'UNDERGROUND/HEAD’S DOWN’ - THURSDAY 10pm til 12AM on FM 99.3 (Sydney EST)

I just took a peek over at the Raw Fusion website, in particular their roster of artists. They've worked with practically all upcoming and big names in the scene over the last few years - what a label...

so of course we get into some of their stuff: Sygaire's 'Barracuda' killed it! plus huge remix of Lee McDonald, new Quantic, more J Davey, exciting stuff from 2000 Black (congrats on 10 years), a new Spoonface remix, Atjazz have a great new LP, and some goodness from the Raw Fusion Allstars. Doin James, of course

'UNDERGROUND' HAS MOVED TO THURSDAY 10PM-12AM  - a better time of the week and the evening, plus more resources at our disposal. I'm with that... thanks to those who have tuned in, emailed, and called up on Mondays these last months. Over time this will get bigger and bigger!

11PM

Sygaire - 'The Barracuda'  - Raw Fusion

Sonar Circle - 'Gettin Through' - Twisted Funk

Altered Natives - 'Tomorrow is the New Today (instrumental)' - Eye 4 Eye Recordings

I.G. Culture - 'B Free' - Freedom School

Atjazz ft. Ernesto and Cee Rock - 'Underlined' - Mantis

2000 Black - 'So Right' - 2000 Black

Lee McDonald - 'I'll Do Anything For You' (Yann Kesz remix)' - Favorite

Spoonface - 'Yang Style (Danny Native remix version)' - Faada 

Jamie Lidell - 'Another Day (Rustie remix)' - Warp

D-Frost Beats - 'King James Version' - GAMM

Mono/Poly - 'Beat Snippets' - innernet

J Davey - 'Touch It' - Independent Media/Illav8r

Les Gammas  - 'Servus Mr Bond' - Compost Germany

Quantic as Flowering Inferno - 'Cuidad del Swing' - Tru Thoughts

Opio ft. Del and Guilty Simpson - 'Superfly Shit (remix)' - Hiero Imperium

Presto ft. Ark -  'Street' - Concrete Grooves

Aklimatize ft. Deviant - 'What We Want' - Future Element Recordings

Spoonface and the Wah Collective - 'Slow Your Roll' - Faada

Wayna ft. Muhsinah - 'Billie Club' -

Muhsinah and Jake One - 'You' - innahnet

Up Hygh ft. Melo - 'Get Out My Face' - Raw Fusion/Jugglin

Steve Spacek - 'Simply So (SA-RA remix)' - Sound in Colour

DJ Mitsu the Beats - 'Mine Lady' - Jazzy Sport

LATE

hopefully get a podcast of this show up real soon

next week's show THURSDAY 10PM-12AM and that's where it's living from now on!

'UNDERGROUND/HEAD’S DOWN’ - THURSDAY 10pm til 12AM on FM 99.3 (Sydney EST)

 

Written for inthemix.com.au, where a more sensible version can be read

It’s been a big weekend. The decision had been made. No more drinking. Yet here we are at the Gaelic, Laura Loh and Howard, having just had one more. The doors at 9:50 and we phew because the Bamboos and that sweet Kylie Auldist aren’t hitting until elevenish. Kylie has an album to launch and the Bamboos a reputation to consolidate. One of the tightest funk bands in the world and we have Melbourne to thank. Loh, her of raven hair and charm, was all confidence about the amount of women that would be crammed in. She’s wrong, but not way off. There’s a mix and it’s a long way from the dick dick dick that are hiphop gigs.

The vibe is great. It’s Sunday for a start. Plus we all know for damn sure that we don’t have to be at or Platypus Shoes or TAFE tomorrow. Gees the bar staff are lovely. Look at them. Lipreading our orders over the noise, using their fingers to signify the damage. Just don’t confuse my Coopers with a Fosters. Kylie Auldist soul singer is moving through the crowd, three drinks in hand. Doesn’t she know I’m going to recognise her and speak to her like I know her when I actually don’t? Clearly not. I’ve no doubt she’ll deliver the goods tonight.

Clayton Dooley and the Organ Donors are supporting. They’re no crutch, more like gyprock. The keyboard he plays has a real sound to it. What vibes. Those could lift the weight off any soldier’s shoulders. These guitarists look like Vikings although don’t wield their guitars like an axe at all. It’s all quite effortless.

The drummer – well he’s an icecube of cool. If anyone impressed, it was this man. He just goes about his business. So we got quite a rousing opener, some wild energy for the follow up and then hooooo. Some track called Better Act My Age is getting played. Dooley is singing about friends having babies and getting grown and I’ll be damned if that isn’t a fresh breeze? People are really digging on it and it’s a highlight so far. The experience of these players is pretty evident. They lock into a tight groove easily. Blues, funk, soul. No sweat for them but plenty from everyone else. During the Booker T medley the tallest man in the venue finds Loh, all elegance but quite short, and decides to stand in front of her. Oh, we laugh, but she was quite shitted. A round of solos wraps it up. Dooley and co, you were tight.

Huwston is following, doing his turntable thing, making it look simple. The stage sure looks empty without all the band on there and a DJ just stuck away in the corner. Comical dance moves ensue. Yes, we’re having a good time. That Ben Westbeech ‘Squeeze Me Tight’ track comes in and I’m glad to here it out. The man can do no wrong in my eyes. MC Ichiban is yelling bobobobobo, bobobobo. It’s Bamboos time.

