Our charismatic host and "Zwart Licht" frontman Akwasi Ansah is currently playing a lead role in a Likeminds production called "Hate". "Hate is based on the groundbreaking and still very relevant movie "La Haine". 

Go check that out!

Illco has been obsessed by this record for quite a few years, so he believes it's only right to let all of you know that he is finally the proud owner of this beautiful record! And is indeed a bit of a show off..

_Oh, happy day! Music sales have finally reversed their perpetual downward trend over the past several years, and, in an unprecedented display of humanity, the RIAA has opted to discontinue their tyrannical opposition to gratuitous file-sharing!

If only fate were so kind. As it turns out, overall album sales in the US did, remarkably, show a slight increase in 2011, but the more significant news at the moment pertains the sales of vinyl records, which have grown every year for the past six years and which increased by 25% in 2011, from 2.8 million in 2010 to 3.5 million. Have vinyl record manufacturers felt the urge to contact their doctors yet? Because this commercial erection appears to be lasting way longer than four hours.

What could possibly account for the ongoing resurgence of a medium that was previously shunned for its supposed obsolescence? Ironically, it may have something to do with the physical prominence and relative indispensability of records themselves — in other words, as a way of implicitly counteracting the digitization of music and entertainment in general, people have returned their interest to a format that requires their attention and may be a greater signifier of their passion for music than something as impersonal and easily discarded as MP3s. That’s just one theory though. Given how objectively inferior the sound quality of records are when compared to CDs, I’d like to chalk it up to some form of misplaced elitism, but I’m also quite willing to appreciate the fact that records do have their appeal, even if that appeal is based entirely on the subjective preference of the listener. Don’t hate.

Meanwhile, here is the top 10 best-selling vinyl albums of 2011, all by really white artists:

01. The Beatles - Abbey Road (41,000)
02. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (29,700)
03. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (27,200)
04. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (26,800)
05. Radiohead - The King of Limbs (20,800)
06. Adele - 21 (16,500)
07. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (16,200)
08. Wilco - The Whole Love (14,900)
09. The Black Keys - Brothers (14,200)
10. The Black Keys - El Camino (13,800)

Island boogie to the highest degree! Keep an eye out for this!

Since it's a bit of a rarity Mr. Mendel took the time out to make a little re-edit for you and yours! So while diggin' for this Island jewel have a listen, you won't regret it!

We have been listening to this for quite a while, and it gets better each time we give it a play. Some quick background info...

This is a very special record. Andrew Wartts  recorded this album in 1980 for the Champ label and enlisted the help of Earl Wright, Oliver Sain’s guitarist, among others. Raised in St. Louis with Donny Hathaway, Wartt’s stripped down gospel funk sounds at least ten years behind the times. That’s a good thing.  “Peter And John” was recently featured on the Numero Group’s excellent gospel compilation, Good God! Born Again Funk. A very special thanks to Paul “Quo” Kwiatowski for remastering the recording and removing the high-pitched squeal from the original master.

We would be more than delighted if this get's a proper repress. But in the meanwhile check it out here!

Back! 2012 in full effect... The world didn't end, good music is still alive and vinyl sales keep on rising!
We're continuing our vinyl crusade at our lovely home Canvas. Expect r&b, disco, afro, reggae, hiphop, soul music...beautiful music, no strings attached.

DJ's Illco & Mr. Mendel
Hosted by Akwasi (Zwart Licht)