((Out of Nothing)) by i.deals / 1Track@aTime 4.25.2014

1Track@aTime 4.25.2014
((Out of Nothing))

Closing out the semester for the summer break the final 1Track@aTime on KRUX 91.5 fm for Spring 14' was dedicated to the sophomore release produced by IV the Polymath featuring Jondis on the mic (i.deals), i.deology.  This was a follow up to the single rotation back in March of ((Due To)).  A dope project from the creative duo ... they go by i.deals and if you've never heard their material I highly recommend going back and working your way up to i.deology.  It begins with the i.deals EP and the Spill record and several other tracks including one of my all time favorite, ((1,2)) off IV's Drum Machines Have No Soul project.  I've been keeping up with IV since the No Sleep days, several of his projects including the latest i.deology have been released as cassette tapes... a throwback to the portable players from back when...the mode, direction, play, and stop days!  The track we featured is titled ((Out of Nothing))... a dope concept that makes me think of Hip Hop, starting from scratch, independent thought, and as it relates to music... creating new ideas.  In so far as how it relates to IV, I think about his approach to production as a musician.

We also featured an instrumental from IV titled ((Proceed)).  This track was dedicated to the birth of two baby girls, one being our Brother Dune's baby girl Lil' Aria out in Las Cruces, New Mexico and the other our Brother Gravity's neice, Lil' Gia in New Jersey.  Both arrived to the world on the same day and I called it!  Hahahaha.  I felt ((Proceed)) captured that sound and just a whole new step forward for the families in our lives.  This program's definitely dedicated to them and B.Dune's taking the time this week as a father to represent for the listeners.

In addition to labeling this record under the 1Track@aTime category for the blog, we're also labeling it under LHHS charts, No. 2 effective May 2014 which you can view to the right.

p.s. to purchase a copy of the i.deology digitally or as cassette click on the album cover above! 

Vinylart: Brothers Hildebrandt

Vinylart / Hildebrandt

There are a lot of reasons why I collect vinyl.  Sometimes its cause I want to recapture what my parent's lost.  Most of the time its for the music.  In other instances its cause I'm trying to collect every single record by a particular artist or group.  Sometimes its for a sample.  Sometimes its for a mixtape I'm working on.  And there have been times where its for other people. 

Collecting records has been a steady hobby of mine for exactly fourteen years.  I grew up a child of the 80s observing my father's collection, watching my parents dance, party, and hang out with their collection of wax in the background.

Over the years, life's work+study+time for everything else has subsided the collection routes I'd take on a typical day off.  Especially as the collection continued to grow beyond what I was actually taking the time to listen to. It made for the occasional visits to a Goodwill, an antique spot, an estate sale, All That Music, etc. a lot less frequent. 

Lately, I've been digging in the storage stacks that I've forgotten about reminiscing of digs in ABQ, Santa Fe, El Paso, the Bay Area, and Austin.  The record above I didn't get for the sound... as a matter of fact after revisiting the record, I didn't like the sound at all.  Looking at the cover, I do recall how it caught my attention when I discovered it.  I thought of the old He-Man Masters of the Universe cartoon I use to watch as a kid... couldn't get that visual out of my head, but it also struck a nerve with memories I had of other unusual record covers that dealt with planets and space... maybe some of my father's Earth, Wind and Fire records.  I liked the tone, the feel of this record cover.  It felt rich in color, in detail, vintage. 

Fast forward present day and I stared at the record one morning, observing the details, listening to the album itself.  I shared it with a co-worker who's into art.  For the most part I was wondering about the artist responsible... how much time went into it and the significance of the name appearing on the album cover itself... "Hildebrandt".  To me it said a lot for an artist to have their name on the cover with the group.  Not knowing much about art... I had no idea who it was and it turns out that the artist was also the illustrator for old Star Wars promotion, of which the co-worker I shared this with is a big fan. It opened up other stories about the artists themselves and their work... "Brothers Hildebrandt" which in a quick search I stumbled across the video below.

It made me think all these years collecting and how much of it was determined by the cover art, itself... not only the music or the reasons mentioned above.  It's what led me towards the waxpoetics book on Cover Art and a project I envisioned in Book Arts to create a vinyl-cover sized book of my own personal collection.  Or maybe a definitive collection with story/reviews.  Not just your standard review about the album, but of what the album itself means to my life. 

For this blog I've been inspired to create a label for posts called Vinylart.  This is to include standard covers with actual portraits, photographs, etc.  To scan the covers I use a large printer scanner or sometimes I'll try to get the lighting where I need it and shoot a shot with a digital camera. 

