It’s only up for six more days, but don’t miss this one: Thom Yorke co-hosted a radio show with Kspace pal Gilles Peterson on the BBC, and it is incredible! Peterson and the Radiohead major domo go head to head, following each other with tracks that inspire them, and it’s an absolutely thrilling ride! Listening to Yorke’s selections, the listener really gets a sense of what thrills him sonically: a real thread emerges that draws a straight line into the disparate influences that go into his sound.

Sexy, jazzy, and above all, magical – that describes BLACKMAGIC, the latest podcast from Gilles Peterson, available completely exclusively on KSPACE. In its nearly half-hour of non-stop music, BLACKMAGIC focuses on one of Gilles’ latest, greatest discoveries – 21st century crooner José James and his second album of the same title, along with samplings of his 2008 debut The Dreamer and other influences that make up his sound.

With great excitement I got the sofa ready past Saturday night for the WBA heavy-weight boxing bout between Nikolai Valuev and Britain’s David Haye. It was the first time I’ve been excited properly about boxing since the middle weight adventures of British fighters like Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn in the nineties.

You already know how much we’ve been diggin’ the just released Gilles Peterson presents Havana Cultura – New Cuba Sound double album ! and so we’re thrilled to be heading to the London and Paris shows coming up very soon (see info below). We predict that this album is going to be with us for a long time, kinda like Gilles’ mighty Nuyorican Soul album has been and so we urge you to get yourself a copy and to check out these first wave of events to celebrate the release.

Worldwide DJ, radio personality, sportswide fanatic, tastemaker of groove Gilles Peterson sure seems to do it all ! Now add “book author” to that list. Along with co-compiler Stuart Baker, Peterson is responsible for Freedom, Rhythm & Sound – Revolutionary Jazz Original Cover Art 1965-83, a hardcover tome that collects many of the greatest, truly visionary examples of album art during one of the most revolutionary moments in recent history.

She blew Gilles mind away this summer, now her melodies are heating things up in our jukebox. Introducing Danay, the 24 year old Cuban singer that was discovered singing on the streets of Havana. Comparisons have already come in for Danay, setting her next to the top modern American soul singers.

We’re happy to get our Exclusive 66 Mixes from Gilles and the extended family whenever they are available, what with GP living up to his Worldwide moniker at every turn and is now on his way for a series of gigs in Japan. We’re looking forward to his ‘Sportswide’ report on Sumo wrestling from there so stay tuned and a reminder that his excellent Havana Cultura release (check the minimix in the jukey) is out soon Oct 29.

This edition of Sportswide has Gilles P. taking us through the latest World Cup updates from Europe into South America and out via Africa with congrats to Rio for winning the 2012 Olympics bid. “England, Spain and Holland are already through to the finals in South Africa and another 6 teams from Europe should be known by the middle of next week. The groups to watch for last minute excitement look like group 1 where Ronaldo’s Portugal are in a bit of stick …..

Worldwide don Gilles Peterson took a 66 minute break from his hectic globetrottin’ schedule and preparing the upcoming Oct 12 Havana Cultura release (minimix in the jukey) to bring us the latest Exclusive 66 Mix ! so please do check in on our jukebox …..

This track will be huge. I’ve been riding for Darkstar’s “Aidy’s Girl is A Computer” for a minute now, and it’s finally getting a worldwide release on October 19th. “Aidy’s Girl” is a refreshing and thoughtful, 2 step/garage track that brings back our fondness for good old fashion digital love.

and so as we’ve been promising you for the past couple months – you know those tourist t-shirts that read ‘…..went to Havana and all I got was this t-shirt’ well lucky for us our good friend (GP Sportswide) went to Havana recently and what we are getting is a pretty amazing double album ‘Gilles Peterson Presents Havana Cultura’. Gilles’ whirlwind trip in Havana to make a record (or 2) at the legendary Egrem studios collaborating with top Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca and Vince Vella has resulted in …..

