Do I really need any excuse to play the funky shit? I guess lately I’ve been feelin the need to go back to what got me into music in the first place.  While I may not have grown up at the roller disco, I’ve always had a serious soft spot in my heart for those tunes. If you hear a deluge of disco edits and breaks start to flood this place, please excuse. On the flip side, if I start posting all the underground hip hop that I was obsessed with in the late 90’s and early 00’s, then feel free to stop me, cause most of that stuff can stay buried for a while longer without me complaining one bit. Also, some of these tunes today are at lower bit rates than I normally like to post, so if you have a nice clean rip at a higher rate, send it my way… Shout to my girl Leesie-bo for today’s epic graphic.

Brooklyn Express :       You Need A Change Of Mind one of my favorite 12″s I’ve discovered so far this year. Marvin meets James Brown with Brooklyn boogie all over it

Imagination :       Just An Illusion &       So Good

Herbie Hancock :       Stars In Your Eyes

Ozone :       Strutt My Thang

Jimmy Bo Horne :       Spank

Eddy Grant :       Time Warp
yes, Metro Area’s “Muira” is a blatant rip-off (done well at least) of this classic. Used to rock this all the time…

Arts & Craft :       I've Been Searching
I got hip to this one from disco digging kingpin Al Kent.

Cameo :       The Sound Table
another old ‘secret weapon’ of mine that got a lot of spins when I first discovered it around ’03. Still sounding fresh.

Konk :       Baby Dee

Bush Tetras :       Can't Be Funky

So. Hot. Mind been melting the past couple days. Thankfully, working on music is sometimes easier when you stop thinking. I’ve also been painting boomboxes and wrapping up this Stupid Hype soundtrack- more info on both of those projects soon. For now, I’m taking a nice little break to bounce around in my room with an icey beverage and 3 different fans blasting at my crotch from different angles. If this ain’t the definition of YOLO, I don’t know what is. Also gotta take a quick second to shout out Op Art master Bridget Riley for the painting above. Ok, Over and out.

Alison Valentine :       Peanut Butter (Moon Boots Remix)
Smooth and thumping at the same time is not an easy feat to pull off, but this guy is managing all that and then some.

The Very Best :       Yoshua Alikuti &       Mghetto (ft. Xuman)
Big big album from this dynamic duo. I was a little thrown off by the heavy use of reverb throughout the album, but the epic 80’s stadium vibe is growing on me.

TNGHT :       Goooo
I’m officially tired of names that remove all vowels, however, that’s not enough peev to keep me from going ape over this track. The video helps too.

Lloydski :       Go To Sleep (La Royale's Do Not Sleep Version)
Funky mid-tempo electro bounce that reminds me a bit of the better work by these guys. Check out more from the young funky Mexican who goes by La Royale right here.

SoulParlor :       Now! (Souled Remix)
house music done right. Old school bounce with plenty of bass. If ya don’t know, now ya know…

Lane 8 :       Thinking About You
Been digging a lot of 70’s & 80’s disco edits lately, but this dude went and removed Stevie altogether, and it still works! More from this San Franciscan disco dude right here.

Oliver Cheatham :       Get Down Saturday Night (Black Amex Dub)
Speaking of disco edits… check out a bunch more of the good stuff from these Denver, Colorado heads.

Blood Orange :       Sutphin Boulevard &       S'Cooled
Super late on this guy, but whatever. If I missed it then probably some of yall did too. Smooth indie dread head that I’m sure Frank Ocean listens to.

Jessie Ware :       Swan Song &       Sweet Talk
I can kind of understand why it took so long for someone to attempt emulating the inimatble Sade (she’s close to untouchable), but I gotta admit Ms. Ware is doing a damn good job at it. The production on this whole album is bananas.

Full Crate :       Cherrie Hats (ft. Chris Turner) &       Wet
late night soulful heady beats from the Netherlands, made by this man. Making me miss Amsterdam…

Nothing crazy here, just a nice lil throwback reggae stepper’s mix of this new one from Bibi Tanga & The Selenites. I’ve been a fan of these guys since this joint was in regular rotation, so I was happy to oblige when asked to do a remix. It’s a little more old-school feeling than most of my recent tracks, but it seemed appropriate with the vibe of the vocals. Check the soundcloud for a very different take on it from fellow LA heads Mathieu Schreyer & Computer Jay. It’s a free download, so share away…

***UPDATE*** Alternate download link here:       My Heart Is Jumping (Captain Planet Remix)

I don’t really know where to begin in relaying any type of accurate account of the past two weeks. My friends had tried to warn and prepare me, but how do you get ready to visit an entirely alternate world? I’ll have to sit with my thoughts and experiences for a while longer before I can make any real sense of what it was. The enormity of the city (yes, it’s a fully functioning metropolis) was so great that even after constant exploration, I saw maybe 1/3 of it while I was there. Music (especially BASS) was constant- from all angles, at every hour, loud as hell. While I was somewhat correct in my fear of too much dubstep (and trance), I managed to find plenty of alternatives. I’m already scheming how to bring my own soundsystem out there next year so that the presence of good music will not be an issue. The whole experience was so much bigger than the music or a festival. At it’s core, what I took away, and what I’m already missing, was an overwhelming sense of pure freedom and expression. I feel extremely grateful to have access to that. Sorry, hippie rant over.

In other news… I was very sad to hear about the loss of DJ Matthew Africa. His Soul Boulders mixes were staple listening for me. O-Dub has written some really nice things about him.

