Words by DJ Theory
Monday’s starting to look a whole lot better from our desk, so we decided to go ahead and share with you. Shake off that weekend lag with another interstellar edition of Mixtape Mondays loaded with new dancehall, crucial roots productions, throwbacks, and soca vibes. This week we’re jetting back to Italy with Kalibandulu, then bouncing over to Geneva with Straight Sound and visiting the Blessed Coast and breezy Trinidad with DJ Stephen.
Kalibandulu Sound, Jugglin From Mars Vol. 4: Italy’s Kalibandulu is back with another hammer. Jugglin’ From Mars Vol 4 is laced with remixes and dubs, and even comes complete with a Youtube warning to idiot soundbwoys endorsed by Chino and Chi Ching Ching in a classic Star Wars style. This release is incredibly thorough, from the range of tunes to the original artwork built by Stefano Phen. There really is a wide variety of style, from the Lex Luger-laden intro, to Mavado and Laza Morgan’s unique summer club track “One By One” on the way out. Intergalactic selectors beware, Kalibandulu clearly has their lasers set on “kill,” and that’s exactly what their latest mix does. More info, tracklist and download here.
Straight Sound, 100% Digital-B Mix: Switzerland’s Straight Sound pay a well-executed tribute to reggae producer Bobby “Digital” Dixon (not to be confused with RZA’s alias of the same name) with their 100% Digital-B mix. Bobby Digital was responsible for a slew of timeless productions, from iconic culture tunes “Bless Me,” “Weep Not” and “Heart Of A Lion” to classic roots anthems like Sizzla’s “Good Ways.” He was also a pioneer in the digital roots and dancehall era, with a string of big riddims and tunes with Admiral Tibet, Pinchers, Buju and many more. Straight Sound compiles some of the choicest picks in Bobby’s catalog and strings them all together with ease. For more Digital-B production, we recommend the Flag Flown High compilation CD /2xLP released on the Maximum Pressure label back in ’02. Tracklist and download for 100% Digital-B here.
Blessed Coast, Throwback Jugglin’ Vol. 1: Blessed Coast Sound have been heating things up in the less than warm Northwest for a minute now. From Seattle to Bellingham to the Bay Area and beyond, they have become a staple in the Northwestern reggae and dancehall circuit, running dances and dropping mixtapes. On Throwback Jugglin, they dig into a mixed bag of classic dancehall tunes and riddims, with plenty of original remixes and blends for extra flavor. Tracklist here and download here.
DJ Stephen, The Shutdown Part 2: Had to include a big new mix for all our soca people. Trinidad’s DJ Stephen comes back with The Shutdown Pt. 2, 50 tracks of pure soca that will undoubtedly get you in the carnival spirit even if you’re reading this in Minnesota. As Stephen put it, “Trinidad & Tobago Carnival 2011 was an amazing experience musically. The Shutdown Part 1 was mixed and released before carnival. Due to the major success of it, and the many requests for a follow up, the idea for Shutdown 2 came about. Not only is it representing Trinidad but other islands such as Dominica, Monserrat, Jamaica, Virgin Islands and—a first for me—Aruba. Yes, Aruba has Soca. This mix was also done in memory of my close family members tragically killed in a car accident at the end of Trinidad carnival and two very close friends of mine as well.” Download here
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