openin the 2011 lists.

The music industry have been waited for it for a few weeks : the 2011 Pitchfork Top 50 Albums. A lil' bit of this, a lil' bit of that, a lot of stuff I don't have the lightest idea about, and a few albums I heard. It's mostly hype, well, what did you expect from Pitchfork ?

never ending sodade.

2011 is closing on a sad note, as the news of Cesaria Evora's death is slowly spreading. Gaining late international fame thanks to a couple of French producers, it's normal that, as a French child, I grew up with her international hit, "Sodade", in my ears. Then, in my early 20's, I developed an interest for the queen of Mindelo, accumulating all the music I could from her. 

Her voice breathes sadness and bitter stories, but it's sweet and comforting anyway. The language barrier isn't even an obstacle, as her voice is simply an instrument. A beautifully sounding one. 

Earlier this year, I did a stop in Cabo Verde, Cesaria's petit pays (and here you go with 20Syl's banging remix), and searched for records. Sadly enough, I couldn't find any vinyl, so I had to be satisfied with the CD of her early works I found in the record store located on the central square of Praia, the capital city. 

A few months ago, on this blog, I relayed the news of her retirement ; she said she was tired. Her body was tired. Morna was losing its most famous ambassador. 

Today, I'm sad and so should you. Cabo Verde must be grieving right now, but I'm sure there will be a party afterwards, and it'll be awesome. 

RIP Mrs. Evora. 

from "Automatic Changer" to "Let It Bleed".

I warned y'all there would be more posts about cover art on this blog. 

So here you go with an article of the world famous The New York Times. This one is about Robert Brownjohn's work on the cover art of "Let It Bleed" by the Rolling Stones. 

The publishing of this article was motivated by the recent auction of the original cover art. But, instead of a simple explanation on Brownjohn's work for the Stones, you really get a glimpse inside Brownjohn's career. The man, for instance, is responsible for the graphic design of the "Goldfinger" and "From Russia With Love" James Bond movies. 

Unfortunately, consumed by heroin, the man died in 1970, only one year after he completed the artwork for "Let It Bleed". An instructive read indeed. 

lucky guys.

In the never-ending quest for records, some guys are luckier than the average music lover. These guys know the right people. And, well, they are music publishers themselves. These guys are Egon and Madlib. 

Recently, Egon wrote a contribution to his "Funk Archeology" series, in which he tells about Madlib and himself purchasing records directly from jazz trumpeter Stanton Davis' own collection. 

The read would make any record collector very jealous. But kindly enough, Egon made a few finds available to listen.

But, just one thing Egon... "[Stanton Davis] later explainted that he had accepted our offer because he knew his records were going to collections where they'd be cleaned, sleeved and appreciated". Excuse me, really ?

soleil rare 18 - noir et blanc.

It's time for some French rap. Real recognizes real. 

Mc Solaar - Obsolète. 

The Godfather of French rap. Solaar is a dope lyricist, no doubt, but to a lot of his early fans, he lost his way around the way of fame. Still, his two first albums remain in the must-have. 

"Obsolète" features Jimmy Jay behind the boards and the turntables, and introduced storytelling in the possibilities of French rap. Solaar's rhymes and flow are unforgettable. 1994 surely was a sweet time. Nostalgia. 

Rocé - Il Assume Pas. 

Another one to be ranked as a dope lyricist. Rocé started his career with his brother Ismaël making beats for him. The son of Adolfo Kaminsky, famous resistant and activist, Rocé inherited strong beliefs and a obvious ability to develop ideas, social concerns and political topics. 

Introduced to the audience with two remarkable maxi records, Rocé waited a few years to release his first album, "Top Départ", in 2002. To this day, it's still one of my favorite records. The track "Il Assume Pas" was produced by DJ Ol' Tenzano, the beatmaker of underground group Less' Du Neuf. 

La Rumeur - De L'Eau Dans Mon Vitriol. 

