World's largest record collection drama

The Archive from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

In today’s world, everyone downloads and buys music from the internet, making physical record albums obsolete, which is very sad news for Paul Mawhinney. Paul has the world’s largest record collection that he has been accumulated throughout his lifetime. He used to run a record store, and he would always put away the last copy of an album for himself. Due to his declining health and old age, Paul has decided to put the collection on sale for a mere $3 million when it was appraised at a whooping $50 million, yet no one has given a solid offer. Regardless of our technological advances, sometimes holding an album in your hands just feels a little bit different.

thanx to PVC for the link!

Dub Echoes Trailer

more info: http://www.dubechoes.com/

a little Tribute to Joe Gibbs R.I.P. mix

As a tribute I made a nice little mix of some of my Joe Gibbs Productions. May Joe Rest In Peace! check it below
(see http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080226/ent/ent4.html)

Roy Shirley- Hold them
Sylford Walker - Burn Babylon
Shorty the President - Natty pass his CGE
Clint Eastwood - Badda Than You
Barrington Levy - My Woman
Dillinger - Take a Dip
Soul Sisters - Wrecka Buddy
Lady Ann - Murderer
Prince Mohammed - Bubbling Love
Dennis Brown - Let Me Live
Dennis Brown - Ghetto Girl
Joe Gibbs - Entebbe Affair
Culture - I'm Not Ashamed
Lee Perry - The Upsetter
Sammy Dread - Dreadlocks Girl
Eekamouse - Virgin Girl
Junior Murvin - Cool out Son
Lui Lepke - Love from Jamdown
Jacob Miller - I'm Just A Dread
June Lodge - Someone Love You

HIPLIFE TAKING OVER?

In 2008 Ghana’s youth is no longer dancing to "highlife," the music that was so popular back in the sixties and seventies, but to Hiplife, the local mix of Hip-Hop, Highlife, Reggae and Dancehall. Hiplife gained prominence about 10 years ago with Reggie Rockstone, who is known as the “Godfather of Hiplife” and was the first to rap in Twi, the most common language in Ghana. Hiplife is everywhere in Ghana now; it has developed into one of the most popular music styles in the country and has broadened into several sub-genres.

Out Here Records’ Georg Milz (also of the Munich-based Daladala Soundz sound system), compiled an excellent sampler, called: "Black Stars – Ghana’s Hiplife Generation," containing some of the most popular Hiplife artists. And you'd better believe us when we boldly state that anybody out there who enjoyed the "African Rebels" and "Lagos Stori Plenti" samplers should certainly check out this new release, or better yet: buy it instantly. Black Stars is a more than welcome supplement to said samplers, continuing the high standard, both musically as informationwise, all Out Here records display and on top of that: the music is kicking arse! Picture the mighty M.I.A. making an african album, add a bunch of fun and a complete own look on nowadays popular music and you'll get a slight idea of what HipLife sounds like. If this is to vague, which it probably is, but hey: I'm trying, go check out the samples on the OutHere Black Stars page or, if you're a Myspace user, link up at Ghana's Hiplife Generation It's worth it..

NNEKA NO LONGER AT EASE

Originally scheduled for release in january 2008, the new and eagerly awaited second outing of souldiva Nnneka got postponed and postponed, but it finally seems to be finished: The album "No longer at ease" will be unleashed on the 25th of april on YoMama records.

Prior to the forthcoming album, the new single "Heartbeat" will be released as well, showcasing Nneka going further down the musical road she has succesfuly been trodding. Heartbeat is quite an impressive single: Nneka's performance is stumbling and frankly, spoiled as we are, we wouldn't settle for less. The hectic drumming gives the song its heartbeat and works perfectly together with the songlines. I've seen Nneka on stage quite a few times and it seems that she succeeded to haul the energy she and her band display on stage into the studio and on tape. If this is what the album is going to sound like, I take it that fans around the world will not be dissapointed. Bring it on, Nneka!

