Pretty keen to check out Norman Jay rocking the Sydney Festival in his own Block-party Picnic today.. Definitely something Sydney needs more of ..
A REAL DJ DROPPING EXPRESS YOURSELF MUSIC in the SUNSHINE! Really cant beat that vibe..
YES TO MORE BLOCK PARTY VIBES !
http://www.soulofsydney.org/blockparty
Good Vibrations 2011, Sydney
Review by Ray Mann
Is it possible for an artist to convey their art in a festival setting, or do munters just wanna have fun?
I was asked by Soul of Sydney to review Good Vibrations 2011 “as an artist”. I took that to mea
n: “Don’t pretend to be a music journalist, just write as someone who makes music.” I know, for myself at least, that festival gigs are very different to pub or club gigs, in many ways. Subtlety can go right out the window, messages tend to be dumbed-down, and holding the crowd can be like riding the tide. For me, Good Vibrations 2011 was a mixed bag of wave-riders and wave-makers – and a non-stop rainy day that turned my fingers to prunes…
I arrived just in time to catch Aloe Blaac, who has honey for a voice, a dress sense I approve of, and a slinky backing band. Every second song was a soul classic, given the lite-and-easy treatment, including ‘Love And Happiness’ (minus the swagger) and a slow-jam version of ‘Billie Jean‘. I’m not sure what Aloe Blaac’s ‘Soul 101’ show does with or for the genre, and it didn’t engage me here any more than it did at Sydney Festival a few weeks earlier, but it seemed to go down a treat with this festival crowd.
At the other end of the spectrum was the one and only Erykah Badu, the single reason I (and, apparently, a lot of other people) was even at the festival. From the moment she stepped onto the stage (after 15 years and 20 minutes), everyone single excited one of us in the audience knew we were in the presence of not merely a singer, but an artist. Even with her own extensive catalogue, Ms Badu delves into her musical influences like veering off on tangents in a conversation. Ms Badu, who was an MC long before she came to prominence as a neo-soul singer, references old-school hip-hop in the middle of edgy renditions of her own tracks, both older (‘On & On’, ‘Danger’) and newer (‘Window Seat’). What’s most fascinating about Erykah Badu’s performance is the organic way she pulls those hip hop samples into the mix of her own output, driving the show less like a singer and more like a DJ. If you can’t see Erykah’s hands, you’re missing the show: remixing her own songs on the fly, directing her tight-as band to stop on a dime, jumping back and forth between different sections of different songs seemingly on a whim, even playing drums on her MPC – everything on that stage, from her amazing voice to her storytelling to her body, is a tool she picks up and uses sparingly, as the moment dictates. The effect of all of this is that you cannot take your eyes off her: this is a true artist, a woman celebrating her femaledom as much as her love of hip hop (and what a sight it was, watching her drop the entire Ice Cube verse from NWA’s ‘Gangsta Gangsta’, repeating the line “life ain’t nuthin’ but bitches and money” with who-knows-how-much irony, if any). It’s that same spontaneity that saw her suddenly launch into a diatribe about ‘Occupation’ toward the end of an already-running-late set – but dammit, folks been waiting a long time for her to come out here only to play the one show, and she was clearly making the most of it.
I’m no stranger to the jam-heavy live show (to say the least), but Fat Freddy’s Drop took a while to get warmed up, even for me. There were some overly long stretches of little more than a sequenced beat and that tasty horn section just kinda hanging out, but with little real movement. Singer Joe Dukie’s sublime voice graced the set right off the bat with ‘Flashback’, but his butter was spread too thinly across that raggamuffin (see what I did there? Yeow – that’s why I’m no music writer…!).
By contrast, musically an ocean apart while physically only a stage apart, the segues in the Bag Raiders set reached their destination almost before they’d begun. These are a couple of music geeks who can really play and can’t really sing, and are having fun with both of those attributes – and without a laptop in sight. In between singles ‘Shooting Stars’ and ‘Sunlight’ were some moments that were downright ultra-lounge-karaoke. Their live set felt like a peek into their bedroom jam session: two mates who could be making any type of music they chose, they just happened to choose sweet dance pop.
