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BACK TO NICENESS 23/07/11

BACK TO NICENESS 23/07/11 by Dj Kwak on Mixcloud

FONCE MIZELL TRIBUTE MIX BY KEVIN BEADLE

While I was away, I heard the sad news about Alphonso "Fonce" Mizell, half of the infamous Mizell Brothers, that died on july 11th. The list of productions by the duo is very, very long ... from Motown to Blue Note and back via Prestige and Columbia ...

Rest in Peace.

Kevin Beadle made a tribute mix for Gilles Peterson.

More shows from Kev Beadle here ...



Fonce Mizell Tribute Mix by Kevin Beadle by Brownswood

TRACKLIST

gary bartz – music is my sanctuary (capitol)
donald byrd – lansana’s priestess (blue note)
bobbi humphrey – chicago, damn (blue note) blacks & blues
the blackbyrds – reggins (fantasy)
edwin starr – easin in (motown)
johnny hammond – tell me what to do (milestone)
donald byrd – stepping into tomorrow (blue note)
bobbi humphrey – new york times (blue note)
taste of honey – I love you (capitol)
the jackson five – it’s great to be here (tamla motown)
donald byrd – you and music (blue note)
donald byrd – onward til’ morning (blue note)
johnny hammond – back to the projects (salvation)
gary bartz – carnival de l’esprit (capitol)
roger glenn – rio (fantasy)
donald byrd – change makes you want to hustle (blue note)
rance allen group – peace of mind (capitol)
l.t.d. – love to the world (a&m)
johnny hammond – los conquistadores chocolates (milestone)
donald byrd – love’s so far away (blue note)
gary bartz – sea gypsy (prestige)
johnny hammond – star borne (salvation)
bobbi humphrey – harlem river drive (blue note)
donald byrd – fallin like dominoes (blue note)
a taste of honey – world spin (capitol)
marvin gaye – where are we going (tamla motown)
rance allen group – reason to survive (capitol)
donald byrd – think twice (blue note)
the Jackson five – love is the thing you need (tamla motown)
the blackbyrds – hash & eggs (fantasy)
johnny hammond – fantasy (milestone)
bobbi humphrey – uno esta (blue note)
donald byrd – places & spaces (blue note)

Via Gilles Peterson

BACK TO NICENESS 16/07/11

BACK TO NICENESS 16/07/11 by Dj Kwak on Mixcloud

6 MONTHS DEEP IN 2011 ... MY FAVORITE TRACKS SO FAR ...

Kwak's 2011 favorites (Part.1) by Laid Back on Mixcloud

PLAYLIST :

+/ Intro
+/ Mongo Santamaria : Mambo Mongo Joe Claussell remix (Fania)
+/ Beastie Boys feat. Santigold : don’t play a game that I can win (Capitol)
+/ Nas : nasty (CBS)
+/ Quantic Y su Combo Barbaro : mas pas Dj Day remix (Tru Thoughts)
+/ Colman Brothers : she who dares (Wah Wah 45's)
+/ Hackney Collieri Band : no diggity (Wah Wah 45's)
+/ Floyd Lawson : rooftop sugar (Record Kicks)
+/ Pedders : hankuri (GAMM)
+/ Raphael Saadiq : moving down the line (Columbia)
+/ Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 : african soldier (Knitting Factory)
+/ The Mighty Show Stoppers : shaft in africa (Freestyle)
+/ Colman Brothers : el nino (Wah Wah 45's)
+/ Mongo Santamaria : funk down Joe Claussell Remix (Fania)
+/ Ikebe Shakedown : tujunga (Ubiquity)
+/ Dego feat. Obenewa : love and hate you (2000 Black)
+/ Mizz Beats : pimpin (Eglo)
+/ Azymuth : roda piao Spiritual South remix (Far Out)
+/ Omar & Zed Bias : dancing (Tru Thoughts)
+/ Ramadanman : working with (Night Slugs)
+/ Pinch : Croydon House (Swamp 81)
+/ Four Tet : Pinnacles (Text)
+/ Addisson Groove : work it (Swamp 81)
+/ Pharoahe Monch : feat. Showtyme & Dj Boogie Blind : clap one day (Duckdown)
+/ Quantic y Su Combo Los Miticos del Ritmo : step into the world (Tru Thoughts)
+/ La Banda 20 de Julio de Repellon : la pita (Soundway)
+/ Cantina Y Su Combo : Santa Marta cumbia (Soundway)
+/ Young Montana : sacre cool (Alphapup)
+/ Dimlite : loins (Now Again)
+/ Opolopo feat. Amalia : bonafide (Tokyo Dawn)
+/ Inner Life : make it last forever M&M Mix (BBE)
+/ Randa & The Soul Syndrome : the things (Freestyle)
+/ Brassroots : good life (Brownswood)
+/ Silkie : float (Deep Medi)
+/ Africa Hitech : cyclic sun (Warp)


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BACK TO NICENESS 18/06/11 (RAINER TRÜBY IN THE MIX)

BACK TO NICENESS 18/06/11 (RAINER TRÜBY IN THE MIX) by Dj Kwak on Mixcloud

WHAT IS A REAL LEGEND ... ABOUT LEMMY (THE MOVIE) AND OTHER THOUGHTS RELATED TO IT ...

Lately, while listening to the radioshows I usually listen to (Benji B, Gilles P, amongst others), I hear the word "legend" too much. "The lengendary this, the outstanding that, this cat is pure legend" are words that are coming very often in one's mouth. If the word fits for the late Gil Scott Heron (for example) or for Lolleata Holloway (Rest In Power, both of you), I don't think it fits when one talks about dubstep or electro artists that released the huge amount of 3 twelve inches and/or half a decent album. Put it on the speed of the 2.0 digital life nowadays, or the need to create characters that stand out; but I trully believe that, for most of those cats, the title "Legend" comes far too early. I even know a belgian deejay that hails himself as a legend in interviews and on posters. When I read or hear that, I have to hold my breath not to die laughing.

