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WE NEVER LEAVE THE CLUB: Quarterly Baltimore Club Music Update

28 Dec
Whether you like it or not, this guy had the best year in
Baltimore club music. By a long shot.

As 2010 draws to a close, Baltimore club music is in an unusual place. On one hand, the music is more mainstream accessible than ever. Blaqstarr is positioned to become and underground pop icon and everything that was either directly or indirectly attached to the hipster movement from Pabst Blue Ribbon beer to Diplo is achieving a place in the mainstream. Usher’s “OMG,” a Baltimore club track disguised as a pop song was voted by MTV as the channel’s favorite pop tune of the year. Baltimore club tracks are now a staple of mainstream R & B and dance releases for the time being as well, as acts ranging from the expected Black Eyed Peas to the unexpected newcomer Miguel incorporating the sound. On one level, between that and internationally popular DJs like Trouble and Bass’ Drop the Lime and Zombies for Money, along with kuduro club smasher Munchi making waves in club music the dream has been realized. Club music is global, in a major way, and shows no apparent signs of slowing down. However, as rapper Redman once entitled an album, “Dare Iz a Darkside.”

 We No Speak Bmoreo by James Nasty

On the veteran front, Unruly’s Say Wut had another terrific year, releasing an album length mix, and with King Tutt promising a 2011 release that will venture deeper into the electro side of club music, Unruly has transferred quietly from being a leader in club music to being the genre’s most respected brand. Hearing Scottie B drop bombs at the Baltimore Bass Connection Xmas Party at Sonar wasn’t the life altering experience it normally is, instead it was met as the expectation of the DJ and the music he plays. In having harnessed the titanic strength of club music for so long, and being the brand that carried it into the mainstream, Unruly no longer needs to be a leader, but it rather can be the steward, the respected folks at the top of the game.

http://www.youtube.com/v/IK4BSndto8Y?fs=1&hl=en_US

It is important to also note that the Baltimore game has changed. When the city was widely regarded as the predominant world underground leader, club music was swept into that. Now, as Baltimore has faded back into being a weird, yet still vibrant musical enclave, still local Baltimore club needs to be, well, back in the clubs. The growth that occurred in the sound between “Watch Out for the Big Girl” and “I’m the Shit” needs to be replicated yet again. There needs to be an emphasis on not just producing, but the actual art of DJing the music. Mainstream success is always just around the corner for club music. It reflects popular culture and features intensely catchy dance breaks. Jonny Blaze is an urban legend and Benny Stixx may not be a household name, but they are DJs adept at  producing and spinning the sound and getting people moving. Philly’s DJ Sega is a prodigy and everyone is aware of that. KW Griff and DJ Booman are holding down breaking songs on the radio. Between those names and a plethora more, there needs to be work done amongst DJs who still want to advance club music. While names like Usher are toying with the sound, enormous mainstream exposure isn’t exactly possible. However, working hard in the lab and concocting where the sound can be headed in the shadows of these giants is of ultra importance.

In final, club music truly became pop music in 2010. Of course, as when anything underground goes pop, it immediately causes tension in the underground, a sea of angry emotions, hurt feelings and rash decisions borne of confusion. All of these things happened in club music this year. However, with a quick change of gears, club music can survive, and actually get stronger for the next major boom. As the King James Version states in Ecclesiastes 9:11, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”

SEAL OF APPROVAL – FREE JAMES BROWN HAPPY HOUR – U STREET MUSIC HALL – 12/10/10

10 Dec

On December 25, 2009, the music industry lost its most influential modern legend when “Soul Brother Number One,” the “Sex Machine,” “Mr. Dynamite,” “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business,” “The King of Funk,” “Minister of The New New Super Heavy Funk,” “Mr. Please Please Please Please Himself,” “I Feel Good,” “Hardest Working Man in Show Business” and “Godfather of Soul” James Brown passed away. There is not a genre of music that Brown did not touch or was influential in the development of. Early disco and house couldn’t exist without the funk breakdowns of his rhythm sections. Baltimore club owes a significant portion of its entire success to the breakdown of “Think,” a track by James Brownbackground vocalist turned solo artist Ann Peebles. Hip hop? Well, the entire genre is built on the vocal inflections, funk, soul and iconic nature of the voice and music of the legend. With core influences in intenrational dance styles as well and at the major point of influence of all music, James Brown is a legend worthy of an epic celebration.

