Robert Luis..............Tru Thoughts
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DJ Gigs
TRU THOUGHTS presents SONIC SWITCHSATURDAY 1st JUNEDJ:ROBERT LUIS(Tru Thoughts A&R / Nirobi)Five Hour DJ SetBass, Hip Hop, Soul, Drum & Bass, Reggae, Dubstep, Funk, Tropical, BeatsFREE ENTRY 11PM-4AMVenue: GREEN DOOR STORE, BRIGHTONSONIC SWITCH takes place on the first Saturday of each month.
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Unfold Radio with Robert Luis
- Unfold with Robert LuisSundays 10pm-12amon Juice 107.2FM (Brighton)Stream / Download Podcast via Tru Thoughts website:Subscribe via iTunes:
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News
- WEDNESDAY 22ND MAYI am on Instagram now if you are down with that:OR@robertluisTUESDAY 26TH FEBRUARYCheck my blog about the Tru Thoughts gig at Koko this weekend gone:THURSDAY 7TH FEBRUARYI had a great time at Sonic Switch on Saturday...the crowd was really up for it. Tested some new forthcoming music from Quantic which sounded great. I am DJing in Nottingham next week with Harleighblu and Rodney P and looking forward to that and of course our Tru Thoughts special at Koko on Saturday 23rd February is very exciting too.MONDAY 14th JANUARYSad news for all the staff at HMV as it is looking like it is going into administration in the UK. They seemed to concentrate on DVD's and Games more than music over the past few years but at Tru Thoughts we have definitely sold quite a few records through HMV.I have to say I have had a £30 HMV voucher I have been carrying around for around 10 months and every time I see an HMV and decide to look for music it has been a bit chaotic or the choice has not been great and I have left.MONDAY 7th JANUARYThanks to everyone who came down to Sonic Switch on Saturday. A really good crowd in and I really enjoyed DJing on the night.SATURDAY 5TH JANUARYAll the best for 2013.MONDAY 24TH DECEMBERMerry Christmas and have a good and peaceful holiday.WEDNESDAY 5TH DECEMBERI have been sorting through my tunes for the Best Of 2012 Unfold radio shows...I think it has been a strong year for music. Check the radio shows to hear the quality.WEDNESDAY 20th NOVEMBERZed Bias is up for producer of the year on DJ Magazine's Best Of British poll...vote here:TUESDAY 13th NOVEMBERThe video for Sleepin Giantz aka Zed Bias & Rodney P & Fallacy is Mucky:WEDNESDAY 31st OCTOBERLooking forward to Sonic Switch in Brighton this Saturday with Wrongtom joining me on turntable duties...lots of good music to play out.TUESDAY 16TH OCTOBERThe new video for Hot 8 Brass Band's 'Ghost Town' is now up on YouTube. Filmed in New Orleans it definitely adds a new slant to The Specials original. Check it here:WEDNESDAY 15TH AUGUSTCheck my interview with Artrocker Magazine about running an independent record labelTUESDAY 26TH JUNELimited Edition 12" 500 copies only. No re-press and no digital release. Four Nirobi Edits of Talking Heads, Jill Scott, Nas & Damian Marley & Mulatu and Biggie now mastered for extra heavyness for the dancefloor.Juno:Phonica:Rough Trade:Piccadilly:Etch Shop:THURSDAY 21ST JUNEBusy day checking music and artwork for forthcoming albums from Wrong Tom, Hot 8 Brass Band and Hidden Orchestra. All are looking and sounding good.WEDNESDAY 30TH MAYLooking forward to Sonic Switch in Brighton this Saturday. Plenty of good tunes to play. Info here:http://www.sonicswitch.co.uk/#5e4/custom_plainWEDNESDAY 9TH MAYIf you are at The Great Escape in Brighton I will be on a panel discussing running an independent label: http://escapegreat.com/convention-line-up/labels-panelWe are also doing a Tru Thoughts party on Friday:WEDNESDAY 28TH MARCHA quality last show on BBC Radio 1 from Gilles Peterson http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dpnnw#segments including a spin of my Nirobi Edit of Jill Scott http://soundcloud.com/robertluis/jill-scott-lovely-day-nirobiFRIDAY 23RD MARCHBack from SXSW in USA this week. Saw the first live shows from Quantic & Alice Russell which is sounding great. Make sure you check them when they tour.WEDNESDAY 15TH FEBRUARYJust checked the new videos filmed by B+ for the Quantic & Alice Russell LP release...they are looking good. Look out for them on the Tru Thoughts YouTube page soon.WEDNESDAY 18TH JANUARYCheck the new video from Hint: Aliens Enter feat T Fly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVyti3Lj4eQWEDNESDAY 4TH JANUARYLooking forward to 2012....plenty of good musical treats on their way from Tru Thoughts including the Quantic & Alice Russell album and the Sleepin Giantz album too.I have just uploaded a new Sonic Switch DJ mix check My Soundcloud and My Mixcloud links for stream and download.THURSDAY 22ND DECEMBERHave a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful 2012.WEDNESDAY 23RD NOVEMBERSquare Records have put out a Limited Edition vinyl version of four of my Nirobi Edits (as played by Gilles Peterson, Laurent Garnier, Mr Scruff, Quantic and many more). Check stream and buy links here:THURSDAY 17TH NOVEMBERCheck Gilles Peterson playing my Nirobi Edit of Soho "Hot Music" on BBC Radio 1 this week:WEDNESDAY 9TH NOVEMBERIt was great to see Hidden Orchestra play live in Brighton on Saturday. Highly recommended if you have not seen them yet. Really into the two drummers vibe. Also it was good to see Hint DJing. He dropped Smith & Mighty "Walk On By" and it sounded so good.THURSDAY 13TH OCTOBERCheck the new site for my residency in Brighton:FRIDAY 7TH OCTOBERBig up everyone who came to my residency "Sonic Switch" at the Green Door Store in Brighton last week. Great crowd in.....read the Blog (on the side panel) for more info.The MOBOs were this week and just watched them on BBC. I did hope Omar was going to win best Soul / R&B category but it went to Adele (who I think is Pop / Soul). At least Jessie J did not win it. Hopefully Omar will get his recognition one day.....maybe Lifetime Achievement Award. Omar no doubt kick started a music scene which helped us hear D'Angelo and Jill Scott albums.THURSDAY 15TH SEPTEMBERI had a great time at Bestival at the week-end. I DJ'ed at the Afterburner stage which I really enjoyed. Bjork was amazing live. Very unique sonically: an Icelandic Choir, percussionist/drummer, keys/synths and Bjork singing. Filthy basslines, quirky drum patters combined with the sweet sound of the choir and Bjorks individual vocals. Public Enemy were really great too, a wall of purely funky noise. I also checked and enjoyed Benji B, David Rodigan, Macka B and DJ Shepdog.THURSDAY 8TH SEPTEMBERLooking forward to Bestival this week-end. Some great acts and I am DJing on Saturday at the Afterburner 5.20pm.It was great to hear that Omar is finally getting nominated for a MOBO in the best UK Soul & R&B category. Please vote here:SATURDAY 20TH AUGUSTCheck my Nirobi Edit of Soho "Hot Music" on Gilles Peterson's radio show.TUESDAY 16TH AUGUSTI bumped into the Mayor Of London yesterday and went up to him and told him some my views on the recent riots in England.Words & Photos here: http://robluis.blogspot.com/ or click on the "Blog Robert Luis" on the left hand side of this page.On Sunday I noticed that my Nirobi Edit on my Soundcloud page was getting a lot of plays. I got an mail from someone telling me that Mos Def had posted my Edit on his official Facebook page. I am a huge Mos Def fan.Check my Nirobi Edit here:THURSDAY 11TH AUGUST
It has been a really weird and sad and frustrating few days in England. As I went to DJ at my residency in Brighton on Saturday, I saw the riots begin to kick off on TV in Tottenham. I grew up in Walthamstow and my Mum worked in Tottenham, so did know the area quite well. I have had a feeling that 2011 would see some unrest in the UK.
The events over the last few days made me want to do a DJ mix reflecting the mood as I feel it in the UK.
With the burning of the Sony warehouse a lot of great independent labels and artists I know are directly effected by the situation. It made me sad to hear a young lady on the news talk about how all people with a business are rich, that is so far from the truth it makes me worried.
