RhoDeo 1439 Roots

Hello,

Calling himself an African Rasta, today's artist creates Jah-centered anthems promoting morality, love, peace, and social consciousness. With a range that moves from sensitivity to rage over injustice, much of his music empathizes with the impoverished and those on society's fringe. He is also a staunch supporter of African unity, and to this end, he sings to Moslem audiencess in Hebrew and sings in Arabic to Israelis. ... N'joy

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Hailing from the Cote d'Ivoire, Alpha Blondy is among the world's most popular reggae artists. With his 12-piece band Solar System, Blondy offers a reggae beat with a distinctive African cast. Calling himself an African Rasta, Blondy creates Jah-centered anthems promoting morality, love, peace, and social consciousness. With a range that moves from sensitivity to rage over injustice, much of Blondy's music empathizes with the impoverished and those on society's fringe. Blondy is also a staunch supporter of African unity, and to this end, he sings to Moslem audiencess in Hebrew and sings in Arabic to Israelis. Some of his best-known songs include "Cocody Rock," "Jerusalem," and "Apartheid Is Nazism."

He was born a member of the Jula tribe in Dimbokoro and named Seydou Kone, after his grandfather. His grandmother, Cherie Coco, raised him. He was always a rebellious child and for this, Coco named him "Blondy," her unique pronunciation of the word "bandit." When he started performing professionally, he took on the name Alpha (the first letter in the Greek alphabet) so his name literally translates to "first bandit." Though he grew up listenting to African folkloric music such as yagba and gumbe, his primary musical influences were such Western bands as Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and soul artists like Otis Redding. Later Bob Marley's music tremendously affected Blondy. Though he wanted to become a musician, his family expected him to become a respectable English teacher. He studied English at Hunter College in New York, and later in the Columbia University American Language Program. Outside of class, he would play music in Central Park and in Harlem clubs where occasionally house bands would let him sing his Bob Marley covers in French, English, and various West African languages. One night, record producer Clive Hunt heard Blondy sing and invited him to record six songs. Unfortunately, Hunt absconded with the tape. Shortly afterward, he returned to the Ivory Coast, where he was arrested for threatening the ambassador at the New York Ivorian embassy because the diplomat felt that Blondy's English was too good for him to be an Ivorian native. While at the police station, Blondy's temper again flared and he slapped a policeman (after the cop slapped him first). He spent a week in jail and then stayed briefly at th Bingerville Asylum in Abidjan, where he was declared reasonably sane and released. Soon afterward, he began honing his songwriting and performing skills. Later, he dedicated an album to the patients of Bingerville.


Blondy got his big break from friend Fulgence Kass, an employee of Ivory Coast Television who helped him land a spot on the Premiere Chance talent show. Singing three of his own tunes plus Burning Spear's "Christopher Columbus," the young artist was a hit with the audience. Blondy then hooked up with producer G. Benson who recorded his eight-song debut album Jah Love in a single day. The most popular song, "Brigadier Sabari," was an account of Blondy's run-in with an Abidjan police street raid in which he was nearly beaten to death. It was the first time a West African artist had dared to mention random police brutality in public. After releasing the album, he and the newly formed Solar System band signed to EMI. They recorded his second album, Cocody Rock, in Paris in 1984. Later he returned to Tuff Gong to record his third album, Jerusalem (1986). By the release of his 1987 album Revolution, Blondy had established himself as an international artist. Three years before he had been voted the number one artist by a Radio France international poll. His popularity continues to grow, and he continues steadily releasing albums. His 1992 album, Masada, was released in over 50 countries around the world and went double gold in France. Yitzhak Rabin followed in 1998; Paris Percy appeared in spring 2001. Although it was recorded in 1999, the album Elohim appeared in 2002 in Europe and three years later in America. The career-spanning Akwaba: The Very Best of Alpha Blondy was also released in 2005.

Blondy was named as United Nations Ambassador of Peace for Cote D’Ivoire in 2005 and continuously remains dedicated to his humanitarian efforts through his charitable foundation Alpha Blondy Jah Glory. His mission is to eradicate generational poverty by providing grass roots social programs that are beneficial to the lives of underprivileged children and women from villages within Africa and Haiti.

 The foundation’s remarkable programs are Tafari Genesis Retreat Camp and the Micro Loan Program.It provides training and financing as little as $50.00 U.S. dollars to assist women who have become head of households to manage, operate, and start their own businesses. Overall, Alpha Blondy empowers communities to become self sufficient by learning and utilizing basic skills. This concept generates opportunities for many women to maintain their integrity, rebuild confidence as well as provide for their families.

"Jah Victory" and was released July 2007. It features Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare as well as Tyrone Downie formerly of Bob Marley and the Wailers. "Victory" is in honor of the peace agreement that was reached and implemented in his country in March 2007. Then in 2011 Vision was released it got great reviews whiich must have invigorated him because 2 years later to celebrate his sixtieth year on this globe "Mystic Power" saw the light. It should not be passed over by fans of rootsy rocking reggae, his wonderful voice still complements his thought-provoking lyrics.



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Despite heated protests from his parents, Alpha Blondy abandoned his studies in education to establish himself as a singer, a move influenced by his discovery of the Rastafarian faith and the music of international reggae star Bob Marley. A longtime dream was fulfilled in 1986 when, five years after Marley's death, the singer's backing band, the Wailers, supplied the rhythms for Blondy's fourth album. Recorded in Jamaica, Jerusalem remains one of Blondy's most satisfying song collections. Lyrics alternate among English, French, and Blondy's own Dioula, a mix the singer attempts to unite through the rhythms of reggae music. Aiding him in his pursuits are some of the island's finest. Under Bob Marley, the seasoned rhythm team of brothers Aston and Carlton Barrett (bass and drums), Junior Murvin (guitar), and Earl Lindo (keyboards) refined reggae music to the slick, near-universal pulse Blondy was seeking. Though their former mentor's success distanced the Wailers somewhat from Jamaica's hard roots audience, they lost none of their exceptional musicianship in the process. The sound of Carlton Barrett's slick snare beats and Earl "Chinna" Smith's supple bluesy lines may have lacked the rough hues of the 1970s, but they did provide many music fans with a palatable introduction to reggae. Behind Blondy, they helped propel the singer to his own level of crossover success. Though the mix by engineers Anthony Kelly, Gary Sutherland, and Solgie Hamilton applies a certain amount of gloss to the music, sparse, competent rhythms ride below Blondy on tracks like "Boulevard de la Mort," "Travailler C'Est Trop Dur," and "Bloodshed in Africa."

Alpha Blondy & The Wailers - Jérusalem  (flac  253mb)

01 Jérusalem 7:48
02 Politiqui 6:35
03 Bloodshed In Africa 4:19
04 I Love Paris 5:15
05 Kalachnikov Love 5:20
06 Travailler, C'est Trop Dur 3:17
07 Miwa 5:04
08 Boulevard De La Mort 5:26
09 Dji 2:45

Alpha Blondy & The Wailers - Jérusalem  (ogg 102mb)

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Finally the great weird one he had in him. Its seven cuts include a chanson in Dioula, a crude, endearingly right-on crossover bid called "Rock and Roll Remedy," and the Solar System vamping for 10 minutes behind a speech by Côte d'Ivoire's 84-year-old president Félix Houphouêt-Boigny, a Francophile bourgeois as unrevolutionary as any head of state in Africa. Wish my French was up to what the Old Man is saying; wish my Dioula was up to what the songs about bleeding and elections are saying. I do know that the lead love song ends up in a mental hospital, because it's in English. While Revolution has some great tracks like "Sweet Fanta Diallo," "Blesser" and "Jah Houphouet Nous Parle," the first three tracks. The most interesting and experimental track is the ten-minute "Jah Houphouet Nous Parle," in which Blondy takes a tape of a speech given by the former president of the Ivory Coast, M. Felix Houphouet Boigny, and puts it to some sleak, pulsating music. Unfortunately, if you don't speak French, you won't be able to understand the speech, which Blondy calls a "masterpiece."

