Tag Archives: st holdings
STHoldings Distribution evolves….

STHoldings Distribution evolves….

Posted 17 November 2011 | By | Categories: news | 3 Comments

STHoldings distribution evolves to provide a true one-stop shop for record labels.
In addition to providing Pressing & Distribution (P&D) and digital distribution, STHoldings and it’s sister company Surus Ltd can now provide a Direct-to-Fan service for record labels.

Surus is a service provider offering a platform through which record labels can sell music (physical / digital) and merchandise direct to their fans via a label branded online store. Surus integrates content distribution and social interaction between artists, label and fans.

By delivering the complete infrastructure for physical and digital fulfillment of music within a completely customisable user environment, Surus links labels and artists closer to their audiences than ever before. As the glue that unobtrusively links artist, labels and fans together, Surus enables artists to concentrate on their art, offers labels peace-of-mind in the effective and more profitable distribution of content, and gives fans easy, reliable and direct access to the music and the artists they love.

Surus  ‘soft launched’ on May 5th with a small selection of labels. In the coming weeks, months we will be rolling out more Surus stores, focusing on the labels distributed by STHoldings.

www.surus.co.uk
www.twitter.com/surusltd
www.facebook.com/surusltd

Coming soon: Noisia & Phace “Program / Regurgitate” [VSN011]

Posted 13 June 2011 | By | Categories: release sheets, tracks | No Comments

Released 27th June 2011 – VSN011:

A) Noisia & Phace – Program

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

B) Noisia – Regurgitate

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

www.noisia.nl

Paradox presents “Ramifications” LP [Paradox Music]

Paradox presents “Ramifications” LP [Paradox Music]

Posted 23 May 2011 | By | Categories: news | 1 Comment

June 6th 2011 sees a rare solo-Paradox LP hit the world’s record stores after a 9-year album exile.
The ‘Ramifications LP’ is a welcome return to the building blocks of breakbeat wizadry that Paradox built up during his reign at 4-Hero’s legendary Reinforced Records and this third artist instalment (and incredibly Mr Pandya’s ninth vinyl album overall) is his best studio album to date.

You need to cast your minds back to 2002 to dig up the last Paradox long-player with it’s collection of Jungle and Breakbeat tempos with a Live P.A. DVD to boot, and the ‘Ramifications LP’ continues the fashion with razor sharp breaks and grooves ranging from 125 to 172 bpm in classic Paradox style.


Paradox

A sampler 12” [PM021] featuring sampler-only mixes will precede the album and then the full ‘Ramifications LP’ drops via glorious 3×12” Marble-splattered vinyl packs alongside a stunning Solid-Black Compact disc edition for the music lovers and record collectors alike [PMLP02/PMLPCD02].

Release date: 6th June 2011

Cat no: PMLP02
Barcode: 5055317212634
TRIPLE MARBLE VINYL TRACKLISTING:
A: GHOST NOTES
B: BLACK 69
C: LEGACY
D: THE LAST B-BOY
E: FAKE FUNK
F: CONSONANCE

Cat no: PMLPCD02
Barcode: 5055317212641
SOLID-BLACK CD EDITION TRACKLISTING:
01: THE LAST B-BOY
02: FAKE FUNK
03: CONSONANCE
04: LEGACY
05: BLACK 69
06: GHOST NOTES
07: ANTILOGY
08: YASAKA
09: SAMPLE ME #18
10: MANJIRA

Paradox ‘Legacy’ (Ramifications LP – Paradox Music) by PARADOX

www.paradoxmusic.com
soundcloud.com/paradox-music-uk
www.facebook.com/paradoxmusicuk
www.mixcloud.com/ParadoxMusicRadio/
www.youtube.com/paradoxmusicuk
vimeo.com/user3145508

release sheet w/c 02-05-11

Posted 21 April 2011 | By | Categories: release sheets | No Comments

sthreleases020511

New D&B Releases




SECOPS016 – Seba & Physics – Before I Can Breathe / The Music – 12″ Vinyl
Second release on secret operations this year is by Seba & Finnish Producer and DJ Physics. “Before I can breathe” is a beatiful vocal piece with a steppy beat and a typical old skool “reese bass”. The flipside “The Music” is a heavier track that starts off with eeire strings and switches to heavily distorted beats and basslines. Watch out for secops 017 by Andyskopes & Mr. Joseph.

a Seba & Physics – Before I Can Breathe
b Seba & Physics – The Music

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




TKRUK001 – Prolix / Gridlok & Skitty – Freeze Frame / Con Artist – 12″ Vinyl
TRENDKILL RECORDS is a brand new imprint from Prolix (Playaz, Ganjatek, Metalheadz, Virus) and with it he brings his very own brand of distinctive hard hitting drum and bass. The A Side is a solo track which has been smashing sound systems accross the globe, a true anthem to start or end any DJ set. The AA sees LA based producer Gridlok ( Project51/ Violence/RAM) team up with UKs own Skitty (Metalheadz/Foundation x) to make a track with more than equal power to the A Side.

a Prolix – Freeze Frame
aa Gridlok & Skitty – Con Artist

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




DSM018 – Anile – Last March EP – 12″ Vinyl
Anile, DSM’s baby-faced assassin, steps up to deliver the second artist EP on the label, and one of the most talked about releases of the second half of 2010. Climbing steadily through the ranks with releases on Loxy’s Cylon imprint and the seminal Renegade Hardware label, DSM is proud to have one of the brightest production talents currently operating in drum & bass on its roster. This EP takes DSM further into the darker territory it started exploring with DSM014 & 016 and it does not disappoint. The title track of this EP is the bouncy stepper ‘Last March’. A snarling, distorted bassline has meant that this tune has found favour with numerous a-listers in recent times and is a worthy tune for the EP to be named after.On the flip, is the ferocious ‘Disaffected’. Eeerie pads and atmospheres make way for a driving drum loop and sub bass before all hell breaks loose at the drop with one of the nastiest, most twisted reese basslines heard for a very long time. The influence of labels such as the aforementioned Renegade Hardware is obvious, and it is one of, if not the, most ferocious and devastating slice of d&b ever to grace DSM.

