Cire d'Esprit

Those wacky Belgians are at it again. Call them Soulwax, or 2 Many DJ's, or "Die Verboten," as their new band is called, but either way, David and Stephen Dewaele (plus those other guys) are some of the most prolific producers on the scene today.

The sheer number of Soulwax remixes both via commission and just for fun can be overwhelming, and it's quite easy for the most recent ones to just pass you by. I, of course, have no claim to being particularly aware of what's going on, and so these have just come to my attention - but they're good. Really, really good.



Coincidentally enough, the Rolling Stones remix was featured prominently in the movie 21 that came out a month or two ago (it actually was remixed by them specifically for it). I saw it being filmed down in Chinatown, but only learned weeks later that it was what it was. Same with the remix. Don't let them pass you by.

The Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want (Soulwax Remix)
The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby (Soulwax Remix)

And don't miss...
One of the best pairings in recent memory, Soulwax and Justice have teamed up to perform unspeakable acts on Midfield General's "Disco Sirens." As of now, there's no official release, but the radio rip from Annie Mac should give you an idea of the awesome potential this double duo have to offer.

Soulwax v. Justice v. Midfield General - Disco Sirens (Annie Mac Radio Rip)

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For Mortal Men Doomed to Die

from lastnightsparty

Another summer, another ridiculous party. This Saturday, August ninth, we've got Max Power and myself at Anthony's in Concord, Massachusetts. Free booze and watersports, and sublime isolation make this yet another must-attend for all those in the Boston area (and those hardy travelers from throughout the Northeast).

39 Bypass Rd in Concord. At 9PM. On August 9th. Be there. It ends...eventually.


On another note, the first EP from Spank Rock & friends collective Fully Fitted, Re-Edits, is out. A monster crew on this one: XXXChange, Devlin, Darko, Chipset, Pase Rock, Amanda Blank, Tyler Pope, and Sylvia (of Kudu) all represent. It really is awesome (and a cut above even Spank Rock itself - for my money, this beats YoYoYoYoYo any day of the week). Cop it here.


Fully Fitted - 100 Million
XXXChange - Shake It

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You're a peein'/Suspense is making me cream my pants

Having just recently returned from gallivanting around Europe, I cannot seem to get Estelle's 'American Boy' out of my head. At first I couldn't stand this track, but hearing it so many times in the clubs (one of my favorites was a little club called Mistral in Aix en Provence) and every time seeing so many French chicks go nuts, I've now grown to love it. In reality, I'll love anything that encourages European girls to be into American boys. Although the most prominent version features Kanye West, I prefer the sans Kanye version:

Estelle - American Boy (no rap)


On Another note, Boy 8-Bit has finally released his track 'Suspense is Killing Me'. After first hearing this track in Diplo's Essential Mix (September '07), I waited patiently until now, almost a year later, for this aptly titled track to become available to us non-superstar DJs. As frustrating as it was, this song was well worth the wait:

Boy 8-Bit - Suspense is Killing Me (Original Mix)

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"...in da hood, summa time is da killin' season - it's hot out in this bitch, that's a good 'nough reason..."

SUMMER! SUMMER! SUMMER! Oh, it's here alright. The air-conditioners are are blasting, the fire hydrants are flowing, the water-boys are hustlin', and r. kelly is bumpin...in the street again. ahh...sweet sweet summer. anyway. it's time to get into some summer jams...those blockbusters and guilty pleasure's you'll probably leave in '08 and never think on again. anyway here are my pleasures (guilty and not) for the month of June:

Kids - MGMT

Open Sesame - Kool & The Gang

Another One Bites the Dust - Queen

Brazilian Rhyme (Tittsworth Remix) - Earth, Wind & Fire

Hope you enjoy. Congrats to Obama!

(speakeasy)

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Fela!

