Upon first listen, the Kool G Rap song 'For Da Brothaz' became one of my all time top hip hop tracks. The storytelling is incredible, the flow & cadence exemplifies Kool G Rap's unique & remarkable skill, & last but not least, the beat is sooo smooth yet has all the hip hop groove you need to move.

This beat has sat with me for years along side the original Art Farmer track 'Soulsides', that T-Ray sampled for Kool G Rap.

Being a big fan of instrumentals, & not being able to find one of 'For Da Brothaz', I decided to chop together the open breaks from the Kool G Rap track & use more references from the original sample.

Preparing for a NYE set was my catalyst for completing this edit & it was divine serendipity that revealed Kool G Rap shouting "Happy New Year", it had to be done!

This is my idea of perfect scene setting sounds.

I hope you Enjoy.

Kool G Farm'in (L∞k NYEdit)

SLUMVILLAGE HOT SINCE 92 TOUR 2024

Continuing the series is Mancunian producer, dj and music teacher Tom Burford who just released his LP 'Elevations' with us as Contours (@contoursmusic). Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Tom. You just returned from a big hike, how was it?

TC: Hey! Yeah, we were able to get out on some beautiful hikes around the Anaga national park in the north of Tenerife. It’s a stunning landscape and a nice change from the overbearing grey we get in Manchester for half the year. 

MFM: Does nature play an important role in your life and music?

JC: Definitely in life, and then I guess that just seeps into my music. I grew up in a pretty rural part of Cumbria. It was very beautiful landscape but with very little to do from an entertainment perspective, so getting out in the landscape or jamming with friends always felt like the two most freeing things to do. 

MFM: About jamming with friends... Your new album Elevations includes a lot of collaborations with other musicians, of which you did the recordings yourself. Can you highlight one special moment from those recording sessions?

TC: When recording Pots, I had initially written and recorded the percussion and synth parts at home and hit up Abraham to see if he wanted to add some Trumpet parts. He is based in London and so he recorded initial takes remotely and sent them through. They sounded great, but I really wanted to transform and process his parts for the track to manipulate them into sounding more synth like at points. Doing, that without him in the space felt like there was dialogue missing. In the end I went down to London and we recorded and dubbed them out in the same space at the Rhythm Section studio (shouts to Mali on engineering duties). Being able to respond to his playing and him in turn being able to respond to the dubbing of his parts felt like it was able to capture some really special elements.  

MFM: The A side of your new LP has Elevations 1, 2 and 3. Was it intentional for these tracks to end up separately or did they used to be one larger piece?

TC: When I started writing Elevations 1, 2 and 3 it just began as a series of jams and recording sessions in my flat bouncing ideas back and forth between myself, Beka, Abel and Simmy. These sessions were always just me and one other collaborator at a time, partly down to schedules, the size of the flat, but also the chance to not have to rush the process and to really dig into how we worked together. I continued building out the same project over multiple sessions so that I could have access to all the material collated in one place. Specific sections and ideas started to come together, but I liked the idea of them forging part of a wider piece. I’d previously worked in a largely self-contained track basis but had been listening to a lot of pieces like Six Marimbas, Music for 18 musicians and Tehillim by Steve Reich that build over a long period and loved the scope this gave to get completely lost in the music. I love the hypnotic nature created when polyrhythms morph over each other for a long enough period, shifting emphasis and eventually melting away.  

MFM: What can you tell about the mix you've made?

TC: I wanted to create a mix that was able to showcase the variety of sounds that influence me, both as a DJ and Producer. I love listening to mixes and radio at home and the best club experiences I’ve had have always been when a DJ is able to surprise you and really take you on a journey. The album makes heavy use of strings through the violin and cello, but also the Guzheng, a Chinese Zither and the Clàrsach a Celtic Harp. The initial three tracks of the mix focus on these sounds before skirting into more percussive and jazz focused influences and then into some deeper acid-tinged downtempo tracks and sub heavy club sounds. Hopefully this mix takes people on a journey and is something for people to get lost in.

MFM Mix 051: Contours

Jeff Higgins returns for another Sweet Nothings show, journeying through smooth and jazzy disco, neo-soul and boogie selects.

Sweet Nothings - August 2024

Angelhaus

angelhaus3.0

'Community' New Years Eve 2024-2025

Zeyla - CROP Radio - 09/11/24

Vick Lavender of Sophisticado Recordings brings you a deep & soulful mix for the intelligent being.

Vick lavender deep & soulful mix for the intelligent being.

Nostalgic elements from hometown. 

Thank you for vibing with me.

Kool G Farm'in (L∞k NYEdit)

Bhavana Records