Nu-Soul Magazine’s Musings

With music as a means, Soul Circle Radio takes you on a weekly journey. For 2 hours every Saturday, take a mind trip on a musical quest, exploring sounds with SOUL. Each show has a different destination, ranging from the samba of Brazil to the garage house sounds in New York to the afrobeat of Nigeria, searching for the perfect blend of soulful music. Past show destinations have been Brazilian uptempo, funk, and house melodies. Broadcasting LIVE from Los Angeles by DJ Mza, Soul Circle Radio realizes that soulful music spans past a specific style, pushing past genre barriers and blending sounds into one heavy soulful concoction. Tune in every Saturday from 12 to 2 p.m. pst LIVE on soulcircleradio.com or check out the podcast for the latest show on soul-circle.podomatic.com.

The most recent podcast featuring DJ Seven57 from last weeks show is available now!

DJ Seven57, born in Virginia Beach, VA and musically bred on jazzy hip hop of the early 90′s, along with the creative minds of Virginia natives The Neptunes, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, and underground hip hop producer Nottz. After spending 3 years in Japan, he migrated to Los Angeles in early 2002 and joined the Soulpeople Movement shortly thereafter. Ever since, DJ Seven57 has played with international artists Erik Rico, Mark de-Clive Lowe, Daz-i-Kue, Big Bang, Ihame from Paris, Tita Lima from Brazil, DJ LeFtO from Belgium, and numerous underground soul/hip hop artists in Los Angeles and across the US. He has performed at well-known LA venues such as The Standard (Hollywood & Downtown LA), Cinespace, Star Shoes (R.I.P.), Joseph’s Cafe, The Echo/ Echoplex, Vanguard, Zanzibar, and Grand Star Jazz Club. With current residencies at “Jazzercise” and Nu-Soul’s “Art + Soul”, Dj Seven57 continues to bring his jazz influenced international flavor to the masses on the west coast.

Download DJ Seven57′s Soul Circle Radio Archive Set Below!

www.soul-circle.podomatic.com
www.soulcircleradio.com

This inspired piece of musical creativity comes to us courtesy of The Avant Garde Exchange. Naira, the amazing vocalist on the project, and J Haze, a talented producer, joined forces to remix, revamp, and pay tribute to Sade‘s music in an unprecedented manner. Each track,  whether a remix, cover, or relick, has the stamp of Sade‘s beautiful songs woven in every beat. The EP features guest appearances by internationally acclaimed rapper Cy Marshall Law, and blazing newcomer Draft.

DOWNLOAD ‘THE COLOUR OF LOVE’ EP

www.iamnaira.com
www.myspace.com/iamnaira
www.twitter.com/iamnaira

On Friday July 21, The Glitch Mob’s Justin Boreta (Boreta), Ed Ma (edIT), and Josh Mayer (Ooah) released the first remix from their debut album Drink the Sea to promote the band’s ‘Remix Like You Stole It‘ competion. To kick things off, ‘Fistful of Silence‘, remixed by San Francisco-based multi-genre music producer and Ninja Tune artist Eskmo, has been posted for free download via the band’s website at http://theglitchmob.com/music.

The upcoming Remix collection (which will feature remixes from some of today’s best DJ’s and remixers) will be sold through Download To Donate v.2 Haiti website, with proceeds benefiting Music For Relief’s Haiti Earthquake Recovery, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing aid to victims of natural disasters and disaster prevention.

Inspired by the overwhelming response on their first run of dates, The Glitch Mob have organized the Remix Like You Stole It competition to run in conjunction with their End of Summer Tour to help call attention and raise awareness among their fans. The Glitch Mob are offering the audio stems of their track, “Drive It Like You Stole It,” for entrants to remix and/or add vocal overdubs. Supported by Ableton and Soundcloud, the contest opened on July 22nd with final submissions due by midnight, August 22, 2010. Winners will be determined by both popular vote and by a private panel of judges and will have their remix featured in the band’s upcoming Drink the Sea Remix Album scheduled for release during The Glitch Mob’s 2010 End of Summer US tour. Official remixers and winners will be announced shortly.

