DJ J-Laini “Fuck N Tell”

No Limit Records head honcho Master P, real name Percy Miller, knew how to make a buck. When the label had a good single, he didn’t just put it on one release to sell one time. The single would go on on multiple full-lengths, because why sell something once when you can sell it two or three times? The undeniable “I Can Tell” track showed up on records from 504 Boyz and Mercedes, and also appeared on the rest of the No Limit empire of compilations, VHS tapes, and tall-tees. DJ J-Laini, based in the not-quite-Dirty-South locale of Finland, is on some Percy Miller shit here, working and chopping that unforgettable “I Can Tell” chorus over some hot new beats. Wyatt Williams

DJ J-Laini – Fuck N Tell

Flying Lotus “Robo Tussin (feat. Lil Wayne)”

We happen to love Flying Lotus around here–everything from his uncredited musical segues for Adult Swim to his latest EP 1 X 3. So, pairing his mad-scientist beats with some words from the self-described “embalming fluid” of hip-hop, Lil Wayne, is enough to make everyone here at XLR8R drop what they’re doing to take a listen. “Robo Tussin” deserves your full attention; the floating, nearly aquatic beat gives these verses from Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” a flipped out vibe. Are we already salivating at thought of more collaborations from these two? Sure, but we’ll probably just listen to this track on repeat until that happens. Wyatt Williams

Flying Lotus – Robo Tussin Ft. Lil Wayne

DJ Collage: Raw Ragga Sound

Lawrence Chatman’s alias, DJ Collage, aptly describes his patchwork of styles and his eclectic resume, which includes collaborations with breakbeat innovators Meat Beat Manifesto, house hippies Dubtribe, and Canadian Celtic bhangra crew Delhi2Dublin. But even though his Supercat-inspired flow makes perfect sense over downtempo, future ragga, and deep house, there has been some confusion when it comes to his name.

“People at the electronic clubs keep asking me what type of music I spin,” says Chatman of his “DJ” prefix. “The dancehall and Caribbean community I come from [understands] it means ‘vocal MC,’ but outside that community they [don ’t] get it.” To remedy things, Lawrence is undergoing a transition from DJ Collage to Mr. Chatman, which is the name he’ll use for his debut album, Marathon Man, out this summer on his own Masse One label. Chatman, who was born in Chicago but now resides in Seattle (via stints in Oakland, CA and Vienna, Austria), hopes the album will further showcase his talents as a solo producer and artist.

Album tracks like “Bombay Rock,” “Big Mon Now,” and “Mi Rite Time” (produced by his other alias Dutty Larry) feature catchy choruses and vocal hooks–no surprise, as Chatman readily admits to being a pop music fan. Though he could have called on previous collaborators like Sofa Surfers, Stereotyp, or Ghislain Poirier to help on the record, Chatman opted for a more personal statement. “I like working with people and exposing myself to different artists, but at the same time I want people to hear where I’m coming from,” he explains.

Lately, fans are hearing him at opening sets for Yellowman, Sly and Robbie, Collie Buddz, and Kode 9, and at his weekly Monday night reggae party Jam Jam at Seattle’s Baltic Room. “I’m what they call a ‘vibes man’,” says Chatman of his performance mindset. “It’s about self-expression and what people feel from
the music.”

“I was influenced by Supercat, Cutty Ranks, Nicodemus, Shaggy, Red Fox–the whole late ’80s and early ’90s New York reggae explosion,” says Chatman, noting that music from that era had urban street cred and Caribbean flavor. “It was raw!” he says. “That’s the vibe that I want to bring back. Although times have changed, when I look at people’s reactions when they hear that raw beat–they really respond to it!”

Twine Violets

Ambient music doesn’t have to be background music–weightless abstractions can still make deep impressions. Witness the haunting tone-scapes of Stars of the Lid or Labradford. Twine’s version of ambient, however, isn’t worth much close listening. With shards of reverb-drenched guitar, scattered synth beats, a few recorded telephone conversations, and the occasional female vocal (’cause, of course, nothing’s dreamier than a woman singing in French), Violets uses all of the genre’s tricks, yet manages little of its magic. The creepy title track–like Black Sabbath slowed to a snail’s pace–is worth a spin. But for the most part, this duo’s post-modern dread fails to rise above the din.

