Various - Mellow (Wenn ich mir 'was wünschen dürfte) (2017)

01 - intro (theo parrish - levels)

02 - andres - can't shake it

03 - leston paul - everyday life

04 - little kirk - ghetto people broke version

05 - vijay benedict - zindigi miri dance dance (olefonken edit)

06 - sonya spence - let love flow on

07 - milton - mizik nou

08 - jimmy cliff - higher and deeper love

09 - patrice rushen - remind me

10 - the system - almost grown

11 - talking heads - this must be the place (naive melody)

12 - skit (jeff floyd - don't leave me)

13 - chronixx – majesty

14 - barry biggs - no sleep last night

15 - wally badarou - chief inspector (vine street)

16 - ponzu island - super koto

17 - senyaka - don't judge me bad

18 - color me badd - i wanna sex you up

19 - cos mes - slow jam #2

20 - BONUS TRACK & OUTRO - marlene dietrich - wenn ich mir 'was wunschen durfte

I hope everybody out there is good. It's been quite a while. To be precise two years. Unfortunately, that seems to be my fashion. A lot has been going on lately. Not enough to have an excuse of not updating my blog though. ''Mellow (Wenn ich mir 'was wünschen dürfte)'' is a mix I made for my sister. She asked me for a new compilation of music she could play at work, for breakfast or on a lazy Sunday... 

After a little intro Can't Shake It from Andres a.k.a. DJ Dez sets the vibe for this mixtape: Feeling Summer! ''Can't Shake It'' is the perfect sound for a convertible ride, any time and part of the city, preferably summer. Andres, as someone commented on discogs, ''is standing on the boundary of deep house, funk, downtempo boogie and hip hop. He occasionally wanders off from the intersection to any side of the country, only to return to the border lands again.'' On track #3 we have Everyday Life by Leston Paul, a ''Trini Balearic proto-house jam'' - as quoted by Invisible City Editions. I think fell in love with this song when I first heard it a few years ago on a Red Light Radio mix by Tako. ''Everyday Life'' really shows off the full force of Leston Paul's musicianship. Playing all of the instruments himself, he leads us on a journey, starting with a classic 80’s bass, and drum machines that lay the foundation for a particularly spectacular steelpan jam. Originally released on the album Keys To The City, ''Everyday Life'' can also be found on the Light Sounds Dark bootleg (!?) release from 2015, alongside a few more nice rare tracks. On track #4 we have the b-side/version of Little Kirk's Ghetto People Broke, another song which I first got introduced to via Tako's above mentioned Red Light Radio mix (check out Resident Advisor's brilliant feature Playing Favourites: Tako Reyenga for more ''peeks inside the record collection of one of Europe's foremost diggers''). You can find the original of ''Ghetto People Broke Version'' on Little Kirk's '85 album Ghetto People Broke - as well as on a not so recent anymore French repress of this impossible to find digi showcase LP. Killer! Little Kirk, the older Brother of Beenie Man, released a whole heap of amazing digital tunes in the mid- to late 80ies before becoming a soulful almost R&B styled crooner singing Gospel. I am really feeling those 80ies early 90ies b-side and ''instrumental'' cuts - the synths, the minimalism or even ambientness, the insistent pulse of drum and bass, scattered and shuffling percussion, the sparness, a certain rawness and sometimes shards of vocals - and all the time being uncompromisingly electronic. And these riddims have swing & bump. Some Detroit Techno/House & or even Acid House tunes spring to mind. I am STILL working on a compilation of some of my favourite deegeetal (digital) riddim ''versions'' and b-sides. More Reggae on track #6: Sonya Spence's Let Love Flow On. Ace Jamaican soul stepper and Boogie jam with some x-tra feel good vibes. And bass. Mellow bubbling bass. This song has been rocking quite a few dj sets and dancefloors in the last few years. Get it in superb sound quality on Jeremy Underground's BEAUTYful Beauty compilation. On track #8 we have yet another Reggae song: Jimmy Cliff's Higher And Deeper Love. But just like Sonya Spence's ''Let Love Flow On'' - not everything Reggae is Reggae. Higher And Deeper Love is a... R&B tingled Lovers Rock jam. Released on Jimmy Cliff's own Cliff Sounds and Films label. On track #15 we've got Chief Inspector by Wally Badarou. Inspector Norse by Terje. ''Chief Inspector'' by Wally Badarou. Two inspector songs with an undeniable connection. Pure eargasm. Both songs. Or as someone on youtube put it: ''I paused my porn to listen to this, but I didn't stop masturbating''... ''Chief Inspector'' never fails to bring smiles to people's faces. I chose the Vine Street mix to highlight Island Records's Paul 'Groucho' Smykle, who can usually be found engineering/remixing Island Record's 12inch mixes - the tracks with the greatest dancefloor power. CLASSIC Moog bass, Linndrum with extra added percussion. Check out the percussion solo that begins around 2:36. Worth the price of admission alone. Paul 'Groucho' Smykle seems to be something of a mysterious character. I don't think I have ever seen a photo of Groucho. But I remember him for a lot of deeper than deep Island Records 12inch mixes and remixes. Sophisticated mixes that were different, more nuanced imho, than a lot of the others that seem to get much more credit. Check this interesting interview with him on Red Bull Music Academy - as well as this little write-up and mix by Test Pressing's Dr Rob. Great stuff! Beside being a skilled audio engineer, Groucho also designed album covers. Check here, here, here and here for some of his album cover artworks. One last track which deserves some special mention is track #17, Don't Judge Me Bad from Senyaka, which just got released on a nice 12inch on Rush Hour. ''Don't Judge Me Bad" is a 1987 upbeat yet melancholic soulful disco/house groover that draws influence from boogie, AOR rock and jazz-funk. Over a driving 4×4 drum machine beat, the chugging staccato guitar and tender synth chords lay a gentle bed for Senyaka’s heart-felt vocal. Pure Summer vibes! I just got the 12inch in the mail - and I should probably get another copy before I wear this one out. Really love it - and really love what Antal (check out Resident Advisor's The art of DJing: Antal) and the Rush Hour connection from Amsterdam are doing. They have been on fire lately. Also watch out for the fortcoming Rush Hour compilation Various - Pantsula! The rise of electronic dance music in South Africa. What am I supposed to say?! An album ''full of late 80s South African dance floor winners only''... Each song a bomb! ''Selected by DJ Okapi (the man behind the great Afro-Synth blog) and Antal, the compilation holds tracks by Jivaro, The Hard Workers, Ayobayo Band, S.Y.B. & many more. This is the sharp electronic music that fuelled the local Pantsula dances during the 80s and 90s. A must have for fans of Bubblegum and Kwaito music. TOP TIP! Read the rest of review here...

