Category: Upcoming Guests

About Space Madness:

Space Madness is a dazzling collection of songs showcasing Sarah White’s remarkable songwriting skills, vocal abilities and her knack for dropping incredibly hypnotic, well refined, electro-acoustic soul bangers. The album is tightly reinforced with stylistically inventive and deep-leaning, future soul-funk productions from multi-talented musician and producer Rico Simon Mendez (a.k.a. DJ Don Cuco) with additional productions from Hadyn, Teddy G, and PoLo (PapaJazz) and vocal contributions from Cecilia Stalin and Nicholas Ryan Gant.Space Madness is an emotionally honest, life-affirming, and gorgeous record, full of unrelenting positive messages. Album opener “Reachin’ Up” is a compellingly sombre yet blues melting jam which beautifully highlights Sarah’s understanding and sense of classic American soul, while songs like “Fam” and “Nu Life” are positively woozy, future boogie electrosoul transmissions, absolutely lush with impressive synths, string orchestration, and tastefully distorted guitars. All this suspended atop propulsive rhythms and percussions, and Miss White remains consistently arresting, on point, and elegant throughout. It’s truly a beautiful collaboration; a brilliant voice with a forward-leaning, unique musical vision.

About Sarah White:

Born and raised in the beautiful lake-filled city of Minneapolis, Sarah White has been surrounded by art and music since birth. Singing her first melodic notes in the stroller, music has been an essential part of her life; a driving force behind her. A musical journey, Sarah has studied the piano, flute, guitar, electronics and voice, learning everywhere from moonlit freestyle ciphers to classical training. Once she discovered her voice, experimenting with song and emceeing, have brought her the most pleasure and continues to inspire her to experiment and take risks.

Collaborating with many talented Dj’s, Musicians and Artists, Sarah has traveled on a ride through Hip Hop, Trip-Hop, Soul, House, Folk and eventually landed in her current home, Brooklyn, NY. Sharing stages and building with the likes of Amy Winehouse, K-OS, The Coup, Imani Uzuri, King Britt, Rucyl Mills, Jose James, Dj Moni, Ursula Rucker, Afta-1, and many more amazing talents, she feels humbly inspired while inspiring others.

Sarah continues to grow and create by ‘spreading love the Brooklyn way’! She is currently working with her partner and Producer, Rico Simon Mendez aka DJ Don Cuco, developing Cultura Love, a non-profit devoted to bringing music and art to kids in communities in need. Their new collaborative album, “Space Madness”, will be released on Cultura Love Records, where they will dedicate 50% of all proceeds to the development of Cultura Love and its first workshop.

CULTURA LOVE is a world where all artists can express their true passion in the form of color, sound, mind, body, vision and spirit.

Sarah is also a mother of 2 lovely girls, a photographer and a writer.

About Ta-Ku:

Within just 3 years of operation in his chosen field, Regan ‘Ta-Ku’ Matthews has evolved from a self-taught student of music into a scholar of progressive beat production, cultivating a unique sound that has since resonated to all corners of the globe. As an astute observer of the melodic elements of soul music and the percussive elements of hip-hop, Ta-Ku takes influence from pioneering beatsmiths such as J Dilla, 9th Wonder and DJ Premier.

In 2008, an invite to the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona, taking counsel from the likes of of DJ Toomp, Chuck D, Bun B, Omas Keith and Dennis Coffey and sharing alumni status with artists like Teebs, Onra, Dorian Concept and Pursuit Grooves. The trip was a breakthrough moment for Ta-Ku as he channeled his experience and new found motivation to liberate a slew of free beat tapes within months of his return. Shortly after flooding the internet with a diverse array of releases, his output was rewarded with subsequent collaborations involving CyHi Da Prynce (G.O.O.D music), John Robinson, Raashan Ahmad (Paper Chain labelmate), Joe Scudda, Outasight, Kid Daytona, Phil Ade, Raaka (Dilated Peoples) amongst many others. Ta-Ku’s work ethic continued to garner worldwide attention and within two years of his return from the Red Bull Music Academy he’d become a regular fixture on countless blogs and online zines, securing himself a prized feature on Giles Peterson’s esteemed Brownswood Electr*c Compilation.

In 2011, Ta-Ku aspires to take his hip-hop roots and apply them to further experimentation within the electronic and new soul realms. His musical identity continues to evolve with the progressive nature of the genres he has contributed to, illustrated most recently with a Soulection-endorsed 24 mixtape and his debut EP and 12″ releases through PROJECT: Mooncircle and DarkerThanWax respectively.

About Miles Bonny:

Miles Bonny was born uptown in NYC (Payson Ave.) and grew up in Teaneck, NJ until college when he returned to his parent’s roots in the midwest USA’s Kansas and Missouri regions. Grandson of a music therapist, son of a trumpeter, Miles also produced hip hop beats, leading to a feature in the now defunct Scratch Magazine at it’s height. Since first recording as a vocalist in 2006, he has traveled to Europe to tour 3 times in the last 4 years, focusing on Germany, where he records for Melting Pot Music. Currently residing in Kansas City, Missouri, Miles will play for the first time in NYC at the Brooklyn Bodega CMJ Showcase “we got the jazz” at DROM on Oct 18th.

