Blog (2008-2018)

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Last week I broke you off with a little preview- but the Gold Coast collabo is finally here for you to rock. You can check the whole look book here. Purchase here.

If you want to cop the gear and can’t wait for it to get shipped from Gold Coast- you are in luck. Tonight is the album release party for DA’s latest signing Atropolis – and you can grab the new gear along with any of our old physical releases you might have missed. The Cove 108 N. 6th St. Brooklyn, NY. L train to Bedford Ave. Friday May 13th, FREE PARTY 10-4AM

I’m nasty sick in S. Africa and ran out of hours on my NetJets account last week going falconing in Dubai- so I’ll miss Sweat Lodge. BUT I cooked up a new mix of all DA material to celebrate the Gold Coast release- if you can’t make it – here’s a little taste of what your missing.
Taliesin- “Tropical In System”
[audio: http://nyc.duttyartz.com/ta1ies1in/Taliesin-Tropical_In_System_Mix_DuttyArtzXGoldCoastTrading.mp3]

Tracklist:
01. Knight Magic – El Baile De La Cumbia
02. Matt Shadetek – Beenie Eyes
03. Cauto – Bona Vida
04. Akon- Right Now (Na na na) (Chief Boima Mbalax Decale Remix)
05. DJ Rupture + Matt Shadetek + Chief Boima – Elegy for Mr Peach
(Rupture Remix)
06. Atropolis – NYChero
07. Shake Dem Dreads-Chief Boima
08. Jahdan Blakkamoore- Dem Nuh Like It (feat. 77Klash and Spoek Mathambo)
09. Blak Ryno – Nuh Tek Talk (Matt Shadetek DanceHallZone Remix)
10. Deb Cox- It’s Over (Dubbel Dutch White Label Remix)
11. Nasty-J’reste Une Hard
12. Babylon Residence- Epikstar Riddim (Total Freedom’s Monster Refix)

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I was semi-delirious during last night’s radio show, but I hope you can’t tell… Kicked things off with new material by the Durutti Column and floated upwards from there. Subtext: listening to the silences between Buenaventura Durrutti and Downliners Sekt. Three cheers for Spanish anarchists & their spiritual children.

In fact, it’s worth quoting Downliners Sekt talking about the Portbou train station . Where European infrastructure standards conflict with Spanish ones – but what the passengers get is pure existential pause-button edits. I know that station well, and love the idea of music visions & postrave oblivion flowing from it.

FACT:Where does your name come from?

Downliners Sekt: “Well, originally it was a 1956 song called ‘Down The Line’ by Roy Orbison [also covered by Jerry Lee Lewis], then eventually used and modified by an obscure British band as Downliners Sect. We sampled the name from them because we thought it sounded great. Also, it has a special meaning that connects all of us to Portbou. Portbou is a train station that gets you in a really weird mood especially if you happen to stop there after raving “under the spinning lights” of Barcelona clubs all weekend. This place has a very Twin Peaks oppressive atmosphere. It’s the changing point between Spanish and French railway networks, and once you get there everything slows down for the customs check between borders. Because since 1845 the Iberian railway gauge has been 233 millimeters wider that the European gauge, the train has to undergo a break-of-gauge before crossing the border. It feels like time stands still in the town and Portbou, almost imperceptibly, shrinks by 233 millimeters. The sect of ravers trapped in oblivion, “down the line” in Portbou. Since then, when we feel a bit down, we kindly use the expression: “en descente de Portbou” — which means “going down the line from Portbou.”

tracklist from May 9, 2011 Mudd Up! (more…)

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Jill Scott- Slowly Surely (Theo Parrish Mix)

[audio: http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/Slowly_Surely-Jill Scott(Theo_Parrish_Mix).mp3]

Is Afrofuturism obsolete now that we know Africa is the future?  And what of Transhumanism… the nearly opposite claim. Business as usual. The rich will invest themselves into the infinite. No need to fear the eye of the needle- just engineer a solution. Whatever the cost.  Or maybe we just get the miasmic self-similarity of Shteyngart’s “Lenny Hearts Eunice.”

