John Morrison’s Philly Top Five: Rounding out Black Music Month with Malcolm X samples, an O’Jays remake and more

With no major projects to work on this month, I’ve had more time and headspace to freely explore and discover music. This past month has been all about following whims and digging into niche interests at my own pace. I’ve been working on a YouTube playlist of ‘80s Philly post-punk bands and weird underground electronic stuff. In addition to making the playlist, I’ve been scratching this musical itch by digging up newspaper clips of shows at venues like The Elks Center and The Painted Bride. June is also Black Music Month, so I’ve been playing out a lot of disco, funk, jazz, and the blues. On the 19th, I had the pleasure of hosting two hours of Rhythm Nation, WXPN’s special Juneteenth edition of Throwback Thursday. The show went well, as I got to play through a wide range of Black American music from Son House to Dorothy Ashby and Funkadelic. As always, discovery and openness are the key, so here are five cool things that I happily stumbled upon this month.

Nex Millen – Malcolm X…Speaks Again Vol. 2

Having worked with everyone from Outerspace and Nuthouse to Reef The Lost Cauze, DJ Nex Millen’s resume reads like a who’s who of local underground hip-hop heavyweights. Flexing his skills on the turntables and production, last month Nex honored Malcolm X’s 100th birthday with Malcolm X…Speaks Again Vol. 2. Combining sampled snippets of Malcolm’s speeches with head-nodding beats, Malcolm X…Speaks is a fiery and loving tribute to one of the greatest orators the world has ever known.

GNRLYHD – This Is Why You Can’t Have Nice Things

A fantastic release from 2012 that’s recently been uploaded to Bandcamp, GNRLYHD’s This Is Why You Can’t Have Nice Things is is only 7 tracks long, but it’s complex and endlessly fun. Packed with Philth Spector’s colorful sample-based beats, the album  bizarre, funny, and wholly unique, showing that GNRLYHD were the rightful spiritual sons of Paul’s Boutique-era Beastie Boys.

Paul Woznicki – Fiend (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Fiend is a strange and charming 1980 sci-fi horror film directed by Maryland-born B-movie auteur Don Dohler. Two years ago, renowned reissue label Light In The Attic released the film’s soundtrack, which was composed by synth maestro, Paul Woznicki. A mainstay in Philly’s avant-garde music scene in the 80s, Woznicki composed Fiend during a marathon, weekend-long session in Dohler’s basement. The result is a creepy and unnerving electronic score that sounds like it was crafted by a man teetering at the edge of madness.

Phantom Cassette Theory – Cassette World

Cassette World is the debut album from producer Phantom Cassette Theory. A dark and twisted album of instrumental tracks, Cassette World’s beats are enveloped in a thick haze of tape hiss.  The album’s opener “dooo” is a slow, atmospheric beat with a heavy, pitched-down breakbeat. By contrast, “rush (i like this one :)” picks the tempo up with buzzing synths and electrifying drums. An intriguing and promising debut, Cassette World has me excited and ready for what Phantom Cassette Theory does next.

DJ Lil Dave & Lady Alma – “I Love Music”

Two of Philly’s best and brightest, DJ Lil Dave and Lady Alma, come together for this fantastic cover of an O’Jays classic. “I Love Music” updates the original with thicker, dancefloor-ready production and Alma’s spirited vocal performance. Round things out with an epic remix from Vidal Davis and you have a single ready to smash dancefloors all summer.