Laid Back: Light The Fuse @ Musique Non Stop

---

Light The Fuse Posted: 01 Feb 2015 01:07 PM PST Russian producer LTF releases his first album on French label Black Milk Music and shares his favourite tracks in an exclusive mix. LTF aka Anton Jay or AJ grew up on funk and hip-hop. Influenced by artists such as DJ Shadow, Beat Junkies, Cut Chemist, Z-Trip, he started digging records, rocking local parties and traveling around Siberia to spin breaks at b-boy events. Since he discovered sampling, he focuses on loops, chops, scratches, bass lines and beats. Introduced by our then Russian ambassador Eugene Wisotow, Anton’s first project “Dapdown” entered LDBK’s rotation and caught the attention of two French brothers running the Black Milk Music record label. Sharing similar thoughts about music, they started recording together and collaborated on many tracks, remixes,… Armed with an acoustic double bass, old soviet synths and a crate of vinyl, Anton now releases his debut album (and 7" single). All songs recorded and produced by Anton near Omsk, Siberia. "Supatravel / Whisper" also available on limited edition 7" records. “Smooth jazz tones backed up by some catchy double bass and heavy hitting drums. An album that will have you nodding your head and tapping your feet to the beat without even realising.” – Ossory “This is the kind of 'under the radar' music we like to champion here, small indie releases with a big sound. Quite impressive for a first effort. […] We all have groove habits that are hard to break. This one's a good habit for sure. Light the fuse baby, it's about to explode.” – Flea Market Funk Follow Anton on Facebook – Soundcloud

Laid Back: VK* Backstage @ Musique Non Stop

---

VK* Backstage Posted: 15 Mar 2014 08:11 AM PDT It's been over two years now since audiovisual production studio Embryon Ere has taken its flight, and what started as a 3 men film project has now blossomed into one of the most versatile team I have yet to work with. Founded by Timothé Sempels, Damiano Perri and Angelo Pirillo, Embryon Ere produces feature films, music videos, event reports… including a series shot at Brussels based concert venue VK*. As LDBK will celebrate its 12th anniversary at VK* at the end of May, I asked Damiano to bring us backstage and tell us more about Embryon Ere. The Embryon Ere team at work Simon: How did you come up with the “VK* Backstage” concept? Damiano: After shooting theater pieces, concerts, festivals and other cultural events, we wanted to start a new project based on a series of short films with a coherent guideline. That's how we got into the idea of conducting this interview series focusing on talented musicians who might not make the headlines on mass media. The VK* in Brussels seemed like the perfect platform to base our project on.

Laid Back: Deeper Still: Spiritual Jazz @ Musique Non Stop

---

Deeper Still: Spiritual Jazz Posted: 13 Mar 2014 08:47 AM PDT In the 1960s, the fusion of the worlds of jazz and the Church created one of the most interesting, yet one of the most under acknowledged subgenres of jazz. Tracklist on Mixcloud Throughout jazz's history, the genre has always been influenced by many other musical styles. Think of Afro-Cuban jazz in the 1940s, gospel-laden hard bop in the 50s or jazz-rock in the 1970s. A quite unusual influence that snuck into jazz was that of religion, leading to the genre spiritual jazz. The birth of spiritual jazz was much aided by modal jazz, a style of jazz first developed by Miles Davis on his album Kind Of Blue. Modal jazz was groundbreaking because it was no longer based on chord progressions, but on modes. These modes are derived from centuries old Gregorian church music and allowed jazz musicians much more freedom in their solos. Soon, musicians started to experiment with elements of church music and composers from France (Jef Gilson) to Mexico (Tino Contreras) wrote complete jazz masses, in which they set the Catholic liturgy to jazz music.

Laid Back: aCatCalledFRITZ x Audessey @ Musique Non Stop

---

aCatCalledFRITZ x Audessey Posted: 18 Feb 2014 05:26 AM PST Looking for some boombap hip hop? French DJ, producer & illustrator Cyril Merlin aka aCatCalledFRITZ recorded an exclusive mixtape compiling his remixes and productions as well as tracks featuring MC Audessey (Soundsci). Tracklist on Mixcloud The duo just released their debut EP “Beats per Minute” and a couple of high quality 7inches via Slice of Spice.

Laid Back: Bankstaz’ Paradise @ Musique Non Stop

---

Bankstaz’ Paradise Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:57 AM PST Miguel Gil Tertre aka Strand is a Spanish musician & producer based in Brussels and regular LDBK collaborator. During 4 days at the start of 2013, Strand was given a second residency at the Red Bull Studio in Madrid. The first residency in the summer of 2012 resulted in the ”Cajas sin ahorros” 7inch  released by Lovemonk. This time round he had two ideas in mind: paying homage to G-funk and Gangsta Rap (drawing a parallel between the gangstaz and bankstaz of the current Spanish economic crisis) and working with a soul-afrobeat horn section which was conveniently named The Financial Horns. The project would also include his made-up band, The Banksters composed of Javier Diez-Ena from jazz-surf outfit Dead Capo, Mario Zamora from out-rockers Lüger and engineer / producer extraordinaire Oswaldo Terrones. LDBK: ”Gangstaz’ Paradise” is already the second project that your release with the Banksters. Why do you decided to devote two projects to discuss the economic crisis? Strand: Well, I would speak about the economic concerns for large parts of the society, rather than the crisis as such. Already in Slam Funk! (2012) there were some tracks about social problems. On previous records I touched upon migration from North Africa to the South of Spain (Aldjaber – 2006) and war (Paz – 2003, at the time of the Irak invasion).

