Abstract Index Playlist - October 7/10

Last week marked the official release of Dubmatix' most recent release: System Shakedown. I wrote an interview/review of this excellent disc for Exclaim last month.

I really enjoy Jesse King's music. It was apparent at the CD release that his brothers and sisters in dub enjoy working with him and his music as well. At one point, the still formidable Jay Douglas loudly praised Dubs' respect and knowledge of the roots of the music, both in Jamaica and Toronto - and Jay Douglas knows a thing or two about Jamaica to Toronto.

Prior to the show Douglas told me he was honoured but intimidated by Dubmatix' request to sing on his album: the music was more digital and futuristic than any production he'd worked with. At the same time, though, he trusted the producer's fundamentals and gave it his best shot.

Surely one of Toronto's reggae highlights this year was seeing Douglas bui "Celebrate My Love" backed by Dubmatix, Nate Wize, I-Sax, and Douglas' once and future bandmate Everton "Pablo" Paul, who has been Dubmatix' mentor for decades. Even with one channel absent from the mix, the soulful vibes couldn't be stopped. This roots reggae sounded ever-fresh, even in an era where dancehall has become the pre-eminent crossover music from Jamaica. Thanks to soaking up J.A.-Tdot vibes for more than 20 years, Dubmatix has nothing to prove about his dexterity with classic reggae songcraft rendered in a way that feels utterly local.

Podcast

wobble weeble - dubmatix feat kulcha ites (7 arts)
rainbow children dub - zion train (universal egg)
education after auschwitz - ion (local)
breathing trouble - senking (raster noton)
catatonic - onmutu mechanics (echochord)
don't let me go - mala (soul jazz)
dancehallette - frikstilers (zzk)
paraiso - sonora (no label)
little angel - zazou bikaye (crammed)
love can't come will come - invisible man's band (bbe)
miles away - david axelrod (dusty groove)
the squirrel - jimmy mcgriff/richard groove holmes (groove merchant)
jargon - lina allemano four (lumo)
in peace - mat maneri (thirsty ear)
seven - david mott quintet (music as energy)
for si pt. ii - arraymusic (cmc)
all clear 1,2,3,4,5 - christopher campbell (innova)
kajastusmuseo - kemialliset ystävät (fonal)
and we gonna - shigeto rmx by samiyam (ghostly international)
time lapse - a.m. breakups (reservoir sound)
jamelia - bonjay (no label)
phat si - cooly g (hyperdub)
m'bala - ramiro mussuto (paginas do mar)
the real mckay - the soul prophets (gallo)

Strictly For Lovers - Lenn Hammond Interview

One of my favourite moments in Carl Wilson's great book "Let's Talk About Love: A Journey To The End Of Taste" describes Celine Dion's appeal among Jamaica's bad men: "Bad men have fi show that them a lova too". Celine - as in everything - is an extreme example of Jamaica's love for impassioned, unironic emoting in the great American soul tradition. Lenn Hammond is a current standard-bearer of this tradition.

Nephew of all-time singing legend Beres Hammond, Lenn's apple didn't fall too far from the tree. He specializes in lurrrve and classic soul covers - these never, ever go out of style, whether you're young or old.

He's living in Jamaica now (I believe) but has spent much time in Canada over the years. We'll get the full story on his career and new album "Raw Soul" when he stops by at 11PM tomorrow, Thursday September 30.

Abstract Index Playlist - August 26/10

Reggae's Golden Vibrato is getting back to where he once belonged.

At this point, Horace Andy has got to be considered one of the most important vocalists ever to emerge from Jamaica. It starts with his voice: Justin Bieber should be so lucky to retain the ever-enthusiastic man-child persona that Andy has maintained for 40 years. That unique way of expressing himself has made him a muse for many producers over the years. But Andy has also been a fine songwriter, with many classics to his name: "Skylarking", "Mr. Bassie", and "Spying Glass" to name but three. He's also had the good sense to balance his work among different producers without over-recording himself, like Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs.

But it's his work outside Jamaica which has led to steady work over the years, especially in England, where his 1985 hit "Elementary" was a smash, and foreshadowed his work with Massive Attack 5 years later.



Since he became the heart and soul of Massive Attack, he has toured the world several times and had the opportunity to work in many different musical contexts, the most recent of which was with Ashley Beedle for a volume of the Inspiration Information series.

