What I'm listening to...

Definitely thought it was time to unveil another of our 'What I'm listening to...' posts as I've just had an incredible week of discovering brand new music - it's been almost 7 days of 'God bless the Internet' as I'm stumbling upon so many gems that I'm having to restrict my spending as I can't keep up with it all.  In an even more unique twist to this WILT... post, it's an all-female entry...

'Drive Me Wild' by Alexia Coley
From Jalapeno Records, and a debut that came out in 2014, London's own Alexia Coley unveiled her debut 'Keep The Faith' and it sounds fairly awesome.  There's also a hefty amount of remixes floating around including work by Lack of Afro and label-mate Smoove (whose remix of 'Beautiful Waste of Time' is included on the album).  Can't wait to get my hands on the full-length, but in the meantime, I've been playing the heck out of this...

'Time is a Train' by Nasimiyu
This is exceptional - just check out Nasimiyu's vocal in the video below.  This song comes from an online-only album released in 2012 ('Rules Aren't Real'), which has since been followed-up with the release of an EP last year, entitled 'Dirt'.  Need to jump on the bandwagon quick with this before we fall further behind...

'Protect Ya Neck' by Lauriana Mae
This one is very new and I think the one I know the least about.  Lauriana Mae boasts a brand new EP which features production by the incredible Jack Splash (big fan!).  Nothing much else really needs to be said - click the below and I dare you to not like it...

GetToKnow Episode #9: Maceo Parker

Episode #9 of our 'Get to Know' series see us finally showcasing the legendary work of tenor, alto and baritone saxophonist, Maceo "Blow Your Horn!" Parker.  He actually plays the flute too!

We've compiled a huge selection of gems over the next 70+ minutes of funk so hopefully we have a few of your favourites along with a few songs you may not have even realised featured Maceo's sax-playing: 'Groove is in the Heart' by Deee-Lite features both Maceo and Fred Wesley - how crazy is that?!  Make sure you also check out the Lenny Kravitz track featuring a veritable dream team of brass players.

Below is the tracklist for the show and please note there are several bonus interludes and treats in and around these songs as well:

'Got to Getcha' - Maceo & All The King's Men
'You Got to Have A Job' - Marva Whitney & James Brown
'Whole Lotta Loving' - Lenny Kravitz f/t Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Rebirth Brass Band & Trombone Shorty
'My Baby Loves You' - Maceo Parker
'Groove is in the Heart' - Deee-Lite
'Soul Power '74' - Maceo & The Macks
'Pretty Man' [Extended Mix] - Prince
'People Pleaser' - Andy Allo
'Red Baron' - Marcus Miller
'We Do This' [live] - Prince f/t Maceo Parker & George Clinton
'Doing it to Death' - The JBs

The Mighty Mocambos: "Pistols at Dawn!" (pt2)

As the release date for ‘Showdown’, by The Mighty Mocambos, draws ever nearer (27^th March 2015), we’re still basking in our exclusive Mocambo feature with Bjorn Wagner, who we’re thilled to say took time out of his busy schedule to fill us in on the new album and the band’s future plans.  Well, Bjorn was actually so gracious that he took more time out than we had anticipated giving us the privilege of an added bonus extra at the tail-end of our interview which we’re more than happy to present to you oh-so-lucky readers right here…

Are there any plans to get back in the studio with Gizelle Smith for a follow-up release? 
There are no concrete plans as of yet, and it would not exactly be a follow-up. It's been almost six years since we released the album of our collaboration. After the supporting tour, Gizelle wanted to be more in charge of the production, so she decided to form a group for herself and do a solo album. She found it hard to realise her own vision with a self-contained band such as we are – which, in addition, also live in another country. Plus, we also had our own ideas that we did not want to put too far on the back burner, for example, ‘The Future Is Here’ album, our collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa, the project with Caroline Lacaze and the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band.

In a situation where you cannot generate joined forces out of two different angles, you have to deal with compromises, which there was no point doing for either of us. It worked for the one album we did, as we managed to create an exciting, heterogenic release by uniting the different approaches, but it would not have made sense beyond that. Time will tell if there's a moment when we will create new music together. For now, she is still working on her solo album, singing in an interesting live house/electronica project and hosting a radio show, while we decided to keep up the pace making our records and going on tour.

If you could hook up with any other vocalist for a full album, who would it be? 
If there would be someone, we probably would have made that record already – such as we did with Caroline Lacaze. We highly enjoy the diversity of a Mighty Mocambos album with instrumentals and different vocalists. This is what we are, but it could happen any other day that we cross paths with someone we do not know yet and record a full length. I am less interested in recording a whole album with someone well-known, let alone funk and soul legends.

