‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 6b

Coming to Week 6, and a month and a half since we started the Cuts of Culture 2 podcasts (damn already?). This time round we head off to Italy and Japan – worldwide for some exclusive music and video from some of the most interesting talents from both countries. The audio side of things is taken care of by Bungalow Zen, the Italian outfit headed by Tayone and Skizo, while the video pleasures come from Japan courtesy of DJ Baku – quite possibly the most interesting DJ/producer/tablist to come out of the country since DJ Krush.

DJ Baku – Spin Street live
This week’s video comes to us from Japan, courtesy of DJ Baku and his label POPGROUP recordings. Having a Japanese representative on the second volume of the compilation was something that was important to us for many reasons. It’s a country which has been integral to the development of the artform from a practical point of view (manufacturers such as Vestax are based there) but more importantly it’s a country where many artists have developed and evolved styles for a few years without really being heard outside of Japan. Apart from appearances at the DMC (Kentaro being a prime example of this – having gone to become a world famous DJ since then) and some of these artists appearing on rare US or European compilations, the majority of the most exciting and interesting Japanese artists rarely get heard outside of the country, and if they do it’s always on a very low level. And so this time round we’re very happy to be able to feature some Japanese talent on the compilation, in the shape of DJ Baku and Tatsuki (who will appear on the mix as part of Bichi and solo on week 7 of the podcasts).
DJ Baku is a name who should be familiar to regular listeners of the show, as I’ve championed his work for the last few years ever since discovering him back in 2004/5. What’s more we had the man remix the Turntable Radio intro a few months ago – if you haven’t checked it yet, we recommend you do. I’ve written and said plenty about him on spinscience (check the Japanese feature article) and on the TTR March 05 Japan special podcast, but for those who missed it first time round here’s the short version.
Baku has come out of the Japanese hip hop underground in the last 3/4 years to establish himself as a definite successor to the sound and aesthetic pioneered by DJ Krush, and carried on in the new century by the likes of Kentaro, Hifana, Klock (RIP) and others. His production style is unique and refreshing – evolving what DJ Krush achieved in the 90s, and carrying it into the 21st century. At times harsh and cold, at times warm and subtle and always changing. He’s worked on many projects over the years, developing his style with time and patience – he waited nearly 10 years since his musical beginnings before releasing his debut album, ‘Spinheddz’, from which the video and track featured on the compilation mix are taken. He’s collaborated with and produced for Japanese MCs including MSC and Rumi, he’s worked with metal bands, punk guitarists and electronic producers, he’s performed at some of Japan’s biggest festivals and he was part of Japan’s first turntable band, Wah Kha Kha alongside Klock and Tatsuki. And as part of the Dis Defense Disc collective he’s been an integral part of the Japanese hip hop and turntablist underground since the late 90s, helping to herald through a change in sound and style which, to me, today makes Japan one of the most interesting countries musically, especially from a turntablist point of view.
Since the release of his debut album, which has given him a new, more mainstream, audience he has continued to work relentlessly, touring, remixing and working on his second album (as they say you’ve got your whole life to make your first album but only one year to follow it up). In Japan he’s probably only second in popularity as a live DJ to Kentaro and he’s recently been acclaimed by the likes of Vex’d (from the mighty Planet Mu label) and The Bug (Ninja Tune, Rephlex, Hyperdub) who are looking to collaborate with him in the future. On that subject, and as a bit of an exclusive, you can expect Baku to make an appearance on The Bug’s forthcoming Ninja Tune single, ‘Poison Dart’. More details as we get them.
And so for all these reasons and more, we felt it was only right to feature Baku on the compilation, and we’re very pleased that he’s agreed to not only give us a track from his debut album but to also give us an exclusive video from his album launch party (held in Tokyo last year, and which also featured D-Styles). The video is of a live rendition of the album’s main single, ‘Spin Street’, a bouncy, energetic roller of a track as you’ll hear and see. The video also features extracts from DJ Baku’s DVD ‘Kaikoo’, which was released in the summer of 2005. The DVD, directed and soundtracked by Baku, documents the Japanese hip hop underground with Baku introducing and featuring his friends and collaborators including Kentaro, Tatsuki, Goth Trad, Wha Kha Kha, Miyajima and many more. It’s only available in Japan, however I heavily recommend you check it out as it’s one of the most interesting documentaries about the burgeoning Japanese music underground.
For more on Baku you can check his website and the POPGROUP recordings’ website as well as Turntable Radio’s March 05 podcast and Spinscience’s Japan special feature which includes an interview with Baku and a feature on his work and that of other 21st century Japanese pioneers.
The file is 99mb, .m4v format – best viewed in Quicktime and on iTunes and iPods.

