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Event: Back to the Basement…

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

BasementSessions

So after the obligatory two month hiatus, we’re back in the basement on May 14th. Our last session in March went distinctly tropical at the request of the Samba dancing crew in the house and now the sun has got his hat on, we’re looking to turn up the heat even further. For the first time in Heads High history, the girls out-number the boys this month too. After two solid sets of all things boom and bap, Amaka is in the place again and still mourning the loss of a large chunk of music from a defective hard-drive, Miss Crawford steps up with the weight and crackle of a vinyl only selection. A last minute addition that didn’t make the designer’s deadline is Darren Judge. He’s been smacking it recently with the Clubb Rock podcasts he lays down with partner in crime Mikee Lazy so we’re expecting those Clubb Rock high-energy bass movements cut and pasted with his foundation Hip Hop selection. Naturally, the Duke & Cal provide the rock upon which the party is built….and the vocals? Expect something a little different this time as Connie Bell and Amaka conduct a little live experiment…tell a friend!!!!!

Event: Premo at the Cafe

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

The prize for the hottest hip-hop booking in May goes to the Jazz Cafe for hosting DJ Premier on the 17th.

The occasion is bound to be a poignant affair for true Gang Starr fans since the recent passing of DJ Premier’s original partner-in-crime, Guru. Rest In Peace.

Lets face it, this is a legendary opportunity to pay homage to a legendary lyricist. As far as hip-hop goes, Gang Starr epitomised the East coast sound. Guru was an ever-faithful disciple of the true hip-hop movement and DJ Premier laid some pretty solid foundations when it came to sampling, loops and other traits that today make up the quintessential traits of hip-hop production. Despite everything said, for me, the genius in Gang Starr was in the way that they were somehow able to channel their individual talents into a single creative force and bring out consistently good s**t. This unique collaboration set them apart from the fakers. Gang Starr are hip-hop hierarchy.

This Gang Starr tribute world tour is ridiculously over-booked and rightly so. DJ Premier, I’m sure will be on top form. No doubt, each stop will as good as the next – don’t forget that between running his own label, taking on countless new projects and relentlessly touring, DJ Premier was actually planning to reunite with Guru this year.

“It’s like feeding someone a new drug… and then as you keep on feeding ‘em, they’re gonna want more and more. I’m definitely a pusher. I push music that you should be hearing. I have no choice but to be that way.”

If this is anything to go by, then I guess this is a ‘hip-hop junkies only’ event. Prepare for the energy.

RIP Guru.

Jazz Cafe
5, Parkway, Camden, London, NW1 7PG
Monday 17th May. Doors open 7pm
£15 adv.

Click here for event details and tickets.

DJ Premier’s MySpace

Gang Starr’s MySpace

Givaway: Nneka Hot Tickets!!!

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

nneka1

No matter where on the spectrum you lay your musical hat, chances are the name Nneka means something to you.

Since the release of her 2007 debut ‘Victim Of Truth’, Nneka’s songs of freedom have amassed a sizable global following.  Her own biography speaks the truth when it says this popularity has less to do with marketing budgets and a whole lot more to do with the content and delivery of her art. Although ‘Victim Of Truth’ was slept on by many, her sophomore offering ‘No Longer At Ease’ (which joins the Root’s “Things Fall Apart” as another LP title garnered from the mighty Chinua Achebe) refused to let us continue in our slumber with its tough-yet-soulful collection of treatises on the political and humanitarian crises we face in our times – not least in mother Africa.To date she’s shared stages with the Roots, Mos Def, Femi Kuti and Bilal and is now all set to hit the road with Damien Marley and Nas for their Distant Relatives album tour. Basically, this woman is not joking…

To cut a long, but pretty interesting story short, we’ve been given the opportunity to give away two pairs of free tickets to her London show at the Scala on Weds 28th April. Free entry to what is bound to be one of the capital’s hottest live shows this year goes to the two lucky people who can answer the following question:

What is the name of the single which Nneka released at the end of March?

The two winners will be picked at random from the list of entries with the correct answer. Good Luck!

EMAIL US YOUR ANSWERS HERE and see below for details of the show, an interview with the lady herself and a Lauren Hill inspired unplugged studio special.

nnekascala

Event: Heads High vs. 12 Tone. New Session…

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

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Sat 24th April marks the unveiling of a brand new Heads high vs 12 Tone session in the centre of our fair city. Having raised our east-end party the right way, the good people at Soho’s newest venue, Barrio Central have invited us to embark on a fresh leg of our beats, bass and brass tour with them. Erase all memories of the soundsystem at their sister venue Barrio North though. We’re assured that they’ve done the right thing with BC and come correct with the sound. You know we’ll do the same with our performance, and entry is free so it’d give us a warm glow inside to see some familiar faces in the place.

Okra…

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Okra_10.4.10

So I spun on an Afro-Carribbean tip at a Haiti Fundraiser a couple of weeks back at Brixton’s Ritzy courtesy of my man KMT, the excellent Asheber & The Afrikan Revolution and the charity United Haitians in the UK. Management liked what they heard…

Fast-forward to the present and this is the result, a new session dealing with beats, bumps and basslines from across the African Diaspora presented by myself and Suga Kan’n. If you’ve managed to make it down to our ‘family’ sessions then you know the vibes….and you’ll have to agree that they’re pretty good!

Word is that this’ll be a regular fixture, so come show some love so we can convince them to let us loose on booking some bands up there.

Talking about our more Afro-inspired sessions, we’ve got some interesting stuff lined up for this spring/summer so stay tuned….

Meanwhile, here’s a little taster of the kind of vibes we’re on…

Event: Highlife in Hackney!

