I've written more than enough about Digital Mystikz and Loefah's Brixton rave DMZ to find new things to say about it, yet it genuinely continues to confound expectations.
Last night was possibly best ever, rammed on a freezing night one week into January. It defies all known club behaviour.
Pinch played a blinder, a deep balance between bass impact and selection and Chef continued this trajectory, giving the night a sense of upwards energy that drove anticipation into the Loefah v Mala slamdown, 1am - 3am.
The DMZ boys didn't seem to draw for anything that was both completely brand new and required selling relatives for, yet their set was such a total high (or low, of Loe's dropping the low end 'plate weight) that Pinch and Chef's upward trajectory allowed them to completely take off, inducing a sense of abandon seldom felt with dubstep. Mala's off-4/4 riddim 'Anti War Dub' was a joy as always. No one wants real war.
One moment however in Pinch's set was a massive personal triumph: my first rewind in four years. Not me pulling back a tune - I've done that several times at DMZ and it's a rush. But of someone else having to pull back one of my productions.
I find it uncomfortable to talk about my own productions here but the reality is I now invest equal effort in production as writing, and can now no more separate music and production as I can music and culture or music and emotion. Perhaps I should write about my production too - it's very hard to say. From a fans point of view I certainly wish my favourite artists would explain their music in words more often.
Anyway the tune that got licked back was an Asian vocal dubstep tune called 'Lata.' You can hear N Type open his Rinse show with it this week too, which co-incidentally, was on during Pinch's set. It's here.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Cyrus promo mix
"Cyrus dont want anybody packed, dont want anyone flexing any muscle. Everybody says cyrus is the one and only ... i think we better go check for ourselves..."
DJ Cyrus promo mix: hosted right here. Shout to infinite - the original badgyal dubstep blogger - for the linkup.
tracklist
1- zion
2- prayer
3- bounty
4- irie
5- prophecy
6- warrior dub
7- haunted rmx
8- rupture
9- reble
10- judged
11- indian stomp
12- montego
13- bongi
14- banshi
15- gutter
16- grave diggers
17- saint dub
18- zambi
19- halo
20- the gift
21- island life
22- rags
DJ Cyrus promo mix: hosted right here. Shout to infinite - the original badgyal dubstep blogger - for the linkup.
tracklist
1- zion
2- prayer
3- bounty
4- irie
5- prophecy
6- warrior dub
7- haunted rmx
8- rupture
9- reble
10- judged
11- indian stomp
12- montego
13- bongi
14- banshi
15- gutter
16- grave diggers
17- saint dub
18- zambi
19- halo
20- the gift
21- island life
22- rags
Monday, January 02, 2006
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: The Bug
The Bug on 2005
Cons
"Apocalyptic acceleration, as personal stress, family death and global terror reigns supreme. The war of rich vs poor approaches ever faster as the ecological meltdown continues. The population of the UK continually chooses to ignore imminent police state enforcement with id cards, imprisonment without charge bills, satellite surveillance and blatant governmental lies..."
"The disappointment of dancehall's infuriatingly slow start to the year and the conservative retreat to one drop nostalgia, guitar music's retro fixation, the lack of lyrical anti words across all categories. and the critical diaspora's retreat to ambience, indie mundanity and lo-fi folk as safe havens."
Pros
"A staple diet of grime dvds, Jamaican pre-release 7", chunky kit kats, Ethiopian Jazz and bassbin burials at DMZ/FWD>> keeps me sane.(Big up the Loefah/Mala tag team, Tubby's UKG onslaught @ FWD>>, Roots Manuva's charity event in Brixton, Ricky Rankin at Westbourne Park Studios and Vincent Gallo's Chet Baker like drift @ Koko)."
"Siren, Vietnam, Concubine and Assault Rifle bashment rhythms. Ghislain Poirier mash ups, John Eden Mixtapes, the Hyperdub label (Burial's amazing 12"), Scientist-produced Jah Guidance reissues, Basic Replay's essential reissue campaign. Catching up on Jammys back catalogue. Finally rockin' 2,000 people in Toulouse proving Bug sounds needn't hitch up to ghetto dwelling genres, audience preconceptions, media hype nor noise free safety zones. The birth of Ladybug."
The Bug's top riddims for 2005
Damien Marley "Welcome To Jamrock"
Legendary KO "George Bush Doesn't Like Black People"
Kode 9 Vs Space Ape "Kingstown"
Amerie "1 Thing"
Ricky Rankin "Can't Trick I"
Slew Dem Productions "Grime"
Jammer "Murkle Man"
Missy Elliot "On and On"
All DMZ releases
Rhythm & Sound "See Mi Yah"
Cons
"Apocalyptic acceleration, as personal stress, family death and global terror reigns supreme. The war of rich vs poor approaches ever faster as the ecological meltdown continues. The population of the UK continually chooses to ignore imminent police state enforcement with id cards, imprisonment without charge bills, satellite surveillance and blatant governmental lies..."
"The disappointment of dancehall's infuriatingly slow start to the year and the conservative retreat to one drop nostalgia, guitar music's retro fixation, the lack of lyrical anti words across all categories. and the critical diaspora's retreat to ambience, indie mundanity and lo-fi folk as safe havens."
Pros
"A staple diet of grime dvds, Jamaican pre-release 7", chunky kit kats, Ethiopian Jazz and bassbin burials at DMZ/FWD>> keeps me sane.(Big up the Loefah/Mala tag team, Tubby's UKG onslaught @ FWD>>, Roots Manuva's charity event in Brixton, Ricky Rankin at Westbourne Park Studios and Vincent Gallo's Chet Baker like drift @ Koko)."
"Siren, Vietnam, Concubine and Assault Rifle bashment rhythms. Ghislain Poirier mash ups, John Eden Mixtapes, the Hyperdub label (Burial's amazing 12"), Scientist-produced Jah Guidance reissues, Basic Replay's essential reissue campaign. Catching up on Jammys back catalogue. Finally rockin' 2,000 people in Toulouse proving Bug sounds needn't hitch up to ghetto dwelling genres, audience preconceptions, media hype nor noise free safety zones. The birth of Ladybug."
The Bug's top riddims for 2005
Damien Marley "Welcome To Jamrock"
Legendary KO "George Bush Doesn't Like Black People"
Kode 9 Vs Space Ape "Kingstown"
Amerie "1 Thing"
Ricky Rankin "Can't Trick I"
Slew Dem Productions "Grime"
Jammer "Murkle Man"
Missy Elliot "On and On"
All DMZ releases
Rhythm & Sound "See Mi Yah"
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds on his favourite tune of the year, Kano’s "Reload It"
“Circling back to "Bound 4 The Reload" (arguably the first grime track, no seriously, think about it: electro-bass plus MCing) this track celebrates the pirate and rave tradition of the DJ rewind, when the crowd hollers (or home-listening audience text-messages) its demand for the selector to wheel and come again.”
“Up until grime, the trigger for rewinds would be a killer sampled vocal lick, thrilling bass-drop, or even just a mad breakbeat. Nowadays, the MC being king, the crowd clamors to hear their favourite rhymes. ‘This is what it means when DJs reload it/That sixteen was mean and he knows it,’ explains Kano, before listing the other top dog MCs who get nuff rewinds (two of them, Double and Demon, guest on the track). ‘I get a reload purely for the flow,’ Kano preens, and you can see why as he glides with lethal panache between quick-time rapping and a leisurely, drawn-out gait that seems to drag on the beat to slow it down.”
“The track itself, co-produced by Kano and Diplo, is all shimmery excitement, pivoting around a spangly filtered riff that ascends and descends the same four notes, driven by a funky rampage of live-sounding drums, and punctuated by horn samples, Beni G's scratching, and orgasmic girl-moans. The old skool breakbeat-like energy suggests an attempt to sell the notion of Grime as British hip hop, yet if Trans-Atlantic crossover is the intent, that's subverted by the lyric, its theme being as localized and Grime-reflexive as imaginable. "Reload It" encapsulates the conflicted impulses that fuel this scene: undergroundist insularity versus an extrovert hunger to engage with, and conquer, the whole wide world.”
This copy was originally written for The Wire, though I can’t see it in my issue
Simon Reynolds’ top riddims of 2005
Kano Featuring D Double E & Demon, "Reload It"
Lethal Bizzle "Against All Oddz"
Kano "Sometimes"
Bruza "Not Convince"
Three 6-Mafia "Stay Fly"
Vex'd “Degenerate” (Planet Mu)
Skream "Midnight Request Line"
Doctor, Bearman, L Man and Purple "Let It Go" From Eye Of The Tiger Vol 1
Virus Syndicate "Major List MCs" From The Work Related Illness
Roll Deep "Shake A Leg" and "When I'm Ere"
Lowdeep "Str8 Flush"
Crazy Titch "Sing Along"
SLK "Hype! Hype!" (DJ Wonder refix)
Lady Sovereign "Tango" from Bitchin EP
Ying Yang Twins "Pull My Hair" and "Wait (The Whisper Song)"
Kano "Remember Me"
Wiley "Morgue"
Kanye West "Addicted," "Crack Music", "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (From Late Registration)
What do you mean you don't know about blissblog?
“Circling back to "Bound 4 The Reload" (arguably the first grime track, no seriously, think about it: electro-bass plus MCing) this track celebrates the pirate and rave tradition of the DJ rewind, when the crowd hollers (or home-listening audience text-messages) its demand for the selector to wheel and come again.”
“Up until grime, the trigger for rewinds would be a killer sampled vocal lick, thrilling bass-drop, or even just a mad breakbeat. Nowadays, the MC being king, the crowd clamors to hear their favourite rhymes. ‘This is what it means when DJs reload it/That sixteen was mean and he knows it,’ explains Kano, before listing the other top dog MCs who get nuff rewinds (two of them, Double and Demon, guest on the track). ‘I get a reload purely for the flow,’ Kano preens, and you can see why as he glides with lethal panache between quick-time rapping and a leisurely, drawn-out gait that seems to drag on the beat to slow it down.”
“The track itself, co-produced by Kano and Diplo, is all shimmery excitement, pivoting around a spangly filtered riff that ascends and descends the same four notes, driven by a funky rampage of live-sounding drums, and punctuated by horn samples, Beni G's scratching, and orgasmic girl-moans. The old skool breakbeat-like energy suggests an attempt to sell the notion of Grime as British hip hop, yet if Trans-Atlantic crossover is the intent, that's subverted by the lyric, its theme being as localized and Grime-reflexive as imaginable. "Reload It" encapsulates the conflicted impulses that fuel this scene: undergroundist insularity versus an extrovert hunger to engage with, and conquer, the whole wide world.”
This copy was originally written for The Wire, though I can’t see it in my issue
Simon Reynolds’ top riddims of 2005
Kano Featuring D Double E & Demon, "Reload It"
Lethal Bizzle "Against All Oddz"
Kano "Sometimes"
Bruza "Not Convince"
Three 6-Mafia "Stay Fly"
Vex'd “Degenerate” (Planet Mu)
Skream "Midnight Request Line"
Doctor, Bearman, L Man and Purple "Let It Go" From Eye Of The Tiger Vol 1
Virus Syndicate "Major List MCs" From The Work Related Illness
Roll Deep "Shake A Leg" and "When I'm Ere"
Lowdeep "Str8 Flush"
Crazy Titch "Sing Along"
SLK "Hype! Hype!" (DJ Wonder refix)
Lady Sovereign "Tango" from Bitchin EP
Ying Yang Twins "Pull My Hair" and "Wait (The Whisper Song)"
Kano "Remember Me"
Wiley "Morgue"
Kanye West "Addicted," "Crack Music", "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (From Late Registration)
What do you mean you don't know about blissblog?
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Chantelle Fiddy
2005: a year inside grime for Chantelle Fiddy
"In a nutshell, the beginning of the year was an especially exciting opener for the scene what with Kano, Roll Deep and Lethal B embarking on album projects which would garner both them and those in the sidelines greater exposure to a bigger audience. Then there was the success of tracks like 'Pow' and SLK's 'Hype, Hype'. But as the year closes, my lingering feeling on the 05 is that it's a year that's had it's many highlights marred by frustration..."
"Top of the list is not being able to blog or write about everything that goes on (be it jackings, GBH, guns, gossip, truth). At times it's due to the legals, at times through fear of retribution and because quite frankly, right here, right now it's not what I'm about. Let us not forget that blogging too has it's pitfalls (in the words of D Double 'you wanna jack my written?')."
"Exposing certain goings on in the scene would perhaps give those that follow with a close eye a greater insight into the reality of the social context we're often up against but it would also leave perhaps too much room for misinterpretation and/or speculation. Regardless, it's also time to stop making excuses for certain lazy artists and the waste entourages/managers/teams that surround them who will use any excuse to defend their business (or lack of it)."
