Burial – Kindred EP

The 12″ pressing of Burial latest EP has been delayed, but the Hyperdub family thought it only right to get the music out there – so you can download this stunning release from their website now. His music appeals to a greater cross-section of listeners than any other underground electronic producer I know of, and I’m finding the proposed explanations fascinating. Check out this piece from The Quietus and this from Rogue’s Foam.

Maybe it’s best not to overanalyse though. After all, the music says much more than our words ever could…

Jaylib concert featuring Common

More essential live recordings today! Props to Bama Loves Soul for reminding us about this exclusive from the Stones Throw camp.

“This was recorded at the Henry Fonda Theater, April 4, 2004, on the first night of the Madvillain/Jaylib tour for Madvillainy. Madlib & J. Rocc had performed Jaylib songs live, but this was the first show with J. Dilla, who had just moved to Los Angeles and joined the tour without being announced on the flyers. Another unannounced guest late into the set was Common. The voices you hear are B+ & Melo-D, who recorded this set.”

J. ROCC:
This is the first show we ever did. It was a party for the release of the Madvillain LP. We didn’t practice for the show… or any of them for that matter. I would ask them what they wanted to perform then they would go, “I don’t know….you make up the set list”… hahaha.

Well, thank you to Madlib & the Stones Throw Family (Wolf, Jank & Egonavichi) for giving me such an experience. It was a blessing … Getting to spin for my favorite producers. I remember getting tapes from Jake One of Slum Village and beat tapes and just geeking out with the few homies who knew what time it was. Then I’m getting to d.j. and go on tour with this dude. Man, talk about a dream come true.

Anyhow… enough with the heartfelt moments.”

Download.

For Real

I’ve just uploaded the finished version of the first track from a new EP I’ve been working on. It’s called ‘For Real’ and you can download a full quality WAV version, for free, from my soundcloud page.

The track is a combination of a few sketches I’d put together – the more obvious samples are a heavily filtered chorus from a YouTube accapella version of Frank Ocean’s ‘Thinking About You‘, and a vocal loop from Tricky’s solo release from 1999, ‘For Real‘.

Hip Hop Superstars On Arsenio Hall Show

With real hip hops fans getting excited about the Juice Crew announcing a London show on Monday 9th April, 2012, I thought now would be a good time to post this classic hip hop video.

Check out this who’s who of hip hop royalty!

First Deviation of 2012

I still haven’t managed to get to one, but a week tonight is the first Deviation session of 2012. It will be held for the first time at Concrete on Shoreditch High Street, and guests for the night include Tawiah, Hyperdub’s Ikonika, MC Judah, and, hosting, Benji B.

For a taste of what to expect, check out this show on Red Bull Music Academy Radio, live from City Hall in Barcelona.

Making The LooP

Check out the video below that gives an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of Shafiq Husayn’s forthcmoing album, Making The LooP.

While writing this post, I also discovered this interview from The Revivalist: ‘The Divine Science and Words of Wisdom with Shafiq Husayn’. It’s been online for a while, but definitely deserves a read.

Shafiq was also the producer who first introduced me to the girl, her name is Miss Fatima…

TEDxMerseyside

Shortly after posting about Baba Brinkman‘s Rap Guide To Evolution at TEDxSMU, I noticed that Liverpool artist Robyn Woolston’s tweet about an independently organised TEDxMerseyside on Saturday 4th February.

You can buy tickets here.

“TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is call TEDxMerseyside, where x=independently organized TED event. At our TEDxMerseyside event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.

The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organised.”

Check out Dusk favourite Akala’s recent contribution to the project:

Southport Weekender Website

As some of you know, for the last few months I’ve been working on relaunching the Southport Weekender website. It finally went live at the end of December, and its immediate success has been quite overwhelming. Helped by the event’s 17,000 strong email subscribers, we are averaging over one million hits per month. I’m adding daily content, including news stories, tracks of the day, interviews, reviews and exclusive mixes from past and future guests at the event.

Although there is some complimentary crossover between the site and this blog, I still intend to keep all things Dusk alive – covering and exploring deep, rare and beautiful music… same as it ever was!

Georgia Disses Monsanto

One of the first posts I made on this blog was an edit of a Georgia Anne Muldrow track, produced by 2Tall (who now goes under the name Om Unit). Since then, she’s given birth, produced for Erykah, and is about to drop a new album produced by Madlib. This track is a teaser, and Georgia explains more below.

“It’s about seeds and children, about contemplating the future. It’s also a diss record to Monsanto… produced by the Beat Konducta Sensei: Madlib. This album brought out a whole lot of characters outta me. Most of them are on the fierce side of the fence – (laughs) – it’s raw. The brother Madlib’s production is really great, and it inspired the concepts that i already hold near and dear within to find new contexts.

I feel that somehow we’re living in the midst of a cosmic drama right under our noses, above our heads, in our neighborhoods, and certainly on the inside too. We just tapped into those energies, and got to building! Someothaship strives to lend voice to all that as best we can, and i’m no exception.”

More Nikki-O

After my last post about Moodymann’s collaboration with Nikki-O, I tried to find out more about the featured vocalist. In 2005, Mahogani Music pressed limited numbers of a self-titled Nikki-O EP that was sold exclusively at gigs. You can find the Discogs listing for the release here, and there are a handful of copies for sale for around £25.

The EP was privately repressed the following year, again in limited quantities, and apparently will never be given a full release. It’s a slept on piece of the Mahogani back catalogue: classic KDJ production with a looped disco samples underpinning panned vocals on ‘Give U Something More’ and delicious poetry floating over deep jazz keys on ‘Flowers In My Bed’.

Nikki-O uses the alias ‘Sky Covington’ and hosts a weekly jam night at Harbor House in downtown Detroit with guest players including Ibrahim Jones on bass and Alex White on drums.

I’m also digging this mix from Fiat Lux that features ‘I’m Watching U’ from the previously mentioned EP.