Apollo doing his Triple Threat thing on about 50 classic break beats, edits & staple b-boy records. James Brown is therefore represented to the fullest, with a kingpin selection of original tracks, party breaks, Mr K edits and all types of bootleg...
expand review fun with lotsa doubling. For the seasoned vet, it's a semi-predictable selection, but if you don't know the UBB catalogue inside & out, this'll be quite the edumacation (track list included). -the mgmnt
From the Jones label, who brought you the head crushing classic "Chains & Black Exhaust," we now get this mix by old school Memphis dj Big Moe, live from R.C's Place. Big Moe was a former radio DJ for WJNS in Memphis...
expand review and was known for playing the best in funk & soul from that region. Vaulted in somebody's house in South Memphis for over 30 years, this live concert tape was discovered in 2003. The concert was Joe Perkins & The Memphians featuring Big Moe as the dj, and he delivers a set of both common and rare unknown Memphis recordings. All these tracks are either Stax, Hi Records, or local pressings, and some of the highlights include groups like the Memphians, Wendy Rene, Gene Anderson, The Charmels, The Fabulous Caprices, Smithstonian and Transplant. No tracklisting though, so you'll have to go after that yourself. And best believe, same as with Chains & Exhaust, people in two years are gonna be scrambling both for copies of this disc, and the original cuts contained herein. A great tribute to the Memphis sound, and a valid piece of history. Recommended. -the mgmnt
Another classic? rediscovered by the Lab for your listening pleasure. Starring everyone's favorite hip hop cartoon character, Biz Mark digs through his crates for those forgotten but sometimes popping up on your parents' radio station late 70s dance classics. Biz Mark sets...
expand review it off by declaring "This one is for the ladies of eighties... no nineties, with big hienies on WBIZ!" This ain't no break tape, so don't take it too seriously, in fact it's kinda cheesy. In fact, we can't stand half the shit on here, but the tape has a character that you won't get from any other tape: the scratched up records, Biz's random shouts, raw mixes, the selection?... Who knows you might get down to "Computer Love." Biz does a little tribute to Marvin Gaye with a "Sexual Healing, a Biz remix of What's Going On, and Mercy Mercy Me." Some cats we know love this shit, for example our friend Kenny bought a setup from us, went out and bought crate of these dance classics and now spins em out in bars. Love it. Hate it. You might hate it. -the mgmnt
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They've done it again! Greg Caz and Sean Marquand, resident selectors at the great Brazilian Beat party and two of NYC's top spinners of South America's sexiest soul, have put together the long anticipated sequel to their necessary Baile Funk mix. There's...
expand review no weak spots in this collection of searing hot Brazilian funk, and in fact, if you get the impression that these guys could go on for days with this heat, you're probably right. The mix presents a feast of hooks, beats, grooves and melodies, as well as a collector's attention to obscure b-sides and forgotten album tracks (detailed in the informative liner notes). Picking highlights is as simple as hitting the "random" button on your CD player, but I'll try to narrow things down to a couple of my favorites. Os Incriveis get things popping right from the jump with their wicked dedication to Herbie the Love Bug(1), a cut that demonstrates the fun and funky elements that remain constant throughout (and really, how could you go wrong when the Love Bug's involved?). A few minutes later the boys turn up an unusual groover from legend Claudette Soares before moving on to "A Festa(2)" by Silvio Cesar, a slinky, mesmerizing cut. Breakbeat heads will not be disappointed either. Drum master Chico Batera has you covered with "Oxossi(3);" or perhaps the Boogaloo Combo(4) is more your style. The One Way/Al Hudson-esque jam "To Parado Na Tua" and Jorge & Olivetti's "Aleluia(5)," which could be a Rodney Franklin outtake, showcase a slick '80s West Coast funk feel that rounds out the summertime vibe of the set. I'm running out of room, and I haven't even mentioned the devastating Tim Maia jam(6), Wilson Simonal's amazing Bacharach cover, or the ridiculously rare Jorge Ben and Azymuth cuts. This is a mix that anyone could enjoy, and an absolutely essential chapter for fans of Brazilian funk. -monk
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Citizen Kane is definitely one of those next chapter DJs. You'll see him at A-1 playing some crap ass record, then a couple months you'll be fiending for that suddenly essential piece of music. Both his prior mixes with Chairman Mao have...
