Dilated Peoples – Expansion Team

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This trio of West coast hip-hop/rap gurus have only released a handful of albums in the past decade (The Platform & Expansion Team). Their latest album is due sometime in April 2004 (Neighborhood Watch). The basic history of the group is as follows; the duo of Evidence and Rakaa came together in the mid-'90s, when they met at many of the same hip-hop shows; they recruited the excellent turntablist, DJ Babu of the Beat Junkies, and after deciding to start making tracks together, Dilated Peoples was formed.

Probably the most well know song in Expansion Team is Worst Comes To Worst – this track is also my favourite song in this album. It combines samples from William Bell (I Forgot To Be Your Lover) and Mobb Deep (Survival of the Fittest) and produces an elegant, mellow sound coupled with the rapper’s distinctly powerful lyrics. The other songs are also very good with catchy samples and backing tracks. However, the quality of People’s lyrical poetry is the thing that really stands out in this album. For example, Trade Money and Proper Propaganda take on money and the media, respectively, and there's also a brewing social consciousness on the brief War which is set to a rattling snare-drum march beat. The track Dilated Junkies exhibits the turntablist skills of DJ Babu as well as the featured special guests, J-Rocc, Rhettmatic and Melo-D. Overall, this is an excellent rap/hip-hop album, which one should own. The production talent is second to none, contributors include The Alchemist, DJ Premier, Da Beatminerz, the Roots' ?uestlove, Joey Chavez, JuJu and DJ Babu himself. Check this out of you like artists such as Blackalicious, Mos Def , Jurassic 5 and Talib Kweli.

1. Live on Stage 4:41
2. Worst Comes to Worst 3:36
3. Clockwork 3:48
4. Trade Money 5:38
5. Heavy Rotation 5:15
6. Self Defense 3:36
7. Phil da Agony Interlude :42
8. Proper Propaganda 3:56
9. Dilated Junkies 4:12
10. Panic 3:49
11. Pay Attention 3:24
12. Night Life 4:14
13. War 1:32
14. Hard Hitters 3:56
15. Defari Interlude 1:50
16. Expansion Team Theme 6:38

Cut Up Boys

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Although they have been around for sometime, the Cut Up Boys have only reached the hights of 2 Many DJs et al recently. They specialise in mash-ups and bootlegs. Managing to combine the music of Linkin Park with Sean Paul or Justin Timberlake with Kraftwerk - these guys have been described as THE best mash up mixers in the world. In my opinion, they are very good indeed. The best? I'm not entirely sure.

They are on BBC radio 1. Check out The Cut Up Mix every Thursday on Late Drive at 7.30 when The Cut Up Boys mash up the biggest pop tunes. For more info on the mix masters check out there site. www.cutupboys.co.uk/

They can also be hear on www.stubru.be - under the Hang the DJ slot. Well worth the listen.

2 Many DJs - Radio Soulwax 20

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This set is also known as Studio Brussels 31/07/2003 and LeMouv 31/05/2003. The second half of 2 Many DJ's mixes includes newer, contemporary songs seamlessly mixed with the classic songs of the past.

There are moments of magic and madness in this album. For example, Madonna's Music (Funked Up Mix) sounds pretty dire and the mix sounds like they've recorded the song while a plumber randomly drops pipes in the background. Too much harsh, abrasive sounds in the mix for me! However, tracks such as Ladytron's Playgirl (Soulwax remix) and Freelance Hellraiser's A stroke of genius (Strokes vs. Christina Aguilera) redeem the CD. The highlight for me was Inner City's Good Life (Soulwax Remix) mixed into Killing Joke's S.O.36.

Some of these mixes have already been incorporated into the 2 Many DJs CDs - As Heard on Radio Soulwax 1-8 and Hang All DJs 1-5. This is because these 13 albums are not strictly compiled by 2 Many DJs, it's been produced by someone else using their original Radio Soulwax 0-28 sets. Don't be surprised if you see further installations of As Heard On...or Hang All DJ albums.


