myself and dusk are launching keysound recordings as a home for our productions. the imprint has been many years in the making, in the living, in the frustrating, in the struggling.
keysound thinking
the name keysound comes from the music itself, music which in turn reflects our London surroundings. a kick, a snare, a hat, a sub-bassline: in isolation, marked out on a clean sonic background, they’re sterile, contextless, adrift, culture free. “it’s just music”.
this is not just music. many dusk + blackdown tracks instead contain keysounds, a looped sonic keystone that underpins the whole track. tracks with keysounds are therefore build in a context: a constant sound that suggests an environment, a space, a culture, a city.
keysounds reflect our environment, not wistfully dwelling on the way things were, nor escaping towards imagined never-to-arrive future, but facing the pressures of today’s reality. they reflect the diverse multicultural micro-communities that surround us, and the spaces those communities live in.
keysounds are condensed shards of overheard conversations in heavy accents, hints of understanding of other cultures or keys to understanding different ways of living. keysounds are the echoes of decaying buildings, clanking trains, dirty streets and hidden urban communities.
reacting to that which changes, not that which is constant, the brain soon filters the keysound out as the track rolls on… but like the surroundings in which we live, its influence remains a defining one. this is keysound thinking.
dusk + blackdown
keysound recordings
LDN 2005
· dusk + blackdown ‘drenched/ submerge’ [LDN001] is out on keysound recordings via baked goods distribution late july.
· dusk + blackdown present the keysound recordings mix vol 1: watch this space.
'drenched'
‘drenched’ is a snapshot of urban underground living, spread wide across one 12”. tense, intense, compressed, it begins on a south London train, reflecting the rhythms and textures of our surroundings. the train heads south through some of dubstep’s birthplaces: streatham, norbury and norwood, ending of course, in croydon. the recording was made late on a sunday night, heading for one of Digital Mystikz’ Dub Sessions parties.
the name ‘drenched’ comes from London’s rainy experience. constantly under bombardment from sound, sights, information, fellow citizens ... rainfall like is a metaphor for London living. just keeping your head above water is a struggle. under pressure, you exhale to unwind… then inhale fumes. ‘north, south, east ...’ - a local MC marks out garage’s tribal regions, interlocked groups that seldom mix.
‘drenched’ was written in east london. It ends with more rainfall, recorded during a storm in turnpike lane, north london. rudeboys shelter under the park furniture, car breaks squeek down Green Lanes, police sirens wail. the tube station is located across the park, anecdotally said to be the focus of the most multicultural square mile in Britain, with over two hundred languages spoken.
'submerged'
’submerged’ is a testament to uprising. the first kick rises out of a ‘submerged’s’ keysound: a merky, bubbling, primordial soup. the kick coalesces into a live, organic rhythm, leading onwards. at first tiny shards of light filter through the mire, before a weak sun breaks through the grey clouds.
’submerged’ is dedicated to everyone who has dreamt but never acted; wished but never tried. no long ting rudeboy: what are you waiting for? if you want something done: do it yourself. not later. now. do it. grasp it. make it …happen. make the music you want. not the music they make you want.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Friday, June 24, 2005
dub for dub
This evening I participated for the first time in one of urban music’s great rituals: I went dubplate cutting.
You turn east out of Forest Hill train station, deep in south London and head into a sprawl of houses. Transition Studios is tucked away down a terraced street. You meander around the side of pebbledash building hemmed in by people’s back gardens , until you enter the barred front door.
When your time in the waiting room is over, you enter a tiny, and in this current heatwave, sweltering room. There you present your CD to the cutting engineer - and the ritual begins.
He’s sat at an analogue desk. A stack of outboard equipment, valves, EQs and a tiny quaint flashing green oscilloscope, tower above him. Underneath the desk , exposed wires and curious exposed cables snake and writhe. There’s even a telephone, just like in that classic dub photograph (Augustus Pablo is it? Or King Tubby?).
To the right there’s the cutting lathe, part precision engineering tool, part sonic magic-maker. It’s littered with bizarre discarded tools, gas cylinders, a selection of lubricants and is built with three aluminium drawers, complete with green flashing lights.
The process from digital CD to analogue vinyl is not trivial. It’s part art, part science. Part experience, part emotion. After “pulling the tracks apart“ a bit with EQs, the cutting process begins. Soon – I say soon but it’s a process that takes a while and can’t be rushed – you have a freshly cut dark black 10” dubplate. It smells funny, like it’s soaked in some kind of solvent.
I’m not obsessed by tradition: just because something has been done one way before, doesn’t mean it has to be done that way again. I’m open to change: Ableton, Traktor or Final Scratch, I’m excited by them. But I can’t describe the buzz from having a pile of freshly cut exclusive dubs. This might be a routine feeling to Hatcha, Youngsta or Transition’s biggest customer, Jah Shakka. But tonight it’s anything but routine to me. Bring on DMZ03.
Transition Studios are on +44 (0) 20 8 699 7888
You turn east out of Forest Hill train station, deep in south London and head into a sprawl of houses. Transition Studios is tucked away down a terraced street. You meander around the side of pebbledash building hemmed in by people’s back gardens , until you enter the barred front door.
When your time in the waiting room is over, you enter a tiny, and in this current heatwave, sweltering room. There you present your CD to the cutting engineer - and the ritual begins.
He’s sat at an analogue desk. A stack of outboard equipment, valves, EQs and a tiny quaint flashing green oscilloscope, tower above him. Underneath the desk , exposed wires and curious exposed cables snake and writhe. There’s even a telephone, just like in that classic dub photograph (Augustus Pablo is it? Or King Tubby?).
To the right there’s the cutting lathe, part precision engineering tool, part sonic magic-maker. It’s littered with bizarre discarded tools, gas cylinders, a selection of lubricants and is built with three aluminium drawers, complete with green flashing lights.
The process from digital CD to analogue vinyl is not trivial. It’s part art, part science. Part experience, part emotion. After “pulling the tracks apart“ a bit with EQs, the cutting process begins. Soon – I say soon but it’s a process that takes a while and can’t be rushed – you have a freshly cut dark black 10” dubplate. It smells funny, like it’s soaked in some kind of solvent.
I’m not obsessed by tradition: just because something has been done one way before, doesn’t mean it has to be done that way again. I’m open to change: Ableton, Traktor or Final Scratch, I’m excited by them. But I can’t describe the buzz from having a pile of freshly cut exclusive dubs. This might be a routine feeling to Hatcha, Youngsta or Transition’s biggest customer, Jah Shakka. But tonight it’s anything but routine to me. Bring on DMZ03.