Yet, he's barely recorded any reggae for the past decade, which makes Serious Times a major release. German producer Andreas "Brotherman" Christopherson has come up with his best production ever on his increasingly solid Minor 7 Flat 5 label. If you're already a fan of the label, you've heard some of these riddims before, but Brotherman has saved some special dubwise tricks for Mr. Andy whose vocals have only gotten better over the years. Where he used to sound like he was huffing helium, he now retains his range, but has improved his phrasing and control over his vibrato. Look no further than this week's song "Rastafari" for an example - the riddim doesn't kick in until about two minutes in; it's his voice that keeps the song moving forward. This is a very strong album to add to his reggae classics recorded with Studio One, Channel One, Wackies, Ariwa and so many others.

Podcast

put the stereo on - gappy ranks (vp)
every day is like a holiday - sensations (treasure isle)
celebrate my love - dubmatix feat jay douglas (7 arts)
rise and fall - toussaint feat jahdan blakkamoore (i grade)
la cumbia subbass de giorgio - black mandingo (no label)
continue to call - nino moschella (ubiquity)
move on - bilal (plug research)
baby doll - the fatback band (spring)
insomnia - marilyn crispell/barry guy/paul lytton (intakt)
found elsewhere 2 - evan parker/derek bailey/han bennink (psi)
reeds of osiron - nymphs (the social registry)
ana dellali - cheb zergui (sublime frequencies)
omnipresence - omfo (essay)
rasta rational - ljx (no label)
christie street - o'luge (last gang)
confide in you - boogiewall soundsystem rmx by mad professor (ohm grown)
rastafari - horace andy (minor 7 flat 5)
4 bush ganja dubplate - aando feat gregory isaacs (no label)
malpalpitando - systema solar (no label)
the windfall - hidden orchestra (tru thoughts)
special - maddslinky feat omar (tru thoughts)
anthracite - cymande (collectibles)
azucar - eddie palmieri (caliente)
candela - zulu (vampisoul)

Upcoming Interviews

image via timeoutsingapore.com

In honour of groovy tastemaker emeritus Gilles Peterson's upcoming Toronto appearance, I will be broadcasting part of a recent interview I did with a man who has influenced my DJing career greatly.

Not sure what part I'm going to air. It was a pretty great interview from top to bottom, but I'm not going to foist all 30 min of it on you. Not just yet, anyways - there may be a feature article coming out of this, so stay tuned for that. Tune in tomorrow (Thursday Aug 19) at 11PM.

Next week on the 26th, I'll be joined by Toronto reggae singer LJX, whose sophomore album "Brighter Days" comes out in early September. Check the release party at Lula Lounge on Sept. 10.

Finally, after a week off, on September 9, I welcome Rat Drifters Eric Chenaux and Ryan Driver to the program to talk about their respective new albums. They also collaborate on each others albums. It's confusing; we'll straighten it out.

Abstract Index Playlist - June 24/10

Annette Brissett's been around for many years, but her career finally seems to be picking up steam in the last little while.

She's worked with Sly And Robbie and Bullwackie, but this past decade the tough yet tender vocalist has found greater success in South Florida's considerable market.

Comparisons to Horace Andy are inevitable, but the junked-out twilight of Billie Holiday's career is not a bad reference point either. Brissett has the phrasing and POV on songs that only comes from experience.

That's what makes "Lift Your Head Up" such a powerful tune. The production is merely OK, but her delivery sounds both anguished and hopeful, which makes the song's message seem less generic. The album isn't a corker all the way through, but her vocals are very versatile in customizing the lovers rock tropes which dominate the proceedings.

I don't get a sense of what sets South Florida's reggae apart from the rest of global roots reggae just based on this album, but given the generations of Jamaicans who have lived there I understand the scene is quite a hotbed. And once you've had your fill of South Beach and glitzy salsa, you'll be needing some quality time with music well under 100BPM.

