last seen...

Here's what surfaced lately on the web...

The Beatles' discography (meaning the official albums by The Beatles) is about to experience the vinyl reissue treatment. Expect 180g vinyl, with full album art and remastering heard on the 2009 CD reissues. 

I talked about it earlier on this blog, but DJ Prestige at Flea Market Funk did better : he tested the Spin Clean device. After reading this, I'm one step closer to purchasing it. 

The Spanish label Guerssen, responsible for a bunch of nice reissue (can't be thankful enough for reissuing all that Turkish psych) has a new website up. The registering process is not convenient yet, but it should be fixed soon enough. Keep an eye on this dedicated underrated label. 

The cool blog Funk It has been freakingly awesome, as it gave access to some unreleased material, bootlegger style. Enjoy a video of a 2011 Rotterdam show by Prince with Maceo on sax, then get your fix of D'Angelo and Chris Dave videos (you can even download some if your hard drive still allows it) still in Rotterdam (damn, does the Rotterdam North Sea Jazz festival always bring so much heat ?)... did anybody sing the words "shit", "damn" and "motherfucker" in a sexier way than the D ? Well, maybe Prince. But in the same sentence ?

But that's no enough huh ? Because that internet era got us all greedy and never satisfied. Well, feed on this funky food, provided by Prince via Funk It : the Chicago House of Blues concert on Sept. 26th. 

Because a lot of stories start like that : the pressing plant, narrated by iCrates. 

The crazy guys at Get On Down Records manufactured a "Purple Tape" boxset. What is that ? The "Purple Tape" refers to the first issue of the iconic rap album "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." by Raekwon The Chef (featuring Tony Starks aka Ghostface Killah), as the cassette tape edition was... purple. Since then, it has been called so, and the limited pressing made it a collectible item. Until Get On Down released a boxset, filled with cool stuff and, again, stricly limited to 1000 units worldwide. So, if you didn't get yours yet, well guess what ? Too late. Out of stock. Collectible sold out. 

Danny Brown is slowly prepping an album, and is hyping up the release with a little remix contest over his breathless 93bpm-hit "Grown Up". For more info, head to the Fool's Gold blog.

180 Proof is a new label, funded by Amir of the duo Kon & Amir. Its aim is to reissue good music (needless to say but whatever), notably underrated forgotten artists, in order to save a large part of Black American culture. The first task of the label will be to restore the Strata Inc catalogue. Can't wait to see and hear the result. 

EgoTripLand got their hands on this cool video of the Beastie Boys and DJ Hurricane digging for records at San Francisco's own Groove Merchant in the 90's. Strange thing is the video is from the French National Video Archives. Some cool stuff airing. 

And last but not least, SPIN made a story about the reissue label Numero Group. This is really a cool swim in the process of picking a specific record in order to reissue it and make a long-time forgotten item available again. This is true digging, this is the dream. The dream ? Maybe not, as the story also goes into the label owner's blues...

WITCH.

FYI, this original "Lazy Bones !!" by WITCH just hit the rooftop on eBay, selling for $6000. For smaller wallets, you can look for the reissue by Shadoks, or the WITCH boxset by Now Again. 

This diggin' thing knows no boundaries. 

fine beatmakin' : Melo-X, Guts & Colonna.

I got introduced to Melo-X by reading the latest issue of Wax Poetics. And, guys, this is some fine beatmaking. Experimental sometimes, bumping also, smooth... kinda reminds me of a earlier Flying Lotus or Kankick. 

Early this year, Melo-X released an album, called "Fewture". Sadly, it's a digital release. Luckily, it's streamable on Bandcamp, just like other releases by Melo-X. 

And, as you can see by yourself, his website is pretty nice looking, thanks to Mustafa's talent as a photographer. 

Speaking of beatmaking, here's the French side of it : Guts. This guy used to be the producer for rap group Alliance Ethnik back in the early 90's. Then I guess he did his thing out of the radar just to reappear when the beatmaking scene grew bigger. But, thinking about it, he had worked on others' projects, as an engineer, remixer or such. Well, listen to his latest album, called "Paradise For All". And by the way, I'm looking for the vinyl version. 

And for another taste of French beatmaking, head to Colonna's Bandcamp page, for his nice latest effort, "Ode To The Sun". And this one is a free download. 

stuff from Yugoslavia.

