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I think it'd be safe to call this double-disc set "the definitive Baron Zen release." Not only does it include all the new of remixes from the Stones Throw elite (Madlib, J.Roc, et al.) but the second CD contains the full At...
expand review The Mall album released last year (but recorded from 1988-92 with drum programming from PBW himself). The insanely lo-fi Baron (aka Sweet Steve) gets completely overhauled on the remix disc. Our man Blu Jemz' remix of "Walked In Line(1)" is minimal and menacing, with just enough guitar shreaddage thrown in to keep things moving. James Pants turns in a bumping mix of "Gotta Get Ridda Rick(2)," Arabian Prince murders on the dark electro "Money(3)" and J.Rocc works some weird synthy magic on the already bizarre Debbie Deb cover, "When I Hear Music(4)." It wouldn't be a Stones Throw project without Mr. 'Lib, who remixes the early sneakerhead anthem "Shoes(5)." Even the names you might not know come through on this one - check out dam-funk's remix of "Burn Rubber(6)," all Zapp'ed out. Booklet has tons of pics and liners from PB Wolf, including a breakdown of how each remix came about. (Choice quote: "Sure, I'll do it, but I want an uptempo track. 150 BPM's is my shit right now." - Jemz) 29 tracks total. -Larri Byrd
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SPECIAL OFFER: Get a Stones Throw Fan Club 45 (featuring Madlib's "Footwork Size 12 Version" and instrumental) when you purchase this item.
So the Stones Throw squad is armed and ready for combat in '08, and Guilty's leading their street platoon. The dirty...
expand review Detroit native has been frontmanning their entire ghetto rap faction for some time with a fair share of singles and featured guest tracks, but the time has come for his full length debut album to drop. Will he be able to stand on his own two? Only time will tell. At least he has the help of some of the Throw's finest producers to back him up on beats - Dilla, Madlib, Oh No, Mr. Porter, Black Milk, J-Rocc and Babu (damn, that's quite a roster!). You might already know the singles, "Get Bitches(1)" and "Ode To The Ghetto(2)," but you gotta check the street game come through on "Footwork(3)," the ghetto love vibe on "Kinda Live(4)," the b-team emcee haterade on "Run(5)" and the ill Madlib beat backing him up on "The Future(6)." For now, he's the only alternative filling the space between average thug rap and intelligeble indie rhymes. It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it. 16 tracks total. -Chris Lemon-Red
Bitches! Guilty Simpson's back and guess what? he's not a featured artist anymore! This is his solo project, mixed by DJ Rhettmatic of the World Famous Beat Junkies, and features 16 original tracks with Rakaa Iriscience, Phat Kat, Black Milk, and King...
expand review Gordy. A nice change from all the cameos he's been doing: B-Ball Zombie War, Heliocentrics, etc... The whole mix is paced by interludes from Planet Asia, Royce 5'9", Rass Kass and Bishop Lamont giving it the true street feel, missing from indy hip hop. You know that dirty detroit slump a la Dilla is Guilty's shit and he doesn't waste a second to furiously attack the mic with that real talk. Definitely the most complete project from him yet. Over an hour long. -Cmish
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When it comes to producing music, Madlib's been there done that. In fact, I don't know any other producer with such an insatiable appetite for musical exploration. Whether he's working with MCs, producers, musicians, or hitting the mic / playing music himself,...
