Funky vs bashment at Fabric, YoYo and on Rinse FM

Since I first wrote about the connections between JA bashment and UK funky back in May, the most exciting sound of 2009 has been taking over our live sets and radio shows.

Last week on Rinse FM I played two hours of pure funky bashment featuring Jamaican and English artists like Tifa, Lady Chann, Lil Joe, Doctor, Aidonia and Stush alongside UK producers like Sticky, Sami Sanchez, Hard House Banton and Crazy Cousinz:

Download The Heatwave funky bashment special on Rinse FM

This Friday we're taking over room three at Fabric to showcase the sound, featuring performances from four key players in the scene: Sticky, Lady Chann, Doctor and Hard House Banton. Not to be missed! Email info@theheatwave.co.uk for limited £6 discount guestlist places...

Before that, on Thursday night I'll be playing bashment and UK funky at YoYo in Notting Hill, possibly with some surprises guests on the mic:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 05 August 2009 | 1 comment

Natalie Storm’s Cheez Trix riddim

Rising star Natalie Storm is already making a name for herself as one of the most exciting dancehall vocalists around, both as part of the TNT crew alongside Tifa and Timberlee and also in her solo work with producers like Ward 21, Enur and Cordell 'Skatta' Burrell.

Now she's stepped out from behind the mic and installed herself in front of the mixing desk to produce the Cheez Trix riddim, a stuttering slice of retro ragga:

MP3: Natalie Storm - God Bless Me

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The first batch of vocals on the riddim to hit the streets (or, er, the internet) features two other female artists alongside Natalie's own version.

Newcomer Tiki is a recent winner of Jamaican dancehall's answer to Pop Idol, Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall. Now she's working with super producer Skatta (the man behind riddims like Coolie Dance, Martial Arts and Bad Company) and generally going on very good indeed.

MP3: Tiki - Excitement

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Part three of the Cheez Trix trio comes from relative veteran Macka Diamond:

MP3: Macka Diamond - Man Problem

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Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 05 August 2009 | 3 comments

Video: General Levy - Incredible acapella

I caught up with General Levy when we were playing at last week's Raw Rhythm Festival in Amsterdam. He dropped an Incredible acapella on camera before talking about his new album and other upcoming projects:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 05 August 2009 | 3 comments

Super Cat - Jamaica Jamaica

Today is the 47th anniversary of Jamaica's independence. In comes Super Cat with a tune from 1986 going deep into the island's colonial history. Lyrics in full below...

MP3: Super Cat - Jamaica Jamaica

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Lyrics: Super Cat - Jamaica Jamaica

Now special request to all tourists
Whether you live inna Canada, America or you live inna forest
This is Apache I nah come and miss
Well mi say easy nuh Cat and mi say easy nuh man
Easy nuh Cat and I say easy nuh man
And anywhere you go you a di deejay don

Jamaica Jamaica! Galang galang
Jamaica Jamaica! She ribby bom

Yes Jamaica is a land weh full of adventure
Land of golden sunshine and mi say wood and water
The famous Blue Mountain and the great Dunn's River
Jamaica surround by Caribbean water

Arawak Indian was the originator
Then the Spaniard and English and nuff more follow
I say Christopher Columbus was a great founder
Born and grown down a Italy inna Genoa
Dreadlocks, he was the son of a wool weaver
But then he strive to become a sailor

Yes him travel go to Spain him was a navigator
Say King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
Him get the Pinta, the Niña, the Santa Maria
And two hundred man armed like soldier
Them sword pon dem hip and dem one shooter
Yes Columbus was the captain him was the ruler
Dem sail out of Spain across the blue water
Down a San Salvador first dem discover
Continue their voyage and reach down inna Cuba

Inna 1494 dem reach inna Jamaica
And landed at the place called Santa Gloria
I say down inna di St Ann's Bay area
But daylight kept them inna Dry Harbour
Because them run short of wood and run out of water
Dem haffi stock up dem ship and fling out dem anchor
And tek up dem arms and invade the area

