We All Skream For Dubstep.

Last weekend was San Francisco’s Lovefest 2009 – a huge electronic music festival – and I spent most of my time at the drum and bass stage getting sucked into the layers of sound. So, you can imagine how pleased I was to stumble upon Oliver Jones better known as Skream, one of Britain’s first and most influential dubstep producers.

MYSPACE | TEMPA RECORDS

Midnight Request Line – Skream

Meta-Lick – Skream

If the stories are right, this guy has a lot to brag about: a record at 15, supposedly 8000 songs [some unfinished, some complete] under his belt and what some call dubstep’s most recognizable crossover track, “Midnight Request Line.”

A few words that immediately come to mind when observing the track:  spacey and controlled, crisp and precise.  At the top bits and bytes float through  before being reigned in by the snap of either a beefed up snare or a , open-aired clap that keeps morphing throughout the song. I had never heard this before, so I can’t confirm how instantly recognizable it is, but I like it. I’d be interested in some Dubheads leaving some comments about it.

The next track made me think of Boys Noize because of its ice cold, insistent synth sound. “Meta-Lick” is a crunchy, minimalist track that bares its bones before filling out all spaces with either an echo, a reverb or some looming spacecraft warble.

Under the Radar: Marcus Roberts.

The sun does not dictate my slumber, my body does. My unintentional affinity for the early morning hours has brought me great gifts. Sometimes it’s like waiting for the dust and din of the day to settle so I can see what’s really there once everything folds into silence.

On one of those nights I was flipping through channels aimlessly when I ran into Marcus Roberts. Actually, it was what I had heard that stopped me. It sounded like someone had done a mash-up not of a few tracks but a mash-up of separate genres. There was a live orchestra spread out before your typical white-haired, bespectacled, almost Einsteinian conductor jerking around mechanically with his baton. But, even further towards the front of the stage sat a little trio: a percussionist, a bassist and a pianist.

They had taken a classicial song that I did not recognize and were alternating between each genres interpretations of it before playing simultaneously together with surprisingly melodice results. The most remarkable part of the performance, though, was the pianist. He was given a solo near the last fourth of the piece and spent a few moments calmly and humbly showing everyone what a virtuoso sounds like. The best part, however, was the end of the performance when Marcus Roberts stood up and gave a modest bow before being escorted him off of the stage. The man was blind.  

From what I gather, his story kind of plays out in the same way as Jesus’: His birth was noted and not much else between that was recorded until he was a young man. By the age of five Roberts had completely lost all of his vision. Skip to his college career where he studied at Florida State University and was hand-picked by famed trumpeter Wynton Marsalis as his pianist when Roberts was only 22. After studying under Marsalis, Roberts began releasing his own records.

With a little research, I was able to recover the video which shows plenty of footage I missed by jumping in the middle. With more research I found out that this was an entirely improvised performance by the Marcus Roberts Trio. You might be able to see or hear traces of that. There’s one part where he’s playing and you can see his drummer and bassist watching and listening intensely to go back into a tune they recognize so that they can join him.

I encourage you to watch the other parts of this three-part series as I’m just dumping you in the middle of the performance. If you get bored, just skip in about seven minutes to see the cliffnotes version on his talent and keep in mind that he was improvising:

 “Rhapsody In Blue” played by the Marcus Roberts Trio [2/3]

[link]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROBERT SMITH!

How can I pick just one Cure song to celebrate Robert Smith’s birthday?! I’ll just go with a classic, I guess. Just know that “Lovecats” was a strong contender. Also, I’ll shoot anyone who ever lied and said Robert Smith was attractive. Ain’t that much money in the world…

[link]

Slam Dunk.

My Queen – Errol Dunkley & Junior English

You’re Gonna Need Me – Errol Dunkley

Please Stop Your Lying – Errol Dunkley

I’m mostly fascinated by Errol Dunkley [exhibit a, exhibit b] because for quite awhile I haven’t been able to recover any definitive information about him, just the glints and glitters that make my nose start itching for a chase. The usual greyhounding and 007 techniques recovered false, incomplete and/or paltry information. Even the Trojan Records website had inaccurate information about their own artist. Of course, that only intrigued me more.

Although he was referred to as the “Michael Jackson of Dancehall”, the similarities between the two are simple and few: they were both young and talented. Dunkley had neither the international fame nor popularity of his U.S. counterpart. He didn’t even share the same popularity as his contemporaries Delroy Wilson or Freddie McGregor who were also young and talented in the 60s.

His first single, “My Queen”, was recorded for Prince Buster when Dunkley was twelve in 1963, but it wasn’t 1967 that he received notable attention. His two singles “You’re Gonna Need Me” and “Please Stop Your Lying” were recorded by Joel Gibson [R.I.P.] and supposedly still draw crowds at dancehalls.

[link to tracklist]

Black Cinderella – Errol Dunkley [imeem]

At twenty his short-lived label, African Museum, with partner Gregory Issacs quickly dissolved when Dunkley decided to try his luck with Jimmy Radway, the owner of a small label called Fe Me Time. It was here that he recorded the tracks “Keep The Pressure Down” and “Black Cinderalla” which are still highly regarded and hugely coveted in collector’s circles. 

In 1972 he toured the Carribean and Canada with Dennis Brown and Delroy Wilson and released his album A Little Way Different in 1973 on Trojan Records. In 1979 he found more mainstream success on the UK charts with a cover of John Holt’s song “O.K. Fred.” Every time I let someone hear this song, the same question comes up: “What’s a yaga yaga?” Supposedly, it means true or bonafide and is usually used in reference to friendship.

O.K. Fred – Errol Dunkley [imeem]

When the excitement over “O.K. Fred” wore off, he put out a couple reissues and finally toured North America in the 90s. Now, he lives in and performs in Florida.

Keep Rocking.

Refer back to “Rocksteady” to catch up before you watch the video.

Hurts So Good/Loving Is Good – Susan Cadogan 

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P.S.:  MY LIFE IS NOW COMPLETE. Awhile back I stumbled on an Errol Dunkley 45″ [scroll down to see album cover], supposedly the Michael Jackson of rocksteady, in the motherbleeping clearance box at Amoeba. What were they thinking?!

O.K. Fred – Errol Dunkley 

[link]

Is he jamming or is he jamming? I got a message at work from Amoeba calling to tell me the whole Errol Dunkley album I ordered has arrived. O.K.!!!

Rocksteady.

I haven’t been feeling well for more than week now, so my current rudeboy brought me some dirt and leaves to eat: some Dr. Andrew’s Weil For Tea [ … ], flax seed something or the other and this oily green organic, live, raw food bar. And vitamin water and a few different flavors of tea. I’m not going to lie, I feel better. So, in return, I cracked open my latest purchase and shared the gospel.

Let Me Down Easy – Derrick Harriot

Hurt So Good/Loving Is Good – Susan Cadogan and The Upsetters

I Will Never Change – Cornell Campbell and The Aggrovators