Paris DJs Soundsystem Some Of The Best Things In Life Are Free Vol 8

Gathering some of the best free download we could grab during the last 3/4 months, this new mix is quite eclectic, from hip hop to reggae, minimal afro-electro, funk, disco, post-punk, Ghanaian soul or Afrofunk. We keep on sourcing new music relentlessly. Hopefully DJs and bedroom DJs will find a few gems for their sets in there… and in all cases everyone is in for a one-hour-long trip of cool, new music!

Paris DJs Soundsystem Some Of The Best Things In Life Are Free Vol 8
Paris DJs Soundsystem presents Some Of The Best Things In Life Are Free Vol.8
(MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) 2015-12-16

Le fil RSS
[comment faire?/how to?]

Things start with this always great beatmaker from the UK, Vanilla, who puts out free album after free album with loveable, relaxing beats. Follow him if you're not already! Also from the UK, DJ Ali B has been on our radar ever since 2009 and our first Hip Hop compilation 'It's The New Hip Hop Thing'. He's put out for free an amazing reggae version of Jamie XX's 'Good Times' which should put a big smile on everyone's face. Next is newcomer sUb_modU, an Italian producer based in Berlin. His minimal electronic cover of Fela's 'Water No Get Enemy' is splendid and purely original. Respect to this trailblazing work!!

In a city known worldwide for its brand of country music, DeRobert, has carved out a place for himself as the flag-bearer of Nashville Soul. His latest single, 'Got The Goods' was sent to us as a private soundcloud link, and was not a free download for everyone. But the tune is so soulful that we decided to add it to this selection anyway. The following track was more of an obvious choice, since it's an Adrian Quesada production - the man with the Midas touch from Austin, Texas. Afro, Psych, Latin, Rock, anything he touches becomes gold and this hip hop banger from Third Root is rocking just like we like it: heavily! Coming next is the chilled contemporary funk of Reginald Omas Mamode IV, a Londoner championed by Gilles Peterson. Truly unique. Then the People Under The Stairs take the mike, this Californian hip hop duo is still one of our favorites in the old school sunshiny boom bap game. They have a new album coming soon and are promoting it with some free tunes on Soundcloud. Their music is all very classic, nothing new under the sun, but cool as fuck anyway, as always.

The tune coming next is one you won't find anymore. Canadian bedroom beatmaker Harrison describes his Missing Hito side project as "cloudy weather music to be played when it’s raining". He had abandonned this project a while ago but then started putting out new sounds on Soundcloud again recently. 'Come Closer' sounds like a remix of a sexy disco tune, maybe somebody has recognized the original and he had to take it down. Thankfully we managed to grab it before it was deleted and add it to this mix…

Time Is Fire is a Washington DC band, deeply rooted in the capital's post-punk history, but reaching out to embrace rhythms from West Africa,the Middle East, Latin America and beyond. Their first single 'Violence (Brings Violence)' is a blast. Resident Paris DJs Erik Rug and Loik Dury both said right away after hearing it they would definitively play this in their sets. This is really a heavy track reminding the 'Misfits' UK TV show theme. I said "Franz Ferdinand", Loik replied "James Chance" and Erik "The Pop Group". Nobody said "LCD Soundsystem" but band member and Electric Cowbell label manager Jim Thompson confirmed that Time Is Fire "are really into that stuff and old PIL and Pop Group"... Fronted by an Iranian-born Sufi poet and backed by players steeped in punk, dance and experimental music, the bandmixes soaring vocals, floor-shaking funk grooves and acid-laced guitar leads into a mind-expanding geopolitical dance party. And so the following tune flows in perfectly, since Brighton afro/reggae/hip hop band King Porter Stomp are reaching out for the same goals with their new single 'Put Down Your Guns', remixed here by Prince Fatty, a UK reggae producer we've been playing regularly.

