realm's word

2010-07-31T16:24:00.002+01:00

What's better than having a lazy Saturday?
I'll tell you what - being sent a link to your former favourite blog. Instead of or wondering 'what ever happened to Realmsword?', your prayers have been answered! Apologies I've been gone for so long, but a nice relaxing afternoon of movies and music has tempted these fingers to get back into the blog.
So you know where I'm at, some nice tracks to make your head nod in a variety of ways, slow, fast, side-to-side... who cares how you move, just enjoy...

Hiatus...

2010-01-23T11:54:00.001Z

Readers, fans and general browsers... Realms Word has been on a long break. With 2009 ending and the new decade beginning, it's time to get back on it, most especially as this year is full of musical promise, not to mention some new technological gadgetry that in my opinion, could seriously revolutionise the DJing.
In my heart of hearts I live in hope that we will be seeing some major comebacks, most notably D'Angelo. We know Maxwell will be releasing 'Summers' from his blacksummersnights trilogy but I'm positive that other big things are on the horizon. Anthony David's new tracks have so far instilled a feeling of anxious anticipation and some amazing collabo's have been banded around.. Slakah tha Beatchild who in my opinion has a huge future, has been in the studio with fellow Canadian and long lost vocalist Glenn Lewis.
Some big names in music and on the technology front, Apple are due to release a tablet of some description. For those who dont know, imagine an extra extra large iPhone. The applications of this are of course wide spread. However when related to tthte creation of music and DJing, imagine a virtual turntable application using Apples' patented touch screen technology. This is of course theoretical as no such application exists nor the release of such a device is yet official, but rumours tend to hold great truth an the DJ world is always looking for something new.

I cant wait and am certainly looking forward to seeing where this year leads us.

Realms Word is back, people!

Happy Friday vibes...

2009-09-18T11:48:00.003+01:00

Friday again and to kick things off, some chilled vibes for all you real Hip Hoppers.

Hope you enjoy... :)

All-4-One are home again

2009-09-16T16:35:00.004+01:00

When I was 11 years old, All-4-One covered a song and it was a global hit.
The song... 'I Swear'. I don't know a single person who doesn't either know or love the track. I listened to the LP on rotation for a long time and to this day know every single word to the album. They were in direct competition with Boyz II Men.

All-4-One had more success with 'I Can Love You Like That'.

Both hits were cover songs of country singer John Michael Montgomery. It seems that Rhythm and Blues works well with country music - just ask Whitney Houston who had major success with 'I Will Always Love You'.

All-4-One seemed to do most of their best commercial success whilst covering other writers' songs.

But they're back in a big way now, mature and a polished act.
'No Regrets' sees the group make a very welcome return, albeit they are making typical soulful ballads, but who cares...any group who've given so many people years of musical happiness from such classic previous material, deserve your attention and the new LP delivers.

Support good music, buy the album.

Toni's back for the loot

2009-09-16T15:46:00.003+01:00

I mentioned a while ago that Toni Braxton is due for a return this year - one of my first ever posts in fact.

Well, seems that true to form, songs are being 'leaked'.

Leaking songs seems to be artists way of providing a viral form of free PR.... let the world have some free music and think it's exclusive. The idea works.

Thanks to our friends at Honey Soul, here are two of the forthcoming songs.

I like them both and they really are vintage Toni.
No doubt she's making this album for the same reasons as the last album - she's broke. As I understand it, Toni makes music for the sole purpose of being able to eat, which is fair enough - although a bit of passion for the art form wouldn't go amiss.

Here you go are the two new tracks and a couple of classic Toni cuts for good measure:

Kanye and Beyonce

2009-09-16T09:33:00.005+01:00

It's about time I had a rant and recent music related news has certainly fuelled the fire.

Kanye West.
Beyonce Knowles.

Two of the biggest artists probably on the planet at the moment. Recent happenings at the Mtv VMA's have propelled both artists to the news headlines. Kanye disgraced himself by barging on to the stage when country newbie Taylor Swift was collecting her award. Kanye swiped the MIC and talked of how wonderful Beyonce's video was, whilst Taylor stood in disbelief as some arrogant rapper ruined what should have been the highlight of her career. The camera's panned to Beyonce who also looked shocked and embarrassed - later Beyonce in fact called Taylor to the stage whilst collecting her own gong so that Taylor could finish her speech.

Next day, Kanye appeared on Jay Leno and instead of performing only (as already planned), he briefly spoke with Leno, who in turn asked all sorts of questions to which Kanye 'appeared' choked, remorseful and upset at his actions the previous night.

I still think that Kanye told Leno what to ask, bringing up 'what would your mother think?' as a question. Now, given Kanye had to stop a recent show in Manchester after becoming tearful about his mother, I find it highly unlikely that Leno would ask such a thing without being told to. Therefore, I think the award ceremony debacle was a PR stunt by and for Kanye where he'd be able to get lots of publicity and then show his 'real' side next day during a public apology, thus maintaining his wild persona as well as his human side.

For what it's worth, Beyone did well to show her disdain for Kanye's actions. To boot, I know how talented she is as a singer. But that's all you'll get from me when it comes to Beyonce positivity and praise. She is to me, the culprit for the demise of the original Destiny's Child - it was Beyonce's ego that lead to the original members leaving the group and again it was the Knowles family intervention that further split the group, leaving us with the trio; Knowles, Rowland and Williams. Their music got progressively worse and more irritating and Beyonce increasingly made herself the lead singer of the group. I understand that her voice is reason for her lead singer status, but the original group managed without her in this position very well indeed.

Kanye's said Beyonce made one of the best video's of all time.
I couldn't care less about meaningless music videos - ever notice how the worst songs have the best videos?

Good videos don't constitute decent music. I'm sick of this 'independent woman' sh#t she constantly spouts.
The lyrics: 'if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it' totally contradict her message... Beyonce refers to herself as 'it', an object. I'd respect Beyonce's talent if she didn't act like some diva b#tch with a giant chip on her shoulder.

The only one creating gender inequality is Beyonce - making issues out of subjects that were only pertinent 50 years ago. If you think that men always treat you badly, find a different man - you're an attractive and successful person - what are you scared of?

As for Kanye West - he was treading on very thin ice in my view...way before the VMA stunt after releasing the musical atrocity that is 808's and Heartbreaks.

My money's on Kanye releasing a collaboration track with Taylor Swift in the future. If that happens, my theory that this was a purposeful PR stunt will be proven. I'm done with Kanye for good.

90's British Soul

2009-09-04T12:50:00.002+01:00

I’m not biased when it comes to the geographical origin of my musicians, nor am I patriotic for my home country, England. That said, let’s take a look into British Soul and why it stays true to Soul roots.

Clearly, soul as a genre does not originate from the UK and is certainly a more niche market for the UK than it is in the States. With smaller audience numbers comes less money, with less money in turn comes less desire for newcomers to make it and so the cycle continues and the filtration system is ongoing. What this has done for the UK soul scene is in fact a blessing, in my opinion. You see, those Brit Soul ‘originators’ from the 90’s era are all still around – not half bad for ‘copycat’ Soul artists. The reality is that yes, influence was taken from USA based music, but where did the USA music take influence from? It certainly didn’t just appear out of nowhere and given the USA’s relatively short history as a country, their music in fact is a blend of various cultures – Europe, Africa and more. So the UK Soul scene is therefore not a copycat and comes with full credibility. Writing this, and thinking about the pre-millennia music, the amount of talent in the UK – a small island – is quite frankly, astounding.

Beverly Knight, who last night launched her latest album, first cut an LP in 1995. Bands such as Soul II Soul and The Brand New Heavies have both recorded some benchmark tracks and solo artists: Seal, Omar, Sade and Mica Paris all continue to make fine music. Other contributors such as the late (GREAT!) Lynden David Hall, Des’Ree, Maxi Priest, Incognito, Tony Momrelle and Young Disciples also get major credit, not to forget Jamiroquai. What makes me most proud is that every artist listed above stuck to their original game plan, making great music and conforming as little as possible to the media hype which so often places strain on musical integrity.

So, what keep the UK’s soul scene pure? Clearly, the 1990’s were dominated by Brit Rock and the emergence of Hip Hop, not forgetting the wave of Boy and Girl Bands. Music was taking a new direction and the Jazz, Funk and Soul derivative genres were given room to breathe, cross pollinate and bloom without ulterior motive. Acid Jazz became prevalent and cool vibes emanated from the quiet corners of the UK’s music scene – those ‘in the know’, knew something. Thankfully, good music always gets its reward and some UK Soul got critical acclaim, filling the pockets of the necessary record companies and subsequently allowing the Brit Soul scene to be credible enough in the music industry for major labels to sign up artists.

Yet today we still see these artists maintain their original essence, for this I personally am thankful and respectful of, not to mention full of admiration for the hard work and perseverance.

Enjoy a selection of UK soul music and other derivatives on my Happy Friday Spotify playlist album... clearly Spotify limits the options, but there are a few gems there... simply open Spotify, and paste this into the search bar: spotify:user:gavvyb:playlist:4zhIG7Z21pZ4j0UzxZ7VXY

De La...20 Years On

2009-09-03T10:00:00.001+01:00

When I was five years old, De La Soul started making hits. They’re still touring and still recording. I remember seeing them live and was impressed by their ability to get the crowd going, their understanding of one another and the sheer skill involved when they would rotate the DJ!

As a 20 year anniversary, Mike Boogie & Terry Urban have put together a tribute album.

A more recent track by De La is ‘Baby Phat’ and I’ve always listened, enjoying the beat, the way the rap flows with the stop-start beat and the humorous lyrics. Their music is never too serious, always tuneful and true to their original form. They’ve influenced Hip Hop in a way which few else can claim and it seems they will carry on forever.

Emcee ‘Skillz’ has been enlisted along with one of my ‘ones to watch’ for 2009, ‘Colin Munroe’ to give their own rendition of Baby Phat.

I’m not breaking any news, the good folks at illRoots already leaked this, but I cant get enough of this track. It’s been reworked extremely well and is more cover-version than remix.

Download, listen and enjoy.

Brownstone and soul diva's

2009-09-02T16:01:00.003+01:00

Anyone alive and conscious in the 90's will have at minimum heard the music from songstresses 'Brownstone'.
Tracks like 'If you love me' and 'Grapevyne' put them instantly on the map but after some group politics, the trio's shelf life was hit hard, never to fully recover, try as they did.

For the full story, hit up Wikipedia to get a full insight.

Today I've been on a 90's nostalgia frame of mind and with thanks to YouTube who in my opinion doesn't get the thanks that it deserves - lets be honest, how lucky are we to be able to access all this old lost video footage - I've got some nice old-skool (ish) vids for your mind.

Enjoy....

CRAZY vocals from Brownstone..

Ginuwine for your mind

Blaque Ivory - who are apparently recording NOW, ready for a 2009 release!!!!!!

702

Xscape

SWV

Whitney, Kelly and Faith

Mary J. Blige

Slaughterhouse

2009-09-01T16:45:00.003+01:00

I gave up on 'Rap' some years ago for a combination of reasons which all retrospectively seem to point towards my seeming accelerating age.
That said, I still listen to the Rap music from 'my day' and prior whilst attempting to remain open minded to the new stuff, but I cant help but feel like Rap music reached its peak about 5 years ago and the newer stuff is regurgitated carbon copy music. Substance went out of Rap a long time ago and that's fine, most music starts with good intention and develops into something else as demand presents money making opportunity.

