Can't cosign this enough. Brad's DJ box would shred a lot of seasoned Northern collectors. Also one of the kindest, most good-natured dudes I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He's a considerate roommate too!
Also, I can't pass up the opportunity to point out that our very own SoulHawk has a mean, mean soul collection. Dude has put me up on countless records, and hooked me up with tons of heat. If only he weren't so predisposed to reclusive collectro moves....
on all of the above
"hey, what ya got in that record box, soulhawk?!?"
his northern/crossover/modern steez is unfukwittable these days, imho...
I'd judge a soul/funk DJ by how much fun I've had on the dancefloor with a lady in tow dancing to their set. First Ann Arbor Soul Night I went too with Brad and one John Shade DJing was about the tops for me. Maximum Tight.
supreme sureshot spinna keb darge shadow love to hear dante and muro play one day... jason lev...
anywhere that i can watch/listen to their sets online? i really wanna see how its done.
finelikewine"ONCE UPON A TIME, I HAD A VINYL." http://www.discogs.com/user/permabulker 1,416 Posts
I really enjoy listening to sets by Florian Keller. He doesn't play strictly funk/soul but also adds old school rap, boogie, some reggae and some drum & bass. Dope mixing skills and an awesome selection.
I saw him in SF two years ago, and enjoyed it very much. He had a dude handing him records from his box . For the most part, I wouldn't call his set rocking a party, though. To finish his set, the man played 1 and a half hours of obscure steppers.
I second Roisto on Kenny Dope in Helsinki. Against great expectations, that dude was just lazy. Safe set and no presence at all.
I really enjoy listening to sets by Florian Keller. He doesn't play strictly funk/soul but also adds old school rap, boogie, some reggae and some drum & bass. Dope mixing skills and an awesome selection.
You could add Scruff - when he leaves the bumpity housey stuff at home to that style too. Some of the smaller club sets I've seen him do have been killer... tends to play long long sets (4+ hours) and always drops a good section of killer funk & soul in there. he's one of the few with skills to mix that shit too.
Darge is (was?) hard to beat... '99 - '02 at Madame Jojo's etc that was like church.
Actually David Holmes takes the acid soul trip in a pretty stylee way
No disrespect at all to J.Rocc, who's one of the best to do it...
But I'm not sure what we're discussing here: best technical DJ who happens to play soul & funk, or best soul & funk DJ?
To me putting J.Rocc next to Keb Darge is apples and oranges.
there has always been something that irks me about anyone who self promotes themselves as the worlds best at anything, but that being said some of j-rocc's later mixtapes are cool to listen to. Both times i have seen Keb he has killed it! and done it with out playing the UBB series oh and have seen cut chemist kill a floor with just 45's (good record selection and world class skills right there!)
On Florian Keller, he has a mean Collection and his Crates are always packed with heat. We spin together occasionally, I see him playing often and he NEVER brings the same Records. I gotta trow in Mr Thing. Saw him killin it. Skills and Records. For sure Cut Chemist is on the List Ian Wright, yes. Keb, hell yeah.
oh and have seen cut chemist kill a floor with just 45's (good record selection and world class skills right there!)
yeah, i forgot about him. I was at a Jurassic 5/Dilated Peoples show some years back and Cut did DJ sets between everyone's sets. Early on he was doing hip-hop but before Dilated came on he went into some raer uptempo funk shit. He was keeping it on beat by just slamming one track into the next or doing a real quick blend. He knew to let the tracks breath, but he also made sure every transition was precisely on point. Plus his selection was straight no slow burners or overplayed crowd-pleasers, just breakbeatraer bangers that I had never ever heard before and probably will never hear again. The little backpacker dudes in the crowd were not ready for that. I can remember that there were other performances that night, but that set is the only part that stands out in my memory.
Toronto has some absolutely worldclass DJs that don't get much recognition because they seldom travel. I've never met anyone who's been to a Turning Point party that doesn't think A Man Called Warwick is unrivalled when it comes to the super gritty, "tropical" funk. Turning Point's a pretty astonishing party: a monthly, massively successful event that sees a diverse crowd dancing to leftfield cumbias and african sounds. It's a phenomenon.
