Premiere: Bonjay, “Gimme Gimme (Wire Hanger RMX)” MP3
Bonjay’s forthcoming single “Gimme Gimme” is kinda like T-Dot diasporic lo-fi dancehall, singer Alanna singing slyly over a super pared down and clappy riddim before it flips out into weird and psychedelic. That drops November 20 (you can hear it on their myspace) but as a teaser, Bonjay remixed their own jam under the “Wire Hanger” moniker with a little more electronic blurbage, so that it works as a transition track for a washed out rave or soundtrack for your own personal Run Lola Run.
Download: Bonjay, “Gimme Gimme (Wire Hanger RMX)”
Serani, “Polka Dot” MP3
- story Peter Macia
A superstar in the FADERverse, Serani just released his new, long-awaited No Games album and it, along with new albums from Sean Paul and Vybz Kartel, built a small brick wall on the Billboard charts, selling a collective NOT THAT MUCH recently. To this we say to the music buying public, is the new Weezer album really that good? Cuz y’all scarfed that up like it could pay your mortgage. We’re biased as hell because we’ve been playing some of these songs during memorable times over the last two years, but even if we hadn’t, it’s about to get brick outside for the next few months and this album is end-to-end heaters for the ramping shop, people, and it only costs a few bucks. Go get it and enjoy the Brasco bonus cut below with Serani on the hook.
Download: Serani, “Polka Dot”
Brasco f. Serani, “Money Train”
Ghetto Palms 78: Creator Riddim / New Spragga Benz / Polyriddimatical Madness
- story Eddie "Stats" Houghton
- photo Andrew Dosunmu (F34)
Last Ghetto Palms I shouted at the devil of prefab dancehall, and this week the universe did shout me back in the form of veteran sessions player and producer Colin “Bulby” York, who released the polyrhythmic spree called the Creator riddim on his Fat Eyes label. Irrational rhythms may be replacing auto-tune as the new trend in JA, at least judging from the Weapon riddim and the new Spragga joint included below, which flips the clicky polyriddim of “Sweet Georgia Brown” (Cf. Brother Bones, Harlem Globetrotters, R. Kelly). This last should not be too surprising, since it’s produced by Salaam Remi whose previous collabos with Spragga include the Acid Hall riddim, a pre-millenium high point in dancehall creativity.
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posted on Nov 4, 2009 in GHETTO PALMS tags Beenie Man, caribbean, Catchdubs, Sizzla, Spragga Benz, Truck Back
Usain Bolt Adopts Baby Cheetah
Now that the New York City Marathon has ended we can all go back to doing what we do normally: obsess over Usain Bolt. The Lightning has been taking a break from JA to hang out in Kenya for a few days, where he has “already impressed local children with his football skills, and become an honorary Maasai warrior,” according to the BBC, further proving he is our second most admired jedi knight/sensai/dream date slightly after Barack Obama. But Bolt’s moved up like 18 notches on our list after his recent adoption of A. Baby. Cheetah… as part of a conservation effort focusing on sustaining the environment in Africa via the Long Run, a new campaign he is launching. Appropriately, he christened the cheetah “Lightning Bolt,” and we immediately began singing the Vybz Kartel verse “BOLT / LIGHTNING BOLT,” weirding out our coworkers for the 49th time today. Watch a dubiously edited YouTube of Bolt “beating” a less adorable cheetah in a race after the jump.
Von D’s Bass Music Blog Mix MP3
Bass Music Blog is rad because it’s a collabo experience between a grip of hot bass/dubsteppy/purple producers across Europe, like Mumdance, Ginz, Baobinga, High Rankin, etc, on which they conduct Q&As with their compatriots and drop exclusives and whatnot. The most recent interview, with French producer Von D, not only investigates his general fromage intake (fascinating stuff), it comes with a mix of his own work that reflects his background in OG dub musics—a low-end chill out with serious futuristic irie vibes. (And there is also an as-yet unreleased Joker track on there, so holler at les dieux.)