THE GLITCH MOB END OF SUMMER TOUR

AUG 21 : MADISON, WI @ MAJESTIC LIVE
AUG 22 : MILWAUKEE, WI @ TURNER HALL BALLROOM
AUG 24 : COLUMBIA, MO @ THE BLUE NOTE
AUG 25 : LINCOLN, NE @ BOURBON THEATRE
AUG 26 : FAYETTEVILLE, AR @ GEORGE’S MAJESTIC
AUG 27 : OXFORD, MS @ THE LYRIC
AUG 28 : BIRMINGHAM, AL @ ZYDECO
AUG 30 : FT. LAUDERDALE, FL @ REVOLUTION
SEP 01 : ATLANTA, GA @ THE MASQUERADE
SEP 02 : CHARLOTTE, NC @ NEIGHBORHOOD THEATER
SEP 05 : NEW YORK, NY @ ELECTRIC ZOO FESTIVAL
SEP 06 : BOSTON @ PARADISE
SEP 07 : BURLINGTON, VT @ HIGHER GROUND
SEP 10 : TORONTO, ON @ THE MOD CLUB
SEP 11 : PITTSBURGH, PA @ REX THEATER
SEP 12 : COLUMBUS, OH @ BOMA
SEP 13 : INDIANAPOLIS, IN @ THE VOGUE
SEP 15 : CHICAGO, IL @ METRO
SEP 16 : GRAND RAPIDS, MI @ THE INTERSECTION

For more information visit MusicForRelief.org
For official rules and instructions visit: http://RemixItLikeYouStoleIt.com

Thursday, August 5th 2010
Droid Behavior / Media Contender presents PRIME w/
Marcel Dettmann

10pm – 2am :: $10 / $15 :: 21+
INFO: 323.213.9736

MEDUSA LOUNGE
3211 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90057

music by:
Marcel Dettmann – Ostgut Ton : Bpitch : Berghain // Berlin

along with:
Raíz vs Subversive – Droid Behavior : Historia y Violencia // LA

http://www.droidbehavior.com
http://www.twitter.com/droidbehavior

—————-

ABOUT PRIME:
Droid Behavior as an event production and performance group have made appearances all over the US and abroad at many of the genres key club nights, festivals, after hours, and warehouse parties, including the Detroit Music Festival, WMC, Decibel Festival, Smart Bar, [Kontrol], Avalon Hollywood and the now legendary Interface series. Prime is the new above ground collaboration between Droid and westcoast based Hype Guru’s Media Contender. Their aim is provide internationally renown techno house minimal and crossover talent to the city of Los Angeles on monthly basis.

ABOUT MARCEL DETTMANN:
In the past few years very few names have become as synonymous with the current sound of techno as Marcel Dettman. Dettmann’s residency at what many consider to be not only the best club in Berlin, but also the very best club in the world, Berghain, has cemented his reputation as one of the best DJ’s in the genre. His regular appearances in the debaucherous downstairs space (known for it’s thundering sound system, dark corners and no-camera policy) have become stuff of legend. Not just a phenomenon behind the deck, Dettman has also come into his own as a producer, with amazing tracks on Ostgut Ton (including his debut album this year), as well has his own label, MDR. Unlike many who quickly rise to fame in the techno world, Dettmann has chosen to release a slow trickle of original material and remixes, wisely choosing quality over quantity. Droid Behavior and Dettman plan their siege on this city. Do not miss this pure musical experience. This will be Dettmann’s first ever Los Angeles appearance.

ABOUT RAIZ:
The other founding half of Droid Behavior, Acid Circus is comprised of brothers Vangelis and Vidal Vargas.In an industry where DJs no longer dominate the action with pressed wax, live PAs have taken digital mixing to another level. No strangers to tweaking everything within earshot, Acid Circus have mastered the art of live performance: Dropping original music, custom remixes, re-edits, and samples from both current and classic tracks, their unique and aggressive mix of electro, house, and every strain of techno in between has blurred the lines of dj set and live act.Their intense and inspiring performances have placed them alongside major players Magda, Jeff Mills, John Tejada, Konrad Black, Tony Rohr, Ellen Alien, and Claude von Stroke at undergrounds, festivals, after parties, and club nights throughout the United States, Mexico, and Dominican Republic. Their releases have been charted and heavily played by techno heavyweights Speedy J, Adam Beyer and Richie Hawtin. Besides acting as ambassadors for the Droid sound around the US, they have been involved with every aspect of LA’s techno movement and spearheaded it in many ways. From the online magazine D-node, to A&R and PR for the Droid recordings label, to extensive event promotion and production, Acid Circus has helped create a social network of DJs, promoters, producers, and fanatics that support rather than compete.

