You don't want to hear me talk about how awesome this is... you just need to hear this as fast as possible. One of dubstep's most important names, Caspa, returns with a very sick tune called 'Back For The First Time' and I promise after one listen you'll be fiending for more Caspa... at least a remix lol... check out some press and then the new video below!
After a short spell away, Caspa is back with one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year on his own Sub Soldiers imprint. Never one to rest on his laurels and take a backseat, this latest EP is yet further testament to the devotion and hard work of one of the UKʼs most prolific and prominent figures, cementing his place within the global electronic elite and establishing himself as an artist in his own right. First up is an anthem that has been lighting up airwaves globally for the last few months. This latest, club bound banger comes in the shape of 'Back For The First Time' featuring Dub Police label mate and fellow UK luminaire D1. Gathering heavy support on BBC Radio 1 from Annie Mac & Zane Lowe, as well as being battered in the clubs by the who's who of dubstep A-listers,this is fast becoming one of the biggest tracks to emerge from the scene so far this year - it's not hard to see why with it's catchy ascending and uplifting chords, juxtaposed with THAT trademark growling bass - this track will no doubt be the soundtrack of many festival attendee, clubber and music fans Summer, guaranteed to mash the dance and pronounce the return of one of the scenes key players. On the flip Caspa teams up with another label mate Subscape for a tune that, like its A side brethren, has already seen the light of day in countless clubs worldwide. 'Geordie Racer' takes no prisoners with its driving, furious beats and prominently low, penetrating basslines, anyone who has been lucky enough to be in the rave when this monster drops like a ten ton weight will no doubt inform you of the carnage it creates in its wake. Again gaining support from dubstep royalty and being featured on Caspa's 'MyStyle' mix CD (released last month), its another future classic from the real London deal. All in all, expect big things once again from the return of Caspa & the Sub Soliders / Dub Police
camp. And as ever, theres plenty more to come where that came from…keep those ears peeled and those bodies locked.
I've been enjoying Filthy Dukes a lot this year. They did a total barn burner of a Fabric Mix and then unleashed "Tupac Robot Rock". Now we've got this remix with Wiley on the track and it's killer!
I really like Wiley best on dance tracks I think?!? I mean, I like his albums, and his singles, but the 4/4 beat just suits the guy. I know this might not be everyone's style but... I still enjoy the old school rave/buzzsaw synth thing so it works for me. I'd play it out... in fact I will...
This is a really fun one to post and I hope you enjoy it... we need more songs like this as the weather gets worse :( I wanted to mention we do have a winner for the Bad Lieutenant contest and the full details will be on the site soon! Be back...
I was wondering how long it was going to be before we had an official piece of mail about our dear Mr. Vincent Turner (aka Vincent Frank, aka Frankmusik)... I was trying to avoid posting anything on my own because I recognize the preferential treatment he gets on this blog lol..
...so I was thrilled to see this message from British musical institution Ninja Tune about an unreleasedKing Cannibal remix of Frankmusik's classic "3 Little Words"!
Sad thing is apparently the whole remix package got scrapped that this had been part of. Shame because it was might mighty good one! Well I guess turn that frown upside down because, despite not getting released as part of the remix package, the KC remix is here for you! For FREE! From Ninja Tune!
King Cannibal's acclaimed debut album "Let The Night Roar" is out now on Ninja Tune... you can get a free megamix of his new album here... and the Prodigy remix here! Check out the Myspace and Ninja Tune!
A non Brit extra from our very good friend Don Diablo... I figured I'd throw this on as I haven't been on the internets in a minute and I owe you guys some tunage! I know you all love this dude, I love this dude, and I could care less if it's off format lol...
DON DIABLO - I NEED TO KNOW (DON DIABLO'S SELLOUT SESSIONS MIX) Don Diablo - "I Need To Know" YSI Don Diablo - "I Need To Know" zShare Don Diablo - "I Need To Know" Box Don Diablo - "I Need To Know" Mediafire Here's the press write up in case you wanted to know more! "Don Diablo's (www.myspace.com/dondiablo) trademark guitarlicks, staccato basslines and distorted synths are all united in this funky little number called 'I need to know'. It will not be on his forthcoming album, but it does come in two versions, an original version and an extended mix for those who are not afraid to try shake things up in their neighbourhood disco. Do you want to get Don Diablo's forthcoming album for FREE, straight into your inbox 6 weeks ahead of release? Then sign up here and tell your friends about it: www.dondiablo.com/freestuff"
And this is still a way off but I want to help support my boys at Fabric (ya mans still here, I'm just dealing with some stuff guys!) coming up in December here... peep the line up... KILL EM ALL - 6TH BIRTHDAY FABRICLIVE. 11 DECEMBER 2009
ROOM ONE: KILL EM ALL - 6TH BIRTHDAY... The Chemical Brothers (DJ Set), Hercules & Love Affair (LIVE), Riton, Filthy Dukes, Stopmakingme,
ROOM TWO: KILL EM ALL - 6TH BIRTHDAY... Boy 8-Bit, We Have Band (LIVE), Noob, Crystal Fighters (LIVE), Tronik Youth
ROOM THREE: DISCO BLOODBATH... The Juan Maclean (DJ Set), Dan Beaumont (Disco Bloodbath), Damon Martin (Disco Bloodbath), Ben Pistor (Disco Bloodbath)
As the ahead-of-the-game Kill Em All family step up to celebrate 6 years of future-forward ideas and imaginative artistry, by now an endless list of journalists and publications have tried to pen their history to paper. Perhaps it’s best left to Olly Dixon (1/2 of the Filthy Dukes) to put it into his own words, describing how it’s all started, shaped and progressed over the years.
“Kill Em All first began life as Kill Em All Let God Sort It Out at the Embassy bar in Islington, 2003. It was named with our good friend Stokley Webster after a poster he had on his wall of New Order. Bernard Sumner was wearing a t-shirt adorned with the slogan in a photoshoot for the Melody Maker in 1986. The night began life on a Sunday evening and we invited bands to come and play the records that had influenced them. Simian Mobile Disco (then still performing as the band Simian), South, Zongamin, Electrelane & Menlo Park were the original record selectors and every night was dead, except for one, which fell on a bank holiday.
“The people who owned the Embassy then moved to The Lock Tavern in Camden and Kill Em All went with them. For some reason we decided, from this rather shabby start, that it was time to run a proper club night - so we ran a pre-party at the Lock and then the actual night took place at the gloriously grotty Barfly down the road.”
What made you decide to start Kill Em All?
“Inspired by Electroclash and club nights like Trash & Return To New York, we wanted to do something different. A new record label from New York called DFA had just released The Rapture's ‘House of The Jealous Lovers’ and LCD Soundsystem's ‘Losing My Edge’ - they sounded like the most exciting records we had ever heard and we wanted to be playing them to people. Trevor Jackson’s label Output was releasing some incredible music too, and there were some new emerging bands who seemed to share our ethos. So, with our record bags full of these - plus some classics from Roxy Music, Can & Talking Heads - we attempted to inflict our music on the indie kids of Camden. It had mixed results with a lot of complaints and arguments by the decks, but we stuck to our guns. Soon, playing a Daft Punk record next to a Gang of Four record meant we gained our own crowd…and six parties in, we had queues around the block. We wanted to book exciting new bands and DJs, with equal emphasis on both and soon gained a reputation for breaking new acts who went on to do rather well. Bloc Party, These New Puritans, We Are Scientists, The Rakes, Young Knives, Late Of The Pier, Friendly Fires, MSTRKRFT & Simian Mobile Disco all played very early gigs for us at the Barfly. After a year or so of some amazing parties, fabric got in contact about Kill Em All booking Room Two on a Friday bi-monthly and this is when things really started to get exciting.”