a Anile – Last March
aa Anile – Disaffected

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




FCR003EP – Paper Crows – Fingertips (Break Remix) / Follow The Leader E.P. – 12″ Vinyl
‘Follow The Leader’/’Fingertips’ is the second release from rising stars Paper Crows, who’ve already caught the attention of tastemakers across the blogosphere, print and radio. Follow The Leader’ is a brilliantly, dark, unsettling, underground track that comes with a top drawer remix package. Hotly tipped newcomers Megabits deliver an insanely unique widescreen drum & bass/breaks/electro hybrid, while the legend that is Break delivers another stunning drum & bass remix. ‘Fingertips’ is quite simply a stunning song oozing with wild atmospheric beauty. It has aptly been described as “the marching of dreams on a star studded night” and is already being championed by Radio 1’s Nick Grimshaw. Paper Crows have been wowing audiences with their live shows with sultry singer Emma Panas mesmerising with her spectral vocals and dramatic stage presence. With still less than a dozen gigs under their belt, they’ve already supported the likes of Jamie Woon and Clock Opera. Their next show is at the Barfly in Camden on the 4th February. They’ll be playing alongside Anna Calvi and Sparrow & The Workshop as part of HMV’s Next Big Thing festival. The pair are currently in the studio recording their debut album.

a Paper Crows – Follow The Leader (Break Remix)
aa Paper Crows – Follow The Leader (Megabits Remix)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




MLDB001 – Kevin Rudolf Ft Lil Wayne, Jay Sean & Birdman – I Made It (Cash Money Heroes) Rockwell Remix – 12″ Vinyl
Welcome to the world of Melted Dubs. A new label that will be vinyl only and all releases will be limited runs. Our debut is a tune that has been bubbling on the underground for a while a true clash of UK meets US. Rockwell takes the Cash Money Family (Lil Wayne, Birdman, Kevin Rudolf and the UKs very own International superstar Jay Sean) from the dirtee South to a whole ‘nother place. Rockwell has been doing amazing things in DnB for a while now but this is something else. Soulful and Funky, Fast and slow. You feel the groove but can’t quite place it. Already working for the few DJ’s that have it. This is set to do big things. If you are not a vocal person there is a killer dub too. Enjoy and Be quick !!

a Kevin Rudolf Ft Lil Wayne, Jay Sean & Birdman – I Made It (Cash Money Heroes) Rockwell Remix
b Kevin Rudolf Ft Lil Wayne, Jay Sean & Birdman – I Made It (Cash Money Heroes) Rockwell Remix Dub

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.


New D&B Promos




DSCI4018 – Mr. Foul – Deepest Secret / Cruella – 12″ Vinyl
Mr Foul is a name to watch the A Side is ‘Deepest Secret’ .Old School Jungle and the classic I’m in love with you, want you to love me too‘ (Anthem) Rave vocal meet head on for rull on dance floor mayhem. This remix treatment and is causing as much of a stir as the original did in 1990. On the flip some beat scientist action with ‘Cruella’ Stomping beats, murky atmospheres and a devastating drop bass create the pounding drive of this track. Soldiers stand to attention!

a Mr. Foul – Deepest Secret
aa Mr. Foul – Cruella

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




AT010 – Survival, Octane & DLR – Afterglow / Spectrum – 12″ Vinyl
After the storming success of “Grahams Tunnel” and “Bullet” from Survival and Silent Witness. Audio tactics kick off 2011 with quality collaboration with this year’s hottest duo DLR & Octane. Spectrum brings out the best out of Survival’s crisp, tight beats and trademark soundscapes along with DLR and Octane’s fat twisted basslines and high quality production to give you epic, rolling stomper. This track has been doing the rounds and smashing dance floors for the last few months worldwide….so get on it! After Glow is a more subtle affair, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that this won’t do damage. Sweet, delicate drum work and sublime bass manipulation, intricate vocal stabs and space age FX make this a track not to mess with, trust! With radio and club support from the like of Hype, Break, Spy, Ant TC1, Skeptical, Teebee, Fierce, Ed Rush, Doc Scott, C4C and Alix Perez.

a Survival, Octane & DLR – Afterglow
aa Survival, Octane & DLR – Spectrum

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




DIS045 – Skeptical & Dub Phizix – Silo / The Enemy – 12″ Vinyl
A duo to watch closely throughout 2011 and beyond drop 2 minimal punchy blinders on Dispatch. Skeptical and Dub Phizix come more than correct with “Silo” and “The Enemy” and it appears we’re not the only ones that love these 2 tracks as they are getting a rather heavy dose of support from the likes of Skream, D-Bridge, Ant TC1, Octane & DLR, Survival, Loxy, Nymfo, Teebee, VC and Ulterior Motive! Watch out for more from these 2 on the label real soon!

a Skeptical & Dub Phizix – Silo
aa Skeptical & Dub Phizix – The Enemy

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




MODULE006 – Vicious Circle & Jubei – Deliberate – 10″ Vinyl
Moving on from the last heavy hitting Modulations release and we’re treated to an even more sturdy effort from two names that need no introduction. A bit of a dream collaboration between Vicious Circle and Metalheadz man Jubei, and where better place to serve it up than from Critical’s Modulations imprint. ‘Cloak & Dagger’ wastes no time and kicks off with a solid stepping break as eerie space warped pads wrap around to suck us deep into the wormhole. Heinous bass slams on this sound system killer, perfect for some late night 3am entertaining and leaves us in no doubt of a properly undiluted low-slung king of the rollers. Nasty, naughty but nice. Sliding perfectly into the second slab and ‘Deliberate’ continues much in the same vein but it manages to up the ante with some even more sickening bassline action. Running percussion increases the pace whilst the bass stabs take it up another notch for a heads down, no nonsense slice of D&B goodness. Never fails. DJ support from Alix Perez, Rockwell, Lenzman, Kasra, D Bridge and more.

a Vicious Circle & Jubei – Deliberate
b Vicious Circle & Jubei – Cloak & Dagger

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.



H-LINE26 – Paul Blackout – Curse On One Self / All You MFs – 12″ Vinyl
Hardline boss Paulblackout returns with two heavy dnb/hardcore crossover tracks, to follow on from the broken, deep beats of the previous Leepshec release. “Curse on one self” features tough sounding vampire samples and builds up to a crazy drop which will have you throwing shapes and playing air drums like a madman (or woman) On the flip is “all you MFs” which makes use of an amusing cartoon sample and stomps along to a halftime breakdown with double kickdrums to activate fist pumping mode. Vinyl release also includes an evil illustration by Camila Carmody, with DJ support from DJ Hidden, DJ Producer, Simon Underground, Mark N and more. This is how we’re kickin it…..

a Paul Blackout – Curse On One Self
aa Paul Blackout – All You MFs

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.



