Abstract Index Live Recordings 2007-11

At long last I've compiled some live recordings from Abstract Index related performances over the past few years. It features great performances by Jesse 'Dubmatix' King, GuShee, MiMo, Odradek, Kyle Brenders/Scott Thompson/Susanna Hood, Daniel Nebiat, Alaniaris and an unreleased jam from Huelepega Sound System. 

The only way to get one is to become a member of CIUT ($25 donation) during the imminent Fall Fundrasing drive, preferably before my show on Thursday the 20th. Pledge at the CIUT website now & make sure to tell 'em The Abstract Index sent you.

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.

Abstract Index Playlist - September 9/09

Having played damn near half this compilation, it's about time for some blog love.

Interchill keeps on rolling after well over a decade of distinctive downtempo music. When DJ Chocolate and I worked on Jamaican Echoes last year, we made sure to namecheck them for their continued contributions to the growth of dub in Canada.

Sonically, this has more Jamaican content than the labels more frequent ambient/techno streaked downtempo sound. Perhaps the beats are a touch more assertive owing to the explicit genre identification of the comp's title.

They continue to split CanCon and international artists roughly 50/50.There's a couple of Twilight Circus productions, and Dubmatix makes an appearance, as does Salt Spring Island's Big Bass Theory. Internationally, Gaudi (a frequent associate of the label) contributes a nice track while one of my favourite dub artists ever, Manasseh, gets the closing tune upon which he sprinkles some folksy violin.

Just about everything I've ever heard the label put out is solid, and this collection is no exception (with version!).

Podcast

a stork crosses the danube in the company of a raven - taraf de haidouks (crammed)
sama'i farah - john kameel farah (drosstik)
multilateral - caballo & the mothafu kings (no label)
adrift - variant (echospace)
glass - blink (thirsty ear)
suns glaze - professor fingers (5 1/4)
believer - natural self (tru thoughts)
she said - jahdan blakkamoore (gold dust)
huelepega vs chicken - huelepega sound system (no label)
olvidalo - brownout (six degrees)
vamos a bailar - alberto vasquez (musart)
i'll never forget you - the metros (dusty groove)
not far off - eddie c (pawn shop)
gumball machine weekend - yppah (ninja tune)
know love - twin roots (trojan)
spirituanational remix - vibronics vs. brain damage (hammerbass)
binman dub - international observer (interchill)
horns cut - matics horns (m)
blue sea - prince far i (cry tuff)
got to make a way - joe higgs (pressure sounds)
here comes the sun (dub) - seefari (no label)

Abstract Index Playlist - July 22/09

I wouldn't say guilt is motivating this post but...

A couple of weeks ago I wrote enthusiastically in Exclaim's Click Hear section about a free MP3 available from French dub band Brain Damage's forthcoming CD. As you can see in the graphic, it's listed as "Toxine (Live)".

That's how I listed it in the blurb, and I also credited the vocalist incorrectly. They wrote the magazine to point out my errors. Oops.

Allow me to once again show my love for a very creative band. If you think that dub is a) cliche and echo ridden, seemingly set on autopilot for minutes at a time b) for head-nodding only, Brain Damage will set you straight.

Their tempos are often breakneck, and their choice of sonics tends toward the aggressive, with few atmospheric synth pads to be found. Guitars are also much more prominent than with most dub artists, and thankfully they're not the kind of hair metal solos that seem to get a free pass on so many reggae/rock fusions. You won't find this blogger praising a band's punk attitude as unquestioned proof of authenticity, but they do manage gale-force protest energy within dub's often glossy, high tech sounds. One of the most notable aspects of this live recording is its clarity. Nothing sounds muffled, this band their sound together after years of practice.

Even Emiko Ota's canned vocalisations on this live version of "Under The Ground" provoke rather than lull an audience. Judging from the crowd's reaction, I envision a fair bit of moshing about.

BTW you can grab that free track on this page. The album comes out in September.