Congratulations on the success with Caroline Lacaze - are there any other artists for Mocambo Records that we can expect to be unveiled soon? 
Thank you! Recently, we have also been working on an album for our alter ego, the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, which mostly consists of the Mighty Mocambos, a bunch of friends and our touring entourage – it's a wild mix of steel pans and a funky rhythm section. We have put this project in the trustworthy hands of Truth & Soul Records, who already released a couple of 45s from it. We also did a remix for Lee Fields with the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band (for the song 'Just Can't Win' off his latest album 'Emma Jean'), and the debut album, '55', will follow later this year.

"Got to Give It Up": Music sampling and the Law!

Stemming from this week's landmark ruling regarding Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke's gigantic hit record 'Blurred Lines' (2013) and the influence that Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up' may (or may not? depending on whether they appeal or not) have had on that record, we thought we’d take the discussion in a teeny tiny different direction and discuss more overtly blant examples of illegal music sampling.  The ramifications of the court's ruling will really need some time to gauge the wider impact this could likely have throughout: Bruno Mars, for example, enthusiastically agreed with comments regarding his hit 'Locked Out of Heaven' and openly noted similiarities with music by The Police - is he now liable to answer for that in a court of Law?  As I say, it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out, but regarding the main theme of our topic here...

Hip-hop, understandably, does tend to be the prominent genre to use as a case study when it comes to sampling discussions and the subsequent laws that were forced to be put into place.  The impact of hip-hop DJs and producers’ increased usage of sampling portions of instrumentation from existing songs and/or incorporating another artist’s vocals for use in their own songs, without permission, started to gain more popularity and success.  Perhaps more significantly though, it was the point at which the technique started to generate a sizable amount of money from songs as a result which is when the sampled artist started to revolt and people ended up in court forced to pay royalties, issue appropriate writing credits and in many cases, cease and desist making money from someone else’s efforts.

Using or recreating a part of a song that an artist didn’t write or record means that there’s a violation of two different types of copyright law, which means permission from the publishing company as well as the record label needs to be secured.  ‘What’ constituted theft though did use to be a bone of contention too: how long the piece of music being looped actually was, and whether that would constitute fair use; were enough alterations carried out to the original vocal/music thus morphing it into something new?  This used to be a subject of much controversial debate, and some individual cases still can be, however, all in all, it is less ambiguous now though seeing as sampling laws are now in force and, for the most part, are fairly specific on what constitutes theft, what would need to be credited and who owns what.

Here are a few (other) cases where sampling records, without having everything in place hasn’t always gone according to plan...

Danger Mouse Vs EMI ['The Grey Album', 2004]
By far, the most notable of the series of remix albums spawned from Jay-Z’s initial retirement from hip-hop.  Producers and DJs, including, Kev Brown and 9th Wonder took the accapellas from what, at the time, was Jay-Z’s swan song, ‘The Black Album’, and married the vocals with new original production.  One DJ even went as far as marrying the accapellas with instrumentals from Coldplay resulting in a surprisingly not-too-bad mashup.  New remix projects seemed to emerge with each passing week, but none garnered more notoriety and praise than Danger Mouse’s, ‘The Grey Album’, which paired ‘The Black Album’ vocals with the music from The Beatles’, ‘The White Album’.  [Black + White = Grey.  See what he did there?!]   Although initially available on a limited release, EMI soon put a stop to that once it got wind that appropriate copyright hadn’t been sought for the recreation of The Beatles’ music and copies had to be pulled from stores immediately.  Despite both Paul McCartney and Jay-Z being massively in favour of the project, EMI still wouldn’t budge refusing to let the project go ahead.  ‘God Bless the Internet’ though and, in this digital era, pulling store copies does absolutely nothing to stop a project from being heard… and being heard it was.  Although, EMI ultimately meant Danger Mouse couldn’t earn a penny from its release, the exposure he garnered from the project is immeasurable solidifying him as one of the most sought-after producers, with a resume that would go on to include Gorillaz, Beck and a gnarly collaboration with Cee Lo Green.

