Saturday, June 03, 2023

Ring The Alarm playlist 3 June 2023

Dub Syndicate - Dr Who
Herbs - French Letter dub
The Pelicans - Banana dominion
The Lost Skrolls of Hamaric - How to find royal jelly
Praxis - NBS-X
Prince -Batdance
Temptations - Aint no sunshine
Whatitdo Archive Group - Mirage
Isaac Hayes -Walk on by
The Charmels - As long as I've got you
Carla and Rufus Thomas - We're tight
Mable John - Shouldn't I love him
Jeanne and the Darlings - Hang me now
Ike & Tina Turner - Somebody somewhere needs you
Jive Turkeys - Chickenfoot
Soul Scratch - Look how far we've come
Gene Washington & the Ironsides - Got to get through to you
Bubaza - Yeah yeah
Black Market Brass - Sagat theme
Ikebe Shakedown - Hard steppin'
Jungle Fire - Firewalker
Harry Beckett - Fantastic things
Lord Echo - Nightclub daydream
Loop Guru - Single orhan first year camel
Alogte Oho and his Sounds Of Joy - La ka ba'a
The Circling Sun - Bliss
Jefferson Belt - Sugar cookies
Lady Wray - Joy and pain (Pete Rock remix)

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Ring The Alarm playlist 27 May 2023

Ike & Tina Turner - Contact High
Ike & Tina Turner - Somebody somewhere needs you
Ike & Tina Turner - Sexy Ida pt1
Tina Turner - Whole lotta love
Ike & Tina Turner - I idolize you
Ike & Tina Turner - Funkier than a moquito's tweeter
Ike & Tina Turner - She came in thru the bathroom window
Ike & Tina Turner - Fingerpoppin'
Ike & Tina Turner - It's gonna work out fine
Willis Jackson - Nuther'n like thuther'n
Dizzy Gillespie - Manteca (Funky Lowlives remix)
Babor Szabo - Mizrab (Prefuse73 remix)
Scrimshire - Flames
Misha Panfilov - On the hook
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band - Murkit gem
Eje Eje - That rainy dawn
El Khat - Ya raiyat (radio trip edit)
The Circling Sun - Bones
Painspeople - Invisible radio sky
Kings Express & Richie Phoe - Ready steady go (feat Horseman/Earl Sixteen) Richie Phoe remix
Kings Express & Richie Phoe - Stranger things (feat Horace Andy) Richie Phoe remix
Lone Ranger - Barnabas Collins
Buju Banton - Massa god world a run
Pliers - I'm your man dub (Bonner Productions)
Errol Dunkley - OK Fred
Brockaflower - Yams
Fat Freddy's Drop - The raft (Jet Jaguar's findaway remix)
Loudhaler - Refresher
Shogun Orchestra - Leogane

Monday, May 22, 2023

What is Batov Records?

Seven inch singles from Batov Records spread out on the floor.

I've been getting some cool digital promos from this label for a little while now, and they consistently drop great music, plsu they make lots of 45s, what's not to like. I thought I'd do a bit of digging on the label and who's behind it.

Batov Records describes itself like this: "Batov Records boasts a refreshing blend of artists from around the world. The roster ranges from Global Funk to World Beats and Middle-Eastern Grooves.

"Batov came to life in London, but the music has its roots in those odd corners of the globe where people make music just for the fun of it.

"Back in the heady summer days of 2013, Doron Erez aka DJ Kobayashi (of the band Gypsy Hill) & Bob Martyn started up Batov as simply a place to call home for Gypsy Hill’s catalog. 

"Around the same time, Herbert Newbert (Gypsy Hill co-founder) & Kobayashi set up a recording studio & production team – Down & Left was born. Slowly the Batov Records sound came together with this early batch of artists, focusing on Global Funk to World Beats and Middle-Eastern Grooves."

DJ Kobayashi of Batov Records
DJ Kobayashi

The label originally started as a way to release Gypsy Hill's music. Kobayashi told interviewer Tzvi Gluckin:

"It was another way to create an online illusion [laughs], as if there was a label behind the band. But it developed into something that is bigger than we thought, and we are very happy about that. Everything I do, I try to do to the best way that I can. Once I am doing it, I think, 'OK. We’ll make a logo. We’ll make a website.' We had a recording studio on Denmark Street in London, and we had a lot of friends and musicians passing through. 

"What happened was that it basically created interest in the label from other people who liked what we were doing. It grew organically, and the offers started to come from everywhere. When you’re in London, it feels like a small village. Suddenly, you get people sending emails from New Zealand or the States, from people who really like the label and want to be a part of it. We thought, 'Oh man, it’s actually making an impact.'"