Activism and consciousness are La Rumeur's business. These guys have been talking sense since 1997, when this "Premier Volet : Le Poison D'Avril" hit the crates. Their first efforts were powerful EP's. 

Ekoué's flow on this track had a big impact on the rap scene, along with the production style of the discreet Soul M & Kool G. 

For the story, in 2002, the former minister of interior affairs, Nicolas Sarkozy (now president), took La Rumeur to the courts over an article Hamé, another member of the group, wrote against the police. The litigation lasted 8 years, until Hamé got discharge. Needless to say La Rumeur is still angry. 

Rocca - Le Hip-Hop Mon Royaume. 

From Colombia descent, but made famous in France, Rocca raps in both French and Spanish. He is/was a member of various groups, such as La Cliqua (with Raphael, Daddy Lord C and Kohndo), La Squadra (with Daddy Lord C), Tres Coronas...

This track was featured on a compilation by the label Arsenal Records, which housed one of the finest crews of young rap dogs from the Parisian area. 

Today, Rocca changed a big part of his original formula, which was made of a bass voice, a slow flow and NYC-inspired beats. Too bad... still, his early tracks are classics. 

Fabe - Lettre Au Président. 

If you're looking for a list of French rap best lyricists, Fabe gotta be in it. As a pioneer, Fabe wasn't really recognized as a dope rapper ; he had to sign on a Swiss label, Unik Records. Fortunately, soon enough, heavyweights like Cut Killer and IAM supported him, which resulted in Fabe being played on the radio. 

Produced by DJ Stokfry, this song aims at former French president, Jacques Chirac. The album, "Le Fond Et La Forme", released in 1997, is pretty dope, mellow but lyrically mastered. Fabe then released one album a year, without compromising to mainstream rap. Three years after this album, at the top of his career, Fabe decided to leave it all, dived into religion and quit rapping. The end. 

Passi - Les Flammes Du Mal. 

It's an understatement to say that "Ma 6-T Va Crack-er" was an influential movie in the French rap scene. The casting of the record included the finest French rapstars, and even an American icon, KRS-One. Back then, collaborations between French and American rapstars were rare and always quite an event. 

The soundtrack was cohesive, thanks to the production team, made of the brothers White & Spirit. 

Passi, then a member of Ministère A.M.E.R., used this track to launch his solo career, with success. Good lyrics, nice production. 1997 again, and yes, it was a nice year. 

Sefyu - Sénégalo-Ruskov. 

A former apprentice at the Arsenal football academy, Sefyu found a way into rap thanks to ground-breaking mixtapes and singles such as "La Vie Qui Va Avec" and a rare concept, the "sénégalo-ruskov", hence the title of his song. Mixing his origins and the clichés of Russian coldness, Sefyu step by step became one of the main players in the French rap game. His gimmicks and his constant attitude are his signature. 

It's not the most impressive beat you'll hear in your life, but it's pretty efficient. 

K.Ommando Toxik ft. Oxmo Puccino & Sefyu - Pucc' Fiction. 

This calls for an explanation. "Pucc' Fiction" is one of the ultimate classics of French rap, originally sung by Oxmo Puccino (with a featuring by now top dog Booba), in his Time Bomb era (whoa, this brings back lots of memories). The youngsters of K.Ommando Toxik made a remake out of it, and invited Sefyu to... outshine them. It's not the best move you could make in a career, but Sefyu really stole the track, with his signature voice, flow and gimmicks. Plus, he adopted Oxmo's succulent storytelling, making the track a nice listen. 

Idéal J ft. Démon One & Rohff - L'Amour. 

"L'Amour" is one of these tracks that makes you love an album. Its heady sample and uncommon drum pattern were a good start, thanks to beatmaker Chimiste, then a in-house producer at Arsenal Records, the label that released the album "Le Combat Continue" (and somehow disappeared afterwards). Then come the rappers, each one with his own asset : Kery James brought his lyricism, Démon One from Intouchable brought his unique flow and Rohff put his charisma on the table. Overall, the three rappers brought their A game on a difficult topic, the absence of their respective fathers. 

