Rinse July

Me & Dusk, Rinse FM were on Rinse thurs 22nd. Download the podcast HERE!!!

LHF infact

"The light means many things. Mostly for me it is connected to illumination and forgotten wisdom. The light relates to our sound, theres elements in there from the past that have been completely forgotten about, theres an attitude in our music that doesnt get represented any more. The light is the light that makes things new again..."

-- Amen Ra [LHF] via Fact.

Ashes57

Photo: James Blake @ DMZ by Ashes57

Lava collective presents... The Message: A selection of photo portraits by Ashes 57

Featuring her shots of Madlib, Rza, Skream, Mala, Loefah, Coki, Benga, Silkie, Pinch, Quest, Joker, Sgt Pokes + more. Photos, posters and prints for sale. Ashes57 is the designer for Deep Medi, Swamp 81 and Dubwar.

Thursday, 22nd July at Rag Factory, London 6-11pm. Drinks in the courtyard, sound system indoors: music from Jon Rust, LAVA DJs + special guests.

www.ashes57.com or Ashes57 on Flickr.

Polstar: Margins Music Live at The Albany

All photos of Dusk + Blackdown Margins Music Live at the Albany in June shot by The Polstar*.

There are other shots here including some stills from the 22 music videos made for the live show.

Pitchfork July: SA infiltrates the LDN bass matrix

My Pitchfork column for July covers how a South African influence is infiltrating the LDN bass matrix. Below, read my full interview with Gerv from LV. Dont forget you can still download the "OKZharp" mix here.

Interview: Gerv from LV on SA influences in LDN

Blackdown: Do you think its fair to say that within London based sounds, especially dubstep, UK funky & house, that influences from South Africa have begun to be more prominent this year?

Gerv LV: Yeah seems like it, and it's fun listening out for those crossover moments. It seems like London music is just a hectic mess at the moment and the SA influence is in there somewhere. Hectic mess haha, I like that. In SA slang hectic can mean bad and bad-meaning-good...

The World Cup has obviously had a big impact so perhaps people are more aware of SA culture in general, which makes it easier for them to accept an SA twist in their party music. and then if someone is really feeling that sound or vibe they can go looking for the source...

B: What current examples, musically, would you point to of South African music in a London context? Are there South African artists getting some attention here or SA influences being adopted into London sounds?

G: I guess an obvious example is Kode9 playing that Mujava Mugwanti tune and putting it in his DJ Kicks mix. and I've heard Mosca and the Night Slugs people play DJ Cleo tunes and other SA stuff. I recently got sent an amazing track by Bakongo with a complete brainmelter of a b-line, all slidey and bubbly and... kwaito-ish. It'll be interesting to see if DJ Cleo's new Es'Khaleni CD gets any love over here.

B: There are obviously so many styles of music within South Africa, you point to kwaito, shangaan (old afro pop records being played at 45 rpm) and this term township tech, can you explain alittle more about what these are?

G: I guess that's inevitable in a country with 11 official languages! It does seem like weird things are happening with Kwaito at the minute, in the stuff I've heard there's been a pretty blatant move away from the traditional sounds and people are just going fully for the trance leads and 808s formula from US pop, but always with the classic Kwaito vocal stylings. And it seems to be speeding up too so it fits in with the house thing.

The Shangaan thing is really exciting to me, I heard some amazing stuff from Smiso when I was out in SA. He was telling me that it basically started on this late night radio show on this one local radio station in Joburg where the DJ realised that if he played all their parents' generation's township pop tunes at 45 instead of 33 peeps were going crazy for it. I guess it's also a cool way for these kids to reclaim that generation's music that, for the outside world at least, was totally lost. But then obviously the new producers are vibing off those hyper sounds and making their own versions.

I think Township Tech was a term coined by Spoek Mathambo for some of his stuff but it seems quite a good fit for quite a lot of the stuff I've been hearing. Spoek is very proud of where he's from but he's also a total sponge, devouring sounds and scenes and spitting it all out in this great mishmash that is just him. When I was planning my trip out there various people including Marcus from Hyperdub suggested I give him a call. It was pretty mad when we met how much we had in common musically, we pretty much bonded over Newham Genz, Big Nuz, Scratcha's breakfast show, DJ Rashad and PM Dawn haha and we had magic late-night recording sessions at Red Bull studios in Cape Town with Zaki Ibrahim. A couple of the tunes we did have ended up on his forthcoming album for BBE and I think it could surprise a few people. It surprised me when I heard it!

B: Does Kwaito connect with UK funky? How?

G: There's an obvious rhythmic similarity there with Kwaito and SA house, those broken up snare triplets over the 4/4. And I think you can also hear a similarity in those emotive bendy chords and brash percussive synth lines. But it seems accepted now that the Funky thing mainly came out of UKG and US house. The interesting thing about the US house influence on Funky is that DJ Fresh and various other slightly-older SA house DJs have long-standing connections with Masters At Work and people like that, so perhaps there's an indirect second-hand connection there too...

B: Is there any evidence of a SA influence in grime? Im not sure there is but Id open to persuasion

B: I haven't heard much of an SA influence in grime yet but it excites me to hear people like Skepta and JME showing pride in their Nigerian heritage and not being afraid to use that in their music. I wouldn't be surprised if soon some UK kid started chatting his parents' dutty Cape slang to get past Westwood's radio censors haha.

[NB: I sanity-checked this point with Logan, ie is there any SA influence in or on grime, and the answer is a resounding no as expected Blackdown]

G: I do think it's already going the other way though, with UK grime influencing SA artists. I know Spoek, for example, is a total grime geek. And I noticed a few people in SA referring semi-seriously to their music as SA Grime. Rattex is a hiphop artist from Khayelitsha near Cape Town on the Pioneer Unit label and though the main inspiration is still clearly US hiphop you can hear a definite common ground with a London artist like Giggs in the tone, delivery and subject matter. I remember playing Rattex and his crew a couple of Wiley tunes and that Riko/Scratchy tune 'Don't Get Caught'...to say they went mad is a bit of an understatement!

B: Can you explain a bit about your own background, your current location but connections to SA?

G: I was born in Cape Town but moved to London when I was about 6. All my family are still out there and I do feel a definite connection with the place but my musical life and education was definitely London. Then at Christmas time my mum would get all misty-eyed and put on Soweto String Quartet or Miriam Makeba or something...

B: In our first interview you mentioned the connection between taxi drivers and music in SA, what kind of music do they mostly play?

G: I heard a few people refer to it as 'taxi music' but I suppose the easiest word to use for that stuff is 'house' cos it always has that 4/4 pulse. South Africa pretty much runs on that pulse. I guess the thing people often don't realise about SA music is, as Spoek said to me, house music is pop music. Or pop music is house music. It's everywhere.

B: I think Boomslang could be a very big record for you guys, could you tell me how it came about?

G: Safe! wicked that you like it! It came together in quite a pretty skitzoid roundabout way. It started in January when I went up to Joburg from Cape Town to play a couple of DJ gigs there and Spoek suggested I give his mate Smiso a call. So the day after the first gig I went round to Smiso's place to chill and we hit it off, I had a mic with me so we set up in his kitchen and he chatted Swazied madness over a few LV beats. When I got back to the UK we messed around lifting cool bits out of his freestyles and one of the resulting tunes was Boomslang.... Hope to have some news on it soon...

B: Can you tell me about 'experimental' end of SA bass music, the breakbeat scientific

Rinse June

We're on Rinse last Thursday night at 11pm, despite my PC dieing 15 mins before I needed to leave for Dusk's gaff and I'd only burnt half the music to CD and despite when pulling away in the car the 'empty' light came on in the fuel gauge. Then when we got to Rinse it turns out the FM, internet stream and MSN were all down.

Despite all the stress and some extreme driving on my part, it turned out to be... a really fun show. Hopefully the podcast will appear at some point. this just in, no podcast either. shame, was happy with the show. we're trying to re-schedule a re-run, watch this space...

UPDATE: we did a cover show this weds, 29th 11pm on rinse.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE, it was one of my favourite shows in ages...

** Dusk + Blackdown Rinse FM June 2010 show **

Dunian "Where is the Problem" [unreleased]

Cooly G "Dis Boy" (DVA remix) [unreleased]
MC Creed & Esko Beats "Generate" [unreleased]
Pocz & Pacheko "Zarbak" [unreleased]
Louise Williams & MVP "I Wonder" [unreleased]
DJ Tony Blitz (C.R.S.T.) "Mighty Music" [unreleased]
Girl Unit "IRL (Mosca refix)" [unreleased]
Gremino "The Shining (Jam City Remix)" [Car Crash Set/Fortified Audio]
C.R.S.T. "Thank You!" [unreleased]
Untold "Anaconda (Guarachero Refix)" [unreleased]
Kentphonic "Hiya Kaya (Rocco Deep mix)" [Stalwart]
C.R.S.T. "The Bells!" [unreleased]
Fiz-T "Came To Dance ft Atim Esther (Fiz-T remix)" [unreleased]
Baobinga & I.D. feat. Rider Shafique "Lickle Further" [unreleased]
Tomb Crew "Inna Dat (Rico Tubbs club mix)" [Bass = Win! Records]
Kode9 "You Dont Wash (Instrumental)" [!K7]
S-X "Woooo (funky house remix)" [Stay Fresh]
Mount Kimbie "Mayor" [forthcoming Hotflush]
Maxwell D "Creeper funky remix vocal" [unreleased]
Rooflight "Harlem Power" [Prolific]
C.R.S.T. "Bump" [unreleased]
Mount Kimbie "Carbonated" [forthcoming Hotflush]
C.R.S.T. "Turn Away" [unreleased]

SBTRKT "Readysetloop" [unreleased]
Silkie "80s Baby" [forthcoming Deep Medi]
Terror Danjah "Horror Story" [forthcoming Planet Mu]
Desto "Untitled" [unreleased]
Mr Mitch "Save As" [unreleased]
Redlight & Ms Bratt "Selecta" [unreleased]
Exo & Moony "Two Face" [unreleased]
SRC "Sex on the beach" [unreleased]
Mumdance ft Trim & Jammer "Tarahhtid" [unreleased]

Double Helix "Supreme Architecture" [unreleased]
Amen Ra "One Toke Wonder" [unreleased]
Amen Ra "Simple Tings" [unreleased]
Arge Numa Crew "Shivaganga" [unreleased]

Arp 101 "Dead Leaf" [forthcoming Eglo]

Who are the keepers of the light?