Here's the vid about the Brothers Hildebrandt.

  

((More Wins)) by Alchemist & Evidence / 1Track@aTime 4.18.2014

1Track@aTime 4.18.2014
((More Wins))

This week's digital highlight is Step Brothers...I'd recommend the LP which I understand has the velvet feel, text raised in gold color.  Lord Steppington consists of Alchemist & Evidence, both on the production & rhymes with several features including Styles P, Rakaa Iriscience, Blu, and many more MCs.

For tonight's program we focused on two tracks from this record, the intro ((More Wins)) along with rotation of one of my favorites ((Tomorrow)).  Been tuned to Alchemist production since ((The Realest)) and beat projects such as the Chemistry Files which were amongst the first instrumental LPs I started to pick up around 2000.  To reflect back we threw on ((The Basics)) from the instrumental series LP by Al.  Evidence's catalog is just as deep with solo work and as member of Dilated Peoples, including several of his own beat projects such as the most recent Green Tape. 

For soundcloud rotation of B.Dune's selections for April 18th's Fresh Produce Show click here. 

((Manipulated)) by Mindsone & Kev Brown / 1Track@aTime 4.11.2014

1Track@aTime 4.11.2014
((Manipulated))

I been tuned into Kev Brown's soulful sound for a good while... since before I realized we were locked into Brown's sounds on the DJ Jazzy Jeff Magnificent project which was also around the time I learned of Oddisee.  So when I noticed something new was out featuring Kev Brown with Mindsone, Pillars... without hesitation I decided to zone in on this record for the week.  Pulled the record from eMusic which also included the instrumentals.  It was my introduction to the North Carolina group and overall the project is one I highly recommend, especially if you looking for something new and haven't heard of Kev Brown or the dope lyricism of Mindsone.  Give this one your ear and time... For this week we focused on the track ((Manipulated)), a banger I had dedicated to the producers of Fresh Produce and Dune also dropped an instrumental from the record titled ((Nightstalkers)).  Look out for this record right here.  One for the charts most definitely, and you can't go wrong with a record that includes the instrumentals!

And how about that cover?!  Vinyl forever.

((Sleepless in Soweto)) by Asheru / 1Track@aTime 4.4.2014

1Track@aTime 4.4.2014
((Sleepless in Soweto))

The 4th of April was a special time and a return for myself and fellow OGSV family to the KRUX 91.5 fm booth.  It was a reunion of sorts and nostalgic to watch Dune que the tracks, prep for mic time, and to see all our brothers laughing, cracking jokes, and taking in the sounds from the Fresh Produce playlists.  Dune didn't have access to the tracks I had sent through email for the segment so we got set to que up directly from the cell phone for April 4th's 1Track@aTime which was focused on the latest from Asheru, Sleepless in Soweto.  First of all, this is one of the dopest albums I've heard in a long while... in the category with how I felt about Akbar's Planet X which I had up on the top of my charts for well over a year.  On the night of the 4th, we connected directly from the KRUX dashboard to my HTC and rotated not one but several tracks from Sleepless in Soweto.  Those tracks included the intro, ((Simphiwe's Theme)), ((Funky DC)) feat. Ark & Sitali, and one of my favorite ((Clay Davis)) which afterward I realized was in reference of Senator Clayton of The Wire played by the actor Isiah Whitlock, Jr, also featured in one of my favorite Spike Lee Joints the 25th Hour.  I also put on a set of headphones and got the chance to speak on it shouting out the Co-sign Collective & Jess who during my tenure on KRUX from 2000 to 2008 was known as Spectre.  They service some of the best music a college radio station can ask for, which is where I got the Asheru record from.  Check them out at co-sign.com.

Sleepless in Soweto right now is at the top of my list.  And this is with a deep selection of dope albums I've had the chance to check out throughout '14 so far (scroll down and peep the list to the right side of the page).  For this post I also included a couple of photos from the KRUX session.  You can peep more photographs over at our Hip Hop Alumni blogspot: click here.  Of the evening highlights on April 4th was a poem our brother Ronin put down on the air after blocking everybody out to pen a piece on the spot.  Also what was crazy is that after all these years, my brother Jus aka Gravity who was visiting all the way down from Buffalo, NY peeked in the Archives room and found my old 'Archives Manager' nameplate which is more than a decade old.  Still after all these years it was there!  Check the photograph below.  

