Dr. J Presents…

A little chart of tunes that raise a smile to my face – both old and new across a host of genres. If you get the chance, check ‘em out – they might just have a similar effect on you too!

1. Different – MRSA (SICK MUSIC/Hospital)

2. Never Square – Lightheaded (Pure Thoughts/Hiphop Is Music)

3. Baked, Broiled and Fried – Cookin’ On 3 Burners (Baked, Boiled and Fried/Freestyle)

4. New Morning – Quantic and His Combo Bárbaro (Tradition In Transition/Tru Thoughts)

5. The Side Stepper – The Bamboos (Side Stepper/Tru Thoughts)

6. Crescendolls – Daft Punk (Discovery/Virgin)

7. Horizon (feat. Niara Scarlett) – The Cinematic Orchestra (Every Day/Ninja Tune)

8. Inversion – Mark Ronson (Version/Sony BMG)

9. Happy Up Here – Röyksopp (Junior/EMI Music (France))

10. Secousse Soukous – The Souljazz Orchestra (Freedom No Go Die/Do Right! Music)

If that doesn’t raise a smile, I’m concerned that very little will!

Enjoy,

Dr. J

Hey all,

Sorry that it’s been a while since I’ve written anything of substance. I will do better! I’m going to need to take a break from the new music I’ve been getting hold of (which is sad as I’ve come across some quality albums and the first bits of vinyl in a long while!) because a lot’s been going on in the world of music that I produce…

Around Christmas time, I did some work after finishing Heart Soul Mind & Strength, an album I was very happy with (and still am really) but was quite drawn out in terms of output due to time available (or not as the case was) during the internship at King’s last year. I came up with a couple of tracks which were a lot more back to my musical roots in funk, jazz and soul. Having access to a glockenspiel, courtesy at the lovely guys at Characters from Books and the grand piano inside the Parish Church at Cromer, I was able to let rip with some jazz for the first time in a while! The glockenspiel spawned a couple of ideas which I played with in the months that followed and after Christmas, I invested in a professional quality cardioid condenser mic by Samson. This opened up a whole world opportunities for experimentation and a higher quality production. Over time, I produced a number of new tunes which are up on my new MySpace and SoundCloud accounts. Given the software I purchased to master HSM&S, (Energy XT2.5) a whole new set of tunes were somewhat inevitable really! Also, with the help of Computer Music Magazine, I inherited a host of plug-ins and VST instruments to play with, of particular interest is one instrument which has a variety of sounds which just seem to beg “use me!”

Here’s a quick run-down of tunes that I have online:

Your Move (MySpace, SoundCloud) – Breakbeat-driven jazz-funk with a disco-inflected bridge in the middle. I loved being able to get hold of a glock for this one and had plenty of fun laying down the riffs and working out piano chords for the first time in ages!

Honey & Lemon feat. Amy Simpson (flute, alto) and Adam Goodall (valve trombone, trumpet) (MySpace, SoundCloud) – Serious deep funk with a slightly space-aged, garage-beat-laden bridge, fantastic solos by the wind instrument section and thanks to Re:generation for letting me use their cymbals!

The Listening Bay  (MySpace, SoundCloud) – A mellow experimental hip-hop tune using VST’s, a bowl, some water, my right hand and the new mic. It was great to be able to experiment with different styles on this one, create whole atmospheres and arrange some (beautiful sounding) synth strings.

Double Booked feat. Amy Simpson (flute) (MySpace, SoundCloud, FREE DOWNLOAD) – Another experimental tune which hijacked some funk and got totally out of control! Kudos to Amy for giving some stellar performances! This tune recently appeared on the radio in Brussels thanks to the Onda Sonora Soundsystem playlisting the tune for their show last week! (2/6/09), as well as being picked out for recommended new music in “The Lookout List”!

Find My Way (Edit) (MySpace) –  Another jazz-influenced number, but with more R&B overtones á la Liquid Spirits or Spengler.

