I love this station and will miss it.

I started at KTUH in January 2001 upon the advice of a friend and then GM, Johnny Win; a Native American DJ/actor that had a reservation music show called The Rez. He and I worked together as part-time caterers and I had just started at UH the semester before. He brought me in during his show one night and gave me an application to fill out. Within two weeks, I was in training.

My first show was Monday mornings from 9-noon, filling in the second half of a show with Sifu “Jive” Walker, called The Afrostylus. I paired up with Sifu b/c I had family responsibilities and couldn’t handle a late late show. Sifu was an amazing mentor. I learned a lot from how he combined funk, jazz, soul, and breaks, rocked the vinyl vault dusties, and laid off the mic.

After a few months, I grabbed an available Friday 9-midnight slot and began my own show Vinyl Grooves, playing soul, jazz, and funk – mostly vinyl, but always stuff that was originally released on vinyl. In 2003, I changed the format and name of the show to Solid State Deluxe, which I’ve stuck with since. I wanted to include contemporary music and other genres like samba, cumbia, reggae, salsa, bossa, afrobeat, downtempo, breaks, and beats, etc. I ‘see’ all these genres as making brilliant conversation when combined in a mix. I started podcasting also around 2005 (solidstatedexlue.com) and have kept that up since.

I took a 3-year hiatus from ’07-’10 during my Master’s studies and returned when the Thursday night 6-9pm slot opened up. I had always wanted that time slot and avoided applying back in ’05. I’ve always loved Thursdays 6-9pm since Vince brought us Verses From the Abstract: the illest soul, jazz, funk, and hip-hop show ever! Following Beaker, Liam, Mano, and the Professor, I was stoked to have had the spot for the last 2+ years.

In a nut-shell, that’s what I did here at KTUH. Thanks for everything gang. I love KTUH and love you all! Keep up the amazing work. Keep up the best radio station in the world! There’s really nothing like it and we are so fortunate to be a part of it.

And thanks for listening to what I affectionately called, The soundtrack for the struggle, music for your mind, & bump for your trunk: Solid State Deluxe.

Chromatics return with their first studio album in 5 years, Kill for Love released under the label Italians Do It Better. With Kill for Love the Chromatics have comfortably matured as a group while still holding onto to threads of the electronic/disco sound that caught my ear a few years back. At first listen I wasn’t sure how I felt about the more introspective mood of Kill for Love, but over the last week it has grown on me.

A few things that have more of a prescence on this album than past works are the guitar and male vocals. The majority of the tracks you will find spacey guitar riffs and solos that are quite pleasing. A good move on the Chromatics part because not only does it bring the music out of the disco, but it also give the album a cinematic quality not present in previous albums. Not sure how I feel about the male vocals, however I am always more interested in female vocals over male vocals.

I recommend giving Kill for Love a listen on a long drive to nowhere as the tempo should suit the changing landscape and passing time. If you wanna hear that classic Chromatics disco/electronic feel give tracks 2,4,5,14 and 15 a listen.

Listen to the album on Soundcloud.
RIYD: Glass Candy, Feist, Washed Out.
Review by Roki Sasaki

The KTUH website underwent a minor update. Please report any problems or ideas/requests for new features to sysop@ktuh.org. Submissions for the Radioblog, DJ mixes, images, or other content can be sent to the webmaster.  Have a great summer break!

Yes, SEX JAMZ WEEK is back!

In honor of good ol’ Valentines Day, KTUH FM does it right with a whole week dedicated to lil’ cupid and his arrows.  So mark your calendars and be sure to tune in to KTUH FM in from February 12-18 for SEX JAMZ WEEK!  Brought to you the sexiest radio station in Hawaii KTUH FM Honolulu!

The Spring 2012 Mix promo is out! Download it here (136MB mp3 zip archive). The full track list:

1. The Aggrolites: “Dreaming on Erie” Rugged Road
(Young Cub Records)
2. Azealia Banks: “212" (Explicit Lyrics)
(unsigned)
3. Beats Antique: “Vardo” Blind Threshold_
(Antique Records)
4. Bio Ritmo: “La Verdad” Verdad (Electric Cowbell)
5. Booker T. Jones: “Everything is Everything” The Road From Memphis (Anti-)
6. Collette: "Orange Moon (Denze Remix - Erykah Badu Cover)" Coco By Request (Sounds Familiar)
7. Cradle of Filth: “Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned)" Evermore Darkly (Nuclear Blast)
8. Eisley: “Mr. Moon” The Valley  (Equal Vision Records)
9. The Funk Ark: “Horchata” The Funk Ark From the Rooftops (ESL)
10. Lord Echo: “Sword Cane” Melodies (Self-Released)
11. Masterclass: “Love Quest”  Compilation Album (Self-Released)
12. Megadeth: “Sudden Death” Th1rt3en (Road Runner)
13. Neon Indian: “Polish Girl” Era Extraña  (Static Tongues)
14. New Zealand Shapeshifter: “Lifetime (Logistics Remix)”
15. Rob Sparx: “Going Back”
16. 10 ft Ganja Plant: “My Roots (Featuring Sylford Walker)” Shake Up the Place (Roir)

*All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work reproduced reserved. Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited