Recently in Releases Category
If you have enough money in these hard times after buying Rick Ross this week and hopefully NOT buying Asher Roth, the sophomore album The Art Of Link from Detroit's Big Tone seen its release via TRES Records (home of Ta'raach, Blu).
PURCHASE: iTunes | Fat Beats (CD)
LISTEN: Big Tone - "The Look"
Recently released via Capitol Records is the Nat King Cole remix album titled Re:Generations which features the likes of The Roots, TV On The Radio, Cee-Lo Green, Nas, Cut Chemist, will.i.am, Natalie Cole, and Bebel Gilberto, among others, paired up with the legend. Among the selections is the Amp Fiddler produced "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere". Enjoy a clip of the song below.
LISTEN: Nat King Cole - “Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere” (produced by Amp Fiddler)
LINKS: AMP FIDDLER MYSPACE | RE:GENERATIONS INFO
Detroit area emcee Theologic is set to release his new album Innerworld on April 25th. The album is mostly self-produced but features production from Jae-ss, Che' Nazzarith, and IWight along with guest appearances from Skillful, 14KT, S.U.N., and Jewelz. Theologic describes the album: "The album invites the listener into a mystical place in existence. This place is the deeper part of the human spirit that contains rooms like Joy, Love, Pain, and Victory, all housed under one roof of 15 blazing tracks."
WATCH: Theologic - "Resurrection"
LISTEN: Theologic - "Little Brother"
LINK: THEOLOGIC MYSPACE
The good people at Jazzy Sport in Japan just laced me with DJ Mitsu The Beats' second album Word To The Wise, due out in May. The album include the track titled "Elzhi" featuring Elzhi (duh), along with guest appearances from Jose James, Kev Brown, Black Spade, and Mark de Clive Lowe, among others. We got a little sneak peek of the Elzhi track for you, so enjoy.
LISTEN: DJ Mitsu The Beats - "Elzhi" (featuring Elzhi)
LINKS: JAZZY SPORT OFFICIAL SITE | DJ MITSU THE BEATS MYSPACE
The former cool kid of our Detroit hip hop scene and now Detroit's ambassador via Los Angeles DJ House Shoes is set to release The King James Version, his tribute to the greatest to ever do it, the late geat legend J. Dilla. House Shoes takes us on a journey through the records that James Yancey used to craft the classics we all fell in love with. If you thought Dilla's beat were nothing special and easy to create, you'll second guess that idea and realize the genius of his musical process while listening to The King James Version. House Shoes has offered the first chapter of the mix for free download to give you a taste.
DOWNLOAD: House Shoes - "The King James Version: Chapter One: Verse One"
And here's thoughts from artists hat were close to Dilla regarding The King James Version:
T3 (Slum Village) - "This king james shit is nutz. no homo."
Amir -"Mad people always talk about how much they love music but my man houseshoes is THE only one I know that consistently holds it down! His knowledge and skill cannot be questioned...basically he is the MAN! I am just the man siitin' next to the MAN!"
Rhettmatic - "The King James Version is a must for all you hardcore Dilla fans or for Sample Heads. Shoes is the only person besides J.Rocc who can put something together like this.....listening to this will make your head crack! Don't sleep!"
J-Rocc - "Houseshoes seems to have it all....life isn't fair sometime. After listening to this you'll ask yourself how did Dilla do it. All Hail King James (both of em)"
Black Milk - "House Shoes just showed us how much of a genius dilla was even more with this cd and how crazy dillas record collection was im just now finding some of these samples...dilla was light years ahead of us..."
As being the flagship of the Dilla movement online for almost 8 years now, Rensoul.com is offering online ordering for The King James Version. Pay via Paypal at the links below or pay via money order at the address below. Orders will be shipped regular mail domestically and regular air mail internationally.
CD TEMPORARILY SOLD OUT
PURCHASE: iTunes
As a little Detroit bonus, here's a couple of my favorite House Shoes productions.
DOWNLOAD: Proof of D12 featuring Journalist 103 & Mu - "Broken"
DOWNLOAD: Marvwon - "Remember When"
LINKS: HOUSE SHOES MYSPACE | SHOES HOUSE PODCAST
It's finally here. After years of asking this dude from the album is dropping, Finale's A Pipe Dream And A Promise is available today via Interdependent Media. Last Saturday, we had a DOPE album release party here in Detroit with me, DJ Sicari, and House Shoes spinning along with a gang of awesome performances. The buzz from the show and the album has been heavy. It was also an honor to be witness to the finishing of this album, so please go out and support some real Detroit hip hop.