Pon Di Wire: Carifest Canceled, Mavado

Nike shoe company and VP records have teamed up to promote Asafa Powell: Train for Speed. The 35-minute interval running workout is available via iTunes and features a voiceover by Jamaican sprinter Powell (pictured above, far right), plus an exclusive new Mavado tune, “On The Go (Faster Than Bullet).” The mix also features music by Wayne Marshall, Tami Chin, Barrington Levy, Sean Paul, and Sister Nancy. Powell held the world record in the 100 meters before being bested by track and field teammate Usain Bolt this year. Both runners will represent Jamaica at the Olympics in Beijing.

The New York charity concert Carifest C.A.R.E.S. was canceled this past July 4 weekend, due to poor ticket sales and weather conditions. Carifest C.A.R.E.S. publicist Erika Tooker stated, “Moving forward with the concert under these circumstances will in no way benefit the cause. Reggae-Carifest N.Y., Inc. apologizes to all patrons who purchased tickets and assures such patrons that full refunds will be made.”

Cocoa Tea will release his new album, Yes We Can, this summer on Roaring Lion/JamJam. The album was produced by Cocoa Tea and includes his tribute to Democratic Presidential candidate Barrack Obama. The album also features guest appearances from Shabba Ranks, Marcia Griffiths, President Brown, Cutty Ranks, and El General.

Jamaica Gleaner columnist Mel Cooke has a fond reflection about the dancehall video that launched the music’s modern era. The song and video for “Anything For You” were performed by Canadian singjay Snow and Nadine Sutherland and featured Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Terror Fabulous, Louie Culture, and Kulcha Knox, performing on the remix version. Sutherland recalls of the recoding made at Penthouse studios, “the energy was off the hook. Everyone was creating on the spot; I don’t remember any competition.”

U.K. dub soundsystems King Shiloh, Disciples, Afrikan Simba, Fatman Sound, Young Warrior, Mad Professor, Levi Roots, Aba Shanti I, and Iration Steppas are featured in Musically Mad, a new documentary DVD and booklet about England’s enduring roots sound culture. Watch the trailer for more.

Reggae Sumfest will get a break on Jamaica’s newly enforced noise restrictions. The policy change was announced by the government after the event promoters declared that the show would have to be canceled if it was forced to close off at midnight on Thursday and 2:00 a.m. on the weekend.

Famed Roots Radics member and premier session guitarist Dwight Pinkney has released a Bob Marley tribute set titled Picks Marley Melodies, featuring “One Love,” “Jammin,” “Three Little Birds,” “Nice Time,” “Put It On,” “Simmer Down,” “Screwface,” and “Trench Town Rock.” Musicians Sly Dunbar, Aubrey Manning, Ansel Collins, David Madden, and Sticky join Pinkney.

BBC 1Xtra Top Ten Dancehall Chart
1. Mavado “I’m On Da Rock” (Baby G)
2. Stephen & Damian Marley “The Mission” (Baby G)
3. Beenie Man “Wine Gal” (TJ Records)
4. Demarco “Sort Dem Out” (Juke Boxx)
5. Richie Spice “Di Plane Land” (VP)
6. Etana “I’m Not Afraid” (VP)
7. Mavado “Money Changer” (Juke Boxx)
8. Demarco “Fallen Soldiers” (Skarkutt)
9. Mykal Rose & Damian Marley “Shoot Out remix” (John John)
10. Vybz Kartel “Fatter Den A Pound” (Open Ear)

Photo by Eckhard Pecher.

[snyzch] “I Eat Cocks Like You For Breakfast”

Information about UK-based artist [snyzch] is limited. So limited, in fact, that his MySpace profile describes him as an “enigma wrapped in a tortilla.” We invite you to draw whatever conclusions you’d like about the person who titled this song “I Eat Cocks Like You For Breakfast,” but rather than speculate, we’re going to stick to the music. The track is a raucous, dark gem of glitch-addled synth pop; the vocals suggest a late take on the electro clash explosion of a few years back. Notably, the track is featured on the Seed Records Volume 2 compilation. Wyatt Williams

Snyzch – I Eat Cocks Like You For Breakfast

Podcast 43: The Bloody Beetroots Mini-Mix

Hailing from Italy, The Bloody Beetroots are currently making gritty music for dirty dance floors worldwide, with performances booked in three different continents over the next few months. Despite a busy schedule of rocking parties and swigging Grappa, the Marvel-masked duo found time to cook up a mini-mix of their latest tracks and remixes for the XLR8R podcast. The eight tracks here include reworkings of MSTRKRFT’s “Bounce” and Cabaret Voltaire’s “Sensoria,” as well as a few cuts of the duo’s own work. Energy is in no short supply here, so prepare yourself to work up some electro-tinged sweat.

