Build An Ark : You’ve Gotta Have Freedom
taken from the album Peace With Every Step on Plug Research (2004)

Dwight Trible & The Life Force Trio : Antiquity
taken from the album Love Is The Answer on Ninja Tune (2005)

Now a bunch of you cats are prolly gonna think I’m a downright hippie-softypants-mush-mush-brain. Go ahead, I’ll be finding peace in these here righteous rhythms. This music is doing things that most people are scared to take seriously, it travels to places that few people have enough conviction to even believe in nowadays. It’s new music with an old soul- just listen to the lyrics on Antiquity, which was penned by Carlos Niño (aka one half of Ammoncontact); the entire poem is composed of classic record titles. Beat by Dilla. Listening to this extremely rare contemporary musical incarnation, I wonder what happened to all the positive energy from those albums? Where is it today, honestly? I just hope it catches on and spreads, this infectious positive bug that urges open-ness. It’s simple in a lot of ways. Some things should be.

You can find out info about Dwight (who’s worked with more amazing artists than I want to even begin listing) here. You can let your guard down for a minute, feel good about the world and support this modern day love warrior (and his compadres that include: Madlib, Sa-Ra, Phil Ranelin, and Adam Rudolph to name a few) by purchasing either of these fine albums here.

After making a big fuss about not receiving comments, and then posting up the whole contest thing, it was brought to my attention that the comments section isn’t working on more than a few computers. Hotdamn. I finally thought I had it worked out. Back to the drawing board.

The contest is still on however, so if you are able to post a comment, do so. If not, e-mail me with what ever info you’ve dug up and I’ll accept it in that form too. Fully functional comments are coming soon…

Another hint for the contest:
Bay Area meets Oxnard – holy crap, someone better get this quick like.

**CONTEST**CONTEST**CONTEST**CONTEST**CONTEST**CONTEST**

The Scientist : Night Of The Living Dead
taken from the album “Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires” on Greensleeves (1981)

Chief Ebenezer Obey and his Inter-Reformers Band : Ambition (Side A)
taken from the album “Ambition” on Obey (1983)

Alright, alright already, I take the time to install Haloscan for your convenience and not a single comment? This calls for drastic measures… a contest! In a pathetic attempt at getting your feedback, I’m actually willing to give away a brand new CD copy of The Scientist’s legendary DUB masterpiece (I’ll throw in a Bobby Konders dancehall mix CD too). The prize goes to the first person who correctly identifies:
1) the contemporary (and highly prolific) producer that recently sampled this very Scientist track,
2) the name of the song which samples it,
3) and finally, you have to put your responses in the freakin’ COMMENTS section. Those are the conditions.

Now for a hint:
The song comes from a recent release off a Nor-Cal underground hip hop act’s latest effort.

Go to work you diggers and beat freaks! If you are even remotely into dub or reggae music, this Scientist album is a necessary addition to your undoubtedtly bloated music colleciton. Don’t worry, I’ll cover the shipping.

Dub music makes tolerable these sweltering hot nights when being buck-naked on top of your sheets with the fan blasting over your family jewels isn’t enough to keep you from cultivating a salty body syrup.

Juju music, as heard here by one of its greatest proponents, also manages to slink and squirm in a way fitting to my general summer sloth. This is actually a string of songs played continuously, as is common on these old-school juju LPs. The version you’re hearing is an edit, not by choice, but because my computer sometimes fritzes when recording for longer than 10 minutes at a time. Sorry. Speaking of ill Nigerian music, can someone please get me this album. Lordy, Honest Jons does it again- those guys are impeccable. Also, a blog brethren by the name of Count Reeshard has been dropping Juju gems left and right over at Permanent Condition, some early King Sunny Ade joints that should satisfy any further cravings you may have after hearing this taste of Obey.

Also, last Thursday night was spent the right way, dancing to loud funky music mixed by nasty DJs using a proper soundsystem. This highly recommended monthly event comes courtesy of Bastard Jazz records and the music fiend who takes care of the equally commendable musicblog Scissorkick. PEEP that shiz. And don’t forget to check out the Gumbo Funk E.P.

