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.

At The Guelph Jazz Festival

interviewing John McLean of Mr. Something Something last year.

Just a quick post to let you know I'll be co-anchoring CIUT's coverage of the Guelph Jazz Festival once again this year.

Tune in tomorrow (Sat. September 11) from noon until midnight tomorrow for music and interviews from under the big top on Upper Wyndham St. Interviews will include Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground), Rich Brown, Jeremy Strachan & Andrew McPherson. Music sets include Canaille, SoulJazz Orchestra, Fanfare Pourpour and Sagapool.

I'll sneak off in the middle to perform with Huelepega Sound System featuring ace guitarist Colin Fisher at 7:45PM which will be broadcast live to air!

Huelepega is also participating in Guelph's first ever Nuit Blanche. We'll be reconvening for a 2AM at the Synnema! Hope to see you there.

HUELEPEGA VS. ISLAND RHYTHMS

Well, it is the All Caps Festival...

Seriously looking forward to this gig. Within five short years, All Caps has become an epic all ages affair. This edition is the first ever festival, and it's on Toronto Island no less. For those of you who don't live in Toronto, the Island is a big park directly across from downtown - the kind of urban idyll in which a $6.50 ferry ticket (on a 70 year old ferry!) represents a cheap vacation from the hustle and bustle.

A diverse lineup, including the hotly tipped Buke and Gass will be filling out two days of music, art, film, BBQing and some of the finest beach-partyin' round these parts.

And we're bringing the cumbia. Hope to see you on Saturday, a little after 6PM - bring the kids!

Digidoombia

Wow! Colour me surprised.

I just found out that Huelepega Sound System will be supporting the Argentine digicumbia superstars, Zizek Club. Why don't you read this fine article about them.

It's at Wrongbar tomorrow, we're on at 9:30. They take over after that... hope to see you there.

Huelepega Comes To MAMA

This Saturday night, Huelepega Sound System is the featured guest of the monthly MAMA party at Teranga.

This MAMA likes to shake it to "Kuduro! Naija! Doooombia! Ghettotech! Dancehall! Ethiofunk! Reggaeton! Folkstep! Soca! Kwaito and SA House! Raptor House!" (love the last one; let's root for the home team)

But you can get a sneak peek by listening to the Abstract Index tomorrow night at 11. DJ Marcus Boon will be stopping by to talk about the night, and his musical interests. He'll also play an extended set. Tune in and turn on!

So Nice, We're Doing It Twice

Toronto just doesn't know what to do with us this week: three gigs in a week - we are triply blessed.

Mas Tigre! was a big hit last Saturday, and we're following it up with two free gigs in quick succession.

The first will be this Thursday at the Gladstone's Melody Bar. We're playing two sets, so we'll really stretch out. Sergio and I will be supplying incidental tuneage as well.

Next Saturday, we're at the Cloak and Dagger at the behest of the lovely and talented DJ Anousheh. Her Move On Up nights are simply one of the city's truly essential soulful experiences, abetted by a drink-track of fine beerage. This is going to be tiny and packed!

Hope to see you at one, the other, or both!

Mas Tigre! Mas Accion!

Mas Tigre! is Sergio Elmir's latest epic throwdown. This one promises to be a showcase for Toronto's freaky-Latino scene.

Of course, you can't throw a party like that without Huelepega Sound System. Joining forces with us will be the dynamic Lido Pimienta, and the all-international Caballo. The not so mysterious Bakanchido DJs (aka Sergio & El Intern from Dos Mundos) will be supplying the sonic connective tissue for the affair.

It's just five bucks, so don't sleep. Denise Benson says it's a Best Bet.

Micro-pega

Huelepega Sound System is a couple of men short for tomorrow's gig with Microbunny, but it'll be epic nonetheless.

Microbunny is Al Okada's downtempo project which has run off and on for 10 years. The first comparison most people make with Microbunny is to Portishead, and it's not inaccurate. I was an early member of the live ensemble, running loops and doing dub effects - not so different than Huelepega, really.

HSS join Mean Red Spiders and Microbunny for their release of the CD 49 Swans tomorrow night (Friday April 2) at the Rivoli. As mentioned, this will be a duo edition of HSS, which will sound more like our first disc, if that appeals. I'll also be running pre-mixes between sets.

