A few years ago I was asked to do this remix of Suffocation Keep by The Slip. It was a fun challenge to make an electronic interpretation of their sweeping, melancholic, indie-rock tack, and I really liked the outcome, but alas, it was never released.
I added it on as the last track on my Umami album, but instead of selling it along with the rest of the album I decided to give it away as a free bonus track.
They call it Boston Bounce but we call it banging. A bouillabaisse of b-more, dubstep & uk bass, a gleeful disregard for genre and rules. Uniquely American & awesome…
The sense of fun and humor that pervades the tracks is a welcome break from all the moody and dark sounds more typical in the bass scene…
DJ C has to be one of the best but most under-exposed artists out there. From Boston and now Chicago he is one of those rare artists whose every production is top notch, can’t find a bad track under his name. I have been dropping heavy tracks off his Sonic Weapons album in my sets for years, these things are party monsters that still manage to be smart and intricate. His remix of Gregory Isaacs “Gone a Jail” on the Shockout label and his “Let it Billie” 7″ are two of the favorite records I own. The man himself has a new album out called Umami, check it, dig it, buy it and support great music!”
A real journeyman of house, garage, funky and beyond, DJ C shows how he’s able to conquer a variety of sounds on this new full-length album… With future-funky rhythms underscoring big tunes like “Nu Strut”, “Blaze” and the lethally minimal brilliance of “Whistler”, there’s also slower beats to enjoy, such as “Dear John Bounce” which flits between jump-up jungle and slow, punchy dancehall. With London don The Heatwave joining C on “Change” and Sub Swara hooked up on “Belgrade”, this is a belting album, replete with some of the baddest beats out there at the moment.
Party scientist & beat producer, DJ C is known far & wide for his Boston-bounce sound, but he’s now called Chicago his home for the past 4 years and the influence of that historical home of house music, those fertile fields of footwork & juke, that booming base of booming bass, has seeped stealthily into his subconscious. Add this new layer to DJ C’s eclectic signature sound and this album equals an irresistibly fresh sonic flavor. From dubstep & club bangers to ravey dancehall anthems; from balkan to bhangara to baile, DJ C mashes it all into the deliciously varied and delectably danceable Umami.
DJ C’s new album Umami comes out May 31. Between now and the end of the month we’re going to give out each of the 17 tracks on the album for free, but each download will only be available for one day. Follow Mashit on Twitter to find out how to get each day’s download. In the meantime, give Umami a listen here:
DJ C - Umami
Party scientist & beat producer DJ C is known far & wide for his Boston-bounce sound, but he’s now called Chicago his home for the past 4 years and the influence of that historical home of house music, those fertile fields of footwork & juke, that booming base of booming bass, has seeped stealthily into his subconscious. Add this new layer to DJ C’s eclectic signature sound and this album equals an irresistibly fresh sonic flavor. From dubstep & club bangers to ravey dancehall anthems; from balkan to bhangara to baile, DJ C mashes it all into the deliciously varied and delectably danceable Umami.
DJ C’s debut album, Sonic Weapons, was originally released in 2007 as a CD on the Japanese label, WIMM Recordings, and soon after as an MP3 download album exclusively in the Mashit Shop.
This is the 3rd release in our series of DJ C & EOSS backcatalog leading up to the release of DJ C’s new album, Umami in May.
Listen: DJ C Sonic Weapons
Hype
A digital-dancehall groove graced by the otherworldly sound of theremin; crunk, dub, [jungle], reggae, & the distroted bass & beats of grime & breakcore crammed into a three-minute track — Sonic Weapons is not your everyday album” 4 Stars - Time Out New York
Riddim Scholar, ragga scientist and remixer of artists from M.I.A. to Gregory Isaacs, DJ C dropped this, his debut full-length album, in the summer of 2007. Straddling dancehall, grime, crunk & dubstep, “Sonic Weapons” was designed to kill sound-systems and destroy dance-floors.
The album features guest appearances by Chicago bad-man ragga vocalist MC Zulu, renowned Viennise thereminist Pamelia Kurstin, wicked wicked Boston riddim scholar Wayne&Wax, Jamaican vocalists Wasp & Dami D, & U.K. toaster, Quality Diamond. The tracks draw from diverse musical roots deep in the global underground & radically join those genres together into a sturdy trunk The branches reach around the globe like tentacles slapping bootys and moving feet everywhere.
DJ C knows the bass! Sonic Weapons is a perfect collection of digital ragga, post-jungle tracks and big riddims with a really distinctive and personal approach. It’s heavy, bouncy and perfect party music. I play his tracks often in my DJ sets!”
- Ghislain Poirier
Bringing out the big guns… Sonic Weapons is a rush.” 4.5 Stars
- Remix Magazine
This is about as proper as it gets. Throughout, C showcases his seemingly effortless abilty… Hard to imagine a summer throwdown without this little beaut. Verdict: C gets an A.”
- Boston’s Weekly Dig
[July 2007] saw the long-awaited release of DJ C’s first full-length album, the formidably enjoyable ‘Sonic Weapons’.”
