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TUNE EZINE #3

<<< welcome >>>>

The Chillout Bar's Ezine ... designed just for YOU!

FRom ThEdIT able With the holidays and hangovers over, 2008 is now in full swing and I'm happy to provide you with Vol #3 full of interviews, cd releases and downloads for you to explore. ENjoy!

<<< INTERVIEW >>>

Thes One - the history behind his debut instrumental album, Lifestyle Marketing

Please introduce yourself

My real name is Chris Portugal. I am also part of the duo the People Under the Stairs (PUTS). A dedicated duo who have never used a computer in the formation of their music.

As for Thes One project, I am constantly looking for new wax to find revelations in the form of old school beats. I write rhymes, but stay away from the norm in hip hop and write uplifting lyrics to bring you up. Because
of this, the album fits well into the Chillbar Group where I would be probably better identified as a jazz genre than hip hop.

Lifestyle Marketing is pretty dense compared to some of your other production. What are some of your favorite tracks off of it?

Of course I like all the tracks. But I think the second track, Get on the Phone is probably the one I could probably call a fav. That one was the first big track I did. A lot of these were done in 2002 or 2003, and that one was one of the first ones done early on. It sort of set the tone for the rest of the project. I wanted to keep the idea of the commercial, keep the tagline intact and keep some of the structure intact. I also wanted to make a composition that went from point A to point C and not have it just be a beat record full of loops. That was important, because it was the starting point. The tracks actually almost appear in the order they were made.

As you production career presses forward, you've built a pretty sizable body of work. Compare your beats on Lifestyle Marketing to your People Under the Stairs production.

I think they're different. With the PUTS stuff, I can pretty much sample anything as long as it fits into what Double K and I are doing as a group. But with this, I had a specific thing in mind I wanted to accomplish.

Was this a harder project for you to accomplish?

It was a lot harder working with ten seconds of music to sample. So I had to rethink what I was doing. I got to focus on the music and nothing more. I was able to do stuff in 3/4 time signature and other technical stuff without it being an issue.

What equipment was used to make the majority of Lifestyle Marketing?

I primarily used an MPC3000 for the sequencing. Before I put things into the 3000, I would run them through and SP-12 or SP1200. Other things went through a tape delay or different analog equipment. I filtered a lot of stuff too. I didn't use any Pro Tools or anything like that. So I had to create a few things to make the loops sound good because there was such a limited amount of samples to work with.

Besides making beats, you're an avid vinyl collector. Touch briefly on record collecting and what you get from it.

I would say I drive around at least three days a week and waste gas. (laughs) I mean, it'd probably make more sense just shopping on eBay at this point, but I have this affinity for driving around L.A. and talking to people. I went to this store called Record Recycling yesterday, and I was there all day. And in retrospect, I knew I wasn't going to buy anything, but I probably just wanted to shoot the shit with Roy, a buddy of mine that works there. It's a part of the community of digging that's lost in the Internet world. I mean, I'll usually hear about Shadow diggin' and even run into Josh at some of my spots down here. But there simply aren't as many stores available anymore. Plus, it isn't as competitive as it was when I was like twenty-one years old. I mean, I used to hide records to get later if I couldn't afford it then and stuff like that. It was furiously competitive. I felt like the clock was always running. My view of record collecting now is a bit different than when I was younger.

Where can our Chillout Bar members get some free tracks from this project?

free tracks from Lifestyle Marketing

Please note - Last FM have incorrectly associated some videos to Thes One. As at the date of print Last FM have been informed to correct this error. WTF? There are 2 vids at the moment that Last FM have linked to Thes One - they are nothing to do with Thes One project. Last FM have been contacted to get rid of these vid links!

<<< CD RECS >>>

Track Previews

Oriental Folksong La Funk Mob
La Malanga Kenny Dope
Kudu Kyoto Jazz Massive
Lansanna's Priestess DJ Spinna
Won't You Open Your Senses 4 Hero
Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong Bugz in the Attic
Young Warrior Madlib
Oblighetto J Dilla
The Emperor DJ Cam
Footprints (Dub) DJ Mehdi
Song of Will Jazzanova
A Time To Remember Osunlade
Caravan Osunlade

<<< THe ReViEW >>

I love a good compilation and since Verve have done it and have not done it again (to date), I went wandering over to my old friends at Blue Note, for they have taken a stab at it too. Although they did it way back in 2004 I feel it's a worthy addition to your collection because they have done this mix intelligently including some of the heavy-hitters that were looked over for the prior Verve projects. For this project, Blue Note hand-picked the artists listed in the track listing above as these artists demonstrated deep roots in jazz music.

I’ll give all the tracks a thumbs up for effort alone. The artists’ renditions create new bodies for these classic pieces of music, while retaining the full essence of each song’s soul. DJ Spinna’s take on Donald Byrd’s “Lansanna’s Priestess and Jaydee’s version of Brother Jack McDuff’s “Oblighetto” (sample spotters check A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario”) intertwine modern soul-influenced hip-hop and house, with the original tune. Of course Bugz in the Attic’s highly anticipated version of Gene Harris’ “Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong” is a real winner. This one begins deceptively close to the original, then spins off into broken-beated dancefloor insanity. Gorgeously done by Japan’s Kyoto Jazz Massive is Eddie Henderson’s “Kudu”. Madlib having already shown his stuff to the Blue Note crew, steps up again spinning Bobbi Humphrey’s “Young Warrior” into new heights, weaving his trademark blunted-in-the-basement soundscape into a heavy jazzdance tune, with an absolutely stunning bassline.