ABOUT SUBVERSIVE:
Since being introduced to electronic music back in the early 90’s, Audio Injection has been hooked. At the early age of 15 he started Djing and playing out at local underground events and raves around the Southern California area. You would find him spinning various styles from house, acid, & techno to hardcore techno. After years of Djing he then decided to learn to produce his own music, which landed him releases on techno labels such as Monoid, Stimulus, & local label Droid Recordings. Since being associated with local event production group Droid Behavior in 2003, you can find him as a resident at the infamous Interface warehouse events as well as a regular producer for Droid Recordings along with Drumcell (Co-Founder of Droid Behavior). With releases & remixes on labels such as Droid, 4 Track, Circle Music (Germany) , Tora Tora Tora, and many more to come, Audio Injection continues to shape his own sound and collaborate with Drumcell to release more mind-bending techno with a funky twist, putting Los Angeles & Droid Recordings on the techno map.

This gem from the new Incognito album, Transatlantic RPM, is a collaboration with Philly’s Ursula Rucker, who has lent her silken cords to music by The Roots, King Britt, and 4hero, among others. The artists, though they have never physically met one another, forged a solid piece of beautiful music all via internet collaboration. The song’s optimistic and longing nature is sure to strike a chord with listeners in many emotional ways. You can also check out another cut off the new album, which dropped July 27th, at the youtube stream below. ‘Lowdown’ features Chaka Khan and Mario Biondi.

Purchase Transatlantic RPM on

Purchase Transatlantic RPM on Amazon
CD | MP3

http://www.incognito.org.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/bluey_incognito
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Incognito/111402923551

www.myspace.com/etherealmuzack
www.supernatural.bandcamp.com

Check out this video from Danish duo Quadron, for their track ‘Slippin‘. The track was taken from the critically acclaimed self-titled album released on LA label Plug Research. The video was directed by Walter Robot, and produced by Mt. Vernon Productions. Cinematography was handled by Patrick Meade Jones. Also available for you Quadron fans is  a free track download; the UK’s Natural Self (of Tru Thoughts fame) tackling the remix duties on ‘Slippin‘. Download the track from the link below, and look for more from Quadron!

DOWNLOAD QUADRON-SLIPPIN’ (NATURAL SELF RMX)

http://www.plugresearch.com/
http://twitter.com/quadron_quadron

Purchase Quadron on

Purchase Quadron‘s Self Titled Album on Amazon
CD | MP3

Nu-Soul Magazine & Soul Union are Proud to present

THE STRICTLY SOCIAL 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Wednesday August 18, 2010

Join us as we celebrate three years of ECLECTIC SOUL FUSION!

Since August of 2007 Strictly Social has helped to redefine the Los Angeles soul scene by providing a place for artists to experiment with genre and styles. Since then this monthly event has seen some of the independent soul community’s biggest names and most talented rising stars while pushing the boundaries of soul music itself.

In the last 12 months alone the likes of Yahzarah, Joy Jones, Yolanda Johnson, Afta-1, Nikko Gray, N’Dambi, Shafiq Husayn, Sy Smith, and Mark de Clive-Lowe have appeared at Strictly Social.

Always original, always on the cutting edge, STRICTLY SOCIAL has become THE Place to enjoy the future of soul and beyond in Los Angeles.

Be there for this special night of music!

Featuring Live Performances From:

THE REBIRTH
Introducing their new vocalist LATISHA BASKERVILLE

The Rebirth re-emerges in the Los Angeles soul scene with a new vocalist for their Strictly Social debut. Come witness the family vibes as they take the stage with Latisha Baskerville.

http://www.facebook.com/therebirth

AMY SERRATA

Amy Serrata creates progressive soul with a touch of jazz and hip-hop. Amy is currently focused on writing her second album which will feature production by Vishnu from Block Cheddar Productions, Apple Juice Kid, and Ski from Camp Lo.

http://www.amyserrata.com/
http://twitter.com/amyserrata
Amy Serrata on Facebook

E REECE

The hard penetrating, self-reflective vocals of this MC poignantly illustrate that true school hip hop is alive and well. His music transcends all cultures, and with a love for rhyming that’s deeply rooted in the essence of the genre, it’s going to be hard to stop his star from rising.

http://www.ereecelive.com/
http://twitter.com/ereece
http://ereece.bandcamp.com/

Our residents DJ DESTROYER & DJ MYXZLPLIX will be spinning a selection of future soul, organic hip-hop, and electronic beats all night!

http://twitter.com/djdestroyer
http://destroyer.podOmatic.com/

http://twitter.com/djmyx
http://djmyxzlplix.podomatic.com/

SHOW BEGINS AT 10:30PM

In the B Room – SOULGOOD, soulful electronica hosted by Atlantic Connection & Friends
SoulGood on Facebook

