It's not a problem that I can't fix, coz' I
can do it… IN DA MIX
Man, man, man ! What an emotion we’ve felt
here, right on the opposite side of your screen, beginning to see you coming out
of everywhere to have a look at what is now the home to In Da Mix.
Only three weeks on, and the period that saw you being e-mailed this newsletter,
sometimes infected by those kinds of %ª@¶∫!◊ & the likes while
coming right to your door, almost seems like eurgh… prehistory !
You receive, you give,
said once to me A Guy Called Gerald while being stucked at my place in
the middle of visa problems. And this is exactly what I thought when deciding to
go further with this new way for displaying what I deeply hope you to think as
to be the (good) word…
THE WORD that I’ve got from some of you
throughout the years while crossing their paths here or there ; should it be
artists, DJ’s, record label managers, club promoters, scribes, but, first of
all, humans ! Wherever this may have occured… In New York, London, Ibiza, Paris,
Budapest, Detroit or Vienna. THE WORD that gave me instant emotion. THE WORD
that has come to gather the forces here under the IDMW.com banneer.
Should it be the ones who, by their absolute hopes and beliefs in a better
world, give life to this adventure, or the others who, by sharing the same state
of mind, have become members of the growing In Da Mix (websites)
Family. THE WORD which WE feel to be our duty to share with you
day after day.
THIS WORD is love
and, by extension, unity, as appealed to by many of those you may hear about in
these columns. In fact, nothing but THE principle of life, as opposite to the
inevitable K-Os threatening our future (our survival), should we keep on living
the way we do without caring about us, our families, our friends, neighbours…
About our environment, not to mention about our community.
I remember only nine months ago, when I sent
the very first issue of In Da Mix. How many where you to get it ?
A hundred ? Two ? May be three… And how many are you today to read it ? Could
well be a hundred times more, should it be here or via our partners’s displays…
We’re nothing but the result of our (global) history, said once to
me CeCe Rogers and needless to say that this totally applies to the site
occupying your screen at this precise moment. From the very first encouragement
that I’ve got e-mailed by a brother, to the growing amount of websites applying
to join us in our effort to deliver the best exposure to the things we deeply
believe in.
Yes folks, not a thing of this you’re seing here would have been possible
without the unvaluable contributions of all the people making what’s now called
the In Da Mix Family, who ever they are, wherever they live and
whatever their origins are. And as already said, there’s a space for each of you
here as InDaMixWorldwide.com has been made for no one but you, in
the hope this will give you the similar will to spread… THE WORD !
Needless to specify
that THE WORD and some aural accompaniement were made to be the perfect
combination for helping us to reach our inner vibes. This being the key to
explain why and how music can be so important to us, should it be individually
speaking but also globally, leading sometimes to gather while taken by the same
kind of emotions and we’ve got quite a few on display this week for you…
Arnold Jarvis ?
Eurgh… You may think there’s no use to talk about him any more in this column
right now, as he had a recent single of the week over there — the very first on
our recently created section (cf.
week ≠ 48) — but wait a minute ! He’s got
another release, this time on Madhouse label. A cut called “Music Is My Friend“
which has a nice and cool atmospheric swing along as remixed by Daphonic
(nuttin’ to do wit’ the parisian record store of the name, although ending with
an S !), although I very much prefer the original version by Kerri Chandler
with its typical organ line inherited from gospel.
Pursuing this trip inside the deepest side of
the NY scene with “Be Yourself“, the blatant new single to be taken from the
awaited LifeBeat Benefit Compilation, Blaze presents Underground Dance
Artists For Life’s Keep Hope Alive album featuring Joi Cardwell,
flirting with absolute PU-RI-TY. In other words, our third “single of the week“
(King Street). Meanwhile, “Found Love“ seeing the West End’s pair on a downtempo
tip, should see the light any time now on their own label.
Also good news from the
Frankie Feliciano’s camp is the relaunch of his own label (Ricanstruction)
with a first release, the cool & classy “My Joy“ under the
Nulife guise, starring
Kenny Bobien on vocals + the launch of a website simply called
www.ricanstruction.com. Welcome on line !
Other things where you’re sure to find some
real musicianship and aural excitement are Nick Jones & Kalim Shabazz‘s
works and their new 12“, “Celebrate Life“ (under their Moments Of Life
moniker), is no exception, melting numerous organic elements over some pulsating
rhythm. Meanwhile, the dub version (my favourite in fact) brings us into some
more sublte atmospheric territory (Wave Music).