Podcast (starts with Mikey Dread)


Claudia quintet – keramag (cuneiform)
Seu jorge – errare humanem est (now again)
Mikey dread – jumping master (hearbeat)
Lennie hibbert – village soul (studio one)
Joergmueller – peel and dub again (zeecc)
Annette brissett – lift your head up (TAC)
Citizen sound feat treson – come what may (VX)
Mr. OK– poto mitan (masalacism)
Sound iration in dub– seventh seal dub (year zero)
Suns of arqa – gavati drut (arqasound)
David starfire/sub swara cobra (no label)
Filip fillipi feat Collie Buddz, Schlachtofbronx rmx – huricane ana (no label)
Interceiving – can’t stop dancing (no label)
Claudia quintet – crane merit (cuneiform)
Eric chenaux – am I lovely (constellation)
Vinnie golia mark trayle – cheapman and the sweater he cherished (9 winds)
Rainer wiens – blood fever (ambiances magnetiques)
Morphosis – musafir (MOS)
Soul center atom tm – switch it (curle)
Sandra st victor – cosmos (soul strategies)
Q orchestra – ritmo diabolico (freestyle)
Vieux farka toure – diaraby magni (six degrees)
Sugar minott – never give up (soul jazz/studio one)

Playlist Abstract Index June 17/10

Looking through my Facebook group page, I noticed that my last several weeks' worth of blog post images have been black and white. Some have a hint of colour, but dammit it's summertime and it's time for the red gold and green.

Nick Manasseh has been one of my favourite UK producers for many years, but I didn't realize just how far back his career stretched until I heard this album.

Setting up a sound system in the mid 80s, by decade's end he'd started producing custom dubplates, and also music for a commercial audience. Teaming up with Scruff (not Mr. Scruff) they called themselves Sound Iration In Dub.

The irating sound in question takes off from where Augustus Pablo left us with his digital-era Rockers Come East album from 1987. Manasseh's melodica soars over rhythms which strike a perfect balance between urgent and relaxed. Many point to this album as the first example of UK Steppers, characterized by the DIY, drum machine driven sonic choices. One can see where this sound in the early 90s would get both harder, especially when married to breakbeats, which led to jungle, and weirder, as their label mates The Orb would pick up on the trancier elements of this kind of dub. However, this sound has never really gone out of style: being home studio dub, it's basically the prototype for the laptop aesthetics of dub, that is, something that doesn't need a live room bigger than a closet. It's timeless in its own way, playing well with reggae from all eras; you can spin Sound Iration In Dub in a nostalgic 70s and 80s set, or in a contemporary mix.

Rejoice in this encore edition of a classic slice of UK sound system history!

Podcast

noche de estrellas - dj dus (no label)
gruppenweise - root 70/rashad becker (nonplace)
new style (scruff dub) - sound iration (year zero)
rebel dub - citizen dub feat prince blanco & ammoye (vx)
errare humanem est - seu jorge (now again)
turtle eyes and fierce rabbit - torngat (alien 8)
thrills - matana roberts (central control)
jazz is the teacher funk is the preacher - james blood ulmer (strut)
undressing - ronald shannon jackson & the decoding society (antilles)
la botellita - grupo palma africana (soundway)
beteando - los beta 5 (vampisoul)
mambo no. 8 - los socios del ritmo (emi)

DJ Marcus Boon

Un Niño Que Llora en los Montes de María - Petrona Martinez (ZZK)
Do_the_Astral_Plane - Flying Lotus (Warp)
Yes [Bongo Disco Mix] - Mgo (remix) (Outhere)
Show Dem (feat. HHP) – JR (Electromode)
Hungry For The Power - Azari & III (I’m a Cliché)
Footcrab (James Braun Edit) - Addison Groove (Swamp81)
Zuata Zuata – Puto Prata (Akwaaba)
En La Nalga (On The Ass) feat. Jordy - Ronny Santana (DL)
Duro Duro - María y José (Cocobass)
Maldito Fiesbu (Dj Fantasy Original Mix) – Rita Indiana y Los Misterios (DL)
You Don't Wash (Dub)- Kode9 (DJ Kicks)
Webaba (Black Coffee & Culoe De Song Remix) - Culoe De Song feat. Busi Mhlongo (Electric Melt)
Distant Planet – Mr. Fingers (Blackmarket)

Abstract Index Playlist - March 17/10

At the end of the day, dub soldiers on. Who better to give the marching orders than Jahtari Rhythm Force.