expand review it's safe to say he graduated "making beats" a long time ago and is on to bigger things. Jackson Conti is his newest project, which combines the efforts of himself (Otis Jackson Jr.) and Mamao Conti, drummer of the legendary Brazilian group Azymuth. The result is an epic full length Latin jazz album as real as they come. Mamao and Madlib hooked up when the Keepintime crew visited Brazil. Mamao layed down an hour and a half of drums and after Mad had flipped them, his hero proceeded to vibe and form the potential of the songs. The result is this 13 track album beautifully pressed on double vinyl. The music is bright like bottled sunshine and feels like a vacation waiting to happen. Check the signature Madlib swing on instrumentation "Berumba(1)," the breezy jazz sounds on "Papaya(2)," the warm vibes on "Brasilian Sugar(3)," the insane drum patterns and piano on "Upa Neguinho(4)," samba on "Casa Forte(5)," and Mamao's singing on "Segura Esta Onda(6)." To the average western ear, these won't be very recognizable, but many are re-interpreted covers of artists such as Chico Buarque, Joao Donato, Marcos Valle, Dom Um Romao, even George Duke. Truly a future classic. Note: I can't find any credits for musicians on the back of this, which makes me assume it's all Madlib. If it is, why isn't he playing at Yoshi's? Highly recommended. -C'mish
Leave it to Stones Throw's resident leftfield electro dude James Pants to do the kind of spaced-out electronic mix that'll get you travelin' high speed on the astral plane properly. This is "Ice Castles - The Coming Of A New Age", or...
expand review maybe the coming of "New Age"? (har har) No seriously, I wish I could listen to this thing on full blast surround sound in a planetarium. The mix starts off real slow and easy with some Gregorian chant type ish to get you in the mood, then onto a wiiiide medley of moogy, proggy, ambient cuts chock full of vintage analog synths and electronics (with a couple current cosmic disco tracks mixed in for good measure). The whole mix has that same quirky, but cool vibe that many of Pants' own tracks possess... spacious and spacey! Features tracks from Brian Eno, Racines Synthetiques, Weather Report, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Tonto's Exploding Head Band, Tangerine Dream, Ardy, The Painter Of Love, Dick Hyman, and of course James Pants. I can't help but picture Pants burning special candles and gripping crystals while he made this mix, but honestly I can't hate - I'm a fan of this sort of stuff. About 40 minutes long. -snackmaster
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Special Offer: Get a FREE Fan Club 45 with this purchase featuring two unreleased tracks! On it, you'll find the slow funky groove of "Future Delight" and the slow, melodic sounds of "She's Out Of My Life - Dub."
Sweet deal. Limited...
expand review Supply.
The much awaited debut of the James Pants album is finally here! If you're like me, you've been vibing to the electro boogie sounds of "Ka$h(1)" and "We're Through(2)" all year. I'm glad to say those were just the appetizers for the main course. Mr. Pants' combination of New Wave, Electro, Boogie Funk, and Synth Pop, have been the breakthrough sound for Stones Throw this year, which would explain PB Wolf executive producing the album. And although the prom suit wearing, quirky white dude from Spokane is relatively new to the scene he's already getting hype from everyone here as well as honchos like Busy P from Ed Banger. But enuff talk, check the variety he's got on here. You get everything from the strange experimental tracks on "Voodoo Caves(3)," new wave sounds on "Finger On The Knife(4)," psychedelic breaks on "Dragonslayer(5)," and funky hip hop beats on "Good Things(6)." Best of all, there's no real forceful niche he's trying to fit. Just a lot of creativity and character, which tells me there's a lot more to come. Recommended. -C'mish
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More buried treasure from the vaults of Dilla! This was one of his last projects he worked on before his passing. Thanks to the mastering by Ricci Rucker, it's now available to the public. Like his last album "Donuts," these tracks flip...
expand review soulful samples and snippets to true work of art. Ta'Raach lends a mic on "Say It(1)," and Baatin jumps in on the funky slump of "First Time(2)." Also peep the addictive soul on "Yesterday(3)" and "Oh Oh(4)," "Believe In God(5)" and "Can't You See(6)." As a bonus, the "Say It" instrumental is also included(yes!). A treat as always for the listener and true gold for the collector. Recommended. -C'mish
Uh-oh! It's the mixmaster and the beatmaster. There's really no need to convince you that this is worth every dime. Just look at the title. J-Rocc and J.Dilla is probably the dopest hip hop team-up you could ask for. Fluid, tasteful blends...
