I've just been sent what is surely the pop single of the year.
Jammer: 'Party Animal'
Jammer's 'Party Animal' follows in the tradition of Dizzee Rascal's 'Bonkers' and Wiley's 'Wearing My Rolex' in taking old skool rave - the days when dance and hip-hop cultures were one, not two scenes - and fusing it with the roughneck vocal attitude of grime MCs. It's out on January 11 through Big Dada.
No doubt you'll be reading how the London producer/rapper (this tune was actually produced by Toddla T) is the new overnight sensation in grime but he's been on the garage sound since the days when Locked On was the only label to be seen on. This mix (below) kicks off with an unidentified dubplate and the track 'Army', both from seven years back.
The quality ain't great but it's still worth a listen, just for reference like...
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Tuesday 24 November 2009
ALBUM REVIEW: SOMA 2010
ARTIST: Various
TITLE: Soma Compilation 2010
LABEL: Soma
FORMAT: unmixed CD compilation
RELEASED: February 1
Somewhat cheekily titled, given that this compilation actually contains most of what the Glasgow label was up to on vinyl this year. But don’t let that out you off.
Highlights here include Funk Devoid & Sian teaming up on a ‘sleazy dub’ version of their eerie, understated club classic ‘A Raven Wheeling Overhead’, Gary Beck’s lively fusion of live brass and drum machine funk on ‘Tijuana’ and the reverb-drenched, vocoder-heavy electro of Let’s Go Outside’s ‘Machismo’.
The ever original Silicone Soul and the caustic Autechre,
whose mix of The Black Dog’s ’Tunnels OV Set’ welds hip-hop beats to electronic extremism, are probably the biggest names on display, alongside label owners Slam whose anthem ‘Positive Education’ gets yet another remix courtesy of D’Julz,
Admittedly, Soma shows little sign of ever diversifying from its devotion to second generation Detroit heroes like Jeff Mills and Drexciya, but a wholesale conversation to dubstep, crunk or donk at this stage would just seem like daftly opportunistic bandwagon-jumping. In fact, there are subtle developments going on here and that, together with a wide-eyed enthusiasm for intelligent, original dancefloor techno which positively oozes out of the CD player, indicates that the Soma empire has a lot more years in it yet.
7/10
TITLE: Soma Compilation 2010
LABEL: Soma
FORMAT: unmixed CD compilation
RELEASED: February 1
Somewhat cheekily titled, given that this compilation actually contains most of what the Glasgow label was up to on vinyl this year. But don’t let that out you off.
Highlights here include Funk Devoid & Sian teaming up on a ‘sleazy dub’ version of their eerie, understated club classic ‘A Raven Wheeling Overhead’, Gary Beck’s lively fusion of live brass and drum machine funk on ‘Tijuana’ and the reverb-drenched, vocoder-heavy electro of Let’s Go Outside’s ‘Machismo’.
The ever original Silicone Soul and the caustic Autechre,
whose mix of The Black Dog’s ’Tunnels OV Set’ welds hip-hop beats to electronic extremism, are probably the biggest names on display, alongside label owners Slam whose anthem ‘Positive Education’ gets yet another remix courtesy of D’Julz,
Admittedly, Soma shows little sign of ever diversifying from its devotion to second generation Detroit heroes like Jeff Mills and Drexciya, but a wholesale conversation to dubstep, crunk or donk at this stage would just seem like daftly opportunistic bandwagon-jumping. In fact, there are subtle developments going on here and that, together with a wide-eyed enthusiasm for intelligent, original dancefloor techno which positively oozes out of the CD player, indicates that the Soma empire has a lot more years in it yet.
7/10
SINGLE REVIEW: ALEX METRIC
ARTIST: ALEX METRIC
TITLE: IT STARTS EP
LABEL: Marine Parade
FORMAT: CD
RELEASED: digital November 30 / physical January 18
After putting his name on the house music map with remixes for U2, Bloc Party and Phoenix in 2009, Alex Metric rounds off the year with a versatile EP destined for pop crossover and underground DJ support alike.
The EP’s title track is a surprisingly perky vocal track, sounding like an amphetamine-boosted New Order on their most commercial form and boasting some truly roasting guitar abuse from Russell Lissack of Bloc Party fame. The hooks are so catchy that remixers.Evil Nine can’t help but retain them for their equally 80s-slanted but beefed up beatswise remix.
But most interesting for more club-orientated DJs will be the two instrumental tracks ‘Discotron’ and the orgasmic ‘Gusto’, the latter of which has been proving the climax to most of Metric’s set this year. Similarly retro nods to New Order, Depeche Mode and other 80s synthpop greats make the chances of a thumbs up from Spikyben considerably more likely, provided of course they’re dragged up to date with new skool 00s beats like this, of course. Something for everyone, then, and a big indication that Metric is a serious contender for a big breakthrough in 2010.
4/5
TITLE: IT STARTS EP
LABEL: Marine Parade
FORMAT: CD
RELEASED: digital November 30 / physical January 18
After putting his name on the house music map with remixes for U2, Bloc Party and Phoenix in 2009, Alex Metric rounds off the year with a versatile EP destined for pop crossover and underground DJ support alike.
The EP’s title track is a surprisingly perky vocal track, sounding like an amphetamine-boosted New Order on their most commercial form and boasting some truly roasting guitar abuse from Russell Lissack of Bloc Party fame. The hooks are so catchy that remixers.Evil Nine can’t help but retain them for their equally 80s-slanted but beefed up beatswise remix.
But most interesting for more club-orientated DJs will be the two instrumental tracks ‘Discotron’ and the orgasmic ‘Gusto’, the latter of which has been proving the climax to most of Metric’s set this year. Similarly retro nods to New Order, Depeche Mode and other 80s synthpop greats make the chances of a thumbs up from Spikyben considerably more likely, provided of course they’re dragged up to date with new skool 00s beats like this, of course. Something for everyone, then, and a big indication that Metric is a serious contender for a big breakthrough in 2010.
4/5
Friday 20 November 2009
SINGLE REVIEW: HARVEY McKAY
ARTIST: HARVEY McKAY
TITLE: Nightwalker / Raw
LABEL: Soma
FORMAT: 12” vinyl
RELEASED: January 25
If we tell you that ‘Nightwalker‘ has been the most played track in Richie Hawtin’s sets over the last eight weeks then you’ll probably have some idea what to expect. Brooding, building rhythms, slowly adding and subtracting elements with almost imperceptible subtlety. Vinyl distortion crackling away in the background. A spooked out synth line that sends shivers down your spine And, we not much else. Well, that is why they call it minimal, isn’t it?!
It’s a DJ tool for sure and as such hardly likely to get the postman whistling, but all the same several cuts above the average dancefloor filler. Flip track ’Raw’ is even more spacious and weird, its hi-hats creeping up on you as echoing effects bring vintage Sabres of Paradise to mind. Class all round.
3/5
www.myspace.com/harvproducer
TITLE: Nightwalker / Raw
LABEL: Soma
FORMAT: 12” vinyl
RELEASED: January 25
If we tell you that ‘Nightwalker‘ has been the most played track in Richie Hawtin’s sets over the last eight weeks then you’ll probably have some idea what to expect. Brooding, building rhythms, slowly adding and subtracting elements with almost imperceptible subtlety. Vinyl distortion crackling away in the background. A spooked out synth line that sends shivers down your spine And, we not much else. Well, that is why they call it minimal, isn’t it?!
It’s a DJ tool for sure and as such hardly likely to get the postman whistling, but all the same several cuts above the average dancefloor filler. Flip track ’Raw’ is even more spacious and weird, its hi-hats creeping up on you as echoing effects bring vintage Sabres of Paradise to mind. Class all round.
3/5
www.myspace.com/harvproducer
Wednesday 11 November 2009
SINGLE REVIEW: JAGA JAGGIST
Artist: Jaga Jazzist
Title: One Armed Bandit
Label: Ninja Tune
Format: Free download (http://www.myspace.com/jagajazzist)
Released: Now
Imagine if old 70z prog band Soft Machine had been born in California and raised on a mixture of jazz-funk and old skool Mo’Wax and you’re getting close to imagining the sound of Norway’s nine piece Jaga Jazzist.
No doubt confounding to some - nothing here seems to follow the regular dance music rule of ‘pick a beat then run with it’ - the Ninja stalwarts have hit on something heavy, unconventional and quite irresistible. With a live band rather than programmed feel, there’s oodles of character and very human playfulness , but they’re definitely as fun as they are experimental. A name for the ’must see live’ list.
5/5
Title: One Armed Bandit
Label: Ninja Tune
Format: Free download (http://www.myspace.com/jagajazzist)
Released: Now
Imagine if old 70z prog band Soft Machine had been born in California and raised on a mixture of jazz-funk and old skool Mo’Wax and you’re getting close to imagining the sound of Norway’s nine piece Jaga Jazzist.
No doubt confounding to some - nothing here seems to follow the regular dance music rule of ‘pick a beat then run with it’ - the Ninja stalwarts have hit on something heavy, unconventional and quite irresistible. With a live band rather than programmed feel, there’s oodles of character and very human playfulness , but they’re definitely as fun as they are experimental. A name for the ’must see live’ list.
5/5
SINGLE REVIEW: THE HEAVY
Artist: The Heavy
Title: No Time
Label: Counter
Format: CD single
Released: November 23
A nice mixture of the er, heavier rock side of The Heavy, as in evidence on their latest LP ‘The House That Dirt Built’ and the blues/funk that made their debut so compulsive.
Singer Swaby’s complaints about the lack of attention his lady lavishes upon him may not be the most originals of lyrical themes, but there’s still some passion and power in his vocal delivery, so coupled with a catchiness many guitar bands would do well to emulate and backed with a superlative instrumental remix by Ghost which concentrates on the substantial Zeppelin-meets-Funkadelic groove, this is an attractive package.
3/5
Title: No Time
Label: Counter
Format: CD single
Released: November 23
A nice mixture of the er, heavier rock side of The Heavy, as in evidence on their latest LP ‘The House That Dirt Built’ and the blues/funk that made their debut so compulsive.
Singer Swaby’s complaints about the lack of attention his lady lavishes upon him may not be the most originals of lyrical themes, but there’s still some passion and power in his vocal delivery, so coupled with a catchiness many guitar bands would do well to emulate and backed with a superlative instrumental remix by Ghost which concentrates on the substantial Zeppelin-meets-Funkadelic groove, this is an attractive package.
3/5
SINGLE REVIEW:
Artist: DJ Food
Title: The Shape of Things To Hum
Label: Ninja Tune
Format: 5 track vinyl / 9 track CD
Released: December 14
The welcome return of DJ Food, once a collaborative banner for Coldcut and friends but these days the sole preserve of Camberwell resident Strictly Kev. Once part of the Open Mind collective - see also Mira Calix and fellow member David, who does the artwork here - Kev certainly hasn’t abandoned his twin roots in hip-hop and sonic experimentalism, with the results being an amorphous trip through soundscapes and echoing, multi-layered spoken word all underpinned with a sturdy b-boy backbone.
Forgive the obvious comparison, but sounds like kind of rich, deep ambient trip hop DJ Shadow might have ended up making if he hadn’t got sidetracked by post-rock, UNKLE collaborations and the DJ Hero computer game. Still more modern than most of the week’s postbag - welcome back to the fray.
4/5
Title: The Shape of Things To Hum
Label: Ninja Tune
Format: 5 track vinyl / 9 track CD
Released: December 14
The welcome return of DJ Food, once a collaborative banner for Coldcut and friends but these days the sole preserve of Camberwell resident Strictly Kev. Once part of the Open Mind collective - see also Mira Calix and fellow member David, who does the artwork here - Kev certainly hasn’t abandoned his twin roots in hip-hop and sonic experimentalism, with the results being an amorphous trip through soundscapes and echoing, multi-layered spoken word all underpinned with a sturdy b-boy backbone.
Forgive the obvious comparison, but sounds like kind of rich, deep ambient trip hop DJ Shadow might have ended up making if he hadn’t got sidetracked by post-rock, UNKLE collaborations and the DJ Hero computer game. Still more modern than most of the week’s postbag - welcome back to the fray.
4/5
ALBUM REVIEW: DIRTY VEGAS
Artist: VARIOUS
Title: Dirty Vegas - Stealth Live!
Label: Harmless
Format: Mix CD
Released: Now!
Live recording of Dirty Vegas in DJ action in Manchester, rolling out their trademark breakbeaty house to a rapturous response. Thinking of the power of Orbital at Glastonbury 1993 and Jeff Mills’ ‘Liquid Rooms’ mixes, it’s surprising more people don’t record it this way. Although the idiotic MC who interjects here should give it a rest, even if his presence is heavily restricted.
Their own remix of 21’s ‘Death Metal Disco Scene’, with its clonking Peter Hook bassline and skippy, Basement Jaxx-y house beats rounded off with some truly debauched spoken word purred by an on-heat female, drops early and ups the pace.
It’s a perfect example of what Dirty Vegas have going for them - a drugged up sense of party fun, flirtations with dance’s culture’s messy side and a skill in taking their ideas to an almost but not quite ludicrous degree.
Other names contributing tracks include Santos, Mark Knight & D Ramirez and Adam Beyer, along with several of DV’s own productions, and if big room house music with a largin’ it attitude to match is your thing, this should be top of your shopping list.
6/10
Title: Dirty Vegas - Stealth Live!
Label: Harmless
Format: Mix CD
Released: Now!
Live recording of Dirty Vegas in DJ action in Manchester, rolling out their trademark breakbeaty house to a rapturous response. Thinking of the power of Orbital at Glastonbury 1993 and Jeff Mills’ ‘Liquid Rooms’ mixes, it’s surprising more people don’t record it this way. Although the idiotic MC who interjects here should give it a rest, even if his presence is heavily restricted.
Their own remix of 21’s ‘Death Metal Disco Scene’, with its clonking Peter Hook bassline and skippy, Basement Jaxx-y house beats rounded off with some truly debauched spoken word purred by an on-heat female, drops early and ups the pace.
It’s a perfect example of what Dirty Vegas have going for them - a drugged up sense of party fun, flirtations with dance’s culture’s messy side and a skill in taking their ideas to an almost but not quite ludicrous degree.
Other names contributing tracks include Santos, Mark Knight & D Ramirez and Adam Beyer, along with several of DV’s own productions, and if big room house music with a largin’ it attitude to match is your thing, this should be top of your shopping list.
6/10
ALBUM REVIEW: TASTY
Artist: VARIOUS
Title: Tasty Episode 1
Label: Electric Tastebud
Format: Mix CD
Released: Jan/Feb 2010
Shockingly one dimensional and unreconstructed breakbeat selection most notable for the inclusion of a handful of unremarkable tunes by Leeroy Thornhill of Prodigy fame.
Production that sounds like it was someone’s first effort on a cheap plug in studio, plus some attempts at early 90s Prodigy-style rave alongside equally cheap stabs at dubstep and garage all consign this to the creative dustbin.
2/10
Title: Tasty Episode 1
Label: Electric Tastebud
Format: Mix CD
Released: Jan/Feb 2010
Shockingly one dimensional and unreconstructed breakbeat selection most notable for the inclusion of a handful of unremarkable tunes by Leeroy Thornhill of Prodigy fame.
Production that sounds like it was someone’s first effort on a cheap plug in studio, plus some attempts at early 90s Prodigy-style rave alongside equally cheap stabs at dubstep and garage all consign this to the creative dustbin.
2/10
ALBUM REVIEW: FOUR:TWENTY MUSIC:03
Artist: VARIOUS
Title: Four:Twenty Music:03
Label: Four:Twenty
Format: Mix CD
Released: January 2010
House music never died for a reason - and this 27-track strong collection of undeniably loveable big and beefy tribal four to the floor behaviour.is a great example of why.
On paper this mixed waltz through the back catalogue of Bristol-based label Four:Twenty might seem anything but revolutionary. The fact its resident constructor Glimpse’s main claim to fame is featuring on Detroit techno originator Carl Craig’s Planet E label should give you a clue as to the strict adherence to a vintage blueprint of late 80s/early 90s house-verging-on-techno here.
