November 02, 2007
Audio. DM Rootdown 10 & 11
Audio. DM Rootdown 10 & 11: Get ready! It's the return. We mark this Friday with back-to-back episodes of the DM Rootdown. Ken Peebles was kind enough to keep pace and grace us with two crispy jams. (Don't forget to check out Ken's site - Here)
From Ken: "For Show 11 I decided to pick some of my favourite album openers. Track one is so important, especially for the hip hop consumer." And, "Show 10 brings some classic raw hip hop sounds." I hope you enjoy. Listen to Rootdown 10 & 11 after the jump.
Posted by taj at 01:31 PM
July 06, 2007
Audio. DM Rootdown Radio 009
Audio. DM Rootdown Radio 009: Someone told us that the above pic represents 9 in a scientific analysis of nuetrons and ions. Sounds good to us. Besides, it looks fresh too. We could see that being the album cover of a super hip group. So why not make it the cover pic for our 9th Rootdown? Dorks can be hip too. For number 9 Ken gives you another dose of his crushing audio.
[Words and Music by Ken Peebles] Summer is here! It is intensely hot around my place. I love it though. I can understand people feeling it’s too hot, but I’m all about it. Summer is easily my favourite season. In that spirit, I’ve provided some smooth grooves for summertime run. I hope you enjoy.
Listen to DM Rootdown Radio Show Number 9 [Here]
Posted by taj at 02:34 PM
June 05, 2007
Audio. DM Rootdown Show 8
Audio. DM Rootdown Show 8: Summertime music is a must! Thanks to all those writing in and commenting on DM Rootdown. We love your support and enthusiasm for our favorite tracks. Ken always delivers with his deejay duties. Get ready - here's show number 8!
Words & Music by Ken Peebles: "Moving kind of sucks. This edition of Rootdown is brought to you in between piles of boxes. Just like cleaning though, the one thing that smoothes out the task of organizing all your stuff is a great soundtrack. These tracks were picked out of the random things in my collection I listened to while packing. When this airs I should be back in my hometown and hopefully not regretting the purging of my magazine collection." Be sure to read Ken's breakdown after the jump."
Listen to DM Rootdown Show 8 [Here]
Posted by taj at 01:50 PM
May 10, 2007
Audio. DM Rootdown Show 7
Audio. DM Rootdown Show 7: We're back! It's another installment of DM's Rootdown Radio Show - brought to you by Ken Peebles. Thanks to everyone writing in and supporting the show. This episode has some of our favorite tracks. We hope you'll enjoy it.
Words by Ken: "From Dilla to Prince Paul, show 7 looks to production's greats for inspiration. I flipped through a few different ideas before going with tracks that have that good ol’ thump." For more, be sure to read the rest of Ken's playlist selection after the jump.
Coming at you with another installment, listen to DM Rootdown Show 7 [Here]
Posted by taj at 11:47 AM
April 02, 2007
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #6
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown Show 6: It's here! Rootdown Show Numero 6 coming live from our man Ken Peebles. Ken keeps putting the funk in the air for everyone's enjoyment. We love getting Ken's emails. His audio packages arrive with the same excitement as the Doom action figure pictured above. Folks, this episode is one of the best. JJ Fad, MF Doom, and Cool Calm Pete never lead you wrong.
The response to his shows have been amazing. It's been fun watching the following grow. Ken - Mr. Beatmaking, dejaying and design extraordinare - has been working hard and we wanted to thank him for joining the Dork Team. His work is the audible representation of what we write about. Thanks Ken! Below, be sure to listen to the show and read his breakdown of the playlist.
Listen to Dork Magazine's Rootdown Show 6 [Here]
Posted by taj at 07:55 AM
March 07, 2007
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #5
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown: Ken Peebles has done it again. Show Number 5 is ready for your listening pleasure. For all of you jamming in your office remember they say music is one of the best ways to find your creative muse. Ken never lets us down, and he's brought you another banger. Be sure to check it out!
[Music & Words by Ken Peebles] Show number five seems like the straight from tape dub edition. It’s actually a strange affair for me to physically play these tracks out on vinyl when much of my first exposure to them was playing a tape recorded from radio. As a bit of a throw back I hope you enjoy these five tracks that I feel don’t get enough light.
