I heard the instrumental to Due Process by the Lone Catalysts probably 6 or 7 years ago on a Rodney Mullen v Daewon Song video. The piano melody got stuck in my head to such an extent that I woke up in the middle of the night a couple of years ago and was compelled to track down and buy the track. The rap version proved to be even better than the instrumental. It’s got a great drum beat, incredible bass line and has some brilliant rapping from J Sands. It also features Talib Kweli before he was well known as one half of Black Star.

It’s no wonder that J Rawls, the producer from the Lone Catalysts went on to produce for Black Star, The Beastie Boys, Slum Village, El Da Sensei and many more.

Lone Catalysts – Due Process

This track is impeccably produced. The beat hits hard at all the right moments and beautifully embraces Krystale’s strong and sensual vocals. There’s a definite essence of sweet and sexy that diffuses off this single and leaves you wanting for more. “Sweeth Tooth” is like hot breath on an icy window.

Be sure to get the free download:

We expected having tons of fun amongst ourselves but the really amazing surprise was the fact that 4,000 people tuned in! People from all over the world check out the web event at different parts of the day; we had people stay on with us for over 12 hours!

So, this February 3rd we do it again.

Live on www.MusicIsMySanctuary.com (Audio / Video Stream)
Starting at 8pm on February 3rd (Montreal, Eastern Time)
Finishing at 8pm on February 4th

SECOND EDITION
DJ Line Up
Lexis
Poirier
Simahlak
Mossman
Scott C
HGLDT
Skinnybones
Bliss
Brace
Manzo
Seb Diamond
Sevdee

Pictures of the 1st Event

First up is the excellent Afro Disco groove of Kabbala’s ‘Ashewo Ara’, next is Buari’s ‘I’m Ready’, a chunk of pure dancefloor dynamite with a driving disco groove and great funky synths, taken from the Ghanian singer and percussionist’s awesome 1979 ‘Disco Soccer’ LP. On the flip we get the mega-rare and totally essential ‘Body & Soul’, a magnificent 10 minute mid-tempo Afro workout recorded in 1980 by Nigerian funkster William Onyeabor. Last up is a great extended edit of the Ashantis’ brilliant funky bubbler ‘Everybody’s Groove’ with its floor-filling groove and wicked vocals. These lovingly remastered rarities sound better than ever making this EP a must for anyone with a taste for those incredible funky Afro grooves.

Buy 12″

Kabbala — Ashewo Ara

Buari — I’m Ready

William Onyeabor — Body & Soul

Ashantis — Everybody’s Groove (Extended Edit)

That being said, the C2C EP is quite fun. A bit more upbeat and melodious than your typical scratch record. It reminds of when I first heard Kid Koala‘s Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Of course, the music is different but the fact that it makes scratch look fun is the same. The video at the end of this post is quite something. It may be the darkest song of the bunch but it’s more of a respectful and contemplative mood than a emo powered chant.

(For all you music geeks, C2C member 20syl who is the co-director of this video, is also part of jazzy french hiphop band, Hocus Pocus.)

Early Sunday morning, around 8. Wide awake in bed, just chillin’. I used to love to wake up to the radio in the morning back then. I’d look around for some good music on my sub par alarm radio before going to sleep and hope for some continued auditory niceness in the morning… The night before said morning had been an exception, though: I’d only been looking for news on the AM dial, eventually drifting off into slumber without even realizing it. So there I am, the following morning, listening to this community radio program where they’re just killin’ it with different kinds of music. I was already stoked, but then this jewel started playing…

Maaaaaaannnnn!… My eyes must’ve been wide open in surprise and disbelief because I only remember listening in complete, silent attention in the stillness of my room on a Sunday morning, all the while praying to the Powers that Be for the DJ to at least name drop that track, if nothing else… And he eventually did. Swag!

Not a lot I can say that will do this song justice except that they freestyled the shit. They goddamn freestyled it and managed to capture the vibe perfectly… “Fresh like slang from 1983″? I couldn’t agree more…

Off the “Defenders of the Underworld” compilation released in the early days of Battle Axe Records, an album with a serious lineup… Check it!

Arsonists – Fat Laces

Oh, by the way, freshness-lacer (I’m an 80′s child, deal with it…) extraordinaire Elaquent put me up on this funny-as-hell video. Self-explanatory. I myself have occasional bouts of the syndrome which I cannot help but submit to… Whoop! (Starts cookin’…)

Investigating Swag Syndrome

Brainfeeder would like to show sincere thanks to our fans after winning “Label Of The Year” at the
2012 Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards.

