It was w/ a heavy heart last night that I found out my friend J1 had passed. “Too soon,” “out of nowhere” & all of the other cliches you hear when something as unfortunate as this happens – apply all too real in this case.

J1 was a dedicated, self-taught musician & self-made artist in the truest sense, constantly pushing himself & those around him fwd for years now, & steadily getting more & more recognition for it. It is no hyperbole to say that he was at his absolute height & creative peak when he passed away. He had just wrapped an extensive tour w/ his group Master Blazter to rave reviews & stunned audiences everywhere. The band had played here in Portland this past September & ABSOLUTELY MURDERED IT – it was easily one of the best pure performances I have ever seen by a single band. & having just released his first solo retail release, The Yellow EP, as well as the second in his Starship 27 compilation series earlier in the year – 2011 was a monumental step for the drummer/producer. With already so much accomplished, Jovan “J1 tHE DEER” Coleman was still only getting started, & was just 32 years old when he passed in a fatal car accident in Sweden yesterday.

The first time I heard of J1 was on C.R.A.C. Knuckles‘ “Buy Me Lunch” record. I remember thinking how unique the sound of the drums were – so lively & punchy, but yet quick & precise at the same time. When I first heard the song I scratched my head like “how the fuck did TaRaach did his get drums to sound like that?!?,” & then when I later got my copy of the album – seeing it was actually a live drummer (credited as J*One) both made perfect sense, & impressed me even more at the same time. J also played on the “CRACHAUSE” interlude on that same album – which was a completely different drum sound altogether, but yet still hardhitting as ever, & one that I still really haven’t heard anything else like since.

After that, I’d keep seeing the name J-1 around from time to time. I remember his name being listed on the side of the old Black N Bling site – w/ a mention of him being a member of the Animal Kingdom & always wondering what that meant (I’d later learn that he had gone around & given all of his closest friends & associates their own corresponding animal name in the crew, w/ he himself of course being “tHE DEER”). Then in early 2009, I was asked to come on board at HVW8 for the record label they had just started. They had two supergroups on their roster – the Hawthorne Headhunters (w/ Black Spade, I CED, Proh Mic & sometimes Coultrain), and (((MASTER BLAZTER))) w/ DaM-FunK, Computer Jay and of course, J-1 on the drums. Both groups had been formed out of live jam sessions held at the HVW8 Gallery off of Melrose in LA for their podcast series. Master Blazter’s was held on December 21st, 2008 & was released on HVW8.com on Christmas Day that same week.

This was still months before DaM-FunK would go on to release his gamechanging solo debut, Toeachhizown, on Stones Throw – but the anticipation & feeling of something new & important happening (“hype” is not the word) was still very much real, not just in L.A. but worldwide. Needless to say – it was an exciting time. & J1 was right there for all of that – forever holding down the backbeat & still keeping things moving fwd at all times.

Early on in my work w/ HVW8, J1 personally reached out to me, sending an e-mail saying he was excited that I was on the team, & really just taking a minute to introduce himself. This would later go on to be a recurring theme in all my interactions w/ Jovan – he was ALWAYS cool, personable, humble and just an all-around good dude, through & through. Always a man first, and a business associate second.

In April of 2009, I partnered up w/ HVW8 to co-release J1′s debut beat CD, simply titled Attack Of The Deer. It was the 4th in the site’s WKND BEATS series which was still very new at the time, & quickly received a lot of love. Reading back the comments on that post now, years later, its easy to tell that everyone else saw the same potential in him. I remember one of the first cats to really reach out & tell him they were digging the project was devonwho – who would then go on to work very closely w/ J1, collaborating on tracks, playing shows together, etc.

Later on, in the summer of ’09 – I’d finally get to meet J in person, @ the now infamous Funkmosphere party in Culver City (one of many nights that J1 would always support in the L.A. scene). Not at all surprisingly – J was cool as fuck, right off the bat. He would show me around, introduce me to everyone, & just generally look out for me however he could during my stay out in L.A. that summer. It was an instant kinship, but ask anyone else who knew him & I’m sure they’d tell you something similar from their own experience – he just rolled like that, openly hospitable to any & every one that he was cool w/.

I was staying out in L.A. for 5 weeks that summer, & I don’t think I even ever got J1′s phone number, but somehow just naturally ended up hanging out w/ him more than almost anyone else – cuz that dude was just everywhere! Funkmosphere, The Do-Over, Boombox… wherever. He was just a fixture in the scene & the culture at that time. If I saw J1 there, I already knew I had made the right choice of where to be for the night.

During that same trip out out there, me and J both ended up being invited to Abraham Beltran’s Soundwaves Radio show on KPFK at the same time. I couldn’t have lucked out & been asked to come on the show w/ a better line-up. J was promoting his first Starship 27 compilation series and its release party & in-store – so it was him, DaM-FunK, House Shoes, and DJ Inka One of Boombox, all on-air, plus the homies Groweyez and Jordan Rockswell aka Snowman Jack were both hanging out as well. It was such a fun vibe of great music peers in the studio that day (Abraham latter dubbed it the “Room Full Of Geniuses” episode)… & then there was little ole me. I was quite clearly outclassed by my company, but that feeling didn’t last long as everyone made me feel right at home & just like one of the crew – J especially. & I’ll never forget… during his quick DJ set on the show, J1 dropped a record by the enigmatic jazz great, Moondog, & shouted me out before he played it – noting a Twitter conversation we had about the record & a story about my father’s run-in’s w/ Moondog nearly a year previous to that. I remember being blown away that he even remembered that short conversation, let alone that he was thoughtful enough to bring the record, play it on-air & shout me out for it too. A small gesture to some, I guess – but to me that said so much about this man’s character, & how truly personable he was. Thankfully, that episode is still archived w/ photos & available for download here. Eternal thanks to Abraham, once again, for allowing me to be apart of that special moment.