FREE before 1030pm with an RSVP to events@nu-soulmag.com
$7 presale tickets HERE
$10 at the door

Strictly Social
Wednesday August 18, 2010
9pm-2am
21+
Little Temple
4519 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
http://littletemple.com
http://myspace.com/lastrictlysocial
http://twitter.com/StrictSocialLA

Additional promotional support by Fusicology, Universal Rhythm, and The Mint Collective.
http://fusicology.com
http://universal-rhythm.com
http://themintcollective.com

Ashaya first graced the music world in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia as a classically trained dancer/singer. Combined with her love of dance and singing, the young performer started her recording career at the age of fourteen. From recording, Ashaya went on to performing on various sets in Atlanta and Washington, DC opening up for acts such as David Banner, Fabolous, and J. Cole. Her very first single “Best Friend” featured on Grammy-nominated producer Chris Hines debut compilation album Master Mind gained airplay on New York’s HOT 97 FM. However, it wasn’t until her senior year at her now alma mater Howard University, that Ashaya decided to continue her career as a singer/songwriter and embark on creating Jukebox Remedy, her debut EP. Jukebox Remedy features tracks such as “Cranberry and Vodka,” “Through My Mind,” and “XOXO.”

Leading off the album is the aggressively edgy “XOXO”, the first single. It received well over 1,500 downloads within two days of it’s release, and is described by Ashaya herself as “a song with so much energy and totally unexpected from myself as a performer.” In addition to the release of Jukebox Remedy in September, Ashaya plans to embark on an “Open Mic Tour” and “Homecoming Tour” performing at various shows in the New York, Atlanta, and Washington, DC areas. Click on the divshare logo in the player above to download, and watch out for more from this great young singer/songwriter!

http://flavors.me/ashaya
http://twitter.com/itsmeashaya
http://youtube.com/Ashaya01

On their album, Drink The Sea, The Glitch Mob create a cinematic and atmospheric journey drawing on influences from almost every kind of music imaginable (not just electronic).

Read the interview by Ian LightsOut

Nero at Audiotistic Festival

Review by Ian LightsOut, Photos by Julian Fontanez

The Audiotistic Festival in San Bernardino, California is an event that is known for stellar lineups, huge production, and crossover talent that appeals to not only fans of electronic music, but hip-hop, indie rock, and more. The festival tends to be smaller than the massive Electric Daisy Carnival, but still offers comparable lineups, bone shaking sound systems, and out of this world visual effects. Of the many acts on the bill that appealed to my love of filthy, disgusting (yet, at times beautiful) dubstep, one of the more exciting was Nero. Watching their set from beginning to end not only offered an ass-kicking musical experience, but deeper insights into the development of the dubstep and electronic music scenes in general.

Nero, hailing from London, are quickly rising to the top of the still relatively new dubstep music phenomena. They are also accomplished drum’n’bass producers, having gotten their start on DJ SS’s respected Formation Records imprint in 2004, and have since been consistently hitting us with quality output. However, the outfit recently exploded with a massive remix for UK indie hip hop icon The Streets, ‘Blinded by the Lights’, which rapidly became a hit all over the world. This was followed up by their original track, ‘Innocence’, which has a crossover appeal that is impossible to ignore. The way the group blends the screaming oscillations and distorted bass blasts with beautiful pads, vocals, and harmony is definitely not easily duplicated by many other dubstep artists.

At the Audiotistic Festival, Nero made their presence known the instant they took the stage, as the opening notes of ‘Innocence’ drifted over the sea of ravers, raising their hands toward the massive array of lasers that fired majestically a few feet above crowd level. The auditory attack did not stop for the next hour and a half, as Nero took all within earshot on a journey through today’s biggest dubstep, electro house, and drum’n’bass tracks, mixed without a trace of trepidation. The relentless onslaught included ‘Blinded by the Lights’, the boys’ own remix of the massive ‘Ghosts’n’Stuff’ by Deadmau5 with Pendulum’s Rob Swire, the smashing Sub Focus remix of Rusko’s ‘Hold On’ ft. Amber Coffman and future drum’n’bass stepper, ‘Electron’, by Nero themselves. Also seen destroying the crowd was Major Lazer’s ‘Pon De Floor’ and a brand new Nero bit, a remix of 80′s pop group The Jets’ ‘Crush on You’, which had the crowd begging for the rewind. The highlight of the set, perhaps, occurred when a sneaky double drop was pulled off; slamming ‘Sweet Shop’ by Doctor P straight into FuntCase’s ‘Taking the Piss’ caused devastation on a massive scale. Last but not least, the group treated the audience to a share of new cuts from their upcoming album on Chase and Status’s MTA Records label.