Go catch her live on stage whenever she in the hood!

Producer Joe Gibbs dead at 65

From the Jamaica Gleaner:

RECORD producer Joel 'Joe Gibbs' Gibson, whose partnership with singer Dennis Brown yielded a string of hit songs during the 1970s, died last Thursday at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
Gibbs' son, Rocky, told The Gleaner that his father died shortly after suffering a heart attack. He was 65 years old.
The Montego Bay-born Gibbs began producing on his Amalgamated label in the 1960s. His first major hit was singer Roy Shirley's Hold Them, but it was in the next decade that Gibbs really hit his stride.
Brown, a former prodigy, cut a series of songs for Gibbs that were rarely off the charts. These included Money In My Pockets, Should I, Stay at Home, Love Has Found Its Way and How Could I Live.
Other productions
Gibbs also produced Culture's massive Two Sevens Clash, George Nooks' Tribal War and Althea and Donna's Uptown Top Ranking which made the British pop charts in 1977. His last major hit was singer J.C. Lodge's Someone Loves You Honey, a song originally done by African-American country singer Charlie Pride.
Bass player Lloyd Parkes was a senior member of Gibbs' house band, The Professionals. He said while Gibbs was an astute businessman, he was not the great producer many believed.
"I would call him an executive producer, most of the production was done by Errol Thompson and the musicians," Parkes said.
Thompson was the engineer at Gibbs' Retirement Road studio. He died in 2004.
Gibbs is survived by 11 children.

Peter Tosh 7 Inch Box from Randy's

As I am a huge fan of Impact and Randys the following news is very good news (From the DanceCrasher site):
Clive Chin is putting together a box set of late 60’s Peter Tosh singles with help from UK record dealer Bob Brooks from Reggae Revive. All will be Randy’s productions except record 2 which is a Lee Perry production. The release date is slated for early March.

Record 1
A. You Can’t Fool Me Again (RANDY’S PRE DYNA RANDY 414-1 (1969) JA(a Tosh vocal on an uptempo early Reggae rhythm, this was reissued on a Randy’s 7″ a few years ago)
B. Green Duck (RANDY’S PRE DYNA RANDY 415-1 (1969) JA(the same rhythm that was used on the UK produced Torpedo release Skinheads Don’t Fear, when I asked Clive about this he had not heard the Torpedo release before and had no idea how they got hold of the rhythm)
Record 2
A. Rightful Ruler - Peter Tosh & U-Roy(UPSETTER PRE DYNA UPSETTER 718-1 (1969) JA / KEITH’S KR 200 B (1969) US **(some argue that this was the first tune U Roy voiced but there are competing claims on this, mainly the tunes for Keith Hudson or Lloyd Daley)
B. Memphis (SOUL REVOLUTION ALBUM (1971) JA/UK – FIRST TIME EVER ON 7″ **
Record 3
A. The Return Of Al Capone (UNITY UN 525 A (1969) UK
B. Sun Valley (UNITY UN 529 A (1969) UK(Two cuts with Tosh on the organ. His playing is a bit of an aquired taste, Sun Valley (on the Everybody Needs Love rhythm) is particularly eccentric).
Record 4
A. Little Green Apples (RANDY’S PRE DYNA VC 957 (1970) JA
B. The Crimson Pirate (JACKPOT JP 706 A (1970) UK(Crimson Pirate is an organ cut of Slim Smith’s Somebody To Love)
Record 5
A. Stick Up - Peter Tosh & Count Machukie (RANDY’S DYNA VC 956-1 (1970)
B. Moon Dust - JACKPOT JP 706 B (1970)(Moon Dust is titled Moon Duck on the Jackpot issue, another organ piece).
Record 6
A. Man’s Greatest Adventure – (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (1969)
B. Selassie Serenade - BULLET BU 414 B (1969)(Selassie Serenade is another organ cut, the rhythm is a fairly obvious one, probably from the Bunny Lee camp but I can’t place it at the moment).
Record 7
A. 30-60-90 - RANDY’S RRM STUDIO 17-4 (1969)
B. Whistling Jane - RANDY’S DYNA RANDY 971-1 (1969)(a cut of Alton Ellis’s What Does It Take To Win Your Love, apparently with Jackie Mittoo on organ nd Peter Tosh whistling)