Radio Soulwax 20

Raw Sex - Suck it Deep
Madonna - Music (Funked Up Mix)
Chakka Khan - I Feel You (Soulwax Remix)
Standards - Here We Go
B52's - Red Leather
Michael Jackson - Billy Jean (Demo Version)
2 Live Crew - Live
Chemical Brothers - Come With Us
Angie Martinez - Dem Thangz
The Human League - Being Boiled
James Brown - Hot Pants
Darkus - The Wisemen Speech
Lazy Dogz - I Don't Care
Ladytron - Playgirl (soulwax remix)
Paul Simon - Late in the Evening
Tomba Vira - The Sound Of Oh Yeah
OMD - Enola Gaye
Strokes vs. Christina Aguilera - A stroke of genius
B52's - Private Idaho
Devo - Girl U Want
Monsoon - Ever So Lonely
P. Diddy, Black Rob & Mark Curry - Bad Boy For Life
Mink Deville - Spanish Stroll
Inner City - Good Life (Soulwax Remix)
Killing Joke - S.O.36
Coda - Honky Tonk Woman
Stereo total - J'aime l'amour à trois

2 Many DJs - Radio Soulwax 9

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This is one of my favourite mixes by 2 Many DJs. Yes, for those who are pretty new to the world of 2 Many DJs/Mash-ups and bootlegs, there are more than eight 2 Many DJ albums.

The basics are as follows; they have released 3 \"official\" albums (As heard on Radio Soulwax Part 2; Colette mix; Steve and Sky soundtrack (NEW)) and have over 50 \"unofficial\" albums. Due to copyright restrictions and laws, they were unable to release the rest of these sets. Further info on the albums and history can be found on, http://2manydjs.free.fr.

Back to the review. As you can see from the track listing below, the set is packed full of classic songs and they are masterfully mixed together. I love the Daft Punk into and the way it is mixed into Freez’s AEIOU. The highlight for me was Snap’s The Power coupled with Destiny’s Child’s Bugaboo. Another excellent moment was Prince’s Medley, they managed to incorporate nine of his songs (Another Lover, Kiss, Raspberry Beret….etc within a space of about 8 minutes. Overall, I would recommend this album and their original Radio Soulwax 0-28 DJ sets.

Radio Soulwax 9

intro
daft punk - daftendirect
daft punk - wpdk 83.7 fm
freez - aeiou
hamilton bohannon - i wanna sing
lyn collins - think (about it)
roxanne shante - my groove gets better
snap - the power
destiny's child - bugaboo
wise guys - start the commotion
monsoon - ever so lonely
prince medley
mountains
another lover
koo koo (sheila e)
paisley park
kiss
girls and boys
la la la he he he
instrumental
raspberry beret
placebo - without you i'm nothing (remix)
lady shave - atomic girl
e.l.o. - sweet talking woman
queens of stoneage - regular john

Ozomatli @ Newcastle University

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Ozomatli were formed in Los Angeles in the mid-'90s with a line-up including Cut Chemist. Since the release of their self-titled debut album in 1998, they have brought out one other album (Embrace the Chaos, 2001) and an EP (Coming Up, 2004). Although their sound is not unique, their incorporation of various styles ranging from reggae, hip-hop, jazz, funk and Latin salsa have won them critical acclaim across the globe.

Their gig at Newcastle University is part of their UK tour. Tickets were £10 and doors opened at 7:30pm. The gig finished around 11pm. The Uni Basement was packed from the start. I was saturated in fashion butter even before the band commenced. They played such classics as Pá Lante, Lo Que Dice, Cumbia de los Muertos and O le Le from their two albums. There were also songs from their latest EP (advertising their new album Street Signs – due for release soon). Their gig exuded energy, enthusiasm and passion. I particularly enjoyed the moment when the whole band came off the stage and ventured into the middle of the crowd to play 5-10 minute medley, which culminated in an extended conga session with the band leading the procession – classic!

I thoroughly enjoyed the gig and would recommend them to those who haven’t heard of the band. It was the most fun I have had at a gig – excellent.

