DJ Vajra (The Procussions) - Saul Good
(Free download) 2008-07-03

DJ Vajra of the Procussions has a free mix on his website. One of Q-Bert's favourite deejays & his judgement is totally on point. "So i decided, because i love all of you, to put my mix CD Saul Good up for free download on my website www.djvajra.com - if you download it, let me know what you think of it! thanks!" - Vajra. Many more mixes to download thru his podcast too...

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Mr J Medeiros - The Art of Broken Glass
(Digital) De Medeiros, LLC, 2009-04-20

Not since the emergence of Mos Def has there been an independent artist this deep, introspective, and provocative. This is the future of Hip Hop - soulful and intelligent lyrics rapidly delivered through complex yet smooth rhyme schemes. In 2009, Mr. J. Medeiros formed De Medeiros, LLC on which he released the EP "The Art of Broken Glass." He is set to release his sophomore album, "Friends Enemies Apples Apples", in the summer of 2009. Mr. J. Medeiros is continually redefining his sound and his place in the music scene, striving to solidify Hip Hop as a strong and positive cultural force – a force that acts as a vehicle for social change.

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Mr. J. Medeiros - Of Gods And Girls
(CD) Rawkus, 2007-08-28

Tracklisting :
01. Amelie (Feat. 20Syl Of Hocus Pocus) 05:04
02. Silent Earth 03:43
03. Strangers 04:01
04. Constance 03:33
05. Change (Feat. Strange Fruit Project And Rez of The Procussions) 03:47
06. King Of Rock Bottom (Feat. DJ Vajra) 05:07
07. Half A Dream (Feat. Marty James Of One Block Radius) 03:44
08. Keep Pace 03:37
09. Money (Feat. Pigeon John And DJ Vajra) 03:06
10. Her Wings 02:52
11. Apathy (Feat. DJ Vajra) 04:44
12. Call You 03:26
13. Constance (Joey Beats Remix) 03:45
14. Silent Earth (Ohmega Watts Remix) 04:02
15. Half A Dream (Siamese Sisters Remix Feat. DJ Destro) 04:12
16. Amelie (Mike Kilo Sentimental Remix) 03:18*

Note : This Mr. J. Medeiros (from the Procussions) solo album was released 2007-02-07 in Japan, 2007-08-28 in the rest of the world. Distributed in France through Nocturne.
*Track 16 only available in Japan

Links :
mrjmedeiros.com
myspace.com/mrjmedeiros
miclife.com
myspace.com/micliferecordings
mp3s and videos available on rawkus.com
blog available on rawkus.com/content/?author=13 or on blog.myspace.com

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Paris DJs Soundsystem - Bag Of Goodies Vol.2
(MP3 Podcast on www.parisdjs.com) T.I.M.E.C. TIMEC128, 2007-02-13


[comment faire?/how to?]

Tracklisting :
01. Brother Ali - Truth Is
(from 'Truth Is' 12 inch, 2006 / Rhymesayers)
02. Red Astaire - Move Yo Ass
(from 'Move Yo Ass' 12 inch, 2006 / Homegrown)
03. Dr Rubberfunk - Riding With The Ratman
(from 'My Life At 33' CD, 2006 / GPS Stereo Recordings)
04. Pigeon John - Freaks! Freaks!
(from 'Pigeon John & The Summertime Pool Party' CD, 2006 / Quannum Projects)
05. Channel Two - The Beat Is (feat. Black Shakespeare)
(from 'Artful Time Reduction' CD, 2006 / Kajmere Sound)
06. US3 - Much 2 Much
(from 'Schizophonic' CD, 2006 / self-released)
07. Swollen Members - Too Hot (Feat. DJ Babu)
(from 'Too Hot' 12 inch, 2006 / Battle Axe)
08. Belleruche - Northern Girls
(from 'Four Songs EP' double 7 inch, 2006 / Hippoflex)
09. Speech Defect - Hang Up's Remix (feat. Abdominal)
(from 'Superfuture' limited edition japan only 12", 2006 / Handcuts Japan)
10. Jumbonics - Red One
(from 'Talk To The Animals' CD, 2007 / Tru Thoughts)
11. Mocky - In The Meantime (feat. Jamie Lidell)
(from 'Navy Brown Blues' CD, 2006 / Four Music)
12. The Sound Providers - 5 Minutes feat. The Procussions
(from 'An Evening With The Sound Providers' CD, 2004 / ABB Records )