So I like good music, don't you? No, seriously...doesn't everyone like to chill out and listen to some really, really, good tunes? I'm not talking about some obscure 40's bluegrass band or Tibetan throat-singing which may be appealing to few (if any?)--I'm not talking about the latest Lil' Wayne joint or the same five Michael Jackson songs you hear at every party. What I'm talking about is that feel-good music that absorbs you but lets you be--something you can listen to at any time, for any occasion, and always puts a smile on your face. I should be cautious--who knows--some of you might get your jollies off from listening to the Gyuto Monks or playing "Lollipop" on repeat for hours at a time--for me I can only listen to that music so long before I go a bit nanners. Diagnosing a problem I have of shifting though genre's of music like taxi-driver through 5th avenue lanes during rush-hour, I've recently sought out the all-purpose cure for my various musical aches and pains. The prognosis, I found, was quite simple: type F-E-L-A K-U-T-I into the iTunes search thinger, press play and let him do the rest.

Fela Kuti, has, to say the least, become my life in the last week or two. His subtle melodies and upbeat approach has given me a most wonderful outlook during the crunch-time of school, jury-duty (which I'm currently serving) and the horrible weather in New York. I don't seem to be able to get bored or antsy listening to this stuff--it's infectious style has me dancing on train platforms and smiling at old women (even when they aren't to pleased to see me). It is no wonder people consider him to be the pinnacle of Afro-beat and one of the most important musicians of the 20th century--these beats have me begging for more every time I stop listening. I don't usually say this, but if you can't download any of Fela's work, go out and buy it--you won't regret it. It seems impossible to describe him--I'm certain the music needs to speak for itself, so I'll let you be the judge:

Fela Kuti - Roforofo Fight
Fela Kuti - Expensive Shit
Fela Kuti - Coffin for Head of State
Fela Kuti - Zombie

Best wishes, everyone,

Peace,

(speakeasy)

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Catching up.

It's been a while...sorry. Hope everyone had a good winter. I've been busy failing out of school, bullshitting: watching pretentious movies, smoking endless cigarettes, and getting addicted to lost and the wire. Yes, that's right, I like lost. Yes, it is a good show. No, YOU'RE a loser. Anyway, here's some shit I've been working on over the cold months:

Sympathy for the Devil (spkEz Bmore Glitch Edit)
Goin' Down (spkEz remix)
Kick out the Sweet Child (Guns and Roses vs. Dave Nada)
Rock Steady (Steady Rockin' spkEz edit)
Bongos on the Ground (Rye Rye vs. Zongamin)
Cranque Dat (MSTRKRFT vs. Soulja Boy vs. Frederico Franchi)
Hood Nigga (spkEz rough remix)

And a mixtape I just put together...Winter '08

--Glad that's off my chest.

Love, speakeasy.

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I Miss the 90's

My childhood memories are inextricably mixed a (perhaps fantasized) image of the "golden age" present nowadays in the lyrics of wizened old MC's. I remember a 90's New York (more specifically, Prospect Heights and Flatbush, Brooklyn, where I grew up) as a blur of BBQ's, West Indian Day Parades, and red cherry ice's that cut your lips. Call me nostalgic, perhaps even romantic, but at some point I became obsessed with this period of New York City's history. The transition phase--a no-man's land between the wreckage of the eighties and the inflated, hipster-filled realm of the 21st century--a time when you could still buy loosies or use tokens. When red painted train cars still ran, at the height of graffiti, this was the glory age of Hip Hop...

My junior year of high-school I beat my friend in a game of c-lo for a Mecca t-shirt (remember them?) and a DJ Skribble mixtape. Suffice to say that the mixtape didn't leave my cd player for a month or two. It seemed at the time that I had finally found the sound I had always been searching for (again, forgive my romanticism). Anyway, the mixtape, which dug deep into the a quickly dying music tradition of the 90's, became my new drug--and I spent the next two years exploring that incredible moment in hip hop history...

When I got to college, that music began disappearing from my life. New people turned me on to new music and I moved on. Fast forward two years and I'm sitting in my bedroom listening to yet another fast-paced electronica remix or something...UGH. Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff, but goddamn...sometimes I gotta bring it back. I started searching through my computer and what do I find? NaS's Illmatic...ahhhhh. Anyway, since then I've been on a serious east coast 90's kick, and I thought I'd share some of it with you. I threw this sampler together for anyone interested.

