#skratch sans

[starzeah123]

Tear is missing/j

Tear by @raibowbaybow

Astro by @/itsa_squid

Skratch by @albically

Reaper by Ren

Zach by me

[barbatrucoproducciones]

great work by brotha Tenshun,go support the man!

[angstics]

may 7, 2004 @ soma san diego (by xkatix, in skratch 102)

[djritch]

Dj Q-bert  home studio “Octagon”

[tulaladd]

世界最遅tulaladd2020best DL list

年間ベストを始めて以来、初の事態。

なんと9か月遅れのポスト。あと3か月で次の年ベスの発表時期じゃないですか…唯一にして最大の理由が、もちろんあるにはある。

暗夜行路のような唄声が車内から眺める某庁舎前の雪景色と甘酸っぱい感情を喚起させるRY Xや、このリストには登場しない自分用に作ったプレイリスト（日本語ラップ���、シティーポップ編）をひとりで何度も諳んじては胸を焦がした。それらの音楽が本来持つ資質にプラスして思い出補正でランクインした作品がいくつかある（最たるものがサントラ部門かな）。そんな変化があった2020年でした。

それを除けば、音楽ライフは基本的に前年を踏襲。つまり引き続きapple music依存型で、DIG活動もほほ休止（荷物の山に埋もれたタンテをセッティングし直せるまともな精神状態じゃなかった…）。落第生の体たらくをここ何年も続けてるわけです。とはいえ昨年と比べれば、リスト入り作品の数が格段に増えた＝それなりに楽しい音楽生活が営めていたのも事実。その充実を支えたものがアルゴリズムって点がものすごく納得はいかないけれど。（毎年書いてるけど、手当たり次第サブスクを横断する中で「もう一度聴きたい」と思えたものが以下のDLリスト。感覚的には昨年より緩い5枚に1枚。それでも昨年比3倍の約250枚！）

いつまで延命できるか分からないローカルラジオを継続できたのもラッキーだった。相変わらずみんなとあーだこーだ言いながらいろんな曲を聴く時間が音楽ライフを豊かにしてくれました。感謝。過去最高に音楽への熱が薄いテキストになっちゃうけど、9か月遅れだと致し方なしか。

三ツ星評価のうち、エル・ミシェルズ・アフェアのシングルはラジオの一戸くんレコメン、今年も熱量が持続しているサウスロンドン・ジャズ・シーンのマンスール・ブラウンEPはおなじみWOZNIAK星くんのオススメ、ほかにも人から教わってお気に入りになった作品が少なくないのは、サブスクじゃ届かないリアルの強みが感じられて、そこだけは希望があるのかな。

特筆するとすれば、Bartosz KruczynskiのEARTH TRAX以来追い続けてきたリズムセクション・インターナショナルが、旬のサウスロンドン・シーンと地下ハウス/テクノ・シーンのメルティング・ポットだったことが分かって興味が再燃させられた個人的な事件。そのセンセーションのグラウンド・ゼロにあたるTHE COLOURS THAT RISEの発見が今年No.1の成果かな。

唯一職場で音楽談義ができるために相互レコメンに特化したLINEを展開中のT氏に教えられたエディ・チャコンのアルバム、そのエディの復活劇を手掛け、若林恵さん経由でずっぽりハマったソランジュ『A Seat At The Table』の禅的ミニマリズのデザイナーでもあることが事後に発覚したジョン・キャロル・カービーの2人は、今年ならではの幸福な時間の中で何度も繰り返し聴いた一生の思い出確定盤。ジョンなんか3カテゴリーに分かれてのランクインだもんな。　

さて2021年。あと3か月しかない。今年はやる？やらない？いろいろ越えるべきものが多くすぎてそれ以前の問題かもしれないなけど。

【TECHNO / HOUSE / (NU)DISCO / ELECTRONICS】 ★★★THE COLOURS THAT RISE / Grey Doubt ★★THE COLOURS THAT RISE / 2020 EP（2017） ★★THEO PARRISH / Wuddaji ★★Machinedrum / A View of U ★Kuniyuki Takahashi / Flying Music EP ★Oneohtrix Point Never / Magic Oneohtrix Point Never ★VLADISLAV DELAY / Rakka ★LUKE SLATER / berghain fünfzehn ★Jayda G / Both of Us / Are U Down EP ★TSHA / Flowers EP ★DISCLOSURE / Energy ★DARKSTAR / Civic Jams ★Chari Chari / We Hear the Last Decades Dreaming ★HUNEE / Boiler Room : an hour with HUNEE（DJ Mix） ★Autechre / SIGN Arca / @@@@@ BURIAL / Chemz FOUR TET / Sixteen Oceans JAMES BLAKE / Before EP GLOBAL COMMUNICATION / Transmissions Sampler JOHN FRUSCIANTE / Maya TRICKFINGER / She Smiles Because She Presses the Button EP TRICKFINGER / Look Down, See Us EP 60 Miles / Swamp 2 Sea EP EARTH TRAX / LP1 EARTH TRAX / LP2 BIG YAWN / No! HIATT dB / Palimpsest EP GL / You Read My Mind DJ SOFA / Elsewhere Junior I - a Collection of Cosmic Children’s Song Mr President / One Night feat.Celia Kameni & Cindy Pooch J.A.K.A.M. / ASTRAL DUB WORX Inner Science / Made パソコン音楽クラブ / Ambience EP LOCUSSOLUS / Locussolus（Expanded） Various Artists / South DAN KYE / Small Moments OFF THE MEDS / Off The Meds BASSO / Proper Sunburn - Forgotten Sunscreen Applied By Basso（2019） Copenema / Dexia a Musica Tocar（2019） Seahawks / Eyes of the Moon（2019） Jayda G / Significant Changes（2019） MMM / Que Barbaro（2013）

【HIPHOP / R&B / BEATS / FUNK】 ★★★EDDIE CHACON / Outside（Laraaji Remix） ★★EDDIE CHACON / Pleasure, Joy and Happiness ★★Lil Narnia / Pain Extract ★★VHOOR / Baile & Sauce ★AG CLUB / Halfway Off the Porch ★MAC MILLER / Circles ★THUNDRCAT / It Is What It Is ★WILMA ARCHER / A Western Circular ★OXP, ONRA & POMRAD / Swing Convention ★DJ KRUSH / TRICKSTER ★BENEDEK / Bene’s World（2017） JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / High feat.Eddie Chacon & Nailah Hunter THE WEEKND / After Hours DRAKE / Dark Lane Demo Tapes POP SMOKE / Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon IVAN AVE / DOUBLE GOODBYES MOSES SUMNEY / græ PETER COTTON TALE / CATCH NNAMDI / BRAT Yves Tumor / Heaven Ta a Toutured Mind Teebs / Ardour（10th Anniversary Edition） Wajatta / Don’t Let Get You Down Lapalux / Esrevoinma EP Kutmah / New Appliance THE HELIOCENTRICS / Telemetric Sounds VULFPECK / The Joy of Music, The Job of   Real Estate JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Lazzara（2019） Various Artists / Kutmah presents : Sketchbook Radio Archives, Vol.1（2018） Invisibl Skratch Piklz / The 13th Foor（2016） D-STYLES / Phantazagorea（2002）

