DJ Stylus – The Vibe Conductor

After 23 sessions since October of 2009, we’re retooling the Refuge concept and putting it on ice for a while. Stay tuned to this site for information on the next Refuge incarnation.

Thanks to everyone who came through to have a drink with friends, spend some quality time with progressive music, and occasionally party like it was your job. Shouts out to all of our special guests: Brett from Boundless, Zo!, Tamara Wellons, Erik Rico, Nicholas Ryan Gant and Stef Renee. We also had evenings devoted to exclusive presentations of projects by Anthony Velez, Silhouette Brown, Sade and Sergio Mendes.

I can’t leave you without another round of Refuge highlights from my last set. These are dedicated to everyone who loves what they hear enough to come up to me and ask for track titles. I appreciate that more than you know.

Suntzu Sound presents 1Luv – “Black Daylight” (Blakai remix)

You might recognize the Slope remix as the anthem for our beloved Daylight DC. Shouts to the Suntzu Sound famalam out in Seattle. Blakai (one of the INNUMEROUS Bugz in the Attic permutations) first wowed me on “Afrospace”. I dig their bruk’ed take on this.

Oddisee – “Juba May”

This raw, jazzy instrumental workout is a cornerstone of Odd Spring, Oddisee’s final installment of his four EP seasonal series. Dude can really do no wrong in my eyes, on the boards or on the mic.

Ty – “Little Star” (feat. Wreh-asha)

Yes, I’m always talking about how dope Ty is. That’s because Ty is dope as hell. No, that isn’t circular reasoning. The progression from Awkward to Upwards to Closer and now Special Kind of Fool has been very rewarding to follow with ’nuff bangers along the way. Ty’s been a Refuge pick before but I really can rock every joint from the last album consistently in sets.

Till Brönner – “No Fusion Generation” (Mark de Clive-Lowe remix feat. Ovasoul7)

Well before the Serato era, I was obsessed with collecting everything that Mark de Clive-Lowe put out. I ordered a couple of cd’s from his native New Zealand because that was the only way to cop them. And when I tracked down a new copy of this 12-inch, I felt like I won a prize. This was a Vibe Conductor staple for a long time. This tune ended up on a compilation of MdCL collabs, remixes and loosies so it’s not as hard to find as it once was.

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.

Nona Hendryx – “Why Should I Cry?”

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.

Sherrick – “Just Call”

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.

Five Star – “Let Me Be The One”

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.

Ty – “Emotions”

Every week, your new favorite song. Come by and check us out.

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.

Ty – “What You Want”

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.

Petalpusher – “Rely On Me”

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.

Fertile Ground – “Take Me Higher” (Waiwan Remix)

Felt like ending the evening with drum & bass so I did. Must do that more often. Maybe tonight?

A recent jaunt across the Atlantic yielded some nicely accomplished missions, stronger alliances and much needed R&R. I even engaged in a bit of tourism that was absent from previous trips.

Caught up with the Uprock fam and was an eager and well-received guest at their recent Sunday night holiday jam. Straight off the plane direct to the venue with luggage in tow. Big up Pursuit Grooves and Supa DJ Pogo!

In between kicking it with the crew and watching Man. U take their medicine in the Champions League final, I managed to rally the troops and have a studio session, the results of which I’m pretty excited about.

Then we all went to Alicante, Spain and spent a staggering amount of time blasting music by the pool, scaring European white folks on the beach with our unrestrained mirth, BBQ’ing and concocting every permutation in the pantheon of adult beverages. Big up Ayra & Ira and the Pancake Gallery for hooking it up!

But about that tune… Working on getting that to the people as soon as possible. Watch this space.

We were doing a whole lot for it to only be a Monday night.

[photos]

Another great moment from WMC this year.

It’s like a hip-hop booster shot. Skillz & Ty on the mic, Spinna cutting up the James Brown breaks.

