We are an ecosystem of Rhythm housing the door to the Altered Destination… We have been called by the names Hip-Hop, Techno, Cinematic, Soul, Experimental, Deep House, Left-Field, and Jazz but we respond to NONE and ALL. Founded in Oakland, CA now based in Berlin the mission endures > styles always fwd, and open with an emphasis on Soul.
Armon Bazile // Chief Alchemist // Deepblak (formerly known as AYBEE)
Everything is included in the Sound….
CDR Berlin (2013)
The Gift | A Film by AYBEE (2015) from Deepblak on Vimeo.
A Message | A Film by AYBEE (2016) from Deepblak on Vimeo.
Traverses
AYBEE | 2020 | SFWEEKLY
AYBEE | 2019 | Bandcamp Daily
AYBEE | 2018 | Ran$om Notes Hot Air Episode #16 | AYBEE talks to Joe Europe
AYBEE | 2017 | Music Is My Sanctuary
AYBEE | 2017 | Electronic Beats : AYBEE and John Corbett Conversation
AYBEE | 2016 | Resident Advisor Mix 550
AYBEE | 2016 | Inverted Audio | AYBEE Talks The Odyssey
AYBEE | 2015 | Pitchfork | Sun Ra’s Free Space
AYBEE | 2014 | INN8 | A Tale of two cities and a musical mystic
AYBEE | 2013 | Phonographe Corp | AYBEE | Spiritual House Q&A
AYBEE | 2013 | CDR Berlin Q&A
AYBEE | 2012 | RINSE FM Interview and Mix with Alex Nut
AYBEE | 2012 | Halcyon Q&A
AYBEE | 2011 | Little White Earbuds podcast #101
AYBEE | 2011 | Interview CJLO 1690 Montreal w Michael Terzian | Listen | Download
AYBEE | 2011 | Feature ” Revolution of 1″ Resident Advisor
DEEPBLAK | 2010 | Interview with KUSF Friday Night Sessions | Listen | Download
AYBEE | 2009 | East Bay Express Feature “Fade To Deepblak”
AYBEE | 2009 | Interview with Popyourfunk.com
AYBEE | 2009 | Interview KUSF Friday Night Sessions
AYBEE | 2006 | Interview with Basic Soul UK
https://afrikansciences.bandcamp.com/
Antenna : Transistor : picture sound motion : emotion content under pressure : The Camelwalk Slang : Crossroads Theme : Sound painter : Ancestor Transistor : Traveller Rhythm Czar : A Dub Bizzare
Afrikan Sciences (Eric Douglas Porter) stands solidly as one of the most innovative producers to surface on the west coast in near time. The Deepblak Co-Head affectionately titled the Rhythm Czar has steadily become one of the most well respected creators in Electronic music. Ever the artist Eric maintains a low profile staying true to his craftsmanship. Along with his releases on Deepblak his music has found it’s way on to other labels such as UK based Bitasweet (Bugz In The Attic), Puerto Rico based Amalgama, German based Rubaiyat, and Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood imprint. As a student of the rhythmic arts, Eric is also an accomplished DJ/Live Performer having opened shows for acts like Outkast, Rakim, Dead Prez, played in the Band of nu soul icon Julie Dexter, appeared in clubs like the BlueNote/New York & Jazzcafe/London. His project Student Body Presents recently caught a lot of attention with the “afro punk” track “boxes” which was released on the “Black Rock Coaltion” CD (New York), and as a 7inch on Rubaiyat.
– “ This is not your usual electronica album: it’s fresh,exciting & brave enough to follow a different way; deepness galore!” Georgia Ann Muldrow (Los Angeles – Stones Throw)
In 2011 Porter released his benchmark album “Means and Ways” LP which brought him universal praise as one of the ground breaking artists/albums of the year.
Douglass’ preoccupation with rhythm, however, fixates on the oddities—the mutations, the dualities and instances of bare collision. His hoarded beats are gleaned from a whirlwind of origins—west London broken beat, the east coast’s ’90s house, ’40s jazz, indigenous African and Latin rhythms—but they’re deployed concurrently and unexpectedly, with cross-beats and displacement used as accents in his own pidgin dialect. ~ Resident Advisor
Releases:
[DBR-D010] Afrikan Sciences – Wadada Music Pt.1
[DBR-D020] Deepblak presents BLAKTROPOLIS vol.01
[DBR-D027] Deepblak presents BLAKTROPOLIS vol.02
[DBR-D026] The Nibiru Projekt EP
[DBR-D029] Afrikan Sciences – Means and Ways LP
[DBR-V013] Afrikan Sciences – Boss Nova’s Second Pass
[DBR-V018] Theta Wave Brain Sync LP
[DBR-V022] AYBEE/Afrikan Sciences – Sketches Of Space 2xLP
[DBR-V032] Afrikan Sciences – Reciprocity EP
https://hue-manmademusic.bandcamp.com/releases
We travel through music, we speak through music, our ancestors communicate through sound and rhythm…it’s the in between’s, the details and the mistakes…the poly-rhythms, that’s where the juice is…the life in the music. – Damon Bell
Damon Bell, Chief Connoisseur at heralded Deepblak Recordings stands strong offering a complex variety of sounds that ebb, and flow through all of his productions. Known for his polyrhythmic, organic, and soul-filled musical releases on Deepblak Recordings, Sound Of Speed Records Japan and Do Over Records, Damon’s ability as a DJ to expose crowds to sounds that touch all genres of music is his hallmark.
Originally from San Diego, raised under the influences of music representing the African Diaspora, Damon’s love of Reggae, Brazilian, African, Hip-Hop, Blues, Jazz, Punk-Rock, and Soul all pay major roles in Damon’s trajectory as a DJ/Producer. A true connoisseur of music Damon was a child of the 70’s who experienced the cross-cultures of the 80’s which began his life long love affair with collecting vinyl into the 90’s.