But the real test is not on paper but in the CD drawer the prestigious line up including veteran underground names like Move D, Loco Dice and (Luke) Solomun makes for results which are in the main hypnotic, cunningly building,
7/10
Title: Four:Twenty Music:03
Label: Four:Twenty
Format: Mix CD
Released: January 2010
House music never died for a reason - and this 27-track strong collection of undeniably loveable big and beefy tribal four to the floor behaviour.is a great example of why.
On paper this mixed waltz through the back catalogue of Bristol-based label Four:Twenty might seem anything but revolutionary. The fact its resident constructor Glimpse’s main claim to fame is featuring on Detroit techno originator Carl Craig’s Planet E label should give you a clue as to the strict adherence to a vintage blueprint of late 80s/early 90s house-verging-on-techno here.
But the real test is not on paper but in the CD drawer the prestigious line up including veteran underground names like Move D, Loco Dice and (Luke) Solomun makes for results which are in the main hypnotic, cunningly building,
7/10
Wednesday 21 October 2009
VAMPIRE WEEKEND WOULD RATHER FLEETWOOD MAC THAN JACK
Backstage gossip from Vampire Weekend's triumphant King's College gig last week
suggests that the band's trend-bucking obsession with Fleetwood Mac is far from over.
The American jiggy popsters may have dropped their cover of the Mac's 'Everyone' single, previewed at their Kentish Town Forum shows last year,
but Spikyben overheard singer Ezra Koenig telling a fellow ligger how he's been entranced by FM singer Lindsey Buckingham's obscure 2006 solo album 'Under The Skin'. "It's like a really weird sound he's got on it," he said, "all these really clean, precise sounds on it, it's totally amazing."
Check this track from the album to see the similarity, in guitar style at least...
So don't be surprised if you see Vampire Weekend ditching their trademark preppy look in favour of skinny black leather ties and mullets when their new album 'Contra' hits the shelves in January.
suggests that the band's trend-bucking obsession with Fleetwood Mac is far from over.
The American jiggy popsters may have dropped their cover of the Mac's 'Everyone' single, previewed at their Kentish Town Forum shows last year,
but Spikyben overheard singer Ezra Koenig telling a fellow ligger how he's been entranced by FM singer Lindsey Buckingham's obscure 2006 solo album 'Under The Skin'. "It's like a really weird sound he's got on it," he said, "all these really clean, precise sounds on it, it's totally amazing."
Check this track from the album to see the similarity, in guitar style at least...
So don't be surprised if you see Vampire Weekend ditching their trademark preppy look in favour of skinny black leather ties and mullets when their new album 'Contra' hits the shelves in January.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
SINGLE REVIEW: MISTABISHI
Artist: Mistabisi
Title: From Memory (Matrix remix)
Label: Hospital
Format: 12" vinyl
Released: October 26
I’m a big fan of Mistabishi - check out my previous post on ‘Printer Jam‘ - and Matrix too, but this trance & bass ‘anthem’ does absolutely zilch for me. Sickly, sentimental and generally over the top, it’s designed for some end of season Ibiza stadium rave where everyone‘s getting a bit melancholy because they‘re all going home soon. Boo hoo.
Better is b-side ‘I Feel Lol’, a sequencer-powered homage to Donna Summer’s ’I Feel Love’
with a touch of the meltdown middle of Lil Louis’ 1989 classic ’French Kiss’.
Unlike those two tunes, though, this is not necessarily essential, alas.
2/5
Title: From Memory (Matrix remix)
Label: Hospital
Format: 12" vinyl
Released: October 26
I’m a big fan of Mistabishi - check out my previous post on ‘Printer Jam‘ - and Matrix too, but this trance & bass ‘anthem’ does absolutely zilch for me. Sickly, sentimental and generally over the top, it’s designed for some end of season Ibiza stadium rave where everyone‘s getting a bit melancholy because they‘re all going home soon. Boo hoo.
Better is b-side ‘I Feel Lol’, a sequencer-powered homage to Donna Summer’s ’I Feel Love’
with a touch of the meltdown middle of Lil Louis’ 1989 classic ’French Kiss’.
Unlike those two tunes, though, this is not necessarily essential, alas.
2/5
ALBUM REVIEW: KRAFTY KUTS
Artist: Various Artists
Title: Krafty Kuts - Against The Grain
Label: Against The Grain
Format: 2x mix CD
Released: Dec/Jan 2010
There’s nothing krafty about Krafty Kuts - they wear their dumbness on their sleeves throughout this double mix CD. They’re usually filed under breakbeat, but with such an obvious love of hip-hop beats and poppy hooks, not to mention lyrical content which rarely progresses intellectually beyond the shaking of booties and the putting of hands in the air, this has its disgraced elder brother big beat written all over it.
While having been a huge fan of Fatboy Slim, Mekon, Les Rythmes Digitales and even some Propellorheads at the time, the world moves on and much of CD1 seems to be stuck in that era of beer spilling, block rocking party tunes circa 1996/7.
Thanks mainly to the considerable input of Deekline on CD2 things look up as we build to a cruching climax of ’Painkiller’ by Pendulum, Freestylers and Sir Real,
but overall there is a real dated, recycled feel to proceedings. Back to the drawing board.
3/10
Title: Krafty Kuts - Against The Grain
Label: Against The Grain
Format: 2x mix CD
Released: Dec/Jan 2010
There’s nothing krafty about Krafty Kuts - they wear their dumbness on their sleeves throughout this double mix CD. They’re usually filed under breakbeat, but with such an obvious love of hip-hop beats and poppy hooks, not to mention lyrical content which rarely progresses intellectually beyond the shaking of booties and the putting of hands in the air, this has its disgraced elder brother big beat written all over it.
While having been a huge fan of Fatboy Slim, Mekon, Les Rythmes Digitales and even some Propellorheads at the time, the world moves on and much of CD1 seems to be stuck in that era of beer spilling, block rocking party tunes circa 1996/7.
Thanks mainly to the considerable input of Deekline on CD2 things look up as we build to a cruching climax of ’Painkiller’ by Pendulum, Freestylers and Sir Real,
but overall there is a real dated, recycled feel to proceedings. Back to the drawing board.
3/10
ALBUM REVIEW: FABRIC LIVE - MAGDA
Artist: Various Artists
Title: Fabric 49 - Magda
Label: Fabric
Format: Mix CD
Released: November 16
Detroit techno scene stalwart and close affiliate of Richie Hawtin, Magda
delivers a multi-layered mix experience for Fabric that shows the words experimental and fun needn’t be mutually exclusive.
Taking her cue from vintage psychedelic disco act Goblin, whose trippy ‘Buio Omega’ gets an airing in re-edited form here, she opted to theme this mix around a 70s horror soundtrack, although personally I don’t remember any ‘Hammer Horror’ flick with great big, thumping techno beats all over it.
Spooky and tripped out it certainly is, though. With two or three tracks running at almost all times, ranging from 80s synthpop pioneers Yello‘s ’Heavy Whispers’ to spiky, cutting edge jack house from Christian Vogel. There are unreleased tunes from new artists mixed with a healthy selection of tracks from the vaults of the m-nus label which she co-runs and produces for.
So experimental, yes, and futuristically escapist to boot, but without the kind of furrowed brow seriousness that so often accompanies the tag.
9/10
Title: Fabric 49 - Magda
Label: Fabric
Format: Mix CD
Released: November 16
Detroit techno scene stalwart and close affiliate of Richie Hawtin, Magda
delivers a multi-layered mix experience for Fabric that shows the words experimental and fun needn’t be mutually exclusive.
Taking her cue from vintage psychedelic disco act Goblin, whose trippy ‘Buio Omega’ gets an airing in re-edited form here, she opted to theme this mix around a 70s horror soundtrack, although personally I don’t remember any ‘Hammer Horror’ flick with great big, thumping techno beats all over it.
Spooky and tripped out it certainly is, though. With two or three tracks running at almost all times, ranging from 80s synthpop pioneers Yello‘s ’Heavy Whispers’ to spiky, cutting edge jack house from Christian Vogel. There are unreleased tunes from new artists mixed with a healthy selection of tracks from the vaults of the m-nus label which she co-runs and produces for.
So experimental, yes, and futuristically escapist to boot, but without the kind of furrowed brow seriousness that so often accompanies the tag.
9/10
ALBUM REVIEW: HARVEY MCKAY
Artist: Harvey McKay
Title: Machine Make Noise
Label: Soma
Format: CD
Released: December 14
Rising young star of the Glaswegian underground techno scene, Harvey McKay is nevertheless by many of the similar flavours to inspire previous Soma acts like Daft Punk, Funk D’Void and the label’s owners Slam. ‘Machine Make Noise’ is deeply entrenched in the world of Detroit techno, Chicago house and early UK innovators like LFO and Orbital, and if that’s what you enjoy then this will be right up your proverbial cul de sac.
As the title suggests, this is all about machine funk rather than dusty samples or live instrumentation, with tracks like ‘Torque’ and ‘69’ (possibly named after Detroit hero Carl Craig‘s project of the same name?) are driven by muscular rhythmic repetition, goaded along by pulsating sequencers and finished off with layers of spiraling synths.
It’s undeniably retro in one sense - you won’t find a token stab at dubstep or fidget house here, in fact there’s even a great techno workouit called ’Retro’ - but however its slant reads on paper, put the music on and you’ll find it’s still brimming with life and a neat feel for funky riffs and infectious grooviness.
7/10
Title: Machine Make Noise
Label: Soma
Format: CD
Released: December 14
Rising young star of the Glaswegian underground techno scene, Harvey McKay is nevertheless by many of the similar flavours to inspire previous Soma acts like Daft Punk, Funk D’Void and the label’s owners Slam. ‘Machine Make Noise’ is deeply entrenched in the world of Detroit techno, Chicago house and early UK innovators like LFO and Orbital, and if that’s what you enjoy then this will be right up your proverbial cul de sac.
As the title suggests, this is all about machine funk rather than dusty samples or live instrumentation, with tracks like ‘Torque’ and ‘69’ (possibly named after Detroit hero Carl Craig‘s project of the same name?) are driven by muscular rhythmic repetition, goaded along by pulsating sequencers and finished off with layers of spiraling synths.
It’s undeniably retro in one sense - you won’t find a token stab at dubstep or fidget house here, in fact there’s even a great techno workouit called ’Retro’ - but however its slant reads on paper, put the music on and you’ll find it’s still brimming with life and a neat feel for funky riffs and infectious grooviness.
7/10
ALBUM REVIEW: THE FUTURE SOUND OF RUSSIA
Artist: Various
Title: The Future Sound of Russia
Label: Hospital
Format: 2x12” vinyl / CD
Released: November 18
You might imagine, with the help of some lazy national stereotyping, that a stroll through the Russian drum and bass scene might be a fairly forbidding sonic experience.
Indeed, you’d expect to see a compilation like this emerge on a label that leans more toward gnarly industrial strength like Renegade Hardware or Tech Itch rather than Hospital, who’ve consistently brought us the more melodic side of the music via London Elektricity, High Contrast, Logistics and many others.
The truth is that Russia has a long established d&b scene and the sounds here are as varied as if you’d picked Newcastle or Plymouth as its common factor. Artists like Subwave, who has been known for producing some fairly gritty, caustic dance floor productions in the past, are definitely in ‘Hospital’ mode here, his two contributions ‘I Need You‘ and ‘Stars Get Down‘ both being sturdy in the beats department but topped off with soulful vocals. Even the tougher moments, like the impressive ‘Breath’ by Mendelayev, offset their techstep muscle and plunging basslines with a hint of soul.
Other highlights include Nothing’s ’Moonlift’, which echoes the early Certificate 18 output from Photek, Source Direct and Klute with complex arpeggios and soaring strings, and the appearance of Freakpower singer Ashley Slater on Electrosoul System’s ’Sunshine’. Overall, this is proof perhaps that Russia can hold its own in the d&b stakes rather than radically turning the genre on its head, but those already fans of the Hospital sound will definitely approve.
7/10
Title: The Future Sound of Russia
Label: Hospital
Format: 2x12” vinyl / CD
Released: November 18
You might imagine, with the help of some lazy national stereotyping, that a stroll through the Russian drum and bass scene might be a fairly forbidding sonic experience.
Indeed, you’d expect to see a compilation like this emerge on a label that leans more toward gnarly industrial strength like Renegade Hardware or Tech Itch rather than Hospital, who’ve consistently brought us the more melodic side of the music via London Elektricity, High Contrast, Logistics and many others.
The truth is that Russia has a long established d&b scene and the sounds here are as varied as if you’d picked Newcastle or Plymouth as its common factor. Artists like Subwave, who has been known for producing some fairly gritty, caustic dance floor productions in the past, are definitely in ‘Hospital’ mode here, his two contributions ‘I Need You‘ and ‘Stars Get Down‘ both being sturdy in the beats department but topped off with soulful vocals. Even the tougher moments, like the impressive ‘Breath’ by Mendelayev, offset their techstep muscle and plunging basslines with a hint of soul.
Other highlights include Nothing’s ’Moonlift’, which echoes the early Certificate 18 output from Photek, Source Direct and Klute with complex arpeggios and soaring strings, and the appearance of Freakpower singer Ashley Slater on Electrosoul System’s ’Sunshine’. Overall, this is proof perhaps that Russia can hold its own in the d&b stakes rather than radically turning the genre on its head, but those already fans of the Hospital sound will definitely approve.
7/10
ALBUM REVIEW: BLU MAR TEN
Artist: Blu Mar Ten
Title: Natural History
Label: Blu Mar Ten
Released: October 26
Somewhat unbelievably this is the first ever drum & bass album by London duo Blu Mar Ten, returning to their roots as early stars of drum & bass.
Worth the wait? Well, yes, I guess - at least, it’s good enough to beg the question why didn’t they do it before. Admittedly, there’s a certain maturity to the selection of 13 tunes here, spanning everything from broken up dubstep-done-at 170bpm to epics which pit crashing jazz drums with bombastic orchestral ebbs and flows.
The lurching, Peter Hook bass on ‘Last Dance’ makes it a definite highlight, but really the great thing about ‘Natural History’ is its versatility, never content to stay in one style for too long, providing much for today d&b DJ as well as those who remember the more musical, experimental edge that‘s been a constant throughout their career. Exceptional in places, along with Subfocus, one of the d&b albums of the year.
8/10
Title: Natural History
Label: Blu Mar Ten
Released: October 26
Somewhat unbelievably this is the first ever drum & bass album by London duo Blu Mar Ten, returning to their roots as early stars of drum & bass.
Worth the wait? Well, yes, I guess - at least, it’s good enough to beg the question why didn’t they do it before. Admittedly, there’s a certain maturity to the selection of 13 tunes here, spanning everything from broken up dubstep-done-at 170bpm to epics which pit crashing jazz drums with bombastic orchestral ebbs and flows.
The lurching, Peter Hook bass on ‘Last Dance’ makes it a definite highlight, but really the great thing about ‘Natural History’ is its versatility, never content to stay in one style for too long, providing much for today d&b DJ as well as those who remember the more musical, experimental edge that‘s been a constant throughout their career. Exceptional in places, along with Subfocus, one of the d&b albums of the year.
8/10
ALBUM REVIEW: A TRIBUTE TO ARTHUR RUSSELL
Artist: Various
Title: A Tribute To Arthur Russell
Label: Electric Minds
Format: CD
Released: November 16
The songs of disco innovator Arthur Russell, who died in 1992, as revisited by the likes of Yam Who?, Faze Action and Andy Spence of New Young Pony Club.
The spirit of 70s New York, both in terms of disco and punk-funk of Liquid Liquid and ESG lives large, although through these new versions the link between then and today’s grooves becomes wonderfully clear. ‘Tiger Stripes’, for instance, redone here by Max Essa, is so close to NYPC’s big tune to date ‘Ice Cream’ it’s unreal.
The feel of tracks like ‘Make 1 2’ (Yam Who? Featuring Mary Moore’) is very old skool - all cowbells and live sounding playing, rather than pristinely programmed. You can almost imagine the thing being one segment of a week long jam being performed in a loft somewhere. That’ll either fill you with dread or send you running to the record shop - sorry, I mean feverishly clicking on iTunes - but this blogger is definitely of the latter persuasion. Class disco action.
