DJ Farrapo & Yanez - Alien Na Favela (Agogo Records - 2012)

A few days ago I received a promo copy of DJ Farrapo & Yanez's new album Alien Na Favela which is going to be released on Agogo Records in just a few days. I thought I return the favour and try to write a little review for their new album - which actually is also their debut album. In 2005, after beeing good friends for many years and various musical collaborations, Yanez Servadei and DJ Farrapo decided to mix their experiences, which are strongly rooted in the various forms of brazilian music and bring up a fresh mix of electro-brazilian sounds. Several years and releases later the duo is finally releasing their first long player. It's a CD double album. While CD 1 is containing various original songs (many of which have so far only been available on 7inch vinyl) - CD 2 contains a string of remixes by all your favourite remixers in a truly eclectic fashion! Some of my personal favourites include Shantisan's great extended remix of Mojito Com Cachaca (can't get enough of that sweet sounding Clarinet!), Frohlocker's truly brilliant remix of Preciso Mudar (ft. Eloisa Atti & MC Magu). Very dubby, sweet vocals and a rolling bass. Pure niceness! Another favourite is Drumagick's Live Band Remix of the title song Alien Na Favela. Love the raw live energy of the remix - and that crazy wobbling bass. Pure fire for the dancefloor. A song to forget one's everyday worries. Just dancing & feeling the music. Suonho, who must have been busy lately, releasing a handful of 12inches, songs & remixes this year - also provided a great remix of Alien Na Favela in a Broken Cuica Style. The bass is nice, heavy & jazzy on this one. This song definitely is going to roll heavy on global dancefloors this winter. But let me get back to CD 1 now - which provides all the great original songs. Baiano Vem Baiano Vai - if you missed the original 7inch on Afro Art Records back in 2006 - here is your chance to get & play it. My first DJ Farrapo & Yanez song - and still a huge favourite. Hot hot hot Drum & Bossa! Frango Assado - a super catchy uptempo song. Positive vibes all along. And that chicken is just awesome! Must be one of the best intros out there! Whenever I play this one - there is no holding for the dancefloor... happy people & crazy moves! Be sure to check their video (and the chicken!). Carimbo Do Farrapo - probably my new hit song from this album. Previously unreleased. But heard it in quite a few sets this year - so I am really happy to see it included on this album. What a brilliant stompin' groove! Pure tropical sunshine... I am going to end this review with Mojito Com Cachaca. As I said above - I can't get enough of that Clarinet - which definitely adds a sweet & distant swing feeling to this song. Swingin' Brazilian Drum & Bossa with a Clarinet :) This is what DJ Farrapo himself writes about the song:

"In a tall glass place the mint leaves, squeeze over a little bit of “son”, and add two teaspoons of "chorinho". Mix everything, then add cachaça at will. Place the straw and prepare to enjoy this explosive mix by Dj Farrapo & Yanez; after a Mojito com Cachaça even Hemingway would run on the dancefloor."

Only thing I can add - don't forget to be playing this album while enjoying your "Mojito com Cachaca".

Listen to the rest of the album & find your own favourites here (original songs) and here (remixes).

DJ FARRAPO & YANEZ
"Alien Na Favela"
Agogo Records - 2012

Beatz & Carrots #9 (June 2012)

01 - elvis presley - pocketful of rainbows

02 - dj mitsu the beats - masquerade

03 - unknown - air hostess bossa (1966)

04 - james brown - the avenue aint for fuckin hipsters anymore (dj prime fool around)

05 - jackie stoudemire - dancing

06 - the agitators - jb's lick (the dusty groove re edit)

07 - boz scaggs - lowdown

08 - renegades of jazz - moo juice (benji boko boy com remix vocal)

09 - poldoore - banana hammock (original mix)

10 - mr bird - on a sunny day (lazy summer mix)

11 - sibu - arroz

12 - grupo socavon - homenaje a justino (thornato remix)

13 - john schroeder - superstition

14 - lucho bermudez - danza negra (UFedit)

15 - manolis chiotis-feakes - megali mou agapi (1965)

16 - phil pratt & ken boothe - sweet song for my baby

17 - margie lomax - god’s greatest gift to man is a woman (1974)

18 - barry biggs - stop look listen

19 - pretty lights - finally moving (james brown remix)

20 - cuetec - be around

Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I have updated my blog. I have been travelling through China, Myanmar and Thailand with a friend for almost six weeks. Lot's of sunshine, good food and even some good funky music in Bangkok. Since early September I have been back in Chengdu/China - but didn't until now find the time, mood or groove to compile another selection of music for the blog. These will be my last 4-5 months in China before I will be leaving for France in January. Working a lot these days, trying to save some money. Winter seems to be embracing Chengdu early this year. Lots of grey days with either a lot of fog - or smog. Usually winter happens to cancels out the sun in most cities and the skies seem to turn gray over most of China. Only a few pockets of sunshine are immune to the meteorological oddity known as "China Winter" and I am NOT in one of them now... 

