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...

First and foremost, I have to readily admit, what you see below is a previously unpublished 2017 interview with Jay "J-Zone" Mumford & Pablo Martin of The Du-Rites conducted right around the release of their second collaborative album, Greasy Listening, or "2 albums - 1 CD Mo' Funk, Less $$." After conducting the initial emailed interview with both Jay & Pablo, my fiance and I purchased our first home together, the holidays came and went, and amidst constant preparations for our Fall 2018 wedding, I quite simply, and unfortunately, forgot to publish my second comprehensive Q&A with The Du-Rites. It actually, makes complete and total sense, in its own weird way, to publish this interview now, as Greasy Listening and almost all the separate projects from J-Zone & Pablo Martin mentioned within—aside from The Du-Rites' full "The Odyssey" (The Fizzy Wo-Magnificent Remix)—have been effectively released to the masses: THE ZONE IDENTITY...

"Just some nasty instrumental Funk! It’s a niche market, but that’s always been where my heart is. I just never had the resources or the right mind and skill sets til now. When I first started playing drums, Pablo called me to sit in with his band, PABLO, because the drummer wasn’t showing up. They were patient with me as I learned my instrument and how to play with other musicians, instead of just jamming in my basement. I eventually became the drummer in that band, but for a moment, the rest of the band was busy with stuff and both Pablo and I had other side projects that were kind of dragging. The PABLO band is more like Rock, so Pablo and I decided to make a pure Funk project on our own. That became The Du-Rites and it’s ironic that it’s coming out before all the other projects and is actually getting really good feedback. It was initially inspired by restlessness and a desire to "Funk out,'" Jay "J-Zone" Mumford replied during our previous August 2016...

"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-...