A Top Ten from Werner
06/05/2008
Posted by Music Blogger
Class 71 - Seaphone – CDR
Just an amazing constant deep house groove. It just goes on and on and on… Well done. It’s my current favorite.
Audio Nature – Placebo – Audio Culture
An old school house feeling with funky beats. When the vocal comes in, it drives people absolutely mad.
Pan Pot – Crank (Zander VT Remix) – Mobilee
Perfect tune to build up a set. The dubby delays and the synth build up take you on a journey to far, far away.
Gordon Beard – Spring Beats – Audio Culture
Not much to say. It’s just a record and a half. Wow!
My My – Southbound – Southbound / Pink Flamingos
A deep, tribal track which is a perfect tool at any time of the night. Always works.
Jojo Flores & Joe DiPadova – Yes Smoke – DSOH
This is the first release on Lars Behrenroth’s Deeper Shades of House label. Nice percussive tune with lots of piano elements. The way it goes through the whole track gives you such a positive feeling.
Todd Sines – Thick Satin (Andomat 3000 Heinzland Remix) - ???
Minimal deepness, dub bass line, vocal snippets, what else do you need?
Kikiorix – Balance/Game Over – Audio Culture
It simply reminds me of a recent Kerri Chandler track.
Nick Curly – Tele Vision – 8 Bit
Dub, dubbier, dubbiest. Deep, deeper, deepest.
Jay Dee – Plastic Dreams – Original Version
ALL TIME CLASSIC. I found it again when I went through my record collection the other day.
Rahul Verma on the British festival season
23/04/2008
Posted by Music Blogger
It’s barely May and festival fatigue is upon us: you can’t flick through a freesheet, broadsheet, music weekly, style mag or scroll down a web ’zine without a line-up announcement or ad. And it’s going to be like this EVERY DAY until September, festivals are like the summer version of Christmas – relentless, inescapable and exhausting.
This summer there are around 500 ‘festivals’ happening in the UK, which is quite staggering. On the one hand you can’t fault ‘consumer choice’ as there really is a festival for everyone, whether Download for punk rock moshers, Global Gathering for flouro ravers, folk festivals or Latitude for the polite, Port Eliot book festival for literary mash heads, humungous festivals (Glastonbury, V, Reading & Leeds), boutique festivals like the Big Chill for yummy mummies and their McLaren buggies, and family festivals with hardly any named bands (Shambala), but the event that confirms that no matter what your tribe there’s a festival for you, is a three day Jazz Festival for naturists in Kent.
On the other hand there’s little doubt we’re at saturation point – since when were festivals our new favourite summer pastime? It’s all the more banal considering the one thing that all ‘festivals’ have in common is the great outdoors and the threat of dreaded rain.
Can anyone even remember the last decent summer we had? Is there anything worse than being at a festival in the rain? Nothing dissolves festival cheer quicker than grey sky and the metronomic patter of raindrops on polyester. You can’t sit down, it’s literally a pain in the ass, thighs and calves to walk anywhere, you’re perennially damp, cold and never warm up, and you can’t chill outside with your mates. A wet festival is the ultimate test of British endurance and stoicism, where we’re forced to grin and bear it, like the Blitz, or get so high that we’re singing in the rain.
And after the wettest summer in living memory submerged half the country, we have the busiest festival season ever. Go figure, the country’s gone mad. Festivals in 2008 seem an apt allegory for our times and capture in a microcosm the state of the nation. The sheer bloatedness of our festival season seems to parallel the carefree spending, borrowing and ‘buy today pay whenever’ recklessness of the last few years. You have to be a hermit not to realise that payback time for this is upon us, and is compounded by a huge rise in the basic costs of living. In troubled times frivolities are the first things to go, and on that basis, there’s no way that 500 festivals can survive into next year.
Which may be no bad thing: quality not quantity is a proverb for a reason. Let’s just hope it’s not the fat cat, corporate-funded festivals with the deepest pockets that survive, and kill off the little guys, especially not the ‘little guys’ at the naturist jazz festival.
Zero Tolerance's Music Blog
14/04/2008
Posted by Music Blogger
Since relocating from Dublin to London in 2006 I’ve been loving the fact that you can find almost any kind of music happening here. Being a D&B producer I am wary of over-saturation in the sense that if I listen to too much drum & bass then my music might become derivative and worthless. So I’ve been actively hunting fresh sounds on the London scene. Being from such a small city, I marvel at the fact that you can check serious live music in intimate surroundings on any day of the week, and there are always people there! Melting pot business, I love it. Here are my top five live acts I’ve seen recently…
Reel People
A conglomerate of London players and vocalists from various acid jazz bands from the ‘90s. Check their live LP (on Defected) – so good it sounds like a studio LP – simply amazing future soul music.
www.myspace.com/reelpeople
The Rebirth
San Fran soul / funk merchants involving some of the members of the ridiculously tight Breakestra, this band is pure gold – have to be seen to be believed!
www.myspace.com/therebirth
Reprazent
I’ve caught them on their New Forms 2 tour. Now I may be biased here, but I was lucky enough to see this show twice and I was blown away. I haven’t seen them live since an Essential Weekender at Finsbury Park in ‘97! They’re still have it like no-one else in (live) jungle land.
