Thursday 29 May 2008

De La Soul - Buhloone Mind State (1993)


Saw them on Monday and it was decent seeing them play a fair few songs off this album. People bang on about '3ft High' and '... is dead' all the time, but I still reckon this is the best. It's a far more mature and solid album than the first two, by finally managing to abondon all those skits and endless tracklists, De La pulled out something much tighter and more consistent. No idea why its so underrated , its insanely good. Just avoid track 6. Seriously, do.
All together now... "Mess up my mind, mess up my mind, mess up my mind with the eye patch!!"

De La Soul - Buhloone Mind State
1. Intro
2. Eye Patch
3. En Focus
4. Pattie Dookie
5. I Be Blowin'
6. Long Island Wildin'
7. Ego Trippin' (Part Two)
8. Paul's Revenge
9. 3 Days Later
10. Area
11. I Am, I Be
12. In The Woods
13. Breakadawn
14. Dave Has A Problem... Seriously
15. Stone Age

Thursday 22 May 2008

The Incredible Bongo Band - Apache (1973)



"Incredible Bongo Band's 'Apache' is hip hop's national anthem" - Hip Hop Connection

"A must in every record collection. I was just 7 years old, but I fell in love with the song immediately. Its one of those records that never leaves your brain. If you dont know Apache,you dont know hip-hop" - Pete Rock

Just the two songs here, if any of you want either album just leave a comment. Enjoy!

The incredible Bongo Band - Apache
http://rapidshare.com/files/116912890/Incredible_Bongo_Band_-_Apache.mp3.html


The Sugarhill Gang - Apache (Jump On It)

http://rapidshare.com/files/116915561/SugarHill_Gang_-_Apache.mp3.html



Monday 19 May 2008

J.Viewz - Muse Breaks (2005)


J.Viewz was a project headed by up-and-coming Israeli producer Jonathan Dagan. Perfectly mixing chilled electronica, break beats, seductive soul vocals and acoustic instruments into a maelstrom of gorgeous, hypnotic, dreamy jazz. Theres a refreshing precision in the squeaky clean production that hides how layered and detailed this music really is. Highly recommended.

J.Viewz - Muse Breaks
1. Under The Sun
2. Muse Breaks
3. Worth Light
4. When Silent It Speaks
5. Your Country
6. Room For Me, Room For Sweets
7. Meantime
8. Sunswoop
9. Feeler
10. Two Steps Away
11. Protected

http://rapidshare.com/files/116169168/j_viewz_-_muse_breaks.rar.html

Cannibal Ox - The F-Word (2001)


Thought I should put this up along with The Cold Vein. The F-Word was the 2nd of the only two singles released from the album and easily one of the best tracks Can-O ever put out. Ever fallen for a friend? Everyone has. But only Vast Aire can put it so perfectly into words. Also comes with a few non-Cold Vein tracks and a great remix from Ex-Def Jukie RJD2.

Cannibal Ox - The F-Word
1. The F-Word [Original/Clean]
2. The F-Word [Remix/Clean]
3. Life's Ill [Dirty]
4. Metal Gear
5. The F-Word [Original/Instrumental]
6. The F-Word [Remix/Instrumental]
7. Life's Ill [Instrumental]
8. The F-Word [Original/Dirty]
9. The F-Word [Remix/Dirty]

Wednesday 14 May 2008

Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein (2001)



I guess it was only a matter of time before I put this up here. Has to be one the best hip-hop albums ever released and possibly my personal favourite. This record is the perfect combination of two incredible lyricists and a producer with a vision. El-P's dark, noise laden, dense beats form the distorted backdrop for Vast Aire and Vordul's journey through the gritty, urban nightmare of modern New York. Easily the best thing that Def Jux ever put out and the pinacle of Vast, Vordul and El-P's work to date. How could they ever live up to this? A deep, dark brooding masterpiece rarely seen in modern urban music.