Can you tell us a bit about the Kill Em All parties you’ve thrown here at fabric, from 2003 until now?
“The second party at fabric was when it all fell into place. Playing live were electro goths White Rose Movement who had just released ‘Love Is A Number’ alongside Test-Icicles (who were the craziest band anyone had ever seen in fabric) and the indie dance masters Cut Copy. Filthy Dukes, Simian Mobile Disco and a little known French duo called Justice who hadn’t released a record yet were playing the records. Justice had of course done the rather amazing remix of Simian's ‘We Are Your Friends’ some time ago, but it was still a bit of an underground record at this point. Suddenly Room Two was the busiest in the club and things were going crazy. It felt like something really exciting was happening. Simian Mobile Disco and Justice became our unofficial residents alongside ourselves, and over the next few years we went on to program the whole club with guests along the way such as: Justice (live & DJ sets), Erol Alkan, Chemical Brothers, Friendly Fires, Boys Noize, Maccabees, Cut Copy, Clor, Late Of The Pier, Aeroplane, The Proxy, Crystal Castles, James Murphy, Popof, Surkin, Zombie Nation, Digitalism, Brodinski, In Flagranti, Jackson And His Computer Band, Busy P, Joakim, SebastiAn, Metronomy and the list goes on...
“Six years on and we are still as thirsty as ever for new music and putting on a party. The team of Filthy Dukes and Stopmakingme marches on alongside newest resident Riton. We are very, very happy to still be working with fabric and we recently released our FABRICLIVE 48 mix album.”
And that takes us up to the present. As for their 6th birthday party, the Kill Em All crew decided to…
“...go all out. Hercules and Love Affair are a band we have been trying to book from the moment we heard their early release ‘Classique 2’ and then saw their amazing live show at Bestival. ‘Blind’ was played by almost every DJ one night at fabric, so this is something really special for us and we are so chuffed they agreed to play. Room One is a bit of a family affair after that with all the residents - Riton, Stopmakingme and of course ourselves - so expect a few classic tracks from the past 6 years of Kill Em All thrown in.
“In Room Two we have Boy 8-Bit who - with his last single ‘Baltic Pine’ and his remix for Florence & The Machine - seemed to take a slightly new direction. For me, they are two of the best tracks of the year. His DJ sets are amazing, and take all sorts of unexpected twists and turns. We have played with him several times but this is his first Kill Em All gig. Noob is one of the best remixers and producers around at the moment; his track with Brodinski, 'Peanut Club' has been played in every trendy discotheque in the world and we put it on our FABRICLIVE 48 mix. He has also made some of the best remixes of the past 12 months for the likes of Tiga & Popof. Tronik Youth is on warm up duties, who has been impressing us with his clever disco-tinged remixes and recent release, ‘Disco Sucks.’ We Have Band! is our favorite band of the past 12 months - so much so we released their last single on Kill Em All Records. Like ESG meets LCD meets Prince, they have an awesome live show and played for us at fabric at the start of the year. Since then they have been on tour constantly, so we are really happy they are coming back for their last London show of the year. Crystal Fighters are a great live act and brilliant people. I have to admit the first time I saw their live show I really wasn't sure, but I have seen them loads since and they have become one of my favorite bands. They are the real deal.
“Room Three we have given over to the Disco Bloodbath boys, who have helped sculpt London's club scene in the past 12 months. We thought - who better to host Room Three for us on our birthday? We are massively excited to welcome back Juan Maclean for a DJ set, who, in our opinion, released one of the albums of the year with Future Days.
“Oh yes, last but not least we have THE FUCKING CHEMICAL BROTHERS DJING! Without a shadow of a doubt, they are the biggest influence on everything dance music. I was 15 when Exit Planet Dust came out and it was the first time I ever really got dance music. It sounded like the most exciting thing on earth and from there I was hooked. It goes without saying that they have released some of the most incredible dance music ever made - from ‘Chemical Beats’ to ‘Galvanize,’ and ‘Out of Control’ to ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl,’ they are the undisputed champions and we are so privileged to have them come to DJ in Room One.”
I'm tired right now so that's that... but hopefully I'll have some Roses Kings and Castles soon for you plus some other good stuff I've let slip because I've been busy! Check back soon, and thanks for stopping by :)
Those of you who know me know that one of my favourite words is "crack". Why? Say it out loud! Doesn't it sound funny? It may be the worlds deadliest drug, and the most fun word to say!
So I was very pleased to see this "crack house" mix from the legendary DJ Zinc in my inbox! Check it out, and check him out at Fabric this next Friday. You've got a week to listen and get hyped up! Believe you me, this is NOT to be missed!
Here's more info on the gig... "In celebration of his performance next Friday the 16th of October at FABRICLIVE and in celebration of our 10th Birthday, DJ Zinc has put together this extra special crack house mix for the occasion." DJ Zinc Crack House Mix
Ohhhh that's a good one... anyway, I've gotta get ready for The Spirit Of Albion, so enjoy and I'll be back soon! CRACK!
UPDATE: Apparently our boy Caspa decided to throw a mix in as well here! Exciting! Do NOT miss this show (Caspa will be on Thursday, not Friday)!
I'm back from a PERFECT Honeymoon! Although it was a little over a year late it was just as amazing as if we had gone right after the wedding. Let me tell you, people always tell you Jamaica is really dangerous and that's a BUNCH of bullshit. I mean I suppose if you need to score crack at 3am in Kingston you might get robbed but otherwise it's a really a country full of really kind and caring people...
Anyway... I have SO much music in my inbox... I can't attempt to post them all and make any cohesive transition from the first one to the last one (not that I normally do)... soooooo, I guess just enjoy them all! I'm totally recharged from my trip so expect more posts. Not everything here is British but I wanted to give you guys a really big return post!
FIRST OFF... Metronomy have a new EP coming out from which we have the track of the same name! Metronomy have got their first London headline gig @ The Forum on the 18th September so make sure you march down there and check it out! Metronomy- "Not Made For Love"
2nd off... here's a little reminder of last night's Fabric night with my favourites In Flagranti that I wanted to share... which I could have been there... In Flagranti - Brash and Vulgar by fabric
3rd... I'm very excited to share that Buffetlibre have a bangin new mixtape for you (although you may already have it seeing as people download their mixes like crazy)... they never go wrong and I'm happy to consider them as good friends of the blog. I really like the story behind this new tape as well as the playlist...
"On 25 July 2005 a bit of us had to be kept in our memories forever. The closing of Cibeles Theater carried the end of Mond Club and so, the end of the coolest nights in Barcelona. Despite the huge clubbing offer in the city, the synergy of the theater and the club marked a golden age that we still love to recall, with wistful smile and wet eyes, with whom shared those moments with us.