Hope to see you out on what will no doubt be a lovely spring evening.

Great Vibes In The Great Hall

The last time I played a big music festival was 12 years ago at NXNE. It was so much fun I swore I would never do it again. So here's to the twelve-year itch!

Come check out Great Vibes In The Great Hall on Saturday March 13 as part of CMF (CMW? Depends who you talk to....). Here are the details:

Great Vibes in the Great Hall!
Presented in association with Nufunk.ca
as Part of Canadian Music Fest

featuring LARRA SKYE, VANESS ALEGASSI, FREEMAN DRE & THE KITCHEN PARTY, MELTING POT and HUELEPEGA SOUNDSYSTEM
DJs: eLman & David Dacks (CIUT 89.5 FM)

SATURDAY MARCH 13th
@ THE GREAT HALL
1087 Queen St. W. @ Dovercourt
Doors @ 9 pm
$10 cover, FREE with your CMW wristband or performer’s pass!

Great musical vibes are happening once again in one of Toronto’s most spectacular vintage venues, THE GREAT HALL! Roots, rock, reggae, R&B, folk, funk, gypsy jazz, dubstep, and cumbia … this special CMW showcase has something for just about everybody’s sonic tastebuds!

Abstract Index Playlist - February 3/10

Checking in on nueva cumbia these days yields fantastic, diverse results. In the whole spectrum of global urban/booty/whatever beats, cumbia always stands apart because there's no mistaking the classic guacharaca skank. The midtempo-ness to cumbia always appeals to me as well. This is not a music to spastically bounce to, you have to ease into it and grind just a little bit harder.

Though the digicumbia revolution wrought by Argentina's ZZK is still going strong, the continued hybridization of cumbia means that a steady stream of cumbia innovation continues to make its mark around the world. Sergio Elmir of Dos Mundos Radio and I are digging into the growth and spread of cumbia for a documentary to air on CBC Radio's Inside The Music some time this year. Check back to this blog for updates on our progress...

As always, there's a ton of music to be checked out at Generation Bass, and that's where I was introduced to Mexican Dubweiser. He's from Monterrey (the home of rebajada, aka the sound of Huelepega Sound System) and, based on the freely downloadable album/compilation at GB, Sonidos Hoy Y Siempre, he isn't content to plow the same furrow twice.

As the name would suggest, there are quite a few airy and psychedelic touches to his productions, it's not all about concisely slamming beats at all time. The Jorodowsky-graced track heard this week plays out over Policarpo Calle's rootsy, accordion-driven vallenato, a subtle breakbeat and shimmering delays. Tunes by other artists broaden out the sonic space - Texan El Cumbiampiro brings a slow, minimal synth driven collage to a surprisingly grungy guitar conclusion, and Dubweiser's "cumbiastep" mixes pretty much speak for themselves, but thankfully aren't over-wobbled. Not everything is gold here (Double-time Celso Pina? He slows down better than he speeds up...) but you can't argue with the price.

Podcast

the road to nowhere - john heartsman and circles (jazzman)
monday morning - spiteri (vampisoul)
zila - dudu pukwana (jika)
jamana de diya - bassekou kouyate (sub pop)
lay back (in the cut) - anthony shakir (rushhour)
vildgolia (deaf dumb and blind) - gil scott-heron and brian jackson (arista)
cucumelo - juan data & dub snakr rmx by fungus (no label)
cumbia del mexicano artista - mexican dubweiser vs policarpo calle feat alejandro jodorowsky (no label)
el abanica - wganda kenya (discos fuentes)
el diablo - dave da gato (tru thoughts)
mikono kweney hewa - muthoni (penya africa)
(s)cream - saidah baba talibah (sony)
lotus flower - souljazz orchestra (strut)
emmanuel god is with us - dennis brown (blood and fire)
right right time - johnny osborne/earth, roots & water (light in the attic)
luv n liv - subatomic sound system feat u roy (no label)
antigravity - shlomo (friends of friends)
acheron - fleck (no label)
rasta man chant (live) - bob marley & the wailers (island)

Generation Doombia

Sergio at CISM, cueing up Huelepega files

I'm thrilled to report that one of my favourite blogs, Generation Bass, has posted up the new Huelepega Sound System mix, Amor Doombiambero, for its considerable worldwide audience.

