cubikmusik

under the influence with...greymatter

what can i say about kick-starting the 'under the influence with...'series off again with greymatter, whom i have had the delight of making the virtual acquaintance of via twitter. he is one of the original basement soul and unique uncut heads. if you don't know them check it here. top people involved in this scene with quality sounds always around. i first came across the basement soul comp, sounds from the floor, while living in the States where this sound was few and far between so needless to say it stuck with me and, in all sincerity, to have one of these guys talking to us about their musical influences is special.
along with all this he is a member of the illustrious mr.bongo soundsystem and as a producer has collaborated with Heidi Vogel and Lyric L amongst others. Numerous releases in the pipeline for 2009 on labels including Tru Thoughts, Wolf Music, NY Soul, KAT and Unique Uncut.

As a DJ he has played alongside the likes of Gilles Peterson, Orbital, Domu, Rainer Truby, Benji B, Seiji, Tetine, Prince Fatty, The Nextmen, Seu Jorge, Howie B, 4Hero, Koop, Fingathing, Mark de Clive Lowe, and many more.

for more of greymatter's sounds go check his soundcloud.

What can I say? Choice music from a man of taste so check out his musical influences along with one of his mixes and see where it has sprung from with his own style and take on all that has preceded him. An honor to say to least.

Cheers mate.

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Gary Bartz - Uhuru Salsa
Gary Bartz changed everything for me. Sonics, soul, drums, incredible players and Andy Bey on top.  I think I own all his records now.

Theo Parrish - Falling Up (iTunes, Boomkat, Phonica, Clone)
My first experience of beat down.  WHAT A RECORD.   Thank you Simon See.
Download 01 Falling Up (Carl Craig Remix)

SOMORE - I Refuse (Industry Standard Remix) youtube
All time favourite club anthem that has stayed with me since it came out.  I still rinse this.  Love the UK garage sound.

Angela Bofil - People Make The World Go Round
This record has everything - beats, vocal hooks, bassline.  Sounds like a dance record but was actually written in the 70's.  Had to edit it, those beats were crying out for it.  First heard it at Basement Soul in Brighton when Amar Patel dropped it, big moment.

Tweet - Oops (Oh My) / Call Me
Insanely twisted beats and hooks from Timbaland who is one of my favourite 'big' producers, next level rhythms.  Both leave you wondering where the hell the noises came from.  Tweet just slides so well on the tracks, perfect combination.

Pepe Braddock - Deep Burnt
Beautiful record that changed my perception of house music when I heard it when I was in my late teens. This introduced me to deeper house and also to the master that is Pepe Braddock, who I have always rated as one of the most talented producers on earth.

Eddie Kendricks - My People (iTunes, Amazon (US, UK)
Sonics, soul and production on a whole new level.  First time I heard this at Plastic People I nearly cried, pretty hard not to.
Download My People... Hold On

Devine Edits - Higher (thanks to Social Disco Club for this) (Flex, Discogs) 
Another Plastic People tear jerker.  Intense gospel hooks edited to perfection.

Download 03 Higher (Editnot)

Loleatta Holloway - Love Sensation (Marshall Jefferson Edit)
Stunning edit.  One of those rare edits that is better than the original in my opinion.  Drama, builds and heavy hooks all the way.

Afronaut - Transcend Me
My love for broken came from this record.  Killer from start to finish, drum programming is unbelievable, soaring deep vocal and the switch up half way through is one of the heaviest in any dance record.

Wu Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck
36 Chambers changed everything for me when I heard it and it remains one of the few albums I know almost all the words too.  Protect Ya Neck is a strange record in many ways, in Bobito's words... "a record with 9 verses and no chorus"... seems impossible.  Utterly raw with so much energy.  Seen this record completely wreck rooms before and justifiably so.

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And so, onto the sounds that you can expect to hear from Greymatter if you are out and about, especially the London area. This is his latest mix, fresh from the man himself.

2Steppin Into Tomorrow - past present and future 2-step selections...

Download 2Steppin Into Tomorrow mixed by Greymatter

1. Greymatter - When I Was Lost
2. Altered Native - Rass Out
3. Greymatter - Bunda
4. Falty DL - To London
5. Moreso - Take My Hand (Dem2's Over There Dub)
6. Kode9 - Black Sun
7. Shed - Another Wedged Chicken (Martyn Remix)
8. A Made Up Sound - Density
9. Hot City Bass - Hot City
10. Floating Points - K&W Beat
11. Dark Knight - Mutant Funk
12. Klic - Karaoke
13. Martyn - Yet
14. DJ Zinc - 138 Trek

buy Greymatterbeat's latest release,  Believe In Something EP (inc. TRG Remix):

phonica, boomkat, groovedjs

under the influence with...blackwax

been a while since we had an 'under the influence with...' post so i am chuffed to have a post back with blackwax who hails from the UK and who i first of on gilles peterson's show a few weeks ago with his amazing edit of jazzanova's 'i can see' featuring ben westbeech. such a drum heavy edit that pares the vocals and lays down the bass with rich strings that draw close to near perfection (streamed below). so, off i went in search of his influences and this is what we got back. such an insight into quality music that inspires me to discover more.

cheers mate.
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When I was asked to write a list of music that has influenced my sound I knew I was in for a daunting task as “my sound” tends to be extremely varied within the realms of danceable music. Also my influences come from not only artists but in the form of various people that help shaped my tastes in music over the years. Some are DJ’s some are producers some are both.

Where to start? At the beginning I guess.

Max Rees (DJ, Record store owner and collector)
When talking about who influenced me Max has to be high on the list. More than anyone else Max introduced me to massive amounts of music. Owner of Hot Numbers record store Max introduced me to Soul, Jazz, Funk, Disco House music and everything in between with his store full of tunes his knowledge and his DJ sets across the entire UK.

Frankie Knuckles – Your Love
One of the 1st Chicago House records I purchased. This was played at some many great party’s and clubs back as a new release. Yet it still manages to sound fresh in today’s clubs. Frankie was an originator and helped form a new culture and sound.
Download 1-01 Your_Love
(*you may recognise this tune from candi stanton's take 'you've got the love' which i think may have seen more acclaim (correct me if i'm wrong). candi stanton plays at whelans in dublin next week which will be an amazing night by all accounts.)