 

So what better way is there than to start this new Beatz & Carrots compilation (which was actually supposed to have been shared here in July) with the nice Popcorn song "Pocketful of Rainbows" by Elvis Presley from his 1960 album G.I. Blues. Listen to the first few lines of the song and you will understand: "I don't worry. Whenever skies are gray above. Got a pocketful of rainbows. Got a heart full of love..." Track #3 is the mysterious Air Hostess Bossa - a beautiful haunting S U M M E R C H O O N - shared by jupiter tuning center. For more things soulful be sure to check his soundcloud page or his blog. Can't fight the Chengdu grey sky with Brazilian Bossa Nova sweetness alone - so here is some serious serious funk: track #4 - the damn good & HOT James Brown - The Avenue Aint For Fuckin Hipsters Anymore (DJ Prime FoolAround). Thanks to DJ Prime for foolin' around with this one! Track #5, "Dancing" by Jackie Stoudemire, is another musical treat. Real sweet disco floater! Props go out to Mr. Vinyl Addicted who introduced me to this goodie. Thanks again! Now I and I will change the mood. You say I can't do that?! Wait until you hear track #9 Poldoore - Banana Hammock (Original Mix) which was kindly shared for free on the Cold Busted compilation Various Artists - Bust Free 9. Serious re-lick of Horace Andy's song Skylarking from the legendary Studio One. Track #11 is Sibu - Arroz - a brilliant remix of Lucho Bermudez's Arroz Con Coco from Sibu who is based in Athens/Greece. I really like Sibu's remix - the nice intro, building up anticipation for what is going to come. Slowly introducing those beautiful horns - until Lucho Bermudez finally hits the musical listener with the sound of his dizzyingly swift clarinet. Beautiful - and on top of the list of my musical favourites this year! Listening to all those good songs on Sibu's soundcloud page - one is surprised to have not seen any of them getting a proper release yet! Anyone out there?! Among many other songs - I seriously want to see King Kong 22 by Sibu & Joe Nagall being released - so I can play it out loud for the good dancefloor. Thanks to Sibu for sharing this beauty with everyone here at Beatz & Carrots! With track #12 we are staying on the Cumbia path - but going a little up north - to the Afro-Colombian/African-descendant/Black people of the Pacific coast. Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Colombian marimba, a wooden xylophone which resembles the African balafon, played by the Grupo Socavon. Thornato delivers a stompin' remix of Grupo Socavon's Homenaje A Justino. The riddim bares some similarities to Chaka Demus & Pliers Murder She Wrote. A little speeded up?! Beautiful remix - and I am glad that Thornato and the Cumba Mela collaborative finally shared this song on their soundcloud pages. Track #14 is yet again another Cumbia remix/edit. This time we have Ufe from Bucharest in Romania sharing a scorching edit of Lucho Bermudez's Danza Negra with us! Track #15 takes us to Greece. Megali Mou Agapi is a song I can't quite categorize (and why should I?!) by Manolis Chiotis-Feakes, who was one of the greatest composers of Greek folk music and a great virtuoso of the bouzouki. The song was recorded in 1965 and can be found on his Manolis Hiotis - The USA years album. I always thought that song sounded somewhat familiar - and yes! It got sampled by Simon Resoul and Kormac on their equally great song Entre. Track #16 - time for some sweet Rocksteady by Phil Pratt & Ken Boothe. "Sweet Song For My Baby" was the first single recorded by Phil Pratt in 1966. Melancholy rocksteady with great horns and superb understated production. This is Music with a capital M! Track #17 is yet another great song which Yer Darling Daily put on my musical map. The groove on Margie Lomax's God’s Greatest Gift To Man Is A Woman is simply unstoppable… and I also dig the lyrics. Played it at my last gig here in Chengdu - and the ladies almost fainted from excitement. I am ending this compilation with track #20 Cuetec - Be Around. A deep slow soulful house version of I'll Be Around from Otis Gayle. Original Studio One production. I am feeling that bass!