Preacha Funk (as Missing Fill with James Shepherd, Mike Topping, Chris Juby and Rose Codner) and Family Tree (co-written with Jon King, as Major Groove) both appeared on the One Body:07 Compilation (2007).

To listen, check the links below:

SoundCloud (Less tunes, higher quality, and free download) – http://soundcloud.com/drjpresents

MySpace (More tunes, lower quality and I still haven’t figured out how the download is supposed to work even though I’ve enabled it!) – http://www.myspace.com/drjpresents

On the 30th of May I had the privilege of providing the beats and tunes for the ESC Graffiti Gallery as part of the Pentecost Festival at the Waterloo Action Centre in Waterloo. The set was a 5 hour epic flowing through hip-hop, funk, soul, a touch of jazz, broken beat, house and finally drum & bass. It was a quality event and the artwork was seriously high quality. I’ll be sure to let you know! For now, here are a few photos from the event!

       Photography: Ross Spearman

Work in Cromer has limited my production somewhat since Easter, however, a remix competition for Tony Allen’s new album “Secret Agent” was brought to my attention via twitter and I have a few ideas I want to bring together for it… all I need to do is find the time to record and mix it all!

Anyway, enough chat from me!  I hope you enjoy the music and I look forward to seeing you soon. Next date (TBC) is in Durham next Friday (19th @ St’ Oswald’s Institute (well, the park next door) for Party in the Park, Under 18’s).

See you soon,

Dr. J.

http://twitter.com/drjpresents

Hello All,

Just a quick note to say that the lovely people at Onda Sonora have playlisted one of my tracks for their radio show on FM Brussel 98.8 (Brussels) tonight. The show will be online to download for the rest of the week too.

Check here for the details:

http://www.ondasonora.be/index.php

Here for the broadcast:

http://www.fmbrussel.be/

Also, my soundcloud account us up and running, so if you want to listen to better quality versions of my tracks and get a *free* download, head over here!
God bless,

Dr. J

Those ominous words can only mean one thing –  Mr. Scruff has been to town! It was a warning that was heeded by few, but felt by many!

Friday 20th March was the date, the LCR of the University of East Anglia was the location for some quality music, mixing and, well, tea! Mr. Scruff brought his “Keep It Unreal” night to Norwich, and it was a night to remember. 5 hours, a number of turntables, CD decks and breeze blocks, not to mention the trademark screens, animations and VJ to provide the comic relief, incoming bassline alerts and smiles all round.

The night started out with some chilled out hip-hop and funk (and some exceptionally keen dancers, they shall remain nameless… until tagged on Facebook) with things tootling along nicely, there was plenty to keep the crowds (who pooled outside of the LCR building for some time before the doors opened at just after 9) occupied and interesting as we were taken on a musical journey.

Ninja Tuna

In his own trademark style, Scruff weaved effortlessly and evasively through the genres, and felt free to drop a number of tunes of his own – both old and new to keep the fans’ legs wobbling! I found it quite encouraging to hear tunes I knew but hadn’t heard before such as the funk backdrop to the obscure Untitled on DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing amongst others.

Further highlights included (but weren’t limited to) a dub of Bob Marley’s Exodus, and one of my personal favourites – Not So Blue by Quantic. Similarly the “sing-a-long” enthusiasm taken to by the crowd for Scruff’s Get A Move On was positively joyous! Finally, the chest-shaking madness that accompanied Whiplash (another Ninja Tuna cut) was immense – took me back to the days when I used to go to the Notting Hill Carnival. Class.

Again, as with essentially every Scruff gig I’ve been to, there was that unforgettable atmosphere of every person having a good time and a smile on their face. It’s a somewhat bizarre and fairly lacking element at most club nights. Yes, there is a sense of atmosphere and enjoyment elsewhere, but I haven’t found that ubiquitous sea of smiles elsewhere yet. The search continues.