For more information on Asheru, who afterwards I also remembered is the MC behind one of my favorite shows, the intro to Boondocks, you need to visit his sites at Asheru Worldwide / sleeplessinsoweto.org (Asheru is currently touring in South Africa).  Also, I just learned about this navigating the site, but he's also leading a Hip Hop Educational Leadership Program which you can visit at www.edlyrics.com.  I first heard of Asheru years ago on the Unspoken Heard projects having rotated his material back then on the very same dial, 91.5 fm.  So in a lot of ways we returned to a lot of memories through this program, both as a crew and through the music.

Shout out to the OGSV family and Dune for holding us down on our area's only platform for unscripted and uncontrolled rotation, KRUX 91.5 fm. 

B.Dune (left) + Lee (straight ahead in the background, that's me)*

Aaliyah & Cookin' Soul MP3

In Rememory of Aaliyah

A Thousand New Radio Stations: Whose Will They Be?

A Thousand New Radio Stations: Whose Will They Be?

by Tracy Rosenberg

Article: click here

Wish one of those radio stations was mine!  Good thing we have KRUX.

Marvin's Passport

Marvin Gaye's 1964 Passport Found in a Vinyl by a Motown Fan

Article: click here

Great vinyl story.

Lightheaded

Lightheaded Documentary
Ohmega Watts

Check out the story.  Highly recommend the catalog from this group, been a long time fan.  Kept up with the Ohmega Watts records and the groups work as well.  If you ever looking for something to listen to and haven't heard of this group, track down the audio and check em' out.  Group name is Lightheaded, and the members consist of Ohmega Watts, Othello, and Braille.

In the Lab with Pete Rock

Nahright Feature by Daniel Isenberg
Feature: click here

“My record collection started through my [father’s]. I got a lot of stuff for Mecca and the Soul Brother [from there]. I used a lot of his jazz stuff. He had Kool & the Gang 45s. Mounds of 45s, which are mine now. Rest In Peace. He had everything. Jazz, rock, soul, and especially reggae, because we’re Jamaican." - Pete Rock

((The World is Yours)) by Will Sessions / 1Track@aTime 03.21.2014

1Track@aTime 03.21.2014
((The World is Yours))

I consider Illmatic one of the most important records of my lifetime.  In the Nas video ((The World is Yours)), beat produced by Pete Rock, I compare myself at the time to the kid in the video watching the video.  I grew up on YO! MTV Raps beginnings to end, and BET's Rap City program with Big Lez & Joe Clair... One of the videos that hit me most early on other than Pete Rock & CL Smooth's ((T.R.O.Y.)), the Q-Tips produced Mobb Deep ((Give Up the Goods)), and countless others was the Illmatic videos.  Tracks like ((The World is Yours)), ((One Love)), ((It Ain't Hard to Tell))... I fell in love with those videos.  Especially the Large Professor produced ((It Ain't Hard to Tell)) considering the Michael Jackson sample who during my born days and upbringing as a child of the 80s I considered the music I called my own.  The Thriller LP is day 1 for me.  And so hearing MJ manifest itself into the ((It Ain't Hard to Tell)) track just took it there for me and by the time the 90s came around Hip Hop took over the space between my headphones.  

So for this week's 1Track@aTime broadcasting on KRUX 91.5 FM through the Fresh Produce show hosted by B.Dune, we stepped into the conversation about the 20th Anniversary of Nas's debut Illmatic and wanted to highlight what I feel is one of the best records to pay homeage to the classic by Elzhi and the Will Sessions band out of Detroit titled Elmatic.  As our brother Dune's show is all instrumental based, we wanted to focus on the instrumentals by Will Sessions.  Below, however, is the first video I checked out by Elzhi at the time this dropped.  It's ((It Ain't Hard to Tell)).  Before that I had heard the project was in the works but it wasn't til' the videos started poppin' up on YouTube that I knew it was time.

Introducing Rapsody

Introducing Rapsody

Been working my way towards the 2012 debut release from an MC out of North Carolina that goes by Rapsody.  I first heard of Rapsody a few years ago but slept on finding my way to access her music til' I stumbled across DatPiff, "the authority of free mixtapes"... It's a site for anybody out there that might not have change for new music, CDs and such, and that would like access to good quality product straight off the net.  You get 5 downloads max per registration a day leaving you with enough time til' you're ready for the next batch of listens.  The site is giving me a chance to work threw what I missed from Rapsody's past work chronologically up towards her first album in 2012 The Idea of Beautiful which I plan on purchasing soon as I get to that year from her mixtapeography.  Be sure to check out Rapsody representin' Jamla Records.

Can't rush through something this good. 

