Besides “Planet Rock”, “Bassline” by Mantronix is probably the 2nd most important song in the genealogy of the Man Recordings sound. “Bassline” includes, in it´s minimalist essence, the three elements our label is all about: Bass, Beats and Raps. In music history, “Bassline” is one of the first tracks to use a Roland 303 as bassline generator (though the video above shows a TR-909) and is not only considered a mile stone in new school rap, being released in the same year like Run DMC´s “King Of Rock” and LL Cool J´s “Radio”, but also one of the main tracks to sow the seeds out of which Detroit Techno grew.

No, I’m not talking about that old school rectangular object that you used to listen to in your dad’s car. I’m talking about the sticky kind. Big shout out to the Haaksinator for coming up with that… it’s probably the most useful piece of merchandising that I have ever seen.

The photo above demonstrates just one of the many ways that this tape can be put to use. The hairy leg in the photo belongs to Motorpitch, who can only do music in the summer while wearing his trusty Birkenstocks. To show his gratitude to the Man Rec Tape for mending his sandal, here is one very nice summertime mashup he asked me to put up to share on the blog.

Jackson 5 – I want you back (Motorpitch riddim mash)

When recently posting the video of “Ghost Town” by The Specials in the “Man Recordings Inspiration Series”, I received various emails from across the globe from people saying that this song was highly influential for them too. On my trip to Buenos Aires with Deize, I met Fantasma, a musician who is appropriating songs from European pop and making the finest digital cumbia out of it. One of the songs he gave me was his cumbia version of “Ghost Town”.

Download it from here:
Fantasma – Ghost Town

Only two weeks after my posting I found out that NY T-Shirt chief rockers Supreme made a T-Shirt with lines out of “Ghost Town” (see above). Seems there´s something in the air about The Specials….

Warming up for the 2010 Chopin year, our friend Artur 8 from Warsaw´s Astigmatic festival initiated the compilation “Inspired by Chopin”. The CD, only released in Poland so far, features Chopin interpretations by Disco dons such as Morgan Geist, Daniel Wang, The Glimmers, Munk or Krazy Baldhead as well as a fabulous baile funk remix by DJ Amazing Clay. If you´re in Poland sometime soon, make sure to grab a copy of “Astigmatic Inspired by Chopin”. Polska´s #1 composer never sounded more fresh.

Download here the DJ Amazing Clay Remix as Man Recordings exclusive:
Chopin In Da Party Etude In C Minor Remix By DJ Amazing Clay

Funnily, on my last visit in Rio, I found a statue of Frederic Chopin right under the sugar loaf mountain.

Slightly unsure of the exact legality of this mix, it was commercially available as a CD at turntable.com when it came out in 2004/2005, but the pure logistics of legally clearing the tracks seems pretty impossible to me.

This was referred to as “the third world brainfreeze” when it was released. DJ Nuts is a renowned and well-respected Brazilian turntablist with some hip hop production credits with the usual suspects, but here he has really outdone himself with a lightning, deftly mixed 54 tracks in 77 minutes, no mean feat with funk and soul. And this is no ordinary funk and soul mix, all the tracks are pretty rare seventies Brazilian rare groove that only the most knowledgeable or well-connected plunderer with an insiders knowledge of São Paulo’s second hand record stores (sebos) could unearth.

As you can imagine the mix is full of deep funky samba grooves, nevertheless, throughout the mix familiar melodies spring out -Wilson Das Neves “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” brings on puffy skirted 80’s flashbacks, Antonio Carlos & Jocafi’s “Kabaluere” has been sampled by both DJ Nu-mark and Marcelo D2 and I’m sure I even heard a funky R&B version of the batman theme.

A fascinating document if only to hear the Brazilian perspective on an area that is constantly being cited for its influence but has rarely been explored or exploited with such expertise and zest. So ignore that crappy cover, read the tracklist and weep (…and then download).

Sônia Santos – “Intro (0:15)”
Orquestra Som Livre – “Tema De Tucão (2:02)”
Weather Report Feat. Dom Um Romão – “Non Stop Home (0:59)”
Airto – “Peasant Dance (1:22)”
Raulzinho – “Tesouro De São Miquel (1:15)”
O Incrivel Manito – “Tucks Theme (1:51)”
Ed Maciel – “Não Há Dinheiro Que Pague (2:26)”
Hot Stuff Band – “Ju Ju Man (1:27)”
Paulo Moura – “Bicho Papao (0:37)”
Marlos Noble E Orquestra – “Ritual (0:28)”
Azymuth – “Melô Da Cuica (0:47)”
Tim Maia – “Imunizacao Racional Que Beleza (1:12)”
Bertrami E Conjunto Azimute – “Pela Cidade (1:55)”
Osmar Milito – “Morre O Burro, Fica O Homem (1:19)”
Trio Esperança – “Não Aguento Voce (0:54)”
Ronie E Central Do Brasil – “Remelexo (1:41)”
Quarteto Em Cy – “Salve O Verde (1:27)”
Ivan Lins – “Hei, Voce (2:05)”
Wilson Das Neves – “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye (1:20)”
Jair Rodrigues – “Deixa Isso Pra Lá (0:29)”
Tom E Dilo – “Amanhangá (0:49)”
Miguel De Deus – “Black Soul Brothers (1:15)”
Abolicao 1860-1980 (0:58)”
Tony & Frankye – “Vou Procurar O Meu Lugar (1:08)”
Tony Bizarro – “Não Vai Mudar (1:08)”
Azymuth – “Esperando Minha Vez (0:56)”
Eumir Deodato – “Also Sprach Zarathustra”
Flora Purim – “Open Your Eyes You Can Fly”
César Mariano & Cia – “Metrópole”
Carlos Dafé – “O Metrô”
Banda Black Rio – “Na Baixa Do Sapateiro”
União Black – “A Familia Black”
Som Nosso De Cada Dia – “Black Rio”
Gerson King Combo – “Mandamentos Black”
Sos Band It – “Big Splash”
Gerson King Combo – “Mandamentos Black”
Boogaloo Combo – “Hot Pants Road”
Toni Tornado – “Podes Crê, Amizade”
Antonio Carlos & Jocafi – “Kabaluerê”
Sonia Santos – “Marraio”
Ed Maciel – “Kool & The Gang”
The Fevers – “Batman”
MPB-4 – “Faca Cega, Faca Amolada”
Hermeto Pascoal – “Coalhada”
Jorge Ben – “África Brasil Zumbi”
Mão Branca – “Melô Do Mão Branca”
Miéle – “Melô Do Tagarela”
Marcos Valle – “Estrelar”
Banda Black Rio – “Subindo O Morro”
Osmar Milito E Quarteto Forma – “O Bofe”
Assim Assado – “Sol Amarelocinza”
Kris E Cristina – “Uma Rosa Com Amor”
Trio Mocotó – “Swinga Sambaby”
Wilson Das Neves – “Pick Up The Pieces”

download here