Nas and Damian Marley made being epic look effortless. Backed by a full band, including a guy whose only job was to wave a giant Lion Of Judah flag throughout the set, Nas and Damian Marley put on a powerful show with a message that permeated every song without ever becoming preachy. Apart from some “When I say ‘Hip’, you say…” action from Nas early in the set, there were no cliches here, everything familiar but nothing obvious, and they owned the crowd from the (late) start to the (even later) finish. Tracks from their ‘Distant Relatives’ collaboration were interspersed with each of the artists dropping hits from his individual catalogue. The crowd blew up when hit with modern classics ‘Hip Hop is Dead‘ and ‘Welcome To Jamrock’; and there was no less fervour for newer tracks like ‘As We Enter’, one of the many examples of the fresh reggae/hip hop crossover these guys have been lauded for creating. If I weren’t an Erykah fan, I’d say Nas and Damian Marley’s set was the best thing that happened on this day – I was so moved, inside and out, that I completely forgot to check out Kelis. And as if they hadn’t rocked my world enough, they closed their set with Damien Senior’s “Could You Be Loved”, only one of the most glorious songs of all time.
Oh that Ludacris, such a character… I was curious to see how his larger-than-life persona would translate to his stage show. His set was an abridged Ludacristory, comprising a verse and a chorus of every single song he ever released. Good for fans and short attention spans – which, by this late stage of the day, was probably as much as many folks could handle.
Phoenix, that charming Frenchy fivesome (I’d thought there were only four?), offered up a yum-cha selection of tracks from across all their albums, against a dynamic black-and-white backlit setpiece that showed off just how much of an animal their drummer is. You may be wondering, “Why is this guy reviewing a synth-rock band in a soul/hip hop blog?” The two brothers from Phoenix are actually soul music connoisseurs; you can hear it across their albums. Ironically, I missed ‘Too Young’ coz I’m too old, and therefore too tired to stay at Good Vibes any longer, and not long after ‘It’s Never Been Like That’ I finally called it a day.
Many thanks to Soul of Sydney for this opportunity – and for my first-ever Good Vibes experience.
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Ray Mann bids a fond “Farewell Australia” with one huge night, featuring The Ray Mann Three performing live, with some very special guests, followed by an all-night party – all under the one roof: Melt Bar, in Sydney’s Kings Cross. After national tours with Al Green, Tori Amos, and a successful debut tour of Japan, Ray Mann is taking the plunge and to pursue his musical career in other parts of the world. Come celebrate Ray Mann’s big move with a night not to be missed!Ray Mann is set to relocate to Berlin ~ catch his final show before he leaves…
What: The Ray Mann Three: Farewell Australia Show
When: Friday 11 March, 2011, 9pm-5am
Where: Melt, 12 Kellet St Kings Cross, Sydney
Tickets: http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=44915
Not in Sydney? Watch the show streaming live on ray-mann.com (via Neonhearts.com.au)
Full details: http://ray-mann.com/?p=1762
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St Peters Sydney
Info/links: Check out Facebook event or Resident Advisor for ticket details & more information
Mixtape: LoveFingers Australian Promo (Download)
LOVEFINGERS (NYC)
psychedelic. warehouse. disco. party. could four words be any sweeter? after the Sydney festival first night blow-out, picnic’s here to save you with some serious fun times in our inner city warehouse, just 10 minutes away from martin place.
special guest LOVEFINGERS (blackdisco/ny) – hipster hero and crate digger, party rocker and all round awesome bro – has flown over especially and is doing a 3hr set for us. he’s the lock of the week for picnic – solid jams on blackdisco, just signed to modular and is a favourite of dj harvey and rub n tug and garth and metro area and loads of others.
he also runs that little website: lovefingers.org. it’s a bit special.
getting down to business are our local jocks, THE LOIN BROTHERS, alongside everyone’s favourite PERFECT SNATCH, STEELE BONUS and picnic head honchos/all round party animals KALI and VIVI, and your host MC GAFF E.
tickets are $15 presale and no more than $20 on the door.
full picnic turbosound system installed on the night!