RIP Mehdi. 

laser loves vinyl.

Just for your own information, if you didn't know that you could read a vinyl record through the laser technology, here is the proof. 

The development of this technology started in the 1970's  with a main goal : to avoid the contact between the vinyl plate and the diamond needle. The development benefited from the involvement of Stanford University, but unfortunately, the CD invaded the market, and made the vinyl irrelevant (for a few years). 

When the vinyl came back in full effect in the late 1990's, the laser turntable got resurrected by the ELP company. 

Basically, you get the same functions than for a CD player, fast forward, backward, skipping tracks etc... but of course, you lose the special touch of the cell, the special sound of the needle when it hits the plastic... So what's the use ? I guess only pure audiophiles could answer. And guys with a few extra bucks, because this baby has a price, with an average rate of US$ 10 000. Yes. And oh, you can add accessories, to reduce clicks for example. Just add a few thousand dollars for each add-on. Damn. 

the man Syl.

Thank the Creator, first, Syl Johnson had a shot to record and bless us with his musical genius ; second, he's enjoying right now a second birth to the industry. Thank Numero Group also, which bought the whole Syl's catalog.

And now, thank The Oxford American for writing a whole webpage about Syl. And extensive, yet fun read.

soleil rare 17 - iron wings.

Miriam Makeba - Quit It.

The queen. Mama Africa. The youngsters can't remember the years of apartheid, and what coloured and mixed people had to go through in South Africa back in the days. From abroad, Miriam fought the regime, and got banned in return. She returned to her homeland only when Mandela got out of jail, in 1990. 

This track, "Quit It", is one of her world successes, showcasing deep lyrics about addictions. It's sweet, but it's like listening to your grandma whispering harsh truth to your ear. 

It was sampled, among others, by French rapstar JoeyStarr for "Gaz-L". 

Mustafa Ozkent Orchestra - Karadir.

If you ever find this album in its original pressing, keep it, don't tell anyone and worship it. Because it is probably one of the rarest LP's of Turkish psych music. Which means it's highly wanted.

This sample galore gets heavy on the drums and has more funk to it than your average US funk record. The flavor is unbelievable. 

Mustafa Ozkent may not be the most famous Turkish contemporary musician, leaving this position to Baris Manço and Erkin Koray. But the talent is equal. A compulsory listen. 

Hector Lavoe - Mucho Amor.

La Voz indeed. Puerto Rican salsa singer Hector Lavoe got famous alongside band leader Willie Colon, as the band singer. Because of Lavoe's drug addiction, Colon cut him from the cast. This resulted in Hector Lavoe spreading his wings as a solo act. The two remained friends nonetheless and kept working together. 

"La Voz" is Lavoe's first solo album, released on Fania Records. It was produced by Willie Colon. "Mucho Amor" wasn't the main hit on this album but still is a nice introduction to salsa music.  

Gal Costa - Sebastiana.

Simply one of the best albums ever. Released in 1969, the eponymous album counts among the must-have albums of Brazilian music. It was recorded under the guidance of Rogerio Duprat, and includes Gilberto Gil and Caetono Veloso among the musicians. 

Gal's voice here goes fast, as the music takes her into a frenetic rhythm. Highly enjoyable as it gets stuck in your head. Nice production work also. 

Rahul Dev Burman & Mohd. Rafi - Naag Devta.

Mr. Dev Burman is the ultimate legend of Bollywood film scoring. His talent for creating timeless melodies is undeniable. Moreover, his music constitutes bridges between the Western pop styles and Indian pop music. "Naag Devta" is one of these tracks in which Rahul went brutal on the beat, adding lots of small elements to a simple rhythm. Add on top of this the echoed voice of Rafi, and powerful choirs, and here you go with a Bollywood anthem. Curry funky shit. 

