March 29, 2011

Talib Kweli & 9th Wonder in MIami On The Floor! RBMA


Talib Kweli & 9th Wonder On The Floor Red Bull Music Academy Sessions live in Miami WMC 2011! Here's a dope live recording of the event that took place at The Florida Room featuring one of hip hop's greatest Talb Kweli with producer/dj 9th Wonder!

There aren't many MCs like Kweli. He keeps the spirit of old school hip hop alive and well, with a dextrous technique and a deep, spiritual flow that could cut through floodplains. Delivering the first acclaimed Black Star LP with Mos Def and Hi-Tek set Kweli on a road of beats and messages, exploring roots, culture, and community with an energy that doesn't take the tempting paths of greed, selfishness, and consumerism for granted. Kweli has always stuck to his guns: whether he's collaborating with Kanye West, Madlib, or Dave Chapelle, Kweli's lyrics speak of a message way bigger than the sum of their parts. After creating his own record label Blacksmith Records, his drive shows no signs of slowing, and with each new release he delivers antidotes not just to vapid, plastic hip hop, but to the wider ills of culture and society in general. Enter 9th Wonder: born, raised and residing in North Carolina, 9th Wonder is the production third of the state's biggest hip hop export, Little Brother. Heavily formed by golden era producers, the soulful warmth of his production technique has seen him work with underground stars like Murs and Jean Grae, as well as producing for US pop royalty like Jay-Z and Destiny's Child. Catch them both live at Florida Room in Miami Beach.




Trippin in a cab in Miami..


This past week in Miami during the Miami Music Week tripping in a Cab with a wacky cabbie on the way to the Get Lost Party at The Electric Pickle in Miami. Notice the Ultra Fest Zombies attacking the cab we are in.. LOL

March 24, 2011

The Yellow Sun for Japan Remixes!


In response to the events in Japan, I've decided to release new remixes of my older production, "The Yellow Sun." Featuring various remixes from friends willing to donate their time on this project where all proceeds of sales go to Red Dot Releif Fund for Peace Boat. Also in the process is an event on April 17th at Saki Bomb in St Pete, Fl. featuring several djs & artists with all door sales going to the charity. So here's the first remix from Cubanix more on a deep tip, enjoy.


March 23, 2011

RIP Loleatta Halloway


Loleatta Halloway recently passed away at the age of 64 of heart failure, and left behind a legacy of amazing soulful gospel inspired music to the human race. I remember hearing about her first back in the 80s during my b-boy breakdance era with her "Crash Goes Love" on the label Streetwise, which was also home to New Order, New Edition, John Rocca, and many other electro inspired 80s dance.


You may also remember her classics "Love Sensation," "Hit & Run," and especially the Norman Jay anthem "Runaway." We will all definitely miss her live performances, but the music lives on in our hearts on the dancefloor everytime the dj drops that Halloway jam!





For more on Loleatta Halloway click here!



March 18, 2011

Thomas Dolby on RBMA Radio


RBMA Radio strikes again with an amazing Fireside Chat!! This time around its with legendary synth maestro Thomas Dolby! Known for all his amazing hits in the 80s that broke ground in pop music with the introduction of electronic instruments. Afterwards he took a hiatus from music to develop software for ringtones, now hes back making music into the 21st Century.



From his early days playing keyboards in Paris' Metro underground, Thomas Dolby Robertson has always worked to merge creativity and technology into a cohesive musical expression. As a teenager he got the nickname "Dolby" after his friends noted his assorted experiments with various keyboards, synthesizers and cassette players. It was that same fascination that drove him to become the iconic songwriter and tech entrepreneur that he is today. After a difficult start and a brief stint busking on the Paris subway, the advent of MTV brought him more widespread exposure through his perfectly produced videos. 'She Blinded Me With Science' became his first huge hit and what followed was close to world domination - well, some albums, numerous awards and five Grammy nominations anyway. However his success as an artist, arranger and producer wasn't enough, so started his own company, Beatnik to help in the development of synthesizers and audio software. This took up most of his time until he re-emerged again in the music scene around 2006, with his first solo performances in over a decade and new original work in the making. In the meantime hear about his love of synths to 'The Golden Age of Wireless' to meeting Michael Jackson. Entertainment indeed.