"Take responsibility. Writing one new bar a month does not mean you're doing something with your life. If you've got to do a day job to fund your mixtape, do it. Be real to yourself and don't fall prey to the imagery and messages surrounding you. Likewise, worry about the press, free clothes and general blagging when you've got something that's actually worth talking about. Be ready to follow your word through. It's time to forget managers and what your boys tell you. Know your business, read the books, go to the free seminars and ultimately don't hate when someone less talented than you is getting props because their game plan is tighter. Respect where respect is due and this is a business we're in. Ultimately you've got to love the music, but you've got to love the game too. You get back what you put in. We don't want to be compared to the Americans but look at the work ethic and it's obvious that as it stands, we're simply not cutting it."
"While people continue to expect big deals and success to be delivered on a plate, the scene will remain where it is at the end of 05: stunted. Don't get me wrong, musically it's still as exciting as ever but MC's are going to have to up their game now. Shit's getting boring. Come different. Come original. Tell us what's really going on and please, isn't it time more people took responsibility for the messages getting putting out there? There's no time for excuses, there's a generation listening and waiting in the wings (hopefully not Pentonville or Brixton). Don't underestimate your power."
"Likewise, we have to look at the 'fans'. Yeah, those of you who go to raves and have them locked off because you haven't grown bigger than your shoe size or the length of your penis. You've left the school playground behind, this is life and some of you idiots also happen to be 'artists'. Now you wonder why it's only the Shoreditch massive laying on the parties? We're the only ones who can get venues! Then we have the 'supporters', begging, downloading and bootlegging. Know the reality of what you're doing - you're aiding and abetting in the impeding of a scene that's financially struggling. If people aren't eating, people aren't making. Kano's album may have sold 70,000 but I'm betting near on a few hundred thousand own that."
"Finally let us not be weighed down by the fruitlessness of segregating the likes of Sway from Wiley, Klashnekoff from Jammer... Play and listen to what you want, but don't let your opinion of a genre and all that comes with it hamper what the UK's building. We've got to work together if we want to build a successful industry. Let's stand up, build the foundations and with no excuses. 2006, let's own it!"
Fiddy's top moments and tunes of the '05
Longplayas
Kano “Home Sweet Home”
Various “Run The Road 2”
Bossman's “Street Anthems”
Logan Sama “Sidewinder Bonus CD”
”Aim High 2”
”Practice Hours”
”Risky Roadz”
Singles
Roll Deep “When I'm Ere”
Low Deep “Straight Flush/Cheeky Violin”
Lady Sovereign “Hoodie Remix”
Skepta “Duppy”
JME “Serious”
Jammer “Murkleman”
Sway “Up Your Speed Remix”
Skream “Midnight Request Line”
NASTY “Run 4 Cover”
Plan B “Sick 2 Def/Young Girl”
SLK “Hype, Hype (DJ Wonder remix)”
Wiley & Ruff Sqwad “Sidewinder”
Slew Dem “Grime”
Live-o
Grimey Awards @ Rex, Paris with Maximum, Wiley, Skepta & JME
i-D Live @ Cargo, London
Straight Outta Bethnal @ 333, London
Run The Road @ Fabric, London
FWD @ Plastic People, London (especially Ms Dynamites show and the various MC cameo's)
For more Fiddy: no long ting
"In a nutshell, the beginning of the year was an especially exciting opener for the scene what with Kano, Roll Deep and Lethal B embarking on album projects which would garner both them and those in the sidelines greater exposure to a bigger audience. Then there was the success of tracks like 'Pow' and SLK's 'Hype, Hype'. But as the year closes, my lingering feeling on the 05 is that it's a year that's had it's many highlights marred by frustration..."
"Top of the list is not being able to blog or write about everything that goes on (be it jackings, GBH, guns, gossip, truth). At times it's due to the legals, at times through fear of retribution and because quite frankly, right here, right now it's not what I'm about. Let us not forget that blogging too has it's pitfalls (in the words of D Double 'you wanna jack my written?')."
"Exposing certain goings on in the scene would perhaps give those that follow with a close eye a greater insight into the reality of the social context we're often up against but it would also leave perhaps too much room for misinterpretation and/or speculation. Regardless, it's also time to stop making excuses for certain lazy artists and the waste entourages/managers/teams that surround them who will use any excuse to defend their business (or lack of it)."
"Take responsibility. Writing one new bar a month does not mean you're doing something with your life. If you've got to do a day job to fund your mixtape, do it. Be real to yourself and don't fall prey to the imagery and messages surrounding you. Likewise, worry about the press, free clothes and general blagging when you've got something that's actually worth talking about. Be ready to follow your word through. It's time to forget managers and what your boys tell you. Know your business, read the books, go to the free seminars and ultimately don't hate when someone less talented than you is getting props because their game plan is tighter. Respect where respect is due and this is a business we're in. Ultimately you've got to love the music, but you've got to love the game too. You get back what you put in. We don't want to be compared to the Americans but look at the work ethic and it's obvious that as it stands, we're simply not cutting it."
"While people continue to expect big deals and success to be delivered on a plate, the scene will remain where it is at the end of 05: stunted. Don't get me wrong, musically it's still as exciting as ever but MC's are going to have to up their game now. Shit's getting boring. Come different. Come original. Tell us what's really going on and please, isn't it time more people took responsibility for the messages getting putting out there? There's no time for excuses, there's a generation listening and waiting in the wings (hopefully not Pentonville or Brixton). Don't underestimate your power."
"Likewise, we have to look at the 'fans'. Yeah, those of you who go to raves and have them locked off because you haven't grown bigger than your shoe size or the length of your penis. You've left the school playground behind, this is life and some of you idiots also happen to be 'artists'. Now you wonder why it's only the Shoreditch massive laying on the parties? We're the only ones who can get venues! Then we have the 'supporters', begging, downloading and bootlegging. Know the reality of what you're doing - you're aiding and abetting in the impeding of a scene that's financially struggling. If people aren't eating, people aren't making. Kano's album may have sold 70,000 but I'm betting near on a few hundred thousand own that."
"Finally let us not be weighed down by the fruitlessness of segregating the likes of Sway from Wiley, Klashnekoff from Jammer... Play and listen to what you want, but don't let your opinion of a genre and all that comes with it hamper what the UK's building. We've got to work together if we want to build a successful industry. Let's stand up, build the foundations and with no excuses. 2006, let's own it!"
Fiddy's top moments and tunes of the '05
Longplayas
Kano “Home Sweet Home”
Various “Run The Road 2”
Bossman's “Street Anthems”
Logan Sama “Sidewinder Bonus CD”
”Aim High 2”
”Practice Hours”
”Risky Roadz”
Singles
Roll Deep “When I'm Ere”
Low Deep “Straight Flush/Cheeky Violin”
Lady Sovereign “Hoodie Remix”
Skepta “Duppy”
JME “Serious”
Jammer “Murkleman”
Sway “Up Your Speed Remix”
Skream “Midnight Request Line”
NASTY “Run 4 Cover”
Plan B “Sick 2 Def/Young Girl”
SLK “Hype, Hype (DJ Wonder remix)”
Wiley & Ruff Sqwad “Sidewinder”
Slew Dem “Grime”
Live-o
Grimey Awards @ Rex, Paris with Maximum, Wiley, Skepta & JME
i-D Live @ Cargo, London
Straight Outta Bethnal @ 333, London
Run The Road @ Fabric, London
FWD @ Plastic People, London (especially Ms Dynamites show and the various MC cameo's)
For more Fiddy: no long ting
Friday, December 23, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Klute
Drum & bass producer and all round music enthusiast, Klute
Blackdown: Jess Harvell suggested on Pitchfork Media that this year has been worse for d&b than 2004, primarily because there's been less 'leftfield' d&b. do you think 2005 has been better or worse than 2004 and why?
Klute: that’s a very tough one to answer. To be simple and get straight to the point though I'll stick my neck out and half agree with him. Musically and morale-wise I think it’s on a pretty low ebb, but then again that could be a very important stage in the gestation of a new rising. Personally I'm not concerned that things be ‘leftfield’ or not, I just like to see a spread in depths of emotions and as far as I can see the majority of d&b produced this year is very surface orientated.
B: is it essential to have both depth and energy? Is d&b swinging into the abstract 'leftfield' as much a mistake as making noisy, disposable dancefloor fodder?
K: I think d&b is really suffering from people establishing factions and sticking to that one thing and shouting about how their banner is the best.
B: But doesn’t that mean they are able to push forward a coherent musical direction rather than doing 'a bit of this and a bit of that'?
K: I guess that’s the nature of it, but from my perspective I'm seeing a lot of isolation happening. We're all guilty of it, but I think it’s a problem.
B: Are some producers guilty of just aiming to make harder, noisier, angrier music?
K: I'm not sure if that’s exactly the main problem. The really popular stuff tends to be incredibly simple and stupid sounding. There can be magic in any type of sound, and if everyone wasn’t so isolated I think the exposure would open us all up a bit and hopefully dampen down the monotony.
B: I always get the impression you seem to be looking for something, a vibe or a buzz maybe... you tell me. Do you know what you're looking for out of d&b or will you only know it when you find it?
K: I've quite a wide ranging taste in music and I’m constantly listening and buying as much new music as I can. Perhaps one of the faults of that is not being able to concentrate on one thing for long enough to see the whole picture. For me I see a buzz in what’s currently going on with techno/house out in Europe, dubstep and also in film scores.
B: But yet you've concentrated your production quite a lot on d&b, more so than any other genre...
K: I guess that’s my current field of expertise but I do also write a fair amount of "other music." For the last 10 years I certainly have produced a majority of d&b, probably as its been the most exciting for me. Making other music is really a case of me having to give myself a kick to remember to do it. I go through big phases. Right now I’m going through a non-d&b phase. Writing mostly one kind of style becomes very habit forming and for me it’s a matter of breaking that habit.
B: Isn't that where the most important/influential producers succeed: they break through their own habits and production conventions in ways that work?
K: Well, I don’t know about that. Everyone has their own way. Some people just stumble across it. I think if you want to stick around for a while you need to constantly question what you’re doing, why and how its done. That’s my personal method.
B: what tunes have made you excited this year (inc d&b)?
K: Well, there’s an album by a guy called Michael Manning called “Public”. He's apparently 19 and making music with shocking maturity… well I was shocked. I was taken aback by a Kode 9 tune that was called “Blues” at the time but has since been renamed “Kingstown”. Nathan Fake “Dinamo.” And d&b wise a tune or two by Amit, the same with Break ... and me!
B: It's healthy you're excited by your own tunes, do you know producers that are actually not excited by their own music?
K: Yes, I know a lot who aren’t. I know a lot who just churn it out. That can happen when you make one kind of music. I think you sometimes forget why you’re doing it. This is why I like to write albums. It gives me a sense of purpose.
B: How could journalism best help d&b?
K: By being constructively critical, but that in itself is really hard to do, but I have seen it! Some American guy reviewed by album online somewhere and essentially addressed what I personally thought were the shortcomings of it and it really pleased me. More than 90% of good reviews. He'd actually listened to the thing.
B: I'm not trying to force you into defending d&b, but isn’t it the case that the vast majority of d&b artists would have reacted in the opposite way to you after a bad review, often in a very aggressive way?
K: Well, in most cases I'd be defensive as well, but then I also tend to get defensive with some favourable reviews as well. I get annoyed when I get the impression the reviewer hasn’t really bothered to listen.
B: A lot of d&b contains sonic references to 'e'. given that acid house happened over 15 years ago, are these references still valid?
K: i think E has a very different effect on the collective psyche these days. Perhaps its a very different drug these days, maybe its to do with critical mass. Perhaps its just stabbing at memories. It's going to take something else to bring back those feelings.
B: what have i missed? what question is begging to be asked of d&b?
K: is the culling coming?
B: Ahaha
B: and what is the answer to your question do you think?
K: I dont think its far off
K: its more a case of people losing their fleeting interests
B: producers or fans?
K: Well, thats a question in itself. Where do you draw the line? What is a fan and what is a producer? One of d&b's greatest assets is also one of its greatest downfalls. The fact that its one of the most DIY get onboard stlyes out there. The moment a "fan" makes a tune on Reason he becomes part of the machine. I'm not here to place myself above anyone in that regard. The proof is in perseverence.
Klute's top 10 sounds for 2005
1. Michael manning "Public LP" (ai)
2. Confutatis "Obsession" (ai)
3. Shed "Stronghold" (solo action)
4. Kode 9 "Kingstown (dub)" (Hyperdub)
5. Amit "MK Ultra" (Commercial Suicide)
6. Basil Kirchin "Abstractions of the Industril North" (Trunk)
7. Michael Andrews WMe & You & Everyone We Know" (soundtrack)
8. Cocteau Twins "Box set" (4ad)
9. Skream "Traitor" (Ital)
10. Dkay "Serenade" (Brigand)
For more info on Klute check the Commercial Suicide site
Blackdown: Jess Harvell suggested on Pitchfork Media that this year has been worse for d&b than 2004, primarily because there's been less 'leftfield' d&b. do you think 2005 has been better or worse than 2004 and why?