Now hit the DL button before it gets deaded & don't forget to leave a comment if you enjoy this compilation. Hopefully I will be back with another mix in a few weeks.

Enjoy! DubMe

P.S.: ''Wenn ich mir 'was wünschen dürfte'' is German and can roughly be translated as ''If I'm allowed a wish'' in English.

Various - Beatz & Carrots #15 (October 2014)

01 - luiz henrique - a trip to brazil

02 - slow motion replay - tropical forest

03 - johnny 'guitar' watson - i'll remember april

04 - the bas lexter ensample - los hermanos (remix)

05 - players - whats your problem (martin brew mix instrumental)

06 - dena deadly - 1608

07 - captain planet - enter the esperanto

08 - amadou & mariam - ce n'est pas bon (jd twitch edit)

09 - kasso - walkman (extended version)

10 - chico mann - dilo como yo (te estan llamand)

11 - bachman-turner overdrive - easy groove

12 - dedy dread & dj rebel - trip to brasil (remix)

13 - little kirk - ghetto people broke version

14 - fingers inc. - mystery of love (instrumental)

15 - ali love - pussy

16 - captain rapp - bad times (instrumental edit)

17 - anthony red rose - electric chair version

18 - vangelis katsoulis - the eternal return

After 19 Beatz & Carrots compilations on this blog - here finally is #20. And it might as well be the last one (but not the end of this blog. I probably just want to give things a slightly different/new direction). I started compiling these Beatz & Carrots compilations as a way to organize some of my monthly discoveries and favourites. Some of my friends liked them - and so I got the idea to start this blog. Just as I write this I realize it is more or less exactly three years ago that I began writing on this blog - to be precise October 31st 2011. What a coincidence. In the future, beside posting compilations of exciting music, I also hope to blog more about recent producers, djs, musicians and labels who produce, release and re-release amazing and fresh sounding music. Today there are so many talented people out there who deserve to be exposed to a wider public - and the wider public also has the right, once in a while, to be exposed to all the exciting, different and manifold music that exist beneath mainstream boredom & twerking...

