Deadbeats in the Mix - 60 Minutes of Deadbeats Remixes

The Deadbeats have been one of my favorite electronic downtempo artists for the last several months ever since I heard of them from a Twitter post from @NightmaresOnWax. The Deadbeats hail from the UK and their tracks are released by Wax On Records, the label from legendary downtempo and chillout gurus Nightmares On Wax. Their latest album, Made In The Shade, is a collection of downtempo sunshine vibes, trip hop tracks that channel Massive Attack and even some chill house. It makes for a truly complete listening experience. The Deadbeats recently remixed and edited their own stuff, and put them in one great mix, presented here for your listening pleasure:
The Deadbeats in the mix by thedeadbeats

And another track for good measure :)
QQQQQ by thedeadbeats

The Upside 2.16.10 - free mix from DJ Erok

Here's my latest mix - a sample of the tracks I play at my monthly DJ night at Enormous Room in Cambridge, MA. This mix leans more towards funk and hip hop with a bit of dub and chilled electronica. Listen here - the tracklist is below and you can download the mix for free here.

The Upside Mix 2.16.10 by DJ EROK, Downbeatscape

Tracklisting:
1. Didn’t Cha Know (Biscope Boot) – Erykah Badu
2. Street Sound – Noah D
3. Originality ft. Sister Nancy – Thievery Corporation
4. Sword Progression – Marcel
5. Strictly Rockers 215 – DJ Vadim
6. Entran – Eddie Silverton
7. Canto De Ossanha – Jurrasic 5
8. Forget Me Not – Wu Tang vs. The Beatles
9. Thrill 103 – DJ Vadim
10. Control of Your Mind (PNFA Remix) – Carlos Reisch
11. Reflection – Numatic Soul
12. Northern Vision – Eastern Sun

Sunday Groove: Six Degrees Records

Six Degrees Records is a "an eclectic, independent music label that produces genre-bending and accessible recordings" out of California (from their Twitter page @sixdegreesrcrds). They've brought us tracks from artists like Bebel Gilberto, Karsh Kale, DJ Spooky, The Outernationalists, Alice Russell and more. The sounds from this label, ranging from bossa nova, funk and folk, simultaneously predict the future while basking in the musical aesthetics of the past - their artists pull much from the history of their culture and influences while setting the bar for what comes next. Here is a sampling of tracks from Six Degrees Records - "Makes Me Happy," a bossa folk dreamer from Brasilian duo Undersea Poem ; "Back Home (Kraak & Smaak Remix)," a funky Brasilian electro beat from Zuco 103, and various funk tracks from Friday's edition of Six Degrees Traveler, the labels weekly radio show produced by one of the company's co-founders. All of these tracks can be downloaded at their site or blog Global Noize .

Undersea Poem - "Makes Me Happy" Directed by Felipe Joffily from Six Degrees on Vimeo.

"Back Home (Kraak & Smaak Remix)," a funky Brasilian electro beat from Zuco 103
Zuco 103 - Back Home (Kraak & Smaak Disco 103 Remix) by SixDegreesRecords

Six Degrees Traveler - Global Funk Edition
Traveler Installment 216 GLOBAL FUNK EDITION by SixDegreesRecords

Hybrid Soundsystem - Trailers, new album coming in March!

Hybrid has always had an amazing ability to balance the digital with the analog - bringing incredible dance beats, orchestra compositions and the most melodic sounds together on tracks ranging from chillout to borderline house banger. And now they're back with a new album on March 29, 2010. They're releasing a 3-part trailer for the album, and 2 parts are already out. You can view them here - here's the first (the 2nd is further in this post):



I've had the pleasure of reading some press materials that get me really excited for this release: "Hybrid is one of the few remaining dance acts to perform live with a classic band setup. Though, much has changed on the road to Hybrid’s fourth artist album Disappear Here. Most notable is the addition of Hybrid’s third member – singer/ songwriter Charlotte James – to go along with founders Chris Healings and Mike Truman. Charlotte’s impact is marked as Disappear Here is truly an album of real songs and not merely dance beats with vocals on top. With Disappear Here, Hybrid has managed to create an epic and unique sound which has progressed dramatically from its original dance inception but still retains much of what makes electronic music so exciting. As the opening track for the album, “Empire” meets Healings’ statement of intent for the album. Its pounding live drums and moody, tense atmospherics set the stage and gradually build layers of electric guitars and sweeping strings performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. “Can You Hear Me” is a shining moment for Charlotte; combining her powerful vocals with soaring strings and the bass playing of Tim Hutton (Ian Brown, The Prodigy), while “Green Shell Suit” is chill out at its finest. Before closing out with the divine “Numb,” Hybrid presents the album’s touchstone and first single “Break My Soul.” It’s all huge from the triumphant chorus and epic strings to a huge bass line and drums."

Here's the 2nd part of the trailer (i'll post part 3 as soon as its released):

"It's Sao Funky Like That" - Fort Knox Five x Pharrell (Shmix Mash-up)

NOOO!! I missed the DL opportunity of this track by like 20 people :( But I can still listen to it, and I can still share it!!! So I leesten, you leesten, we all leesten...this makes me happy in a funk fashion gansta kinda way. Pharrell and FK5? Yes please.

"It's Sao Funky Like That" - Fort Knox Five x Pharrell (Shmix Mash-up) by 2Tuff

Sunday Groove - Valentine's Mix: Make Love with Soul Clap

Click the image to listen and download this V-Day mix from Boston-based DJ/producer duo Soul Clap. (and yeah, its their VDay mix from last year, but its as sexy and smooth as ever!)

Thomas Blondet feat. Zeebo

I'm finishin up the day job and turn to Soundcloud for inspiration to get ready for my DJ set tonight at Channel Cafe in Boston. I listened to a bunch of tracks and just absolutely got stuck on this amazing downtempo track from Thomas Blondet "Echo Chamber feat Zeebo". True to his Rhythm & Culture Recording fame of putting incredible modern features to eclectic world music, Blondet strikes a perfect balance between chilled, downtempo house and reggae with this track. I love these types of tracks that mash two different styles and make it feel so natural, so smooth, like ONE. Anyway, listen here...it's chillin and thrillin at the same time:

Thomas Blondet "Echo Chamber" Feat. Zeebo by Thomas Blondet

Here's another Thomas Blondet work - a remix of Sola Rosa's "Del Rey" - gotta share this too:

Sola Rosa "Del Ray" (Thomas Blondet Remix) by Thomas Blondet

Sunday Mix - Properly Chilled guest DJ set at The Sounds Of Now (2.5.10)

zSHARE - The Sounds Of Now - 2-5-10.mp3

Properly Chilled treated The Sounds of Now radio show listeners (out of upstate NYC) to a deep and dubby guest set on Friday night. Click the link above to stream or download his mix. It's always exciting to hear one of your favorite DJs getting air time, reppin' downtempo DJs all over and bringing "the sounds of now" to a mass audience. No doubt, Properly Chilled had listeners grooving in no time.