—

Vahé:LeisureCAST – 025. THE HOUR’S GETTING LATE

trackleest:

01. morgen – love
02. pinnacle – astral traveller
03. octopus – restless night
04. bang chan – nhung dom mat hoa chau
05. the zig zag people – peel it off your face
06. bent wind – mistify
07. aum – you can’t hide
08. the things – i don’t believe
09. ashkan – one of us two
10. dog soldier – pillar to post
11. the open mind – i feel the same way too
12. may blitz – smoking the day away
13. jasper wrath – odyssey
14. saturnalia – and i have loved you
15. ultimate spinach – visions of your reality
16. strawberry alarm clock – curse of the witches
17. blue cheer – peace of mind
18. tea company – you keep me hangin on
19. them – square room
20. ash ra tempel – light look at your sun
21. krokodil – sunlight’s beautiful daughter
22. meic stevens – yorric
23. hurdy gurdy – peaceful open space
24. insect trust – special rider blues.

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Vahé:LeisureCAST – 026. L.I.A.S.Y.N.F (Love Is A Song You Never Forget)

trackleest:

01. cassius – interlude
02. eric roberson – still (dj kemit & ahmed sirour remix)
03. om’mas keith – slow motion
04. don-e – find you
05. brushing dead – everybody wants your pussy
06. dre-kay – longing for tomorrow
07. adriana evans – after the party
08. shafiq husayn & the dove society – twelve (feat. breezy lovejoy, j. mitchell, jimetta rose & mprvs)
09. laurnea – sun don’t rain
10. static major – playground
11. ambersunshower – serengeti plains
12. darryl reeves – she said
13. sweater beats – anxious
14. adrian younge presents the delfonics – lover’s melody
15. bilal – catch what i’m throwing (prod. by steve mckie & adam blackstone)
16. katriina – spared your kiss
17. i’ced – angel
18. tennille – yellow haze (feat. sir michael rocks)
19. king – in the meantime
20. rochelle jordan – shotgun
21. chris bowden – telescopic two
22. terrance downs – when we meet (prod. by chris brann).

—

V.

i know everyone’s still quite antsy in the pantsy bout D‘s upcoming return with that third untitled LP, but don’t pretend like you’re not enjoying the road LEADING to that album. i don’t wanna hear anymoar complaints bout this shit. i’ll even promise to not bitch n moan about it my damn self if yous don’t. yes? ok done deal. this recent duo-only gig @ Brooklyn Bowl should help with that promise, as it throws back to those beautiful chill b-side cuts from the Voodoo sessions, ones generally involving just D’ on keys and ?uesto on drums. they step it up a notch here though as D handles keys, bass and guitar solos, re-interpreting his own material and doin a gaggle of covers as well. much love to “soundbetter” for providing the full set in pretty decent quality. lap it up D-stans!

trackleest:

01. go back to the thing/let me have it all (Sly & The Family Stone cover)
02. cosmic slop (Funkadelic cover)
03. woman’s gotta have it (Bobby Womack cover)
04. the line
05. you caught me smilin’/africa talks to you /the asphalt jungle (Sly & The Family Stone cover)
06. tell me if you still care (The S.O.S. Band cover)
07. our love has died (Ohio Players cover)
08. the root
09. really love
10. alright
11. mother’s son (Curtis Mayfield cover)
12. new position (Prince cover)
13. africa
14. encore break
15. lady

—

V.

Pete‘s comin back with a vengeance with some soon-to-be released material, possibly a double album: one side the new stuff, one the old. this joint from 1989, featuring Da’ Lord Supreme (one of a handful of emcees from Pete‘s original crew), might end up on the side labeled Demos & Masters, a collection of tracks from the late 80s/early 90s that Mr. Marriott has meticulously re-polished and essentially re-created. enjoy some quality hip hop & wait with me in anticipation for the full length release.

—

V.

sometime last year i had the accidental pleasure of flicking onto Melb’s local community TV station, Ch.31, and being transfixed by the controlled madness of a 6-episode series entitled This Terrifying Ordeal!. after subsequently tracking down the show’s Facebook and YouTube pages, and eventually watching all 6eps, the fanboy switch kicked in. everything about the self-described “zero budget” show was clicking with me somewhere deep in the loins, and i HAD to e-friend the minds who created it. after watching the series a few times over, i felt the need to help get the word out, & what better way then to pick the brain of one of the co-creators, Ms. Emmy Gates (Matthew “Rhombus” Macaulay being the other).

—

V: howdy doo! how are you doing this fine morn/day/eve/morrow? can you please introduce yourself to the folks at home?

E: hi there! my name’s Emmy (Emily) Gates. i’m one of the co-creating, Rhombus-wrangling, Norwegian-slaying members of the T.T.O! ensemble.

V: before we delve into the swirling miasma of turgid thoughts and misanthropic adventures that is This Terrifying Ordeal!, give us a bit of a background on your regular non-camera life thus far?

E: oh boy. i was born mousey-haired, freckled and shy. my greatest achievement in society’s standards is that i have done 3.8 years of a four year teaching course. then abandoned it. now i sell tickets, own ferrets, and am happy. i think that’s it.

