On Friday, the crowds were out in droves with open hearts and open minds to experience a night of amazing music. And what a line-up VTech and Mochilla had in store for that evening!! Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, the young musical genius behind “Suite For Ma Dukes” and his ensemble, DJs Madlib, B+, and Coleman, and last but not least, the headliners, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. 

One by one as each act took the stage, the crowd cheered them on with equal enthusiasm. From Madlib’s spacey set inspired by Sun Ra which featured a lot of new music to Miguel and his amazing group of musicians, the nods of approval from the audience could be seen by everywhere.  And before we knew it, it was time for the musical brothers from Chicago to take the stage. With their infectious upbeat hip-hop influenced sound, the HBE came out of swinging, and the crowd was enthralled. Among the scores of admirers who were there to bear witness to it all were musicians Flea, the bassist from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phil Ranelin, American jazz and experimental trombonist, MF Doom, MED, and more. And though the HBE performed an amazing live set, living up to their well-deserved hype,  one moment stood out from the rest. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson returned to the stage to perform “Scrabble,” a song in tribute to Dilla, with the HBE, and the energy in the Echoplex was electric.

It is truly incredible to think that in one evening you had kids cheering for a viola solo, a DJ set and a brass ensemble all in same setting. It’s moments like that fill me utter and complete joy that real music is still being created, performed, supported, and most of all, appreciated by fans new and old.

Thank you Los Angeles, Mochilla, Miguel, Madlib, B+, Coleman, the HBE, and all the fans who come out to our events. We couldn’t have done it without you.

*photos by Mike Park

THE HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE IS HERE!

Only VTech and Mochilla are bringing it to you live and direct this Friday, November 6th,  at the Echoplex.

Limited presale tickets available online at: http://www.ticketweb.com

Live Performances by:

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble

DJ Sets from:
Madlib
Coleman
B+

The Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles Ca 90026

$15 presale :: $20 at the door
Limited presale tickets available online at: http://www.ticketweb.com
21 + wiser | 9pm-2am

Dig Deeper…

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are a family, literally. They are the heirs to the great musical tradition of Chicago. Their father Phil Cohran trained them from aged three to play hard, fast and together. They boast a fan base as wide and eclectic as Barack Obama, David Byrne, Q-Tip, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Jools Holland and thousands more. Now with the news that they along with Mos Def and drummer extraordinaire Tony Allen will form the new Gorillaz outfit, you realize that this is no ordinary collective. 

The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (HBE), a band comprised of eight brothers, all sons of Sun Ra trumpeter and songwriter Phil Cohran, have been playing since they were three years of age and have inherited a lineage deeper than most bands will ever attain. Raised on the south side of Chicago, their musical heritage is rooted in their genes. They have brothers and sisters that are professional musicians, their mothers are singers and their father, Phil Cohran, a legendary visionary and teacher has music experiences from the 1940s in St. Louis to his seminal role with Sun Ra in Chicago in the 1950s. 

As Sun Ra moved to the east coast in 1960, Cohran stayed behind in Chicago to be with his family. As his children grew, Cohran worked as a musical activist and educator, which led to the establishment of the Sun Ark in a warehouse behind their family home. At night while the children slept, they would hear their father rehearsing with his band the ‘Circle of Sound.’ At six in the morning, they were awoken to practice music for several hours before going to school. From an early age they were a central part of their father’s Youth Ensemble. At night they listened to NWA and Public Enemy, and Ice Cube and Eazy-E were their heroes. 

By the end of the nineties, with everyone out of school, they concentrated on their music full time. With a mix of their jazz roots and their hip-hop sensibility, they made a living for themselves on the streets of Chicago. While performing on a subway platform, they stumbled upon their name when a man who watched them for hours, missing train after train, proclaimed that he has been “hypnotized” by their music. With their composer skills aiding them to create a sound wholly their own, the group moved to New York City where they played with Mos Def and Erykah Badu. 

From a chance encounter in November of 2005, and support from numerous artists, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble has released an album brimming with musical magic. Recorded on the back of the Africa Express trip to Lagos last October, during a three-day stop-over in London, with the drummer’s stool shared by Malcolm Catto from the The Heliocentrics, Sola Akingbola from Jamiroquai, and the one and only Tony Allen, and other musical luminaries Flea and Paul Simenon, this album is all that is cracked up to be and more.

