Episode Seven

Some picks of 2008

Radiohead - In Rainbows - Radiohead is a band who's releases continue to remain solid throughout over a decade of songwriting. While other bands dwindle in their creativity, they keep it up with every album. In Rainbows has uptempo guitar songs and moody acoustic ballads, full of headphone-tweaking sound effects.


Vivian Girls - (st) - The recording quality on their debut album is admirably scuzzy; the drums sound like somebody's banging a cereal box on the floor, which is part of the immediate charm.





Shawn Lee and Clutchy Hopkins - Clutch of the Tiger - It's dusty and mysterious junkyard jazz that's powered by sly beats and other-worldly funk.




Flying Lotus - Los Angeles - Flying Lotus has an amazing ability to create thick, rolling beats that pop and crack over smoked out basslines that evoke the 8-bit classics, but they're drenched in swirling synth lines and chopped apart beyond recognition. Highly recommended.


Black Mountain - In the future - An album filled with experimentation, hard rock and psychedelic blues.





Dungen - 4 - I don't understand how this band continues to make the most genuinely great psychedelic revivalist music and still seems relatively unnoticed.




Dead Meadow - Old Growth - vintage hard rock, tinged with some bluesy psychedelica, metal and stoner riffs, with the occasional ballad, and striking lyrics with a sense of fantasy.




The Organ - Thieves - 80s-influenced melancholy pop tones. Sadly their last and final release.





King Khan and his Shrines - The Supreme Genius of King Khan and his Shrines - a 60's garage record steeped in 70's R&B and Soul.




Jay Reatard - The Matador Singles - The simplicity is evident throughout this collection, if you added any more to any of these songs it would almost certainly ruin them. All that is really needed is a reliable verse and a chorus that practically screams "genius". Each of these songs is a perfectly crafted chunk of pop perfection, and in this case, it would not be a mistake to go the full Reatard.


Favorites of 2008
Set 1
Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling into Place
Vivian Girls - Tell the World
Shawn Lee and Clutchy Hopkins - Bill Blows it
Flying Lotus - Beginners Falafel
Black Mountain - Wucan

Set 3
Favorites of 2008
Dungen - Samtigidt 2
Dead Meadow - I'm Gone
The Organ - Let the Bells Ring
King Khan and his Shrines - I Wanna be a Girl
Jay Reatard - See Saw

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Set 2

Beats Broke's second release, also marks the first record ever available from Arts The Beatdoctor from the Netherlands in North America. Progressions is a double seven-inch (2x7") vinyl EP, limited to 500 numbered copies.





Tobacco - Truck Sweat recorded Fucked Up Friends using analog synths and tape machines, which gives his work a timeless distance from digital pop music at large. His tracks evoke sonar, mellotrons and deteriorating cassette tapes.





G.E.D. Soul Records has been recording deep fried southern funk and soul since late 2007. This Tennessee label is debuting there second release with DeRoberts & The Half-Truths that gives you a straight up and step by step instructions to "Stay on Point" on the flip side.




Funky drums and flute with a quirky flawless execution come together on "Voodoo", almost a mix of deep funk and soundtrack styles from the 60s. Natural Yogurt Band are one of the few contemporary acts to record for Jazzman but they've got a great style that certainly fits the older vibe of the label




A very interesting 12" from Finland's Clouds on the consistently excellent Ramp recordings. With Ras G of Ninja Tune and Plug Research fame providing a killer wonky instro-hiphop mix with rude soundsystem vibes plugged in.





This 10-inch EP by MRR-ADM featuring Malcolm Catto is full of hard hitting funky drums, percussion and fuzzy analog synth grooves. There's no track list and no words just raw sounds.






Chimpo steps out for MRK1's Contagious crew again with "Children Of Israel". The flip side track that is a dancehall stromer. Far outshadowing it's more popular counterpart with proper subbass drops and a far more wholesome vibe.






Set 4

Madvillainy 2 - Pow! (intro) This album is a complete remix of their highly-acclaimed debut album Madvillainy. According to Stone Throw Records, Madlib could not wait for the official sequel of Madvillainy to be released, so he choose to remix their debut album completely




After the release of their full length in march 2008 this Brighton-based combo is back firing on all cylinders with their second single from their critically acclaimed debut album. The flip "Jackson Fingers" has more of a crime flick feel to it with wordless vocals and some soild drumwork.




