Bilal's track The Dollar, off of Airtight's Revenge, gets the remix treatment from the multitalented Black Milk and the results will leave your neck in a trance.
" Bilal’s “The Dollar," Black Milk remix. This remix has been in the works for quite some time. Bilal is a mysterious dude. You never know what might or might not move him. Same goes for Black Milk. These guys move at their own pace and at their own times. Luckily for us, the music gods have been with us on this Airtight journey. Initially, upon listening to the roughs of the album, “The Dollar” was one of the tracks that led Plug Research to sign Bilal. We are happy to see it given a second breath through this new and awesome interpretation. " - VTech
FlyLo makes his directorial debut with a brilliant music video for Bilal's Shafiq Husayn produced track, Levels, off of Airtight's Revenge.
" VTech and Plug Research bring you the premiere of Bilal’s newest video “Levels,” directed by producer Flying Lotus aka Steve Ellison. FlyLo makes his directorial debut with this visually stunning video for Bilal that features him alongside Erykah Badu, Thundercat, and Shafiq Husayn (who produced the track). " - VTech
In keeping with the theme of all the posts from today which have been about singers and emcees working with progressive producers, I give you three trax by rapper Blu featuring production by Flying Lotus and Dibia$e which are presumably off his upcoming album; NoYork!
The first track is Flying Lotus – GNG BNG (Remix) ft. Blu (Music Video)
In the last edition of Dublab's Field Reports, Frosty travels to Vietnam to put together a mix featuring his musical discoveries found throughout the country. The mix even features a couple trax off Onra's 'Chinoseries' which is an entire album which samples various sounds from South East Asia.
"After intense searches I found songs that have truly enlightened my vision of Vietnamese music. I hope you enjoy listening to my Vibrant Vietnam mix. I was thrilled to connect some personal dots through this journey halfway around the world and even more excited to share my musical discoveries with you. My mind is fulfilled having finally heard Vietnamese music that matches the soulful spirit I love in the food and people of this beautiful country."
- frosty (VTech)
This tuesday Timeless is heading over to NYC and Saint Nicholas Park to continue their series of Orchestral shows paying tribute to Mulatu Astatke, J Dilla and Arthur Verocai.
"This Tuesday, Mochilla, Tools of Wars, and Maysles Cinema team up to bring Timeless to NYC!"
"From 5pm-9pm, Saint Nicholas Park up in Harlem will be rocking with the Diggers Delight Jam feat. Bobbito, Lean Rock, Jazzy Jay, J.Rocc, and at 9pm, J.Rocc’s Live Megamix of Timeless will take place."
"Brought to you by VTech, Maysles Cinema, Tools of War, Mochilla and Target, this evening is a sure fire musical winner. J.Rocc’s Live Megamix’s of Timeless which has been performed in SXSW and recently at the JACCC in downtown L.A. is not one to miss."
"So mark your calendars and get set….. Timeless in NYC!!" - VTECH
Check out this amazing orchestral set by J.Rocc of Stones Throw featuring re-works of tracks by J Dilla:
Also check out this beautiful video of J. Rocc playing orchestral renditions of Jay Dee's 'Gobstopper' and 'Fall In Love'
*Chills when 'Fall In Love' kicks in and when Illa J begins to sing over it; coulda sworn that was Jay Dee!
"After all this time, it’s still hard to put into words what Timeless was, is, and will be."
"A series of concerts put together by VTech and Mochilla brought our attention to the overlooked maestros of music, Mulatu Astatke, J.Dilla, and Arthur Verocai. These concerts shined a spotlight on their creative compositions allowing a new generation of music lovers to learn and enjoy."
"But the journey doesn’t end there. We continue to find new ways to open minds and expand horizons with the music that was showcased on the stage of the Luckman over a year ago, and with the help of J.Rocc of the World Famous Beat Junkies, it’s a whole new experience."
"With his Live Timeless Mix, J.Rocc creates a visual and audio experience unlike anything you’ve ever heard or seen."