Original record covers :


Credits :
Selection, design & reviews by Djouls (djouls.com)
Photo by Loik (kraked.com)
Mixing and audio mastering by Grant Phabao (grantphabao.com)

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The 150 Best Records Of 2006 - Part 2

10 ELECTRONIC ALBUMS & SINGLES FOR 2006 PART 2

01. zero dB - Bongos, Bleeps & Basslines (Ninja Tune)
02. Lost Idol - Utters From A Cluttered Mind (Cookshop)
03. Yppah - You Are Beautiful At All Times (Ninja Tune)
04. Doctor L - Forgotten Tracks From Da Hard Drive (Mind)
05. TM Juke - Forward (Tru Thoughts)
06. Thunderball - Cinescope (ESL)
07. Squarepusher - Hello Everything (Warp)
08. Herbert - Scale (!K7)
09. Kerrier District - Kerrier District 2 (Rephlex)
10. Koop - Koop Islands (!K7)

The "Electronic" selection was the hardest to build this year. There are so many new "electronic", "techno", house" or whatever, nowdays, that it's getting kinda hard to follow. One of our main sources of information was the Bleep website from Warp Records, but with nearly every "electronic" label going for some experimental pop/rock things now it's also hard to keep on getting informed. If you got some records that could fit in there which we missed don't hesitate to leave a comment! Meanwhile, we'll do with our own selection of "electronic" producers [even though everybody records with a computer today and most of the music produced can so be qualified as "electronic" - but that's for another debate...].
The smash of the year is undoubtly zero dB's album, with its heavy dancefloor action of grinning electro-rock techno-latin mashing-up. At least there's someone else than Amon Tobin trying to get things forward at Ninja Tune... Their new signing Yppah is also in our selection, it's a Joe Corrales guy from Texas mixing all kind of influences into a solid and beautiful electronic-low-fi-hip-hop-indie whole, and it's a real discovery.
We also loved Lost Idol's album, marketed as some kind of "Beck meets DJ Shadow", at the crossroads of categorizing with its electronic production and psychedelic sounds. Hard to describe, the album is at the same time cinematic and catchy, we could not classify it and could not put it out of the CD player. It's the new thing and comes from Brighton, as most UK treats this year. Take for example Alice Russell's producer TM Juke, who released his second album this year. You can call him "Catchy" cos' the guy knows how to write a song: at least two major BOMBS are hidden on his album ("Skin" & "So Good"), which should see the light as 12 inch singles with loads of remixes in 2007... Yummy!
If you like your cinematic beats to go trough the roof, big beat-stylee, infused with spices of Latin, Funk, Afro, Bollywood, Reggae & Soul sounds, check the new album from Thunderball, alias Steve Raskin with Sid Barcelona (from Fort Knox Five fame). For something more for the mind, Doctor L's new CD of electronic acid grooves, slams and vibes might be just what you're be looking for.
It's no surprise but we still love what we call here "the masters", among which come Herbert, Squarepusher or Luke Vibert (under his Kerrier District pseudo), which all released solid albums this year, keeping on being the best at what they do. The selection ends with some airy niceness from Swedish duo Koop and their sweet swinging Caribbiean melodies. Is it jazz??

13 FOLK ROCK POP ALBUMS FOR 2006 PART 2

01. Brian Mitchell, Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Mike Dillon - Rhythm & Poetry (Self released)
The Benevento/Russo Duo feat. Mike Gordon - Live From Bonnaroo 2005 (Phih Downloads)
The Benevento/Russo Duo - Instant Live: Paradise - Boston, MA, 12/2/05 (Instant Live)
The Benevento/Russo Duo - Play Pause Stop (Reincarnate)
02. Phish - Colorado '88 (Phish Dry Goods)
Phish - Live In Brooklyn (Rhino)
03. The Pnuma Trio - Live from Out There (Harmonized)
04. The John Popper Project Featuring DJ Logic - The John Popper Project Featuring DJ Logic (Relix)
09. The Slip - Eisenhower (Bar None)
06. Particle - Transformation Live For The People (Shout Factory)
07. Weird Al Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood (Volcano)
08. RAQ - Ton These (Harmonized)
09. The Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams (Bubbles)
10. Tea Leaf Green - Rock and Roll Band (Sci Fidelity)

