The Urban Landscapes Radioshow 10.35
Thursday, September 27th, 2007It’s really good to be back with you after a bit of a break.
After this show will be a break for another week, which means that the next new show will be coming your way in October. Fear not, because there’s a bumper crop of fresh new music, upcoming guest mixes and much more on the horizon.
Gotta give out shouts to DJ Abstract Butta Fingaz for inviting me to spin at his monthly Voodoo Lounge event in Los Angeles. The event has generated quite a bit of buzz of late. I hope to have pictures available soon. If you happen to be in Chinatown L.A. on the first Wednesday of the month, visit his monthly. You’ll hear more from him, as his star is rising with upcoming beats and gigs.
Some sad closures this month, including the final print issue of Straight No Chaser. Many people familiar with the radioshow are also huge fans of the London-based magazine of music, arts and culture. Publisher Paul Bradshaw, whom I’ve had the good fortune of meeting at Chaser HQ in London (along with his younger proteges), has steered the course of his labor of love for 20 years. Legions of readers young and old were treated to words and pictures reflecting a culture that’s part Bohemian, part-sophisticate, but really a deeper insight into ourselves through art and music. Contributors such as Dom Servini, Gilles Peterson, and Raggy among many others have graced the issues, and the cover art from Shifty is second-to-none. Apparently, there are future plans for Chaser…in the digital realm, through one-off events, upcoming art exhibitions, and more. It’s the end of an era, on the one hand, and the opening of a new one, albeit uncharted territory, on the other.
Another passing involves an entity more recent. Clickgroove was a UK-based online music store. It wasn’t just any digital music store, though; it was an important supporter of the scenes of nu-jazz, broken beat, future soul and hip-hop, among a variety of other genres. But the storeJ had a niche clientele, reflected in the many labels that you’ve heard on this show throughout the years. Alas, lack of additional funding to continue its operations force Clickgroove to shutter its site earlier this week. Let this serve as a warning, and a lesson, that support for this music is vital to sustain it as a business, a lifestyle, and a livelihood. Please support the talented musicians and respected labels by purchasing their music, attending their events, and telling others about them; they’ll love you back.
The other loss (as if we haven’t had enough of it already) involves that musician Bobby Byrd. For those of you that don’t know him, you’ve heard enough of him if you’ve listened to James Brown during his prime. Not only was Byrd the able-bodied sideman for the Godfather of Soul, but he was the one that might have saved James Brown’s life. When Brown was a juvenile, he ended up getting into trouble with the law (something that, of course, would return to haunt him later). It was Byrd and his family that took Brown into their home, and it was Byrd who introduced Brown to a group of friends–the nucleus for what would become a historic period in music. Bobby Byrd has only had one album released through James Brown’s label People, but a testament of his music was that like the Godfather, the few tunes that Byrd recorded solo were sampled copiously by hip-hop producers the world over. RIP, Bobby, we’ll always “know you got soul.”
Back at you next week; soak up the good music, and stay tuned for more goods coming your way. Peace.
The Urban Landscapes Radioshow 10.35
Thursday September 20, 2007
Song - Artist - Title - Label
All of Me - Swell Session vs. Mark de Clive-Lowe - Swell Communications - Freerange
Bad Fairy (featuring Earl Zinger) - Eddy Meets Yannah - Once In A While - Compost
Communication - Electric Conversation - Communication - Futuristica Muisc CD-R
Time (Instrumental) G&D - Look Reocrds
Earth 2 God - Randolph - Lonely Eden - Still Music promo
Early Move - Timo Lassy - The Soul and Jazz of Timo Lassy - Ricky-Tick promo
Sonho Estelar - Antonio Adolfo Brazil and Bazuka - Far Out promo
Los Olvidados - Quantic Soul Orchestra - Tropic?? - Tru Thoughts promo
Mama Ne Bana - Konono No. 1 - Live At Colour Cafe - Crammed Disc
Dawn - Build An Ark - Kindred Spirits promo
Eddie eLoader - Chris Bestwick - CD-R
Sahara (Zed Bias Remix) - Soil and “Pimp” Sessions - Brownswood Recordings promo
Piano Pianoli (Envee Ponglish Dub Remix) - Wojtek Urbanski - Violet Violin EP - Compost promo
Prepared To Go (featuring Ernesto) - Swell Session vs. Seiji - Swell Communications - Freerange
A Fidelidade (Pareto’s Remix) - Coringa featuring Paula Lima - Rebolado promo
If (Dave Aude Club Mix) - Colette - Om promo
Love Somone (Mario Basanov and Vidis Remixes) - Atjazz featuring Robert Owens) - EP - Mantis promo
Madness featuring Nadine Francois (Reach For The Stars Remix) - Opolopo - EP - Swedish Brandy promo
Black Soul (Small Arms Fya Remix) - Nubian Mindz - EP - Bagpak promo
Look Around (featuring Cherie Mathieson) - Lewis McCallum - EP - Antipodean promo
END BROADCAST