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Andrew Hogge aka Lovefingers needs little introduction amongst the global disco elite, his world famous lovefingers.org has had a undeniable impact, on the burgeoning eclectic dance scene of today and has enabled him to bring his eccentric taste and unique DJ style on tours throughout the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
A Los Angeles native, Andrew and collaborator Nitedog have been hosting the standalone monthly event Blackdisco Social Club since 2001 which have included guests like LCD Soundsystem, Prins Thomas, Rub’n’Tug and many more before heading off to New York where he resides today. Lovefingers and Nitedog, also founded the top notch disco re-edit label Blackdisco well know for its discerning tastes, Black Disco releases have found there way into the bags of top jocks like Harvey, James Murphy and their debut 12″ was recognized as #2 in Phonica’s Top 10 Disco of 2008 as well as Tim Sweeney’s Best of 2008 Beats in Space.
Lovefingers’ left-field sensibilities have also led him into the art world including performances at PS1 MoMA’s Summer Warm-Up, Doug Aitken’s Sleepwalkers exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, sculptor Eduardo Sarabia’s Salon Aleman installation at the 2008 Whitney Biennial, avant-garde designer Henrik Vibskov and fashion icon Diane Pernet. Keep an eye and ear out for new projects dropping this year, The Stallions a production duo with long time cohort and DJ partner Lee Douglas and singer Findlay Brown and the kick off of Loverfingers own original imprint ESP Inst.
Love Fingers Interview
blackmail.com.au
Chances are you already know about the Lovefingers website, quite possibly the best site at the moment for downloading rare unearthed music from the past 30-40 years. What you probably don’t know is that the man behind the site, Andrew Hogge, is one of the most friendly and laid back guys going around. A native Californian who currently resides in Brooklyn, he’ll probably tell you himself that he’s lazy. However he still manages to hold down a full time job and at the same time run two record labels, update his website with daily ‘fingertracks’ and mixes, work on his own music as one half of production duo The Stallions, party with the energy of an 18 year old, and tour the world djing. Recently he even became a father. Steele Bonus caught up with Lovefingers a month outside of his second trip down under.
Steele Bonus: Tell us about your origins in music. How did you come about collecting records and djing?
Andrew Lovefingers: I grew up in a musical home, mum was a music teacher and we played and sang together from as far back as I can remember. I started playing drums when I was seven or eight. It was pretty cool, after I first set up the kit my mum jumped on and dropped some beats, I couldn’t believe it! As for records, the first was a huge box of my dad’s 45s, mostly Beatles and Beach Boys. My first purchased records were probably Run DMC and Zeppelin. I got into metal, punk and hardcore later and started compulsively collecting 7″s which led to everything else.
SB: Did you ever play in bands? Do you miss jamming with a band?
AL: Yeah a handful of punk bands in high school, and later some stoner rock bands, no need to name any of them… but I guess the last band I played in was Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Yeah I haven’t had a drum kit for a while, I need one badly!
SB: So you’ve been working on a bunch of tracks lately with Lee Douglas. You guys also travel and dj together a fair bit. How did this partnership come about?
AL: We actually grew up in the same area and hung around the same punk kids, and have always had a lot of mutual friends. Funny now we also live a block from each other. I dunno, we just started hanging out a lot and listening to records all the time. So it was just inevitable that we started laying down tracks. I was asked by Findlay Brown to remix a song for his new album, so it was our first real project after a lot of talk. Then Findlay was really happy with the remix and his label asked us to produce some original material for him in the studio, and it ended up being a super great collaboration. Now we’re remixing a handful more artists and working on an album together. And since it seemed like we had to make up a name we are calling ourselves The Stallions.
SB: You made the move from LA to NYC a couple of years back. Did the music scene in NYC influence this decision? Do you think the music/club scene in NYC is all it’s cracked up to be? Are there any djs, bands or producers in NYC that you think the rest of the world needs to know about?
AL: I’ve always loved NYC but moving there had nothing to do with music. It was more work related really. But I’m a million times happier with the music scene in NYC than LA. I grew up in LA and it was just time for a change. Not to talk bad on LA, it’s a great place, and full of great people (despite the reputation). The music scene in NYC has always been amazing, but it’s by no means some disco-laden wonderland. There is a small pool of djs and record freaks and we all go to each other’s parties. It’s actually a super tough place to play in right now, money is low and people are jaded, but we still have fun. Underground parties are always where it’s at. I can’t really think of anything new in New York that people need to know about, TBD is the jam and also my buddy Speculator has a new label called Willy T… his release for Hunee is dope.
