DUSTY CRATES

Roots

About 60 years ago, Jamaican soundsystems gave birth to dub, a variety of reggae music that features sub-bass (bass less than 100Hz), skittering and jittery drums, distortive echo and reverberation effects. The prominent features of dub music, along with reggae’s pioneering use of dubplates, went on to not only shape a growing DJ culture but also continues to influence a variety of electronic dance musics today.

Dubbed

And true to that motif, there’s been a rumble underground since dubstep began spreading in late 2005. Although the now mainstream sound tips its hat to it’s irie origins, sort of, dubstep borrows more from drum & bass and grime. Many would even say that the “dubbed” bleepy, ominous dubstep sound had moved away from, and was out of step with, its genesis.

In ‘08, a limited pressing 12-inch “Iron Devil” was released featuring Lee Scratch Perry and Prince Far-I in a dubstep style. It included a tune based on the Perry riddim used on reggae hits like “Disco Devil”, “Chase The Devil” and “Croaking Lizard”. This was the first recorded example of a founder of Jamaican dub style acknowledging dubstep and creating new music in the genre, reinforcing the connection of dubstep to its roots in Jamaican dub reggae.

Soul Iration

So when fellow DJ Meshak dropped this Release the Lions Vol. 1 mix on me this week, I found myself scouring the ‘net to find more on “soul iration,” a French Algerian variation of reggae. Music keeps evolving and people will always put their spin on things creating the next sound.

But as I dig in to hear soul iration while revisiting some roots, I’ve kept this all-vinyl mix on repeat and I suggest you should, too.

Listen. Download.

Release the Lions Vol. 1 – DJ Meshak (Mixcloud)

Release the Lions Vol. 1 - DJ Meshak (Sendspace)

A day late (and always a dollar short), I finally got around to putting Sista Stroke’s sexy mix up for ya’ll.

As I celebrate yet another anniversary with the hub, I suggest you keep a copy at your bedside. It’s recommend for nights of heavy cuddling for years to come.

Should I say more?

LISTEN

Sensuality – 10 Yrs. Later (vol.2) mix – Sista Stroke (Virb)

I’m kinda late (like, two months) on upping this mix, but Ramsey sent us another d&b mix exclusively for Dusty Crates to get us going this Monday. He promises his April (maybe May, too) mix will be in our in-box soon, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, push play and the day will fast-forward.

March Mix 2010 by jseventeenthmd

Ramsey’s March Mix

Track List

Lenzman – Fade Away – Soul:r
Bygones Spectrasoul – Shogun Audio
Flamethrower – Lenzman – Soul:r
Noir – Edward Oberon – 31 Records
The boy who cried wolf – SPY – 31 Records
Robocall – Nymfo – 31 Records
Minimal funk -Icicle – Shogun Audio
Working with Muppets – Vapour – 31 Records
Social Isolation – Nymfo – 31 Records
Silence – Calibre – Signature

Dayta sent me NYC DJ mOma’s sunny mix last week. It’s been keepin my head noddin all day today and just the remedy I need for the Monday blues.

Listen to SFNY promo mix here.

Track List

Trev95 “Shoot Em Up” (95Flavas)

Outkast “Player’s Ball (Remix)” (LaFace)

Camp Lo & DJ Honda “Disco-tec” (DJ Honda Recordings)

Imagination “Music & Lights” (R & B)

Kano “Can’t Hold Back” (Full Time)

Matrix “Stay (I Need Your Love)” (Sugarscoop)

Gladys Knight & The Pips “Taste Of Bitter Love” (CBS)

D Train “Do You Wanna Ride (The “D” Train)” (Prelude)

Ghostface Killah “Paragraphs of Love” (Def Jam)

Erykah Badu “Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long” (Universal Motown)

Tech-house DJ/producer Henry Chow is rollin off his final Rekliner at Dean’s Downtown, which featured Austin’s JAMON. He wrapped up the monthly, an amalgam of house and techno featuring international and regional DJs, he has maintained with cohort Sasha Braverman for a couple of years now. They are moving the night over to Club FWD>> (510 Gray, 77002).

Formerly Deco in Midtown, FWD>> will usher a new era in Houston’s electronic music, says Henry. Currently, the local underground dance music community does not have a comfy home for regular, intimate house and techno events since La Strada closed. FWD>> looks to fill that gap with regular and special events starting in May. Sasha and Henry kick off their Saturday monthly Rekliner nights there on May 15th with San Antonio’s house playas, Sun City Hustlers (lovin’ the name).

Meanwhile, Sasha and Henry will maintain their more eclectic residency, Crossroads Fridays (Dean’s Montrose, 315 Fairview, 77006). This Friday, April 30th they host special guest DJ Jeff Shelton (Reverse, Houston).

And just to give you insight on what you may hear, Henry’s dropped his new house, disco and other rarities mix on us here at Dusty Crates.

About his To The Moon (Late Night Mix) release, he says:

…[it's] something for the ride, to do laundry to, dishes, exercise, and make love to! This mix set features a few new, a few old tracks by artists such as Lee Curtiss, Dirty Jesus, I:Cube, Manuel Tur, & many more. Pretty much a summary of tunes we play at our residencies.

Henry Chow – To The Moon (Late Night Mix) by Henry Chow

Track Listing

Mike Shannon – Under the Radar feat. Fadila (Massi DL Rmx)
Dirty Jesus – Don’t Fuck with My Shit (Plane Paper Edit)
I:Cube – Falling
Jozif – Just You
Guillaume & The Coutu Dumont – Raw
Sascha Dive – Suburban Night
Alvaro Ernesto – Inside My Soul (Pezzner Rmx)
Lee Curtiss – Sister
Hector – Suavecito (Nick Curly Rmx)
Jozif – Chicago
Lewie Day – That’s the Thing
Hall & Oates – I Can’t Go for That (Edit)
Manuel Tur – Beasts & the Birds
Lee Curtiss – The Glow
Tensnake – Coma Cat

Push play and enjoy!