Alpha Blondy - Revolution  (flac  261mb)

01 Sweet Fanta Diallo 5:18
02 Blesser 5:30
03 Jah Houphouet Nous Parle (Rassemblement Démocratique Africain) 10:37
04 Rock And Roll Remedy 4:07
05 Time 4:06
06 Election Koutcha 5:36
07 Miri 5:44

Alpha Blondy - Revolution   (ogg 98mb)

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Blondy's first international release under a new worldwide contract with EMI is as soulful and militant as past efforts, with an added gloss to the production that may win new listeners. you might have probably already guessed from the title, this album is based on religion. He goes on to talk about the role the prophets and the troubles they went through in spreading God's word in "Allah Leka Netchi". Then makes a parallel with us, later generations, in "Corinthiens", referring to a section of the bible, as to how important it is for every human being to stay in the straight path and hold on to the truth in our every day life. In closing with the religion theme, he again sings about hypocrisy, namely in "Kolombaria", where he warns human beings about thinking they are cheating Godwhen they are only furthering themselves into doing bad deeds.
Then he touchily browses the troubles and tribulation people go through or have gone through in their life. Firsts in line are "Black men tears" and "Jah Music", where he portrays some the troubles black people have been through during slavery time and the discrimination and vicious cycle black people are caught into nowadays. Secondly, he goes to an even more general subject, which is the struggle every body goes against in trying to lead a good and exemplary life in today's society in "Face To Face".
Finally, he returns to topics typical of the motherland, Africa. In "Coup D'Etat", Alpha denounces the wrong doing of some African leaders who thirsty of power try to get it by any means necessary. And many times they do so by using military force. "Banana" is specific to the Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire) in that he tells the problems the Ivorian dairy farmer faces in trying to make a living from his work. Not only does he have to overcome the uncertainties of the weather but also producing quality food in convenient quantities in order to be able to sell it at a good price and make profit out of it.

I recognize that often times Alpha using French, Dioula (an African language from the Ivory Coast), or English in trying to convey his message, makes it difficult for other who don't understand to grasp the concepts behind the melody. But again, it is only natural for him to do so and that is the reason why I tried to give as much details as I could fit in this slot. I would fiercely recommend this album to anybody found of reggae, good music or good singers able to bring attention to meaningful subjects.

Alpha Blondy - The Prophets  (flac  226mb)

01 The Prophet (Allah Léka Netchi) 3:02
02 Banana 3:44
03 Coup D'Etat 2:56
04 Kolombaria 4:13
05 Face To Face 4:19
06 Black Men Tears 5:15
07 Corinthiens 3:15
08 Jah Music 6:25

Alpha Blondy - The Prophets  (ogg 78mb)

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RhoDeo 1439 Blake Seven fold

Hello, well the US failed to win the Rider cup back, Europe has clearly proved their players may not win that much money but they are the better golf players... Meanwhile Polish cyclist Michal Kwiatkowski  won the world road race championship, he'll be easy identifiable the coming year in every cycling race he partakes in, as he'll race in a rainbow shirt. Though this title comes with plenty prestige it rarely brings much glory in the following season. Ah those assertive Poles lets hope they don't declare war on Russia..

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Ok so the coming weeks we'll have some Blake's 7 audio drama's

Don’t let the opening put you off. The Sevenfold Crown begins with a dream so hammy you’ll be inclined to dismiss the whole production as a terrible nightmare long before a stonking continuity error tips you off that it’s a dream. Thankfully, things pick up after that.

Back in the days when Blake’s 7 was still on TV, it could be a little uneven. There were a handful of writers, including Chris Boucher and Tery Nation, who truly understood it, but the rest were a pack of hacks who treated it as a standard-issue space opera, leading to a glut of embarrassing robots and unconvincing monsters.

In that sense, The Sevenfold Crown isn’t proper Blake’s 7, as it doesn’t capture any of the political complexity which helped inspire JM Straczynski to create Babylon 5, but it’s considerably better than most of the series’ filler episodes. The plot is closer to Doctor Who than Blake’s 7, with Avon and Servalan battling for control of a psionic device created by an ancient civilisation in a manner worthy of the Doctor and the Master, but works well, though the Seven’s new-found tendency to help the poor and oppressed is rather out of character.

If the script is slightly off-target in recapturing the feel of the show, the cast slip right into their parts as if they’d never been away. The opening sequence aside, Paul Darrow and Jacqueline Pearce have scaled back some of the OTT campness which crept into their performances during the final season, and Michael Keating’s Vila remains the core of the show - cowardly, pathetic and commanding by turn. The revelation, however, is Steven Pacey, who’s matured hugely as an actor over the last 15 years. While Tarrant is recognisably the same character seen in the series, he’s gained a presence which makes him a genuine equal to Avon. Only Angela Bruce and Paula Wilcox prove disappointing as the new versions of Dayna and Soolin, and that’s more the fault of the script than anything. Though there’s a few references which establish them as hardened killers, they spend most of the time starting at frights like useless girlies.

The Sevenfold Crown isn’t Blake’s 7 at its best, but as star- spanning space opera it’s more than satisfying... And, best of all, it reunites the Seven ready for further adventures. More!

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Blake's 7 - The SevenFold Crown (ogg 83mb)

The SevenFold Crown 90:00

Paul Darrow as Avon, Michael Keating as Vila, Steven Pacey as Tarrant, Peter Tuddenham as Orac/Slave, Jacqueline Pearce as Servalan, Angela Bruce as Dayna and Paula Wilcox as Soolin Barry Letts 17 January 1998

Raiding Servalan's HQ, the crew discover that she possesses a jewel that belongs to an ancient, long-lost crown a mystical artefact of indescribable power. Suddenly the Scorpio crew are as determined as Servalan to acquire the circlet; but if they do, will absolute power corrupt Avon absolutely?

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Sundaze 1439

Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name ?


Many an artist do their own thing these days, not just music wise but start their own label too and run it's sales and marketing that's a lot on one man's plate. And as the music should take center stage and sales largely on line automated these days marketing provided by sites like 3six.net, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, mixcloud.com all connection places that do need regular updating and as todays artist is supposedly somewhat shy not much is shared about the person behind the music, luckily the odd interview offers up some clues as to what drives the artist    ..N'Joy

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36 (pronounced three-six) is the ambient/experimental project of Dennis Huddleston from the United Kingdom. Since 2008, the focus for the project has been to develop warm, hugely emotive loop-based compositions, with particular emphasis on melody and atmosphere. He also runs the label 3six Recordings, which is used to publish his self-released works.

'Dream Tempest' is the most recent release by 36. In your own opinion, what makes it different from your previous works?

I'm pretty rubbish at describing my own music really, as it's just not something I ever consciously think about when making it. I've used the words "more optimistic" in the press-release, but it's still a very melancholic album. I don't know really, my intentions and the end-results are often two very different things! Hopefully the album still sounds fresh, without alienating what attracted people to my music in the first place. It's a 36 album!

Ambient music, is it about saying much with less?

I guess so. Even though people describe my music as ambient, it's not really a term I personally use much, at least for my own stuff. I mean tunes like 'Sun Riders' would definitely fit that "less is more" description, whereas something like 'Hyperbox' is quite the opposite. The thing I do like about ambient is that it can encompass so many things, especially these days. I mean, would you classify Tim Hecker's recent albums as Ambient, compared to say... Steve Roach? They both share a genre, but couldn't sound more different to each other. It's an interesting collective of music, if nothing else.

Even the brighter 'Dream Tempest' still has 36's distinctive sound. In a time when nearly everyone can release their music online, is style the only way to stand out?

I think that as an artist, the only thing you should concentrate on is making honest music. Don't follow trends or try to imitate your favourite artist; instead, just make music from the heart and try to make it as close a reflection of yourself as possible. I think you can easily spot the pretenders from the people who genuinely put everything into their music. In 2014, where the sheer amount of tools available to artists is so abundant, there is no excuse for any 2 artists to sound completely alike. What is the point in that anyway?

You made a name for yourself out of the "traditional" music industry. Is it hard to work on your own?

Not really. It's just more natural for me to make music and release it myself, as I don't have to worry about other egos or expectations. I'm not trying to be this maverick, loner-type who refuses to work with other artists/labels etc... I just get on with it, doing my own thing, not really worrying too much about the industry side of things. I just like making music. The rest is just noise, some of which can't be ignored, sadly.

Have you ever been approached by record labels to sign with them? Would you do it, or do you prefer freedom over mass-promotion?

Yes, quite a few times. "Signing" is a pretty redundant term now, as being under a fixed, exclusive contract with a label is an archaic practice that rarely happens now, unless it's a huge label. I like the freedom of releasing my music whenever and wherever I like, under no fixed schedule, which is why running my own label is perfect for me. I've got no expectations, other than to release the kind of music I enjoy. I don't even need to do that. If I wasn't 100% confident with the music, then I can just scrap it and move onto something else. If you've got deadlines and contractual obligations with other people, then this simply isn't possible. It's a stress I can do without.

In this sense, would you give any advice to new musicians trying to find their way on the digital media?

Labels still have their place in the world and can be particularly beneficial to people when they're starting out. They often have an existing fan base and all the promotional/distributional channels are usually already in place. If you're new to releasing music, then it can be quite daunting and many artists have zero interest in the business side of things, other than just making music. If this describes you, then finding a label to release your stuff is still probably the best option. If however you like the challenge of making something from nothing, as well as wanting complete control over who and where your music is heard, then by all means, look into the self-releasing/make your own label route. Just don't do any half-measures; It's a huge undertaking and isn't something you should do on a whim.

Which are 36 musical influences, if any? What artists do you listen to?

