Vicarious ( web page ) (email) (download my mixes here!)
Loves: Drums; Brass sections (they make ANY song better); Seeing what he can get away with mixing together; Getting mullered and dancing like nobody's watching; Dropping tunes that make people go "what is THAT?"; Playing and/or mashing up old tunes that people either missed the first time or have forgotten all about; That MWWWWWOAOOOOOOMMM sub-bass noise you only get in really good D&B; Cowbell; Shamelessly funky music; A good vocal on a tune; Contrast in mixing (there's a reason tracks are 5 minutes long!); More cowbell; Dance music producers who's songwriting ability is equal to (or surpasses) their technical knowledge of computers (there aren't enough of them any more!); music that is so filthy it makes me do screwface.
Plays: Ghetto/Nu funk; Breaks; Funk; Soul; Rock n Roll; D&B; Hip hop; Dub; Electro; Mashups; Dubstep (though less is definitely more on that front); Gypsy; Ska; Reggae; Lagos; Anything with great drums; Anything else I think I can get away with playing really.
Current top 10 tunes (click song title to hear the tune) - MAY 2011:
1) Dubblehead - Jones - these guys are not just our headline act for the next 'Can I Get A Witness?', but they're also one of my absolute favourite bands in the world, and I've been hammering their 'Robots Stole My Groove' E.P. solidly in anticipation. The sound quality on this video is a pretty shit, but it's all I could find. You can listen to more of their stuff on their website.
2) Cypress Hill - Licka Shot (Funkanomics remix) - OoooooohohohoohoHOOOOO this is filth! Probably the dirtiest mid-tempo/ghetto funk tune I've ever heard. Bloody Marvellous.
3) Gladys Knight and The Pips - Heard It Through The Grapevine (remix) - This is on a great album called 'Mowton Remixed' (buy it if you can find it) and is cracking - better than the Marvin Gaye version even (gasp!). Love that breaks drumming! This went down a storm at a recent gig I played...
4) Prince - Alphabet Street (DJP remix) - I'm shamelessly gay for Prince, and any remix of his good stuff (i.e. everything before the Symbol album) is ok with me. A Skills has done a great remix of 1999, but this one just about pips it to the post as best Prince remix ever. Excellent work DJP, whoever you are.
5) Kraak and Smaak - Squeeze Me (Jem Stone remix) - He's a talented bloke that Jem Stone: one half of Soul Of Man, label owner of Fingerlickin' Records and he did all that amazing Fingerlickin' artwork as well. Git. This remix makes my bum flap, which in this case is a good thing.
6) HardWaks vs Wu Tang - Gravel Pit (Philly Blunt mash) - God, this is SO good. I'd never heard the Hardwaks tune before this, but love the bit where they have a pop at MP3 DJs. And yes, I am one of those people.
7) Quantic Soul Orchestra - She Said What? (feat. J-Live) - The impeccably-tasted DJ Milster introduced me to this tune when she put it on her mix for our last giveaway CD, and it's absolutely under my skin. The salsa, the tempo, the brilliant rapping, the lyrics; everything about this tune is just perfect.
8) The Breakbeat Junkie - Rock The Funky Beat - If you don't like this, you don't like funky breaks. You probably also kick cats.
9) Stereoheroes - Pixie - The tempo of dubstep, the sound of fidget-house, the sanity of a box of frogs. This is glorious.
10) Ben Samples - Drop Bombs (Mochipet Remix) - Everything Mochipet touches turns to gold (which is funny considering he's a little man in a purple dinosaur outfit) and this tune is just amazing; a growling slow-burner that sticks its tongue down your throat whilst nicking your wallet. Check out this great mashup with Ludacris too. Genius.
Plays: Ghetto/Nu funk; Breaks; Funk; Soul; Rock n Roll; D&B; Hip hop; Dub; Electro; Mashups; Dubstep (though less is definitely more on that front); Gypsy; Ska; Reggae; Lagos; Anything with great drums; Anything else I think I can get away with playing really.
Current top 10 tunes (click song title to hear the tune) - MAY 2011:
1) Dubblehead - Jones - these guys are not just our headline act for the next 'Can I Get A Witness?', but they're also one of my absolute favourite bands in the world, and I've been hammering their 'Robots Stole My Groove' E.P. solidly in anticipation. The sound quality on this video is a pretty shit, but it's all I could find. You can listen to more of their stuff on their website.
2) Cypress Hill - Licka Shot (Funkanomics remix) - OoooooohohohoohoHOOOOO this is filth! Probably the dirtiest mid-tempo/ghetto funk tune I've ever heard. Bloody Marvellous.