BRENKY GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

And yet another fine example of instrumental hiphop is about to hit the streets. Beatmaker Brenk, hailing from Vienna, will release his debutalbum "Brenk Gumbo" on the 22nd of februari and according to the snippets that were sent to Lock it Down, it's going to be a good one! Picture the mighty Modeselektor (in a hiphop mood) in the studio with Wax Tailor and you've got a general idea what this Brenk character sounds like. R 'n B, funk and hiphop gently merge into a very nice, fat, loungy yet uplifting blend. What makes Brenk different than other instrumental hiphop artists that we wrote about (i.e: Wax Tailor, Guts), is that he's a bit rougher than them. More hiphop. The sound on Brenk Gumbo almost makes you want to write lyrics to the songs, but for the sake of the musiclovers out there, I'll just keep mumbling those inside my head and leave it to the prof's.

Check Brenk on myspace.

'Vinyl has been eliminated'

In Jamaica, seven-inch singles are completely extinct; DJs have ditched their turntables. Will the digital revolution mean the end of traditional reggae?
read the full article in the Guardian here...
thanx to Mr T for the link!

New Souljazz release: The Sound Dimension

An essential new compilation of classic recordings from the funkiest group in the history of Reggae! Available to buy in all good record stores or online here now at Soul Jazz Records The Sound Dimension have recorded some of the most important songs in Reggae music; songs such as “Real Rock”, “Drum Song”, “Heavy Rock”, “Rockfort Rock”, “In Cold Blood” – all classic songs that have become the ‘foundation’ of Reggae music, endlessly versioned and re-versioned by Jamaican artists since the time they were first recorded to the present day. As the in-house band at Studio One in the late 1960’s, The Sound Dimension also played alongside everyone from The Heptones, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Marcia Griffiths and more. Similar to their US counterparts The Funk Brothers at Motown and Booker T and The MGs at Stax, The Sound Dimension recorded on a daily basis incredibly catchy and funky tunes matched by a seamless musicality.Featuring musicians of the calibre of Ernest Ranglin, Jackie Mittoo, Eric Frater, Leroy Sibbles, Don Drummond Jnr, Deadley Headley and more, the Sound Dimension existed from around 1967-70 and all the recordings featured here were originally released during this period. For a band with a fluid line-up, they had an amazingly consistent sound laying down classic rhythms for the singers of the day at Studio One as well as stretching out with their own recordings. None of this can explain the importance of this music. “Real Rock”, “Mojo Rocksteady”, “Rockfort Rock”, “Drum Song”, “In Cold Blood” – the melodies to these classic songs are a thousand times better known than the musicians who originally created them. Played and re-played by every house band for every producer on the island, these iconic rhythms became the basis for dancehall and laid the foundations for the future of Jamaican music.This album can be seen as a companion to the earlier Sound Dimension release “Jamaica Soul Shake” and together these two albums make a unique and definitive document of a seriously important set of recordings.

A WHOLE LOT OF 7"S

Continuing their 30th Anniversary in fine style, Greensleeves presents the ‘Rewind & Come Again’ box set.

Packed in special a die-cut card box (designed to look like a turntable) with each 7” sporting the original old school labels..

Each 7” has two classic cuts (Double A sides) from the Greensleeves archive featuring tracks by legends such as: Wailing Souls, Eek-a-Mouse, Yellowman, Black Uhuru, John Holt, Barrington Levy, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and many more..