V: as you may already know, i just happened to stumble onto your show while randomly perusing Channel 31 one night, and was thrown right into the middle of Episode 2, and was permanently stuck there until the credits rolled. i know i was one of the first fanboys to emerge, and was wondering what the response has been like from the general unsuspecting populace? was getting the word out about the show hard or did the online presence on Facebook and YouTube help?

E: i think it’s STILL stuck in a friends/friends-of-friends ripple. we got a few fan-persons, but i don’t think we’ve really found our niche yet. it’s hard to pitch a show to people when you can’t even describe it to them.

V: the show touts itself as being “zero budget”, yet you were all able to create entire worlds with distinct characters and present it in a way that seemed you WEREN’T zero budget. what is it like creating a zero budget project, where do you source all the materials & locations and was the lack of budget ultimately a blessing (to spur creative solutions) or a hindrance?

E: i loved it. as the Art Director, an unemployed student living off roughly $20 a week, everything was sourced from op shops and childhood dress-up boxes. and my braaaaaaiiiiiin. making essentially all of the props myself (though Luke and Lauren were quite a help when needed) was traumatic. we had deadlines, we had no money, and everything was made in one-go. if something didn’t work i had to make it work. God Bless Super-Glue.

V: i understand the individual stories were all written by different authors, with different directors. did the Rhombus/Emmy co-creatorship oversee these or was it left up to the writer/director? what individual responsibilities did the extended cast and crew have?

E: i’d like to take credit as the evil dictator of the project. i think we all collaborate well as a team. if we didn’t we’d all have killed each other years ago. we assigned certain roles to everyone for each shoot, but due to varying schedules and the sporadic nature of our shoots, we often just had to feel our way through it.

V: what was the process of actually getting the show on the air like? how did you approach Ch31: did you make the show first? or sell the pitch first and then make it? or did you show them a demo reel/trailer first?

E: i think we… half made the first episode first? it’s hard to remember. the stories all spawned from little ideas Rhombus and i had. we wanted to make comic books, films, adventure games… then just thought – why not combine it all and make a ridiculous anthology show!

V: being an avid fan of any and all things considered “stoner” viewing, i really cottoned on to the flow and vibe of T.T.O!. though i don’t necessarily think you were ALL on something to even conceive of such entertaining and creative stuff, the show does lean toward the abstract more often than not. what were your main inspirations, were there any homages we might have missed and how did you guys come up with and develop all the original characters?

E: personally, i’m as sober as can be. i just have the mind of an 8 year-old. and hence my main inspirations were shows and things i loved around that age. we were initially going for a ‘kids playing in their backyard’ kind of vibe for the show. which worked it’s way into cardboard/paper costumes and family dress ups. and filming in Matt‘s backyard! the Bacchus Marsh area was a huge inspiration for us. the range and beauty of the surrounding areas was magnificent.

V: is an episode fully scripted or are there a lot of on-the-spot additions and subtractions?

E: well… they start fully scripted! i’d say they wind up about 75-90% accurate in relation to the script. depends how much Luke is involved. that’s not a rip. he’s a great improviser. we did have to chop and change a bit though, depending on timing and improv.

V: okay, we’ve come to what i’m calling the stream-of-consciousness-happy-funtime-thing-with-the-thing-rapid-fire-questions. they are a result of me re-watching all 6eps in one sitting and taking various notes:

-who came up with the funkyass intro sequence?

hahaha! that was made in five minutes. after about 20 hours total of messing around to make our intro sequence work, we’d hit our submission deadline. so we took a screen capture from the original pilot, added a kaleidoscope effect and i added a nifty font. the theme tune is what really makes it work in my opinion, which is entirely Rhombus‘ genius.

-who is Eduard, and why is he obsessed with Pavlovia?

i have no idea.
actually, Pavlovia was a ‘we don’t want to be able to be pinned down as racist so let’s invent a country.’ originally it was an erratic homage to Pavlov, then people kept thinking of Pavlova, so we ran with it. both reference salivation anyhow.
Rhombus originally made T.T.O! as YouTube shorts, years ago, edited from old movies in the public domain… and presented by Eduard…

-if it was in your power, would you like to see the world switch to a Bag Of Rats-based economy and why?

God yes. maniacal laugh economy would suit me better, though. i’d be the richest gal in the world.

-i found the music to be highly complimentary to the entire series, who handled the tunes/soundtrack/score?

RhombusRhombusRhombus. there were other people involved, and although their involvement was amazing, i’m giving all credit to Rhombus. because he magicked up whatever we needed, and it was always brilliant.

-what are the pros and cons of being a Slinky Pompadour?

pros: slinky arms. ridiculous voice. adorable offspring.
cons: unflattering angles of my bottom available to the public. being unable to see/breathe.

-socks vs shoes: which is the superior race?

shoes gots the funk.

-approximately how long did TBWFF (“The Boy Who Found Fear”) wander for until happening upon an advanced superior race of dog, presumably some time in the future?

i would say approximately 37,000 years. but it’s debatable.

-would you guys ever consider releasing a soundtrack? the song that the Ravenous Flesh-eating WereBear boogies to is quite fonky.