Almost ten years after its opening, Buffetlibre DJ's has joined Buenavista, resident of Mond Club and one of the best dj’s from Barcelona, to pay homage to some of the most memorable nights in our life."
BUFFETLIBRE - POUR LES ENFANTS DU MOND Recorded by Buffetlibre Dj's Tracklist selected by Buenavista & Buffetlibre Dj's BUFFETLIBRE - POUR LES ENFANTS DU MOND
TRACKLIST: 1. Sintonia Buffetlibre 2. Andreas Dorau - Girls In Love 3. Ladytron - Playgirl 4. Mirwais - Naive Song 5. Jay Jay Johanson - On The Radio 6. Ginger Ale - Happy House 7. Fangoria - Electricistas 8. Monosurroud - I Warmed You Baby 9. Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better (Buffalo Bunch Remix) 10. Barcelona - Studio Hair Gel 11. Annie - The Greatest Hit (Röyksopp Remix) 12. Radio 4 - Dance To The Undergroud 13. The Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers 14. Console - 14 Zero Zero 15. Chucho - Magic 16. La Casa Azul - Cerca De Shibuya 17. Urban Cookie Collective - Feels Like Heaven 18. The Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing (Cajmere Remix) 19. Whitey - Leave Them All Behind 20. Saint Etienne - Shower Scene 21. John Paul Young - Love Is In The Air (Extended Mix) 22. Cassius – Feelings for you (Les Rythmes Digitales Remix) 23. Basement Jaxx - Bingo Bango 24. Etienne De Crécy - Prix Choc 25. Zoot Woman - It's Automatic 26. Le Hammond Inferno - Move Your Mp3 27. Betty Boo - Doin' The Do 28. MacNamara - Mi Correo Electronico Oh! 29. Justice vs. Simian - We Are Your Friends 30. ABBA - S.O.S.
Robert from Jahcoozi has always hooked us up with the best prerelease tracks... so I'm proud post this "Namedropper" video, and point you in the direction of a wicked Hannah Holland remix... which are right here :)
And make sure you check this out!
In case you missed it The Very Best have done a wicked track with M.I.A... I wish I could have posted it RIGHT when it came out but c'est la vie! The Very Best- "Rain Dance (feat M.I.A.)"
More free music comes from our buddy Don Diablo who may well be crowned "King Of The Blogosphere" this year due to his sheer output, and great working relationship with bloggers. I'm happy to present an extra track that didn't make his forthcoming debut album. He said "Some great songs just didn't fit with the rest of the sound, but that doesn't mean it has to end up in my private collection!" so he's giving this track to you instead of letting it disappear into the ether. These are the same cats he recorded his track "Blow" with... DON DIABLO - GET ON THE FLOOR (FT. J-ROCK & BIG ED) Mediafire DON DIABLO - GET ON THE FLOOR (FT. J-ROCK & BIG ED) zShare
I've spent a lot of time listening to "Audacity Of Huge" this weekend so a Simian Mobile Disco remix is a welcome addition to my playlist! It's done by The Lowbrows who have also provided an original production. Their SMD remix is more of an old school Hacienda style dance track which is prefect for end of Summer parties... listen for yourself!
THE LOWBROWS are a creative unit that was formed in 2005, by CHAKI and EMI. CHAKI masters a variety of instruments, including the guitar, wooden bass and turntables. He has been performing as a DJ for many years as well. EMI shows off her talent, with her trained classical music background. Their edgy sound is always looking toward the future, and gives you a sense of innovation with every listen! Being an electro/dance duo "made in Tokyo", gives THE LOWBROWS a unique presence in the world today.
THE LOWBROWS have been gaining worldwide acclaim with achievements like: being interviewed by Dazed & Confused from the UK, being featured on famous blogs, having their music showcased on playlists by many DJs, and more! With an amazing reputation for their remix work, they are receiving a rush of offers from both Japanese and international artists. As a DJ, CHAKI has performed with Digitalism, The Bang Gang Deejays, Hot Chip, Friendly Fires, N.A.S.A., Danger Steve Aoki, and many more.
Their first EP "THE LOWBROWS EP", was released in March 2007 (and is no longer available). In February 2008, an unreleased track "Melody And Shudder" was remixed by DEXPISTOLS and included on their mix CD "Lesson 4". THE LOWBROWS gained public attention as they were the only Japanese artists featured on it. A limited release of the vinyl THE LOWBROWS VS 80KIDZ" went on sale in August of 2008. They followed this up with their long-awaited 1st album "For Whom The Bell Tolls" in December 2008 which featured the hits "Linda Is Tonight" and "Stay Faceless", as well as previously unreleased tracks and remixes.
They are currently hard at work on their highly anticipated 2nd EP, "Danse Macabre" which is scheduled to release on October 7th, 2009. "Danse Macabre" will be yet another album from THE LOWBROWS, which will innovate and show everyone another glimpse at the future of electronic music, no matter where it is coming from...
Finally, our friends Acidkids have got a new track out which you can check out in the video below and purchase, if you like, over at Beatport!
As an extra Always Fridays provided a mix from Joe & Will Ask: Joe and Will Ask Mixtape by alwaysfridays Check out the next Always Fridays on Fri 11th Sep with The Subs. Here's a little more info... "Not only that but appearances from Punks Jump Up and The Lovely Jonjo will be complimented by Lisbon Techno duo, Heartbreakerz on the terrace. Monthly resident Peter Pixzel also features alongside weekly residents Jacob Husley and John & On."
It is a damn shame that I hear these wicked mixes for Fabric but can't ever go to the damn events because of, well you know, that OCEAN that keeps me away from the club. This event is going to be a REAL good one... not just because of the Vision anniversary but also because Ghostly International's Seth Troxler will be playing (which is not something you want to miss, trust me)...
Here's a little press blurb... "In celebration of 15 Years of 2020 Vision and their takeover of room three at fabric this Saturday the 8th of August, head honcho Ralph Lawson has put together this special mix to mark the occasion."
Blaze – Lovelee Dae (2020Vision Accapella) / Playhouse Ernesto Ferreya – Ground / lomidhigh Jacoozi Boys – Boccadillos (Ekkohaus RMX) / Suara Moritz Piske – Dirt Cabana / Salon Loko – Scarlet House / Soulman Bruno Gauthier – It’s Love (Simon Baker remix) / Classic Mark Broom – Life / 2020Vision Lil Louis – I Called You / FFRR Ekkohaus – Brian Said / 2020Vision Saro & Black – We Were There / Shadowprint Ricardo Villalobos – Easy Lee (Random Factor unreleased mix) / Playhouse Gruber & Nurnberg – Traffic / Bloop Salvatore Freda – Bombolone / Liebe Detail TBD – What Is This ? / TBD Basement Jaxx – Flylife (Atlantic Jaxx) Julien Chaptal – Collider (2020Vision)
You can tell by the track list alone that the mix is sick... so skipping the gig this weekend would be... well really stupid if you can get there! Because I know I'm pissed that I can't :(
Happy mother's day! I wonder if there are any mothers who read this. My mom doesn't really know how to use a computer so we can count her out! But she does listen to the radio show and get other people to as well so I can't complain. Speaking of radio I'll be putting together my Hype.FM show tonight which will broadcast (I believe) next Saturday at five.