Roy Ayers – Everybody Loves The Sunshine
So many great memories (Usually associated with summer)
Massive song at Soul Weekenders and All dayers both of which have been integral to my musical back ground
Download 05 Everybody Loves the Sunshine

4 Hero – Various
Difficult to name just one song from Dego, Marc Mac and the gang as there have been so many influential tracks over the years Les Fleur, Black Gold Of The Sun (see NuYorican Soul below) New , I’ve Known rivers etc. I believe they helped shape the UK’s dance scene constantly innovating and surprising us with music and some of the best beat making around.
Download Another Day

Francois Kevorkian – Wave records and more
The mad scientist! Francois was there at the height of New York cities club land as a DJ and producer with labels like 1980’s Prelude records. Francois has managed to move with the times through nearly 4 decades and still stays at the very top of the game. His dub sensibilities have channeled into his production and DJ work bringing us some of the best club music and DJ sets I have ever witnessed. Always full of surprises he is real pleasure listen too weather on wax or in a club. His deep space party’s are still some of the most memorable ever and tracks like Time and Space still move floors across the world.

Bobby Womack – How could you break my heart?
Choosing just ONE soul record is impossible but you can bet that in any top 20 list I make this will feature in it. So many memories are evoked when I hear this song and they usually involve a sea of smiling, singing voices. Bobby’s distinctive voice and guitar playing make this a true soul music classic

Phil Asher – Coop, Soul Heaven, Chilli Funk, Archive records and more
Although I have known of Phil’s music for many years and have many pieces of his music in my collection it wasn’t until we met in person that I realised just want a true gent this man is. Phil has been an inspiration in my recent move into production work.
I think maybe if it wasn’t for Phil I may not have soldiered foreword in making my own tracks as I have. My only hope is that one day my beats can be half as good as his!

Lonnie Liston Smith – Expansions
Possibly one of the best jazz funk dance records ever made
An instantly recognisable intro that has the capacity to ignite almost every dance floor I have played to. Never out of the DJ box kind of track

Voodoo Ray - Guy Called Gerald
Mental! This evokes memories of raves and the summer of love. Open air parties with not just 100 people but 1000’s. How could anything from those special times not get a mention? Acid!
Download Voodoo Ray

Paris: I Choose You
Another soul classic and the 1st record at my wedding so I cant leave that one out.“2 Step Soul” throughout the soul scene was always something I was always drawn too. Some of my favourite records of all time can be included in that description

Donald Byrd – Paces and Spaces
Another jazz record, the whole LP is brilliant. From the smooth summer sounds of Wind Parade to the energy of Change and Dominoes This is one of those rare LP’s that you can play from start to finish and not hear a single bad moment add to that the Mizell brothers involvement and you have the makings of one of the best pieces of recorded music in history

Masters at Work – NuYorican Soul
Maw’s contribution to dance music is unparalleled. There now classic LP NuYorican Soul was a true landmark piece. Drawing in collaborations from far and wide to bring this unique recording was something that had not been done for some time.
George Benson, Vincent Montana jnr, Jocelyn Brown, Tito Puente, Roy Ayers and India brought there special pieces to this great LP. As for Nervous track well just listen I cant say more than that!
Download 01 I Am the Black Gold of the Sun (4 Hero remix)

Third World – Now That we Found Love
Never out of my DJ Box! One of my all time favourites. A great song with a feel good factor. Always guaranteed for those sing along moments. Classic.

Sounds of Blackness – Optimistic
Pure black gold. A full gospel choir delivering an inspirational message. If you ever get chance to see them perform live do it! This gives me Goosebumps and brings tears of joy.

Eddie Russ – Zaius
Back on the Jazz tip. A timeless classic that evokes memories of The Blue Note in Hoxton Square London for those infamous Soul Surgery sets with Dr Bob Jones.

Bob Jones – Southport Weekender, Chilli Funk Records, Black on Black ETC
Dr Bob is another man that has had a huge influence on me musically.
His DJ sets at the Surgery, to the Southport weekender have turned me on to so many great records. Not only that but has been responsible for producing and remixing a plethora of great inspirational black music. He has worked with artists such as The Temptations, Bobby Womack, Nu Colours, Al Green, Daryl Hall to name just a few.
After 40 years in the business he continues to be an influence on music lover’s world wide.

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Jazzanova I Can See Blackwax Edit by Blackwax

under the influence with...HerelDeduke

A few days ago I featured 'shudda' by HerelDeduke and since then two things have happened to HerelDeduke and I am excited about both in all honesty.

- First off 'shudda' won "tune of the week" over on one of the bbc radio 2 shows. Nice one mate-well deserved.

-Secondly Oliver from HerelDeduke wanted to continue the 'under the influence with...'series and  sat down to tell us about the musical influences in his life. Always fascinating to hear the sounds that help form the musical talents that capture our attention.

After the jump hear the great bootleg of Massive Attack's Angel by HerelDeduke.

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Captain Beefheart - Grow Fins
It might not be that obvious but Captain Beefheart has been a massive influence on me.   I'll admit that a lot of his music is not so easy on the ear but if you have the patience you can find some real inspiration. I could have made the whole list out of Beefheart tracks.   

Massive Attack  - Angel
This track has influenced me massively.  From the electric guitar and live drums mixing with synth bass and drum loops, to the instrumentation with the fast bassline sitting with the slow drums.  Its got a hell of an atmosphere too.  The influence was so strong that I had to make a bootleg of it.  (See below)
Download 01_angel.mp3

Bootsy Collins - Id Rather Be With You
A few years ago I went through a P-Funk stage and all that west coast stuff.  I feel the more funky dance side of it has been over used but the ballad side not so. You can hear a subtle influence on 'All I Know' from my album Country Bumpin.
Download id_rather_be_with_you.mp3

The Prodigy - Weather Experience
For me the first Prodigy album was the best.  I can see why the later albums were popular but 'The Prodigy Experience' far out stripes them as far as I'm concerned.  Its one of the reason I got into making music I think.  Some of the melodies and arrangements are brilliant.  I could have chosen a number of tracks from this album.   

