Category archive: Audio

Build An Ark, the Los Angeles-based community of singers, and musicians, release their third album ‘Love’ – and their hearts just keep getting bigger.

Build An Ark return with their third album ‘Love’, and their growth – both in sound and players – shows no signs of stopping. This record is their meditation on love – its varying forms and moods, its ecstatic and soothing powers. Build An Ark, under the production of Carlos Niño, have made an album which flows with a real range of volume and density, with arrangements and configurations contrasting against each other. The group has still kept their organic sound while adding several more layers, and charting a distinct progression from their previous two albums.

While Build An Ark is all about the collective expression, there are some notable players, including Impulse! violinist Michael White, singers Mia Doi Todd and Diana Moriera, Tribe co-founder Phil Ranelin, poet Kamau Daaood, spiritual baritone Dwight Trible (The Life Force Trio), and tireless arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, all under the guidance of production standard-bearer Carlos Niño. The sound of ‘Love’ is the sound of a family at one with the universe – and it comes straight from the heart. Jan. 18th, Build an Ark will be playing at the Paradiso in Amsterdam for a One off show. After this they will travel to London to play at the Redbull Broadcast night together with IG Culture. Kindred Spirits.

Build An Ark – How Do We End All This Madness

Build An Ark – Sunflowers In My Garden

This Sunday all our Rotterdam peoples is going to gather at Rotown to get a glimpse at Mayer Hawthorne. Big up to our Strange Fruit fam for putting this together. Now like last time our Beat M Up buddies cooked up a couple of remixes and we wanted to share the Bluntspeakers remix this time. Free download of course and in case you’re wondering about the other remixes, head on over to the BMU website to download those as well.

Mayer Hawtorne – Maybe So, Maybe No (Bluntspeakers Remix)

Freshly baked straight out of the oven! Our pal Computer Jay drops another hot one on us by the name of “Conflictions of a Space Traveler”. He tweeted this one a couple of minutes ago so guaranteed freshness as always!

Computer Jay – Conflictions of a Space Traveler

REPOST: Using “Love Czars” from their Nuclear Evolution album as inspiration, the SA-RA Creative Partners create “Love Czars II”  exclusively for this release. This is not a remix (the music is completely different), and in a clash of heavyweight new schoolers, it features red hot MC/producer Jay Electronica and Ta’Raach on the mic. Also included is “Powder Bump”, a SA-RA track previously unavailable on vinyl.

Please note that this is a very special limited release with the music on one side and the Serato tone on the flip of some very pink vinyl! This is an official Serato Control Vinyl release which works as a conventional 12″ release on Side A, and is a Serato Control Vinyl release on Side B. ubiquity

Sa-Ra Creative Partners – Love Czars II Feat Jay Electronica & Ta’Raach

We are proud to present the new EP of covers from our producer extraordinair Zo!, also known from Foreign Exchange. This FREE “…Just Visiting Too” release features Yahzarah, Carlitta Durand, Sy Smith, Phonte and Darien Brockington.

Working on this record has been a labor of love for everybody involved, and it serves as a teaser for Zo’s upcoming full-length “SunStorm” dropping next summer on FE Music. Enclosed in the “…Just Visiting Too” zip file is a digital pdf booklet complete with all the album credits, information on the album’s vocalists and contributors, as well as information on the originals. Enjoy the music, pass it around to a friend, and as always thank you for the support. Download the EP – HERE –

Zo! – My Flame Feat Phonte

Zo! – Holding You, Loving You

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Flwrpt is at it again. This time bringing us a very entertaining “Autumn” mix. If you haven’t been checking out their blog filled with posts about original/sample music, some good ol’ funk and soul and a critical look at the cover art as well. To top it off they also bless the Internet with nice mixes like this one. Mixing deep house, nu-soul, r&b, and electronic music into one  sound, hopefully you all can feel it! Cover art + mixed by Darien Victor Birks of Flwrpt. Tracklist after the drop…as usual.

