EXTRA LARGE November 2011

Happy to be bringing in DJ B-Stee from Kansas City the next installment of EXTRA LARGE. While I'm out of town, my friend Jonathan Ackerman will be holding down hosting duties. It's gonna be a wild night with tons of raps, slaps, and handclaps. Not to be missed!

RSVP & more info on Facebook

MONSTER MASH 2011

The season of the witch is upon us! It's time to break out your haunted bobby socks for the 5th annual Monster Mash! This Halloween night, King Otto and I return to the 7th Street Entry for the best all-oldies Halloween dance party you could ever hope for. We'll be costumed up and spinning all your favorite Motown, '50s and '60s rock and R&B, doo-wop, surf rock, and malt shop classics.

Download the brand new Monster Mash mix right here! 45 minutes of golden oldies to get you in the mood to boogie with us.

THE SONGS!

OTTO'S MIX:
Dion & the Belmonts "Wanderer"
The Lovin' Spoonful "What a Day for a Day Dream"
Lemon Pipers "Green Tambourine"
Stevie Wonder "Signed Sealed Delivered"
Toris Troy "Just One Look"
Barbara Lewis "Hello Stranger"
Johnny Otis "Willie & the Hand Jive"
Ray Charles "This Little Girl of Mine"
The Dixie Cups "Iko Iko"
Ernie K-Doe "A Certain Girl"
The Marketts "Out of Limits"
The Rooftop Singers "Walk Right In"
The Beach Boys "Catch a Wave"
Herman's Hermits "Into Something Good"
The Association "Windy"
Dusty Springfield "I Only Want To Be With You"
Bobby "Boris" Pickett "Monster Motion"

MIKE'S MIX:
Link Wray "Rumble"
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "You Really Got a Hold On Me"
Quincy Jones "Soul Bossa Nova"
The Ronettes "Do I Love You?"
The Beach Boys "Dance, Dance, Dance"
The Beatles "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"
Bobby Darin "Dream Lover"
The Crystals "He's Sure The Boy I Love"
Herman's Hermits "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat"
The Kingsmen "Money"
The Association "Along Comes Mary"

Here's all the info on First Avenue's huge Halloween party - truly the best one in town.



BONUS: I just reupped the 2010 Monster Mash Mix, so CLICK HERE to download it!

Talkin' with Jimmy 2 Times

We're close enough to count down the hours until Jimmy 2 Times and I take over First Avenue's Record Room for EXTRA LARGE's big one year anniversary bash. Here's what my esteemed guest had to say about his DJing background and much more. Read up and then don't you dare miss out on EXTRA LARGE this Friday!

MIKE 2600: Please introduce yourself to this corner of the internet, Mr. Two Times.

JIMMY 2 TIMES: Hi corner, I'm Jimmy2times.  I live in Minneapolis and you might have seen me DJ with my crew Get Cryphy at the party of the same name or maybe at BOMP, Triple Double or various other jammy jams. I lived in Brooklyn for awhile and now I live in Minneapolis again. Huzzah!


What is your DJing background? Who are some of your early influences and how did you start collecting and scratching records?

My earliest memory of thinking "hey I wanna do that" was seeing a really shitty bootleg VHS tape of the 92 Supermen battle where DJ 8-ball did his black sabbath and g-thang tone routines.



I grew up in upstate NY (Albany and Rochester) and while I was really into hip hop as a kid, there was no hip hop scene to speak of there. There was however a pretty strong rave scene that spilled over from Buffalo and Toronto so I'd get to see scratch DJs in the jungle room or whatever every so often. Downtown Rochester had some really great record/jewelry/pager repair stores too(The Spot, what up!) and you could grab most of the hot records at the time pretty easily. Since there was a lot of house/techno record stores upstate as well, I had my fair share of house and drum n bass back then too.  I started DJing more and more at the end of high school and came up playing college parties and raves, then later got into battling which I'd say was my main focus for awhile there before I moved on to clubs and throwing parties.
 
Get Cryphy is pretty much a household phrase in Minneapolis at this point. Wanna tell us your version of the story of how the night started and how the sound developed?
 
Damn that's an ill way to phrase it, thank you!  I'd say you can trace Get Cryphy back to when Bill and I were DJing a Saturday night weekly called Party & Bull$h!t at the now defunct downtown Minneapolis club, Foundation, which closed at the end of 2007.  We had a lot of great experiences at that club, but ultimately we weren't always encouraged to take chances as DJs or even play to the crowd that came regularly. By the time Foundation closed, Party & Bull$h!t had become a regular kick it spot on Saturday nights for a lot of our friends in the local hip hop community. We wanted to be able to have a space where those folks could still come party with us regularly and where we could do us and play the songs and styles we were hyped on that weren't being represented in Twin Cities clubs or dance nights(crunk, hyphy, bmore club, juke, etc.).

At the time (early 2008), First Avenue had first Fridays in the (then) VIP Room open, and they liked what we presented to them and let us have it for a 3 month trial period.  Back then, Bill was "the dude behind the counter" at fifth element, and Cryphy was a word we'd throw around while posted up at the store clowning and watching mad youtube videos, so when it came time to name the night we just went with it. Things were a lot different then too, since the newish dance party scene that's come about over the last few years in the Twin Cities was only just getting off the ground at that point. I can honestly say Get Cryphy hit the ground running and hasn't stopped since then. About a year into the party, our great friends DJ Fundo and DJ Last Word joined the crew and we've continued on with that line up ever since.

The sound has pretty much evolved with our tastes while keeping its basis in high energy rap and party music. As we've all grown into producing our own tracks and remixes, there's been a lot more of our own sounds becoming staples of the party each month as well as in our Get Cryphy mixes.


The flyer for the very first Get Cryphy party.
 
You and Plain Ole Bill have been doing the four turntable thing for a while now. How has your chemistry changed since the first times you spun together?