About Majestic Mood:

If there’s anything any good DJ should be able to do, it is to set a mood. In the case of this cat from Vienna/Austria/Europe, the mood is going to be majestic – no matter which musical genres are involved. Inspired by Hip Hop, he explored it’s various roots – Jazz, Soul, Funk… – at an early age and paid his dues playing some residencies around his hometown. In recent years, he’s been immersing himself in the international Beat movement that fuses Hip Hop aesthetics with more electronic soundscapes and even deeper bass frequencies. His online radio show Groove Merchants is a good starting point for explorations into the field as it also features interviews with artists like Hudson Mohawke, Waajeed, Tokimonsta & Mount Kimbie. He is also the resident DJ for “The Message Radio Show” on Vienna’s Superfly FM and co-hosts the club series Royal Eclectic.

Trishes (FM4/MPM)

Krystal Klear, who regular listeners will recognize from my Best of 2010 show (among others), will join me tonight at midnight to share some music and conversation in the East Village Radio studio tonight for the 121st edition of The Main Ingredient.

Krystal Klear – Tried For Your Love (ACKK12x1) by allcitydublin

About Krystal Klear:

Born and raised in Dublin, making music his whole life Krystal Klear was at first inspired by Hardcore Punk and Metal, he began playing lead guitar and gigging around Ireland. His major inspiration was always Boogie, Funk and Hip-Hop – leading him to create the Krystal Klear moniker in 2008.

Since early 2010, Krystal Klear has recorded an exclusive mix for the now defunct (but forever infamous) Mary Anne Hobbs BBC Radio 1 show, been chosen as a resident for the successful Hoya:Hoya club night in Manchester, toured the U.S.A (stopping off at Dam Funk’s Funkmosphere night) and garnered love from XLR8R, Mixmag and Dazed & Confused. Brodinski, FACT Mag and Juno have all named him ‘One to watch in 2011’ and recent shows in Hamburg, Amsterdam and London have garnered hype from the European audience.

KrystalKlear’s contemporary take on Boogie/New Jack Swing pricked the ears of Cooly G who signed him for the debut A-side on her Dub Organizer label. The single ‘Tried For Your Love’ off All City Records was played 6 weeks in a row on Benji B’s BBC 1XTRA show and a collaboration with Olivier Daysoul led to a deal from the tastemaking Eglo label. With remix commissions from legendary synth-pop bad O.M.D., The Count & Sinden, Lazer Sword and collaborations with Skream and Hudson Mohawke.

Being renowned as a firecracker live and a versatile DJ, his recent sets at the Warehouse Project, Doldrums and The Producers House club nights playing everything from modern boogie, chicago house to Anita Baker have solidified his presence on the U.K. club circuit.

Endorsed by Dam Funk, Hudson Mohawke, Skream, Joy Orbison, Brodinski, Toddla T, James Pants, Jack master and many more – 2011 is gonna be a big year for KK.

About Teeko:

Teeko is a master turntablist, composer, producer, and cofounder of 4onefunk, ground breaking turntable funk bands The Dollar Bin Quintet, 4onePhonics, 4onefunk Band and F.A.M.E. (Fresh Analog Music Experience).

After receiving recognition and championship awards in worldwide DJ competitions (including DMC, ITF and Guitar Center Championships), he toured from coast to coast and collaborated with some of jazz’s finest musicians: members of the Charlie Hunter Quartet and John Scofield Trio. Following an energetic performance in a San Francisco jazz club, audience member and legendary saxophonist Ravi Coltrane requested an encore performance. Teeko’s performances are frequently met with such requests as his style is often described as truly original and refreshing, receiving high respects from the best in Hip-Hop, Jazz and everything in between. Teeko exhibits his mastery of turntable production in his debut album, “My SoundStation,” (2006) which exposes his eclectic musical style and creativity as a composer. The widely anticipated album ranked number one on several of the College Music Journal’s Top 10 lists for months after its release in fall 2006. He was recognized soon after the album’s debut for his excellence in production with the Milestones Innovative Producer’s Award given by the world-renowned Berklee School of Music in Boston.

He has most recently displayed his innovation and creativity as a collaborator on the development of the new Vestax turntable, the Controller One—the first turntable engineered to be a musical instrument.

About B. Bravo:

B. Bravo brings his own style of synthesizer funk to any track he lays hands on. Hailing from the west coast of California, he cites influences from early G-funk, the midnight grooves of Mtume and Roy Ayers, and modern progressive bass music in creating his signature cosmic funk sound.