It seems that most dub DJs have adopted dubstep as part of their repertoire. It's hard to ignore a musical phenomenon with 'dub' in the title if you like your bass big. To be honest, after a few years, I'm losing interest in it. I'll still play a wobbled bass maybe once every couple of weeks, but mere oscillations ususally don't add up to anything great compositionally. Since dub starts from the distillation of a song, it retains enough solid fundamentals to remain interesting. I hope that this thread runs through the last half hour of each edition of the Abstract Index - I'll always balance out wild production with more conventionally musical rhythms (sweet and sour dub?). Being the proud owner of a KAOSS pad, I can see how it's easy to get carried away with its X/Y axis-based input method, to say nothing of the billions of plug-ins (dub-ins?) floating around online. Too often, dubstep is hollow at its core in a way that its clear predecessor digidub had only hinted at - a victory of technology over music. On the one hand, there is suspenseful empty space in the music, but so often its accompanying release consists of hyper-aggressive sounds which are more annoying than annihilating. Fortunately, dubstep tends to breed artists who go on to push the limits of syncopated minimalism, such as Shackleton, whose hybrid grooves kicked off this week's show.

And then there are the old skool dub aficionados, to which Jahtari belongs. In his (their?) case, the old school is of the 8-bit blurps and bleeps aesthetic which nonetheless infuses actual songwriting to make memorable music. The Jahtari website contains a manifesto outlining the sonic springboard of 'digital laptop reggae' thusly: "We try to pick up the trail of Dub at its most inventive times, before a lot of its biggest achievements got almost forgotten. Dub is the continual background and main reference point of all our releases, its spirit always in the center! Jahtari is NOT about emulating old classics with new technology but about DOING SOMETHING TO DUB THAT HASN'T or couldn't BEEN DONE BEFORE! But Dub and the SOUL of it always comes first. Unlike Electronica, where technology is the music itself. Dub, then technology.". Their music hits a sweet spot of technology, tradition and songcraft.

Their forthcoming release Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 2 shows just how diverse that approach can be. It is resolutely digital, but quite varied in approach. Echoes of hip hop, broken beat and techno always crop up, partly due to the sonic vocabulary, but the Jamaican lineage is clear. This music is not afraid to wear its history on its sleeve, and is original, subtle and effective. And it's not unfunny....

Podcast

mountains of ashes - shackleton (perlon)
burning love breakdown - peter brown (tk)
gol e aftab gardoon - noosh afarin (finders keepers)
for the love of money - disco dub band (luv n haight)
combination - jali bakary konteh (akwaaba)
wondigal - alpha yaya diallo (jericho beach)
sister mary lucy - d.o. misiani & shirati jazz (earthworks)
firsteppa - jean paul dub (no label)
heavy as stone - mark pritchard (dub plate records)
whatyagonnado - jacob korn (do right)
fiesta - cobblestone jazz (k7)
throat pt. 1 - little women (aum fidelity)
the thing and i - tommy babin's benzene (drip audio)
no abhor - dawn of midi (accretions)
shadows - joe harriott (redial)
dancehall style - little john (17 north parade/vp)
dub is a moment in space - wayne smith/prince jammy (pressure sounds)
complete control - creation rockers (echo beach)
the youth - ondubground vs. horace andy (no label)
my legs my arms my mind & my brain - brain damage feat black sifichi (jarring effects)
we will destroy your planet - jahtari rhythm force (jahtari)
heart made of stone - the viceroys (mango)
gonna be alright - dubmatix feat prince blanco (7 arts)

Abstract Index Playlist - October 14/09

You don't need me to tell you about Chezidek if you're an enthusiastic gamer. The sweet yet urgent singer's "Call Pon Dem" was featured in Grand Theft Auto 4 not too long ago, giving his recent wealth of material even more currency.

Hopefully this album further capitalizes on this exposure. His passionate, soulful delivery is not unlike Tarrus Riley's, though he's not quite in the same league of pure vocal ability.

Still, Chezidek is the kind of singer that Sly and Robbie have always loved to work with - Tarrus' father, Jimmy Riley, Junior Delgado and Dennis Brown all have had great great success leaning into their bionic dub. Equal parts conscious and romantic, there are clear references to the duo's past both sonically and in some of the hooks, but this pop-friendly yet deep production is strong all the way through.

There have been a few instances in recent years that I've thought Sly and Robbie 'have done their best work in a long time' - among them their collaboration with Amp Fiddler, and one of my favourite singles of this year Courtney John's "Lucky Man". This is another back to the future triumph for them.

French label Tabou 1 has risen from the ashes (RIP 2002) as a netlabel and has made this release available for free download. As a bonus, there is a companion album of dubs - this is what I've been playing again and again on the AI. This is first class electro/organic dub, and I would rank this bonus set highly in the Sly and Robbie catalog.