In May 2009, Blur and Gorillaz’s frontman Damon Alburn’s Honest Jon label dropped the Hypnotic’s first official full length studio album to accolades the music world over. With the sound, form, and structure in their musicianship and songwriting, the HBE have the ability to put on live shows that would put veteran bands to shame. 

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

Born into a highly intellectual and creative family that exposed him to everything from classical to Motown to Jazz, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson has been dedicated to music literally his entire life. At age four while on a visit to a Suzuki Program Institute his brother was attending, Miguel was introduced to the violin and immediately developed an affinity towards it. He began composing at 12 and after high school studied classical viola performance at USC. 

Taking an unusual route for a string player, Miguel has been adamant about pursuing deeply involving and creative roles in the music making process such as composing, writing and producing original pieces. He has recorded with a vast array of legendary musicians from Ray Charles to Billy Higgins; he has performed with Stevie Wonder and at the Grammy’s, on MTV and BET.

In 2008 he took on the daunting task of adapting the late J Dilla’s music to the orchestral format and made his debut as a conductor at the Timeless: A Suite For Ma Dukes concert where he directed an orchestra performing his Dilla-inspired compositions. One of the most unique qualities about Miguel is hisinherent need to challenge himself and master new terrains, he has various different groups he performs with and one day he hopes to build his own orchestra.

Madlib

Madlib is one of the most ambitious and engaging figures in modern hip-hop history. An enthusiastic crate-digger and multi-instrumentalist with a deep reverence for jazz and soul, Madlib has an expansive style and deft touch for composition that makes him one of hip hop’s most sought-after producers. 

He began his career with hip-hop trio Lootpack, who debuted on Tha Alkoholiks’ 1993 album 21 & Over; but, it is through his decade-long relationship with Stones Throw Records that he diversified his musical output. Often shying away from the limelight, many of his releases have been under various aliases. 

In 2000, he released The Unseen under the guise of his alter-ego, Quasimoto. He followed up a year later with Yesterdays New Quintet, a project that infused his exploration of jazz with electronic style and hip-hop substance. 

Since 2003, Madlib has put out several releases reflecting his growing versatility: Shades of Blue, a jazz remix project for Blue Note; Champion Sound with J Dilla under the name Jaylib; and Madvillainy, his partnership with MF Doom. In 2008, he released Sujinho under the name Jackson Conti a collaboration based around Brazilian percussionist Ivan “Mamão” Conti on Mochilla. 

visit the event on Facebook

Click here for LIMITED PRESALE TICKETS

On November 6th, there’s only one place you need to be….. That’s with us.

VTech and Mochilla are proud to bring you…

Live Performances by:

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble

DJ Sets from:

Madlib
Coleman
B+

The Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026

$15 presale :: $20 at the door

Presale tickets available online at: http://www.ticketweb.com

21 + wiser | 9pm-2am

Dig Deeper…

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are a family, literally. They are the heirs to the great musical tradition of Chicago. Their father Phil Cohran trained them from aged three to play hard, fast and together. They boast a fan base as wide and eclectic as Barack Obama, David Byrne, Q-Tip, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Jools Holland and thousands more. Now with the news that they along with Mos Def and drummer extraordinaire Tony Allen will form the new Gorillaz outfit, you realize that this is no ordinary collective.

The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (HBE), a band comprised of eight brothers, all sons of Sun Ra trumpeter and songwriter Phil Cohran, have been playing since they were three years of age and have inherited a lineage deeper than most bands will ever attain. Raised on the south side of Chicago, their musical heritage is rooted in their genes. They have brothers and sisters that are professional musicians, their mothers are singers and their father, Phil Cohran, a legendary visionary and teacher has music experiences from the 1940s in St. Louis to his seminal role with Sun Ra in Chicago in the 1950s.