Although regretfully, my other run-in’s w/ Jay after that summer were mostly brief and far between – including the SXSW Music Festival in 2010 and the aforementioned Portland show just a few months ago – but each time, they were all nothing but positive. J was always in high hopes w/ kind, encouraging words – always letting me know he had been keeping up w/ the site & just me bigging me up more than he ever needed to. His timing was always impeccable too – during some slower moments, w/o me even having to say anything, he’d always come w/ something reassuring like “you’re doing the right thing” or “you’re killing it, you just gotta keep on doing it,” while still always being super humble and thankful about all the great successes he was achieving at the same time.

The last time I saw J I told him how much I loved Blazt Off – the promotional Master Blazter mix that Kutmah had put together, combining the solo productions of the group’s three members, & how I wanted to either re-release the project w/ the seperated, full tracks or just do a Volume 2. J seemed into the idea & said we should rap about it when he got off tour, but unfortunately we never got a chance to.

So included below is a free download of the original version of that mix (w/ tracklisting after the jump) for anyone who missed it when it came out last year, as well a download of the previously mentioned first Master Blazter session for the HVW8 podcast, & the link to the Attack Of The Deer beat CD.

I’ve also included a few quotes from J’s friends & peers in reaction to his passing on Twitter last night, just to show how truly loved & appreciated he was while he was still here, & will forever be – and to archive this time & this outpouring some place a little bit more permanent.

Along w/ being a uniquely forceful drummer and an ever-burgeoning producer, tHE DEER was also a selflessly supportive motivator & organizer who played an irreplaceable role in making this current music scene of ours everything that is today. His shining example of good character & his contributions to the music will most definitely not be forgotten.

“My brother @THEDEER is gone. He was a warrior. A one of one. I cant believe this. I love you J.

…I fucking love you bro. Cant believe I wont see you again. The most ride or die motherfucker i have ever known in my life.You were the TRUTH” – @HouseShoes

“Well… we partied, drank, gave $, gave away wax, took video, signed pics & honored our brother & friend @THEDEER bka J-1 at @Funkmosphere.

We (along w/ @HouseShoes ‘all wax’ set) honored him in this way ’cause we (#MasterBlazter) know it’s the way he would’ve wanted it 2nite.

Come morning, I’ll personally be taking every red cent made from Funkmosphere’s bar + $ humbly donated straight 2 Fed-Ex & send 2 his fam.” – @DaMFunK

“Feel like I lost a big brother. Always was there for guidance and support from the early days. RIP @THEDEER aka J1.” – @devonwho

“I guess there was nothing left 4 U 2 conquer down here..SPIRIT LIVES. #deer” – TaRaach @RaachBox

“This Digital Universe can’t express the Respect, Love, and Gratitude I have for Jovan Coleman.” – @ComputerJay

“RIP J-1. He didnt know me. I didnt know him. shit it was my first time on this side of the STATE & he helped me out in a sqeeze like family.” – @quellechris

“deeply, deeply, saddened by the loss of @thedeer. thankful that i got a chance to be apart of his beautiful creations. may they live on…” – @RagenFykes

“Another terrible loss. Celebrate your friends and loved ones now. #ripj1″ – Waajeed @Jeedo47

“#THEDEER His Mama wants 2 thank every1 for there supportplease send photos/videos/songs to billyb@mugpush we’re givin his folks everything” – @MUGPUSH

(((MASTER BLAZTER)))
BLAZt OFF

:::TrackList::::
1. J1 – Water
2. Computer Jay – Funktronic
3. J1 – Feel in The Blank
4. DaM-FunK – Just Wanna Ride
5. J1 – Rescue (w/ devonwho)
6. DaM-FunK – Show Me The Way
7. DaM-FunK – She Lights Me Up
8. J1 – Slang Talk
9. J1 – 44th Chamber
10. DaM-FunK – I Dont Just Do Beats..I Do Music
11. Computer Jay – Thunder Horns
12. Computer Jay – I Was Wrong..I Take It Back
13. Computer Jay – Maintain
14. Computer Jay – Visa Stamp
15. Computer Jay – Whip
16. J1 – Sunny
17. Computer Jay – Bearclaw
18. Computer Jay – Phantom

Mixed By::::: DJ KUTMAH :::::
Recorded @ :::THE GREEN VAULT::: Los Angeles, CA
All Trax Produced by (((MASTER BLAZTER)))
J-1 | COMPUTER JAY | D-F

Adding another on the board for the home team,
today we have the latest from fellow PRTLND-based label/collective –
Dropping Gems
from their ongoing series of split podcast mixes,
featuring some of the scene’s best talents coming together two at a time.

We’re humbled to team up w/ the Gems to present this latest installment,
featuring two FRSH SLCTS family members at the respective helms -
setting things off is newcomer, BoneS – & then,
bringing it home is recent Cali-transplant, devonwho.

BoneS is a name you might not be familiar w/ just yet -
we ourselves were just introduced him to this year,
thanks to devon’s introduction at a Shigeto show
& his insistence that he Bones send us some tracks.
& boy, did he ever!