8/10
Title: A Tribute To Arthur Russell
Label: Electric Minds
Format: CD
Released: November 16
The songs of disco innovator Arthur Russell, who died in 1992, as revisited by the likes of Yam Who?, Faze Action and Andy Spence of New Young Pony Club.
The spirit of 70s New York, both in terms of disco and punk-funk of Liquid Liquid and ESG lives large, although through these new versions the link between then and today’s grooves becomes wonderfully clear. ‘Tiger Stripes’, for instance, redone here by Max Essa, is so close to NYPC’s big tune to date ‘Ice Cream’ it’s unreal.
The feel of tracks like ‘Make 1 2’ (Yam Who? Featuring Mary Moore’) is very old skool - all cowbells and live sounding playing, rather than pristinely programmed. You can almost imagine the thing being one segment of a week long jam being performed in a loft somewhere. That’ll either fill you with dread or send you running to the record shop - sorry, I mean feverishly clicking on iTunes - but this blogger is definitely of the latter persuasion. Class disco action.
8/10
ALBUM REVIEW: DISCO CIRCUS
Artist: Various
Title: Disco Circus
Label: Music Response
Format: 2xCD
Released: November 16
Compiled by London based disco duo Mighty Mouse, this double mix album blends the genre’s finest efforts past and present - it claims future too but how can that be when I’m listening to it now?
With a list of artists ranging from legends like Chic and Loose Joints to Chateau Flight, Franz Ferdinand, Bent and of course, much input from MM themselves, this is brimming with a sense of fun and genuine disco abandon.
Despite being short on household name classics, concentrating more underground favourites and genuinely undiscovered gems, this is instant party music that anyone with a pulse should find hard to resist.
9/10
Title: Disco Circus
Label: Music Response
Format: 2xCD
Released: November 16
Compiled by London based disco duo Mighty Mouse, this double mix album blends the genre’s finest efforts past and present - it claims future too but how can that be when I’m listening to it now?
With a list of artists ranging from legends like Chic and Loose Joints to Chateau Flight, Franz Ferdinand, Bent and of course, much input from MM themselves, this is brimming with a sense of fun and genuine disco abandon.
Despite being short on household name classics, concentrating more underground favourites and genuinely undiscovered gems, this is instant party music that anyone with a pulse should find hard to resist.
9/10
Thursday 20 August 2009
KLF Sell Up!
Legendary rave pioneers and art mavericks the KLF are selling their old samplers and the armoured car cum sound system which they used to terrorise the Turner Prize in the early 90s.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Advanced-Acoustic-Armaments-Funktion-One-P-A-system_W0QQitemZ250483082456QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ConElec_SpeakersPASystems_RL?hash=item3a51f484d8&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14#ht_500wt_1182
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KLF_W0QQitemZ250484343342QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Pro_Audio_Samplers_Accessories_CV?hash=item3a5207c22e&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14#ht_500wt_1182
For those who don't recall, the KLF - or K Foundation, as they were by that point - decided to offer double the Turner Prize amount for what the public voted the country's worst piece of art. In the end it was won by Rachel Whiteread's 'House', a work which filled a terraced house in Bow with concrete, then removed the bricks to simply leave the space the house once had inside. Here are a selection of their TV ads for the project.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Advanced-Acoustic-Armaments-Funktion-One-P-A-system_W0QQitemZ250483082456QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ConElec_SpeakersPASystems_RL?hash=item3a51f484d8&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14#ht_500wt_1182
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KLF_W0QQitemZ250484343342QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Pro_Audio_Samplers_Accessories_CV?hash=item3a5207c22e&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14#ht_500wt_1182
For those who don't recall, the KLF - or K Foundation, as they were by that point - decided to offer double the Turner Prize amount for what the public voted the country's worst piece of art. In the end it was won by Rachel Whiteread's 'House', a work which filled a terraced house in Bow with concrete, then removed the bricks to simply leave the space the house once had inside. Here are a selection of their TV ads for the project.
Tuesday 11 August 2009
ALBUM REVIEW: TWO FINGERS: INSTRUMENTALS
Format: CD / vinyl
Label: Big Dada
Released: September 7
Any list of the most underrated electronic producers about must include Amon Tobin fairly near the top. His sound might take in influences from drum & bass, dubstep, hip-hop and leftfield electronics, but he never apes any genre, taking very much his own path. His latest sonic exploit, together with partner Joe Chapman as Two Fingers, saw him sound tracking the rhymes of various hip-hop MCs including Sway.
Even though this bonus track-packed instrumental version may be more a home rather than dancefloor listen that doesn’t stop it from being downright confrontational and aggressive in parts - a ‘Ministry Chill Out’ session it most certainly isn’t.
There are individual musical touches like twanging surf guitars, weeping violins and unnerving incidental found sound samples which all help to lend Two Fingers their own identity, but the wall of uniquely assembled beats still dominates tracks like ’Not Perfect’ and current single ’That Girl’.
From the strummed Spanish guitars to the layers of Latin-styled percussion and almost Bhangra-like flourishes of ’Keman Rhythm’, there’s a global feel to the different flavours on offer, always rooted in the sturdy beats of hip-hop culture but never afraid to experiment.
Stick Two Fingers up to everything else around and hear this instead.
9/10
Ben Willmott
www.myspace.com/2wofingers
Label: Big Dada
Released: September 7
Any list of the most underrated electronic producers about must include Amon Tobin fairly near the top. His sound might take in influences from drum & bass, dubstep, hip-hop and leftfield electronics, but he never apes any genre, taking very much his own path. His latest sonic exploit, together with partner Joe Chapman as Two Fingers, saw him sound tracking the rhymes of various hip-hop MCs including Sway.
Even though this bonus track-packed instrumental version may be more a home rather than dancefloor listen that doesn’t stop it from being downright confrontational and aggressive in parts - a ‘Ministry Chill Out’ session it most certainly isn’t.
There are individual musical touches like twanging surf guitars, weeping violins and unnerving incidental found sound samples which all help to lend Two Fingers their own identity, but the wall of uniquely assembled beats still dominates tracks like ’Not Perfect’ and current single ’That Girl’.
From the strummed Spanish guitars to the layers of Latin-styled percussion and almost Bhangra-like flourishes of ’Keman Rhythm’, there’s a global feel to the different flavours on offer, always rooted in the sturdy beats of hip-hop culture but never afraid to experiment.
Stick Two Fingers up to everything else around and hear this instead.
9/10
Ben Willmott
www.myspace.com/2wofingers
SINGLE REVIEW: TWO FINGERS: BAD GIRL
Format: CD / vinyl
Label: Big Dada
Released: August 31
A new version of the strutting ragga track from Two Fingers’ eponymous debut LP, with Jamaican dancehall queen Ce’Celle’s vocals added to successfully by Mobo-winning rapper Sway, who recently signed to Akon’s Konvict label.
Remixes from King Cannibal, who add a new, more junglist edge to the rhythm, and Spikyben favourites The Bug, whose reworking further emphasises its dark, brooding rave side, go to make this a true bumper package even without the original and a pair of instrumentals.
Ben Willmott
7&½ /10
Label: Big Dada
Released: August 31
A new version of the strutting ragga track from Two Fingers’ eponymous debut LP, with Jamaican dancehall queen Ce’Celle’s vocals added to successfully by Mobo-winning rapper Sway, who recently signed to Akon’s Konvict label.
Remixes from King Cannibal, who add a new, more junglist edge to the rhythm, and Spikyben favourites The Bug, whose reworking further emphasises its dark, brooding rave side, go to make this a true bumper package even without the original and a pair of instrumentals.
Ben Willmott
7&½ /10
ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS: CHROMEO - DJ KICKS
Format: mix CD
Label: !K7
Released: October 26
Wonderfully named Montreal duo Dave 1 and P-Thugg aka Chromeo spinning a luxurious sounding selection of synthpop, disco and electro funk, explaining a lot about the origins of their own sound in the process.
First up is Kano, not the street tough East End grime lord but the Italo house innovator, whose proto-electro offering ‘Ikeya-Seki’ is the missing link between Giorgio Moroder and ‘Popcorn’. Irresistible vintage French disco from Pierre Perpall (an online payment system, surely) follows - and is gone far too quickly - and the other 26 tracks take in everything from Lifelike’s pulsating, Daft Punk-like digi-disco (‘Sequencer’), Leo Sayer, The Alan Parsons Project and Chrome’s covering The Eagles’ ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’.
The pair have insisted their choice is not ironic, saying they love the innocent sincerity of the 70s/80s era, and although this track listing will be considered downright cheesy by some, in the right conditions it’s hard to dislike.
Ben Willmott
6&½/10
Label: !K7
Released: October 26
Wonderfully named Montreal duo Dave 1 and P-Thugg aka Chromeo spinning a luxurious sounding selection of synthpop, disco and electro funk, explaining a lot about the origins of their own sound in the process.
First up is Kano, not the street tough East End grime lord but the Italo house innovator, whose proto-electro offering ‘Ikeya-Seki’ is the missing link between Giorgio Moroder and ‘Popcorn’. Irresistible vintage French disco from Pierre Perpall (an online payment system, surely) follows - and is gone far too quickly - and the other 26 tracks take in everything from Lifelike’s pulsating, Daft Punk-like digi-disco (‘Sequencer’), Leo Sayer, The Alan Parsons Project and Chrome’s covering The Eagles’ ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’.
The pair have insisted their choice is not ironic, saying they love the innocent sincerity of the 70s/80s era, and although this track listing will be considered downright cheesy by some, in the right conditions it’s hard to dislike.
Ben Willmott
6&½/10
ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS: FABRIC LIVE - RADIO SLAVE
Format: mix CD
Labek: Fabric
Released: October 20
Operating under a number of well-respected guises, including Radio Slave, Rekid, Quiet Village, Mathew E and his collaborative Sea Devils project with Caged Baby, South Londoner Matt Edwards has been contributing to the British house music scene since his days spinning at Ministry’s Open All Hours night during the early 90s. Here he mixes ultra-current minimal tech-house with the traditional machine funk of classic house/techno.
The Michel Cleis remix of Spencer Parker’s ’The Beginning’, for instance, owes much to Chicago and Detroit in general and Lil Louis’, Steve ’Silk’ Hurley, Derrick May and Carl Craig in particular, with its chugging, automated pianos and exotic Latin percussion. But elsewhere, like exclusive unreleased Radio Slave track ‘DDB’, it’s more slanted towards the linear, stripped down Euro pulsations of Mauritzio.
Heads down, frug-inspiring grooves, with the odd sonic diversion like Nina Kraviz’s wonderfully personality-laden ’Pain In The Ass’ thrown in to stop it getting too relentless, showing that Edwards has a superb feel for structuring a DJ set, this is well worth getting enslaved to.
Ben Willmott
7&½/10
Labek: Fabric
Released: October 20
Operating under a number of well-respected guises, including Radio Slave, Rekid, Quiet Village, Mathew E and his collaborative Sea Devils project with Caged Baby, South Londoner Matt Edwards has been contributing to the British house music scene since his days spinning at Ministry’s Open All Hours night during the early 90s. Here he mixes ultra-current minimal tech-house with the traditional machine funk of classic house/techno.
The Michel Cleis remix of Spencer Parker’s ’The Beginning’, for instance, owes much to Chicago and Detroit in general and Lil Louis’, Steve ’Silk’ Hurley, Derrick May and Carl Craig in particular, with its chugging, automated pianos and exotic Latin percussion. But elsewhere, like exclusive unreleased Radio Slave track ‘DDB’, it’s more slanted towards the linear, stripped down Euro pulsations of Mauritzio.
Heads down, frug-inspiring grooves, with the odd sonic diversion like Nina Kraviz’s wonderfully personality-laden ’Pain In The Ass’ thrown in to stop it getting too relentless, showing that Edwards has a superb feel for structuring a DJ set, this is well worth getting enslaved to.
Ben Willmott
7&½/10
ALBUM REVIEW: LEE COMBS: LIGHT & DARK
Format: CD album
Label: Lot 49
Released: October 12
Instrumental in combining techno, house, breaks and electro to create ‘tech funk’, Lee Combs’ third album I big on slamming big room grooves, but still manages to inject variety and personality into the formula. The opener, ‘Control’ features the belting vocals of Katherine Ellis, ’Detox’ boasts a genuinely surprising breakdown alongside wriggling acid and ’Blue I’m Singing’ owes as much to echo and the Bunnymen as Chicago or Detroit. Often nodding back to the past - see the monstrous rave chords of ‘Right Now’ with Uberzone - but with its sights set very much on the future, this is as ingenious as it is infectious.
Ben Willmott
Label: Lot 49
Released: October 12
Instrumental in combining techno, house, breaks and electro to create ‘tech funk’, Lee Combs’ third album I big on slamming big room grooves, but still manages to inject variety and personality into the formula. The opener, ‘Control’ features the belting vocals of Katherine Ellis, ’Detox’ boasts a genuinely surprising breakdown alongside wriggling acid and ’Blue I’m Singing’ owes as much to echo and the Bunnymen as Chicago or Detroit. Often nodding back to the past - see the monstrous rave chords of ‘Right Now’ with Uberzone - but with its sights set very much on the future, this is as ingenious as it is infectious.
Ben Willmott
SINGLE REVIEW: THE LAUREL COLLECTIVE: WIDOW / FLAME THROWER
Format: 7” vinyl
Label: Pure Groove
Released: September 7
Interesting combination of programmed rhythm and more traditional band type behaviour reflecting the trio’s er, collective roots in Nigeria, England and Wales. Although luckily there‘s not a trace of Max Boyce, The Alarm or the Manics here.
In fact, it’s more like a funked up version of Kate Nash’s friendly, cheerful songwriting style, with the fey falsetto male vocals of Martin Sukutu a considerable improvement on Nash’s, even if there’s a hint of the same mockney posturing. Not quite there yet but still more original than most, The Laurel Colective may be onto something good.
2&½/5
Label: Pure Groove
Released: September 7
Interesting combination of programmed rhythm and more traditional band type behaviour reflecting the trio’s er, collective roots in Nigeria, England and Wales. Although luckily there‘s not a trace of Max Boyce, The Alarm or the Manics here.
In fact, it’s more like a funked up version of Kate Nash’s friendly, cheerful songwriting style, with the fey falsetto male vocals of Martin Sukutu a considerable improvement on Nash’s, even if there’s a hint of the same mockney posturing. Not quite there yet but still more original than most, The Laurel Colective may be onto something good.
2&½/5
LIVE REVIEW: GRAHAM COXON
GRAHAM COXON
LONDON CAMDEN ROUNDHOUSE
JULY 23 2009
With a couple of sold out Hyde Park shows, a Glastonbury headline and sundry other massive gigs already under his belt, you’d forgive Graham Coxon for spending the rest of the summer sitting back and counting his money.
Love or loathe him, there’s no denying the Blur guitarist is someone who likes to get out on a stage and play, and there’s a certain bravery to him testing out his new folk direction on a few thousand or so iTunes competition winners who‘d probably rather be spilling their lager to ‘Girls and Boys’ and ‘Parklife’. There’s a certain restlessness among the full Roundhouse early on, as Coxon sits down and out of most people’s view and picks his way through a succession of hushed Nick Drake-inspired songs on an acoustic.
He mumbles inaudible greetings into the microphone, something onstage starts feeding back awfully, and for a moment the sound of talking threatens to overwhelm the fragile sound. But as bassist Gareth Huw Davies, best known for his work on all three of R.O.C.'s albums to date, and drummer Graham Fox begin to get more involved, the crowd steadily warms to their understated but often infectious sound.
There are a few (vaguely) rowdier diversions, where the self-styled Power Trio do the full on fuzzbox overdrive of Dinosaur Jr or reference psychedelic space rock ghosts of the Roundhouse’s former life like Hawkwind and Pink Floyd. But the main offering remains Coxon’s quirky take on late 60s/early 70s folk, heavily influenced by Drake, Syd Barrett and Robert Wyatt.
