Thursday, December 31, 2009



Dub Asylum interview at Laidback Radio

Cheers to Jason F for hooking this up! Read the interview here.

Intro:"Dub Asylum is one of those undercover New Zealand artists who keeps dropping great music and doesn’t seem to shout too loud about it, it bubbles away and gets the respect it deserves from the beat community. After the release of his Ba Ba Boom! Digi-EP in August 2008 Peter McLennan got the nudge from some of his DJ friends to put out some vinyl which I’m glad to say he’s just done with a tasty little 7″ of the title track with a special dustep/afrobeat remix on the flip from Oogun."
Ring The Alarm: Best of 2009
This is based on the music I played on my radio shows this year, so there's probably some things I left out. Hit me up if there's music I missed in 09 - I need to hear it!


Pépé Bradock - Confiote de Bits / A Remix Collection
One tune that I discovered after getting this collection was a remix Bradock did for Candi Staton, called Do Your Duty. One reviewer noted its omission from the Confiote de Bits collection, and it was well worth hunting down.



Baker Brothers - Avid Sounds (great versions of Shack Up, Lady Day and John Coltrane)

5: Five Years of Hyperdub - Various artists incl Kode9, LD, Cooly G, Flying Lotus and more

Donáe - Riot music




DJ Vadim - Hidden treasure

'


Kion and Murda feat Junior Murvin - No 1 sound 

Cooly G - Love dub - more from Kode9's excellent Hyperdub label, home to some of the most adventurous electronic music out there today (see above -5 Years of Hyperdub).




King midas sound - Cool out (their album dropped at the end of this year, have been investigating it and its damn fine too)




Lee Scratch Perry - Yellow tongue (Kode9 remix)




Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Playing at Womad in New Plymouth, March next year, awesome!)



NYTimes backgrounder on Hypnotic Brass, from 2006, includes sidewalk performance.




Quantic - Tradition in transition (Will Holland is very prolific but the quality control aint always in effect with his work, sometimes coming off a little bland. However, his last two releases have been crackingly good.)




Fulgeance - Tribute To Masekela - I bought a ton of tunes and remixes by Fulgeance this year, fascinating, funky business.




Beat pharmacy -Wikked times remixes




Staff Benda Bilili - Tres Tres Fort




Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens - What Have You Done, My Brother?




Unitone Hifi - Sneeze off - A lovely little 7 inch local single, the fantastic amount of bass on this release inspired me to put out my own tunes on seven inch vinyl. The flip from Jefferson Belt is none too shabby either.

Wajeed - Jeedo suave




Major lazer -Can't stop now




Chancha Via Circuito - Rodante




V V Brown - Crying blood (Andrew Weatherall remix dub)




Sola Rosa - Humanised feat Bajka




Tiki - Burning fire (Oogun remix)

E'S E - Scratch's skank

Jahdan Blakkamore - She said 

Julian Marley feat Damian Jr Gong Marley - Violence in the streets




Lee Fields - My world album




Open Souls - Hold you close album




Mulatu and the Heliocentrics - Inspiration information album




Onra - The anthem (extended)




Soul investigators w Myron and E - Cold game




Sharon Jones and the Dapkings - Inspiration information



Lefties soul connection feat Flomega - Have love, will travel



Julien Dyne - Falling down 

Isaac Aesili - The media

Andrew Weatherall - Fail we may, sail we must
(his album, Pox on the Pioneers, is damn fine too)



And of course, this little stonker, my own tune on lovely vinyl!
Dub Asylum - Ba Ba Boom original/Oogun remix



Wednesday, December 30, 2009

RIP Rowland S. Howard
Passed away aged 50, from liver cancer. "Howard was waiting for a liver transplant and had cancelled recent shows due to illness. The influential guitarist came to prominence as a member of Melbourne punk band the Boys Next Door who became The Birthday Party, fronted by Nick Cave...
His second solo album, Pop Crimes, was released in October to critical acclaim. His final gig was at the Prince of Wales in October to launch the album..."  From the Herald Sun.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Dec 26
Last show for 2009, big thanks to all the listeners during the year. Nice one!
Catch you on the Base next year.

