The Witzard

Alive by Places & Spaces Places & Spaces are a self-described "Hip-Hop Rap Boom-Bap Golden Age" production duo hailing from Switzerland consisting of old friends Naturetone and Zooki . "For the past 20-some years, Naturetone & Zooki went places, different places. In the early 1990's they made beats together and pioneered Swiss Hip-Hop as part of the group Three Tree Posse [AKA 3TP ]," reads Places & Spaces' Bandcamp description. Places & Spaces' first song, also titled "Alive," initially appeared on now-defunct label, World Around Records' final compilation, We Are World Around Vol. 6 . I actually had the opportunity to speak with Patric (Naturetone) as part of my label-encompassing We Are World Around Vol. 6 double-header piece earlier this year. Naturetone & Zooki first worked together as 3TP between 1993-95 and met back up again in 2016 at "some beat-making sessions run by a mutual friend for...

"Today is February 7th, 2013, which means it is the birthday of one of the greatest Hip-Hop producers of all time, James Yancey aka J Dilla ; Today, he would've been 39 years old. It's incredible that every month of February for the last 8 years that Dilla 's life & music is celebrated around the whole world. It's also bittersweet because he was taken from us in such an early age when it looked like he was really get ready to take the world by storm. I [was] been very lucky & blessed to be part of his close circle of friends when he moved to Los Angeles . Not only was he was a talented individual and one of the nicest & humble guy I ever met, he was also a private person... You definitely [didn't] want to get on his nerves LOL!! I know there's a lot of Dilla Tribute mixes out there, and me personally, I don't think there's anyone that can out top a Dilla mix that was made by my fellow Beat Junkie & the 3rd member of J...

Having laid down drumwork for everyone from Paul McCartney to Madlib , Karriem Riggins is finally ready to unleash his proper solo debut full-length. Alone Together is being pressed up through Stones Throw and is slated for an October 23rd release date; While members of their "Digital Subscription Club" will supposedly get an early pre-release sometime this Summer in 2 separate parts - Alone/Together . Even though it's still nearly 3-4 months away, Peanut Butter Wolf decided to premier the first taste of Riggins' Hip-Hop Beat CD a couple days ago, "Moogy Foog It." Fresh off the heels of "The Brick," Alone Together plays out like a Hip-Hip Beat CD-R ... Karriem Riggins himself labeling it as the "right intersection of Hip-Hop and Jazz ." In addition, Stones Throw also labels it as a "34-track instrumental odyssey" that's ultimately influenced by nearly every aspect of Riggins' musical career thus far. Sel...