Oh launch and attack some Arawak warrior
Dem never lick nuh shot a bow and arrow dem a fire
The chief pon him horse and him head full of feather
Columbus take over like a great soldier, bim!
Back out him sword and lick him one shooter
And mi say lickle after that a pure shots start fire
A so dem get fi conquer inna Jamaica
And give all the riches to the Spain leader

Inna 1665 blood run like river
When the English fight the Spaniards and then take over
Inna 1658 it was a small disaster
Dreadlocks, it was di battle down a Río Nuevo
Inna 1659 wi first civil governor
Edward Eyre him was a brave warrior
Him fight like a lion fi save Jamaica
Yes him never lose no war him always conquer
Inna 1755 I-man still remember
Seh Kingston turn the capital fi Jamaica

Mi know bout Jamaica crevice to corner
Mi a go tell you how much acre make up Jamaica
Mi say 2.8 million acre
And you can drive from Kingston to Old Harbour
Santa Cruz, Savanna La Mar and you touch Hanover
If you can't drive a junction you must turn over
Barry G a wi greatest radio entertainer

Jamaica Jamaica! Galang galang
Jamaica Jamaica! She ribby bom
Jamaica Jamaica! Galang galang

I say Jamaica is a land weh full of adventure
Land of golden sunshine and I say wood and water
The famous Blue Mountain and the great Dunn's River
Jamaica surround by Caribbean water

Come tek it from the Cat di bare back rider
And anywhere mi go mi haffi preach culture
Mi nah go lef from Jamaica fi live America
Nah lef from Jamaica fi live a Canada
Cos if mi a go lef mi haffi go to Africa
Mi live inna Jamaica and mi feel warmer
And when mi go a foreign cold like a freezer
And some a dem a tell me bout dat a winter
Come listen Super Cat a nice up your area

Jamaica Jamaica! Galang galang
Jamaica Jamaica! Galang galang

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 06 August 2009 | Add a comment

Sweden Wednesday, Rinse Thursday, West End Saturday

I'm only just catching my breath after last weekend's marathon that took in YoYo, Fabric, Boomtown Fair and Big Chill Festival. Tonight I'm playing in Malmo, Sweden:

Tomorrow night I'm back on Rinse FM playing the latest bashment releases and a carnival special in preparation for this year's Notting Hill Carnival.

And on Saturday night you can catch me playing Ruffhousing at Market Place near Oxford Circus alongside Alex Nut, DJ Reecha (Dirty Canvas) and the FACT DJs:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 12 August 2009 | 1 comment

Rubi Dan & Lostbahnhof - Hold On Tight

London bashment meets UK house as Rubi Dan joins forces with Lostbahnhof producer Benjamin Semtek on brand new track Hold On Tight:

MP3: Rubi Dan & Lostbahnhof - Hold On Tight

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MP3: Rubi Dan & Lostbahnhof - Hold On Tight (Dub)

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Rubi will be MCing with the Lostbahnhof DJs and I'll be playing dancehall and funky bashment alongside Smutlee (YoYo) and Lixo (Get Me) at our carnival afteparty on Sunday 30th August:

The Heatwave take over Cherry Jam from 7-11pm, kicking off the moment the Notting Hill soundsystems shut down.

Don't miss out - tickets are selling fast... Buy them online from Resident Advisor.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Saturday 15 August 2009 | 3 comments

Two carnival parties this weekend

On Saturday we're playing at the Urban Nerds carnival warm up party alongside MJ Cole, DJ Zinc, Mampi Swift and many more:

On Sunday we're teaming up with Lostbahnhof for a west London carnival afterparty kicking off the moment the Notting Hill soundsystems shut down, playing dancehall reggae, bashment, funky house and techno:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Saturday 29 August 2009 | Add a comment

The Heatwave charts - Carnival 2009

These are my tips for the big tunes that will be running the Notting Hill Carnival this weekend.

