Back From The Crate

Roland Ragi - Beirut based crate digger - Some records I find, some find me

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Back at it this Sunday, February 13 @backfromthecrate #strictlyvinyl @ballroomblitzbeirut with my partner in crime on visuals @sleepspentt and guest Dj @ja.dovski joining me on the decks. COME DANCE 9 P.M. - 5 A.M. #electro #funk #disco Music: Extra T's – E. T. Boogie (at The Ballroom Blitz) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZy2d2lswyM/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Maurice Louca is an Egyptian musician and composer born in Cairo where he currently works and lives. He is the co-founder of the bands Bikya, Alif, and Dwarves of East Agouza. The first time I saw @mauricelouca perform was in Batroun when #radiobeirut and #colonelbeer hosted him in their #shorelinesessions along with @acid_arab and Aziza. @natshooter and @abdallah___kassem had programmed the event and they asked me to cover it. After a beautiful performance, I was eager to get my hands on 'Salute The Parrot'. I got to see him a second time at the @beirutandbeyond music festival in 2017. You can listen to and buy this amazing album fusing #arabic and #electronic music here: https://mauricelouca.bandcamp.com/album/benhayyi-al-baghbaghan-salute-the-parrot Oh and I am definitely mixing one of the tracks from 'Salute The Parrot' on the next @backfromthecrate with @sleepspentt @ballroomblitz that we're announcing very soon. Artist: Maurice Louca Album: Salute The Parrot Label: @nawarecordings Follow on IG @backfromthecrate . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #mauricelouca #nawarecordings #egypt #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #lebanon (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZxM25Js6LO/?utm_medium=tumblr

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James Dewitt Yancey better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer and rapper. He emerged in the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as a member of the group @officialslumvillage He was also a member of the #soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Yancey died at the age of 32 from a combination of TTP and lupus. Although his life and career were short, J Dilla is considered one of the most influential producers in #hiphop. According to @guardian "his affinity for crafting lengthy, melodic loops peppered with breakbeats and vocal samples took instrumental hip-hop into new, more musically complex realms... #wiki Jay Dee would have turned 47 today Donuts began simply enough as an idea to turn a particularly good demo beat tape into a full-length release and has since become a classic hip-hop album, one of the defining works of the artist's life. Completed during a year in which J Dilla spent mostly in a hospital bed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Donuts would gain particular poignancy when, only three days after its release, February 10, 2006, the artist passed away, losing his battle with a rare blood disease. Announced in Fall 2005, the concept of a “rap album without rappers” struck some as a minor novelty, but Donuts would prove to transcend the rigid definitions of what a hip-hop album could be. It plays part like a DJ mix, part like a hip-hop beatmaker at work, its songs starting and stopping unexpectedly, like someone turning the dial on an imaginary radio station. But it's an unmistakably modern album and one which perfectly encapsulated the artist's reputation among his peers and fans as a top-rated architect of soulful hip-hop. #bandcamp You can listen to the whole album on Youtube Music Artist: J Dilla Album: Donuts Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #jdilla #jaydee #donuts #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #lebanon (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZrmOtJMnuB/?utm_medium=tumblr

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ABC is an English pop band formed in Sheffield in 1980. Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer Martin Fry, guitarist and keyboardist Mark White, saxophonist Stephen Singleton and drummer David Palmer. The Lexicon of Love is the debut studio album by the band. It was released in June 1982. Though Martin Fry has declined to label it a concept album, the album features repeated themes in which the singer experiences heartache as he tries and fails to have a meaningful relationship. A long-form music video/film, Mantrap, featuring songs from the album was released in 1983. The Lexicon of Love features four UK top 20 singles; "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love", "All of My Heart" and "Tears Are Not Enough" that I recently added to my #strictlyviny sets You can listen to the whole album on Youtube Music Artist: ABC Album: The Lexicon of Love Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #abc #thelexiconoflove #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #lebanon (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZrX3-lsY6I/?utm_medium=tumblr

