Tag Archives: RJD2

Watch: RJD2 Discusses “Life Without Limits”

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MP3: DivineFits “WTNBN” RJD2 remix
MP3: Soul Position- “The Good Life”

RJD2 has been on a bit of a roll recently. He released an album with his original Columbus Hip Hop crew, MHz Legacy ,at the end of October. RJ also linked up with Blueprint for a new Soul Position song called the Good Life. The Columbus ex-pat just remixed “Would That Not Be Nice” by his sometime drummer Sam Brown’s new band the Divine Fits. On election day RJ dropped a new song with Kenna.

Above is a short documentary RJ did with T-Mobile entitled “Life Without Limits” where RJ takes a camera crew around his current hometown Philly while RJ gives his perspective on being an artist. In this video we follow RJ around town, watch him perform shows and also visit his home, while the revered producer and live performer explains that his main motivation is the enjoyment of making music.

 

New RJD2 & Blueprint Song “The Good Life”

Rolling Stone premiered a new RJD2 & Blueprint song called “The Good Life”.  Click here to hear it. It was created for OriginalTV a new series that talks to artists about their creative process. Below is RJ’s segment.

Inside The Studio of RJD2:

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Gallery Hop: “Fibers of America” – Photographic work of Cory Piehowicz

You may have seen Cory Piehowicz’s photos on RJD2’s DeadRinger, and both Soul Position full-lengths.  Well, at Gallery Hop in Columbus  tonight, Piehowicz’s continues his legacy of memorable images with an  opening (7-10pm)of  a month-long exhibit entitled Fibers of America.  The Columbus-based photographer’s exhibit at the Rivet Gallery displays photos and found objects from Piehowicz’s explorations of old mines  located in California deserts in search of denim worn by early 20th- century workers.

From the Other Paper:

The show reveals that the denim hunt was hardly a walk in the park.
“Mike and Charla Harris, Charla’s dad, Russ, and I went on a huge hike to one of the hardest ghost towns to get to in the West,” Piehowicz said, describing an expedition to Death Valley. “It took us 14 hours to get there, straight one day, (in) 120-degree weather. We ran out of water. It was not looking good.”
“About 12 hours in, on the way back, that’s when Russ and Charla went into heat exhaustion after we ran out of water. You will see pictures of Russ at the show.”
The photograph depicts a man who is both weary and covered with black spots all over his face where bugs have bitten him.

Bunbury Festival featured artist: RJD2

RJD2 performs on the BudLight stage at 8:45pm on Saturday, July 14

RJD2 is a Philadelphia-based DJ and multi-instrumentalist who catapulted to notoriety, fame, and serious hip-hop credibility with 2002’s Dead Ringer. His music is a collage of cut-and-paste hip-hop that combines disparate elements to make for soulful, moody portraits of the world.

What does "bunbury" mean? (No cheating; give it your best guess)

Bootleg Burberry, i’m guessing? I dunno. Sounds British and aristocratic, and mildly ballerish. If so, I may ball out. Will have to play it by ear.

What are 3 facts that you know about Cincinnati?

a) It’s the one-time home of the midwest champ, Blueprint.
b) Portions of the debut Soul Position album were recorded there, courtesy of my ’94 Toyota Corrola.
c) Jewel records was located there in the 70’s-I went on a record mission at one point to see what i could unearth. It was not fruitful.

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Interview With Icebird (rjd2 & Aaron Livingston )

I interviewed RJD2, and Aaron Livingston a few weeks ago about their new project Icebird, and asked them about a few songs on Icebird’s album the Abandoned Lullaby. The conversation got pretty intricate. I was convinced RJ should review records, and Aaron should teach history after this interview was over.

In what way do film scores influence making instrumental records?

RJ: In general what kind of influence do they have? Even before the The Insane Warrior record I had kind of internalized a not quite… I hesitate to say more poppy there are aspects of things like obvious stuff like Star Wars or something like that that you can apply the theme to more traditional song writing. So it’s definitely something I’ve internalized in the same way I would a Gangstarr record or a James Brown record. It was until the Insane warrior record that i really got into the aspect of film scores to really push out from song writing. In a way it’s kind of anti song writing. Super monotonous and most people would probably consider it really boring. Think of the sorcerer or even some of the Goblin stuff it’s super repetitive and super fucking boring to most people but as music I actually find it really interesting inspiring and a welcome break from verses and chords and bridges and intros and everything being in tune and all that kind of shit.

