Last one of the year. The usual killer combination of fresh tunes and (should be) classics. Enjoy.

Listen to it tonight between 10 and 11pm on fm brussel of through the stream all week after that.

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Don’t Turn Me Away (MFP)
Madlib - Rebirth Cycle / Super Soul (Stones Throw)
Teena Marie - Portuguese Love (Motown)
Bobbi Humphrey - Chicago Damn (Blue Note)
Donny Hathaway - Valdez In The Country (ATCO)
Dorian Concept - The Fucking Formula (Nod Navigators)
Zed Bias ft Jenna G - Let Me Change Your Mind (Development)
Bennson - Let The Love / Marc Rapson Remix (Raw Fusion)
Pleasure - Sending My Love (RCA)
Aretha Franklin - Jump / BC Edit (Disco Deviance)
Ce Ce Rogers - Someday (Atlantic)
Moodymann - Freeki Muthafucker (Mahogani)
Boddhi Satva - Isa (Seasons limited)
Flying Lotus feat. Dolly - Roberta Flack / Martyn’s Heart Beat Remix (Warp)

We ‘ve uploaded a new podcast episode. This time it is diggin’ in the history (and mistery) of a Belgian disco dj in the 70’s and 80’s.

Who or what is ‘Show Business Maghis’? I found a lot of records with ‘Show Business Maghis’ stamps on it during my last two diggin’ sessions in Antwerp. Seems like a 70’s / 80’s Belgian (mobile) disco dj with good taste sold (a part of) his collection. Got the dude’s name and previous adress but can’t get any closer to that for the moment. I ‘d like to meet this guy if possible and do a little interview about the party scene, record stores, his inspiration,…way back. If any of you could get us in touch, let us know.

About the playlist. It ranges from midtempo disco to uptempo boogie, from Tee Scott to François Kevorkian productions, from New York over London to Italy, from very common records to rare. Anyway, enjoy this selection of the previous ‘Show Business Maghis’ collection!

Tracklist 

Carol Williams – No One Can Do It (Like You) – Vanguard Disco
Mona Rae – Do Me – Quality Records
Lou Christie – Guardian Angels – Plateau
Joe Coleman – Get It Off The Ground – F1 Team
Brooklyn Dreams – Music, Harmony And Rhythm – Millenium
Conquest – Give It To Me (If You Don’t Mind) – Rams Horn
One Way – Shine On Me – MCA Records
C.M. Lord – Flashback – Montage Records
Suzy Q – With Your Love – J.C. Records
Mystic Touch – Get Yourself Together – Champagne Records
Sound On Sound – white label
Kreamcicle – Hold On – SAM Records

Almost forgot to put the play list of the Christmas special online. But here it is. Thanks to Laid-Back, Back To Niceness and J to the C. And all others who popped in. Some pictures of the recording session can be  found here.

Listen again here.

Quincy Jones - Sweet Soul Sister
Clutchy Hopkins - Untitled
Isaac Hayes - VYKKII
James Pants - She’s out of my life
Trama - Straight groove
Rusty Garnett - Licking stick, licking stick
DJ Spinna - When planets colide
Liquid Spirits - Say it ain’t so
Versatell - Gamble
M.A.B 4 BB01 - Morgan zarate
Miles Bonny - Miles gets open
Blu & Exile - So(ul) Amazin’
Made in Japan - Babyspace
Lorett Fleur - POA feat LMNO
Onra - The big payback
88 keys - MILF feat. Bilal
Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out
Tony Ozier - Nobody
Al Jarreau - Milwaukee
Erykah Badu - That Hump
Lisa Preston - Love Remedy (prod. by 40 Winks)
Georges Duke - Love Reborn
Blaze - Here with me (live in Brussels)
José James - Love
Hygher Baby - Let U Go (part 1 & 2)
Infinitskills - A new day
Infinitskills - Stoned Groove (prod by rhil & pat)
Cro-Magnon - Mysterious Vibes
Black Milk - Track 11
Sa-ra Creative Partners - Go Ahead
Afta-1 - Gaze
Grand puba - I like it
Artifacts - The Interview
Edo G - Stop That feat. Krumsnatcha
Artifacts - The Interview
Wood brass and Steel Band - Long live music
Grey & Hanks - Dancing - Onda Sonora edit
Patrice Rushen - Number One
Flying Lotus - Parisian Goldfish
Ralphi Rosaio - You used to hold me
BB and the Q band - Sky is the limit (Eric P. - Infinitskills Edit)
K’Bonus - Nothing is for free feat U-Gene (Luigi’s Infinitskills rmx)
Theo Parrish - Chemistry
Infinitskills - What it used to be (Prod. by Eric P.)
Kutiman - Music is rulling my world
Bullion - Long promised
Mr Beatnick - I know the bitches (Bullion rmx)
Bullion - Get familiar