((Opponent)) by Kentyah, M1, Brian Jackson & The New Midnight Band / 1Track@aTime 03.14.2014

1Track@aTime 03.14.2014
((Opponent))

Thought I'd never get into the whole tweet thing til' my good friend mentioned getting the HHA site back on social media after quitting on what seemed like a useless Facebook.  Twitter's been cool and most recently was scrolling through the follows when I noticed a Chuck D tweet about the record above.  The cover of Evolutionary Minded took me back to the covers of Gil and Brian Jackson's Midnight Band First Minute of a New Day LP.  Was especially glad to see the names featured including the likes of my all time favorite duo dead prez, Martin Luther, Gregory Porter, Bobby Seale, Killah Priest, and many others including Chuck D...  And then of course it being an ode to the legendary and always on time Gil Scott-Heron plus the headline involvement of none other than Brian Jackson and what's being referred to as The New Midnight Band.  Had listened to the record a number of times before deciding on the track ((Opponent)) featuring dead prez for rotation.  Sending that one out to the families with close ones incarcerated, to the youth of the Voices Behind Walls program, and to the most recent release of Herman Wallace + Marshall Eddie Conway.  It's also important to note the name at the top of the list musician Kentyah Fraser as this is his debut to the world.  One for the collections and definitely one to further on the legacy of Gil Scott-Heron.  Make sure to check this record out.

Also the CD comes with a dope vinyl-cover-sized poster for the wall.  Got mine up at work!  I ordered a copy through Amazon.com.  Included below is Kentyah's link for more information on the project.

www.kentyah.com

Also motema.com

In addition to the ((Opponent)) track we also included rotation from one of my favorite producers out now and of all times... Damu the Fudgemunk and a track called "New Generation" from the Spare Time Re-inspired project. 

((Due To)) by i.deals / 1Track@aTime 03.07.2014

1Track@aTime 03.07.2014
((Due To))

Jumping off of the week's prior focus on IV the Polymath's production, for the first week of March we featured the latest from i.deals, a duo compromised if musician IV the Polymath and MC Jondis.  This is the first single for the new album titled i.deology that's set to drop in March off Polymath Records & digduyDIY.  One of the dopest current day HH collaborations, this is their follow up to their debut record Spill, which you could check out on Bandcamp click here.

Interesting how the cover for "Due To" fixes in with the radio show's name Fresh Produce.  Shout out to the radio DJ of the show B.Dune for working in the tracks and be sure to supports ideals by checking out the link above and putting their march release of i.deology on your radar for albums to purchase.  

For a rundown of other tracks rotated on March 7th by B.Dune and the Fresh Produce camp you can visit this Soundcloud page by clicking here.

1Track@aTime on 02.27.2014 featured the sounds of Aydee the Great, A.D. Carson the Term One Mixtape, track ((Yes, Today))... goin' out to Ali and the Writing the Wrongs program in Illinois!  More info on A.D Carson, visit blogs.aydeethegreat.com ...Much respect to Dune for also rotating the classic sounds of Madlib's Unseen Instrumentals!

((Watching the Clouds)) by K-Def / 1Track@aTime 02.20.2014

1Track@aTime 02.20.2014
((Watching the Clouds))

Rotation for February 20th's 1Track@aTime on KRUX 91.5 fm... "Watching the Clouds" dedicated to the memory of DJ Spanish Aztec.  I first met DJ SA during a phone call at the radio station when he called in to see about a spot on the rotation roster.  Shortly after, we met up and started the Tables & Crates show.  Heard of this K-Def record through Damu the Fudgemunk and the Redefinition Record label.  But I heard of Damu through SA back in the day who had gotten access to a Y Society album at the time, Travel at Your Own Pace.  Felt the return to KRUX needed a shout to our good brother, Troy Calendaria also known as SA, acronym for Spanish Aztec, aka "Still Alive" and other names.

Peep the video below on K-Def if you don't know and be sure to check out the One Man Band record.  It's an exceptional project and hopefully one of many future projects through the Redefinition Record label.  For more information peep redefinitionrecords.com

Music Is my Character by Gasface

In addition to the K-Def track for the 20th, we also prelude'd the track of the week with a track by IV the Polymath titled "Unique Individual" off the Mono EP.  A real dope track from one of our all time favorite producers.  The Mono EP is a dope project amongst others if you've yet to hear IV's production, which you can check out at Polymath Records ivthepolymath.com.  What's so dope about the Mono EP is IV's approach to its packaging having hand crafted the project into black C46 cassettes... His approach is reminiscent of the tape deck era that lives on as not only a collectible for today's Hip Hop, but something to rotate over and over again one side to the next.  To check out the project digitally you can visit IV's bandcamp by clicking here: Mono.    