That said, the shambling but emotionally engaging delivery and ability to pen a memorable, fresh tune are all his. Once the audience begins to cheer, clap and hoist their mobiles skywards he seems to emerge from his shell, step up to the microphone and establish a decent raport. So by the time they reach the hypnotic, harmonium-led set closer ‘November’
it feels like a shaky start has been turned into a triumph. A triumph on Coxon’s terms, too, which after the surefire safety of the Blur reunion, must feel pretty good.
Ben Willmott
LONDON CAMDEN ROUNDHOUSE
JULY 23 2009
With a couple of sold out Hyde Park shows, a Glastonbury headline and sundry other massive gigs already under his belt, you’d forgive Graham Coxon for spending the rest of the summer sitting back and counting his money.
Love or loathe him, there’s no denying the Blur guitarist is someone who likes to get out on a stage and play, and there’s a certain bravery to him testing out his new folk direction on a few thousand or so iTunes competition winners who‘d probably rather be spilling their lager to ‘Girls and Boys’ and ‘Parklife’. There’s a certain restlessness among the full Roundhouse early on, as Coxon sits down and out of most people’s view and picks his way through a succession of hushed Nick Drake-inspired songs on an acoustic.
He mumbles inaudible greetings into the microphone, something onstage starts feeding back awfully, and for a moment the sound of talking threatens to overwhelm the fragile sound. But as bassist Gareth Huw Davies, best known for his work on all three of R.O.C.'s albums to date, and drummer Graham Fox begin to get more involved, the crowd steadily warms to their understated but often infectious sound.
There are a few (vaguely) rowdier diversions, where the self-styled Power Trio do the full on fuzzbox overdrive of Dinosaur Jr or reference psychedelic space rock ghosts of the Roundhouse’s former life like Hawkwind and Pink Floyd. But the main offering remains Coxon’s quirky take on late 60s/early 70s folk, heavily influenced by Drake, Syd Barrett and Robert Wyatt.
That said, the shambling but emotionally engaging delivery and ability to pen a memorable, fresh tune are all his. Once the audience begins to cheer, clap and hoist their mobiles skywards he seems to emerge from his shell, step up to the microphone and establish a decent raport. So by the time they reach the hypnotic, harmonium-led set closer ‘November’
it feels like a shaky start has been turned into a triumph. A triumph on Coxon’s terms, too, which after the surefire safety of the Blur reunion, must feel pretty good.
Ben Willmott
Saturday 11 July 2009
Sound Systems
By which I mean the real thing, not the daft name for a crew of DJs who happen to play together. Nothing shows you're serious about how your musc is heard more than bringing down your own massive set of speakers to batter the audience's ears.
SHAKA
JAH TUBBY
VALVE
SHAKA
JAH TUBBY
VALVE
Friday 19 June 2009
Tuesday 16 June 2009
SANTIGOLD
Santigold is apparently working with Pharrell Williams on her new album, along with UK garage king Switch. Let's hope she doesn't forget to invite Freq Nasty, who helped produce the heavily rotated 'Creator' single from her first LP, back for a second dose.
Santigold: Creator
New Zealand-born, South London-based producer Freq Nasty has been making great records mashing up house, electro, hip-hop, dubstep and breakbeat, for over a decade now, yet despite hooking up with key labels like Skint and Botchit & Scarper, household name status still eludes him. Witness the great groove framework he conjurs up for female US rapper Phoebe One here...
Freq Nasty: Boomin Back Atcha
Meanwhile, Santigold has cited two big influences on her new material, Otis Redding and Egyptian Lover. The first name you know, but for those unfamiliar with the second, here's the rapper and electro wizard's big 1984 hit. Can't wait to hear it.
Egyptian Lover: Egypt, Egypt
Santigold: Creator
New Zealand-born, South London-based producer Freq Nasty has been making great records mashing up house, electro, hip-hop, dubstep and breakbeat, for over a decade now, yet despite hooking up with key labels like Skint and Botchit & Scarper, household name status still eludes him. Witness the great groove framework he conjurs up for female US rapper Phoebe One here...
Freq Nasty: Boomin Back Atcha
Meanwhile, Santigold has cited two big influences on her new material, Otis Redding and Egyptian Lover. The first name you know, but for those unfamiliar with the second, here's the rapper and electro wizard's big 1984 hit. Can't wait to hear it.
Egyptian Lover: Egypt, Egypt
DEREK JARMAN'S LOST SMITHS VIDEO
It's common knowledge that director Derek Jarman was commissioned to make promos for the generally video-phobic Smiths. The shorts he made for 'Panic', 'Ask' and 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' have been widely circulated, but I wasn't aware of this fourth film, for 'I Won't Share You.'
It's got a very similar style to the others, with blurry figures looming in and out of range, petals falling in strobe light and so on, but given the vastly underrated nature of the song (the last track on the last Smiths LP 'Strangeways Here We Come') I thought it deserved dusting off.
The Smiths: I Won't Share You
It's got a very similar style to the others, with blurry figures looming in and out of range, petals falling in strobe light and so on, but given the vastly underrated nature of the song (the last track on the last Smiths LP 'Strangeways Here We Come') I thought it deserved dusting off.
The Smiths: I Won't Share You
Thursday 4 June 2009
JUICE ALEEM
Juice Aleem, formerly of Big Dada-signed hip-hop collective New Flesh, is dropping his first solo album via the Ninja Tune offshoot on July 20... It's called 'JeruSalaam Come'. Yes, that really is how it's spelt.
Just one advantage of owning the biggest hip-hop label in Britain is that you can grab the talent you've signed for your own tunes. - see this: Ninja/Dada bosses Coldcut playing live with Juice Aleem on the microphone last year...
Just one advantage of owning the biggest hip-hop label in Britain is that you can grab the talent you've signed for your own tunes. - see this: Ninja/Dada bosses Coldcut playing live with Juice Aleem on the microphone last year...
Sunday 31 May 2009
RUFIGE KRU
Having blogged about Joey Beltram's 'Mentasm' being sampled endlessly in the days of rave and jungle, here's another thrilling use of it, from early days of Goldie's Rufige Kru.
Rufige Kru: Terminator 2
Currently putting together a 15 years of Metalheadz piece for ATM which is proving fascinating - as well as chatting to Goldie about 'Memoirs of an Afterlife', his new album under the Kru moniker. Given that Goldie' previous collaborators under the name have been Doc Scott, Dillinja, Optical and Rob Playfor of 2 Bad Mice/Moving Shadow fame, there's a certain amount to live up to for relative newbie Heist.
Heist: Quake
But he lives up to it here, their second album together, closer in spirit to the claustrophic, ever phasing and shifting soundscapes and warped, disorientating rhythmic violence of RK's early days than the smoother last album 'Malice In Wonderland'.
Check this clip from the LP for further evidence.
Rufige Kru: Sometime Sad Day
Incidentally, Storm from the Headz camp told me something I'd never previously heard, namely that Goldie was heavily inspired by Japan after she introduced them to him. I'd forgotten another of his early singles for Reinforced was called 'Ghosts of my Life'. It's remixed by Fabio on the flipside of the very first Metalheadz release, Doc Scott's 'Drumz VIP'
Japan: Ghosts
Rufige Kru: Ghosts of my Life
And blow me down if that isn't another mentasm.
Rufige Kru: Terminator 2
Currently putting together a 15 years of Metalheadz piece for ATM which is proving fascinating - as well as chatting to Goldie about 'Memoirs of an Afterlife', his new album under the Kru moniker. Given that Goldie' previous collaborators under the name have been Doc Scott, Dillinja, Optical and Rob Playfor of 2 Bad Mice/Moving Shadow fame, there's a certain amount to live up to for relative newbie Heist.
Heist: Quake
But he lives up to it here, their second album together, closer in spirit to the claustrophic, ever phasing and shifting soundscapes and warped, disorientating rhythmic violence of RK's early days than the smoother last album 'Malice In Wonderland'.
Check this clip from the LP for further evidence.
Rufige Kru: Sometime Sad Day
Incidentally, Storm from the Headz camp told me something I'd never previously heard, namely that Goldie was heavily inspired by Japan after she introduced them to him. I'd forgotten another of his early singles for Reinforced was called 'Ghosts of my Life'. It's remixed by Fabio on the flipside of the very first Metalheadz release, Doc Scott's 'Drumz VIP'
Japan: Ghosts
Rufige Kru: Ghosts of my Life
And blow me down if that isn't another mentasm.
Saturday 30 May 2009
REVIEW - JAKES: THE JAKES PROJECT
Format: CD/ 4 separate 12"s
Released: Now
label: DSR
There's a reason I've waited a while, after trying to tempt you with a few snippets of Jakes' prodigious talents a while back, to bring you the full skinny on 'The Jakes Project'. In short, it's because I've been wondering if this might be the album of the year.
Here is Jakes talking about it.
There are plenty of people straddling drum & bass and dubstep at the moment, but Bristol-based Jakes is unique in that he makes dubstep and MCs on drum & bass tunes by the likes of TC, Distorted Minds and others.
Some of these tunes have been floating around for a while, but collected here on CD for the first time they make up a serious body of work. The pace, switching from the slo-mo likes of vintage Def Jam sample orgy 'Rock Tha Bells' back up to the speedier thrills of Distorted Minds' remix of 'Warface' and back again, means it feels like a hefty but varied album.
You can even forgive 'Swerve', a mellower but still strident d&b tune, its slight similarity with a certain fictional web wizard's bedtime mantra, what with all that 'swerving the curve' business.
It's still way cool...
The link between the two styles is obvious - they're both gritty, booming, rooted in hip-hop and electro as much as sound system reggae and rave culture. But the cream is his highly distinctive voice - a lilting, toasting style (in contrast to other MCs' incessant ranting), with a unique line in sometimes funny, sometimes tough lyrics.
Yeah, album of the year so far, at least. The mass of clips and hitherto undiscovered gems out there mean this blog is sometimes happy to wallow in the past, but if you're after a true slice of 2009, this is it.
Released: Now
label: DSR
There's a reason I've waited a while, after trying to tempt you with a few snippets of Jakes' prodigious talents a while back, to bring you the full skinny on 'The Jakes Project'. In short, it's because I've been wondering if this might be the album of the year.
Here is Jakes talking about it.
There are plenty of people straddling drum & bass and dubstep at the moment, but Bristol-based Jakes is unique in that he makes dubstep and MCs on drum & bass tunes by the likes of TC, Distorted Minds and others.
Some of these tunes have been floating around for a while, but collected here on CD for the first time they make up a serious body of work. The pace, switching from the slo-mo likes of vintage Def Jam sample orgy 'Rock Tha Bells' back up to the speedier thrills of Distorted Minds' remix of 'Warface' and back again, means it feels like a hefty but varied album.
You can even forgive 'Swerve', a mellower but still strident d&b tune, its slight similarity with a certain fictional web wizard's bedtime mantra, what with all that 'swerving the curve' business.
It's still way cool...
The link between the two styles is obvious - they're both gritty, booming, rooted in hip-hop and electro as much as sound system reggae and rave culture. But the cream is his highly distinctive voice - a lilting, toasting style (in contrast to other MCs' incessant ranting), with a unique line in sometimes funny, sometimes tough lyrics.
Yeah, album of the year so far, at least. The mass of clips and hitherto undiscovered gems out there mean this blog is sometimes happy to wallow in the past, but if you're after a true slice of 2009, this is it.
REVIEW - BIZZY B: RETROSPECTIVE
Format: CD /3xLP / Digital
Label: Planet Mu
Released: July 13
Before I tell you what a fine collection of jungle tunes from Bizzy B 'Retrospective' is, ponder this thought. If you were born in the year these records first came out thne you'll be able to buy fags legally by now.
What's happened since 1992/3 you might well ask? Well, not a lot, according to the 14 tracks here. Productions have got slicker, producers have found other beats apart from the raging Amen break, but basically this is the same music we drum & bass fans have been listening to ever since, and here it is in its glorious original form.
Tracks like 'Slow Jam', with its mindboggling, record-yanked-back rewind worked into the intro groove and the spiralling sonic swirtls of 'Twisted Mentazm', an early outing for the heavily used Joey Beltram synth sample of almost the same name,
are everything that's great about jungle - rough but complex, unrestrained and lunatic and invariably made from multiple musical genres all mixed up into one.
There's also a collaboration with Peshay, bringing his trademark spacey ambience to the otherwise vicious hardcore rave flailing of 'Merderstyle', and people with names like Pugwash, Equinox, Technochild (see clip above) and D Lux all join him at other points. But the tone is consistent throughout - a violent flurry of foghorns, spinbacks, double speed breakbeat madness, reggae basslines remade at sub-human depths and piercing electronics. Bring it on.
5/5
Label: Planet Mu
Released: July 13
Before I tell you what a fine collection of jungle tunes from Bizzy B 'Retrospective' is, ponder this thought. If you were born in the year these records first came out thne you'll be able to buy fags legally by now.
What's happened since 1992/3 you might well ask? Well, not a lot, according to the 14 tracks here. Productions have got slicker, producers have found other beats apart from the raging Amen break, but basically this is the same music we drum & bass fans have been listening to ever since, and here it is in its glorious original form.
Tracks like 'Slow Jam', with its mindboggling, record-yanked-back rewind worked into the intro groove and the spiralling sonic swirtls of 'Twisted Mentazm', an early outing for the heavily used Joey Beltram synth sample of almost the same name,
are everything that's great about jungle - rough but complex, unrestrained and lunatic and invariably made from multiple musical genres all mixed up into one.
There's also a collaboration with Peshay, bringing his trademark spacey ambience to the otherwise vicious hardcore rave flailing of 'Merderstyle', and people with names like Pugwash, Equinox, Technochild (see clip above) and D Lux all join him at other points. But the tone is consistent throughout - a violent flurry of foghorns, spinbacks, double speed breakbeat madness, reggae basslines remade at sub-human depths and piercing electronics. Bring it on.
5/5
Saturday 16 May 2009
REVIEW - DANNY BREAKS / SIGMA
Format: 12" single
Label: Hospital
Released: June 1
DANNY BREAKS: VOLUME ONE (LOGISTICS REMIX)
One of Danny's early 90s jungle era classics - whose role in the development of d&b is often overlooked - revisited by Hospital's Cambridge-based hero Logistics. It's full of energy, as Amen breaks crash like waves on a stormy night and Photek-style ambient dreaminess drifts in and out of focus, but although this rework definitely makes it playable circa 2009 (without a drastic change in atmosphere), it really begs the question 'will Danny ever make another d&b tune?' Given that he's most recently been making hip-hop beats the answer's probably no, but this is more encouragement to live in hope.
3/5
SIGMA: PAINT IT BLACK
More in the vein of labelmates High Contrast, London Elektricity and Influx Datum, this has all the hallmarks of a big Hospital roller. It's oozing melodies that more big band than jazzy, boasts that euphoric 'coming up on E' vibe that the label's best tunes have and comes topped off with a soaring female vocal that's employed sparingly but at just the right time.
4/5
Label: Hospital
Released: June 1
DANNY BREAKS: VOLUME ONE (LOGISTICS REMIX)
One of Danny's early 90s jungle era classics - whose role in the development of d&b is often overlooked - revisited by Hospital's Cambridge-based hero Logistics. It's full of energy, as Amen breaks crash like waves on a stormy night and Photek-style ambient dreaminess drifts in and out of focus, but although this rework definitely makes it playable circa 2009 (without a drastic change in atmosphere), it really begs the question 'will Danny ever make another d&b tune?' Given that he's most recently been making hip-hop beats the answer's probably no, but this is more encouragement to live in hope.
3/5
SIGMA: PAINT IT BLACK
More in the vein of labelmates High Contrast, London Elektricity and Influx Datum, this has all the hallmarks of a big Hospital roller. It's oozing melodies that more big band than jazzy, boasts that euphoric 'coming up on E' vibe that the label's best tunes have and comes topped off with a soaring female vocal that's employed sparingly but at just the right time.
4/5
REVIEW - DJ T: THE INNER JUKEBOX
Format: CD
Label: Get Physical
Release: June 26
Ruthlessly efficient rhythmic technofunk to bring a tear to the eye of those who remember the time when (during the mid-90s) the US techno of Richie Hawtin, Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills and Drexciya ruled the dancefloor. There's a clear house element evident in terms of the additional flavours, like the samba vocals and percussion on 'Bateria' or 'Mr Piano Hands' retro handclaps, but the basic foundation here is universally one of infectious, four-to-the-floor tribalisms and Motor City machine funk. If you thought -like me - that this formula was all played out, allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised.