Dunk‘s to thank for that one! i’d love to. Rhombus has this crazy idea of us starting a family band and playing the songs live. i’d love to make music videos for some of the tunes.

-aliens vs a family of angry dolphins. who wins?

depends what kind of alien. ask Zombie Douglas Adams.

-if PumpkinLove could retrieve his legs from the garage with ease, what would be the first thing he did?

i really like to hope he’d shave.

-what makes a Hobo Tree grow?

wistfulness. the urine of homeless dogs.

-speak briefly on the hidden dangers of Apple Schnappes?

it turns you into a pompous git. but that’s barely hidden.

-”The Desert Ballroom” is one of my personal favs (up there with “Pumpkin Patch Epiphany”). the story manages to maintain plot and narrative within the disjointed and twisted nature of the looped story (which cleverly involves our ‘host’, Eduard (not really a question, im now realising)).

you liked P.P.E? masochist.

-historically speaking, whenever a tv show did a musical episode, it would always require extra work. was there more prep time and rehearsals involved for “Pumpkin Patch Epiphany”?

OH GOD IT WAS HORRIBLE DON’T MAKE ME THINK ABOUT IT. we had to cut out our favourite character! i played a stoner platypus! he was amazing. and completely superfluous. we also got rained out about… 3 times? dang Melbourne weather. no rehearsals, though. never any rehearsals.

-explain the origins of The Messenger Man?

flying pie man. don’t question it.
okay. am i going to do this? Naked Earl Maxal is an anagram of  Alexander Kalma, one of our crew. based on a mad lib i did regarding Rhombus and i about 3 years ago.
that’s right Alex. you’re the flying pie. that explained nothing, sorry. the whole pie part? i don’t even know.

-how much does a coffee cost in The Escherland?

$3.70

-what is the Winding Deathowl’s dayjob?

door-to-door trumpet sales.

-the crowning glory in the series is without a doubt “Dios del Rabano” (aka The Radish God), which also features one of the series’ truly terrifying moments courtesy of Emmy and her machete. where did you guys shoot the majority of this episode, and what was the length of time everyone spent, on average, creating each episode (from beginning to end?).

we spent approximately 1 weekend filming per 15 minutes of final footage. that’s it. no rehearsals. that’ s not including the two years Rhombus and i spent discussing everything. 24/7. hoo boy.

V: and i guess finally, how can the good people of Earth get in touch with you guys for: praise, criticism, possible future work, sexual propositions, Hobo Pie recipes etc.?

E: come visit me! and our ferrets! or visit us virtually via this@terrifyingordeal.com / facebook.com/terrifyingordeal.

V: thank you so much for your time and for sharing your creative brains with the rest of us. hope to see more of your work(s) in future. any final thoughts you’d like to add before i disappear under water into the bathtub, Eduard-style?

E: i don’t actually use my real voice once in the entire series. and… i’m not as disgusting in real life. i promise. thanks for watching us faff about. and if you didn’t watch… thanks for nothing.

LOVE,

EMMY.

—

V.

in anticipation of the new D’Angelo record that is reportedly around 90% complete (with a likely 2013 release), i fucked around and compiled the 2nd in the”Suite” series of mixes that began with THE BABYGIRL SUITE. it’s a 2-part mix, the first displayng the finest bootleg remixes i could find, and the second showing off the coolest D’ covers i’ve ever heard. enjoyuh.

—

MISTA VEE PRESENTS…THE D’ANGELO SUITE

PT. I

tracklist:

01. BROWN SUGAR (KRISWONTWO Remix)
02. LEFT & RIGHT (SAM CHAMP Remix) (feat. REDMAN & METHOD MAN)
03. DEVIL’S PIE (NULOVE Remix)
04. BROWN SUGAR (HEARTBREAK SOUNDSYSTEM Rework)
05. LEFT & RIGHT (MFP’S JX-3P Remix) (feat. REDMAN & METHOD MAN)
06. DEVIL’S PIE (SOJO Analog Remix)
07. INTERLUDE (By BOOMBAPTIST)
08. BROWN SUGAR (AL FINGERS 83 Remix)
09. LEFT & RIGHT (RED ASTAIRE Rework) (aka FOLLOW ME) (feat. REDMAN & METHOD MAN)
10. DEVIL’S PIE (MUNDAS MUNDASINSKI Remix)
11. BROWN SUGAR (DESTREMENTS Remix)
12. LEFT & RIGHT (RUFF SNIPPITS Remix) (feat. REDMAN & METHOD MAN)
13. BE HERE (JBIRD Remix) (with RAPHAEL SAADIQ)
14. BROWN SUGAR (DREAM MERCHANT Remix)
15. DEVIL’S PIE (PAUL NICE’s Dirty Little Bossa Blend)
16. LEFT & RIGHT (FREDDIE JOACHIM Remix) (feat. REDMAN & METHOD MAN)
17. BROWN SUGAR (MENDOZA’S Remix)
18. ONE MO’GIN (BOOTY SWEAT Remix)
19. BROWN SUGAR (CHRIS BLAKK Remix)
20. LEFT & RIGHT (ISHFAQ Rework) (feat. REDMAN & METHOD MAN)
21. I BELIEVE (SIMBAD Remix) (with Q-TIP)

