From ghettobassquake
The Hackney Empire are taking over the world with the unique Afro-pop sound of The New Electric High-Life. Led by A.J. Holmes, this 6 piece are the ultimate Afro party disco machine. They leave no ass unshaken, and regularly incite frantic chaos on the dancefloor. The band have played support to David Byrne, and regularly collaborate with some of London’s finest African musicians from Palm Wine legend Abdul Tee-Jay, to Nigerian grime star Afrikan Boy.

‘Fraudian Slip’, produced by Radioclit (M.I.A., The Very Best, Amadou & Mariam) is the debut release on Ghetto Bassquake. The single is a raucous energetic track featuring vocals from Secousse’s resident MC, the Congolese Mic terror, Kastro.

As far as I know this is Erick’s very first commissioned remix that has been officially released outside of the Tribal guarachero scene. He’s turned in an absolute Killa as you can hear!

A.J. Holmes & The Hackney Empire – ‘Fraudian Slip’ feat. Kastro (Erick Rincon Tribal Guarachero Remix)

Listen to the other remixes too!
Full Digital release on itunes etc.. 24th Sept. Limited Edition 7″ Vinyl to follow.

Also available for posting is a wicked promo mixtape by A.J. Holmes.
A.J. Holmes – ‘The Fraudian Mix’
Malcolm Mclaren – ‘Double Dutch’
Lucas Seque – Unknown
A.J. Holmes & The Hackney Empire – ‘I’ll Never Forget You’ (A.J. Holmes RMX)
JR (feat. HHP) – ‘Show Dem’
Baaba Maal – ‘Miracle’ (The Very Best Remix)
Golden Sound – ‘Zangalewa’
DJ Arafat – ’5500 Volt’
Unknown – ‘Molcajete el Ojo Tribal’
Batida – ‘Yumbala’
Xylitol – ‘Alomo’ (A.J. Holmes RMX)
Super Combo – ‘Ngombu’
Download (mp3, tracklist and artwork inside)

Sonora – Siempre Fresco Ep
Tracklisting

1. Siempre Fresco
2. Nuestra Obra Maestra
3. Con El Combo
4. Paraiso
5. Tierra Santa

Listen, Download

THE ROOTS OF CHICHA 2
(October 12, 2010 on Barbès Records)
ELECTRIC CUMBIAS FROM THE LOWER DEPTHS OF PERU (1968-1981)
Cultural phenomena streak through popular consciousness like meteorites. There’s a significant, even life-changing, impact made somewhere, but for many it’s only a moment that flickers by, soon to be swallowed back into the cosmos. Chicha might have been like that. Instead, a once-obscure music that enjoyed a fanatic embrace in the Peruvian slums of the 1970s has become a full-fledged global occasion – thanks to the stunning success of a 2007 CD called The Roots of Chicha. More.
Listen:
The Roots Of Chicha 2 (Sampler) by pressjunkiepr

Samo Sound Boy – Taking It All

Palms Out is pleased to announce the second EP from Los Angeles’ Samo Sound Boy. Taking It All consists of three stadium-sized percussive hybrid house rhythms, each of which comes complete with a huge bottom, crackling snares, and all of which will bring the house down. Accompanying the three originals are remixes by fellow LA firebrands and Palms Out fam, LOL Boys; Chicago/New York producer and drummer for These Are Powers, Brenmar; and finally Mixpak’s golden boy producer, UK’s Melé. More.

POS021 – SAMO SOUND BOY – TAKING IT ALL by Palms Out Sounds

ZZK Records, Raw Word Records & Peligrosa Present:
ZIZEK CLUB WORLD TOUR – Buenos Aires, Argentina

ZZK returns to North America for a summer 2010 tour filled with Digital Cumbia & Digital Folklorico.

“No wonder Clarín, Argentina’s largest newspaper, had nominated Zizek as one
of the best parties of the year — it was awesome.” – New York Times

$5 with RSVP @ www.PeligrosaBlog.com/RSVP // $7 @ the Door // 18 and up! // Doors @ 8pm

Performing
ZZK: El G / Chancha Via Circuito / El Remolón
PELIGROSA: Dj Dus / Orion / Manolo Black / Hobo D / Pagame

ZZK is bringing a global dance sensibility to digital cumbia, dubstep and electro-reggaeton cuts. Hypnotic beats with influences from Colombian cumbia, cumbia villera (cumbia from the slums of Buenos Aires), reggaeton, dubstep, IDM, and minimal techno, inspiration from afro-dance, murgas (marching bands), minimal dub and down tempo. Computer bleeps share sonic space with folkloric chant. Candombe drums are accompanied by the sample of a machete splicing the air and a vocal line of indigenous bebop is layered over hints of dub.

DJ sets are powerful showcases of ZZK music: past, present and future. B-Sides, mashups, bootlegs, official and unofficial releases plus the newest music from the ZZK label is tested on audiences during their fiery, eclectic and intensely fun DJ sets.

And of course local party crew, Peligrosa, will be there in full regale to bestow an insurmountable array of Latin heaters.

