CRATERY: Recent Episodes
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I first met Mr. Attic at York University’s 105.5 FM in ’95. It was my first year attending York and my favourite pastime had quickly become loitering around the campus/community radio station before, between and after classes. One of my favourite shows was called “Soul by the Pound” – a program dedicated to playing the […]
The post CRATERY 88: Mr. Attic first appeared on CRATERY.
David Axelrod would have probably scoffed at this tribute. He would have likely criticized the theme. Pointed out why these selections weren’t worthy of spotlighting. Reminded us why certain sessions were nightmares. Questioned the order of the track list. Told us which songs he got fucked on royalties for. And likely chastised us for over […]
The post CRATERY 87: David Axelrod tribute first appeared on CRATERY.
One of the simple pleasures of being a rap fan is the passionate level of debate and analysis you can engage in with a fellow nerd at any given moment around any given album – old or new. I definitely don’t have the same debates around Brazilian music. I rarely subject my favourite vintage records […]
The post CRATERY 86: The Brazil Episode first appeared on CRATERY.
It’s funny to think I wouldn’t be typing these words right now if Kaewonder hadn’t asked me the question “Do you follow that dude @mastersihn on Instagram”? We’ve met a lot of good people online, and with a common love for good records and good smoke, Philly’s Mastersihn is definitely one of the good ones. […]
The post CRATERY 85: Mastersihn first appeared on CRATERY.
My first real glimpse of Supreme La Rock was not in person. It was through a wantlist of records given to my friend Moss, via our mutual homie Jake One around ’95. Supreme had instructed Jake to tell his new Canadian counterparts to be on the lookout for some titles and send them his way […]
The post CRATERY 84: Supreme La Rock first appeared on CRATERY.
Toronto-based collector Dan Zacks pops his Cratery cherry on this month’s episode. I first came to know of Dan through the two Cuban funk compilations he released between 2006 and 2009: Si, Para Usted, volumes 1 and 2 (Both very well put together). Soon after, I realized he shared mutual friends like the hommies Kaewonder […]
The post CRATERY 83: Dan Zacks first appeared on CRATERY.
L.A. raised DJ and label owner Randy “Hotthobo” Ellis was in town guesting at Toronto’s Modern Funk Fest, and our hommie Famous Lee of Love Handle fame thought he’d be perfect for a Cratery episode. It’s always a pleasure to connect with real music lovers. And like many real music lovers, Hotthobo has dedicated his […]
The post CRATERY 82: Hotthobo first appeared on CRATERY.
Much of the black cultural experience in Toronto is rooted in the Caribbean. The food. The slang. The style. And of course, the music. The American rap accents in our favourite songs had an impact on us – but never enough to drown out our overwhelmingly homegrown West Indian influence. Hip-hop and island culture have […]
The post CRATERY 81: The Island Episode first appeared on CRATERY.
I sit here listening to Eddie Warner’s “Eccentric Trick” on loop (a track from his Progressive Percussions No.2 record), pondering why I love library music so much and it’s a no-brainer. I’m a hip-hop dude. And this shit sounds LIKE FUCKING HIP-HOP. Instrumental compositions laced with heavy 4/4 drums, thick basslines, fuzz guitar and musique […]
The post CRATERY 80: The Library Edition first appeared on CRATERY.
Seems like everyone is celebrating the vinyl resurgence. Except those of us who were around before the comeback. Record store openings here in Toronto seem to be at an all-time high since widespread closures back in the mid-2000’s. And yet, not all of us vinyl nerds are happy about it. I find myself torn between […]
The post CRATERY 79 first appeared on CRATERY.
Life comes before blogs. Life comes before records and writing and shopping and hanging and smoking. We want to take a moment to thank everyone who’s been asking for more stuff. Everyone who’s been waiting patiently. And everyone who’s been riding with us from the jump. Thank you for continuing to rock with us. Without […]
The post CRATERY 78 first appeared on CRATERY.
We lost our dear friend Masimba “Son of S.O.U.L.” Kadzirange recently. Needless to say, it’s been pretty rough around Cratery headquarters. We all had our own individual relationships with Masimba. And they could all be described as equal parts meaningful and funny. “Sims” was a one of a kind dude. An old school philosopher that […]
The post Sims Joints: Son of S.O.U.L. tribute first appeared on CRATERY.
His name is Itsmattlangille. Not Matt Langille. Itsmattlangille. He’s the homie. And we’ve been trying to get him on Cratery for a minute. Matt really fucking loves soul 45’s. And he’s acquired some great ones over the years. He’s also managed to acquire a roster of musicians like Bad Bad Not Good, Ryan Hemsworth, Tommy […]
The post CRATERY 77: Itsmattlangille first appeared on CRATERY.