Muddy Waters - Tom Cat
If I'd made a list of my top favourite tracks it would be totally different.  There are lots of tracks I like but they don't really influence me when making music.  But this track would make most lists.  It works on every level.  It still sounds fresh now, it must have blown peoples minds when it came out in 1968!!

Missy Elliott - Lick Shots
Ok here it comes…. Yes I am influenced by Timbaland, and yes I know, just like everybody else!  I found this period particularly inspiring, although I'm not a huge fan of everything he does.

Happy Mondays – Hallelujah
Indie/dance crossover at its finest. Also the Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches album is definitely worth a revisit.  Forget the reputation, the album is an original sounding classic.
Download 16_hallelujah_club_mix.mp3

Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart- Muffin Man
Yes the intro and the lyrical content may be a bit comedy but when that main riff kicks in, and then the mental guitar solo… Works for me.  You can hear an obvious influence on 'Father Said' on my album Country Bumpin.
Download frank_zappa_muffin_man.MP3

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Download angel_hereldeduke_bootleg.mp3

Buy the HerelDeduke EP at iTunes (US), Dancetracks Digital (US) , JunoDownload (UK), Juno

Get the album from iTunes here, emusic here or Juno Download here.

 

Lonely Eden

So, my mate Younglee from Ok_Ma is one busy guy. What with making top tunes, remixing for the likes of Arch-Typ and Jonny Miller and DJing around Europe I don't know where he finds the time to do anything else.
But he does.
And when someone like him brings something to me I sit up and pay attention.
So, Younglee emails me a few weeks ago about Randolph, released on Still Music (voted as one of the 10 best up and coming labels by XLR8R in August 2007), I sat up and literally listened. The album, "Lonely Eden", features tracks with Waajeed, Amp Fiddler, Stephanie Mckay and DJ Dez (Slum Village).
My favourite tune from the album has got to be  Leanin'  with its killer bassline.

Randolph hails from Detroit and "Lonely Eden" is the follow up to his first album released on Moodymann's Mahogani label.
The album crosses the paths of many styles but sits on none as indicated by Randoplh himself:
“I’ve never been happy staying in one place, if my style is diverse its coming from a lot of different places.”  And so, we invited him to talk about his influences, of which there are many. So many in fact that we won't be posting songs of these influences.

Unfortunately we can't post any tunes (yet) from the album but perhaps StillMusic/ Randolph will let us slip something on here for a week or so.

In the meantime check out hisspace for some sounds or go to XLR8R for a free tune or buy the album.

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There have been some many Artist/Songs?Albums that have influenced me I fear it would take up far
more typing and reading time than humanly feasible.  With that I will attempt to give you the condensed version:

1. Jimi Hendrix "A Band Of Gypsies"
2. Led Zepplin "Black Dog" (Hear it)
3. Earth Wind and Fire "Spirit"
4. Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix "LIVE"
5. David Bowie "Heros"
6. Mahavishnu Orchestra "The Inner Mounting Flame"
7. YMO
8. Brand X
9. Rufus
9. Bill Withers "LIVE"
10. Elise Regina and Tom ? "Elise e Tom
11. Sly "Fresh"
12. Thomas Dolby "Field Work", "Flat Earth"
13. R.L. Burnside (all his works)
14. Stevie Wonder "Talking Book"
15. Ry Cooder
16. Roberta Flack
17. XTC "English Settlement"
18. Brenda Russell (her first solo album)
19. Joni Mitchell
20. Joan Armertrading (anything)
21. Miles Davis "Sketches of Spain"
22. Motown
23. Staxx
24. Gino Vannelli "Brother 2 Brother"
25. P-Funk
26. James Brown
27.Sam and Dave
28. Weather Report
29. Hank Williams Sr.
30.. Ohio
Players.......................

..............................thats enough!
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Cheers

Under The Influence with...El Remolon

So after my post the other day 'nudging' El Remolon to let us into his world I got an email from the man himself with his influences.
So interesting to hear about a whole world of music that I have not been exposed to before.
I want to say thanks to El Remolon for sharing these with us.

After the influences check out the sounds produced by El Remolon.

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1.  Señor Coconut – El Baile Aleman [Multicolor]
This album from the year 1999 is a revolution on the concept of covers, bootlegs, mashups and more. Kraftwerk classics with the sound of cumbia, merengue and chachacha is one of the genius things that made Mr. Atom Heart (aka Señor Coconut). Autobahn is a must have track.

2. Marcelo Fabian – Beija Flor [Ultrapop]
Argentinian and innovating. He´s one of the firsts who mix minimal music with cumbia and reaggeton styles. His tracks are nice to listen to in your living-room with an havana cigar in your mouth or maybe smoking a bit of “paco” (something like “crack”on argentina), or a mix of them. The sounds is cool, ideal for a warm-up session.
Download sapo2.mp3

3. Los Pibes Chorros – Arriba Las Manos [Magenta]:
Is one of the first and most popular bands of the Cumbia Villera (cumbia from the slums of Buenos Aires). The songs “Andrea” and “El Tano Pastita” are hits for every dance-floor. Their lyrics are politicaly incorrect and talk about drugs, crime and against the police. People identify with their ideology.
Download borracho_soy.mp3

4. Mambotur – Al frente [Multicolor]: This album from 2005 is the 2nd of this duo, who live in Santiago de Chile. Both began experimenting with electronic sounds in the late 90s. Argenis Brito has worked on latinotronics with his productions for Señor Coconut and Pink Elln, between others. Pier Bucci, the other part of the duo is a great producer of minimal who edited on Cadenza and Crosstown Rebels labels from Europe. Their songs are an acid critic about the problems of Latinoamérica.
Download 01_puerto_colombia.mp3

5. Deadbeat - New World Observer [scape] (2005)
From Montreal, this is the minimal dub project of one of the members of Crackhaus, Scott Montieh. He mixes dub, reggae and a bit of reggeton with microsamples, minimal sound and vocals all in one. The album is full of miles-deep bass and snare-chipped rhythms. Beautiful!. 
Download PortAuPrince.mp3