Lupe Fiasco/Kanye West/Pharrell Williams Vs Thom Yorke ['Us Placers', 2007]
American hip-hop artist, Lupe Fiasco, originally attempted to put this song together boasting a guest feature from the UK’s very own Mike (‘The Streets’) Skinner, but after receiving, what can only be described as a bit of a blank, Fiasco had to opt for the second-tier level of guest appearances in the form of little-known underground personnel who you may never have heard of before - Kanye West and Pharrell Williams (take THAT, Mike Skinner!).  Ultimately, it’s a song that would never go on to ‘officially’ see the light of day.  It featured an elegant sample from ‘The Eraser’, which was the title-track from Thom Yorke’s (Radiohead) debut solo album, and was used beautifully as the song’s chorus while the three rappers rapped about the perils of fame.  The sample was never officially cleared, thus never officially released, despite being lined up to appear at various times on both Fiasco’s and West’s solo albums, but was subsequently relegated to mixtapes only.  I say, ‘never ‘officially’ see the light of day’, but that’s clearly not the case as, in yet-another ‘God Bless the Internet’ moment, it’s out there for your listening and downloadable pleasure and was a song rated highly amongst critics and fans alike. 

Vanilla Ice Vs Queen & David Bowie ['Ice Ice Baby', 1990]
This is an interesting case, in theory, to highlight what’s mentioned above about how much of the original song is used and how much is changed to make the composition be deemed as something new and original in its own right.  Actually, this is a terrible example because the argument to potentially prove the rule was later revealed to be a lie but this could have been an interesting debate nonetheless.  Obviously, the song most affiliated with Vanilla Ice and, as the old adage goes, having become a success as a complete fluke:  The song was originally the B-side to the song that was supposed to be the lead single, ‘Play That Funky Music’, but the DJ unintentionally played the wrong song, and the rest as they say is history.  Also, famously sampling the bassline from ‘Under Pressure’, as performed by Queen and David Bowie, of course, with adequate permission NOT secured.  As the song would go on to become a huge success, guess who came a-knockin!  Ice’s initial defence was to claim that - get this - he added a note to the bassline thus making it an original/different piece.  Unfortunately, as no one … anywhere … in the world … was able to locate this additional ‘note’, Ice would later relent and pay the due royalties and include their names as writers of the song.

The Mighty Mocambos: "Pistols at Dawn!" [Interview]

Written by Imran Mirza

The Mighty Mocambos have surely now exceeded the simple and restricted tag of being ‘Germany’s finest funk outfit’ and have now expertly evolved into one of the absolute best names in funk music.  Well, if there was still any doubt about that as a fact then the imminent release of their brand new album, ‘Showdown’, will dispel all further arguments on the topic.

As described by the Macombos themselves, their brand of unique funk features “blazing horns, soulful guitars, driving drums and basslines combined with an extra bit of quirkiness”.  The aforementioned combination has seen them cultivate a feverish global fan base through a discography consisting of their own albums, including releases under Légère Recordings and Kay Dee; a joint album with UK funkstress, Gizelle Smith (‘This is Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Mocambos’); production and performances throughout Caroline Lacaze’s 2013 album, ‘En Route’; the development of their own label imprint (Mocambo Records), and a further evolution of their sound from the traditional deep funk nature of ‘The Mighty Mocambos’ to the Caribbean steely drum sounds of their alter-ego, ‘Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band’, who are now signed to Truth & Soul Records.

In anyone’s eyes, that’s an incredible résumé.

Which brings us to now and the brand new album, ‘Showdown’.  The album’s concept is described in its title and its one that’s impressive in its execution throughout and ingeniously brought to life through the album’s guests with each tackling their own showdown under its many guises: social, political, romantic, etc.  Afrika Bambaataa rekindles the now long-running chemistry with the Mocambos by appearing on three of the album’s songs including the break-y vinyl single, ‘It’s The Music’, with Charlie Funk and Hektek; soul singers Nichola Richards and DeRobert put in strong performances for their respective contributions, as does musician and producer Shawn Lee, who appears on the track ‘Catfight’.  An inspired collaborator for ‘Showdown’ is German film composer Peter Thomas whose extensive film scoring and work on 60s sci-fi series ‘Space Patrol’ sets the album off perfectly in its attempt at capturing new sounds and directions and it’s only a shame that he hadn’t contributed to more of the album’s tracks.

Well, it’s now time for The Mighty Mocambos to engage in one further showdown… and that’s with The Blue-in-Green Blog as we meet Bjorn Wagner for an exclusive feature to discuss the new album and all things Mocambo! 

IMRAN MIRZA: 'The Mighty Mocambos' are amassing such a body of work now - do you still feel the pressure of releasing new material?

BW: Yes, absolutely. I would not call it 'pressure' though. It just comes naturally. We have so many ideas in our heads and hearts, so it's more a question of limiting yourself to the best bits. We have somehow set a high quality control for ourselves, and don't want to release dispensable music. Especially in a genre where the great classics most often date back to the early 1970s. Our motto is that we'd only record stuff that we'd spin ourselves alongside the best. That being said, we are still hungry and full of inspiration to bring a fresh look on funk for the people.