Vancouver, 2013. I’m enjoying a brief stint out west as a copywriter for ad agency TAXI’s western outpost. Most of my downtime is spent digging with the hommie Sipreano, smoking on Van City’s finest and hitting up the hometown hangouts, including The Stuntman’s 45 Throwdown at Save-On Meats. It was the sort of low key […]
The post CRATERY 76: Vinyl Ritchie first appeared on CRATERY.
It’s ok to be jealous of J-Rocc. He founded the World Famous Beat Junkies. He’s easily one of the funkiest DJ’s on the planet. He’s lucky enough to have had friendships with two of the greatest producers of all time. And from what little I’ve seen, he’s got a pretty crazy record collection. A collection, […]
The post CRATERY 75: J-Rocc first appeared on CRATERY.
November 1993. I walked past Yonge-Dundas station sporting baggy jeans and a newly acquired pair of white Adidas Torsions with splashes of fluorescent green and navy blue. I remember cause I had a fluorescent green sweat top and a navy corduroy Gatsby to match. I used to sport the hat backwards when I was going […]
The post CRATERY 74 : Jason Palma first appeared on CRATERY.
John Kong loves those little Coffee Crisp bites. It’s just that he insists they be stored in the refrigerator. “What is this? Amateur’s hour?” he laughed, taking the bag off the counter and placing it in the fridge. Lesson learned, John. Cold storage makes chocolate taste better. Plus, you avoid covering your rares in brown […]
The post CRATERY 73: John Kong first appeared on CRATERY.
I’ve messed with Mayer Hawthorne from the first time I heard his cover of the New Holidays’ overlooked soul classic Maybe so, maybe no. Some might have tried to pigeon hole him as a Motown revivalist after his first album. But Mayer has always been influenced by more than just soul music. The DJ/Producer had […]
The post CRATERY 72: Mayer Hawthorne first appeared on CRATERY.
The first time I went record shopping with Lord Finesse I had an epiphany. I realized that I was diggin’ in the crates with an actual member of Diggin’ in the Crates. How is that not a trip? I’m a kid from the suburbs of Toronto who used to blast “Keep the crowd listening” on […]
The post CRATERY 71: Lord Finesse first appeared on CRATERY.
Skeme Richards once told me that he’s not afraid of a real job. He’s not afraid of rolling up his sleeves and departing the DJ life that takes to him places like Germany, Switzerland, Amsterdam and Tokyo year round. He wouldn’t be upset about not being able to shop in all the best record stores […]
The post CRATERY 70: Skeme Richards first appeared on CRATERY.
“I need to stop buying records”. Most collectors have said it at some point. Even contemplated doing it, albeit for a brief second. But actually following through is damn near impossible. You think of all the reasons to stop. The money. Your woman. The space. Your woman. So one evening, you convince yourself it’s time […]
The post CRATERY 69 first appeared on CRATERY.
Label owner. Globetrotting DJ. Musical encyclopedia. Record store rat. You might use all of the above to describe Amir Abdullah of 180 Proof Records. But at his core, he’s really just a dude that loves music. Coincidentally, our favourite kind of dude. So it was a no-brainer to hang out and play records at Cratery Headquaters […]
The post CRATERY 68: Amir Abdullah first appeared on CRATERY.
Our dude Jake One happened to be in town for a beat battle a few months back, so it was only right for us to record another episode of Cratery. Jake first appeared on our 22nd episode back in October 2010. This time, he was armed with a small box of 45’s, primarily sweet soul and […]
The post CRATERY 67: Jake One first appeared on CRATERY.
A fellow record head once told me that a collection is nothing without focus. Do you collect Libraries? Psych? Jazz? Rare grooves? Hip-Hop? Choose. You can’t be an authority on everything. His theory was that trying to stockpile all forms of music can often leave your collection feeling oddly random and not necessarily comprehensive in any […]
The post CRATERY 66 first appeared on CRATERY.
Like many of us who’ve spent our lives loving music, this months’ guest Birdapres is a bit of a renaissance man. Rapper and producer. Collector and dealer. Radio personality and record store employee. He’s called places like Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto and most recently, Winnipeg home. But these are the things I already knew about Bird […]
The post CRATERY 65: Birdapres first appeared on CRATERY.