Read the full interview at The Ingathering. His dad was in Eurovision Song Contest in 1978. The interview also explains how he ended up with a Japanese DJ name. Apparently he wanted to DJ as a kid, and started when he was about 12.


Over the past 3 or 4 years the label has had a steady stream of 45s and has pulled them together on a great compilation called Middle Eastern Grooves (out May 19), coming on on 2xLP vinyl and digital. 

One of my faves on the label is a group from Tel Aviv called Sababa 5, who have done some cool collabs with a singer named Yurika, a Japanese woman who arrived in the Middle East after becoming fascinated by belly dancing. Their version of the Moog classic 'Popcorn' is pretty great too. Have a listen and see what you find.


 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Painspeople new single

 Cool new biz from Painspeople, spaced out dubby vibes, like it! Take a listen.

Saturday, May 20, 2023

Ring The Alarm playlist 20 May 2023

NZ Music Month special - 2000 to 2010 flashback...

Manuel Bundy - Jazzy bizz
Tubbs feat Dallas -  Five day night (Fat Freddys Drop remix)
Issac Aesili feat Aaradhna - With you in my bed
Ladi6 - Burn with me
DLT - Liquid skies (Ultraneon remix by Luke Tomes)
Soane feat Tha Feelstyle and Boh Runga - All I need
Julien Dyne feat Tyra Hammond - Off my feet
Lewis McCallum - Fly or die
Kevvy Kev - Higher dread
The Black Seeds - Come to me (International Observer remix)
Unitone Hifi - Sneeze off
Sola Rosa - Lady love (Bigga Bush remix)
Submariner - Generation to generation
Juse - Slow down
DJ Vee feat Mighty Asterix - Best in me
Mephisto Jones - Chocolate hot sauce
Moodswingers - Recede to flourish
Video Kid - Dawn skate 88 (Jet Jaguar remix)
Audiosauce - Bee bo
Recloose feat Lisa Tomlins - Spinnin' out
Wild Bill Ricketts - Riki
Phase 5 - Bruised beans (finely ground)
Pains People - Predestination
Dub Asylum feat Sandy Mill - What the funk
Eru Dangerspeil - Sambaskool dropout
Loudhaler - Refresher

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Eje Eje 45 on Batov Records




New 45 from Batov Records, from Eje Eje (aka Itamar Kluger).

Also check out their brand new 2xLP compilation of their previous 45s out this Friday, called Middle Eastern Grooves, amazing modern psyche funk from the Middle East.

"Batov Records’ Middle Eastern Grooves 45s series welcomes the latest addition to its eclectic roster - a two-track single from Eje Eje, the psych and funk inspired project from Şatellites band leader and producer, Itamar Kluger.

Featuring the tracks 'That Rainy Dawn' and 'Coral Sex', the single showcases Eje Eje’s unique blend of Middle Eastern melodies, soulful grooves, and psychedelic sounds.

On the A-side 'That Rainy Dawn,' The electro baglama player takes the lead, building and building as if, “he is pushing himself to his limit”, says Itamar, “seeking catharsis as he walks to the edge of the cliff with confidence”, whilst the a baladi rhythm plays like an immense march of drummers.

Itamar Kluger is best known for his work with the Şatellites, a six-piece band whose blend of Turkish folk and psych with funk and disco won them champions and listeners across the globe, from KEXP in Seattle to BBC Radio 6 Music, and FIP in France.

Eje Eje’s first 45 promises to be at least as quirky and original, if not more so, since the project is even more unshackled from traditional concepts of a band." 

Out June 9 on digital/limited vinyl.

Saturday, May 13, 2023

Ring The Alarm playlist 13 May 2023

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Riot in Lagos
Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force - Lamb ji
Pedro Ricardo - Deheba
Espen Horne feat Faye Houston - Bakeren
Sampology & Charlie Hill - Stars and percussion
Great Revivers - Seek & destroy
Sababa 5 - Eilat 22
Cantrips - The big break
Jalen Ngonda - If you don't want my love
The Clash - He who dares or is tired
The Altons - Cry for me
Sunsay & the Soul Surfers - Be thankful for what you got
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band - Murkit gem
Stormy - I won't stop to cry
Eddie Ray - Wait a minute
The Rollers - Knocking at the wrong door
The Perfections - Why do you want to make me sad
Aretha Franklin - Lee Cross
Marie Queenie Lyons - Your thing aint no good without my thing
Gladys Knight & the Pips - Who is she and what is she to you
Patti Jo - Make me believe in you (Black Science Orchestra edit)
New Mastersounds - Nervous (raw mix)
The Bamboos - Ride on time
Harry Beckett - Fantastic things
African Head Charge - Dub some more
Dub Syndicate - Red sea dub
Lee Scratch Perry - Jungle youuth (Congo Natty remix)
Smashproof - Ordinary life (Moody Boyz remix)

Tuesday, May 09, 2023

1980s Akld photo book coming



"Following a couple of similarly conceived book releases of the slightly earlier punk period in Aotearoa, veteran gig photographer Jonathan Ganley is set to immortalise the post-punk era of Auckland in his new book CRUSH. 

