Hasidic HipHop Reggae

"Chop Em Down"
"Father In The Forest"
Video with history and live footage
There are so many Reggae artists who praise jah and preach about their love of about the ganja. Matthew Miller AKA Matisyahu has a different message:

"Me no want no sinsemilla.
That would only bring me down
Burn away my brain no way my brain is to compound
Torah food for my brain let it rain till I drown
Thunder!
Let the blessings come down"

Matisyahu was raised by Dead-heads and later became a dread locked Phish tour kid, however he wanted something different out of life. He truly found himself when he moved to Israel and he spent his time, praying, exploring, and dancing in Jerusalem. In every nook he encountered, his dormant Jewish identity stirred into consciousness. When he returned he studied up on reggae and hip-hop. He attended a weekly open-mic where he rapped, sang, beat-boxed, and did almost anything he could to stay creatively charged. It was then that he started to develop the unique reggae-hip hop sound for which he would one day become known. I was turned on to Matisyahu when I was forwarded THIS VIDEO with some really nice beatboxing, singing, and an interview from the Jimmy Kimmel Show.

Read more about this interesting musician HERE

Get Physical

DJ T "Time Out (Random Factor Mix)" (Get Physical Music)

I think it is safe to say that last year Kompakt was the "It" label. Friends who don't ever listen to minimal techno and tech house were randomly asking me what I thought of the new Michael Mayer album. Maybe it was the saturation of magazine articles about the German label combined with the virtual blowjobs that Pitchfork gave the label on a regular basis. Regardless, Kompakt was hot last year and this year the new label of choice is the German "Get Physical Music" label. I can honestly say I haven't been so excited about the future of a house label than I am for GPM right now. The fusion of minimal house music and melodic techno, a healthy dose of the TB-303, and a tease of electro are the perfect ingredients. I will probably wear out all of my GPM 12"'s and the new LP by Booka Shade titled "Memento" hasn't left my car in weeks. The track I put up is a remix of DJ T's "Time Out" by another one of my favorite producers, Random Factor.

from Get Physical Music:
In 2002 Thomas Koch (aka DJ T) founded Get Physical Music together with a couple of friends. The Berlin based label is a collective, which consists of six people who have proved to be very dynamic in the electronic music scene for a long time. The dj-and producer-duo Patrick Bodmer and Philipp Jung as well as the three-headed team of producers Booka Shade (Walter Merzinger, Arno Kammermeier, Peter Hayo) have been active together for more than 10 years, whilst releasing projects on labels like R&S (Degeneration), Harthouse (Synesthasia), Touché (Booka Shade) and Tommy Boy (Oakland Stroke). Bodmer and Jung have become well-known as M.A.N.D.Y. most of all through their remixes.

It doesn't get much better than Get Physical!

King Tut

Paul Hardcastle- King Tut MP3

One of my all time favorite styles of music is the old school electrofunk. I can still recite most of the lines from both of the Breakin' movies and I made a DJ mix titled "Linoleum Streets" which is all breakdance/electro tracks from 1982-1985. You can download it HERE Of all of the artists of that era, my favorite has got to be Paul Hardcastle. The keyboard master and producer from London dropped some of the best early 80's dance tracks to ever burn up the roller rinks. "19", "Rainforest", "Forest Fire", "Central Park", "Sound Chaser", and "King Tut" are all JAMS! I added "King Tut" which is a track I did not use on my "Linoleum Streets" mix. "King Tut" was a 12" and also is on his fantastic self titled LP from 1985.

cool ambient dj mix

Just found this one online and I am mellowing out to it while I read about NASA landing on Saturn's moon. Just when you think you have heard all of the downtempo artists out there you find another batch of them. Some nice psy/ambient tracks on this mix.

