D.J. Afrika Bambaataa* – Death Mix — Live!!!

Shrouded in nth generation-copy tape murk, ‘Death Mix’ is probably the most iconic (and notorious) old-school jam of all time, essentially because of this LP. Recorded in 1979 at James Monroe High School in the Bronx, widely circulated on cassette and eventually released on wax in ’83, this LP ticks every box for cult fascination, being simultaneously adored by fans (for its echo-swathed stoner-fog MC-ing and outré breaks selection) but utterly despised by its creator. Bam weighed into the ‘Death Mix’ and Winley Records debate in David Toop’s ‘The Rap Attack’ (1984):

‘A wack company. It was jive. (‘Death Mix’) is a tape like – suppose she came to my party and made a tape and she made a copy for you and you made a copy for me and I took the tape and gave it to him and he put it on record. It sounds like doo doo! He (Winley) had the nerve to put on the back, ‘I’m sorry for the first two records I did with you. You my friend’ and all that. It was really a bootleg type of mess. We didn’t get any money got the first record. The first two he made was ugly anyway. I went to him saying I could make his company move. I had ideas but he didn’t pay us no mind.’

However, with both Jazzy Jay and Bam at the helm, time and myth have become the ultimate arbiters on this potent slice of subterranean dope which hisses and trundles deep into the funky night like a dazzling neon-hued whole car burner. Quality issues aside, just imagine having been there in person. Yeah, exactly.

Amazing to see that from that old "breaks" mixtape on vinyl came 2 big hip-hop/R&B hits: "Push It" by Salt N Pepa & "Groove is in the Heart" By Deee-Lite (+ innovative underground Drum & Bass Hit it's Jazz by Roni Size). Certainly recorded in 1979 (and not in 1983, check out the style!) as most of the original tracks are from this year, those breaks were surely kept secret for a long time before those producers discover them and made hits from them! The Real get Down! ;)

i thought original of these paul winley records had no stem if it has stem its fake thanks

Badly recorded; it's also virtually mono. And the [almost] live content seems quite all over the shop, veering aimlessly from rapping, scratching and cut-up performances. But about 2 minutes 34 into the B side, the DJ throws in a vaguely oriental, bouncy, much more definitively electro jam. Then the soup of ad libbing, cutting and scratching starts to catch a flavour. It's never going to be Sibelius [thankfully] but your nodding head and probably your feet too will pay homage to an irresistible effort, unless you're too up yourself to remember how.