UK – Tour 2004.
March 1 - Leeds Cockpit
March 2 - Manchester MDH
March 3 - Glasgow Queens University
March 4 - Newcastle University
March 6 - Bristol Academy
March 7 - Warwick University
March 8 - De Montfort Hall Leicester
March 9 - London Jazz Café
March 11 - London Jazz Café
March 12 - London Jazz Café

Nitin Sawhney - Beyond Skin

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This is Nitin Sawhney's 3rd of 5 studio albums, and it is widely agreed it is his best work.

Before I say a little about this album, I thought I'd reproduce the blurb from the inside front cover of the album...

\"I am Indian. To be more accurate, I was raised in England, but my parents came from India - land, people, government or self - 'Indian' - what does that mean? At this time, the government of India is testing nuclear weapons - Am I less Indian if I don't defend their actions? ...Less Indian for being born and raised in Britain? - For not speaking Hindi? Am I not English because of my cultural heritage? - Or the colour of my skin? Who decides? - 'History' tells me my heritage came from the 'Sub' continent - a 'third world' country, a 'developing' nation, a 'colonised' land - So what is history? - For me, just another arrogant Eurocentric term... I learned only about Russian, European and American history in my school syllabus - Indian, Pakistan, Africa - these places were full of people whose history did not matter - the enslaved, the inferior.

This is an album with a time span that runs backwards - it begins with the Indian Prime Minister - Vajpayee - proudly annoucing the testing of 3 nuclear bombs on Indian soil. Vajpayee is the leader of the BJP - The 'Hindu fundamentalist' party. These tests first took place in 1998. In 1945, two years before the Independence of India, Oppenheimer, creator of the atomic bomb, witnessed the first test of his creation. Afterwards he quoted from the 'Bhagavad Gita' - the Hindu 'Bible' - in condemnation of his own creation. His quote ends the album. He quotes Vishnu saying 'Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds' as he breaks down in tears.

The western creator of the bomb condeming it in the name of Hinduism, the Hindu Prime Minister testing it in the name of what? Progress? Should India be thanking the West for donating weapons of mass destruction? If I ever have children will they discover their heritage through BBC News bullitins about radiation sickness? - or nuclear war with Pakistan? I wonder.

My mother and father are featured on the album - They speak with optimism of the future, while British Nazis like Combat 18 and the BNP rush to claim responsibility for nail bombing Asians in Brick Lane.

The BJP in India. The BNP in England. The first would define me by my religious heritage, the latter by the colour of my skin.

I believe in Hindu philosophy. I am not religious. I am a pacifist. I am a British Asian.

My Identity and my history are defined only by myself - beyond politics, beyond nationality, beyond religion and Beyond Skin.\"

Nitin Sawhney, 1999

In my opinion they are some powerful words, which have even more meaning when listening to the album.

This album seamlessly blends original Eastern beats into more modern genres, and Nitin Sawhney does it as if they were always meant to be together. A host of women's voices grace above male Hindu lyrics, whilst all kinds of instruments provide the backing, from pianos to violins. But the whole time it has a modern beat.

This is an album which should be turned up loud, and then you want to sit back, close your eyes and feel the music.

This is an innovative, clever, mind-blowing, and above all, beautiful album.

I can safely say Nitin Sawhney is now a favourite artist of mine, and I haven't had a favourite artist for years.

I can't stress enough how much you should get this. It's intellectual chill-out with a powerful punch.

2 Many DJs @ Fabric. 2004

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THE FUCKING DEWAELE BROTHERS were awesome. It’s safe to say that most people had come to Fabric to see these disco jockeys at work. There were queues everywhere, over an hour’s wait to get tickets, and a 45-minute wait for the cloakrooms. Unsurprisingly, there were no queues for the bar.