I always have trouble answering this question, because essentially, you're asking me to compress 30 years of music I've listened to, into just a few names, which is like reading a book, but skipping to the last page. It's a basic, shallow way of looking at things. Artists, much like anyone else, evolve their craft over the years and even though I don't necessarily listen to the same music now as I did when I was 15, it all had an impact on me, if only on a sub-conscious level. In this respect, every single piece of music I've heard is important, even the rubbish, forgettable stuff. It just meant I could avoid it in the future and concentrate more on the music I did like.

I would say that 36's albums belong more to a scandinavian sound (I am thinking about Biosphere, for instance) than a British one. Do you agree? Is there an ambient music scene in the UK? If so, what do you think about it?

I'm not sure if there is a particular "British" sound, at least in this genre. All I see are a bunch of different people, making music under an umbrella tag, that encompasses loads of different things. As I say, I try not to worry too much about other artists or my place in any scene etc.. It doesn't really mean anything to me as an artist, as all I can do is concentrate on my own stuff and let the listeners pick it apart/discuss it's relevance etc. I will say that I personally think the ambient genre as a whole is in a very healthy state in 2014. I hear great new music all the time. Bandcamp in particular has been amazing for finding new artists.

You didn't put your name in the beautiful cover of 'Dream Tempest'. Is it to say that music itself is more important than the person behind it?

Well, I mostly sell my music direct and enough people know me now that I don't need to plaster my name/face over everything, just so they can recognise it was me who made it. A simple "36" on the spine/back is more than enough for me. I'd rather separate the ego and just let the imagery and the sound do the talking.

You release your music digitally, on Cd and also on vinyl. Do you have a favourite media to listen to music? Do you believe the Cd format is on its last days?

Vinyl is my favourite, but every format has its own quirks and charms. I still enjoy tape for example, because I love how it compresses/saturates the sound, and it was the format I grew up listening to the most. CDs are important because they defined the modern album-length/duration and they're a convenient way to listen to music on a physical format. I think that the CD will be around for quite a while yet. As for digital, well I like it simply for the ease of use and convenience, but I hate heavily compressed MP3s. Nothing is more annoying than listening to your music being butchered by a crappy 96/128kbps stream. Just listen to "Hyperbox" on the 3six Bandcamp preview stream and compare it to the CD master for example. The high-end is ruined. It just sounds nasty!

Have you ever played your music in a live concert? How would be the perfect 36 concert?

No, I've been asked to do loads of live shows around the world, but always politely decline. I'm just not ready to present my music in a live environment yet. I think it would definitely have potential, but I'm not massively into the live performance thing, at least for this kind of music. It doesn't help that I still get pretty significant motion sickness when travelling, which just makes me feel really crappy for a few days afterwards. After an 8 hour flight, the absolute last thing I would want to do is stand in front of a crowd, playing music! It'd have to be a pitch-black room, because I'd look like a complete mess haha.

What are your plans for the future? Are you already working on new music?

I have learned over the last 5 years not to make any definitive plans, as I always end up breaking them and doing something completely different! For now, I'm still in down-time mode after finishing the new album and not really making much new music. The breaks always do me good and make me more inspired when I eventually get the urge to make music again. Anyway, I have a few tracks that will appear on various labels and compilations over the coming months, that are quite different to anything I've done in the past. Keep an eye out for them!

© 2014 The rest is noise

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Digital version of the strictly limited edition cassette release, available as a "name your price" download from the artist's Bandcamp site. First release "Blue" due late July/early August and features ultra-emotive "reinterpretations" of Hypersona/Hollow tracks, alongside new and unheard tracks from each era. No hype, no PR bullshit, no external distribution, just the music.

36 - Tape Series: Blue  (flac 279mb)

01 Inside (2:56AM Mix) 5:39
02 The Box (Closed Mix) 4:36
03 Forever (Universe Mix) 6:33
04 After Time 8:58
05 Glint 4:12
06 Ghostfields (Midnight Mix) 5:04
07 Far From Home 5:23
08 Darkroom Distortion (Distant Mix) 6:44
09 Siren (Seduced Mix) 6:36
10 Somewhere 5:33

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"Red" is the 2nd part in the Tape Series. Arpeggiated melodies clash with theramins, vintage synths, guitar distortion and intense basslines to provide a paranoid, unnerving soundtrack to a future that never happened.

36 - Tape Series: Red (flac  255mb)

01 Transmission 1:46
02 Theme For Red 3:38
03 Decode 3:28
04 Lights Over Wibsey 6:09
05 Peripheral Shadow 2:43
06 Null 6:39
07 Tongue Depressor 1:34
08 Lost 6:01
09 False 1:07
10 Consumed 6:46
11 End Credits 10:33

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Digital version of the limited edition cassette release, available as a "name your price" download from the artist's Bandcamp site.
"Green" is the 3rd and final part in the 36 Tape Series.

36 - Tape Series: Green  (flac 310mb)

01 Nistarim 29:57
02 Bergensbanen (Part 1) 9:38
03 Bergensbanen (Part 2) 8:07
04 Neon 8:15

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RhoDeo 1438 Grooves

Hello, so the latest bug scare on the internet is called Shellshock, a hefty name, who comes up with those names, hackers themselves perhaps on their darkweb chat fora, anyway as always they are after our (credit card) data and thefts probably won't be reported-these rarely are, after all the consumers shouldn't be frightened...leave that to that fruitcompany , iOS 8.0.1 pulled from App Store after flawed software 'turned iPhones into iPods' hahahaha that certainly trumps the bending issue.

The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (1914–2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (1934–2013), Pervis (b. 1935), Yvonne (b. 1936), and Mavis (b. 1939). While the family surname is "Staples", the group used the singular form for its name, "The Staple Singers". The family began appearing in Chicago-area churches in 1948, and signed their first professional contract in 1952. During their early career they recorded in an acoustic gospel-folk style with various labels: United Records, Vee-Jay Records, Checker Records, Riverside Records, and then Epic Records in 1965. It was on Epic that they began moving into mainstream pop markets. ......N'joy

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The Staples' story goes all the way back to 1915 in Winona, Mississippi, when patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples entered the world. A contemporary and familiar of Charley Patton's, Roebuck quickly became adept as a solo blues guitarist, entertaining at local dances and picnics. He was also drawn to the church, and by 1937 he was singing and playing guitar with the Golden Trumpets, a spiritual group based out of Drew, Mississippi. Moving to Chicago four years later, he continued playing gospel music with the Windy City's Trumpet Jubilees. A decade later Pops Staples (as he had become known) presented two of his daughters, Cleotha and Mavis, and his one son, Pervis, in front of a church audience, and the Staple Singers were born.

The Staples recorded in an older, slightly archaic, deeply Southern spiritual style first for United and then for Vee-Jay. Pops and Mavis Staples shared lead vocal chores, with most records underpinned by Pops' heavily reverbed Mississippi cotton-patch guitar. In 1960 The Staples signed with Riverside, a label that specialized in jazz and folk. With Riverside and later Epic, The Staples attempted to move into the then-burgeoning white folk boom. Two Epic releases, "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" and a cover of Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth," briefly graced the pop charts in 1967.

In 1968 The Staples signed with Memphis-based Stax. The first two albums, Soul Folk in Action and We'll Get Over, were produced by Steve Cropper and backed by Booker T. & the MG's. The Staples were now singing entirely contemporary "message" songs such as "Long Walk to D.C." and "When Will We Be Paid." In 1970 Pervis Staples left and was replaced by sister Yvonne Staples. Even more significantly, Al Bell took over production chores. Bell took them down the road to Muscle Shoals, and things got decidedly funky.

Starting with "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)" and "I'll Take You There," The Staples counted 12 chart hits at Stax. When Stax encountered financial problems, Curtis Mayfield signed The Staples to his Curtom label and produced a number one hit in "Let's Do It Again." The Staples went on to continued chart success, albeit less spectacularly, with Warner, through 1979. One more album followed on 20th Century Fox in 1981. After a three-year hiatus, they signed a two-album deal with Private I and hit the R&B charts five more times, once with an unlikely cover of Talking Heads' "Slippery People."

The Staple Singers found a new audience in 1994 when they teamed with Marty Stuart to perform "The Weight" on the Rhythm, Country & Blues LP for MCA. Sadly, Pops passed away on December 19, 2000, shortly after suffering a concussion due to a fall in his home. Cleotha died in February 2013 after a decade with Alzheimer's disease. Throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, Mavis released excellent solo material for the Alligator and Anti labels.


