The Low End Theory

On this week’s show, OB goes in deep with a Shep Pettibone mastermix that covers all eras from this prolific producer. Not entirely hyped to Shep yet? Well, after getting a start working with Arthur Baker & Afrika Bambaataa, Shep rose to prominence as a remixer for the much-loved Prelude and Salsoul record labels, remixing legendary acts like Loleatta Holloway, Leroy Burgess, Inner Life and Aura. From there, he would start producing for Madonna, New Order, Depeche Mode, Level 42, Janet Jackson, George Michael, Duran Duran, Whitney Houston and pretty much all the top pop acts from the 80’s into the 90’s. His 12” club mixes were the “go to” cuts for any dance floor DJ, his remix style paved the way for EDM long before it was even a term and to use the word “pioneer” when describing his work is a given. You just know OB cut this one up into a 2-hour megamix that will take you back to the days when New York radio stations ruled the world of club culture. This one is not to be missed!

Shan & OB welcome another legend onto their show with Freddy Fresh stopping in for a chat. The name alone conjures up visions of classic hiphop, party breaks and electro mayhem. His Howlin Records label has released classic jams from the likes of Fatboy Slim, Krafty Kuts, Dynamo Productions, Ursula 1000 and many more and he’s produced tracks for well over 100 record labels all over the world in just about every style known to humankind. He’s been ranked as one of the world’s best DJ's and music producers, played in more than 35 countries, and he’s written a book that is universally accepted as the first book in the world to detail the independent record labels that released rap music from 1979 to 1989, “Freddy Fresh Presents Rap Records” (now into its 2nd printing).

As if that’s not crazy enough, he’s also had songs played on commercials, TV shows and plenty of films in between his work as a faculty member at his local college in Minnesota where he taught music in between all of his touring and production commitments. Phew!!!! With so much to cover, this one is an all “Freddy Fresh” special as the boys play all eras of tunes from the dude that almost single-handedly wrote the book on modern DJ culture.

Shan and OB go deep with Berlin-based production collective Jazzanova and DJ Amir about their upcoming release on BBE Music, 'Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova'. Strata Records was an iconic Detroit record label from the 1960's that had some avant-garde jazz leaning tendencies over plenty of soul, latin and blues. Whilst the label did not last as long as others, their output into the 70's left an impression on everyone from John Lennon to Juan Atkins and guaranteed its place in modern jazz folklore as record fiends now search far and wide for copies of the original releases. Working with DJ Amir, a legendary NYC DJ, music curator and edit master (alongside his partner Kon), Jazzanova has given a new lease on life to many of the tracks from the Strata catalogue, shaking many up with live sounds ranging from afrobeat to hip-hop.

The boys talk to to the group and Amir about how they went about re-imagining a back catalogue of obscure 60's/70's jazz records so they'd sound fresh in a modern context and how they translated the diverse sounds and styles of the Strata Records legacy into a soulful and cohesive musical statement that honors the label’s community of creative musicians.  Of course, they do all this over plenty of tracks from Jazzanova and Amir, plus 2 sets of genre-hopping goodness for your listening pleasure.

With a career spanning from the ’90s to now championing all styles of the breakbeat, the Freestylers really need no introduction. Coming out of the UK rave scene with much more b-boy/b-girl ethic than the rest, they released certified classics on the Freskanova label (We Rock Hard & Pressure Point) as well as numerous 12’s, remixes and singles for all the top breakbeat labels of the day. Then, under their alias Raw As F**k in the early 2000’s, the duo gained commercial success with their track “Push Up” receiving airplay on pop stations, mainstream commercials and huge sporting events. I’m doing so, everyone came to know the “Freestylers sound”. They’ve been voted the “Best Band” by Musik Magazine, rocked tours for MTV, opened for Lenny Kravitz and their new album “Other Worlds” is a return to their breakbeat roots. The Freestylers are back!

With the recent passing of percussionist/songwriter James Mtume, we lay all tracks from his legendary funk/soul/boogie supergroup, including all the jams that James wrote for other artists. In between working with Stephenie Mills, Donny Hathaway and Tyrone Brunson he managed to create a string of classics that have been staples in so many of our lives so we had to do something to signify his passing. So strap yourselves in for some quality sunshine music that will lift your spirits higher than most of the artists were who he was working with.

If you love your bass, hiphop, reggae, dancehall, disco, soul, funk, house and beats of the upbeat variety then this one will definitely be your soundtrack to get your EOY celebrations hyped to a new level.

For those that are uninitiated with the Tall Black Guy story, after being raised on a steady diet of Motown, techno and hip-hop this former basketball star decided that music was more his thing and he would move to Chicago and start producing a healthy platter of soulful chords, smooth melodies and chest hitting drums that would catch the attention of Gilles Peterson, who would subsequently include a TBG track on the seminal Brownswood Bubblers Compilation. From there, Terrel would make albums, concoct remixes and release singles on labels like Bastard Jazz, First Word and his own Tall Black Guy Productions.

His new album with rapper Ozay Moore, Of Process and Progression, has that hallmark TBG groove that will make you move in ways you thought were impossible. In a very candid interview, TBG goes in deep on his interesting history, how he found himself recording and working in Europe and what it's been like being so prolific during a global pandemic.

The boys also drop a stack of his quite extensive catalog of signature music, plus plenty of brand new tunes and even some Christmas hip-hop to close out affairs.

In case you were unaware, Janette has been shooting music, fashion, portraiture and documentary work since the mid-seventies, celebrating cutting-edge culture that has made her one of the most important photographers of our time. Think of those iconic photos of LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, The Sex Pistols, Blondie, NWA, The Clash, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC and The Police and she probably took those shots. She’s basically straddled that line between hiphop and punk rock over a long career that has also seen her work cover cultural movements that transcend pop culture, such as her Black Lives Matter images that garnered quite a lot of attention recently. She is the quintessential “rebel” photographer.

 

The lads chat to Janette about all of this, plus her new book that’s just come out and they do it over a stack of legendary hiphop, punk, new wave and club tracks that take you back to a time when the world was exploding with change (not unlike what’s going on at the moment). So lock yourself in for a very different show this week.

One of the key pioneers in the UK breakbeat and bass movement since he first started dropping records in the late 90’s, Krafty Kuts has multiple awards to his name, has released music on too many labels to mention, his 2003 album with A.Skillz (Tricka Technology) is certifiably one of the most iconic hiphop and funk albums of all time and he’s been continuously immersed in beat culture since forming his own b-boy break dancing crew in the late 80s, even playing alongside the Rolling Stones and The Prodigy.

Seriously, this cat lives, breaths and sleeps the funk without compromise.

It’s actually an “all-Krafty” show as we drop 2 exclusive sets of Krafty Kuts signature tunes, remixes, edits and collabs on the hiphop, funk, breaks and bass tip. So strap yourselves in for a big show!

With a fascinating history living in China for close to 20 years, UK DJ DSK is a b-boy’s b-boy. His DNA Records label has been releasing quality hiphop, funk, reggae and boogie originals, edits and covers of those classic tracks that make a dancefloor. When not releasing YouTube clips of himself almost getting arrested scratching on portable turntables at iconic attractions throughout Asia, he’s remixed London Posse, ran a DJ agency and taught turntablism to rampant fans over the course of a long career. Of course, the boys go in deep on all this, drop a stack of his and his label’s jams and play 2 absolute belting sets of eclectic and upbeat tunes on a very big show this week.