clockwise from upper left: Lil PJ, Young E, Brooklyn Supergirls

Last week I finally took the leap of faith that I’d been dreaming about for a LONG time- I quit my dayjob! This means it’s all music, all day, everyday, and somehow I gotta pay rent with that. I have total confidence and have believed in my ability to do this for a while, but there was a damn good reason for holding off so long. My dayjob had some incredible perks, foremost among them being that I got to make music with kids and help them write incredible songs. For the past 4 years I’ve run a little production “studio” out of a computer room in the Sunset Park recreation center, directly in the heart of one of Brooklyn’s most diverse neighborhoods. In the early afternoon it would be the elementary and middle school kids, then after 6pm I had a steady crew of high schoolers who would come in and start writing furiously while I banged out a new beat for them.

I loved it, learned a TON from doing it, and was inspired daily, but I also found myself getting worn down and frustrated with all the other BS I had to deal with working for a City funded organization with ridiculous amounts of bureaucracy. A lot of these kids are pretty heartbroken about me bouncing, but they realize where I’m coming from, and I also plan to keep working with the ones who really take it seriously. Before I left, I finished the 3rd compilation of songs from the group (there’s tons more material that didn’t make the cut- too dirty or street for the higher up’s to stomach) but there’s some seriously classic material here. I also uploaded volumes 1 and 2 as well since the world at large needs to hear this stuff. I’m giving you a few favorites off the latest album, but download the zip files for the complete albums with artwork included. You’ll hear a tribute to garbage men, the freshest homage to Dublin Ireland ever written, and a tearjerking mom appreciation song complete with vintage vocoder hook. Much love to all my kiddies and long live SUNSET STUDIOS!

Young E, B Good & Lil PJ :       What Time Is It? (these guys are 16 and 14)

Brooklyn Super Girls :       Super Girl (9 years old!)

Blue Level :       Besos Mojados (15yr-old Dominican superstar in the making)

Download the full albums here:
Sunset Up Next Vol.I (2007)
Sunset Up Next Vol.II (2008)
Sunset Up Next Vol.III (2010)

And peep some of the music videos we made: What’s Bubblin In Dublin? & NY Minute

21 Ten Eyck St. was my first Brooklyn address. I can hardly believe it’s been so long now (8.5 years). The place was a massive, newly renovated duplex with a HUGE shared yard and a community garden next door. I also find it hard to believe how hooked up I was! A lot has changed on that street, and in Brooklyn. Same day I moved in, local cops approached me and gave me a breakdown of the dealers on the block (“keep your eyes on the guy in the wheelchair”). Now this monstrosity is a block alway, sticking it’s tongue out at the still-pretty-gully projects that you can see on the right side of the photo. More important than the space itself though, was that I lived with 3 other guys, all of them nasty musicians. We collectively built the space into extra bedrooms to fit us, went through 9-11 together, and had many epic nights of bad cooking and underage drinking (mostly Mustang tallboys as I recall). These guys always inspired me back then, probably one of the reasons I decided to follow the music path over the painter/multi-media-installationist one, and it’s still very inspiring to see what they’re up to now.

Sam Barsh, keyboardist extraordinaire and sometimes exhibitionist, has a bunch of different groups and projects that he’s involved with, but a recent release of his called The Years has some tracks that especially need to be heard. Roomie #2 was Max aka “Traxxx” who went to high school with me- we started making music together at age 15. He’s also always bouncing between bands, but as one of the 2 drummers for Francis & The Lights, he’s showing off his exceptionally funky touch. Expect big things from these guys soon since they are opening up for Drake on tour (crazy, I know). Roomie #3 was Chris Bear, who just might be the origin of the band name Grizzly Bear. These guys have been huge for a long time already, doing stadiums on the regular, performing with symphonies, and I believe opening for Radiohead. BUT I remember seeing them play to crowds of 10 in grimey Brooklyn lofts under the name Teenage Jesus when we lived together and for a little while after that.

Finally, since I’ve been in NY for a while now and have made a lot of new friends along the way, I figured I’d include a couple recent tracks by friends that I hung out with this week- Maggie Horn (vocalist on Telephoned) and Ibe (remixer/producer/cool guy). Because that’s how it is here in the city, and it might be the lure that keeps me living here for a long time to come.

The Years :       Lets Stay In Love
this song features Sam’s soulful lil bro Sy on vocals. peep the rest of the album here

Francis & The Lights :       LIME

Grizzly Bear :       Cheerleader

La Roux :       Bulletproof (Ibe Remix)

Telephoned :       Rockin' That Thang
get her whole club killin EP here and the mixtape here

Whoa. Have you seen this?

Girl can go no wrong…

EDIT: gotta give you the MP3 too

Erykah Badu ft. Lil Wayne :       Jump Up In The Air and Stay There

My homie and fellow funk freak, DJ Tantric, just passed his latest mixtape my way and it’s a good one! If you like vintage electro, freestyle, vocoders, the 80’s and, most importantly, doing the robot dance- then this one’s for you. Some staples and classics in here, but also new discoveries for me, including the Photocall track in the beginning of the mix. I’ve done a few shows alongside Tantric and his crew of funkateers Planet Rump and I heartily endorse them and the massive amounts of glitter spandex they wear. Tantric opens up the mix with a little bit of his own vocoder madness, if you like what you hear, then find yourself at one of his parties in the near future.

In Tantric‘s words: “This mix is inspired by the work of 1980’s Renaissance man and American hero, Macgyver.”

TRACKLIST
Intro
Silver Clouds – Photocall
Al Naafiysh (The Soul) – Hashim
Clear – Cybotron
Body Mechanic (Original Vocal Version) – Quadrant Six
Every Sunday – Crazy Gang
Rendez Vous At Rimini – Alden Tyrell
Electric Kingdom – Twilight 22
Situation Hot – Arabian Prince
Freaky DJ – The Egyptian Lover
Diamond Girl – Nice & Wild
Give Me Back My Heart – Corina
Leave It All Behind – Tolga
There’s A Party Going On – Yvonne
What Goes Around Comes Around – Giggles
Reckless With Your Love – Azari & III

One of my all-time musical heroes returns with some seriously dope, exceptionally dark FUTURE BLUES. Don’t sleep.

Gil Scott-Heron:       New York Is Killing Me &       Me And The Devil

Taken from the forthcoming release “I’m New Here” on XL

Here in NYC the temperature is dropping like panties at a Pretty Ricky concert. All week I’ve been under the influence of influenza, but I’m definitely on the upswing now. HUGE thanks to all of you who have been downloading the Music = Medicine mixtape and spreading the word to your friends. I’ve gotten so many good emails from appreciative listeners- it reminds me why I put so much work into this website. I’ve currently received over $4,300 in donation receipts and Partners In Health has told me they plan to feature the mix on their website next week! I love thinking about all those Haitian oldies warming up rooms from Norway to New Zealand. Today I’m sharing more slices of summery sound- some afrobeat, a little dub, y una cumbia caliente. On my way to the bath house later today I’ll be needing the extra warmth while waiting on the frigid train platform.

Superpowers :       American Exceptionalism
from the album Trance For Nation – featuring my homie Claude Gomis on vocals (son of legendary Baobab singer Rudy Gomis)

Horace Andy & Ashley Beedle :       Watch We (Souljazz Orchestra Remix)
The Souljazz Orchestra :       Mamaya
get familiar with Souljazz

Miike Snow :       Animal (Mark Ronson Remix)
Damn, Ronson does it again

Cumbiagra :       Al Calor De La Cumbia
local Brooklyn cumbia cats that hold it down weekly at Bembe where I DJ