Feel da Love

Every month at Secousse I'm asking Johan Radioclit what are all these bangers he keeps dropping. Most of them always seem to be some shit hot new remix that he modestly mentions like he made quickly before popping down the shops. I've been loving this Kano remix for a while as its basically Radioclit get lost in a dirty Ibiza rave cave with some awesome drums. This photo was taken at one of our after hours Secousse dancehall raves when he decided to rip his favourite T-shirt off while pulling up Gash Dem about 6 times.

Kano - Rock N Rolla (Johan Hugo RMX)

Next Secousse - Friday 5th February @ Notting Hill Arts club

Travel In Style

Just spent the last few days, hanging with friends and riding Matatus in Nairobi. I met some great folks and picked up a bunch of music. I'll share some of my favorite tunes after wading through a couple MP3 CD's. In the meantime check out this video from my long lost brother Insect a Nairobi Rapper, Hip Hop Educator and Spoken Word Artist:

Ghetto Bassquake Xmas lists

Gotta say its been a pretty amazing year for me for a number of reasons. Some highlights were:

Meeting Chief Boima in Stockholm, rocking a great Ghetto Bassquake soundsystem party out there with Anna & Seb, then back to London to do a radio show and gigs.

Fruko joining us on the blog who is off to South America for a while. Good luck dude.

Playing at Secousse in Brooklyn with The Very Best, Janka Nabay, Uproot Andy, Radioclit et al.

Playing at Lowlands with Sonido del Principe and cumbia crew.

So a massive cheers to everyone to who has commented, sent us nice messages, supported us and sent us wicked music. Its been great-Happy Xmas to all Ghetto Bassquake readers. Hyped for the launch of the Ghetto Bassquake label next year.

As its list season here are our tracks and live shows the year:

VAMANOS

This was v hard, but these are some tracks I've been loving this year in no order.

1. Skeat - Dumelang
2. Busy Signal - Da Style Deh (original & Douster mix)
3. The Hackney Empire - Update Your Status/I'll Never Forget You
4. Lil Silva ft Maxwell D- Blackberry Hype
5. The Big Pink - Velvet (Gang Gang Dance Mix)
6. The Very Best - Julia
7. P-Money - Left the Room
8. Uproot Andy & Geko Jones - Manuelita RMX
9. Demarco - Love A Come Down
10. Duchess Says - Black Flag

Live shows

Omar Souleyman & Group Doueh @ the Dome, London
The Hackney Empire @ Secousse , London
Toto la Momposina @ Cargo, London

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CHIEF BOIMA

I have to admit while some lament lists, this is kind of fun for me. I like to acknowledge those who are doing stuff that I dig that I don't always get to post on the blog. So here it goes:

My top 10 Tunes are randomly pulled from the vaults of my brain, and in no particular order, but yes, subconsciously I ranked them to tell as story about my experience in 2009. Some of these may come out officially in 2010, and some of them were leaked in 2008. My only criteria was to think back on this year to songs that when I heard them they made me knees go out and fall face first on the floor:

1. Party Hard-Donaeo
2. Bumper 2 Bumper-Wande Coal
3. Yuh Love-Vybz Kartel*
4. Couper Decaler Instru-Zaza Twins**
5. Daydreaming (Lil' Silva Mix)-Kyla***
6. You're a Jerk-The New Boys
7. El Tigeraso-Maluca
8. Ojala Rumba (with Choquibtown freestyling over it at Que Bajo)-Uproot Andy
9. Cash Flow-Major Lazer & Jahdan Blakkamore****
10. Sane Eba-Zakee Kuduro & Anbuley

*This song is my current ringtone so I had to include it. Vybz has turned me on to make him my favorite Dancehall artiste right now, and I kind of hated on him before 2009, therefore, top 2009 artiste in dancehall for me, now just sign that peace treaty and keep the kids safe and you could continue being a favorite in 2010.