But we’ll leave the full geek-out on all of that later,
as BoneS will soon be contributing his own release in our WKND Beats series,
but until then -
the first half of this mix should serve as a proper introduction
to the rising Portland talent.
Including here are almost 20 original, & largely unheard, tracks -
all raw & self-mixed, most of them taking their
first-ever breaths outside of the hard drives they were made on.
Also included are a collaboration each w/ fellow newcomers VVO
& Lord Douglas aka Big Grizz,
as well as a Grizz solo track for good measure.

On the flip, devonwho – a name you should hopefully know by now,
provides a varied mix combining the work of some of his inspirations & peers alike,
ranging from Prefuse 73′s Savath y Savalas to recent collaborator, DaM-FunK;
All City labelmates Martyn & Mike Slott;
& of course his partners in the klip, Knxwledge and Mndsgn.
He also took this opportunity to grace us w/ the debut of two new gems,
“Strangebrew” – the A-side to his upcoming All City 12″,
a follow-up to last year’s “Keepthafunkalive” w/ the label,
and also, “Reren” – just one in a recent batch
of co-productions w/ Ghostly Int’l. artist, Shigeto.

Full tracklisting & direct download of the podcast
are both available below.
Be sure to subscribe to the Dropping Gems podcast
& support all of their current releases as well.

BONES –
1. BoneS – The Pipes
2. BoneS – Clap
3. BoneS – LooPCC01
4. BoneS – FakeLuv
5. BoneS – SummerSalt
6. BoneS – Solipsism
7. BoneS feat. VVO – JB41
8. BoneS – BootyJuice
9. BoneS – Rugged Inst.
10. BoneS – Slikish
11. BoneS – NexTime
12. Lord Douglas – Trees
13. BoneS – 3gk
14. BoneS – BegiNES
15. BoneS – Hashed
16. BoneS – GameS
17. Lord Douglas – Klapt
18. BoneGrizzle (BnS x Lord DouG) – Duggy Duggy
19. BoneS – Planetary
20. BoneS – B-Rich
21. BoneS – PlayTime/Playtime(glitchflip)
22. BoneS – Heavyer-err

DEVONWHO –
23. Mndsgn – AstralProjex2011
24. LDFD – Pinheiro
25. Savath y Savalas – Paths In Soft Focus
26. Mndsgn – Post98
27. Knxwledge – (Hell∆)Pretentious
28. Lapti – In The Point
29. Mndsgn feat. devonwho – Trance.dance
30. Shigeto & devonwho – Reren
31. Martyn / Mike Slott – Pointing Fingers
32. DaM-FunK – Burgundy City
33. Hudson Mohawke – All Your Love
34. B. Bravo feat. Lady Alma – Substance
35. devonwho – Strangebrew

Tracks 1 – 22 Selected & Mixed by BoneS
Tracks 23 – 35 Selected & Mixed by devonwho
Podcast Curated by Aaron Meola for Dropping Gems
Hosted by Nag Champa
Cover Painting by Rebekah Long

Myself & my trusted resident DJ, Doc Adam,
have collaborated w/ Los Angeles-based clothing line, Twelve Bar
to bring you a special two-part Fresh Selects Retrospective mix.

This first installment of The Porch Sessions,
is meant to be a time capsule of sorts –
an audible freeze frame of the first 12 months of music posted on Fresh Selects.
I wanted to compile everything from the site’s first year
just to kind of sum it all up,
put a period at the end of the sentence,
& cement the foundation for us to build on for the next steps.
It can also serve as a starter kit
for anyone who found out about the site after the fact,
as well as a thank you to everyone that’s been down since day one.

I went through all of the posts from the site’s first year
& selected some of my personal favorite tracks,
plus all of the ones that garnered the most response.
Almost all of the songs included in the mix were exclusives
released or premiered thru the site
& they all played a part in shaping the sound & style that I had been going for.
To convey the full progression as it unfolded,
I wanted to put them all in one mix
(which actually ended up being two separate, hour-long mixes
because there was just too much music)
& let them play in chronological order.

Since mixing songs in order of release,
& not by BPM/tempo/mood, etc.
basically goes against all the most basic rules of making a mixtape -
I knew I had to get the very best to make it happen right.
Enter Doc Adam (no pause).
Plus his apartment has The Porch, so it was a no-brainer.

Included are some kind words from the even kinder people @ Twelve Bar,
who presented the mix & co-premiered it on their site today as well,
+ the tracklisting w/ links to all the original posts
so you can get the full versions & back stories on all of the songs.
I’m still in the process of updating some of the older posts
from the first version of the site,
so if you find any dead links just leave a comment & I’ll fix it.

Free download of the one-track, hour-long mix can be found below,
& be on the look out for Part 2 of The Porch Sessions RTRSPCTV coming soon.

There is a lot we could say about FRSH SLCTS – the Portland-based digital label and multimedia platform that has been providing you with the best in hip-hop, soul and cutting-edge music since 2008. All of it would be good. But the main thrust is right there in their name, albeit without the vowels as is their style. Seemingly everything they do is fresh. Freshly presented, freshly considered, freshly packaged, and freshly curated. And that is the second part right there. Because the “selects” element of the name is also key, as they hand-pick artists and songs with the educated touch of a musical magician, never failing to bring out the very best available. And so when the chance came to bring you the exclusive FRSH SLCTS Retrospective mix, an anthology of some of their favorite songs from their early years, we jumped at it.