On the first track Luiz Henrique is taking us on A Trip To Brazil, a joyous and mellow 'bossa moderna' song from his 1964 debut album A Bossa Moderna de Luiz Henrique. Unfortunately I can't find too much info on Luiz Henrique's first album. Not even a discogs entry. But I do love this song! On track #13 we have Dedy Dred and DJ Rebel subtly and respectfully rebooting Luiz Enriques' original: ''Tweaking the beat enough to elicit a shimmy from the modern latin breaks fan.'' (via Monkey Boxing). On track #3 - still feeling like in sunny and warm Brazil - we have a slammin' fast & bouncing bossa piano version of I'll Remember April by Johnny Guitar Watson. From his 1963 album The Blues Soul of Johnny Guitar Watson. This one needs to be re-released - if not only for the fantastic picture of him on the cover. Nice Johnny "Guitar" Watson album, and one that features him playing no guitar at all! Instead, he plays piano, and with a nice bluesy style that sounds great. He plays mostly standards, but in a fantastic way that twists them inside out, and that gives them all these great soulful edges. Check out my Beatz & Carrots #14 post for some more info on the ''Gangster Of Love''. On track #09 we have an extended version of Kasso's Walkman from 1984. Next to 1986's One More Round it is probably one of the most well known songs by Kasso, a project of prolific Italian producer Claudio Simonetti. Simonetti is known as member of Goblin, a 70s dark disco outfit that scored many George Romero horror movies, and for his involvements with the acts Vivien Vee, Easy Going, Capricorn and Kasso. Be sure to give Frankie Knuckles '86 house mix of ''One More Round'' a listen. Sweet sweet sweet! That's how I like my house! Track #11, Easy Groove, is a ''beautiful and slightly awkward disco tune'' by Bachman-Turner Overdrive from 1977. Thanks to Contain Yr Brain for introducing me to this be beauty. Be sure to check out his blog - full of rare and under-the-radar beauties... On track #13 we have the b-side/version of Little Kirk's Ghetto People Broke. You can find the original on Little Kirk's '85 album Ghetto People Broke - as well as on a not so recent anymore French repress of this impossible to find digi showcase LP. Killer! Little Kirk, the older Brother of Beenie Man, released a whole heap of amazing digital tunes in the mid- to late 80ies before becoming a soulful almost R&B styled crooner singing Gospel. I am feeling those 80ies early 90ies b-side and ''instrumental'' cuts - the synths, the minimalism or even ambientness, the insistent pulse of drum and bass, scattered and shuffling percussion, the sparness, a certain rawness and sometimes shards of vocals - and all the time being uncompromisingly electronic. And these riddims have swing & bump. Some Detroit Techno/House & or even Acid House tunes spring to mind. I am working on a compilation of some of my favourite Riddim ''versions'' and b-sides. More soon! Track #14 gives us the instrumental version of Fingers Inc.'s Mystery Of Love. Let me quote Jon Savage, who wrote an entire article about the ''vocal'' version of this track for The Guardian in 2010: A deep and hypnotic 7:12 minute long ride ''beginning with a syncopated bass figure, before a four-on-the-floor kick drum comes in, fast and clean (...) The rest of the track is an ebb and flow of Heard's melodies, beautiful laminar keys, hi-hat cymbal patterns, and echoed hand-claps over a deep groove. Much like his other work under the Fingers alias, Mystery of Love has a strong ambient vibe and evokes a sense of dreaminess and hypnotism. Way ahead of its time.'' My late night house record! I love my b-sides and instrumentals - more on track #16, where we have an instrumental version of Captain Rapp's Bad Times (''this song didn't need a rap the beat got it all by itself ''). Check out this rare original footage from Detroit's own ''version'' of the Soul Train (like this comment on the Soul Train video: ''How can we move from dancing like this to some girl swinging off a demolition ball naked, and call it progress?'' ). Lots of nice people having fun, dancing and making some crazy moves to Captain Rapp's ''Bad Times''. More rare digital ammunition on track #17: The b-side/version of Anthony Red Rose's Electric Chair. A ruthless digi-stepper. Thanks to Mark Ernestus and Honest Jon's-curated Dug Out label this utterly effective piece of Digi-weaponry is being repressed on 7inch vinyl. ''Jolting stab syncopations and throbbing futurist basslines''! Listen to the vocal version here: Anthony Red Rose, famous for his seminal Tempo vocal on the rhythm of same name, grills soundboys on the electric chair as he delivers his speech in fine style over this chillingly cool and ruthlessly effective digi riddim produced by Dennis Star in 1989. I am fading out this compilation/mix with some breathy flutes and swampy percussion on Vangelis Katsoulis' The Eternal Return. Taken from the official compilation Vangelis Katsoulis - The Sleeping Beauties: A Collection of Early and Unreleased Works, which was released on Into The Light Records this year. Beautiful stuff - and for me definitely on of the Top 10 albums from 2014.

Enjoy! DubMe

This compilation fits perfectly on one CD - just click "NO PAUSE BETWEEN TRACKS" when you burn it - and the CD will be exactly just under 80:00 minutes long...