www.myspace.com/ronisizeuk
Jill Scott
A creature from another world. She is the most evocative singer I have ever had the pleasure of seeing live. Needless to say, her Philly backing band is amazing. Go and witness!
www.jillscott.com
Bugz in the Attic
Brimming with all the party vibes and energy of a ‘70s glam funk outfit, the Bugz know how to rock a party. In their three-stripe jumpsuits they really transmit their enthusiasm for music, which is what I want to see in a live show.
www.bugzintheattic.co.uk
Another perk of moving to London is witnessing burgeoning scenes develop; dubstep being an obvious current example. I see it as pretty much the same music as D&B, garage, grime, all of which draw on the same influences, musically and otherwise, the only difference is tempo. I do have to say though, I’m feeling the more dub-wise end of dubstep; Mala from Digital Mystikz in particular really impressed me at a recent show. His latest single ‘Lean Forward’ is out on DMZ right now. When it comes to dubstep I’m not so into the bleepy, riffy end of things, I just want to hear big sub! The best dubstep reminds me of my favourite dub producers, Scientist, Prince Jammy and King Tubby; it’ll be interesting to see how it develops as time goes on. For those with a taste for dubstep, try checking out some original dub. I’d recommend the following albums…
Scientist - Rids The World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires (Greensleeves)
King Tubby Meets The Upsetter - At the Grass Roots of Dub (Studio 16)
Prince Jammy & Tubby & Scientist - First, Second and Third Generation of Dub (KG Imperial)
Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (Clocktower)
Scientist - Wins the World Cup (Greensleeves)
Tips from the Souljazz Records Soundsystem
24/03/2008
Posted by Music Blogger
There's been loads of great new music coming out this year. Here is a brief run-down of what's getting a battering on the Soul Jazz Records stereo at the moment...
The relentless productions of Skream and Digital Mystikz are high on our playlist with excellent new releases from both. 'Skreamizm 4' sees Skream deliver six heavyweight jams featuring his unmistakable bass-heavy production skills - check 'Tek A Pill', 'Oskillatah' and '2D'.
The Digital Mystikz release 'Shake Out Your Demons' on Disfigured Dubs is all heavy tribal rhythms and dubbed out reggae vibes with a low end which knocks all ravers sideways!
Of the compilations currently doing the rounds, there are two killer African releases - 'Nigeria Special: Modern High-Life, Afro Sounds & Nigerian Blues' on Soundway Records - rare and funky high-life sounds like you've never heard before from the early to mid ‘70s. Also check 'African Scream Contest - Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin & Togo', a rocking album filled with African funk and party afrobeat inspired by US artists like James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone.
Another essential release out this month is 'An England Story: The Culture of the MC in the UK 1984-2008' on our own label. It shows the links and musical path since the arrival of UK dancehall and sound systems in the early 1980s, then travels through successive musical movements such as jungle and UK hip hop through to more recent developments such as garage, grime and dubstep. Killer cuts from the likes of General Levy, Roots Manuva, Tippa Irie, Stush, Riko, London Posse, Warrior Queen and many more.
This Month on The End's Stereo
17/03/2008
Posted by Music Blogger
Tawiah – ‘In Jodi’s Bedroom EP’
Tawiah’s talents were brought to our attention here when Gilles Peterson included her track ‘Watch Out’ on his 2007 label compilation ‘Brownswood Bubblers Vol. 2’. Her soulful vocals, hook and its classy production made it the real standout moment on a very good album. It’s also the lead track on her debut EP, ‘In Jodi’s Bedroom’, though not its finest; that accolade is reserved for the epic ‘Every Step’. There is quality running throughout the six tracks, which offers serious promise for her debut album that is apparently in the works. If you’ve not yet heard of her, expect loads of hype later in the year, but don’t be put off when music journos go on about her being a graduate of the Brit School.
www.myspace.com/tawiah
Autechre – ‘Quaristice’
Autechre released their ninth album at the beginning of the month, amid much sweaty excitement from armies of IDM geeks on message boards. Apparently composed pretty much exclusively using the hardware that they toured with on their ‘Untilted’ tour, this gave them the ability to come up with hours of new ideas and material almost immediately, which is probably why every one of the 20 tracks feels like a much longer piece edited down. Not as dry and sterile as ‘Untilted’, the album has more melody, but at times is still a challenging listen. ‘Quaristice’ is all abstract, industrial freeform rhythms that cast off the constraints of musical theory; most definitely not background music. It demands you sit up and pay attention, play it from start to finish and really immerse yourself in it. Favourite track: Fol3 (no12), this is one to piss the neighbors off with, it sounds like an explosion in a hoover factory, played backwards, really slowly.
