Check out the latest episode of DJ Lil Tiger and Empanadamn‘s Impulse Travels Radio Show on WHCR 90.3fm in Harlem.

impulse travels radio. episode 98. 23 july 2013.
[audio:http://buhbomp.com/impulse/impulse.130723.mp3|titles=dj lil tiger. impulse travels. 23 july 2013.]
» DOWNLOAD HERE « ( pc: right-click and save as / mac: option-click )

Empanadamn put together yet another great show with tunes from Machinedrum + DJ Shadow (Berlin + NYC + Cali), The Rub + Misun + Lil’ Fame + Marco Polo (BK + Toronto + D.C.), Miguel + Sammy Bananas (L.A. + BK), Drums of Death + Yasmin (London), Woodkid + Angel Haze (Lyon + Detroit), Toro y Moi (S.C.), Bonde do Role + Rizzie Kicks (Sao Paolo + UK), Panama (Sydney), Rihanna + DJ Morsy (Barbados + NYC), DJ Haviana + Mukala Muzik (Brasil), Daniel Bedingfield + Benzi + Esentrik (New Zealand + Michigan + NY), Felguk + Sirreal (Rio de Janeiro), Durkin + Diane Charlamagne (Boston + London) and more.

» CHECK OUT THE PLAYLIST «

Check out the latest episode of DJ Lil Tiger and Empanadamn‘s Impulse Travels Radio Show on WHCR 90.3fm in Harlem.

impulse travels radio. episode 97. 16 july 2013.
[audio:http://buhbomp.com/impulse/impulse.130716.mp3|titles=dj lil tiger. impulse travels. 16 july 2013.]
» DOWNLOAD HERE « ( pc: right-click and save as / mac: option-click )

Empanadamn held it down again for his nomadic compadre, DJ Lil Tiger. This week’s show featured tunes from Love x Stereo (Seoul), Bondax + Star Slinger (UK), Jazzy Jeff + the Fresh Prince + Terry Urban (Philly + NYC), Flume + Kaytranada (Sydney + Montréal), Full Crate + Mar + Sin Diesel (Nederland + ATL), Makaroni (Chile), EZLV (Montréal), 123MRK + Obey City (Marseille + BK), Movement + Shadow Child (Sydney + UK), Rhye + Branchez (L.A. + Toronto + BK), Foals + Solomun (Oxford + Hamburg + Bosnia + Herzegovina), Esther Williams + Laberge (D.C. + Vancouver), The Freshest + Sammy Bananas (Vancouver + BK), Sharam Jey + Kolombo (Germany + Belgium), Trippy Turtle + Booty Beaver (Oslo), Miguel Puente (Monterrey) and more.

» CHECK OUT THE PLAYLIST «

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reuniting with my Soular Grooves family in Houston, as they so graciously allowed me to do the guest mix on the show while I was in town. So, here’s the end result: about an hour’s worth of House, Global Bass, UK Funky and more. Check it out:

Here’s the playlist:

eli escobar feat. lindsey caldwell – i believe
emeli sandé – daddy (disclosure remix)
sirOJ – supreme (fs green remix)
cdbl – i need you (kidnap kid remix)
pearson sound – stifle
meech – i want (raziek remix)
jacques greene – ready
koreless – away
n.b. funky – riddim box (roska remix)
liquideep – alone (zakes bantwini remix)
breakbot feat. irfane – one out of two (sneak’s for the ladies club mix)
spiritchaser – so clear

‘Tis the season and all, so ’tis Christmas music time here at buhbOmp as well.

I’ve spent enough time in my neighborhood grocery store and my laundromat to be sick to death of the standard holiday fare, which has been making my ears bleed since before Thanksgiving came around.

Need a respite from that shit? I know I do. That’s where the homie MattSoReal comes in. He did an awesome “Mellow Out It’s Christmastime mix” last year that we posted about here on the blog. This year, he’s at it again, and he’s expanded the concept to a series of mixes. He’s got two of them up thus far, and they’re both great.

He set it off last week with his “Thowed Christmas 2009 mix” and these poignant words to set the mood:

Yeah man, if you follow this blog, you know I have a pretty thowed collection of Holiday jams. All genres, mostly fucked up shit. …

Pretty much. Matt‘s always been a champion of not staying in his lane, and that’s what I really love about dude.

