December 1, 2011
Soundway’s Interactive Musical Map of Colombia
For close to ten years now Soundway’s mission has been to present the lost musical gems from around the world: Obscure a-sides, b-sides and album cuts that have remained unavailable and unreleased outside of their home countries – if at all.
In 2008 Soundway turned its attention to Colombia, a country where music is impossible to ignore, with the release of ‘Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes. The Powerhouse of Colombian Music’.
As this journey of discovery grew, four more Colombian compilations followed as well as a handful of singles and EPs. From the oddball Afro influenced champeta of ‘Palenque Palenque’ to the swinging descarga and cumbia of ‘Cartagena!’ and to the eagerly awaited 55 track new release ‘The Original Sound of Cumbia’, Soundway continues to unearth the music of one of the most musically prolific and exciting countries in the world.
This map goes in part to highlight the regions of Colombia that the different styles originated from and that the musicians, labels and recording studios were based. Rare video interviews with Curro Fuentes and Michi Sarmiento feature alongside performances from the likes of Lucho Bermudez and of course, some of the fantastic music that have featured on these compilations.
Hover your cursor over the map of Colombia to begin your journey. Further information on the tracks can be found below the map.

Soundway’s Interactive Musical Map of Colombia

For close to ten years now Soundway’s mission has been to present the lost musical gems from around the world: Obscure a-sides, b-sides and album cuts that have remained unavailable and unreleased outside of their home countries – if at all.

In 2008 Soundway turned its attention to Colombia, a country where music is impossible to ignore, with the release of ‘Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes. The Powerhouse of Colombian Music’.

As this journey of discovery grew, four more Colombian compilations followed as well as a handful of singles and EPs. From the oddball Afro influenced champeta of ‘Palenque Palenque’ to the swinging descarga and cumbia of ‘Cartagena!’ and to the eagerly awaited 55 track new release ‘The Original Sound of Cumbia’, Soundway continues to unearth the music of one of the most musically prolific and exciting countries in the world.

This map goes in part to highlight the regions of Colombia that the different styles originated from and that the musicians, labels and recording studios were based. Rare video interviews with Curro Fuentes and Michi Sarmiento feature alongside performances from the likes of Lucho Bermudez and of course, some of the fantastic music that have featured on these compilations.

Hover your cursor over the map of Colombia to begin your journey. Further information on the tracks can be found below the map.

April 14, 2011
Creative License: Steinski’s Rough Mix bursts with songs and artists discussed within Kembrew McLeod & Peter DiCola’s book Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling (published in April 2011 by Duke University Press). It features hundreds of songs and samples mashed together by Steinski, the sonic cut-and-paste artist best known for a hugely influential series of early-1980s twelve-inch singles popularly known as “The Lessons.” Peppered throughout the mix are soundbites from McLeod’s co-produced documentary Copyright Criminals, which was recently rereleased as a box set titled The Funky Drummer Edition. Illegal Art—which issued a double CD retrospective of Steinski’s work, What Does It All Mean?—is hosting a free download of Creative License: Steinski’s Rough Mix. It is available in both FLAC and 320kbs MP3 formats, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license. 
Creative License: Steinski’s Rough Mix (Free download)

Creative License: Steinski’s Rough Mix bursts with songs and artists discussed within Kembrew McLeod & Peter DiCola’s book Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling (published in April 2011 by Duke University Press). It features hundreds of songs and samples mashed together by Steinski, the sonic cut-and-paste artist best known for a hugely influential series of early-1980s twelve-inch singles popularly known as “The Lessons.” Peppered throughout the mix are soundbites from McLeod’s co-produced documentary Copyright Criminals, which was recently rereleased as a box set titled The Funky Drummer Edition. Illegal Art—which issued a double CD retrospective of Steinski’s work, What Does It All Mean?—is hosting a free download of Creative License: Steinski’s Rough Mix. It is available in both FLAC and 320kbs MP3 formats, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license. 

Creative License: Steinski’s Rough Mix (Free download)

January 4, 2011
Vice Grip is the latest mix from one of my favorite DJs, Yosaku, who hails from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Lots of ground covered on this one, mostly in the form of uptempo modern soul (aka soulful house/club music), but as always, the common denominator being tasteful selections and technical acuity. Some deft harmonic mixing pulled off with shifting tempos and tracks being in key. A fine dosage of classic joints to boot. Peep the track list below. Recommended listening. 



Yosaku - Vice-Grip (November 2010) 320kbps download by yosaku
FREE download via Soundcloud (proper sound quality to burn onto CD and bump in the whip)
+++++
Tracklist:
01. sons and daughters of lite - let the sun shine in 02. the bamboos - keep me in mind (randomer remix) 03. mark de clive lowe presents sy smith - truth (seiji vox twist) 04. kay suzuki - move on (ezel remix) 05. moonstarr feat. tash - monopoly 06. oveous maximus - i apologize (atjazz overpowered mix) 07. patrice rushen - remind me 08. makoto - human nature (vip 2007 mix) 09. inner city - good life (carl craig mix) 10. kele le roc - that rhythm 11. root soul feat. vanessa freeman - spirit of love (mano arriba remix) 12. rasmus faber - get over here feat. melo (rafa’s miami reprise) 13. mahon - closer (kaytronix uptown saturday nite remix) 14. gap band - outstanding (greymatter rework)
All mixes, tempo changes, triggers, and effects done live. Made with: Rane TTM-56, Pioneer EFX-1000, Traktor Scratch Pro with: Kontrol X1, 2x Akai LPD8, EKS XP5 Mastered by: Yosaku & Hossien

Vice Grip is the latest mix from one of my favorite DJs, Yosaku, who hails from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Lots of ground covered on this one, mostly in the form of uptempo modern soul (aka soulful house/club music), but as always, the common denominator being tasteful selections and technical acuity. Some deft harmonic mixing pulled off with shifting tempos and tracks being in key. A fine dosage of classic joints to boot. Peep the track list below. Recommended listening. 