My limited graphic design skills turned out my own dub version of the album cover...

Podcast

griot - lloyd mcneill (baobab 1)
a tree is like a man - healing force (cuneiform)
saz dance - abaji (absilone)
strategy of tension - filastine (jarring effects)
mets neidude vahel - collage (wool)
sling shot pt 2 - lefties soul connection (visions from the roof)
me de ma gnin messe - orchestre poly-rhytmo (analog africa)
jet biguine - les loups noir de haiti (soundway)
mindgames - cooptrol (no label)
take it dub - sugar minott (interchill)
nephesh alpha - cheval chamber orchestra (no label)
green light - relic (no label)
p.m.a. - caballo & the mothafu kings (no label)
haxan dub - demdike stare (modern love)
roll and tumble - spit brothers (full melt)
the raft - fat freddy's drop (no label)
whatever we do - ruts dc rmx by salz (echo beach)
delhi/kathmandu (live) - high tone (jarring effects)
surrender dub - chezidek (tabou 1)

R.I.P. L.I.P.

Today, Eye Weekly's daily blog published my tribute to Lance Ingleton, the man behind LIP Entertainment.

He was a visionary programmer of live events in Toronto. I never knew him but after talking to former CIUT colleague Denise Jones and reggae musician Lazo, I wish I had. Ingleton sounded like a upright guy who was very committed to a wide range of cultural promotion.

I knew this ticket stub was worth saving. This was from Reggaefest 90 at Lamport Stadium - Dennis Brown headlined the other night. Other names on the bill: the then white-hot Shabba Ranks, and a young rap group called A Tribe Called Quest.

Abstract Index Playlist - August 5/09

"Delroy Wilson has always been one of my favourite Jamaican vocalists" I said to Patrick Roots, updating a list of maybe 50 names in my head. "I've always loved his jazzy flow and his deep bluesy voice". "Maybe it was because of the rum" said Patrick, a little sarcastically.

It's true, Wilson did have his troubles with alcohol, and died from cirrhosis at age 46. Maybe he never quite lived up to his days as a teenage star on Studio One, but in the late 70s he had a very good run of recordings with Bunny Lee.

Pressure Sounds new disc celebrates Prince Jammy's mixing and production acumen as much as Wilson's vocals with this new release. The title, Dub Plate Style, refers to a short-lived mixing ethos that existed in the late 70s. These songs, which were recorded throughout the seventies with various bands and producers but mostly with Bunny Lee, feature the subtractive spirit of dub underneath a full vocal mix.

According to the liners, these full-vocal versions of what would otherwise be dub mixes looked to cross over into a mainstream mixing style round about this time, but never caught on. As such, mixes like this were confined to dub plates for the dancehalls and few saw commercial release. This disc was mixed by Prince Jammy, no stranger to the dancehalls' pulse, and represents what Pressure Sounds calls one of the earliest remix albums.

To most listeners, this disc will sound like a more minimal version of roots reggae with pop crossover appeal. It certainly isn't a remix album in the sense of a radical retrofit of the music underneath the vocals, but Pressure Sounds' point is well taken. To those of us who belong to the cult of Delroy, hearing big hits like "Better Must Come" or "I'm Still Waiting" with more space where ornamentation once was is pretty cool. Maybe not life-changingly cool, but still a nice twist on songs which have long since affixed themselves to the mythical "Time-Life Presents Reggae Gold" anthology I keep re-compiling in my mind.

I dedicated this week's track to my wife. We're both huge fans of the Chi-Lites original version, and Wilson's version of "Love Uprising" is a pretty radical rethink of the original, even discarding the reggae-ready original bass line. Wilson's vocals have never sounded snappier!

