Artist: Isaac Basker
Title: Resilience Sans Relapse EP
Label: Play It, Say What? 
Cat #: PISW001
Format: 12" vinyl

PISW001 - Resilience Sans Relapse EP

Coming out of New York City’s flourishing underground house and techno scene is the debut release on “Play It, Say What?,” Resilience Sans Relapse EP, from label boss and native New Yorker, Isaac Basker, featuring remix work by NYC deep house master, Fred P.

Isaac jumped onto the underground dance music scene in 2011 with “Found & Lost EP,” his underrated debut solo release on Thema, featuring house seeded in the deeper roots of New York, Chicago and Detroit. With his sophomore effort, Resilience Sans Relapse EP, Isaac puts together a menagerie of house music based in melodic chords, solid grooves, and classic sampling techniques stemmed in vintage American house music traditions.

The title track “Resilience Sans Relapse,” starts the EP off with chopped up vocals layered with an atmospheric chord, congas, bouncy hi hats, and bass; building to an uplifting crescendo without relapse. Current purveyor of NYC’s deep house resurgence and “Soul People Music” boss, Fred P, handles the “Reshape,” raising the tempo, further chopping the vocals and adding his well known mood formulating elements that take us deep into house music’s soul.

Contrasting side A is “Attack of The Drones,” the EP’s banger that hits with thumping kicks and claps over an interpretable vocal chant and grooving NYC club organs that are then flipped on the listener midway through. Bringing Resilience Sans Relapse EP to an emotional close is “Can’t Find A Place,” a song beginning without a beat, presented by melancholy chords seeped in white noise where the mood is then increased via syncopated claps, unidentifiable highs, a booming kick and a rolling bassline. Like the previous track, it possesses its own unstated “part 2,” allowing for changes to the structure more than halfway through that seem to take us to a place where one cannot be found nor lost.

Buy at Discogs

[PISW 001] Isaac Basker - Resilience Sans Relapse EP

DJ President Ike (Mostly) Hip Hop Productions & Turntablism

" Essential deep house tracks" - HardWax

Play It Say What Records and Isaac Basker return after a 5-year hiatus with White Souls Lost (Part II), providing 4 styles of Isaac's distnict, "thumping" take on American house music designed for dancefloors, headphones, or contemplating human existence. Never shy of controversial track titles and themes, a trend that can be traced back to previous collaborations with Public Enemy as a hip-hop DJ and turntablist, Isaac cuts right to the chace again focusing on the state of the "soul" in post-Trump America.

On the title track, A1 "White Soul's Lost (Part II)," a play on words of Nas' "Black Girl Lost," Isaac calls into question the state of some white folks' souls in an appropriately emotive banger that starts with Afro house-oriented congas and layered deep pads until guitar solo-like chord riffs build to a layered crescendo. From this point on, to its conclusion, the track keeps the listener on high.

A2, "So Lonely Here" brings a definitive Isaac sound influenced by his experience growing up dancing in clubs to vintage NYC deep house. The track provides a deep, dusty, almost lo-fi-esque vibe geared to be a perfect track for an early set or afters. Isaac's love of simple vocal drops in part from his background as a turntablist comes into play again as a lone, sexy female voice casually reminds us of their feelings of isolation, and is a double entendre on the state of lost souls everwhere.

B1, "Noisy Neighbours," evokes that "thump" Hard Wax once labeled some of Isaac's tracks. Created in response to noise complaints, a coded reference to Trump supporters, and even Isaac's world football allegiances it could be categorized "deep house techno" but this ain't no tech house. Heavy kicks bump over choped up live percussion as a lone pad keeps it deep, and then an analog bassline reveals the underground, grooving along to vocal drops that demand the listener to "Stop, look and listen."