Based upon my ears being tuned into alternate stations, it's no surprise that much of the current work bypasses the Dj Realm radar. I stay in touch up to a point.

Today I discovered Slaughterhouse thanks to Talib Kweli's Twitter. I respect Talib and he said Slaughterhouse are dope, so I thought I'll give it a go most especially as he had mentioned other 2009 releases of high quality including Sa-Ra and Maxwell - therefore he and I are on some sort of similar wavelength.
The name Slaughterhouse indicates a not so fluffy musical direction. Fine by me.
Turns out Slaughterhouse is a group formed of Royce Da 5'9'', Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden and Crooked I. All of the above artists have style, experience and undeniable ability in their own rights - whether you like them or not (and I for one never bothered listening to Joe Budden much or Crooked I for that matter. But Joell Ortiz and Royce are both awesome, by anyones standards.

The album hits hard, yes its aggressive but it's full of beats that scream that Slaughterhouse weren't looking for the generic formula and of course the lyrics, whilst 'gansta' are well written and delivered with fury.
Yes, it's full of your 'Ho', 'Bitch', 'N...' and the usual terms associated with Rap music. This isn't Hip Hop, it's Rap and designed to get you hyped...and it works. It's the first Rap album I've enjoyed in a while, for all of the wrong reasons, but it is what it is. I for one was entertained.

Spotify URL (paste this in your Spotify search): spotify:album:3to46oYyRXJq3TPZNr7MVk

Vikter Duplaix's new single is free to download, officially!

2009-09-01T12:00:00.004+01:00

Yes, I’ve given Vikter Duplaix enough ‘props’ on this blog.
But given my recent disappointment after a certain new album by another of my most favoured Neo Soul artists, I’ve decided that I wish to keep positive.
After all, I’ve written of my acceptance for artists who are ‘indie soul’ and make the crossover to mainstream – everyone’s got to eat.

More on the above matter to follow, no doubt.

For now, it gives me great pleasure to see that one of my bestest artists has provided a soothing relief to his fans fears by allowing for a FREE download of his newest track which continues to follow his non conformist form of music. Thankfully, Vikter Duplaix couldn’t care less about conforming to mainstream sounds, instead opting to be himself.
I know Vik is recording a new album and the single ‘Electric Love’ makes me think that I won’t be disappointed upon its immanent release. Although, I thought the same thing when I heard a snippet of Eric Roberson’s ‘Borrow You’ a few weeks ago...
‘Yes! A good new album this way comes’ my mind told me.

Alas last week, my ears disagreed, regretting to inform my brain that ‘Music Fan First’ was a massive let down, despite a few decent tracks. I don't blame Eric Roberson, he deserves commercial success. I'm just disappointed as a long term fan.

Eric Roberson review to follow, if I can bring myself to go through the hurt of listening to it once again – having done this a few times over the last week, I’m inclined to give it a miss, along with the October gig of Erro which I had intended on attending.
Sigh... It seems that I've managed to contradict my earlier statement, Eric Roberson clearly upset me enough to discuss him on a post initially intended to inform of another artists newest effort. Apologies. I digress, by nature.

Go to Vikter Duplaix’s website for a free download of his great new single... you won’t be disappointed, this I can assure you.

Click on www.vikterduplaix.com for the free download.... then buy his album when it's out.

Jay Electronica

2009-08-27T11:36:00.002+01:00

Time to make this blog more credible, today we’ve been pretty mainstream orientated and for that I must apologise to those readers who prefer Realms Word when it’s focus is on that which has Soul, heart or an iota of social awareness.
In my defence, my first blog for the day was based on some substance. After all, Nas was and is a very gifted MC and has been a major influence on Hip Hop for a very long time. Remember Illmatic? No? Well then this blog (in general) is most likely not for you. Illmatic, Nas’ first commercially successful LP was and remains a genre benchmark. Admittedly, he’s yet to repeat work of that consistently high level, but that’s normal. My point being, talk of forthcoming, experimental Nas work with Damian Marley is exciting, for me!
To pay just dues to Nas, click play on Jay Electronica’s Nas tribute track... Jay is a gifted man.

Drake has landed, officially.

2009-08-27T10:31:00.004+01:00

It's official, Drake has made the full mainstream crossover. He was always a part of Lil Wayne's crew, so nothing new there...but to have a new track with Kanye West AND Eminem on it.... the dudes career just stepped through the door of a totally new world.

And you know what? I like the track, despite the Vocoder on Drakes voice. Eminem kills it, clearly.. and Kanye looks weak in comparison to the others...

Listen here...

Nas and Jr Gong Marley

2009-08-27T09:14:00.003+01:00

I'm finally back after taking a Blogging break, sorry about that - had things to do!
So to play catch up, I'll be reviewing some new Ultrasone DJ Pro Headphones very soon, letting you know my opinion on the new Erro album and a few other bits... and if I'm not mistaken, Happy Friday last week was, well...not Happy at all... seems I owe you.

News wise, Erro's Music Fans First' album went straight into the RnB Chart top 10 in its first week, credit where it's due, he deserves commercial success after so many years hard work.

Nas and Damian Marley are to release an album together, which I'm looking forward to, watch more here...

Mariah Carey has finished recording a new album, the same can be said for Ludacris.

'Somehow' (yeah, like we're naive enough to think that new recordings of songs actually 'leak' within minutes of being recorded - EVER NOTICE HOW ARTISTS NEVER SUE THEIR PRODUCERS/RECORD COMPANIES ETC FOR LEAKING THEIR LATEST SONG? PERHAPS ITS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THEY DO IT ON PURPOSE, STOP INSULTING OUR INTELLIGENCE. JEEEEEEEEES. It would be a lot more truthful if they said 'here's a demo of one of my new tracks, do you like it?') Monica's new song is ready for the listening... Click here for a snippet
It's OK. Good vocals but a bit annoying and 'too much' They you go Monica, that's what I think, now stop over complicating your music.

Nivea is a type of moisturizing face cream and a name for an RnB singer who shot to short term fame on Mystikal's 'Been So Long'. Well, here's her latest track, sounds a bit Mya, a bit Rihanna (puke) and clearly somewhat meaningful to Nivea lyrically. Judge for yourself here

Speaking of Mya.... I always liked her, she was sweet, playful and had a nice voice.
This comeback from her is just a let down in every aspect, sorry to say so. I can't bring myself to review it.

IG Culture

2009-08-21T09:51:00.002+01:00

Hi Folks! After a busy week where the posting is admittedly somewhat lacking, it is once again Happy Friday.
This is however, not the Happy Friday post.
This morning I felt the need for something abstract, upbeat, contemporary and jazzy. Most would say that it’s not an easy task. I beg to differ. The difficulty in such a task is having the artistic creativity to compose and construct such an unforgiving musical concoction.

Step up step up IG Culture. I’ve been a fan for some years now and am more than happy to pronounce my admiration for him – a true master of his trade.
Now press play on this and continue reading...

Trust me when I say that the creation of fusion music is no mean feat. Aside from having to satisfy a variety of audiences who are by nature, sceptical of manipulating their beloved art form, but to stay within the limits of normality so that you do not ostracise all audiences is a whole other kettle of fish.
IG Culture has been doing his thing for a long time now, be it solo, as part of a group, as guest producer for other artists or any other way he sees fit.
He tends to surround himself with the right people which in turn allows his music to remain grounded and maintain its original integrity.
I’d like to hear him live and I plan to as soon as he’s around next.
It doesn’t matter which of his albums you buy first, they’re all good. Take a listen to his broken beat style and judge for yourself. Then perhaps go find some stuff by the New Sector Movement for a slight flip on styles.
If this is too much for you, but you’re intrigued by the genre, perhaps take a look at Mark De Clive-Lowe who makes great music, albeit slightly more user friendly for broken beat first timers.

Introducing Andreena Mill

2009-08-18T14:16:00.003+01:00

Andreena Mill is a name that most of us don’t know.
I first came across her when listening to Drake’s version of ‘Closer’ (as mentioned on a previous blog entry).
At 1.26 into the song, Drake says: ‘‘Gimme 20 in the tank on 3, I'm in the Range bumpin Keyshia Cole
Singin off-key like...’’ and then we hear Andreena’s beautiful vocals and then throughout the rest of the track.

Hear for yourself

It was that first vocal hit that got me thinking I should learn a bit more about her.
As you may expect, her affiliation with Drake makes her a Toronto based Canadian and serves as futher proof that Canada’s music scene is not to be ignored.

I will say however, that she’s way more R’n’B than Neo Soul, which is a shame as her vocal ability would take her far, however that’s her prerogative. Vocal talent is vocal talent.

Style wise, perhaps think 702 meets Blaque (Ivory) meets Brandy meets Left Eye.

The following link will take you to her mixtape download, judge for yourself. I’m not saying that I enjoyed her own tracks, but I do think that with the right direction and focus, this girl is talented.

Click Here

Kero One and Jill Scott

2009-08-17T16:35:00.003+01:00

I know that this is a somewhat simply post, but I'm too busy to be playing today.

Simply put, whilst working today, I've been listening to a few albums, end to end. This is something that I seldom do, as there are few albums which allow for continual playback without interferences of skipping or leaving out a couple of tracks.

I’m gratefully reminded today of two facts.

The first being the Jill Scott, whilst a talented and consistently good musician, will likely never repeat her 2000 release ‘Who Is Jill Scott?’. IT is flawless, Jazzy, Soulful and full of attitude. Yes she’s done plenty of good work since, but this album was recorded on another planet. Listening to ‘A Long Walk’ for the millionth time since I first laid ears on it (?!) I’m reminded of the sheer amount of work that went into recording the ever changing layers of vocals – every time you listen, you notice a different vocal. Genius, pure and simple.

The second fact was that Hip Hop today should model itself around Kero One’s musical blueprint. Today I pressed play on ‘Windmills of the Soul’ and when that was done, straight onto 2009 release ‘Early Believers’. I don’t tire of his music and there’s simple nothing to dislike.
Granted, there will be people who disagree, but those are the same people who are either listening to Lil Wayne or perhaps Asher Roth, thinking they know and understand what’s actually important the Hip Hop world.
You need to have a flow, you need to have lyrical content, you must move in credible circles, you must think of musical creativity and purity ahead of what will make sub woofers pound... do you follow me?
Kero One is to me, a hope, a glimmer of real light in an otherwise dull musical genre... Hip Hop has been fighting for the full 12 rounds and is in a daze, Kero One should be considered as the smelling salts that wakes the World up and allows Hip Hop to fight another day.
Pressed and released his own first single and continues to release music independently, I’m not doing freebie’s on this post, support good music.

Kero One - Welcome to the Bay (Official Music Video) from plug label on Vimeo.

Happy Friday, part 2

2009-08-14T15:04:00.002+01:00

Too much is never enough... and so with this in mind I give you the second part to the Happy Friday compilation download....

This one has some more up to date stuff, decide for yourself whether you like the direction Hip Hop is taking – Of these artists, do yourself a favour and make sure you check Kero One’s solo work, Wes Felton and Colin Munroe – who I find very intriguing as he’s not an MC...but hangs with them?! He's talented for sure...check out this rehearsal video where he sings and plays the drums at the same time..

Enjoy, Happy Friday

Click here for the link

Happy Friday, part 1

2009-08-14T12:13:00.002+01:00

Well, it’s that time again. Today’s the day where we celebrate having nothing to do for 2 days.
Although I’m technically ‘working’ on Saturday night (if DJing counts as work?), Friday’s are the day where we try not to take life seriously and so with this in mind, I’ve compiled a TWO PART Happy Friday playlist for you.
And as I mentioned last week, this week is Hip Hop and Rap orientated.

The first is a mixture of some older Hip Hop and Rap, some ‘credible’, some not. But who cares about credibility on a Friday really? Some head banging gangster sh@t, some west coast, some east coast and a couple of randoms for good measure. One thing’s for sure, you’ll be nodding your head to most if not the whole thing.

Here’s your artist list for Part One of Today’s Happy Friday, in no particular order:

Dr.Dre (its only fair to include this after my ‘translation’ this week!)
ODB
Jaz-O
Jay-Z
Trick Daddy
Ludacris
A+
Crown City Rockers
Souls of Mischief
Young MC
50 Cent
AZ
The Game
Busta Rhymes
Snoop Dogg
Jurassic 5
Digable Planets
DMX
Jayo Felony
Method Man
Krayzie Bone
Angie Martinez
K-Os

Click here to find the link and... enjoy...part 2 to follow this afternoon

Counting down to Eric Roberson

2009-08-13T08:36:00.006+01:00

August 25th 2009.... twelve days.
That's how long we have to wait until 'Mr Neo Soul' - Eric Roberson - releases his next, brand new album entitled 'Music Fan First'. It's a project that Eric/Erro has tried to keep his fans involved in, even sending attendees of a show 2 versions of the same song and asking them to vote which one to put on the album.

No matter what you love about Neo/Nu/Soul, Eric's style will have something for you, be it raw vocal ability, the use of live instruments, lyrical content or for those of us lucky enough to have caught his show, his charisma on stage. I've yet to see any other performer put so much effort and energy into a show and whilst I'll admit that on occasion he may over indulge in Live song preludes and interludes and any other 'lude' you can think of, he has the right, because he may well have single handedly carried the genre since D'Angelo went on hiatus.

The first track I ever heard Erro on (and he went by that name - Erro) was with DJ Jazzy Jeff on a track called 'Rock With You', which is in my view, smoother than silk...take a listen for yourself:

If 'Rock With You' is up your street, you should without doubt pick up his back catalogue of music... start with his most recent album - 'Left', follow its story within which will give you an idea of his past years of trials and tribulations. Once you're into 'Left', go deeper, get 'The Appetizer' and 'The Vault'. You wont be sorry.

I was in fact worried that his new album would be a disappointment, however, his blogging has eased my mind.. You can keep up to date with Eric's daily video blogging in the lead up to his album launch where we hear snippets of each track and the reason behind why he wrote them...his official YouTube page can be found by clicking here.

Realms Word wishes Eric every success for his forthcoming album... support good, independent artists, buy it!

Spotify Playlist - Commercial Rap and R'n'B

2009-08-12T13:48:00.005+01:00

Embracing ‘new’ technologies and fads is what our generation are all about. After all, it’s the communication age.

I think it must have been in January 2009 when I started using Spotify although I can’t and won’t become a premium user for a few reasons. The first and main reason is that the library of music which I know to be rapidly increasing, does not extend to the music that I would like to feature. As an example, even Anthony David – soul singer from Georgia – who recently signed to friend India Arie’s ‘Soulbird’ label which is linked with major label Universal Republic, is not on Spotify’s roster. Another reason is that there tends to be a great deal of what appear to be bootleg style albums. Of course, even if the song you want to hear is on the bootleg, it just doesn’t feel right.
Another reason is that if I’m paying – I like to keep the music all to myself, put it on my iPod etc.

That said, what Spotify allows for and I think, does very well – is the sharing of playlists.

I have compiled a collection for you to use freely and it’s full of some good and some not-so-good Rap, R’n’B and Hip Hop – mainly of the commercial variety.
Let’s just say that it’s a user-friendly, easy listening intro to the world of Pop style Rap and R’n’B music.

It’s got no soul, no credibility, but it’ll get your head bopping nicely.

Simply click on the following link whilst your Spotify programme is running and it’ll load up!

Put this link into your web browser address path:

http://open.spotify.com/user/gavvyb/playlist/0r5tTgjWYMDZS524m4GS41

Enjoy!

The King of Pop - Remixed

2009-08-11T14:48:00.004+01:00

As loyal subjects of Realms Word, today you've surpassed yourselves and have in fact achieved a record amount of daily hits to this blog since...ever...
And so, as ruler of this Realm, I thought I'd reward you with some nice Michael Jackson remixes that, well, you just cant find in any old place.

I've already said my ode to the King of Pop which you can find via clicking here..

If you're a DJ, you may like a couple of these and if you like to do as I do - play people rare songs and then not specify where you got them so that you have the upper hand - you're in for a treat.

Click the link and download!!!!

I'm signing out for the day but will be back soon...

Michael Jackson, rest in peace.

Dj Rahdu, thanks :)

Discover - Saian Supa Crew

2009-08-11T12:31:00.005+01:00

I’m willing to bet that none of the following names mean anything to you:
Leeroy Kesiah, Sly the Mic Buddha, Vicelow, Specta, Feniksi, Sir Samuel, KLR, DJ Fun, Alsoprodby, Eddy Kent and DJ Karve?
No?
Well, all of the above are current, ex or deceased members of French group ‘Saian Supa Crew’.

My experience from DJing and simply playing ‘new’ music to people is that music with certain quirks will either get more air time, be more accepted or even end up with greater commercial success. By ‘quirks’ I refer to the use of catchy, classic samples (e.g. Jay-Z’s ‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’ which heavily sampled ‘Fool’s Paradise’), perhaps a beat-box break or intro, perhaps some well written one liner hooks which the crowd can easily remember, a dance more (such as Usher’s ‘U-Turn’ – I know you’ve done it!)...you get the idea.

The Saian Supa Crew are arguably the most popular Hip-Hoppers to have hailed from our European neighbours, France. Yes, MC Solaar comes close and NTM are France’s version of East Coast USA gangster rap, but Saian Supa offer more. Their style is individual and although it’s in French (and dialects of), such is their individuality in delivery, ability to create awesome beats and add their own twist, that anyone can (and does) listen.

Click here

To help you along your Saian Supa Crew introductory journey, the following link will let you have a copy of their rather hard to get hold of ‘Stand Out’ version of 2005 album ‘X-raisons’.

This will be music to the ears of already fans who cannot find this illusive album and for the newcomers, it features: Roots Manuva, Brand Nubian and The Arsonists..

Honestly, very few Hip Hop artists are as creative and diverse...give them a try... some of my favourite tracks are:
‘A Demi Nue’, ‘Hey Yo My Man’, ‘Ils etaint Un Fois’, ‘Maladie’, ‘Soldat 2’ and dig a bit deeper to find classics like ‘Angela’ and ‘Darkness’ from their KLR album
Saian Supa Crew, Angela:

Some cool beatbox stuff to feast your eyes on too...

Dr. Dre - 'Nuthin but a ''G'' thang' - TRANSLATED

2009-08-11T09:20:00.003+01:00

Ever had problems understanding what these Rappers are saying? In reality, nobody actually knows the meaning of what they’re saying and that rule extends to those actually using the language.

‘Ebonics’ might be a term that most would not recognise or some might remember from the Big L (RIP) album – but it strikes me that most people certainly don’t know what it means. Cue the Wiki search... You done?

So, now you’ve Wikipedia’d ‘Ebonics’ and I don’t need to explain what it means. My personal concern is that somewhere, most likely in the 1970’s when people evolved Ebonics into Jive talk, the water became so muddied that words got lost in translation.

In order to partially clear this issue up, this is the first instalment of a lyrical translation of a famous Rap track by West Coast Crip gang members Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg from Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ album:

Black text is the original lyric, Red Text is the translation of previous line or paragraph

One, two, three and to the fo
One, two, three, Four
Snoop doggy dogg and dr. dre are at the do
Cordazar Calvin Broadus and Andre Young are at the door
Ready to make an entrance, so back on up
Stand aside as we’re about to walk through said door
[cuase you know we bout had to rip shit up]
[by now you should be aware that we will cause a scene]

Snoop Dogg:

Gimme the microphone first, so I can bust like a bubble
Please allow me to commence, I’m raring to go
Compton and long beach together, now you know you in trouble
He’s from Compton and I’m from Long Beach
Aint nothin but a g thang, baaaaabay!
Please excuse our baby like ways, but being Gangster’s is all we’ve ever known
Two loc’d out gs so were craaaaazay!
As do most Crip Gang members, we are wearing Loc sunglasses, which means we are mentally unhinged
Death row is the label that paaaaays me!
We’re signed to the Death Row record label
Unfadable, so please dont try to fade this [hell yeah]
Please do not switch this song off, nor indeed kill me (I concur)

But, uh, back to the lecture at hand
Perfection is perfected, so Im a let em understand
From a young gs perspective
What was my point before? Oh dear, I digress, to date I’ve had an important life lesson
Let me tell you, practise makes perfect
I learnt that as a child

And before me dig out a bitch I have ta find a contraceptive
You never know she could be earnin her man,
And learnin her man, and at the same time burnin her man
It is imperative that one should practise safe sex
There are ladies who try to take advantage of men
These ladies appeal to a gentleman’s’ ego, all the while hoping to mislead and ultimately conceive a child
Now you know I aint wit that shit, lieutenant
Aint no pussy good enough to get burnt while Im up in it
I agree, I too am against ladies who do such things
I’d be disappointed if any ladies I know did that to me
Now thats realer than real-deal holyfield
And now all you hookas and hos know how I feel
You’re quite correct in your opinions on this occasion
And all you ladies listening, I think I’ve voiced my concerns, but to confirm
Well if its good enough to get broke off a proper chunk
Ill take a small piece of some of that funky stuff
You know, as opposed to finding a lady of such ill intent
I would prefer to participate in the consumption of illegal narcotics

Its like this and like that and like this and uh
Its like that and like this and like that and uh
Its like this and like that and like this and uh
Dre, creep to the mic like a phantom
We cannot think of a chorus to what is admittedly, a strange subject of song
We cannot think of a chorus to what is admittedly, a strange subject of song
We cannot think of a chorus to what is admittedly, a strange subject of song
Andre, stop being shy, it’s easy, have a go

Dr Dre:

Well Im peepin, and Im creepin, and Im creep-in
I’m spying in preparation for a drive-by shooting
But I damn near got caught, cause my beeper kept beepin
That was close! My victim almost saw me, I shall switch my Pager to vibrate mode
Now its time for me to make my impression felt
Now’s as good a time as any to make my move
So sit back, relax, and strap on your seatbelt
Car safety is of the utmost importance to me, please buckle up - did you know that even if my passengers dont ear i belt, i can get points?
You never been on a ride like this befo
I’m willing to bet that you have never been on such a metaphorical ‘journey’
With a producer who can rap and control the maestro
I can multi task
At the same time with the dope rhyme that I kick
On one hand, I am able to speak in rhyme form
You know, and I know, I flow some ol funky shit
All whilst maintaining a funk like disposition
To add to my collection, the selection
I select music from a wide repertoire
Symbolizes dope, take a toke, but dont choke
My repertoire tends to be narcotic driven, but don’t let that surprise you
If ya do, ya have no clue
If you are surprised by this, please see the previous verse where my colleague mention the narcotic side of things
O what me and my homey snoop dogg came to do
Both of us enjoy music and narcotics, we see them as our calling

Its like this and like that and like this and uh
Its like that and like this and like that and uh
Its like this, and we aint got no love for those
So jus chill, til the next episode
We cannot think of a chorus to what is admittedly, a strange subject of song
We cannot think of a chorus to what is admittedly, a strange subject of song
We cannot think of a chorus and we dislike various individual people
The song is almost finished, feel free to relax

