Archive

  • A tribute to DJ Rashad

    RashadTribute

    DJ Rashad aka Rashad Hanif Harden, 34-years-old (born in Hammond, IN – October 9, 1979), the Calumet City, IL-based DJ and producer, passed away around 1:30 PM Saturday, April 26, 2014 on Chicago’s Lower West Side. He leaves behind a nine-year-old son, Chad and his parents, mother Gloria Harden, and father, Anthony Harden.  The cause of his death has not yet been determined.

    Rashad’s father told the Chicago Sun Times on Saturday: “Since he was a kid, he’s been doing this. He knew what he wanted to do, and a lot of us don’t get a chance to make our dream come true.”

    His manager, Wes Harden: “Rashad was a kind soul that left an indelible mark on the music world as the torchbearer of Footwork and Juke.  Rest assured that all of those close to him will make sure that the legacy lives on for a great man whose life has been cut far too short.”

    Kode9 from Hyperdub: “I was honored to release music from Rashad on Hyperdub. I’ve only known him for around 3 years, but he had become a good friend and one of my biggest musical influences. He was one of the funniest, most positive people I’ve ever met and a true innovator. Everyone at the label is devastated by his passing and wish to send our sincere condolences to all his friends and family in Chicago, the Teklife crew and anyone anywhere who was graced by his presence and uplifted by his music. I’ll never forget singing duet with him in a karaoke bar in Tokyo”

    DJ Rashad was a quintessential figurehead in the evolution from Ghetto House to Chicago Juke to Footwork and one of the artists to have to consistently pushed the evolution of the Footwork genre forward. He was born in Hammond, IN and moved to the deep south suburb of Chicago, Calumet City, IL soon after. Rashad started out as a dancer (around the time he was in seventh grade) cutting his teeth with some of the most respected dance groups including HouseOMatics, The Phyrm, and Wolf Pac. He quickly thereafter took up DJing with some of his first public gigs around 1992 at spots like his sixth grade high school club Jubilation. He met his longtime ally, DJ Spinn, during homeroom class at Thornwood High School in 1996.  They quickly began producing tracks at each others’ houses.  During this era, they DJ’d parties with the likes of RP Boo, DJ Clent, Gant-Man and others.. His first release to make it to vinyl was the track Child Abuse on Dance Mania (mislabeled as DJ Thadz) in 1998.

    Following the release of his single Itz Not Rite (Planet Mu) and his inclusion on the Bangs and Works album (Planet Mu) circa late 2010 he was constantly in demand around the world and spent the majority of his time on the road touring the world as a DJ, more often than not in tandem in with his closest, lifelong friend, DJ Spinn. He was involved in many Footwork cliques – including Beatdown House (founded by DJ Clent), the Ghettoteknitianz (with DJ Spinn) and Teklife. As a producer his crowning achievement was the October 2013 release of his album Double Cup on Hyperdub Records featuring collaborations with DJ Spinn, Taso, DJ Phil, Manny, Earl and Addison Groove. His last performance as a DJ was at Vinyl Club in Denver, CO on April 24, 2014. A new EP We On 1 is slated for release today Monday April 28th via a new Houston-based label called Southern Belle. His collaborations Acid Life with Gant-Man and Bombaklot with DJ Earl and DJ Taye are featured on the forthcoming Hyperdub 10th anniversary celebration album Hyperdub 10.1 which will be released May 20th. His music will live on eternally.

    Marcus, his agent here at Littlebig had some words to add; “When Rashad came over for his first European tour in 2011, I had the pleasure of witnessing the start of a worldwide footwork movement. Rashad never claimed to be an innovator of the scene, he was extremely grateful and gracious of his opportunity to bring the Chicago 160 sound, and spoke very humbly of his peers. From Corsica to Glade to Sonar to Berlin to Elevate, alongside Spinn, you showed them Teklife.”

  • Littlebig acts score high in the critics 2013 lists

    3 rows final combine_images

    After another great year for our acts in 2013 we’re looking forward to continuing to grow and strengthen for 2014. The end of year lists contained a very strong showing from our acts, including No.1s from Jon Hopkins, Oneohtrix Point Never, and many many more. Below is an edited selection of the cream of the crop, get in touch now for festival bookings and tour dates!

