Cork music guru Stevie G, has unveiled a brand new DJ mixtape featuring some of the best soul and r&bartists in the Ireland. For the project Stevie has marred some of the best new releases with the DJ style he’s been known for since the 90’s, keeping the music transitions smooth and introducing us to some great new artists.
Stevie G is joined by 16-year-old rapper Aaliyah, who hosts the tape, she is one of the many talented youngsters Stevie works with in Cork – another, Elton Sibanda, supplied artwork.
‘Soul Ireland 2020’ features everything from classic r&b (Zali, Tomike, Soule, Shiv), crossover radio tracks (Biig Piig, CMAT, Denise Chaila), jazzy soul (Carrie Baxter, Meghan Murray), afro bangers (Selu, Minnie Marley), alt soul (Drew Hall, Bukky, Caleb Kunle), exclusive covers (Danny G, Senita) to more traditional funk and soul (Tolu Makay, NC Grey). It’s a showcase off just some of the amazing music out right now and Stevie hopes it turns people on to.
“This started off as a loose idea during the summer, where i wanted to do an r&b mix of local artists, and I started re-editing some intros by the likes of Zali, Tomikeand even rappers like Denise Chaila. I ended up re-editing nearly every track on the mix by adding loads of samples and some spoken word bits and drops, and sometimes drums and intros to make it more DJ-friendly (by it’s nature, this is music not meant for mixing so i had to get creative). I added some DJ interludes with familiar samples and grooves for the same reason, and I’m trying to hook more people in that way. I’ve kept the tracks themselves intact,” explains Stevie G, on the project.
“I kept the sound pretty much to the style I used play when I used first mix r&b and soul in the ’90s, but it’s all new artists, many of whom were only born around then! I sprinkled in a lit bit of afrobeats, jazz and other styles I play for seasoning, but wanted to keep it mainly r&b and soul. My DJing style is more about mixing than scratching, but it’s very much informed by hip-hop too, and there are a lot of hip-hop production values in the mix.
It’s very busy with samples but unlike most DJ mixtapes these days it’s an actual mix, and it’s got that two turntables vibe of the tapes i used make myself back in the day. This is only a snapshot of some of the great music artists on our doorstep, and i hope many of them start getting the recognition that is finally coming the way of Tolu, Denise, Erica and others. It’s been quite a 2020 for all of these youngsters, and I’ve always been of the view that in Ireland we have the talent if not necessarily the music infrastructure to make more of our own stars. It’s also the antithesis of some of the stereotype of what music does well here, and Ireland is much more than just “white, male and rock”.
Some of these artists have barely been heard so there’s bound to be a few discoveries in amongst the tracks which have already received widespread support here. It’s kept me busy while the clubs and festivals are on hold, and i’ll be doing a follow up next year for sure!”
Check out the full running order and listen to ‘Soul Ireland 2020’ below.
Zali – Girl
Tomike – Nothing Special
Bantum & Loah – NGLA
Alicia Raye & Kae – Close to Me
Stevie G – DJ Interlude 1
Biig Piig – Don’t Turn Around
Erica Cody – Where I’m from
Shiv – Here
CMAT – Rodney
thelastpoetzen & Pharaii – AB Vibes
Selu – More Than
Minnie Marley – Glue
Stevie G – DJ Interlude 2
Denise Chaila -Chaila
Stevie G – DJ Interlude 3
Biig Piig – Perdida
Carrie Baxter – Love me Better
Gemma Dunleavy – Cruisin
Danny G & the Major 7ths feat Tolu Makay & Jamel Franklin – D.A.R.L.I.N.G.
The Expert – Get Down
Denise Chaila photographed by Zyanya Lorenzo for GoldenPlec.
Daire Patel – Sirens
Drew Hall – Deep Blue
Senita – Oops
Soule – Waterfall
Danny G – Always come back to your love
Carrie Baxter – 4×4
Caleb Kunle – Seul
Meghan Murray – Broken Ladders
Hudis & Kae – Nobody Else
Tolu Makay & Zapho – Collide
Melina Malone – Now or Never
Bukky – Come we got Diamonds
NC Grey – Work for it