Lastly with B1, "A Paradox Now!" Isaac's love for titles derived from word play refers this time to Francis Ford Coppola's classic film "Apocalypse Now!" The track teases with mellow keys laid over strong 909 drums and a prominent minimal bassline as it builds slowly over panned high hats. However, it then flips from chill to bumping as a live percussion sample arrives along with a repeated Terre Thaemlinz influenced vocal that proceeds to drive the track to its peak.

Buy @ Decks

White Souls Lost (Part II) [PISW 003]

Buy at DeeJay.DE

Resilience Sans Relapse [clip]

Artist: Isaac Basker
Title: Resilience Sans Relapse EP
Label: Play It, Say What? 
Cat #: PISW001

PISW001 - Resilience Sans Relapse EP

Coming out of New York City’s flourishing underground house and techno scene is the debut release on “Play It, Say What?,” Resilience Sans Relapse EP, from label boss and native New Yorker, Isaac Basker, featuring remix work by NYC deep house master, Fred P.

Isaac jumped onto the underground dance music scene in 2011 with “Found & Lost EP,” his underrated debut solo release on Thema, featuring house seeded in the deeper roots of New York, Chicago and Detroit. With his sophomore effort, Resilience Sans Relapse EP, Isaac puts together a menagerie of house music based in melodic chords, solid grooves, and classic sampling techniques stemmed in vintage American house music traditions.

The title track “Resilience Sans Relapse,” starts the EP off with chopped up vocals layered with an atmospheric chord, congas, bouncy hi hats, and bass; building to an uplifting crescendo without relapse. Current purveyor of NYC’s deep house resurgence and “Soul People Music” boss, Fred P, handles the “Reshape,” raising the tempo, further chopping the vocals and adding his well known mood formulating elements that take us deep into house music’s soul.

Contrasting side A is “Attack of The Drones,” the EP’s banger that hits with thumping kicks and claps over an interpretable vocal chant and grooving NYC club organs that are then flipped on the listener midway through. Bringing Resilience Sans Relapse EP to an emotional close is “Can’t Find A Place,” a song beginning without a beat, presented by melancholy chords seeped in white noise where the mood is then increased via syncopated claps, unidentifiable highs, a booming kick and a rolling bassline. Like the previous track, it possesses its own unstated “part 2,” allowing for changes to the structure more than halfway through that seem to take us to a place where one cannot be found nor lost.

Resilience Sans Relapse (Fred P Reshape) [clip]

Attack Of The Drones [clip]

Strength Bassed

Facts

Moving & Grooving

Almost in time for NYE except other parts of the world...

A mix I recorded in December 2009, looking out the window onto the Hudson River.

To me, this one bumps and can throw on to get folks moving at your party wherever that may be....

Full of thumping, groovy, mostly deepish House and Techno (that house headz can appreciate I think) favs I was into that year and of course classics and others from the past.

Also features a never released and pretty much lost unfinished deep house track I was working on in Ableton (when was playing around with it for a bit) and think is dope as in...

simple but effective, even if unfinished.

Hint hint...has my signature NYC organ use and a female vocal à la my own extreme love for that vintage NYC deep house or even bigger room deepish, house-techno that DJ Sprinkles is who I think of most keeping it going although I know of the others too so I'm not throwing any shade....I see you Danny fans ;) (I am one too).

Anyway enjoy!  I have more of these to come....I haven't forgotten...

Just, "Don't you forget about me..."

Corny? Sure, but that's why I always value keeping it real and human.

Peace-ahhh!!!!

The DJ Seshin Archives Vol. 2: Hudson RIver Mix (December 2009)

The DJ Seshin Archives Vol. 02: Hudson RIver Mix (December 2009)

I like it....I like it...I like it...

Updated version to come...

The Importance of Being Contextual (Original Version) (snippet)

"Essential deep house tracks" - Hard Wax

https://hardwax.com/81084/isaac-basker/white-souls-lost-pt-ii/

A2, "So Lonely Here" brings a definitive Isaac sound influenced by his experience growing up dancing in clubs to vintage NYC deep house. 

The track provides a deep, dusty, almost lo-fi-esque vibe geared to be a perfect track for an early set or afters. 