Beatz & Carrots #14 (January 2014)

01 - james brown - hot pants (dj moar re-edit)

02 - juan laya and jorge montiel - cumbanchero (vocal version)

03 - sergio mendes - mas que nada (tobyone remix)

04 - boogaloo assassins - no no no

05 - bas lexter ensample - lonley feeling

06 - herbie hancok - bring down the birds (raymon lazer reedit)

07 - jj cale - travelin light (jack frost's after midnight remix)

08 - marvin gaye - sunny (mercury edit ii)

09 - greg henderson - dreamin'

10 - the dells - all about the paper (adn edit)

11 - sir own - hooked (kons nite time remix)

12 - smokey robinson - virgin man (jack frost edit)

13 - johnny guitar watson - ain't movin'

14 - superpendejos - sp airlines (fasten your seatbelts)

15 - aswad - red up (kill emil re-edit)

After a long abstinence of posting I am finally back with a nice little compilation of Beatz & Carrots favourites. I haven't updated this blog for more than six months - and those of you who wondered if this blog had come to an untimely end, or if inspiration or motivation had run out, can rest assured that this is certainly not the case. I was simply going through some changes in my own life, traveled a bit, moved back to China - and was somehow lacking the motivation to sit down and spend time sharing my passion for all things musical. Nevertheless I listened to a lot of music in the meantime, discovered tons of new & exciting music - and even spent a little fortune on buying records (diggin' & reissues) while being back to Germany in the summer for three months - having access to my record collection and a record player. So much better than always playing mp3's on my bloody notebook. But if it wouldn't have been for my notebook, mp3's, soulseek, soundcloud and all those great music blogs out there - I would have long died a slow musical death in China during the last 5-10 years.

1 - 2 - 3 - I am starting this compilation with DJ's Moar's super tight edit of James Brown's ''Hot Pants''. Check out DJ Moar on soundcloud for more Soul, Funk & Hip Hop. I like his style. Nothing over-produced. Just straight funkyness & grooves tailored for the dancefloor. Track #03 is another goldie I found on soundcloud. Tobyone's remix of the Sergio Mendes classic ''Mas Que Nada''. According to his profile on soundcloud and an unknown quotation Tobyone is a DJ, mashup artist & surfer based in Portugal and "really good at making mixtapes for my 4 year old, as a warm-up DJ for THE PRODIGY and pretty much everything else in the middle." Sounds good. Track #04 continues with more Latin heat: The Boogaloo Assassins with No No No. I watched some of their videos online - and their raw & high energy live action grabs the audience right from the start with an infectious mix of Salsa and everything funky. The song I am featuring on this compilation is a cover of Dawn Penn's Rocksteady single You Don't Love Me, produced by Coxsone Dodd in 1967 at Studio One. A song which some of you might remember as her Dancehall remake - which was a huge club song in the early 90ies. The Boogaloo Assassins are going boogaloo on this classic, the arrangement is of the hook - and man! they do swing... I first heard Gilles Pettersen play this one in one of his sets at the World Wide Festival in Sete (France) last year. Right on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea, blue sky, sunshine... On track #06 we have Raymon Lazer's wonderfully swingin' re-edit of Herbie Hancock's 1966 song Bring Down The Birds. So that's where Dee-Lite found the groove for Groove Is In The Heart? Track #07 is Jack Frost's very own respectful tribute to JJ Cale's Travelin Light. In Jack Frost's own words: ''A modest remix dedicated to a modest artist with extraordinary talent. Something to mix into a set as a tribute to the late JJ Cale...'' JJ Cale - a great artist which I have neglected for far too long. Going to give all his albums a good listen. Check out To Tulsa and Back - On Tour with J.J. Cale - a nice documentary about JJ Cale (Trailer here!). RIP. On track# 12 we've got Smokey Robinson's Virgin Man getting some edit love. Another nice & respectful Jack Frost edit on this compilation. Love that song. ''Virgin Man'' appears on Smokey Robinson's second post-Miracles '74 album Pure Smokey - and it is nothing less. The song opens the door to a side of Smokey that you did not get to see all that often. If the title did not give it away:

"How come people say a lady virgin that's OK
But when the conversation turns around
Virgin Man they always put him down
People say he must be funny
He ain't had a taste of honey"