Snoop:

Fallin back on that ass with a hellified gangsta lean
I shall take a seat for this verse, similar to a car with custom suspension
Gettin funky on the mic like a old batch o collard greens
Much like green vegetables which are past their ‘use by’ date, I shall now make an awful aroma on the microphone
Its the capital s, oh yes, the fresh n double o p
I am able to casually spell out my stage name with whimsical basic rhymes
D o double g y d o double g ya see
I told you I could rhyme my stage name, that’s why I chose it
Showin much flex when its time to wreck a mic
I can really show my abilities when I want to
Pimpin hos and clockin a grip like my name was dolomite
I run a human traffic empire and I’m a big man, a superhuman if you will much like Dolomite,
Yeah, and it dont quit
Did you think I was a quitter, let it be known, I’m not.
I think they in a mood for some mothafuckin g shit
The audience are clearly in need of being taught more about us Gangsters

So dre. [what up dogg? ]
So, Andre.. (you rang, Calvin?)
We gotta give em what dey want [whats that, g? ]
People want things (I don’t follow you?)
We gotta break em off somethin [hell yeah]
We’ve not made much sense as of yet, we’re merely talking around the point (so we are)
And its gotta be bumpin [city of compton!]
Let’s tell them more (yes, more about my home town of Compton)

Its where it takes place so Im a ask your attention
Geographically, Compton is a vibrant place
Mobbin like a mothafucka but I aint lynchin
I’m part of a local group of misfits with the Oedipus complex, but we do not participate in drive-by shooting
Droppin the funky shit thats makin the sucka niggaz mumble
Once again, back to my abilities as a musician, I do enjoy funk
When Im on the mic, its like a cookie, they all crumble
When I perform, people around me seem to fall over
Try to get close, and your assll get smacked
If you get cheeky, I shall bend you over and smack your bottom
My mothafuckin homie doggy dogg has my back
My friend Calvin who too has the Oedipus complex is also a masseuse, which is a plus
Never let me slip, cause if I slip, then Im slippin
Calvin never lets my back go untended, he takes massage oils wherever we go
But if I got my nina, then you know Im straight trippin
As a precautionary measure, I bring my gun with me, as the USA allows such things legally
And Im a continue to put the rap down, put the mack down
I intend to carrying on with my music career for the foreseeable future
And if your bitches talk shit, I have ta put the smack down
I’ll be most displeased if people don’t like my music as I work so hard on it
Yeah, and ya dont stop
This is a grey area for me, not much I can say after that previous comment
I told you Im just like a clock when I tick and I tock
Life goes on, much like time
But Im never off, always on, til the break dawn
I’m an insomniac
C o m p t o n, and the city they call long beach
To remind you, I’m from Compton and Calvin is from Long Beach, both of which are in Los Angeles, California
Puttin the strength together
Between us, we have twice the muscle power
Like my homey D.O.C., no one can do it better
I have a friend called Tracy Lynn Curry, if I was named that, I took would change my name to D.O.C., he once made a record called ‘No one can do it better’

Like this, that and this and uh
Its like that and like this and like that and uh
Its like this, and we aint got no love for those
So jus chill, til the next episode
We cannot think of a chorus to what is admittedly, a strange subject of song
We cannot think of a chorus to what is admittedly, a strange subject of song
We cannot think of a chorus and we dislike various individual people
The song is almost finished, feel free to relax

Imperial Vipers 'Broken' Reviewed

2009-08-10T12:31:00.004+01:00

Those who know me will know I love all forms of music, no matter the genre. So when I was approached to review the new Imperial Vipers album, I jumped at the chance.

I place ‘Broken’ into my computer CD drive and my brand less, generic media playing program as developed by a fruit company loads the track names, times and other bits of information and my eyes are drawn to the seemingly short song times. All but one are below four minutes in duration, OK – Sennheiser HD25’s at the ready, volume up, just click play.

The anthemic ‘Sickness’ starts things off and I’m glad to hear whimsical FX and a bass Guitar solo to warm the ears up for the heavyweight cymbal laden drum pattern. There’s a feel of retro Rock drama here and the 80’s style synth organs hit us at the two-minute odd bridge, neatly building the track into crescendo. Meatloaf would be proud and I mean that in the best possible way.

I check my forearms where the hairs are on-end, I decide that this shall become my new measure of a decent rock album. Criteria passed with flying colours, therefore I’ll continue – I’m in this for the long haul.

‘I’ll Guess’ has a purposeful feel right from the get go. Distant guitar riffs add layered elements and some pretty hard panning which really splits you’re concentration providing subconscious interest, this track is instantly starting to... finish, it seems. At two minutes and thirty-five seconds, I’m left wanting, although some would argue that short is sweet...and I agree, being one of diminutive vertical stature myself.

An atmospheric, eerie sound is cut through by a shrill guitar drone and the drums start. ‘Broken’. Label should read: “WARNING, NOT SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH FRAGILE NECK CONDITIONS, THIS WILL MAKE YOUR HEAD BANG”. This is the Imperial Vipers’ epic, perhaps that’s why they gave it over five whole minutes of air time? Back on point, these guys have managed to pack so much into this song from up-tempo chorus that hits hard to the melodic end which calms things down nicely.
Listen to Broken here:

Note to self: check their site for tour dates, I need to hear this Live.

As I continue through the rest of the album, I notice how that aside from the mass-appeal feel to ‘Victim’, the Imperial Vipers sound is full of confidence and bravado, the kind that I’d associate with the sort of band who’ve done the rounds in such places as Camden and Hoxton.

‘Self Medication’ is clever bit of stuff when all broken down, said and done. The use of vocal filtering at poignant lyrical milestones followed by the removal of drum hits to give the illusion of a temporary reduced tempo allows the point to drive home. Some may argue that the glorification of self medication isn’t a good move, but this is Rock’n’Roll, not an episode of Songs of Praise. However for good measure and perhaps in an attempt to please a diverse clientele, Jesus does get a mention in the lyrics.

‘This is the Way’ reminds me of the Mad Caddies. Fortunately, I’m a fan of the ‘Caddies. Clearly there is a vast difference between the two, but whilst this track has serious lyrical content and a message within, the way in which the track evolves and maintains a whimsical feel throughout keeps this one from overwhelming with any seriousness.

Essentially hailing from Luton - a place that’s main claim to fame is its convenient accessibility to the M1 motorway – somehow ‘Another Suicide’ and ‘Into Forever’ manages to capture that sound most commonly associated with East London Indie scene and the lead guitar solo in the latter adds that extra bit of spice.

The last three tracks are reminiscent of an older form of Punk based Rock which is further demonstration that the Imperial Vipers are respectful to the original art form and have the ability to do the ‘old stuff well’. They’re not one trick ponies but they’d do well to give us a few minutes more music.

At risk of sounding like my Great Aunt Mildred after drinking a lukewarm cup of milky would be tea (the elderly seem to insist on their teabags merely flirting with the hot water, after all – teabags can be re-used if they’ve not yet fully seen the depths of a teacup)...I thoroughly enjoyed that!
Realms Word would like to thank Katy Scott at Full Portion Media for the following:
-the opportunity to do the review
-opening my eyes to this great new band
-the free music!
Feel free to click and contact Katy... ( www.fullportionmedia.com )

M.I.M.O

2009-08-07T15:33:00.003+01:00

In the immortal words of an old UK Saturday morning kids TV show... M.I.M.O.... Miss It, Miss Out.

The 'Happy Friday' compilation was downloaded by 50 lucky people, after that cut-off point, I took it down.

Keep your eyes peeled next Friday, as I said, it's a gift. First come, fisrt served...once 50 go...the link is deactivated.....

So, make sure you subscribe to the RealmsWord RSS feed and keep up to date with what's happening and when!

Happy Friday!

Realm

Happy Friday

2009-08-07T14:15:00.002+01:00

Starting a tradition requires innovation.
Someone, somewhere at one point in time coined a phrase similar in meaning. Only, their version was written differently and will be remembered for years as being an insightful, profound piece on language.

I on the other hand am not innovating here, I’m enlightening and sharing my love of music with you in recognition of the fact that it’s Friday.

From this point forth, every Friday will come with a Download treat of some sort.

This week I bring you a compilation of audio files from the likes of:

Lynden David Hall (RIP)
D’Angelo
Reel People
Yolanda Johnson
Erykah Badu
J. Rawls
Middle Child
Sharlene Hector
T3
Laura Izibor
Brotherly
Eska Mtungwazi
Rudy Currence
John Forte
Van Hunt
Ebrahim
Nneka
Eric Roberson
Dj Jazzy Jeff
Raheem Devaughn

If you know all of those artist, you’ll love this....

If on the other hand, you know a few, but there are some question marks next to a few... well... take a listen.

Remember, the music industry is changing. By all means download and listen to this compilation.
But remember, to continue making music for us to enjoy and to keep food on their tables, artists need to sell music, so I implore you – if you enjoy this, go and buy the music.

Happy Friday people, happy damn Friday!

Renee Sebastian

2009-08-07T11:16:00.004+01:00

Today Realms Word says Happy Birthday to Renee Sebastian.

Summer 2008 included a pleasant surprise. With the intention of seeing UK soul man Nate James perform at the Jazz Cafe, I happily stumbled across someone new (well, new to me) – it turned out to be Renee – who’s soulful, sometimes playful and always high energy performance managed to turn the heads of pretty much everyone in the venue (Jazz Cafe).

A talented Singer, Songwriter, Dancer, Performer and Clothes Designer.
Renee manages to capture the soulful sound and seamlessly mould her abilities to ballads and up tempo tracks all invariably with meaningful and often witty lyrics... as heard at the beginning of her track ‘These Are The Signs’.

Keep your eyes and ears alert, as the UK is sure to see a great deal more from this one!

Be sure to check out her site for more information – it say’s everything I would’ve said myself

Click here for her official site
and
Click here for her clothing label

Multicultural Kinny

2009-08-05T16:46:00.006+01:00

Q: What do you get if you cross a Canadian-Indian, Jamaican, French and Swedish genetics?
A: Kinny
You can pigeonhole her heritage as much as you can pigeonhole her music. That’s the best way you can describe her style – yes, she’s a Neo Soul artist so to speak, but in reality she’s a great deal more.
Take a journey through her album ‘Idle Forest of Chit Chat’ and you’ll hear music which has taken influence from, well, everywhere.
Her confidence in delivery is perhaps a derivative of paying her dues on the Live scene – only singing to live, unforgiving audiences can allow you to produce a solo debut of such individual style and confidence. She takes on raw funk tracks in collabo with the likes of the Quantic Soul Orchestra who add their trade mark instrumental sound – Kinny duly steps up to the plate.
She exudes this expressive attitude consistently – being soulful, angry and cheeky all at once, whilst seeming to ride beats with effortless grace. In some cases her timing makes me feel like she laid her vocal down first and the musicians used her acapella as a metronome to record their respective instrumentals.

Elements of contemporary jazz resonate throughout the entire album and no one song sounds the same.

I don’t feel it’s necessary to go on, suffice to say that you should hear for yourself, and as luck would have it, this link will take you to a place where you can get your own album sampler... just remember to delete once you’ve heard it and buy it yourself, support the artist.

Remix's Hall of Fame

2009-08-05T15:01:00.003+01:00

Remixing... the art of improving mediocrity? The art of brutalising a masterpiece? A way to transcend alternate genre’s? An admission of a poor original? A DJ’s prerogative?