Toronto has some absolutely worldclass DJs that don't get much recognition because they seldom travel. I've never met anyone who's been to a Turning Point party that doesn't think A Man Called Warwick is unrivalled when it comes to the super gritty, "tropical" funk. Turning Point's a pretty astonishing party: a monthly, massively successful event that sees a diverse crowd dancing to leftfield cumbias and african sounds. It's a phenomenon.
I heard years ago that Toronto's club/party scene is off the chain. It sounds like it still is. I gotta get up there.
Toronto has some absolutely worldclass DJs that don't get much recognition because they seldom travel. I've never met anyone who's been to a Turning Point party that doesn't think A Man Called Warwick is unrivalled when it comes to the super gritty, "tropical" funk. Turning Point's a pretty astonishing party: a monthly, massively successful event that sees a diverse crowd dancing to leftfield cumbias and african sounds. It's a phenomenon.
I heard years ago that Toronto's club/party scene is off the chain. It sounds like it still is. I gotta get up there.
I just played up there in December for the first time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely felt as though the crowd really appreciated the music and not the "scene." I'm hoping to go back soon.
kill a floor with just 45's[/b] (good record selection and world class skills right there!)
isn't this what all the best Djs are able to do??? blow the ppl away with their 45 selections and juxtapositions???
slight disagreement. if i got a stone-cold dancefloor filler and it only exists on an LP, im not gonna leave it at home. later for this elitist 45-only thinking
kill a floor with just 45's[/b] (good record selection and world class skills right there!)
isn't this what all the best Djs are able to do??? blow the ppl away with their 45 selections and juxtapositions???
slight disagreement. if i got a stone-cold dancefloor filler and it only exists on an LP, im not gonna leave it at home. later for this elitist 45-only thinking
NOOOOOOOOOOO! INCORRECT. The correct answer is:
if i got a stone-cold dancefloor killer and it only exists on an LP, I am getting a 7" dub of it pressed up with the quickness[/b]
45 only is sorta... look mah no hands! but i respect that non the less. I respect DJs who dont put themselves as the centerpiece but still blow your mind with the rawness. LA has been teaching me a lot of things over the last few years. Big up to Funkmosphere, Do-over, soul sessions, funky sole, afrofunke, root down, and bump bump wednesdays!
I don't know, considering that a lot of the best soul and funk music was 45 only, I don't see it having all that much to do with elitism. Given a choice b/w hearing an all LP soul set and an all 45 set, I'll choose the latter 7 days a week. Find me an album that sounds like The Free Mind or Prophet and His Disciples and maybe I'll change my mind.
kill a floor with just 45's[/b] (good record selection and world class skills right there!)
isn't this what all the best Djs are able to do??? blow the ppl away with their 45 selections and juxtapositions???
i think you read too much into my comment, dude rocked up to a small club after one of his solo shows with just a small box of 45's and as far as i know wasnt even meant to play records, got on threw it down with only a handfull of records.
kill a floor with just 45's[/b] (good record selection and world class skills right there!)
isn't this what all the best Djs are able to do??? blow the ppl away with their 45 selections and juxtapositions???
i think you read too much into my comment
you're right - i was hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to (mis)use the comment here as a point of departure which would perhaps expand the general discussion.
furthermore, i agree with breakself: the best soul and funk songs are on 45s; therefore the best soul and funk djs would be the ones that rock the little rekkids.
I don't know, considering that a lot of the best soul and funk music was 45 only, I don't see it having all that much to do with elitism. Given a choice b/w hearing an all LP soul set and an all 45 set, I'll choose the latter 7 days a week. Find me an album that sounds like The Free Mind or Prophet and His Disciples and maybe I'll change my mind.
It ain't about the ALBUM, it's about the ALBUM CUT.
But oh so convenient when you don't wanna pack the big heavy record bag!
Even though the majority of my soul nites are 45-based, I still reserve the right to throw in an album or two in the pile. It was never a question of "one or the other" to me.