Lennie Hibbert - Real hot
Sugar Minott - Informer/Informout
Dub Colossus - Negus dub
Umod - Just4funksake
Kraftwerk - Man machine (remaster)
Edwin Birdsong - Rapper dapper snapper
Patrice Rushen - Forget me not
Womack and Womack - Teardrops
Stargard -Which way is up
Trecherous Three - Bum bum bum bum (Freddy Fresh remix)
James Brown - Funky drummer (DJ Muro mix), Stone to the bone
UBB - I know you got soul (Inst)
Steppah Huntah - I don't know (Mitsu the beats remix)
J Dilla - Crushin' inst
Daktaris - Its a big hustle
Cesaria Evora - Angola (Pepe Bradock remix)
Bob Marley - Soul shakedown party (Afrodisiac sound system remix)
Manasseh - Skenga 12" mix
Ragga twins - Spliffhead
Schooly D and Joe Delia - The player (Ganja kru remix)
Kion and Murda feat Jr Murvin - #1 sound
Dub Asylum - Jump and twist
Dandy Livingston and Rico - Message to you Rudy
Phyllis Dillon - Woman of the ghetto
Lloyd Parks - Mafia/ Mafia version
Rhythm and sound - What a mistry
Original Tropicana steel band - Spanish hustle (Kon re-edit)

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry christmas!
Wishing you a merry christmas, and hope you have a fine time surrounded by friends and family.

And, in remembrance of James Brown... RIP Dec 25 2006... some christmas tunes with some funk!





Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Benji B - Future music podcasts
For download, three podcasts thanks to Giant Step.

"Giant Step is pleased to bring you the second podcast in the SVEDKA Vodka Future Music Series. The podcasts are hosted by acclaimed London-based DJ, Benji B, of Deviation. Each episode features a wide array of artists and emerging acts from around the globe, crossing genres from soul and hip hop, to electronica and dubstep, to rock and much more. The best in future sounds, the SVEDKA Vodka Future Music Series presents just-released and unreleased music.

In this podcast, Benji B highlights the music of Little Dragon (Sweden), Electric Wire Hustle (New Zealand), Alix Perez (UK), DJ Mitsu The Beats (Japan), Yaw (Chicago), Bei Bei (California), Martyn (Holland), and Cubic Zirconia (New York)."


Listen to em here.
Roger Shepherd reclaims Flying Nun
From Radioscope: "Flying Nun Records is in for a new lease on life, back under the wing of founder Roger Shepherd thanks to a deal announced yesterday.

Part of the Warner Music group for the last five years, following the Warner takeover of Festival Mushroom Records in 2005, Flying Nun will once again be Shepherd's baby. The label will continue its association with Warners however as the physical and digital distribution partner for the label's catalogue and future releases.

Shepherd says it is a privilege and pleasure to once again be heading Flying Nun Records. "While the historic catalog will be maintained and promoted, the label will continue to promote new and innovative New Zealand music."

Edit: This is from Billboard: "... Flying Nun relocated to Auckland in 1988. Its status as an "independent" began to fade in 1990 when Australia's Mushroom Records took a 49% stake in the business. Shepherd cut his ties with the business in 1999. The following year, it was fully absorbed into the merged Festival Mushroom Records (FMR) operation. In 2005, Warner Music acquired the imprint as part of its purchase of FMR."

Monday, December 21, 2009

Bring the Paine
My fellow BaseFM DJ Dan Paine posted this list on FB of his favourite albums of the noughties.

D'Angelo - Voodoo (2000)...
Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)...
Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004)...
Slum Village - Fantastic Vol.2 (2000)...
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones (2006)...
Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)...
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)...
Quasimoto - The Unseen (2000)......
Common - Like Water for Chocolate (2000)...
Cinematic Orchestra - Everyday (2002)



Dan's list confirms something I've been thinking (and noticed in other end-of-decade lists as well) - all the good albums of the past decade came out in 2000-2005.... I know that's subjective, but I think the first half of the decade was stronger than second half. And now we're all sitting round anticipating a new Sade album, who thought we'd end the decade thinking that?
Dan responded: "... I think that artists now think, make a couple tracks, mp3 it, post it, get as many hits and downloads as poss, fame. Albums take a lot of work, I think it is symptomatic of the digital age."




And as for my bad pun in the title... what's with promoters putting on separate gigs next month by Method Man and Dilated Peoples in Auckland ON THE SAME NIGHT?

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Ring the alarm playlist, BaseFM - best of 2009 selections
Here's some of my favourite tunes of 2009, as featured on today's show.
I'm doing a bigger list with sound clips next week. Stay tuned!