Podcast

ebibi (ekassa 28) - sir victor uwaifo (soundway)
you - pax nicholas & the nettey family (daptone)
baches - za (acuarela)
mundhu - brain damage (jarring effects)
show me a refix - ealzee feat alpha and omega (no label)
yeter artik kadin - bunalim (shadoks)
monarch and the viceroy - quinsin nachoff bruno tocanne project (adami)
you make time - gypsophilia (no label)
overloaded ark - helena espvall & masaki batoh (drag city)
coast to coast - vandermark 5 (atavistic)
license complete - vandermark 5 (atavistic)
gates of zion - mighty diamonds (greensleeves)
if love - agape (sustainable)
freedom fries connection - mossman vs. vander (bass ma boom)
music business dub - burning spear (burning sounds)
naggo head - ring craft posse (moll selekta)
love uprising - delroy wilson (pressure sounds)
don't wanna let you go - dream band (natty posse)

Samini At CIUT

A couple of posts ago, I included a picture of Ghanaian hiplife/reggae/soca singer (Batman) Samini and myself at Afrofest. We met and did a spontaneous interview. At the time, his manager Jake told me about a show that took place this past Saturday. I invited everyone down to CIUT last Wednesday to talk about the event.

A film crew from Soul360 TV came along and combined the footage with a rehearsal Samini had done earlier in the day. Here's the result - with cameos from DJ Chocolate and Patrick Roots:

Abstract Index Playlist - June 17/09

So often I blog about discs that are yet to be released or difficult/expensive to find (yeah, I know, I'm a total hipster snob). Here's something we can all enjoy.

Buguinha Dub released his album Vitrola Adubada on the Les Cristaux Liquident netlabel earlier this year. In one sense, this is just another soundman cobbling together grooves that he's worked on over a number of years while toiling with different bands. However, when the main band is Brazil's mighty Nacao Zumbi, things get interesting in a hurry. This band is unfortunately still best known for its deceased front man, Chico Science, who left this plane some 12 years ago, leaving an Jimi Hendrix-like hole in the modern era of Brazilian experimental pop in his wake.

Of course, Brazil, especially its northern reaches, has been under reggae's spell for decades, and there you'll find just as many half assed Marley knockoffs as anywhere in the world. Fortunately, so many imitations have given way to some truly distinctive sounds which fuse traditional north-easterly Brazilian grooves with nationally-approved samba, African elements from just across the pond, a variety of Caribbean elements and the latest music technology. While Nacao Zumbi were part of the Mangue Bit/Beat movement - not unlike tropicalia or Native Tongue era hip hop in its breadth of influence - Buguinha Dub is based in Sao Paolo, not Recife, the home of some of the more interesting musical mashups in the world at present.

This album covers everything from Afrobeat to illbience to disjointed samba melodies and is of course slathered in a thick layer of dub. But this doesn't sound Jamaican, it's more reminiscent of European style dub -fast and fierce, with sharp, not billowy, delay settings. Last week's track featured a very traditional sounding trombone line and abstract crowd noise giving way to a "Shine Eye Gal" groove which somehow didn't smooth out the essential bumpiness of its folkloric foundation. This is utterly urban music but has ample space for pastoral influences. And it's free - FREE I tell you! Just go here.

undefined behavior - zebra wood (no label)
a short time to sing - john butcher (emanem)
nina tusuna - lulacruza & mj greenmountain (uji)
sherbrooke - biosphere (touch)
every april - naw (noise factory)
let me see you tonight - our theory (nublu)
donsu - oumou sangare (nonesuch)
liyanzi ekoti ngai na motema - syran mbenza & rumba congo (riverboat)
hypnotic brass - hypnotic brass ensemble (honest jons)
cowboy - the nite liters (rca/dusty groove)
nootropics - jesse zubot (drip audio)
air dub I - kanada 70 (no label)
toxine (live) - brain damage (jarring effects)
troca abudaba - buguinha dub (les cristaux liquides)
kingston dancehall dub - dubblestandart feat. ari up (collision cause of chapter 3)
almasti - omfo (essay)
the cyclops - 10 ft ganja plant (roir)
one and only one - adrian miller & earth roots and water (light in the attic)
bond street rock - tommy mccook and the supersonics (pressure sounds)

Hail K Zar!

I'll be speaking with ace dub DJ K Zar on May 27. His monthly party "Strictly Rockers" is one of the very few ongoing live events in this city to focus on the classic/steppas/etc. dub side of the reggae continuum.

The next one will take place May 30 - here's some information for the Facebook inclined: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=74871693398&ref=mf

The night also features, as you can see, my show neighbour Patrick Roots and DJ Chocolate, plus a very special contribution from King Culture, who certain new school fans will recognize from a choice reissue on the Basic Replay label.

K Zar and I will chat and he'll spin a few choice cuts

"Choon in" at 7:30 on the 27th.

Return To The Valley Of Uma Nota

Short notice on this... sorry.