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It's happening this Thursday, November 11 8pm- 3am @ballroomblitzbeirut a #strictlyvinyl all-nighter with @sleepspentt on visuals Entrance fee: 100,000L.L. #soul #funk #disco #synthpop #electro Photos by @uglypeoplelikemoi for @bbimf Follow @backfromthecrate (at The Ballroom Blitz) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWBS9F3MIjx/?utm_medium=tumblr

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“Grace Beverly Jones is a Jamaican-American model, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Beginning in 1977, Jones embarked on a music career, securing a record deal with Island Records and initially becoming a star of New York City's Studio 54-centered disco scene. Warm Leatherette is the fourth studio album by @gracejonesofficial , released on 9 May 1980 by Island Records. The album features contributions from the reggae production duo @slyandrobbie and is a departure from Jones' earlier disco sound, moving towards a new wave-reggae direction...” #wiki I first saw Grace Jones in #ianflemming's 1985 film version of #jamesbond #aviewtoakill where she played evil guy Zorin's lover and chief henchwoman. I hated her guts but still found her hot AF. I was 7. Fast forward to hit singles playing on #lebanese #radio I fell in love with her covers of #Piazzolla's Libertango 'I've Seen That Face Before' and #roxymusic's 'Love Is The Drug'. I found 'Warm Leatherette' in 2015 while doing one of my favorite hobbies at one of #beirut's record stores and bought it because of the title which is a song by #TheNormal aka #DanielMiller - the man behind @muterecords . The lyrics of "Warm Leatherette" reference #JGBallard's controversial 1973 novel #Crash, which had heavily influenced Daniel Miller. I got hooked on the album because of Drummer #slydunbar and bassist #robbieshakespeare's contributions to it. Old friend Kenshiro Sahn (@alklazam ) had introduced me to them when we first shared music in 2005 - their work has transformed #jamaican music. They have also worked with #bobdylan and #therollingstones to name a couple of legends. The song Warm Leatherette is a fixture In my #vinyl sets Artist: Grace Jones Album: Warm Leatherette Song: Warm Leatherette Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #gracejones #warmleathertte #nigeria #jamaica #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #vinylcollectionpost (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTSQBuoMKX2/?utm_medium=tumblr

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"Omar Khorshid was born in Cairo on 9 April 1945, during a period of transformation and political and social unrest. Tension at the presence of British troops was rising, with student and worker demonstrations breaking out across #cairo and #alexandria. He came from an artistic background; his father, Ahmed Khorshid, was a renowned director of photography who worked with star directors in Egyptian cinema, including #youssefchahine and #husseinkamal..." Taken from a beautifully written article by #BGC fam @natshooter and @ernesto_chahoud (@beirutgroovecollective)for @middleeasteye https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/egypt-omar-khorshid-guitar-legend-career-celebrating The article covers Khorshid's life and works. It came out after @wewantsounds ' reissue of 1978 LP 'With Love' 40 years after the legend's death I have always been chaotic when discovering new music. I had seen Omar Khorshid albums within my family's vinyl collection when I was younger but never was intrigued to listen to them since I was into rock and then later on into indie/electronic/funk/world... It wasn't until 2011 and while I was listening to the mighty @flyinglotus ' Lovers Melt 2 mix that I heard this amazing instrumental with quarter-tone guitars, synths, and spacy drones. I asked music friend @ziad_mouka back then about it and he told me that it's Omar Khorshid's. It has happened many times that I dig into my crate and find that I already own a certain record - ' Boss Shouf, ...' is my favorite Khorshid by far. I also recommend listening to 'Malayeen' by Lebanese avant-garde musicians @barbelbaber and @raedyassinstudio The album shows the artists' love for the music of Omar Khorshid, Malayeen disassembles and re-configures the work and style of the iconic guitarist's innovative take on Arabic music Released by #discrepantrecords in collaboration with Lebanese exploratory label #annihayarecords https://charbelhaber.bandcamp.com/album/malayeen Contact @z.nawfal for physical copies Artists: Omar Khorshid Album: Boss Shouf, Omar Byamel eh!!! Follow on IG @backfromthecrate . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #omarkhorshid #egypt #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTAR5GeMNaR/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Idris Muhammad was an American #jazz drummer who recorded with @ahmad.jamal.official, #loudonaldson, @pharoahsandersofficial, and @tetemontoliu. Born Leo Morris in New Orleans, he grew up in the city's 13th Ward in a home next door to a dry cleaner’s shop. Muhammad claimed the sound of the shop’s steam presser influenced his hi-hat technique. He showed early talent as a percussionist, playing in a #MardiGras parade at age 9, and began his professional career while still a teenager, playing on @fatsdominoofficials' #BlueberryHill" He toured with @officialsamcooke, and later worked with #JerryButler and @curtislmayfield, mostly working in #rnb until the mid-1960s. #wikipedia One of my favorite things when discovering music is when I accidentally find the original sample used in a more or less newer tune. I'm sure lots of you have heard Idris Muhammad's 'Could Heaven Ever Be Like' sample used by @jamie___xx in the song 'Loud Places' [ft. @thexx 's @romyromyromy] if not then do check it out :) Artist: Idirs Muhammad Album: Turn This Mutha Out Song: Could Heaven Ever Be Like This Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #idrismuhammad #samcooke #curtismayfield #ahmadjamal #soul #funk #disco #jamiexx #thexx #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRCPh20M_TF/?utm_medium=tumblr

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"Three Voices " is the first vinyl release from Lebanese electronic Jawad Nawfal aka Munma, and the second vinyl release from Lebanon’s first alternative music label Ruptured, following radioKVM’s ‘Issrar’ in 2014.(find it in a previous post) Munma’s new album is marked by several vocal collaborations, a departure in style for this pioneer of Beirut's electronic scene. As such, the vocal element was always present in the music of #Munma, whether through radio broadcasts, samples of political speeches, recordings of musicians’ voices, and the like, but he had never actually used the human voice as an intrinsic element in his compositions. Following his successful collaboration with rapper @el_rass and other hip-hop artists from Beirut and the neighboring area (including @el_bunasser , @elfar3i i, and #Boikutt, among others), Jawad Nawfal became drawn towards the capabilities of the human voice, more specifically the reciting of poetry by a human voice, and began to integrate this element in his music process...- released June 3, 2016 - via #bandcamp I met Jawad around 2007 in Beirut and have been a fan of his music since. I have followed him from his #idmelectronica project as Munma (also collaborated with @victorbresse - with @salibanabil - and with @wajdi_elian ) to his #2step project (with @ziad_mouka ) to his #hiphopelectronica days to #modularsynth oriented electronica. He also released music with @sndtxtimg , @lilianechlela, @jadatoui, @mmechandelier, #sharifsehnaoui... and played live with @fadi_tabbal and many others. Jawad never ceases to amaze me by reinventing his own sound. and I got him to sign the record for me ;) He now goes by the name @vvvabeirut https://vv-va.bandcamp.com/ You can buy the record in #Beirut from @z.nawfal or online https://rupturedthelabel.bandcamp.com/album/three-voices Artist: Jawad Nawfal aka #vvvabeirut Album: Three Voices Track: Three Voices Label: @rupturedthelabel Illustration and design: @maya.chami Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate. . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #jawadnawfal #vvvabeirut #threevoices #electronic #ambient #drone #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRCM35msiaZ/?utm_medium=tumblr

