Werk Space is a new video series presented by fellow Dutch music site MOOVMNT. The idea behind the project is to put together different producers from the lowlands on a compilation, by letting them produce one track within one day at Red Bull Studios, a state-of-the-art recording and production facility in Amsterdam. After Moods and Singularis, the latest edition is with Dutch beatmaker AJ Beats and vocalist Gerson Rafael. AJ is busy making stuff for Soulection, and even though his Bandcamp and Soundcloud pages are still relatively empty, we’re pretty sure he’s one to watch. We had the pleasure to catch up with AJ to talk about his werk. Let’s kick off with the most unoriginal question imaginable. For those who don’t know, who is AJ Beats? I’m a 22 year old beat maker born and raised in Enschede, in the very east of the Netherlands. I’ve been making beats for like four years now. I started out producing hip hop beats in particular, (...)
Interview: AJ Beats
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Giveaway: 3×2 weekend tickets for Paaspop Festival
Easter is coming up, so that means the official kick-off of the festival season in the Netherlands with Paaspop. And that season is packed with choices for us Dutchies: from North Sea Jazz (D’Angelo, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, amongst many others), to all killer no filler at Pitch Festival (Siriusmodeselektor, Jamie XX, Kaytranada, Gold Panda), to the growing Down The Rabbit Hole (Flying Lotus, Ghostpoet, Omar Souleyman, The Gaslamp Killer Experience), and the list can go on and on. But first up: Paaspop. The festival in the south of the Netherlands offers a diverse lineup to get in the mood for the festival season – which also gives you a valid excuse to escape lengthy Easter brunches with family. We’re particularly looking forward to the hip hop lineup including Typhoon, Akwasi (with live band), Fresku, and jazz hop band The Cool Quest (photo), as well as the impressive night lineup with Roni Size, Modeselektor, Camo & Krooked, Buraka Som Sistema, (...)
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Listen: St Germain – Real Blues
St Germain is back! If you don’t know who he is, then you must be a tourist in the world of music. See what we did there? Anyway, all bad jokes aside: “Real Blues” is a promising taste of his first album in 15 years, on which he will work alongside African musicians, with traditional instruments like the kora, the balafon and the n’goni, next to electric guitars, pianos, saxophones and electronic loops. To be released in October, followed by a European tour in November and December. iTunes / Spotify
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Stream: Damu The Fudgemunk – Public Assembly Vol. 2
Get your headphones, get your headphones… The Find favourite Damu The Fudgemunk presents the second part in his Public Assembly series, consisting of crowdsourced fan favourites, unreleased versions and harder-to-find material from the wonka beat wizard. Available on wax, CD and on limited gold vinyl. “Exactly one year after Volume 1, Damu answers the people with Public Assembly Volume 2, a second installment of quality instrumentals in his signature style. What started as a collection of music curated with the help on his fanbase via social media has turned into another franchise title for Redefinition Records.” Public Assembly Volume 2 by Damu The Fudgemunk
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Listen: Takuya Kuroda – Everybody Loves The Sunshine (ft. José James)
A few days ago I bumped into José James, right outside of North Sea Jazz Club in Amsterdam. That got me thinking about his super impressive catalog I’ve been hooked on for years. From The Dreamer back in 2008 (Park Bench People!), all the way to his Blue Note releases and collabs with Flying Lotus… the list goes on and on. It also reminded me about last year’s guest feature on Rising Son by Japanese jazz trumpeter Takuya Kuroda. “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” has been composed by Roy Ayers. Highly recommended!
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Listen: Lex de Kalhex – Changing Child (ft. Segawa Tatsuya)
French beat maestro Lex (de Kalhex) presents a new instrumental 7″ record: “Blue Nile” b/w “Changing Child.” An all-Japan effort: the B-side track features trumpet player Segawa Tatsuya (producer and touring DJ for Uyama Hiroto and the late great Nujabes – make sure to also check out this guest mix he did for The Find last year under his moniker Deeptuber), initiated by Takumi Koizumi (who used to work for Hydeout Productions), to be released on June 25th via Japan-based label Rockwell. The 7″ release is limited to 500 copies for the Japanese market. Luckily for you fellow Europeans out there, there are also quite a few import copies available for pre-order (91 remaining as of right now). The record cover is a 6 pages folded poster, drawn by Alex Besikian. Pre-order
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Listen: The Gene Dudley Group – I’ve Changed/Inspector Norse
After getting tired today at work of the daily routine of a Dutch jazzy radio station which might as well be named We Play The Same Music Every Single Day FM, I made the excellent decision to switch to the good fellows of Laid Back Radio. I tuned in right before the start of The Gene Dudley Group‘s “Inspector Norse,” and damn, what a track. I fell in love with Todd Terje’s same-titled track a couple of years ago after hearing it in Trouw (renowned club in Amsterdam, R.I.P.), and this remake by the UK producer and multi-instrumentalist is bananas. His label (Wah Wah 45s) says it best: “a funk driven horn-fest.” Listen to a preview of both “I’ve Changed” (ft. E of Stones Throw‘s Myron & E) and “Inspector Norse” below. You can pre-order the 7″ here, or wait for Gene’s sophomore LP, Zambidoose, dropping this July on Wah Wah 45s.