Also, for anyone in the LA area, tomorrow night I’ll be kicking off my new Saturday residency at the Virgil alongside my homie and mixmaster comrade Canyon Cody. Come out ready to sweat, cause it’s a dance party!

Pretty Lights :       Fill Your Eyes ,       High School Art Class , &       Double Love
this dude is the un-official soundtrack of Burning Man. Aside from a couple cuts I hadn’t been that crazy about his music, but now I see where it comes from and how it fits in, so I guess I’ve been converted.

Hot Chip :       Look At Where We Are Now (Major Lazer vs Junior Blender Remix) &       How Do You Do (Todd Terje Remix)
as if these guys weren’t good enough already, they went and got remixed by some of the best

Maddslinky :       Special ft. Omar (Simbad 4x4 Remix)
great dub version of this tune as well. Shouts to Garth Trinidad for turning me on to it

Little Dragon :       Sunshine
they can do no wrong

Midnight Magic :       Same Way
nice mid-tempo space disco jam perfect for lazy afternoon beer drinking

Robin Hannibal :       Sneak Preview
somehow I slept on this gem from the guru of smooth

Hiatus Kaiyote :       Nakamarra &       The World It Softly Lulls
great soul jazz & future beat album from these Aussies.

Mishal Moore & DJ Fonti Project :       Let's Roll
don’t know how I got this, but I dig the minimalism meets 808’s

AlunaGeorge :       Your Drums
another hit from these young Brits. Very much lookin forward to more

Young Wonder :       Orange
great mix of electronic styles on this heavy head nodder

Anthony Valadez :       Sunny Spot &       Walking Away ft. Damon Aaron
taken from a very nice and surprisingly mellow album by this LA DJ who I’ve seen rock parties on several occaisions

I’ve done more than my fair share of partying this Summer, but the biggest and baddest fiesta of the year begins this weekend and I have a lot of preparing to do. The word from Burning Man organizers is that this is looking like one of the hottest and dustiest years ever. It will be my first time experiencing the insanity and I’m very much looking forward to it, but I can’t lie, I’m a little bit nervous. I have plenty of experience camping and roughing it in the wild, so that part should be no problem. Artists, hippies, nudists and freaks tend to get along with me just fine, so as far as fitting in and making friends I’m not worried. But the one thing that truly frightens me, is overdosing on dubstep. I love a little wobble here and there, but I also need my funky shit. Hopefully I’ll be able to hunt down the good music and even have a few opportunities to drop sets out there- help spread the MTR bug. If you or any of your friends are gonna be there, or have connections to a soundsystem, holler at me!

The Busy Twist :       Friday Night
feel good Ghanian club tune out now on Soundway

Gappy Ranks :       Stinkin' Rich (Thornato Remix)
this man is staying busy putting out all kinds of heat.

Los Rakas ft. Raka Stylo :       Hablemos Del Amor
yall already know I’m a fan. Determined to collabo with these cats soon. This new video is fire too.

Hardhouse Banton :       El General
simple club banger that works wonders. Considering how many times I’ve played the OG version, this is sure to come in handy. Shout out to Breixo in BCN for this one.

Buraka Som Sistema :       Peaches
big new tune from some of the reigning champs of global bass.

DJ Self Help :       Gingko Biloba
nice bouncy electro-afro-funky cut from this dj/producer out of Ohio

Maddslinky :       Special ft. Omar (Simbad 4x4 Dub)
little late on this, but so glad to have it. The whole EP is pretty solid.

Walker & Royce :       Little Things (Eli Escobar Remix)
another lovely old-school house nugget taken from the latest EP on Dither Down records.

Gus Gus :       You Make Me Feel
I can’t say I’m a huge fan of all these guys’ material, but this is the first song I heard from them and the bassline won me over instantly.

James Blake :       Limit To Your Love (Alex Dimou Remix)
kinda awesome that Mr. Dimou openly admits to having made this remix just because he couldn’t get his hands on the DB “Limit” track. Sometimes that’s how great things get made.

Just got home from a long weekend in the SF Bay Area where I had tickets with some friends to Outsidelands. I’m not normally a big fan of these massive festivals with endless crowds of highly intoxicated teens and overzealously costumed post-ravers, however, this was a truly awesome event. Just a few highlights included Michael Kiwanuka, Bomba Estereo, Santigold, Sigur Ros, Amadou & Mariam, Die Antwoord, Antibalas and a very uplifting Sunday night sermon from living legend Stevie Wonder. Honorable mentions are due to Beck, Electric Guest, Fitz & The Tantrums, Passion Pit, and Big Boi. Sleeper hit of the weekend award goes Dustbowl Revival– a grassroots band who started a legitimate hoedown on a tiny side stage in the woods. SO MUCH MUSIC! There’s still bands I’m forgetting and others I didn’t manage to catch. It’s San Francisco in August, so there was way more fog than sun, but honestly it kind of added to the ethereal/surreal atmosphere (especially during Sigur Ros‘ epic Asgardian sounding set). Not much time to write since I have a ton of work to get crackin on, but I’m using today’s playlist of oldies to help come down from clouds 10, 11, and 12.

Wanda Jackson :       Whirlpool

Muddy Waters  :       Tom Cat

Ruth Brown :       I Don't Know

Pastor T. L. Barrett & the Youth For Christ Choir :       Like A Ship... (Without A Sail)

Wendy & Bonnie :       Five O'Clock In The Morning &       It's What's Really Happening

Paul McCartney :       Dear Boy &       Ram On

Travis Biggs :       Tibetan Serenity

Penny & The Quarters :       You & Me

Precious Bryant :       The Truth &       Morning Train