The Grits are as gritty as ever, "Mwwauu" a cut that begins with a massive drum break for afew bars, then opens up with a wicked moogy keyboard mixed with organ and guitar.






The Fantasy Funk Band 45 is an excellent release brought about after listeners to BBC radio's Funk and Soul Show voted for their all time favorite artists. Smoove and Dr. Rubberfunk provide the crucial edits on this super limited special edition 7" vinyl, serving up a heavy JB's backing with Nina Simone vocals layered on top.



Truth & Soul, in conjunction with Candela Records present the first full-length from New York’s premier latin-soul band, Bronx River Parkway. With their first LP, “San Sebastian 152”. Bronx River Parkway delivers an exceptional and completely fresh take on music inspired by groups like The Lebron Brothers, Apollo Sound, and Ocho.



It's those Brooklyn boys, Monk One and E's E, back with another sweaty Latin slumper for the dancefloors. "Salsa Verde" starts nice enough, all crisp percussion and steady horns and electric piano, but when Antibalas' Victor Axelrod (aka Ticklah) comes in with the Eddie Palmieri-style retardo organ solo, it's a wrap.



For this album, Karl Hector is teamed up with Jay Whitefield (producer and guitarist for the Poets of Rhythm and the Whitefield Brothers, and founder of the now defunct Hotpie & Candy Records) and Thomas Myland and Zdenko Curlija, founders of The Malcouns. Together they make Sahara Swing a percussive excursions into the astral realms of psychedelia with an album of Afro-tinged funk music.


Analog Africa does it again with African Sceam Contest - Raw & Psychedelic Afro sound from Benin & Togo 70s. Napo De Mi Amor & The Black Devils - Leki Santchi was first recorded in early 1975. For this track Napo De Mi Amor used a rhythm called Crougnima, which is commonly played during rituals in the central regoin of Bassar. Only 200 copies were pressed and distributed in Lome.


An unexpectedly upful, shuffling, percussive rug-cutter, with the Light Of Saba veteran bringing a little go-go to the groundation, and a deft, lovely dub mixed by Moritz von Oswald.







Most Listen To 2008
Set 2
Arts The Beatdoctor - Progressions
Tabacco - Truck Sweat
DeRoberts & The Half-Truths - Stay on Point
Natural Yoghurt Band - Voodoo
Ras G - Timekeeper (remix)
MRR-ADM - Track 3
Chimpo - Children of Isreal


Set 4
Madvillany 2 - Pow! (intro)
Baby Charles - Jackson Fingers
Grits - MMWAUU
Dr Rubberfunk - Dr Rubberfunk's Fantasy Soul Band
Bronx River Parkway - Song for Ray
Green Rhythm Coalition - Salsa Verde
Karl Hector & The Malcouns - Followed Path
Napo De Mi Amor Et Ses Black Devil - Leki Santchi
Wareika Hill Sound - Proverbs Dub

Episode Six

The Passing of a Reggae Legend - Alton Ellis Dies at 70

This is a special tribute episode for one of my all time favorite singers and Reggae legend Alton Ellis. Sadly he passed away October 11, 2008, inside London’s Hammersmith Hospital, after a year-long battle with lymphatic cancer. He collapsed during a club performance in London in August and never recovered his health.
My introduction to Alton Ellis came a few years back when a friend made me a mix tape with "Dance Crasher." I didn't know anything about Ellis at the time, except that he was know as the "Godfather of Rocksteady" but as I began to dig more into his catalog, the more enamored I became with it.
He was one of the most popular singers of the Rocksteady era before moving to England where he continued his career. Alton is best-known for the music he sang from 1966-1968. “Alton was a bigger artist in Jamaica than Bob Marley,” said Dennis Alcapone, another Jamaican recording artist working in Britain who often performed with Alton. “Everybody, even Bob, would love if he could sing like Alton Ellis. All of them would sit back and listen to Alton because Alton was the king.”
He continued to record and perform right into August of this year. The great Alton Ellis, a man who brought great joy through both is music and his presence, Rest In Peace.

The Dawning of a New Era

My second set is dedicated to the two tone music genre straight out of England. The genre that made me a reggae lover. The two tone is a music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk Rock, Rocksteady, Reggae and Pop.
The 2 Tone sound was developed by English musicians (mostly based in the West Midlands area) who grew up hearing 1960s Jamaican music and decided to play a similar style of music. They combined that style with influences from contemporary punk and pop music. The new music genre became known as 2 Tone because most of the bands were signed to the record label 2 Tone Records at some point.
So here's a collection of my favorite songs by MY favorite two tone artist.