"At the JACCC he took us on a journey. From the first time we heard the music to hear it mixed live on stage… J.Rocc made it all new again, live again… it was Timeless." - VTECH
“Being in Japan was such an adventure. I spent a month there in November 2009 and the whole time I was bouncing around with different groups of friends and musicians. It was beautiful. The weather was just starting to get cold out there, but the sun was still out every morning around 8am. My host went to work pretty early so every few days after he had left I would take time to walk the streets of his area. I had never eaten so well or felt so at peace with a place before. When I came home I made ‘Personal Winter’ and instantly got sucked back into those early mornings…really missing the hell out of that place…” -Teebs
Dublab/VTech field reporter, Frosty, is back with another edition of cultural music this time featuring various sounds from the remarkable nation of Japan put together in his mixtape entitled "Frosty's Sweaty Surfer : Japanese Eleki Boom, Group Sounds & Pink Film Music." Similarly to the previous two field reports, Thailand and Cambodia, I'm sure there will be some remixes out soon for this particular mixtape.
"Each of the musical movements I dove into on my recent Japanese journey: Eleki, Group Sounds and New Rock were directly influenced by foreign forms. Some may write off these Japanese rock sounds as excellent copy cats but they all incorporate sparks of unique fusion. An air of imitation exists but there are magic moments which rise above and burst with energy. Maybe these enhanced, expert imitations are what make this music so special. A candle burning in a chamber of mirrors is beautiful so who cares which flames are real? The infinite refections form a beautiful, new vision."
"I’m always overjoyed to reconfirm Japan’s existence and dig deeper into its layered culture. Iceland is wonderful but I’d rather wander the streets of Tokyo any day."
- Frosty
Track Listing:
1 = Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans / Karajishi Botan / Ereki Ippon Enka De Shobu!
2 = Reiko Ike / Futen Gurashi Part. 1 / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen
3 = Jackey Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets / Blue Fountain / Original Hits Vol. II
4 – Kazuko Sawamura and Peter Pan / My Boy / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai
5 = Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys / Symphony No. 5 / Let’s Go Classics
6 = Jacks / Omae Ni Muchuu Sa / Haragashi Onna
7 = Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans / Tsugaru Jongara Bushi / Let’s Go Eleki Bushi!
8 = Jackey Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets / Linda / Original Hits Vol. II
9 – Hajime Kaburagi / Sex Hunter (BGM) / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai
10 = Hajime Kaburagi / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen M-8 / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen
11 = The Mops / Goiken Muyo / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai
12 = Hajime Kaburagi / Yasagure Anegoden Sokatsu Lynch M-6B / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen
13 = Kyu Sakamoto / Kanashiki Rokujyussai / Seishunka Nenkan Best 30 (‘60)
14 = Salty Sugar / Hashire Kotaro / Seishunka Nenkan Haiban Best 200
15 = Hiroki Tamaki / Boso Shudan ‘71 Bgm / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai
16 = Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans / Moso Bangaichi / Ereki Ippon Enka De Shobu!
17 = Jacks / M-10 / Haragashi Onna
18 = Takeshi Terauchi and the Bunnys / Kisobushi / Let’s Go Eleki Bushi!
19 = Sharp Five Go Go / Kaze Ga Naiteru / Japanese Pops Golden Hits
20 = Kenjiro Hirose / Onna Bancho Taiman Shobu M-3 / Onna Bancho Blues Mesubachi No Chosen
21 = Hajime Kaburagi / Sex Hunter Ps-C / Noraneko Rock Nikkatsu New Action No Sekai
22 = Ken Yamauchi / Ken No Rock / Tokyo A GoGo
23 = The Darts / Kemeko No Uta / 7″
24 = Folk Crusaders (Kazuhiko Kato – the Folk Parody Gang) – I Only Live Twice / 7″
25 = Food Brain / M-7 / Shinjuku Mad OST
26 = Takeshi Terauchi & “Blue Jeans” / Edo Komoriuta / Let’s Go Eleki Bushi!