Anyway, there's loads to celebrate about today for lots of people... and free music always seems to add that little extra bit of cheer... SO without further ado I unveil a very tasty tracklisting from Hessle Audio's Ben UFO and his Fabriclive mix!
In celebration of Hessle Audio’s takeover of room three next Friday the 15th of May, Hessle Audio founder Ben UFO has put together this special mix for the occasion.
ROOM ONE: Rusko (LIVE), Skream, The Gaslamp Killer, Jackmaster, Patchwork Pirates
ROOM THREE: HESSLE AUDIO... TRG, Ramadanman, Pangaea, Ben UFO, Untold MC Asbo
Ben UFO Fabriclive Mix Ben UFO Fabriclive Mix YSI Here's the eclectic and awesome tracklisting... LOADS OF UNRELEASED STUFF! I love how it's got Omar S and L-Vis 1990, and then Ramadanman and Peverelist and Bump and Flex! You know that's some hot shit! Enjoy the mix, have a good day, go to Fabric and dance you arse off this next Friday!
Greena - Maracay (Forthcoming Applepips) Omar S - Busaru Beats (Sound Signature) Aphrodisiax - Unfinished Business (Jus House) Karizma - 33rd Street Anthem (Defected) Unknown - Unknown (Unreleased) Altered Natives - Rass Out (Fresh Minute) Pearson Sound - Wad (Unreleased) L-Vis 1990 - Hey! (Unreleased) Brackles and Shortstuff - Sutorito Faita (Forthcoming Planet Mu) Deep Cover Inc. - Deepin' Side [NYC dub mix] (FX) Ramadanman - No Swing (Unreleased) STP - The Fall [T++ remix] (Subsolo) Peverelist - Teachings (Unreleased) Shortstuff and Mickey Pearce - Tripped Up (Unreleased) Untold - I Can't Stop This Feeling [Pangaea remix] (Unreleased) Bump and Flex - Promises [Hardstep dub] (Urban Heat) Untold vs. Tempz - Nextaconda (Unreleased) Youngstar - Bongcat Riddem (White) James Blake - Air and Lack Thereof (Unreleased) Untold - Flexible (Unreleased) Ikonika - Fish (Unreleased) Mala - Hunter (DMZ) Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo (Unreleased)
We were getting wild with the dubstep last night at The Strutt (thanks to everyone who came out). I'll admit Felonious Punk did a much better job than I did (I'm sort of rusty on my dubstep) but we killed it nonetheless.
Hearing some of the new tracks Punk was up on got me excited, so no doubt this will get him riled up... A new Caspa track is cause for celebration... This little slice of fried gold would have been nice last night! (On a side note State Crime is back in full effect. I think SC needs to make t-shirts with Punk's "Illegal Shit B the Most Fun" on it... I'll let you know if that happens lol)
Here's some press about Caspa unveiling his debut next week: Next Friday at FABRICLIVE were celebrating the launch of Caspa’s debut album ‘Everybody’s talking, nobodys listening’ with a Dub Police takeover in room one. On the night Caspa be be joined by the likes of Skream, Benga and David Rodigan.
And here it is... what didn't even know you were waiting for... happy Thursday! Scroll down for a track off the album... Caspa Mini Mix for Annie Mac
1.La Roux - In For The Kill (Skream Remix) 2. Caspa - Marmite 3. Caspa - Riot Powder 4. TC - Where's My Money (Caspa Remix) 5. Emalkay - Explicit 6. Caspa & Rusko - Power Shower 7. Caspa - Low Blow 8. Rusko - Do You Wanna Have A Party 9. Rusko - Cockney Thug (Caspa Remix) 10. Caspa - Terminator 11. Chase & Status - Saxon 12. The Others - Kingpin 13. The Others - Africa VIP 14. The Others - Bazooka 15. Rusko - Jahova 16. Benga - Bodyrockin 17. Caspa - I Beat My Robot 18. Emlakay - Angie Got Stoned 19. Art Of Noise - Moments In Love (Caspa Remix) 20. SubScape - Nothings Wrong 21. D1 - Sorrow 22. David Rodigan Outro And more listening pleasure... something I've been dying to hear... Caspa- "Lions Roar"
The first time I heard drum and bass I thought it was, well not god awful, but repetitive and sort of grating. After repeated listens, determined to figure out what the fuss was about, I started to see the weaving patterns and subtle changes that make a drum and bass record intriguing.
When I turned 17 I leaned more toward the London Electrikity, Hospital Records, type stuff and finally was able to appreciate stuff like LTJ Bukem.
And then about 2 years later I could have cared less. I felt like drum and bass was music for jocks who wanted to be DJs or something. A lot of artists I really liked released shit albums in that time period... and I just stopped listening.
After meeting Goldie at WMC a couple years back I pulled out all my d'n'b records (downloaded some Rufige Crew etc) but I still wasn't pulled back into it. It wasn't until I heard the Noisia Fabric mix that I started to really give a shit again.
Commix are a different breed of artists all together. They're the type of duo that'll get you pulling out your old records AND buying new ones. Don't believe me? Pick up Fabriclive 44 (out today in the U.S.)... at least a few of you can skip that step because Fabric and I are teaming up to give 3 copies of the Commix Fabriclive mix away!All you have to do is send your info to put your name and email in the comments and winners will be drawn at random by the end of the week! Just use the soandso [at] whatever [dot] com format to avoid spammers!
Here's a little taste of why Commix are so awesome:
I've been up to my eyeballs in real world work, and illness, or you would have gotten this sooner... but life happens. This is the first part of the interview, expect the 2nd part tomorrow! AND MAKE SURE TO ENTER YOU ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS, because if you don't enter you can't win!
ISoA:Is it hard to decide on a track list?
Commix: Yeah I think initially we chose about 100 tracks to go through. We had some tracks that we were definitely going to use so we knew, for instance, that "Photograph" at the end of the mix, we always knew we were going to use that at the end. And there were certain old school tracks like the Johnny L track, and the Photek track, that we knew were were going to use. But other than that there was a lot of new material to go through. So it was quite a challenge to get the right mix of tracks on there.
ISoA:Did you do multiple revisions? Or did you just come up with a track listing and say "this is it"?
Commix: No, we kind of grouped together a bunch of different styles of tracks, you know this kind of more minimally, more techy sounding stuff. We sort to tried out some of the, more Calibre, soulful things and grouped it together and then it was a bit of a game like line graphs really whether we started off quite heavy and went down in the middle and back up again...and we tried lots of different ways of doing it. And in the end we settled for the one you listened to. We really wanted it to be really dynamic with a lot of space in it, a lot of ups and downs, and we just about managed it.
ISoA:Drum and bass has been seen as a genre that is stuck? What do you think brought on this perception?
Commix: I think there were lots of things... with everything you get different sorts of subgenres. To a certain extent there are parts of drum and bass, at the moment, that are a bit stuck with people not really experimenting enough. I like to think with what we do, and people like D-Bridge, Instra:mental, Alix Perez, Markus Intalex, we're still trying to explore the groove a lot more. A lot of people say "Well I'm really enlightened and it's still going on" they've got the opinion that it's really stuck and not going anywhere. But as far as we're concerned it's still very experimental music, still got a lot to offer...