SS015 – Thought – Resist / Holism – 12″ Vinyl
Soothsayer returns with its twentieth vinyl plate and proudly presents the addition of SS015 and artist Thought to the roster. Hailing from Sofia, Bulgaria Ivan Sotirov (Thought) has quickly built a reputation for employing the hardest beats to be had in Eastern Europe. Having played Therapy Sessions and released a 12″ on the famed UK label, Obscene, Thought rise to prominence continues with his Soothsayer debut – a slab of heavy tribal breaks and halfstep riddims dubbed up plenty of dark bass. Resist is a dark tribal affair with grinding mid rage bass and intricate percussion. Stylistically the tune yields the best elements of a steppa, a roller, and a stormer all meld together in a tightly weld concoction of brutality. Bludgeoning beats and corrosive bass for the dubwize massive and rivetheads alike. Holism is a sinister tribal half steppa that has previously been slated for release by Loxy and Tech Itch. We at Soothsayer were elated to acquire Holism to complete this epic double a sided offering. Pumping sub bass pads, mid range dirt, and tribal dub manoeuvres govern this track. Robust enough to appeal to junglists and dubsteppers alike, Holism is a blazing wedge of outright aural wretchedness.

a Thought – Resist
aa Thought – Holism

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.


D&B Restocks Vinyl



P51UK019 – Nymfo & Cern – Proton Pack / Off The Radar

WARM017 – Seba – Never Let You Go / This Is Our House

P51UK020 – Gridlok & Dom / Gridlok – Reboot The System – Part 2

CRIT049 – S.P.Y – Fields Of Joy / Stormtrooper

RECIPE013 – Skeptical – Sphere / Dream Police

EXIT026 – Various Artists – Exit Records Presents ‘Mosiac Vol 1’ Sampler 2

CRIT051 – Rockwell – Aria EP

OK022 – Meth & 2Shy – Treatment EP

CYN002 – Cyantific – Obey / Bounce It

INVISIBLE003 – Hybris – Invisible 003 EP

New Bass Music releases




ZZZ010 – J.O.H vs The-Dream – J.O.H Is A 10 – 12″ Vinyl
The mysterious J.O.H drops a luscious and melancholy refix of The-Dream’s ‘Shawty is a 10’. Limited copies on one-sided vinyl only.

a J.O.H vs The-Dream – J.O.H Is A 10

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




HBR002 – Optimum – Light Year / DS-10 – 12″ Vinyl
Hum + Buzz return with their first release of 2011 from label co-founder Optimum. After releasing his debut EP ‘Max Power’ for Planet Mu in 2010, contributing to the excellent Night Slugs Allstars Vol. 1 and Modeselektion Vol. 1 compilations, Optimum returns on Hum + Buzz with two sci-fi, dancefloor tracks. ‘Light Year’ is a 4X4 time travelling excursion through brass rhythms, dotted arpeggios and razor sharp percussion. Gangsta techno meets UK bass, a crossover that Optimum seems to be making his own. On the B side ‘DS10’, named after (and partly made on) the Korg software for the Nintendo DS, is a menacing march that progresses into the unknown. All superfluous elements are discarded; the track focuses squarely on the relentless bassline and unpredictable 808 drum pattern. With these minimal ingredients combined, DS10 is a certified sound system bomb!

a Optimum – Light Year
aa Optimum – DS-10

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




OSMUK012 – DJ Madd – Pitch Black / New Reality – 12″ Vinyl
DJ Madd has been killing it recently. It’s another knee-slapping combination drenched in powerful vibes and both tunes are nasty, guttural affairs sure to make your eyeballs rattle. The sound of the release as whole is a little reminiscent of Distance, with crunchy basslines rasping and snarling like enraged wolves savaging a couple of fwuffy wittle bunnies. Thankfully, I love both Distance and bloody carnage, so this is a cracker. words by http://www.boxmusique.com/dj-madd-pitch-black-new-reality-osmuk012

x DJ Madd – Pitch Black
y DJ Madd – New Reality

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




TEC048 – Pinch & Loefah / Pinch & Roska – Broken / Paranormal Activity – 12″ Vinyl
With only one collaboration (alongside fellow DMZ stalwart SGT Pokes under the name ASBO, also for Tectonic) seeing light of day in the last three and a half years, it really has been a long time since dubstep pioneer and producer extraordinaire Loefah ventured out on wax. Responsible for originating the half-step beat in dubstep that came to dominate so much of the scene – with groundbreaking early titles such as ‘Horror Show’, ‘System’ and ‘Ruffige’ – Loefah’s beats always had huge impact on the dancefloor as well as in the studios of other beat-makers, caught by the power of his sound. More recently he’s become predominately focused on his genre challenging DJ sets as well as running his hugely successful Swamp 81 imprint, so this rare studio excursion with Tectonic label boss Pinch is a treat for all to behold. ’Broken’ starts with a single delaying hat splash as swirling white noise rises from beneath with gale force strength. This relatively gentle moment is soon disturbed by the menacing sound of a tearing bass hit – a twisted sound layered in weighted sub power. Tense pads with distorted edges add to the build before everything pulls out to silence allowing a perfectly timed drop. In comes the full weight of bass as a pounding 808-style rhythm drops – complete with head cracking snares and swung hats – as the main bass sound punches through, ‘Broken’ embarks on a master class in minimal effectiveness. An unmissable collaborative effort between two studio heavyweights, and just how dubstep is meant to sound. Flip for an equally exciting joint effort from Pinch and rising UK Funky and Rinse FM star Roska. Nomi-nated by DJ Mag for the prized title of Producer Of The Year in 2010, Roska is known more for his 130bpm funky productions but this collaboration takes the tempo up to 140bpm for an exercise in rhyth-mical maximality – a frantic but rolling conga workout session. Meticulous drum programming is layered with dark reverbed sonics, spooky pads and a gut wrenching sub bass line guaranteed to cause stomach upset on the right systems. ‘Paranormal Activity’ will summon the ancient spirits so be careful where you drop it. All told, this plate is an essential purchase for true fans of the original dubstep vibe.