Tracklisting
1. The Bloody Beetroots feat. Congorock “ROMBO”
2. The Bloody Beetroots feat. Cècile “Have a Mercy on Us (Preview)”
3. Mstrkrft “Bounce (Bloody Beetroots 90’s Remix)”
4. The Bloody Beetroots “Yeyo”
5. Cabaret Voltaire “Sensoria (Bloody Beetroots vs. Sirbilly Remix/Bootleg)”
6. The Aston Shuffle “Stomp Yo (Bloody Beetroots Remix)”
7. Mstrkrft “Bounce (Bloody Beetroots Remix)”
8. Cazals “Somebody, Somewhere (Bloody Beetroots Remix)”

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Photo by Carlo Alberto Della Siega.

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Ariel Pink “L’estat (According To The Widows)”

For Ariel Pink, the cliche “toiling in obscurity” may have been an understatement. Born Ariel Rosenburg, he worked by himself for years, recording album after album of tape-trick-laden pop songs to create the surreal world of Ariel Pink. It wasn’t until 2004 that a CD-R of his music arrived in the hands of bedroom-genus group Animal Collective, something which kick-started his music career and gave his act an audience. In the years since, as Paw Tracks has continued to release albums from his vaults of work, Rosenburg has faced an entirely new problem. How does one recreate live the sounds of music that previously existed only in the netherworlds of four-track cassette tape? One way is to gather up a group music vets who’ve done work with a laundry list of bands from Devendra Banhardt to Cibo Matto and hit the road, which happens to be what they’re currently doing. Wyatt Williams

Ariel Pink – L’estat (According To The Widows)

Write and Revolt! in Los Angeles

Social justice movements in the United States (and many elsewhere) have long depended on the power of image. From the early, bold labor union logos to the powerfully violent photographs of Charles Moore to the awe-inducing uniforms of the Black Panther Party, image and art have played powerful roles in raising consciousness about injustice. Today, street art and graffiti are fertile grounds for the visual work of many political movements.

A celebration and showcase for the works of some of today’s political artists and graffiti writers, the Write And Revolt! exhibit will open at the Crewest Gallery in downtown Los Angeles this Thursday, July 10. The event will feature live painting and screen printing, along with works from Archer, Auks, Aybon, John Carr, Edward Colver, Ekundayo, Fear, Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca, Mear, Nuke, Plek, Favianna Rodriguez, Siner, Winston Smith, Street Phantom, Thanx, Ween, and the YO! What Happened to Peace Crew.

The exhibition coincides with the release of Reproduce & Revolt (Soft Skull Press/Counterpoint), a new book collecting the iconography and artwork of a myriad of movements concerned with everything from environmental justice to queer liberation. A discussion of the book and reception for the artists will follow on July 12.

Korg Unveils Nano Controller Series

Are you ready to go small?

Well, make that small, stylish, and functional, if you’re talking about Korg’s three new MIDI control devices. The Korg nano series was unveiled at the late June summer NAMM music technology event in Nashville, and already the slim units have tech blogs talking.

The devices include the nanoKEY, a 25-key controller, nanoPAD, a 12-pad drum controller, and nanoKONTROL, a multi-knob, multi-fader control device. Priced at under a hundred dollars each, including download codes for controllable software, the Nano series should accelerate creativity for on-the-go laptop musicians.

In addition to its velocity sensitive keys, nanoKEY features octave-shift, pitch, and modulation buttons to manipulate your notes. nanoPAD features highly responsive drum pads that also send MIDI notes and can play instrument chords. An X/Y pad can be used to for real-time drum rolls or flam hits. nanoKONTROL is equally impressive, with its compact layout with nine faders, nine knobs, 18 switches, and a full transport section. This should make laptop DJs and producers with space issues salivate.

The devices feature clean, simple layouts, which should encourage price-minded newcomers to give music production a try. All three are available this fall, with final pricing to be announced.

See more.

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