This Saturday the ace Afrobeat collective called Fanga is playing at the Bar Du Matin in Vorst / Forest. Go check it out. Little else to do these last few days of the year in Brussels and certainly not of this quality. Big up to dj ReeDoo organising it and playing some Afro tunes afterwards. Highly recommended.

Just to let you know this one is out. You need this. Believe us.

People active on the net will have spotted this already but others maybe not and it’s too funny to miss out on. Taking the piss out Kanye’s new autotune direction. Nice one.

No Christmas break for us. We keep on bringing you the good stuff radio-wise. This week in a very heavy dose as we’re both on the air on Tuesday (the usual) and Wednesday (our Christmas special together with Laid-Back and Back To Niceness). Tonight we bring you your weekly share of freshness and dusted off goodies. And an exclusive re-edit of our own. Check it out.

On air, between 10 and 11pm, Tuesday, on fm Brussel (98.8fm) or through the listen again option all week long after that.

Little Dragon - Twice / Aaron Jerome Remix (Peacefrog)
Erikah Badu - Real Thing / Flako remix (CDR)
Dwele - Beep Me, Find Me (CDR)
Young Disciples - All I Have In Me (Talkin Loud)
Diana Ross - One Love / Onda Sonora Edit (CDR)
Ten City - Superficial People (Atlantic)
Floating Points - Love Me Like This (CDR)
Herbie Hancock - Stars in your Eyes (Columbia)
Arthur Adams - You Got The Floor (RCA)
C. Denier - Not The Indian (Moxie)
Byron Stingily - Flying High (Nervous)
MFOR - Bowline (Reincarnation)

The next time I’m in Ghent I’m definitely going to visit the MacFly store that has just opened there. Looks like a neat place for dope music and stylish clothes. Big up to Dyno and all involved for embarking on an enterprise like this one in times as difficult as they are.

In their quest to be more than just another record / clothing store they are set to bring you some fresh sounds of their own. Through mixes, beat compilations and more. Nice. The first mix is one by Ducth beatmaker Sotu the Traveller who has made a blend of r&b and slow jams, mainly from the 90’s. Check it out.

I seriously advise you all to listen to the Christmas joint venture from Laid-back, Back To Niceness and Onda Sonora on fm brussel this Wednesday evening between 9 and 12pm. Expect dope music and utter chaos. Never had so much fun in a studio. But more about that soon.

During the session LuiGi from Laid-back / Infinitskills told me about their visit to a place that cuts dubplates in Belgium called Dubplate.be. Read and see all about it on the ever impeccable Laid-Back site.

You might have heard Floating Points‘ "Love Me Like This" on many decent radio show these last few weeks. It’s a very nice take on Disco with lots of lovely synth action. Taking all the good stuff from the 80’s and leaving the crap for what it is. One of the highlights of ‘08.

You can download it for free from his Soundcloud. Check it. 

Long time since I’ve heard some proper Hiphop as fresh as this. One of my favourite MC’s teaming up with an hors category producer. This sounds so good you need to sit down for a while after hearing it. I want more of this.