    Email us at: info@littlebig.org.uk

    65daysofstatic : ‘Wild Light’ [Superball Music]
    No. 3 in Sam Law’s (Kerrang) ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 3 in Muzik Discovery’s ‘Top 50 Albums of 2013′
    No. 4 in Thrash Hits’ ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 19 in Drowned In Sound’s ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 19 in Prog Magazine’s ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 19 in Music OMH’s ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 23 in Rocksound Magazine’s ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 35 in Gigwise’s ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 78 in Louder Than War’s ‘Albums of 2013′
    also…
    Included in Gigwise’s ’32 most underrated albums of 2013′ & ’30 most beautiful covers of 2013’

    Autechre : ‘Exai’ [Warp Records]
    No. 2 in Bleep’s ‘Artists of The Year’
    No. 12 in Bleep’s ‘Best Albums’
    No. 46 in FACT’s ‘The 50 Best Albums’

    DJ Rashad [Hyperdub]
    No. 3 in Dummy’s ‘The 10 best EPs’ for ‘Rollin”
    No. 8 in Rolling Stone’s ‘20 Best Dance Albums’ for ‘Let it go’
    No. 14 in Dummy’s ‘The 20 Best Albums’ for ‘Double Cup’

    Dopplereffekt [Leisure System]
    No. 17 in Resident Advisor’s ‘Top 50 tracks’ for ’Gene Slicing’
    No. 30 in Boomkat’s ‘Top 100 Singles’ for Tetrahymena

    Fuck Buttons : ‘Slow Focus’ [ATP Recordings]
    No. 1 in The Skinny’s ‘The Albums of 2013’
    No. 3 in RollingStone’s ‘20 Best Dance Albums’
    No. 9 in Bleep’s ‘Best Albums’
    No. 34 in Rough Trade’s ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 40 in NME’s ‘50 Best Albums’

    Jon Hopkins : ‘Immunity’ [Domino]
    No. 1 in XLR8R’s ‘Best Releases of 2013’
    No. 1 in Musicexpress ‘Record Of The Year’ (Germany)
    No. 1 in The Evening Standard’s ‘Best 10 Albums’
    No. 1 on Triple J ‘Electronic album of the year’ (Australia)
    No. 3 in Tsugi (France)
    No. 3 in NME’s ‘The Best Albums’ voted by readers.
    No. 4 in Rolling Stone’s ‘20 Best Dance Albums’
    No. 4 in Mixmag
    No. 6 in Rough Trade’s ‘Albums of 2013’
    No. 7 in Time Out
    No. 8 in Mondo Sonoro (Spain
    No. 11 in NME’s ‘50 Best Albums of 2013’
    No. 11 in The Sunday Times
    No. 13 in Groove (Germany)
    No. 14 in DJ Mag
    No. 16 in Intro (Germany)
    No. 17 in The Quietus’ ‘Albums Of 2013’
    No. 18 in Resident Advisor
    No. 24 in XLR8R’s ‘Best Tracks of 2013’
    No. 28 in NME’s ‘Best tracks of 2013’
    No. 29 in Mojo
    No. 32 in Clash
    No. 37 in The Guardian
    No. 37 on Pitchfork
    also…
    No. 16 in Resident Advisor’s ‘Top 20 Live Acts’

    Laurel Halo : ‘Chance of Rain’ [Hyperdub]
    No. 2 in Juno’s ‘Best of 2013: Top 25 Albums’
    No. 2 in The Wire’s ‘Top 50 Releases of 2013’
    No. 15 in Dummy’s ‘The 20 Best Albums of 2013’
    No. 21 in The Quietus’ ‘Albums Of 2013’
    No. 22 in Bleep’s ‘Best Albums of 2013’
    No. 36 in FACT’s ‘The 50 Best Albums’
    also…
    ‘Behind the Green Door EP’ [Hyperdub]

    No. 4 in Juno’s ‘Top 100 Tracks, EPs, and Singles’
    No. 8 in Dummy’s ‘The 10 best EPs’
    No. 15 in XLR8R’s ‘Best Releases’
    No. 46 in Resident Advisor’s ‘Top 50 tracks’ for ‘Throw’

    Leisure System
    No. 20 in Resident Advisor’s ‘Top 20 Labels of 2013’

    Machinedrum [Ninja Tune]
    No. 6 in Bleep’s ‘Artists of The Year’
    No. 16 in Bleep’s ‘Best Albums’ for ‘Vapor City’
    No. 20 in XLR8R’s ‘Best Tracks’ for ‘Eyesdontlie’

    Micachu & Tirzah : ‘I’m Not Dancing’ [Greco-Roman]
    No. 1 in Dummy’s ‘The 10 best EPs’