Godfather of Rocksteady - Alton Ellis
Set 2
Why Did You Leave Me To Cry
Sunday Version
Remember That Sunday
Bad Boy Version
How Can I
The Picture Was You
Soul Groover
Mouth A Massy
And I Love Her So
Whipping The Prince
I'll Be Waiting

Two Tone
Set 4
The English Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom
The Selecter - Too Much Pressure
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Selecter - On My Radio
The Bodysnatchers - Easy Life

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This set was inspired by these three 45's that i came across when i was trying to organize my records. The first one is Rehash - Number 4, starts with a inviting guitar loop and bass line that leads into a female vocal and one of the nicest piano samples. Second is Meaty Ogre - Bell of the Beast that was released in 2002 on Heardrums Records. This was a limited release where 500 copy's were pressed as well as the Rehash 45. The songs starts off with a gloomy piano riff that is accommodated with a steady drum and bass loop that leads into a flute sample that carries the song. Lastly is Sixtoo & Matt - Watchedusslowlydie released on Bully Records bassed out of Montreal. Another stellar instrumental project from Sixtoo, this time teamed up with Cali based producer Matt. Originally released in 2003 in a silver and black silkscreened sleeve and numbered. Only a 1000 were pressed untill 2004 when it was repressed in blue and black.












For my second set I gathered traditional Cumbia songs from Colombia, Panama, and Peru. Colombian and Panamanian Cumbia is just originally folk dance music. As Cumbia's popularity spread to the urban areas of Colombia, musicians began to adapt a more modern type of instrumentation and also simplified the rhythm, by reducing the number of drums. With the popularity of Cuban and other Latin American music being played on the radio, orchestras with horns, piano, bass and drums developed the Cumbia into a much simpler, more consistent version, catering to middle class tastes. By the 1950s and '60s, Cumbias were widely recorded not only in South America but in Central America and Mexico as well, giving the style a new adopted home; in countries such as El Salvador and Nicaragua, Cumbia is as prominent as the local music, and sometimes even more so.

You know, psychedelic Cumbias from Peru…The Roots of Chicha has been popular in Peru for many years but new to most, this compilation touches the surface of Chicha, a variation of Cumbia that is guitar heavy and uses vox organs rather than the accordion that is used in traditional Cumbia. The music has its western influences yet retains its Afro-Peruivan roots. The off beat post-modern combination of western psychedelia, Cuban and Colombian rhythms, Andean melodies and distinctive experimentation is close in spirit to the pop sound that Brazilian Tropicalia bands such as Os Mutantes imitate.
Chica also refers to a particular brand of Peruvian pop music that educated Peruvians usually looked down upon. The music is often labeled tropical, which means that it relies on a standard Afro-Cuban percussion section (mostly bongos, congas, bells, and timbales). Cumbia is so fresh and exciting that it is strange that it never managed to find an international audience.

Down Tempo/Hip Hop
Set 1
DJ Cam - Dieu Reconnatra Les Siens
Rehash - Number Four
Meaty Ogre - Bell of the Beast
Sixtoo & Matt - Watchedusslowlydie
N20 - Ohmz
Special Herbs Vol. 2 - Mullein
Wax Tailor - Que Sera
Onra - Gotta have it
DJ Esu - Unwanted Love

Cumbia
Set 3
Papi Brandao y Sus Ejecutivos - Viva Panama
Los Destellos - Elisa
Lucho Bermudez - Colombia Querida
Los Falcons - Cumbia de Sal
Henry Castro - Cumbia de Colombia
Alex Acosta - La Millionora
Cumbias y Gaitas Famosas de Colombia - Soledad
Edmundo Arias - Cumbia Sobre el Mar

Episode Five

Set 1
Spooky Reggae

Rupie Edwards - Doctor Satan Echo Chamber
Augustus Pablo and Derrick Harriott - Bells of Death
King Horror - Loch Ness Monster
Derrick and the Crystalites - Dr. Who
Lee Scratch Perry - Disco Devil