1. devonwho – Dungeonraps (2088 Archives)
2. DaveNotti – Notti Break #5 (Notti Breaks 2008)
3. PPP feat. J Dilla – Shotgun (Waajeed’s Plinky Remix) (single)
4. TaRaach & Konphlict feat. Big Tone & Kawshus – Socialize (single)
5. TaRaach & Konphlict – 10 Feet High (Giraffe Pussy) (single)
6. Miguel – Overload (Mischief: The Mixtape)
7. Little Dragon – Twice (live) (FRSH KPT SCRT)
8. M64 – Rhythm Of The Drum (single)
9. M64 – Helium (single)
10. Invincible & Finale – Don’t Sleep (single)
11. PPP feat. Coultrain – Angel (Waajeed Remix) (single)
12. Coultrain – The Wanderer (single)
13. SA-RA feat. Bilal – Master Teacher (demo #1) (“Master Teacher” EP)
14. SA-RA feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow – Master Teacher (demo #2) (“Master Teacher” EP)
15. SA-RA – Master Teazer (KenBts.’ Revenge Edit) (“Master Teacher” EP)
16. Hi-Res – Thisworld (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
17. devonwho – Hold Up Zelda (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
18. Finale – Ice (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
19. Knxwledge – Relief. (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
20. Fatima – Wildchild (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
21. Noni Limar – Monogamy (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
22. Super Smoky Soul feat. Guilty Simpson – Knockout Kings (New Worlds PRVW)
23. Karma Stewart – Withdrawal (The Karma EP)
24. PPP feat. Coultrain & Jamila Raegan – Synchronicity (Abundance Mixtape)
25. PPP feat. Coultrain & Jamila Raegan – Can’t You Feel It (Abundance Mixtape)
26. Fatima – Do I Know You? (FRSH KPT SCRT)
27. Ab & Daru feat. T3 – Dirty Soul (A Work In Progress PRVW)
28. Blu – Say Say (FSR #1)
29. SA-RA Creative Partners – High Moon Lust (FSR #1)
30. Cubic Zirconia – I Wanna Freebase You (FSR #1)
31. Johnson&Jonson feat. Miguel – Stadium (FSR #1)
32. Suzi Analogue – SageBurns (World. Excerpts 1-9)

Selected by KNNY FRSH
Edited by Doc Adam
Presented by Twelve Bar
Artwork by Twelve Bar & Dennis de Groot
Hosted by ♎ & ♐ for Team 1984

From Bay Area producer/musician/turntablist extraordinaire, Teeko
comes his latest solo release, Light Up The Darkness –
soon to be available in CD form via the Mellow Orange label,
along with a special limited edition, clear vinyl bonus EP
containing both instrumentals versions of select CD cuts,
+ a few exclusives as well.

Despite LUTD‘s rotating supporting cast of singers & musicians,
the album unfolds as a very focused & unified listen -
combining elements of future funk, Ayers-esque jazz,
& modern day beat elements -
that all come together to form a very consistent style & message throughout,
making for easy full & repeated listens -
something that can be all to rare in albums these days.

Selected here is an exclusive free download of
the album’s opener, “Bridge To Truth” -
which features the mighty Coultrain lighting the way,
over a steady rimshot, jazz shuffle drums & synth-led Teeko setting,
w/ Adam Theis of the Jazz Mafia assisting on the trombone.
The song may sound familiar,
as it was first previewed as an instrumental on
Blind I For The Kids back in 2008.
Train was even nice enough to provide us w/ the lyrics to the piece below.

But before that,
you can stream two other tracks from the project -
the jazzy, EP-exclusive jam, “Free Ya Soul,”
as well as the album’s first single, “Neva Find Anotha (All My Love),”
which features an inspired performance from Black Spade,
w/ Dwight Trible assisting on backing vocals,
& Kenny Brooks on the saxophone.

Also included as a bonus download,
is an instrumental meeting of the minds
btwn Teeko & two of his West Coast production peers,
LA’s Dibiase & PRTLND’s own, devonwho -
aptly titled “Young Funk Lords,”
courtesy of Teeko’s site.

“Bridge To Truth”
written & arranged by Aaron M. Frison

Its all based on fear,
its all based on fear…

La da da…

There r no accidents, just happy accidents
Educated fools couldnt invent laws of attraction
If u dare its pretty mystery, pretty mysteriously mystery,
like violets growin constantly in the coming of spring
Just as the record spins, there’s no coincidence
Angel or demon, whichever side of ur spirit ur feedin’
& it goes as above so below, the portal is never closed
& the man who looks within is wealthier than the president
Cuz then lightnin’ strikes & skylarks sing in the dead of night,
On cue, follow the light 2 the bridge of truth….

There’s a lot going on in this one.
We recommend a deep breath before stepping in,
& then…
a proper, full basking of all that is offered in the following.
Thank you & you’re welcome.

Following up on the MONSTA-rous first half released last week,
we now complete the cipher w/ the second, Analogue half of their two part tour mix CD.

For her mix, miss Suzi Analogue used her 30min time slot
to concisely release some of her own old, current & upcoming tracks
from the vaults of her sought-after Analog catalog.
Included are 14 tracks, all self-written & produced,
save for a few covers for good measure, as well as two of her other collab pairings,
L∆V∆ w/ fashion SWRViette & renaissance man, Jamerson
& Loud On Da Block w/ the bearded beatstro himself, devonwho.

Also included below are a number of bonus items:
the exclusive COVRS 3P – which collects 2 of her recent SoundCloud covers,
Trick Daddy Dollar‘s “I’m A Thug” and The Strokes’ “Is This It?,”
w/ her previously unreleased rendition of Radiohead‘s most G’est offering to date,
“You And Whose Army.”