6. Villa Diamante – Bailando se Entiende la Gente (2007)
A bastard-pop, cumbia-hip hop mashup, broken reggaeton, made by one of the promoters of new scene at Buenos Aires. He mixes everything with everything with very good taste. You can download it free here.
Download 13.Villa Diamante - Alfonso el Pintor vs Ratatat.mp3

7. Fauna – Not Released Yet:
From Mendoza, Argentina, they took American elements like reggae, cumbia, reggaeton, cumbia villera, baile funk and mixed them with Saxon electronic beats like IDM, Jungle and Break Beat. With time, these instrumental productions were enriched with raga and hip hop rhymes, giving birth to their live duo. This mix of styles in Argentina is called "Tropitronica," Fauna setting the bar for the genre.  They don´t have an album yet, but you can find some tracks on the net and on their myspace site.
Download FAUNA-Gauchito_Gil.mp3
(Cubik note- watch this space for some exciting stuff that might be happening here with Fauna).

8. Axel Krygier – Echale Semilla
This album was edited in Buenos Aires in1999, mixing jazz, song, tango and caribean music and other traditional Argentinian music with electronic resources. You can find a box of surprises. He sings, plays, samples and have fun with his instruments. This is one of the most innovative artists from Latinoamérica.  www.myspace.com/axelkrygier
Download 10_echale_semilla_watch_tv_remix.mp3

9. Frikstailers – Not Released Yet
This is the super rhythmic and sampladelic project in which Rafael Caivano and Lisandro Sona work their taste for the freestyle dancefloors. In their compositions pieces of artists that shake the group unconscious of all the world like Britney Spears, Madonna or Justin Timberlake, are dismembered in microsounds that mutates until they get to another dimension, they reach another aesthetic and meaning The final result of all this touches for moments styles like dancehall, reggaeton, hip hop, funk, house and techno.
Download baile_frik.mp3

10. And also a lot of artists like (in alphabetic order): Akufen, Amar Azul, Apparat, Bassnectar, Calle 13, Dabrye, Daft Punk, Dapayk & Padberg, Diplo, Ellen Allien, Emisor, Ezekiel Honig, Fairmont, Fergie, Gilda, Gonzalo Martinez, Grupo Sombras, Guitar, Isan, Jay Z, John Tejada, Juana Molina, Justin Timberlake, Les Rtyhmes Digitales, Lisa Carbon, Lucien-n-Luciano, M.I.A, Martin Buscaglia, Michael Mayer, Mikkel Metal, Missy Elliot, Mum, Nightmares on Wax, Nirvana, Nortec Collective, Os Mutantes, Pavement, Pink Elln, Pixies, Pole, Prefuse 73, Princesa, Ricardo Villalobos, Ricardo vVllalobos, Scsi-9, Sigur ros, Simian, Sonic Youth, Spiritualized, Styrofoam, Superpitcher, Tego Calderon, Telefon Tel Aviv, The Streets, Volcán, Wighnomy Brothers.

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Now for some of the sounds of El Remolon that have been influenced by the artists above:

Download 04_el_guacho.mp3

Download 06_the_beach_era_djef_mix.mp3

Download 02_cumbia_bichera.mp3

Under The Influence with...JLS/ Little-D Soundlab

Back again with another 'Under the Influence with..... 'post. This time around we have JLS/ from the Little-D Soundlab. Back in December we had an excellent post from 40Winks that includded tunes from  Kraftwerk, The Roots, ATCQ, and others. JLS follows up with another great posts and some cool insights into what has influenced him musically. Cheers mate. As ever, check out a JLS tune at the bottom of the post to see what these influences have turned out.

1. Moms Record Collection

I played with the records a lot when I was a kid, often leading to me running around the house with my mom chasing me after I ruined a vinyl piece with scratching haha. Lots of soul, reggae, jazz and funk was inside my moms crate, and also a lot of Kawina records (a hi-speed percussion based style from my native country Surinam), Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley, Roy Ayers(!) Motown compilations Stevie Wonder etc etc. The one that I really loved back then was Curtis Mayfield's "Roots" album.

Download 01_we_got_to_have_peace.mp3

 

2. Radio Patapoe
A Pirate station in Amsterdam that played the nicest tunes. I remember making tapes with my first deck of all the songs they played(I was..pff 10/12 at the time so this was 90/92. Lots of dub from perry and king tubby that made me fall in love with the low bass sound, you know the one you feel in your gut when played loud :) also recorded lots of house and experimental beats at the time.      

Download 07_king_tubby_king_tubby_dub.mp3

 

3.Ice Cube -Lethal Injection
Young kid looks up to cooler older nephew who rocks mad ice, had cool car posters and a gangsta cd-collection that was crazy!! still listen to Ghetto Bird a lot.
Download 02_ghetto_bird.mp3

 

3. Yuzo Koshiro - Streets Of Rage 2 Soundtrack (sega)
Why select a videogame soundtrack you ask? Well when I was 13 me and my little brother saved up all my money for the 16-bit revolutionary device "sega megadrive" and one of the first games whe bought was Streets Of Rage II a very good beat'm up game, but the thing I remember the most: The soundtrack! heavily influenced by the rave sound from the 90's, Koshiro made tracks that me and my brother danced on with the option screen on till 3 am in the morning.
One of the reason why I started looking for that house and jungle sound and investigating what you could find on vinyl and cd! . Thanks Yuzo!!
Download spin_on_the_bridge.mp3

 

4.Leviticus - Burial
With another kid in my class I got obsessed with the jungle sound from the uk, probably because of the low basses and hi-speed percussion (kawina!!) can't remember a lot of releases from that time (all on tapes and some cd's I can't find anywhere) but this track really got to me back then!
Download burial_lovers_rock_mix.mp3

5. Old Dirty Bastard -Brooklyn Zoo (remix? if you could find it, pass it to me!!)
Hiphop was starting with one of it's first transformations and I remember listening to a radio show called Dutch Masters, It was and is in my opinion one of the best radioshows I have ever heard with a great chemistry between hosts and an amazing tracklists. I remember hearing this song on my tape deck when I was 14 and it I was a wu fan from that moment on... just as any other urban kid at the time hahaha

Download 04_brooklyn_zoo.mp3

 

6. Pharcyde - Labcabincalifornia
Got this on a tape from a good friend from the UK and ever since then I was obsessed with a certain sound within hiphop and started the actual collecting and trying to spin it on decks, subconciously collecting a lot of j-dilla produced tracks in the process and a lot of work from the native tongues...essential for my musical upbringing and a turning point to.