All in all, a fantastic night, and something I’d love to repeat in the not too distant future, preferably with friends to share it with!

God bless,

Dr. J.

View Full Album

Day off again in Cromer, so I’m off on the train to Norwich with Star Guitar swirling about my head, I’m taking this opportunity to share some more albums which have tickled my fancy over the past few months!

Hidden Gem

Following the bass heavy adventures with the Ninja Tuna I turned my attention to an album which. upon its release I overlooked, funnily enough. Listening to the clips of Floating Heavy by Me&You – (Tru Thoughts’ Rob Luis and Al “TM Juke” Cowan) I was generally not as enthused as I thought I would be. I picked up a couple of the freebies (Hint’s awesome remix of Sneaker Thief and Random Search, which in the end got the Richard Briggs treatment) and an MP3 of Elephant Takeover, which went down a storm at Planet of Sound. That said, I didn’t take a huge interest in the complete album upon its release back in 2007. However, having come across some updated clips, my interest was renewed. Having got it back in October, I’ve only now stopped listening to it on a regular basis! There is a huge variety of styles and genres which aren’t all that strictly adhered to from track to track.   It’s all very much dancefloor oriented (my kind of music, obviously) and there is a warm sense to the production, which makes it approachable with every listen. Strokes of genius are afoot with the likes of The Hoop Loop, the beautifully crafted afro-drum&bass of Wouri River and the funky house stylings of Sneaker Thief. If you like to dance, there will be something for you here!

Next up, is the third release from Australia’s premier funk band – The Bamboos. They return with their tight-as-a-black-hole, razor-sharp funk, but with a few twists as they broaden their scope for styles of soul they mingle with! Side Stepper features a host of tracks which are all chock-full of soul. The album kicks off in full force with Nightsport – a kind of Northern Soul/Funk hybrid with an intensely catchy guitar breakdown. Music all about dancing until the wee hours. Kylie Auldist makes numerous appearances throughout the LP as the band’s lead vocalist, delivering rich and emotive performances all round. Most notably on the soul cracker Make It Real. However, Lance Lanu Ferguson drafted in further vocal talents for 2 of the songs – Megan Washington on the boogaloo-infused Kings of Leon cover King of the Rodeo to sweet effect. The tune is a real hip-shaker and is chock full of b-boy drum breaks for those who like to get their feet moving on the dancefloor. Similarly, Paul McInnes’ soulful lamentations are remarkable on Move On, a foray into 70’s funk territory. There’s a lot to be excited about on this album. Given the opportunity, a lot of these tunes would get some serious airtime with the right opportunity.

ReWind

Again, in my melodious wayfaring through the internet and the iTunes store (to find, rarely to buy – NO DRM thank you!) I came across an album which managed to pass me by when it was first released. Turn out I was in year 9 or 10 when it happened, so we’re going back a few years now! Still, have you ever had that the experience of hearing a tune on the radio, on TV, outside, or in a club which you loved, haven’t heard all that much since and have no idea who’s responsible for it? I have. Quite a bit, and this album is a fine example of where at least 3 or 4 tracks on it fit into that category very well indeed. The album I’m referring to is Discovery by Daft Punk. In fairness, it’s an amazing, incredibly bright and intelligent album with nigh-upon flawless production, and I’m amazed that I’ve managed not to know about songs on it. OK. There are the obvious tunes like One More Time which you’d have to be living in a hole with your fingers in your ears not to know about, but tunes like the slightly more obscure numbers such as Aerodynamic, and the inimitable house pressure of Cresendolls. Similarly, although more well know, Harder Faster Better Stronger came as familiar but again, I only realised that Daft Punk were behind the quality electronic disco-hip-hop that makes it so catchy and easy to dance to! That said, Discovery isn’t just about show-pieces for the dancefloor. There is a real breadth and depth to the tracks here. From the idyllic Nightvision to the longing Something About Us, from the chopped up electro-ballad of Face To Face to the chilled house of Voyager – there’s a lot to appreciate. Versatile and crisp, shiny production. Nice. VERY nice indeed.