a Pinch & Loefah – Broken
aa Pinch & Roska – Paranormal Activity

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




TEC049 – Addison Groove – This Is It / Make Um Bounce – 12″ Vinyl
Massive new Tectonic 12″ from man of the moment – Bristol’s very own Addison Groove. Tony Williams aka Addison Groove appeared last year with the anthem ‘Foot Crab’ on Loefah’s impeccable Swamp 81 imprint. Anyone who has been to a dubstep dance in the last year will have likely heard the original or one of many VIP mixes and re-edits of this infectious monster of a tune – or at least seen it listed on count-less end of year ‘best of’ lists and DJ charts more recently. Taking in elements of the Chicago Juke/Footwork scene and bringing in a knowledge of bass heavy dub-step production (as acquired during his former incarnation as Headhunter), Addison Groove has already made a huge, rippling impression on dance music across the world. The world has been holding tight for more Addison Groove ever since, and hot on the tails of a recent fol-low up on Swamp 81 is this excellent 12″ for Tectonic, featuring some of his best work yet. ‘This Is It’ is a bubbly 138bpm dance floor banger, laden with pounding sub-heavy 808 kicks and soul-scraping claps, blending bass science with original Chicago attitude in a way that only Addison Groove can do. The whole rhythm is lifted by rave-flavoured bleeps and blips chiming out in a melodic progression as vocal samples sound out on top. Absolutely enormous tune! Flip for the slower tempo, yet just as danceable ‘Make Um Bounce’. Hitting in at 133bpm, this 4/4 rhythm is getting hammered by everyone from Jackmaster to James Zabeila and as soon as you hear the first kick drum hit, you’ll know why! Very aptly titled, this tune WILL make you bounce! Bass heavy and full of booty bouncing badness!

a Addison Groove – This Is It
b Addison Groove – Make Um Bounce

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




ZIQ293 – Chrissy Murderbot – Bussin Down EP – 12″ Vinyl
‘Bussin Down’ is the first Planet Mu single from Chrissy Murderbot, who comes with a style inspired by his chosen city of Chicago’s Juke and Footwork scenes. He playfully mixes in elements of other styles of music he loves, such as R’n'B and Dancehall, to create lively mutations with a warm hearted mass appeal that comfortably straddles genres. ’Bussin Down’ features Chicago footwork supremo DJ Spinn over some tasty footwork tracks featuring Spinn’s instructional lyrics, over some high speed jazz funk and cracking claps and klaviers. Next track ‘Braaain’ is a unique amalgam of footwork with the classic early digital sleng teng bassline. The blend works fantastically, as Chrissy slides the originals vocal in and out of the mix in a dub style. On the B-side Atki2 takes album track ‘The Vibe Is So Right’ featuring vocals from MC Zulu and runs it through a lush treatment that mixes Detroit washes with tight, laidback, rolling funky house drums, to instant classic effect. On B2, Chicago footwork pioneers DJs Rashad and Spinn send the originals vocal into a whirl of complex delays and layered loops over cold drums and hard techno stabs. Just the faintest taste of what is In store on The M-Bot’s incredible ‘Women’s Studies’ album due soon on Planet Mu.

a1 Chrissy Murderbot – Bussin Down (ft. DJ Spin)
a2 Chrissy Murderbot – Braaain
b1 Chrissy Murderbot – The Vibe Is So Right (Atki2 Remix)
b2 Chrissy Murderbot – The Vibe Is So Right (Rashad & Spinn Remix)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




BR006 – Swindle – Mood Swings EP – 12″ Vinyl
Croydon’s own Swindle gets 2011 off to a great start with his first release on the grime label of the mo-ment, Butterz. The funk-obsessed producer delivers an exercise in dark half-step on the title tune ‘Mood Swings’ with all the funky riffs and synths that fans of ‘Airmiles’ have grown to love since he debuted with that track on Planet Mu. ’Bebop’ is a more light-hearted affair with chopped-up vocoder vocal samples coupled with subtle piano keys fading in and out between the up-tempo beat pattern. ’Trending Topic’ is one for lovers of Starkey and Terror Danjah alike, as it combines the organic energy of grime with the quirkiness of Swindle’s funk influenced synth patterns. Having already gained support from Starkey, Alexander Nut, Scratcha DVA and DJ Q, the ‘Mood Swings EP’ is shaping up to be yet another instant classic from Swindle and the Butterz label.

a Swindle – Mood Swings
b Swindle – Bebop

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




HDR003 – P-Jam – Anger Management EP – 12″ Vinyl
Grime has been clawing its way back to the centre of underground UK music in a big way recently, riding a new wave of credibility in futurist iterations from Terror Danjah, Hyperdub, and Butterz. But with the rising profile of figures like Slackk and the eski-aping sound of Becoming Real and sometimes Jam City, there’s been a pseudo-lionization and a growing mythology surrounding classic grime. Honestly, it’s been a long time coming; the music is legendary for a reason. Terror Danjah’s new(ish) Hardrive label takes a bold step in 2011 with a sharp look back-ward, and in typically cyclical fashion it feels perfectly now. Dating all the way back to 2004, P Jam’s ‘Anger Management’ is a minimal monster of a tune, slamming with the same slurred and blurred percussive elements of Wiley’s essential ‘Ice Rink’. But it’s the oddly distant, echoed vo-cal grunts and dirty (grimy?) morphing bassline that really push it into the ‘classic’ category. ‘Anger Management’ simply sounds rough, dirty, and raw, like it could barely be rendered by whatever archaic software produced those sounds. ‘Samba’ is from around the same time, and it shares in the same cheap, dulled aesthetic, built out of synth guitar and screeching tires, heavy on the bongos to boot. But you can’t accuse Terror of living in the past, as he rounds out his label’s third release with a brand new track from the veteran producer. Comparatively lush, ‘Sorefoot’ is heavy on the synth sounds, the careful percussion relegated to nudging the track along instead of dominating. It’s fascinating to hear P Jam dress up his classic-leaning sound in shiny new clothes, and heartening that even after all these years he’s evidently still going strong. Even as grime gathers together a promising wave of new producers, there’s life left in its progenitors, and Hardrive

a P-Jam – Anger Management
b1 P-Jam – Samba
b2 P-Jam – Sorefoot

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.