Mr. Clean the mixtape! Miami Music Week Sampler#2

Springtime Techno Cleaning mix by Chang Bang, see you in Miami for Ultra Miami Music Week!  Who can be Mr. Clean this year? LOL

March 16, 2011

Miami Music Week 2011 (March 22 - 28)


Ok so this year the whole WMC got split like a banana with it being not one, but 2 seperate weeks in the month. So I decided to go at the end of the month for the so called Miami Music Week from March 22 - 28. Kind of a pain in the ass trying to figure out whats going so I used The Miami New Times & friends as the source for alot of these events. If you have anymore I missed feel free to comment below. Also these events are subject to change, and on some of them I estimated what time they might be over. Your best bet is to look for some of these on Facebook, Miami New Times, Resident Advisor, or Want Tickets WMC 2011 to get exact closing times. 
Peace & Safe Dancing!








Red Bull Music Academy 2011


It's that time of year again for the Red Bull Music Academy to take place, and applications are being accepted now till April 4th! It's a great oppurtunity to collaborate & network with a global collection of creative musicians & producers with some of the world's greatest all time studio heads! 

The Red Bull Music Academy is a series of music workshops, a platform for those who shape our musical future. Every year, two groups of 30 selected participants - producers, vocalists, DJs, instrumentalists, and allround musical mavericks from all around the globe - come together for two fortnight-long 'terms'.


At the Academy you will hear lectures both from pioneering mavericks of old and trailblazing sound rebels of the present, followed by late-night recording sessions putting that breadth of knowledge and inspiration into practice in ten custom-made studios. Then there’s the chance to perform in some of the host city’s most iconic clubs and concert halls. And there's still plenty of time to check gear, chat on tunes, jump on live radio broadcasts, get a glimpse into local musical hybrids, and ask the questions you were always keen on asking, as well... If you ever chat with any past alumni, they often describe the experience as a game changer.


For more info go to: Red Bull Music Academy
Click here to download application!

Note: For anyone locally in the West Florida area from Tampa down to Naples email me at: djchang@redbullmusicacademy.com
if you have any questions, if you are local we can also mail it out for you.
Good Luck!




Check out the RBMA Youtube site for more videos!

Red Bull 45s Tampa (March 3, 2011)


Red Bull 45s came to Tampa on March 3rd Thursday over at Czar in Ybor City with a massive headline of awesome djs all rocking strictly 45rpm records back to back on 4 dj setups! The headline consisted of Diamond D, Rich Medina, Rob Paine, and dj Shakey, with end of the night headliner Kenny Dope with local djs Chang (myself), Blenda, and Mega! It was a night of many rare & known old school musical gems being banged from funk, soul, rock, reggae, dancehall, disco, to hip hop! 


The turnout was awesome spanning a multitude of cultures, ages, races, and styles which can be a rareity in this area to see normally together on one night. The event was also hosted & mced by Yo Majesty's Shunda K during the 4 dj setup showcase where each dj had 10 minutes to jam their own collection of 45s. Many b-boys were in the house dancing, breaking, and pop locking to the beats, and even NYC Hip Hop dj legend Charlie Chase showed up for a visit. 


Not known to many Charlie Chase is now residing in the Tampa area, so it was cool to see the Old School hip hop heads out to. Many great comments after the event on my Facebook page on how unique & great the music and party was. One of the highlights for sure was watching Diamond D cut up and backspin those 7" records like they were 12"s! Amazing. 


The variety was great with the reggae/dancehall stylings of Rob Paine, the disco/hiphop/funk/80s stylings of Rich Medina, the rare groove/soul/vocal stylings of Shakey, to the Old School funk/disco/rock breaks of Diamond D. The night ended with Kenny Dope rocking his massive collection of rare 45s that had many in awe by the end of the night. 

        


        











Check out more pictures of the night at: Party Foulz & Drunk Camera Guy!