Well, well, have to say that I haven’t really
being convinced by Mondo Grosso’s latest called “BLZ“ and its rather
uninspired flamenco flava. This said, Bob Sinclar saves this with an old
school funk elements addiction including what has to be taken as a short
reminder of Positive Force’s “We Got The Funk“ anthem. Cleverly done !
(King Street).
Going up North to Canada with Nick
Holder’s famous DNH Records label. A place where you not only find discoïd
extrapolations but also the bulk of absolute musicianship, as delivered by
Sun & Soul Shades featuring Mahjong & Aramansa on the jazzy soulful
brokenish “Goldmine“. Pfwaouw ! To say the least about this production
appearently coming from Italy.
Not that many releases on UK label, Diaspora
Recordings, but regularly something to feed your appetite, as demonstrated by
Steal Vybe with their eponym EP, delivering some cool’N’fluid soulful jazzy
touch on the four tracks on display, thus with a very intimate feel and a slice
of melancholy as shown on “Elements“ on the flipside.
Can’t help myself remembering George Benson’s
classic “The World Is A Ghetto“ while having a listen to the wonda-ful re-edits
of “What You Doing To This Girl ?“ by Los Jugaderos on Junior Boy’s own.
The A-side majesticaly retouched by Norman Jay, although my heart goes
for the B-side which is the result of an old collaboration between Ashley
Beedle and Phil Asher, both on abstract post-discoïd feel. You’d
rather get this shit !
Quite far away from this although as
effective on the floors is the abstract afro repetitive “Downtown“ from
Freedom Soundz, aka Alex Attias & Vanessa Freeman, particularly
recommended if you’re into experimental pulsative stuff (Nepenta). Should you be
a regular customer to In Da Mix, Meitz’s name then can’t be
unknown to you. Well, this versatile Hamburg based producer is back in full
effect with the afro/broken “Zwakalani“, one of the strongest cuts to be taken
from his debut-LP on INFRACom ! The aforementioned, delivered with some
additional reworks from Stockholm’s heroes, S.U.M.O. with a lot on offer
here and most definitely on their festive Rebounce version.
Ya think I’ve finished with you ? No way, as
the french scene has many things on display. Starting with what is to be taken
as our fourth single of the week (click on our section of the name next
wednesday), we’re going baaaack to da roots with the classic afro “We Shall
Overcome“ by Franck Biyong & The Afrolectric Orkestra featuring Melissa James
(Hot Casa Records).
Everyone knowing a bit about Franck Roger
should have noticed his influences behind the desks. Could this be that he’s the
only one doing interesting deep house music in France at the moment ? Another
answer to be given while listening to his latest 3 tracker on Versatile, hailing
from Chicago flavas alla Larry Heard (on “There Was A Child“) to the
vibrant “Vera Cruz“ tinged with some plaintive jazzy saxophone line, provided
by Loik Gayot.
Remember what the brits used to call the nu
house, refering to the now defunct Nuphonic label with acts like Faze Action
at their very beginning ? Looks like there’s very much in common on Cachasa’s 4th
release. A cut called “Voodoo Child“ by Mana Soaio, especially on it’s
B-side mix led by a psychedelic dubbed guitar line. Guaranteed effects on da
floors, as for the infamous jazzy phonk “Love Vissicitude“ by Brother on
Kif Records, establishing once more this label amongst the finest quality music
purveyors in France.
A bit more weird is “Bang The Box“ by
Lanoiraude with its drop of electro jazz funk feel, from the EP of the same
name (Initial Cuts). Meanwhile, the heat gets to its highest stage on
Rinôçérôse’s latest, “Music Kills Me“. Either on its revamp by The
Rapture, mixing new wave kind of vocal interpretation over a loop taken from
the evergreen CeCe Rogers “Someday“’s piano line. Or should it be on its
rocky Radio Edit, ready to take the floors by storm with its ZZ Top
kind of heavy rock guitar line (V2).
So time now to wish you merry x-mas and a
happy nu year as this is the very last section of the genre for 2K3, leaving you
in the weeks to come successively with Irie then Nik Weston with
the assurance of finding some other sparse beats.
Peace,
MFSB
INTERVIEW
