Thanks guys…pt. 2: Stones Throw Records and Madvillain

 

I remember the first time I heard M.F. DOOM…I was listening to this track titled “Dead Bent” off of the Farewell Fondle ‘Em compilation (Released by Bobbito through Definitive Jux Records, October 30, 2001).

 

I was just riding chilling and enjoying another ridiculously tight definitive jux compilation (prior to this they had dropped the Definitive Jux presents volume 1 compilation which served as my introduction to a host of acts like Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock, Mr. Lif, Copywrite, Ill Bill, RJD2, MHZ, Copywrite, etc. etc…they just don’t make rosters like they used to…then again Duck Down is doing a damn fine job of bringing focus back to the music with their roster…but as usual I digress)

M.F. DOOM…so I’m riding around town with my boy Joe, just listening to our latest CD purchase (yep, your broke when 2 people go in on a CD), and then all of a sudden…

I hold the mic, like niggas hold they girls tight/but I ain’t after her prolly your acura pearl white

Next up, it was 1998 and I just got a new vhs…yeah man M.F’n VHS…Shorty’s Fulfill the dream In addition to showing team members like Chad Muska, Steve Olson, Sammy Baptista, Toan Nguyen, Jesse Silvey, Aaron Snyder, Brandon Turner, Peter Smolik and an ill ass soundtrack. Enter  Quasimoto…now don’t ask me what track was playing…but I know it was off of the unseen, which until then I had yet to discover.

Nope nope that was Brandon skating to Company Flow…damn…does anyone know which late 90’s skate video featured Quasimoto?!? Moving along.

It’s amazing how great things, great sounds, great people are naturally drawn together. I never would have thought that years down the line these two musical forces that I’d stumbled across would get together to form one of the most ridiculous hip hop albums of this decade

With all of the “build up”  in this post you can imagine how happy I was to see Madvillain come to fruition (unlike the unlikely swift and changeable…damn). Well at least I can relive the magic again with a superior box set put together by Stones Throw Records to accompany Madlib’s remix of the Madvillainy masterpiece.

 

 

 

The pre-orders for the Madvillainy 2 set have ended but the album is available everywhere. Don’t lose hope just yet though, after the september 15th stones throw will be departing with a small reserve of the set…enjoy

Inspiration; Hans Ruedi Giger’s Li II

Every now and then you may find yourself coming across a person that contributes more than most. Whether it’s through charity, or creating, leading or listening, they somehow manage to give a bit more. And wherever you find  people like this, you’ll most likely find a plethora of people singing praises. 

What more can I say about a person like this that hasn’t already been said? Maybe there isn’t anything more to say about, but rather something to say to, and so with that I say, “thanks.”

H. R. Giger

 

I’ll preface this post by saying that when I was a child I was scared to death of ventriloquist dummies, the zombies in Michael Jackson’s Thriller and critters (the movie not critters in general). As frightening as they should have been, the creations of H. R. Giger have always had a polar effect on me. There is something hidden deep within the airbrushed layers of his biomechanical wastelands, and while at first I was far to young and inexperienced to really understand everything that I was looking at, I still felt his work speaking to me; opening doors in my subconcious that lead to beautiful dark places. While it is in no way related to H.R. Giger or his works, the title for a movie directed by Stephen Frears sums things up the best; Dirty Pretty Things.

 

It is in fact these dirty pretty things, these seemingly ungodly and wretched landscapes and characters that have made Giger my favorite artist;  a position that is reaffirmed everyday as I stare at my desktop wallpaper. I’m not really sure how to explain what it is about his work that has captivated me so much. Of course there is the obvious; award winning costume and set design for feature films, mastery of painting, sculpting and the design of architectural elements; extensive visual explorations of biomechanism, fetishes and terror. But beyond all of that there is something more, that is so much greater. It’s something that appears in all of his works. I can only describe it as a gateway, which, no matter what medium or subject matter is being employed, will always take me to the same place…a place where the simplest beginning and the most complicated end converge. It’s a moment in a place that is unnatural and even impossible. 

I cherish this impossibility, and look forward to revisiting it every time I look at a work of art by Giger

Visvim FBT Elk, Black

 

Somewhere in the depths of my riddled mind I remember reading something about the things you focus on being the things that come to or happen to you…and so with that I will say that I am and have been in search of a pair of Visvim FBT Elks, Black, Size 11.

 

I guess there isn’t much more to say on that one, other than the fact that one day I’m sure I’ll find someone looking to sale a pair at which point I’ll play the role of the person looking to buy a pair.

The Story Apparel presents Measurement Versus Perception (MVP)

Again, it is with the greatest pleasure that I announce the latest batch of releases from Toronto based, creative gro-ops/apparel label, The Story. In this third season of collaborative efforts, we find a series of observations inspired by hip hop and the philosopher, author, and public speaker, Jiddu Krishnamurti’s Measurement Versus Perception (MVP). 