Coming back to the future (excuse the pun… you’ll see) comes an album I had to wait for a few months to get hold of. Certain, incredible tracks showed up on the Hospital Records Podcast. Along with a deep and dark D&B tune from Marcus Intalex (I’ll come back to this in a later post) was the hip-hop tinged Coffee by Commix, Nu:Tone and Logistics (previously known on the label as The Cambridge Four when collaborating.) Some old skool bass, beatboxing, a soulful vocal sample, scratches and the sound of vintage drum machines – it’s intelligent, driving drum & bass at its best. The Future Sound of Cambridge 3 was the album this cut was taken from, and it’s bright future indeed. 

Having never purchased an album by 3 different producers before, the concept was a little bit weird to get used to, but the choices are cohesive enough to to give it structure and flow without sounding samey. This is particularly noteworthy for the Commix contributions, which are very leftfield in their demeanour. Most feel more like dubstep (but aren’t) on account that they feel half speed, but still aren’t slow enough to be so easily labelled. This slight diversion aside, Bear Music is legendary with a deep rolling bassline that was meant for your car to drive very, very slowly through wherever you are! Logistics’ standalone efforts are typically euphoric and well thought through, giving you a real sense of excitement before each drop. Similarly, Nu:Tone’s pieces are immaculately produced and again, different from his previous work showing quality progression in style. The collaborations provide real interest with the Gresham Brothers delivering depth and variety when paired up. Sparks really fly when all 4 lock down into the studio for tunes like Coffee, the über-chilled Ghost Snare and the menacing Soundbyte.

ReWound

This album, I’ve had my eye on for a number of years. Friendly DJ and tuk-tuk driver Mark Burton (aka the Medium Wave Soundsystem) tipped me off to a gem on this long player which dates back to 1979. The cover of Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder on this album has achieved staple status at Planet. The album I’m referring to is La Cuna by Ray Baretto. It’s one of those releases I’ve got hold of which was for that particular track, and it’s turned out to be a good deal, as most of the other tracks are quality.

Staying on the theme of albums I’ve been looking for for an amount of time – Law by Cougar a band from Wisconsin fits that category very well. I had the privilege of seeing (and meeting) these guys in Durham while they were on tour in support of Maxïmo Park. It was a bit of a serendipitous occasion, as I had been invited to DJ in support of them as one of Ben Subotica Stein’s Antistatik nights I was around to see them perform, and that was quite honestly one of the most musically inspiring nights of my life –no mistake!    You would have been amazed if you had been there, I guarantee! Cougar combine a whole range of influences, rooted in rock music and fuse them with acoustic, classical and soul to come with a heavily rhythmic and polished sound. Their debut album, which was released back in 2005 is a journey through atmospheric sounds capes pulling every emotional string there is (and perhaps a few more.)  These guys clearly have a severely acute understanding of music and how to use it. Tracks like Atlatl demonstrate from the outset these guys appreciation for rhythm and emotion, swiftly shifting from gentle melodies through to 70’s style metal riffs with some tight drums and bass driving things through. Each piece makes you feel like you’re hearing a story being read to you – you can almost touch the characters and walk through the rooms of the buildings or into the fields (I could go on, but you get the idea.) I suppose what makes this album so enthralling for me is the attention to detail given to each piece. Melodies with syncopated counter-melodies and harmonies wrap you up in a fleece-blanket of imagination and wonder. (OK, that sounds a bit flowery, but you get the point!)

