Wednesday 30 March 2016

Show #58 ABU Podcast March 2016 - DJ FORMAT

This month's ABU Podcast features Brighton's own DJ Format live in conversation for a special 2-hour show.
Press Play + Record and listen live on http://discoscratch.co.uk/radio this Thursday, 31st March from 9pm.
Featuring Format's own tunes plus a wealth of breaks, beats and all-round dope tracks all mixed down in the inimitable ABU! style, this is one show that is not to be missed for all mature B-Boys & Girls.


If you're Facebook-inclined then there's this Event Page to join, otherwise write a reminder down on the back of your hand.

Listen live at: http://discoscratch.co.uk/radio
Jump into the chat room: http://chatwing.com/discoscratch

Download will be available after the event.

Tuesday 29 March 2016

The Edit Alliance


Giving a shout to the West Country's The Edit Alliance massive who are always busy making some of the tightest mixes and edits since Jive Bunny hung up his headphones.
Honestly, Steinski & Double Dee would be impressed with the cut 'n' paste work that these lads create.
Go and check 'em out.

http://www.editalliance.com/

Aitch-Ski Designs

I thought it was about time to put the spotlight on a good friend of mine from Facebook.
AITCH-SKI has been producing some particularly fresh visuals and they really do look good.


ABU in solid silver.




I think what happened here is that Aitch-Ski made a comment on a Facebook post and I joked that he should make the 2-word phrase he'd come with into a logo.....!





The classic Cutting Records record label. This was all done from scratch - not a scan.
Even Aldo Marin (the creator of Cutting Records) gave props!


The work-in-progress....technical shizz.



Variations on a theme. Using the classic old school font.


Again, all done from scratch but you wouldn't know, would you? This is just plain dope.

Sunday 27 March 2016

Style Warrior - New Wild Style ZORO AVAILABLE NOW!



The 'ZORO' tee/hoody is NOW AVAILABLE to purchase from Style Warrior. But be quick as all orders need to be completed by April 11th. After that the production run will be set in motion and goods will be received shortly afterwards.

http://www.stylewarrior.co.uk/project/wildstylezoro/

Friday 25 March 2016

This Month's Podcast

Just a quick heads-up (I really hate that term) to remind you that this month's ABU Podcast is upcoming. Next Thursday (31st) to be precise.
You really don't want to miss this this one. Cannot say what exactly is going on but it's a special one.

Monday 21 March 2016

Mr Thing Plays Sampled Library Music



Former Scratch Pervert, Mr Thing brings you an all-too-brief journey into the world of Library Funk music.
I've been getting into this genre more and more over the last 10 years and there are some real gems about. The best thing is when you hear a certain piece of music that not only is it funky but that you actually remember it from your childhood when it was used as a theme song from a particular detective/drama/spy/kids tv show.
Excellent stuff.

Thanks to LG at http://www.digging4victory.com for unearthing this.


Style Warrior - New Wild Style ZORO Garms


Vote now for Wild Style Zoro!

The latest design from UK hip hop design powerhouse, Style Warrior is an homage to ZORO's (LEE) tag on Z-ROC's (ZEPHYR) back executed while he was snoozing on the train yard.
With the classic Wild Style tag on the front breast pocket and 'Z' on the back over a denim-blue coloured tee (or hoody) this does look fantastic.

Regular visitors to this blog will already know how good the quality of a Style Warrior product is and so I won't preach to the converted.
However, this not a done deal. If you are interested in grabbing one of these (either a tee or hoody) then you will need to VOTE for it in order for the printing process to go ahead which hopefully will be only next month.

Go on. Be like Chico. He'd paint three murals for some of this.

GO AND VOTE HERE> http://www.stylewarrior.co.uk/vote-now-for-wild-style-zoro/


Sunday 20 March 2016

The Story Behind N.W.A.'s First Record Cover




The Story Behind N.W.A.'s First Record Cover from Oliver Wang on Vimeo.

Check this out.
Unleash your inner-nerd and feast on this hip hop history.
"Originally written for KCET's Artbound in 2012, I revisited this story for the 2015 Leimert Park Book Fair and decided to record it as a narrated slideshow. It tells the story behind the photo that ended up on N.W.A.'s "Panic Zone" 12" and the "N.W.A. and the Posse" compilation album."

Splendid stuff.

https://vimeo.com/135204591


Friday 11 March 2016

Record Review - Whirlwind D - Other Side


"You know it's raw for sure so don't hesitate…"


This album is a first for the British rap stable B-Line Recordings in so much as Whirlwind D is the label's first artist to release a follow-up long-player with them. Any doubts of the 'difficult second album' syndrome are soon waived the second the needle touches the wax.

