Many Moons

If Kanye was to ever to get his wish for the Bible to be modernised, and rappers incorporated into its stories, then P.Diddy has got to be the hip-hop Samson. When Puff's shiny suits disappeared so did his musical relevance.

In an effort to acquaint his Bad Boy Records label with the term credibility, Diddy signed Janelle Monae in 2007 and made a lot of people nervous for the singer's career.

For those who don't know, Janelle Monae's quirky style brought her to the attention of Outkast's Big Boi which led to her appareances on the Idlewild soundtrack. Her underground following has grown ever since, hence the apprehension that greeted the news of her signing with Diddy.

Her debut video for 'Many Moons' however goes a long way to dispel the fears of her followers whilst announcing Janelle as a futuristic soul star to the rest of the world.

With a new material due out next year, check Monae's EP; Metropolis:The Chase Suite and the plentiful Youtube footage in the meantime.

Talk To Me

Man, you played the Johnny Cashcard.. Weepy old me is ducking out of this one as that video is the epitomy of a solid tearjerker (plus all I had was Chris Isaac..)

On a serious note though, there is a good reason for me to be upset tonight. I've just come to learn that DJ Vadim has unfortunately been diagnosed with cancer. I really hope the hardest working man in Hip-Hop will come out of this OK and my thoughts are with him and his missus, Yarah Bravo. In case you don't know of his work I've posted up one of my favourite beats from his most recent album "The Soundcatcher". Enjoy, and if you subscribe to the power of collective belief, read this and get involved.

Never one to back down...

...from a challenge. Mr Paul, I see your Rose Royce and raise you a Janet Jackson, circa 1997. Taken from Janet's The Velvet Rope album, 'Got 'til It's Gone' probably isn't in the tearjerker class but is gently affecting with a masterpiece of a video directed by Mark Romanek.

P.S.- I'dve posted up Romanek's video for 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go) if I'dve thought weepy Ricky could handle it.

Wishing On A Star

Not 100% sure why I'm posting this one up but it's Sunday night and it feels kind of right, so there you go. Make sure you stick around for the brief but excellent drum-break right at the end, and if anyone wants to step up and challenge this video with another tearjerker, give it your best shot!

Damme Chromeo

Grab a pen and take notes.

The Egyptian Lover Returns

This came out in 2006 on an album called Platinum Pyramids (Egyptian Empire Records). No idea what the rest of the album is like but if the artwork is anywhere near as good as the photo below, it might be worth investigating further. Listen to more of The Egyptian Lover on his Egyptian space.

Now On- The Willows

Now On - The Willows from Henry DeMaio on Vimeo.

A nice video for the easy-on-the-ears lead single from LA-based Now On's new album; Tomorrow Already. Check the Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/nowon) for more samples of the group's mellow brand.

New Q-Tip

The song itself has been knocking around for a while but the video for 'Getting Up', the first single off Tip's upcoming album The Renaissance, has surfaced online in the last couple of days. Feeling this song in an unhealthy way so it's nice to see the visuals don't let the audio down any at all.

I Wanna Kiss Myself

Spent the whole day in Phonica on Sunday so I'm feeling inspired enough to write a big post gorged full of all the badstuff I was lucky enough to hear. There's loads to get through so get nice and comfy. First up is Damian Lazarus' effort at the Sci-Fi-Lo-Fi series..


At first glance I wrote this one off, thinking that it was another instalment of the boring Sci-Fi-Hi-Fi series that generally equates to lots of average/semi-decent techno. To my surprise however, volume 2 of the more abstract Sci-Fi-Lo-Fi series showcases a bunch of genres, beginning with a tidy hip-hop number, sculpted by Sir Andrew Weatherall, which soon enough gets segued into Burial's "Etched Headplate". I pretty much handed myself over to old Lazarus from then onwards and was taken on an enjoyable ride through a soundscape which features MAW, Pulp, Jus Ed and Hercules and Love Affair amongst others. I really dislike Pulp, they have never done anything for me.. but the Moloko mix of their track on this compilation is bliss. Check out samples of the mix here and make sure you listen to the Kassem Mosse track.

Here's a couple of down-time albums:


Voice Of The Seven Woods - The Journey

This one floats by like a dream. It's only 16:48 minutes long but it feels much longer, and its length surprisingly doesn't take away from its value. You can hear some samples here - I'd say that "Breaking Moonlight" gives a good idea of the overall tone of the album/EP.


Lindstrom - Where You Go I Go Too

Not really one to bum Lindstrom, me. I can't say that I've ever bought any of his records (although I did pick up an album he did with Prins Thomas ages ago). Some of his work reeks of quality and norwegian dope but.. as is often the case, the hype around him unnerves me a bit. Perhaps I'm just a sucker for his buddy Prins Thomas who is still to this day one of the best dj's I've heard and he's also a savvy producer. Anyway, Where You Go I Go Too is an excellent listen, with 3 pieces ranging from 10 - 30 minutes in length and a relentless supply of great moments encompassing beat-less balearic rollers and ethereal disco chuggers. Have a mooch over here.


Dramatic Funk Themes Vol.1

Funk doesn't seem to be getting much of a look-in these days, it's all discotechnodiscoelectro on the blogs. This compilation is a deserving exception to the unwritten rule though, with bags of quality shining through on every single one of the 20 tracks it holds. Have a listen to the first track (reminds me of "jungle boogie") on the player here where you'll also find some informative blurb on how the release came to be.

I'm spent. Thanks for reading if you've made it this far!

(Just realised how dull all of those record covers were! I'll attempt to pick out some more colourful bits next time I post.. promise.)

Boom Bap of the Month

Whilst the 'Everyman' persona isn't the most identifiable image in hip-hop music, A tribe Called Quest made it look and sound like a natural element. What other group could make a video like 'Electric Relaxation' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERQzl4xDpXk), which consists of a cab ride to a diner, look like one of the illest days out ever? This month though, it's all about '1nce Again', the lead single off 1996's Beats, Rhymes and Life. The song was produced by Jay Dee/Dilla, who was a part of the production collective 'The Ummah' alongside Tribe's Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

Dorian Concept (Live)

Dorian Concept rocked the Gramaphone Club last night at Deviation's monthly forée into the soulful underground, as Benji B likes to call it. I find that some of his stuff can be too hectic but he's an indisputable talent who is more often than not capable of musically 'hitting the nail on the head'. Besides, anyone who can slam their head down on the keys of a microKorg and still create something melodic deserves some recognition, right? His last track of the night was perhaps a glimpse of a more up-tempo future direction and is only available to listen to here at the moment. It's called "Vertical Output" and has got me all excited about his imminent releases.

Jussa-Jus

Forgot to mention another new recruit on the blog - this time round its the lovely Justine, an aspiring journalist who works at Phonica and doesn't eat sugar. Welcome, Justine!

Just a quick post from me so I can bring 3 things to your attention:

1) The Deviation Soundscape Mixtape - Just had a quick listen through this relentless beat journey and it sounds tough and educational all at once.
2) Dwele - "Too Fly" - Anyone remember this one from a few years back? Quality rejig of Stevie Wonder's too high with Stevie's original bassline left untainted. Ouch.
3) I can't stop laughing at this video. Am I weird? Give it a go, and don't read the comments until after its finished.

Visitors from the Cosmos

Two small tasters of the phenomenon that is Sun Ra and his Arkestra.

Whilst declaring himself, quite seriously, a visitor from outer space (who by the look of his threads spent some time in ancient Egypt also), he and his band the Arkestra are without a doubt the purveyors of the most cosmic, wigged-out, trippy, psychedelic and inspired and joyous jazz music mankind has ever known.