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‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 6a

Coming to Week 6, and a month and a half since we started the Cuts of Culture 2 podcasts (damn already?). This time round we head off to Italy and Japan – worldwide for some exclusive music and video from some of the most interesting talents from both countries. The audio side of things is taken care of by Bungalow Zen, the Italian outfit headed by Tayone and Skizo, while the video pleasures come from Japan courtesy of DJ Baku – quite possibly the most interesting DJ/producer/tablist to come out of the country since DJ Krush.

Bungalow Zen – Freequency
This week’s exclusive audio treat is from Bungalow Zen. A name that might not ring many bells, but when you look at who they are you’ll soon realise that these are people who’ve been working hard for years. Bungalow Zen is a project started by Tayone and Skizo, both ex-members of the legendary Italian crew Alien Army. Skizo is one of the longest standing members of the European scratch scene, along with the likes of Dee Nasty and Crazy B in France, while Tayone maybe younger but in the last 5 years has proven to be one of the most talented and interesting tablists to come out of Europe.
Together they set up Bungalow Zen 2 years ago, originally a trio completed by Lorenzo Feliciati, a renowned Italian bass player. With Feliciati on bass and Tayone and Skizo on turntables, keys and samplers, they worked together creating music influenced by their various musical origins – from jazz to hip hop, blues to electronica. In their first year as a group they appeared on Italian cable TV (videos of which you can download on spinscience.org.uk), played live shows and more importantly laid down an unfinished version of their debut album. In the summer of 2005 I was sent a copy of this debut album, and I knew that we had to get these guys on board for the new project. While their formation may not have been anything new, their sound and approach to the music was quite singular. The way they fused traditional song writing and instruments with the turntable and samplers was what got us – and hopefully you’ll understand when you hear the track. The album featured some reworked songs from the last Alien Army album, but also many new tracks, written by the trio and featuring vocalists and guest musicians.
Since then a few things have changed. They spent the best part of a year shopping the album to different labels, with little success which led them to take the next logical step many musicians find themselves in today – releasing the album themselves. In that time Lorenzo Feliciati also left the group, leaving Tayone and Skizo as a duo. He has however been replaced on quite a few tracks by another stalwart of the Italian music scene, the incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist Bruno Briscik. Briscik is a name some of you might be familiar with, as he’s worked with Tayone on various other projects but also with the likes of Excess, D-Styles and Ricci Rucker. The new version of the Bungalow Zen album, which is self-titled, sees Tayone and Skizo handle all programming and turntable duties with guest appearances from Briscik, Feliciati and vocalist Sean Martin. There isn’t a definitive date for the release yet but you can expect it to drop in late 07 or early 08 – and believe us when we say that this is an album you’ll want to make time for.
For the Cuts of Culture 2 compilation, 2tall selected the cut Freequency (which features Feliciati on bass) – a mellow, relaxed number which perfectly showcases the combined musical talents of all 3 artists.
For more info on Bungalow Zen you can check their myspace, Tayone’s myspace (selected tracks from the BZ debut album will feature on Tay’s own debut album, also out soon) and t-turn.com Italy’s number tablist resource. Look out for a lot more from Tayone, who’s quite possibly the busiest man in Europe right now – with a hand in a multitude of projects including Rasjaful! with Bruno Briscik, The Stones and his own solo work and remixes.
The file is 14mb, .mp3 format, 320kbps.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 5b

Week 5 of the Cuts of Culture 2 Podcasts, and this time we go back to the UK for another video from the main man, 2tall, showing a much more abstract and improvisational aspect of things, while audio comes courtesy of another heavy hitter, ie.merg_ from the US.

