Looking back.....

Id forgotten about this track, until i found myself inexplicably singing it.

Since then, i just cant get enough of hearing it. Basement jaxx really are excellent.

Thats all... just wanted to share my hype over this old track.

Mark King.... Rocks.

Im totally aware that many people wont know who he is... but Mark King is the lead singer and bassist from Level 42.

Now, im a bit of a Level 42 fan but id never heard of this song before its called Mr Pink (performed live). Its fairly self indulgent, and really 80s, but it just goes to show how good the guy is, especially for a guy who actually never wanted to be a bassist... he was a drummer.

He only started playing bass in 79 when he joined level 42 and they already had a drummer.... i think thats what you call natural talent.

Now, i dont know if the song is an intentional nod to weather report (and therefore jaco pastorius the biggest genius to ever hold a bass guitar), but it certainly sounds like it.

Either way, enjoy.

Practise House Mix...

Its been a little while since i had a good old house mix...

So i thought id have a little play around with some tunes last night!

Recording went a bit awry and has little skips occasionally... my old laptop drive is a little on the slow side! Remember... it was a practise, not a session mix, so at times, im having a fair old play around.



Download (If You Like)

Tenuous Actor Links of The Day

Just had a really random ten minutes of surfing.

Was watching Get Shorty... decided i actually really rate John Travolta as an actor.

So, got to looking up movies that John Travolta's done, and i saw that he's married to someone called Kelly Preston. I had no idea who that was, so i got on IMDB, and saw that shes been in a fair few films - only one of which i recognised. Space Camp.

Space Camp i remember watching as a kid, and remember this kid, Max, also being in Parenthood with Steve Martin.... who i remember having a really croaky voice as a kid. Didnt see this kid for years until Gladiator came out, Joaquin Phoenix.

His brother was River Phoenix, hes the one who od'd outside a club which Johnny Depp owned. Seems like River, Joaquin and Johnny were all pretty good mates, along with Keanu Reeves. River actually was a pretty good guitarist and would jam with the chilli peppers who wrote a song for River when he died. (Incidentally, the part that John Travolta plays in Get Shorty is Chili Palmer (chili / chilli))

ANYWAY, in a full circle kind of thing, this club that johnny depp owned... is the same club which features in Be Cool (Get Shorty 2), the viper room... which john travolta also stars in.

Now that truly was a totally pointless rambling, huh?

Instamix Vol 1... Name That Tune!

I was having a mix last night when i thought it could be interesting to chuck together a really quick mix totally at random... and run a 'name that tune' thing.

I apologise for any cagey scratching, i was messing around, it was practise, other excuses.

These are pretty much ALL hip hop instrumentals, identify each! There are 18, and at least one isnt actually dropped, i just give you a little bit of it (in a diabolically bad mix).

Enjoy!



If the above player doesnt work.... click here to download it instead :)

I dont claim to know my reggae...

But i definately know when i hear something i really like.

The song is familiar, is it an old song? Either way, this cements even more in my mind that Beres Hammond is the man.

Beres 'I Feel Good'

Another Musical Journey...

This one started in 1998.

My bro was going out with who is now his wife and travelling down to london pretty much every weekend. He'd take tapes with him and record the sunday night dream team session, and london underground.

He came back with the tapes, id rob the tapes to listen to on my walkman at school, try to tell everyone that garage was the bomb and thats what it was (only to be told i was wrong by all the eastern district skiprats). However, there was one tape that simon always kept hold of - and one day i heard it in his car and figured out why. Hed accidentally caught the beginning of a patrick forge show and discovered something id never heard before.

It was my introduction to broken beat, tho i didnt call it that then - i called it future jazz (the name changes around, the vibe remains). There were a few tracks on there, but this was the standout. This blew my mind, and i could not find it anywhere - for love nor money.

Chris Energy 'Untitled' (takes a while to load up, but worth waiting for)



(click here to download if the player isnt working)

Turns out, chris energy is a guy who once was on reinforced records, did some jungle stuff, and got into the short-lived 'jazz-step' thing... this was the logical progression. I did actually eventually track down a copy in 2003, a 10" single side, limited press vinyl. Top stuff.

This stuff led to us eventually picking up on gilles show on radio 1.. and some years later (2003), i heard this on the worldwide show. Really nice track by a husband+wife outfit called dnell (who are well worth a listen).

Dnell 'Time To Say' (Break Reform Rmx) (takes a while to load up, but worth waiting for)



(click here to download if the player isnt working)

Heard that sample again. I loved it. Tried to figure out the sample at the time but my digging skills were poor, and I failed.

However, last year, common (yes, common again!) released 'Finding Forever' (which im going to have to review at some point and explain why i like this album more than BE), and on it was this nugget produced by will.i.am. You have to wait until 3:20.

Common 'I Want You'



The break! Couldnt believe it.

Heres where owning the cd was excellent, cause my digging techniques didnt have to even get started. I grabbed the case, opened the booklet - and true enough, there was the sample!

.... and here it is.

Bob James 'I Feel Like Making Love'