To check out other artists featured on Dune's rotation for the 20th, be sure to check out the Soundcloud playlist by clicking here.  Peace to B.Dune and the Fresh Produce camp.

DJ Digumsmak

mixcrate.com/digumsmak

Check the link for the mixtape archive.  One of the best.

Representin' New Mexico.

Shout out to DJ Digumsmak.

((Falling)) by MC Melodee / 1Track@aTime 02.14.2014

1Track@aTime 02.14.2014
((Falling)) by MC Melodee

B.Dune debut his return to KRUX 91.5 fm, New Mexico State University on Valentines this year with the Fresh Produce program which will be broadcasting each Friday from 10PM to midnite.

91.5 FM is the only call letter in this region where nothing comes between a radio DJ and their playlist.  So when I heard our brother B.Dune would be back on the mic rotating the sounds, it brought that interest back to want to listen.  And nowhere else has the variety that defines Hip Hop been represented best in our area than on KRUX 91.5 fm.  There's no other dial in southern NM where you'll hear beats by producers from all all parts of the world, or where the rotation will make room for someone like MC Melodee. From 2000 to 2008 I got the chance to meet a lot of cool people at KRUX, got the chance to rotate a lot of the music I liked listening to, and every once in a while was able to interview artists I was learning about through my own collecting or promotional material we received at the station. 

B.Dune welcomed the idea of letting me send in a track each week for the Fresh Produce program for a segment called 1Track@aTime.  I spend a lot of time listening to music in the car or through mobile audio with the iPod, so often times I'll have something new to share.  On the 14th we set things off with one of MC Melodee's latest tracks off a project from Hot16 that's inspired by the time and sound of the 80s.  It's an ill track, especially as a gesture of love and the holiday broadcast for Fresh Produce radio on 91.5 fm February 14th. 

Much respect to B.Dune for the chance to share music again live through the Fresh Produce show.  To listen in each week you can live stream the show from kruxradio.com. If you're local the dial is 91.5 fm, if you're online, droids can listen through Tune in Radio, or laptop/CPU check out the KRUX main page. Fore more info on MC Melodee and to download the "Falling" track, click on the link below.  Let the Soundcloud tracks play on for more music from MC Melodee, including her work with producer INT through La Melodia.  Below is a download for the 1Track@aTime feature on the 14th of February. 

Peace to B.Dune and crew.  

Download ((Falling)) by MC Melodee feat. Hot 16 on the production: click here

02/14/2014 Playlist: click here to listen to the music!

1Track@aTime

Broadcasting on The Fresh Produce Show w/ B.Dune
KRUX 91.5 FM Fridays 10PM to Midnite
repshowdigital presents

1Track@aTime

The Fresh Produce Radio Show

The Fresh Produce Radio Show
KRUX 91.5 FM
10PM to 12midnite
College Radio

Big shout out to B.Dune and the Fresh Produce Radio Show broadcasting live from our old stomping grounds, KRUX 915. fm, New Mexico State University.  Rotating some of the freshest instrumentals out.  Homie was kind enough to open a segment of time for me to drop the 1Track@aTime on listeners which began broadcasting last week February 14th, 2014, Valentines Day.  I'll be posting notes on those releases on the blog once they broadcast.  Good to have something to look forward to on radio again.  Be sure to tune in every Friday 10PM to 12 midite Mountain Time by streaming live from the KRUX 91.5 FM link at the web kruxradio.com/stream.  Much love to the entire OGSv camp, Fire, Darkness, Thunder, Gravity, Dune, Ronin, and everyone out there.  From B.Chess aka repshowhost aka Lee.  Peace.

B.Chess*

Ceremony

Ceremony No. 1

Before the 13' closed out I got the chance to check out the latest from Raashan Ahmad Ceremony.  It currently sits at no. 1 of my favorite current listens.  Each record is just as great as the next.  Got familiar with the audio through an exchange online with a cpklla (Yahoo Messenger alias) who put me on to Crown City Rockers through a track called "Side Step" about a decade ago or so... I didn't realize it, but the Mission record I discovered at the KRUX 91.5 fm archives (and later lost) also featured the MC (Raashan Ahmad) who would eventually top my all times list as favorite MCs, next to Black Thought, Grimm, stic.man, etc.  If you missed Ceremony like I almost did, don't postpone any longer, check it out!

Hoping to prepare a year in review mixtape for 2013... so much music, so little time.