SB: Djing has taken you to play gigs at plenty of different locations around the globe. Any of them stand out as being the most memorable? Any crazy stories you feel like sharing?AL: I love Turkey. I went to this little beach town in southern Turkey this summer and it was just amazing. Girls dancing in the knee high water under a full moon til the sun rose. Yeah of course when you are out all night weird things and people are involved but no real standouts. It’s all a blur. Just really awesome to meet such cool people and real music freaks all over the place! Stallions just played a fantastic gig last night in Stockholm and we’re on to Berlin tomorrow. Later in the week we’re over to Serbia to play in Belgrade, that’s really got me excited!
SB: Lets talk about your site. I have heard that you are going to stop once you reach 1000 tracks. It’s currently up there in the nine hundreds right? There mustn’t be long to go. What will happen when you hit 1000?
AL: Yeah maybe 30 something more to go. Not sure what will happen at 1000 but I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make it a radio station. Not sure. It’s really a long mix, and a lot of tracks are totally specific to the time they were posted, but if you listen to the catalogue in its entirety it’s the best, so I might just make it stream. I wish there was a way to package the 1000 song mix but it would end up being a ridiculously large box set.
SB: I think lots of people are going to miss the updates. Especially after recently similar ‘track of the day’ type sites Bumrocks and Dream Chimney have shut down. Do you think it is a bit of an end of an era?
AL: Let’s just say that these specific sites you mentioned are the cream. I feel like Bumrocks, Dream Chimney and my site have accomplished something pretty cool, but honestly they’re kinda the only ones I pay attention to. The point is to promote great music and artists and get their music out there, but not to replace the actual records. That’s why the files are not high bit rate, its just to sample and then you need to go out to the record store, or at least the online record store. There is too much at your fingertips these days and it’s really overwhelming. So easy to get lost in the computer and its much better to get in, get out and get on with your day.
SB: Any plans to follow on with a different project? Or are you just looking forward to a break?
AL: Yes my new project is my new son Jaspar! I can’t think of anything more rewarding than listening and playing music with him. He’s got his favourites already, and he’s only a month old!
SB: There’s been a lot of hype, mostly taking place on the internet, about a resurgence in ‘cosmic disco’ music. Have you noticed much of a change in the popularity for this kind of music over the last few years in regards to the interest in your djing and your site?
AL: Meh, buzz words I guess. I mean the sub-genre thing is quite boring to me. It’s like when people put mixed styles of music together it’s all of a sudden “cosmic”. That’s not at all what I think of as cosmic. It’s a vibe not a genre. Unless I guess you’re referring to Baldelli’s classic jams from that era, which I really love, but mixing it all up is the way I like it and I’d never consider anything I do cosmic.
SB: So you are coming down under for the new year and some of January right? It’s been a long time coming and almost didn’t happen. Are you excited? Where are you playing?
AL: Yeah man I’m super stoked! Playing at The Toff on New Years Eve and at the Picnic party in Sydney the next week… a handful of other parties as well, I’ll post ‘em all on my site soon. Will be super cool to hang out with all you guys again, and especially to get a second shot at summer!
SB: What sort of stuff can audiences here expect to hear you play?
AL: Disco, house, sleazy rock jams, maybe some chanting monks and snake charming music? I got a bunch of new things too.
SB: So tell us about this new label you are starting up, the ESP Institute. What sort of stuff are you going to be putting out? Did you start it with a certain kind of music or certain acts in mind to release? How will it be different from your other label Blackdisco?
AL: Blackdisco is just about servicing djs and the dancefloor, it’s all edits and rework of songs for that specific use. ESP Institute is new music. Totally open minded beautiful sounds. Lots of great things from friends in Japan as well. My wife and I have also started a children’s clothing label under the ESP Institute called ESPno.1… Other things will follow and hopefully a boutique one day.
SB: Run us through some of the releases you’ve got coming up on the two labels.
AL: For Blackdisco, I will do another edit 12″ at some point but things that are for sure are a 12″ from Thriftcotheque (Eddie Ruscha of Laughing Light Of Plenty) and a 12″ from Justin Vandervolgen (TBD, Try and Find Me). The debut release from ESP Institute is Journey To The Centre Of The Sun by Sombrero Galaxy (which is two good buddies Tako and Jonny Nash) with a remix on the b-side by The Stallions. It’s out end of January. After that is a release by Chee Shimizu of Discosession. A super deep promo mix CD will be out first and probably free with the first shipped 12″s. The rest will be sold and the profits will all go to benefit music programs for children. The artwork for ESP is also going to be great, Mario Hugo is doing the whole package and he’s an amazing NYC artist.