If I had this Saturday night off, I’d be off to see ATX’s Nick Nack at Top Notch HTX (Boondocks, 1417 Westheimer, 77006).

So who’s the DJ with the odd sing-songy name, you might ask?

Well, if you’ve browsed thru GigaCrate for music (see our widget –>), then chances are you know the man behind the Texas-based DJ-friendly digital download music site. And like most top-notch talent worthy enough to play out of town often, Nick Nack has been rockin it for quite some time, covering everything from golden-era hip hop and psych rock to more current dance/electro via performances (2000’s SXSW show with the late all-mighty Guru ain’t too bad) and a gang of mixes. Plus it helps when you also own your own record label, Crowd Control Records. Nick Nack is gearing up for an upcoming full-length CD/mp3 release, Dearly Departed, of original music and remixes any day now. The album’s first single, “Strangest Secret,” is available on limited 7-inch vinyl.

Here at Dusty Crates, we can admire that ability to turn the drop in vinyl use in the DJ game (more on that later) and parlay that into a new opportunity–it’s precisely why this blog was initially established as a shared ftp site for digital music in ‘06.

But digital downloads and tool use aside, I’m just down for a DJ that makes me work up the dance floor. However, this Saturday, April 24, I won’t be able to make it; but perhaps you will, and I hope to get a full report from the floor as DJ Nick Nack joins them two, Sober and Dayta, and El Roy Boogie for the usual mayhem.

Meanwhile, Squincy & yours truly are cueing up requests and workin up The Lot on Washington. So post up your Tweets or send me a postcard from Top Notch with, “Wish you were here. <3 Nick Nack”

Download, Buy or Listen

>> Nick Nack’s Mixes

>> Nick Nack’s Soundcloud

Photo by Franny Pack

Go Go Garcia is sportin’ a big-ass smile.

His Big Moe dub remix of “I’ll Do It” is part of Brit boy Sinden’s new Fact mix featured this week on Fader:

…Graeme Sinden is your man with this mix for Fact. Check the tracklist after the jump, put on some sweatpants and do your thing.

DOWNLOAD: FACT mix 136 – Sinden

Track List

DJ Sdunkero – Choosing Love [dub]
Sbtrkt – Asymmillation [dub]
T. Williams – Chop then Screw [Local Action]
Sunny Beach Happy Slap Mardi Gras – Mamacita (Bambounou Remix) [Demeto Mori]
Roska – Time Stamp [Rinse]
Ill Blu – Blu Magic [dub]
Dubbel Dutch – Deep Underground [Palms Out]
Samo Sound Boy – Wacka Flocka [dub]
DJ Posh E – Dada Supercat (Bub Dance Mix) [dub]
Deesq – Bubble like Club [dub]
Big Moe – I’ll Do It (Go Go Garcia Remix) [dub]
Sinden & Sbtrkt – Kind of Familiar [Grizzly]
Bassanovva – Terrortactyl [Grizzly]
Brodinski – Arnold Classics (Egyptrixx Remix) [Grizzly]
Martin Brothers – Duckface [Dirtybird]
Para One – Toadstool [Sound Pellegrino]
Miike Snow – Silvia (Sinden Remix) [Columbia]
Jamtech Foundation – Too Fast (Julio Bashmore Remix) [Discobelle]
Jay Weed – On the Nile [Grizzly]
DJ Canchola – Africa 09 [dub]
Ultravid – Clan of Wow (Kingdom Remix) [Silverback]
Guido – Cat in the Window [dub]

Fact highlights include Roska, Dubbel Dutch, Go Go, Sinden’s own “Silvia” remix and DJ Canchola. Now this mix is only available for download for three, I said three, weeks.

So what are you waiting for? Now GO, GO >>

I don’t think that my boy Tommy (aka Psyne in social media circles) needed much convincing, but he finally released a high-energy mini mix he unapologetically describes as “ravey”.

I wanted to do a 130 bpm mix to listen to on the way out and this is what I came up with.  It comes in at about 31 min long (and 16 tracks), but the mixes are fast, and I tried to keep the energy up.

Truth be told, Tommy, after putting away those d&b dub plates years ago, it really was time to come back out and play.

Welcome back.

NOW, let’s DIRB!

DOWNLOAD: In My Bedroom, Vol 3 – Just A Quickie (mp3)

Sebatien Tellier – L’amour et la Violence (Boys Noize Remix)
The XX – Shelter (DEATH TO THE THRONE REMIX!!!!!!)
Bag Raiders – Turbo Love (Shinichi Osawa Remix)
Amanda Blank – Might Like You Better (GRVRBBRS Remix)
Digiraatii – Blood on the Dancefloor
Drop The Lime – Hear Me (Drums Of Death remix)
Duck Sauce – aNYway (LAZRtag Remix)
Miike Snow – Animal (Fake Blood Remix)
Fake Blood – Mars (Jack Beats Remix)
Calvin Harris – I’m Not Alone (Taku Takahashi Remix)
Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes (Left/Right Remix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps (Elite Force Re-Fix)
TC – Wheres My Money(Caspa Mix)(Elite Force Re-Fix)
Designer Drugs – Drop Down
Hyper Crush – Keep Up (Tommie Sunshine Brooklyn Fire Retouch)
Mariah Carey – H.A.T.E.U. (Remix)