New Bass Music Promos




3024012 – Addison Groove – It’s Got Me / Minutes Of Funk – 12″ Vinyl
In which 3024′s West Country takeover continues unabated with Addison Groove as one of 2010′s most celebrated Producers fires off a pair of brand new exclusives. ‘It’s Got Me’ drags a cornerstone of classic hip hop into the 21st century with trademark spasmodic Chicago drum acrobatics and vocal splicing working the track into a frenzy while his less acknowledged way with gauzy analogue textures never allow things to slip into the trap of dance floor bludgeon. Minutes Of Funk dials back the ferocity just enough to open up extra space for more luxurious synth washes and increasingly intricate rhythmic shifts as interlocking traces of dance floor past combine to form the thinking mans set opener.

a Addison Groove – It’s Got Me
b Addison Groove – Minutes Of Funk

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




MEDI041 – Silkie – City Limits Vol. 1.6 – 1.8 – 12″ Vinyl x 2
City Limits Vol 1.6-1.8 completes a hat trick of releases from Silkie on DEEP MEDi Musik and last before his highly anticipated and long overdue new album City Limits Vol. 2. This heavyweight four track EP sees Silkie deliver a diverse helping of his unique style. ‘It’s Late’ with it’s catchy vocal hook, driving drums and surging synth owes as much to Silkie’s early garage influences as it does to the sound of Detroit Techno, ‘Float’ and ‘Murky’ are all about the weighty Dub influenced bass lines and keys alongside the super deep melodies and groove, finally the bumpin’ ‘Techfunk’ with it’s piercing synth, frenetic drums and G-funk style bass rounds off the EP perfectly keeping you wanting more and hungry for the next installment. Radio Support: Benji B (Radio 1), DVA Scratcha (Rinse), Gilles Peterson (Radio 1), Mistajam (1Xtra & Radio 1), Sinden (Kiss FM), J 5ive (Antisocial) (Rinse). DJ Support: Mala (DMZ), Skream, Benga, Toddla T, Joe Nice (Dub War).

a Silkie – It’s Late
b Silkie – Float
c Silkie – Murky
d Silkie – Techfunk

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




BLR007 – Dark Sky – High Rise – 12″ Vinyl
Having successfully shifted Mickey’s dodgy merchandise, it’s back to business for Blunted Robots. Dark Sky have been all over 2011, with a remix of Kelis and their storming ‘Promiscuous Gyal’ attracting the attention of Annie Mac and Giles Peterson. For Robots they deliver their strongest material to date: a pair of stomping UK Bass workouts, with hard-bodied percussion and swollen sub pressure. These tracks will be available as a limited edition 12” on 2nd May; Only 300 copies will be pressed. Digital download the week after. DJs showing love include Annie Mac, Scratcha DVA, Jackmaster, Untold, Pangaea, Kingdomm, Blackdown

a Dark Sky – High Rise
b Dark Sky – Armour

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.




HENCH026 – Lost Ft. Beezy – Snake Eyes / Escape From The Womb – 12″ Vinyl
Lost has come a long way since he took the first steps on his journey into music. As a 12-year old, Lost found ‘Big Apple Records’ in Croydon and embarked upon becoming a DJ. Now a fully-fledged member of H.E.N.C.H, this prodigy has been responsible for some of the most sub shaking releases to have been let forth from the Bristol label’s catalogue to date. A: Snake Eyes (Ft. Beezy) – Lost teams up with Hench’s new signing Beezy. For those that know, you can bet that any track with Beezy’s name on is going to be sordidly sinister. And ‘Snake Eyes’ is no exception. The track commences with an industrial and hazardous sounding scene that’s soon met with Beezy’s catchy hook. Things are teed-up fittingly for a creeping baseline that weaves amongst the dripping backdrop. Before the low-end truly takes you somewhere else, Beezy rejoins with an ever-ominous lyrical gesture to seal the dread-inducing vibe that Lost has created with this charismatic production. AA: Escape from the Womb – In all of Lost’s productions, he’s enigmatic in creating a feeling with his tracks from the get-go. What seems like a calm and atmospheric intro quickly thrusts you toward something you’d be forgiven for not expecting. When that high-voltage bass rhythm gets your attention, sit back, you’re in for the ride. Metallic overtones and pulsating groove make ‘Escape from the Womb’ a genuinely progressive number. This was built to tear dance floors to the ground and has already been doing some serious damage.

a Lost Ft. Beezy – Snake Eyes
b Lost – Escape From The Womb

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.



2769671 – Jess Mills (produced by James Breakage) – Vultures / Vultures (Photek Dub Mix) – 10″ Vinyl
Jess Mills is on everyone’s lips at the moment as she sets the barrier high with her single Vulture – which is actually out today. Having worked alongside Digital Soundboy main-man, James Breakage, providing the vocals for his track, Fighting Fire. Breakage has returned the favour by producing Vultures. There’s a moody Photek re-edit on the flip, if you know what Rupert Parkes is capable of then you won’t give this one a miss. Limited to 250 Vinyl.

a Jess Mills – Vultures
b Jess Mills – Vultures (Photek Dub Mix)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.


Bass Music Vinyl Restocks


MEDI05 – Goth Trad – Cut End

MEDI08 – Tunnidge – Geddeon

HF021 – Mount Kimbie – Maybes

NL002 – Instra:mental / Breakage – Futurist / Late Night

NL005 – Instra:mental – Lets Talk / Vicodin

DBOOT010 – Downliners Sekt – Hello Lonely, Hold The Nation

SSSSS001 – Untold / Dubbel Dutch – Anaconda (Tribal Guarachero Mix) / Pulso

RS1007 – James Blake – Klavierwerke EP

SEPTIC1 – Shackleton – Man On A String Part 1 and 2

DBOOT011 – Suckafish P. Jones – Mr.Midnight

TEAL001 – West Norwood Cassette Library – Blonde On Blonde / Blonde On Blonde (Pearson Sound Remix)

RAT030B – DJ Fresh & Ivory vs Deekline & Wizard – Blow (Remixes)

DOT006 – Duffstep – Getting To Sirius Remix EP #3

DBOOT012 – Downliners Sekt – We Make Hits Not The Public

RS1003 – James Blake – CMYK EP (Black Vinyl)

HRMN015 – Easy and the Center of Universe – Pythagoras Falafel Calamity

HDB013 – Burial – Street Halo

Hessle Audio present “116 & Rising” LP

Hessle Audio present “116 & Rising” LP

Posted 18 April 2011 | By | Categories: news, tracks | No Comments

Curated by the imprint’s three co-founders – Ben UFO, Pangaea and Pearson Sound (AKA Ramadanman) – the CD version is comprised of 12 brand new tracks tracks, with contributions from every single producer who’s previously released a 12″ on Hessle, plus a couple of guests, and a second disc collecting previously released highlights from the catalogue.