In 1988, James Brown was sentenced to three years in prison and many in the hip hop community felt he was unjustly imprisoned. The response? A movement based around the concept of “FREE JAMES BROWN.” Now, 22 years later, Brown is eternally free, so we celebrate him with a FREE happy hour in honor of his life and contributions, an event which flips the lid on his darkest hour and makes it his brightest. From 5-10 PM on December 10th, DJs Harry Hotter, Jerome Baker III, and Baltimore representatives James Nasty and Johnny Blaze fete likely the most important artist in the development of dance music.

Harry Hotter is a truly dominant turntablist, blending disparate styles to create the diaspora of funk and soul in his sets, not unlike James Brown throughout his career.

Jerome Baker III is a rising hip hop centric but genuinely party rocking DJ that brings a definite aura of excitement and frenetic energy fueled by classic and current breakbeats and crowd anthems.

James Nasty is the fastest rising DJ in Baltimore Club music at the moment. Working with Bmore Original Records, his best club selections display an attention to base desire and and populist fervor, two elements core to the James Brown tradition.

Jonny Blaze is a true Baltimore club music legend. The DJ has been spinning for over twenty years and is as ribald of a personality as he is talented as a DJ. His sets are unforgettable, pulse pounding and bass rattling moments in time, His tracks also appeal to populism and take unexpected turns down musical pathways that still keep the dance floor filled with energy. He’s also the headliner. The only man that could headline. On a level of personality, creative flavor, style and talent.

Playing selections from Brown’s catalog, the catalogs of those who played with him, and also the catalogs of those who were inspired by him, this is an event where I can almost guarantee you won’t hear the same track twice and it’s a guaranteed dance party all night long.

AND now, the finest performance in the history of music. James Brown from Britain’s TAMI show in 1964. On a show with The Barbarians, The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Lesley Gore, Jan and Dean, Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Rolling Stones and The Supremes, it was James Brown and his Famous Flames that completely were a step above the competition. Enjoy, and if in the vicinity, come to U Street Music Hall tonight.

THE DROP: Praise Jesus! Baltimore club legend Jonny Blaze is back!

8 Nov
Baltimore club music legend Jonny Blaze is a legend because he’s a character. He’s honest, up front and in a world filled with people “keepin’ it real,” Blaze keeps it more honest than all of those people combined. Well, for most of 2010, life has been just as real to Jonny Blaze as he has been to it. To counteract this spree of bad luck and terrible circumstances, Blaze has embraced religion and a clean living lifestyle.
In March 2010, the same man responsible for the track “Head, Tittites and Ass,” an underground club music cult favorite shunned his desire to make sexually tinged club music, and instead gave us as his first release with his new outlook on life the Cajmere “Preacherman” sampling “Here We Go,” a folky club get down about praising Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/v/HucLax1op5k?fs=1&hl=en_US
Unfortunately, in April 2010, Blaze was incarcerated for six months in Baltimore County. Now released, the club legend is still praising Jesus, and admirably working through his demons in song. His latest, “Pray Me Pain” takes a flip of Rod Lee’s incredible club classic “Dance My Pain Away,” and Blaze discusses his life and demons and his holy method for dismissal.
http://www.divshare.com/flash/audio_embed?data=YTo2OntzOjU6ImFwaUlkIjtpOjQ7czo2OiJmaWxlSWQiO2k6MTMxMTM5MDk7czo0OiJjb2RlIjtzOjEyOiIxMzExMzkwOS0wNjMiO3M6NjoidXNlcklkIjtpOjEzMjcwMDg7czoxMjoiZXh0ZXJuYWxDYWxsIjtpOjE7czo0OiJ0aW1lIjtpOjEyODkyMjg3NzQ7fQ==&autoplay=
Jonny Blaze – Pray Me Pain
As well, Blaze stays strong on the commercial side with a flip of Justin Bieber’s 2010 hit “Baby,” a rave up club anthem that melds the streets of Baltimore with the malls of Towson and keeps feet moving in both places.
http://www.divshare.com/flash/audio_embed?data=YTo2OntzOjU6ImFwaUlkIjtpOjQ7czo2OiJmaWxlSWQiO2k6MTMxMTQwMjE7czo0OiJjb2RlIjtzOjEyOiIxMzExNDAyMS00MTAiO3M6NjoidXNlcklkIjtpOjEzMjcwMDg7czoxMjoiZXh0ZXJuYWxDYWxsIjtpOjE7czo0OiJ0aW1lIjtpOjEyODkyMjg4MzI7fQ==&autoplay=
Justin Bieber – Baby (Jonny Blaze Remix)
For DC area readers, you can fully expect the rejuvenated Blaze to be back out in about playing live sets soon, as having the legendary club producer alive, well, free and working in the studio can only mean a string of club bangers in the near future.
Amen to that!