    Objekt : ‘Agnes Demise’ [Objekt]
    No. 27 in Resident Advisor’s ‘Top 50 Tracks’
    No. 41 in XLR8R’s ‘Best Tracks’

    Oneohtrix Point Never : ‘R Plus Seven’ [Warp Records]
    No. 1 in Bleep’s ‘Best Albums of 2013’
    No. 1 in Ele-King ‘Album of the Year’ (Japan)
    No. 3 in XLR8R’s ‘Best Releases of 2013’
    No. 3 in SPIN’s ‘20 Best Albums of 2013’
    No. 5 in Juno’s ‘Best of 2013:Top 25 Albums’
    No. 6 The Wire’s ‘Top 50 Releases’
    No. 18 in The Quietus’ ‘Albums Of The Year’
    No. 34 in FACT’s ‘The 50 Best Albums’
    No. 51 in ‘Boomkat’s Top 100 Albums’
    No. 89 in Rough Trade’s ‘Albums of 2013’
    also…
    No. 3 in Bleep’s ‘Artists of The Year’

    Stellar OM Source : ‘Joy One Mile’ [RVNG Intl]
    No. 1 in Juno’s ‘Top 25 Albums’

    The Field : ‘Cupid’s Head’ [Kompakt]
    No. 7 in Rolling Stone’s ‘20 Best Dance Albums’

    Visionist [Leisure System / Lit City Trax]
    No. 5 in Dazed & Confused ‘Best Tracks’ for ‘Pain’
    No. 6 in Dummy’s ‘The 10 best EPs’ for ‘I’m Fine’
    No. 8 in White Noise ‘Best EPs’ for ‘Shakes EP’
    No. 15 in DJ Broadcast’s ‘Best Tracks’ for ‘Shakebite’
    No. 19 in Boomkat’s ‘Top 100 Singles’ for ‘M/Secrets’

  • DJ Rashad / 2013 Roundup

    RashRash

    It’s been a non-stop year for DJ Rashad, following his signing and debut EP for the UK’s Hyperdub label, ‘Rollin’.

    Fast forward the best part of a year, and we find Rashad featured in a plethora of blogs and magazines, touring across the world and with two more releases garnering critical acclaim across the board: his ‘I Don’t Give A Fuck’ EP acting as the warmup to his hugely anticipated debut LP for Hyperdub- ‘Double Cup’, undeniably ‘breaking’ the footwork sound into a wider territory.

    Geared up to extend beyond the success of 2013, Rashad will be featured heavily in the ’10 Years of Hyperdub’ events across the world from April onwards, along with taking select solo and festival dates towards the summer.

    Check out some of the key press and media attained around his album release below.

    ————–

    Selected Discography

    Teklife Volume 1 – Welcome to Chi //Album (Lit City Trax, 2012)

    Rollin’ //EP (Hyperdub, 2013)

    I Don’t Give a Fuck //EP (Hyperdub, 2013)

    Double Cup //Album (Hyperdub, 2013) 

     

    Selected Press

    Pitchfork – Q4 2013

    Resident Advisor – Q4 2013

    XLR8R – Q4 2013

    Dummy – Q4 2013

    Electronic Beats – Q3 2013

    The Quietus – Q2 2013

     

    Selected Shows

    Barcelona @ SONAR – 14/06/2012

    Paris @ Social Club – 09/03/13

    Milan @ Dude Club – 27/03/13

    London @ Fabric – 08/03/13

    New York @ Red Bull Music Academy – 23/05/13

    Gothenburg @ Way Out West – 08/08/13

    London @ Fabric – 30/08/13

    Berlin @ Stattbad (RBMA) – 31/08/13

    Seattle @ Decibel Festival – 25/09/13

    Tokyo @ Unit – 30/01/14

  • DJ Rashad ‘I Don’t Give a F*ck’ [Hyperdub]

    Following his superb debut EP for Hyperdub earlier this year, DJ Rashad teams up with Ashes57  on the video for title track ‘I Don’t Give A F*ck’, to be released on his new turf July 2013. Rashad will be joined by footwork tag team partner DJ Spinn to tour their legendary B2B show Across August and September. Get in touch with Marcus for final availabilities.

    DJ Rashad – I Don’t Give a Fuck from Ashes57 on Vimeo.

  • DJ Rashad & DJ Spinn – Live at Sonar 2012

    Rashad & Spinn bring a ghettotek demonstration to Barcelona as part of the RBMA stage at Sonar 2012, complete with trademark dancers and a interview with the footwork pioneers themselves. Check it below.