Limited to 1000 copies, first come first served

COMING UP: NEW SOUNDWAY RELEASE

Although their own website doesn't mention this release yet, Soundway is about to release a 2 cd/4 lp set called:
Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-6

If the standard is as high as all the other Soundway releases, this might very well be the definitive collection on Nigerian funk. It sure looks promising! Amazon.com posted the setlist a while ago and added soundsamples as well. According to them, this is what Nigeria Special is going to look and sound like:

Disc 1:
1. Ayamma - The Anambra Beats
2. Okwukwe Na Nchekwube - Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National
3. Amalinja - The Don Isaac Ezekiel Combination
4. Akula Owu Onyeara - The Funkees
5. Oja Omoba - Dele Ojo & His Star Brothers Band
6. Koma Mosi - The Harbours Band
7. Nekwaha Semi Colon - The Semi Colon
8. Osalobua Rekpama - Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestros
9. Onwu Ama Dike - St. Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band
10. Feso Jaiye - The Sahara All Stars Of Jos
11. Eme Kowa Iasa Ile Wa - Mono Mono
12. To Whom It May Concern - Tunji Oyelana & The Benders
13. Ugali - The Tony Benson Sextet

Disc 2:
1. Asiko Mi Ni - The Nigerian Police Force Band 'The Force 7'
2. Torri Wow - Godwin Ezike & the Ambassadors
3. Belema - Opotopo (Easy Kabaka Brown)
4. Alabeke - Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band Of Aba
5. Arraino - Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band
6. Simini-Yaya - Collins Oke Elaiho & His Odoligie Nobles Dance Band
7. Buroda Mase - Bola Johnson & His Easy Life To pBeats
8. I Want a Break Thru - The Hykkers
9. Business Before Pleasure - George Akaeze & His Augmented Hits
10. Omo Yen Wu Mi - Shadow Abraham With Mono Mono Friends
11. Blak Sound - Leo Fadaka & the Heroes
12. Eguae Oba - Osayomore Joseph & the Creative 7
13. Akpaisong - Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Artistes

Go have listen.

Release date: february 5th

Big One!

NEW FABRIC LIVE: CASPA & RUSKO

Dubstep lovers watch out: two real heavyweight dubstep producers/dj's have been recruited to mix cd number 37 in the almost legendary Fabric Live series:
Caspa back to back with Rusko.

Both Caspa and Rusko have had a very succesfull and prolific 2007: the first saw his career skyrocketing after several years of hard work running his Storming Productions empire (which includes the Dub Police and Sub Soldiers labels) on which Rusko released his fresh material, resulting in the mega mega hit "Cockney Thug" which allows him to travel the world and party alongside Caspa and fellow dj Reso.

This new mix on Fabric is the crown on their work so far and is well deserved. It includes all the smash hits of 2007: Spongebob, Cockney Violin, Africa and Round the World girls (on Gibbo's "Hard Time" riddim") but also treats us with a new Skream dubplate and a nice remix of Cockney Thug by Portugese bubblers Buraka Som Sistema.

Fabric Live is eagerly awaited by Lock it Down, but will not be released untill december 3rd..Mini mini excerpts can be found through this link. For those wanting a bit more: Dutch agency Planet KL booked Caspa a while ago and posted his excellent live set in their news section.

Aaah, sweet anticipation....

STUDIO ONE MUSEUM

The Jamaica Gleaner runs an interesting interview with Norma Dodd, widow of Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, founding father of the legendary Studio One recording facility, in wich she unveils the plans for the establishment of a Studio One museum. Although Jamaica already is a hotspot for reggae afficionados, with the King Tubby, Treasure Isle and Joe Gibbs studios still intact, this new museum sure sounds promising enough to again tickle my urge to get on a plane and cross the ocean...