A think piece on the almighty 45 might have been appropriate given this month’s episode. But the timeliness of Record Store Day 2014 and the recent debates about the growing popularity of this event have prompted me to share a few thoughts of my own. What began as an annual act of solidarity to champion […]
The post CRATERY 64: 45’s (part 4) first appeared on CRATERY.
CRATERY 63: Dollarate V f/ Paul E. Lopes Kaewonder didn’t exit his mother’s belly until 1984. Paul E Lopes started dj-ing in 1982. Things were different in the city of Toronto back then. The ‘hip-hop culture’ that we associate with places like The Bronx (breakbeats and block parties) wasn’t exactly what you’d find in a […]
The post CRATERY 63: Paul E. Lopes first appeared on CRATERY.
I find myself divided on the issue of record collecting and secrecy in the social media age. Some collectors are happy to ham it up, flossing their rarest pieces and recent arrivals without apology on Instagram feeds around the globe. Others choose to hint at the jewels hidden within their collection, by snapping shots of […]
The post CRATERY 62 first appeared on CRATERY.
We kick off our 6th year in business with a James Brown production. Who better exemplifies the lesson of consistency than James? The Godfather of soul got his start around 1953 as a drummer for the Famous Flames – not even as a front man. 6 years into his career would have been 1959. That’s […]
The post CRATERY 61 first appeared on CRATERY.
Just like that, it’s been 5 years. I can’t fucking believe it. When Kaewonder and I started this podcast in January of 2009 it wasn’t even its own brand yet – it was still under the Real Frequency umbrella – a monthly bonus for fans of my former hip hop radio show with Musiklee Inzane, […]
The post CRATERY 60: Mike Mantis first appeared on CRATERY.
After epic back-to-back episodes with Big Jacks and Bozack Morris, we went to back to basics on this one. There’s a definite jazzy vibe happening here. Also, I just threw up a little after writing the words ‘jazzy vibe’. I fucking hate that phrase. Maybe because when I think of contemporary music with a jazz […]
The post CRATERY 59 first appeared on CRATERY.
Bozack Morris loves music. 90’s R&B? New rap? 70’s funk? Library records? He’s got an opinion. And it’s an informed one. I’ve known Bozack since volunteering at CHRY 105.5 FM back during my university days at York. And even then, he was a music nerd. He’s brought that sensibility to locally successful brands like Grand […]
The post CRATERY 58: Bozack Morris first appeared on CRATERY.
Big Jacks was sifting through the stacks of a local record shop during a trip to the D. It was logical that Jacks make the periodic 4-hour journey from Toronto, since Detroit has been home to not only to endless Motown classics from the 60’s, but a slew of modern soul and boogie records – […]
The post CRATERY 57b: Big Jacks first appeared on CRATERY.
I don’t know where the term boogie came from. But when I first started buying groups like SOS Band, Starpoint and Rene & Angela back in the day, I was under the impression I was buying R&B and soul records. In fact, I actually never heard the term until some time within the last 3 […]
The post CRATERY 57a : Big Jacks first appeared on CRATERY.
Country. Big Band. Dixieland. Ragtime. Not exactly my favourite sections in any given record store. I don’t have anything against fans of New Orleans Jazz, but let’s just say I ain’t out here trying to complete the Preservation Hall Jazz band discography. But every once in a while, mining through a stack unwanted Scott Joplin […]
The post CRATERY 56 first appeared on CRATERY.
Cratery has never been and never will be about the first level flossery of posting up rare record after rare record. We’re not here to impress the legions of completist nerds who are waiting to pass judgment on our collective collections. We are here, however to celebrate discovery. Discovery is why we do this. Whether […]
The post CRATERY 55 first appeared on CRATERY.
I’ve got a zebra, she can fly. That’s the title of a 1967 song by forgotten psych outfit The Unfolding, featured on this month’s episode. Years later, I can’t help but SMH at the shit some of these hippies came up with back then. Take a flying zebra to your domepiece, homepiece. No coincidence it’s […]
The post CRATERY 54 first appeared on CRATERY.
This particular Cratery episode is kinda like the opposite of some hip-hop shit. Allow me to explain. We all grew up with a love and understanding for hip-hop culture. Collecting records and understanding the foundation of the music was a natural part of that b-boy aesthetic. And that foundation was breaks. If you’re on this […]
The post CRATERY 53: XL first appeared on CRATERY.
I’ve been on a temporary work stint in Vancouver since February of this year. Our formerly weekly Cratery nerdouts have turned into monthly events for the squad as a result. Cratery 52 was recorded during one of my brief returns to Toronto earlier this year. Looking at this month’s track list, I can only assume […]
The post CRATERY 52 first appeared on CRATERY.