I Heart 90's NYC
Track Listing:
Powaful Impak!-Black Moon
Woo Hah-Busta Rhymes
Oh My God-A Tribe Called Quest
The Rep Grows Bigga-Gang Starr
Bucktown-Smif N Wessun
Everyday Struggle-The Notorious B.I.G.
Memory Lane (Sittin' in the Park)-NaS
Drink Away the Pain-Mobb Deep
Supa Star-Group Home
Rainy Dayz-Raekwon the Chef
D'Evils-Jay-Z
Street Struck-Big L
4th Chamber-GZA
Come Clean-Jeru the Damaja
Outta Here- KRS ONE
Return of the Crooklyn Dodger-Various Artists

Or you can download a zip of the singles

Enjoy,

(speakeasy)

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Super Inaugural Celebration Extravaganza

So we've got another sweet party for all you kids out there. This Friday, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings will be gracing SLC with their amazing funk/jazz/nu-soul ridiculousness. If you for some reason have been living under a rock or on Staten Island, the Dap-Kings have worked with Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, The Budos Band, and Antibalas, and they're probably the single best R&B act since Otis Redding. That one starts at 8:30 under a big fucking white tent (and they play the Apollo on Saturday night), but be sure to stick around for the afterparty: 11:30 in the Blue Room. I, and quite possibly your boy Speakeasy will be spinning for some classy people. That means you.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Tell Me

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Rocking Without Vowels

The subject of today's musical exploration is, I'm afraid, kind of predictable--yes, its about remixes. Today we shall focus on our friends from the north, MSTRKRFT. The duo, Jesse F. Keeler (former member of the band Death From Above 1979) and Al-P (producer of Death From Above's "You're a Woman, I'm a Machine" and former member of the electroish group, Girlsareshort), hail from the wonderful world of Ontario, Canada. For anyone who hasn't heard them, I guess it's apt to mention that I discovered MSTRKFT on a gay-centric blog some time ago, under a picture of Paris Hilton--in other words, they pretty much epitomize the whole happy gay sound. Lots of fun, in deed. Strangely enough though, these synth-and-keyboard-thumping-party-makers sound almost nothing like DFA 1979. So then, where did that gritty-guitar, wailing-ballad sound go? Where do these crazy Canadians vent their urge to rock the fuck out....? Well remixes, of course. Since the release of their first single in early 2006, MSTRKFT has produced a slew of rocky sounding remixes, selecting songs from an eclectic range of genres. Anyway, to make a long blog shorter, these remixes bring forth the best of rock and electro, creating a head-bangin, dance-inducing combination, that is sure to get a party bumpin'. If not, they certainly make for some fun listening (Or, at least, I sure enjoy them.)


MSTRKRFT - Got Love To Kill (Juliette & The Licks Remix)
Bloc Party - Two More Years (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Death From Above 1979 - Little Girl (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Death From Above 1979 - Sexy Results (MSTRKRFT Edition)
The Gossip - Listen Up! (MSTRKRFT Relick)
Wolfmother - Woman (MSTRKRFT Remix)

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Baby Got Bass: Volume 2.0

If you're not coming, you're lame. But seriously, walk, run, drive, fly, or do whatever you have to to be at Sarah Lawrence College tonight. If you're coming from New York, take the White Plains Metro-North to Bronxville, and then ask around for the school shuttle. Starts at 11.

We've got Max Neely-Cohen (you may know him as the Kleptonian), Manatee, DJ Pravo, our boy SpeakEasy and myself destroying everything until 2 AM. Don't miss it.


Mr. Flagio - Take A Chance
Soulwax - NY Lipps

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Dr. Charles C. Lilly

New Balance 574JOB

I've gradually come to the realization that it's pretty damn hard to find a decent pair of kicks in my size. 16's aren't hard to come by, but it's really the width that'll getcha. I'm at least an EE or EEEE, and that's just not available most of the time. The Oddball Shoe Company has been working out for the most part, and the New Balance Classics are surprisingly dope, but beyond that, the land of giants has but limited options.