expand review gone down in the books as classics, and now he's released this solo effort on the new imprint Disc Sinthomme. The mix starts in the realm of rare soul and rock influenced tracks and flows through disco/non-disco, and then into some of the more intense new house music being made today. The mix features some super-rare collector pieces, numerous Kane re-edits, and exclusive takes of newer gems. Featuring artists as diverse as Max Berlin, Tony Orlando, Nick Chacona, and David Astri, Kane has dug deep to provide an encapsulation of one of his club night sets. Fans of the Idjut Boys "Press Play" cd will find a kindred spirit in this mix. 24 tracks, over 70 minutes. -the mgmnt
Cosmo Baker's Love Break was, in my humble opinion, the best mixtape of 2005, so when he told me he was thinking about following it up with a sequel, I basically hounded him until it got done - and now here it...
expand review is! Scientifically engineered for maximum babymakingability, Love Break 2 features almost 30 tracks and runs over 74 minutes for those extra late nights (or early Sunday mornings). Just like the first round, this is basically the smoothest, most soulful shit in the world, with some pretty well known tracks alongside a generous sprinkling of dusty gems. (The upside, of course, is that if you lost your girl 'cause you spent too much money buying records on Turntable Lab, at least you can be smug and satisfied by identifying the tracks – out loud, to yourself – without looking at the insert.) The first volume of Love Break is one of the best-selling mixtapes we've carried, so I don't think I need to do much explaining here, but check some selected artists: Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Eddie Kendricks, Al Green, Dionne Warwick, Lyn Collins, The Ambassadors, Jackson 5, The Impressions, y mas y mas. Definitely on par with the first volume, and obviously recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
"Cocaine is a powerful drug." No shit, Rick! For a while, it seemed as if the sublime musical legacy of the Superfreak would forever be eclipsed by the 12 hours he spent skied out of his brain sodomizing a groupie with...
expand review a crack pipe ("it's a celebration, bitches"). Fortunately, the now-legendary Chapelle Show sketch brought James back into the pop-culture spotlight, and has inspired Cosmo Baker and Eleven to tear through the entire back catalog of James' hits, obscurities, collabos and production work on this new mix CD. Punctuated by tight scratches and doubling, not to mention soundbites from Chapelle and Charlie Murphy ("DARKNESS!") themselves, the highlights include the Mary Jane Girls' party classic "All Night Long," Rick's "Give It To Me Baby" and my personal favorite Teena Marie's "I'm A Sucker For Your Love." Cosmo and Eleven also connect James' classics to more recent jams with "Mary Jane" (aka Redman's "Smoke Buddah") and a great megamix of "Cold Blooded" that blends the original with the cover version by ODB -- no stranger to the pipe himself. All obvious comedy value aside, this disc is a very solid listen, and a great reminder of just how good a funk and R&B songwriter Rick actually was. "Now come and smoke with your boy Rick James - the stickiest of the icky." -Nick Catchdubs
NY is so disco crazy, I can't believe that almost 30 years ago, people were having disco bonfires, where ex-fans burned their vinyl! I'd be like, "What label is that? Lemme buy that off you! Nooooo!" Well, let's hope that never...
expand review happens again, but if it does, I'll be standing by Deep Sang, mang. Needless to say, DUDE gets DEEP(sorry, had to say it) giving you prime choices from his late 70's disco crate. Consider this a workout for those just getting interested with a some sick rare cuts thrown in for the uber-disco nerds. The mixing is smooth as ice and the mood is hot like fire. You might know Cerrone's "Hooked On You," Black Ivory's "Mainline," Player's Association's "Love Hangover," Lemon's "A-Freak-A," and the Larry Levan classic choice, Taana Gardner's "When You Touch Me." Personally, the Super-Fire cuts on this are Kay-Gee's "Burn Me Up," ORS' "Moon-Boots," and Wish's "Nice and Soft." For me, these are worth the mix alone. Hope to see more soon...
-C'mish
The first volume of DJ Alex From Tokyo's Time Warp mix achieved Lab's Truly Underground Cult Status (sells more copies through the stores than the website). Alex, whose also in the production group Tokyo Black Star, is in the Rong...
expand review / Bogman style of playing obscure records no matter the genre (although you get a loose cosmic vibe from his selections). For this sequel, he revisits his crates for a seamless, one hour and twenty minute mix. He switches through rare disco, downtempo, house, and techno effortlessly. In addition, the mix comes untracked, which I think he did on purpose to give it that cassette mixtape effect. Alex brought these straight to shop from Tokyo, so I doubt you'll find these elsewhere. Classy tri-fold digi-pack packaging too. -the mgmnt
For those who've followed the mixtape game for a while, you know that Staple was one of the early companies to adopt the mixtape series as a marketing tool, releasing cassettes from 5th Platoon and Ken Sport amongst others. For their tenth...
