This was a quickie restoration I did over the weekend, of a 1960’s-era Columbia Sport bicycle. Super relaxed frame geometry for cruising around town, and the trademark “hellenic” seat stays. Nifty chainring cut outs and original headbadge keep this bike looking old school despite the orange and black fade paint job I gave it. 27″ wheels with a coaster brake keep the ride smooth and simple. This bike would look great with a tweed jacket!
More pics after the jump…
Recently Carey Ott, a friend of mine and very talented singer / songwriter, sent me a mixtape of some of his favorite funk and soul songs. We had been chatting about DJ’ing, something Carey was interested in trying out. As a sort of a guide, I wrote Carey a long email about what I think are the fundamentals of a great DJ mix. I’ve decided to reprint some of that email here, because I think it captures my thoughts pretty well.
This is not a “how to” in terms of a shopping list of DJ gear or a hands-on tutorial. Rather, it’s an explanation of the creative an aesthetic decisions that go into putting together a great DJ mix. The kind of mix that transcends the individual songs to become its own music document, one that will still endure and entertain listeners years and thousands of plays later. Enjoy the article after the jump…
Here’s a new build I just threw together from some spare parts I had and a very nice frame. It’s a blue IRO Mk.V track bike, sized 51cm. Originally from the BikeForums group buy two years ago, it’s got a custom color scheme and is in fantastic shape. It’s rolling on Suzue hubs I recently overhauled, laced to Araya rims – a very smooth and classy wheelset, completed with a Dura Ace cog and lockring. Truvative Touro cranks, Wellgo track pedals, a Cane Creek front brake & cross lever set, Selle Italia Laser saddle, and some sweet risers finish off this build in style.
More pics after the jump…
This is my latest build, a 57cm touring frame converted into a tough snow bike with 700c x 32mm mountain bike tires and a rare Sachs Torpedo 2-speed coaster hub. The hub has an automatic transmission! When pedaling 0-10mph, it sits in a low gear. When you break 10mph, it automatically (and very smoothly) switches into a higher gear. No need for a shifter! These hubs were made in the 50’s – 70’s and a relatively rare. I had it overhauled at B’s Bikes in Greenpoint, and the mechanic wanted to buy it from me.
The frame is an un-branded lugged steel touring frame with lots of clearance for big tires. Interestingly, it has an oil-port in the bottom bracket shell. I added a pair of SR cranks with a 42T chainring and a brake up front for extra control. Risers with BMX grips and Brooklyn Machine Works caps finish it off in style. This bike handles great in any weather but is perfect for all the snow and ice we’ve been having.
More pictures after the jump…
I remember being introduced to Rob Playford, founder of the Moving Shadow label, at a club in London in 1998. At the time, I wasn’t familiar with who he was, and the friend that introduced me quickly set me straight: “You know ‘Tough At The Top’ by EZ Rollers? They’re on his label. You know Goldie? He produced his first album. You know 2 Bad Mice? That’s him.” And then I said “ohhhhh…..!” and ran back to buy him a pint and apologize for the blank look I’d given him moments before.
I dug up this mix recently and still really enjoy it. It captures some of my favorite Moving Shadow releases, catching the label at a time when it was split between the jazzy sounds of EZ Rollers and the harder techstep sounds of Dom & Roland that were coming to the forefront of the drum and bass scene then. This mix is a great tour of Moving Shadow’s sound, including “Tough At The Top” and Flytronix’s awesome “A Rosay for Rhythm,” an urban spoken word poetry tour de force. Mixed flawlessly by Rob, (under the moniker Timecode), it still has the same edgy, sophisticated and sexy energy that was the mark of this important era in d’n’b. Tracklist after the jump.
Listen now:
Download here (right click and “save as”)
41min 23s /// 77.6mb /// 256kbps .mp3