- XLR8R
Like New England weather, the debut from Boston’s own DJ C changes gears without rhyme or reason. Having remixed songs by M.I.A., the mash-up artist works his magic on a set that ping-pongs from hip-hop to dub to bhangra to rock.”
- Boston Globe
DJ C, one of [Boston’s] most accomplished and influential electronic musicians is leaving the Bean and moving to [Chicago]. But not without a bang… Sonic Weapons is the first full-length he’s released as DJ C…. [He] has produced an abundance of some of the best beats and mixes to come out of Boston in the past decade.”
- Sonic Heart
This is a continious mix album. You can buy the tracks individually, but played together as a gapless album they form a seamless DJ-style mix.
A Sonic Weapons 12-inch EP was also released on the Death$ucker label. It featured a couple of tracks from the album, as well as the infamous bluegrass-core tune, Who Wah Seek Yo, and a remix of said track by Leipzig, Germany’s LXC.
Originally released at the turn of the century, Roots Wreck Remix was my sophomore full-length album recorded under the name Electro Organic Sound System (EOSS). It was the follow-up to my 1996 album, Herbanism which was re-released here in digital format here a couple weeks ago.
Like Herbanism, Roots Wreck Remix has been out of print for years, but today it’s available for the first time in digital download format from Amazon MP3, iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody, Napster and other fine online outlets.
On this album, recorded during the late ’90s, I was messing around with ambient-dub, jungle, hip-hop, dancehall and other styles. At the time I called it “wreck-step” which seemed to be an apt description of some of the frenetic beats woven through parts of the album. It mashed genres and styles together, tweaked and recomposed into something eclectic and strange.
Here’s what some of the critics had to say at the time:
Roots Wreck Remix” is “fibrous Jungle and post-Orb dub overlaid with grainy electronics.” - The WIRE Magazine
EOSS is “ground-breaking musical experimentation.” - The Boston Globe
This delightfully hard grinding album, textured with ambient and atmospheric sounds, escapes all genres by pulling pieces from every corner of the underground music scene.” - Deeper Magazine
Up next in this digital download series is a re-release of DJ C’s Sonic Weapons album, followed by a brand new DJ C album called Umami. Stay tuned…
15 years ago my first CD was released under the name Electro Organic Sound System. The album, called Herbanism, was 6 extended tracks of ambient-dub and breakbeat experiments. It went out of print pretty quickly and has not been in circulation since, but from time to time folks still mention to me how much they like the record. I figure the 15th anniversary is as good a time as any to re-release Herbanism. So starting today it’s available once again from Amazon MP3, iTunes, eMusic, Last.FM, Rhapsody, Napster and other fine online outlets.
This is the first in a series of back-catalog re-leases which hadn’t seen their way into digital distribution before. Next up will be the Electro Organic Sound System album, Roots Wreck Remix, and then the DJ C album, Sonic Weapons. The series will culminate in a brand new DJ C album called Umami.
Stay tuned for all the upcoming releases. In the meantime, enjoy Herbanism.
More on Herbanism
Recorded in 1994 - 1995 & released in 1996, Herbanism has been remastered and re-released for it’s 15th anniversary. Here’s what folks had to say about it when if first surfaced:
It’s great to hear excellent domestic electronic music that covers a lot of ground without sounding forced. Paying respect to electronic-music masters past and present, DJ C (a.k.a. Jake Trussell) Layers his melodic excursions into drum and bass, dub and trance over moody, grayish electronic atmospheres, which imbue his creation with a distinctive voice. This CD falls more on the chillout side of the electronic fence, which may disappoint those looking for more standard dancefloor fare. But with so much attention being given to European and British electronica, DJ C reminds us not to forget those Americans currently mastering the art of noise.”
- Alternative Press magazine
Employing tenets from the spectrum of dance music, herbanism is a cool thing. Exploring ambient, drum and bass, funky breakbeat, electronic, and dub, DJ C, a.k.a., Jake Trussell gives props to the Orb, King Tubby, & Boogie Down all in one breath. It’s nice to see so many influences at work with in a collection that evolves into some pretty funky stuff. Respect.”
- URB magazine
If you like a range of chill-out music from the Orb to Bill Laswell to Aphex Twin you’ll like this a lot.”
We’re honored to announce the Mashit release of “ThisTroy,” a split EP from Cardopusher and Pacheko. It’s 7 tracks of pure boom-step! The riddims are tight and the bass is HUGE!
Tracklist with Previews:
Cardopusher “Homeless”
Cardopusher “Twins”
Cardopusher “Lightning Resistor”
Pacheko “Pasta de Coca”
Pacheko “Hielo Seco (Remix)”
Pacheko “Green Bull”
Pacheko “Green Bull (Remix)”
Cardopusher emerged out of Caracas, Venezuela a couple years ago and has since exploded onto the international dubcore and breakstep scenes. He now lives in Barcelona, Spain but isn’t home much due to his busy touring secueule. He’s released a wrath of speaker devistation on labels like Peace Off in France, Germany’s Ad Noiseam, Philly’s Flamin’ Hotz, Berlin’s Cock Rock Disco, Portland’s Lodubs, and many more. A Quarta 330 remix of the track “Homeless” (featured on this EP) was recently released on Kode9’s London-based Hyperdub label.
