Let the Children play...

Kenny Garrett graced the Brownswood Basement and lifted the mood on a rainy Friday afternoon to discuss his love of the saxophone and his days with Sting, Miles Davis and Art Blakey to name but a few... 

Enjoy. 


Kenny Garrett // Brownswood Basement Special

Out now:
A remix for Basement Jaxx on the label: Atlantic Jaxx Recordings Ltd.

www.basementjaxx.com
www.facebook.com/BasementJaxx

Release date:
09.06.2014

Thanks to the Basement Jaxx guys!
Was a pleasure doing this remix.

Buy @ Beatport

Mermaid Of Salinas - Basement Jaxx (Remix Boris Brejcha) PREVIEW

When it came out in 1984 the far-out album Sweet Sweet Dreams by Trinidad & Tobago’s Shadow (aka Winston Bailey) was described as “way ahead of its time”. Undeservedly it was panned by critics and, unable to reach markets, disappeared into the dusty record collections of a few music aficionados. Now, more than three decades later that cosmic dance-floor UFO is about to take off again, change all that and set the record straight. Remastered and cut by Frank Meritt at The Carvery the album is truly a masterpiece.

But who is this Shadow behind Sweet Sweet Dreams? Shadow is a man of understated magnitude. A truly enigmatic artist, he first emerged in Trinidad and Tobago during the 1970s, becoming a part of the tapestry of Caribbean music and reinvigorating calypso at the time. Calypso, the indigenous folk music of Trinidad and Tobago, has roots in West African kaiso rhythms, French Creole influences, and the hardships endured by the African slaves brought to Trinbago, whose descendants still use it as a tool for satire, self-expression,  and social commentary. Calypso has also given birth to several other music genres, including soca, with its uptempo beats and festival context. Shadow effortlessly moves between both.

Accoring to Carl "Beaver" Henderson, one of Trinidad's veteran producers; “Shadow broke all the traditional musical rules and made his own and that made him a musical giant. He changed the face of Calypso music in 1974 with the release of "Bassman" a tune in which Bass and magnificent horn line took central stage changing Soca music for ever. What Shadow did with his music was to put calypso on the International Dance circuit, giving it a totally different groove. You could take his music and swing it in any direction; Disco, Pop, Calypso, you name it. His music was different from anything that existed before”. 

This inert creativeness culminated in Sweet Sweet Dreams which was arranged by Shadow and deals with burning and ever-relevant themes like love and the ups and downs of relationships. a surprising fact for someone mainly known for his satirical and political lyrics. It prompted his manager to wonder if Shadow had written the lyrics while in a state of ‘tabanca’ (a word used in Trinidad and Tobago to describe lovesickness). 

Sweet Sweet Dreams was recorded at the legendary SHARC studios, located on a hill in Chaguaramas (near Port of Spain) and despite a fantastic sound and monster Soca-boogie tunes like “Lets get it together”, “Lets Make it Up” and “Way, Way Out” the album was a commercial flop, probably due to the fact that it didn’t sound like anything else coming out of Trinidad & Tobago at the time: It fused a range of different rhythms and new sounds, primarily heavy synth riffs.

Shadow took the album’s lack of success in his stride with usual aplomb:
“When I did Sweet Dreams I expect something could happen. But nothing big happen because I have no big market and no distribution and all this thing now. So I just cool myself and move on to another song. I wasn’t doing just one song. I used to always have plenty songs at the one time. And be writing music”.

What Shadow didn’t realise back then was that the proto-electronic cocktail he had mixed in 1984 would only find the recognition it deserved three decades later. Life has swung full circle: Sweet Sweet Dreams has come true and been elevated to holy grail status becoming one of the most sought-after Caribbean disco records in existence. Asked about this turn around Shadow mused  “I’m trying to understand that part. A lot of people ask me for it over a few years now. But I never give anybody it. That music wasn’t for then. It’s for now”.