Isaac's love of simple vocal drops in part from his background as a turntablist comes into play again as a lone, sexy female voice casually reminds us of their feelings of isolation, and is a double entendre on the state of lost souls everwhere.

White Souls Lost Pt. II

Buy @ Decks Records

So Lonely Here

This was an exclusive promo DJ Mix recorded under my original artist / DJ name DJ President Ike.

It was originally intended as promo for the hip-hop duo, LOWdown's 1st "official" release 'GroundZero' in 2006, released on CD via Chuck D's Slam Jamz label:

https://www.discogs.com/master/1142041-LOWdown-groundZERO

LowDOWN is composed of 2 members of my Hip Hop group 'The Impossebulls': C-Doc (The Warhammer) [who produced all tracks] and Tirade.

They had already been working on some songs from the 1st album YEARS before from when they had began to work on tracks together as teenagers using (I believe) a 4 track and whatever sampler hardware C-Doc had.

My track selections for the mix were all produced by (C-Doc The Warhammer) in deep, jazzy, boom bap, hip-hop, at times abstract, downtempo or trip hop oriented where I also incorporating scratching, and turntablism, as is with the last song which was a DJ cut track for the 1st album. 

The DJ Mix wound up appearing on the:

promo CDr version of LowDOWN's 3rd release on Chuck D's SlamJamz and C-Doc (The Warhammer)'s sub label Def Beat Posse: 'dumpTRUCK' (2007):

https://www.discogs.com/release/9897523-LOWdown-dumpTRUCK

Then re-appearing on the 2nd CD re-issue in 2017:  

https://www.discogs.com/release/10123143-LOWdown-dumpTRUCK

I removed the hidden track that comes at the end after a long silence, hence the length difference.

Background:

The Impossebulls and LOWdown all met on Public Enemy's sadly lost internet forum The EnemyBoard (The EB) created around 1998, when Chuck D had become a vocal proponent of mp3 technology as the future with some famous debates with Lars Ulrich of Metallica about this, that also led to Chuck and PE getting into conflict with Def Jam Records over PE's throwing to crowds free CD-R's of exclusive or hard to find versions of their music on what was called 'Bring The Noise 2000' at their live shows.

The Impossebulls and many other brillant aspects where many of us are close friends to this day, or worked together with posters from

I titled the track/mix, labeling it a "Mini-Mix" due to its short length.

Personal Note/Editorial/Context:

IMHO LOWdown's work is severely underrated and far too unknown. The 1st album had it been released in the 1990's I think would have blown up BIG TIME. 

LOWdown is more Prince Paul, De La Soul, Black Sheep, The Pharcyde aka humorous, playful and outrageous tounge-in cheek than the more serious work we did emulating more political conscious artists like Public Enemy, KRS-ONE, Jeru The Damaja, Common, Dead Prez, etc. as is a lot of what we did with the Impossebulls.

Am I biased? Sure, but if you dig 90's "Golden Age" hip-hop you should peep their work.

10 Years Coming So Keep It On the LOWdown Mini-Mix (By DJ President Ike)

Empty Skies (Deep Thump Vocal Dub)

Crawlin in the darkness thu out the nite...

Nightcrawlers

Running Around My Brain

Overt Deception

one version of some new ish in progress....

Everything's Changed (Things Are Looking Up Mix)

Centro-Fly

Noisy Neighbours (Clip) [unfinished]

A Ticket To Nothingness (clip)

I.B. Deep In The Future Jazz Of House (2002)

What Time It Is?

Be Irresponsibile (Grow Up)

All vinyl DJ Mix full of “turn that up!” top-shelf, deep, peak era “Trip Hop” featuring the rhythmic DJ scratching my aka Prez Ike / DJ President Ike, recorded in 2000, meant to fit a CD-R.