Who Are The Keepers of the Light? Group Mix

Download the mix here. Join the Facebook Group here.

Protect & Serve - Octaviour
Lucid - Solar Man
Sono Luminessence - Double Helix
Life Age - Double Helix
Hot Steppin - Double Helix
Dream Catcher - Amen Ra
Dreamers Lament - Double Helix
Candy Rain - Amen Ra
Chamber of Light - Double Helix
No Love - Amen Ra vs NFA
The Gap - Double Helix ft Solar Man
Supreme Architecture - Double Helix
Sunset (Mumbai Slum Edition) - NFA
Solo - LDM
Pranayama - Amen Ra

LHF "EP1: Enter in Silence" is out June 28th on 12" but in Boomkat now and on digital. Listen to it here.

Rinse gets a licence!!!!

Rinse FM has been awarded a licence, 16 years after it started in east London... this is an historic moment for London pirate culture, one-nil to the good guys.

The work put in by Gee, Rat, Soulja and all the Ammo family has been immense, from the updates I've occasionally heard. The plans for the future seem incredible, quite different and beyond the music really socially heartwarming.

But enough about the future, let's savour this moment. The audio is here. "Feel Good!"

LHF "EP1: Enter in Silence"

The greatest rhythms in dubstep part 2

Last year I started writing about rhythms in dubstep and since then things have been a bit mental. Anyway here's part 2 and I'll try and not and leave it so long for part three, honest.

Mala "Learn" (DMZ, 2007)

Nominally, "Learn" is both a halfstep beat (in where the snare is placed) and "wobble" tune (in so far as it uses an LFO on the sub bassline), but the truth is it's absolutely neither of these things, as far as the words are popularly understood to mean. It is instead, so much more. The genius of "Learn" is revealed as the arrangement flows and that itself is a thing of wonder. Not least because it makes you wonder why more producers don't do it more.

"Learn" begins by throwing you in an echo chamber, a dark and dangerous one, using dub-as-process (not dub-as-sample-source) to bring you as close to dub as dubstep truly gets. The high hats lead the way, suggesting a way out of this dangerous space, a path into the light, but it's a slippy and treacherous one.

To begin with the hats seem fairly traditionally placed - on beat but with a short (probably 16th) delay - and then offbeat 8th hats come in, creating the classic house 8th on-beat/offbeat tension. But as we descend towards the drop the delay on the on beat hats suddenly they change time signature, from 4/4 to 12/8. Naturally these two patterns can be overlayed, by placing three triplet note hats where once were two eighths, so the track can be beatmixed while giving the impression of changing time signature midway through. It's a simple but very rare move, with the only people that spring to mind being Wiley and Zomby who perform 4/4 --> 12/8 switches.

The sub drops in, adding a physical impact, but in truth at this stage "Learn" is still skeletally thin, a body of percussive bones that flesh barely clings to. Mala sees to that: the track progresses and reveals its second moment of rhythmic genius.

While Loefah, in past interviews, has talked about the use of space as rhythmic element ("the way I see it, space is just as much of an instrument as a kick or a snare. You need peaks and troughs"), as the track develops Mala uses a synth stab as percussion. Riding triplets again, it's a completely new element added to the track but proves magical, shocking in its unannounced late arrival. He could have added it in 4/4, but by adding it in 12/8 he respects the understanding that for a track to rhythmically work as a whole (unless you're looking for something deliberately jumbled), each percussive element has to have it's place, not conflict with others and work towards the greater, utterly coherent whole.

Mala is the teacher: why haven't you Learned anything? ;)

Pitchfork June: Kode9

My monthly Pitchfork column features - and it sounds crazy to say this nine (sic) years after we first met - my first proper Kode9 interview. If I'm honest it hardly scratches the surface, but there'll be another time no doubt.

Nicely chiming with my question about podcasts v CD mixes, to promote the studio mix Kode's done a jungle podcast for Fact. It's here.

Kode9 interview

Blackdown: Can you tell me a bit about how you went about putting the mix CD together, what you wanted to do with it, what connections and synergies you wanted to make?

Kode9: I was asked to do the mix towards the end of 2009 and finished it in February 2010. I just wanted to do a snapshot of some of my sets from the last year, and the range of music I've been playing. Once I'd put the tracklist together I realized it was a bit tense, so added the interlude in the middle for a bit of fresh air.

B: In the last 5 years, weve seen a seismic shift in the accessibility of online music and podcasts/MP3 recordings are now one of, if not the primary medium to carry new musical ideas. To me it seems to form a continuum where podcasts sit at one end, where their financial value has tended to zero, their audio quality is low, they ignore copyright and their accessibility is potentially unlimited. At the other end of that scale you have a physical mix CDs, which have a financial cost, are high audio quality, and cant be easily distributed unless digitized. Given they respect copyright (and therefore incur all the financial barriers that creates) and given so many regular(non-producer) music fans are fairly oblivious to audio quality, what
makes you want to invest time and ideas a mix CD in 2010?

K9: I don't know about you but I'm drowning in podcasts and radio rips. Most of them are are great, but I do loose them on my computer, forget about them or move on quickly to the next one. I was happy to do a mix CD because I've only done one before and I enjoy having a physical object with packaging, artwork and so on. I also hope it increases the likliehood a little bit that it might get played outside the little, tinny world of laptop speakers and i-pod headphones.

B: I was interested in this recent quote from you: There are so many mini micro sub-niche parts of what used to be dubstep or UK underground music, and it feels like everything is in transition. And to be honest, it feels like it's a holding pattern before something else comes. This to me seemed to place more weight on the times where there was more definition and less number of disparate mutations, rather than the phase in the cycle we are currently in, where definition is low and the number of disparate mutations is high, ie that the something else was one, larger and well defined thing, rather than a long tail of ill definition and that something else somehow had more value. Is it impossible to be blown away by a long tail of collectively inspirational musical mutations or does that effect require coherence that comes from unity of purpose and relative sonic definition?

K9: Well I'm not blown away by much to be honest, although I crave that fix, and that's what drives me to discover music that I haven't heard before, new and old. Most people that make music or DJ have experienced at least one musical movement that embodied an energy that was singular and that inevitably things get measured against, even if you don't listen to that music anymore or make it. Until, that kind of singularity comes that reshapes everything, it all just seems like a fun, but an ultimately transitory mess to get lost in. The point is to create something fresh in the process of getting lost.


B: If you can equate the 2006 era dread/darkness in dubstep to a certain extent with urban decay, is there an equivalent for the seam of neon dayglow colour that has run through many of the last two years of releases on Hyperdub? If there is, what does that beam of light invoke for you?

K9: Well the world isn't less decayed or full or dread though, is it? But I think the music got just irradiated somehow and turned into a bad trip in the washing powder aisle of a supermarket.

B: What is the personal root for you of the urge to find, curate, make and release new music, over music that is familiar or easily accessible?

K9: Boredom with the status quo and frustration with the equation of 'popular' with crap music.

B: In light of this relentless urge to move forward, to play upfront all the time, how do you decide when occasionally to go back ie with the Maddslinky or Nubian Mindz track on the mix? What about production wise, why cant older ideas be so easily revisited? Black Sun for example was a logical step if you saw the UK garage -> dark garage, therefore UK funky -> dark funky parallel, but you were shrewd not to use any 2step influences, instead drawing for UK funky influenced drums. So I guess Im asking, when is it ever feasible to swim against the tide?

K9: The urge to move forward certainly doesn't just mean to play 'upfront', or unreleased music all the time at all; it also means to find an escape route out of the present. There is so much music in the world, that often finding an escape route out of now means joining the dots, recovering lost or alternate futures, or hot linking to something happening coincidently elsewhere in parallel. These days,
'new' is a marketing term as much as it signifies freshness or innovation. There is no necessary relation between something being 'new' and something being interesting.

B: Much of the music youve been most directly involved with over the last ten years jungle, garage, grime, dubstep, uk funky - has been local. Can you tell me about your connection with the Brainfeeder camp, what theyre like and what you like about it, and what difference collaborating with an international collective makes versus a local one?

K9: I met Flying Lotus in Melbourne, Australia in 2006 I think, and we've just stayed in touch. He's got a musical vision which is rare and not just stuck in his own city. All the Brainfeeder crew are an amazingly talented bunch of freaks, and what is cool about the nights, whether the crowds like it all or not, is that, in quite a focused way, really anything goes.

B: You travel a lot to DJ, between the actual gigs, how do you find the places you visit? Do you meet people or is it a fairly solo experience, do you draw for the Rough Guides or just head to the next gig?

K9: I either wander about randomly or get shown places. I tend not to be in tourist mode because either I don't have enough time, or I'm not in the mood because of sleep deprivation.

B: In some of the interviews around the 5 CD, you seemed to suggest that Hyperdub could be made yet even better. Im not asking about specifics, but in general what more would you want to do differently with Hyperdub, a label that already sets the bar for many labels?

K9: I don't know. I just have a feeling that everything can always be better. I'd like to split into 9 instead of 4 different people so i could get more stuff done better and still sleep.

B: Do you feel you take as many risks DJing now as you did when you played to the empty dancefloor and that big curtain, month in, month out in the FWD>> warm up slot?

K9: I play differently if there is not so many people on the dancefloor, or its not a dance context. But I like to think I've always got a few c

Margins Music Live at The Albany

Itworkeditworkedohmygodsixmonthsofworkanditworked...

Margins Music Live

Dusk + Blackdown live tour Facebook page.

Locked in rehearsals for Margins Music Live is a funny blend of emotions: a mix of apprehension, excitement, tiredness, euphoria, stress and satisfaction. In this recent weather, it mostly smells like sweat. We've not had any blood or tears yet, despite Renu the drummer running Dusk over at 5mph, but I'm sure its only a matter of time.