Set 2
Eerie

The Screamers live in San Francisco - 122 Hours of Fear
King Horror - Dracula Prince of Darkness
Amon Tobin - These three tracks are over lapping each other:
Foundation
Osirion
and Darkside Returns
Mazzy Star - Mary of Silent
Aphex Twin - These two tracks are over lapping each other:
White Blur and Gwely Mernans
GAA - Autobhn


Set 3
Garage-Punk Scare

Antsy Pants - I am a Vampire
The Rapture - Infinite Clock
The Lost Sounds - Dark Shadows
Larry and the Blue Notes - Night of the Phantom
Screaming Lord Sutch - She's Fallen in Love with a Monsterman
Ralph Nielsen and the Chancellors - Scream


Set 4
Hardcore Pain

Kings of Noise - If Jesus was the Devil
DJ Radium - Violent Orchestra
Joshua - Pourquos
Hammerdamage - No More w/The Tyrant & Nevermind
Fist of Fury - Huuiirr
Vikta Molotov & Ordeal - Vice
Memetic - Sweat Rohypnot

Episode Four

Asha Bhosle - Tum Kitne Din Baad featured in the movie The Great Gambler

The Great Gambler is a fast paced action thriller. The movie starts with Jai (Amitabh) a small time gambler getting engaged in a brawl. As the movie progresses we come to know that he is a great gambler and he always wins the game of cards. Enter bad guy Ratan Das (Madan Puri) who hires Jai to play in is casino so that he can rob some influetial people and later use their services to his own benefit. One such person person is Nath (Jagdish Raj) who works for the government. After losing large amounts of money, Jai doesn't know that Ratan Das is engineering a scheme to steal the plans for the government's powerful new defense military weapon which is actualy wanted by Saxena (Utpal Dutt as a humming villain). When the Indian police come to know of this, they assign the case to Inspector Vijay (also Amitabh Bachchan), who is asked to apprehend Jai at any cost. The only problem is that Inspector Vijay is Jai's look-alike, and is not a good gambler. After a series of action sequence and great locations viewing we come to know that Jai and Vijay are twins who got separated in thier childhood. They Join hands to destroy the evil men and eventually get their respected ladies and their sister (who appears only for 2 and a half scenes).

Here is a movie clip:

GAA - Uranus

Named after the Greek Earth goddess, GAA was an obscure band from Sarrland, Germany where they formed in 1973. While gigging in mid-1973 they were asked to record an album by Alfred Kerston, owner of Kerston Records. The recording session was quite hurried due to the lack of funds, which becomes evident in the mix which sounds rather tinny. The ablum recived an extremely limited release of only 300 copies in 1974. The opener Uranus gradually commences with acoustic guitar and organ that contains a middle section with celestial vocals like a interplanetary public service announcement or some kind of religious sermon. As well as a powerful chorus with haunting lyrics:

"Hate is the power that rules the world and it is fear that will bring it to death; violence which threatens all life, in the end there's always destruction and death"


Paternoster - Realization

Amongst the most legendary of Austrian underground bands, aside from Eela Craig and Kyrie Eleison, but with a virtually undocumneted history, Paternoster originated from Vienna, and existed for only two years in the early 70's disbanding after the release of just one album on CBS in 1972. Most of the tracks here are rather slow and heavy, fronted by a most unusual vocalist/organist Franz Wippel, with an equally bizarre use of songs. What comes to mind is a depressed vampire starting a Kraut/Prog rock band but that is just my opinion.




Bollywood
Set 1
Bollywood Breaks - In The Garden
Asha Bhosle - Tum Kitne Din Baad featured in the movie The Great Gambler
Kishore Kumar - Tere Chehre Mein Woh Jaadu Hai featured in the movie Dharmatma
Dharmatma - Theme Song
?
Manhar & Anand - Hum Tuhme Chahte Hain featured in the movie Garam Masala

Kraut/Psych
Set 3
GAA - Uranus
Aguaturbia - Heartbreaker
Blue Phantom - Distillation
Aggregation - The Lady At The Gate (intro)
Paternoster - Realization
Jam - Friends

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'Un Poco Soul y Latino Lounge'

Latin Jazz is the order of the day here. With that said, no recording artist has more impeccable street cred than Joe Bataan. He's an undersung but pivotal innovator in music since the mid-1960s. He was part of a wave of Latin bugaloo artists. In this set I included his hit 'Gypsy Woman'-one that's even more heartbreaking than the Curtis Mayfield original. A lot of the music I find are on different complilations. I found the song 'Pata Pata' on El Soul es un Droga compliation. If you're interested, I'd recommend picking up Volume 3, and scaling your expectations back from there. There are a few gloriously wild performances, full of wailing, fuzzed-out, wah-wah pedal action. As is often the case with foreign rockers, several cover tunes are disappointing simply because they are sung in English. (when it would have been so much more fun in proper Spanish). But whatever. Finishing this set off is 'Tighten Up' by Al Escobar & His Orchestra and Mongo Santamaria serves up some "Green Onions" from his album "Soul Bag".





