The Hip Drop: April 2010

Jose James "Blackmagic" Produced by Flying Lotus

"Blackmagic" the title track from Jose James's debut album is a piece of Future Soul genius. Head over to XLR8R and check it for yo self.

Guilty Simpson & Madlib “Friends Only”

Madlib stepped on the beat for this one !
Guilty Simpson's new album dropping May 18 on Stones Throw.
This is the free 45 that comes with the Vinyl.

afew songs, demo's & remixes..

besides knowing me for my production work with my 2 crews Home Brew & Team Dynamite, Im always working on other things with other people, remixing songs & just tryna keep bizy everyday while jobless & still at home with my parents. Its the only way I keep myself from going crazy.

Anyways..I made myself a soundcloud page 2day & uploaded afew songs, demo's & remixes from the achives for your listening pleasure.

Enjoy.

Latest tracks by Haz'Beats is GoonieHodges

Dâm Funk Interview

Once again Mr Pepperell has Given the Hip Drop the inside Scoop. This time a little chat he had with man of the Moment L.A Funkster "Dâm Funk!!!" Get your Tickets for the Wellington Show!

Los Angeles official ambassador of Modern Funk, Dâm Funk might look and talk a touch like Snoop Dogg, but he is anything but just a G thang. In preparation for his imminent New Zealand debut, performing two exclusive shows in Wellington and Auckland, Martyn Pepperell caught up with Dâm Funk for The Hip-Drop to dig a bit deeper into the unconventional mindset of the wavy haired dude who’s got everyone’s lips flapping.

Martyn Pepperell: Well, what I wanted to do is, do something a bit different to the traditional interview, what was the first instrument you ever owned?

Dâm Funk: Drums!

And how old were you?

I was six years old

What are your recollections of that first kit?

You know, just playing along to different records my pops had bought me, with a drum kit he bought me from the church up the street. I would just play different records and play along, songs like ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ by Iron Butterfly. I would play that whole song, the drum solo, note for note. I would practice on those kinds of records while playing them. Marvin Gaye stuff, he was a drummer you know? I would play some of his stuff, you know, there was various stuff that I would learn on. Then I started getting into groups like Rush and KISS. I would play a long to a lot of the Rush albums, the Moving Pictures album, I would just play note for note drum wise. All the hits, licks and riffs. That is how I got my chops up on drums. Then I moved onto keyboards later.

Can you remember what sort of drum kit it was?

Yeah, it was a Slingerland.

Did you have it in your room, or a practice room?

Yeah, it was in my bedroom. I had drums in my bedroom and would practice to the record, with the stereo playing.

Do you think that gave you an advantage with DJing? You know, matching rhythms?

You know, it could have, but I’m not the best mixer DJ actually. I’m more of a selector. I consider my strength in the DJ world as maybe just choosing a particular song that I would like to connect with the audience and make it feel a certain way. I’m not a turntablist, you understand? I never aspired to be a turntablist. I just wanted to play the records I had in my collection out to the public at the clubs I was going to.

Later on, it was just always hip-hop trance, house and those kinds of styles being played. I would notice that when they dropped something that was a bit more funk, the crowd would eat it up. Then they would go right back to some hip-hop, some boombap stuff, but the crowd would be starving for Vaughan Mason and Crew's ‘Bounce, Rock, Skate’. I just said, man, I got to start injecting this type of music within LA. Sure enough I met this cat named Billy Goods. We met at this record shop. He said, come on down to the spot. He was playing, playing the older style of funk, like James Brown and ah, boogaloo influenced stuff; and things like that even. Whereas I went in with D-Train, Prelude Records and that style. We just connected. From that point I just kept DJing and sharing the record collection out. And here we are now, still sharing some of the music.

In any format, I’m always going to be vision first. I’ve just decided to nurture the vision side of my creativity within my DJ sets, so that is where we are at now.

Looks like its working out for you?

Yeah! It’s cool!

So, I gotta ask, because I know you got some deep knowledge. Could you talk about some of your favourite LP’s?