Little wears me down more than dull repetitive rhythms of life, of the things imposed upon me that just have to be done, day in day out. So simply escaping those cycles alone has been a joy, utterly liberating. I didn't know Deptford before, though I knew the routes through South London to it as it's on the way to Transition in Forest Hill, but it's an amazing place in the epic sunshine, as it has been this week. Bowling past the African shops selling snails as big as a grapefruit or through the bustling second hand market full of clapped-out guitars, piles of shoes and busted stereos on a Wednesday, makes me think I couldnt have found myself in a more suitable place to try and build a Margins Music Live project.



The Albany is an oasis and having been encamped there this week I'm staggered it's not talked about more. A live venue, arts center, childrens park, cinema, recording & rehearsing studio, great cafe and community hub rolled into one: it's amazing. Walk into the cafe on a Sunday and you're likely to stumble across guys playing African instruments, singing in French accompanied by vibes players. Taste the cooking and I'd strongly recommend the spicy chicken.



Being locked away in this rare blessing of weather should have been cruel, instead it's been a week like no other, trying to re-imagine every bar from four or more years worth of music with percussionist Renu, two female vocalist Farrah and Japjit, a synth player Bobbie, a sound engineer Camillo and our VJ Jonathan Howells. Goodz we'll link with in due course, same for the special guest. Trying to make sure everyone knows what they're doing, and when and where at all times, finding the space between dusk + my studio album and "our" collective live project... well, I keep leaving the sessions feeling like I've had a light lobotomy. Tired but anxious/happy is a funny mix, but right now I'll take it.

The trick is to go from this...



... to this.



... via this.



Bobbie is baffled by our made-up string parts, we find it funny when she imports them into proper stave-notation. As a rare funk 7 DJ, we can't help but get the James Brown/JB's sample "Bobbie, I don't know..." stuck in our heads every time she says now, how does this bit go? She must hate us hehe. Camillo uses the mixing desk like an instrument and knows how to mic up Renu's tabla's properly. When Renu gets deep into a rhythm she leans forward, eyes down and this lock of hair comes over her face as if to protect her groove from interferences. She says she prefers polyrhythms and isnt so good at straight stuff. Vapjit's voice is inversely proportional to her height, Farrah's voice in twice as good as she realises. And what Jonathan's done to some grime MCs is gassed, literally, as in he's vaporised them, blown them through the digital air...

Knife & Gun Blackdown remix official tour video



MCs aren't gassed, they get vaporized... Exclusive unveiling of the Knife & Gun (Blackdown remix) video, made as part of 15 or so new visuals for the Margins Music Live tour by Jonathan Howells.

I'm currently dreaming in Ableton, a reverie of grids and boxes 6 wide and 150 deep. Working out what six other musicians should be doing at any one time is just the start. Pressing play on Cubase would have been so much easier, but it just wouldnt have felt honest, nor would have outsourcing our beats or basslines. Which of the 6x150 lights should be flashing small green triangles right now? Now there's a question indeed.

Another is, will it all work? Truth is, I hope so but I don't know. It's been one of the hardest and challenging things I've ever done over a short period, but inspirational too. But I can honestly stand up and say in terms of sound, impact and bassweight, it sounds like Dusk and I, so that much is encouraging. We're certainly getting there but we just need to see if the sum is greater than the many parts. If you can come to some of the gigs, I guess you'll let us know. Im not sure if well ever be able to put something like this together ever again, so come see it while you can.


- Dusk + Blackdown live tour Facebook page.

Live debut is 5the June - London The Albany ft Durrty Goodz + special guest + DJs LHF and James Blake, then on to Brighton, Manchester, Reading and Kendal with DJs including Starkey, Grievous Angel, LHF, United Vibes, Kowton, Scratcha DVA. More info on the Facebook page.

Rinse May

Me & Dusk were on Rinse.fm last thurs, special guests in the studio: LHF.

DOWNLOAD the podcast here.


Space Dimension Controller "The Love Quadrant" (Kinnego)
KidKut "Lilt" (unreleased)
Zander Hardy "Attack" (Deep Tecknologi Recordings)
Hot City "Another Girl" (unreleased)
Don Morris "In Da Groove" (Deep Teknologi)
Seiji "Yesman VIP" (unreleased)
Luke Envoy "m.u.g.e.n (Wonder backward 128 mix) (unreleased)
Sines "Z Riddim" (unreleased)
K.O.P. "Yardeval Riddim" (unreleased)
KidKut "I Love 04" (unreleased)
Marcus Price & Carli "Var E Näääken (Girl U.N.I.T. Remix)" (MBKW)
Arms and Suites "925" (unreleased)
Unknown Soulja "Killing Kong" (unreleased)
XXXY "I Can't Stop" (unreleased)
Slackk ft Badness & Shizzle "Broken Wings" (unreleased)

***LHF in the studio: exclusive mix***

Amen Ra "All That I Feel"
Low Density Matter "Blue Steel"
Double Helix "Touch The Feeling"
Octaviour "Protect and Serve"
No Fixed Abode "Capoeira"
Double Helix "Voyages"
Double Helix "Chamber of Light"
Amen Ra "The Law of 3"
Amen Ra "LHF Skit 3"
Double Helix "The Heist"
Amen Ra feat Double Helix "Broken Glass"
Double Helix "Supreme Architecture"
No Fixed Abode "Sunset" (Mumbai Slum Edition)
Double Helix vs Solar Man "Mambo"
Amen Ra feat No Fixed Abode "Dog Star"

***end mix***

Crazy Bald Heads "First Born (Four Tet Remix)" (unreleased)
Artek "Deep Boy" (unreleased)
Kuoyah "AngelsDub (Geoimix)" (unreleased Frjisco)
Maxwell D & Bean "Funky Eskimo Mix" (unreleased)
DJ Original Face "Brother" (unreleased)
Peverlist "Roll With The Punches (James Blake Remix)" (unreleased)
Oriol - Memories (Shortstuff Refix)
Slackk "SE Thing" (unreleased)
Mr Mitch "Fright Night (Moony Remix)" (unreleased)
Warrior One Feat. Serocee, Lady Chann, J2K & Rubi Dan "Bad Like Jimmy Cliff V.I.P." (unreleased)
Baobinga feat. Rubi Dan "Raggapihop" (unreleased)
Jai Paul "BTSTU" (unreleased)

Live tour: Facebook group

Dusk + Blackdown live tour Facebook page.

Keysound DJs announced too: LHF, United Vibez (Amen Ra + Vibzin), LV, Kowton, Grievous Angel, Scratcha DVA and James Blake.

UPDATE: Starkey now confirmed too!!!

Brighton and London live date may or may not feature a special guest...

LV "38" EP

Out now on 12".

Out now on digital too.

Me & Dusk in Fact mag.

Interview in 412 mag reveals the hidden influence of Now10 on "Margins Music".

Pitchfork May: SBTRKT

This month's Pitchfork column featuring SBTRKT.

SBTRKT interview...

Blackdown: I first clocked your music about 18 months to two years ago. For someone wed never come across, your music seemed really finished: had you started producing then? You seemed to be far further down the production curve than most people we first encounter.

SBTRKT: Ive been creating music for about 10 years and spend most of my spare time in front of Logic messing with tunes. Ever since listening to Masters At Work mid 90s house, drum & bass from the Reinforced/ Metalheadz era through to 2-step I wanted to make tunes, & started messing with those sounds. My early stuff was more of an imitation of other artists rather than my own direction. Over time I learnt how to record and arrange any of the ideas I had in my head from the beats to bigger strings.

B: You DJ in a mask and youve seemingly come out of nowhere to remix number 1 records. Perhaps unsurprisingly Ive heard lots of cheeky rumours about you, that youre really well connected in the music business for a new producer, that youre friends with Gilles Peterson, you know Sinden and Switch hahaha. How do you plead?!

S: Lol. Not guilty! Its true, no-one knew who I was when I sent tracks out as SBTRKT... Im pretty anti 'well-connected' artists. The only reason people heard my tracks is because DJs like yourself and Mary Anne Hobbs/Sinden/Benji B started playing them first and then it caught on to DJs like Annie Mac, Skream, Zinc...

Twitter has been great at hitting people up - I just write tracks and let them out there through my email. Or I just chuck my new tracks up on Soundcloud for people to hear. Chances are they wont come out for ages because Im crap at hooking finished tracks up with labels!

I used go to plastic a lot bout 5 years ago where I became friends with Sinden. We lost touch for a bit. And then he started supporting my sound without knowing he already knew me - he booked me as SBTRKT to play at his fabric night last year. Only on the night, after months, he found out it was me...

Remixing Tinie Tempah is just luck of the draw. I turned it down at first but then it came back on my iTunes and decided I would give it a go... didnt realise the original was set to no.1!

Im now getting a load of crazy remix requests prob on the back of that. J.L.S for example?! I love remixing but its got to be a decent track!

B: When you first started sending us beats , they had a percussive, 2step influence that pre-dated the future garage movement. How did you find yourself going down this path and why did you choose it

S: Ive always been big into 2step since its early days. When you are first buying music you try and find a sound that you call your own. And that was UK garage for me. Used to spend a lot of time & money as a kid down in Release the Groove & Uptown records basements. Jay Da Flex [Ghost] used to be my main source of knowledge in R.T.G. its kinda strange hearing the name being used now as when I first started playing around with sequencers I sent out CD demos to my mates named 'future garage'!

I was really into the Seiji/ Bugz world. That was my journey from 2-step thru broken beat to basically where Appleblim, Kode 9, Burial came around. Playing & making music which fused all the similar strands of electronic music Im into.

Garage has also always been my link to London. So the image it creates in my head drifting over the pirate station airwaves back in the day is inseparable. Its that thing people say like 'unless you been to Detroit you wont really understand the music' or similarly to Berlin. London has always been my city so that swing element has always been in my music - however far removed from the original 2-step sound it is.

B: Youve also been known to play live sets in clubs using Ableton. How did that come about and how is it better/worse than traditional DJing?

S: I used to play strictly vinyl sets but I lost the enjoyment of playing in a traditional way. Could never really settle on one - vinyl ,CDs, digital?!

