quick audio picks: 12
Extremo heatage alert. In the recesses of my brain, I always thought Mr. Fingers' "Can U Feel It" would sound exalted with some appropriate vocals (just like how "Hot Music" got blown up a couple years ago, remember one hit wonder K-Os?)....
expand review Well, "If I Feel It(1)" is as dream-like as I could have ever imagined... Amp Fiddler dueting with Corrine Bailey Rae over a re-edit of "Feel It?" Getdaphucouttahere. On the flip "If I Witness(2)," the same Amp-Bailey combo rides over another super-popular beat, Roots Manuva "Witness The Fitness." Recommended. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 12
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
quick audio picks: 1234
After months of searching for the lost master files - finally found 'em deep in the belly of a Czech pressing plant - the unmixed wax companion to A-Trak's Dirty South Dance mix is here. On the A-side, Unk goes up against...
expand review The Gossip for "Walk It Out Trizz(1)," then the Clipse and Slim Thug pop bottles in Paris with Alex Gopher on "Wampercycle(2)." Not sure of the source beat for "Frenchies Act A Fool(3)," but Lil Jon and Three 6 have never sounded so Euro. Also not sure if M.I.A.'s "XR2" will end up on her album, but it's on here ("MIA-roder(4)"), blended with - you guessed it - some sweet Italo beats. Fool's Gold continues their trend of dope packaging with nice custom-printed all-over print sleeves and a sticker with artwork by Shepherd Fairey. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 123456
Man, there are some things I feel like I don't even have to write a review for. What could I tell you, loyal Turntable Lab customer, about A-Trak and The Rub boys that you don't already know? This has "no-brainer" written all...
expand review over it. A-Trak leads off the A-side with his blend(1) of Outkast's "Skew It On The Bar-B" with a modified instrumental from Kanye's "Touch The Sky," mining those tasty Curtis horns for all they're worth. Ayres & A-Trak team up for the useful "Mr. Collipark Breaks," and then Urrs takes it solo with Ying Yang and Pitbull's "Shake(2)" over the always recognizable Yaz sample. Cosmo Baker closes out the side with some more 'Kast(3), this time with "B.O.B." over the pounding drums from Bloc Party's "She's Hearing Voices." (Man, "Bombs" never gets old, or less timely.) On the other side, Trak lays Project Pat's recent Lab favorite "Good Googly Moogly" over 2 Live Crew(4), then laces "Tell Me When To Go" with Laid Back's "White Horse(5)." The final blend, with Lil Keke's "Chunk Up The Deuce" over Twilight 22(6), is uncredit – dunno why, it's pretty cool. Ayres closes the whole deal out with a quick Baltimore club edit of Corey Hart's "Sunglasses At Night," just in case you didn't get enough of it on the Roctakon EP from Money Lotion. (Psych – this Sunglasses EP has been in the works for a long, long time, so it's just a happy accident.) 8 tracks total. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 1
The single that fortified the three-peat. Damn these fucking basketball references. Non-album track "Chase pt 2" on the b side. Includes "Award Tour" instrumental. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 123
Gotta love picture sleeves. Domestic version of the Tribe classic. Features the Spirit Mix(1) and the Phase 5 Mix of "Can I Kick It(2)" on the A side. The flip features "If the Papes Come" with Baby Bam and a remix as...
expand review well as "Can I Kick It(3)" LP version. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 12
My favorite Beatnuts single, no mas. "No Equal(1)" is a paradox of styles, and it's beautiful. The Nuts come in slaying some of their best Corona gun talk, but the beat is far from rugged. It's that smoothed out jazz feel that...
expand review just seems like it was dropped from the easy listening gods. Add some smartly placed vocal samples ("number one, competition is none") and expert production technique, and you have one the most fascinating sounds to come from the era. So smooth, you probably won't even notice. B-side features "Psycho Dwarf(2)" the Nuts' semi-successful attempt at frat party track. Even at this apex of meatheadedness, the production saves them from sounding like the Young Black Teenagers. All important instrumentals included for both tracks. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 12
Deadstock score! This was one of the best tracks of 2005... but we never carried it? Problem fixed. The remix to "Tell Me(1)" is most notable for its beat, which features those lilting, Crouching Tiger-type strings that you'd expect to hear in...
expand review a Jet Li flick. (A bit like the strings from that Ja Rule & Christina Milian joint, but way better.) Weezy's verses are typically sick and Bobby Valentino's voice sounds damn good (better than usual) on the hook. Even the flip, "Come Touch Me(2)," isn't bad at all. Includes clean and instrumental versions for both tracks - don't worry, the tracks aren't all that dirty to start with, so it's barely noticeable. Recommended! -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 12
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
quick audio picks: 12345
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
quick audio picks: 12345
More crack! DJ Benzi curated the now-infamous We Got The Remix mixtape last year, and now he's hand-picked a few of his favorite remixes from the project and pressed 'em to wax for you non-Serato using heathens. Nick Catchdubs' remix(1) was one...
expand review of my favorites, tossing the acapella from "Re-Up Anthem" over a slowed loop from Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" ... so clever, that Catchdubs! Diplo flips the acapella chanting theme from Coming To America for his remix(2) of "Queen Bitch" ... it ain't club material, but I could see it fitting on a mixtape. The Disco D-produced "Double Down(3)" makes a comeback here, since we've been sold out of the Killah Kuts version for like a year - if you don't remember, it's got Vybz Kartel and the beat is made ENTIRELY OUT OF GUNSHOTS. (Insert Kevin Federline joke here.) On the flipside, Les Biches (what up, Krudmart!) remix "Drop It(4)" with a decidedly electro slant... and whaddayaknow, chuggling computer bass sounds nice under the Re-Up Gang. Ghislain Poirier's mix of "Stuntin' Y'all" falls off-track at times, but in the club it wouldn't be noticeable - everyone would be busy with that trademark Bounce Le Gros bass. Super unofficial pressing! Probably won't be around once Star Trak gets wind of this. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 12
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
quick audio picks: 1234
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
quick audio picks: 12345
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
quick audio picks: 123
Tres Record's DJ Alibi delivers the proper single from his similarly titled full-length. When I mean proper, he's got the original version(1), a new remix version(2) with added verses from J-Live, its instrumental and acapella, and a 12"-only cut "Ecology(3)"... all encased...
expand review in a handsome matte sleeve. To rewind a bit, "One Day" is that summery, buttery beatology. Beautiful guitar chords and smooth percussion embody the 60s west coast sound, all sunshine and breezes. For the remix, Alibi beefs up the track with stuttering hip-hop drums, and damn if J-Live sounds like he's spitting back in 99. "Ecology" is a perfect closer, it reminds me of DJ Day's weighty productions. Recommended. -the mgmnt
indepth