If you're looking to kick off the weekend sometimes known as May 2-4 (when it actually lands on May 24 - what is up with this coo coo bananas calendar year??), samba on down to the Gladstone.

I'm opening up the set with some tasty party starting vibes. Stick around for the dynamic duo of DJ Nana and maestre General Eclectic.

Liveness is provided by the super deluxe version of Samba Elegua getting horny with my old buddy Rich Underhill.

Abstract Index Playlist - October 1/08

Shooting fish in a barrel, this one was.

I've rarely had such an easy time with a record review. It could have been much harder had my word count been in the Pitchfork range; I'd gladly have dissected each and every favourite riddim. But with 120 precious words to play with, it's as easy as a brief explanation of the idiosyncratic Jamaican genius and a hearty thumbs up.

What I hadn't realized was that Pablo may have had the most stable international career of any Jamaican artist. He entrusted his foreign releases to Greensleeves in the UK and Shanachie in the US, and stayed with both for nearly two decades until his death. He controlled his own publishing and actually made money from royalties, from what I understand. Not that he was a wealthy guy, but he was at least able to recoup dividends from his work from the places that appreciated his talents most - Japan, the US and Europe. He succeeded on his own terms in all those places, and this excellent set, complete with bonus DVD, reminds us all of his unique talent.

Podcast - 1 hour only this week

spoonbender – low pressure sound system (ubiquity)
slow down – dirty bottom (old sofa)
go – two banks of four (sonar kollektiv)
fidget – lina allemano (lumo)
fish bowl – ken aldcroft (trio)
gegenwart – burnt friedman/jaki liebezeit (nonplace)
kosmos (sx dub 2000) – paul weller (echo beach)
power of great – lightning head (lumo)
nuclear – etana (vp)
israel in harmony – augustus pablo (shanachie)
over africa – GG allstars (heartbeat)
you make me so very happy – alton ellis (heartbeat)

Wranglin' Ernest

It's going to be an upfull night of interviews on the Abstract Index radio show.

I am sincerely looking forward to speaking with one of the greatest musicians ever to come from Jamaica: the truly legendary Ernest Ranglin. Live - IN PERSON. For those who don't know - Ranglin is a founding father of Jamaican pop music. He was present for its birth in the late 50s, was a major part of Studio One and later the Black Ark, and now has forged a unique jazz reggae sound which has led to great acclaim at this august stage of his career.

He's in town to help out Jason Wilson with the CD launch of Wilson's new disc "The Peacemaker's Chaffeur" on Sept 25 at Hugh's Room. Tune in at 7PM this Wednesday!

It's going to be a busy night coz I'll also be speaking with Carolinian kora crew Toubab Krewe at 6:30. Actually, they're not focused on the kora exclusively, but that description kinda rolls off the tongue. They will be playing on Sept 28 at Revival.

Both shows are part of the Small World Music fall festival.

The Other Killer Miller

Not the late great Jacob Miller. Talking about Adrian Miller.

Kevin "Sipreano" Howes' Jamaica To Toronto project has shed much light on Toronto's reggae history prior to 1980.The last release in the CD series (stay tuned for a documentary film...) was Earth Roots And Water's "Innocent Youths" from 1977, featuring Adrian on lead vocals.

Adrian's never left the scene. Now, thanks to the reissues, his career is getting a well-deserved bump.

Allow me to bump some more. Tune in Wednesday Sept 10 at 6:30 (or thereabouts, this time is not set in rockstone) for a conversation with Adrian about the past, present and future of Toronto reggae.

Immediately in the future is a gig at the Phoenix on September 12. Go check him out!

Abstract Index Playlist - September 3/08

Back to school! Merzdub will clear out any remaining summer doldrums.

I don't know why this release just came my way now, it's about 2 years old. But it's hardly an exercise in nostalgia.

It's exactly as you would expect - Merzbow's inimitable noise grandeur absolutely swamping the few hints of dub.

I was as excited to see Jamie Saft's name on the disc as Merzbow's. Saft is one of the best Hammond organ players I can think of these days (and he's playing with John Zorn this Sunday at the Guelph Jazz Festival). His ability to create big menacing drones from the instrument serves him well in the many jazz contexts in which I've heard him.