Selections — most produced from the period — would often be labeled Trip Hop as over time categorizing the spectrum of Genres & Sub-Genres might also or instead be:  


Downtempo, Instrumental Hip Hop, Lounge, Chill Out, Future Jazz, Abstract Hip Hop, NuJazz, etc. 

Featuring tracks from: 

Jazzanova, DJ Shadow, Slum Village / J Dilla, DJ Spinna, Mark Farina, Luke Vibert & B.J. Cole, Pete Rock, Dr. Octagon, Outkast/ / Organized Noise, People Under The Stairs, DJ Krush, Esthero, Zap Mamma, Peanut Butter Wolf, Pete Rock, Ming + FS, The Cure, El-P / Company Flow, etc.

Recorded in Westbeth Artists Studios, NYC.

Peace-ahhhh!!!!!

Oval Office Trip Hop Mix #1

DJ President Ike (Isaac Basker) - Oval Office Trip Hop Mix 2000

Somebody Loves Ya

Keep Bouncing

Noisy Neighbours (Remix)

Heart Beatz

(2017/08/27): Uploaded new version with some sound mixing changes

Brief Sensuality (Deep Mix)

Mos Def [Yasiin Bey] - Next Universe (DJ President Ike's U-N-I Verse Electro Thump Remix)

Northbkplayanoncadillacmusik

1) Remote_ - 'Politely Declined'
2) Tornado Wallace - 'Paddlin' (Linkwood Remix)' 
3) Metro Area - 'Atmosphrique'
4) Mike Huckaby - 'Luv Time'
5) Justin Drake - 'Cosmic Log' 
6) Jus-Ed - 'No More Pain' feat. June April
7) Anthony 'Shake' Shakir - 'Arise'
8) Chugga - 'Theme For The Buck Rogers Light Rope Dance (Deep Space Probe Remix By Terre Thaemlitz)' 
9) Tevo Howard - 'Move'
10) Black Jazz Consortium - 'Believe' 
11) Diamond Dog, Cherry Baker - 'Blase (Rio Padice Remix)'
12) Mildred - 'Courage'
13) Reggie Dokes - 'Dream Catcher (FCL Edit)'
14) The Gathering - 'In My System (Part 1)'
15) Mfon	- 'Deadly Dance'
16) Nebraska - 'Wordless Narrative', 
17) BFC - 'Chicken Noodle Soup' 
18) Lips - 'Mbali'
19) Imaani Brown - 'Pieces', 
20) Mo Horizons - Ay Y Nama (DJ Day Remix)', 
21) Melchyor A - 'Disco Fans' 
22) Ripperton - '1976' 
23) LY - 'Back 2 Zanzibar (Next Moov Mix)' 
24) Norma Jean Bell - 'Mystery'
25) Cratesavers - 'So Lucky (Original Mix)' 
26) AntonZap - 'Movin'
27) AntonZap - 'Basement Groover'
28) Eddie C - 'It's Not A Fantasy'
29) Butch - 'Got The Funk'
30) Sidewho? - 'Pay For Live (Jamie Paton Acid Remix) 
32) Paul Frick - 'Something Blue'

Summer Swelter Mix 2010-07

Catch him while you can...

Mashup I created putting Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's 'Brother On The Run' over a remix of Domu - It's You by Platinum Pied Pipers.

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Brother On The Run (Prez Ike's Mad Drama Mashup)

Found & Lost

Buy at Apple Music

The Ritual Of Double Parking

Deep Hip Hop Remix of Mos Def - 'Next Universe' #2...Nexx U.N.I. Verse...

