Big Balls mix!

Check out this new fresh mix with some of the finest mcs of the US underground scene,

Only wax shit.

Tracklist right here,
1-Lone Catalysts "the pro's"
2-MF Doom "operation greenbacks"
3-Saukrates "the professional"
4-Cage " radiohead"
5-Cyne "paperchase"
6-Nastradoomus "one love"
7-Eminem "any man"
8-Arsonits "backdraft"
9-Defari "behold my life"
10-Mood swingaz "the blessin"

Peace.

Ash.K -Big Balls mix

Black Survivor vs Zombies

Night of the living dead -1968-

George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, one of the most influential of the low-budget horror films to proliferate in the 70's, has a black actor... Duane Jones as its protagonist.
In the movie, Jones projects an urbane, upwardly mobile attitude in his idealized role as the resourceful black survivor. In eveyone of the Living Dead sequels a black character would play either the lead or a proiminent role. Back in the days, I guess that wasn't so common on screen.

Let's listen to a well orchestrated track from the same period (1968!) by the austrian pianist Roland Kovac. This is an obscure, jazzy and trippy suite (or soundtrack) called Power Start, released on the independent german jazz label MPS Records.
Roland Kovac - Powerstart

Antipop Consortium -Apparently

What'up folks... such a long time... I've been so busy these last 5 months, working for lot of festival in my hometown Lyon.
So here I am, back with you lads for a couple of weeks because I plan to travel to China from december to february.


By the way I'm also back in gigs venues as a spectator. A couple of days ago I've seen a great show from Antipop Consortium, a major band of the independent Hip Hop scene from the beginning of the 00's.
Listening to their last LP (after a 7 years wait!) might leave you peplexed but this is definetly a band that you have to catch live. They're more rapping than the last time I saw them all together, and they're rocking up the crowd as they always used to.
M.Sayid got now 2 mics to do this reverb effect that is very present on Fluorescent black...Solid emcees (Sayid, Beans and High Priest) who are also great beatmakers are accompanied by Earlbalze behind his turntables, engeniering sound and making beats...
Check the track "apparently" from APC, from their last full lenght Fluorescent black signed on the brittish label Big Dada.


I hope to be on the web very soon with new mixes, great wax I bought this summer and some more nice stuff coming.
Peace

Gladys Afamado

I discovered this urugayan artist in Montevido last winter. I never heard of her work before and didn't find that much about Gladys Afamado on the net. That's a shame...Check it out:

And Tori Amos to illustrate in music this post, her last LP just came out few days ago but I'm too busy to put on ear on it. Let's listen this track "dark side on the sun" from the album "american doll posse" released in 2007.

Tori Amos - Dark side of the sun-

Doctor L - It's Bad, so bad

Back in 97, I 've worked in a record shop and I discovered the debut solo carrer of this talented french producer who originally did beats on the first Assassin album.

The combination of samples sounds terrific on this track, this Ep from my private collec' comes with a clear vynil.

Enjoy!

Doctor L - It's bad, so bad

Stolen moments

I went to Ahmad Jamal's quartet gig yesterday night... great show, great pianist, one of my "still alive" favorite.

Back home I couldn't help to share with you this classic tune from his acoustic piano period . This track is called "stolen moments" and came on the awakening album released 1970. It features Jamil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums. It's originally written by Oliver Nelson and also appears on the album of Blues and the abstract Truth which is more orchestred than Jamal's trio. Both were signed on Impulse records

Ahmad Jamal - Stolen Moments

Blues and the abstract truth - Stolen Moments


So what's your favorite?.........

Atomic - prayer

Hi folks, been busy these last two weeks...

I brought to you a killer track from a scandinavian modern jazz band called Atomic...don't miss it fellaz...

Back in 2002, I've worked for this jazz Festival in Scotland. I remember to have in my hands this promo EP from a band that became in my opinion, one of the most exciting and creative group of the modern jazz scene.