**A vision of the Future!

***Do you mind was probably a bigger tune, but this remix by Lil' Silva borrowing Township Funk's Soukous inspired drum pattern goes over with even the most hardcore Coupe Decale fan in my experience. Abidjan meets Paris meets Pretoria meets London, another vision of the future in my mind.)

****Love myself some nice roots reggae. Runner up was Baby G's Good Love, but Jahdan's vocals were a revelation for me this year.



Live shows

1. Applesap Festival in Amsterdam headlined by Pharoahe Monch
2. Buraka Som Sistema Live Show (Rickshaw Stop SF)
3. Soum Bill (at Baobab Village SF)

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FRUKO

JJ - Ecstasy
Martyn feat D Bridge - These Words
Rebolledo feat Matias Aguayo - Pitaya Frenesi
Matias Aguayo - Ritmo Juarez
Nite Jewel - Suburbia
Busy Signal - Up In Her Belly (this was 2009 right?)
Cooly G - Love Dub
Untold - Just For You (Roska Remix)
Moody - Freeki Mother Fucker
Rainbow Arabia - Holiday in Congo

Live shows

Konono No 1 - Sonar
Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics - Sonar
Matias Aguayo - Fabric

Funky Dip

A few weeks back we posted the wicked Bashment Funky from The Heatwave's Rubi Dan. He's back already with another anthem. Not sure who's on production but its massive.

Go get.

Rubi Dan - Funky Dip

In My Country

Beautifully shot video from CIA Africa holdin down the resistance from Abidjan. This is Manusa's Dans Mon Pays.

Dans Mon Pays (In My Country):

in my country
everything can be sold, everything can be bought
everything ends up into songs, everything is sung dancing
in any case everybody fuck up their ass even the boys

in my country
ever since the 12yo its heavy, ever since the 12yo the kids get comfortable,

make business, dream of getting thru, want to transgress
dream of taxing even the countrymen from Sansan or from Sassandra

come down where human life is worth nothing

in my country
there's the law and the laws on my combat pants
there's crisis, unemployment and scrubland on music that gets the kids
retarded

in my country
soldiers are forced to shoot patriots with real ammos while in their country
demonstrators beat up the police for real

here thousands of UN soldiers carry aids, transmit aids to our prostitute
sisters and our insane brothers who go for homosexuality

the hatred we have no one deserved it

at my place there's no law against bodies to be looted, at my place there's
no law against prostitutes
there's no law to condemn those who looted the treasury coffers

French People Rule

For giving Kuduro some stadium time. Below is a pretty damn impressive show by Costuleta supporting zouk stars Kassav at Stade de France in Paris. Hearing the crowd roar that loud when they drop Tchiriri kind of makes me want it to be Christmas No.1. Buraka should be a little worried.

Funky Blends Abound

Featured here before, Gabriel and the Heatwave's mixes of Funky Bashment have been constant on my listening rotation.

I've taken a similar approach to UK Funky, trying to cross bridges between geographies and musical styles, but from a different angle. Check out this mashup of Flamzy and Joskar's Faroter vs, Marlon D's Jesus Creates Sound. Faroter is when performers throw money out in the club, kind of like making it rain (I think.)

Jesus Faroter (Marlon D vs. Flamzy & Joskar) (Direct Download)

King Midas Sound Mix

Showcasing their own tracks with other dub excellence, King Midas Sound's mix for FACT is pretty great. Formed by Kevin 'The Bug' Martin' with Roger Robinson and Hitomi, they're making some sublimely deep pressure. The album, I'm Waiting for you, is out soon which I think will be equally awesome.