A little, yeah, but I appreciate the restriction in a way. It forces you to break out of habitual playlists and dig a little bit deeper into your collection.
Comments
sureshot
spinna
keb darge
shadow
love to hear dante and muro play one day...
jason lev...
"hey, what ya got in that record box, soulhawk?!?"
I'd judge a soul/funk DJ by how much fun I've had on the dancefloor with a lady in tow dancing to their set. First Ann Arbor Soul Night I went too with Brad and one John Shade DJing was about the tops for me. Maximum Tight.
anywhere that i can watch/listen to their sets online? i really wanna see how its done.
He doesn't play strictly funk/soul but also adds old school rap, boogie, some reggae and some drum & bass. Dope mixing skills and an awesome selection.
I saw him in SF two years ago, and enjoyed it very much. He had a dude handing him records from his box
I second Roisto on Kenny Dope in Helsinki. Against great expectations, that dude was just lazy. Safe set and no presence at all.
You could add Scruff - when he leaves the bumpity housey stuff at home to that style too. Some of the smaller club sets I've seen him do have been killer... tends to play long long sets (4+ hours) and always drops a good section of killer funk & soul in there. he's one of the few with skills to mix that shit too.
Darge is (was?) hard to beat... '99 - '02 at Madame Jojo's etc that was like church.
Actually David Holmes takes the acid soul trip in a pretty stylee way
there has always been something that irks me about anyone who self promotes themselves as the worlds best at anything, but that being said some of j-rocc's later mixtapes are cool to listen to.
Both times i have seen Keb he has killed it! and done it with out playing the UBB series
oh and have seen cut chemist kill a floor with just 45's (good record selection and world class skills right there!)
I gotta trow in Mr Thing. Saw him killin it. Skills and Records.
For sure Cut Chemist is on the List
Ian Wright, yes.
Keb, hell yeah.
got to give it up to soulstrut's very own.
Dope mixtapes, and he does a great job whenever I've seen him live.
yeah, i forgot about him. I was at a Jurassic 5/Dilated Peoples show some years back and Cut did DJ sets between everyone's sets. Early on he was doing hip-hop but before Dilated came on he went into some raer uptempo funk shit. He was keeping it on beat by just slamming one track into the next or doing a real quick blend. He knew to let the tracks breath, but he also made sure every transition was precisely on point. Plus his selection was straight
Sorry I missed his set on Saturday, heard it was tops.
I heard years ago that Toronto's club/party scene is off the chain. It sounds like it still is. I gotta get up there.
I just played up there in December for the first time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely felt as though the crowd really appreciated the music and not the "scene." I'm hoping to go back soon.
isn't this what all the best Djs are able to do??? blow the ppl away with their 45 selections and juxtapositions???
slight disagreement. if i got a stone-cold dancefloor filler and it only exists on an LP, im not gonna leave it at home. later for this elitist 45-only thinking
NOOOOOOOOOOO! INCORRECT. The correct answer is:
if i got a stone-cold dancefloor killer and it only exists on an LP, I am getting a 7" dub of it pressed up with the quickness[/b]
But oh so convenient when you don't wanna pack the big heavy record bag!
I don't know, considering that a lot of the best soul and funk music was 45 only, I don't see it having all that much to do with elitism. Given a choice b/w hearing an all LP soul set and an all 45 set, I'll choose the latter 7 days a week. Find me an album that sounds like The Free Mind or Prophet and His Disciples and maybe I'll change my mind.
a dj (j rocc) who can play more than just funk and soul ( hip hop etc ) should not even be considered.
you're right - i was hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to (mis)use the comment here as a point of departure which would perhaps expand the general discussion.
furthermore, i agree with breakself: the best soul and funk songs are on 45s; therefore the best soul and funk djs would be the ones that rock the little rekkids.
It ain't about the ALBUM, it's about the ALBUM CUT.
Even though the majority of my soul nites are 45-based, I still reserve the right to throw in an album or two in the pile. It was never a question of "one or the other" to me.
A little, yeah, but I appreciate the restriction in a way. It forces you to break out of habitual playlists and dig a little bit deeper into your collection.