Undoubtly, our "rock" artists of the year are keyboard player Marco Benevento and drummer Joe Russo. We found FOUR major releases for them just this year, starting with the SPLENDID album from Brian Mitchell (guitarist for The Yards, Carlos Washington's Giant People and Amayo's Fu Arkestra), an instrumental jazz guitar thing mixed with some rocking spirit of heavy psychedelic jams, to be classified as "Phish meets Blue Note" or something THAT big. The album is 100% independant, self-released, but it's easily findable on the internet... and if you liked the joyful inventiveness of the Benevento/Russo duo, don't miss their jam/jazz live album featuring Mike Gordon, their rocking Instant Live release or their new album "Play Pause Stop". Those guys are The White Stripes of the american jammy scene, soon to be as famous as Phish or John Medeski - don't say we didn't warn ya.
Talking about Phish, the band doesn't exist anymore but their live recordings are still the best out there. A 1988 triple CD set has surfaced, and you just can't believe its tracklist. Pure bliss. Their 2004 show from Brooklyn is also available, in DVD or 3xCD releases, and it's another essential buy for fans. If you're reading this site you might be one of them and will know what I'm talking about there... But the jamming action didn't stop with Phish calling it quits and bands from the next generation are kicking hard, with solid releases from The Slip, The Pnuma Trio, Particle, RAQ, Tea Leaf Green or John Popper (singer for Blues Traveler) with his new project featuring DJ Logic. The american underground "rock" scene is still bursting with sensational new talents and nearly a hundred excellent recordings each year if you include the more jazzy or funk ones (read below), but no medium is talking about them in Europe, djouls.com excepted. You'll just have to trust our selection!
Even though pop/rock is the mainstream now, and most releases tainted with major companies business direction (as opposed to "artistic direction"), we managed to fit a couple of favorites in the list, with a new album from the funniest composer alive on the planet, MISTER 'Weird Al' Yankovic, who brings the parody to another level with a DualDisc of songs and videos to laugh hysterically to (I must admit he's a genius in my France), and a nice electronic poppy one from Kings Of Convenience founder Elrlend Oye and his band The Whitest Boy Alive. We'd had loved to add more pop/rock albums here but... which ones?

10 HIP HOP ALBUMS FOR 2006 PART 2

01. Freddie Cruger - Soul Search (Tru Thoughts)
02. The Coup - Pick A Bigger Weapon (Epitaph)
03. Kid Koala - Your Mom's Favorite DJ (Ninja Tune)
04. Braintax - Panorama (Low Life)
05. Madlib - The Beat Konducta Vol.1-2 (Stones Throw)
06. The Procussions - 5 Sparrows For 2 Cents (Rawkus)
07. Mayday - Mayday! (Southbeat)
08. Pigeon John - And The Summertime Pool Party (Quannum)
09. Hydroponic Sound System - Mixtape Mentality (Swedish Brandy)
10. DJ Yoda - The Amazing Adventures Of DJ Yoda (Antidote)

While we were still listening to Freddie Cruger's The 3 Foot People album "3 Feet High & Rising", REALLY one of this year best hip hop vibes of this year, Mr Cruger released another over-the-top flawless album, this time on Tru Thoughts Recordings. He comes from Sweden and is the hip hop artist of the year in our book. How strange is that??
Less surprising is the presence of The Coup duo here, with their "Pick A Bigger Weapon" drenched in p-funk influences. You might consider passing on the new Outkast soundtrack and get this opus instead...
Turntablism lovers will have jumped on the new Kid Koala release - as mind-blowing as ever, don't miss the Kid if he plays in your town tonight!! If more into lyrics, check the Braintax album, he's just one of the best British rappers out there words-wise (beats are good too - don't worry). If lyrics ain't your thing, you could put your ears on the new Madlib album/compilation of eccentric hip hop instrumentals...
More "classic old school hip hop" can be found on The Procussions new album on Rawkus Records, or the Pigeon John one on Quannum Projects. Not new, but fresh, don't hesitate. The mixtape from Hydroponics Sound System is more adventurous, rather dancefloor-oriented, mixing lotsa other influences in their hip hop.
To conclude this selection on a lighter note, we've chosen DJ Yoda's first album. After so many funny mixtapes, he's finally released his own thing with loads of guests, and it's one winner of a groovy hip hop humor thang.

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