expand review anniversary, they've come very heavy with Japan's record king Muro and ridiculous cover photography by Yasumasa Yonehara (aka the T. Richardson of Japan). For the selection itself, Muro once again flexes his record crate with a deep selection of soul, funk and disco. However, the kicker is that all these tracks were meant to be played at 33rpm, but Muro flips it to 45rpm in the production tradition of RZA, Jus Blaze, Kanye, and others. It's quite a ear-opening experience, and much more enjoyable than the Chipmunks. 27 tracks in all. -the mgmnt
#5 in Mochilla's CD series comes courtesy of Keepintime / Brasilintime affiliate DJ Nuts, who gave us the ultra popular Brazil-centric "Disco e Cultura" series of mixes a few years back. Once again there's no info, no tracklist here - just 68...
expand review minutes of dusty tropical gems that run the gamut from bossa and samba to rock and jazz, all with that unmistakable Brazilian flavor. Anybody got the key to the roof? Definitely recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
Our old homie O-Dub back at it again! Mr. Wang keeps rolling with his "covers" obsession (see also: Deep Cover #1, Soul Sides V.2: The Covers) but this time he's taken it international with versions of everyone from Iron Butterfly to Fatback...
expand review Band, from just about every corner of the planet. Can you imagine what a Polish cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" sounds like? Or a Peruvian stab at Ballin' Jack? How about a Guyanese reggae band doing "Sweet Caroline?" If, like me, your answer to all the above is "no, but I'd like to," you need this mix in your life. O-Dub keeps it simple, tasteful and on-point with the mixing, no need for fancy wicky-wicky. (Though there is a Colombian cover of "Wicky Wacky.") 20 track mix, plus three bonus tracks from some fallen idols (Jimmy McGriff, Bo Diddley, James Brown). 71 minutes. Recommended. -Van Hammersly
New extended encore version of the Hard Sell mix! Now that the original red die-cut versions of the Hard Sell mix are sold out indefinitely, this is the only way to get Shadow and Chemist's insane 7" throw down done entirely with...
expand review vinyl on 8 turntables, 4 mixers, and a couple guitar pedals (now with mucho extra material the duo had to scrap due to the time constraints of the Hollywood Bowl!). You guys have heard Freeze and Product Placement so you know what to expect - just rare and funky joints mixed, scratched, cut, manhandled, and destroyed in a routine that seems so complicated it's amazing its done completely live in one take! This is real-deal turntablism right here (all analog, no digital) done by a couple of the masters - don't miss out. Comes in cool digipak with jukeboxes smashing ipods. -snackmaster
Back after a short absence -- diggin's hard work! -- DJ Soul Punk returns to his roots with a follow-up to his first unmixed breaks comp. Just like Volume 1, this disc contains 16 rare hard rock tracks filled with nasty breaks,...
expand review some of which you'll recognize and some you'll just want to chop up and keep for yourself. Features songs from Nazareth, Deep Purple (not "Smoke On The Water"), Montrose, Sorcery, Pentagram, Zipper, Free, Hard Stuff, Dog Soldier, Humble Pie, Captain Beyond and more. 77 minutes total. -Larri Byrd
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"Reminted" cause each track is remixed by Fort Knox Five, and then continuously mixed into an hour of that ass-giggling DC midtempo. Most of these tracks were 12" only releases, and feature some lab heavy hitters including Nickodemus, Dynamo Productions, Kraak &...
expand review Smaak, Skeewif, and other names you see in our midtempo section. Also check out FK5's modern renditions of latin masters Tito Puente and Joe Bataan. 12 tracks in all. -the mgmnt
Oldies lowrider radio on lock! Johnny Paycheck (owner of NYC's Good Records store) has put together this 79 minute mix of slow soul, doo wop, latin soul and whatever else Smokey, Lil Sad Eyes, Big Joker, Lil Joker, and Joker From Around...
expand review The Way ride to. Shit is just plain awesome: The Originals, Brenton Wood, The Young Rascals, Malo, Ocho, War, The Intruders, Delfonics, Impressions, etc etc, and if you are not feeling it you need to die right now. Please. The cd is put together like a live radio show, complete with announcer voice, call-ins and shout outs, and the tracks just play straight through, as they should- scratching or mixing these would not only be sacrelige, it would ruin the vibe completely. Get in the cruisemobile. -the mgmnt
It is always a pleasure when we get in a new J-Rocc mix. Dude is the undisputed king of the always on-point, turntablist-friendly mix. For "Cooking Ingredients," the World Famous Beat Junkies representer drops serious knowledge on rare and obscure soul and...