3) Gladys Knight and The Pips - Heard It Through The Grapevine (remix) - This is on a great album called 'Mowton Remixed' (buy it if you can find it) and is cracking - better than the Marvin Gaye version even (gasp!). Love that breaks drumming! This went down a storm at a recent gig I played...
4) Prince - Alphabet Street (DJP remix) - I'm shamelessly gay for Prince, and any remix of his good stuff (i.e. everything before the Symbol album) is ok with me. A Skills has done a great remix of 1999, but this one just about pips it to the post as best Prince remix ever. Excellent work DJP, whoever you are.
5) Kraak and Smaak - Squeeze Me (Jem Stone remix) - He's a talented bloke that Jem Stone: one half of Soul Of Man, label owner of Fingerlickin' Records and he did all that amazing Fingerlickin' artwork as well. Git. This remix makes my bum flap, which in this case is a good thing.
6) HardWaks vs Wu Tang - Gravel Pit (Philly Blunt mash) - God, this is SO good. I'd never heard the Hardwaks tune before this, but love the bit where they have a pop at MP3 DJs. And yes, I am one of those people.
7) Quantic Soul Orchestra - She Said What? (feat. J-Live) - The impeccably-tasted DJ Milster introduced me to this tune when she put it on her mix for our last giveaway CD, and it's absolutely under my skin. The salsa, the tempo, the brilliant rapping, the lyrics; everything about this tune is just perfect.
8) The Breakbeat Junkie - Rock The Funky Beat - If you don't like this, you don't like funky breaks. You probably also kick cats.
9) Stereoheroes - Pixie - The tempo of dubstep, the sound of fidget-house, the sanity of a box of frogs. This is glorious.
10) Ben Samples - Drop Bombs (Mochipet Remix) - Everything Mochipet touches turns to gold (which is funny considering he's a little man in a purple dinosaur outfit) and this tune is just amazing; a growling slow-burner that sticks its tongue down your throat whilst nicking your wallet. Check out this great mashup with Ludacris too. Genius.
Wily Lad
Loves: Broken, Mended, Fix-up Funk with a sprinkling of Jazz (as Magic Juan said, it's the teacher), a smattering of Zappa, a healthy dose of Marvin, Stevie, Curtis, Donnie, Bill (Withers) and the Mizell Brothers - with a touch of Fusion (and yes that ain't a dirty word - Brand X and Weather Report rock!), and some lyrical dexterity (Q-Tip & Talib Kweli, Zion I, Bucwhead). Co-Op 200-2001 at the Velvet Rooms. Recently discovered Brazillian 'Pagode and Chula' - bwoy that's the Daddy! - Also inspired by Rick Leplastrier, Glenn Murcutt & Enric Miralles.....to name but a few......
Plays: Jazz, Funk, Nu School Phusion and the Broken Tunes of Yesteryear (imho 2001 was the golden age of Bruk) - yep, been clearing dancefloors since 2000!?
Current top 10 tunes (click song title to hear the tune) - MAY 2011:
1) Monday Michiru – Find Me
2) Gary Bartz – Makes Me Feel Special
3) Hubert Eaves – Call to Awareness
4) Patrice Rushen – The Hump
5) Beastie Boys – Sounds of Science
6) Smiley Culture - Police Officer
7) The Rebirth – This Journey In
8) Frank Zappa – Catholic Girls
9) Gary Byrd – Every Brother Ain’t a Brother
10) George Duke - Foosh (could only find this video with this cleft singing all over the track!)
DJ Milster
Loves: anything with bass and a funky groove, old seventies funk with cow bells and rocking backing singers. Funk, Soul, Latin, Afro-beat, Nu funk, hip-hop, world music, drum and bass, electro, good old techno and anything I can get my groove on too. Also partial to blues, rock (got to have some hammond organ in there), dub, reggae, etc, etc - the list goes on. Favourite record label has to be Tru Thoughts.
Plays: Mostly funk and all things funky, but you never know...
Current top 10 tunes (click song title to hear the tune) :
1) The Meters - Just kissed my baby
2) Dan Le Sac and Scroobious Pip - The Beat
3) Belleruche - Minor Swing
4) Ed Solo & Skool of Thought - We play the music
5) Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler
6) Sly & The Family Stone - M'Lady
7) Freddie Cruger -Pushing On
8) Mr Scruff (feat Alice Russell) - Music takes me up
9) The Raconteurs - Steady as she goes
10) Led Zeppelin - Ramble on