Jetcomx: Indie Rock & Hip-hop Music Blog » Diplo

Diplo & Douster – ON!

Andrew Boni — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 04:17:02 +0000

Check out the new track by Diplo and French DJ Douster titled “ON!” As one might expect, it’s got some outrageous beats complemented with a few samples like The Beatles’ A Day in the Life.

Diplo’s been hard at work as of late. Just last week, he released a preview of a new track with mega-producer Steve Aoki.

Diplo & Douster – ON ! by diplomaddecent

M.I.A.’s Vicki Leekx Mixtape

Andrew Boni — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 01:03:33 +0000

Courtesy of Jess Baumung, AUX TV

M.I.A. just dropped her latest mixtape, Vicki Leekx, as a free download on her site. Being the political person she is, M.I.A. chose the name Vicki Leekx due to the fact that it’s a play on the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks that’s been in the news recently.

The mixtape is definitely reminiscent of her most recent studio album Maya, which means that I’m a little disappointed. There’s a noticeable lack of catchy beats or lyrics; the whole thing just sounds rather flat, which is definitely surprising. You’d think that with fellow producers Diplo, Switch, Rusko & Blaqstarr helping out on the mixtape, the result would be nothing short of amazing. Check it out and decide for yourself.

DOWNLOAD: Vicki Leekx by M.I.A.

Behind the Scenes with DJ/Producer Diplo

Andrew Boni — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:55:42 +0000

Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known by his stage name Diplo, is one of the hottest DJs/producers in the hip-hop/dance-funk genre today. To most people, he’s known for producing the 2007 smash hit single “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. But to others, he is one half of the collaborative side-project Major Lazer with fellow DJ Switch. Diplo is also owner of the Mad Decent record label, which has signed such artists as Blaqstarr, Boy 8-bit, Crookers, Rusko, and Toy Selectah.

Recently, Diplo sat down for an interview with Creators Project at Bob Marley’s legendary recording studio down in Jamaica. Check it out.

Remix Fridays: MGMT, Drake, Justice, Wu-Tang, Kid Cudi, Ratatat, Kings of Leon, Phoenix, Imogen Heap, Feist, Yeah Yeah Yeahs & More

Andrew Boni — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:05:09 +0000

For this week’s Remix Friday, we’ve got some tight jams that are sure to make their way onto your weekend playlist. The remixed tracks are songs originally done by MGMT, Drake, Justice, Wu-Tang, Kid Cudi, Ratatat, Kings of Leon, Phoenix, Imogen Heap, Feist, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The remixing artists are Chiddy Bang, Matamatics, Starters, Benny Benassi, DJ Slink, Alex Metric, Diplo, and A-Trak. Listen to all of them and enjoy.

Mixtape Mondays: DJ Benzi, Plain Pat, and Kanye West – Sky High

Andrew Boni — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:28:27 +0000

Just released earlier this week, Sky High, by DJ Benzi and Plain Pat features remixes of 18 well-known Kanye West tracks, including “Good Morning,” “Champion,” “Get ‘Em High,” “Love Lockdown,” and “Stronger.” The tracks on Sky High were plucked from all four of Kanye’s albums (The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, and 808s & Heartbreak) as well as Estelle’s Shine. After giving this mixtape a couple of listens, it definitely ranks above some of the other Kanye West remix albums floating around out there. The best tracks on the mixtape are A-Trak’s remix of “Get ‘Em High” and “Stronger” as well as Discotech’s remix of “Homecoming,” which features Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Listen to “Stronger” remixed by A-Trak:

Here’s the complete tracklist on Sky High:

