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