That means fresh heat not just from Pangaea and Pearson Sound but also Blawan, Joe, Elgato, Untold, Cosmin TRG, Peverelist, James Blake and Addison Groove, and a couple of unexpected treats – such as D1‘s never-before-released archive cut ‘Subzero’ and a killer from the hitherto little-known Randomer. Most of the tracks on Disc 2 are modern dancefloor classics, and hardly require any introduction – among them Martyn’s eerily suspended, deeply affecting remix of TRG’s ‘Broken Heart’, Untold’s none-more-livewire ‘I Can’t Stop This Feeling’, Pangaea’s ‘Why’ and James Blake’s ‘Buzzard & Kestrel’ (a track he’s arguably yet to better).

The new tracks will constitue the vinyl edition of 116 & Rising, which is a 12″ triple-pack; the striking artwork on both CD and vinyl editions is by Will Bankhead. Oh, and there’ll be a launch party for the album at London’s XOYO club on Friday 13 May.

Words by FACT Magazine: http://www.factmag.com/2011/04/07/hessle-audio-presents-116-rising/

CD1
01. Elgato – Music (Bodymix)
02. Untold – Cool Story Bro
03. Blawan – Potchla Vee
04. Pearson Sound – Stifle
05. Joe – Twice
06. Randomer – Brunk
07. Pangaea – Run Out
08. Cosmin TRG – Bijoux
09. D1 – Subzero
10. Addison Groove – Fuk Tha 101
11. James Blake – Give A Man A Rod (Second Version)
12. Peverelist – Sun Dance

CD2
01. Pangaea – You & I
02. Untold – Test Signal
03. Blawan – Fram
04. James Blake – Buzzard & Kestrel
05. Untold – I Can’t Stop This Feeling
06. Joe – Rut
07. Ramadanman – Blimey
08. TRG – Put You Down
09. Joe – Level Crossing
10. Pangaea – Why
11. TRG – Broken Heart (Martyn’s DCM Remix)
12. Ramadanman – Don’t Change For Me

HESLP001 – Limited Edition Vinyl 3×12” presented in a gatefold full colour sleeve with 2 CD’s packed inside.
HESCD001 – 2xCD featuring 12 un-mixed tracks per CD

Due for release in late May 2011.

www.facebook.com/hessleaudio
soundcloud.com/hessleaudio

State Of Mind “Nil By Ear” LP Coming Soon [SOM Music]

State Of Mind “Nil By Ear” LP Coming Soon [SOM Music]

Posted 05 April 2011 | By | Categories: news, tracks | No Comments

Nil by Ear is Sate of Mind’s third studio album, the first two being Take Control (Uprising) & Faster than Light (SOM). This album represents the peak so far of the lads technical skills, its carefully produced from start to finish. Tracks are frequently tied together, and a lot of thought has gone into the flow of the album. This is one that can be listened too from beginning to end, as opposed to a collection of singles. However that doesn’t mean that State of Mind have forgotten about the 3am raver. Almost all of the tracks have all been smashing it up world wide over the last 6 months in their own right.

Collaboration wise, the album features several of NZ’s most talented vocalists including Shapeshifter’s P.Digsss, Thomas Oliver, Sacha Vee, Mc Woody & PNC, as well as American singer 3pm. The only production collaborators are Nymfo and DNME. Several other collaborations were planned for the LP, but in the end were unable to fit.  These will be released as bonus tracks.

There are two Physical formats to pre sale for now. Release date for both formats is April 25th:
01: SOM012 / Vinyl 2×12” in a full colour sleeve with the full 12 track un-mixed CD packed inside.
02: SOMCD002 / CD featuring 12 tracks unmixed.

SOMCD002
State Of Mind
Nil By Ear

01. State Of Mind Ft. P.Digsss – Vega *
02. State Of Mind Ft. MC Woody – The Downward Spiral *
03. State Of Mind Ft. Thomas Oliver – Parasomnia
04. State Of Mind – Temporal 96
05. State Of Mind Ft. PNC – Return Of The Prophet
06. State Of Mind – Deeper Stories
07. State Of Mind – Novacain Dub
08. State Of Mind, Nymfo & DNME – Keep It Simple *
09. State Of Mind Ft. Sacha Vee – Three Dimensions
10. State Of Mind – F**king Sellouts
11. State Of Mind & Subsonik Ft. 3pm – Somebody Stop Me
12. State Of Mind – Punkd *

* – Featured on SOM012 the 2×12″ Vinyl version.
SOM013 (also 2×12″ vinyl) will feature high profile remixes of 4 album tracks.

State Of Mind ‘Nil By Ear EP 1′ SOM Music [SOM012] by stholdings

Current Tour dates for the LP release are:
April 15 : Official launch – Auckland NZ
April 22 : Prague Czech Republic
April 23 : Brussels Belgium
April 23: kecskemet Hungary
April 24 : Debrecen Hungary
April 30 : Cologne Germany
May 5 : Cluj Romania
May 6 : Paris France
May 7 : Genoa Italy
May 7 : Dunedin NZ
May 28 : Westport NZ

Full NZ tour with Nymfo & special guests July
Full Australian Tour August
April Japan tour postponed

Other site links:
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/stateofmindnz
soundcloud: soundcloud.com/stateofmindnz
Twitter: twitter.com/stateofmindnz
Youtube: www.youtube.com/stateofmindnz

Kevin Rudolf Ft. Lil Wayne, Jay Sean & Birdman ‘I Made It’ (Rockwell Remix)

Kevin Rudolf Ft. Lil Wayne, Jay Sean & Birdman ‘I Made It’ (Rockwell Remix)

Posted 16 March 2011 | By | Categories: news, tracks | No Comments

Welcome to the world of Melted Dubs. A new label coming soon that will be vinyl only and all releases will be limited runs. Our debut is a tune that has been bubbling on the underground for a while a true clash of UK meets US. Rockwell takes the Cash Money Family (Lil Wayne, Birdman, Kevin Rudolf and the UKs very own International superstar Jay Sean) from the dirtee South to a whole ‘nother place. Rockwell has been doing amazing things in DnB for a while now but this is something else. Soulful and Funky, Fast and slow. You feel the groove but can’t quite place it. Already working for the few DJ’s that have it. This is set to do big things. If you are not a vocal person there is a killer dub too. Enjoy and Be quick!!