Yosaku - Vice-Grip (November 2010) 320kbps download by yosaku

FREE download via Soundcloud (proper sound quality to burn onto CD and bump in the whip)

+++++

Tracklist:

01. sons and daughters of lite - let the sun shine in
02. the bamboos - keep me in mind (randomer remix)
03. mark de clive lowe presents sy smith - truth (seiji vox twist)
04. kay suzuki - move on (ezel remix)
05. moonstarr feat. tash - monopoly
06. oveous maximus - i apologize (atjazz overpowered mix)
07. patrice rushen - remind me
08. makoto - human nature (vip 2007 mix)
09. inner city - good life (carl craig mix)
10. kele le roc - that rhythm
11. root soul feat. vanessa freeman - spirit of love (mano arriba remix)
12. rasmus faber - get over here feat. melo (rafa’s miami reprise)
13. mahon - closer (kaytronix uptown saturday nite remix)
14. gap band - outstanding (greymatter rework)

All mixes, tempo changes, triggers, and effects done live.
Made with: Rane TTM-56, Pioneer EFX-1000, Traktor Scratch Pro with: Kontrol X1, 2x Akai LPD8, EKS XP5
Mastered by: Yosaku & Hossien

August 17, 2010

Nico Gomez - Aquarela / Rio

Been revisiting some Brazilian favourites after hearing Cut Chemist’s “Sound of the Police”.

One of them being “Aquarela”, which Cut loops up and layers the vocals from Mario Castro Neves and Samba S.A.’s “Candomble” and “Nana” over the beat at the end of Track 1. 

Anyhow, I just discovered Nico Gomez’s real name was Joseph Van Het Groenewoud, born in Amsterdam, and escaped to Belgium in his early 20s. He first went under the name Nico Ooms, played the viola in a formal orchestra and bass guitar in big bands, before becoming Gomez and forming his own orchestras. 

An interesting bit considering his output of largely Latin and Brazilian jazz/funk throughout the 60s and 70s, including material for Les Chakachas,  El Chicles, and this gem of an album (128 kbps download). 

Pretty fly for a Dutch guy. 

May 18, 2010
 
Jeremy Sole sits down with Quantic 
Will Holland drops by KCRW to preview the new Flowering Inferno record, give some background on his recording process, the collaborators involved, and the marriage of reggae and latin music. 
Quantic presenta Flowering Inferno – Dog With A Rope will be available July 13 on Tru Thoughts Recordings
A few tracks can be heard here as well, courtesy of The Mint Collective. 
+++++
From the ‘Dog With A Rope’ press release:
With the Flowering Inferno, Will ‘Quantic’ Holland brings dub and reggae flavours to the Latin American and African sounds that he has been chasing round the globe since he first started collecting records. He introduced this project to the world with 2008′s stunning and highly acclaimed ‘Death Of The Revolution’, and considers this follow-up album a more cohesive whole – a deeper and more intrinsic fusion of these varying musical strands. 
An album inspired by soundsystem culture but widened out far beyond just reggae and dancehall styles ‘Dog With A Rope’ is a Tropical soundclash – encompassing a heavy bass and reggae aesthetic alongside the Tropical dance-orientated music from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia. While lots of DJs are currently playing both classic and obscure old reggae, funk and Cumbia, Holland noted that not many people are currently making new music of this type and building on these styles in a modern way, so with his signature combination of faith in the past and hunger to push forward, with this album he strove to make the connection. He recorded the album in his Sonido Del Valle studio in Cali, Colombia, the city he has called home since his relocation in 2007.

Jeremy Sole sits down with Quantic 

Will Holland drops by KCRW to preview the new Flowering Inferno record, give some background on his recording process, the collaborators involved, and the marriage of reggae and latin music. 

Quantic presenta Flowering Inferno – Dog With A Rope will be available July 13 on Tru Thoughts Recordings

A few tracks can be heard here as well, courtesy of The Mint Collective

+++++

From the ‘Dog With A Rope’ press release:

With the Flowering Inferno, Will ‘Quantic’ Holland brings dub and reggae flavours to the Latin American and African sounds that he has been chasing round the globe since he first started collecting records. He introduced this project to the world with 2008′s stunning and highly acclaimed Death Of The Revolution, and considers this follow-up album a more cohesive whole – a deeper and more intrinsic fusion of these varying musical strands.

An album inspired by soundsystem culture but widened out far beyond just reggae and dancehall styles ‘Dog With A Rope’ is a Tropical soundclash – encompassing a heavy bass and reggae aesthetic alongside the Tropical dance-orientated music from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia. While lots of DJs are currently playing both classic and obscure old reggae, funk and Cumbia, Holland noted that not many people are currently making new music of this type and building on these styles in a modern way, so with his signature combination of faith in the past and hunger to push forward, with this album he strove to make the connection. He recorded the album in his Sonido Del Valle studio in Cali, Colombia, the city he has called home since his relocation in 2007.