1. (00:01:18) Kanye West – Sky High Intro
2. (00:03:08) Kanye West – good Morning ft. Big Sean (The Kickdrums Remix)
3. (00:02:54) Kanye West – Champion (Nick Catchdubs Remix)
4. (00:02:49) Kanye West – Barry Bonds (Eli Escobar Remix)
5. (00:03:01) Kanye West – Crack Musik (Cookin Soul Remix)
6. (00:00:30) Kanye West – We Major (The Kickdrums Remix)
7. (00:04:12) Kanye West – Get Em High (A-Trak Remix)
8. (00:02:45) Kanye West – Throw Some (Cousin Cole Remix)
9. (00:03:54) Kanye West – Electric Touch (Steve1der & Mighty Mi Remix)
10. (00:03:25) Kanye West – Love Lockdown (Tom Wrecks Remix)
11. (00:02:36) Kanye West – Flashing Lights (Diplo Remix)
12. (00:02:39) Kanye West – Addiction (Kenny Dope & Terry Hunter Remix)
13. (00:02:39) Kanye West – Stronger (A-Trak Remix)
14. (00:02:07) Kanye West – Impatient Boy (Benzi Refix)
15. (00:03:01) Kanye West – HomeComing (Discotech Remix)
16. (00:02:37) Kanye West – I Wonder (Scottie B Remix)
17. (00:03:11) Kanye West – good Life (Strech Armstrong Remix)
18. (00:04:26) Kanye West – Can’t Tell Me Nothing (Dj Godfather Remix)

Click here to download Sky High

Diplo and the Mad Decent Crew Take Cambridge & Boston by Storm

Andrew Boni — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:27:35 +0000

Diplo Peforms at the Middle East in Cambridge

Sweaty, drunken teen girls bumping and grinding with a giant slice of cheese pizza on a stage is usually something that only occurs in the most bizarre of fantasies. But, on Friday October 17th, Diplo and the Mad Decent crew (shoutout to Pizzaboy) made this a glorious reality.

Scheduled first to play at the Middle East nightclub in Cambridge, Massachusetts was South London’s Boy 8-Bit. His incredibly daft hands worked the turntables and mixers and crafted out amazing beats. His live remix of DJ Mujava’s Township Funk was simply amazing, as was his performance of the hit The Suspense is Killing Me. Unfortunately though, since it was 9:00PM, the dance floor was sparsely populated. Only a few hardcore hipsters were out there getting down.

At 10:00PM the all girl trio Telepathe (pronounced “TEL-EP-ATH-EE”) took center stage. Their music was a stark contrast to Boy 8-Bit’s upbeat club tracks. The tempo of the songs were pretty slow, and the guitar used the same few chords over and over. Poor microphone levels prevented most of the crowd from hearing lead singer Busy Gangnes’ vocals, but Telepathe managed to get the crowd going nonetheless.

When 10:30PM rolled around, Los Angeles’ Abe Vigoda took the stage. A few fans in the front row attempted to buy the shirt of of guitarist Juan Velazquez’s back for $10, which resulted in a hilarious “NO! I LIKE THIS SHIRT!” Age Vigoda then proceeded to rock out for the next 45 minutes or so.

After Abe Vigoda played their final song, it was time for what everyone came to see, Philly’s own Diplo. His set included 5 rectangular, colorful LED lights, that pulsated with the beat of the music. They also ended up blinding most of the people in the front row. As soon as he stepped on stage, the crowd began to go crazy. About 10 minutes into Diplo’s set, Pizzaboy popped out from backstage and got his groove on. In no time, a few girls hopped up on stage and danced. Following them were a few guys. After that, everyone else who wanted to get close to Diplo jumped up on stage. All in all, this was one of the sweatiest, most fun dance parties that I have ever been to in my life.

Check out the videos below. They are in chronological order of Diplo’s set.