The mix stays on some fascinating Jamaican vibes for a while, starting with two-trombones dub combo from NYC Super Hi-Fi. We picked them for the first Paris DJs Soundsystem compilation way back in 2012 and if you enjoy mad novelty music, they've just put out a second Xmas album! Blend Mishkin is a reggae DJ/producer from Greece, and now a long-time Paris DJs collaborator. His latest remix is a banging dancehall monster we're srongly advising DJs to get their ears on, cos' this one fits in the "Tear The Roof Off" category for sure! Following up is our in-house producer Grant Phabao remixing the Berlin-based band Mop Mop on their Anhony Joseph and Fred Wesley-featuring tune 'Run Around'. Skanking reggae, jazz poetry and funk horn licks never sounded so great together and it's no surprise DJs such as Craig Charles or Erik Rug have been hammering this one in their sets.

We close this hand-picked selection with some African music, first with a track extracted from one of the best albums of 2015, the Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band LP, a Ghanaian soul gem released on Strut which you MUST listen to if you haven't already. And finally with more friends from NYC, Kokolo, who've just put out a name-your-price album on Bandcamp, from which we've singled out the Afro-disco groover 'Ethiopia'.

Indications for today (dec. 17) is listening to this mix between 6PM and 10PM and then heading out to the Paris DJs Soundsytem release party at Le Pigalle. (If you're not in Paris tonight, brother be, yo, like teleporting ain't funkin' kinda hard on you?)

Tracklisting :
01. Vanilla - Nana
(from 'Origin' digital album, 2015 / self-released)
[free download on vanillabeats.bandcamp.com]
02. Ali B - Good Times
From 'Good Times' digital single, 2015 / Air recordings)
[free download on airrecordings.co.uk]
03. sUb_modU - wtr ngt nme
(from 'FELA Xpnsv Sht 40 Years Tribute' digital single, 2015 / self-released)
[free download on submodu1.bandcamp.com]
04. DeRobert - Got the Goods
(from 'Got The Goods' EP, 2015 / City Bump)
[download on citybumprecords.bandcamp.com]
05. Third Root - Justice Or Else (Prod. by Adrian Quesada & Matt Strimska)
(from 'Justice Or Else' digital single, 2015 / self-released)
[free download on thirdroot.bandcamp.com]
06. Reginald Omas Mamode IV - Sunshine (Al Dobson Jr Reprise)
(from 'Sunshine / MoneyMaker' 12 inch, 2015 / Five Easy Pieces)
[free download on fiveeasypieces.bandcamp.com]
07. People Under The Stairs - Nobody Cares
(from 'American Men Vol.2' digital EP self-released one track at a time, 2015)
[free download on soundcloud.com/peopleunderthestairs]
08. Missing Hito - Come Closer
(from 'Come Closer' digital single, 2015 / self-released)
[formerly available on soundcloud.com/whoisqueen]
09. Time Is Fire - Violence (Brings Violence)
(from 'Time is Fire' EP, 2015 / Electric Cowbell)
[free download on soundcloud.com/dimsum66]
10. King Porter Stomp - Put Down Your Dub (Prince Fatty)
(from 'Put Down Your Weapons' digital single, 2015 / self-released)
[free download on kingporterstomp.bandcamp.com]
11. Super Hi-Fi - Q Street (Full Version)
(from 'Q Street' Digital EP, 2015 / Peace and Rhythm)
[free download on superhi-fi1.bandcamp.com]
12. Balkan Riddims - United feat. Jahricio (Blend Mishkin Remix)
(from 'United feat. Jahricio (Blend Mishkin Remix)' digital single, 2015 / self-released)
[free download on balkanriddims.bandcamp.com]
13. Mop Mop - Run Around ft. Fred Wesley & Anthony Joseph (Grant Phabao Remix)
(from 'Hits Agogo One' compilation, 2015 / Agogo)
[download on shop.agogo-records.com]
14. Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band - Me Ho Asem
(from 'Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band' album, 2015 / Strut)
[free download on strut-records.com/sampler]
15. Kokolo - Ethiopia
(from '100 Fevers' album, 2015 / self-released)
[free download on kokoloafrobeat.bandcamp.com]
Total time : 64mn 23s

Original cover artworks :


Credits :
Selected by Djouls (Paris DJs) with the help of Pierre Raingeard (Le Ptit Bazar Free & Legal)
Mixed and mastered by Grant Phabao (Paris DJs)
Artwork by Ben Hito (facebook)

Download MP3

Links :
Paris DJs : parisdjs.com | bandcamp | facebook | pinterest | soundcloud | twitter | youtube
Ben Hito : official | discogs | facebook


Original post on Paris DJs