Before suffering from a war, Yugoslavia was a country with a strong background in terms of music. And thanks to the blogosphere, it's possible to acknowledge it today.

Rock was big in the 80's. But before that there was jazz, local folk of course. So, for modern music, head to Experimental Etc. For older (I mean much much older) stuff, Sa Starog Gramofona is the place to go to. 

Japanese raids.

A very interesting article by the Wall Street Journal about the relationship between US and Japanese vinyl markets. During the last decades, Japanese retailers have been sucking out a lot of records from all parts of the world, and especially the USA. So, although Japan, and especially Tokyo, might be heaven for a record digger, it would also empty his wallet quite fast, as records there are not discounted items. 

Well, just read it. As well as this report by Egon about digging in Japan. It's getting harder.  

Fan-tas-tic.

This baby here is like the Holy Grail for Jay Dee fans. This is "Fan-tas-tic" demo by Slum Village, the original version, dubbed by the members of the crew themselves. Production by the one and only Jay Dee, of course. 

So, this piece of history just flew off the shelves on eBay, and the winner of the auction is someone you know if you're into beatmaking : it's Onra, the Parisian beatmaker, author of "Chinoiseries" (part 1 & 2), "Long Distance", among other projects.

The price : $265. The price of fanship. 

Cut Chemist.

Cut Chemist did a name for himself in the Californian underground rap scene, notably as the DJ/producer for Jurassic 5 (or should I say Unified Revelution ?). Then he evolved as a complete producer/beatmaker, much praised on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. And, oh, he's in "Crate diggers". Not the messy kind of guy. I kinda like how's everything is in order. 

no words.

Diggers, get ready to experience a stroke. 

Cody in Paris.

Sporting his red cardigan and Belgian helmet, Cody ChesnuTT was starring at the We Love Green Festival in Paris. He sang material from his new album "Landing On A Hundred", out in October. So, if you're a fan or if you contributed via Kickstarter to the funding of his album, head to the Arte website to watch the video of Cody's performance. Good vibes, but kinda dead crowd.

legends on the mix.

Yeah, you read it right : Pete Rock. He did a mix for Stussy, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Delicious Vinyl. And it's free. And the tracklist is also available. Guess who ?... Masta Ace, Tone-Loc, The Pharcyde and more. 

Anything more ? Yeah. The Alchemist is on the one and two as well. Free also. 

What a day.

lotta stuff.

For y'all music lovers, global grooves freaks and most of all eclectic souls, Ghost-Capital should be your home. Albums posted there range from the most obscure Nigerian Delta funk to the rarest Japanese traditional folk songs. 

Lately, Ghost-Capital has been busy re-uploading lost of files, for you and you and you. 

Get crazy. 

press review.

The question has been all over the web for the last few weeks : did the music industry tried to kill vinyl on purpose ? Well, probably. But it proved to be a very bad calculation as, by preferring the CD format for obivous reasons of profitability, they set foot in the digital world and the dark side of it : unlimited copy. While the music consuming model is shifting from digital purchases to online streaming, vinyl is confirming that it's here to stay. Soon enough, "consumers [will be] split into two distinct groups - those that own vinyl, and those that stream". It's the battle of the unmaterial content against the physical world. Just think about what you prefer and what provides you with the bigger control...

As long as there will be record collectors, there will be great stories to tell. Die-hard collectors are usually fascinating people, and that's why journalists and bloggers track them, in searching for the unique story behind their "disease". One, at least, even paints on records. Unplayable or not-valued ones, be reassured. 

Despite the current love for vinyl, record stores are still closing everyday in the world. 

soleil rare 28 - pains au chocolat.

French all the way. I know y'all like that.

Téléphone - La Bombe Humaine. 

Téléphone is THE French rock band. Ever since they broke up in 1986, their possible come-back makes the buzz among the nostalgic ones. But up to now, nothing happened, except their solo careers, especially Jean-Louis Aubert (singer) and Louis Bertignac (guitar). 

So, this track "La Bombe Humaine", is a radio classic, and is from the "Crache Ton Venin" album, Téléphone's second album. It starts gently, then takes off around 1'30mn. 

The "naked" cover was shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. 

Catherine Ribeiro+Alpes - Jusqu'à Ce Que La Force Me Manque. 

You wanted weird, you've just been served. This is French psych music. This was waaaaay ahead of its time. The singing style sounds like a cliché, with Catherine's powerful voice ; it is mixed with spacey instruments and effects... damn, what a mood that's exhilarated from that track...

