Charlie Dark's African Beats Live [AUDIO]

in early 2008 i was part of charlie dark's (blacktronica/attica blues) african beats UK tour. a concept project fusing electronica, club beats and afro-beat on a workshops and concerts tour around the UK. we had a whole lot of fun playing and performing together and collaborating with chief udoh essiet (king sunny ade/fela and seun kuti bands). a live recording of one show has turned up online... check it out here - enjoy!. Video from the MCs guest spot at the birmingham show - soweto kinch and the decipher collective (who i ended up doing the 8sixteen32 show with later that year) below....

Charlie Dark's African Beats
Charlie Dark: samplers, electronics
Chief Udoh Essiet (King Sunny Ade/Fela Kuti): congas, talking drum, African percussion
Richard Olatunde (Eardrum): Talking drum, Sakara, West African percussion.
Mark de Clive-Lowe (The Politik/Freesoul): MPC, synths and Rhodes
David Okumu (The Invisible): guitars

2010 soon come

i'm heading to europe today for the next month - live shows, DJing, in the studio and some well earned vacation time too :) yesterday we entered the first day of the last month of the first decade of the new century. when that occurred to me it really hit hard. two thousand and ten. the mind boggles!!

2010's going to be great year - so many people i know, myself included, had a big year of transition in 2009 and it seems like that's a setup for what's to come. personally, i can't wait :) who knows what unforseen things 2010's going to bring (bring it on!), but there's plenty that's already on the cards that i'm amped about. on the music tip... dego from 2000black and 4hero's silhouette brown project releases its sophomore album 'TWO' with lady alma stepping up for vocal duties. the album is HEAVY and features a great cameo spot from sadat x too. king britt's working on the new sylk130 album and the saturn never sleeps art project, phil asher's got some really exciting stuff in the pipeline with his restless soul records imprint and ig culture's zen badizm project is going from strength to strength - if the second album isn't already in the can, it can't be far away. a lot of the community i spent the last decade with are going through a resurgence of creativity and renewed artistry. free of genres, everyone's free to do what they do best: make music.

i'm listening to the rough bounces from the studio day i did in venice, italy early last summer - a whole day of improv spiritual jazz-meets-tech madness. this is the first time i've listened to the material since then and it's giving me goosebumps. i'm excited to finish this project as well as plenty more music. my productions, projects and collabrations seeing 2010 release will include:

- nicholas payton's new album on concord records
- sy smith new single 'truth'
- the politik remixed (i know some people have been waiting a LONG time for this!)
- melodius beats vol.2
- a collab single with jody watley on strictly rhythm
- replife's new album 'the love note'
- remixes for tortured soul and rob van de wouw
- cherie mathieson solo ep
- collaborations with sandra st victor

i'll be in the studio completing the jazz project recorded in italy and over the new year working on an all new MdCL album as well as collabs with bembe segue, leon ware and who knows who and what else is to come... i can't wait.

i'm blessed to have such a life where i can share my music and creativity with people all around the world. thank you for joining me on this journey :)

enjoy the last month of the decade - into the new. time to go catch my plane... gotta big up AIR NEW ZEALAND!

December Europe/UK Tour Dates

I'm wrapping up the year with a handful of exclusive shows in Europe including debut shows in Brussels and Sweden. I'll be reuniting with UK friends and music fam including Bembe Segue, Vanessa Freeman, Richard Spaven and Phil Asher - really looking forward to these dates, especially the exclusive UK show for jazz re:freshed at Mau Mau on December 14 (yes, it's a MONDAY!)... we're going to have some surprises that night for sure.

Limited additional shows still available: contact office at mashibeats.com



[BELGIUM]
Sat 05 MdCL Live featuring Vanessa Freeman @ Munt Punt, Brussels
www.fmbrussel.be/artikel/511_fm_brussel_tonight.aspx

[SPAIN]
Mon 07 Phlash & Friends featuring Shea Soul + MdCL @ Blackbook Sessions, Charada Club de Baile, Madrid
http://www.myspace.com/blackbooksessions

[HOLLAND]
Thu 10 MdCL Live featuring Bembe Segue + Richard Spaven + surprise guests @ Watt, Rotterdam
http://www.watt-rotterdam.nl/23-531-Mark_de_Clive-Lowe_UK
Sat 12 MdCL DJ set @ Jazzberry, The Odeon, Amsterdam

[UK]
Mon 14 MdCL Live featuring Bembe Segue, Richard Spaven + surprise guests @ Jazz Refreshed, Mau Mau, London
http://www.jazzrefreshed.com

[SWEDEN]
Thu 17 MdCL Live featuring Bembe Segue + Richard Spaven @ Fasching, Stockholm
http://www.fasching.se

[SWITZERLAND]
Thu 31 MdCL DJ set @ Silvester/Livingroom.fm New Year's Eve, Basel

- more info and weblinks on the Events page at http://markdeclivelowe.net
- facebook event page

While in Europe I'm also looking forward to hitting studio with Bembe Segue, Phil Asher and the one and only Sandra St Victor from The Family Stand for some fresh new collaborations. Who knows what else might happen :)

Europe friends and fam, see you soon!

Phlash + Friends: Exclusive European Show [MADRID]

BLACKBOOK SESSIONS present the exclusive European Phlash & Friends show Dec 7 in Madrid at Charada Club de Baile - Phlash aka Phil Asher on the ones and twos, Shea Soul on mic and MdCL on keyboards for the full scale restless soul house party bump n grind.

Phlash & Friends Deep Electronic Sound LP on traxsource
Shea Soul on myspace
Black Book Sessions on myspace