Underground Resistance, Pantha Du Prince, Daedelus to Play Rokolectiv Festival

The massive music industry buzz that festivals like WMC and SXSW receive might lead you to believe no one is playing music anywhere else in the world at the same time, but that’s only somewhat true. Halfway across the globe, promoters are gearing up for the third annual Rokolectiv festival in Bucharest, Romania, and this year’s line-up features another choice selection of electronic music artists.

Pantha Du Prince (pictured above), Dat Politics, Underground Resistance, Daedelus, Mira Calix, and a strong representation of Eastern European artists are slated to play the three-day festival, which takes place April 11 – 13. Tickets for all three days cost 75 RON, but the internet tells us that exchanges to just a few cents over 31 USD, which makes this one hell of a good deal. Maybe that will help with the plane ticket.

Okay “Loveless” from Huggable Dust

Marty Anderson’s ideas are simple and they sound like classics right from the start. He makes a big mess out of them, either by himself or with the help of a big group of people, but they always come across so clean and so full of life. His music can be completely depressing or absolutely life-affirming, usually both at the same time. He says something directly to you–a philosophy of love and of the human body. He’s a friend–I must admit–but because of this, I can tell you truthfully that if you know his music, you know him.

Podcast 32: Synth Tax by Kid Kameleon

XLR8R columnist Kid Kameleon brings the variety on this latest installment of the XLR8R Podcast Series, exploring everything from the glitched-out beats of edIT to Burial remixing Thom Yorke to Eskmo’s take on Primus for this hour-long mix. And of course, we have to love him for opening the set with an ode to Obama from Daedelus’ side project, Fire Magic Blood. You can read Kid Kameleon’s “Basic Needs” column by downloading a pdf of XLR8R 116 to find out what else this S.F. hero is into this month, or catch him at his bass-heavy monthly Surya Dub.

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Tracklisting
1. FMB “Obama2008”
2. Eli Escobar “Voices”
3. Naughty By Nature “Feel Me Flow (BIrd Peterson Remix)”
4. DJ Amazing Clay “Super Jones 2007”
5. Cabide DJ “My Neck, My Back”
6. Bonde Do Rolê “Marina Gasolina (Peaches Remix)
7. edIT “Crunk De Gaulle feat. Busdriver, TTC and D-Styles”
8. Clause Four “Whiskey Bar”
9. System “Alpha”
10. A Made Up Sound “699”
11. Sub Swara “Alabaster Dub”
12. Kush Arora and Zulu “Lose Control”
13. Ikonika “Please”
14. Lil Jon ft. Fabo & Gucci Mane “I’m a J (Dev 79 Remix)”
15. Rustie “Bad Science”
16. Machine Drum “Oohee feat. Yo Majesty”
17. Zomby “Spliff Dub (Rustie Remix)”
18. Primus “My Name Is Mud (Eskmo Remix)”
19. Pacheko & Cardopusher “Harp Shaped Box”
20. Dr. Coil “Discofunction”
21. Benga “26 Basslines”
22. Self Evident “VCBC”
23. R. Kelly “Real Talk (Moves!!! Remix)”
24. Cupid “Cupid Shuffle (Bird Peterson Remix)”
25. Todosantos “ABAG (Leif’s Acid Blowing In Wind Remix)”
26. Daedelus “Hrs:Mns:Scs”
27. Lowest Layer “Bidness Opportunity”
28. The Bug “Poison Dart (Scratch Megamix) (DJ Baku Remix)”
29. Cloaks “Against”
30. Kode 9 and the Spaceape “Konfusion”
31. Thom Yorke “And It Rained All Night (Burial Remix)”
32. Pinch “Dr. Calson”
33. DJ N-Ron “Found A City feat. Vito Acconci”

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Podcast_Mix_2008_03_27

Lyrics Born: Kicking Game

On Lyrics Born’s new album, Everywhere At Once, the East Bay-based rapper makes a pretty bold claim: “My name is Lyrics Born, and I’m a shoe ho,” he announces on a skit entitled “Shoe Hoes Anonymous.” “It’s a vice,” LB tells us. “You gotta understand, the shoe game–the competition is at an all-time high. I’m going to Australia to tour with Kanye and Cypress Hill and Pharoahe Monch, and I know they shoe game is wicked, man, so I can’t be coming out there in a pair of flip-flops. I gotta have something that’s tight.” Fair enough. To get him laced up for the tour, we brought him down to Shoe Biz II on Haight Street in San Francisco and saw how far we could stretch his wallet.

1.Undrcrwn x Adidas ADICRWN-TMAC
Undrcrwn’s an L.A. brand. A lot of times independent companies will co-brand sneakers with a big name, and that’s like this Tracy McGrady shoe right here. It’s clean. It’s got some Do the Right Thing pattern on it, and that’s why I like these.

2. Puma California x Shoe Biz
I go all over the world and I represent the Bay. This is a Bay Area exclusive, with the Giants colors, spray-paint drips on ’em, and three different shoelaces. I’ll just walk with the laces like that, make you see all three colors. [laughs] ’Cause I could walk down the street and people would know that’s the Bay right there.

3. Futura x Clarks Wallabee
That’s not a Wallabee that your Uncle Johnny’s gonna buy. Futura’s my man, you know. He did a lot of artwork on the UNKLE projects and stuff like that with my man Shadow back in the day. I’ve seen these in a magazine but never in person. You see, it’s got the camo shoelace right there, and it’s got his tag with the art on it. It’s like some Ghostface Killah from the future. The trick with Clarks is that gum sole, man. You gotta keep it crispy, and it’s not always easy.

4. Undrcrwn x Adidas ADICRWN-Gilbert Arenas
That’s what I’m talking about when I say I don’t follow brands. It’s gotta be creative, man. You won’t ever see another shoe that looks like that. Everything that’s tight, it’s gonna be a limited edition, and you really gotta be up on it.

