Yes I do. Very much so in fact. All kinds of drums too - from machine gun style marching band percussion to tight ticking Kraftwerk beats.

I started liking drums because of the Chinese Lion Dance. The Lion Dance is a traditional Chinese dance that people would perform for festivities.




When I was a kid, my cousin was a Lion dancer, and sometimes I would get to follow him and the crew to their shows. The combination of the Dance, the boom boom boom of the big drum, the crashing gongs and the shattering cymbals - I was hooked.

So on the subject of drums, here are 2 tracks with some of my favourite sounding drums on record.

The first is "P.S.K." from Schooly D, which is arguably one of the first gangsta rap records... that loop has been sampled tons of times, from Ruff Ryders to The Prodigy. The second tune is from Electronome, which is old school techno from the Netherlands... the name of the tune itself kind of sums it up.

Schoolly D - P.S.K.
Electronome - Een Drumachine und een synthesizer

We are currently working on a newly designed relaunch of the Man Recorder, so sorry, no new posts for a few days. Visit the beta version of Man Recorder 2.0. here:

Man Recorder 2.0

Peruvian singer Yma Sumac - the queen of Mambo and one of the most incredible voices ever - died two weeks ago at age 86. The South American Castafiore was born Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri Del Castillo, Sumac said she never received formal vocal training. But her talent had been apparent since she was a little girl and began performing in Peru and later in Argentina. In the early 1950s, while performing in New York, she was signed to Capitol Records. Sumac quickly drew world attention, thanks to a prodigious voice that spanned a five-octave range, and her renditions of traditional Peruvian music with orchestral accompaniments. The singer played heavily on her Andean roots, claiming to be descended from the Inca Emperor Atahualpa. In Peru, glowing press tributes have been paid to the only Peruvian to have been written into Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Check her essential album "Mambo" - rough and ragged Mambo - this is South American punk rock 1954!

Our #1 ravemeister, Edu K, has just released his "Party Munky" EP - the first digital only release on Man Recordings. On the 6 track EP, Edu K presents the real rave business. Think of the early tracks of The Prodigy, Bizarre Inc, SL2 or Shut Up And Dance – all reborn on a baile funk party in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. A there you have the „Party Munky EP", sirens, pitched voices and the "Amen break" included.

EDU K "PARTY MUNKY"

Go buy the EP on Beatport, Itunes or Juno Download.

No doubt, Serge Gainsbourg was one of the coolest motherfuckers of the 20th century. Besides shagging all major European top ladies from Brigitte Bardot to Jane Birkin in the 1960s and 70s he released some of the most outstanding records that still sound fresh and inspiring today. Think of the "The Histoire Of Melody Nelson" album, or the dopest beat from the 1960s in the proto-rap anthem "Requiem Pour Un Con", or his collaboration with Sly & Robbie on "Aux Armes Et Cetera" (check the dub album!).



However one of the most memorable records by Gainsbourg is his 1964 released "Gainsbourg Percussions", which quiet likely was the first ever European pop and jazz album to include a North African choir and Caribbean rhythms. The album contains the anthems "New York USA", "Les Sambassadeurs" and the classic "Colour Café". The vinyl was just rereleased in a 180g re-edition - a record that shouldnt be missing in any record collection. Go buy.

M.I.A. send us the link to a new track she did with Blaqstarr - a cover version of the legendary opening song to the U.S. series "The Wire". Originally sung by Tom Waits, Blaqstarr and M.I.A. did a club friendly version, alongside the cheapest video ever made (still it´s good).



3rd Bass, one of the 2nd generation of Def Jam artists, did a cool version of the Tom Waits song back in 1991. It´s called "Soul In The Hole" and you can download it from here:

3RD BASS "SOUL IN THE HOLE"

Roxanne Shanté still is the undisputed female queen MC of all times. Her "Roxanne´s Revenge" introduced smart and reflected female rap at a time when women in hip hop where confined to being mere party bunnies. She was aged 14 (!) when she recorded this song (in one take!) and single handledy defined female rap as we know it and love it. So if you listen to Peaches, M.I.A., Deize Tigrona or Yo Mayesty today - Roxanne Shanté was there first. Check the Mr.Magic intro (those delays!!) and Marley Marl behind the decks.