Podcast

point reyes - david cromwell ensemble (innova)
expanse - john kameel farah (drosstik)
when every day's a number - tim exile (warp)
keman rhythm - two fingers (ninja tune)
liberta - nova lima (cumbancha)
tudo do bom - arthur verocai rmx by domu (far out)
maria enciende de la luz - los golpes fuertes (miami)
safari salvaje - los rapidos (waxing deep)
showtime - najite olokun prophecy (sofa disk)
under the ground (live) - brain damage feat emiko ota (jarring effects)
poppy - st. dirt elementary school (barnyard)
willisau - irene schweizer/fred anderson/hamid drake (intakt)
waterdance - nicole mitchell black earth strings (delmark)
almost extinct song 2 - simeon abbot/zebra wood (no label)
africa unite - samini feat etang (k chero)
samini - samini (k chero)
where my baby deh - samini (k chero)
rastaman - samini feat steel pulse (k chero)
his majesty's authority - earl wya lindo (natty congo)
selassie - kc white (city line)
come make we rally - willi williams (black roots)

Abstract Index Playlist - July 15/09

The first person to introduce me to Rhythm and Sound was DJ Chocolate, who interviewed them on her CKLN radio show some years ago. I happened to be passing through at that time (I think I was promoting an event) and didn't realize who I was meeting. Fortunately, that led to my investigation of their music and aesthetic.

In the years since, I've fallen hard for their minimal techno dub featuring such vocalists as Tikiman & Willi Williams. Just as important has been their patronage of the Wackies catalogue - they've made available a wealth of reggae history with their brilliant and expertly mastered reissues of the New York label.

Half of the crew, Moritz Von Oswald, has performed concerts as a more-or-less live trio, featuring Vladislav Delay on percussion and Max Lorderbauer on keyboards and additional electronics. Over the course of four long selections, the R and S minimalism is exploded by jazzy syncopations, and on this track, a seriously pitch bent riddim which seems more full blooded than usual. Another welcome change, and perhaps owing to the more human construction of the project, is a more rapid and multifaceted development to the song structures; some of the early Basic Channel stuff was so severely minimal as to drive even the most dedicated dub disciples batty from lack of variation. While the energy is still part way between danceable and lying face down on the floor, a good pair of speakers or headphones is a must to appreciate the many subtle transformations in the timbres of all the sounds in this mix.

This album won't disappoint the many Basic Channel fans throughout the world, and continues to demonstrate that there is no laurel-resting amongst the duo.

Podcast

penny for your thoughts - charity chan (ambiences magnetiques)
bam - elektrik toboggan (victo)
pigeon shit - zechs marquise (rodriguez lopez productions)
revenge of the fillet o' fish - lord newborn and the magic skulls (ubiquity)
awe - helado negro (asthmatic kitty)
mali de nou - cheik hamala diabate (grigri)
clicking with the clique - st. dirt elementary school (barnyard)
undelivered letter - quantic y su combo barbaro (tru thoughts)
para que niegas - los papines (waxing deep)
yerbaguena - gnawledge (gnawledge.com)
i don't love you - 24 carat black (numero)
jump up - major lazer feat leftside & supahype (mad decent/downtown)
patterns 4 - moritz von oswald (honest jons)
texas tea - deadbeat (scape)
kuale n'go valodo - carlos lamartine rmx by mauricio pacheco & digital dubs (out here)
everyday always - grand analog (urbnet)
wailin' - 10 ft ganja plant (roir)
50 pence dub - mad professor (trojan)
don't ask my neighbours (version) - sheila hylton (mango)

Here It Comes...

NuFunk Events In Early March

NuWorld:Earthbeat: that's what we're, er, promising.

But seriously, it's a heavy duty triple bill with us Huelepegistas trading dub shots with Guelph's finest global dub explorers Eccodek, and "global sound sculptor" Adham Shaikh.

Supporting DJs are the always on point Medicineman and Zumba Blue Eyes of Sumkidz.

If you're in Toronto, and you like bass, this is the place to be on March 6.

--------------

But there's an appetizer for your nufunkin' pleasure too.

I'm pleased to be DJing the second annual tribute to Jackie Mittoo on Thursday March 6, also at Revival. Mittoo needs no introduction to even casual reggae fans, but his life in Toronto remains underdocumented.

That's why it's so great that event is happening. You're sure to run in to close associates of the man, as well as many more souls who were inspired by Mittoo's esteemed place in Toronto reggae history as a community leader and mentor. Jason Wilson loves to talk about Mittoo, who was his inspiration to get involved in his own unique reggae style, and there is no one more fitting to provide the music. As for my own DJing contributions, I'm gonna tighten up on that organ and use "WWJD?" as my guide (substituting Jackie for Jesus of course).