Enjoy! DubMe

Brazil, Samba, Rock! (2012)

01 - intro - sivuca speaks

02 - os originais do samba - favela

03 - jorge ben - o telefone tocou novamente

04 - os mutantes - she's my shoo shoo (minha menina)

05 - eliseth cardoso - eu bebo sim

06 - ed lincoln - eu nao vou mais

07 - dedy dread - o bananeiro

08 - caetano veloso e gal costa - que pena (1969)

09 - sono rhizmo - o-telefono

10 - alessao vilhoso - sol de verao (7 samurai remix)

11 - elza soares - amor perfeito

12 - jorge ben - take it easy my brother charles

13 - maria bethania - mano caetano

14 - shantisan aquela - minha menina

15 - roberto carlos - mi cacharrito

16 - abilio manoel - luiza manequim

17 - jorge ben e trio mocoto - cosa nostra

18 - jorge ben - sou da pesada (7 samurai remix)

19 - gilberto gil - batmacumba

20 - gal costa - tuareg

21 - palov & panama cardoon - favelas

22 - os originais do samba - tenha fe pois amanha um lindo dia vai nascer

23 - d.angelo - muito incrementado

24 - trio tropical show - risada (meloda crise)

25 - os mutantes - baby

This compilation goes out straight to DJ Farrapo from Bologna/Italy! In 2008 I listened to a live mix of his from the Soul Sugar Party in Vienna - playing a Samba Rock set like no one else. Amazing tempo, amazing selection, amazing songs! You can still download the mix on his myspace site. DJ Farrapo is a musicologist, dj producer, samba lover and amateur cook. His ingredients: flavours from all over the world. His brand: a hot mix of pulsing club music. Knowing all this - track #1, the intro to this compilation makes even more sense: "In Brazil we use to call the Rhythm Section the kitchen, because they are the one's who cook. And - we have a beautiful kitchen here." And our main chef is Mister Farrapo, always cooking & brewing some tasty magic. Check out some of his older releases on Discogs or listen to the latest DJ Farrapo & Yanez release here. This is what Agogo Records has to say about their new Remix EP: "The musical spaceship of Dj Farrapo & Yanez is ready to land in the favela, bringing to you a genuine and fresh organic mix of electro-brazilian music. In their first LP, fifteen hot tracks, including their most popular songs, showing that not always aliens come to destroy the world: sometimes they come to dance! This 12" contains six brandnew remixes from this forthcoming double CD album ALIEN NA FAVELA. please enjoy !" And I am pretty sure I'm not the only one looking forward to the first Dj Farrapo & Yanez longplayer!

On this compilation I share some of my Samba Rock favourites from all over the years. Samba Rock is a style of music that was born in Brazil in the 1960's. It combines the sounds of samba, soul, bebop and jazz. In Brazil Samba Rock is a genre of samba and sub genre of rock and most importantly: it amazing music to dance to - whether you are in Brazil, Germany or China! Some of the pioneers of this great style of music are Jorge Ben Jor, Bebeto, Banda Black Rio, Tim Maia and Trio Mocoto. But Samba Rock is still going strong today, with new artists like Seu Jorge, Clube do Balanco, Sambasonics among others. Enjoy this compilation - and keep some cool drinks within reach, 'coz the summer heat is on...

DubMe

Oriental Discotheque - Disco Not Disco (2012)

01 - ahmed fakroun - njoom al leyel

02 - tanya - darladi ladada version

03 - antares - arabian dance

04 - orient express - abdullah dollar (jean pierre massiera '83)

05 - les mogol - madimak

06 - baris manco - aheste (baris k edit)

07 - rachid taha - agatha

08 - djamel allam - edit d'algerie (julian horn)

09 - bjork - crystalline (omar souleyman remix)

10 - elias rahbani - dance of maria

11 - abdul hassan orchestra - disco arab

12 - ait mislayene - el fen

13 - ahmed fakroun - yo son (prince language edit 'soleil soleil')