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The Jungle Book is a 1967 American animated musical adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions. Based on Rudyard Kipling's 1894 book of the same name, it is the 19th Disney animated feature film. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, it was the last film to be produced by #waltdisney, who died during its production. The plot follows #Mowgli, a feral child raised in the #Indian jungle by wolves, as his friends #Bagheera the panther and #Baloo the bear try to convince him to leave the jungle before the evil tiger #ShereKhan arrives. The Jungle Book, the soundtrack to the eponymous Disney film, has been released in three different versions since the film's original release in 1967. The film score was composed by #GeorgeBruns, with songs written by #TerryGilkyson and the #ShermanBrothers. #wikipedia I remember watching 'The Jungle Book ' with my brother @rogerragi at my mom's cousin's house in Beirut around 1983. the film sticks with you. the song 'Bare Necessities' also sticks with you. A few years after that my brother and myself became boy scouts with Mowgli and Bagheera as Idols. I recommend this light watch to everyone Artists: Phil Harris as Baloo and Bruce Reitherman as Mowgli Album: The Jungle Book (Soundtrack) Song: The Bare Necessities Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #waltdisney #junglebook #soundtrack #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRCJjFvMOgI/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Aït Meslayene was a #kabyle traditional singer who moved to Paris to try his luck. He was driven by an Algerian manager who pushed him to make a "disco" album, a new trend at that time. The recording took place in a studio near Paris, with an American drummer from the funk group "Ice". I didn't like what I heard when I first played Ait Meslayene after I found it within my father and late uncle's record collection. It wasn't until I started going to the @beirutgroovecollective events that I got into the world of #soul, #funk and #disco A couple of years afterwards and around 2012 I re-listened and directly fell in love with this record. It turned out to be one of the most sought-after #arabicdisco tunes. I asked dad and he knew nothing about it. My late uncle Sami had bought it between 76-78. Artist: Aït Meslayene Album: Yémma / El Fen Song: El Fen Thank you #samiragi #thebeirutgroovecollective #aitmeslayene Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate. . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #elfen #rarecollectible #algeria #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #vinylcollectionpost (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP5OETbMmve/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Kraftwerk is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1969 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, it was among the first successful acts to popularize the genre. The group began as part of West Germany's experimental #krautrock scene in the early 1970s before fully embracing electronic instrumentation, including #synthesizers, #drummachines, and #vocoders. Trans-Europe Express is the sixth studio album by German electronic music band @kraftwerkofficial . Recorded in mid-1976 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the album was released in March 1977 on #klingklangrecords. It saw the group refine their melodic electronic style, with a focus on sequenced rhythms, minimalism, and occasional manipulated vocals. The themes include celebrations of the titular European railway service and Europe as a whole and meditations on the disparities between reality and appearance." Taken from Wikipedia Most of us have heard the single 'The Model' while growing up in Beirut, but it wasn't until old friend @antoine.a.j got the #transeuropeexpress cd that I found out the name of the band behind it. I had also heard @siouxsieandthebanshees covering #thehallofmirrors I recommend watching a @bbc documentary called Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany - It looks at how a radical generation of musicians in bands like #neu!, #can, #faust, and #kraftwerk created a new German musical identity out of the cultural ruins of war that got to influence pop culture. Artist: Kraftwerk Album: Trans-Europe Express Song: Trans-Europe Express Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate. . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #transeuropeexpress #krautrock #synthpop #electro #electronic #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP01opUsGpC/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Abdallah Chahine (Arabic: عبد الله شاهين‎; 1894–1975) was a Lebanese pianist and tuner-technician who devised an "Oriental piano" capable of playing quarter tones. Abdallah Chahine constructed his Oriental piano with the help of Austrian Hofmann. Wadia Sabra had already had an oriental piano manufactured by Pleyel in Paris, in 1920. As worded by @thomasburkhalter Using an old straight piano, Chahine invented a prototype that had chords, a keyboard of six octaves, and an ingenious pedal devised to obtain quartertones. In 1962, Chahine recorded a vinyl record with typical Oriental music. Among the composers drawn to Chahine's microtonal instrument were Aloys Hába (1893–1973), Mohammed Abdel Wahab, and Toufic Succar (1922–). His family still owns a large music store in Beirut. His great-granddaughter @zeinaabirached has published a comic book, Le piano oriental, about a character inspired by him. #lepianooriental Abdallah Chahine also founded his own record label Voix De L'Orient in the mid 1950s which released records for #omarkhorshid #ziadrahbani #oumkalthoum #ihsanalmunzir #philemonwehbe and hundreds of other artists from the #arabworld Artist: Abdallah Chahine Album: Oriental Bouquet Song: Saba - Taqsim: Batit Uyuni Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #abdallahchahine #orientalpiano #orientalbouquet #lebanesemusic #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP0vKSqseKV/?utm_medium=tumblr