Jason, and with luck, Carol Brown (Mittoo's widow), will be stopping by the Abstract Index next Wednesday for a chat at 7PM.

Abstract Index Playlist - February 11/09

A profound tip of the hat to the almighty Boomkat for this week's blog post. For the first time ever, I'm blogging about an MP3 bundle.

Regular listeners to the show know my fondness for all things Wackies. The little studio in the Bronx that could remains underexplored at a time when the reissuing of seventies style dub from Jamaica appears to be winding down. Wackies deserves greater awareness for its Perry-esque atmosphere that dominated these mixes well into the digital era, and all the cultural and technological influences that NYC brought to bear on the music.

I've got about a dozen plus Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes and associates reissues through Basic Channel's reissue program, but that didn't prepare me for the insightful and idiosyncratic MP3 bundle called "Bubble Up", compiled for Boomkat's 14 tracks site which offers up a 14 song variation on a theme each week.

The selections here sample from 12" singles and full albums, and run the gamut from skanking club vibes ("Gimme Back", heard this week) to syndrum kissed, country n' eastern grooves ("Take Time", also this week!). This collection brings out something kinky in each selection, which is not the feeling one usually gets with the original albums. Not that the albums are lacking in any way; just that this 63 minute collection highlights the sheer range of what was going on in that studio in a way that a single artist album can't do.

Boomkat sells high quality DRM free 320 kps files, so this collection is a must for anyone with a passing interest in the Wackies oeuvre.

Podcast

boghassa - grupo bombino (sublime frequencies)
soseme makonde - makonde (emi)
ain't nobody teaches nobody nothing - on ka'a davis (livewired)
van gundy's retreat - tim berne science friction (thirsty ear)
the sinking ship - filastine (jarring effects)
broken democracy - leaf system feat. malual luat rmx by rise ashen (balanced)
give me back part 2 - wackies rhythm force (wackies)
new wave hookers - pink noise (inyrdisk)
engagement 2 - joelle leandre/quentin sirjacq (ambianaces magnetiques)
midnight party - tipsy (ipecac)
for my mans - madlib (stones throw)
esp - richard popcorn wylie (dusty groove)
let our love grow higher - eula cooper (numero)
tuane - hammer (wea)
sonido amazonico - chicha libre (barbes)
twilight - intrusion (echospace)
pocket (rebajada) - john oswald (plunderphonics)
cumbia del monte (rebajada) - los flamers (unknown)
return of the emperor - moving in the right direction feat eddie russ (soul jazz)
y mas gan - abyssinians (heartbeat)
enter the kingdom of zion - anthony b & horace andy (vp)
african for unity - version xcursion feat treson (vx)
take time - wackies allstars (wackies)
black man's strain - abyssinians (heartbeat)
satta massagana - abyssinians (heartbeat)
i and i - abyssinians (heartbeat)
african race - abyssinians (heartbeat)
version (straight to i roys' head) - king tubby & the aggrovators (pressure sounds)

Abstract Index Playlist - February 4/09

It's only February and already I'm contemplating a couple of discs as potential year end top 10s. (You think you hate making lists, only to find it's impossible to turn off the nerd switch in your head...)

One disc I'm going to be writing about in due time, but the capper of set number one tonight was Novalima's superfunky "Kumana". Admittedly it was a bit of a leap from Norway to Peru in a single bound, but I do enjoy Novalima next to glitchier beats. Its Afro-Peruvian grooves matched well with the splattered polyrhtyhms of Svalastog.

Coba Coba is the name of their new album, and it's inspired from start to finish. Novalima manage to balance dense and tricky rhythms with warmer sounds. There's a pleasing smoothness to it, which may turn some people off, but if you can't past that and lock into these arrangements you're made of stone. It's a broken beat masterpiece - I would hope that anyone who appreciates succinct drum programming checks this out.

Here's and interview/review I did with Novalima for February's Exclaim.

