My first proper introduction to trip-hop was close to 20 years when my friend Dewi gave me a homemade cassette tape of uber cool tunes. For the longest time I didn’t know who the artists were on it so I just called it the “Tape from Dewi.” About five or six years ago I was finally able to identify side A; 9 Lazy 9’s “Paradise Brown.” Wait a minute, scratch that. It’s not “Paradise Brown,” silly, It’s Italian-based acid-jazz, downtempo group’s debut record “Paradise Blown.” ^ Having finally solved one half of the mystery from the “Tape from Dewi,” I have enjoyed the chilled grooves of this laid-back lounging lawn chair of a record all of these years. At just over an hour, “Paradise Blown” provides a plethora of hip beats, electric jazz pulses, vamps, tramps and an overall vibe of “this is where I want to be.” My highlights include: Brothers in the Red, The Herb, Not Nice, 5 AM, Take Nine, Bad Boy, Summer, Lotto Jisco and All Aboard. All aboard indeed.
This just in…today after all these years, I have realized that DJ Food is providing the entertainment from his “Jazz Brakes Volume 5” on side B. Delicious. In looking back, I can honestly thank Dewi (She knew I would dig them) and 9 Lazy 9 for turning me on to an entire genre of music that I have grown to especially love. Thank God for mix tapes.
365, Album of the Day 2014 