Redevelopment dollars fund local beats

Mr. Dibiase’s new neighborhood:
You remember that dumb magic trick where the magician keeps pulling scarves out of his sleeve, endlessly, like we’re supposed to be impressed some dude in a cape’s stuffed a 12-foot-long scarf in his pocket? Well, local producer Mr. Dibiase is like that magician—except talented, awesome and legit. He played a nearly hourlong set last week at The Press Club, stringing together sick jam after sick jam—and without a laptop—like he was the David Blaine of grungy breakbeat.

Sporting a red cap and a blue-white striped shirt, Dibiase dropped in between sets by Chllngr and Dusty Brown at DJ Whores’ semimonthly Hump dance night. The producer, who hails from the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles near University of Southern California, is commonly tagged as part of the Brainfeeder crew but now lives here in Natomas. His set was uptempo with a Prefuse 73-like vibe, but dirtier, less kinetic, more soulful—although the final few minutes saw the beats per minute take a dip into some real gnarly, rolling lows. Very cool.

Dibiase released a full-length last summer, Machines Hate Me, which featured a lot of turn-back-the-clock, 8-bit beats over funk-inspired rhythms. But the most recent tracks on Dibiase’s SoundCloud page (http://soundcloud.com/mr-dibiase) are straightforward hip-hop. And then there’s “Skullcrack,” his most recent video, a hybrid-dubstep single off his last album.

Anyway, the take-home is: Dibiase, new to town, running the gamut as far as genre and style, definitely worth your attention. Find out more at www.mrdibiase.com.

Too much for me, dude:
Speaking of DJ Whores’ dance nights: Once a month, the powers that be at District 30 hand over the keys to the deejay for DownLow’D. His new night’s been described to me as one of beats and sounds perhaps too progressive for Sacramento’s club-going ears. Or booties.

Prove him wrong this week? Resident deejays Whores, Citystate and Loco will drop bass-forward stuff; this Sunday’s guest is L.A.-based producer Samo Sound Boy and XLR8R managing editor Shawn Reynaldo. And District 30, one of George Karpaty’s new spots at 1022 K Street, has top-tier sound system—that’s your redevelopment dollars put to good use, Sacto!

DownLow’D kicks off at 9 p.m.; no cover before 11 p.m. with a Facebook RSVP, $5 afterward.

Shake for earthquake relief:
Every damn penny earned at the door this Friday at the Blue Lamp (1400 Alhambra Boulevard) will go to the Red Cross’ efforts in Japan. The fundraiser, called Japan XOXO, will be lead by deejays Shaun Slaughter, Adam J, Sam I Jam and Taylor Cho, most of whom are reinventing their Friday nights after the end of said evenings at TownHouse Lounge. The donation is $5 all night—but don’t hesitate to donate more at www.redcross.org.

More than just a passing grade:
Who’s feeling C Plus’ new single, “Do What You Want (Gone),” with its roll-tempo, plastic-wrap fresh Hippie Sabotage production and Bosse Media-directed music video? Me! Reminds of a less Will Smith-sounding Shad—a good thing—and it’s one of the stronger tracks on C Plus’ new full-length, All C.I.T.Y., a hip-hop album you actually want to listen to more than once, unlike a certain Southern Californian named Tyler’s creations. Give it a spin at http://thirdletta.com.