Download a free 12-track Brainfeeder sampler, with tracks from Thundercat, Martyn, Samiyam, Tokimonsta, Jeremiah Jae, Taylor McFerrin, Teebs, Austin Peralta, Matthewdavid, Mono/Poly, and an exclusive download from Lapalux.”

Download Link

What’s interesting about Gonjasufi is that he’s always coming up with something different, constantly reinventing himself as an artist. I’m sure his live show must be quite interesting as well, hopefully I get to see that soon.

In the meantime go and get yourself a copy of the new EP called MU.ZZ.LE now out on Warp Records.

“You can put a muzzle on me, cover my mouth, cut out my tongue but the truth will still come out” - Gonjasufi

Buy the Album

Gonjasufi’s sonic appeal is not based on one single emotion. It’s one mans soul poured out via a sound, an outlet. Each song is wrapped in it’s own sense of being, every single feeling is intertwined within his lyrics. ‘MU.ZZ.LE’ although short in it’s length, is huge on messages. Political, social and spiritual interpretations that define him as an artist. Written on the road, it was an outlet for Gonjasufi to challenge himself. It’s the response to all the adrenaline, aggression and anger he felt traveling the world, it’s a spectrum of his creativity and a testimony of how one mans passion and determination is often misunderstood as anger. “There’s a duality that exists and to deny it, is the biggest mistake”. The mini-album’s down tempo strings, heartbreaking soul, reanimated hip-hop and crackling haunting vocal stylings are stitched as a running thread throughout each song like a patchwork quilt. It’s a lonely journey that will take you through the innermost thoughts of Gonjasufi’s darkest hours. He recorded and mixed it on his own in his home studio surrounded by his family and the stark contrast of the Mohave desert. The end product is his outlet and realization for who he is, a way for him to feel comfortable in his own skin again. “MU.ZZ.LE was more like knowing that what comes out of the mouth of man, sets man free and defiles him, it was me guarding my words and my tongue. These words are less but I feel like I’m saying more.”

In 2012 the crew at Moovmnt.com will be supplying you with a monthly selection of gems. Since the number 12 is also known as the number for perfection, we have chosen a birthstone for each month. So if you’re in for diamonds by the dozen or rubies in the rough you’re in the right place.

January’s birthstone is the Garnet. It’s name comes from the 14th century Middle English word, gernet, meaning ‘dark red’. Enjoy our first mix of the year and spread the word if you dig this.

TRACKLIST
01 Robert Glasper Experiment – Intro
02 Robert Glasper Experiment – Ah Yeah Ft. Musiq Soulchild & Chrisette Michele
03 Teedra Moses – So Special Ft. 1-O.A.K.
04 Nodzilla – A Place Called Forever Ft. Black Spade, Coultrain & Phillipe
05 Hawthorne Head Hunters – Collage
06 Sasac – Crystal Flags
07 Darkhouse Fam – Like No Other Ft. B. Bravo
08 Pardon The Stranger – Snow is Gone
09 Jonny Sass – Undone (prod. by Mez)
10 The Internet - Love Song – 1
11 Damon Aaron – Better (Eric Lau Mix)
12 Renee Neufville & Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave – Everything
13 Christoph El Truento – Armadillo Meat Funk
14 Union – Light Odyssey
15 Monkey Sequence 19 – Pretend Ft. Mar (Julien Dyne Remix)
16 Julien Dyne – So Far Ft. Mara TK
17 Domu – Morose (Demo)
18 SBTRKT – Atomic Peace
19 Rogiérs – Home (Opolopo Remix)

His latest album Sol+Mind holds a handful of great tunes, but nothing illustrates the mastery and clarity of his productions better than Backstage. Every time I hear this song I get overwhelmed by it’s beautiful simplicity. Close your eyes and let “the house” take over with it’s warm keys, funky baseline and irresistibly flattering lyrics. Can’t wait to play this out!

While you’re at it, take a peak at this trailer for Mr. De’ – A Detroit Story. Sir, you don’t have to convince me any further; whenever I get around to making beats on a serious level, Ima hit you up!

Hope this visual creation by Wax Office will enhance your listening session.

This video uses that mind tripping ‘backwards filming’ [that we’ve seen in videos like Pharcyde’s “Drop” and re-done in Waalhi’s Promo Video for “Hip Hop Revival Part 4” in Montreal] which is perfect for the concept cause don’t we all kind of feel like we’re moving forward and the world’s going backwards when you just begin exploring a new romance.

