The Musik Lounge

My sonic journey has taken me through many sounds, styles, artists, and scenes. Preparing for this interview was cause to reflect on when I first heard the name Carlos Niño , and I think I can pinpoint it near the beginning of the LA beat era . Since that time his name has floated in and out of my ears depending on how tuned in I was. In more recent times his name has been near the top of my most listened to and cherished artists. These connections, these diverse and non linear weavings of activity are part of what make Carlos Niño’s music so inspired to my ears. He seems to just get it. He makes uplifting, soulful, joyous, energetic music - even when it’s calm and ethereal. As I’ve traveled a new path in my life over the last nearly five years, cultivating and developing spiritual and meditative practices to enhance and enlarge my essence, music has been intrinsically connected. As a doorway into the cosmos, a guide towards something greater, a companion through the dark and light mo...

As I contemplate what I’d like this column to be I can’t help but laugh at the fact that I’m sitting at work listening to Gucci Mane & Waka Flocka’s 2011 project Ferrari Boyz . This is amusing to me because I do meditation work at a rehab facility. Alas my ears wander. I’m not listening to this out of an incessant love for the project, rather out of the self serving desire to clean up my Apple Music library. The limits placed on one’s personal streaming library are rather absurd to me and as someone who tends to add, add, add and listen later I regularly max it out. So at some point I have to listen, listen, listen to even out and delete, delete, delete to open new sonic doors. This one will be a strong delete. Fall has come to the Pacific Northwest and as if on cue, the first day of fall was filled with gray, rain and chills. I’m not complaining, I’m one of those born and raised PNW natives who find enjoyment in our often criticized weather. I’m only talking about the weather to e...

Mizo & I connect! Volume 30 of this here Sabbath Sessions. Damn. It’s amazing how time moves. We have come a long way and we are just getting started. As we like to do every six episodes this morning is a (mostly) Jazz vibe. Or as some like to call it social music. And this music is certainly social. You get a little bit of everything in this almost 3 hour long trip. That’s right, strap in, it’s a lil longer than usual - what can I say there is a lot of good grooves out there we just couldn’t resist letting y’all hear. We took it as it came, no plan other than to just deliver these sounds as they struck, both of us sitting on stacks ready to be played. Rest assured we barely scratched the surface. You get some new, some old, some lost, some forgotten and all around positively vibratious. Thank you walking with us, we will be back next week with the usual stew of styles but until then press play and zone. World's Experience Orchestra “Rain” Jeff Parker “After The Rain” Charlie ...

Madlib. The Beat Konducta. Otis Jackson. "In Jah Hands (Dilla's Lament)" He goes by many names and releases lots of music. But what do you know about that latest installment to the Beat Konducta series? The Dil Cosby and Dil Withers suites are invading the area right here. "Rebirth Cycle (Super Soul)" After showing us what he did hide away in the lab on the first two volumes, he took us to India so he could show us how to chop those foreign records, and now he is showing all the wannabes who have spent the last almost 3 years since Dilla’s passing biting his style how it should be done. "Rolled Peach Optimos (Call Day)" While I’ve taken issue with many of those biters and their blatant attempts to profit off that which Dilla did so well, Madlib was his riding buddy towards the end and if someone is going to carry the torch for Dilla today the Beat Konducta is our best chance at it being done with the respect and honor J Dilla’s memory deserves. Joining...