Ableton definitely works for me. I can splice between loops and cue points in tracks & full songs. Guess you have to use your method and run with it. Cooly G is great with CDrs. Gaslamp Killer flips the way to use Serato and Derrick May I admire for his turntable mixing skills!

Ive rarely seen anyone playing laptop sets Im impressed with. Generally its either head in the screen or too much -too loud/ too many overdubs/ timestretch to oblivion! The laptop set is byword for shit these days/ I want to change that image!

B: As I mentioned above, you often DJ or play live in a mask: what role does it play and how is it important to your performance?

S: live performance and music in general these days seems to be about the celebrity of it. something I'm not into. the music i make is slightly unexpected and the mask is part of that idea. I'm really into old cultures and new, also my background has roots globally. its inspired the way i conceptually write music, and in the end its just the visual identity of that. Everyone knows what SBTRKT looks like and that's enough, I just want people to focus on the music, not on where I grew up or what I ate for lunch!

The mask itself is created by Hidden Place they are working on a lot of the visual stuff - more to come on that front for live shows later in the year...

B: Can you tell people about the releases youve had on different labels and what they were like

S: Well, to this point theres only been a few releases. Ive had two vinyl releases out on Brainmath Recordings & one on Young Turks. All the tracks on these were the ones which got a lot of attention before the summer last year. The first tracks people heard really. 2020 on the Brainmath EP and Soundboy Shift on Young Turks both got some really good feedback.

I guess musically they are all quite different. Ive never really stuck to a tempo or template sound. So its harder for people to pinpoint my style. I just write tracks I feel fit my mood.

Theres also been the EP I co-produced with Sinden last November. We decided to hook up and experiment, see what would come out. Really happy with what we made. Def sounds like a blurring of two worlds. Learnt a lot about what works in clubs by hearing what else hes producing and playing out. Reckon Ive shown him a few studio tricks of mine too! Were working on a follow up for later in the year. Future releases are Break Off, a collab EP with Sampha which is on Ramp, and then a couple of bits on Tempa & some other labels that people will find out about soon.

Additionally working on a 2nd EP for Young Turks which should be out in July and to follow up with an album, which Ive spent most of this year working towards. Trying to hold down these tracks until its all done, as things end up on YouTube within an hour or being on radio these days , then people wont appreciate it when its actually released & fully mastered & packaged...

B: Youve had some pretty high profile remixes of late: Basement Jaxx ft Kelis & Chipmunk, Gorillaz and most recently Tinie Tempahs number 1. How did they come about and how did you approach each of them?

S: Yeh, some of them are big artists I always wanted to remix , other remixes I really enjoyed making were for Fantastic Mr Fox, These New Puritans, Cessa & Modeselektor too. Jaxx came about through the label, same as Tinie Tempah. Id been

LAX to ATX...

Just got back from Dusk and my two date tour of the US for Scion. To fight off the jetlag for a few more hours, here's some ramblings. Big up Danny and Adam for bringing us over.



First off, whoever named it Greenland was having a laugh. I've flown over it before but never been struck just what amazing skiing it would make. You could climb one of those peaks and ski all the way out to sea!

It should be said it's mental that the same flight then goes over stuff like this:



And yo, all my US agricultural mandem, what the hell is the deal with your vast circular fields?

Also I should add that looking down on the clouds while listening to LHF Infiltration mixes is intense. But oddly the tune of the trip for me was this...



... which got looped and looped on this Kowton podcast (also featuring WBeeza and Moodyman gems). Why can't I find "The Love Quadrant" on vinyl anywhere? Found this on vinyl thanks to the comments box, wahey! Bigup Mr Space Dimension for getting in touch too.



So yeah, LA... or to be more precise, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.

This was kind of nuts...



So was the backstage "green room". This shot is Dusk in the mirror next to the photo of Bob Marley standing in this very room...



As the signed photos of Bob, Dolly Parton, Skid Row and 45,853.2 other bands suggested, we were in rock territory. The gig looked a bit like this...



I'm pretty much zero compromise, so we did 'us': started with a beatless new Farrah tune, played 30 mins of UK funky, then 50 mins of dubstep and grime before ending with Origin Unknown's "Valley of the Shadows (31 Seconds)". And honestly? I think they were there for Nero's stadium rock. Trim, Tempa T and Goodz tracks got air. Any track that took longer than 1min to mix out of got air. Even 31 Seconds got blank looks: only Joker v Terror worked. They wanted a show not a set: we could have probably done with an MC. But that's cool: we did us and learned a thing or two about what LA crowds want.



After the gig, Juakali was a really welcome face. It was so good to reconnect with dubstep, or in this case Dub War, family. Sadly it was too late to head over to Low End Theory: next time.

We did however, completely by accident, stumble upon this place:



So you think you have a few records? This guy has 500,000. Half. A. Million. I bought some Arabic music and hoped the US border guards wouldn't take it funny.

Soon it was time to head for Texas...



"Keep Austin Weird" say all the t-shirts. Keep it wonderful I say. Green and leafy from above, creative and funky from the ground. Mmm to BBQ and warm nights. Ohmydayz to the guys from the US 3rd Armoured Cavalry turning up at our hotel in Stetsons, spurs and green uniforms for some kind of function. (I didn't take any photos, sorry, they have tanks... lots of tanks).



The gig itself was total bliss: beginning with a half empty dancefloor, people seemed to join and really listen and respond to what we were playing, like our new 130bpm stuff or "deFocused." They were so responsive we began to dig out all kinds of dubs. Vibzin's "Hot 4 U" got reloaded seconds after it began giving me goosebumps. The set ended in jungle: Omni Trio, Shy FX and Adam F "Metropolis" amongst others.



Chatting to VVV and his lot afterwards, me supping what is called a 'shot' of tequilla in the US but we'd call 'half a pint', Dusk pondered if it was his favourite set of ours ever?



Austin, we salute you. Give us a shout if you ever need us back. Then it was time to roll home...

Dusk + Blackdown live

Rinse April

Rinse FM Dusk + Blackdown ft LV April 2010

Download the audio HERE.

Funkineven "She's Acid" (Eglo)
Kush Arora "Humidifier" (unreleased)
Martin Kemp "untitled" (unreleased)
Nehuen "Chased in the Woods" (Corsario Digital)
DJ Naughty "Quicktime (Roska remix)" (Roska Kicks & Snares)
DVA "New World Order" (DVA)
El-B and Noodles ft Natasha "I Feel" (unreleased)
Poirier "Gyal Secret Pictures ft MC Zulu (Baobinga remix) (unreleased)
Rishi Romero "African forest" (Made In NL)
XXXY "Blue Flashing Light" (Infra)
Mumdance "Smasher" (unreleased)
Grievous Angel "Badboy" (unreleased)
Danny Weed and Cage "Creeper (Maxwell D and Beans funky remix)" (unreleased)
DJ Naughty "Gearshift" (Roska Kicks & Snares)

***LV in the mix***

LV + MessageToBears + Zaki "Explode" (unreleased)
LV + Errol Bellot "Don't Joke with Love" (unreleased)
LV + Josh Idehen "Your Coat" (unreleased Keysound Recordings)
LV + Smiso "Boomslang" (unreleased)
Scratcha + LV "Dumpling" (unreleased)
Doc Shebeleza "Ebumnandini" (unreleased)
Jahcoozi "Specklshine (LV RMX)" (unreleased)
LV + Quarta330 "Hylo" (Hyperdub)

Rhiana "So Hard (Rahtid Sound remix)" (unreleased)
Compound One "Get Loose (Landslide remix) (unreleased Compound One)
Calibre "Tenopause" (forthcoming Deep Medi)
Double Helix "Shadow Of The City" (unreleased)
Vibzin "Hot 4 U" (unreleased)

Desto "Glass Clouds" (unreleased)
Terror Danjah "Air Bubble (Dark Tone Sound remix)" (unreleased)
Terror Danjah "Air Bubble (Mr Mitch remix) (unreleased)
D Double E "Streetfighter" (unreleased)
Footsie & SX "Woooo" (unreleased)
Terror Danjah "Air Bubble (Teeza remix) (unreleased)
Mr Mitch "Fright Night (SRC remix)" (unreleased)
P Money and Sukh Night "Slang" (unreleased True Tiger)
Rudekid "Lush remix" (No Hats No Hoods)
Yeti "Bamboo" (unreleased)

LDN017

An exclusive dub mix by LV of the 5 tracks from their forthcoming "38" EP ft Josh Idehen, out in May on Keysound Recordings.

Futuresonic festival

L-Vis 1990, Roska, Oneman, me & Dusk, Oldboy

Future Sonic Festival
15 May 2010
11pm - 4am
Sound Control, New Wakefield Street
Manchester


More info here.

Pitchfork April: MJ Cole

Pitchfork April: MJ Cole.

US Tour

Woiiiiii LA and Austin are you ready???!!!

Keysound Takeover

It's a stickup, nobody move.

"We built this thing in secret, but now the cats outta the bag!"

LHF, Kowton and myself get the interview treatment at Pipedown blog.

WHERE I'M AT...

WARP 20 HAS LANDED...

THE ANALOGUE LOUNGE

After a decade out in the cold, I finally got some of my hi-fi gear, and specifically a turntable, back into the living room at home, having removed all the kids' crap and reorganised the furniture, thus reclaiming this room as an adult living area.

Oh, the simple joy of playing a record on a decent stereo system whilst lounging on a sofa. It's almost like the old days...except I'm not allowed to smoke anymore...and if I get too comfy I will invariably doze off.

Yes, there's always the possibility that the little buggers will fuck with my shit, and possibly break something, but I'm willing to take that chance.

You will notice that this is a purist system. Turntable, tape deck and amp only. No CD player. This is a digital no-go zone. Though admittedly there is an emergency USB interface jacked into the Aux input, should the need to play digital/Spotified music via laptop ever arise, but so far only the kids have taken advantage of this facility (I may have removed all their stuff, but their presence still stubbornly remains). Me, I'm trying to keep the faith, baby.

Here's to the Analogue Life!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE FUTURE?

