Enter Axel F.

’80s and ’90s have been done as well as disco and soul classics. New Jack Swing hasn’t been done PROPERLY (yet). Golden era hip-hop is done a lot. We love all of those and continue to rock them, but there’s a period that hasn’t been examined.

From roughly 1977 – 1987 (folks tend to debate those dates but there are some clear markers) popular black music transitioned between the disco era and hip-hop’s rise to prominence. There were a lot of synthesizers and some androgynous fashion choices, as well as hair disasters. Some call this stuff “boogie”. We file it under the mantle of champagne soul and jheri curl funk, with some new wave thrown in, because we like stuff like Talking Heads and want to play that too.

Per DJ Jahsonic‘s original concept, Eddie Murphy’s turn in Beverly Hills Cop became Axel F’s muse.

Now we’ll be paying homage to a different ’80s movie every month. February is the debut of Black Kevin Bacon.

Join myself, DJ Jahsonic and DJ Adrian Loving for another sweaty, grooving night of synthed out Reagan era dance classics.

Saturday February 26
9pm
LIV Nightclub
2001 11th Street NW
Washington, DC

We’ve already got four mixes up for you to download in preparation. Here’s a glimpse of last month’s fun.

Download audio file (AxelF_Jan152011_part3.mp3)
[download | right-click (PC) or CTRL-click (Mac) > 'Save As']
[subscribe in iTunes]

1115A U Street NW WDC 20009
10pm – until / NO COVER

more info at WorldsFlyest.com

Download audio file (soulceez_uhall_072810.mp3)
[download | right-click (PC) or CTRL-click (Mac) > 'Save As']
[subscribe in iTunes]

Wednesday, Sept. 1
10pm
U Street Music Hall
1115 U Street NW, WDC
<<< FREE ALL NIGHT, 18+ >>>

Classic Soul, Hip Hop, Funk, Disco, House

Wednesday, July 28
10pm
U Street Music Hall
1115 U Street NW, WDC
<<< FREE ALL NIGHT, 18+ >>>

Join us this Saturday for more Afro.Latin.Brazilian.House.Disco.Funk.

With your favorite Sol Power All-stars:

Stylus and Meistro.

SPECIAL GUESTS:
Jahsonic (WPFW / SoulControllers)
DJ Ausar (ATL)
Tom P. on percussion

ALL beers are $4 (including Leffe & Redstripe)

Saturday, July 3
10pm
Dahlak
1771 U St, NW (18th & U)
21 and Over
Free before 11 pm, $5 after (get your ass there early!)

With your favorite Sol Power All-stars:

Stylus, Meistro
& the one Hermon Farahi on percussion.

SPECIAL GUEST: Jahsonic (WPFW / SoulControllers)

Samba whistles, shekeres and cowbells welcome. Sweat to the rhythms of Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico & West Africa.

Saturday, June 5
10pm
Dahlak
1771 U St, NW (18th & U)
21 and Over
Free before 11 pm, $5 after
ALL beers are $4 (including Leffe & Redstripe)

Meistro, Deep Sang, and DJ Stylus SOL POWER (3.2010) Part 3 by Meistro

Get ready to take a trip that will span the globe! LSP and Smirnoff team up for what promises to be one of the most memorable events this year. AudioTRIP will take attendees to new musical heights with an amazing line up of dj, live music and fashion talent. Frequent flyer miles are included for travelers 21 and up.

RSVP for free entry and access to all the terminals and special in-flight Smirnoff cocktails.

Featuring three terminals of music:

Terminal One:
DJ Spinna w/DJ Handspeak & Maze One
Special Guest Host: Nikki Strong of “Strong in the City” WHUR (96.3FM)
Live Musical Performances by: Ne’a Posey & AB
Sponsored by: CASRAM & Monument Arts Festival

Terminal Two:
Daz-I-Kue & Waajeed w/DJ 2-Tone Jones & Roddy Rod
Sponsored by: BELLA & The Capitol Hip Hop Soul Festival

Terminal Three:
Rich Medina w/The Soul Controllers (DJs Stylus & Jahsonic)
Live Painting by: Aniekan Udofia
Sponsored by: The Adinkra Group, Biribelle & The Black LuvFest

The Dunes invites you to “Off Ramp,” an Earth Day Celebration with Live Music by U.S. Royalty w/Matthew Hemerlein.

DJ Sets:

Sam Burns
Stylus
Jamil “Jahsonic” Hamilton
Two Sisters
Harry Dixon
Jerome Baker III
Brown Rice Collective
Tom Pipkin on percussion.

Vegan Cuisine by Lauren Von Der Pool and Design Exhibits by Architecture for Humanity.

