records - Ben Rubin

“Home in America,” the new single from Analog Players Society and Masta Ace is here!!!

benrubin — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 03:27:00 +0000

So excited to announce the release of “Home in America,” the new collaboration between Analog Players Society and legendary Brooklyn MC Masta Ace, produced and mixed by me! We’ve been doing a lot of press around the song so there will be lots of interviews and podcasts to follow.

Thanks so much to Okayplayer.com for hosting the premiere of our song. And thanks to Ropeadope TV for hosting a great Juneteenth discussion including myself, Masta Ace, Amon Drum, Louis Marks, Anu Sun and Fabian Brown.

Bklyner had our song in their Best New Brooklyn Music column and said that “Home in America” is one of those meetings of hip-hop and the music sometimes called “jazz,” that’s in the direct lineage of classics like Tribe Called Quest’s Low-End Theory, and Guru’s Jazzmatazz.”

Picking up on the song’s political themes, Atwood Magazine said in their Black Music Month Roundup: “Our fight is far from finished, and “Home in America” is a stirring reminder of why we have to keep pushing for systemic change for a safer, better future for all Americans.”

Billboard Magazine called the track “Thought-provoking Juneteenth rumination over a funky, slow-grinding sound that brings to mind the Soulquarians,” while naming it one of “10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through the Wee k .”

The song has also landed on a lot of playlists including the cover of Tidal’s Grown Rap, The Woodie Guthrie Center’s Songs of Conscience, the Grammy Museum’s Songs of Conscience, Americana Highways and more on Spotify, Quboz, Pandora and more. Also getting airplay on KCRW and many other stations.

Check out the track below and buy it from Bandcamp.

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Early Summer new releases from House of Cha Cha: Jon Irabagon, Drifter, Shine & the Moonbeams, Harper Cole

benrubin — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 11:45:00 +0000

Some new releases for you from House of Cha Cha!

First up is Jon Irabagon‘s new solo tenor saxophone record called “Bird with Streams,” from Irrabagast Records. This record of (mostly) songs from the pen of Charlie Parker, was recorded completely outside in a canyon in South Dakota. Since it’s Jon, the results are sublime and stunning. First time I’ve ever mixing anything recorded outside and it was such a great experience. Right now it’s only available at Bandcamp so please go buy it there.

Next are the latest two singles from maestro Jon Dryden’s Drifter. “Souvenir” is an adaptation of an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem, beautifully sung by Ren Geisick and featuring Will Graefe on guitar, Aron Caceres on bass and Josh Bailey on drums. “A Fistful of Blood” evokes Sergio Leone films and the noir films of the American West. This one features Daniella Crook on vocals, Will and Aron again, and the great Dan Rieser on drums (also making his engineering debut.) Lose you yourself in the noir, martini-drenched sounds of Drifter. I was the mixer here. Go buy them both from Bandcamp.

Next is first track for the kids funk/soul band Shine & the Moonbeams new record, I Am, which I am currently mixing and should be out by fall 2021. The song is called “I Believe” and it appears on the compilation All One Tribe. Available now at all of the streaming services. Be warned, it’s crazy funky.

Finally we have, “Footprints” by singer/songwriter Harper Cole, released last week by my favorite Ropeadope Records. Buy it at Bandcamp.

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Get a sneak peak of “Home in America” on the podcast “Reparations: the Big Payback”

benrubin — Thu, 27 May 2021 09:00:00 +0000

So honored to have the podcast Reparations: The Big Payback starring Erika Alexander & Whitney Dow use the new Analog Players Society x Masta Ace track “Home in America” as the closing song of the final episode, which is titled “Can Reparations Find a Home in America?“

Please take the time to listen to the whole series as it is really clear and well-done. But if you have limited time, stream the episode below as it will give you a recap of the whole series. Thanks for listening!

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“Reckoning” by DONNY MCCASLIN and ME is out today!

benrubin — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 18:42:00 +0000

Excited to announce the release of “Reckoning,” my jazz-meets-boom bap collaboration with the great tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin! Available now on all streaming platforms!

