Mixes

1. Good Morning, What’s New? - Kidkanevil feat. Andreya Triana - First Word
2. With My Friends - Aloe Blacc - Stones Throw
3. Sunday - DJ Day - Audiopharm
4. We Gettin’ Down - Weldon Irvine Jr. - Bluebird
5. Languta - Hedzoleh Soundz - Blue Thumb
6. from Eddie Palmieri recorded live at Sing Sing with Harlem River Drive - Tico
7. Little Angel - Mongo Santamaria - Atlantic
8. Brobombique - Cadela All-Stars - Candela
9. Future Paradise - Yosaku - Plug Label
10. Bruketon (Simbad Dub) - Broki ft. Lisa M - Candela
11. World Town - MIA - Interscope
12. Todo Mundo - Seiji feat. MC Dolores - Man
13. Cocomotion (Remix) - ? - Ballroom
14. You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me - Crown Heights Affair - De-Lite
15. Cuicas Loucas - Luciano Perrone - Musidisc
16. Transamazonica - Antonio Adolfo & Brazuco - Blue Note
17. Open Your Eyes You Can Fly - Flora Purim - Milestone
18. Music is My Sanctuary - Gary Bartz - Capitol
19. UR (Yam Who Remix) - Alison Crockett - Wah Wah
20. Sing - Omar - Blunt
21. Kwedini (Orchestra Conducted by Hugh Masakela) - Miriam Mekeba - RCA

An event planner that I recently met told me that a good way to get the word out about a new event is to throw a pre-event. So, I decided that I would have a brunch to kick-off Culture. The culture crew has 5 core members - 4 djs and a promoter - as well as partners who consult on everything from flyer design to vendors. The pre-event brunch was meant to introduce all of these new friends to my more immediate fam.

Brunch was a great success. About 30 people came together over whole-wheat belgian waffles, vegan pancakes, fresh fruit, turkey sausage, and other goodies. We listned to some cuts from Blue Note’s Blue Brazil Compilation and generally chilled the hell out.

That morning, I met DJ Realism of The Need to Calm, a weekly online radio show. She has listened to some fo the WRG mixes and thought the vibes worked together. So, she offered to host a preview mix for the Culture event. I offer you the mix now after the fact and I encourage you to check out The Need to Calm every Friday from 9am to 12pm PST.

1. Aladeia De Ogum - Joyce - Blue Note
2. Pixiero - Jazzconductor - Dicey
3. Because of You - Michelle Amador - Sick Trumpet
4. Can’t Do Without - Peven Everett - Soul Heaven
5. Impatient - Will-i-am - Interscope
6. Comeandgetme - Steve & I - Still Music
7. Getts Down - Modeler - Dubsided
8. Tea Leaf Dancers - Flying Lotus feat. Andreya Triana - Warp
9. Black Sun - The Politik - Jazzy Sport
10. Mistaken - The Politik - Chicooligan

1. It’s Simple - Visioneers - BBE
2. Butterfly Theory - Project Move - Sunmoon
3. Rock On - Beatless feat. Quasimoto and Madlib - Ubiquity
4. 5th Gear - Kidkanevil feat. Lateef and Little Miss B - First Word
5. Pieces of You - 1Luv - Especial
6. Me & You - Cassie - Bad Boy
7. URUB - Spacek - Jazzy Sport
8. This Way - Kid Sublime feat. U-Gene - Kindred Spirits
9. Spread Your Love - Paolo Fedreghini and Marco Bianchi feat. Claudia Bernath - Schema
10. Pray 4 Soul - Solid Gold Playaz feat. Black Music - Losofono
11. Break the Chain (Elegia Remix) - Sonoluce and Leena Conquest - Ecco Chamber
12. Don’t You Know - Atnarko - Nightshift
13. Cloud One - Spaced Out - P&P

This mix is full of stuff that we should have been listening to, but we fronted on it.

1. Intro - People Under the Stairs - Tres
2. E=mc² - J Dilla - BBE
3. Fruitsugar - Kid Sublime feat. Yinka - Kindred Spirits
4. Two Can Win - J Dilla - Stones Throw
5. What You Waiting For? - Mpho Skeef - Genuine
6. I Got Rhythm - Soul Fuzion feat. Vee - Dopewax
7. My Beat - Blaze feat. Palmer Brown - Tommy Boy
8. Soul Revolution - Just One - Neroli
9. Revolution (Seiji Vocal Remix) - Robb Scott - Sunshine Enterprises
10. Mother Earth - Lanu feat. Aloe Blacc - Tru Thoughts
11. Rain Forest - Paul Hardcastle - Blue Bird Records
12. Traveling - Quentin Harris feat Cordell McClary - Space Kat
13. 1, 2 - AG Thomas - ABB Soul
14. Long Train Runnin’ - Doobie Brothers - Warner Brothers
15. Brother, Brother - The Isleys - T-Neck

Today, the greatest care package that has ever been assembled in the history of mankind showed up at my door. The package included a shirt that could make a republican look sexy, a refrigerator magnet that would look good in a museum, fine chocolate, pictures of my friend and his performance art, and a Paul Hardcastle 45. The chocolate is half eaten already so the only thing I can share with you is the Paul Hardcastle. I’ve been dreaming about this record for months and could never remember the name. When it arrived today, I literally almost cried.

