This Mixtape was recorded live in 1995 at the infamous Club Simon’s in Gainesville Florida.
We remastered the original cassette tape with King’s blessings, to give you the old skool when it was new.
It is the quintessential mixtape, taking you on a journey from acid jazz and hip hop to funk and house.
Enjoy!
King Britt: The Philadelphia Visionary Redefining Electronic Music
Philadelphia has birthed countless musical innovators, but few have blurred the lines between genres, eras, and disciplines quite like King Britt. A world-renowned DJ, producer, composer, and educator, Britt’s journey bridges underground club culture, Afrofuturist philosophy, and academic scholarship.
From spinning vinyl in Philly’s early house scene to lecturing on the roots of Black electronic music at UC San Diego, King Britt continues to expand what it means to be a modern artist.
From Philly Roots to Global Recognition
Born King James Britt in Philadelphia, he came of age immersed in the city’s legendary soul and R&B heritage. His fascination with sound and rhythm led him to DJ in local clubs throughout the late 1980s, where his sets quickly gained a following for their warmth and originality.
In the early ’90s, Britt’s career took a leap when he joined Digable Planets as their original touring DJ. That experience gave him global exposure and deepened his fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and futurist soundscapes—a combination that would define his artistic identity.
Founding Ovum Recordings & Evolving His Sound
In 1994, Britt co-founded Ovum Recordings alongside fellow Philadelphian Josh Wink, helping shape the city’s electronic music identity. Under the Ovum label and beyond, King Britt began exploring sonic diversity through multiple aliases:
• Sylk130 — a collective project merging soul and electronic groove (When the Funk Hits the Fan, 1998)
• Fhloston Paradigm — a deep dive into sci-fi-inspired experimental electronica (The Phoenix, 2014)
• Scuba / The Nova Dream Sequence — ambient, techno, and textural works that highlight his sonic versatility
He also expanded into film and multimedia, composing music for projects like Michael Mann’s Miami Vice (2006), as well as theater and art installations.
Championing Afrofuturism and Education
Today, King Britt is a Professor of Computer Music at UC San Diego, where he founded Blacktronika: Afrofuturism in Electronic Music—a course that celebrates and documents the overlooked contributions of Black innovators in house, techno, and experimental sound.
Through both classroom discussion and sonic exploration, Britt uses education to reconnect students with the cultural and historical roots of the genres dominating today’s global dance floors. His work merges scholarship and performance, ensuring that electronic music’s Black heritage remains visible and celebrated.
King Britt is more than a DJ or professor—he’s a living archive of sound, history, and imagination. His story reminds us that the rhythm of the future is always rooted in the soul of the past.
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