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
quick audio picks: 12345
Where to begin with the funky enigma that is Darondo? You probably clicked the "more info" button for one of two reasons: either you know Darondo's "Didn't I" as the lead-off slow-burner from Gilles Peterson's recent Gilles Peterson Digs America comp, or...
expand review you saw the dude on the cover -- the one who looks like a pensive, iced-out Screamin' Jay Hawkins -- and just had to know who it was. No matter what the reason, you've just lucked out, for Darondo has got to be one of the most unexpected and pleasant musical surprises of the past few years. An underground legend in the Bay Area, Darondo was recently tracked down by Ubiquity Records. Not only did he give them permission to reissue some of his classic recordings, but he also went into the studio and recorded additional vocals for some of his unfinished works. Darondo's got range, too: you get a little bit of everything from his broad pallette, from hard funk to smooth soul joints. 9 cuts in all, in a pic sleeve which features the man himself on the front and details the entire saga of Darondo on the back. -the mgmnt
So I got a phone call from Will Holland. He was in Spain, raving about an mp3 I'd given him the last time he was here in NYC. It was this brass band version of "Sexual Healing," and he'd just...
expand review thrown it on a packed Barcelona dancehall the night before. "At first they didn't know what to do," he says. "Then, the handclaps came in, and they started to move. When the vocals dropped the place exploded." After we hung up I had to call my man DJ Concerned, who'd hit me with the thing in the first place. He didn't know who Quantic was, but he clearly understood the power of the killer cut. This CD is a selection of a few of his pure fire brass band joints, a collection honed by frequent trips to New Orleans as the DJ for Brian J and the Pimps of Joytime, one of the finest N.O.-affiliated up and comer conjuntos. Understand, these aren't some old-timey Preservation Hall Jazz Band chestnuts, these are real deal street level Crescent City bangers from new school rulers the Rebirth Brass Band, the Hot 8 Brass Band and the Soul Rebels. These dudes have insanely hype live shows where they rip through everything from Herbie Hancock to Lil' Jon covers, kinda similar to DC's go-go scene. Concerned is the first guy I've heard to pull the sheet back on this stuff, and it's done here in a crispy thirteen song mix that is seamless without any teeth-gritting blends or awkward transitions. In addition to the previously mentioned "Sexual Healing" (worth the price for that alone) and a wicked run through "Atomic Dog" ("Rock With the Hot 8"), the mix is chock full of sure shot party music ("(Don't Touch That) Stereo", "Skeet Skeet"). I've had this thing on constant rotation, recommended. -monk
quick audio picks: 123456
Vice does all y'all Serato users a favor with the budget-conscious domestic release of BOTH Justice EP's on one CD. Here is a "mash-up" of the original reviews: Justice are longtime associates of another mysterious French duo, and though they definitely take...
expand review a page or two from Daft Punk's playbook, it's clear from the onset of "Waters of Nazareth(1)" that Justice have a completely unique twist on that super-heavy, crunchy electro sound. The title track is an absolute destroyer, shifting from a thumping low-end squelch that's alternately noisy and catchy to ethereal organs seamlessly (and doing so a few times during the course of the track) before ending in a glorious wash of feedback. That makes it sound like a total dancefloor killer, but believe me: this shit is danceable to the highest degree. The other two tracks here aren't too shabby either: the roaring "Let There Be Light(2)" is labeled as a demo version, but you'd never know to listen to it, and "Carpates(3)" is like the soundtrack to the hidden level of Contra that nobody ever saw where you have to fight Marilyn Manson's head on an octopus body. Then, Justice head back to the track that spread their name far and wide, offering a remix/collaboration with fellow Ed Banger and Uffie producer Feadz on the "Waters of Nazareth" remix(4). Electro-rock remixer extraordinaire Erol Alkan contributes a DJ-friendly re-edit(5) and DJ Funk(!) turns in the barely-recognizable "Bounce Dat Ass Remix(6)" of "Let There Be Light." Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 12345
Wow. A really amazing reissue from Finders Keepers' B-Music sub-label right here. This is part of their new Anatolian Invasion series, highlighting forgotten Turkish masterpieces, and if I was ever gonna use the phrase "forgotten Turkish masterpiece," it's for Mustafa Ozkent's Genclik...
expand review Ile Elele. This is the type of psych breaks stuff that dudes like Andy Votel flip over (in fact, he wrote the liner notes) and I think once this CD reissue starts reaching more people, everyone else will be flipping over it too. The (incredibly detailed) liner notes can tell you in better detail, but basically, Ozkent was something of a musical mad scientist, creating instruments to match his vision and then fashioning an entire album chock full of breaks that straddle the line between traditional Turkish music and Western influence. I'm a total dummy when it comes to funk and breaks and shit, and I even I know this stuff is useful. Just check out hypnotic tracks like "Dolana(1)" and the organ-trilling "Lorke(2)," or the one-two power punch of "Emmioglu(3)" and "Carsamba(4)." Even stuff like "Uskudar(5)," which begins the album and sounds vaguely like some old cartoon chase music. B-Music is killing right now! 10 tracks; 30 minutes. Recommended! -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 12345678910111213141516
It's about damn time! The Truth & Soul label has been jamming out impressive (and limited) 45s for a minute now, and this CD-only collection rounds 'em up for those of y'all who slept the first time around. The brand new debut...
expand review release in T&S' Shaolin Series - El Michels Affair's cover of the Wu classic "C.R.E.A.M.(1)" - is included here, along with its flip, "Glaciers of Ice(2)." But savvy Lab customers will remember the Lee Fields' extra-dope "Do You Love Me(3)" single with the Expressions backing him, or the Expressions' own "These Moments(4)." You could pretty much name all of these tracks off - the office fave seems to be El Michels' "Behind the Blue Curtain(5)," FYI - because they're all worth mentioning and equally good reasons to cop this. Fact is, you already know! 19 tracks total. -Chris Lemon-Red
indepth