1. Aint No Sunshine (Oh No Remix) - Kashmere Stage Band - Now Again
2. Just Kickin’ It (Extended Remix) - Xscape - Columbia
3. Too Cute (Re-Edit) - Devin the Dude - Rara
4. Me, My Baby, and My Cadillac - Sleepy Brown - Virgin
5. Whatever U. Want - DJ Jazzy Jeff Feat. Little Brother - BBE
6. The Jump Off - Cvees - Subverse
7. The Show - The Roots - Dysfunctional Youth
8. The Beat - ESG - 99
9. Where is the Line? (Unknown) - Bjork - White
10. Get Down (Unknown) - Busta Rhymes - Aftermath
11. Hey Baby (Jazzanova’s Hey Baby Remix) - Status IV - Sonar Kollektiv
12. Feel (Aftermath Remix) - Teddy Roc Feat. Okua - Whatmusic
13. Want’choo Longa (Daz-i-kue & Afronaught Remix) - Slope Feat. Ovasoul 7 - Sonar Kollektiv
14. New Bed (4 Hero Twisted Remix) - Benny Sings - Kindred Spirits
15. Love Me or Leave Me - Nina Simone (1957) - Atlantis

There are some critical old cuts in here (from Xscape all the way back to ESG’s super post-punk jam) and some sizzlin’ new joints (like Jazzy Jeff and Lil’ Brother or like the Bugz remixing Slope). I think the lesson here is that it was, is, and always will be right NOW. That’s why Oh No can refry some 70’s soul, and The Roots can rep Doug E. Fresh like he just dropped. If you follow this line of thinking, then you will be rewarded at the end with some of the most sophisticated soul on the gods’ green: The Grand Dutchess herself, Nina Simone.

1. U Better Run – Rasiyah – Antipodean
2. Miss Moral – Benny Sings/Rednose Distrikt – Dox
3. Don’t Stop the Music (KV5 Mix) – Bugz in the Attic – V2
4. Soul Fever – Simbad Feat. Steelo – Raw Fusion
5. So Easy – Small Arms Fiya & Pete Simpson – Caught Out There
6. Boom Clicky Boom Klack (Mr. Scruff Vocal Mix) – Jazzanova – Sonar Kollectiv
7. Spoiled – Daz-I-Kue Feat. Bembe Segue and Colonel Red – Ubiquity
8. It’s So – Omar – Ether
9. Black Barbie (Stereotyp Remix) – Jahcoozi – 1965
10. Man Do Para – Zumen – Raw Fusion
11. Walk into My World (Trevor Loveys and Chris Pedley Mix) – The Baker Brothers Feat. Vanessa Freeman – Peddler
12. Stuck (Phil Asher’s Soul Heaven Version) – Peven Everett – Soul Heaven
13. Got Me Puzzled – Kaidi Tatham & Dego Feat. Face – 2000 Black
14. Save A Prayer – Colonel Red – People
15. Black Daylight – 1Luv – Suntzu Sound
16. Mother of the Future – Bembe Segue - Rapster

This mix is the inaugural for this website and extends a series of mixes that started last year under this appellation: what’s really good. The inspiration for this mix is an old friend that I met up with after many years. This person stirred some pleasant memories of soul-serching youth. Even after not seeing this person for sometime, the love of music and the desire to seek and support general postivity in the universe still binds us. She told me that she lived in London and got lifted on that scene. So this mix had to make some important stops in the UK. Have a great trip to Senegal.

1. Can’t Hold Back - Rich Medina Feat. Sy Smith - Kindred Spirits
2. Journey (David Holder Mix) - Nick Holder Feat. Sacha - Funky Chocolate
3. Give a Little Love (Freedom Sounds Re-Edit) - Mustang Feat. Vanessa Freeman - Visions
4. Dis-ka-ndombe (Gerardo Frisina Re-Work) - Jorge Graf - Sound Way
5. Jogo de Roda (Innervision Mix) - Rosalia de Souza - Schema
6. The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter - Thievery Corporation Feat. David Byrne - ESL
7. Another Way - Alex Phountzi Feat. Xantone Blacq - Funk of Fury
8. Inside Out (Ceramic Mix) - Magic Feat. I. Saleem - Broadcite
9. Bicycle Kick - Nutmeg Feat. Face - Neroli

Dug this up from the archives . . .