3:00pm – 9:00pm
Long View Gallery
1234 9th St, NW
Washington, DC

AFRIQUE ELECTRIQUE: THE MIAMI WMC EDITION!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010- 12-10PM

DJ SETS BY:
Salah Ananse(ATL), DJ Wasabi(MIA), DJ Kwest_on(CHI), Sean Alvarez(CHI), DJ Stylus(DC), DJ Jahsonic(DC), Kev Kruz(NYC), Ramon Rawsoul(ATL/CHI), DJ Dave K(ITALY) DJ Vidal(NJ) DJ Aladdin(MIA) & Benjamin C(MIA)& more!

LIVE PA’S BY:
Dezaray Dawn, Ne’a Posey, Zynzelay & Salah Ananse

The Chelsea Hotel
944 Washington Ave.
Miami, FL
12:00pm – 10:00pm
RSVP to: soulsessions@bellsouth.net for Free Entry!

Born out of a sincere desire by Karl Injex (Rude Movement, ATL/NYC) and Daz-I-Kue (Bugz in the Attic/Uprock, ATL/London) to recognize the singular genius of the late, great JAMES BROWN, the ‘Godfather’ tribute parties have quickly become a staple in the annual WMC program with help from talented dj friends, and now has the blessing of the James Brown Family Foundation,

Once again you will hear tribute being paid, playing the sounds and influence of James Brown, but also with the sad demise of the legend that is Michael Jackson and soul master Teddy Pendergrass within the last year, we will be bringing their legacy to The Godfather event…and rightfully so.

The roster of talent expected to throwdown is incredible.

DJ Scratch, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Sake1, DJ Cashmoney, Applejac, Amir (Kon & Amir), DJ Kemit (Spreadlove, ATL), Daniel Best (Jazzanova), Mad Mats (Raw Fusion), Geology, J-Boogie (Om Records), Karl Injex, Soulfingah, The Whooligan, Soul Controllers, DJ Salah, DJ Leroy Rey, Daz-I-Kue + MORE

Live: Jeremy Ellis
Hosted by Dynas

And really if anything goes by the last few years…EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

This year donations will be collected on behalf of the James Brown Family Foundation & YELE for Haiti. So if you have any sheckles in your pocket, put it towards these worthy causes.

Thursday, March 25, 2010
2:00pm – 8:00pm
Yuca Lounge
501 Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL

Friday, March 26, 2010
9:30pm – 5:00am
Jazid
1342 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL

FUTURE SOUL RECORDS has joined up with THE G++DNESS which is presenting the official record release party for “THE G++DNESS EP”, which is set to take place during the 2010 Winter Music Conference in Miami.

There will be live performances by John Arnold & Jeremy Ellis with Paul Randolph, as well as well as DJ sets from Daz-I-Kue, Dego from 4Hero, and other special guests…with 2 Floors playing from Future Soul, Deep Boogie…right up to Broken, Soulful ancestral (with a touch quality UK Funky & Dubstep)…into the early morn.

Admission: $10.00 before 11:00pm, $15.00 after 11:00pm

Thursday, February 25, 2010
9pm
Marvin
2007 14th St., NW WDC

The all-star DJ lineup:
RBI | Stylus | Book | JahSonic | 2-Tone Jones | Roddy Rod | J-Laine
& Special Guests

$5 Donation (Proceeds to benefit The JDILLA Foundation)

Once again celebrating Fela Anikulapo Kuti, this time with special emphasis on the First Ladies of Afrobeat. Dedicated, loyal and innovative, these women often relegated to the sidelines, were at the center of Fela’s movement, sound and presentation.

Complimentary buffet (while it lasts):
Jollof rice, Plantain & Chicken

FREE HEINEKEN (while supplies last)

Live Music:
Union Street Band w/special guests Tosin Aribisala and Tokunbo Aderele

DJ Sets in Two Rooms!

THE CHAMBER
DJ Shoboy
DJ Don-X
i:Wah The Beat Priest

THE SHRINE
DJ Jahsonic (Soul Controllers)
DJ Stylus – The Vibe Conductor (Soul Controllers)
DJ Sabine (Oyasound/Brooklyn Mecca/Rhythm&Roots)
w/Jabari Exum on Djembe

Live Art by Aniekan Udofia

411 New York Ave NE (3rd floor)
Washington, DC 20002
entrance is from parking lot at crossing of Penn & 4th. (map)

Saturday, October 17
9pm – ?
$15 advance / $20 door
RSVP at beyou@lilsoso.com and reserve the advanced sale price ($15). RSVPs will be honored until 11PM.

