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What’s up Bag Messengers and music lovers everywhere? This is DJ Apt One reporting from Philly, just back from traversing the great cities of Europe – DJing in Paris and London and environs but also doing what DJs do best, stuffing my bag full of so much dusty vinyl in Berlin, Barcelona and beyond that I thought I might have to start throwing away clothing just to find a place to put it all! Figured I’d debrief with my buddies at Tucker and Bloom, since I lugged a crispy green North to South Messenger Bag prototype with me and took it to battle. So I’m here to give you a rundown on my favorite spots in the EU to find all the gems to put in your bag.



SpaceHall (Berlin)

I hopped the U-Bahn from the artists paradise and warehouse-all-night odyssey of Freidrichshain over to Kreuzberg and after a quick stop at the Biergarten for a tall Hefewiezen, I spent almost a whole afternoon at the gigantic SpaceHall shop. This is the place for twelve inches – dance music specifically. Three big rooms of wax and an adjacent CD store to boot. Takes a while to get through. While the huge techno room is definitely the draw, for me, the draw here was the nice collection of pricey but hard-to-find German and Dutch disco 12 inches from the 80s.

Best find – Mike Mareen – “Double Trouble”





Betino’s (Paris)

My buddies Dee Dee Hey and DJ Moar of Venice Beach hipped me to Betino’s, which is as much a barber-shop style hangout for DJs as it is a record store. Tucked in the poppin 11th Arrondisement, this place is all about the funk and soul. Their selection of modern, vinyl-only re-edits is really hard to top.

Best find – Joubert Singers – “Stand On The Word Remixes”

Music Avenue (Paris)

I got rolled to Music Avenue after the crew from the shop came out to my show at Panic Room in Paris. I wasn’t planning on dropping by – at this point in the tour I was wondering how much more vinyl I was willing to lug on trains, planes and automobiles. I was glad I came through. Unlike most European record spots, this spot blended the “curated” shelves with some good bargain bin action. The 12s were pretty great too – good reggae and of course, my favorite digs – disco. For DJs on the road – they’ve got equipment in there as well, in case you need to replace anything you’ve lost or broken along your travels.

Best find – Firefly – “Your Door?”





Flashback (London)
Essex Road has some good shops, and Flashback doesn’t disappoint, except when you find the “only 5 records at the listening station, one listening session only” direction by the turntable. I guess it keeps it moving but I wanna know what the hell I’m buying when you’re charging London prices. Anyway, well-curated selection at this spot, including lots of good funk and soul and some really nice English-pressed 12” 45 RPM disco joints. In case you haven’t figured out by now, I don’t even stop near the “Rock” section, so it’s anybody’s guess how good that stuff is at any of the places I’ve discussed.

Best find – Ganymed – “It Takes Me Higher”





Haggle Vinyl (London) Haggle, a bit north on Essex Road, is probably the European store I visited that is most similar to spots I prefer in America. It’s basically just a room stuffed with records, including huge dollar bin sections and an expansive selection of modern soul and disco 12 inches and LPs, most of which aren’t worth a listen. I love the experience of sorting through large piles of miscellanea to find what you came for because you inevitably stumble upon things you didn’t set out to find. The notable thing about Haggle is that all of the records are cataloged and stored behind the counter, and only the sleeves are on the floor. A bit annoying because you can’t check labels for information, especially with 12” hip-hop or dance records that have blank sleeves.

Best find – Monyaka – “Go Deh Yaka (Go To The Top) Club Mix”

 

This interview has been sitting on the shelf for longer than I care to disclose and for that Iapologies. In mydefenseI can only say that when Dj Marsellus Wallace first reached out to me aboutinterviewinghis friend Question I really didn’t have any idea who the man was. Mike (Marsellus Wallace) is deep in the record game and so when he told me Question was up on his stuff it stood as a very strong co-sign.

As is usually the case for me, beginning writing is the toughest part, and thus introducing a man I have yet to meet had me caught up in a furry of unfinished drafts. I did the social media thing in attempt to get to know him and we did the email thing a few times, but I still felt like like my writing was doing his work a disservice.

