Soulful sounds that know no bounds from all around the globe, ‘No Visa’ is a good example of what you might hear during one of Captain Planet‘s legendary globetrotting DJ sets. This playlist features a handful of his own original productions and official remixes. No need for a plane ticket or passport to enjoy this intercontinental boogie exploration, just hit play and prepare to shake your way across the map. We strongly recommend you play the tracks in order for the ultimate musical journey.
We sat down with Captain Planet ahead of his June 28th show at ZeyZey in Miami to hear a bit more about his sonic vibes (use code TIGRE5 for $5 off). As you listen, get to know this Los Angeles-based genre-bending producer and DJ a bit more:
TIGRE SOUNDS: Tell us about your musical genre identity and the type of sounds that move you.
CAPTAIN PLANET: The foundation of my musical education was the cassette mixtapes that my big sister would make for me with elaborate handmade artwork and collage. Each one was a revelation to my young brain, and her philosophy was basically “screw genres”! So yeah, everything from hip hop, funk & disco to african, reggae, latin and even some rock, punk & Grateful Dead live recordings, haha. As I got older, I fell really into hip hop, and that’s what inspired me to start DJ-ing, producing, and really digging deep for records. But all the while I was expanding my appreciation for sounds from the Caribbean, Latin America and throughout Africa. I love travelling, and everywhere I go I try to pick up as much music as possible. Basically, whatever the genre is, I look for soul within that style.
TIGRE SOUNDS: How are you helping to build the music culture in your scene or city?
CAPTAIN PLANET: LA is a funny place, it feels much harder to build a scene or culture here than in NYC where I really started my career and lived for a decade. As soon as I moved to LA I found a great crew of DJ’s and music folks who threw regular parties, and I immediately fell in with them- that’s Subsuelo. They are still some of my best homies here. I do regular parties, and have had multiple residencies over the years here, but it has been a slow build to where I am now. I feel like you have to actually be out going to events to stay connected to the scene, so I make a big effort to go out when friends are throwing events and I’m not working.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Which genre-bending artists are you really excited about right now?
CAPTAIN PLANET: Obongjayar is super unique and cool. That whole UK camp that includes Little Simz, Sault, Inflo, Cleo Sol… all super inspiring to me. Lido Pimienta is one of my favorites for a while now- a true creative genius, always breaking new ground. Burna Boy stays in heavy rotation for me, and even though he’s considered “Afrobeats”, he definitely mixes in a lot of hip hop, reggae and pop elements that are unexpected.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What song are you listening to on repeat?
CAPTAIN PLANET: Burna Boy “Last Last”, Martinez Brothers & Fuego “Pendiente Al Paso”, and basically everything that Michael Brun has been putting out, especially his new BAYO mixtape joints
TIGRE SOUNDS: What epic live shows or projects do you have coming up that we should look out for?
CAPTAIN PLANET: Well of course I’m very excited for my return to Miami to play at Zeyzey with my homies Jungle Fire- biggup Tigre for making it happen! And then I’m really stoked to be playing the enormous block party in downtown LA on July 4th. I’ll be DJ-ing all evening leading up to Grupo Sonador and then I’m curating the music for the big 3D drone light show that will shine above all downtown. They stopped doing fireworks because they’re so bad for the environment, honestly I’m not mad. And final little thing to tease is that I have a new album getting wrapped up that is gonna be super dope. Can’t give away too much about it just yet, but stay tuned!
About Captain Planet
Captain Planet is a globetrotting DJ and music producer, world renowned for his trademark blend of eclectic global music styles, and for his passionate high energy DJ sets where he seamlessly jumps between house, global bass, Latin, Afrobeat, reggae, funk and disco. Fueled by an early love of hip-hop, Charlie B. Wilder (the man behind Captain Planet) began DJ-ing and making beats on a Tascam cassette 4-track in his teens. He soon developed an obsession with vinyl records and digging for samples which led to an expanded appreciation of Reggae, Latin and African music as well as a curiosity for other styles from around the world. After being offered a primetime slot playing international music on WNYU’s “Passport” radio show, Wilder began making frequent trips to the “World” music section of Lincoln Center’s Public Library, eventually acquiring their entire collection. Flipping these global records the way hip-hop producers traditionally sample, these international sounds became the ingredients he used in concocting his trademark “Gumbo Funk” style. Today, his music is recognized around the world, with his latest releases highlighting his love of the more organic sounds of vintage global funk, soul and disco.