Merry Clayton : Southern Man
taken from her self-titled album on Ode (1971)

The Nazty : It’s Summertime
taken from the album “I Got To Move” on Mankind (1976)

Despite the lack of A.C., some things are still poppin’ around here at the Park Place house. Ixley got his new mix up and available for your downloadable delight. Find it under the loose tape section; same place where you can find the Gumbo Funk E.P. for sale (a meager $8, cop that shiz!). We finally have Haloscan working for comments, so it’s just one click (rather than an entire registration process) to let me know your thoughts- I want to hear them. And I did some long overdue blogroll updating- see the inspiration information list to the right. Otherwise, still summer, still hot, still sticky. I was thinking it appropriate to post some minimalist Dub or hypnotic Juju, something that captures the spacy haze of my daily routine right now. But I’m gonna wait until next week for that. In a way, these two songs are kind of coming from a similar place- Southern heat ain’t that far from tropical. I remember (with a clarity that comes only after emerging from a confounding haze), driving through Tennesse and Louisiana during my cross-country roadtrip back in ’98. Definitely the thickest, muggiest, and most dificult-to-breathe air I’ve ever experienced was down there in Louisiana, mid-August. In air like that your farts can’t dissolve, they form into condensed spheres, fall to the ground and roll away like balloons that have lost their helium. My buddy and I found a ridiculous skate park down there, but we could barely ride for more than five minutes before feeling queasy. I want to go back there for sure, but I think I’ll time my trip closer to November.

Merry Clayton comes from New Orleans. Growing up in that Louisiana air, she’s probably used to it. This is a HEAVY cover of a Neil Young song that rails against the utter wackness of the KKK and burning crosses and the whole despicable lot. Supposedly, Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote “Sweet Home Alabama” as a response to hearing the original version of this tune. I think Merry’s funkification here would be an adequate rebuttle to Skynyrd anyday, you be the judge. Home Of The Groove posted one of her tracks a while back, too bad I missed it…

The Nazty come from Detroit originally, but this record has Nashville written all over it (literally). Other than that, I can’t tell you much about the group. This was a flea market find a while back and came to the front of my crate again by accident. The back and forth vocals do a nice job of recreating the party vibe and some of these lyrics are soooo on point:

“Loving you in my air conditioned room,
it’s gonna be like heaven with wall to wall weather”

If you dig it, you can pick up the 7″ for $8. The full-length gets a bit more expensive.

George Nooks ft. Lupa : Real Man
taken from his self-titled album on Correct (1997)

Motion ft. Ruffa : Gangsta
taken from the album Hip Hop Reggae on VP (1995)

Kenny Dope ft. Screechy Dan : Boomin’ In Ya Jeep
taken from the album “The Unreleased Project” on Freeze (1993)

I remember when ragga hop was the shit. I left my Ragga Twins “Rinsin Lyrics” tape in my walkman for at least a couple weeks one summer. I decided my favorite track on the Us3 album was “Tukka Yoot’s Riddim”. And I could definitely sing along to every single song on Til Shiloh, without really knowing what half of the words were (I hadn’t been to Jamaica yet and was only 13, so give a honkey a break). I still don’t get where the “muffin” comes from in raggamuffin. Anyone? But anyway, now I’m diggin up shiz that I didn’t even know existed back when it came out. It’s not a musical focus of mine, in fact, I know there’s TONS out there that I’m entirely oblivious to, but what little Jamaican hip hop I do have, I love. There’s a few sound systems I know of that do nothing but reggae accapellas on hip hop heat. I dig it as long as there’s no mention of burning up Batty Boys, as soon as that shiz comes out I get really pissed off. It’s wierd, my tolerance for hearing violent and undoubtedly fabricated gangsta talk, along with my semi-complicity with blatantly chauvinistic and over-sexxed lyrics might lead one to belive that I don’t really care about content. Of course I DO care, but for some reason I feel like the damage being done on those fronts isn’t as immediately tangible to me as homosexuals getting stoned to death. For whatever reason, I really hate hearing that Batty Boy bullshit and was all excited when I first read this story a few months back. And seeing Stacyann Chin’s show gave me a little hope too. Then Sizzla (who’s new album I just got ’cause I work for Greensleeves) had to go and drop this track and just piss me off again. A rare example of ragga hop that I really don’t like at all- and such a siiick beat too. Well, moving on…

Last night the whole VIA crew went to an entirely dope party/art installation where (among other things) Bobo Saw was singing live over old school reggae riddims- that helped get me in the mood for sure. These are just three joints to enjoy hot summer heat by. Can’t really hate on Nooks for Jacking a beat this good (produced here by Psycho Les of the Beatnuts). Nooks is the singer, never heard of Lupa before. The “Gangsta” track reworks Buju Banton’s “Champion” on the minimal beat from the classic “Flava In Ya Ear” posse cut. I’m a little confuse about how the album credits two names for this tune, ’cause I only hear one voice. Anyone out there wanna school me? And finally, to pick it up a bit, actually A LOT, here’s a track that needs no real explanation beyond it’s entirely perfect title: “Boomin’ In Ya Jeep”. Bump that shiz too loud and you’ll definitely crack your neck from headbanging too hard.

And look everybody, ’cause a bunch of you folks have been complaining, I FINALLY GOT HALOSCAN!!!!!. Easy comments for lazy (or is it just short attention span?) web surfers. Let me know what you think.