As a founding member of the Frite Nite label/crew and latin fusion band Bayonics based in San Francisco, he is also a driving force in the emerging worldwide Modern Funk Movement. Bravo’s massive tune ‘Computa Love’ gained international acclaim as one of London taste-maker Benji B’s ‘best of 2009 selections for his BBC 1xtra radio program, and as the lead track and 12″ from Gilles Peterson’s 2010 Brownswood Electr*c compilation.

Bravo has DJ’d and performed live alongside artists like Chromeo, Dam-Funk, Flying Lotus, Starkey, and will bring the future funk this year to festivals like SXSW, Detroit Electronic Music Festival, and Sonar in Barcelona. 2011 will see a brand new B. Bravo EP on the Earnest Endeavours label out of London, and collaboration projects with with fellow SF funkster, Teeko, including a 12″ on Frite Nite as ‘The Starship Connection’, and an official remix for Mark Ronson feat. D’Angelo.

About Mad Mats:

Stockholm club scene stalwart and worldwide record impresario DJ Mad Mats endeavors started in the mid 80’s when he left his break dancing career (Swedish champ 1985!) to become a DJ in Stockholm. In 1988 during a trip to London to experience the thriving rare groove scene he opened up his music senses to leftfield rhythms and the alternative club culture.

By night when Mats is not touring the world as a freestyle, house, hip hop or even techno DJ he is running the legendary Raw Fusion club in the heart of Stockholm. The club has been running strong for over 13 years with diverse guest DJs such as Joe Claussell, Jay Dee (RIP), Kerri Chandler, Peanut Butter Wolf, Roni Size, Theo Parrish, Jazzanova, Laurent Garnier, Richard Searling and Carl Craig. The club is still dominating the Stockholm club scene and has become the most important underground dance music institution in Scandinavia. Besides the Raw Fusion party he also runs a new house night called Unhous where he together with Tooli (24:hrs) and Jonas K delivers the best in underground house music.

By day he runs the internationally renowned Raw Fusion label. This record label continues to release essential nuggets that remain permanent fixtures in the record boxes of the most important DJs across the globe. As a side project Mats also got a “little” finger in the mysterious little label called GAMM…hush hush ok 🙂 .

With a DJ career running for over 20 years, we know that this open-minded b-boy has got some serious skills and have on numerous occasions been voted Sweden’s best DJ. Last time was in 2009 when he got voted number one by leading club site Clubstockholm.se where he received over 15000 votes. With a remarkable and open-minded variation he’s played everything from retro funk, soul, jazz & latin sets at Club Neo in Tokyo, soulful house at the Southport Weekender, hip hop at Turntables At The Hudson in NYC, techno at Goa & Weekend Club in Madrid, and freestyle sessions at the Electric Chair in Manchester. He has been there, done that and wants to return for more. Check him out if you can, you won’t be disappointed!

About DJ Junior:

Some do it for the fame. Some do it for the money. But the very best selectors play music for the love of it. Take DJ Junior, one of Philadelphia’s premiere purveyors of indie hip-hop, house, rare grooves, broken beat and afrobeat.

“I’ve never wanted to be the center of attention,” explains Junior, who grew up on his Jamaican parents’ socca and reggae and began collecting hip-hop and soul records at age 15. “I’m just a fan of music; I love introducing listeners to artists from different genres that they might not get a chance to hear.”

Each Friday from 6 to 9 PM EST, Junior shares this passion for independent artistry on Eavesdrop, the radio show he co-hosts with Philly producer Lil’ Dave . The show, which is broadcast by Drexel University’s WKDU 91.7FM and airs on Junior’s web site, www.recordbreakin.com, features interviews with artists like King Britt, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Ursula Rucker, Dwele, Platnium Pied Pipers, Jazzanova, and tracks by hundreds of signed and unsigned musicians. By providing a platform for those outside of the commercial loop, Eavesdrop has attracted a worldwide following of thousands, including ?uestlove, Zap Mama, Benji B (BBC 1Xtra), Rich Medina and Foreign Exchange’s Nicolay and Phonte.

In 2007 Junior started Record Breakin’ Music (RBM), a Philadelphia-based, boutique record label with a straightforward approach to releasing quality new music with a soulful foundation. RBM has already started on the right path with releasing two highly acclaimed compilations, Lend Me Your Ear and Excursions. In 2008 we initiated our limited edition 7” series. This series along with our full length albums and EP’s is how we will continue to introduce our contributions to the music community. “Our focus has and always will be to present quality music to a culture that embraces it.”

But even as DJ Junior extends his reach, he remains focused on his original mission: to spread the good word on good music. “I’m very approachable,” says Junior. “ I don’t just play tracks and say, ‘Whoever gets it, gets it.’ That would be doing a disservice to the audience and the artists. My goal is to share. That’s why I write pieces about the artists who come on Eavesdrop, that’s why I post track lists on my site, and that’s why I archive everything I do. My goal isn’t to get a certain audience. It’s for everybody to hear quality music.”