I’VE SAID IT ONCE AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN.
HOLD ON TIGHT TO YOUR DREAMS AND NEVER STOP.
I KNOW WE HAVE ALL SEEN A LOT OF DARKNESS BUT WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP ON RAGING.

MY HOMETOWN OF MILWAUKEE HAS A STORIED HISTORY WHEN IT COMES TO AGGRESSIVE HARDCORE TECHNO. WHAT STARTED IN THE 90′S WITH THE FABLED DROP BASS NETWORK CONTINUED ON INTO THE NEW MILLENNIUM THROUGH MORE EXPERIMENTAL LABELS LIKE ADDICT AND ZOD, PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF RAVE MUSIC AND CULTURE THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH.

ALTHOUGH THE SALAD DAYS OF THIS MOVEMENT ARE OVER, LOCAL MILWAUKEE LABEL RADIO GRAFFITI IS KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE WITH A CONSTANT BARRAGE OF REALLY SICK RECORDS. STYLES RANGE FROM LO-FI GABBER TO CHIPTUNE TO ACID TO BREAKCORE, BUT A HIGH QUALITY CONTROL AND FOCUS RUNS THROUGHOUT THE LABEL’S ENTIRE CATALOG.

OWNER TYLER ST CLAIR MAKES MUSIC UNDER THE STAGEDIVER AND DISPYZ HANDLES AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE LABEL’S BEST RELEASES. THIS SHIT WILL ALWAYS HOLD A PLACE IN MY HEART AND I’M PSYCHED TO SEE KIDS DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY. NEVER STOP RAVING AND RAGING PEOPLE!

A LITTLE WHILE AGO OC RAGERS AND FRIENDS BLOK PUT OUT A MIXTAPE CALLED “NIGHTMARE COLORS” AND IT IS ILL. BLOK ARE ONE OF THE BEST LIVE ACTS IN LA RIGHT NOW, THEY COMBINE A COLORFUL CLUB KID PERFORMANCE VIBE WITH SOME SERIOUSLY SICK LYRICAL RAP STYLES TO CREATE SOMETHING THEY CAN CALL THEIR OWN. THIS TAPE CAPTURES THAT SPIRIT AND WHATS MORE, YOUR BOY (JUICEBOXXX) IS FEATURED ON THE KICKOFF TRACK! CHECK IT OUT RIGHT HERE. RIGHT NOW.

“GO TO THE CLUB ALONE” IS A DJ MIX I MADE A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT I HAVE BEEN SITTING ON UNTIL NOW. UPTEMPO MUSIC TRYING TO TELL A LIL’ STORY ABOUT HEADING EAST AND WEST FROM THE HEARTLAND IN SEARCH OF SOMETHING. NOTHING REALLY TOO OBSCURE OR NEW OR OLD OR COOL OR UNCOOL AND A LITTLE BIT BLOWN OUT. MAYBE SOME SICK “BLENDS” I DON’T FUCKING KNOW. THIS THING IS REALLY LONG AND YOU KNOW IT ALWAYS RULES WHEN DJS TALK ABOUT “TAKING YOU ON A JOURNEY” BUT WHAT ELSE CAN ANYONE REALLY SAY? THIS MUSIC SHIT IS A JOURNEY PEOPLE.

DON’T BE AFRAID, GO TO THE CLUB ALONE.

DOWNLOAD 320 MP3 HERE

TRACKLISTING AFTER THE BREAK

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HOLY FUCK THIS IS A GOLDMINE! IN THE EARLY 2K’S AND BEYOND, NEWTON AND BREATHMINT RECORDS HELD IT WAY DOWN FOR EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE NEW AMERICAN FREAKOUT SCENE. CALL IT “NOISE” OR WHATEVER BUT I PREFER TO THINK OF IT AS THE FIRST REAL PUNK ROCK MUSIC THAT I COULD CALL MY OWN.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 10+ YEARS, NEWTON HAS BEEN TOURING HIS ASS OFF AND GOING TO SHOWS AND DOCUMENTING THE SHIT OUT OF THOSE SHOWS AND NOW THEY ARE ON THE INTERNET TO WATCH ON THE BREATHMINT VIDEO ARCHIVE.

THIS IS GOING TO TAKE ME A LONG TIME TO GO THROUGH. VINTAGE FOOTAGE OF EVERYONE AND ANYONE THAT WAS RIPPING IT UP BACK WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. THE LIST IS LONG BUT LET ME JUST ROLL OFF SOME HEAVY HITTERS: LIGHTNING BOLT, COCK E.S.P., WOLF EYES, BLACK DICE, LAUNDRY ROOM SQUELCHERS, HAIR POLICE, XBXRX, ARAB ON RADAR, NAUTICAL ALMANAC, NOISE NOMADS AND MILWAUKEE HOMETOWN HEREOS NEON HUNK (VIDEO OF THEM PERFORMING AT TARANTULA HILL IN BALTIMORE IN 2K2 IS ABOVE). SO MUCH FUN AND ENERGY AND INSANITY, THESE VIDEOS REMIND ME WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THIS STUFF WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO IT.

I’M PSYCHED THIS EXISTS, HAT TIP TO NEWTON FOR PUTTING THESE ON DA NET. BEYOND OLD, THERE IS ALSO BRAND NEW FOOTAGE OF NOISE RAGERS AROUND THE WORLD KEEPING THE FLAME ALIVE. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT IS NEXT ON THE ARCHIVE, MAYBE MY “LOST” NOISE GROUP WIFEY? WE PLAYED A SHOW WITH NEWTON IN A MILWAUKEE BASEMENT SUMMER 2004. YOU NEVER KNOW!

