"Welcome To Jamrock" : 2004's Best Reggae Song

The best reggae song of 2004 is undoubtedly Damien “Jr. Gong” Marley’s “Welcome To Jamrock” (Ghetto Youths). Toasting rapid-fire over a sample of Ini Kamoze’s 1984 track “World A Reggae” (produced by Sly & Robbie), Marley depicts the side of Jamaica that tourists rarely see. Like his father before him, Marley is at his best when he’s telling it like it is. The lyrics, which you can read below, take you CNN-style to battleground Kingston, with vivid images of the dark side of a thug life fueled by poverty, roadblocks set up by police and the poor alike, and the idle promises of politicians.

To put the song in context, as of Oct. 3, 2004, the Jamaican Gleaner reported that the murder rate for the year was 1,030 persons (in a country with a population of 2.5 million). The week before Hurricane Ivan struck, 34 died in a seven-day period, the storm reported killed 37. Jamaica has the fourth highest crime rate per capita behind Russia, Brazil and Colombia. Clearly, even the son of an icon is not immune to the community's tensions, and Damien has found an adept voice to characterize his nation’s plight.

When Bob Marley sang “every man have a right to decide him own destiny” (“Zimbabwe”) in 1979, few in the West were thinking about the struggles for self-determination taking place against a backdrop of the Cold War in Africa. At the time, America supported apartheid in South Africa and the CIA was fighting proxy wars across the continent. So when Bob sang, “Soon we’ll find out who is the real revolutionaries, and I don’t want my people to be tricked by mercenaries” he was invoking the kind of veiled leftist rhetoric that had Jamaica’s Michael Manley-PNP (Peoples National Party) government economically blacklisted until a regime change swept Edward Seaga to power shortly after Reagan was elected in the US. Bob Marley (having been nearly assassinated in 1976 before a political peace concert) walked a tightrope, commenting on politics in Jamaica and abroad; topics that Damien seems to have comfortably adopted.

Unlike his singing siblings, Damien “Jr. Gong" took a different path, becoming a conscious Rasta DJ in the style of Capleton or Anthony B. His militant wails come closest to his father's passion, although some would argue that Damien’s brother Ziggy sings the most pitch-perfect. But unlike Ziggy’s watered-down, flowerchild odes, Damien’s music is ardent and forthright; a staple not lost on “Jamrock”’s growing audience.

In the past two months the track has quickly become a staple at dancehalls in San Francisco, and is both the most re-wound track at local club nights Bless Up (Milk Bar) and Give Thanks (Club Six), as well as the top selling single at Wisdom Records. Interestingly, this is the first time in a while that San Francisco actually launched a track to a greater global status, beating even London (where its currently #3 on BBC 1Xtra’s chart) and New York to the punch. So while other massives were dancing to “Father Elephant,” longing for the imprisoned Jah Cure or burning Babylon with Sizzla, “Welcome To Jamrock” quietly ascended to a higher level. And when you hear it, you’ll overstand what I mean.

(Lyrics courtesy of Selectaz.com)

Intro: (Sample of Ini Kamoze)
“Out in the streets, they call it murder!”

Verse 1:
Welcome to Jamrock, camp where di thugs dem camp at
Two pound a weed inna van bag
It inna yuh hand bag, yuh knapsack it inna yuh back pack
Di smell a give yuh girlfriend contact
Some bwoy nah notice, dem only come around like tourist
On di beach wid a few club sodas
Bedtime stories, and pose like dem name Chuck Norris
And don’t know di real hardcore
Cause Sandals a nah back too, di thugs dem weh do weh dem got to
And won’t tink twice to shot yuh
Don’t mek dem spot yuh, unless yuh carry guns a lot too
A pure tuff tings come at yuh

When Trenchtown man stop laugh and block-off traffic
Then dem wheel and pop off and dem start clap it
Wid di pin file dung and it a beat drop it
Police come inna jeep and dem caan stop it
Some seh dem a playboy (dem) a playboy rabbit
Funnyman a get dropped like a bad habit
So nuh bodda pose tuff if yuh don’t have it
Rastafari stands alone!

Chorus:
(*Bounty Killa sample)
Welcome to Jamrock, Welcome to Jamrock
(Ini Kamoze sample)
“Out in the streets, they call it murder!”)