ISoA:Where do you think the genre is going in the future?
Commix: We consider it our jobs to try and get it out to... well, there are a lot of people my age who have been scared off by the more garish, sort of jump ups, the wobble bass stuff. I think the future's concerned, there's so much more to be done with drum and bass. We're going to carry on persevering and trying our very best to further it, experimenting, finding new, and one of the things we loved when we got into it is it can be "punky", it can be hip hop influenced, it can be techno influenced, you can pull from so many different things...
And that is it for tonight kiddies because I LITERALLY have to recharge the batteries on my recorder lol. Gonna have A-Trak on the line tomorrow so that's pretty important to take care of! Oh yeah, REMEMBER TO ENTER lol...
About to be a wild night at Fabric... my boy Mackaveli is playing alongside MJ Cole, Toddla T, Martelo and Oneman. He made a WICKED two-step (and splintered related genres) mix here to make it juicy for ya. This one comes HIGHLY recommended (more so than the usual)... the weather over where I'm at just got nice so this is gonna be booming outta my car! 1. Headhunter – You Say 2. Joe – Rut 3. Joe – Grimelight 4. Ramadanman – Humber 5. Masterstepz – Melody 6. Scott Garcia feat MC Styles – A London Thing 7. Nesha – What’s It Gonna Be (Sticky 2 Step Mix) 8. M Dubs – Over Here (Iron Mike Vocal Remix) 9. Wideboys – Stand And Deliver (4 to The Floor Mix) 10. DJ Narrows – Hidden Heroes 11. Dexplicit – Resistance 12. Dexplicit – Might Be 13. Zomby – The Lie 14. Sticky – Triplets 2
If you're in town and you don't go... you're gonna regret it! I hope you guys like this as much as I do. I've got more content to put up guys but I've been really ill recently, I got some bad news, and like everything is kind of messed up right now... but over the weekend I should be able to get some stuff done for ya. Stay tuned! AND LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT OF ALBION TONIGHT ON 89.1 WIDR FM KALAMAZOO (-5 GMT) from 7pm-9pm!
Trouble & Bass were like this weird label that sort of came out of nowhere and took the world by storm. I remember seeing the first EP in an eMusic list of albums someone had tagged as "dubstep". Of course, in search of new things, I downloaded it... and much to my surprise it was much more brilliant than some of the things that were coming outta London!
Now they're going off to London, and Fabric, to run that bitch this week... and if you're in town, and you don't go? You're crazy!
In preparation of Trouble & Bass’ NYC Bass takeover of room three this Friday 6th March, crew members Star Eyes & The Captain have put together this promo mix for the night. Star Eyes & The Captain- Trouble and Bass Fabric Promo Mix
What's the mix like? Well, as is typical, it's nothing typical lol... it's what T&B are best at... going all over the map, grabbing whatever they want, and putting it together in shambolic perfection. This is one you should be paying for it's so good, so thank Fabric for looking out for ya on this one... what a wonderful day and age for music when people WANT to give you this gem for free lol...
Here's the tracklisting... Raffertie – Wobble Horror Cardopusher – Steppin’ Worldwide The Qemists feat. Wiley – Dem Na Like Me (Subscape Dub) AC Slater – Calm Down Bombaman – Eye Spy DJ Manaia – Pull Up TC – Where’s My Money? (Jack Beats Remix) NROTB – Take Me Up (Math Head Remix) Rico Tubbs - Born to Bounce (Supra1 Remix) Heavyfeet – We Gettin’ Crunk Wittyboi – Ironman VIP Edu K – Raver Lovin’ (Nadastrom Remix) Mikix the Cat - Freeze Star Eyes – Disappear (Mikix the Cat Remix) Jackmaster – Bang It Lil Silva – Seasons Buraka Som Sistema – Sound of Kuduro (Drop The Lime Remix) Blackfinger – UMF (Supra1 Remix) DJ Class feat. Lil Jon – I'm the Ish Knuckles – Headphones (Mikix The Cat Remix) Guns n Bombs – Riddle of Steel (12th Planet Remix) B. Rich – We Ball Harder Drop The Lime – We are The Future Baobinga – State of Ghetto Jackin feat. DJ Nasty (TRG's Brooklyn 2 Bucharest Remix) Rico Tubbs – Respect (Demo) Udachi – Jellyroll Blackfinger – UMF (HeavyFeet Remix)
Lineup on the night of mayhem... You've got both Kill Em All and Trouble & Bass! 6 MARCH ROOM ONE: KILL EM ALL - FILTHY DUKES ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY... Digitalism (DJ Set), Filthy Dukes (LIVE), Magistrates (LIVE), Filthy Dukes (DJ Set), Stopmakingme!
ROOM TWO: KILL EM ALL... Zombie Nation (LIVE), In Flagranti (DJ Set), The Chap (LIVE), Delphic (LIVE), Riotous Rockers, Breakbot
ROOM THREE: TROUBLE & BASS... Drop The Lime, Star Eyes, The Captain, Mikix The Cat, L-Vis 1990 vs Bok Bok
It really pleases me to be able to offer this to you guys so enjoy. I know I've said this before but if someone had told me at 15 that my favourite bands/groups/labels wanted to give me DJ mixes (that at that time I was paying $20 dollars for on cassette at a rave) I would have said that sounded like a perfect world and exciting future. I don't know if I can say the former, but I certainly believe the latter... thanks Trouble & Bass! Please visit troubleandbass.blogspot.com, and Myspace! Be back soon...
You know we love Boys Noize and for that matter Boys Noize Records... the level of quality is so high they're the type of records you buy without even hearing (which is almost unheard of for such a young label).
Shadow Dancer put out the skull shaking self titled EP, about a year and a half ago, and made serious waves... and now we're looking at a full length LP! The boys are from the UK which makes things even better, but truthfully I would have posted this song anyway because I like it so much...
Here's a new track called "Poke" off the upcoming Golden Traxe for youuuuuu!
What I love about this song is that while it's got a beat that seems to get in your bones and work it's way out to your body until you realize you're dancing without knowing it... it paces itself and drops little blips of freshness, switching it up, and making it so there's never a dull moment without going way over the top...
I have to say it's really refreshing to see artists like Shadow Dancer, or say Zomby or Osborne or Commix, who make enjoyable full length albums... something that became a rarity for a while in dance music. This will no doubt be a pleaser and an early contender for "best of 2009"...
Here's some press about the full length... Shadow Dancer are creators of convulsive, beat-propelled electro-synth psychosis that has long-since left a combustible trail of sweat, sex and dancefloor euphoria snaking through clubs across the globe.
Approached by Boysnoize Records to release what became the Shadow Dancer EP in July 2007, they found their audience rapidly expanding thanks to the symphonic beats of club hits like 'Soap' and 'Cowbois' regularly appearing in the sets of such luminaries as Soulwax, Erol Alkan, 2 Many DJs, DJ Feadz, Adam Freeland and Busy P – Shadow Dancer had emerged as a name to drop and a force to be reckoned with. They have subsequently remixed everyone from The Whip to Chromeo, and their tracks have featured on compilations including Bugged Out's Suck My Deck, Digitalism's Kitsune Tabloid, and Adam Freeland's Two Hours To Jupiter.
