The Sounds of VTech

From his West Coast debut mic appearance on  J. Dilla produced Oh No single to his own works, MC Roc C is has grown as an artist. With the release of his new mixtape “More Than Bars” this musician/rapper, with the help of DJ Romes,  shows us a new side to his work. More geared towards females and critics who have labeled him as “just an MC”, fans will discover that Roc C still remains true to his roots and the streets but with a more mature approach.

More Than Bars, Part 1: Tracklist

1. Intro

2. Let’s Go produced by 3am feat. Prime One

3. One 4 da Money produced by Slopfunkdust feat. Chali2na

4. Every Single Day produced by AOW Click feat. Roscoe Umali, Marlon D.

5. What’s Da Deal produced by Avila Bros

6. Feel Like produced by Blackmilk feat. Chino Xl

7. Gotta Have produced by Jake One feat. Viva

RT Click to download: More Than Bars: Part 1

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This Sunday, March 15th, 2009, VTech with Mochilla are proud to present opening DJ sets by Madlib and DJ Nuts. A can’t miss opportunity for hip hop lovers, Brasilian funk feelers , and down and dirty crater diggers.

MADLIB

Madlib (photo by B+)

From the unlikely beach town of Oxnard, 40 miles north of Los Angeles, the multi-dimensional Madlib quickly rose to prominence as one of the most interesting figures in late-’90s hip-hop. With his childhood buddies in the Lootpack, Madlib quickly made a name for himself as a rapper, producer, and DJ. In particular, his expansive style and deft touch for composition made him one of hip-hop’s most sought-after producers. An enthusiastic crate digger, with a deep reverence for jazz and soul, Madlib branched out into a number of ambitious, engaging solo projects.

Along with DJ Romes and Wild Child, Madlib formed the Lootpack in their hometown of Oxnard. The trio made their debut on tha Alkaholiks’ 21 and Over in 1993. They continued doing work for tha Alkaholiks and other artists before releasing their full-length Soundpieces: Da Antidote six years later. The album earned solid reviews but went largely unnoticed. Madlib did not, however. After hooking up with Los Angeles DJ Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib did a lot of production for Wolf’s Stones Throw label. In 1999 the label released Quasimoto’s astonishing The Unseen LP. Doubling as himself and his alter ego Quasimoto, Madlib handled vocals and production duties on the album, a huge critical success.

Not resting on his laurels, Madlib followed The Unseen a year later with his Yesterday’s New Quintet project. Madlib played all the instruments himself, infusing his exploration of jazz with both style and substance.

While continuing on with a massive release schedule and work load, Madlib completed a remix/reinterpretation project for Blue Note, a collaboration with Jay Dee under the Jaylib alias, a collaboration with MF Doom, produced 1/2 of fellow Lootpack member Wildchild’s solo record and many other remix and producer tasks all in 2003.

Never one to slow down, the next few years brought a myriad of new releases, including Jackson Conti’s Sujinho, a collaboration with Azymuth’s Ivan “Mamao” Conti, who will be playing drums at Verocai’s L.A. debut this Sunday. 

With each year Madlib has continued to expand his abilities beyond the core hip hop that he is known for.

“I could listen to that (Arthur Verocai) album everyday for the rest of my life”  - Madlib

www.myspace.com/madlib

DJ NUTS

DJ Nuts

DJ Nuts is the foremost turntablist living in Brasil today. His skills mixed with the depth of his crates makes him unique in his home country. As a youngster in the late eighties he became fascinated by the burgeoning Sao Paulo hiphop scene. Graduating from the school of “Yo MTV Raps” - he began Djing under the tutelage of Macello 2the Bone (producer of Racionais MCs) in 1991. In 2000 he became the tuntablist champion of Brasil. As a producer he was done albums for Marcello D2 (Sony Music) as well as working with Brasilian music legends Gilberto Gil, Planet Hemp, Joao Donato, Trio Mocoto, O Rappa and Dom Um Romao.