Real legends are capable of persistance and stamina; real legends reinvent themselves every so often by adding a sustantial element to their carreer. Real legends are key and influential figures in what they create. Real legends stand the test of time. Wankers eventually stand the test of hype. And when, a legend disappoints, it goes down to a very nice souvenir. Like Rakim, for example. Amongst others. Recently, I went to attend a show by Slayer with Megadeth as an opening act. Two of the Big 4 in thrash metal (along with Anthrax and Metallica). Megadeth went down in the rankings and became a nice memory. Slayer stepped up.

So, on thursday night, my better half took me to the movies. Not to any movie, but to a movie whose subject is a real legend. You may have heard about him. He is called Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister. 49% motherfucker; 51% son of a bitch, as the title of the movie suggests. The man's carreer spans almost 40 years. In bands that made the legend in their own game ... Hawkwind, Mötörhead ... I mean, yo !

Those who know me personaly know that I grew up on rock n roll as much as on hip hop, soul and jazz. You also know I've been to 25 (or so) Mötorhead shows. My son has the name Lemmy as 4th name. Yes, I'm a fan. Althought, I don't buy and listen to their albums (except for the "Live at Hammersmith").



His legend starts being the roadie for Jimi Hendrix, but the carreer started a few years before. Playing in small time bands. Someone suggested that the rest in just bonus. Sorry James but I can't agree on that point of view. The rest is where the real legend begins. And it is still in the making. The stamina, the perseverance, becoming an icon. There stands the legend. Not before. Not further. As Dave Grohl puts it : "while the so-called legends are living the big life in the most expensive hotels in Paris, dating top models and sipping champagne, touring every so often, Lemmy is probalbly drinking Jack and Coke on the road and producing another record". Everything is said in that quote. Lemmy keeps on doing what he needs to do, what he does best. So should I ... so should you. Pursuing the need, the vow of integrity, no matter the changes of hype and fashion.

I organise my beliefs in a very pagan way. Around trees and other natural beauties (I prayed when I first saw the Fish River Canyon in Namibia), musicians, authors, film makers. And I firmly believe that concert halls and sport arenas are the cathedrals of our times. Attending a show by the Beastie Boys, George Clinton, or Mötorhead are pagan celebrations in their own right, attend a football game at Camp Nou with the FC Barcelona Cuvée 2009-11 is a pagan celebration in its own right. Going there, watch a movie by, or with, Clint Eastwood, read a book by James Ellroy or Gary Victor is equivalent to going to church in my opinion. And as much as Church can be an institution, those who remain wild and pagan remain the real guards of the temple. By being so, they open the doors, add new ways of doing things, they make the institution move forward. They make the insiders of the institution look back at it and start the process of improving it. Because they are very much looked at and observed.

Hagiographers tend to be very fast at giving one the status of a legend. Especially when one passed away. It is their core business to do so. But looking back at that point of view should lead you to the conclusion thatAs hagiographical as this movie can be, the legend was made before the film makers even thought about making it. And Lemmy is still alive and kicking. Without him, the world of rock n roll wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't have evolved to what it is nowadays. Lemmy is the guardian of the Rock N Roll temple. Because of his integrity. The rest is history.



SITE

MO AND GRAZZ REMIXED

Mo & Grazz remixed by Monkey Robot, Smimooz and more quality producers around this small country ... Check this out ... and grab this for free ...

"OUR PARTY " TOMORROW

A PLACE FOR YOU (GIL SCOTT HERON TRIBUTE)

Paris-based vocalist Sandra Nkaké and friends created 'A Place for You' as their tribute to the late Gil Scott Heron (RIP). Based on Gil's cover of 'Inner City Blues' the tribute features Jean Phi Dary on rhodes, Antoine Berjeaut on trumpet, Matthieu Ouaki on guitar, Jî Drû on flute and of course Sandra Nkaké on vocals.

Sandra asked Mark de Clive Low to remix the song, which he did ...


DOWNLOAD

The complete album is available HERE.

Enjoy.

WU TANG LIVE IN LONDON (VIDEO)

As the allmighty Wu will be at Vooruit on june 29th ...



Via Hip Hop Chronicle

BACK TO NICENESS 11/06/11

BACK TO NICENESS 11/06/11 by Dj Kwak on Mixcloud

KENNY DOPE ON A MIXING SPREE !

Not one, but 2 dope mixes by the Dopeman aka Kenny Dope from Masters At Work fame ... crate-digger, producer, dj ... an icon, really ...

The first mix is dedicated to A Tribe Called Quest :

Underground Tribe Mix by Kenny Dope

The Second mix is a old school joints mix ...

Old Skool (HIP HOP) by Kenny Dope

In both cases, click on the arrow to download ...

Enjoy.



Via Kevin Nottingham

THE RETURN OF KOOL KEITH (VIDEO)

Via Dj Soul

IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE : A MIXTAPE BY DJ BRAINCHILD

As 2000 Black announced the release of the forthcoming album by Dego, Dj Brainchild recorded a mixtape with exclusive material, already released songs by the man, etc ...

Sounds good to me ...

Enjoy.

ON POINT RELEASE NUMERO 5

Jazz Neversleeps / JtotheC - Take Care Of You from On-Point TV on Vimeo.

On Point, as a blog, started many years ago with very high quality content. On Point, as a record label started last year. The main release is "Blend" by Uphigh Collective feat. Delvis.
It started as a joke, a birthday present from one friend (Alex, the boss) to another (J to The C, a very talented artist).
This is the forthcoming release from the label. Featuring Jazzneversleeps and J To The C. The vynil pressing is limited to 300 copies and delivered with a downloading code. You can pre-order HERE and HERE.

Enjoy.