Transition Studios are on +44 (0) 20 8 699 7888
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Don't call it a comeback...
yesyes it's true: DMZ03 will feature me pon decks.
many thanks to DMZ for spreading the love.
in the meantime get ready for some fresh new dubz.
many thanks to DMZ for spreading the love.
in the meantime get ready for some fresh new dubz.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Digital dubz
Digital downloading isn't the future, it's the present. Over the last six months I've been busy putting together a legal download page with Bleep, Warp records' sister site.
Right now you'll find high res downloads from Digital Mystikz, Loefah, Kode 9, Skream, Plasticman, Macabre Unit, Reza, Vex'd and Mark One. Expect many more artists to follow.
Find it here: Bleep/road. If you run a label and want to get involved, email me.
Right now you'll find high res downloads from Digital Mystikz, Loefah, Kode 9, Skream, Plasticman, Macabre Unit, Reza, Vex'd and Mark One. Expect many more artists to follow.
Find it here: Bleep/road. If you run a label and want to get involved, email me.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Digital pirate material
The feature below was first commissioned for The Guardian's Online section in autumn 2002, and published in Deuce magazine in spring 2003, when the first discussion of the analogue-to-digital radio switch over was suggested.
While everyone else was talking about if/when, of more concern was what would happen to pirate radio - the lifeblood of British urban culture. If they had sold off the analogue FM band then to mobile phone operators, who then jammed the frequency with other services, they would have killed off the nacent grime-to-be scene. Thankfully they didn't, but the question remained in my mind - where was pirate radio going?
In the last few months I think I've found an answer. Yousendit. Combined with online streaming, broadband connections and willing uploaders, Yousendit allows grime and dubstep to suddenly spread way, way beyond Bow and Croydon. Funny how things evolve.
Digital pirate material: what is the future of pirate radio culture?
In a dingy council flat squat a DJ releases the record from underneath his hand. The groove hits the needle and a signal shoots from the pirate radio station across urban Britain. Despite the authorities’ best efforts, it’s a very common event. Unbeknownst to the DJ however, he’s standing at a crossroads in British radio culture. It’s where international corporations meet determined amateurs, cutting edge digital technology finds D.I.Y. graft, the internet reaches the streets and the present looks towards the future.
Pirates have been either the thorn in the radio industry’s side, or an exciting explosion of grass roots UK culture - depending on your viewpoint - for the last 15 years. Many key artists, like So Solid Crew, Ms Dynamite and much of the specialist Radio 1 DJs, honed their craft on the medium. Up to 100 UK pirate stations broadcast illegally each year. There’s a few anarchists and the odd anorak, but the vast majority are commercial enterprises, promoting club ticket sales. Digital radio, by contrast, is a brand new way to broadcast clearer and with extra multimedia services. Its dominance, when the analogue to digital switch over happens in a decade or so, will be a landmark in British radio. But what will happen to pirates when the switch occurs? What is the future of pirate radio?
Looking from 2003 there seems three obvious eventualities: to go online, to stay analogue or to switch to digital. Each will change pirate radio culture as we know it.
Although the conditions should alter massively in the next ten years, digital pirate broadcasting appears difficult at this point. Currently the technology is hard to acquire, complex to use and expensive to buy. According to the director of engineering at the Radio Authority Mark Thomas, running a legal analogue station costs “a low five figure sum” per year. Upgrading that to a digital station converts it to “a high five figure sum.” He leaves us to make the illegal radio comparisons, but this cost is sure to be a significant barrier to pirates.
In the current market, there are very few suppliers of the required digital broadcast equipment and so market prices are high. With digital receivers expensive, the current audience remains small. But both these barriers should shrink over time, with encouraging news like Ford announcing digital radios in cars from last January. Also the way legal stations have to share the digital broadcast equipment called “multiplexes” works against pirates too. “Pirate stations are very much go-it-alone, chuck-up-anything-that-you-think-will-work merchants. That whole mindset is really quite different to the organised and collectivist approach that is inherent with [legal] digital,” explains Thomas.
Finally, because of the properties of digital, there are less numbers of frequencies for pirates to broadcast on. Most the available slots are now assigned. “Your only options as a pirate in London is to use a frequency in Kent, and interfere with that or use one in frequency in Southend. And how many pirates will be able to do that without interfering with each other?” asks Thomas. “The [digital] frequency planning environment is much more difficult.”
However it would be foolish to underestimate the determination and resourcefulness of pirate engineers. “You can never say ‘never’. 20 years ago you would have said they’d never get on FM,” remarks an Area Manager for the Radiocommunications Agency. “I’ve got to say I have a professional respect for what they’re capable of achieving, these pirates.”
When the commercial stations vacate the analogue FM band, could the pirates could just stay put? Analogue radios don’t suffer a lot of wear and tear, so a loyal audience might remain. But would they hear anything? As the 3G licence auction testified, spectrum is a valuable commodity. Some industry experts speculate that it could be sold off for other services to companies like mobile phone operators. Could the pirates broadcast over such a din? Technically it is possible as, according to Mark Thomas, broadcast transmitters tend to be at the upper end of the power range on the airwaves.
Why don’t pirates just broadcast online? Given artist royalties are collected by the Performing Rights Society, netcasting is a legal proposition and one some currently chose to take. Majorfm.co.uk have most successfully taken the pirate model online, suggesting it is viable.
Bandwidth costs might increase per user, unlike conventional radio, but they’re still smaller than the costs of running a legal digital radio station. The main drawback is that pirate radio broadcasts to a dense and compact local audience. Internet radio broadcasts to a disperse global audience – which is of no use if your core revenue source is ticket sales to raves in Hackney.
“Really the future of online radio is down to how available the internet becomes in day-to-day life,” explains DJ SL, who simulcasts London’s leading pirate station Rinse FM, over the internet. Penetration of broadband, 3G mobile phones and even in-car internet access will all determine the future of online radio. But for now it’s still a minor influence on the audience pirate radio tries to reach. “We are probably talking at least another 5 years before we see these [technologies] implemented and about another 5 years beyond that until these products are both available and cheap enough.”
Still it is a fruitful option for many artists and one DJ we spoke to had just recently switched from pirate radio to www.londonliveanddirect.com. “Whilst we were on pirate only Londoners could hear us and it wasn’t even like we could be heard over the whole of London,” explains a representative of the Frequency collective. “Since being on the internet the interest in us and the offers have been immense ... We feel like the hard work and sacrifices we've made are starting to pay off.” Now the collective are getting offers of work from Malaysia, Australia and Sweden.
As broadband and wireless internet access increases, European webcasters could yet gain ground over US counterparts. Given recent the effect of recent Congress developments on the US market - favouring big corporate players over grass roots providers - niche homegrown EU talent might be just what the world’s music fans are looking for. These are exciting times.
First published in Deuce magazine (RIP) spring 2003
While everyone else was talking about if/when, of more concern was what would happen to pirate radio - the lifeblood of British urban culture. If they had sold off the analogue FM band then to mobile phone operators, who then jammed the frequency with other services, they would have killed off the nacent grime-to-be scene. Thankfully they didn't, but the question remained in my mind - where was pirate radio going?