Our first 4 turntable set was at Bill's mix cd release party at the Dinkytowner in June 2005, so we've been at it for a minute. Neither of us got Serato until 2007 so those first few years of DJing on 4 decks together was done on all vinyl. Our backs are both in a lot better shape now, as we'd typically bring anywhere between 4-8 crates between the 2 of us when DJing a party or club night. Back when we started doing 4 turntable sets there was a lot more beat juggling and scratch routines going on, because that's where we were at as DJs at the time, and also a big part of where we both come from in terms of early DJing influences. I'd say we've come a long way since we started doing 2x4 sets because DJing with another person simultaneously definitely takes more concentration than solo DJing. As we've grown into that, its become easier to get into a zone where we can concentrate more on programming our set and getting parties as live as possible, while giving people something to watch too.


photo by Wezz Winship

 
So you're kind of a major comic book head. Should we even get into this? What are your favorites? Least favorites? Want me to just open this part of the interview up for like Jimmy 2 Times' comic book rant and rave section? GO!

Yeah "kind of" are definitely the key words there since I sold the majority of the comics I collected as a kid years ago.  There were some really great comic shops that I wandered into when I was staying in Brooklyn for awhile last year (Bergen St. Comics What up!) and just got caught up in reading a few graphic novels, which led to me coming back for new comics every week. I tend to check out anything Garth Ennis writes (Preacher, The Boys, The Punisher, Jennifer Blood) and I also like Mark Millar's stuff (Old Man Logan, Kickass, Nemesis, Superior, Superman: Red Son) despite the comic store dudes saying I shouldn't like him (_____,_______, ever).  I still check out super hero comics like Ultimate Spiderman, and I've also been checking for all the recently relaunched DC comics (Batman, Superman etc). To me those always sucked ass and DC is doing a relatively good job of making those characters relevant again. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take my allergy medication and play a few hours of World of Warcraft....


Comic Book Guy schooling Milhouse on that real rap shit
 
I also know that, like me, you enjoy a nice hamburger. What are some of your favorite Twin Cities burgers?

I definitely have a weak spot for delicious burgers. My favorites are definitely the Ike Burger from Ike's downtown, The Nook's Juicy Lucy, and the Vincent Burger from Vincent (or Target Field!). Goddamn, those are some tasty burgers. nuff said!


Jimmy 2 Times enjoying a Vincent Burger
 
Favorite music releases of 2011 thus far?

Right now my favorite things are the Watch the Throne record, Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire's Lost in Translation, my man Prof's new record King Gampo and even though it came out in 2010, I wanna get drunk by DJ Felli Fel f/Lil Jon, Fatman Scoop and Three6mafia.
 
Any new music projects of yours we should be checking for?

If you haven't already, check out my Soundcloud page, you can find a lot of blends and remixes I've done in the past there. Currently I have some new blends that I'll be posting very soon.  A lot of the new blends utilize the great work Sims and Lazerbeak did recently on their Bad Time Zoo album, combining their beats with vocals from T.I., Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Trae the Truth, Gucci Mane, Bun B, Rick Ross and David Banner. Also, the Get Cryphy 4 year anniversary isn't far off, so the crew and I have started putting our heads together for this year's Get Cryphy megamix.  I'm excited for the colder temperatures to come our way because that's when I get the most work done musically.  Also, don't forget to check out the Get Cryphy blog for a ton of blends edits and remixes from the rest of the Cryphy crew - Plain Ole Bill, Last Word and DJ Fundo).
 
See you Friday!

EXTRA LARGE One Year Anniversary Megamix

Thank you to everyone who's helped this party keep moving for the last straight year. I couldn't have done it without all of the great guest DJs (Jonathan Ackerman, BK-One, Wezz Winship, Plain Ole Bill, King Otto, Kevin Beacham, Last Word, Espada, Jeff Dubois, Dudley D, Superbrush, Gigamesh, and Babycakes) and the countless party people who've come to dance their asses off each month.

Here's my thank you gift - the official EXTRA LARGE One Year Anniversary Megamix! It's 32 minutes of beats, breaks, original blends, rappin' and handclappin' all rearranged inna cut & paste fashaaaaan. Featuring bits and pieces from Jazzy Jay, Incredible Bongo Band, Ultramagnetic MCs, Kraftwerk, Beastie Boys, Spoonie Gee, Breakestra, Rare Earth, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Tuff Crew, and so much more.

EXTRA LARGE MEGAMIX by Mike 2600

Don't be a dummy and miss the big celebration this Friday night as Jimmy 2 Times and I rock together on 4 turntables all night long! RSVP / more info on Facebook.

Drums & Vocoders

B+ "B-Beat Classic" vs Jazzy Jay "(This) Def Jam"

Discuss!

Say Kids, What Time Is It?

It's been a while since I listened to this one... Coldcut's cut & paste masterpiece from 1987, "Say Kids What Time Is It?" Back to back classic breaks, beats, and snippets and sliced together with the most finesse.

PLEASURE PRINCIPALS

This Friday, my dude DJ Espada and I are kicking off a new monthly party called The Pleasure Principals. That's us. We'll be cuttin' up our (and YOUR) favorite classic hip hop, disco, funk, and feel good party music, whatever it takes to bring you the utmost pleasure. Believe that.

Hit the Facebook jumpoff.

Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud remix

Back in 2006, I released a mix CD called Heavy Session - one hour of psychedelic beats, rap remixes, rock breaks, scratching, all that fun stuff. One section of the mix included a remix I put together of Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud's 1988 rap jam "I Gotta Good Thing." A few years later, I rebuilt the remix as its own extended standalone track. Here it is in all its glory with brand new artwork! Enjoy!

Click here to download

A conversation with Gigamesh

I'm more than excited to have my friend Gigamesh join me at EXTRA LARGE this Friday at First Avenue's Record Room. I first heard about this Minneapolis-based musicmaker about two years ago when he sent me some of his remixes and it didn't take long for me to become a believer. Not only is he an incredibly stylish and thoughtful producer / remixer, but he's also a monster behind the turntables. Read what the man had to say for himself and then come party with us on Friday!

Hello. Please introduce yourself to this part of the internet.
 I'm Matt Masurka and I work under the alias Gigamesh.  I'm a full-time music producer and part-time DJ. 

Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (Gigamesh Remix) by GIGAMESH

Your music has a lot of '80s inspiration in it, but it's also very new and forward-thinking. Where do you find inspiration and how do you go about churning those ideas into new, original sounds?
I think it's because I have an aversion to dance music that takes itself too seriously and most 80's acts were just about having fun.  I also have a soft spot for great pop songs, which in a lot of ways peaked in the 80's.  However, I'm definitely trying to avoid doing anything overtly retro for too long.  I think the most interesting art and music is stuff that has clear roots in the past but expands on that.
 
Can you show us some of your favorite pieces of gear from your studio?
I actually don't have a lot of gear yet, but I do use a Dave Smith Evolver



and a Roland Juno-60 that I just bought.



I plan to buy a couple more hardware synthesizers in the next year.  I've had my eye on this Russian suitcase modular synth for awhile:


 
How was Miami? How did you decide to move there & back and what did you learn in the process?
It was cool.  I moved mainly because I wanted a change of scenery and at the time I was planning on working with my brother Joe and our other studio partner Danny, who both live there.  However I realized after a few months that I was stretching myself too thin with different projects and decided to just concentrate on Gigamesh material.  I was also missing friends and family in Minneapolis.  If I make another move like that it will most likely be to LA or NYC because those are much bigger music hubs.
 
Talk about Señor Stereo and how you guys linked up with Craze's Slow Roast label. What's up next for you guys?
It's a side project Joe, Danny and I started a couple years ago as an outlet to release disco-influenced material.  Danny has been friends with Craze for a long time being that they're both Miami natives and it got hooked up through him.  At the moment it's kind of on hiatus because we are all really busy with our own projects but I think we're all open to releasing more stuff under that name in the future.

Señor Stereo - Hot Damn! (Gigamesh Remix) by GIGAMESH
 
Who are some of your favorite Minneapolis musical acts of the past and the present? How about the future?
Past:  Obvious choices include Prince, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, etc....to be honest other than them I never got into many local acts that made it 'big'.  Presently, I have to give some love to my good friends Estate as well as Grant and Maggie from Lookbook, who are still making music despite that band being done.  And although I don't get into all the music, I have a lot of respect for the local hip-hop scene.
 
You have a great eye for goofy GIFs and ridiculous internet-humor images. What are some of your favorite finds?
Haha, I think it just means I have too much time on my hands.  I get them all from a Tumblr that is pretty consistently funny.

Here are some of my favorites:










 
Best spots to eat in the Twin Cities?
Sea Salt, Amazing Thailand, The Depot, Bryant Lake Bowl, French Meadow are all good.... it's tough making a list because there are so many places I still need to try!

For more on Gigamesh, check out gigameshmusic.com! See you Friday!

EXTRA LARGE August 12, 2011

This month's special guest at EXTRA LARGE is my talented friend Gigamesh. This acclaimed, multi-platinum selling (yes, you read that correctly) producer and DJ will be joining me on the turntables for a full night of disco, funk, hip hop, and party bangers at First Avenue's Record Room.

Not to be missed! Stay tuned to the blog for music and more info.

Oh yeah and don't forget to RSVP on FACEBOOK!

Thievery Corporation

Exhibit A, designed by me:



Exhibit B, designed by me:



Exhibit C, "designed" by Samantha Cake Robles:



Sooooo does this mean I've finally made it?

PS - I should note that the headliner, Dirty Finger, is a friend of mine and an oustanding DJ. He had nothing to do with the flyer other than being asked to spin at the party.

EXTRA LARGE Mix IV + Superbrush interview

♪ ♫ ♬ Download the new EXTRA LARGE mix RIGHT HERE! ♬ ♫ ♪

It's 55 minutes of Summertime vibrations - Cumbia, reggae, dancehall, and Moombahton. Tune in for a small taste of what you'll be hearing from us Friday at the Record Room.

SUPERBRUSH'S 1/2 (QUE PACHANGA MEXCIA)
Roll Out Riddim
Daelduro "Bon Bon Assessino (Oro 11 remix)"
Uproot Andy "El Pescador"
Eric Bobo "MuchoCalor (Feat. Sonidero Nacional)"
El Cherman "Witness Cumbia Dub (Los Reyes De La Milagra Vs. Roots Manuva Refix)"
El Mayonesa "Pankrot Does Not Have A Price (Toe Tag Vs. Gaga Refix)"
Sabo And Cassady "Curara"
GRC va. Luz Mob "Tabacco Y Ron"
Palov And Mishkin "Ambiente Tropical"
Carribean Girl Riddim
Red Astaire "Two For The Time"
Celso Pina "Cumbia Sobre El Rio feat. Control Machete"
DJ Panik "Like This Like That"
DJ Avatar "Cumbia Internacional"
Rafa Caivano "Run For Cumbia"

MIKE 2600'S 1/2 (VIERNES GIGANTE):
Shaggy ft. Rayvon "Big Up" (Could You Be Loved riddim)
Sizzla "Cash Flow" (Rail Up riddim)
Beenie Man ft. Lisa Hyper "Nuh Stress Mi Out" (Rail Up riddim)
Ding Dong "Badman Forward Badman Pull Up"
Joyce Muniz & Shanti Roots "Cumbia Nightlife (Dave Nada Moombahton edit)"
Nader vs Dice "Ugly Moombahton"
Hotta Clapz riddim + Benni Benassi "Satisfaction" acapella
Alvaro vs Lil Jon "Fucking Ghetto"
Toddla T "Take It Back (Dillon Francis remix)"
Jay Vegas "Fix Up (Sabo Moombahton edit)"
Last Word "Did It On Em"
Smalltown DJs "Autograph (Slooooowed down)"
South Rakkas Crew "Renegade Rasta"
Willy Joy "Battle For LA"

✶ ✷ ✸ ✹ ✺ ✻ ✼ ❄ ❅ ❆ ✶ ✷ ✸ ✹ ✺ ✻ ✼ ❄ ❅ ❆ ✶ ✷ ✸ ✹ ✺ ✻ ✼ ❄ ❅ ❆

I'm always excited to spin a night with Superbrush. I met this guy shortly after we both moved to Minneapolis from our respective prior cities. After hearing him DJ at the Dinkytowner with King Otto, I knew this guy wasn't just fuckin' around. He and I had fairly similar tastes in classic hip hop, funk, and related party bangers. His knowledge and expertise in the fields of Cumbia and other Latin music made it a no-brainer that I'd ask him to play an all-tropical night of EXTRA LARGE with me. I had Brush answer a few questions, so read up and then come party with us Friday July 8th at First Avenue's Record Room!