www.autechre.ws
The Orb - 'The Dream'
The Orb’s new long player ‘The Dream’ kicks off promisingly, with the title track giving you the wonderfully surreal sensation that aliens have just landed in your head and you are about to find out if there really is life on Mars. Just what we’ve come to expect from these sultans of ethereal dub. Unfortunately, by track three the album has taken a bit of a downward turn with a mini-gaggle of fairly sub-standard tracks, more ambient ramblings, and some uninviting vocals. Just when you think all is lost, however, suddenly the aliens have re-landed, the fog has lifted and The Orb are back in the game. From ‘Lost and Found’ onwards, the album finds its legs again, and you are bombarded with purist old school Orb; all dirty dubby basslines and intangibly trippy layers. It’s really quite simple: stick to what you do best, and you shall forever hold a special place in the hearts of mushroom–munching music-lovers right across the globe.
http://www.theorb.com/
Benga – ‘Diary of an Afro Warrior’
Those familiar with a Benga DJ set may be expecting an album of smashers. Not so. Well, not entirely. The album opens with ‘Zero M2’, all swirling keys and acoustic bass, and as the album progresses there’s plenty of the abstract and unexpected in this LP; from the beats and tempo of ‘Someone 20’ to the brass and ride cymbals in ‘B4 The Dual’ to the soothing pads of ‘Loose Synths’ there’s plenty of substance here. Of course there’s no shortage of bangers either; the album’s loaded with shuddering basslines, frenetic percussion and terrifying synths, all laced with that Benga groove. In short, well worth a listen. Look at that, we wrote 105 words about the album without mentioning ‘Night’…Oh.
www.myspace.com/bengabeats
Win a copy here.
Hercules and Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair
Ok, the Hercules and Love Affair album may have had more hype than global warming recently, but listen to the album and every melodic beat and loop justifies it. It’s been getting plenty of airplay here in the office, it’s paced slowly enough for your front room, yet with enough energy and groove for the dancefloor. Think of a marriage of vintage disco, Chicago and acid house, with plenty of melancholic rhythms and dreamy vocals. Heavenly!
www.herculesandloveaffair.com
Raymundo Rodriguez on the deepest sounds at Jaded
11/03/2008
Posted by Music Blogger
I'm a total sucker for the deep, warm sounds at the moment, and I’ve been getting hold of some amazing stuff of late. Here are some of the artists that are doing it for me at the deep end of things…
Ric McClelland aka Scope
I met Ric while gigging in Belfast last year, we had a nice chat over some drinks, and we have kept in touch ever since, plus he has been kind enough to furnish me with most of his new musical creations. Every single thing he has sent through has been superb, he is completely at home making lush, deep grooves as well as the more up-tempo techy belters, his 'My Generation' track on Audio Therapy is actually one of the most requested tunes at Jaded. It is definitely well worth checking out his whole back catalogue, labels he has released music on include Urban Torque, Plastic City, Forensic and Glideslope, and on the new release tip keep an ear to the ground for Scope – ‘Lost on Collins’ on Glideslope Music, Scope & Leigh Morgan – ‘Isle of Indigo’ on Helvetica Recordings and Zebbo – ‘Good/Evil (Scope's Lost in Mexico Remix)' on Helvetica Recordings (another big tune for me). Coming in April, Scope – ‘Feelings’ on Helvetica Recordings, S-groove – ‘Feel Your Soul (Scope's Soultronica remix)' on Forensic Records and then in May it's the big one; Ric releases his debut album ‘Studio Sessions Vol.1’ on Urban Torque.
www.myspace.com/ricmcclellandmusic
Midi Drop Music aka Mrcenzo and Matt Masters
Mrcenzo and Matt Masters are a production duo that have been making some outstanding deep, warm house music for some time now; not a week goes by without me sticking at least two or three of their tracks in my radio show. I highly recommend you check out their ‘Movement EP’ on Guess Records, I constantly play all four of the tracks on there. And look out for the ‘Back to Back EP’ forthcoming on German label TriCircle Deep due to be released in May. Both of these chaps are also smashing it on the solo front, with Matt part of the Freerange Records team and Mrcenzo with forthcoming solo releases such as his outstanding ‘Time to Move EP’ on Guess Records in April.
www.myspace.com/mrcenzo
www.myspace.com/mididropmusic
www.myspace.com/mastersmatt
Sebastian Davidson
Throughout most of 2007 and 2008, Netherlands based DJ/producer Sebastian has been seriously impressing me with a whole host of deep electronic goodness, he is another master of the warm, deep and rounded grooves. Check out his releases on Kinky Vinyl, Outside the Box Music, Whoop and Deepology. And on the new release front check out ‘77th Avenue’ on Global Underground and ‘Nightshift’ on Deepology Digital, both by Sebastian Davidson, Edwin Mulder & Ferdy. Also worth your time are Sebastian’s solo tracks ‘Wrong Season’ on Elevation Records Ireland, ‘Rain’ on Khazuma Future, ‘Skyride’ on Elevation Records Ireland, ‘Weekend Love’ on Kinky Vinyl and the ‘Drop Deep EP’ on Deepology Digital. Also check Sebastian Davidson’s tracks featuring Nick Orisun; ‘Natural’ on Glideslope Music NY and ‘Future’ on Conya Digital, plus a track with Lucien Foort which is yet to be given a title.
www.myspace.com/djsebastiandavidson
