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

A longtime member of the FRSH SLCTS family,
today singer/producer/multi-instrumentalist – I, CED
blesses us with an exclusive mix we like to call Besides My Mind -
to coincide w/ his debut solo album, All In My Mind,
in stores tomorrow on Record Breakin’ Music.

Included in the mix,
are a collection of B-sides (get it?), remixes, outtakes & collaborations –
none of which appear on the actual album,
but all of which feature Ced’s signature style of uniquely familiar melodies,
lush soundscapes & patient structuring.

Also included is an exclusive bonus track,
this time an outtake from the first EP by Hawthorne Headhunters,
(in which Ced was original member).
The song is the original, uncleared version of “Manifest Station,”
which features vocals from HH’s current members, Coultrain & Black Spade,
alongside Karma Stewart and TəLŭv,
which Ced later replayed w/o any samples for the official HVW8 release.

And in that same vein,
also included is the immaculate “Angel (She’s Like Magic),”
a non-album, hypnotic ode
which ATCQ heads & jazz aficionados alike should especially appreciate,
which was recently released thru the Record Breakin’ site.

You can check the Besides tracklisting &
download the mix and both bonus tracks – all below.
All In My Mind is in stores & online everywhere tomorrow.

I, CED – Besides My Mind: B-Sides & Remixes

1. I, CED’s Wake Down (skit)
2. N’Dambi – Nobody Jones (I, CED’s Cowbell Remix)
3. Jay Dee feat. Frank N Dank – Pause (I, CED Remix)
4. I, CED – Craziness
5. Erykah Badu – Honey (I, CED Remix)
6. I, CED feat. Coultrain – Love…Meaning
7. I, CED – The Pain
8. I, CED – The Finale (original instrumental – prod. Kenautis Smith)
9. I, CED feat. Stopha Vasquez & Tiffany Neal – The Finale (original version)
10. I, CED – Angel (She’s Like Magic) (I, CED Remix)
11. I, CED – Craziness Pt. 2
12. Stopha Vasquez – Damn
13. Jada Avenue – Heartbeat
14. John Legend – If You’re Out There (I, CED Sampleless Remix)

All songs produced/remixed by I, CED except where indicated
Selected & Mixed by I, CED
Cover Design & Layout by Noah Deeakili

July 2nd, 2010

In the summer of 2010, VTech & Fresh Selects came together to throw its biggest collaborative show yet – a surprise afterparty performance from the one and only Erykah Badu at Portland’s most respected hip-hop party, The Fix. Not only was this Ms. Badu’s first show within Portland city limits in years – but it was held at Someday Lounge, an intimate 300-capacity club, which in itself is a rare element to catch the larger-than-life singer in.

Opening up for Erykah was a joint performance from Georgia Anne Muldrow (who has written & produced on her last two albums) & Dudley Perkins, who quickly won over the beyond sold-out crowd and set the pace and energy for the rest of the night, along with DJ sets from The Fix residents, Rev Shines, DJ Kez and Dundiggy.

With the last minuteness of the announcement of Badu’s appearance (the news was only officially announced 3 hours before the venue doors opened to lines around the block at 9 PM) – the buzz and rumors about the show had run rampant around the city. Some questioned whether the show was a hoax or if she would merely show up but not perform at all, etc. So just as all the talk, tension and excitement was reaching its peak, they cut the music a little bit after midnight and Rev Shines got on the mic to announce Ms. Badu as she graced the stage – and the room went ballistic like never before.

Backed by her DJ, legendary producer Rashad “Tumblin Dice” Smith, Erykah ran her set & commanded the eager crowd like a lovingly militant drill instructor – a whistle attached to a custom-made ring and all. She performed 6 or 7 crowd favorites from her last couple of albums and then brought it all to a head with an accapella performance of the very powerful, “Soldier” – and the crowd was right there along with her for every word and adlib. She then exited the stage just as quickly and even mystically as she had arrived, and the party continued well into the night.

Curated & Produced by KNNY FRSH for Fresh Selects
Filmed & Edited by Paulius Kontijevas
Additional Footage from Ronin Roc
Audio Mixed by Doc Adam
Hosted by Rev Shines
Opening Act: Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins

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

July 2nd, 2010

At a very special night in the “VTech Phones @ Fresh Selects present…” concert series at Portland’s The Fix @ Someday Lounge – opening acts, Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins, set the pace for what would become a moment that would go down in live Portland music history. The pair commanded a beyond sold-out crowd through both singles and beloved album cuts alike, working the eager crowd’s scattered energy into a focused beam, commanding their attention like the true funk revolutionaries they are.

In the video we see Georgia, who has written & produced on a song on each of Badu’s last two albums, accompany her partner in the fOnk, Dudley on “Run It Down,” a song from his 2009 album, Holy Smokes (which Georgia also produced). Also included is a clip of the Mama’s Gun holder herself – Erykah Badu – giving Georgia her due respect and making sure the crowd knew exactly what they had just witnessed & figuratively passing the torch onto the next bearer for afrocentric soul music, proclaiming “Mama Afrika is back – & alive!!!”. And ending on as positive a note as they began, Dudley does a give & take chant with the crowd before making way for the rest of the night’s magic to unfold.