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Listen: Malonku (Maloon TheBoom x Nonku Phiri) – The Answer
It’s great to see beatmakers grow over the years. We featured Swiss producer Maloon TheBoom in our Dope Beatmakers You Should Know list back in 2013, and we’ve been hooked on his productions (and the releases on Boyoom Connective he runs together with Melodiesinfonie) ever since. Now he’s back under the moniker Malonku, a project together with South African songstress Nonku Phiri. The collaboration is a result of his trip to Africa, working together with the likes of Namibian hip hop crew Black Vulcanite, Nonku Phiri, amongst others. After debuting as Malonku at last year’s New Years Eve party by Eric Lau in Johannesburg, the first single is here. It’s called “The Answer”and it’s as soulful as it can get.
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Watch: Prace – Were You For Real (ft. Ntjam Rosie)
There are quite some talented producers from our home country (the Netherlands) that we feel deserve more praise. Prace is one of them. As part of the INI family, he’s known for a distinct sound he dubbed Dubnova, with the Trencadis EP as his magnum opus. “Were You For Real” features soulstress Ntjam Rosie and guitar by Prace’s roomie Beatsofreen, and is the first track from his forthcoming The Medicine series. “Musically, the single draws from synthesized reggae chords, and raw percussive cumbia rhythms; complimenting this interplay of textures is Ntjam Rosie’s delicate sensuous voice adding a fresh tint to the mélange of sounds.” – INI Movement
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Free Download: Beatsofreen – Bloom (ft. Joanna Borromeo)
Two years ago fellow Dutchie Beatsofreen debuted at the Singapore-based label Darker Than Wax with Coloured Dreams, a 6-track tribute to the late great J Dilla. The Dimensions EP, to be released next week, will be his second DTW release. “Bloom” is the first single with beautiful vocals by Canadian singer Joanna Borromeo. The forthcoming EP promises to show the growth of Beatsofreen as a producer: less samples, more live instrumentation, with the intention of “an electronic influence, balanced off by an earthy jazz element.” Count us in. Download // Pre-order
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Converse’s Chuck II: Ready For More
Here at The Find we’re all about classics. From golden era releases back when New York ruled hip hop, to jazz hop sampling originals you could find in your parents’ record collection, to obscure indie releases we consider to be classics, but many music critics will probably disagree on. The same can be said about the sneakers we love: nothing beats originals. Seeing the new Chuck II by Converse, it seems like they agree with that: instead of trying to ‘beat’ their iconic, timeless Chuck Taylor All Star, they’ve strived to come up with a contemporary sneaker in its own right. Time flies: what started in 1917 for the star-sided All Stars on basketball courts, with basketball player Chuck Taylor as All Star evangelist (did you know by the 1960s, 90% of professional and college basketball players wore Chucks? Pretty damn impressive), got adopted on the street around the 80s up till now. From iconic photos of James Dean and (...)
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The Find #50 in ‘Top 100 Most Influential Hip Hop Publications In The World’
The Find has been selected by Style of Sound as part of their Top 100 Most Influential Online Hip Hop Music Publications In The World. The #50 spot to be exact. You can download and read the publication below. According to their research, our interview with Nitsua is one of the most shared pieces of content from our archives. Download/Read Publication
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Contest: Win your own one-of-a-kind vinyl record
In collaboration with Amsterdam-based startup Vinylify we present possibly one of our most exciting contests to date. Especially for producers, emcees, indie labels, and everybody else out there making music. The grand prize: a one-off 10″ vinyl record of your own music. Including your own artwork, the whole shebang. Vinylify’s concept is for everybody: you can select tracks from their catalog (with music from affiliated labels and independent artists), or upload your own music (as long as you own the rights to it). They then press -well, in the case of Vinylify it’s actually cutting- your custom record in a popup store in the centre Amsterdam. They use German cutting machines from the eighties developed by a record collecting engineer, in combination with a Technics 1210 MK2 turntable. The outcome: vinyl-on-demand. Artists, musicians or independent labels (take notice!) needing small quantities of vinyl for promotional purposes or limited edition releases can also use the Vinylify service. It’s also possible for artists (...)