The mix is eclectic with the classic reggae of Junior Murvin into The Specials (in my mind the last truly political song to get to Number 1 in the UK charts from). The mix also has a few words from a couple of great people on the streets of Hackney, London and the not so great words from the Mayor Of London Boris Johnson. I noticed today a few stupid people have started the “Let’s Blame Hip Hop & Grime” nonsense, so had to include some Hip Hop. The Demon Boyz track is from 1992 and is about how they are struggling with dealing with the Police in Tottenham, not a looting anthem but a song of frustration. The intro to the Gil Scot Heron track is a timeless message but very relevant in the current climate. So as not to get too depressing and to remain positive, I thought I would finish with some simple “loved up” tunes.
SOUNDCLOUD STREAM/DOWNLOAD:
http://soundcloud.com/robertluis/robert-luis-bullingdon-boombox
MIXCLOUD STREAM:TUESDAY 8TH AUGUSTI am looking forward to Djing on Saturday 6th August at the Green Door Store in Brighton http://www.thegreendoorstore.co.uk/ It’s free entry....wish I could do the “classic club line” of “Ladies Free” but it is free for everyone. 11pm-4am and I will be playing a 5 hour set. As well as some upfront Tru Thoughts tunes, I will be playing a lot of the good tracks I have bought recently, as well as some of my Nirobi Edits. Expect a mixture of all styles of good music
I tend to make a few Nirobi Edits each month to play in my DJ sets. Some of which I share on Soundcloud http://soundcloud.com/robertluis in limited numbers, some I pass on to a few DJ’s and some I selfishly keep all to myself. The latest one I have done is of Soho’s ‘Hot Music’. I just shared it to a few DJ’s and already have had Gilles Peterson tweet about it:"thank you @ROBERTLUIS for all your 'made for me' DJ edits - latest one featuring Soho and Wynton Marsalis is a monster"plus DJ's Dimitri From Paris, Drumagick, Dom Servini, Nickodemus, Monk One and Ashley Beedle getting in touch about it too. I am looking forward to dropping this on Saturday.
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May Chart
- Robert Luis Chart
1. Romare - Your Love (You Give Me Fever) (Black Acre)
2. Dub Phizix - The Clock Ticks (Promo)
3. Titeknots - Mind Open (Promo)
4. Omar - The Man (Freestyle)
5. Ashley Beedle – Run The Track (Girls Music)
6. Ty - Knock Knock (Tru Thoughts)
7. Bonobo - North Borders (Ninja Tune)
8. Peshay - Jazz Cafe (Liquid V)
9. Zed Bias & Trigga – Bawl Out (Promo)
10. Darq E Freaker – Kill Bill (Ironside) (Promo)
11. The Sign Of Four - Topsy Turvey (Jazzman)
12. Kyodai - Moving (Breaking Part 2) (Local Talk)
13. Souleance - BBQ & Pimms (First Word)
14. Frameworks & BluRum 13 - Moonlighting (Danny Drive Thru Remix) (My First Moth)
15. Rodney P - Success feat Harleighblu & Renegade Brass Band (Tru Thoughts)16. Laura Mvula - Green Garden (Sony)
17. Lion Babe - Treat Me Like Fire (Promo)
18. DJ Day - Mama Shelter (Land Of 1000 Chances)
19. Melt Yourself Down - Fix My Life (Promo)
20. Exoticpets - Bushskank (Romanowski)
21. Cerrone – Hooked On You (Kon’s Night Time Edit) (Gold Finger)
22. The Beatnuts – No Escapin This (Nirobi Edit) (Promo)
23. Uz – Trap Shit V7 (Mad Decent)
24. London Posse - Money Mad (Wrongtom Remix) (Tru Thoughts)
25. Headtop - Madsh** (Unfold)
26. Harleighblu - Enough Now (Tru Thoughts)
27. Rhye - Hunger (Innovative Leisure)
28. Yambee - Blacker (Joey Negro Remix) (Midnight Riot)
29. Mister Jason – Mister Jason Has A Posse (DJ Format Remix) (Fort Point)
30. Shabba Ranks - Ting A Ling (Sony)
31. Falty DL - Kenny Rolls One (Ninja Tune)
32. Lulu James - Stuck (Black Butter)
33. Gallops - Jeff Leopard (Blood & Biscuits)
34. Wareika – Jazz Shaman (Compost)
35. Tyler The Creator - Tamale (Odd Future)
36. Nas - It Ain't Hard To Tell (Madd Swans Remix) (Promo)
37. Andrew Ashong – Flowers (Sound Signature)
38. Alix Perez - Annie's Song feat Sam Wills (Shogun Audio)
39. Toddla T Sound - Worst Enemy (Girls Music)
40. Kuhn - NWYRK (Civil Music)
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Tracks
- 19 tracks (2:06:12)
- 22 tracks (24:32:54)
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Tweets
- Check Tru Thoughts Radio http://t.co/K27gAJw7sp with @djwalterego @DarqEFreaker @branchezbeats @HomeboySandman @stonesthrowMay 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Check Tru Thoughts Radio http://t.co/K27gAJw7sp with @HiatusKaiyote @swindle @TheRealMzWalker @deepmedimusik @Zed_Bias @TawiahMusicMay 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Check Tru Thoughts Radio http://t.co/K27gAJw7sp with @vrecordings @PUSHA_T Group Home @IAMNOBODI @OlafurArnalds @adrianok @niaandrewsMay 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Check Tru Thoughts Radio http://t.co/K27gAJw7sp with @AlixPerez @ShogunAudio @DJPESHAY Calibre @eprombeats @BrownsvilleKa @tymusicMay 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Check Tru Thoughts Radio http://t.co/K27gAJw7sp with @samredmore @freestylerecrds @alicemcrussell dRamatic & dbAudio @InnergroundMay 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- RT @Holliewilmot: B*tch is definitely not killin vibes in May. I've heard 3 different versions this week <3 Thanks @gillespeterson, @LeFtO …May 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Check Tru Thoughts Radio http://t.co/K27gAJw7sp with @meridianbrother @Soundway @Kalbata @GREENMONEY @djmoar @tradvibe @omarlyefookMBEMay 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- RT @si_tew: Here's a little video of Miles feat. Molly http://t.co/cgGP5PqIci http://t.co/heOuiNcPsqMay 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- RT @Rodney_P London Posse competition time, win signed goodies for photos. Info here http://t.co/QNSdJcdiRx … #whowereyouin1990 plz RTMay 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- #Repost from wax_poetics http://t.co/fLw5372SPT
- RT @thepbrothers: Our next record is getting projected on 77 walls. Ice cream and snacks will be available during the drum break.
- . T R U . T H O U G H T S . presents . S O N I C . S W I T C H . http://t.co/BfLshNtrl4 .May 20, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- RT @tru_thoughts Just uploaded "Tru Thoughts presents Unfold 19.05.13" to @mixcloud http://t.co/K27gAJw7sp Tune in now!May 20, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Recently framed the @gillespeterson Worldwide Award designed by Chris Ofili @tru_thoughts won for Label Of The Year http://t.co/QUfvxlGEgtMay 20, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- RT @UmutOrcan: Beggar running alongside King George V’s coach, 1920. @History_Pics http://t.co/dofM9O2VQ0
- Really enjoyed @AnushkaUK at Great Escape. Got Brighton raving at dinner time!
- RT @Fallacyishere: Im chairing a production masterclass and in-conversation with @Zed_Bias and @silkierose tomorrow evening. For questions …
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Posts
- Mar 21, 13Some video footage of the Tru Thoughts night at Koko, LondonI had a great time this week-end at our Tru Thoughts party at Koko in Camden. In the first few years of running the label, getting a lot of the artists together for gigs was quite a regular occurrence as we were all working hard to get the music heard. We had nights with Quantic, Bonobo and Alice Russell on the same bill in relatively small venues! As the artists got more popular and they started gigging more it was a lot more difficult to get everyone together. It was great to get a lot of the artists together on one night and represent the different music on Tru Thoughts and the artists, the Tru Thoughts staff and a sold out crowd of around 1500 people really enjoyed.
Hint DJ'ed at the start of the night. He is one of my favourite DJ's and played a bit of Hip Hop and some beats and also dropped Donald Byrd (R.I.P) - Dominoes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2WWyR1QsHw
Harleighblu performed a few tracks from her forthcoming album (due June 2012). Harleighblu has an amazing voice and sounded great and is a very confident performer....I forget that Harleighblu is 21 years old! The album is a "real" soul album. Head nod, with great beats and strings and horns and produced by Joe Buhdah. We are very excited at Tru HQ about this album.