Friends We Love is now 2.0. Our good friends
 Mike Vargas and Moni Pineda have recently re-launched their visual web community with loads of new features with easy click through functions,
 all stylish placed upon a very clean and captivating design. Initially
 when FWL started out a year ago, the focus was to capture the 
inspiration and motivation behind some of our favorite creative
 talents through their show Artist Profiles – from Invader to K’Naan, Bobbito to Gilles Peterson (Sportswide), J.Period to Jose James to Zap Mama and Jonathan Levine…..

The ever globetrotting GP has been on a much deserved hiatus recently and on his return has jumped right back into finishing up the new Jose James album as well as his Havana Cultura album from recent Cuba trip – both scheduled for October release – and so this week’s Sportswide has Gilles sprinting through his love of Athletics and then some ….
“….. this may have been the best week of my sporting year watching from the sofa !! being a record breaking fan of Athletics getting both morning and evening doses in front of the telly has simply been too much sugar ….

our Sportswide don never really needs an excuse to wax on about his faves Arsenal, and his love of football and so here in all it’s uncensored glory is GP’s weekly: – I say bring Viera back to Arsenal ! ok, he might be almost over at 35 but the fans would love it and he’d def zip up the changing room and bring in some experience – and what, we’d get him for about 30 thousand a week – come on Arsene … wow – what about the off season transfer dealings this year – how good is it to have all that extra ammunition ….

its Friday so it must be Sicily – (I’m playing in one of the most beautiful clubs on earth tonight, mercati generale) – I remember being there for the last World Cup and being shocked that the matches weren’t being aired on the national free view stations – and so there I was walking around the outer suburbs of Catania looking for a cafe that might have a match on – clearly for someone who looks forward to World Cups 2 years ahead, this was a desolate situation to be in – specially in a country with such football pedigree – oh well, Berlusconi and his ways eh? …..

apologies on having missed a couple of GP Sportswide columns, but on the upside we’ve had loads of GP’s Worldwide accounts from his Havana Cultura trip, to the recent Soil &”PIMP” Sessions London sensation to the magical Worldwide Festival in Sete. Gilles just back from a Bastille Day soiree in Paris last night is clearly still in Bastille Day mode and a bit dare i say knackered but still waxes sportily about the Tour de France, his personal (un) fitness and his related ‘Tour de Gilles’

It felt to me like their recent show at the WF in Sete had soared to new heights – with a mix of that incredible Pimps energy, the oceanside setting with an immmediate packed upfront dancefloor, the new songs (including a stompin’ Pigbag cover) and classics given an almost pop feel if possible from jazz players this incredible !

It’s Day 3 already at WF09 in Sete and it’s well warmed up – will it be able to top the past 2 days of spectacular live and DJ sets here in Sete ? Biensur ! with the lineup at Theatre de la Mer a sublime one kicking off with the man Mocky who dropped [...]

Lefto is unbeatable in timely blogs and naturally his Day 1 & 2 reports were up before he went to sleep at 6am – major props to him cause this normally includes editing a vid clip and in last night’s case helping out with covering up the sound system up during a short downpour – but i’ll get back to that. First off last night was the start of the live events and Soil & “PIMP”Sessions once again absolutely destroyed it, added to Elan Mehler’s sublime jazz ‘n vocal gem of a set & Sebastien Schuller lived up to my prediction ….

The wonderful part of a boutique festival is how up close and personal it all is ! this could include having an intimate dinner with Diplo, Gilles and the organizers of the Worldwiide Festival at the beachside venue the night before it all kicks off. This also includes then getting to know the plane load of Gilles Peterson listeners and fans of WF that flew in with you from Gatwick to the magical coastal town of Sete for the many imminent Mediteranean shenanigans !
and so it begins to go off !! Diplo drops his sh*z hard and you know it’s gonna be 3 hours of twisted boomin’ jump up …..