Read the full article here

1000 TNW ÷ 10 = 100 TNW's

The lads over at 't Nieuwe Werck are on a roll and currently celebrating their 100th internet release. Quite an achievement considering their first release was only posted about a year ago. Here on Lock it Down we already posted about the fun and variety of mixes run by 't Nieuwe Werck, but their last effort, mixed by "The TNW All Stars" (Knoflooksaus, Graafmeester Tijn, Dj √69, Schobbejak) is really something. Come and count with us: In 1000 seconds they mixed 10 tracks that have been used in their TNW mixes in the past, that makes this mix '10÷1000=100'!! On a special moment in the mix you'll hear 10 samples (of 10 used tracks too) in 10 seconds, again 100 (10x10)! Got it??

Luckily for us, TNW secured the listening pleasure as well. TNW 100 is a nice blend of, and here we go counting again: electronica, trip hop, hip hop, dubstep, house, old italian mafia songs, prison work songs & rock 'n roll mash-ups. That'll make a nice celebration cake, I'd say. The only thing dissapointing about this mix is that a 1000 seconds really isn't that long...we want more!

Check out, or download the mix here

and be sure to contribute your mix as well!

FUNKY DISCO DUBSTEP?

Now this is what we like, here at Lock it Down! Regular readers may have noticed we cover a wide area of music, from dubstep to soul via latin with a de-route through reggae: if it's about good vibes, we'll write about it. Luckily for us, there are kindred spirits out there with an equal broad taste in music. That said, it's the godshonest truth that the podcast that started this whole post even surprised the hell out of Lock it Down! Why? Well...picture a dubstep mogul mixing disco funk and disco funk only on a dubstep radioshow...Funny picture isn't it?

Past that, the mighty Skream really managed to unite the best of both worlds: his excellent mixing techniques makes this funky set a true pleasure to listen to. Combine that with the occasional "pull up," a jamaican dancehall scene gimmick, and the picture is complete: this is Lock it Down style podcasting, this is what we like to see.

What makes the mix extra fun are Skream's constant defense offerings: "...this is what I like; this is personal; I love this track; this one's got big bass!"

Nice, really nice!

Listen to Skream's "long awai'ed funk set" here

Big up and props to Rinse FM for airing this.

LUCKY DUBE SHOT DEAD

Reggae musician Lucky Dube was shot dead in a hijacking yesterday in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, South Africa, police say.

The report of the singer's death was published yesterday by the Independent online, an Internet-based news site.

Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht, who reported on the incident, told the news site that the incident took place around 8.20 p.m. when Dube was driving a blue Polo in the Johannesburg suburb.

The report was also carried by the BBC World Service last night.

The Independent online story reported Captain Engelbrecht as saying that the Rastafarian singer was dropping off his son in the area when he was attacked.

"His son was already out of the car. When he saw what was happening, he ran to ask for help," the Independent online said.

Lucky Dube, who said he was inspired by late Reggae star Peter Tosh, last performed in Jamaica at the Cricket World Cup opening ceremony at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.

Dube, who was born in Johannesburg on August 3, 1964, was named 'Lucky' as he was born in poor health and doctors thought he would die, according to Wikipedia.

But Dube survived and went on to become a front-line artist in the reggae genre.

May he rest in peace

source: Jamaican Gleaner

BOB MARLEY UNCOVERED

Heartbeat Records is pleased to announce the release of Bob Marley & the Wailers - Another Dance – Rare Sides from Studio One on October 16.

This album consists of 18 rare Wailers titles, alternate takes, and original single mixes, all recorded between 1964 and 1966 for late producer Clement Dodd at his Studio One recording studio in Kingston, Jamaica. The release of these seldom-heard tracks will be a cause for celebration among true Wailers collectors. All titles, takes, and mixes presented here were issued as singles in Jamaica on Dodd-owned labels like Coxsone, Studio One, Supreme, Tabernacle, and Wincox.

Over the years, Dodd supplied tapes with post production overdubs to companies leasing his material for foreign issue. Although Heartbeat always sought the original mix of each song, Dodd sometimes provided the overdubbed tape when he could not locate the original mix. This album restores the original single mixes of seven Wailers classics including signature Bob Marley songs like “One Love,” “I’m Still Waiting,” and “Lonesome Feeling.” Neville Livingston, when interviewed in 1990, reported that the Wailers nearly always recorded alternate takes of songs recorded for Dodd. This album includes alternate takes of eight well-known Wailers recordings. They are completely different than the takes used on previous Heartbeat albums by the group. In addition, this album restores to the catalogue four rare titles never previously released on Heartbeat in any form.