【JAZZ（the New Chapter） / WORLD】 ★★★MANSUR BROWN / Tesuto ★★★JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / My Garden ★★KAMASI WASHINGTON / Harmony of Difference EP（2017） ★JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Love Theme ★MANSUR BROWN / Shiroi ★JEFF PARKER / Suite for Max Brown ★CHICAGO UNDERGROUND QUARTET / Good Days ★TOM MISCH & YUSSEF DAYES / What Kinda Music ★KAMAAL WILLIAMS / Wu Hen ★ROB MAZUREK & EXPLODING STAR ORCHESTRA / Dimentional Stardust: ★ORLANDO LE FLEMING / Romantic Funk : The Unfamiliar ★SAM WILKES / WILKES（2019） ★YUSSEF KAMAAL / Black Focus（2016） ★ZSOFIA BOROS / Local Objects（2016） JYOTI & GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW / Mama, You Can Bet! BUTCHER BROWN / #KingButch BRAXTON COOK / Fire Sign PAT METHENY / From This Place Fabiano do Nascimento / Preludio SAM GENDEL / Satin Doll SAM GENDEL / Pass If Music（2018） SAM WILKES / Live on the Green（2019） BRANDON COLEMAN / Resistance（2018） KIEFER / Superbloom（2019） 鈴木良雄 / モーニング・ピクチャー（1984） 鈴木良雄 / ウイングス（1987） JOHN EBERSON, BJ0RNAR ANDRESEN, PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE / Mind the Gap（2001）

【（INDIE）ROCK / （INDIE） POP / SSW】 ★★★EL MICHELS AFFAIR / Reasons feat.Bobby Oroza ★★EL MICHELS AFFAIR / Adult Themes ★★THE FLAMING LIPS / American Head ★★SUFJAN STEVENS / The Ascension ★★FLEET FOXES / Shore ★★COLDPLAY / Everyday Life（2019） ★★RY X / Unfurl（2019） ★★THE WAR ON DRUGS / Lost in the Dream（2014） ★PHOEBE BRIDGERS / Copycat Killer feat. ROB MOOSE - EP ★Mk.gee / A Museum of Contradiction ★PEEL DREAM MAGAZINE / Agitprop Alterna ★BLAKE MILLS / Mutable Set ★THE STROKES / The New Abnormal ★CHS / Jungle Sauna（2019） ★KINDNESS / Something Like A War（2019） ★〝Blue〟Gene Tyranny & Peter Gordon / Trust In Rock（2019） ★STATE RIVER WIDENING / Early Music（2003） BIBIO / Sleep On The Wing Jonsi / Shiver JEFF TWEEDY / Love Is The King REAL ESTATE / The Main Thing ANIMAL COLLECTIVE / Bridge to Quite LITTLE DRAGON / New Me . Same us JAGA JAZZIST / Pyramid TAME IMPAlA  / The Slow Rush TRAVIS / 10 Songs SORRY / 925 JOSEPH OF MERCURY / WAVE Ⅱ Khruangbin / Mordechai Various Artists / Hiding From the Landlord HOWLING / Colure DEVENDRA BANHART / Ma（2019） LANA DEL REY / Norman Fucking Rockwell（2019） DAVE GROHL / Play（2018） CRITERIA / En Garde（2003）

【PUNK / HEAVEY / EXTREAM】 ★★envy / The Fallen Crimson ★★lang / There is no reply, but sweet wind blew（2018） ★envy / LAST WISH（Live at Liquidroom Tokyo） ★SLIFT / UMMON ★HORSE LORDS / The Common Task ★coriky / coriky ★Sans Visage, Look at moment / Split Single ★Sans Visage / moments（2017） ★LIGHTNING BOIL / Sonic Citadel（2019） ★Harvey Milk / Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men（2006） DEFTONES / Ohms Converge / Endless Arrow JESU / Terminus JESU / Never JESU / Ascension（Delux） KRUELTY / A Dying Truth XIBALBA / Anos En Infierno Various Artists / Speedy Wunderground Year 4（2019） RUSSIAN CIRCLE / Russian Circle Audiotree Far Out（2019） EARTH / Live at Third Man Records（2017） THE ARMED / Only Love（2018） THE ARMED / Untitled（2015）

【AMBIENT / NEW AGE / DRONE / MINIMAL MUSIC / EXPERIMENTAL】 ★★JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Conflict ★★Dukes of Chutney / Hazel  ★HEATHERED PEARLS / Cast ★SAM PREKOP / Comma BING & RUTH / Species FRANKIE REYES / Originalitos IAN WILLIAM CRAIG / Red Sun Through Smoke WINDY & CARL / Allegiance and Conviction JONNY NASH & SUZANNE KRAFT / A Heart So White JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Tuscany（2019） JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Meditation In Music（2018） JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Travel（2017） ALEXANDER RISHAUG / Shadow of Events（2011） 【CLASSIC / OST】 ★LUDWIG GORANSSON / Tenet OST ★JOHN WILLIAMS / Double Trouble ※from OST of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban（2004） DUSTIN O'HALLORAN / Ammonite OST KAMASI WASHINGTON / Becoming（Music from the Netflix Original Documentary） DUSTIN O'HALLORAN / Lumiere（2011） BETH GIBBONS, The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Krzysztof Penderecki / Henryk Gorecki: Symphony No.3（2019） ANTONI WIT, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra(Katowice) & Polish Choir of Krakow / Henryk Gorecki: Symphony No.2（2001） ZSOFIA BOROS / Local Objects（2016） 【DOMESTIC（without HIPHOP）】 ★★★METAFIVE / 環境と心理 ★★GEZAN / 狂（KLUE） ★★downy / 第七作品集「無題」 ★★岡村靖幸 / 操 ★★崎山蒼志 / ソフト　※FEVER LIVE ver. on YouTube ★★SILENT POETS / dawn（2018） ★WOZNIAK / Vegetable Home Run ★Ai Aso / The Faintest Hint ★jan and naomi / YES ★mei ehara / Ampersands ★ディーン・フジオカ / Neo Dimension ★LUNA SEA / Make a vow ★坂本慎太郎 / 好きっていう気持ち / おぼろげナイトクラブ ★Cuushe / Waken ★sassya- / 脊髄（2019） ★小袋成彬 / Piercing（2019） ★She Her Her Hers / stereochrome（2014） WOZNIAK / Lost WOZNIAK / Double Face mouse on the keys / Arche 5kai / Untitled #2 KAN SANO / Susanna Ovall / Ovall（2019） mabanua / Blurred（2018） D.A.N. / Aechma ふさえ / そのまま 相馬智行 & 鳴海徹朗 / 春の闇 jan and naomi / Neutrino 王舟 / Pulchra Ondo 春ねむり / LOVETHEISM 井出健介と母船 / Contact From Exne Kedy And The Poltergeists（エクスネ・ケディと騒がしい幽霊からのコンタクト） 吉田一郎不可触世界 / えぴせし 岡田拓郎 / Morning Sun blgtz / Feature EP Coff / Tiny Music（2019） 【DOMESTIC（HIPHOP）】 ★★DJ CHARI & DJ TATSUKI / GOLDEN ROUTE ★★Weny Dacillo / Hapitable Hotel ★Hideyoshi / Dead End Adventure ★GG UJIHARA / WEAKNESS EP（2018） ★DJ CHARI & DJ TATSUKI / Time feat.Yo-Sea & KEIJU（2019） ★GG UJIHARA / WEAKNESS EP（2018） KOHH / worst KEIJU / T.A.T.O. Sauce81 / S8100 MARTER / Weltraumasthetik 2020 Normcore Boyz / MEDIAGE なみちえ / 毎日来日 徳利 / REVOLUTION starscream & Page Hiiragi / Ghost(s) DJ CHARI / GAME（2019） YOUNG HASTLE & GG UJIHARA / YOUNG UJIHARA EP（2019） Weny Dacillo / AMPM EP（2017）