Question has his hands in a myriad of projects at all times and is a veteran in multiple fields. He’s a talent as a producer, designer, and as a DJ, and is constantly working in each of those respective mediums. Just watching the flow of material from my computer screen was enough to have me second guessing myself. Should I use this blog post to feature the new album or cover the podcasts he’s been doing, or should I focus entirely on some of the new album art he’s cranking out? I wanted the timing of the post to work for both of us, but what has now dawned on me is that the flow of projects won’t stop, the design work won’t be less impressive, and the best thing to do is just lay it out. So here it is. The timing was a bit shaky, but I’d rather you get there eventually than never at all.

-THE BAG MESSENGER

THE BAG MESSENGER: When did music first come into your life?

QUESTION: I’ve been exposed to music pretty much as long as I’ve been alive. My mom sang in a church choir and pops had a nice record collection so I was plugged in at an early age.

THE BAG MESSENGER:When did buying records enter the picture for you?

QUESTION:I bought my first record in 1983 and I STILL got it til’ this day. It was Renegades of Funk – Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force. The collection didn’t get thick til’ I entered high school, that’s when I pretty much spent lunch money to buy records.

THE BAG MESSENGER:How did you first discover hip hop?

QUESTION:I’ve got Afrika Bambaataa to thank for that! After Planet Rock came out, there was just no turning back for me.

THE BAG MESSENGER:When did you get your first set of turntables?

QUESTION:I didn’t get my first pair of 1200’s until I was in high school. Before that, I was on some super budget belt driven joints!

THE BAG MESSENGER:Any early experiences you care to share?

QUESTION:I got my first gig doing house parties with my pop’s home stereo amp and speakers for $20 bucks, and I was 15 at the time. I had to bring an electric fan to put on top of the amp or it would over heat and the party would be over! I kept saving the money I made to get better equipment. It took some time, but it was worth seeing your hard work pay off.

THE BAG MESSENGER:How did you get involved with design, and production?

QUESTION:There’s two things that has remained consistent in my life and that’s music and art. When I was a kid, I used to draw for hours while listening to music. Both crafts have been with me ever since. I worked in radio from 94’-99’. My college years consisted of doing live radio mixshows on the weekends, while I went to school in the weekdays. I left radio right after I got my degree in Multimedia and Graphic Design and started working full-time in the action-sports industry. I started my own design consultancy in 2002, and I’ve been blessed to work with everyone from industry leading skate companies to lifestyle and streetwear brands. As for music… I was always fascinated with beats & sampling in general. I picked up my first sampler which was the ASR-10 back in 95’. I learned how to sequence on it and the keys was a bonus since I knew how to play. I moved up to the MPC-2000 and I was hooked from then on. I started doing remixes at first, then started working on my own sound. I still use my mpc but i’ve migrated a lot of my production to Ableton Live in late 2009.

THE BAG MESSENGER:Did those two come into your life, through hip hop, or were they things that you picked up along the way?

QUESTION:Somehow I knew I was going to do both. I have identical high respects for design and music in general. As for beat production, a good friend of mine named Soulo was in a group called The Sound Providers and he inspired me to put my music out there. Another key figure is my man Freddie Joachim who actually opened me up to digital production, both these guys have helped me craft my sound.

THE BAG MESSENGER:How would you describe your production style?

QUESTION:My music is primarily a mixture of obscure jazz samples, heavy beats, and live orchestration. I was heavily inspired by jazz music and it was just natural for me to go that route. I also have a lot of soul and funk influences, and that pretty much completes my sound.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What does your production setup look like these days? How has it changed?

QUESTION:My current setup is pretty basic – mpc2500, macbook pro, my record collection, and my drums, but I recently picked up a vintage 73’ Fender Rhodes piano in mint condition.

THE BAG MESSENGER:Where do you find inspiration, be it for design, or production?

QUESTION:Pretty much everywhere. For design, I sometimes dig through my record collection. Album cover art always sparks ideas, then I end up playing records all day haha! Oddly enough, I tend to listen to full albums when I’m designing. I’ll hear something and stop working immediately, pull the record back and start chopping samples on the spot. If i’m deep in a project and hear something, sometimes i’ll just write the song name on a postit and stick it on my screen so I don’t forget to go back to it later.