Bell (aka D^Bo!) began record collecting and DJ’ing at age sixteen, playing Jazz, Salsa, Funk, and Hip Hop at the famed night Brass (Delicious Vinyl) at San Diego Supper Club, Ole’ Madrid. This along with his deep passion for music led him to learn to play the polyrhythms he heard in Afro-Cuban Jazz, and Jazz Fusion…he soon began to imitate those sounds by playing percussion, and wind instruments.
“DJ’ing is just an extension of my love and relationship with music”, states Bell.
In 2011 Bell released his critically acclaimed Kush Musik Wax on Deepblak, featuring the unversally championed song “Ezuku”. A stirring rhythm of African drums, chopped guitar, and dance-hall vocals, sprinkled with a touch of techno.
In 2012 Bell released a rare 10” under his alias, D^Bo!, on LA based DO Over Records, “JAM”(DOVR004) soon to be followed by his NOMMO EP (DBR-V015) which featured “Pathways n Mindframes” which again further exposed his productions into other realms heavy championed by choice selectors worldwide.
Damon has performed, and toured with artists & groups; Jazzanova, Bobby Matos, Femi Kuti, Erykah Badu, Dead Prez, The Roots, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Platinum Pied Pipers, Bugz in the Attic, Nortec Collective, Antibalas, Ron Trent and Saul Williams to mention a few.
Releases:
[DBR-D024] Damon Bell – Kush Musik pt.1
[DBR-D028] Damon Bell – Kush Musik pt.2
[DBR-V009] Damon Bell – Kush Musik Wax
[DBR-V015] Damon Bell – Nommo EP
[DBR-V017] Damon Bell – H.I.M EP
[DBR-V021] Damon Bell – Teph-Tep EP
[DBR-V025] Damon Bell – Blues For The Lybian LP
MIXES
Damon Bell Deepblak Mix Fall 2013
Damon Bell Steel SOund Mix | Ninja Tune 2014
Damon Bell | Deepblak Label Night Paris 2016
There’s an under spoken, peaceful quality about DFLN (Dreams From Last Nite), and his musical talent reinforces this. Having gained the attention of everyone from Flying Lotus to 9th Wonder, DFLN (aka Derrick Curtis) continues build bridges over the walls of genre with a unique synthesis of everything that seems to be pleasant to the ear. A native of North Carolina DEFLON’s multi-instrumentalist culmination of Jazz, Soul, Experimental, and Electric vibrations continue to yield some of the freshest sounds that we have heard in recent time.
Pursuit Grooves (aka 91 Fellows)
91 Fellows is an alias of producer, vocalist, performer, visual artist Vanese Smith who also creates under the moniker “Pursuit Grooves” and with the group “GuSHee“. When speaking of electronic or hip hop producers who have made innovative contributions to their genre, females are rarely mentioned. Whether hard to find or never exposed, Pursuit Grooves is making it her business to deliver an important message to the world…WE DO EXIST! Refusing to be defined or labeled she graciously accepts all of her influences to create something that is distinctly her own while owing much to the past.
Smith started experimenting with production at the age of 14 and started DJing in college. Pursuit Grooves released her debut instrumental CD Fun Like Passion on her own label What Rules Records in July of 2006. Pursuit Grooves was selected as one of 60 participants out of 2300 applicants to take part in the Redbull Music Academy in Barcelona, Spain in October 2008. Her subsequent releases have gone on to be championed by the like of Gilles Peterson along with labels Tectonic, and Tokyo Dawn.
91 Fellows marks a different direction for Smith, being more focused on mood and less groove oriented. Smith creates a hypnotic world that wraps you in its unique structure capturing a mystical depth, space and time. 91 Fellows grew as a result of the passing of her grandfather. His spirit emanates, and allows Smith to move freely in a sonic universe of echoes, rhythmic gallops, and whispering tics forming equal parts strength and emotion. 91 Fellows is a full inner spiritual experience.
https://brotheraten.bandcamp.com/
Chris McWayne, also known as artist Brother Aten is a lyricist and electronic producer currently based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Brother Aten’s style is a blend of otherworldly sounds capes and subtly complex rhythms in direct correspondence to the creative space that serves as inspiration for each concept. The name Brother Aten is a dedication to the memory of a fictitious character and the music is reflective of the world in which that character lived.
Releases:
Oakland 1996 – Eddie Smith (aka EPS1) (from Detroit) & Badi Malik aka Percepticon (from Minneapolis) formed Blaktroniks to create an artistic platform for themselves, and like-minded artists in Oakland . Their first music- and video-releases happened on their own multimedia-company DKIM. Later their music was released on various platforms – including Moving Records, Reflective, Tokyo Dawn, and Rubaiyat. Underground mainstays, and Bay Area trailblazers Blaktroniks biographies of the individual group-members touch a lot of subjects, and connective tissue.
From gentechnology-patent-university-studies …2 running a barbershop.
From building electronic devices and lofi indi FPS PC games…2 programming official Star Wars-games.
From Count Basie-family-relations…2 music-relations to artists from Minneapolis…
These experiences along with living in Oakland are reflected in the art, and sound that has come to be known Blaktroniks. Without the spark of Blaktroniks Deepblak as a Label simply would not be. They held up the flame leading the way by pointing to the possible. If, and when a story is ever told about Electronic Music in Oakland it cannot be considered complete without the contributions Eddie and Badi. Their presence is Seminal!
– Armon
Releases
[DBR-D023] BLAKTRONIKS – SlapMatik EP
AYBEE VLOG | 7881 | Hanging with Afrikan Sciences and Blaktroniks from Deepblak on Vimeo.