Without sounding like an old man whos losing his marbles (I’m 33 this week), sometimes it’s good to re-visit the classics. In this world of X-Factor mania, and “skin feeling visibly younger”, sometimes you need to cut out the nonsense and go back to basics.. Every once in a while we all need reminding that quality should always be the watch-word.

Which is what we’re doing here.

Here’s an exclusive mix from Blunt Buddy (and blood brother to our own Doug) Prolifik, in memory of the late J Dilla.

Quite simply, it’s some on-point hip hop and soul, perfect for the current sunshine we’re having. I know this mix is a couple of years old, but it’s always good to take something like this back off ice once in a while and give it a listen. Remind yourself whats important. In this case it’s slick rhyming and tight snares, deep beats and soulful breaks, in tribute to the man, J Dilla. Not Ant and Dec talking to some dizzy bird who wants to be Mariah Carey, or some daft fecker in lycra who fancies himself as Michael Jackson on roller skates.

So, take the advice of this old man. Pour the Kool-Aid, pitch up on the stoop, hit play, and transport yourself back to the good old days, with some smooth beats from one of the best producers who was ever in the game. A full tracklisting is below.

1. Intro – ‘Coastin’ (Taken from Vintage)
2. Think Twice – Jay Dee (Welcome to Detroit)
3. Fall N Love (Dilla remix) – Slum Village (Fantastic Volume II)
4. 4 Moms – Jay Dee (A.T.C.Q – The Love Movement)
5. Dime Piece Remix – Dwele (The Shining)
6. Time: Donut of the heart – Jay Dee (Donuts)
7. Untitled – Slum Village (Fantastic Voulme II)
8. Inside My Love – Minnie Ripperton
9. What Love Is (Alternative) – Slum Village (Fantastic Vol. II)
10. You Cant Hold The Torch – Busta Rhymes ft. Q-Tip (The Big Bang)
11. No Liver Than This – 1st Down
12. Track 10 – Jay Dee (BEAT CD ‘05 *3)
13. Lets Take it Back – J Dilla (ruff Draft EP)
14. Clap Your Hands – Guilty Simpson (Chrome Children)
15. Outro (MED – Push)

Right then, best fill the cooler with Red Stripe and find your sun hat, as its time one again for the Family Blunt to present Urban Picnic Sounds 2010, live that the internationally-acclaimed Rhythms Of The World Festival. This year, it’s taking place on the weekend of the 24th and 25th July, with over 170 acts, and 20-odd thousand friends coming together to hear a variety of quality artists from across the world, and the musical genres.

We’re back once again at the single DJ-only stage at this internationally-acclaimed festival. You can check the website tags (“Urban Picnic Sounds”) for info on our previous outings. Essentially, the Blunt Beats crew and some very special guests provide a laid-back soundtrack to the whole weekend via our Urban Picnic Sounds stage. Expect lots of classic soul, barbecue funk, lounging jazz, head noddin’ reggae, and all manner of sunbathing beats. Guests this year include Baron Sound, DJ Herb, Hannah Brown, Reggae-MATT-ic, DJ Widedubz, Morocco, and Adam Williams.

I don’t need to give this one a hard-sell. It’s a great festival, with a cool laid back vibe, and Blunt Beats on the turntables. Simple.

Just to get you in the mood, here’s a link to a couple of sets from previous Urban Picnic Sounds events, courtesy of our very own Doug, and guest Adam Williams.

We’ll see you there!

Right…Those of you who have been following us for some time will realise that the website hasn’t been updated for a while. Those of you who have just found us will probably think not much has happened with us since early April. Not so.

Essentially, we’ve had a bit of a pow-wow/board meeting/cup of tea and a chat here at BBHQ, and have decided to make a few changes.

For years now, we’ve been putting out a weekly 4hour live radio show (available for download for the following 7 days) across a variety of musical styles. And jolly good fun it has been, too. However, although we get good feedback from our listeners, we’re acutely aware that a 4-hour show is a hell of a lot to download in todays snappy 20-minute podcast world. Also, if this weeks music genre isn’t your style, then you’ll have to wait for another show (and another week) for something that might be up your street.

Also, the Family Blunt is not getting any younger, and our day-jobs/lives have been keeping us more than busy. We’re all a little more spread out, both location-wise, and waistline-wise. All of this has impacted on our ability to bring you, our much-loved listener, quality Blunt Beats approved music. And we apologise.

But, we’re gonna fix it.

Rather than struggling to do a fresh 4 hour show every week that is a mammoth download file, we’ve decided to move our focus onto shorter, regular podcast/mix series based on our existing radio show brands (e.g. Dub Chamber, Soul Food, Electric Noodles etc), which will be a little bit more directed for you the listener, and a little easier for us to manage. We’ll also be posting special one-off mixes, archive sets, and material from our friends and guests.

