Download: DJ Revolution Podcast for The Mixup

(for more info visit The Mixup)

This is just a quick mini mix by Dj Revolution promoting his upcoming performance at The Mixup. Albeit a short mix at 8 minutes in change its still action packed and full of bangers.

Download: Dj Rhettmatic for Abstract Workshop x The Mixup

(for more info visit Abstract Workshop)

(from Main Source on Gold Dust)

Large Professor gave Nas his first appearance on an album on the landmark Main Source release Breaking Atoms, one of the purest production pieces in hip-hop in the 1990s. After a shelved (and then barely if at all released) solo album on Geffen and another on Matador, he returns with a new LP (called Main Source) and a show in Orange County. He speaks now during a break from the studio. This interview by Charlie Dial.

On the cover of this record you have your bag and on the last one you have a crate—what are you carrying around?
Just records, man. All kinds of tools—like drum machines. It’s just to let people know that I’m not just standing there. I come equipped. You know what I’m saying? I got records, mics, I got my tools with me. My tools are just as important. I just let them know that the tools are just as important as the instrument. Like, ‘All right, cool—I’m putting all this stuff together, but I need the records and I need the mic and all of that stuff.’ So I give them light too.
There was a Main Source reunion in Canada in 2003—what happened?
We—myself and K-Cut—the Canada guys were like, ‘Yo, come do the show.’ And we just went and knocked it out. I’ve always been cool with K-Cut. It was no problem. From there we did a few in Japan, but I had to rock with my dude Rashad Smith. But, I mean I’m always cool with K-Cut. I did Breaking Atoms —basically that was it. At that time I had went into a little bit of the 1st Class album, but mostly it was the Main Source stuff.
Why do you think you were the first person to put Nas on a record?
I guess it’s just dudes not really seeing the potential. You gotta really be able to see the potential in a guy, and I always saw the potential in Nas. I was adamant about getting that dude on. When he came with his lyrics—I mean, Nas is really cool, a real cool guy, and he has a meticulous work ethic. When he goes in, it’s not like he’s a sloppy guy—he really goes in there and really tries to be on point and get it done right. That’s a pleasure to work with someone like that.
You’ve said Slick Rick is the best MC you ever worked with—why?
Slick Rick has all of the departments covered. He can get gangster, he can be very lyrical, he can come up with some crazy words, then he can sing—it’s like he has all of the departments covered. So definitely—Slick Rick is that dude.
How do you feel about the Geffen situation? How did that put you where you are now?
The Geffen situation helped me grow into a stronger man in this industry. The Geffen situation really taught me about this industry. I was still keeping it real—everything was going as scheduled, as planned, and a lot of that marketing and just industry stuff came into play and that’s not my strong point. I like the music. I like doing the music and putting the music down, so it let me know about this industry and about business. It’s show business—‘business’ is the big word in that. One thing that I’d do differently with Geffen now—one thing that I did wrong with them is we released a single before the album was done. We had ‘The Mad Scientist’ first and then we had ‘ijuswannachill.’ Today I would rather just give them the whole album and then the album would come out and then we put the singles out. But that’s just all in the gist of like—what comes first, the chicken or the egg? It was all that industry stuff. Me, I just like to focus on the music.
What’s the best environment for you to start putting tracks together?
I like to be able to be comfortable and put in long hours if I’m gonna be there. I’ve carried crates on trains, I’ve carried drum machines on trains—en route to the studio with two crates of records on the train. Now I try to be a little more organized—better with the plan of how I’m gonna go about doing things. A lot of today’s technology makes it easier. In those early days I did it the hard way—big machines on trains. I’m at a point now where now I wanna be able to have—like the machine I was using was the MPC1000, and you can almost stick that in your back pocket. As long as it’s comfortable and just like a cool little small set-up, I’m good.
How did you get hooked up with Presto? He’s a local.
One day we were DJing along side each other in Brooklyn and he was like, ‘Yo, I got this project I’m working on and I make beats and everything.’ He let me hear a beat, and me, I’m a guy who respects skills—so when I heard that, I was like, ‘Alright, cool.’ Once I heard what he was working with, I was like, ‘Yeah, I can add on to that.’ And so we made it happen.
No hassle, no politics?
Naw, that’s Geffen—that’s the politics. You know—there was one time when I had a demo and I wanted someone to listen to my demo, and they would put me through all the politics. And I always swore to myself that I wouldn’t be like that.
What is your favorite biography you’ve ever read?
Marvin Gaye. His story was real ill. I’m still finding out stuff about him.
You’ve said you’ve always got a vision in mind of the guys in the old days with the sheepskin jackets, and if they wouldn’t feel the music you’re making, you move to something else. Where does that come from?
You have visions in your mind when your playing a beat and you can see that its moving—me personally, I’ll go back to that stuff and it’s just like, ‘Oh yeah, this is that type of beat.’ I guess me coming up in Harlem and everything and just seeing the older dudes with their Kangols on. I just try to nail it—to get it right from the beginning. ‘Yo, I gotta make ‘em move—I gotta make that guy move.’