The set in general, although varied style-wise, had a flow to it that is sometimes lacking in multi-genre sets. Seeing an act such as Nero mature, and grow from a drum’n’bass production outfit, to a multi-genre, arena wrecking behemoth, is inspiring in more ways than one. For those ravers who are old enough to remember a time when many DJ’s stuck to one sound, most rooms played one sound, and sometimes even whole PARTIES played one sound, the upsurge of the multi-genre set is refreshing in that it shows that people’s tastes are expanding, becoming more open, and more eclectic. According to many artists, including Nero themselves, the future of electronic music lies in the genres coming together to create a more well-rounded and interesting live and home listening experience. An act like Nero, whose productions consistently ooze emotion, quality, and power, is sure to continue to astonish crowds for years to come. Watch the pages of Nu-Soul Mag for an interview with Nero’s Dan Stephens, fresh after wrecking the Bass Frequency Stage at Audiotistic Festival!

Video of Nero performing at Audiotistic (video by Ten80Pee via Youtube)

www.myspace.com/nerouk
www.facebook.com/nerouk
twitter.com/nerouk
www.mtarecords.co.uk
www.facebook.com/julian.fontanez

We just can’t get enough of Robyn! She’s like a little raver pixie who somehow melds the worlds of pop, electronica and soul. And now she has yet another video for you to digest. Enjoy the first single from Body Talk Pt 2, “Hang With Me”.

Robyn – Hang With Me official video from Robyn on Vimeo.

Swedish pop princess Robyn and alternative R&B/dance diva Kelis kicked off their co-headlining All Hearts Tour this past Friday in grand style with a sold out show at Los Angeles’ Music Box, right in the heart of Hollywood. And what a show it was! A truly perfect lineup of artists who are effortlessly pushing pop music forward with liberal doses of electronica, the All Hearts Tour was a breath of fresh air for those seeking music to both sing and dance to.

The night got started off with the extremely talented Dan Black, a rather charming Brit with an amazing voice who seems to channel the best parts of Coldplay and Oasis but with a dance edge. The growing crowd watched intently as the newcomer sang his hit song “Symphonies” perfectly. Watch out for this guy.

Kelis was up next. Riding a wave of good reviews (but poor sales) for her latest effort Flesh Tone, Kelis impressed with a solid set that found her embracing her new dance sound. The songs of Flesh Tone are made to be heard on big sound systems, and those unfamiliar with the new tracks were immediately taken by the intensity and power of songs like “4th of July” and “Song For The Baby.” Halfway through the set, the audience was screaming and cheering her every move. While Kelis has never had the strongest voice in the biz, she seemed quite at home as a disco queen, even sporting a glittery wig and outfit. Look for sales of this album to continue to grow as positive word of mouth builds.

Closing out the show was the Swedish spitfire Robyn. She is a delightful performer with a laid back, unrehearsed quality that very few can claim. Her presence was enough to elicit excitement. Running through all the best tracks from Body Talk Pt. 1 and Robyn, the singer mesmerized with her smart lyrics and dynamic productions. Bouncing from the melancholy electro of  “Dancing On My Own” to the kick-ass techno of “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do” to the reggae/dubstep lite “Dancehall Queen”, Robyn delivered magic at every turn. Just watching her dance freestyle on stage, you got the sense that she was creating and performing music that she truly loved, and that joy flowed out into the massive crowd.

Hopefully the All Hearts Tour will signal a change in how tours are done. A smartly crafted, uniquely packed tour with artists that seemed perfectly matched against each other, it was the picture of how a boutique tour should be created. Definitely one of the best shows I have seen this year.

- As experienced by Norman Mayers

-Photos by Erin Monahan & Dustin Raymond

This quality taste of neo soul comes to us from  lyricist/vocalist Charmaigne Tripp, and although you may not have heard of Charmagne, she is no stranger to the music game. Since her debut album, Cafe on Magne, in 1998, she has had connections with a host of artists. These including but not limited to Brian McKnight, Deborah Cox, Roy Ayers, saxophonist David Davis, and most notably Eminem, singing the hook on the hit, ‘We Made You’, from his Relapse Album. On this track, she shows off her classically influenced soul sound with a driving beat that won’t let you sit still. A coffee shop provides the setting for this tribute to the one she can’t get off her mind. Check out more from Charmagne at the links below!

www.charmagne.net
www.facebook.com/pages/Charmagne-Tripp/92134788064?ref=ts
www.myspace.com/charmagnetripp