Last Wednesday, Theophilus London released his highly anticipated mixtape, I Want You. Gone is the sense of urgency in his voice, heard in tracks like “Ultraviolet” (Jam!) and “TNT” (This Charming Mixtape); the Theophilus London we hear in I Want You is cool, laid back and smooth as ever. The best artists are ones that evolve from project to project while retaining their signature sound, and Theophilus does this beautifully on his third release.

A free mixtape gives an artist the freedom to sample, remix and cover tracks without having to pay astronomical fees for the rights, giving them a creative reign they may not necessarily have on an official label release. Theophilus has capitalized on this opportunity in the past (see “I Will Always Love You” on This Charming Mixtape), and does it again on I Want You, bringing a newfound originality to familiar songs. The mixtape’s title track stays true to Marvin Gaye’s original while adding a modern twist, the Hudson Mohawke-produced cover “Oops (Oh My)”, is a bass-heavy update of Tweet’s 2002 hit, and “Give it up Dad” is an upbeat track that has Theophilus rapping over Vampire Weekend’s “Giving up the Gun”. Remixes on the mixtape include the long awaited release of The Very Best’s “Julia”, which he often performs live, and Ellie Goulding’s “Starry Eyed”.

Fusing LA electrofunk, UK indie, tropical escapade and obscure afropop with the signature style we’ve all come to know and love, Theophilus London weaves a delightful story of life and love. Listen to my personal favorite, “Flying Overseas (Version 1)” below, click through for the music video for “Accept the New”, and above all, CLICK HERE to download the mixtape.

Theophilus London – “Flying Overseas (Version 1)”

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Last week, ?uestlove took to Twitter to announce the initial line-up for the third annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. Vampire Weekend, Mayer Hawthorne, and The Very Best will join The Roots, along with Clipse, Tune-Yards, Das Racist, DJ Jazzy Jeff, MM Jam Boys, and Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew.

In his video announcement, ?uestlove promised to top last year’s spectacular performance with Public Enemy with a special surprise reunion. “This is a reunion that we thought we would never get,” he said of the surprise guest, “We’ve been waiting to make this reunion happen for the longest. It’s so incredible, I don’t even want to tell you who it is.” Judging by his hint – a gold chain and black fedora – we’re putting our money on Run DMC:

The Roots Picnic will take place at the Festival Pier in Philadelphia. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets, and be sure to check out photos from last year’s picnic, featuring Antibalas, Santigold, The Black Keys, Public Enemy, T.V. on the Radio, The Roots, and more. Watch ?uestlove’s video announcement after the jump…

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This Friday, One Step Beyond, The Fader’s monthly party at the American Museum of Natural History, will return with live performances by The Very Best, Theophilus London and Ninjasonik. One Step Beyond, which is held in The Rose Center for Earth and Space, pairs the museum’s unique ambiance with top musical acts from around the world. Past performers include  Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Simian Mobile Disco, Switch, Matthew Dear, Jazzy Jeff, Amanda Blank and Kid Sister.

The Very Best and Theophilus London have crossed paths (so to speak) on London’s remixes of “Warm Heart of Africa” and “Julia”, and while we’ve witnessed stellar independent performances of “Julia” by both artists, we look forward to the prospect of a live collaboration. As for Ninjasonik, they’re the type of band you just have to see live.

Make sure you get your tickets in advance; the last installment of One Step Beyond - featuring Animal Collective and Fischerspooner - was completely sold out.

After the jump, catch a sneak peak of Theophilus London’s latest mixtape, I Want You, with a behind-the-scenes video from Va$htie, who is featured on the song “Flying Overseas”. The songs previewed on the video reveal a more laid-back side of London, who has clearly evolved since his last two projects, Jam! and This Charming Mixtape. Be on the lookout for I Want You when it drops this spring.

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After much anticipation (and a few cancelled CMJ shows) we finally caught The Very Best at Santos Party House last Wednesday. A collaboration project between British duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya, The Very Best follows a recent musical progression where DJ and production duos team up with singers and MCs to create full-length albums under a new moniker (think Major Lazer or N.A.S.A.).

Like Somalian singer and rapper K’Naan, The Very Best succeeds in bridging a cultural gap that makes African music more accessible to a western audience. The Very Best fuses the traditional music of Malawi with familiar samples like M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” and Vampire Weekend’s “Cape Cod Kwassa”. The trio has also collaborated with M.I.A. and Ezra Koenig to produce original songs for their new album, Warm Heart of Africa.

