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Welcome to the KCRW Corner on DrownedinSound.com. KCRW is one of the most influential public radio stations in the United States, broadcasting at 89.9FM from Santa Monica, California. We’ve got our ears trained to catch the best new music and you can hear us online all the time at www.KCRW.com. We also have 11 years worth of live performances archived for your listening pleasure.
This month Raul Campos, host of Nocturna, (link) shares his favorite music.
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| Raul Campos: checks pulses... |
Born and raised in East LA, Raul Campos has his finger on the pulse of what makes the city beat. He delves into deep rhythms and urban soul with a Latin twist on Nocturna, but also likes to throw in a few curveballs just to make sure his listeners are paying attention.
“I’m always playing the freshest, newest stuff. It doesn’t matter who does it, what language it’s in, if it’s fast or slow, house or Latin. If I like it, I’ll play it. I like to keep people on their toes,” says Campos.
Nocturna includes plenty of yet-to-be-released tracks, hard-to-find remixes and songs by Latin innovators, all with a late-night sensibility merged seamlessly by an expert mixer. For those same reasons, Raul is also in demand as a club DJ and has been billed at some of LA's biggest parties with many of the world’s top DJs including Paul Oakenfold, Armand Van Helden and Mark Farina. Raul also fulfilled the fantasy of many an artist in one weekend this summer by rocking the decks at BOTH the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Central Park in New York for sold-out crowds. Here is what the jet-setting DJ is spinning on air and in person:
Bob Marley’s Roots Rock Remixed – “I’m all about the remixes but when classics are remixed, it’s like playing with fire. They keep it true on this compilation. Also, the remixers didn’t pick the basic, played out Marley tracks, they dug a little deeper.”
Ceci Bastida (MySpace) – “Ceci is originally from Mexico and now lives in LA. She is a great vocalist and songwriter. This is a no-brainer. She’s also a wonderful person, which makes it even better.”
B-Side Players (MySpace) – “These guys are from Southern California. They have a very unique sound – they are a funk ensemble that integrates traditional Mexican sounds.”
Upground (MySpace) – “This is a band from my hometown, East LA. They are like a new version of Ozomatli - fun, full brass, energetic on stage, young and up and coming.”
Spoon (MySpace) – “Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga is fantastic. The title got my attention and there are some really great tracks on there, like ‘Eddie’s Ragga’ and ‘Don’t You Evah’.”
Dennis Ferrer (MySpace) – “He is a soulful house producer from New York. This guy has the midas touch when it comes to house music these days. His new album is The World As I See It.”
“As much as I love playing music from the states, I always look to the UK for the freshest imports from some of my favorite labels like Defected, Buzzin' Fly and Ninja Tune to name a few,” says Raul.
Also, keep an eye out for Loteria Beats Vol 1 on Nacional Records in October. Raul mixed and compiled the Latin electronic/funk mixtape-style album, featuring remixes and tracks from Nortec Collective, Thievery Corporation, David Byrne, Pacha Massive, Sergio Mendes and others.