THE BAG MESSENGER:Has Serato changed the way you get down? Are you still buying records?

QUESTION:Serato is definitely a convenience. It’s a blessing for people like me, I wouldn’t want to lug a rare record around or cue burn an only copy. There’s a certain discipline you get from digging crates and collecting. I don’t think I can ever stop buying records. I’ve edited my collection massively in the past decade and only kept what I consider “essentials”. I just don’t have the room so I gotta cut the fat.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What kind of things are you looking for these days?

QUESTION:Nothing in particular really. Lately i’ve been picking up a few obscure joints like Les Baxter’s 101 Strings, some 60’s psyche funk. There’s only a few spots to dig around SD, but I love diggin’ at the swap meet. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

THE BAG MESSENGER:Any interesting digging related stories? Favorite finds?

QUESTION:Most random digging story. I was in New York in the les and I ran into this guy sitting on a crate of records so I asked him if he was selling, he replied “only if you’re buying!” The man ended up being a collector who is about to lose his home. He walked me into a store front filled with records from floor to ceiling. I was there for at least 3 hours. I ended up buying extra baggage to haul my findings.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What is the Beat Kitchen? How long has that been going on? Who is involved?

QUESTION:The Beat Kitchen is a collaborative project with DJ Charlie Rock (Rock Steady Crew / Dojo Soundz). Charlie and I go way back, he used to come out to the jams I’m spinning at and i’d do my set while he kills it on the dance floor. We wanted to do a once a month event that primarily focuses on the music we liked. We play everything from golden era hip hop to afrobeat, bossa nova and funk. The Beat Kitchen started it in January this year, and runs every 2nd Saturday of the month. We’re still trying to build up the night and it just keeps getting better.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What is Analogue Studies?

QUESTION:Analogue Studies is a music hub that holds my blog, current releases, projects etc… I launched it in 2009 as a networking tool, basically another way for my fans and like minded individuals to connect.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What are you working on now?

QUESTION:I’ve got a few collaborative projects in the works, and another album for an early 2012 release.

THE BAG MESSENGER:What can we expect to hear from you in the future?

QUESTION:I’m preparing to work on a live instrumental project with my good friend Freddie Joachim. We’ve been talking about this project for some time now and it’s going to be interesting as it unfolds. Stay connected:

www.analoguestudies.com

www.soundcloud.com/question

www.questionsound.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/questionsound

We here at Tucker and Bloom love our records and so when we we’re approached by our friends at Flea Market Funk and Dust and Grooves about supporting a contest centered around record collection photography we we’re imidiatly intrigued. Check out the details below. We are sending a North To South messenger bag to the first place winner and there are a ton of other cool prizes. 

  

 

 

Wax On Film: A Vinyl Photo Contest is an opportunity for vinyl collectors of all walks of life to showcase their true love for vinyl. It’s put together by Jamison Harvey of Flea Market Funk and Eilon Paz, of the acclaimed vinyl documentary photo site Dust & Grooves. The mission of this photo contest is to help preserve vinyl heritage, as well as the artists that make it, just as our contestants do with their collections. We want you to submit photos of your own vinyl collection!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the mid 1940s Jamaicans finely tuning their radios could pick up weak signals from American coastline cities like New Orleans, as well as broadcasts from American military bases stationed around the island. These American stations were playing popular American music, and unknowingly created a demand for similar sounds on the island of Jamaica.  

This exposure to early American R&B and bebop unquestionably influenced the skank and horns of early Jamacian ska, and became the backbone for modern Reggae. Many of these early Ska releases we’re interpretations of popular R&B hits, and so it is only natural that some fifty years later we have a proper reversal.

Philadelphia Reggae producer Kenny Meez (Federation Sound System) and producer partner in crime Emynd(Cross Faded Bacon) have taken a slew of Motown hits and made them rocksteady dancefloor ready, complete with mixable intros. Play them everywhere you can…who knows what your influence could spark. 