"Once upon a time, people believed in the future. When I was growing up in England in the 1970s, one of the most popular programmes on TV was called 'Tomorrow's World'. Every week scientists would talk about how new and wonderful inventions would make our life better. Sociologists talked of an impending leisure society, where our biggest problem would be what to do with all the spare time created by increasing automation..."

Neil Transpotine (History Is Made At Night)



"The future we were sold in the 1970's/1980's where robots would be our servants
and we would hop into our hovering cars in the twenty-first-century techno
cities never quite materialised. Here we stand, twenty years on from seeing
chip-shop-chips on compact discs and things are the same but worse as our
optimism of the future has been eroded away collectively.

'Tomorrows World' never came."

An interesting point, aside from the convergence of thought in the two above texts, concerns the stylistic differences between the two youtube clips. The first is the opening titles for Tomorrow's World as it appeared in the 1970s - a jaunty, exciting, endearing and kind-hearted view of the future with a bright easy listening soundtrack. The second clip shows the new title sequence introduced at the start of the 80s - cool, spacey and mysterious, propelled by a synthetic euro-disco beat that informs the work of modern day retro-futurist Belbury Poly. What was it about the 80s that demanded such a clean break with the old? Other programmes given quite dramatic overhauls at the time included Top Of The Pops and Dr. Who (with Delia's original theme finally superceded after 17 years). It seems we couldn't wait to leave behind the stylistic signifiers of the '70s. Yet each decade tinted the future with it's own distinct hue. Both promised us a better world. If only...

GENIUS AT WORK...

DODGY PROMO ALERT

There's a program on my laptop called 'Windows Movie Maker'. I've never opened it before, but tonight I was feeling bored and listless so I opened the fucker and, for the sheer hell of it, 'created' the above promo clip using a few old pictures from my raving days and the first two minutes of a killer tune called "Elephants" by October. It is scheduled for release around late July or early August on Immerse Records.

Here's what Immerse's Kid Kut had to say about it:

"...created back in 2003 when Jules (October), myself and a few others used to go out to parties and get a little worse for wear and wanted something to listen to when we came home, didn't have a label then but now is definitely the right time to put these out, definitely captures an era for me personally, a time when i was first getting into dubstep, ThinKings mix and SLT with that amazing ep on Soulja."

ANOTHER DEAD SHOP

WHAT THE (BRITISH) FUTURE SOUNDED LIKE...

Featuring Delia's green lampshade, John's cash register, and the bloke who used to present Screen Test. What more could you possibly want?



The amazing and ultimately tragic story of Peter Zinovieff and EMS in a nutshell.

And here's what the rock stars did with EMS synths...

JACKO ABLETON 'TRIBUTE'

c/o Headhunter. Amen, brother...

MORE PIVOTAL TV MOMENTS

Following on from the Cabaret Voltaire post, I've tracked down a few other clips that stand out in my memory as particularly influencial in my personal development. It is perhaps hard to remember now how influential these brief televised encounters could be for a teenager growing-up in the '80s, thirsty for fresh musical experience, yet desperately restricted for choice and information by today's standards. Yes, we had the radio, and we had the music press, and sometimes we even had enough pocket money to buy an actual record, but often it's these fleeting, unplanned televisual experiences that burn brightest in the mind's eye. Perhaps the slower rate of intake allowed these things to be inwardly digested better. I mean, I can't remember what I was watching/listening to on the internet last week, yet these clips from over twenty years ago still linger...



I didn't see the original broadcast, but this clip was repeated on Whisletest sometime in the mid-'80s (during the Mark Ellen/Andy Kershaw years). At that time I knew very little about Pil apart from maybe recent hits like "Rise". I'd never seen a group playing like their lives depended on it before, and I remember being utterly gobsmacked by Keith Levine's deft, almost violent, approach to synth-playing. As the clip finished I suddenly realised I'd been holding my breath.



I'm not sure when and where I saw this clip, originally broadcast on one of Granada's regional shows, but it was my first exposure to the music of Joy Division, viewed without any knowledge of their history or growing legendary status, nor any inkling of the dark, tragic story attached to the lead singer. I wasn't as immediately blown-apart by the music, but the image of the group on those raised podiums, so starkly intense and transfixed by their own sound, (plus the singer's rather curious dancing technique) is the first image that comes to mind whenever I think about Joy Division.


The Southbank Show did a documentory on the Velvet Underground in 1986. I'm not sure if I'd even heard of the group at this point, but I would always make a point of watching the programme when they were covering music. This one totally hooked me into the sound and mythology of the Velvets. It looks like the whole thing is now up on youtube, although this section, with it's evocative description of the creative tensions that spawned "Sister Ray", made a particularly heavy impact on my young mind.



To finish (for now), here's one that was actually a current, brand new track at the time. Again I have Whistletest to thank for playing this video and thus irrevocably cementing my love for Mantronik and electro-flavoured '80s hip-hop in general.

MATT CAN SPOON

Matthew Ingram Showreel January 2009 from Matthew Ingram on Vimeo.

Clever chap, isn't he..?

AUF DIE MOND!

A couple of links sent my way earlier today - Jan Jelinek's 'radiophonic' hoax album (via Bob) and a Conny Plank podcast (via Matt) - converged in my mind and sent it flashing back to a little-known krautrock-inspired hoax album entitled Auf Die Mond! I always assumed it was a hoax, anyway. Promotional cd-r copies were floating around in 2001, yet when I googled it I couldn't find a single reference to it's existence! Hard to believe, I know, but somehow this particular item has managed to remain undocumented on the web...until now.

WARP20

THE REAL McCOY

Shocked and stunned to discover this snippet of archival footage of Daniel Miller and Robert Rental in performance and at home studio back in '79 - I had no idea such a document existed.

SACRILEGE

Discovered this by accident tonight. Not sure how I feel about it. Of course, my wife (who knows that (a) I detest Duran Duran on general principle and (b) Warm leatherette is one of my favourite singles ever) thinks this is absolutely hilarious.

And when did La Bonn and his chums start pretending they were Kraftwerk..?

R.I.P. DAVID CARRADINE

I don't pretend to be an expert on his career, all I know is I fucking loved watching Kung Fu when I was a kid. I still have my collection of bubble gum cards and, as a mark of respect, here's a few of my favourites....

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

In the middle of reading Dave Haslam's "Not Abba - The Real Story Of The 1970s" (4th Estate, 2005),which I found in the local library, not a charity shop. Haslam's narrative style can be a bit jarring in places, but I like the way he's interwoven the political landscape with popular music. So on the one hand I read that "the National Front made headway in an era when the political process looked flawed and the major parties lacked credibility" (hmmm, sounds familiar), whilst on the other discovering that soul group Sweet Sensation were from Manchester, not the States as I had always assumed, and that their lead singer Marcel King would make a record on Factory Records in the following decade in collaboration with Barney Sumner (New Order) and Donald Johnson (ACR), which would become an early dancefloor hit at the Hacienda. 

DISCSTYLE

Speaking of books, how did people manage to drool over cool pictures of sexy records and CDs before websites like Hard Format? Well presumably they spent twenty quid on a big coffee-table tome like this... 

GEOLOGY OF A LIFE: BOOK SPINES AS SEAMS

STILL FASCINATED, 25 YEARS ON

As previously discussed (in the days before youtube)...

SOUNDS FROM BETWEEN THE WARS

Excellent to see some much needed publicity for James Kirby aka The Caretaker aka The Stranger aka The Artist Formally Known As V/Vm aka The Artist Soon To Be Known As Leyland Kirby. First there was Kek's crucial interview piece in Fact, along with accompanying podcast, quickly followed by a splendid feature by Mark 'K-Punk' Fisher in this month's Wire magazine. From arch prankster to serious, 'thoughtful' artiste, Kirby appears to have pulled-off one of the great self-reinventions of our time. I was first seduced by the V/Vm brand when I came across those spectacularly vulgar 'Help Aphex Twin' 3" CDs many moons ago, though I can't bare to listen to them now. Rather, it is Kirby's ongoing 'ambient' explorations of time, space and place that captivate me now. Previews of forthcoming Leyland Kirby material inspired me to fork-out some hard cash and pre-order the double-vinyl (and you can too, via Kirby's new website). More thoughts on that as-and-when it arrives, but for now...


I sometimes wondered why I found the overt references to 1930's ballroom music in The Caretaker's work so personally powerful and evocative. Initially a spin-off idea from Kubrick's movie The Shining, by the time of last year's stunning "Persistent Repetition Of Phrases" the concept had taken on a whole other life of it's own.  It was only when I read the references to Al Bowlly and Dennis Potter's TV drama Pennies From Heaven in the recent interviews, that the penny dropped.

DJ DELIA IN THA MIX

Just noticed someone had uploaded that clip of Delia Derbyshire splicing together 'sampled' tape loops, then 'beat-matching' them to form a rhythmic composition (from the BBC4 Alchemists Of Sound documentary).



Get humble, muthafuckaz...

SAPPHIRE & STEEL

One of those old TV series I've been meaning to re-experience ever since K-Punk's blog posts back in 2004. Finally, I came across a bunch of VHS tapes in a charity shop recently and I've been gradually working my way through them, late at night, when the rest of the family have gone to bed.  

SPOTIFY: PROS & CONS

ADVERTS: So you have to pay £9.99 a month to go Ad-free, which seems a bit steep to me. I'm happy with the free version for now. The ads aren't any more or less intrusive/irritating than what you'd hear on most independent/pirate radio stations. Typically, listening to a full album will only be interupted once by a couple of ads somewhere in the middle. The 99p 'day pass' option could be useful if, say, you were throwing a party and wanted to prepare some suitable playlists. Hook the laptop up to an amplifier/speaker set-up for instant, ad-free soundtrack to your swanky dinner party. Guests can have fun picking tracks without getting their grubby little mitts on your beloved vinyl/CD collection.