THANKS TO MY MAN VICE COOLER FOR THE HEADS UP ON THIS ONE! JESSE MILLER IS WHATSUP, THIS VIDEO IS ONE OF THE SICKEST THINGS I’VE SEEN IN A BIT. JESSE ALSO DOES A COOL TALK SHOW AND A TON OF OTHER VIDEOS THAT ARE WORTH YOUR TIME. I’VE NEVER MET THE MAN BUT HE SEEMS LIKE HE WOULD BE FUN AS FUCK TO PARTY WITH. I CAN PICTURE THE TWO OF US HANGING OUT, SLAMMING ENERGY DRINKS AND JUST STRAIGHT UP VIBING.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT TIMES ARE TOUGH RIGHT NOW IN THE HEARTLAND AND DETROIT HAS BEEN HIT HARD, BUT THE MOTOR CITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MUSIC TOWN AND DESPITE SETBACKS CONTINUES TO INNOVATE. FOR THE SECOND INSTALLMENT IN THEIR ALREADY EXCELLENT “REAL SCENES” SERIES, THE WEBSITE RESIDENT ADVISOR TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN THE DETROIT ELECTRONIC MUSIC SCENE.

FILLED WITH A LOT OF IMPORTANT INTERVIEWS AND INSPIRING LANDSCAPE SHOTS, THIS THING IS A BOTH A GOOD PARTIAL HISTORY AND STRONG DOCUMENT OF THE PRESENT. SO MUCH AMAZING AMERICAN MUSIC HAS BEEN MADE IN DETROIT AND I’M GLAD TO SEE THAT DESPITE HARD TIMES THERE ARE KIDS KEEPING THAT TRADITION ALIVE. THE MUSIC WORK THAT MIKE HUCKABY IS DOING AT YOUTHVILLE IS INSPIRING TO SAY THE LEAST. MUSIC IS A FORCE THAT CAN CUT THROUGH THE DARKNESS, THINGS ARE FUCKED UP BUT IN PLACES LIKE DETROIT THERE IS A STRONG SPIRIT THAT REFUSES TO DIE.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN 2010 WAS THE TRILOGY OF MUSIC VIDEOS PUT OUT BY SAN FRANCISCO’S MYLES COOPER. NEXT LEVEL FUN AND EXCITEMENT BOTH MUSICALLY AND VISUALLY, THESE VIDEOS ARE THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU JUST CAN’T HELP BUT PLAY FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS. I GOTTA SAY, THEY ARE JUST THAT AWESOME! I MET MILES WHEN HE INVITED ME TO PLAY A REALLY FUN SHOW LAST WINTER IN SF AT THE NIGHTMARE CITY LOFT AND THE REST IS HISTORY. I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR WHAT TRICKS MYLES HAS UP HIS SLEEVE FOR 2K11 AND BEYOND!

MYLES COOPER MAKES HIS LOS ANGELES DEBUT FRIDAY (8/12/11) AT SANCHO WITH I.E., ESSAY, TOTAL FREEDOM AND MORE AS PART OF SEAN CARNAGE’S LA’S GOT TALENT BLOWOUT. THIS SHOW IS NOT TO BE MISSED. MORE INFO HERE. WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEOS BELOW, THEY ARE WORTH YOUR TIME AND YOU WILL LOVE THEM I PROMISE.

EVER SINCE I’VE BEEN A FAN OF RAP MUSIC I’VE BEEN A FAN OF KOOL KEITH. TRENDS COME AND GO BUT KEITH IS FOREVER. A FEW NIGHTS AGO I WAS LISTENING TO AN OLD ULTRAMAGNETIC MC’S FREESTYLE SESSION AND IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE KEITH FREESTYLE FROM THE STRETCH ARMSTRONG AND BOBBITO SHOW WITH XZIBIT IN THE LATE 90S.

KOOL KEITH CALLS XZIBIT EVERLAST AND THEN JUST STRAIGHT UP COUNTS TO 25 IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS VERSE AMONG OTHER HIGHLIGHTS. SO MUCH FREEDOM AND PERSONALITY; I REMEMBER GROWING UP GETTING SO PSYCHED ABOUT THE INSANE UNIVERSE THAT HE CREATED WITH HIS MUSIC AND MANY ALTER EGOS. I KNOW IT’S CHEESY TO SAY BUT I THINK YOU COULD CALL KOOL KEITH THE ANDY KAUFMAN OF RAP MUSIC. I PUT HIM ON THAT LEVEL AND HAVE LIFETIME RESPECT FOR THE MAN – A TRUE AMERICAN LEGEND OF THE GAME.

WHERE DO THE YEARS GO? 19-YEAR-OLD JUICEBOXXX THROWING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A SPANK ROCK SET AT A TODD P OUTDOORS PARTY IN EAST WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN. SINCE THEN 5 YEARS HAVE PASSED AND A WHOLE LOT HAS CHANGED BUT I KEEP ON RUNNING.

FOR SOME PEOPLE THIS SHIT IS OVERNIGHT BUT FOR ME IT IS A JOURNEY AND I AM A JOURNEYMAN. FROM THE HEARTLAND. I MIGHT STILL BE YOUNG BUT I’VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME HARD NOSIN’ THE HIGHWAY AND THAT IS POSITIVE. A LOT OF NEW JB MUSIC HAS COME OUT OF MY YEARS ON THE ROAD AND CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE IT WITH ALL YOU RAGERS! STAY TUNED, THE SAGA CONTINUES.