FACT Mix 103 - King Midas Sound

Tracklist:
King Midas Sound - Sometimes (Waiting For You/Hyperdub)
Lovejoys - All I Can Say (Reggae Vibes/Wackies)
15/16/17 - The Weather (Magic Touch/DEB)
Burial - Night Bus (Burial/Hyperdub)
Little Dragon - Twice (Little Dragon/Peacefrog)
The Dynamics - 90% of me is you (Version Excursions/Points South)
Tanya Stephens - It's A Pity (Gangsta Blues/VP)
Jacob Miller - Baby I Love You So (Who Say Jah No Dread/Greensleeves)
Gregory Isaacs - I'm Alright (Cool Down/VP)
Wayne Jarrett - Live&Love (Horace Andy Meets Naggo Morris & Wayne Jarrett/Wackies)
Sade - Lovers Rock (Lovers Rock/Epic)
Rhythm & Sound ft Lovejoy - Best Friend (With the Artists/Burial Mix)
Larry Heard - Missing dub (Theo Parrish remix) (Missing You/Track Mode)
Vincent Gallo - Lonely (When/Warp)
A.R.Kane - Madonna is with child (69/Rough Trade)
Scritti Politti - Sweetest Girl (/Rough Trade)
Lloyd Chambers - Dry Your Tears (Firehouse Revolution/Pressure Sounds)
King Midas Sound - i Dub (Dub Heavy/Hyperdub)
Scientist ft Johnny Osbourne - In Your Eyes (Wins The World Cup/Greensleeves)
King Midas Sound - Outtaspace (Slow Motion mix) (Waiting For You/Hyperdub)
Japan - Ghosts (Tin Drum/Virgin)
Kevin Shields - Ikebana (Lost In Translation s/t/Emperor norton)
King Midas Sound - One Ting (Dabrye remix) (Cool Out/Hyperdub)
Oval - Do While (94diskont/Mille Plateaux)
Thomas Koner - Kanon (Isolationism/Virgin)
My Bloody Valentine - Touched (Loveless/creation)

A.J. Holmes RMX

The ever awesome A.J. Holmes from Secousse's very wicked house band, The Hackney Empire turns in this sweet remix for Xylitol. A rolling slice of High life tropical fun to warm up a snowy day in London.

Xylitol - Alomo (A.J.Holmes remix feat. Robert Truscott)

Naija Songstress Represents

J.Period & Nneka Presents-The Madness (Direct Download)

I'm a definite fan of this lady reppin' Rivers State Nigeria. Currently out of Germany, she has a top hit in the UK, and has recently been playing shows around the US. I really dug the Messengers EP J. Period did with K'naan, and loved the preview track with Jay Electronica, so I had to put it up. Another document that's proof that Africa really is the future.

She's got an album coming out in February, so take advantage of this chance to get familiar!

Flaminguinho

Fresh from dropping their kuduro collection, our buds at Akwaaba are back already with more Angolan fire power. This time the truly awesome, Killamu, one of my favourite kuduro producers who made Kibolobolo, drops a new instrumental cut from his new album which is out on Jan 12th. With a nice mention on The Fader.


Killamu - Flaminguinho (email download)

I'm a Raka, You a Raka, They Rakas 2

I ran into Rico and Dun of Los Rakas last week at Wallenberg (where I work) and got a chance to pick up their new mix CD. If you've been reading here for awhile you know I'm a fan and I knew from some previews that this project was gonna be great.

They start the CD with some throwback classic Panama Reggae en Espanol tracks versioning Tu Pum Pum and Bam Bam, and then move into crunked up De La Ghetto style futuristic Spanish Rap-Reggae-Hall. You can hear the whole thing here streaming, or buy it for $5 (or more if you wanna really support!) by clicking on the download link. The whole thing is great!



My favorite track is Kalle. And I love the skits... "¿Quien se comió mi Corn Flay?"

As I side note, I did a post about them over at WFMU's Beware of the Blog where I've started doing a bi-weekly post. If you don't know about WFMU, check it out, it's home to my favorite radio show, and a great source for new music in general.

If I Throw It At You Baby Can You Handle It?

New mix heat by Nguzunguzu fam! That opening track is killin! This is the sound that they were pushing when I went down to LA last month for their Wildness party. Funky, Kuduro and Deep(?) House tracks. This mix is all instrumental (I think at least upon first listen.) I like the direction it takes me.

Honestly tho, what's got me really geeked is that this is a Promo mix for an EP that they will be releasing this month on the label SHADE BUSINESS. Some of the songs are mixed in, and sounding great!