Hmmmm. Records that make me happy? Stuff from Uncle Jam Wants You, Funkadelic, ‘Knee Deep’, which is just fifteen minutes of, what is one of the best recorded moments to me, in funk and all of music. Also ‘Family Affair’ by Sly Stone; that, to me, is a fantastic song. Prince! A lot of the things he did were very strong for me; but my favourite group has to be Slave. And that is when Steve was fronting the group. With songs like, ‘Just A Touch Of Love’ and the Watching You album and Showtime are just fantastic long players to listen to; in my humble opinion.

How did you discover Slave?

Slave. I discovered Slave when I was growing up. My next-door neighbour was older then me. Him and his friends would be laying those records. Earth Wind and Fire, Slave, P-Funk, P-Function, Maze, Cameo, you know; all these groups! Which is what I was hearing coming out of the windows, with weed smoke coming out of the doors.

I lived next door and I was like, man, this is some great music. You know what I am saying? I just started realising that this is very good music. It’s melodic, yet sophisticated, yet still it’s black and it’s not something that was lumped into a pop format. It’s like some of these major labels were actually releasing some very good music at that point. Maybe someone was throwing money around, I dunno, but it was definitely a great opportunity to see that vibe and that expression in black music being released, at that particular juncture of music.

What I am trying to do is just continue that thing that got broken off with the emergence of hip-hop, because although I am part of the hip-hop generation, it seems like the labels forgot about some of this funk. All I’m trying to do is continue. I’m not trying to rehash it. My stuff is not retro. I don’t want people to keep saying things like retro, or that I’m a retro artist.

No, your stuff is nextro.

Hahahha, yeah man, I appreciate that, it is dawg. I’m respectfully trying to continue the lineage of those groups that came before me, with respect. I’m not trying to bite on them. I’m not trying to duplicate. I’m not trying to do something that has been done before. All I’m trying to do is complement or continue that which was, uninterrupted if you will.

Just creating a future that hasn’t been yet?

Yeah! That’s what this record is about. It’s definitely something of a sleeper. It’s not two minute beats and an eight song record. It’s a long record and I don’t care what critics are saying. I wanted to make a long record on purpose. I grew up listening to progressive rock albums. Some of these kids man, they have this attention deficit disorder, a colossal ADD situation going on, where they think everything has to be one and a half minutes long, Fruity Loops or whatever. I’m more then that man, and I say that humbly.

I’m not going to just make a beat that is two minutes long and just get up and share it like, yay, I did something great! No, I’m giving you a seven min track to play all the way though, from beginning to end. Some will be three minutes like ‘Mirrors’, but I’m still trying to do something different, where the album will last the test of time. I don’t wanna be lumped into all this stuff going on now. Yeah, we can be friends. We can be contemporaries. We can shake each others hands and like each others music, but let me do me. There have been a few critics trying to diss my stuff, but ninety percent of it has been positive and I thank god.

However, there are a few out there that I see saying the album is too long and that its samey samey. Nobody said that about Moodyman. Nobody said that about Too Short. Nobody said that about Velvet Underground. Nobody said that about those groups and their stuff sounds the same, so why you little punks want to keep messing with me and saying that my stuff sounds the same. I see that there is a little bit of dry hating and splashes of player hating going around, but I just hope that some people that are not used to what I’m doing or is about to happen sit back far far away and let me do me. The story is just being told, it ain’t done yet.

For real! Now, I gotta ask you this cause you seem like a music fiend. Do you ever wake up with song ideas?

Yeah I do! Some of them I can’t recreate from my dreams. Some of them are hard to remember! Sometimes I actually get to the recorder and put it down, but some of the best songs I’ve had are in my dreams. I can’t always remember them enough to lay them down. The ones I have made are on the album, and you guys have got to experience them. It’s pretty much what is in my soul. It’s not something I’ve tried to create and rush and hurry up. That is why I took awhile to make the album. The album was meant to be out sooner, but I told the label to relax and let me get into it, let me do me. Thank god for Egon and Peanut Butter Wolf at Stones Throw. Everything you hear on the album is not influenced by some chairman boardroom meeting “take this song off, put this song on” vibe. They gave me full creative control, so all the critique falls on me. It’s not Stones Throw; I just thank them for allowing me to put it out as is.

No doubt!