In most genres of music, remix’s exist and serve a variety of purposes. Some sound similar to the original, but with alternate vocals, others employ an entirely new design upon an original blueprint.
A DJ is normally happy to have a remix, most especially those rare ones which differentiate you from other DJ’s – they turn heads (if they’re good) and delay our boredom of playing the same songs.
I thought I’d share a few of my favourite remix’s over the years – some of which may well surprise you, given their pop music-ness, but hey, I'm open to all sorts... enjoy!

Bee Wax and Cow Juice

2009-08-05T14:29:00.004+01:00

I’ll be honest, I’ve been listening to her music for years and I still struggle to pronounce her name – even with my South African colleagues help, I still can’t say it in the correct way. However I’m sure Goapele wouldn’t be offended, watch this video and you’ll see and start to assume as I do, that her demeanour is as pure as her voice.

I recently decided to reintroduce her debut album ‘Even Closer’ into my regular play list after remembering how good it was and how much I love the track ‘Closer’ which I’m still able to play on loop without feeling any need to change tracks.

Interestingly, if the tabloids are anything to go by, strangled-cat-voiced pop singer Rihanna’s been dating Drake... the pre-pubescent, Ginuwine look-a-like Canadian kid who in my opinion is taking his clear talent in Rap delivery and ability to write good lyrics in the wrong career direction, opting for the fame route and seemingly headed for the ‘dark side’... has in fact NOT butchered Closer and made a pretty nice version on his now year old mix ‘tape’ ‘Comeback Season’.

Perhaps Goapele’s affiliation from the get-go of her career with Oakland’s Hiero collective, who I very much like, is another reason why I enjoy her music.

She, in my opinion, is Sade in her vibe but with an added twist of ‘beat’ appreciation.
Well the good news is that she's making a sweet, calcium filled comeback with her forthcoming album 'Milk and Honey'... and from the looks of things, it's going to be a good one...

Milk and Honey - Goapele from goapele on Vimeo.

W. Ellington Felton - Distraction City

2009-08-05T08:52:00.011+01:00

It seems like I've an increasingly 'old man' outlook on the world and at the tender age of 25, It's somewhat worrying.

When it comes to Hip Hop however, I feel that my age puts me in a decent position to have the odd moan, given that myself - Realm - and she -Hip Hop - are of similar (ish) ages. Whether you think that's justification or not, quite frankly is immaterial, those who know me will testify to the fact that I believe I'm always right.

There has been little to make me feel as if Hip Hop has much much to offer me any more. Like any fan, I've watched it fall into a state of seeming perpetual disrepair pretty much since it's initial conception - and I'm not naive enough to misunderstand why, everyone needs to eat and so the money takes over, that's the world we live in.
However there is the odd occasion that makes me think otherwise.
It seems that there are those artists who thankfully keep the light shining bright and with the global/international creative minds adding to the 'new wave' Hip Hop, there does seem to be some hope left. I personally think that the likes of Dj Mitsu The Beats are amongst those kindred spirits who recognise how Hip Hop should sound as we continue into this new millennium.
Readers will know that I'm a Neo Soul kinda guy, which will also tell you that Hip Hop for me needs to have some sort of credibility either in it's lyrical content, instrumental or both (preferably).

Who better to personify my point than Wes Ellington Felton... son of infamous Jazz pianist Hilton Felton (may he RIP, 13/02/2007), Wes has the pedigree and comes from the Washington DC movement who collectivey are firmly fixed on the Neo Soul circuit with the likes of Raheem Devaghn and Sy Smith making waves. The album has spacey beats, meaningful lyrics and guest appearances from some of my current individual artists of the moment - Bilal Salaam, Chronkite (Raheem Devaughn) and Yahzarah (Purple St James).

To understand my sentiment about the disrepair of Hip Hop, listen to 'Breathe A Bit'.

If you like this album, be sure to check out the Crossrhodes albums - the group to which Wes belongs.

This isn't an album review, judge it for yourself... I've put a link to a place where you can download a version of Mr Felton's fantastic 'Distraction City'. Once you've got a taste, please DELETE IT and BUY the album - support good Hip Hop.

Vikter....

2009-08-04T17:11:00.011+01:00

I don't have much time to spare today - I'm in the middle of ten things, but as an early week gift, I (with great thanks to Honey Soul - see links tab on the right and check out her fantastic site)give you a very nice mix tape by the man, Vikter Duplaix.

Vikter is best known for his spiritual, soulful and sexy brand of House music. Although it's not possible to put him in any one category. Take Mark de Clive-Lowe's ability to construct uptempo beats and mix in some abstract soul.

Now, splash on some sweet smelling cologne, pour some smooth Bourbon on ice and make sure you're wearing a trilby hat - THAT'S how you prepare for his music.

I'm pleased to say that Vikter will be releasing a new album in the not too distant future, when? Not quite clear, but I look forward to it, 'Bold and Beautiful' was a spiritual experience.
To keep abrest with Vikter, be sure to check out his MySpace.

Now do yourself a favour and hear Vikter Duplaix 'in the mix'...he writes, sings, produces and DJ's... click here for the download

And just for good measure, my personal fave Vikter track... the illusive Manhood Remix... it's hard to track down any online posting of it, but this YouTube video by dancer Tovu gives you a decent idea of how the song sounds... check out decent online MP3 retailiers to find the proper MP3 file of this remix, perhaps someone like 7Digital will be helpful.. I know iTunes does not have it (I have it on Vinyl, of course!).

White Shirt

2009-07-30T11:37:00.002+01:00

We’ve all heard the term ‘slept on’ used by ‘holier than thou art’ music reviewers who are so short-sighted that they genuinely believe that they’re the only people to have heard certain songs or artists.

To me, the term refers to artists or songs that were never appreciated for their true genius, be it an unknown album by a popular artists or a musician who never quite reached the dizzy heights of their potential with recordings being in limited supply and once sold out, lost to the depths of a dusty record box.

Few genre’s are slept on more than Jazz and Funk and for obvious reasons.

Jazz comes in various guises and whilst many would love to love it, they just can’t get into the raw, artistic musings of a live musicians ten minute solo epic which is so often the deterrent to so many Jazz-club first timers. For me, Jazz remains the modern day’s most pure form of music and remains the antithesis of ‘cool’, even if it’s a genre that has in reality changed little since its conception.

Funk is easier for the masses to swallow and digest. It is, on face value, light hearted and comes with the head-nodding element. That said, a popular Funk track will in most cases require some sort of repetitive hook to allow for crowds to learn the words and sing along to, or alternatively have a decent ‘break’ which subsequently allowed DJ’s to mix, cut and juggle whilst the B-boys do their ‘thang’. Funk is designed for clubs in the same way that Disco was, the former subsequently created Hip Hop and the latter started the House music movement. The former gained popularity whilst being ‘publically’ played in Punk Rock clubs and the latter was ideal for the Gay scene – then record labels and money got involved with both.

In true cyclical fashion we now see modern day derivatives of Hip Hop, ‘RnB’ and ‘Rap’ merging together where artists collaborate to ensure commercial success across both fan bases (see Jay-Z and R. Kelly collabo albums as proof). However, as the genre has exhausted creativity and top name producers have all seen their hay days after years of hard work (Neptunes, Timbaland et al have been around for a LONG time and only recent got full recognition as artists in their own right) and where has ‘RnB/Rap’ moved to?

Answer: House.

Replacing the lower tempo beats normally associated with the genre, RnB/Rap musicians have noticed a decrease in their popularity as target audiences grow older and so in order to move with the times, artists such as Ne-Yo and others now incorporated their RnB style with an up tempo, club friendly House beat. On the more strict House music side, we see the increasing incorporation of live instruments to add more depth to the bland 4/4 beats which put deter so many through repetition. Of course, there’s Funky House, Jazzy House and hundreds of other variations. Rnb, Rap and Hip Hip too have sub genre’s where some artists try to stay true to ‘proper’ music.

It’s almost an admission in my view, that musicians of said genres tend to lean towards incorporating original elements of other foundation genre’s in order to add credibility to their music. Don’t get me wrong, I still listen and I really enjoy fusion music.

I compare music to textile fashion though. My wardrobe changes in colours, patterns and cuts. However the constants remain: I still wear Trousers, Shirts, Jackets, Shoes, Socks etc and furthermore, within those main categories of clothing, I will always have a classic White Shirt.

The White Shirt is to my wardrobe what Jazz is to my music - The one true constant that works with everything, no matter what the fashion.

You can quote me on that, perhaps it’ll be etched on my grave in 70 years or so.

This all brings me back to my original point, many artists are ‘slept on’ but none so much as in the Jazz genre where the music has and seemingly will always remain the artistic expression of emotion that is perhaps only ever truly understood by one person – the musician who made it.

Lastly...

2009-07-28T15:46:00.001+01:00

It wasn’t my intention, but it seems the day emerging along my path as designed by the forces of evil is in some sort of perpetual annoyance scheme, has driven me to the point where I require a canvas on which to paint my frustrations. If my mind state today was a picture, it would strike a resemblance to something straight out of David Bowie’s Labyrinth movie – I’m talking upside-down stairs leading to doors which lead to rooms full of doors mounted on the floor. In a nutshell, today’s one of ‘those’ days, everything that I find frustrating has happened so far.
Since my Yoghurt and Fruit meal, I’ve taken a trip to the local shop to buy my lunch and second lunch (Since you asked: Chicken (dark meat) and Pilau rice. Later, Chicken (white meat) with Caesar salad.)
That’s where the first annoyance took place. The cashier put my shopping through his barcode scanner and I duly packed the contents into a bad. He told me the bill total, I paid in cash. Upon taking the paper-form currency from my light grip, the cashier looked up and smiled in my direction and for a moment I was sure his pupils were vertical, ellipse shape with a rouged tint. I thought nothing of it and awaited my change and in that moment it all became clear as I held out my left hand, fingers close together, palm flat. The cashier leant over and I observed as if stuck in some sort of flux state whilst the receipt was placed into my palm followed by some small change on top. Unsuspecting, I moved my hand horizontally back towards my body but no matter how slowly I moved the frictionless surface areas of both receipt paper and coins made for a slippery movement and like an over-rushed waiter carrying too much food on a tray, the coins slipped off.
Question: How do we make it a law that all cashiers must place coins in your hand before the paper receipt? Or is that too much to ask?
Note to self, always pay by card.

Secondly, there is a black BMW car parked on the street outside and for two days, it’s alarm has been irritating me.

That is all.

Food Protection

2009-07-28T13:33:00.003+01:00

Since my previous post today, I have eaten my mid-morning Yoghurt and Fruit meal (my gym trainer has put me on some crazy, strict 5 meals per day regimen – I’m not overweight, if that’s what you’re thinking – I’m hoping to gain a pound or two and get healthier, inside and out).

I’m at work, in the office and so eating takes second place to menial office tasks and phone calls. Perhaps this post is going to give you a less rose-tinted view of me as I would like to share a couple of annoyances, the nauseating happenings in day to day life that many would deem as trivial, but in my mind are in fact as irritating as wearing the same T-shirt in which you had your hair cut last time you wore it (those tiny, prickly hairs which get caught in the seam of your Shirt collar, you know what I mean). In writing this, my eccentricities are blinding me from my original point as I start to reminisce on the years of visiting various Hairdressers who never failed to cover me in my own shorn locks.