Nguzunguzu EP Promo Mix (Direct Download)

TRACKLIST:

1. JUMEIRAH RIDDIM: STICKY
2. JUMEIRAH RIDDIM SEQUEL: STICKY
3. BABY KINTA: FOOTSTEPS
4. AFRICAN FOREST (Original Mix): RISHI ROMERO
5. WAO: MAKENCY DJ
6. HINO BATUCADA: DJ ERIDSON
7. EL BEBE AMBIENTE: NGUZUNGUZU
8. HELTER SKELTER: DEBO
9. SIRENE: DJ PESADO AND DJ FOFUXO
10. QUEM E QUE MANDA AI MP: PUTO X feat. MASKARADO
11. WHAT DANCE?: NGUZUNGUZU
12. MANDOWN: BAOBINGA AND I.D.
13. Tááá BááTÖÖÖrr R :DJ BODA
14. WHOLE WORLD CHANGING 4X4: BOK BOK
15. GERENTOLOGIA: DJ PESADO AND DJ MARFOX
16. PASSA PASSA (KINGDOM REMIX): DJ CORLANDO
17. TRIBAL SOUND: DJ DU MARCEL
18. IM RIGHT HERE feat. SOPHIA: DJ MA1
19. GOT YOU: NGUZUNGUZU
20. FEELINGS: MIKE V
21. FLYLIFE: BASEMENT JAXX

Chief Boima's African Cargo of Bangers

We're hyped that our own Chief Boima is dropping his all new EP over at Dutty Artz. Its a fat package of completely awesome remixes in true Boima style - Afro House party bangers.

The African By The Bay EP blends US Hip Hop jams with his own African influenced riddims of Coupe
Decale, Kuduro, Nigerian club, Kwaito and High life and more. Dicing up rolling African beats, sometimes touching on UK funky (one of Boima's big influences right now), and mashing em up with some great rap vocals from hitters like Young Joc and the Bay's own E-40.

What makes this even more special is that its FREE.

So go grab here


Chief Boima - African By The Bay EP

01 Chief Boima – Shake Them Dreads
02 The Jacka – Glamorous Lifestyle feat. Andre Nickatina (Chief Boima Remix)
03 Sean Garrett – Smooches feat. Young Joc (Chief Boima Remix)
04 Birdman – Money To Blow feat. Drake and Lil Wayne (Chief Boima Remix)
05 Akon – Right Now (Nananana) (Chief Boima Mbalax Decale Remix)
06 YV – Own Step feat. T-Pain & Fabo (Chief Boima Remix)
07 Cold Flamez – Miss Me, Kiss Me (Chief Boima Remix)

Even more massive news is that we are very proud and excited to announce that Chief Boima will dropping his very first debut single on a brand new label called Ghetto Bassquake. This blog is starting it's very own digital label to release some awesome music from our friends and family around the world. Look out for much more news on this to come..

Ali & Toumani

Ever since I heard Toumani Diabate's jaw dropping Kora playing on his Mande Variations album, I was blown away. Like a sweet wind of strings blowing across the plains of Mali (but actaully way better than that appallingly flowery description).

With the awesome Ali Farka Touré, he is soon releasing a collaboration album called Ali & Toumani. I think it will be very very good.

This is a short teaser for the album.



All the info can be found at World Circuit.

Ku Bo

The ever banging Man recordings drop another bomb in the form of Ku Bo's new remix. The last one made its way onto the new Buraka Som Sistema Fabric Live mix and this is an equally big Afro-electro funk slammer. The release includes remixes by DJ Manaia, Batida, Daniel Haaksman, Flore, Robot Koch, Bert On Beats, Lazy Ants and Caski.

Here is the nailgun kuduro jack hammer remix by the Man Recordings boss, Daniel Haaksman.