Another big one in my -100bpm box … Jesse Boykins III with "Pantyhose". Nice one. Addictive. Thanks to Lefto for putting this one back under my nose. So I wouldn’t sleep on it twice.

 And to round off. The Aaron Jerome remix of Little Dragon’s Think Twice. Nice twist on a stunning original. Out on Peacefrog. A talented kid.

More from the gathering knowledge front. A lengthy interview with disco diva Donna McGhee. For the Fatback / Patrick Adams-mad disco freaks like myself. Essential.

Nice blog by the way. Do a little tour.

Thanks to Kris for hooking me up.

I understand only half of it but this is a nice documentary about Waxpoetics with interviews with Andre Torres, Amir and others. Check it out. And be sure to pick up the latest edition of this excellent magazine.

Thanks to Didier for sending me the link.

This week new tracks, from Infinitskills, Onra, Elmore Judd and Phlash & friends. Some slightly older tracks and some dusted off classics. Plus a new edit by Disco Dalglish. Enjoy.

Listen to it through this link.

Next week there’ll be, next to our regular show, a Christmas special with Laid-Back and Back To Niceness which will be broadcasted between 9 and 12pm on the 24^th of December. Yep, 3 hours of crazy good music. Really looking forward to recording that. Gonna be mad, gonna be hot.

Mayer Hawthorne & the County - When I Said Goodbye (Stones Throw)
Raphael Saadiq - 100 Yard Dash (Columbia)
Infinitskills / Pat Gonzales - Ortille (Infinitskills)
Onra - My Comet (All City)
Elmore Judd - Bass Bully (Honest Jons)
Taana Gardner - No Frills (West End)
Turntable Orchestra - You Gonna Miss Me / Club Mix (Upfront)
Mona Rae - Do me (Park Place)
Shaun Escoffery - Let It Go / Jazzanova Remix (Oyster Music)
Cloud - All Night Long / Disco Dalglish Edit (CDR)
Phlash & Friends ft Zansika - Think About It (Archive)
Sound Stream - Live Goes On (Soundstream)

The always impeccable DJonTV.com bring you an interview with House legend Lil’ Louis. If you don’t know him you’re in need of some serious schooling. Absolute legend. Check.

Although being short I like the video. I need more of this on TV and related media.

Because we can’t stay raving about Trus’me alone let’s dig up another one of our favourite dj’s. Need2Soul gives us an excellent opportunity to do so. They are releasing a double CD compiled and mixed by two giants. Benji B, a man we’re a big fan of, being one of them, Glenn Underground being the other. They both deliver it the way you can expect of them (when I see the play list - haven’t heard it yet). Ideal present for the end of year festivities. Nice music, nice package. Get this.

And if you’re in London and able to catch one of the Need2Soul parties don’t think twice. Utter brilliance. Proper soulful House.

More Trus’me on this blog. Because you can never have enough. This time with a link to a Podcast mix and little interview on the nice Resident Advisor site. Lots of new Trus’me / Prime Numbers music. And a little word about the upcoming Disco 3000 festival. Keep early September free for that. Because it’s going to be something very special. But more about that soon. Enjoy the mix.

It’s no secret we at Onda Sonora love most music coming out of Detroit. From Motown to Funkadelic, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, UR, Carl Craig, Kenny Dixon Jr, Theo Parrish, Dilla and Black Milk. To name the more obvious ones. Next to these artists with a somewhat higher profile there’s an immense wealth of quality producers. People like Paul Randolph, Norm Talley, Delano Smith, Mike Clark, Snowman, John Arnold, Andres / Dez, Wajeed, Keith Worthy, Patrice Scott, … and the list goes on. All producing quality music. Always raw, deep and soulful. Despite it being classifiable as Hiphop, House, Electro or Techno there’s always a common factor that touches the right snares.