PT. II

tracklist:

01. L33 – INTRO
02. SYDNEY SOUL COLLECTIVE – BROWN SUGAR
03. (RAS) RIDERS AGAINST THE STORM – DANGER ZONE
04. MARK LEVANG & BERN – SPANISH JOINT
05. MASSIMO BORSELLINI (MB) – CHICKEN GREASE (Live Session)
06. CHIEF – SO FAR TO GO (feat. MOKA ONLY)
07. MARA HRUBY – SEND IT ON
08. J BARBER – ONE MO’GIN
09. MATT PARAD – THE ROOT
10. CON BRIO – SHIT, DAMN, MOTHERFUCKER
11. EBRAHIM – I FOUND MY SMILE AGAIN
12. PAUL RAJ – UNTITLED
13. STAS MARKEVICH – FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE
14. SAMANTHA RISE – ONE MO’GIN
15. UNCLE DADDY – BROWN SUGAR
16. CJTUNE – LADY
17. MAX SWAN – ONE MO’GIN
18. RUDY CURRENCE – NOTHING EVEN MATTERS (feat. MEELAH of 702)
19. NELSON VALENTINE – AFRICA

—

V.

so i managed to sneak in one moar mix before 2012 was all said n done, and it happens to be one of the sickest ones yet. i dont normally gas myself up like this unless i truly impress myself, so yknow, not shit-talkin here. VOL. 1 has racked up quite a bit of positive feedback and stats since i released it over 6 months ago. and now i bring yous VOL. 2. whilst 1 was mostly an upbeat affair, i chose to take a more meditative approach this time around, starting off slow, increasing in tempo, and then finishing slow as well. somehow it all works as a whole. please listen/dwnld/share the good vibes if you feel it to be worthy.

MERRY NEW OONTZ YEAR!

(tracklist is available only on the SoundCloud page).

V.

the one and only MAXWELL recently, for the first time in his 17yr career, has recorded his first proper collab with another artist: Alicia Keys for her new LP “Girl On Fire”. the result is a track called “Fire We Make”, a joint which sounded smooth enough for me to think that Max and HIS production team made the entire thing from top to bottom. not true. it was written and produced by Andrew “Pop” Wansel & Warren “Oak” Felder of The Knightwritaz, whose production credits have included some of the biggest names in recent pop history (as well some of the more cooler mainstream shit like Miguel‘s “Kaleidoscope Dream”). Max himself said that all he did was come in and lay down his vocals and then jet. the only criticism i would have of this hot jawn is that Alicia, while she may have excellent taste in music and for choosing Max in the first place, is heavily outmatched. her vocal shortcomings become pretty obvious when put side-to-side with Max’s crazy falsetto skills (even this late in the game, i’m hecka impressed M manages to pull it off). otherwise, this is the first A. Keys song i’ve ever played over and over and over.

V.

well well WELL. apparently it’s now 2013. but try convincing my brain that. or that i’m fast approaching 29yrs of age. or that life is a motherfucking BATTLEFIELD (actually im pretty convinced of the latter *shakes fist* fucking LIFE). right. so in anticipation of some major awesome blogging that is right around the bend, i wanted to kick off with a concept post i did when i first began this BLAUG in November of 2010: a top 10 of my fav YouTube vids in that current moment in time. since so much time has lapsed b/w the last one of these and NOW, i’m including the “as of” date, just to give an idea of the timeframe in which i discovered these vids, and also cos im a lazy fuck and im getting old and i only wanna remember the most recent date. yep. OKAY, on to the entertainment!

—

BANE OUTTAKES

a masterful display of immitation and mockery, completely dominated by the now infamous Bane Freestyle Rap segment, but has so many other memorable lil touches that the whole thing is just a big fat fucking win. also leaves me with the craving for cream cheese and frowny biscuits.

DAY JOB ORCHESTRA: STUFF WE FOUND IN THE BUSHES

DJO, still going strong. thank you latenite stoned random discoveries! also get a peek at the Roger Rap, which was separated as its own vid by popular demand.

OMAR…GUY’S LARGE INTERNATIONALLY

in a serendipitous display of pop culture awkwardly mashing with the underground, witness as “Saturday” by OMAR is played by ‘David’ in a season 5 ep of Beverly Hills 90210, whilst ‘Donna’ and that other skank look on disapprovingly.

LIKE A FUCKIN LIZARD ON ICE

Dexter recently concluded its 7th season with the long overdue appearance of Sgt. James Doakes (via flashbacks, but really ANY way of working him back into the story is welcome). Erik King delivers what is probably the line of the season, and a rather obvious but never-mentioned insight into the fact that, yes, Dex DOES have a weird glidey lizardy walk.

DMX – RUDOLPH THE REDNOSE REINDEER

FLESH OF MY FLESH! NOSE OF MYYY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE.

DIE ANTWOORD – DJ HI-TEK RULEZ

……i have no witty caption for this…song. lol. other than its hilarious for its misleading title, and just the general ‘wtf’ factor.

R.A.E.D – ABOUT TIME

finally. the vid that proves, once and for all, that there IS a church in the wild, motherfuckers. stop hatin.