Golden Traxe collects thirteen brain-scrambling, pupil-widening assaults on the senses onto one enviably constructed LP. 'Drive Time' re-imagines the possibilities of electronic music. Tracks like 'Soap' and 'Poke' come alive with hypnotic beats destined to alter the chemistry of anyone within earshot, while 'Infinite Lies' and 'The Bad Thing' evoke orgiastic speaker-stack cacophonies that will tame even the most jaded of club-land hedonists. Golden Traxe bristles with an uninhibited love of life on the dancefloor, a wildly varied exercise in transcendent techno titillation and soul-bruisingly acute house throbs.
Here's a little video for you of an unreleased
By the way... I was accused the other day of being too self involved when writing so... I'll just let you know I'm never trying to be a ass... I'm trying to underline the fact there's only one step between you and the artists you're reading about (often by mentioning my involvement with them). I'm nobody special, and I talk to these people, therefore these people you enjoy listening to aren't too far away from you either! Stanton Warriors want to hear your demo. FreQ Nasty wants you to get involved with Giveback. Everybody wants to see you at their shows. So what it comes down to is I'm NOT a journo... I'm a blogger. I have no objectivity because I'm not being "paid" to do that. I'm doing this because I have fun with it and I only post music I love. I'm just a guy, who is married to a mega hot chick (who is a teacher not a promoter or a DJ), who lives in a modest apartment who often lives check to check (like loads of other people), and really loves music... in short nobody special, and certainly not someone who believes that I'm hot shit. And sometimes I get geeked because I meet someone, hang out with someone, or become friends with someone, or see an awesome show, and get very fanboy-ish... and wouldn't you? Or are you a cool, reserved, journalist type, who likes to downplay how cool shit is, and not involve themselves in the process? Whatever the case may be, sorry if I offend...
Man, I was surprised how into Kotchy you people are... not because he isn't good... no no no... but because he's from NY and this is a Britblog! But, alas, every time he's been posted you guys lap it up.
Well you can thank our cross Atlantic connects at Fabric for hooking us up with this wicked freebie (and therefore making it qualify for posting) with not just Kotchy but also Shunda K from Yo Majesty!
KOTCHY AND SHUNDA K (Yo Majesty)- LE PASSION, YO! (EP 2009)
1. Kotchy & Shunda K - First Encounter 2. Kotchy & Shunda K - You Are 3. Kotchy & Shunda K - We Feelin' Each Other 4. Kotchy - Holla Download "LE PASSION, YO!" EP
Both one's to watch for 09; Brooklyn beat master Kotchy and Yo Majesty's Shunda K have been getting it on in the studio. What else is going between them or not we have no idea, but by the sounds of their new EP our favorite Lady Loving(?) Rapper Miss K and the highly sought superstar producer Mr K are definitely getting some good lovin. Tracks like this don't come about without what they so aptly call "Le Passion" that much is plain.
The record oozes style. Steamy, sultry and emotive. Tales of modern love pull at your heart strings like big budget Hollywood. Le Passion, Yo! EP (2009) is as energetic and danceable as it is smooth and seductive. Shunda K's lyrical flow is as tongue twisting as ever, but free from Yo Majesty's "Kryptonite Pussy" she's tender and heartfelt. Kotchy's trademark drums and beats and diverse production make these tracks something special. The combination of Shunda's hazy lazy, come to bed lyrics and Kotchy's hushed breathy vocals is in places spine tingling in others tear jerking. Its beautifully sleazy, hyper modern, ultra slick, heart on the sleeve time. The two have already been performing these and other tracks at a few shows in NY but we figure these lost lovers will have to do the long distance thing for a while. Kotchy's off to the UK and Europe with his debut album and live show , while Shunda's gonna be more than hectic with the Yo Majesty world tour. They're definitely gonna be ready for some more TLC when they get back together and we can't wait for the next batch. Maybe its their reminder that we all need the tender touch once in a while.
This one really is for all you forward thinking future music people... I hope you enjoy it as much as I have :) Be back soon!
I know you all are looking for something to do next Friday? Maybe go to Fabric? Just a suggestion :) No but seriously the line up is killer... Check out the video below to get an idea of what you could missing if you're not willing to free up your Friday!
Next Friday the 23rd of Jan Kill Em All is back to FABRICLIVE with a takeover of all 3 rooms!
ROOM ONE: KILL EM ALL... Joakim & The Disco (LIVE), Padded Cell (LIVE), Filthy Dukes, Brodinski, Stopmakingme!
ROOM TWO: KILL EM ALL... Yuksek (LIVE), We Have Band (LIVE), Tommy Sparks (LIVE), Riton, Matt Walsh (Turbo), Lou & Nova
ROOM THREE: KILL EM ALL... Golden Bug, Rory Phillips (Durrr), Acid Ted, Toshiki Ohta
Got a nice Tommy Sparks to Get you all hyped up here as well for his live show :)
Well this is a little impromptu... but as things have been going lately I'll be coming BACK to finish this post a little later. Right now Hype Machine wants my URL :)
EDIT: I'm almost done as the year is ending... BUT DON'T BE SURPRISED if it keeps changing right up until NYE lol!
I initially wrote that I wasn't pleased with music this year. Then I realized I was just in a god awful mood and remembered the boat loads of albums and singles that I loved this year! Suddenly there were more and more albums I was remembering and stuff I forgot about... so instead of being bitchy and writing about how lame things were, I'm perking up and trying to remind both you and myself how dope 2008 was...
British best of... EDIT: Ok, I wasn't sure about this... but... I thought Radiohead didn't count because the digital version of "In Rainbows" came out like September last year. Then the boxed set came out in December 2007. Then I suddenly realized that the physical release actually came after the beginning of 2008! So if you recognize "In Rainbows" as being a 2008 release then that's my number one. If not then the list stays the same... 1. Portishead- "Third" 2. Hot Chip- "Made In The Dark" (download Hot Chip- "Sensual Seduction (Snoop Dogg Cover)") 3. The Black Ghosts- "S/t" (download Black Ghosts July 2007 Mini Mix) 4. Bloc Party- "Intimacy" 5. The Streets- "Everything Is Borrowed" 6. Foals- "Antidotes" 7. The Last Shadow Puppets- "Age Of Understatement" 8. Metronomy- "Nights Out" (download Metronomy - "A Thing For Me (Sinden Remix)" from the single of the same name) 9. Dizzee Rascal- "Maths & English" (came out in the U.S. this year which is fair play) 10. Benga- "Diaries Of An Afro Warrior"
Best Single: Bloc Party's "Mercury" was my favourite single of the year. Not just because of awesome remixes from CSS and Flosstradamus but the mesmerizing b-side "Idea For A Story" (which was included on the 'indie retail' version of "Intimacy" in the U.S)... the song's tense anxious strings, it's menacing chorus, and perfect production made it stand out amongst a lot of good tracks this year. What really made it my fav though was the verse... "When I saw you last night, I wanted to say, `Run away with me, away from the cynics That this could be the start of something truly real` But all that I could say was, `hey`, Was, `hey`, was, `hey`, was, `hey`" ...which is totally fucking brilliant in my opinion. Fantastic stuff. Now if only I could get my Bloc Party Pioneers account to present the right profile info lol...