This month, we add another hommie to the distinguished list of Cratery Alumni: DJ FamousLee. While currently best known as one-half of Toronto’s beloved monthly boogie party “Love Handle” (a duty he shares with former Cratery guest Alister “Catalist” Johnson), FamousLee isn’t one to be pigeon-holed. He goes joint for joint with us on an […]
The post CRATERY 51 : FamousLee first appeared on CRATERY.
The record collector is no stranger to impulsive purchases. Sadly, we’ve all dropped loot on numerous pieces in our collections that are far from timeless. You know the ones I’m talking about: the one-trackers, drum breaks and vocal samples that have no business on the same shelf as the classic albums that have truly shaped […]
The post CRATERY 50: Shelf Life first appeared on CRATERY.
Things done changed. Dollar bin digging ain’t what it used to be. When I first started buying breaks back in the early 90’s, my OG homies like Mr. Attic would take me to spots like Vinyl Museum, a long gone institution in the city of Toronto. I’d say about 90% of the stock in their […]
The post CRATERY 49: Dollarate IV first appeared on CRATERY.
Singer/songwriter Sixto Rodriguez was recently immortalized in the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” which debuted at Sundance in 2012. It’s the story of an artist who is completely unaware of the impact his music has had on an entire generation. I can say that about much of the music that we play on Cratery. Most […]
The post CRATERY 48 first appeared on CRATERY.
This month, Kaewonder, DJ Serious and I trade our traditional 1-for-1 Cratery format for a 5-for-5 format. We each play 5 records in succession, allowing us to create 3 individual sets. Truly groundbreaking stuff – we know, we know. I kick off my set with “Peter and John” from Andrew Wartts’ gospel funk masterpiece There […]
The post CRATERY 47: 5 for 5 first appeared on CRATERY.
The good folks at MAGMA reached out to us about collaborating on a mix for their up coming Fall/Winter pop-up shop this weekend. Naturally, we had no choice but to submit to the laws of mutual dopeness and agree. Since MAGMA plans on previewing some new wears, we thought we’d hit you with a little preview […]
The post COVERED IN MAGMA first appeared on CRATERY.
CRATERY 46: The OST Sequel (Session B) Intermission’s over. You’ve rolled an appropriate amount of chronic. Secured an appropriate amount of snackage. And drained an appropriate amount of pee-pee from your pee-pee. Time for part two. Kaewonder kicks off session B of our OST spectacular with a piece of from the elusive Shogun Assassin soundtrack. […]
The post CRATERY 46b: OST’s II first appeared on CRATERY.
CRATERY 46: The OST Sequel (Session A) In February 2010, we dropped Cratery 14, our first ever double-episode dedicated to exclusively to the OST: Original Soundtrack. But like all successful franchises, we couldn’t resist a sequel. Two years later, we return with back-to-back podcasts highlighting our love for compositions from film and TV shows past. […]
The post CRATERY 46a: OST’s II first appeared on CRATERY.
Apparently, 45’s are in again. Not that we ever stopped collecting them. But the amount of DJ’s and collectors instagramming pics of their new 7” discoveries has skyrocketed in the last few years. Not to mention the countless 45-only parties popping up all over the world. We kick off our 3rd annual ode to the […]
The post CRATERY 45: 45’s (part 3) first appeared on CRATERY.
I found Syd and the Troubadors’ Positively Spicy album at a local record show earlier this year. Cardova is a nice slice of West Indian funk that also happens to be a take on a Meters’ classic. The nerd in me will always be drawn to the novelty of finding an odd cover of a […]
The post CRATERY 44 first appeared on CRATERY.
The Canadian content on Cratery is at an all-time high. Could be the influence of our bi-coastal brethren Sipreano and Birdapres. It could be a desire to snatch up that local shit for trade leverage. Or an overwhelming source of national pride (It’s probably not the last one). The CANCON on this month’s episode arrives […]
The post CRATERY 43 first appeared on CRATERY.
You should probably be getting the gist of this by now. It’s Cratery. It’s a bunch of songs. From no particular genre. In no particular order. If you’re actually missing our usual writeup, you should probably think about re-evaluating your priorities in life. You can start by clicking the download button below. You’re welcome. — […]
The post CRATERY 42 first appeared on CRATERY.
So nice we had to do it twice. Lawn Chair Music Vol. 2 is a another hour of summer inspired tunes to bump while spitting out watermelon seeds, brainfreezing off slurpees, falling off surfboards, barfing out of a canoe, smoking a fattie on the dock with a dimepiece or any other of your favourite summer […]
The post LAWN CHAIR MUSIC VOL. 2 first appeared on CRATERY.