14 - raina rai - hagda

15 - les edits du golem - sumak

I have always liked the various forms of oriental music from the Middle East. Listening to my father playing some Mohammed Abdel Wahab (check out the classic Abdel Halim Hafez song Ya Albi Ya Khali produced by him) or Farid El Atrache tapes as a child was always deep and fazinating stuff! And the record covers of some of his Belly Dancing albums never seemed to disappoint. In recent years, whenever listening to some oriental music, I found myself mostly listening to music from Nickodemus, Zeb, The Spy From Cairo, Rachid Taha, Natacha Atlas - music which sometimes is summarized/described as global grooves (whatever that means) - music shared on many great Putumayo, Rough Guide to... or Turntables on the Hudson compilations and mixes. Today's compilation is a little different. Kind of Oriental Disco, Disco Not Disco, No Wave, Leftfield, Edit, Balearic, Italo Disco with an oriental theme, Pop-Boogie-Electro, Cosmic... I have always collected "oriental" songs which fit the above mentioned description. One of the first songs for this compilation might have been track #7, Agatha by Rachid Taha. Found it one a nice Balearic mix, whose name I have forgotten. Another early favourite is track# 10, Dance Of Maria by Lebanese musician and composer Elias Rahbani. What a stand out track with great drum breaks, killer organ, flutes... Too beautiful not to cry! Taken from his 1972 album "Mosaic of the Orient". Let me share what Little Danny, who is responsible for the great Officenaps blog, writes on soul sides - he did a great job describing the surroundings of the song: "In 1972 you’d still come across references to Beirut as "The Paris of the Middle East" in current issues of National Geographic; the city was, after all, the region’s nerve center of television, cinema, and radio. And Lebanese pop wunderkind Elias Rahbani was squarely in the middle of it all. His "Song of Maria" works precisely because of its cosmopolitan soul: it’s Eastern melody with Western circuitry, experimentalism with a sense of pop humor, and it’s crammed with flowing Farfisa organ lines, electric bass, keyboards that aren’t mizmars but sound exactly like them, bouzoukis, guitars, and even a few choice moments for you breakbeat aficionados. But, then again, this was 1972, a ravaging decade and a half of civil war was still a few years away, and, as far as Rahbani was concerned, there was room for all of it inside the pleasure dome.“ Read the rest here. The song that really got this compilation rollin' was track #13, the Prince Language killer edit of Libyan singer Ahmed Fakroun's 1983 hit "Soleil Soleil". Find the original here. John Storm Roberts, of Original Music, wrote that "among rai singers, the pop-oriented Ahmed Fakroun stands out on two grounds. First, he is influenced by Euro-pop and French art-rock (...) Second, he's a multi-instrumentalist in both traditions as well as a singer. He plays bouzouki-like saz, mandol and darbouka drum, as well as guitar, bass guitar and keyboards." This is what the jonosaudio blog had to say about Ahmed Fakroun, far the best introduction to this fine musicians I found on the blogsphere: "Multiinstrumentalist Ahmed Fakroun musical career started already in the early 1970's after which he had several lenghty recording and performance sejours in England and France. (In 1974 he recorded "Njoom Al Leyel", which is the first song featured on this compilation. Produced in England by famous BBC Radio producer Tommy Vance in 1974, it features some funky flute workouts over a deep groove. In 1977 he worked together with famous Greek composer and artist Vangelis resulting in the track "Nisyan". Listen to the Les Edits Du Golem edit of the same song on youtube.) In 1983 his Mots D'Amour album was released including the hit single Soleil Soleil to make his mark in world music circles, combining traditional Arab instruments and melodies with modern electronic music and dance rhythms. But then came the US aerial bombing of Libya in April 1986, followed by years of international sanctions and isolation, ...(which) seriously impeded its citizens' freedom of movement and Fakroun's international career plans were effectively put on ice." Here is another lengthy article about Ahmed Fakroun from the BBC website - well worth reading. If you want to further explore Fakroun's musical works, check out his website. Some of his original recordings can legally be downloaded through CD Baby here and here. Track #8 is another song I would like to mention. A brilliant edit of Djamel Allam's Fatiha from his 1974 album "Laissez Moi Rancorter" by Julian Horn. Julian Horn aka. Giulio DJ started his career DJ'ing in Vienna around ten years ago, bringing his love for authentic disco, balearic beats and cosmic leftfield sounds to the plates of many locals. Check out some of his music released on Is it Balearic...? and Elevator People. And don't forget to give this amazing song and video on youtube a listen. Pure feel-good-music! Educated as a sound engineer in London, Giulio's musical visions mostly expand on the themes of balearic disco, fusion jazz, and prog rock. I hope he will soon share another magical edit of a north african, arabic, oriental delicacy! I would have loved to include the 1978 song Do You Love Me by the Bendaly Family from Lebanon on this compilation, but I couldn't find a copy of it anywhere. So, you gotta watch the youtube version right here:

Amazing raw footage that leaves me jaw dropping stunned every time I watch it. And happy! For sure my favourite musical family out there - together with the Jackson 5... Doyo love me? Doyo Doyo...

