Goodbye and thank you

Yes, I'm a lousy blogger and I'm not going to apologize or explain myself this time. I've spent the time since the last post on New Year's Eve wisely struggling for bare existence.

I always knew the time will come and Future Vintage will cease to exist, either for the lack of interest of the readers or by the hand of The Man. It's a miracle it took so long, with so little posts taken down (two, in fact). It was fun, wasn't it? Now it's time to say goodbye and thank you.

If you were wondering what's behind recent activity (see new posts below), it's because I decided to empty all the files left unposted in my RS account on you in one go. Grab it while you can (and you do - as I'm writing this, some of the new files were downloaded 10 - 25x). The account expires on April 25 and I'm not going to extend it simply because I'm even more broke than ever.

Don't worry, I'm not asking for donations this time. Last time I did, there happened to be no more than 3 (three) generous donors amongst thousands of you readers. You know who you are and I thank you again. No wonder I stopped believing that some miraculous sponsor will appear to help me cover the expenses.

Mission accomplished. The 500.000th happy visitor of Future Vintage is expected any minute now. Some stats: 458 files (53.25GB) were downloaded 264.209 times (yes, I counted it with my 1980's pocket Casio). You don't need a calculator to see that if there was 1 cent donated per file, this blog would go on forever.

I hope that that with the posts below I've fulfilled some of your request piling up in my email. Too bad the rest of the FVV collections will please noone but me and my friends. But life happens and who am I to oppose.

Stay tuned!

VA No Categories (A Ubiquity Compilation) 1 + 2 (1998-1999)

Compilations, compilations... There's never enough of them. Especially the good ones. When it comes to US artists and producers, you never can be wrong with those released on californian label Ubiquity. Since 1993 these guys from Costa Mesa were always the best, followed closely by long time gone Shadow / Instinct from NYC. The first two volumes of five-part No Categories series showcase the best of contemporary post-acid jazz and trip hop from the label's catalogue. Most of the tracks have passed the test of time incredibly well and even today they present more that just a snaphot from the glorious past of Ubiquity.

No Categories 1

101 Automator with Kool Keith-A Better Tomorrow (Molasses Spaced Out)
102 Slide Five-KC Doppler (Thievery Corporation Remix)
103 Bobby Matos-Guiro Electro (Rainer Truby Trio Remix)
104 Longineu Parsons-Funkin Around
105 Bugs-The Oracle (Extended Instrumental Remix)
106 Skyjuice-A.D.I.D.A.S.
107 Bobby Matos-The Creator Has A Master Plan (Mr. Scruff Remix 1)

201 Bugs with Joefinite The I.S.-Midnight Session
202 DJ's Wally & Swingsett-Tell Me Something (Beautiful Remix)
203 Live And Direkt-Why
204 Skyjuice-The Rope-A-Dope
205 DJ's Wally & Swingsett-Righteous Like A Brother (Remix)
206 Dave Pike-Nita
207 Bugs-About You (Up, Bustle & Out Remix)
208 Bobby Matos-The Creator Has A Master Plan (Mr. Scruff Remix 2)
209 Pucho And The Group-Let's Get It On (Part 2)

No Categories 2

101 Derf Reklaw-It's Hot As Haiti (Modaji (Voodoo Sun Edit) Remix)
102 DJ Greyboy-Hold Your Weight feat. AG
103 Wisdom-Nefertiti
104 Bugs-Novo Junction
105 Francisco Aguabella-Dajomey Blue
106 Mike James Kirkland-Got To Do It Right
107 Nobody-Outbreak
108 Beatless-Latinaire (Capsule 150 Remix)
109 Derf Reklaw-It's Hot As Haiti (Modaji Reprise)

201 Karry Walker-On The Roof
202 Skyjuice-Key Movement
203-Nobody-Planets Ain't Aligned feat. Freestyle Fellowship
204 T-Cisco-Outer Limits
205 Papo Vázquez-Baila Plena
206 Snowboy-Mambo For Max
207 Automator-A Better Tomorrow (DJ Z-Trip Final Mix feat. Kool Keith)

mp3 I 320kbps I 94 + 80 minutes I 196 + 230mb I link in comments

VA Bastard Tracks (1995 Different Drummer)

Bastard Tracks was the first label compilation released on Different Drummer, a label founded by Rockers HiFi members back in 1993. What started as a reaction on growing popularity of ambient dub style in the early 90's, resulted in about 30 great albums and compilations eleven years later, some of which I truly miss until today. If you liked the legendary four-part Ambient Dub compendium (released on Beyond between 1992 and 1995), Bastard Tracks is a sure shot for you.