On "Visions Of Irie" from this week, Saft, who's in the driver's seat as the mix engineer & producer, comes armed with maybe 2 rhythmic samples and a whole lotta attitude on the effects. Grooves are never established for very long (and not taken very seriously), but neither does pure noise take over for lengthy periods. Merzbow's sound is shaped as if it were a digital delay feeding back at 100% - it's sculpted in and around the beats, but it's omnipresent drone that dominates even from the background. Great stuff.

Downloadable Podcasts are back - check here!

rivers and tides - blink (thirsty ear)
uncle limps (turkish version) - imps (mule)
transit - rumpistol (rump)
out my window - koushik (stones throw)
dreaming of betrayal, awakening refreshed - fond of tigers (drip audio)
alviverde - jun miyake (do right)
musik - val inc (innova)
hebvark - fond of tigers (drip audio)
double suicide - sandro perri (constellation)
unknown rebel - matt steckler (innova)
save music - daniel meteo (meteosound)
visions of irie - jamie saft/merzbow (caminante)
backwater dub - sub swara (low motion)
thieving dub - the red eyes (echo foxtrot)
i man a levi - i jah man levi (mango)
far east - isax injah (jah mix)
bring de couchie come - reggae crusaders (trojan)

Eye Is The Upsetter

Lee Scratch Perry is playing Harbourfront in a free show on Monday evening. Should be a great time. Even when I saw him last, some 10 years ago, he wasn't at the peak of his powers, but he's one of those rare individuals who captivates an audience with his presence alone.

In the cover story I wrote for this week's Eye Magazine, I could have gone any number of different places, but my instructions were to focus on his forthcoming album. This was actually a relief, since most of the angles on the Scratch story - the eccentricity, his Afro-Futurism, his chronology - have been done before in much greater detail. On that score, talking with Andrew WK was an unexpected pleasure. I don't know much of his work - which is somewhat different than what he's doing with Perry - but he was polite and enthusiastic in conversation.

Mr. Perry was also a better interview than I expected. I was actually dreading the interview (not the good kind of dread), fearing I'd get some entertaining quotes but little of substance. Though I didn't end up using much of it in the article, Perry had very interesting things to say about his own work, his relationship to dub and, surprisingly, his currently charitable feelings about the old "vampire" himself, former Island Records boss Chris Blackwell. Dig this quote; you veteran Perry fans won't believe it:

"Well he had the best of my material (up to that point in my career). He had the best set of things of what I was doing at that time, and he was a very good friend. But after we had the album Roast Fish Collie Weed And Corn Bread he did not like it too much. But I still have respect for him as a good person, but I was a little bit mad that he didn’t like that album too much. (I was mad at him for a while) but I got over it, don’t forget that. I said bad things about him “Chris Blackwell is a vampire, he killed bob Marley and used the Wailers”, (laughing) did you ever hear that? But I forgive him for now because he did not understand the album, it was too early. Some of the beats were completely different, it wasn’t exactly reggae, it was experimental. It was too early for his tastes. But I think he’s a great man."

Don't miss the H-Front show, it'll be a highlight of the summer.

Jamaican Echoes - The Documentary - June 29/08

Twilight Circus' studio.

It's finally done and ready to air.

With great pleasure, DJ Chocolate and I direct your attention to Patti Schmidt's new show, Inside The Music, this Sunday June 29th. It's on CBC Radio 2 at noon, and on Radio 1 at 8PM. This time slots are consistent across the country, so there's none of that "8PM Eastern, 9PM Central" stuff.

To recap - Jamaican Echoes has been my biggest project of the last 9 months. It's a documentary which traces the spread of dub from a studio accident in Jamaica to a worldwide musical sensibility.

Interviews will include:

Adrian Sherwood (On-U Sound - Depeche Mode, Primal Scream)
Bill Laswell (Global dub innovator - Fela Kuti, Motorhead, Herbie Hancock)
Twilight Circus (M Records - Michael Rose, Big Youth, Queen Ifrica)
Clifton Joseph (Dubzzz poet at large - CBC, Dub Poets Collective)
Dubmatix (Nu dub from Toronto – new disc features Alton Ellis, Sugar Minott)
Leroy Sibbles (All-time reggae legend! Heptones, Studio One bassist)
Michael Veal (Author; Dub: Soundscapes And Shattered Songs In Jamaican Reggae)

This documentary is produced, written and edited by yours truly and hosted and co-produced by Lauren "DJ Chocolate" Speers.