//We've Only Just Begun..

//I rarely post the newest-new tracks because usually it's just some overblown innernut hype. But when I woke up to this track off Reflection Eternal's forthcoming comeback record I was incredulous. The star is really Hi-Tek's beat, from the sick intro to the horns..with everyone still jocking Jay Dee (respect) can't another brother who's been doing it just as great for just as long get some shine? And of course you've got the Funky Four Horsemen: Jay Electramadan coming off "Exhibit C", J.Cole who I was never trippin on but who holds his own well, and the brothers BlackStar dropping references to Othello, the Dalai Lama, Coming to America, New Orleans' fleur-de-lis, and hip hop quotables like "the devil at the dancehall, thirsty for a partner" and "Pure power don't power trip." Could the paradigm finally be shifting in hip hop? I mean it's been horrible for so long, maybe we just need to get out of this decade. Tracks like these are taking us there.. 1ne Luv.

Reflection Eternal f/ Jay Electronica, J.Cole & Mos Def - "Just Begun" (Warner Bros, 2010)

..and for the heck of it, here's the dope B-Side off Kweli & Hi-Tek's first 12" single pictured above, the title and intro passage of which are quoted from Ghanaian author's Ayi Kwei Armah's 1973 novel (which incidentally James Cameron should have read before making Avatar).
Reflection Eternal - "2000 Seasons" (Rawkus, 1997)

//GOLDEN Winter Breakdown..

//Ah yeah, it's GOLDEN Time! We were on hiatus last month thanks to support from the homies Willie Maze and DJ VNA... and we're back to close out the year the OG way, just me & the Mrs.

//Look for newness from Golden Soundscapes in 2010, including the 4-year Anniversary of GOLDEN, a January WE LOVE THE TOWN, a rebirth of one of our other beloved musical ideas on a 2nd Saturdays night, new mixes ...and the whole nine.

In the meantime here's a little retrospective of the GOLDEN Midnight Mixes, which we retired earlier in 2009. All are mixed live by yours truly Dmadness & DJ Zita at GOLDEN 3rd Saturdays at Laszlo SF:


MIGHTY MOS DEF - Feb 09


HAPPY 30th B-DAY AALIYAH! - Jan 09


3 THE HARD WAY (the RZA/DJ Premier/Dr.Dre) Apr 09
- GOLDEN 3 Year Anniversary


DEEP IN THE 90s - Mar 08


IT'S A LOVE THANG - June 08

//Good Life Reunited..

//This Saturday marks the one-night-only return of GOOD LIFE!! At Bliss Bar in Noe Valley after the Pacquiao fight..

//GOOD LIFE was a weekly Wednesday night event at Luka's in Oakland that DJ VNA and I started in 2004. We moved our night SOUL TRIP (Wednesdays '02-'04) over from the Lucky Lounge after Luka's opened. We held down that night, carry heavy crates of vinyl up the stairs to the booth every week for two years. During that time we had all our dj fam come through and rock with us, keeping it as Oakland as possible: Mpenzi, Proof, PantyROBber, Toure, Fuze, D-Sharp, Willie Maze, Tim D, Sake1, DJ Eleven, Pam the Funkstress, G-Smoove, Backside, Icewater, Crimson, G-Smoove, Oliver Orzal, Kaution, Lovelee, Treat-U-Nice, Phatrick, Lenior... and it has the distinction of being the night through which I met my wife! I had booked Zita to spin before actually meeting her in person.

//For the one-year anniversary of GOOD LIFE (which Zita spun at) we gave away these cds, which we recorded live with vinyl at VNA's crib. Listen to the needle dropping and the pops & crackles on the first record..
Good Life Vol.1 (2005) / DJ VNA & Dmadness//We decided to end the night while sitting down to dinner before spinning one indian summer night in 2006. VNA was starting law school and I was just getting burnt from 4 years of Wednesdays. Now VNA's done with his JD and passed the NY bar, so it's time to celebrate.

//By the way, GOOD LIFE was christened long before Kanye graduated. The night got its name from records by Anthony B, Cocoa Tea and Nancy Wilson. Also wanna send a big shout to our folks Tommy Wong, who created the original visual for GOOD LIFE, which has definitely stood the test of time in its simple elegance.

**As a bonus, here's another live mix VNA & I recorded and pressed up back in 2003 when we were doing the night at Lucky Lounge:
Soul Trippin' - Live at the Lucky Lounge (2003) / DJ VNA & Dmadness

//Oaktown State of Mind..

//In Oaktown,
East Bay jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothing you can't do
Now you're in Oakland
These streets will make you feel brand new
Lake lights will inspire you
Lets here it for Oakland! Oakland! Oakland!