Please introduce yourself. Let the party people who you are!

My name is Eduardo A. Regalado, a.k.a. Superbrush 427, a.k.a. Oil slick 427 and Big Sun, amongst other names. I hail from Santa Ana, El Salvador C.A. I came to the U.S. when I was three years old. Picked up my first instrument when I was 6 years old (flute at Hoover Street Elementary), and played in as many school bands as possible. Picked up my first record when I was 7 (Cri Cri - Francisco Gabilondo Soler). Been DJing and collecting records since 1996.



So you moved from sunny El Salvador and then you spent a lot of time in sunny Los Angeles. How on earth did you end up in Minnesota and what would you say you brought with you from your time growing up in those slightly less snowy surroundings?

I came to Minnesota to go to Graduate School at Augsburg College to earn my Master’s degree in Special Education. I also came to see about Eleanor, who is my wife now.

Well, I have for sure brought some of the mindset of the immigrant experience with me—actually a lot of that. Therefore, no matter what, I persevere, especially with both music/DJing and also being a special education teacher. Because of that mindset, I am also a collective thinker. The group is much stronger than the self.

My experience in Los Angeles was all about learning how to be… excelling as an individual and making a good impact on those around me. I would also say that people—and how to relate to others—is most important to me… that frame of mind continues here in the ‘snota. So I am especially excited and honored to be doing this EXTRA LARGE night with you, bro. I’d also say I have brought some of that good old Salvi flavor with me, Mike. As you know, I love cooking and I love eating good food and I love sharing that with folks, so I try my best to infuse a little of that salvatrucho seasoning into all that I mingle with. We should go to Mananas in St. Paul on Saturday morning for brunch, my treat.

Any food recommendation from you is not gonna be a tough sell. Count me in! You did some touring with your rap group Giant Panda. Where are some of the highlights from your days on the road / in the air with them?

Ok, one good story for you…on stage with G.P. doing cuts but during a particular part of the show I am doing my piece of the end hook on "88 Remix." Once I finish, the mic slips out of my hand…so I…oh man I am actually telling this story…so as it slips out of my hand, I grab the cord and swing it back up to me, it makes a loop around and plops right back into my hand as I start the next song…man, the G.P. dudes made fun of me for that for a long while…I am just glad it worked out...it was like an unplanned gimmick that worked beautifully…your dj practices stunts, my dj has hella stunts…boom!



A great memory is doing the “Bloquera EP” with G.P. and Thes One of People Under The Stairs. Simply put…five of us took a trip to a town called Mulegue in Baja California. We had one bag of records, one turntable, one mixer a couple MPC’s and five dudes that love music…peep it.



What kind of tunes can we expect to hear from you at EXTRA LARGE? Break down some of the different styles to the folks who might not be familiar.

At this night we can expect to hear all sorts of tasty left-field reggae and dancehall plus Cumbia Bangers from me…classics, originals, re-edits, remakes, and refixes. Plus some other groovy tunes with that latino flavor that you know you love…..you can’t help but start moving once you hear ‘em!

Cumbia: rooted with carribean influences with origination in Colombia. This rhythm is a straight 4/4 Rhythm with a walking bass and heavy percussive instrumentation/syncopation…infectious on the dancefloor.

Merengue: A type of music as well as a dance with origination in the Carribean as well…the D.R. to be exact. Heavy percussive elements in this one as well, yet the BPM’s will be a bit fast in this one. Traditionally a 2/4 beat

Bomba: Carribean music style with origination in Puerto Rico with heavy African influences. This music is played with a type of tom drum and other hand percussion instruments such as maracas. The dancer is as important as the music being played.

Salsa: a dance and a genre of music that exemplifies many Cuban derived genres of music. Multiple styles, multiple variations in this one man…

These four are simply mentioned because they are constantly being remixed and incorporated into all sort of music these days.

If someone was interested in learning more about Latin music, who are some of the artists they should check out to break themselves into it?

Aniceto Molina (classic Cumbia)

La Sonora Dinamita (classic Cumbia)

Any Fania All-Star dudes for Salsa (on the latin Jazz tip)

My preference: Willie Colon,Trombone Player



Marc Anthony (for some current Salsa)

Orchesta Guayacan- (Classic Tropical Salsa and Cumbia)

Pochi y su Coco Band (Some classic Merengue)

Juan Luis Guerra (Dope merengue and some boleros)

Carlos Vives (Some dope Vallenatos)

These all are older artists that will for sure give folks some taste and basis for things they might hear in some of today’s music.

Top 3 dishes from El Salvador?



Pupusas



Yucca Con Chicharron



Pastelitos De Carne

EXTRA LARGE July 2011

The next installment of EXTRA LARGE is right around the corner! After months of cold and rain, Summer is finally here, so Superbrush and I will be dropping nothing but tropical Summertime joints all night long. Come shake your ass to the best in dancehall, cumbia, and Moombahton.

Stay tuned for some free music next week!

RSVP & more info on Facebook.

A Conversation with Jeff Dubois

Tonight, I'm honored and excited to be DJing with my friend Jeff Dubois. A member of Attitude City, Jeff and I started the Street Sounds Swirlin' Through My Mind night at First Avenue's Record Room several years ago. We'll be returning to the Record Room to bring back some of the good time disco vibes with a haunted, cosmic twist. Here's what Jeff had to say for himself...

How did Attitude City come to be? Wait, what is Attitude City? 