Sweet Sweet Dreams

Get the Record

LETS GET IT TOGETHER - SHADOW

Just 2 days ago I was sitting in a cafe during my recent trip for Lebanon and Egypt when Donald Trump announced his ban of muslim people visiting the USA marking another climax of xenophobia, anti muslim and anti Arabic narrative (الترجمة العربية أسفله).  At the same time I was in Cairo, a colorful, energetic and vital city that despite the cities and countries problems has not much in common with the stereotypical narrative of the Arabic world that is so largely told in the Western media. I’m aware that in times of these music is just a tiny piece of the puzzle to tell a different story but given that this is what I’m working with I felt it was the right time to drop another mix of music from Arabic tapes, vinyl and master tapes. Music that is very different to what a lot of people might expect. Straight up Chicago soul music with the „The Cats“, an Egyptian band covering „The Dells“, Lo-Fi electronic music from Sudan, tropical sounds from Cairo by "Al Massrieen", energetic disco from Algeria by „Zohra", another unknown banger by Morocco’s answer to James Brown „Fadoul“. Or what about some incredible AOR / yacht pop from Lebanon feat. Ziad Rahbani on keys with „Games“ and another little preview of our forthcoming „Ahmed Malek & Flako“ record among some other great music? Music that tells a different story, music to listen to when the world is going crazy and everything in between. #antitrumpmusic

قبل يومين، كنت جالسا في مقهى في القاهرة، حين أعلن دونالد ترامب منعه للمسلمين من زيارة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، مظهرا بذلك مظهرا آخر من العنصرية ضد المسلمين و العرب. 
في نفس ذلك الوقت، أنا كنت في القاهرة، مدينة مفعمة بالطاقة و الألوان، هذه المدينة التي رغم المشاكل التي تحيط بها، لا تشبه أي من الصور النمطية الشائعة على الإعلام الغربي.
إنني مدرك أنه خضم هكذا أجواء، الموسيقى لا تشكل سوا جزء صغير من الأحجية، و بما أنه المجال الذي اشتغل فيه، أحسست أنه الوقت المناسب لإصدار ميكس جديد من الموسيقى العربية. موسيقى مختلفة عن ما قد يتوقعه الناس. موسيقى السول مع " The cats"، فرقة موسيقية تعيد غناء أغاني "The Dells"، " لوفي" موسيقى الكترونية من السودان، انغام استوائية من القاهرة مع " AlMasrieen"، موسيقى ديسكو جزائرية مع "Zohra"، و أغنية مجهولة لصاحبها، جايمس براون المغرب فضول.
هناك أيضا موسيقى رائعة من فرقة لبنانية اسمها "Games" عزف فيها زياد الرحباني على البيانو.
 نبذة عن إصدارنا القادم و هو تسجيل " Ahmed Malek & Flako" مرفوق بموسيقى أخرى، موسيقى تستحق الاستماع إليها في الظروف التي يمر منها العالم في هذه الفترة

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facebook.com/habibifunk

"Habibi Funk 007 Mix" (More 1970s & 1980s sounds from the Arabic world #AntiTrumpMusic)

Dennis Franklyn Williams known as Merchant.
He borne in 1943 at Trinidade where he live all his life and be came one of the must brilliant calypso artists.
We proudly present this maxi single of the track "Tumble Down" taken from the album "Ha Coming Too" original released in 1987.
Now new tree versions inside this 12" to put fire on the dance floors around the world!

Ostra Discos © 2017

Merchant - Tumble Down (Unrealeased Extended)

Mix of the Week #168 is "Happy In Hollywood" by DJ Duckcomb

ID requests to @djduckcomb

Dream Chimney 'Mix of the Week'

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Mix of the Week #168: Duckcomb - Happy In Hollywood

As big fans of Max, we invited him to curate the first in Rough Trade Shops’ Behind the Counter series, in which some of our favourite artists create mixes especially for us using the records we sell on the shop floor.

The result is a 36-track compilation of soundbites, pieces of composition, interesting mixes and curious musical choices including tracks from Mogwai, Boards of Canada, Philip Glass, Aphex Twin and Low among some classical works by Rachmaninoff and Bach.

In this two-part podcast Max chats to Nigel about the process of his selection and we also hear a selection of songs from the compilation.

Buy the album here:
roughtrade.com/music/max-richter…-the-counter-with

Behind The Counter With Max Richter (Part 1)

Behind The Counter With Max Richter (Part 2)

New Hawaii

Eddie Suzuki "City Of Refuge" (Sinergia)

This player previews V/a - Pantsula! - The rise of Electronic Dance Music in South Africa, 1988-90

Release: December 4, 2017
PRE-ORDER VINYL: http://bit.ly/PantsulaLP

Late 80s South African dance floor winners only! Selected by DJ Okapi and Antal, the compilation holds tracks by Jivaro, The Hard Workers, Ayobayo Band, S.Y.B. & many more. This is the sharp electronic music that fuelled the local Pantsula dances during the 80s and 90s . A must have for fans of Bubblegum and Kwaito music. 

The 12 tracks selected for Pantsula! come from a very unique, very different time and place. They represent the birth of electronic dance music in South Africa, through the songs of one particular independent label from the time: Music Team. The sound represents the culmination of the bubblegum era, when South Africa’s disco artists outgrew their American influences and forged an increasingly electronic and ‘local’ pop sound.