Download 03_drop.mp3

 

7. Dillinja - Acid Trak
Goldie, Digital, Dillinja and Lemon D really came with an amazing sound filled with amen breaks and low basses that I fell in love it. it was funny but the scene splitted in two back then but I loved it both, I remember dancing on Acid Trak for a very long time. Classic and one of the reasons that I started dabbling with a sequencer and sampler. 

8. Roni Size -Brown Paper Bag.
The other side of the Drum&Bass spectrum I really liked was more jazz influenced and had a different dynamic (melodic,warm) in the productions. this is again one of the tracks that kept me up till late at night and influenced me production wise.

Download 102_brown_paper_bag.mp3

 

9. Mos Def - Universal Magnetic
Much sentimental value for this one.. It reminds of a time of going out with my friends, hanging out with girls and coming back late at night, a great time. Every time this track played I jumped away from friends moved to the dancefloor and sang the lyrics out loud and dancing with fellow fans of the song. I think I can spit this one backwards haha
Download 04_universal_magnetic.mp3

 

10.Dj Krush - Holonic self mega mix
Turning point. I remember hearing something on the radio that amazed me, beats like I heard on radio Patapoe when I was young and again amazed: no vocals but still the music creates an instant visual in your mind. Not knowing who the artist was, I rushed to every music store to find it, humming the sound to the people from the store, finally finding this cd, I fell in love with krush his way of producing and composing and with instrumental hiphop in general. labels such as ninja tune and mowax got my attention since then from a graphical and musical standpoint. Playing the cd over and over till this very day. And on my funeral.

Cubik note: I couldn't get a tune from the album mentioned above so I am posting one of my favourites. Sorry JLS.
Download 07_days_end.mp3
      
11. Richie Hawtin - DE9 Closer to the edit album.
I was part of a vj-crew called Prime Meridian back in 97/98. And one of our first sets in Amsterdam in the mazzo was a techno based night from Estroe. It was a fantastic experience to see our graphic designs and video on the big screen for the crowd that really liked it to, I remember being mesmerized by a song that was playing and asking the dj (can't remember who it was could have been Estroe but whoever it is... THANK YOU!) what it was. he/she said that it was a Richie Hawtin track from the Closer to the edit album. Hawtin created an unprecendented mix cd by cutting up 300 12" in pieces and making one big puzzle piece with it. It's minimalistic approach to the music really pushed me to look deeper in to the techno sound then I already did.

 

12. Basic Channel - The Climax (Carl Craig Basic Reshape)
Like finding eldorado at the age of 19. big inspiration to me and got me into a lot of labels in that mindset like Scape, planet E, delsin and many others.

Download the_climax_reworked.mp3

 

13. Stones Throw Records.
Big inspiration to me as a label, and one that has transformed the face of independent hiphop and labels in general in a very positive way. Always experimenting, always ignoring set rules..and making new ones in the process, Madlib's amazing array of styles, Peanut Butter Wolf and Egons managment skills(the amount of work they had to do in the begin stages had to be crazy) and musical knowhow, Jeff Janks art and design...in short: heroes. They had a great and tough year this year but I hope that they continue the way they do.

Download soon_to_be_large.mp3

 

14. The Little-D Soundlab Roster.
The initial start for me to start a label was to bring sounds that I really liked and that we're able to translate the way I thought a label should sound like: trying new things, defying genre rule sets, fusing older styles and mastering a few. Akida,Jolynn,40 Winks, Nono And Estroe really do things already with their productions and ideas, and that really pushes me to do my job a lot better everyday, I don't know what the future for Little-D will bring but the idea that i'm helping to push the sounds of these amazingly skilled artists to the world, makes me very happy.

Now-check out what the sounds above have turned out from JLS in the Little-D Soundlab.
Download Aftersurfdub.mp3

 

Under The Influence with...40 Winks

40 Winks hail from Antwerp, Belguim and are made up of Padmo and Weedy. They produce 'hip hop with a twist' and they are coming to you as the first installment of a three part Under The Influence   series from the excellent new lablel Little-D.
Cubik note: I love these guys; beats & musical treats for sure.  Check out one of their tunes below.

Cheers

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Under the Influcence with...Padmo from 40 Winks
In no particular order, and impossible to complete, some of my influences:

1. The Nonce - Mix Tapes (from the album "World Ultimate" - 1995)
The video for this song is what persuaded me to get my first mixer and turntable.
I recorded the music video off MTV and kept watching it over and over again.
It wasn't just the video though, the simple scratches during the chorus and at the end of the song really made me understand how you use a crossfader to cut and scratch sounds.
This was the start for me to get into turntablism at a later stage. Now scratching is something you'll keep hearing come back in my songs, one way or another.
Download the_noncemix_tapes.mp3

2. Quasimoto - Goodmorning Sunshine (from the album "The Unseen" - 2000)
This album was the first album from Madlib (aka Quasimoto, aka ...) that really showed his wacky/cratedigger/jazzy/collage of soundbites style. I think the song "Goodmorning Sunshine" sums up everything i love about this album. The style of this album really influenced the direction I initially wanted to go with 40 Winks.
Download quasimotogoodmorning_sunshine.mp3

 

3. Kraftwerk - Computer Love (from the album "Computer World" - 1981)Coming from a hip hop background and being into the sample based side of things,i didn't learn to appreciate electronical music at first. What better way could i have found to get introduced in how it's properly done than by listening to Kraftwerk.
Download kraftwerkcomputer_love.mp3

4. The Roots - 100% Dundee (from the album "Things Fall Apart" - 1999)
The Roots' organic approach to hip hop (heavily influenced by J Dilla) influenced hip hop a lot. I picked this song because it's so out there.
Download the_roots100_dundee.mp3

5. Common - Nag Champa (from the album "Like Water For Choclate" - 2000)
This track is produced by J Dilla. This is just one of his many faces in music.
The way he combines the soft/soulful with the hard/clear drums, perfect.
Download commonnag_champa.mp3

Under The Influcence with....Weedy from 40 Winks.
Tracks that influenced me… here are some that I think of right now. It is not a coincidence that they were all released around ’96 because that’s the time when I started paying more attention to beats and instrumental Hip Hop… enjoy!