Aaaand if all THAT wasn’t enough,
we also have a catch-up on all three of Suzi’s video klip/companion pieces to
her self-released cassette, NNXTAPE,
which was one of my favorite releases of last year,
& apparently I’m not the only one -
as Blu has said numerous times that it partly influenced his upcoming NoYork! opus.

Future collaborations for Suzi include work on NoYork! itself,
plus a still to-be-titled new group w/ both Blu & Detroit emcee/producer, Quelle,
as well work with Soweto dance artist, Spoek Mathambo, & the man the myth, Mndsgn.

But!
Before any of that – there is NNXT -
an upcoming 7″ yellow-colored vinyl single made up two earlier recordings,
the self-produced “The Thing” – the first recording she did while living in Japan,
& “The Program,” (produced by the incomporable Georgia Anne Muldrow
& featuring the inFONKable Dudley Perkins on the hook) –
which was just one of many collaborations that were recorded
in a special Vegas desert session w/ the trio a while back.
Needless to say, this vinyl debut of hers has been a long time coming
(in fact, these songs were already done
when FRSH SLCTS first introduced Suzi back in Feb 2009)
& its almost here now, thanks to emerging Dutch label, Dopeness Galore.
Along with the colored 7″ – there is also a deluxe box set version available,
with a limited edition sticker & t-shirt combo pack to fully bring NNXT to life.
See the purchase link below for full details & ordering options.
As for the title & concept, Suzi tells us…

The title NNXT was originally inspired by the name of a sampler in Reason (beatgeek alert), but the true meaning of the title is that now is the time for creative progression and expansion in our movement + culture…don’t be afraid to go there!

See… that deep breath helped, right?
Okay — now…
full tracklisting for the mix, 3P download, videos & support links can all be found below.
Enjoy.

1. L∆V∆ – Pasmo (co-prod. JMR$N)
2. Loud On Da Block – Hot In Here (prod. devonwho)
3. U & Who? [Radiohead Covr]
4. Soy Crisps
5. FlameCatchr
6. A$ U R [Nirvana Covr]
7. NXT MSG [Original]
8. Up Jumps Da Boogie [Analogue Jr.]
9. Jump Rooooope
10. BronxInternship
11. Ordinaire
12. Function01010101
13. loudR
14. L∆V∆ – The Most Important (co-prod. JMR$N)

In case you haven’t figured it out by now – FRSH SLCTS is based in Portland, Oregon.
Apparently, we’re “not known for [our] hip-hop” –
so myself & the esteemed gentlemen at Ante Up PDX
have put together a full length compilation of why we should be.

What started out as a DJ mix for Ante Up (one of PRTLND’s livest dance parties),
put together by 2/3′s of the crew, Ronin Roc & Doc Adam,
for the party’s first year anniversary -
is now presented in full, tracked-out form
w/ all types of new exclusive tracks selected by yours truly.
The final outcome is an (overly-)full 24 track, 80 minute compilation,
w/ no host & no DJ, & all tracks being up to CD quality,
so each song is free to be spread around through radio, podcast, DJ sets, mixtapes, etc.

With the title, This Is PRTLND, sure to get us in some trouble already,
we did our best to include a little bit of (what we saw as) the best of everything –
the now (Illmaculate, TxE, Luck-One),
the O.G.’s (Lifesavas, Cool Nutz, Bosko),
the future (Vinnie DeWayne, Mat Randol, Young X),
the beats (devonwho, DaveNotti, Hi-Res)
& even some out of town guests (Freeway, Mayer Hawthorne, !llmind).
There’s still much that we left out – so we look forward to doing further installments in the near future.

Below (in respective order) you can see the full tracklisting, four previews from the comp, free download & full liner notes.
Dig in!

1. Stewart Villain – Pac Man’s Demise
2. TxE – The Intro (prod. TROX)
3. iLLAJ – AIRplane (DaveNotti Remix)
4. Al-One feat. Freeway & DJ Wicked – Can’t Stop (prod. Chase Moore)
5. Vinnie DeWayne – St. John’s Bridge (prod. PaperChase)
6. Hi-Res – Waffle Fries
7. Tope feat. Cool Nutz & Illmaculate – Yours
8. Mat Randol feat. Jon Belz – Cloudy (prod. Kid-A)
9. DaveNotti – Fire Mountain (instrumental)
10. N.VS x Calvin Valentine feat. BE.Water & Sam Trump – Who Run It (prod. G_Force)
11. Illmaculate feat. OnlyOne & J-Rome – Last Warning (prod. Illmind)
12. Al-One feat. KP & Bosko – May Be The One (prod. TROX)
13. M64 x Grillade – In The Pocket (Remix)
14. AM: Neja (Theory Hazit & Othello) – 1,000 Paper Cranes (prod. Mayer Hawthorne)
15. Hi-Res – Default Grooves (Wireframe)
16. Braille – Up (prod. Xperiment)
17. DaiN – DaiNtendo
18. Young X feat. Epp – Take Note (prod. Stewart Villain)
19. Theory Hazit – We Are The Ones (devonwho Remix)
20. Living Proof – Independent (prod. Tope)
21. Luck-One – Listen To The Rain (prod. Tony Ozier)
22. Lawz Spoken x Epp – Send Me An Angel
23. Lifesavas – And The Soul Goes On (prod. Rev Shines)
24. Natasha Kmeto – A Way To Love Me (devonwho Remix)

Selected by KNNY FRSH for Fresh Selects and Ronin Roc & Doc Adam for Ante Up
Artwork by Ronin Roc
Shout out to DJ Nature

1. Stewart Villain “Pac Man’s Demise”
Produced by Stewart Villain
Stewart (formerly known as Stewie Vuiton) is a beast! This kid is definitely one of my favorites doing it in the city right now – especially for the younger crowd. Usually the first song I’ll like by a younger Portland rapper will be because Stewie was on the beat. I’m willing to bet thats not a coincidence.