-The Bag Messenger

Emynd & Kenny Meez – Motown Reggae Pack Part 1 by CrossfadedBacon

Black Jazz Records was a Jazz label founded in Oakland California by Jazz pianist Gene Russell in the early 70s as an alternative to traditional Jazz. They had a seven year run of releases, the majority of them being funky, spiritual, and criminally slept on. Contributing blogger and avid record nerd Froz 1 lovingly compiled a mix of label highlights, and it is perfect company for the on set of fall. If you see him in the streets buy him a coffee and give him a hug. You owe him at least that.

 -THE BAG MESSENGER 

Click here for a free download of “The End Is Near”

 As a side note, the entire Black Jazz catalogue of master tapes is for sale on Craigslist. Just saying. 

 

  

When it comes to hip hop or records in general, you would be hard pressed to find anyone much more legendary and at the same time humble than Diamond D. From his beginning in the South Bronx as a DJ for Jazzy Jay, Diamond released a slew of hip hop classics on his own as well as with D.I.T.C, and went on to record and produce grammy nominated hits for The Fugees and Natalie Cole. He took time out of his day to catch up with us about records, his history, and future undertakings. -THE BAG MESSENGER 

 

 THE BAG MESSENGER: How did you first get into music? When did records come into the picture for you?

DIAMOND D: I first got into music through my uncles Gary and Kevin, and than started collecting records at eleven years old

THE BAG MESSENGER: How did Ultimate Force come about?

DIAMOND D: We all grew up in the same projects in the South Bronx. Myself, Master Rob, LMD, Show N Tell and Charlie Rock. Eventually it turned into just me and Rob.

 

 THE BAG MESSENGER: What did you learn from your first deal that you were able to bring to Mercury for your solo deal, and than Tommy Boy for the D.I.T.C deal? 

DIAMOND D: I learned to KEEP ALL OF YOUR PUBLISHING! I had nothing to do with the Tommy Boy Negotiations

THE BAG MESSENGER: How did D.I.T.C come about? It was you and Lord Finesse to begin with? What kicked things off for the crew? 

DIAMOND D: We we’re just neighborhood friends who came together. Master Rob and I released “I’m Not Playing”, and than Showbiz and I helped produce Lord Finesses’ first LP. Than I produced Showbiz & AG and Fat Joe’s first singles. Finesse brought in Big L and Buckwild, and than Buckwild brought in O.C

THE BAG MESSENGER: Where were you guys shopping for records? Was it strictly record shows and dealers, or were you making road trips, and hunting down leads? 

DIAMOND D: Back than it was all of the above, and really the same rules still apply.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Any favorite finds, or crazy digging related stories?  

DIAMOND D: I found a mint copy of Funky Drummer on King Records for $2 in Detroit this year. There are too many digging stories to get into. LOL...one word “Roosevelt” 

THE BAG MESSENGER: How was working with the Fugees? How did winning a grammy in 1996 change your life? 

DIAMOND D: The grammy brought me more recognition and more money, but my Grammy nomination for Natalie Cole’s “Daydreamin” three years ago meant more because it was my song directly, as opposed to me being a part of a Grammy award winning LP.

THE BAG MESSENGER: Has your production setup changed over the years? Are you still using a MPC 2000 XL?

DIAMOND D: I’m using a MOTIF ES8 and MPC 3000. Basic setup…Protools and Logic

THE BAG MESSENGER: How much time are you spending in the studios these days? What are you working on?

DIAMOND D: I’m in the Lab often. I’m working on a new LP, I’m producing with different MCs and I’m also producing a project for an artist out of New Orleans called Big Rec.

THE BAG MESSENGER: You spend a lot of time on the road, what’s the key to packing for a tour?

DIAMOND D: Pack light, and leave room for merchandise…and diggin of course. 

THE BAG MESSENGER: What are you listening to now?

DIAMOND D: I thought that was big of Kanye and Jay Z to release “Otis” and take hip hop back to the essence. A soul loop and a kick. Raw! 

