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Planet Rock(1)" is the best hip-hop song ever made. Even if it's become a cliche, it's more important than ever now that Williamsburg is threatening to ruin electro by making it a fashion statement. Roctakon likes to pretend that he likes it,...
expand review but that wimpy Depeche Mode soundalike shit can't fuck the real deal: bulletproof Arthur Baker drum machines and Kraftwerk synths with that gangster bass line. Bambaataa freaks the vocoded robot voice on the intro, and MC G.L.O.B.E. and company kill the raps and chants. Get on down, let your soul lead the way, shake it now, go ladies, it's a living dream, love like this! Or flip it over and scratch to the instrumental if that's your thing; it's the sure shot. -Ayres
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LA's DJ Aristocat continues to put out some of the most club friendly and reliable mash-up 12"s. The big one on here is a mash(1) of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence" with Missy's "I'm Really Hot." The combination sticks like glue, definitely...
expand review gonna be a big crowd pleaser. What's more, Cat goes the extra distance creating the Depeche Mode instrumental for all the DJs (which, like all the mashes here, comes in instrumental version). Sticking with the new wave theme, Cat takes(2) the Cure's "Lovecats" instrumental and strangely pairs it with Artifacts' "Wrong Side of The Tracks." That one might be too deep for the drunk masses, but the instrumental version is deadly. The final mash pairs "Hell's Bells" with "Shimmy Shimmy." And last but not least, Cat once again extends to his working DJ brethren with a looped up version of Billy Squires' "The Stroke," a perfect tool for your rock sets. -the mgmnt
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The single that fortified the three-peat. Damn these fucking basketball references. Includes "Award Tour" instrumental. -the mgmnt
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The Bladerunners are one of the best things going right now. Their edits are made with working DJs in mind and they're totally effective. Side A features dance edits and starts with Stardust's "Music Sounds Better With You" aka one the greatest...
expand review dance songs ever made. The Bladerunners do an admirable chop job(1) here, freaking out the original sounds. Showing some deep-ass music nerdery, they've resurrected P.I.L.'s "This Is Not A Love Song" as a Daft Punk-style dance track. The flip features hip-hop remixes of "Move Bitch(3), Throw Some D's(4)," and "Money In The Bank(5)." 7 tracks total. Recommended. -the mgmnt
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Diplo's adopted Brazilian siblings are all grown up, and here's their first release on Domino to prove it! "Solta O Frango(1)" is a certified favela smash (got the ringtone on my cell) and if you missed out when we had the limited...
expand review tour 7", this is your chance to make right. If you've seen them live, you know this is the Bonde track that really tears it down - everyone chants along to that brainworm of a hook, Marina wrecks it on the verses and Afra from the Incredible Beatbox Band even provides some sick background effects for the head-nodders. And if you're wondering what they're saying in Portuguese over that heavy Playskool beat, "solta o frango" means "release the chicken" - you can connect the dots. Another live favorite, "Rap do CB(2)" is on the flip, along with the instrumental and acapella for "Solta O Frango." Nice full color artwork by Pedro's cousin. Recommended! -Chris Lemon-Red
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LAB EXCLUSIVO! While supplies last, all orders will receive a promo-only 7" of Bonde Do Role's new single, "Office Boy," featuring remixes from CSS and Architecture In Helsinki!
FINALLY ON VINYL! To say that Bonde Do Role's debut has been "long-awaited" would be...
expand review a huge understatement. It's been 2 years since we dropped their first EP on Mad Decent and the kids are all grown up now, migrated over to Domino and swapped out message board love for NME praise. The band probably recorded 40 demos for this album, but the final product is a streamlined beast with just 12 tracks, clocking in at 30 minutes. Really, when's the last time you heard an album where every track could be a single? The Diplo-produced "Solta O Frango(1)" and "Gasolina(2)" are here, and so's the new single, "Office Boy(3)" (stupid fun - "buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-boy"). But what you know about "Quero Te Amar(4)," with the heavy vocoder action and throwback Miami bass beat from the Lab's own Eggfooyoung? Or the evil metal opener/closer combo, "Danca do Zumbi(5)" and "Bondallica(6)," with Chernobyl from Comunidade Nin-Jitsu SHREDDING on those finger-tapping guitar solos? London production duo Radioclit even turn in a couple tracks: the kazoo-driven "Geremia(7)" and chopped-up electro-baile "Divine Gosa(8)." All this is to say nothing of the amazingly fun vocals that Marina, Pedro and Gorky provide. I read an article this morning comparing them to Brazil's Tropicalia artists of the 60s/70s, and while I don't know if that's totally on point (Marina would Manic Panic her hair before she put flowers in it), there's something important going on behind all this silliness. Do I even have to say... Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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A pair of essential breaks from the Bozo Meko catalog, available for the first time ever on 45. "Spread Love(1)" is a simple, straightforward and totally useful edit of the Take 6 classic - what more could you need than those sweet...
