Some LxNxM housekeeping

Well hey there, folks.

You may have noticed something’s a little different around Last Night’s Mixtape today. And you’re right – we’ve overhauled our old look in order to give you something new. We think it’s a pretty clean look, and huge shouts to Krieg and our dude the Swi Guy for making it happen.

Some new features you’ll notice:

1) We have a logo, and it’s filthy. We’ve actually had it for a little while, but sat on it until now. The design was done by our guy Junichi Tsuneoka over at Stubborn Sideburn design studio, who’s one of the best artists around, in our opinion. If you ever need anything done, he will do it right, and do right by you. Good people, get at him.

2) In the right column you’ll notice a featured mixtape. In that section we’ll be highlighting our own mixes and extra special mixes that we really really like (hence the “extra” in the special). Check that spot for some of the finest choice cuts.

3) Also in the right column, there’s a Soundcloud dropbox. You make music? Excellent, we were hoping so. If you have a Soundcloud account you can send it our way right through thurr. Hello, modern era.

4) And finally, the top bar along the top of the whole shebang floats down with you as you scroll. I just think that’s tight is all.

We’ll still be hitting you with all the good musics you like, and now it’ll look even more picturesque when come through. Hopefully there won’t be any bugs to work out, but let us know should you encounter anything, and bear with us while we get it fixed up.

And with that, that’s all he wrote. Thanks for coming through and supporting. We’re doing it for the love, and you’re giving it to us. Carry on.

Los Rakas x Uproot Andy x Hold Yuh

Everyone’s favorite Bay Area/Panamanian duo has been busy. Abrazame, Los Rakas’ take on the world-dominating Hold Yuh riddim, originally dropped on that Free Music 2010 giveaway we told you about a while back, and recently they’ve been busy revisiting it.

In addition to collaborating on a delicate remix with Brooklyn mix maestro Uproot Andy, they’ve also just released a video to accompany the original version. The video’s a departure from their “Soy Raka” street party vibe, and while I still want the Turf Feinz to drop in at any minute, I suppose it’s not a bad thing that they mix up their approaches every now and then. Some thing about variety being the spice of life? Who knows? And for the record, yes, this is exactly how I dance on the beach. Just thought everyone should know.

Check the Uproot Andy flip below (and Abrazame acapella, Mr. Producer), and the video after the jump.

LxNxM interview with Reverie

Last Night’s Mixtape covers all types of good music, and in all locations around the world. Luckily, it just so happens that one of my personal favorite musicians happens to live right here in my home base of Seattle. His name is Ahamefule Oluo, and he and vocalist Okanomode are collaborators on a project called Reverie. The concept? A ten-piece pop opera, based on the theme of making choices that you know you will regret, but that feel right at the time.

I was able to catch up with Aham and Okanomode, and get a quick interview with them. It’s a little window into two of the most fertile creative minds in the Northwest. And for Seattle folks, their show is coming up this Saturday, at Lo-Fi, and tickets are going fast – get them at Now I’m Fine, the official site for the project (and yes, I don’t like calling things “projects” either, but there may be no better way to describe this undertaking).

It’s LxNxM’s first time doing an interview, so bear with our technical awesomeness!

Righteous Trash – Tropixx Mix

Given the weather of the last few weeks (hot, that is), it’s only appropriate that we have for you a mix with the apropos title Tropixx. And not a minute too late.

The mix comes direct to us from the man behind it: Righteous Trash, aka Colin Johnson, aka your favorite booker’s favorite booker. If you aren’t knowing, the man is a West Coast legend with his finger on the trigger of what you should be listening to, and Tropixx captures a snapshot of what’s now.

Anybody who can kick off a mix with the Beach Boys and wind it up with El Guincho and Robyn is okay in my book. And my guess is that after listening to this, you’ll second that emotion (tracklist after the jump).

Cali iz Active

Just because.