4/5
Label: Get Physical
Release: June 26
Ruthlessly efficient rhythmic technofunk to bring a tear to the eye of those who remember the time when (during the mid-90s) the US techno of Richie Hawtin, Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills and Drexciya ruled the dancefloor. There's a clear house element evident in terms of the additional flavours, like the samba vocals and percussion on 'Bateria' or 'Mr Piano Hands' retro handclaps, but the basic foundation here is universally one of infectious, four-to-the-floor tribalisms and Motor City machine funk. If you thought -like me - that this formula was all played out, allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised.
4/5
Saturday 2 May 2009
Grandmixer D.ST
He features in the hip-hop film 'Wildstyle' and scratched with Herbie Hancock in Headhunters II as well as constructing this later, jaw dropping megamix of HH's best electro-era moments. Clearly another case of first-on-the-spot innovator not receiving his dues...
Sunday 12 April 2009
PEACHES - ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL 10/04/09
Performances by Peaches are rare occasions and as such, elicit extreme reactions. For starters, there's the audience. Girls and boys alike dolled up to the nines in homage to the Canadian-born singer's skintight spandex look, one even sporting an outsize seethrough teapot on her head. Not for nothing, it seems, does one of her tunes declare 'Boys Want To Be Her/Girls Want To Be Her'.
Fond of the odd costume change herself, Peaches took to the stage looking like Pink's wayward little sister, after declaring from the wings through her radio mike 'we are going to murder you, slowly'. Having made her name through the electro scene before turning to AC/DC-style riff/groove debauchery...
this show was a highly effective clash of both styles, with her three piece backing band providing everything from sub-bass b-line sonics to Angus Young-style fretwank solos. Rock 'n' roll pantomine is the over-arching theme, with the hyperactive Peaches clambering on top of the towering speaker stacks, encouraging the audience to shed their clothing during 'Shirts Come Off' and most impressively of all, shooting up into the air on wires.
She had no problem filling the Festival Hall, even reserving the Royal Box for her parents - one can't help wonder what they must think of her outlandish and sexually explicit subject matter - and a show of hands revealed that many here had discovered her since her last UK show. Next stop Wembley Stadium? It's a nice thought.
Fond of the odd costume change herself, Peaches took to the stage looking like Pink's wayward little sister, after declaring from the wings through her radio mike 'we are going to murder you, slowly'. Having made her name through the electro scene before turning to AC/DC-style riff/groove debauchery...
this show was a highly effective clash of both styles, with her three piece backing band providing everything from sub-bass b-line sonics to Angus Young-style fretwank solos. Rock 'n' roll pantomine is the over-arching theme, with the hyperactive Peaches clambering on top of the towering speaker stacks, encouraging the audience to shed their clothing during 'Shirts Come Off' and most impressively of all, shooting up into the air on wires.
She had no problem filling the Festival Hall, even reserving the Royal Box for her parents - one can't help wonder what they must think of her outlandish and sexually explicit subject matter - and a show of hands revealed that many here had discovered her since her last UK show. Next stop Wembley Stadium? It's a nice thought.
Friday 10 April 2009
THE JAKES PROJECT
Just received my copy of The Jakes Project album - full report coming soon, I'm saving it up for the weekend - and must say I've not got as excited as this about a new album for quite a while.
He's one of those sickeningly talented people first known as a D&B MC, adding his unique Bristol twang to corkers like these...
TC feat Jakes: Deep
Distorted Minds: T 10
as well as heading up the dubstep crew H.E.N.C.H. as a producer...
Jakes: Rock The Bells
He's one of those sickeningly talented people first known as a D&B MC, adding his unique Bristol twang to corkers like these...
TC feat Jakes: Deep
Distorted Minds: T 10
as well as heading up the dubstep crew H.E.N.C.H. as a producer...
Jakes: Rock The Bells
Sunday 5 April 2009
REVIEW - VARIOUS: IN ORDER TO EDIT
Format: mix CD
Label: R&S
Released: June 1
Those you out there old enough to remember the early to mid 90s will recall that Belgian label R&S played a key role in the growth and development of techno and electronica. They signed early releases by Brit heroes like Aphex Twin and Mu-Ziq, brought US legends like Joey Beltram and Carl Craig to mass European audiences as well as their unique roster of European artists like CJ Bolland and many others.
'In Order To Edit' is a mix CD which zips effortlessly and efficiently through their back catalogue, concentrating on the techno element for which they're best known. The highlights, like Beltram's pulsing 'Energy Flash', Jaydee's brooding, understated 'Plastic Dreams' and Aphex's 'Digeridoo' - the track which took him from Cornish eccentric to household clubbing name - appear not to have dated at all.
It's a shock to discover they're all over 15 years old - a fact which says as much about the lack of innovation and invention of house/techno today as it does about their brilliance. They're a sheer delight to hear again, along with another all time favourite of mine, Capricorn's '20Hz',
which pits the sound of a marching band against a vicious 4/4 stomp yet somehow merges brutality with subtlety.
There is an element of filler in here too, tracks which are OK but ultimately haven't stood the test of time, but as a testament to this now all but forgotten imprint's glorious salad days, it still works a treat.
3/5
Label: R&S
Released: June 1
Those you out there old enough to remember the early to mid 90s will recall that Belgian label R&S played a key role in the growth and development of techno and electronica. They signed early releases by Brit heroes like Aphex Twin and Mu-Ziq, brought US legends like Joey Beltram and Carl Craig to mass European audiences as well as their unique roster of European artists like CJ Bolland and many others.
'In Order To Edit' is a mix CD which zips effortlessly and efficiently through their back catalogue, concentrating on the techno element for which they're best known. The highlights, like Beltram's pulsing 'Energy Flash', Jaydee's brooding, understated 'Plastic Dreams' and Aphex's 'Digeridoo' - the track which took him from Cornish eccentric to household clubbing name - appear not to have dated at all.
It's a shock to discover they're all over 15 years old - a fact which says as much about the lack of innovation and invention of house/techno today as it does about their brilliance. They're a sheer delight to hear again, along with another all time favourite of mine, Capricorn's '20Hz',
which pits the sound of a marching band against a vicious 4/4 stomp yet somehow merges brutality with subtlety.
There is an element of filler in here too, tracks which are OK but ultimately haven't stood the test of time, but as a testament to this now all but forgotten imprint's glorious salad days, it still works a treat.
3/5
Wednesday 1 April 2009
G20 PROTESTS
Understatement of the day, courtesy of CNN: 'there are several hundred people here...'
Obvious but appropriate choice... Rage Against The Machine: Take The Power Back at Glastonbury 1994 - glad to say I was there. They had that magical early evening festival slot, where it was still light when they came on, but dark by the time they finished.
Obvious but appropriate choice... Rage Against The Machine: Take The Power Back at Glastonbury 1994 - glad to say I was there. They had that magical early evening festival slot, where it was still light when they came on, but dark by the time they finished.
Sunday 29 March 2009
INTERVIEW: DJ FRICTION
BW: So, I see you’re playing (legendary jungle night) AWOL….
FRICTION: Yeah, it’s funny because it was AWOL and the Lazerdrome in Peckham that I got into drum and bass through. I had a phone call from Darren Jay - he said, because you’re here now, the kids recognise you that might not know anything about AWOL.
They see you playing music from that era - you know, I’ve got all that music, I can’t wait. My first CD was AWOL Live at The Ministry, the one they recorded with all the crowd noise on there.
BW: That’s going to be an old skool selection then?
FRICTION: Definitely, yeah. Micky Finn rang me up and said ‘just to confirm you know what to play’ and I just texted back a big LOL (lots of laughs). He said, you’d be surprised…. No, you’ve booked me for AWOL and I’m going to get off on playing what got me into it.
BW: Is there one tune in particular you’re looking forward to playing?
FRICTION: ‘Silver Blade’ (by Cybotron aka Dillinja)
and ‘Dark Stranger’, the Origin Unknown remix. What I’ve started doing is getting a lot of tunes like that and speeding them up and re-eq-ing them and remastering them a bit and sending them to be cut like that. You’ve got tools now where you can speed things up and it doesn’t sound all funny, you know, so I’ve been doing that with a few tunes, trying to give a little something different when I’m playing.
I spent years and years and years trying to get where I am now and it’s brilliant. It is hard work but I love it, really really pleased to be in it and doing. Shogun’s gone mad and everyone’s going crazy about Shogun. What I’m trying to do now is go on that sub-genres thing, so when I play I literally will change my set for each venue. What’s happened in drum and bass is, since those AWOL days when it was inspired by rare groove and reggae, that was what started it, now you’ve got electro inspired tunes, hip-hop inspired tunes, you’ve got deep techno inspired tunes, you’ve got all these different tunes.
You’ve got raves like One Nation and random Concept, I’ll go there and really I think the people there want me to go and just smash it. They want to turn up there with an MC like Eksman or Evil B or Skibadee, that kind of thing, and absolutely batter it. They want to rave for an hour or 90 minutes, and that’s one side of the thing. Then you’ve got the Renegade Hardware thing which is all hard stuff.
And then I’ll do a gig like when we’ve did Shogun at The End,
or when we get a new London venue, where I just roll out, which is more what I made my label to be. If I’ve got a night where I’ve got a rave like that and then something like a Renegade Hardware, I have to take two boxes and literally there won’t be more than a couple of tunes which I have to take from one box and transfer to the other. It’s almost like playing two genres, which is cool, but it’s fucking complicated.
But it’s wicked and I think it’s good for the music because I think we’ve got all this different kind of stuff like a lot of the stuff - there’s lots of stuff from a Hardware night that wouldn’t get played on Annie Mac or Zane Lowe show. You know, I’ve just done a single from Hospital with K-Tee and I know Annie Mac and Zane Lowe are on that one really big. You’ve got all these different parts to the music now.
I think it’s good, I like playing all these different sets - you’ve got be clued up and know if you want me to play deep then don’t go to see me at One Nation. If you’re going to see me at a Hardware night then don’t expect me to play a big party tear your head off set. I think that’s why drum and bass is so unique - you’ve got to know where to go.
Now what I do is a lot of uni gigs - uni crowds that haven’t been into d&b for that long, they got into it through Pendulum or now Chase & Status. They kind of want the kind of more commercial d&b sound, I’ll tear it out and then take it down a bit and that is where - a two hour set at a uni gig -I think I can play more of a set with more styles in it. Or of I go abroad somewhere, if I’m in Japan. I’m constantly thinking about what I’m doing, about what style I’m going to play.
I don’t like to label all these different genres, people call things liquid or techno, that’s the one thing I disagreed about the drum and bass awards, they had different genres. I think the d&b nights were great, a packed night and brilliant for d&b, but that’s the one thing I didn’t agree with was having ‘Best Liquid DJ', 'Best Tech DJ’ - just give it to the best DJ. I was runner up in the best DJ category, but I play techhy d&b as well, so it’s a funny thing. It can be split up but don’t label it like that.
BW: Because there have been times when the scene was dominated by just one sound…
FRICTION: I think a good example of that is the 98 period when Ed Rush & Optical and Bad Company were ruling the scene with an iron rod. Literally, they absolutely dominated it with this hard, industrial sound, it was almost like before that the hip-hop orientated sound was massive and that almost disappeared, because of this whole one sound.
But I think at that time that the scene got smaller, that’s why I think that it’s better to have all thoe different styles in it, but I don’t think we should label it. We don’t have to label it. It’s quite good to have One Nation and people know what that thing is all about, and then have Hardware, but don’t label our genre into other sub-genres, is what I think on the whole. I love going and playing different types of drum & bass, but I don’t think it should be necessarily labeled.
BW: Apart from anything else, it’s because there’s so much of it out there now.
FRICTION: I think that’s the good thing about the Pendulum explosion, and now the Chase & Status thing, because they’ve brought so many people into the music.
BW: It has to be accessible to people from the outside, that can only be healthy...
FRICTION: Yeah, because what happens now is that people get into d&b because of Pendulum or because a mate took them to a rave, and then they start going down other avenues and finding other music, and I think that is why it is such a big scene, that’s why there are so many angles to it.
BW: They (Pendulum) have managed to stay within d&b though…
FRICTION: There has been a big load of controversy about it, but they’re doing what they’re doing, and I know that to everyone now pendulum are massive and I know that to quite a few people in the scene they love to hate them, but at the end of the day you can’t get away from the fact that they have made the scene bigger. Chase & status are getting all this coverage now and they’ll do the same. They’ll bring people into the music. We’ve just got a very healthy musical thing going on in right now.
BW: In any case, when you’re booked for so many gigs it’d be grim to be playing he same set everywhere.
FRICTION: I have to have a change. I practice, still now, I mix two days a week. I go in my studio, turn the phone off, maybe take a couple of beers up there and mix tunes together for three or four hours. It’s like being a big fucking kid again. I sit there and discover mixes that work well to play out at the weekend. I have to be on top of my selection - it’s very demanding to do it as well as possible, so many styles of music, so much to listen to.
BW: It’s a kind of a courtesy to the people who go to a club to know a bit about what the club’s about…
FRICTION: Yeah, my agent thinks I’m an absolute nightmare because I want to know everything - I want to know this, that, whether they want me to play a certain style, who else is on the bill. It’s because I want to make sure I go there and do the right thing. The thing is, there are quite a few places I go to quite regularly so I know what to go there and do. It’s cool. I like it that way.
BW: Is the scene healthy worldwide at the moment?
FRICTION: Yeah, we did a show in LA, a Shogun party at a warehouse about three months ago with me, Alix (Perez) and Icicle,
and sold it out. It was so good, and just generally everything is sold out. The mainstream loves d&b, which since I’ve been into d&b and junglwe, bar the days of M Beat and General Levy, when it kind of got big for a bit, now the press loves us, the music’s cool again, it’s doing really well. I think that’s because there’s something for everyone. You might hear one tune and think ‘it’s too mental for me’ so what about this one, a D-Bridge tune.
BW: There’s always an in point for everyone
FRICTION: I can always find a d&b tune that someone will like. There might be one that they hate but there’ll be one they think is wicked.
BW: What’s happening with your label Shogun Audio?
FRICTION: It’s all very serious now. I started it off four years ago, was an emerging DJ, things were happening, so I wanted to start a record label. The first release I did was with Jay Frenzic from ATM, I’ve got the samples from ‘RType‘ (by Jo),
do you want to do it together? That was like the first release on the label, as it was getting bigger and moving along, it was just me running it and not really running it that professionally, I was paying people a bit of money to do a tune, it wasn’t really a serious business. About nine months ago K-Tee, who obviously I’ve known for years, one of my closest friends and we’ve made tunes together, came to me with an idea, that we should relaunch it with both of us being owners.
BW: It’s a very time consuming business.
FRICTION: Yeah, mental. So we relaunched the label and we have signed artists like Alix Perez
and Icicle now, it’s a real proper business now. The releases are getting really big, we’ve got the Spor thing floating about,
which is getting so much love it’s unbelievable, a track called ‘Aztec’, which has literally blown up, it’s gone crazy. Then we’ve got the Alix Perez album which will be out in September, that is going to cross over and twist people’s minds. It’s not just a mellow d&b album, if anyone thinks it’s gonna be, it’s awesome. The tunes we’ve got so far, we’ve got trip hop, ambient Zero 7 type stuff, working with loads of vocalists, and it’s just going to be a proper album. And then Icicle we’re working with, he’ll be next year when his album comes out.
BW: Tell us about Icicle…
FRICTION: He’s from Holland, he’s been bubbling around for a while now making nasty, proper kind of rollers, just really thick b-line tunes. Real old Certificate 18, Photek-style tunes - I know Photek really loves his stuff - and he’s been getting a lot of love. He’ll kind of be the next album project, and then hopefully me and K-Tee, we’ve been writing new tunes too. And we’ve got Spectrasoul, who are making some amazing music. They’ve got big so quickly, they’ve already got stuff on Metalheadz, Subtitles, Hardware, Critical, they’re really doing the rounds and making some great music so I really want to crack on with them.