Check the rest of the lyrics here - or just listen to the song. A Beatz and Carrots tribute to all the shy men out there! Beside being a great artist it also deserves to be mentioned that Smokey Robinson, although Berry Gordy founded Motown Records, was the man who had a great deal in first pushing America's most iconic soul music label toward greatness. As an artist and as the leader of The Miracles, he was responsible for a many hits for Motown Records - but Robinson was also an invaluable behind-the-scenes talent who wrote songs, produced records, scouted and groomed talent, and served as a vice-president at Motown from 1961 to 1988. On track #13 we have another American icon: Johnny 'Guitar' Watson. Ain't Movin' from Johnny "Guitar" Watson and The Family Clone, released in 1981. Big Johnny 'Guitar' Watson favourite of mine. First heard a DJ in France open his set with this song - and I was immediately blown away. Sweet little gem which really carries a groove. The brief thump and pluck of the bass making it funky. Nice little uptempo blues guitar in there, too. Really can't understand why this song's so unknown. It's genius. Have a look at this nice blogpost - paying tribute to more than 40 years of music by the ''Gangster Of Love'', ''Superman Lover'' and ''One Baaaaad Mama Jama''. And check out this string of JGW favourites of mine - sexy, sweaty jams: A Real Mother For Ya,  Superman Lover or Booty Ooty - tasty grooves, filthy horn sections, sweet basslines & pimped out, wicked electric playing... Johnny 'Guitar' Watson in top form... Or check out some of his old R&B (Yeah! Back then still meaning Rhythm & Blues. You could hear and feel it...!) & Rockin' Boogie Shakers: Telephone Boogie or I Say I love yo. AND - unless you're a fan of both funk and the Steve Miller Band, you've likely never heard the inspiration for Steve Miller's The Joker. Today, you can fix that personal failing by enjoying this fabulous performance of the real Gangster of Love live on a German TV show in Bremen/Germany in 1977 (via Not-Pop-Jukebox). Watson died of cardiac infarction on May 17, 1996, while on tour in Yokohama, Japan. According to eyewitness reports, he collapsed mid guitar solo. His last words were "Ain't That A Bitch", probably in reference to the song Ain't That A Bitch... RIP! I am ending this little selection of favourites with track #15 - Kill Emil's re-edit of the Aswad classic Red Up. Taken from Aswad's 1976 debut album on Mango Records. Classic and very special album for me since I first bought it some 23 years ago. Reggae, World Music, Jazz & Soul. Nicely displaying the group's jazz-tinged, roots reggae sound. Give the whole album a listen. It features such vocal highlights as Can't Stand The Pressure and Ire Woman. Also check out Aswad's ''shaka'' tune Warrior Charge. 

Enjoy! DubMe

Beatz & Carrots #13 (March 2013)

                                                                                                                     (picture found on the great SHORPY website)

01 - intro - deadbeats - i'm tellin ya (edit)

02 - iggy & the stooges - i'm a man (leroy schlimm edit)

03 - hot chocolate - blue night

04 - moodymann - untitled

05 - visioneers - runnin'

06 - cut chemist - what's the altitude (feat. hymnal)

07 - willie bobo - bobo! do that thing

08 - jonah jones - jonah's pachanga

09 - gary davis - gee dee (alternative mix)

10 - jupiter tuning center - ramses nubian bump

11 - jahlin pitter - roots reality version

12 - fela kuti - water no get 8-bit enemy

13 - pablo moses - come mek we run

14 - mellow madness - save the youth (original tempo kenny dope extended vocal edit)

15 - james brown - get up (hedspin party edit - b&c extension)

16 - sergio mendes & marcelo d2 - samba da bencao

17 - el perro del mar - walk on by

18 - karen be - coconut water

19 - money mark - insects are all around us

A new Beatz & Carrots compilation. I didn't find a lot of time to keep my blog updated during the last two months. Moving from China to France was a big step. Feels a little like the days of living free & wild in China are over to some degree. A new chapter in life is starting. I am not yet sure where life will be taking me - but I am all optimistic. The following twelve months should be interesting... Life, work, learning, my relationship, friends... I am doing a lot of reading at the moment, while also trying hard to get a grasp of the french language... Nevertheless - I am always playing music - and I will try to keep this blog running - but probably will do less writing accompanying each post in the future (just don't find the time for that at the moment). Just straight & simple share some favourite music mixes/compilations of mine. Although - sometimes I think writing a little review is also one nice way of giving some credit to the original artist - and it's good to read something about the music we love once in a while - because we all play/listen to so much 'non-physical' music these days. Digital music don't have that sexy smell of vinyl. And there is no record cover to hold in our hands, looking at the back of the cover, reading the review, checking the pictures, musicians, producer, label, year... Sometimes it is worth to dig for the original vinyl - or get one of the many great new albums or reissues which come out these days. SHOW SOME LOVE & SUPPORT THE ARTISTS YOU LOVE.

