Gregory Isaacs was a certified reggae legend by the time he became an international star in 1982. Having come out with hit after hit since the roots era on the island, success had its downsides and for Isaacs it was an addiction to cocaine. By 1989 it would seem that things were better for him. He released “Warning”, an album filled with haunting tales for prospective rudeboys. Produced by King Tubby in the midst of the digital production revolution, “Warning” is a great encapsulation of a lot of what was going on at the time: technological changes and a breakdown in civilization caused by the crack epidemic. Long live the Cool Ruler!
In the early 90s, the North American rave scene was finding its legs. Crews in New York were starting to build and things were starting to make their way west. In the meantime clubs were still the main source of hearing the newest sounds from overseas. With the amount of import tunes trickling in DJs would have to get creative. Often you would hear a mix and blend of several different styles in one night: acid house, hip house, hip hop and hardcore.
One of the most unsung scenes in the States from back then was in Dallas, TX. The center of the scene was the Lizard Lounge, a refurbished old theater. Complete with chandelier, huge dance floor and multiiple levels of balconies, Lizard Lounge was a haven for those seeking to dance their butts off til morning. The city’s alternative station, The Edge, turned into Edgeclub on Saturday nights and would broadcast DJ sets directly from the club.
Two local DJs and producers got their records and gear together and formed NASA Project. DJ Red Eye and DJA1’s productions took the baton from overseas hardcore acts like N-Joi and The Prodigy and added their own unique Texan sense of humor to the mix. “Textasy” quickly became a classic in the worldwide scene. Contemporary electronic artist Textasy was so taken by the track to name himself after it. Tra-la-la-boom-de-yea!
Due to his parents’ Virgin Island roots, Sonny Rollins famously worked in some Caribbean flavor into his jazz recipe. The master has passed at age 95. Let’s have a little calypso boogie session to send out the genius of the saxophone. Rest in Power!
Ras G was a pillar of the LA beat scene in the 00s. Heavily influenced by Sun Ra, Ras’ music took several directions simultaneously. From abstract sample collages to broken beat house to bass-heavy headnodders, Ras kept the buttons pushed on his trusty Roland SP-404. This eight and a half minute EP displays just a few of his styles. RIP Ras G!
William Onyeabor turned his semolina flour mill business into an opportunity to create synth-powered funk music. He self-released nine albums before devoting his life to religion. In the 2010s David Byrne’s label Luaka Bop made his recordings more widely available. You can read more about him here.
Thanks to the above track by A Tribe Called Quest, Bob Power is probably the most known audio engineer in all of Hip Hop. He also worked on one of the more complicated tracks De La Soul ever made:
The whole thing was done on archaic samplers. Bob at one point had the whole thing setup and then changed one thing and ruined it, having to re-do the entire process. The final product took a couple of days.
For the more tech savvy amongst you, here is a great interview with Bob from Tape Op Magazine with lots of great engineering tips.
Rest in Power, Bob!
Last week saw the passing of the great Elaine Radigue. She worked in long form with feedback, the Arp 2500, tape and, towards the end of her life, with instruments and musicians. Here’s is her sonic life story, as told by her:
Mamman Sani was one of the first electronic musicians from Africa, but no one knew until 2013. Sani created his tunes with an Italian made Orla organ. He makes the most with the least, playing looping keyboard patterns along with onboard rhythms. The results are as funky as they are soothing. Big up the incredible Sahal Sounds label for unearthing these gems!
Ebo Taylor was a cornerstone Highlife musician from Ghana. He was in London with Fela Kuti n 1962. His tunes from the 60s and 70s are funky and infectious. His legacy will live on through his music. Rest in Power!
With his final recordings in 1967, John Coltrane set up a framework for avant garde jazz musicians to follow for decades to come. “Interstellar Space” consists of four pieces recorded with Coltrane and drummer Rashied Ali. Both play as hard as possible. The resulting music is intense, forceful and filled with details. You can feel the gravity such as planet within the performance.
When Curtis Mayfield left The impressions he made a big splash with his first album, “Curtis”. Not only did he appear larger than life on the cover, but nearly half of the album was taken up with mini-epics. While “Get On Up” takes most of the fame these days, this tune sets the tone for the album in dramatic fashion. He really seems to be going straight to Motown’s head with the grandiose arrangement and heady political commentary. The fact is that these recordings pre-date “What’s Going On” by a whole year and 56 years later, it all still rings frighteningly true.
Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions were a big influence on Jamaican music, as evident in this cover by Lloyd Charmers in 1975:
Sly Dunbar helped create more hits than most people in the entire recording industry have ever. Before getting involved with major artists from across the globe, Sly had his first hit at the tender age of fifteen with what is today still a major party starter. One year earlier, he made his first recording as an Upsetter for producer Lee “Scratch” Perry:
Rest in Power to a true GOAT!
When King Tubby decided to build his own studio in his home he set up one of the most unique studio setups on the island. His studio served only for recording vocals and mostly for mixing dubs. This environment helped to create a particularly creative space for art of dub. Here are two of the most abstract mixes performed by Tubby’s most renown apprentices: Prince Jammy and Scientist. Jammy nearly takes the drums completely out of the mix and replaces it was long, distorting echoes. I’m not sure what effect Scientist has on those drums, but they sound otherworldly!
Suicide were not only one of the first synth-based bands, but also one of the first bands to adopt the moniker of “punk”. Formed in 1970, the duo of Alan Nova and Martin Rev combined contemporary electronics with a old school rock ‘n’ roll vocal delivery. Being based in a decaying New York City meant that instead of singing “oooh girl oooh” lyrics Vega sang about desperate characters in dire straits. Like the rest of the burgeoning punk rock scene, they performed at seminal venues such as CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City. However, when they hit the road audiences would be confused by the band to the point of inciting violence towards them. History has smiled upon the duo as their influence has helped shape countless alternative artists. This song has often been performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band during their arena-sized shows. Dare to dream!
With all the bullshit going on in the news, let’s take a little break to listen to something fun.
It’s hard to think of many other industrial-dance acts that took themselves less seriously than My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. There’s enough trash, sleaze and exploitation in the band name alone to make John Waters giggle. This track hit the record store shelves and dance floors in 1989 amid the Satanic Panic. It can still unnerve gullible parents and shake butts! Take a break from the bleak and embrace the absurdity!
Electronic music label Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series of the early 90s proved to be highly influential. It featured albums by the likes of Aphex Twin, Autechre and Richie Hawtin who all continue to be relevant in the present tense.
Many of the acts featured in series starting compilation went under pseudonyms. None were as elusive as the trio collectively known as Black Dog Productions. Their full length contribution to the series, “Bytes”, featured seven aliases over eleven tracks. One moniker, Plaid, broke off to become their own duo while Ken Downie went on as The Black Dog. Initially, Downie’s productions featured esoteric time signatures and world music leanings. Later, with The Black Dog becoming a trio once more, his music took on a much more ambient bent.
You can read more about Downie’s legacy in this more comprehensive article over at CDM.
Of all the artists featured in the Artificial Intelligence series, Ken Downie is a first of the gang to die. Rest in Power, Black Dog.
More dramatic heaviness from the King Crimson quartet of the mid-70s. The singing tones of David Cross’s violin combined with the mids-heavy bass work by John Wetton creates some sort of sonic alchemy that does it for me every time! The live recordings are truly the best with this band. This one from the official live album USA really gets all the menace and dynamics these four players could achieve. This brand of dark seems appropriate for coming out of the darkness and into the light. See you next year!