2. TxE “The Intro”
Produced by TROX
Scratches by DJ FlipFlop
from Rain In Cali Tour EP
This is the intro joint from TxE’s debut EP – one of my favorite releases of last year. I’m currently working with them on a re-release of this EP w/ exclusive bonus tracks as we speak, so stay tuned!

3. iLLA “AIRplane (Notti Remix)”
Remixed by DaveNotti
Original version produced by Stewart Villain
available on iTunes
If ever there was a reason to bring the term jiggy back – its iLLA. Formerly iLLAJ (not to be confused w/ Illa J from Detroit), iLLA is like… Portland’s Diddy. If you were out at a club or a party & DIDN’T see iLL there w/ a bottle, jumping on some furniture with some sunglasses on – then you were probably weren’t at the right party that night.
Notti killed this remix too!! One of my favorite beats from him to date. He stepped outta his comfort zone a little bit & matched iLLA’s vibe perfectly, & then iLLA re-spit his verses to the new beat which I thought was dope – kinda like how The Pharcyde used to do their remixes back in the day.

4. Al-One “Can’t Stop” featuring Freeway
Produced by Chase Moore
Scratches by DJ Wicked
This a joint Al-One (from Sandpeople, you might remember him from the Green Tape joint, “Cold Numbness”) leaked last year. It features the one and only, Philly Freezer, who Al met backstage when I booked Jake One & Freeway at my concert series @ The Fix last March. Thankfully, Free delivers much more than a typical token/phoned-in famous-rap-guy-cameo kinda verse – he kinda went OFF on this one actually! I think the banger-ass beat from North Cali’s Chase Moore, & Al’s verse had a lot to do with that. There’s no reason this song shouldn’t have blown up outside of the city.

5. V DeWayne “St. John’s Bridge”
Produced by PaperChase
from the Solitary mixtape
St. John’s is a neighborhood in North Portland, and for those who know – the St. John’s Bridge is one of the best views in the city. I first heard about Vinnie DeWayne from another St. John’s resident, Illmaculate – other than that, he just seemed to kind of come out nowhere. But I’m glad he did, he showed a lot of potential on his first mixtape, which he released himself through DatPiff & seemed to do pretty well with. He also shot a video to this joint which shows you some of PRTLND, including the Bridge.

6. Hi-Res “Waffle Fries”
Produced by Hi-Res
Hi-Res’ 1080 Beats is still one of my favorite projects that I’ve put out. Glad to have him back w/ two contributions here, plus an all new instrumental project dropping in a few weeks.

7. Tope “Yours” featuring Cool Nutz & Illmaculate
Produced by Tope
from the Soul Music album
This track is kind of a big deal. To have Tope from TxE/Living Proof, Cool Nutz the O.G. and Illmaculate all one track is crazy. I’ve always thought as Cool Nutz being to Portland what Proof is/was to Detroit – the great unifier who connects all the dots of the different crews within the city together. All three of them bring it on this track, and this is might be one of my favorite Tope beats as well.

8. Mat Randol “Cloudy” featuring Jon Belz
Produced by Kid-A
Backing vocals by Nikoyia & Voice
from the From Now Til Then mixtape
& also included on the SIVC Tape Vol. IV: Affiliated Artists mixtape
Mat Randol has been making a name for himself for a minute. Both under his own title of Choze & as a member of Neu Beginin. I think he’s definitely gonna be a name to watch so look out for more from him in the near future.
I hadn’t heard of Jon Belz until this, but he swagged his verse the fuck out! Definitely checking for him from now as well. Also, anyone who’s been here & gets down like that – knows that Portland has some of the country’s finest tree – so I figured it’s only right to have at least one song about smoking on here.

9. DaveNotti “Fire Mountain”
Produced by DaveNotti
Notti back at it w/ what he does best. Killing it with the NBA Jam “ON FIRE!” sample. Look out for Notti’s Get Live! coming here as soon as we finish it!

10. N.VS x Calvin Valentine “Who Run It” featuring BE.Water & Sam Trump
Produced by G_Force aka Calvin Valentine
Trumpet by Sam Trump
from the Trophy Cases EP
All the artists on this one make up 4 out of the 7 man group, Fang Tshida – an Oregon x Chicago hybrid group. N.VS and Calvin just started working another project, alongside DaiN and fellow members of the Fang, called Purple Haze Politics – so look out for more on that coming soon.

11. Illmaculate “Last Warning” featuring OnlyOne & J-Rome
Produced by !llmind
from the B.L.A.P. – Portland Edition mixtape
This track is another banger – something completely different from when we last heard Illmaculate. This one came together as part of Illmind‘s B.L.A.P. traveling showcase when it came to Portland last year. He provided this beat and asked for local MC’s to record a track over it & the winners would be featured on the mixtape. Well, he never dropped his compilation, so I’m putting it on mine. Joining the Ill’s on the track are OnlyOne from Sandpeople & Green Tape crooner, J-Rome.
And if you still haven’t heard The Green Tape yet – we’ve got a problem. Go fix that. Nowishly.

