Robot Army Music

4DLS perform Initiate Sequence in Paris. Shiiiine.

Red Bull Thre3style

Picture by Pioneer Unit's awesome Spo0ky 

There's a reason why there are so many musical odes to the DJ. Think "last night a DJ saved my life" or "God is a DJ" or "Thank you Mr DJ" for using Lifebuoy soap. No, we're kidding about that last one. We have a lot of love for mam'Yvonne. Anyway, the South African leg of the Red Bull Thre3style competition will take place at the Alex Theatre in Braamfontein on 23 June. No, it's not some kinky way to get you off or give you wings - get your mind out of the bedroom.

Actually, it's a worldwide DJ competition that was started 5 years ago in Drake and Eternia's home country but is now in its third year as an international event. It tests spinners on technical ability as well as badassness. That's an actual word, don't question it. It's called Thre3style because all the DJs have to choose a minimum of three genres or styles that they will use to showcase their talents in 15-minute rounds.

Judged by a panel that includes the legendary DJ Ready D, Richard The III and Kid Fonque, the South African DJs that will participate include DJ Raiko (pictured), Fletcher, Das Kapital, Redwood, Switch, Soosh, Tha Cutt and White Nite. Don't ask us why no female DJs are in the mix. Whoever wins will walk away with the title and the opportunity to represent South Africa in the world finals in Chicago later this year.

The Jozi event will be hosted by Tumi Molekane. We're not sure why Red Bull has decided to use musicians as hosts in their events when there's actual presenters who can do great jobs too but that's a post for another day. Tickets are R70 at the door and the judges will also play their own sets once the king of the decks is crowned.

Reeeeeeemix!

We're not even going to bother with the fronting. Watch The Throne has some serious enthusiasts. Some will, as is common practice in hip hop, even go as far as dropping their own rhymes on Jaynye's beats. Not too many folks were feeling Slikour and Kwesta's Otis - sometimes we reach a little beyond our abilities, but what do I know - but maybe people will like Redondo (of Driemanskap) and Manqoba (whom we wrote about HERE) take on Jay and Ye's Niggas In Paris.

Niggas in Paris (Remix) - Redondo Ft. Manqoba by PioneerUnit

Then they took those rhymes and wrapped them around a remix by Pure Solid. This one is called Niggas in Kasi. Thoughts?

Niggas in Kasi (Reflex) - Redondo Ft. Manqoba by PioneerUnit

PS: First it was Ma-B and now it's Redondo. We like that the Driemanskap guys are showing us what else they've got through hooking up more tracks out of the crew but without breaking up.

PPS: Good looking out Mikmikko :)

I Will Make It

A few years ago there was a hip hop gig at Carfax – so you know there were backpacks everywhere. Ha! Ok, all jokes aside, it was a nice night out and it was the first time I’d seen Spaza king, Rattex, live. His hypeman on that night was a guy called Kritsi I soon found out. Then the next week, theblagg la familia, C Breezy, and I drove the boys in the yard (at the time we lived in a set of homes that shared a garden in Melville) crazy as we kept singing “jeans and sneakers” all week. This jeans and sneakers thing was from a Rattex verse that Kritsi was adlibbing but he was so into this performance that he dropped it down low to physically show that he was talking about jeans and sneakers.

Except he was wearing shorts.

Anyway, I never forgot dude. This past week, Driemanskap shot their video for I Will Make It and in it they feature Kritsi as a down and out character striving to survive. I think it’s super cool that the cats in Cape Town support each other so much and that Kritsi’s mom is in the fourman crew’s new video too. Here’s Kritsi’s mom working on her scene with the help of Driemanskap’s Dla and one our favourite ladies behind the lense, spo0ky. Below that is a scene where the hood heroes got all of the hood involved. Shout out to Pioneer Unit for the behind the scenes footage.

New Ben Sharpa

Pioneer Unit's own B.Sharpa brings us the new video for Check The Evidence. Dope joint produced by Dplanet. With more than a few familiar faces making cameos, this Spo0ky-directed video is def worth checking out.