OP05 - Jazz Neversleeps - TakeCareOfYou ft. Jtothec / Diepgank - snippets by on-point

Liner notes:

After his debut release on On-Point Records' third 7inch single, Jazz Neversleeps has proven to be one bass heavy monster. A mere six months later, and with support from the likes of Omar S, Moodymann, Charles Webster, San Soda, Nosedrip, Ondasonora, Om Unit and Lefto, this single sees him taking things up another notch. Exploring all sides of the dancefloor, latenight, early morning, peaktime craze with the vocal deepness. Genre-hopping like there is no tomorrow.

'Take Care Of You' shows JtotheC in his deepest of modes, multi-layered vocalist extraordinaire, he's been making name since his lo-fi Nono 7inch, and Getta2Getta broken beat anthem have gotten him to share the stage with the likes of Aloe Blacc, Baloji, Selah Sue, Moiano, Fata and many more.

PHAROAHE MONCH FEAT. STYLES P & PHONTE : BLACK HAND SIDE (VIDEO)

One of my favorite tracks from the "W.A.R" album by Pharoahe Monch ... feat. Styles P (The Lox) on the rhymes and Phonte (Foreign Exchange) on the chorus ...




Via Soul Culture.

STRICTLY NICENESS BIRTHDAY PARTY

+/ On y est arrivés. C’est la dernière Strictly Niceness de la saison numéro 9. C’est l’anniversaire aussi. En famille. Comme chaque année. Dj Eleven le Fils Prodigue, Dj Reedoo le Divin Chauve, et les résidents Bernard Dobbeleer et Kwak. Une bien belle nuit en perspective.
La prochaine saison verra plusieurs changements notoires. Mais c’est une autre histoire. Plus d’infos suivront très bientôt.

+/ Het is weer zover. De laatste Strictly Niceness van het negende seizoen. Zoals elk jaar vieren we tevens onze verjaardag. Een familiaal gebeuren.. Kom het met ons meevieren op 11 juni. DJ Eleven the Prodigal Son, DJ Reedoo the Divine Baldhead en residents Bernard Dobbeleer en DJ Kwak achter de draaitafels voor alweer een zotte nacht.

Het volgende seizoen zijn er veel veranderingen op komst. Maar dat is een ander verhaal. Binnenkort meer nieuws!

+/ It’s that time of the year again. The last Strictly Niceness of the season number 9. It’s the anniversary also. As every year. A family thing. On june 11th, come and celebrate with us. Dj Eleven the Prodigal Son, Dj Reedoo the divine Baldhead and the residents Bernard Dobbeleer and Dj Kwak behind the decks for a crazy night.
The next season will see plenty of changes. But it’s another story. More info will follow very soon.

DEGO : WHAT EVER FEAT. LOVEBUGZ

Dego, from 4 Hero (thanks Bla for the correction) fame, is about to release a new album with Taylor Mc Ferrin, Nia Andrews, Obenewa or Kaidi Tatham amongst others ... You heard one of the new tracks on The Back To Niceness Show a couple of weeks ago ...
The track presented here will not be featured on the album and is exclusively released via Put Me On It and Rappers I Know.

d e g o "What Ever" feat LuvBugz by ameliaideh



DOWNLOAD

BACK TO NICENESS 04/06/11

BACK TO NICENESS 04/06/11 by Dj Kwak on Mixcloud

GEORGIA & DUDLEY GIVE YOU THEIR FREE ALBUM

Courtesy of the Mello Music Group, Georgia Ann Muldrow and Dudley Perkins are offering their album called "Mothaship Connect" to their listeners ... The beats are produced by GA, Flying Lotus, Oh No, Black Milk and it features Kool G Rap, MED, Rapper Big Pooh and Black Milk on the Mic device ... Amongst others ...

Dudley smokes it with his complex multi layered and mystical rhyming ... As for Georgia, she does her usual business, between signing and deconstructed melodies ...

All in all, a very nice album ...

Enjoy.

FOREIGN BEGGARS : THE HARDER THEY FALL EP

I remember attending a live show from The Foreign Beggars gang lest year at Worldwide Festival. It was nothing but insane. The sound was incredibly powerful, the entered the stage jumping and left the stage one and a half hourt later, they were still jumping. Their energy reminded me of some punk-hardcore and metal shows I attended back in the days with bands like Biohazard, Cro-Mags, Pantera, Slayer amongst others. Their rhyming was tight as a needle's eye, and again, the sound was ferocious. Especially on a Funktion One soundsystem. Sick show, very nice time ... And one question at the end of the show : "What the f*** was that ?"

The Beggars are back with an EP called "The Harder they Fall", to cut a long story short, it has awesome and intricate rhyming upon crazy grime and dubstep beats. Can't wait to listen to that on a big phat soundsystem.

In the shops as from June 6th.



Preorder HERE

BROWNSWOOD POP UP NIGHT @ LE BAR DU MATIN

DAVID RODIGAN'S DUBWIZE SHOWER ON BBE

Those who know me personally know that I'm a reggae fiend and a fan of David Rodigan. The Gentleman Rudeboy helped launching the rocket called "Reggae Music" in England and therefore, in the entire world. There is a legend saying that if there is one dubplate by Bob Marley, it should be in Rodigan's box ... Anyway, here is another compilation curated by the man and to be released on the mighty BBE label. It's called "Dubwize shower" and it's dedicated to dub as you might have guessed ...

In the shops as from july 25th.

Press Release :

Dub music originated in the studios of Kingston, Jamaica in the early 1970’s as recording engineers began experimenting with analogue tapes using personally customised delay, echo and reverb effects. It was, in effect, the next step on from a straight instrumental recording or version. The idea of breaking down the elements in a traditional recording and choosing to hi-light vocals and various instruments in an echo chamber had a major impact on dancers in the Jamaican lawns, where the enormous sound systems would play.