Evolving over time since long before the 80s, the distinctly South African subculture of Pantsula is more closely associated with an attitude, a style and a signature dance, rather than any specific sound. In the late 1980s and early 90s, Pantsula was also the name given to a new type of dance music taking over the streets of South Africa, influenced by earlier bubblegum and the rise of Shangaan Disco, but with a far broader appeal and a harder, purely electronic sound.

Tracklist:
1. The Equals - New Lover
2. Jazino - Ushelakanjani
3. Jivaro - What Next
4. S.Y.B - Jika Magogo
5. Scotch Band - Watsotasama
6. Kakappa - Sisonke
7. Spirro - Ma Hero (Dub Mix)
8. The Hard Workers - Ayoba-yo
9. Ayobayo Band - Sorry Bra
10. Rush feat. Linda Ziqubu - Sobohla Manyosi
11. Chaka - Via Tembisa
12. La Viva - Go Siami

PANTSULA! - THE RISE OF ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC IN SOUTH AFRICA, 1988-90 (RHMC 003)

Rough Trade's Emily Waller sat down with Trevor Jackson to discuss his long and varied career in the music industry, his new labels, and his selections from the shop for this week's episode of Shoplifting.

roughtrade.com/gb/artist/trevor-jackson

Shoplifting with Trevor Jackson

Live recording of a Q&A event at Rough Trade East with Neil Taylor, author of C86 & All That: The Creation of Indie In Difficult Times, alongside Dave Newton (The Mighty Lemon Drops) and Phil King (The Servants).

roughtrade.com/gb/books/c86-and-all-that

C86 & All That Q&A

Ben sat down with Henri, Austin, Arrow and Tim from Starcrawler to discuss forming the band, the long-awaited release of their debut album, working with Ryan Adams and their selections for this episode of Shoplifting.

roughtrade.com/gb/music/starcrawler

Shoplifting with Starcrawler

George from Rough Trade NYC sat down with Richard Lloyd to discuss his incredible career, new book "Everything is Combustable", and his selections for this episode of Shoplifting. 

roughtrade.com/us/books/everything-is-combustable-television-cbgb-s-and-five-decades-of-rock-and-roll

Shoplifting with Richard Lloyd

Brett Anderson braved the recent winter conditions to join Emily in the podcast studio, to discuss his new book - Coal Black Mornings, ahead of his sold out Q&A at Rough Trade East, as well as his selections for this episode of Shoplifting.

roughtrade.com/gb/books/coal-black-mornings-a2cc787d-ab34-4cc4-a283-796c1175b8bc

Shoplifting with Brett Anderson

Charlotte Gainsbourg visits the Rough Trade studio to talk to Ben about her critically acclaimed album 'Rest', a Rough Trade staff favourite and a record of very personal themes.

Heading out this Record Store Day? Don't miss Charlotte Gainsbourg 'Remixes': https://roughtrade.com/gb/music/charlotte-gainsbourg-remixes

'Rest' is available now: https://roughtrade.com/gb/music/rest-192162d4-ea4c-4740-959e-4b09603c8478

MUSIC PLAYED
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Deadly Valentine
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Rest

Charlotte Gainsbourg Special

Buy "About Today":
- Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/12G4rtxl2ZFl1BVsKUomB9
- Bandcamp: http://thenationalbrassland.bandcamp.com/album/cherry-tree-ep
- iTunes: http://georiot.co/cherrytreeitunes
- Amazon: http://geni.us/cherrytreeamzn
- vinyl or CD: http://brassland.myshopify.com/collections/artist-thenational

Learn more the full album: http://www.brassland.org/album.php?catno=008

Share "About Today" on YouTube >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipx8qWt2fVA&feature=share&list=UUn6umLRaq5KWpohf4QBEcfg

The National are a Brooklyn-based five-piece hailing from Ohio. The group contains two pairs of brothers -- Bryce Dessner (guitars), Aaron Dessner (bass, guitars), Scott Devendorf (bass, guitars), and Bryan Devendorf (drums) -- and features Matt Berninger on vocals. The National's music has drawn comparisons to Interpol, the Smiths, Tindersticks, and Tom Waits -- the latter due to Berninger's shattered, beautiful earthquake of a voice, which recalls the holy trinity of Cave, Cash and Cohen. However, though concerned with the forensics of heartbreak specifically and the human condition generally, the band are no mere copycats.

Let the Children play...

muddy mike