Don’t have too much time to extrapolate on the goodness of these new latin joints, but I was reminded to share them when my track “Speakin Nuyorican” (which STILL hasn’t even been officially released yet) popped up on this Flavorpill/Absolut mixtape this past week (alongside some pretty decent company). Sorry about the somewhat infrequent posts- between getting my computer + entire digital music library jacked, experiencing the over-the-top insanity of Austin’s SXSW festival, and breaking my nose in a mosh pit, I’ve been a little preoccupied. But I’m bouncing back as we speak (and trying to remember all the good songs that I need to find again). 

All I will say about today’s tracks is that they come from albums that are great quality listening all the way through. Never heard of Dusty before, but in addition to producing and playing, he also runs the excellent Jazz & Milk record label (who very well may have the classiest album art in the game right now). 

Novalima is a project I’ve known and loved for several years now. I was skeptical about whether they’d be able to outdo their last album, but Coba Coba really just picks up their whole dubby, electro, afro-peruvian sound where Afro left off. If you’re a fan of funky syncopated time signatures and rootsy production, it doesn’t get better than this. 

BONUS MUSIC: I stumbled upon this very fresh SUPERMERCADO MIX by DJ Emil while looking for one of the tracks from Jazz & Milk. Nomadic Soundtrack indeed!

Dusty :       Salsa Step
taken from the album “Keep It Raw” on Jazz & Milk (2009)

Dusty :       Loco Para La Pista (Solo Moderna Remix)
taken from the EP “Keep It Raw Remixed” on Jazz & Milk (2009)

Novalima :       Yo Voy
taken from the album “Coba Coba” on Cumbancha (2008) 

This is the state of my previously white Pro Keds after last night’s crowd-surfing electro-punk warehouse party in Williamsburg. I dance a lot (pretty much why I started DJing), but it’s still a rare occasion that I get a chance to go that crazy. Thanks to all the bands on the lineup (especially Team Robespierre, Juiceboxxx, & Ninjasonik) who induced nothing less than sweaty frenzy between each consecutive power outage (the momentary spaces for shouts and chanting only increased the intensity of the mayhem). Big shouts to Spankrock and Amanda Blank who were keeping things hype too. Here’s some pics from the show (you can see me getting rowdy  in a couple). 

Today however, I needed some serious Sunday recuperation. Afternoon trip to the Russian & Turkish bathhouse with the homies, little bit of savory Israeli cuisine to take me back to Tel Aviv, and sitting back with some recent mash-ups that I’ve been loving lately. Erik The Red is a friend for a while now, and I only wish he would hit me up with blends like this more often. Jayceeoh is a cat I just met recently over the interweb, but I’m looking forward to DJ-ing together later this month when he drops a new Brazilian mix (stay tuned). Pretty cool to hear my own track get the mashup treatment (he used my beat “Fumando” on “I Know That’s Gangster”). And “Blame It” is a guilty pleasure that I can’t pretend not to love. Then I’m putting up a remix I just finished now for Mayer Hawthorne & The County. The og had me flipping when I first heard it, and from listening to the other joints on his myspace, the album sounds like it’s gonna be a monster. Now I need to go find me some new PRO KEDS!!!

Mayer Hawthorne :       Just Ain't Gonna Work Out (Captain Planet Remix)

Alice Russell :       Hurry On Now (Erik The Red's Tubbified Mashdown)

Jaime Foxx vs. DJ Spinna :       Blame It (Jayceeoh Edit)

Jay-Z, Sean Kingston, & Bun B :       I Know That's Gangsta (Jayceeoh vs. Captain Planet Edit)

ALL MTR EXCLUSIVES!!!

I’ve been waiting so long for this one and it’s WORTH IT! The video for NASTY FUNKY (Directed by the legendary Christine Turner of Say It Loud! Productions) is done and looks amaaaaaaazingly fresh. Come out tonight and rage with us at Beauty Bar with 2 for 1 drinks, a live Beatards performance, and VIDEO SCREENINGS ALL NIGHT! Bound to get rowdy on the dancefloor with me and DJ O providing mixmaster services as well. At some point throughout the night, I promise to drop my new anthem as of 3 hours ago… “MY MUSIC” by Mr. Johnson (shouts to Never Not Working crew for the revelation). 

Yes Jadakiss heads, this is the sample source for “We Gon’ Make It” (wait for it!), but more importantly, it speaks to those of us who actually think about the plausibility of marrying music. Listen to the album if you seek more of the good shit.

Samuel Jonathan Johnson : My Music
taken from the album “My Music” on Columbia (1978) 

I recently dug up this Shirley joint and was reminded of just how simple the recipe is for a timeless dancefloor banger.  Double-dutch rhymes, handclaps, and the obligatory pounded-by-caveman drums. Still works for plenty of artists today. First thought: this is screaming to be remixed and I will do it. While allowing the record to linger in my “to be remixed” crate, I finally gave a listen to the Kizzaland mixtape that people had been telling me about (sometimes I’m slow). First thought: that bastard Timbaland protege beat me to it! The rest of the mixtape is definitely worth a listen too, but this one made me smack the back of my head. Also check these Izza Kizza videos if you got a second. Continue reading…

Watch out for this group! I found out about them when Murphy and O-Dub put out their “Ritmo Del Camino” mixtape a couple months ago and included “Baby” as the second to last song. Handclap actually reached out to us since their name was spelled wrong on the mixtape tracklist (“Handclapping”- blame it on dufus, not me), and asked for a correction and a myspace link. It’s taken me way too long to catch up, but here’s their myspace and their blog, and more photos from their last show at the Williamsburg Music Hall– what was I doing that night and why did I miss this?

Daniel Collás and Sean Marquand make up Embassy Sound Productions (ESP) who are responsible for putting this latest project together. If their names sound familiar perhaps it’s because you have the albums they produced for Uniao Black and Joe Bataan in recent years (comeback albums rarely ever sound this nice). Sean also happens to be one half of the DJ Duo that has been holding down Brazil Beat Brooklyn at Black Betty for years now- still my favorite Sunday night party. Psychedelic, funky, retro-futuristic- I’m eagerly awaiting the full album.

Continue reading…