Soul Controllers
Ill Vibe Collective
Joy Jones

IT’S OUR 18TH ANNIVERSARY!!

(whoa)

So let’s dance.

Price: $5 (Space is limited so early arrival is suggested)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 8:00pm
Tabaq Bistro & Lounge – Basement
1336 U Street, NW, WDC

July 6, 2009
9 PM :: HHTF OPENING NIGHT PARTY
Marvin
2007 14th Street, NW WDC
no cover, 21+

Thank you DC.

Jamil and I were feverishly preparing for this non-stop from the time we got the heartbreaking news. In his words:

“Preparing for this gig was like getting ready to preach your daddy’s funeral.”

So many of you were looking for something that could help you manage the grief and we needed you there to help us manage ours. The turnout overpowered any possibility of ventilation but you all hung in there. The funk of 40,000 years for real!

Here’s our entire Michael Jackson memorial service that ran to almost 5 hours total.

part 1 [download]
Download audio file (mainingredient_mjspecial_part1.mp3)

part 2 [download]
Download audio file (mainingredient_mjspecial_part2.mp3)

part 3 [download]
Download audio file (mainingredient_mjspecial_part3.mp3)

part 4 [download]
Download audio file (mainingredient_mjspecial_part4.mp3)

part 5 [download]
Download audio file (mainingredient_mjspecial_part5.mp3)

Anyway, after the spring pledge drive, I did a bit of traveling so I haven’t been on the show for a while. Here’s where I make it up to everyone.

6/11/09 – WPFW 89.3 FM/Decipher

Jake One feat. Elzhi & Royce 5’9″ – Glow
Jay-Z – D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)
Mos Def – Pretty Danger
Diamond District – I Mean Business

*break*

Fashawn – The Outer City
Theory Hazit – Time Turning

*break*

DJ Spinna – Summer Madness
Spec Boogie – Bed Stuy
Reflection Eternal – Back Again

*break*

Mos Def – Casa Bey
Diamond District – Make It Clear
M.O.P. – Blow The Horns

This month’s featured guests include:
Bassey Ikpi and Derrick Weston Brown with The Soul Controllers as your resident DJs.

Donations will be accepted.

Sunday, May 17, 2009
5 – 8pm
Sankofa
2714 Georgia Avenue, NW WDC

From the days of Champion sweatshirts, backpacks and ciphers that went for hours comes this blast from the past straight out of the WMUC archives of the Soul Controller wayback machine.

O.G. Soul Controller “The J” conducts this interview with a young, personable and eager to rhyme emerging emcee by the name of Mad Skillz. Super Friends associate Kalonji the Immortal gets a piece with his own super-scientifical flow.

For everyone who didn’t follow my Twitter feed or check out Fusicology’s breakdown, here’s a much delayed final word on that one thing that happens after SXSW.

This was definitely the recession WMC, but the actual effect was less severe than I anticipated. Attendance was lower all around but the folks that did come were there to hustle hard and have fun. Lots of connections were made and parties got smashed off properly. It was kind of bugged out to see places like The Marlin and Specs Music shuttered that were the sites of landmark memories of WMC’s past (Jump-N-Funk and the debut performance of Elements of Life respectively) but SoBe isn’t immune to the downturn.

This was also the year where I actually had a couple of high(er) profile gigs. I’m still trying to graduate out of 12th grade but the Vibe Conductor brand isn’t yet a household name. The grind continues.

The first jam I played was one for the record books. Daz-I-Kue‘s 3rd annual James Brown tribute had a power packed lineup of everybody who is somebody and many of whom made me want to be the somebody I’m still trying to be. Jahsonic and I knocked out a quick and energetic set of fast rap with all James Brown samples. Then everyone else continued to merk it, building up the energy level until Spinna, DJ Cash Money, 3D and Scratch executed a four-man weave on the decks. Jeremy Ellis had already stunned the crowd with his unbelievable James Brown routine and came back out to spark a little freestyle cipher. I happened to grab some footage.

The other gig I had was with an old friend who recently got nominated for a Grammy, but met up with some hard times on her way out of Texas. We worked it out though. Keep pushing, Wayna!

After sets from young B-more club sensation Rye Rye, Canadian chanteuse Anjulie and future funk diva Joy Jones I finally got a live dose of the much talked about K’Naan. I’m definitely glad I stuck around until the end.