Klute: that’s a very tough one to answer. To be simple and get straight to the point though I'll stick my neck out and half agree with him. Musically and morale-wise I think it’s on a pretty low ebb, but then again that could be a very important stage in the gestation of a new rising. Personally I'm not concerned that things be ‘leftfield’ or not, I just like to see a spread in depths of emotions and as far as I can see the majority of d&b produced this year is very surface orientated.
B: is it essential to have both depth and energy? Is d&b swinging into the abstract 'leftfield' as much a mistake as making noisy, disposable dancefloor fodder?
K: I think d&b is really suffering from people establishing factions and sticking to that one thing and shouting about how their banner is the best.
B: But doesn’t that mean they are able to push forward a coherent musical direction rather than doing 'a bit of this and a bit of that'?
K: I guess that’s the nature of it, but from my perspective I'm seeing a lot of isolation happening. We're all guilty of it, but I think it’s a problem.
B: Are some producers guilty of just aiming to make harder, noisier, angrier music?
K: I'm not sure if that’s exactly the main problem. The really popular stuff tends to be incredibly simple and stupid sounding. There can be magic in any type of sound, and if everyone wasn’t so isolated I think the exposure would open us all up a bit and hopefully dampen down the monotony.
B: I always get the impression you seem to be looking for something, a vibe or a buzz maybe... you tell me. Do you know what you're looking for out of d&b or will you only know it when you find it?
K: I've quite a wide ranging taste in music and I’m constantly listening and buying as much new music as I can. Perhaps one of the faults of that is not being able to concentrate on one thing for long enough to see the whole picture. For me I see a buzz in what’s currently going on with techno/house out in Europe, dubstep and also in film scores.
B: But yet you've concentrated your production quite a lot on d&b, more so than any other genre...
K: I guess that’s my current field of expertise but I do also write a fair amount of "other music." For the last 10 years I certainly have produced a majority of d&b, probably as its been the most exciting for me. Making other music is really a case of me having to give myself a kick to remember to do it. I go through big phases. Right now I’m going through a non-d&b phase. Writing mostly one kind of style becomes very habit forming and for me it’s a matter of breaking that habit.
B: Isn't that where the most important/influential producers succeed: they break through their own habits and production conventions in ways that work?
K: Well, I don’t know about that. Everyone has their own way. Some people just stumble across it. I think if you want to stick around for a while you need to constantly question what you’re doing, why and how its done. That’s my personal method.
B: what tunes have made you excited this year (inc d&b)?
K: Well, there’s an album by a guy called Michael Manning called “Public”. He's apparently 19 and making music with shocking maturity… well I was shocked. I was taken aback by a Kode 9 tune that was called “Blues” at the time but has since been renamed “Kingstown”. Nathan Fake “Dinamo.” And d&b wise a tune or two by Amit, the same with Break ... and me!
B: It's healthy you're excited by your own tunes, do you know producers that are actually not excited by their own music?
K: Yes, I know a lot who aren’t. I know a lot who just churn it out. That can happen when you make one kind of music. I think you sometimes forget why you’re doing it. This is why I like to write albums. It gives me a sense of purpose.
B: How could journalism best help d&b?
K: By being constructively critical, but that in itself is really hard to do, but I have seen it! Some American guy reviewed by album online somewhere and essentially addressed what I personally thought were the shortcomings of it and it really pleased me. More than 90% of good reviews. He'd actually listened to the thing.
B: I'm not trying to force you into defending d&b, but isn’t it the case that the vast majority of d&b artists would have reacted in the opposite way to you after a bad review, often in a very aggressive way?
K: Well, in most cases I'd be defensive as well, but then I also tend to get defensive with some favourable reviews as well. I get annoyed when I get the impression the reviewer hasn’t really bothered to listen.
B: A lot of d&b contains sonic references to 'e'. given that acid house happened over 15 years ago, are these references still valid?
K: i think E has a very different effect on the collective psyche these days. Perhaps its a very different drug these days, maybe its to do with critical mass. Perhaps its just stabbing at memories. It's going to take something else to bring back those feelings.
B: what have i missed? what question is begging to be asked of d&b?
K: is the culling coming?
B: Ahaha
B: and what is the answer to your question do you think?
K: I dont think its far off
K: its more a case of people losing their fleeting interests
B: producers or fans?
K: Well, thats a question in itself. Where do you draw the line? What is a fan and what is a producer? One of d&b's greatest assets is also one of its greatest downfalls. The fact that its one of the most DIY get onboard stlyes out there. The moment a "fan" makes a tune on Reason he becomes part of the machine. I'm not here to place myself above anyone in that regard. The proof is in perseverence.
Klute's top 10 sounds for 2005
1. Michael manning "Public LP" (ai)
2. Confutatis "Obsession" (ai)
3. Shed "Stronghold" (solo action)
4. Kode 9 "Kingstown (dub)" (Hyperdub)
5. Amit "MK Ultra" (Commercial Suicide)
6. Basil Kirchin "Abstractions of the Industril North" (Trunk)
7. Michael Andrews WMe & You & Everyone We Know" (soundtrack)
8. Cocteau Twins "Box set" (4ad)
9. Skream "Traitor" (Ital)
10. Dkay "Serenade" (Brigand)
For more info on Klute check the Commercial Suicide site
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Kid Kameleon
In 2005 Kid Kameleon asked one simple question: Remix?
"2005 has completely blurred the line between original work, mash-up, dj mix and remix. Labels like XL are releasing M.I.A.’s vocals and encouraging remixes, then signing the best ones. Artists like Aaron Spectre are loading whole DJ sets into Ableton Live, chopping and remixing the track components on the fly."
"Mashup artists like Jstar are taking vocals from one source and beats from another, then adding enough of their own production to create a hybrid beast. As ever, producers borrow musical or vocal samples, while others pay MCs to completely recreate a track and then tweak it into something new."
"As companies like Sony wheel up outdated copyright ideas with things like the DRM Root Kit, smart musicians and organizations like the EFF realize that healthy musical innovation depends on an open source model getting a forward."
10 2005 essentials from Kid Kameleon
01. Eight Frozen Modules "DJ, Riddim, and Source" [Planet Mu]
02. Deadbeat "New World Observor" [~scape]
03. Aaron Spectre "Life We Promote" [Self Released]
04. Debaser/DJ C "Crazy Baldheads" [Mashit]
05. Rotator "Dissident Sound Maniac" [Peace Off]
06. Jstar ... everything by [Jstar Music]
07. Skream ... everything by [Ital/Big Apple/Tempa]
08. Ripley "Ich Bin Defekt" [Death$ucker]
09. Beck "Guero" [Geffen]
10. The Eff [www.eff.org]
Read more by Kid Kameleon at www.kidkameleon.com
"2005 has completely blurred the line between original work, mash-up, dj mix and remix. Labels like XL are releasing M.I.A.’s vocals and encouraging remixes, then signing the best ones. Artists like Aaron Spectre are loading whole DJ sets into Ableton Live, chopping and remixing the track components on the fly."
"Mashup artists like Jstar are taking vocals from one source and beats from another, then adding enough of their own production to create a hybrid beast. As ever, producers borrow musical or vocal samples, while others pay MCs to completely recreate a track and then tweak it into something new."
"As companies like Sony wheel up outdated copyright ideas with things like the DRM Root Kit, smart musicians and organizations like the EFF realize that healthy musical innovation depends on an open source model getting a forward."
10 2005 essentials from Kid Kameleon
01. Eight Frozen Modules "DJ, Riddim, and Source" [Planet Mu]
02. Deadbeat "New World Observor" [~scape]
03. Aaron Spectre "Life We Promote" [Self Released]
04. Debaser/DJ C "Crazy Baldheads" [Mashit]
05. Rotator "Dissident Sound Maniac" [Peace Off]
06. Jstar ... everything by [Jstar Music]
07. Skream ... everything by [Ital/Big Apple/Tempa]
08. Ripley "Ich Bin Defekt" [Death$ucker]
09. Beck "Guero" [Geffen]
10. The Eff [www.eff.org]
Read more by Kid Kameleon at www.kidkameleon.com
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Burial
2005 according to Burial
"2005 - the only thing I remember properly was at 9am on the 7th of July. I was walking across London crossing from south into central London. I usually get Northern Line but had to go a different way 'cos the underground was fucked. I had headphones on; I was listening to tunes, just lost in it but I could tell vibes around me were offkey and weird. You could feel it. So I took the headphones off and overheard people saying all this stuff. People were ringing me but getting cut off."
"I spent the next hours like everyone watching TV, hearing rumours, telling family I was OK, then getting upset and angry. Then I walked out... you could feel in the air, the streets were empty. I began to walk three hours south back home. People were like refugees walking back, police everywhere telling us to get back at Vauxhall."
"It was weird because I've only ever seen bits of south London and the west end and you don't ever get a feel of London around you. You only usually get this when you're in a car going through it at night or something. I tried to listen to headphones on way back but couldn't."
"That day was like this big trek across my city and you could feel it like it had been hurt, you know: these were like other Londoners. It was horrible, people from work were on bombed trains, people they knew were killed. It was just fucked. I was listening to a compilation I'd made a few days before. Just a bunch of random tunes. I'd made this CD for me to listen to on my way back into London from my girlfriend's house. It was meant to be this kind of deep nighttime London tunes."
"The compilation had some amazing tunes on it, but I didn't listen to anything for weeks after. The tunes I was listening to were various stuff. Some Digital Mystikz, Skream and Rinse mixes, but also some sort of big club tunes, like vocal things, It had this Seba and Paradox tune on it 'Move On'. I was listening to that when I first felt it."
"I've always had a love-hate thing with London but now I thought 'I love this place.' I was also like 'fuck these people who did this.' It was the underground, on the bus... I can't think about it. The music just got sad to me, I was also listening to 'Hold Tight London' by the Chemical Brothers - that tune runs deep for a commercial tune. All the dubstep and jungle shit became like comfort music: the sorrow just came out of it. I felt the music deeper from that point on."
"Space and my surroundings in London have got into my music a lot. I spent my whole train journey to school busting around listen to jungle. Those Photek tunes, they were like nighttime train music to me! I tried to do some artwork for a Burial album recently. I did a figure in a landscape, just standing there in London. It's part of it."
"The space in my tunes is like ... the vocal bits and sound echoing across the surface of it, across the drums... distant buildings, empty streets, a nighttime world ... and that's how London pirates sound to me. Eerie far off ... the tunes I love on the best pirates sound like that.
"A burial album would sound deep and hypnotic at the start. Just like someone picking themselves up, fixing up, getting by. The middle of the album would be proper underground more rolled out and then the end would be club tunes, like 'he made it out of there,' like a celebration of UK d&b dubstep jungle rave garage party tunes."
"But the whole thing would be sad. I can't help it. London feels sad to me, but there's uplift in there, even if it rinses you out. It's something about where I live maybe. I only know south but I know how it feels in my area, always has since I was a kid I never moved far."
"I make tunes in a room looking out of this window and I've got this mad light almost like a gaslight outside. I live next to a prison so that’s half of the view from my room, the other half is prison land. I think where gallows used to be but I dunno, doubt it. The rest is a fucking massive dual carriage way all the way from Streatham down towards the Thames. You can see for miles all the way to the river, past the river and when it’s foggy like it was today, it’s a mad view.”
Tunes Burial loved in 2005
1. Digital Mystikz "Misty Winter"
2. Loefah - everything by Loefah
3. Omni Trio "Torn"
4. Foul Play "Being With You Remix"
5. Digital Spirit "Cool Out"
6. Plastikman "Contain"
7. Speedy J "Tesla"
8. Robert Hood "Stark Reality"
9. Skanna "All you wanted"
10. Husker Du "Chartered Trips"
11. Teebee "Let Go"
12. Chemical Brothers "Hold Tight London"
13. Paradox & Seba - "Move On"
New Burial tunes and what he was thinking about when he made
them.
1. Brutal Deluxe
"I was thinking of food, McDonalds and Speedball on the Amiga."
2. "YearOne LP"
"I was thinking about ... loads of things."
3. "Prayer"
"I was thinking about my brothers."
4. "DistantLights"
"I was thinking of the kind of shit I want to hear that isn't studioboy weak fucking clumpy drum fake tunes. I was wanting to sound like old jungle and 2step ...."
5 - "Sarcophagus"
"It's first tune on the long lost never to be released Burial album. I was in a bleak mood, bad minded, so..."
6 "U Hurt Me"
"I wanted to do a tune for my brothers to hear, something different. A 'me against the world' vibe tune, but it kind of turned out an uplifting tune, not heavy and moody because that was boring me. Like a fucking party tune, but with a sad vocal. I sort of dream they'd somehow play it at DMZ."
