PETE ROCK - THE INSTRUMENTALS PART TWO (2002)

Our ambition was to write about both new and old records, it's been more new records then old though. This isn't one of the real old school classics but maybe a "soon to be classic" record. Released over six years ago in 2002, a year that didn't put two many stars on the hip hop heaven, and still top notch compared to what's released today.

What I love with this, and similar records, with Pete Rock and other guys that's been around for a while is the way they let their beats stay geniously simple. They use as few channels as possible and create the raw sound, significant for a good hiphop record that will last forever. According to me, too much of todays hiphop is too slick and miss the whole point with keeping it raw. As few computers as possible make a better record.

Records like this remains good because of the simpleness, it's like good women and fine wine that's only get better over the years. Sorry, but it's as cheesy as that.

Nuff with the sentimental b'shit anyway, this is a fuckin good record. Don't hesitate to put it in your crate if you run over it as i did today during some after work diggin'.

http://www.discogs.com/release/390962

/ JayWalk

SPECIFICS - MY TUNES 12" (2007)

Iv'e hade some trouble with the mail lately, that's the main reason for not beeing active on this blog. About a month ago I ordered a big bunch of records from UK, as I always do, but after a few weeks I realised that they wouldn't show up. My records were probably stolen on someone on the post terminals.

I can't stand to think about some fat guy wearing my "jazzy sport" t-shirt and drewling over my records that he'd never appreciate as much as I would. People like that go straight to hell, together with the guys that invented Serato!

This is why I'm going write about an older 12" tday, although the sound is still fresh. The group is "The Specifics" and they released this record in 2007 on the Japaneese label P-vine. The record is as I like it, soulful, jazzy and great to sip on your chilled Hoegaarden to. The beats is the work of a very talented producer called "Think Twice" and the lyrics by an Mc called "Golden Boy". The lyrics is OK but they weren't the main reason for putting my money on this little piece of plastic. For me its always been, and always will be, for the beats.

Beats are forever!

www.myspace.com/specifics
www.myspace.com/thinktwicemtl

/ JayWalk

KRS ONE & DJ PREMIER - CRIMINAL MINDED 08 (2008)

Wow really dont need to write mutch about this 12". Primo did it again! Classics track re-done. classics mc & classic producer = beautiful music.
im really feelin this darker primo beat! you betta grab a copy, its not easy but i got lucky and got mine from hhv.de! its also a smirnoff 12" with 2 tracks more, The Light 08 with Common and Q-Tip - Midnight 08. but im not really feelin them tracks.

http://www.hhv.de/item_130821.html

/ Ches

STEVE SPACEK - LET THE DOLLAR CIRCULATE (2005)

I have a bunch of new records that I want to get deeper into and maybe write some lines on this blog about. But, when I woke up this morning with a semi-hangover from yesterdays hockeygame I just felt to put this record on and drink my morning coffee in peace. This is one of those records you'll never regret that you bought.

It's just so clever, the dirty sound of the Dilla prod. and Steve's voice touching the beat in such a sensitive way. With a voice like he was smoking a package of Lucky Strike before he was entering the studio that morning.

Unfortunately spacek did'nt reach the same level with his later stuff, but they're OK so check it out if you have'nt.

I doubt that someone interested in this blog dont know the song but I put a link to a sound sample anyway, so you can remember how it was, back in 2005.

/ JayWalk

LISTEN

MOMENTAN - DIE STADTKINDER VOM LANDEI (2007)

The German people! Don't they have some things in common with the people from Japan? At least when it comes to vinyl and hiphop and maybe some other stuff, not suitable to mention here, hehe. If you ask me, Germany is (together with France), europe's metropol of hiphop as much as Japan is in asia.

So, what we have here may be the best of both worlds, this record from a group called "Momentan" based in Cologne in southern germany and released on Goon trax from Japan! I dont really understand the language except in the song "Dare" where Rakaa from Dilated Peoples drop some bars. But it's a worthy pick up anyway, worth every £!