"put a mic in front of me, and I'm gonna bless it hummingbird style, seventy times in one second"

Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
1. Iron Galaxy
2. Ox Out The Cage
3. Atom
4. A B-Boy's Alpha
5. Raspberry Fields
6. Straight Of The DIC
7. Vein
8. The F Word
9. Stress Rap
10. Battle For Asgard
11. Real Earth
12. Ridiculoid
13. Painkillers
14. Pigeon
15. Scream Phoenix

http://www.sendspace.com/file/85cd5z

Tuesday 13 May 2008

Funki Porcini - Hed Phone Sex (1995)


This is another classic. Hard to believe this is 13 years old, it still holds up so well. This was the pioneering 'trip-hop' album that helped put Ninja Tune on the map, a heady mixture of downtempo breaks, dark dubby atmospherics, eerie ambience and deep, deep basslines. The range of this album still surprises me, moving from chilled out jazz breaks through to much darker acid dub and even to the proto jungle of 'King Ashabanpal (Part 2.)' All infused with hilarious and perfectly placed porn vocal samples. This album can easily be put on in the background but actually focusing on it drags you into a journey through a groove laden dream scape that is incredibly rewarding and scarily hypnotic. This album is best listened to reclined and preferably baked.

Funki Porcini - Hed Phone Sex
1. A Word Of Vice
2. B. Monkey
3. Dubble
4. King Ashabanpal (Part 1)
5. The Deep
6. King Ashabanpal (Part 2)
7. Michael's Little Friend
8. White Slave
9. Poseathon
10. Wicked, Cruel, Nasty & Bad
11. Pork Albumen
12. The Softest Thing In The World (Motorway Accident)
13. Something Wonderful
14. Tiny Kangaroo Dolphin (From Hell)
15.Long Road

Booka Shade - Movements (2006)



This classic album was reisuued a few months ago as 'The Tour Edition' featuring a DVD of their set at Pukklepop from a while back. Lovely casing aside, it seems a pretty pointless re-release. I can't bring myself to watch an hour long video of dutch people on gurns dancing like twats... although that actually does sound fairly entertaining... Anyway, this album is too good not to be had. Perfecty restrained, subtly intelligent and damn groovy. Shades of techno, minimal, house, trance and pop all collide in one euphoric, bouncy and stupidly catchy hour of quality music. You will dance.

Booka Shade - Movements
1.Night Falls
2. Body Language
3. Shimmer
4. Paper Moons
5. The Birds And The Beats/At The Window
6. Darko
7. Hide And Seek In Geishas Garden
8. Pong Pang
9. Manderine Girl
10. Take A Ride
11. Wasting Time
12. In White Rooms
13. Hallelujah USA
14. Lost High


Monday 5 May 2008

Helios - Eingya (2006)


Listening to this album just makes me feel content to be alive. Its like having a bath after a hard days work and forgetting you even exist. Beautiful mix of acoustic piano and guitar with electronic ambience. The album art gives a far better description than I ever could.

Helios - Eingya

1. Bless This Morning Year
2. Halving The Compass
3. Dragonfly Across An Ancient Sky
4. Vargtimme
5. For Years And Years
6. Coast Off
7. Paper Tiger
8. First Dream Called Ocean
9. The Toy Garden
10. Sons Of Light And Darkness
11. Emancipation


http://rapidshare.com/files/112871250/Helios-Eingya_2006_.rar.html

Girl Talk - Night Ripper (2006)


Not normally too into mash-up albums, but this one is brilliant. Great party music, inventive, entertaining and danceable. This guy must have OCD.

Girl Talk - Night Ripper

1. Once Again
2. That’s My DJ
3. Hold Up
4. Too Deep
5. Smash Your Head
6. Minute By Minute
7. Ask About Me
8. Summer Smoke
9. Friday Night
10. Hand Clap
11. Give and Go
12. Bounce That
13. Warm It Up
14. Double Pump
15. Overtime
16. Peak Out

http://rapidshare.com/files/112852841/Night_Ripper.zip.html

Thursday 17 April 2008

Department Of Eagles - The Cold Nose (2005)


This albums pretty odd. Mixing broken beats with acoustic american indie songwriting to form wierd but brilliant pop music, some of it even stretches completely left field into random noise experiments, but its all completely listenable and very addictive. This is a proper grower, shockingly eclectic and secretly magic. At first it will sound like a mess, but give it time and you'll soon wonder how you ever lived without it.