BW: So we’ll be seeing some more Friction and K-Tee tunes soon?
FRICTION: We’ve just done a tune called ‘Fired up’, which is with Diane Charlemagne, which is a liquidy vocal thing which has been going off crazy, and that’s on the forthcoming Hospital album which is a compilation which I think is called the ‘Sick’ LP. I’ve got a track called ‘Set It Off’, and another called ’The Bleeps’, which are going to be two sides of a 12”.That’s a proper Shogun tune. I’ve sat down with K-Tee over the last few months and said; I want to get serious about writing tunes again, I know there are only a certain amount of hours in the day but together we can do it.
BW: You’ve been a prolific producer over the years though…
FRICTION: Yeah, but I wanted to get serious about production again, like when I was young. I’ve had a few things recently, like the ‘Back To Your roots’ remix (Johnny L), stuff like that, but I haven’t really given production my proper attention. I want to get back into it again, and hopefully write an album.
BW: You don’t feel you’ve given it your proper attention before?
FRICTION: My production career has been weird. I’ve written a good one, then I’ve written one that I wasn’t that happy with and finished it anyway because I wanted to have a new tune and I was thinking about my DJ gigs at the weekend. I am primarily a DJ but I know I can write music, I just need to give it my proper attention. I might even take some time off, a few months off from DJing, to really nail some big tunes.
BW: And there’s a Shogun mix album in the pipeline too...
FRICTION: I’ve done mix albums for other people before, the ’Next Level’ thing on Valve, the ’Drum & Bass Arena’ thing and one for Bingo, so I felt it was time I did my own one. But I want this to be my own brand, I’m just compiling it at the moment and really sorting everything out. I’ve got an hour and ten minutes to cover all these sub-genres. I’ll have the mix with SP doing the MCing on one CD, then on the second CD have the mix without it for those people who don’t want to hear an MC. Although I think SP is so good he can actually be on a mix CD without annoying people! He knows the right point to come in, and he’s got amazing lyrics.
BW: Is it a kind of ‘Best of Shogun Audio‘?
FRICTION: No, it will have Shogun tunes on there but it won’t just be Shogun tunes. I want it to really represent what I play, to be a real blend of different things, a journey CD.
FRICTION: Yeah, it’s funny because it was AWOL and the Lazerdrome in Peckham that I got into drum and bass through. I had a phone call from Darren Jay - he said, because you’re here now, the kids recognise you that might not know anything about AWOL.
They see you playing music from that era - you know, I’ve got all that music, I can’t wait. My first CD was AWOL Live at The Ministry, the one they recorded with all the crowd noise on there.
BW: That’s going to be an old skool selection then?
FRICTION: Definitely, yeah. Micky Finn rang me up and said ‘just to confirm you know what to play’ and I just texted back a big LOL (lots of laughs). He said, you’d be surprised…. No, you’ve booked me for AWOL and I’m going to get off on playing what got me into it.
BW: Is there one tune in particular you’re looking forward to playing?
FRICTION: ‘Silver Blade’ (by Cybotron aka Dillinja)
and ‘Dark Stranger’, the Origin Unknown remix. What I’ve started doing is getting a lot of tunes like that and speeding them up and re-eq-ing them and remastering them a bit and sending them to be cut like that. You’ve got tools now where you can speed things up and it doesn’t sound all funny, you know, so I’ve been doing that with a few tunes, trying to give a little something different when I’m playing.
I spent years and years and years trying to get where I am now and it’s brilliant. It is hard work but I love it, really really pleased to be in it and doing. Shogun’s gone mad and everyone’s going crazy about Shogun. What I’m trying to do now is go on that sub-genres thing, so when I play I literally will change my set for each venue. What’s happened in drum and bass is, since those AWOL days when it was inspired by rare groove and reggae, that was what started it, now you’ve got electro inspired tunes, hip-hop inspired tunes, you’ve got deep techno inspired tunes, you’ve got all these different tunes.
You’ve got raves like One Nation and random Concept, I’ll go there and really I think the people there want me to go and just smash it. They want to turn up there with an MC like Eksman or Evil B or Skibadee, that kind of thing, and absolutely batter it. They want to rave for an hour or 90 minutes, and that’s one side of the thing. Then you’ve got the Renegade Hardware thing which is all hard stuff.
And then I’ll do a gig like when we’ve did Shogun at The End,
or when we get a new London venue, where I just roll out, which is more what I made my label to be. If I’ve got a night where I’ve got a rave like that and then something like a Renegade Hardware, I have to take two boxes and literally there won’t be more than a couple of tunes which I have to take from one box and transfer to the other. It’s almost like playing two genres, which is cool, but it’s fucking complicated.
But it’s wicked and I think it’s good for the music because I think we’ve got all this different kind of stuff like a lot of the stuff - there’s lots of stuff from a Hardware night that wouldn’t get played on Annie Mac or Zane Lowe show. You know, I’ve just done a single from Hospital with K-Tee and I know Annie Mac and Zane Lowe are on that one really big. You’ve got all these different parts to the music now.
I think it’s good, I like playing all these different sets - you’ve got be clued up and know if you want me to play deep then don’t go to see me at One Nation. If you’re going to see me at a Hardware night then don’t expect me to play a big party tear your head off set. I think that’s why drum and bass is so unique - you’ve got to know where to go.
Now what I do is a lot of uni gigs - uni crowds that haven’t been into d&b for that long, they got into it through Pendulum or now Chase & Status. They kind of want the kind of more commercial d&b sound, I’ll tear it out and then take it down a bit and that is where - a two hour set at a uni gig -I think I can play more of a set with more styles in it. Or of I go abroad somewhere, if I’m in Japan. I’m constantly thinking about what I’m doing, about what style I’m going to play.
I don’t like to label all these different genres, people call things liquid or techno, that’s the one thing I disagreed about the drum and bass awards, they had different genres. I think the d&b nights were great, a packed night and brilliant for d&b, but that’s the one thing I didn’t agree with was having ‘Best Liquid DJ', 'Best Tech DJ’ - just give it to the best DJ. I was runner up in the best DJ category, but I play techhy d&b as well, so it’s a funny thing. It can be split up but don’t label it like that.
BW: Because there have been times when the scene was dominated by just one sound…
FRICTION: I think a good example of that is the 98 period when Ed Rush & Optical and Bad Company were ruling the scene with an iron rod. Literally, they absolutely dominated it with this hard, industrial sound, it was almost like before that the hip-hop orientated sound was massive and that almost disappeared, because of this whole one sound.
But I think at that time that the scene got smaller, that’s why I think that it’s better to have all thoe different styles in it, but I don’t think we should label it. We don’t have to label it. It’s quite good to have One Nation and people know what that thing is all about, and then have Hardware, but don’t label our genre into other sub-genres, is what I think on the whole. I love going and playing different types of drum & bass, but I don’t think it should be necessarily labeled.
BW: Apart from anything else, it’s because there’s so much of it out there now.
FRICTION: I think that’s the good thing about the Pendulum explosion, and now the Chase & Status thing, because they’ve brought so many people into the music.
BW: It has to be accessible to people from the outside, that can only be healthy...
FRICTION: Yeah, because what happens now is that people get into d&b because of Pendulum or because a mate took them to a rave, and then they start going down other avenues and finding other music, and I think that is why it is such a big scene, that’s why there are so many angles to it.
BW: They (Pendulum) have managed to stay within d&b though…
FRICTION: There has been a big load of controversy about it, but they’re doing what they’re doing, and I know that to everyone now pendulum are massive and I know that to quite a few people in the scene they love to hate them, but at the end of the day you can’t get away from the fact that they have made the scene bigger. Chase & status are getting all this coverage now and they’ll do the same. They’ll bring people into the music. We’ve just got a very healthy musical thing going on in right now.
BW: In any case, when you’re booked for so many gigs it’d be grim to be playing he same set everywhere.
FRICTION: I have to have a change. I practice, still now, I mix two days a week. I go in my studio, turn the phone off, maybe take a couple of beers up there and mix tunes together for three or four hours. It’s like being a big fucking kid again. I sit there and discover mixes that work well to play out at the weekend. I have to be on top of my selection - it’s very demanding to do it as well as possible, so many styles of music, so much to listen to.
BW: It’s a kind of a courtesy to the people who go to a club to know a bit about what the club’s about…
FRICTION: Yeah, my agent thinks I’m an absolute nightmare because I want to know everything - I want to know this, that, whether they want me to play a certain style, who else is on the bill. It’s because I want to make sure I go there and do the right thing. The thing is, there are quite a few places I go to quite regularly so I know what to go there and do. It’s cool. I like it that way.
BW: Is the scene healthy worldwide at the moment?
FRICTION: Yeah, we did a show in LA, a Shogun party at a warehouse about three months ago with me, Alix (Perez) and Icicle,
and sold it out. It was so good, and just generally everything is sold out. The mainstream loves d&b, which since I’ve been into d&b and junglwe, bar the days of M Beat and General Levy, when it kind of got big for a bit, now the press loves us, the music’s cool again, it’s doing really well. I think that’s because there’s something for everyone. You might hear one tune and think ‘it’s too mental for me’ so what about this one, a D-Bridge tune.
BW: There’s always an in point for everyone
FRICTION: I can always find a d&b tune that someone will like. There might be one that they hate but there’ll be one they think is wicked.
BW: What’s happening with your label Shogun Audio?
FRICTION: It’s all very serious now. I started it off four years ago, was an emerging DJ, things were happening, so I wanted to start a record label. The first release I did was with Jay Frenzic from ATM, I’ve got the samples from ‘RType‘ (by Jo),
do you want to do it together? That was like the first release on the label, as it was getting bigger and moving along, it was just me running it and not really running it that professionally, I was paying people a bit of money to do a tune, it wasn’t really a serious business. About nine months ago K-Tee, who obviously I’ve known for years, one of my closest friends and we’ve made tunes together, came to me with an idea, that we should relaunch it with both of us being owners.
BW: It’s a very time consuming business.
FRICTION: Yeah, mental. So we relaunched the label and we have signed artists like Alix Perez
and Icicle now, it’s a real proper business now. The releases are getting really big, we’ve got the Spor thing floating about,
which is getting so much love it’s unbelievable, a track called ‘Aztec’, which has literally blown up, it’s gone crazy. Then we’ve got the Alix Perez album which will be out in September, that is going to cross over and twist people’s minds. It’s not just a mellow d&b album, if anyone thinks it’s gonna be, it’s awesome. The tunes we’ve got so far, we’ve got trip hop, ambient Zero 7 type stuff, working with loads of vocalists, and it’s just going to be a proper album. And then Icicle we’re working with, he’ll be next year when his album comes out.
BW: Tell us about Icicle…
FRICTION: He’s from Holland, he’s been bubbling around for a while now making nasty, proper kind of rollers, just really thick b-line tunes. Real old Certificate 18, Photek-style tunes - I know Photek really loves his stuff - and he’s been getting a lot of love. He’ll kind of be the next album project, and then hopefully me and K-Tee, we’ve been writing new tunes too. And we’ve got Spectrasoul, who are making some amazing music. They’ve got big so quickly, they’ve already got stuff on Metalheadz, Subtitles, Hardware, Critical, they’re really doing the rounds and making some great music so I really want to crack on with them.
BW: So we’ll be seeing some more Friction and K-Tee tunes soon?
FRICTION: We’ve just done a tune called ‘Fired up’, which is with Diane Charlemagne, which is a liquidy vocal thing which has been going off crazy, and that’s on the forthcoming Hospital album which is a compilation which I think is called the ‘Sick’ LP. I’ve got a track called ‘Set It Off’, and another called ’The Bleeps’, which are going to be two sides of a 12”.That’s a proper Shogun tune. I’ve sat down with K-Tee over the last few months and said; I want to get serious about writing tunes again, I know there are only a certain amount of hours in the day but together we can do it.
BW: You’ve been a prolific producer over the years though…
FRICTION: Yeah, but I wanted to get serious about production again, like when I was young. I’ve had a few things recently, like the ‘Back To Your roots’ remix (Johnny L), stuff like that, but I haven’t really given production my proper attention. I want to get back into it again, and hopefully write an album.
BW: You don’t feel you’ve given it your proper attention before?
FRICTION: My production career has been weird. I’ve written a good one, then I’ve written one that I wasn’t that happy with and finished it anyway because I wanted to have a new tune and I was thinking about my DJ gigs at the weekend. I am primarily a DJ but I know I can write music, I just need to give it my proper attention. I might even take some time off, a few months off from DJing, to really nail some big tunes.
BW: And there’s a Shogun mix album in the pipeline too...
FRICTION: I’ve done mix albums for other people before, the ’Next Level’ thing on Valve, the ’Drum & Bass Arena’ thing and one for Bingo, so I felt it was time I did my own one. But I want this to be my own brand, I’m just compiling it at the moment and really sorting everything out. I’ve got an hour and ten minutes to cover all these sub-genres. I’ll have the mix with SP doing the MCing on one CD, then on the second CD have the mix without it for those people who don’t want to hear an MC. Although I think SP is so good he can actually be on a mix CD without annoying people! He knows the right point to come in, and he’s got amazing lyrics.
BW: Is it a kind of ‘Best of Shogun Audio‘?
FRICTION: No, it will have Shogun tunes on there but it won’t just be Shogun tunes. I want it to really represent what I play, to be a real blend of different things, a journey CD.
Tuesday 24 March 2009
FESTIVAL PLANS
Although I might yet be tempted by Grace Jones and Pet Shop Boys at L'Atitude despite the prospect of having to sit through Nick Cave, Doves and the rest of the indie landfill massive first, there are only two festivals to consider this summer:
Bangface Weekender
and Guilfest
Bangface Weekender
and Guilfest
MOZ WITH FLAGS
As London is preparing for another invasion from the Mozfather in May, let's pre-empt the inevitable debate between fans and ex-fans by returning to the scene of the so-called crime. It's often quoted that he 'came one stage' wearing a Union Jack, which as you'll see is simply not true - a fan threw it on.
GLAMOROUS GLUE: MADSTOCK, LONDON AUGUST 8, 1992
If anyone knows of the political implications of this Spanish flag-waving some fourteen years later, please comment.
TROUBLE LOVES ME: BENICASSIM, SPAIN, 06
GLAMOROUS GLUE: MADSTOCK, LONDON AUGUST 8, 1992
If anyone knows of the political implications of this Spanish flag-waving some fourteen years later, please comment.
TROUBLE LOVES ME: BENICASSIM, SPAIN, 06
Saturday 21 March 2009
REVIEW - HIGH CONTRAST - CONFIDENTIAL
Format: 2xCD album
Released: April 27
Label: Hospital
There is, of course, nothing confidential about High Contrast. He's graced more magazine covers than any d&b star with the exception of Goldie, and his unswerving dedication to trawling the country's clubs has ensured he is a household name in clubland.
Likewise, his remixes have been featured on the releases of artists as diverse as Adele, The Streets, Basement Jaxx and Missy Eliott - and the inclusion of 13 such mixes 9which forms CD2 of this collection), is a big selling point. Only one complaint - where is his astounding re-work of Kano's 'Reload It'?! A collectionm of former original glories, CD1 is perhaps less essential, unless you're simply curious about HC's work and yet to buy any. But that's not to take anything away from the glory of 'If We Ever' - the rave classic that never was - and the anthemic, wonky-riffed 'Basement Track'. While others have struggled after a decade to put together a decent album, HC is onto his greatest hits, and truly great it is too.
5/5
Released: April 27
Label: Hospital
There is, of course, nothing confidential about High Contrast. He's graced more magazine covers than any d&b star with the exception of Goldie, and his unswerving dedication to trawling the country's clubs has ensured he is a household name in clubland.
Likewise, his remixes have been featured on the releases of artists as diverse as Adele, The Streets, Basement Jaxx and Missy Eliott - and the inclusion of 13 such mixes 9which forms CD2 of this collection), is a big selling point. Only one complaint - where is his astounding re-work of Kano's 'Reload It'?! A collectionm of former original glories, CD1 is perhaps less essential, unless you're simply curious about HC's work and yet to buy any. But that's not to take anything away from the glory of 'If We Ever' - the rave classic that never was - and the anthemic, wonky-riffed 'Basement Track'. While others have struggled after a decade to put together a decent album, HC is onto his greatest hits, and truly great it is too.