Attitude city formed in 2005 and is a collective of like-minded record collectors whose mandate is to mix old classics with some modern bangers, get them good and drunk, and let them knock boots in your ears.   We are basically a group of friends that span Minneapolis and Montreal, and we've built a reputation for playing fun disco, soul, house, italo, and 80s jams.
 
I notice you have yet to switch over to Serato and you DJ pretty much only with records. How long have you been collecting and how often are you out there getting new records?
 
I've been collecting since 1998 or so and would probably consider myself a collector first and a DJ second... no wait... maybe a DJ first and a collector second... err... i don't know. All I know is that I love vinyl and I love the tradition of DJing with two turntables and a mixer.   I can't quite put my finger on it, but I feel that something gets lost in translation when DJ's switch over to digital music and start playing on their laptops.   I can definitely see the benefits, but I also am still in love with the idea of putting time into selecting specific tracks, carrying them to the club, and playing them out.  Plus... that beautiful analog warmth and crackle!  Yum!


Jeff flexin' his cowbell skills while I spin some rackords.

Favorite record producers from the '70s and '80s?
 
Oh man - these are tough questions to answer.  So many good ones!!  Gwen McCrae, Gino Soccio, Patrick Adams, Gamble and Huff, Geraldine Hunt, Rinder and Lewis, Tom Moulton, Vincent Montana, Roy Ayers, Dexter Wansel, Larry Levan, Change, The Whispers, BB&Q Band, Kano, Patrick Cowley... 

If you could teleport back to sit in on the recording of any song, what would it be and why?
 
I think it would be "Keep the Fire Burning" by Gwen McCrae... I think its the perfect dance song.  It's a great example of what dance music should strive to be.  It's got a great beat, amazing vocals, stellar arrangement, and packs enough funky bass to knock over a race horse.  The recording itself is so incredibly warm and organic.  I wish I could have sat in on the sessions and geek'ed out on how it was all put together.  What type of mixing console was used?  What mics and pre-amps?  What effects were put on the tracks?  What compressors did they use? Reverbs?   How was it arranged?

Jeff, what are the things you miss the most about life in your home country of Canada?
 
The level of social awareness shared by the collective consciousness.   That... and poutine.



So, you being Canadian, it also turns out you are an avid curler. Can you please explain curling to those of us living in the lower half of North America?
 
Well - its basically bocce ball on ice... Add in a little more strategy, sweeping, and beer consumption and it will start to make sense :).  It really is a great sport full of tradition and hospitality.  The community at the Saint Paul Curling Club here in Minnesota really is truly remarkable.  I've met some amazing people there. 

Are you excited to take people to space on Friday? What are some of your favorite songs about space?
 
Heck yeah!  It's always inspiring to play with you, Mike... and any opportunity I have to play some of my fav jams always fires me up!







...and a few haunted favorites:





Download "Keepin' It Warm," a disco and house mix from Jeff Dubois by clicking HERE.

And don't miss EXTRA LARGE: The Haunted Space Disco tonight at First Avenue's Record Room!

EXTRA LARGE: The Haunted Space Disco

Friday the 13th will be upon us before we know it... and this time we're taking you on a horrifying and fantastic journey through the far reaches of tomorrow. Join us for the first ever HAUNTED SPACE DISCO.

Jeff Dubois (Attitude City, Street Sounds) and I will be spinning the most sinister and freaked-out synthesizer funk, futuristic electro beats, erotic bass blasts, and interstellar grooves you can imagine. Indulge yourself in a full night of spooktacular sights and sounds.

Friday May 13th
10pm - 2am
First Avenue Record Room (701 1st Avenue N, downtown Minneapolis)
$3 advance, $5 door
18 up
2 for 1 well drinks before midnight

RSVP on Facebook and stay tuned to the blog for free music and more info coming soon!

Mike 2600 at Club Crooks, Portland OR

On April 23rd, I DJed at Club Crooks, a great monthly party thrown by DJs Izm and Easter Egg at the Crown Room in Portland Oregon. Fun spot, enthusiastic crowd, good times all around!

Have a listen / download / comment / enjoy:

Club Crooks at Crown Room: Mike 2600 live mix 4 23 11 by CLUB CROOKS PDX

Someone caught a few moments on video too:

Talkin' with Espada & Last Word

Before I officially passed things over to my guest DJs for Friday's EXTRA LARGE, I figured I should sit down with these two guys and make sure they knew the score. We all met at the Midtown Global Market to grab a bite to eat and talk about music and thangs.

Oh yeah, this interview contains a ton of hyperlinks.


Perch (they usually do Red Snapper, but they were out - I was not mad at the perch whatsoever) with seasoned rice and candied yams from West Indies Soul Food.

MIKE 2600: Alright, I'm here at the wonderful Midtown Global Market with DJ Espada and DJ Last Word. Last Word, this is your first time here at the Midtown Global Market?

LAST WORD: Is this the part where you rub it in?

M: Yeah… so what do you think?

L: My first impression is like "Why have I never been here before?" which is kind of a…

M: Kind of a fuck up on your end.

L: Yeah I think it's kind of a big L on my part.

M: Big L rest in peace. So what did you get to eat?

L: I got the jerk chicken, plantains, and seasoned rice. I'm a pretty big fan of jerk chicken, so I can't really lose.


Last Word about to get into some jerk chicken... please note the checkered belt over his shoulder which was purchased for him by Espada as a gift just moments before this photo was taken

M: They do it pretty proper at the West Indies Soul Food. Espada what did you get?

ESPADA: I ventured off and had two chicken tamales at La Loma.


Espada lookin' mad Unabomberish with his tamale.

M: Aaaah, getting in touch with your Mexican heritage. Is this like a comfort meal before you go and whyle out tonight?

E: Yeah.

M: I'm excited to have both you guys covering for me while I'm out of town.

E: So wait, can I ask you a question?

M: Oh are you interviewing me now?

E: No no it's not for the interview.

M: The tape's rolling.

E: Oh… so why are you leaving?

M: I'm going to Amsterdam to visit Mali. She's traveling and I'm gonna go meet her there.