Rodney P then came on and performed his forthcoming Tru Thoughts single Success with the band (Renegade Brass Band on horns) and went on to do some of his classics live. It was a great show and I particularly love the live sound of Live Up and Nice Up..the Reggae vibes sounded good live. Check this clip on YouTube (although wrongly attributed to Wrongtom & Deemas J): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixjresl8490
Zed Bias then did his thing. Nicely dropping The Lions - Think http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EauQ2OoAKLE before dropping some more heavier Reggae based tracks, including a Zed Bias and Chimpo version of General Levy - Incredible and then moving into some quality swinging, soulful but heavy Zed Bias style beats. He dropped Furball too (Zed's track with Paleman) which is a big track : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6SxKdiSx5A I always forget to take photos on nights like this as I tend to be wtaching and listening...for some reason this is the photo I took of Zed Bias's set...fascinating if you are interested in what Zed Bias's CDR's of his Dub's look like!
After Zed it was a change of style into the Hidden Orchestra. I love their live set up with the two drummers and the music is so deep and mesmerising to listen to as an album but extra hypnotic when it is live. They really are an essential band to catch live.
I was now DJing between all the acts so had to stay at the side of the stage (full list of tunes I played at the end of this blog. Wrongtom & Deemas J brought their updated Dancehall styles next and thsi was actually the first time I have seen them perform together. Demmas's background as an MC at classic Jungle raves in the 90's means as well as being a good performer he really knows how to react to the crowd and vibe of their feedback....so they rocked!
Belleruche did their set next and I do like Kathrin playing bass as well as singing now too. Quantic played a great "decks and fx" set. Playing his tunes and playing live beats over the tunes and "dubbing' over the tunes too. He dropped a few forthcoming Quantic tracks (which sounded so good). Here is a blurry photo I took!
I played a few tunes and then Ty came on and did a PA of 3 tracks. Finishing of with forthcoming single 'Like You Never'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G1vb5KuCp4
The last live act was Anchorsong. He works the MPC hard and also plays the keyboard and it is a fascinating solo show to watch and his music has a unique style.
I then finished off the night dropping some Drum & Bass and finishing of with 'Flowers' at the end of the night.
Big shout out to everyone who came down to the night. For me personally it was one of the most memorable nights since Tru Thoughts started....a really positive energy from the crowd to the music has really inspired me and the artists.
Tunes Played in Robert Luis's DJ Sets at Koko:
Sohn - The Wheel (Aesop)
Lion Babe - Treat Me Like Fire
Dobie - Prozac (Big Dada)
Cerrone - Hooked On You (Kon's Edit)
Exotic Pets - Bushskank (Romanowski)
Native Sun - Out Of The Box feat Akala
Romare - Your Love (You Give Me Fever) (Black Acre)
Kuhn - NWYRK (Civil Music)
Titeknots - Mind Open
Quantic - Forthcoming track : Title TBC (Tru Thoughts)
Sleepin Giantz - Badungdeng (Tru Thoughts)
Ashley Beedle - Run The Track (Girls Music)
LFO - LFO (Leeds Warehouse Mix) (Warp)
Dark E Freaker - Kill Bill (Ironside)
Dead Prez - Bigger Than Hip Hop
Ms Dynamite - It Takes More
J Dilla - Let's Pray Together
Dub Phizix - The Clock Ticks (Promo)
Peshay - Jazz Cafe (Liquid V)
Wrongtom and Deemas J - Jump + Rock + Move (Benny Page Remix) (Tru Thoughts)
Serial Killaz - Mash You Down
Rodney P - Nice Up (Wrongtom Mix)
Roots Manuva V A Tribe Called Quest - Kick The Witness (Nirobi Edit)
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish - Flowers - Feb 17, 13
Tru Thoughts presents Sonic SwitchSaturday 2nd MarchDJRobert Luis(Tru Thoughts / Nirobi / Unfold)Five Hour DJ Set11pm-4amFree EntryAt Green Door Store, Brighton - Oct 16, 12I am looking forward to this months Sonic Switch as joining me on turntable duties is Wrongtom. He is a great DJ and has a great record collection to rock any dancefloor. The Wrongtom & Deemas J album we have released on Tru Thoughts is getting some amazing feedback...so make sure you check it if you have not done so already. Further info about Sonic Switch:
http://www.sonicswitch.co.uk/
The new video from Hot 8 Brass Band looks great. Filmed in New Orleans it definitely adds it's own identity to Hot 8's cover of The Specials 'Ghost Town'.
Mark De Clive-Lowe's excellent album has been put on the 2012 Entry List for GRAMMY nominations. If you are a NARAS voting member and looking at your ballot, we hope you will consider this album, a self-funded independent release that Tru Thoughts are honored to have in consideration for Best Urban Contemporary Album. The new single is about to be released...make sure you check that too.
http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/releases/mark-de-clive-lowe/renegades - Apr 11, 12
I had a great night at Sonic Switch on Saturday. A great crowd in dancing to all the different tunes. Big up to Zac Colbert for the photos and thanks to everyone who has been down over the past year. The next one is on Saturday 2nd June. Below are a list of some of the tunes I played alongside some photos of the night.
I think the photo below is when I dropped Darq E Freaker - Kill Bill. Such a big tune!
The Drum & Bass selection really rocked.
Congo Natty - Get Ready (Serum & Northern Lights Remix)
Serial Killaz - Killa Klash
Heretic - Hold The Line
Benny Page - Sound Fi Dead
Skeptical & Dub Phizix - Marka feat Strats
Drumagick - Damas (Sambass Remix)
Reggae influenced selections (all tempos):
Zed Bias & Trigga - Big Up Mi Friendem
Major Lazer - Original Don
Brookes Brothers - In Your Eyes feat Johnny Osbourne
Cone - Krooked Zions (Yellowtail Remix)
Vybz Kartel - Half On A Baby (Mosca Remix)
Sleepin Giantz - Badundeng
Nas & Damian Marley & Mulatu - As We Enter (Nirobi Edit)
Maga Bo - Maga Traz A Lenha
Mr Vegas - Taxi Fare
Harmonic 313 - Bazooka Riddim
Dirtsman - Hot This Year
Louie Rankin - Typewriter
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Hot Reggae
Wrong Tom & Deemas J - Jump + Move + Rock
Rodney P - Nice Up (Wrong Tom Edit)
Randy's All Stars - Mission Impossible
Hollie Cook - And The Beat Goes On
Dennis Brown & Aswad - Mossman Skank
Deeper / Soulful dance bombs:
Sola Rose - Hypnotised feat Bajka
Jill Scott - Lovely Day (Nirobi Edit)
Jeb Loy Nichols - Countrymusicdisco45 (Tom Elmhurst Version)
Brendon P - Shades Of J
Natural Self - The Valleys
Cee Lo - I Want You (Jack Splash Version)
Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Jamie XX Shuffle)
Wareika - Jazz Shaman
Exist - Lookin At Blue (Atjazz Astro Dub)
Elijah Collins & Tee J - I Used To Feel Alright
Anchorsong - Darkrum
Zed Bias - Fairplay feat Jenna G
Quantic & Alice Russell - Magdelena (Hint Remix)
Osaka Monurail - The Archipelago
Switch Groov Exp - Bon Tres Bien (Simbad Remix)
Dancefloor damagers:
Cottam - Hit The Floor (Frustration)
Raah Project - Space Between Thoughts (Ennio Styles Remix)
Tipper - Covered In Lobsters
El Timba - Descarga Bontempi
Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime (Nirobi Edit)
Sleepin Giantz - Badundeng
Eliphino - More Than Me
Neko Neko - Trouble In The Streets
Drumagick - Doida
Spiritual South - Green Gold
Omar & Zed Bias - Dancing
16 Bit - In The Death Car (Vocal Version)
Hip Hop selections:
Nas - The Don
Hint - Aliens Enter feat T Fly
Swizz Beats - Everyday Coolin
People Under The Stairs - Too Much Birthday
Roots Manuva V A Tribe Called Quest - Kick The Witness (Nirobi Edit)
Busta Rhymes - Do The Bus A Bus (Diamond D Remix)
De La Soul - We Made It feat Kinny
A Tribe Called Quest - Buggin Out
Mantronix - King Of The Beats
Nas - Nasty
KRS One - Sound Of Da Police (Freq Nasty Remix)
Rodney P & UK All Stars - Rappers Delight
End Of The Night Anthems:
Louis Armstrong - Shadrack
The Specials - Ghost Town
Lossy - Rain Came Down - Nov 30, 11
I really enjoyed our night at Koko, Camden, London. It was partly to celebrate our 12th Birthday and also just a plain celebration of the music we are releasing on the label. Even though tickets were pretty much sold out on the night I was still a bit nervous. We have never done a Tru Thoughts night at such a big venue.
