Mixtape Mondays: BlackGold, Herbert Spliffington, Jah Warrior Shelter, Itation, Straight Sound

Words by DJ Theory and Eddie STATS Houghton

It’s monday again and LargeUp is back at it like a mixtape addict, with new music from Pressure Busspipe and Teflon, computer love from Herbert Spliffington and some straight juggling from dance experts BlackGold and Swiss soundmen Straight Sound.

DJ Gravy & DJ Select, BlackGold 1-year Anniversary Mix: We lead this week with a hardcore juggling to celebrate the first birthday of NYC dance crew BlackGold (inventors of the the bus can swim dance) from our own DJ Gravy and the one DJ Select. Download here and to experience the juggling in three dimensions scroll down to the flyer for the mixtape release bashy at Brand New Machine this Thursday.

Jah Warrior Shelter X Pressure Busspipe, Ever Militant: Bay Area champion sound Jah Warrior Shelter Hi-Fi (Rocker-T, Jah Yzer, I-Vier, Irie Dole) return to Mixtape Mondays in combination with Virgin Islands rising star Pressure Busspipe.  With a handful of big tunes under his belt like 2007’s massive lovers anthem Love & Affection & a recreation of The Tamlins classic “Baltimore” both with producer Don Corleon, Pressure is definitely doing something right and turning heads in the reggae community worldwide.  Jah Warrior Shelter is known for collaborating with artists and building custom mixtapes, and Ever Militant delivers a  healthy selection of Pressure’s standout tunes, many of which specially manufactured for this mix.  If you’re looking for some new roots, lovers and fire in your life, look no further than Ever Militant from Pressure mixed by JWS’s DJ I-Vier. Tracklist, stream and download here

Teflon X Itation Sound, Got To Make It Work (via 45 Shootout): Another DJ/artist combination this week, this time from Jamaican roots and dancehall artist Teflon and California/The Northeast’s Itation Sound.  Itation (Dread Lion, Tosheba, Jah Mystic, Heartical Dan, J-Trees) have been a sound system for a minute now, and have also released a slew of mixes and original riddims on their Itation Records imprint. For Got To Make It Work they join forces with Teflon to transport you to the St Mary Parish of Jamaica, the Bay Area and back again.  With 32 tracks spanning Teflon’s past present and future career, laced with dubplates and mixed by DJ Tosheba this should get you up to speed in one click.  Tracklist, stream and download here.

Herbert Spliffington, Boundless NY Heavy Computer Style Mix (via Seen): The homies at Boundless NY recently put out this mix of digital reggae classics from selector Herbert Spliffington spanning from massive 80s foundation riddims to obscure dub and deejay versions (check the Sleng Teng take on “The Message”). Also, the craziest selection of laser sounds we’ve heard in a while–and we hear a lot of laser sounds. In case the name seems familiar, Mr. Spliffington (<–I am going to buy a cat or hamster or something just so I can name it Mr. Spliffington -Eddie STATS) is also a prolific graphic designer who is known for putting out some of the toughest flyers and mixtape art around, as well as posting smart-ass comments on LargeUp.com. Download Side A here and the B-side version here.

Straight Sound, Summer Jugglin: In case you didn’t have enough ammo for your summer bashment barbecue, Summer Jugglin will definitely get the job done courtesy of Geneva, Switzerland’s Straight Sound.  Plenty of tunes for the Vybz Kartel fans, as well as some opinions from some of his lesser interested peers… (see Beenie’s “Cyaan Style Me” and Killa’s “No Cream To Me Face”).  Leading off with the inescapable summertime anthem from Kartel (aptly titled “Summertime“) the tone is set for a little over an hour of todays dancehall hits and riddims ready to turn your backyard into “back a yard”.  Tracklist, stream and download here.