[stayradadventureteam]

See You In Emporia

A year ago, I sat on the dorm room floor – eating a sad, cold “checkpoint” sandwich from the cooler and texted my friend, Allison Zmuda to ask her about gravel bike models for short women.  I knew that I wanted to give it another crack. Fast forward 1 year later, and I am sitting on the cold dorm floor with a different story to tell.

I mirrored the same routine as last year- 4 AM dorm breakfast.  I chatted with a rider from San Francisco and one from the UK. All of us were just ready to see what was in store!

As I rolled up from the ESU Campus to Commercial St, I looked at the finish line from the same direction as it would be at the actual finish.  I shed a tear. I really hoped that I would be riding this same stretch to the finish line.

I staged with the group of faster riders.  They are good bike handlers, and can pull you along.  Among the busy staging area, I managed to find another Chicago-area rider, Chris Drouganis (Intent Racing).  He had come to one of my training rides this year, and we both were back for some unfinished business from 2018.  Among the crowds, Justin McBride (Rochelle, IL/ Gu Energy) also found me and wished me luck.

The race started, and I stayed on Chris’ wheel for about 15 miles.  Either at a turn, or steering away from some gnarly spots, I lost Chris but had no intention to fight to find him. It is tight and fast-moving with people constantly intercepting or riding around you. I hung on with a crowd, and as I fell back, a new crowd pulled me along.  I was happy to ride the first 30 averaging 15+ mph. I knew that the wind was blowing from the south, so it was critical to ride hard, draft when I could, and make the most time possible (without blowing up).

Once mile 30 hit, we entered the Flint Hills. It suddenly gets quiet when you get in this landscape. It’s stunning.  This year, we did not ride inside any cattle property but instead the b-roads and gravel roads. I was relieved about this, but learned that the gravel roads brought massive climbs.  The sun started to peep and I started to feel it. This is not a good start. I only looked forward to seeing Brandon and Nils at the first checkpoint (mile 65).

Brandon barely made it on time, seeing that I had made great time in the first 30-40 miles.  He was ready to roll! His car was not too far from the District Bicycles tent. They helped me get my bike checked over.  

I sat on the ground next to the car and Brandon dripped the cooler ice water on my head.  It was a rush of refreshment. I needed to cool off to get some calories. I had a pickle, part of a small ham sandwich, gummy bears and a can of coke.  Brandon restocked my Camelback, my 2 tall bottles, and my bar bag with food. I would not see him for about 90 miles. It was going to be a long haul.

From looking at the DK200 course map, after the Alma Checkpoint there were 40 miles of gnarly roads.  As soon as I left Alma, we still rode on relatively smooth gravel surfaces but massive climbs. Then, we got into some b-roads and rocky surfaces. This year, I was mostly proud that I knew how to take lines, and descend much faster than last year. I had less issues in the b-roads. One in particular, I could feel my bike going not the way I wanted to, and I could foresee a crash but I let the bike go in that unwanted direction, and then I guided myself back. WOW.

From Alma (mile 65), those 40 miles felt long. It was during the most intense heat of the day.  I stopped to sit in the shade 2 times specifically to cool off and eat some food. I took bites of anything that looked good.  Around mile 80-90 a farmer had his yard open for us to hose off with the spigot and he had drinkable water. I soaked my entire head and core- that felt amazing.  I took off and battled on. I was looking forward to the 100-104 mark because I knew in my mental map of the course that was the last of the gnarly section. At mile 110 or so there was a surprise neutral water stop sponsored by EF Education First Pro Cycling.  They had ice bandanas for us to wear, and more water for soaking and for refilling bottles. This time, I dumped out one bottle of Skratch, and refilled it with plain water. It improved my mood on the bike when all I wanted to do was rinse my mouth or sprinkle myself a little.  (I had enough electrolytes in my Camelback, and my other tall bottle). Leaving the surprise water stop was all pavement, and it was a different scenery. I only had about 10 miles to the DK200 neutral water stop/ checkpoint in Alta Vista. So, those 10 miles felt long too. One last moment of questioning life choices in the shade and I pushed on.  

Once I reached Alta Vista (mile 120) I was pretty sure I lost any chance of finishing. I called Brandon to discuss the situation.  I had exactly 3 hours to ride 30 miles. If I was going at the pace I had been to get there, I really questioned this next leg. I refilled everything at the water stop, ate some food, and did everything possible to refresh myself.  I thought: “Let’s do this”. I left Alta Vista with a rider from San Diego, Rafi. He had the same attitude to just go for it, and see what happens. He was fairly taller than me, and I was drafting behind him for a while. He started to back off and I just kept going.  I never saw Rafi again. I felt refreshed and recharged from the water stop and just started to ride better. I had to stop for 1 creek crossing and to plug in the battery for my light. I approached 3 massive hills one after the other. I did everything humanly possible to ride those to the top.  No walking!! Not happening! I couldn’t believe, this time, how much faster the miles were decreasing on the Garmin. I was so close to Council Grove. As I got closer and closer, the route took me on a bike path. I knew that they are completely flat and safe to ride on. TIME TO SPRINT. Once I literally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, (lights from the checkpoint crew/ support crews/ families) I full out sprinted.  I made it with 55 seconds to spare! Brandon, and some of the crew from District was there. They were so happy for me. It was like making it to the final round of a tournament. I was ecstatic. Right behind me was Sally, from District and she made it with 1 second to spare.

Leading up to Council Grove, I knew in my head that all I needed was a second light battery backup and clear glasses.  No time to change clothes. At this point, pretty much nothing else mattered. I had peanut butter from the District Bicycles tent.  Brandon gave me a beef sandwich to take, and a can of coke. I rolled out of the checkpoint with a coke in hand saying “See you in Emporia”.

My battery power died early on, and I switched to Brandon’s back up battery.  A small group of riders came up behind me. As I rode with them, I noticed that my pace was taking me further and further away from them.  Two men stayed behind me and it seemed that they were fine sticking by. It was good to have their light power. Sally caught us, and we made a connection and rode together.  Suddenly, my light went out! No! Sally had a spare light and put it on my bike. Her and I agreed to ride together as much as possible. We were going at a similar pace and had the same goal to book it to Emporia. I had a blast riding and descending some hills in the dark.  It was one of the most epic times I’ve ever had on a bike. I considered skipping the Chase the Chaise photo but we made it VERY QUICK. Laura Haraldson (my friend from Salsa) was still there- jumping and screaming for us. Once we left the Chaise, we started to see the spotlights from downtown Emporia beaming into the sky. YES.