KOOT BIE – I WANNA FUCK YOU

i am told this is part of a clever German sketch show. damn thing is done so convincingly if it werent for the oversized ears, i woulda thought it was real.

BACKSTREET BOYS – QUIT PLAYIN GAMES WITH MY HEART (ACOUSTIC)

yet another example of my so-far never wrong maxim that “acoustic makes everything better”. you can take the most REVILED song in existence and transform it into an emotionally honest barebones acoustic rendition. not that i consider this song to be horrible by any stretch of the imagination, but acousticising it certainly does add some lovely 90s acoustic poprock charm to it that wasnt there before.

FUCK YOU!

as if we needed ANOTHER reason to worship at the altar of Teh Whedon, he was not only recently involved in writing and directing the 2nd highest grossing film of all time, he also helped bring into fruition what has fast become an underground cult CLASSIC, and one that is only LATELY getting its public due. almost everyone ive shown this film to has LOVED it. you know why? cos they’re fucking awesome.

—

V.

this week is mos definitely an Ananda Project-centric week, full of deep house gems from the master himself, Chris Brann. during my healthy smothering of tunes i happened upon yet another deep mix that was released this year and featured Chris at the helm: “A Long Hot Summer” via King Street Sounds. tracklist below. download/buy from beatport. peep one of the tracks from the mix below via YouTube. n since Summer is just around the corner on my end of the Earth, these audio vibes are anything if timely. peace/luv/light.

01. Tuccillo & Kiko Navarro – Quartett O’batalistrico (Main Mix) (9:17)
02. Ananda Project – Into The Sunrise (Kiko Navarro Disco Mix) (feat. Terrance Downs) (8:38)
03. Franco De Mulero – Porroig (Original Mix) (7:12)
04. Ananda Project – Universal Love (Jay-J’s Shifted Up Mix) (6:44)
05. Namy – There She Stands (Frankie Feliciano Vocal) (feat. Monday Michiru) (7:08)
06. Lips – Time is Now (Groove Assassins Remix) (8:15)
07. Soundealers – Keep On (8:56)
08. Franco De Mulero – The Darkness String (9:58)
09. Sunshine Jones – Warm Sun On My Face (Dub) (8:56)
10. John Rivera & Esteban Carrasco – Attempt To Dream (7:09)
11. From P60 with Lisa Shaw – Magic (Forteba Remix) (8:26)
12. Tiger Stripes – Song for Edit (feat. Kerri Chandler) (6:36)
13. DJ Vivona & Joi Cardwell – Return To Love (A Directors Cut Treatment) (7:26)
14. Trans of Life – Foi Voce (9:37)
15. Ananda Project – Kiss Kiss Kiss (Alternate Mix Re-Edit) (feat. Heather Johnson) (7:39)

—

V.

you wanna know how i know i’m having a good day? when the mastermind BEHIND Ananda Project gleefully shares with me his latest classic musical nugget directly on Facebook. and the nugget(s) is/are, of course, the LICK. no, possibly TWO licks.

and be on the lookout for the new full-length AP album, “Beautiful Searching”, coming out next month in Japan.

—

V.

it has been YEARS since i heard this full high-quality bootleg recording of one of Max’s earliest live gigs, performed in 1997 at Paradiso, Amsterdam. it’s only 8 tracks long (roughly 42mins in length) but it showcases Max and his band’s knack for re-interpreting his own songs. there are some alterations made to some M standards here that i haven’t really heard anywhere else. not much is really known about this bootleg or how it even surfaced to begin with, alls i remember is chancing upon it i THINK from the Soulseek days. regardless, this should be a collector’s item for ANY avid Maxwellian fanatic.

01. The Urban Theme (2:25)
02. Welcome (4:49)
03. Dancewitme (5:50)
04. Lock You Up N’ Love Fa Days (4:30)
05. …Til The Cops Come Knockin’ (The Opus) (Pt. 1) (5:48)
06. …Til The Cops Come Knockin’ (The Opus) (Pt. 2) (7:45)
07. Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) (Pt. 1) (6:35)
08. Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) (Pt. 2) (4:50)

:::DOWNLOAD:::
.zip|.rar

—

V.

presenting my two-part tribute to one of the most influential female artists of her generation, Aaliyah Dana Haughton. i have spent a decade wondering how i could show my love and appreciation for this lady being a part of my musical upbringing (by way of the massive talents of Da Bassment clique’s Timbaland, Missy Elliott and Static Major). and instead of just putting together a best of compilation as anyone else can, i scoured the Internets instead to find THE finest bootleg remixes and cover versions of babygirl classics. i believe this is the best collection as any you will find online.

4babygirl.