I just know that no matter what comes to pass, I can wake up in the morning and feel comfortable knowing I made the album that I want to make. That second CD that is all instrumental, part two is programmed like that for a certain way. The first CD which is all vocals is programmed like that for a certain reason. I just hope people realise I’m coming from the heart. It’s not some kind of ironic thing, or a funny joke, or anything like that, this is just me man. I just hope that people see it for what it is, a contribution to the music that we all made; every single race, every single human. I’m just trying to make a contribution to what we enjoy, that is all!

By Martyn Pepperell

SEE HIM LIVE

Wed 12^th May @ San Francisco Bath House, Wellington w/ D:UNK [Live] & EWH Sound System

Thu 13^th May @ Fu Bar, Auckland w/local support

R.I.P. GURU

Is it me or are these things becoming an ever too familiar occurance.

I just picked up the Hard to Earn album the other day, so its a little strange that Guru has past, but the universe does work in mysterious ways (me getting all deep on it). Also what is up with the letter that he "supposedly" wrote, something is SERIOUSLY dodgy with Solar. Anyways, them is just my thoughts on the matter. TOO many tunes to pick from but that ain't a bad thing

R.I.P G.U.R.U Gifted. Unlimited. Rhymes. Universal.

Holly Miranda - Joints

Hazy psych trip isssh rollin out for Sunday courtesy Detroit born/Brooklyn resident Holly Miranda.

the phonecall that started it all..

3months ago..

Shot by Chris Graham
Cut by Nathan Pickles
Music by Home Brew.

Radio Promo & Drinking Part 1 & 2

The latest Brew Webisodes..

Thank you to the people who made this video possible.

Shot by Chris Graham
Edited by Nathan Pickles.

www.goodlifefilms.co.nz
http://goodlifefilms.blogspot.com

Dem Hunger - In The Mix on Mary Anne Hobbs Experimental (2010)

You think your strange check out Dem Hunger

In The Mix on Mary Anne Hobbs Experimental

Im'a!... Youz'a!....Everybody!.....

The Hipdrop was lucky enough to score a nice write up on Mark Pritchard From the man who's always got the Inside Scoop, Mr Martyn Pepperell. Here goes,

Mark Pritchard aka Harmonic313

The quintessential cardigan wearing English gentleman living in Australia, the first time I call Mark Pritchard on his cell-phone, the geezer is busy enjoying a bite to eat at a restaurant somewhere near his studio in Sydney; and probably enjoying a nice cup of tea as well. When I call back half an hour later, Pritchard is walking to his windowless basement studio. As opposed to asking me to ring back again though, he starts offering up a few random thoughts about his day. “I’ve been on the late shift lately,” he laughs. “I’m trying to get back on the normal working hours, but for the last three or four weeks, no matter what I do, I seem to work till seven or eight in the morning.

Quintessential in more ways then one, Pritchard, a self-described lover of “heavy, aggressive, no-messing-about UK-style club music,” seems to either spend his nights working away in the studio, or DJing in nightclubs across the globe. Situation or context regardless, the end result seems to always be synthetic, low-end underpinned, stuttering electronic soundworlds which over the course a career spanning twenty so years (and multiple continents) has run the full gamut of electronic sounds. Techno, electro, ambient, wonky, drum and bass, dubstep, you name it, Pritchard has been there; done that. And with affiliations like Warp Records, Good Looking, Hyperdub and Far Out Records on his resume, you know what time it is. Then their is his long-term association with fellow musical Jedi Tom Middleton and remix work for the likes of The Orb, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-1 and Stereopeople - impressive credentials for a countryside boy from Yeovil, UK, who for the past five years has made Sydney in Australia his home.

Throughout this all, night time, and the environment it provides has been key. “There is just something about working through the night,” he muses. “Nobody calls you, there is nothing going on, it’s quiet; and I can just go off and do my thing. The only problem is its a bit weird to do it, because you sort of end up going into another world; and the real world starts feeling a bit weird.”
While admitting to some reservations about this, and conceding that at times he switches his schedule to daylight hours, Pritchard has a functional rational for working under the cover of darkness; within a space of quiet and calm.

In his words, “The way I look at making music is the same reasons why people meditate. There are different parts of the process where it’s different. There is mixing and arranging, which are the hard work parts, which are more like going to work and doing a job. The actual creation though, the process of the creation of music, the reason why I like doing it is because I pretty much disappear. Like I said before, I can basically just shut my mind off.” Throughout our twenty minute phone conversation, this theme of shutting off, going blank during the act of creation if you will is central to Pritchard’s thoughts on music and its actualisation.