In 2002, DJ Nuts was a tutor at the Red Bull Music Academy in Sao Paulo. He became the main consultant and DJ for Brasilintime: Batucada com Discos- the Mochilla sequel to Keepintime,  on the relationship between Brazilian music of the 1970s and hip hop and funk. 

„Em 1972 falaram que ele estava maluco… sua musica é agora.” - DJ Nuts 

www.myspace.com/djnuts

Sunday, March 15th, 2009
7-11pm / All Ages / $22.50 Limited Presale / $32.50 After
*Presale Tickets Available @www.ticketmaster.com and
The Luckman Box Office +1 323 343 6600
(Please keep in mind that these are assigned seating events - in order to sit together you MUST purchase your tickets together - to view seating chart please go http://luckmanarts.org/seatingchart.php)
*Presale + early arrival is STRONGLY suggested*

Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex
Cal State University Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive. Los Angeles. 90032

VTech and Mochilla offer you a brief glimpse back at the first two events of the Timeless Series.

On February 1st, 2009, VTech and Mochilla started the Timeless composer/arranger series off with a bang. Timeless I: Mulatu Astatke.

Mulatu Astatke, Ethiopian musician and arranger, father of the Ethio-jazz sound, performed to a sold out crowd at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex with special guests, Bennie Maupin, Azar Lawrence and Phil Ranelin.

Musically trained in London, New York and Boston, Astatke became the first African student at the Berklee College of Music. From there he worked with jazz artists such as Duke Ellington and brought back Jazz to his native Ethiopia. 

Already beloved for his Ethio-jazz sound, Mulatu has continued his work in different realms of the music world. He continues to work on the modernization of traditional Ethiopian instruments, served as an Abramowitz Artist-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and  produces songs for many artists from East Africa. In 2005, Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers brought Mulatu Astatke’s music to a new level of sheer appreciation, solely using Mulatu’s music in his film.

On his signature instrument, the vibraphone, Mulatu’s sound reverberated throughout the crowd.

On Sunday, February 22nd, 2009, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Carlos Nino, brought J.Dilla to the stage in a fitting tribute, Timeless II: Suite For Ma Dukes.

“The concert is a celebration of J Dilla’s life, what he loved and what inspired him. It is a show of support, appreciation and love for his incredible mother Maureen Yancey, whom I recently had the sincere pleasure of meeting and sitting down with. It is very exciting for everyone, there is a real crisp freshness pervading everything on all levels. This is celebrating the infinite possibilities always before us.” - Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

J Dilla, born James Dewitt Yancey, is regarded by many of his peers as one of the greatest hip hop producers. Coming on to the scene in the early 90’s, by 1995, he became the go to man for many of hip hop’s elite. Working with such artists as Madlib, Pete Rock, Common, Busta Rhymes, Mos Def, Pharrell, 9th Wonder, A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Kanye West, Karriem Riggins, Questlove, and more. 

Though Dilla passed February 10th, 2006, due to complications stemming from Lupus and blood disease TTP, those who knew and loved him continue to keep his music alive. 

Timeless II: Suite For Ma Dukes  brought the sold out audience  at the Luckman Fine Arts Plaza to their feet as the power of Dilla’s music, love, and energy  overwhelmed their very senses. It was indeed a magical evening. 

“If you listen closely to the music, the possibilities are endless…”   –Ma Dukes (February 22nd, 2009)
 
Those who were fortunate enough to attend Suite For Ma Dukes, the second installment of Timeless, a four-part series honoring the legacy of renowned composers, experienced an evening filled with spellbinding sights and sounds.

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and his 40 piece orchestra roused the audience to its feet during the evening with his re-creation of J Dilla’s best known works.

Surprise guests took their place upon the stage throughout the night, including Common, Talib Kweli, Posdnous from De la Soul, Bilal, Amp Fiddler, Dweli and many more to pay tribute, not only to Dilla’s musical influence left upon the world, but his mother, Ma Dukes. Small in stature, Ma Dukes is a true inspiration, a towering beacon of spirit, love and music.