Nineteen new/old songs on this Beatz & Carrots selection. We have got ''Blue Night'' (track #3) by Hot Chocolate - a British band which might be best known for their biggest hit You Sexy Thing. It's interesting to note that ''You Sexy Thing'' originally started life as the B-side of ''Blue night'' - which (at least for me) since its release in 1975 has faded more or less into obscurity. A nice mellow song with a bluesy feel... and that warm bass line. Another song which deserves a special mention is ''Ramses Nubian Bump'' (track #10) by Jupiter Tuning Center, who has a soft spot for ''60s soundtracks, poetry and jazz, boogie, some say rare groove, all things soulful!''. Now mix all these together - and you will get some beautiful songs like the one shared on this compilation or The Gyra Grip (vibin in space). Check out Jupiter Tuning Center's Soft Landing which just got released on Editorial #6: "Jupiter Tuning Center" retouch a jazzy beauty from the past, the "Springs" by "Pete Jolly". The original has a special place in my jazz albums' collection. Thanks for the flight" (via the great Just Love Vinyls blog). Last but not least there is Coconut Water by Karen Be - which I first got introduced to by the great Mixtape Riot blog by Captain Planet. Nice crispy song with some deep underlying bass, gentle use of electronics - rich in sound - and Karen Be's sensual yet fiery voice. This song might have drawn some inspiration from Marvin Gaye's Calypso Blues, Robert Mitchum's Coconut Water of the same name and Calypso Mama's Gin and Coconut Water. If you want to listen to more of Karen Be's unique brand of jungle soul - check her new EP here. Thanks to Atum Management - a London based ''Artist and Sports Management company'' - who is representing Karen Be - for sharing ''Coconut Water'' with all of us. Check some more of Atum Managements tunes on their soundcloud page. 

Coconut wata. 

Good for your dawta.  

Make you strong like lion… 

Coco got a lotta iron. 

Coco coco coco coconut.

So much for today. Enjoy & share the good vibes! DubMe

Beatz & Carrots #12 (January 2013)

01 - patchworks - los ladrones

02 - cleon & jazzy pidjay - samba a l'aeroport

03 - lulu joppert - wanna be startin' something

04 - the surpremes - my world is empty without you (drop out orchestra remix).

05 - ella & duke - caravan (lazlo remix)

06 - guts - mambo flying party

07 - the beach boys - little honda

08 - richie phoe - thriller dub 2012

09 - lionel hampton - vibramatic! (club version)

10 - flatpocket - peco

11 - la yegros - viene de mi

12 - tanya stephens - it's a pity (lulu rouge bootleg)

13 - alemayehu eshete - telantena zare

14 - dara o'neill - scribble me this

15 - velvet hammer - happy (the apple scruffs edit)

16 - randomized coffee - segunda feira na praia

17 - captain planet - chegutu

Beatz & Carrots is back - and what better way is there to start off this first Beatz & Carrots compilation in 2013 with Patchworks' Los Ladrones - some groovy, uptempo & uplifting music?! And then keep going with some groovy Bossanova'ness. Track #3 is a nice Bossa Nova cover by Lulu Joppert of MK's Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' from his 1982 album ''Thriller''. If you listen to the original by Michael Jackson you will recognize him using a sample from Manu Dibango's 1972 classic Soul Makossa. Can you hear it: ''Mama-say mama-sah ma-ma-coo-sah". Dibango sued Jackson and settled out of court for one million French francs. And to tie up loose ends - it was Paulinho da Costa from Brazil who was responsible for the percussion on Michael Jackson's original. So here we now have a sweet Bossa Nova version. Track #4 is a fantastic edit/remix of Diana Ross & the Supremes’ My world is Empty Without You by Swedish disco connoisseurs Drop Out Orchestra. They themselves call it slow-mo disco - and I couldn't say it any better: slow and sexy with a killer bassline. On track #5 Grant Lazlo gives his magical electro-swing treatment to Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington's version of Caravan - keeping it slow & dubby - but with that right extra bit of bass & bounce to keep you swingin' & groovin' for sure! Great version - and up there with some of my other favourite versions of ''Caravan''. Listen here to one of the earliest versions of ''Caravan'' - a jazz standard originally composed by Juan Tizol - and first performed by Duke Ellington in 1936. With its Middle Eastern beat the song creates an exotic atmosphere - leaving the listener with images of far away places, mysterious deserts, camels, tents... ''Caravan'' is also a favourite among many listeners of Exotica music - and that's also were I first got introduced to it' - listening to 80 Drums Around The World - Caravan from the great CD Mondo Exotica which I bought in my teen days... If you want/need an introduction to the far-away sounds and worlds of Exotica music – ''Mondo Exotica'' is a must-have compliation - ranging from wild, to mellow, to savage and swinging. A wonderful cross-section of the Exotica genre. With Guts Mambo Flying Party, track #6 we are keeping the uplifting, sometimes exotic, groovy spirit of this compilation. This song just grows and grows on me the more I listen to it. Here is what Guts himself has to say about ''Mambo Flying Party'': ''During the production of an album, sometimes you do some tunes that kind of go off road, and don't fit with the main artistic direction... You know it, but just for fun and sudden burst of inspiration, you finish the track...'' Track #7 - The Beach Boys' Little Honda (the blonde girl in the video is really shakin' it!) is fun fun fun & sunshine as well. Been listening to some Beach Boys music lately - and man! They recorded some amazing music. And also, to ''link'' back to Exotica music - it is said/discussed that Martin Denny and Les Baxter,  two of the main figurehead artists of the Exotica genre might have had a bit of influence on Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys classic Pet Sounds. Read here if you want to have a first introduction to ''Pet Sounds''. And check out The Exotica Project if you want to dig further into the realms of Exotica. On track #8 Brighton's beatsmith Richie Phoe takes MJ's ''Thriller'' deep into the worlds of dub - making it sound like Lee Perry directed by George A. Romero. Perfect for any dancefloor around midnight! Listen & enjoy the eerie video here. On track #9 - old Jazz hand Lionel Hampton tried his luck with Vibramatic!. A sweet electro tune from 1984. With backing synthesizers by Fred McFarlane, 'vibramatic!' has a very Herbie Hancock Rock It feel to it. Also check out Tigersushi-artist Joakim's remix - which is a heavyweight electro-boogie-dancefloor-monster. The next song - track #10 is Flatpocket - Peco. A laidback groovy piece of Hiphop meets Jazz in the mix! Thanks to Christophe from Duendiness for introducing me to this beautiful gem! Track #11 - La Yegros - Viene De Mi is a beautiful Cumbia song from ZZK Records compilation Future Sounds Of Buenos Aires. Yes! ZZK Records/Club who were one of the first to start of the whole Nu-Cumbia movement in 2007. Next (track #12) we have Lulu Rouge giving a bit of a dubby horn (balkan?!) twist to Tanya Stephens' It's A Pity (original on the classic Doctor Darling Riddim!). Wait & listen when the bass comes in. BOOM! Track #13 is a sweet groover from Ethiopia: Alemayehu Eshete -Telantena Zare. Amazing voice, awesome backbeat, strings, and horns. Ridiculously catchy. How many Ethiopiques compilations have been released so far? Never mind! I always seem to find new amazing songs on them - no matter how many times I listen to them. Track #14 - Dara O'neill's "Scribble Me This" is a jazzy, beatdown house groover... I have no idea what Dara O’Neill is singing about - but whatever he’s singing about - it feels good - and comes with extreme verve and élan. Track #15 - Velvet Hammer's Happy is a real 70's soul dancer. Here extented/edited for our listening pleasure by The Apple Scruffs. Top notch! I am finishing this compilation of 2013 with ''Chegutu'' from Captain Planet's Mystery Trip Vol. 1. Definitely one of my favourite releases from 2012. Beautiful song, uplifting, sunshine! Wohuu huu huu hu...

