platinum pied pipers/sa-ra/the new downbeat-rnb thing: why don't i like this stuff more?

I love that Sa-Ra tour CDr that is going around, here's to hoping they don't fuck with the formula too much on their upcoming studio disc.

how many sub-jay dee beats and programming can anyone take though? i hear that sound of his in so many underground producers, i just want them to move past that mellowness, that stacatto drum pattern, and that 'this could be slum village couldnt it?!' mood music.

"i mentioned in the Sa Ra thread how the major complaint of these guys is lack of songwriting, but i just don't even understand what that means. i mean, there's a beat, a chord progression (or not, but a lot of the jazz i love is only one chord, and NEU!). there are vocals, there's sometimes a hook. i mean, coming from someone who loves jungle and dance music, how can you expect it in this genre, but not in that. are you an r'n'b-ist?"

but this doesnt come from jungle and dance, it comes from soul, R&b and hip hop. id say these guys grew up on hip hop, then are trying their hand on R&b and soul type stuff, and it shows in the songwriting, cos its pretty static and mechanical. they havent quite understood that not all music is made like hip hop is. the problem i have with ppp and sa-ra is a lot of their music lacks any sort of momentum, it just glides along, or jogs along, and never really goes anywhere. its all about maintaining a vibe rather than developing a song as such. kinda like a hip hop beat and someone singing rap lyrics. the songs with georgia (i think) on the ppp album are the absolute pits cos of this. shes just rambling on barely strung together words that sound like they should be rapped instead of sing. and the funny thing is that despite their reactionary dissing of neo soul, theyre still close to that sound with their mellowness, their tranquility and their songlessness. (btw, sa ra are not peppermints and incense, lyrically speaking - people should listen closer).

all that said, sa-ra do have a few good songs to their credit, only about 3 or 4 though.

Sa-Ra have a new single/mini-compilation of their production work for Pharaoh Monche, J Dilla and Steve Spacek out now, called "Second Time Around." It is- como se dice?- fucking awesome. And apparently Kanye's signed them- if I hear "Glorious" or "Double Dutch" on mainstream pop radio I will be orgasmically happy.

waajeed live on deviation (bbc 1xtra)

1. diverse - aint right
2. platinum pied pipers - try me
3. jonny miller - everyday
4. teddy seven - steady
5. alison crockett - U R (yam who? remix)
6. leroy hutson - love this feeling (moodymann reedit)
7. metal fingers - orange blossom instrumental
8. platinum pied pipers ft elleuud - one to love you
9. waajeed - vangelis
10. slum village - la la
11. jay dee - guitar
12. jay dee - it's dope
13. jay dee - kaamal
14. sa ra creative partners - glorious
15. fourtet - serious as your life (jay dee remix ft guilty simpson)
16. wajeed - untitled beat
17. platinum pied pipers - better days
18. waajeed - tron
19. theo parrish - musical metaphors
20. amp fiddler - superficial (moodymann remix)
21. urban tribe - covert action
22. galaxy 2 galaxy - journey of the dragons
23. wajeed - tron
24. rhythim is rhythim - it is what it is
25. dego & kaidi tatham - ain't nothing you can't feel
26. dabrye - you know the formula right
27. brandy - turn it up

killer set, esp if you're feeling the whole jay-dee-meets-detroit-techno sort of vibe.

hold tight for the YSI.

anyway before we get to the YSI:

it's all abt CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT.

it's hard to love this shit when it's SLSKed in the form of hastily-assembled "bootleg"/"unreleased" mp3 folders on random people's. i especially had this problem w/ sa-ra. i don't want to hear a 20 track "compilation" that's 1/3rd intros/skits and 1/3rd studio outtakes and random beat compositions.

on the other hand, hearing it in mixed form w/ benji b and waajeed's heartwarming collegial chatter over the top ... OMGs all around. why have i been sleeping on PPP?!?!

plantlife is gooood.

(any idea how long 164 mb should take on 802.11g broadband?)

well, expect it by ... tomorrow, at the latest.

http://s8.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0EZMPVKF3OU18170O5LZ8JTU2B

would you be at all interested in a DJ Houseshoes mix? he's a detroit dj who specializes in all this stuff. the beats are all fantastic, but (honestly) the mcs are kinda backpackery. i can upload if wanted

(poor strongo - working on dead president's day?)

(p.s. thnx dude)

i think i've heard most everything that they played. the coolest parts were the interviews and hearing that Amp Fiddler taught Jay Dee how to use the MPC. i've got the amp fiddler album, but i never really got into it. i should go back and give it another chance now

Weather Report - River People

xpost - yeah, it's a really good show. i do appreciate it.

i love that diverse album

www.brucewang.com/adoru/sa-ra.zip

link's still active.

What next, Ursula Rucker?

art of customization

1. Dollar - Steve Spacek
2. Now or Never - Platinum Pied Pipers
3. Hideyaface [Instrumental] - Prefuse 73
4. I Don't Care - Black Spade
5. Simply So [Sa-Ra Remix] - GB, Steve Spacek
6. Glorious - Sa-Ra Creative Partners
7. The Hop - Radio City
8. Reverible Top - Steve Spacek
9. Time Has Come - Exile, Slum Village
10. Can't Hold On - M.E.D.
11. Broad Factor - Quasimoto
12. Listen - Black Spade, Darien Brockington
13. Move, Pt.2 - Daz-I-Kue
14. Show Me the Way [Seiji Remix] - Zap Mama
15. Everybody Loves the Sunshine [Demo Version] - Roy Ayers

aw, i loved abundance. especially the karma stewart numbers, "on a cloud" is fierce as fuck

new ppp is way better than old ppp. but even then, i like it, but it can seem like its trying to do too much at once.

Abundance is all right, but Triple P is a lot better imo. All the great personalities that were present on the first record got shafted in favor of anono-soulers.