About 3-4 miles from town, Sally took off. She was gone.  I popped in some Cliff Bloks, stood up many times and rode into town.  Like every stop at DK200 there was a CLIMB before reaching the checkpoint or finish.  I saw a man grinding up the hill, but I stood up and passed him. Then, I rode through the ESU campus (just blocks from downtown), and later I could see the barricades in the street leading to the FINISH LINE just like in the morning.  I even considered passing the man who was in the chute, but there was no room. I finished right behind him and I was DONE. I got a hug from Jim Cummins. Brandon, my DK friend from last year Scott, Sally, and the District Bicycles crew were all there. This year, instead of sharing a DNF beer, my friend Scott and I shared a “victory” beer and champagne in the parking lot.  We did it!

[lol-coaster]

KEVIN ZINGER 

OWNER  |  Buckshot Gallery, Suburban Noize Records, Regime Management, SRH Clothing, Battle Axe Records, Island Empire Records, Faction Management, Skratch ’N Sniff radio + Empire Agency

Kevin Zinger is a successful entrepreneur who has spent the last 25 years building a self-contained empire.  Suburban Noize Records + his other record labels (Battle Axe, Island Empire, etc.), are completely self-funded with thriving artist rosters + catalogues.  Zinger and his label groups have had over 30 records in the top 100, + focus on a wide variety of music from Rock to Hip Hop.

Also owned + operated by Zinger, The Regime Management firm is a team of industry professionals who oversee the musical careers of a wide range of high profile clients (Everlast, Dilated Peoples, Pancho Sanchez, House Of Pain, RISK).  The Regime also houses The Empire Agency, which is a full-fledge booking agency for musicians, bands + personalities,  and has over 30 acts on the roster. In a time when many entertainment companies are plagued by layoffs + downsizing, Zinger’s companies continue to expand.

SRH (Supporting Radical Habits) is a lifestyle brand founded by Zinger in the early 90s, with deep roots in the music + extreme sport industries.  With numerous endorsed athletes in surfing, skating, motocross + UFC, the SRH brand succeeds in creating new + distinctive culture by merging both sport + music.  SRH maintains strong alliances with athletes + musicians who embody the SRH lifestyle.  SRH’s unique brand of athletes + music has quietly cultivated a strong underground movement + loyal fanbase.

In addition to Suburban Noize, The Regime, + SRH, Zinger has helped build the Skratch N’ Sniff radio program.  The radio show takes some of the biggest songs from rock + hip-hop and blends them together to make an unbelievable mix show that fans of both genres are tuning into in droves.  Since its debut on 91X in San Diego, the show has become a smash radio success with syndication to nearly 65 affiliates throughout the U.S., including New York, Boston, Tampa + Atlanta.

Buckshot Gallery in Los Angeles and Faction Management are his most recent endeavors.  Buckshot Gallery has hosted gallery shows for some of the biggest names in art including Risk, Seen, Bates, TAZ, Estevan Oriol. Faction Management is a management + marketing collective that provides management services for over 7 management companies, representing top-tier artists including, Slaughterhouse, Ryan Bingham, Common Kings, and Thievery Corporation.  Faction is currently developing + launching a technology platform that will  redefine music management.

https://www.facebook.com/kevinzinger https://www.instagram.com/zingersrh https://twitter.com/kevinzinger https://www.facebook.com/suburbannoizerecords

[djsandok]

Heavy Hip Hop Set Reflection

Last night was special because it put my journey as a DJ in perspective. 

(March 13, 2020 - Mesa - My Birthday Weekend / The Last Weekend Before Quarantine)

It’s been a standard question to answer as of late: “How have you been dealing with the quarantine?”

I usually refer to THE QUARANTINE SERIES keeping me busy while explaining that I’m an extrovert that thrives off other people.  This is true with teaching, art, and especially DJ’ing.

I came into last night thinking it was going to be a casual R&B listening session with some old and new friends---I was even wearing my favorite R. Kelly shirt.  Little did I know I’d be playing for the generation that helped me fall in love with hip hop and DJ’ing.

--

I started DJ’ing after a road trip with my family to visit some extended family in San Jose.  I was around 12 or 13 at the time I think.  They weren’t professional DJs but knew the basics of DJ’ing.  I was surprised at how simple the concept of transitioning from one song to the next was.

I saved money and bought my equipment.  Then came my vinyl collection.  Then came the hundreds of CD-Rs I needed to make to play the newer stuff and/or rare stuff.

I didn’t know it then but I know it now.  I was part of the last generation of DJs that were hired because of the record library they had.  To put it in perspective, anyone can be a DJ with a limitless library of MP3s now.  You specifically hired a DJ because you trusted his/her limitations in music.  

It was an absolute honor to build a clientele strictly from referrals.  To this day, I don’t really like to DJ for strangers unless they’ve heard me perform somewhere.  

--

(Bryan Black tattooing my leg in 2012)

It reminds me of a conversation I’ve had multiple times with my friend, Bryan Black.  A tattoo should be a collaboration between the tattoo artist and the client.  A client shouldn’t be forcing their vision of the tattoo while disregarding the artist’s advice.  I feel the same exact way with my DJ clients.

All Bryan and I want for our clients are for them to trust us.  

That trust is usually rewarded with something special, memorable, and most importantly, organic.  

--

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ej (@sandok_) on Apr 27, 2018 at 3:22pm PDT

(Skratching to Leon Bridges in my classroom in 2018)

I’ve been thinking about how I define myself as a DJ in 2020.  Yes, by default, I’m a Hip Hop DJ.  

However, I’m not really sure where Hip Hop stands today.  I think the “good” Hip Hop sampling era died somewhere along where Kanye’s music started getting overtly self-centered and simply not good.

With the music industry changing drastically because of the internet, it’s probably really easy to find a talented rapper.  Hell, I’m friends with some of the best emcees I’ve ever heard.

But what next?  How do you market them to people on the internet?  How do they make a career out of it?  How do you connect them to producers so they can reach their potential?

That’s why I think the next stage of Hip Hop is centered around artists like Bryson Tiller, SiR, and Frank Ocean.  

Simply put: you have to be able to showcase some musicality that isn’t necessarily based on rhymes and sampling.

--

(Toby, my munchkin cat, posing in front of some the most talented female R&B artists of the century)

Which brings me back to why last night was so special.  I’ve been so stuck on the above mentality for a very long time knowing I’ve been bored of new Hip Hop for a while.

Nevertheless, I get really excited about really good R&B.  And the 21st-Century has definitely been providing.  SZA, H.E.R., Jorja Smith, Lana Del Rey, Snoh Aalegra, Summer Walker, and Jhene Aiko to name a few.

I’d like to think I’m good at spinning that stuff because there’s an intimate feeling with their music that I’d like to share with the listener.

Nevertheless, where does that leave me in 2020 as a “Hip Hop DJ?”  Especially since I tried my hardest to have my roots grounded in the culture.  I learned how to DJ breaks from Dwenz and the Foundation FunKollective, an incredibly influential figure and organization in the Los Angeles Hip Hop community.  Did I abandon hip hop in the 2010/2020s?

