| SPOEK MATHAMBO: NOTES FROM SPICE ISLAND

Self-titled “neoelectricafrobot”, Cape Town’s Spoek Mathambo is a busy boy, verging on coming on like an over-acheiver. Aside from his ongoing work with Marcus Wormstorm as Sweat X, and his recent Playdoe project with Sibot (aka DJ Fuck), he’s also started to notch up a catalogue with French producer, Dj Edjotronic which he dubs “African Elektrics - Peep Game”.

MP3: SPOEK & DJ EDJOTRONIC Club Med Max Mode [zshare]

MP3: SPOEK & DJ EDJOTRONIC Big Butt Girl [zshare]

……………………………………………………….

| MAN RECORDINGS: MC GRINGO & SUMMER BASS SENSATION

We have some pet favourite labels at Fat Planet, and one of those we treat with special care and attention is Man Recordings. They’re bringing the goods again this week with the latest release from Rio-based German ex-pat MC Gringo, dipping from his recent baile funk output back into his past, where he earned his beans performing in ska and reggae bands. Toddla T drops two outstanding remixes on a dancehall / ragga tip.

Stream: MC GRINGO Alemao (Toddla T Remix) [Real Player Stream]

German readers will find Man Recordings ‘Summer Bass Sensation’ with a dream line-up of Crookers, Bonde Do Role, The Count & Sinden, Edu K, Mc Gringo, label boss Daniel Haaksman, DJ Beware and Deise Tigrona hitting Ferropolis in Grafenhainichen on Saturday 19th July.

……………………………………………………….

| TELL US WOT U CALL IT: WONKY

There’s nothing quite like a light-hearted debate around naming conventions for new genres. Before ‘grime’ became the alpha tag, there were a few variations - most notably, Wiley’s ‘Eski’ - and the debate bled into Wiley’s own production “Wot U Call It”. History is repeating itself again with wonky (or, as represented on a poll on mashit.com, lazer-bass, ragga-clash, wub, bouncement or street-bass). Wonky has, it seems, already been appropriated for other microgenres, so the discussion is likely to fuel a few forum inches for some time to come.

Whatever we call it, if you’ve been listening to Rustie (pictured), Hudson Mohawke, Zomby, Megasoid, the aforementioned Toddla T or similar heavy, low-end, distorted ragga / dubstep / glitch (see why it needs a name?), you’ll know that it’s been brewing for well over the last year or so. Here’s two mixtapes that provide some clarity, one from the mighty Megasoid (with their own wonky rubs of the likes of Bangers & Cash, ODB, Bonjay and Dr Dre), and another from Glasgow’s Lucky Me, with Hudson Mohwake, The Blessings, Mike Slott, Rustie and (one to watch) Nadsroic.

MP3: MEGASOID Speed Knots Mixtape v1 [Megaupload]

MP3: XLR8R PODCAST: LUCKY ME Mixed by The Blessings [Info]

……………………………………………………….

| GEKO JONES: NEUVA YORK TROPICAL

New mix from Geko Jones from Dutty Artz features a crop of unreleased tunes and tracks from Cuba, Canary Islands, Angola, Dominican Republic and much more, culled from WFMU’s ‘Nickel & Dime’ show.

MP3: GEKO JONES Nueva York Tropical [Info]

……………………………………………………….

| VIDEO SELECTOR: SHAANTI & LEMBER HUSSAINPURI ‘Disco Warrior’

From the album ‘Shaanti Presents Mighty Asian Beats’ [Info]

……………………………………………………….

Episode Four of the Slang Tang podcast is now available to download.

This episode takes us to Tunisia, Palestine, the Netherlands, Argentina, Japan, Cuba, Australian and Iraq.  Checkpoint 303 kick us off with their unique take on the Middle Eastern situation, blending field recordings and news reports with electronica and acoustic instrumentation.  We then grab two slices of digital cumbia - first from new producer Sonido Del Principe, who rubs some heavy electro into the mix, and secondly from Argentina’s DJ Negro with a track from the new Bersa Discos release, Volume 2 in their ongoing 12? series.  Japan’s Yoshida Brothers strip everything back to basics for a frenetic workout on the shamisen, before Man Recordings’ Daniel Haaksman brings on a remix for Cuban band Madera Limpia.  We represent Australia with indigenous hip hop artist Wire MC and bring things to a close with DJ Foundation from Mosul in Iraq and his unique brand of sample-heavy plunderphonics.

