Get your Fix At Dilla’s Donut Shop

Good news for James Yancey / Jay Dee / Dilla fans – get 6 new dope instrumentals for FREE (in 320Kbps quality) if you sign up for Stones Throw’s mailinglist now.

Donut Shop interestingly enough is a combination of a Serato Scratch control record set (for use with the popular DJ software of the same name that enables you to DJ with your laptop – a development of the last 5 to 10 years that some dj’s spinning real vinyl strongly dislike), slipmats and a record containing these 6 Dilla instrumentals. Worlds colliding or growing closer?

Either way. What you’re waiting for?! GO!!

Beats Never Lie

Maybe it’s the upcoming 4th anniversary of J Dilla‘s untimely passing (10 Feb – R.I.P. – we miss you) or the fact that it was his b-day yesterday, but I’m a in a beat mood. Kicks, snares, samples and basslines.

So here’s another 2 free downloads 4 your aural pleasure.. Instrumental funk flavored hip-hop.

Jay.Soul – Officiaaall (instr)

Jay.Soul – Back 2 Bassixx

Play loud, as always..

Bullion: The Beach Boys with an MPC

This is not my music, nor is it new. But would like to share it anyway. English producer/dj Bullion made this bootleg album in ’07 and in one swift move not only skillfully pays tribute to J Dilla‘s sampling collage masterpiece Donuts but does so while cutting up an album from an ENTIRELY different galaxy – harmonic vocal pop classic Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys (1966). Real clever and funky. Matter of fact with all the Dilla inspired producers out there, I haven’t heard somebody come as close to the man himself as Bullion on this project.

For all open-minded music lovers and definitely for the beatheads and Jay Dee/Dilla fans (check J chilling with the B(each) Boys on the cover..)

This download is with permission of Bullion. Enjoy and spread it around like some good old flu: Pet Sounds In The Key Of Dee

Smile.

Inside Nicolay’s studio: It’s not the what, it’s the how

Whatsup? Here’s the first music equipment related post on my blog. Non-gear loving folks, please keep walking – there’s nothing to see here.. (Just walk up or down one post to where the free downloads are..)

For those that are interested in getting an inside look into well-known producers’ studios – what gear do they use, what software, how do they approach building a song, mixing techniques etc. etc. – check out Dutch soulful hip-hop producer Nicolay’s new blog series. In Part 1 he explains – to my suprise – that one of his main tools is a pretty old fashioned, free piece of step sequencing software called ModPlug. The backbone for most his tracks is made in it. Wow.