I’ve yet to get a haircut without requiring an immediate shower to remove the sharp yet microscopic off-cuts of unwanted hair length from my ear holes, face, neck, back and chest. Why wash my hair before you cut it if I’m going to have to re wash immediately? And, how can you charge me for a ‘Wash, Cut and Style’ knowing full well I’ll be re-washing and therefore re-styling?

No, I want a dry hair cut, without pre-wash or post-cut style. As a result, I want a discount. Furthermore, if you intend on showering me in my own follicular waste, I want money towards the cleaning or replacement of the garment covering my upper body. A visit to the Hairdresser is not my way of conceding my T-shirt to the depths of my wardrobe due to newfound itchiness.

Back on point – Yoghurt and Fruit. It all seems trivial now, following my shared thoughts on hair. However, I can’t be the only person in the world to get that stomach-somersaulting feeling when I see the putrid, thick skin that forms at the top of a Yoghurt pot. You know, you peel back the foil lid of the plastic pot and collected around the edges in a gooey death-ring formation is an unnecessary collection of Yoghurt. Firstly, it’s a waste of perfectly good food, but much more importantly, it’s gloop and although I’m aware that it’s as untarnished as the ‘normal’ yoghurt collectively based below in the pot, there is no excuse for it to separate and adopt a thicker texture to the rest. The same rule applies to the layer which covers the inside of the foil lid. What really makes me sick is when people lick the lid. For lack of a better word: EEW!

Second point – I understand that when Oxygen touches the flesh of an Apple, it turns brown (although the moment is does so, I refuse to eat it) and I accept that (well, ish). But what I’m not willing to make a concession with is... if they can genetically modify fruit, please create some sort of Banana with armoured skin. There is nothing worse than buying a bunch of Banana’s, waiting a day or two for them to ripen whilst not touching them (no dropping, throwing or moving) then finally peeling back the dark yellow skin, only to find massive bruises. I don’t want to eat a piece of fruit which resembles a Rugby players’ leg.

Rant done, but I’ll be back.

Gold - A Commodity

2009-07-28T11:23:00.004+01:00

Are the ‘oldies’ a shiny, rich yellow-orange colour and worthy of being likened to the precious metallic element globally considered as being a monetary benchmark? Why are oldies ‘golden’? Are the originals the best?

Now, this is a blog entry, so I’ll expand on what Is clearly a broad subject. Let’s make this topical and keep on point, as the rule/classification of ‘golden oldies’ can and is applied to all ‘originals’, be they TV shows, Art, Music, Movies and pretty much any other man-made creations which over time are updated, refined and altered.

Clearly, fashion dictates design in a big way, although is not the sole driving force behind change, as conditional requirements force the use of new materials in order to adapt an object to use under varied circumstances.

Let us put this into a context and as it’s my blog, I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I may direct this onto a blog train track of my choice.

Being a geek at heart, I will therefore make this specific to electronic devices and even more specific, three categories: Headphones, Turntables and Mixers. Furthermore, going back as far as the first ever Turntable and Headphones seems a step too far so our starting point is when I began my DJ career.

I actually didn’t own Turntables until I was 17 years old (although I had plenty of records!), four years after my DJing began. Instead I’d mix on friends’ Decks until my Parents decided it wasn’t a fad and were kind enough to buy me some second-hand Turntables, originally owned by a well known English D’n’B DJ.

My original DJ set –up consisted of 2x Technics 1210 mkII, Sony MDRV 500 Headphones and some 2 Channel RadioShack mixer.

Clearly the set-up changed and I soon upgraded. However I still own the Decks and simply don’t need to touch them, bumps and scratch marks aside, they are perfect, even if they’re well over 10 years old.

I remember the times before ‘everyone’ had Technics turntables, people had all sorts of brands with belt drive movement and cheap plastic facades. Those were the days – imagine trying to mix two records which were spinning at inconsistent speeds! Well, the 1210’s represented the antithesis of turntables and everyone aimed to own a pair.

Even with Vestax, Stanton and Numark all releasing ‘tables with more powerful motors and technological updates, the classic 1210 is yet to be dethroned and remains the industry standard in all nightclubs.

My Sony headphones were OK, but as soon as I could afford to upgrade, I did so. But me being me, I had to research. I’d seen some older DJ’s using skimpy, ugly looking ‘Cans’ with twisted wires and electro tape holding them together and I’d always wondered...’why??!?!?!?!’.

It turned out that they we Sennheiser HD-25sp cans. So I read up and learnt that these basic, plain headphones were monsters, the stats outshone all others which included competition from Technics, Sony, Pioneer. Whilst the others admittedly looked aesthetically pleasing, the Sennheiser’s – then a relatively unknown, niche brand – were statistically unparalleled AND all parts were replaceable, so they’re headphones for life. The sound’s rich, clear and the design blocks outside noise well. I decided to go up the Sennheiser pecking order and opt for the HD25 model which had a knot-free cable and more sturdy head band. I’m using them whilst writing this, I’ve owned them for years and they’re like new.

Are there better options available on the market now? It’s possible, but I wouldn’t know – I have no reason to look.

My original mixer, retrospectively, was abysmal. At the time it was great to me – it was my first and I was ecstatic to simply have a mixer. For the first year of owning it I was totally happy, it served the purpose. But mixer’s are strange objects. I have an emotional attachment to my Decks and to a certain extent, my Headphones – I think they’re the best and won’t hear anything to counter my factual opinion!

I upgraded my mixer to a Stanton SK2F Limited Edition but as much as I liked my new mixer, I had a wandering eye, committing mixer bigamy on whatever sweet piece of mixer goodness was released into the market.

All DJ’s are mixer agnostic. Why? Easy enough to explain – we want reliability from Turntables and quality from Headphones. These are elements which require consistent performance. Mixer’s however are the element which when changed, allow DJ’s to expand their techniques. A paddle-shift gear changes on a sports car will allow for a quicker gear shift, thus the race driver can concentrate on winning the race. A zip-fly on a pair of jeans was a nice addition to speed up and simplify getting dressed, no more fiddly buttons. The Apple iPhone allows for a full media experience, no need for a portable DVD player, separate MP3 player or PDA. I think you get the direction I’m headed, mixers are the element to a DJ’s arsenal which allows for innovation and adaptation – it excites us.

The Technics 1210 wont relinquish its thrown. It will never be replaced by another Turntable for the ‘industry standard’ title. Mark my words, the day that it steps down. Its replacement will be a fully Digital alternative. It’s a true Golden Oldie. As for the Headphones and Mixer, there is no such thing as a Golden Oldie – there’s always room for improvement – lighter headphones, wireless, better crossfader, increased functionality etc.

It’ll always amaze me that once in a blue moon, a designer or engineer will produce a revelation, something so good that it is unnecessary and near on impossible to improve upon.

The Technics 1210, perfect, Golden.

By Jiminy Cricket, It's A Case Of Musical Supremacy

2009-07-16T09:13:00.002+01:00

Continuing what's turned into an extended entry to my Blogging career where much of my posting is aimed at educating any readers on the ''what's'' and ''why's'' of my Musical world, today I thought I'd discuss (lecture/rant) the state of, or in other words 'evolution' of certain genre's.

It's odd really, I'm fully aware that I'm not alone in my taste in music. Thankfully, there is a wide enough appreciative audience to warrant the continuation of the various niche genre's. That said, I seem to have these 'good.vs.evil' Jiminy Cricket conscience's on each shoulder - the left side tell me that I should be spreading the word and telling the masses about my newly discovered artists and become patron to that which I love. On the right side is the evil counterpart - born in the early days of when I first began DJing, playing UK 2-step Garage. In those days, there was no mass MP3 availability. Records were on Vinyl and in limited, test-press supply. The ability to get a track first, physically cover the records' label and have listeners ask you 'what song is this?' was the greatest feeling on earth. It was MY music, I had it FIRST and when the song got Pirate Radio airplay and subsequently got signed my a major label and released en mass, the most annoying thing was when people would ask 'have you heard that new song?'... ''YES I'VE HEARD IT, I HAD IN ON 'WHITE LABEL' TWO YEARS AGO'' was the reply, lest anyone think I was not at the forefront. My point being, this early need to be ahead of the game has become my 'evil' conscience, making me reluctant to bring anyone fully into 'my' musical world.

Perhaps I've grown up? Perhaps I've grown tired of people saying: 'I like this song you're playing, what is it..' ? Perhaps I feel guilty about consuming such great music from some hard-working and often struggling musicians, without spreading the word? Perhaps I enjoy having my own world of music? Perhaps I enjoy the strange feeling of supremacy that I know music that others have never heard of?

What ever the reason, similar to when (THOSE ANNOYING) people who keep the protective cover on their mobile phone screens, months after they first started using it, I vow to share 'my' music, all (some!!!!!) of it.

BLACKsummersnight; reviewed

2009-07-07T17:21:00.004+01:00

Something's been missing from Soul music for some time now. It would be naive to assume that Neo/New/Indie Soul is a pioneering genre - it is in fact a hybrid (like much of today's music) and takes influence from most musical corners. It is this 'no holds barred' attitude that makes Neo Soul 'pioneering' in this current musical climate. Within every genre is an innate genius (living within the spirit of the music) and if you can harness that raw element and incorporate it (well!) with other genre's, you're onto something special.

After a hugely long break from music and doing away with his famed 'Fro hairstyle and open shirts, Maxwell returned today after a rather good spell working with his PR machine. But lets not let his mainstream persona hold anything against him - it takes some market penetration to reach the ears of a wide enough variety of people in order to inspire a generation of would be Neo Soul singers. Sure, it's Neo Soul Pop, but I couldn't care less, I'm just glad to see him home and having watched video upon video in prelude to today's release, I'm convinced that Maxwell has become a humble man in his time out of the limelight. To take a self inflicted break for near on a decade says a lot about a guy. It's about music, not money, or at least not all about money.

The album is part of a project: BLACKsummersnight is this instalment, then we will be getting blackSUMMERSnight in 2010 and finally blacksummersNIGHT in 2011.

Buy this album, support the artist. It'll pay for itself in the amount of 'cuddle time' you'll get whilst listening to it with your partner...

And seriously, musically, it's better than I'd hoped for. I know it's only been out for a day, but having spent all day listening to it on Loop, It contains some seriously good material.

So, a track by track analysis, because it's THAT good:

Bad Habits

The resonating Organ kicks BLACKsummersnight off as you might expect from a Maxwell album, thankfully. And it builds, softly, drums and claps slowly incorporate whilst Max adopts a gentle high pitched vocal in his trademark sexy tone and in an almost split personality (at around 1.10) the full beat comes in and we all remember that Max is back. Thankfully.

Cold

It turns out that a rainy night inspired this one - the noise and rhythm that car windscreen wipers make, made Max think... and so they recorded the sound, added a nasty kick drum, chords and this one escalated into a bit of an epic. I think the brass section seems to add a real authority to this track, lyrics came second to music here. It was this song that for me, set the tone of an album which is once again treading on new territory which takes experimentation, real life inspirational sounds and an old school feel. I think this will appeal to a really diverse audience.

Pretty Wings

This was Maxwell's comeback track, well, this and a cameo on Alchemist's 'Smile', but mainly this. It had to be good, pressure for your first single after an 8 year hiatus must be immense.

For me, this song is epic and I've yet to listen without the hairs on the back of my neck jumping up when the song reaches its final crescendo. The layers of vocals and guitar riffing which beautifully intertwines with the gentle beats and claps (which in this track seem to somehow manage to steer this away from being a ballad), the use of brass section which provides stabbing emphasis as the song progresses, the raw vocal power of Maxwell and his newly adopted 'perfection doesn't mean perfect' mentality and finally the sample sound taken from a Child's bed mobile which resonates throughout the track after it's been through various synth machines..... I could go on, but as i said.. this track is EPIC.