expand review funk with tons of killer breaks and jazzy, smoked-out grooves doubled up, cut and mixed flawlessly as you would expect. I can't stress how tasty his selections are (and I love that he has enough respect for the OG's to let 'em play through for awhile). Wish I could drop some names of artists or tracks, but there's no tracklist and this thing goes deep! Just trust that you will not be disappointed. Seriously. About 45 minutes long. Highly Recommended. -snackmaster
Back in print! Now in a full color digipak. J-Rocc has always destroyed James Brown records with his mix tricks, now we get a whole CD of it. Never heard JB mixed this smoothly or cohesively. This is really a no-brainer purchase....
expand review I'm gonna have to borrow a Woodman tag for this one: Pure Hot Fire. 27 tracks. Highly recommended. -the mgmnt
Do I really gotta sell you on this one? Second volume of what J-Rocc does best - mixing up James! You already know how J-Rocc gets down on the turntables so I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but this is...
expand review basically 75 minutes of the Godfather (plus some tracks from his other projects and groups) mixed and cut to perfection in funky-ass Beat Junkies style. The end result is nothing short of amazing. No tracklist included, but you'll defintitely recognize most of these classics. Recommended. -snackmaster
Deluxe reissue in digi-pack! Soul Strutters and cassette heads, this will flash you back to the good ol' days. Sequel to the original Syndromes mix, where J-Rocc gets all record nerdy, applying his mix skills to a rare, sampled tracklist that includes:...
expand review Phil Ranelin, Archie Whitewater, Junior Mance, Bill Withers, Electric Prunes, Lou Donaldson, Monk Higgins, Les McCann, Ramsey Lewis, Ahmad Jamal, and others digger catch phrases. And when applicable, he throws in bits of the modern sample-using track; but in a really creative manner (like scratching "Alchoholic Vibes"; into "Vibes From the Tribe"). People just don't make crafted, finessed mixes like this anymore (did they ever?). Another one for the library. RECOMMENDED. -the mgmnt
Subtitled "A Mellow Mix By Koushik," this selection represents a now forgotten mode of mix making: taking your favorite moments in your crate and presenting them in a unforced fashion. Released from the chains of bpms, sample tracks, snippet drum breaks, or...
expand review hot new shit, this mix really sounds like a mix from a friend. Except this friend has an incredible record collection of music you've never heard before. He doesn't reveal artists but there's some great rock, soul, and lots of mystery. 28 tracks, exceptional. -the mgmnt
It's been a minute since we've had one of these hand-crafted mix things come through here. You get the home-assembled packaging, lovingly burned stenciled CDRs, a vintage rap baseball card, and even custom linear notes on folded 8.5 x 11" detailing the...
expand review background of the mix and the tracklist. The theme here differs from other digger's mixes, as Dula showcases records he got on the cheap (2-3 bucks), picking quality over scarcity. But what maybe obvious to Dula, is mostly likely a revelation to most. It will make you re-think that ugly crate you have hidden in the closet. Two full length mixes on double disc, so more value for that weak-ass buck. -the mgmnt
I interviewed Madlib recently, which is not the easiest thing to do since the guy isn't real talkative. Not that he's sullen or withdrawn, but it's plain that his favored mode of expression is via music. You could say this CD, an...
expand review illuminating glimpse of the mad scientist's head music, is the equivalent of a 50 minute-long hang out session. The mix is the second of two discs recorded for release in Japan last year, and is dedicated to electric jazz. Beginning appropriately with Brian Auger's "Starting Again," the disc moves through an anonymous selection of fusion nuggets, with the occasional awkward transition smoothed out by bold song selection and bugged out vocoder drops. The CD does not come with a tracklist, but expect abstract jazz with plenty of the little quirks and heavy rhythms that Mr. Jackson loves to digitally purloin. Of the recognizable tracks, I liked Johnny Hammond's "Back to the Projects" and a version of "Baltimore Oriole" that sounds like YNQ in broken beat mode. The sound is also heavy on Brazilian flavor, with Azymuth popping up at least once, creating an airy feel that is far from hip hop headnod. Intense art from Manuel Ocampo and appropriated liner notes from free jazz collector Thurston Moore complete the package. -monk
This is one of those mix cds that comes through here a couple times a month that hits an exact nerve ending, dead on. The scope is narrow, but the execution is so brilliant that the mix just rolls through the speakers...
expand review with easy confidence. This one is "slow, funky soul burners," the kind of stuff that Matthew Africa (note: his real name) and B. Cause say is "70s era soul that's a little too soulful for the funk crowd, a little too funky for the soul crowd and too slow for the dancefloor." In other words the kind of great shit that never shows up on mixes because there's no sample, no miniscule Texas 7" history, no disco. Hats off for the Muscle Shoals Horns, Darondo, Hodges James Smith & Crawford, Lee Fields ("Honey Dove" hells yes), Clarence Coulter, The Apaches, Muchos Plus and everybody else on here. -the mgmnt
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