Our buddy Caballo says some nice things about the scope and success of the project so far.

There are also two individual tracks for download "Sabor De La Cumbia" and "Santo Landero" (our Andres Landero megamix). We've created a SoundCloud account, so stay tuned for more downloadable material at this well-conceived, interactive site which is emerging as a challenger to MySpace for musical social networking.

UPDATE: A few hours later, The Fader picked up on GB's lead and blogged about it: "drugged out and pleasantly terrifying; an audio representation of the illest parts of Latin America"

Huelepega Sound System in Guelph

The best Latin food in Guelph celebrates the anniversary of its relocation.

Our special guest for the evening will be none other than Generation Bass scribe/awesome producer, CABALLO.

Royal City, be prepared for DOOMBIA!

Huelepega Tonight!

Ack! I totally forgot to blog about tonight's INYRDISK showcase at the Boat. Kevin Hainey's noise label features us and three other simpatico sound sculptors - here's the details courtesy of Tad "Burn Down The Capital" Michalak:

INYRDISK SHOWCASE 2009

featuring:

GHOSTLIGHT (http://www.myspace.com/ghostlightband)
members of Mean Red Spiders. A free form improv. psych-rock experience. From spaced out soundscapes to intense psychedelic noise, free jazz whispers and crushing heaviness, Ghostlight weaves musical elements & genres together to create something otherworldly.

HUELEPEGA SOUND SYSTEM (http://www.myspace.com/huelepegasoundsystem)
David Dacks' "doombia" ensemble mixes cumbia with slowed down doomy dub drones. Drawing influences from the latin world as well as modern noise music, Huelepega pushes latin rhythms into a dissonant, boundless territory.

AYAL SENIOR's GLASS TOMB (http://www.myspace.com/glasstombs)
Ayal Senior's free-jazz space psych unit featuring a who's who list of Toronto's most accomplished out music masqueraders takes the back road approach creating soundscapes that creep up on your from a minimal pitter patter into a storm cloud of swirling noise & distortion. A serious raw driving force.

CAVE DUDES
Primal noise rock featuring members of Disguises, Women In Tragedy and Inyrdisk founder Kevin Hainey. First show in way too long. Expect crushing jams that don't bottom out, but scrape along mashing everything in their path.

All this for $5, seriously come out & support experimental music in Toronto.

Also FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=335661895202

Huelepega @ Wavelength - Sunday Sept 13

at Yonge Dundas Square, with Luisito Obregoso on timbales

Huelepega's next jam takes place post-EX and Getatchew. Sunday night marks our return to Sneaky Dee's some 10 months after our first ever live performance. The post-punk (kinda...) crowd may be especially ready to party, as it will be one of the final three performances at Sneaks for the Wavelength series. They're pulling up roots and moving to a new venue called Garrison in October, read all about it here.

Sunday's bill, aka Wavelength 480, consists of:

Transcendental Rodeo Mothership (Doc Dunn's hillbilly trance kollektief) @ 1am

Gordon Grdina Trio (bad-azz improv jazz for guitar & oud, from Vancouver) @ 12

Huelepega Sound System (Latin dub noise masseeeeev) @ 11

Foxy Huelepega And A New Download!

Huelepega @ the Toronto Tabla Ensemble Studio

Foxy Digitalis gave Huelepega Sound System a rave review!

Seems like the time is right to drop our next mini-mix.

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

Also, here's a last minute reminder that I'm welcoming Jesse Zubot to the Abstract Index tonight. Tune in if you can, if not, the podcast will be available by next week.

Free For All, All For Free

Please accept our springtime gift:

En Los Ojos De Dios, Todos Somos Ilegales - Huelepega Sound System

If you'd rather have a disc with better sound quality, get in touch with our friends at Inyrdisk.

If you'd like to give some love to the amazing facility which gave birth to this project, head on over to CIUT and make a donation (make sure you support your favourite shows, Dos Mundos or Abstract Index!)

Basking In The Shade Of Ghetto Palms

Ernesto Ventura, our conguero - taken from my vantage point at the Huelepega Sound System CD release

The Fader magazine's Ghetto Palms thinks we're freaky. Nice to have that validation.

This Huelepega Sound System thrill ride gets curiouser and curiouser....