//Maybe, maybe not..but no matter what WE LOVE THE TOWN! Come show your love tonite, we've got prodigal son DJ Phatrick on deck, gift bags from Made Jewelry for the ladies, free cds from DJ Zita, and good music all night long. Costumes optional. Big dreams mandatory.

//Here's a bonus Town track from Oakland legends 3X Krazy, which I am sad to say that I neglected to include on my Folks get Brown in the sunshine mix:

3X Krazy - "Sunshine in the 'O'" (Str8 Game, 1995)

//Marvin in Jamaica..

//Mini-Mix #4: Marvin in Jamaica

Last winter I came down with some pretty bad cold viruses so I ended up staying home from work and..making mixes! What came out of that were the following:
Mini-Mix #1: Home Sick
Mini-Mix #2: Epilogue
Mini-Mix #3: Dmadness' Breathing Apparatus
Now I'm back with another sick day today and the latest my series, which I view as kind of a sketchbook of ideas that could be developed further or just be what they be.
Without further ado.. Marvin Gaye takes a trip to Jamaica and this is the soundtrack:

1. Morgan Heritage intro
2. Sexual Healing (Fiesta Riddim) - Marvin Gaye
3. Vitamin S (Sexual Healing Rmx) - Baby Cham
4. Sexual Healing - Maxamillion
5. Sexual Healing (Dusty Smith Reggae Mix) - Marvin Gaye
6. Inner City Blues - Sly & Robbie
7. What's Going On (Truth & Rights Remix) - Marvin Gaye
8. Let's Get It On (Waiting In Vain Remix) - Marvin Gaye
9. I Heard It Through the Grapevine (J-Star Reggae Refix) - Marvin Gaye
10. I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Henry Tipper Reggae Remix) - Marvin Gaye

//By the way, the drawing above is taken from the dope deck that Western Edition put out back in April to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Marvin's passing--I just added a little rasta flavor to the image. 1neLuv.

//New Mixes from the Family..

//Wow, my crew has been busy lately! It's nice to be around people who work hard and refuse to rest on their laurels. The result is a slew of diverse new mixes for you, FREE!

//DJ Zita - MadeMix Vol.3: LoveHate Collection

A hot mix of 80s heavy hitters for the sisters at Made Jewelry. CD release parties at WE LOVE THE TOWN tomorrow and ALLURE next week. More DJ Zita here.

//DJ Mpenzi - UNWIND Vol.2: The AfroSoul Journey...Gets Funky

Cutting edge Afrobeat/House/Latin/Soul to unwind to from my bro Mpenzi hosted by Oakland's FEMI. Design by me! UNWIND Vol.1 still available here.

//Willie Maze - G-G-Golden "Taste"

I messaged him to send me a mix for his guest spot at GOLDEN next month, then went to sleep for a couple hours. Woke up, the homie had already gone into the lab, recorded and sent this!

Enjoy! 1neLuv..

//GOLDEN: Zita's B-Day x SoCal Guests

//Yes yes, it's the GOLDEN time of the month again! We will be celebrating the earth day of the one MamaZita with guest shots from the following fam:

//BENCY (SD) - This dude Bency is one of the nicest, most genuine and generous cats I know. He works hard, takes care of his, and is the only cat who has a standing invitation to spin with us at GOLDEN. It's become sort of a tradition for him to come up in October and throw down for his born day, so consider this the third mo'gin. He's also nice on the tables so expect sounds across the spectrum of breakbeats, latin jazz, reggae, and below-the-surface good hip hop, and look him up when you're in San Diego.

//LADY SHA (Lioness LA) - Shaden is another righteous hustla on the turntables, and we all know the sisters have to hustle extra hard to get their due. She is a staple in LA and is recently returned from touring Europe. Come thru early to catch her sureshot selection of stuff you wish you knew about.

//..and along with the bright theme of the night, here's a new track from one half of the greatest hip hop group of all time. I rarely post new stuff cause everyone and their mom does that on blogs, but I've really been feeling Daddy Fat Sacks' new tracks, he's rapping his ass off and the beats are top notch--this one in particular by longtime OutKast DJ Cutmaster Swift. I love how Big punctuates his 1st verse with a Bay "yadadamean!"and then gives a shout to Volume 10 in his 2nd. I've thrown in the original sample as well, a classic Gamble & Huff production with Teddy Pendergrass on the lead:

Big Boi f/Gucci Mane "Shine Blockas" (Def Jam, 2009)

Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes "I Miss You" (Sony, 1972)