[flv:/wp-content/video/diplo/P1020325.flv 570 428]

[flv:/wp-content/video/diplo/P1020326.flv 570 428]

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Singer/Producer/Emcee M.I.A. is Pregnant with First Child

Andrew Boni — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:24:09 +0000

M.I.A. Donning a Baby Bump at Diesel's XXX via lastnightsparty

In somewhat of a shocking revelation, Jetcomx has learned that artist Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A., is pregnant with her very first child. The reports were confirmed when pictures and video surfaced of her with a baby bump. The father of the baby is fiancé Ben Brewer, the front-man of New York City-based rock band The Exit. The details of her pregnancy were leaked during an exclusive interview on PitchforkTV, the sister site of the highly influential indie-music website. As if there was any doubt about the pregnancy, in the video interview taped before her Saturday night performance at Diesel’s XXX Party, the singer stated that she was currently “creating a baby.” She also brought up the fact that,

“When I found out I was pregnant and Paper Planes was in the iTunes top 10, it seemed like the whole world was reshuffled in one week, and all my plans went out the window. And that’s the lesson…you can’t make plans…”.

Back in the summer, M.I.A. announced that she was performing her last show ever. She cited such reasons as travel and visa snafus. The pregnancy, though, was probably the main reason of the cancellations.

It is interesting to note that M.I.A. is more active in producing music than she’s ever been before. She has been seen collaborating on Baltimore-based teen rapper Rye Rye’s debut album, as well as recording covers of Tom Waits’ Way Down In The Hole (from TV’s The Wire) with hip-hop artist Blaqstarr. She has also been seen going back into the studio with fellow producers Switch and Diplo, reportedly to work on a follow-up to Kala.

[flv:/wp-content/video/miapregnant.flv 570 428]

Mixtape Mondays: Santogold and Diplo's Top Ranking

Andrew Boni — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:38:55 +0000

On this fine mid-September day here in the Mixtape Mondays segment, we present to you the mixtape
known as Top Ranking by Santogold & producer/DJ Diplo. On Top Ranking, we are fortunate enough to hear three new Santogold tracks, as well as fresh, new mixes by Philly’s own DJ Diplo. Also featured on several of the 35 tracks that comprise Top Ranking is XXXchange, Movado, Switch, Kid Cudi, M.I.A., and many others. Check out the full tracklist and download the album below.

01. “Dub Selection Intro”
02. Three 6 Mafia: “Late Night” (Unstoppable Mix)
03. Santogold: “Shuv It” (Disco D Blend) [exclusive]
04. Santogold: “I’m a Lady” (Diplo Mix ft. Amanda Blank) [exclusive]
05. Sir Mix-A-Lot: “Posse on Broadway”
06. Santogold: “Lights Out” (Diplo’s Panda Bear Mix) [exclusive]
07. Aretha Franklin: “Save Me”
08. Devo: “Be Stiff”
09. B-52’s: “Mesopotamia”
10. Gerri and the Holograms: “Gerri and the Holograms”
11. Santogold: “Anne” (Switch Mix) [exclusive]
12. Santogold: “L.E.S. Artistes” (XXXchange Mix ft. Movado)
13. Cutty Ranks: “Dutty Six Pack” [exclusive]
14. Santogold: “Find a Way” (Graeme and Switch Mix ft. Kid Cudi) / Lunar Camel [exclusive]
15. Richie Spice x Ratatat: “Marijuana”
16. Desmond Dekker: “007 (Shanty Town)”
17. Santogold: “Guns of Brooklyn” [exclusive]
18. Dixie Cups: “Iko Iko”
19. Tony Matterhorn: “Big Belly Guns” [exclusive]
20. Santogold: “Get It Up” (Radioclit mix ft. MIA & Gorilla Zoe) [exclusive]
21. “Mark Ronson in Studio”
22. Trouble Andrew: “Run – Hide”
23. Sister Nancy: “Pigeon Rock”
24. Nora Dean: “Barbwire”
25. Shinehead: “Know How Fe Chat”
26. The Clash: “Ghetto Defendant”
27. Warrior Queen: “Check It”
28. Santogold x Benga: “Unstoppable / Night Dub” [exclusive]
29. Shawty Lo x Skream: “Dey Know / Stagger”
30. Santogold: “Creator” (Mumdance Mix ft. Jammer, Badness, Chronik Rage, Slikman & Tempz) [exclusive]
31. Xray: “Turbulence Dubplate” (Starstruck Diplo Mix) [exclusive]
32. Barrington Levy: “Send a Moses”
33. Prince Jazzbo: “Ital Corner”
34. Santogold: “Icarus” [exclusive]
35. Santogold x Diplo: “Right Brigade” (hidden track) [exclusive]