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A listening party with @kidfourteen for 'Love' will take place @demobeirut Tuesday 27/04/21 at 6:00 P.M. I will be spinning records before and after 'Love' 'Love' on vinyl will be available for purchase at the event. Check out Kid Fourteen's Youtube Channel for video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnC83464NOWzpEF3NtIYEDg Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #kidfourteen #love #kidsplay #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #vinylcollectionpost (at Demo) https://www.instagram.com/p/COIrzq3sI4x/?igshid=10pb0p4036h4m

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The first time I saw @kidfourteen was at @wickerparkfestival in 2016. I was one of the festival photographers at the time, but Fourteen's electrifying stage presence quickly turned me into an audience member and an avid fan soon after. I got to have the same experience again in 2018 on where Fourteen performed on the same stage, accompanied by Karim Shams Eddine @noisepope who composed with Kid Fourteen. Getting to know Khodor since that year has revealed him to be one of the gentlest souls and kindest people who would naturally go on to produce a record like Love, in which he continues to push his sound and its boundaries further. Check his other releases on https://kidfourteen.bandcamp.com/ Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #kidfourteen #love #kidsplay #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #vinylcollectionpost (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/COIqmtQs1of/?igshid=83xta252yc9k

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More than a year into the pandemic, March 21st marks the one year anniversary of the 'Love' album release. Given the claustrophobic circumstances, the opportunity to press vinyl abroad and deal with distribution proved futile - Until now. March 21, 2020 marks the relaunch of the Love album on the wonderful 180 GRAM Red 12" Vinyl. Pressed in Berlin at intakt! and designed by Farah Fayyad, The red vinyl includes all the lyrics and poems arranged with extra photographs and printed on a pink Disco bag in a 3.5mm Sleeve. It also includes download codes for the digital copy. https://kidfourteen.bandcamp.com/album/love Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate . . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #kidfourteen #love #kidsplay #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #vinylcollectionpost https://www.instagram.com/p/COIp3nFMkTL/?igshid=1cucrgqdop0ko

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Hailing from Beirut, Lebanon, Sary Moussa aka RadioKVM is a self-taught electronic musician. Moussa grew up listening to rock and jazz, before diving into electronica. He started crafting his own melodies under the moniker #RadioKVM in 2008. He collaborated closely with Lebanese producer #Okydoky, organizing live gigs and releasing a batch of demos; the two men became notorious on the live circuit of Beirut’s electronic scene. In later years, Moussa collaborated with Lebanese electronic producers #Munma aka @vvvabeirut , @jadatoui , and @lilianechlela , releasing both remixes and original compositions for label compilations; he has also composed music for theatre and dance performances, as well as soundtracks for short films. “Issrar” is RadioKVM’s first full-length album and the first vinyl release from Lebanese independent label Ruptured. The process of creating the record was informed by frequent forays into Techno (TM404, Karl O’Connor…), Krautrock, Post-rock, Bass music, Birmingham techno, Dubstep, Loop music, and healthy doses of Terry Riley and Lamonte Young. The album documents a shift in the way Moussa envisages and creates music. While he relied heavily on software-generated finite processes and patterns in the past, the computer became less involved in the set-up and composition of “Issrar”: all tracks on the album originally consist of 40 or 50-minute multi-track recordings, which were edited at a later stage. taken from https://cargorecordsdirect.co.uk/collections/ruptured/products/radiokvm-issrar You can buy the record in #Beirut at @chicorecords Bandcamp link: https://rupturedthelabel.bandcamp.com/album/issrar Artist: Sary Moussa aka #RadioKVM @sssaarry https://sarymoussa.bandcamp.com/ Album: Issrar Song: Six Label: @rupturedthelabel Follow on Instagram @backfromthecrate. . . . #backfromthecrate #beirutcrates #sarymoussa #radiokvm #israar #electronic #terryriley #lamonteyoung #vinylrecords #dustyfingers #cratedigger #vinylcollectionpost (at Beirut, Lebanon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNStvBeMW25/?igshid=19jk1uobop3lw