This shit knocks. Peep:

Thowed Christmas by Pushermania

¬ DOWNLOAD IT HERE (or click on the down-arrow at the far right of the preview above)

Here’s the playlist:

AustinSurreal.com Presents THOWED CHRISTMAS – A Podcast By MattSoReal

Sweet Tee – Let The Jingle Bells Rock
Holiday Greetings from Chingo Bling
Disco 4 – He’s Santa Claus
Coldcut’s Christmas Break
Holiday Greetings from Devin the Dude
Bud Brothers – Dec. 25th
Run DMC – Christmas in Hollis
Holiday Greetings from Bun B
Stevie Wonder/Dipset – Someday at Christmas – DJ Jon Remix
Vince Guaraldi – Linus & Lucy – Pocket Knife Remix
Tomb Crew – Jingle Hells Bells
Holiday Greetings from Eternia
King Sun, D. Moet – Christmas in the City
Dorrough – I Want
Holiday Greetings from Peter Rosenberg
South Park – The Lonely Jew on Christmas
Eek A Mouse – Christmas A Come
Lee “Scratch” Perry – Santa Claus
Holiday Greetings from Lowkey
Afroman – 12 J’s of Christmas
Dynamix 2 – Christmas Melody
Pee Pee Dynamite – Groovy Christmas & New Year
Tomb Crew – Jingle Hells Bells
Holiday Greetings from Baller Craig aka Craigger White

Matt just unleashed the second installment the other day, and this one takes a darker, slower, moodier turn. If I were a drinker, I’d be nursing a few whiskeys and chilling the fuck out to this one. I’m not a drinker, tho, so I’ll have to settle for some herbal tea, ’cause that’s how I do:

¬ DOWNLOAD IT HERE

Here’s the tracklist:

James Brown – Santa Claus, Santa Claus
The Staple Singers – Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas
John Lee Hooker – Blues For Christmas
Holiday Greetings from Lucky Fonz III
Lucky Fonz III – Christmas Lights In A Cave
Loretta Lynn – I Won’t Decorate Your Tree
Esquivel – Blue Christmas
Sufjan Stevens – Did I Make You Cry On Christmas?
Calexico – Gift Exchange
Ernest Tubb – Christmas Is Just Another Day For Me
The Emotions – What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas?
Holidays Greetings from Cosmo Baker
Damien Marley – Santa Claus (Do You Ever Come To The Ghetto?)
The Fall – No Christmas For John Queys
David Banner – It’s Christmas Time (Jingle Bells)
Holidays Message From Killer Mike aka Mike Bigga
Killer Mike aka Mike Bigga – A Christmas Grind
Ying Yang Twins – Ho Ho Ho
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – Ain’t No Chimneys In The Ghetto
Low – Little Drummer Boy
Eels – Christmas Is Going To The Dogs

This really breaks my heart. I don’t even know where to begin describing how influential Domu‘s music has been to me over the past seven years or so. (For those who don’t know who Domu is, you can read his bio at the end of this post.)

Domu posted a goodbye letter on his TrebleO blog earlier today, letting the world know that he’s walking away from the music world:

It’s over. I can’t go into the personal reasons, but of course will leave you some explanation as to how I got here. It feels a bit like walking away from a life of crime or the Mafia. I am Carlito, I have finally made the break from the old dangerous way of making a living. I just hope Benny from the Bronx doesn’t shoot me as I am boarding the last train out of here. The point is that I am no longer Domu. He is a character, always has been, and as of Friday 13th November 2009, he no longer exists. Neither does Umod, Sonar Circle, Bakura, Yotoko, Rima, Zoltar, Blue Monkeys, Realside or any of the other names I put out music under. I am cancelling all my gigs and not taking any more. My hotmail is closed, my Twitter is closed and my Facebook is closed. If any of you want to talk to me and know me well enough to have my mobile number then that is still the same, and please feel free to call any time. My other email address I mail from occasionally is still open to tie up any loose ends.

I had started to change, for the worse I am now sure. My confusion was growing, my insecurity and bitterness getting out of hand, a lack of creative direction and focus were leading me somewhere very dark. I have felt so depressed by all of this. Believe me I have searched my soul long and hard this year to find the reasons again why I do this, but I can’t locate them. Too much of ‘me’ is mixed up into all of this, and no one should ever give so much of himself or herself to a job. I once believed in all of it, that I made and played music for a certain type of person, for people who didn’t want to adhere to the ‘normal’ way of life, the free thinker, the independent or open minded type who was bored of the genres, the staples, the blueprints or the formulae. The underground. But I just don’t truly believe I am needed in this battle anymore. It has been passed down to another generation, who are doing it their way, and I have no desire to try and edge in and start proclaiming to be fighting a fight that is no longer mine. I am a 31-year-old man. I can’t claim to be holding a torch up to something that meant so much to me at 15. At 21, maybe. But now, after ten years going full time, I think I have said all I had to say. My creative light has dimmed. Maybe because I started so early, who can tell? But I feel satisfied that this is it.

Seriously, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go to the site and read the whole thing. It’s one of the most honest and heartfelt things I’ve read in a long time:
¬ The full post on the TrebleO site

(In case Domu’s post or his site has been taken down by the time you read these words, I’ve copied the full text at the end of this post, so drop down there and give it a good read.)

