My man PRITT KALSI has been hard at work again behind the camera, filming his new documentary about the beat digging culture "THE MEN AND THEIR MUSIC" featuring interviews with legends of the hip hop game like DJ PREMIER, MARLEY MARL, JAZZY JAY, C.J. MOORE and others. If you have seen KING OF THE BEATS 1 & 2 then you already know how PRITT does his thing - he gets close up and personal with some of the greatest beatmakers of all time, and unearths their secrets and a few stories from years of Hip Hop music.Plus as a special launch party, on SUNDAY 27th September at THE VIBE BAR, BRICK LANE in EAST LONDON, SPARKI SKI will be hosting a preview night with special appearance by MIKEY D, the 1989 NEW MUSIC SEMINAR MC CHAMP.
"I put holes in rappers who try to diss me, and slap ugly girls who try to kiss me" MIKEY D - "I Get Rough"
MIKEY is best known for taking the mic for MAIN SOURCE's second LP release "FUCK WHAT YOU THINK" on Wild Pitch Records, but is also well known for his releases as MIKEY D & THE LA POSSE. Tracks like "My Telephone" and "Bust a Rhyme Mike" are essential classics fromthe late 80's. So DON'T SLEEP and get over to THE VIBE BAR on Sunday night and join in the fun. DJ MR THING will also be rocking a special birthday set, so you know it's gonna be 100% the real deal. Myself and BEAT DETECTIVE will be in attendance, so come along and enjoy the film preview, watch MIKEY D (MIKEY DESTRUCTION) blow up the spot with his DJ JOHNNY JUICE, and meet some fellow beat diggers. Plus there's gonna be a live beat battle so you know the venue will be crammed full of talent. So BIG PROPS to PRITT for making it happen again, and also to the man MIKEY D who is making his first ever trip to the UK. Word on the street from my man OXYGEN is that MIKEY tears the stage apart, so this one is definitely not to be missed. Here's what MIKEY DESTRUCTION has to say....
Welcome to Drum Break Central! It was a heavy mission yesterday, and even though I know all y'all beat diggers out there in cyberspace were fiending for the dope stuff, I just couldn't find enough energy to post 'em up for you last night. Plus I spent most of my night playing through the wax that I had bought. But best believe I had a nice record haul from only 4 spots - and all were bargain pieces too so I spent less than forty quid (50-60 bucks) in total on over fifteen records. Now that's the way to do it. As per usual some of the haul was complete rubbish, and these records immediately got the frisbee treatment, as I like to call it. They're outta here already, but I still say you should always take a chance on some records if the price is right. Some of the best breaks I own are ones that I purchased by hunch alone, but of course it doesn't pay off 100 per cent of the time. Although having just said that, yesterday I got lucky. One record I bought was a pure hunch, but certainly sent my spidey sense tingling. I've added a soundclip below, but I'm gonna keep names and titles to myself on this one as it's gonna get the DYNO beat treatment at a later date. Not only is there a drum break at the start, but it also breaks down a second time after the guitar solo, and has some great chorus loops too (see if you can spot them!)
You like that? Well I got plenty more where that came from. The second track is by THIJS VAN LEER, best known for heading the Dutch prog rock group FOCUS. Once again we start with a sweet little headnod drum break ripe for the chopping on the SP or MPC, but it's the groovy bassline that makes this a playthrough track. It sounds very Stevie Wonder/Herbie Hancock-ish at times. VAN LEER plays Fender keyboard and his trademark flute, with other players including JAMES GADSON on drums, WILTON FENDER on bass, VICTOR FELDMAN on congas and percussion, and PAUL BUCKMASTER on arp Odyssey and Fender Keyboard Bass.
Hold on though, we are only just getting started. No mission is ever complete without copping an original breakbeat which we all know and love, and yesterday was no different. This time the classic break was "Sister Sanctified" from STANLEY TURRENTINE's "Cherry" album (see photo). I can't believe I hadn't already found a copy of this LP at a sensible price, but this UK press on Creed Taylor Records was a snip at only 8 pounds. That's a fair price to pay for a classic. We gotta wait four minutes for the drums to drop, so let's all enjoy this one ...
The list of players on this LP says it all - BOB JAMES, MILT JACKSON, BILLY COBHAM, RON CARTER and CORNELL DUPREE, and "Sister Sanctified" was arranged by none other than WELDON IRVINE. A classic "back in the day" break most notably sampled by BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS on "My Philosophy" to great effect, and also on ABOVE THE LAW's "Murder Rap" single. But listen out for the vibe hook as used by 3RD BASS on their "Soul In The Hole" track. DOPE STUFF!