Coming to the end of this rather epic journey, I’d like to talk about a couple of (relatively) new releases I’ve come across. Raise The Roof by Lizzy Parks and the self-titled album from Liverpool’s 6ix Toys are two releases I had initially (one way or another) resisted investigating for one reason or another. I suppose, the lack of opportunity to play anything out is an all-encompassing reason which rears it’s ugly head pretty regularly for me. Still, both albums are accessible if you just want to sit back and take in the breadth of style and deft-touch execution. The former touts a variety of jazz-influenced styles from contemporary/classical meshes through to soulful numbers and on again to gospel-tinged builders. There’s a warm, accessible vibe to this album and some truly stunning performances from this young woman.   This is helped no doubt by crisp production from Nostalgia 77 and enthralling orchestration á la Riaan Vosloo and this is demonstrated to full effect on the “Instrumentals” disc which reveals the astonishing detail these guys have gone to. It’s really difficult to pick out individual pieces to recommend, I’d just say listen for yourself!

Moving on to a band I heard about through Craig Charles’ Funk and Soul Show, 6ix Toys deliver. Enough said , but I go on anyway! Their debut gives you a tour of soul in your hand, from banging funk tunes (Paint the Toon, Bend Your Knees) through to more jazz inspired numbers, (Wake ‘n’ Bake) tunes that bridge the two (Skreech), salsa-influenced-breakbeat-driven monstrosities (Misquito), all layered with a healthy dose of open-mindedness  with turntables finding a home amongst the rest of the band. Think about if The Apples and The New Mastersounds had funky little babies, you’d be in the right sort of ballpark. Also keep your eye out for an impressive cover of The Prodigy’s Voodoo People. Only a minor quibble with some of the lyrics but otherwise, fantastiche.

Part 3 will be available real soon kids, but for now, explore, find and share!

God bless,

Dr. J.

Hello All,

Dr. J here! I’m writing on a train to Cambridge at 8:25 on a Saturday morning. I’ve just got a new laptop so it’s actually possible to do this without a power supply (thanks be to God!) I’m using this opportunity to share some of the new music I’ve picked up over the past few months but not really had the time to talk about!

Rewinding back to last summer, if you can remember back that far, I picked up a trio of quality albums from the Tru Thoughts stable: The Art Of Vibration – Natural Self, Death Of the Revolution – Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno and Driven From Distraction – Hint.

This set of long players spans a range of musical styles and genres which are too numerous to name in full here but are well worth checking out. The first of these ventures into the wonderful world of breakbeat. Natural Self has somewhat of a penchant for full-on rhythms and this is evident from the introduction to the album. This theme continues throughout without becoming laboured or dull. Personal highlights for me include The Rising, Alright Turn It Up Now and Faultlines as dance-floor-clattering tunes. Moving onto Quantic’s most recent (to date, I know he already has new material under yet another moniker!) work draws influences from Colombia, where he now resides but has a distinctly dub/reggae feel which has a remarkable air of authenticity to it. I’m happy to say that I was surprised at how good this album is, in terms of the creativity behind the writing. Not to say that I expected the album to be bad – rarely anything is that comes from Quantic! However, being someone who’s never really been a fan of reggae music in a big, way, I was surprised to find out how much I really enjoyed listening to this album from start to finish! From the lolloping bass line of Mi Chocolatina to the hip-hop infused Cuidad Del Swing, to the, jaunty, uplifting Alegria En Bella Vista, there’s no emotion left unchecked throughout the album, pleasurable to both the casual listener, headphone junkie or club connoisseur. Finally, in this trio of contemporary beats is Hint’s first album for Tru Thoughts Recordings and if you’re a fan of big fat baselines, you most certainly won’t be disappointed! Hint’s album explores a range of electronic styles managing to be delicate yet powerful at times, strong whilst remaining intelligent, contemporary and yet accessible. I think what makes his work stand out is probably the degree of time that is clearly spent on production on things like percussion, which is so delicate and detailed. This really give his music a sense of clarity to match the power of his baselines. Stand out tunes (a few from many, I assure you) include the deep electro-wobble of At the Dance (which guys at Planet loved), the grime-tinged Muddled Morning and the ridiculously phat Scrawny’s Beat. All worth checking out!