PURCHASE: iTunes
LISTEN: Finale - "One Man Show" (prod. by Black Milk)
LISTEN: Finale - "One Man Show" (A Rival 8 Bit Remix) featuring Casual | DOWNLOAD
Finale is currently on the road supporting the album release. The following are the dates confirmed right now. I'll be out spinning at the Chicago dates on April 13th.
The Palestinian hip-hop crew Dam, Rebel Diaz, Invincible, Finale, DJ Oja
What: Homeland Hip Hop: A Benefit Show for the Indigenous Youth Delegation to Palestine
When: April 7, 2009, Doors open @ 8pm, Show begins @9pm
Where: Southpaw, 125 5th Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn NY
How much: $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Finale & Invincible
What: A Pipe Dream and a Promise Listening Party
When: April 8, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Homebase NYC Wednesdays
Finale, Marv Won, Sincere
Where: Mac's Bar, Lansing, MI
When: April 9, 2009 @ 9pm
Finale, Vandaylyzm, Black Spade, Gotta Be Karim & Rockwell Knuckles
When: April 10, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: The Gramaphone 4243 Manchester Avenue, Saint Louis, MO
Finale & Invincible
When: April 11, 2009 @ 3:30 pm
Where: Ohio University, Athens, OH
Finale, DJ Sean Doe, Prime, Thaione Davis and more
When: April 12th, 2009
Where: Dark Room, 2210 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL
Finale, Moe Dirdee and more
When: April 16, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: The Bullfrog - Redford, MI
Finale & Invincible
When: April 18, 2009
Where: TBA, Baltimore, MD
Finale & Invincible
When: April 21, 2009
Where: TBA, Washington, D.C
Zion I, Thaione Davis, Finale
What: Thaione Davis Album Release Party
When: May 7, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Morseland, 1218 W. Morse Ave., Rogers Park Chicago, IL
Finale, Invincible, Hassaan Mackey, DJ Quarter Pound
When: April 22, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Dubland Underground, 315 Alexander St, Rochester, NY 14607
LINKS: FINALE MYSPACE | IM RECORDS OFFICIAL SITE
Sorry for the lack of updates recently. DJ gigs here in Detroit started crackin' among other things. Well here we got another web exclusive track from Black Milk called "Mo Power". And I also included the previous web exclusive "Dreams" because, geez, I forgot to post it haha. Black Milk is currently touring Europe with Elzhi murdering each and every city!!
LISTEN: Black Milk - "Mo Power" | DOWNLOAD
LISTEN: Black Milk - "Dreams" | DOWNLOAD
The dude that is all the rage these days under his Mayer Hawthorne moniker, DJ Haircut, just dropped Shoot The Duck Vol. 2, a mix of classic disco roller-skating jams to hit the rink to.
DOWNLOAD: DJ Haircut - Shoot The Duck Vol. 2
TRACKLISTING:
01 La Famille “Dancer”
02 RB Hudmon “Searching For Your Love (Instrumental)”
03 Aaron Broomfield “I’m Gonna Miss Ya”
04 Dr. Togo “Be Free”
05 Garfield Fleming “Don’t Send Me Away”
06 Ago “You Make Me Do It”
07 Trilark “Check It Out”
08 Boeing “Dance On The Beat (Instrumental)”
09 Rainbow Team “Bite The Apple”
10 Firefly “I Just Wanna Be Your Lover”
11 Atlantis “Keep On Movin and Groovin”
12 K.I.D. “Fine Time Tonight”
13 Korja “My Mind 5’ (Instrumental)”
14 High Fashion “Next To You”
15 Freeeze “Can’t Keep My Love”
16 Bobby Broom “Find Yourself”
17 Blue Feather “Let’s Funk Tonight”
18 Rhyze “Having Fun”
19 Plush “Free and Easy”
20 Fantasy “You’re Too Late”
21 Carrie Lucas “Rockin For Your Love”
22 Finis Henderson “Skip To My Lou”
23 Cela “I’m In Love”
Detroit's Motech Records has yet another release from Japan's DJ Compufunk, a two song digital single "Black Shadow" b/w "Ninja Clone" which is described as "soul fused with his trademark Japanese percussion and plucked instruments fitting perfectly with the Motech sound." Watch out for Compufunk's remix of DJ 3000 "Emotional Sequence" 12" along with new songs featured on the upcoming "Broken Research 2" compilation.