ie.merg_ – Midnight, NYC, July, 90 degree
Another exclusive audio track from a previous DMC world winner, this time from ie.merg_. An original member of the 5th Platoon crew, ie.merg_ spent the best part of the early 00s making his mark on the battle circuit winning more local, national and international titles than pretty much anyone else. This all culminated in 04 and 05 with his back to back DMC win, another interesting moment of DMC history which has left countless people debating the ins and outs of his victory ad nauseam.
Again what was interesting to us wasn’t just his battle pedigree, but his increasing production work following his 2005 win. Not only did he set about working on various projects, solo and alongside a cream of the crop of producers and tablists, but he also set up two labels, The Inside and Norm Rex, to allow for the release of his work and that of other artists, including the likes of Machinedrum, Tigerstyle, Craze, Nautilis, Tstewart and others. To date though it’s unfortunately been a little quiet for the labels outside some battle record releases from Tigerstyle, Machinedrum and the man himself. Though those alone have proved a lot more interesting than your average battle record release, especially the Machinedrum one.
Still 2007 and 2008 should see some actual music releases hitting, and with the kinda of project and people involved you know it’s bound to be some seriously interesting stuff. Which leads us to the track ie.merg_ gave us for the compilation. Aside from an odd title, this is a pretty interesting taster of things to come, showcasing a musical departure from his battle origins towards more mixed and varied musical styles and influences. Much like Netik, what’s interesting to us with ie.merg_ is that his stuff sounds like no one else. He’s another tablist and producer who’s chosen his own path and sound. With a lot of electronic influences, as demonstrated in his BBC 1 appearance post DMC, where he dropped a set of electro and house – a pretty interesting departure for your usual DMC cliched sets.
The track is pretty short, but to the point acting more like a skit of sorts in the compilation mix as you’ll be able to hear on week 8. For more on ie.merg_ you can check his myspace and for the labels check the Normrex myspace.
The file is 5mb, .mp3 format, 320kbps.

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‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 5a

Week 5 of the Cuts of Culture 2 Podcasts, and this time we go back to the UK for another video from the main man, 2tall, showing a much more abstract and improvisational aspect of things, while audio comes courtesy of another heavy hitter, ie.merg_ from the US.

2tall – Feedback Jam
Originally recorded as an easter egg for the planned DVD release of the project, this video sees 2tall improvise a little jam using the equipment showcased in the first video we podcasted. The difference being no records were used this time – only the equipment available. What ensues is five minutes of extraordinary rhythmical and musical improvisation, in true musical spirit. Abstract and funky. Words can’t do this video justice so we’ll just let you enjoy it for yourselves.
For more info on the man and his many projects, head over to dj2tall.com and don’t forget you can buy his latest album, ‘2tall presents Dudley Perkins and Georgia Anne Muldrow: Beautiful Mindz’ right now at all good record shops and online outfits, on the Eclectic Breaks/Amalgam labels. And look out for more 2tall audio in the compilation mix and the last week bonus downloads.
The file is 62mb, .mv4 format – best viewed in Quicktime and on iTunes and iPods.

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‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 4b

For week 4 of the Cuts of Culture 2 Podcasts we bring you more exclusive video and audio, this time from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Grazzhoppa’s DJ Big Band provides the video, with a promo of their live shows, while Netik provides the audio, with an exclusive track recorded specially for the Cuts of Culture 2 compilation.

