Yes my selectah: meet Mexico's hottest new star

We're huge fans of Mexico's cumbia-dancehall-mash-up renegade Toy Selectah here at Stop Making Sense, which is why we booked him to bring a little tropical Latin partying madness to our first festival, and asked him to compile an exclusive SMS mix (download below!) - a brilliant selection of "Raverton" re-rubs and mixes that'll set your head on fire.

Now, we hear from the man himself and life, musical loves and "cute and hot ladies"...

Summer's coming, what's on the agenda?
"Basically traveling! Both sides of the Atlantic, a interesting USA East Coast Tour starting at Celebrate Brooklyn Festival and the Latin Alternative Music Conference, followed by dates in the best parties around DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and NYC areas, then a Europe dates around End of July and August in Germany. Lots of remixing work and the release of my MAD DECENT EP called CUMBIAS MACHINE!"

Tell us about your latest projects?
"This year has been so interesting cause aside of been traveling, finishing my EP and doing big remixes as the Vampire Weekend ones, i been working with some of the upcoming Urban and Indie Music stars in Mexico and Latin America, producing and remixing the hottest new songs of the hottest new Latino Bands, i really enjoy the fact that as we are conquering the world i got the opportunity to work and been hot in my own place and country."

What current artists are you drawing inspiration from right now?
"Interesting that i get inspiration from a wide range of art work! From Gabriel Orozco (Mexican artist famous for his work with recycled materials) to DJ Blass (one of the hottest Puerto Rico Urban producers during the last 10 years) or the rhythms and sounds that are and been happening in Latin America and Africa during the last 20 years! Colombian Music, Peruvian Music, African stuff!!!"

What are you favourite/biggest tunes of the moment?
"Something from Sound Pellegrino Label like Gucci Vump, some Tribal Guarachero from 3Ball MTY Crew or my Remix of Wildlife track called JUMBIE."

What can we expect from your show at Stop Making Sense?
"A proper Raverton Dance oriented "Ensalada" with the hottest sounds that been around my radar!"

Who are you most looking forward to seeing play at the festival?
"Definitely Matias Aguayo's crew and the Bumbumbox parties they put together, funky, simple and fun sounds!"

Any unusual festival tips?
"Be aware of the sun and the sniffing dogs!!!"

Where will we find you at sunrise on Sunday morning?
"Definitely afterpartying some where around cute and hot ladies!"

SMS mix 05 - Toy Selectah

BIG mix, an exclusive set just in from Diplo-signed, Vampire Weekend-mixing, Cumbia-mashing Mexican hip-hop hero Toy Selectah!

Download: SMS mix 05 - Toy Selectah

A taster for his sure-to-be-special set at Stop Making Sense, Monterrey-based DJ/producer Antonio Hernandez is fast-becoming a Latin American legend, spearheading a new movement that melds bass-heavy reggae/hip-hop/dancehall with traditional cumbia and a sound system vibe that's been cutting up clubs back home and around the world, thanks the quite frankly massive Toy Selectah remix of Vampire Weekend's second album 'Contra'.

In Mexico, Toy is an established key player in the music scene, having produced hip-hop heads Control Machete and indie bands including Café Tacuba. His seminal collaboration with Celso Pina, ‘Cumbia Sobre El Rio’, sealed his status, and remixes for artists as diverse as Morrissey and Santigold have followed.

A tracklisting and interview will follow in the next few days but in the meantime, dig in to this!

SMS mix 03 - Cal Jader vs Latin Dub Soundsystem

So, here it is people...the third in our weekly series of exclusive Stop Making Sense mixes is an amazing, riotous soundclash of tropical street styles courtesy of Movimentos' Cal Jader and the appropriately named Latin Dub Soundsystem, both of whom will be mashing it up in a cumbian-dub-dancehall-tropical style at Stop Making Sense this summer.

Download: SMS mix 03 - Cal Jader vs Latin Dub Soundsystem (tracklisting below)

We caught up with the Cal and Corin (LDSS) themselves to find out more...

Tell us about the mix you’ve recorded for Stop Making Sense...
Cal: This mix is the first ever from me, The Sea and Cal Jader.
Corin: We both playout alot together, and thought it was about time we combined our forces as an entity. It's a real mix-up, ranging from more traditional Latin floor fillers, to Cumbia dubstep, with lots of exclusive mashups which you only hear when we're DJ'ing.
Cal: It was a chance to combine loads of stuff that i've been DJing out recently alongside a whole load of Latin Dub exclusives but with And it was nice to do it in the old mixtape style with just 1 or 2min excerpts from each track, so it's just a taster really.