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

secousse

It’s not often I get impressed with bands. When I read the blurb for AJ Holmes & The Hackney Empire before I saw them for the first time I was ready to be disappointed. A decidedly camp looking white guy with an electro-pop background learns how to play Highlife guitar, fuses it with his pop stylings and sets out to conquer the world with his new brand of electric Highlife…..hmmm, no thanks. When I actually witnessed AJ & the Empire perform, I had to eat my words, my hat and a fat slice of humble pie. The band smashed it, and did so with such unpretentious integrity that barely anyone in the room could avoid becoming a part of the performance. How a motley crew from Hackney can manipulate Palm-Wine Highlife so well is beyond me, but they can.

For those who don’t know, Palm-Wine Highlife is a guitar based music which has it’s origins in the Palm Wine shacks of 1950s Ghana. In the years leading up to the Second World War, Highlife was a term used to describe the upper-class entertainment of Ghana’s more exclusive nightclubs. Characterized by huge ensembles and stiff, european dance-steps, the Highlife scene was not welcoming of the lower strata of Ghanaian society. After the war, the music of the poor man’s Palm Wine bar, synonymous with drunkenness and fusing the blues with local folk tales, tunes and elements of Calypso and Jazz somehow also earned the tag Highlife. This is the Palm-Wine Highlife AJ Holmes has mastered, and ratings to him for pulling it off; the last time I checked, Hackney and Accra didn’t have that much in common….

Anyway, point is, AJ Holmes & The Hackney Empire are headlining this Saturday 20th at Passing Clouds and I honestly (not in a promoterish type way, cos i’m not even promoting it) think they’re well worth checking out. To seal the deal, I’m spinning alongside community soldier KMT and the afrobeat vibrations of Koichi Sakai. We’re all digging deep for our tropical treats….but don’t expect a night of music that was made 50 years ago….nah, it’s about making the old work with the new. AJ’s influences range from Highlife to Grime and he’s resident at West London’s biggest Tropical session Secousse alongside the Radioclit duo. You dun know my style already and i’ve heard KMT cut & paste everything from Soca and Bashment to African Lutes and large slabs of Hip Hop….trust me, it’ll be worth the trip….Flyer below.

PassingClouds_Flyer

Jazz on the Road

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

This Saturday, Jazz on the Road bring us an ‘Afro Jazz Special’. With a theme such as that, I’m sure you can conjure up some kind of image of the night that awaits you. I’m also sure you realise that this image won’t even come close to the actual live experience.

Featuring live…

UNITED VIBRATIONS
Reppin’ our extended family… UV have built up a reputation for turning pavements into parties. Their music is 12tone. Expect to be infected by their tight sounds, raw flow and dangerously contagious vibes.

AWALE
Awalé is a London based Afro Gypsy Funk musical project with members from Tunisia, France, Cuba and England. Musically, Awalé draws on these influences whilst reflecting the diversity of multicultural London.

awale

… As if this wasn’t enough, just for good measure, there will also be jazz dance performances from Maki & Kola (Jazzcotech Dancers) to keep us tantalized and some heavy sound selections from Tony Nwachukwu (CDR) and Koichi Sakai (Afrobeat Vibration).

Jump on board the train… Freedom awaits you!

Sat 20th February 2010
at The NEW Empowering Church
1a Westgate Street, London E8 3RL
Door opens: 21:00 – 4:00
Entry: £6 before 22:00, £8 thereafter

Facebook Event Page

Sofrito Tropical Soundclash!!!

Monday, February 15th, 2010

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As I opened my front door to a spine-chillingly cold blast of Arctic air this morning I found myself thinking ‘When the rass is this winter going to end?’ Thankfully, the warmth and wellness of an equatorial existence was closer than I’d imagined as my inbox opened and a warm breeze carried news of the next Sofrito Tropical Warehouse bash!

Those that know tend to know about Sofrito’s functions, their heavyweight bills, heavier dubplates and contrastingly light-footed crowds have brought them much attention on these shores and beyond. Add to that a scorching release schedule and a propensity for rooting out excitingly unknown locations for their events and you have all the information required to confirm your attendance at their next session.

March the 6th is a big one, here’s the blurb:

“For our first party of 2010 we are very proud to present an exclusive DJ appearance from QUANTIC alongside many special guests!

Taking control of an amazing new two room warehouse space in the heart of Dalston, we’ll be playing the best in hot and heavy Tropical sounds in a costeño style!

We are bringing together the peerless Family Atlantica (featuring Luzmira Zerpa and Jack Yglesias) and Quantic to present the heaviest Vallenato and cumbia sounds in an exclusive live set that you won’t be able to see anywhere else!  The raw sound of the Caribbean coast, bringing together Afro-Venezualan sounds and the folkore of Colombia.

All this alongside a live set from Afro Latin masters Drymbago, DJ action from Quantic himself and the Sofrito Soundsystem plus some special guests!

Tickets are £10 in advance (plus £1 booking fee)”

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So there you have it. Cheat winter and get your heat on. In the meantime, here’s a mix lovingly sculpted by the soft hand of Sofrito, taking in rhythms from Colombia, Benin, Trinidad, Angola as well as an exclusive track from Quantic’s Sonido del Valle project…

Download Tropical Warehouse Mix

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Event: Heads High vs 12 Tone

Friday, February 12th, 2010

hh_12tone_vibe_21stFeb500

I actually missed the first session of 2010 in favour of swimming in warm Caribbean seas. Reports said it was a good one though and now i’m back on the team for Feb, there’s one more reason to make the eastern pilgrimage and round out the weekend in style.

12 Tone Brass Band is growing from strength to strength and keen followers will notice that their already heavy repertoire is steadily expanding with every session. Those who are able are recommended to pass through next Sunday for shiney new beats, brassy heavy treats and turntable heat…

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