Hell nah.

--

My first DJ mentor, DJ Redline, dropped in the set around 8:30 PM.  My sister had some classes with him at CSUF and he took me record shopping when I was in 7th/8th grade.  He let me in on all the DJ secrets with buying records, mixing, skratching, etc.  He even gave me a BUNCH of records which gave me a sense of pride knowing during those times DJs are what their records are.  I didn’t have anything.

Anyway, I decided to drop a LA Symphony track knowing we’re both big fans of them.  

Damn.  That was the catalyst that brought out a BUNCH of memories.

That was one of my favorite 12″ vinyl that I loved showing off back in the day.

I definitely feel spoiled that I have the MP3 and can play it whenever I want.

But, I don’t play it.  At all.

lordnik0n_ was the first to be stoked about the LA Symphony drop.

I later found out he’s the father of a former student.

That student used to tell me his family listens to my recorded mixtapes all the time.

Little did I know that he’s been tuning in to my quarantine series.

The night progressed into a HEAVY esoteric hip hop set that probably lordnik0n_, Redline, and I knew.  

Peep the set here.  It starts around 1:43:00

As a DJ, your job is to play for your crowd, my crowd was two people last night even though there were more watching.

I never get to play any of this stuff.  It was important to me to get a recording of it so I could listen to it later.

--

Last night was special because it brought my journey as a DJ full circle.

I grew up knowing there are really talented Filipino DJs before actually learning the fundamentals.

I learned the fundamentals through imitating radio station DJs (Icy Ice, Melo-D, E-Man, etc.) and other DJ Crews (Invisbl Skratch Piklz, The Beat Junkies, The 5th Platoon, etc.)

I immersed myself in Hip Hop culture by participating in B-Boy events as a DJ and building a record collection.

I built a clientele that trusted my taste in Hip Hop, R&B, Funk, Soul, Rock, etc.

I heavily incorporate my love and appreciation of music and culture into my English Language Arts classroom.

I was welcomed as a resident DJ at Mesa which started a shift in the music they were providing for their guests

--

It’s really hard to describe last night because I was thinking about all those bullet points simultaneously and reflecting where we are during this weird-ass quarantine lockdown.

But something really special happened when I was playing MP3s that I have as vinyl.  All those memories of when I was young, naive, and wide-eyed about the world came flooding back to me.  

All those memories came back and I was able to organically rock a hip hop set as if it were 2004 all over again.

All those memories made me realize that I haven’t really changed much.  My shift in music taste doesn’t necessarily mean I’m abandoning my Hip Hop roots.  It shows that I’m still hungry and wide-eyed about the world and want music to continue to give me the happiness it’s always provided me.

--

(Rampage, High School Sandōk, Sunnynblue circa 2005)

I wish I had more pictures of when I first started DJ’ing.  I think I was insecure because I didn’t want the label of “Bedroom DJ” because I wanted to be something much more.

Kind of ironic now that I’m DJ’ing in my living room for y’all.  HAHAH

--

A huge thank you to everyone that has been influential in my life.  That includes my clients, friends, family, and random people that enjoy my music at a bar/club/twitch stream.

holla.

[junker-town]

Tiger Woods is a mediocre tour pro right now but he’s still better than expected

Tiger is back to struggling to make the cut but that doesn’t mean his week so far at The Players has been a failure.

Tiger Woods has accomplished everything in the game of golf. He’s a legend in 10 different ways and now he’s quickly becoming a legend at grinding to make the cut on the number. A week after he rolled in a birdie putt on his 36th hole Friday afternoon in Charlotte, Tiger spent all day Friday at TPC Sawgrass walking the cut-line tightrope. Friday at the Masters was a similar dash to get to the weekend. He opened the season at Torrey Pines with a putt on his 36th and final hole to get two more rounds there.

This Friday, he may have to sweat it out as the second half of the draw plays what is an easier-than-normal Sawgrass setup. Woods walked off the course on the right side of the cut line at 1-under, but only by a shot. That cut line could move from even-par to 1-under and he may be heading back down to South Florida two days earlier than planned.

There are obviously a couple ways to look at this Tiger trend.

The pessimistic view is that grinding to make the cut means you’re miles away from contention with minimal chance to win over the final 36 holes. It means you’re probably far from playing your best golf and it puts a lot of stress on you early in the week — stress that should be reserved for Sunday afternoon and not Friday afternoon.

The optimistic view is that you’re still better than half the field and you get 36 more holes to play your way into contention, even if you’re starting at a significant disadvantage. It also is a pressure test and if you pass, that’s a good thing!

This is where we load in all the Tiger-specific context and choose to take path No. 2. This is Tiger’s eighth start of the season after missing the last two years. It was unclear if he’d ever play again. On the rare occasion the last few years we saw him playing he couldn’t finish rounds or was never even threatening the cut line. That’s an improvement over struggling to walk and embarrassing yourself on the course. That he’s made every cut but one (so far) in those eight starts should not be cast aside a meager accomplishment given where we’ve been.

Within that context, what has been most impressive to me is still the shotmaking that exists in Tiger’s broken down 42-year-old body. He obviously wouldn’t be playing if he didn’t think he could be competitive, but that doesn’t mean it’s not startling to see him still pull off shots that feel like their from another, more dominant Tiger era. On Friday, there was this recovery shot from the pinestraw and buried behind trees that led to a birdie on the must-make-birdie par-5 16th.

Heading to 17 with momentum.@TigerWoods makes his first birdie of the day.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/AvS3RWjtDJ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 11, 2018

I mean, Tiger may or may not make the cut and he played not that great, but can we enjoy these shots in a vacuum? I am going to right now. That may change if we get a full season or a couple years of cutline grinds like this, but not right now. It seemed likely his career was over a year ago! Now he’s back to hitting stingers and they might be more erotic than ever.

Can't. Stop. Watching ... #LiveUnderPar

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on May 11, 2018 at 10:18am PDT

ProTracer makes everything better but I honestly think this may be the exception. Watching the ball sans tracer take off just above the turf against the green background made me yelp in real time.

Stinger traj pic.twitter.com/8iQ8PN4X2v

— Skratch (@Skratch) May 11, 2018

This kind of shotmaking should, if we’re being honest, yield lower scores than what he’s posting. But there’s still trash bin of sloppiness — he’s throwing shots away and just not sharp. And when he’s not capitalizing on some brilliant execution with a birdie, he’s fighting to get back in play after another wild drive. So there’s plenty that still needs work and that’s why you have a player hovering on the cut line in three straight events over the last month.

We may get 36 more holes from Tiger but that’s not a given late on Friday. The Tiger hype often far exceeds the reality of what’s happening on the ground. That’s what made the Florida swing in March so outrageous — Tiger was actually meeting the hype for a minute and contending on Sunday to win real, actual PGA Tour events. If Tiger is now a player that does that for one burst a season and then spends the rest of the year fighting around the cut line, well, it’s going to be a huge drop off from the Tiger most people remember and want again.