The main protagonists of this unique development in sound creation were the sound engineers King Tubby (who actually owned his own sound system) Errol T. Thompson, Lee Perry and Sylvan Morris.

This album ‘Dubwize Showers’ is primarily a compilation of classic dub recordings made by those prolific engineers whilst also encompassing the work of younger contributors to the genre such as Alborosie and Da Grynch. The id! eal conditions in which to enjoy these tracks is when they are being pumped out of an enormous, heavy duty sound system where the full effect and legacy of Jamaican Dub music can be fully appreciated.

It was these dub recordings which have influenced and inspired many of our greatest drum and bass and dubstep producers.

DOCUMENTING THE EARLY DAYS OF THE BELGIAN SOUL SCENE

Lander Lenaerts, better known as The Blast Kid is a dj and a record collector and, above all, a very decent human being. I really enjoy spinning with him as I always get to discover stuff I didn't know.

His passion for music and cinema led him to produce and direct this excellent documentary. This movie tells the story of the early days of the Belgian Soul Scene as told by it pionneering deejays ... Gerry and Gibbe obviously have great stories to tell ...

Belgian Popcorn from Laid Back on Vimeo.

As Lander puts it : "Belgium, 1970. While most radio stations and discotheques are playing the pop and rock hits of the day, a new venue opens in the small village of Vrasene, near Sint-Niklaas. The place is called The Popcorn and the dj’s play obscure soul records which they slow down in order to create their own sound. A few years later, music lovers and dancers come from all over Belgium, France and The Netherlands to enjoy this unique music. More and more venues start playing this style of music, which they refer to as ‘the Popcorn sound’ or ‘Popcorn Oldies’.
Somewhat the Belgian equivalent of England’s better known Northern Soul movement, Popcorn was an underground, at first regional, phenomenon led by dj’s who dug deep to find musical treasures that would please their specific crowd. Both scenes show a lot of similarities: the crowd (mostly working class youngsters), the dance temples (The Wigan’s Casino and The Twisted Wheel in the UK, The Groove and The Popcorn in Belgium), the own dance style, the quest for obscure soul records, the covering up of labels so that competitors couldn’t see what they were playing, the bootlegs and so on.
And although both scenes are sometimes named in one breath, they yield a lot of differences too: where Northern Soul is mostly uptempo, the Popcorn dj’s chose softer songs and slowed them down most of the time. Some artists who were popular in Northern Soul clubs, might’ve never been played in Popcorn venues and vice versa. Northern Soul is a name given to a specific group of soul songs, while Popcorn is a melting pot of styles, ranging from rhythm ‘n’ blues to latin and ska.
Fast forward forty years, and Popcorn is known all over the world. American specialized record dealers advertise some of their soul records with the typical afterbeat rhythm as ‘Belgian Popcorn’, although it are songs by American artists. In their landmark book ‘Last Night A Dj Saved My Life’, authors Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton write that Popcorn made Belgians love slow music, and thus paved the way for New Beat, Belgium’s most influential musical style yet and the foundations for a lot of today’s contemporary dance music.
And yet, in those forty years, mainstream media have hardly paid any attention to this phenomenon. Although the Popcorn scene is very vivid these days, the history of it is hardly documented. In an attempt to change this, I made the short documentary ‘Belgian Popcorn’. The film tells the story of Popcorn through the eyes of dj’s Gerry and Gibbe, two of the founding fathers of the genre. They speak about the early days of the scene, about record digging in basements in the UK, and they return for a last time to The Popcorn, which closed in 2003. As the building is currently in the process of being demolished, this is the last footage ever shot of one of the most legendary discotheques in Belgium.
This documentary is far from a complete historical overview of Belgian Popcorn. Making such a film would be nearly impossible, as there are many people who have contributed to the movement at different times and in different places. This short documentary puts the focus on the early days of the scene, as seen by two of its key figures."

More info HERE and HERE.



Blast Kid on Mixcloud

Blast Kid on Tumblr


Via Laid-Back

VERSION 1 : PHIL ASHER GOES YARDIE

Do not ask me why I got there (because i was thinking about a nice festival in a sunny location, maybe), but I stumbled upon this ... A Strictly Dub Mix by the Phlash Man aka Phil Asher from Restless Soul Fame. I have to say I'm amazed that the guy goes reggae, but hey, I love reggae and I like Phil. He is an inspiration even if I only heard him spin once.

As they say yardie style : "Brethren, di set deya fi blazin faya"

Enjoy.

STREAM

DOWNLOAD

Via Daily Sunsplash.


Tracklist:

1. DJ I ROY – TIGER FROM BENGALIE – SUCCESS RECORDS
2. PABLO ALL STAR – SKANKING VERSION – ROCKERS
3. CARLTON LIVINGSTONE – TALE OF TWO CITIES / DUB – CHANNEL 1
4. PRINCE FARI & CULTURE – MESSAGE FROM THE KING / VERSION – CRY TUFF WISDOM MAN
5. ROD TAYLOR – NO ONE CAN TELL I ABOUT JAH JAH / VERSION - CRY TUFF WISDOM MAN
6. MAYTONES – WHO CANT HEAR MUST FEEL / VERSION – COMMANDA MUSIC
7. MAYTONES – WHO CANT HEAR MUST FEEL – COMMANDA MUSIC
8. TENOR SAW – JAH GUIDE AND PROTECT ME / VERSION – FS001
9. TENOR SAW – JAH GUIDE AND PROTECT ME – FS001
10. TENOR SAW – JAH GUIDE AND PROTECT ME / VERSION – FS001
11. MICHAEL PROPHET – YOU ARE A NO GOOD / VERSION – JAH GUIDANCE
12. MICHAEL PROPHET – YOU ARE A NO GOOD – JAH GUIDANCE
13. THE UPSTETTERS – STRONG DUB – UPSETTERS RECORDS DISCO CORK
14. JACOB MILLER – TENEMENT YARD – INSTRUMENTAL DUB – ARAB RECORDS
15. MIKEY DREAD & KING TUBBY – PARROT JUNGLE – DREAD AT THE CONTROLS
16. BLACK UHURU – DUB OF EGLINGTON – ISLAND RECORDS
17. STEPHANIE SAMUELS – AFRICA WE WANT TO GO / DUB – CHANNEL 1
18. HUGH MUNDELL – ONE JAH, ONE AIM, ONE DESTINY/ VERSION ROCKERS ALLSTARS – ROCKERS INTERNATIONAL
19. AUGUSTUS PABLO – EAST OF THE RIVER NILE / VERSION PABLO ALLSTARS - ROCKERS INTERNATIONAL
20. I ROY – SATTA MASSAGANA – ATTACK
21. KEN BOOTHE - SATTA MASSAGANA – ATTACK

