Mato - Hip Hop Reggae Series Vol 2 (Stix - 2010)

Download => Mato - Hip Hop Reggae Series Vol 2

The second instalment in the mixtape serie Hip Hop Reggae is due to producer Mato. The principles are the same, blending hip hop acapella classics on fresh reggae riddims, often interpolating the original theme. Not as good as the first volume of the serie, the reggae treatment of originals by The Fugees, The Beastie Boys The Pharcyde, Warren G or Michael Jackson is still very enjoyable. Even if you don't like mash-ups, you'll love those ones.

Heatwave - Too Hot To Handle (Epic - 1976)

Heatwave - Too Hot To Handle

What's the difference between British disco funk and American disco funk? If you listen to Heatwave, they ain't any. Maybe because Heatwave was a multicultural combo (4 American guys, one Brit, one Czech, one Spanish) and they all spoke fluently the funk language.Too Hot To Handle, their first album, grooves from the begining to the end and never sounds corny or near anything cheesy. The harp intro, the strings and chorus on Boogie Nights are by example closer to jazz than to a suburbian hotel nightclub. It is just the perfect kind of album you can listen to very loud while driving your car all glasses opened and still don't look like a perfect idiot.

New Order - Movement (Factory - 1981)

New Order - Movement

I just watched French filmmaker Olivier Assayas fantastic film about 70's left wing terrorist Carlos and it made realised that New Order signed with Dreams Never End, largely used in the film, one of the best guitar and bass lines played crescendo as introduction to rock'n'roll song. I write that being not that much a big New Order fan. I definitely respect their legacy, the way they reinvented themselves and pop music after Joy Division, their open minded ears, what they brought to clubland with the Haçienda, all what made their legend. But I don't particularly find their albums that good from the start to the end. Movement is no exception. In fact the music and Martin Hannett production are innovative and annouce the best of the 10 years to come. But I find Peter Hook voice is a bit embarrasing. OK, it is a cold wave album, it's not that important but the guy actually can't sing!!!