MISTA VEE PRESENTS…THE BABYGIRL SUITE: PT. I

01. INTERLUDE (By XplosiveDJAntman) (Intro)
02. 4 PAGE LETTER (CFCF Remix)
03. pOSH – A MILLION(M)
04. WE NEED A RESOLUTION (MIṨTΔṾΞΞ RESOLVEITMIX)
05. ARE YOU THAT SOMEBODY (SANGO Remix) (feat. TIMBALAND)
06. AALIYAH x DAM-FUNK x SHASH’U – ROCK DA BOAT
07. TRY AGAIN (DANIEL DARDEN Remix)
08. ONE IN A MILLION (EAR JERKER Remix)
09. ARE YOU THAT SOMEBODY (TKo Remix) (feat. TIMBALAND)
10. ROCK THE BOAT (STRAM Remix)
11. COME BACK IN ONE PIECE (NICE GIRL, WRONG PLACE Remix) (feat. DMX)
12. TRY AGAIN (DJ SQ‘s Dancehall Remix)
13. ARE YOU THAT SOMEBODY (GENTLEMEN THIEVES Remix) (feat. TIMBALAND)
14. ROCK THE BOAT (ELAQUENT Remix)
15. IF YOUR GIRL ONLY KNEW (SOULSPY Edit)
16. COME OVER (ROB MANGA‘S Goodsoul Edit)
17. DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YA (ALEX DATSUN‘S Edit)
18. ONE IN A MILLION (DJ BOOGIE Mash-Up)
19. 4 PAGE LETTER (KAYTRADAMUS 1986 Remix)
20. A PRAYER

original cover art by BRANDON REDENIUS. re-coloured and re-touched by VAHÉ.

MISTA VEE PRESENTS…THE BABYGIRL SUITE: PT. II

01. KATERINA GEORGIO – ONE IN A MILLION (feat. JEM) (Intro)
02. MARK DE CLIVE-LOWE – MORE THAN A WOMAN (feat. NIA ANDREWS) (Live @ KCRW)
03. KYLA – AT YOUR BEST (YOU ARE LOVE)
04. THE ECHOCENTRICS – WE NEED A RESOLUTION (feat. TITA LIMA)
05. AMORIA & JOK’A'FACE – IF YOUR GIRL ONLY KNEW
06. SARAH HABASS – ARE YOU FEELING ME
07. BELL – ARE YOU THAT SOMEBODY
08. CHYLL WILL – ONE IN A MILLION
09. ANNA MUTIA – MORE THAN A WOMAN
10. YO SMOKE – I CARE 4 U
11. SMOKE E. DIGGLERA – ONE IN A MILLION
12. ANHAYLA – 4 PAGE LETTER
13. JENNA ANDREWS – HOT LIKE FIRE
14. CAYLA – I MISS YOU
15. SOJIE – ARE YOU THAT SOMEBODY
16. EPITHET MUSIC – ONE IN A MILLION (feat. FALLON DOUGLAS)
17. COLLATERAL – TRY AGAIN
18. KINOKONIJI – ROCK THE BOAT
19. THE XX – HOT LIKE FIRE
20. FOREST SWORDS – IF YOUR GIRL
21. JAKE “JUNNY” KIM – ONE MAN WOMAN (feat. CARMINA)

original cover art by MEZMACKO.

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V.

not long ago this blog released its debut mixtape series, similarly-titled: CONFESSIONS OF A CURLY MIND Vol. 1. it ended up being one of my favourite mixes to ever compile, as i got to be exposed to a shit-ton of new and old music i woulda never heard otherwise. among them, however, was Pete Marriott, a musician whose previous works had already spoken for themselves as far i was concerned. from him, i can always count on quality. after treating us to a rough cut of his newly-released vintage-era hit “The Kidnapping” (featuring emcee Romance) on the mixtape, i got to recently speak with Pete about his current status within all things deemed creative, artful even.

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V: Mr. Pete Marriott! since last we spoke you were in the process of dropping “The Kidnapping”, the unmastered snippet version of which appeared on this blog’s debut mix series. the song got quite a bit of positive feedback, a lot of friends and associates would specifically point that song out to me as a highlight in the mix. so how did the release of the single go and how have the people reacted to it?

P: i’m very grateful people are enjoying “The Kidnapping” and that the hip hop world is finally getting the opportunity to hear my dude Romance. he deserves this success more than anybody involved in this record, so to see this particular record do well on the radio mix shows and how it’s charting is a nice victory for us.

i’ve recently done a regional radio promo tour flying from city to city visiting radio stations having lunch and dinners with DJs and bloggers to discuss the new record and our new imprint The BRKLYN Collection and day by day we’re gaining more support among DJs and Bloggers we’ve yet to meet with across the country and abroad. things look like they are moving in a positive direction.

V: it looks like you’ve got a GRIP of new stuff about to hit our ears. what’s in store/coming out soon, what are you currently working on and how is all this work impacting your life?

P: to introduce The BRKLYN Collection as an authentic music imprint we’re doing this Summer Singles Series of records i produced and remixed. “The Kidnapping” opened up everything and since then we’ve released an art house single featuring Killah Trakz called “Plant The Flag” which is also doing well on radio, a instrumental single called “The Rebirth of Mr. Soultronica” is on deck and we’re also about to drop a new art house single featuring JunClassic soon.

we also got a few new remixes on the way. i very recently done a remix for Frank Ocean that I turned in not too long and i got a new Erykah Badu remix i produced that i’m very excited about. Mark Fauver of the Aaron English Band and Noel Brass Jr. of Afrocop sat in on the mastering session with me for that one and their reaction to it was very positive which is a pretty strong indicator to me that i done a good job with it.

life has been busier than usual. there’s an interesting assortment of new records and artists i’m producing and two music related projects i’m not at liberty to discuss yet that’s on deck, but for the most part, my production and remix calendar is progressing very nicely which has been making this year quite a pleasant time in my career.

i feel very fortunate and i appreciate all the people who are seeking me out and those who have been very receptive to working with us. just good energy all around.