Their set started around 1:30 am and expectations were high. Room 1 had filled up rapidly and there was no room move. Once the Dewaele brothers commenced with their set, the place went mental. Their overall set was dance orientated (rather than their rock/disco sets). They threw in such classics as the Clash’s Rock the Casbah, Guns N Roses’s Sweet Child o Mine and Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit . They also combined and used contemporary artists such as JT vs LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix If I ever feel better and Paper Faces (Comfortably Numb). One of my highlights was when The Cult’s She Sells Sanctuary mixed in with Andrea Doria’s Bucci Bag.

Overall their two-hour set was immense and I would recommend to anyone who hasn’t seen them. There are plans for them to be up in Glasgow and Liverpool in the next few months. Keep your eyes and ears open for more info.

Adam F @ Fabric

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Fabric's Wall of Sound on 20th Feb was another great success. The lineup was as follows:

Room 1:
2 Many DJs (Soulwax), Colder (live), Erol Alkan, Whitey (live), Mekon.

Room 2:
Andy C, Grooverider, Adam F, Ray Keith, Danny C, Nu Tone.

Room 3:
Richard X, The Visitor, Le Hammond Inferno.

The night started late for us (around 12am) and we headed straight for the drum and bass room (2). Adam F was just starting his set. The place was full to the brim and the majority of people seem to enjoying themselves.

Adam F started off with some blistering tunes and this was high quality of drum and bass was maintained through out the night. The laser show during the set added to the atmosphere. There was the usual high calibre of top tracks. There was less emphasis on his hip-hop/rap tracks in his last couple of albums (Adam F Presents Kaos - The Anti-Acoustic Warfare & Drum and Bass Warfare) instead he concentrated purely on drum and bass tracks. Classics such as Circles and Metropolis were mixed in with newer up to date tunes by such artists as Bad Company, Dillinja and Shy FX. Overall his set was excellent. Shame I wasn’t able to stick around for Andy C’s set (started around 3:30am).

I want one of those.

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I know this was supposed to be a monthly column, but I’ve changed it to a weekly one, as there are too many cool gadgets out there.

This week it's the Apple iPod mini. As you can see, this is going to be very popular with both the technophiles and fashion conscious. Available in a range of sexy metallic colours (silver, gold, blue, pink & green), this is far smaller and lighter than the original (http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html).

Weighing just 3.6 ounces, the iPod mini features an anodised aluminium case that resists stains and scratches. The controls are basically the same, and there's the usual array of games, calendar, contacts & notes function. The capacity is only 4GB, but this is intended for the light music user. It is retailing at around $249 (£136 assuming exchange rate of - 1 GBP = 1.85786 USD). However, if the around the same price, you can get a 15GB original iPod ($299.00/£160.93).

Features

Customisable settings
Customize main menu
Create On-The-Go playlists
Rate songs
Shuffle songs or albums
Repeat one or all
Sound Check on or off
20 Equalizer settings
Backlight timer
Display contrast
Alarms on, off or silent
Sleep timer
Date and time
Display time in menu bar
Contacts sort and display by first or last names
Clicker on or off
Languages: English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese


Technical details:

Display
1.67 inch (diagonal) liquid crystal display with blue-white LED backlight
138-by-110-pixel resolution, 0.22-mm dot pitch
Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Size and weight
Height: 3.6 in
Width: 2.0 in
Depth: 0.5 in
Weight: 3.6 oz (104g)

Audio
Up to 25 minutes of skip protection
Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 (32 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible, AIFF (Mac only) and WAV
Upgradeable firmware enables support for future audio formats.

Bonobo - Dial 'M' For Monkey

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I noticed this album whilst browsing the record shops. I'd never heard of the artist, and so it was the cover which drew me to it. On picking up, I was pleased to see they were signed to Ninja Tune. Being a great fan of the label, I was surprised I hadn't heard of Bonobo before. Then again, the name doesn't jump off the page when artists on your books includes names such as DJ Food, Kid Koala and Amon Tobin.

Anyway, not being one to judge a record by its cover, I went home and check Bonobo out. It all seemed good with great reviews, so I went back and bought it.