ABSTRACT WORKSHOP PRESENTS LARGE PROFESSOR WITH J. ROCC AND DJ COCOE ON FRI., FEB. 27, AT DETROIT BAR, 843 W. 19TH ST., COSTA MESA. 10 PM / $15 / 21+. DETROITBAR.COM. LARGE PROFESSOR’S MAIN SOURCE IS OUT NOW ON GOLD DUST. VISIT LARGE PROFESSOR AT LARGEPROFESSOR-MAINSOURCE.COM OR MYSPACE.COM/THELARGEPROFESSOR.

DJ’s Cocoe & Josh One Live Set [Download]

Darondo “Legs”

This is only the second time Darondo has played in Southern California, so we thought it worthwhile to take some pictures. To learn more about this Bay Area legend, check out our interview from March 2008 or check out his artist profile on Ubiquity Records.

These photos were shot on May 31st, 2008, at the Abstract Workshop ten-year-anniversary show which featured Darondo, Nino Moschella and Rhettmatic..

For more photos check out: larecord.com/photos

DJ Cocoe Trainspotting Mix

Where are you from?
I was born in Athens, Greece, in the mid-‘70s and I moved to the states in 1981 when Michael Jackson was still black.
Where do you live now?
I live in the wonderful city of Garden Grove. Actually it’s not that wonderful. It’s actually pretty boring. That’s why I spend a lot of time Long Beach and Huntington Beach.
Are you digital or vinyl?
I’m a vinyl guy. I do play an occasional CDR since pressing an acetate these days is like trying to catch a date with Grace Jones. Shit just won’t happen.
What mixer are you using?
I have a KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artesian Series 5 Quart mixer. Great for all those dairy mash ups.
What needles are you using?
I stopped using needles. I’ve manage to rig my chin hair to the tone arm. Analog rules!
What are your turntables of choice?
Technics. I can’t afford to drop 10 G’s on a custom audiophile joint. I’m sure that will change soon though. I’m thinking of getting a night job as a strip-club jock. Do those dudes make good tips?
First time you ever DJed?
I believe my first real gig was my 6th grade dance. I was wearing a paisley shirt with a brooch, Girbeau Jeans and monkey boots. I played records and did the running man at the same time. I thought I was the next Paula Abdul.
Weirdest DJ gig?
I played a wedding one time that my boy handed down to me. Apparently the only people that showed up were the bride and groom. It was weird, but I acted like the shit was going off. Shit I even pinned a few dollars on the bride during the Money Dance.
What are you playing in your set right now?
I play a lot of classics because that’s what gets the party jumpin. I do manage to slide some obscure shit here and there. Disco, soul, hip-hop, house, techno, brokenbeat—shit I’ll even play some cholo funk for the homies. I can’t help it I started doing most of my gigs in the hood. Much respect!
What are you listening to in your car?
I listen to all kinds of stuff. Lately I’ve been listening to the Roots’ new album. Man, those cats are pissed off this time around! I’m still listening to Fat Freddy’s Drop too. I just can’t seem to put that shit down. You can’t deny good music. Oh yeah—I listen to the Cure a lot.
Last record you bought and where?
Honestly? Well…I just got Sha Na Na’s Greatest Hits because it had this poster I really wanted to get framed for the studio. I grew up on those guys.
Best record you scored for $1?
Well, I didn’t score anything for a dollar, but my man Josh One recently gave me a Kraftwerk 7” of ‘Pocket Calculator’ on yellow vinyl that was worth more than my car. Seriously!

For more shows check out: larecord.com/radio

DJ COCOE WILL BE PERFORMING SATURDAY MAY, 31ST FOR ABSTRACT WORKSHOPS 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY AT DETROIT BAR IN COSTA MESA.