Help Somebody

At first, I wasn't sure where this track was going, the first thing you hear is reminiscent of a Mandolin's sound, but actually it turns out that it works well. Clearly Maxwell's trying to say something in this song. The lyrics and title tell you the obvious message that he wants to put across. The drums take a walk on this one, with a clear marching pattern which is cunningly disguised and that original mandolin-type sound starts to make me think 'this track's putting me on edge, I'm not feeling relaxed'. Make no mistake, this isn't a typical Maxwell track, he has grown as a man with opinions and anger at the goings on in the World.

Stop the World

Taking a much needed breather from the previous track, Stop the World provides a musical oasis in the stressful desert of track 4 previously. A classic Maxwell composition, in a good way. A warm acoustic guitar, gospel organs with loving, monogamous lyrics which flow with a real 'question and answer' feel. I love the intro 'Someone stop the world, yeah. Seems like the moment is coming' I'm, gonna get you girl.' and lyrics like 'Let the world rage outside, cause when I'm in here with you, the world stops for me'. Beautiful.

Love You

Well, the name sounds a tad cliché but you know what, this is in fact an up-tempo track, a head nodder. More monogamy where Max pleads to his lady that he wants to be allowed to love her, cause he can. Packed with long flowy chords from brass, organs, piano and some percussion which are hard-panned to the right (as is the organ). There's a happy, positive feeling to this one, it's not complex, just nice and smooth.

Fistful of Tears

I'll admit to thinking that the intro, up to the point where Max starts singing, sounds as if it could be an Usher Raymond, Lil' Jon produced track. The reality is that statement of mine is a disgrace and an insult. But forgive me, because beyond the 13 second mark, the instrumental makes sense and totally makes me question how i could mistake it in the first place. The obvious Cymbal crash at the end of each 4th beat is a clear sign that a real drum kit made this beat. Again, without even focusing on lyrics, the strings in this track are evoking a rushing emotion, a soulful, upset blues element. The gospel feel to the organ again reinforces that and the weeping guitar proves the title. It's as if Maxwell wrote this to his lady, asking for her emotional support in a time of need. Max is beyond the masculine bravado mask worn by his peers, proven by this public statement.

Playing Possum

Here, the 'possum' is his non-responsive lady, it seems to me that Max wants to help her with whatever her emotional problem is. Well, that's what I feel like he's saying. It's an atmospheric, slow, acoustic track with slow guitar chords and a subtle thunder sounding undertone which to me sounds like the rumbling of a Timpani drum. Add the single trumpet which plays a sorrowful, blues inspired melody and there's the track summed up...and in fact the entire album - a darker version of Maxwell's music, hence this being BLACKsummersnight. The next instalment will be more cheerful.

Phoenix Rise

This, for me, would be better if it were either a 7 minute finale or an intro to the album. I simply love it but feel it is too short (I WANT MORE). I know that this album was organic in development and I'm pretty sure this was a derivative of a jamming session by the session musicians. Maxwell isn't on this, opting to let the band have their moment, and what a moment. The synths which turn the organ into a sound that would fit well within the House music scene, the broken drum beat, laid back guitar, slap bass guitar....this is beautiful and I cant wait to have the opportunity to play this on some high quality speakers, LOUD.

Also Known As / AKA

2009-07-07T15:00:00.004+01:00

It always amazes me how we 'musical types' tend to create an alter ego-esq name, or 'stage name'.
I'm a victim of the same strangeness, I came up with the name Realm because, well...because - there is a reason but there doesn't seem a need to me to divulge it right now!

Perhaps some do it for privacy, others want to forget their given name, others just like the idea of being able to name themselves and create a new persona. Then there are those who have their name because that's what others have called them for years and have since conceded, referring to themselves forevermore as whatever that name may be.

I don't however appreciate the constant requirement to add further pseudonym's to already far fetched nick names. Take Puff Daddy aka P.Diddy aka Diddy aka Sean Coombes aka Sean John aka Puffy aka Puff...... I mean COME ON, choose a stage name and stick with it. And I know, I know, Puff Daddy isn't fully at fault here - it's in part down to his absent minded 'crew' who are so useless that they struggle to say his full name either correctly or perhaps due to the multi-syllabic structuring. Everyone who is fluent in English is aware that the title/name 'daddy' uses an 'a' as it's vowel. So how did the word evolve to Diddy, and why? So clearly one of Puff Daddy's friends is a moron (I personally assume that it's Black Rob, he's particularly backwards - whoa!).

Clearly there are exceptions to this 'anti multiple stage name' cult that I'm thinking of starting.
Two of these exceptions come in the shape of MF Doom and Kool Keith. You know why they're allowed to have so many? The answer is two-fold.

1) Both are ever so slightly mentally disturbed

2) Both completely alter their styles depending upon which 'character' they're performing as.

OK, so laying into Puff Daddy seems harsh, but I'm merely trying to make a point.
I'm not saying that artists should not have a stage name, some us us don't have names which easily lend to stages and the like.

With all of this in mind, let's all laugh at the various real names that so many artists cover up....

The real names of many famous singers of this generation

Just Another Part Of Me

2009-07-03T12:15:00.006+01:00

So it's been just over a week since the saddest day that my musical memory can recall (don't get me wrong, losing people like Luther Vandross hasn't exactly been easy to forget), it's amazing that those with the most talent and influence seem to suffer premature deaths. Irrespective of genre, whilst there are some exceptions such as Stevie Wonder, we - the fans - lose our beloved musical genius idols way in advance of when they 'should' go.

All you need to do is take a second to ponder the artists who's names are synonymous with their genre and there seems to be some sort of self destructive pattern or indeed personal-life issue that ends up playing a dramatic role in their demise.

Some examples of recent times most influential figures and how old they were when they passed on:

Marvin Gaye - depression lead him to move back home (regardless of his massive success to date) which culminated in his father shooting him (with a gun Marvin bought him!) during a family argument. Aged 45

Freddie Mercury - died of Aids contracted through a crazy lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Aged 45

Elvis Pressley - being such a figure of change and controversy, his career changed the way youth consumed music and the 'sex sells' mantra was truly cemented as being a pop music marketing staple. His image conscious, wealthy and drug fuelled self created all sorts of problems and Elis dies whilst sitting on the toilet (so they say). Aged 46

Jimi Hendrix - nobody knows the truth, but his music is enough evidence i personally need to assume it was drug related, there are mixed reports, we know that the Police statement read that he was fully clothes in his apartment and had been there for days. Aged 27

Kurt Cobain - reportedly troubled with depression and drug abuse before Nirvana, he committed suicide. Aged 27

John Lennon - his high profile life with wife Ono made him the target of a crazed killer who's fatal attraction ranged from asking for Lennon's autograph one moment, to shooting him the next. Aged 40

Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG - the two men who created the famed East/West coast feud. Two friends turned enemies - allegedly Tupac was involved in the shooting of BIG. Tupac's death is a lot less clear, whether it be someone in his own camp and manager Suge Knight or a revenge killing from BIG's side. Tupac's death is shrouded with mystery and conspiracy (see Machiavelli). Aged 25 and 24 respectively.

However (and perhaps I'm biased), all of the above artists who's music I've listened to, been influenced by and grown up on all seem pale in comparison to the self proclaimed 'King of Pop'... Michael Jackson.

I was awoken on Thursday 25th June by missed phone calls and Text messages, I switched on the TV and there it was - news pictures showing and telling of MJ's possible death. Out of denial, disbelief and suspicion (I'm one of those who thinks Tupac is still alive), I didn't believe it and went back to bed. After all, given MJ's past history on a personal life level, the possibility of this news being a publicity stunt did not seem beyond the realms of MJ. His ability to put himself in the public eye, no matter the consequence had to date been unparalleled by any other artist - ever the glutton for punishment, MJ put himself as the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter and believed his own media hype, time and time again. I always though that he was so wrapped up in his own secluded world that he was sure that even the worst publicity was good as it allowed him to further detach from the reality of life and sink further in to his regressive child like environment that had financially crippled him for so long.

Next morning, Jermaine Jackson's public statement the next day turned my opinion and belief around - his emotion was clear, the news was real and it dawned upon me that MJ of all people, who was most himself when on stage in front of his adoring fans, would not go so far as to fake death for PR's sake.

And so the tribute poured in from all angles - tribute songs at concerts from other artists like Sy Smith, Yahzarah etc - social network servers going down with sudden influx of updates etc etc etc...the world was in mourning. No other artist has been able to strike such global reaction - his fan base: global, multi cultural and spanning all ages.

No other artist to date has been mourned in such a way, perhaps due to the fact that the invention of Blogs, Facebook, Youtube et al have allowed every individual to voice their opinions and emotions on a global scale. Which leads to the obvious question 'would the other artists who suffered untimely deaths (as listed) have evoked such reactions if communication technology was what it is today?'

Yes. Simply.

But it's incomparable, the technologies were not there.

All i know is that watching the 'Another Part of Me' video from album 'Bad' on two occasions following MJ's death were both interrupted by tears as I was taken back to memories and good times. I haven't tried to watch the video since and have yet to manage the entire video, end to end.

Everyone claims to be a bigger MJ fan than the next and that they are more devastated than the next. No, we just all react differently.

Record sales aside (of which, MJ cannot be touched by any other artist), his performances, dedication to perfection and belief in his own 'sound' all set MJ apart from the crowd. He moved from Motown quintet lead vocals to a solo artist who strived to pioneer every aspect of his work, be it music, video, dancing, you name it. He even dressed differently, to describe him as a non conformist would be an understatement. But he did all of this because it was his vision, not to shock - no Elvis-esq 'sex sells', no drug fuelled escapades/influenced song writing.

A tormented soul craving love and affection, victim of his own success and talent, committed father, adult sized child and a gift to the world of music.

Michael Jackson, thank you.

BLACKsummersnight - Maxwell

2009-05-12T11:40:00.002+01:00

Well, seven years since his last LP and I'm very VERY pleased to say Maxwell has deemed it time to return. I know that his public persona is a mixture of Neo Soul/Pop/Sexy etc so some may view him as a contradictory artist in as far as the Prince-esq element of him immediately sets him apart from the Indie Soul scene. And there's a great deal of truth in that - like Prince, his music is about love and sex, invariably. And as such, his music instantly propelled into the Pop charts and appealed to the masses- hence going multi-platinum. That said, following Prince's lead (as did D'Angelo to a certain extent), Maxwell managed to prove that keeping the quality of his music 'true', he was able to remain respectful to the foundations of real, credible music whilst managing to sustain a high profile career.

All the while, taking some seven years out of music and the public eye out of conscious choice, it is testament to his character - a guy who is not driven by money or fame, yes he openly admits to making music to (and I quote) "clean the kitchen or make love to your girl to and make babies", he has grown from the embryonic days of his career (excuse the pun) and if you go on to YouTube, you'll see recent interview where he proves to be down to earth, have humility, humbleness and to a certain extent, shyness.

His first single 'Pretty Wings' is classy, sexy and understated. He has not tried to compensate for being away in this new single, instead he's managed to draw on his experience and has grown as a person and artist. Gone with the indulgent 'fro haircut, he is a normal guy and said himself that to make music of worth, you have to have life experience - something that is very tough to do whilst in the public eye.

