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DJWags Picks July 15, 2005

Hey Gang,
I would just like to start out by asking all of you to please be safe and strong in these hard times.
Please say a prayer, light a candle, look at the stars,.. Whatever brings you to a higher plane, and send out love and compassion to all the folks affected by the events of last Thursday the 7th of July here in my new hometown of London.
I was here in London that morning … much pain and sorrow is here and around the world. Please help to re-balance the scales by being vigilant and defiant through understanding, not hate.
Hate is too easy, dig down deep, and I’m sure you can find a way to spread your own individual source of compassion and understanding through out your immediate surroundings. I believe this will touch the people around you, and those around them, and so on and so on. It starts as a ripple and could build into a wave of strong compassion that may be big enough to drown out the peddlers of all this terror and hate. It starts with us is what I’m saying.

We do have the power to combat Hate and ignorance throughout the world … and let me tell you it isn’t through more hate. I have never seen a bullet stop another bullet … No government is going to do this for us, we must do it ourselves. It’s up to us.

Hey, shit man, at the end of the day I’m just a DJ, Listen or don’t, but at least think on it folks. It’s worth your time.
Since I am the DJ, I will end with just saying... spread the love, and spread the music!

Here are some choice cuts to get you going in the right direction.

Until next time, Take care of yourself, and each other.

*Oh and this is for "the one" … If your there, why are you here now reading this?.., look inside of yourself … is this who you really want to be?
Life is so short ... think about it.
w it I’ll be back with some more.
Who love’s ya baby?

1. Engineers
Echo Records 2005 (*UK import)

Beautiful pop genius! My favorite record of the year! Don’t cheat yourself, get this.

2. The Egg "Forwards"
Squarepeg Records 2004
www.theegg.org.uk

Track #4 "Venice Beach".. downtempo brilliance.

3. Tosca "j.a.c."
G-Stone 2005
g-stoned.com

They do it again! Dorfmeister and Huber are AMAZING! This is the most fully realized material they have released so far. They get better and better.

4. Paris Texas | the Original Soundtrack music by Ry Cooder
Warner Brothers records inc. 1985

Huh?.. you are saying to yourself. I know you think I’ve lost my marbles. Listen to this record and tell me that Ry does not belong in the downtempo hall of fame for his efforts on this masterpiece. Yeah it’s slide guitar .. Yeah it’s blues. But listen to groups like Bent, and tell me this isn’t seriously influencing modern electronica.

5. Break n’ Bossa Chapter 7 (more funk into it) | Compilation
Schema Records 2005 (*import)
www.ishtar.it

Schema has been putting this series of excellent Nu Bossa grooves for like 10 years now.. They still have the formula down pat. I love them, they are all great, and this one is a must to complete the collection.

6. Husky Rescue "Country Falls"
Catskills Records 2004

Do you like Zero 7? Go get this record then. Nuff Said.

7. The Funky Lowlives "Somewhere Else Is Here"
Outer Recordings 2005
unkylowlives.com

These guys have the magic recipe man! Love it, smooth all the way down.

8. Mandrillus Sphynx "Ban Music"
Twentythree Records Ltd. 2003 (8import)
23online.co.uk

I found these guys through a previous "pick" of mine. Remember the Fabric 18 by Baby Mammoth? Well on that mix they popped in one of Mandrillus tracks. "Pigeon’s G-Spot".. This is a very funked up old school feeling break track. I loved it instantly. I found the record here in London and have become very fond of the quirky vibe they come up with on this record. It is very different but also very familiar at the same time. I think it’s a gem. It got really passed over in the States, so I am unsure if it is even around, but put your hunting cap on.

9. Little Beaver "the Very Best of Little Beaver"
$tateside and EMI records 2004

Man this record is so F’ ing cool, man.
Drop track #2 down at any self-respecting rare Groove joint, and the butts will be bumpin’ brother! He had a very groovy sound here, heavy Jazz guitar sound with Funky background soulful groove pushing every track into the Beat-head stratosphere! This record is a gold mine for Breaks. I am sure that you will hear loads of familiar breaks in this record. Many a DJ has been rippin’ LB’s stuff for decades now.
"LB" has a similar sound to some of the more funky George Benson stuff of the late sixties… so if you like the stuff Benson was puttin’ out on CTI records back the like the classic track "the Ghetto" and the lot.. Well, you’ll be smiling when you drop the needle on - the Very Best of LB.

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