With February right around the corner, there is are going to be a lot of Dilla tributes, romance talk, and black history pride coming our way and this video coincidentally embodies all of the above so I thought it was pretty appropriate to share with you all today.

“Take Our Time” is just the one of the many treasures off Shakka’s Remix Album “The Shakka Crown Affair”. Be sure to check it out and get the free download on his bandcamp

R.I.P Dilla “So far to go”

Shout Outs to Pharcyde for Inspiring us all

Shout Outs to Montreal’s own Waahli for Reviving Classics – “Hip Hop Revival Pt. 4 Promo”

Ohh how did I miss this one? This soulful gem was shared for free in the spirit of the holidays a couple weeks ago through the good peeps at OkayPlayer and Moovmnt.com and features the great combo of Full Crate behind the boards and David Simmons on the vocals.

Really great classy soul, bringing it back to the golden “neo-soul” days with a little twist at the end where the song goes double-tempo in a slight-jukey-soul vibe! That was unexpected!

Free Download yo!

Full Crate & David Simmons – Without My Heart

Download Link

The meeting came about when Travis and Jim realised they were working in parallel on the same concept of finding the sweet spot between mid-90’s euphoric jungle and footwork, so naturally they set about working out how to find it together.

The ‘Reworkz EP‘ moves backwards and forwards in time with ‘Be Free’ treating Jungle’s diva samples with footwork pitch bending and repetition while adding huge uplifting chords that capture the euphoria of rave perfectly. It’s then laid over tough, rolling 808 kicks and snares at 160bpm with a carpet of pumping, rhythmic sub-bass resulting in a new hybrid that is both fresh and energetic.

‘Give a Lil Luv’ is, if anything, even more euphoric, like rolling thunder with an intense, melodic use of samples and chord stabs with metallic breaks building into a spiky mesh of rhythms.

On side B ‘Set it’ draws classic dancehall, soul and reggae samples across a perfect mix of fast juke cymbals and jungle amens, each part casually camouflaging the other, tempering footwork’s sometimes intimidating sparseness and filling it with rich, warm and sincere rave energy.” (Planet Mu)

Preview clips
A1 – B Free
A2 – Giv A Lil Luv
B1 – Set It Up

Pre-order : PlanetMu

From the first quick peek at the tracklist, I smiled when I found out that the track called “Sak Te Gen Tan Gen La” ended up on this EP because Poirier hooked me up with the track months ago and I’ve been playing to the stunned look of many dancefloors since. (Funny factoid: I actually went to high school with Imposs, the MC on the track)

All 4 tracks on the EP are strong but i’d have to go with “Who Got Di Riddim” and the track with Imposs as my two favorites. Both tracks are pretty blazing fast and as a DJ who plays a lot of different stuff, it’s always great to find tracks that I love that are 165 bpm and up cause it’s just not something that I have a ton of!

Poirier must have been born in a parallel universe because for a guy born and raised with the cold weather of Montreal, well let’s just say it’s a mystery as to how he pulls off the tropical vibes so well.

Recommended yo!

Buy now on iTunes / Juno / TTL Digital / Beatport

Poirier – Soca Road EP Preview by Mixpak

Jennie Livingston, who never went to film school and who spent seven years making Paris Is Burning, concentrated on interviews with key figures in the ball world, many of whom contribute monologues that shed light on the ball culture as well as on their own personalities. In the film, titles such as “house,” “mother,” and “reading” emphasize how the subculture the film depicts has taken words from the straight and white worlds, and imbued them with alternate meanings, just as the “houses” serve as surrogate families for young ball-walkers whose sexual orientations have sometimes made acceptance and love within their own families hard to come by.

I first came across Gravious when he released the Junction City EP about a year ago. Mixing all the niceties of techno with the accessibility of dubstep is no small feat but this man seems to have managed to pull it off. In doing so he combines a bouncy experimental style with straight up deep bass and irresistible head-nodding beats. Gravious actually released some of the first 12″ on Hotflush Records (Sepalcure, Mount Kimbie, Scuba).

These two EP’s definitely have one foot set in the UK bass culture and another one in Detroit’s true techno sound.

More recently he has released the Spatial Dimensions EP, which maintains this individual approach to producing music.

Definitely an artist worth watching out for, you can expect to hear more about this guy from here on in. Can’t wait for an LP!

I’ve been meaning to write about this one for a little while now. Even after 30+ years, “I Want Your Love” from James Mason remains a mythical track amongst funk & soul heads (and the 100$+ price tag on his LP is a proof of that).