Right, I have one more drum break to keep ya heads bobbin'! This time on a 45rpm seven inch single and by the legendary rock drummer COZY POWELL. The track is entitled "And Then There Was Skin" and features some manic drum skills from Cozy. Let's rock....
I think that's enough said for the moment about yesterday's haul, and we've only covered 4 of the fifteen records so far! In the photo you can also see another STANLEY TURRENTINE LP which has a dope MONEY BOSS PLAYERS sample on it, and a GRASSROOTS LP which I am convinced holds a hidden drum break somewhere within those grooves - but I'm damned if I can find it on my first listen through. Now it's time to give it a second spin on the turntables.
Ahh, I have a day off. That can only mean one thing - it's time for another mission into the Big Smoke to sniff 'round some crates. Who knows what lies in a dusty crate or rack somewhere, just waiting to be handpicked. You can spend all day searching for wax on the internet, but nothing equals the buzz of finding a gem in the flesh. I admit these days the pickings aren't great in one spot alone, so it's time to switch to military precision mode and make a plan of attack on the city's record shops. I'm fast and furious, and many fellow record heads complain as they cannot keep up with my power-digging style. But when I've got my eyes on a prize there is no holding me back. I like to dig deep & fast, scoop the beats, and then move on to the next target before I'm recognised. To my fellow diggers, I'm sorry but it's like that, and it means that on most of these missions I have to fly solo. The only tools I will be taking is a handy portable, and my spideysense. I often rely on diggin' hunches rather than go for the obvious stuff, and the record in the picture above is a perfect example. It's the JOHNNY DANKWORTH and PAUL HART QUARTET LP entitled "Octavius". I believe DJ PREMIER has a liking to DANKWORTH samples, so this was a purchase based on this hunch and the other JD records I own. And to be honest, this LP is probably the best of them, featuring 2 clean drum breaks to chop, plus some killer loops ripe for a hip hop track. I'm not gonna give the whole game away, but take a peep of "Long John" and see what you think.
JOHN DANKWORTH PAUL HART OCTET - "Octavius" LP on SEPIA RECORDS 197? "Long John"
I will let you know what rewards I find when I return from my mission. I cannot divulge the exact locations in order to preserve beat security. Please maintain radio silence throughout the operation. Kid Dyno signing OUT. This webpage will self destruct in 20 seconds... 19, 18...
Now it's no secret that I don't buy a whole lot of new Hip Hop releases on vinyl, and OK I agree that there is a lot of dope new shit that completely misses my radar these days. Essentially I'm an old school fool who pines over the golden era days and I whole-heartedly admit that fact. I was born in 1971 and grew up as an 80's kid so a strong hip hop influence on me growing up was inevitable. But because of that my tolerance now in the noughties for every wannabee rapper and producer has worn thin. In short, I only listen to "pedigree" hip hop. But every so often I hear a new record that knocks me down from my self-created hip hop beliefs, and opens my eyes and ears to new dope music. You may remember a year or so ago this happened to me with SPUTNIK BROWN (and I still say watch this space where they are concerned). Now once again I have some more of the raw to bring you in the form of SOUNDSCI - The DIG FOR VICTORY EP. Released on CRATE ESCAPE RECORDS with the hardest working man in Birmingham, namely DJ CRO, behind the label - this is a very limited 12" release pressed on luscious red vinyl and in a cool picture sleeve. SOUNDSCI is the brainchild of JONNY CUBA (One half of now disbanded Dynamic Syncopation) and AUDESSEY (Founding member of MASS INFLUENCE) after collaborating previously on numerous occasions for Ninja Tune (Ground Zero, Dedicated, Systematic and 2 Tha Left) they kept in touch and continued making music together. Fast forward a few years and Jonny met Cro through Diggers With Gratitude and mutual friend, Juice Aleem. As more tracks were recorded and friends Ollie Teeba (Herbaliser),U-George, and Therapy got brought into the mix it made sense to make an EP rather than single and the "Dig For Victory EP" was born. As a bonus track included is an older track produced by Audessey featuring Jax from Binkis (who unfortunately passed away last year) and Reality. Using their b-boy ethics while not getting caught up in the past, it thumps hard and reminds you why you love hip-hop.