Any exclusives or particular favourites on there?
Corin: Some of my favourites are the Cumbia deathface remix of MIS, and the Dub Killer Combo track. I'm a dub head, what can I say! Also on this mix is a raw mix of one the tracks which will be on the new Latin Dub album due out in the autumn, featuring Malena from Actitud Maria Marta, and a never before heard Latin Dub remix of one of the tracks I produced for Benjamin Zephaniah a while back.
Cal: Yeah very happy about the track with Malena on as she is a friend of mine and it was nice to hook that up and make the link with Argentina and the UK. There's two unreleased Frente Cumbiero (colombian / Argentinian new Cumbia crew) tracks which are total killers. And have to shout the one like Lorenzo for his Latin Dub productions Gnawa and his dub mix of Elvis Crespo's Suavemente.

What current artists are you drawing inspiration from right now?
Corin: At the moment I'm mostly studio bound, but drawing inspiration from some new old reggae I've just been given, not an easy task, and some of new Dubstep bits Daddy Skitz has just passed my way.
Cal: For the dancefloor Colombian act Systema Solar, Argentina's Frikstailers, loads of Cumbia stuff. Some great new material from revolutionary Venezuelan Salsa-Hip Hop act La Redonda. And the most interesting album i've heard lately is by Argentinian artist Axel Krygier (currently unreleased in the UK). And i'm constantly inspired by Fania Records stuff, people like Hector Lavoe, and tradtional Colombian stuff like Toto La Momposina.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing play at SMS?
Cal: Alongside the tropical rhythms of The Very Best and Toy Selectah i'm a big fan of Theo Parrish. Also one of my favourite bands from the London scene Longjon La Flecha are playing, highly recommended!

Any unusual festival tips?
Corin: My number 1 festival tip is bin bags. For everything. Trust me even in sunny Croatia, you can't go wrong with a couple of em on your person. And lots of gaffer tape, do with it as you wish!

Where will we find you at sunrise on Sunday morning?
Corin: I'm hoping that sunrise Sunday morning will find me floating in the sea, or up a tree, hopefully with some like minded souls! I love watching the sunrise, especially when you're off Daddy duties, bring it on, I say!
Cal: Asleep!

Tracklisting
JLG – La llave de mi Corazon (Latin Dub edit)
Captain Planet – Fumando
Immortal Technique – Unknown
Latin Dub Soundsystem - Gnawa
Major Lazor – Cashflow (Subskrpt remix)
Frente Cumbiero – Para Todas
Vampire Weekend – Cousins (Toy Selectah remix)
Arcade vs Spank Rock (Villa Diamante edit)
Hijo de La Cumbia – Tu, tu Quien eres?
Latin Dub Soundsystem – Runaway
Alika y Nueva Allianza – Dem Got No Love
Sabo – Currura
Sekreto– Gato (Hijo de La Cumbia remix)
Latin Dub Soundsystem - Quicksilver
Koala ft Paco Mendoza – Vengo
Ska Cubano – No me desesperes (Latin Dub Chan Chan mix)
Celia Cruz – Rumba (Latin Dub re-rub)
Manjinga 7 – Cumbia de Colombiana (Latin Dub edit)
Frente Cumbiero – Guacha Ride
Frikstailers – Mateina
Sonora Dinamita - Mover a la Colita (Edit)
Systema Solar – Quien es el Patron?
EC – Suavamente (Latin Dub Soundsystem remix)
Eric Bobo – Muevelo
EC – Suavamente (Latin Dub remix)
Sergio Mendes - Magdalenha riddim vs Busy Signal - Up in Your Belly
Sabo and Cassady - Muevete
Danny Lenn - El Horoscopo (Latin Dub edit)
Dub Killer Combo – Unknown skank
Bouzou Bajoo ft Top Cat – Killer
Zulu 9.30 – A los Son (Latin Dub bruk mix)
VV ft Julio Padron – Do Me Right
Debruit - Nigeria What?
Malente and Dex - Lions (Douster remix)
Schlatofbronx – Good To Go
Latin Dub Soundsystem ft Malena (Actitud Martia Marta) – Muevete
Mexican Institute of Sound – Cumbia (Deathface remix)
Benjamin Zephaniah – Uptown (Latin Dub mix)
Proyecto Secreto – Olivida Todo

SMS mix 01 - Russ Jones

The first in our weekly series of exclusive Stop Making Sense mixes from the great and the good playing at this year's festival is a genre-trashing, hip-grinding, ghetto-rousing, pan-global mash-up of street-born styles from Colombian cumbia to Balkan reggae via a fast-becoming legendary Mexican remix of Vampire Weekend, courtesy of the nifty eye-wear-sporting Hackney Globe Trotter himself, Russ Jones.