Enjoy! DubMe

PS: This compilation fits perfectly on one CD - just click "NO PAUSE BETWEEN TRACKS" when you are going to burn it - and the CD will be exactly 79:59 minutes long...

The Reggae Disco Connection (2012)

01 - dennis brown - get high on your love (panama cardoon edit)

02 - derrick harriott - soul sister

03 - derrick harriott - dancing the reggae music (12inch)

04 - monyaka - go deh yaka (instrumental dub)

05 - peter tosh - dubbing buk-in-hamm

06 - richard ace - supernatural thing

07 - byron lee - the hustle

08 - beres hammond - music is a positive vibration

09 - the in crowd - back a yard (extented version)

10 - risco connection - ain't no stopping us now (version)

11 - la famille - all night long

12 - time unlimited - back fire (natural vibes intl.)

13 - jennifer lara - i am in love

14 - yellowman - world war (kill emil re-edit)

15 - willie lindo - drum song

Apart from the great SoulJazz compilation Hustle from a few years ago, Disco Reggae still seems to be a part of Reggae that is either frowned upon by Reggae purists - or has fallen under the radar of the many styles of DJ culture. I was planning to make this a compilation strictly showcasing some of the lost treasures of this "genre" - selecting some of my favourite Reggae songs in a Disco style. But actually I got carried away to include some soulful reggae grooves - as well as some Lovers Rock songs - smoothing out this compilation - and actually making it quite a nice player for your summer sunshine garden party, BBQ or beach day...

After finishing this compilation and having listened to a whole bunch of Reggae songs in a Disco fashion - I must say that the crown of Reggae Disco Grooves either goes to Joe Gibbs & his Disco Echo chamber - or the "more than soulful" Reggae producer and crooner Derrick Harriott, who was not only responsible for a series of classic Rocksteady productions in the late 60ies, but also for some grooving soulful and discofied Reggae songs in the 70ies, as you can hear on this compilation. I am opening this compilation with a Panama Cardoon edit of Get High On Your Love by Dennis Brown. Pure Disco Reggae with some good Greek bass & bounce! Find the Dennis Brown original here. Track #2 and #3: these two songs showcase some of Derrick Harriott's finest 70ies Reggae Soul and Pop sounds. Pure Reggae pop, love & groove. Derrick Harriott might also have been one of the first Reggae artists going Disco with his 1975 longplayer Reggae Disco Rockers, which includes the classic "Fly, Robin Fly", a cover of the Silver Convention original. Track #4 - Monyaka - Go Deh Yaka (Instrumental Dub) is a classic Easy Street Records disco reggae stomper from 1983. I prefer the Instrumental over the vocal version. The instrumental is heavily dubbed by legendary mixers Sergio Munzibal & John Morales. Monyaka was a funk group based out of Los Angeles, California, which among other great musicians had Reggae veteran Larry McDonald playing percussion and Val Douglas from the Skatalites playing bass. Track #5 "Dubbing Buk-In-Hamm" is the phenomenal dub remix of Peter Tosh's epic "Buk-in-Ham Palace" song over a bubbling disco rhythm, which was included on the 12inch of the same title. On the b-side of the same 12inch you will also find the prophetic The Day the Dollar Die, in which Tosh pleads his case for capitalism's demise over a shimmering reggae-pop groove. Track #7 takes things a little easier. Giving us an easy grooving cover version of Van McCoy's hit (Do) The Hustle. Pure 70s smooth-groove soul. Originally released on the Again! LP in 1975 on Dynamics Records. Track #8 is Music Is A Positive Vibration by Beres Hammond from his 1979 album Just A Man. Upbeat & Soulful. Can Disco Reggae get any better?! Track #9, the extended version of "Back A Yard" from The In Crowd Reggae band keeps things soulful and heartikal. A rejoiced Lovers Rock song about returning home to Jamaica to smoke some collie and celebrate love and life. Pure Chill-Out, love & sunshine sharing some "good time feelings". Track #10 is Ain't No Stopping Us Now by the Risco Connection. Already shared this song on the Palmwine Grooves & Disco compilation from 2011. But had to share it again. It just fits right into this selection. Risco Connection were a Jamaican band put together by Joe Isaacs (an original member of Jamaica's Studio One group "The Soul Vendors") in the late 1970s - which specialized in remakes of the hits of the day, with nice and dubby rhythms at the bottom, and some sweet moogy touches on the top! Another Risco Connection favourite of mine is their remake of Billy Stewart's "Sitting in the Park." Track #11, "All Night Long" by La Famille, gives us a lovers rock cover of All Night Long by the Mary Jane Girls. Track #13, I Am In Love by Jennifer Lara is a rare Studio One Disco joint produced by Coxsone Dodd in the early '80s. Check out the original by Evelyn "Champagne" King here. Track #15 - I am ending this compilation with Willie Lindo's cover of the classic Studio One Drum Song. Enjoy! DubMe