Enjoy! DubMe

Beatz & Carrots Anniversary Special #4

01 - palov ft lady faye - the dude

02 - street boys - some folks.

03 - the bas lexter ensample - celias baile

04 - mato - mary jane

06 - mario biondi - my girl

06 - nicki minaj - did it on em (soulforce rmx)

07 - pliers (bonner productions) - im your man dub

08 - the instigators - instigators five o

09 - joao gilberto - discussao

10 - galt macdermot - farmland

11 - jazzy jens - guarapera

12 - os chicos altos - palante (original mix)

13 - elvis crespo - suavemente (busy signal remix)

14 - uproot andy - odb vs uproot andy - brooklyn cumbia

15 - dialect trio - cumbiarus dialect trio version

16 - ocote soul sounds and adrian quesada - el diablo y el nau nau (grant phabao remix)

17 - group inerane - tamidit in aicha (ahmed)

18 - bjork - crystalline (omar souleyman remix)

19 - jamie xx - far nearer

20 - unknown - pussy outro

Here is part 4, the final Beatz & Carrots 1 Year Anniversary Special. I did this compilation in July 2011, a few months before I started this blog... Now that I shared all my pre-blog Beatz & Carrots selections - everything you will find here in the future will be selected live & fresh ;-)

I will be back in a few days with a first selection of some Balearic favourites of mine - a musical idea & feeling that has been growing strong on me during the last year. I have known of the term ''Balearic'' for a long time - but only began to have an understanding of it after reading Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History Of The Disc Jockey by Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton last summer... I will try to link to some great articles in my next post talking about Balearic music - until then I will leave you with this quote by Balearic legend Alfredo: “My definition of Balearic; its a music mostly, eclectic, happy, sexy, not cheesy, that gets its roots in the origins of dance music and flourishes on the dancefloor, as a sound that makes you forget genres, or categories and you just enjoy it, listen to it, dancing and sharing it. Beat poetic, but real!“

DubMe

Beatz & Carrots Anniversary Special #3

01 - orlando julius - disco hi-life (2009 edit)

02 - amadou balake - taximen

03 - rhythmagic orchestra - fish market dance

04 - cyril diaz & his orchestra - taboo

05 - playmo'bill - billatoo

06 - lucho bermudez - danza negra (dj mohan remix)

07 - chakachas - stories

08 - scooby doo - christmas time.