Have no fear, we’ll still be doing live radio shows, with our resident DJs and guests. We’ll post about them here on the site, and also put details of upcoming shows on our radio page.

Essentially, “less is more”, as they say. Think of it as a new, streamlined, low-carb Blunt Beats (ok…..scrub the low-carb bit, but you get the idea)

Marcus, Adam and myself put together four hours of funk, soul, nujazz and afrobeat for your listening pleasure, with a spattering of DnB and dubstep. Grab the download while you can (before next Thursday), and check the tracklisting below.

Part 1 – Marcus G Hurley

1. Something Special – Max Sedgley (Jalapeno)
2. Let It Blow – Dazz Band (Motown)
3. Happyness – A Skillz (?)
4. Money Inc. – Mr Konfuse (Nova-Gain)
5. Azua Azua – Deela (Switchstance)
6. Funk For Me – DJ Asparagus (GAMM)
7. Afro Elements – Aroop Roy (Fresh Out Of The Box)
8. Oh Why – Defkline & Red Polo (Hot Cakes)
9. Flat Toes – Defkline & Red Polo (Booty Breaks)
10. Twang Banger – A Skillz (Insane Bangers)
11. All This Lovin’ – Gwen McRae (?)
12. Funky White Brother – Featurecast (Good Groove)
13. How Is The Party – Funk Thomas (Good Groove)
14. Punk Rolla – Grape Vine (?)
15. Pro Nails (Rusko rmx) – Kid Sister (Fools Gold)
16. Cockney Thug – Rusko (Sub Soldiers)
17. Darkside – Unknown (dub)
18. Swagga – Datsik & Excision (dub)

Part 2 – Adam Williams

1. Wu Tang – Method Man (Wu)
2. Live Sciences – Purple Zones (?)
3. Ain’t It Funky – James Brown (Polydor)
4. You Can Do It Baby – George Benson (Giant Step)
5. Carnaval De São Vicente (Jazzy Carnival mix) – Cesaria Evora (Lusafrica)
6. Infinite Rhythm – Afro Mystik (Om)
7. Attend! – ?
8. Brick House – MoD & Staffan Thorsell (Purple Music)
9. We Love This Music – Soulmagic (Purple Music)
10. Everyday – Central Living (Naked Music)
11. It’s Complete – Atjazz (Collision)
12. Fish – Mr Scruff (Ninja Tune)
13. In The Picture – The Underwolves (Compost)
14. The Sea – Saint Etienne (Heavenly)
15. Travellin’ Man – Syncopix (Hospital)
16. Natty Dread – Defidom (white)

Part 3 – Doug

1. African Rhythms (intro) – Oneness Of Juju (Shekere)
2. Funky In The Middle – Nickodemus ft. Jay Rodriguez & Ticklah (Eighteenth Street Lounge Music)
3. Psychedelic Woman (Bonobo rmx) – Honny & The Bees Band (Soundway)
4. Blow Your Horn – Quantic ft. Ohmega Watts (Tru Thoughts)
5. Why Me – Kinny & Horne (Tru Thoughts)
6. Take Me Back From Piaui (Dubben mix)- Bigga Bush (Stereo Deluxe)
7. Afrobeatnik – Gecko Turner (Love Monk)
8. Zuzukus People (Lightning Head remix) – Bigga Bush (Stereo Deluxe)
9. Mister Sinister (original Kokolo mix) – Kokolo Afrobeat Orchetra (Jamayka)
10. We Dey Suffa – Oghene Kologbo & Afrobeat Academy
11. Ilegal – Couscous Party (Love Monk)
12. Mother Earth (LP version) – Lanu (Tru Thoughts)
13. Power Brain (Hi-Perspective rmx) – Franck Biyong ft. Wunmi (Love Monk)
14. Don’t Follow Fashion – Oghene Kologbo & Afrobeat Academy (MK2)
15. Can’t Buy Me – Femi Kuti (UWE)
16. Ye Ye De Smell – Fela Kuti & Africa 70 (Universal)
17. Bukom Mashie (Quantic remix) – Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band (Bottletop)

This weeks live radio show sees us return once more to The Dub Chamber. Blunt Residents Agent M and the Erbalist will be providing you with 4 hours of straight-up heavyweight dub reggae from across the years. Expect to hear some 60’s and 70’s dub classics, mixed up with some newer bits and pieces, and a few rarities too…..

You can listen to the whole show, live from 8pm UK time this Wednesday, via the link on our radio page.

Blunt Beats Radio presents The Dub Chamber, with Blunt Residents Agent M and the Erbalist. Live from 8pm UK time, Wednesday 24th March. www.bluntbeats.com/radio

Yep. We’re back on the air again tonight with another 4 hours of top-quality audio wandering. It’s time for Allsorts. Sets tonight will include music from Blunt Resident Agent M, along with an extended live recording from the family Blunt’s recent outing to Bar Absolute, where residents Doug and Marcus Hurley were joined by blunt-buddy DJ Morocco for a night of funk, breakbeat, hip hop beats, and pretty much anything else they fancied.

If you made it down, it’s a chance to listen again. If you didn’t, it’s a chance for you to hear what you missed, so you know better for next time! Catch all of tonights music live from 8pm UK time via our radio page.

Blunt Beats Radio presents Allsorts. Wednesday 10th March, live from 8pm UK time. Sets from Blunt Residents Agent M, Doug, Marcus Hurley, and DJ Morocco. www.bluntbeats.com/radio.

On tonight’s live radio show, the family Blunt will be cooking another wholesome portion of Electric Noodles. A 4-hour menu of downtempo, ambient, and electronic beats will be dished up piping hot by Blunt Residents Doug and Marcus Hurley. Hold the Soy sauce…

Blunt Beats Radio presents Electric Noodles, with Doug and Marcus Hurley. Live from 8pm UK time Wednesday 24th February. www.bluntbeats.com/radio

Yep, who needs fruit when you can gorge yourself on Allsorts?

Blunt Residents the Erbalist and Agent M are back for another 4 hour stint of playing whatever they like. Because they can. Rest assured, the tunes will be of the usual high-quality, whatever the genre may be…Nice, methinks.

Blunt Beats Radio presents Allsorts, with Blunt Residents the Erbalist and Agent M. Live from 8PM UK time. www.bluntbeats.com/radio

If you weren’t able to make it down to Bar Absolute in Hitchin last Friday, fear not! We got the while night in the can and it will be revisited in tonight’s Soulfood show.

Tune in from 8pm to catch sets from Morroco, Marcus Hurley and myself. Spanning hip hop, nu-jazz, funk, breaks, electro and DnB, it was a top night of tunes. Don’t miss out a second time!

Here’s the tracklisting for last weeks Moonstompin’ show with myself and the Erbalist…

As always, you can grab the show for the next 7 days via the Radio page..

Erbalist

1. Skinhead Moonstomp – Symarip (Treasure Isle)
2. Rough Ridder – Prince Buster (White Label)
3. unknown Bob Marley & The Wailing Souls (white label)
4. 54-46 That’s My Numbxer – The Maytals (Pyramid)
5. Tiger In Your Tank – Lord Bryner (Island)
6. Fire Corner – King Stitt (New Beat)
7. Dry Acid – The Upsetters (Punch)
8. Clint Eastwood – The Upsetters (Punch)
9. Rodie All Around – Joe White, Lynn Taitt & The All Stars (Doctor Bird)
10. Picture On The Wall – Freddy McCay (Studio 1)
11. Double Barrel (version 2) – Dave & Ansil Collins (Techniques)
12. Guns Of Navarone – The Skatalites (Island)
13. Monkey Man – Toots & The Maytals (Trojan)
14. My Boy Lollipop Millie (Fontana)
15. Birth Control – Lloyd Terrell (Pama)
16. Fever – Junior Byles (Pama)
17. Skinheads A Bash Them – Claudette (Grape)
18. Skinhead Revolt – Joe The Boss (Joe)
19. Brixton Fight – Pamadice (Reggae)
20. One Eyed Giant – Baba Brooks & His Band (Ska Beat)
21. Guns Fever – Baba Brooks Band (Treasure Isle)
22. Dr No – Baba Brooks (King Edwards)
23. You Can Run – The Hurricanes (Black Art)
24. Natty Dread – Sambo Jim (Harry J)
25. Swing & Dine – The Melodians (High Note)
26. Sharking Up Orange St – Prince Buster & The All Stars (Prince Buster)
27. Pressure & Slide – The Tennors (Studio 1)
28. King Of Kings – King Stitt (Clan Disc)
29. Collie Bud – Skatalites (Randys)
30. El Cid (Dahil Sayo) – King Sporty & Roland Alphonso (Top Deck)
31. A Shot In The Dark – Roland Alphonso (Top Deck)
32. Ska-Ra-Van – Roland Alphonso (Top Deck)
33. Ska Down Jamaica Way (South Of The Boarder) – Ferdie Nelson & Ivan Yap (Top Deck)
34. Scare Him – The Maytals (Beverleys)
35. Street Girl – Derrick Morgan (Black Swan)
36. It Miek – Desmond Dekker & The Aces (Pyramid)
37. Red Red Wine – Tony Tribe (Down Town)
38. She’s But A Little Girl – Max Romeo (Unity)
39. Popatop – Andy Capp (Treasure Isle)
40. Living For The City – Pat Rhoden (Attack)
41. Whine & Grind – Prince Buster & The All Stars (FAB)

Agent M – tracklisting coming soon….