In the last few months I think I've found an answer. Yousendit. Combined with online streaming, broadband connections and willing uploaders, Yousendit allows grime and dubstep to suddenly spread way, way beyond Bow and Croydon. Funny how things evolve.
Digital pirate material: what is the future of pirate radio culture?
In a dingy council flat squat a DJ releases the record from underneath his hand. The groove hits the needle and a signal shoots from the pirate radio station across urban Britain. Despite the authorities’ best efforts, it’s a very common event. Unbeknownst to the DJ however, he’s standing at a crossroads in British radio culture. It’s where international corporations meet determined amateurs, cutting edge digital technology finds D.I.Y. graft, the internet reaches the streets and the present looks towards the future.
Pirates have been either the thorn in the radio industry’s side, or an exciting explosion of grass roots UK culture - depending on your viewpoint - for the last 15 years. Many key artists, like So Solid Crew, Ms Dynamite and much of the specialist Radio 1 DJs, honed their craft on the medium. Up to 100 UK pirate stations broadcast illegally each year. There’s a few anarchists and the odd anorak, but the vast majority are commercial enterprises, promoting club ticket sales. Digital radio, by contrast, is a brand new way to broadcast clearer and with extra multimedia services. Its dominance, when the analogue to digital switch over happens in a decade or so, will be a landmark in British radio. But what will happen to pirates when the switch occurs? What is the future of pirate radio?
Looking from 2003 there seems three obvious eventualities: to go online, to stay analogue or to switch to digital. Each will change pirate radio culture as we know it.
Although the conditions should alter massively in the next ten years, digital pirate broadcasting appears difficult at this point. Currently the technology is hard to acquire, complex to use and expensive to buy. According to the director of engineering at the Radio Authority Mark Thomas, running a legal analogue station costs “a low five figure sum” per year. Upgrading that to a digital station converts it to “a high five figure sum.” He leaves us to make the illegal radio comparisons, but this cost is sure to be a significant barrier to pirates.
In the current market, there are very few suppliers of the required digital broadcast equipment and so market prices are high. With digital receivers expensive, the current audience remains small. But both these barriers should shrink over time, with encouraging news like Ford announcing digital radios in cars from last January. Also the way legal stations have to share the digital broadcast equipment called “multiplexes” works against pirates too. “Pirate stations are very much go-it-alone, chuck-up-anything-that-you-think-will-work merchants. That whole mindset is really quite different to the organised and collectivist approach that is inherent with [legal] digital,” explains Thomas.
Finally, because of the properties of digital, there are less numbers of frequencies for pirates to broadcast on. Most the available slots are now assigned. “Your only options as a pirate in London is to use a frequency in Kent, and interfere with that or use one in frequency in Southend. And how many pirates will be able to do that without interfering with each other?” asks Thomas. “The [digital] frequency planning environment is much more difficult.”
However it would be foolish to underestimate the determination and resourcefulness of pirate engineers. “You can never say ‘never’. 20 years ago you would have said they’d never get on FM,” remarks an Area Manager for the Radiocommunications Agency. “I’ve got to say I have a professional respect for what they’re capable of achieving, these pirates.”
When the commercial stations vacate the analogue FM band, could the pirates could just stay put? Analogue radios don’t suffer a lot of wear and tear, so a loyal audience might remain. But would they hear anything? As the 3G licence auction testified, spectrum is a valuable commodity. Some industry experts speculate that it could be sold off for other services to companies like mobile phone operators. Could the pirates broadcast over such a din? Technically it is possible as, according to Mark Thomas, broadcast transmitters tend to be at the upper end of the power range on the airwaves.
Why don’t pirates just broadcast online? Given artist royalties are collected by the Performing Rights Society, netcasting is a legal proposition and one some currently chose to take. Majorfm.co.uk have most successfully taken the pirate model online, suggesting it is viable.
Bandwidth costs might increase per user, unlike conventional radio, but they’re still smaller than the costs of running a legal digital radio station. The main drawback is that pirate radio broadcasts to a dense and compact local audience. Internet radio broadcasts to a disperse global audience – which is of no use if your core revenue source is ticket sales to raves in Hackney.
“Really the future of online radio is down to how available the internet becomes in day-to-day life,” explains DJ SL, who simulcasts London’s leading pirate station Rinse FM, over the internet. Penetration of broadband, 3G mobile phones and even in-car internet access will all determine the future of online radio. But for now it’s still a minor influence on the audience pirate radio tries to reach. “We are probably talking at least another 5 years before we see these [technologies] implemented and about another 5 years beyond that until these products are both available and cheap enough.”
Still it is a fruitful option for many artists and one DJ we spoke to had just recently switched from pirate radio to www.londonliveanddirect.com. “Whilst we were on pirate only Londoners could hear us and it wasn’t even like we could be heard over the whole of London,” explains a representative of the Frequency collective. “Since being on the internet the interest in us and the offers have been immense ... We feel like the hard work and sacrifices we've made are starting to pay off.” Now the collective are getting offers of work from Malaysia, Australia and Sweden.
As broadband and wireless internet access increases, European webcasters could yet gain ground over US counterparts. Given recent the effect of recent Congress developments on the US market - favouring big corporate players over grass roots providers - niche homegrown EU talent might be just what the world’s music fans are looking for. These are exciting times.
First published in Deuce magazine (RIP) spring 2003
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Thursday, June 02, 2005
freshness
Club Forward>>’s summer line up comes true to it’s name and ethos: moving things ... forward. If you’ve followed the fusion/purism debate on the grime/dubstep border on this blog, then this line up is some next level biz:
July 7
Horsepower
Logan
Hatcha
July 21
Target
DMZ & Loefah 2hr set
Reading between the lines with this, erm, lineup this looks like FWD>> embracing grime MCs properly. Of course MCs have always guested there, with Slimzee and Maxwell D reaching in about 2002 when Pay As U Go were together, but since then it's been all about Crazie D and SLT Mob MCs - bar the odd suprise slot from Crazy Titch and Roll Deep.
FWD>> has always been a producer stronghold, a place to test new 'plates, so it could never become a haven for MC Nobody, his 12 mates and their wasteman wannabe rivals brewing for a slewing. But it looks like it's now open to the cream of cutting edge grime artists - and rightly so. Tubby brought D Double and Footsie down on unannounced. Geeneus & Slimzee brought Sier B, Riko, Skepta, Dog-Z and Jammer. Watching Jammer and Skepta over Youngsta's dubstep set was a fascinating experiment of grime/dubstep fusion in action. So for Logan and Target, I'd predict the best of Roll Deep MCs, possibly more. Forward>> ... it's aptly named.