09 - souleance - one step

10 - philadelphia international allstars - lets clean up the ghetto (12inch version - 1977)

11 - nickodemus - conmigo (es e remix)

12 - quantic - sol clap

13 - johnny cash - personal jesus (rayko edit)

14 - the revolution of st. vincent - the little you say

15 - uproot andy & anthony santos - vete (uproot andy rmx - 2011)

16 - alpheus - far away

17 - slim smith & friends - jahmons conversation

Here is part 3 of the Beatz & Carrots 1 Year Anniversary special. Another early compilation of favourites from March 2011. Some nice songs on here. Check the tracklist...

Enjoy! DubMe

Beatz & Carrots Anniversary Special #2

01 - fat freddy's drop - ernie

02 - brassroots - good life

03 - joe lutcher - ojai

04 - quantic & his combo barbaro - un canto a mi tierra

05 - quantic & his combo barbaro - un canto a mi tierra (j-boogie remix)

06 - hossam ramzy - sehr oyounik (john newell nu cumbia rmx).

07 - unknown - douga

08 - kottarashky - opa hey

09 - owiny sigoma band - nabed nade e piny ka (rework)

10 - dedy dread & dj rebel - swing

11 - qwiny sigoma band - wires

12 - skit - riddim full of culture

13 - malente - sweet soul music

14 - quantic & his combo barbaro - mas pan

15 - quantic & his combo barbaro - mas pan (dj day remix)

16 - wildcookie - serious drug

17 - renato carosone - caravan petrol

18 - dotmatic - look around

19 - outro

Here is another Beatz & Carrots compilation I did in February 2011. The cover I used for this compilation is a picture from a Tibetan New Year family gathering. In 2007 I was visiting an English friend who was working as an English teacher in a small Tibetan village. It was around late January, and I was lucky to be invited to stay with a family of Tibetan nomads for a few days - while they were celebrating their traditional Tibetan New Year. It was fun & I definitely had a good time. An those super cool dudes on the photo were looking much more friendly after we started drinking Baijiu...

Enjoy! DubMe

Happy Birthday! (Beatz & Carrots Anniversary Special #1)

01 - intro - bappi lahiri - let's dance for the great guy bruce lee

02 - elias rahbani - dance of maria

03 - gnonnas pedro - yiri yiri boum

04 - bunny rugs - be thankful

05 - quantic presenta flowering inferno - no soy del valle

06 - cut chemist - povo de santo (instrumental)

07 - cut chemist - povo de santo

08 - grupo saya - canita canaveral

09 - samuel belay - aynotchesh yerefu

10 - thomas chauke - xipereta

11 - skit - jah wobble - cherry blossom of our youth

12 - la ola criminal – sin gas5. maga bo – analys d’amour (inst.)

13 - shantisan - meu filho (carioca funk)

14 - pepepe - el desastre (original de los macuanos)

15 - victor uwaifo - ohue (frankie francis and simbad edit)

16 - jay dee - rico suave bossa nova

17 - willy berking - lillie und luise (vocal - rudi schuricke - 1940)

18 - joe gibbs - he prayed version

19 - seu jorge & almaz - the model (joey altruda remix)

20 - la banda africana - te clavo ma mano

21 - eddie hooper - pass it on

22 - rubens bassini y los latinos - son cubano amparo

Beatz & Carrots is one year old! One year ago on the 31st of October I wrote my first post. And just a day later I posted the first Beatz & Carrots #1 (October 2011) compilation. 12 months later - and there is still a lot of music I want to share and discover with everyone following this blog. There are many reasons why I started this blog - the main reason above all is probably my love for music - and wanting to share the joys of good music with more people. Also, living in China (which is a bit of a blank spot on the World map of music), where it is difficult to find like-minded people who go crazy for a good song, who dig the funky grooves of James Brown, feel the soul in an old Studio One Motown cover, swing & jump to some fresh Cumbia by Mister Quantic, laugh about some weird late 70ies No Wave video, chill to a rare Disco Boogie edit - and wonder what the next Resense 7inch is going to sound like - this blog provides a way for me to stay in touch with other music lovers, exchange ideas, gain new inspiration... I am quite happy how the blog is going. I shared some nice compilations, I am updating the blog more or less regularly, I do get some feedback for the music I share. Of course - more comments would always be nice. They for sure make my day ;-)

So, I thought I use the Beatz & Carrots One Year Anniversary as an excuse to share some of the older Beatz & Carrots compilations I did before I started this blog. Altogether four Beatz & Carrots ''Anniversary Specials'' which I will be posting over the following days. Enjoy & leave some feedback if there is any music your particularly enjoy!

DubMe