Verse 2:
Welcome to Jamdown, poor people a dead at random
Political violence cyaan dun
Pure ghost and phantom, di yute dem get blind by stardom
Now di Kings Of Kings a call
Old man to pickney, so wave oonu hand if yuh wid mi
To see di sufferation sick mi
Dem suit nuh fit mi, to win election dem trick we
They they don’t do nuttin at all

Come on let’s face it, a ghetto education’s basic
A most a di yutes dem waste it
And when dem waste it, dat’s when they tek di guns replace it
Then dem don’t stand a chance at all
And dat’s why a nuff likkle yute have up some fat matic
Wid di extra magazine inna dem back pocket
And have leisure night time inna some black jacket
All who nah lock glocks a dem a lock rocket
Then will full yuh up a current like a short circuit
Dem a run a roadblock which part di cops block it
And from now till a mornin nuh stop clock it
If dem run outta rounds a brought back ratchet

Chorus(*Bounty Killa sample)
Welcome to Jamrock (Southside, Northside)
Welcome to Jamrock (East Coast, West Coast, huh, yo)
Welcome to Jamrock (Conwell, Middlesex ?) Hey!
Welcome to Jamrock
(*Ini Kamoze sample)
“Out in the streets, they call it murder!!!

Outro:
Jamaica Jamaica! Jamaica Jamaica! Now!
Jamaica Jamaica! Yo! Jamaica Jamaica!
Welcome to Jamrock, Welcome to Jamrock

:Find "Welcome to Jamrock" on 7", along with thousands of others at Ernie B's Reggae Distribution

What Is Dirty House?

“I think the dirty house sound of San Francisco is a response to the super-clean, smoothed-out deep house that was prevalent for so long,” says DJ Monty Luke when I probe him about the City's sleaziest new dance trend. Change has come with a thud again to a city used to earthquakes, only this time it’s not building foundations that are shaking, but the town's music sense . Call it electro-house, disco-punk or bleep-funk–however you refer to the gritty dance groove taking over Fogtown’s tastemaker watering holes, one thing’s for sure–it’s dirty.

With inspiration taken from Detroit electro, Chicago acid house, Italo-disco, early-90s Strictly Rhythm singles and rock bands playing around with pawn shop drum machines, dirty house is a combination of the best of old and new dance music, re-formed via a loose, sexy attitude. In the same way that radio rap has strayed from strict syncopation in favor of slightly off-time handclap beats and dragging bass-lines, house has drifted away from polished music and toward slapdash sounds. And San Francisco has been right there in the forefront of dirty house labels, producers and clubs. But if you really want to hear what this music is about, stroll down to any number of recently opened alcohol dens, especially those without signs in front.



In a notoriously drunken city with a nonchalant dress sense, dudes at bars rock hoodies under vintage jeans jackets over blue Dickies with low-top Chucks and sit back-to-the-bar chugging pint glasses of vodka-anything. Girls sashay in self-sewn stripped skirts, long-sleeve thermals, sheer tunics and re-made housecoats looking casual-fabulous right down to their thrifted pointy shoes. Its in the bars where these kids meet–Arrow, The Top, Amnesia, Rickshaw Stop and Rx Gallery (not to mention a new proliferation of warehouse jams around the city) that dirty house has taken hold. Travis Kirschbaum (a.k.a. DJ TK Disco) reckons the music is “a darker, edgier side of house–kind of a backlash to whole late-90s deep-and-jazzy thing, [which] all started sounding the same.” He surmises “I think the kids just want something new.”

Although primarily an underground phenomena, one of the refreshing things about the dirty house scene is how it’s proponents reject elitism in favor of a “one nation under a groove” attitude. Case in point, Luke has a residency at 1015 Folsom where he drops some dirty cuts. Whereas electroclash music seemed pretentious and artificial, dirty house is populist, funky and all encompassing. Kirschbaum adds, ”At the end of the day it's all just house music. The last thing we need is for another sub-genre to come along and segregate us even more. I mean we're all in this together right?”



The dirty house movement has come together globally, represented by labels like Germany’s Get Physical and Gomma, Scotland’s Soma, the UK’s Electric Avenue, Freerange and Session joining France’s Tigersushi and American imprints Modal, Environ, Gallery and Grab. Each of them uniquely heralds this mishmash of Talking Heads bass loops and distorted Roland synths. Dirty house DJ sets are a sloppy, anything-goes hodgepodge of music that includes artists as diverse as Brooks, Chicken Lips and Booka Shade, to !!!, Kid Creole and Yazz.

