This has probably already made it on most blogs after the Fader posted it up yesterday. But it's amazing - The Count and Sinden have signed to Domino and their new track set for release is Hardcore Girls featuring, the superstar teenager, Rye Rye. The clip is basically her dancing in her living room, making her look very homely, and then it cuts between her at fashion shoots. We get it, interesting.

Notting Hill Carnival this weekend. Got our names down for this lil' shindig above, so should be fun.

I'll get some snippy snaps from this party and the afterparty as well for you guys.

Free Chromeo party tomorrow! Woooo.

Tony Matterhorn - Dutty Wine

Bonus: can someone please play this at the next Favela? Rusko - Cockney Thug

Bounce is a style of hip-hop that originated in New Orleans in the late 80s. It's characterised by repetitive and often sexually explicit call and response lyrics and beats that are shared by a lot of songs - like the Think break is to B'more club, the Trigger Man break is to bounce.

It's a style that hasn't been huge outside its home town, but it did breed a few names that went on to greater fame - Juvenile for one. Bounce tapered off in the late 90s as crunk took over (which some say was heavily bounce-influenced in the first place) as the southern hip-hop style of note.

But bounce has kept on and has also fostered a strong scene of openly gay MCs and performers who rock a style known as 'sissy bounce' – a true anomaly in the generally homophobic hip-hop world.

It’s covered pretty extensively in this article from last week in New Orleans' Gambit Weekly:

Sissy Strut.

Not sure if you heard, but last week comedian Bernie Mac died from pneumonia. Incidentally, he'd been working on the film Soul Men with Isaac Hayes who died the day after.

His stand up was hilarious and unique (hit up Youtube if you're unfamiliar) and his movie roles were usually standouts in otherwise mediocre movies (Bosley in Charlies Angels 2 - amazing).

Those of you into Baltimore Club would no doubt have heard Bernie Mac sampled in some classic club jams - his style and delivery were absolutely perfect for it .

Check these:

Bamabounce Mhonglo



Rod Lee - Bernie Mac Theme

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We've just finished a little project that we've been working on - a Google map of (nearly) all the places we've reviewed in the newsletter. Each entry is also linked to the particular review meaning you'll never be stuck for a place to eat in the city again.

Keep checking back as we'll update it every time we review something.

Opulent Eats Google Map

The guest list is filling up fast here people, if you want get on the cheap tix - $12 - hit us up on guests@opulentmagazine.com This is set to be the gig of winter, Pase Rock has got his live performance on lock, and we expect this to be a messy night!

Also check out some new heat from Pase Rock, this is produced by Tittsworth and features Kid Sister, plus has the best name like eva!

Tittsworth feat. Pase Rock & Kid Sister - WTF.

Toddla T keeps getting mentioned as the producer to watch due to his bass-heavy, danncehall meets bassline style. He has become a favourite for the British music press, plus is all over the UK festival scene and he's a part of the Sinden and Herve super crew, Machines Don't Care.

Grab his infamous Ghettoblast mix here. Check the tracklist here.

Or some of his remixes below.

Little Boots - Meddle (Toddla T remix)

Ghislain Poirier feat. MC Zulu - Go Ballistic (Toddla T & Duckbeats Remix)

Hot Chip - One Pure Thought (Toddla T remix)

Isaac Hayes, Stax Records famed writer and recording artist and the performer of the Shaft soundtrack, was found dead on Sunday in his Tennessee home.

Isaac Hayes was prolific at his time at Stax Records, he penned many of their greatest hits with David Porter such as Hold On, I'm Coming and Soul Man and became an artist in his own right with his break through album, Hot Buttered Soul. As Stax moved to film production he begun to work scoring films such as Shaft and eventually starring in films as well.

He wasn't afraid to take risks - check the Black Moses album - and he lived large, his customised Cadillac turned many heads although it was eventually sold when Stax went under. Of course, his role as Chef in South Park can't be overlooked either.

More here.

We owe the Nossa crew our dues. For starters we referenced the name of our club night (Favela Rock) from their NYC baile funk night (Favela Clash) - and we also closely followed their musical tendencies. So, when I saw their new mix from Cassiano was out, we had to give them some well-deserved shine. This mix joins the dots between baile funk and contemporary driving dance music. This mix dips and rises with coarse yet soulful Portuguese raps adding an extra dimension to hyper energetic 4/4 dance music. The mix shows a more polished side of baile funk, and even though the vocals are as raw as ever, the backing track delves into harder and darker dance music, although some rays of cheesy light are still prevalent.

Grab the new mix here!

Well, not really.

I caught this story on AM the other morning about University of Queensland researchers looking at the effect of music on people.

Music not a mood swinger.

Any excuse to use that photo though.

Man Recordings based in Germany has been holding it down when it comes to Brazilian music, firstly they dropped Nao Wave - post-punk from Brazil, then they dropped a series of Baile Funk 12-inches and released Edu K's full length album. Now their newest signing KU BO - Viennese bass king STEREOTYP - drops a mixtape of baile funk with a driving electro bass beat. Grab it below.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/1588015855134891/

KU BO MIXTAPE SUMMER 08 TRACKLIST

01. Parolar De Veso Remix feat. SD Boys
02. Rebola feat. Joyce Muniz
03. Turnament Version feat. Yasmine Seydi
04. Turnament feat. Fefe MC
05. Uepa feat. Joyce Muniz
06. Um Korpo feat. Joyce Muniz
07. Kubo Precut (no name yet )
08. Lem Lem
09. Tindao

It's like the cultural analysis version of the top-50-albums-of-all-time-type articles - guaranteed to get a lot of people's panties in a bunch.

Appearing in the latest Adbusters, Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization is a look at what the cool kids are doing by someone who is presumably a fair bit older than them and just can't decide whether to love them or hate them.

Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization.

Just a lil' something for the Party Hearty Kids.

X & Hell - Don't Stop Movin' (CWD Refix)

Go cop the Original Version off the forthcoming LP "Million Dollar Sex Party" on iTunes NOW!

The guys at Schwipe have come up with a great new exhibition at their retail space / gallery - Don't Come. This installment is a look at Pinku - Japanese Pink films, or soft-porn, from the 60s right through to the mid-80s. The posters show a unique design aesthetic that typifies a clandestine art. The launch is tonight at 6pm, check it out.

It may have been cold outside but it was straight fire at Favela Rock on Saturday night. If you were there you'd know it was an awesome party - all the DJs killed it and those $5 shots went down very nicely.

We've got some pics up in gallery now.

Check them out here.