Common, Illa J, and Ma Dukes

Amp Fiddler, Diana Moreira, Bilal, Shafiq of Sa-Ra

A cello was also brought out during the second half of the evening to honor Dilla and represent his early musical development as an artist that lead to his unending passion for music.

A Cello For Dilla

The powerful performance and sheer energy from the musicians and singers elevated the audience at the Luckman Fine Arts Plaza to a new level of musical appreciation. Emotions were high, the applauses, loud. The air was electrified with everyone on the edge of their seats anticipating the highs and lows of arranger/conductor Atwood-Ferguson’s stirring movements. There was no doubt that body, heart and soul were one. For Ma Dukes this event was “another way for your soul to soar through music”.

“..for the audience that the series is aiming at, for the sheer level of creative challenge that Atwood-Ferguson and Carlos Niño rose to make this music work, to the sheer amount of love reverberating through the room last night…this was something that went beyond the music in honoring and celebrating Dilla”
-Oliver Wang, Soul Sides

It’s been a week and a day, not that I’m counting, since the Timeless #2: A Suite for Ma Dukes.  I’ve found it hard to write about the weekend, the rehearsal, the show for that matter.  I was sitting on B+’s couch, again, late last Friday night as we did our final decompress from the heavier than norm week that was behind us.  We were both still in a state of awe about what transpired, trying wrap my head around the things that unfurled along the way.  Walking into rehearsal straight from Burbank and seeing Dukes for the first time in a year and half. Seeing Miguel work his magic and feeling it like I’ve never seen, his months, hell, years of prep leading him to this moment.  The playful glee in the smiles of the musicians making up the amazing ensemble as they practiced what was definitely a bit outside their comfort zone - and KILLING it. Looking around the room: Pas from De La Soul, Bilal, my man Shafiq, Mochilla crew shooting everything…Nino posted next to dukes, me right behind her….soaking it in, being quiet. Holding hands, crying, laughing, smiling, bouncing…..it was all there. Drew of course handling biz, Bekka handling Drew…..It was different than #1…smoother…more like watching an opera.

Cut to Sunday before the show, backstage was buzzing. Ma Dukes brilliant in white, biggest grin I have ever seen, feeling the moment and ready to take care of all of us, if you know here you know what I am saying.  So much love that night in Luckman on both sides of the stage.  Karriem Riggins, Thundercat, so many friends and fam in the seats and on stage.  J. Rocc and House Shoes rocked the 1’s and 2’s as only they can, knowing Dilla so well for so long.  Miguel’s 1st time conducting, and for all of you that were there, it was nothing short of unbelievable.  5 standing ovations, encore and finale took us past the drop dead time, and the Luckman is Union….needless to say everyone was feeling the moment. I had the pleasure of sitting with Dukes during the show. At one point I hit Dru ” what time should I bring Dukes back?” ‘10:15′….So i leaned over and let her know we would need to get her on stage for “Stakes is High” et al…at which point she said ” Oh no, they have every one they need, they are full”….we secured the largest stage in LA for a reason….” No way Mom, we’re going…”

As i took her back stage we ran into Talib Kweli, surprise…around stage right we run into the whole crew, surprise….Oh No, Alchemist, Frank, MED, Rhettmatic…all the fam….from that point on you can imagine.  We’ll put up another video of the encore shortly, we thought Hoc n Pucky was the essence  you really needed to see right away.

All 4 of these shows are special, unique and close to our hearts. This show was complex on many levels, and allowed a lot of amazing people take their own gifts to another level, and we are grateful to have been there to witness it and to be supporting them.  Los Angeles, again, than you for your support.  Our special guests who came in from all over the country, Thank You. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Carlos Nino- congrats!.Mochilla, Artdontsleep and the entire crew, killing the game and get some rest. J Dilla: We miss you. Ma Dukes: we love you.

a quick video of Ma Dukes on stage with Common and Illa J during the show: