Nonesuch Records releases the label debut of North Carolina–based string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops on February 23, 2010. Produced by critically acclaimed recording artist and songwriter Joe Henry (Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello, Solomon Burke), Genuine Negro Jig features string band interpretations of Blu Cantrell’s beat-box driven R&B single “Hit ‘Em Up Style” and Tom Waits’ “Trampled Rose,” as well as a pair of original compositions, alongside such traditional tracks as “Cornbread and Butterbeans” and “Trouble in Your Mind.” It is the band’s second record; their 2007 release, Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind, was praised by Paste for “bravely and expertly reclaiming the string band tradition for modern African-American culture,” while NPR’s Weekend Edition calls the band “the hottest thing to hit the old-time music community in decades.” The Carolina Chocolate Drops formed after band members Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson met at the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, North Carolina, in 2005; they have toured continuously since the band’s inception. All three trained in the Piedmont banjo and fiddle musical tradition under the tutelage of Joe Thompson, who, at age 90, is believed to be the last living performer from the Piedmont string band heyday. Tour dates here
Sol Selecta Sabo (sahhhhh bo) is one busy DJ and producer, the man has about as many bonus miles as Al Gore, bouncing around the globe with his swingin’ latin-heavy beats (read our interview with the man here). If he’s not turning it out on la playa tropical he’s working up the crowd into a sweat en el ciudad. Honestly, we don’t know how he does it but we suspect it’s guarana. It’s also possible that he is Fidel Castro in disguise. In any case, his latest venture is an amazing amalgamation of tropical and urban flavors called Sol Selectas EP 09, a collaboration with Uriel (aka BN Loco). If you haven’t heard any of Sabo’s music we suggest you get a clue. His recent gig at NYC’s Bembe’s 7th Anniversary party was a night to remember, and if you weren’t there here’s his mix, for free: Dj Sabo Live at Bembe 7 Year Anniversary part 1
Dj Sabo Live at Bembe 7 Year Anniversay Part 2
Comfort Fit – Polyshufflez Remixes. Comfort Fit’s masterpiece long player “Polyshufflez” goes into the second round with fourteen impressive and unique re-interpretations by Laurent Garnier, Domu, Opolopo, Atjazz, Boom Clap Bachelors, Robot Koch, Jay Scarlett and more brilliant artists.
Techno superstar Laurent Garnier and UK house don Atjazz (Innervisions/Sonar Kollektiv) remixed Comfort Fit’s “Ask the Devil” featuring the bestselling book author Howard Marks, philosophizing about God, the Devil and the smoke inbetween.
Further dancefloor crashing remixes come from Comfort Fit himself, Sweden’s finest funkateer Opolopo (Especial/Tokyo Dawn Records), Germany’s house newcomer Jacob Korn (Running Back/Permanent Vacation), global bass buccaneer Tim Turbo from Berlin and finally a very special remix from UK breakbeat guru Domu (Treble O/Tru Thoughts). He recently announced his retirement from the music business to the shock of the worldwide music scene, but we hope this won’t be his last output.
More headnodders are contributed by Jay Scarlett, best known for his work with Spacek and the Beat Dimensions compilations, Death Star Lazer Trooper Robot Koch (Robots Don’t Sleep), brilliant beat-maker Swede:art (new album on Tokyo Dawn 2010!) Singing Statues (aka Jack High, Ghostly International) and Germany’s up and coming Hip-Hop producer fLako (Kwatro). Denmark’s finest Boom Clap Bachelors and last but not least Portformat, who has just released his well received debut album ‘The Repeat Factor’ featuring Dudley Perkins, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Gajah, Blaktroniks and more on Tokyo Dawn Records (TDR09-002). Sample it at Tokyo Dawn records
Cusmos Release Full Length CUSMOS, the duo of Herwig Kusatz & Karl Moestl, are united by their cosmic love for premium electronic music. Karl Moestl, well known as master mind behind Walkner.Moestl, has caused a stir quite recently for his defusion – bass drum rocker edition album and his avalonia EP. After releases on G-Stone and Defusion records, Cusmos’ first album is a mixture of house, dub and downtempo. Cusmos leads listeners into the musical universe of inspiring deep and minimal electronic house atmosphere with a cosmic ambience. More info here: http://www.defusionrecords.com
The Spy From Cairo is secretly Moreno Visini, the artist formerly known as Zeb, who’s reimerged with a new album, Secretly Famous. An effort by The Spy From Cairo to consolidate as much Middle Eastern music as possible, every track focuses on a particular style of music from the Arab countries – all with his signature Oud playing & dubbed out electronic stylings – from the fierce sounds of the Mizmar and Nay in “Nayphony” (which is an adaptation of traditional Jordanian music) to “Ana Arabi,” a song about being an Arab (not a terrorist) with beautifully sung lyrics by Ghalia Benali.
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