Set 4 is a collection of songs for lovers of that 60's British mod rock. This set includes renditions of Spencer Davis Group's song "Gimmie Some Lovin" and Otis Blackwell's hit "Daddy Rolling Stone. Shocking Blue's, "Send me a Postcard" is a song I never get sick because it's just a pulsating, psychedelic-ish, scorcher of a song. "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" was the debut single released by the English R&B, mod group Small Faces. The last song "High Heel Sneakers" was a party favorite in the movie Quadrophenia preformed by Cross Section.




check it out!

Latin Lounge
Set 2
Timebox - Soul Sauce
Los Stop - Pata Pata
Joe Bataan - Gypsy Woman
Al Escobar and his Orchestra - Tighten Up
Mongo Santamaria - Green Onions

Mod Rock
Set 4
The Who - Daddy Rolling Stone
Spencer Davis Group - I'm a Man
Los Bohemios - Dame Tu Carino
Small Faces - Whatcha Gonna Do About It
Shocking Blue - Send Me a Postcard
Cross Section - High Heel Sneakers

Episode Three

The Rezillos are pretty much the greatest new wave outer space Scottish monster combo of all time. you can tell that the band shared a love of sixties Garage Rock and the picturesque Girl Group glam of the Ronettes and the Shangri Las, The Rezillos found themselves inadvertently caught up in the Punk or New Wave movement. Their debut single, I Can't Stand My Baby, shot them to underground fame initially via airings on John Peel's radio show. It also makes me want to learn to play the bass.
The vicious is a band compiled of members from other bands including international noises conspiracy and the regulators. Their songs are the kind you can't get out of your head. They are from Sweden too. Who would of thought. It seems that there are a lot of awesome bands coming from Sweden in all genres. The Vicious are totally catchy and enjoyable melodic punk rock. The song "The Walking Dead" is a perfect example of that. Speaking of enjoyable I added a catchy number by Oi! pioneers Cock Sparrer off their album Shock Troops. Which when you listen to sounds so much more rock and roll than Oi! Anyway it's an awesome song.

'Ere we go 2-3-4! It's not often that an album makes you feel both happy and sad at the same time. But True Love Stories does exactly that, with its often hilariously told, but straight-up tear jerking tales of the unlucky John being dumped by a long line of girls. All of this is set to frenetically played punk-pop, and some of the most simple, yet funniest lyrics I've ever heard.




Jilted John never achieved the same success here in America as in his native England. We Americans tend to take our rock and roll far too seriously for this sort of nonsense. I'm not even sure he even made another record after this one. But as novelty records go, True Love stories has a great little punk rock kick to it. The lyrics, though often pretty hilarious, actually tug at your heart strings a bit too. Best of all, the pop hooks are the sort that you can't get out of your head once you hear them. I can't get enough of this song.

The Stranglers are one of those bands that are hard to describe, they have a sound that is distinctly their own. Part of the punk movement of the seventies, they were more advanced musically and lyrically than most of the Britain's punk bands. There is no denying the fact that they had more in common with the musical dexterity and overall sound of the Doors. But the Stranglers had something that the Doors did not and it was the grinding melodic bass lines of Jean Jacques Burnel which added an earthiness and an in-you-face immediacy nor did they have that gritter keyboard sound and touch of Dave Greenfield. Also, their lyrics were less unashamedly poetic and more streetwise. I've always wondered how an amazingly talented band could be so overlooked.



I present all my evidence in the set. Listen and get hyped!!