James Mason is an incredible keyboard player & guitarist and originally a member of Roy Ayers’ band, in fact it’s James Mason playing keys on Ayers’ classic “Running Away” track.

James Mason – I Want Your Love

In 1977 Mason recorded his debut solo album, Rhythm of Life, for the tiny New York independent label Chiaroscuro. It went out of print in an extremely short time, and Mason never recorded another one, pretty much disappearing from sight. However by the ’90s, Rhythm of Life had attained near-Holy Grail status among acid jazz enthusiasts, partly because of its rarity and partly because its music — even more rooted in funk than Ayers’ — seemed to perfectly epitomize what the rare-groove revival was all about. Finally, in 1999, England’s Soul Brother Records acquired the rights to the master tapes and reissued Rhythm of Life on CD, allowing the album to claim its rightful status as a lost classic.

Buy “Rhythm of Life” on Itunes
Buy I Want Your Love 12″ @ Sounds of the Universe

No matter how many times I see or hear Montreal resident Guilty (aka: Rilly Guilty) spin, he has never once put on a song I didn’t fully enjoy. Sick track record (pun intended). The man not only feeds you with tunes you’d love, but with tunes you never thought you would have loved. He goes where others wouldn’t dare, kidnapping his audience for a little joy ride.

When he first gave me a physical copy of Golden Sounds Volume 3, I had that house mix bumping in my car for months until it was memorized. Having just found out Volume 4 was released, I immediately told my imaginary secretary to cancel all my imaginary appointments. This mix of soulful house with touches of techno is (as expected) driving me just as wild as the last one, and I will be driving wildly to these tunes so watch out!

Back in Sept. 2011 the good people at Stones Throw brought you the first installment, James Pants Beat Archive Pt. 1, aka“JP Failed Rap Beats 2004-2008.” In the words of the producer himself, this series is, “from a vast collection of oddities, soddities, and heresies from back in the days when I thought I could be a rap producer.”

In our opinion, meaning no disrespect to the world of talented rappers, these beats work great without any loop-ruiners spitting all over them.

Download Link

So here’s the second set, 2006-2010. Cover image by Jeff Jank. Photo by Schiko. Sludge by BP. Enjoy.

stonesthrow.com/jamespants 
jamespants.tumblr.com

On the opening night of the exposition a young girl took me aside to express her absolute joy that people who lived her parallel experience were expressing her frenzies. There’s something to be said about the angst that one feels when your body is grounded on one land but your heart lives in another. There’s a certain element of disconnection that can feel like eternal void. That’s where tracks like ‘The Last Arabs’ come in. This track fits all the criteria of a true classic: dope production, high-quality lyricists, relevance and rapport. For that young girl, and many others, ‘the Last Arabs’ is the theme song to her story.

[If you didn’t get a chance to catch the Arab Winter exposition be sure to follow their documentary series]

The Arab winter documentary trailer

Arab Winter Documentary Trailer from The Narcicyst on Vimeo.

As the Arab Winter Launch approaches, director Walid Kafi follows the crew through the process of creating the first exhibition between El Seed (Faouzi Khlifi) , Sundus Abdul Hadi, Tamara Abdul Hadi, Sawsan Mahdi, Karim Jabari and The Narcicyst (Yassin Alsalman). Documentary Launch: January 2012

They infuse their special blend of hiphop with organic textures and melodious savoir-faire on all of their 5 or 6 albums. The first time I heard that blend, I thought they were playing real instruments on those records. Fast forward to the new record or I should say the new cassette (because it’s really a beattape in its true form), it’s instrumental most of the time. There are some vocals here and there but nothing to disrupt the introspective mood. Musically, it’s a little bit more cut and paste than their previous work but the balance of the elements of their usual style is still there. It made me think of an instrumental version of Buck65‘s Square. Classic D.I.Y. indie hiphop but don’t expect the boring boom bap approach here!