Crikey! The FWD>> line up debate has provoked strong opinion on dubplate.net . Check the views of Plasticman, Hotflush, Vex'd, Kode 9, Infinite and more...
July 7
Horsepower
Logan
Hatcha
July 21
Target
DMZ & Loefah 2hr set
Reading between the lines with this, erm, lineup this looks like FWD>> embracing grime MCs properly. Of course MCs have always guested there, with Slimzee and Maxwell D reaching in about 2002 when Pay As U Go were together, but since then it's been all about Crazie D and SLT Mob MCs - bar the odd suprise slot from Crazy Titch and Roll Deep.
FWD>> has always been a producer stronghold, a place to test new 'plates, so it could never become a haven for MC Nobody, his 12 mates and their wasteman wannabe rivals brewing for a slewing. But it looks like it's now open to the cream of cutting edge grime artists - and rightly so. Tubby brought D Double and Footsie down on unannounced. Geeneus & Slimzee brought Sier B, Riko, Skepta, Dog-Z and Jammer. Watching Jammer and Skepta over Youngsta's dubstep set was a fascinating experiment of grime/dubstep fusion in action. So for Logan and Target, I'd predict the best of Roll Deep MCs, possibly more. Forward>> ... it's aptly named.
Crikey! The FWD>> line up debate has provoked strong opinion on dubplate.net . Check the views of Plasticman, Hotflush, Vex'd, Kode 9, Infinite and more...
Friday, May 27, 2005
Slimzee v Carnage
Some audio grabbed from the Rinse audio forum, too tasty not to share. Slimzee v Carnage pon deckle, Wiley and later on Syre B on mic. Some wicked vocal and instrumental bits (inc an amazing Geeneus riddim at the end and the awesome Danny Weed or Target Heat Up instrumental) ... plus J Sweet gets merked. Wiley with fire in his belly.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Fusion confusion
A tight little mix over at Tempo Tantrum HQ from Reza brought something into focus.
It made me realise the relative merits of fusion v purism have been circulating around unresolved in my brain on several occasions of late. Specifically two types of fusion: fusion in production and fusion in DJing.
The importance of fusion or purism, essentially how a sound grows and evolves, is key. The wrong influence can drag a scene backwards to cover old ground. But to move forward, a scene needs new ideas, either generating them from within or consuming ideas from without.
This thinking on fusion v purism, change from within or without, was triggered by several recent experiences. A lengthy discussion of the porus membrane between the grime and dubstep cells with Kode 9 one evening, and his set last month at FWD>>, comprising of Mystikz dubs and Terror Danjah 12"s. Jay Da Flex's sets of late on 1Xtra and FWD>>, which have been fusing broken beat with breakbeat garage. A conversation with Loefah on the influence of grime on dubstep's "halfstep" flavours. Kid Kameleon's mixes. Semtex's "Crunk & Grime" CD and Dizzee & Semtex' Nike M180 mix, which includes a Neptunes mix of Diz, crunk MCs over grime riddims and Dizzee over a Lil Jon beat. And then of course there's Reza's mix (tracklisting below).
First to fusion in DJing. When the first dark hybrids of garage were emerging in 2000, there weren't enough Ghost, Wookie, Zed Bias or Steve Gurley bits to fill a whole set. I'd use what I had around me to fill the gaps: I'd play pitched up broken beat or techy breaky stuff, the odd bit of electronica or electro or even slowed down jungle. Soon though it began to feel pointless, probably around the time Forward>> began and 8bar/grime emerged. Dusk and I were presenting the Forward>> show on Groovetech.com (RIP) and mixing El-B and Horsepower with Plasticman, Dizzee’s “Brand New Day” with Hindzy D’s “Capsule”. Suddenly you could touch all flavours without leaving the same continuum. Furthermore, beyond a varied/inconsistent dancefloor experience, I began to question what could you actually achieve with a fusion set?
It was 2003-4 Hatcha sets, the foundation of the current dubstep sound, that proved how mighty purism could be and how much progress could be made by pulling in a concerted direction. Hatcha had Benga, Skreams, Loefah and Digital Mystikz productions on exclusive at this time allowing him to exert massive A&R control over their productions and pull his DJ sets coherently in one direction. The results, now on vinyl, speak for themselves.
This leads us into fusion in production. In the last two years grime has flourished. Reza and Jayda might be interested in the dubstep/broken beat boundary, Semtex and Dizzee in the grime/crunk border, but to me and other Londoners like Kode 9, the grime/dubstep boundary holds more fascination.
But is there a actually a boundary between the styles?
While we both know they come from the same roots in late '90s garage, my position is there are enough social and sonic differences to make them distinct enough to warrant fusions. Kode 9 has suggested that musically if you think they're separate strains - you're too close to them.
But then check his "'Kingstown' Dub," now forthcoming on his Hyperdub label. It is the perfect grime/dubstep fusion. Mark One-inspired tablas, massive sub bass drop, layered (not chopped) arrangements that develop - all themes from dubstep. Maximalist, in-yer-face, solid riff, starting from the very first bar, written on grimey synths, looping throughout the track ( all substance as opposed to the negative space/textures of dubstep) - all themes from grime.
Kode, ever the enthusiast on science-meets-society thinking then suggested his litmus test of any kind of fusion: does it form a hybrid or a mutant? Ie is the result (a DJ set or production) greater the sum of its parts, or merely the sum of it's parts or less? I think he's nailed a key issue there.
Here's what Kode had to say in full on the matter...
“To talk about fusions you have to be much more sonically specific ‘what is grime?’”
“So to talk about sonic fusions between grime and dubstep – if you subtract the MCs – you would first have to identify an identity to both grime and dubstep. It is precisely in order to reject solidifying grime or dubstep each into a core identity (purism) that I am rejecting the word fusion as a way of thinking about attempting to weave grime and dubstep instrumentals. If you reject purism, then what is left as distinct entities to fuse? Because I think it under-plays the mutations and meshing that these styles are undergoing, and limits future discussion of what can emerge as merely being hybrids, as opposed to mutants.”
“Most people, I’m sure, would think I'm just being too fussy about the word 'fusion'. We all know that these musics come from different microscenes, and different cultures with different outlooks. But it is enlightening to see the way the music spreads, not just its roots ... and its spread is unpredictable in a way that the concept of 'fusion' doesn’t do justice to. Get me? I just don't think its worth calling it a fusion to want more sub weight in my grime, and more mid-range excitement in my dub. It's just pre-occupations with different sets of frequencies, not radical stylistic differences.”
Whether they can be resolved into two parts, or are sub-units of a greater whole, a cutting edge interaction of some kind is definitely taking place. And, like Riko joining the blogsphere, it's no longer 100% one-way traffic. I can't say anymore on this, mostly because nothing's concrete yet, but expect some very exciting movements from different points through the porous membrane this year.