V: what is the “Art House Hip Hop Movement”?

P: aside from music i’m extremely interested in other creative disciplines such as photography, design, filmmaking and fine art. other musicians, producers and recording artists i’m friendly with share similar interests and i wanted to have an outlet to express myself in ways i felt the underground hip hop scene has limited me in the past.

the movement is pretty much about branching out and spreading your wings beyond making hip hop records and bringing visual arts to the table. i personally want more than just the music, so instead of waiting for it to come around i’m taking it, building with other underground artists and producers who feel the same way and we’re bringing something new and different to the table.

V: how are artists/producers attempting to stay true to hip hops roots in 2012? and is it difficult to engage a modern audience with sounds inspired by golden era hip hop or is there still a real hunger for it?

P: it’s a very interesting time. i’m seeing these very dope new cats like Earl Sweatshirt, Joey Badass and Rid Jetson doing an updated version of my very favorite era in hip hop music and loving it because it all falls right on time with my releasing music i recorded 25 years ago like “The Kidnapping”. it’s a confirmation of what these kids really want to hear and i’m excited about this, because we’re offering them the real late 80’s early 90’s flavor with my forthcoming album rather than a recreation of it.

i actually made records during the golden era of hip hop that sound like what the kids are doing today so to see what i done 20 plus years ago come back around full circle makes this is a very beautiful time for me as a practitioner of real hip hop music because it’s a personal vindication of sorts.

V: along with yourself, a cat by the name of DVS has been one of my fav hip hop artists for a hot minute. you recently remixed a joint from his new release, and now a full length collab LP is in the works. can you touch on that briefly or is it still too soon?

P: i’m glad that my helping DVS out with that remix got the mix show DJs to pay attention to him and open quite a bit of closed doors for him in radio, DVS is an awesome lyrical talent who i actually believe in as an artist, but as of now… a Pete Marriott and DVS album are not in my immediate plans. it’s nothing personal against him, i’m just simply recusing myself from the very idea of working on that particular project.

V: what’s your process like these days and what is your preferred gear?

P: i’m in a very good creative space right now. i meet with artists over Skype and discuss their musical goals and create music around that conversation. i’m not into stockpiling beats and making beattapes, that process is inefficient and a complete waste of time for me.

i prefer to build a customised record for an artist completely from scratch. that’s the way we did things back in the days and the music making experience was far better back then because we took our time and placed our energy into making a solid record rather than trying to hammer out as many songs as possible to see what sticks.

when i start working on a track i think about moods and colors the artist conveys to me in our conversation beforehand and i sample my drums into my Casio RZ-1 which gives me a great 12-bit sound. i produced my very first single “Let’s Make Some Noise” when i was 15 years old using that very same drum machine that’s why my drums have that extra heavy crispness to it.

i sample my stereo loops using my Ensoniq ASR-X and ASR-10 because they have a deep rich low end to them that sound and feel even better when i resample them to Maschine where i edit all my loops and drum sounds with great precision.

i also have a Akai S900 that i use to sample my Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster guitars and my Washburn bass which i record using Tascam 134 or 238 decks depending on how dirty i want it to sound.

and i have a modest collection of hardware and software synths like my Casio CZ-5000, Yamaha TX-81Z, Komplete 8 Ultimate which includes Kontakt and if i were ever to brag about anything, it would be about my Kontakt library. my Kontakt library is nearly at 2 terabytes as it is right now. i’m also becoming addicted to building equally strong libraries for Maschine, Massive and Reaktor.

there are some who may say that’s overkill, but those are usually the guys who are married to one sound and style. i’m a strong believer in being versatile and having a expanded musical range as a record producer so if i get to work with artists like Fiona Apple, Joss Stone or Taylor Swift I want to be more than prepared for that situation.

V: from what i can remember you’re a fellow champion of the lightweight but heavyduty FL Studio rig, one which i’ve personally used for over a decade. it seems every random producer i’ve ever met and had a conversation with chooses to utilise FL as their main (or secret) weapon. how long have you been messing with FL Studio, what are its overall advantages compared to more popular programs/setups and what led you to using it in the first place?

P: i’ve been a FL Studio user since version 2 which is the epicenter of my studio today. Alex Abellard of the Kompa band Zin’ introduced it to me at his studio in Brooklyn while working on a project together. i was very stubborn and not open to the idea of using software. in fact i was all about the MPC during those days but he made me realize how much easier it would be for me to do sound design with it and that’s how I got roped in.
FL Studio is extremely powerful and way ahead of its time, other DAWs are just beginning to catch up to it and i think what makes it much more valuable to me is that’s it’s such a flexible application that’s lots of fun to mix a record with, it’s almost too much fun which is why i think i spend so much time in my studio. it’s just addictive in that manner.

i’m currently mixing a single that has a very heavy drum sound with orchestral flourishes and jazz overtones. i’m able to create complex automation sequences that allows my string section to vary in levels during particular musical cues while changing room sizes and EQ settings within those passages, this gives the listener a true sense of emotion while listening to the song and i’m doing it so quick and smooth that these transitions are not easily noticeable, but on the subconscious level you’re feeling these movements within the mix and that’s part of what makes my production stand out.