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Originally released on Epic in 1965 as a live in-church session, Legacy's 1991 reissue of Freedom Highway includes two of the original LP tracks supplemented by some truly spirited late-'60s Epic recordings. Despite the glaring omissions, Freedom Highway never feels like a hastily thrown-together compilation. Instead, it follows an arc that deftly mirrors the religious, political, and social fervor of the '60s as filtered through the warm vibrato of Pops Staples' amplifier and the golden throats of his brood. Gospel standards like "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and "Wade in the Water" benefit from the full band arrangements, giving them a swift kick of rock & roll that would eventually morph into the soul-funk sound of their popular '70s period. Pops, inspired by his meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., contributes the wickedly infectious title cut -- one of the two live tracks from the original -- and the incendiary "Why Am I Treated So Bad," a bluesy lament inspired by the hardships of the "Little Rock 9." As always, the vocals and harmonies are nothing short of astounding, most notably on the Mavis Staples-led "Move Along Train" -- never has gospel sounded so sexy. Each song bristles with emotion and resonates deeper with every repeated listen, resulting in an experience that transcends scripture while remaining true to its alternately redemptive and fiery foundations. Freedom Highway captures a family approaching the cusp of catharsis, and its charms lie in the world-weary delivery of its message. Their devotion has been tested and their hands have been bloodied, but their faith has grown into an endless garden because of it, and by the time they reach the spookiest version of "This Train" ever put to tape, listeners will no doubt feel as empowered as the once doomed passengers inside.

It's incredible music - passionate, powerful, profoundly musical and spiritual and relevant. This is before the Staple Singers moved to Stax and attained more mainstream success, and it is firmly in the Black Gospel tradition, but with clear social messages. A moving musical experience.

The Staple Singers - Freedom Highway (flac 257mb)

01 Will the Circle Be Unbroken 2:37
02 Move Along Train 2:25
03 Are You Sure 2:44
04 Wade in the Water 2:57
05 If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again 2:22
06 Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! 2:20
07 The Lord's Prayer 3:02
08 Jacob's Ladder 2:04
09 Why? (Am I Treated So Bad) 2:51
10 Praying Time 3;03
11 For What It's Worth 2:24
12 Hammer and Nails 2:25
13 Freedom Highway 2:55
14 What You Gonna Do? 2:37
15 Samson and Delilah 2:33
16 Nobody's Fault But Mine 2:48
17 Be Careful of Stones That You Throw 2:48
18 This Train 2:38

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This is one you are probably going to have to search out, but this gem is worth all the effort. First, take the stunning voices of the Staple Singers, with the closely blending harmonies that can only come from the years of a family singing together. Put in the crack vibrato guitar of Pops (he was a blues player early on), add in a top-notch rhythm section that play as close as it gets, and throw in the Memphis Horns. Then add some material that was just about custom-tailored for them, mixed and mastered by Steve Cropper, and you have the makings of a fantastic disc. Still, how many times have we seen all the right ingredients and been disappointed? Not this time. The only disappointment might come from the brevity of the disc; you just want it to continue. The power and majesty that these voices carry comes as close to heaven as can be felt here on earth. They are truly performers who give their all. There are few performers who could rival Otis Redding, and to try and do one of his songs while he was still alive was almost considered sacrilege, yet listen to what they do with "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." It is a completely different take, yet it loses absolutely nothing and in fact gains a new dimension with their controlled power. True, it probably helps that Steve Cropper, the co-writer of the song, is leading the backing band. Two of the highlights of an incredibly strong disc are "Slow Train," for its slow adept building of potency, and "The Weight." It is a vital testament to belief and love, and you will thank yourself for following a hunch. Their second Stax release was similar to Soul Folk in Action. The album's highlight is Randall Stewart's "When Will We Be Paid?"

The Staple Singers - Soul Folk In Action + We'll Get Over (flac 421mb)

01 We've Got To Get Ourselves Together 2:40
02 (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay 3:08
03 Top Of The Mountain 2:58
04 Slow Train 2:43
05 The Weight 4:31
06 Long Walk To D.C. 2:28
07 Got To Be Some Changes Made 2:35
08 The Ghetto 3:42
09 People My People 2:28
10 I See It 2:57
11 This Year 1:56

We'll Get Over

12 We'll Get Over 2:56
13 Give A Damn 3:17
14 Everyday People 3:27
15 The End Of Our Road 2:34
16 Tend To Your Own Business 2:19
17 Solon Bushi 1:33
18 The Challenge 3:42
19 God Bless The Children 3:55
20 Games People Play 3:12
21 A Wednesday In Your Garden 3:07
22 The Gardener 2:24
23 When Will We Be Paid (For The Work We Did) 2:39

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This album represents the Staples and Stax during the time of Wattstax when the label was entering into it's second golden age. Throughout the entire album the Stax styled funk is turned up really heavy and as far as Mavis is concerned her wailing,grunting and expansive singing really achieved it's full flower and impact. Two of these songs actually crossed the Staples over big time into the pop world and those are of course "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There". Both feature slinky,often stop and start grooves and inspirational messages that anyone with a heart can feel inner peace and joy from hearing. Yes their core soul audience who impacted heavy but everyone was invited to come on these rides as they occured and still do each time these songs show up on an oldies or retro soul radio station. The entire album is endowed with this spirited type of sound from the uplifting and onlooking "This Old Town (People In This Town" imagines a world where there is no concern for differences and peace is the way. As with much soul and funk message music of the time the Staples happily acknowledge the difference in people rather than insist everyone is the same and tries to bring to the forefront the idea that those qualities are what must bring us together as opposed to alienate.

The Staple Singers - Be Altitude Respect Yourself  (flac 252mb)

01 This World 3:36
02 Respect Yourself 4:54
03 Name The Missing Word 4:00
04 I'll Take You There 4:43
05 This Old Town (People In This Town) 4:39
06 We The People 3:50
07 Are You Sure 4:27
08 Who Do You Think You Are? (Jesus Christ The Super Star) 4:10
09 I'm Just Another Soldier 3:50
10 Who 3:13

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RhoDeo 1438 Goldy Rhox 179

Hello, today the 179th post of GoldyRhox, classic pop rock in the darklight a British rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), his younger brother David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Pick Withers (drums and percussion). Their sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, and blues, and came closest to beat music within the context of rock and roll. Despite the prominence of punk rock during the band's early years, the band's stripped-down sound contrasted with punk, demonstrating a more "rootsy" influence that emerged from pub rock.

They also became one of the world's most commercially successful bands, with worldwide album sales of over 120 million. The band won numerous music awards during their career, including four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards—winning Best British Group twice, and two MTV Video Music Awards. They originally split up in 1988, but reformed in 1991, and disbanded for good in 1995 when Mark Knopfler launched his career full-time as a solo artist. There were several changes in personnel over both periods, leaving Mark Knopfler and John Illsley as the only two original bandmates who had remained throughout the band's career.

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Most of the albums i 'll post made many millions for the music industry and a lot of what i intend to post still gets repackaged and remastered decades later, squeezing the last drop of profit out of bands that for the most part have ceased to exist long ago, although sometimes they get lured out of the mothballs to do a big bucks gig or tour. Now i'm not as naive to post this kinda music for all to see and have deleted, these will be a black box posts, i'm sorry for those on limited bandwidth but for most of you a gamble will get you a quality rip don't like it, deleting is just 2 clicks...That said i will try to accommodate somewhat and produce some cryptic info on the artist and or album.

Today's mystery album is the fifth studio album by the British rock band, released on 13 May 1985 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. Brothers in Arms charted at number one worldwide, spending ten weeks at number one on the UK Album Chart (between 18 January and 22 March 1986), nine weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and thirty-four weeks at number one on the Australian Album Chart. The album is the eighth-best-selling album in UK chart history, is certified nine-times platinum in the United States, and is one of the world's best-selling albums, having sold 30 million copies worldwide. The album won two Grammy Awards in 1986, and also won Best British Album at the 1987 Brit Awards.Q magazine placed the album at number 51 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.

Today's mystery album was recorded from November 1984 to March 1985 at AIR Studios on the island of Montserrat, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. The album was produced by Mark Knopfler and Neil Dorfsman. It was one of the first albums to be recorded on a Sony 24-track digital tape machine. The decision to move to digital recording came from Knopfler's constant striving for better sound quality. The guitar featured on the front of the album cover is Mark Knopfler's 1937 National Style 0 Resonator. The Style 0 line of guitars was introduced in 1930 and discontinued in 1941. The photographer was Deborah Feingold. Here the 20th Anniversary edition



Goldy Rhox 179   (flac 339mb)

Goldy Rhox 179    (ogg 131mb)


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RhoDeo 1438 Aetix

Hello, Obama managed to strongarm some arabic countries to help to put a stop to the IS madmen but throwing bombs won't win the war, likely drones can extend the possibilities and who knows maybe some robots may see their first battlefield employment, its unlikely any regular arabic army will go up against the blackshirt crazies- if anything these arabic armies have been shown to be inept and eager to surrender. Meanwhile peacenick Obama is forced into a war he didn't want.
Something of a climate summit has started again- duh  one or two big vulcanic explosions in South America and Indonesia and temps plummet worldwide, if not defrosting the permafrost will unleash enormous amounts of methane which is a far more dangerous gas as CO2 ever was, in short there's not much we humans can do, except develop reusable technologies like solar and tidal...

