Download audio file (SXSWPromoMix.mp3)
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Here are some scans of my favorites from the SXSW copies.

Track List:

Dr. York “Let Me Be The One On Christmas” (Intro)
Robert J. Riggins “You Can Love Her (If You Try)”
The Conservatives “Happiness (Take Your Time)”
Leon Ware “Rockin’ You Eternally”
Prince Phillip Mitchell “Make It Good”
Rocket “Love Chain”
Gene Van Buren “I Give Good Love”
Amuzement Park “So Inspired”
Gene Chandler “I’ll Make The Living If You Make The Loving Worth While”
High Fashion “I Want To Be Your Everything”
Terry Huff “Come On Around”
C# Sharp “My Turn To Shine”
Larry Nevilles “This Time It’s Real”
Victor “Lonely Girl”

All of the guys, they think I’m crazy, but you’re all I keep dreaming of – Victor

I just posted my annual XMIX over on the F.A.T. blog. Its a year-end wrap up highlighting tracks that were favorites for me this year – not necessarily ’09 releases but all tunes that were powerful music for me.
Also includes a very special YouTube audio mix – 40 mins of weird YouTube audio, complete with links for sharing.

Listen online and download at http://fffff.at/bennett4senate-xmix-09-youtube-mix-09/

Here’s to big things in 2010!!!

-b4s

When looking in the bins for early 80s boogie, you wade through a lot of heavy r&b from the same era while looking for something to play to the dance floor. For every uptempo, drum and synth driven heater, there is a syrupy, quiet storm B side or album cut. Even if you’re only looking for the former, you’ll end up hearing some slow records because its like everybody had their shirts unbuttoned and was rocking blue leather pants in ’83. If you don’t recognize the names on the labels, you’ve got to throw it on to find out if its gonna sound like Kano or Peabo.

I’ve had to learn the names, being an 80s-baby born to parents who pretty much retired their record collection in the mid 70s. These tracks are new to me, but playing this mix for people, its been great how many of these tracks get a reaction like “oh that song is a classic! My dad used to play Loose Ends in the car all the time back in the day!” or “that was a huge radio hit!”

There’s definitely a stigma attached to the sheer smoothness of these songs, considering how much cache record collector types have put into “raw” funk. The intrigue may at first be ironic, like pop music, (“this is cheesy, but its kinda good too”) but at some point after unconsciously memorizing all the words and breakdowns I realized that not only were these crafted works, but they had all the elements in place – drum machines, great melodies, and powerful songwriting, all wrapped in the glow of 80s synths. Going from a diet of rap to loving disco was a similar process, but with disco, you’re dancing, which makes it a lot easier to get over your hang ups and just vibe out to some seriously gay content. And with both disco and r&b, the deeper I get, I hear samples that remind me just how many really good hip hop producers came this way before me, so I must be on the right path.

I think it might be the overt and at times egregious expression of sexual desire that makes people uncomfortable with r&b, from the 80s to today. So to help you get there, kick off those loafers, have a seat on your white leather couch, pour yourself a glass of chilled Chablis (with a splash of fruit juice) and press play.

Wine Coolers
(117 MB)
2009 – Bennett4$enate

1. Intro
2. L.A. Dream Team – You’re Just Too Young (1986 MCA)
3. The Deele – Shoot’em Up Movies (1988 Solar)
4. The System – Don’t Disturb This Groove (1987 Atlantic)
5. Zapp & Roger – Computer Love (1985 Warner Bros)
6. Juice – Love Will Find a Way (1986 Def Jam)
7. Bernard Wright – Music Is the Key (1981 GRP)
8. Faze-O – Riding High (1977 She Records)
9. Loose Ends – Hangin’ On A String (1985 MCA)
10. Jesse Johnson – Sex Sweat (Unreleased)
11. Sylvester – I Need Somebody to Love (1979 Fantasy)
12. N.Y.C. Peech Boys – On A Journey (1983 Island)
13. Ray Parker Jr. – I Don’t Wanna Know (1983 Arista)
14. Kashif – Help Yourself to My Love (1983 Arista)
15. Surface – Falling In Love (1983 Salsoul)
16. Rena Romano – Once You Fall in Love (Factory Beat Records)
17. Force MDs – Love Is a House (1987 Tommy Boy)

Mike McGill and Tackleberry present Hope For Love, a selection of records touching upon anecdotes of courtship and infidelity while keeping in mind those lonely nights of mid-tempo dancing and fast romancing. A digest of music resolved to stimulate bodies, helping them move like fluids across desolate dance floors from decades past.

Let the sleazy serenades play while hearts and drums break; all for love’s sake.

Hope for Love.

Download audio file (Mike%20McGill%20&%20Tackleberry%20-%20Hope%20For%20Love.mp3)
Download

“Intro”
Donna McGhee “You Should Have Told Me”
Barbara Mason “Another Man”
Sinnamon “Thanks To You”
Brenda Taylor “You Can’t Have Your Cake And Eat It Too”
Krystal Davis “So Smooth”
De De “S&M (Sexy Music)”
Suzy Q “Get On Up And Do It Again”
SOS Band “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”
Legacy “Word Up”
Brenda Watts “You’re My Chance”
Fantastic Aleems “Get Down Friday Night”
Wandra Rawlins “Love Attack”
Rafael Cameron “Boogie’s Gonna Get Ya”
Kim Tolliver “Party Lights”
Fonda Rae “Over Like A Fat Rat”
Wickett “Can’t Get Enough Of You”
Lemelle “You Got Something Special”
Weeks & Co. “Rock Your World”
Goldie Alexander “Show You My Love”
Bon Rock “It’s Alright”
Attitude “Love Me Tonight”
Michelle “Rush Hour Traffic”
Kreamcicle feat. Paula Anderson “No News Is News”
Gino Soccio “What You Feel Is Real (Hold Tight)”

A collection of songs for the Hallmark holiday.

Download

1. Cleveland Wrecking Co. – Superfine From Behind Lady
2. World’s Funkiest Band – I Feel Your Love
3. Eduardo Arujo & Silvinha – Opanige
4. Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin – Jane B
5. Annette Peacock – I’m The One
6. New Birth – Forever
7. Toppiks – Give It A Chance To Grow
8. Laura Lee – That’s How It Is
9. Linda Perry – It’s All In The Back Of Me Now
10. World’s Funkiest Band – When You’re Alone
11. Inez Foxx – Let Me Down Easy
12. Linda Jones – What Have I Done (To Make You Mad)
13. Nina Simone – Either Way I Lose
14. Gal Costa – Lost In The Paradise
15. Rotary Connection – Hangin’ Round The Bee Tree
16. Edgar Broughton Band – Why Can’t Somebody Love Me
17. White Noise – My Game Of Loving
18. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann – It’s Too Late

Volume 1: Download

1. Harumi – Hunters of Heaven
2. The Little Boy Blues – Seed of Love
3. Pro Arte – Ko Vjecnu Tugu Nosi, Taj Ima Pravo Da Pjeva
4. Os Incriveis – You Keep Me Hanging On
5. Randy Johnson – Garden Of Love
6. Elias Hulk – Free
7. Battered Ornaments – Smoke Rings
8. Ame Son – Hein, Quant A Toi
9. The Freak Scene – A Million Grains of Sand
10. July – You Missed It All
11. Secos & Molhados – Toada & Rock & Mambo & Tango & Etc.
12. Drago Mlinarec – Izgleda, Ostat Ces Sam

Volume 2: Download

1. Psychotic Reaction – Red Alert
2. The Rejected – Porkchops
3. Dos Momentos – Dos Momentos
4. Sea Monster – Ramming Speed
5. Psychotic Reaction – Warhead
6. Unruly P – Cheesewedge
7. Sea Monster – Corpsman
8. The Rejected – Sick Mind
9. Psychotic Reaction – Run
10. The Rejected – Race Wars
11. Sea Monster – Pieces
12. Psychotic Reaction – Why?
13. The Rejected – Freedom
14. Sea Monster – Barbecue at Phil’s

Volume 3: Download

1. N/A – Day of Wrath
2. The Bar-kays – Streetwalker
3. Professor Lett and Study – Theme From Canada
4. Cymande – Brothers on the Slide
5. Bobby Rush – Mary Jane
6. Communicators and Black Experiences Band – Is It Funky Enough?
7. Betty Davis – Don’t Call Her No Tramp
8. Miami – Chicken Yellow
9. Gunga Din – Snake Pit
10. Boobie Knight and the Universal Lady – Ain’t Nobody Betta Dan You
11. African Music Machine – Black Water Gold (Pearl)
12. The 20th Century – Hot Pants Pt 2
13. The Lewis Explosion – Start to Feelin’ Good Again
14. Gi Gi – Daddy Love Pt 2
15. Screaming Jay Hawkins – Africa Gone Funky (Instrumental)
16. The Blue Grass – P.O.W. Pt 2
17. Pollution – The End

The synthesizer has been back in a big way since all the kids got into electroclash a few years back, but Bennett seems stuck staring farther back in the calendar, somewhere around 77-88. A time of strange bedfellows, when funk bands were trying to make rap records, disco got cross pollinated with everything and vocoders ruled the land. The beats were funky enough that one would ’set it off’ only to find that they had been ‘just chillin’out’ the whole time. Jams bit too thoughtful (and a bit too slow) for the dance floor, this mix is a child of careful reading of producer credits on 12″ records, and maintaining a solid Oink ratio. A few slow jams at the end for your lady, who’s gonna be like “who does this song?”

2woThos&$3vn<– download .zip (70 MB, 13 tracks)

feat. Roy Ayers, Baron Zen, Charlie, Gucci Crew, ‘Nard, Jazzy Jay, Javelin, and Moondog.

74 minutes, 102 mb.
download

Mixed live on a Sunday afternoon by B3nn3tt4$enat3 and Mike McGill. Boogie, disco, r&b, electro and freestyle jams, dedicated to your mama. No samples cleared, 100% bump, low carbs and a few white boys, sleazy synthesizers and packed dancefloors. Body2Body2Africa and back to the space station; anticipation, triumph, lessons learned.

(this is a little something Mike and I have been working on since he moved to my block earlier in the summer. Catch Mike every Friday from 10:30pm-1am on his show “A Downtown Affair” on WNYU 89.1FM in New York City, or at wnyu.org, and keep an ear to the FAT for more collabo-jawns to come. And always stay tuned to the music page for the FATtest jams 24/7.)

Like what you hear? Trying to have these fresh DJs play your party/bar/function? contact bennett@fffff.at