Wajeed - Jeedo suave
Hypnotic brass ensemble - Balliki bone
Mulatu and the Heliocentrics - Cha cha
Chancha Via Circuito - Bussitpondem
Julian Marley feat Damian Jr Gong Marley - Violence in the streets
Beat pharmacy - Assassination of the mind (Teddy G remix)
DJ Vadim - Hidden treasure
Cooly G - Love dub
Unitone Hifi - Sneeze off
King midas sound - Cool out
Tiki - Burning fire (Oogun remix)
Mophono - The edge remix
Lee Fields - Love comes and goes
Mayer Hawthorne - The ills
Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens -What have you done my brother?
Quantic and his Combo Barbaro - I just fell in love again
Myron and E w Soul Investigators  - Cold game
Fulgence - Tribute to Masekela
VV Brown - Crying blood (Andrew Weatherall dub mix)
Andrew Weatherall - Fail we may, sail we must
Major Lazer  -Can't stop now
Donae'o - Riot music
Isaac Aesili - Use your mind
Staff Benda Billili - Staff Mosala
Breakestra -North east to Nippon
Lefties soul connection  - Have love, will travel
Dub Asylum - Ba ba boom (Oogun remix)

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Askew X P-Money
Very cool collaboration from music producer P-Money and artist Askew.  Check it.

From P-Money's blog - "My friend, and incredibly talented graffiti writer, Askew asked me to get involved with this Killa Kombo video for Australian paint company Ironlak. With the concept being that the writer paints the producer's name and the producer provides the soundtrack.
So me and Askew teamed up. He went out and did a bunch of pieces using my name. And I made 3 beats to match the images. All the beats were made on Battery 3 and Logic Express using a Macbook and USB turntable while couch surfing at my mates place in London."


Wednesday, December 16, 2009



Conch Records best of 2009
Been busy working on my best of 09 list for my BaseFM radio show this Saturday, what a mission. Here's the best of 09 from the folks at Conch. (flogged sampled the pic idea from them too, he he)
Buju Banton arrested for attempting to buy 11 pounds of cocaine

The Joe My God blog notes that the recent arrest of Buju Banton has a number of reggae fans in Jamaica and the US claiming that his bust for attempting to buy eleven pounds of cocaine is payback from the gay community.
Miami Herald: "On Monday, in South Florida and Jamaica, callers burned up radio airwaves, calling the arrest a ``conspiracy'' to get him after his recent controversy that included protests by local gay-rights advocates over a Halloween concert in downtown Miami.
``They are convinced it's directly connected to the concert he had recently,'' said Winston Barnes, a Miramar city commissioner and host of a popular Jamaican talk show on WAVS (1170-AM). ``What they are saying is that he got off that time and they are fixing him now.''

Boom Bye Bye is viewed by gay-rights advocates as an anti-gay anthem because of its lyrics advocating shooting gays in the head and setting them on fire. It made and continues to make Buju Banton a target of protests by gays and lesbians who as recently as this month ratched up their protests against the artist after the Grammy announced his latest album, Rasta Got Soul, was nominated for Best Reggae Album."

Banton's possible sentence could be 20-30 years, or less if he cops a plea bargain.
Vinyl will kill the iPod.
"New York retailer J&R Music claims record sales for the 21 different analog and digital turntable models that it carries. Rachelle Friedman, the co-owner of J&R, said the store is selling more vinyl and turntables than it has in at least a decade, fueled largely by growing demand from members of the iPod generation..." Source: Sales of turntables increase along with vinyl. Shame that Ms Friedman uses the term 'ramping up'... hate that....

Here's an idea - if the vinyl revival really is being driven by the iPod generation, then is it a reaction to crappy sound quality of mp3s? I still have problems buying anything off iTunes, simply because their bitrate is low, and sounds like it too. This is why people still buy CDs - so they can rip them to MP3s at a better bitrate than iTunes. That's one of the reasons I still buy CDs.

I guess there's the tangible  element too - a record collection just looks better than an MP3 collection (which is like looking at a  hard drive - thrilling). It's like watching people when I show them my new Dub Asylum vinyl single - their eyes light up. It's exciting - who ever got excited about an MP3? Really?
Hiphop vs Drum n bass soundclash
"DJCXL represented Hip Hop in Base FM's Hip Hop vs Drum & Bass soundclash in early December '09 - this clip shows the journey from practicing the set (with MC Bling), to performing it live and performing it at a radio show two days later."
Much respect to CXL and MC Bling - mean, brothers, mean!