Today's band is an American rock band that went on to become one of the most successful alternative rock bands of the 1980s, selling over 9 million albums by 2005. In its early days, the band frequently played coffee houses and street corners. They were discovered by James Honeyman-Scott (of The Pretenders) on August 23, 1981, when the band was busking on a street corner in front of the Oriental Theatre, the Milwaukee venue that The Pretenders would be playing later that night.  The band found success with the release of their self-titled debut album in early 1983. it became the band's biggest-selling album and was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA   .  ....N'Joy

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The textbook American cult band of the 1980s, the Violent Femmes captured the essence of teen angst with remarkable precision; raw and jittery, the trio's music found little commercial success but nonetheless emerged as the soundtrack for the lives of troubled adolescents the world over. The group formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the early '80s, and comprised singer/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie and percussionist Victor DeLorenzo; Ritchie originated the band's oxymoronic name, adopting the word "femme" from the Milwaukee area's slang for wimps. After being discovered by the Pretenders' James Honeyman-Scott, the Violent Femmes signed to Slash and issued their self-titled 1983 debut, a melodic folk-punk collection which struck an obvious chord with young listeners who felt a strong connection to bitter, frustrated songs like "Blister in the Sun," "Kiss Off" and "Add It Up." Though never a chart hit, the album remained a rite of passage for succeeding generations of teen outsiders, and after close to a decade in release, it finally achieved platinum status.

With 1984's Hallowed Ground, Gano's lyrics began to reflect his devout Baptist upbringing, while the Femmes' music approached more traditional folk and country structures. Produced by Talking Heads' Jerry Harrison, 1986's The Blind Leading the Naked advanced towards a more mainstream sound; a cover of the T. Rex chestnut "Children of the Revolution" even became a minor hit. After the record's release, the Femmes temporarily disbanded: Gano recorded a self-titled 1987 album with his gospel side project the Mercy Seat, while Ritchie issued a series of solo LPs including 1987's The Blend and 1989's Sonic Temple & Court of Babylon for SST. (I See a Noise appeared on Dali Records in 1990.) In 1989, the group resurfaced with 3, and followed in 1991 with Why Do Birds Sing?, which featured the Femmes' deconstructionist cover of Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"

Following the release of the 1993 compilation Add It Up (1981-1993), DeLorenzo exited the Violent Femmes to resume the solo career he began two years prior with the release of Peter Corey Sent Me; his sophomore effort, Pancake Day, appeared in 1996. Former Oil Tasters and BoDeans drummer Guy Hoffman was tapped as DeLorenzo's replacement in time to record 1994's New Times for Elektra Records which proved their sole release for the label. Rock!!!!! was released in 1995 on Mushroom Records only in Australia; the live Viva Wisconsin followed on the American indie label Beyond in 1999, trailed early the next year by a new studio effort, Freak Magnet. In the spring of 2001, the Femmes released their first MP3-only album, Something's Wrong, through the website EMusic.com; it collected an assortment of rarities, including covers, acoustic live tracks, alternate versions, demos, and the like. In 2002, Rhino/Slash reissued their debut as a two-disc Deluxe Edition that featured twenty-two previously unreleased tracks, followed by Permanent Record: The Very Best Of in 2005.

Ritchie filed a lawsuit against Gano in August 2007, seeking half ownership of Violent Femmes' music and access to royalty accounting. Many speculated this would lead to the band's breakup. However, on June 17, 2008 the band released a cover of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley who had previously covered "Gone Daddy Gone". The band disbanded in 2009 as a result of Ritchie's lawsuit. In January 2013, it was announced that the Violent Femmes would be reuniting and performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April. The Violent Femmes played three shows as part of the 2013/2014 Falls Festival, performing at Marion Bay on the 30th of December, Lorne on the 31st of December and Byron Bay on the 2nd of January. On May 11, 2014, they performed at the Shaky Knees music festival in Atlanta, GA.

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One of the most distinctive records of the early alternative movement and an enduring cult classic, Violent Femmes weds the geeky, child-man persona of Jonathan Richman and the tense, jittery, hyperactive feel of new wave in an unlikely context: raw, amateurish acoustic folk-rock. The music also owes something to the Modern Lovers' minimalism, but powered by Brian Ritchie's busy acoustic bass riffing and the urgency and wild abandon of punk rock, the Femmes forged a sound all their own. Still, the main reason Violent Femmes became the preferred soundtrack for the lives of many an angst-ridden teenager is lead singer and songwriter Gordon Gano. Naive and childish one minute, bitterly frustrated and rebellious the next, Gano's vocals perfectly captured the contradictions of adolescence and the difficulties of making the transition to adulthood. Clever lyrical flourishes didn't hurt either; while "Blister In the Sun" has deservedly become a standard, "Kiss Off"'s chant-along "count-up" section, "Add It Up"'s escalating "Why can't I get just one..." couplets, and "Gimme the Car"'s profanity-obscuring guitar bends ensured that Gano's intensely vulnerable confessions of despair and maladjustment came off as catchy and humorous as well. Even if the songwriting slips a bit on occasion, Gano's personality keeps the music engaging and compelling without overindulging in his seemingly willful naiveté. For the remainder of their career, the group would only approach this level in isolated moments. In some ways this became the Dark Side of the Moon for the eighties generation. Enjoy it.

Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes  (flac 471mb)

01 Blister In The Sun 2:24
02 Kiss Off 2:56
03 Please Do Not Go 4:15
04 Add It Up 4:43
05 Confessions 5:32
06 Prove My Love 2:38
07 Promise 2:49
08 To The Kill 3:59
09 Gone Daddy Gone 3:06
10 Good Feeling 3:56
Demos & More
11 Girl Trouble 3:06
12 Breakin' Up 5:17
13 Waiting For The Bus 2:07
14 Blister In The Sun 2:35
15 Kiss Off 2:48
16 Please Do Not Go 4:17
17 Add It Up 4:34
18 Confessions 5:20
19 Prove My Love 2:49
20 Ugly 2:22
21 Gimme The Car 5:06

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01 - 04 Recorded live at the Beneath-It-All Café, Milwaukee, WI (12th September 1981)
05 - 08 Recorded live at The Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI (8th December 1981).
09 - 13 Recorded live at Folk City, New York, NY (26th January 1983).
14 - 15 Recorded live on the program "High Noon", WHA Radio, Madison, WI (6th February 1982).

Violent Femmes - Live Femmes (flac 348mb)

01 Special 4:26
02 Country Death Song 5:24
03 To The Kill 4:19
04 Never Tell 7:16
05 Break Song 0:40
06 Her Television 2:28
07 How Do You Say Goodbye 2:43
08 Theme And Variations 0:53
09 Prove My Love 3:19
10 Gone Daddy Gone 3:31
11 Promise 3:08
12 In Style 3:42
13 Add It Up 6:14
14 Michael Feldman Interview 4:08
15 Kiss Off 3:31

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After the various side projects and explorations the band got up to for most of the early '80s, not to mention switching some members around (with bassist Sauter and drummer Demeski now forming the rhythm section), the Feelies made a fine return with The Good Earth. With co-production from noted fan Peter Buck, the group exchanged some of the understated tense frazzle of Crazy Rhythms for a gentler propulsion without losing its trancy edge. Compared to the wispy jangle rock that passed for much of college radio at the time, the Feelies proposed a different path with the songs' steady pace and murkier feeling. Demeski's a more than fine replacement for Fier (his martial playing on "Tomorrow Today" is one of his many entertaining touches), Sauter's playing emphasizes controlled understatement, and the Million/Mercer guitar duo still nails it. The brisker jauntiness of songs like "The Last Roundup," which wears just enough of a country & western edge without seeming like a parody or half-assed, varies the calmer moods elsewhere very well. At the album's considerable best, such as the brief but really lovely acoustic/electric blend of "When Company Comes" or the title track, with an almost epic ending, Million and Mercer sound like they inhabit the same body playing two guitars, everything's that much in lovely sync. Their vocals ride low in the mix this time out, but thankfully the sometimes all-too-obvious hints of Lou Reed in Mercer's style have been replaced with a more unique, stronger edge -- not that the connection still isn't there on a track like the building groove of "Slipping (Into Something)." Reed would also love its concluding guitar solo!

