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You gotta admit--there's nothing better than dressing to the nines, splashing on the cologne, and hitting the sleek confines of a trendy New York metro-sexual lounge. Mojito in one hand, gorgeous babe (or boy) on the other, I have been known to entertain to the wee hours at some of Manhattan's chillest dance spots. Just wrap me in Bill Blass, Calvin Klein and Steve Madden and this crazy city is my oyster. But what if you, sad little person living in America's great flyover zone, want to get down and lose yourself in the libidinous pleasures of the DJ funhouse? You can buy a winning comp from the likes of Buddha Bar, Café Del Mar, or in this case, Hotel Costes X. Heck, we'll even give you a free MP3 just to get you started. So sync up the MP3 player, download the tune, then strike up your own party, little one.

Hotel Costes X is a familiar name to punters worldwide, Hotel Costes X (v.10) by Stephane Pompougnac yet another invitation to excess, Parisian style. One of Paris's most expensive bars with an ugly/beautiful clientele to match, Hotel Costes is the place to lose your inhibitions and your money, but what a way to go broke. And what could be more inside, exclusive and special than creating a dance comp with a bevy of producers only known to the true club elite: Angus & Julia Stone, $olal (Psycho Girls & Psycow Boys (Haaksman & Haaksman Remix)), Dephazz, Goloka, Peder, Zimpala, DJ Disse, Louie Austen, Deep Dive Corp, Laidback, Örsten and Benny Sings make up the cast to the delicious escape hatch CD.

 

Stéphane Pompougnac feat. Charles Schillings
"Sunday Drive" (mp3)
from "Hotel Costes X (v.10) by Stephane Pompougnac"
(Pschent Music)

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Ticklah vs. Axelrod: Not David Axelrod, you moron, were talking today's sounds, not yesteryear's moldy figs. Ticklah's Ticklah vs. Axelrod (Easy Star) is actually the work of one dub loving cat, the producer who brought you Dub Side Of The Moon and Hi Fidelity Dub Sessions. If none of this has pierced your thick skull yet, we are talking dub, King Tubby, Lee Scratch, Mad Professor, the ancient sounds of old Jamaica split and spit back at you via a room full of old Roland Space Echoes, valve driven consoles and enough ganja to wreck your brain and lighten your load.

Antibalas keyboard player and (virtual leader) Victor Axelrod revs up the room for good here collaborating with the superstars of the beat mad genre: Antibalas Orchestra, the Victor Rice Octet, the Easy Star All-Stars and Dub Is A Weapon. Also along for this journey into time and space are Vinia Mojica (best known for her work with De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Jungle Brothers), Tamar-Kali, and Mayra Vega (who sang on Antibalas' "Che Che Cole" single). What good is a spliff without a beautiful woman to admire through the smoke?

And this is far from Axelrod's solo debut, the dude also recorded Polydemic (1997) and Hi-Fidelity Dub Sessions: Roots Combination (2001). Axelrod is one of the below-the-radar producers who tilts the tides of trends and sales figures alike. A cross pollinating type, Axelrod has also recorded and performed with the best of NYC and London elite, including Mark Ronson, DJ Spinna, Lily Allen, Robbie Williams, and Amy Winehouse (on her Back To Black album).

But what of Ticklah's own tricks? Will you be singing his tunes and not Amy's in the months to come? Prepare to set back, drop back, kick back and lose yourself in massive dub rhythms and swirling sounds. Most likely realized on modern digital gear, Ticklah vs. Axelrod is more old school than you will believe.

WANT NOT Ticklah
"Want Not" (mp3)
from "Ticklah Vs. Axelrod"
(Easy Star Records)

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SCRATCH TO WIN Ticklah
"Scratch To Win" (mp3)
from "Ticklah Vs. Axelrod"
(Easy Star Records)

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