TURNTABLE LAB

Gaslamp Killer
I Spit On Your Grave (Obey) CD

Finally, the highly anticipicated new mix from the Lab's dirty beat digger Gaslamp Killer! This is his third official mix and I'll have to say, it's a mind ringer. You should know his style by now - dark, swampy funk, with murderous drums and sounds from beyond. Heavy beat brother Kutmah also jumps in on the action, for a straight hour of neck breaking evil breaks. If you're into that late 90's deep funk, eerie Mowax cuts, and spaced out instrumentals, look no further. Tracklist? Sorry, the Killer's M.O. is always a barrage attack, leaving no clues at the scene(I can only name the Flying Lotus and DJ Vadim's Motion Man "Terrorist" instrumental). Definitely something to enjoy while blasted on good headphones. Also, the sick artwork by Shepard Fairey makes GLK look as twisted as ever. Super recommended for the true beat fiend.
reviewed by C'mish

file under:
obey / all

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Roctakon
Finding Directions CD

eclectic mix of disco, house, techno

One wise DJ once said that Roctakon is the Kenny Powers of DJing. I like to think of him as the Hank Moody of the scene. He might even have a mild case of tourette's. No one quite understands where he's coming from... or how he found himself in the most ironic situation of being one of the biggest and best club djs for bottle-service meatheads and the tramp-stamp masses. This CD is the result of this pickle... Roc quit club DJing for a minute, locked himself in his stanky LES apartment, and came up with this mix of the music he truly loves. For someone known to throwdown personalized Fatman Scoop edits and Britney jams, it's unsurprising to see that this is all about disco, house, and techno.... but even I was taken back by how hardcore it is. If you need to know more, check out the writing by Roc on the back of the CD... he gets personal. Over an hour, expertly mixed. 500 copies only, full digi-pack by PH (that's me). Recommended.
reviewed by the mgmnt


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Peanut Butter Wolf
Yo! 45 Raps, Vol.1 CD

Part one of Peanut Butter Wolf's all-45 hip-hop mix. This volume is mixed up by the series' brain bug and features 54 minutes of old school classics and obscurities. Like all PB Wolf's mixes, it's mixed to precision with some nice doubles (pretty impressive for 7" action). You'll be like "they made a 7" for that?" On a self-promotional note, check out the Lab 45 long case on the back cover, cool beans. Recommended.
reviewed by the mgmnt

file under:
stones throw shop

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Ayres/JD & DJ Eleven
Houston 2CD

Ayres told me he was working on this mix a while back, and it kinda slipped into the back of my mind until a few months later, when Eleven said that he'd just finished up a Houston-themed CD. How could such a thing happen? Was there miscommunication in the Rub camp? No, friends - it was all part of a larger plan, unveiled here for the first time. Headlining the show is "Houston," a retrospective that spans 15+ years of H-Town history, from Geto Boys to UGK, Scarface to Slim Thug. Mixed by Ayres and genuine TX native JD, and hosted by big Bun B himself, it's a top-notch lesson in a regional sound that's only recently come to the attention of most people. It's also a perfect primer for the second CD, tucked away as a 'bonus' in the back of the case. "Houston Rocks It" offers a 40+ track survey of Houston as we know it today - Cham, Paul Wall, Flip, etc. - all masterfully mixed by the big homie, DJ Eleven. Chalk up two more for the Rub with this quality double-pack.
reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red

file under:
sale vinyl + cds

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V/A
Juice!, Vol.1 (A-Trak, Curtis Vodka, Kid Sister) CD

French vs. North America heater pack!!! Disque Primeur brings the best and brightest club dance buzz-getters of this and last year. Check the value - it's like getting all these singles plus some hot sleepers. Everyone know Kid Sister's ultra catchy single "Control(1)," Curtis Vodka's smooth Bmore flip of Tyte Wurk's "Mary Jane(2)" and Plastic Little's tongue in cheek hipster-hop hit "The Jumpoff(3)," but have you heard A-Trak & TTC's "Quitte La Piste(4)" or Goon & Koyote's super hype "Keep Dancin(5)?" How about the hyper guitar rock of Fortune's "Bully(6)" and the addictive dancey sounds of Strip Steve's "Skatin'(7)." Also includes tracks by NY natives Purple Crush and Roxy Cottontail, and Australia's mighty Midnight Juggernauts. Pretty much the most bangers for your buck you can get.
reviewed by Cmish


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Paul Nice
Breaks For Days CD