This is a great chill-out album. It is hard to describe the sound, but in my opinion, the first half is very similar to Moon Safari [by Air French Band], but perhaps a little more upbeat. Whilst in the middle, there is a certain Portishead feel about the album, with that classic Bristol Sound. Towards the end it becomes altogether more jazz-based.

One of the reviews I read on this album described it as "...the perfect music to watch raindrops dance their way down a window on a long train ride into the country." [http://www.amazon.co.uk/] So now whenever I listen to this album, I tend to picture the same scene, which is annoying. And now anyone reading this will probably have the same problem, so sorry about that!

This is a great album, though perhaps a little short at just under 45 minutes. Though the album sleeve is beautifully designed, with some great photographs, which might make up for it... in a small way.

Various Artists – Funky Breaks & Sampled Soul.

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This album isn’t the first compilation of its kind and it most definitely won’t be the last. What makes this album unique(ish) is that the 14 songs included here has been at one time or another cribbed, pillaged, sampled and plundered by other artists. In their own right, all the tracks in this compilation are very good. Highlights for me include Rick James – Super Freak (as sampled by MC Hammer in U Can’t Touch This), Cameo’s funky tune Candy (as sampled by Mariah Carey in Loverboy) and Ohio Players – Funky Worm (as sampled by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince in Boom! Shake the Room).

There are other tracks that are great to listen to. The mixture soul, funk and disco adds an extra dimensions to this compilation. During the process of listening, I found myself say, “Oh yeah…..I recognise this tune”. I found it fascinating listening to the original tracks rather than the sampled/borrowed versions. Without the innovation of these original songs, we wouldn’t have some of the quality tunes we have today. Although this album is not going to be essential listening for some, those who like funk and soul will love it. The old skool is now cool, and this is seriously freezing! Recommended.

Tracklistings:

1. Super Freak performed by Rick James (as sampled by MC Hammer in U Can’t Touch This).
2. Candy performed by Cameo (as sampled by Mariah Carey in Loverboy).
3. Are You Being Real performed by Bar-Kays (as sampled by Fun Lovin’ Criminals in Bump).
4. We Are Neighbours performed by Chi-Lites (as sampled by Groove Armada in If Everybody Looked the Same).
5. (Let Me) Let Me Be Your Lover performed by Horne, Jimmy Bo (as sampled by Stereo MCs in Connected ).
6. Funky Worm performed by Ohio Players (as sampled by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince in Boom! Shake the Room).
7. Wicky Wacky performed by Fatback Band (as sampled by A Tribe Called Quest in Showbusiness).
8. Funky Drummer performed by James Brown (as sampled by Public Enemy in Fight the Power).
9. Hercules performed by Aaron Neville (as sampled by Young MC in I Come Off).
10. I'm a Good Woman performed by Barbara Lynn (as sampled by Moby in Another Woman).
11. You Can't Turn Me Away performed by Sylvia Striplin (as sampled by Junior M.A.F.I.A. in Get Money).
12. Free at Last performed by Al Green (as sampled by Jay Z in Blueprint (Momma Loves Me).
13. (Not Just) Knee Deep performed by Funkadelic (as sampled by De La Soul in Me Myself & I).

Various Artists - Latin Melt.

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Third in the melt series (previous albums being Brazilian and Afro Melt) this is an awesome album to chill-out to. Forget about the laidback hip-hop, trip-hop, down tempo dance albums. Latin Melt is a down-tempo excursion through the beats inflected music of Cuba, Guatemala and Colombia plus various international collaborations (UK, USA , Germany, Italy). This is the definitive series to relax to. The basic idea behind the Melt series is based on focussing on particular areas of the world (hence the names) and the way they have applied modern technology to their own music. The influence of Latin American music has spread world wide from the use of mellow beats by Gilles Peterson to the up-tempo and energetic moods created by Nelly Furtado in her latest album (Folklore).

