If you were to approach me on the Metro during my daily commute recently and ask me what was playing on my iPod, these tracks would figure prominently. I shared a bunch at Refuge last week.
The drawback of dealing with a huge backlog of good music is that I often take a long time to get around to listening to some of the hottest shit. I picked up Shafiq’s solo project months after everyone had already been raving about it. Even if you followed all of Sa-Ra’s work closely, it would be hard to prepare for the experience of hearing Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka for the first time. It’s a cosmic afro-space sonic landscape.
See the Shafiq comments. I sat on RJD2’s latest for a long time too but great sounds don’t have expiration dates. The Colossus is a fascinating listen. This Kenna joint is dope but not even in my top three tracks on the album. You should check it out for yourselves.
I initially wasn’t sold on the vocals and writing but this joint has an irresistible bop to it. Sometimes the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. You agreed too, as many of you asked me about this tune.
We had a bit of fun in the wayback machine last week. Dropped some old beloved pop jams then played “stump the fam” with joints I used to love that I guessed they wouldn’t be able to identify.
No, not Chaka or Vesta but one-third of LaBelle. Big shouts to ThePBG for getting it right, singing along AND doing her dance. This used to go hard. Word to Jellybean Johnson.
I won with this one. Folks guessed Loose Ends and that actually makes sense stylistically. Sherrick only had one hit other than this one and sadly passed away in 1999. I’m bringing this tune back though.
Part of a double play, I dropped “All Fall Down” too. UK stand up. This was just for funsies. If folks didn’t know Five Star I would have had to put them on punishment.
I wasn’t in retro mode all night of course. Right now I’m stanning hard for the homie Ty’s new project, so expect a lot excitement generated about it in this space. Again, UK represent.
It’s been out for a couple of weeks but good music isn’t held captive by 1st week sales or blizzards.
If this is all foreign to you, play catch up here. The brainchild of UK future soul producer Dego (2000 Black, 4hero), keyboardist Kaidi Tatham (DKD, Agent K), and vocalist/songwriter Bembe Segue (4hero, The Politik) Silhouette Brown’s 2005 debut was the sexy, jazzy flip-side to broken beat’s jump up riddims.
We have two copies of the new Silhouette Brown album to give away at Refuge tonight to go along with a set featuring cuts from both albums and an exploration of Dego, Kaidi and Bembe’s extensive catalog. The first two folks to email me at djstylus AT vibeconductor DOT com with the answers to these questions will snag a copy of Two. Google is your friend.
1. Name the featured vocalist on Silhouette Brown’s debut.
2. Name the featured vocalist on the new Silhouette Brown album.
3. What classic hip-hop figure cameos on the new album?
4. Name the first single from the new album.
5. Name one project, collaboration or crew that Dego, Kaidi or Bembe are associated with that I didn’t mention above.
Last week I was deep in Two bliss and my 2000 Black crates as well. There were a couple of amorous couples in the building getting re-acquainted on date night. I think they rather enjoyed this cut:
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We’ve put together an evening for those that generally consider Valentine’s Day a day of corniness, or even worse, a source of emotional distress. The happily coupled and the comfortably single are encouraged to attend, but we’ve got some special things in store for those looking for a little help in connecting with someone new.
Because we’ve all been there, check out my Valentine’s playlist for dumpers and dumpees on The Root. Trouble don’t last always. Cry or shout it out as needed.
I still do the rappity-rap music with those other two guys. I forgive you if maybe you forgot. Some young fans actually took to a sort of bizarre hunger strike where they attempted to live solely on nutrition provided by our previous releases to pressure us to give them new songs.
They win.
Here’s an actual album cover:
And tracklisting:
And here’s a song with some R&B guy you may have heard before.
Every component of our Sade listening party worked out perfectly. From the food to the Sade themed cocktail samples courtesy of Ciroc (thanks Karim!), the art (big up Charles Jean-Pierre), the eager crowd of music lovers and party people and the sponsorship support. I speak on behalf of LSP in thanking April at Sony for allowing Refuge to host the event and hooking up our guests with great prizes. Soldier of Love comes out February 9. I’ve got mine on pre-order.
Before we listened to the new album, I played an all Sade set. Didn’t rock any Sweetback though! Outside of that bit of fail, the evening was spiced with great remixes that I pulled from my stash. How is it that three of the best Sade remixes are for “By Your Side?” Tell me in the comments which one is the hottest.
This is a great snapshot of the Neptunes sound that dominated the scene ten years ago and the ability for them to adapt their club banging style to a ballad. This one isn’t so rare and was actually released on a single so you should be able to dig it up.
For those just tuning in, Cottonbelly is Stuart Matthewman, founding member of Sade and Sweetback. This smoldering afrobeat ember can be found on a rare compilation of his and also on the Red Hot + Riot album, which everyone should own anyway. Neptunes, I’ma let you finish, but Cottonbelly had the best “By Your Side” remix of all times… OF ALL TIMES! *shrug*
Let me stop playing. Cottonbelly has seniority due to his role in the band but I can’t give him the title that quickly. So much of the Sade discography captures the essence of carnal pleasure but this remix is one of the sexiest Sade songs in existence. I waxed nostalgic about Naked Music after week 12, but for anyone not hip, this label built their whole catalog on music designed for getting someone pregnant.