Beta Hector started the proceedings playing some tunes before Anchorsong took the stage with his string quartet. Anchorsong works the sampler / MPC live whilst the strings add some great musical texture. Tonight was the first time I have seen Anchorsong live, and I loved it. It is better than watching them on YouTube.
Next up was Nostalgia 77 who started proceeding by dropping some abstract sounds on an old school Atari....now that is Jazz.I now took over turntable duties between all the performances, with Rodney P on the mic. I am a proper Rodney P fan and it was a real honour to DJ with him. One of the best things about Rodney is he really knows how to host...original Sound System style. He adds to the tunes but does not constantly MC and lets the music flow....and he can do this over all styles. When I dropped Hudson Mohawke's "Cbat" Rodney really got the crowd hyped.Hidden Orchestra were up next. I love watching them live. The two drummers look and sound amazing and Joe and Poppy hold it down with the musical aspect. A very unique style.Belleruche played some new tracks from their new album, which has a more electronic style to it and is a bit deeper too, as well as dropping a few classics.Quantic was doing his DJ / Live Ableton set and this was the first time I had seen it. It was great to hear him re-working some of his classic tracks live and also playing and looping some live accordion. I love Quantic's DJ style too, as he drops some mad records that really work the floor.Omar did a live PA dropping a snippet of "There's Nothing Like This" before singing the Maddslinky collab "Special" and finishing of with his anthemic track with Zed Bias "Dancing". I am a huge Omar fan, so personally it was a huge honour to have him perform.Check the 60 second Video Clip from Koko below:Rodney P then took over the Mic and rocked it as only Rodney can. I cannot wait to release the Sleepin Giantz and next Rodney P album on Tru Thoughts they are both classics in the making.
Finally Hint rounded off proceedings. He was debuting his Ableton Live set and dropped some classic tracks alongside tunes from his forthcoming album "Daily Intake". They sounded great. You will definitely need his album when it is released!
For me I had a great night. It really made me appreciate the artists we have on the label as well as all the people who connect with the music we are releasing and make events like this so good. I was buzzing for days after.
Thank you to everyone who was in attendance and made the night very special.
www.robertluis.comRobert Luis DJ Set (as far as I can remember) at Koko:Jill Scott / Lovely Day (Nirobi Edit)Rodney P / Live Up feat The People’s Army & Might Moe (Tru Thoughts)Dirtsman / Hot This YearMungos Hi Fi / Bogle ft I Bogle (Scotch Bonnet)Discodeine / Falkenberg (Pilooski Edit)Exist / Lookin At Blue (At Jazz Astro Dub) (R2)Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band / Check La Rima (Brownswood)Kick Al Anchum / Farther Up the Road (Square 12”)Mosca / BunchingHudson Mohawke / Cbat (Warp)Mr Scruff / Feel It (Ninja Tune)Nu Shooz / I Can’t Wait (Atlantic)Azealia Banks / 212 (Impulse Perm Edit)Sleepin Giantz / Badungdeng (Tru Thoughts) (played twice as I had to cut it off first time to get Hidden Orchestra on stage in time)Soho / Hot Music (Nirobi Edit) (Square 12”)Tipper / Covered In LobstersZed Bias / Music Deep Inside (Swamp 81) - Oct 03, 11
I DJ'ed at my residency at the Green Door Store in Brighton on Saturday night. The night finally now has a name too: Sonic Switch. I had a really great time with a great crowd in dancing to all styles of music.
In my book that's a very good request list. Especially as it does not include the words Lady Gaga or R&B (which often means Black Eyed Peas) or "play something we can dance to"!
As a DJ I am very used to getting requests and as long as people are polite I have no issues with this....as a DJ this is part of your job. A good feeling as a DJ is when people ask for good requests. On Saturday it seemed to be like a heavenly DJ moment....all the requests I was getting were good and everyone was friendly and polite.
It started off with a young lady asking for Mulatu Asatake which took me by surprise...what a great request! I got asked for more Hip Hop by a group of ladies (rather than "screw face" gentlemen). I got a request to play some Quantic and Zed Bias. And after playing a few reggae tunes someone wrote on their hand "please play more dub" and politely waved their hand in front of me. I also got the request below:
The great thing about a residency is being able to test out new music, whether it is forthcoming music from Tru Thoughts or new releases. I played a track from the forthcoming Quantic & Alice Russell album which sounded amazing (especially the sweeping strings).
I played two tracks from the forthcoming Sleepin Giantz album (the new project from Zed Bias, Rodney P and Fallacy). When I played "Badungdeng" I had loads of people ask me about the track....it seriously rocks any club. I also played a track called "Raving Bully" which again sounds huge...I had someone come up to me and say that they had to control themselves from going too crazy to the track as it sounded so amazing! I am so excited about this Sleepin Giantz LP....it is a game changing album...a new definition of Hip Hop.
The Lossy track "Rain Came Down" is another track that I always get people asking about when I play it. This is fast becoming an end of the night anthem for me. The bass sounds great on a club system and the song is so catchy too.
Lossy - Rain Came Down by Tru Thoughts
I played two tracks from Hint's forthcoming album. One is a futuristic Hip Hop track called "Aliens" feat T Fly (a 21 year old female rapper from Texas) and the other a Ragga / Future Garage stomper called "Crash and Burn" feat Natalie Storm, that tore the roof off the place (with again people asking me what the track was).
Other tunes that sounded good, rocked the floor and people asked about where:
Mosca / Bax
Mugwump / Boutade (Miseridub)
Raphael Saadiq / Skyy (Yam Who Mix)
Rodney P / Live Up
Switch Groov Exp / Bon Tres Bien (Simbad Mix)
Soho / Hot Music (Nirobi Edit)
Bjorn Torske / Langt Fra Afrika (Todd Terje Mix)
Zed Bias : Loads of tracks!
Exist / Lookin At Blue (At Jazz Dub)
Azealia Banks / 212
A Tribe Called Quest / Buggin Out
Heretic / Hold The Line
Elephant Man / Log On (Horsepower Remix)
Jill Scott / Lovely Day
So, I am already looking forward to the next one on Saturday 3rd December. Check www.robertluis.com for further info. - Aug 16, 11It has been a strange time in England over the last week or so. The riots have directly effected a lot of people I know. The Sony warehouse fire destroyed the stock of a number of independent record labels and artists I know. More importantly five people have died directly due to the unrest taking place across the country.
I had made a DJ mix last week which I called "Bullingdon Boombox" DJ mix. It featured music which I felt reflected my mood and music I felt had something to say about the riots, alongside vocal snippets from people directly effected, as well as Boris's not so great interaction with some people from London in the immediate aftermath.
Robert Luis: "Bullingdon Boombox DJ Mix" by robertluis
I had taken the week of work this week and on Monday I went up to London with my wife (it was our wedding anniversary). We decided to go to West London to have a change of scenery from Brighton and look around. We saw a film crew hanging around and a fake market stall set on one of the main roads and I just presumed they must be filming Notting Hill 2. After walking around for a little while we found ourselves back on the road with the film crew, but this time there were quite a few people taking photos on their phones, as well as a few more professional looking photographers. We crossed the road to see who was causing the small bit of interest. After having watched the excellent Starsuckers documentary on Channel 4 at the week-end I just presumed it would be some C List so-called "Celeb". It turned out to be Boris.
I turned to my wife and said I have to go and speak to him and as I walked over to him I was not sure what I wanted to say...I had so much to say. Boris was already talking to a young woman and as I arrived next to him he put his hand out and shook my hand. I said to Boris that I felt it was important to help the young people in the areas affected by rioting and that most people there just needed a fair opportunity and direction. I had in mind the video footage Beasly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBgRd12vzv4 &; Daz I Cue http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=axeCXcMG4CM had forwarded to me on Twitter last week. The young man in the video clip had referenced Connexions, which was a great project to help young people. I told him that my sister in law had worked for Connexions in the past and how she was telling me last year that the cutting of organistaions like Connexions would leave a big gap that was supporting young people positively and potentially this would lead to some form of unrest when the cuts kicked in. Boris then told me there are other organistaions to fill in this gap.
The young woman who was speaking to Boris before I rudely interrupted her, said to Boris firmly "Where are these organisations? I have not seen them I cannot find them". This young woman was well spoken and very articulate. Boris told her they are online and then, what I presume was his PR assistant. took out a handful of what looked like "Mayor Of London Business Cards" and handed her one.