GET THE FULL PLAYLIST, ARTIST & SHOP LINKS @ slangtang.com

DOWNLOAD: Slang Tang Ep.4 (June 2008)

Subscribe to future podcasts via iTunes or similar Podcast program: feed://slangtang.libsyn.com/rss

Missed Episode 3? Feat: Spoek (Sweat.X) and Sibot, aka Playdoe / Dama do Bling / Bostich & Fussible / Marxy and U.T. / Disrupt / Brazilbeat Sound System / The Peronists

DOWNLOAD: Slang Tang Ep.3 (May 2008) | [Tracklisting & Links]

New baile funk mix, with classics old and new, from London’s Zombie Disco Squad - ushered in by Edu K.

zshare: Zombie Disco Squad - Baile Funks Not Dead

1. Baile Funks Not Dead Introduction by Edu K
2. MC Seu Kuke - A casa do seu kuke
3. Bola De Fogo - Atoladinha (Enterradinha)
4. Os Hawainanos - Vem Kikando
5. Luciano DJ - Alter Baile
6. Carlinho e Celinho - Jogo de Bicho
7. SD Boys - Uh!Uh!Uh! Ta Tomando
8. MC Frank - Cabelo Encolheu
9. Tati Quebra Barraco - Boladona
10. Dennis DJ - Xacoalhado de skol
11. MC Primo - Diretoria
12. Scottie b ft. Moleque Bil - Mais Ela
13. MC Biro Leyby - Cria asa Periquita
14. Jack e Chocolate - Danca do Mexico
15. Amandinha - Essa e pra Virar
16. Edu K ft. Deize - Injecao TNT
17. Bonde Do Popo - ?
18. DJ Wally - Danca do Calango
19. DJ Luciano Oliveira - Funk Carioca
20. Montagem - Ta Mancando
21. Sandrinho - Organ Donor
22. Montagem - Black box
23. Sandrinho - Yazoo
24. MC Pe de Pano e Rael - Ela ta Doida
25. MC Cindinho e Doca - Rap Da Felicidade
26. MC Camita - Mexe Com Meu Marido
27. Bonde do Come Quieto - Ela Balanca mas nao para
28. Gailoa das Popozudas - Late que Eu to Passando
29. Bonde Do Tiagro - O Baile Todo
30. ? - Tres tenores
31. Tati - Mirante
32. Gilberto DJ - Chumbo Quente

‘Hit & Red’ is the second video clip to accompany one of this year’s finest album releases - Ghislain Poirier’s ‘No Ground Under’. The animated clip - which features morphing fractals driven by monochrome illustrations - was directed by Thibaut Duverneix from Canada’s Department.

There’s no single release for ‘Hit & Red’ - that particular honour goes to ‘Go Ballistic’ featuring Mc Zulu, with remixes from Toddla T & Duckbeats, King Cannibal (Ninja Tune) and Tony-O (Ego6). As Zulu writes on his site: “‘Go Ballistic’ got such a crazy response in Montreal’s La Tulipe, that it caught me off guard… The mostly French speaking crowd screaming the English chorus damn near brought tears to my eyes”.

It’s been quite a wait since Kevin Martin’s last album as The Bug (2003’s ‘Pressure’ album) and in the interim we’ve been treated to a few flickering moments of hard ragga / dubstep / bass genius such as ‘Dem A Bomb We’ and ‘Jah War’. Late last year, The Bug dropped ‘Poison Dart’ on Ninja Tune with vocals from UK-based Jamaican MC Warrior Queen with some outstanding remixes from the likes of South Rakkas, Stereotyp and Skream. Finally, the full length ‘London Zoo’ has been earmarked for release - July 29th on Ninja - featuring a stellar array of MC talent such as Tippa Irie, Spaceace, Flowdan, Killa P, Ricky Ranking and the good lady Warrior Queen on a return call.

Martin’s resume reads like a whos-who of the good, the bash and the dirty - works with Kevin Shields, Antipop Consortium, Grace Jones, Deise Tigrona, Einsturzende Neubauten, Thom Yorke and many activites with Justin Broadrick from Godflesh. Lest we forget 2006’s mighty Razor X Productions project - which bore the fruit ‘Killing Sound’ on Rephlex - as hard and dark and deep as they come. He’s also dabbling in less frenetic waters on the recent ‘Cult Of The 13th Hour‘ track, landing on Soul Jazz Records‘ ‘Box Of Dub 2′.