Listen to Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #5 [Here]
Posted by taj at 10:28 PM
February 14, 2007
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #4
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #4: Yow! Just in case you forgot, this is what we love, so get ready! We're bringing something real heavy - queue the jaylib heavy heavy sound. DM is excited to present Dork Magazine Rootdown #4. Ken Peebles - dork mag deejay, graphic designer & beatmaking music extraordinare - has compiled 5 songs for your listening pleasure. He's also crafted a nice write up for each song.
At dork central we're always talking about how context is everything. It can drive art - it certainly drives hip hop. So, with that formula we decided to explain all the things we love about the songs that we play on Rootdown. We don't regard each track as an isolated work, rather they're time capsules collectively issuing those good feelings we love. It's here. Show number 4 from DJ Ken Peebles. This episode we pay homage to the mighty flute.
Listen to Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #4 [Here]
Posted by taj at 07:24 PM
January 16, 2007
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #3
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #3: [Words & Music by Ken Peebles] Yow! It's another DM Rootdown for your listening pleasure. Show number three is a further tribute to the Godfather of Soul's influence. This edition features tunes with all James Brown samples.
With so many tunes to choose from it was hard to boil the show down to 5 simple tracks. This is by no means a top 5 list, just simply a few tracks I enjoy that would not exist without the funky soul of Sir James. You'll notice a couple of glaring omissions. One is there are no new tracks. I ended up deciding to stick to tracks from the JB sampling heyday ( late 80’s – early 90’s ) There are of course some great current uses and I highly recommend checking Where are They Now by Nas for an example. The other omission is the lack of a Funky Drummer track. To be honest because Funky Drummer has been sampled about gazillion plus one times I just couldn’t decide. Besides, that drum beat is so omnipresent you probably heard it while grocery shopping today. [Read a further breakdown after the jump]
Listen to Ken Peebles rock it on DM Rootdown Show Number 3 [Here]
Posted by taj at 12:18 AM
December 26, 2006
Audio. Goodbye James Brown
Audio. Goodbye James Brown: [Words & Music by Ken Peebles] Rootdown Show #2 is dedicated to Mr. James Brown. What can be said about a man whose influence has spread so wide. Although he enjoyed a long and full life, I am none the less saddened by the passing of a musical legend. Perhaps like myself you had only come to realize the reach and power of James Brown in the last few years. I was raised on hip hop and it would only be until I started digging into its roots that I'd discover the innovators of Funk that gave birth to the sound I know and love.
Outside the standards like Papa’s got a brand new bag and Sex Machine I heard as a kid, it would be the Funky President 45 and the Black Caesar Soundtrack that would really pull me into the power of the James Brown sound. The blaring horns, the random screams and grunts over the track and the rhythmic style that would change the world. That signature funk sound has become a permanent fixture of the pop culture landscape with pieces of Funky Drummer popping up everywhere. The hardest working man in show business will certainly not be replicated anytime soon. He kept his band tight - producing an impeccable sound and electrifying show. The music always had a great blend of fun, soul, danceability and meaning.
Listen to Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #2 [Here]
Posted by taj at 03:41 PM
December 12, 2006
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #1
Audio. Dork Magazine Rootdown: It's what we love, so get ready! We're bringing something real heavy - queue the jaylib heavy heavy sound. DM is excited to present the first Dork Magazine Rootdown. Ken Peebles - dork mag deejay, graphic designer & beatmaking music extraordinare - has compiled 5 songs for your listening pleasure. He's also crafted a nice write up for each song.
At dork central we're always talking about how context is everything. It can drive art - it certainly drives hip hop. So, with that formula we decided to explain all the things we love about the songs that we play on Rootdown. We don't regard each track as an isolated work, rather they're time capsules collectively issuing those good feelings we love. Be sure to check for the Dork Mag Rootdown every other week. Also, major thanks to Ken for kicking off the first one.
Listen to Dork Magazine Rootdown Show #1 [Here]
Posted by taj at 10:02 PM