Wednesday 26 January 2011

Effing Ish(mat) Up

So basically - I was just thinking recently how BLARDY GOOD Shitmat's 'chopped & screwed' style dubstep remix of Ebola's Teledildonics was a few years back [I've put the link in further down for dramatic effect, don't watch], as well as how (apart from on that tune really) producers never really capitalised on the links between the more more f*cked up + ridiculously slow elements of harder bits of the two.

Then BAM - the track just pops up right at the end on this fantastic new Jerk'n'Jive mix from the man himself on mixcloud (by name at least - heads up to anyone trying to actually spot it inna mix...).

You'd have thought that the two sounds would have been perfect for cross-fertilisation (dubstep + chopped & screwed), and indeed, many people linked the deep south's post G-funky purple drankin crunkness with the massively popular purple trend in the UK circa '09 super trendy Joker and Gemmy shizzle.

But, let's be honest here, the link was really one of convenience / #trendspotting, and more in the name than anything else. UK purple stuff was really more Chronic 2001 than Swishahouse, don't you think?

Texan dubstep producer Parson put out a really good 12" on Planet Mu back in 2007 hybridizing the two sounds nicely, but it wasn't very screwed up, was it?

Shitmat's Ebola remix was, however.

It's got that all important near psychedelic element to it - just like with chopped & screwed hip-hop, the track doesn't just sound druggy, it sounds like drugs. The music sounds like you're on drugs (not that I would know obviously, just an educated guess), hard drugs; not rainbow chasing, but 'wtf is going on here,' 'i'm really confused' and 'is it just me, or is does that music sound really f*cked up?' Those pull ups that dive in and out of the mix, the twitchy skippy repetitive beat that plows through, all those pads bouncing about resembling a tune going through some sort of phasing flanger blender. It's ravey, in a really fucked up way. Just like how dubstep used to sound to the uninitiated ear back when it started.

All of this got me thinking about the current 'footwork influenced' trend amongst producers in the UK, where the US import chi-sound seems to be making far greater waves than its Southern counterpart ever did in an already very established dubstep scene back in 2007-2009 ish, despite such obvious links.

At that time there was a wealth of enthusiasm towards the purely UK music that was being produced (dubstep, grime, bassline). It's interesting to move from a time like that to a time like this, where cross pollination is not just ripe, it's almost the standard.

Is it just me, or is this inbetweeny, filling in the gap until the next big 'nuum' thing, looking all over the place for new influences (see kwaito, footwurk, drumstep, 90s dance, 808s, permaretro chique) phase that we're in in now not hugely similar to the post-garage pre-grime early '00s  - IDM, jump up d'n'b, electro breaks, breakcore, dark garage etc (I wasn't really 'on the ball' hipsterwise back then, so can't really say myself...).

Also - on the j(UK)e, Addison Groove buying an old roland drum machine instead of a car thing (google it) - despite writing some very sick 140 or less bpm "UK bass" tunes [h8 that ridiculously generic tag now], I do sort of get the feeling that these producers have deliberately left that all important spEEdy 'E' out 'jukE (lol).'
 
Just putting it out there...

Saturday 22 January 2011

Pushing things forward

For those of you that watch these things, our show on www.innacityfm.com (102.5fm on your dial if you're in London) is going to be at 6 till 8 pm this evening, as opposed to the normal 4 till 6pm slot.

Plenty of things to look forward to - some new and exclusive bits (aka genuine wax pressed dubplates, remember them?!?) some not quite so new bits, and some proper hardcore classics.

From my end at least.

This week B2B the Ray Nulds, as well as the man like Wace Mindu. Be good to see ya locky!

Thursday 20 January 2011

Message From A Black Man


Wuuuutttt?!?!?

Stalwart classic - as used (in sorts) on this old King Geedorah tune from MF Doom & Co.

"10, 000 riddims....World A Reggae Music."

Deadly Dragon (Stout? lol)

Quickly becoming one my favourite reggae spaces pon di interweb - http://www.deadlydragonsound.com/ is a Soundsystem / JA music retail outlet based in NYC's chiney town.

Not content with locating copies of several MASSIVELY OVERDUE 7" pressings of up to tha time dancehall riddims (One Day, Skip To Ma Luu...big up the Japanese man dem over at Rockers Island!), they also do a weekly all vinyl show on East Village radio ft. plenty of dusty old acetate obscurities from the Soundsystem's 150,000+ record collection.

Archive up here.

Give thanks.

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing

"Man Down \ Bad Sex" (plus free download "Let's go mental").
Artist: Valta & Minikin
Label: Rag & Bone Records
Catalogue no: TOTTER 25
Genre: Mutant Bassline / Dubstep

"Valta & Minikin are the kingpins of The Ukrainian underground music scene. For a good few years now they have been running the leading night in capital Kiev dedicated to Bass music...in between gigs they have been busy in the studio developing their sound and it’s a perfect infusion of their Ukrainian roots and the inspiration gleaned from the artists they have worked with at Kievbass.

Rag & Bone Records have chosen 2 tracks that bang on the dancefloor. Already road tested by a few select DJs, they are nothing short of infectious."
 
http://soundcloud.com/ragandbone/sets/valta-minikin-man-down-bad-sex/ 

Out on digital release Moday 31st January 2011.

To coincide with this forthcoming release Rag & Bone are giving away a little freebie track entitled "Let's Go Mental," also on their Soundcloud page.

I suggest you that you all go and download dat.