I don’t really where to start…The quality of each and every track is hand picked and compiled by Gerry Lyseight (Presents Latin, Afro and Jazz show on BBC London Live). Here, the chosen tracks really stand out – a testament of Gerry’s knowledge about contemporary South American music. I particularly enjoyed melancholy sounds of Cachaito’s Tumbanga. The fusion of jazz with trip-hop really works well in this song. This is followed by the funky/hip-hop sounds of Aterciopelados (El Estuche). The well know song, Guantanamera[/] (originally by Joseito Fernandez) – is updated by Azucar Letal. Sang in the original Cuban lyrics, this version maintains the traditional feel of the song without destroying its integrity. The other seven songs are equally as good as those mentioned above. Their styles vary from track to track and one can’t help but to put the album on repeat after the first few songs. This album is truly different and refreshing. Recommended to purveyors of all good music!

Tracklistings:

1. Radio Zumbido - El Hampa (1'35")
2. Cachaito - Tumbanga (4'25")
3. Aterciopelados - El Estuche (3'22")
4. Orishas - Orishas Llegó (4'14")
5. 99 Posse - Sfumature (4'24")
6. Azúcar Letal - Guantanamera (3'10")
7. Sidestepper - Linda Manigua (quantum dub force mix) (5'50")
8. Calexico - Dub Latina (2'18")
9. Sidestepper - Aunque De La Vida (5'05")
10. Radio Zumbido - Lo-Fi Chicken Bus (4'38")

ZEN CD85R – Remix Retrospective.

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This is the second helping of Ninja Tunes latest compilation. This double CD is based on a similar album – A Retrospective – and utilises and builds upon some of the songs on that album. The original tunes by various Ninja Tunes artists (ie. Coldcut, DJ Food, DJ Vadim, Cinematic Orchestra, The Herbaliser and Mr Scruff) are taken and remixed by experienced DJs such as, Cornelius, Fourtet, Asley Beedle, Manitoba, Dr Rockit (Herbert), Domu, Luke Vibert, Fredric Galliano and PC of DJ Food.

The first CD kicks off with the Cornelius mix of Coldcut’s “Atomic Mogg”. From then on we venture deep into the realms of trip-hop, percussion break-beats, experimental jazz and other forms of surreal music. The first five tracks mainly consist of fast, aggressive experimental beats – which I thought were quite similar to some of the songs from Photek’s “Modus Operandi” album (The Hidden Camera, Aleph 1 etc…). The latter half of CD1 consisted on mellower tracks. Laidback beats were effortlessly fused with soulful vocals. Highlights from CD1 include Suqarepusher’s mix of DJ Food’s “Scratch Yer Head”, Luke Vibert’s version of DJ Food’s “Turtle Soup” and Coldcut’s rendition of Fog’s “Pneumonia”.

The second CD picks up from CD1. The mellow, melancholy tracks begin with Mr P’s remix of Cinematic Orchestra’s “Evolution II”. By track four, we slowly pick-up the pace. Ashley Beedle’s “Heaven & Hell” is an excellent track to lift the atmosphere. From then on the music gradually changes to a Latino Bossa Nova style (Herbaliser – “Something Wicked”) and then progresses onto a dark moody groove (DJ Food – “The Crow”). The album culminates with Coldcut’s “Autumn Leaves” (Irresistible Force Mix). Overall this is an excellent album to invest in – although newer fans may want to checkout other Ninja Tune compilations (ie. A Ninja Tune Retrospective, Xen Cuts, Ninja Cuts Funkungfusion, ColdKrushCuts).

Track Listing:

01 Coldcut - Atomic Moog (Cornelius mix)
02 DJ Food - Scratch Yer Head (Squarepusher mix)
03 East Flatbush Project - Tried By 12 (Squarepusher mix)
04 Bonobo - Pick Up (Fourtet mix)
05 2 Player - Extreme Possibilities (Wagon Christ mix)
06 Mr Scruff - Sweetsmoke (Manitoba mix)
07 DJ Vadim - USSR Reconstruction (Jamie Hodge mix)
08 DJ Food - Turtle Soup (Luke Vibert mix)
09 Fog - Pneumonia (Coldcut mix)
10 Cinematic Orchestra - All That You Give (Dr Rockit mix)
11 Cinematic Orchestra - Evolution II (Mr P mix)
12 DJ Food - Consciousness (Ashley Beedle mix)
13 Cinematic Orchestra - Man With The Movie Camera (Domu mix)
14 Ashley Beedle - Heaven & Earth (remix)
15 Herbaliser - Something Wicked (Herbaliser Bossa mix)
16 Chris Bowden - Crockers & Killers (Easy Access mix)
17 Irresistible Force - Fish Dances (Frederic Galliano mix)
18 DJ Food - The Crow... (Kaleioscope version)
19 The Herbaliser - Mrs Chombee Takes The Plunge (DJ Food mix)
20 Autumn Leaves (Irresistible Force mix)

Further info:

http://www.ninjatune.net/ninjashop/

I want one of those.

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Here's a monthly column on the latest hi-tech gadgets I want.

The first on my list is SONY's VAIO visual Entertainment PC (PCVW1). As the name suggests, this is the ultimate entertainment PC. Go on the internet, watch DVDs, play games, prepare for a presentation or just chillout to some laidback tunes - whatever you want to do, this is the dream machine for the technophile.

Here's the nerdy bits:

CPU: P4 2,8 (533 MHZ FSB)
Chipset: SIS651
Graphics: SIS651(integrated graphics)
VRAM: 32MB(Shared with system memory)
Hard Disk: 160 GB ATA100
RPM: 7200
Main Memory: 512 MB DDR SDRAM
Speed: 333MHz
17.5" WXGA widescreen display (1280X768)
DVD-RW
Speed; CD-R read speed (max) 24X, CD-RW read speed (max) 12X, CD-ROM read speed (max) 24X, CD-R write speed (max) 16X
Speed; CD-RW write speed (max) 8X, DVD-R read speed (max) 4X, DVD+/-RW read speed (max) 4X, DVD-ROM read speed (max) 8X, DVD-R write speed 1X, DVD-RW write speed 1X
Modem V.90
Ethernet 10/100
PCMCIA
GigaPocket
Expansion Slots: 1xPCI; TV Tuner
Connectors; Rear (for RS / RZ), 4x USB2.0, 1x Line in, 1x Mic in, 1x Headphone out, 1x 4pin iLink, 1x Modem (CNR), 1 x Ethernet(100/10Base-T)
Connectors; Rear: TV Tuner/Mpeg codec; Composite Video In, S-Video In, Audio L/R In, RF In
Connectors; Front (for RS / RZ), 1xPCMCIA (TypeII). Flash readers: 1x Memory stick
Languages: EN, FR, DE
Pre-Installed Software; Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Media Sharing: VAIO Media v.2.5, Video/TV: Giga Pocket 5.5, DVgatePlus v.1.1, Adobe Premiere 6.0 LE, VAIO Edit Components
Pre-Installed Software; Photo: PictureGear Studio v.2.0, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, Adobe Photoshop Album SE, Music: SonicStage v.1.6, MoodLogic
Pre-Installed Software; Office: Adobe Acrobat Reader v.6.0, Adobe Acrobat Elements v.6.0, Microsoft Works 7.0, Utilities: Windows XP Service Pack 1, Norton Internet Security 2003, Click to DVD v.1.3, WinDVD for VAIO v.5.0, Drag'n Drop CD+DVD
Pre-Installed Software; Utilities: RealOne Player v.2.0, QuickTime v.6.1, VAIO System Information, VAIO Action Setup, Memory Stick Pro Formatter
13.5kg weight.

Further info.

http://www.shopman.co.uk/features/2003-11-17-thingswelike.shtml

http://products.sony.co.uk/productdetail.asp?id=10_51_4438

A Ninja Tune Retrospective [ZEN85]

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As mentioned in a previous article on this site, "A Ninja Tune Retrospective [ZEN85] sees a collection ofthe finest tracks released under the Ninja Tune name. Artists include all your favourites, Kid Koala, Mr. Scruff, Amon Tobin, The Herbaliser, Cinematic Orchestra, DJ Food, Up, Bustle & Out, and of course Coldcut themselves, plus plenty of others" (Newman 2004).