THE DROP: Club music updates from DJ Jonny Blaze and DJ Pierre

3 Aug

WE NEVER LEAVE THE CLUB: A Quick Baltimore Club Music Update…

24 Mar
The ever entertaining Jonny Blaze has dropped a cartoon themed video (available after the cut) for new single from his forthcoming album, “Here We Go.” The fanciful and fun attitude mirrors that of Blaze these days, as one of the most positive and God-fearing men in well, music anywhere continues along a more enlightened path.
Have a need for what Jonny refers to as his “sinful” tracks? Or just want some of his guaranteed to cause wildness club bangers? Visit his online store, and check that he’s got some UK 2-step/club heat that’s available for preview and purchase. Jonny is always a strong proponent of being two steps ahead of everyone for sure.


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One of the more entertaining young lions of Baltimore, and the young man responsible for our own #MOARCLUBMUSICS Vol. 1, DJ Pierre has dropped the eighth volume of his VERY entertaining mix series. If you’re looking for where the smooth, house music related influence of club music went, look no further than Pierre, who consistently impresses with a eminently danceable and very mainstream style. Check his latest “Watch How I Do It” another solid track that has Pierre on the vocals and features spaced synths and a deep house vibe.

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The house and electro influence in Philly club is stronger than ever. DJ Sega’s at the forefront of it, taking his manic and inventive style away from kiddie remixes and into a much more serious direction, as his remix of Toddla T and Herve’s “Shake It” proved. Well, now he’s taken the acapella of Drake and Weezy’s new Young Money label single “Over,” and taken it to a much more ravey yet club centric home, with the aid of NY’s DJ Esentrik. Philly’s really taken the bull by the horns as of late for having the best of all worlds when it comes to the necessary innovation of electro sounds blending with traditional club music.
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Educational content on this history of club music from the master, Unruly Records’ Scottie B, taped at the home of Cullen Stalin and Scottie’s Monday night throwdown, the NO RULE party, Baltimore’s Metro Gallery.

THE DROP: Baltimore’s Jonny Blaze Now Preaches The "Baltimore Club Gospel"

28 Feb


Whenever Baltimore’s Jonny Blaze plays in DC, it’s always a worthwhile stop on the club music calendar. Jonny’s easily one of the hardest DJ’s anywhere in the world bass wise that doesn’t play dubstep, as there are tales of plaques falling off of walls in venues that are not prepared for his heavy bass club music assault. He also has a fantastic sense of humor as well, having remixed popular children’s show themes to great success, “Spongebob Squarepants” amongst the classics in that style. However, not all has been jolly, shiny and happy as of late for the club veteran, and he has rebuked a style that led to music featuring salacious and explicit themes, and instead has embraced religion.

The decision to invoke the love of Christ may leave many Baltimore club fans who love Blaze for always bringing the most outlandish in party music scratching their heads. However, this decision’s unintended benefit may be a newfound focus and clarity to his music, as from listening to his two hour set on Friday night at the 9:30 Club Backbar at Jackie O and Trevor Martin’s $weat$hop, the Cajmere sampling “Here We Go,” as well as a few other Latin tinged floor fillers shows Blaze intensely motivated by his heavenly muse to continue to fill the floors, just with an entirely different purpose.

