Hot 97 International

So I was in a shop in Harajuku the other day and what was on the radio but Hot 97--live from NYC. I didn't realize it at first but as soon as I heard that dude who does all the drops (the whitest guy on the station next to Peter Rosenberg) I knew it was Hot. I asked the guy in the store how he was listening to NY radio in Tokyo and he tried to explain it but I didn't really understand. I know that Hot doesn't stream online and he said you have to pay for it over here. After doing some googling back in my hotel, I discovered that Hot 97 is apparently "heard by large audiences in Japan through an exclusive cable stream reflecting its appeal beyond its core tri-state listenership." According to an article published just two weeks ago, Emmis is launching Hot 97 International this year, which is to include an online stream of the station! Granted it's 90% repetitive garbage but we need Hot 97 around the world for the mixshows (i.e. Mr. Cee, Flex, Ciph, Green Lantern, Cocoa Channel, Peter Rosenberg, etc). Anyway, Japan never ceases to amaze... Of course they have Hot 97 over here... I shouldn't have even been surprised. Check out this article for more.

"Live From HeadQcourterz," Rest In Peace

This sucks... apparently the RIAA has cracked down on DJ Premier's podcast for broadcasting copywrited material. Please. The RIAA has its head so far up its own ass it can't see the light that is Primo. His show on Sirius is all about exposing new artists and breaking new shit. The bit rate of the podcast isn't amazing and it's not like he's giving away individual mp3's. He's simply archiving his own radio show. Apparently there was beef with Sirius as well. It all comes down to the $$$. Anyway, it's a real shame for those of us who don't have satellite radio and enjoyed rockin that DJ Premier show on our iPods all week long. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the RIAA and Hot 97 (Emmis Communications) don't shut down Peter Rosenberg's podcast. His show is on so damn late that half his listeners probably check it out on the web after the fact. Shouts to Premier, Big Shug, and Primo's Advocate, the dude who was apparently running the podcast site. Here's the official word:

IMPORTANT SITE NEWS (ALL FANS & SUPPORTERS PLEASE READ!!!)

"It's 98.7... Kiss... Club Classics"

Fresh from the decks to your ears, I've got some tasty treats for you today. These two gems come from one of the finest compilations in my collection: "98.7 Kiss FM Presents Shep Pettibone's Mastermixes," circa 1982 on Prelude Records. The back of the 12" jacket reads:

Dear Kiss Listener:

Mastermixes helped make Kiss-FM New York's MORE MUSIC LEADER and your response to them over the past 12 months has been overwhelming.

Everyday, we hear from more and more of you requesting copies for your own record collections. Now, for the first time, we're making them available to you as a way of saying thanks for your support.

Kiss-FM and Prelude Records are proud to present a collection of the best mastermixes, produced exclusively for Kiss-FM by Shep Pettibone, including some you've never heard before! You've asked for them and now you've got them in one fantastic package-enjoy!

For the latest in commercial-free mastermixes and much, much more, keep listening to 98.7 Kiss-FM--NOBODY GIVES MORE MUSIC!

Good Listening,
THE KISS JOCKS

For those of you who don't know, Kiss has been holding it down for decades as a mainstream FM radio pioneer of underground dance and urban music. Over the years, its on-air staff has included the likes of Kool DJ Red Alert, Chuck Chillout, The Latin Rascals, Isaac Hayes, Grandmaster Flash, and Timmy Regisford. Guest DJ's such as Kerri Chandler and Lil' Louie Vega have graced the airwaves, while Darryl James and Ruben Toro are still doin' their thing with the Midnight Mix and Kiss Club Classics, respectively, to this very day. Say what you will about commercial radio, but New Yorkers are certainly blessed with the finest selection of underground heavyweights mixing the late-night soundtrack of the weekend.

As for the tracks from the Mastermix compilation, the first is Canadian vocalist France Joli's classic, "Gonna Get Over You." The bassline, breaks, and dreamy piano solo are simply untouchable. It may be common practice today, but Shep Pettibone was one of the first dudes to include multiple remixes of the same tune on one single. He mastered the art of tape splicing, and the creation of flange and dub effects, as heard on his mastermix of "Gonna Get Over You." What starts out as a normal vocal track gets flipped into a dub for the last few minutes of the record. It almost sounds to me as if Pettibone simply made a recording of himself DJing with two copies of the original vinyl. At some points it seems as if you can hear two records phasing with each other playing in unison, and beats doubling up and echoing in others--CHUNKY! How exactly this mix was produced back in the days before Protools, I don't know, but I do know that it's awesome.

The second joint is called "Come Let Me Love You," by Jeanette "Lady" Day. As I took a closer look at the 12", I noticed an *asterisk* next to the title. Turns out that means this one wasn't mixed by Pettibone, but by the legendary Francois Kevorkian! Damn...vintage Francois K from 1982 and it still sounds so fresh. The whistles and drum breaks on this track are crazy and obviously I'm not the only one who thinks so. The astute listener should recognize some cowbell samples from "Hey Ladies" by the Beastie Boys, off of their 1989 masterpiece, Paul's Boutique.

Anyway, enjoy these jams and pay homage to classic NY radio at its best.

DOWNLOAD FRANCE JOLI--"GONNA GET OVER YOU" (SHEP PETTIBONE MIX)

DOWNLOAD JEANETTE "LADY" DAY--"COME LET ME LOVE YOU" (FRANCOIS K MIX)

White Label Radio

A couple years ago I had the ill college radio mix show on Tufts University's WMFO up in the Boston area. I used to always open with an instrumental loop of THIS TRACK RIGHT HERE so I thought it was only fitting to throw it up on the first day of my blog's existence.

Here's a vintage episode of "In the Mix With DJ White Label." Totally unplanned, unscripted, uncensored college radio rawness. DOWNLOAD