Every year it’s more and more like a family affair, with great friends old and new. So many folks to shout out for memorable musical moments, conversation, drinks at the bar, promos packed with treats, and the wonderful opportunity to be a peer and a fan:

King Britt, Vikter Duplaix, Rich Medina, DJ Moni, SunTzu Sound, OP!, Ge-Ology, Spinna, Taylor McFerrin, Ayro & Arnold, Santiago, Rojas & Amalgama fam, Daz-I-Kue, Domu, IG, Ty & UK fam, Miss Kai, Sake Uno, Asya & Fusicology, Erik Rico, Skillz, Dynas, Salah, Ian Friday, Tracy & Nikki, Tiye Phoenix, Aloe Blacc, Karl Injex, Ty G. & HVW8, Derek Mazzone, Dave Nada, Tittsworth & Craze, DJ Enferno, the whole DC massive (we roll deep)… and that’s only a fraction.

Highlights:

- Spinna & Scratch going in at the end of the Godfather II party, culminating a celebration of James Brown with an impromptu bit of classic turntable showmanship. The best part was observing two cats at the height of their field having an unscripted moment of fun, like all of us dj’s can remember in our early years having sessions in basements, dorm rooms and garages with our boys.

- studying Jeremy Ellis’ James Brown routine on MPC up close – multiple times – and still not getting it.

- Raw Fusion was carnage yet again, explosive madness and mayhem. Taylor McFerrin & TK Wonder’s final performance of the week was the one to see. They did bits and pieces throughout the week but it all came together at Jazid, from the precision beatboxing to TK’s flow to Taylor’s on the fly beat manipulation. Stoopit. I missed a lot of folks’ sets but Simbad, Karl Injex, Daz, Benji B and Christian Prommer destroyed the spot convincingly enough for me. Ty was getting it in too.

- Nickodemus at the OM party. Every year I make it a point to track down certain dj’s I’ve never heard but whose names precede them. I always take away a ton of new concepts. No wonder why Turntables on the Hudson is such a big deal. Took me way too long to see this cat, even though he hits at ESL occasionally.

- Being drafted as a sound tech at the Giant Step Erykah Badu session.

- Karriem Riggins‘ bottomless inventory of Dilla exclusives and his own fresh out the lab creations. The Stones Throw party was a great day to bring down the bpm’s and chill under the sun listening and kicking it with fam.

- Dãm Funk‘s deep west coast boogie excursions. Get you some.

- Lil Dave’s newest creations. Please join me in harassing this man until he puts out a record. Get some flame retardant headphones first.

- Having a cornball fanboy moment meeting Monique Bingham on the street. It seems like I’m destined to miss every one of her performances. Because of this, I suffer.

- Ave.To + Stylus + Jahsonic + Adrian Loving + Roy Davis, Jr. combo attack.

- rocking at Co-Op again with SunTzu.

- mango caiprinhas and veggie sausage breakfast biscuits

- Puerto Sagua

- La Sandwicherie

- The Pacemaker. Roddy Rod wants one. Lil Dave wants one. I also covet. It’s like iPod Serato.

- The new Fantom G’s. I’m JUST now getting into Reason. The Roland site shouldn’t even be in my browser right now.

Stuff I missed that I heard was crucial:

- Erro, Amp Fiddler & Louie Vega Roots NYC jam
- Ian Friday’s Libation party
- The Live party with Steal Vybe. We were so dead by the end of the week, definitely didn’t have the energy for a house party that intense. Lamped with Self Born down at Classic Sundays instead.

Big choons that I’ll be caning at least for the next few months, if not for the whole year and beyond (I bet this is the tracklisting for my next podcast):

- Erik Rico, “Forever”
- Exchange Bureau, “The End of Me & You”
- Rich Brown, “Sunshine” (Re-Love Mix)
- IMC Soul feat. Dawn Pemberton, “Running Back To You”
- Alton Miller, “Blues (What Am I Missing)”
- the whole damn Reel People album…. woowweeeeee!!!!!

Monday, April 7
A Soul Controllers & Ty exclusive
Marvin
2007 14th St NW, WDC 20007
9pm
No Cover