I’m pretty devastated by this.

I was so geeked when I got to see Domu spin at a loft party here in New York last month. It was my first time getting to see him spin live, and that meant a lot to me because when I was first getting into Broken Beat, Domu was the first producer who’s music I really latched onto. His beats absolutely blew my mind.

Broken Beat entered my life back in early 2002 while I was watching videos at my cousin Daryl’s apartment in Arnhem, where I was living at the time. MTV Europe played a video by Vikter Duplaix called “Sensuality”. It changed my life.

I made it back to the States later that year and went on a mission to find any and everything Broken Beat-related to play. One of my earliest Broken Beat record purchases was a Jazzanova 12″ for “Soon” that featured one of Domu’s remixes (coincidentally, with Vikter Duplaix on vocals).

I bought his Up and Down LP around the same time, and soon after, I was buying pretty much any record I could find with Domu‘s name (or any of his many aliases) on it. I’m listening to a lot of those tunes as I piece together this post, and his work still inspires and affects me tremendously.

One of my all-time favorite Domu tracks is a remix he did for Sequel’s “Upsolid” that I put in a mix a while back. Here’s a snippet taken from my mix:

[audio:http://www.buhbomp.com/audio/misc/upsolid.mp3|titles=Sequel – Upsolid (Domu’s Liquidification Mix)]

I have always felt that dude’s music was ahead of its time, whatever that might actually mean. I don’t know. I just get this sense that years from now, folks will discover his music and be blown away by it’s brilliance and marvel at how, in the grand scheme of things, his work had managed to stay under the radar when the quality shined so brightly. That fate is not unique to Domu by any means, but I can totally see how the reality of that can affect an artist to the point that leads us to his post today.

My friend Aser, who sent me the email that brought my attention to Domu‘s post, had this to say about it:

I have eerily similar feelings about a lot of things in life right now. I can totally see where he’s coming from, and the place he’s at. We’re the same age, and I feel a lot of us are struggling for answers like he is right now. I hope we all find them eventually, one way or another….

Amen.

Pete Philly (a fellow Arubian and the MC half of Pete Philly and Perquisite) had some poignant things to say about Domu’s decision on Twitter earlier today:

That Domu piece, really made me sad. As an artist we ask ourselves the question daily. “Why am I doing this?”

Current technology gives freedom to the consumer. But great independent artist like Domu are continuing to bite the dust.

The insanity it takes to keep up with this shit, must be unfathomable to outsiders.

I understand what he’s talking about when he says, so many people are giving a go at this music thing..

..it feels like a crowd where everybody is screaming and all you can do is try and scream louder..

The internet dogmatists don’t like it when artist complain about this and neither do I, but..

..seeing someone like Domu, who has created so much goodness. Having to call it quits at only 31 scares the shit out of me to be honest.

I’m successful and have been for a couple of years now. But no matter how succesful you are that voice never goes away..

Trying to let the reality you’re presenting be somehow profitable while staying creatively satisfied..

.. Is something I have managed to do, but saying it was without losing relationships, my mind, my health even.. Forget it..

In the comments to Domu’s post, someone posted Domu’s When I’m Feeling Down mix, and I thought I’d relay it here, since it’s pretty damn apropos. (Also, I have to give props to any mix that has a song by my man Kay of The Foundation aka Slow Boogie on it.) Big shout out to Scott at Back and Forth for sharing this:

[audio:http://www.back-and-forth.net/audio/Domu%20:%20When%20I’m%20Feeling%20Down.mp3|titles=Domu – When I’m Feeling Down]
¬ DOWNLOAD IT HERE

I also found this post just now while searching around the internet:

No matter what anybody says, in my opinion, what he wrote in that post and many other posts in the past, shows courage and honesty, two features that are rare to find not only in the music industry but in people in general.

Orsii‘s full response to Domu‘s post is a good read. I recommend you check out the whole thing.

I’m sure more people will chime in, and I think it’s important in the spirit of Domu‘s artistic struggle to spread as many of those words as possible so that his influence and legacy thus far can fill the void his retirement will leave in the greater musical landscape.

I wish Domu the best, and I thank him dearly for all the music he has made that has touched me and so many others. I, as well as many of his fans, hope that this retirement is short-lived, but ultimately, after giving us so much, I just want him to find whatever happiness he can in life, with or without music. He deserves that.