Donny says: “Reckoning is just that… it’s well past time for us, as a nation, to reckon with the past and how it has and continues to manifest in today’s reality of social and racial inequality. It runs deep and we all have to be accountable to make real change and that includes me as I come to terms with my own white privilege.

“I worked on this piece with producer, (re-)mixer, bassist and composer Ben Rubin. Ben used news coverage samples of recent protests at start and end along with a DJ Premier-inspired boom-bap beat to set the song’s focus.”

Stream it from your preferred service here or just play in from the playlist at the bottom.

Check out the video here:

The post “Reckoning” by DONNY MCCASLIN and ME is out today! first appeared on Ben Rubin.

LOWER POWER and STRIPMALL BALLADS: New 2/20 releases from House of Cha Cha

benrubin — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 16:41:37 +0000

So excited that these two records are finally being released as I mixed them both in 2018.

First up is Lower Power‘s One Planet at Time. This is some political hard rock for hard times. Excellent, excellent singing and songwriting from Pat Daugherty. Full disclosure: not only did I co-produce and mix this record, I played the bass as well. In fact, we recorded this entire record in four hours without using any headphones.

Watch the video for “All About Me” here. Listen here: Bandcamp Spotify Tidal Apple Music Amazon Music

Next up is the new Stripmall Ballads record Distant. Now Phillips Saylor Wisor is one of my favorite songwriters ever. We’ve worked together on records and gigs for a long time and this one does not disappoint. If this record doesn’t make you feel something deep, then you are doing it wrong!

Listen here: Artist Website CDBaby Spotify Tidal Apple Music Amazon Music

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RACHEL ECKROTH – “5”

benrubin — Sun, 23 May 2021 02:08:44 +0000

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JOSH LAWRENCE – Lost Works Live – Part 1 – YELLOW

benrubin — Mon, 24 May 2021 14:08:59 +0000

The post JOSH LAWRENCE – Lost Works Live – Part 1 – YELLOW first appeared on Ben Rubin.

EMILIO SOLLA – “Second Half” trailer

benrubin — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 03:48:15 +0000

Today is Release Day for Caleb Wheeler Curtis’s “Brothers”!

benrubin — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 21:31:31 +0000

Brothers, the record I mixed for Caleb Wheeler Curtis earlier this year, is out now on Imani Records and I’m excited for it to reach your earholes. This is a wonderful record, produced by Orrin Evans, featuring Seamus Blake, Eric Revis, Josh Lawrence, Luques Curtis and Mark Whitfield, Jr. It goes a lot of unexpected places and it’s well-worth your time. Go!

Buy or stream the record here: CD Baby Amazon Apple Music

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Today is Release Day for Johnbern Thomas Trio’s “Mesi, Merci, Thank You, Gracias”!

benrubin — Sat, 24 Jun 2017 22:56:20 +0000

I really enjoyed mixing and tracking this record by the Haitian band Johnbern Thomas Trio. They’ve managed to combine legit New York swing with the dance rhythms of their homeland in a really fantastic way. With some help from pianist Aaron Goldberg, this record really rocks. Check it out! Amazon Spotify Apple Music

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Ergo’s “As Subtle As Tomorrow” is out now.

benrubin — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 05:51:15 +0000

Last year I had the chance to work on this record with Brett Sroka and his band Ergo. This record is a really cool mix of live trombone, piano and drums along with a bunch of cool electronics as effects. Sam Harris on piano and Shawn Baltazor on drums. Shawn mixed the record with Brett and then they came by the House of Cha Cha to run all the mixes through my Neve and do a bunch of other various sweetenings.

This record is out today on Cuniform Records. Go listen to and buy this record here.

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WILL SELLENRAAD/RENE HART/ERIC MCPHERSON – “Greene Street Vol. 1” trailer

benrubin — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 22:07:14 +0000

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Mixing BOB WIJNEN’s “NYC Unforeseen” at House of Cha Cha

benrubin — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 03:52:56 +0000

MUDVILLE – “Blown” in “ReGenesis”

benrubin — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 17:10:48 +0000

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