Some cash was obviously spent on the latest clip for ‘Poison Dart’ - great to see Warrior Queen finally making an appearance in the video world:

Argentina’s El Hijo De La Cumbia impressed with his recent productions on the Bersa Discos #1 release. Now, ahead of the release of his debut album ‘Freestyle de Ritmos’, he delivers a mixtape of original cumbia productions, entitled ‘La Ventana Esta Abierta’ or ‘The Window is Open’. Tracklisting, info & more links at whatsupbuenosaires.com.

MP3: EL HIJO DE LA CUMBIA La Ventana Esta Abierta (The Window is Open)

Mad Decent have posted a new track from Malawi vocalist Esau Mwamwaya’s forthcoming mixtape, along with a video documenting the ‘making of’ the new release.

Mwamwaya first grabbed some blog column inches in 2007 with his reworking of M.I.A.’s ‘Paper Planes’, substituting the original vocal line with his own beautifully melodic reinterpretation. This time out, Architecture In Helsinki gets ‘covered’, or rather Esau finds his own way through their “Heart It Races” rhythm with a track called ‘Kamphopo’. The video points the way to what’s sure to be an interesting release - particularly given that it’s produced by Radioclit, whose work has been spectacularly on point of late (e.g. the ‘Secousse’ single, their Balkan brass rework of ‘Cobrastyle’ and releases through their Uppercuts label).

Find more Esau at Last.fm - six streams of a live gig recorded exclusively in London for the web site. (Sadly no downloads available as yet).

MP3: ESAU MWAMWAYA Kamphopo [via Mad Decent]

MP3: ESAU MWAMWAYA Chalo (Demo)

PODCAST: SLANG TANG Episode 3 feat. ESAU MWAMWAYA & RADIOCLIT ‘Chilombo’ | Tracklisting & Info

After an extended period of silence, NY-based Egyptian producer Mutamassik has posted new material from her forthcoming release “That Which Death Cannot Destroy” - the follow up to 2005’s collection of singles, twelves and mixes ‘Masri Mokkassar: Definitive Works’ (Sound Ink). Spanning nearly ten years of scattered productions, the release made a repeated impression on the Fat Planet playlists at the time, and still remains a bold and often unsettling redefinition of Middle Eastern and Arabic music.

Born Giulia Loli, Mutamassik’s excursions and explorations (dubbed ‘Sa’aidi Hardcore & Baladi Breakbeats’) are a collage of casual rough cuts, broken edits and distorted loops. Whereas ‘Masri Mokkassar’ was nothing less than a fierce left hook to the jaw, “That Which Death Cannot Destroy” seems less obviously confrontational - from the tracks now available on her Rough Americana site, it would appear that the new release shaves off some of the rough industrial edges, and brings more focus and depth to her sound - yet at the same time losing none of the intrigue and experimentation. She describes it as ‘SA’AIDI MARTIAL SOUND (blood unable to be washed out with high-tech detergents)’ and who are we to disagree.

MP3: MUTAMASSIK Doun Doun (The Crux) - vocals: V. Hanna el Qommos & A. Trillo

MP3: MUTAMASSIK BCH GYP

Release date ‘Fall 2008′, more info at roughamericana.com.

This Saturday in the city of Sydney: UBER SYSTEM LIBERATED! features LIVE performers Potato Master (Bris), Pataphysics (Melb), Gongbaby, atone & Gondwana alongside DJs Evrim (Turk), bP (Melb), Ritual (DnB), Man about town, Stu Buchanan (Fat Planet), Mashy P, DJ Ability (turntablist), Ollo DJs, DubChaman plus DJ Spex vs MC Hernan… In house developed video material by Melbourne based VJ, Siadatz will also be screened.

Saturday May 24th : 8pm till very late
Abercrombie Hotel : 100 Broadway, Ultimo, Sydney
$10 entry / tickets on the door

full info at uberlingua.com/system or the facebook group

Quick one: new from the hand of FP’s favourite Argentinean mash-master, Villa Diamante - blending fellow countryman Daleduro with Berlin’s Jahcoozi. If my Spanish serves me well (which it invariably doesn’t), this is in celebration of Jahcoozi’s appearance earlier this month at Zizek in Buenos Aries.

MP3: VILLA DIAMANTE Daleduro vs Jahcoozi