12. Al-One “May Be The One” featuring KP of Good Biz & Bosko
Produced by TROX
Talkbox by Bosko
Released as a single on iTunes
& also appears on Bosko – Talkbox King: Electrospit Vol. 1
A big part of the more traditional Portland sound is the influence of classic West Coast rap, i.e. G-Funk and The Bay. This track is the perfect example of that hybrid done right. With a lowrider-friendly beat from the man TROX, with two Portland O.G.’s along for the ride – KP (originally from Proz And Conz) and the reigning Talkbox King himself, Bosko (as heard on Big Boi’s “Shutterbugg,” Kanye’s “The New Workout Plan,” T.I.’s “Let Me Tell You Something,” etc.) making the song super-official – this is definitely one to ride out to.

13. M64 x Grillade “In The Pocket (Remix)”
Remixed by Keelay & The Park
Original produced by Ohmega Watts
Released as a single
M64 (made up of Ragen Fykes & Ohmega Watts) were the first group to make it directly from this site onto vinyl, thanks to Record Breakin. And with this, it all comes full circle as Ragen’s new group, Grillade (alongside the Bay Area’s Keelay & The Park) do a full-on redux of that 7″ single’s b-side, “In The Pocket” w/ reworked lyrics from Ragen & ‘Mega as well.

14. AM:Neja “1,000 Paper Cranes”
Produced by Mayer Hawthorne aka DJ Haircut
from the AM: Neja EP
This is a highlight from Othello & Theory Hazit‘s six track EP they put out earlier this year. Theory’s verse on this one is almost too real. I always thought DJ Haircut (better known as Mayer Hawthorne) & the rest of the Lab Techs were underrated as producers – and this one even further solidifies that.

15. Hi-Res “Default Grooves (Wireframe)”
Produced by Hi-Res
Maaan! This dude Hi-Res won’t let me NOT like one his beats. Just as I was getting a little tired of this one, it changes into one of his best yet! Res is criminally slept on right now – but we’re working on changing that.

16. Braille “Up”
Produced by Xperiment
from Weapon Aid
With this track rounding it out, all three members that make up one of Portland’s best groups – Lightheaded (Braille, Othello & Ohmega Watts) are accounted for on this compilation – just as it should be. One of my favorite things that Braille does for the city is recruit! Thanks to him – we’ve drafted Theory Hazit from Cincinatti, Othello from Seattle, and plenty of others. One of the latest recruits is the homie Xperiment from Denver, Colorado – best known for being a finalist in last year’s Red Bull Big Tune beat battle. The two collaborated on “Up” from what I think is one of Braille’s hardest performances to date.

17. DaiN “DaiNtendo”
Produced by DaiN
Released as a single on iTunes
DaiN – originally from New Orleans – is also one of Portland’s best kept secrets. After releasing his under-promoted debut album in 2009, DaiN signed to new upstart label Wandering Worx after they saw an impromptu performance of his at The Fix. From what I’ve heard so far, the new album should definitely let the secret be known soon enough.

18. Young X “Take Note” featuring Epp
Produced by Stewart Villain
from the forthcoming Back 2 Plan X mixtape
& also included on the SIVC Tape Vol. IV: Affiliated Artists mixtape
Young X is another young spitter from the town. I had been hearing about him for a minute but it wasn’t until I had heard this song and another upcoming one with TxE that I really paid attention to him. Epp is quickly becoming the Portland Cameo King and his verse is another perfect example as to why. Plus I don’t think Biggie vocal samples on songs will ever get old.

19. Theory Hazit “We Are The Ones (devonwho Remix)”
Remixed by devonwho
Original produced by Toni Shift
Original appears on Modern Marvels
Picking up right where they left off from on their previous collaboration, “The Hiemlich” from devonwho’s WaVES EP, devon & Theory are it again. This time devon delivers a whomix of a track from Theory Hazit’s Modern Marvels album with producer Toni Shift.

20. Living Proof “Independent”
Produced by Tope
from Full Speed
Living Proof is made up of Tope from TxE and Prem – this is one of my favorite tracks off of their second album, Full Speed. “Mall security is a mark-ass bitch” might be one of my favorite hooks ever. That’s some real Portland shit!

21. Luck-One “Listen To The Rain” featuring Tony Ozier
Produced by Tony Ozier
Guitar by Donnell Kennedy
from True Theory
Luck is one of the most serious MC’s in the city, and he brings that seriousness with him to this song – a collaboration with Tony Ozier. Tony is a Michigan transplant who has since set up a funk dynasty of sorts here in Portland, the almighty Doo-Doo Funk Allstars.

22. Lawz Spoken x Epp “Send Me An Angel”
Produced by Lawz Spoken
from the upcoming album, Ferrari Rap Vol. 2
This is the first single for an album I’ll be putting out through the site – the second in Lawz Spoken‘s Ferrari Rap series – this time a full-length collaboration with Epp from TxE. This beat is so simple and such an obvious sample – but yet, Lawz still made that shit work like only he can. Shout out to Doc Adam for the mix on this one as well.

23. Lifesavas “And The Soul Goes On”
Produced by Rev Shines
from Google’s Best Ever Mixtape: Portland
It would be blasphemy to have a compilation covering Portland hip-hop and not include these guys. Vursatyl, Jumbo & Rev Shines are one of Portland’s best success stories – having signed to Quannum in the early 2000′s, released two albums (so far) & toured the world. This is their first new song in a few years & by the sound of it, you’d think they’d never left.