Here’s the full post, for archival purposes, since the TrebleO site’s days are obviously numbered now:

The End

It’s over. I can’t go into the personal reasons, but of course will leave you some explanation as to how I got here. It feels a bit like walking away from a life of crime or the Mafia. I am Carlito, I have finally made the break from the old dangerous way of making a living. I just hope Benny from the Bronx doesn’t shoot me as I am boarding the last train out of here. The point is that I am no longer Domu. He is a character, always has been, and as of Friday 13th November 2009, he no longer exists. Neither does Umod, Sonar Circle, Bakura, Yotoko, Rima, Zoltar, Blue Monkeys, Realside or any of the other names I put out music under. I am cancelling all my gigs and not taking any more. My hotmail is closed, my Twitter is closed and my Facebook is closed. If any of you want to talk to me and know me well enough to have my mobile number then that is still the same, and please feel free to call any time. My other email address I mail from occasionally is still open to tie up any loose ends.

I had started to change, for the worse I am now sure. My confusion was growing, my insecurity and bitterness getting out of hand, a lack of creative direction and focus were leading me somewhere very dark. I have felt so depressed by all of this. Believe me I have searched my soul long and hard this year to find the reasons again why I do this, but I can’t locate them. Too much of ‘me’ is mixed up into all of this, and no one should ever give so much of himself or herself to a job. I once believed in all of it, that I made and played music for a certain type of person, for people who didn’t want to adhere to the ‘normal’ way of life, the free thinker, the independent or open minded type who was bored of the genres, the staples, the blueprints or the formulae. The underground. But I just don’t truly believe I am needed in this battle anymore. It has been passed down to another generation, who are doing it their way, and I have no desire to try and edge in and start proclaiming to be fighting a fight that is no longer mine. I am a 31-year-old man. I can’t claim to be holding a torch up to something that meant so much to me at 15. At 21, maybe. But now, after ten years going full time, I think I have said all I had to say. My creative light has dimmed. Maybe because I started so early, who can tell? But I feel satisfied that this is it.

I have had an amazing time. I’ve travelled the world, drank and partied and made a decent living out of entertaining people throughout all of my 20’s. I met some incredible people in cities I never dreamed I would visit, shared my thoughts and collected wisdom from a huge range of deeply profound and lovely people. But I have also met some real arseholes, and I could feel I was becoming one. Playing records I wasn’t sure I liked to people who had no idea who I was. I had gone cold, cold to the music, to the reactions and to the point of it all. I was changing what I thought I liked, so that I would be liked. I am not a chameleon. I am not Madonna, I can’t stay abreast of the current styles and keep changing with it just to stay in fashion or retain some kind of credible status or career. I have had my moment. If you know me well, you would have sensed a change in me over the last two years. I have always suffered with problems of confidence, but I know that’s not why I am throwing in the towel. I feel like I have to change so much of what I think is ‘me’ to carry on. What I believe in, how to talk to people, how to behave. I just don’t think I can be so arrogant and harsh to stand out anymore. There is so much noise out there that people have to shout louder and louder to be heard. And for what? I am beating myself up over something I no longer believe in for an income that is stressfully patchy and more often than not, very low.

I used to say I owed it to ‘the fight’ to keep going. My belief in that has waned over the last few years too. Yes we needed Coltrane to go against the grain, to sacrifice his well-being and life to create beautiful art. We needed all of them, creative and unique beings burning brightly in our souls, our influences and idols that created the music and the movements that can provide us with sanity, sanctuary and meaning through our confusing lives. But music has lost some of it’s meaning to me as a medium. It’s everywhere; everyone is making it, playing it, giving it away, and trying to make a living. So many people have a voice in it now it is hard to pick out what is cutting edge from what I actually truly feel. I have gotten numb to my life’s biggest passion, and I need to leave it for a while to see if I can ever get it back to how it was.

Some have attributed meaning and understanding to my some of my work. I know it is special to some people, and my message was understood by a few, which I am very grateful to have come to know over the years. I was lucky enough to catch a ride in it for a while, was recognised by some very special and talented people and I earned the respect of my peers and achieved a hell of a lot in a short space of time. There have been huge highs whilst playing music to all sorts of crowds, creating an atmosphere and being in control. I have felt the joy and adrenaline rush of the success, alongside the emptiness and despair of the empty club or the unresponsive floor. Now I recognise I have done all that, I need to put it all behind me and move on, and the only way to do that is to disappear. It has to end sometime, and as I keep saying, everything is finite. I don’t want to lose everything else in my life for this. I just don’t believe in it enough to make that sacrifice. The kids are fighting the battle now. I hope I influenced some of them, I know I have, and that gives me a sense of ease doing this. I haven’t wasted 10 years, I know I have bought joy and hope to many of the disenfranchised, the open-minded, the musical outsider or the devoted dancer. There are people creating things and using technology in a way that I am having to try and catch up to, but I no longer feel the desire to. They are doing it better than I ever could now. It’s their time, and mine has passed. You can either think I am being incredibly brave by admitting it or incredibly weak and stupid for stopping. But it’s just how I feel. I was going wrong in many aspects of my life, and I need to start making a change. I have no idea how long this piece will stay up, but this site won’t be here forever. Please feel free to copy and paste and pass on to preserve it, to let others know why I left, assuming anyone cares.

