A Little Something From The Underground

Here's something that most of you guys may not have heard. Buff1 hails from Detroit and the group Athletic Mic League.

He's pretty adept with the lyrics but the true star of this album are the Lab Techs.

They produced about 16 of the 18 tracks on the album and the styles scattered amongst the productions are so varied you would be led to think that the album was the average hip-hop hodge podge release. Wrong!!! Wrong!!!

So, enough already. Listen up!

And enjoy one of the better underground releases that saw the light of day last year. I'll will probably post a couple of the tracks within this post sometime tomorrow for those who don't trust my tastes as of yet. Until then....

Back In The House, Once Again

So, I decided that after more than a year and half, maybe I should give this blog thing a go once again. I'm not really sure of what direction I should go with it though. I don't want to make it just your average "album" blog, because there are so many blogs that are already taking care of that arena immaculately, it makes no sense for me to join the fray. Either way, there are two things I love, good beats and great songwriting. So, the blog may just be a mixture of those two.

Moving on, here is an album that was requested from Basso from over at the wonderful The Growing Bin. Peep the site if you haven't already been.

Other than that, I'll be back soon enough with a decision made on where I want to go with this blog and I'll be moving forward full speed.

Here's the Zero 7 - The Garden release as promised.

Also, for those with too much time on their hands, head on over to my Myspace page and tell me what you think of the tunes. peace.

It's Been A Long Time...

I shouldn't have left you, without some dope beats to get def too. Yeah, yeah, I know it's corny, but hey, isn't life? Anyway, been a way for a while trying to get myself right. For all the MPC users out there, after struggling for a while with getting sounds to the MPC 2000XL from my Mac (actually had a chance to cop an external zip 750MB drive one time, but passed only to check for it later only to find that some scrub had lifted it), I finally utilized the MIDI Sample Dump feature. Basically, what this allows you to do is send data via MIDI to your MPC. It's pretty slow (no where even near USB 1.1 speeds) and it splits stereo channels into two files, which you then have to setup for simultaneous play back (using your pad settings) and pan each file hard to one side. But, this method is much easier than what I did before, which was:

1. Edit files on Mac using DSP Quattro, Audacity and Recycle.
2. Place files on flash drive
3. Transport to PC
4. Load on to PC and transfer to zip disk
5. Load zip disk into MPC
6. Pray that everything sounds fine.
7. If not, start the whole process over again
8. Get frustrated
9. Fuck it, I'm going to sleep
10. Start whole process over again tomorrow

Well, for all my OSX users, DSP Quattro is a mo' fuckin' godsend I tell ya. It's about the only program on OSX that allows MIDI Sample Dump. Also, it's a great audio editor. I've found that it's recording quality smashes that of Bias Peak, which would give me mad distortion whenever I recorded anything from vinyl. Fuck 'em and they expensive piece of basura (thought I was gonna say shit, didn't ya?). Anyway, enough tech talk (don't want to confuse those not into that).

So, I went to see Lady In the Water, the new M. Night Shyamalan film. I thought it was pretty decent. The plot was kind of convoluted, but not in a good way. More like, hard to believe, although I have come to kind of expect that from him. I really think he would make a much better author then he would a director/screenwriter. Folks were walking out like crazy at this showing. My thing is, if you know Shyamalan's filmography, you should know what to expect. No shoot 'em up, no thuggery. Just some quasi sci-fi mess that he tries to reign in at the end.

Other than that, your boy skateboard P released a mish mash collection of music this week entitled "In My Mind". Let me put it to you this way: stick to tracks 2-8 and throw in #14 just for good measure every now and again. And, is it just me, but does the version of the track "Number One" (featuring Kanye) on the album sound much different than the video version? Can someone confirm this?

Well, that's a lot of stuff for a new post eh? But, that's not it, I've also got a full album download for ya:



Zero 7's The Garden

Nice litte number from these guys. Much better than their last one, When It Falls, which wasn't to bad either. Both pale in comparison to their first, Simple Things, but who's keeping track?