Towards the end of the summer I got hold of 2 more albums followed by the shock release of Mr. Scruff’s – Ninja Tuna. Releases by TM Juke & The Jack Baker Trio and The Apples deeply impressed me. TM Juke’s more live oriented project with Jack Baker has yielded an exciting journey through the soul music of the Americas on Boto And The Second Liners ranging from funk from New York to New Orleans, samba, ska, and even ragga! There’s no style that you can’t dance to that they haven’t turned their hand to and there is plenty to get excited about! Check out Spread It On feat. Alice Russell, Fortune Favours The Bold, and Swamp’s Ska. The Apples’ Buzzin’ About is another funk/jazz/hip-hop/breaks fuelled, turntable-laden beast! Their work will continue to impress with their “so tight it really really hurts” horn arrangements, and their intelligent composition. Also it’s quite fun to dance to as well! Debil’s Dream shows particular aplomb and intelligence, starting with an obscure glockenspiel-like sample and moving on into some funky blending between the wind and bass. Sweeeeeeeeeet. Similarly, Number Two has some rather cheeky swagger to the rhythm with an extraordinarily jazzy hip-hop flavour.

Ninja Tuna by Mr. Scruff, as I mentioned earlier kinda popped out of nowhere! Late on in September, word came from his website about it via a fan e-mail about the release and it was rather exciting news by all means! Nonetheless, when I asked him about it at Future Perfect (a festival held on the Racecourse in Durham) he was rather sheepish about it, he certainly gave no clues about it (that I was aware of anyway!) Still, I was glad to hear a tune that was brand new in February 2008 (and he played exclusively at the Subotica DSU event) made the cut when I listened to his Ninja Tuna mixes online. I think that it’s fair to say that the work is probably one of his most adventurous pieces to date and is broad (even for him) in every sense. The level of the production (like Hint, including the percussion) is remarkably high and there is a cohesive feel as he continues to bash numerous genres to marvellous effect. Whiplash, Give Up To Get, and Kalimba (among a plethora of others) have special resonance with me.

More on albums I’ve acquired next time, but now I’d like to share a bit on my own productions of late. Having moved to Cromer in North Norfolk, there have been less opportunities to DJ than I had whilst in Durham, and so I’ve had a trademark change of focus in my musical behaviour to production. Having produced a relatively small amount of new music over the past year due to the demands of the internship, I’ve found myself being inspired again, partially by the breadth of my listening, and partly because when I engage with work heavily, the artistic side of my brain gets bored and pops out tunes for me to record etc. Anyway the result is as follows:

I’ve managed to put together a new album, which I’m pretty pleased with in terms of the variety and fairly pleased with the production. I’ve used a total of 3 different sequencers to put it all together. The latest one being Energy XT2 which is an excellent piece of independent software which I can recommend highly. I’ve sought to be as wide as possible with the styles that have influenced me over the past 2 and a half years and have opted to draw upon my own experiences to inspire the songs (apart from track 2 which is just Psalm 122  from The Message sung to a funk track I wrote whilst busking in my old house in Durham). I’m pleased to be continually inspired to create new tunes, and am glad of being able to borrow a glockenspiel for the composition of some tracks as the tone is wonderful! Anyway, the track listing (if you can’t read the image) is as follows:

1. Introducing…
2. Let’s Go To The House Of God (Album Version)
3. Home From Home (feat. Amy Simpson, Adam Goodall & James Fairbairn)
4. Kitestrings
5. Hear You (feat. Naomi Aves)
6. Beyond All Understanding
7. Finkle Priory
8. Wake Up
9. Starlit Canopy (Interlude)
10. Back To You
11. Remember To Forget
12. Midnight Lullaby
13. The Conqueror
14. Risky Action
15. Do You?
16. Heart Soul Mind & Strength
17. Embark
18. Do You? (Instrumental)

Well folks, that’s all for now. Stay tuned for the track listings to new Dr. J mixtapes and more music that has soul.

God bless,

Dr. J.