Give yourself the freedom, let’s bounce

For some sports you need a ball. For triathlon you need two. Writing a PhD however, requires a third. While said to be benign, the growth is known to induce severe moodswings, bouts of paranoia and insomnia. Other side effects are self-indulgence, weight loss and Sehnsucht.

One way I try to escape from it all is by running. Long distance running. Ran a 20k trail race yesterday with long time buddy Danny and was able to run consistently and comfortably at my (ideal) marathon pace of 12km/h. All along, I ran to Vaughn Mason & Crew’s timeless bassline.

Vaughn Mason & Crew – Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll (Brunswick, 1980)

Quietly taking over the world: LeFto

His taste in music is cut from the same eclectic cloth as Gilles Peterson, he’s a Nike sneakerhead, a resident DJ at  GP’s Worldwide festivals and a Brownswood regular, a radio show host at StuBru and quietly making a name for himself internationally: LeFto.

Playing with the big boys: Bruno Clerbout

Hometown favorite Bruno ‘Bruce’ Clerbout made a phenomenal Kona debut, taking 25th place overall with an astonishing 3:01:01 marathon. I have never seen Bruno this ecstatic. Way to put your name on the international triathlon map, Bruce. Ditto for Pieter Hélin (53rd place overall, as an agegrouper!). Here’s a hip hop mix to celebrate your achievements.

The Strictly Niceness magic formula

Grown folks music, good times and strictly niceness, courtesy of Phil & Bernard. Strictly niceness are monthly shindigs in our nation’s capital. Recommended. I’d never thought I’d say this, but Brussels is really growing on me. For everyone who says Brussels is a soulless bureaucracy, think twice.

A Marvin Gaye ‘audiobiography’

Jimmy Green, I salute you. You’ve made an instant classic mixtape of Marvin Gaye gems, audio snippets, blends and beats. You call it an ‘audiobiography’, I call it a masterpiece. ‘After the Dance’ featuring Biggie? Damn right. Thanks for this, Jimmy. Download. Spread the word. Dance.

Release: a grassroots multimedia event

Belgium’s leading ‘underground’ (pardon my 1990s lingo) trio of Onda Sonora, Laid Back and On Point are organizing Release, an event by and for bedroom artists. Expect work from talented but unknown artists. Entrance is free @ Beursschouwburg, Brussels, tonight from 9:00pm onwards.

They say you’re no good for me

A little synth-infused throwback soulfunk never hurt anyone. Granted, Stones Throw is milking A Strange Affair somewhat, but if they keep churning out quality remixes, keep on milking I say.

Mayer Hawthorne – Green eyed love (classixx remix) (Stones Throw, 2009)

Scrabble, globalization, dopeness

Ha, grassroots cultural productions. Does it get any better than this? Case in point: the global trajectory and flavor of Scrabble, a laid-back.be production. What started as a blog post, grew into a Japanese remix and materialized as a 7 inch. Floats my boat. If only I had a record player.

A strange arrangement of wholesomeness

Falsetto, throwback Motown soul with a hip hop pedigree. That’s what Mayer Hawthorne brings on his instant classic debut album, A Strange Arrangement. As of today, the album is available in Europe on iTunes and Stones Throw. Read the excellent two-part review on soul-sides, download a remix and indulge in some sunsoaked bliss.

The stig of hip hop, breakbeat & soul

Cue Jeremy Clarkson. Some say he makes summer mixes for the mighty LDBK massive. Facebook says he’s fond of “good music, cold beer, nice booty”. All I know is he makes luscious beats and he’s called Bongholio Iglesias.