Violent Femmes -  Hallowed Ground  (flac 244mb)

01 Country Death Song 5:02
02 I Hear The Rain 1:30
03 Never Tell 7:06
04 Jesus Walking On The Water 3:04
05 I Know It's True But I'm Sorry To Say 5:05
06 Hallowed Ground 4:12
07 Sweet Misery Blues 2:43
08 Black Girls 5:38
09 It's Gonna Rain 4:12

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A more mainstream effort courtesy of producer Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads). Gordon Gano returns to his troubled teen persona and the Violent Femmes rock harder than on their previous two releases. The Blind Leading the Naked, the third album from the Violent Femmes, has never received the attention and acclaim it deserves. It has its own sound and identity; moving away from the brash, angst-ridden testimonials of the group's early days toward a softer, sometimes mellow sound. Love & Me Make Three, World Without Mercy, Candlelight Song, Two People, and Good Friend are rather somber and sometimes soothing. Of course, Gordon Gano can only be mellow for so long.  Gano turned his frenzied vocals loose on Special and I Held Her in My Arms; these two songs, combined with the unrestrained Heartache and Cold Canyon tracks, help give this album a great balance between the hard-hitting songs you would expect from the Violent Femmes and the unusual softer side that Gano and the guys give birth to here. Add to that a nice cover of the T. Rex classic "Children of the Revolution" and produced by the Talking Heads' very own Jerry Harrison, The Blind Leading the Naked is a great album that introduces us to an entirely new type of sound from this always unpredictable and unorthodox trio of musical entrepreneurs.

Violent Femmes - The Blind Leading The Naked  (flac 228mb)

01 Old Mother Reagan 0:29
02 No Killing 5:13
03 Faith 4:12
04 Breakin' Hearts 2:15
05 Special 1:17
06 Love & Me Make Three 3:51
07 World Without Mercy 3:46
08 Held Her In My Arms 2:51
09 Children Of The Revolution 4:18
10 Good Friends 3:27
11 Heartache 2:00
12 Cold Canyon 3:21
13 Candlelight Song 3:10
14 Two People 0:57

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RhoDeo 1438 Roots

Hello, still trailing Africa's west coast today reaching Ivory Coast no ebola reported from there (yet), anyway they have been relatively prosperous these last years and have fielded a decent football team this century. 25% of the population practice traditional religions and as such hold the balance of power between Islam and Christianity. Notably, Yamoussoukro, is home to the largest church building in the world, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro (completed 1990). A big ego project by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny who ran the country between 1960 independence and his death age 88 in 1993. An enlightened leader that did leave a big hole clearly forgot to rule beyond his grave...

Calling himself an African Rasta, today's artist creates Jah-centered anthems promoting morality, love, peace, and social consciousness. With a range that moves from sensitivity to rage over injustice, much of his music empathizes with the impoverished and those on society's fringe. He is also a staunch supporter of African unity, and to this end, he sings to Moslem audiencess in Hebrew and sings in Arabic to Israelis. ... N'joy

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Hailing from the Cote d'Ivoire, Alpha Blondy is among the world's most popular reggae artists. With his 12-piece band Solar System, Blondy offers a reggae beat with a distinctive African cast. Calling himself an African Rasta, Blondy creates Jah-centered anthems promoting morality, love, peace, and social consciousness. With a range that moves from sensitivity to rage over injustice, much of Blondy's music empathizes with the impoverished and those on society's fringe. Blondy is also a staunch supporter of African unity, and to this end, he sings to Moslem audiencess in Hebrew and sings in Arabic to Israelis. Some of his best-known songs include "Cocody Rock," "Jerusalem," and "Apartheid Is Nazism."

He was born a member of the Jula tribe in Dimbokoro and named Seydou Kone, after his grandfather. His grandmother, Cherie Coco, raised him. He was always a rebellious child and for this, Coco named him "Blondy," her unique pronunciation of the word "bandit." When he started performing professionally, he took on the name Alpha (the first letter in the Greek alphabet) so his name literally translates to "first bandit." Though he grew up listenting to African folkloric music such as yagba and gumbe, his primary musical influences were such Western bands as Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and soul artists like Otis Redding. Later Bob Marley's music tremendously affected Blondy. Though he wanted to become a musician, his family expected him to become a respectable English teacher. He studied English at Hunter College in New York, and later in the Columbia University American Language Program. Outside of class, he would play music in Central Park and in Harlem clubs where occasionally house bands would let him sing his Bob Marley covers in French, English, and various West African languages. One night, record producer Clive Hunt heard Blondy sing and invited him to record six songs. Unfortunately, Hunt absconded with the tape. Shortly afterward, he returned to the Ivory Coast, where he was arrested for threatening the ambassador at the New York Ivorian embassy because the diplomat felt that Blondy's English was too good for him to be an Ivorian native. While at the police station, Blondy's temper again flared and he slapped a policeman (after the cop slapped him first). He spent a week in jail and then stayed briefly at th Bingerville Asylum in Abidjan, where he was declared reasonably sane and released. Soon afterward, he began honing his songwriting and performing skills. Later, he dedicated an album to the patients of Bingerville.


Blondy got his big break from friend Fulgence Kass, an employee of Ivory Coast Television who helped him land a spot on the Premiere Chance talent show. Singing three of his own tunes plus Burning Spear's "Christopher Columbus," the young artist was a hit with the audience. Blondy then hooked up with producer G. Benson who recorded his eight-song debut album Jah Love in a single day. The most popular song, "Brigadier Sabari," was an account of Blondy's run-in with an Abidjan police street raid in which he was nearly beaten to death. It was the first time a West African artist had dared to mention random police brutality in public. After releasing the album, he and the newly formed Solar System band signed to EMI. They recorded his second album, Cocody Rock, in Paris in 1984. Later he returned to Tuff Gong to record his third album, Jerusalem (1986). By the release of his 1987 album Revolution, Blondy had established himself as an international artist. Three years before he had been voted the number one artist by a Radio France international poll. His popularity continues to grow, and he continues steadily releasing albums. His 1992 album, Masada, was released in over 50 countries around the world and went double gold in France. Yitzhak Rabin followed in 1998; Paris Percy appeared in spring 2001. Although it was recorded in 1999, the album Elohim appeared in 2002 in Europe and three years later in America. The career-spanning Akwaba: The Very Best of Alpha Blondy was also released in 2005.

Blondy was named as United Nations Ambassador of Peace for Cote D’Ivoire in 2005 and continuously remains dedicated to his humanitarian efforts through his charitable foundation Alpha Blondy Jah Glory. His mission is to eradicate generational poverty by providing grass roots social programs that are beneficial to the lives of underprivileged children and women from villages within Africa and Haiti.

 The foundation’s remarkable programs are Tafari Genesis Retreat Camp and the Micro Loan Program.It provides training and financing as little as $50.00 U.S. dollars to assist women who have become head of households to manage, operate, and start their own businesses. Overall, Alpha Blondy empowers communities to become self sufficient by learning and utilizing basic skills. This concept generates opportunities for many women to maintain their integrity, rebuild confidence as well as provide for their families.

"Jah Victory" and was released July 2007. It features Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare as well as Tyrone Downie formerly of Bob Marley and the Wailers. "Victory" is in honor of the peace agreement that was reached and implemented in his country in March 2007. Then in 2011 Vision was released it got great reviews whiich must have invigorated him because 2 years later to celebrate his sixtieth year on this globe "Mystic Power" saw the light. It should not be passed over by fans of rootsy rocking reggae, his wonderful voice still complements his thought-provoking lyrics.



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Alpha Blondy's 1983 first album, a smash hit featuring an all-local band the Natty Rebels, had all the accessibility and directness that made him an international star. Two cuts are agreeable reggae in English; the rest is Afro-reggae and a lot more interesting for that. In some ways Blondy's music is typical of the Ivory Coast: light, accomplished, and geared to a regional rather than local audience. A dynamic early 80s album with Blondy establishing his sound and style.

Alpha Blondy - Jah Glory  (flac  326mb)

01 Rasta Poué 5:20
02 Bintou Were Were 4:56
03 Jah Glory 4:04
04 Dou Nougnan  4:55
05 Brigadier Sabari 4:42
06 The End 6:14
07 Bebi Yere Yé 6:38
08 Rasta Fou 7:09
09 Rasta Poue (Dub) 5:05

Alpha Blondy - Jah Glory  (ogg 125mb)

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Hailing from the Ivory Coast, Alpha Blondy (or "First Bandit") is one of the most popular African reggae artists, and not just in Africa.  Those who have heard "Cocody Rock" can see why this was one of his early hits, its bubbly, fun tone sure to get things moving.  For those who, listening to this song, fear that Blondy's sound may be too damn happy, fear not.  Granted, Cocody Rock!!! is more buoyant than a lot of his later material, but tunes like "Interplanetary Revolution" and "Super Powers" -- perhaps the best track here, along with the heartfelt "Tere" -- have a harder, funkier edge and a more militant message.  Blondy's voice sometimes sounds like a frog sucking on helium, but it's appealing in its uniqueness, and his simple call-and-response melodies, along with the adept instrumentation of his backing musicians (a mix of his fellow Africans and well-known Jamaicans like Earl "Wire" Lindo,  Earl "Chinna" Smith, and  Dennis Bovell, as part of the album was recorded in Paris and part in Jamaica) combine to make Cocody Rock a pleasure, brief as it may be.