Kwan Jit Sriprajan - Panatibat.

I already said it, but it's not one's reflex to link funky music and Asia. But a few diggers proved otherwise. And this phenomenon has an explanation. The American influence spread over the years in Asia, along with the construction of its army camps and bases. And in the South-East Asia area, the Vietnam war had an incredible influence on music. Bangkok became the leisure spot we know and local bands included foreign influences to their sets. "Panatibat" is a nice example of Thai pop, although more influenced by traditional Thai music than by touches from abroad. 

Get over tha language barrier and let your body respond to this. 

Jacques Schwarz-Bart feat. Jacob Desvarieux - Déshabillé.

These two need an introduction to those who are not familiar with Caribean music. Jacob Desvarieux is the leader of Kassav', the most prominent band of the French West Indies. He's well known for his rough voice, which makes everything he says very sensual. Jacques Schwarz-Bart, aka Brother Jacques, is a Guadeloupean now NYC-based saxophonist and producer. People know him as a backing musician, for jazz and nu soul acts like D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Eric Benet, Me'shell, or Roy Hargrove. 

"Déshabillé" has a relaxing effect, thanks to a flawless production, mixing flutes, light but firm percussions, and discreet acoustic guitar and bass. Not your conventional zouk hit, but so soulful. 

Mulatu Astatke - Yèkèrmo Sèw.

I don't think Mulatu Astatke still needs an introduction. Creator of the ethio-jazz genre, he almost single handedly put Ethiopia on the map of world music.

I included this song in the selection, but if you've seen "Broken Flowers" by Jim Jarmusch, you already know it. 

So good. 

Rolling Beats - Don't Ask Me Why.

This sound comes from Indonesia and, oh God, it's funky as hell. Yeah, garage rock is not a Western exclusive. The lyrics are very simple, the style reminds of the early Beatles, the drumbreaks are on point, and you'll go "la la la" in a blink. 

Actually, the Rolling Beats flew out of Indonesia, because of the political regime, and chose to land in Netherlands, where they had a little success on the garage scene. 

For your info, the 7" went for almost £200 on eBay.

Boubacar Traoré - Pierrette.

African music lovers, get over here as Boubacar Traoré and his guitar are featured in this selection. Mali can be proud of having this voice and these fingers in its local roster. Traoré's life is a novel.

A popular composer in the 1960's, he remained a poor musician and was forced to silence when the political regime changed in 1968, because of his support to the previous president. Boubacar Traoré chose to remain silent for 20 years, then emigrated to France, where he became a common construction worker. When a British producer finds one of Traoré's few recordings, he tracked him down, and made him record "Mariama" in 1990. Since then, Boubacar Traoré has been living off his music. 

True story. beautiful story, just like this song. Feel the chills.

Jank.

If you like cover art, and like to read about graphic design, you might know Jeff Jank, better known as the art director for the Stones Throw label. He is responsible for the graphic madness displayed on projects by Jaylib, Madlib (and his various aliases), J Dilla, MF Doom, Madvillain, OhNo!, Dudley Perkins, and many many more (including David Axelrod). 

The man is discreet, but gained in the recent years more exposure, thanks to the success of some Stones Throw's releases. His interviews are always a nice read, as it allows ignorants like me to know a little bit more about the creative process behind the making of a record cover. Also, Jeff Jank always takes pleasure in losing the reader along the way, using a lot of contradictions, and strange ironic sentences.

So, here are a few interviews and sites found on the web : 

- the latest one, by EgotripLand, in which Jank explains the art of Madvillain's debut. 

- his empty website.

- an interview by Brain Mag (in French), in which Jank details his favorite record covers (at the time).

- a short weird "designer of the week" interview by Cosign.

- an old interview by Feed Me Cool Shit.

- Proxart also had Jank speaking about "Madvillainy".

- a Stones Throw's version of a Jeff Jank anthology.