LISTEN: DJ Compufunk - Black Shadow
LISTEN: DJ Compufunk - Ninja Clone
LINKS: MOTECH RECORDS OFFICIAL SITE | DJ COMPUFUNK
Detroit producer D.L. Jones along with DJ 2nd Nature just did a remix of Ciara's "Love, Sex, Magic" giving it more of a club twist to it. Enjoy.
LISTEN: Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake - "Love, Sex, Magic (DJ 2nd Nature Remix)"
Here's a recent interview with Royce Da 5'9" courtesy of CultureVI.com in which he talks about the new album, Slaughterhouse, and working with DJ Premier.
More footage from the upcoming movie 7 Mile, a documentary on Detroit from DJ Butter as he takes you on a trip through his hood, Highland Park, MI along with Eminem, Proof, Bizarre cracking jokes on the mixtape veteran.
Here's the new Cymarshall Law track “Bullet Train” featuring Elzhi and Masia One taken from DJ Sarasa’s upcoming album out in April 2009, courtesy of Up On Thingz
DOWNLOAD: Cymarshall Law - Bullet Train feat.Elzhi & Masia One
Black Milk is featured alongside Big Pooh of Little Brother on the track "2 MC" from the forthcoming 21-track compilation titled Ms. One produced entirely by L.A. based soul singer & producer Georgia Anne Muldrow. The album, due to drop May 5th via E1/Koch Canada, also features Stacey Epps, Rickie BB, Dudley Perkins, and Jimetta Rose, amongst others.
LISTEN: Georgia Anne Muldrow feat. Black Milk & Big Pooh - "2 MC"
LINK: GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW
Detroit rappers Black Milk and eLZhi are embarking on a month-long, 14-venue tour across Europe later this month to promote Black Milk's latest solo album TRONIC, which was released in October. eLZhi, member of the Detroit rap group Slum Village, released his Black Milk produced solo album The Preface on Fat Beats Records in August. The dates are as followed:
Thurs-March 19 Mainz, GERMANY TBA
Fri-March 20 Manchester, UK Mint Lounge
Sat-March 21 London, UK Cargo
Tues-March 24 Heidelberg, GERMANY Karlstor
Wed-March 25 Berlin, GERMANY Cassiopeia
Thurs-March 26 Duisburg, GERMANY Hundermeister
Fri-March 27 Arnhem, NETHERLANDS Loxor Live
Sat-March 28 Paris, FRANCE Batofar
Tues-March 31 Bremen, GERMANY Zucker Club Delmenhorst
Wed-April 1 Copenhagen, SWITZERLAND Rust
Fri-April 3 Barcelona, SPAIN Rote Fabrik
Sat-April 4 Madrid, SPAIN ClubbersDay Fest Telefonica Arena
Wed-April 8 Basel, SWITZERLAND TBA
Thurs-April 9 Biel, SWITZERLAND Coupole
Fri-April 10 Zurich, SWITZERLAND TBA
Sat-April 11 Cologne, GERMANY Luxor
LINKS: BLACK MILK MYSPACE | ELZHI MYSPACE
Illa J, 2dopeboyz.com, Delicious Vinyl, and Audible Treats have joined forces and are proud to bring you the Illa J Remix Contest. After downloading the hook-included instrumentals of "R U Listening" and "Showtime" (found at the links below), contestants will have two weeks to rap their best verses based around the concept of Illa J’s hooks and submit their versions of the songs to be judged by Illa J and Delicious Vinyl. For information at the link below.
MORE INFO: Illa J Remix Contest @ 2DopeBoyz.com
LINKS: ILLA J MYSPACE
In promotion from the upcoming album A Pipe Dream And A Promise from Finale, iM Records put together an interactive video game. When you beat the game, you will recieve a free mp3 download of the song "One Man Show" (prod by Black Milk). Soon, a remix with a very special guest will be available through the game.
If you want to post it on your pages, just click on the link "PUT THIS GAME ON YOUR PAGE" and copy the html code to embed it. Use your LEFT, RIGHT, and UP arrows to control.
LISTEN: Finale - "One Man Show (A-Rival 8-Bit Remix)" | DOWNLOAD
LINKS: FINALE MYSPACE | IM RECORDS
Here's a clip from the live debut of Mayer Hawthorne & The County from February in Fullerton performing the song "Green Eyed Love".