(Booka Shade)

SF has plenty to brag about too, with bands like the Invisibles, Paradise Boys and Boyskout adding synthy house beats to their rock repertoires, labels like producer Ben Cook’s Rong Records or Garth of Wicked’s Greyhound, plus DJs like Solar , Jeniluv, Charlotte the Baroness, Anthony Garlic and Phillip Sherburne who are all blurring the boundaries between house, techno and 80s-inspired dance music.



Other producers such as Layne Fox, Broker Dealer (pictured above) and Charles Spencer have their own approaches to dirty grooves and have represented it well on local and international wax. But SF’s dirty house sound shouldn’t be dissected for too long, better to just toss back a stiff shot and get sweaty to it on a weeknight. This music is about music, not about obscure tracks or who you know in the “scene”. As Luke succinctly proffers: “You can get real ill and dirty by simply mixing the right cuts together.”

: Hear a great cross-section dirty house downloadable music clips at Syntax Recordings , a division of Syntax Music Distribution.

Running In San Francisco

(pictured: San Francisco runner Chris Lundstrom)

If you’re willing to brave foggy, windy, 50-degree temperatures–in June–a swathe of unexpected hills of various altitudes, city traffic and the occasional hippie drum circle , San Francisco is an incredible city to run, jog or amble through. Scenery, greenery and gradual challenges await runners in San Francisco, a city where you can find a 5K, 10K, half-marathon race or simply a friendly run with strangers almost any weekend of the year.

Although I began running in high school (cross-country and track) at the time I was also an avid skateboarder. San Francisco is a skateboarder’s utopia, provided you can deal with the wear and tear of landing on concrete, cartilage damage and over-zealous cops. If my knees allowed for it, I would skateboard daily, but running is increasingly becoming an alternate for those who crave an individual active outlet that involves navigating local and foreign terrain.

Big yearly races include the 70, 000-person strong Bay To Breakers , which crosses the entire city from east to west; there’s also the whimsical Run To The Far Side , 10K based on Gary Larsen’s comic strip and the Zippy 5K , featuring the famed pinhead cartoon character. But in addition to the competitive, corpo-sponsored mainstream races, there are plenty of renegade and grassroots running events throughout the year as well. Flash-mob running is not uncommon either.

If you fancy a training group or running team as a means to motivate your 12-hour-a-day working self, groups, from the drunk-and-disorderly Hash House Harriers , to more sedate PacWest Athletics, meet regularly to develop fitness and introduce all levels of runners to the activity. Every Thursday I train with the K-Stars running group, which includes men and women who range in age from 12 to 60, including a former Army captain and a Grammy-nominated experimental classical composer.

You don’t have to be a jock to run: many former and current punk rockers, ravers and progressive types like to get sweaty. The tattoo and dyed hair quotient ratio is probably higher than you might think at races, ‘cause after all, many runners were outcasts, artists and anti-athletes in their youth. So grab a pair of shoes, sign up for a race or just get out and explore distance on your own two feet.

Spots:
Kezar: A public, rubber-surface track open daily until 9PM, located adjacent Golden Gate Park at Frederick Street at Stanyan Street. Near Haight St, restaurants, Cala Foods supermarket and the dreaded hippie hill!

Golden Gate Park: 50 city blocks of paradise. Trails, polo field running circuit and varied courses for all levels. The dirt trails, botanical gardens, duck ponds, lakes and diversions make it an always-new and challenging option. Secret spot: find Strawberry hill (a trail surrounded by Stowe Lake in the middle of the park!) and view the city from the top.

Ocean Beach: From Fulton Ave to the north to Sloat Ave. to the south, this flat stretch of Pacific Ocean beach features brilliant sunsets and a soft surface option for runners with bad knees, very accessible by public transportation (5 Fulton bus, N Judah MUNI train).

The Presidio: San Francisco’s most challenging trail running. Near Golden Gate Bridge, miles and miles of winding up-and-down-hill dirt trails surrounded by pine and eucalyptus groves.

Crissy Field/Marina: With the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts dome as your backdrop, run along San Francisco Bay, and don’t forget to high-ten the bridge at Fort Point. Nearby are the city’s best running shoe stores including Sports Basement, Metro Sports and Fleet Feet.

Best of 2004 Music Recommendations (a long post).

The following were some of my favorite albums and singles of 2004. The styles range from acoustic folk to reggae, soul and indie rock. I hope you get to hear some of what made my year listenable...

