Stories

While I've been busy *not* updating the blog here, (sorry, folks!) I've been juggling a handful of other projects. Firstly, I've been prepping for the forthcoming Aloha Got Soul record label—which tentatively launches by year's end with the label's first release, a 7-inch single by Mike Lundy. The music's been mastered and went to the vinyl manufacturer last week, logo design is done, but there are still a few things left to take care of. Packaging, distribution, and likely a redesign of this website to accompany the label launch. Oh, and t-shirts. Gotta get some t-shirts printed up. Logo sketches...

With the second Soul Time In London on the horizon—returning to Brilliant Corners on September 6th after a brief jaunt at The Queen's Head back in April—I'm extremely excited to announce that DJ, broadcaster, producer, writer, musician (the list goes on, folks!) Patrick Forge will be gracing the turntables with his presence, which, of course, includes his ever-powerful, ever-thoughtful selection of seriously good and groovy tunes. Soul Time In London takes place September 6, 2014, at Brilliant Corners with Patrick Forge, Laura Coxeter, and Cedric Bardawil. 6:00pm - 1:30am. Expect vinyl-only sets all night, ranging from Jazz Fusion to Hawaiian...

There are few local radio DJs who pull off a quality soul program like Jeff Long (aka Benjamin Stencil) does with his Sunday morning show, Love Is A Real Thing. Jeff arrives by bicycle at the University of Hawaii's college radio station KTUH around 5:45am each Sunday with a backpack of vinyl and a few CDs to spin from 6am to 9am. (Check out his playlists on his blog.) I first met Jeff earlier this year when my fiancé, aka DJ Leilow, became one of the newest members of the KTUH DJ lineup. All the new DJs start out with...

July! Where have you gone?! Slow down already, it's nearly August! I can confidently speak for my friends Dennie and Ward at Hungry Ear when I say that this month has been crazy busy, a whirlwind of exciting news and opportunities and, of course, responsibilities to be tended to. Owning an independent record store—one that's bringing in new releases regularly and buying other people's collections daily—is one thing, but running said business and organizing Hawaii's annual record fair at the same time? (The only one of its kind in the state, I should mention). But wait, there's more: Hungry Ear...

I met with Norm Winter on an evening in February 2014 several months after I had recorded a previous conversation of ours. I should say that that conversation—which took place at the Aloha Lounge sometime in the Spring of 2013 during one of Jah Gumby’s Rub-A-Dub all-vinyl reggae sessions, and which gave us an overview of how Jelly’s came to be (and why other records stores in Hawaii failed to stay in business)—I recorded without his knowledge. I’ve since apologized to Norm about publishing our pseudo-interview without his prior permission, and he’s since forgiven me. If you don't know Norm,...