SB: On your Blackdisco label you recently put out an edit by a guy from Brisbane – Julien Love. Julien is a very talented guy, but is still relatively unknown around these parts. How did it come about that you ended up putting out his music?
AL: A friend of mine played me his edit of The Jacksons and I just had to contact him to let it come out on Blackdisco. He’s sent me heaps of super fantastic edits and hopefully we’ll do another 12″ soon. He’s a great dude and everyone should fly him over for parties. Also check his music videos on Youtube, total dopeness.
SB: Thanks man, one more question, now that you have the responsibility of being a dad do you think you’ll slow down on going out partying till the wee hours of the morning?
AL: Everything is OK in moderation.Lovefingers plays at Melbourne’s the Toff In Town on December 31 amongst other shows.
Connect With Soul Of Sydney
AMANDA BLANK + DEVLIN & DARKO
Monday 11 January 8pm
Hyde Park Barracks (Becks Festival Bar)
$38 presale
Tickets: Here @ Sydney Festival or call (Festival Bookings on 1300 668 812 or Ticketmaster 1300 723 038
Give away: Email soulofsydney@gmail.com or check onthefly.com.au Continue reading
We have double passes available to anyone who emails us here at (soulofsydney@gmail.com) asking for them
Event Details: Friday 16 October 11:30pm @ Oxford Art Factory (38 Oxford St Sydney)
Feat: Pase Rock (Spank Rock),+ Dangerous Dan, Tha Fizz, Mirror Mirror,Mik Menace,Cassettezz
Tickets: $16 @ Moshtix Info : E-mail : anita@onthefly.com.au Phone: (02) 9211-1610
Facebook: Event Link
Since ‘Mr Scruff’ was just rocking dance floors around town , I though it might be worth sharing this amazing funk, soul, breaks, hip hop & house Essential Mix he did for BBC Radio earlier this year;
Download Here
Play Here
Track Listing:
Body and Soul – In The Beginning – National General
2. Leroy Hutson – Lucky Fellow – Curtom
3. Eddie Kendricks – Girl You Need a Change of Mind – Motown
4. Zed Bias and Jenna G – Let Me Change Your Mind – Development
5. Mr Scruff – Give Up To Get – Ninja Tuna
6. Mr Scruff – Rocking Chair – Ninja Tuna
7. Theo Parrish – Chemistry – Sound Signature
8. Arcadion – Ghostfeeder – DC
9. Ragga Twins – Wipe The Needle – Shut Up And Dance
10. Q Tip – Manwomanboogie – Motown
11. Mr Scruff with Skuff and Inja – Zen – Ninja Tuna
12. James Brown – Get On The Good Foot – Polydor
13. Mr Scruff and Quantic – Donkey Ride – Ninja Tuna
14. Mr Scruff – Fish – Ninja Tune
15. Mr Scruff – Get On Down – Ninja Tuna
16. Thomas Bangalter – On Da Rocks – Roule
17. Psychotropic – Only For The Headstrong – Raw Bass
18. Mr Scruff – Chicken In A Box – Ninja Tune
19. Mitsu The Beats – Kuro Fessional MC (instrumental mix) – Mukatsuku
20. Color Climax – Disque O Heights – Breakin Bread
21. Jazzanova – Boom Clicky Boom Klack (Mr Scruff mix) – Sonarkollektiv
22. Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime – Sire
23. Mr Scruff – Kalimba – Ninja Tuna
24. Sweet Salvation – Rock Steady – Elektra
25. Cosmic Force – Ghetto Down (Kenny Dope mix) – Truth and Soul
26. Mr Scruff – Sweetsmoke – Ninja Tuna
27. Benny Ill, Kode 9 and The Culprit – Fat Larrys Skank – Tempa
28. Nicolette – Dove Song – Shut Up And Dance
29. Channel One – Jungle Skank – Channel One
Download Here
Play Here
SOUL OF SYDNEY: Feel-Good FUNK SOUL DISCO & beyond. 