Five musicians from Norway and Sweden doing their thing and doing it really great. Influences? Probably Coltrane and Don Cherry, the Free Jazz and the Blue note grooves of the 60's. Structure and rhythm lead by super double bassist Ingebrigt Flaten, Paul Nilssen-Love on drums and Havard Wiik on piano, remains as a solid foundation for free improvisation or expression for the Stockholm Front line of trumpeter Magnus Bro and saxophonist Fredrik Ljungkvist.

The track "prayer" appears in this promo Ep and was written by Ingebrigt Flaten who's now doing his solo career. I still look forward to seeing Atomic back on the europeean scenes. Check their website here

Atomic - Prayer

Books #2

Few books I just reviewed:

Blind man with a pistol - Chester Himes, 1969. 10/20
Chester Himes's two star detectives Ed Cercueil and John Fossoyeur (french names) got themselves in a "very hard to follow" story this time. The author's clunky prose still portray every negative aspect of the Harlem community in the late 60's: mindless, crime, vice, etc. The good point of this book is that Himes managed to capture and described well this chaos: a weird riot between three factions in which two cops are trapped. But as I said, the lack of central storyline makes it difficult to read because you 've got the feeling that pieces of this novel are slapped together. Usually in a Chester Himes story, politic and the situation of the black community are better linked. Definetely not his best novel so far...

Triksta - Nik Cohn, 2005. 12/20
Nik Cohn draws a rough portray of the New Orleans rap scene. evene if he made up most of the story, this book is still interesting to read. It deals with this white journalist (himself) who progressed from a writer, writing a magazine article about bounce music, to a New Orleans rap producer including his work with Junie.B for the release of the first 12' of Choppa. Yhe interesting thing is that this book has been written between the collapse of Mo'Money Records (owned by Master P) and the big succes of Lil Wayne.Recommended for the NO rap scene fans!

Train ride- Peter Loughran, 1967. 14/20
Train ride is the story of an absurd wanabee philosopher who's "headaching" and "hangovering" in a train.During the whole trip, he accuses with vehemence society, religion and the established order. This anarchist docker easily plays martyr as soon as he happens to commit an abomination. Irritated the entire ride by few nuns and a little girl who's the definition of brat. This narrator is a sick and disconcerting character who makes this book spreading its perversity to a point of disgust.
Reading this book all the way through, we pardoned this pathetic hero with our brief sympathy and indulgence. Great book in a "nihilst" style.

The Black Dahlia - James Ellroy, 1987.15/20
The body of a girl that was brutaly tortured was found severed in half. Two cops (who are ex-boxing opponents) Lee Blanchard and Bucky Bleichert are assigned to the case... James Ellroy took real events from history and intertwines them with his own writting. The Black Dahlia obviously focuses on the murder of Elizabeth Short, one of the most unsolved enquiry in LA. The book starts with a nice descrition of a boxing match between bucky and Lee, these two characters are very well described along the story and I really like them. They're complex, faulted and their obsession in solving this crime and tracking down the murderer gets higher and higher.

Music to illustate this post:
The french moog player Jean Jacques Perrey released this track in 1970 on the obscure jazz funk label Vanguard. I've got this tune from the LP compilation of 96 called "The vanguard experience - I like it" on the label BGP.
This compilation includes various jazz/funk artists from the Vanguard records and especially this one which has been sampled by Primo on "just to get a rep". If you didn't know it, it's time too:

Jean Jacques Perrey (vanguard times)

Jean Jacques Perrey - E.V.A

Best hip hop shows of 2008

Hey fellaz, I miss you all, my computer crashed down so I had to wait few weeks before having enough cash to buy a brand new one!
I wanted to do this post about my top 3 best hip hop shows of 2008 for a while...