Paul Nice takes the breaks tape thing one step further, or actually backwards. Like Soulman says on the back, Paul lays it down in the hollowed tradition of Grand Master Flash and others with a serious session of doubles rocking unseen in recent times. It's as much about the skills on this one as it is about the song selection and Paul mans the wheels with surprising style and grace. Tracks include both known and unknown nuggets, lovingly arranged and constructed. On the inside cover, Paul showcases his Ranger Rick and Benji magazine collections.
reviewed by the mgmnt


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Paul Nice
Soul On The Grill #2 CD

The follow up to Paul's wildly successful Soul On The Grill mix, this one dips into early 80s territory. Like most of his mix CDs, Paul isn't trying to pull out the $500 dollar 12s here for a dick measuring contest with his fellow collecting heavyweights. He's trying to make a hot mixtape that is going to put a smile on the maximum number of faces, and people are gonna play for a long time. Period. So while anybody who's into "classics" or 80s r&b or "modern soul" or whatever is already gonna be intimately familiar with most of these tracks, the selection cannot be messed with. Across the board, these are the joints and Paul gives them all extended doubles love: Kleer, I Level, Alicia Meyers, Fatback, Gwen Guthrie, Fat Larry, Central Line, Pieces Of A Dream, Jimmy Spicer, EWF, Vandross, etc. Everybody needs some of this in their life.
reviewed by the mgmnt


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V/A
Fallin' Off The Reel, Vol.2 CD

Much anticipated 2nd singles comp from Truth & Soul, collecting up 16 previously vinyl-only sides (the original 45s for which are mostly OOP now) plus unreleased tracks from Quincy Bright and The Fabulous Three. All the T&S faves are here, from vintage reissues like Funky Music Machine ("Just A Little While Longer(1)") and Black Velvet ("Is It Me You Really Love(2)") to current champs like El Michels Affair ("PJ's(3)" with Raekwon), Bronx River Pkwy ("La Valla(4)") and Lee Fields ("My World(5)"). Also includes Timothy McNealy's killer dual Marvin / Al covers, "What's Going On(6)" and "I'm Glad You're Mine(7)." This label is pumping out some of the funkiest, most soulful music around today - pay attention! Comes in an embossed digipak with artwork by Rostarr. 18 tracks, 52 minutes. Recommended.
reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red

file under:
truth & soul - vinyl

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V/A
DFA Compilation #2 3CD

second label comp

DFA's second label comp nearly triples the first with this 3 disc set packaged in a box sleeve (very nice design). The first two discs feature songs from your favorite DFA 12"s plus unreleased material from LCD Soundsystem, Juan Maclean, Rapture, Delia Gonzalez, Pixeltan, Black Dice, and Joy. Rarities include an unreleased Liquid Liquid track, and promo-only Rapture tracks. The third disc is a mixed version by Tim Goldsworthy and Tim Sweeney featuring 9 tracks drawn from the first two discs, plus 3 additional tracks. This has got kool X-Mas present written all over it.
reviewed by the mgmnt

file under:
special edition + deluxe

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Rub N Tug
Fabric Live #30 CD

Rub N Tug take their leftfield disco-electro crack game to the Fabric series. This mix focuses more on contemporary 12"s than previous RNT mixes. Sharp Lab DM buyers should be able to name drop a third of the selections here, but the other part is where Rub N Tug make their name, presenting records you've never heard of or would never dream of playing. Of all the DJs we know, these guys are one of the best at creating their own style and selecting the records that other djs don't play. 17 fully mixed tracks from Jesse Rose, Emperor Machine, Serge Santiago, Ame, Nemesi, Dondolo, Gary Martin, Claude Vonstroke, Slok, and others. Packaged in a metal case.
reviewed by the mgmnt


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V/A
DFA Compilation #1 CD

Well, kudos to the DFA boys for a succinct title – this is indeed a compilation of the New York production duo/label's 12" a-side output thus far, and it's a pretty impressive one at that. The DFA gets props far and above the pasty, unwashed masses of Williamsburger bands who have been mistakenly labeled with some permutation of the adjective "dance-" (as in dance-punk, dance-post-punk, whatever) in the recent "hey, white people are cool again" rock revival/media frenzy. A sloppy four-to-the-floor beat and a well-worn copy of the Gang of Four's Entertainment do not dance music make, my friends. What separates the DFA aesthetic from this chaff is an un-ironic appreciation of early Chicago house, deep disco, dancey post-punk, and rock in general, and the ability to combine them all in a way that each retains its stylistic integrity in the mix. In other words, no one is laughing at the music they are making. The Rapture doesn't sound like a rock group trying to make half-assed dance records, they simply sound like a good band. Things kick off with nicely with The Juan MacLean's "By The Time I Get To Venus(1)," a bumping electro number that reference's dark '80s electro-pop without getting cheeky. James Murphy's (1/2 of the DFA) LCD Soundsystem release "Give It Up(2)" is a great itchey post-punk dance number, and while you might be sick of The Rapture's "House Of Jealous Lovers(3)" by now, it is a massively great track, arguably the soundtrack of NYC the last year, and the record that put the DFA on map. Also here is the Rapture's damaged-pretty "Silent Morning", LCD's hilarious hipster anti-anthem "Losing My Edge(4), The Juan MacLean's "You Can't Have It Both Ways(5)," and two tracks from free-form wankers (in a good way) the Black Dice.
reviewed by Language


