Norman Jay MBE presents Good Times 30th Anniversary Edition
(CD/Vinyl/Download) Strut Records STRUT080, 2011-07-19

Norman Jay started with his brother Joey the Good Times Sound System 30 years ago... I vividly remember the 1997 compilation, Gilles Peterson & Norman Jay - Desert Island Mix, one of the first eclectic ones I bought. After the amazement of 1995's Journeys By DJ: Coldcut - 70 Minutes Of Madness I thought I was in for another trippy voyage. Deeply into music, I must admit that the whole rare groove / club classics DJ thing felt like one of the most boring experience I could find, as compared to Phish concerts that were happening in small venues in Europe at the time, for example. Daft Punk also started to "happen" at that time, and, in comparison, it really was the shittiest stuff you could find: re-named re-mixes of old disco clubby tracks. One kind was music, the other was soooo cheap... Well, the same way you can't compare McDonald's with real food, you can't compare dance music with jazz... Years later I'm finally starting to listen to some selected pieces of dance music such as disco (especially the ones coming from the re-edit scene), modern soul or souful deep house, but I still can't understand what the fuck!? with Daft Punk and many others in the same vein... Norman Jay, like most of the european DJs, must have missed the whole American scene from the last 20 years, but that didn't stop him from releasing more than a dozen superb and eclectic compilations, including 9 volumes of the Good Times series which present the music he's been playing at London's famous Notting Hill Carnival (vol.1 to vol.7 + Good Times London and Good Times Australia). This new compilation celebrates Norman Jay's 30 years of residency at this summer festival, and... well it's pure killer stuff. It's not psychedelic, mind-expanding music. It's not delicate bossa or hyped-now African funk. It's not revolutionnary at all. It's disco, soul, deep house, reggae, jazz and hip hop. Timeless club and festival grooves and vibes, from one of the British experts of the genre. And definitively one for the summer - that's been playing on repeat on my stereo!!

Speech Defect - Come For Da Funeral, Stay For Da Food
(import CD) No Cool Music NCMCD002, 2007-01-23

This 2007 album Come For Da Funeral, Stay For Da Food was one of the best Hip Hop records of the year, sadly only available on CD, and not available in France at all. It includes the supa-funky Superfuture Remix feat. Ugly Duckling, Whyled Out! and Cut It Loose feat. Aaron Phiri of Hearin' Aid, among others... For example, starting with a slowed-down Marlena Shaw sample, the same one St Germain used repeadtly on his Rose Rouge track, Hang Up's is a driving funk'n'breakbeats piece...
"Speech Defect's super dope, 2nd album released in 2007 ( European press with 17 tracks). Featuring artists like Ugly Duckling, Thes One of People Under The Stairs, Abdominal, Aaron Phiri of Hearin' Aid and Samoo. Be sure to pick up this classic album before it's time for your own funeral.." - speechdefect.com

People Under The Stairs (Thes One + Double K) - Carried Away
(CD/2xLP) OM Records OM387, 2009-10-13

People Under the Stairs returns to Om Records with a new album called Carried Away, slated to come out Tuesday October 13th. Die hard PUTS fans will not be disappointed as the duo is putting together something special for their fans. The first issue of the physical CD will come with special die cut packaging, a fold out party guide poster, and a VIP lanyard that will allow fans to retrieve some sort of VIP-ness while People Under The Stairs are on tour. Sick eh? There’s also a live DVD that will be released along side the new album. Mark your calendars…the fun comes back to hip hop, Tuesday October 13th.

Paris DJs Soundsystem - 21st Century Roots Hip Hop (MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) T.I.M.E.C., 2009-09-21 We're beginning a new series of 21st Century Roots reggae-ified music, with some Dub, Instrumental, Soul, and Roots Reggae selections coming on the air soon... This first volume is on another tip: Reggae vs Hip Hop, digging either into rare original blends or into crusty bootleg mashups! [comment faire?/how to?] Tracklisting : 01. Collie Buddz - Come Around Remix feat. Busta Rhymes (from 'The Killah Kuts' 12 inch, 2007 / Bootleg) » more info on myspace.com/colliebuddz « 02. The...

Paris DJs Soundsystem - Morning Sunshine (MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) 2009-05-18 It's been raining for too many days here in Paris so we decided to call for some rays of sunshine, with a mix to listen to in the morning, under a nice sunny vibe. Plat de resistance is a selection of supacool underground hip hop coolies to wake up to, until you're ready to leave for whatever it is you do when the sun rises... and that's when dessert comes with an incredible alternate version of Let The Sunshine In and two groovy numbers to start the day on a dancing tip! [comment faire?/how to?]...

People Under The Stairs - Fun DMC
(CD/2xLP) Gold Dust Media, 2008-09-15

Info :
A double-disc offering from Om of People Under The Stairs back catalogue classics. Features album tracks as well as compilation tracks and vinyl-only b-sides. Get ready for the new FUN DMC album with some old P...

