It’s May! And it’s sunny in New York!
Swedish label Raw Fusion brings you its Classics compilation series, featuring tracks spun at Stockholm’s legendary Raw Fusion club over its 8-year history. I am happy to have my cut “I Won’t Race You”- originally featured on Dublab’s In The Loop 12” last spring- appear alongside Roots Manuva, Dabrye, Jay Dee, DJ Vadim, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, and many others on this 2LP and CD release.
Raw Fusion is a club that has developed its own classics, and has also found its own sound. Here you will find the bass-ment selection as chosen by the people behind the club. At the core of it, this is music made for, and by, the hip-hop generation. It’s soulful but electronic, it’s heavy at the bottom but crisp at the top, and sloppy at it’s best. It’s not ‘backpack’ or ‘jiggy’ or whatever – it’s dope basically, that’s what links these beats together.
This compilation is offered through Groove Attack Distribution in Europe, and by P-Vine in Japan.
Chicago’s four-year old label Consumers Research & Development offers its first release of 2005, Hazardous Materials. “She’s Everywhere I Look” is a compilation-exclusive track I made based on a beautiful Miles Tilmann song called “Smallest Flame,” released by the UK label Toytronic. And, I was happy to do drum programming and additional production for The Timeout Drawer’s contribution to the compilation, entitled “North, Virginia” but - guys - you mixed my drums too low! Don’t hate- celebrate! (I am only kidding). Anyway, also included on this compilation’s diverse roster are Innerstance Beatbox (Jason Todd of Milwaukee’s Def Harmonic), Atom Heart remixing Detalles, Del Ray, String Theory, Miles Tillman, Mr. Projectile, Salvo Beta, Alder & Elius, and Single Minded Pros featuring Breez Evahflowin’, C-Rayz Walz, and Chicago’s underground legend Juice.
If you are in Chicago, check out the release party for this compilation @ Danny’s (corner of Damen & Dickens in Wicker Park) May 30th: performances by Machine Drum (M3rck), Miles Tilmann, and DJs Reverend Robert Sinewave & DJ [Ray_Rod]. Check out www.consumerslabel.net for details!
Nice Nice are a guitar-and-drum duo hailing from Portland, and I had a lot of fun remixing a track of theirs from their upcoming CDEP “Yesss!” on Audraglint. Following a 3” CD last year entitled “Awesome,” the group has moved from one-take noise and “lo-fi free jazz” recordings into more studio experimentation and layering. The CD has five original tracks and three remixes by Stars as Eyes, DJ/Rupture, and of course yours truly. Check out a sample on my myspace page: “Uh Oh remix”!