2 NEW LIVE MIXES ON THE MIXCLOUD PAGE

This is the "One Night at Le Bar du Matin" mixes. As always, we are asked to choose a theme for the night. I went for the afrolatin side of things. Salsa dura, cumbia, latin funk, latin breaks, afrobeat, etc ...
I think this fits the wonderful weather we had in Brussels lately.
This are one take tapes recorded live, no editing, no overdubs, or anything like it.


Enjoy.

DOWNLOAD PART 1

DOWNLOAD PART 2

ONE NIGHT AT LE BAR DU MATIN (PART 1) by Dj Kwak on Mixcloud

ONE NIGHT AT LE BAR DU MATIN PART 2 by Dj Kwak on Mixcloud

TONIGHT IN BRUSSELS

MO & GRAZZ : YOU GOTTA (VIDEO)

Several weeks ago, Dj Grazzhoppa contacted me and asked me to come and play the "party crasher dj" for his forthcoming video. That's ironic. Every dj is wack compared to Grazz, who is an artist, a human being and a dj I respect to the fullest. Of course, I accepted without a doubt. It was a day of fun and laughter. It was nice to spend time with Younes, Tradd, Yi Phun, Menno, Iron.

"You gotta" is a song featured on "Gemini", the second album by Mo (his wife) and Grazz. The links to go and cop it are below the video.




Itunes
Bandcamp

ELMATIC

Elzhi (from Slum Village fame) rereads Nas's classic album called Illmatic. It's very faithful to the original, the rhymes are (as always) sharp. The production (by Will Sessions) is dope too. Quality hip hop if you ask me ...


DOWNLOAD

Enjoy.

TRACKLIST

01. The Genesis
02. Detroit State of Mind (Houseshoes Shout)
03. Halftime
04. Memory Lane
05. The World Is Yours
06. Represent
07. Life’s A Bitch feat. Royce da 5’9 and Stokley Williams of Mint Condition
08. One Love
09. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Pete Rock Shout)
10. Pete Rock Shout

APPEL A MANIFESTER CONTRE LE DECRET "INSCRIPTIONS"

INDIGNONS-NOUS face aux conséquences du Décret inscription
APPEL A MANIFESTER
MARDI 17 MAI 2011 à 17h00
Devant le Cabinet de Marie-Dominique SIMONET
Place Surlet de Chokier, 15-17, 1000 Bruxelles

Chers tous,

Comme beaucoup d’autres parents, nous sommes deux mamans indignées par ce qui arrive à nos aînés.

Félicien, élève à Saint-Dominique à Schaerbeek depuis la 1ère maternelle, est refusé dans la section humanités de la même école Saint-Dominique ainsi que dans les 9 autres écoles choisies sur le formulaire d’inscription. Félicien est sur la liste d’attente dans 10 écoles.

Elisabeth, élève à Saint-Dominique depuis sa première maternelle, est également refusée en humanités à Saint-Dominique. Dans les 6 écoles choisies sur le formulaire d’inscription, elle est sur la liste d’attente. Pour l’heure, Elisabeth n’a pas d’école ; n’étant acceptée nulle part.

Félicien et Elisabeth ne sont pas les seuls à vivre cette situation. Pas moins de 23 enfants de l’école primaire de Saint-Dominique ont vu leur inscription refusée dans cette même école en section secondaire! Autrement dit, 1/3 des enfants de 6e primaire qui souhaitaient poursuivre leur scolarité dans cette école (67 élèves sur 80 ont demandé à rester dans leur école) et bénéficier de son projet pédagogique voient leur parcours scolaire perturbé et fragilisé ! A long terme, cela signifie également que 23 fratries sont exclues de Saint-Dominique.

Parce qu’une des valeurs apprises à Saint-Dominique est la SOLIDARITE, nous souhaitons nous rassembler avec tous les enfants, les parents, tous ceux qui sont solidaires et tous ceux qui voudraient dénoncer les conséquences du décret inscription.

PROTESTONS pour le libre choix de l’école
PROTESTONS pour le respect de nos enfants
PROTESTONS pour la continuité du cursus scolaire
PROTESTONS pour le choix d’une école en fonction de son projet pédagogique et pas seulement de sa situation géographique
PROTESTONS pour que cela ne vous arrive pas demain.

Aujourd’hui, 849 élèves en Communauté française n’ont pas obtenu de place parmi leurs choix, dont 701 à Bruxelles.
Aujourd’hui, un très grand nombre d’enfants n’a pu être inscrit dans l’école de leur premier choix.

Mardi 17 mai, nous partirons de l’école Saint-Dominique à 16h00.
Vos enfants sont sous votre responsabilité.
Nous vous remercions d’avance d’être très nombreux ce jour-là et vous invitons à diffuser cet avis autour de vous.

Rejoignez-nous avec vos banderoles, vos affiches et vos dessins.