Something intangible about a song makes it a summer joint. It just feels like summer. Like a pair of trusty flip flops, camo shorts and Ray-Bans, some music was just tailored for warmer weather. From Duke Pearson’s Brazilian inspired jazz sounds to Reign Ghost’s folk psych and RAMP’s lesser known version of a Roy Ayers […]
The post LAWN CHAIR MUSIC VOL. 1 first appeared on CRATERY.
All over the map. Definitely the best way to describe Cratery 41. British Prog. Latin libraries. And rural weirdo. Yes, rural weirdo. According to DJ Serious, that’s the lane that Canadian artist Aaron Space carved out for himself back in 1972. Kae draws for Kool and the Gang’s classic slice of heavy funk “Give it […]
The post CRATERY 41 first appeared on CRATERY.
Cratery 40 showcases music from places like the Bahamas. And places like Oshawa. Kaewonder kicks it off with a Caribbean funk rarity: Biosis Now’s “Independent Bahamas” isn’t featured anywhere but a compilation of contemporary Bahamian music from the 70’s titled “A nation is born”. And now, it’s featured here. Christmas is a late 60’s bluesy-psych […]
The post CRATERY 40 first appeared on CRATERY.
Detroit’s House Shoes popped by the Cratery studios to join us for an hour of vinyl nerdery when he was in town last month. Shoes and I go back to the 90’s, where our paths crossed multiple times on various record shopping trips to the D. He’s the reason cats like MoSS, Mr. Attic and […]
The post CRATERY 39 : House Shoes first appeared on CRATERY.
The 2nd part of our double Cratery with Aki of Cosmos Records in Toronto. After killing us with the “Astro-Disc” joint on part 1, Aki wastes no time getting into it with an Azimuth 45 none of us have ever heard of. Kae and I chime in with selections from Iran’s Mehrpouya and Germany’s Michael […]
The post CRATERY 38b : Aki Abe first appeared on CRATERY.
Cosmos Records has become a vinyl institution in Toronto. Since it’s inception in the late 90’s, it’s supplied record fiends here and abroad with an incredible selection of Soul, Funk, Jazz, Latin and Brazilian rarities like no store since. At the root of Cosmos is its mild-mannered owner, Aki Abe. Aki quickly established himself as […]
The post CRATERY 38a : Aki Abe first appeared on CRATERY.
Most record heads that come from the hip-hop world understand the value of the cheap dollar banger. Whether it’s a drum break, a boogie classic or a sought-after miracle, discovering a piece of heat in the dollar-bin has always been a source of pride for most beat heads. Finding a dope record is cool. But […]
The post CRATERY 37: Dollarate III first appeared on CRATERY.
Part 2 of our second Cratery featuring Vancouver’s Sipreano kicks off with some music from Jackie Mitoo. Sip is no stranger to Mitoo’s music and is actually in the process of following up his landmark “Jamaica to Toronto” compilation with a documentary that takes a deeper look at transplanted musicians that came here in the […]
The post CRATERY 36b : Sipreano first appeared on CRATERY.
Sipreano is a gentleman of distinction. In this case, his distinction is the first guest to repeat a stint on Cratery. Last November, Sip joined us for Cratery 23, a 4-part special which also featured Toronto vinyl god Jason Palma. Sip’s penchant for the weird and his unparalleled understanding of Canadian music always makes for […]
The post CRATERY 36a : Sipreano first appeared on CRATERY.
This is a fucking weird Cratery. Even by our standards. And we like some weird shit. French Prog. Polish Jazz. Cuban Funk. And a banger from a Dirty Harry flick. These are the makings of Cratery 35. No shortage of off-kilter selections here. Before King Crimson was getting sample love from Kanye, they began their […]
The post CRATERY 35 first appeared on CRATERY.
Cratery is a dig diary. A monthly document of our freshest finds. Our very own new arrivals section. So it’s only fitting we kick Cratery 34 off with a recently acquired slice of Argentine exotica, Truthfully, I know nothing else about Cuasares ‘Amalgama’ or the album from which it comes. What I do know is […]
The post CRATERY 34 first appeared on CRATERY.
Cratery 33 (Session B) with producer/collector MoSS takes our global psychedelic expedition to Japan, Denmark, Korea and Belgium. MoSS starts part 2 with another unidentified banger before Kaeweezy returns us to familiar territory with The Animated Egg’s “Sock it my way” – an alternate version of a song released for the 101 Strings instrumental series. […]
The post CRATERY 33b : MoSS first appeared on CRATERY.