As always, when a legendary performer of Blaze’s stature in the club music community is in town, I definitely like to take the time to be able to have a few words. In the above linked interview, hear discussion of prayer to the point of sweating, remixing urban Christian sounds, how many of Jonny’s estimated 222 tracks he’s ever recorded we’ve heard, how does he plan on mixing his past and present in upcoming DJ sets, and his religious transformation. Do enjoy!

SEAL OF APPROVAL: (DC) $WEATSHOP feat. JONNY BLAZE @ 9:30 CLUB BACKBAR – 2/26/10

26 Feb
 
Jonny Blaze is one of the more heroic figures of the folklore of Baltimore Club music. A 20+ year veteran, Jonny is one of the original party starters of the genre, a man who always cuts his own path and does things with his own unmistakable style. He’s a straight up, no chaser kind of performer who will leave his hear spinning on the turntables in order to get you to move. We’ve covered his decision now to start making club music more geared towards religious themes and overtones, as he’s decided to keep the energy that provided us with “Head, Tits and Ass” and other salacious club hits, but move them in a far more religious direction. First single “Here We Go” from his forthcoming album is a Charleston hopping religious celebration with Blaze FINALLY on the mic. Expect more of the same tonight, as the club legend has promised us here at TGRIOnline that he’s “gonna make us dance, and take us to church!” 
On the same billing as per usual with $weat$hop are the consistently grinding electro party queen DJ Jackie O, always seemingly fresh from a big travel gig on the East Coast, and DJ Trevor Martin, who simply put, rocks bamas and makes Becky go nuts and forces Chad to watch his girl. He’ll bring the bass and the top 40 and is easily one of the more talented and versatile DJs in the city. He even spun our inaugural All Killer No Filler party. Homie’s a beast. Local indie rapper Blake 9 completes an absolutely stacked bill for the party at the small club with one of the cleanest sounding sound systems in the city.

We Never Leave the Club! – TGRI’s Quarterly Club Music Update…

18 Feb

Welcome to the first of many quarterly club music updates. Read, click links, but do enjoy the vast diversity that is Baltimore Club music.

The first quarter of 2010 has proven already to be very active in the club music world.

The Philly and Jersey based Brick Bandits crew have in the mind of this journalist produced the most intriguing and voluminous body of work this quarter. DJ’s Tameil (check the No Floors and Left Field mixes for some mind bending club excitement), Tim Dolla, Sega, and newcomer Nadus have spread the interests of the harder than hard bass loving crew to the absurdist limits of club music. Lady Gaga, Major Lazer, Toddla T, the Beastie Boys, and so on, and so forth, and the music just keeps on coming. Yes, they’re favoring an electro and house bent as well as of late, but to be a fan of club music in 2010 is like going back to the early days of Baltimore as well, where the vibrant house scene spawned so many legends who extended the sound in so many intriguing directions. The sheer volume of the work coming from this posse is quite outstanding and deserves commendation.

Hot off of the success of producing the remixes of Beyonce’s “Video Phone,” Unruly Records has laid forth their aggressive new plan to truly expand past having an influence just in the sphere of club music. King Tutt’s “Takeover,” which samples The Doors’ “Five to One” sample used in Jay-Z’s The Blueprint’s massive battle track against Nas has the bass that typifies club music, but as is the feel now for most of the city, warping electro trending synths dominate the landscape upon which the track is made. The involvement of electro in club music is certainly a nod to the dominance of the David Guetta and Dr. Luke productions dominating the pop charts, as club producers attempt to cash in on the mainstream’s turn to the underground for support.
Unruly’s DJ Class may be one of the more interesting cases as of late, as the “I’m the Shit” and “Dance Like a Freak” producer still with an unreleased Alameda and Coldspring album is favored by the likes of bottle service destroyer Clinton Sparks and having those sort of Vegas aspirations seemed to lend themselves to his refix of ODB’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” one of the few Bmore club influenced tracks with elements of electro, dub and numerous disparate influences. Moreso than electro, the hard bass and massive sounds of that rising genre being indoctrinated into club music really makes for an interesting take on the sound.