E: Really? Amazing, man… OK go ahead, I'm sorry.

M: It's OK. I'll work in like a hyperlink to a picture of the Red Light District or a wooden shoe or something.

Espada offers us both a bite of his tamale and it's very good.

M: So what have you guys been working on, musically?

L: Lately everything I've been working on is kinda Moombahton stuff, all in that shape or form. I wouldn't say it's specific to that genre. I'm also a big fan of speeding stuff up instead of slowing it down all the time.

M: The tempo change is a nice way to make a track applicable in different contexts or circumstances, like as soon as you make something way slower or way faster, you can play that track in a totally different situation that you might not have before.

L: I've got a couple that are more like party breaks where I just speed up the track, like that Jeremih "Down" song that's been going over real heavy. It's actually just the instrumental sped up with a couple of samples added to it and I added a bunch of drums to it. I did one of (Waka Flocka's) "Grove St. Party" too, turned out pretty good.

M: Espada, what about you?

E: Well we got the new website, wantsversusneeds.com, working on remixes, and really trying to understand Ableton Live to its fullest. Why not produce now after playing so many nights of dance music?

M: I'm sure most people nowadays know you from Wants VS Needs, but for everyone who might not be familiar, can you talk about how the night started and what you guys have been doing?

E: It was a bunch of us who wanted to do a party, and it was an opportunity for a lot of us to play our own shit out. We came together with Adam Garcia. Make sure you do a hyperlink to thepressure.org…

M: There's gonna be a lot of hyperlinks in this interview.

E: It worked out really well cause one of our favorite nights was Get Cryphy and we were like, "Why not make another night to party as well?" Give the other guys the night off on another week. So this party coming up with me and Last Word… it's been a long time coming, actually.

L: I don't think we've actually played together, just the two of us.

E: Dude! We've done shows together out of town, rap shows, where you even dropped instrumentals while I rapped.

L: Yep! That's right!

M: I was gonna ask about that next, cause most people now know you as a DJ, but you've had quite a lucrative past as a rapper in the Twin Cities. How has that shaped what you're doing now with DJing?

E: Well if it was anything, it would be just collecting the dopest records while trying to figure out what to rap to, but when it comes to playing dance music and DJing, all of it has to have some sort of nostalgic point.

M: So are you saying nostalgia plays a big role in what you do as a DJ?

E: Yes, absolutely.

M: Last Word, what about you? I first knew about you as the DJ who backed up Dialogue Elevaters. How did you make the transition into what you're doing now, where your DJing is the main focus?

L: Oh man, there was about a 2 to 3 year period where all I did was produce and DJ for rappers, I pretty much stopped playing out as just a DJ. Then around 2006, 2007, I decided it was time to take it into my own hands and do what I wanted. I had spent so much time helping people out, and why not get into the limelight after a while? So I started playing the Dinkytowner a ton, doing those Ladies Nights. It was originally me and Espada switching off weeks.



E: Yeah I remember that. We never got to play together. That was actually a really good paying gig too at the time.

L: There was a Summer there where they switched my pay and I was cleaning house.

M: Man, they were never that kind to me with the money.

E: They weren't even paying their taxes, so why would they pay the local DJs? I'm sorry Dinkytowner, rest in peace…

M: I'll blur that out in the interview or whatever. I feel like a lot of us (DJs) know each other through the Dinkytowner or how you and I met through the Loring Pasta Bar.

E: I met you really randomly before that.

M: At Scribble Jam?

E: At Scribble Jam, but before that on the Rhymesayers message board.

M: Oh wow, the Rhymesayers message board was one of my windows into Minneapolis before I moved up here.

E: I remember that!

M: You remember that it was one of my windows into Minneapolis?

E: No, I remember you and your brother used to post rap demos and we would listen to them and be like "Who are these kids from Tennessee or St. Louis or something?"

M: My brother and I were fuckin' running that message board. Siddiq never knew it though.

E: The Davis brothers man… Deerflesh! Oh man… OK anyways…


A flyer for the November 2001 Atmosphere / Eyedea & Abilities / Sage Francis show in St. Louis at which my brother Deerflesh and I opened up.

M: I had a feeling we'd be doing some reminiscing in this interview.

E: Last Word, how many years ago did we first start playing together?

L: 2001? 2002?

E: I remember you and Dialogue Elevaters played at Loring Pasta Bar and then you ended up closing the night out for me and Anton.

L: I don't remember that.

E: I have one of the flyers. That was the first time I heard you rock and you killed it. That was the first time and I was like "Ohhhh shiiiiiit!"

L: Man, the Pasta Bars days. This really is a big reminiscing interview.

M: I know! Who's gonna cry first? So what kind of tunes can people expect to hear the two of you spin on Friday at EXTRA LARGE?

L: A lot of Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney…

E: Jam band shit for sure. I actually have a whole 7" set of all jam bands.

L: 13 minute songs…

E: Local jam bands, oh some from St. Cloud, there's like 7 different bands and I spin their records for like 45 minutes.

M: OK let me rephrase the question. So what kind of tunes can people expect to hear the two of you spin on Friday at EXTRA LARGE?

L: I think you're gonna hear a lot of Moombahton and dancehall from me, classic rap jams, I can't get away from 'em.

E: It should become a sing-along by about 1:00.

M: In the interview I'm gonna change that to say 12:00.

E: Yeah, do that… Ummm… Plaid Rap, you know, skinny jea…

M: Plaid Rap?

E: Plaid Rap, it's a whole new thing. You never heard of Plaid Rap?

M: No, talk to me about Plaid Rap. Wait, can I guess what it is? Is it like Lupé Fiasco?

L: What makes you think of him as being Plaid Rap?



M: I don't know, it just made sense. So talk to me about Plaid Rap, cause I'm a fan of new genres, I'm glad that music is constantly evolving…

L: We just came up with a new genre today. Wait, is it Plaid Rap or Clad Rap?

M: I heard Plaid.

E: Plaid or Clad?

M: I'm up for either one. So would it be like Sneaker Collector Rap?