As Sun Ra moved to the east coast in 1960, Cohran stayed behind in Chicago to be with his family. As his children grew, Cohran worked as a musical activist and educator, which led to the establishment of the Sun Ark in a warehouse behind their family home. At night while the children slept, they would hear their father rehearsing with his band the ‘Circle of Sound.’ At six in the morning, they were awoken to practice music for several hours before going to school. From an early age they were a central part of their father’s Youth Ensemble. At night they listened to NWA and Public Enemy, and Ice Cube and Eazy-E were their heroes.

By the end of the nineties, with everyone out of school, they concentrated on their music full time. With a mix of their jazz roots and their hip-hop sensibility, they made a living for themselves on the streets of Chicago. While performing on a subway platform, they stumbled upon their name when a man who watched them for hours, missing train after train, proclaimed that he has been “hypnotized” by their music. With their composer skills aiding them to create a sound wholly their own, the group moved to New York City where they played with Mos Def and Erykah Badu.

From a chance encounter in November of 2005, and support from numerous artists, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble has released an album brimming with musical magic. Recorded on the back of the Africa Express trip to Lagos last October, during a three-day stop-over in London, with the drummer’s stool shared by Malcolm Catto from the The Heliocentrics, Sola Akingbola from Jamiroquai, and the one and only Tony Allen, and other musical luminaries Flea and Paul Simenon, this album is all that is cracked up to be and more.

In May 2009, Blur and Gorillaz’s frontman Damon Alburn’s Honest Jon label dropped the Hypnotic’s first official full length studio album to accolades the music world over. With the sound, form, and structure in their musicianship and songwriting, the HBE have the ability to put on live shows that would put veteran bands to shame.

The New Yorker: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Documentary:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sashafrerejones/2009/06/hypnotized.html

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

Born into a highly intellectual and creative family that exposed him to everything from classical to Motown to Jazz, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson has been dedicated to music literally his entire life. At age four while on a visit to a Suzuki Program Institute his brother was attending, Miguel was introduced to the violin and immediately developed an affinity towards it. He began composing at 12 and after high school studied classical viola performance at USC.

Taking an unusual route for a string player, Miguel has been adamant about pursuing deeply involving and creative roles in the music making process such as composing, writing and producing original pieces. He has recorded with a vast array of legendary musicians from Ray Charles to Billy Higgins; he has performed with Stevie Wonder and at the Grammy’s, on MTV and BET.

In 2008 he took on the daunting task of adapting the late J Dilla’s music to the orchestral format and made his debut as a conductor at the Timeless: A Suite For Ma Dukes concert where he directed an orchestra performing his Dilla-inspired compositions. One of the most unique qualities about Miguel is his inherent need to challenge himself and master new terrains, he has various different groups he performs with and one day he hopes to build his own orchestra.

Madlib

Madlib is one of the most ambitious and engaging figures in modern hip-hop history. An enthusiastic crate-digger and multi-instrumentalist with a deep reverence for jazz and soul, Madlib has an expansive style and deft touch for composition that makes him one of hip hop’s most sought-after producers.

He began his career with hip-hop trio Lootpack, who debuted on Tha Alkoholiks’ 1993 album 21 & Over; but, it is through his decade-long relationship with Stones Throw Records that he diversified his musical output. Often shying away from the limelight, many of his releases have been under various aliases.

In 2000, he released The Unseen under the guise of his alter-ego, Quasimoto. He followed up a year later with Yesterdays New Quintet, a project that infused his exploration of jazz with electronic style and hip-hop substance.

Since 2003, Madlib has put out several releases reflecting his growing versatility: Shades of Blue, a jazz remix project for Blue Note; Champion Sound with J Dilla under the name Jaylib; and Madvillainy, his partnership with MF Doom. In 2008, he released Sujinho under the name Jackson Conti—a collaboration based around Brazilian percussionist Ivan “Mamão” Conti on Mochilla.

visit the event on Facebook

VTech and Mochilla present:

 

Friday November 6th, 2009

 

Live Performances by:

HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

 

 

 

MIGUEL ATWOOD-FERGUSON QUINTET

 

DJ Sets from:

MADLIB

COLEMAN

B+

 

Hosted by:

ALOE BLACC

 

The Echoplex

1154 Glendale Blvd.

Los Angeles Ca 90026

 

$15 presale :: $20 at the door

Presale tickets available at the Mochilla HQ’s from 1pm-7pm  [4124 Verdugo Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90065]

 

and online [click: HERE]

21 + wiser | 9pm-2am

 

Dig Deeper…

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are a family, literally. They are the heirs to the great musical tradition of Chicago. Their father Phil Cohran trained them from age three to play hard, fast and together. They boast a fan base as wide and eclectic as Barack Obama, David Byrne, Q-Tip, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Jools Holland and thousands more. Now with the news that they along with Mos Def and drummer extraordinaire Tony Allen will form the new Gorillaz outfit, you realize that this is no ordinary collective.

