Rating: 
And so it is that Badboe’s label Breakbeat Paradise Recordings brings back the funk (of the nu- and ghetto- varieties) for Vol. 2. By way of showing that this is a drop that means business we open with the return of Funktomas who provides a master-class in how to make ghetto funk with this pumping and downright nasty wobble edit of DJ Kool’s Let Me Clear My Throat. J-
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Monthly Archives: May 2014
STATIC SHOCK: Till Death (2014) Free download
Rating: It’s not often I get an email where the writer begins by saying that they ‘fuck with monkeyboxing.’ Context suggested this wasn’t a sex reference so perhaps experimental LA-based beatmaker Static Shock was trying to mess with the monkey’s head which – given the sixteen-plus minutes length of Till Death – was a distinct possiblity. Indeed you’d be forgiven for expecting it
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SEE-I: Knowledge Shine Bright (2014)
Rasta reggae brothers Rootz and Zeebo of See-I are about to shine their knowledge bright across the irie end of the bass music spectrum again with their second LP Knowledge Shine Bright. The Washington-based pair (and sometime Thievery Corporation collaborators) deliver a twelve track effort that features collaborations with Boston MC Mr Lif, Flex Matthews, Candice Mills and Edy Blu
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ALEXIA COLEY: Beautiful Waste Of Time (2014)
Rating: Alexia Coley‘s new Dr Rubberfunk-mixed single – Beautiful Waste Of Time is kind of halfway between the funky soul jazz of Barbara Lynn’s Nice And Easy or Nina Simone’s Some Say and the grittier sister funk of Laura Lee’s It Ain’t What You Do But How You Do It. Which is another way of saying it’s dope. Just in case there’s not enough percussive presence on the original for you though
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ZEMERALD: Wicked Drummer (2014) Free download
With barely time to click his ruby slippers together since his last booty, Zemerald returns with Wicked Drummer. I wonder if you can guess what the main sample is here? You’d probably have more chance of getting the answer right than Charles Spurling and Hank Ballard would’ve had speculating exactly how many times the sax intro to the hit they penned for Marva Whitney back in 1968 would
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JAZZ SPASTIKS: Move (feat. APANI B-FLY)/ Frequency (feat. MOKA ONLY) (2014)
According to the PR, Jazz Spastiks are, “a highly gifted production duo residing in Edinburgh, Scotland. Blending their love of Jazz with Hip Hop, they make nothing but pure head-nodding, neck-snapping beats.” Which is true. But is there scope (see what I did there?) for lyrical enhancement? As it turns out there is. First up is a veteran emcee known for her Native Tongues-ish ’96 single
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JON KENNEDY FEDERATION: For Stuarts London (2014)
Jon Kennedy here delivers an exclusive nineteen track DJ mix of JK Federation label-only tracks in conjunction with Stuarts London which he’s somehow resisted the temptation to call ‘Music To Dress To.’ Tailoring outfit Stuarts London have been in the game for nearly half a century and seem to have risen to prominence in the 70s and 80s supplying the ‘casual’ football subculture with all their clothing needs. This downtempo mix has
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DIRTY DUBSTERS feat. DARK ANGEL: Ol Bongo Cart (2014)
Rating: The latest from Dirty Dubsters features dancehall voice Dark Angel and goes by the title of Ol Bongo Cart. Ol’ what? Surely this track isn’t celebrating a horse-drawn means of transporting afro-cuban percussion instruments? Time for an email to the Dubsters. Except they don’t know what it means either. But they know a man who does. It transpires that ‘bongo cart’ (if
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ANTEEK RECIPES: ‘Hot Rhythm/ Little Stories’ Ltd. 7″ (2014)
Anteek Recipes take it back like Robin Locksley on this limited gem. Hot Rhythm finds producer Dirty Hairy making your day by laying down a super smooth 80s dancefloor funk groove for MC Shuteyes to get lyrical on though the Buffalo NY emcee restrains himself from adopting the full retro rising and falling inflection of Sugarhill-era mic manipulation. Over on Little Stories Dirty Hairy’s all
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VARIOUS: Holland Dozier Holland – The Complete 45s Collection (2014)
Just imagine how much of a boner the entire northern soul scene would have if, prompted by the release of the Motown 7s Box – Rare & Unreleased Vinyl back in November, someone had the idea to release the entire singles collection from the three labels (Invictus, Hot Wax and Music Merchant) set up by legendary Motown songwriting and production trio Holland Dozier Holland after
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