01 Templeroy-Dubometer (Rockers Remix)
02 Templeroy-Dubometer (Dub On Trial Mix)
03 Templeroy-Core Of The Earth (Anna Morphic Mix)
04 Templeroy-Core Of The Earth (Rockers Remix)
05 Waveform-Earth, Beat, Heart (The Poem)
06 Neotropic-Bubble Dub
07 Waveform-Reverse Mystery
08 Villa America-Highway (Rockers Remix)
09 Waveform-Earth, Beat, Heart (Omega Mix By Templeroy)
10 Airgoose-Electric Earth Herb

mp3 I 320kbps I 69 minutes I 170mb I link in comments

Pre Fade Listening - Solarized (2000 Different Drummer)

This second album by German project Pre Fade Listening is the best Different Drummer release I own. Contains 14 atmospheric dubs including my fav Mr. Medicine Man (with vocals by Tikiman) and a remix of Dub Syndicate's Struggle. Pre Fade Listening changed their name to PFL later and their Blue Dubsessions Pt.1 (released on Electrolux in 2003) is recommended listening.

mp3 I 320kbps I 66 minutes I 160mb I link in comments

Ponga - The Remixes (1999 Loosegroove)

While the original Ponga production is pretty hard-to-swallow free jazz improvisation, this remix collection puts their squeeking and screetching galore on more audible wheels of breakbeats. I'm sure the Future Vintage readers will enjoy the tracks by Amon Tobin, Fila Brazillia and Spacetime Continuum, to name a few.

mp3 I 320kbps I 54 minutes I 130mb I link in comments

Alex Cortiz - Volume 1 (1998 Vibesin' Dutchman)

The Dutch producer Alex Cortiz is better known for his nu jazz releases after 2000 but his early tracks are definitely worth listening. Volume 1 contains a dozen of atmospheric grooves so good that it became my bedside favourite when I got it as a homemade demo CD from some Dutch DJ. Some of the tracks appeared on Cortiz debut album Moodfood in 2000.

mp3 I 320kbps I 65 minutes I 161mb I link in comments

Outcast - No Strings Attached (1998 Kingsize)

I can't say much about this album as it came in plastic bag with no details. The discogs won't say much about it either. Apparently it was produced by certain Davide Arcoleo so don't mix it with the Beaumont Hannant project of the same name. Anyway, it's a collection of jazzy breakbeats with some live instruments that will do no harm and maybe even please some of you.

mp3 I 320kbps I 65 minutes I 160mb I link in comments

Jake Slazenger - Makesaracket (1995 Clear)

Lounge meets IDM on this great album by Mike Paradinas aka µ-Ziq, released on Clear, one of the best overlooked electronic labels of the 90's. Unlike the usual µ-Ziq production, Makesaracket shows the funkier side of knob-twiddling. There's also a sequel to this, released on Warp one year later, but it's just too warp-ish to me.

mp3 I 320kbps I 85 minutes I 195mb I link in comments

Nookie feat. Larry Heard - Paradise (1998 Labello Blanco)

The master of smooth drum'n'bass beats meets the legendary Mr. Fingers on this collection of soothing atmospheric songs produced specially for lazy Sunday afternoons.

mp3 I 320kbps I 73 minutes I 176mb I link in comments

Urchin - Urchin (1999 Waveform)

Back in the daze, when I posted Kosmosis In Dub, a remix collection of Mr. Electric Triangle, I failed to recognize that some of the mixes were in fact produced by Urchin under the Red Rum moniker. Well, I offer my apologies and also this sweet album which will please fans of the deep trip hop sound from The Prunes to Portishead.

mp3 I 320kbps I 66 minutes I 161mb I link in comments

Carl Hancock Rux - Rux Revue (1999 550 Music)

The debut album by Harlem born and bred slam poet Carl Hancock Rux, whose pefrormance always reminded me of somehow twisted Gil Scott-Heron. The music side of this collection was produced by The Dust Brothers (the American project of Fight Club fame, not The Chemical Brothers). For more Rux check older albums by David Holmes,Yukihiro Fukutomi and DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid.

mp3 I 320kbps I 61 minutes I 136mb I link in comments