Soulja Boy - Crank Dat (Cousin Cole Remix)
Digitalism vs. B.O.B. - Pogos vs. Haterz (DJ Original Bozak Blend)

That Soulja Boy remix is going to be hot. REAL hot. And I'm just really into that mashup, for no reason at all other than it rocks.

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Oh My God, There's A RIOT IN BEGIUM!

If you haven't heard them yet, definitely give Riot In Belgium a listen. In addition to being talented producers, the duo are also fantastic DJ's. On, of all things, the Ministry of Sound label, can be found Mashed III (buy), the second disc of which is a killer mix of theirs (the first disc is a rather disappointing Tonite Only mix). Having torn it up at the After The Jump Fest yesterday, in September Riot In Belgium will embark on a magical mystery tour of Europe. Check out an interview at Product Shop NYC.

Riot In Belgium - La Musique
Riot In Belgium - La Musique (Revlover Edit)
Kim - Wet N' Wild (Riot In Belgium Remix)
Yelle - A Cause Des Garcons (Riot In Belgium Mix)


Also, apologies for the erratic posting. Things probably won't change any time soon, but we are aware of the delays, and wish things were otherwise.

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Amanda Blank

She's definitely not for everyone, but I find myself strangely attracted to Amanda Blank, MC extraordinaire and sometime member of Spank Rock. I know hypersexualized rapping is almost passé these days, but she does it REAL well. Seriously. I'm turned on. She's got the filthiest mouth you've ever heard, but it doesn't even matter, her rhymes are so tight.

Anyways, here are some tracks to help you with understanding Amanda's appeal. Cause there's a lot of it.


Amanda Blank - Get It Now
Amanda Blank - Get It Now (Robert Koch Remix)
Spank Rock - Bump (Switch Remix)
Dominatrix - The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight (Goliath Edit Feat. Amanda Blank)

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Robot Aftermath

Well, it's been a while.

Our rooftop party in Brooklyn was pretty dope - for about two hours. Unfortunately, the building manager decided to put an end to the festivities around midnight, and only my man Max Power was able to spin at all. Check out the fun, though:































And, due to some damnable technical difficulties, we don't even have a recording of the show. Sit back, bump these two tracks, and imagine what the rest of the night might have sounded like.


Malente - We Came To Party
Röyksopp - What Else Is There? (The Emperor Machine Vocal Mix)

Carlo never quite made it...

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ROBOT DANCE PARTY

This Friday, you MUST head to Brooklyn. No questions.

Rooftop.

Brooklyn.

$5.

8 PM.

538 Johnson Ave.
And the cool kids are coming dressed as robots.

But seriously, Speakeasy and Max Power, along with at least one other DJ, will be spinning...out of control. Here's some music - listen up.

Codebreaker - Exiled (We Don't Need No) [Miami Horror Remix]
Heavy D & Friends - In Living Color (Sta Remix)

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Diplodocus

What the hell, it's everybody's favorite - Wesley Pentz, aka Diplo. I finally got a chance to see him live last week thanks to Apple's Midnight Mix series, at the flagship store on 5th Ave. He fucking KILLED it. Seriously, heads were going nuts. Apparently, he's also just announced a fall tour, so if you at all can, definitely check him out at a theater near you.

Aside from his mixes, Diplo is, of course, a fantastic producer. Supposedly his new album drops in time to coincide with the tour, and if it's anything like Florida, it should be hot. He's been responsible for some of the hottest remixes of years past, and so for your aural pleasure, here are a few.

Hot Chip - Over and Over (Diplo's Shake It Over And Over Mix)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Eli and Diplo Mix)
Kanye West - Stronger (Diplo's Work Is Never Over)
Diplo Feat. Sandra Melody, Vybz Kartel & Pantera Os Danadinhos - Diplo Rhythm

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