Alpha Blondy - Cocody Rock  (flac  186mb)

01 Cocody Rock 4:58
02 Téré 5:40
03 Super Powers 5:17
04 Interplanetary Revolution 4:35
05 Fangandan Kameleba 5:37
06 Bory Samory 5:07

Alpha Blondy - Cocody Rock  (ogg 72mb)

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Alpha Blondy's first album on an American label, Apartheid Is Nazism is at once both scorching and peaceful, brutal and beautiful.  Blondy has tapped into that rare soothing righteousness that few artists --  Ijahman and  The Abyssinians, to name a couple -- have been able to harness.  This balance between fiery, political, cultural lyrics and icy cool, atmospheric music and vocals carries Apartheid to great heights, bolstered even further by the unique African element that Blondy adds.  Listeners like me who aren't big fans of African music shouldn't fear that this album has African influences; it is first and foremost reggae, but with an African twist -- with African drums and a mix of languages, from English to French to Arabic to Hebrew, that typifies African nations.  Since Jamaican reggae has adopted African elements, African reggae makes sense.  Indeed, many times the freshest examples of a genre come from outside its traditional circle, where experimentation isn't stifled by tradition.  Apartheid contains strong yet accessible roots throughout, featuring a great live-band sound that is more and more rare these days.  "Jah Houphouet," for example, showcases a jazzy guitar over its slow, funky rhythm, while the dubbish "Kiti" has a funky electric guitar, and on "Sahel," you can feel the horns, sax, guitar, and African drums.  Also nice are "Afriki," "Come Back Jesus," "Sebe Allah Y'e," and the title track.

Alpha Blondy - Apartheid Is Nazism  (flac  275mb)

01 Afriki 5:06
02 Jah Houphouet 5:24
03 Apartheid Is Nazism 4:48
04 Idjidja 5:01
05 Sahel 4:10
06 Sebe Allah Y'e 4:45
07 Kiti 5:15
08 Come Back Jesus 5:33
09 Djinamory 4:38

Alpha Blondy - Apartheid Is Nazism   (ogg 109mb)

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RhoDeo 1438 Cabin P 24

Hello, well the F1 race today was a bit disappointing, clearly Rosberg's car was thoroughly sabotaged it didn't start when it finally did gears didn't function , resetting didn't help, it had been completely messed up a day after it functioned splendidly. No doubt the Hamilton camp was responsible, but hey our sportsmanlike German hating Brits will never admit to such and only point their half god Hamilton had more DNF's as if that absolutes sabotaging Rosberg's car. Vettel had his first podium finish this season in front of teammate Riccardio, a shame there wasn't any rain...

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The final Cabin Pressure episode coming up

Cabin Pressure is a radio situation comedy series written by John Finnemore. Its first series was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008. The show follows the exploits of the oddball crew of the single aeroplane owned by "MJN Air" as they are chartered to take all manner of items, people or animals across the world. The show stars Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam, Benedict Cumberbatch and John Finnemore.

The principal cast, the 4-person crew, is the following:

As part of her last divorce settlement, Carolyn Knapp-Shappey (Stephanie Cole) received a mid-size (16 seat) jet aeroplane named "GERTI" (a "Lockheed McDonnell 312", registration G-ERTI). As a result, she founds her very own single plane charter airline, "MJN Air" ("My Jet Now"), which is crewed by an oddball mixture of characters who fly to various cities around the world, encountering a variety of situations.

The airline's only Captain, Martin Crieff (Benedict Cumberbatch), has wanted to be a pilot since he was six years old (before which he wanted to be an aeroplane). He suffers, however, from a distinct lack of natural ability in that department. He was rejected by at least one flight school, and had to put himself through the required coursework, barely qualifying for his certification – on his seventh attempt. He took the job with MJN for no salary at all, as long as he could be Captain. He appears to have no outside interests beyond flying. He is a stickler for procedures and regulations, but is more prissy than pompous. At the end of series two he tells Douglas that he survives financially by running a delivery service using the van he inherited from his father (running two different jobs largely explaining the lack of hobbies). This was his only inheritance (apart from a tool kit and multimeter) because his father believed he would waste any money he received trying to become a pilot. He has two siblings, Caitlin, now a traffic warden and Simon, a council administrator who often frustrates Martin with his annoying superiority. This isn't helped by his Mother's constant admiration of Simon, often saying that "Simon knows best".

First Officer Douglas Richardson (Roger Allam) is, on the other hand, a quite competent pilot who worked for Air England – until he was fired for smuggling. He chafes at his subordinate position to Martin, and misses no opportunity to flaunt his superiority in the younger pilot's face. In later episodes, it is revealed that Douglas, ashamed of his second-rate job, dresses in Captain's uniform for his wife Helena's benefit, changing to First Officer's uniform before he gets to work. Douglas is, however, something of a smooth operator who knows all of the dodges available to airline officers, and enjoys taking part in all of them.

Carolyn's son Arthur Shappey (John Finnemore) is an eager and cheery dimwit aged 29, who is supposed to be the flight attendant but usually manages to get in everyone's way. He is half-English and half-Australian; Carolyn is his English mother, and Gordon, Carolyn's ex-husband, his Australian father (original owner of Gertie). Arthur is a relentless optimist, whose biggest claim to fame is being the inventor (or at least discoverer) of fizzy yoghurt (the recipe for which is yoghurt plus time). He also celebrates Birling day, Birling day eve, Gertie's birthday and Summer Christmas, and is a definite polar bear enthusiast and expert. He is very allergic to dragon fruit and strawberries, but frequently forgets, having eaten strawberry mousse on occasion.

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Cabin Pressure - 406 - Yverdon-Les-Bains (ogg 25mb)

406 - Yverdon-Les-Bains 28:00

Martin goes to an interview with Swiss Airways, and must fight for a place as a professional pilot. Herc and Douglas battle for metaphorical control of the plane, and Arthur discovers his severe allergic reaction to Dragonfruit.


Cabin Pressure - 301 Qikiqtarjuaq (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 302 Paris (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 303 Newcastle (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 304 - Ottery St Mary (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 305 - Rotterdam (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 306 - St Petersburg (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 401 - Timbuktu (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 402 - Uskerty (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 403 - Vaduz (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 404 - Wokingham (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 405 - Xinzhou (ogg 25mb)

previously, alas those mediafirelinks are down but i compiled season 1 and 2

Cabin Pressure - Season 1 (ogg 153mb)

Cabin Pressure - Season 2 (+Xmas bonus) (ogg 179mb)

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Sundaze 1438

Hello,  in Singapore the nighttime F1 qualifying delivered some very close results.Hamilton was 007 th of a second faster as his teammate Rosberg. The Red Bulls weren't that far behind this time and another fraction ahead of Ferrari, with rain possible tomorrows race will be spectacular...


Many an artist do their own thing these days, not just music wise but start their own label too and run it's sales and marketing that's a lot on one man's plate. And as the music should take center stage and sales largely on line automated these days marketing provided by sites like 3six.net, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, mixcloud.com - all connection places that do need regular updating and as todays artist is supposedly somewhat shy not much is shared about the person behind the music, luckily the odd interview offers up some clues as to what drives the artist    ..N'Joy

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36 (pronounced three-six) is the ambient/experimental project of Dennis Huddleston from the United Kingdom. Since 2008, the focus for the project has been to develop warm, hugely emotive loop-based compositions, with particular emphasis on melody and atmosphere. He also runs the label 3six Recordings, which is used to publish his self-released works.

'Dream Tempest' is the most recent release by 36. In your own opinion, what makes it different from your previous works?

I'm pretty rubbish at describing my own music really, as it's just not something I ever consciously think about when making it. I've used the words "more optimistic" in the press-release, but it's still a very melancholic album. I don't know really, my intentions and the end-results are often two very different things! Hopefully the album still sounds fresh, without alienating what attracted people to my music in the first place. It's a 36 album!

Ambient music, is it about saying much with less?

I guess so. Even though people describe my music as ambient, it's not really a term I personally use much, at least for my own stuff. I mean tunes like 'Sun Riders' would definitely fit that "less is more" description, whereas something like 'Hyperbox' is quite the opposite. The thing I do like about ambient is that it can encompass so many things, especially these days. I mean, would you classify Tim Hecker's recent albums as Ambient, compared to say... Steve Roach? They both share a genre, but couldn't sound more different to each other. It's an interesting collective of music, if nothing else.

Even the brighter 'Dream Tempest' still has 36's distinctive sound. In a time when nearly everyone can release their music online, is style the only way to stand out?

I think that as an artist, the only thing you should concentrate on is making honest music. Don't follow trends or try to imitate your favourite artist; instead, just make music from the heart and try to make it as close a reflection of yourself as possible. I think you can easily spot the pretenders from the people who genuinely put everything into their music. In 2014, where the sheer amount of tools available to artists is so abundant, there is no excuse for any 2 artists to sound completely alike. What is the point in that anyway?

You made a name for yourself out of the "traditional" music industry. Is it hard to work on your own?