"Angkor Wat is Cambodia’s greatest glory. It is the apex of the classical Khmer age. The temple shines in symmetry and grandeur under the wide Cambodian sky. A broad moat has helped keep its expansive sprawl safe for over eight centuries but this physical barrier is not its sole key to strength. When Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat he did so with faith infused in every inch. Into the walls, pillars and gates his craftspeople carved deities to protect against demons and invaders. These spirits of stone were mystic guardians. There are powerful spells still today and one such charm is before you now. Dntel has created a new talisman to keep towers from tumbling. This song reflects from the walls of Angkor Wat and casts a spell that will keep its majesty intact for the far future."
"Daedelus embraced the crackle and fuzz of Cambodian 1960’s rock & pop cassettes to create this buoyant remix. In this exclusive download to The Sounds of VTech listen to his slithering synth waves saunter on and hear the scattered magnetic fragments floating from every corner of your headphones. This rhythmic pattern is one of multiple flashes through time. Daedelus ping-pongs between the past when these Cambodian jams ruled the nation, and the present, where the original songs are golden ghosts, audible only to those lucky enough for an encounter. His “broken radio bliss” remix is full of serious wow and flutter."
"The ideal way to listen to this cut-up would be with a pair of headphones attached to a knock-off Sony Walkman with its sticker peeling away from the heat of the sun. But for those who don’t have one handy, we’re pretty confident that any way you play it, this remix won’t disappoint. So close your eyes and cruise the busy Cambodian streets with the radio turned up and Daedelus as your guide."
I gotta say, I'm really impressed with the VTech field reporting projects, traveling to various countries in order to dig up crates of good music which is what we are all about here at RVS. In VTech's most recent escapade, Frosty the field reporter travels to Cambodia in search of some Cambodian Musical Heritage however is stumped when he learns that the majority of the vinyl records along with most films and books had been burned and destroyed by the Khmer Rouge during the Communist Era. After extensive searching, the VTech crew was able to uncover various old cassette tapes featuring Cambodian pop music which has seemed to rule the musical scene there for many decades. As a result, We are now presented with "A Cambodian Cassette Mix".
"According to Frosty (Dublab), he loves places with “loose and blurry lines.” Magnetized by moments of mystery that each place possesses. Cambodia of all places fits this exact description. It’s the land of the spontaneity and adventure. Amidst the clutter and chaos, Cambodia finds a way to find peace and harmony. It struggles with its dark past under the regime of a tyrant and perseveres."
1. Ros Sereysothea – “Pink Night / When we meet again
2. Sinn Sisamouth – “Knowing too much without seeing with my own eyes”
3. Sinn Sisamouth – “Where has she gone”
4. Sinn Sisamouth – “Wedding day”
5. Ros Sereysothea – “Wooly Bully”
6. Pan Ron – “Leftover Smile / Don’t you wish to love me?”
7. Ros Sereysothea – “Sweet Sixteen”
8. Pan Ron – “Like a Blossoming Flower”
9. Pan Ron “Like a Flower growing in the mountains”
10. Ros Sereysothea – “No one to marry to me”
11. Pan Ron – “Saving you from the River.”
12. Unknown – “It’s too late baby.”
13. Unknown – (Instrumental Karaoke Jam) “
14. Unknown – (Instrumental Karaoke Jam: “Besame Mucho” )
15. Unknown – (Instrumental Karaoke Jam: Ace of Base “All that She Wants”)
16. Unknown – (Instrumental Karaoke Jam)
17. Unknown – (We’re going backwards all the time – interlude)
18. Ros Sereysothea – “Cha Cha Cha”
19. Pan Ron – “Watch how they Dance”
20. Ros Sereysothea – “I’m so Shy / Can I please see you”
21. Ros Sereysothea – “The tears on my face.”
22. Pan Ron – “I already have husband for myself”
23. Ros Sereysothea & Sinn Sisamouth – “Hello… Hello….”