Finally an observation, not a coded hint, just an observation. Traditionally, bar the Rinse/Dumpvalve lot, grime artists have not repped for FWD>>, even if Slim and Maxwell D did a set in about 2002 at Velvet Rooms. But since Wiley first DJed at Forward>> recently, he's attended the last four in a row. He's not been booked, he just comes, stands in the back and listens. As Trim said last year in my Touch piece Wiley "quantum leaps." He foresaw MCs-becoming-artists, Dizzee's future achievements, the lessons to be learned from dancehall (on the Ice Rink riddim series), the street-marketing potential of clashing and the even beatless "devil mixes." Of late he's instigated producer-clashes, seen how to go commercial with "Shake A Leg" and why it's important long term to have a label ("your own situation") not to rely on expensive and short-term major label deals.
He's seen all this. And now he's checking dubstep ...
Some mixes for thought
Kode 9 in Brazil
Kode: “There is a zig zag sequence I'm particularly fond of from “Fuckaz” to “Late Nite Request Line” to “Thuggish Ruggish” to “Poltergeist Relay” to “Twisup original” to “Piano Madness” which peaks at 25:15 to 26min's…”
'Ghost Land' - Kode9/Spaceape/Digital Mystikz' (dubplate)
'Kingstown' Dub - Kode9 (dubplate)
'Stuck' - Digital Mystikz (dubplate)
'Changes' - Digital Mystikz (dubplate)
'?' - Skream (dubplate)
'Mood' - Digital Mystikz (dubplate)
'Fukkaz' - Kode9 & Spaceape (dubplate)
'Late Nite Request Line’ - Skream (dubplate)
'Thuggish Ruggish' - Skepta (white)
'Poltergeist Relay' - Roll Deep (white)
'Twisup' - Loefah (white)
'Piano Madness' - Terror Danjah (Aftershock)
'Slow Down' - Virus Syndicate (Planet Mu)
'Morgue' - Wiley (white)
'Fwd Rmx'- ? (white)
'Conference' - Digital Mystikz (dubplate)
'Shut Down Shop' - Essentials (Paperchase)
'Correction Dub' - Kode9 (dubplate)
Reza at Tempo Tantrum
Reza tracklist
1. Cold Mission - DH Shuffle
2. Cousin Cockroach & Shox - King Tut Fool
3. Afronaught - Golpe Duro Culinda
4. Dom Um Romao - Lake Of Perseverance
5. Darqwan - Said The Spider
6. Kelis - Milkshake (Freq Nasty's Hip Hall Mix)
7. Somatik - Reflections Of The Future
8. Seiji & Spoonface - Yin Yang
9. Misa Negra - Mixamatosis
10. Lady Sovereign - Chi Ching (Landslide Remix)
11. Almost Human - Criminal Minded
12. Loefah - Indian Dub
13. Solid Groove - Flookin (Domu's Lucky Dub)
14. Zed Bias - Old School, New School
15. Menta - Snakecharmer
16. Horsepower Productions - Classic Deluxe Part 2
17. Toasty - Angel
It made me realise the relative merits of fusion v purism have been circulating around unresolved in my brain on several occasions of late. Specifically two types of fusion: fusion in production and fusion in DJing.
The importance of fusion or purism, essentially how a sound grows and evolves, is key. The wrong influence can drag a scene backwards to cover old ground. But to move forward, a scene needs new ideas, either generating them from within or consuming ideas from without.
This thinking on fusion v purism, change from within or without, was triggered by several recent experiences. A lengthy discussion of the porus membrane between the grime and dubstep cells with Kode 9 one evening, and his set last month at FWD>>, comprising of Mystikz dubs and Terror Danjah 12"s. Jay Da Flex's sets of late on 1Xtra and FWD>>, which have been fusing broken beat with breakbeat garage. A conversation with Loefah on the influence of grime on dubstep's "halfstep" flavours. Kid Kameleon's mixes. Semtex's "Crunk & Grime" CD and Dizzee & Semtex' Nike M180 mix, which includes a Neptunes mix of Diz, crunk MCs over grime riddims and Dizzee over a Lil Jon beat. And then of course there's Reza's mix (tracklisting below).
First to fusion in DJing. When the first dark hybrids of garage were emerging in 2000, there weren't enough Ghost, Wookie, Zed Bias or Steve Gurley bits to fill a whole set. I'd use what I had around me to fill the gaps: I'd play pitched up broken beat or techy breaky stuff, the odd bit of electronica or electro or even slowed down jungle. Soon though it began to feel pointless, probably around the time Forward>> began and 8bar/grime emerged. Dusk and I were presenting the Forward>> show on Groovetech.com (RIP) and mixing El-B and Horsepower with Plasticman, Dizzee’s “Brand New Day” with Hindzy D’s “Capsule”. Suddenly you could touch all flavours without leaving the same continuum. Furthermore, beyond a varied/inconsistent dancefloor experience, I began to question what could you actually achieve with a fusion set?
It was 2003-4 Hatcha sets, the foundation of the current dubstep sound, that proved how mighty purism could be and how much progress could be made by pulling in a concerted direction. Hatcha had Benga, Skreams, Loefah and Digital Mystikz productions on exclusive at this time allowing him to exert massive A&R control over their productions and pull his DJ sets coherently in one direction. The results, now on vinyl, speak for themselves.
This leads us into fusion in production. In the last two years grime has flourished. Reza and Jayda might be interested in the dubstep/broken beat boundary, Semtex and Dizzee in the grime/crunk border, but to me and other Londoners like Kode 9, the grime/dubstep boundary holds more fascination.
But is there a actually a boundary between the styles?
While we both know they come from the same roots in late '90s garage, my position is there are enough social and sonic differences to make them distinct enough to warrant fusions. Kode 9 has suggested that musically if you think they're separate strains - you're too close to them.
But then check his "'Kingstown' Dub," now forthcoming on his Hyperdub label. It is the perfect grime/dubstep fusion. Mark One-inspired tablas, massive sub bass drop, layered (not chopped) arrangements that develop - all themes from dubstep. Maximalist, in-yer-face, solid riff, starting from the very first bar, written on grimey synths, looping throughout the track ( all substance as opposed to the negative space/textures of dubstep) - all themes from grime.
Kode, ever the enthusiast on science-meets-society thinking then suggested his litmus test of any kind of fusion: does it form a hybrid or a mutant? Ie is the result (a DJ set or production) greater the sum of its parts, or merely the sum of it's parts or less? I think he's nailed a key issue there.
Here's what Kode had to say in full on the matter...
“To talk about fusions you have to be much more sonically specific ‘what is grime?’”