In short by exploring the concept of measurement versus perception the artists and designers behind the shirts are visually reflecting the belief that the conditioned mind is a mind that compares, measures and divides which is the cause of conflict inwardly and outwardly. It is from her that the question can be posed…Can that mind perceive and observe without conditioning?

 

To find out more about this creative gro-ops/apparel label, or to purchase any of this season’s releases, please visit their website and online store. As stated in their most recent press release feel free to contact them with any questions or comments you may have. To find out more about the works of Jiddu Krishnamurti, visit here.

 

Aiyyo Bo knows this (what?) and Bo knows that (what?) / But Bo don’t know jack, cause Bo can’t rap

What’s the Scenario?, A Tribe Called Quest

Ahh, but maybe Bo did know Krishnamurti, Afrika Bambaataa, and Stetsasonic.

 

La-Di-Da-Di, we likes to party / We don’t cause trouble, we don’t bother nobody…

The Show 12″, Doug E. Fresh and MC Ricky D (Slick Rick)

Shed the conditioning and the combed flow of your thought patterns. Watch and be part of the flow without the disruption of analysis

 

The city of hand puppets shaping the city scapes of our beloved hog town

 

Now, why is the mind always demanding pleasure? Why is it that we do noble and ignoble things with the undercurrent of pleasure? Why is it we sacrifice and suffer on the thin thread of pleasure? What is pleasure and how does it come into being? I wonder if any of you have asked yourself these questions and followed the answers to the very end?

“Freedom from the Known” by Jiddu Krishnamurti

 

Thanks guys…pt. 1: Janelle Monáe

What can I say, the music inspires me. Over the past few weeks I’ve had the privilege of hearing some really great music. Some is very recent, while others have been around for a while…but all of given a sense of musical fulfillment that had definitely become more vacant in recent years.

Let’s start with Janelle Monáe, female r&b/electronic infused/rock innovator extraordinaire. I was able to cop the re-release of her 2007 album this week (originally titled Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase, and now titled Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)). I have always had a soft spot for unusual or alternative female vocalists. Some musicians that come to mind are Lauryn Hill,  Esthero, Tekitha, Björk, Martina Topley Bird, Patty Griffin (thank you so much for “Living with Ghosts”, Ani Di Franco, Beth Gibbons, Sade , Gwen Stefani (Don’t even front like No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom wasn’t the shit, Ol’ Girl from Soulstice, Skye Edwards, Sister Bliss, Liesje Sadonius, Kelli Dayton…etc., etc. I think you see where I’m going with this. If the vocals are powerful, soulful and different count me in, especially if it is trip hop from the mid to late 90’s.

I digress…The reason I started off with Monáe’s album is because it falls in line with many great albums that are near and dear to my heart. To anyone that says it’s too short…well, she did warn us by incorporating “suite” into the title. The raw vocal power of Monáe combined with her ability to switch tempos and tones sets are far apart from you run of the mill singers out there. No matter what the beat does or how straining a note should be, she manages it…seemingly without any stress or strange.

The more I think about it, the less inclined I am to write about the actual album, or her earlier works on the Idlewild soundtrack, Got Purp Volume 2, or “The Audition”. Quite honestly with a voice like this, anything she signs is a joy to hear…the fact that the content and subject matter of her songs is masterfully concepted and executed helps, but in the end the raw power and beauty of her voice made it a real pleasure for me to finally hear the Chase Suite this week.

And so I must say…thank you Ms. Monáe for bringing back that which inspires me…powerful and passionate music. Oh and by the way…Fritz lang…but for some reason this makes me think of Blade Runner too…

…and then your gone

To quote a lyric from one of my favorite songs…

For one day your here baby, and then your gone…the next day your gone

Rest in Peace Andrae S. My prayers go out to you and your family. I didn’t know you nearly enough, and I regret that.

Keys N Krates

I was sent these links a few weeks back (yep, I’m insanely slow on my posting). Again, this is proof of the fact that there is still innovation in music and that there are still people out there who no how to put life and feeling back into the whole music listening experience…thanks Keys N Krates for the update and for giving me a reason to tap my toes!!!

Keys N Krates Myspace here, YouTube here, and blog here.

 

MS. FATBOOTY (LIVE KNK RMX)


NOWHERE TO RUN (LIVE KNK RMX)

CLIP FROM KNK MOTOWN MEDLEY

 

Joe Budden; Brought to me in full by co-signers

I think the best way to start this post would be by saying, “sorry for ever doubting you Joe Budden.” Back in 2003 I remember hearing “Pump it Up” off of a self-titled album, and rolling my eyes. Despite the fact that this track appeared on several mixtapes compiled by dee-jays whom I respected, including The Rub: It’s The Motherfucking Remix, I still wasn’t trying to hear anything Joe Budden was saying. You can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but I sure as hell judged this artist by the first song I heard by him.

