followed this up by releasing Kano’s “Boyz Luv Girlz” on his own Jahmektheworld imprint. Alongside this sat his own “Dubz” releases on the massively influential Locked On imprint, his renowned remix of “Are You Really From The Ends?” and the “Why?” white label, released by Wiley.

Jammer’s connection to Locked On would lead to Kano and D Double E meeting Mike Skinner and eventually signing to 679, an event which played its part in the dissolution of Nasty Crew. Suddenly finding himself with less rappers in the studio Jammer began to play around with MCing himself. The result was “Murkle Man” – one of the funniest (and biggest) grime tunes (and videos) ever made, and one which emphasised that the music could incorporate humour and self-deprecation as well as macho posturing. In between touring the country in a purple and green superhero costume, Jammer found time to release the excellent “Are You Dumb?” mixtape series (check the cover to volume 3, showing Jam tying his shoelace in front of oncoming traffic on the M11) and mastermind, film and record the “Lord of the Mics” DVDs, all from that same basement in the family home and including such classics as the clash between Kano and Wiley.

Since then, in between the mixtapes and DVDs, Jammer has toured the world with Dizzee Rascal and the Dirtee Stank crew (as well as recording with him on the “Murkle Man” remix and “Lemon”), become a member of the most influential contemporary grime collective, Boy Better Know, featured on the BBK remix of Jay Sean’s “Stay” (over 1 million views on YouTube) and on and on. All this and the man is still only 27 and about to release his debut album!

Download.

This is the first single “Killin’ dem” off Jovi Rockwell’s “Psycho Therapy” Mixtape, set for release on October 19th with guest spots from Diplo, Akon, Major Lazer, Andy Milonakis, etc.

This sounds like a hybrid between Timbaland and the Neptunes on production, with vocals sounding like a cross of M.I.A. and Nelly Furtado, or sure, Gwen Stefani (we’ll give that one to you Fader).

It would seem Jovi Rockwell is proving to be an excellent project for Diplo and his crew. The forthcoming mixtape from Jovi Rockwell sounds like it will be quite the catchy beat adventure for all kinds of listeners!

Danna’s friend, Um is that Pixie? I don’t even know.

The Summer has been a non-starter here in Scotland. It hit me pretty hard the other day when my vitamin D deficient face looked out the window for another overcast day in the lab. But it’s kinda beautiful in its own way and it adds extra meaning to songs that can normally coast over you. Me & Fine Art made three tapes this month – one for Dazed, one for Nalden and this one here was just sorta labour of love with some really weird shit ( verging from new Hudson Mo to modern classical, fusion, 90s rnb & soul ) to bring some balance and new meaning to a Summer of dreich ( Scottish for shitty weather ).

oh hell no – no track listing this time.

Download.

Diplo and Switch (the minds behind M.I.A.’s hits) moved to Jamaica to make a reggae album. Although some were skeptical about the move, the duo come through with a dope dance hall LP. By adding electro influence to classic reggae formulas, and recruiting some big Jamaican names to contribute vocals, Diplo and Switch stay true to the culture while making the music theirs.

“Can’t Stop Now” (feat. Mr. Vegas & Jovi Rockwell):

Jovi Rockwell – “Tonight:”

Return of the Rub-A-Dub Style is a documentary directed by Steve Hanft and produced by Tom Chasteen of Los Angeles’ Dub Club highlighting the evolution of Soundsystem style Reggae. Rub-A-Dub features interview and live footage of legends and pioneers, Trinity, Ranking Joe, Sister Nancy, U-Roy, Brigadier Jerry, Ranking Trevor, Welton Irie, Sugar Minott, Philip Fraser and Triston Palma among others.

Ask most people to picture a reggae artist and they will think of Bob Marley singing with his band playing behind him. The real roots of reggae grew from a giant wall of speakers, an echo-laden voice chanting over a microphone, a selector flipping through stacks of 45s to find the right riddim to play next, they grew from soundsystem style reggae. The concept of performers rapping over records, the idea of the remix, the promotion of the bass to the lead instrument, all these trends come out of the Soundsystems.

Starting in the 1950s, Soundsystem operators in Jamaica would set up their speakers outdoors and play American R&B records for their dancing patrons. Some time in the 60s DJs began chatting between the selections, to hype up the crowd or introduce the next tune. In the Jamaican terminology, the DJ is the one who talks on the mic, and the selector is the one who spins the records. As General Smiley, of the famous Michigan and Smiley DJ duo, points out in Rub-A-Dub, “a jockey rides a horse, and a disc jockey rides the riddim.”

At some point in the late 60s, instead of putting a different song on the b side of a 45, Jamaican producers began using an instrumental cut of the a-side, known as the “version”. This idea made possible a whole new art form. After a popular tune was played the selector would flip over the record and the DJ would improvise new lyrics, driving the crowd wild. Eventually the DJs began recording their new creations and these tracks proved to be hugely popular. The most popular instrumental versions were recorded over and over and came to be known as “riddims”, classic bass lines that any decent DJ would have a set of lyrics for.