expand review and mixes from LA's primo DJ of some of Dilla's choicest cuts. I love how it's not really about J-Rocc, but about putting Dilla's life's work into a clear framework. It starts from instrumentals to production, then tracks known and unknown. A couple times during the mix, I'd ask myself, "Damn! He produced that track too?" This is definitely a must-have for the fans at any level. Recommended. -C'mish
Like this needs any kind of intro - it's the official J-Rocc J-Dilla mixtape part two! Over an hour and a half of Dilla's deepest cuts mixed effortlessly by Beat Junkies superstar, J-Rocc. Besides hearing the greatest bumps he produced for the...
expand review Pharcyde, Tribe, Common, De La, you get an entire mix of his most sought after instrumentals flipped and blended. Obviously, this a must have for the Dilla fans. But for those who are just getting into it, this also makes for the bomb spring mix. Gotta re-up on fresh joints to bump in your whip. -C'mish
Part two of Peanut Butter Wolf's all-45 hip-hop mix. This volume is mixed by J-Rocc, so expect a lot of inhuman DJ energy and skill. Do I really need to sell this? Recommended. -the mgmnt
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SPECIAL OFFER: Purchase this album and receive a free bonus 7" by Karl Hector and the Malcouns.
Heliocentrics opened the doors for a whole new kind of funk movement this year, and Now-Again is about to blow that door into a portal with...
expand review this release. Introducing Karl Hector & The Malcouns. The band is a kind of super group comprised of the leader of the Funk Pilots, Karl Hector, plus Jay Whitfield from Poets Of Rhythm and Thomas Myland and Zdenko Curlija, the founders of longtime Soul Fire associates the Malcouns. The result is a kind of funk gumbo that blends psychedelic, Afro-beat and Southern funk sounds into an entirely new kind of experience. The album is meant to be listened to in its entirety, complete with intros and abstract transitions. Here are my suggestions, but like I said, it's best as a whole. Check the goods: "Nyx(1)," "Followed Path(2)," "Sahara Swing(3)," "Debere(4)," "Jabore Pt. 3(5)," "Mellow - Version(6)," "Rush Hour(7)," and "Passau Run(8)." Listen for impeccable drum kits, thick with funky basslines, classic solos, and a rhythm section that lives for the pocket. Highly recommended. -C'mish
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Madlib's never been one for long songs (at least not under his own name), but the latest release from the Prolific One reads like three dozen pages torn right out of his sketchbook. Forgoing a more traditional album approach and going the...
expand review Donuts route, the Beat Konducta CD collects all 16 tracks from 2005's vinyl-only Volume 1, and adds all 19 joints from the just-released Volume 2. There's a tendency for some people to shy away from new Madlib releases, since the dude's catalog is just so overpopulated, but this is a genuinely interesting release, one that junkies and newcomers alike will find something do like about. It's interesting to see some of these "rough drafts" that have evolved (or maybe devolved?) to/from other projects: check the way he drops beats and vocals from the Madvillain project into "The Payback(1)" and "Sir Bang(2)". Dude is definitely still digging for obscure/quirky samples, too, as evidenced by "Filthy(3)" and "Black Mozart(4)". The majority of the 35 tracks are under 2-minutes long, lending to the feeling that you're just channel-surfing through Madlib's brain, or sitting around in his studio while he fucks around, like "Check out what I did last night". -the mgmnt
I always thought that Madlib had skipped number 3 in the Mind Fusion series
to create a wrinkle for all the collectors to obsess over. This mini-mystery has now been solved, as he finally delivers the elusive 3rd volume, which was previously only...
expand review available on the recent tour. Like other volumes, this mix is surreal mix of Madlib influences from X-rated comedy records, reggae, jazz, and latin (and that's all within the first section). This one in particular has a strong spacey jazz feel to it. The upper-echelon of stoner music. Approximately one hour. -the mgmnt
Madlib returns to grey areas with two more simultaneous releases in his Mind Fusion series. Much like its surrealist covers, the series is hard to define: not really a mix and not really a compilation. It's an impromptu Madlib stew, put together...
