False Alarm - a 2011 Roots & Culture Mix

Download here

Yes, yes yes, back once again for 2012. Happy new year to one and all.

Got another killa reggae mix to start the year off from a man like BMC (Better Must Come), who posts their own mixtapes on a blog, spreading the sweet musical love for all to hear.

On this mix, BMC goes for a modern mix using all recent tunes, playing one or more tracks on the same riddim. It definitely has that rootsy vibe to it though; new tunes on an old skool tip. BMC has helpfully provided us with a comprehensive tracklist, giving the riddim title followed by all the songs played under that riddim.

Like all good mixes you don't notice the tracks change from one to the other, and the riddims have got that nice concious feel all the way through, underpinned by the fact that BMC clearly loves that Dancehall style. Checking out some of the other mixs on the blog are ample evidence of that, and they are all well worth a listen, but this blogger doesn't half love the roots reggae, and thanks BMC for providing us with a nice fresh mix for you welcome in 2012. It'll keep ya head nodding till well into February...

Jan Kohlmeyer - Yuletide DJ Mix

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It's Christmaaaaaaaaasssssssss! As an old rocker from Birmingham once screeched into a microphone, but you'll not find any of the usual christmas perennials on this mixtape.

This is another cracking little mix on the previously featured Paris DJs website. This time they host a funk and soul festive mix from DJ Jan Kohlmeyer, a funk DJ outta Germany. God bless him too, while most people have the one cheesy christmas CD that they wheel out every year, this guy has a whole collection of christmas 45s for us to enjoy by the fire with the family.

The mix gets going straight away with a bit of Stevie Wonder, and doesn't stop for the whole 1h03m, with Kohlmeyer slapping that festive funkiness down again and again. There are a few cheeky little numbers from the gloriously grizzly Louis Armstrong and unsurprisingly the [God]Father Christmas of soul himself James Brown features heavily, but the whole thing is a non-stop flow of thick fudgy christmas sauce all the way through.

The tracks themselves are taken in part from a compliation called Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party on Kohlmeyer's own Tramp records, and the whole mix is helpfully narrated by a lovely, but wickedly dead pan German lady, who even gives us recommedation on a YouTube video of James Brown giving us a dancing lesson. I can't think of a better way to end a blog than that, so Happy Christmas everybody:

Immortal Technique - The Martyr

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"If you are listening to this, it is your responsibility to burn this for every single motherfucker you know" is the first thing we hear from Immortal Technique at the start of this album, and who am I to argue.

Immortal Technique (Felipe Andres Coronel) is a Peruvian-born American rapper straight out of Harlem, New York. Listening to this, or any of of his other work, you could be mistaken for thinking that he's not a great fan of the country he has lived in since he was two years old – he is an angry man – but, in my opinion, he's got a lot of love for the USA, he just has a lot to say about some of the people in it and running it.

If anything, this release is a bit more mellow than his previous two, Revolutionary Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, but still, it is refreshing to find some good quality hip hop which is actually saying something for once. The production on the album is good, there are some conscious samples and even some Beatles and Abba behind the spittin', but you gotta listen to the lyrics, Immortal Technique is always about the lyrics.

He tackles heavy issues facing society today head on with a eloquence, intelligence and guile not oft heard and yes he is angry, but he is also a bloody good rapper. Don't bother putting this album on in the background, wait till you can listen to it properly and listen good... 

Boulevard Soundsystem

Link to the mixtape
(Scroll down to the MIXTAPE section, stop when you see this picture)

Straight back in on a strictly reggae vibe! This time from a man like Boulevard Soundsystem, a self-confessed sociologist by day and renegade reggae selector by night, who started out in North Wales and now spins his discs in Athens, Greece. Nice and simple this one, just good solid reggae, track after track.

BS does have a some help along his lickle reggae journey from his buddy MC Brother Culture, who your'll hear bigging up this here blogger's own postcode if ya listening keenly. In general, the mix does trend towards a lover's reggae vibe, particularly on the vocal side; which, if like me, you like a more rootsy consious vibe, can be a bit samey. But the riddims are well selected and nicely mixed, and you'd be have to be a right ole cynic not to enjoy this mixtape. BS seems to know just when to wheel out that next big tune, and without realising it, you'll keep going back to this mix again and again. Serious tricks....

Dub Kweli

Link to the download

Mash ups. When they are good, they are very very good, and when they are bad they are Franz Ferdinand vocals laid over an Public Enemy beat so peeps in Camden can actually dance to it. However, there are some true classics out there; personal favs include The Grey Album by Danger Mouse (The Beatles' White Album cut with Jay Z's Black Album) and The Kleptones' A Night at the Hip Hopera (Queen tracks mashed up with Hip Hop (Yes it really does work!)), both 2004 releases.

This one is a bit younger (2010), but in the spirit of trying to bring you free downloads both past and present, it is a goodun. Our Mashupist is a man like Max Tannone, and if you ain't guessed yet, he very ably lays Talib Kweli tracks over some crucial roots music. Most mash ups works cos they blend elements of two quite difference genres, but good hip hop in the form of Kweli's ever-tight vocals and some nice heavy Jamaican riddims seem like they always belonged together. I always wondered why more straight up hip hop isn't backed by reggae music, some UK hip hop does dabble in it, for example. Maybe it's just that ragga, with that fierce snappy toasting just kinda queue jumped it, but with a quality mix like this, you wonder why it doesn't happen more often.

Max Tannone has cut up other artists in the same vein, includes Jaydiohead (Jay Z and Radiohead), Ghostfunk (Ghostface Killah vs African funk and highlife) and Mos Dub (Mos Def and reggae). All of which are very listenable, but while they sound awesome on paper, the mixing is a little clinical with not much interaction between the two mashed up tracks, leaving them sounding not quite as fresh as Dub Kweli, which is why I brought that one, in particular, to your attention. Enjoying listening to Kweli banging on your eardrum.

'Murda Dem' 140/150 mix

Papa J - 'Murda Dem' 140/150 mix by Papa-J

Before Liquid DnB, Intelligent Jungle, Darkcore, Grindcore, Dubstep, Brostep or any other kind of -step or -core there was Jungle, good ole Jungle. Myself, I don't really care what it is called, as long as it sounds good and isn't House.

This mixtape by Papa J is all about the Jungle, it may or may not all be Jungle, that's is something for purists to bitch about, but it's got Jungle written all over it. For thoses of you who are still in denial about the 90's, they were actually quite a long time ago now, but this mixtape brings it all right back. To be fair to those purists, Papa J (real name: Dave Coughlan), does jumps around the genres a wee bit, but the Jungle is never far away and there are a few classics, some good samples and heavy heavy beats in there.  And, yes, The Winston's Amen, Brother is there too.

I'm gonna try not to sign off with this everytime, but this music ain't made to be playing quietly, so turn that knob to the right, all the way...

Inna a dub style

 

Inna Dub Style by Mr Jim



Ok, so it was only a matter of time, but I've ventured into the Soundcloud realm. Still gonna be selecting strictly downloadable mixes for ya mind, so watch out!

This one is a heavy heavy dub selection from your man like Mr Jim outta Bristol. Mr Jim definitely knows how to select a tune. He has got a load of mixes up on Soundcloud, all on a reggae vibe, and they are all well worth a listen, but this one is a nice-and-tight sweet sweet dubby sound.

Turn the volume up peeps, all killa...