I was asked by Italian DJ / producer GLEDD (also record label boss) to make a mix for his label’s series. If you’re not familiar, do yourself a favor and check out the Saint Wax catalogue- lots of dancefloor gems and heaters! My mix is 70mins, leaning heavily into Afro, Disco, & House, with some Latin and a bit of other trippy Psychedelic sounds blended in as well. Also a couple unreleased edits of mine in here. Enjoy the trip!
“Sonido Madera” is my tribute to the wide breadth of music from around the world that features the marimba, or one of it’s many cousins- the balafon, the xylophone, and the xalaparta among others. I’ve always been naturally attracted to the earthy percussive sound of wood resonating, and it’s become one of the most recurring instruments in my own music production without me even realizing it.
Perhaps it’s partly due to my background as a drummer, growing up in the forest surrounded by trees, or the fact that music highlighting the marimba is often connected to Africa, folkloric roots, and tropical locations which I love. Whatever the case may be, I have a deep appreciation for the sound of wood and the music it makes. This mix is a 70-minute musical world tour, with songs and artists from over 20 countries, including some tracks that date back to the 50’s and others that are brand new releases.
You’ll hear electronic dance music, Afrobeat, Cumbia, Colombian Bullerengue, Malian Disco, Jazz, Salsa, a touch of punk rock and even a cheeky nod to the “Exotica” music which essentially commercialized and re-branded authentic marimba based music for White audiences. There’s also a touch of Txalaparta music which I learned about in Basque Country, Spain, as well as a taste of Jegog music played on bamboo, which I first heard in Bali, Indonesia. Of course there are endless more examples of amazing wood-based music out there, harnessing the powerful voices of trees, and I hope this mix inspires listeners to keep exploring!
I had the absolute pleasure (& honor) of being the guest DJ at this week’s Subsuelo party at East Side Luv on Thursday night. This party has been one of my favorite gatherings in LA since I first moved here (almost 4 years ago! damn time flies), and now I’m happy to call every member of the crew who promotes the night my friend. Still, this is only my second time DJ-ing there, and despite the fact that I DJ in or around LA 2-3 nights a week, it’s a very rare occasion when I can play a set like the one I did this week. For starters, we were celebrating 50 years of Fania Records– for those unschooled, this is the quintessential NYC salsa record label- the same record label that fueled all my vinyl DJ sets at Bembe back in the day when I was just cutting my teeth. Then there was a live performance from Boogaloo Assasins (who absolutely killed it), and sounded about as legit as any classic Latin outfit I’ve heard since seeing Cachao, Tito Puente & Eddie Palmieri play together. And finally, Canyon Cody and I were celebrating the release of our official remix for Fania which drops next week. So that’s exciting too. Anyway, playing a lot of those classics got me inspired to pull out a playlist of some old staples of mine that haven’t seen the light of day in way too long. They aren’t all Fania, but in the vein, and strictly 60’s & 70’s recordings, which still sound perfectly fresh to my ears.
Willie Colon : La Murga
& La Banda
the very same gangster trombonist pictured above.
Tito Puente : Batuka
this song is about as proto-moombahton as it gets, 108bpm, huge build, dem bow conga riddim, just recorded 40 years earlier.
Celia Cruz : Quimbara
the cuban cantante powerhouse. So thankful I got to see her live in Central Park shortly before she passed.
Batacumbele : Se Le Ve
a cuban poly-rhythm masterpiece
Marvin Santiago : Fuego A La Jicotea
this is what you call “salsa dura”, which basically means it burns up the dancefloor
Ray Barretto : The Soul Drummers
& Acid
early boogaloo from the funky spiritual hippie conguero of the Fania crew.
Ralph Robles : Banana Juana
a lost feel-good boogaloo gem that you still won’t find in the iTunes store.
Mongo Santamaria : O Mi Shango
santeria funk jazz fusion delivered from another legendary conguero
Cachao Y Su Combo : Malanga Amarilla
a super oldie from Cuba that still swings
Joe Bataan : Ordinary Guy (Afrofilipino version)
and a little something smoothed out to finish off the set. This is one of maybe 10 versions of this song that Mr. Bataan recorded, perhaps the most laid back of the bunch.
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Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.