If that doesn’t do it for you, that’s fine too but you’re going to watch either way. It won’t be especially fun or impressive. But take the shots in a vacuum, hold them, love them, and maybe accept that it’s still better than expected following the last few miserable years.

[djmicfresh]

Got this thumb drive full of beats today. @battleave @hellamuch.tv I think I'm missing the green part tho!.. 🤔😅 #beats #loopers #mixtape #turntablism #turntablist #skratch #dj #skratching #practiceyocuts #skratchdj #turntablemusic #djs #battleave #flashdrive #bayarea #california #yayarea #djmicfresh (at San Francisco, California)

[giantsfootball0]

Quick 9 — Golf — Why the Tour Championship could benefit from a change of scenery

1. The Tour Championship anchor

The season-ending Tour Championship has been played at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta every year the FedEx Cup has been in existence. It won’t move around anytime soon, but it should.

In addition to the notion that the event can seem a bit flat at Bobby Jones’ home club, there is the very viable argument that moving it around the country does a service to golf fans and players and adds a bit of spice to what is supposed to be a huge culmination to the PGA Tour season.

Of course, money talks in all matters of sponsorship, and Coca-Cola and Southern Company, the main sponsors of the event, are based in Atlanta. Hence, the desire to keep the tournament near corporate headquarters, which is the case through at least 2020.

If you want to see the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs in person, you have to be in Atlanta. But the Tour Championship has a pre-FedEx Cup history of being played in other locations. Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire

It is no secret, however, that Coke sells its products outside of Atlanta, and moving the tournament to different venues — at least every other year — could create some excitement at other places.

The Northern Trust rotates venues in the New York area. The BMW Championship moves out of Chicago every other year. It’s time — especially with a new FedEx format looming with a new schedule in 2019 — that the last tournament that awards the biggest prize sees some new scenery.

2. Once upon a time …

Not everyone agrees that the PGA Tour’s season finale, the Tour Championship, needs an overhaul or even a few tweaks. But if the tour did make some changes, what might they be?

Yes, the PGA Tour offers little downtime with two events added for next season. And yes, there are reasons to oppose a year-round schedule. But the bottom line is that it gives the players what they want: opportunities.

1 Related

Way before anyone was even considering something like the FedEx Cup playoffs, the Tour Championship was devised to try and give the golf season some closure. It was simple: The top 30 on the money list qualified for the season-ending event, which offered up a big purse.

It began in 1987 as the Nabsico Championship. Tom Watson won at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio. In subsequent years it was played at Pebble Beach, Harbour Town, Pinehurst and the Olympic Club. When Tiger Woods qualified for the Tour Championship in 1996 after having played just seven tournaments, the event was at Southern Hills.

Starting in 1997, the PGA Tour began a rotation with Champions in Houston and East Lake in Atlanta. That lasted through 2003, and the Tour Championship has been played at East Lake every year since.

There’s nothing wrong with Atlanta or East Lake. But doesn’t the season-ending event that is on its way to a format upgrade deserve more than the sameness that has been in place for all these years?

3. Possible venues

Why not explore some of the other locations that hosted the tournament in the past? Pinehurst. Olympic Club. Champions. Pebble Beach. All would be terrific. With a 30-player field, doesn’t that open the door to a place such as Bandon Dunes in Oregon? What about Sand Hills in Nebraska? Why not seek out other West Coast venues to take advantage of cooler temperatures or avoid thunderstorms (remember, the tournament will be played in late August)? Chambers Bay? Torrey Pines? Cherry Hills? There are numerous possibilities.

4. 15 years ago at East Lake

Back when the Tour Championship was played in November, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson had this memorable moment on the first tee of the opening round in 2002.

A classic Tiger/Phil moment from East Lake in 2002. pic.twitter.com/XnErDClwoE

— Skratch (@Skratch) September 18, 2017

5. Quirks of the system

This week’s Tour Championship is the 11th under the FedEx Cup playoff banner that began in 2007. The failure of last year’s champion, Rory McIlroy, to make the field shouldn’t be a surprise. Only twice in the playoff era has the previous year’s champion — Brandt Snedeker in 2012 and Jordan Spieth in 2015 — played in the Tour Championship. Tiger Woods would have made it in 2008 having played in just six events, but he was injured.

6. Spoils of success

Getting to the Tour Championship means some significant financial perks in addition to the exemptions to the next year’s first three majors for those not already invited. The purse at the Tour Championship is $8.5 million, with $1.575 million to the winner. Then there’s the FedEx Cup bonus, with pays $10 million to the winner and $3 million to second place and makes subsequent payouts all the way down to 150th in the standings.

For finishing last in the Tour Championship, a player receives $140,000 in prize money. For finishing 30th in the FedEx Cup standings, there’s $175,000 in bonus money earmarked for a retirement account.

7. Major mistake

There is considerable debate about whether the Evian Championship should be a major championship in the first place. The LPGA Tour decreed it be one several years ago, meaning the circuit has five majors, a dubious enough decision.

But when the tour decided about halfway through Thursday’s first round to scrap play — wiping scores off the board, both good and bad — and reduce the tournament to 54 holes it made for a bad situation.

Anna Nordqvist of Sweden claimed the Evian Championship trophy after the season’s final LPGA major was shortened to 54 holes. PHILIPPE DESMAZESPHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images

It is tough to envision any other major championship being contested at less than 72 holes. It would not happen in men’s golf, nor would it be likely to happen at the other women’s majors. The fact that the LPGA has no event this week makes it even more dubious.

LPGA Tour commissioner Mike Whan has done so many good things in his tenure and undoubtedly had his reasons for coming to this conclusion. Anna Nordqvist won in a playoff that was contested in horrible conditions that also gave pause. The situation proved unfortunate all the way around.

8. Ranking freefall

Bubba Watson has the distinction of making the biggest fall of any player ranked in the top 10 at the end of 2016. Watson, who did not qualify for the final two playoff events, was ranked 10th at the end of 2016 and is now 50th, meaning his ability to play in the World Golf Championship events early in 2018 will be in peril.

9. Speed golf

You have to give Wesley Bryan some credit for getting around Conway Farms on Sunday in what has to be some sort of record. Bryan, playing first by himself, played 18 holes in 1 hour, 29 minutes. And it makes you think that having one tournament a year in which a small field of players would combine time and score would be a fun idea.

.@wesleybryangolf’s final round at @BMWchamps

• 1 hour, 29 minutes • 14 pars • 3 birdies • 1 bogey • 69 pic.twitter.com/pKyl16Ayes

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 17, 2017

1 hour 29 min

— Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) September 17, 2017

The post Quick 9 — Golf — Why the Tour Championship could benefit from a change of scenery appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

from https://dailystarsports.com/2017/09/20/quick-9-golf-why-the-tour-championship-could-benefit-from-a-change-of-scenery/ from https://dailystarsports.tumblr.com/post/165559213976

[unixcommerce]

In the Spotlight, ePac Flexible Packaging Seals the Deal with Food Manufacturers across Texas

Companies that manufacture food and nutritional products must be especially careful. The packaging they use to store products makes a difference. It often helps to work with a company that specializes in safe and secure materials. ePac Flexible Packaging offers food manufacturers the needed assurances.