Tracklisting :
01. The Swan Fever
02. Step Bacc
03. Up Yo Spine (Live At The Fishbucket pt. 3)
04. Ste. For Peter Pt.1 "The Fun"
05. Ste. For Peter Pt.2 "The Grind"
06. Anotha' (BBQ) | MP3
07. The Ultimate 144
08. Letter 2 c/o Bronx
09. Party Enemy #1
10. Enjoy
11. Gamin' On Ya
12. Critical Condition
13. The Wiz
14. People Riddum
15. California
16. Love's Theme #1
17. A Baby
18. Same Beat (The Wesley Rap)
19. D
20. The Mike & Chris Story

Links :
putsonline.co.uk
myspace.com/peopleunderthestairs

People Under The Stairs - The Om Years
(2xCD) OM Records, 2008-07-22

Info :
A double-disc offering from Om of People Under The Stairs back catalogue classics. Features album tracks as well as compilation tracks and vinyl-only b-sides. Get ready for the new FUN DMC album with some old P...

Tracklisting CD1 :
01. Intro
02. San Francisco Knights
03. 43 Labels I Like
04. Time to Rock Our Shit
05. The Cat
06. We'll Be There
07. Youth Explosion
08. Code Check
09. Give Love a Chance
10. Jappy Jap
11. The Suite for a Beaver Part 1
12. O.S.T. (Original Soundtrack)
13. Empty Bottles of Water
14. The L.A. Song
15. Hang Loose
16. Acid Raindrops
17. The Breakdown
18. Montego Slay
19. Yield
20. Play it Again / Outro

Tracklisting CD2 :
01. Invisible Blunt
02. I-15
03. Tour Guide
04. Schooled in the Trade (Instrumental)
05. Big Daddy Brown
06. Hang Loose Pt 2
07. Sunroof (Instrumental)
08. The Bomb Combo
09. Afternoon Connection
10. Out Da Club
11. We'll Be There (10 Seconds Remix)

Links :
putsonline.co.uk
om-records.com

Giant Panda - Electric Laser
(CD) Tres Records/Differ-Ant, 2008-05-20

Giant Panda is back! May 20th will see the release of 'Electric Laser', the sophomore effort from the Pandas. The drums are still bangin’ the melodies will still stick in your ears, and lyrically GP has never come fresher. The first single is right around the corner so keeps your ears in tune to the Pandas’ call.

Tracklisting :
01. Laser Beam (Scotty's Theme)
02. Justin Case
03. Ready to Fly
04. Speakers Pop
05. Aim
06. Laser Ray
07. Precise Calculator
08. Same Old $#! +
09. Cinemax
10. Pops
11. Let It Go
12. Do the Robot in Cyberspace
13. Speakers Funk

Links :
tresrecords.com/artists/giant_panda.php
myspace.com/tresrecords
myspace.com/giantpanda
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Panda_(group)
plugonemag.com
differ-ant.fr (french distribution)

Time Machine (Jaysonic, Comel + DJ Mekalek) - Life Is Expensive
(CD) 3d Japan, 2008-04-09 / Glow-In-The-Dark Records, 2008-05-06

Tracklisting :
01. In the City of Everything
02. (If You Know What) I Mean feat. Maya Jupiter
03. The Groove That Just Won’t Stop | Quicktime video
04. We’re Making A Video feat. Shawn Jackson
05. The Unfortunate Twist feat. Greg Nice (of Nice & Smooth)
06. Here Comes That Sound feat. Cool Calm Pete, Two B.era
07. Mountains
08. Life Is Expensive
09. A Little Dirt of Your Own feat. Jahpan
10. Who Cares?
11. Something We’re Becoming feat. Maggie Horn
12. Survival Kit

Links :
glowlikethis.com
myspace.com/timemachine
myspace.com/djmekalek
...

Thes One - Lifestyle Marketing
(2xCD) Tres Records, 2006-11-07

Tracklisting CD1 :
01. Gate City Savings And Loan
02. Northwestern Bell
03. Target
04. Hy - Vee
05. F&F Daily C
06. Hart Ski
07. Grainbelt Beer
08. Bobcat
09. Cheetah
10. GBX Malt Liqour
11. Crystal Sugar
12. Northwestern Bell 2
13. Pan-Am
14. Outro

Tracklisting CD2 (Herb Pilhofer - Original Compositions From Music That Works) :
01. Sound 80 Theme
02. Pan-Am Suite
03. Montage Tonka
04. Hail Cesar
05. Montage Juicy
06. Songs From Setzuan
07. Montage Cat
08. Conwed Ceiling Tile
09. 3M
10. 3M Traffic Control
11. 76 Trombones
12. Montage Minnesota
13. Montage Bell
14. Montage Hart
15. Montage ABC
16. Montage Northwest
17. Montage Cheetah
18. Mobius Flip

Note : Thes One's long-awaited debut instrumental LP. Comes with a bonus disc including tracks from Herb Pilhofer.
"It's kind of like a theme project where I'm remixing all these old commercials from the '70s." (Thes One)

Links :
tresrecords.com
myspace.com/tresrecords
putsonline.co.uk
differ-ant.fr (french distribution)
...