Click here to download Santogold and Diplo’s Mixtape Top Ranking.

The Funk from Rio de Janeiro

priyanka — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:57:55 +0000

The sounds of Brazil have finally traveled to the north! With bands like Cansei de ser Sexy and Bonde de Role, it’s no wonder that North Americans can’t get enough of Brazilian music. In particular it seems Funk Carioca, or Brazilian funk, is on the rise. Something about the raw beats and the ludicrous nature of the lyrics seems refreshing compared to standard synth influenced dance music. In the Rio de Janeiro area, funk has evolved into music that breaks down social and racial barriers. Popular Baile dance parties are thrown where every social class enjoys Funk Carioca. Non-Brazilians call Funk Carioca Baile because of the close relationship between the two. The misnomer was created by Diplo when he used what he called “baile” tracks in his mixes. The popularity of baile was further cemented by M.I.A.’s “Bucky Done Gun” which was also produced by Diplo. Her track sampled Deize Tigrona’s baile funk song “Injeção.”

Here are some Baile mixes by Diplo from Fabric Live 24:

This is from MC Leozinho
MC Leozinho – Ela So Pensa Em Beijar.aif – 41.29MB

This little diddy is from Mr. Catra
Mr. Catra -Vem Nha Nha.aif – 31.28MB

Here is the video to Diplo’s “Wes”
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The Roots Picnic in "Iladelph"

priyanka — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:31:19 +0000

On Saturday June 7th, the Roots hosted a musical festival in Philadelphia. The boys from “Iladelph” decided to give their beloved city a taste of a delicious musical concoction of bands such as Sharon Jones + The Dap Kings, Gnarls Barkley, The Cool Kids, Deerhoof, J*Davey, and Esperanza Spalding. Diplo and ?uestlove also hit the decks in a separate air-conditioned DJ tent keeping the concert goers happy while each of the bands got ready for their set.

The main venue was, in the spirit of the name, held outside. Despite the unbearable heat, the crowd was awed by every performance. Everyone forgot about the heat when lead singer of J*Davey, Jack Davey, hypnotized the audience with her sweet and slow lyrics. The audience vibrated with energy the second that The Roots came on to the stage. ?uestlove pounded out some amazing jazzy drum beats, and the whole set was a display of The Roots’ mastery of music and instruments. Similarly, the beats that Diplo was pounding out in the DJ tent almost rivaled ?uestlove’s ability. In the middle of Diplo’s set there was a surprise performance by Rye Rye, a protege of M.I.A.’s from Baltimore. She performed a mix of her most popular songs including “Shake It to the Ground.”

However, the initial response to Deerhoof’s performance by the audience was mock appreciation. Yet, it soon turned into a real appreciation for Deerhoof’s unconventional musical method. Even the most Guido of guys was getting into Tokyo native Satomi Matsuzaki’s quirky vocals and Greg Saunier’s wild drumming. But it was clear the audience was more appreciative of hip hop beats because they went crazy for a certain rap duo when they responded to the chant, “When I say ‘COOL’ you say ‘KIDS”. I think The Cool Kids were such a big hit with the audience because the majority of the crowd was 20+ years of age and they got the allusions to famous rap lyrics of the past.

It is quite clear that The Roots accomplished their goal of providing the audience with high quality, diverse music and creating a peaceful atmosphere. I can only hope to see such a spectacular display of musical mastery again.