Enter Killmore by CYNE

An Introspection by CYNE

In 1977 the Malian government funded a series of LPs through it’s Mali Kunkan label. This series highlighted some of the great Malian orchestras of the period. As heard on the ‘Kanaga De Mopti’ LP (previously re-issued on Kindred Spirits), this was a time the electric guitar was being fully embraced by the players in this West African region. The guitar is especially prominent on this record, often taking place as the central instrument next to the vocals. The album features 6 beautiful songs, some reaching 10 minutes in length – all bridging the modern sounds being explored at the time with traditional rhythms and tunings. This is yet another example of the depth and beauty to be heard in the rich music from this incredible country – past and present

Leli
Dina Walijin
Teiduma
Wale
Tarekh
Apolo

Buy LP @ SoundsOfTheUniverse (London)

I was digging through my sister’s crates not too long ago and fell upon their first album ‘Emergency on Planet Earth’. Now I already knew a few of the hit tracks off this album but leaving this baby on loop really made me realize the absolute genius-ness of Jay Kay, Mike Nielsen and their 20+ band. Seriously, this album is lyrically powerful, instrumentally psychedelic and musically transcendent. If you’re one of those ‘the first track I hear defines this album’ people be sure to start with track 8 it will literally “Blow Your Mind”.

I’m referring to the roads traveled sonically while on your way to discover new and original sounds that keep that spark in your soul crackling and shining… And of course, you always keep something from all those places you’ve visited. In fact, it’s like once you’ve gone there, you’ll never really leave… And of course, you have your travel partners, your comrades in arms you’re so thankful for because they point out those obscure spots in the landscape you would’ve never thought to check out were it not for their input…

This song represents a seminal time on the road I took… It all started in high school, with that one kid who could hustle all the Hip Hop that was comin’ out and bangin’ at the time to all the other kids who didn’t know any better. After waiting a few weeks (it was like a Hip Hop Library System, hallway level), my turn eventually came, and I’d asked for Dre’s The Chronic… That’s when my spark got lit… I traveled through the West Coast for a bit, then went over to the East Coast courtesy of Wu-Tang and ATCQ… I eventually got into a lot of new, unheard of flavors at once: The Roots, anything from the how-in-the-world-does-a-ridiculously-talent-ridden-label-fold Rawkus Records, Jay Dee, going back to the West Coast with new vibes from Dilated Peoples and Madlib, discovering Stones Throw…

My life soon consisted in digging and searching for new flavors in any way I could… That meant buying loads of CDs at the record store (without prior listening! Oh the discoveries!…) and hunting for new stuff on the net… “Music, Money, Women” is from right around that time, when that music shit got serious for me… Shame these cats ever only released a single and a short EP…

I could never get tired of this joint… I swear I would bounce to this track and only think of two words: DOPE & FRESH!!! You know that song that makes you catch curious stares in the public transit because you started with the bounce and the head nods without even realizing it? Yeah, this is it… “

Barbershop MC’s – Music, Money & Women

Greenwood Sharps is another beatmaker from London who is quite visibly, very inspired by the West Coast music scene. All that reverb in his tracks make us feel somewhere else, somewhere peaceful, I like when a beatmaker has that electro-organic sound. He made this EP in 2011, so I hope he’s gonna release soon for 2012. For those who like Shlohmo, Mount Kimbe and Jamie XX this is recommended!

But hey, when it’s well done and it’s coming from an artist like Philadelphia’s KNXLEDGE, who we love here… you just can’t find a whole lot of negative stuff to say about it. So, here is a great flip of the late Etta James‘ “Since I Fell For You”.

We’ll be sharing a lot more from him in the near future, but for now why don’t you start out with this amazing mix from a couple months ago. Beats heads you will not be disappointed!

Tracklist:
1. KUTMAH – EAST L.A ONE FOR GONJASUFI (UNRELEASED)
2. ROYCE THE 5”9 + BUSTA RHYMES – DINNER TIME
3. FUGEES – REMIX BY JON WAYNE (UNRELEASED)
4. CUPP CAVE – JUNIPER (UNRELEASED)
5. AADVARK – DUNK
6. LAPTI – THEREMIN JOINT (UNRELEASED)
7. SAM BAKER SHIT – WHERE AM I (UNRELEASED)
8. SAMIYAM FEAT. JON WAYNE – JWSB BOOTLEG (UNRELEASED)
9. MAINFRAME FEAT. BLU – THAT SHIT (UNRELEASED)
10. DIBIASE – SHEETS RUFF CUT (UNRELEASED)
11. ZACKEY FORCE FUNK – DRINK ON THE FLOOR (PROD: PIOTRUS PAN, UNRELEASED)
12. RAS G – KINGS RIDDIM (UNRELEASED)
13. MANSON GIRLS
14. PACE ONE – I’M THAT GOOD (UNRELEASED)
15. ALEX B FEAT. COUNT BASS D – DRIP SPLATTER ALPHA PUP
16. JON WAYNE – TAKING OVER EMPIRES’ (PROD: DIBIA$E)
17. DEM HUNGA – JLLYBLLY (UNRELEASED)
18. RAS G – RAS/GLK (UNRELEASED)
19. FLYING LOTUS – SLOW IT DOWN (UNRELEASED)
20. MONO/PONY – GLOW (UNRELEASED)
22. JON WAYNE BEAT (UNRELEASED)
23. KANKICK – DIG THE TRADITION 99
24-30. MADLIB
31. DANNY DRIVE THRU – VERTUA RAP
32. MOBB DEEP – SHOOK VUNZ DUNNY