Chilled Desire Volume 1 - mixed by Cire

01. Tj Rhemi - The Warm Chill - The Warm Chill - 2004
02. Abakus - Igamatik - That Much Closer to the Sun - 2004
03. Adham Shaikh - Dubfire - Fusion - 2004
04. Gabriel Le Mar - Ffm(Beach Dub) - Short Stories - 2003
05. Adham Shaikh - Bombay mix - Fusion 2004
06. Gabriel Le Mar - Hope - Short Stories - 2003
07. Omimotion - Life hymn in Dub - Chillosophy 3 - 2003
08. Puff Dragon - Chinese Radio - Fahrenheit Project part 4 - 2004
09. Vibrasphere - Mananzilla - Chillosophy 3 - 2003
10. Dream Forest - Pacific - Chillum volume 3 - 2003
11. Solar Fields - Union Light - Fahrenheit Project part 4 - 2004
12. Ten Madison - Easy Living - Milk - 2004
13. Kukan Dub Lagan - Life is Nice - Life is Nice - 2004

Coping through music

Lindsey Green- "Devastation"

Soundclick- Lindsey Green (the track is "devastation" and I also love the track "morhine drip")

Everybody deals with pain, sadness, and tragedy a different way. The effects of the Tsunami are beyond belief and my thoughts and prayers go out to everybody affected. One way to cope with sadness is by channeling through art. Some of the best art ever created was inspired by grief and despression. Blues music was founded on sorrow and look how many rock and roll songs were written after a band member died or a wife ran off. I was sent an email from my good friend and also talented musician, David Hammond, about a track a friend of his created about the Tsunami.

David writes:
"every now and then, you stumble across something so beautiful, so ingenius, so sublime, that you just have to share it with everyone that you think might understand. this song was written, only a few days ago, about the tsunami that caused so much suffering, by a producer who is far, far beyond his time. i bow down to this guy and only hope that one day, i will be able to capture the raw power, energy, beauty, and grace that he can capture in a single, solitary afternoon. i don't know which is more amazing -- that he actually wrote this song (in a day, i might add) --or that i'm probably the only person he bothered to tell about it."

Charge Me Up

Chris Price- Charge Me Up

Well, I broke my iRiver mp3 recorder so I am unable to rip any of my records to mp3 to put on the site until it is repaired. However, since setting up this website I have been contacted by many musicians and labels who have been sending me music over email which is great. Chris Price is an independent electronic/synthpop artist from the D.C. area who contacted me after grabbing some of my DJ mixes from this site. This track is on his forthcoming EP, The Identity Crisis.

Washington Post said:
"Chris Price is a local artist with a wide spectrum of musical influences. His latest offering combines 1980’s electronic and new wave with elements of modern pop. Synth layers and driving beats provide a showcase for Price’s unique vocal styling.
Inspired by the forward-thinking artists and producers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Price delivers a sound that spans genres and timelines. Fans have compared Price’s work to the likes of The Cars, New Order, Gary Numan, and Devo.
Keep your eye on this innovative composer, producer, and performer."

Check out his website HERE

New Years DJ Sets

I thought I would share the DJ sets from NYE w/ Brothers Past and Lotus.
I had a blast that night and I can't thank the bands enough for having me.

***ALL 3 PARTS FIT ON ONE CD***

I played three sets at the TLA on NYE:

- A one hour downtempo set before Lotus took the stage.
It wasn't recorded but you can download the downtempo
mixes on www.orchardlounge.com to get an idea.

-A 30 minute set of electro/breaks/acid-y midtempo
kind of stuff after Lotus played and before BP began.
I also used some samples that I made specifically for
NYE.

- A 40 minute tech house setbreak between sets.
Brothers Past came out and jammed over my last
record for 5 minutes and segued into their second
set.

PART 1:
Ben Silver-NYE part 1 (pre BP electro/breaks set)

1)Paul Hardcastle- Rainforest
2)Cybotron- Clear
3)Momma Gravy- John Pill
4)Hardfloor- Dear MC Bain
5)Momma Gravy- Russian New Year
6)Da Damn Phreak Noiz Phunk- Grand Royal

PART 2:
Ben Silver- NYE part 2 (BP setbreak tech house set)

1)Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart (Squarepusher
remix)
2)Jimmy Edgar- We Like You
3)Random Factor- Second Principles (Ame Remix)
4)Dan Berkson- Easy
5)Sieg Uber Die Sonne- Hot (Original Mix)
6)Jeff Bennett- Raindance
7)Jeff Bennett- Markings
8)Trapez LTD 20

PART 3:
Ben Silver- NYE part 3 (BP jamming over last record)

1)Brothers Past jamming over the Trapez LTD20 record
with me adding samples. This is from Scott
Schneider's mics.