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Young Jeezy & DJ Drama
I Am The Street Dream CD

Almost time for a new Jeezy album (12/12!), and that means it's time for like 20 new Jeezy mixtapes. Of course, we only bring in the best ones and DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz series is pretty much always a sure bet. Lots of exclusives and previews as always – tough to tell what's cooler: Jeezy's verses on remixes to shit like Fabo's "Scotty" and T.I.'s "Top Back," or the new tracks from the album that nobody's even heard yet. There's some cool random tidbits thrown in, too, like the new Luda & Jeezy track "Grew Up A Screw Up" and the lead single from the new album, "I Luv It." Let's just say shit is looking real promising for The Inspiration. With the weather gettin' cold, you can't go wrong with a little snowman. 22 tracks; 69 minutes.
reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red


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Ol' Dirty Bastard
Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version 2CD Boxset

deluxe edition of classic Ol' Dirty album

This is how you do a re-issue. Ol' Dirty Bastard's Return To The 36 Cahmbers receives the "Dirty Version" treatment, which means a lot of extras in addition to the classic album. First of all, here is the original review of Return To: "The One Man Army Ason has become one of the most misunderstood and maligned artists of our time. All you got to do is give the man a chance cuz he's one of the most human mcs out there. Some people just don't understand the beauty of two straight minutes of making that croaking noise with your throat. Live and uncut when you feel the earth tremble beneath your balls. For real though, this album is a slept on classic like a second round draft pick steal. RZA's production is untouchable on here matching the Dirty style perfectly with the two singles "Brooklyn Zoo(1)" and "Shimmy Shimmy(2)," plus "Hippa to the Hoppa(3)," "Baby C'mon(4)," "The Stomp(5)" and of course everybody's favorite: "Rawhide(6)" with Meth and Raekwon. ODB is for the Children." Now to the other content, the pack includes disc two, which includes various remixes as well as instrumental versions of the tracks on the full-length. The two cds come housed in a custom deluded bill fold wallet, which includes a promotional sticker and a LAMINATED FOOD STAMP CARD! You'll also find a vintage "On Tour" poster and a booklet featuring extended artwork, liner notes, milestones and accolades. Highly recommended.
reviewed by nakinboots

file under:
special edition + deluxe

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Girl Talk
Secret Diary CD

This is the 2002 debut album from the guy who made the word "mash up" a household term. Greg Gillis' earlier stuff sounds a lot more glitchy, and gets weirder and more experimental than the ADD blends that made him famous. While the tracks on this one definitely move quickly, the effect is more like a scratched CD in many places. If you've ever wondered what it would sound like if Oval took on pop music, here's your answer.
reviewed by suicide bangs


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Girl Talk
Unstoppable CD

Unstoppable is Girl Talk's sophomore album for Illegal Art label. While it still samples and mashes heavily (both trademark's of Mr. Gillis' work), the material here is a lot glitchier than the CDs that made him famous. Many samples are sped up and chopped up to form beats that are reminiscent of drum n bass or IDM artists like Squarepusher. This one might take fans of Night Ripper off guard, but still a nice look at Girl Talk's early work and influences.
reviewed by suicide bangs


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V/A
Next Stop Soweto Vol.1-3 3CD Box Set

massive South African funk, soul, pysch and jazz compilation

Strut's gone ahead and put all 3 volumes of their incredible Soweto compilations in one limited edition box set. We've carried all these releases before individually, but this is an easy way to catch up in case you missed them. The first volume focuses solely on the Golden Age Of Mbaqangwa, (or jive), volume two digs into the r&b, funk, and psych sounds from the Townships, and volume three delves into South Africa's rich jazz scene on the mid 60's to mid 70's.  With over 60 tracks of expertly curated funk, soul, r&b, psych and jazz (the result of several years of painstaking research and vinyl archaeology in South Africa), this release will definitely satisfy your cravings for rare 60's - 70's South African sounds.
reviewed by Extravagant Traveler

file under:
special edition + deluxe

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