Some of these cats, along with others, have started the Exchange Bureau. Describing their goal this way;

"Bridging the gap between Detroit’s funk and techno history, Exchange Bureau Music stands to unite the organic and electronic with a new collective of established and up-and-coming Detroit based musicians and producers all under one organization. The band-turned-label will still maintain the funk-driven Exchange Bureau sound, expand with EB side projects and remixes, and introduce new agent releases incorporating house, funk, broken beat, techno, hip hop, electro, and more."

If you see who the “agents” involved are, you can’t be but excited. When you here the first bits of music that excitement only gets bigger. The “Spookie Dookie” track on the blue Detroit Beatdown EP is a killer and when you explore the site you know that’s only a prelude to more pleasure. Check it out and spend money at their online store.

What was supposed to be a chill weekend turned out to be an highly chaotic one. I seem to have a knack for not sticking to the plan. Had some good times though. One of the few scheduled things I did was going to the Strictly Niceness party. Nice to see it packed once again and to see Mad Mats back. He proved he’s one of the top dj’s around to all who didn’t know already. Although I didn’t get the back to back thing. He should have played a 2-hours set at least. That would have been better use of the man’s huge potential behind the decks. He would have ripped it completely. Not that I think Kwak or Bernard aren’t good dj’s but I believe in flow and storytelling when it comes to dj’ing and I missed that.

Next time I’ll see Mats it’ll be in Stockholm as promised. Got to see it for myself if the women over there are even better looking than at Strictly. Haha.

Big up to everyone I had a good time with this weekend.

Check the Strictly Niceness pics here.

Not always fond of the 8-bit bleeping Hiphop beats but sometimes their done with feeling, flair and style which makes them hard to resist. Like Flying Lotus, Hudson Mo, Rustie or Samiyam do. Or like Cupp Cave does. This Belgian new kid on the block has been causing some stir in the small but steadily growing beat scene over here and is ready to do the same on a more widespread level. With this collection of beats nicely designed packaged. Taste it and order it if you like it.

Almost forgot to mention this nice party happening nearby. Chicago Boogie is going strong for almost 2 years now. Previously at Make-up but since September at Decadance, both in Ghent. In the tradition of inviting quality guests they are welcoming Rush Hour’s Antal next week. And that’s one of the unsung heroes of deep House music and beyond. Often forgotten because he’s kinda low profile, not a producer and humble. All reasons that add little to nothing to one’s skills as a dj. Something Antal has plenty. He played one of the more memorable sets ever at our Onda Sonora parties at JH Eenders a few years back. Go check it out. Highly recommended.

If someone is making the trip from Brussels and back, let me know. Always more fun to have some company and / or a ride.

Big up to alex from On-Point. He has contributed to the new Shook magazine. He has written and illustrated the Marc Moulin in memoriam. Nice one.

You’ll hear plenty more of this kid in the near future. He’s getting noticed. Maybe, even in his own country. Haha. 

This one is a big one. Two of my favourite producers teaming up (guess who they are!). To produce a banging club record. Forgot to play it in our show this week. Won’t make that mistake next week. Because this is hot. Check other releases on this label too if you’re into deep techy dance music.

If you’ve ever been in NYC you’ve seen this. A pair of sneakers hanging on a telephone wire. I’ve heard lots of theories but apparently the why of it is still a mystery. Some filmmakers have taken it upon them to solve this. Check out the trailers here. Featuring the walking sneaker encyclopedia Bobbito Garcia. Through Shook Mag. RSS that blog, by the way. Full of intersting knowledge.

If you are looking for a nice spot to party on new year’s eve then Tavernier is the main place to be in Brussels / Belgium. Lefto & BrownMo will be in charge of the music. Always good.

Hope they start their wonderful parties again. The few they did were banging. And I hope they’ll invite us to play when they do. Would love to play a bit more at decent parties I haven’t organised. There aren’t that much of those around and the few there are usually go for, to keep it friendly, people with more knowleddge about marketing than music.