A Photo is HERE

"Hip Bop"

DJ Krush and Toshinori Kondo- Ki Oku

Sun Is Shining MP3

I was just relaxing on this fine Sunday to the mellow sounds of one of my favorite albums, Ki-Oku. It had been a while since I had listened to it and it was every bit as good as I remembered. The album, a fusion of hiphop and jazz, features DJ Krush's stylized hiphop-ish beats and Kondo layering Miles Davis sounding jazz trumpet riffs on top. The pair complement each other perfectly and this album is a fantastic blend of mellow, downtempo beats with a psychedelic jazzy feel. All of DJ Krush's albums sounds different, with some featuring guest vocalists supplying rhymes and other's with guest musicians but none set the mood like this one. Highly recomended listening.

19 for the 90's

Spencer Lokken- "19 for the 90's" MP3

Sorry for the lack of posts. It has been a rough last week or so and I was travelling through the holidays. The tragedy in the East has hit VERY close to home and we are praying that the missing family members and a close friend will be found. Please donate anything you can to the poor victims of this horrible natural disaster.

In the meantime, download the new Orchard Lounge early 90's hiphop mix that Spencer made. Shit is ILL!!

01.biggie - machine gun funk
02.the roots - next movement
03.atcq - electric relaxation
04.black sheep - flavor of the month
05.nas - represent
06.souls of mischief - '93 til infinity
07.black moon - who got the props?
08.gangstarr - mass appeal
09.wu-tang - wu-tang clan ain't nuttin' to fuk wit
10.das efx - they want efx
11.mobb deep - shook ones
12.digable planets - nickel bags
13.de la - stakes is high
14.dre - let me ride
15.pharcyde - runnin'
16.j-live - braggin' writes
17.camp lo - luchini
18.black star - respiration
19.pete rock and cl smooth - t.r.o.y.

Brothers Past and Lotus NYE

Brothers Past- Live 10/24/03 MP3's

So this NYE should be a great one. I am flying to Philly to catch some shows on the 29th and the 30th and them I am DJ'ing on NYE at the TLA which is a nice sized venued. The two bands I am playing with are Lotus and Brothers Past. Both hail from Philly and both bands play their own version of live electronic music...in one shape or another. I am going to be playing a variety of styles of music ranging all the way from Downtempo to Tech House and I will be spinning before the show, between bands, and at setbreak.

The Lotus website says: "Lotus is a five-piece instrumental band based in Philadelphia. Their music is heavily tempered by electronic styles such as deep house and drum n' bass, but inside the sonic layers seep heavy doses of funk, jazz, and world music. Their high-energy live shows feature tightly composed material balanced with stretched out improvisation. The sounds shift from spiritual and meditative, to jubilant and energetic, from dark dance floor burners, to spaced-out waves of ambience." They also have a great new album out titled, "Nomad", that I highly recommend checking out. There also is a cool live video on their site.

Read more about Brothers Past HERE The band is a nice mix of indie rock vocals and nasty drum and bass, house, and other electronic style jamming. They have a wide array of toys including crazy synths, Laptops, and Kaoss pads that they use to warp the sounds and their drummer is an absolute machine. At times you you will not believe a human is dropping the beats you hear. Along with their own great originals you may even catch a Radiohead, Cure, or even a cover of The Clash but with their own twist. You can also grab the all instrumental "Dance Sampler" at this site HERE

A classic Ninja Tune

Bonobo- Dial M For Monkey

"Pick Up" MP3

I have been quite busy the last couple weeks hence the limited number of posts. I am looking forward to a NYE DJ gig in Philly playing before and between sets of the bands Lotus and Brothers Past at the TLA. More about that later. I had a Chrismukkah dinner tonight with Ninja Tune's finest, Bonobo, playing softly in the background. I never seem to get tired of his music and it is a staple in any downtempo set I play. I also have used his tracks on downtempo mixes which you can find on the OrchardLounge site.

