Interview - Poirier

photo by May Truong

Today is the official release date of Poirier's new album, Running High. It marshals previously released EPs with new material and remixes, which makes it more of a long form compilation of his work of the last couple of years. I've only listened to the double disc twice in sequence but it certainly holds up as an album, in part because hearing all the EPs jumbled together on the first disc underlines the central aesthetic of 90s dancehall sounds anchoring the various cultural and technological streams running through the mix. Disc two changes up the sounds and rhythms with remixes - two which I'm feeling right now are by Uproot Andy and Maga Bo.

Having been a guest on the show before, I'm sure Poirier and I will have an interesting conversation about where he's at compositionally and as a DJ - and that's just for starters. Tune in at 7PM tomorrow.

Abstract Index Playlist - January 6/10

I don't want to say too much about this landmark release yet. In a nutshell, though, this record takes in a wide swath of Caribbean, American and African rhythms, filters them through Mississauga-style multiculturalism and compresses them into futuristic, psychotically entertaining inducements to acute butt whiplash.

But don't take my word for it, download your own free copy. What a great beginning to the twenty-tweens.

Podcast

switch - chris mcgregor & the castle lager big band (gallo/teal)
canto oneguine - david murray & the gwo ka masters (justin time)
chairmaster - henry threadgill's zooid (pi)
la frontera - lhasa (wrasse)
dila dushdu - latife cheshmeri (smithsonian folkways)
btan - alejandro franov (nature bliss)
loitering with intent - bill wells/annie whitehead/stefan schneider/barbara morgenstern (karaoke kalk)
like a ship - pastor t.l. barrett & the youth for christ choir (numero)
in my life - dr. music (unidisc)
choo choo beep - south rakkas crew feat deerhoof (mad decent)
cherie lo - vieux farka toure rmx by sabbo (six degrees)
ya yo se - chico mann (no label)
el gozon - caballo & kinky electric noise (no label)
belly off - peter pozorek (no label)
chupchik - schlachthofbronx feat kein vorspeil (disko b)
love in a higher region - king shiloh feat peter broggs (uwe)
david and goliath - ranking joe (m10)
righteousness - cultural warriors (uwe)
samfie man - morphy (nerve)
outta space - king midas sound (hyperdub)
tell me - bitty mclean (peckings)
ganjaman - friendlyness & human rights (no label)
africa we want to go dub - stephanie samuels (channel one)

Abstract Index Playlist - November 25/09

I'm having some trouble retrieving the archive for this one but will get it soon I hope. I'm keen to hear DJ Valeo's set again.

Valeo manages Bonjay, who have just released their long awaited debut EP. Somewhat boldly, they decided to focus on one song pushed and pulled in different directions by some notable remixers: Poirier, Grahmzilla and Smalltown Romeo. I enjoyed interviewing Alanna, and wrote about them at Spinner.

Valeo had many interesting things to say about global musical exchange as contrasted with the music industry-conceived term of world music. However, his actions spoke louder than words. As he alchemized his source material on Serato (something I've never explored) it was obvious that the combination of similar production tools combined with similar mixing tools could yield an incredibly elastic, culturally expansive sound that simply was not possible with World Music 1.0 (at the time... I'd be interested to hear what those Parisian soukous records from the 80s sound like when given a proper Serato rinse-out). Though Valeo pointed out that Serato is largely a North American tool at present, it's possible to create transformational mixes with CDJ setups.

Bonjay's Toronto-spawned Creole-accented dancehall-soul both stands out and blends into this technology-friendly sound. In the decade to come, any dancefloor-oriented cultural fusion can potentially originate from any location on Earth, and that it will be sought after by a worldwide network of cultural antennae like Valeo, who will then blend such sounds into highly individual, locally influenced styles. That's a more grassroots kind of world music than ever before.

confliction - chicago underground duo (thrill jockey)
soul village - walter bishop jr. (muse)
talk that talk pt 2 - rance allen group (stax)
transamazonica - antonio adolfo e a brazuca (emi)
sweet tears - roy ayers ubiquity (polydor)
mhandu ye hove - stella chiweshe (piranha)
white wednesday off the wall - henry threadgill (pi)
polar sexus - the embassadors (nonplace)
come down 2 earth - ras g (brainfeeder)
redrico - giant panda dub squad (no label)
hexed and perplexed - liquid stranger (interchill)

dj valeo:
llave materna - universildo (hipi duki)
purple city - joker and ginz (kapsize)
from ever since - nebulla (code of arms)
cashflow - major lazer ft jah dan blakkamoore rmx by subskrpt demo (mad decent)
gimmee gimmee - bonjay (no label)
dibi dibi - maga bo vs. ismael vs. bass nectar (no label)
tagine loghate featuring providence - fnaire (no label)
citoyen du monde - an-ten-nae rmx by poirier with face-t (muti)
yo pa enmé - admiral t (no label)

upsetting dub - tony dubshot (no label)
fully charged - souljah fyah (no label)
mr. big man - porti (heartbeat)
west end 12 - burning babylon (sound shack)

Upcoming Interviews On The Abstract Index

I've been negligent at promoting upcoming interviews on this blog... Not this time, though. There are two you should definitely know about:

image by Geoff George/Exclaim

Next week (September 23) I'll be joined by author and Harbourfront booking agent Dalton Higgins.

We'll be speaking about his new book "Hip Hop World", which came out last month. The book surveys the growth and state of hip hop culture in North America and around the world. As you know, I don't play a tremendous amount of hip hop on my show, but it's part of my musical DNA and affects a wide range of music I represent more frequently. By the same token, Dalton's book delves into these hip hop tangents - I think this is going to be a fascinating discussion.



The following week (September 30), I'll air an edited interview with singjay extraordinaire Jahdan Blakkamoore. His album Buzzrock Warrior dropped this week and oh my it's quite the aural treat. Dancehall, hip hop, dubstep, cumbia, even mambo influences figure into the latest and greatest statement from the Dutty Artz crew. Jahdan has an expansive outlook on music, and will be talking about how he's gotten to where he is today.

Both interviews take place at interview o'clock - 7PM.