Podcast

i ain't scared - on ka'a davis (livewired)
track 3, shade grown - ghostlight (inyrdisk)
enero 18 - huelepega sound system (no label)
trafelato - ennio morricone (ipecac)
frantic behavior - wicked witch (em)
tenor on the call - tommy mccook and the discosonics (soul jazz)
totina - dream algebra (no label)
timberwork - svalastog (rune gramofon)
kumana - nova lima (cumbancha)
chakavak - chakavak ensemble (global heritage)
badawileaf - marina rosenfeld vs. badawi (ROIR)
decocton - arthur bull/daniel heikkalo (ambiances magnetiques)
field - nemeth (thrill jockey)
tchamanche - rokia traore (nonesuch)
jenn ee rocka - version xcursion/treson rmx. by nate wize (vx)
jamming - black roots players (wackies)
cassandra - dennis brown (observer)
straight to the heathen head - i roy (blood and fire)

A Myspace Of One's Own

Here is the cover image of the forthcoming release by Huelepega Sound System entitled "En Los Ojos De Dios Todos Somos Ilegales". His eyes follow you around the room... It's coming out on Inyrdisk, esteemed purveyors of noisy sounds from the T Dot.

We've jumped on the Murdoch train and set up a Myspace page, where we'll be loading up bits and pieces of new stuff on the regular. Look out for more live appearances in months to come!

Abstract Index Playlist - January 21/09

As you could probably tell over the past few weeks, I'm really feeling a lot of dub techno these days. Several great releases in the Basic Channel tradition (such as Intrusion and Pulshar) are continuing to find a delicate balance between robotic repetition and beautifully contoured sounds - a snippet of vocal here, some Fender Rhodes warmth there.

But it's remarkable that some 30 years of reggae reissues somehow missed what turns out to be one of the great dub albums of all time, and one which furthers the connection of techno and dub. Dub I is the product of producer Jimmy Radway and his Fe Me Time All Stars and noted engineer Errol Thompson, and Pressure Sounds has rescued it from its obscure 1975 issue. Strange that it should be so obscure, given that it was issued one Micron. In Toronto, it wasn't uncommon to find a wide range of Micron titles - at least it used to be when I was more into create digging - Micron head Pete Weston lived here and had a close association with Leroy Sibbles. Apprently this record appeared at the very end of Micron's first incarnation in Jamaica and was only pressed in the hundreds.

These dubs are chunky, archetypal roots rhythms featuring Tommy Mccook on sax and Vin Gordon on trombone. Solos by both are typically wonderful, and some tasty Hammond work adds more variety to the mix. Thompson dips it all in sonic brass, every instrument is glazed with heavily feedbacked delay which lends the mix a warm, metallic glow. It's surreal in a similar but less deranged 'faders up' way as Black Ark stuff is, everything is put through the dub blender, it's not about dancing on the mixing board. One track in particular has a horn part which combines with delay to sound like a klaxon fading up and down in the mix. In a DJ set, these kinds of mechanical qualities in the music transition quite well into the most au courant dubwise sounds.

Podcast

kele chi - oriental brothers international (afrodisia)
angel - intrusion feat. paul st. hilaire (echospace)
hanana - ali farka toure (world circuit)
mantistyle - pulshar (phonobox)
slammed - cain and dj brace (balanced)
one way - sugar rock band (bbe)
toro de butt - afrobutt (electric minds)
iberico jazz - quinteto montelirio (vampisoul)
cantoria - quarteto em cy (emi)
eyi su ngaangda - chopteeth afrofunk big band (grigri discs)
229 - gordon grdina trio (plunge)
longa sultaniyega - boom pam (essay)
remnants - silk stockings (bfish)
love is the song i sing - winston mcanuff (makafresh)
take me girl - lenn hammond (udmg/tru muzik)
the pack - winston mcanuff (makafresh)
nkulinze - benon & vamposs (entice)
wave up your hand - big bass theory (sir bassa)
cinderella - fe me time allstars (pressure sounds)
end dust - impact all stars (17 north parade)

Huffing And Puffing For Huelepega

Fresh from our inaugural freakout on Nuit Blanche, Huelepega Sound System is taking it to the clubs with our first LIVE jam on Sunday November 9.

Sergio Elmir will be manning the decks, bringing the illest cough syrup cumbia from the past and the future, Amadeo and Ernesto Ventura from Rebel Rhythm will add keys and percussion, and yours truly will be bludgeoning everything together with EFX (can you tell it's Halloween as I'm writing this?).

