Madlib, Cut Chemist Honor Influential Composers

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

The psychedelic jazz composer David Axelrod (pictured) is not the same David Axelrod who masterminded Barack Obama's presidential campaign, but this Axelrod is more important for our purposes here at Pitchfork. This Axelrod got his start producing ridiculously lush soul records for Lou Rawls before going on to work his swirl on weirdos as diverse as jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley and garage-rock freaks the Electric Prunes. And, weirdly enough, his work is probably more widely heard these days than it was when he was at his 70s peak, thanks to all the rap producers who have plundered his catalogue extensively. On songs like Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode" and Lil Wayne's "Dr. Carter", a lot of what you're hearing comes straight from Axelrod.

Over the coming months, VTech's Timeless Concert Series will honor Axelrod, along with a few other influential producers and arrangers--crate-digger faves all-- in a ridiculously cool-sounding set of events. The shows will take place in Los Angeles, at California State University's Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex. On April 5, Axelrod will perform along with a 26-piece orchestra at the series' final show, with turntablist J.Rocc opening.

The other shows will also feature orchestras and opening act DJ/producers; the openers will design a set based on the headlining composer's work. The first concert, on February 1, will feature Ethiopian jazz OG Mulatu Astatke and a 15-piece orchestra, with opening sets by Cut Chemist, Quantic, and Stones Throw label head Egon. On February 22, chamber musicians Carlos Nino and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson will debut their "Suite for Ma Dukes", which pays tribute to deceased stoner-rap deity J. Dilla. That program promises special guests in addition to the usual orchestra and DJs. Since Dilla's past collaborators include guys like Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes and Common, and since those guys love paying him tribute, this could be a seriously star-studded affair. The March 15 show will feature the Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai, a 30-piece band, and opening sets from Madlib and DJ Nuts.

Madlib Remixes Madvillainy, Curates BBE Comp

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

We don't want to call MF DOOM an unreliable guy. We like to imagine that instead of recording music he is sneaking around doing important stuff like hunting down Osama bin Laden or building seal habitats. Either way, the fact remains: The rumored follow-up to Madvillainy, DOOM's 2004 collaboration with Madlib, remains unfinished.

While we wait for the album, Madlib has stepped in to make up for his Madvillain partner's absence with the release of a record called Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix. Madvillainy 2 shares no song titles with Madvillainy, but that just makes it easier to treat this reworking as a new entity.

The digital version of Madvillainy 2 is available exclusively from Stones Throw's online store right now, but still forthcoming is a souped-up edition of the record called Madvillainy 2: The Box. The Box includes the Madvillainy 2 CD, a 7" featuring "One Beer (Drunk Version)", a cassette featuring The Madvillainy Demo Tape which leaked online prior to Madvillainy's release, a Madvillain t-shirt, and a comic book continuation of the "All Caps" video. All of this comes in a box "wrapped in silver like a mask," according to Stones Throw's description.

Stones Throw is manufacturing copies of Madvillainy 2: The Box based on pre-orders, so anyone who wants one should order by August 15 to receive a copy after the guaranteed ship date of September 15. The cost of The Box is steep-- $124.99 plus shipping-- but such is price of so many goodies.

And you know that's not all Madlib's up to. On September 30, he'll unveil his contribution to BBE's series Beat Generation. Titled WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip, the compilation includes tracks from Guilty Simpson, J.Rocc, Murs, Madlib himself, and his thing with Oh No, the Professionals. WLIB AM is anchored by a bunch of offerings from Madlib's Beat Konducta guise, and will bear the stamps of both BBE and Rapster Records.

Speaking of Beat Konducta, Madlib plans to re-adopt the moniker for a fifth volume of instrumental head-nodders called Dil Cosby Suite. That disc may surface as soon as next month. Also in the pipeline: a record called Miles Away from Madlib's Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble.

As for DOOM, if we cross our fingers extra hard, maybe we'll see his ages-in-the-making Ghostface collaboration Swift & Changeable before the year is out?

Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix:

01 Pow! (Intro)
02 No Brain
03 Pearls
04 Light of the Past
05 Boulder Holder
06 Borrowed Time
07 Space Ho's Coast to Coast
08 Invazion (Interlude)
09 Drainos
10 Fire in the Hole
11 Heat Niner
12 Monkey Suit
13 Fluid (Instrumental)
14 Can't Reform Em
15 Redd Spot (Interlude)
16 Running Around With Another
17 Butter King Jewels
18 Sermon
19 Roller Coaster Riders (Instrumental)
20 3.214
21 Confucius Spot (Interlude)
22 Never Go Pop
23 Savage Beast (Instrumental)
24 Cold One
25 Cold One (Reprise)

WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip:

01 Beat Konducta: "The New Resident"
02 Guilty Simpson: "Blow the Horns on 'Em"
03 Georgia Anne Muldrow: "The Plan Pt. 1"
04 Beat Konducta: "Tension"
05 Defari: "Gamble on Ya Boy"
06 MED: "The Ox (805) [ft. Poke]"
07 Beat Konducta: "All Virtue"
08 J.Rocc: "Blinfold Test #10 (He Don't Play)"
09 Prince Po: "The Thang-Thang"
10 Madlib: "Heat"
11 Beat Konducta: "Smoke Break"
12 Beat Konducta: "The Plan (Reprise)"
13 Karriem Riggins: "Life"
14 Beat Konducta: "Parklight"
15 Frezna: "Yo Yo Affair Pt. 1 & 2"
16 The Professionals: "I Want It Back"
17 Beat Konducta: "Disco Dance"
18 Liberation: "What It Do"
19 Roc 'C': "Take That Money [ft. Oh No]"
20 Frank N Dank: "Drinks Up!"
21 Stacy Epps: "The Way That I Live"
22 Murs: Ratrace"
23 Guilty Simpson: "Go!"
24 Beat Konducta: "Stop"

• Video: Madvillain: Rhinestone Cowboy [from the Madvillainy LP]