Best Compilations: This is very difficult because pretty much everything that Fabric released was really really good. Perhaps... I'm gonna go with Fabriclive 42: FreQ Nasty and Stanton Warriors: Sessions Volume 3. There isn't a way to say one is better than the other because they were both phenomenal. Here's a taste of that Stanton Warriors...
Best 'Best Of': Chemical Brothers: "Brotherhood" album (which came with the amazing 'Electronic Battle Weapon' tracks they've been releasing on vinyl for the last few years) was really awesome. I think I'm giving import copies of this away for Xmas lol... (download The Chemical Brothers- "Electronic Battle Weapon 8")
Best British labels:Hyperdub for sure. They haven't had one release that was anything less than bangin'... Fabric of course makes the list because they're outdoing what they did last year and keep expanding the scope of what they're doing.
Best U.S. label of the year:Ghostly International/Spectral Sound Ghostly International/Spectral Sound for having released Michna, Osborne, Kate Simko, Tycho, School Of Seven Bells, JDSY, The Chap, and just about every other electronic or avant-pop record that you should have listened to at home or in the club.
Best E.P.s both U.S. and U.K... Frankmusik- "3 Little Words EP"
JDSY- "Understander EP"
The Cool Kids- "Bake Sale EP"
Best of the rest... of the world... Kanye West- "808s & Heartbreak" Osborne- "Osborne" JDSY- "Adage Of Known" Sébastien Tellier- "Sexuality" The Presets- "Apocalypso" Flying Lotus- "Los Angeles" Lil Wayne- "Tha Carter III" T.I.- "Paper Trail" Cut Copy- "In Ghost Colours" Crystal Castles- "S/t" Satnogold- "S/t"
Albums I'm still waiting on (that I wish would have come out this year lol)... Kid Sister- "Dream Date", The BPA album, and of course the Frankmusik's debut full length...
And even though we only JUST saw and EP this year out of him... ARTIST OF THE YEAR (and probably next year) easily goes to Frankmusik! Vincent Frank is the summation of everything I've hoped I'd see in an electronic pop artist in my lifetime. His favourite film is Blade Runner (which obviously informs his aesthetic and his songs)... he does his own take on streetwear culture looking like an accessible dude you'd hang out with at Fabric... and at the same time can turn around and look, not just respectable in a gray wool coat, but enigmatic and distant. He can put out a cheerfully frustrated song like "Confusion Girl" and within months give us the wistful longing of "Done Done". With Stuart Price (aka Jaques Lu Cont/Les Rythmes Digitales) working with him on his full length album, after being at the helm for grip of very successful Madonna tunes, it's obvious that he will not just be 'one to watch' but he very well may be one to change the course of crossover pop music as we know it. Unlike some of his peers (if you can even call them that) who will only be remembered for one song, Vincent Frank will endure, and by my estimation end up being one of the most important and successful songwriters of our generation. So while his output was relegated to remixes, and freebies, this year he still outperformed nearly every new British artist in every way. From how he handled the press, to how you can't pin down what he's doing next, to the fact that I haven't met a person who didn't enjoy his music, he's without question the artist of the year. This typically enthusiastic review isn't because Frankmusik is a friend of Arcadia but because he is a much needed breath of fresh air in a sometimes dismal musical landscape. Check him out at The Heaths Of Thornton. So hats off you to Vincent...
Best Festival Of The Year: Is very obviously Lollapalooza. I mean... how could it not be? We got to see Radiohead and KanYe rock the pants off insanely huge crowds, saw Spank Rock get like 10,000 college ho'bags nearly dropping their pants, Flosstradamus (on Curt's birthday none the less) and Franki Chan (and our once upon a time friend? Dani Deahl) wreck the dance tent, see Foals play to a group of people so large it was most likely unsafe and then have a chat afterwards about Ghostly International, and so many more awesome moments I can't even try to write about them. Believe it or not the only thing that sucked about it was that I was ripped on Morphine (due to a tooth infection, don't get it twisted) and some of the intensity of how cool it was disappeared before my tiny pupils could transmit the info to my brain. Even then we still had a ball! Veronica of Cream Team fame put the wife and I up for the weekend, which lead to going to Todd Kane's b-day party, watching an insane show with Hollywood Holt, Mic Terror, GLC, Skyler, and then chatting with the above people... we also got to avoid the velvet rope all weekend, even finding our way in to the sold out Battles/Foals show (for an interview that never materialized). And the only bad bits were that we were 3 feet away from my ex and her best friend at the entry gate on the first day (yeah, close one, as far as I can tell she didn't notice), that interview never happened, and I got a $100 parking ticket. But all things considered it doesn't get better than that. And I got to drink for once lol...
Best Concert:Bloc Party Apparently Bloc Pary did well this year as far as this blog is concerned lol. Bloc Party in Royal Oak (around Detroit) was amazing. It was the first official show to tour in North America for 'Intimacy' and it was blazing. Charles (of 'The Spirit Of Albion' fame) and I stood really close to the stage and got to see all the kids mobbing Kele when we jumped into the crowd. Much different than their Lollapalooza gig but in a good way. The band were at their very best and of the three times I've seen them this was the one that proved they had their live show perfected. Runner Up: Hot Chip at The Metro.
Keep your eye on this page... I'm not quite done with this 'best of' thing... but I'm working on it!
Here's an exclusive mix from Jack Beats which was done for Fabric in anticipation of Fabriclive's New Years Eve party. This one should have you going from Christmas all the way to NYE for sure :) Make sure to check out who is playing as the line up in bonkers awesome!
Here's the tracklisting... digitalism - home zone (proxy remix) laid back luke & atrak - shake it down hot chip - touch too much (fake blood remix) dj mujava - township funk (boy 8 bit remix) dj mehdi - pocket piano (joakim "piano debout" remix) mr oizo - gay dentists mystery jets - half in love (foamo remix) ??unknown?? audio bullies - dope fiend (tommie sunshine and udachi remix) project bassline - drop the pressure (jack beats remix) herve - who da champ ac slater - jack got jacked (jack beats remix) tc - wheres my money (caspa remix : Jack beats re-work) what giggle riddim skream - thik chase & status - saxon
And here's the info on the NYE gig... 31 DECEMBER ROOM ONE: Craig Richards, Terry Francis, Dixon, Âme, Mike Shannon, Matt Tolfrey
ROOM TWO: DJ Yoda, DJ Craze, Scratch Perverts, Jackbeats, Patchwork Pirates
ROOM THREE: Toddla T & MC Serocee, 2562, Tayo, The Heatwave, Moody Boyz
Kasai Allstars
On a completely different note I've also got a culturally diverse heap of music to throw your way. Crammed has been bringing global electronic fusion for years and they want to share some of this awesomeness with you this holiday season! Below are some free tracks with a little press on each one to give you an idea for flavour. I suggest you check out the larger selection of free tracks that they're offering by clicking on the link below!