"2005 - the only thing I remember properly was at 9am on the 7th of July. I was walking across London crossing from south into central London. I usually get Northern Line but had to go a different way 'cos the underground was fucked. I had headphones on; I was listening to tunes, just lost in it but I could tell vibes around me were offkey and weird. You could feel it. So I took the headphones off and overheard people saying all this stuff. People were ringing me but getting cut off."
"I spent the next hours like everyone watching TV, hearing rumours, telling family I was OK, then getting upset and angry. Then I walked out... you could feel in the air, the streets were empty. I began to walk three hours south back home. People were like refugees walking back, police everywhere telling us to get back at Vauxhall."
"It was weird because I've only ever seen bits of south London and the west end and you don't ever get a feel of London around you. You only usually get this when you're in a car going through it at night or something. I tried to listen to headphones on way back but couldn't."
"That day was like this big trek across my city and you could feel it like it had been hurt, you know: these were like other Londoners. It was horrible, people from work were on bombed trains, people they knew were killed. It was just fucked. I was listening to a compilation I'd made a few days before. Just a bunch of random tunes. I'd made this CD for me to listen to on my way back into London from my girlfriend's house. It was meant to be this kind of deep nighttime London tunes."
"The compilation had some amazing tunes on it, but I didn't listen to anything for weeks after. The tunes I was listening to were various stuff. Some Digital Mystikz, Skream and Rinse mixes, but also some sort of big club tunes, like vocal things, It had this Seba and Paradox tune on it 'Move On'. I was listening to that when I first felt it."
"I've always had a love-hate thing with London but now I thought 'I love this place.' I was also like 'fuck these people who did this.' It was the underground, on the bus... I can't think about it. The music just got sad to me, I was also listening to 'Hold Tight London' by the Chemical Brothers - that tune runs deep for a commercial tune. All the dubstep and jungle shit became like comfort music: the sorrow just came out of it. I felt the music deeper from that point on."
"Space and my surroundings in London have got into my music a lot. I spent my whole train journey to school busting around listen to jungle. Those Photek tunes, they were like nighttime train music to me! I tried to do some artwork for a Burial album recently. I did a figure in a landscape, just standing there in London. It's part of it."
"The space in my tunes is like ... the vocal bits and sound echoing across the surface of it, across the drums... distant buildings, empty streets, a nighttime world ... and that's how London pirates sound to me. Eerie far off ... the tunes I love on the best pirates sound like that.
"A burial album would sound deep and hypnotic at the start. Just like someone picking themselves up, fixing up, getting by. The middle of the album would be proper underground more rolled out and then the end would be club tunes, like 'he made it out of there,' like a celebration of UK d&b dubstep jungle rave garage party tunes."
"But the whole thing would be sad. I can't help it. London feels sad to me, but there's uplift in there, even if it rinses you out. It's something about where I live maybe. I only know south but I know how it feels in my area, always has since I was a kid I never moved far."
"I make tunes in a room looking out of this window and I've got this mad light almost like a gaslight outside. I live next to a prison so that’s half of the view from my room, the other half is prison land. I think where gallows used to be but I dunno, doubt it. The rest is a fucking massive dual carriage way all the way from Streatham down towards the Thames. You can see for miles all the way to the river, past the river and when it’s foggy like it was today, it’s a mad view.”
Tunes Burial loved in 2005
1. Digital Mystikz "Misty Winter"
2. Loefah - everything by Loefah
3. Omni Trio "Torn"
4. Foul Play "Being With You Remix"
5. Digital Spirit "Cool Out"
6. Plastikman "Contain"
7. Speedy J "Tesla"
8. Robert Hood "Stark Reality"
9. Skanna "All you wanted"
10. Husker Du "Chartered Trips"
11. Teebee "Let Go"
12. Chemical Brothers "Hold Tight London"
13. Paradox & Seba - "Move On"
New Burial tunes and what he was thinking about when he made
them.
1. Brutal Deluxe
"I was thinking of food, McDonalds and Speedball on the Amiga."
2. "YearOne LP"
"I was thinking about ... loads of things."
3. "Prayer"
"I was thinking about my brothers."
4. "DistantLights"
"I was thinking of the kind of shit I want to hear that isn't studioboy weak fucking clumpy drum fake tunes. I was wanting to sound like old jungle and 2step ...."
5 - "Sarcophagus"
"It's first tune on the long lost never to be released Burial album. I was in a bleak mood, bad minded, so..."
6 "U Hurt Me"
"I wanted to do a tune for my brothers to hear, something different. A 'me against the world' vibe tune, but it kind of turned out an uplifting tune, not heavy and moody because that was boring me. Like a fucking party tune, but with a sad vocal. I sort of dream they'd somehow play it at DMZ."
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Gutterbreakz
2005 according to Gutterbreakz
"Having discovered dubstep online in 2004, this was the year that I experienced it in it's natural state - spun off dubplates, pumping through a sick soundsystem in a dark, enclosed space; the bass frequencies sending earth tremors up my spinal column, squeezing my throat in an oppressive yet inviting embrace. Although I've yet to make the trek to dubstep's South London homeland, it's been fascinating to witness and chronical the scene's gradual growth here in Bristol, arguably dubstep's second city thanks to the efforts of local supporters like DJ Pinch and ThinKing. Subloaded II in April will live on as one of the heaviest sonic experiences of my life."
"It's also been intriguing to observe the virus spreading, not just in terms of a global fanbase, but also the way it is being absorbed within other realms of the electronica spectrum. Artists's from backgrounds in IDM, breakcore, etc are now twisting the blueprint to their own devious purposes, creating new hybrids and possible futures for this music. Who knows where we'll be this time next year?"
"Here's my attempt at a Top 10 releases of 2005, which is by no means definitive, nor in any particular order, but hopefully covers most of the essential artists, labels and tunes that shook my world this year..."
Gutterbreakz' 10 for '05
Coki - Officer/Mood Dub (DMZ)
DJ Youngsta - Dubstep Allstars Vol.2 (Tempa mix CD)
Burial - South London Boroughs EP (Hyperdub)
Vex'd - Degenerate (Planet Mu LP)
Mark One - Plodder/Devil Man (Contagious)
Loefah & Skream - 28g/Fearless (Tectonic)
Various - Our Sound (Destructive LP)
Monkey Steak - Grim Dubs Vol.1 (Werk)
D1 - I Believe (Soulja)
Boxcutter - Brood/Sunshine (Hotflush)
For more Gutta, check his blog as always.
"Having discovered dubstep online in 2004, this was the year that I experienced it in it's natural state - spun off dubplates, pumping through a sick soundsystem in a dark, enclosed space; the bass frequencies sending earth tremors up my spinal column, squeezing my throat in an oppressive yet inviting embrace. Although I've yet to make the trek to dubstep's South London homeland, it's been fascinating to witness and chronical the scene's gradual growth here in Bristol, arguably dubstep's second city thanks to the efforts of local supporters like DJ Pinch and ThinKing. Subloaded II in April will live on as one of the heaviest sonic experiences of my life."
"It's also been intriguing to observe the virus spreading, not just in terms of a global fanbase, but also the way it is being absorbed within other realms of the electronica spectrum. Artists's from backgrounds in IDM, breakcore, etc are now twisting the blueprint to their own devious purposes, creating new hybrids and possible futures for this music. Who knows where we'll be this time next year?"
"Here's my attempt at a Top 10 releases of 2005, which is by no means definitive, nor in any particular order, but hopefully covers most of the essential artists, labels and tunes that shook my world this year..."
Gutterbreakz' 10 for '05
Coki - Officer/Mood Dub (DMZ)
DJ Youngsta - Dubstep Allstars Vol.2 (Tempa mix CD)
Burial - South London Boroughs EP (Hyperdub)
Vex'd - Degenerate (Planet Mu LP)
Mark One - Plodder/Devil Man (Contagious)
Loefah & Skream - 28g/Fearless (Tectonic)
Various - Our Sound (Destructive LP)
Monkey Steak - Grim Dubs Vol.1 (Werk)
D1 - I Believe (Soulja)
Boxcutter - Brood/Sunshine (Hotflush)
For more Gutta, check his blog as always.
Incoming 2006: Dubstep Allstars vol.3 mixed by Kode9 feat. the Spaceape
Dubstep Allstars Vol.3
Kode9 feat. the Spaceape
1. Kode9 - Nine Samouri (hyperdub)
2. Pressure & Warrior Queen - Dem a Bomb We (dub)
3. Geneeus - U Know Me(dub)
4. Digital Mystikz - Haunted(dub)
5. Skream - I (Loefah remix) (dub)
6. D1 - Bamboo (dub)
7. Skream - Groovin(dub)
8. Digital Mystikz - New LIfe Baby Paris(dub)
9. Calenda - Forever(dub)
10. Digital Mystikz - Heartless Ninja(dub)
11. Skream - 0800 dub(dub)
12. Digital Mystikz- Molten(dub)
13. Skream - Tortured Soul(dub)
14. Digital Mystikz - Intergalactic(dub)
15. Loefah - Ruffage(dub)
16. DJ Krave - Minor Skank(dub)
17. N-Type - Way of the Dub(dub)
18. Skream - Colourful(dub)
19. Benga - Mammoth (Plasticman Remix)(dub)
20. Random Trio - Haunted Rmx(dub)
21. Skream - Korma (dub)
22. D1 - ET (dub)
23. Plasticman - Unhappy Shopper (dub)
24. Blackdown - dis/East (dub)
25. Geiom - Overnight Biscuits(dub)
26. D1 - Cocaine (dub)
27. Random Trio - Rebel(dub)
28. Burial - Prayer(dub)
Kode9 feat. the Spaceape
1. Kode9 - Nine Samouri (hyperdub)
2. Pressure & Warrior Queen - Dem a Bomb We (dub)
3. Geneeus - U Know Me(dub)
4. Digital Mystikz - Haunted(dub)
5. Skream - I (Loefah remix) (dub)
6. D1 - Bamboo (dub)
7. Skream - Groovin(dub)
8. Digital Mystikz - New LIfe Baby Paris(dub)
9. Calenda - Forever(dub)
10. Digital Mystikz - Heartless Ninja(dub)
11. Skream - 0800 dub(dub)
12. Digital Mystikz- Molten(dub)
13. Skream - Tortured Soul(dub)
14. Digital Mystikz - Intergalactic(dub)
15. Loefah - Ruffage(dub)
16. DJ Krave - Minor Skank(dub)
17. N-Type - Way of the Dub(dub)
18. Skream - Colourful(dub)
19. Benga - Mammoth (Plasticman Remix)(dub)
20. Random Trio - Haunted Rmx(dub)
21. Skream - Korma (dub)
22. D1 - ET (dub)
23. Plasticman - Unhappy Shopper (dub)
24. Blackdown - dis/East (dub)
25. Geiom - Overnight Biscuits(dub)
26. D1 - Cocaine (dub)
27. Random Trio - Rebel(dub)
28. Burial - Prayer(dub)
Monday, December 19, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Plasticman
2005 according to Plasticman
“2005 has been perhaps my best year in the industry so far, I thought 2004 would be hard to top but this year has been really special.”
“Something I've felt really strongly about in 2005 is the lack of distribution we have in our scene. After travelling all over the world, I am repeatedly being asked "where can we get this stuff?" and I feel stupid when all I can say in reply is "there are some online stores".”
“Fair enough we are in the age of the internet but how many DJ's do you know who actually do all of their record shopping online? In all my time as a DJ I think I've only bought records online once - there's no substitute for chilling in a record shop hearing the tunes properly and just chatting with the staff and customers. That’s what record shopping is all about - digging through crates or spotting something you like the look of on the shelf.”
“This is why we need to get our music onto shelves out of the UK. A lot of people will argue "it's not selling enough in the UK yet" but I believe these people are the same people who really want grime to hit the top ten in the singles chart. I just want a healthy underground scene in which artists can live off of their music sales - like that of the drum and bass scene, which sells tens of thousands worldwide.”
“So that’s one thing I feel strongly about. On a final note: stop calling my music dubstep! It's simply grime without a vocal on top of it wasteguys! You want to hear dubstep listen to DMZ, Youngsta, Loefah, Hatcha - they are the dons and my sound is totally different to that. Next person to write that I am dubstep will get a wonderpalm to the jawside with my Nintendo Powerglove.”
Plasticman’s top ten Grime tunes in 2005
1. Macabre Unit “Lift Off”
I signed it for a reason - the tune is ridiculously deep
2. Skream “Request Line”
Made every trip to DMZ & FWD worthwile
3. Jammer “Merkle Man”
The video made it even better
4. JME “Baraka”
I was inspired by playing Mortal Kombat to show JME this track from it - then he murked the tune
5. Wiley “Sidewinder”
Perfect vocal tune, full of energy and no hip hop sounding beats underneath
6. Lethal Bizzle “Against All Oddz”
I didn't think an MC would do Funeral Vibes justice but Lethal excelled
7. Skepta “Duppy”
I never thought 4 to the floor would make a grime comeback - cheeky production idea!