I might eventually write other posts about cover art... stay tuned. 

weekend treats.

FRSH SLCTS is a website founded in 2008 by the man Kenny Fresh, a long-time partner of beatmaker and music producer Waajeed. So, it is clearly beats-oriented. 

Now, Kenny happens to know lots of people in this particular scene, and is able to make his website live by making free music available to anyone. Mr. Fresh sums up the project in these words :

Hi, I am a website. All of the music is free and cleared with the artists and/or their respective labels. Don't let it live just on your laptop - put it on your headphones, play it in your car, DJ it out, etc. etc. All you need to know. 

A few beatmakers already provided free projects, for the WKND BEATS series (the series got stopped for 2 years before being reborn), the last one being the talented Dibia$e. Previous collaborations included Hi-Res, Will Sessions, Daru, etc.   

Get your fix. 

Khmer pop.

  

If you missed the previous post about Cambodian music, here's your chance to redeem yourself. This website is the home of the most interesting Khmer music. Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron and So Savoeun were the biggest pop stars of the pre-Khmer rouges era ; get their whole stories, links to music and video and countless info about them there. 

Quentin Oizo.

Do you like weird ? Yes ? Well, to appreciate Mr. Oizo/Quentin Dupieux's deliveries, you have to love absurd. 

Except for the commercial anthem "Flat Beat", that had everyone frenetically and violently nodding his head, Mr. Oizo always had to fight against the critics. Or (and I think it's the case, based on his "grand n'importe quoi" - understand "big whatever" - philosophy), he just doesn't give a shit. After all, you don't produce a world hit such as "Flat Beat" without having a special touch and, you could say, a hint of talent. 

So, since "Analog Worm Attack", Mr. Oizo released projects which left mixed feelings among the (rarely open-minded) audience :  "Pourriture", "Moustache (Half A Scissor)", "Lambs Anger" (a personal fav) and a bunch of EP's, remixes and singles.

Staying steady on the same tracks, Mr. Oizo now releases a new album, called "Stade 2", a reference to a French cult sport TV show. Guys, it's pure hard electro, with a lot of distortion, heady cuts (honestly, I can't use the word "melodies"), and it's highly orgasmic. Play it loud to your friends, and the crowd will be divided in two ; you either love it or hate it. In one word, "Stade 2" is fresh. 

This being said, Mr. Oizo is really Quentin Dupieux, a film maker who started in this game alongside the iconic Michel Gondry. He directed commercials for Levi's (starring his puppet Flat Eric), music videos for label mate Laurent Garnier (at the time Mr. Oizo was part of F Communication), Alex Gopher, Sébastien Tellier, and of course Mr. Oizo. 

But Quentin Dupieux really gives his best in his movies. Starting with "Nonfilm" in 2001, his video career is a strange series of absurd projects. "Steak" followed and got murdered by the critics. Then "Rubber", the story of a lone psychopath tyre. Weird to the fullest. 

And now, Dupieux announces his newest movie, "Wrong". A program in itself... The teaser is already out and surely makes the wait fun. Expect the best of the worst. 

finally returnin' ?

I've been sleeping on the news, but it seems D'Angelo is really coming back from (possibly) hell. A European tour is already scheduled, with dates in Sweden, Denmark, France, Netherlands, and England. 

?uestlove recently confirmed the tour, but will most certainly leave the seat behind the cans to fellow drummer Chris Dave. Other musicians are already booked. 

The same ?uesto also launched a bomb in an interview with Pitchfork : D'Angelo's new album, 12 years after the prodigy that was "Voodoo", is almost done. The main remaining step will certainly be to convince D'Angelo that the album is ready to live by itself. 

Another question that the ladies could ask is : will D come back in shape, or as he last appeared in the news ? Whatever, y'all gotta read what ?uestlove has to say about the neo soul prophet, as he explains a few things about D's latest experimentations. 

Can't wait.