PS: This compilation fits perfectly on one CD - just click "NO PAUSE BETWEEN TRACKS" when you are going to burn it - and the CD will be exactly 79:57 long...

Beatz & Carrots #8 (May 2012)

01 - howie b, sly & robbie - ballistic squeeze (edit)

02 - doug hream blunt - gentle persuasion

03 - lee perry - jungle lion (instrumental)

04 - ranil y su conjunto tropical - chinito rulo (dengue dengue dengue! cumbiaton refix)

05 - sierra leone's refugee all stars - mother in law

06 - cal tjader - mamblues

07 - liam bailey - when will they learn
08 - c.love and aretha - say.a.little

09 - mi##ael jackson - rock w#th you (reeno 12 mix)

10 - the reflex - b.b. king - the thrill is gone (the reflex stems re-vision)

11 - the soul session - hamjam (tofu mix)

12 - stan getz - girl from ipanema (n.a.s.a. remix)

13 - leon - da gypsy groovy (exteneded mix)

14 - pbr streetgang - j2thab (original mix)

15 - donnie & joe emerson - baby

16 - outro - mikey dread in action

Hi everyone! I am back with another Beatz & Carrots compilation. But first I want to thank everyone who left a comment. It's good to get a little feedback, know that there are other people out there who enjoy some of the same music – especially if one lives in China, which musically is still a bit of a wasteland. Compared to other countries and places I have stayed at – musically there isn't happening much in China (well – it's been getting better. But there are still too many other things that held much greater importance for most Chinese I know). I am currently living in Chengdu, which is the 10 million people capital of the Sichuan province, south-west of Tibet. 10 Million people – and there are hardly any places where one can listen to good music or do some crazy dancing. Still – if you should ever come to China – go to one of those super-big-luxury-other-world night clubs full of sexy women, fake (and super expensive) whisky mixed with red tea, gangsters, businessmen, prostitutes, rich kids (or second-generation-rich, as they are usually called here) and more and more white-collar workers who are trying different ways and places to spend their hard earned money. It definitely is worth an experience! When I first came to China in 2003 I had my share of crazy nights in some chinese night clubs. But if you go out to listen and dance to good music played by a good DJ, then even 9 years later you will most likely be disappointed. Most clubs play the same „Happy House“ sets every night of the week... many places even every night of the year. You can basically set your clock to the songs the DJ is playing. I was once asked to dj in a Chinese club – not because of the music I play – but just because I was a foreigner; tall, blond hair, blue eyes – and that still "sells" in China. But then again - I was not even allowed to play my own music. I had to play their CD's according to their fixed playlist. I guess I was still „lucky“ - I knew some people who had to play a Mix CD for 2 hours and pretend they were mixing, while making „cool moves“ a DJ is supposed to make. Well – I could tell you more stories – but we are here for the music. Beatz & Carrots #8: find some of my favourite songs from the month of May here. Fresh discoveries & exciting re-discoveries. Compared to the other Beatz & Carrots compilations so far, this one seems to be more on the mellow & soulful side. Nevertheless, you will still find some songs in here to get yourself groovin' or movin'... Track #2 is Doug Hream Blunt's Gentle Persuasion which I first came across via the James Pants - Disco Mix, which is full of rare and obscure disco gems. „Gentle Persuasion“ is an incredible song, which blends some hazy lo-fi jazzy aesthetics with early eighties boogie funk/RnB grooves and has Blunt singing macked out sexual innuendos while noodling away on his guitar: “like ice your butt is the dice . . . now dance”. Go here for more info. Track #6 – „Mamblues“ is a fiery 1958 Latin Jazz groover from vibraphonist Cal Tjader, backed with the funked-up 1972 remake for the adult cartoon 'Fritz The Cat' featuring Bernard Purdie on drums. Heavy heavy heavy! Track #7 - „Liam Bailey - When Will They Learn“ - thanks to fellow blogger Duendiness for sharing & introducing me to this soulful beauty, backed by some heavyweight dubby bass sounds! If you liked „Griz - You Got To Change“ from Beatz & Carrots #7 – track #8 - C.Love & Zombies – Say.A.Little might be something for you again. A deep & soulful re-write and re-work of Aretha Franklin's „I Say a Little Prayer“ by the mysterious C.Love. Just the right combination of soul & electronics! Track #9 - Mi##ael Jackson - Rock W#th You (A Very Special Reeno 12" Mix) is an extented 12inch remix of this 1979 classic. Amazing track to chill to. Track #12 is a N.A.S.A. remix of the classic „Girl From Ipanema“ by Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz. Originally to be found on the „Getz/Gilberto“ album, which together with Stan Getz's „Jazz Samba“ album is a record I never get tired listening to. Track #14 - J2thab (OriginalMix) is a heavy going funk meets electronics James Brown tribute by Pbr Streetgang. My kind of dancefloor! I am fading out this selection of Beatz & Carrots favourites with track #15 – the haunting, slow groove „Baby“ by Donnie & Joe Emerson, which is beautiful blue-eyed soul at it's finest. Someone on Soulstrut described this song, “as if Shuggie Otis and Roy Orbison had a baby together” - Well, I can't describe it any better than that! And we are lucky! It just got re-released on Light In The Attic Records. Also check out Ariel Pink's cover here.