Exile remixed

Filthy. One of my favorite producers going is Los Angeles MPC wizard Exile. His album Radio is a certified classic in my book (yes, I have a book), and seeing him live with DJ Day was one of the more impressive shows I’ve been to. Having said all that, it’s  delightful to find out that other folks feel the same way.

Pretty hot off the presses (as in yesterday), Exile, along with sonic purveyors Dirty Science, released an album of Radio remixes and unreleased cuts. And they are excellent. Amongst the remixers are LxNxM favorites Rhettmatic and Mr. Dibiase (me happy). Given the original album’s specificity (all samples came off L.A. radio) and the wide-ranging cast of characters involved with this project, the end result is something short of unified concept, and something beyond a simple collection.

The hits hit (Marco Polo goes hard!), though a couple of the remixes lose too much of the original without enough added value from the new artist involved. So it goes. This shit is heavy and you should get it. It’s free, dammit.

Tracklist after the jump.

DLRN – The Bridge

Ah hell yeah. Sacramento’s DLRN (formerly Delorean – dang lawsuits) just dropped a free online EP for your listening pleasure. I had heard about DLRN for a minute, but only really got hip to them this year, and was lucky enough to rock a stage with them in Seattle during their inaugural stop in the Northwest. They cracked off on their records, and live was even a step up, which is far from the norm.

The duo – mic controller 5th Ave and producer/DJ Jon Reyes – put out their debut album “No More Heroes” just last year, and they’ve kept the same feeling going with the new offering. The EP (or album, or whatever – it’s hard to know what we’re calling things in this digital world) is called “The Bridge,” and it’s a six track (plus intro/interlude/etc) dollop of concentrated synth-fueled future talk. Reyes’ production utilizes synths rather than relies on them, and 5th drops in and out of a perfectly workable singing voice. A nice combo. Get it.

Download: DLRN – “The Bridge” (right click/save as/etc)

Dibiase all day

One of my favorite beatsmiths going now is L.A. heavyweight Mr. Dibiase. I recently strolled over to his Soundcloud page, and found a clutch of new tracks he put up a few days ago for the streamings. Lots of good stuff, but here are my favorites. If only they were downloadable (cough cough, hint, cough).

Also, check the previous post I put about him to get the full sludge mix – and yes, that’s a good thing.

Seattle’s Best

Honestly, it’s suprising to me that nobody has done this earlier: put together a mix of good Seattle music, flip the infamous coffee shop logo, and call it good to go. Luckily, my friends, that day has arrived.

Mario Sweet and Justo, of the Physics crew, recently put together a compilation of some of their favorite Seattle tracks, with the appropriate accompanying graphic design. It’s a solid mix (cuts by Justo himself), and runs through a good selection of tracks, both more familiar (Grynch’s My Volvo), and those less so (Eighty4 Fly’s So Cool).

Download it below, and check below the jump for tracklisting and the video for Eighty4 Fly’s So Cool – just because we can.

Download: Mario Sweet and Justo -  Seattle’s Best Compilation

Black Spade – Build and Destroy Mixtape

Over the last few months, I’ve been more than happy to spill some digital ink on/over/somewhat nearby the Los Angeles soul hop collective the Hawthorne Headhunters. And now I get to do it some more! Black Spade, one third of those Hawthorne gents, just dropped the Build and Destroy Mixtape – mixed by DJ Track Star – which is a heavy little addition to the ongoing HH-affiliated discography.

What’s most interesting about solo projects from members of a cohesive group is how individuals’ personal tastes show themselves. For one, you see immediately how the whole is affected by the parts – everyone brings something very different to the table, and you only know what it is after you have a control group to test against. Build and Destroy is no exception: after only a handful of songs you have a sense that Black Spade brings a hard space-edged shake to the Headhunters’ music, which complements the souled out groove of the other members.

Highlights: the heavy flip/reimagining of Dilla’s To Fall in Love, which definitely messes with your head in some good ways.

Blaow! Tracklist after the jump.

Download: Black Spade – Build and Destroy Mixtape