NinjaTune says:
From the opener, "Noctuary," with it’s creepy stoned-Hammer feel, through the headnod sitar-funk of "Flutter," on into the Rhodes-meets-Gamelan of "D Song," the first third of the record sets out the tone for what is to follow – all beautfiully melodic and perfectly assembled but with enough of a creeping undertow to stop the music becoming empty or saccharine. "Change Down" is all double bass folk and cut-up drums, "Wayward Bob" is a devilish waltz, while single "Pick Up" is a straight funk ‘n’ flute throw down. "Something For Windy"sounds like a dub of a postman on his rounds, "Nothing Owed" is epic pastoralia, while "Light Pattern" rounds things off with what sounds like the theme to the best TV programme never made.

With all instruments played, sampled and sequenced by Green’s own fair hand, there is a consistency here, both within the tunes and across the record that crate diggers can only dream of. There is real development, the building of moods and feelings, a genuine attempt to make great music which is incidentally computer music. He may make a monkey of himself, but he’s no musical mug…

Kevin Yost

Kevin Yost- One Starry Night

"Outa Space" MP3

Kevin Yost is a rare breed- Jazz musician, house producer, and amazing DJ. There are many producers who also DJ but are not very good it, Yost is not one of them. Every time I have seen him play his mixing is beyond belief and that is because he has been DJ'ing since he was a little kid. Another reason I respect him is because when he plays out he can fill an entire set with original tracks and remixes he has done. Some of his tracks are borderline jazz with a house beat, others are on the techy side with nice keyboard riffs throughout. Don't be fooled by the jazz however, Yost can bang out the main room like the best of them.

When the producer is an accomplished musician it makes the sound so nice and rich. You can hear his musical talent oozing out of every drum beat and piano solo. In a time when anybody can make beats on their computer it is nice to hear someone like Kevin Yost who is a true musician recording the old fashioned way.
Check out his website, kevinyost.com for more info and make sure to pick up his albums. "One Starry Night" and "Road Less Traveled" are two of my all time favorite house albums.

Welcome Tourist

B Fleischmann- Welcome Tourist (Morr Music) 2003

"Grunt" MP3

Bernhard Fleischmann "wants to criticize a state of mind that subordinates human beings to a logic of economic utilization." An interesting statement to say the least and his music I guess could be deemed political....if it had words. B Fleischmann's music is primarily instrumental and is in the same class as Fourtet, Squarepusher, and Amon Tobin, which many people label as IDM. Fleischmann uses melodic piano riffs to balance out static sounds and drill-and-bass style drum programming on some of the tracks. The album has moments that make me feel like I am listening to Kid A without the vocals and remixed by Fourtet. My favorite tracks on the album start out slighlty dissonant with odd effects and end up as soothing, jazzy compositions.

Insanely good house mix

Only have a few minutes so I need to make this quick-

I featured DJ INC a couple weeks ago on this site and he just dropped a new mix on PROTONRADIO

He played one set of dub/downtempo and another which is an amazing tech house mix that was recorded live at his Tempo night in Atlanta. This house mix is so good! I was listening at work and my computer was about ready to blow up. I personally think this mix rivals any mix from the Fabric series.

Here is the download link:

DJ INC 11/24/04 Live at Tempo

His website is TempoAtl

Below The Bassline

Ernest Ranglin- Below The Bassline (Island Jamaica Jazz)

Surfin' MP3

I love jazz guitar and also good roots dub albums so when I first listened to Ernest Ranglin I knew I was in for a treat. Ranglin was born in Jamaica in 1932 and was influenced by the American Jazz guitar great, Charlie Christian as well as all of the Caribbean styles of music. He began to make his mark with Clu J's Blues Blasters. He was there when the very first Ska recordings were made. He would go on to play an important role with the Skatalites, help define the Treasure Isle Rock Steady sound, blaze a new trail for a style called Reggae with Studio One and influence the success of Jamaican music all around the world. And while all this was going on...Ernest Ranglin would also become known, on a world-wide basis, as one of the greatest Jazz guitarists of all time.

In 1996 he released "Below The Bassline" which is a collection of classic Jamaican songs played to perfection by his amazing lineup of musicians including Idris Muhammed on drums. Ranglin's amazing guitar playing perfectly compliments Ira Colman's dub basslines creating a Jamaican jazzy sound.