Scottie B is busy too, but in a most interesting way, having opened a Facebook Fan Page and having not one, but two old school Bmore club mixes available for download. The legend and cornerstone figure of the genre spins weekly at the party he curates with TaxLo DJ Cullen Stalin, and while he rarely errs to the club side, his opening of the party house mixes at the party are truly worth a weekly visit to the free event.

The most important party in the city at the moment may be the hipster dominated, Radell Kane organized, young Moustache Crew DJed Moustache Party. The key to this party is that outside of the young spinners, it is the weekly residency of the classic club, no frills, low electro influence James Nasty, the most hyped DJ in club’s underground. He has an EP forthcoming, but with tracks featuring Ninjasonik, Maggie Horn, Menya and DC’s Roll Wit Us All-Stars and possibilities of some grand slam names from club music lore forthcoming, he may be the retro link to the early days of club music’s rediscovery by the underground. The maintenance of that link is firmly in his hands every Friday night at the Ottobar’s upstairs, and in viewing the party, you see that he sees it as a positive advancement of his career, sharpening his skills as a live DJ buoyed by his excellent productions.

Classic party starter Jonny Blaze is back, too, now claiming a religious overtone to his club productions after some unusual life occurrences. His new track “Here We Go” features Blaze on the mic and has a Charleston bounce and religious themes. The invocation of religion and club music is a positive move, and outside of his own creations, possibly grabbing some Mary Mary acapellas could lead to some really fantastic tracks, as they, alongside Kirk Franklin in the genre are the most musically forward thinking to benefit from the club treatment. Blaze has an EP dropping soon as well, and fully expect an interview with the legend to drop here soon at TGRIOnline.com

Youth has been served as well, as DJ Pierre and Murder Mark both have done mixes as of late for this site, and continue to hold down the 18+ scene. Mark, along with his “Yo Boyz” cronies have an album dropping later this year with Aaron Lacrate’s Mikcrate Records which is vital sounding and entertaining at first listen and puts the young producer in a good situation for career growth. He’s also decided to possibly release a new track a day for the month of March. If any of them are as hot as “Cherry Hill and Down Ya Block,” the buzz will be high. As well, he’s recorded with TT the Artist, who, if you like Rye Rye (who’s back in the studio by the way) is absolutely one to watch as TT has recorded with DC’s Will Eastman amongst many others. Pierre is in the lab as well working on the eighth volume of his mix series as well as new tracks, his rapidly developing smooth as silk mixing style blends well with his minimalist, groove centered productions.

DJ Excel’s Bmore Original label, home to Benny Stixx and DJ Booman amongst others still stays adamant along the Top 40 path, Excel’s refix of Ludacris’ “How Low” another in a long line of top 40 edits some that hit, and hit hard, others that sound like ClearChannel radio aimed remixes. Neither is a bad look, as from “That’s What A Pimp Does” to Benny Stixx’s refix of Twista’s “Wetter,” there are giant jams that the style can produce.

If you have tracks or events that you would like to see profiled on the Quarterly Bmore Club Update, email dowling.marcus.k AT gmail.com for more information.

SHIT I’M DIGGING THIS WEEK

5 Feb

aka avant garde musical water cooler discussion.


1. Nadastrom’s Remix of Udachi’s “Pfunk Skank.”

We here at TGRIOnline.om are of the belief that Washington, DC’s Nadastrom are what’s next in music. They blend a potent mixture of so many musial styles that it’s hard to really categorize what they do, other than to say it’s a particularly excellent blend of electronic dance music. Dave Nada’s (check our interview from last November here) the ex hardcore kid with Bmore club roots with a devotion to hard, funky breaks. Matt Nordstrom, a producer extraordinare, Deep Dish and Yoshitoshi Records related, representing only the finest in the minimal, tech and deep house landscape. The two blend more seamlessly by the day it seems, and their latest remix, of Udachi’s “Pfunk Skank” released this week on Beatport is HUGE. For those who thought that “Pussy” or “Save Us” were enormous, take a listen to this track, and note the awesome visuals by Mad Decent’s D-128. Clearly, the phrase that pays in 2010 is “Y’all ain’t Yeti.”