RARE ETHIOPIAN 45 MIX (VIA OKAYAFRICA)

Earlier on, I was telling you how much Quantic (yes ! It's him again ...) is productive ... here is another proof.
Will recently put together this mix of rare 45s he found in Ethiopia, calling it ”a mix of folkloric and outer-regional music of Ethiopia, all 45s and some records that I think need to be heard. Less of breaks & wah wah and this time more of krar, claps, howling sounds and organ melodies. For fans of previous mixes Axum to Addis and Addis Sheckla Explosion.” Listen to and download the whole mix by clicking on the link below, and let’s he hope he continues the crate digging!

Rare Ethiopian 45's Mix by Quantic

Via OkayAfrica

QUANTIC Y SU CONJUNTO LOS MITICOS DEL RITMO : HIP HOP EN CUMBIA EP

Via Paris Dj's, I learned that this project will officially see the light of day around mid-june. Quantic is definetly one of the hardest working man in the business. Between his productions, his live projects and his dj sets, the man takes lessons of accordeon with Anibal Velazquez, prepares a trip in Haïti to record some rara bands and asks his friends to suggest him some melodic hip hop tracks to go further with this "Hip Hop en Cumbia" business.
You heard some of these tracks on Back to Niceness in the past weeks. You know I'm quite impatient on this one.

This highly anticipated release is limited to just 2000 copies Worldwide and is pressed on green flecked vinyl. All tracks are previously unreleased and exclusive to this 12. The A side features Quantic paying tribute Cumbia-style to some Hip Hop classics and the B side is a Serato tone control. The idea for this musical project started when Quantic recorded Cumbia de Dilla as a special one-off track, to play at DJ parties, particularly those in LA where Hip Hop and Cumbia have a special place in people's hearts. The queue of eager fans crowding round to ask about the track inspired and set this new project on the road. This EP features covers of KRS One, Dr Dre, Missy Elliot, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, and a an original track, Cuarta Con Cuarta.

Tracklisting :
A1. Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)
A2. Nutin' But A G Thing (Dre In Cumbia)
A3. Cuarta Con Cuarta
A4. Miss Jackson (Interlude)
A5. Get Ur Freak On
A6. They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y )
A7. Rico Suave Bossa Nova (Cumbia De Dilla)
B1. Serato Tone Control

Press Release :
FOR FANS OF: J DILLA, DR DRE, KRS ONE

This highly anticipated release is limited to just 2000 copies Worldwide and is pressed on green flecked vinyl. All tracks are previously unreleased and exclusive to this 12.

The A side features Quantic paying tribute Cumbia-style to some Hip Hop classics and the B side is a Serato tone control.

The idea for this musical project started when Quantic recorded "Cumbia de Dilla" as a special one-off track, to play at DJ parties, particularly those in LA where Hip Hop and Cumbia have a special place in people's hearts. The queue of eager fans crowding round to ask about the track inspired and set this new project on the road.

Quantic has been learning accordion for three years or so in Colombia and Panama, including being taught by accordion master Anibal Velasquez in the Colombian coastal city of Barranquilla.

Cumbia, with roots in Colombia, has spread in popularity across Argentina, Peru, and into Mexico and the US, transforming as it travelled. There has been a resurgence of popularity for Cumbia amongst younger generations of DJs around the World, exploring the sound through electronic music. A new generation of Cumbiamberos (people who play Cumbia), and those experimenting with the sound, place it in a new arena with endless possibilities.

This EP features covers of the seminal KRS One track "Step Into A World", Dr Dre's "Nothing But A G Thing", Missy Elliot's "Get UR Freak On", Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", "Cumbia de Dilla" and a an original track, "Cuarta Con Cuarta".

Quantic has previously sold in excess of 120,000 records, with support and acclaim from tastemakers and mainstream media the World over, from Gilles Peterson (Radio 1) through Mark Ronson and the Guardian.

The last Tru Thoughts/Serato collaboration (featuring Skream) created a storm and we expect this 12 to move even quicker!

LDBK COMPILATION

Laid-Back and I have been walking a similar path for the last 8 years or so ... I saw them grow bigger every year, I saw them improve their product and go from strictly "airwave radio" to strictly "web radio". The walk the walk and talk the talk. Therefore, I respect Julius and the Crew to the fullest. No bullshit; with them, reflection leads to action.
Now, they decide to go one step further and cook up a compilation. You may or may not know some of the artists featured on this project. But they all deserve your careful attention.

Here is the trailer and you can preview the tracks below. More info HERE.

Enjoy.

Introducing the LDBK compilation from Laid Back on Vimeo.

LDBK compilation by LaidBack

"START OF UR ENDING" PART 1

Via Put Me On It

MOBB DEEP "Start of Ur Ending" from Q-Butta on Vimeo.

As she suggests ...

Three suggestions for best viewing results -

1. Allow video to buffer, skip to 1:40 [thus avoiding waste of life watching pointless close ups of Mobb Deeps fish etc].
2. Watch fascinating Prodigy monologue, [remind self not to drive around with a gun in your car in order to avoid three years of incarceration].
3. Ensure you switch video off before 12:30 if you have epilepsy. Or functioning eyes.

33 MINUTES OF PLEASURE WITH DJ FORMAT (MIXTAPE)

As D Day is getting closer (only 9 more days of patience, folks), I asked Format to record a mix exclusively for your listening pleasure. Considering the amount of work the man has to do, he couldn't do it but sent this one instead. A "Special Latin" mix he recorded a while ago to promote his compilation for Fania Records. He told me this : "The mix starts off quite slow & mellow and gets faster. It's an ok mix but nothing special so i hope it's ok for promotion..I don't usually play so many Latin records,i prefer to mix things up and play Funk/Rock/Hip Hop/Latin etc all together to keep it interesting for everyone but i made this mix for a UK radio station when i was promoting my Fania DJ Series Vol.2 CD a while ago".

33 minutes of pleasure indeed ! And it is more than ok for promotion purposes ...

Enjoy.

