SUPERDUTYTOUGHWORK: supercat

Thursday, April 1, 2010

TheWorldsBestEver x SDTW Present: Sound Boy Advice

Two weeks ago the dudes from TheWorldsBestEver asked if I would make a mix of songs (not mixed, but more of a play list) comprised of any music I wanted.

I took the opportunity to go through my hard drive and my other laptop to compile songs from my favorite genre of the last few years which is digital 80's dancehall. I narrowed the list to 47 scorchers. That was way too long so I shaved that down into 18 tunes plus an intro that I chopped together in Garage Band cause I'm well hard on Garage Band tings. You know dis fam. Dont believe me rudeboy? Ask mi bredren THIS

Dancehall STILL manages to go unaffected in the States (at least) by viral culture and the internet. The only crossover we've had in the last 5 years was "Welcome To Jamrock" and an occasional Sean Paul tune. That is it. IN the UK that may not be the case. Here in the U.S though I can go nearly anywhere I want and I know there will be no dancehall being played. There will not be some kid running around with a Mavado shirt on. Why? I guess because of the "patois" barrier. Or maybe it is due to the fact that dancehall has never really broken through for more than a few weeks on the charts. It is the eternal musical genre underdog. There will be no Supercat x The Hundreds tee shirt and thank God for that. While Bad Brains, Joy Division, Maiden, NWA, Slayer, Public Enemy, and the like become just brands for other brands to leech off there sitting in the corner will be dancehall. Your favorite band's logo is already being raped into some bullshit tee shirt that will be sold to some asshole who wants you to know what is on his fucking iPod. Yup. That is the long and short of it.

To me dancehall is pure and self generating. It does not conform to any fads other than its own. The fads that do come out of dancehall culture are purely ridiculous i.e daggering, silly dance troops, fashion dont's, pop culture references, and everything else.

The 1980's saw the rise of a new form of reggae and what we now refer to now as dancehall. As roots reggae started to get heavier both in dub form and what was coming out of the studios from session bands like The Roots Radics the music at some point became entirely digital. Most people point to Jammy's "Sleng Teng" riddim as the turning point, but a lot of people were already using digital production by that time. Sleng Teng more or less was the the nail in the coffin.

This period is where I plucked all of these tunes. It starts with some more rub-a-dub type stuff, but as soon as you get to "Hog In A Minty" it is pure digital digital roughness. It slows back down at the end, but that is after the music "bruks" your nanny's pussyhole.

Apologies for the slackness.

The cover I designed is a tribute to my personal favorite illustrator Wilfred Limonious. As far as I can gather Limonoius has no known website, contact, or representation. His illustrations captured the era better than any photograph could have. The dude is like Nagel of dancehall.

Anyways, I'm done nerding out. Just go to the link below and download the bloodclot thing unless you're retarded. I will post up a tracked out version soon, but for now fuck with the whole thing mixed into one long chune.

Sound Advice 45: TheWorldsBestEver

Play List:

Intro - Bad Man Skip
Shaolin Pat - Nicodemus
Identity - Early B
DJ Daddy - Lone Ranger
Why Won’t You Come On - Little John
Gi Mi Wha Mi Want - Michael Palmer
Experience - Tonto Irie
What A Ride - Supercat
Hog In A Minty - Nitty Gritty
Original Kuff - Chaka Demus
Punnany - Admiral Bailey
Heart Breaker - Half Pint
Come Me Just a Come - Tenor Saw
Youths of Today - White Mice
E20 - Wayne Smith
You Betta Know - Mikey General
Me Ave A Likkle Sound - King Kong
Lost Mi Love - Yellowman
Roll Call - Tenor Saw

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Early B

Early B a.k.a Early Bird a.k.a Doctor

Early came up along side Supercat as a mic man for Killamanjaro Sound.

This album alluded me for a while, but I pretty much knew it was a banger from the cover alone.

Unfortunately Early B was shot and killed in a dance in 1994. The list of murdered dancehall artists is a long one sadly.

Track Listing:

Cane Man A Fe Bathe
Kill Me With Talking
Just Love & Unity
New York Party
Call The Doctor For Me
Four Wheel No Reel
Computer Tek Over
Poor Class Want Mass

Produced by Jah Thomas

Get it.

P.S Try and show me a better album sleeve than the one above.

Download:
Early B "Four Wheel No Real"

Friday, March 6, 2009

Super Cat

Dancehall 101.

This one was recorded in the mid 80's with King Jammy and Bobby Digital Dixon.

Nuff said.

There's really not much more I need to say about this record it's that good.

Track Listing:

Boops
Experience Lover
Learn Fi Ride
Jah Bible
History
Cry Fi Di Youth
Big And Ready
Tell Me What You Fighting For
Trash And Ready

Supercat "Si Boops Deh!"