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9053327&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1Nadastrom Video Promo from System D-128 on Vimeo.

2. Jonny Blaze takes it to the club for Jesus!

 
Yes, we’re going back to Bmore and back to the 20+ year veteran for a reason. We’ve gotten an advance copy of Jonny’s upcoming album, and, well, it’s certainly different, it’s absolutely unique, and it’s in a direction that I’m surprised club music hasn’t fully embraced before. Jonny Blaze has gone spiritual on us, the same man responsible for “Head, Titties and Ass” now praising Jesus call and response style, and asking to be “held in his bosom.” I really am of the belief that in a market where people feel that the progression of club music may be limited once hip hop and R & B’s affection with electro dies, this makes all the sense in the world. Baltimore radio has locally always been a suporter of remixes of religious music, Hezekiah Walker‘s “99 1/2’s” club remix a stalwart in the early 90s on 92.3 FM, so there is a precedent. I’m eager to see what would happen if Mahalia Jackson on even more contemporary, Kirk Franklin, or the musically ambitious Mary Mary acapellas ended up being remixed. One can only imagine!

3. Punk: Attitude documentary astounds!

TGRIOnline.com in the coming months is going to be infused with a great deal of punk, hardcore and rock music. We here at the site love partying until 4 and 5 o’clock in the morning to electro, deep house, dubstep and disco. We’ll do it in DC, Austin, NY, Miami, wherever the music is hot and the scene is hotter, we’re there. However, we’re getting tired. And in the vein of taking a bit of a detour and a break, we’re injecting the souls of Wayne Kramer, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Richard Hell and Sid Vicious. And getting wild, intellectual, unrestrained and sometimes nasty. Need a primer? No problem. The documentary Punk: Attitude released in 2005 and directed by Don Letts delves into the roots, development and multitudes of offspring of the punk movement. Discussing not just the music, but the social attitudes, fashions and svengali management of Malcolm McLaren, the groupies like Nancy Spungeon and so much more, it excited, grows curiosity and entertains. It’s presently available in  nine parts on YouTube, so in the interest of music, we link to Part 1 right here. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/v/0XI85jPbcps&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01

THE DROP: Bmore Club Hero DJ JONNY BLAZE’s "30 Minute Workout" Vol. 5 – Electric Paradise

2 Feb
 

DOWNLOAD MIX

Baltimore’s legendary 20+ year veteran DJ Jonny Blaze has always been an intensely spiritual man whose skills and talents he feels are heaven sent. After a brief hiatus to handle some personal concerns, he has returned more spiritually motivated than ever with a new 30 minute mix where he’s now taking club music into the realm of electro, a move done by many as of late in the club music scene. However, what separates Blaze from say, King Tutt’s more Doors’ “Five to One” than Jay-Z’s “Takeover” inspired “Takeover” is that Blaze errs on far more of the side of what 12th Planet did with Dave Nada’s take on the “Apocalypse Theme,” a much harder edged, wobblier basslined and definitely truly edgier and harder breaking interpretation.

In any event, in 30 minutes, Blaze gives an idea of where he’s headed as well as a preview of his upcoming eight track album this spring, ending with some house inspired Baltimore cuts for the old school club heads as well. Enjoy the mix, and for more info visit Jonny on Myspace or Facebook for more information and music.

1. hello boys and girls
2.double dutch buzz
3.baltimore lesson
4.the revolution
5.bell bounce
6.warp
7.move mingle
8.mega
9.the boogieman
10. Apocalypse Theme
11.EVERY BODY DANCE
12.MANGES
13.N****Z FIGHTIN
14.FREAK 2NITE
15.ITS TO LATE
16.I GET HIGH
17.TORTURE MUTHA F****R
18.B***h PLEASE
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