“So to talk about sonic fusions between grime and dubstep – if you subtract the MCs – you would first have to identify an identity to both grime and dubstep. It is precisely in order to reject solidifying grime or dubstep each into a core identity (purism) that I am rejecting the word fusion as a way of thinking about attempting to weave grime and dubstep instrumentals. If you reject purism, then what is left as distinct entities to fuse? Because I think it under-plays the mutations and meshing that these styles are undergoing, and limits future discussion of what can emerge as merely being hybrids, as opposed to mutants.”
“Most people, I’m sure, would think I'm just being too fussy about the word 'fusion'. We all know that these musics come from different microscenes, and different cultures with different outlooks. But it is enlightening to see the way the music spreads, not just its roots ... and its spread is unpredictable in a way that the concept of 'fusion' doesn’t do justice to. Get me? I just don't think its worth calling it a fusion to want more sub weight in my grime, and more mid-range excitement in my dub. It's just pre-occupations with different sets of frequencies, not radical stylistic differences.”
Whether they can be resolved into two parts, or are sub-units of a greater whole, a cutting edge interaction of some kind is definitely taking place. And, like Riko joining the blogsphere, it's no longer 100% one-way traffic. I can't say anymore on this, mostly because nothing's concrete yet, but expect some very exciting movements from different points through the porous membrane this year.
Finally an observation, not a coded hint, just an observation. Traditionally, bar the Rinse/Dumpvalve lot, grime artists have not repped for FWD>>, even if Slim and Maxwell D did a set in about 2002 at Velvet Rooms. But since Wiley first DJed at Forward>> recently, he's attended the last four in a row. He's not been booked, he just comes, stands in the back and listens. As Trim said last year in my Touch piece Wiley "quantum leaps." He foresaw MCs-becoming-artists, Dizzee's future achievements, the lessons to be learned from dancehall (on the Ice Rink riddim series), the street-marketing potential of clashing and the even beatless "devil mixes." Of late he's instigated producer-clashes, seen how to go commercial with "Shake A Leg" and why it's important long term to have a label ("your own situation") not to rely on expensive and short-term major label deals.
He's seen all this. And now he's checking dubstep ...
Some mixes for thought
Kode 9 in Brazil
Kode: “There is a zig zag sequence I'm particularly fond of from “Fuckaz” to “Late Nite Request Line” to “Thuggish Ruggish” to “Poltergeist Relay” to “Twisup original” to “Piano Madness” which peaks at 25:15 to 26min's…”
'Ghost Land' - Kode9/Spaceape/Digital Mystikz' (dubplate)
'Kingstown' Dub - Kode9 (dubplate)
'Stuck' - Digital Mystikz (dubplate)
'Changes' - Digital Mystikz (dubplate)
'?' - Skream (dubplate)
'Mood' - Digital Mystikz (dubplate)
'Fukkaz' - Kode9 & Spaceape (dubplate)
'Late Nite Request Line’ - Skream (dubplate)
'Thuggish Ruggish' - Skepta (white)
'Poltergeist Relay' - Roll Deep (white)
'Twisup' - Loefah (white)
'Piano Madness' - Terror Danjah (Aftershock)
'Slow Down' - Virus Syndicate (Planet Mu)
'Morgue' - Wiley (white)
'Fwd Rmx'- ? (white)
'Conference' - Digital Mystikz (dubplate)
'Shut Down Shop' - Essentials (Paperchase)
'Correction Dub' - Kode9 (dubplate)
Reza at Tempo Tantrum
Reza tracklist
1. Cold Mission - DH Shuffle
2. Cousin Cockroach & Shox - King Tut Fool
3. Afronaught - Golpe Duro Culinda
4. Dom Um Romao - Lake Of Perseverance
5. Darqwan - Said The Spider
6. Kelis - Milkshake (Freq Nasty's Hip Hall Mix)
7. Somatik - Reflections Of The Future
8. Seiji & Spoonface - Yin Yang
9. Misa Negra - Mixamatosis
10. Lady Sovereign - Chi Ching (Landslide Remix)
11. Almost Human - Criminal Minded
12. Loefah - Indian Dub
13. Solid Groove - Flookin (Domu's Lucky Dub)
14. Zed Bias - Old School, New School
15. Menta - Snakecharmer
16. Horsepower Productions - Classic Deluxe Part 2
17. Toasty - Angel
Friday, May 20, 2005
Late night bigupyourchest time
Brap-br-br-brap to Youngsta for last nights Forward>> sets. There have been times in the past when his halfstep/negative space/sub bass-driven evacuation of form sets haven't been my thang. But last night, like many of his sets recently, was heavy. Perhaps being armed with energetic dubs like Mala's UR-tastic and now ubiquitous anthem "Neverland" and Loefah's rollin' rocksteady dub "Roots," gave him the room to head deep into fresh subterranean, make that dubterranean, halfstep without the risk of total implosion.
The peak of the set had to be his use of double dubz of Skreams anthem "Late Night Request Line" (forthcoming on Tempa). That mix alone must have cost him 60 quid to cut (eight times what normal 12"s cost) - a serious endorsement of any track. But he executed the mix so crisply, delaying the third-beat snares so well, injecting the already-anthemic riddim with twice the energy, that he had jaws dropping - and Loefah flashing his lighter out of blatant respect.
Youngsta did that same mix on a recent Rinse showdown with Loefah. Download it here
The peak of the set had to be his use of double dubz of Skreams anthem "Late Night Request Line" (forthcoming on Tempa). That mix alone must have cost him 60 quid to cut (eight times what normal 12"s cost) - a serious endorsement of any track. But he executed the mix so crisply, delaying the third-beat snares so well, injecting the already-anthemic riddim with twice the energy, that he had jaws dropping - and Loefah flashing his lighter out of blatant respect.
Youngsta did that same mix on a recent Rinse showdown with Loefah. Download it here
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Saturday, May 07, 2005
funny MC
Two MCs keeping me amused right now.
Bruza: the way he introduces himself using a 'throat clearing' noize. "A-cough-cough-cough... AND IT'S THE BRUUUUZE...!" The best lyrical trademark?
MC Crazie D at FWD>> on Thursday night. Jayda Flex plays some tune with a cooljazz/bossanova intro and Crazie just quips: "time to slip into something more comfortable!" Priceless.
Bruza: the way he introduces himself using a 'throat clearing' noize. "A-cough-cough-cough... AND IT'S THE BRUUUUZE...!" The best lyrical trademark?
MC Crazie D at FWD>> on Thursday night. Jayda Flex plays some tune with a cooljazz/bossanova intro and Crazie just quips: "time to slip into something more comfortable!" Priceless.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Some grime 12"s I’ve bought recently
Check the audio links...