Produced by SOUNDSCI Cuts by Ollie Teeba, Jonny Cuba and Cro Mixed by No Sleep Nigel Mastered by Simon @ The Exchange Artwork / Design by Stilts
If you haven't heard this release already ... you're about to get your chops busted! My man DJ CRO had told me about this project a few months ago, and I was already familiar with JONNY CUBA's more-than-competent beats, so to say I was hyped was an understatement. Both DYNAMIC SYNCOPATION & MASS INFLUENCE have their place in the DAILY DIGGERS crates. But not even I was ready for tracks like "The Remedy" and "Show & Prove". The beats are on some funkier than funky type steez, and the whole EP reeks of longevity. JONNY and AUDESSEY; you guys have dropped jewels on our unsuspecting asses. Props to you both, and YO! JONNY it was good to finally meet you on that digging mission a few months back. Your beats are definitely solid bro.
SOUNDSCI "Dig For Victory" EP - get your copy pronto through...
ooooOOOWWWEEEEeeee! It's BREAKS FOR DAYS RADIO time again - another hour of essential beats & breaks to help you relax with pep over the weekend! By now I hope you know what to expect - no weak or wack shit, just 100% crispy dope biscuits from the DAILY DIGGERS crates. Get your DL swerve on below... I'm gonna find time for a diggin' mission this weekend, as always I'm fiending for some new records. Although I must admit I have enough beats right here to keep me busy right now. But it's about time to start the new DAILY DIGGERS mix CD ... so I will be searching for some fresh but obscure beats to add to the pot - stay tuned for more details.
As a hip hop kid living through the 1980's and 90's, I was (and still am) addicted to each of the 4 elements of hip hop culture. I remember early records released by artists like Grandmaster Flash and Sugarhill Gang hitting the UK charts in the early 80s, but it wasn't until a couple of years later that I realised that Hip Hop was much more than just the music. I can't recall the exact moment, but the breakin' scene was the first hip hop element that beckoned me, then followed by my sheer amazement at seeing a deejay scratch up doubles of a record. At that time I changed from wanting to be a b-boy, to wanting to be a deejay. But anyone into Hip Hop at that time, tried their hand at all elements in order to see where their talents lay. And of course the same applied to me, although my dancing was limited to locking and popping, and my can control was terrible at first. So I guess a deejay was the natural course for me to take, but I never fell out of love with the other forms of expression. Graffiti has always deeply affected me - whenever I see some I find myself transfixed until I can read it and absorb the style and colours. And I can stand and look for hours. As a kid, I had to endure maybe 20 years of enjoying graffiti with only four points of reference - the 2 films "Style Wars" and "Elevated Stations", and the 2 books "Subway Art" and "Spraycan Art". Other than that I had to hunt down the burners and take my own photos. But luckily, in the last few years, there has been an explosion of quality Graffiti books on the market documenting both the birth of graffiti, and it's different writers. The SUBWAY ART 25th ANNIVERSARY edition is an excellent example, updating the old book by HENRY CHALFANT (mine is well thumbed) with coffee table size hardback editions, pull-out photos, and additional never before seen photos of 80s NY transit. Other great books include ...
GRAFFITI KINGS COPE2 TRUE LEGEND DONDI WHITE THE NASTY TERRIBLE T-KID BURNERS GRAFFITI JAPAN GRAFFITI WORLD GRAFFITI PLANET MIAMI GRAFFITI BAY AREA GRAFFITI L.A. GRAFFITI FREIGHT GRAFFITI THE ART OF GETTING OVER OVERGROUND
I find myself addicted to buying these books, and spending hours submerged in vivid colours and dope styles. One such release that I have been looking forward to has just landed on my doorstep, hence the reason for this post - NY SUBWAY GRAFFITI by Tod Lange. There's some never seen before NY TRANSIT action, so check it out in your local bookshop or online.
There's nothing I like more than to flip a home made beat and rock some cuts & scratches - that's pure enjoyment! Hip Hop keeps me out of trouble for sure ;o)
If you're in London Town on Saturday 22nd August, myself and DANNY DELTA will be spinning b-boy funk and Hip Hop beats at HEADSHELL at the DRAGONBAR in SHOREDITCH EAST LONDON from 9pm until the early hours. I hope to see you homeboys and flygirls there. Consider it a warm up for the big carnival next weekend.
Here's a guest mix courtesy of FISH, entitled MARCH OF THE PESCATONS. Originally put together as a promotional CD for a club night, but as I've been playing this regularly, I thought it's time to share. FISH is a beatmaker, graffiti fiend and record head from Manchester in the UK, and as you may already know a regular here at BREAKS FOR DAYS. As you might guess he knows his onions! Here he has squeezed as much hip hop and funk goodness into half an hour as is humanly possible. I hope you are prepared for this.