We'll be playing the legendary Wavelength series, long the incubator of semi-pro outfits like ourselves. Expect some harsh vibes - dance if you want but this is all about a heavy, dissolute night of head nodding.

Here are the details of WAVELENGTH 438:

12am — The von Drats (GTA surf rock!!) http://www.myspace.com/vondrats

11pm — Huelepega Sound System (Latin-charged dub madness) http://www.myspace.com/dosmundosradio, http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=83498388 , http://www.abstractindex.blogspot.com/ 10pm — CONTACT (Toronto’s all-inclusive contemporary music ensemble) http://contactcontemporarymusic.ca/

+ music supplied by Sleepytown Sound

Sneaky Dee's

431 College St. at Bathurst

PWYC

This Old House - A Special Nuit Blanche Broadcast

That's the name of CIUT's Nuit Blanche extravaganza. Next year, CIUT vacates its home of more than 40 years. This is a tribute to the intense creativity that's passed through the building over the years. We're using all three production studios and an outdoor stage (until midnight).

It's a 12 hour clusterfuck of music from 7PM-7AM on Saturday October 4. Here's how it's gonna go down:

7PM: DJ sets by Guy Stevos, David Dacks + surprises

8:30PM: NAW (Noise Factory, dubby micro IDM) - live in front of 91 St. George St!

10PM: Dubmatix (live dub, new disc features Michael Rose, Sugar Minott, Alton Ellis) - live in front of 91 St. George St!

11PM: Huelepega Soundsystem (Sergio “Dos Mundos” Elmir & David “Abstract Index” Dacks dub out chopped and screwed cumbia Monterrey style plus Amadeo & Ernesto Ventura (keys and percussion))

midnight: INSIDEaMIND (turntable conceptualists, doing a special freaked out version of CIUT’s VINYL FROM THE CRYPT)

1AM: No Beat Radio Soundsystem (OK, maybe not a soundsystem exactly - but holy heck what a racket!)

2:45AM: Guayaveras (Eric Chenaux & Ryan Driver get into some deep post-punk electro improvisation)

3:45AM: Christine Duncan (voice; Barnyard Drama, Element Choir) & Brandon Valdivia (percussio; Not The Wind Not The Flag, Friendlyness & Human Rights)

4:30AM: Daniel Nebiat (Eritrean power pop & folk)

5AM: Gurpreet (The Tabla Guy) Chana (solo tabla alchemy)

6AM: Tradition (psych-folk is only the beginning…)

Throughout the night: visuals by Trevor Haldenby on the exterior of the building
Spoken word cutups by Ryan Longo

Let's put it this way... I've never put so many labels on a single post.

Yes, it's super diverse, but that doesn't mean it's going to be lowest common denominator entertainment. Be prepared for your mind to be continually blown for 12 hours straight.

Not living in Toronto is no excuse - log on to www.ciut.fm and listen live, or check back here for live blogging throughout the night.

Abstract Index Playlist - September 24/08

Dub Gabriel's always had a way with artwork. Without question, Anarchy and Alchemy is the best music I've heard from him. He has really sharpened up his sound and at times, he achieves results that rank with some of the best dance music of this year in any genre. The bass presence on this album is constantly menacing. Every single ragga-voiced track on this album hits hard with atypical rhythm programming offseting the immovable bass foundation. The tracks get better and better over the first half dozen selections with abrasive lyrics and elegant deliveries enlivening these focused and brutal rhythms. Dr. Israel’s hypnotic singjay style on “Battle of the Righteous Man” was a multiple times-daily favourite of mine a couple of weeks ago (I'm still feeling Dr. Israel's Inna City Pressure after all these years). I'm not won over by every track on the disc but the highs have staying power.

Podcast

let's go - ken aldcroft (trio)
bloody nose - capillary action (pangaea)
bacchanal - pigeon funk (risquee)
mashout - dub gabriel feat jukali (destroy all concepts)
like a baby's kiss - a filial (verge)
defenestrado - sonantes (six degrees)
i believe in you - amp fiddler/sly & robbie (strut)
bani - toubab krewe (upstream)
bokoor sound special - lightning head (lion head)
first communion - gang gang dance (social registry)
the peacemaker's chauffeur - jason wilson (no label)
cameo - lina allemano four (lumo)
i'm thankful - quantic feat. spanky wilson (ubiquity)
jericho skank - jackie mittoo & ernest ranglin (studio one)
surfin' - ernest ranglin (antilles)
denko - oumou sangare (nonesuch)
warrior - jason wilson (no label)
picture book in dub - simply red rmx. by adrian sherwood (echo beach)
hold on - sugar minott (moll selekta)

