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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Randos

It's been a while all around. I've certainly been busy, though. Highlights of what I've been up to during our little hiatus after the fold:



January Mix

1. Kissy Sell Out – Harriet (Kissy's Special Annie Mac Edit)
2. Daft Punk – Human After All (Guy Man After All Remix)
3. Boys Noize – & Down (Teenage Bad Girl Remix)
4. Simian Mobile Disco – It’s The Beat
5. Robbie Williams – Never Touch That Switch (Switch Remix)
6. Solid Groove – This Is Sick
7. Kissy Sell Out – Let There Be Blazing Light
8. Justice – Let There Be Light
9. Feist – My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)
10. Fat Phaze – It’s Magic (Lottie & Serge Santiago’s Version)
11. Bodyrox feat. Luciana – Yeah Yeah (D. Ramirez Dub)
12. Daft Punk – Oh Yeah
13. Matt & Kim – Yeah Yeah (Flosstradamus Remix)
14. Les Rythmes Digitales – Jacques Your Body (Make Me Sweat) (Club Mix)
15. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk Is Playing At My House (Soulwax Remix)
16. Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You
17. Black Strobe – Italian Fireflies vs. Axel Foley Theme
18. Cansei De Ser Sexy – Let’s Make Love (DJ Streetlife’s Rappinhood Remix)
19. Soulwax – NY Lipps
20. Soulwax – NY Excuse (Justice Remix)
21. Daft Punk – DaFunk (Casino Inc Amazing Disco Remix)
22. Arthur Agent – Hold Your Head Up (Soulwax Mix)
23. Claude VonStroke – The Whistler
24. Daft Punk – Around the World
25. Digitalism – Zdarlight (Discodrome Edition)
26. Vicarious Bliss – Theme From Vicarious Bliss (Lifelike Goes Disco Remix)
27. MSTRKRFT – Bodywork
28. Les Rythmes Digitales – Jacques Your Body (Make Me Sweat) (Switch Remix)

March Mix

1. Hot Chip – Over And Over (Naum Gabo Remix)
2. Franz Ferdinand – The Fallen (Ruined By Justice Remix)
3. Benjamin Theves – Texas (Sebastian Remix)
4. Justice – Waters Of Nazareth
5. Feist – My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)
6. Boys Noize – Shine Shine
7. PUZIQUe – Don’t Go
8. Kano – It’s A War
9. Mylo – Otto’s Journey
10. Sinichi Osawa – Star Guitar (feat. Au Revoir Simone)
11. Lindstrøm – I Feel Space
12. Cansei De Ser Sexy – Let’s Make Love (Spank Rock Remix)
13. Adam Sky – Ape X
14. Kaiser Chiefs and Boys Noize – Everyday I Love You Less and Less
15. Klaxons – Gravity’s Rainbow (Soulwax Remix)
16. Röyksopp – What Else Is There? (Trentemøller Remix)
17. Mika – Relax (Take It Easy) (Arcadius Electro Remix)
18. MSTRKRFT – Easy Love (Remix)
19. Chromeo – Bonafied Lovin’ (Riot In Belgium Remix)
20. Simian Mobile Disco – Love
21. Prince – I Wanna Be Your Lover

April Mix

1. Justice – Valentine/Bonde Do Role – Melo Do Tobaco (A Cappella)
2. Surkin – Next Of Kin
3. D.I.M. – Is You
4. Goblin – Tenebre
5. Justice – Phantom
6. Kazyo – Make Yeah
7. PUZIQUe – Thomas
8. Shadow Dancer – Daytime Drinking
9. Teenage Bad Girl – Hands Of A Stranger (Vitalic Remix)
10. Teenage Bad Girl – Hands Of A Stranger (Yuksek Remix)
11. Sebastian – Untitled
12. Kiss y Sell-Out – Her
13. Boys Noize – Lava Lava
14. KIM – Fistogram
15. Gonzales – Working Together (Boys Noize Dub Mix)
16. Thomas Bangalter & DJ Falcon – Together

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Under stress of misfortune, or in dread of tyranny, it is still preached...

If you ain't seen this yet... you're in for one hell of a ride. Apparently this shit has also been getting banned left and right in France, for the sheer violence and cruelty within. This isn't even to mention the reminders it provides of the banlieue violence that, as you might recall, exploded in late 2005. It's a tight video, and probably the best one they could have shot for this song. It also totally echoes the video for "Smack My Bitch Up." Speaking of which - Stress? Is the new Justice single? I did not see that one coming. Either way, I must have one of those jackets.



Justice - Stress
Justice - Stress (ZUER Edit)
Fucked Up - Stress (Justice Cover)

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Мои Друзья

"...too blunt as an instrument, as VChK officials concede, because the government could not simultaneously institute bankruptcy proceedings against 90% of the enterprises in the country. Instead, the VChK devised a complicated arrangement under which the tax debts of the delinquent enterprises would be restructured as bonds. If an enterprise defaulted on these, a controlling stake in its shares would be taken over by the government and auctioned off to the highest bidder. But one year after the plan was announced, only three large enterprises were restructuring their tax debts, and the government's attempt to seize the assets of two oil refineries only ignited..."



Michael Hunter - The Soviet Connection
Seryoga - The Invasion
Detsl - Pizness (Feat. MC Molodoy)

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