I'm waiting with great anticipation for the new album (Tuesday 7th July 2009) and as a long term fan, I like many others feel like I know him in my own strange way. I'm proud to say I'm a fan and I admire him for his conscious decision to take so long to develop as a person and artist. He will likely sell millions of his new album by default - past fans still listen to his old music and would purchase the album regardless. But I dont think he's worried about this album blowing up or simply simmering gently. He's done it for himself and is thankful to have the attention of so many ears...and we (the fans) are in turn grateful to have him back in our lives.

Diggers

2009-05-01T16:32:00.003+01:00

Up to and including about 5/6 years ago, there was a major step forward in technology for music. Don't get me wrong, I've been into 'mp3' audio files in addition to my Vinyl and CD collection for quite some time before this, but it's only been recent times that storing your entire music collection digitally has taken over as the main method. Our mindset has altered dramatically, whether you're an artist, consumer or DJ and it feels like mp3's have been around forever, but cast your mind back only by a few years and you were buying CD's at HMV or on Amazon etc. It was at this time that there was an important decision to be made as a DJ. New DJ's had the option of being a 'Vinyl DJ' or a 'CD DJ' - those who are of this crowd will know what I'm on about - your choice of audio medium would immediately define what type of DJ you were and was the cause of long debates and the start of the great DJ divide. Many (myself included, as a 1983 baby) had little option but to embrace both, after all - whilst I've been buying new, classic and rare Vinyl since the mid to late 90's, some things are just too hard to come by and so CD's offered me the ability to build my collection. For me, CD's were instantly integrated into my personal and DJ music arsenal.

Enough blabbering on about my own experience, this blog instalment is about the question of :''What is 'Digging' and does it still exist?''

If you were unfortunate enough to have been born after the time when certain music was readily available - for example, when Motown was in the charts originally, as a Music philanthropist, you would 'have to' sift through second hand stores, records shops and the like, in search of that one Single, EP, or LP... and at the time, this was your holy grail - the one you'd been looking for since you can remember.

Eventually somehow (maybe destiny and karma mixed with re-presses?!) you and your desired record would cross paths and your search would end and simultaneously commence at that moment - after all, once you've found 'the one', there's instantly another 'one' that you 'NEED'.

I for one was and am still a Digger - I actively go out of my way in a relentless search of music, whether it be something I already know or something that I've caught a snippet of whilst being out and about (you know, when you hear a song, don't remember much other than you liked it and the tune went something like 'la, la lalala, da da de da da' or the lyrics said something particular or there was a violin intro).

But original Digging began and ended with Vinyl. That's it. That's where the term 'Vinyl Purist' comes from and it refers to the mantra of music is only credible when listened to and played on records - which encompasses a more organic sound and was the original way of recording music - making it available to the masses. Dont forget, to make a sound from a record, it involves physical movements and vibrations. So with this in mind, the 'purists' have a point and this translates well to the DJ world where 'proper' DJ's used to be the ones who used Vinyl as it involved the above physical elements, plus human physical intervention. The 'mixing' of records which DJ's employ has on occasion been put under scrutiny as it has been argued that it is an insult to the original tracks which have been crafted from end to end - the result of this argument has been a break-away group of DJ's who source rare records and stage nightclub events where the records are played from beginning to end with no DJ intervention/playing around (no scratching, beat juggling, mixing etc). These DJ's are the very critics of those who opted for Digital DJ methods which seemingly involved less talent and had little integrity, seems to me that there is certainly an element of hypocrisy there. Still that's another argument all together (especially as I'm one of the people who criticised CD DJ's at first.

Things have gone digital and Serato scratch allows a fusion of Analogue techniques with digital attributes - music technology has finally entered into a place where it walks hand-in-hand with the human element.

So with all of this in mind, the simple answer to whether or not Digging for records is still around - yes. I haven't purchased Vinyl for some time now, everything's Digital, although my lifelong quest to seek out new music, artists, styles and genre's is still there in full swing. The difference is that I get the added benefit of finding what I'm looking for and actually hearing it whenever I wish. That said, there are those occasions where you just can't replace Vinyl, as music has fused genre's since the beginning of musical time, so have the ways in which we listen to it. A Digger these days will know this and a true Digger will place more importance upon them music itself as opposed to the machine playing it. Music has always and will continue to remain the constant.

Comeback season!

2009-04-17T16:52:00.004+01:00

Seem's like this is the year for returns...here is some infor for you and yes, most of these are RnB singers, but dont shoot the messenger!

Maxwell's been working on his return for some time, reportedly a double album entitled 'Black Summers Night', due for release this summer. I'm almost nervous to hear this, I mean...it's been so long-awaited that I hope he does himself justice, it would be a shame to tarnish his legacy. But you know, he's talented and has taken his time over this and anyone who produces music knows, a project is never finished, so I'm guessing he's just improving on Neo Soul perfection.

T-Boz will be back I've heard, as will Miss Kelly Price! Now there's a name I've missed... Kelly Price, for those who don't know, is what you might call a soul singer from the 'old school'. I also hear that she's been in Jamaica working with TOK! Give her a ballad, a microphone and DONE, great music and a very welcome return. As for T-Boz, I have no idea what to expect, let's hope she does herself proud, she's contributed to some classics over the years.

Tank, singer of 'Maybe I deserve' and my personal favourite 'I wanna be that' (prod Jazze Pha) is due to return.

A little birdie tells me to expect a return from Toni Braxton. As I understand it, there will be production work from Rodney Jerkins (Darkchild). Not to sounds all negative on Toni, but the last time she 'came back' seemed to coincide with a period of time when she was broke. What ever happened to making music 'just because'? A word of advice Toni, if Brandy's most recent offering is anything to go by, steer clear of Mr Jerkins.

Jodeci are expected to release their long awaited reunion album. I remember the K-Ci and Jo-Jo album 'X' (remember the single 'Crazy'? THAT album) which had an incredible hidden gem of a track on it by Jodeci call 'Slip 'N Fall'...if that's anything to go by then a return album will be worth while.

Speaking of Jodeci, Dru Hill have apparently once again set themselves up with a new member and will return. 'Dru World Order' was good in some places, at least the guys write and produce, credit where it's due.

New album from Omarion due too (blah blah blah).

And with a recent Brandy offering of course follows another...from Monica - will those two ever be mentioned without ones mind drifting to the other?!

Whitney Houston is out of rehab and recording/writing, so expect something from her, I'd love to see if she can come back with a new sound again, 'it's not right but it's okay' was ridiculous.

Case... yes CASE is due to return! Lets see what happens there, 'cause the album 'Open Letter' was inconsistent to say the least, although I still regularly play 'Crooked Letter'! Looking forward to this one!

Nu, Neo or just plain Soul?

2009-04-16T16:22:00.000+01:00

Seems to me that this needs clearing up prior to writing any actual reviews - we, the fans of Soul music are an elitist bunch when it comes to how we view music and more importantly, how the world views what 'we' collectively listen to - Soul music is an expression of self. I'm the first to admit that this is not a nice trait, find yourself in the Jazz Cafe in London and it won't be long before the words 'credible' are uttered by your host for the evening, again elitist and not a necessary term. All music has a purpose on some level even if be as simple as getting people on to the dance floor - as a DJ I've been guilty of playing 'RnB' and 'Rap' (not to be confused with Soul or Hip Hop), but remember, music is about 'feeling' and this can be expressed in a serious or fun, light-hearted way.

The terms 'neo', 'nu' and 'neoclassical' often get used ahead of 'soul'. Many artists don't like to be branded this way, but let's be real, no matter how you fuse various genre's together, classifications are what define us and to me, being pigeon-holed in some cases can be wrong, but when it comes to music, why not. I mean, I love to share 'my' music with those who have yet to experience the feeling I get from the music I love so much and so to define it is to declare it's existence. Us soul fans define the music by using terms such as 'conscious' and as being a 'movement'. And it is just that. The word 'conscious' is banded around to cover many genre's of music and in general refers to the music having a deeper meaning than simply selling records - lyrical content that is written for a reason (self expression, political stance and other down-to-earth, relevant subjects) and a musical sound that doesn't shout 'chart topper', instead staying true to the use of live instruments, allowing artists within the band to shine and importantly - paying attention to the importance of recognising the necessity to stay true.

I call 'my' music 'Neo Soul', it's what I listen to, it's what I do. It's fair to say that most music genre's derive from others in some way shape or form. When I say 'Soul', I refer to a less contemporary sound, it doesn't have to be old in terms of when it was made, but the values are somewhat different to Neo Soul. When I say 'RnB', I refer to a more pop-orientated sound. When I say Neo-Soul I refer to a sound which encompasses experimentation and fusions of whatever genre's feel right, be they Soul, Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk, Rock...anything.

How to know if you're listening to Neo Soul and not any others?

Start with the basics - D'Angelo - Brown Sugar. To me, D'Angelo is the personification of Neo Soul, although his second album 'Voodoo' is where his creativity took his music to a new level...Voodoo moves that little bit further away and into the mind of the man himself and although you see an appearance from Method Man and Redman, the album as an entity is a perfect fusion comprising an epic album. Listen to Voodoo and you'll understand Neo Soul.

Movement? Conscious? Credible?

Are these fair terms for Neo Soul? Yes, for now. There is a general acceptance amongst Neo Soul fans of a certain way of being and understanding of what the music is there for, doing and aiming for. It remains to be seen whether or not it will cross over. With originators like Omar, D'Angelo and Maxwell all maintaining their original focus, they lead by example and if the others can follow in their footsteps, Neo Soul will continue to thrive, on the borders of underground, just where it belongs.

VJing..ready to become the new standard

2009-04-16T09:31:00.004+01:00

So I'm looking at good old www.htfr.com , checking mixers - been a long time since I took my trusty 1210's out of storage and I'm ready to get back into it - new mixer needed. I know I've been out of the (DJ) game for a fair while now (the resurrection cometh), but sheeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiit, has it been THAT long?
In my day, if it had a digital crossfade your were like 'whoa, that crossfade is so damn smoooooooooth'...but now a days, kids got touch screens.
For those who CAN get their mind round how scratching comes across via A/V mixing (i mean how the audience will see the scratching on screen), imagine scratching two images (obviously you'd be scratching a video which includes music too) with your crossfade set to visual 'chroma key' or 'wipe' effect - so the cut isn't just a 'fade' from one image to another...this adds an entire new dimension to VJing to such an extent that simple mixing can now be seen as 'prep work' for VJing... if you don't VJ, you're way behind and in the next few years, perhaps near on redundant in the club scene as VJing becomes ever present..!!!

Man, no matter what level you think you're at as a DJ, step your game UP!

2009-04-07T23:48:00.001+01:00

I've been contemplating this for a while... should I jump on board the blogging gravy train, and become 'me 2.0' ? The reality is, why not?! I guess there are various reasons as to why any individual deems it relevant to post their life online to the masses, many individuals see blogging as a means to communicate for other reasons (social networking, money, pr, downloading etc...), for me it's a case of allowing myself to indulge in occasional rants, express my views on music and generally use it as a therapeutic outlet. Of course, I'm not here to spill my thoughts on everything, it just seems like a good place to tell the world what's on my mind whenever it suits and who knows, perhaps my Blogging therapy will conclude eventually with a mental breakthrough which is a life-altering revelation?! Hmm, unlikely as it sounds, it's new territory and I think that it'll be a combination of diary-meets-music reviewing-meets-random other life activities.

So here goes, first things first, time to get some coding and make this thing look pleasing to the eye, then I'll kick things off with some posts and have a grand unveiling, red ribbon and all. Until then, sleepy time, me thinks..