Most of you know MoSS as a producer of quality rap music for artists like Obie Trice, Black Moon, Sean Price, Joell Ortiz, Kool G Rap, Big Shug, Eternia and many others. Some of you might even know that he’s the lone producer signed to DJ Premier’s Works of Mart imprint. Even less of you […]
The post CRATERY 33a : MoSS first appeared on CRATERY.
No matter how much we genre-hop on Cratery, soul remains a consistent ingredient in our monthly stew. Kaewonder sets off Cratery 32 with a certified slow burner, Larry Saunders’ “This World”. And despite global tangents to Africa (The Wings), Belgium (J.J. Band) and the UK (Egg), we end up bookending this month’s episode with some […]
The post CRATERY 32 first appeared on CRATERY.
With DJ Serious spending the summer in NYC, Cratery 31 was the first of a series of episodes recorded in advance of his departure. Lots of cool shit this month. I recently found Lee Harris’ “Don’t let your love fade away” left behind in a local spot frequented by many collectors. Known primarily for its […]
The post CRATERY 31 first appeared on CRATERY.
The beauty of collecting records for as long as we have is getting bored. Believe it or not, boredom is the friend of the record collector. We at Cratery started out collecting soul, funk and jazz – the cornerstones of hip-hop production. But after 5-6 years of focusing on these genres, we got bored. Why? […]
The post CRATERY 30 first appeared on CRATERY.
The straight up vinyl savagery among the crew seems to be rising exponentially of late. For followers of this podcast, that’s good news for you. It’s not necessarily good news for our collective wallets, but hey – all in the name of music, right? Cratery 29 genre-hops between Mongo Santamaria’s percussive funk, the progressive sounds […]
The post CRATERY 29 first appeared on CRATERY.
Before DJ’s began coveting 12”s and the mp3 single defined today’s music market, the average consumer would purchase their hits on 45: The original single. Most soul and funk collectors are no strangers to these tiny records which have held the secrets to some of hip-hop’s most famous breakbeats. “Impeach the President” (The Honeydrippers), “Shack […]
The post CRATERY 28: 45’s (part 2) first appeared on CRATERY.
Get rid of that wax in your ear. Now throw some of our wax in your ear. Cratery returns for it’s 27th consecutive month with another hour of musical goodness from the personal collections of Arcee, Kaewonder and DJ Serious. Cratery isn’t just free. It’s free of mp3’s, CD’s, reissues, and compilations. All vinyl. All […]
The post CRATERY 27 first appeared on CRATERY.
Our 26th edition of Cratery signals another milestone: The intelligent Cratery tracklist. Up until now, listeners had to refer to the blog to find out what song they were listening to. From now on, each Cratery mix will house and display song titles in iTunes – as you listen. Simply import Cratery into your iTunes […]
The post CRATERY 26 first appeared on CRATERY.
What began as a humble, hour long dig-diary is now a vital, vinyl ritual, complete with it’s own cult following, monthly party and award-winning logo. We begin our 3rd year of Cratery with a 2nd. The 2nd official edition of Dollarate: our post-holiday guide to wallet-friendly digging. Theoretically, the records on this month’s podcast are […]
The post CRATERY 25: Dollarate II first appeared on CRATERY.
O.S.W.F.T.Y. = Other Shit We Found This Year “I kind of went savage this year. I probably crossed more key records off my want list than any year past. And the crazy part is – I can’t see myself slowing. Kae, Serious and I collectively trotted around Rochester. Montreal. Detroit. NYC. And Vancouver. In addition […]
The post CRATERY 24: O.S.W.F.T.Y. first appeared on CRATERY.
Cratery 23D marks the final chapter in our four-part Cratery extravaganza. Jason Palma shares more heaters with Kae, Serious and I to close our end of year crate-a-thon. We mentioned Play De. And Higher Ground radio. But you can also catch Palma as part of the Footprints gang banging that afro jazzy goodness year round. […]
The post CRATERY 23d : Jason Palma first appeared on CRATERY.
When we’re sharing an hour of music among 3-4 DJ’s, each of us ends up only playing 3-4 songs each. For both our guests this month, 1 hour was simply not enough to share the jewels they had each selected. Both came equipped with stacks sufficient for several hours worth of high-priced vinyl nerdery. And […]
The post CRATERY 23c : Sipreano first appeared on CRATERY.
“Part 2 of our 4-part Cratery continues with one of T.O.’s foremost record aficionados and cool peoples:Jason Palma. Co-owner of Toronto’s vinyl institution, Play de Record. Bump-N-Hustle alumni. And host/creator of Higher Ground radio on CIUT 89.5 FM every Thursday night at 8 pm. It doesn’t matter if he’s selling you a piece of heat. Killing dancefloors […]
The post CRATERY 23b : Jason Palma first appeared on CRATERY.
“The first of a 4-part Cratery featuring 2 of our favourite record nerds, Vancouver’s Sipreano and Toronto’s Jason Palma. On Session A, Sip goes one for one with Serious, Kaewonder and myself, sharing his love for all things Canadian, funky and undiscovered. Sip is not only responsible for breathing life into Light in the Attic’s “Jamaica to Toronto” compilation, […]
The post CRATERY 23a : Sipreano first appeared on CRATERY.
This month, we trade treats with one of hip-hop’s premier producers and a dude I am proud to call a close personal hommrade (part hommie, part comrade): Jake One. A few of you (maybe like 3) might be familiar with some music I did with Jake back in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Most of you […]
The post CRATERY 22 : Jake One first appeared on CRATERY.
Very little is known about Toronto record aficionado David Bay. David’s undocumented rise to infamy is based on the records he has procured through countless online portals, particularly eBay – earning him the nickname dBay. Bay, is in fact, not even his last name (I’m starting to question the accuracy of “David” as well). Despite his […]
The post CRATERY 21 : David Bay first appeared on CRATERY.
Alister Johnson AKA Catalist Toronto is full of vinyl nerds. And Cratery gives us the opportunity to connect with some of our favourites. Alister Johnson aka Catalist is DJ, producer and all-around good guy with a shitload of records. Between touring with Grand Analog and composing music for film and television, who knows when Alister […]
The post CRATERY 20 : Alister Johnson first appeared on CRATERY.
We’ve had the good fortune of welcoming some of our more accomplished and talented friends to the monthly dig diary we call Cratery. Da Grassroots alumni Mr. Attic and Murr have both dipped into their vinyl collections on our accord, as has Halifax transplant and DJ, Skratch Bastid. This month, we’re joined by another Toronto […]
The post CRATERY 19 : Frank Dukes first appeared on CRATERY.
Both the hommie Kaewonder and I recently spent some time on the left coast. This month’s Cratery represents the fruits of our visit. I love shopping for records in a different town. Especially when that town is Vancouver. I was fortunate enough to stumble across a copy of J.R. Bailey’s “Just me and you”, Nina […]
The post CRATERY 18: The Vangover first appeared on CRATERY.
So. I grew a beard for four months. Then I cut it off. But not without having some fun with a few of the hommies first. Gotta shout my mans Clif, Darren G and my man Joe Cruz for lining me up nicely at the official De-Bearding. And my man Serious aka David Yan for […]
The post CRATERY 17: The De-Bearding first appeared on CRATERY.
“And we’re back. Almost a year and a half into our monthly dig diary with no signs of slowing. This month, the hommie Kaewonder and I return with a genre-bending hour of Caribbean Funk, Sweet Soul, Folk-Psych, Spiritual Jazz and Brazilian Rock. None of which we downloaded off the Internet. But hey, that shouldn’t stop […]
The post CRATERY 16 first appeared on CRATERY.
The arrival of Cratery 15 signals two things: 1. An official Cratery logo + design. 2. A brand new format for this month. First off, a big thank you to Sean Davison (Creative Director, Maclaren McCann) for helping us bring our monthly dig diary to life with its own logo + look. Hope y’all like […]
The post CRATERY 15: A To The Kae first appeared on CRATERY.
The OST Bonus It’s not quite a sequel – but the bonus session is a little 25-minute extra we thought you might enjoy. By that time, the idea of writing a track list had taken a back seat to the sedentary effects of our friend Century Sam. Hell, if someone decided to make a film […]
The post CRATERY 14b : MURR first appeared on CRATERY.
The OST Edition I’m a sucker for a good soundtrack. The covers alone are usually worth the price of admission. Composers often take experimental liberties they would never take while working on a conventional pop record. And some of the best gems can be found on tiny little one minute transitional tracks – as in […]
The post CRATERY 14a : MURR first appeared on CRATERY.
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) No explanation for why this session never came out. But this soul-inspired episode was intended as bonus to Cratery 13. We ended up distributing it to a few friends privately and kind of lost track of it. Either way, opening bangers from the Bar-Kays, Luther Ingram and the Natural Four pretty good reason […]
The post CRATERY 13b first appeared on CRATERY.