Curated & Produced by KNNY FRSH for Fresh Selects
Filmed & Edited by Paulius Kontijevas
Audio Mixed by Doc Adam
Hosted by & Additional Footage from Ronin Roc
Headlining Act: Erykah Badu

The Fix DJ’s:
Rev Shines
& DJ Kez
& Dundiggy

Always one to keep his loyal following’s appetites well fed, Daru is back with yet another exclusive promo download. This time its a sampler he’s calling Rusic Leaks – made up of different odds & ends including unreleased remixes, collaborations & demos. Along with his different duo counterparts (Ab, Reggie B and Rena), the collection also features new works with Muhsinah, Joy Jones, Reign Star w/ Tony Ozier, Byron The Aquarius, and more.

Rusic Leaks serves as a preview of things to come, as Daru will be dropping the 2009 edition of his Spirit & Soul Sampler series later on this year. Its almost meant to hold fans over while Daru is on tour in Europe all summer – first with Idle Warship (Talib Kweli, Res & Graph Nobel) and then later with Black Milk. So be sure to check his page to see if he’ll be playing in your area.

You can preview three highlights before downloading the full set below. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Two new exclusives for you guys today, both coming to you via the homie Shafiq Husayn of SA-RA Creative Partners. First up, we have a special full-side preview of his brand new instrumental EP, Shafiq presents… Jank Random vs. Earl Leonne – The Frequency Clash, which is out now on Poo-Bah Records. The record marks his first solo venture – in which he takes us along for an experimental beat excursion through the minds of his alter-egos. To give you a taste of just what that journey entales – I’ve got a full streaming preview of the entire Side B of the EP. For a breakdown of the tracks, read this excerpt from the Poo-Bah press release (also, big ups to Ras_G for all his help with this):

“Side B kicks off with PSA, a bouncer with a horn line reminiscent of early 90′s hip-hop drug through dust, and Sirius B, a quick time-out to shout out the fam! I predict Earls Thing to be the next great DJ standard along with The Mag, two absolutely ridiculous minimal stunners that hit all the right pleasure spots in your brain. While Earls features an off then on descending synth bassline and those groovy 70′s drum machine sounds we love, The Mag is straight up vinyl samples and strings smashed into machine funk, crackles and all! Push brings things back up to Bomb Squad-like intensity before closing things out with the fuzz acid guitar down a flight of stairs funk of Still Woke.”

“Still Woke” brings us to our next piece – the world premiere of three alternate versions of one of my favorite songs of the year, Erykah Badu‘s “Master Teacher” (which Shafiq produced). Whereas the version that we’ve all come to know & love from the New Amerykah album, featured Georgia Anne Muldrow singing the lead verse & Badu on the second – the song wasn’t always that way. First, there’s the original version of the song, which Shafiq had co-produced with Georgia for SA-RA’s G.O.O.D. Music debut, Black Fuzz, which actually featured Bilal singing the lead vocals (who you can still hearing in the background of the Badu version), and Georgia on backing vox. I love what both Erykah & Georgia did over this – but I gotta say, Bilal really KILLED this shit, in my opinion (also – credit due to Ty&Kory, who I believe sing background on all of these versions – but don’t quote me on that). I’ve had this one since about 2006 (bigs up to my G.O.O.D. hook-up for that) and to my knowledge, this has never leaked – so I had to hit up Shafiq and make sure it was cool to unearth this lost gem. And not only did he give the OK, but he also gave some insight on how to came it be on Badu’s album and provided two additional unreleased versions.

So the story goes – after the deal for Black Fuzz fell through, Shafiq explains “Erykah always liked the song…I was like you should use it…(our deal at that time with GOOD was done) so it was just one of those records sitting around…Why not let Badu rock it? It made sense.” And so to go along with the album version (which you should already have), I’ve got Shafiq’s unissued “Final Mix” of the track, which features Georgia on lead & Bilal backing her up. This is the mix that Shafiq intended to be appear on the album, but it didn’t make it in time for the deadline. And if those two weren’t enough for ya, there’s the included bonus, “Master Teazer (Ken’s Revenge Edit)” – an instrumental re-edit of Shafiq’s beat, using different outtakes from the sessions by SA-RA affiliate, KenBts.

Stream of the the B-Side of Jank Random vs. Earl Leonne EP below, with the “Master Teacher” Sessions download .zip at the bottom, plus a bonus video of Badu talking about working with Shafiq & SA-RA after the jump. I’ll also have one more exclusive SA-RA joint for you guys at the end of the week as part of the first-ever FRESH SELECTS MIXTAPE. Stay woke!!

Shafiq presents.. Jank Random vs. Earl Leonne – The Frequency Cla$h: Side B

Okay okay… so I’m late as hell with this. But just in case you’re as late as me… you need this in your life.

When Erykah Badu included the accappella version of “Honey” on the 12″ single for the track – damn near everybody had a remix out for it. But in typical bootleg remix fashion (see The Black Album phenomenon) – most of them sucked. But, leave it up to Seiji (of the legendary London broken beat collective, Bugz In The Attic) to come through with something crazy – but yet, just right for the dancefloor. This version’s a little bit bruk, a little bit drum & bass, and very much Seiji.

Also, stay tuned after the jump to see the music video for Bugz In The Attic‘s cover of the Yarbrough & Peoples classic, “Don’t Stop The Music” (sorry, no YouTube – Windows Media Player required to watch).