 

The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (HBE), a band comprised of eight brothers, all sons of Sun Ra trumpeter and songwriter Phil Cohran, have been playing since they were three years of age and have inherited a lineage deeper than most bands will ever attain. Raised on the south side of Chicago, their musical heritage is rooted in their genes. They have brothers and sisters that are professional musicians, their mothers are singers and their father, Phil Cohran, a legendary visionary and teacher has music experiences from the 1940s in St. Louis to his seminal role with Sun Ra in Chicago in the 1950s.

 

As Sun Ra moved to the east coast in 1960, Cohran stayed behind in Chicago to be with his family. As his children grew, Cohran worked as a musical activist and educator, which led to the establishment of the Sun Ark in a warehouse behind their family home. At night while the children slept, they would hear their father rehearsing with his band the ‘Circle of Sound.’ At six in the morning, they were awoken to practice music for several hours before going to school. From an early age they were a central part of their father’s Youth Ensemble. At night they listened to NWA and Public Enemy, and Ice Cube and Eazy-E were their heroes.

 

By the end of the nineties, with everyone out of school, they concentrated on their music full time. With a mix of their jazz roots and their hip-hop sensibility, they made a living for themselves on the streets of Chicago. While performing on a subway platform, they stumbled upon their name when a man who watched them for hours, missing train after train, proclaimed that he has been “hypnotized” by their music. With their composer skills aiding them to create a sound wholly their own, the group moved to New York City where they played with Mos Def and Erykah Badu.

 

From a chance encounter in November of 2005, and support from numerous artists, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble has released an album brimming with musical magic. Recorded on the back of the Africa Express trip to Lagos last October, during a three-day stop-over in London, with the drummer’s stool shared by Malcolm Catto from the The Heliocentrics, Sola Akingbola from Jamiroquai, and the one and only Tony Allen, and other musical luminaries Flea and Paul Simenon, this album is all that is cracked up to be and more.

 

 In May 2009, Blur and Gorillaz’s frontman Damon Alburn’s Honest Jon label dropped the Hypnotic’s first official full length studio album to accolades the music world over. With the sound, form, and structure in their musicianship and songwriting, the HBE have the ability to put on live shows that would put veteran bands to shame.

 

This past Friday, the party to be at was at the Echoplex as VTech and Beat Junkie Sound brought NIGHTLIFE back to L.A.

The warm evening weather and the promise of good music brought people out in droves to celebrate NIGHTLIFE with Pete Rock. A queue began to form before the venue doors had even opened. Once inside, DJ Babu and J.Rocc warmed up the tables as the audience began to take their positions around the stage with some die hard fans never moving. 

The music was bumping, the crowd dancing, and as Friday transitioned to Saturday, Pete Rock took the stage.  The magical touch of Soul Brother #1 was instant. The cheers and applause that greeted this arrival on stage continued throughout his whole set. And while Pete handled the mic, the decks and the crowd, unsuspecting guests began to gather. The musical talent that found their way backstage and on stage to watch him and partake in the NIGHTLIFE “May Birthday Celebration” was quite noteworthy. DJ Dez (Slum Village), Chali2na (Jurassic 5), DJ NuMark (Jurassic 5), DJ Dummy (Common), Madlib, OhNo, MED, Frank Nitty (Frank N Dank), Dudley Perkins, Dan Dalton (original creator of NIGHTLIFE), Houseshoes, Illa J, Nonstop,  and many more stopped by to say hello, give a birthday shout out, and enjoy a drink or two while nodding their heads in approval to the beats they heard. 