Benji B top picks from 09.
Just heard the mighty Chip Matthews and Mister Dylan C talking on BaseFM Breakfast earlier about well-respected UK DJ Benji B, and his end of year faves list which features a couple of locals, Julien Dyne and Electric Wire Hustle, nice one! Check Benji B's Best of 2009 part 1 and part 2. Part 2 is still available online for another 5 days if you want to listen in.

Another list? Try this. The best films of 2009 that you might have missed. Boom.

Sunday, December 13, 2009



The release party for Ba Ba Boom
... is happening this Sunday December 13 from 5pm as part of the Conch Sunday Grill,  at the Ponsonby Social Club (next to SPQR, opposite Conch). Dub Asylum VS Oogun DJ Battle, lotsa organic BBQ treats, and it's FREE entry! Copies of the single on sale too, check Mukuna for more details.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Ring the alarm playlist, BaseFM, dec12
Cooking on three burners - Cars
Axel Kryger  - Echale semilla
Revolutionaries - Kunta Kinte - Dj Kentaro remix
Barrington Levy - Dont fuss nor fight
Beat pharmacy - Wata (deep dub)
J Period and K'Naan - My country/small axe - Messengers remix
Betty Davis - If I'm in luck I just might get picked up
Based on Kyoto - Flying pan
Salmonella dub - Bungle fun feat Mighty Asterix
Horace Andy and Ashley Beedle - Rasta don't - Toddla T remix
Wayne McGhie - Fire (She need water)
Lee Scratch Perry - International broadcaster
Nitin Sawhney - Dead man - Fink dub
DJ Center feat Samia Farah  -Tout passe
Ragga twins - 18" speaker
Chuck and Dobby - Oh Fanny
Stranger Cole - Rough and tough
Skatalites - Addis Abba (playing live at Womad, New Plymouth, March 2010)
Reggie Stepper -Drum pan sound
Sly n Robbie - Ballistic squeeze
International observer - Miss hit (playing live Friday 18th Dec w/ Pitch Black, Tapes, at Galatos)
Sade  -Soldier of love
Acusmatic group - The fixer - Solo moderna remix
Afrikan simba - Protect I version
Hopeton Lindo - Rude boy
Dub Asylum - Ba Ba Boom (7")

Friday, December 11, 2009



Ba Ba Boom on the grill...

The release party for Ba Ba Boom is happening this Sunday December 13 from 5pm as part of the Conch Sunday Grill,  at the Ponsonby Social Club. Dub Asylum VS Oogun DJ Battle, lotsa organic BBQ treats, and it's FREE! Copies of the single on sale too, check Mukuna for more details.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

New from J Period
Last I heard from this cat was his wicked mixtape series with K'Naan, reworking Bob Dylan, Fela, and Bob Marley. This time, he's working with former Nigerian singer Nneka...


J.Period & Nneka Present The Madness (Onye-Ala)... New Nneka Exclusives & J.Period Remixes ft. Jay Electronica, Talib Kweli, Damien Marley and others - Dropping 15 December, available online at www.jperiod.com/nneka. The bonus dubplates from J Period sound like they'll be pretty cool too.

“What struck me most about Nneka’s music is that her story is so present in every song,” says J.Period, “The spirit and struggle of her roots in Africa, a sense of responsibility inherited from Fela, conflict and perspective gained living abroad in Germany. Her music is a contagious combination of genres and styles that just pulled me in right away. Artists who refuse to be confined to one genre are often considered crazy. Artists who follow their conscience are considered crazy. This is that brand of crazy: The Madness (Onye-Ala).”

Download the 1st single "Changes" (J.Period Remix) ft. M-1 & General Steele Here:
http://www.jperiod.com/upload/nneka/jperiod-nneka-changes-final320.zip

Full Tracklisting:
1. Can You Hear? (Intro)
2. Let the Madness Begin (J.Period Exclusive)
3. Wake Up World (Interlude)
4. Wake Up Africa (J.Period Remix)
5. The Uncomfortable Truth
6. Untainted Love feat. Damian Marley (Interlude)
7. Spread Love (Brooklyn to Zion) (J.Period Remix)
8. Human Rights (Interlude)
9. Changes (J.Period Remix) feat. M-1 & General Steele
10. Conscious Lyrics (Interlude)
11. Gypsy/Infamous (J.Period Exclusive)
12. Hip Hop Comes From Africa (Interlude)
13. Walking (J.Period Remix) feat. Jay Electronica
14. Home (Interlude)
15. Show Love (J.Period Remix) f. Rakaa (Dilated Peoples) & Aceyalone
16. For the Good of Humanity (Interlude)
17. God of Mercy (J.Period Remix) f. Zumbi (Zion I)
18. Suffri (Nigerian in Berlin Remix) feat. Fela Kuti
19. Perseverance is Character (Interlude)
20. Strength/Kangpe (J.Period Dubplate) f. Big Boi (Outkast)
21. Heartbeat (J.Period Remix) feat. Talib Kweli
22. In the Heart of Man (J.Period Exclusive)
23. Symptoms of My Madness (Outtro)

[ Bonus Mix: J.Period Dubplates ]
24. Mind vs. Heart (J.Period Dubplate) f. 2Pac
25. Changes 2 (J.Period Dubplate) feat. Lauryn Hill & John Forte
26. Walking 2 (J.Period Dubplate) feat. Nas

Wednesday, December 09, 2009



Dub Asylum single is rolling, rolling, rolling...
My new single Ba Ba Boom shows up on DJ Sirvere's blog, and also pops up on reggae site Niceup, cheers folks.


The release party for Ba Ba Boom is happening this Sunday from 5pm as part of the Conch Sunday Grill,  at the Ponsonby Social Club. Dub Asylum VS Oogun DJ Battle, lotsa organic BBQ treats, and it's FREE! Copies of the single on sale too, check Mukuna for more details.
 Technics 1200, 1210 not headed for the dump just yet
Slashgear reports that  Technics has issued a statement saying they have “no current plans” to discontinue the iconic turntables, following earlier reports sourced from Panasonic NZ/Australia that they were discontinuing the turntables in March 2010.
"As a major global business, Panasonic keeps all of its operations under constant review. However, there are no current plans to discontinue the Technics brand and the production of Technics turntables"
(Spotted via Wax Fm's Twitter)

Tuesday, December 08, 2009



1980-89 VS 2000-09  - which decade produced the best music?
The usual bunch of end of year music lists are starting to rear their ugly heads right about now, and to top it all off, we get end of the decade lists like this one, from the NME. I own one record on this list. Probably not the target audience, then! Then there's the top 500 songs/albums of the past decade, via Pitchfork...

I got to thinking, how does this past decade compare with, say, the 1980s? There's a major thread of thinking about music that suggests that the 80s was a dire, tacky time for music - think Dire Straits or Wham, to name but two offenders. I find that line of thinking completely unfathomable, when I recall all the incredible music I discovered in that era, from rap, reggae dancehall, to post-punk and more...

So lets try this list, Top100 albums of the 80s.  Let the fun begin.

And for some light relief, The Worst Album Covers of 2009.
Look! It's the vinyl revival ! (Story #279)
"Vinyl Records and Turntables Are Gaining Sales" NYT. It's been a while since the media trotted out this one, good to see it still has legs...  speaking of which, go buy my single! It's awesome.

Monday, December 07, 2009

RIP Eldred Stebbing

A hugely important figure in Nz music, kickstarting careers of Howard Morrison Quartet, Ray Columbus, Th Dudes and many more. Passed away yesterday afternoon. Much love to his family and studio crew. More to follow

ADDED: Funeral Service is 12.30pm, Friday 11th December, All Saints Church, Ponsonby.
More on Eldred Stebbing from NZHerald, Amplifier and The Corner.

From the NZ Herald:

"Eldred Stebbing, one of the pioneers of the local recording industry, has died. He was 88.

His recordings, music industry nous and keen ears helped shape the careers of many of New Zealand's top entertainers from Howard Morrison in the late 50s, to Ray Columbus and the Invaders in the 60s, and then Th' Dudes and country musicians Patsy Riggir and Gray Bartlett in the 70s.

In 1958 he set up a studio in the basement of the Stebbing family home in Herne Bay and it was there he recorded songs like the La De Das' How Is the Air Up There and, most famously, the Invaders' She's A Mod and 'Til We Kissed.

