MOG - Erik B's Posts

Album Review: Gilles Peterson Back In Brazil

Erik B — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 01:22:44 GMT

Alright, lets get this straight. I hate Gilles Peterson. Not because he's an asshole (maybe he is, I don't know) but because he is just too good at what he does. I mean his tastes are impeccable (mostly), he's got any rare groove DJ's dream job - an internationally syndicated radio show on BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/gillespeterson/), plus he gets paid to go to places like Brazil and Africa and find the best music you've never heard and make a compilation out of it... all that and a tasteful, artsy rendition of his milktoast British mug on the cover. So I can't make fun of him. He's way more competent than me and probably drinks nicer beer too. That being said, his compilations are very popular...and for a good reason. "Gilles Peterson Back In Brazil" is the follow-up to "Gilles Peterson in Brazil" which came out last year on Ether, and is presented in essentially the same format as all of his Ether comps: one disc is full of ol' skool rarities (focusing on the highly fertile period of the 60's and 70's) whereas disc 2 captures more contemporary trends in today's scene. Both discs are surprisingly diverse: There's jazz (Orquestra St. Moritz's "Procura se Uma Virgem," Samba (Silvio Cesar and Meirelles's "Samba Do Carioca") and even a charming cover of Marlena Shaw's classic soul tune, "California Soul" by Wilson Das Neves. I have to say though that I was much more impressed with the 2nd disc this time around then I was on his first Brazil comp. He hits everything from Baile Funk (Solid Groove's remix of Edu K (who I am glad to see on this volume)) to nujazz with Mark De Clive Lowe's mix of Ed Motta, Drum and Bass with Drumagick (featured on his first Brazil comp.) and even a Jay Dee track on there, "Ritmo Suave Bossa Nova." If you liked "...In Brazil," definately pick this one up. There are obviously a lot of similarities in taste and style and a few returning artists (Wilson Simonal, Drumagick), but also a few welcome surprises. Peterson apparently has an endless supply of aces up his sleeves and it pisses me off!

- Sans Rakim

Byrds, Birds, Yardbirds, and a real Bird

Erik B — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 21:15:29 GMT

So by pure serendipity, I recently became aware of the difference between The Byrds and The rare British Birds, thanks to the help of dannydarko. He informed me that The American Byrds had to spell their name with a "y" because of the existence of The Birds in the UK. You learn something new every day. Anyways, the Birds kick ass, and I actually think they are way more hardcore than the Byrds who have become a default for blurry 60's nostalgia montage sequences. But are they as hardcore as The Yardbirds in this proto-punk sequence from Michel Antonioni's '66 film, Blow Up? You decide.

Oh... and I also just found out what a bird means in England. So here is a real bird.

White Chocolate Mix

Erik B — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 00:29:40 GMT

So anyways, on Bob Loblaw's mogpage, he's got a video for Steely Dan's "Peg." A jam?.....yes! And then he had some tune by George Michael, "Too Funky," I'm already listening to that Hall & Oates track, Boz Scaggs' "Lowdown" and Bobby Caldwell has been hyped to all hell ever since he was sampled by Common for "The Light." So what does all this mean? I'm thinkin' it's time for a "White Chocoloate" mixtape. That's right.....soul, funk, and breaks by the pasty people, the pigmentally challenged, the albino mafia, the snow people - whiteskins! So if you have any suggestions, send me a message I'd really appreciate it. I know there's this Tom Jones jam that I got to hunt down, and check out the tag for a mind blower......a funky-as- armpitslime break by none other than Bette Midler! The gods must be crazy...

- Erik B )sans Rakim(

Tom Thump, RasCue, and Waajeed @ Bambuddha Lounge tonight!

Erik B — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 19:51:13 GMT

So I'm going with fellow KALX DJ Sergio again tonight to check out some kick-ass soulful house music at the bambuddha lounge. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not like a huge house fan, but Sergio is, and anyway these DJ's are heavyweights. Waajeed, you may recall, makes up one half of the Platinum Pied Pipers, whose CD last year, Triple P, I thought was one of the most inventive records I had heard and pretty much solidified the neo-soul genre as legitimate, and gave hip hop dj's something to play other than hip hop. Plus RasCue is there, and he is like a mover and shaker over at Ubiquity records, which is like one of the most bad ass record labels out there. Should be fun, that is unless I get too drunk again and start a fight with a midget. Oh, excuse me...Dwarf.

- Sans Rakim

Here is a picture of a real man-child

New SF Production Team Kills It With A Version of "We Are Back"

Erik B — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 23:13:42 GMT

So if you are a fan of LFO, but more so if you are a fan of the neo-electro/post-disco sound of bands like LCD Soundsystem and DFA, you got to hear a new version of the song "We Are Back" (off of Frequencies) by new San Francisco production team, Little Death. Synthy, dancey, with plenty of vocoder - this 12" is really exciting for fans of this genre. Ah, but alas! You need a record player you shameless futurists. Just one example of why you should hold on to your vinyl, your record player, and not turn a blind eye to the possibility of an analog music collection also! Released on Coco Machete.

- Erik B (Sans Rakim)

Crazy Chick Reminiscizes About Glory Days In The Yeast Underground

Erik B — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 22:33:53 GMT

So an appendum (or whatever the word is) to my last post: I was talking to this chick at the show friday who said the most ridiculous thing I had heard in a minute. So she said that she had moved from some podunk town in Nebraskansas or some god forsaken place to the bay area to start, I shit you not, an INDY BREAD CO. - Like underground breads that you haven't heard of and all that. I'm not kidding. Then she started talking about how she couldn't eat focaccia anymore because it was too trendy, and how she missed the glory days when focaccia was an obscure Italian import. What can I say? The Yay - a mecca for cutting edge folk.

- Erik B (sans Rakim)

Leftism Release Party: Erik B frightened by pretentious BOCA art

Erik B — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 17:11:21 GMT

So last Friday I went to the CD release party for J-Boogie and Sake One's new mixtape, Leftism, at BOCA in SF. I went with fellow KALX DJ's Sergio and Duncan and a couple of members of the opposite sex. It was kick-ass. J-Boogie and Sake One mixed a lot of different kinds of music together: Neo-Soul, Funk, Hip-Hop, Dance/Electronic, Dancehall, Disco and others all into a streamlined, accessible, very danceable set. I even heard this Hall & Oates tune that was like my secret DJ weapon until I heard it dropped right before that Oliver Cheatham joint from Vice City. Now I want to quit. Also ran into my good friend Aebl Dee (check him out, he's a bad ass DJ) Crazy night though - was way too drunk to deal with the scary ass art (shit looked straight out of The Cell, that J Lo movie - all glitchy with like burnt doll feti (plural of fetus?)), made out with this girl to Purple Rain, and forgot to close out my tab. Still feel a little unhinged.

Crazy Man-Child Enters Mog Arena

Erik B — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 17:49:55 GMT

So this is my first post and I just want to say hello to the mog world which means I am no longer responsible for my actions. Ha, wouldn't that be nice. Anyhow, Mog seems off the hook and I'm excited to get out there and meet people and find out about strange new music, and of course to plug my KALX radio show which, starting in July, is every Friday 9am to Noon PST. You can listen at 90.7 FM or through the live web stream at http://kalx.berkeley.edu (click on listen now!) There will be more from me later, but in the meantime here is something random and pleasant.

- Sans Rakim