24. Natasha Kmeto “A Way To Love Me (devonwho Remix)”
Remixed by devonwho
Original produced by Natasha Kmeto
Original appears on Expressor
I thought it’d be nice to end this on a note that sounded completely different from all the previous tracks. Portland’s production/beat/dubstep scene is worthy of a whole ‘nother post/mixtape in itself – but one of my favorites out of that group would have to be singer/producer, Natasha Kmeto. Here you can hear her singing some heartwrenching vocals over a non-album devonwho remix from her latest release, Expressor.

September 30th, 2010

Yet another VTech & Fresh Selects exclusive first listen – once again coming your way live from Portland, Oregon. This time, we present you with “EaseYourMind” – a song from one of the year’s most anticipated releases, Blu’s NoYork! album. The song is a melodic, jazz-tinged tune that was originally produced by Blu’s frequent collaborator, Exile, but is seen here performed live by the full NoYork! band at where else but The Fix – Portland’s premier party for quality music of this sort.

This was just one of the dozen or so brand new songs that Blu & the band played for one of the first times anywhere that night back in September – and they did it at The Fix. It was another special occurrence in Portland that we were glad to bring to the city & can now bring to the rest of the world.

Also included as a free bonus download below the video is the song “SLNGBNGrs!” – a possible contender for the NoYork! album which Blu recorded over this song – a Dibia$e remix of the devonwho song, “Fedoraworm.”

And remember – “We’reNotBjork,ThomYorke,MikeYork,ZooYork…It’sNoYork!”

Curated & Produced by KNNY FRSH for Fresh Selects
Filmed by Paulius Kontijevas & Daniel Evans
Edited by Paulius Kontijevas
Audio Mixed by Doc Adam
Opening Act: G_Force

The Fix DJ’s:
Rev Shines
& DJ Kez
& Dundiggy
& your host Ronin Roc

July 17th, 2010

Yet another Portland music moment captured by us & beamed to you – & this particular moment happened to be important for a number of reasons. It was the debut of the four-headed beat collective monster known as Klipmode at Portland’s most respected hip-hop night, The Fix. It also marked a PDX homecoming for Klipmodian, devonwho – as he, along with fellow ‘moders, Knxwledge, Suzi Analogue, and Mndsgn, were the very first group to perform a “beatset” at the longstanding Fix party and further helped bridge the gap between the city’s often seperated hip-hop and electronic scenes.

Sandwiched between DJ sets from the three Fix residents – DJ Kez, Rev Shines and Dundiggy, who all got to delve a little further into their experimental beat crates than they normally would for their Fix sets – Klipmode performed to a diverse crowd of hip-hop kids and burners alike, thanks in part to this be a special FREE show. And with the electronic-heavy EMRG+N+SEE festival happening the following weekend just outside of city limits – the Mode was joined by a handful of their peers in the crowd as well, including Teebs, Mux Mool, Shlohmo, Yuk, and more.

Captured in the video (once again by the man the myth, Paulius Kontijevas) – we have a montage of the Klipmode set – which featured solo beat sets from all four members, with Suzi singing/hosting during most – as well as a final Voltron formation set with all them coming together as one – all set to the soundtrack of the knXwledge solo track, “Wait” from his album, Klouds.

Curated & Produced by KNNY FRSH for Fresh Selects
Filmed by Paulius Kontijevas & Daniel Evans
Edited by Paulius Kontijevas
Audio Mixed by Doc Adam
Art Installation by Tawfiq Mardini

The Fix DJ’s:
Rev Shines
& DJ Kez
& Dundiggy
& your host Ronin Roc

After recently relocating from Portland to the new beat mecca, Los Angeles – Fresh Selects family member since day one, devonwho, is about to release his very first for-sale release. The project, entitled Funraiser Vol. 1: Thumbtracks, is the first in the series from the Klipmode collective – consisting of devon, Knxwledge, Suzi Analogue and Mindesign. All of dev’s fellow Klipmodians appear on a track each on the album and will be releasing their own Funraiser volumes as well.

Thumbtracks collects 17 of dev’s instrumental excursions and sorts them all into one concise album ripe for the head nodders and space cadets alike. Included below is the full stream of the album, via devon’s Bandcamp. I’ve also included an exclusive download of the non-album non-thumbtrack, “lovefunk duex” – one of my personal favorites from the set that somehow didn’t manage to make the final cut of the album.

Funraiser Vol. 1: Thumbtracks will be available as a digital purchase this Tuesday through the Klipmode site and will be sold in limited quantities on CD as well. Also, if you’re in L.A. be sure to catch dev and the full Klipmode squad rocking live at the Breaking Atoms at the Grand Star Jazz Club on August 11th.

Produced, Mixed & Mastered by devonwho
Artwork by Suzi Analogue

Quick preview of the upcoming free download compilation from Weekend Beats alumni and Animal Kingdom leader, J1. The Starship 27 compilation is a self-described “beat odyssey” featuring all new/exclusives tracks from the likes of Black Spade, Proh Mic, Dām-Funk, Computer Jay, devonwho, Ras_G, Dibia$e, Snowman Jack, House Shoes and more.

The compilation will be available for download starting this Tuesday – but in the meantime you can download two FRESHclusive leaks from devonwho and J. Bizness below. I’ve also included two of the mini-video trailers that they’ve put up so far, featuring dam-funk and Ras_G. You can check out the rest of the trailers at Culture King, who will also be hosting the download for the compilation this Tuesday.