Ninjaman may have changed his “gun pon teeth Don Gorgon” ways, but yesterday Desmond Ballentine was charged with murder + conspiracy in Kingston for a gun slaying that took place on Marl Road on Monday (March 16th). Assistant Police Commissioner and Head of the Major Investigations Task force, Les Green, thinks the police have a “good” case against Ballentine, according to the Jamaica Observer. ([More →])

It seems like only yesterday our little monster was rampaging around the Bay Area like a bass wave on a sugar high. Hard to believe this will be the 5th time the loosely associated autonomous mobile soundsystems of the mutant variety have convened on an undisclosed, secret underground location for maximum sound reinforcement and fun times. That’s right - 2 monstrous walls of sound will be erected, combining the earth-trembling bassbins of 5lowershop & Army of Love with the massive mid-range towers of HAVOCSOUND, crowned by Czech-technology rocket tweeters of the notorious S.P.A.Z. soundsystem for ONE MASSIVE MONSTER OF LOVE 5!!!

Deets: ([More →])

Truth is, this video is way to hippie-trippy for me. The tune is wicked and I cranked that ish as soon as i heard the bubbling synths and fidgety breaks come bouncing out of the speakers! But, I just can’t watch more than a minute of the groping hippie hands + nekkid ass hairs blowing in the wind (yeah, totally not “safe” for work among other places)… Bostonian audio/video team Zebbler “Get To The Truth” - the whole truth and nothing but the bare, naked truth:

Press play because the tune is wicked. But don’t be afraid to turn off yr monitor, close yr laptop, close yr eyes and just enjoy the audio onslaught…

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Roy Shirley goes wild for the crowd with his “Rock Steady” show:

Excerpted from the reggae episode of the Aquarius tv show circa 1976. (Imagine the 1980 cult film Babylon if it were a BBC documentary and you’d have the reggae episode of Aquarius.)

Someone needs to do this:

To The Sopranos:

Good old fashioned techno by Laurent Garnier:

Laurent Garnier - “Crispy Bacon” video

Roni Size, DJ Hype, Dynamite MC and MC Daddy Earl, all appearing at Dublin’s Button Factory on March 16th, thanks to Dublin club promoters Remedy.

More here:
Roni Size and Pendulum Remedy DJ sets.

Need a bumpin electro-house/bassline/pop mix to jump start yr day? Check out the latest Shirtcast podcast from Lime Green Shirt. Tracklist looks bumpin’:

Azzido Da Bass - Lonely By Your Side (Feat. John)
Van She - Kelly
S’Express - Stupid Little Girls (Original Mix)
Fischerspooner - Danse en France (D.I.M. Remix)
Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler (Armand Van Helden Remix Edit)
Yelle - A Cause Des Garcons [Tepr Remix]
The Count & Sinden Ft Kid Sister - Beeper (A-Trak Remix)
South Rakkas Crew - Mad Again (Fake Blood Remix)
Grand National - By The Time I Get Home (AC Slater Remix)
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back (Patrick Alavi Remix)
Cutting Crew - Died in Your Arms (Drop the Lime Remix)
Sugababes - Round Round (Soulwax Remix)
Wolfmother - Woman (MSTRKFRFT Remix)
Sneaky Sound System - UFO (Van She Tech Remix)
Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction (Wideboys Bassline Remix)

More info, download here:

soquitcherbitchen.blogspot

Leftfield hip-hop group Themselves, Rainbow Arabia, Yoni Wolf of WHY? and Boy In Static perform live in SF:

Terrorbird Day NoisePop Party @ Apple Store in San Francisco, Feb. 28, 2009

Flying Lotus and Remarc have been added to the Bang Face Weekender lineup! They join the ranks of Zomby, Skream, Rustie, Caspa, TODDLA T, 808 State, Luke Vibert, DJ Kentaro, DJ Freak, Deformer, Enduser, Cardopusher, Current Value, Dillinja, DJ Assault, Venetian Snares and MORE!!!!!

Bang Face Weekender 2009 Lineup

In the meantime, be sure to catch DrumCorps aka Aaron Spectre at the next Bang Face party:

Bang Face my$pace

Champion of left-field/experimental music on BBC radio, Mary Anne Hobbs is a musical pacemaker on the pulse of what’s pumping out of the global underground. Her weekly show is like a time-release capsule of the latest, greatest dubstep, electronica, techno, breakcore, hip hop or whatever new thing she digs up during the week. If you like San Francisco’s underground electronic music scene or club nights like Surya Dub, An-ten-nae events or the like, you won’t want to miss Mary Anne Hobbs performance on Thursday, January 29th in SF:

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I spoke with Winston Holness aka Niney The Observer just after today’s inauguration ceremonies ended. (Niney was in London and I in California, but we were both aware of what was taking place in D.C..) We got on the topic of today’s youth and generations to come, when Niney compared the positive attitude and message that Obama brings to U.S. government with the attitude and vibe that today’s music should have. He said music changes the world, so it should be positive.

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Those who know reggae’s history, know that Niney the Observer is deeply rooted in the evolution of its sound. Niney came up from the streets with a rebel sound and attitude at a time when recording studios were accessible to the people for the 1st time. (Similar to independent labels sprouting up to reduce dependency on the majors…) Niney launched the Observer label in 1971 with “Blood and Fire” which in turn influenced the music of Big Youth, Burning Spear, The Wailers and more. (I credit Niney for the change in The Wailers’ sound when it became more militant, rebellious and dark - my favorite era of Wailers music.) Niney has worked with many of reggae’s most recognizable names like Lee Perry, Dennis Brown, Beenie Man and Freddie McGregor (father of Steven di Genius McGregor who’s killing it in dancehall today).

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Xrabit and DMG$ mix old school hip hop beats and flow with new-rave/M.I.A. day glow flavor. Last year, the duo signed to Big Dada Records (Ninja Tune’s hip hop homies) and will release their new album, Hello World, on March 9th.

Listen to “Ferris Bueller” and “Damaged Good$” from Hello World:

([ Click To Add "Damaged Good$" To Player ])

Here’s the video for “” the 2nd single off Hello World:

XRABIT + DMG$ Live Dates

Wed 28 Jan Paris, France Le Social Club
Thu 29 Jan London, UK Yoyo @ Notting Hill Arts Club
Fri 06 Feb London, UK Get Familiar @ Fabric
Sat 07 Feb Berlin, GER Scala

Links

myspace.com/xrabit

myspace.com/dmgeez

youtube.com/XRABITandDMGEEZ

Happy New Year!! (To those of you on the Gregorian calendar… We also celebrate Chinese New Year here at HearingTest.)
I just wanted to holla to the world and let you know that we’re back at the controls here. I’ve been away at j-school and didn’t have time to keep the blog active until now.

Stay tuned, we’ve got some HOT content to release here soon. We’ve got new tunes from M.I.A., Toddla T, Damien Marley and more. I’ve got audio, video and transcripts from interviews with The Bug, Warrior Queen, Elephant Man, Richie Spice and MORE!!

Hopefully I’ll be too busy snowboarding all weekend to get any of this done, so check back next week for the first drops. Then, keep coming back as the trickle turns into a tidal wave of great stuff.

Damn it feels good to be rockin this site again. HAPPY NEW YEAR!