Not really. It's just more natural for me to make music and release it myself, as I don't have to worry about other egos or expectations. I'm not trying to be this maverick, loner-type who refuses to work with other artists/labels etc... I just get on with it, doing my own thing, not really worrying too much about the industry side of things. I just like making music. The rest is just noise, some of which can't be ignored, sadly.

Have you ever been approached by record labels to sign with them? Would you do it, or do you prefer freedom over mass-promotion?

Yes, quite a few times. "Signing" is a pretty redundant term now, as being under a fixed, exclusive contract with a label is an archaic practice that rarely happens now, unless it's a huge label. I like the freedom of releasing my music whenever and wherever I like, under no fixed schedule, which is why running my own label is perfect for me. I've got no expectations, other than to release the kind of music I enjoy. I don't even need to do that. If I wasn't 100% confident with the music, then I can just scrap it and move onto something else. If you've got deadlines and contractual obligations with other people, then this simply isn't possible. It's a stress I can do without.

In this sense, would you give any advice to new musicians trying to find their way on the digital media?

Labels still have their place in the world and can be particularly beneficial to people when they're starting out. They often have an existing fan base and all the promotional/distributional channels are usually already in place. If you're new to releasing music, then it can be quite daunting and many artists have zero interest in the business side of things, other than just making music. If this describes you, then finding a label to release your stuff is still probably the best option. If however you like the challenge of making something from nothing, as well as wanting complete control over who and where your music is heard, then by all means, look into the self-releasing/make your own label route. Just don't do any half-measures; It's a huge undertaking and isn't something you should do on a whim.

Which are 36 musical influences, if any? What artists do you listen to?

I always have trouble answering this question, because essentially, you're asking me to compress 30 years of music I've listened to, into just a few names, which is like reading a book, but skipping to the last page. It's a basic, shallow way of looking at things. Artists, much like anyone else, evolve their craft over the years and even though I don't necessarily listen to the same music now as I did when I was 15, it all had an impact on me, if only on a sub-conscious level. In this respect, every single piece of music I've heard is important, even the rubbish, forgettable stuff. It just meant I could avoid it in the future and concentrate more on the music I did like.

I would say that 36's albums belong more to a scandinavian sound (I am thinking about Biosphere, for instance) than a British one. Do you agree? Is there an ambient music scene in the UK? If so, what do you think about it?

I'm not sure if there is a particular "British" sound, at least in this genre. All I see are a bunch of different people, making music under an umbrella tag, that encompasses loads of different things. As I say, I try not to worry too much about other artists or my place in any scene etc.. It doesn't really mean anything to me as an artist, as all I can do is concentrate on my own stuff and let the listeners pick it apart/discuss it's relevance etc. I will say that I personally think the ambient genre as a whole is in a very healthy state in 2014. I hear great new music all the time. Bandcamp in particular has been amazing for finding new artists.

You didn't put your name in the beautiful cover of 'Dream Tempest'. Is it to say that music itself is more important than the person behind it?

Well, I mostly sell my music direct and enough people know me now that I don't need to plaster my name/face over everything, just so they can recognise it was me who made it. A simple "36" on the spine/back is more than enough for me. I'd rather separate the ego and just let the imagery and the sound do the talking.

You release your music digitally, on Cd and also on vinyl. Do you have a favourite media to listen to music? Do you believe the Cd format is on its last days?

Vinyl is my favourite, but every format has its own quirks and charms. I still enjoy tape for example, because I love how it compresses/saturates the sound, and it was the format I grew up listening to the most. CDs are important because they defined the modern album-length/duration and they're a convenient way to listen to music on a physical format. I think that the CD will be around for quite a while yet. As for digital, well I like it simply for the ease of use and convenience, but I hate heavily compressed MP3s. Nothing is more annoying than listening to your music being butchered by a crappy 96/128kbps stream. Just listen to "Hyperbox" on the 3six Bandcamp preview stream and compare it to the CD master for example. The high-end is ruined. It just sounds nasty!

Have you ever played your music in a live concert? How would be the perfect 36 concert?

No, I've been asked to do loads of live shows around the world, but always politely decline. I'm just not ready to present my music in a live environment yet. I think it would definitely have potential, but I'm not massively into the live performance thing, at least for this kind of music. It doesn't help that I still get pretty significant motion sickness when travelling, which just makes me feel really crappy for a few days afterwards. After an 8 hour flight, the absolute last thing I would want to do is stand in front of a crowd, playing music! It'd have to be a pitch-black room, because I'd look like a complete mess haha.

What are your plans for the future? Are you already working on new music?

I have learned over the last 5 years not to make any definitive plans, as I always end up breaking them and doing something completely different! For now, I'm still in down-time mode after finishing the new album and not really making much new music. The breaks always do me good and make me more inspired when I eventually get the urge to make music again. Anyway, I have a few tracks that will appear on various labels and compilations over the coming months, that are quite different to anything I've done in the past. Keep an eye out for them!

© 2014 The rest is noise

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"Hypersona", produced over a span of three years, is an ambient soundscape work by an English independent musician who prefers to stay anonymous, being part one of a trilogy. The sonic content with occasional experimental elements feels like a warm blanket, offering chill-out, uplifting and drifting soundscape tapestries and quiet piano. The real beauty and immersion comes to full blossom on pieces such as "2249", the melancholic "Inside", "Nephyr", and "Beacon",although one should pass the few short, rather abstract and rough edged interludes next to them.

The title track sure is the best track, a very nicely rendered repetitive excursion with a great, smooth flow, although the haunting and melancholic impact of the closing piece "Forever" is not to be missed either.
The "simple" soundings of "Hypersona" are exquisite and very effective, both a real treat for the ears and something to make your mind gently settle down. Nicely done indeed.

36 - Hypersona  (flac 207mb)

01 Signal 1:32
02 2249 2:54
03 Inside 5:22
04 Intercept 0:54
05 The Box 4:55
06 Nephyr 5:31
07 Beacon 3:04
08 Hypersona 5:46
09 Juliet 3:04
10 Dream Window 2:01
11 Forever 5:27
12 Untitled 0:50

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"Hollow" is the second studio album by 36, also marking the second part of a trilogy (as the cd cover states Part 2 of 3) which was started by the impressive "Hypersona".

Well, at first glance it seemed the sonic journey continued in a similar manner, but here the dreamy, textural soundscapes also occasionally feature a good portion of heavily processed guitar and vintage string pads, such as in the opening title track.

But there’s also the introspective, reflective side of the music by 36, very nicely displayed on e.g. "Find me" or "Home", which are both so delicately rendered. The music moves into more minimal territory on "Tunnel", followed by the ghostlike, organic flavoured spherics and washes of white noise of the slow morphing "Geiga".
This hypnotizing ambient music with grainy elements nicely shifts into the moody spheres of "Ghostfields" and "Freefall Peak" or the short fairytale realm of "Fiona’s Room".

"Siren" submerges in dense, cloudy soundscapes, followed by the heavy distorted and noisy sound worlds of "Darkroom distortion". Heavily processed guitar and vintage strings return on "Equassa", lending it a bit more aggressive, but still minimal vibe. The 7-minute "Arc", the longest piece on the cd, is another epic beauty. This very nice atmospheric and morphing sonic dwelling slowly expands in volume. Hypnotic sonic perfume indeed. Thereafter, "Hollow" is nicely concluded by the warm textural washes of "Lightout".

36 - Hollow (flac  273mb)

01 Hollow 3:54
02 Find Me 2:06
03 Home 4:56
04 Tunnel 4:35
05 Geiga 6:06
06 Ghostfields 3:53
07 Fiona's Room 1:05
08 Siren 4:42
09 Darkroom Distortion 2:44
10 Equassa 3:34
11 Freefall Peak 1:30
12 Arc 7:35
13 Lightout 2:33

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"Memories In Widescreen" is the first vinyl-exclusive album from 36, aka UK-sound designer Dennis Huddleston, offerings 13 ambient tracks spanning 70 minutes of material. Again, it’s a dreamy and celestial recording, featuring expansive dreamy (drone)soundscapes in a minimal style, culminating in intense and highly imaginary ambient music.

Strong moods of melancholy, spaciousness and the longing for the eternal drip through the albums veins, as beautifully visualized on the deep "After Time", "Drifta" and "Disappear". The smooth journey, a stream of thought, through clouded spheres, white noise synth washes, soft crackles and noises is immersive, hypnotizing and captivating. Beside the soft lingering title track, the massive bass drones of "Vesl" preclude the album’s last intense highlight "Revert Time". It all makes "Memories In Widescreen" another epic recording I’d highly recommend.

36 - Memories in Widescreen  (flac 387mb)

01 Before Time 5:33
02 After Time 9:06
03 Drifta 6:20
04 Drowning 5:18
05 Disappear 4:54
06 The Mirror 3:19
07 Lucid 4:43
08 Memories In Widescreen 5:11
09 Melt 5:48
10 Slide 4:46
11 Vesl 7:03
12 Revert Time 4:29
13 It's You (It's Me) 3:26

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