DOWNLOAD

There are more mixes to be listened to HERE

ADVENTURES IN NIAMEY (DAY 5 AND BACK IN BRUSSELS)

Armand The Tailor, Bruno Dj Cool Coulibaly (Burkina Faso), Big Ismael The Fixer, Dj Rim K (Senegal)

So, there it is. Everything has to come to an end. This trip obviously had to come to an end. So I'm back in Brussels after a messy journey where my bag got lost between Casablanca, Niamey and Brussels. And I got stuck in Paris for a night due to the curfew in Ouagadougou (but that's another story). Alister G and Jean-Luc, the guys from Togo, had to leave on monday morning. And hit a 24h bustrip to Lome. In total, they were something like 50 hours on the bus. All this for a show that lasted approximately 14 minutes and 47 seconds. Frustrating !
Monday, we had a very nice day of shopping, the crate digging session didn't happen because I forgot my portable turntable. I planned to go back to the spot the next day then realized there would not be a next day because I had to come back home. So, Nicole organised a big meal. Karim brought his decks and we gave a worshop for 5 very enthusiastic kids. To see them with stars in their eyes was the reward for the rest.

Jean-Luc, Rim K, Philippe, Jean-Marc, Nicole, Alister G, Bruno Dj Cool

So, there you go ... Good times ! Hope we all see each other again next year. Until then, whatever you do, do it good !

Les Roniers by night



Shout out and massive thanks for the wonderful times in general to : Nicole, Jean-Marc, Philippe, Ismael The Fixer, Bruno, Karim, Alister, Jean-Luc, Hotel Les Roniers, Docteur Plume, Jacques Le Rebelle, Cyriac, les kids (Lucas, Tayane, Lanna, Mathilde, Kylian, Nazim, Kali, Kezia), the mangos, the Flag beer, the marvelous sun, the laterite, the Niger River. Hope to find you all in shape, laughs and smiles somewhere next year.

ADVENTURES IN NIAMEY (DAYS 3 & 4 )

So ... Where to start ? First, of all, let me introduce to you my excellent friend the mango tree ... Spent this afternoon in his company and under his shadow. Here, you might, like me, redefine the term "heat". So, the mango tree was more than welcome. Nicole and her friends (festival crew, families, kids) invited us to their refuge on weekends. We had a barbecue along the Niger River (20km away from Niamey), we swam less then 100 meters from Hippos (kinda scary actually).

The festival was a mess. So, no spins, no workshops. But very nice encounters. That's the most important ! We got to play approximately 20 minutes per head, thanks to DJ Rim K from Dakar who brought turnatbles. Not cd ! Turntables ! In Africa. Where, except for Dakar (where people still play and by wax). So, as the guys had cd's, they couldn't compete. And anyway, there were not enough conpetitors. 5 out of eight never showed up. Bummer ! Dj Cool from Burkina Faso did his thing after a 5 minutes explanation about Serato. And smashed it.

Boubey on the mangotree.

Yesterday night, after the mess, we went out in a club right along the River. Beautiful place. Like Waow ! Horrible soundsystem. We heard lots of coupé-decallé, international hits like Stromae or Black Eyed Peas, and even Gabber Techno. Some girls were stunningly gorgeous. But a gorgeous bounty hunter is still is a bounty hunter. So, take some distance ! As I said, "Flag" is an old friend of mine. We had to celebrate our second meeting.

Tomorrow, I'm playing my "Voodoo Kwak" in the dustbins in Niamey. Crate digging !

Shout out to Big Ismael, the perfect fixer.

ADVENTURES IN NIAMEY (DAY 1)

So, here am I. At Casablanca Airport, waiting for my correspondance to Niamey, drinking mint tea and watching the Clasico Barça - Real Madrid.

It all started the sunday before last when I got that phonecall from Niamey : "We're happy to invite you to come here and give workshops to 12 West African Dj's". I laughed at first. And I'm pretty sure that, out of 12, at least 8 are technically better than I am. But anyway, I never refused such an experience. I love sharing my knowledge. I love meeting new faces. I love discovering music I don't know. And most of all, I love West Africa. Here is an offer I couldn't refuse !

After all the hustle related to travelling (Visa, Vaccines, etc), I'm now hitting the road leading to one of the hottest places in Africa, at the crossroads of the Sahara Desert and the entrance to Central Africa. I was told the temperatures are above the 50° Celsius. Which is verified. 47 degrees yesterday and in the shadow. The body needs liquid. May it be beer or water. The local beer is quite good. There are 2 brands that I tried. Niger Beer and Flag (an old friend of mine from my days in Burkina Faso).

What never fail to amaze me in these countries in the colour of the soil. A plain beautiful "ocre" colour. The streets are very crowded. Niamey has 1.2 million inhabitants. More than 90% of them are muslim, the rest shares between animists and christians.

I met one of the dj's yesterday, called Bruno Coulibaly and hailing from Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso. Seems like a nice guy. This morning, we were on national television, promoting the Festival accompagnied by Nicole, our hostess. The rest of the guys should be arriving today. Coming from all over the region : Benin, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Mali. the aim of my presence here is to be jury for a DMC style competition in between those cats.

We sleep in a beautiful hotel called Les Roniers (named after the huge trees shown in the next picture).

My room is a bungalow, not far from the River Niger; the pool is surrounded by magnificent trees and a beautiful garden.

Allow me to go and try it out.

More to come.

Peace.

BROWNSWOOD ELECTRIC PART 2 : TEASER MIX

Here is the teaser mix for the forthcoming Brownswood Electric compilation to be released around mid-june if I'm not mistaking. The mix was made by Gilles himself, who never fails to amaze me when it come to putting light on new and upcoming artists.

Enjoy.