expand review with heaps of randomness and mysterious herbs. The series skips volume three and heads directly to this volume four. The theme here is hip-hop and features indy hip-hop, remixes, freestyles, a sizeable Nas vs. Jay-Z section using Madlib beats, and tracks from Lib's own Crate Diggas Palace archives. Over one hour of music. -the mgmnt
Madlib returns to grey areas with two more simultaneous releases in his Mind Fusion series. Much like its surrealist covers, the series is hard to define: not really a mix and not really a compilation. It's a impromptu Madlib stew, put together...
expand review with heaps of randomness and mysterious herbs. The series skips volume 3, and heads into volume four and this volume five. The theme here is "Dirty Crates From Around The World" aka the fruits of Madlib's many tour travels. The second half of the CD consists of a 36 minute live set from LA's best kept secret, the Do-Over party. Over one hour of music. -the mgmnt
First of all, you can't really beat the $15 CD & DVD combo, especially when it's a Madlib mix and a Peanut Butter Wolf DVD (and you guys already know the Beat Konducta always comes correct on the mix). Previous volumes in...
expand review this series have included Fischerspooner and Black Strobe. For "The Other Side of LA," Madlib blends an eclectic set of tracks from the likes of Quasimoto, Cybotron, Jaylib, Dabrye, Sun Ra, Prince Jazzbo, Freestyle Fellowship and then some. I feel the vibe here really fits that conscious, smoked-out LA mindstate (but what do I know, I'm from BK transplanted from the Yay). For the DVD, Stones Throw head honcho Peanut Butter Wolf gives you a personal tour of all the best shopping spots, food (my favorite part), nightlife, sights and accommodations in downtown LA. It's kind of like something off the Travel Channel, but with dope beats and hosted by PBW so you know you can trust. In addition, PB Wolf throws down a revealing interview about the 10+ year history of Stones Throw, from its early beginnings to becoming the one of the biggest indy labels of today. You also get videos from Dudley Perkins, Oh No, Aloe Blacc and Roc C. Worth every penny, especially if you plan on stopping by LA anytime soon. -snackmaster
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It seems like every big West Coast producer has been called to duty for videogame soundtracks lately, so it's not surprising that the big daddy at Stones Throw gets passed the pill. Remember Automator's and Z-Trip's b-ball soundtracks? I hardly do. They...
expand review were alright, but they sounded like videogame soundtracks. Nothing too special. PB Wolf pulls through like a champ though. He's got the entire Stones Throw crew to help him out (see tracklist) and the whole project comes together like a family compilation with special editions and bonus tracks. First off, the money track on here is "Lightworking(1)," which was the ill track from Dilla's Donuts, now featuring Q-Tip & Kweli. How's that for the fans? Don't miss Supreme Team's (Madlib + Karriem Riggins) "See(2)," the hype track "Break It Down(3)," Beat Konducta's "Trouble(4)," the ladykiller Aloe Blacc's "Finda Way(5)," James Pants' "Ka$h(6)," the electro jam on Arabian Prince's "Professor X Saga(7)" and the slumpy funk on "Sidewayz(8)." There's literally a sound for every fetish out there. Hiiighly recommended. -C'mish
A unique addition to the PB Wolf mix canon, for sure. Recorded on the most demonic day of the century (June 6, 2006), the 666 Mix is divided into six "books," each crammed to the brim with the finest in metal, industrial...
expand review and just plain spooky shit. Features artists like Black Sabbath, Ministry, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Cabaret Voltaire, Faust, Metal Church, Deicide (nice one!), Front 242, Revolting Cocks, Led Zeppelin and more. And of course, it's all mixed with that signature PB Wolf flair… except just a little more evil. 6 tracks; 66 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
Look who's the ladies man. Straight from the Stones Throw tour, this special mix is the newest from PB Wolf, giving it up to the flyest girls of hip hop. Hold any scoffing, this is not a novelty my dudes! If...