The nominated are Hezkiah, La Cliqua, Supreme NTM, Bahamadia, Method Man and Redman, Talib Kweli, Leeroy, De La Soul, Zion I, Joell Ortiz, Jedi Mind Tricks, Rasco and Planet Asia, Dipset, El Da Sensei and the returners, Kaze, Jehst, Looptroop, Busta Rhymes, La Melodia, Mr Thing, Shapes of the broad Minds, Subtle/Thavius Beck, Sage Francis, Antipop Consortium, DJ Krush.

.....and the winner is

pic by Sylvain Clep

1- SAGE FRANCIS & B.DOLAN @ Epicerie Moderne - Feyzin, France
2- RASCO & PLANET ASIA better known as CALI AGENTS @ Royal Arena Festival -Biel, Switzerland
3- METHOD MAN & REDMAN @ Transbordeur - Lyon, France

Sage Francis is a great MC and showman, the track "underground for dummies" is lyrically strong in live, it appears on his last LP called "the human death dance".
Sage Francis - Underground for dummies


The mc from Non Prophets and Anticon didn't forget to play an other classic from his debut-solo career:
Sage Francis - the makeshift patriot

With a better sound and a better DJ, the Busta Rhymes show might have been in my top 3.
Best non-hip hop show: Massive Attack with guests @ Nuits de Fourviere Festival - Lyon, France

I'll be back with you soon, peace!

The blackline is over

As some of you might know, the local radio RCT closed few days ago, we did the last Blackline with le F.LE.A.U, Tahiti Bob, Flow and lots of guests on saturay. Thanks to all of you people who came for a mix, a playlist, a drink, some emceeing or even to show support…

I've played few indy tracks and some intrus for freestyles. Unfortunately I didn't tape the show. So here the last but one mix dedicated to the golden age of hip hop.

1- Raidermen –Top Dollar

2- Jamal – Fades em all (Pete Rock remix)

3- Jeru the damaja – Me not the paper

4- Supernatural – Buddah blessed it

5- Aboriginals – QnA feat Mike Zoot

6- Special Ed – Freaky flow (DJ Premier remix)

7- Black Moon – How many emcees

8- Kool Keith– Keep it real...reprezent

9- Busta Rhymes – Ill Vibe feat Q.Tip

Ash.K –mid 90’s flava #3

Now the place is empty

Eric Legnini trio - Trippin'

I've just heard this tune this morning...
The third opus of Eric Legnini's adventures in trio came out. the track trippin' (allusion of the Meters one?) got this amazing groove.
The rythmic section is pretty strong and the pianist trade his usual piano for an incredibly funky Fender.

Eric Legnini Trio - Trippin'

Antirust

Antirust is now available, if you like old school grafitti and underground artwork you definetly have to check it out.
If you wanna see more, send an email to antirust69@gmail.com to get a copy.

Daddy Lord C- Pas l'temps de jouer

P.Brothers Feat Boss Money

DJ Ivory and Paul S, better known as Nottingham's famous producers P.Brothers released their first full-length last year. And as usual they've got a nice collection of great beats and rhymes from Roc Marciano, Milano and Money Boss Players
The album is called the gas and got a good review on Dusted, here. It's also in DJ Premier 10 best Hip Hop albums of 2008

Here 's a 12' released in 2006 with a track featuring Money Boss Players -or Boss Money Gangsters whatever they call themselves now-on their label Heavy Bronx

P.Brothers feat Boss Money - Boss Money Gangsters

Os Gemeos 's throw ups

Happy New Year everybody!!

I'm back home and it's fuck##g freezing over there... so firstavle, I wish you a sunny and warmy year!
I'm gonna follow on with brazilian-related topics...

Os gemeos means "the twins" in english. Before signing works for the Tate Modern of London these brothers were ones of the most active grafitti burners in Sao Paulo . Here are few flicks I took walking around in Sampa.

As I'm back home, I can illustrate posts with music, today the brazilian electro band Sao Paulo Underground with the track pombaral mixing breakbeat, electro and free jazz:


Peace.