5/5
REVIEW - DAMIAN LAZARUS - SMOKE THE MONSTER OUT
Format: CD album
Released: May 6
Label: Get Physical
It's not often you can honestly say an album is as ntruiging and surprising an affair as this. Damian Lazarus has been at the edge of so many dance music movements it's unreal, from his role as club promoter - his PM Scientists night was a d&b fixture and then resurfaced to take its role within dubstep - to A&R man within the electro scene for City Rockers.
How refreshing then to find that come the time to release his own debut album (after many a mix affair) he's created something truly unclassifable. Not dance music by any description of the word, this is nevertheless borne out of the creative alchemy of electronica. But it's song rather than groove based, weird songs that stick in your head, sung in voices that defy description and are anything but easily classifiable. Best, perhaps, is the paranoid 'Memory Box', introspective and as genuinely scary as anything you'll find on the shelves this year. This is the sound of the post-club comedown rather than the music to ease your pattern through it - not for nothing is the last track called 'After Rave Delight' - but if you're tough enough to take it on, the rewards are satisfying.
5/5
Released: May 6
Label: Get Physical
It's not often you can honestly say an album is as ntruiging and surprising an affair as this. Damian Lazarus has been at the edge of so many dance music movements it's unreal, from his role as club promoter - his PM Scientists night was a d&b fixture and then resurfaced to take its role within dubstep - to A&R man within the electro scene for City Rockers.
How refreshing then to find that come the time to release his own debut album (after many a mix affair) he's created something truly unclassifable. Not dance music by any description of the word, this is nevertheless borne out of the creative alchemy of electronica. But it's song rather than groove based, weird songs that stick in your head, sung in voices that defy description and are anything but easily classifiable. Best, perhaps, is the paranoid 'Memory Box', introspective and as genuinely scary as anything you'll find on the shelves this year. This is the sound of the post-club comedown rather than the music to ease your pattern through it - not for nothing is the last track called 'After Rave Delight' - but if you're tough enough to take it on, the rewards are satisfying.
5/5
REVIEW - KENNY GLASGOW - TASTE FOR THE LOW LIFE
Format: CD album
Released: May 18
Label: No19 Music
Don't be fooled by the name - Kenny Glasgow hails from Toronto, Canada. That said he does share one element of musical taste with a large section of the Scottish raving population - the lot that don't like Scooter that is - in other words, a serious dedication to Detroit techno and Chicago house of the late 80s.
It's easy at times during 'Taste For The Low Life' to forget that you are listening to one of 2009's releases - the rhythmic shuffle of 'Logan's Run' could be Carl Craig during his (excellent) 69 era. Likewise, the best track here, the truly irreistible 'Dance 2 The House', sounds like the work of Adonis, Marshall Jefferson or Steve 'Silk' Hurley.
Impeccable influences and a real nice feel throughout. If no19 Music had lied and said this was an undiscovered gem from 1987 getting a reissue then it'd be getting 5/5 - as it is, its over reliance on the past, and such a distinct era it makes Oasis look eclectic, has cost it a couple of marks.
3/5
Released: May 18
Label: No19 Music
Don't be fooled by the name - Kenny Glasgow hails from Toronto, Canada. That said he does share one element of musical taste with a large section of the Scottish raving population - the lot that don't like Scooter that is - in other words, a serious dedication to Detroit techno and Chicago house of the late 80s.
It's easy at times during 'Taste For The Low Life' to forget that you are listening to one of 2009's releases - the rhythmic shuffle of 'Logan's Run' could be Carl Craig during his (excellent) 69 era. Likewise, the best track here, the truly irreistible 'Dance 2 The House', sounds like the work of Adonis, Marshall Jefferson or Steve 'Silk' Hurley.
Impeccable influences and a real nice feel throughout. If no19 Music had lied and said this was an undiscovered gem from 1987 getting a reissue then it'd be getting 5/5 - as it is, its over reliance on the past, and such a distinct era it makes Oasis look eclectic, has cost it a couple of marks.
3/5
REVIEW - BLACK CANVAS - RISE
Format: CD album
Released: June
Label: Cool & Deadly
On first glance, or at least on hearing the first three tracks of this album ('Listen to Me', 'Naturally' and 'We Rise'), you'd be forgiven for thinking Black Canvas aka Mr Melody and Rider Shafique, was a fairly straightforward reggae project. Melody's vocals are deep and distinctive, laden with conscious lyrics, while the beats are laid back and stoner, Caribbean in flavour, leading to an inevitable comparison with Roots Manuva.
It's only once we get to 'we fear Not' and their roots sound gets catapulated into an altogether more modern, breakbeat arena that the album becomes a more interesting prospect, and by the time Chase and Status lend a distinctly old skool, jungle sound system vibe to 'Broken Dreams', you release that reggae culture is just a launchpad for all manner of other adventures. Adventures which are not entirely comuter-based either - there's lush guitar playing (see 'Let Love Be') and other live elements which lend the beats and bass a real live, improvised feel.
The closing tune, 'Psalm 23', which sees Melody reading the Lord's Prayer over more smokey, chilled beats, is a little cringeworthy, and you could accuse the lyrics throughout of veering towards cliche. That aside, though, and unlike this pun, it's far from dread-ful.
3&1/2 /5
Released: June
Label: Cool & Deadly
On first glance, or at least on hearing the first three tracks of this album ('Listen to Me', 'Naturally' and 'We Rise'), you'd be forgiven for thinking Black Canvas aka Mr Melody and Rider Shafique, was a fairly straightforward reggae project. Melody's vocals are deep and distinctive, laden with conscious lyrics, while the beats are laid back and stoner, Caribbean in flavour, leading to an inevitable comparison with Roots Manuva.
It's only once we get to 'we fear Not' and their roots sound gets catapulated into an altogether more modern, breakbeat arena that the album becomes a more interesting prospect, and by the time Chase and Status lend a distinctly old skool, jungle sound system vibe to 'Broken Dreams', you release that reggae culture is just a launchpad for all manner of other adventures. Adventures which are not entirely comuter-based either - there's lush guitar playing (see 'Let Love Be') and other live elements which lend the beats and bass a real live, improvised feel.
The closing tune, 'Psalm 23', which sees Melody reading the Lord's Prayer over more smokey, chilled beats, is a little cringeworthy, and you could accuse the lyrics throughout of veering towards cliche. That aside, though, and unlike this pun, it's far from dread-ful.
3&1/2 /5
REVIEW - VENETIAN SNARES - FILTH
Format: CD/2 x LP
Released: April 27
Label: Planet Mu
A mysterious character from somewhere in the north of England, Venetian Snares has long sen it as his job to push the boundaries of dance music further than anyone else.
Specifically taking his inspiration from the frenetic energy of rave music, his sound - and 'Filth' is no exception - is super choppy, ultra-mental programming that makes Aphex Twin sound like a god of minimal. Opening with 'Deep Dicking', which veers between schizoid double speed acid house and pounding gabba being put through a jungle-style mincer, he takes us through ten tracks of ridiculously restless, anarchic electronics, with tracks like 'Crashing The Yoghurt Track', 'Calvin Kleening' and 'Pussy Skull' (surely the new Damien Hirst piece?)
For the main it's like listening to an old style modem (anyone remember them?) in the middle of downtown Baghdad during a bombing raid - not at all pleasant at times, almost garuanteed to produce nausea at others. As sonmeone willing to take the rich heritage of dance music culture and ride gloriously roughshod over it, pushing it to new limits in every direction from speed and lack of repetition to distortion, harmonic queasiness and sonic degradation, he deserves props. Is that enough, in this case, to ever make you want to put it on again? Alas not.
2/5
Released: April 27
Label: Planet Mu
A mysterious character from somewhere in the north of England, Venetian Snares has long sen it as his job to push the boundaries of dance music further than anyone else.
Specifically taking his inspiration from the frenetic energy of rave music, his sound - and 'Filth' is no exception - is super choppy, ultra-mental programming that makes Aphex Twin sound like a god of minimal. Opening with 'Deep Dicking', which veers between schizoid double speed acid house and pounding gabba being put through a jungle-style mincer, he takes us through ten tracks of ridiculously restless, anarchic electronics, with tracks like 'Crashing The Yoghurt Track', 'Calvin Kleening' and 'Pussy Skull' (surely the new Damien Hirst piece?)
For the main it's like listening to an old style modem (anyone remember them?) in the middle of downtown Baghdad during a bombing raid - not at all pleasant at times, almost garuanteed to produce nausea at others. As sonmeone willing to take the rich heritage of dance music culture and ride gloriously roughshod over it, pushing it to new limits in every direction from speed and lack of repetition to distortion, harmonic queasiness and sonic degradation, he deserves props. Is that enough, in this case, to ever make you want to put it on again? Alas not.
2/5
REVIEW - FAZE ACTION - STRATUS ENERGY
Format: CD album
Released: May 18
Label: Word & Sound
Faze Action, or brothers Simon and Robin Lee to their mum, first burst onto the music scene in the late 90s with 'In The Trees', helping to launch what was for a while the trendiest house label around, the now defunct Nuphonic.
That single was unique because, at a time when everyone was making ultra-cheesy handbag or desperately serious Detroit techo, it took an effortless house groove and added layers of stirring cellos and strings that took it to another, hithertoo unexplored place.
Circa 2009, and it's suddenly clear where that unlikely soundclash came from. 'Startus Energy' is unashamedly retro, pulling heavily on 70s disco like the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack (big on strings) as well as other trademark sounds of the era like 'Popcorn' and 'Oxygene'.
So, depending on how you react to such influences, you'll either find tracks like 'I Wanna Dancer', 'Starship' and 'Disco Warrior' an abomination of nature or the best fun since that drug dealer started chucking out bundles of cash onto the Mexican freewway.
At least they've had the guts to go the whole hog and re-create the sound in all its complex, multi-musician glory - rather than just help themselves to the samples. They've certainly got the most important element right - the sheer joy and unretrained, utterly uncool (in a way) goofiness of the era, expressed through simple but effective grooviness.
4/5
Released: May 18
Label: Word & Sound
Faze Action, or brothers Simon and Robin Lee to their mum, first burst onto the music scene in the late 90s with 'In The Trees', helping to launch what was for a while the trendiest house label around, the now defunct Nuphonic.
That single was unique because, at a time when everyone was making ultra-cheesy handbag or desperately serious Detroit techo, it took an effortless house groove and added layers of stirring cellos and strings that took it to another, hithertoo unexplored place.
Circa 2009, and it's suddenly clear where that unlikely soundclash came from. 'Startus Energy' is unashamedly retro, pulling heavily on 70s disco like the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack (big on strings) as well as other trademark sounds of the era like 'Popcorn' and 'Oxygene'.
So, depending on how you react to such influences, you'll either find tracks like 'I Wanna Dancer', 'Starship' and 'Disco Warrior' an abomination of nature or the best fun since that drug dealer started chucking out bundles of cash onto the Mexican freewway.
At least they've had the guts to go the whole hog and re-create the sound in all its complex, multi-musician glory - rather than just help themselves to the samples. They've certainly got the most important element right - the sheer joy and unretrained, utterly uncool (in a way) goofiness of the era, expressed through simple but effective grooviness.
4/5
REVIEW - SURVIVAL: SURVIVAL
Format: CD album
Released: June 15
Label: Exit
Former Bad Company cohort D-Bridge not only makes unusual and original music - now, it seems in both drum and bas and dubstep form - he also has an ear for equally enthralling music in his A&R role running Exit Records.
Here he's picked up on the debut album by London duo Steve Kielty and Roy Mcabe, who go for a similarly slanted, if slightly differently flavoured, mixture of fierce beats and deep, almost meditational atmospheres. Kielty has a track record that stretches back as far as the early days of jungle/d&b, when he made tunes for Partisan and Vinyl Addiction in 1993/4, and that experience shows through clearly here.
The opening salvo of tunes, 'Walk On By', 'Heeding The Sign' and 'Hit You When You're Down' all operate on fairly familiar terriotry, namely driving, heads down d&b, hard edged but still completely devoid of the gnarly wobble bass cliches of jump up. 'Even Up' is more ingenious still, choppy jungle breaks giving it an old skool feel but combined again with a swirling, ethereal feel.
The next section of the album goes into less palatable jazz-influenced territory, 'Feelings Gone' with its Portsihead-like vocals from Christina Nicola and 'Baker Street'-style saxophone soaring, and 'Still Don't Know' with its twittering flutes proving cliched in places. But 'Terrain' quickly dispels that, much more original as distorted giitars simmer below the surface while bongos and an almost Detroit techno keyboard riff keep the momentum up. 'Ascendancy' is the album's seemingly obligatory 'Bladerunner' reference, but 'Seventh Sign's onslaught of chunky, churning techstep beats is a real highlight, the spectre of No U Turn/Ed Rush & Optical continuing on into 'Too Little Too Late'.
'Survival' is a strange mixture - rigidly stuck in the laws and speed of d&b (there's no sign of a downbeat, dubstep or hip-hop moment here), nevertheless still managing to find real vibe and flavour within those constraints.
3&1/2 /5
Released: June 15
Label: Exit
Former Bad Company cohort D-Bridge not only makes unusual and original music - now, it seems in both drum and bas and dubstep form - he also has an ear for equally enthralling music in his A&R role running Exit Records.
Here he's picked up on the debut album by London duo Steve Kielty and Roy Mcabe, who go for a similarly slanted, if slightly differently flavoured, mixture of fierce beats and deep, almost meditational atmospheres. Kielty has a track record that stretches back as far as the early days of jungle/d&b, when he made tunes for Partisan and Vinyl Addiction in 1993/4, and that experience shows through clearly here.
The opening salvo of tunes, 'Walk On By', 'Heeding The Sign' and 'Hit You When You're Down' all operate on fairly familiar terriotry, namely driving, heads down d&b, hard edged but still completely devoid of the gnarly wobble bass cliches of jump up. 'Even Up' is more ingenious still, choppy jungle breaks giving it an old skool feel but combined again with a swirling, ethereal feel.
The next section of the album goes into less palatable jazz-influenced territory, 'Feelings Gone' with its Portsihead-like vocals from Christina Nicola and 'Baker Street'-style saxophone soaring, and 'Still Don't Know' with its twittering flutes proving cliched in places. But 'Terrain' quickly dispels that, much more original as distorted giitars simmer below the surface while bongos and an almost Detroit techno keyboard riff keep the momentum up. 'Ascendancy' is the album's seemingly obligatory 'Bladerunner' reference, but 'Seventh Sign's onslaught of chunky, churning techstep beats is a real highlight, the spectre of No U Turn/Ed Rush & Optical continuing on into 'Too Little Too Late'.
'Survival' is a strange mixture - rigidly stuck in the laws and speed of d&b (there's no sign of a downbeat, dubstep or hip-hop moment here), nevertheless still managing to find real vibe and flavour within those constraints.
3&1/2 /5
Sunday 8 March 2009
REVIEW: LO FIDELITY ALLSTARS - NORTHERN STOMP
Format: CD album
Released: April 13
Label: Corsair
Arriving somewhat late to the big beat party, former signings to the Fatboy Slim-associated Skint label were much hyped by a music press eager to put saleable faces to yet another anonymous DJ culture.
Of course, when their debut album 'How To Operate With A Blown Mind' failed to propel them to stadium status and the band's line up splintered, they lost interest. Now on Corsair Records, who brought the world the marvellous IDC, their third album sees them straddling the world of pop and dance music as ever but perhaps with an even stronger slant towards songwriting.
Opening tune 'Northern Stomp' samples Happy Mondays' 'Halleluah' and sticks it through the glitch blender. But the baggy influence is short lived. In fact, 'I Know I'm A King' sounds more like The Beatles if they'd had a sampler to play with, and the clever programming which used to make their sound so vital definitely tuned down from equal partner to subtle addition.
There's plenty of memorable stuff here, not least current download giveaway 'On My Mind' and 'Smash and Grab World'. It definitely feels like they're starting from scratch rather than building on past glories - whether it's a success depends largely on whether they can translate this preened, classy pop sound to the live arena.