“Cratery thirteen. As is quite often the case with Cratery, we go all over the map with a variety of heat . Starting off with the straight boom bap of Cuba Instrumentals face-scruncher “Quema”, to Barbara & Ernie’s blissed-out “For You”. From Common (People) records, to Saverage White Band (no, that is not a typo) […]
The post CRATERY 13a first appeared on CRATERY.
We did it. Kaewonder and I have successfully maintained our dig diary, Cratery for 1 whole year. And what better way to round out the year than with the hommie DJ Serious? Serious has been a mainstay on the DJ/Production (and now photography!) front in Toronto for quite some time now. Since his early days […]
The post CRATERY 12 : DJ Serious first appeared on CRATERY.
Kae and I are both Sagittarians with savage qualities. Qualities which I won’t mention here – but definitely the kind worthy of celebrating. Cratery 11 coincides with both of our birthdays in the final week of November. So we thought it might be fitting to pull out 11 personal favourites each – records that we […]
The post CRATERY 11: The Savittarians first appeared on CRATERY.
More Cratery Baby. My mans Kaewonder and I have successfully managed to run our monthly dig diary for 10 months without running out of records. I’d say that kind of dedication is worth something awesome – like another free hour of funk on us. Cratery 10 starts off with some Modern Soul/Boogie bangers: some of […]
The post CRATERY 10 first appeared on CRATERY.
(The 90 Minute Joint) For the 9th installment of our monthly dig diary, the hommie Kaewonder and I took it back. The contents of Cratery 9 were recorded entirely on a 90 minute cassette. Don’t ask why. Don’t ask how. Simply reacquaint yourself with some good old-fashioned tape hiss while Kae and I go 3 […]
The post CRATERY 9: Tapery first appeared on CRATERY.
CRATERY 8a f/ Skratch Bastid a.k.a Eightery You would not believe the hard work that goes into getting drunk, smoked out and playing premium musical selections for your listening pleasure on a monthly basis. This month, Kaewonder and I were lucky enough secure Montreal DJ and record aficionado Skratch Bastid simply by forcing him to […]
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“A busted amp and a broken car engine led myself and the hommie Kaewonder from the heart of Queen West to the outskirts of Sauga Sec on this month’s edition of Cratery. My neck of the woods, people. Big up Butch and Tink from The Rockbox – the same studio where Marvel and I recorded […]
The post CRATERY 7: Sub. Gluttony first appeared on CRATERY.
Over the years, self-indulgent record collectors have made a habit of promoting the rare over the good. The imitators over the originators. And of course, the expensive over the cheap. And the But the good people at Cratery (read: us) know where the heat is at. We give you Dollarate (from root word “Dollaration”), our […]
The post CRATERY 6: DOLLARATE! first appeared on CRATERY.
This month’s Cratery is proof the weather’s getting a little hotter. And we’ve got the tunes to match: A little dub, reggae, rare groove, disco, funk and some good old fashioned soul music. The Lowrell record we both hold in our hands wasn’t some drunken attempt at comedy either – it embodies the spirit of […]
The post CRATERY 5 first appeared on CRATERY.
Our mans Mr. Attic of Grassroots fame, aka Pee, joins us this month on Cratery to share some gems from what he refuses to admit is a legendary collection. Sorry Pee, but your shit is bananas. Cats like me are still pulling out Charles Wright in ‘09 . If you’re not up on game, Attic […]
The post CRATERY 4 : Mr. Attic first appeared on CRATERY.
“I love 45’s. Not because they’re funky. Not because they’re full of unreleased b-sides. Not because they never seem to run out. But because they’re tiny little records. How can you not love a tiny little record? Kaewonder and I pull out some of our favourite finds, old and new, on our first all 45 […]
The post CRATERY 3: 45’s (part 1) first appeared on CRATERY.
If I’m all I’m doing is looking for joints familiar to blogs and boutique record shops, I’m not really on my grizzly. I just can’t walk into the average record store hoping to find a copy of 24 Carat Black or Sabu Martinez. Cause I’ll constantly be disappointed. But if buy based on what they […]
The post CRATERY 2 first appeared on CRATERY.
Aiight people. I’ve been toying with the idea of monthly dig diary for a minute now. A dig diary ain’t nothing but a fancy name for a bunch of songs played in succession and documented in a conveniently downloadable format for your listening pleasure. Basically, I felt it was finally time to give my record-digging […]
The post CRATERY 1 first appeared on CRATERY.