A Tribe Called Quest – Beats Rhymes & Life
The Hop
It’s just a small part that they sampled from, but they managed to make a superb track with it… It’s always been my favourite track on the album.. The ummah has real good productions, but this is actually the only track on the album that isn’t produced by them…
Download The_Hop.mp3

The Pharcyde – Labcabincalifornia
Splattitorium
I don’t know how many times I listened to this album… but it ‘s a lot.
Splattitorium is really dope… nicely chopped up by Jay Dee and the various adlibs complete the vibe of the beat.. dope.
Download The_Pharcyde_Splattitorium.mp3

DJ Shadow – Endtroducing…
Midnight in a perfect world
I have always liked instrumentals of raptracks, it’s with this album that I discovered that instrumental hiphop can actually go further than just beats to rap on…
Download Midnight_in_a_perfect_world.mp3

David Shea & Grazzhoppa - Down River Up Stream
Morning Jacks
An album that influenced my beatmaking a lot.. Belgian stuff and bringing instrumental Hip Hop to another level!
Download Morning_jacks.mp3

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And this is what all those influences (and more) deliver in the 40Winks sound.
Download Wakeup.mp3

Under The Influence with...Dubble D

When you start something like 'Under the Influence' you know that you are gonna get to hear some great new tunes and hear about artist's influences. A bonus of doing this is that you also get to be exposed to the passion that people have for music. All I can say is that if anyone in this world has passion for music it is the one and only Dubble D (bio)! It is infectious.
When I emailed him a few weeks ago, to ask if he'd be into contributing, I wasn't expecting a response in all honesty but within a few days I recieved an excitied response and he was signed up. Today we get to see what Dubble D is under the influence of-it is a treat!

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                                                        Dubble D.  Under the Influence.

What a buzz! Imagine, receiving an e mail asking you to make a selection of  tracks that have influenced your career! What a great gig!
Anyway, after days of dilemma, here goes; I have to say, not as easy a task as I’d originally thought.
(I could go on for ever!!). A lot of the artists I have chosen are influential through their entire careers rather than the specific tracks here so I encourage you, if you can be bothered, or are inspired, to check out their discographies and  collaborators and get diggin’!!!!

1.Miles Davis-“so what”.
Taken from “a kind of blue” Miles’ seminal album. The best selling jazz album of all time. I first heard this as a kid and it continues to inspire me today. An amazing band and beautiful compositions. ANY and ALL of Miles’ work is worth checking out; a true innovator and visionary and an inspiration for life!!
Download 01_so_what.mp3

2.John Coltrane-“you’re out of this world”
Taken from the Impulse album (check out the rest of the label’s releases too!)  “Coltrane” an amazing groove featuring one of my favourite drummers; Elvin Jones and indeed one of my favourite ever groups. Coltrane really soars on this track. Another one I continue to hammer and hear fresh things each time I do.
Download 102_out_of_this_world.mp3

3.Eddie Palmieri-“justicia”
As a percussionist, I naturally fell in love with afro-cuban music. In particular New York Puerto Rican salsa. Eddie Palmieri is a genius/pianist/bandleader. This is a fania recording from the 70s. Check out the groove and the ridiculous solos! Amazing!
Download 02_justicia.mp3

4. Flora Purim-“moondreams”
From “butterfly dreams” and featuring fusion giants Stanley Clarke and George Duke as well as her percussionist/husband Airto.(a major hero and influence). The tune is written by Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti (another big influence; especially his recordings on the ECM label which I have rinsed!!). I’m a massive fan of Flora and Airto and was lucky enough to collaborate with her and her daughter for a track on my album “Reachin’ Out” (2020 vision). Totally trippin’ . What a buzz!!!!
Download flora_purimmoonbeams.mp3

5.Herbie Hancock-“spider”
I think that in centuries to come people are going to look back upon Herbie Hancock as we might do Mozart. Except, of course that Herbie is a whole lot funkier. This track is from “Secrets”. Herbie’s use of synthesizers was completely innovative and still influences electronic funk producers everywhere today. Awesome….Firm favourites of mine are also “Manchild”, “Thrust”, “Sunlight” and “Headhunters” but it’s well worth checking out anything he’s done.
Download 03_spider.mp3

6.Lonnie Liston Smith-“Expansions”
Amazing groove. Beautiful sentiments. A club classic in Manchester which never fails to take me back to my early clubbing days!! I could also include anything by Roy Ayers at this point but in particular “everybody loves the sunshine” and “we live in Brooklyn baby”. Still kicking it live with an awesome band, another amazing musician who is an innovative producer.
Download expansion.mp3

7.Marvin Gaye-“what’s goin’ on?”
I don’t go anywhere without this album. A message more important today than ever. True soul. How can we ever get close? Beautiful.
Download 06_whats_going_on.mp3

8.Public Enemy-“Don’t believe the hype.”
This record changed my life. I heard it in my mate’s bedroom when I was about 14 years old. It ripped my head apart and still does. It made hip hop a part of my life and everything I do.
Download 04_dont_believe_the_hype.mp3

9.A Tribe called Quest-“We got the jazz”
From “the low end theory” I also love everything else they’ve done. In particular “midnight marauders”, and  “beats, rhymes and life”. Intelligent, witty and poignant lyrics and killer beats and production. Check the brilliant Busta Rhymes cameos on this album too!! Hip hop does not get better than this!!!
Download 02_jazz_weve_got.mp3