Kevin Rudolf Ft Lil Wayne, Jay Sean & Birdman ‘I Made It’ (Cash Money Heroes) Rockwell Remix by stholdings

MLDB001
Melted Dubs 001

Released 4th April exclusively on 12″ Vinyl.

Duff Disco “Fame” FREE DOWNLOAD

Duff Disco “Fame” FREE DOWNLOAD

Posted 09 March 2011 | By | Categories: news, tracks | No Comments

If ever there was one thing that was the single cause for the biggest ego explosion witnessed since Henry The Eighth formed the Church Of England and bellowed (whist gnawing on a leg of pork) “Off with her head” then this is it. This was what started it all off. Take a massive pop hit, dub it out until an inch of its life and from the ashes (to ashes) rose Duff Disco.

This sold out before the last Ice age, you can’t even get the rekid on discogs, you are more likely to find John Galliano in Jerusalem than you are a copy of this.

So, in a fit of generosity we have decided to make it available for you to download right here. Fill yer boots it will only be available for a short time.

DUFFDISCO001 – Fame – NOW FREE DOWNLOAD by duffdisco

Download here

Out this week:

DUFFDISCO005
Duff Disco
Catch Me Out / You Wish

It’s been a while, but what can we say, you want the best? You got the best. But you gots to wait, you gots to be patient.  So as Winter seeps away and the frost melts we at Duff Disco are getting ready for these sidewalk, hot summer nights, radio bout to blow, small talk under the lights, feel the heat wild and sweet,  Duff Disco returns with his peerless edit series clocking in at a number 5, yeah, a fist full of dollars, the five knuckle shuffle of releases.  Sticking to the slo and sexy formula ‘Catch Me Out ‘and ‘You Wish’ are two sultry jams signalling that spring is approaching and all the ladies will begin removing the layers and making the days instantly seem brighter“.

jointhedotsmusic.co.uk

Om Unit – The Timps EP [Civil Music]

Om Unit – The Timps EP [Civil Music]

Posted 03 March 2011 | By | Categories: video | No Comments

Following his prized Joker rework, his inclusion on the hefty Fabric-curated ‘Elevator Music’ comp, his dope 7″ for the All City crew, and Corridor EP on Plastician’s Terrorhythm imprint – not to mention a slew of remixes – Om Unit joins the Civil Music stable alongside Starkey, Reso, dÉbruit, Drums of Death and Darling Farah. And yet again we see him pushing his sonic manifesto ever further. With years of working intently at the nexus of instrumental beats and electronic music, it’s time for The Timps EP.

CIV019
Om Unit
The Timps EP
a1) The Timps
a2) Prawn Cocktail
b1) The Timps (Alt. Version)
b2) Prawn Cocktail (Salva Remix)
Digital Bonus
5) The Timps (Hrdvsion Remix)

INTERVIEW:
Civil Music asked Om Unit to explain himself.

Where did you create The Timps?
At my home studio in the wee hours after a night out.

What did you have in mind when you made it?
Not a whole lot that was coherent in earth languages I’d imagine.

What were you hoping to achieve musically / sonically ?
I suppose most of the music I make I will take quite a bit of time getting the raw elements together and because I like to listen to the same tracks a lot I can be sure that it sounds interesting enough to go back to. I like spatial relationships within sound too. I see pictures quite vividly when I’m creating stuff, so it’s important that there is a clear picture. In this case it’s quite mathematical. For me electro is quite a pure display of harmonic rhythm, there’s no doubt it’s about mathematical structuring, which explains the spiritual angle a lot of these artists have. It’s about a purposeful and simple construct which is designed to engage your mind in a certain way, similar to sacred geometry.
With The Timps and Prawn Cocktail I chose to use that structure and basically jam with it and tried to keep it as loose as I could so it didn’t sound too cold.
It might be a repetitive experience and I’m aware that it’s not “current” sounding in terms of modern dance music, like it doesn’t break down into an 808 work out or have big saw synths on it anything, but I don’t want to try and be anything I’m not, which is why a lot of my output is varied, it’s just made in the moment for what I’m feeling right then and there.

What’s the meaning behind the title track / EP title?
Anyone with a Roland Alpha Juno 1 will know!

Talk us through the other tracks…
Prawn Cocktail was made in 2010 specifically for this release. I’d been sitting on The Timps for ages as a personal piece and when I decided to put it out there, Prawn Cocktail came out of a series of sketches I had for the flip. The alternative version showed up at some point when I found some lost files, and was then edited for this release.

What else is going on / what’s up next?
Remixes for Illum Sphere, Daedelus, Om’mas Keith of Sa-Ra, Pixelord, Stateless, Shigeto, Comma, Take, and Naive Machine. And plenty more beats chuggin’ as we speak.

The Timps – 12″ EP vinyl/Digital – 21st March – Civil Music (CIV 019) by omunit

End of Year reviews: Playground

Posted 14 December 2010 | By | Categories: news, reviews | No Comments

Playground Top 50 EP’s 2010

Playground Mag – Part 1

Playground Mag – Part 2


45. Elgato: “Tonight / Blue” Hessle Audio (HES015)
Both “Tonight” and “Blue” look to add something new to an area we already know only too well. “Tonight” is the funkiest track of the two, sounding most like Lil’ Silva, Don Daneeka and DVA, although towards the end Elgato adds a luminous detail –as if Joy Orbison helped him out a bit– that frees him of the tyranny of the formula. Much more open and emotional is “Blue”, which uses female vocals, cut-up and passionate, as if they were love sighs. This is one of those 12”s that doesn’t change the rules, but does make your life better. CTH

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In stock


44. V.I.V.E.K.: “Feel It” Deep Medi Musik (MEDI029)
“Feel It” sounds like a galactic thriller in Arabia, like Pakistani colonisation of far away planets, like the record Digital Mystikz never recorded for Skull Disco. It doesn’t belong to the present. It’s a dubstep work from a parallel universe, an examples of how the genre would have sounded if, instead of evolving towards pop, ambient or house, it would have evolved towards itself, towards it’s stomach and heart. An incredibly intense experience in four cuts on thick vinyl that take up 45 minutes, more with the bonus CD mix that comes with the record. Records like these fill you up until you overflow. JB