Syre B and Shots "I’m Gifted"
Terror Danjah "Piano Madness"
Terror Danjah "Sonar"
Danny Weed "Shank Riddim"
Ruff Sqwad "Anna/Down"
Da Vinche "Ghetto Kyote"
As well as older tunes Wiley’s "Nu Era (vocal)" and JME’s "Serious"
Syre B and Shots "I’m Gifted"
Terror Danjah "Piano Madness"
Terror Danjah "Sonar"
Danny Weed "Shank Riddim"
Ruff Sqwad "Anna/Down"
Da Vinche "Ghetto Kyote"
As well as older tunes Wiley’s "Nu Era (vocal)" and JME’s "Serious"
Thursday, April 28, 2005
joketings
Wastemanager
Manager who makes things worse
Academics
Seldom seen rocking Akademiks
Gashgrime
Terror's r&g direction. For the laydeez...
Muckle!
Confused cry of middle-class Jammer-fan
Mime artist
MC who thinks he's an "artist" but is saying nothing
Sekkle cell anemia
Relaxed condition due to blood haemorrhage caused by shots to the dome
DVDVD
Disease caught from sket/wasteman easy enough to fall for the "I've got Lord of the Decks back at mine..." line
Ruff Squid
Bad choice in restaurant
The Gulf War
Only known case of a war in east not won by Riko
Air Canada
If you're not from east you get air!
Air France
France gets air too!
Finnair
I dont even know where Finland is bruv
Ryanair
Who's Ryan?
easySket
See "DVDVD"
can anyone think of any more?
Manager who makes things worse
Academics
Seldom seen rocking Akademiks
Gashgrime
Terror's r&g direction. For the laydeez...
Muckle!
Confused cry of middle-class Jammer-fan
Mime artist
MC who thinks he's an "artist" but is saying nothing
Sekkle cell anemia
Relaxed condition due to blood haemorrhage caused by shots to the dome
DVDVD
Disease caught from sket/wasteman easy enough to fall for the "I've got Lord of the Decks back at mine..." line
Ruff Squid
Bad choice in restaurant
The Gulf War
Only known case of a war in east not won by Riko
Air Canada
If you're not from east you get air!
Air France
France gets air too!
Finnair
I dont even know where Finland is bruv
Ryanair
Who's Ryan?
easySket
See "DVDVD"
can anyone think of any more?
guns or gyals?
Interesting to see how Cameo’s now totally segregating his show into grime and what he calls "r’n’g’ aka "rhythm and grime" sections. Perhaps it was inevitable: if grime’s the UK’s hip hop, then this is our r’n’b.
Suddenly MCs – the artists, the focus, the creators of the grime movement – are sidelined to 16 bar guest spots, just like in US r&b. Gone is the remarkable dissonance and groundbreaking gnarly sounds developed in grime, gone is the MC's lyrical urban warning, in come warm sounds underpinned by a soft flutter of bass.
It makes me wonder: what's the point?
One point that could justifiably argued is that it’s an anti-beef tactic. Terror, one of the pioneers of the r’n’g flavour, talked to me about this exactly a year ago. When mandem in raves are focused on the gyals, they’re not up for shanking. By making gyalgrime they can fill the clubs without clashing or beef.
On that level it’s hard to argue against: I’ve felt for a while violence at the wrong (ie non-road) club could kill the scene dead. It would be Romeo’s Birthday Bash (at Astoria, circa 2001) all over again, with media idiots saying "garage causes violence" and racist tabloid headlines about "yardies."
But musically it reminds me of that 2000-2001 2step era, but without the swing or the energy and with extra Kanye-vox samples. With a few exceptions, (Kele Le Roc "Frontline" or Terror’s "Life") it kinda leaves me cold.
But I’ve never been one for gyal tunes. Lots of other people are though, so once there’s girly vocals there’ll be fake A&Rs rushing in, money being flashed, stale commercial releases being flogged as "endz anthems" – 90%s of which will flop – and the underground talent will get rinsed or ignored. Please let me be wrong.
So can there be a positive direction for the future of grime without losing the exciting danger-energy, descending into gun battles or dripping into wet US r&b parody? Maybe the hint in is the new JME dub that follows Cameo’s r&g set.
"I watch the news all the time ... I get cold shivers when I see the headlines ... because the lives being lost are similar to mine ... gun crime is on the rise…the only thing more on the rise is of gun lyrics from MC guys ... don’t. chat. crap. please! ... if you can’t make sense, don’t MC! ... there’s too much negativity in our scene."
If J. "BEAT YOU UP" M.E can chat sense, maybe others will follow.
The tracklisting from the first half of the show...
Cameo Pirate Sessions 24/04/05
R&G
Ghetto Cayote ft KT Pearl - Cameo Dub (White)
P Jam ft Guyver & Steelo - Freek In Me (Dub)
J Sweet ft L Man & Aaron Soul - Oh No! (Swingbeat)
Soundboy - Never Wanna Say (White)
Juvenile ft Gemma Fox - Boxes (White)
Bashy ft KT Pearl - Prying (Dub)
Dexplicit ft Nana, Babyblue & Fumin - One Night Stand ( White)
Magnum Force ft Minaz & Triple Threat - What Good Is Love (Dub)
DJ Target - Movin Remix (Dub)
Bashy Girls ft Doctor - Are U Ready (Sticky remix)(Dub)
Vandal - Just Me & You (White)
Delinquent ft Shad - Ghetto Queen (Juvenile Remix)(White)
GRIME
Jammer - Semtex (Dub)
PJam ft Guyver, Nasty, Flirta D & Frisco - Compass (Dub)
N Double A - Monster Riddim (Dub)
Roll Deep - The Avenue Remix (Dub)
JME - Don't Chat (Dub)
Jigga Lo - Hands In The Air (Dub)
Kano - My Chick II (Dub)
DPM ft Doctor - Wicked & Bad (Dub)
LMan - L. Man (Dub)
D Producer ft Rugrat & Dizman - Endz Part II (Dub)
Nolay & NJ Fever - Off/On (Dub)
Skepta - Dancefloor (Masterbeats)
Suddenly MCs – the artists, the focus, the creators of the grime movement – are sidelined to 16 bar guest spots, just like in US r&b. Gone is the remarkable dissonance and groundbreaking gnarly sounds developed in grime, gone is the MC's lyrical urban warning, in come warm sounds underpinned by a soft flutter of bass.
It makes me wonder: what's the point?
One point that could justifiably argued is that it’s an anti-beef tactic. Terror, one of the pioneers of the r’n’g flavour, talked to me about this exactly a year ago. When mandem in raves are focused on the gyals, they’re not up for shanking. By making gyalgrime they can fill the clubs without clashing or beef.
On that level it’s hard to argue against: I’ve felt for a while violence at the wrong (ie non-road) club could kill the scene dead. It would be Romeo’s Birthday Bash (at Astoria, circa 2001) all over again, with media idiots saying "garage causes violence" and racist tabloid headlines about "yardies."