Download: Von D, “Chacha’s Leggings Mix” (via Bass Music Blog)
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posted on Nov 2, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Baobinga, caribbean, dubstep, electronic/dance, Ginz, High Rankin, Joker, Mumdance, Von D
Ghetto Palms 77: Mavado + Natalie Storm / Sizzla + De Tropix / Exclusive Refixes
- story Eddie "Stats" Houghton
- photo Guy Martin (F58 outtake)
I cannot tell a lie, y’all. It was not a particularly good week for dancehall. My ears got so sick of trance synths, auto-tune and trap drums they almost walked off the set before I had anything to palmcast. (sidebar: seriously, music dudes of the world—change it up. I have defended auto-tune and I am not on some DOA type purism but please, pick your spots. Rotate your stock. Let that field lie fallow for a season. Give the next piece of gear a bligh.) There would be no joy in ghettopalmsland at all if not for some fresh remixes injecting new shoots into the landscape. Natalie Storm jumped on some tambarzao drums, De Tropix and Shredah whupped some UK biz on Vybz and Sizzla and coupe decale and kuduro are apparently crossing the streams in France of all places. Before I knew it I had a Ghetto Palms Allstar part 2. Which just underscores the philosophy behind this column—a little cross-pollination is good for the soil.
Video: Vybz Kartel Is Still Angwi
- story Felipe Delerme
Vybz Kartel telling Bounty Killer what he can and cannot do with his own tongue can only mean one of two things, ultimately. Kartel is extremely concerned with his former mentor and current enemy’s oral hygiene, or, ITS GOING DOWN AT STING THIS YEAR. Last year’s clash between Kartel and Mavado extinguished the Gully God’s angst altogether, steering him to new heights of positivity, Mavado only using his tropical howl to serenade if not inspire the youth. Kartel, however, who some have begun to label a bully, remains hungry like the wolf, and as of late has been showing his teeth to Killer directly. What most ignore in their condemnation of Kartel though is that to bully successfully, you do have to be stronger than everyone else. In brighter Kartel news, a DJ named I.V. slapped a Vybz Kartel verse pon 50’s new single and it sounds better than it ever could have without Kartel telling his lady, “shift yuh panties partially.” Have baby by Vybz baby, be a gaza girl.
Download: 50 Cent f. Vybz Kartel & Neyo, “Baby By Me” (DJ I.V. refix)
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posted on Oct 28, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS, MUSIC VIDEO tags 50 Cent, Bounty Killer, caribbean, hip hop, Vybz Kartel
Lee Perry’s “Blackboard Jungle”: From Dub to Dubstep
Obviously the root sound of dubstep is um, dub, but this video documents legend Lee “Scratch” Perry’s transition into making actual dubstep and does a good job of showing how the genres/cultures inform each other without explicitly saying so… at least until the end when it promos Perry’s new track with FADER fave Jahdan Blakkamoore and Subatomic Soundsystem. Worth watching for great footage of Jahdan performing at Terminal 5 with Major Lazer, a brief interview with Rusko on the topic, and a very, very serious Jamaican gyal narrating. (via Dutty Artz)
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posted on Oct 28, 2009 in ART+CULTURE VIDEO tags caribbean, dubstep, Dutty Artz, Jahdan Blakkamoore, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Rusko, Subatomic Soundsystem
Live: FADER 64 Issue Release Party
- story THE FADER
- photo John Francis Peters
Last week, we decided to have an issue release party smack dab in the middle of CMJ insanity, adding to the whirlwind our beleaguered iCals promised. It felt like the right thing to do, as friends from far and wide across the boroughs and beyond came through to celebrate the birth of our Bon Iver/Dam-Funk issue with a little Budweiser and Budweiser American Ale. Everyone was treated to the excellent selections of the Cool Places Soundsystem, whose laissez-faire DJing made no bones about playing soca, bhangra and folk jams in quick succession. As they dropped Aly-Us’ “Follow Me” to our pleasure, Los Angeles dreamers/F64 Gen F stars Warpaint set up their equipment, and then proceeded to completely shred through jams like “Elephants” and “Beetles.” The crowd watched rapt, entranced by their lovely whorls. The party ended early, and everyone scattered into the night, off to see 452 more bands in three hours. See more pics from the scene after the jump.
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posted on Oct 26, 2009 in FADER, MUSIC NEWS tags caribbean, Cool Places Soundsystem, FADER 64, rock, Warpaint
Beniton The Menace f. Marvin Priest, “Who’s Gonna Smoke” (Run This Town Riddim) MP3
- story Felipe Delerme
At the risk of being called weed anthem refix apologists, Beniton The Menace’s “Who’s Gonna Smoke” takes Jiggaman’s flaccid call to arms and pumps it up to lighter-waving proportions. Marvin Priest, Maxi’s son, makes a fine pinch hitter for Ri Ri, but it’s Beniton, whose “It’s a recession, but I’m still gonna party” attitude and eco-friendly life advice that shows us that Kanye’s minimal jeep kick is just as good for busting “The Holiday” as it is for inciting riots in the future. Also, he has an entire MySpace album dedicated to his own wacky haircuts.
Download: Beniton The Menace f. Marvin Priest, “Who’s Gonna Smoke”