On May 14-15 2011, Humanity+ International is partnering with Parsons The New School for Design in New York City to produce Transhumanism Meets Design, a conference exploring emerging technology, transdisciplinary design, culture and media theory, and biotech.

The conference brings together futurists, cyberneticists, life extensionists, singularity advocates, A[G]I and robotics experts, human enhancement specialists, inventors, ethicists, philosophers, and theorists to meet with the creativity and rigorous scholarship of design at Parsons.

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[audio:http://files.downliners-sekt.com/decline320/01%20all%20I%20can%20hear%20now.mp3]
Downliners Sekt – “All I Can Hear Now” from Meet the Decline [downliner-sekt, 2011]

˙∆˙∆˙∆˙∆˙∆˙∆˙

This group prefers to leave their identities and backgrounds abstract.
They have been described by reviewers as a group of unique “possibly Spanish” artists creating their own blend of electronic and rock music.
All their work is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License for anyone to have and share freely http://downliners-sekt.com

If you ask nicely they will probably let you use their music in derivative works.

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Vibes Impact Sound in a burnt out building in Accompong Town

I had never heard of Chan Dizzy before I moved to Kingston in December. The night I arrived a kid named Slim that I met at Dr Spice’s Ital Kitchen took me on his bike to a session on a roof in Half-Way tree- while we drank appleton and guinness Chan’s paranoia jam “Nah Strange Face” killed the dance. I heard the track endlessly the next four months and it fucked up the biggest sounds and taxi systems. Road Block just dropped the video for “Hello Badmind”- a track that has also been out a minute- I recommend throwing it on first thing in the morning when you need that extra pretty girl swag. Besides Kartel’s refix of “Benz Punany” this is the hook that has been most reticent to leave my head since getting to Joburg.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9rX8ARQ5X8&[/youtube]
Chan Dizzy – “Hello Badmind”
[audio: http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/Chan_Dizzy-Hello_Badmind(raw).mp3]
Chan Dizzy – “Nah Strange Face”
[audio: http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/Chan_Dizzy_Strange_Face.mp3]
“Strange Face Instrumental”
[audio: http:///nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/Strange_Face_Instrumental.mp3]

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People of LA! This Saturday one-time Mudd Up! guest and great DJ Lengua will celebrate his record release party for his LP Cruzando put out by Unicornio Records. Más Exitos crew + special guests, Mister Juanderful and Sonido Franko will play some great vinyl you would be hard-pressed to hear anywhere else. In Más Exitos’ words expect everything “from fuzzy cumbias, to jumping boogaloos, to funky soul oddities, to disco aztecas, rock n’ rolleros, a-go-go latino, paisadelic-psychedelic freak outs and janky electro beats.”

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/22484794[/vimeo]

DJ Lengua-La Jungla

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/01_la_jungla.mp3]

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Nezahualcóyotl

One of my favorite Mexican bands calls themselves Super Grupo Colombia. They’re one of those groups who have moments so good they cease being songs or even hits and pass into the DNA of things, transformed into a reference and departure point for cumbia lovers everywhere.

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo. I ate my breakfast, I had my NY day, and down in Mexico hundreds celebrated this holiday with the start of a 4-day peace march (#marchanacional) beginning in the city of Cuernavaca and moving towards Mexico City, where it will conclude this Sunday. Envio un abrazo solidario. As Geraldine Juarez writes, the march is “to demand the end to the ‘War on Drugs’ and the removal of all government officials responsible for more than 35,000 deaths and the increase of insecurity and corruption.”