Enjoy; DubMe

Beatz & Carrots #7 (April 2012)

01 - combo de la musica - angola

02 - musi kal - el yaibi

03 - jurassic 5 - canto de ossanha

04 - ariel pink's haunted graffiti - fright night (nevermore) (dam funk remix)

05 - testpattern - techno age

06 - pino daniele - yes i know my way (special 12inch version)

07 - lloyd parks - mafia (parks 45)

08 - barbara lynn - i'm a good woman (maxey & fred spider mix final)

09 - los graduados - ese muerto no lo cargo yo (dj still life edit)

10 - solo moderna - dance cleopatra (solo moderna balkumbia remix)

11 - monetrik - mambo grodo

12 - griz - you got to change

13 - pastor t.l. barrett and the youth for christ choir - like a ship... (without a sail)

14 - jungle by night - ethiopino

15 - ras michael & the suns of negus - wicked men

16 - thomas mapfumo - hokoyo

17 - shimi sonic - beat of a preacher man

18 - ernest ranglin - in the rain

Resurrection! It's been a long time since my last post. Might have been the longest in between posts ever. Hopefully I will be able to post more regularly now. During the last 2-3 months writing my thesis occupied most of my time (just graduated this Friday), but nevertheless I was still able to sneak in a few minutes of music every day. No shower without loud music blasting out of my speakers. So there is still quite a bit of music I wanna share with you all. Let's start with the April Beatz & Carrots selection which I was finally able to compile! Song #1 is „Angola“ by the Combo De La Musica. Baaam! That song hit me straight since I first heard it in a mix somewhere. Beautiful song. Don't know how to describe it – but it has all the right ingredients: Jazz, Afro-Latin sounds via Sweden, real instruments (and a lot of them!), a powerful singer, a bit of a Quantic feeling - AND - the music is energetic, it’s funky, it makes you want to sing and dance. They just released a 7inch on Traveller Records and you can listen to it here. Song #2 is El Yaibi by Musi Kal, a sweet little bouncing tune that uses Quantic's great „Mas Pan“ sample as an intro - and from there it goes Cumbiaaa!!! Makes the summer sun shine even nicer! Track #4 - has Dam Funk giving us a little remix treatment of Ariel Pink's „Fright Night (Nevermore)“ - adding more funk and bounce to this ghostly tune. I like the feeling of the song: surreal lo-fi, leftfield, pop, punk, electronic, fast, slow aesthetics. Track # 5, Testpattern's „Techno Age“ from the album Après-Midi (1982) continues with similar aesthetics: „Gorgeous technopop from Japan… half video game soundtrack, half zen meditation“, using a sample from an 80ies Hongkong Kung-Fu movie. Thanks to yerdarlingdaily for sharing this one. „Pino Daniele - Yes I Know My Way (Special 12inch Version)“ - track #6, is another recent favorite of mine. Not much info available on this soulful & funky boogie disco song from Italy. Apparently from 1985. Thanks to DJ Prime for introducing me to this one. Looking forward to his edit as well - give it a listen here. Track #8 gives us a killer edit of Barbara Lynn's classic „I'm A Good Woman“ by Maxey & Fred Spider. Next to the original - this is probably my favorite version of „I'm a good Woman“! More groove, more funk, more boom! Play it out loud! Maxey & Fred Spider are part of Los Chicos Altos, who have released some brilliant electronic World Music on UrbanWorld Records and Spring Strut Records. Track # 9 gives us some uptempo Cumbiaaa! madness. DJ Still Life's edit of „Los Graduados - Ese Muerto No Lo Cargo Yo“. This is what DJ Still Life says about the song on his soundcloud page: „Heavy dancefloor business from Colombia's Los Graduados, w/ lyrics about being wrongly fingered for a murder. I added some extra percussion, beefed up the low-end, and extended the intro and outro for easier addition to DJ sets. You can check out the original (and super silly video) here.