Author Archives: naptrax

Miles Maeda – Sunshower

Posted on by
Reply

sunshower026

“Sunshower” by Miles Maeda has been a favorite of mine since I first bought the tape in 2000.  Miles just recently posted the mix on his blog, so I’m adding it here too.  In his words:

Here is the mid-tempo Sunshower mix with original artwork.  And yes, the title was indeed inspired by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band.  I believe I did this one in Colette’s basement in Chicago.  This was an exercise in keeping the pace at a casual jaunt, using rich textures, colorful instrumentation, and having a ‘Sunday afternoon in the park’ mood.  It’s one of those projects I felt turned out quite well from start to finish.  So enjoy a little Sunshower one sunny afternoon – bask yourself in its rays, soak it up, drink it in…Enjoy!

SIDE 1
Click to play or click here to download this mix!

SIDE 2
Click to play or click here to download this mix!

Tracklist after the jump…

Continue reading →

Bobby Corridor – Golden Age hiphop beats megamix

Posted on by
2

1443

I am reposting this mix by Bobby Corridor from Spannered, because as soon as I heard it, I knew it was one of the best hiphop instrumentals mixes ever.  Bobby layers over 600 classic, golden age beats two and three deep, letting them flow effortlessly into each other.  It’s both ADD and laid-back at the same time; for the first thirty minutes you’ll be naming each beat and rhyming along, but after a while you’ll reach a place of hiphop “zen” as the hits keep coming.  Grab this one now and rock it on repeat.  And if you like this style,  don’t forget about the EvLuvX mix I posted a while back; more good stuff in the same vein.

Listen to the Megamix here:

Download here (right click and “save as”)

(Ridiculous) Track list after the jump…

Continue reading →

CyclingWMD shot my Merckx!

Posted on by
Reply

Click image to see full-size

Alan from the CyclingWMD blog took this gorgeous photo of my vintage Eddie Merckx 7-11 Corsa at yesterday’s annual NYC Bike Jumble.  I was helping out at the Times Up! table, fixing bikes for free and soaking up the beautiful sunshine, cycles, and ladies.  Visit the CyclingWMD blog to see more photos from the bike jumble, especially the awesome pile of NJS track bikes on display.

Also, here’s a bit of cool history I saw on the fixed.gr/NYC bike photo thread today: a period photo of the 7-11 Team’s stable of Merckx Corsa and Supercorsas.  The difference is that the Corsa has the rear brake cable running on top of the tob tube while the Supercorsa’s is internally-routed.

7-11-3

Red vintage singlespeed build

Posted on by
3

Here’s a new single-speed build I completed recently.  I started with an old lugged steel 58cm road frame that I stripped, primered, and   re-painted.  I also removed the braze-on wire guides for a cleaner look.  I added a 1960’s-era Ashtabula chrome track fork and a new Tange headset, which gives this build a unique and distinctive look.  The bottom bracket was replaced with a 103mm Shimano cartridge and Bulletproof cranks.

The stem is a 120mm Specialized quill with silver chopped risers and black rubber grips, a chrome BMX brake lever and new Tektro front caliper brake.  A pair of 700c wheels and a black saddle finished off the build nicely.  The gearing is 42×16 which is my preferred “cruising” setup for commuting around NYC.  The whole build took me about 8-10 hours of work; I’m pretty experienced at this point so the only tricky part was making the fork work.  I had to cut the steerer tube down, re-chase the threads, and neck down the quill slightly as the steerer tube was a non-standard diameter, slightly narrower than the usual 22.2cm.

I sold it this evening for $250, so I’m glad I got pictures this morning.  Check out more pictures after the jump…

Continue reading →

Gypsy – Jukebox Jaw!

Posted on by
1

gypsy

Gypsy is one half of the Archaics hiphop crew from California.  I heard his “Jukebox Jaw” mix via PearsonTowers recently and it is so good I have to add it to my collection!  While this mix is only about 40 minutes long, it is absolutely perfect.  Gypsy blends classic hiphop tracks and beats with the original breaks they sampled, creating a gorgeous flow from one track to another.  Some excellent freestyles by Gypsy and Archaics (i think) as well.  And while I’m kind of jaded these days about hiphop mixes, this one is the real deal.  Soulful, flawless, and timeless!  In his own words:

“jukebox jaw is the style i’ve been spinning for a few years now, blending originals with classics, splicing them with original beats by dj dutch and myself, and actually spittin while spinnin.”

Listen to “Jukebox Jaw” here:

Download here (right click and “save as”)

Check out the tracklist after the jump…

Continue reading →

Lazy – Reggae from My Soul

Posted on by
4

soul_food

About two years ago I downloaded this set from Blentwell.com, by a DJ called “Lazy.” I’ve meant to upload it and make a post for a long time, since it’s one of the best reggae mixes I have ever heard.  I just noticed it’s no longer available from any blogs or share services, so I wanted to add it here.  It’s a dubbed-out blend of reggae covers of soul, blues, and funk classics.  Perfect for chilling out when you’re feeling the blues or you’re looking for some low-key seduction music.  Track list after the jump…

Listen to “Lazy – Reggae from My Soul”

Download here (right click and “save as”)

97.87MB /// 1 hour 11 minutes /// 192kbps .mp3

Continue reading →

OSTRO Torro track bikes

Posted on by
17
ostro1

flickr image by FelixvonPlaten1

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about bikes, but the Ostro “Torro” track frames have me intrigued.  Handmade in Poland, they are rarely seen in the USA.  Their design reminds me of Koichi Yamaguchi’s gorgeous Kilo / Pursuit bike, with the distinctive “triple triangle” seatstays of the  GT Gutterball and curved seat tube of the mid-90’s KHS Aero track frames.

The welds and chunky rear fork ends make the Ostro look like it would be as at home on the streets as the track, though.  Bike Mielec in Poland shows a similar frame in their gallery, I’m not 100% sure that they are the manufacturer of Ostro frames, or if they merely copied one.  I am considering have a copy of this frame built in the USA by Gene Spicer, as it’s probably cheaper and faster than sourcing one from Poland.

Check out the gallery of Ostro’s after the jump.  Note that the geometry differs between bikes – some have the very steep angles and saddle-to-bar drop associated with a pursuit frame, while others like the one pictured above have a horizontal top tube.

Continue reading →