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Mix: DJ Shorty82 – Science
Pawel Kowalczyk a.k.a. DJ Shorty82 hails from Pila, a small town in Poland. He’s a self-proclaimed ‘hip hop activist’ for over 20 years: a seasoned B-boy, graff writer, and a strictly vinyl DJ with a big passion for collecting records, making mixtapes on a regular basis. ‘Science’ is his latest mix, compiled and made for The Find. It mainly consists of tracks from the last 10 years, all with that old school flavour we all love. Hip hop is timeless, and with ‘Science’ DJ Shorty82 shows exactly that. Including tracks by K-Def, Surreal, El Da Sensei, Marco Polo, Jazz Spastiks, Easy Mo Bee, Pete Flux, amongst many others. Press play to see the tracklist. Need more music in your life? Follow us on Mixcloud.
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Listen: MED, Blu & Madlib – Knock Knock (ft. MF DOOM)
YES, this is happening! “MF DOOM, Aloe Blacc, Hodgy Beats, Anderson Paak, Mayer Hawthorne and Dam-Funk join MED and Blu over 100% Madlib beats.” 15 tracks in total with tracks you already know (think Burgundy Whip and The Buzz), and a whole lot more. Including this cut featuring DOOM. We can’t wait. The album “Bad Neighbor” drops on October 30th, 2LP vinyl out on December 1st. BUY 1. Greetings2. Serving, feat. Hodgy Beats3. Peroxide, feat. Dam-Funk, DJ Romes4. Get Money, feat. Frank Nitt5. Streets, feat. Oh No, DJ Romes6. The Stroll, feat. AMG7. Knock Knock, feat. MF DOOM8. Mad Neighbor9. The Strip, feat. Anderson.Paak10. Finer Things, feat. Likewise, Phonte11. Burgundy Whip, feat. Jimetta Rose12. Drive In, feat. Aloe Blacc13. Belly Full, feat. Black Spade14. Birds15. The Buzz, feat. Mayer Hawthorne
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Video: Name Science & InDepth – Atomic Mass (Weight) Ar (Vinyl Teaser)
Remember “World Ultimate” from The Nonce from 1995, or found out about the album? We’re sure you do. That’s what made us excited about this forthcoming project by Dutch hip hop duo InDepth together with Name Science, consisting of The Nonce’s Sach and Inoe Oner (Global Phlowtations). According to their own website they’re “two scientists traveling through golden eras of music gathering the greatest elements of sound.” This old school reunion will be released on vinyl later this year, available on InDepth’s own imprint, Limited Item Lovers, where you can also get gems by Awol One, Escape Artists, L’Roneous, Mystik Journeymen, and a whole lot more.
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Mix: Anna Piranty – Pimp Lines & Dollar Signs
Tune in for another mix from Anna Piranty of our The Find Familia. In this selection, Anna digs into dusty crates of classic and underground hip hop, dropping gems from the likes of Finsta Bundy, Royal Flush, Nas, GZA, J-Zone, Lootpack, Big L, and many more. Let the kick drums and head nods commence.
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The Find Mix: Boombox Beats (Vol. 1)
Long-time The Find Familia member Wim (his alias Kaya King may sound familiar to some of you…) got really dusty for this one in his basement in Belgium. Well, probably his living room, but a “basement full of dusty records” sounds much cooler. Boombox is an old school hip hop mix, but far beyond the obvious picks. No O.C., but I.C.. No Artifacts, but Scott Lark Da Sensei. No Kamaal The Abstract, but Blackstract. Almost an hour full of hidden gems from the mid to late 90s, with productions by Jay Dee, Fat Jack, Tony D and Gee The Nutty Professor. And one track from the year 2000, but hey, we gladly make an exception for The God MC… (Photo courtesy of Jamel Shabazz)
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Listen: SoulChef – Good Vibes Remix EP
New Zealand’s finest (well, one of the many the country has to offer) SoulChef just dropped a remix EP of his Good Vibes album, out now on Parisian record label Delicieuse Records. With remix duties by Soul Square and Blutch from France, Poldoore from Belgium, FloFilz from Germany, and fellow Dutchman Moods. Super nice stuff! Also make sure to check the full album (out on wax) with features by Nieve, Declaime, The 49ers, Blezz, Awon, amongst others. Good Vibes Remix by SoulChef
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Stay Hungry Vol. 1 (The Find Podcast)
Yes yes! After bringing you the sounds of Stay Thirsty for over 4 years now (don’t worry, Kamir is still working on new editions in between taking over the world as a mad scientist, it isn’t over yet!), we decided to breathe life into another podcast series. Conveniently titled ‘Stay Hungry’, for those of you hungry for even more. Your host Jelger takes you on a journey through favorites of a couple of The Find editors. The idea: the very-very best of the last 365 days. The outcome: 1.5 hours of timeless tracks. Hip hop is the main ingredient, but you’ll also hear jazz, soul, funk and electronic music. Press play to kick things off with Floating Points, and expect to hear stuff by the likes of BBNG, NxWorries, Madlib, L’Orange, Ghostface, Oddisee, Blu, Robert Glasper, P.U.T.S, amongst many others. Hungry for more? Find The Find on Mixcloud
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More Pages to Explore .....
