On January 14th, 2009, Bastard Jazz Recordings and BrooklynRadio.Net will release a joint venture compilation of eclectic grooves from Brooklyn recording artists. Put together by Aaron Schultz, a.k.a. DJ DRM (Bastard Jazz Recordings founder), and Dan Martino, a.k.a. DJ Soulstatic (BrooklynRadio.Net founder and program director), the CD and digital download concentrates on the many tasty sounding flavors soaked into the fabric of small clubs around the Borough’s nightlife: Latin, jazz, dub reggae, hip-hop, disco, Afro-beat, house and funk.
“I think a lot of people - when they think of Brooklyn now - tend to think about indie rock, hipsters, and the electro scene that came out of here in the early part of this decade. A lot of it was influential in shaping some mainstream tastes, but, really, the sound on this compilation is what you hear at a lot of the clubs. Not the big ones. This whole scene has been cultivated in these little sweaty lounges where live music is played. DJs start a set and a band might finish it. The approach has always been to keep the groove going with all these different foundations. It’s the reason I started Brooklyn Radio. There’s so much music coming out of here,” says Dan Martino
Some of the scene’s most visible names have contributed to the contents of the CD - including popular soul outfit Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings whose single “How Long Do I Have To Wait” is dipped in dub by studio magician Victor “Ticklah” Axelrod, alongside the retro-future funk of Menahan Street Band’s “Make The Road By Walking” (notably sampled by Jay-Z for his hit single “Roc Boys”).
Unaio Black, a new incarnation of the treasured Brazilian Soul group that lay dormant for 25 years returns with “Yeah Yeah Yeah” - worked out and re-united by Brooklyn producers Daniel Collas and Sean Marquand (the man behind the 10 years running Brazilian Beat Brooklyn party and Mr. Bongo compilation of the same name).
Wonderwheel Recordings, an offshoot label from the legendary NYC party Turntables On the Hudson, contribute two tracks: The groovy Latin hip-hop jam “Bonita” by New Orleans-cum-Brooklyn revivalists The Pimps of Joytime and uptempo island funk of Nickodemus on “Conmigo” with celebrated Puerto Rican vocalist Sammy Ayala.
Brooklyn collides with funky Nigeria in the form of Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble, a 13-piece dancefloor orchestra who contribute the 13-minute long stomper that is “Jeje L’Aiye," featuring the revered Cedric “IM” Brooks on sax, while relative newcomers The Midnight Lab Band offer up “Run Riot” - a heavy, nearly psychedelic piece of Afro-Breaks previously only available on 12” vinyl.
Additional tracks and artists on the compilation include Captain Planet - ”Speakin’ Nuyorican," DJ DRM - “Vidambana (Chico Mann Remix)," Apenaut - “War Games," Subatomic Sound System - “Our Father, Our King” and Chimp Beams - “Lovely Chimps."
“While not being even close to a holistic look of the vibrant music scene coming out of the Borough of Brooklyn, we collected these tracks together on this album to give folks inside and outside of New York a glimpse into this musical moment in time - when so many styles are coming together and fusion in such a new way.” says Aaron Schultz, “And just like the city itself, the music coming out of it is true melting pot, and all done with a little undertone of grit and grime - these are the kind sensibilities that really only develop here."