The beats though, is fantastic, made by the german producer "The Saint" who seems to have alot going on theese days. I can highly recommend you to check some more of his work out if you like this. Pure soulful beats!

Listen also to the track "Going Back" on their myspace, it's sooo good!

/ JayWalk

LISTEN

www.myspace.com/momentan

PAT D & LADY PARADOX - STEP OFF/TICK OF TIME (2008)

British rap, how can't you love it? Correct me if i'm wrong but I think this is the first female MC havin' a record posted on this blog. And she deserves all attention she can get, not because she's a girl, but because she's an uplifting wave with fresh topics on the dead toxic sea, called hiphop 2008.

The beats, the beats! Made by a producer called "Pat D", who's also from the island in the west. Great soulfull sound. It gives me that old feeling back, you know before serato, ipods and other things from hell. I really recommend you to give the label, "A bridge too far", a virtual visit and listen to the tracks under "music".

The record is released on the classic japaneese label "P-vine", just like we thought.

If you like this you should check out their full lenght album called; Kind of Peace!

/ JayWalk

http://www.abridgetoofarrecordings.com/
P-VINE

LISTEN


"I Heard It Through The P-vine"

RIP ONE - EPITOME EP 2 (2008)

Long time no blog, but new records! Here is a new release on the japaneese label Subcontact, that I want you to take a closer look at. Rip one has release two EP's containing most of the songs from his full lengt album "Epitome" wich, during to wikipedia, means a later author reproducing older material that's gone lost over the years. The title is a statement.

The sound is jazzy, with some salsa and breakbeat influences on some tracks, Rip has also got some help from some eccelent Mc's. They are new to me, and i will keep an ear on their work in the future!

Brain Is Like A Factory...

/ JayWalk

http://www.subcontact.net/
http://www.myspace.com/innernational
LISTEN

BLACKBEARD REWORKS/TALIB KWELI - GET BY (2004)

I bought this record from Germany about four years ago. I dont know why I bought it and i actally didn't like it when I got it so I put it aside and forgot it, as you do when you get a bunch of records and one record is'nt as good as the others at the moment.

About one month ago I found it again and put it on when I was mixing! It sounds great! Some jazz and some sleezy keyboard, very cool actually! I dont know anything about this "blackbeard", but he have a myspace with some fresh funk on. Check it out!

/ JayWalk

LISTEN

http://www.myspace.com/blackbeardsoul

THE DONUTS - ALL SAMPLES CLEARED EP (2007)

Ouch! This is so hot. Imagine Dilla the last months of his life, lyin down in his hospital bed sampling theese real classics that y'all recognize from "Donuts". That's deep man, that's deep.

Of course the right way to do it is to dig yourself each record appearing on this EP but because of my lazyness, my fetisch for whitelabels and my opinion that every fresh vinyl record from the pressing plant is a good record. And the fact that this record contains the ground to what (with some help from Dilla) was one of the best records 2006 makes it a worthy pick-up next time you buy records.

My personal favourite is of course every song on the record, Dilla's got the taste, but "Undisputed truth - walk on by" and "Jerry Butler - Just because I really love you", is the most played around here at the time.

The record is released on "Nuts", A japaneese lable that's not known for anything yet.

/ JayWalk



FOR FULL TRACKLIST

LISTEN

THE 49ERS - BREATH OF FRESH AIR (2007)

Yes! An (almost) new 12"/EP released on japaneese label Goon Trax. Goon trax logo is always a good quality assurance for a good hiphop record containing that extra jazzy sound. About the group, I dont know anything about them that's not on their myspace. They are a group from Delaware, USA, but they seem to have their fame in japan.

They have recently released a CD for the japaneese market and this 12" ,japan only of course, contains three tracks from the full length.

I won't lie if I say that the song "Music" is one of the best i've heard this year, the beat is genius, and the song is about loving music, cute! You just have to check out this group in some way, they seems kind of slept on outside Japan. Sad!

/ JayWalk

LISTEN

http://www.myspace.com/the49ers

http://www.myspace.com/goontrax