10. Common-“the light”
Common. For me this guy is on another level lyrically. His album, “Like water for chocolate” is amazing. J.Dilla is, (along with Pete Rock, ) one of my production heroes and this is one of his best. Deep!!! Also check out Dilla’s “Donuts” album. Made on his deathbed, it is a true testament to innovation in hip hop production.
Download 12_the_light.mp3

11.DJ Krush-“yeah”
Mo Wax came along in the early nineties and blew me away. This track from Krush is taken from his album “ Strictly Turntabalised”. I love the dirt and the swing. This album realy made me think about producing beats myself.
Download yeah.mp3

12. Fila Brasilia-“weasel out the muck”
Funky drum loops. Great Samples. Hip references. Great synth sounds and programming. I love Fila Brasilia. Their albums “maim that tune” “mess” “old codes, new chaos” and “luck be a weirdo tonight” were a revelation. Tying jazz, hip hop and house production values in a way that nobody else did. I was lucky enough to work with the guys and have nothing but love and respect. Indeed, it was Steve Cobby who convinced me that I should be producing. The ethos behind their then label, Pork Recordings, was completely refreshing and all about the music. Check it out!!
Download 10_weasel_out_the_muck.mp3

13.Daft Punk-“revolution 909”
Homework is one of my favourite albums. Daft Punk have the funk. In a massive way. What can you say? Probably nothing. Turn it the fuck up and dance!
Download 01_revolution_909.mp3

14.Future Sound of London “Papua New Guniea”
I loved going to raves. I was lucky enough to witness the social change brought about by ecstasy in the late 80s. This tune takes me there. Amazing. I love it and still play it whenever I get the chance!!!!
Download papua_new_guinea.mp3

15.Aim-“Cold Water Music”
From the album of the same name. When I first heard this tune I was completely blown away. At the time I was quite heavily involved with Grand Central records; playing drums with Rae and Christian. I was lucky enough to go on to play with Aim live through whom I met Q n C and Kate Rogers with whom I recorded for my album “Reachin’ Out” (2020 Vision). (C’mon, that’s only 2 plugs so far!!!!)
Download cold_water_music.mp3

16.Kerry Chandler-“bar-a-thym”
This, for me, is what house music is all about. Kerry is soul and this record makes me want to jump around like a lunatic and whistle. YES YES YES!!!!
Download bar_a_thym.mp3

17.Mary J.Blige-“M.V.P.” (feat. 50 Cent)
I love soul, (some people call it R & B!!!) particularly girly soul, and Mary J. Blige is the queen. No question. This track tells her story. Genius. I’m a BIG fan. One day she might marry me.
Download mvp.mp3

At this point I must also mention some of the DJs who have been huge influences on my musical development.
Ralph Lawson
Mr. Scruff
James Holroyd
Francois Kevorkian
Derrick Carter
Norman Jay
Ashley Beedle
Chris Cruicks
Theo Parrish
These guys have influenced me as much as any individual record. Thank you.

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Now check out the sounds that Dubble D brings us.

Taken from his debut album, Reachin' Out, these two tunes display the breath of influences that we read about above. My gosh- truly stunning. It is so hard to pick two tunes from this album as it is really solid. As you know, Cubik is not the biggest fan of albums and sticks to songs or compilations but Dubble D's hits the right buttons with this one. Check out this BBC Review.

Squelch: Download 09_squelch.mp3

Big Fish: Download 12_big_fish.mp3

Buy Reachin' Out: USA/ Europe

Cheers Danny,

Cubik

Under The Influence with...Part Time Heroes

UPDATE:  Part time Heroes have been shortlisted for best track and best live session in this year's Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards. [Vote]

Another installment in the hugely popular 'Under The Influence with....' series.
This time around we have Part Time Heroes off Mums The Word Records.

Who are Part Time Heroes?
Well, no-one really knows. Like myself, these heroes prefer to lurk in the shadows and let the music do the talking. Except these hereos make the tunes. ;-)
Made up of Shop Boy and Sandwich Man, Part Time Heroes deliver beautifully crafted  tracks that capture  you in their soulful wonder with rich layers of smooth grooves.
And with Gilles Peterson supporting your hero cause you can't go too wrong!
"I love their sound. They come across as a jazzier Zero 7, I'm feeling that!"

Without further ado!

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Under the Influence with....Part Time Heroes

Artist: Joni Mitchell
Tune; A Case Of You.
Its just the most beautiful track I've ever heard, musically and lyrically. incredibly honest and moving.
Download 08_a_case_of_you.mp3

Artist: Elbow
Tune: Scattered Black and Whites. I could have picked any number of tracks by this band. I think they're so underated and have been a huge source of inspiration to both toby and I. I think their depth of songwriting and the way they contruct they're music is astounding.
Download 10_scattered_black_and_whites.mp3

Artist; Stevie Wonder
Tune: Summer Soft.
Once again, I could have picked any number of tracks. Stevie is probably one of my most enduring, but moreover earliest musical influences. When I was about 3 or 4, I can remember learning how to use my parents record player and just dancing myself sick to Songs in the Key of Life , so he's got to be in there.
Download 09_summer_soft.mp3

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And now-the sweet, sweet track from Part Time Heroes off their acclaimed Realise EP
I have had this on my main playlist since I got it; with the organ as beautiful as it has ever sounded.

Artist: Part Time Heroes
Tune: Brandon Heights
Download 02_brandon_heights.mp3

Much thanks to Shop Boy (Ross) of Part Time Heroes and Marc Sheinman with What's Good Music. Keep an eye out for an upcoming 'Under The Influence with....The Nextmen'. :-) I can't wait.

Cheers,
Cubik

Under The Influence

'Under The Influence with.....' aims to looks behind the music of all kinds of artsists/bands/prodcuers to hear about the tunes that influence them in their musical expression. I for one am always curious about the tunes that people grew up listening to, currently tickling their fancy and the tunes that just hit the spot every time they hear them (Cubik's pick: Fingathing-You Fly Me).
We hope that this series will also allow musicians to gain some additional exposure while giving readers a new view on the music that is out there today.