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In stock


42. Becoming Real: “Fast Motion” Ramp Recordings (RAMP034)
The aesthetic foundation of Becoming Real’s music (Toby Ridler for those who aren’t keen on his alias) might just make him one of the key acts of 2010. He doesn’t actually invent anything new, but he does redefine the abstract beat with geometrical variations that manage to sound original and daring in the moment. As if it were an English adaptation of the Scandinavian sound skweee, with its rhythmic cubism and feet deep in funk, up to its waist in hip-hop rhythms and with hands dictating original schizoid melodies from a primitive videogame, Becoming Real does everything possible to be the slow, polite and enveloping counterpart of his fellow Englishman and label partner, Zomby. JB

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In stock


35. Kowton: “Basic Music Knowledge” Idle Hands (IDLE003)
England was becoming too small for Joe Cowton, and cramped with curiosity he began looking beyond the present nightlife scene to the past. He looked towards Detroit, scrutinising the long notes that could be the basis for a simple line that carried the signature of Kenny Larkin. He looked especially to the cities of Bristol and London, to Kirk DeGiorgio, The Black Dog, linking the hazy post-Burial dubstep with primitive intelligent techno of labels like Irdial with added amendments to his sound. “Basic Music Knowledge” is techno-soul, or a mixture of G-Man and Michael Jackson with an arrhythmic drum pattern that could have been signed to Pangaea, while “Hunger” is the result of the unlikely intercourse between Sleeparchive and Untold. CTH

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In stock


28. Sepalcure: “Love Pressure” Hotflush Recordings (HF025)
Joy Orbison ruled last year and 2010 is shaping to be the year were he consolidates his fame and influence. The pneumatic basslines, vocals filled with desirous samples taken from old garage records, breaks covered by dense fog: Sepalcure is a direct consequence of the London wunderkid sound and it would be silly not to acknowledge this bloodline. “Love Pressure EP” casts a House shadow over a dubstep drawing á la Burial and sounds like the appendix of such a recent and irrefutable classic as “Hyph Mngo”. JB

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.


26. Jamie Woon: “Night Air” Candent Songs (CDNT001)
The good thing about Woon is that his expressive register doesn’t need to go back to blues-rock or sixties singer-songwriters, and that he can base his songwriting on the experiences and sensations of contemporary London, more open to the future, and he doesn’t shy away from technology. His guitar is always connected to an EFX rack, he doesn’t reject electronica in spite of parting from a kind of song that suffers from the weight of history (check out the credits: the track is co-produced by William Bevan – sound familiar?). In any case, and like what happened to “Wayfaring Stranger” a while ago, with “Night Air” Woon does enough to dazzle and offer comfort on a song that demonstrates his potential as a composer and performer. RE


17. Illum Sphere: “Titan EP” 3024 (3024008)
This maxi-single has nothing to do with the fusion of dubstep and liquid techno from the Chain Reaction school, but by replacing the dubstep with abstract hip-hop beats and the deep liquidity by viscosity of muddy pads, it’s as if they were taken from an obscure record of Detroit techno. Therefore, in “Go Killum” the rhythm limps and winds chasing long orbit comets and “Technopolis” offers three minutes of floating calm only disturbed by dry hits as those produced by a person knocking at the door. Wonky is increasingly infiltrating post-Detroit sonic mechanics and it should be welcomed. JB

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In stock


11. Shackleton: “Man On A String Part 1 & 2” Woe To The Septic Heart! (SEPTIC1)
The ten hypnotic and terrifying minutes of “Man On A String Part 1 & 2” are the ones that place Shackleton and his new adventure amongst the high points of electronica in 2010. More than a production, it’s a labyrinth outlined with the patience of Daedalus and full of traps. It’s audio in which one loses and finds oneself, ending up confused, dizzy and fascinated by the complexity of the voyage and the route. It’s dark post-dubstep with the rhythmic richness of drum’n’bass with deflated tyres, in which baroque style and nervous tension rule. A work of art that has a competent reverse in the form of “Bastard Spirit”, an outburst of violent techno, icy, that only makes us want more and more. JB

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In stock


10. Pariah: “Safehouses EP” R&S Recordings (RS1005)
Pariah, the moniker of young Arthur Cayzer, was originally one of the first to continue the Burial sound. Then “Detroit Falls / Orpheus” (R&S, 2010), his first official release, appeared and things didn’t seem so similar anymore. He had developed towards Detroit techno, expansive and serene like in a flight towards the stars by Kenny Larkin. So Pariah has moved away from Burial and become closer to (for example) Actress, and just so that no-one will ever go on about his influences again –as if that were a bad thing– “Safehouses EP” is a titanic effort to be himself, for once. Pariah, in his own voice. JB
Back in stock soon.

In stock


1. James Blake: “Klavierweke” / “CMYK” R&S Recordings (RS1003)
We shouldn’t we take things out of context and exaggerate with statements like “Blake is reinventing music,” because he isn’t reinventing, he’s just adding ingredients that used to work separately until now –but it is undeniable that his efforts to crystallise a palette of textures of academic music in his off-club electronica have finally morphed into a spectacular result. The post-garage location of “CMYK EP” is already history. James Blake has turned his back on the club –he was the one who, in an act of coherence, declared that he would prefer for people to be moved while listening to his productions rather than dancing to them; his ideal dance floor is a slow, introspective one, with the audience on the verge of tears, the opposite of enthusiastic celebration. As a second act of coherence, he has put all of his home-listening obsessions into “Klavierwerke EP”. His progression has been meteoric and his maturity earned in less than a year. For a DJ, this plastic is an invitation to suicide: it can only be played when no one is around, or when everyone has to go. Burial is, of course, an inevitable reference point for James Blake: a title like “I Only Know (What I Know Now)” should be understood as a progression from the paralysing ecstasy of “Shell of Light”, with the adornment of a piano that seems like the introduction to a Chopin nocturne, and voices that could be the old divas of soul and opera –with the static noise made by the needle on the record player– with the pitch going up and down to create that irresistible effect somewhere between angelic voices and psychophony. And all of this in only 16 minutes. What will happen when he decides to release the album? JB

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Back in stock soon.