 

 

Here’s the first of a few exclusive video clips of the evening’s events. From sets with J.Rocc and Babu to Pete Rock and the two “Rocks/Roccs” (J.Rocc and Pete Rock) working it out on the one’s and two’s. 

Though it may have seemed to some that the Timeless series was left “incomplete” with the cancellation of the Axelrod show, it was far from it. Culturally and musically, Timeless became a homing beacon for Los Angeles. Inspiring a city by providing a cultural anthropology via music. Bringing composers of such caliber into a formal setting with current beat makers and young musicians to show a vast continuum  of music, not limited by national boundaries, social groups or age. “Placing Los Angeles back on the map as one of the cultural hubs of the States…and rightfully so considering our rich ethnic make up and diversity,” according to Sylvia Adams, Editor-in-Chief of Evil Monito. It was sheer magic. “An absolute gift and dream come true”, proclaimed Bryan Younce, a VP from Columbia Records. “I saw Mulatu, Ma Dukes and Verocai and each of them was a total joy. All three reached lofty musical heights. The three best shows I’ve seen this year (and I see a lot of shows).”

 

VTech and MOCHILLA collaborating.

As a long time marketing veteran, Tom Bacon, VTech Vice President of Marketing, has sponsored and participated in his fair share of music events. So when the concept behind Timeless was first presented he was “stoked and a bit blown away”. “I had heard bits and pieces over beers but when it was laid out for me as a proper proposal my first thought was YES,” recalls Tom. “My second thought was, this will be larger than any of us think, and probably more work as well.”

For photographer Brian Cross “B+” and the members of Mochilla, their discussions and ideas for the ultimate series of shows is what sparked the notion for Timeless. “It was through a kind of frustration with the limited ways people had been thinking about the music,” explains B+. “ Programmers here (in Los Angeles) are seriously lacking in new ideas. The Festival Circuit here is filled with a lot of the same old, same old. Why shouldn’t we be able to celebrate bigger music from the perspective of those brought into music through hip hop?” When narrowing the field of composers and arrangers to showcase in the series, according to B+, “it came down to people who had been celebrated the least, but who influenced the most. Mulatu is phenomenal, Verocai is an anomaly, Axelrod is the king, and Dilla… Well, Dilla is one of ours. That had to happen.”

 

When one thinks of Los Angeles as vanguard for culture and music, it sometimes seems a bit inconceivable. Los Angeles is rarely regarded as a cultural epicenter. With well-known concert venues constantly rebooking the same names year after year, musical pulses hardly race. But for Tom, it was relevant and apropos to have it here of all places.  “I figured if there was ONE place to do it, it would be LA.” To Arthur Verocai who had never performed in Los Angeles till the Timeless Series, this was a new horizon. “This (Timeless) can interest young people with the best quality music, from the past and present, which is still lingering on.”
 
Above and Beyond: Timeless exceeded expectations. This series was everything everyone had hoped for and more. For Sylvia, the Mulatu show (first in the series) was “a poignant moment to watch the master of Ethio-Jazz get up and with much gratitude and decorum lead a group of both young and old musicians from Los Angeles.” It expanded beyond anything anyone thought was possible. Arthur Verocai, the third composer/arranger in the series was beyond thrilled. “As a participant in the concert series I must say I was very happy with the public homage and recognition of my songs quality.” But the real surprise for him was the crowd. “I didn’t fancy having so many fans in Los Angeles!” Ma Dukes is still riding high on her cloud. “It was so special and so wonderful, I can’t thank everyone enough. It was magic.”

One of Tom’s greatest joys of the series was seeing the effect of the event on those involved. “We seem to have been able to provide a platform for so many to take advantage of and quite a few achieved their dreams if you will,” states Tom. Though this didn’t play into his initial decision when agreeing to sponsor Timeless, it was something that occurred during the series. “You had to be there to understand,” says Tom “but it was one of my proudest moments professionally and personally. We (VTech) had the easiest job, providing the support for a vision that came from Mochilla. My history doing events with them left very little uncertainty that this series would be epic, but to the end it was more than I could have imagined. Humbling.” In the end, seeing how happy and excited the musicians were to play made it all worthwhile for B+.  “That was it for me, the looks on the faces of the musicians.” LinYee Yuan, Associate Editor at Theme Magazine, who flew out from New York for the Verocai show, couldn’t contain her excitement. “This is amazing. I can’t believe I’m here. I love Arthur Verocai.”