At this point it all started to feel a bit surreal in my head. The assistant looked like he was about 19 years old and had a worried look on his face. Suddenly this started to remind me of Armando Ianucci's "In The Thick Of It" and "In The Loop". I started to wonder if the Mayor's office felt that handing out business cards with a website address on would help curb peoples anger and I wondered how many business cards does this person have to give out a day at the moment.
I then went on to say to Boris that I came from a single parent family and how I had got an Assisted Place (a Scholarship for children from poor financial backgrounds) to go to a good school and now had a business that employed seven people and brought in a decent amount of revenue into this country from our sales abroad. I said I felt it was unfair that I had a friend, who was as clever as many of the people I went to school with, who was now a postman as he did not have the opportunity to go to a good school. Boris replied "There is nothing wrong with being a postman".
This got me slightly angry and I said to Boris that I knew there is nothing wrong with being a postman but most of the people who went to my school have much better paid jobs than my friends who had to go to the quite bad Comprehensive School in my area. I said this boiled down to the difference in schooling. I told Boris I am not a Communist but it is important that there is a level playing field when it comes to education. Boris just looked at me and nodded in the way he has done in many of the clips I have seen of him on YouTube in the past week.
It is a look that makes me feel Boris is thinking either "I am out of my depth. I hope this person stops talking soon" or "I wonder what I am having for supper tonight". I still do not know which.
At this point two young children aged around 10 or 11 suddenly went and stood next to Boris and I turned round to see their Mum telling them to move in closer to Boris so she could take a picture of them. The two children seemed confused.
I felt that I wanted to leave. I knew I had more I wanted to say, but was not sure I would get a response that would be fulfilling. In hindsight, I think rather than talk to him about his and David Cameron's membership of the Bullingdon Club or Nick Clegg's arson conviction, I made my point of view on what I felt a solution might be. A solution that is achievable. I am sure plenty more people from all different classes, races and backgrounds will be making their suggestions to Boris over the next few weeks and months. I hope anyone who sees Boris in the street does approach him and let him know their opinion. Do get a "Mayor Of London Business Card" as I forgot to get one. - Apr 04, 11
MONDAY 4TH APRIL
I had a great time DJing at the Green Door Store in Brighton on Saturday. It has been a while since I did a 5 hour set in Brighton and I really enjoyed it. With longer sets, you get a chance to play across the board and also have a bit of room to "test" more unusual and new tunes out. Hint's remix of Wiley went down really well, as did a lot of the forthcoming Zed Bias stuff and Quantic's Cumbia cover of Lauryn Hill is going to be big judging by the reaction on the dancefloor. Ashely Beedle's remix of Gil Scot Heron and Opolopo's 1960 what? Remix were both big on the dancefloor.
The Green Door Store venue is really great and being away from other busy streets it seems to get a crowd of people who know what is going on. So looks like this will be Tru Thoughts new "club" home in Brighton and I really look forward to the next time.
The next dates will soon be updated on the DJ gigs section of http://www.robertluis.com - Mar 05, 11
BANNED IN BELARUS
I was chatting to Hint on the phone and he told me about the following article:
http://bit.ly/gHcfDh
It seems I've been banned in Belarus alongside some well known people. I DJed at a gig out there a few years ago to support freedom of speech and creativity. This country is the last dictatorship left in Europe. It's the first time I've been banned from anything and it also feels good to be called an "undesireable artist".
HINT REMIXES MJ COLE & WILEY
I was chatting to Hint as he's just done a great remix. He was recently DJing with MJ Cole and MJ passed him the Wiley A Capella of the From The Drop to do a remix. It's a great version. Check Rob Da Bank's Radio 1 show to hear it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yqjst#segments
BELLERUCHE'S MERCEDES ADVERT
Check 'Northern Girls' being used in this advert celebrating 125 years of Mercedes Benz. - Dec 15, 10
I did this mix before I did "Brighton Treats With Jamaican Beats" & "Brighton Treats With Popped Beats" Mix CD's.
For some reason I never got round to sorting it out as an actual CD mix so here it is to download. Part 2 to follow soon.
http://www.zshare.net/audio/786754432674bfdf/
This is the Head Nod mix and the dialogue samples are all from one of my favourite films: Quadrophenia - Dec 15, 10
I keep checking these photos from the student protests. I get the feeling that 2011 will see a lot more unrest in the UK.
I was chatting to Wrong Tom at the Bonobo / Roots Manuva / Ninja Tune gig in Brighton on Friday and he was saying next year is the 30th anniversary of The Specials 'Ghost Town'....I wonder if someone is going to come up with another anthem like that in 2011 that can get to number 1 in the Pop charts....I hope so.
Check loads more excellent photos here:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/12/london_tuition_fee_protest.html - Dec 15, 10
I've recently finished sorting out my radio shows with "Best Of 2010" selections. It's been another good year for music and I thought I'd update some of my thoughts of 2010.
VIDEOS
From a slightly biased point of view the Belleruche video for Fuzz Face has been something I've really enjoyed. Just the fact that someone took the time to photocopy each indvidual still for the video to get the authentic grime'y feel deserves applause. Computers make life easy but they are also to clean sometimes and for me it just adds to the soul of the video.
I really loved the Shad video for Rose Garden. Obviously with a nod to The Pharcyde and Spike Jonze but it is done well.
I'm not sure why the video for MIA's Born Free was banned by YouTube. I suppose it's good publicity but with all the stuff going on with Wikileaks at the moment there seem to be many things going on about censorship that I don't think I'll ever fully understand.M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.
Das Racist have a great name and I love their tunes and this video. I'm still old school Tron and don't think I'll ever watch Avatar. - Jul 31, 10
So I’ve just uploaded the more DJ friendly version of my Re Edit of Public Enemy’s ‘Fight The Power’ to Soundcloud. As usual this will be kept to a limited download amount of 100.
Public Enemy : Fight The Power (Nirobi Re Edit) by robertluis
The first Re Edit I did also included the Flava Flav Meets Spike Lee version of ‘Fight The Pwer’ but although it worked to listen to, I just felt that it was a bit too long for the dancefloor but it does makes a good listen. I thought I’d upload it here anyway.
http://www.zshare.net/audio/788378009f93fb4e/
I am a huge Public Enemy fan. I remember the first time I heard Rebel Without A Pause it blew my mind. I was already an obsessive Hip Hop fan but this track really was crazy….pure noise but very funky. The Bomb Squad production unit just had the “raw but funky” sound perfected.
One of the reasons I like Public Enemy so much, is the fact that they showed me directly how music can really change people’s attitudes. I was at school at the time Public Enemy first came to the UK and a few more people at my school started to get into Hip Hop. I was very used to a few people in my year making so-called jokes that were a bit racist but as they got more into Hip Hop their attitude really began to change and they stopped with these type of comments. The big change came from them getting into Hip Hop and going to see Public Enemy live. I think groups like Public Enemy, although they came with what some people might argue is quite an extreme political point, the way they marketed themselves did appeal to people of all races and backgrounds. Their music and image was so powerful you had to take notice.
It’s interesting watching the video to the track. At the start you see a big banner saying “Register To Vote” and nearly 20 years later Obama is the President of the USA. - Jun 29, 10
I've done a couple of DJ mixes with an African theme. The first one is a more dancefloor orientated one and the second one is a more head nod one. You can download the DJ mixes here:
ROBERT LUIS 'AFRICAN WORLD CUP DJ MIX (PART1)'
http://www.zshare.net/audio/777876494b3920b0/
ROBERT LUIS 'AFRICAN WORLD CUP DJ MIX (PART2)'
http://www.zshare.net/audio/774804380d386302/
You can also stream and check tracklistings here:
http://www.mixcloud.com/robertluis/ - May 10, 10
Saw Four Lions this weekend. Directed by Chris Morris and a satire about suicide bombers! The acting is great, it is funny but also quite surreal and there's a great message to it. Highly recommended.
The other film I've enjoyed this year is the Banksy documentary 'Exit Through The Gift Shop'. Some great footage of street art and the surreal story of Mr Brainwash...a man who filmed Banksy and then decided to become an artist himself. There's some great music on the soundtrack complied by Geoff Barrow (Portishead). The track used on the film trailer is an excellent tune by The Creators originally released on Bad Magic (an off shoot of Wall Of Sound).
I've done a little re-edit just extended some instrumental parts to break up the vocal a bit. Listen/Download here:
http://bit.ly/9eU62n - Apr 20, 10
I was always a big fan of The Human League when I was young and to me their music fitted alongside the Streetsound’s Electro albums I heard my older cousins playing. When I heard Hint drop the original version of Love Action at the Tru Thoughts New Years Eve Party in Brighton a couple of years ago I thought it sounded amazing. I always felt I would like to do a little re-edit (basically removing quite a bit of the vocals).
I sent out a promo to a few DJ’s last week and have had some great reactions....including getting played by James Mountain on Ministry Of Sound radio (btw also check out Ross Allen’s show on Ministry Of Sound radio too....always a great selection of tunes)
You can listen to the tune via Soundcloud here:
The Human League : Love Action (Nirobi Re-Edit) by robertluis
I’ll keep the download link active for a week or so...so if you like be quick and download here:
http://bit.ly/auibhh - Mar 18, 10
Bit of a jet lagged post. So excuse any ramblings.
First time for me at SXSW and it seems like a great conference. Very busy with both business seminars and some great music. Just got back from the Stones Throw party. Saw Amir (BBE), Rhematic and J Rocc , who were all good really enjoyed the way J Rocc worked the turntables. He even cut some specials on 45 to stick with the 45 theme of the night. Jet lag kicked in too much so had to get back to hotel so missed Madlib and Peanut Butter Wolf.
They also gave away a free 7" tonight. A much kinder gesture than a free download! - Feb 05, 10
I am going to be adding a few Re-Edits and DJ Mixes on my SoundCloud page over the next few weeks.
Latest tracks by robertluis - Mar 18, 10
Did a few re-edits this weekend and thought I’d put one up here for download. K’naan, Mos Def and Chali 2na into the original tune used on the break from Tiahoun Gessess. A Long Edit with head nod groove for the early DJ slot or useful to switch styles from Hip Hop to that Afro selection. If you like it definitely buy the Troubadour album from K’naan.
http://www.zshare.net/audio/7135953050506b55/ - Dec 16, 09
Below is a link for the radio show (podcast or stream). So much music this year, I put aside four shows to play the tunes....and still ended up missing quite a few out.
http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/audio/unfold-radio">
Unfold with RobertLuis
Sunday 13thDecember
Best of 2009 Part 1 of 4
SamonKawmura/ Sugar Hill feat O Mas(BMG)
MarkPritchard/ Hologram (Ho Hum)
AriRoze/ Roll WithThe Planet (Mighty Highness)
Lucinda Slim& TheLone Stars / All This Time (Melting Pot Music)
Jay Z / EmpireStateOfMind (Roc Nation)
The P Brothers / In A Zone (Heavy Bronx)
BustaRhymes / Decision (Universal)
MosDef feat The Ruler / Auditorium (Downtown)
Natural Self / The Rising feat AndreyaTriana(The Broken Keys Mix) (Tru Thoughts)
MarkPritchardfeat OmasKeith / Wind ItUp (Hyperdub)
Fredo/ Squadron Face (Tru Thoughts)
DZ / TheThings We Do (DZ Dubwise)
Chase & Status / Saxon (Ram)
Aldo Vanucci presents AmieJ / Naïve (Tru Thoughts)
Platinum Piped Pipers / Pigeon Hole (Ubiquity)
Kylie Auldist/ In A Week InA Day (Ashley BeedleEdit) (Tru Thoughts)
PaulWhite / Alien Nature (One Handed)
Elemental & TomCaruana/ Pay Me A Visit feat Count Bass D (TeaSea)
Jaz/ TheEpispicalChurchWelcomes You (Sixty Five)
Marky& Drumagick/ Superbass(Beatmsters)
Channel 2 & Goldstar/ Must Come A Road(Rocksteady)
GunmasterG9 & Pyarelel/ Wrong Number (Nasha)
Kloke/ Aquarius (Entrada)
Zed Bias/ Neighbourhood (Promo)
DJ Zinc & DaveSpoon / Ghost Train (Televizion)
Karizma/ DrumzNightmare (R2)
Dusty / Salsa Step (Jazz N Milk)
Unfold with RobertLuis
Sunday 20thDecember
Best Of 2009 (Show 2 of 4)
Laroca/ Elevator Tester (Just Music)
Flashbaxx/ Jack Of All Trades (MaximillionLoopRemix) (Blackfish)
Q Tip / Canwomanboogie(DomuEdit) (Promo)
Palov & Mishkin / Rude EmAmba(Cast ABlast)
Moonstar/ LahamBaginefeat TonyEzzy(Public Transit)
Rainer Truby/ To Know You (Compost)
Zwicker/ Oddity (PilooskiRemix) (Compost)
RoyAyers / Red Black & Green (Onur EnginEdit)
Donaeo/ Party Hard (My Ish)
Martyn/ EldenSt(3024)
Hint / Tape Packs (Tru Thoughts)
Hard House Bantons/ Sirens (Spoilt Rotten)
MasoulV Son Da Batey/ Biomba(Promo)
Magic Drum Orchestra / Raggasamba(Lion Head)
The Heavy / How You Like Me Now (Ninja Tune)
The Bamboos / Turn It Up (Tru Thoughts)
Messengers / Paradise(Promo)
The Jacksons/ Show You TheWay To Go (Madnus& ScogilEdit)
The Jackson/ Show You TheWay To Go (PhiladelphiaInternational)
Funkineven1956 / Kleerfeat Fatima (Eglo)
Miguel Atwood Ferguson & Carlos Nino / Fall InLove (Mochilla)
Kinny/ Afro Love Forest(Stonephace Remix)
Silkie& Harry Craze / Favela(Break TheHabit)
Zomby/ TheLie (Ramp)
SukhKnight / GanjaDub (True Tiger)
Dorian Concept / Tropical Hands (Affine)
Unfold with RobertLuis
Sunday 27thDecember
Best of 2009 (Show 3 of 4)
Mayer Hawthorne / Maybe So Maybe No (Stones Throw)
Skeletons / Positive Force (Impossible Ark)
Bullion / Time ForUs All To Love (One Handed)
Lizzy Parks/ All That (Natural Self Mix) (Tru Thoughts)
Leisure All Stars / How We Roll (SubstaticRemix) (Leisure)
AC Lewis / Tickles (DomuMix) (Tru Thoughts)
Quantic & His Combo Barbaro/ UnCanto A Mi Tierra (Tru Thoughts)
William De Vaughn / Be Thankful ForWhat You’ve Got (Onur EnginEdit)
Michael Jackson / Billie Jean (EdSmith Remix) (Promo)
Floating Points / Vacuum Boogie (Eglo)
Jack Penate/ TonightsToday (XL)
Nacho Patrol / AfricaSpace Program (Kindred Spirits)
Major Lazer/ PonDe Floor (Downtown)
Mungos Hi Fi/ HaffiRock (Scrub A Dub)
16 Bit/ In TheDeath Car (Boka)
Joy Orbison/ HyphMngo(Hot Flush)
La Roux / In For TheKill (SkreamMix)
RobSparx/ So Good (Trooper)
Michael Jackson / Human Nature (Makoto Mix) (Promo)
Redeyes& Lenzman/ We Got TheMagic (Promo)
Makoto / Sentimental Moods (Creative Source)
Debruit/ Nigerian What? (Civil Music)
Lack OfAfro / Rhythm Come Forward (Freestyle)
Clarence “Frogman” Henry / I Ain’tGot No Home (RockinEdits)
Unfold with RobertLuis
Sunday 3rdJanuary
Best Of 2009 Show 4 of 4
Jay Z / Death OfAutotune(Roc Nation)
JankoNilovic/ In TheSpace (Dare Dare)
RZA / Whar(Wu Music)
MED / Soon Find Out (Stones Throw)
Mr Scruff / Nice Up TheFunction (Remix) (Ninja Tune)
Dobie/ Dumb Girl FromAllen Road(Brownswood)
1000 Names / It Started As ARemix (Eklektik)
Sound Species / Can We Call It Love feat Ahu(Burnt Progress)
Lizzy Parks/ Deluge (Tru Thoughts)
Crowhead/ ECM (Atic)
Nostalgia 77 Sessions presents Keith Tippetts/ Four Whispers ForArchiesChair (Tru Thoughts)
The RaahProject / WillYou Be There (Summer Dawn)
Bonobo/ TheKeeper feat AndreyaTriana(Ninja Tune)
Disrupt / SelassiI Continually (Werk)
Harmonic 313 / Falling Away (Warp)
Filewile/ Radiotower(Mouth Watering)
AcusmaticGroup / TheFixer (Solo ModernaMix) (Irma)
Azaxx / Autumn Dreamy (Tru Thoughts)
Kotchy/ Sing What You Want (MRK1 Remix) (Civil Music)
Sully / Cadillac (FrijsfoBeats)
Breakage / Run EmOut feat Roots Manuva(Digital Soundboy)
DizzeeRascal / Can’t TekNo More (DirteeStank)
JahdanBlakkamore/ Earth Shaking (Gold Dust)
Bibio/ Fire Ant (Warp)
ColinMunroe / Piano Lessons (Marked Music)
SaRa Creative Partners / Spacefruit(Ubiquity)
N’Dambi/ Can Hardly Wait (Stax)
Fulgeance/ Sour Soca(One Handed)
Domu/ We Can (Tru Thoughts) - Dec 15, 09
Had a great Tru Thoughts 10th Birthday party in Switzerland. Everyone involved in this night works really hard and it's a great crowd. Liked the little touches like the inflatable birthday cake plus Tru Thoughts logo made in red balloons.