Released earlier on in January 2004, Ninja Tune Records have done it again. This album spans 2 CDs and 32 tracks. The artists are top quality and the music on display is out of this world. Highlights on CD1 includes Mr Scruff's mini-session with "Get A Move On & Sweetsmoke". It's jazzy undertones and funky grooves really pick up the album from a laid back and subdued mood. From there, we move onto the organised chaos that is Amon Tobin ("Sordid & Easy Muffin"). Then it's back to the chill sessions courtesy of Coldcut ("Timber & Autumn Leaves"). Throw into this a generous helping of other well established Ninja Tune artists - DJ Vadim, Cinematic Orchestra, Kid Koala....etc, and you have a sublime album that is well worth the investment (£11 @ http://www.ninjatune.net/ninjashop/).

There’s more of the same immense music on the second CD. I particularly enjoyed the first few tracks (Coldcut - More Beats & Pieces, DJ Vadim – Terrorist, Kid Koala - Fender Bender, DJ Vadim - Your Revolution). They were superb in building up an atmosphere of smooth, relaxed and soulful bliss.

This is the usual high quality music that we are used to from the Ninja Tune label. Shame the album wasn't mixed, this would have added an extra dimension to the album. For the newer fans pondering on which Ninja Tune album to invest in, I would highly recommend this album. It's full of musical goodness. :)

Tracklistings:

CD1
01 DJ Food - Dark Lady
02 Coldcut - Atomic Moog
03 Amon Tobin - Get Your Snack On
04 Bonobo - Pick Up
05 Mr Scruff - Get A Move On
06 Mr Scruff - Sweetsmoke
07 Wagon Christ - Bend Over
08 Kid Koala - Skanky Panky
09 Luke Vibert - Get Your Head Down
10 Amon Tobin - Sordid
11 DJ Food - Spiral
12 Hexstatic - Auto
13 Coldcut - Timber
14 Amon Tobin - Easy Muffin
15 Coldcut - Autumn Leaves
16 Cinematic Orchestra - All That You Give
17 Funki Porcini - Long Road (edit)

CD2
18 Coldcut - More Beats & Pieces
19 DJ Vadim - Terrorist
20 Kid Koala - Fender Bender
21 DJ Vadim - Your Revolution
22 The Herbaliser - Mr Chombee Has The Flaw
23 Mr Scruff - Shrimp
24 The Herbaliser - The Blend
25 9 Lazy 9 - Black Jesus
26 Up Bustle & Out - Aqui No Ma
27 Cinematic Orchestra - Channel 1 Suite
28 Amon Tobin - Deo
29 Cinematic Orchestra - All Things To All Men
30 Jaga Jazzist - Lithuania
31 Funki Porcini - Purrfect (edit)
32 The Herbaliser - Something Wicked

Plump DJs & Stanton Warriors @ World HQ

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Plump DJs & Stanton Warriors @ World HQ was an amazing night. The night started off solidly with the supporting DJs spinning out a wide variety of tunes while maintaining the phat beat. There was the usual playing of 50 Cent's "In da club" - but it was given the break-beat treatment.

By the time the Stanton Warriors came on the place was buzzing. The dance floor was full to the brim with little room to move - let alone dance! The atmosphere was electric.

They proceeded to spinout tune after tune of funky break and beats. Their remixed version of Basement Jaxx's "Where's Your Head At" drove the crowd into a wild frenzy. This level of hi-octane music was maintained when Plump DJs took over around 1am. Once again, their choice of tunes and level of mixing was quite immense. Some of the highlights of their set included their break-beat remix of Leftfield's "Phat Planet" and their final mix of Plump DJ's "The Gate". Overall, it was a memorable night of superb music. Checkout video for a short taste of the night!

http://www.pawsworld.co.uk/video/CIMG2893.AVI