Whittling down thousands of photographs to 145 of the most striking, the book spans the years 1982 to 1990, showcasing both local legends such as Fetus Productions, Chris Knox, and Straightjacket Fits, and international visitors, including iconic shows from The Clash, The Fall, and Sonic Youth. Ganley pairs the images with his own written accounts of the era, ensuring this is an essential tome for your collection."

Preorders over at Flying Out, out May 26, 2023. 120 pages, 145 photos.



Saturday, May 06, 2023

Ring The Alarm playlist 6 May 2023

Valia Calda - But in the end we'll be together
Mark de Clive Lowe, Shigeto & Melanie Charles - MFT
Sampology & Charlie Hill - Galaxy
Kahil EL Zabar - How can we mend a broken heart
Fred Wesley & the JBs - Watermelon man
Patrizia & Jimmy - Trust your child
Isley Brothers - I know who you been socking it to
James Young and the Housewreckers - Barking up the wrong tree
The New Process - More mess on my thing
Col Nolan and the Soul Syndicate - Buckingham Palace
Darondo - King's man
Leonard Charles - Clean as mana
Boom Pam - Silver lining
Whatitdo Archive Group - Cashmere chamber
Resistance Revival Chorus - All you fascists bound to lose
Lost Tribe - Summer in the winter
Moizna - Just another day
Ermehn - Walls of steel
DJ Vee feat Mighty Asterix - Best in me
Video Kid - Dawn skate 88 (Jet Jaguar remix)
Shogun Orchestra - Shadow clan
Clear Path Ensemble - Absolvo
Lord Echo - Thinking of dub
Mareko - Stop drop and roll (Dub Asylum skavoovie version)
Mr Reliable - Lucky dub
Che Fu - Get up stand up
Aaradhna - Keep your cool
Screaming Meemees -Stars in my eyes pt1
Rocco - Number forty three

Thursday, May 04, 2023

New Dub Asylum EP out now - Aotearoa Hiphop goes to Skaville

 

What it sez on the label... some mashups of a few more local hiphop classics. I had a lot of fun making these. Enjoy! Share em round.  

Monday, May 01, 2023

New Scrimshire album out late May

Uk producer Scrimshire has a new album Paroxysm out May 26, here's the latest single off it, called 'Flames'. It starts out with a jazzy shuffle and some playful clarinet, then the skippy drums kick in and carry it off bouncing thru the streets. Well groovy.

About the album: "In the last few weeks of October 2022, Scrimshire wrote a new collection of songs with the descriptive working title "Scream". A direct response to the absurdity of the breakdown in the UK government, the horror of the treatment of refugees arriving on our shores and the callous disregard for the trauma being caused to low income people or anyone considered "other". 

While self-preserving Conservative MPs fought for their jobs, record profits were announced by energy companies as crippling amounts of money were gouged from people's pockets. The anger, sadness, mourning, and frustration was poured into these recordings."

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Ring The Alarm playlist 29 April 2023

earlyW-Rm - Bin bass riddim
Team Shadatek - Yoga riddim
Robot Riddims - Robosoca
Coldcut x On-U-Sound - Aztec riddim
Miss Red - Nah bad love
Sweetie Irie - Slim body girl
Tanya Stephens - Need you tonight
Beenieman - Who am I
Super Cat - Dolly my baby (Bad Boy remix)
Billy Preston - Space race
Herbie Hancock - Bring down the birds (b-boy mix)
Gary Bartz NTU Troop - Celestial blues
Clear Path Ensemble - Sunrise motif
Salah Ragab - Egypt strut
Mike Nock - Space bugaloo
Nina Simone - Suzanne (live)
Sampology & Charlie Hill - Constant call
Ebony Steel Band - The model
Lord Echo - Nightclub daydream
Dubmatix - Iron lion
Mokotron - Restless tide
Smith & Mighty - Anyone...
Sababa 5 - Rosenzweig
James Holden - Contains multitudes
Sisters Underground - Aint it true (Dub Asylum ska version)
Night Owls - Me and baby brother
Suizen - Cartesian space (4D mix)

Friday, April 28, 2023

'Proud' compilation gets a vinyl reissue

Proud 2 LP set in coloured vinyl
After 23 years out of circulation, it's back...

"Flying Nun Records and Huh! are delighted to announce the reissue of Proud: An Urban-Pacific Streetsoul Compilation — the landmark 1994 album, conceived and produced by Alan Jansson — to be released on Friday 26th May on extended double vinyl for the very first time.