8. Davinche “Phase”
Nice to hear Davinche take a step away from the hip hop flex - this tune murks
9. Mark One “Plodder”
Got big off being on the FWD advert for about 4 months!
10. Plasticman “Cha (vocal mix)”
Should be out by now really, but Shizzle's chorus smacked it all year!
For all the latest Plasticman news check his blog
“2005 has been perhaps my best year in the industry so far, I thought 2004 would be hard to top but this year has been really special.”
“Something I've felt really strongly about in 2005 is the lack of distribution we have in our scene. After travelling all over the world, I am repeatedly being asked "where can we get this stuff?" and I feel stupid when all I can say in reply is "there are some online stores".”
“Fair enough we are in the age of the internet but how many DJ's do you know who actually do all of their record shopping online? In all my time as a DJ I think I've only bought records online once - there's no substitute for chilling in a record shop hearing the tunes properly and just chatting with the staff and customers. That’s what record shopping is all about - digging through crates or spotting something you like the look of on the shelf.”
“This is why we need to get our music onto shelves out of the UK. A lot of people will argue "it's not selling enough in the UK yet" but I believe these people are the same people who really want grime to hit the top ten in the singles chart. I just want a healthy underground scene in which artists can live off of their music sales - like that of the drum and bass scene, which sells tens of thousands worldwide.”
“So that’s one thing I feel strongly about. On a final note: stop calling my music dubstep! It's simply grime without a vocal on top of it wasteguys! You want to hear dubstep listen to DMZ, Youngsta, Loefah, Hatcha - they are the dons and my sound is totally different to that. Next person to write that I am dubstep will get a wonderpalm to the jawside with my Nintendo Powerglove.”
Plasticman’s top ten Grime tunes in 2005
1. Macabre Unit “Lift Off”
I signed it for a reason - the tune is ridiculously deep
2. Skream “Request Line”
Made every trip to DMZ & FWD worthwile
3. Jammer “Merkle Man”
The video made it even better
4. JME “Baraka”
I was inspired by playing Mortal Kombat to show JME this track from it - then he murked the tune
5. Wiley “Sidewinder”
Perfect vocal tune, full of energy and no hip hop sounding beats underneath
6. Lethal Bizzle “Against All Oddz”
I didn't think an MC would do Funeral Vibes justice but Lethal excelled
7. Skepta “Duppy”
I never thought 4 to the floor would make a grime comeback - cheeky production idea!
8. Davinche “Phase”
Nice to hear Davinche take a step away from the hip hop flex - this tune murks
9. Mark One “Plodder”
Got big off being on the FWD advert for about 4 months!
10. Plasticman “Cha (vocal mix)”
Should be out by now really, but Shizzle's chorus smacked it all year!
For all the latest Plasticman news check his blog
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Philip Sherburne
Philip Sherburne’s year in techno 2005
“First things first: put as much stock in my proclamations as you wish, but know that they're above all personal. I've been lucky enough to travel a lot in the past several years, to many countries on four continents, though often - ironically - in pursuit of music from a very narrow, and northern-oriented scene. (For those of you who don't know me, that'd be techno - as minimal as you like, thanks.) But at the very least my travels (and I wouldn't discount "traveling" on the internet via blogs and newsgroups and private filesharing communities) has reminded me of the limits of my perspective. I listened to very little that wasn't techno this year; I lost interest in grime almost as soon as its emphasis shifted from producers to vocalists, and I'd be hard-pressed to name you the title of a single tune from this year, outside "Midnight Request Line" (which may turn out to be dubstep's big crossover hit — shit, even Ricardo Villalobos reportedly played it at Fabric). But I can't deny that grime/dubstep and whatever else it's mutating into is clearly, based on what I hear from its supporters, doing things that deserve merit. A few years, my top 10 list would have been a good split between techno, grimey sounds, and more esoteric things; this year, I agonized that my "Critical Beats" column for The Wire was, with a few exceptions for "action" and R&B, pretty damn techno (and white). I had no choice to go with what I knew.”
“The techno and 'ardkore continuums keep branching out, like they always have. For those of us who remain committed to "electronic music," "dance music," whatever you want to call it, but retain particular allegiances to certain styles, I think it's important to step back from the big picture and admit that we're not experts in any larger sense; we can only know what we seek out. And for all but a few extraordinarily curious, perseverant, canny and intelligent writers and listeners, the further we travel down a certain rabbit hole, the harder it gets to hear the thumping in the other tunnels.”
“Having supplicated, allow me to evangelize for a moment. Techno really did pick up considerable speed this year, both within the scene and, more surprisingly, in American indie-mainstream media and even the UK prog house scene (which, perhaps realizing the imminence of its aesthetic bankruptcy, decided to invest in German properties). When I say "techno" I really mean what goes variously by the names "electro-house," "minimal," and "minimal techno," though the categories be fluid and the descriptors thin.”
“The year began with ubiquitous club tracks like Tomas Andersson's "Washing Up" and Roman Flügel's "Geht's Noch," and ballooned to enormous proportions with the psychedelic neo-prog of Border Community artists Nathan Fake and James Holden. M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade's "Mandarine Girl," crowned "track of the summer" in Ibiza this year, served as the caulking between those two slab-like styles, along with tracks like Einmusik's "Jittery Heritage," rocketing tight riffs into faraway orbits. Acid maintained its cruising velocity, sometimes serving as welcome throwback club filler, and sometimes morphing into surprising forms. (Les Visiteur's "Drop it Like It's Hot" mix sits somewhere in between those two poles.) And retro leanings swelled in the graceful, machinic work of Sleep Archive and his increasingly numerous followers.”
“None of this stuff is really minimal, despite the fact that most of it wears the tag on its sleeve (not Get Physical so much, but oddly, some of their shit - like half of Chelonis R Jones' album, for instance - is far sparser than half of what came out on Kompakt or even Perlon this year). The stuff that used the smallest sounds was bigger and busier than ever (and sometimes, as on Dominik Eulberg's remix for Hell, hid some serious dynamite strapped underneath its sleek, Dior Homme-proportioned vest). Rhythms got stickier, pricklier and more syncopated than ever. Micro-edit experts like Eulberg and Robag Wruhme stuck out, but there were morsels of pure rhythmic inspiration to be found everywhere: Guido Schneider, Matt John, Anja Schneider and her Mobilee label, Alex Smoke, Onur Özer… I could go on, but my apartment has no heating and it hurts to flip through records. (I sort of kid, but this is also a new development, at least for me: despite the ubiquity of certain names, there were more new and unknown-to-me talents this year than in ages, to the point that I could no longer keep artists, titles or labels straight in my mind — they all just blurred into that faceless techno supersystem that they aspire to, beyond identity. Say what you will about the flow of Hawtin's DE9|Transitions mix CD, which spun hundreds of track snippets together in an inextricable mesh; in exploiting the post-identity phase of the best current techno, he tapped into something. Ironically, of course, Hawtin and his most recent press photos represent the peak of celebrity, as far as this scene goes, so who knows exactly where this leaves us.)”
“In 2006 I expect to be writing a lot about the line. Even as techno has fractured internally this year, its overarching scope has become more unified, whether in the trancy melodies of Wruhme's mix for Triola or the neverending undulations of Sleep Archive. This new direction occurred to me while I was writing the press sheet for Ricardo Villalobos' Achso EP for Cadenza (thus full disclosure, etc. etc.). In recent years, even as Villalobos has launched himself into the stratosphere of "superstar DJs," his productions have run deeper and deeper underground, til they feel like water trickling through rocks and loose soil. On Achso, drums disintegrate at will and even looped percussive sequences never seem to stop mutating; but amidst so much chaos emerge long, meandering lines - stringed instruments, voices, pure sourceless sound - that snake unimpeded through the (d)evolutionary ruckus around them. Villalobos is a master of this kind of double intensity, but he's not the only one pursuing its path; Isolée and Lindstrom, for example, are burrowing similar holes through disco. And while acid throwbacks and jock-rock coke-techno and ballsy rave bombast will assuredly continue to reign on floors in 2006, I suspect that this thread will continue to bind things together in unexpected ways, drawing techno ever tighter into a Cat's Cradle of productively conflicting energies.”
Philip Sherburne’s top tech 10 for 2005
Isolée “My Hi-Matic” (Playhouse)
M83 “Teen Angst (Luciano Remix)” (Mute)
Motiivi:Tuntematon “1939” (Freundinnen)
Triola “Leuchtturm (Wighnomy's Polarzipper Remix)” (Kompakt)
Nathan Fake “Dinamo” (Traum)
Matias Aguayo “Drums & Feathers” (Kompakt)
Hell “Follow You (Dominik Eulberg Remix)”
Tori Alamaze “Don't Cha” (Universal)
Les Visiteurs “Snoop's Acid Drop” (white label)
Paul Kalkbrenner “Tatü-Tata” (Bpitch Control)
For more of Philip Sherburne’s writing check his Pitchfork Media column or his blog
“First things first: put as much stock in my proclamations as you wish, but know that they're above all personal. I've been lucky enough to travel a lot in the past several years, to many countries on four continents, though often - ironically - in pursuit of music from a very narrow, and northern-oriented scene. (For those of you who don't know me, that'd be techno - as minimal as you like, thanks.) But at the very least my travels (and I wouldn't discount "traveling" on the internet via blogs and newsgroups and private filesharing communities) has reminded me of the limits of my perspective. I listened to very little that wasn't techno this year; I lost interest in grime almost as soon as its emphasis shifted from producers to vocalists, and I'd be hard-pressed to name you the title of a single tune from this year, outside "Midnight Request Line" (which may turn out to be dubstep's big crossover hit — shit, even Ricardo Villalobos reportedly played it at Fabric). But I can't deny that grime/dubstep and whatever else it's mutating into is clearly, based on what I hear from its supporters, doing things that deserve merit. A few years, my top 10 list would have been a good split between techno, grimey sounds, and more esoteric things; this year, I agonized that my "Critical Beats" column for The Wire was, with a few exceptions for "action" and R&B, pretty damn techno (and white). I had no choice to go with what I knew.”
“The techno and 'ardkore continuums keep branching out, like they always have. For those of us who remain committed to "electronic music," "dance music," whatever you want to call it, but retain particular allegiances to certain styles, I think it's important to step back from the big picture and admit that we're not experts in any larger sense; we can only know what we seek out. And for all but a few extraordinarily curious, perseverant, canny and intelligent writers and listeners, the further we travel down a certain rabbit hole, the harder it gets to hear the thumping in the other tunnels.”
“Having supplicated, allow me to evangelize for a moment. Techno really did pick up considerable speed this year, both within the scene and, more surprisingly, in American indie-mainstream media and even the UK prog house scene (which, perhaps realizing the imminence of its aesthetic bankruptcy, decided to invest in German properties). When I say "techno" I really mean what goes variously by the names "electro-house," "minimal," and "minimal techno," though the categories be fluid and the descriptors thin.”
“The year began with ubiquitous club tracks like Tomas Andersson's "Washing Up" and Roman Flügel's "Geht's Noch," and ballooned to enormous proportions with the psychedelic neo-prog of Border Community artists Nathan Fake and James Holden. M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade's "Mandarine Girl," crowned "track of the summer" in Ibiza this year, served as the caulking between those two slab-like styles, along with tracks like Einmusik's "Jittery Heritage," rocketing tight riffs into faraway orbits. Acid maintained its cruising velocity, sometimes serving as welcome throwback club filler, and sometimes morphing into surprising forms. (Les Visiteur's "Drop it Like It's Hot" mix sits somewhere in between those two poles.) And retro leanings swelled in the graceful, machinic work of Sleep Archive and his increasingly numerous followers.”
“None of this stuff is really minimal, despite the fact that most of it wears the tag on its sleeve (not Get Physical so much, but oddly, some of their shit - like half of Chelonis R Jones' album, for instance - is far sparser than half of what came out on Kompakt or even Perlon this year). The stuff that used the smallest sounds was bigger and busier than ever (and sometimes, as on Dominik Eulberg's remix for Hell, hid some serious dynamite strapped underneath its sleek, Dior Homme-proportioned vest). Rhythms got stickier, pricklier and more syncopated than ever. Micro-edit experts like Eulberg and Robag Wruhme stuck out, but there were morsels of pure rhythmic inspiration to be found everywhere: Guido Schneider, Matt John, Anja Schneider and her Mobilee label, Alex Smoke, Onur Özer… I could go on, but my apartment has no heating and it hurts to flip through records. (I sort of kid, but this is also a new development, at least for me: despite the ubiquity of certain names, there were more new and unknown-to-me talents this year than in ages, to the point that I could no longer keep artists, titles or labels straight in my mind — they all just blurred into that faceless techno supersystem that they aspire to, beyond identity. Say what you will about the flow of Hawtin's DE9|Transitions mix CD, which spun hundreds of track snippets together in an inextricable mesh; in exploiting the post-identity phase of the best current techno, he tapped into something. Ironically, of course, Hawtin and his most recent press photos represent the peak of celebrity, as far as this scene goes, so who knows exactly where this leaves us.)”