The video above is the end of Kinny's live PA and the video below is the shout for "one more tune" after Azaxx, TM Juke and myself has been DJ'ing back to back at the end of the night. You can hear TM Juke saying to me we should play one more and me being a lightweight and saying "no". - Dec 09, 09
I was asked to do a DJ Mix for Bobby Friction’s show on the BBC Asian Network last week.. When I did one a couple of years ago, amongst the music I put some snippets from the Quadraphenia soundtrack. This time I decided to put a snippet of the Cassette Boy “Question Time” cut up they posted on YouTube which featured Nick Griffin (the leader of the far right BNP political organisation, which is supposedly not racist, but does not want anyone who is not white to become a member).
When I sent the DJ mix I was phoned by the producer of the show and told that after everything that had happened with Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand, I had to remove the skit from the mix. I did say that it was unlikely that anyone from the BNP would be listening to the Asian Network but was told that the skit might be looked upon as defamation of character.
I didn’t really want to cause too much of a fuss, as I know the BBC is a big corporation and everyone has their job to do and policies come from on high.
I do wonder if Nick Griffin would think it’s “Political correctness gone mad”.
Anyway here’s the link to the DJ mix on BBC Asian Network:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p5zj7
Here’s the link to the “original” DJ Mix featuring the Question Time skit:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/6926294974109145
Here's the link to the original post from Cassette Boy: - Dec 01, 09
WASHINGTON
First time in Washington for me. Played at 18th Street Lounge which is part-owned by the Thievery Corporation. It’s a great venue, which inside is just like a house with comfy sofas and a few different rooms. The DJ booth is in the hallway and there is a little window to look through to see the dancefloor. Quite unusual but it does work. I really enjoyed playing here.
Big tunes: Kenny Dope “Supa”, Jazzmin Sullivan “Backstabbers”, Messengers “Paradise (ReEdit), Natural Self “In The Morning”, AC Lewis “Tickles (Domu Remix)”, Karizma “Requiem For A DJ”, Kitanga “Keep Changing”.
Finally had a day off on Sunday so enjoyed the lie in. Went to see the White House which was smaller than I thought it would be and then watched the final series of “Curb Your Enthusisam” on HBO (which without doubt is the best comedy around) in the hotel room with some take out sushi….time to get the carb intake to normal levels after two weeks in USA.
-
Biography
- BIOGRAPHYRobert Luis is the founder, co-owner and A&R for Tru Thoughts http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk the record label based in Brighton, England. He has worked with and introduced a whole host of acts into the musical world, signing Quantic, Bonobo, Belleruche and Alice Russell and releasing their debut albums, as well as signing the likes of Nostalgia 77, Hidden Orchestra, Zed Bias, Rodney P and Hot 8 Brass Band.
Clubs
His background has always been in DJing. Promoting and spinning at some legendary club nights in Brighton and booking and DJing with the likes of Mr Scruff, Basement Jaxx, Ashley Beedle, Groove Armada, James Lavelle, Fabio, Gilles Peterson, Roni Size The Nextmen and 4 Hero. Many of which made their debut appearance in Brighton thanks to Robert's forward thinking musical mind. Robert currently has a DJ residency called "Sonic Switch" in Brighton where he plays a Five Hour set (check the Gig page for more info).
Radio
He also has a weekly radio show called Unfold which goes out in Brighton on Juice 107.2 and is podcasted / streamed on the Tru Thoughts website each week. http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/audio/unfold-radio So you can be assured he has his finger on the pulse when it comes to playing the new tunes and new styles and also digs deep into his excellent record collection too.
DJ
His DJ style covers a wide range of music from beats, jazz, dub step, funk, bass, tropical, hip hop, reggae, soul to drum and bass. Balancing new and upfront music whilst also playing music from past decades. This eclectic style has resulted in him DJ'ing across the world, DJing everywhere from underground clubs in Moscow, USA, Europe, Australia and across the UK to MTV Party's in Cannes, Bestival, Montreux, SXSW, The Big Chill and a whole host of festivals across Europe.NirobiRobert started to learn the Recorder aged 8 years old (even though his teachers asked him not to) and swiftly moved to playing the Triangle aged 9. After hearing Hip Hop music aged 10 he decided to give up (even after being offered a scholarship to study Triangle at the Brit School....home of every great artist to come out of the UK....ever). Robert now records music under the name Nirobi, which includes a collaboration with Bonobo (under Bonobo's Brarakas guise). Nirobi is also the name Robert uses for his promo only DJ edits and remixes. His reworks of DJ friendly tracks have had the support of the likes of Mos Def, Gilles Peterson, Quantic, Laurent Garnier, Rob Da Bank, Mr Scruff, Dimitri from Paris, Ashley Beedle, Daddy G (Massive Attack), Toddla T, Danny Krivit, Garth Trinidad, Rich Medina, Nickodemus and many others.
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DJ Mixes (Download Or Stream)
- Sonic Switch Giraffe DJ Mix by Robert Luis
This DJ mix has some dancefloor beats from Souleance, that Tropical stuff from Sabo & Cassidy, Romanowski and Caldonia, some Disco from Napolean, classic Broken Beat from Laws Of Motion, and the big dancefloor track of the moment from me from Romare. The mix ends on a more soulful tip with a Marvin Gaye Edit and Amp Fiddler on a J Dilla beat.
Hope you enjoy and hopefully see you at Sonic Switch
Sonic Switch Penguin DJ Mix by Robert Luis
Souleance – BBQ & Pimms (First Word)
Sabo & Cassidy – Esa Loca Cumbia (Bersa Discos)
Dirty McKenzie & Sophia Shorai – Love Your Love (Bass United)
Caldonia – Barbados Stew (Tramp)
Exoticpets – Bush Skank (Romanowski)
Solo Moderna – Where Is My Sweet Ninja (SMR)
Toro Y Moi – Say That (Car Park)
Napolean – Postcards (Napolean)
Stephane Attias – Brazilian Fight Song (Version) (Laws Of Motion)
Kyodai – Moving (Breaking Part 2) (Local Talk)
Romare – Your Love (You Give Me Fever) (Black Acre)
Kuhn – NWYRK (Civil Music)
Truenoys – We Been Waitin (Behling & Simpson Remix) (Lovemonk)
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (Sam Redmore Remix) (Promo)
DJ Day – Mama Shelter (Land Of 1000 Chances)
J Dilla – Let’s Pray Together (Rebirth Of Detroit)
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Unfold Radio Show on Mixcloud with Robert Luis
- Click Play Button below : Radio stream via Tru Thoughts on Mixcloud
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Posts
Eazy-E and Dr. Dre make their debut in Ed Piskor’s latest Hip Hop Family Tree (via Boing Boing)
Recently had a fresh coat of point on the walls the Tru Thoughts office. So we decided to frame our Gilles Peterson Worldwide Award for label of the year so you could see the vinyl. The award was designed by Chris Ofili. #truthoughts #gillespeterson #worldwide #chrisofili
Ghost Town is one of my favourite records of all time. I got this signed by Jerry Dammers when I DJ’ed before him at The Big Chill festival a few years ago.
ALICE RUSSELL | RETROGRADE (JAMES BLAKE COVER) on Soundcheck
Tru Thoughts presents Sonic Switch
Saturday 1st June
DJ: Robert Luis (5 Hour Set)
At the Green Door Store, Brighton
Throw your iPad in the air! Saw this whilst watching Ghostface & Adrian Younge at SXSW, Texas
Adam F ‘Circles’ sounded great and was a big tune at Sonic Switch on Saturday. Still sounded good alongside the newer D&B.
New @quanticmusic test pressing 7” (not from forthcoming Quantic LP). Sounding very good. #quantic #truthoughts
Really enjoying ‘Overdose Of The Holy Ghost’ comp CD by David Hill on @joeynegro Z Records
Photo from around 1982-1984 of some graffiti in South Woodford, London, E.18. #graffiti #graffitilondon #graffitiartlondon
Pin-up of the Rock Steady Crew by Wilfred Santiago for Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree.