What a band. Horn section, guitarists, drummer all look sharp. Their suits are crisp. Drummer looks barely 18 but he hangs with the best of them. Straight in the pocket with ‘In the Bamboo Groove’, it doesn’t take long for the introduction of Auldist. Album barely released, her role is not simple. Most the audience won’t be familiar with her songs. And here she is covering ‘My Baby’s Cheatin’, plus all other vocals for the night. She has her work cut out but she’s a talented one.

Damn these guys are entertaining. Lance Ferguson leads. He’s holding that guitar like it’s his baby. No surprises that Auldist is really smashing her own tracks like ‘Cut Me Loose’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Stop’. The cover of ‘Bring It Home’ seems a bit stiff though. A little more of the band just jamming would be nice too. Dynamics in the Gaelic could be a factor. Vocals seem a little sunk compared to the tooting and banging of the rest of the band. Hey now! Auldist and this band are really hitting stride the longer this set runs. She knocks over a ballad, no worries. ‘No Use’ has a swing to it, and ‘Community Service Announcement’ is the song of the year. This keyboardist is just tapping away when he needs to. He’s super comfortable. They’ve left the stage now. Surely they’ll be back. Don’t worry Loh. I knew they would be – see, here they go, and I’m not missing Alice Russell at all. ‘Step It Up’ is a banger. Things are closed out darn well with ‘Never Did I Stop Loving You’.

All smiles. Terrific show.

tru-thoughts.co.uk

Άσε το γραμμόφωνο να παίζει, σε παρακαλώ... μου αρέσει να ακούω το "τσιτσίρισμα" του βινυλίου: Mon chere, dey play our song.... 3,5/5

hot8brassband.com

myspace.com/hot8brassband

NATURAL SELF makes a mean breakfast. We're not just talking some, fry up any old egg and throw a tin of beans onto a hot plate type vibe. His fry-up's are pure class. A 100% English gentleman's breakfast.

Dude gets hella pimpy. I mean, the man pre-heats his plates before putting the breakfast onto them. Need I say more? Definition of PIMP. Class dismissed.

Somehow we conned the TRU THOUGHTS recording artist and frequent TTL HYPEE into doing an EXCLUSIVE MM!!! MIX for us. We're not asking any questions though. Natural Self's percussive blend of roots, funk and soul is that HIGH QUALITY stuff. Much like everything else he does.

LISTEN!!! - NATURAL SELF, THE EXCLUSIVE!!!

myspace.com/flevansmusic

myspace.com/meyoubrighton

belleruche.com

myspace.com/belleruche

The homie NOSTALGIA77 is on tour in Japan right now. We chatted for a second online yesterday which consisted of mostly me being jealous of him and my insistence that he head for the Meiji Temple in the middle of Harajuku. Some serious monk vibe in the middle of a consumer smorgasbord. Awesome.

Nostalgia made this mix to hand out while on tour so as far as I know this is the only place you can get it outside of Nippon. It's a serious mix of jazzfunkandsoul with some cumbia's and latin vibe thrown in for good measure. SERIOUSLY TIGHT MIX by the british dj/composer/friend of small animals phenom.

Wish I was touring.

LISTEN!!! - NOSTALGIA IN NIPPON 08

Une des plus belles voix du trip-hop anglais après Beth Gibbons de Portishead...

Turntable Soul Music - Tru Thoughts Recordings

Belleruche - Northern girls

Belleruche - live at the Big Chill, Eastnor.

[audio http://aurgasm.us/music/Belleruche%20-%20Minor%20Swing.mp3]

Belleruche - It’ll Come

(clique droit pour ouvrir le morceau)

[audio http://aurgasm.us/music/Belleruche%20-%20It'll%20Come.mp3]

Hope your having a good start to the year, thought I would kick it off with some wallet friendly free downloads from Tru Thoughts, an independent record label run by Robert Luis and Paul Jonas. Established in 1999 in Brighton, it has attracted and nurtured a whole host of amazing artists ranging from the authentic New Orleans brass band Hot8 to the legendary Quantic who has gained much respect for both his sample based production and his live performances with the Quantic Soul Orchestra.

Hot8 Brass Band - It's Real

Founded by Bennie Pete in 1995, the Hot8 Brass band has been the showpiece of street music for over ten years. They have toured fairly extensively and play regularly at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Having experienced first-hand the hardships of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, they have become the featured band of the grassroots project SAVE OUR BRASS! playing out in various evacuee shelters and trailer parks across New Orleans.

Belleruche - Reflection

Belleruche is a wholesome trio consisting of a Kathrin deBoer (vocals), a Ricky Fabulous (guitar) and a DJ Modest (decks). Their music is a loose combination of jazz, hiphop and soul and has already been compared to the sounds of Lamb and Portishead. Sounds good to me.

Nostalgia77 Octet - Changes

Nostalgia77 Octet is a pimped up nine piece live band under the creative vision of of artist, and producer, Nostalgia77 (who won the Jazz album of the Year at the Radio One Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards). 'Changes' is taken from the live album which was recorded at the Jazz Café and includes six live jazz tracks and 18 minutes of the acclaimed The Hope Suite track.

Spanky Wilson - Blood From a Stone

Spanky Wilson (I do love her name) is a jazz, funk and soul singer from Los Angeles who has a musical history dating back to the 1960's. She has recorded songs with artists such as Marvin Gaye, Sammy Davis Jnr., Jimmy Smith and more recently with the Quantic Soul Orchestra.

Bonobo - Dinosaurs

Bonobo's first release was on the Tru Thought's compilation 'When Shapes Join Together'. His well thought out production carries a lot of influences from jazz and funk to broken beat and soul. He has since changed label to Ninjatune (where you should check his 'Dial M for Monkey' album).

Spanky Wilson - A Message To Tomorrow