Of Pads and Patterns

Blu & Exile
"Of Pads and Patterns (interview)" from Red Bull Music Academy, Barcelona (2008, Red Bull Music Academy)

"Blu & Exile have fingers in so many pies, it’s a full-time job keeping up. But beyond their collaborations, solo projects and plans for the future, there’s the Below The Heavens album, an already classic slab of noughties hip hop that emerged in 2007 to universal acclaim. The duo discuss how they hooked up in the L.A. underground, and detail their myriad projects, from ripping samples from the radio to the leftfield stylings of C.R.A.C. Exile talks about his background in music, and how he owes his hip hop career to a fictional character called Shabba Doo, while Blu is a late starter who owes it all to DMX and Common. In a hip hop landscape beset by mediocrity, these two are making some of the most innovative music around." - Red Bull Music Academy

A transcript of this interview can be found here.

Sounds from the Cave

Mr. Chop
"The Caveman (video)" from Sounds from the Cave (2008, Jazz & Milk Recordings)
"Snob" from Sounds from the Cave (2008, Jazz & Milk Recordings)

"In amongst the mediocre and the shit that I regularly receive through both the physical post box and the virtual inbox there is occasionally a gem, a jewel, a nugget of light to brighten my day. They appear once in a blue moon, and are increasingly rare in these days of hyperbole, heresy and the tedious boasts of the press release. This record is one such nugget, in fact It's more like a huge heaving slab of something so precious it has yet to be named. Except it has been named, it's called 'Sounds from the Cave' - well done Mr. Chop for unearthing this for everyone to hear. Record of the year so far!" - DJ Food, 2008

MP3 via Cubik Musik.

Learn more about Mr. Chop and his EP here.

The Obamix

King Most
"The Obamix" from MySpace.com/KingMost (2008, Plug Label)

"The intent of this mix was to try and capture what WE'VE all been feeling these past months: hope, struggle, and the importance of facing a challenge. It also serves as a reminder, and perhaps an introduction to what OUR candidate is all about." - King Most

Thought this was fitting for inauguration day. Tracklisting and more on King Most's MySpace.

The Death of High Fidelity

Robert Levine
"The Death of High Fidelity (article)" from Rolling Stone (2007, Rolling Stone)

My bookmark folder is a jungle. Here's something I found trying to sort through it. A 2007 article detailing "The Loudness War" which affects the sound quality of music you hear today. Sure it's 2009 now, but I have a feeling things haven't changed much. Enjoy!

The Wig and the Wildcat

Skratch Bastid
"2003 Scribble Jam DJ Finals" from Cincinnati, Ohio (2003, YouTube)

"You know how Bastid makes nachos? One at a time, that’s how. He puts a dab of salsa and grated cheese on each individual nacho chip and then puts them all into the oven like little nacho cookies. That’s dedication to a craft. That’s attention to detail and a creative mind. That’s a mad scientist. That’s also a really slow way to make nachos." - SkratchBastid.com

Didn't I?

Darondo
"Didn't I (video)" from Let My People Go (2006, Luv N' Haight)

"The life story of William Darondo Pulliam (a.k.a. 'Double D' or 'Dynamite D') remains subject to myth and mystery: His label once reported that he'd worked as a pimp for many years, a claim the singer now denies. Whatever his day job at the time, in the early '70s, Darondo recorded his sole commercial output as a musician, crafting three singles for three different studios." - NPR.org