Mos Def - Next Universe (Prez Ike's Deep Hip Hop Remix)

Play It Say What Podcast

Play It Say What Podcast 005 (2018-11-17)

DJ Honda feat. Mos Def - Travellin' Man (Prez Ike's Future Reggae Remix)

Remixed the classic DJ Honda feat. Mos Def - 'Travellin Man' alternate lyrics version not from the video again...on a totally different vibe

DJ Honda feat. Mos Def - Travellin Man (Prez Ike's Deep Hip Hop Remix)

Buy at: https://www.juno.co.uk/products/isaac-basker-white-souls-lost-part-ii/730166-01/

"Essential deep house tracks" - Hard Wax

Play It Say What Records and Isaac Basker return after a 5-year hiatus with White Souls Lost (Part II), providing 4 styles of Isaac's distnict, "thumping" take on American house music designed for dancefloors, headphones, or contemplating human existence. Never shy of controversial track titles and themes, a trend that can be traced back to previous collaborations with Public Enemy as a hip-hop DJ and turntablist, Isaac cuts right to the chace again focusing on the state of the "soul" in post-Trump America.

On the title track, A1 "White Soul's Lost (Part II)," a play on words of Nas' "Black Girl Lost," Isaac calls into question the state of some white folks' souls in an appropriately emotive banger that starts with Afro house-oriented congas and layered deep pads until guitar solo-like chord riffs build to a layered crescendo. From this point on, to its conclusion, the track keeps the listener on high.

A2, "So Lonely Here" brings a definitive Isaac sound influenced by his experience growing up dancing in clubs to vintage NYC deep house. The track provides a deep, dusty, almost lo-fi-esque vibe geared to be a perfect track for an early set or afters. Isaac's love of simple vocal drops in part from his background as a turntablist comes into play again as a lone, sexy female voice casually reminds us of their feelings of isolation, and is a double entendre on the state of lost souls everwhere.

B1, "Noisy Neighbours," evokes that "thump" Hard Wax once labeled some of Isaac's tracks. Created in response to noise complaints, a coded reference to Trump supporters, and even Isaac's world football allegiances it could be categorized "deep house techno" but this ain't no tech house. Heavy kicks bump over choped up live percussion as a lone pad keeps it deep, and then an analog bassline reveals the underground, grooving along to vocal drops that demand the listener to "Stop, look and listen."

Lastly with B1, "A Paradox Now!" Isaac's love for titles derived from word play refers this time to Francis Ford Coppola's classic film "Apocalypse Now!" The track teases with mellow keys laid over strong 909 drums and a prominent minimal bassline as it builds slowly over panned high hats. However, it then flips from chill to bumping as a live percussion sample arrives along with a repeated Terre Thaemlinz influenced vocal that proceeds to drive the track to its peak.

White Souls Lost (Part II)

Buy at Hard Wax

A Paradox Now!

Noisy Neighbours

White Souls Lost (Pt. II)

Buy from Discogs

off the 'resilience sanse relapse ep;' the first release from my new label 'play it say what?'

Isaac Basker - Can't Find A Place

All vinyl DJ Mix I recorded composed entirely of a lot of my favorite PUTS tracks from the records available at the time that I could fit on a CD.

Was recorded with my 2 SL-1200's, my Vestax PMC-06 Pro mixer within Cool Edit Pro sometime in 2002.

Most of the selections are almost entirely from their first 3 albums, 'The Next Step,' 'A Question In The Form Of An Answer,' and 'O.S.T.' except one Thes-One track that's really a PUTS track anyway. I did go kinda crazy with some DJ scratches at one point.

Hope y'all enjoy...this mix is def for the headz...

Prez Ike - People Under The Stairs Mix (2002)

Recorded in 2005. Layered mix of deep, mostly underground style "Hip Hop" of the era ie tracks from Om Records ‘Deep Concentration II’ + "Trip Hop" or Downtempo beats. This is similar to my Indelible Beats series as reference. 

A lot of the tracks are collabs between different artists of differing music backgrounds, and quite a few will ring familiar. I also added a decent number of DJ cuts as was my thing at the time...

Also featuring: Presto, Tosca, P'taah/Chris Brann, Peanut Butter Wolf, Chali Tuna & Ozomatli, Ming + FS, Planet Asia & Mista Sinista, Mos Def & Massive Attack, Esthero & Danny Saber, UNKLE & Fila Brazillia, J Boogie & People Under The Stairs, King Kooba & Roots Manuva, Soustice & DJ Spinna, Jazzanova, Vikter Duplaix, Madlib, Dr. Octagon...