On stage, the old met the new in a harmonious melding of musical minds and souls. Mulatu was quiet and powerful, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson was simply amazing, with his heart and soul poured out for us all, and Verocai was left honored and humbled. Everyone who came to perform were phenomenal.

The Second Coming of Timeless- With Timeless returning in late Summer 2009, we’ll be looking forward to Mochilla and VTech expanding on the foundation that was created during the first series. More discoveries, more incredible music and visuals are what we’ll have in store. Many have unanimously agreed that this was a beautiful and moving experience to put so much thought into the history of music and pay homage to some incredible individuals that have left an impressive oeuvre in their lifetime. Arthur Verocai said it best. “If you’re going to have the series again next summer, don’t forget to call me please!” Without a doubt, this series will continue to explore new musical horizons and open eyes, hearts and souls to all those fortunate enough to be a part of it. 

  

Though the series has received numerous press reviews from the LA Times, Filter Magazine, Digital Dazed, Theme Magazine.com, LA Daily News.com, NPR, Pitchfork.com, LA Weekly, and more, here are a few words from some of our Timeless fans/supporters:

“This is a historic event, not just for us, but for all of Ethiopia.”

-Mulatu Astatke, Producer/Composer/Arranger: Timeless I

“The Timeless series has been hands down the most exciting series of anything I have been part of in my entire life. I am forever grateful to all of those that worked so incredibly hard to put it on. Los Angeles is truly a great place as an artist to live right now, and this magnificent series is one of the greatest testaments to that. The vision and integrity of Mochilla is unparalleled and my hat is completely off to them.  I know they are just getting warmed up and I cannot wait until they unleash their next wave of love, creativity and empowerment upon us!”

-Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Composer/Arranger: Timeless II

“Festival Timeless- joining generations together around the same music”

-Arthur Verocai, Producer/Composer/Arranger: Timeless III

“Connecting legendary composers and their inspiration on contemporary producers, and the notion of those producers being as influential as the composers they’re inspired by is an awesome ideal. To bring that into effect with such scale, beauty and respect is an inspiration in itself. I guess Timeless is an all-out, inspirational love-in, and one that can be felt from Los Angeles to London.”

 -Terence Teh, Dazed and Confused 

“Wow….thats just about the most powerful thing I’ve heard in a long time sir! Brilliant…any chance of getting some music to me to play on the radio…”

Gilles Peterson Host of Worldwide – BBC Radio 1, Founder of Brownswood Recordings

(after watching Hoc n Pucky from Suite for Ma Dukes on Youtube)

 

“Timeless was as culturally edifying experience for Angelenos that inspires greatness in us all and an overwhelming pride in our metropolis’ own long-standing history of ethnic diversity.” -Sylvia Adams, Editor-in-Chief, Evil Monito 

“History was made. All three shows were dizzyingly beautiful. I can already tell that years down the road, all of us who were lucky enough to be there will be recalling these performances as a profound moment in time.”

-Bryan Younce, VP Video/Content Production, Columbia Records 

“Wow this is amazing…. Has Quincy (Jones) seen it??”

 -Herman Leonard, Jazz Photography Legend

 

“The Arthur Verocai set was groundbreaking and revelatory. I only wish I could see it again.” -Brian DiGenti, Editor, Wax Poetics

 

The Future for VTech and Mochilla:

Mochilla will be finishing up a film for DJ/producer Will Holland “Quantic” and a film about the scene in Recife in the Northeast of Brazil. They’ll also be busy gearing up for the Timeless Series, returning in Summer 2009.

VTech will be focusing on promoting their new Internet radio. The blog will continue to grow and additional labels will be pulled in to work side by side with the company. This summer will present unique dates with Madlib and Karriem Riggins and also a possible collaboration with Hockey, a Portland based Indie band on Capital Records. Also work with Frank Nitty of Frank and Dank on a new mix tape series and even Rhettmatic may have some cool things in store.

Come back and visit our blogs, we’ll keep you posted.

*photos by Azul 213