The New WWW.MUSICOFSUBSTANCE.COM is Live! [Retiring this Blog]

I’m very pleased to announce that www.musicofsubstance.com has finally had a much needed update and a nice clean new look (thanks to my good designer pal Leroy Knockolds, the man behind London club listings site www.ahsht.com, the new look www.whosampled.com and the excellent John Peel archive).

Aside from a good old tidy up, the new site has a load of new features including a new comprehensive Discography page with embedded audio searchable by category, Events listings, a categorised Biography page and for the first time a Video page. You can also find links for my various projects: Classic Material, So Much Soul, Maylight etc.

Importantly the blog is now integrated into the main site which means I’m now retiring this blog. Recent posts have been added to the new site, but if you want to search for older stuff here’s still the place to find them. If you’re subscribed to this blog and want to keep updated, I suggest following on Twitter or grab one of the free downloads from Bandcamp leaving your email address so you can be added to the monthly newsletter.

Onwards and upwards…

BBE 15th Anniversary Mix Album CD2 (Full Length Version) on Mixcloud

Back in 2011 it was my pleasure to compile and mix this mix album celebrating the 15th Anniversary of one of my favourite labels – BBE Records. The result was a double CD mix album containing what I consider to be the label’s finest moments. Of the many mixes I’ve produced I would say these are probably two of my favourites. At the time that I put these together, I uploaded extracts of each here on Mixcloud. Three years on I thought it was probably about time I made the full length mixes available. Last month I posted CD1 – I’ve now posted CD2.

Listen on Mixcloud here or below:

22Tracks London Funk & Soul Playlist Updated

This week’s 22Tracks London Funk & Soul playlist is live. New music added from Lack of Afro, Gene Dudley Group, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Marco Polo, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Third Coast Kings and Anne Frankenstein.

Listen here.

WhoSampled x Wax Poetics Guest Mix: ‘Ready to Die’ 20th Anniversary Mixtape

This Saturday (13th September) marks the 20th Anniversary of the release of one of hip hop’s all time classic albums, The Notorious BIG‘s seminal Bad Boy Records debut LP ‘Ready to Die’. In celebration of the album’s 20th birthday, we’ve teamed up with Wax Poetics to present an exclusive mixtape containing tracks from the album, alternate versions, interview snippets and, of course, original sample material used in the album’s production.

Mixed by WhoSampled’s Chris Read:

1. Notorious BIG – Intro (Excerpt)
2. Curtis Mayfield – Superfly [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Intro]
3. Audio 2 – Top Billin’ [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Intro]
4. Chris Read – Theme #3 (Scratchapella)
5. Snoop Dogg – Tha Shiznit [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Intro]
6. Main Ingredient – Summer Breeze [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Things Done Changed]
7. Biz Markie – The Vapors (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Things Done Changed]
8. Dr Dre feat Snoop Dogg & Daz Dillinger – Lil Ghetto Boy (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Things Done Changed]
9. Notorious BIG – Things Done Changed
10. Notorious BIG – Gimme The Loot
11. James Brown – Coldblooded (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Gimme The Loot]
12. Notorious BIG – Machine Gun Funk (Instrumental)
13. A Tribe Called Quest feat Leaders of the New School – Scenario (Remix) (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Gimme The Loot]
14. Ice Cube – What They Hittin’ Foe? (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Gimme The Loot]
15. Black Heat – Something Extra [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Machine Gun Funk]
16. Notorious BIG – Machine Gun Funk (Album Version)
17. Lords of the Underground – Chief Rocka (Loop) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Machine Gun Funk]
18. Notorious BIG – Machine Gun Funk (DJ Premier Remix)
19. Honey Drippers – Impeach the President (Loop) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Unbelievable]
20. R Kelly – Your Body’s Callin’ (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Unbelievable]
21. Notorious BIG feat Method Man – The What (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Unbelievable]
22. Notorious BIG – Unbelievable
23. Notorious BIG feat Method Man – The What
24. Isaac Hayes – Walk On By [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Warning]
25. Notorious BIG – Warning
26. DeBarge – Stay With Me [Sampled in Notorious BIG – One More Chance (Remix)]
27. Notorious BIG – One More Chance (Album Version) (Excerpt)
28. Notorious BIG feat Faith Evans – One More Chance (Remix)
29. Notorious BIG – One More Chance (Album Version)
30. Notorious BIG – One More Chance (Hip Hop Mix)
31. Notorious BIG – Everyday Struggle
32. Dave Grusin – Either Way [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Everyday Struggle]
33. Mtume – Juicy Fruit [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Juicy]
34. James Mtume – RBMA Interview (Excerpt)
35. Notorious BIG – Juicy
36. Notorious BIG – Juicy (Pete Rock Instrumental)
37. Spoonie Gee and The Treacherous Three – Love Rap (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Juicy (Pete Rock Remix)]
38. KC & The Sunshine Band feat George McCrae – I Get Lifted (Loop) [Sampled in Notorious BIG feat Diana King – Respect]
39. Pan Head – Gun Man Tune (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG feat Diana King – Respect]
40. Notorious BIG feat Diana King – Respect
41. Notorious BIG – Me & My Bitch
42. Supercat feat Notorious BIG, Puff Daddy & 3rd Eye – Dolly My Baby (Excerpt) [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Big Poppa]
43. Isley Brothers – Between The Sheets [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Big Poppa]
44. Notorious BIG – Big Poppa
45. Willie Hutch – Hospital Prelude of Love Theme [Sampled in Notorious BIG – Ready to Die]
46. Notorious BIG – Ready to Die

Listen on Mixcloud here or via the widget below.