Jazzanova went mad techy on Eddie Gale’s “Song of Will”, while Osunlade pulled in the island influences of his current resting spot Puerto Rico for Grant Green’s “A Time Remember”. 4 Hero chose Horace Silver’s “Won’t You Open up Your Senses” (the original was featured on their “Lifestyles” compilation) and refashioned it into a cool classic-sounding version with live drums and keys.

Even with all this remixing and refashioning, “Blue Note Revisited” feels like a jazz collection. The overall tone is rich, classic, and honest—everything that a tribute to this extraordinary record label should be.

Label: Blue Note
Catalog#: 7243 5 90266 0 2
Format: CD, Compilation

Country: US
Released: Apr 2004
Genre: electronic, hip hop, jazz
Style: instrumental, future jazz, nu jazz downtempo, disco
Credits: Compilation Producer - Eli Wolf , Nicolas Pflug
Executive Producer - Pedro Winter
Executive Producer [Assistant] - Jerome Hadley
Mastered By - Emily Lazar

Waldeck's Gramophone Vol.1 "Swing & Champagne" is the first compilation to appear on Dope Noir and it is Dope Noir's 25th release. It comes right in time for this years ballroom season and will certainly be there for many more to come.

Like Waldeck's current longplayer "Ballroom Stories" this selection dwells on both shellack sounds and modern electronic sounds "Jazz a la Gitane meets 21st century"!

"Musically the challenge was to combine recordings of nearly a century and still have a seamless listening pleasure" says Waldeck. As for all other releases on Dope Noir Recordings a second standard has to be met: "My idea of a good music is simple and straight forward: While listening you should be able to (a) enjoy a good meal, (b) have sex and/or a glass of champagne or two (c) drive in an expensive convertible car (d) go dancing or (e) simply iron a shirt or (f) prepare a meal for your kids."

Tracklist:

1 Leon Monoss - Deux Cigarettes Dans L’ombre 3:14
2 Django Reinhardt - Coucou 2:40
3 freebidou - Amicalement Votre 3:14
4 Tre Italiani in America - Bai Bai Blue (Bye Bye Blues) 2:58
5 Hubert Rostaing Et Son Orchestre - Premiere Idee D’eddie 3:16
6 Waldeck - Jerry Weintraub 3:08
7 Kormac - Mr Soft 3:44
8 Cesaria Evora - Petit Pays 4:14
9 Germain Sablon - Ici L’on Peche 3:29
10 Waldeck - Get Up… Carmen (Extended Version) 6:38
11 Gus & Gus - Harlem Swing 3:30
12 Pink Martini - Sympathique 2:42
13 God Russik - Analogik 4:07
14 Svenska Hotkvintetten - Hallelujah 2:18
15 Michel Warlop Et Son Orchestre - Sweet Serenade 3:13

preview the above tracks here

<<< FEATURED PODCAST >>>

Fat City Recordings was set up in 1998 and has since released some highly acclaimed albums including the eclectic Mystic Brew series, Andy Votel - Finders Keepers and the hiphop focused Heavy Loungin. The label is currently distributed by Pinnacle Records, one of the biggest independents in the world and has a full and impressive release schedule for the next 12 months including releases from Dudley Perkins, Waajeed / Platinum Pied Pipers, The Nextmen, Quantic, 88-Keys, Eric Lau and Broke'n' English. Source: Fat City Recordings

Our friends over at Fat City Recordings spasmodically put together some great podcast compilations. Go and grab them rss feed for podcast - shove this url into your i-tunes.

FCR Podcast 4: Lazy Days, Hazy Ways is a real gem. Don't have i-tunes download direct download - right click.

FCR Podcast 5: Trus'me - Picking Prime Numbers is also a real gem mixed by TRUSME one of the hottest talents rising out of Manchester in 2007. His first 12" for worldwide infamous black label LFM has made more than the rounds. The stunning dance floor killer anthem, Nards, has been hammered by Giles Peterson and is already a winner on his "Best of 2007". Giles said of the record: "If there was ever a house record made for me, it would sound like this."

TRUSME has certainly impressed his peers and is now getting major support from the likes of MR SCRUFF, BENJI B, JAZZANOVA, MAD MATS, MICHAEL RUTTEN and many others.

TRUSME's musical roots trace way back to an early age where he dabbled with various instruments. He began studying production, but soon developed a love of vinyl culture which shifted his focus towards the art of mixing and digging for unique samples.

Surrounded by experienced Manchester based producers and DJs his musical taste has continued to evolve, resulting in eclectic DJ sets where his passion exudes. Naturally, this diversity shines through in his production:

"Like bookends, some 12's will work with both the beginning and the end of the night, such is the classy sampling from TRUSME."
Source:Peter Nicholson / XLR8R / March 2007.

download- right click.

Get the lowdown on the Fat City Recordings podcasts here.

That's it for Tune Ezine #3 - all this content should keep you tUnED up until the next edition.

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Ezine #3 - February 2008

This week I am mostly listening to: La Funk Mob