Download: SMS mix 01 - Russ Jones

Tracklisting:
01. Benjamin Zephaniah 'Slow Motion Radiovox'
02. Spiteri Spiteri 'Soul Inside'
03. Batida Dance Mwangolé 'Alegria'
04. DJ Mujava 'Mugwanti/Sgwejegweje' (Schlachthofbronx remix)
05. Gipsy Kings feat. Analogik Lions 'Malente & Dex'
06. Genghis Clan Vs Riva Starr 'Jump Up' (Mambo Jumbo remix)
07. Rubi Dan 'Funky Dip'
08. Systema Solar 'Sin Oficio'
09. Afrodita La Reina del Palenke 'La Cumbia del Pasoncito'
10. George Danquah 'Hot And Jumpy'
11. Bolga Zohdoomah 'Jingo'
12. Brassroots 'Misirlou'
13. Vampire Weekend 'Cousinz' (Toy Selectah Mex-More remix)
14. DJ Farrapo 'Swingy Mama'
15. Teleport Massive Feat. Zumbi of Zion 'Bassnectar Cozza Frenzy'
16. Mahala Rai Banda 'Balkan Reggae'
17. Willie Colón 'La Murga'
18. Trebol Clan 'Fuga'
19. Vampire Weekend 'Diplomat's Son'
20. Alika y Nueva 'Para Bailar Cumbia' (El Hijo de la Cumbia remix)
21. Sekreto 'Gota' (El Hijo de la Cumbia remix)
22. Corazon Enamorado 'Calixto Ochoa'
23. Juan Piña Y Sus Muchachos 'Abran Rueda'
24. Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars 'Jah Come Down'

We caught up with Russ for a few words about the mix, what you can expect from his Saturday afternoon beach bar set at Stop Making Sense and why sunrise is a quasi-religious experience, of sorts...

Tell us about the mix you’ve recorded for Stop Making Sense...
"I tried to record this mix five times live on my laptop but after too many crashes finally gave in to putting it together in Ableton - talk about pulling teeth! But I am really happy with the outcome and it's something a little bit different - a reflection of what I am playing in the clubs and on my radio show. Not all bangers but great and varied music from around the world both new and old."

Any exclusives or particular favourites on there?
"Where do I start? Love all these tracks or otherwise they would not be in the mix. Dj Farrapo's 'Swingy Mama' is pretty exclusive, 'Sistema Solar Sin Oficio' is a really big tune for me over the last few months. Love the two Vampire Weekend tracks. Toy Selectah's mix is a killer and Diplomat's 'Son' is great piece of modern pop. 'Slow Motion Radiovox' by Benjamin Zephanai is an amazing remix by what has to be one of the most talented producers out there at the moment, Corin from Latin Dub. Keep an eye on him, he is about to take right off. 'Soul Inside' by Spiteri is great piece of Latin rock reissued by Vampi Soul via London and Venezuela circa 1973. I've never put a rock track in a mix before but this one is a winner and it's well worth checking the album."

What current artists are you drawing inspiration from right now?
"All the ones mentioned above, Franco, Lucho Bermudez, Skitz, Bootlegumachine, Schlachthofbronx, Douster, all the releases on Soundway Recordings,so many amazing live bands in London- Yabaa Funk, Conjuto Sabroso, Los Chinches, Hackney Empire, Brassroots and it goes on..."

Who are you most looking forward to seeing play at Stop Making Sense?
"Never checked out Carl Craig before so that should be cool, Son of Dave always turns in a great show and to see The Very Best for the first time will def be something to look forward to."

Any unusual festival tips?
"Wellingtons? Think we will need them in Croatia? Would be unusual but best to be prepared. Once in a queue to get on plane with a guy who had his own life jacket. Did he know something I didn't? Not sure, but he was prepared!"

Where will we find you at sunrise on Sunday morning?
"Getting ready for Sunday mass. What else..."