Here’s an important video from poet Javier Sicilia, “who became the leading voice of the discontent towards the government’s method of tackling the drug trafficking problem after his son Juan Francisco was killed.” It’s important to me because I fell in love with Mexico, it captured me like no other country has. Cinco de Mayo fiestas & tequila shots can ease the weight of now, but it’s a weight I want to feel. Before we can begin to care about the impact of American drug consumption and U.S. drug policy on the tens of thousands of Mexicans dead, we have to feel… that Mexican problems are American problems. Not just intimate, but interchangeable. You make a border real by policing it, and there’s a disturbing corollary: living in the United States and ignoring the political situation in Mexico helps feed the violence of that border. Wanting to be ‘global’ or ‘cosmopolitan’ is missing the point — so slippery and abstract as to be useless. We should try to be good neighbors and take it from there.

I might not be thinking these thoughts if it weren’t for cumbia. That’s why I’m putting up this Super Grupo Colombia song. The lyrics aren’t topical – though their flow on the chorus never ceases to amaze – it’s simply a nice song from Mexico, and golden minutes help fuel long hours.

[audio:http://negrophonic.com/mp3/Super grupo colombia – Cumbia de la dinastia.mp3]

Super Grupo Colombia – Cumbia de la Dinastia

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dead-freaks

FRIDAY MAY 6TH
10PM – 4AM
MADE IN AFRICA
featuring DJ SIRAK of AFRICOLOGY
MIA residente’s CHIEF BOIMA + LAMIN FOFANA
CAFE NUNEZ – 240 W. 35th St. (Between 7 & 8th Ave.) NEW YORK, NY
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=219117971431923
Cover $10
Special $5 well drink till 12
Complimentary cocktails for 1st 20 ladies…
couPe decAle zouK house hipHop r&B danceHall Raï kwaiTo zouGlou kaPouka genGe maRRabenta kiZomba KuDuro pandZa soUKous nDombolo hipLife mBalaX salSa… cot damn! whatevEr uLTra afriKaNess pluS pluS!

& bug out to this!

[youtube width=”525″ height=”355″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n66-Uhf0nT4[/youtube]

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Next Friday (the 13th! hope you’re not a superstitious partier!) at Sweat Lodge we’ll be celebrating the release of new DuttyArtizt Atropolis debut self-titled album.  Atropolis will be joined live by Uruguayan singer Noelia Fernandez (who appears on the album) and her comparsa and Nabin Shanti will MC for his set.  On hand will be myself Matt Shadetek, Geko Jones, Chief Boima and DJ /Rupture.  So far these parties have been nothing short of amazing and we aim to continue the trend.  This time we’ll also have some exclusive Dutty Artz stuff for sale including CDs of the Atropolis album, new Dutty Artz hats and hopefully t-shirts too if the boxes arrive in time.  This will be the first time any of this stuff is available for sale anywhere. The party itself is FREE cuz we’re nice like that.

DUTTY ARTZ SWEAT LODGE

Atropolis Album Release feat. Atropolis w/ special guests Noelia Fernandez & her comparsa and Nabin Shanti

DJs:

DJ /Rupture

Matt Shadetek

Chief Boima

Geko Jones

The Cove 108 N. 6th St. Brooklyn, NY.  L train to Bedford Ave.

Friday May 13th, FREE PARTY 10-4AM

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[originally posted at Mudd Up!]

nettleBin

[Nettle, Bin Scrape Laden 12″ EP. Soot Records, 2001]

Everything seems a bit odd these days — a feeling I’m trying to get used to. As places go about compiling their Osama Bin Laden lists, such as PlayGround’s Ten OBL Disses & Tributes, I figure it’s time to clarify:

In 2001 I released a 12″ EP called Bin Scrape Laden. It hit shops around February, well before the September 11th deadline… On the inner vinyl ‘run out groove’ I had them inscribe the standard airport security phrase: “Are you carrying anything that might be considered a weapon?” The vinyl disc came packaged in rough cardboard record jackets that I hand-branded with the Arabic word for ‘Soot’ (and nearly burnt down the Madrid apartment Rocio & I were renting, but that’s another story).