This summit of weirdness is from Ribeiro & Alpes' album "Paix". A must have for psych music lovers. 

Marguerite (Patrick Lemaître) - On Est Un Fleuve. 

Psych again. I don't know much about the author, Patrick Lemaître. This track is from the "Mr. Ford" album, released in 1973. 

"On Est Un Fleuve" displays some nice guitar game. A few effects are spread here and there, switching from a choir to a one-sided solo to reverb. Not a really mastered technique, but I guess you have to think about it as being avant-garde. 

Ophiucus - Dans Toute La France. 

"Salade Chinoise", by French band Ophiucus, is a nice short album, with entertaining guitar solos and riffs. The short-lived band delivered some worthy pop/folk/progressive rock, as well as strange lyrics like on this track : "All over France, if it goes on, we'll dance polka with the Chinese". Rhyming sometimes is too much an obsession for French lyrical artists...

Serge Gainsbourg - Ma Lou Marilou. 

Statement #1 : it's hard to make a French compilation without including a Gainsbourg's song. 

Statement #2 : "L'Homme A Tête De Chou" is an awesome slept-on album by the best French artist of the second half of the 20th century. 

But true heads instantly knew. After his death in 1991, the album was adapted as a dance show. And just before passing away, Alain Bashung covered the whole album ; the result just made everybody regretting that these two guys couldn't live long enough to collaborate more than what they did... 

Statement #3 : I love this song. Period. 

Alain Bashung - Vertige De L'Amour (Remix 1992). 

Maybe it's just coincidental. Maybe not. Anyway, Alain Bashung is another legend of the French rock scene, so it's normal that he'd featured in this home-made compilation. 

Bashung was a lot about vocal technique. His voice was unique in itself, but on top of that, he added a real expertise in delivering the right tone at the right time. A true artist. 

This one is from the "Pizza" album. 

Brigitte Bardot - Le Diable Est Anglais. 

B.B. is the opposite of what I just wrote about Bashung. Vocally, she's wack. Really. But entertaining somehow. Charming. And with her status of French Marilyn, it's still a nice feature in here. Especially with a song titled "The Devil Is British". No offense. 

Eddy Mitchell - La Longue Marche. 

Classic rock by Eddy Mitchell, who competed with Dick Rivers and Johnny Halliday back then for the unofficial title of Godfather of Frenck Rock. 

The influence of Elvis Presley is obvious, but like Uma says, what did you expect ? "Voici Eddy... C'Etait Le Soldat Eddy" was Eddy's first album, released in 1963. "La Longue Marche" is the closing track, and showcases a nice mood despite almost stupid lyrics. Hey, once again, influences...

France Gall - Le Coeur Qui Jazze. 

Probably my co-favorite track on this compilation. The song was recorded in 1965 when France Gall exploded with "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son". At the time, she was Gainsbourg's doll, his experiment to keep in touch with the growing wave of the "yéyé". The lyrics were written by Robert Gall, France's father, and the music was composed by legendary arranger Alain Goraguer. You can feel the similarities with some of Gainsbourg's jazz tracks.

Me like. 

Claudine Longet - How Insensitive. 

Alright, she sings in English. Alright, this may be my co-co-fav song off this "Soleil Rare" comp, but whatever. Good music is good music, and Claudine sports a French passport. 

So, yes, Claudine Longet probably had a bigger career in the USA than in France. Indeed, this bossa-nova-inspired song, "How Insensitive", was featured on the "The Look Of Love" album. Brazilian masters Tom Jobim and Vinicius wrote the song, that explains the authentic feel. So emotional. 

By the way, this cover... Al Green ?

Alright, now you can go to bed. 

one year.

Maybe you thought I got over it. But no. To this day, I'm still shocked by Mehdi's death, because I can't stop imagining what more he could have delivered.

RIP Mehdi. 

the story behind John Peel's box.

John Peel, the legen... wait for it... dary DJ of the BBC, who passed away a few years ago, owned records. A lot of records. And he owned a box. It was his special stack of 45s. One would say his favorites. Through a YouTube documentary, you can now get acquainted with this nice little story and the content of Peel's special box. 

Spoiler alert : lots of White Stripes in it. Yeah, believe it. Whaddup.

And about John Peel, here's another really cool story. This guy was a hero.

The Artist.