Ku Bo remix - Sumanita Feat. Daniecell (Daniel Haaksman Remix)

Pick up the full release from today digitally at Beatport, Itunes, Junodownload etc. or on vinyl at Man recordings

Secousse December

The final Secousse of the year is going to be massive. After an amazing year with parties in New York as well as the monthly residencey London, we wanna say a massive thank you to all of our amazing guests who've blown us away - Marina Gasolina, Electronicat, Ka-Boom!, Maluca, Afrikan Boy, The Very Best, Dotstar, Cibelle, Barbara Panther, Zambezi Experience, Slammer Booster, Bbrave, Bunton, The Worm, Afrik Bawantu, Janka Nabay, Me Tarzan You Jane!, Matt Shadetek, Chief Boima, Galleons Reach, Big Bear, Uproot Andy, Murkules & Sumsim, Joao Brasil, Los Chinches, Vallenato, Zun Zun Egui, Mixed Blood, Abdul Tee-Jay, DJ Dervish and our massive house band, The Hackney Empire.

As we're taking a break in January, this month we have XXtra special line up headlined by the legendary Papa Milo aka Emil Ogoo, "The greatest living Palm Wine guitarist".



Born Free Town, Sierra Leone Emil was the guitarist for 2 of Sierra Leone's most renowned bands; The Morningstars (lead by the late great S.E. Rogie) and Super Combo (one of the main band of the 60's / 70's Sierra Leone Afropop explosion). Emil has been living in London since the mid 1970's

During the 1970's, Sierra Leone shared the electric Afropop explosion that was sweeping Africa. Maringa blended with funk, soul, and Congolese dance music leading to lively and popular local music. Bands of that era included Afro-Nationals, Orchestra Muyah, Super Combo, and Sabannoh 75. When the recording industry fell apart, ambitious and talented artists like S.E. Rogie mostly went to England to make their careers.

Papa Milo will be playing an exclusive set backed by The Hackney Empire.

Live
Papa Milo
The Hackney Empire

Decks

Secousse soundsystem ft. Radioclit, A.J. Holmes & Vamanos

Notting Hill Arts club
Friday 4th December
8pm- 2am

From this week's Time Out

Cote D'Ivoire to the Golden Gate

Soum Bill is in San Francisco this Friday!

He is a former member of one of the biggest groups out of Ivory Coast, Les Garagistes. Live Coupe Decale and Zouglou straight from the Ivory Coast to the Golden Gate!

Shut The Windows

When it comes to the pure sound of South London in 2009, it doesn't come closer than this. Relentless police sirens crossed with bashment vocals, mostly played at maximum volume any time of the day or night, blasting from car windows outside my house. ALL.THE.TIME. Fortunately I quite like some of it, which is lucky I guess.

Funky has been a massive sound in London this year and Sirens has been one of the biggest tracks around, a threateningly awesome cacophony of swirling sirens, throbbing bass and clattering drums reminding me how lucky I am to live in this city. I even got to drop this in Stockholm back in the summer and it blew up.

This is an exclusive refix with Sean Paul's vocals from our boys, The Heatwave, who have arguably now become some of the biggest dancehall DJs in the UK right now. So big shout out to them.


Sean Paul & Hard House Banton -Temperature Vs Sirens (The Heatwave Refix)

Kuduro On Demand

Why did no one tell me about Kuduro TV.com ?

Basically its a Youtube for kuduro.

This is my favourite jam right now with a suitably awesome video.

Like a Jumbie

Tropical darkcore voodoo from WILDLIFE!. Just like a real Jumbie - Funky and scary at the same time, this is from his new Jumbie EP out on Phree Music. The Swissman has also remixed Radioclit's Secousse and The Do.


Wildlife! - Jumbie (Beware & Motorpitch remix)

Buy the other mixes on Beatport from good people like Edu K, Mixhell & Schlachtofbronx.

Le 'elicopta

You might have spotted the secret link to the video a while back. Destroying the dancefloor of every decent club in France right now its THE HELICOPTA !!!

Edalam feat DJ Lauralee - Helicopta

Originally from Guadeloupe, now based in France, Edalam smashes it with this beyond soca speed, Caribbean demon. It's had a few airings at Secousse already but sad to say no towel whirling yet. Be the first, come down this Friday and hear it LOUD.