The company serves businesses throughout parts of Texas. ePac works specifically with food and nutritional businesses. Learn more in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.

What the Business Does

Provides flexible packaging for small and medium-sized businesses in the Austin-San Antonio markets.

Co-founder Carl Joachim tells Small Business Trends about the company’s market. “The markets we serve include food manufacturers, pet food, and nutritional products.

“ePac is a full-service packaging provider,” Joachim says. The company produces finished stand-up and lay-flat pouches. They also manufacture roll stock used by co-packers of food products.

Business Niche

Providing fast and efficient service.

Joachim says the company’s business model is built around the latest digital printing technology. Use of the HP Indigo 20000 gives the company its competitive edge. “This eliminates the need for printing plates, requires minimal set-up time and waste, and prints in true high definition quality,”  Joachim says.

?

How the Business Got Started

By studying market trends.

Joachim explains how his company came to be. “ePac started by assessing market trends,” he says. Founders understood the importance of emerging digital printing technology. They also understood how to apply it. The company conducted primary market research in 2014. Research took place in conjunction with the California Polytechnic University’s Graphic Communication Institute and Packaging World. Founders created an investment thesis in 2015. They then recruited investors. The first ePac location opened in May 2016. The company now operates four ePac locations. Meanwhile three more plants prepare to go online. Additional sites include a total of 15 U.S. plants planned by the end of 2019.

Biggest Win

Genuinely helping clients.

Joachim says, “ePac focuses on small and medium-sized businesses, so we have many examples of customers we have partnered with to help them go to market with great packaging. We have thousands of customers, so pointing to one would be difficult, Having said that the Skratch Labs case study on our website is an excellent example of how we work with our customers.”

?

Biggest Risk

Getting started without customers.

Joachim says, “ePac was created as a Greenfield company, so we literally started with no customers and had to prove our business model. However, between the market research we had conducted, and the extensive experience the 3 founders had in digital printing and flexible packaging, we were confident from the start we had a model which would be highly disruptive to the conventional flexible packaging market. As we embarked on our journey, our main concern was not if our model would work, but how long it would take to gain market traction.”

How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000

Add it to their growth strategy.

Joachim adds, “$100,000 is not enough to register, but our focus in on growth and adding capacity across the country is our primary investment focus.”

Team Makeup

A pretty even mixture.

Joachim explains, “We are a blend of seasoned industry veterans and Millennials, so we are all learning how to communicate with each other.”

* * * * *

Find out more about the Small Biz Spotlight program

Image: ePac Flexible Packaging

This article, “In the Spotlight, ePac Flexible Packaging Seals the Deal with Food Manufacturers across Texas” was first published on Small Business Trends

https://smallbiztrends.com/

The post In the Spotlight, ePac Flexible Packaging Seals the Deal with Food Manufacturers across Texas appeared first on Unix Commerce.

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2TaUhbd via IFTTT

[nelsonscratch]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NelsonScratch (@nelsonscratch)

That one time I’ve impressed @djqbert ! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙅🏻‍♂️ . Was overlapping on his bars a little, lets say it was the emotion to cut it up with the Teacher 😅 🙏🏽 . I couldn’t thank this man more, such a welcoming, kind and humble person, I’ve learned a lot not only about Scratching... . A Happy Healthy and Successful 2k19 to you Q keep inspiring humanity 🙏🏽👊🏽 . . #djqbert #djnelson #qbert #nelsonscratch #dj #bestdj #realdjs #realdjing #scratch #skratch #skratcher #turntablism #portablism #turntablist #portablist #scratching #djlife #scratchingbroughtmehere 🔪🔪🎚✂️📀👋✂️🎚🔪🔪 (à San Francisco, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsSQcG-oTow/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4zv0di3fiv1m

[bayareatune]

#BayArea @BayAreaTune:

REPOSTED FROM:Ian Young PLEASE VIEW THIS ARTICLE HERE FROM ITS ORIGINAL AUTHOR! THANK YOU! via The Bay Bridged – San Francisco Bay Area Indie Music by Ian Young Review + Photos: DJ QBert Skratch Seminar

[defrostatica]

Calculon: I vividly remember watching the Breakin' movie with Ozone and Turbo and being blown away by their style and dance moves and the music in the film. As a teenager in San Diego I was later exposed to underground hip hop Kool Keith/Dr Octagon and DJ Shadow, and it was scratching that inspired me to save up and get my first set of turntables. I remember buying an Invisibl Skratch Piklz VHS tape from the local record shop and watch it at home, impressed to this day by their skill and dedication to the craft. Going out to local "cypher" events in the late 90s/early 2000s was inspiring as it was clear there was a community of DJs and MCs and dancers and artists that lived and breathed this music. – Rogue Style 2 EP is out now on Defrostatica Records. #hiphop #bboy #drumandbass #homage #whitevinyl #roguestyle #defrostatica #outnow #bandcamp

[westakoasta]

DJ RASCUE aka EB.F (VARIOUS BLENDS) - 2018

I recently had the chance to interview RasCue aka Eb.F from Various Blends. Ras is a DJ/ Producer/ MC from the Bay Area and has been consistently putting dope music since the early 90es.

We discussed through mail about numerous subjects, from his beginnings alongside future Hobo Junction members or Peanut Butter Wolf to his recent unreleased VB album. 

He dedicated this interview to the memory of DJ Stef. 

Enjoy.

Can you tell us about your first steps in hip hop, meeting Friz-B, Rasco, etc. The beginnings of VB?

Various Blends started in the City of San Mateo, CA. Rasco was born in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to San Mateo as a kid in the mid 70's. Friz was born in Oakland, CA and grew up in San Mateo. I was the last one to come around when my family moved to San Mateo in 1980. I was 10 years old. Friz and I lived in East San Mateo, Rasco live on the Westside or what we say "the other side of the tracks". Where Rasco lived, there was a community center that was the Martin Luther King Center, but it was known as the "King Center". There also was a Boys Club that many kids play at. I know I saw Rasco there once or twice. Although Friz was one year older than Rasco and I, kids in different neighborhoods would meet up and hangout. I met Friz in 1980, where he lived 3 blocks away from the same elementary school we went to. It wasn't ‘til 1982 middle school where I met Rasco and we were both very much into basketball.

In 1982-83, Friz had gotten JVC turntables and a Realistic Mixer. Hip-Hop & DJing were really big in the Bay Area and many kids were getting equipment. Friz and I started deejaying together and was into popping and breaking (I popped, Friz use to break). That's were the beginnings of the music started. 

Friz and I ended up going to different high schools and Rasco and I went to high school together in 1984 and became good friends. I introduced him to Friz a few years later like ‘86-87... It was in 1988 where we all came together as close friends.

What about Children Of One Destiny?

Children of One Destiny (C.O.D.) started in the Bay Area with Various Blends, Plan Bee, Saafir, Greg and Steed in 1990 but all came together in 1991. At the time, Saafir and Friz-B were living in Stockton, California, Rasco and I were living in Fresno, CA and Plan Bee, Greg and Steed lived in Oakland. It was while I was in Fresno that I recruited Eko (Poke Martian), Contack (DJ's TK and D-Rock), The Females (Keisha, Turquoise and Endurra) and Bruce the Smurf. There was also the great KO from Stockton.