Brownswood electr*c 2 // Album Teaser by Brownswood


TRACKLIST :


01. Ta-ku - Hey Kids
02. Monky - Drunkerdz
03. Anenon - Shifts
04. DJG - Automatic
05. Frederic Robinson - Mood Swings
06. Synkro & Indigo - Knowing You
07. mfp - Future Hopes
08. Jus Wan - Miles Away
09. DJ Dials - Pillowforts
10. Funk Ethics - Step In
11. Jack Dixon - By My Side
12. HxdB - Savage Pets
13. Stray - Break Your Legs
14. AEED - Under The Alps


Via Okayplayer

FATIMA : INNERVISIONS (VIDEO)

You know I fully support the Nuts Gang aka Eglo Records and its artists like Fatima, Floating Points, Funkineven ... They're all very talented, and will survive once the hype surrounding them has disappeared.

STRICTLY NICENESS WELCOMES DJ FORMAT

Inviting Dj Format was an idea given to me by our good friend Florian Keller. Format is from England, Brighton to be precise. He is known as a fierce crate digger and a ferocious mixer. Through the years, he produced a certain number of excellent records, filled with soulful samples, obsessive beats and lyrical dopeness from the likes of Chali 2 na of Jurassic 5 fame, SureShot La Rock, Edan or long time collaborator MC Abdominal. Format’s records are a celebration of the music he loves and that passion is shared with a growing audience. Format is currently busy recording a new album.
Needless to say, his dj sets are a joyful celebration of all things soulful; may it be funk, psych rock, boogie, hip hop, latin beauties and more. To be convinced, check his Fabric Live Compilation, his Fania mix or the “European Vacation Mix”.
Expect timeless classics and discoveries in funk, soul and beyond.
Welcome to Strictly Niceness Mister Format.

LINKS

Site
Wikipedia
Discogs

LISTEN TO "HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART 2" BEFORE IT'S RELEASED

Well, the beastie Boys are known for their advanced use of available technologies ... You can listen to their new album Via their Soundcloud Page.
This sounds hot as hell with at least 2 potential worldwide hits ... It has all the ingredients of a proper Beasties records ... crazy sounds, punk tracks, distinctive voice treatment, etc ...

Quite impatient over this one.

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two by Beastie Boys

Via KD Buzz

LOOKING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN

To celebrate the forthcoming release of the next Beastie Boys album (early next month, I believe), I'm giving you this awesome track from the classic "Paul's Boutique". My favourite from the Boys, the most complex, sample filled record they made if you ask me. The record was recorded in Los Angeles after they parted ways with Def Jam and signed with Capitol Records.
"looking down the barrel of a gun" sounds like Slayer on acid doing hip hop and eating burgers. Or something like that.

Enjoy

DOWNLOAD

RIP GIFTED UNLIMITED RHYMES UNIVERSAL

"The good die young, that's what the old folks say"

© Defari

QUANTIC DJ SET AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

Here is the dj set Quantic made in Brussels last friday. He gave me his authorization to offer it to you. So, thank Will for this. No playlist available of course.

Will is an outstanding dj who doesn't fear to go deep when the opportunity allows, also capable of spinning more obvious stuff when needed. I hope we can book him again in the future; For a Strictly Niceness for example. If you want to put images onto this mix, please go THERE and watch the party pictures through the eye of the mighty Kanfu.

The sound quality is MP3 256kbps.

Expect cumbia madness, reggae delights, afro heat, funk bangers, and more.



DOWNLOAD

WELCOME BACK WILL

THE BEASTIE BOYS RELEASE A NEW ALBUM (FINALLY)

Via the always on point Paris Dj's blog, I received this excellent news. The waiting is over. MCA, Ad Rock & Mike D are back in full effect. An eighth album to be released on may the 3rd in the US. The album will be available in CD, Double LP and digital.

Check Beastie Boys Dot Com for more info



Tracklisting :
01. Make Some Noise
02. Nonstop Disco Powerpack
03. OK
04. Too Many Rappers [new reactionaries version] feat. NAS
05. Say It
06. The Bill Harper Collection
07. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win feat. Santigold
08. Long Burn The Fire
09. Funky Donkey
10. The Larry Routine
11. Tadlock's Glasses
12. Lee Majors Come Again
13. Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
14. Here's A Little Something For Ya
15. Crazy Ass Shit
16. The Lisa Lisa/Full Force Routine

Mike D - vocals, drums
Ad-Rock - vocals, guitars
MCA - vocals, horizontal and upright basses
Money Mark - keyboards
Mix Master Mike - turntables
Beastie Boys - producer, engineer, art direction

PRODUCT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

As I was talking with my beautiful kids about where they are coming from; where my woman and I are coming from (Haïti and Poland, Congo for her), I realised later (while cooking stew) how much we are influenced by our environment. I speak french with a horrible Brussels accent, I eat stews as well as Congolese food. And Brussels is most definetly my hometown even if I feel comfortable with being somewhere else. I may feel at home in Port Au Prince (Haïti), in Cape town or in Switzerland. But coming home is synonymous with Brussels.

So, I thought about this awesome track by 3rd Bass, that infamous and very underrated hip hop band from NYC. Because, yes, we are the products of our environment.

Enjoy.

DOWNLOAD

CLUB CHALEUR PRESENTS QUANTIC

Will Quantic Holland is an english man living in Colombia. For the last 10 years, he released numerous records on the mighty Tru Thoughts label under various monikers like Quantic Soul Orchestra, Quantic Y Su Combo Barbaro, or simply Quantic.
He is also an outstanding dj and compilations provider to be filed under the rare grooves and latin discoveries domain. Check his latest compilation called "Quantic Presents Tropical Funk Experience" on Nascente Records to fully understand what it's all about. Those who have witnessed the fitness of the man behind decks remember an outstanding night of smiles, dance and sweat.
This friday, april 1st, Club Chaleur ( a new concept powered by Dj Reedoo and Strictly Niceness's own Dj Kwak) is pleased and proud to welcome him back in Brussels. It's been a minute.
Welcome back Will.

Dj Set

INTERNET

Quantic