Pitchfork

You knew all along master blaster Diplo was a mad decent dude. What may not have crossed your mind was just how decent the dude could be. The Hollertronix whiz kid has announced the creation of Heaps Decent a "non-profit music initiative" that "aims to connect current popular recording artists with students from underprivileged communities around the world and reinforce the positive influence of music education through technical skill development and public performance."

Heaps Decent got its start following Diplo's stint on this winter's Big Day Out tour, when he headed out on his own on an Australian mini-vacation, visiting a number of remote locales. While there, the DJ/producer met a group of indigenous Australian youngsters interested in hip-hop. With help from Ed Banger's DJ Mehdi, the Australian label Modular, and sponsors Apple, Obey, Serato/Rane, and Ableton, Diplo held a series of workshops for students from the Northern Australian locale Maningrida and from a Southern Australian New South Wales juvenile justice center. These sessions resulted in the creation of the single "Smash a Kangaroo", which will be available on iTunes soon and is currently streaming on the Heaps Decent MySpace page).

UPDATE: PITCHFORK WAS GIVEN INCORRECT INFORMATION REGARDING WHO, EXACTLY, SET UP THIS PROGRAM. HEAPS DECENT IS BEING RUN BY DIPLO ALONG WITH PARTNERS ANDREW LEVINS AND NINA AGZARIAN. THE AUSTRALIAN SESSION WAS PUT TOGETHER BY DIPLO AND ROSIE DWYER. MODULAR AND DJ MEHDI WERE NOT INVOLVED, THOUGH JUSTICE AND BUSY P FROM ED BANGER DJ'ED A FUNDRAISER. 

Diplo plans to bring the project to other locations throughout the world, starting with a session in Rio de Janeiro's Rochina favela in January.

Meanwhile, Diplo's got plenty of music on the way-- including a couple tracks on M.I.A.'s forthcoming Kala-- and a bunch of tour dates all over this world of ours.

When I dip, you dip, we Diplo:

07-06 Amsterdam, Netherlands – 5 DaysOffice 2004 Test Drive User
07-07 Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival
07-13 New York, NY – Apple Store (Midnight Mix series)
07-15 San Francisco, CA – San Francisco Block Party *
07-21 Moscow, Russia – Solyanka
07-22 London, England – Lovebox Festival
07-27 Glasgow, Scotland – Glassic Grand
07-28 London, England – Cargo
07-29 Liverpool, England - Bumper
09-08 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B #
09-15 Chicago, IL - Metro #
09-21 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex #

* with A-Trak and Kid Sister
# with Switch