DJ-Kicks

by Kamaal Williams

Overview

Kamaal Williams' DJ-Kicks mix is intended as a tribute to London's underground music scene and culture, spanning house, broken beat, jazz-funk, and many other styles. The mix mirrors the selections one might hear on El Primo, the monthly NTS Radio program the artist hosts under his birth name, Henry Wu. As a listening experience, the mix is filled with abrupt switches, change-ups, dissolves, and vibe-out moments, seemingly approximating a night spent trying to visit every club in South London for a few minutes each. It also highlights the artist's skill as both a musician and cratedigger, dropping in several of his own creations (as both Williams and Wu) among dozens of records dating back to the early 1980s. Early on, he includes a live recording of his track "Snitches Brew," released as the B-side of a 2018 single, which flips from a meditative groove to an up-tempo breakbeat wig-out filled with loads of fiery soloing. From there, we hear oddities such as "Space Invaders," a stripped-down Afrofuturist electro track by Lord Tusk, and "Buggin' Out," a mind-blowing piece of hyperactive drum'n'bass by Seiji. The longest stretch with a consistent rhythm occurs in the middle of the mix, when he blends house tracks by Wbeeza, Awanto 3, and Lone (the absolutely ecstatic "Airglow Fires") along with his own productions. Williams brings back more of the jazz with Tenderlonious' flute-heavy "Song for My Father," takes a breather with his own "Shinjuku," dips into the broken beat scene for a bit, then ends everything with "Strings," an extensive jam filled with rubbery bass, wobbly synths, and uplifting sax. The mix superbly demonstrates how the contemporary jazz scene and club culture have cross-pollinated and influenced each other. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	11/15/2019
Label:	!K7
UPC:	0730003738821

Tracks

1. Sometimes  -  Budgie  - Ben Scholefield  - Kamaal Williams
2. Snitches Brew [Live in Atlanta]  - Kamaal Williams
3. Summer Madness S.A.  - Karriem Riggins  - Kamaal Williams
4. Space Invader [Vocal Mix]  - Ibrahim Gana  -  Lord Tusk  - Kamaal Williams
5. Buggin' Out  -  Seiji  - Kamaal Williams
6. Hey There  - Steve Spacek  - Steven White  - Kamaal Williams
7. Speed Metal Jesus  - Max Graef  - Kamaal Williams
8. Two Tens Madam  - Kaidi Tatham  - Kamaal Williams
9. Southern Freeez  -  Freeez  - Peter Maas  - John Rocca  - Andy Stennett  - Kamaal Williams
10. Stuck  - Peven Everett  - Kamaal Williams
11. Sirens  - Jamal Thomas Banton  -  Hard House Banton  - Kamaal Williams
12. Cause I Love You  - Diggs Duke  - Jonathan Meacham  - Kamaal Williams
13. MovingUp  -  DJ Harrison  - Kamaal Williams
14. Ein Kola Bitte!  - Julius Conrad  - Max Graef  -  Ratgrave  - Kamaal Williams
15. He¿¿¿s So Crazy  -  Wbeeza  - Kamaal Williams
16. Pregnant  -  Awanto 3  - Steven Van Hulle  - Kamaal Williams
17. 117 Careplan  - Kamaal Williams  - Henry Wu
18. Airglow Fires  - Matt Cutler  -  Lone  - Kamaal Williams
19. Projections  - Earl Jeffers  - Kamaal Williams  - Henry Wu
20. It's All in the Groove  -  City People  - Rex Leon  - Irfan Rainy  - Kamaal Williams
21. Peace and Love's Comin  - Phil Asher  - Kamaal Williams
22. Song for My Father  - Ed Cawthorne  -  Tenderlonious  - Kamaal Williams
23. Lowrider  - Yussef Dayes  -  Kamaal  - Kamaal Williams  - Henry Wu
24. XL  - Steven Julien  - Kamaal Williams
25. Shinjuku [DJ-Kicks]  - Kamaal Williams
26. Wivout U  - Kamaal Williams  - Henry Wu
27. Nuts  -  Dego  - Kamaal Williams
28. Time Humbles Us All  -  K15  - Kamaal Williams
29. Strings [ATL]  - Kamaal Williams

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kamaal Williams   Primary Artist
Freeez   Primary Artist
Karriem Riggins   Primary Artist
Peven Everett   Primary Artist
Kaidi Tatham   Primary Artist
Phil Asher   Primary Artist
Diggs Duke   Primary Artist
Hard House Banton   Primary Artist
City People   Primary Artist
Wbeeza   Primary Artist
Dego   Primary Artist
Lone   Primary Artist
Awanto 3   Primary Artist
Max Graef   Primary Artist
Earl Jeffers   Primary Artist
DJ Harrison   Primary Artist
Tenderlonious   Primary Artist
Henry Wu   Primary Artist
Lord Tusk   Primary Artist
Yussef Kamaal   Primary Artist
K15   Primary Artist
Ratgrave   Primary Artist
Steven Julien   Primary Artist
Budgie   Primary Artist
Seiji   Primary Artist
Steve Spacek   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Karriem Riggins   Composer,Producer
Seiji   Composer
Peven Everett   Composer,Producer
Kaidi Tatham   Composer,Producer
John Rocca   Composer
Phil Asher   Composer
Ed Cawthorne   Producer,Composer
Diggs Duke   Producer
Andy Stennett   Composer
Wbeeza   Composer,Producer
Dego   Composer,Producer
Peter Maas   Composer
Steven White   Composer,Producer
Matt Cutler   Composer,Producer
Irfan Rainy   Composer,Producer
Rex Leon   Composer,Producer
Max Graef   Composer
Earl Jeffers   Composer,Producer
DJ Harrison   Composer,Producer
Steven Van Hulle   Composer,Producer
Henry Wu   Composer,Producer
Yussef Dayes   Composer,Producer
Kamaal Williams   Composer,Producer
K15   Composer,Producer
Steven Julien   Composer,Producer
Ben Scholefield   Composer,Producer
Ibrahim Gana   Composer,Producer
Jamal Thomas Banton   Composer,Producer
Julius Conrad   Composer
Jonathan Meacham   Composer