Fast forward 5 years: I find myself sweating bullets as I eagerly await Portishead’s first album in 11 years, when out of left field comes an unexpected surprise in the form of a mixtape. Mood Muzik’s Third. WTF?!? Looks like the cover of Portishead’s 1997 self-titled album…sort of. It’s actually Joe Budden rhyming over beats made from Portishead samples, courtesy of  Ill Poetic. So I think to myself, “Portishead, Ill Poetic and Joe Budden…why not?” Sure enough the tape is fire, and with that I start regretting my decision to write off Joe Budden after hearing Pump It Up.

From here I went on to listen to the original Mood Muzik 3, and then Mood Muzik 2, and then Mood Muzik 1…and again I say, “WTF!?!” How long has this been going on? This cat can really spit, and this whole time I was writing his music off…damn, it just goes to show that you should always delve as deep as you can when listening to music, because you never know what you could miss. Enough typing, I’ve got some albums to listen too. Thanks to Ill Poetic and Portishead for helping me see the light.

Peace.

Ill Poetic - The World is Ours

Nowadays it’s hard for me to listen to an album all the way through. Maybe it has to do with the age of ipods and the shuffle feature, but I suspect it has more to do with the lacking quality and consistency reflected by a lot of releases. There’s nothing worse than an album that has no direction and no common thread. How did Bronze Nazareth say on Hear what I say?

Albums weak now, internet didn’t fuck up your sales /12 producers, on 12 songs, your shit can’t gel / It’s just a compilation album, full of your wack songs…

Everyday new musicians break ground, and I’m glad to see so many, because some where in the mass I know there has to be a gem. I catch a glimpse of shimmering jewels here and there…oohh that production is off the chain…damn that was an ill lyric…shit, that’s an ill concept…but a lot of these glimmers that I see don’t shine for long. Creating an album has to be hard work, lead alone creating something that people will embrace and hold on to.

Out of nowhere I got blinded by more than just a glimmer. Outshining the competition while banging listeners over the head with classic material, there sat Ill Poetic, an emcee/producer hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio. A buddy of mine played his second album, The World Is Ours, for me and I froze. I sunk back and just listened, holding my breath waiting for the album to take an akward turn and suddenly become unlistenable, but it never did.

Ill Poetic crafted a gem through and through. The tempos and tones shift from song to song, but the overall feel and quality remain consistent…leaving the listener with a well composed piece of music that requires no gimmicks and no additives to make it listenable. I felt like I took of, flew high and actually pulled of a successful landing, and I didn’t even feel any turbulents. Thanks captain.

For anyone whose been missing good musical journeys, give this album a listen. It’s not everyday that you hear something that sounds good from beginning to end. To find out more about Ill Poetic, or to sample/buy albums, visit here.

Peace

Jay-Z; Brought to me in full by co-signers

For anyone looking for servescribbles blog, you’re at the right place.
So why is Jay-Z’s name in the title of my latest Post? I’ve got to admit that I haven’t ever really been a Jay-Z listener. From freestyle sessions with Big L on The Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show in 95′ to Reasonable Doubt, through to The Black Album. Along the years I’ve tried (admittedly not very hard) to listen to Jay-Z. While I can appreciate his savvy production selections, song and album concepts and even his skills as an emcee, I have never been drawn to Jay-Zs music. I guess you could say it didn’t speak to me, and so each time he dropped an album I passed it up in pursuit of music that was more in-tune with me…oddly enough a lot of this other music had the same type of concepts, beats and stories.

Even Big Pimpin’ with UGK wasn’t on rotation in my discman, and I consider myself to be a huge fan of UGK. So In the end an artist won’t win me over by who they’re affiliated with…or will they?

Maybe they will…
UGK might not have been able to get me to pay attention, but since then there have been two remix albums that really made me pay attention to Jay Z. The first was Dangermouse’s infamous Gray Album. I love Dangermouse’s production, I love The Beatles and the White Album, so 2 out of 3 made it worthwhile for me to check this remix album out. Even though I bought the Gray Album, I still didn’t feel the need to buy Jay-Z’s Black album, or any of his other work for that matter…instead I just delved deeper into the works of Brian Burton.

For everyone calling me a hater right now, just wait…
Moving on to 2008, I stumble across one of the most ingeniously packaged CDs that I’ve seen in many many many years. What seemed to be a kilo of the finest cola was actually a cleverly disguised t-shirt and remix album of Jay-Z’s 2008 release, American Gangster.

The packs were created by Philippe Cuendet (artwork), 1/3 of DIY and one of the minds behind +41 in association with Beat Gees (remix production) and Union Beats Switzerland (UBS) (remix production).

I don’t even know where to start on this remix. From the packaging to the beats, the whole thing is an exceptional showcase of creativity and stunning presentation. For anyone interested in purchasing a pack you might be able to get your hand on one of the 41 from here. If you’re checking for the free download, try here.

Needless to say, it was this particular collaboration that pushed me over the edge, and made me ask, “what exactly have I been missing by not listening to Jay-Z.” And what do you know, I missed a hell of a lot of classics. Then again if I was meant to hear them earlier I would have…I suppose it’s a matter of discovering at the appropriate time. After all isn’t that what music is about? Discovering music at the right time, rather than picking something up because it’s popular today?