The Golden Age

It's summertime and I feel like sharing. I also feel like I've taken advantage of the loyal fans who have downloaded podcasts from the increasingly hassle-prone Podomatic site by discontinuing my weekly uploads. The archives are streamable (for a week) here, but I've had a change of heart and wanted to continue offering a few downloads on the Podomatic site on a semi-regular basis. These will consist of archives, or particularly good/special broadcasts.

Up first is one my all time favourite airchecks.

My 'golden age' at CIUT was 1989-93. I was a young man soaking up all kinds of ideas, experimenting in my own way as I went. In 1990, after a backpacking tour of Europe which consisted of a steady diet of jazz festivals, the jazz content in my programming went way up and my appetite for (viewed almost 20 years on) pathethic 'alternative rock' went way down.

This was the era that forged my current musical tastes. I was very much involved with hip hop and funk/acid jazz/rare grooves in Toronto at the time, as well as reggae, and, increasingly, jazz.

It all comes through in this mix, recorded January 19, 1992.

This hour-long session came about at the tail end of one of CIUT's infamous broadcasts from Lionheart Studio (aka Club Mecca). Lionheart was a rehearsal space/boozecan I've written about before, and has resurfaced in the news of late thanks to the recent revival of Live At The BBQ. DB Hawkes & co. put on live reggae, funk and African bands all night long, and it was some of the most vital community radio you'd ever hear.

I was minding the controls at CIUT with my friend Ron, and had been partying heavily all night long. At about a quarter to five, DB phoned up, and told me that the band on stage was playing its last song - could I fill time until 6AM? I didn't have any records with me - it was still mostly about LPs even in the early 90s - but fortunately CIUT's 20,000 strong record library lay just on the other side of the door to the on air booth.

So I quickly scrambled up some vinyl (I think there is only one CD selection in this mix) and started to play. Feeling like I had nothing to lose, flying by the seat of my pants, I decided to record it.

Since the whole night had been pretty dubby, I decided to rig up the reel-to-reel deck in the on-air booth to create a tape delay loop. Although I've done many dub broadcasts, there was always something special about using the open-reel deck - you had to adjust the tape speed by hand, and from 15 IPS to 71/2 IPS with a toggle. Nothing replaces that action, though my relatively new Kaoss pad has similar appeal.

CIUT's on air board at the time had no faders - it was dials and switches, like Treasure Isle in Jamaica - so it was not dub-friendly. The turntables had no pitch control, so either the selections worked in context, or they didn't. Beat mixing was impossible. Such technical conditions forced me to connect musical dots in different ways.

Those were the days. Be warned, there are two heavily distorted sections.

Here's the podcast. Spot the station id's by Alex Acuna and Henry Rollins, and a tape loop from the Master Plan show...

Playlist:
melting pot - booker t and the mgs (stax)
it should have been you - gwen guthrie (island)
365 is my number - king sunny ade (mango)
the poem - bobby konders feat mutabaruka (desire)
make it funky - john lee hooker (ABC)
back side of the moon - the orb (volume)
looking ahead - booker little (charly)
fire stick - i roy (virgin)
so many years - jah wobble's invaders of the heart (restless)
atomic dog - george clinton (emi)
oh what a feeling - gregory isaacs (mango)
mean green - tone loc feat. def jef (island)
jungle - lee scratch perry & dub syndicate (on-u sound)
north south east west - kool and the gang (de-lite)
what'd I say? - ray charles (atlantic)

Abstract Index Playlist - January 30/08

As much as I love a good compilation, I've never come across one which so evokes my teenage years as this one.

My interest in music started after seeing Beatlemania in the summer after Grade 6. After that, it was solid Beatles for a year. Then, a year of the Stones. Chased that with Floyd, Zeppelin, and a dash of the Who. As far as then contemporary pop music went, Talking Heads opened a lot of doors, as did Grandmaster Flash's "The Message".

By the time that I really started to explore the reggae music I'd grown up with for almost 10 years, Sly and Robbie were at their absolute peak of creativity, and this new obsession not only took over my life but transformed my outlook on music.