Backed by Radioclit’s Etienne Tron on the decks, Esau Mwamwaya’s performance emulated the joyous nature of The Very Best’s music. Two dancers clad in African-inspired outfits joined Esau on stage, adding a fun and dynamic element to the show. Set highlights included “Julia”, “Kamphopo” and “Tengazako” (their remix of “Paper Planes”). For the encore, they started playing “Warm Heart of Africa”, and stopped midway through the song to play a caribbean-inspired remix. Esau invited the audience on stage for their final song, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”.

You can still download their self-released mixtape for free, or click here to purchase Warm Heart of Africa on iTunes.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

Planning your Halloween can be quite daunting – with so many great events to choose from, where do you begin? Fear not, The HiFi Cartel is here to help you narrow down your options. We’ve already told you about Above & Beyond at Roseland Ballroom, Danny Tenaglia at Pacha and Paco Osuna at Love. Here are some of the other happenings you might want to check out:

We’ll be at the FIXED Halloween Bash at Santos Party House, where German DJ sensation Boys Noize will be gracing the speakers with his signature funky electro. Fixed’s own JDH and Dave P will also be spinning. Boys Noize recently dropped a BBC Essential Mix, which you can check out here to gear up for this weekend’s festivities.

Fool’s Gold and Trouble & Bass are teaming up for what is sure to an epic night at Europa in Brooklyn. Kingdom, XXXChange and Nick Catchdubs from Fool’s Gold will face off against the Trouble & Bass Crew, Supra 1 and 77 Klash. Make sure you RSVP for reduced admission at the door.

After passport issues forced The Very Best to cancel their CMJ appearances, they will surely redeem themselves with a live performance at the Gods and Heroes Party presented by FlavorPill and MeanRed. The party will be held at a secret Brooklyn location. Tickets are well worth the $35 price tag, considering they include an open bar all night. 100% of the proceeds will go to Charity: Water to help bring clean drinking water to a school in Ethiopia.

The Park is also hosting quite the soiree, with a line-up that’s too long to list in its entirety. Headlined by Paul Sevigny, the event will also feature music by The Chainsmokers and B-Roc. Get advance tickets here, and be sure to arrive early to capitalize on the open bar from 9:00 – 10:30 PM.

Finally, Girls & Boys residents Gavin Royce and Stephen Pandolfi (a.k.a. Kids with Snakes) will spin at Dokebi’s Fourth Annual Halloween Party in Brooklyn, which promises to be “an excellent dark and sweaty dance experience”. If you love music but are short on cash, this is a great option since there’s no cover. As an added bonus, they’ll be serving Tacos to help you keep your energy going all night long. In preparation for the revelry, be sure to check out the Futureshock Mix Tape that Gavin Royce and Stephen Pandolfi did for Nicky Digital.

Halloween can be pretty hectic, so we highly recommend that you get advance tickets where available. And if you’re looking to get the party started early, Webster Hall has you covered, with a DJ Set by Justice on Thursday (with Jackson and Disko Dali) and live performances by Simian Mobile Disco and Phenomenal Handclap Band on Friday.

Rest up – it’s going to be a long weekend.

Check out the fliers for the events after the jump…

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When French producer Radioclit met Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya inside a London thrift shop, the two began a fusion of sound and culture which evolved into The Very Best. Their debut album Warm Heart of Africa has Radioclit layering warm afro melodies over uplifting electronic beats with the soul coming from Mwamwaya’s vocals. Although he sings in his native Chichewa, Mwamwaya communicates a passion that drips with happiness universally understood. Ezra Koenig and M.I.A. both appear on the album along with a few others you’ll have to hear for yourself.

The group first arrived on the scene in 2008 with the global success of “Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit Are The Very Best”, a free mixtape with Mwamwaya singing over remixes of Michael Jackson (Free Willy theme), Vampire Weekend (“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”), Hans Zimmer (True Romance theme) and M.I.A. (“Paper Planes”). You can download the mixtape here.

Back in NYC for the second time this year, The Very Best will be performing at Le Poisson Rouge October 21st with Theophilus London & Ninjasonik as part of Green Owl’s CMJ showcase. Tickets are $12 in advanced. You can also catch a surprise set at Other Music October 22nd at noon sharp. Keep up with us as we bring you full coverage from this and other events at the CMJ Marathon.

The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa featuring Ezra Koenig

The Very Best – Rain Dance featuring M.I.A.

Brace yourself for hazardous dance floor anthems well-fed on the homegrown African sounds of high-life and marabi, as well as bass-laden pop grooves from, well, all over the globe. -San Francisco Bay Guardian