expand review harmonies and staunch drums keepin time? On the flip, it's Earth Wind & Fire's summer feel-good anthem getting the chop for "Gazillian Rhyme(2)." Both cuts supposedly remixed by Mark the 45 King. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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GAWD-DAMN! That's all I gotta say. 23 tracks of the heaviest drum tracks I've ever heard, straight from the funk gods at Stones Throw. If anyone knows beats, its these dudes. Don't bother scratchin' your head, going "where is this loop from?"...
expand review I'll tell you - they're all written and performed by Dan Bitney, John Herndon and John Mcentire of Tortoise. If you don't know Tortoise, don't worry. Just know that they are masters and everyone of these tracks is a gem. Anywhere you drop the needle is going to be like the golden sample record at the end of a 3 week digging spree. It's that good. To humor you, check "A Safe Balm(1)," "...As Bond Did(2)," "Crass Jenny(3)" and "Craven(4)." See how the funk just seeps out yo' speakers? Oh, not enough? If you want some slumpy scratch beats, check "Sniper Growl(5)" for that hardness. And I've only mentioned cuts from the first LP (it's a double!). With people like Egon and PB Wolf on the creative team, they wouldn't leave anyone hanging. Whatever genre you're feeling, whether it's funk, disco, jazz, or rock - they got something for everyone here. Only questions left are, "How long before these drums get sampled for a hit?" and "How many copies does Gaslamp Killer have?" I see you. Highly recommended. -C'mish
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Two great tracks from Blu and Ta'Raach's The Piece Talks album on a pic sleeve 12". "Buy Me Lunch(1)" isn't very hip hop at all - more like beat-driven folksy lo-fi indie rock, featuring the impish vocals of Ms. Noni Limar and...
expand review some real infectious chants from the boys. Very fun - I like. On the flip, "Love Don't(2)" keeps the rock vibe going, but with more rhymes and some dirty drums courtesy the man from Detroit. Includes main and instrumental versions for "Lunch;" main, instrumental and acapella for "Love." Recommended. -Van Hammersly
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LAB US EXCLUSIVO. Import-only pic sleeve 12" featuring two of the biggest tunes from Dabaaz's new full-length. A-Trak gets behind the boards for "Regarde-Les(1)," scratching up a Clipse sample and crafting yet another ridiculously infectious beat. Flipside features the Drixxxe-produced "Tu Veux...
expand review La Guerre?(2)" - the term "Eurocrunk" kinda makes me wanna shoot my face, but this is pulled off so nicely, it doesn't feel like a joke. Totally dark, Dirty South style production. DJ Paul & Juice would be proud. Includes instrumentals for both tracks. Limited stock. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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This originally came out as a limited Ninja Tune press (once available at the lab, thank you). More than a year later, they've reissued it with a new pic sleeve and art. As for the "Impending Doom(1)," lets see what Doom has...
expand review to say about it: "Bro, this beat is simply retarded yo, sounds like it came off the Hey Ricky Ricardo Show." Thanks, Doom. This is definitely a sleeper in Doom's ever-growing catalog, don't miss out. The other track on here is equally fantastic, checkout the majestic downtempo of "Just Briefly(2)." What else could there be? You get the Doom acapella(!), and two twisted b-side remixes(3,4) by Domu. Recommended. -the mgmnt
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Before dropping the Grey Album and making every critic's year-end list, DJ Danger Mouse released three remix EPs that we carried for a little while. I say "little while" because whenever they were restocked, they immediately sold out like Pure Hot Fire....
expand review Much like that damn Amerie single (PHF of right now), people would constantly call or come in the store, pestering us for more Danger Mouse, and someone finally saw fit to respond to the overwhelming demand by releasing a kind of "Best Of" from those three EPs. While I'm currently of the "Mash Up Needs To Get Shot Out of a Canon" mentality, I must admit that the Nas/Portishead(1) and the Audio Two/Air(2) remixes are two of the finer moments the genre has offered so far, and still sound remarkably well put together four years after the fact. Pick it up now, late-comers. Other mashes include "Tom's Diner" over "In Da Club(3)," Outkast's "Whole World" over Funkadelic(4), and Xzibit over Radiohead's "Karma Police(5)." -the Woodman
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