My Pitchfork End of Year round up 2009 for funky, grime, wonky (I didn't use the word, they added it in, honest) and dubstep.
I wasnt able to use it in full in the piece in the end but the guys at UKRecordshop.com, were cool enough to help with this...
ukrecordshop.com top selling grime mixtapes of 2009
01 Skepta - Microphone Champion
02 Tinchy Stryder - Catch 22
03 Wiley - Race Against Time
04 Chipmunk - I Am Chipmunk
05 Bashy - Catch Me If You Can
06 Durrty Goodz - Ultra Sound
07 Big H - Street Crime UK
08 Newham Generals - Generally Speaking
09 P Money - Money Over Everyone
10 Roadside Gees - Nightmare On Elmz Street
It makes interesting reading. I know Trim capped his pressing size and Aim High 4 & Roll Deep Street Anthems are only just out, but Roadside Gees, Big H (Sick Boy I see ya!) and Bashy are interesting additions in a top grime 10 of 2009!
Interesting list Martin, but why nothing by Martyn or 2562, two of the Dutch musical revelations of the year?
ReplyDeletethey really edited in "wonky?" why... its very peculiar. I wonder what its like working with pitchfork. As they do seem very peculiar.
ReplyDeleteBlackdown still masquerading as a music 'journalist', eh? Lol.
ReplyDeleteBest thing to happen to the scene in 2009 is that the FWD/Ammunition/Tempa/Rinse hegemony (corporation) has lost some of its sway.
New heads steppin up and out.
I appreciate the sarcasm, but I think Anon brings up a fair point. It's not so much a conspiracy, as it is a over-grown mutual admiration society / club.
ReplyDeleteBlackdown is one of the better writers out there on this music, so I hope he keeps doing his thing. But there are times when the scene seems so insular that I just can't help but cringe every time someone like Joe Muggs publishes one of his gushing, sugary-sweet reviews for one of his mates mediocre records.
We can debate how "pirate" Rinse is all day long. Usually "pirate" stations aren't quite so keen on becoming legit/licensed, or am I wrong?
And FWD, for example (as much as I love it), is in the business of making people 'cool'. Straight up. Ask DJs how much they got paid to play, and they'll say something about what an 'honor' it is to play there etc. ad nauseam. I've never been a fan of 'culture pimps', no matter how great they are. The bigger they get, the more annoying.
So does a waste music mag like Pitchfork really need (or deserve) a dubstep/grime/funky column. I would say no.
meh, one man's "over-grown mutual admiration society / club" is another's "community."
ReplyDeleteyou could call it insular or by contrast you could say the artists are in interesting dialog.
you could say FWD are making people cool, or you could say they're on it and spot the right people at the right time.
And yeah FWD doesn't pay a lot but honesty I've seen the same DJs play sets in places where they're paid a lot and they're often not as good sets. i'd take a slot at FWD anytime - and i've DJed to thousands of people in the last two years.