Northern Soul/Soul
Set 1
Connie Austin - Ball of Fire
The Butlers - She Tried to Kiss Me
Tommy Dark - Wobble Legs
John Bowie - You're Gonna Miss a Good Thing
The Channels - I've Got My Eyes On You
The Majestics - I Love Her So Much (It Hurts Me)
All of My Life - Detroit Soul

Punk
Set 3
The Rezillos - Can't Stand My Baby
The Vicious - The Walking Dead
Jilted John - Jilted John
Cock Sparrer - Teenage Heart
Subhumans - Love is...
The Stranglers - Hanging Around

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The Universals - New Generation
One of the finest pieces of soulful funk ever to come out of Florida! 'New Generation' has been on of the most sought after 45's on the funk scene for a long time - hardly surprising given it's super heavy groove and amazing vocals, plus the fact that it never saw any distribution, making it rather hard to track down. This song appears on Jazzman compilation 'Florida Funk' and is available on 45 as well.






Marvin Holmes - Find yourself pt.1.
This is Marvin Holmes with his 70's band the Funk Company. Listening to the song, it's as relevant today as it was over 30 years ago. It's on an LA label called Kimberly Records but the band was originally out of Oakland. This song appears on this first volume of Bay Area Funk compilation that was released on Luv. N' Haight.







Black Cat - Kingston Cardova.
A very limited press 45 on Peripheral Enterprises Records from a new funk act from NYC called Black Cat. Two covers on here in their own unique raw funk fashion of Johnny Guitar Watson's "lovin' You" and on the flip side a funky cover of The Meters "Cardova" tune called "Kingston Cardova."








Sly and The Revolutionaries - Cocaine
Sly Dunbar released his fifth album of dub instrumentals under the name Sly and the Revolutionaries. Black Ash Dub boasts a great lineup, including Dunbar himself on drums and his mate, Robbie Shakespeare, on bass, plus Ansel Collins on organ, Bingy Bunny on guitar, producer Jah Thomas, and mixing by Prince Jammy and Scientist. Though Dunbar made a much better producer than he did an instrumentalist, the sheer accumulation of talent on this session assures great results. Each track on this album is a tribute to a drug paraphernalia. This song also appears on Madlibs Blunted in the Bomb Shelter compilation as well as King Tubby - Cool Down Version and King Tubby - A Better version (that appears on the EP).


Barry Brown - Peace Dub
This song could be found on Midnight Rock at Channel One: Barry Brown/Showcase. This album is a definite treat for all Barry Brown fans. It features adaptations and dub versions of some classic Barry Brown material from 1979 to 1981. In the 1990's, Brown's health deteriorated, suffering with asthma and substance abuse problems, and he died in May 29, 2004 in Sound Waves Recording Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, after falling and hitting his head.





Funk
Set 2
The Universals - New Generation
Dayton Sidewinders - Funky In Here
The Detroit Sex Machine - Rap It
Together/Funky Crawl (J Rocc's edit)
Marvin Holmes - Find Yourself pt.1
Dorando and the Ice Picks of Soul - Why Can't We All Just Get Along (Re-Edit)
Black Cat - Kingston Cardova
Calypso King and The Soul Investigators - Baby! It's Delicious!
Amral's Trinidad Cavaliers - 90% of Me is You

Dub Reggae
Set 4
Sly & The Revolutionaries - Cocaine
King Tubby - Cool Down Version
King Tubby - A Better Version
Augustus Pablo - Up Warika Hill
King Tubby - Say So
Lennie Hibbert - Real Hot
Barry Brown - Peace Dub

Episode Two

For Episode two my focus structure was to concentrate on jazz and international jazz but it took its own shape incorporating Down-Tempo, Soul, and Anatolian Rock music that kept the jazz element with each indiviual songs. Ozdemir Erdogan, who i could not find a lot of information on, is a well-known jazz guitarist, vocalist, and arranger. His track Uzun Ince Bir Yoldayim was originally a well-known türkü by Asik Veysel, one of the most revered Turkish folk poets who was blind for the most of his lifetime.

Erkin Koray - Yagmur
came out in 1973 on Istanbul Records when he released his self titled album Erkin Koray. Up to this point, all of Koray's work had been issued only on 45 rpm records, although he had been recording for the past 10 years and was a very popular artist in Turkey. The album consists of a collection of singles from 1967 to 1973. Koray left Istanbul Records after the release of the album. Both artist appear on the ninth volume in the impressive Love, Peace, & Poerty compilation series - Turkish Psychedelic Muisc.