3/5
Released: April 13
Label: Corsair
Arriving somewhat late to the big beat party, former signings to the Fatboy Slim-associated Skint label were much hyped by a music press eager to put saleable faces to yet another anonymous DJ culture.
Of course, when their debut album 'How To Operate With A Blown Mind' failed to propel them to stadium status and the band's line up splintered, they lost interest. Now on Corsair Records, who brought the world the marvellous IDC, their third album sees them straddling the world of pop and dance music as ever but perhaps with an even stronger slant towards songwriting.
Opening tune 'Northern Stomp' samples Happy Mondays' 'Halleluah' and sticks it through the glitch blender. But the baggy influence is short lived. In fact, 'I Know I'm A King' sounds more like The Beatles if they'd had a sampler to play with, and the clever programming which used to make their sound so vital definitely tuned down from equal partner to subtle addition.
There's plenty of memorable stuff here, not least current download giveaway 'On My Mind' and 'Smash and Grab World'. It definitely feels like they're starting from scratch rather than building on past glories - whether it's a success depends largely on whether they can translate this preened, classy pop sound to the live arena.
3/5
REVIEW: SHITMAT - ONE FOOT IN THE RAVE
Format: CD/2xLP
Released: May 18
Label: Planet Mu
The late great Sir John Peel once commented he was delighted to hear that so-called intelligent jungle existed because that suggested there was some truly unintelligent jungle out there that he was really keen to hear!
It's perhaps no co-incidence that Peel later discovered Shitmat. A renegade producer of preposterously chopped up jungle, he made his mark with daft but gloriously hooligan junglist versions of TV themes like 'Mastermind' and 'The Archers'.
You perhaps won't be surprised to hear that the latest in his prolific array of albums doesn't contain a wholesale move to emo, r&b or anything else currently trendy. This is trademark hardcore dance music from the MC counting down to the first beats on 'The Golden Age Of British Dance', to Snap-on-speed workout 'Nasty Rabbits' and the Shut Up and Dance-like slippery Amen breaks of 'Downer'.
His sense of humour is definitely taking a bit more of a backseat on'One Foot...' but it's still present in the sounds and psychotic beat programming. Less blatantly novelty, but by no means highbrow or pretentious, you can't help but feel Peel is looking down from a cloud up there in the sky and smiling approvingly.
3/5
Released: May 18
Label: Planet Mu
The late great Sir John Peel once commented he was delighted to hear that so-called intelligent jungle existed because that suggested there was some truly unintelligent jungle out there that he was really keen to hear!
It's perhaps no co-incidence that Peel later discovered Shitmat. A renegade producer of preposterously chopped up jungle, he made his mark with daft but gloriously hooligan junglist versions of TV themes like 'Mastermind' and 'The Archers'.
You perhaps won't be surprised to hear that the latest in his prolific array of albums doesn't contain a wholesale move to emo, r&b or anything else currently trendy. This is trademark hardcore dance music from the MC counting down to the first beats on 'The Golden Age Of British Dance', to Snap-on-speed workout 'Nasty Rabbits' and the Shut Up and Dance-like slippery Amen breaks of 'Downer'.
His sense of humour is definitely taking a bit more of a backseat on'One Foot...' but it's still present in the sounds and psychotic beat programming. Less blatantly novelty, but by no means highbrow or pretentious, you can't help but feel Peel is looking down from a cloud up there in the sky and smiling approvingly.
3/5
REVIEW: ED RUSH & OPTICAL - TRAVEL THE GALAXY
Format: CD album
Released: Late April
Labl: Virus
Both esteemed producers in their own right beforehand, the moment when West Londoners Ed Rush & Optical teamed up for their debut album 'Wormhole' in 1999 has proved a watershed moment in drum and bass.
The sound they came up with was unique - tougher than the mellow 'Swerve'/jazzy sound, techhy-sounding but more organic not as grim as techstep, and certainy sleeker and deeper than the jump-up jungle that dominated at the time.
Since then they've experimented with different moods and even tempos, from hip-hop to techno and breakbeat. But many will no doubt be pleased to hear that on this, their third LP together, they're harking back to their most famous work for inspiration and in their own words 'having some fun'.
From the sci-fi opening 'City 17' onwards, the trademarks are there. The beats are unrelenting and yet somehow less static and more organically funky than most of today's d&b. There are sonic echoes of techno and old hardcore rave, certainly in the mind boggling intro to 'Temper' and the pulsing analogue keyboard stabs that underpin the superlative 'Padded Cells', 'Move It, 'The Kindred' and many others here. It's become a cliche, but there are parallels with the heart tugging swoops and soars of the 'Bladerunner' soundtrack, especially on 'Chubrub', and the futuristic, sci-fi influence that gave 'Wormhole' its name is present throughout. As ever, it's the friction between thess sterile, ice-cold sonics and the fresh energy of the drums and bass end warmth that provides the thrills.
Some might argue that this nostalgic slant isn't bringing anything new to the d&b table, and admittedly not much beyond 'G Force Jesus' with its haunting choirs and house speed breakdown, truly forges new territory. Similarly, its almost exclusively instrumental status lends precious little in the way of crossover potential.
But the truth is their decision to take their own path rather than slavishly follow current trends back in 1999 has served them well. Unlike so much d&b around today - 'bubblegum' that does its job but loses its flavour on the metaphorical bedpost seemingly overnight - this is instantly recognisable and bears up to repeated listening. Still light years ahead of their competition.
4/5
Released: Late April
Labl: Virus
Both esteemed producers in their own right beforehand, the moment when West Londoners Ed Rush & Optical teamed up for their debut album 'Wormhole' in 1999 has proved a watershed moment in drum and bass.
The sound they came up with was unique - tougher than the mellow 'Swerve'/jazzy sound, techhy-sounding but more organic not as grim as techstep, and certainy sleeker and deeper than the jump-up jungle that dominated at the time.
Since then they've experimented with different moods and even tempos, from hip-hop to techno and breakbeat. But many will no doubt be pleased to hear that on this, their third LP together, they're harking back to their most famous work for inspiration and in their own words 'having some fun'.
From the sci-fi opening 'City 17' onwards, the trademarks are there. The beats are unrelenting and yet somehow less static and more organically funky than most of today's d&b. There are sonic echoes of techno and old hardcore rave, certainly in the mind boggling intro to 'Temper' and the pulsing analogue keyboard stabs that underpin the superlative 'Padded Cells', 'Move It, 'The Kindred' and many others here. It's become a cliche, but there are parallels with the heart tugging swoops and soars of the 'Bladerunner' soundtrack, especially on 'Chubrub', and the futuristic, sci-fi influence that gave 'Wormhole' its name is present throughout. As ever, it's the friction between thess sterile, ice-cold sonics and the fresh energy of the drums and bass end warmth that provides the thrills.
Some might argue that this nostalgic slant isn't bringing anything new to the d&b table, and admittedly not much beyond 'G Force Jesus' with its haunting choirs and house speed breakdown, truly forges new territory. Similarly, its almost exclusively instrumental status lends precious little in the way of crossover potential.
But the truth is their decision to take their own path rather than slavishly follow current trends back in 1999 has served them well. Unlike so much d&b around today - 'bubblegum' that does its job but loses its flavour on the metaphorical bedpost seemingly overnight - this is instantly recognisable and bears up to repeated listening. Still light years ahead of their competition.
4/5
Tuesday 3 March 2009
MISTABISHI
One of the highlights of 'Drop!', the debut album from drum and bass sensation Mistabishi (out now on Hospital Records). It's made up of those annoying malfunctioning printer noises; plus plenty of breakbeat phatness too.
PRINTER JAM
The legend has it that Mistabishi - I'm yet to see his real name printed anywhere - made much of the album in the investment bank where he worked as the business collapsed around him. In keeping with that mood, there are tracks called 'Greed' (which samples economist Gordon Gecko) and 'White Collar Grime'.
Check for my full interview with him in the current ATM mag.
PRINTER JAM
The legend has it that Mistabishi - I'm yet to see his real name printed anywhere - made much of the album in the investment bank where he worked as the business collapsed around him. In keeping with that mood, there are tracks called 'Greed' (which samples economist Gordon Gecko) and 'White Collar Grime'.
Check for my full interview with him in the current ATM mag.
Saturday 28 February 2009
REVIEW: VARIOUS - DJ HYPE PRESENTS DRUM & BASS ESSENTIALS
Format: 2x mixCD
Released: out now
Label: WMTV
Given that there are over 50 tunes spread over this two CD set you'd probably have a hard job justifying the 'Essential' tag in the title. If anytthing, this is 'D&B Comprehensive' - featuring all the biggest underground tunes from the last few months rather than the scene's all time anthems.
The big names are in evidence - Chase & Status with Kano, Dillinja, High Contrast, Die, Fresh, Distorted Minds and Pendulum (well, their 'Showdown' track remixed by Clipz)- but the brutal beats, scratch skills and super-quick mixing mean Hype is the real star here.
With the exception of High Contrast's 'Basement Track', represented here via the new and stripped down Upstairs Downstairs mix, there won't be much the uninitiated will recognise. But as an introduction to the must hear bubbling under contingent - soon to be household names like Hazard, Xample, Vapour, Logistics and Crystal Clear, it's invaluable.
4/5
Released: out now
Label: WMTV
Given that there are over 50 tunes spread over this two CD set you'd probably have a hard job justifying the 'Essential' tag in the title. If anytthing, this is 'D&B Comprehensive' - featuring all the biggest underground tunes from the last few months rather than the scene's all time anthems.
The big names are in evidence - Chase & Status with Kano, Dillinja, High Contrast, Die, Fresh, Distorted Minds and Pendulum (well, their 'Showdown' track remixed by Clipz)- but the brutal beats, scratch skills and super-quick mixing mean Hype is the real star here.
With the exception of High Contrast's 'Basement Track', represented here via the new and stripped down Upstairs Downstairs mix, there won't be much the uninitiated will recognise. But as an introduction to the must hear bubbling under contingent - soon to be household names like Hazard, Xample, Vapour, Logistics and Crystal Clear, it's invaluable.
4/5
REVIEW: BOP - SONG ABOUT MY DOG
Format: 12" single
Released: April 6
Label: Med School Music
Glitchy electronica on the more leftfield offshoot of d&b label Hospital, with echoes of Aphex, Boards of Canada and Autechre, only considerbaly warmer and more friendly sounding. You won't be humming it on the way home - oh no, it's much cleverer than that - but as a post-club comedown soundtracks go both tracks are nicely laden with personality.
3&1/2/5
Released: April 6
Label: Med School Music
Glitchy electronica on the more leftfield offshoot of d&b label Hospital, with echoes of Aphex, Boards of Canada and Autechre, only considerbaly warmer and more friendly sounding. You won't be humming it on the way home - oh no, it's much cleverer than that - but as a post-club comedown soundtracks go both tracks are nicely laden with personality.
3&1/2/5
REVIEW: VARIOUS - NASHA RECORDS VOL3
Format: CD Album
Label: Nasha Records
Released: April 2009
While their tunes may have often uased the same tempo templates, acts like the Nasha Records stable, Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh and their contemporaries always stood conspicuously to one side of mainstream drum and bass.
But while there are still some slight echoes of the Indian classical music and tabla-heavy percussion that set the Asian Beats scene apart, this third volume of Nasha's catalogue comp is much closer in spirit to current movements in d&b and dubstep.
Sukh Night's 'Knightlife' is a wonderfully terrifying heavyweight bass workout ably equipped to rock the most purist dubstep dancefloor. Likewise the wonky charm of his other offering here, 'Cop Killer', all claustrophic gongs, rave swirls and choppy Bollywood soundtrack snippets. Excellent.
It's a similar affair with The Nasha Experience, who contribute the lion's share of tracks. They manage to retain their Eastern flavourings but harness the power of some proper d&b polyrythmic nastiness too. Again, any of these would sit quite happily in the mix with the latest Clipz or Chase & Status dubplate.
The more quirky moments, like 'Wrong Number' by Gunmaster G9 & Pyarelal and 'City Heat' by Shandy, are probably the best, but throughout Nasha Vol3 there's plenty of good stuff to get your teeth into.
4/5
Label: Nasha Records
Released: April 2009
While their tunes may have often uased the same tempo templates, acts like the Nasha Records stable, Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh and their contemporaries always stood conspicuously to one side of mainstream drum and bass.
But while there are still some slight echoes of the Indian classical music and tabla-heavy percussion that set the Asian Beats scene apart, this third volume of Nasha's catalogue comp is much closer in spirit to current movements in d&b and dubstep.
Sukh Night's 'Knightlife' is a wonderfully terrifying heavyweight bass workout ably equipped to rock the most purist dubstep dancefloor. Likewise the wonky charm of his other offering here, 'Cop Killer', all claustrophic gongs, rave swirls and choppy Bollywood soundtrack snippets. Excellent.
It's a similar affair with The Nasha Experience, who contribute the lion's share of tracks. They manage to retain their Eastern flavourings but harness the power of some proper d&b polyrythmic nastiness too. Again, any of these would sit quite happily in the mix with the latest Clipz or Chase & Status dubplate.
The more quirky moments, like 'Wrong Number' by Gunmaster G9 & Pyarelal and 'City Heat' by Shandy, are probably the best, but throughout Nasha Vol3 there's plenty of good stuff to get your teeth into.
4/5
REVIEW: YPPAH - THEY KNOW WHAT GHOST KNOW
Format: CD Album
Label: Ninja Tune
Released: May 18
No, that isn't a spelling mistake. Yppah is a Texan-based Mexican-American producer and musician Joe Corrales Jr, who makes complx but ultra-laid back lounge funk, or even math-funk to borrow the current parlance.
Rockier than his previous Ninja material, 'They Know...' is steeped in live playing - there's everything from live drums and flutes to blazing shoegaze guitar here - the likes of 'The Moon Scene 7' and the LP's title track come over like luxurious jams, the former evoking My Bloody Valentine remixed by DJ Shadow, the latter like the missing link between Spitualized and The Doors, quite possibly with Jimi Hendrix's Experience providing the rhythm section.
There are times, like the first half of 'City Glow', when you feel like you're stuck in a muddy Glastonbury field circa 1995 watching the end of a Ozric Tentacles set. Not much fun, admittedly. This reviewer certainly prefers the sharper, more focussed hip-hop beats that emerge more in the LP's second half.
So although this isn't a uniformly successful album, that doesn't mean there aren't some moments of inspired experimental glory here either.
3/5
Label: Ninja Tune
Released: May 18
No, that isn't a spelling mistake. Yppah is a Texan-based Mexican-American producer and musician Joe Corrales Jr, who makes complx but ultra-laid back lounge funk, or even math-funk to borrow the current parlance.
Rockier than his previous Ninja material, 'They Know...' is steeped in live playing - there's everything from live drums and flutes to blazing shoegaze guitar here - the likes of 'The Moon Scene 7' and the LP's title track come over like luxurious jams, the former evoking My Bloody Valentine remixed by DJ Shadow, the latter like the missing link between Spitualized and The Doors, quite possibly with Jimi Hendrix's Experience providing the rhythm section.
There are times, like the first half of 'City Glow', when you feel like you're stuck in a muddy Glastonbury field circa 1995 watching the end of a Ozric Tentacles set. Not much fun, admittedly. This reviewer certainly prefers the sharper, more focussed hip-hop beats that emerge more in the LP's second half.
So although this isn't a uniformly successful album, that doesn't mean there aren't some moments of inspired experimental glory here either.
3/5
Friday 27 February 2009
Wednesday 25 February 2009
THE TUBES
Not quite sure if this is glam, punk or just plain trashy American metal but whatever you call it it's great with me. I got into this thanks to a dodgy second gen prog band who used to do it as an encore.
I see they (The Tubes...) are back and playing Brixton Academy on June 2.
I'll be impressed if the singer can still make an entrance as audacious as this...
WHITE PUNKS ON DOPE (Whistle Test)
I see they (The Tubes...) are back and playing Brixton Academy on June 2.
I'll be impressed if the singer can still make an entrance as audacious as this...
WHITE PUNKS ON DOPE (Whistle Test)
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