“In 2006 I expect to be writing a lot about the line. Even as techno has fractured internally this year, its overarching scope has become more unified, whether in the trancy melodies of Wruhme's mix for Triola or the neverending undulations of Sleep Archive. This new direction occurred to me while I was writing the press sheet for Ricardo Villalobos' Achso EP for Cadenza (thus full disclosure, etc. etc.). In recent years, even as Villalobos has launched himself into the stratosphere of "superstar DJs," his productions have run deeper and deeper underground, til they feel like water trickling through rocks and loose soil. On Achso, drums disintegrate at will and even looped percussive sequences never seem to stop mutating; but amidst so much chaos emerge long, meandering lines - stringed instruments, voices, pure sourceless sound - that snake unimpeded through the (d)evolutionary ruckus around them. Villalobos is a master of this kind of double intensity, but he's not the only one pursuing its path; Isolée and Lindstrom, for example, are burrowing similar holes through disco. And while acid throwbacks and jock-rock coke-techno and ballsy rave bombast will assuredly continue to reign on floors in 2006, I suspect that this thread will continue to bind things together in unexpected ways, drawing techno ever tighter into a Cat's Cradle of productively conflicting energies.”
Philip Sherburne’s top tech 10 for 2005
Isolée “My Hi-Matic” (Playhouse)
M83 “Teen Angst (Luciano Remix)” (Mute)
Motiivi:Tuntematon “1939” (Freundinnen)
Triola “Leuchtturm (Wighnomy's Polarzipper Remix)” (Kompakt)
Nathan Fake “Dinamo” (Traum)
Matias Aguayo “Drums & Feathers” (Kompakt)
Hell “Follow You (Dominik Eulberg Remix)”
Tori Alamaze “Don't Cha” (Universal)
Les Visiteurs “Snoop's Acid Drop” (white label)
Paul Kalkbrenner “Tatü-Tata” (Bpitch Control)
For more of Philip Sherburne’s writing check his Pitchfork Media column or his blog
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Kode 9
2005 - what stuck in Kode 9's memory
"Transport masochism and geo-politics playing out beneath the surface of London. Daytime apocalypse TV and the security vacuum around Oval tube 7/7. Travelling underground through (Baby)lon(don)'s ecology of fear. Distraction in the factory of potential death. Paranoid, racist stares and the twitchy, uncomfortable fidgeting of underground man suspended in surreal tension amidst a Metro paper jungle of atrocity headlines and snapshots of contorted, melted metal. Tube daydreams of incineration bleeding into claustrophobic blrd flu dread. Acute awareness of damp respiration vector currents during rush hour meat compression, and olfactory alerts to the slightest hint of burning. Moist residue of sweaty palm prints on handrails. The (long overdue) demonization of the backpack and bumbag."
Kode 9's Top 10 for 2005
1. Skream – 'Request Line'
2. Pressure feat. Warrior Queen – 'Dem a Bomb We'
3. Roll Deep – 'Sidewinder'
4. Digital Mystikz - 'Stuck'
5. Digital Mystikz - 'Neverland'
6. 'Terror Danjah & Trim – 'Boogeyman'
7. Digital Mystikz – 'Officer'
8. Burial – 'Broken Home'
9. Trim & Scratch 'Trim & Scratch'
10. Hundreds of Rinse sets on mp3
"Transport masochism and geo-politics playing out beneath the surface of London. Daytime apocalypse TV and the security vacuum around Oval tube 7/7. Travelling underground through (Baby)lon(don)'s ecology of fear. Distraction in the factory of potential death. Paranoid, racist stares and the twitchy, uncomfortable fidgeting of underground man suspended in surreal tension amidst a Metro paper jungle of atrocity headlines and snapshots of contorted, melted metal. Tube daydreams of incineration bleeding into claustrophobic blrd flu dread. Acute awareness of damp respiration vector currents during rush hour meat compression, and olfactory alerts to the slightest hint of burning. Moist residue of sweaty palm prints on handrails. The (long overdue) demonization of the backpack and bumbag."
Kode 9's Top 10 for 2005
1. Skream – 'Request Line'
2. Pressure feat. Warrior Queen – 'Dem a Bomb We'
3. Roll Deep – 'Sidewinder'
4. Digital Mystikz - 'Stuck'
5. Digital Mystikz - 'Neverland'
6. 'Terror Danjah & Trim – 'Boogeyman'
7. Digital Mystikz – 'Officer'
8. Burial – 'Broken Home'
9. Trim & Scratch 'Trim & Scratch'
10. Hundreds of Rinse sets on mp3
Friday, December 16, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Prancehall
2005 according to gully skeng man Prancehall
"Do you remember that bit in The Exorcist where Linda Blair's head's spinning around and green stomach bile is erupting from her mouth like that kinda thing is in fashion? Well, try to imagine the same scene if Skepta was in an Akademiks nightie and instead of calling out 'Karen', he was spraying out the names of MCs, while Father Jammer was sprinkling the booth with Holy Ribena and popping off shots as each name was bellowed out."
"Only then can you comprehend the merkery that they've both been dishing out. Jammer (who has turned up to every grime event this year with a CD in his pocket on the off chance he can hijack the stage and do a live PA of 'Murkle Man') has been getting the biggest reloads ever witnessed, while Skepta has been showering down MCs quicker than you can make a man say 'OH MY DIDDY'."
"Add to this, the fact that they've both only been MCing for a matter of months, and you can see why this year quite deservedly belongs to Jam and Skep."
1. The Jammer prank call mp3 and his ‘Murkle Man’ video
2. All of the sped-up-vocalled tracks by Low Deep
3. Tinchy Stryder - ‘Underground’ (and everything else Tinchy and Ruff Sqwad have made, apart from ‘Uptown Girl’ which is swag)
4. Skepta - ‘Duppy’ (and Skepta’s ‘Winnie The Pooh’ bars)
5. Logan Sama using the word 'dichotomy' on the Rinsessions DVD (and his Brussels promo mix)
6. Wiley - ‘Tunnel Vision’ (and anything else Wiley has produced)
7. Skream - ‘Midnight Request Line’
8. Ears - ‘Lend Me Your Ears’ (and his bars on Spooky’s ‘Joyride’, which is also a big track)
9. The sound of a reload
10. Plasticman - ‘Japan’ (and the track he produced for Lethal B’s album and the ‘Still Tippin’ remix and basically everything he’s made... I also wanna mention Mark One - ‘Plodder’, but I‘m out of space).
Prancehall's been going on dutty for a minute still. In 2006 catch his new show on London's leading Rinse FM
"Do you remember that bit in The Exorcist where Linda Blair's head's spinning around and green stomach bile is erupting from her mouth like that kinda thing is in fashion? Well, try to imagine the same scene if Skepta was in an Akademiks nightie and instead of calling out 'Karen', he was spraying out the names of MCs, while Father Jammer was sprinkling the booth with Holy Ribena and popping off shots as each name was bellowed out."
"Only then can you comprehend the merkery that they've both been dishing out. Jammer (who has turned up to every grime event this year with a CD in his pocket on the off chance he can hijack the stage and do a live PA of 'Murkle Man') has been getting the biggest reloads ever witnessed, while Skepta has been showering down MCs quicker than you can make a man say 'OH MY DIDDY'."
"Add to this, the fact that they've both only been MCing for a matter of months, and you can see why this year quite deservedly belongs to Jam and Skep."
1. The Jammer prank call mp3 and his ‘Murkle Man’ video
2. All of the sped-up-vocalled tracks by Low Deep
3. Tinchy Stryder - ‘Underground’ (and everything else Tinchy and Ruff Sqwad have made, apart from ‘Uptown Girl’ which is swag)
4. Skepta - ‘Duppy’ (and Skepta’s ‘Winnie The Pooh’ bars)
5. Logan Sama using the word 'dichotomy' on the Rinsessions DVD (and his Brussels promo mix)
6. Wiley - ‘Tunnel Vision’ (and anything else Wiley has produced)
7. Skream - ‘Midnight Request Line’
8. Ears - ‘Lend Me Your Ears’ (and his bars on Spooky’s ‘Joyride’, which is also a big track)
9. The sound of a reload
10. Plasticman - ‘Japan’ (and the track he produced for Lethal B’s album and the ‘Still Tippin’ remix and basically everything he’s made... I also wanna mention Mark One - ‘Plodder’, but I‘m out of space).
Prancehall's been going on dutty for a minute still. In 2006 catch his new show on London's leading Rinse FM
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Joe Nice
The year according to DJ Joe Nice
"For 2005, I've felt most strongly about my disdain for our president, George Bush."
"I dont understand how one man could single-handedly ruin a nation, but it seems that GW has achieved the impossible. He's snatched the 2000 election from Al Gore and 250 million Americans (and more worldwide) groaned when his 2004 re-election was executed over 12 months ago. I would like to know why we are still fighting a war in Iraq. I would like to know why his response to the people of New Orleans has been slow and why Americans were suffering with no food and no water for a week. I hope to have the answers to these questions... one day. Sooner... rather than later."
TOP TEN SOUNDS
1. Augustus Pablo "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown."
I'm not sure dub gets any better than this.
2. Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life"
3. King Tubby "Dance Hall Dub"
4. Anything by Luther Vandross.
His death on July 1, 2005 might be the saddest personal event for me this calendar year.
5. Alicia Keys "Unbreakable."
The lyrics to this tune are poetry.
6. Prince "Small Club."
It's a bootleg 2CD set of an aftershow in The Hague, Netherlands; Aug, 18, 1988. It's the way I believe live performances should be. Creative. Intimate. Personal. Spontaneous. It's Prince at the absolute height of his powers.
7. DanGee & JohnAsk "Live @ Sonar mix."
I will continue to beat the drum for these guys...even when they seem to prefer to remain obscure. They played the lounge at Sonar (a club in Baltimore) for the evening and as usual, I was armed with the mini-disc recorder. I've heard them do their thing before, but August 20, 2005 was different. They were magical... and I was happy to be there for the whole evening... front and center.
Hear the mixes here: HOUSE, DUB and BEATS
8. Godfather Sage "June 11, 2005."
Kian, aka Godfather Sage threw down the best d&b set I've heard in a long time... maybe ever. Another magical performance. This mix will stand the test of time.
Listen HERE.
9. Digital Mystikz "Officer."
Years from now, people from all walks of life, will be playing this tune.
10. Fertile Ground "Black Is..."
They're the next big name in acid/contemporary jazz. And... they're local. I'm so proud of them.
Check Joe Nice's DJs sets in a club 2006 or listen to his radio show on www.gourmetbeats.com. Go Team Nice!
"For 2005, I've felt most strongly about my disdain for our president, George Bush."
"I dont understand how one man could single-handedly ruin a nation, but it seems that GW has achieved the impossible. He's snatched the 2000 election from Al Gore and 250 million Americans (and more worldwide) groaned when his 2004 re-election was executed over 12 months ago. I would like to know why we are still fighting a war in Iraq. I would like to know why his response to the people of New Orleans has been slow and why Americans were suffering with no food and no water for a week. I hope to have the answers to these questions... one day. Sooner... rather than later."
TOP TEN SOUNDS
1. Augustus Pablo "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown."
I'm not sure dub gets any better than this.
2. Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life"
3. King Tubby "Dance Hall Dub"
4. Anything by Luther Vandross.
His death on July 1, 2005 might be the saddest personal event for me this calendar year.
5. Alicia Keys "Unbreakable."
The lyrics to this tune are poetry.
6. Prince "Small Club."
It's a bootleg 2CD set of an aftershow in The Hague, Netherlands; Aug, 18, 1988. It's the way I believe live performances should be. Creative. Intimate. Personal. Spontaneous. It's Prince at the absolute height of his powers.
7. DanGee & JohnAsk "Live @ Sonar mix."
I will continue to beat the drum for these guys...even when they seem to prefer to remain obscure. They played the lounge at Sonar (a club in Baltimore) for the evening and as usual, I was armed with the mini-disc recorder. I've heard them do their thing before, but August 20, 2005 was different. They were magical... and I was happy to be there for the whole evening... front and center.
Hear the mixes here: HOUSE, DUB and BEATS
8. Godfather Sage "June 11, 2005."
Kian, aka Godfather Sage threw down the best d&b set I've heard in a long time... maybe ever. Another magical performance. This mix will stand the test of time.