CHOICE: Considering it's still at Beta stage, the choice of music is enormous. Obviously, if you're specifically looking for niche/marginal genres, you'll be very disappointed. Dubstep is only really represented by the Soul Jazz 'Box Of Dub' compilations and a few other bits here and there (my in-progress dubstep playlist here). Post-punk electronica is quite well represented due to involvement of Mute/Grey Area (a nice playlist I built here). Recent releases by Warp acts like Autechre, Squarepusher and Clark are available, but generally there's a lot of work to be done before electronica reaches an acceptable level of representation. Where Spotify excels is, naturally, the pop/rock area. Some big names like The Beatles and Pink Floyd aren't involved yet, whilst Elvis and the Stones are. Some 'classic' Left-field artists like Kraftwerk, Brian Eno and Soft Machine are comprehensively covered, and krautrockers like Can, Faust and Neu! are also well-represented. Yet I can't find anything by Scandinavian Dutch prog-rockers Focus yet. No doubt these anomalies will continue for some time. Afterall, there's an awful lot of music out there to collate, publishers to negotiate with, etc.

FUNCTIONALITY: Searching the site is pretty straightforward and especially helpful if you're not quite sure what you're trying to find. Type the word 'Donk' and you'll be quickly directed to Blackout Crew's "Put A Donk On It", type 'Sigor Ross' and you'll be asked if you mean 'Sigur Ros', etc. The ability to create playlists is useful and fun, though I think it would also be nice if there was a facility to build your own virtual 'collection' of favourite artists/albums, organised by genre/year or whatever. Perhaps that'll come later. Being able to share/modify your playlists with other users is useful too and could lead to fruitful collaborative efforts. Those who still prefer to buy their music elsewhere may still find Spotify a useful tool for previewing material and researching artist's catalogues. The speed of delivery is superb - the stream kicks-in almost instantaneously when you make a selection (it's as quick as playing mp3s on your media player) and I've had no system crashes yet. 

FWD>> Debut

Will be opening up FWD>> on the 19th of August at Plastic People, which coincidently is Skilliam's Birthday, and is the next time you can catch us in London until... FWD v Rinse on 10th September alongside an all-star cast. Tickets are for sale now here.

D Double E - Street Fighter Out Now

Elijah & Skilliam - Rinse FM 22/7/10

Featuring Trim & Scratchy!

Elijah & Skilliam Numbers #31 - 35 Mins of Grime

Wiley - IMMMMMM

6 Months In Grime 2010 Part One

The first six months of this year will be remembered for acts from this scene enjoying chart success. Number ones for Tinie Tempah with Pass Out & Frisky and Roll Deep with Good Times, Chipmunk consistently in the top 40 and Skepta achieving a top 40 in Bad Boy and a top 20 in Rescue Me. Congratulations to them for achieving that, but that is not why I am here, we are to focus on the quality Grime.

Bread & Butter - Berlin

25 Personal Highlights From Last 25 Weeks

Barcelona - E P I C

Barcelona

Something Very Very Epic

If your out at Sonar next week make sure you attend this, it will probably never happen again. Ever.

Mr Mitch

I started receiving tunes from him about a year ago and over the last 6 months he has progressed really quickly and I believe he is one two look out for in the second half of this year. Check the mix of his latest tracks and remixes below.



So tell us a bit about yourself, I have been receiving tunes for about a year from you, what were you doing up until that point?

I've been producing for around 7 years, mainly as a hobby. I've gone under a couple different aliases, Merlin, Unique. I won a producer competition with RWD mag back in the day but never really had the belief to do music. So I went to university to study media production, after doing that for a year I realised that I couldn't not follow my heart any more so decided to choose music as my career path.

You did a couple of instrumental mixtapes as well right? Where you always writing Grime or where you just doing whatever?

I brought out an instrumental mixtape called dirty sheets, basically consisting of a few of the beats I had made up to that point. I've always been making grime, occasionally strayed into hip hop production but I've been supporting grime since its birth and its the music I enjoy making the most. I find it hard to stray far away from 140bpm.

SRC - Lemsip (Mr.Mitch Remix) FREE DOWNLOAD by Mr.Mitch

Interesting you mention tempo, you tried making Grime outside of that 140bpm comfort zone yet?

Well I do have tunes which vary in tempo but the majority of them go from 135-142. Even when I make tunes at a much slower tempo its still has my same style and feel to it. I made a tune the other day actually that speeds up to 160 at the end, I sent it to Skepta and he wanted it on his album.

Skepta - Badboy (Mr.Mitch Remix) by Mr.Mitch

Sick, so at the moment is it looking like you are going to have a couple of tunes on his album? And that is all off the back of the Bad Boy Remix?

I made the remix when he sent out the accapella and then sent it to him via twitter. He liked it and wanted to use the beat for a song on his album. I've been sending him beats since then and last week and sent him another one that he wants to use so its all good.

Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Mr.Mitch Remix) (Free Download) by Mr.Mitch

Have any other MCs reached out to you yet? What other ones would you like to work with?

I haven't had many big names come to me yet asking for beats. But I would really like to work with JME and D Double, when I make music aim to create songs and I think JME really knows how to make a well constructed song and D Double is just my favourite mc and a legend so who wouldn't want to work with him.

Mr.Mitch - Fright Night (SRC Remix) by Mr.Mitch

Over the past 6 months you have really got into the remixing along with SRC, Swindle, Terror Danjah etc how do you think that has effected your production skills?

I find remixing really inspiring, as it forces me to try out different methods of editing/production. Every time I open logic I try something new so I don't get stuck in a rut. So sometimes remixing really helps me when I get stuck for inspiration.
If you want to remix 'Fright Night' you can grab the parts here.

Rinse FM 27th May

About half way through we showcased some of SRC's new and unheard tunes, so check it out and buy his Gold Coins and Goin Out EPs which are both out now.

Royal T - Stop Messing With The Radio
D Double E - Street Fighter
Terror Danjah - Sidechain (D.O.K Remix)
Mr Mitch - Unknown
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Teeza Remix)
Swindle - Airmiles (Terror Danjah Carbon Footprint Remix)
Rude Kid - Electric
Skepta - Red Bull Music Academy
Dizzee Rascal - Trapped
Teddy - House Party
Jammer - 10 Man Roll
R1 Ryders - Hydraulic
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Royal-T Remix)
DOK & Spyro - Missing
Royal T - Hot Ones Remix
Teddy - Samurai
Rossi B & Luca - E10 Riddim
Swindle - Trending Topic
*SRC Showcase*
Terror Danjah - Horror Story
Blacks - Feel This Way
Badness - Nightmare (Mensah Remix)
P Money - Slang
Joker - Psychedelic Runway (Mensah Remix)

Big up Richie, Andy and all the Dublin crew for the weekend, heavy!!

Elijah & Skilliam - 'Something Very Very Epic' (June 2010 Mix)

Another month, another mix, this time to promote the party we are having with Numbers and Desparramee off Sonar in Barcelona. Massive line up, so if your out there, get involved. All information is here!

Rinse FM 20th May / Mini update

Spyro came through in the second hour, not too much talking, loads of new beats, enjoy!

SRC - Ryoko
Swindle - Sally
Geeneus - Midnite VIP
D Double E - Street Fighter
Joker - Psychedelic Runway (Mensah Lets Go Faster Remix)
DOK & Terror Danjah - Peanut Punch
Teddy - Samurai
Royal T - Air Bubble
D Double E - Woo Riddim
Joker & Terror Danjah - Gully Goon Estate
Mensah - Acid Dub
Royal T - Beatfighter
Rude Kid - Electric
Darque E Freaker - Next Hype VIP
DOK & Spyro - Missing
Rude Kid - Screwdriver
Unknown - Untitled
Joker - Tron
Jammer - 10 Man Roll
Moony - Hot & Cold
SRC - Lemsip
Joker & TC - It aint got a name
Royal T - Hot Ones
Rossi B & Luca - E10 Riddim
Teddy - GBH
SX - Woo Riddim Remix
Spooky - ??
Skepta - UFO
Unknown - Untitled
Swindle - Airmiles
Spyro - ???
Wiley - Ice Cream Man
Terror Danjah & DOK - Hysteria
Wiley - Jampie
Rude Kid - Absolut Vodka
Royal T - Side Effect
Swindle - Trending Topic
Terror Danjah - Power Grid
Starkey & P Money - Numb
-
This Friday we are hitting Dublin for the first time at the Twisted Pepper, so come out and represent if that is your neck of the woods, as it doesnt happen often! Details by clicking the flyer.
-
We are also holding a party with Numbers and Desparrame in Barcelona on Sonar closing night. So if your rolling out there, catch us alongside Swindle, Rustie, Bok Bok & L Vis 1990, Untold, Slackk, Deadboy, Spencer and K**O.

For all info check here, more info will follow.

--

Next month watch out for our 'June Mix' and our debut at Fabric on the 25th alongside Scratcha, Chef and Deep Teknologi, and be patient on more vinyl from us, pressing plants are extremely long with us small guys :)

Im off to start work on own my book now, laters!

Elijah & Skilliam - 8 Bit Grime Mixes Pt.1 & 2

Me on Part 1 - Download Here

Skilliam Part 2 - Download Here


Just a bit of fun, catch us on Rinse FM 1-3am tonight, with a bag of new tunes as usual

Hold tight

200th blog

Not sure how significant that is, and considering I have been blogging since late 2007 that isn't very impressive.

Anyhow to celebrate it with us you can enjoy our latest Rinse FM Show where Alex Nut and Fatima our Rinse FM colleagues drop in and enjoy the vibes.

Our next booking isn't until the end of the month in Dublin, so time to listen to loads of new beats, so producers this is a good time to send us your Grime music: DJElijahbutterz at gmail.com or add me on AIM: Elijahgrimeforum
-
There's quite a few records out at the moment that we have been supporting for ages on our show here are links to buy them.

SRC - Going Out
Swindle - Airmiles
Starkey - Ear Drums & Black Holes
Joker - Tron
Rossi B & Luca - E10 Riddim

Pick em up, digitals are available for most of those as well.

I thought I'd include a classic set that I have been listening to a lot lately which features Wiley, D Double E, Sharky Major, Kano, Monkey, Tinchy Stryder and Gods Gift with Danny Weed and Jammer Djing from 2003 I think... Enjoy...

Guido

Give us a brief introduction of a few things you have done up until the point of the album, because I have been hearing your name for a long time!