I have tears in my eyes now. I have so many people to thank for all the personal and professional support they have given me over the years, but I shall do that personally in time. But I want to thank everyone who has bought a song, paid an entrance fee, had a dance or just come up and spoke to me about life, music, the world or whatever. You have given me a dream-like blessed existence for many years. If I have inspired anyone, then I am a happy man. You all have certainly inspired me, and I want to use those years of travelling and sharing to good effect, not this anger and confusion I feel towards it all now. I need to find meaning to the next phase of my life. So I bid you all farewell. I am just too sensitive to keep up the façade of something that doesn’t feel right. I knew it would come someday, maybe some of you that knew me saw it too. I have so much love and respect for my peers and teachers that are carrying on with the struggle, and want the next generation to achieve the best they can for themselves and their art. I am just not a lifer. I’ve traded up, and I’m out.

I’ll leave you all with this. Life isn’t the X-Factor. No one has a God given right to his or her dream or ambitions coming true. I have worked hard and had some great luck. I followed some opportunities, squandered others. I have no regrets, other than not stopping when I knew I should have done this time last year. The only thing you have to guide you through your life is your instinct. Sometimes the right decision isn’t the easiest, but between your conscience and your intuition you will find the answer. Please listen to it. It’s you.

And here’s a little background info on Domu, taken from the bio on his site:

Domu Biography

Dominic Stanton is the real name behind many of dance music’s most mysterious pseudonyms: First there is Sonar Circle, avant garde Drum and Bass outfit signed to the legendary Reinforced Records. Then Domu, his main guise, designed to further the explorations of the syncopated rhythm, remixing and appearing on many labels such as 2000Black, Archive, Ninja Tune, Sonar Kollektiv, Compost, Rush Hour, Especial, Bitasweet, Schtum among others. Umod, the backwards glitchy Hip – Hop kid, all nerdy and introverted, has had one album and a few remixes on Sonar Kollektiv, Jazzanova’s imprint. Then the collaborations: Bakura with Robert Marin on Especial Records Japan, a boogie – Brazilian fusion, culminating with the Reach The Sky, their first LP released 2005. Alongside Archive and Neroli head honcho Volcov, Rima – with an album that dropped on Compost Records in 2003, with much sought after artwork by Dutch uber-cool designer Delta. And Finally, Yotoko, the experimental Techno outfit, formed with web designer and long time friend, Shiftee a.k.a Dave Farlom. The Dutch label Delsin was home to the LP “Wet Ink” from 2004.

The follow up to Domu’s 2001 LP “Up and Down” was released in December 2005. “Return of the Rogue” is a step further into the depths of drum, synth and vocal explorations. Remixing is also continuing nicely, with reworks for Tortured Soul, 24 Carat and Nathan Haines coming soon.

New for 2009

Domu is putting together a compilation of his remixes, rarities and b-sides for Brighton’s Tru Thoughts label. Expect a 12” before the summer and the CD in Autumn 2009. Work has started on the 3rd Domu LP, and the second Bakura and Umod LPs are well into production, all of which should all be completed this year.

Treble O…the mp3 based label Domu is running…watch the website for links to releases from NS2, Yannah Valdevit and Ben Mi Duck this year. The Compilation HERE COMES TREBLE was released on 28th April 2008, distributed by Kudos. Check www.trebleo.co.uk for more info!

Domu has also regularly featured on BBC’s 1Xtra hosting the Xtra Talent show from January 08 to March 08, covering Benji B’s Deviation show on numerous occasions. For more information & show archives pls visit: www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra

Domu has also been DJ’ing since 1998 touring worldwide in Japan, Australia, Russia, USA throughout Europe and most of Scandinavia playing on the international circuit. Among these have been tours and one offs with many of his musical heroes and contemporise: 4Hero, Bugz in the Attic, Jazzanova, I G Culture, Phil Asher, Rainer Truby, Chateux Flight, Kaidi Tatham, Gilles Peterson, Theo Parrish, Photek, Patrick Forge, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Jazztronik, DJ Sunshine, Raw Fusion (Mad Mats), Nu-Spirit Helsinki, Swell Session, Titonton, John Tejada, A Few Among Others, Ayro, Eddy meets Yannah, Rednose Distrikt the list goes on. Domu is also resident at the world renowned 8yr old GPWW award winning CO-OP club night in London, Miami & Worldwide.

The homie DJ Starsign has been active on the mix-uploading recently, which is always a good thing.

Here’s a dope mix he put up a few days ago, and I’m totally digging the vibe. Dude has a crazy good ear for music, and knows no boundaries:

Fall 2009 (a mix for antelopes and beavers) by djstarsign

¬ DOWNLOAD IT HERE (or click on the down-arrow at the right of the preview above)

In his own words:

This mix was another one of those happy accidents for me. It was just another practice routine that I happened to be recording. When I listened to the playback, I was very surprised at how good everything flowed since it was an improvised mix that wrote itself as I went along.