1.Joseé–Lost Souls Dancing (Inertia) Joseé’s debut album, Lost Souls Dancing, is also her first on the venerable British label Inertia. Inertia emerged around 1997 as a label pushing its own brand of downtempo music, with flagship producer Hefner being a favorite on Radio 1 host Giles Peterson’s “Worldwide” broadcast. Hefner (Lee Jones) co-produced most of Joseé’s album, and the songs are somewhere between Norah Jones’s plaintive songwriting and DJ Shadow’s sample trickery. Joseé’s voice is perfectly understated and consistent. She’s not over-singing like many vocalists these days. Also, one of the achievements of electronic music recently has been to blur the lines between live instrumentation and samples. Throughout Joseé’s album its difficult to figure out where the real instruments stop and the programming begins–and that’s the point.

2. Kaki King–Legs To Make Us Longer (Epic) I rue the fact that I missed every one of the three shows that Atlanta-by-way-of-Brooklyn native and fingerpicking acoustic guitar sensation Kaki King played in the Bay Area in 2004. The real treat was probably her solo performance at Berkeley coffee house Freight & Salvage; I doubt she’ll play anything that intimate for a while (actually, I just found out she's returning to this venue Friday Jan 28, 2005). King's been featured on NPR, signed to Epic and receiving critical acclaim all over the damn place. But what is a former subway busker and devotee of guitarists like Michael Hedges and John Fahey doing on a electronic music editor’s top-of-the-year list? Well, for one, I’m a music fan first, with tastes as diverse as the Jam, Comets On Fire and Augustus Pablo. But regardless, this album is flawlessly constructed and the work of a guitar prodigy. It’s a poignant display of acoustic prowess taking in classic, flamenco and American/British folk guitar traditions. Like an instrumental Nick Drake with a few twists thrown in, King will bow you over.

3. Murcof–Utopia (Leaf) Murcof is Fernando Corona, a former member of Tijuana’s Nortec Collective, one of the first groups of Mexican producers to explore minimal techno as well as indigenous sounds. Corona’s music is a somber mix of classical instrumental samples and clicky, digitized rhythms. Apparently, 21 Grams director Alejandro González Iñárritu has tapped Corona to score an upcoming movie. You can read more about Murcof at the excellent posteverything

4. Midnite (any recordings) (Rastafaria) Midnite are an amazing reggae band from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The band is fronted by two brothers who spent five years living and gigging in Washington DC (which has a sizeable Caribbean ex-pat population) and have recorded an astounding 10 albums since 1999, often releasing two or more a year, all on tiny independent labels. They recall reggae’s early-80s roots era of post-Marley vocal trios such as Black Uhuru, Israel Vibration, Mighty Diamonds, Gladiators etc. But there’s something different about Midnite that can only really be understood at their live shows, often two-hour marathons of uninterrupted music where they slow down, dub out and extend tracks from their various recordings. It’s a seriously meditative experience. Much of their fan base has grown via word of mouth, which, in combination with the live show might classify them as a “jam band”. But I’d rather just say that they’re the best reggae act I’ve heard in about a decade.

5. Various–Bombay Beats (Water Music) You might hear a bhangra artist like Shi GC on a visit to SF Pakistani/Indian food spot Naan & Curry (O'Farrell at Jones). His music is from the Punjab region, a slice of land on the Indian/Pakistan border near the disputed Kashmir territory. Originally farmer’s work music, this form of bhangra soon became the party soundtrack for many Indians and Pakistanis abroad. The music was mixed with many forms of British breakbeat and American hip-hop, and the tune, “Beware of the Boys,” by Panjabi MC and Jay Z, spent a short while on the US charts last year. Bombay Beats is one of the better collections of Punjabi bhangra that I’ve heard, although if you want the authentic stuff, buy some CDs at an Indian corner store in the Tenderloin. And make sure you try the Tandori Prawn at Naan & Curry on O’Farrell!

6. GB–Simply So feat Spacek-SA-RA Remix (Sound In Color) GB has a new album, Soundtrack For Sunrise, out on So Cal label Sound In Color. “Simply So” appears on it, but you should really check for the 12” single remix by SA-RA Creative Partners, a trio from New York/LA that are considered a “group to watch” in 2005. On their remix, SA-RA applies a bit of classic Stax soul, a bit of Outkast sass and a loose, laid-back attitude to GB’s original track, which features UK vocalist Steve Spacek. Global soul, baby–ya heard?