Seeing the world through _ tinted Spectacles

Interesting (and unusual) article posted up the other day on ["nuum-General"] Simon Reynolds' blissblog.com, referencing a piece written by a religious writer (a Catholic one, no less!).

In it Reynolds mentions a discussion that he'd had recently, with a friend who said that they'd completely given up on music and had become "entirely consumed by following politics."

The article that he links to is a rather priestly (but still very modern!) attack on the virtual reality of the web / news. His point of issue in particular is with people's attitudes towards spectacles in a time when everyone spends all of their time online - spectacle, as Reynolds points out, being a word that cannot fail to conjure up old Situationist ideas about "the poverty of everyday life" (ones which, I really do have to agree with our man here [here!], seem more relevant than ever before in today 2.0).

He goes on to draw some interesting parallels between people's passive obsessivness online towards the compsumption of politics, and that of music; that "addictive, stim-buzz-snacking, distracted-drifting, more-more-gimme-more" approach to current affairs, and the "flitting and skimming, tldr, dl-ing-but-never-getting-round-to-listening, half a YouTube here, half a streamed track there" current every day mode of engaging with music.

I don't like to get too poli'ical on here (as a matter of principal), but I must say that I do think it sheds some light on why so many people seem to be "getting off" on politics at the moment (via blog hype [2nd one's by a friend of mine!] about the student protests, constant coalition goverment as "tory scum" chat etc etc...) in the same way that a lot of us get off on music.

It does appear, at very least, that people actually do give a shit about all of this stuff.

Serious times, indeed.

Sunday 16 January 2011

Tribal Ting Dat

Absolutely MASSIVE new one here, from previous DJ Distance collaborator Tunnidge on some mad tribal darkside tip (wtf?!? I KNOW!!!!). The track even gets a lovely deep 180g Transition cut thanks to DMZ soundbwoy Mala's always DEEP Medi Musik label (standard protocol for ALL of their pressings, ennit...).

File alongside classic Skull Disco, T++ etc etc (If you wanna get all Boomkat about things...although they actually rather w*nkily said that the track was, "one of the most esoteric tracks [of?] Deep Medi's catalogue, ripe for set-starting dramas." It's A LOT more than just a bate set opener, trusssss me...).

There's even a pretty effin 'eavy 'alfstepper on the flip - satisfying all of your 'con-tin-#nuum' needs with some excellent future b-line bizniz 'llongsidge that classicly spine tingling 'fiery the angels fell' sample, originally off of Ridley Scott's uber sick darkside sci-fi standard Blade Runner.

[Previously available here and here, and probably pon countless other good club tunes over the past 20 years - circa '95 and '05 respectively, if you're that keen / just in case you din't know!].

VERY Voodoo = Cop on site business.

I'm certainly gona be rinsing both sides out over the next few months pon di radio. Fingerz crossed for more big tings on wax this 2k11!

Thursday 13 January 2011

Smooth FM part ?




As sampled on this wicked old Stones Throw tune, by the man like MED alongside the Madlib.

Bit of a persy.

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Rasing Hell


I didn't do an RIP for Sleazy at the time - but, as I'm sure most of you are aware by now, he was a musician (/writer/producer/video maker, etc etc) best known for his roles in Throbbing Gristle and Coil throughout the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, who died peacefully in his sleep on the 25th November, 2010.

Having stumbled across Coil's amazing ("bowel churning," to quote director Clive Barker) Unreleased Themes for Hellraiser the other day I felt it necesarry to guide your ears towards some bits from his phenomenal body of work.

Here is an interview with Coil from the late 80s, which touches on some interesting points regarding the usefulness of their brand of challenging and "introvert" music. Sleazy's the one on the midi keyboard organising some of the chaos about half way through.

He leaves behind him one hell of a discography. Long may his legacy live on. Rest in peace.

Tuesday 4 January 2011

Classic TraXXX Mania

Just found THIS classic Dance Mania booty / ghetto mix from DJ Flint posted up on the ol' YoutTube (actually uploaded as recently as feb 2010...).

The original CDr / cassette release dates from back in 1997, and (interestingly!) includes many of the names included on the recent Planet Mu Footwork / Nu Skool Juke comps - full tracky here on the discogs page (audio cuts after about track 17, so no RP Boo or DJ Clent unfortunately. See what I did there, with the links...).

"From the back...Bitch. Hoe...Woah Oh..." etc etc etc. This sh*t is fast as hell, and really f*cked up, trust me.

Turn't up, and switch your mind to freak mode.

Enjoy.

Monday 3 January 2011

None More Black-er

I know this sh*t ain't exactly hot off the press now...but, bwoy, this recent remix of UK dark techno act Raime from the equally / even more dark tech man like Regis is seriously effing good ennit?!

Totally full on spookiness, understated as hell, spidery clicks, blips n drips, those eerie as foo*k film soundbites that start padding about, that 2 dark swampy bassline that propels it all along - surely this one's a must?

The artwork (and title) are even reminiscent of classic Cold Rush Records mid 90s horrorcore styles I reckon.

The feel certainly is.

Cold sh*t, ennit.

Apparently the original was a really seminal cut. Nice to see a label on this kind of tip coming from these humble shores / a scene very close to home again.

To reference Poomkat.com (hehe!) -

"Darkside b'stards, your time!"

Plus it got a vinyl pressing.

Wonderful.

Happy 2011, Voodoo Ravers.
- jambie
 

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