LINKS: MAYER HAWTHORNE STONES THROW PAGE | MAYER HAWTHORNE MYSPACE
Stones Throw is now taking pre-orders for the vinyl release of Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood Ferguson's Suite For Ma Dukes EP, their orchestral tribute to J. Dilla. The vinyl is being released in April by Mochilla, but Stones Throw will have them early for an expected March 10th ship date.
MORE INFO/PRE-ORDER: Suite for Ma Dukes EP
LINKS: STONES THROW | MOCHILLA | CARLOS NINO | MIGUEL ATWOOD FERGUSON MYSPACE
In continuation of great labels rooted in Michigan is the Detroit-based Blank Artists. Founded in 2005 as an art/music collective, Blank Artists is another label that I am quite proud of for what they describe as a "diverse discography of electronically made music, ranging from down-tempo, funk, house, and techno." The crew just celebrated their 4th anniversary with a mind-blowing party at THC in Hamtramck.
The lastest release on Blank Artists is from Detroit DJ/producer E. Spleece titled Keyboards and Kickflips. E. Spleece's music ranges from moody downtempo bangers to house/afrobeat dancefloor rhythms in comparison to the likes of Recloose or Jazzanova. The EP also features "emerging Canada's queen of moody music" Peril Elle on two tracks. Keyboards and Kickflips is now available digitally through Blank Artists.
TRACKLISTING:
1. Every Square Inch feat. Peril Elle
2. Gigglebush Stomp
3. Silent Producer feat. Peril Elle
PURCHASE/MORE INFO: E. Spleece - Keyboards and Kickflips
LISTEN: E. Spleece - "Every Square Inch (featuring Peril Elle)"
Another great label to have its roots in Michigan is Moodgadget. Founded in 2004 by Jakub Alexander and Adam E. Hunt (now in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, respectively) after involvement for sometime in the electronic music scene including time with Ghostly International. They describe the goal of the label as "exposing the diversity in electronically made music. They wanted to draw attention to the fact that electronic music is a process, not a genre; within its broad walls lives a plethora of sounds–everything from catchy folk to melodic techno."
One of the releases from Moodgadget I am most excited about is from 800beloved - their debut album titled Bouquet. 800beloved is the brainchild of Michigan-based singer/songwriter Sean Lynch (pictured) and is of a more post-punk/shoegaze sound akin to the The Psychedelic Furs or Echo & The Bunnymen meet My Bloody Valentine. The group's moniker is taken from a 1-800 phone number where it hints at a meger of two opposing themes as described as " The "800" representing the interest in popular culture's flimsiness while "beloved" alludes to the lyrical use of sacred, often dismal and ironically naive subject matter."
Three years in the making and with a host to numerous contributors since the project's beginning, the current incarnation of the group, Anastasiya Metesheva, Jon Elkas and Lynch, are set to release Bouquet on Moodgadget on March 3rd.
LISTEN: 800beloved - "Colours" | DOWNLOAD
Our Detroit homie with the camera Notion Tha Bartender just posted some footage filmed at Oslo on 2/13 of T3 previewing tracks from the upcoming Slum Village album.
Timeless: A Suite For Ma Dukes is a four-song orchestral EP produced by Carlos Nino and Miguel Atwood Ferguson of music originally produced by J. Dilla. The EP is available now via iTunes and with be on sale physically on April 1st in conjunction with ArtDontSleep and Mochilla. All proceeds from the EP will go to Ma Dukes. The pair with also perform the EP with a 40-piece orchestra on February 22nd in Los Angeles with opening DJ sets by J. Rocc & House Shoes, with help from VTech.
MORE INFO: Timeless @ VTech
PURCHASE: Timeless: A Suite For Ma Dukes - iTunes
TRACKLISTING:
1. Find A Way
2. Antiquity
3. Fall In Love
4. Nag Champa
Obey's Shepard Fairey, with B+, has created a print of J. Dilla based on B+'s 2003 Jaylib photograph. the 400 prints that were on sale at obeygiant.com quickly sold out, but 50 prints will be sold at the Timeless event "Suite for Ma Dukes" on Sunday Feb. 22.