Anyway,from here on out I will be posting a full album with every post. If not an album, an EP, if not an EP, a podcast, if not a podcast, a recording of one of my favorite online shows (quite possibly Gilles P.). Anyway, here you go. And please, PLEASE POST A MOFUCKIN' COMMENT IF YOU'RE GOING TO LEECH MY JOINT. And all the good shit you see in my LastFm charts? Don't bother asking for none of that, because I don't worked too hard to collect that stuff to just up and give it away. Be happy with what you get. Piece.

Zero 7 - The Garden

P.S. My little radio station will now be running from 11 a.m. to around 8:30 p.m. every day. I might even put it on before I go to sleep (just for the night owls). But, until further notice, that's the schedule.


As promised, byatches!!

That's right. I got it done. My radio station is LIVE!!! Here's the link: http://65.34.155.79:8000/listen.m3u

Just copy that into you favorite streaming player and you're good to go. Only 8 slots, so jump on the gravy train quick or lose your seat.

Right now I have a varied mix of music genres, so everyone should be satisfied.

Also, here's the Lo Mein track that I promised. Don't say I don't keep my promises.

Oh, and for that pic. That's a seagull that was chilling on Magen's Bay in St. Thomas. Secretly, he wishes you were there.

Off.

Waiting for the green light of your demise...

Well, I've been hitting the bricks pretty hard for ya'll over the past few nights, trying to get Nicecast to work. It says that it's broadcasting but I've been unable to connect to the stream from other computers. I'm hoping I'll have it figured out by this weekend.

This past weekend I was in a wedding for a friend of mine and took a lot of nice pictures using my Fuji Finepix S5200. I was feeling like Gordon Parks-ish and ish (if you figure that vernacular out, you need to stop hanging with them fools on the block; they ain't gone get you no where but in trouble). It was a beheading to remember.

But then, my girlfriend went ahead and played the Delilah (sp?) to my Sampson and deleted every last one "by mistake". Would have loved to have let ya'll see some of the pics. But, no need to fear, there will be more to follow. I got some nice ones from Saint Thomas, when I was there 2 weekends ago (I travel regular, very regular).

On an aside, there's this 400 pound gorilla working at my job who goes by the name of Reuben. The man's like a little kid. Everytime you tell him something he doesn't like, he runs to his boss to "tell" (a boss who's waiting for him to mess up bad enough so that he can get rid of him). To add to that, the man got sunburnt this weekend and came in looking like a buttered lobster on Monday. And, he's limping still from getting an ingrown nail removed. Do I need to tell you that he's a character? Well, I'm going to sneek a nice pic of him for your delight and mines.

Lastly, later on tonight I'll be posting a song called "Lo Mein" from Georgia Anne Muldrow's captivating EP Worthnothings. Don't be a herb, peep her page on the Stones Throw website. If you can figure out the metaphor she's employing in the song, please enlighten. Until then, smoke 'em if you get 'em.

And, dead last: WILL YOU UNGRATEFUL MOFOS POST SOME COMMENTS?!!!

Peace.

So, um.. I'm back?

So, I don't need to tell you that it's been quite a long time since I've posted here. But, I'm working on my posting discipline and will now "try" to post at least once a week. I got a lot of stuff I'm "trying" (notice the emphasis) to line up that may benefit all those who read this shit:

1. Get a Shoutcast channel going for all those who may be interested in my latest listens. This I'm really looking forward to because, believe me, my collection is immense.
2. Maybe post some new tracks that I'm working on.
3. I'm also "trying" to get my photography steez on, so I will definitely be posting pics (since they come more easier than beats).

There was more, but like Kat Williams said:

I only let you mofos know about 1/3 of the stuff I do. That way, you can only hate on that 1/3.

Peace.

Sorry ya'll...

Got caught up on some stuff.