J. Rocc Blue Note Mix

1. Where are you from?
Born in the East but raised out West in Orange County. Huntington Beach to be exact.

2. Where do you live now
I live in Los Angeles now, in the H.P. (for those that know) by the Stones Throw office. It’s nice because I’m by my record stores out here. All the good ones in O.C. closed down.

3. Are you digital or vinyl?
I use both. Never know what’s going to happen with my computer. I’ll bring a few 12′s , a handful of 45′s and my computer. I still like the switching of records when I’m in a performance-type crowd. If I’m just making people dance it doesn’t matter. Also, I still buy records so I can’t digitize everything as soon as I buy it.

4. What mixer are you using?
I use a Rane 57, the mixer with Serato built in. I also use the Rane 56. They’ve been supporting the Beat Junkies since 1999 or so.

5. What needles are you using?
I use either a pair of Shure M44-7 or Shure’s white-label needles. At home I use Shure M97x or V15Vx. Those are my nerd needles.

6. What are your turntables of choice?
Technics 1200. Any model so long as they work.

7. First time you ever DJed?
At this guy Gabe’s house. He had 2 turntables and he’d let me get on them and mess around. Many moons have passed since that day.

8. Weirdest DJ gig?
The weird ones are when I’m spinning at a normal gig and everyone just wants to stare and not dance.

9. What are you playing in your set right now?
A little bit of everything still: Brazilian music, some Latin, some hip-hop, some rock, some disco, some breaks, some boogie, some R&B, some soul and a dash of reggae.

10. What are you listening to in your car?
The new Erykah Badu LP, the Heliocentric LP, a new beat CD Madlib just gave me, a CD of some of the records from the past digging trips and a CD of me practicing. I like to check out 89.9 or 88.9 or 90.7 or 88.1. I forget the call letters.

11. Last record you bought and where?
I bought a Shotgun LP and a few more used R&B records over at Atomic Records over in Burbank.

12. Best record you scored for $1?
My “Frisco Disco” 12″ or my “Big Beat” 12″. Two classic breaks for under a dollar. Someone there forgot to hit the snooze button the day they were pricing records.

For more shows check out: larecord.com/radio

Peanut Butter Wolf will be spinning a set at Costa Mesa’s Abstract Workshop on Sat., Feb. 23.

Where are you from?
I was born in Maryland, but lived most of my childhood and teenage years in San Jose. 408, baby!
Where do you live now?
Mount Washington.
Are you digital or vinyl?
Both, as well as music videos.
What mixer do you use?
I like the Rane TTM57, but I might try out the new Pioneer mixer for my video sets if they give it to me for free—hint hint.
What needles?
Shure 44Gs if I’m playing rare vinyl because they are the least hard on your records as far as cue-burning intros of songs. Shure 447s if I’m using Serato because they have a higher output than the Gs and more clarity.
What are your turntables of choice?
Technics 1200. Without a doubt.
First time you ever DJed?
On my birthday in 1984. In my bedroom. Got my first mixer and I was sprung!
Weirdest gig?
My first time on a stage opening for Triniere in ’87 was weird. But mixing electro instrumentals at a rave on an Indian reservation in the late ‘90s while Q-bert and A-Trak scratched over my selections was probably the weirdest. There was a dust storm and all my records got ruined. The needle was skating across the turntable over a layer of dirt.
What are you playing in your set right now?
Videos. I got a bunch of ‘em.
What are you listening to in your car?
James Pants album that we just finished. Good stuff. And the Koushik album that’s also not released yet.
Last record you bought and where?
I bought about thirty old 12” singles at a secret spot I just discovered where there are no prices on the records and they’re in no type of order in the store. You gotta kneel on the dirty carpet and go through boxes to find the good stuff, and you gotta spend at least an eight-hour shift going through them. I told the guy I’d give him $5 each for the records and he agreed.
Best record you scored for $1?
I guess that would be the Grandmaster Lover, but most of my most cherished records were either a dollar or a hundred dollars. There’s little in between.

For more shows check out: larecord.com/radio

PEANUT BUTTER WOLF WITH JOSH ONE, COCOE, HYDER AND SCOTTY COATS AT ABSTRACT WORKSHOP AT DETROIT BAR., 845 W. 19TH ST., COSTA MESA. 9:30 PM / $10 / 21+. WWW.ABSTRACT-WORKSHOP.COM.