In need of Prince's bootlegs ? Here's your latest fix. Browse the blog for more madness from the Minneapolis Funk Genius.

Danny Dan.

Dany Dan is a French cult rapper. But Danny Dan, aka The Beat Man, is the guy behind the "Dusty Fingers" LP series. If you are into beatmaking and/or producing, you surely know or even own one of these records. Actually, everybody in the game sampled from them...

The Beat Man gave an interview to Hot Peas & Butta, but surprinsingly, he seems to be more about TV and old movies than about music and records. Interesting enough. 

caring costs money.

Taking care of your records is a must but it can be really pricy too.

First, cleaning. You can use the good old fashioned way : a cloth, a cleaning liquid, and that's it. Among the cleaning liquids, one is advertised as a miracle, the Record Revirginizer. Or you can use the Spin Clean. That's the average priced solution. Or you can use machines. Those are really expensive, most of the time over $1000. But I guess they're the more reliable way. Here's one. Here's a few. And here's how it works (just read this one, it's really detailed). 

Then, unwarping. Warp records are a bitch. Both for sound quality and aesthetic matters. Nothing breaks my heart like watching the arm of the turntable going up and down at a 33rpm pace. I didn't know unwarping machines existed. I had to watch the "Crate diggers" video with J.Rocc to know about it. And here's the machine the Funky President uses : the Furutech DF-2 (or DFV-1). It was worth around $1400 a few years ago. Still pricy if you're not a huge buyer and don't own a huge collection. As I read on a forum, it might be a cheaper solution to buy the same record twice... it makes sense, but could be a hard-to-find one. 

Or, you could use those tips...

By the way, taken from the Furutech website, did you know that LP's manufactured in 1973-1974 weights between 100g and 115g, due to... the oil crisis ? 

Ox.

French hip hop lovers, listen to this : Oxmo Puccino is back. Before he drops "Roi Sans Carosse", his new album, he started a tour in France and teased us today with a new mixtape, called "Doux Or Die", mixed by the loyal DJ Cream.

The motto is simple : Ox raps new and old lyrics over instrumentals from The Roots, Justice, The Throne, DJ Mehdi, Rita Mitsouko and a lot more.

The overall project is fresh, as it's built like a radio show. It has a old Oxmo feel, like his old mixtape "Bâtiment C", for those who remember.

Oh, and yeah, for sure it's a free download and stream.

Symbol Audio.

Nice and convenient design ? Maybe. Pricy ? Probably. 

A digger's life is cruel. 

Salaam Remi.

Salaam Remi gave birth to the Refugee Camp, bka The Fugees, gave global exposure to Amy Winehouse, and gave a second life to Nas, by helping him getting back to a "nasty" mode. Yet, he's the kind of guy to stay in the shadow. His discography is very extensive, but nobody knows about him. He's what we call a "producer" : he sets the right mood, make it relevant and validate album concepts. Salaam Remi is as much about music as he is about strategy. And that's what make him successfull. 

Here you go with an interview (a rare treat) of Salaam Remi by Okayplayer, particularly talking about Nas' latest album "Life Is Good". And here's where he talks about 10 of his own productions.  

Too bad he makes weak ass pictures...

J.Rocc's stacks.

Man, this is the ultimate Fuse video from the "Crate diggers" series : J.Rocc. The Beat Junkie is well known to be digging all around the world, and to be the owner of full loads of records. Here we get figures : around 70 000 records are stacked in his house, ranging in all genres, all parts of the world. Check the video, it's huge.

FlyFirst.

Alright, this has been out for a while, but I feel like sharing it only now. While Flying Lotus was putting the final touch to his next album, he toured this summer and Pitchfork made a mini-documentary about it. Pretty fly.

Alliance Bleue remix.

L'Alliance Bleue is the new sect founded by the one and only Sébastien Tellier. The "Bible" of the sect is his newest album "Bleu", which reminds of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd and a bit of Serge Gainsbourg. 

Record Makers, Tellier's label, is having a remix contest of the track "Russian Attractions". Get the info here, and be quick as the deadline is September 14th. 

There will not be one winner, not two winners, but three winners, so you've got your chance of getting signed goodies. Good luck. 

DJ Shadow.

DJ Shadow released the seminal "Endtroducing" when beatmaking wasn't the scene it is today. 

He shared his thoughts with The Guardian about specific records which hit his mind over the years. Short, but instructive.