So-with 'Under The Influence with....' CubikMusik is inviting all musician types out there to put pen/finger to paper/keyboard and send us your influential tunes. We will post these along with one of your own production so that we can see/hear the tunes that influence you and the resulting sounds.

Email me if you are interested in contributing: cubikmusik@gmail.com

Cheers,
Cubik

Under The Influence with...Taylormade Sounds

So folks-after last weeks Future Funk Squad post we deliver to you...round two of the 'Under The Influence' series and this time around we are joining Taylormade Sounds. Last week we posted Digisoul here on CubikMusik and it proved to be very popular so for all of you that enjoyed it, and those that get to enjoy it again here today, check out some of Taylor's tunes that have influenced the excellent sounds that are created in the Hotbox Studio.

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Under the Influence with....Taylormade sounds.

In no particular order:

1. Ennio Morricone- there are many songs i like from this composer but here are the best- the opening theme to "The Untouchables", theme to "Violent City" theme to "Sicilian Clan" "The Ballad of hank McCain" "Ecstasy of Gold"
Download 01_il_clan_dei_siciliani_instrumentale.mp3

2. Jimi Hendrix- i love all his work but stand out songs include:  Axis Bold As Love, One Rainy Wish, May this be Love, Machine Gun
Download 03_may_this_be_love.mp3

3. The Rza- i like all his production but Raekwon's "Only Built For Cuban Links" and GZA's "Liquid Swords" are stand out albums.
Download 05_i_gotcha_back___b.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth).mp3

4. Led Zeppelin- too many good songs to pick just one but "Battle of Evermore" "Kashmir" "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"
Download babe_im_gonna_leave_you.mp3

5. System Of A Down- Toxicity, Violent Pornography, Revenga, Deer Dance.
Download 04_toxicity.mp3

6. TV On The Radio- feeling all their stuff pretty much but check "I Was A Lover" "Hours" "A Method" "Staring At The Sun"
Download 01_staring_at_the_sun.mp3

7.  Hip Hop- BDP, Rakim, Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang, De La Soul, OutKast, MOP.
Download 02_paid_in_full_seven_minutes_of_music_the_coldcut_remix.mp3

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And now-hear Taylormade Sound's Digisoul......influenced by some, or all, of the sounds above.
Download 03_digisoul.mp3

I wanna thank Taylormade Sounds  and Future Funk Squad for sharing their influences with us. It is great to get this insight into what they listen to when not producing.
If you are a producer/artist/band/label and want to share your influences please email me at cubikmusik@gmail.com.

Cheers,
Cubik

Under The Influence with...Future Funk Squad

Introducing the new series from CubikMusik which we hope will appeal to our readers out there.

'Under The Influence with.....' aims to looks behind the music of all kinds of artsists/bands/prodcuers to hear about the tunes that influence them in their musical expression. I for one am always curious about the tunes that people grew up listening to, currently tickling their fancy and the tunes that just hit the spot every time they hear them (Cubik's pick: Fingathing-You Fly Me).
We hope that this series will also allow musicians to gain some additional exposure while giving readers a new view on the music that is out there today.

So-with 'Under The Influence with....' CubikMusik is inviting all musician types out there to put pen/finger to paper/keyboard and send us your influential tunes. We will post these along with one of your own production so that we can see/hear the tunes that influence you and the resulting sounds.

To start us off I am delighted to have Glen from Future Funk Squad. With an impressive remix list (Moloko, SIA, Stanton Warriors, Mint Royale...) Glen delivers an interesting mix of sounds as his influences that I for one can certainly hear in his tunes (hear below). These tunes definitely focus on production and performance-key elements in Glen's work with Future Funk Squad.

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Under The Influence with...Future Funk Squad

'Dont Stop Til You Get Enough' - Michael Jackson (produced by Quincy Jones)
Quincy Jones has always been a massive inspiration to me, mainly because of his great production sounds and technique.  His sound was so crisp and clean, the way he produced live percussion and made it sound as punchy and sharp as a drum machine was rather incredible, plus the space and depth in the mixes where incredible too.  'Dont Stop Til You Get Enough' is a prime example of a great dancefloor track produced decades ago that still rocks the floor today.
Download 02_dont_stop_til_you_get_enough.mp3

'Enjoy The Silence' - Depeche Mode
This is hands down an absolute classic piece of pop perfection but also oozes class and credibility. Not as dark as their usual material but such a well written song and produced in a dance way to cater for both audiences.  The uplifting chords and choir-like sounds in the chorus work so well, and of course there is the classic guitar riff that everyone knows.
Download 01_enjoy_the_silence.mp3

'Smack My Bitch Up' - The Prodigy
Liam Howlett is a massive inspiration to my production techniques and dancefloor approach.  The breaks that he uses always seem to have heaps of funk and drive, plus his rumble sub basslines that drive the tracks along are a stroke of genius.  'Smack my bitch up' in particular is a very cleverly crafted piece of work.  The breakdown and mad noises all add to the suspense and impact of the track, and I try to apply this when doing a big club remix or track as everytime myself or someone else has played this track it has never failed to rip the place apart and have people dancing around like complete loons.
Download 03_smack_my_bitch_up.mp3

'Absolution' - Muse
Muse are at the other end of the inspirational spectrum for me, more the live, raw end of things.  The melodies and bass and guitar riffs are second to none and the vocal performance and harmony structure is always very catchy and well crafted. The production on this track (and the whole album) is outstanding too as they have used many obscure recording techniques to get the desired sound they were after.  Experimenting with bog standard sounds is a big part of my creative process in the studio so I can totally relate to this band.

*There is no tune posted for this as I am unsure if Glen is writing about 'Sing for Absolution'. Once I get this clarified I will post the tune. :-)

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Artist: Future Funk Squad
Tune: Towards The Sun (FFS Radio Mix)
Check out the review here.
Download 01_towards_the_sun_ffs_radio_mix.mp3

Upcoming 'Under The Influence with...' include Taylormade Sounds.
Please submit your 'Under The Influence' playlist to cubikmusik@gmail.com

Cheers,
Cubik