Track Listing:
1. Another Dance
2. I’m Still Waiting
3. Ska Jerk
4. Playboy
5. Love Won’t Be Mine
6. Don’t Ever Leave Me
7. Straight and Narrow Way
8. Lonesome Feeling
9. Cry to Me
10. One Love
11. Somewhere to Lay My Head
12. It Hurts to Be Alone
13. Where Will I Find
14. Lonesome Track
15. Let Him Go
16. Love and Affection
17. Guajara Ska
18. I Left My Sins

JOE GIBBS GONE SHOPPING

After the installment of a Joe Gibbs Europe imprint some two years ago, re-unleashing all heavyweight dub 'n reggae bombs from the seventies, it seems that Joe Gibbs went shopping again. VP records announces a forthcoming "reggae 1977 rewind" series featuring, yet again, all volumes of the African Dub Almighty albums, Dennis Browns "Visions" and some christmas samplers that were never worthwhile listening to. All the albums come in their original sleeves, but there is no sign that the new cd's will feature extra tracks.
Is this the end of Joe Gibbs Europe?

NEW BOX OF DUB & BURIAL DUE

After the debut "Box of Dub" released earlier in the year the amazing amount of publicity around the Dubstep movement continues to get bigger by the day: Skream fronting the cover of DJ Magazine and rave reviews and features in all the leading publications such as The Observer alongside other key dance press.

Box Of Dub 2 once again clearly shows the influences of original electronic dub pioneers such as King Tubby, Scientist and King Jammys have had on the new generation of artists and producers featured on this excellent album

Emerging out of South London, Dubstep has grown from its roots in Grime and Drum and Bass scenes to create a new movement of artists influenced by Sound-system culture as well as technology. With heavy bass-lines and complex drum patterns, this is dance music that works for the mind, being both progressive and innovative.

The second instalment is due on nthe first of november and continues the onward journey of dubstep, with scene favourites such as Digital Mystikz, Kode 9, Pinch drawing upon new sounds and influences to bring some of the freshest sounds heard in dance music in recent times. With a distinctly UK urban sound, this new album also continues to show the music's nod towards Jamaican Dub and electronic wizardry.

For those of you who can't wait there'll be a a super-limited one-off pressing of two killer tracks from the album: one track by Digital Mystikz and one by Kode 9.

Check the sounds here










After the surprise success of his self-titled, low-key debut on Hyperdub , Burial returns with an eagerly awaited follow up album, ‘Untrue’. The new record is weird soul music, hypersoul, lovingly processing spectral female voices into vaporised R&B and smudged 2step garage. Voices are blurred, smeared, pitched up, pitched down and pitch bent until their content becomes irrelevant and they whisper their saccharin sweet nothings into the void.

UNTRUE continues with the first album’s crackle drenched yearning and bustling syncopations haunted by the ghosts of rave, but also reveals some new Burial treats with a more glowing, upbeat energy. UNTRUE kicks off with the skittering 2step syncopations and vocal science of ‘Archangel’, ‘Near Dark’ and ‘Ghost Hardware’, before descending into a space of radiant divas and ambience. While Burial’s first album was humid, suffocating and unrelentingly sad, UNTRUE is less sunless. Many of the tracks are so sweet, they become toxic, underscored by the almost geological rumbles of growling basslines. Whereas the mood of Burial’s first album was overpoweringly melancholy, its now better described as a downcast euphoria typified by the epic, muted optimism of the album’s last track ‘Raver’. Forget central heating. The radioactivity of this album is all that you’ll need to keep you warm this winter.

Check an interview with Burial here