Ok, this is an unofficial survey: I’ve been having a strong hankering to press up a limited edition mix onto an ACTUAL CASSETTE TAPE. Would people even be into this? Not just any old mix, but something entirely eclectic and verging on epic, remember when mixes did that? I figure I could provide a limited MP3 download code in the liner notes so if you bought the cassette you could get a digital copy as well. I don’t know, call me crazy, but I personally would love to have a new cassette to put in my boombox (and to whisper sweet nothings to late at night when we’re alone- just me and my cassette tape). I know it would be a serious niche product, but I guess I’m wondering if the niche is just me, or if there are a few other people who would be in the niche with me. Anyway, listen to today’s tunes, and then picture hearing them in a dope mix with all the other crazy shit you hear on this site- playing off an ACTUAL CASETTE TAPE! Let me know if you would join my niche and purchase one for $5.

Bell X1 :       Flame (Chicken Lips Remix)
I’ve met a few flames who left me with a similar urge to toast marshmallows. Nice work Chicken Lips.

U-Tern :       You Don't Know Me &       Side Ways (ft. AJK)
new schitt from one of my favorite dance music producers.

Talking Heads :       Psycho Killer (Drop Out Orchestra Rework)
really nice work from these guys.

Roxy Music :       Love Is The Drug (Todd Terje Disco Dub)
and yet again, this dude continues to slay everything in his path.

Panama :       Magic (Midnight Magic Remix)
smoothed out yacht funk sweater disco, from these Brooklyn hepcats.

Starcadian :       Ronnie
unexpected quirky cosmic funk pop from this versatile BK producer.

Funkabit :       Root Beer
simple & effective disco house from this young Italian

Eli Escobar :       Anniversary
possibly the best track yet from NYC’s steady hustlin Mr. Escobar. Get the whole EP here thanks to Dither Down.

Gui Boratto :       Chromophobia &       Gate 7
I don’t tend to delve very deep into techno, but for Brazilian architect Gui I’ll make an exception. Warning: listening may induce hypnotic trance states accompanied by serious mechanical productivity.

Mao :       Harken (Dub)
mooooooody and deep. This is a sure-fire witching hour warehouse rave monsterpiece. Well done Mao.

I know there’s been a recent glut of cumbia in the music world. It may have even surpassed being a resurgence. I think there are more people today who know about the highly danceable South American music style than there were back in its heyday of the 60’s & 70’s. Wether it’s a full-fledged rebirth or a passing internet fueled fad, I’m happy to hear it spreading. I’ve been hanging out with my little cousin this week, who’s spent a significant chunk of time in Peru. Homie has a terabyte drive filled to the brim with South American heat among other styles, and you best believe I’ve been pillaging. Diving into his Peruvian stash reminded me how much other Cumbia-related goodness I’ve been sitting on for a while now, so consider this a benevolent purge.

Hector Ferreyra Y Su Conjunto :       A Caballo (DJ Still Life Edit)
The same man behind the awesome Tropicaaliya project is back with a couple simple S. American DJ-friendly edits that I hope make their way to 7″ someday soon

Juaneco Y Su Combo :       Caballito Nocturno &       Vacilando Con Ayahuesca
From the Amazonian Jungles of Peru, Chicha master Juaneco mixes the sexy and psychedelic into cumbia better than anyone else. Can you imagine actually trying to have sexy time while your mind is melting on Ayahuasca???

Los Destellos :       Guajira Sicodelica &       Cumbia Morena
I have a few LP’s by these guys that I’ve been meaning to digitize for a long time, but then I found the treasure trove in my cousin’s stash this week, which makes my job of sharing a whole lot easier.

Cumbia En Moog :       Cumbia De Sal
whoa… vampire cumbia?

Tulio Enrique Leon :       La Pollera Amarilla
Got this one a while back from my dude Loki who is always travelling the world and knows how to dig up crazy tracks everywhere he touches down.

Chicha Libre :       La Danza Del Millonario
Been a fan of this Brooklyn-based group for a while now (used to see them play in BK heights). I was happy to get this new material from them recently. New album coming soon I think.

Frente Cumbiero :       Ika
Colombian based group who’ve been doing some really interesting suff, including a cumbia-dub collabo album with Mad Professor. This one’s from a new 7″ on NYCT.

Los Miticos Del Ritmo :       Otro Muerde El Polvo  (Another One Bites The Dust)
The ever-crafty Quantic is behind this new album of Cumbia covers all recorded on tape with analogue equipment. Check it out here on Soundway.

This another one champion sound! The Pimps Of Joytime have been my homies for a looooong time. Chauncey used to drum with me at Bembe in BK starting back in like… 2005?!? And of course, the man behind the Wonderwheel label is none other than the globetrotting party instigator Nickodemus, who’s been an inspiration to me since before I was legal. Check out the whole Janxta Remix EP (whoa, nice write-up on TurntableLab too) and help support your local funk dealer by purchasing some music for a change haha.