El Remolon – Pangeatico EP by zzkrecords

Сувенириикони

I added my own flavorings with Big Freedia’s gator shawl and bedazzled Cauze One and Orion’s shirts with real diamonds (couldn’t have a No Limit flyer without tanks, cars, asses and shit blowing up either). But it got me thinking. Although nostalgic and, might I say, awesome, my art work isn’t original in concept by any means. I knew I was replicating the throw back album covers but who was responsible for those covers? I may not be the most ethical of internet users but i felt like i needed to find the culprits responsible for an era of crazy photoshopping and give them props.

Upon researching, I not only learned of the history of this ‘bling-bling’ stlye of artwork but I think I have become enamored as well. Shaun Brauch may be the most influencial man of late 90′s hip hop.

(nevermind the silly british guy)

I hope to catch an interview with him soon. With over 19,000 album covers under his belt for his years as Pixel & Pen (note: Pen & Pixel was sold and is no longer owned by Shawn) and two new ventures (Smart Face Media & Creative Resource Management) the man behind it all admits that it was he and B.G. that coined the term “bling-bling”.

The Pen & Pixel story from what I’ve seen Shawn post on several blogs:

The company was sold in 2003, 911 caused major problems for the entertainment field all around, that combined with napster was the final straw. The company at it’s peak (1998-2001) was billing almost 6 million dollars a year and was producing more that 23 covers per week. Yes, some were cheesy, some were insane and some were amazing…but the main thing to remember was PPG was a business enterprise, it’s function was to please the customers…we had thousands of maverick ideas that would have pushed and developed Hip-hop graphics further and faster…but the clients demand for the “same ol’ Bling Bling, Ho’s and cars kept the monster fed.
There is a company out there now that have taken the Pen and Pixel Graphics name, but they are not PPG! There is no one there that has worked for Pen and Pixel. For more information on this company and it’s history…get it form the person that founded the company back in 1992. -Shawn Brauch

There are a lot of question I have about Pen & Pixel and how it ended. There seems to be some controversy regarding the current owner of pixelandpen.com, a company called AKA Studios and Shawn Brauch himself. I hope to get to the bottom of it with some good old fashion conversation but in the mean time I highly recommend you read an interview Shawn did back in 2009. It will motivate you.

First up, our man Panchitron from San Antonio. I have no artwork or tracklisting but here’s the download link:
Knights of Pythias EP download link
http://www.zshare.net/download/77907321532359ca/

Next Up Richard.Gear (Austin, Tx) just dropped Starz EP and it’s free to download from:
Dropbox
SoundCloud
BandCamp

NOW OUT ON EXPONENTIAL RECORDS!
follow his ass on twitter too.

Introducing Silky Boys, the new DJ project from Rob Pollinate (Squared) & Shaun Bass (Neon Skullz) joining forces. Made a crunk tight mix for your face to promote their new night.
Pure Silk Vol.1: Moombahclart! by Silky Boys
They have a new night in London too:
Silky Boys present
BRITS ABROAD LAUNCH PARTY [LOVEBOX TROPICAL AFTER-PARTY]
with
WARRIOR ONE
ISA GT
SUMSIN
MOROKA
SILKY BOYS
NASTY MCQUAID
TRAWLERGUY
at
KORSAN BAR, 161-165 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London

You can visit www.deadprez.com and download the mixtape for free!

I’m pretty excited soundcloud is letting developers have a go at their API aka Application Programming Interface. According to soundcloud, “The SoundCloud API makes it possible for a third-party app to act as a SoundCloud user, but then the app needs to be “logged in” as well.” I still haven’t seen anything that I would find more useful than soundclound itself I did come across a few developers who have started work on what looks to be exciting progress.

First Muxtape.com

Here’s a look at Dan Deacon’s page. It’s not even up and running for the public and it is invite only (if it ever gets started) but it looks promising, runs off of HTML5.
Mextape says:
It’s currently a work in progress. When it’s done,

* bands will be able to sell downloads
* anyone will be able to make mixes of music on the site
* labels will be able to manage their bands in one place
* developers will be able to build on our API

Regardless the music is pulled from soundcloud on to a very clean player.

Next is Tracks On A Map.com which displays soundcloud uploads from a map. I don’t believe it to display every song but as they say “On Tracks on a Map you can listen to SoundCloud tracks from around the world from any genre. Just click a city to start the fun!” I learned that it was written at Music Hack Day in Berlin (which I didn’t even know exsisted, which looks pretty cool, which SoundCloud, Last.fm, RjDj and Songkick all participated in).

In addition to these, soundclound is promoting two other methods of incorporating the API. You can use Scup, a Mac/PC based desktop application, to upload multiple tracks to your SoundCloud account and create a set on the fly. As a dj I don’t see the need to be able to create a mix on the web (I’ll use my technics thank you very much) but I can see where this is going.

Lastly a company named Audiofile Engineering, LLC, quiet some time ago, created an app for the iphone called FiRe. FiRe is pretty tight, i use it from time to time when my hacked iphone isn’t acting crazy. “Audiofile Engineering’s FiRe application is by far the most advanced stereo audio recording application we’ve seen for the iPhone and iPod Touch, going far beyond the limitations of previous go-to apps…” and guess what you can upload directly to your soundcloud account.

All this being said I am still looking for a soundcloud like player that I can run on my own server. Not sure if that will ever happen but here’s to hope.