As my record collection expands, I realized how much good music I have that I don’t get to play in clubs or elsewhere. Some tunes, I have so much respect for that I wouldn’t even bother trying to sample them. As a result, I met up with my long time friend Lo Bono to think about how we could get these pieces the attention it deserves through video making. Lo Bono is a young independent film director, who is also a music lover that understands the powerful synergy that can have well orchestrated images on music. We got together and went through a stack of about 40 records (you know the ones that narrate stories and evoke images) and selected a few rare and less rare cuts to brainstorm on.

This is how Wax Office was born. We have absolutely no copyright on the material we use but we do it with the intention of making people discover wonderful music through the medium of short films. We plan to release a series of unofficial music videos starring real people instead of actors, as we thought it would make it a more interesting exercise. We will be projecting our very first creation entitled “Say Goodbye to me” at ExpoArts tomorrow. Here is the teaser and a link to the facebook event page. Hope you can make it!

Wax Office X ExpoArts (teaser) from Y Lo-Bono on Vimeo.

Event Info
Off Interarts Gallery
5143 Blvd Saint-Laurent
8pm – 12am
Voluntary Contribution
Facebook Event Page

Very sad news.

One more music legend is gone, and not enough new ones to fill the void…

Last week we shared with you the Shlohmo remix of the same song (link here) which is also quite wonderful. But really, nothing beats the original and the video that goes along with it. We’re really happy to be sharing the discovery of Lianne, especially on the sad day of Etta James‘ passing.

From what we’ve heard so far, Lianne La Havas is like a wonderful blend of next level ladies like Yukimi Nagano (from Little Dragon), Andreya Triana and J.Davey. Oh and she kind of has a little bit of a Rosario Dawson thing going on in the video which is, obviously, a very good thing!

Buy the EP on Itunes

via Shook.FM (awesome website): ”Gil Scott-Heron’s final opus, one that he was working on intermittently for the last two decades of his life, is not an album of music but a memoir. Autobiography isn’t quite the right word, because this book pulls down the shutters and closes shop in 1981, the mid-point in his fascinating life, leaving the artist in suspended animation.

He’s right at the height of his fame, and has just been asked to join Stevie Wonder on his Hotter Than July tour (see YouTube clip below). Bob Marley had initially been billed as the support act, but was hastily hospitalised when the cancer in his toe began spreading to the rest of his body. So Gil, who had originally been booked to play only the first dates of the tour in Texas and Louisiana, was drafted in for the whole 16-week tour.

The tour climaxed with the Rally for Peace on January 15 1981 in Washington D.C. Organised by Stevie Wonder to support the campaign to have Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday recognised as a national holiday, that Rally, and the song accompanying the campaign, ‘Happy Birthday’, forced the politicians’ hand. In a neat instance of dramatic irony, it was Ronald Reagan who signed the national holiday into law in 1983.

Reagan, or ‘Raygun’ as he was fond of calling him, was the butt of a stream of jokes by Gil Scott-Heron, the poet and provocateur who held up a mirror to America and told people what was really going on. He was the thorn in side of the politicians and he was the poet of the ordinary folk, singing about their hopes and dreams. But to actually change the statute books, irrevocably – like Stevie had set out to do – that, for Gil, was the point of the struggle.

What a previous generation, the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, had set in motion, drove Gil to write, to teach and to perform. And when Gil finds himself on stage in the National Mall, where Martin Luther King, Jr. had been in 1963 to deliver his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, he looks up: “And I could see for the first time, I could see what this brother had seen long before, what really needed to be done.”

How he got to that point there is what The Last Holiday sets out to tell. It begins in Jackson, Tennessee where Gil was raises up by his grandmother, Lily Scott – “[Jackson] was where I began to write, learned to play piano, and where I began to want to write songs.” The picture Gil paints of his grandmother is of a remarkable Southern matriarch, church-going, upright, and though never educated herself, a woman who had insisted on teaching Gil to read from a young age. They would pick out chapters from the Bible every night, or in the Chicago Defender pore over articles featuring Jesse B. Semple, the character created by Langston Hughes. Segregation was still in force in the south, and after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, Gil was one of the first students to be admitted to a white school in November 1962.