He signed the Invaders to his Zodiac Records label in 1963 and was instrumental in the band's becoming the first New Zealand act to have an international hit with She's A Mod.

Leader Ray Columbus said Mr Stebbing was a true trailblazer on the New Zealand music scene, not only because of his recording skills but also on a business level.


"He was marvellous for the industry. Irreplaceable really. His was the first record company in New Zealand that I can remember who would advance royalties to the artists for things like travel, promotion and marketing. That was unheard of, and for a little label to be able to do it was amazing because they did it way before any multinationals did."

Other bands such as Max Merritt and the Meteors, the Underdogs, and Human Instinct also recorded in the basement studio throughout the 60s.

In 1970 Mr Stebbing built the Stebbing Recording Centre in Jervois Rd. It still operates today, and also manufactures CDs and DVDs.

In 2002, he received a lifetime achievement award at the Music Awards and in 2004 was made a member of the NZ Order of Merit.

Saturday, December 05, 2009

 Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Dec5
20th century steel band - Papa was a rolling stone
Redds and the boys - Put your right hand in the air, put your left hand down in your underwear
DJ Day - Lucien
Dabyre - Won
Prince Fari - Hello love brother
Conroy Smith - Original sound
Dawn Penn - No no no
Ticklah - Answer me
Tommy McCook - Beirut
Havana boys - Paul's dub
Manasseh and Johnny Osbourne - Rise up
Donae'o - Riot music
Cooly G - Love dub
Kion and Murda feat Junior Murvin - No 1 sound
Salmonella dub - rhythm and pattern
Courtney Melody  - Bad boy
PD Syndicate - Ruff like me
Paul Murphy - Soul call
Sharon Jones and the Dapkings - Giving up
Dusty - Voodoo  -Romanowski remix
Fink  -Sort of a revolution - SIdeshow dub
Boozoo bajou - Sign - DSL remix
J Rawls and Liquid crystal project  -Tribute to T.R.O.Y.
Lightning head - Preguntas por que
Mayer Hawthorne - The ills
Kid Creole and the coconuts -Mister Softee
The Emotions - Blind alley
Candi Staton - Do your duty - Pepe Bradock remix

Thursday, December 03, 2009

The Ba Ba-ing of the Boom by Senor Stinky Jim
Big thanks to Stinky Jim for giving the Oogun remix of Ba Ba Boom a spin on his mighty radio show Stinky Grooves. And for showing us some blog love here, at Stink Inc. Jim, a tip of the hat in your direction, fine sir.
"Of articular and particular note this evening was Oogun giving Dub Asylum a right smack-up remix for the debut 7" on Loopy Fruit Records. Props are properly dispensed to Messrs Mclenners and Oogoid for their work on this, it's a scorcher ... I've got absolutely no truck with music being bigged and upped on purely geographical stakes, but this would be getting a run or three on SG wherever it came from, top notch!."

Release date for the single is Monday December 7, in selected record stores and can be ordered via Amplifier too. Conch Records on Ponsonby Rd will have some exclusive pre-release copies instore on Friday Dec 4.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Bruce is great - if you don't agree with that, you're a pretentious martian from Venus
That's a quote from a splendid letter from the late Joe Strummer, written "in response to a query sent to him by the documentary producer Mark Hagen, who wanted his opinion on Springsteen for a documentary that would ultimately air as 1998's Bruce Springsteen: A Secret History"Spotted via Daily  Swarm on Twitter, at Village Voice.


Tuesday, December 01, 2009

More steel drums!
Hat tip to Recloose for this, he alerted me to a post on his blog here.

"As promised, I had to post a little something about my new friend Marron of 'Based On Kyoto'/'Dub Dub on Seng' who I had the pleasure of jamming with Thursday night at the Japonica record store. I've been a fan ever since my man Kazuo passed me his release on my trip to Kyoto last year, especially because its pretty rare to hear steel drums rocked on contemporary dancefloor joints. Needless to say 'Calypso On-Seng' and 'Flying Pan' have both been on steady rotation...

So, to my utter *#@* amazement, I find out at soundcheck that Marron is ACTUALLY playing a guitar on these tracks, not steel drums. He started to tell me how he does it, a combination of a pitch shifter and a few other pedals, but I stopped him short of sharing his secret. Lets just chalk that shit up to magic, shall we?"

Now go and have a listen to the audio at Hit it and quit it.