When 9/11 happened, a lot of people who knew the record got in touch, asking — only half-joking — if the C.I.A. had contacted me. I came up with the name after I’d read breakcore pioneer DJ Scud’s 1998 article on Osama Bin Laden (which is weird in & of itself) in Christoph Fringelli’s Datacide zine. Scud had turned in an incredible remix for the EP. And most of the sounds I was sculpting those days sounded a lot like scraped-up trash bins. So the title clicked into place, although nobody got the play on words… until September 11th came and reconfigured our world.

Here’s a track from Bin Scrape Laden, produced by yrs truly under the name Nettle in the simpler days of 1999/2000. It’s named after a (sadly defunct) Pans y Company bocadillo.

T-nettle bin scrape laden-SOOT003-001T-nettle bin scrape laden-SOOT003-001T-nettle bin scrape laden-SOOT003-001

[audio:http://negrophonic.com/mp3/Nettle_Serranito.mp3]

Nettle – Serranito

So yes, I am available for presidential-level geopolitical consultation gigs and/or palm readings.

The “hidden moral” of this story is that it takes a lot of time, money, and people to make vinyl records, even weird Arabic influenced noise-beat ones with a strong prophetic bent.

In Casablanca last month Maggie and I went to the address of Hassania Editions. A major major label in the 70s, 80s, and beyond. Nothing but a dental surgeon on the top floor. The motorcycle shop dudes next door had no idea. The guy selling candy in a nearby doorway remembered, vaguely, when it had closed. About five years back. We walked around the neighborhood, a ‘popular’ one which would feel like a dangerous slum in the Americas but in Morocco it felt – was – safe, active, the opposite of shady. Spicy greasy bread and the best almonds I’d ever eaten and the first disc seller is peddling Zinga Zinga video CDs — humorous Gaddafi youtubery. Because sometimes you have to laugh. To keep from… I bought the MP3 CD this unlabeled tune came from at the second disc seller. I can’t make out the name(s) in the beginning… Carlos? Anybody?

[audio:http://negrophonic.com/mp3/06Track.MP3]

Mudd Unknown – from ‘Chaabi One 2010’ / Casablanca

It’s gorgeous. 11 minutes, a stroll rather than an appointment. Make it to the nine minute mark and you get rewarded by one of those Maghrebi rhythmic accelerations that remind you you’ve been drinking tea all day. That the heart can quicken. That love is real. That time runs in one direction: out.

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South Africa is the world’s biggest consumer of house music. Or at least that is what everyone keeps telling me. It’s blasting out of taxi mini-buses, Rosebank bottle service clubs, and the doors of Tiger Don’t Cry, the shebeen down the street from my apartment.  Hipsters tell me Kwaito is dead- and I don’t know if I should believe them- but no one can deny that mzansi house is here to stay. If you can bear the cheesier bits- there are some serious gems tucked in these two radio rips from 5FM’s Ultimix@6  show with DJ Fresh. If you are feeling these grab a bunch more DL’s of Ultimix rips HERE.  Or just tune in live at 5FM.

Ultimix@6.Dj.Euphonik.13 April 2011 by Limbzo
Ultimix@6 Dj Kent 29 Apirl 2011 by Limbzo
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BmdQrAoFCY[/youtube] This dropped earlier in the year but I keep hearing it on blast.
Keep up with Limbzo – who upped both mixes and the utube on his FB page “Music and more music. Its an Obsession. Purely For The Love Of Mzansi House “

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[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/DJ_Quik-Book_of_David-01-Fire_And_Brimstone.mp3]
DJ Quik – “Fire And Brimstone” from The Book of David (2010 Mad Science)

Here’s what I was listening to, as I read Tally post about fresh and exciting new Dutty Artz gear; the opening track from that other legendary producer/rapper from Compton, California DJ Quik. Undoubtedly, one of the most underrated rappers/producers, Quik is without question one of the greatest producers. Super talented, adventurous, and unafraid to experiment with with bugged-out rhythms and structures. If you dig “Fire And Brimstone,” definitely don’t sleep on his new album The Book of David, or his last collaboration with Kurupt BlaQKout or Trauma or any of his early album. Get it how you live!