Much of the first half of the book is given over to the education that Gil receives, moving with his mother to New York, where he gains a scholarship to the prestigious private school, Fieldston, and then to Lincoln University, the alma mater of Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall. Marshall was the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court. It was his victory in the Brown v. Board of Education that started the path to desegregation and left an indelible mark on the mind of the young artist.

But by the time he gets to Lincoln, though, it’s no longer quite the same institution. The school has become a co-ed that year, and Gil buries himself in the library. Much to the dismay of his professors, he insists on taking a sabbatical after his first year to write The Vulture, a murder mystery novel in the mould of Chester Himes’ stories. There’s a particularly evocative scene in the memoir when Gil recalls working in a dry cleaners on the outskirts of the university campus, typing away at his novel and getting college friends to read his work. The publishers agree to take on The Vulture, and Gil returns to Lincoln with a book deal aged just 21.

During his time at Lincoln he also meets Brian Jackson. It would be their musical partnership that would create so many timeless albums, from Winter In America right through to Bridges in 1977. And Gil’s already demonstrating his political colours when he closes down the university in protest over inadequate medical facilities after a friend dies on campus.

What the reader can’t help but notice is the unbridled confidence and the razor sharp wit of the young Gil Scott-Heron (“I’ve always been a lot too arrogant and a little too fuckin’ wise,” he would say on Don’t Give Up). He waltzes into publishing houses to demand publishing deals, or into Flying Dutchman where Bob Thiele, a teenage hero of his who had produced albums for John Coltrane, offers him a contract. He befriends with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stevie Wonder often turns up unannounced to his shows, and there are scores of other famous encounters, from Sydney Poitier to Michael Jackson.

In the Last Holiday, the makings of Gil Scott-Heron are plain to see. As listeners of his music will know, the subject of his art had always been the world around him, regular folk scrambling together a living, and he tried to give them hope. ‘It’s Your World’, he told them. But in Gil’s late career, especially on Spirits in 1994 and that final album for XL in 2010, there was a return home. On that final record too he evoked Jackson, Tennessee and Grandma Lily Scott.

Still, for all he reveals, Gil leaves many stones unturned. There are those last 30 years, which are elided in a couple of inconclusive chapters; there’s little about the music itself, how the songs were written, what they meant. The story also tends to jump around in time, each chapter, in its brevity, has an almost parable-like quality. When the publisher writes at the end of the book, “We are greatly indebted to Tim Mohr, whose editing skills and commitment to the project have resulted in The Last Holiday reading as smoothly as it does,” you suspect that publishing The Last Holiday has been no holiday for those involved.

On reflection, what we’re left with is fragments, “jagged jigsaw pieces”, to quote a line from one of his well-known songs. His memoir may not captivate the casual reader, but for those who have been touched by the artist, either live or on record, The Last Holiday is the final chance to spend time in the company of a man who may not have changed the statute books, but whose influence is incalculable, wrought as it is on the hearts of those who heard his message.”

The Last Holiday by Gil Scott-Heron is published by Canongate.

But Sonnymoon did an awesome cover that was way better than the original. Their latest album was “Golden Age” back in 2010, it was about time for some new stuff. It’s just an EP for now but the growth is great since the last album. The 5 track “2012″ EP feels like being in a spaceship with mermaids (yes, listen to it, it’ll make sense!). Anna Wise, the singer has a great voice that goes perfectly with that 80′s spacey trip, which I really enjoyed the ride.

Sonnymoon – Near Me (Live Version) from Plug Research on Vimeo.

Stream the EP

Buy on Itunes

Naes aka Toast Dawg is my homie from day 1. Litterally. We were in grade 2 to high school together. Naes grew up to be one of pillars of the hip-hop scene in Quebec. He was the production force behind projects like Atatch Tatuq, Payz Play and Traumaturgues. He’s our Pete Rock!

Well anyway, since he’s one of biggest Dilla lovers in the city (he’s throwing a Dilla night. Details here) I figured i’d ask him to share some of his favorite Dilla Dilla joints! In french oui oui.

Funky for you (Common – Like water for chocolate 2000)

Common – Like Water for Chocolate

@payzplayviaNaes: Fou beat, excellente ligne de basse. Çette chanson s’écoute aussi bien le dimanche matin à la maison qu’à 1ham dans un club plein à craqué. Il ne faut jamais oublier d’écouter le ‘’outro’’ dont les deux parties sont magiques aussi.