I began making tunes when i was still at school and worked with mcs and singers that i knew of, which ended up culminating in my first mix cd "Unleashed". I kept making tunes and eventually I was offered by Peverelist to put out a single on 'Punch Drunk'



So where these tunes in the same vein as the stuff your making now? How has your sound developed over the past few years?

I don't think the sound has changed drastically, I've always just thought about melodies and stuff and I don't think that's changed but since I've started obviously its come along because I'm using better software.



What are you making tunes on at the moment?

Just a midi keyboard, a mac pro with logic and software.

Have you found it difficult to 'fit in' over the past few years into Grime & or Dubstep because you come with a mellow sound?

I don't think about fitting in I just make what I want to make, I kinda stuck with the 140 template because that's how I started off.

Tell us more about the non 140 side...

It is kind of hard to explain, it's still me, on my album my opening track is 120 and the lead track 'Anidea' is not 140 either.



What tunes did you expect the biggest reaction because 'Mad Sax' and 'You Do It Right' are being played by quite a wide range of DJs?

Yer I am a bit suprised Mad Sax is getting played a lot I haven't really been expecting certain tunes to have that big a reaction.

Are you playing out more now? What is going down well when your DJing?

Yes playing out once a week for the next few months which is good, beautiful complication has gone down well I feel.



What other stuff are you playing in your sets?

It's more accessible kinda dance floor tunes then the rest of my tunes I guess. And if I am not mixing around 140 I play stuff from Floating Points, Flying Lotus, Nosaj Thing, Rustie and sometimes other completely different stuff when I'm in the mood. But it depends what crowd but im trying to play more interesting stuff when I play and take a different approach.

The press release for you album cited your influences or comparisons as early Davinche, Skepta and Ruff Squad productions. What kind of influence you think the early grime had on you?

It had some definitely because i use to listen to a lot, I listened to sidewinder tapes, old school Dizzee, Wiley sets and that and I was feeling the energy behind some of the tunes.

So going forward what are the plans we have to look forward to throughout the rest of the year?

I aim to have more singles out then last year, and just focus on pushing the album.

Watch out for his debut album 'Anidea' coming out next month.

Rinse FM 29/04/10 w/ Rude Kid

Rude Kid guested, and his debut CD is out May 10th, with all of the stuff we have been playing from him over the past year or so.

Download Here

Tracklist


Swindle - Open Your Mind (Butterz)
D Double E - Street Fighter (Dirtee Stank)
SRC - Going Out (Rwina)
Swindle - Airmiles (Terror Danjah Carbon Footprint Remix)
Joker & Terror Danjah - Gully Goon Estate
Balistiq Beats - Rottweiler
DOK - Keep on Making Grime (Butterz)
Royal T - Damn It
Tempa T - Boy Off The Ting
Terror Danjah - Stomp Test (Rwina)
Guido - Tango (Punch Drunk)
Mr Mitch - Skittles (Butterz)
Wiley - Jampie
SRC - Lemsip (Numbers)
Teeza - Air Bubble Remix (Butterz)
Swindle - Unknown
Teddy - House Party
DOK & Terror Danjah - Peanut Punch (Rwina)
Guido - You Do It Right (Punch Drunk)
Teddy - GBH (Butterz)
Skepta - UFO (Boy Better Know)
Rossi B & Luca - E10 Riddim (Planet Mu)
Swindle - Molly (Planet Mu)
Royal T - Air Bubble Remix (Butterz)
D Double E - Woo Riddim
Royal T - Beatfighter (NHNH)
Terror Danjah - Power Grid (Planet Mu)
--
The next event you can catch us at in London is 'Love That', all the information is here.

May 2010 Mix

Another installment, something for your ipod and cars. We rarely put old school tunes in our mixes, because we always have so many good tracks to choose from but we both decided to include Wonder, Dizzee and Wiley tracks that we have been playing in our live sets recently. There are a couple of new names you may not have come across before in Mr Mitch & Moony, they are both sick, keep an ear out for them.

We have now started our new Rinse FM Show, Thursday nights, Friday mornings, 1-3am, lock in or grab the podcast.

I hope you enjoy it, please share it with your mates and thanks for listening


P.S

We are now on Tumblr

And catch us at Sidewinder on Saturday
Click the flyer for tickets, will be massive

Elijah & Skilliam - Rinse FM 20th April

Download here

And make sure you are here this Friday!

Butterz TV #5

Couple places we are this week..

More info

More info

We will also be starting our new show Thursdays 1-3am this week on Rinse FM. Hope to start getting guests again make the show exciting again.

In a bit..

Teeza

Since I put up the parts to 'Air Bubble' I have come across a lot of new producers, who I will give some space here to get to know them over the next few weeks. The first is Producer/MC/DJ Teeza who is from West London and is featuring on the official Air Bubble Remix package alongside Swindle, Starkey and Royal-T on limited clear vinyl in the near future.
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Teeza Remix) by TeezaMusic

Give us a brief introduction to Teeza

I'm an MC/Producer hailing from West London. I'm 22 years old. Been into music since I was about 12 and as of last year, I started taking it upon myself to get my name floating about.

Do you remember the tunes that particularly got you into actually making music?

Tunes like a Sticky - Triplets, Mos Wanted - Hungry Tiger. Amongst some other Garage Classics. And just having that Playstation Game 'Music' made it easy get started. My big bro bought that, he was an MC.

You're a DJ as well, who are your all time favourite producers?

Wiley, Terror Danjah, Skepta, Davinche and Target

Did you have any stints on pirate radio?

I was on a few different stations. React fm, LayLow fm, Frontline fm, Get Grime TV. Never really got a chance to go on stations like Flashback, Raw Mission, De Ja, Rinse etc.

Did you not pursue it because of the lack of raves/demise in pirate radio/lack of vinyl or did you just want to MC.

It began with just not having enough money for it. But as I was still writing and I teamed up with a few other MCs so, that became my main thing. We had a DJ as well so from time to time I got to throw in a few mixes on set, either at radio or someones house.

Teeza Beats Instrumental Mix (Mixed By Teeza) by Teezamusic on Mixcloud

Going forward, are you looking to pursue all three pursuits? You recently appeared on Logan Sama's Chosen Ones and released an instrumental EP and your uploading mixes of your own instrumentals. How do you intend to balance your contribution?

You'll definitely hear a lot more production from me. I'm starting to get back into the writing because I feel I can compete with the top guys now. As for Djing, I have to sit and think about recording a demo and where I wanna go with it. But I cant promise anything just have to see how things go. Who knows, I could become a one man band.

What do you have planned for the rest of the year? Are you looking to work with other established artists and producers?

I've already started to do that, so yeah more of that and more releases. I'll be doing a few tunes with producers the main focus will be getting vocal stuff done and my releases.

Any final words...

Look out for my next EP release, Riot Musick. To find more music from me, check Myspace, Soundcloud, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter!

Elijah & Skilliam - Rinse FM 6th April

You can also download here

Also catch us here on Saturday..


Follow @Butterzlabel on twitter!

The Ustream sessions will be back next week, hold tight...

Starkey

'Gutter Music' is the finest Grime track ever written outside the UK - Blackdown (2009)

It was also one of my favourite tracks of 2009, and it seemed well overdue that I interviewed Starkey. He recently remixed Terror Danjah's Air Bubble which you can listen to here and he his second album 'Ear Drums & Black Holes' is out April 19th on Planet Mu.

It is not a Grime album, but it is definitely worth checking if you like similar sounds to the stuff we play on Rinse.

Even though we have been in contact for over a year, this was the first time we spoke at length.. nearly 3 hours via Skype.

I thought it would be best to start at the beginning of the album, Ok Luv, which features Badness on the single, but not on the album, what was the reason behind picking him to vocal it, and why did that version not make the album?


I got in touch with Robin from No Hats No Hoods who I've spoken to a bunch in the past and done remixes for... and said that I wanted to do a tune with Badness he basically sorted it out. I'm a huge fan of his vocal work, he's all over the place, but its still him all the time.

So that tune was built with him in mind or did you send them a few and he pick?

I sent him that tune straight away it didn't make the album because they didn't know where to put it I kind of wanted it on there to be honest but I also wanted Millennia on the CD and that made the B-side to Stars we had a lot of tracks in the running for the album. Some just didn't make it. There's only so much space on the album and Mike at Mu really goes after a cohesive sound. I think he does a good job with it as well. We cut a couple things. just didn't work for whatever reason we also had a few things that never panned out.

Stars (feat. Anneka) by Starkey from Ben Curzon on Vimeo.

Tell us about Cerebral Vortex, where is he from and why did you decide to use him on murderous words?

Cerebral Vortex was down in Texas, i believe, when he did the tune or he could have been in San Francisco. He moves around a bit. he's in NYC now he hit me up on Myspace and said something along the lines of... people say we need to do a tune together and I agree.so, I sent him 'club games', which had the hook in it. I told him the concept and he was feeling it.

If an MC messaged a producer saying we need to work together over here they would probably just ignore it!

With vortex... he wanted to do another tune as well. so I always thought that Murderous Words would work with a vocal. I sent that to him as well... and we were really happy with how that turned out as well. I don't ignore anything everything could be the next best person to work with... or the next best producer....it takes a lot of time though.

Ive noticed, even in terms of the new producers I've been sending you have been really receptive, how do you balance the DJ role finding new tracks, alongside producing

I wait for things to come to me now DJ-wise I get so much music, it's difficult to listen to all of it
but I do. If even for 15 seconds to see if it has that initial 'wow' factor.

Can you put us on to some people, or some tracks you have come across recently that you have been feeling?

There's a lot! DNAEBEATS, Nasty Nasty, Halp, SDUK, Kaiser, BD1982, Eprom, Slugabed those are some of my favorites.. but there's others as well.Zeno has been doing it big lately... as well as Stagga and Monkey. The people whose music I really like, I tend to get them involved with what I'm doing like Seclusiasis or Slit Jockey, or remixes for my Planet Mu stuff.

So the balance between your productions and all these other names in the set, how does the balance take place, as people are paying to hear 'Starkey' when they book you right?