Listen HERE.
9. Digital Mystikz "Officer."
Years from now, people from all walks of life, will be playing this tune.
10. Fertile Ground "Black Is..."
They're the next big name in acid/contemporary jazz. And... they're local. I'm so proud of them.
Check Joe Nice's DJs sets in a club 2006 or listen to his radio show on www.gourmetbeats.com. Go Team Nice!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Sarah Bentley
2005 according to Sarah Bentley
"I’m all about repping for home grown talent whether its grime, drum ‘n’ bass, hip hop, soul or reggae, and 2005 has been a fat-one of a year. Rapper Richochet Klasnekoff, grime lyricist No-Lay, soul diva Alice Russell and soul/jazz powerhouse Eska gave me musical goose bumps every time I was privileged to see them perform."
"A self confessed culture junkie I spend a lot of time checking out movements going off outside the mainstream and underground UK music radar. Besides bhangra, salsa, baile funk, soca and zouk parties 2005 saw some killer Polish hip hop, Turkish dance and Urban Latin nights kicking off. It’s not easy to represent when you’re in a tiny minority so hats off to them."
"The UK’s Latino population stood up to be counted when Puerto Rican reggaeton artists Daddy Yankee and Speedy made it into the charts. Bored of the Salsa phenomena their parents brought to the UK ten years ago, 2005 saw second generation UK born Latino’s build their own scene of latin hip hop/reggaeton artists, parties and media networks. Check out their growing movement on www.reggaeton.co.uk – it’s a lot more than Ai papies and Culos shaking, but that’s there if you want it."
"This year I also breathed a sigh of relief when Asian artists such as Tiger Stylz, The Kray Twinz and Rishie Rich, artists usually kept within the confines of the hardcore bhangra scene, stopped being treated as novelty’s and were acknowledged as part of the wider UK street music movement. About bloody time too."
"Now I’d like to get on my soap box just for a minute. Exciting as 2005 has been with regards to the growth of British street music, it’s bugging me how the UK industry is using the term 'urban.' Does urban mean you’re black? Does urban mean you live in a tower block? Are you urban if you’re black but live in a cottage on Dartford moors? Are you urban if you’re white but have a large collection of co-ordinating tracksuits and say ‘you get me’ a lot?"
"A sickeningly over-used and weakly definable term it’s as if categorising things as black, Asian or simply by music genre is no longer acceptable. Worse still, it forces artists whom look or sound or come from certain social backgrounds to conform to limiting stereotypes. Imagine a major label A&R’s quandary. 'What do you mean you’re a black folk singer who plays guitar? How can you hold an instrument and a gun at the same time? It doesn’t make sense. Where can I put you? Enough of this nonsense, show me how you shake your ass.'”
"Harsh as this may sound it’s true and therefore a monumental big up must go to Charlie Dark, Chris Ofili, CDR and Icebox for addressing this issue with their inspiring Freeness project. A direct assault on the ‘URBAN’ myth it’s an album that features black and Asian artists from around the UK making music the majors would have a tricky time choosing a shelf label for in HMV. Made entirely outside the constraints of sales, the CD was given out in youth centres, record shops and through the freeness website. Log on to www.freeness.co.uk and be enlightened."
"Leaving Blighty’s drizzly shores for a minute I have to pay homage to the superb new generation of roots reggae artists that came to the fore in 2005. I love getting wild to raw dancehall as much as the next bass-loving gyal. But let’s face the past years dancehall offerings have been well below par and it we’re hardly going to learn any valuable life lessons by logging on, stepping pon a chi chi man in a blasé style whilst doing the chakka chakka, signalling a plane and putting our AK’s over the wall now are we?"
"Addressing issues such as prostitution, drug abuse, gun crime and world wide government fuckery were I Wayne, Fantan Mojah, Jah Mason, Jah Cure, Turbulence, Richie Spice, Chezidek, Warrior King and Ras Shiloh. Keep this kind of lyrical fire burning into 2006 and I’ll be a happy lady."
"A final lighter flash must go to the UK’s most criminally over looked roots reggae artist Chukki Starr. Overcoming the inherent difficulties of trying to make it in reggae whilst based in England, Chukki stuck two fingers up to our dodgy reggae labels (Greensleeves excluded) and rights stealing reggae producers to produce, record and release his finest album to date – ‘Can’t Stop It’ – through his own imprint Starrdom Productions. Chukki you’re big."
Sarah B’s 2005 Top 12
1: Turbulence “Notorious”
Penniless JA label THC made the Hip-Hop/reggae smash of the year!
2: Foxy Brown & Sizzla “Come Fly With Me”
US Hip Hop ghetto queen meets Jamaica’s most militant deejay in the club
3: Sean Paul “Never Gonna Be The Same single”
Sean touching tribute to fallen dancehall artist Doddigan
4: Ricochet Klasnekoff “Murda single”
After this track I’d follow this man into battle
5: No Lay “Unorthodox Daughter” (white label)
Dropping it raw and direct with undeniable skill
6: I Wayne “Living In Love” and “Can’t Satisfy Her”
An incredible voice and an uncompromising mantra
7: All of Eska’s live performances
A life altering experience and warm hug rolled into one
8: Roots Manuva’s ‘Awfully Deep’ LP (Big Dada)
Fuck chart success – this is about honesty, integrity and evolution
9: Damian Marley “Welcome To Jamrock”
Finally a track Daddy can be proud of
10: 3 Six Mafia “The Most Known Unknowns” LP
They might promote hoe slapping but this crew’s relentless work ethic cannot be denied.
11: Seu Jorge’s “Cru”
This Brazilian actor, musician and god of favela blues is perhaps the coolest man on the planet
12: Lethal B & Fire Camp “Pow”
Genius! The best spat of catchy lyrics committed to wax in years
Blackdown: Last time I saw Sarah, London had taken to the streets after the tube was bombed. She'd had the misfortune to chose the 7th of July organize a photoshoot ... on the underground. Very unfortunate timing. Contact Sarah on mzsarab@gmail.com.
"I’m all about repping for home grown talent whether its grime, drum ‘n’ bass, hip hop, soul or reggae, and 2005 has been a fat-one of a year. Rapper Richochet Klasnekoff, grime lyricist No-Lay, soul diva Alice Russell and soul/jazz powerhouse Eska gave me musical goose bumps every time I was privileged to see them perform."
"A self confessed culture junkie I spend a lot of time checking out movements going off outside the mainstream and underground UK music radar. Besides bhangra, salsa, baile funk, soca and zouk parties 2005 saw some killer Polish hip hop, Turkish dance and Urban Latin nights kicking off. It’s not easy to represent when you’re in a tiny minority so hats off to them."
"The UK’s Latino population stood up to be counted when Puerto Rican reggaeton artists Daddy Yankee and Speedy made it into the charts. Bored of the Salsa phenomena their parents brought to the UK ten years ago, 2005 saw second generation UK born Latino’s build their own scene of latin hip hop/reggaeton artists, parties and media networks. Check out their growing movement on www.reggaeton.co.uk – it’s a lot more than Ai papies and Culos shaking, but that’s there if you want it."
"This year I also breathed a sigh of relief when Asian artists such as Tiger Stylz, The Kray Twinz and Rishie Rich, artists usually kept within the confines of the hardcore bhangra scene, stopped being treated as novelty’s and were acknowledged as part of the wider UK street music movement. About bloody time too."
"Now I’d like to get on my soap box just for a minute. Exciting as 2005 has been with regards to the growth of British street music, it’s bugging me how the UK industry is using the term 'urban.' Does urban mean you’re black? Does urban mean you live in a tower block? Are you urban if you’re black but live in a cottage on Dartford moors? Are you urban if you’re white but have a large collection of co-ordinating tracksuits and say ‘you get me’ a lot?"
"A sickeningly over-used and weakly definable term it’s as if categorising things as black, Asian or simply by music genre is no longer acceptable. Worse still, it forces artists whom look or sound or come from certain social backgrounds to conform to limiting stereotypes. Imagine a major label A&R’s quandary. 'What do you mean you’re a black folk singer who plays guitar? How can you hold an instrument and a gun at the same time? It doesn’t make sense. Where can I put you? Enough of this nonsense, show me how you shake your ass.'”
"Harsh as this may sound it’s true and therefore a monumental big up must go to Charlie Dark, Chris Ofili, CDR and Icebox for addressing this issue with their inspiring Freeness project. A direct assault on the ‘URBAN’ myth it’s an album that features black and Asian artists from around the UK making music the majors would have a tricky time choosing a shelf label for in HMV. Made entirely outside the constraints of sales, the CD was given out in youth centres, record shops and through the freeness website. Log on to www.freeness.co.uk and be enlightened."
"Leaving Blighty’s drizzly shores for a minute I have to pay homage to the superb new generation of roots reggae artists that came to the fore in 2005. I love getting wild to raw dancehall as much as the next bass-loving gyal. But let’s face the past years dancehall offerings have been well below par and it we’re hardly going to learn any valuable life lessons by logging on, stepping pon a chi chi man in a blasé style whilst doing the chakka chakka, signalling a plane and putting our AK’s over the wall now are we?"
"Addressing issues such as prostitution, drug abuse, gun crime and world wide government fuckery were I Wayne, Fantan Mojah, Jah Mason, Jah Cure, Turbulence, Richie Spice, Chezidek, Warrior King and Ras Shiloh. Keep this kind of lyrical fire burning into 2006 and I’ll be a happy lady."
"A final lighter flash must go to the UK’s most criminally over looked roots reggae artist Chukki Starr. Overcoming the inherent difficulties of trying to make it in reggae whilst based in England, Chukki stuck two fingers up to our dodgy reggae labels (Greensleeves excluded) and rights stealing reggae producers to produce, record and release his finest album to date – ‘Can’t Stop It’ – through his own imprint Starrdom Productions. Chukki you’re big."
Sarah B’s 2005 Top 12
1: Turbulence “Notorious”
Penniless JA label THC made the Hip-Hop/reggae smash of the year!
2: Foxy Brown & Sizzla “Come Fly With Me”
US Hip Hop ghetto queen meets Jamaica’s most militant deejay in the club
3: Sean Paul “Never Gonna Be The Same single”
Sean touching tribute to fallen dancehall artist Doddigan
4: Ricochet Klasnekoff “Murda single”
After this track I’d follow this man into battle
5: No Lay “Unorthodox Daughter” (white label)
Dropping it raw and direct with undeniable skill
6: I Wayne “Living In Love” and “Can’t Satisfy Her”
An incredible voice and an uncompromising mantra
7: All of Eska’s live performances
A life altering experience and warm hug rolled into one
8: Roots Manuva’s ‘Awfully Deep’ LP (Big Dada)
Fuck chart success – this is about honesty, integrity and evolution
9: Damian Marley “Welcome To Jamrock”
Finally a track Daddy can be proud of
10: 3 Six Mafia “The Most Known Unknowns” LP
They might promote hoe slapping but this crew’s relentless work ethic cannot be denied.
11: Seu Jorge’s “Cru”
This Brazilian actor, musician and god of favela blues is perhaps the coolest man on the planet
12: Lethal B & Fire Camp “Pow”
Genius! The best spat of catchy lyrics committed to wax in years
Blackdown: Last time I saw Sarah, London had taken to the streets after the tube was bombed. She'd had the misfortune to chose the 7th of July organize a photoshoot ... on the underground. Very unfortunate timing. Contact Sarah on mzsarab@gmail.com.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Skepta
Skepta on his 2005:
"This year I joined Roll Deep. JME joined first, then Wiley heard me spit. He encouraged me to MC and then asked me to join."
"There’s been a lot of beef this year. Of course the Wiley and Lethal B thing was always going on and that fed to the rest of the crew: we had to back Wiley."
"Then one day Jammer and me were sitting in his house and we thought, ‘why don’t we just diss everyone, all these waste MCs?’ Now people I’ve never even met are dissing me. People who, if I met at my mum’s house, I wouldn’t even know who they were."
"But I’m gonna stop slewing. I’m gonna go on radio and stop it because I’m no crazed weed smoker, I’m in full control of what I’m doing. Plus I think I’ve won all my battles. Flirta D’s manager called me, he asked me to stop slewing Flirta because it’s messing up his career."
"I’ve had a few hits this year too. I’ve made a 4x4 tune and it got big. I did it because our scene came from there and I wondered what would happen if you brought the two scenes back together again. I’ve done a vocal version with [old school MC] Creed on the chorus and JME, Wiley, Trim, me and Bear Man on the verses. It’s called ‘Doing it Again’ – I’m gonna give it to EZ exclusive for Christmas. Then it’s going on my album."