FL Studio makes it simple for me to enact such complexities into my music because it was brilliantly designed to do so much while having a such a fun experience doing it. i don’t think there’s anything lightweight about FL Studio at all, it’s just a smarter DAW than the others.

V: you’ve also done work for other producers in terms of sound design but now you’re only willing to go so far as the mixing of the record. what made you come to this decision?

P: let’s put it this way. i had to make a business decision for myself as a record producer first and foremost, because it got to the point where the business of doing sound design for hip hop producers was no longer in my favor. aside from the money, i want my credit and these guys don’t want to give that credit up because the way they see it their fans, who are mostly aspiring producers themselves, will lose respect for them which in my opinion is a ridiculous notion.

i mean i understand the part where their fear of not being seen as super as they make themselves out to be could be derided, but the idea of you losing fans because you don’t really do it all in the studio is absolutely silly to me. i believe record production comes down to leadership in the studio, that’s why guys like Dr. Dre and Diddy had and continue to have great runs as record producers because they understand it’s about leadership first and foremost.

but then you got these guys who pride themselves as beatmakers and they don’t want people to know that a guy like me built their drum sound, programmed their synth patches, recreated samples for them. so i pretty much grew tired of it and decided not to do sound design for anyone else but me and i’m not gonna call out any names but some of my former clients newer records are not on the radio. is it a coincidence? you tell me.

now as for mixing, i mostly offer that service to beatmakers who don’t know how to mix a record let alone oversee a mix. there’s a lot of dope beatmakers out there but not too many of them are involved in the actual record making process.

as a DJ i used to get disappointed by this, but i’ve come to accept it for what it is thanks to conversations with Kev West who revealed to me that a lot of the artists don’t want to be produced by producers who’s name they don’t recognize, which basically is just another form of starfucking and that’s deeply sad. the majority of these new artists just want you to email them a beat and they record over it. i can easily go on the attack and point out how stupid that is of these artists, but why waste my time putting that sort of energy out there?

i’d rather work for beatmakers who have a clear idea of what they want their music to sound like and they can sell the artists on the fact that Pete Marriott, a veteran record producer with multiple major and indie label credits, will be on the mix. and if they are willing to pay extra they can get it mastered by the mastering engineer i work with.

that right there gives that beatmaker instant credibility and the power to take control and lead that artist’s record thus increasing their value and budgets. just like with my sound design i have a very selective client base, but the difference here is not only do i get my money, i get my credit too.

V: have you done work outside of hip hop? are there specific genres you’d like to tackle or do you go with the flow?

P: of course! i’m a record producer who just happens to do mostly hip hop records, because that’s what i’m known for, but i’m no way in any form limited to just hip hop music. i have depth range that extends far beyond hip hop.

i’m currently searching for the next Fiona Apple to work with. i want a female singer/songwriter that is on Sylvia Plath levels of poetry, yet bold enough to really go there musically, but i don’t want her to be an MC that happens to sings, she gotta be a full on vocal artist. i don’t know when i’ll come across such an artist, but when i do i will know it and i will jump on it and make it happen.

V: the mantra “Hip Hop Is Dead” has been around for a little while now, and it’s my personal opinion that it’s insulting to even suggest such a thing when there’s dudes like a Pete Marriott out there not only keeping the genre and the culture alive, but also churning out HOT tracks. so was hip hop ever truly in dire straits? was it a record-selling tactic? and what do you think the future of hip hop will look and sound like going forward?

P: let’s be honest, hip hop did go through a very bleak period where there lots of musical missteps in both the mainstream and especially in the underground. there was a very stale period where so many cats were only sampling and chopping soul records which not only got very boring and stale quickly but it was done in very bland ways that was pretty banal.

it unfortunately was a low period in hip hop music overall and people finally woke up from that slumber and now you’re seeing the return of the jazz sample fusing psychedelic rock, metal, funk, reggae and soul and it’s being layered in key rather than just chopped, and because of this the hip hop audience that got bored or annoyed with soul chopping will return and new hip hop fans will fall in love it with.

i have no crystal ball, if i did, i’d use it but what i do have is the ability to listen to the people and what they want out of the music. i don’t know if it’s the insulation of the Internet or what it is, but i find that most of these new guys behind the beats today are not listening to the people and they don’t go into the clubs and observe what the people are reacting to.

maybe i have that advantage because i’m a DJ, which is why i think it’s easier for my records to get on the radio without my having to compromise my integrity, but that comes from paying attention to the people. like the EPMD record says “give the people what they want.”

V: thanks for your time sir! i know you’re a busy man these days. just wanted to add it’s been my pleasure to watch the Marriott empire grow n grow. lookin forward to all the new music!

P: thank you very much V, i’m truly grateful for your taking interest and being apart of your mixtape series. this is a great time for music and i’m glad to be in the midst of it.

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V.