Can you talk about the concept of the 'Showdown' for this album?

The whole 'showdown' idea grew out of the international breakdance festival 'Plattenspieler' in Potsdam near Berlin, where we'd play live to the finals. The idea of two dueling b-boy crews inspired me to write a theme song for the grand finale, "The Showdown". We incorporated some western movie elements into percussion-heavy breakbeat funk to give it a cinematic, dramatic edge. When we started recording the album, we had no clue for the title of it, let alone an integral concept. I was generally looking for a more frantic, dark and epic sound to contrast the more joyful mid-tempo vibe of the last album, 'The Future Is Here'. When the first couple of songs were in the bag and first vocal takes done, I realized that everyone had gone with the dramatic aspect. Every story, every song is literally portraying a kind of 'showdown'. Be it political, love-related, a crime story, or through the sheer power of the music – most of the songs deal with confrontations. So I came back to the idea of a 'showdown', but in a hip-hop-battle kind of sense, peaceful and sportive. Given the number of guests we have on the album, the 'showdown' motto also works in the sense of a friendly musical duel featuring the best shooters in the game.

How was the process of putting this project together?

We started this album as we always do: gathering some ideas while touring, trying them live and then banging them out to tape in the studio. What was different was that we deliberately took a break from touring to finish it. That gave us more focus on the project.

How would you say the creative process in writing, producing and recording new music usually work for you?

The creative process starts with having an idea for a tune while walking down the street, or riding your bike, or on the tour bus. We always try new songs at sound checks or even in concerts. Then, at one point, you actually think of making a record. I need this kind of vision to nail down all the crazy ideas and make them come alive in an appropriate context, otherwise they remain daydreams. Once we have decided to realize a production, the rest is really simple: we record the rhythm section and horns onto tape, add bits and pieces. Sebastian Nagel and I arrange the songs with the band, and then I usually give the multi-tracks to my brother, Steffen, in London, who does mixing and mastering, or better, the post production. It's great: the songs are really made during the recordings, there's not much need to rearrange or more general decisions to make. Most is done on the spot, and afterwards, Steffen and I can look at it from another perspective and concentrate on getting the sound right, laying down the finishing production touches and finalize the album master.

The good thing about that is that the musicians have the freedom to play intuitively without bothering about the finished product, and the post production does not have to deal with straining live recording and songwriting sessions, so everyone has a fresh approach on what they’re doing.

How did you go about picking the collaborators for this album?

They basically picked themselves. We did not have to look long and far. We asked all our favorite and like-minded people if they'd like to contribute to the ‘Showdown’ – or they had asked us to think of them next time we'd record a track. There is no anonymous file exchange... we met Afrika Bambaataa and crew several times in Hamburg and France, and kept talking about songs that we could do together. Ben, our trombonist, did a road trip through the US and went down to Nashville, where he hung out with Nic and Dee (Nick DeVan and DeRobert) from GED Soul. He also had worked repeatedly with Shawn Lee in the past, for instance, on the Brothers Nylon single that we released on Mocambo Records, so it was clear that Shawn would be on the album. We have been in touch with all the features for a while, and then went from song by song to give each one the best possible platform to shine.

How would you describe the relationship between the Mocambos and Afrika Bambaataa seeing the amount of times you have collaborated together?

Bam is a bit like a musical godfather for us, the door to real funk, as he has the first hand experience, which he gladly shares. He was right there when the first block parties happened, which gave birth to hip-hop as we know it today, or the days of the Roxy in NY. He was the first hip-hop artist to sing with James Brown. Apart from his musical knowledge and status as one of the founding fathers of hip-hop culture, he is a very wise man and a genuine human being. Charlie and some of the others of his crew respectfully call him “pops” – which pretty much sums it up.

In turn, he appreciates our music very much and I think it has to do with the way we play funk as a live band, which might be reminiscent of the days before hip-hop became beat- and sample-based. It's maybe something they have not heard in a while, and when we play him a track or rough idea, there is always that certain kind of sparkle in his eyes. Like a father with a bunch of crazy kids.

You've developed such a strong and loyal fanbase through your music – how would you describe your connection to the fans?

It's a blessing. We are in touch with our followers and, honestly, if there weren't people out there digging what we do, we probably would not be doing it on this scale. It's very important for us to hear what they think, and we take their feedback very seriously. A lot of the loyalty certainly comes from our vinyl focus, which is something that our fans love and which we take great care of. A real record gives value to the music and user more than a stream ever could. We are very grateful for the ongoing support and are in touch with many people directly, from sending out records to conversations after a show.

'Showdown' by The Mighty Mocambos is available to purchase from 27th March 2015.