“ Crazy crazy fast crazy uptempo cumbia tune. I love it! Check out more great music and freebies on his soundcloud page. Track #10 is Solo Moderna's balkumbia remix of Dance Cleopatra. Originally a Ska song (and what a Ska song!!!) by Prince Buster, Sono Moderna created something totally new and beautiful out of it. Well - anything with Solo Moderna, Balkumbia and Dance Cleopatra in it is a not to be missed winning-combination! This track gets better with every time I listen to it. Hugely addictive. And the Sister Nancy sample really kills it! So good! Definitely a song that is going to be shaking up the dancefloors this summer. Track #11 - Mambo Grodo is one of those simple feel-good-songs. Monetrik giving Xavier Cugat's Mambo classic some good greek loving! Beautiful! Track #12 - Griz's You Got To Change is another winner! A deep burning version of Willie Bobo's Evil Ways. Track #13: „Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth For Christ Choir - Like A Ship... (Without A Sail)“ - You may or May not be into it. But it’s been killing me the last couple weeks. What a song! What music! Living in China in 2012 - where perfect materialism covered up with fake Chinese communist attributes (sing me the song of „The Emperor's New Clothes“) is sucking out the last bit of soul and spirituality that Mao left after his mad reign - a bit of spirituality and soul is much needed. And if it is only a strong message shared in a little Gospel song! Beautiful & Uplifting! Track #14 has been a song and album on my want- and wish list for quite some time: Jungle By Night's Ethiopino. Listen to the first 10 seconds - and you know this song is good. 2012 - Afro-Beat, Afro-Funk, Jazz never sounded more fresh, raw & real. Check this review on my ever-favourite parisdjs.com or check out their website for more. Track #15: "Ras Michael & The Suns Of Negus - Wicked Men". Rasta got the message. Reggae got the message. "With a bif baf bif bif boof - people shall unite..." If you listen carefully to a lot of Reggae songs, old and new - so many of them share a message which is now more true than ever. And more needed than ever! Play it loud and spread the message! (I am currently working on a compilation of songs - with powerful music and even stronger lyrics: Sharon Jones - What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes, Yami Bolo - Babylon Is Out A Control, Tom Fire - Brainwash, Charles Bradley - The World (Is Going Up In Flames), Manu Chao - Politik Kills. If you know any similar songs I should know and put on that compilation - please post them in the comments! Thanks!!!). Track #16 is Thomas Mapfumo's "Hokoyo" which means "Watch Out!" in Shona, and Mapfumo was eventually arrested and jailed for the overtly political lyrics of the song, which were a warning to the white government of Rhodesia, today known as Zimbabwe. Musically the song is a straight and upbeat R&B shuffle, the only tip-off to its non-American nature coming from the lanky Shona vocals tossed back and forth between Mapfumo and the members of his Band. Track #18 goes out straight to my friend and fellow blogger Duendiness: Ernest Ranglin - In The Rain. I know he will like it ;-) A deep Reggae cover of The Dramatics In The Rain from 1971 with some far-away vocals and Ernest Ranglin on guitar. Chill deluxe! Taken from Ernest Ranglin - From Kingston JA to Miami USA (1983).

That's it! Hit the download button and leave a comment if you enjoy the music... DubMe

And! If you burn this compilation to CD - click "NO PAUSE BETWEEN TRACKS" before you burn it. Best way to keep the groove and flow...