Department Of Eagles - The Cold Nose
1. On Glaze
2. Sailing By Night
3. Noam Chomsky Spring Break 2002
4. The Piano In The Bathtub
5. Romo-Goth
6. Gravity's Greatest Victory/Rex Snorted Coke
7. Origin Of Love
8. Family Romance
9. Forty Dollar Rug
10. We Have To Respect Eachother
11. The Curious Butterfly Realises He Is Beautiful
12. The Horse You Ride
13. Ghost In Summer Clothes

Marconi Union - Distance (2005)


Gorgeous, ambient chill out. Full of haunting melodies and beautiful melancholic noise. This one's hard to shake off. The perfect companion for ponderings on the back seat of the night bus. Down tempo enough to send you into a stupour but with enough pulse to keep you awake. Quality stuff.

Marconi Union - Distance
1. Sleepless
2. These European Cities
3. Through Glass
4. Buildings And People
5. Suburb 27
6. Inter
7. A Temporary Life

Tuesday 15 April 2008

Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 - Zombie (2002)


This album is absolutely stonking. Fela Kuti is a lord.
Funky. Jazzy. Sexy.

Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 - Zombie
1. Zombie
2. Mister Follow Follow
3. Observation Is No Crime
4. Mistake (Live In Berlin Jazz Festival 1978)

Flevans - Make New Friends (2004)


This is brilliant. If you like Mr. Scruff, or anything on Ninja Tunes, or Tru Thoughts, or music in general, or you have a sense of humour, or ears, or feet; then you should probably have this album.

Flevans - Make New Friends
1. Begin Again
2. Hey Mr Bundle
3. Me And My Moody
4. Get Caribou
5. Small Room Syndrome
6. Lay It Down
7. Dinner With Boskins
8. Out To Lunch
9. Definitive Sweep
10. Dumb Ballad

http://rapidshare.com/files/107813019/Make_New_Friends.rar.html

Saturday 12 April 2008

Blockhead - Music By Cavelight (2004)


Beautiful. Epic. Beats. This is essential.


Blockhead - Music By Cavelight

1. Insomniac Olympics
2. Canivores Unite
3. You've Got Maelstrom
4. Sunday Seance
5. A Better Place
6. Road Rage Breakdown
7. Triptych, Part 1
8. Triptych, Part 2
9. Triptych, Part 3
10. Jet Son
11. Breath And Start
12. Music By Cavelight

http://rapidshare.com/files/99260521/BLKHDMVSBYCVLGHT.zip

Monday 7 April 2008

Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place (2004)


This is a gorgeous album. Full of post-rock ambience and epic crescendos of insanely beautiful noise. But all danceable. Some of the tracks have proper structured beats, some more down tempo chilled breaks. All of its incredible. Euphoric from start to finish, this sounds like if Sigur Ros started making dance music. But better.

Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place
1. Gone Forever
2. On My Own
3. A Letter From Home
4. Monday Paracetamol
5. Clear Day
6. Blumenthal
7. In All The Wrong Place
8. A Strangely Isolated Place

Sunday 6 April 2008

Shape Of Broad Minds - Craft Of The Lost Art (2007)


This album somehow managed to slip under the radar last year, but its easily one of the best hip-hop releases in a long long time. This is the future sound of hip-hop; beautiful electronic soundscapes and erratic beats, hypnotic melodies and funky acid bass lines, with intelligent, flowing lyrics and themes. I haven't heard anything like it before and I doubt I will for at least ten years, its that far ahead of its time. It sounds like a moog in a washing machine. But good.