2014's Nomansland was a solid collection of top drawer 'bangers' melding together D's conscious lyrics with varied producers, none of whom strangers to the B-Line buyer. This year's latest album continues the tried and tested pattern but also branches out in terms of production moving in a slightly left-field direction which pleasantly pushes the sound into fresh territory.
UK rap has always employed the use of the DJ and he is never far away from the familiar pattern of 'verse/scratch-chorus/verse' as is heard throughout here. Clinically-clean cuts and scratches are dispensed by DJ Tones, Miracle, Jabba Tha Kut and Sir Beans to remind the listener that, yes, this is hip hop as it should be!

Whirlwind D has continued to tour up and down the country bringing his arsenal of lyrics to diehard fans and those new to his sound via performances with labelmates or internationally-renowned artists such as Wu Tang Clan or Public Enemy which no doubt has helped him to hone his skills for this album.

This collection of songs seems slightly darker than the first but while also keeping similar themes to Nomansland it progresses into altogether more brooding territory with songs such as Avenger Of Death or Hate Makes Hate which displays an exemplary broader lyrical spectrum. One side to this artist is the braggadocio, lyrical beatdowns that he is known for but the other side is the more intelligent and reflective mood that he exerts with thought-provoking topics rarely heard outside of the average rap album.

The familiar posse cut comes in the form of two songs, the first of which is Crew Call featuring Rola, Heavy Links and Chrome & Illinspired all spitting their 8-bar offerings over a mid-tempo Tuf Kut-produced track. The second ('Thank You') has guest spots from Dookie Squad, Project Cee as well as 'Mr B-Line' himself, Specifik over a beautifully, snappy-snared, jazzily-funked organ groove by Mr Fantastic.
Continuing evidence that old guys can still rock.

Available on classic 12" vinyl with full colour sleeve with insert and featuring  photography by ‘I Shot Hip Hop’ and design by Ricky Also makes this an essential purchase.

 If there is any criticism of this album - and I'm clutching at straws to try and think of anything here - then personally I would love to see a return to the previous production practices of utilising one producer wholly throughout rather than a bunch of many and see what the partnership can deliver with intimate chemistry.
That said the flipside is that you get different ideas alongside the usual hip hop productions on Other Side such as the heavy, guitar-infused 7-Eyed Monster or my personal favourite, Take Flight with it's melodically-strummed hook. The fact that these are both produced by ex-indie rock guitarist, Phil Wilks is quite telling.

Top-class producers are in fact spilling out of the grooves all over the album so you have such luminaries as Sir Beans OBE, Specifik, Mr Fantastic, Cel One, Spatts and Tuf Kut straining for attention throughout. The overall sound is one of funky hip hop laden with breaks the way it should be all spoken from another side of Whirlwind D's impeccably-discerning and deeply-comprehensive lyrics.


Go here to purchase the album now.
http://blinerecordings.bigcartel.com/product/whirlwind-d-other-side

Also see:
Booking/Info:
Whirlwind D website: www.whirlwind-d.com
Whirlwind D contact: dudleyjaynes@hotmail.com
B-line web address: http://blinerecordings.bigcartel.com
B-Line website: www.facebook.com/BLineRecordings

Saturday 5 March 2016

Kold Sweat Promos

Here's a couple of bits from my Kold Sweat promo archive. Wish I wasn't such a div and had kept the 30 white label 12" promos I got instead of putting them on Ebay 10 years ago...

A photo posted by Ben Hamilton (@repo136) on

and............

A photo posted by Ben Hamilton (@repo136) on

Thursday 3 March 2016

VIDEO: Old School Drum Machine Collection

Interesting look at an old school drum machine collection courtesy of Joe Mansfield.

EBAY WATCH: Unused Mint ConditionTR-808






What about this? It's an untouched, mint condition, STILL boxed Roland TR-808.
This is the pinnacle of the Electro-Funk era of hip hop and it can be yours for the tidy sum of at least £10,000 (at the time of writing) but move fast as it ends on Saturday 05 March at 15:50:43 (GMT).

What are you waiting for? Go and get it NOW!.

Whirlwind D - When I Write (feat. Oxygen)

Here's the first official video from B-Line Recordings' Whirlwind D's brand-new album, Other Side which is available now from here.

Don't sleep on this. ABU review coming soon......

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