Originally released on CD and cassette in 1994, and briefly available again in 2000, Proud has been unavailable in its physical form for the past 23 years — although the album has never really left Aotearoa’s collective psyche — being named Independent Music New Zealand’s ‘Classic Record’ in May 2022, as well as being listed in Nick Bollinger’s 2009 book 100 Essential New Zealand Albums.

Remastered over 12 months by Alan Jansson, this Proud vinyl reissue includes iconic tracks from Sisters Underground (‘In The Neighbourhood'), Otara Millionaires Club (‘We R The OMC’) and Semi MCs (‘Trust Me’). and adds a side of rare 1994 12” remixes including the collectable ‘Sisters On The Boulevarde Dub’ found only on the original promo. 

The double LP is available on limited edition yellow and red coloured vinyl, as well as a standard black edition — both versions feature sleeve notes from Philip ‘Sir-Vere’ Bell and Volition Records’ Andrew Penhallow."







Lord Echo rarities comp out soon




I went to see Lord Echo and his mighty band when they played in Akld at the Hollywood Cinema a while back (I wanna say it was a few years ago but the pandemic screwed with everyone's timelines, right?), and they advertised they would have some of these rare Japan-only sevens on sale at the merch table. There was only a handful left and they'd all gone by the time I got there, even tho I thought I was early. So happy to see this release coming... 

"Fans rejoice - Lord Echo‘s limited vinyl-only singles will be available digitally worldwide at last, as well as compiled on a vinyl album presented in an embossed Japanese printed sleeve and obi strip.

Not one to succumb to the pressures of our capitalist overlords, the enigmatic producer continues to tinker away on various projects, including the hefty task of renovating an abandoned Masonic lodge into a recording studio in rural New Zealand.

While we patiently await new music, we can revel in versions that escaped the typical overthinking that occurs during the album process, instead reflecting the spontaneity and freedom of a touring artist. All tracks bar one (‘Thinking of Dub’) were initially released on short-run 7” singles for Echo’s early Japan tours, made only available to dedicated fans who attended the live shows.

The country holds a special place in his heart thanks to the warm hospitality of its citizens, in particular tour organiser and label owner Kenji Sakajiri from Wonderful Noise (with whom Soundway is co-releasing the vinyl album). 

That said, cultural differences made for unforgettable if not unique experiences of performing in Japan – from DJ etiquette which compelled him to stay to the end of the party no matter what, to a near-religious moment of dancing to Pat Metheny around a bonfire in the woods. A regular visitor to Asia will also be familiar with the concept of “lose-face”, and in the case for Lord Echo it was processing the crushing shame of DJing a digital set alongside heavyweight Japanese collectors or next to signage stating “REAL DJ VINYL ONLY”.

Humbling moments aside, the Japanese obsession with detail and quality can also produce a high level of experience, one that left such an impression upon Echo that the track ‘Nightclub Daydream’ is inspired by the near-utopian clubs he visited and the sound systems that drive them. 

Unexpected perhaps that such an atmosphere of perfectionism also unleashed creative bursts, resulting in a heavy, subby version of “In Your Life” with Lisa Tomlins taking over vocals, an upbeat reggae cover of William DeVaughan’s “Be Thankful For What You Got”, or a version of “Woah! There’s No Limit” with influences of soul and early hip-hop amen breaks.

Without further ado, Soundway presents Lord Echo’s ‘Rarities’, a collection of sought-after singles now made very much accessible to you the people." OUT 5 May 2023 on vinyl/digital, on Soundway

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Ring The Alarm playlist 15 April 2023

Junior Murvin - Cool out son
Yellowman - Nobody move nobody get hurt
Skin Flesh and Bone - Do it til you're satisgied
Sister Nancy - Mumu is coming
Improvisators Dub meets Iration Steppas - Wah wah (12" mix)
Manasseh and Natty P - Skenga (12" mix)
Mungo's Hifi - Roll it
Stinky Jim feat Nazamba - Steam fish
Ras Stone meets Dub Terminator - Bad mind
Dam Native - Behold my kool style (Dub Asylum 'Return of the Dredi' reggae remix)
Herbs - Meteli
The Lahaar - Work work work
Ebony Steel Band - The robots
DJ Black Low - Lovey
Eje Eje - Saved from the jazz
Carolyn Franklin - Dead man
Erma Franklin - I'm just not ready for love
Aretha Franklin - Get it right
Rick Clarke - Do what we gotta do
Soul II Soul - Keep on movin'
Fuemana - Cool calm
James Holden - Trust your feet
Mr Scruff and Kirtsy Almeida - Pickled spider
Androo - Slice dub
Ardijah - Way around U (swing gat mix)
Junior Reid - Rappa pam pam