E: No, it would be more like a book collector listener… like a grown man's rap.

M: Like armchair rap?

E: Like a leather armchair. You step in the room and it's nothing but mahogany.

M: Would it be like Anti-Pop Consortium? Like really thinky rap?

L: That would be backpack rap.

E: Well backpack rap was writers and rhymers. So what was in everyone's backpack? I remember seeing Buckshot in the "Who Got The Props" video with a backpack and like a green jumpsuit on and I was "That's so dope!"



M: Did you ever used to sport a backpack?

E: Yeah! Of course I did!

M: What was in your backpack?

E: A walkman for sure, plenty of DJ Premier tapes, a burrito, and some markers.

M: I had of course the graffiti sketchbook, a bunch of markers and some stickers, maybe like some mixtapes to try to sell, and probably some actual legit school stuff like a book… or an apple.

E: I traveled with an apple, banana, and orange all the time. Cause taking the bus from Saint Paul to go play at the Red Sea… gotta have a snack.

L: I used to run sound at the Red Sea.

E: Yes! I remember that!

L: I used to run sound for Dan Speak and Disco T at the Red Sea. That place used to get crazy. They would always show up at like 11:15. As a DJ you couldn't do that at any venue nowadays. They had that place on lock and by the time midnight came around it was just packed. I think a lot of what those dudes did, you know a lot of us have seen them play and got ideas, learned from them. When I was coming up, I played a lot of rap music. I didn't play a lot of party stuff. But Dan and T played everything, so it was so much fun to watch them play. They played songs from when we were kids, but played them in a setting where it was right after a current hit and people would just go crazy… and I was playing a lot of Solitaire on the computer those nights.

M: Well. anything else the people should know? Any last shoutouts or plugs or hyperlinks?

L: getcryphy.com

E: wantsversusneeds.com

EXTRA LARGE April 2011

On Friday April 8, I'll be over in Amsterdam getting my goddamn Amsterdam on, so I'm passing the keys to the turntables over to my friends Espada and Last Word. They'll be steering you ever-so-deftly along a musical highway throughout the night. No, make that a parkway. No, make that a riverside drive. This is looking to be the first EXTRA LARGE in a long time which hasn't happened as a snowstorm is breaking out in Minneapolis. Can you dig that?

Anyways, Espada and Last Word are gonna be holding things down and cuttin' up all the classic hip hop, funk, dancehall, and Moombahton tunes you could hope to hear, plus all the bangers you never thought you'd hear!

Keep it locked on the blog for free music plus an exclusive interview with these two gents as we gear up for EXTRA LARGE!

More info / RSVP on Facebook!

A Conversation with Kevin Beacham

I am very excited to be announcing the next edition of EXTRA LARGE with my special guest DJ Kevin Beacham. Some of you may know him as DJ Nikoless, or as the host of Redefinition Radio on The Current, or even as "that guy who DJed every Friday night at Azia." Either way, Kevin has definitely made a lasting impression on the music scene in Minneapolis and beyond with his dedication to keeping music-lovers entertained and also well-informed. EXTRA LARGE on March 11th promises to be nothing short of a blast as we take you on a journey through funk, classic hip hop, disco, soul, reggae, and beyond. First up, read the conversation I had with Kevin...



Your superhero-related t-shirt game is incredible. I remember asking you about it almost a year ago and you told me it had been over one year or so since you had NOT worn a superhero shirt, even underneath suits. How many days in a row have you been wearing different superhero shirts? What are your favorite three?

I've been a comic book fan for a long time. Particularly 70s/80s Marvel Comics. Thru out my life I've had a few comic shirts here and there. I'm not really into reading the new comic books too much, but I'm still intrigued by that classic artwork so I started buying more shirts a few years ago. I think it's been like 3 years now that I've been pretty much wearing comic book shirts exclusively. In the days that I didn't wear a comic shirt because I had to dress nicer for a wedding, dinner or something, I either had a comic shirt underneath or I wore a Marvel Comic Button on the tie or something like that...ha. Yeah, I nerd out to the extreme. I have close to 100 Comic Shirts now and it's nearly impossible to pick favorites but here's a pretty good start:

1)Thanos
2)Yellow Marvel
3)Adam Warlock



How long have you been hosting your Redefinition Radio show on The Current? How did the show come to happen and what are some of your favorite episodes?

I started the show in The Current on March 19th, 2005. The show ends at Midnight and my B-day is March 20th so I considered that first show my b-day present from the world....ha. Actually, when moving here one of the things that made me question leaving Chicago was giving up my radio show, Time Travel, out there on WNUR 89.3. It was my baby and I loved that show so it was hard to give up. With that in mind, I was definitely interested in finding a new radio show here. In Jan '05 I got a email from my friend, Mandy, saying there was a new station starting and looking for a Hip Hop show.  She wanted to know if I would submit a demo. I asked her what the station was going to be and when she said 89.3, the same dial number as my show in Chicago, I figured it was destiny so I submitted the demo and here I am about to go my 6 year anniversary this month. 

As far as favorite episodes, that's super hard for me. In general, I really love when I do the themed shows. Just all the time, research and ultimately, new knowledge that goes into it and then putting it together like a puzzle is fun for me. A definite favorite would have to the "Tribute To Hip Hop Radio" series I did in March/April of '07 with assistance from Plain Ole Bill. I paid tribute to some of the most classic Hip Hop radio shows (Mr Magic's Rap Attack, Zulu Beats, World Famous Supreme Team, Stretch Armstrong Show, Red Alert Goes Beserk, Chuck Chillout, Latin Rascals, Etc...) and even went to the extreme of re-creating certain show elements and their on air mixes. I even incorporated some elements of the original tapes in my reinterpretations. I think it was one the more innovative things I've done on radio and I never heard of anything like that when I initially did it.

Can you talk a bit about your old Chicago radio show, "Time Travel?" Who are some of the artists you worked with / featured on the show?