Here is a quick documentary we put together with DJ Cosmo Baker to highlight an upcoming collaboration on a version of our North To South Messenger bag. Cosmo has been using the North To South for a couple of years now, and has made a few suggestions to help cater the bag to fit his hectic jet-set lifestyle. We are really excited about the ideas churning, and look forward to the release of the bag. 

  

 

Here is what Cosmo had to say about the colab on his blog:

 

For the past couple of years, for a DJ bag I’ve been using the amazing North To South Messenger Bag that’s made by Nashville based company Tucker & Bloom. As someone who has run the line of DJ bags over many years I have never found one that’s as versatile as well as stylish as this bag, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to anything else. The cats who created it know exactly what a DJ needs,  but when I started rapping with them a little about my insight as to how they could make slight adjustments here and there, we eventually came up with the idea that a true collaboration is in order. So stay tuned in the next few months for the release of the Cosmo Baker Signature Line of luggage by Tucker & Bloom. Booyah…

 

To start to promo the line, the fellas decided to tag along with me for a day in the life of Cosmo Baker and film it for a short documentary. They catch me on the streets of Money Makin’ Manhattan talking about wolves, spinning Gil Scott-Heron records for the Chances With Wolves show on EVR, eating Báhn Mì sandwiches, record shopping, and then motivating over to BK so I can shake my ass to almighty J.Rocc at Do Over / Tiki Disco at Roberta’s. All caught on glorious film. Hope you like it. I kinda do…

 

 And so, without further adeu, here is the film…

 

 

First and foremost, Ron Isley is a genius.  Whether serving as the soundtrack for the obligatory “generic party scene” in popular film (”Shout“) or as the theme to your post-Valentines Day dinner events (”Between The Sheets“), the Isley Brothers’ music has stood the test of time.   While the aforementioned tunes are probably two of the most popular picks from the Isley Brothers’ discography, let’s speak on one of their most criminally under appreciated outings: Givin’ It Back.

Before diving right into the excellence that is 1971’s Givin’ It Back, let’s take it back to September 21, 1959… the week that “Shout“ debuted on the Billboard charts.  This is a period in time where all of those crappy dollar bin LPs you see at the thrift spot are vying for the number one position on the charts (think the soundtrack to South Pacific vs. The Kingston Trio vs. Johnny Mathis).  BUT, the singles are where it’s at, and the Isley’s have an absolute hit.  Week 1, “Shout“ reaches #82.  Week 2, it reaches #72.  Ultimately, the tune wouldn’t reach higher than #47 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it puts the brothers Isley on the map.

One month later, Johnny O’Keefe, an Aussie TV show host, recorded a version of the song that would reach #3 on the Austrailian charts.  No big deal, right?  The Aussies aren’t exactly pumping out pop gems in the late 50’s, so it would only make sense that the cover version would chart this high.  As the years pass, the Isley Brothers ride the wave produced by “Shout“, probably satisfied that they made the charts, all while working on new material to share with the world.  Fast forward to March of 1962, and suddenly, Joey Dee and The Starliters are in the #6 spot with their cover of “Shout“!  During this time, the Isley Brothers’ version reappears on the charts topping out at #94, just to throw a little more salt in the wound.

Just two months later, they return the blow with the release of “Twist And Shout“ in June of 1962.  This time around the Isley Brothers had themselves a hit for the first time since 1959, and would peak at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.  One year later, The Beatles would record a cover of “Twist And Shout“ that would go on to peak at #2 on the charts once the single was finally released in the U.S. in 1964.  Ousted again!

So, being the genius that he is, Ron Isley notices this pattern.  I’m willing to bet he lost some sleep over this chain of events, and while he didn’t necessarily plot his next move with Joey Dee and the Beatles in mind, he certainly kept it on the back burner.  Five years go by and the Isley Brothers still aren’t getting the respect they deserve.  While signed to T-Neck, they crank out some more hits, including 1969’s “It’s Your Thing“, all while being neglected by the major R&B labels.  By 1971, the Isley Brothers are ready to unleash their answer to their original tunes/arrangements being blatantly ripped off by other artists, and achieving more recognition in the process.  It’s time to give it back.