Netik – Synthesis
France has been responsible for steadily producing some of the most interesting turntablists since the mid 90s, most notably in the early 00s when a trio of French youngsters took the world of battles by storm bringing with them new flows, techniques and sounds which would be crucial in shaping the direction of battles for the years to follow (whether or not that’s a bad thing in your opinion). Netik was one of those youngsters (Kodh and Troubl being the other two, who were featured on the first volume of Cuts of Culture), and while he left the world of DJ battles behind in 2002, he kept busy involving himself in various projects, live shows and concentrating on production. He however made a comeback in 2006, taking the DMC world crown, a first for a French DJ, with a set that left people firmly divided – agressive, overbearing and in your face, but undeniably skillful and energetic. Much like the three of them did in the early 00s, this win has now left people divided over whether or not the victory was right and much additional online commentating about this and that, which is quite frankly beyond the point.
Whether or not you like his style, one thing is undeniable about Netik – the man is seriously talented on the cut, as examplified by the many freestyles we’ve aired and showcased on here and other sites, and what’s more he’s also pretty deft in the studio. In 2005 he sent me a CD full of unreleased productions and remixes, which was more than we needed to convince us that we had to get him on the project. While many have chosen to a follow path inspired by and trodden by others before them, Netik has taken inspiration from his hip hop roots, but also from electronica, and has been cooking up some dark and twisted beats, as well as uptempo, funky numbers – crucially, none of his productions sound like anyone or anything else, as it should be.
For Cuts of Culture 2 he set about producing a track exclusively for the project, the result of which is ‘Synthesiz’, a pretty inspiring piece of uptempo electronica, heavy hitting but still soulful. We’re incredibly happy with the result and we hope you’ll be too.
For more info on Netik, his history, tour info and audio/video treats head over to his myspace page. You can also find some freestyle videos alongside 2tall and Tigerstyle in Spinscience’s download archive.
The file is 11mb, .mp3 format, 320kbps.

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‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 4a

For week 4 of the Cuts of Culture 2 Podcasts we bring you more exclusive video and audio, this time from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Grazzhoppa’s DJ Big Band provides the video, with a promo of their live shows, while Netik provides the audio, with an exclusive track recorded specially for the Cuts of Culture 2 compilation.

DJ Grazzhoppa’s DJ Big Band – DJ Big Band video
Grazzhoppa’s DJ Big Band is a unique project, started and headed by Grazzhoppa in 2004. Grazzhoppa is one of Belgium’s finest and longest standing DJs, producers and tablist, part of the Real Tablit collective and label (alongside Lamont) and who has recorded and collaborated with countless artists from Europe and the US.
The project is simple, as implied by the name: regrouping DJs together to form a big band, in the spirit of the live funk and jazz bands. Since its inception the Big Band has taken on various forms settling in the last few years on its biggest and most challenging one yet: 120 fingers (12 DJs), 1 singer (Monique Harcum) and one Saxophonist (Fabrizio Cassol, who also acts as conductor). The DJs are split into four sections (3 DJs each) covering percussions, basslines, keys, guitars, horns, strings and vocal samples. The shows are based around songs created largely through improvisation and then fine tuned and arranged into compositions, covering a range of styles.
Grazzhoppa was able to bring the project to life with the help of a Belgium promoter, and since its beginning they have received help and support from various local and European organisations for funding and shows. The Big Band have played countless festivals, live shows and concerts in settings outside the turntablist and DJ world, spreading their musical vision to new crowds and warm receptions.
Alongside Grazzhoppa the Big Band regroups DJs from Belgium and the Netherlands (including the likes of Lamont, Vindictiv and Optimus from Real Tablist) as well as guest DJs CeeBrown from the US and Raskal from Belgium. The band has recently played a series of gigs with various live musicians and jazz groups.
For the full info and low down on the band’s history, tour info and current status, as well as plenty of audio and video of their many shows, head over to their myspace and own website.
The video is a promo video for the Big Band, showcasing all the performers as well as some short clips from recent live shows. Look out for more from Grazzhoppa solo, in week 7 of the podcasts.
The file is 55mb, .m4v format – best viewed in Quicktime and on iTunes and iPods.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 3b

Week 3 of the Cuts of Culture 2 Podcasts sees us take in music from Japan, America and Belgium in one fell swoop. This week’s video comes courtesy of the mighty Studio Rarekwai gang and features US producer and Japan resident Quietstorm alongside Japanese MC Twiggy, while the audio is from none other than US born, Belgium based Lamont, a member of the TTR extended family.