7. Platinum Pied Pipers–Stay Withy Me (Ubiquity Records) Platinum Pied Pipers are a production duo from Detroit (now based in Brooklyn), made up of Waajeed–known for his gritty hip-hop style (and work with Slum Village)–and his partner Saadiq, a master keyboard and guitar player, brought up under the tutelage of world-renowned songwriter Barrett Strong (arranger for Marvin Gaye), who brings the element of improvisational live instrumentation to PPP’s sound. Vocalists Tiombe Lockhart and Georgia Ann are featured on “Stay With Me.” Check Waajeed's site Bling 47.

8. Estelle–1980 (V2). I don’t know too much about her other than she was a pop star in Britain this year. I can see why based on the MP3 of her nostalgic hit "1980" that my friend, music journalist Dave Stelfox emailed me one day. I love technology.

9. Mark de-Clive-Lowe–Tides Arising (Antipodean) Mark de-Clive-Lowe is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from New Zealand. He is known for flying to London and crashing on peoples couches, then playing wicked keyboard solos on British dance tracks. A song like "Traveling" is a good example of an offshoot of UK underground electronic music called broken beat. Broken beat takes elements of jazz, funk, fusion (think Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters), house and a stutter-step rhythm pattern. This track features S.F. MC Capital A and London vocalist Bembe Segue. I play a lot of music in this vein when I DJ.

10. Double Identity–Can't Explain-Titonton remix (Voltage Music) Self-promotion warning! Double Identity is my production alias. I’ve been making tracks for about five or six years now, and released three previous singles on my own Voltage Music label. "Can't Explain" is from my next single (out Feb 05) and a cornerstone of an album I’ve nearly finished. Titonton Duvante runs Residual Records in Colombus, Ohio and is an accomplished techno and broken beat producer, as well symphonic composer for modern dance companies.

11. Mu–Out Of Breach (Output Recordings) Once upon a time, there was a producer from Detroit named Maurice Fulton. He decided he would program drum machines and play keyboards…as wrong as he possibly could. What resulted was a string of groundbreaking dance music albums for labels like Nuphonic and Warp. He’s lived in New York, Australia and now Sheffield, UK with his Japanese-born wife Mutsumi, or Mu. Mu is in the Yoko Ono school of experimental vocalists. She likes to scream and caterwaul–a perfect compliment to her husband’s mentally unfit and dead funky tracks.

12. Rhythm King & Her Friends–I Am Disco (Kitty Yo) Rhythm King & Her Friends are a trio of girls from France, now residing in Berlin. They take riot grrrl politics and cheap drum machines and make groovy punk dance music. Like Le Tigre or Chicks On Speed, RK bring punk back to the garage–-the same one that Silicon Valley computer businesses are dreamed up in.

13. Mission of Burma–On Off On (Matador) Mission of Burma is a cult post-punk band in the ‘80s that reformed in 2001 and then released one of 2004’s best rock albums on Matador. I’ve chosen a ballad track from their album On Off On (the group’s first new studio recordings in 22 years), but trust me, the rest of the record kicks butt. (True fact: lead singer Roger Miller has severe tinnitus and must play live wearing firing-range headphones).

14. The Six Parts Seven-[Everywhere] [And Right Here] (Suicide Squeeze) For you Tortoise fans out there: I don’t know too much about Kent, Ohio’s The Six Parts Seven except for, wow, based on their album, Ithink they’d be amazing to see live. I missed their last show at SF venue Bottom of the Hill, but I won’t miss their next one, guaranteed.

15. Ulrich Schnauss–A Strangely Isolated Place (Domino) Berlin’s Ulrich Schnauss is one guy, but he sounds like a full band. Using some special programming tricks, he’s able to make his synths sound like shimmering guitars (a-la Cocteau Twins). His album represented an unprecedented retro-music trend–-the return of shoegazer! That’s right, the music popularized by Lush, Ride, My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive is back with a vengeance. But back to Schnauss–-his production techniques are flawless, flowing and sound a bit like the last Air album, Talkie Walkie (sans the corney neo-70s futurism). Schnauss is daydream music.

