Coldcut – 2006 Essential Mix

The following is excerpted from a larger article, found here:

Matt Black and Jonathon Moore have been creating tracks since the mid-80’s. It wasn’t until they came together as Coldcut and formed the highly innovative label Ninja Tune that they really started to have any success. With tracks such as “Mo Beats”, “Beats and Pieces”, and “Greedy Beat” they helped lay the foundation for hip-hop instrumentalists like DJ Shadow and RJD2. The Ninja Tune label has released albums and singles from DJs and producers such as the deep hip-hop of DJ Food, turntablist extraordinare Kid Koala and Russia’s DJ Vadim.

The mix starts off with some classic hip-hop, including Sweet Tee and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?” with the original Lou Reed vocal over it. The mix then moves in to expiremental electro-house territory, before starting the second hour with some drum-n-bass like DJ Zinc’s “Super Sharp Shooter” and Krust’s infamous roller “Warhead”. Laced in between is Wayne Smith’s heavy “Under Me Sleng Teng”. Finally rounding out the mix is Franz Ferdinand’s “This Fire” over a floating dub reggae track, they then put Bjork’s “Hidden Place” with a backing track that consists of reggae guitar, 808 drums and opera-like vocals.

This is an entertaining mix that keeps you nodding your head the whole time and leaves you in awe at some of the things Coldcut come up with — they prove that even in an era when a kid with a computer can create “Jay-Zeezer” it still takes talent and a knowledge of music and DJing to create truly beautiful music using . It is rare that you get a DJ mix that contains creativity. It is even rarer to find an Essential Mix with longevity that doesn’t just contain the newest and hottest tunes.

Listen now:

Download here (right click and “save as”)

124 minutes /// 170.21 mb /// 192 kbps .mp3

Track list after the jump… Continue reading

Shapeshifter – Shift Hop (glitch-hop mix)

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Here’s a fantastic new mix from Shapeshifter, a talented DJ and producer whose mixes I have featured in the past.  I’ve been rocking it daily since he released it last week and it’s time to add it to the collection.  In his words:

Here’s a mix that’s been well over a year in the making. I’ve been collecting my favorite glitchy/whompy hip-hop-esque tunes and working them together into a mix. It’s finally finished, and bangs hard.

I honestly love all 21 of these tunes to death, and am thrilled I finally figured a way to mix them all together. I hope you enjoy them as well.

Things start off with some banging glitch-hop, then venture into crazy glitched out & wobbly dancehall/reggae vibes, back into some mindfuck bass heavy killers, and then finally ending with a little moodier funky selections.

Listen now: [audio:http://mister-shifter.com/Shift_Hop_Mixed_by_Mister_Shifter.mp3]

Download here (right click and “save as”)

Full-size track list and artwork after the jump… Continue reading

Nike Dunks with SPD cleats

For a while now, I have been searching for cycling shoes that are fashionable and comfortable enough to wear every day.  A while ago I got a pair of 611 Filter shoes (reviewed here) that have become my favorite every day shoe.  However, I still felt like I hadn’t attained the holy grail of sneaker cool – Nike Dunks.  Nike did this themselves a year or so back with the Gyrizo shoe for the Beijing Olympics, but only a small number were made and they sold for around $300.  Even if you can afford that price tag, you can’t find them for sale anywhere…

…And so this past Sunday, I busted out my tools and made good on my dream to create an unholy alliance of Nike Dunks and SPD cleats:

Read on for a complete tutorial on how I made them.

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Kenny Dope – Break Beats

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More old-school goodness from Mr. Dope.  In the words of DJ Ayres:

This Breakbeats CD is a reissued classic in the Bronx tradition of doubling hard funk, disco & early rap breaks with precision. The production is impeccable, and manages a lot of multitracking to keep it interesting, without sacrificing a live feel. But that’s just one level of appreciation; it’s a digging tape too. Everything is on here, from obvious “my first breakbeat” records (James Brown, Headhunters, Meters) to that james flames rare shit that djs like Language and Roctakon cream their panties over. And apparently he’s only rocking original copies, scratching the shit out of $200+ 12″ singles. 37 tracks total, with a couple of extended live remixes at the end and a lot of composition throughout (39 records are listed on the back, but I would guess he used more like 70-80 joints total). I know we hype a lot of music up in our reviews, but honestly, this is a desert island pick.

Listen now: [audio:http://www.djcatnap.com/myoozick/KennyDope-BreakBeats2004.mp3]

Download here (right click and “save as”)

Time: 72:20 /// 99.3mb /// 192kbps .mp3

Track list after the jump… Continue reading

Bobby Corridor – Golden Age hiphop beats megamix

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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…

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Jay-Z & Wu-Tang Dub Reggae Macro-Mashups!

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Chris Macro has cranked out an amazing double-hitter of dub mashups featuring the Wu-Tang Clan and Jay-Z.  He collides the Wu headlong into King Tubby’s best, producing some truly memorable renditions of  “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.”  Hearing ODB over classic dub is an irie pleasure.   And his combination of the Wailers with Jay-Z produces memorable moments when “Duppy Conqueror” meets “The Blueprint.”  Check out the streams below and then grab the full archive of both albums for your next lime.

Jay-Z vs. The Wailers – “Dracula’s Blueprint”

[audio:http://djcatnap.com/myoozick/macro/JayZ-Wailers-DraculaBlueprint.mp3]

Jay-Z vs. The Wailers – “Roc Boy’s Chokehold”

[audio:http://djcatnap.com/myoozick/macro/JayZ-Wailers-RocBoysChokehold.mp3]

Ol’ Dirty Bastard vs. King Tubby – Dubbing It Raw” (shimmy shimmy ya mashup)

[audio:http://djcatnap.com/myoozick/macro/ODB-DubbingItRaw.mp3]

Wu-Tang Clan vs. KingTubby – “Triumph Over Babylon”

[audio:http://djcatnap.com/myoozick/macro/WuTang-TriumphOverBabylon.mp3]

Click here to download the full bundle of both albums.

Megasoid Remix Runners & Tank Thong mixtapes

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I just got hip to Megasoid today via these two fantastic mixtapes. Their bio provides a good intro: “Comprised of Robert ‘Speakerbruiser Rob’ Squire and Hadji Bakara, this Montreal based duo has been smashing the local population with their brand of rap-influenced big-synth remix music.”  Megasoid warps hiphop in a similar vein as their fellow Montreallers the South Rakkas Crew’s “electro dancehall.”

In the blog world of endless remixes of the same tracks, Megasoid injects fresh flavor, buzzing basslines, and a great sense of melody often missing from this style.  An absolutely essential addition to the canon of this rapidly evolving and exciting side of electronic music and hiphop.  Get up on it – your bassbins and your booty will thank you.

Megasoid – Remix Runners Mixtape:

Download here (right click and “save as”)

Megasoid – Tank Thong Mixtape:

Download here (right click and “save as”)

track lists after the jump…

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