Guido & Murizio De Angelis - The Other Face seg. 3 appears on one of the greatest Italian crime soundtracks of all time Roma Violenta. A totally groovy little record that's done in a style that is quite different from American crime scores of the time, but still completely wonderful! Most of the instrumentation here is relatively spare -- almost a small combo funk approach to scoring for a cop film, but done with the penchant for isolsated focus on a key instrument that makes Italian soundtracks so dope. Originally released in 1975.
Maurice Vander - Grand Roque appears on two comps Sexopolis - the 70's French Funky Pop Scene and a tiny but excellent catalog of Montparnasse 2000. A super- hip French sound library label. Most of these tracks were never issued formally to the public only recorded to serve as backings in radio, TV, and commercial use.

Down-Tempo/Jazz/Soul
Set 1
Bonobo - If you stayed over (feat. Fink)
Ozdemir Erdogan ve Orkestrasi - Uzun Ince Bir Yoldayim
Silhouettes - Lunar Invasion
Guido & Murizio De Angelis - The other face seg. 3
The Quantrells - Can't let you break my heart
Marvelle Hampton - I know how it feels
JD & The Evil's Dynamite - Sunday kind of love

Set 3
Erkin Koray - Yagmur
Francis Coppieters - Funky Chimes
Maurice Vander - Grand Roque
Luis Enriques Bacalov - Nago
Malcom Catto - Raydio
Broken Keys - The Invisible
The Heliocentrics - Before I Die
Clutchy Hopkins - 3:11

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Ska, the Jamaican music recorded around the early sixties which emerged from Jamaican R&B and wing jazz with a wilder more jerky sound, was fueled bu the sound systems in Jamaica. The music, was reputedly named after the characteristic ska sound made by the guitar while playing the after beat. To represent this genre I tried to find the most amazing songs and artists. Ska by Theo Beckford and Safari by Ray and Raymond Harper were two songs on an awesome compilation put out by Trojan of rare ska tracks compiled by Gaz Mayall titled Top Ska Tunes! Rare because, many of them were no issued in their 1960's heyday which was sometimes due to lack of promotion and other times due to exploitation. Enthusiastic and at times out of tune, the album is a must for any Ska collector. I also included a classic ska track by the Ska legends The Skatalites. After Ska and just before reggae, Jamaica's music scape became thick with the sweet sounds of rocksteady. Rocksteady is, among the most elegant and rhythmically pleasing of all pop music forms (I'm biased because it's the music I love) grew out of Ska.


Ska's furious high - tempo beat had driven dancers into frenzies in Jamaica for years, and at that point a new breed of more confident singers were coming up on the scene, with the likes of the Ethiopians, The Maytals, Ken Boothe, the possibilities for a singer of stamping one's own personality on a song. The bass parts took a distinctive character, leaving a space in the rhythm that came to characterize all of Jamaican music from this point on. Alton Ellis, Jamaica's most soulful singer, came to undisputed prominence with the rise of Rocksteady. Besides his songwriting abilities and voice, Ellis' Particular gift was his ability to take R&B or soul songs and give them that Jamaican sound, and so make them reggae songs rather than mere 'cover' versions. The song What Does it Take originally written by Jr. Walker and the All Stars is a prime example of that and that is why I included it in the Rocksteady set.



The Rocksteady bubble burst somewhere around 1968, when the new, faster, and manic style of reggae began to emerge. The modern DJ era made famous bu legendary reggae producer Duke Reid, which started when Reid simply dropped the chatter over his old Rocksteady hits to start a while new genre of music. In the late 1960's amd early 1970's a strain of Jamaican music called DJ toasting was developed. These "toasts" consisted of rhythmic chants, squeals, screams, and rhymed storytelling. Inspired bu the big sound systems that he had visited in his youth such as those run bu Duke Reid, which featured the DJ U-Roy, Dennis Alcapone caught the public's attention with his unique singsong style. Mosquito One which is a classic reggae hit by Nora Dean and originally titled "Barbwire" was a hit among Alcapone fans. Alcapone, a spontaneous artist, who definitely compels you to dance, makes great reggae music and is worth looking into.

Ska
Set 2
The Skatalities featuring Marguerita - Woman A Come
Theo Beckford and Ray - Ska
Raymond Harper - Safari
Prince Buster and the All Stars - One Step Beyond
The Skatalites - Ball of Fire

Rocksteady
Set 4
Laurel Aitken - Pussy Price
Tony Scott - Darling if you Love me
Llyod Charmers - In the Spirit
The Mad Lads - Ten to One
Dennis Alcapone - Mosquito One
Alton Ellis - What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)