This week's catch is, well, not entirelythis week's catch. Last week's break saw me change out of my PJs for a grand total of 5 or 6 hours, and that was only to cheer on a friend's choreography and then sink my life's savings into 3 or 4 cheap beers, 3 or 4 highballs, 3 or 4 glasses of red, 3 or 4 shots, and 3 or 4 bathtubs of pure ethanol. My books sat in a sorry-ass (but very neat) pile all week, carefully placed where I would hopefully see them and have an attack of conscience. It was a cute try. So, no blog post last week.
I imagine the less-than-balmy 780 (it looks like a yeti's asshole outside) is full of bleary-eyed, half-dazed post-secondary pups right now, all with similar stories about how Jane got so drunk and Jack got kicked out and Debbie was a stick in the mud and oh my god why did I get NOTHING done?
The Oh Snap! crew is proud to bring you vol. 3 in our series of mixes that showcase the individual talents, taste and styles of each of the Oh Snap! dj's.
We are a little bit late with this entry, but I take full credit, as this mix belongs to none other but my dj partner Jay Piff, and myself. Together we become Cool Beans, and we have a brand spankin' new mix for your listening pleasure.
Its been a minute since The Fort Knox 5 crew graced our fair city but that doesnt mean they havent been busy. Mr. Jon H of FK5 will be rollin through town alongside Freq Nasty @ The Starlite Room Feb.27th for the ongoing saga of bass adventures The FORT KNOX FIVE is a leading force in the international funk and breaks scene. Having released an arsenal of floor rocking singles and remixes, the FORT KNOX FIVE has the midas touch for producing heavy hitting records.
Sid Barcelona, Jon Horvath, Rob Myers and Steve Raskin are the masterminds behind the FORT KNOX FIVE. They established Fort Knox Recordings in 2003 to release party-rocking music that crosses tempos and defies genres. Their world renowned ‘Fort Knox Sound’ has overtaken dance-floors with its distinct interweaving of live instrumentation with funky electronic breakbeats. In 2006 they released the critically acclaimed ‘The New Gold Standard’ to showcase the groundbreaking sounds from their premier funk and soul label.
The FORT KNOX FIVE’s talent for organic hooks has made them highly sought after producers and remixers. They have over 20 remixes to their credit, including monster mixes for A. Skillz and Krafty Kuts, Kraak & Smaak, Ursula 1000, Dynamo Productions, and Mo’ Horizons, as well as remixes for the legendary Tito Puente, Louis Armstrong, and Bob Marley. The FORT KNOX FIVE has coined the term ‘Reminted’ to represent their signature remixing style. They released the first ‘Reminted’ CD showcasing some of their favorite productions in a continuous DJ mix in 2007.
Further cementing the FORT KNOX FIVE’s reputation, Afrika Bambaataa—the godfather of hip-hop—asked them to produce four tracks on his latest album Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light released on the legendary Tommy Boy Label.
Tapped by URB Magazine for its annual “Next 100” list, the FORT KNOX FIVE’s music has been featured on major compilations including the highly regarded Hôtel Costes Sept — and has been licensed to numerous films, television shows, commercials and video games. Most recently their music has been featured in the FRINGE tv show on Fox, and video games Tiger Woods 2009 & Facebreaker. They also finished exclusive production on six original interactive tracks in the Fort Knox style for EA Sports’ Skate 2 & Skate It game soundtracks.
As DJs, they know how to rock a party with infectious grooves that effortlessly move from funk, reggae, and hip-hop to prime time beats & breaks. Their unique DJ style has proven irresistible to clubgoers worldwide. They have performed on 5 continents, and in over 25 different countries. The Fort Knox Five have spun at some of the most prestigious venues in the world such as Madison Square Gardens in NYC, the Hollywood Bowl in LA, La Paloma in Barcelona, Fabric in London, and Die Registrateur in Munich just to name a few. Their music & skills caught the attention of Gwen Stefani, who asked the FORT KNOX FIVE to be her tour DJs for her Harajuku Lovers tour with the Black Eyed Peas. The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino hired the FK5 to provide musical direction for Eyecandy Sound Lounge. During their tenure at the club, it was the 3rd highest grossing venue out of all of the MGM/Mirage properties.
For their highly anticipated debut album, RADIO FREE D.C., the FORT KNOX FIVE took things back to their roots, and kept the vibe centered around the city they love, Washington D.C. Home to many pioneering artists like Marvin Gaye, Chuck Brown and Fugazi, they draw upon their city’s rich musical heritage of funk, soul, punk and hip-hop for their inspiration. The FORT KNOX FIVE invited their close friends from around the Nation’s Capitol, including Asheru (Unspoken Heard), Mustafa Akbar, Rootz & Zeebo (See-I), Sleepy Wonder, Javier Miranda, and Ian Svenonius (Nation of Ulysses/The Make Up) to help them create a record that captures DC’s musical diversity.
Eprom destoryed what was left of my early morning senses this past year at Shambhala. A glitched out bass heavy assault on all senses left anyone and everyone who witnessed the set with the name Eprom ringing in their head for days. We are glad to have him back right before his brand new release "Hendt" with Eskmo on the flip side pops off on Warp records. Feb.13th Eprom touches down in Edmonton alongside one of the hottest names in dubstep right now Emalkay.
With winter dragging on, darkness falling by 5 o'clock, and a layer of snow, salt, and ice-fog cloaking the city, February can be exhausting in its own surreal and steely way. These tracks (a few of which have crept into my sets lately) have been serving to either nicely complement, or helpfully distract from, the solemn and unsmiling view.
Japans number one dancehall sound MIGHTY CROWN, current dancehall queen PHATTY MARIA, and Japanese dancehall queen legend JUNKO put it down for Japan. Dancehall is simply massive there! Large ups!
D&B legend turned budding house star ZINC is hitting heavy with his brand of 4x4 beats self dubbed "crack house". His tune Blunt Edge got a voicing from Ms. Dynamite and has turned into the now widely anticipated WILE OUT! This redux has injected a huge breath of life into both the song and their careers. Official video dropped this past week and although currently floating around in blog land in incredibly low quality, the proper release, which id venture to say is well worth the wait pops off in February. This is a serious tune and I can not wait to get a proper quality version of it, until then peep the video.