You can buy this album anywhere and you can read more about Ranglin HERE

Monokai

So I am still recovering from the Matthew Dear and Swayzak LIVE night in Chicago on Saturday. Too lazy to write anything today but I was turned on to this cool website:

Monokai

Very nice design and the site has some really nice and mellow tracks which are a bit on the drum and bass side.

Urban Cruising MP3

Nullseeker MP3

Hassevop MP3

Mier MP3

Numantic MP3

Restricted MP3

Secret Frequency Crew

Secret Frequency Crew- Forest Of The Echo Downs (Schematic)

"Neon Bridge" MP3

One of the best downtempo/IDM albums I have all year is the debut album by Secret Frequency Crew (thanks for the recomendation sk8s) They have just the right blend of organic, analog sounds and mechanical, glitchy madness. The album is very Shpongle-esque (I bet a few people know what that means) This track is featured on my new, new downtempo dj mix that I haven't uploaded yet.

Boomkat Says:
DJs Matthew Brown, Matt Friedman, and Adrian Michna have been operating under the Secret Frequency Crew banner for some time, taking in deep, atmospheric instrumental electronica with a love of 80's melodies and a crafted blend of guitars, trombones, bass and piano thrown in for widescreen listening. "Forest Of The Echo Downs" also at times delves into more complex, heavily percussive territory and reduced digital territory, sizzling into the twilight.

Available at most shops.

Lost Highway revisited

Smashing Pumpkins- "Eye" MP3

I watched David Lynch's Lost Highway again over the weekend. I am so obsessed with David Lynch and I love everything he has done. Lost Highway is a strange one and the film is basically a rock and roll puzzle piece of subjective, often disturbing art. One of Lynch's traits that I adore is his use of sound. Whether it be the loud, abrasive sounds he uses during a scary scene, or the ambience created by Angelo Badalamenti, it always fits perfectly. Lynch went above and beyond himself when he asked Trent Reznor to produce the soundtrack to Lost Highway. One of the best soundtracks of all time with great tracks by NIN, David Bowie, Rammstein, Badalamenti, and a great tune by Smashing Pumpkins. The Pumpkins tune, "Eye", is one of my favorite songs by them and Billy's voice sounds great over the electronic beat. This is by no means a new or rare track, but it is a great song that you probably forgot you had.

You can buy the Lost Highway soundtrack at any of your favorite local shops.

Undiscovered, Unreleased, Untitled

David Hammond- "Untitled" MP3 (UNRELEASED)

For every famous musician there are thousands who work hard but will
never get their big break. Sometimes it is not knowing the right
people, other times not having the right resources to create the
masterpiece that will put them on the map. In the world of electronic
music there are so many important producers out there who may never be household names, but still supply quality tracks on a regular basis. Now, with the rise of computer sofware and home editing tools, anybody can be a bedroom producer and send their favorite dj tracks to rock in the clubs.

The quantity may be increasing but quality is still the most important
factor. A good friend of mine, David Hammond, stopped by the other
day with some new tracks he has been working on. If there is one
person I know that should be signed to multiple labels and have many
records out it is David. He has been producing electronic music for
many years before any of the computer based software was even around
and he is an amazing bassist, guitarist, and keyboard player.

There are so many unsigned, unnoticed producers out there who need to
be heard. The MP3 I uploaded is an untitled, unfinished demo David
gave me to play out when I DJ.
If you own a label and are looking for new talent, email David: HERE

LIVE VIDEOS: Kraftwerk, Squarepusher, Steve Bug

Squarepusher and Kraftwerk live in Rome Videos

Steve Bug live at GOA Video

Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving. I managed to eat a plate at 3 in the morning that was the same size as the plate I had with the actual dinner. Since I am away from home and have no access to my records or the capability to upload to my server I thought I would give you a little sweet apple pie for desert. Not only does this site give you mp3's, but also rare videos for you to check out.

The first video is a live clip of Kraftwerk doing their thing with a crazy wall of images projected over them. They look like four German robots sent from the future to rock the crowd with their mechanical music. Another video is of Squarepusher assualting the crowd with his bass virtousity and nasty experimental beats. Also links to a techy three part live set by DJ/Producer Steve Bug. Bug started two of my favorite record labels- Poker Flat and also Dessous Recordings. Three great artists and now your chance to witness them live with your own eyes rather than just ears.