I miss spinning with this cat, for real. We might have to start talking about another Sound Academy reunion in the near future. It’s been too long.

While you’re here, check out some more mixes we’ve featured from Starsign in the past:
¬ buhbOmp episode 10 featuring DJ Starsign
¬ You Are All Beautiful
¬ Four Million Points of Light

He’s also got a couple of other new mixes up on his bassbombsugar blog that y’all should peep.

I went see one of my favorite producers, Domu, at the Raw Fusion Loft Party this past weekend, and had the good fortune of running into Ernesto Vigo and Probe dms, the Harlemite bruk gurus who hosted the brilliant Elevations Harlem broken beat radio show on WHCR in Harlem when I first got to New York.

That show went off the air a while back, and it has been sorely missed. The last time I saw Ernesto, he assured me that they had something special and new in the works, and that, despite taking a hiatus to attend to life, love and happiness, he and Probe were definitely still putting in work for New York’s broken beat scene.

So, when I saw them at the Domu party, I was ecstatic to get my paws on handbills promoting a party to celebrate the rebirth of Elevations.

If you didn’t get the chance to check out the original Elevations when it was on FM radio, you missed out on some serious heat. Ernesto and Probe, both deep and focused with their music knowledge, always had the latest and greatest bruk tunes on rotation. With their deep connections to artists across the pond and in the boroughs, they carried the torch in New York for the forward-focused, progressive, and soulful sounds of the broken beat scene.

And now, they’re back. I’m geeked. They’ve teamed up with Brett from Boundless to raise Elevations from the dead, launching a new website, elevationsradio.com, and a weekly podcast. They unleashed the first episode last week. You can check it here:

[audio:http://www.dmscountry.com/elevationspodcasts/elepodcast1.mp3|titles=Elevations Radio Excursion 001]

¬ DOWNLOAD IT FROM ELEVATIONSRADIO.COM

As usual, it’s a mix of classic and new bruk tunes with a bunch of exclusive and unreleased gems, including a dope new cut called “Ghost” from Probe’s upcoming album Life is a Movie.

Here’s the playlist:

1. These Things Will Pass – Kaidi Tatham (Freedom School)
2. Believe In Something feat. Heidi Vogel – Grey Matter (Unique Uncut)
3. **M.J. Tribute: Do You Remember The Time (Aroop Roy’s Brukup) – Harry Coade vs. Michael Jackson (CDR)
4. Jump Up feat. Lindah E and Koder- Jason Eli (Groovadelica)
5. More Ways Than One – Altered Natives (Eye 4 Eye)
6. Lose It – 2000Black (Third Ear)
7. Calling Out (Maddslinky Remix) – Mr. J (Askew Recordings)
8. Ghost – Probe dms (DMS CDR)
9. Untitled – Arch Typ (CDR)
10. Hope – Fujimoto Tetsuro (Unique Uncut)
11. Spoiled Edit- Daz-I-Kue feat. Bembe Segue and Colonel Red (Ben E. King) – Ubiquity
12. Fire – Jonny Miller (Jus Listen)
13. The Galactica Suite (Domu Remix) – Simon Grey/Domu vs Papa (Papa)
14. Bamboo – Yellowtail (CDR)

If you’re in the New York area, you should stop by and support their pre-launch party in Brooklyn tomorrow. Ernesto and Probe will be on the decks alongside Yellowtail and DJ Zhill of Bagpak, one of my favorite online music stores. Here’s the info:

ELEVATIONS RADIO pre-LAUNCH PARTY
Thursday, October 15, 2009
8pm-1am
NO COVER
Moe’s
80 Lafayette Ave
Brooklyn, NY

¬ facebook event page

It’s officially fall, and we’re falling behind schedule as usual. But, we’ve got some great selections from Empanadamn and DJ Lil Tiger to atone for the delays. Got some big projects in the works from now through the end of the year, so stay tuned. For now, Happy Belated Welfare.

(Click the song names to take you to the off-site sharing pages where you can download the tunes. For detailed instructions on how to navigate the sharing sites where we host our files, we’ve got instructions at the end of this post)

empanadamn | Awwwdamn, it’s autumn / Fawk, it’s fall.

Coldcut “Autumn Leaves” (Feat. Janis Alexander)
A joint to reverse jump-start the season to a slowing slumber. This track is by one of London’s most relevant & long-standing producer / DJ duo known as Coldcut.

Goldie “State Of Mind”
The only non-jungle, smoothed out joint on Goldie’s classic release Timeless.

Change “Searching” (Feat. Luther Vandross)
Breakthrough song for Luther’s R&B solo career that for which he’s recognized today.

