This column marks Ghetto Palms’ second one-year anniversary (the column started in March, but 52 weeks = one year’s worth of actual work). In this sense Ghetto Palms is a little like some Jamaicans I have known, no fixed date of birth and will jump on any excuse to play loud music. In honor of this momentous occasion I have done what any self-respecting DJ would and commissioned somebody else to man the decks so i can wild out properly. Berlin-based Tim Turbo—the dude behind the Tim Turbo Thursdays podcast on the Seen reggae blog and a producer who’s been featured in past columns for refixes of Mavado and Major Lazer put down a hell of a blend for me.
Tim Turbo “Under Ghetto Palms” blend
Lexie Lee, “We Don't Play”
Lexie Lee f. Jahcoozi, “Freeze”
Douster, “Schlaggada” (Swaggada Edit)
Terry Lynn, “Kingstonlogic” (Greenmoney Bruk Logic Remix)
Terry Lynn, “Kingstonlogic” (Greenmoney House Logic Remix)
Sorie Kondi, “Without Money, No Family” (Chief Boima Remix)
Daniel Haaksman, “Pombu Coco”
Douster, “Triassic Genesis”
Douster, “Ladinian”
Schlachthofbronx f. Slush Puppy Kids, “Too High”
Download:Tim Turbo "Under Ghetto Palms" Blend
A note from Tim on the music: “Except for the Terry Lynn remixes it's all unreleased business and exclusives. Daniel Haaksman's album is coming in summer on Man Recordings. Schlachthofbronx' album is also coming in summer. The Douster tunes are exclusive stuff, no release date yet. Upcoming lazer bass princess Lexie Lee is also working on her new album, but no date yet.”
Lexie is an LA based Jamaican ex-pat who has been on my radar mostly because she seems to be in some kind of internet battle with Jovi Rockwell over who can look the wickedest in candy-striped thigh-high stockings. Likewise Terry Lynn, Jahcoozi and Schlachthofbronx are all known to me, and Slush Puppy Kids is apparently an alias for Spoek Mathambo. But Tim still managed to put me on to several islanders in this archipelago who’s work I was sleeping on.
First of all there’s Sorie Kondi, a blind Sierra Leonan singer/instrumentalist (the Kondi is his instrument, and apparently he is so married to that shit he took it’s name as his own, you know, like Alicia to Keys.) represented here in fine remixed form courtesy of Ghetto Palmist Chief Boima (look for his guest-slot soon!). Haaksman is a German dude who remixes baile funk and puts out 12-inches I have bought without knowing who he was. On “Pombu Coco” he chops what sounds like the evil guitar lick from Babe Ruth’s “the Mexican” like a favela baby dancing on the pads of an SP-1200.
This mix also introduced me to Douster, brand new signee to the cumbiacentric ZZK records who actually makes house so tribal it stops being house exactly and becomes something he calls “dinosaur music” (anyone remember Caveman Hi/Fi?) which explains why he gives the tracks names like “Triassic Genesis." My favorite though is his “Ladinian” which sounds more like current events than archaeology and dices the hook and adlibs of Busy Signal’s “Tic Toc” into pure virtuoso vocal percussion.