LISTEN: RIKKI ILILONGA & MUSI-O-TUNYA - DARK SUNRISE

Dark Sunrise

Zambian Rock Reissue: 3LP/Book Box Set and 2CD/Book

Following its issues of three essential albums - WITCH's Introduction and Lazy Bones and Amanaz's Africa - from the genre, Now-Again Records presents Dark Sunrise, an anthology of Zambian "Zamrock" godfather Rikki Ililonga and his groundbreaking band Musi-O-Tunya. The anthology surveys Musi-O-Tunya’s rarely heard 7″ singles – not just the first psychedelic rock music, but the first pop music independently released in Zambia – their debut album Wings of Africa and follows Ililonga’s solo career in its first stages, with hisZambia and Sunshine Love albums. Stones Throw is offering an exclusive pre-sale of this anthology; it is out everywhere good music is sold on 11.23.10.

This anthology contains 31 tracks of unique music that channels James Brown’s raw funk as well as Jimi Hendrix’s fuzzy psychedelia; music that flirts with Fela’s Afro-beat and Congolese rumbas and simultaneously brings the blues of Taj Majal back to Africa. Production of this anthology was overseen by Egon in conjunction with Ililonga himself and took place over a period of two years, during which time Ililonga journeyed to his home country to collect photos, ephemera and – of course – the landmark music that he and his band recorded.

Packaged as a 2-CD hardbound, full color book (with the bonus 7”-only tracks which are NOT available in the LP format) and a 3-LP box set that contains exact reproductions ofWings of Africa, Zambia and Sunshine Love. LP version contains the same liner notes as in the CD version, but in an oversized full color booklet. 

via Stones Throw Records

Dâm-Funk - Never Tongue In Cheek

Track description?....self explanatory.
*I'mma just keep 'humbly' Funkin' U.
No funny business....just Funkin' U.
That's all I wanna do....period.
1
- D-F

 NeverTongueInCheek (Fade-Out Version/Unreleased) - DâM-FunK by DâM-FunK

Stones Throw Records

Some unreleased Dam-Funk tracks

Dam-Funk has been posting up unreleased tracks on his Twitter recently. Take a listen to two of the latest ones below!

Dam-Funk - How U Gon Fuck Around And Choose A Busta (Demo Version)

Dam-Funk - I Hope You Know I'm Watching June (Unreleased)

COMING SOON: Seu Jorge and Almaz - S/T (2010)

Take a listen to the lead single, a cover of Roy Ayers 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine', off the upcoming Seu Jorge and Almaz project. Sounds nice! The album is due to be released on the 27th July on Now-Again Records and will be distributed by Stones Throw Records.

Seu Jorge - Everybody Loves The Sunshine

"Seu Jorge and Almaz – drummer Pupillo and guitarist Lucio Maia from the stalwart Nação Zumbi, with bassist and composer Antonio Pinto – came together naturally to record a song for a Walter Salles film. They enjoyed the experience so much that they recorded an entire album, free of convention, of music that inspired them: they covered songs famous within the Brazilian diaspora and added a psychedelic samba to some classic American and European soul tunes.

They enlisted producer and fellow Brasileiro Mario C. (Beastie Boys, Jack Johnson) to put the finishing touches on the project. And now Seu Jorge and Almaz, looking to only “the music” and “common sense” as bandleader, spring forth with an album both warm and dark, psychedelic yet grounded, uplifting but at times somber. "

COMING SOON: Madlib Medicine Show #5: The History of the Loop Digga, 1990-2000

Madlib will release the fifth installment of his Medicine Show on 25th May and Stones Throw just posted up two tracks from the album, which you can listen to below. Read more about the release here.

Madlib - Static Invazion

Madlib - Episode XVI

"This collection of beats showcases the way that Madlib’s early hip-hop demos were filtered out to his crew of friends and associates, providing an opportunity for a unique view into Madlib’s working process."

NEW TRACK: Mayer Hawthorne - I Left My Heart In San Francisco

Mayer Hawthorne has just ended his two month US tour and Stones Throw Records "has teamed up with local powerhouse Huf and designer Freegums on an exclusive Mayer Hawthorne collabo pack featuring a T-Shirt + Heart-Shaped USB with Mayer Hawthorne’s rendition of Tony Bennet’s classic “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” pre-loaded onto each USB."

