5 Questions with Rags #84 - Krafty Kuts + Jimi Needles

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…Luckily for hip-hop fans everywhere that we live in the age of fast internet and these two could connect properly for this mix. I know it's not just me who had a fucking experience the first time they listened to the mix. It's a monster, for all levels of rap fan. Krafty reflects on the impact the mix made almost right out of the gate. “The mix response has been incredible, just overwhelming. I didn't think I would have been able to match the Golden Era Mixes I've released prior, but we put so much pressure on ourselves to squeeze in as many records we loved in the space of an hour, for everyone to come back and say they’re enjoying it and that they can't wait for a 4-deck show is just incredible.” If for reason, this 4-deck show doesn’t make it to the Canadian west coast, I will be overtaken by a deep, heart-wrenching emptiness.

Jimi, like myself and seemingly everyone else who's heard them, has high praise for the Golden Era Mixes Krafty mentioned. “For me, and Martin may or may not know this, but a lot of people's ''go to'' hip-hop mixtapes are definitely those Golden Era Mixes. So the bar was already set extremely high as far as I was concerned. Now that Volume One is out there and has received so much love, the door is definitely open for Volume Two; in fact we've already started making our list and trading ideas. Can't wait!” Neither can we, Jimi. Neither can we.

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5 Questions with Rags #41 - Stickybuds

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A master of all things funky and groovy, Stickybuds has that thing that I value most in a great DJ - the ability to do all of the things well. Straight-ahead funky breaks, drum ‘n’ bass, glitch-hop, big reggae vibes – Sticky’s got you covered. And it’s all delivered with such blatant skill and love for the craft that it’s pretty impossible to ignore. The legendary Shambhala Music Festival is a good barometer for where your talents are as a DJ. It’s a festival of incredibly discerning ears and Stickybuds has been front and centre for 12 years and counting. Rarely does my crew plan to be at Stickybuds annual destruction of Fractal Forest, but every year, there we are, getting our ears dominated by the mighty dude. If you started your electronic listening diet anywhere around the Canadian west coast, you probably have had Stickybuds as part of your listening diet, and your musical taste is probably healthier for it.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the homey live, Hallowe’en weekend is a good time to get your funky spook on. I can attest to the absolute delightfulness that was last year’s "Breaks-O-Ween" in Vancouver.

As always, keep up with all the good sounds over at ye olde Soundcloud and all other things Stickybuds at the Facebook.

My mix from this years Shambhala Music Festival. Huge thanks to the couple thousand of you who came out for this live, Rich-E-Rich and to all my producer homeys who send me their gems and stems! Big love to the whole Fractal Forest and Shambhala family! www.Stickybuds.com www.Shambhalamusicfestival.com Tracklist Stickybuds + K+Lab ft. Junior Owusu + Dimention - Clap yo' Hands Intro Skope + Stickybuds - Change Your Mind Ali B & Jungle Brothers - Gimme That (A-Skillz Remix Acapella) Beat Fatigue - Curly Wurly Dj Vadim - Hey Hey Hey Ft Grazilla Affinita (Acapella) Maha Quest - ID Opiuo + Shapeshifter - Slug A Bug (Instro) Dj Vadim - Originator Ft Dynamite MC + Daddy Cookiz (Acapella) Jibbs Itation ft. Talawa Reggae Army - Love is the Key (Badweed & Kursiva Remix) Opiuo + Shapeshifter - Slug A Bug (Acapella) Fabolous ft Nate Dogg-You Can't Deny it (Acapella) IQulah Rastafari - It Is I (Ed Solo Remix) Lethal B ft. Shakka - Playground (Acapella) Dub Phizix - Doberman (Instro Edit) Dj Vadim - Originator Ft Dynamite MC + Daddy Cookiz (Acapella) Supremes - My Favorite Things (Acapella) Lethal B ft Shakka - Playground (Cyantific Instro / Full) Mooncat & Karlixx - We Want No More IQulah Rastafari - It Is I (Acapella) Aries Gold Dubs & Jinx ft Eva Lazarus - Fall In Love (Acapella) Habstrakt - Echoes Flux Pavilion ft. Turin Brakes - Mountains & Molehills (sample) Dj Alias - San Fransisco Bay (Leo Remix) Stickybuds + K+Lab ft. Junior Owusu - Clap yo’ Hands (Acapella) Ali B & Jungle Brothers - Gimme That (A-Skillz Remix Instro) WBBL - Irie Ali B & Jungle Brothers - Gimme That (Acapella) Dj Vadim - Originator Ft Dynamite MC + Daddy Cookiz (Acapella) Featurecast - Take it Down Low Stickybuds vs Mista Savona ft Burro Banton - Clean Air (Acapella) Stickybuds + Skope ft. Caleb Hart - Twice to the Right Mat tha Hat - The Charlston Whomp Big L - Put it On (Acapella) Smov - Big Love K+Lab Ft Skahna SK - Erupt Numa Crew ft Robert Dallas & Petah Sunday - Impossible (Samy Nicks Remix) Ed Solo - Lemme Go Ras Demo - Sekkle Up The Score (Turntable Dubers Remix) 2Nice - Uprising (Serial Killaz Remix Acapella) Dr Kucho! & Gregor Salto ft Ane Brun - Can't Stop Playing (Cyantific Remix) Ed Solo & Deekline ft. Gala Orsborn - Hit The Road Jack (Acapella) Empresarios - Morena (Acapella) Empresarios - Morena (Lack Jemmon Rmx) Baauer & RL Grime - Infinite Daps (Featurecast Edit) A. Skillz - 7 Day Weekend Stevie Wonder - Superstition (Neighbour + U-Tern Remix) Alozade - Under Mi Sensi (Acapella) Edwin Starr - War (Acapella) Clipse - When Was The Last Time (Acapella) Stevie Wonder - Do I Do (U-Tern Edit) Stevie Wonder - Superstition (Acapella) Sean Paul Ft. Chi Ching Ching + Banx & Ranx - Crick Neck Mooqee & HerbGrinder - Sound Around Town (Funkanomics Remix) Malente - Open Secret (Acapella) Krafty Kuts + Dynamite MC - Real Big Deal MIghty Mocambos - It’s The Music (Sticky + A.Skillz Inst. Stems) Jimi Hendrix - Freedom (Fernan Dust Funky Remix) MIghty Mocambos ft. Afrika Bambaataa + DJ Snoop - It’s The Music (Acapella) Tom Booze - How We Do This Noisia & The Upbeats - Dead Limit Tom Booze - How We Do This (Acapella) ID - ID Cyantific - Hollywood TC ft. Stylo G - Storm Brew (Acapella) Coppa & Disphonia – Paranoize (AKOV Remix) Krafty Kuts + Dynamite MC - Al Pacino (Instro) Coppa & Disphonia – Paranoize (Acapella) Skope - ID Dj Vadim - They Don't Love (Acapella) Ruffhouse & Clarity - Aphasia (Redders & Sam Binga Remix Instro) Calyx & Teebee - Sawn Off Maksim, Culprate + Retrospect - Time To Waste (Acapella) Skope - ID Dj Vadim ft Courtney Melody + Taiwan MC - Ruling Sound (Acapella) Swindle - Global Dance Falcons - Flame feat. Stush Maksim, Culprate + Retrospect - Time To Waste Maksim, Culprate + Retrospect - Time To Waste (Teddy Killerz Remix) Lemaitre ft. Jennie A. - Closer (Acapella) Dj Vadim ft Courtney Melody + Taiwan MC - Ruling Sound (Instro) Stickybuds + Blackout JA - Shambhala Dub (Acapella)