But musically it reminds me of that 2000-2001 2step era, but without the swing or the energy and with extra Kanye-vox samples. With a few exceptions, (Kele Le Roc "Frontline" or Terror’s "Life") it kinda leaves me cold.
But I’ve never been one for gyal tunes. Lots of other people are though, so once there’s girly vocals there’ll be fake A&Rs rushing in, money being flashed, stale commercial releases being flogged as "endz anthems" – 90%s of which will flop – and the underground talent will get rinsed or ignored. Please let me be wrong.
So can there be a positive direction for the future of grime without losing the exciting danger-energy, descending into gun battles or dripping into wet US r&b parody? Maybe the hint in is the new JME dub that follows Cameo’s r&g set.
"I watch the news all the time ... I get cold shivers when I see the headlines ... because the lives being lost are similar to mine ... gun crime is on the rise…the only thing more on the rise is of gun lyrics from MC guys ... don’t. chat. crap. please! ... if you can’t make sense, don’t MC! ... there’s too much negativity in our scene."
If J. "BEAT YOU UP" M.E can chat sense, maybe others will follow.
The tracklisting from the first half of the show...
Cameo Pirate Sessions 24/04/05
R&G
Ghetto Cayote ft KT Pearl - Cameo Dub (White)
P Jam ft Guyver & Steelo - Freek In Me (Dub)
J Sweet ft L Man & Aaron Soul - Oh No! (Swingbeat)
Soundboy - Never Wanna Say (White)
Juvenile ft Gemma Fox - Boxes (White)
Bashy ft KT Pearl - Prying (Dub)
Dexplicit ft Nana, Babyblue & Fumin - One Night Stand ( White)
Magnum Force ft Minaz & Triple Threat - What Good Is Love (Dub)
DJ Target - Movin Remix (Dub)
Bashy Girls ft Doctor - Are U Ready (Sticky remix)(Dub)
Vandal - Just Me & You (White)
Delinquent ft Shad - Ghetto Queen (Juvenile Remix)(White)
GRIME
Jammer - Semtex (Dub)
PJam ft Guyver, Nasty, Flirta D & Frisco - Compass (Dub)
N Double A - Monster Riddim (Dub)
Roll Deep - The Avenue Remix (Dub)
JME - Don't Chat (Dub)
Jigga Lo - Hands In The Air (Dub)
Kano - My Chick II (Dub)
DPM ft Doctor - Wicked & Bad (Dub)
LMan - L. Man (Dub)
D Producer ft Rugrat & Dizman - Endz Part II (Dub)
Nolay & NJ Fever - Off/On (Dub)
Skepta - Dancefloor (Masterbeats)
Monday, April 25, 2005
next level monday
Rocking my Monday morning...
Logan’s last Rinse show is heavy. Does he really have his own Vibez Kartel special? And were Jammer, JME, Skepta, Manga, Tinchy, Rapid, A+, Trim, Scratchy, Riko, Wiley, Bruza, Maxwell D, B Live, Flowdan and more all in the building? Also can someone name me the Wiley riddim at 30mins? A fave at the moment.
Also on Rinse, there’s the Youngsta v D1 session from last week here, though I’ve not checked it personally.
Amerie’s funktastic "1 Thing". Summer classic in the making.
But making life worth living is Sizzla’s "Be Strong" (Don Corleon). Is Drop Leaf Riddim really the biggest vocal dancehall riddim of all time? Certainly rocking my world right this sec. Lushness.
Logan’s last Rinse show is heavy. Does he really have his own Vibez Kartel special? And were Jammer, JME, Skepta, Manga, Tinchy, Rapid, A+, Trim, Scratchy, Riko, Wiley, Bruza, Maxwell D, B Live, Flowdan and more all in the building? Also can someone name me the Wiley riddim at 30mins? A fave at the moment.
Also on Rinse, there’s the Youngsta v D1 session from last week here, though I’ve not checked it personally.
Amerie’s funktastic "1 Thing". Summer classic in the making.
But making life worth living is Sizzla’s "Be Strong" (Don Corleon). Is Drop Leaf Riddim really the biggest vocal dancehall riddim of all time? Certainly rocking my world right this sec. Lushness.
Friday, April 22, 2005
ohgosh
I’ve seen some unlikely things at Forward>> over the years. But never did I expect last night’s session.
Never did I expect to see Jammer shocking out to DMZ’s set, flashing his lighter, nor slamming his hand on some future-Augustus Pablo-style dubplate by Mala and licking it back, dreads flailing.
Never did I expect to hear Skepta MCing over a DMZ riddim. Nor seeing Fiddy skanking to Mala’s "Neverland."
Never did I anticipate seeing the whole of Roll Deep bouncing to Skreamz’ Late Night Request Line, nor having the chance to turn to Wiley and say "oi do you know Skreamz? He made this tune." Shaking hands with Skreamz, I never expected Wiley to say "yeah yeah this tune’s big."
Speaking of Wiley, I never expected to see him DJ at Forward>>. Yes DJ, with God’s Gift tweaking the faders and JME, Skepta and Jammer pon the mic.
I never expected to see Mala explaining what faders did what to Wiley in the same DJ booth.
But I did.
Certain Forward>>s – by audience – had got a bit overly, well, Rephlex of late. It’s always amazing to see some balance, with the east mandem inside. Because that’s when FWD>>s at its strongest: when it’s LDN’s sonic crossroads.
PS: If you don't believe me check out George South Drumz' shots including a wicked one of Fiddy flashing da lighta, Mala and Wiley in the same booth, Gift looking serious! and me with, erm, a glowing forehead.
Never did I expect to see Jammer shocking out to DMZ’s set, flashing his lighter, nor slamming his hand on some future-Augustus Pablo-style dubplate by Mala and licking it back, dreads flailing.
Never did I expect to hear Skepta MCing over a DMZ riddim. Nor seeing Fiddy skanking to Mala’s "Neverland."
Never did I anticipate seeing the whole of Roll Deep bouncing to Skreamz’ Late Night Request Line, nor having the chance to turn to Wiley and say "oi do you know Skreamz? He made this tune." Shaking hands with Skreamz, I never expected Wiley to say "yeah yeah this tune’s big."
Speaking of Wiley, I never expected to see him DJ at Forward>>. Yes DJ, with God’s Gift tweaking the faders and JME, Skepta and Jammer pon the mic.
I never expected to see Mala explaining what faders did what to Wiley in the same DJ booth.
But I did.
Certain Forward>>s – by audience – had got a bit overly, well, Rephlex of late. It’s always amazing to see some balance, with the east mandem inside. Because that’s when FWD>>s at its strongest: when it’s LDN’s sonic crossroads.
PS: If you don't believe me check out George South Drumz' shots including a wicked one of Fiddy flashing da lighta, Mala and Wiley in the same booth, Gift looking serious! and me with, erm, a glowing forehead.
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