What was the process of the Icebird record?

RJ: It’s tough to say because Aaron by in large would have dominion over the vocals, he was the guy writing all the melodies and lyrics but there wasn’t this really clean division. Cause on a lot of rap records theres this really clean division in terms of opinions on things. When you’re working with a rapper they’re like, I either like the beat or I don’t. But they’ll never say change something, I like the beat but that snare is weird change it. That never happens to me, it’s either take it or leave it. We both considered each others opinions on things. I would add things to a track and he’d say I’m not diggin that I like it better without it. We would work it out. And the same thing applied to the vocals. In terms of how the record was made, for the most part it was a back and forth, I would turn Aaron in an instrumental. I’d write something, cut it and then send it to him and he’d demo up vocals and from there we’d just start adding or taking away stuff both on the instrumental and the vocals until with got something that was working.

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MP3:Icebird(rjd2 & Aaron Livingston) “Charmed Life” + Tourdates

MP3:Icebird(rjd2 & Aaron Livingston) “Charmed Life”

After the jump Aaron Livingston breaks down Charmed Life, the second single off him and RJD2’s new Icebird Project. Icebird’s the Abandoned Lullaby album comes out October 11th and will be celebrated soon with release shows in Ohio(OFM), Boston, Brooklyn, DC, and Philly.

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Win tickets to Ohio Film+Music Festival

We’re just over a week away from the Ohio Film+Music Festival, which means we’re just over a week away from bands like RJD2/Icebird, the New Bomb Turks, Heartless Bastards, Cloud Nothings and others, plus films like never-before-seen Jim Jarmusch shorts featuring Tom Waits, 4192: The Crowning of the Hit King and Eric Mahoney’s North Dixie Drive.

So, in anticipation, we’re giving away two tickets to the Friday, Oct. 7 New Bomb Turks / Heartless Bastards / Cloud Nothings / R.Ring (featuring Kelley Deal) show at Skully’s and two film tickets to the Ohio Doc Double Feature, The Last Truck: The Closing of a GM Plant shown with North Dixie Drive (Saturday, Oct. 8 at 3:55pm). Just send an email to contestdonewaiting@gmail.com with the subject OFMF by next Wednesday (10/5).

Ticketing details for all events at OFMF.

MP3: Icebird (RJD2 and Aaron Livingston) “Going And Going. And Going” (Illvibe and RJD2 Remixes)

MP3: Icebird (RJD2 & Aaron Livingston) “Going and Going and Going” (RJD2 RMX)
MP3: Icebird (RJD2 & Aaron Livingston) “Going and Going and Going” (Illvibe RMX)

Two Weeks ago ICEBIRD (RJD2 and Aaron Livingston) leaked their first single,“Going and Going. And Going,” off their upcoming album the Abandon Lullaby which drops October 11th. Now Icebird is back with two official remixes. One by the Columbus ex-pat, and one by Sonny James of the Ill Vibe Collective.

“I always liked how 12 inch releases back in the ’90s had multiple remixes of the same song,” RJ speaking on the reasoning behind the remixes. “Fans could choose and debate, argue the different versions and which they liked more.”

RJ’s remix is reminiscent of his sophmore album Since We Last Spoke.

And the Ill Vibe remix is dubbed out. “The Illvibe remix does a great job to really re-envision the track in a dub style,” RJ remarks about the later mix, “When that beat drops, it was the last thing I expected, but it’s a great groove; the Hammond organ – it really makes sense with original.”

Icebird will be playing at Skully’s in Columbus 10/08/11 as part of the Ohio Film and Music Festival.
Buy tickets here.

MP3: Icebird (RJD2 & Aaron Livingston) “Going and Going and Going”

MP3: Going and Going and Going

RJD2 Back. He formed a duo with Aaron Livingston called Icebird. A man he met at a Black Lily Jam Session. Here is a single Going and Going and Going.. Icebird has an album dropping October 11th called the Abandoned Lullaby on RJD2’s own label, RJ’s Electrical Connections.

You like this song? You can buy Icebird’s first single on Itunes.

Video:RJD2 “Live at the Rave” Trailer

RJD2’s next release “Live At the Rave” follows RJ at a performance at a club called the Rave in Milwaukee. See what he did there? Anyway, since RJ’s live shows are always great, “Live at the Rave” is something to look forward to.