Also, my B-day week treated me real proper. HUGE shout out to everyone who came out to the bashment last Thursday and turned the spot out. Really couldn’t have been a better crowd. I’m gonna try and make it happen more regularly cause partying is one of our favorite things here at MTR. Til the next episode…

We’re BAAAACK! Been too long since MTR put it’s foot down and threw a proper rager. Me turning the dirty 30 this week (holy shit I’m gettin up there!) is definitely reason enough to make it happen. For whatever astrological reason, I have an abnormally large number of close friends who are pisces/aries cusp as well- so we’ll all be celebrating getting older and living younger together! If you’re in or around LA, do yourself a favor and come join the bash. Good times will be had, good music will be played, good drink will be drunk, and inappropriate dancing will most definitely be the soup du jour. Here’s a bunch of songs I’m feelin right now so those of you who can’t make it can at least participate in spirit.

Elle Varner ft. J. Cole :       Only Wanna Give It To You
always glad to hear some 90’s flavor coming from major label artists. If only the radio could start sounding a little more like this…

AlunaGeorge :       You Know You Like It
head nod on blast. Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of her voice on some of the other songs I’ve heard from these two, but they really nailed it on this one.

DJ Mehdi :       Lucky Boy (Outlines Remix)
it’s always a good time to play some  Mehdi music (R.I.P.)

The Ting Tings :       Soul Killing &       Hang It Up (Shook Remix)
bed-squeek ska skank for the WIN! So glad this group isn’t scared to play around with different styles. Why do most bands feel like every song they put out has to sound similar to the last one? And this 70’s synth-disco remix by Shook is more of what the doctor ordered.

Mux Mool :       Hypercolor ADD
ok beat dude who likes skulls, didn’t expect this little slinky funk number from you, but I’m real glad that it happened.

Zaki Ibrahim :       Something In The Water
sick new sounds produced by the currently-Canadian homie DJ Catalist. Great middle ground between heavier dubstep sounds, UK funky riddims, and moody spaced out R&B. Looking forward to more from Zaki.

Brenmar :       Taking It Down
slept on this dudes music for too long, then saw him DJ at a crazy afterhours party a couple weeks back and now I’m getting familiar with his catalogue. “Club music for now”- simple as that.

Rogiérs :       Home (Opolopo Remix)
smoothed out late night funk. Opolopo seems to be getting better and better with each new release I hear. Here’s a cool video of the man at work.

Mayer Hawthorne :       Henny & Gingerale
this was one of those weird bonus tracks that only came on certain editions of his last album- namely NOT on the edition I got. Glad to have it now though, total throwback to Marvin Gaye’s “Give It Up (pt. 2)”

Adrian Younge :       It's Me (ft. Rebecca Jordan) &       Turn Down The Sound
pretend it’s your bday and go get this whole album. The genius behind the Black Dynamite soundtrack has now recorded the illest psych-soul soundtrack to a B-movie that never was.

Big thanks to my homies at Nacional Records for helping make this happen. I’ve been a fan of this Chilean badass for a while, and getting the opportunity to help make her words a little more appropriate on the dancefloor was something I really wanted to be a part of. Check out the dope write up by Remezcla.com then get your free download and bump it loudly!

It just keeps on coming, and keeps on coming, and keeps on coming… But I’m not showing any signs of being bored. Come out to this party tonite and I promise you won’t be bored either. I’ll be joined by badass DJ Gingee and the lovely hostess Mor Elian (who I stole a lot of today’s tunes from). Some heavy global sounds will get played, but also plenty of house and disco and beats from beyond. Basically, anything goes (in case you couldn’t tell from my playlists here), so expect the unexpected.

Congopunq :       Red Car Go , &       Whirl & Sweat
somehow this record came out years ago and I’m just now hearing about it. Distorted thumb pianos, custom built instruments and loop pedals = a few of my favorite things.  It also appears as though these guys put on a crazy live show.

Bjorn Torske :       Langt Fra Afrika (Todd Terje Remix)
this is my new favorite dance song. No contest. I don’t know what kind of drum/synth he drops at the 3min mark, but I’m in love. And then the horns that don’t come in until 5mins in? This song just keeps getting better and better. TT is my hero right now.

King Coya :       Villa Donde
slow burner from a new alias of Argentine Gaby Kerpel– whose album Carnabalito I used to play on my radio show Passport back in the day.

LOL Boys :       Aisle Seat
strangely infectious tropical electronic fusion beats from these LA/Montreal dudes. I like how there’s one lone sample reveal, and then it’s right back into the cumbia-ton madness

TrezUnidoz :       Melhor Amigo
pretty hard electro baile kuduro bizniz here from this producer in Germany.

Botnek :       Panama Bass
listening to this track instantly puts a raucous carnival parade in my head. Nice work Botnek.

Buraka Som Sistema :       Candonga &       Hypnotized
listening to this album, it’s clear to see why Buraka are still one of the biggest names in global bass.

Daniel Klauser :       Rootz
simple but highly effective Chilean pan-flute banger from this guy.

A Tribe Called Red :       Look At This &       Electric Pow Wow Drum
YES!!! It was only a matter of time before roots-tronica made it’s way to the reservation, and with the recent onslaught of mind-melting tracks from A Tribe Called Red, it’s clear that the time is now.