22Tracks London Funk & Soul Playlist Updated

This week’s 22Tracks London Funk & Soul playlist is live. New music added from Myles Sanko, Hugh Geldhill, Lack of Afro, Weekend Sun and many more.

Listen here.

Party and Bullshit Celebrate 20 Years of Ready to Die This Saturday

This Saturday marks the 20th Anniversary of the release of Notorious BIG’s seminal debut LP ‘Ready to Die’. Doctor’s Orders are marking the occasion with a party at Brixton’s Plan B with a fine line up of DJs.

Facebook event page here.

BBE 15th Anniversary Mix Album CD1 (Full Length Version) on Mixcloud

Back in 2011 it was my pleasure to compile and mix this mix album celebrating the 15th Anniversary of one of my favourite labels – BBE Records. The result was a double CD mix album containing what I consider to be the label’s finest moments. Of the many mixes I’ve produced I would say these are probably two of my favourites. At the time that I put these together, I uploaded extracts of each here on Mixcloud. Three years on I thought it was probably about time I made the full length mixes available. The album itself is still available as either a mixed double CD or digitally as unmixed tracks (with the mixed versions included if you purchase as a bundle) via iTunes or direct from BBE: www.bbemusic.com

22Tracks London Funk & Soul Playlist Updated

This week’s 22Tracks London Funk & Soul playlist is live. New music from Lee Fields & The Expressions, The Budos Band, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and Laura Vane & The Vipertones.

Listen here.

New Single Featuring YesKing and Lizzy Parks Out Today!

I’m very pleased to announce that my new single for Breakin’ Bread featuring Lizzy Parks and YesKing is out today!

From the Breakin Bread press release:

“Breakin Bread is proud to present the fifth and final single from London DJ and producer Chris Read’s debut album for the label ‘Small Steps’. While previous singles from the long player have focused on the uptempo and percussive end of the album’s spectrum of sounds, this latest offering visits both deeper and dubbier territory. Featuring the vocal talents of long time collaborator Lizzy Parks (Tru Thoughts), ‘Traditions’ is a soulful downbeat number backed with deftly chopped drum patterns that hint at the hip hop origins of Chris’s productions. Also featured is a fantastic dubbed out re-work from the mighty YesKing (BBE Records) which is complemented stylistically by Chris’s own ‘Forward Dub’. An instrumental version of the original track completes the package”

Traditions (YesKing Remix):

“The single’s lead track is deftly reworked into a dubbed out Summer number which evokes the spirit of the soundsystem. YesKing are no strangers to the craft of the remix / dub having produced similarly dubbed out reworks for the likes of Amy Winehouse and productions for reggae royalty Dawn Penn among others. Chris and YesKing production mastermind Rhys Adams share a long history, having first met at the studios of Different Drummer recordings, the label which released Chris’s first productions and where Rhys was in house engineer. Ten years on Chris and Rhys are label mates at BBE Records, Chris having remixed the lead single from Yesking’s BBE album ‘Overproof’ in 2013.”

 

Forward Dub (Refix):

“Forward Dub’ offers a unique take on the roots sound with a contemporary twist. A stepper’s delight packed with dubbed out delay and echo. This vibey instrumental cut was a natural choice to compliment the authentic roots stylings of YesKing’s remix.”

Chris Read ‘Small Steps’ LP (Extended Edition) Out Today!

I’m very pleased to announce that alongside the release of my new single today, my ‘Small Steps’ LP (first released March this year) has been re-released as special ‘Extended Edition’ including all of the alternate versions, instrumentals and remixes from the various singles: 23 tracks in total for the bargain price of just £7.99!

Info from the Breakin Bread press release:

“‘Small Steps’ rounds up the best tracks from Chris’s many popular 7” inch releases for the label, placing them alongside new alternate versions and previously unreleased tracks. Not one to be held back by the restraints of genre classification, Chris’s productions cover a lot of ground, drawing from a palette of found sounds born out of the Hip Hop traditions of hunting for the unusual among the cast aside and forgotten. The resulting album is gloriously mixed bag of authentic sounding cuts influenced by groove led music from across the globe.

This extended package comprises the original album supplemented with a complete set of remixes, alternate versions and instrumentals from all six of the LP’s singles. Remixes come courtesy of BBE’s YesKing (producers for the likes of Amy Winehouse and Dawn Penn), German funk / jazz production outfit Renegades of Jazz and king of the tropical remix Captain Planet (Bastard Jazz Recordings). Also included are a selection of Chris’s own alternate mixes and instrumentals of album tracks.”

Purchase on iTunes here / or via Kudos here.