A few weeks back, I mentioned Benji B had something special in store for his show on April 5th. True to his word, he delivered an Science-Fiction Special of truly galactic proportions in the early hours of this morning. The track list is stellar (apologies), featuring music from Floating Points, Herbie Hancock, Dabrye and a generous helping of Vangelis among others. To top it all off, Space Dimension Controller concocted an exclusive analogue laden track for the show.
Bling47.com relaunched earlier this year, opening its doors on February 1st to celebrate the life of one of the world’s greatest musical pioneers, J Dilla. Since then, Waajeed and the Bling47 family have put out a huge amount of quality material, from previously unreleased Dilla beats to interviews with friends and collaborators. Earlier this week, they posted a second interview with Benji B, a man dedicated to the cause of good music and pretty much the most valuable thing on UK radio at the moment (with the possible exception of Mr Peterson). Check out the videos below to see him talk about two classic Dilla productions and the samples that inspired them.
If you harbour any doubts as to Benji B’s Dilla credentials, the rarities mix he compiled with Ge-ology will put them to rest. Check the 2011 High-Rise Dilla Birthday Special for a link. His first show in April on Radio 1 promises to be extra special, with Space Dimension Controller in the studio for a Science Fiction special. Get on Facebook to send him your track recommendations.
There has been a Stereolab renaissance taking place up at High-Rise towers over the past week, headed up by A Flower Called Nowhere, a track off their 1997 album Dots & Loops. The man responsible for the sudden shift to Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music is none other than Beat Junky J Rocc, who dropped this followed by a new version of Guilty Simpson’s Trendsetters on his recent takeover of Benji B’s Radio 1 show. I have lost count of the amount of times I have rewound this three-minute long section.
The frequency of posts may suffer a little over the next couple of weeks as I settle into my new job, but there is the possibility of a new project on the horizon as well as a renewed effort to get High-Rise out to more people. Stay tuned.
Benji B returns with yet another show that proves he was the best person pick up the reigns of the Radio 1 future beats show. This time we are treated to a guest takeover from none other than Beat Junky and Stones Throw affiliate J.Rocc. The show features an exclusive sneak peek of J.Rocc’s debut album as a producer along with an hour-long takeover that features tracks by everyone from Gary Bartz and Willie Hutch, via Guilty Simpson and Pharoahe Monch, to Actress and Ramadanman. He also throws on a long time High-Rise favourite, Dilla’s remix of She Said by The Pharcyde…
A download link for the entire show and tracklist of J.Rocc’s set come courtesy of the ever reliable Core News, click on the link below to find it:
Core News also contains huge back catalogue of Benji’s previous shows for your listening pleasure, including his amazing session with Theo Parrish, so be sure to check it out. J.Rocc is in London for the upcoming Beat Junkies gig on Sunday 27th at the Jazz Cafe with DJ Babu, DJ Rhettmatic and Rakaa Iriscience covering hosting duties. You can buy tickets for this event here and here. Next week, Benji B presents a Brainfeeder Special that features the likes of Samiyam, Matthew David, Tokimonsta, Gaslamp Killer, Teebs, and more. Tune in or listen online on Thursday 27th January at 2am to enjoy.
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