"Long before the internet began collapsing the boundaries between musical cultures for those ready to explore a little, Crammed was doing it anyway. Proudly cosmopolitan, the Brussels-based label has continuously reinvented itself, and has come up with new forms of fusion, mixing elements of rock, world music, pop and electronica ever since its inception in the early '80s. Never a label to be pigeonholed, Crammed has often anticipated musical movements and still continues to do so.
Crammed Crash Course is a free download compilation, given away through the label's online shop, which offers an exhilarating 13-track taster of the musical journeys Crammed has undertaken: from the Balkans to North and Central Africa, from South America to the Middle East as well as the more regular musical pastures of the US and Europe, a lot of territory has been covered... and there's more exciting adventures to come in 2009.
Crammed Crash Course features tracks by Konono N°1, Lonely Drifter Karen, Suba vs Zero dB, Allá, Tuxedomoon, Cibelle vs Kocani Orkestar, Shantel, Kasai Allstars, Taraf de Haidouks, DJ Dolores, Think Of One, Mahala Rai Banda and Balkan Beat Box."
Crammed Greed Bag is where you ought to go to get these tracks... but if you need a little inspiration here's a couple tracks to whet your whistle :)
Kasai Allstars - "Kafuulu Balu" From the same 'Congotronics' series that brought you Konono No.1 come this 25-strong collective, with a track from their debut album (deep breath..) "In The 7th Moon, The Chief Turned Into A Swimming Fish And Ate The Head Of His Enemy By Magic" - currently popping up in 'Best Of The Year' lists the world over!
Lonely Drifter Karen - "The Angels Sigh" This pan-European, piano-led pop trio released their sublime debut album "Grass Is Singing" this year (from which this is a melancholy standout), and home listeners, critics and crowds alike swooned in praise.
Cibelle vs Kocani Orkestar - "Maxutu" A classic Crammed soundclash, with acclaimed leftfield Anglo-Brazilian chanteuse Cibelle - whose third album for Crammed is expected to drop some time in '09 - reworking a track by the funkiest Balkan band (and favourites of Zach "Beirut" Condon) Kocani Orkestar, who, with third Crammed album "The Ravished Bride", provided a swinging, brass-propelled soundtrack to the Autumn just gone.
Ok guys, sorry I haven't been able to write much but there's so much coming in so quick and I'm trying to get it up for you all! Hope you're all enjoying the holidays :)
Alright then! Hope you guys had a good weekend. Yours truly had a... well... cough... see, I was sort of trying to do this remix of Frankmusik's"3 Little Words (due today I believe)... and my Macbook crashed. Completely. So thankfully I have a old backup Powerbook G4 right? Welllll... It doesn't even have a gig of RAM. So, I try to start up the RAM sucking production programs, and I get started only to notice my Sony studio headphones won't stay on!
So, because I desperately wanted to get this remix done, I went out and bought new SkullCandy headphones (which are great by the way) seeing as the $300 Sony ones plastic broke... and I came back home and went to work... Only to have the G4 crash out over and over. The vocal was sucking so much power that I thought "Ok, I can mute the vocal and keep getting the melodies all sorted out, then I'll go back in and add new synths and touch up the sound AND DO THE DRUMS"... And after many hours of work and running around buying new headphones and everything else... the computer could no longer handle the workload and POOF... that was it.
So bottom line was I got the foundation of the track done and that was as far as I could take it. Very very upsetting. One day you'll hear the full version with drums and all that... I'm not even sure I am willing to stream it here because it's still so rough. I guess be on the look out :)
ANYWAYYYYYY... while we're on the topic of remixes, remember that awesome Hannah Holland remix of VV Brown that I posted a couple months back? Well Hannah has done an exclusive mix for Fabriclive! It's pretty eclectic and I really dig the selection... I've been hearing her name more and more so I'd say that she's for sure one to keep your eye on! Also, make sure you GO TO THE SHOW ON FRIDAY to catch her and Skream, Plump DJs, Duke Dumont, and a whole bunch of other awesome peeps... as always Fabric does it best...
Here's some press... "This week at FABRICLIVE we have the Plump DJs Headthrash back with a full takeover of all room three rooms. In celebration of her performance this Friday Hannah Holland has done FABRICLIVE an exclusive mix."
1. "THE BIG STEF" – SOLO 2. WHAT CANTO IS IT? - MIKE MONDAY BOOTLEG 3. MY ANGELIC DEMONS - JUSTIN MARTIN 4. CHOP - BINGO PLAYERS 5. GENERATION NOISE FEAT. BOOGSHE (AFROJACK REMIX) - LAIDBACK LUKE, ROMAN SALZGER 6.GET UP (DIPLO RMX) - BINGO PLAYERS 7. RHYTHM INSURANCE - CHAIM 8. TANZBOMBE (ROBAG WRUHME REMIX) - ROBAG WRUHME, PASCAL FEOS 9. THE CUT - BENGA 10. FLOOR DEM - CASPA
While I'm at it... I thought I'd share this years Christmas card with you. Now, for those of you who know me, I'm rather tame at present but in the past hellion wouldn't even begin to touch on my behaviour. But I'd since I've cleaned up my act I had always wanted to do something REALLY outlandish for a Christmas card in jest (like me frazzled with a crack pipe and a Santa hat or something... NOT THAT I'VE EVER DONE THAT SORT OF THING). However, I have my wife and her family to think about, so we decided to still do something funny (and obviously staged) with a "Nice & Naughty" Christmas card.
Nice...
And...............
Naughty ;) Hehehehehe
SO MERRY F^%&ING CHRISTMAS ASSH*LES! Hehehehehe No, but seriously, thank you all for your support and big up to all the people who have made this blog part of their lives and have taken the time to help me out (or share their time with me)... that goes for you readers, as well as Vince, Oli, Theo & Simon, GTA, Heads We Dance, Toddla T, Robert Koch, Acid Kids, Markus Lange, Mike from Dead Kids, FreQ Nasty, Larry Tee, JDSY, Dot Allison, Princess Superstar, Treasure Fingers, Acid Girls, Outputmessage, Foals & Bang On, South Central, Kilowatt, Boys Noize, James at Fabric (as well as the whole Fabric family), Anna & James, Zoe, my homie Gabriella at EMI who always has me covered, David Lennon, The Projects, Saturna, The Joy Formidable, all you people I interviewed... Dom, Darshan, Graeme, James & Jas, Howie B, FreQ Nasty (tks for putting me in your blog bro, I'll buy you a drink next time you're in Chicago)... as well as anyone I forgot :) I'll keep updating this thank you as I remember more people, check back... and please keep your eye on the ever changing "best of 2008" list! Thanks for stopping by, come back soon!
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material, without profit from said material, to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research, criticism, and journalistic purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. IF YOU ARE THE OWNER OF THE COPYRIGHT, OR A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE OWNER, please email me to have the content removed. This site is meant to promote the artists and help spread the word... before making a complaint please contact me.
This blog is a place for me to share music I love in hopes of spreading the spirit of albion. This music is only here for sampling - if you like the song, support the band, buy the album, or go to the show. If you are the owner of a sound file and would like it removed, please contact me: ifallforeveryone AT gmail DOT com