Flwrpt – Autumn

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Once in a while an artist manages to take me back into time. Recently it was Cali’s Fashawn that reminded me of the Pharcyde a lot…and I do mean got me suffering from flashbacks and shit. This week I was introduced to Polyester the Saint for the first time. When listening to his typical west coast jams, it got sucked into a vortex of some sort. I suddenly found myself in another time somewhere in the mid nineties. It was this period in time that had always stuck with me througout my life, cuz it was feel good Hip Hop. Shit was laidback, funky, care free and a whole lot more. Stop what you’re doing for brief moment and go listen to Poly’s music. Doesn’t this remind you of cats like Domino with his “Sweet Potatoe Pie” or “Getto Jam”? Anyhow…enough with the sentimental ish. We just wanted to let the world know about this west coast musician who breathes new life in to Hip Hop while spreading messages of peace, unity and love.

After attending Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, Polyester (aka Christian St. James Cleveland) would immediately begin to work closely with notable greats such as Chaka Khan and Stevie Wonder, E-40 and Too Short. Poly would then join forces with partner Louis Brown IV, forming production team, Los Angeles Unified Sound District or LAUSD. In 2009 the duo would receive worldwide recognition with the release of “LAUSD Presents: Curly Tops And Nautica Jackets”, which was distributed on major Hip Hop blogs across the country and landed #5 on BET’s must have CD’s of 2009.

With a Funk heart, a Jazz spirit and a Hip Hop structure, his sound represents a mixture of G-Funk and Hip Hop and is mostly sample-based. He has already performed with J’DaVeY and Taz of SA-RA Creative Partners. Currently he’s working on a compliation album with the likes of Pac Div, Dom Kennedy, U-N-I, Diz Gibran. Keep your greedy little eyes on the lookout for the “Hellagood presents: Polyester The Saint” album, which is yet to be released. Poly’s is currently also working on a brand new album “Peace Love Unity Respect” which is still in the making.

Polyester – Means The World

Polyester – Ya Boy P

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While visiting OJ‘s website, we stumbled upon this new freebie “Phonenumber”. It’s an oldy from two years ago, but this is just what the doctor ordered. This soulful joint is off the heezy and if you haven’t voted, regarding to the State Awards, yet click HERE to choose your favorite Dutch producer. Honestly I couldn’t pick a winner between SirOJ, FS Green and Hayzee. Shout out to the Mixing Monthly Millionairs who put this one up on 22tracks as well.

SirOJ – Phonenumber

This is the third 7” in a series of 4 featuring tracks taken from the forthcoming “Producer 2” album set for release in the Autumn. The compilation brings together all the most exciting elements around today from Hip Hop, electronica and beyond in the post – Dilla generation.

This 7” features Devonwho, a member of the klipmode label collective. Devon is a regular guest at Gaslamp Killer’s Low End Theory session in L.A, plays at various jams across the west coast and has recently releaed his first album entitled “Thumbtracks”. He cites major influences as Jneiro Jarel alongside Dam-Funk and listening to his music, particularly “Nimbus”, that is very evident. On the flip is ”ZX81” from D Bridge, the man behind Exit Records, the producer of numerous drum & bass classics for labels like BC, Soul:r and Renegade Hardware and coproducer of the semial Spacek album, Hi-Tek Vintage on K7. Check it out at Fat City. The 7″ drops at the end of this month and the album will drop around the same time or early December.

Devonwho – Nimbus

Shooting to Sirius and beyond, the intense and intergalactic slowmotion grooves of Portformat finally hit space! NASA-compatible Hip Hop Funkadelica is what to expect on Portformat’s debut album released into orbit, musically combining space themes of the 70’s with the golden moments of 90’s R’n’B. Shooting stars such as Georgia Anne Muldrow, Shuanise and Suzi Analogue shine on Portformat’s beats from “The Repeat Factory”. Rappers such as Madlib-vocalist Dudley Perkins, Blaktroniks, Obey The Altar Native, Bless1, Gajah and Thesaurus Rex also join the ride. Turn it up loud, this is “The Repeat Factor”! This will drop December 3rd on CD & digital! (Tokyo Dawn Records)

Portformat – Purple Planet

Portformat – Mothership Feat. Dudley Perkíns & Georgia Anne Muldrow