16. The Boats–Songs By The Sea (Moteer) The Boats are from Scandinavia, I think. Barcode zine said this about their album: “Dulcet tones, wandering, distant female vocals, sine waves, and gritty, scratched layers of sound envelope this collection of songs in a intricately dreamily nostalgic haze. However, the often ghostly music, comparable to IDM artists, Mum, is also lit up by gently melodic keyboard tones that bring a whole new perspective to the album.” And then IfMusic.com said, “The faces behind the project have a history of performing in many bands, Hood and The Remote Viewer being but two fine examples. There’s Craig and Andrew delicately weaving together these exceptionally moving pieces, while Elaine sings along in a fluttering, beautifully broken manner.” So I guess they’re Brits after all, cause Hood are from ‘tea-bag land’ (as my friend, musician Sid Griffin, lovingly refers to Blighty).

17. Studio One Dub (Soul Jazz) There would be no reggae with out Studio One producer, label owner and Downbeat sound system founder Sir Clement “Coxsone” Dodd. He died summer of 2004 of a heart ailment, stunning the reggae fraternity worldwide. Studio One was Coxsone and vice-versa. In the ‘60s, he assembled the best musicians Jamaica has ever seen, including The Skatalites, Leroy “Heptones” Sibbles and Jackie Mitoo and created the most everlasting cannon of Jamaican music the world has known. UK label Soul Jazz (of the 100 Dynamite compilation series) befriended Dodd and began reissuing his best loved tracks and rare music from his vaults that had never before been issued. You can also find great Studio One collections on the US Heartbeat label, in addition to Soul Jazz’s many Studio One releases (including Studio One Funk, Studio One Soul, etc.). My pick track off this album is the instrumental of “Hooligan", recorded by the Paragons (featuring John Holt), famous for their hit “The Tide Is High” covered by Blondie.

A CD featuring tracks by the above listed artists is available for readers of this blog for the cost of postage and a blank CDr Email me for details.

About Umoja Soundsystem...

(L-R: Destroyer, Culture D, Monalisa, Jun, B-Love, Tomas,
Black Shakespeare, DJ Daz)

The Umoja Soundsystem DJ collective was established in 1992 in Los Angeles by DJ's Tomas and Daz originally as a club night called Umoja Jazz & Ragga Lounge, and later as a association of likeminded DJs including Culture D, DJ Jun, Monalisa, Stevie G and MC/DJ Cokni O’ Dire.

Every Monday night, from its original home at Martini Lounge on Melrose Avenue at Larchmont, resident selectors Tomas and Daz's newly christened night Umoja Jazz & Ragga Lounge featured guest DJs including Mark Farmer and Al Jackson (of Juju), and presented the roots of hip-hop music in the form of original jazz and funk DJ sets, augmented with classic reggae jams. In addition, poets and fledgling jazz musicians were invited to participate. Eventually, a regular band, who dubbed themselves the Umoja Quintet (headed by accomplished Black Note jazz bassist Marcus Shelby) became a regularly performing act at the night.

After a few months the night moved to the Gaslight bar on Ivar street near Cahuenga Blvd in Hollywood. The event ran successfully every Monday for almost two years, and featured guests such as Funkmaster Flex and DJ Stretch Armstrong. The synergy spawned future club nights from the Umoja crew including B-Side, Goa Dub and the still-running Chocolate Bar with DJs Daz, Higher,T-Lee, Shakespeare and Auerltio.

Although now scattered througout the United States, each member continues to represent in clubs, on the radio and internet and underground DJ events-–King Cokni in Dallas, Daz, Jun, Culture D, Aaron Paar and Monalisa in LA, Stevie G in Bali, Indonesia, plus Tomas and B-Love in San Francisco. Umoja (Swahili for “unity”) reflects the diverse array of music styles the soundsystem plays (abstract house, downtempo, hip-hop, jazz, reggae, electronic, drum & bass), unified in the spirit of dub, experimental and beat driven music.

Welcome To Forward Ever

Welcome to Forward Ever.

Here you'll find information, images and MP3's posted by Tomas Palermo of XLR8R Magazine, Voltage Music, Double Identity, Umoja Soundsystem and Crucial (an SF reggae club night). In addition to all things music, you'll find entries on current events, politics and life from a San Francentric point of view.

As you can see, I wear many hats, and have for some time–editor, writer, label owner and artist, DJ, promoter and info conduit are all within the realm of my waking hours. Post-university, my string of employment has included record retail, record distribution, club promotion, radio DJing, club DJing and eventually music journalism.

My hope is to turn you on to some exceptional sounds with appropriate scraps of biographical data. This blog's moto is forward ever, backward never.

If you enjoy what you read, have a question or need further elucidation, please, tap the post.