Prez Ike - Hip Trip Mix [2005]

Isaac Basker Aliases: DJ President Ike | Prez Ike | Ize Bernard

A New Yorker by birth, Isaac Basker's path to creating House and Techno, while not conventional, exemplifies the roots, history, and influences of his home city. Growing up in Westbeth, a Manhattan artist community, Isaac was pushed to express himself through more traditional art forms such as singing in the Metropolitan Opera and quite serious playing of the violin. Yet, by the late 80's and early 90s exposure to his city's vast and innovative community of hip-hop, and dance music culture began to take hold of him.

By 18, as DJ President Ike, Isaac began hosting and DJing a widely followed hip-hop mix show on college radio, catering to more underground sounds. As a growing DJ and Turntablist, this eventually led to working closely with hip-hop legends, Public Enemy, as part of the Internet based Rap super group The Impossebulls and the Downtempo Turntablist concept group, Illegal Thought Process with releases on Chuck D's label Slam Jamz. This eventually led to appearances Isaac made as DJ President Ike, recording scratches on Public Enemy's own releases.

By mid-00's with hip-hop becoming increasingly commercialized, and dancing within that scene's underground level disappearing, Isaac began to turn to various forms of electronic music, and combining eclectic sounds together into his sets. In 2005 This led to his creating one of the early podcast mix shows, the highly acclaimed, 'Indelible Beats' labeled "Fresh beats for your head nodd and body move crav-ings..." a sort of fusion of up-tempo, rhythm-oriented music meant primarily for the dance floor. This desire to entice dancers to move their bodies to tracks they have never heard gradually led to Isaac's increased interest in making his own productions of House and Techno.

Being exposed to the Deep House of New York clubs in the 90's led Isaac, early in his production career, to develop a sound that exudes that influence, and was in step with the resurgence of House and Techno in New York during the • late 2000's and early 2010's. This can be understood clearly with Isaac's first solo release, "Found & Lost EP" released on the Brooklyn based label, Thema in 2011, featuring a remix from The Bronx-based purveyor of NYC underground sounds, DJ Spider. In 2013 Isaac started his own label, Play It, Say What?," releasing his own tracks again with "Resilience Sans Relapse EP," featuring remix work this time from one of the masters of NYC's deep house resurgence, Fred P.

Labels: Play It Say What, Thema, Slam Jamz, Koch

Podcast Mix Series': Indelible Beats

Groups: The Impossebulls, Illegal Thought Process

Featured DJ Scratching, Turntablism, Arrangements:

Public Enemy, The Impossebulls, LowDown, DJ Butterface, Nadir, Pluside, Regenerated Headpiece, etc.

Feedback:

Isaac Basker - White Souls Lost Pt. II [Play It Say What 003]: 

"Essential deep house tracks" - Hard Wax

Isaac Basker - Found and Lost EP // Thema [Digital] [THEMA 8.14]:

DJ Sprinkles (Comatonse, Skylax, Mule) - "new york meets early warp! yay!"

Mr. G (Mr. G) - "love the stop beastin..........solid ep"

DVS1 (Hushsound) - "Stop Beastin!!! and relax yourself girl! NICE!!!"

B Pitch (B Pitch) [Ellen Allien] - "Nice one!"

Perc (Perc Trax) - "Deep and jackin' - like it."

Paul Corey (Resident Advisor, Cacophonous Bling Blog) - 

"Where's this chap been hiding? This is superb! Classic Detroit stylings and still sounding incredibly fresh. Not a duff track on it."

Sebo K - "dope release ! full support !"

The Impossebulls - ‘The Impossebulls’ [Slam Jamz]

AlMusic.com Review - “…a show stealing performance by DJ President Ike”

New York City Represent, Represent, sent....

Isaac Basker (DJ President Ike)

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