MORE INFO: Obey x Dilla
LINKS: ARTDONTSLEEP MYSPACE | MOCHILLA | CARLOS NINO | MIGUEL ATWOOD FERGUSON MYSPACE
The Japan-based Takeshi Records just released, as a part of their The Powerful Beason Series, a new 7" single for the Dabrye remix of Vast Aire's "Da Supafriendz" featuring MF DOOM. The single features the rework done by Tadd Mullinix under his Dabrye moniker for the Vast Aire track that was originally on his Look Mom... No Hands album. The release includes the vocal version and the instrumental and is of limited pressing.
LISTEN: Vast Aire Featuring MF Doom - Da Supafriendz (Dabrye Remix)
LINKS: TAKESHI RECORDS OFFICIAL SITE | TAKESHI MYSPACE | DABRYE MYSPACE
King Midas Sound is the collaboration of South London dub warrior Kevin Martin alongside Roger Robinson, and this EP is their second released on the highly respected Hyperdub label. The jewel of this release is the amazing remix of "One Ting" from Dabrye, which has gained much acclaim since it's release.
PURCHASE: Boomkat
LISTEN: King Midas Sound - "One Ting (Dabrye Remix)"
TRACKLISTING:
1. King Midas sound - Cool out (2:58)
2. King Midas sound - One ting (dabrye remix) (4:10)
3. King Midas sound - Lost (flying lotus remix) (2:53)
LINKS: KING MIDAS SOUND MYSPACE | DABRYE MYSPACE | HYPERDUB RECORDS OFFICIAL SITE
With their first album in over 3 years, Detroit's professors of booty, Detroit Grand Pubahs, come back with another funkified album that will wobble asses worldwide. For those in the dark, you might have remember the Detroit Grand Pubahs from their 2000 cult classic "Sandwiches" from their Funk All Y'all album. Nuttin' Butt Funk is another weird ride into the minds of member Paris The Black Fu and friends with album that spans from Funkadelics-style rock with booty-electro bangers.
PURCHASE: Boomkat
LISTEN: Detroit Grand Pubahs - "Earth Hoes"
TRACKLISTING:
1. Skydive From Venus
2. Message From Overkill
3. Crystal (Ode To The Orbit)
4. Public Announcement
5. Rolling Papers N Bush
6. Earth Holes
7. 50,000 Legions
8. Singing By Numbers
9. Chi Town Shuffle
10. Butt Market
11. Funk Is A 4 Letter Word
12. Dirty Ole Man
13. Thanks For Coming
14. Black Fu Condom Mintz
Detroit house music producer Kenny Dixon Jr. recently dropped a new vinyl EP under his Moodymann moniker titled Det.Riot '67, which for me is the most Detroit sounding music out now. The EP mixes old blaxplotation film samples and audio from the 67' riots in Detroit over Moodymann's much loved deep soulful beats. Word is that he not going to repress these once they are gone and they have been flying off store shelves. Its a must have for anyone that loves Detroit music. Look for more vinyls coming soon through his Mahogani Music label such as the Andres (aka DJ Dez) full-length album and a Promatic (Big Proof & Dogmatic) EP.
LISTEN: Moodymann - "Heaven"
TRACKLISTING:
1. Freeki Mutha F cker
2. Heaven
3. Hello 2morrow
4. For One Night
5. Det. Riot
LINKS: MOODYMANN MYSPACE | MOODYMANN @ DISCOGS
Out now via Warp Records is the album When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence from Harmonic 313, a side project from UK-borned/now Australia-based produced Mark Pritchard. Harmonic 313 is a solo off-shoot of his other side project Harmonic 33 with fellow producer Dave Brinkworth, which based off a "Detroit-style" of hip hop production. Pritchard has long been enamored with the Detroit sound, and this project is the fruit of that passion.
The album is mostly instrumental, but does feature Detroiters Phat Kat & Elzhi on the track "Battlestar". Currently, Mark has told me he is working on a remix of "Battlestar" for the song's upcoming 12" single.
LISTEN: Harmonic 313 - "Battlestar" (featuring Phat Kat & Elzhi) | DOWNLOAD
LINKS: HARMONIC 313 OFFICIAL SITE | MARK PRITCHARD MYSPACE | WARP RECORDS OFFICIAL SITE
Here's the video from Marv Won from "The World Famous" Fat Killahz for the song "Stomp", produced by DJ House Shoes. Look for Marv Won's album soon, presented my multi-platinum producer Mr. Porter. Directed by Mario "Skinnyboy" Butterfield.
LINK: MARV WON MYSPACE
On The Web
 |
 |
 |
The One Man Machine
 |
K-Fresh Email: kfresh [at] rensoul.com |
