FOREST FINDS by Paul Nickerson, April '23

A new monthly column from Dope Jams' Paul Nickerson. Tune in as he reports on the goods from the woods direct from his Wonka-esque parkland 'Locust Grove' in the Catskill Mountains - home to a nightclub, THE CREAMERY; a record shop, DOPE JAMS; a campground, CAMP GALLAGHER; and his 40,000 plus record collection. This month in anticipation of the Dope Jams Spring Ball on Easter Sunday at Public Records he explores new jams you are sure to hear at the Sunday Afternoon celebration.

Tickets for Dope Jams Spring Ball are on sale now.

Henrik Schwarz & Bugge Wesseltoft
In Spite of Everything (Two Pianos), 2020

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I'm a fucking superfan of Henrik Schwarz and Bugge Wesseltoft but the collaborartion between the two has never done it for me. It was as if out of respect for each other they were both remaining timid, no one taking the lead. On paper it was a fucking dream team, in reality not so much. However, on “In Spite Of Everything” we get what we all wanted, the sum of the two far superior to its parts!

Legowelt
Computerland (Forget This Lousy World), 2023

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Legowelt is back! Classic brain-buster from Wolfers, released as a digital only bonus track to his last album “Philosophy Of Tracking.” Forget this lousy world indeed.

&Me, Rampa, Adam Port feat. Ali Love
Confusion, 2021

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I fell in love with &Me's track “In Your Eyes” several years ago. This employs the same calculated hazy pacing as 'In Your Eyes', but adds the heartbreaking vocal of Ali Love. The perfect build-back-up jam after a high peak in the party!

Ron Hall
Talk To God 'Bout It (DJ Spen & Gary Hudgins Praise Break)

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Basement Boys ain’t fixing what ain’t broken. For thirty years they have been making floorfilling gospel house jams and they are still at it. This call and response killer is a monster and made specifically for the club, taking on a whole new life on the floor! Holy ghost shit.

Alewya
Play, 2022

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What dance music should sound like in 2023. Think FKA Twigs if she made straight up club records. My daughter Maya showed me this and restored my faith in dance music.

Seba
Blaze & Fade Out, 2008

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I knew about Seba from 'So Long,' which came out on Good Looking back in 1996 and somehow became popular at deep house clubs. I had long forgotten about him ‘til one day 'Nobody Knows' came on while I was going through the new releases on Groove Distribution’s site. It was exactly what I needed to hear, got me excited, moreso than I had been in a long time, and I dove head first into his entire catalogue.

From 'Snow' to 'Painted Skies' to 'The Joy' it felt like I had hope again, I spent all day lost in his music. 'Blaze & Fade Out' is one of so many masterpieces. I guess it’s drum & bass but it's so much its own thing, uncategorizable. For me it is simply hope. Francis at Public Records is constantly asking me who I want to book for our regular party there and my answer is consistently 'no one', lately that response has changed to 'Seba', hopefully that party happens sometime in the near future.

Wizkid
All For Love, 2017

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I first heard this when I was doing the block parties in Ft. Greene during Covid with Funmi Ononaiye, he dropped this and it was exactly what everyone needed during the most trying of times in NYC. Wizkid is a Nigerian artist who has made tracks with Drake, Major Lazer, Dua Lipa, Chris Brown and so on. This track was buried on his album “Sounds From The Other Side” that was only released in MP3 format. If this was released as 12" with extended mixes it would be the type of anthem everyone craves but isn’t made anymore. Attention: Defected, make that happen!

Coflo feat. Lee Wilson
Rainbows (Backside Mix), 2022

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Party rockin' floor fillin' vocal from Lee Wilson with a Coflo production sounding like Henrik Schwarz in disguise as a little leprechaun, cackling with a keyboard at the end of the rainbow. The pot of gold is definitely overflowing here. Also, certified Jonny Romero BBQ burner.

Datasette
Sentinel, 2022

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Whilst Monolake has fallen off the face of the earth — he is probably scouring the planet with Matthew Herbert recording the sounds of unrecyclable plastic to use on a forthcoming collaborative concept album — Datassette has filled the void and paid tribute to the master with “Sentinel.” Shout out to Robert Henke for kicking in the door so Datassette could walk through. And shout out to Techno Tom for playing me this!

Text edited by wordsmith Chris Orr.