Laid Back: Mop Mop’s Inspirations @ Musique Non Stop

---

Mop Mop’s Inspirations Posted: 19 Jan 2014 08:49 AM PST Italian musician Andrea Benini began playing drums at age 14. Since then, he is exploring a large variety of musical genres, from Club to Jazz music. In 2005, he founded Mop Mop; a band mixing Jazz, Soul, Funk, Caribbean, Latin and African vibes with an Italian Postmodern twist. In March 2013, Mop Mop released their fourth studio album “Isle of Magic” on Agogo Records. An album recorded between Germany and Italy using vintage analog equipments that just got featured in quite a few “best of 2013” lists.

Laid Back: Havana Boxing Dreams @ Musique Non Stop

---

Havana Boxing Dreams Posted: 12 Jan 2014 06:59 AM PST Dreams are pretty much all you can have in Cuba and boxing allows Cuba’s youth to do just that. Cuba’s rich olympic legacy is a strong source of inspiration for young fighters all around the country. Ambitions of a successful career a la “Kid Chocolate” fuel determination and focus in La Havana’s numerous neighborhood boxing gyms. It’s in these neglected infrastructures where passion emerges, where skills are forged and where dreams are born. My first stop was in Havana Vieja at Rafael Trejo’s gym. Rafael Trejo Gimnasio al Aire Libre is the oldest boxing club in Havana. The open air training facility offers local pugilists a boxing ring placed at the center of a courtyard surrounded by bleachers and pastel walls from apartment buildings next-door. Despite its well worn and neglected appearance, this boxing arena trained and formed numerous Olympic champions. I arrived at Rafael Trejo’s right before the evening training session. The sun was setting and I only had the ring’s neon bars as a source of light to capture the boxers’ determination, focus and commitment to this sport that acts as means of escaping the crude realities of everyday life. The next day, I visited Kid Chocolate’s sports arena located in front of the Capitolio in Centro Havana. Here, kids and young adults were honing their skills on the worn-out parquet floor and shadow boxing in front of stained mirrors. The heat and the lack of air gave a suffocating feeling, amplified by the fact that the ceilings were exceptionally low. This is as raw as boxing and photography gets. Check also my Havana street pictures series. Text and images by Stephane Missier. All rights reserved. Une production de Brigand 2014.

Laid Back: The new LDBK is here! @ Musique Non Stop

---

1. The new LDBK is here!
2. Marc Moulin Tribute
3. Rumors of Royalty
4. adidas unites all originals
5. Gear Change
6. LDBK poster remix
7. Oli-B x Rose Studio
8. Silence Radio
9. Meet Tchad Unpoe
10. Strand – SLAM FUNK!
11. 74 Miles Away at ELBjazz festival
12. David Widart

The new LDBK is here! Posted: 07 Jan 2014 07:27 AM PST At the end of June, I felt like I wasn’t having fun with Laid Back anymore and started wondering what to do: put an end to the project or adapt it in one way or the other… A couple of days later, as I was working at Digital Park, I shared my thoughts with designer Ali Nassiri. He was surprised when I told him I was considering re-branding Laid Back. He knew that refreshing the website had been on my mind for a long time but getting rid of the logo, that, was a whole different ball game. I'd have to convince him first… and as I did, this helped me clarify my ideas. Another step in an ever-evolving project. I started Laid Back some 11 years ago without any kind of strategy. Along the way, many people helped shape it, each bringing their own skills and vision to the project. That’s how, almost by accident, Laure came up with the Afro logo. What a great visual! Stickers, stencils, remixes, t-shirts, posters … It spread and stuck all over the place and far beyond. But I felt that the visual had become too powerful, hiding the projects it was supposed to support and limiting us to the “hip hop / street art” niche. I still love hip hop, still love street art and every project we have worked on but I’d like to broaden the scope and bring the people behind the music to the forefront – no matter what genre, or discipline. I believe that behind every favourite song there is an untold story and that every great story needs the perfect soundtrack. This is what the new logo represents: sound waves and books, music and stories. This is what you can expect from LDBK. And so what now, you say? Obviously LDBK won’t radically change but I hope this new identity will allow us to explore new fields and embark on exciting new projects. If you are looking for a soundtrack, we have gathered our “radio-inspired” activities in the music section with a linear stream, the hotlists (a monthly selection of new tracks added to the stream), guest mixes, and our current favourite tracks. You'll also find a telex style feed with the latest news that we've been interested in, things that caught our attention on various social networks as well as an experimental TV section featuring our favourite youtube videos. But the real deal is to be involved in projects and share original stories with you. Coming up we'll be featuring the work of Stephane Missier, Gautier Houba, Mop Mop & Strand. In the meantime, if you head to the stories section, you can re-discover some of our best stories from the last 5 years. Hope you’ll enjoy this new approach! Do let me know if you think there are stories we should cover and what you think of our new identity. And a few words of thanks.