This invention led directly to the creation of hip hop, via Kool Herc, a Jamaican widely acknowledged as one of the fathers of hip hop, who emigrated to the south Bronx in the early 70s, taking the concept of Soundsystem along with him. Rather than playing Jamaican records he played American funk and soul records, but he retained the style of the outdoor Soundsystem with turntables and chatting on the mic.

The version later evolved into dub, where the instrumental is treated with wild reverb and echo effects, essentially creating a new piece of music altogether, with the studio engineer as the artist. Clearly this concept was the original “remix.” This is explored in Rub-A-Dub through an interview with Scientist, legendary dub mixer and student of the late King Tubby, who is recognized as the inventor of dub.

The term ”rub a dub “ doesn’t necessarily refer to dub per se, but rather to a certain musical style popular in the late 70s-early 80s, a not too fast but not too slow style that bubbles along on its monster bass lines, chopping guitar skanks, and percolating horn riffs, the perfect music for all night Soundsystem dances. Several of the toughest instrumental tracks from this time period were licensed from the original Jamaican producers for use in the film.

In 2000 some friends in LA , Jason Mason , Eddie Ruscha and Tom Chasteen, decided to start a weekly reggae club where they could play the classic reggae records they loved and collected fanatically (a 4th selector David Orlando joined up later on.) No Ipods here – strictly turntables and vinyl. For the first year or two the crowds were small but gradually it caught on and grew more and more popular with a young and diverse crowd. Eventually they took the next step of bringing in the original artists they idolized to come and perform live. Not as a history lesson, but as a party.

Rub-A-Dub features fiery live footage of Trinity, Ranking Joe, Sister Nancy, U-Roy, Brigadier Jerry : most of the biggest Dj names from the classic 70s era of Dancehall, as well as influential but seldom seen artists like Ranking Trevor and Welton Irie who had never performed in California before. Along with the DJ, there are the singers: Sugar Minott, Philip Fraser, and Triston Palma, who would perform side by side with the DJs in the dancehall and create the melodies that DJs would improvise off of.

The lineage of this musical form is shown clearly, from King Stitt, the earliest DJ still living , to U-Roy, first to popularize the style on records, to Ranking Trevor and Ranking Joe, disciples of U-Roy, to Welton Irie, who claims Ranking Trevor as his inspiration. Reggae culture always has respect for the roots, in both a literal and mystical sense, and this film tries to honor that by giving the originators their due.

The editing style of the film reflects the musical style, as multiple artists are shown chatting on the same riddim and are beat matched together like a mix tape. Every artist has his or her own lyrics for the classic riddims, like the Sleng Teng, the first drum machine based rhythm to make a big impact in reggae. Eight different artists are shown in rapid succession on the Sleng Teng riddim without dropping a beat, each one bringing their own flavor to the stripped down track, ending with Brigadier Jerry who tells the selector to slow down the record and play the 45 at 33rpm for the “Slow Motion.”

Brigadier Jerry is later shown doing two completely different songs on the same instrumental. First he does “River Jordan” and then “Rhythm and the Blues”, both on the classic Banana Walk” instrumental from the Studio One label. It’s worth noting that neither of these songs have ever been commercially released, but are part of a vast store of lyrics only heard in the dancehall.

Lyrics are constantly being changed and updated, keeping the songs fresh and topical, and the performances have a spontaneity due to the interplay between the selector, the DJ, and the crowd. There is no rehearsal and the DJ generally does not know what track the selector is going to play next. A performance with an artist such as Ranking Joe is three or more hours of improvisation on familiar themes, based in tradition and yet different every time, like a great jazz performance. Topics on CNN in the hotel room the night before, or argued about backstage, may be worked into some brand new lyrics on the spot.

The performances and interviews are all sub-titled allowing audiences without a grasp of Jamaican patois to understand what is being said (in the mass release DVD subtitles will be optional.) The lyrics can be surprising, funny, boastful, insightful, or moving , such as Sister Nancy’s words in her classic tune “Bam Bam’: “One thing Nancy she can’t understand/what makes them talk about mi ambition…some guys them ask mi where mi get it from?/I told them no no it’s from creation” or Trinity’s poetic “ sometimes when I look into the sky/and there’s no star out/ and rain kind of set up/ all these things Jah works” or the classic U-Roy toast “This station rules the nation with version!”

In the retail version, the digipak of Return of the Rub-A-Dub Style will include an album of original music featuring many of the artists from the film, as well as other reggae veterans and some local LA artists who perform at Dub Club regularly. The music was recorded in LA and the vocals were recorded both in LA and in Kingston, Jamaica. The album was produced by Tom Chasteen and Anthony Campbell.

ABOUT STEVE HANFT:

The director, Steve Hanft, made Beck’s groundbreaking “Loser” music video, among many other videos, as well as the feature films Kill The Moonlight, Southlander, and Strange Parallel, a documentary about the late musician Elliott Smith.

ABOUT TOM CHASTEEN:

Tom Chasteen has been a DJ and musician for 20 years. He started the pioneering record label Exist Dance in the early 90s and produced some seminal trip hop tracks such as “They Came In Peace” by Tranquility Bass. XLR8R magazine stated ” when you’re talking LA downtempo, you’re talking Tom Chasteen” . Return of the Rub A Dub Style is his first work in film.

Album tracklisting.