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- Brand new Sonic Switch DJ Mix by Robert Luis
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- www.sonicswitch.co.uk www.robertluis.com As Sonic Switch is now going monthly it means I can get some guest DJ’s to join me on turntable duties. For the next session we have Wrongtom who is a great DJ who plays a variety of styles. The night has been great and it is so good to be able to test out music to a responsive crowd who are up for dancing to a lot of different music in a dark room. TRU THOUGHTS presents SONIC SWITCH SATURDAY 3rd NOVEMBER DJ’s WRONGTOM & ROBERT LUIS (Tru Thoughts A&R, Nirobi, Unfold Radio) 11pm-4am Free Entry Green Door Store, Brighton www.thegreendoorstore.co.uk www.tru-thoughts.co.uk This months DJ mix has some new disco and boogie tracks, Hint’s excellent remix of his own tracks with a classic 80’s Soul feel (but no samples…all music played by Hint), a few “backpack” Hip Hop classics from The Beatnuts and The Aboriginals, a great Fela Kuti Edit and an upfront spin of the Behling & Simpson remix of Quantic & Alice Russell. The Brighton connection is strong with a track from the excellent Anushka and Ashley Beedle’s track has been a big anthem for teh last few months at Sonic Switch so I had to get that into the mix. Hope you enjoy and hopefully see you at Sonic Switch TRACKLISTINGS Gredits - Sister Peak (Basic Fingers) Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish - Flowers (Sound Signature) The Beatnuts - No Escapin This (Nirobi Edit) Aboriginals - Number Theory (Mecca Life) Digital Rust - Chocolate Sauce (Additech) Hint - Aliens Enter feat T Fly (Hint Remix) (Tru Thoughts) Fela Anikulapo Kuti - Egbe Mi O (Frank Booker Edit) (Promo) Cerrone - Hooked On You (Kon’s Nite Time Remix) (Gold Finger) Quantic & Alice Russell with the Combo Barbaro - Magdalena (Behling & Simpson Remix) (Tru Thoughts) Ben Sun - You Should Know Better (Delusions Of Grandeur) Ethiopian Quintet - Askum (Diesler Remix) (Rebtuz) Ashley Beedle - Run The Track (Girls Music) Anushka - Yes Guess (Promo) Makoto - Another Generation (Apollo) The download is for a limited time only.
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Shop
- SONIC SWITCH DOUBLE MIX CD by ROBERT LUIS
Juno:Etch Shop:TRU THOUGHTS DISCO / BOOGIE COMPILATION : Compiled by ROBERT LUIS
iTunes:Tru Thoughts' Etch Shop:NIROBI EDITS: SQUARE RECORDSLimited Edition 12" 500 copies only. No re-press and no digital release. Four Nirobi Edits of Talking Heads, Jill Scott, Nas & Damian Marley & Mulatu and Biggie now mastered for extra heavyness for the dancefloor.Juno:Phonica:Rough Trade:Piccadilly:Etch Shop:NIROBI EDITS : SQUARE RECORDS
For a while now, Nirobi Edits have been rocking the sets of many well known DJ’s and getting support from across the World, including Mos Def recently spreading the love in a Facebook post to his legions of fans and plays by Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff, Laurent Garnier, Ashley Beedle, Rob Da Bank and many more. Now, finally, four sought-after tracks are available on this limited edition vinyl only release.JUNO:TRU THOUGHTS ETCH SHOP:HHV:SHAPES (compiled by ROBERT LUIS)
Another essential selection of tracks compiled by Robert Luis. Double CD, Digital or Double Vinyl (which includes 2xCD's). Buying this compilation will make you approximately 3.5% happier than someone who has not bought it.TRU THOUGHTS ETCH SHOP http://shop.etchshop.co.uk/releases/TRUCD239/shapes-1101/481CLICK LINK BELOW TO BUY ON ITUNES
SHAPES (compiled by ROBERT LUIS)
The Tru Thoughts compilation put together by Robert Luis. Includes a great reggae cover of the Dr Who theme by Smerins Anti Social Club, Quantic remixing Saravah Soul, Prince Fatty remixing Natural Self plus tracks from Belleruche, Alice Russell and Maddslinky amongst all your Tru Thoughts favourites. It's very good.CLICK LINK BELOW TO BUY ON ITUNESBuy from Juno:Buy from Amazon:ME&YOU 'FLOATING HEAVY'
A collaboration between TM Juke & Robert Luis. It features a reggae cover version of Roni Size's Brown Paper Bag (play the track below) and a number of dancefloor nuggets. It's been clinically proven that buying and listening to this album will generally improve your life by 22%.CLICK LINK BELOW TO BUY ON ITUNESBuy from Amazon:Buy from Tru Thoughts Etch Shop:Buy from Juno:NIROBI & BARAKAS
A strictly for the dancefloor collaboration between Robert Luis & Bonobo. Here are some random words to help you decide whether you will buy this release or not:"Simon Cowell, Adele, Skream's Remix of La Roux, Playlist, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Mixmag, The Beano, Hello/OK, JLS, Genius, *****, Album Of The Month"CLICK LINK BELOW TO BUY ON ITUNESBuy from Juno Download:The Official Tru Thoughts Online Shop:
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Guide To Brighton
- by Robert LuisRECORD SHOPSRESIDENTVoted one of the best Record Shops in the UK. It has a great selection of current and classic releases covering all genres. They have great descriptions on all the vinyl and CD's and plenty of bargains too.RARE KINDNew and second hand music. I know a few people who have sold their quality Hip Hop records here so if you are after some good Hip Hop and related genres then definitely pop in.ACROSS THE TRACKSWhen I first started DJing in Brighton this is where I built up a lot of my collection of funk, jazz and soul. A good place to dig in the crates.FOODEMPIRE TANDOORIThis is in my opinion the best Indian food takeaway in Brighton. If a dish sounds good to you it probably will be. I recommend the King Prawn Puree and the Tandoori Mixed Grill.MARROCCOSA great family run Italian restaurant. Daily fish and seafood, pasta and pizzas all made fresh to order. Save room for the home made ice cream too. It can get busy so worth booking a table.THE TROLLS PANTRYThis serves some of the best burgers I have ever had. This is a seriously good burger, street food style (so wrap up warm when it is cold but worth it). Freshly made, locally sourced and unique flavours. Highly recommended and addictive.CHILLI PICKLEQuality Indian food with a modern twist. It can get quite busy so probably best to book a table.ETHEL'SThis is a great independent cafe that does a quality breakfast, a good selection of lunches, fresh juices and amazing home made cakes. Slightly outside of Brighton but worth the journey.GRUBBS BURGERThis is one of the best burgers in Brighton (from before Burgers became an Instagram sensation). Not expensive or designer but very tasty. Some great combinations available but the Original wins the day for me.GARS CHINESEGood quality Chinese food. I have eaten here with two different people who have told me they do not really like Chinese food and they have both thought it was great. Freshly cooked and a nice variety of dishes.MOSHI MOSHI SUSHIThe first restaraunt in the UK to have the Sushi on a conveyer belt. Good fresh food and some great juices too.PAUSE CAFEThis is around the corner from the Tru Thoughts office's so a regular hang out. Great home cooked breakfasts and lunches with good service.BARDSLEY'S FISH & CHIPSNot on the seafront but I think these are the best Fish & Chips you will get in Brighton. They have been doing their thing since 1926. Fresh & tasty in a real "chippy" environment.HELLS KITCHEN DELIIf you need a quick sandwich or snack during the day this place is recommended.OLD BANK STEAK & RIBS BBQGood Barbecue restaurant. For Man Versus Food fans you should try the 56oz steak challenge!POMPOKO JAPANESEGood value take-away and restaurant in central Brighton.MANGE TOUTAuthentic French food. They do a great breakfast / lunch. Well worth checking.
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Contacting Robert Luis
- DJ BOOKINGSPlease contact Steve: joe90@futureboogie.com or click link below to mail Steve.EMAILINGPlease click the "Contact" button on the bottom left hand of the page to send a message.DEMOSPlease go to the Tru Thoughts website for the best way to submit demos.PROMOSThe best way to send me your music is to post a CD or vinyl to:ROBERT LUISTRU THOUGHTSPO BOX 2818BRIGHTONBN1 4RLUKEach day I get sent around 20-50 email links to download music. I look at every email, but unfortunately do not have the time to stream or download the music in every email that is sent to me. I personally check the music on every CD or vinyl that is posted to me.
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