One thing that can never be replaced about vinyl is the thrill of the hunt and the emotional relationship you develop with the treasures you find. When this white label dropped, I felt like I was walking around with something rare, magic and powerful whenever I had this in my dj bag. Records like these make you feel like you should be porting them around in a Haliburton cuffed to your wrist.
Here’s the portion of the talent contest where a feature performs while the judges deliberate, although I want your opinions about this one too. It was feeling so good to me that I had to play it twice in the same night. I know you all weren’t mad either. Opening with what sounds like a distorted tuba and accordion (?!?) the track builds hypnotically with vocal loops, percussion and synths for four minutes before you even get to the first verse. By then it’s a spiritual experience. You must rock the whole 10 minutes. EPIC.
Karizma is one of my top 5 favorite DJs. His sets are technical, soulful, funky and downright BRUTAL. It’s like musical masochism. Dude is a fucking monster on the decks. I’ve seen him make a roomful of the world’s best DJs draw inward and reflect on the meaning of their craft. His production work brings the same heat. Drawing from his background in Baltimore club, he blends sexy jazziness with jack-your-body beats.
He still releases his remixes on wax, which makes them that much more valuable. That was the only way you could get them until now. If you’re willing to suck up the import tax, you can own ALL OF THE K2 edits on CD. the $20 is worth it just for the Sade mix alone, not to mention the Faith Evans, Maxwell, Al B. Sure, Anita Baker…. just cop that joint and buy me a drink when you see me next as a show of gratitude.
It’s almost cursory to mention it at this point because everyone already knows but we’ll be playing the new Sade album in its entirety tomorrow, after a special video message from the golden lady herself. I hope you’re on the list because we’re near capacity. There will be libations, hors d’oeuvres and chances to win prizes. We won’t be in the basement this week so check for us on the main level.
So last week, Tami sang a few of her most popular songs to her five fans (not really) then Refuge turned into a juke joint. Here are a few cuts responsible for that.
The Grammys got me reminiscing on the Black Eyed Peas when they were still dope. And that got me reminiscing on one of my favorite jazz fusion joints ever by one of Brazil’s most esteemed exports.
I’m glad that I can officially crown this a Refuge staple after giving “Circles” a well-deserved rest. Can these cats keep making anthems every time they drop a joint? Don’t want to put that much pressure on them but if they make a full album it could be a problem (in a good way). Zepherin Saint is on FB too. Go be his friend.
Full disclosure, when this first came out, I kinda ignored it despite its release on one of my favorite labels. It was a collaboration between Muhsinah and another talented, up and coming RBMA attendee from Austria, and maybe I was hating a little inside because of all the times RBMA rejected me. DJ Stylus is human and has his faults. Thanks to DJ Brainchild, I got a second chance to fall into one of the most breathtaking tunes I’ve heard in recent memory.
This song sounds like what I imagine Na’vi sex feels like.
I love Muhsinah like cooked food and fancy beer. I won’t let my petty ego issues stand in the way of our love ever again. Much props to The Clonious too. I shook off the shame and bought both of his projects immediately.
The New Groove was several years ahead of the rush of legendary labels seeking to monetize their back catalogs through remix projects. I used to wear this cassette out.
Refuge makes me smile when someone is minding their business, I throw on a tune and they’re compelled to get out of their seat and groove in their own little world. Then they come to me and I can tell them the name of their new favorite song. I have to give props to DJ Day for getting me hip to this one.
Tam-Rock is re-launching her website and celebrating at Refuge this week. Join us this Wednesday! There will be girly stuff, like make-up giveaways and martinis and such. Considering my fanbase, this doesn’t bother me at all. She’s going to sing a few songs and give away some music too.
Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar is no longer a secret. Spot was full by 10pm. Jammed by 11pm with a line outside. I rocked them bammas, but I had to retool my approach to play peak time intensity at 11:30 rather than 1am. Mark the owner was looking at the room, then looking at me like “could you go ahead and crush these fools already?”
The chorus of supporters all say “why weren’t you recording?”
My recorder is kinda funny style these days. The cash register was working overtime last night so maybe I’ll go buy a new one. “Cha-ching!!”
I lieu of what would have been a dope podcast, here’s a setlist, if only for the folks who were asking me about tunes I couldn’t remember playing. Must have been “The Awesomeness” at work. I somehow ended up with more peach whiskey slurpees than I intended.
No Kleeer, just another evening pulling treats from the old box o’ choons to entertain my friends. Didn’t really dig into the new-new stuff last week, but at Refuge the records tell me what to play.
I push Ty the way that Jehovah’s Witnesses push salvation. If you dig progressive, soulful, smart hip-hop and you don’t have any Ty in rotation then I feel like it’s my duty to help you see the light. This is one of my favorite cuts from his superb Closer album. Taylor McFerrin on the beatbox.
Naked Music’s best years were just magic. The beautiful series of nudes on the album covers and the gems in the record sleeves that never left your crate after purchase. I can’t look at these records without being flooded with memories of rocking sets with or having dancefloor moments to these songs. 10 years ago the Vibe Conductor concept was just forming and these tracks helped shape that early identity.