You're sure to hear these on repeat from the soundsystems and floats pounding out the bass on the streets of West London...

Bashment

1. Vybz Kartel & Spice - Ramping Shop
2. Mr Vegas - I Am Blessed (Good Life riddim)
3. Busy Signal - Praise and Worship (Mercury Overdose riddim)
4. Serani - No Games (Unfinished Business riddim)
5. Mavado - Never Believe You

Soca

1. Bunji Garlin & Beenie Man - Plenty Gyal (Fix It Up riddim)
2. Lil Rick - One Juk For The Carnival (Patti Cake riddim)
3. Machel Montano & Busy Signal - Push Bumper
4. Fay-Ann Lyons - Heavy T Bumper
5. Peter Ram - Tight (Coconut Tree riddim)

Guest blogger Dan Bean has also selected his top five tips for the dancehall and reggae tunes that he thinks will be making the running...

These are not just the most popular...neither is this just a compilation of the heavyweights.

There is reason. Coming up with this list wasn't easy - it's like being asked to pick your favourite child, in this case Mavado or Vybz Kartel. In Trinidad and Tobago I was interrogated - "Gully or Gaza? Gully or Gaza?!!?"

Music is either good or bad, right? And to me the hypothetical dancehall sons have attained A*s this academic year. I was kept up at night with artists and track names appearing to me as if asking to make the cut.

Curtis Lynch and Necessary Mayhem have produced one of UK's biggest and baddest sounds this year with Dubplate and its jungle allstars remix. Soulforce reintroduced Shabba Ranks with their Tonight/Dukku Dukku remix. Emerging artists in JA caused a lot of fuss, like Black Ryno with Tell It To Dem, Laden with Time To Shine and Chino (below) with From Morning.

I eventually had to sit down, trawl through and justify to myself why these tunes will run Notting Hill Carnival this year.

Top 5 carnival dancehall tunes

1. Mavado - High Under
2. Busy Signal - My Money
3. Vybz Kartel & Spice - Ramping Shop
4. Busy Signal - Send It On
5. Vybz Kartel - Bicycle

Mavado, Mr Vegas and Kartel all had number one hits on the Good Life riddim, but when I hear the intro to High Unda, Mavado's haunting voice reminds me that I get a little over excited about this track.

The two tracks from Busy, Send it On and My Money, have no more right to feature here than any of his other recent tunes. In fact this compilation was very close to being just my favourite Busy Signal songs.

It's just that the bass on My Money will ruin the facepaint of this year's Carnival goers, and the crazy Caribbean hybrid sound of Send It On will surely see it getting play from both the floats and the soundsystems.

Ramping Shop generated one of biggest controversies this year and will doubtless get some of the biggest forwards too. It's much better than NeYo's version, nuff said.

Kartel also makes the case as to why 09 was his year, with his flow and versatility in Bicycle on the Triple Bounce riddim.

And to the reggae. Not as strong this year - there have been better periods for roots and culture.

Top 5 carnival reggae tunes

1. Jah Cure - Call On Me
2. P-Zed - Cassava
3. Busy Signal - Night Shift
4. Romain Virgo - Can't Sleep
5. Jah Cure - Never Find

Busy made it again. Big up The Commodores for giving him inspiration for Night Shift, a song you can guarantee you will sing to a girl and feel sincere about it. It was neck and neck between this and One More Night, a Phil Collins cover.

Romain Virgo's tune to me is the biggest of this year in the reggae fraternity. His singing voice could make Kartel, Busy and Mavado cry.

P-Zed's Cassava, made waves in JA. I'm yet to hear it here but watch out if you do, it's certainly a BIG tune.

Finally: Never Find and Call On Me by Jah Cure (above). Not the most roots and culture sound by any means. It's something that still retains credibility on the streets, but if your mum were to hear the tunes she would say, "Oh is this what you listen to...this is nice". The Changes and Good Love riddims are definitely two of the biggest reggae riddims this year.

Have a good Carnival!

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Saturday 29 August 2009 | 7 comments