Shape Of Broad Minds - Craft Of The Lost Art
1. Gorilla Mash
2. Light Years Away
3. Lets Go ft. MF Doom
4. Changes
5. Nahuma
6. Opr8r
7. BuddaFly Away
8. Unamed
9. It lives On ft. Count Bass D
10. So Much (Chaos) ft. Lil Sci
11. Buzz Around Town
12. They Dont Know ft. Stacy Epps
13. Bopper Blocker
14. Electric Blue
15. Mermaid (Outro)
16. It Aint Dead!!
17. Beast From Da East
18. Lullabanger (Thelonius Dedication)
19. Viberian Sun
20. There 4 Me
21. Stiff Robots & Drunken Horses
22. Solo (Underwater) ft. Deborah Jordan
23. 12C

Saturday 5 April 2008

Dub Trio - Exploring The Dangers Of (2004)


With their 2004 debut, New York's Dub Trio presented an almost revolutionary take on dub, incorporating a far more 'live band' feel and energy to the music. Completely ignoring the dub purists bible with its progressive sound, often cascading into distortion and ambient synths with frequently changing time signatures and a willingness to delve into any genre.Worth getting just for the ambient beauty of the almost post rock 'Casting Out The Nines.' This is a stunning piece of work.

Dub Trio - Exploring The Dangers Of

1. Drive By Dub
2. Casting Out The Nines
3. Scoop And Smash Em
4. Sick Im Kid
5. Real Wicked Ways
6. Awakening Dub [Live]
7. Fur Boots On The Party Moose [Live]
8. Sick Im [Live]

Tuesday 1 April 2008

The Field - From Here We Go Sublime (2007)


Beautiful and epic ambient house. Floor fillers and headphone tracks alike. This is breath taking.

The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
1. Over The Ice
2. A Paw In My Face
3. Good Things End
4. The Little Heart Beats So Fast
5. Everday
6. Silent
7. The Deal
8. Sun & Ice
9. Mobilia
10. From Here We Go Sublime

Sunday 30 March 2008

Braintax - My Last And Best Album (2008)



The third and (apparently) final part of Braintax's trilogy of albums is quite frankly, a dissapointment. Its a sub par rehash on all his previous themes of life, society and politics. But what once seemed refreshing is now dull and contrived (another Riviera track?!) and with nothing new to say this album really scrapes the barrel lyrically with Colin Emmanuel's synth laden production adding little to the recipe. That said Braintax is still a master and this is worth having just to finish the otherwise brilliant trilogy. For old fans it feels like the Low Life ship has truly sailed (is he even touring this album??) If you haven't heard any Braintax before bypass this album and find 'Biro Funk' and 'Panorama' immediately.

Braintax - My Last And Best Album


1. Magnum On Crack
2. Fix Up Come On
3. Retail
4. Real People
5. Duvet
6. Beast Is Us
7. Munchies
8. Invisible Media
9. Goldfish Bowl
10. Riviera Hustle 3
11. Last One Out Turn Off The Lights


http://rapidshare.com/files/97942080/Braintax-My_Last_And_Best_Album-2008-RAGEMP3.rar

Thursday 27 March 2008

Akron/Family - Franny And The Portal To The Fractal Universe Of Positive Vibrations.



If you've yet to hear Akron/Family's unmistakeable sound (where the hell have you been??), or you've heard a little and crave alot more; this is the album you've been after. I'm not sure exactly what this album is, but from what I've found it seems to be one of the many albums sold exclusively on tour. Quite different from the rawkus, experimental style of 'Love Is Simple', this is a far more subtle, beguiling and beautiful album. It is understated and quiet, finding a perfect balance between breath taking walls of sound and acoustic melancholia. With its far more toned down style and noticeable lack of trademark hippy lyrics this is a perfect introduction for begginners and an essential piece for completists.


Akron Family - Franny And The Portal To The Fractal Universe Of Positive Vibrations

1. Franny
2. East Coast
3. Before And Again
4. Positive Vibration Force
5. Before
6. Suchness
7. Today
8. Carry On
9. Interlude
10. Drowning
11. Onward
12. Onward, Trainstop, Bookmark
13. Infinity