I’m not even going to get into how high Givin’ It Back charted, how it was received, or anything like that.  Basically, the Isley Brothers took popular rock tunes of the time, covered them, and absolutely crushed the originals.  I know a lot of people would disagree with that statement, but hear me out.  The Isley Brothers took these songs and made them theirs, whereas Joey Dee, The Beatles, and countless others took the Isley Brothers’ songs and tried really hard to sound like the Isleys.  Sadly, I don’t see this record too often in the bins, and when I do, I scoop them and pass them off to my friends.  So I suggest you do the following: A) become my friend  B) hit your local record spot and do some hunting or C) snag it off iTunes for $6.99. 

 

Tracklist w/ original performer listed:

1. Ohio/Machine Gun (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young / Jimi Hendrix)

2. Fire And Rain (James Taylor)

3. Lay Lady Lay (Bob Dylan)

4. Spill The Wine (Eric Burdon & War)

5. Nothing To Do But Today (Stephen Stills)

6. Cold Bologna (Bill Withers, who actually plays on Givin’ It Back)

7. Love The One You’re With (Stephen Stills)

 

Soundclips:

- Josh

 

Here is a quick video we shot for the North To South messenger bag. Its a sort of day in the life, featuring DJ Apt One, Cosmo Baker, Danophonic, and Case Bloom. The usual dose of shopping for records, eating sandwiches, and goofing off. Enjoy

  

 

Good music is timeless. The GAP band has been moving dance floors for decades, and the use of sampling has propelled the work of the group into current music. Check out this mix recorded by my friend DJ Synapse highlighting the legacy the Gap band and Charlie Wilson have left in hip hop. It is refreshing to see Charlie Wilson be so gracious about his role in sample based music, and wonderful to see him working with a friend. Enjoy the mix.  

-THE BAG MESSENGER 

Track List:

1. Yearning For Your Love – Gap Band (Original) 
2. Runnin’ (Jay Dee Remix) – The Pharcyde (Samples “Yearnin’ For Your Love”) 
3. Life’s A Bi#ch – Nas (Samples “Yearnin’ For Your Love”) 
4. The Joy FT. Pete Rock, Jay -Z – Kanye West 
5. There Goes My Baby – Charlie Wilson 
6. All Of The Lights – Kanye West (Feat. John Legend, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Fergie, KiD CuDi, Rihanna & Elton John) 
7. Download (Remix) – Lil Kim Ft. T-Pain, Charlie Wilson, The-Dream & Soulja Boy 
8. Computer Love Remix – Zapp Feat Shirley Murdock & Charlie Wilson 
9. Boy You Knock Me Out – Tatyana Ali feat. Will Smith (Samples “Outstanding”) 
10. Happy – Ashanti (Samples “Outstanding”) 
11. Summer Bunnies – R. Kelly (Samples “Outstanding”) 
12. Alright (Humps For Your Trunk Mix) – Kris Kross (Samples “Outstanding”) 
13. Da B Side – Da Brat Feat. Notorious BIG (Samples “Outstanding”) 
14. Every Little Thing I Do – Soul Four Real (Samples “Outstanding”) 
15. Outstanding – Gap Band 
16. Blow Your Mind – Redman (Samples “Outstanding”) 
17. Snoop’s Upside Ya Head – Snoop Dogg Ft. Charlie Wilson 
18. Oops Upside Your Head – Gap Band 
19. Mo Pussy – DJ Quick (Samples “Oops Upside Your Head”) 
20. Burn Rubber On Me – Gap Band 
21. Humpin’ – The Gap Band 
22. Supa Sexy – Charlie Wilson Feat. T-Pain 
23. You Dropped A Bomb On Me (Remix) – Gap Band 
24. Fake Hair Wearing Bi#ch – 2 Live Crew/No Face (Samples “Oops Upside Your Head”)
25. Tommy’s Groove Outro 

Check out this great collection of vintageMayan-inspired playing cardsdesigned in Soviet Russia.

-THE BAG MESSENGER