This is my first post after my amazing holiday in Egypt and feels like the perfect song to capture the melancholy feel of returning home after a holiday.

J Dilla - Donut Shop (2010)

A new J Dilla release will be out in May, but will only feature 6 tracks. One of them is 'Safety Dance' and the other tracks will comprise of:

"The J Dilla tracks consist of three previously unreleased instrumentals selected by J.Rocc from the Dilla archives – “Safety Dance”, “Sycamore”, “Bars & Twists” – and three unreleased instrumental versions of Dilla's production for Mos Def, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes, each remastered by Elysian Masters who mixed and mastered J Dilla's Donuts, The Shining and Ruff Draft albums."

'Safety Dance' is a nice track and is a definite improvement on the 80s track it was based on (Men Without Hats), but this release is worth buying purely for the packaging alone!Check out the Donut slip mats! :D Also make sure you check out Turk from Scrubs doing his own 'Safety Dance'!

Madlib Medicine Show No.3: Beat Konducta in Africa (2010)

The third installment of Madlib's Medicine Show is due out 23rd March and is entitled, 'Beat Konducta in Africa'. Stones Throw have made a couple of tracks available for download here. There are also a few video samples for you to check out.

"This album bases itself on the obscure vinyl gems from the afro-beat, funk, psych-rock, garage-rock & soul movements of African countries as diverse as Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Botswana and Ivory Coast."

And remember! "Odd numbers in the series are original albums by Madlib, even numbers are mixtapes."


Madlib Medicine Show 1: Before the Verdict  (Listen in Spotify)
Madlib Medicine Show 2: Flight to Brazil

Madlib Medicine Show

"Madlib is launching the Madlib Medicine Show, a once-a-month, twelve-CD, six-LP series. The Madlib Medicine Show will be a combination of Madlib's new hip-hop productions, remixes, beat tapes, and jazz, as well as mixtapes of funk, soul, Brazilian, psych, jazz and other undefined forms of music from the Beat Konducta's 4-ton* stack of vinyl."

This sounds pretty insane! I like the idea, as it's kinda like a view into his life. It's not just his creations, but remixes of other people's work, mixtapes of tracks he likes and beat tapes for people to use. The first installment will be 'Madlib Medicine Show No. 1: Before The Verdict' and will include a combination of remixes and new tracks and features Guilty Simpson, who Madlib is due to release an album with this year ('OJ Simpson'). There are only a few samples floating around, but check out the ones posted below...I'm definitely looking forward to listening to them all in full:

 Kill 'em (OJ Simpson Remix)

http://www.stonesthrow.com/news/2009/11/madlib-medicine-show

Bullion

Check out these two spacey, psycyedelic and instantly infectious songs! I don't know quite how to label them, with people mentioning The Byrds, Daedulus and many others. I get definite Stones Throw vibes (Dam-Funk's spaced out funk) and The Avalanches and other samplers also spring to mind! The tracks can be downloaded on Bullion's website. Bullion has previously released a J Dilla/Beach Boys tribute entitled 'Pet Sounds: In The Key of Dee', which I am yet to hear, but from the tracks available on You Tube, it sounds pretty damn interesting! See the below video for a sample of the album. This guy is ONE TO WATCH for 2010!

Oh No - Dr. No's Ethiopium

Oh No's latest album is called 'Dr. No's Ethiopium' and is an instrumental hip-hop album that uses Ethiopian music of the 1960s and 70s as it's inspiration/source. I've only heard a couple of tracks on You Tube, but Madlib's brother has created a perfect mix of funk, soul and African sounds that are perfect for chilling too and are bound to be used by Ghostface or someone in the near future!

Dâm-Funk

Following on from the previous post, Dâm-Funk is another Los Angeles based artist who creates the perfect soundtrack for cruising through L.A. late at night. His new album 'Toeachizown' has just been released on Stones Throw Records and is a 5LP set.

Known as Los Angeles' "Ambassador of Boogie Funk," Dãm-Funk represents the citizens of the Funkmosphere. Headquartered in the Leimert Park section of L.A., Dãm (pronounced: 'Dame' as in Damon) spent the last few years cultivating a musical renaissance rooted in the early-'80s styles known as Boogie, Modern Soul and Electro-Funk.

http://www.stonesthrow.com/damfunk

Listen to 'Toeachizown' in Spotify






BlueFunk District presents Dâm Funk from eckelwood on Vimeo.