5. Reebok Tron Pump
Oh, these are clean… the Tron version. See, I’m a ’80s baby, you know what I mean? That’s when the Pumps came out. And when you’re from the Bay, you gotta have a pair of white shoes. I remember my man MC Serch used to have a pair of these back when he had his high-top fade. I’m gonna get that going again too.

Watch Lyrics Born’s trip to Shoebiz on XLR8R TV.

MC Gringo “Alemão”

German-born MC Bernhard Hendrik Hermann Weber Ramos De Lacerda wouldn’t seem like the most likely candidate to break into Rio’s baile funk scene, but that’s exactly what he’s done under his MC Gringo guise. Though he has only lived in Brazil a short time, Lacerda has already amassed a strong following with his live shows, in which he showcases his witty lyrics and adeptness at rapping in the Portuguese language. Taken from Gringão, his debut full length on Man Recordings, “Alemão” finds the MC lyrically pondering his career thus far.

MC Gringo – Alemao

Various Achtung! German Grooves

It’s hard to imagine that the culture that brought you expressionism could really get funky. But listen to the Volkswagen-chase grooves and Wagnerian wah-wah on Achtung!’s 20 instrumentals from the ’60s and ’70s, and things might fall into place. This isn’t “the good foot”; these are jazz big bands taking on the new breed with the same Teutonic experimental formalism that brought us Kraftwerk. The flutes and break beats of sample-ready ’60s library funk are all there. But so are the Argento-soundtrack synths, the insect-like guitars, and a backwards cover of “House of the Rising Sun.” Like Fritz Lang directing Austin Powers: odd, but you’ll love it.

Sebastien Tellier Sexuality

In the publicity photos for Sebastien Tellier’s third album, the thoroughly bearded Frenchman sits in front of his piano, the robot hand of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo resting tenderly on his shoulder. The Daft Punk member produced this electro-cabaret masterpiece and, perhaps appositely, Tellier eschews homage to Starship Troopers (as on previous album Politics) and refocuses on his most human impulses: both “Pomme” and “Kilometer” are cut through with les bruits orgasmiques. Tellingly, Tellier has cited George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex” and the soundtracks of Wendy Carlos as great inspirations on the release. Thankfully, the Paris-based eccentric’s take on sexuality produces an album that is uniquely engrossing and much more than mere onanism.

One Be Lo The R.E.B.I.R.T.H.

Michigan-based One Be Lo is an incredibly versatile rapper, and he displays his talent well on his latest, The R.E.B.I.R.T.H. Whether kicking battle rhymes (“Smash”), writing vivid narratives (“Headlines”), or repping his state (“Born & Raised”), his wordplay is more than engaging. But his productions and song construction are extremely weak: Cliché dialogue samples, generic hooks, and sub-par beats plague at least 10 of the 12 tracks. “Hip-Hop Heaven” is as predictable as it sounds, while “Don’t Sleep” might have reverse effects. One Be Lo may be one of underground hip-hop’s brightest, but The R.E.B.I.R.T.H. has huge flaws that detract from his obvious talent.

Mighty Crown Claim Second Jamaica World Clash Trophy

Beating out major Jamaican selectors Black Kat and Tony Matterhorn, Japan’s Mighty Crown repeated as champions at Irish & Chin’s eighth annual World Clash Jamaica: Death Before Dishonor event. The dancehall DJ music showcase took place Easter Monday, March 24 in Montego Bay at Pier One. A preliminary event was also featured, the veterans clash, with New York’s Downbeat, Jamaica’s King Jammy, Black Scorpio sounds, and the U.K.’s David Rodigan. Selector Rodigan, who clashes more regularly than his peers, prevailed in the prequel event.

However, the main stage belonged to the now dominant soundclash team Mighty Crown, also known as the “Far East Rulers.” Mighty Crown is the only non-Jamaican soundsystem to have won a World Clash event on Jamaican soil. The five-member crew’s latest victory cup will join a bursting trophy case. Crown has also won World Clash U.S. twice (’99 and ’07), the U.K. Cup Clash (’02 and ’05), and World Clash Antigua (’05). It’s a fitting win for the Japan and New York-based team. Mighty Crown will celebrate their 17th year in the reggae business with a number of high profile reggae concerts in Japan, where they’re known to pull up to 40,000 fans to their shows.

How has Mighty Crown been so successful in international competitions? They cut big dubs and have the chat to hype them up. The group’s dubplates feature special dedications from artists like R&B megastar Rhianna and 70-year old toasting legend U-Roy. On the mic, crew generals Masta Simon and Sammy scream their lungs raw to get the crowd excited. Prior to Monday’s victory, promoter Chin said, “Mighty Crown has the fire, the dubs and the overall might to once again win this competition.”

Diesel Wall Design Competition Adds Cities

Designers, take note! The stylish folks at Diesel have announced four new locations for its worldwide Diesel Wall art contest, in which submitted entries are selected to appear on a gigantic, freestanding wall in a highly visible spot in each city. New York, Manchester, U.K., Barcelona, and Zurich are now among the places hosting Diesel’s five-year old competition.

Anyone and everyone can submit artwork in the form of painting, photography, video, performance, text, 3D, and just about any other medium out there. No constraints on artistic concept here (and past winners indicate that censorship isn’t something Diesel seems too concerned with), so long as each piece follows the designated size guidelines.

From mid-April to June, local juries will gather to select each city’s winners. Creative Director Wilbert Das, film director Bigas Luna, and Factory Records graphic designer Peter Saville are among those on the judging panel this year.

Deadlines
04/13: Zurich
05/12: New York
05/18: Manchester
07/11: Barcelona

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