Studio Rarekwai Showcase: DJ Quietstorm feat Twiggy – Be Quiet
This week’s video comes courtesy of the archives at Studio Rarekwai. If you’re not familiar with their work, which includes the excellent documentary ‘Scratching the Surface’ and book/DVD ‘Rack Gacki’, then head over to rarekwai.com, because these guys do some seriously amazing work. Not only have they documented the various facets of Japan’s hip hop scene (which is how we came to meet, they were responsible for hooking us up with DJ Baku originally) they’ve also worked with the cream of UK hip hop and are currently working on new projects which take in new musical and visual horizons.
And so with so much quality work under their belt it was only right we asked them to get involved on this, and while their original contributions to the project were 3 videos, we’ve kept what we think is by far the best one – the original music video for DJ Quietstorm’s track ‘Be Quiet’ featuring Japanese MC Twiggy. This track is taken from Quietstorm’s second LP, ‘Soramiro’. Quietstorm is a long time member of the Living Legends crew from California (home to such rap luminaries as Murs and The Grouch) who relocated to Tokyo over ten years and has since established himself firmly in the Japanese hip hop scene. We chose the video for this track not only because the track itself is great, but also because we think it’s quite a fitting video for the project. We won’t say no more though and let you check it for yourselves.
For more info on Quietstorm check the following wikipedia page and look for his releases on Amazon and similar online sites.
The file is 49mb, .m4v format – best viewed in Quicktime and on iTunes and iPods.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 3a

Week 3 of the Cuts of Culture 2 Podcasts sees us take in music from Japan, America and Belgium in one fell swoop. This week’s video comes courtesy of the mighty Studio Rarekwai gang and features US producer and Japan resident Quietstorm alongside Japanese MC Twiggy, while the audio is from none other than US born, Belgium based Lamont, a member of the TTR extended family.

Lamont – Senses Overloaded
Head of the Real Tablist label, producer, DJ, member of Grazzhoppa’s DJ Big Band, one half of Senses Overloaded alongside 2tall, and god knows what else, Lamont is a busy man. And has been for many years, establishing himself as one of the most respected and interesting tablist/producer/DJ in Europe. This week’s audio is taken from his recent release with 2tall, ‘Senses Overloaded EP’, a release we’ve covered in detail before. So I won’t go there again, but suffice to say that if you missed it the first time then you best get on it.
The ‘Senses Overloaded EP’ is out now on Real Tablist and Needlework Records, available as a digital download from bleep.com and limited CD from myspace. For more info on Lamont check his myspace page.
The file is 4.5mb, .mp3 format, 192kbps.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

Direct download links added to podcast posts and feed

Ok so it seems some people have been having a bit of trouble downloading/subscribing to the podcasts recently. For the majority however it seems to be fine, as the stats show. But I for one don’t want to leave anyone out and I know that some people don’t want to use iTunes (understandable) and/or a podcatching program and still enjoy Turntable Radio.

So to that end I’ve now added (and will continue to) direct download links to all podcast posts, starting from our first podcast back in November 05. This will also be reflected in the feeds, so that those of you subscribing to the RSS feed but with a RSS reader which doesn’t show the files will be able to also access the files easily. This also means now that older podcasts are now available to download again – as our feed only holds up to the latest 10 items. This means that if a podcast you’re after doesn’t show up in the feed anymore you just have to search the podcast category on the site and you’ll find a direct download link.

This should help those of you having difficulties with the subscription/feed. However I’d like to stress that having people subscribe to the feed is also still very important as it helps keep an easy tab on downloads for the show as well as actual listener numbers, which we can then use ourselves to try and make things better for the show, and thus you the listeners.

To subscribe to the feed you can choose any of the following options:
- Add the following link into your RSS reader or podcatcher: http://feeds.feedburner.com/turntableradio
- Go to http://itunes.resonancefm.com. This will open your iTunes and send you to the Resonance FM podcast page where you can select Turntable Radio and add it to your subscriptions. In addition from the iTunes page you can also stream the shows
- Use any of the shortcuts available on the top right corner of the website to add the feed to a range of podcatchers including Odeo, Yahoo etc…

That’s about it, hopefully these change will ensure that everyone is able to enjoy the podcasts. Thanks to all the listeners for the support and all the artists/labels for their continued support as well.