Raekwon “Broken Safety” (Feat. Jadakiss & Styles P)
My favorite cut off of OB4CLP2. Gruuufffff!!!

X-Ecutioners “Raida’s Theme”
Roc Raida, Rest In Peace. If you’re in NYC, please come through and celebrate the legacy of Grand Master Roc Raida on Thursday, October 22nd at B.B. King’s presented by Tableturns. The line-up features all your turntable greats such as the X-Men / X-Executioners, The World Famous Beat Junkies, The Allies, 5th Platoon and more. Proceeds going to Roc’s family.

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dj lil tiger | fall back, summer

Brigadier Jerry – Jamaica Jamaica
After seeing Briggy himself perform this with the legendary King Stur Gav at this event this past weekend, I haven’t been able to stop listening to this tune. I hope you have the same problem. You’re welcome (and also, your welcmoe). Foundation stays winning. Bonus: Here’s a clip of The General doing his thing back in 1986.

Umi Marcano – In Front of Me
Nice mid-tempo soca number from Trinidad’s Umi Marcano.

Mr. V vs. Elvis Crespo – Suave Drink Down (J-Boogie RMX)
J-Boogie mashes Mr. V’s major “Put Your Drink Down” with the Elvis Crespo merengue classic. This is a floor smasher, for real. From the latest batch of Leftism edits unleashed by J-Boogie and Sake One

Dip-N-Steam – Do The Hustle (Vx)
Dope Hip-Hop from Atlanta’s Dip-N-Steam, with Daz-I-Kue working his percussive magic on the boards.

(This is an AIFF file, which means it’s in full CD quality. You can convert it to mp3 in iTunes or something similar after you download it, if that’s what you prefer. Click on the down arrow on the right, or click on the red-linked song title above to download.)

Clyde & Capitol A – Serve It Up ( Galaxy Group Remix )
A bruk classic: In Capitol A‘s words:

a nice AFRO BRUK version ( for those that know about the ORIGINAL I did with CLYDE on MANTIS RECORDS , IT WAS A BIG TUNE ) ……….. this rerub still gets the dance rockin’ so cop it if you missed out on it DJ’S ………

(This is an AIFF file, which means it’s in full CD quality. You can convert it to mp3 in iTunes or something similar after you download it, if that’s what you prefer. Click on the down arrow on the right, or click on the red-linked song title above to download.)

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Don’t forget to check out our Welfare archives.

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** INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING **
We host all our Welfare downloads off-site, so what you need to do to download them is to click on the song name in the post, and then look for a download link on the page that that takes you to.

We mostly use divShare, so for divShare follow these steps to download the songs:

– Click on the name of the song. That will take you to a divShare page.

– On the divShare page, look for the black circle with an arrow pointing down. Below that arrow is a link that says “Download original”. Click that link and after a few seconds, the download should start automatically.

That should do it.

If the file is hosted on some other site besides divShare (like ZShare or MediaFire or something) then just look for a link on that site’s page that says download. When you click on the download link, it will probably do something similar to divShare and make you wait a handful of seconds before it starts the download (or offers a specific link to the download).

Hit us up in the comments if you need further instruction. We’re here to help. Thanks.

So, I was supposed to put this up a few weeks ago when Chicken George sent it to me, but I’ve been running around like crazy, in and out of town, in and out of the country. Apologies for holding out on y’all.

Chicken George, an Austin institution whom we featured here back in May, has teamed up with Latin Funk specialists, Brownout, to create a great mix celebrating “The Legendary Latin Funk Sounds of Brownout.” The mix highlights the band’s music, past and present, including tunes from their latest release on Six Degrees Records, Aguilas and Cobras, which dropped on Tuesday:

To get a taste of what the album sounds like, I’ll let Chicken George show you the way:

DJ Chicken George has compiled a fresh mix entitled “The Legendary Latin Funk Sounds of Brownout” featuring a selection of new tracks as well as previous hits from their acclaimed debut album Homenaje. This mix pays tribute to Brownout’s impeccable unique sound of heavy Latin percussion and rhythms combined with a mighty horn section. Think FANIA Records meets The JBs with an extra added layer of “hardcore Latin Funk.”

[audio:http://buhbomp.com/audio/friends/brownoutchicken.mp3|titles=DJ Chicken George – The Legendary Funk Sounds of Brownout]
¬ DOWNLOAD CHICKEN GEORGE’S MIX HERE

The album itself is available for purchase at any of these links:
¬ Six Degrees Records | Amazon | iTunes

Brownout is one of several musical projects involving the multi-talented Adrian Quesada, who, aside from being a celebrated musician, also happens to be an incredibly cool dude. (He didn’t even hate on me when I borrowed one of his CDs back in college and took several years to get it back to him. Time, as you should already know, is not my specialty).

