“heavyweight dirty cosmic funk from canada’s finest. the john arnold rub is some ISH!!” – Mark de Clive-Lowe

Vancouver-based Blacktop plays a pivotal role in the Exchange Bureau line-up of recording artists simply by bringing the funk. Otherwise known as Aklimatize, Blacktop’s space age, funk-fueled, bass-heavy dance tracks enlighten the audience to the wide range of flavors Exchange Bureau is serving up by connecting artists from around the globe and engaging them through the sweet decibels of Detroit music. On “Reversed,” with the help of Stockholm’s oral-fixator-funk-monstress Amalia, Blacktop’s board work takes on a life of it’s own …recalling the blaxploitation soundtracks of the ‘70s while ripping a page out of Blackalicious’ World of Vibrations book. The set of remixes that follow only add to the equation. Sweden’s Opolopo transports you via DeLorean to 1982 Disco Boogie bliss, Detroit-based John Arnold’s dirtier dub cut and the almost Latin-flavored “Moot Zoo Dub” uncover the sexual lyrics hidden within.

BagPak Music

Juno

Soul Seduction

“heavyweight dirty cosmic funk from canada’s finest. the John Arnold rub is some ISH!!”
- Mark de Clive-Lowe

Vancouver-based Blacktop plays a pivotal role in the Exchange Bureau
line-up of recording artists simply by bringing the funk. Otherwise known as
Aklimatize, Blacktop’s space age, funk-fueled, bass-heavy dance tracks
enlighten the audience to the wide range of flavors Exchange Bureau is
serving up by connecting artists from around the globe and engaging them
through the sweet decibels of Detroit music. On “Reversed,” with the help of
Stockholm’s oral-fixator-funk-monstress Amalia, Blacktop’s board work takes on a life of it’s own …

[ebm016]Blacktop – Reversed feat. Amalia [single]
01 Reversed
02 Reversed (Opolopo Remix)
03 Reversed (John Arnold Rub)
04 Reversed (Moot Zoo Dub)

Friday Aug.21, 6PM at OFF THE HOOK, 1021 Ste-Catherine W, Montreal

It was a cold week last fall when I was blessed with a visit to record in Montreal with Sarah Linhares for her upcoming full length release on Public Transit Recordings. A few wicked days of tracking vocals at Kevin Moon’s studio flew by as we got down to music bizniz always making sure to take the time to eat killer Indian, drink fresh Peppermint tea picked from the winter garden and ravage some true slammin Portugese Chicken–I even found myself blowing out the candles on my surprise birthday cake (Thanks y’all!). As a result, the track Ain’t No Question crossed the continent back into Vancouver to finish production and now its here with other tracks from Moonstarr and Camplaix on Sarah’s new EP.

-Aklimatize

The PTR crew is excited to present the Messages from the Future EP, (MFTF) the debut release from Red Bull Music Academy Alum and Montreal native Sarah Linhares. The EP is laced with Sarah’s steady dose of thought provoking lyrics and melodic vocals and blessed with the beats, arrangements from Moonstarr, Camplaix and Aklimatize, resulting in an original take on future soul music for the dancefloor.

The first track Step up, features Moonstarr’s signature sound, syncopated drums and raw synth stabs as Sarah’s vocals urging all the independent artists to Step up their game and come out of their shell.  A 909 Moonstarr remix of Step up gives the track a bit of an old school techno sound but with an updated feel.  On Its all True producer Camplaix weaves a spacey J-Dilla esque vibe over Sarah deep vocals.   The EP is rounded out with No Question, this one is definitely one for the dance floors as Aklimatize takes you back to the London Coop Days, with some serious Bruk Heat that works perfectly with Sarah’s energetic vocals.

Check out samples, more info, or pick up a copy of the EP here:
http://ptrmusic.com/release.php?catalog_id=PTR-DA018

or Check out the release on iTunes world wide:
http://itunes.com/sarahlinhares

Můstek, or “little bridge” in English, is the first Metro station in this photo series I shot in Prague. With its brushed chrome 1978 style buried 29.3 meters under the city, this station survived a complete flood in 2002 and provides some of the funkiest retro colored tiles i’ve ever witnessed. Shot on a simple Canon Rebel with no digital processing or after effects. In a few days I’ll put up the full series in hi-res. -Aklimatize

edit: Harddrive issues, having a problem getting the RAW files back, series posting postponed

With Sweden’s Opolopo and Detroit’s John Arnold on remixes, and the stacked vocals of Amalia strong, Aklimatize’s nastier alter-ego Blacktop crunches out the Reversed EP for EBM…release details coming soon from Exchange Bureau Music, scheduled for a late summer / early fall 2009 drop in all stores. Listen to the original of Reversed at myspace.com/aklimatize, for more information also check out the Exchange Bureau Music, myspace.com/johnarnold, myspace.com/mizfuzemuze and myspace.com/opolopo.

BlackTop - Reversed featuring Amalia + John Arnold and Opolopo Remixes
Exchange Bureau Music, Detroit, MI – EBM0xx
CD Compilation, Digital Single
Release Date: September, 2009

“Canada’s left coast is well-represented by Vancouver’s 1 Luv along with the ever-soulful Cutty Lark and Black Top who benefit from the vocal sweetening of rising star Colin Pombo, VanCity’s answer to Shuggie Otis, for real.” - DoRight Music

Do Right! mastermind John Kong does such a incredible job of running the eclectic Toronto-based indie label, it’s easy to forget his other job is rocking parties around the globe as an in-demand club DJ. Through his closely knit network of adventurous artists, forward-looking producers, and on-point remixers, he’s constantly accumulating the sickest joints you’ve never heard. Rather than stockpiling the potential floor fillers, Kong has thoughtfully compiled the bangin’ best of of the previously unreleased heat on That’s How We Do Right! The genre-defying disc’s 12 exclusive leftfield tracks range from nasty nu-jazz to whumping dubstep, delirious deep house and broken beat badness featuring notable contributions from Detroit don Alton Miller, Chicago’s finest K Alexi and Dresden glitch guru Jacob Korn. From the UK, Simbad offers a wicked revision of Elizabeth Shepherd’s Shining Tear Of The Sun, while the Souljazz Orchestra’s Parasite gets a stripped down Life Boogie makeover. Canada’s left coast is well-represented by Vancouver’s 1 Luv along with the ever-soulful Cutty Lark and Black Top who benefit from the vocal sweetening of rising star Colin Pombo, VanCity’s answer to Shuggie Otis, for real. Tomorrow’s sound today. That’s how we Do Right!

Purchase this on iTunes or support the label at DoRightDigital.com

New York City’s Bagpak Records is proud to present its second instalment of ‘Bagpak Selects’, a solid collection of music focused on artists based in North America. Featuring both established and up-and-coming artists from NYC, Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Montreal, DC, Philadelphia, Boston and beyond, ‘Homegrown Edition’ covers a wide range of genres – Jazz, Soul, Downbeat, Afrobeat, Broken Beat, House and more.

Aklimatize Track: Frequencies featuring Amalia
Artist(s): Aklimatize, Amalia, Various
Label/Cat#: Bagpak, Brooklyn, NY – BM016
Format: Digital Compilation, Hi Bias, Dolby Noise Reduction
Release Date: Feb, 2009

1.   Laura Kahle & The West End Composers Collective feat Kristin Berardi – “Lighter Skies”
2.   Kendra Ross – “I’m So Okay”
3.   Roxanne feat. UKey – “Searching”
4.   The What!? – “Definition Part II” (Spinnerty Redefine)
5.   Aklimatize feat. Amalia – “Frequencies”
6.   Arch_typ feat. Joni Love – “Family Function”
7.   Asiko – “Jibiti”
8.   Moonstarr feat. Rosina Kazi – “Tiger Funk”
9.   Computer Paul feat Michelle Amador – “Does It” (Peter Munch Remix)
10. DJ C feat MC Zulu – “Body Work” (Octa Push Remix)
11. IMC SOUL feat. Dawn Pemberton – “Travelin”
12. Ne’a Posey w/ LiL Dave – “State of the World”
13. Yellowtail – “Into the Orion”

When Toronto-based and ever versatile label Do Right! released Required Listening – a raw, diverse and stunning compilation of sounds by artists from Toronto, critics and music lovers around the globe took notice. Required Listening Volume 2 promises to keep up that standard of quality by featuring fresh tracks from the West Coast, to the East Coast, with some stops in between…

Aklimatize Track: Dime La Verdad featuring Totin Agosto
Artist(s): Aklimatize, Totin Agosto, Myles Bigelow, Various
Label/Cat#: DoRight! Music, Toronto, CA – DR025CD
Format: CD Compilation, Digital | Release Date: Feb, 2008

Full Release Tracklisting:

1.  Abdominal – T-Ode feat. Notes to self
2.  Anonymous Twist – Sweet 16 feat. Planet Asia
3.  Justis – Jazz Music
4.  Sacha Williamson- Hurricane
5.  Sekoya – Love’s in Need
6.  The Souljazz Orchestra – Mista President
7.  Aklimatize – Dime La Verdad
8.  Alister Johnson – Like a Star
9.  Cobblestone Jazz – Creator
10.  1 Luv – Starz
11.  Brian MacMillian – Signs
12.  Sunshine State – Day Job (Alister Johnson remix)
13.  Ghislain Poirier – Pou Ki Sa Dub feat. Nik Myo
14.  Apostle of Hustle – My Sword hand’s Anger (Circle Research Mix)
15.  Dante & Dhula – Why do the Wicked Ones Rule

In an era where a myriad of genres and artistic dispositions proliferate on the charts and on the dancefloors, Borderline embraces the differences between artists while simultaneously celebrating the possibilities of convergence. The Borderline concept is the future of musical alliances. Rather than collaborating with musicians within similar realms of genre, artists are challenged to go beyond the comforts of their own stylistic category.

Here’s an Aklmatize release that may have missed the radar a bit because the stores slid it in the ‘funky/club house’ section, this one gets nasty, and was made for open minded heads only…

“Aklimatize shows in this mix that Vancouver brings the heat!!!! His in your face beatz, stomach twisting bass and complete lack of respect for DJ friendly music puts this track definitely in my top five of 2006″ – Santiago Cevallos, Amalgama Records

Aklimatize Track: M.O. Project – Get on the Floor (Aklimatize Remix)
Artist(s): Aklimatize, M.O. Project, Kia Kadiri + Remixes
Label/Cat#: Borderline Music – BDRO001
Format: Digital | Release Date: Nov, 2006

Full Tracklisting:

1. Get on the Floor (Original Mix)
2. Get on the Floor (Paul Keeley Mix)
3. Get on the Floor (Aklimatize Mix)
4. Get on the Floor (The Function Mix)