
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
Monday, December 7, 2009
Charlie Dark's African Beats Live [AUDIO]
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
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
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Freesoul Sessions - vol.1 online for Download

re-upped on bandcamp.com now as a name-your-price digital release, featuring 11 tracks improvised live on stage at London's Jazz Cafe and Notting Hill Arts Club.... as a re-launch bonus, grab track 02 for FREE :)
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Produced by Mark de Clive-Lowe for Melodius Productions
Improvised live on stage 2005-2007
MdCL - MPC3000 drums, synth bass, rhodes, keys
Bembe Segue, Vanessa Freeman - vocals
Tawiah, Sharlene Hector - vocals
Jason Yarde - saxophones (1, 4, 5, 6)
Richard Spaven - live drums (1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 11)
Kaidi Tatham - live drums, percussion, keys (3, 7, 8, 9, 11)
Thomas Dyani - live percussion (5, 6)
Dave Okumu - guitar (5, 6)
D. Fenda - guitar (9)
"Freesoul Sessions was created by Mark de Clive-Lowe in London, 2004. The concept of the project is simple - MdCL armed with MPC and keyboards is joined by a rotating cast of top soul, jazz, hip hop and beat-artists coming together in the spirit of total improvisation. Stylistically rooted in the sound of West London, each and every time the live show is a totally unique and a one-off experience for both the musicians and the audience. The first thing the audience hears is the metronome click of the MPC as MdCL builds beats from nothing, building on the beats with bass lines and keys as the other musicians join him in improvising beat-centric music laced by some of the dopest freestyle singers around.
Freesouls first residency was at the Notting Hill Arts Club and the second a monthly residency at London's Jazz Cafe. Over the past few years, the clubnite has featured MdCL joined by Bembé Segué, Kaidi Tatham (Bugz in the Attic), Marcina Arnold, Sammy Figueroa (Raices/Miles Davis), Dave Okumu (Jade Fox), Michelle Escoffery (Kindred Spirit), Lyric L, Rasiyah, Richard Spaven (PPP/Ty), Sharlene Hector (Reel People), Cherie Mathieson (Antipodean Records) plus spontaneous guests including Jaguar Wright, Jon B, Lenny Castro (Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder) and plenty more along with DJs Chris Cox (Thisinformation/Antipodean), Dego (4Hero), Domu, Benji B and Uprocks Adam Rock."
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A bientôt Domu
a great friend of mine and one of the illest producers there is announced his retirement last friday - i wish him all the best in everything that lies ahead for him and also wanted to share with you two mixes. one of his own selection, a mixtape he's titled "when i'm feeling down" from 2006 i think, and the other from NYC, DJ offbeat's mix offering a selection of productions by the man himself, DOMU - tracklisting below. at the bottom of this blog i've posted domu and my collabs.
DJ Offbeat's - Domu Stand Tall mixtape
1. Dom Um Romao - Blue Bossa (Sonar Circle Remix)
2. Bakura - Lately
3. Simon Grey - The Galactic Suite (Domu Remix)
4. Rima - O Vento Dira
5. Bakura - Empty Faces (LP Mix)
6. Bakura - Reach The Sky
7. Domu - Taking Flight
8. Mark de Clive-Lowe - Traveling (Domu Remix)
9. Bakura - Thinking About (Domu Mix)
10. Aurora - Fly From East (Kyoto Jazz Remix ft Vanessa Freeman - Domu Beats)
11. Domu - Neradu
one interesting thing is the huge amount of discussion his retirement has given rise to in diverse and different corners of the internet and world. from house communities to hip hop ones and no doubt in some different creative arts areas, it's encouraged discussion as to what it is that keeps the creative motivated in this day and age and facets of life in an ever-changing and consequently hard-to-grasp industry.
something i saw posted in relation to this which i thought was a great couple of quotes is from fred jung the editor-in-chief of http://www.jazzweekly.com and his in-depth interview with wayne shorter.... (read the whole interview at the site)
FJ: You kept me ringing my hands, recording only three albums over the last decade.
WAYNE SHORTER: Well, you know, Fred, there was nothing actually to record. There is so much more to living and life than doing music. It is working on, not working on, but exploring the areas of life that can be left unattended. You can do music, music, music, and then still be a cripple when it comes to what you're really here for. You think you might be here for music, then the human condition, the humanity part of your life can be, you can be blinded to that part, be really out of touch and when somebody is saying something, you can't always equate it with what you're doing. There is a chance that the world revolving around baseball or music or boxing or whatever. It was like finding out what is your real purpose in life. I used to walk by a mirror and look in the mirror and say, "What's your real name?" And we've been named as we are born and "what is your real name?" What is anybody's real name? That sparked what are you supposed to do? What are you supposed to do also? By playing music, I am doing less than a fraction. Music is a drop in the ocean of life.
FJ: Having gained knowledge and wisdom that comes with living, what is the purpose of your life?
WAYNE SHORTER: At this point, it is to celebrate life in such a way that it, the celebration translates to other people, that they can translate it to mean that we are eternal and since we're eternal, there's no need to count our neighbor's fortune and rob our neighbor's fortune because prior to being convinced that we live eternal, you think you only live once, because you only think you're here for a short time, you've got to go out and rob banks. You want what someone else has if you don't have it. You want the shortcut if you can get away with it. You may pay for it by being executed or something like that, but that's all there is to it. That's not all there is to it. If I, through music or painting, if I paint again, I don't know if I will do that, but through music or music with or without motion pictures, I can do music for movies that will never be made as long as the person that is listening or embracing it can start to make movies of their own lives and so they become the producer and director and actor, so it is no one else making them puppets. If I can do musically, be a musical catalyst for self-decision or self-thought, person who thinks about themselves and not have to join the club of popularity, the popular club, where everything is sold with a pop package. I am talking about cars and food and voting and voting unilaterally. It is another word for popular or it is another word for thoughtless, mindless. (Long pause) To actually support, I would say, to support all pervading law of life itself and saying that we are that law. We are the manifestation of that law. When we do negative stuff, the law reveals the negative effects. The law of ourselves doesn't punish us. We reward or punish ourselves. I am talking about blame outside of ourselves. Blame when something goes wrong or goes down, something tragic happens and you start to blame. Of course, there are opposing forces among people. The opposing forces have come about because of an unawareness of person by person by person taking advantage of unawareness from birth. In other words, Fred, there is a whole karmic something that we are able to erase form this moment on, one by one, to lessen karmic retribution.
--
to all creatives in all walks of genuine artistic expression - Walk Tall. i believe this is a time in history when humanity in all walks of life needs you more than ever.
Cannonball Adderley - Walk Tall (feat. Jesse Jackson) ... don't mind the odd choice of visuals... just listen
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DOMU + MdCL collaborations
Kudu - Space/Transit (Bitasweet 2000)
Legends of the Underground vol.1 Soundtrack (Kindred Spirits 2005 / Antipodean Digital 2006)
Legends of the Underground vol.2 Soundtrack (Antipodean Digital 2006)
Mark de Clive-Lowe - Traveling (Domu remix) (ABB Soul 2005)
Domu - Let Me Be (Mark de Clive-Lowe remix) (Archive 2005)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Video: Live in London
i love it when some video turns up online of an improv show i have absolutely no recollection of, and the vibe's kinda iLL.... this is one of those gems - most likely from a show at the jazz refreshed night at west london's mau mau (heads up for the return to that spot december 14!)