I spent some 5 years trying to collect all the Sly and Robbie I could. The jumping off points from Sly and Robbie are too numerous to mention, especially when their collaborator Bill Laswell entered the picture.

But one name kept coming up in liner notes of my favourite records from Talking Heads, Black Uhuru, Grace Jones and Tom Tom Club (and the Stones' "Undercover", but anyways...): Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. I pictured this incredible tropical haven of creativity fostering a unique approach to bionic boogie.

At least half of "Funky Nassau" pivots around Sly Dunbar's Africanized syndrums. He was inspired to purchase them after hearing M's "Pop Muzik" while on tour with Peter Tosh, and in his hands, the syndrum was tuned percussion played like some kind of robotic burru drumming. This was a powerful subtext to any song which contained these rhythms.

I can blame my lack of interest in other mechanized music at the time (New Order, Depeche Mode) on my infatuation with Sly and Robbie's far more interesting take on technology. And of course, anyone who digs into Sly and Robbie gets the whole history of Jamaican music, from mento to ska to (especially) Studio One. Blended with their encyclopedic knowledge of soul music (they cut a session with James Brown at Compass Point in '83 which has never been released), their many rhythmic quirks sounded funky, never spastic. Robbie's bass lines at the time were very melodic and made better use of chording than any other player in Jamaican history - I've always thought he sounded a bit like Paul McCartney.

Their amazingly open ears and fearless, funky attitudes toward working on fresh riddims in unlikely company have been a major personal inspiration right up to the present day. Strut has done a wonderful job bringing these beats back.

Podcast Hour 1

Podcast Hour 2

man alive - we can and we must (logan 5)
mao mao - jean pierre massiera (mucho gusto)
godofallofus - new hope (BBE)
love of a woman - clutchy hopkins and darondo (ubiquity)
quiet - sex mob (thirsty ear)
at my critical counterpart - john gzowski/ganesh anandan (ambiances magnetiques)
tarakakino - sambasunda (network)
lead - scott thomson/lori freedman (barnyard)
luukkaankangas - nemeth (thrill jockey)
adventures in success - will power (strut)
taxi connection - sly and robbie (mango)
the price is right - chet singh (no label)
casa forte - snowboy rmx. by pathless (ubiquity)
me bowa ya - mekongo (mango)
psychedelic pucho - pucho and the latin soul brothers (BGP)
empyrean - rod modell/echospace (modern love)
man of mystery - doctor pablo and the dub syndicate (on-u sound)
freezing - DATC allstars (heartbeat)
freedom train - joe higgs and carl masters (pressure sounds)

Abstract Index Playlist - October 31/07

Happy Halloween! This one's a must for every October 31 show.

But it's more than just one of the definitive dub albums of the early 80s, it's also at the center of a nightmare of its own. Publishing, intellectual property, and fair use all figure into the controversy. The issue at hand is the use of much of this album in Grand Theft Auto III. Beyond that, you'd best read for yourself - it gets spooooooky.

the life of the mind - plug (blue planet)
serious sirius space party - ednah holt (west end)
that's how I feel - sun ra (evidence)
esplicitamenta sospeso - ennio morricone (ipecac)
oracion - ray barretto (fania)
el son de la muerte - psychotropical orchestra (denso)
zombie - follow follow (ombu)
rince doight - michel f. cote (ambiances magnetiques)
comparsa de los locos - eddie palmieri (fania)
deep sleep - mr. something something feat. ikwunga (world)
noonday demon - scotty hard (thirsty ear)
tune into you - nifty (blocksblocksblocks)
miss lucifer's love - funkadelic (westbound)
spaceape - burial feat. spaceape (hyperdub)
old ghost - calamalka (plug research)
satan side - keith hudson (trojan)
black heart - keith hudson (blood and fire)
vampire - devon irons (heartbeat)
the vampire - upsetters (trojan)
chase the devil - max romeo (island)
the mummy's curse - scientist (greensleeves)

Blanche Exposures

Our Nuit Blanche Saturday night special - Radio Blanche - was a tremendous success, Thanks to all who participated.

