A while back E and I were on the Boat, just having a few drinks with friends, when suddenly we found our feet tapping and heads bobbing. Soon the drinks were dropped, the sweaters tossed in a corner and we were full on rocking out to some jazzy, disco-y, funky music, with a singer that just made you remember what the hell singing is supposed to be about in a club.

The next day, we found out this was the Singas Project. “Sin gas” is Spanish for “without pop” - meaning this was no teenie-bopper-friendly BS, but some soulful dance-jazz that we found ourselves immediately enamored with. Check out the below video (be patient with the crowd chatting at the beginning) and let me know if you want their album - I’d be happy to buy it and ship it to you, because I think they’re that cool.

Halloween RULES.

Photo gallery HERE. Post coming soon.

Saw a great brass/combination band from France last night at Trafó called CQMD. The line up is comprised of two percussionists, both of whom carry their drums, marching band style, three horn players (tuba, trombone, trumpet) and a banjo. They rocked it, bringing a combination of lively brass band funk that gets your feet jumping and head bopping to the stage and with the addition of the banjo and amplification to give it more musical texture and creativity. From my very limited experience with new-school brass bands, which are the hippest thing to hit the U.S. in years, I could see that this one had roots in the outdoor, unamplified, party band area, then progressed to a more musical, staged act. They still came down into the crowd to mix it up, which is a trademark of the style, and the Hungarians loved it.

This Halloween I decided to get a little bit ambitious and build my costume. As a regular reader of the Make Blog, I came across this site, and, being in Hungary and all, instantly knew the costume that would a) fulfill my creative impulse, b) be something that no one else would even think of doing, and c) endear me to any Hungarian that saw me in it. They don’t even celebrate Halloween here anyway, but because I work at a tourist magazine, we (well, I) had the idea of throwing a big party. This is the process and results.

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Bounced around last night to the sounds of old-school junglist Gavin King (aka Aphrodite) at hipster hot-spot Tuzrakter.  Although I was never more than a dabbler in the rave scene, the abundance of post-adolecsent crackheads still getting down after what, 10+ years of this stuff was enough to make me glad I never rolled too deep with the homies.  But the scene itself was authentic -sweaty, smoky and swinging- and brought back (good?) memories.

A word about the music itself: Aphrodite’s sound hasn’t changed a bit since he blew up in ‘95- it’s still hip-hop and ragga samples over rat-a-tat-tat beats and nimble basslines.  He even played some of those old classics like the Ready or Not remix and Western, plus of course the title of this post, much to the crowd’s pleasure (the “I got five on it” remix would have been a little too much to ask for however).  There was a day (and there sometimes still are) when I envisioned the rock-star life of being “just” a DJ, but when I see some of these guys who are my real favorites, I think again.  They’re just all a bunch of 40-ish overweight white dudes with a ciggy hanging out the side of their mouths and a beer wedged between the Mark V’s and the CD-J who look like their main profession is riding around in red convertibles in Ibiza chasing underage European girls.  Why that sounds negative I can’t exactly say. Maybe I’m getting old.

From left: the author, Geology, Greg Nice, Sadat-X

Saw the above hip-hoppers downstairs at Trafo on a Wednesday and nearly died of suffocation it was so packed.  I hate to say it, but I’m starting to feel like I’m too old for the pushing and shoving.  I can’t go to a party unless I know it’s going to be perfect- hot beats, respectful crowd, cheap drinks, no entry BS, good sound quality and multiple rooms for partying and chilling.  However, one thing I love about seeing shows in a foreign country is that the artists are almost always down to talk with the crowd and sign autographs and stuff.  I’ve seen artists in Japan and Hungary (that would normally be mobbed senseless in the states or UK) just having a drink and chatting after the show ends.  That’s how it should be; these people aren’t aliens.  Anyways, other than the negative space available for dancing, we had a good time.  Puszi to Zsuzsa for the pic.

Saw this cute little groupie, so I took her home.  What what!

Finally got my groove on this last Friday to the old-school breaks of none other than the founder of the Zulu Nation and hip-hop as we know it, Afrika Bambaataa.  For a guy pushing 50, he can still pack a club with the best of ‘em.

Please click here to see pics from the show.