4DLS

Pioneer Unit is the bizniz. Truth and no lies. So when theblagg found out that there was some (more) radical concept music coming out of the indie we went looking for the source and the answers. We spoke to Dplanet, the man who run tings over at P.U and who has now temporarily moved from being the man behind the artists to being the one on stage. We talked to him about his new project, Fourth Density Light Show, that sees him hook up with Ben Sharpa, Raiko and spo0ky. This week they've been rehearsing their magic at Cape Town's Red Bull Studio - and in case you miss that tiny fact you'll see the branding on ever video and mentioned everywhere. It's all good though, we all get it how we can. Here's what D had to say:


theblagg: How did Fourth Density Light Show (4DLS) come about? Please explain what the idea behind it is, is it an album, who is involved etc?
Dplanet: 4DLS is a live, improvised hip hop, electro-dub mashup featuring Ben Sharpa on 'freestyle' vocals. Myself on live production, DJ Raiko behind the decks creating cuts, scratches and live DJ effects, and spo0ky using bespoke graphic and motion design to create high-impact visual stimulus.
Ben Sharpa and I started experimenting with 140 bpm dubbed-out hybrid 'soundsystem' beats on his album, 'B. Sharpa' ('Off the Rails' and 'Critical Mass'). This project is a progression from that. I've always been interested in pushing the boundaries of hip hop. Ben has the unique ability to connect whatever beats I make to the authentic roots of lyrical hip hop. Working with him allows me the freedom to experiment, whilst still maintaining the core values and essence of hip hop.
At Pioneer Unit we've been focusing on the live performance aspect of our music for a while now. We realise that people want an experience, not to just go and listen to the same music they hear on the mp3 or CD. We believe that live production, a DJ and the visual elements create a powerfully visceral experience.

theblagg: One of the key elements of this project is “freestyle underground lyrical hip hop,” – does that mean each artist has to come up with new material upon arrival in the studio or is it just new material to the public’s ears?
Dplanet: It's more of an improvisation, although there will be completely freestyle elements. Ben has been writing for this project for a while now. He has a core of new material that forms the basis for the performance, but he is free to take it where he wants, or where individual situations demand.



theblagg: On your blog you say “there is no point going to a live show to hear music exactly the same way it was recorded” what will people get to experience when they go to a 4DLS?
Dplanet: They'll get a heavy live improvised audio visual experience!

theblagg: You also say this idea has been in the pipeline since June 09. How easy/difficult have these planning stages been? Can you take us through the whole process?
Dplanet: It's always quite difficult as Ben is based between Johannesburg and Europe. We all have our various commitments to attend to so matching up our schedules is quite challenging. We started with the concept phase - I basically came up with the idea and wrote a brief proposal to explain it to the others. After everyone had agreed that they were interested I started writing beats and sending them to Ben so he could begin writing - this was the longest phase. Now we've reached the rehearsal phase things should start moving faster. We're all just getting a feel for what we can do and jamming in the studio. The next stage will be to tighten up what we've got so we're ready to perform.

theblagg: Having checked out what your band looks like, it seems that it will be an audio-visual-sensory explosion of sorts. Where and when will the public be able to see/hear your music?
Dplanet: We're hoping to line up some gigs in SA before we take this overseas. I can't promise a date right now but it will be in the fourth quarter of 2010.

theblagg: What is Robot Army Music?
Dplanet: Robot Army Music is what we do. It's the militant theme music to our struggle against corporate-owned media and the nauseating music that is produced as a result of their influence, social injustice and all the other bullshit that keep people stuck in inequitable and limiting systems.

theblagg: Now with you running Pioneer Unit, did you ever feel like some of the acts on your roster might be uneasy about you investing this time on this project or will they also be featured on the music?
Dplanet: We've got a lot of projects lined-up for the rest of the Unit. We work in carefully planned production cycles so no one is going to get ignored while we do this.

theblagg: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Dplanet: Thanks for the interview. I'd just like to shout out Ivan and Richard at Red Bull Studio in Cape Town for facilitating our rehearsal sessions.


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