Pacheko is another rising star out of Caracas who’s currently got a split single out on Lo Dubs with street-bass-bot, Starkey. He’s got a couple other releases out too, but what’s more important is his huge, bassy, electro-melodic sound. We’re excited to be in the good graces of this artist who’s gonna be big! In addition to recording gigantic tracks he’s been running the Wob This parties in Caracas and has got lots more in the pipe!
Cardopusher and Pacheko were both featured on Bruno Belluomini’s mix for the XLR8R Podcast called “Dubstep Goes South” of which XLR8R said:
This selection of tracks, many of [them] unreleased, showcases how producers… …in the Southern hemisphere are interpreting the dubstep sound.
But that doesn’t begin to explain the extreme melodies within the forward-sonic rhythms encapsulated in these tracks. Just give a listen to the previews above.
More Quotes:
…two amazing producers from the streets of Caracas, Venezuela [join] forces on a split seven track EP out on Mashit. The bassheavy sound (dubcore and breakstep) has everything from melodic synthlines, woobly bass and hard hitting dubstep drums. It found its way into my heart [as well] as my Serato instantly.
- Discobelle.net
…check the track “Twins” — particularly the way Cardopusher lays down the requisite bass pulsations and smoked-out sonics sculpting, and then gradually builds the track up by layering on some dizzying polyrhythms and snatches of… classic reggae horn riffs. Leave it to a couple of artists from the tropic regions to know how to take the music back to its Caribbean roots.
— Graham Sanford, Gapers Block
Tight! is the word. Cardopusher brings an instant floor filler with ‘homeless’. …serious south american jump.
- Chris Widman (Abstract Science Raido)
Mashit shoppers can download all 7 tracks as an album for $4.99, or grab the tracks individually for $.89 each. They’re all 320 MP3s tagged with BPM, and contain the wicked artwork by Inkcore.
Over the past year DJ C has produced and released a whole slew of mashups and remixes, many of which have been available as part of our Free Tunes series. For this release we present those mashups all together as a free download album entitled “Mas Hits.”
You can preview and download all the tracks below, or download the full album .zip file and you’ll also get a few secret, extra-special bonus tracks. If you missed the teaser mini-mix (leaked by Time Out Chicago), and music video check them out - >
Some of you might have noticed that the Mashit MP3 Shop went down for a minute there. If you recently tried to come buy stuff and saw absolutely nothing, it wasn’t ’cause we closed up. We were just having some tech issues, but we’re back up and running full steam ahead now. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
Wicked ragga vocalist Zulu comes together with dance-floor dominator DJ C to activate a next level blend of dancehall, dubstep, club and all around party music.
The album also features Montreal bounce-maestro, and Ninja Tune recording artist Ghislain Poirier’s remix of Darling, along with a slammin’ juke version of Body Work by Chrissy Murderbot of Chicago’s Sleazetone records. In addition, Freestyle Fellowship founder Aceyalone, and dancehall deejay Jah Orah provide guest vocals on the album. And topping the whole package off is the brilliant cover illustration by Bartek Karas.
[The album is] a heavy slap of blazing ragga bashment - Zulu’s Panamanian lyrical flow is very much to the fore, with the eagle-eared amongst us spotting both some new DJ C rhythms and a couple of gems unearthed from the vaults and given a shiny new rub. It’s fast, mean and easy, and a guaranteed fire-starter - throw in remixes from Ghislain Poirier and Chrissy Murderbot and it’s an undeniably solid package. - Fat Planet
Previews
Exhibition Virtues (Hardcore Tonight Remix)
Dear John
Gods & Robots
Soundgun Emergency (DJ C Mix, ft. Aceyalone & Jah Orah)
A global-bass-music blog & record label featuring genre-blends, downloadable dubplates, and bounced-up mixology. more ->
Tweets
Beat Research Chicago mixes it up with Urban Geek Drinks tonight at Villain's. New DJ mix from last time up now: http://t.co/lHUvzjSjTwitter ->2012/02/01
John Tolva interview in Time Out Chicago: Beat Research, open data apps, digital economy & change @ City Hall: http://t.co/nzIhYXQdTwitter ->2012/01/22
Beat Research Chicago - That's right, folks. Experimental party music is coming to Chicago. Nearly 8 years after DJ ... http://t.co/kPLwheu0Twitter ->2012/01/04
Experimental party music descends on Chicago tonight @ Villain's. DJ C, Jesse Kriss & John Tolva; Beat Research Chicago http://t.co/bHc6eG4nTwitter ->2012/01/04
Beat Research Chicago begins next Wed, Jan 4 » âMusical quality above genre coherenceâ http://t.co/fEaMEKtgTwitter ->2011/12/29
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