1. What was the first album you remember buying with your own money?

The first albums I bought with my own money were through Colombia House CD mail service out of some magazine, I believe I was in grade 6... (1996/1997-ish) The ones I remember that stuck out were, Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers, Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire, Collective Soul - Self Titled and Offspring - Smash.

I still actually love all these albums to this day, and I think I still have them all in a CD pile in storage somewhere. They are all great songwriters and musicians in their own right. I think I connect the most with RATM's album now. When I was 14 or whatever when I bought them I liked the anger in their music, and I'd sing the words, but I didn't understand what the songs were about. Now that I'm 32, and have been around the world a few times and pay attention to the global atmosphere, police brutality and decay of our rights and freedoms through corrupt governments and those who control them, I get and connect with their songs much more.  

2. Have you ever seen or felt a ghost or ghost-like presence?

Nope.

3. Can you think of a book or movie that had a genuine effect on the way you saw the world?

I read George Orwell's "1984" when I was in High school. It kind of stuck with me, and it's a real shame that it was a fictional book that turned out to be non-fiction.

4. When was the last time you did something for the first time?

Having trouble remembering things I've done for the first time, but I went Scuba Diving for the first time on one of my Australia tours 2 years ago in Cairns, it was awesome. 

5. Immortality…Ever think about it? Do you think you’d enjoy it? What’s the one completely ridiculous project you’d complete if you had unlimited time?

I don't think I'd like to live forever, but It would be cool if I could live for a few hundred years, maybe we'll even get there the way things are going. I would try and learn how to play every instrument I could imagine. 

6. The Guest Question comes from Victoria producer/performer BOUSADA… You just found out that you have 24 hours to live starting right now. How do you spend your last day on planet earth?

I'd spend the whole day with the people I love the most, and hopefully they wouldn't know I was about to die so it wouldn't be sad. 

5 Questions with Rags #13 - DJ Nu-Mark

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It’s kind of amazing how much DJ Nu-Mark has permeated the world inside my ears throughout the majority of my life. Jurassic 5 was one of my big four of hip-hop that made me truly love the genre. “I Know, Didn’t I” from his amazing album with Pharcyde’s Slimkid3 last year, immediately found a special place in my heart, finding me at a particular time in my life. Most importantly, last year at Shambhala he gave my brother and I our “bonding set.” That one special set that both of us were looking forward to more than anything else. Holy shit, it was amazing. The guy put on a damned class in the History of Groove. While the set was criminally under-attended, my brother and I danced our faces off in front of those speakers, loving every single choice the good Uncle Nu made. I was lucky enough to get to talk to him before that set for the Martlet and even luckier to get some of his time here for y’all. Big props to one of the greats in the world of DJs and just an all-around cool cat, DJ Nu-Mark.

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1. Do you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What medium was it? Do you still have it? Does it still hold up for you?

Yeah, the first album I bought was U.T.F.O.'s first self titled LP.  I still have it although it's pretty beaten up from multiple 80's house parties.  Can't really play it out now but it is for sure a Hip Hop classic.  Roxanne Roxanne was the big hit.

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