Time Travel started on 4/20/95 and it was a educational/theme Hip Hop Radio show. It didn't start that way. Initially my goal was to "Play all these songs and artists that I never heard on the radio". Then after a few months I decided to do a dedication show to LL Cool J, who was about to release his MR Smith album. Once I did that it occurred to me that I could focus on these theme shows covering MCs careers, something that radio wasn't doing a lot, particularly as extensive as I was. Then that evolved to do Producers, Eras of Hip Hop, and even use the music to discuss certain subjects; Love, Death, etc... I learned you can use the music to discuss anything, by just researching the right tracks.

Thru the years we had a lot of artists come down. A lot of them were Chicago cats who people outside the city never heard of, but were ill.  There were a good amount of bigger or noticeable names that did freestyles and/or interviews with us live on air;  Jaz O & Jay Z, Juice, Rhymefest, Special Ed, Bushwick Bill, The Nonce, Mele Mel & Scorpio, Rubberoom, King Just, The Luniz w/DJ Fuze, Visionaries, Percee P, MC Ren, Darryl C of Crash Crew, Crucial Conflict, All Natural, Atmosphere, Dynospectrum, Jel, Moleen, Dilated Peoples, Stedy Serv, Sage Francis, Adeem, Dose One, Illogic, Atoms Family, Cannibal OX, EL P, Blueprint, Eyedea, Buck 65, I Self Devine, Murs, Mystik Journeymen, ED O.G., Akbar, Arsonists, E.C. and a gazillion more peoples...



Speaking of time travel, if you could travel back in time and sit in on the studio recording of any classic hip hop song, what would it be?

You know, I never really thought about that and honestly I don't know if I that matters so much to me. It might sound "ego-based" but I'd like to go back in time to my personal studio sessions and my crews studio sessions. I would like go back to all of them and get the masters!! It bothers me all the time to this day that we left those masters behind. I have tapes of all the recordings for the most part but I wish I had those reels!

Alot of people might recognize you as the host of the MC battles at Scribble Jam. Can you tell us about your involvement in the festival?

Scribble Jam was something that I literally "fell into" right before its inception so I was a part of it from the beginning. Mainly starting off as the Host of the MC Battles. Which that evolved into the head organizer of all the battles to eventually being one of the key organizers and face(s) for the event overall. It was really all about us throwing a show that we would want to go to and was unique overall and particularly to the Midwest. We booked people we were down with and who grew with us as an event, plus a lot of the artists that we really liked and respected. It was never completely about the money because I honestly probably spent more money than I made on the event over the years. I think we had an amazing 13 year run and will go down in history as a very key and influential Hip Hop event. Unfortunately, it came to an end for several reasons and I don't really see it likely that we would ever revive it....



How about the rappers in the Scribble battles who used your name as part of their punchlines? Like in the 2005 battle when Justice told Thesaurus his face looked like "Kevin Beacham's nether regions?" Like, what are you, Kevin Beacham, the impartial moderator of the battle, supposed to really do with that?

First off, it doesn't bother me. Secondly, it's interesting to be integrated into the history of Battle MCing in that way. People always ask me how I feel about that stuff and this is how I feel; I started in Hip Hop as an MC. To me, back then, proving your skills was being the best in a battle. My early career was based on challenging everyone that I could to be recognized as the best. Face to face with the opponent there are no rules, nothing off limits. Sure there are things that we could do without or are really pushing the moral limits, but my belief is that needs to be a personal filter and that whatever that MC feel he needs to be said is on them. Besides people just being wack or using recycled lines or relying on shock value with no skill, I've only ever heard one line in a battle that I recall where I felt like "whoa...maybe you shouldn't have said that". It was at Scribble '96 and I think it was a total slip where someone said "your style is dead...like your pops"... To his opponent,  who's father had recently passed. It was kind of bugged, but his opponent just gave a look like "Wow! You really went there?!?" and proceed to come at him on the mic.... They were actually friends and I think it just happened in the midst of the moment on accident...that's about where I would draw the line.



You have been working with Rhymesayers and the Fifth Element shop for several years now. What kinds of projects have you been working on with them lately?

I recently moved from working for Rhymesayers to being full time at Fifth Element. It's long been a goal of mine to work at a Record Shop. It had been discussed for years here as  a possibility for me to do that because of my knowledge of the music, connections within the scene and so forth. The final piece was the launching of the Fifth Element blog. I'm the editor/manager of the blog and I get to express a lot of my Hip Hop History knowledge there as well as focus on another passion which is writing. Right now I'm the Music Buyer, Event Coordinator, and Blog Manager for the store. Some of the things I'm doing on the blog with the Hip Hop History I'm looking to expand into something bigger in the future. It's still in development so I don't want to get to deep into, but basically creating a expansive and detailed home for the History of Hip Hop is the goal.



I love watching you DJ because you seem to only play songs you truly love. What are some of your favorite songs we can expect to hear you spin at Extra Large?

To me that is what it is all about. Of course, you have to be aware of the audience you are playing for. However, I think to be a great DJ, you have to have an open-mind and diverse taste, which I like to think I do....ha.  I'm able to play for different crowds and pull out songs that I love that fit that crowd. I don't think I ever* play songs that I don't truly like and mostly love. 

I don't know any specific songs I'll play, but I suspect I'll be diving into the catalogs of; Rose Royce, Johnny Guitar Watson, Crash Crew, King T, Low Profile, Tuff Crew, Teena Marie, Success N Effect, Millie Jackson, Rock La Flow, Threat, Queen Mother Rage, etc.... That's who I've really been listening to lately...

*OK, except for a couple weddings I did for people and they gave me some stuff that they wanted me to play outside of my norm. Which is why I seldom do weddings anymore...

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Download an EXCLUSIVE mix from Kevin!
DJ Nikoless: The High School Jams
I never released this anywhere. I actually did it to play at my 20 Year High School Reunion because they hadn't booked a DJ yet. They eventually booked our Lake County DJ Legend, Capt 2 Fresh so my services were not needed and I'd rather listen to him play live anyway. In any event, it's  a simple mix of cuts that were big in the North Chicago High School Days ('86-'88)

...and then don't miss out on EXTRA LARGE next Friday, March 11th!