Laid Back @ Musique Non Stop

---

1. Strand & Oli-B present DUB!
2. Audiocentric Deluxe edition
3. The Head Hunters
4. The story of Hein Huysmans
5. Audiocentric Unplugged
6. Wallifornia Soul documentary
7. Louie Gee Ensemble – Scrabble
8. The radio manifesto
9. Ensadinado – R.I.P. Sadi (1927-2009)
10. A new player for LDBK radio

Strand & Oli-B present DUB! Posted: 29 Jun 2010 01:54 AM PDT Yes! I do love this project! Mixing music and art is always the magic recipe for a great collaboration. A couple of months ago after his visit in the FM Brussel studio, Spanish producer Strand told me that he would like to release a 7inch. The kind of project wI love to be involved with especially with a musician as versatile and open minded as Strand. When looking for a designer to team up with, I immediately thought about Oli-B… who immediately accepted. The only constraint I gave them? Keepng the production costs as low as possible…

Laid Back @ Musique Non Stop

---

Marc Moulin (1942 – 2008) Posted: 04 Nov 2013 10:30 PM PST Picture by Philippe Mathijs On Friday, the 26th of September 2008, Belgian jazz legend Marc Moulin passed away. Moulin, pianist, composer, producer and arranger, is internationally known for his work with his fusion group Placebo and electro-pop group Telex, but was a highly appreciated radio producer and writer in Belgium as well.

Laid Back @ Musique Non Stop

---

adidas unites all originals Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:23 AM PDT Back in 1986, Run-D.M.C released “My Adidas” as first single from its third album «Raising Hell». The track (and the «Superstar» basketball shoe) quickly gained cult status leading to the first endorsement deal between hip-hop artists and a major brand.

Laid Back @ Musique Non Stop

---

Turtle Master – Fancy Fair Posted: 11 Sep 2013 01:58 AM PDT Namur based beatmaker Turtle Master releases his new EP “Fancy Fair” on Crab Boogie records:

Laid Back @ Musique Non Stop

---

Dandy Teru – Adventures Posted: 20 Apr 2013 04:01 AM PDT Dandy Teru presents his first album on Ubiquity Records.

Laid Back @ Musique Non Stop

---

1. 74 Miles Away
2. Ntale’s Groove
3. Strand & Oli-B present DUB!
4. Audiocentric Deluxe edition
5. Kosmopolite festival
6. The Head Hunters
7. The story of Hein Huysmans
8. Francis Falceto and the Ethiopiques series

74 Miles Away Posted: 18 Feb 2011 12:05 AM PST As the long awaited 74 Miles Away project will be officially released in the coming days (18th of Feb. for digital – 4th of March for CD’s & LP’s), I thought it was time to share with you the liner notes I wrote a couple of weeks ago and that you will find printed on the CD back cover… The reason why I love this album so much is because it fully represents what we’ve been up to at Laid Back for the last 9 years.

Laid Back @ Musique Non Stop

---

1. Little Miss Sunshiine presents Jazzman
2. The Bronx Riviera
3. Focus on… Oli-B
4. Back from IRF
5. Ntale’s Groove Remix EP
6. Belgian Popcorn
7. 74 Miles Away… as live as it gets
8. What’s up with the LDBK compilation?

Little Miss Sunshiine presents Jazzman Posted: 13 Aug 2011 06:59 AM PDT Over the past 10 months I have had the pleasure to work with Gerald Short, also known as Jazzman Gerald, so it only seemed fit to introduce him and the label he runs, Jazzman Records, to you all. I am aware of the fact that some readers and listeners have raised the concern that my views about him are biased, after all, he is the reason that I am able to earn my daily bread. But I can assure you that my views are completely genuine, and contrary to what some might assume, one of the reasons why I got my job in the first place was because I don’t suck up to him and I tell him my honest view about everything, even if that means that we sometimes end up disagreeing on certain things.

Laid Back @ Musique Non Stop

---

Rising Haze Posted: 21 Jul 2013 03:25 PM PDT Time to end the 2012-2013 season and start enjoying the holiday season. Dusty Ohms and SONUBA, two producers from the UK sent me this track and I thought that it would make a perfect season finale. Let’s hope “Rising Haze” will help you stay fresh during the hot summer days.

Oh-Death presents Too Hip to Be Square

Oh-Death presents Too Hip To Be Square; a night of musical hidden treasures and guilty pleasures spanning the past five decades of funk, soul, disco, hip hop, house and electro. A nostalgic journey of feel good favourites, forgotten classics and old school jams, keeping you dancing until the early hours. 

Here's a special laid back selection of tracks old and new for the soundtrack to your summer. 

More info & mixtapes: Too Hip To Be Square - www.toohiptobesquare.co.uk

Young Mocro - Summer Love By Laid Back

"Summer’s filled with breaking the rules, standing apart, ignoring your head, and following your heart." 

More about Young Mocro
www.youngmocro.com
www.supaflycollective.com
www.moontroop.tumblr.com