The Irie Band started the evening with rock solid roots and dub on CIUT's outdoor stage. A crowd materialized quickly from the steady stream of pedestrians on St. George St. Back inside the building, the mixing board and 'dub table' were set up. At midnight Ravi Naimpally and John Kameel Farah duetted on tabla and Rhodes/Nord Lead with discreet dub moments. Steve rocked the decks, while I took the dub table for a spin. At around 1:30 the Music Gallery phoned in with (I think) Nick Storring on cello. It was a bad yet interesting connection (as I'd hoped) to which I added effects, clarinet, dumbek and Bryon Gysin talking about mucus. This lead to the guitar duets between Colin Fisher and Nilan Perera. Each was stationed in a different studio and couldn't see the other, but the music they made was remarkably fluid and simpatico. The second of their duets grew from them vamping over an Orchestre Baobab track to almost thirty minutes of free form, soulful electronics.

Glissandro 70 stopped by at 3:45 AM and Craig Dunsmuir played a "cough syrup" set as he described it, going heavy on the spring reverb of my battered Audio Technica mixer. Sandro Perri laid down the next, then Craig took us all higher with a funky throwdown until well after 5. Steve played once again, then it was over to Nadja via phone from 1116 King West. This phone connection was better quality, and the heavily compressed doomy drones amplified by a cavernous space (Sandro remarked that there was a second and a half natural delay in there) sounded sublime in the studio. The transition into Timbre Timbre was amazing, as Taylor opened with slowly modulating white noise. His quiet, folky and resolutely electronic set was the perfect ending to the night.

One more thing - thanks to the University of Toronto police for responding to the noise complaint (wtf?) about CIUT's outdoor speaker, and for not informing us that you went to the trouble to disconnect the speaker yourselves. Perhaps our noise was too weird to be art, unlike the other installation 100 metres up the street.

Members of the Irie Band and friends in front of the outdoor stage

Steve Birek aka Guy Stevos (image courtesy of Steve)

Dubwise Dacks (image courtesy of Steve)

Colin Fisher in session

Nilan "Gene Simmons" Perera

Sandro Perri close to the edit

Timbre Timber near the end

Radio Blanche - An All Night Contemporary Radio Thing!

Feelin' lazy so here's the press release:



On Nuit Blanche, Saturday September 29, it’s going to be carte blanche on CIUT-FM.

CIUT-FM, Toronto’s leading campus community radio station, has brought 20 years of boundary-pushing programming to the airwaves of the Greater Toronto Area. On Saturday September 29, join CIUT from 10PM until 7AM the following day for a very special, experimental broadcast to coincide with the second edition of Toronto’s all-night art happening, Nuit Blanche.

CIUT will present a fluid, ever-changing exploration of rhythm and sound. Utilizing all three studios in CIUT headquarters and an outdoor stage, live musicians will combine with DJing and dub mixing to create a sonic maelstrom. Wherever you are on Nuit Blanche, tune in to CIUT – it’s the largest-scale event of the night!

Confirmed so far are:

The Irie Band (powerhouse contemporary roots dub)
Glissandro 70 (Afridelic Arthur Russell disciples)
Timber Timbre (roots-infused call and response sound looping system)
John Kameel Farah - keyboards
Colin Fisher – saxophone, electric guitar
Nilan Perera- electric guitar, mixology
Ravi Naimpally – tabla, percussion
Steve Birek (of CIUT’s “Electric Sound Basement”) – mixology

…and more to come!

And your ringmaster, the host of “Abstract Index” Wednesdays 6-8 PM, David Dacks, DJing and mixology.

Dub Is A Many Splendoured Thing

At long last, an article that I've worked on for months - entitled Dub Voyage - is out this month in Exclaim.

The worldwide popularity of reggae's offshoots continues unabated - from roots sounds, to dancehall and in this case dub. The article identifies the key components of dub and how they've journeyed from their origins to have direct and abstract influences throughout the world of popular music. There are a world of issues to be explored, too, so I decided to focus on the paths outward while leaving out more detailed analysis of race, class and economics. Now that this article is done, I can't wait to read Michael Veal's "Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae" which devotes several hundred pages to these issues which I could only touch on in 3000 words.

Hopefully, full transcripts of the interviews with King Jammy and Deadbeat will be available at the Exclaim website soon.

Dub is truly special music - and a special process - that has been one of my guiding inspirations for 25 years of musical activity. Hope you like the article.