Since that time, Quesada and his various band mates have become a musical force, winning international acclaim performing under several combinations, including Ocote Soul Sounds, and most notably, Grupo Fantasma, who were nominated for a Grammy for their album Sonidos Gold.

Grupo Fantasma has also made a name for themselves doing shows for some guy named Prince. You might have heard of him.

I could go on and on about these dudes, but I think their own bio does them better service. Here’s an excerpt (you can read the whole thing on the Brownout myspace page) just to give you an idea:

If ever a band could boast having a complex genealogical tree, that band is Brownout. The eight-piece, Latin funk ensemble based in Austin, Texas, is both offspring and germinating seed to Grammy-nominated Grupo Fantasma. The latter in turn traces its roots to when Austin based Blue Noise Band and The Blimp, from booming border town of Laredo, Texas, converged in its conception.

Brownout may well be Grupo Fantasma’s psychedelic Latin funk little brother, an offshoot of the collective that regularly backs Prince, its latest incarnation, or even its alter ego. What they are not is the sprawling conjunto’s side project. Brownout has taken Grupo Fantasma’s funk roots and blown them up. In the process they’ve taken on a life and developed a unique sound all their own. Aguilas and Cobras, the group’s new album on Six Degrees Records, stands as testament to their one of a kind evolution.

The band member’s musical journey began as a revolt against the Mexican cumbias and Tejano music of their hometown. Opting instead to immerse themselves in the worlds of Sly Stone, James Brown, and Mandrill, they were nurtured by soulful staccato drums, deep-in-the-pocket guitar riffs, and bawdy bass lines, elements that would provide the overriding arch for their sundry musical explorations. Eventually they migrated out of the garage and flocked four hours north into Austin’s thriving music scene. Away from home they embraced their Latino heritage and as Grupo Fantasma they explored the cumbia rhythms they shunned as teenagers. …

Then came Brownout, a return to their coming of age forays into funk. Mostly instrumental, the band takes its cues from James Brown‘s J.B.’s and San Francisco’s Malo, the Seventies act fronted by Carlos Santana‘s brother Jorge, but they infuse it with their particular vibe of border music hybridity and generous brushstrokes of trippy psychedelia.

Got it? Good.

Here’s the tracklist for Chicken George‘s mix:

01. They Don’t Know
02. Cuete Interlude
03. Laredo 77
04. C 130
05. Olvidalo feat. Kino of Grupo Fantasma
06. Con el Cuete
07. Chema’s Contraband
08. Family Show
09. African Battle (Hydro’s Throwed Boom Bap Edit)
10. Ayer y Hoy
11. El Narco (Hydro’s South Texas Broken Neck Edit)
12. The Flea

Enjoy.

I’m dumb late and going solo this month. About to hop on a plane, but I wanted to take care of my people before I split town, because I love y’all so. And what better way to celebrate the afterglow of Labor Day Carnival than to be excessively late. It is in the Caribbean spirit after all. Enjoy the tunes.

(Click the song names to take you to the off-site sharing pages where you can download the tunes. For detailed instructions on how to navigate the sharing sites where we host our files, we’ve got instructions at the end of this post)

dj lil tiger | traveling man

Voicemail – Moving Forward
I haven’t been able to get this song out of my head for weeks. One of many, many great tunes on Daseca Productions‘ R6 riddim.

Le Groove – Ethel/Subway Jam/Lorraine
Since I’m still vibing from the Parkway yesterday, here’s a little treat from the motherland. Le Groove is my favorite group from Aruba, and here they get down with a classic medley.

Candido – Dancin’ & Prancin’ (Original Joey Negro 12” RMX)
Speaking of classics, this is damn near spiritual.

Saafir – Light Sleeper
I’ll stay on the way-back bus for the duration of this Welfare. I revisited this slice of greatness from the Saucee Nomad recently, and you should, too.

Pitchfork – Rana
Here’s one from my high school days, when Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu ruled my world. I still get a little emotional when I hear this tune. So many memories.

—————

Don’t forget to check out our Welfare archives.

—————

** INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING **
We host all our Welfare downloads off-site, so what you need to do to download them is to click on the song name in the post, and then look for a download link on the page that that takes you to.

We mostly use divShare, so for divShare follow these steps to download the songs:

– Click on the name of the song. That will take you to a divShare page.

– On the divShare page, look for the black circle with an arrow pointing down. Below that arrow is a link that says “Download original”. Click that link and after a few seconds, the download should start automatically.

That should do it.

If the file is hosted on some other site besides divShare (like ZShare or MediaFire or something) then just look for a link on that site’s page that says download. When you click on the download link, it will probably do something similar to divShare and make you wait a handful of seconds before it starts the download (or offers a specific link to the download).

Hit us up in the comments if you need further instruction. We’re here to help. Thanks.