C.O.D. was more of a collective of friends who loved hip-hop and not so much a crew. There weren't many recordings together (only on 4-track) or meetings or anything like that. It was just for a few years were we were all doing music, did a few shows together and just liked hanging out. It was the connections after C.O.D. that the Hobo Junction was created and Various Blends hooked up with some local Fresno kids that called themselves the "Yard Massive" then to "Skhool Yard Massive"(Chuma, Asia aka Planet Asia and Nicky aka Kemet). Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf were never members of C.O.D., but we did a few shows together in those years. I was good friends with their manager Matt Brown and the great « Funken » Klein was signing them to the label Hollywood Basic in 1991-92.

Your first demo tape is from '91, then there's a 5-year gap between this and the « Chill As I Flex » 12'' (released in '96). What happened during that lapse?

The gap was due to us re-focusing our brand, acquiring management, a lot of studio recording and shopping for a record deal. We are moved to beginning with Friz-B moving to Fresno in '91 (Rasco in '90, myself in '88). Then in '92, I moved back to the Bay and daughter was born in May of ‘93, my only child.

By the time « Chill as I Flex » came out, we had material for at least 2 albums. Back then, it was about getting signed, which we never did, which is a shame!

After that 12'' Rasco went solo. Do you know the reasons for that choice? How did you react with Friz-B and how did it impact both your work as Various Blends?

Rasco went solo in '97 cause the group got into a argument about the group. I honestly don't remember what it was about but I think it had to do with all our commitments to the group. We split, Rasco moved back to San Mateo and was living with PB Wolf and Fanatik and Keida (Rasco, ndlr) wrote "The Unassisted" with Fanatik. Basically that whole song is about our break-up. Friz and I started recording "Levitude" in ‘97 and it came out in late '99. We had a deal through Baraka Records who were distributed by Caroline.

“Levitude” came out in '99 and is quite a classic album to a lot of heads. What are your memories from that era, the way you worked on this LP? What about the choice to put "Chill" on the LP and put Del in place of Rasco?

We had started recording 'Levitude' in '97 and it came out in '99 on Baraka. Friz knew the owner, Sasson from Brooklyn, and I knew the westcoast rep named Pete.

The first song was "Krazee Madeo Styles", which is basically about growing up in San Mateo.

Since « Chill as I Flex » was our most popular song, we wanted to include it on the album. Del was the biggest underground emcee in the Bay at the time and Friz and Del were friends, so he did it!

Various Blends had history with many different Bay Area crews and basically wanted to showcase all the homies with us on this album.

Saafir from Hobo Junction (who briefly went to Hillsdale High School in San Mateo with Rasco and I) and Friz had been recording together since the early 90's (now unreleased material) and I met Rashinel through Poke Martian (Eko -who was in C.O.D., then both were in Hobo). Peanut Butter Wolf produced a few tracks, Mystik Journeymen we know from selling tapes in Berkeley in front of records, Pismo was from a group called Burnt Batch that Friz had met from Stockton, CA, DJ Apollo and Flare we knew from Invisbl Skratch Piklz, Pam the Funkstress (R.I.P.), infamous DJ for The Coup (and ended as Prince's last DJ), who we grew up with in San Mateo/ Foster City area and Marc Stretch was from Foreign Legion.

The project was good but we left a few old songs I would have liked to be on the album.

Since you guys were from San Mateo and Stones Throw's first offices were located there, before they went to LA, was there a possibility to be signed by them at some point?

Wolf, Rasco and Fanatik all lived with each other in San Mateo. Wolf and Fanatik were from the South Bay (San Jose Area) and Rasco moved back to the Bay Area from Fresno. This was all happening shortly after VB's had split up. Wolf could have did a 12″ or LP with us but maybe the timing wasn't right and he was releasing Rasco's solo album instead. Why after that he never asked us to do a record with him, I don't know... You would have to ask him... That label owes a lot to Rasco and « The Unassisted » and neither Rasco or his music was included in the Stones Throw 20 Year Anniversary!!

I was there in Wolf's room when he decided to use the name Stones Throw (it was a cliche that his Mom would say)...

You wanna know how he got the name Peanut Butter Wolf? It was some scenario where his Mom was babysitting or something and when it was time to go to bed, a kid told him to leave the lights on cause the "Peanut Butter Wolf" was going to get him!! True story! I was there for all this stuff!

You had that tape in 97 called "Mockumentary Sampler". Was there an actual release it was suppose to be a sampler for?

The "Mockumentary" was going to be my first solo EP... Never happened...

Now about the second and unreleased album, Fanna Burn. Can you talk the general concepts about it, who's featured. And what happened with No Mayo. Why did it stay unreleased, basically.

Fanna Burn was supposed to come out in 2002 on No Mayo Records. No Mayo had put out 2 "Funky Precedent" compilations. The first one was focused on Los Angeles artists and the second on Bay Area. I had a solo song featured on the second compilation. We proceeded to schedule meetings and agreed on a album deal for Fanna Burn. The concept of the album was based on "Fanna", a word meaning 'fantasy'. We wanted to "fanna burn" meaning "burn the bullshit". The album features Rasco, J-Rawls, Marc Stretch. Planet Asia, L'Roneous, DJ Swiftrock, Rakaa Iriscience, Grand the V.I., Gen-Star, Princess, Pismo, etc...

I honestly am unclear the reason why we got dropped. I know there were some financial issues. I know that we were supposed to deejay an employee's event and that didn't happen, on the personal side of things. I am unclear if that was the scenario but Friz again would know about that. It was a while ago.

I must say I never heard of the existence of that album before somebody posted a picture of the 2xLP Instrumentals on instagram. How much copies of that 2xLP exist? Did you sold some at some point or was it promo only?

The 2xLP Instrumentals was released first so that we would have show copies. We may have pressed 100? I'm not sure... The LP was never pressed up... Just a demo sampler CD of the album mixed by Big DJ Serg.

So right now, you're looking for a label to release it, right? What' s the key factor that makes you want it to be release in 2018?

We have been looking for opportunities to collaborate on the release of our catalog of music that is just not being heard. 2018 has to be the year we at least start getting the old material out and all this new material waiting to be heard! We have Various Blends albums, Friz Solo, EBF solo, Saafir material, Plan Bee material, Friz Compilation, Rasco material Skhool Yard material and more... I have a brand new project I would like to do with Rasco, but first we want to do a 20th Anniversary tour for "Time Waits for No Man" album, which is this year.

You founded Urban Umpires in 2004. What kind of work do you do with that structure?

Urban Umpires (U.U.) is the brainchild of DJ Just Jay and Just Jay and I started Urban Umpires. We were surrounded by a massive amount of talent that were all friends and making new friends in the underground movement. It was our chance to make a contribution to hip-hop in all aspects, from radio, producers, live shows, releases, videos, studio, promotions, publicity, events, etc... We wanted to be a one stop shop for everything. It's tough to maintain such a business without investors and capital. A lot of that fell through so we weren't able to accomplish many of the goals we had set. We are all still friends though and record together.

Interview conducted by Pseudzero for Westakoasta, feb. 2018.