‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 8

We finally reach the penultimate session in our 2 month long special podcast series. After 7 weeks of videos and audio we’re now very proud to present to you the Cuts of Culture 2 compilation mix by 2tall. Which I’m going to guess is probably what most of you have been waiting for. Well you have to wait no longer, it’s here in its full glory for you to enjoy. And be sure to stay tuned for week 9, as we see off the Cuts of Culture 2 Podcasts with some very tasty secret downloads, which you’ll have to wait another week to find out all about.

Various Artists mixed by 2tall – Cuts of Culture 2
This mix follows from the first Cuts of Culture compilation which was released in 2005. Once more the idea was simple – to put together and showcase a selection of who we rate as the best and most interesting artists today working with turntables. As is always the case we weren’t able to get everyone we wished, but after 6 months of hard work in early 2006 2tall was able to put together this mix showcasing some of our favourite established and upcoming artists.
Building on the first release, this time we also wanted to showcase more worldwide talent and so we have not only established names from the US and European countries, but also upcoming talents from Poland, Japan, South Africa, Hungary and Germany. In addition we also wanted to put more focus on the production work which these artists do, after all the turntable is only a means to an end, another production tool. Something we’ve done by featuring collaborative tracks between tablists and producers including the likes of Bayaka (Japan), Exile (US), Thrash (UK), Evil Ed (UK) and Bichi (Denmark).
Exclusive tracks come from the likes of D-Styles, Excess, Tayone and Bungalow Zen, ie.merg_, Netik and Dq alongside tracks which are available in all good shops, and which we urge you to check out if you like what you hear.
Rounding off this showcase of musical talent is another posse cut masterminded by 2tall – following from his first posse cut on the previous volume, this time his ‘Sharpshooters Convention’ features renowned and not so known cutters including Enfoe, Taim, Unkut, Square One, Rafik, Captain Cavern and Netik.
As we’ve said before the aim with Cuts of Culture has always been simple and we hope that once more we’ve managed to achieve it. Show that there is so much more to this scratching thing than what people might first think and provide a platform for people to showcase their work to the public at large. The mix, and compilation, is now just one year old, having been originally planned for a late 06 release and while it’s taken some time to get it out we reckon it’s still sounding fresh.
To accompany this download we’ve made available the original liner notes and tracklist in pdf format as well as a hi res version of the cover, which you can download and print should you want to (see links below).
For more on 2tall and all the artists and releases check the liner notes which include links and all release info (links are clickable directly from the pdf file).

Cuts of Culture 2 mix by DJ 2tall
2tall � Intro
Eprom aka Base Bizzard – Action Break
Netik – Synthesiz
Dq � Strike Part 1
DJ Baku � Vandalism
Real Tablist – 6 DJs + 1
DJ Majestik feat. Rizkay � Harmonia
K-Delight feat. DJ-JS1, J-Red, Woody, Profound & Ironcyde, Universon, Krash Slaughta, Eddie Scratch, Evil Ed & 2tall � Scratch Club
DJ Exile & DJ Day – A Day In Exile
DJ Happee feat. Dinoh – Get My Point
Lamont – Senses Overloaded
A.D.S – Cold Mornings
ie.MERG – Midnight, NYC, July, 90 degrees
Taim & Faltmeister � Rendez-Vous
Excess � Ask And I Shall See
Noisy Stylus � Kindness
Manipulate & Thrash – Strontium Sleazewave
Bayaka feat. D-Styles � Edomachen
Phonomorphia – Plan�te Cerveau 44-3
Bungalow Zen � Frequency
Bichi – Clouds Are Parcelled Out Across My Vision
2tall – Sharpshooters Convention ft. Enfoe, Taim, Unkut, Square One, Rafik, Captain Cavern and Netik

The file is 154mb, .mp3 format, 320kbps.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

Cuts of Culture 2 Liner Notes and Artwork – pdf format

Cuts of Culture 2 hi res cover art work – jpg format

So that’s it for Cuts of Culture 2 – the last statement from ourselves, but far from the last you’ll hear of us. We’ll be back next week with one last round of secret downloads for you and after that you can look forward to a very special Japan show as well as a return to our usual podcast format. Next show should hit late september and the Japan special will follow in early October.

‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: week 7d

Week 7 of the Cuts of Culture 2 podcasts and we’re soon approaching the final shows. The videos are now finished however we’ve still got some audio treats left for you before we unveil the mix next week – this time we’re going all over the place with 3 tracks which were selected for the mix but didn’t make the final cut for various reasons and 2 scratch beats which were originally planned for use on the DVD menus and selected from the entries sent in during the competition we ran last year for a place on the DVD. Country wise we take in Japan, South Africa, Germany, Belgium and the USA.