Through music, I can shut all that shit that’s going on [in my life] out,” he states. “All that stress, all that stuff that I’m worried about, all the general noise that is going on; and I can just get into the studio. It takes time to get to that point and some days it doesn’t happen. Sometimes it just takes hours... It really is an amazing place to be at that point. It doesn’t really get better then th
at; for me anyway.”

And while Pritchard’s loping, electronically focused, computeresque song arrangements and wonky sci-fi referencing grooves are born of an isolated, meditative state, he increasingly finds himself in a world where the focus is on anything but singularity. Sometimes this worries him, other times not so much. “It is hard to focus now days with the way things are,” he despairs. “The way we’re living, the way technology is. You know? Internet, email, myspace, twitter, facebook.”

These things are the opposite of getting to that place! All that stuff is really addictive, you know? Some of it is actually even necessary! It’s amazing, and there are amazing sorts of things happening through all these things. But yeah, you can also really get caught up in all of that. If you’re doing that, you’re not focusing. I’ve worked with a lot of people that are from a different generation to me. And you know, that is how they work. They’re on I-chat, myspace, twitter and making beats, and emailing all at the same time; and on the phone! They’re making a beat and doing all that stuff, all at the same time. That is how they do it. They need all this stimulation. I can’t do it. I really can’t do it. It doesn’t really work for me.”

At the same time he’s no technophobe or future fearer, and definitely doesn’t see the music of the today through shit-tinted lenses, admitting that he believes a lot of amazing material is being written, it’s just the new generation of processes that trouble him. Which is understandable, as the hectic flicking constant stream of input that we associate with modern life is definitely antithesis to Pritchard’s fundamental core reason for sculpting out new expansive realities in electronic music.

The more I’ve thought about it over the years... it’s just getting in touch with yourself,” he offers. “Shutting down all your stress, ego. Shutting everything off and letting whatever comes out come out. Then I think at that point; then whatever comes out is going to be quite true. At that point, things do happen, out of nowhere. I’ll do something; then all of a sudden I’ll be like, where did that come from?”

This April, Mark Pritchard touches down in New Zealand for a series of four DJ performances around the country under the Harmonic313 moniker. Don’t miss out on the sound of now.

By Martyn Pepperell

SEE HIM LIVE
14 Apr Sammys, Dunedin
15 Apr Concrete Club, Christchurch
16 Apr Sandwiches, Wellington
17 Apr KFM HQ, Auckland

OUT NOW
Harmonic313 – When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence

Kicks and Outfits

Coffee aficionado, sneaker pimp, general street cat and all round good Guy Lee is launching his new shoes over the weekend in wellington. Check www.tobe.co.nz for details.... THE CHUCK IS DEAD

R.I.P. Steve Reid 1944-2010

Home Brew on night line with david farrier

Part time Journalist, full time Bull Fighter David Farrier interviewing Local Hip Hop group, Home Brew.

Dâm-Funk

Wednesday, May 12

San Francisco Bathhouse

Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf - Methods

I've been looking for this LP for a while and it finally turned up.

This is the shit to start ya day to...

Oscillations Part 2

http://juslikemusicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/jus-like-music-apple-juice-break-present-oscillations-part-2

Shafiq Husayn - Cheeba feat. Bilal

Cheeba feat. Bilal from Plug Research on Vimeo.

Home Brew In Welli-Town

Had a mean time in Wellington, met heaps of good people, had a dope show with David Dallas & Percieve & drank like a king in our cheap little hostel. The drive back to Auckland was the best!!.. Here's some footage of us being clowns round the city. Shout outs to Will for filming us & Chris Graham for editing this video. Def gotta head back soon for another show. Shot Wellington!!

Slave - Watching You

R.I.P. Malcolm McLaren

Ras_G & the Afrikan Space Program / Samiyam - LA Series #3

Dublin based All City records are killing it at moment with a swath of fresh releases. This latest 10" is no exception it is a colab between two future beat heavyweights Samiyam and Ras G. Its out here All City Records Or XLR8R this for a little taster Fishsticks.