expand review you were expecting Salt n' Pepa Queen Latifah remixes, you should slap yourself, this is the Wolf fool! He's only the label head and his mixtapes have always been impeccable. There's over 30 of the baddest female MC's you've never heard. Not only that, the beats are banging. Every style from sick early 90's hip hop, hip house, bass-a-delic Miami tracks. Gotta check MC Shay, Missy Mist, Wink D, Jazzi Love, Lisa Lee, Ladi Luv, Ms. Melodie, DW & The Party Crew ft. Roxy, All Ready Fresh, Nina Hill, Too Bad, The Fresh Girls, M&M... There's enough here to get lost for weeks. Also, peep the slept on tracks from your favorites like Roxanne Shante's, "Wack It," and JJ Fad's "Another Tramp," and Monie Love's "R U Single." It's probably the best rare/funky mix I've heard in a while. File under "keeper." Recommended. -C'mish
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The latest Stones Throw family affair, Roc C comes with one of their best full lengths in a minute. His buddy Oh No handles production on most of the album and these guys sound right in tune with each other. I'll be...
expand review honest, I don't know Roc C from a hole in the wall and I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to get to know him better, but this album kinda hit me in the head. First things first, the beats are pretty frickin good all the way through. Seriously, Oh No hit him with some shit and his beats are real consistent. Second things second, Roc C has a good voice, strong presence and enough charisma that you want to find out what he's saying. "Hear Me Now(1)" got me interested, "Don't Stop(2)" made it apparent this was gonna have some shit, and by the time "Dirty Dirty(3)" came on I was ready to just let the whole album roll (we rarely do that on the mngmt side of the office. It's either pete's itunes on shuffle, jonesey's jukebox podcasts or the frogman on 45s). "R.O.C.(4)" with Dudley Perkins is one of my favorites from that dude, and the crew track "Watching You(5)" with Aloe Blacc, Oh No and Bizzy Bone is especially hitting. This is that solid Southern Cali hip hop, made for the walkmen, the beat heads and the cars… but it's not corny. -the mgmnt
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After releasing what seems like an endless stream of eps, singles and 7"s in the last year or so, we finally get a full length of the Yesterdays New Quintet Madlib. This is like if the rhythm section and the laidback key...
expand review man just went on a trip and told the band leaders and to fuck off. The sound is led by rhodes, arps, and synths, drenching it in a pool of warmth and vibes over lazy day drums. The standout for most will be the cover of "Daylight(1)." Fuzzy, bass heavy and without the vocals of the RAMP version, just as you want it. Madlib shows quite a bit of range in style, moving through tunes as slow and sweet as "Broken" straight into Organic Grooves-ready material like the cover of "Sun Goddess(2)," all of which is kept level with short Pete Rock style interludes. The general feel of the album is so well meshed that it gets hard to find where you left off and which song is the one you like. But that's easy- you like all of them. Or you don't like it at all. 16 tracks total, plus interludes. -the mgmnt
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Madlib continues to travel to where no beatmaker has gone before. Don't get me wrong, the Beatkonducta and the collaboration releases have been stellar, but it seems that YNQ is Madlib's real passion... especially this particular album. Madlib steps up the signature...
expand review randomness here, you can see it in the track order, titles, and expanded cast of aliases. Get into the music, and it only gets deeper. I tried to give this a listen sitting at my desk, but it's so dense and thoughtful, that I felt like I needed to be at home to truly absorb this mind meld. Here's a little bit of categorization to get you started. Beats: "Street Talkin(1), She's Gonna Stay(2) (some truly beautiful shit), Free Son(3), Vibes From The Tribe Suite(4) (a 12 minute cover of Phil Ranelin's classic). Jazz
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