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Download This! (October 2004)
Writer: John Kelly
“The world has always been about change. People who don't change will find themselves like folk musicians, playing in museums and local as a motherfucker.”
Miles Davis
The death of vinyl has long been predicted but never come to pass. Despite being sidelined by the mainstream and ignored by large sections of the music industry, vinyl has been kept alive by a hard core of collectors, DJs and cheapskates. At different times I have known (and have been) all three, but recently my love affair with vinyl has cooled. The inexorable rise of the iPod, CD players in clubs and the availability of free music on the internet have conspired to challenge the dominance of vinyl in my ‘record’ bag and in my heart.
Someday soon, probably in next couple of years, someone will invent an interface whereby I can mix, cross fade, scratch and adjust the pitch of the mp3s on my ipod and it’s gonna be game over. Do I struggle around town with my heavyweight (in all meanings of the word) vinyl selection or do I carry all the music I‘ve ever heard in my back pocket?
Although there is no place online where I can download the same selection of tunes as I can buy in my local underground record store, there are still plenty of treasures to be found. So as an exercise in embracing change, and as guide for things to come, here are four tunes you can download right now and for free.
And yeah, miles would be proud...
Hailing from Brooklyn, Antibalas represent a potent stew of raw percussion, cultural diversity and radical politics. Taking their inspiration from the mighty Fela the fourteen-plus crew achieve that difficult balance of remaining true to their influences whilst creating a voice that is distinctively their own. Here's their tune Hypocrite.
Download
Perhaps best known for their work on the excellent Fluid Ounce label, Inverse Cinematics get all minimal and soulful with B One (d.i.t.d re-rub).
Download (via Tokyo Dawn Records)
Taken from the forthcoming Shock City Maverick album, Beans's Diamond Halo Grenade is a chunky 'n' funky piece of futuristic-sounding hip hop that is surely a portent of good things to come.
Download
Ending this selection in classic style is this version of Stevie Wonder's Superstition, reminding us of the days when music managed to be political, popular and funky as hell. How much do we need another Stevie or Marvin right now?
Download (via funkyou)
PUBLISHED: Sunday 10 October
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