"I’m putting my album out myself. I’ve been in them meetings with those A&R guys, and what do they have that I don’t? Their money is no use to me, I can make it off white labels. My music is my money. I can’t be stopped because I make the music, I vocal the tracks and I’m putting it out myself - in partnership with Geeneus on Nu Era. It’s got production from Geeneus, Wiley and JME on it."
"The LP’s gonna be called ‘More Than Grime’ because grime’s not a good enough name for our scene. Everywhere I go in the world they use the name ‘grime’ but it’s just UK rap at a different speed."
"Everyone’s waiting to be signed but there isn’t enough money for everyone in the scene to sign to a major. Sway put his own album out and he won a MOBO. Why can’t we do the same? I’ll buy advertising and put on a good live show, so what’s the difference? I bet once I do it, everyone else starts to put their own albums out too."
"I also got into FWD>> this year. I never knew of the scene properly before. I’d been listening to Newham Generals’ show and I went down to FWD>> with Wiley and Gift and got into it. I’m a musician, I listen to all kinds of music and I’ve taken to it a lot."
"I really got into ‘Request Line’ by Skream. I started rewinding it on the Roll Deep show. I have some influence now and I’m trying to do some good with it. Now when it gets played, when the first few bars come in, it’s like Jay-Z’s just come on stage."
"This year I joined Roll Deep. JME joined first, then Wiley heard me spit. He encouraged me to MC and then asked me to join."
"There’s been a lot of beef this year. Of course the Wiley and Lethal B thing was always going on and that fed to the rest of the crew: we had to back Wiley."
"Then one day Jammer and me were sitting in his house and we thought, ‘why don’t we just diss everyone, all these waste MCs?’ Now people I’ve never even met are dissing me. People who, if I met at my mum’s house, I wouldn’t even know who they were."
"But I’m gonna stop slewing. I’m gonna go on radio and stop it because I’m no crazed weed smoker, I’m in full control of what I’m doing. Plus I think I’ve won all my battles. Flirta D’s manager called me, he asked me to stop slewing Flirta because it’s messing up his career."
"I’ve had a few hits this year too. I’ve made a 4x4 tune and it got big. I did it because our scene came from there and I wondered what would happen if you brought the two scenes back together again. I’ve done a vocal version with [old school MC] Creed on the chorus and JME, Wiley, Trim, me and Bear Man on the verses. It’s called ‘Doing it Again’ – I’m gonna give it to EZ exclusive for Christmas. Then it’s going on my album."
"I’m putting my album out myself. I’ve been in them meetings with those A&R guys, and what do they have that I don’t? Their money is no use to me, I can make it off white labels. My music is my money. I can’t be stopped because I make the music, I vocal the tracks and I’m putting it out myself - in partnership with Geeneus on Nu Era. It’s got production from Geeneus, Wiley and JME on it."
"The LP’s gonna be called ‘More Than Grime’ because grime’s not a good enough name for our scene. Everywhere I go in the world they use the name ‘grime’ but it’s just UK rap at a different speed."
"Everyone’s waiting to be signed but there isn’t enough money for everyone in the scene to sign to a major. Sway put his own album out and he won a MOBO. Why can’t we do the same? I’ll buy advertising and put on a good live show, so what’s the difference? I bet once I do it, everyone else starts to put their own albums out too."
"I also got into FWD>> this year. I never knew of the scene properly before. I’d been listening to Newham Generals’ show and I went down to FWD>> with Wiley and Gift and got into it. I’m a musician, I listen to all kinds of music and I’ve taken to it a lot."
"I really got into ‘Request Line’ by Skream. I started rewinding it on the Roll Deep show. I have some influence now and I’m trying to do some good with it. Now when it gets played, when the first few bars come in, it’s like Jay-Z’s just come on stage."
Monday, December 12, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Woebot
Woebot
"2005 was the year the record shop died. In London we lost Rhythm Records in Camden and Islington, Totem in Stoke Newington and Golden Grooves in Old Street. Worse, the stock of all the surviving stores (bar only Soul Jazz in Soho) lost its lustre for me. The geographical aspect of buying records and its attendant philosophies and abstractions evaporated, there was to be no more walking a mile for funky beats. Like I suspect many people I've wandered the globe buying records: West and East Coast US, Jamaica, Colombia, Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Nepal, Kashmir, India, Thailand and practically every country in Europe. As of this year I don't think I'd ever travel anywhere ever again to buy a record - not to suggest that the vision music lays before won't entice me to travel."
"GEMM is comprehensive, eBay cheap. Other values gain precedence. Beyond the sheer ease of of buying in this manner and the delightful ability to actually lay your hands on what you're after, the new methods encourage the development of much more personal tastes (one is no longer held ransom by the limited cultural horizons of record store owners), open up excitingly transnational possibilities (vis a vis my Summer-long affair with German New Wave) as well as enabling one to tap into circuits internal to one's country which retail is too backward to represent (like Bhangra for instance). I'm almost entirely optimistic about the future, and it seems somewhat fitting that in the same way the Internet has become home to music journalism and downloading, it has now destroyed the record store."
Read more by Woebot, back after launching Dissensus, blogging on serious form
"2005 was the year the record shop died. In London we lost Rhythm Records in Camden and Islington, Totem in Stoke Newington and Golden Grooves in Old Street. Worse, the stock of all the surviving stores (bar only Soul Jazz in Soho) lost its lustre for me. The geographical aspect of buying records and its attendant philosophies and abstractions evaporated, there was to be no more walking a mile for funky beats. Like I suspect many people I've wandered the globe buying records: West and East Coast US, Jamaica, Colombia, Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Nepal, Kashmir, India, Thailand and practically every country in Europe. As of this year I don't think I'd ever travel anywhere ever again to buy a record - not to suggest that the vision music lays before won't entice me to travel."
"GEMM is comprehensive, eBay cheap. Other values gain precedence. Beyond the sheer ease of of buying in this manner and the delightful ability to actually lay your hands on what you're after, the new methods encourage the development of much more personal tastes (one is no longer held ransom by the limited cultural horizons of record store owners), open up excitingly transnational possibilities (vis a vis my Summer-long affair with German New Wave) as well as enabling one to tap into circuits internal to one's country which retail is too backward to represent (like Bhangra for instance). I'm almost entirely optimistic about the future, and it seems somewhat fitting that in the same way the Internet has become home to music journalism and downloading, it has now destroyed the record store."
Read more by Woebot, back after launching Dissensus, blogging on serious form
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Vex'd
Vex'd on 2005
"This year, off the back of our album release, we were lucky enough to play abroad a few times. Every time we played out, we were blown away by how closely people abroad are following this music. They’re downloading every Rinse set they can find, hunting down every Wiley record released, they're more on top of developments than some London producers."
"Overseas, promoters, producers and fans are showing a personal attachment and heartfelt commitment equal to anybody here - from the Megatron & The B.I.G. crew in San Fran, Shadetek & Maxximus in Berlin to Joe Nice in Baltimore."
"We're all so used to defining this music in terms of London, specific London boroughs even. But for me, it's bigger than that now. Maybe it's because we just don’t see how much is happening outside this city, maybe even, quietly, we lack the confidence to believe it. This scene is so much bigger than we think it is. That's been the main realisation for me this year."
Vex’d top 10 sounds for 2005
Slew Dem “Grime ft D Double”
Trim & Scratch “Trim & Scratch”
Distance “Traffic”
Loefah “Root”
Skream “Request Line”
Wiley “Colder Remix”
Burial "South London Borroughs EP"
Kode9, DJ set @ FWD>> October
B.I.G. Crew, Superheroes & Supervillains, San Francisco, October
Digital Mystikz with Skepta & crew, FWD>>, April
For more Vex'd info check their blog
"This year, off the back of our album release, we were lucky enough to play abroad a few times. Every time we played out, we were blown away by how closely people abroad are following this music. They’re downloading every Rinse set they can find, hunting down every Wiley record released, they're more on top of developments than some London producers."
"Overseas, promoters, producers and fans are showing a personal attachment and heartfelt commitment equal to anybody here - from the Megatron & The B.I.G. crew in San Fran, Shadetek & Maxximus in Berlin to Joe Nice in Baltimore."
"We're all so used to defining this music in terms of London, specific London boroughs even. But for me, it's bigger than that now. Maybe it's because we just don’t see how much is happening outside this city, maybe even, quietly, we lack the confidence to believe it. This scene is so much bigger than we think it is. That's been the main realisation for me this year."
Vex’d top 10 sounds for 2005
Slew Dem “Grime ft D Double”
Trim & Scratch “Trim & Scratch”
Distance “Traffic”
Loefah “Root”
Skream “Request Line”
Wiley “Colder Remix”
Burial "South London Borroughs EP"
Kode9, DJ set @ FWD>> October
B.I.G. Crew, Superheroes & Supervillains, San Francisco, October
Digital Mystikz with Skepta & crew, FWD>>, April
For more Vex'd info check their blog
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Blackdown soundboy end of year review: Hattie Collins
Hattie Collins, editor RWD mag
A highlight of my year happened at this year’s Power Summit in the Bahamas. The palm trees and Caribbean waters were of course all jiggy, but more than that was seeing the interest the US DJs, producers and industry heads were showing in UK sounds. ‘Who’s hot? Can you hook us up with Lethal B? Have you got a number for Sway?’ UK music might not be selling here, true, but while it might not be making much money at the moment, it’s exciting to see the swell of interest in the sounds from abroad. Roll Deep getting ‘dropped’ from Relentless is further proof that signing to majors is the wrong route for our rhymers. Look overseas and I think we’ll find where the Ps are. A few weeks after the Summit I was in Paris with Wiley, Skepta, JME and Maximum and the French were going nuts. I know it’s not simple, but I think if the underground harnesses other technology, devises better marketing plans and expands its international horizons, it will really get somewhere.
I’ve always supported UK music in theory (Silver Bullett, Ty, Rodders P and Manuva), but to be honest I’ve never had a heartfelt passion for UK hip hop. Finally though, whether grime or in-betweeners like Sway, Klash and Plan B, I’ve fallen in love with a music that isn’t American. The UK’s voice is finally being heard and I can’t get enough of it. It’s distinctive and loud and beautifully British. As editor of RWD, I feel privileged to be one of the many people documenting the scene as it takes its inevitable twists and turns. Wherever it ends up, the journey is going to be real.
Hattie Collins' top, er 13 sounds:
Skream’s "Request Line"
Skepta’s Chantelle Fiddy lyric (b-rap!)
Merkle Man PAs at various clubs in London
Statik’s "Connected" album
Young Jeezy’s "Thug Motivation" album
Saigon’s "Abandoned Nation" mixtape
Jay Z and Nas making up by performing "Dead Presidents" onstage
Lil Kim’s "Lighters Up"
All and every Mizz Beats track and remix
Plan B four-track sampler
Don Corleone’s "Season’s" riddim
Klashnekoff "Focus Mode"
iD Live at Cargo
Read more of Hattie Collin's work on her blog or in RWD mag
A highlight of my year happened at this year’s Power Summit in the Bahamas. The palm trees and Caribbean waters were of course all jiggy, but more than that was seeing the interest the US DJs, producers and industry heads were showing in UK sounds. ‘Who’s hot? Can you hook us up with Lethal B? Have you got a number for Sway?’ UK music might not be selling here, true, but while it might not be making much money at the moment, it’s exciting to see the swell of interest in the sounds from abroad. Roll Deep getting ‘dropped’ from Relentless is further proof that signing to majors is the wrong route for our rhymers. Look overseas and I think we’ll find where the Ps are. A few weeks after the Summit I was in Paris with Wiley, Skepta, JME and Maximum and the French were going nuts. I know it’s not simple, but I think if the underground harnesses other technology, devises better marketing plans and expands its international horizons, it will really get somewhere.
I’ve always supported UK music in theory (Silver Bullett, Ty, Rodders P and Manuva), but to be honest I’ve never had a heartfelt passion for UK hip hop. Finally though, whether grime or in-betweeners like Sway, Klash and Plan B, I’ve fallen in love with a music that isn’t American. The UK’s voice is finally being heard and I can’t get enough of it. It’s distinctive and loud and beautifully British. As editor of RWD, I feel privileged to be one of the many people documenting the scene as it takes its inevitable twists and turns. Wherever it ends up, the journey is going to be real.
Hattie Collins' top, er 13 sounds:
Skream’s "Request Line"
Skepta’s Chantelle Fiddy lyric (b-rap!)
Merkle Man PAs at various clubs in London
Statik’s "Connected" album
Young Jeezy’s "Thug Motivation" album
Saigon’s "Abandoned Nation" mixtape
Jay Z and Nas making up by performing "Dead Presidents" onstage
Lil Kim’s "Lighters Up"
All and every Mizz Beats track and remix
Plan B four-track sampler
Don Corleone’s "Season’s" riddim
Klashnekoff "Focus Mode"
iD Live at Cargo
Read more of Hattie Collin's work on her blog or in RWD mag
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