So outside of handling that bidness, it’s always good to hear my favorite jocks kill it, and hear cats for the first time that I’ve only heard of before. In that first group, there was the beat down that Benji B delivered at the Delano. Starting out with progressive hip-hop and nu soul bits, Benji worked it up through some latin funk into house into a roaring 2-step garage finish. Ian Friday levitated the situation at the Brooklyn Mecca/Libation jam with deep spiritual afro-house goodness. Karizma assaulted the Objektivity party with big-room bombs. There was literally no space to move in there, much less breathe.

In the group of folks I got to hear for the first time, Sabine impressed with her trance inducing, deeply black and raw set preceding Ian Friday. Young Miami local Mr. Brown is one of those crate digging cats who have actually combined their obsession with rare records with the ability to rock the spot. Every time I saw him he was playing out of massive soft-sided bag full of originals that have never passed through my hands. ‘Nuff respect to him and partners DJ Wasabi and DJ Le Spam for the fly balcony afro roots session they set off. Mad Mats has a huge rep and I’ve long been an admirer of what him and his crew have done with Raw Fusion. His turntable game is no joke. Quick, nimble and funky cuts combined with a buoyant, soulful selection is how he gets down. “Mad” mental notes taken of course.

Speaking of Raw Fusion, it was bananas like it is every year. And truthfully, the slightly lower turnout made it better, because there was actually room to dance. Big ups to OP!, Karl Injex, Phil Asher, Rich Medina, Freddie Cruger (Red Astaire), Simbad and of course Daz-I-Kue. If you can’t get across the water to Sweden, it’s definitely worth visiting the offshoot in NYC.

The main takeaway point from this week of sun, dancing and furious hustling is that we’re all fortunate to be sharing this time as peers, artists and fans invested in the music we love. This blog could run multiple pages if I bigged everyone up but I’m more motivated than ever to build the connections to you all this year.

Records to watch out for:

- Cecilia Stalin – Afro Blue
- Nathan Adams & Zepherin Saint – Circles
- Joy Jones – Supanova
- Salah Ananse feat. Zynzelay – Wonder
- Flood of hot joints pumping out of Exchange Bureau Music right now

Record that I desperately need a track ID for:

- Whatever it is that uses the Future Rage drums with those mental reversed synth stabs over the top. I think Simbad dropped it at Jazzanova vs. Bugz, and I heard it a few other places too. I NEED THIS SONG.

We’re back from WMC and ready to rock. Did you miss us?

Tuned in recently?

Here’s last night’s episode.

The crunchiness only persists at the beginning. Pretend like you’re in the old cassette days.

Finally liberated an important SD card from Jamil‘s clutches. Now we can reminisce on the first minutes of 2009.

Part 1

The warm-up.

Download audio file (soulceezNYE2008_pt1.mp3)
[download]

Part 2

The clock striking midnight with maximum room capacity then busting the lightweights upside the head for about an hour.

Download audio file (soulceezNYE2008_pt2.mp3)
[download]

Part 3

Going deep and hitting a few peaks.

Download audio file (soulceezNYE2008_pt3.mp3)
[download]

Part 4

A little more head crack and then dénouement.

Download audio file (soulceezNYE2008_pt4.mp3)
[download]

The Chocolate City Cultural Alliance (CCCA) is proud to present a soulcialist inauguration event. Come and celebrate the 44th president and his Platform for the Arts.

Featuring Music By:

DJs JahSonic and Stylus (The Soul Controllers WPFW 89.3 FM)

Daz-I-Kue (Bugz In the Attic, UK)

Live PAs from:

Ne’a Posey
Taylor McFerrin
Head-Roc, “The Mayor of DC Hip-Hop”
Bassey Ikpi

Art Installation By:

Aniekan Udofia

First drink and light breakfast buffet included!

$25 presale tickets:
http://cccainaugural.eventbrite.com/

Friday, January 16, 2009
10:00pm
903 U St. NW
Washington, DC

Me and Jahsonic back at it again, FOR DE FREE!

No dress code
No cover charge
No bullshit music

Soul Controllers New Year’s Eve 2008

Marvin
2007 14th St NW, WDC
9′ish until they kick us out

Saturday, October 18
THE WAREHOUSE
411 Penn Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
10 pm until the spirits leave us
$20 in advance with inflation at the door.

Music by:
Union Street Band
Shoboy
I-Wah the Beat Priest
The Soul Controllers

and special guest dj Rich Medina

Featuring:
Modern Day Market Woman Pavilion
Live Visuals by Aniekan (A silent auction will be held.)

The evening before Phonte tore it down at INAS, we had a little friends and family gathering to welcome him to DC.

Statik rolled down from Philly to kick it so we ran a three-man rotation.

Enjoy. More of these coming later in the week.

Here’s a flashback from last year.

Download audio file (felaforpresident101407.mp3)
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[more photos]