Rudy W – Smokers Are Unattractive
Second scratch beat, originally intended for the DVD’s menu and bonus content. From the USA courtesy of Rudy W.
The file is 2mb, .mp3 format, 120kbps.

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‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: week 7c

Week 7 of the Cuts of Culture 2 podcasts and we’re soon approaching the final shows. The videos are now finished however we’ve still got some audio treats left for you before we unveil the mix next week – this time we’re going all over the place with 3 tracks which were selected for the mix but didn’t make the final cut for various reasons and 2 scratch beats which were originally planned for use on the DVD menus and selected from the entries sent in during the competition we ran last year for a place on the DVD. Country wise we take in Japan, South Africa, Germany, Belgium and the USA.

Monkey Hands – Oh F*ck!?!
First scratch beat, originally intended for the DVD’s menu and bonus content. From Germany courtesy of Monkey Hands.
The file is 3mb, .mp3 format, 120kbps.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: week 7b

Week 7 of the Cuts of Culture 2 podcasts and we’re soon approaching the final shows. The videos are now finished however we’ve still got some audio treats left for you before we unveil the mix next week – this time we’re going all over the place with 3 tracks which were selected for the mix but didn’t make the final cut for various reasons and 2 scratch beats which were originally planned for use on the DVD menus and selected from the entries sent in during the competition we ran last year for a place on the DVD. Country wise we take in Japan, South Africa, Germany, Belgium and the USA.

Tatsuki – Super Sucker Killer
We’re now off to Japan again with Tatsuki, the second Japanese artist to feature on Cuts of Culture 2. Much as is the case with DJ Baku, it’s a pleasure to be able to feature Tatsuki on the compilation as he’s also part of the new wave of Japanese artists who are pushing through a new sound aesthetic which takes its roots in the work of the pioneer DJ Krush and evolves it for the new century. Tatsuki also features on the compilation mix as part of Bichi, the alias of Danish producer Tobias Wilner with whom Tatsuki also works with as part of Blue Foundation. Tatsuki put this exclusive track together for the compilation and again it’s a corker of a track which we couldn’t not feature in one way or another. Some electronic madness, uptempo and on a totally different tip to a lot of what we’ve featured so far (which is one of the reasons we like it so much). Check the Game Boy style basslines!
For more info on Tatsuki you can check out our March 05 podcast which features an exclusive mix from the man with tons of unreleased material from his forthcoming album as well as an interview, and also head over to the Blue Foundation website and his blog.
The file is 10mb, .mp3 format, 320kbps.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: week 7a

Week 7 of the Cuts of Culture 2 podcasts and we’re soon approaching the final shows. The videos are now finished however we’ve still got some audio treats left for you before we unveil the mix next week – this time we’re going all over the place with 3 tracks which were selected for the mix but didn’t make the final cut for various reasons and 2 scratch beats which were originally planned for use on the DVD menus and selected from the entries sent in during the competition we ran last year for a place on the DVD. Country wise we take in Japan, South Africa, Germany, Belgium and the USA.

Grazzhoppa – Rockin’ Raw
Next up is Grazzhoppa, the Belgium legend who’s responsible for the DJ Big Band project (we featured on week 4 of the podcasts) and a whole host of beats, cuts, tracks and featurings which would take waaaay to long to list here. Let’s just say the man’s put in the work, and he’s one of Europe’s hardest working. Grazz sent us this track as an exclusive for the compilation unfortunately we were unable to include it in the mix. This is classic Grazz material – head nod hip hop with tight cuts. Simple but effective. You may also recognise it as the background music we used on the trailer. For more info on the man like Grazzhoppa head over to his myspace and official site.
The file is 6mb, .mp3 format, 320kbps.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘Cuts of Culture 2 – The Podcasts’: Week 7

Week 7 of the Cuts of Culture 2 podcasts and we’re soon approaching the final shows. The videos are now finished however we’ve still got some audio treats left for you before we unveil the mix next week – this time we’re going all over the place with 3 tracks which were selected for the mix but didn’t make the final cut for various reasons and 2 scratch beats which were originally planned for use on the DVD menus and selected from the entries sent in during the competition we ran last year for a place on the DVD. Country wise we take in Japan, South Africa, Germany, Belgium and the USA.

African – Hornlife
First up is African, hailing all the way from Cape Town, South Africa. This track is taken from African’s debut album, which he released himself and put out for free on the internet about a year or so ago. The album is available to download from spinscience. A mellow instrumental piece, laid back but still funky. It’s great being able to feature him on the compilation, especially as we don’t know of anyone else on the African continent who’s actively making music on the turntablist front (and if you are and are reading this than get in touch!). You can find out more about African, and also download his second album, on the Retrofuturists website, a collective of like minded artists, whose music we’ll be featuring on future podcasts.
The file is 8mb, .mp3 format, 320kbps.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘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.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘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.

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‘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.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

‘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.

Direct download link (right click and save as)

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