Day/Night 3 Continues on the corner

A Little Boy Waits Fundraiser..Day 3

A Little Boy Waits Fundraiser Day 2..

Koru Licks EP

Fresh new band from the jazzy underground of the Auckland music scene. This bunch of musical time travellers fall back to the swinging, sample-based era of golden hip hop, funk, latin and jazz - but all live and direct. Koru Licks is an ensemble that regenerate the feeling of dope, organic soul music with a team of talent ridden players.

Ben Trinick - Drums
Abe Pai - Bass
B Mynor - Guitar / Keys
Truent - Turntable
Miso Shiru - MPC
Mikey Rockwell - Vocals / Percussion

Free download

http://thelicks.bandcamp.com/album/koru-licks-ep

A Little Boy Waits - Home Brew Video Fundraiser Gig AKL

Last month Avondale's biggest selling boyband, Home Brew had their hopes of a music video grant for their song 'Underneath The Shade' crushed into tiny little pieces by the harsh hands of New Zealand On Air. However, like the brave solders they are, they swallowed their Boh Runga bitterness and began on a mission to independently raise the funds themselves. Below..

HOMEBREW - A LITTLE BOY WAITS... from Askew One on Vimeo.

They convinced local director Chris Graham (Trinity Roots' 'Little Things', and 'Sione's Wedding') to direct free of charge and then, after 17 hours of Chinese water torture, they convinced Auckland's best underground musicians to play free at a party on the 17th of April at Plaything Gallery. Check this live drunken mixtape of exclusive and rare stuff from all the artists playing at the gig.

Download Below

http://files.me.com/musicwithsubstance/0bhume.mp3

The event will be from 6pm to Midnight with DJ's downstairs and live acts on the roof top. Alcohol will be cheap as piss and the venue is neck lev. (the old luggage dude who used to run it has gaped) So please come through, get blato, sing dance and canoodle and help these failing musicians make a video to make thriller look like poi e.

CHECK http://www.homebrewcrew.co.nz FOR DAILY UPDATES
NEW VIDEOS, SONGS AND OTHER NECK LEV SHIT

Tickets available @ http://www.iticketexpress.co.nz/events/2010/apr/a-little-boy-waits-home-brew-video-fundraiser/
Conch Record Store & Beat Merchants.
$20 a ticket, door sales also on the night
but we encourage you to buy tickets as the line may extend round the corner
for door sales.
Put it this way, Ticket = No hassle entry :)

Venue: Plaything Gallery (opposite The Kings Arms)
Address: 21 Dacre Street, Auckland
Time: 6pm - Midnight

Easter Food Spot

Was in Auckland over the weekend for a bit of a bike race. After Lots of riding and lots of brews you need Sal's Pizza!

They sell by the slice. Check em out If your in auckland city. They Deliver to the CBD via segway. Straight New York shit. Reminds me of "Do The Right Thing"

Team Dynamite - The Demo Tape (Free Download)

The two lead lyricists of the group, Tony Tee's and Lucky Lance have a chemistry that sounds like the day Mario met Luigi. Their partnership reminds you a bit of Tribe or Outkast but with a a distinct New Zealand style that's easy to relate to. Hearing them swap verses is like watching a Walter Little pass to Frank Bunce. They're like the Samoan Bill and Tedd. Like a Bert and Ernie duet. Like the perfect double date for salt n peppa. Like the bushwackers on ecstasy. Like what Milo and Ottis would sound like if they could flow. Like Lethal weapon without the mullets. Like Green Eggs and Ham. Or like Boom and Bap. They just go together.

Musically the sound is driven by Auckland's most lovable horsey face, Haz Beats. His style sounds something like Minnie Riperton and Mike Tyson's love child. It's smooth but strong at the same time. Its the kind of sound that will bounce perfectly off your garage walls on a Friday night. In the summer its the music that will make you wana shake your head to get the water out of your ears. It'll make u feel like there's sand in your speakers. It's so perfectly suited for summer it almost sounds like the high hats were sampled from two cycadas making doing it.

Produced By Haz'
Mixed By DJ Substance
Mastered By Mark Howden
Art work By Tawk GBAK

Download below.
www.nzteamdynamite.com

The Hip Drop