Now-Again Records

Koushik – Cold Treats

Koushik is no stranger to the Now-Again Records catalog. His “Cold Beats” EP, featuring Percee P and based around samples from the Cold Heat compilation (NA 5017), contained so many raw interpretations of those heavy funk skillets that we had to give him access to the catalog to see what he could cook up next.

Out of the frying pan, into the freezer, then, with Cold Treats. Here Koushik crafts a range of beats that range from horn-driven hip hop (courtesy of The Stark Reality) to bonus beat madness to new takes on the four on the floor disco rhythms of the Record Player… and beyond.

Tracklist:

01. Dreams (Pt. 1)
02. Dreams (Pt. 2)
03. Doublesum
04. Bouncebouncebounce
05. Spacejack
06. Ta2
07. Get Everything In
08. Wiggle Dogs
09. Kashdoinit
10. KTH
11. On This Earth
12. Dtop
13. Rollercombat
14. Skipthis
15. Oosh It
16. Mivory
17. Peetey
18. Cold Beats Intro
19. Cold Beats Bonus Beat 1
20. Cold Beats Bonus Beat 2
21. Cold Beats Bonus Beat 3
22. Cold Beats Outro
23. Letitout
24. Basketball Beat
25. 2much4tender
26. Wiggle Free
27. 92
28. Jamnesty

Produced by Koushik.

CD. 2008. NAML003.

Oh No and Percee P – OH NO and PERCEE P Vs. Now-Again

Tracklist:

01. Praise
02. Verbal Heat Rapid Fire
03. Know My Voice feat. Diamond
04. Rock The Spot
05. No Time feat. Chali 2 Na
06. Comin’ Out
07. Watch Your Step feat Vinnie Paz and Guilty Simpson
08. Last of the GOATs – feat Prince Po
09. As Far As You Can Take It
10. The Page That Built Me feat Aesop Rock
11. A Message
12. Love the Lady

Produced by Oh No

CD. 2008. NAML002.

Funk Archaeology on NPR

Egon’s once sporadic blog on NPR.org is now an official column on the site. Funk Archaeology promises regular trawls through Egon’s collection of global funk, soul, psychedelia and hip hop. Sign up for the RSS feed here and check his latest piece on West African Discoveries at the WFMU Record Fair.

MULATU ASTATKE AT THE LUCKMAN

Last night was trippy. The Luckman Theater at Cal-State LA’s El Sereno campus. 7 pm, buzzed off the Hennessey that Madlib, Lo and I were swirling in the car. Playing scratchy Ethiopian 45s (dropped to CD, of course) as a motley crew of attendees made their way in and settled into their assigned seats. Music – way too quiet. Where the hell is the monitor (no wonder I decided against a career in this). Quantic comes on stage, holding an original Getachew Merkuria LP in a tattered sleeve. “You bought that in Addis?” The affirmative nod from a grizzled face. Damn. I need to go there. Making my way back stage – there’s Mulatu. Wow. That’s really Mulatu Astatke. “Can I take your picture?” The polite nod. “I put out The Heliocentrics music.” “Ah, Quinton…” No… That’s not me. “Do you know Malcolm?” “Yes, of course, the bandleader…”
Cut’s on stage with one turntable and eight effects pedals. Sudanese funk blending with Girma Beyene over Turkish breakbeats. Good job Lucas. Phil Ranelin’s here, skinny as a rail, all soul. Azar Lawrence, bald now, and rounder than I remember on that Prestige Record. Bennie Maupin. Muynungo! “Still got any copies of that Co-Real Artists 45?!” I need to make it down to Angeles Vista.

Mulatu on stage. Big band. They sound good. Damn, how I wish Malcolm were here. Jake and Adey would have been nice. But Connie Price is holding it down on guitar. Fuck! “Tezeta” is just gorgeous. Standing next to Mulatu’s daughter, she has the same LV handbag Lo does. Crazy. Bennie Maupin’s clarinet solo. I just want to cry.

The place is packed. How many people here? “Mulatu” comes off; Todd Simon kills the trumpet solo. “Yegele Tezeta” sounds like the Ethiopian “Theme From SWAT.” But I’m all smiles.

Late night, downtown at some loft…too many glasses of Frei Petit Syrah. 2 am, nursing mojitos with Phil Ranelin and Madlib. Photo opp? Grabbing Mulatu’s head. Damn I shouldn’t have done that. But… It was there.

ADM pushes a Beybonlar 45 my way, and a Cem Caraca “Gilgamis.” Gotta make it to the bank in the morning.

Nigerian Psychedelic Rock, Funk and Afrobeat

Now-Again, via direct contracts with artists as varied as Wrinkar Experience, The Strangers, One World, The Funkees, The Cee Jeebs and others, represents both master and publishing on a host of 60s, 70s and 80s psychedelic and progressive rock, funk, soul and afrobeat.