The Witzard

CREDIT: Evan Minis (@mullusk_collage) Honestly, it doesn't even feel like there's a proper way to elegize an eccentric and extremely talented artist such as MF DOOM, who meant so much to so many of us for so many years for so many different reasons as truly unique as DOOM himself. So, what better way to pay tribute to The Man, The Myth, THE MASK himself than by speaking to those closest to him? With a heavy heart, I proudly present Shadows of Tomorrow; a new recurring column in tribute to DOOM in an effort to re-tell the tall tales, strange stories, and lesser-known tidbits of The Metal Face Villain himself. R.I.P. Daniel "MF DOOM" Dumile Thompson. OMEGADOOM by OMEGADOOM "I made the album in 24 [hours] right after I heard he passed. All original beats made [in the] same day, minus an old remix ("2 Stings") on my other remix album, A.O.D. (Age of Destruction.) I've been a fan since one of my best friends told me about him late one night on the...

Long-time collaborators Damu The Fudgemunk & Raw Poetic (AKA Earl Davis & Jason Moore ) have teamed up once more for a new collaborative album for Damu 's NJ/DC/CA-based label, Redefinition Records . For said album, Ocean Bridges , Davis & Moore have recruited prolific Jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp , along with a seven-piece band, for a unique hybrid Hip-Hop/live Jazz experience. Damu The Fudgemunk 's band assembled for Ocean Bridges consists of Archie Shepp on tenor/soprano sax & Wurlitzer electric piano, Raw Poetic supplying vocals/raps/lyrics, guitarist Pat Fritz , Aaron Gause on Wurlitzer electric piano & synthesizer, Luke Stewart providing acoustic/electric bass, Jamal Moore on tenor sax, clarinet, bongos & percussion, and drummer/percussionist Bashi Rose . "We were graced with the once-in-a-lifetime experience to record with the mighty Archie Shepp! Never could I imagine!! Never did I know that I'd be prepared to take on an opportu...

MF DOOM/DOOM die-hards will know, in addition to his plethora of officially released albums under his various aliases, side-projects, and producer-helmed albums, there's a gaggle of unofficial remixes, mash-ups, bootlegs, etc. Although, even as a self-professed DOOM super-fan, there's one particular release I—and I'm sure many villainous collectors—hadn't heard of until very, very recently: MF DOOM & Damu The Fudgemunk - "Coco Mango," Sliced & Diced . Parisian production duo Union (sometimes, referred to as "Union Analogtronics" ) quietly released the original version of "Coco Mango" on their 2012 FatBeats Records album, Analogtronics ; in addition to DOOM , Union 's OJ & GOLD , also, recruited the likes of Sly Johnson, Talib Kweli, Moka Only, eLZhi, Rapper Big Pooh (Little Brother,) Roc Marciano, and Guilty Simpson, amongst other Hip-Hop/Electronic artists. Those who KNOW, may know Union Analogtronics additionally put...

"The PVD Breaks [Vol. 1-2] project started as a way for me to hone my skills mixing live drums in my modest Jersey City studio. The goal was to achieve the sound of classic drum breaks using what I had at my disposal, recording different kits in different rooms, with a variety of mics and mic placements, and really taking it a step further during the mixing process to differentiate one breakbeat from the next," Redefinition Records -deemed "ultra-talented drummer, composer, producer, and bandleader" Pat Van Dyke wrote within a recent emailed statement sent to The Witzard . "I always wanted to release the [2010-12] project on vinyl so that producers, DJ's, turntablists, and beat-makers could really manipulate the music in a variety of ways... as they would an open drum break found in the context of an old record. When Redefinition Records hit me up, I was excited to work with a label who’s had such a long run of quality releases with artists like K-...