Nothing like this (Jay Dilla-Ruff Draft 2003)

J Dilla – Nothing Like This

@payzplayviaNaes: Quand j’ai acheté Ruff Draft à sa sortie (passée pas mal inaperçue, disons..) je m’attendais à une suite logique de ‘’Welcome 2 Detroit’’. Pas du tout. J’pense que le budget et l’intention étaient vraiment différents. Donc sur cette chanson Dilla ‘’chante’’ sur des samples de guitare à l’envers accompagnés de drums sortis des années 80. Ça aurait pu sortir la semaine dernière.

Players (Slum Village – Fantastic Vol 2 2000)

Slum Village – Players

@payzplayviaNaes: Un loop de 4 bars. Le ‘’snare’’ casse les oreilles. J’adore. Dilla réussis à faire des chansons avec un minimum d’éléments perturbateurs.

Pause (Jay Dee – Welcome 2 Detroit 2001)

Jay Dee – Pause

@payzplayviaNaes: Supposément qu’à l’origine Dilla n’a pas pu ‘’clearer’’ les samples sur ce beat. On y retrouve alors que le ‘’Classic Dilla Drum Patern’’ et quelques punches de synthés. Sans oublié Frank n’ Dank qui sont pas mal ‘’thugged-out ‘’. Ce beat là TUE.

EVE REMIX (Spacek 12’’ – 2001)

Spacek – Eve (Remix)

@payzplayviaNaes: J’avais acheté l’album de Spacek 50.00 $ au Noise sur St-Laurent (où Scott C travaillait, oui.) J’suis tombé sur ce 12’’ white label quelques mois plus tard. Fou beat. Je la joue presque tout le temps encore. 10 ans plus tard.

Won’t do (J-Dilla The Shining 2006)

J Dilla – Won’t Do

@payzplayviaNaes: J’adore ce beat.
Pour sur.
Non mais.
T’entends?

Donuts…Beats, rhymes and life…Stakes is high…JAYLIB…anyways ce sont tous mes albums préférés…top 7 ??? Non mais.

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In less than a year they dropped a 4-track debut EP, launched their debut video ‘Make way’ and dropped two fresh new singles. These girls have performed everywhere around the city from the intimate Bistro de Paris to big stage venues like Metropolis.

There is no don’t in mind my mind that Heart Streets will be recognized as a classic for many years to come and ‘keep it together’ is the track I think best epitomizes their unique style.

I usually to listen to this track on an old compilation from DJ Cam (awesome french producer also) on one of the earliest editions of the now famous DJ Kicks series on !K7. This mix was very trip-hop and indy hip-hop focused and most of the jams have aged pretty well. One track however stood out to me this morning: the freestyle by Channel Live, an old group formed by Krs-One I believe.

The freestyle is originally part of a mixtape from The Awesome 2 who had one of the longest and most influencial hip-hop radio shows in NYC back in the day. (Might post that mixtape one day!)

Awesome 2 and Channel Live – Freestyle

Also, if you’re wondering where the original sample is from, it’s taken from an old Ramsey Lewis track called “Collage”, track which is also the source of a lot of other tracks like Group Home‘s “Livin Proof” and Souls of Mischief‘s “Make Up Your Mind”

make sure you also check out…

Ramsey Lewis – Collage

Souls of Mischief – Make Up Your Mind

You see, some babies get delivered very peacefully and quietly, while others come out of there drenched in blood and puss, screaming like they just finished a death match with a saber-toothed tiger. The recent discovery of two stunning tracks put out by newborn label Unknown To The Unknown proves yet again this young’n isn’t much of a “silent-type”.

Ever since DJ Stingray’s Assassin last July, we’ve been hearing a lot of noise with releases by artists such as Marcus Mixx, Alias G, Dubbel Dutch (not to mention a 2012 mix CD by DJ Q). Now we have 5kinandbone5 making a scene with the freshest nu-skool 2-step I’ve heard in a long time! If you can imagine a Brenmar/El-B collaboration, you might get something like the mean mixture of dark and bubbly on “Make U Understand”.

Although these tracks are sparse, they are certainly not your boring average cut-and-paste-any-pitched-R&B-vocal-on-top-of-some-formulaic-beat concoctions. Minimalism can sound great when done right, and as you can see 5kinandbone5’ got the right flavor for your ears.

5kinandbone5 – Make U Understand/Reset