But anyway, I told ya'll that I would have a funny story, so here goes:

About during the Fall of 2004, there used to be these two cats who used to walk up and down South Beach trying to "sell" their demo (later found out that it was only really one song and the instrumental). I respected it, because, everyone has their hustle. So, one day, my co-worker comes in and tells me that he ran into these same two cats. Now, apparently, one of the guys had his girlfriend out there soliciting customers (no, not in that way). So, she runs up on my co-worker, claiming: "Yeah, please buy my boyfriend's cd because he's trying to retire. He's trying to give up the rap game."

Now, Jay-Z was able to pull of the whole retirement steez with a decent amount of aplomb (many before have failed to accomplish that much: Too Short, Master P). But, how could you be retiring from the rap game before you even have a cd out? Is the game that hectic. What, are the A&R's that are not pursuing you too much to handle? The groupies a dime a dozen? The yes men making it difficult for you to accomplish anything of merit?

I mean, come on. Needless to say, like, the next week, those guys were no longer around. Guess they must have found a lil spot in Boca Raton to seclude to. I wish them social security dreams and pension wishes.

I swear, the human race (or, more accurately, the younger generation [X,Y, Z or whatever we're called these days] is doomed.

Now, for a listen to someone who was once doomed but has found some rays in the unlikely place of a new label home, here's Cage:

Shoot Frank

Off of his new album, Hell's Winter:



All I can say for the track is that it's pretty (in that Cage dark, psychotic type of way).

Enjoy (and post a comment if you do).

Peace.

Sophmore Slump..

Okay, so Dwele dropped the bomb on Some Kinda...











Here's the only track worth salvaging:

Old Lovas

Now, I won't tell you not to buy this album. But, if you do, don't expect too much.

Anyway, I'll be back a little later with a humorous story that I gathered during my days working on South Beach.

Stay tuned.


Here's the meat of it...

I got this new novel by Zadie Smith called On Beauty last night.

She's like damn near my favorite author, since she's like 1 of 2 who I've read more than one novel from; the other being Chuck Palahniuk (of Fight Club fame), who writes some pretty weird stuff but it fits me some reason (other than Fight Club, check out Lullaby or Survivor; remember, WEIRD).

But Zadie's stuff is just so sardonic that I can't help but indulge.

Anyway, I'll be enthused with that for about the next 10 mins. (ADD, you see) and my new Stereolab 3 cd collection called Oscillons from the Anti-Sun.






I love their stuff and own most of it. Still have a couple holes to fill though. Anyway, this box set collects most of their miscellaneous b-sides, singles, etc...

So, my first treat of the day is a track from that collection:

Ping Pong unreleased LP version

If you like this ish, please go cop the box set. It's reasonably cheap (22.99 on both bestbuy.com and amazon.com) and it includes a DVD.

Enough of that though. Enjoy this ish, await my next treat (Dwele) and make sure you check the links on the right. Pretty cool sites. And, I will be getting rid of the Google News link soon enough. I also want to get one of my friends to help me with the site design, so, keep your eyes out.

On.e

Here's my gift to all who make the mistake of stumbling upon this blog...

Robin Thicke - Wanna Love You Girl

New signee to the Star Trak Music imprint.

Had to quasi-remaster the track from the wma file they have over at the Star Trak website. Highs might be a little harsh though, so be careful.

If you haven't checked out his first album, Cherry Blue Skies (and it's reincarnation as A Beautiful World), please do.

Peep and let me know.

Also, here's gripe #1 (of many more to follow):

Why is Blogger's free photo upload program only available for Windows?

Huh?

The BS begins...

And who better to start it than me.

Anyway, I guess this is my outlet to release some of the pent up funds that I have, so... What better way to spend it than on some useless ish?

If I can be more committed to this than I am to many other things in my life, I will post everyday.

If I don't, then that's just my fear of commitment speaking. Don't be alarmed.

For those interested in what this domain master looks like, here I am, entrenched in thought.

Harmonix hard at work

I'll be back later with a treat for those that have as much time on their hands as myself.