I'm like 50/50 right now 50% my own tunes... 50% friends and label-mates. I plan to get back into live sets again in the near future... it just has to be interesting. it can't be me behind a laptop with a mouse and some knobs for me... that's boring



Yea, they are visually lame, but sometimes you hear some crazy stuff, how could you expand on that?

Vocals, videos... I'm not quite sure yet that's why i haven't done it. but, I'd like it to be kind of a spectacle like over the top.

Your still based out of Philly, how has that effected the creative process in making the album? Do you think if you were in London you would have had a totally different sound?

Well I'm not sure if now... if i picked up and moved... it would impact me immediately. I mean, I'm in London enough now that it definitely is an influence on me. but Philly is my home... and that's where i draw most of my experiences from. If i grew up in London... that would be a different story. Maybe I would be making funky! I moved my studio last year... so a lot of this album was done in a different place that Ephemeral Exhibits. So that might have influenced me a bit, my new studio is pretty comfortable.

Comfortable studio, more comfortable music?

I don't know. Maybe, that's why there's a lot of chill tunes on this album

I would say for someone that plays out as much as you do, your album isnt filled up with obvious dance floor material? Would you agree?

My old studio was always so hot.... like in the summer, it was ridiculous. Sweaty as shit I think my DJ sets aren't as immediate either though. It's a bit more challenging, and I don't say that trying to sound snobby at all. but, I don't really play sets filled with "big" tunes. Anyone can do that unless you're the person who made the big tune, or released the big tune... cool.


Ha, yea I'm like that as well, im the stubborn guy playing Grime still in 2010 remember

We were playing Grime in Philly in 2004/2005. I mean.... no one knew what it was we were outcasts and we didn't care that's the music that inspired us it was so refreshing. A lot of the music they call Dubstep in 2010 is actually grime though if we're gonna pigeon-hole stuff.

Did you get into Dubstep after that 2005 era then, what music kept you going until you you released your first album?

I kind of got into Dubstep when I heard Vex'd and Loefah stuff. The music that was darker and had more hip hop in it, I guess I wasn't into the 2steppy early stuff back then. I listened to a lot of Grime as well as, Electronica, for lack of better words. Stuff like Aphex Twin, Venetian Snares, Bjork.. then like Trip Hop stuff... Old Tricky, Portishead, Alpha.

What you think of the new Vex'd stuff then, would you consider that Grime? I assume most of the Dubstep you consider Grime you are referring to Joker, Gemmy, Guido etc?

Yeah... Mensah's tune Pulse 80's. It's like Pulse X for 2010. Lots of the Bristol stuff plus people in the US as well.

Who in the us? I dont know many producers

SDUK, who is on slit jockey, most of what he's doing I would call Grime but he's in London. The US the hip hop crossover stuff is where it's at right now, like i said... Dnaebeats, Nasty Nasty, Eprom, Lazer sword even lots of good music going on in San Francisco.


Numb, my favourite tune on the album, whats yours? How did the link up with P Money come about, and would you do more stuff with him in the future? I think MCs have always tended to go to a 'hip hop' beat for a 'deep' track but this was a really exciting beat all the way through.

Yeah it's one of my favorites as well. Top 3 definitely. I also got in touch with him through Robin as well. He's been one of my favorite MC's in grime for the past couple years. I'd be all about doing more tracks with him... I think he's got such a good flow. The tune was for the most part in the version it ended up in when I sent it to him. I did add the stabby section toward the end though, where the bassline changes, for some more variety at the end. It's got an odd feel as well... but he smashed it.

How has the the file sharing thing effected you? Would you say its done more harm overall then help? With Grime its so obscure File sharing has helped it reach far and wide but tore the heart out of it, Rhythm division in Bow closed on the weekend.

I didn't know that crazy well Wiley ain't making white label Grime tunes anymore... so... not much to stock I guess! I think it helps overall. but I really wish that people could experience this album on release day.I know some people that refuse to download it and are waiting to listen to it on April 19th. That's refreshing and means a lot. I want it to be an experience... and you won't get that if you just grab it off a site with 10 other things in one day but... if that means people will come out when you play their town... then I guess it helps. it gets people familiar with your music. This album will be sick though... we didn't skimp on artwork and packaging.

Who did the artwork?

Ben Curzon, who did the whole campaign... Ok Luv, Knob twiddler, stars and the album. Plus he did the Stars video as well. The cd is in a black jewel case... with the printing of the cover directly on the outside of the case. I've never seen that before and the text is on a sticker that wraps around from the front to the back it's sick.


What are the difference between the parties in US and in Europe? Are you doing more US stuff now that 'Dubstep' is getting bigger over there?

It's pretty much split. like this month I'm in the US and Canada... then most of May and June I'm in Europe. The parties in the UK are becoming a bit more diverse which is nice to see in the US... it's always been quite diverse.... because people come at Dubstep from such different places
like there are people in the US who are "big" in the US Dubstep scene who no one in UK even knows about I think it's kind of weird there's this whole other community of people that have embraced the sound.

So are you kind of considered as part of that scene, or you like alternative dubstep? Sometimes I see line ups for American nights with like 3 DJs from England and that shocks me when guys like you are close by.

Well the UK stuff definitely gets embraced a lot here. I mean... there's a lot of people who listen to Dubstep who know Skream, Benga, Caspa.... and that's their frame of reference. A lot of them may have been into Drum & Bass which I wasn't, and they come at it from people moving from DNB to Dubstep.

Yea I thought as much, but then I see Joker, Roska, Kode 9 doing U.S tours as well, so it isn't just a wobble thing.

I guess I'm the opposite though. I've been embraced by the people in the UK and Europe a lot which is obviously great. oh yeah... it's not just one particular sound I play a decent amount in the US as well and Canada has a vibrant scene too, the US is so spread out. It's such a big place.... that there are people that gravitate to certain sounds in different parts of the country even. People don't realize how big this place is.


Starkey Australia/NZ Tour - March 2009

Starkey | MySpace Music Videos

What about the other side Australia and New Zealand do you get out there?

I played out there last March a little over a year ago some of the shows were good... others not so. I think if I went out there now I'd have a better reception. It's so far to travel though. I was miserable on the plane. it would have to be some seriously good shows to get me back out there.

The traveling must takes its toll, do you tend to have long periods without gigs and use that time to build or do you just make whenever you can?

Yeah. I also currently teach full time so that makes touring even more difficult. It's got to be packed into these short trips like earlier this month i played 10 shows in 9 days in the UK and Europe that was intense.

And then went back to school?

Yeah, the next morning, I got home at midnight... then was up at 7am for the train to work!

Thought bout going part time?

Possibly. it all depends on how things are going really.I get off most of December and January... then May until the end of August so that's a lot of time to play shows. Plus I've done weekend trips to the UK before. They're marathons... but it's do able.

What have you got lined up for the summer?
Gonna be in the UK and Europe most of May and June, a festival in the US in May... other than that... just trying to get some festival dates and working on more music.

You heard this dream mclean "woo riddem freestyle"? I love it beat's sick as well!

*We both discuss our favourite versions of 'Woo Riddim'*


Swindle said you sent him over some bits to work on right?

Yeah... but I don't think he could figure out what to do with it I was having problems with the drop... That's why I sent it to him I still want to do a tune with him though, and terror. Would be sick. Every time I try that though... it never works out. Joker and I tried something... even sitting in his studio... and it was kind of shit.

Would definitely be amazing, I have been really pushing the co production and remix thing with this batch of producers lately, to keep them on their toes. Have you done any other co productions?

It's funny because I'm all about remixes just the whole co-produce thing just doesn't work for me for some reason, I'm hoping to break the trend though.

Thanks for doing the Air Bubble Remix as well, have you heard many of the others, if so what are you feeling?

Yeah I listened to the links from the Grime Forum. None of them are as good as the original even mine the original works so well.

Yours, Royal-Ts, Swindles, Mr Mitch's were among the highly rated but the reason why I released the parts is because I felt the original was slept on. What would you say was your slept on track?

Oh man... that's a difficult one, I mean... I don't think I've ever had a big tune. Gutter music is probably the closest I'm surprised Creature didn't get people going as much as I thought it would. At that point I think it was one of the best tunes I had made, since the Gutter VIP but on the last tour I had people request it twice... I'm actually really surpised the Armand Van Helden remix I did wasn't well received "illin n Fillin It". That tune was my favorite for a while.

What would you say you still want to achieve as a DJ & producer? Have you exceeded your expectations from when you first started releasing music?

I'm extremely grateful that people enjoy my music enough to buy records and come out to hear me play, it's amazing. I couldn't have imagined this even 5 years ago but I believe if what you're doing is genuine, then people will take notice.



Watch out for 'Ear Drums & Black Holes' April 19th on Planet Mu and his remix of 'Air Bubble' coming soon 'fingers crossed' on Butterz.

More Bubbles

This is starting to get crazy, don't forget you can buy here, here and here.

Check out some more remixes that are flying in. Up them to Soundcloud and ill put them up here.

Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Brey's Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure Unmix) by Brey
Air Bubble (Relentless & 2ne Remix) - Terror Danjah by RelentlessPro
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Webstarr Remix) by Webstarr
D-Structo - Air Bubble (Remix) (Terror Danjah) by dstructouk
Air Bubble - Terror Danjah (Subp Yao Remix) by Subp Yao
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Gumzy Remix) by Gumzy
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Maxxs Bashment Booty Remix) by maxxs
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (My Panda Shall Fly Version) by mpsf
Air Bubble RMX [Rough Mix] by darktonesound
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble ( DD Black Ghettobass Remix ) by DDBLACKSOUNDZ
Air Bubble (Andy Petr Mix) by Andy Petr
Terror Danjah - Air Bubble (Deft's Blow Dem Bubbles Remix) by Deft
Air bubble (bobble remix) by ste shine

P.S Big up my Glasgow crew for Saturday, it was absolutely huge!

Devlin - Brainwashed

G FRSH LIVE AND DIRECT

Primary1 - Princess

M.I.A. - Tekquilla (Remix) (feat. Nicki Minaj)

Bashy - Fantasy

SINCERE X G FRSH - I'M ILL

LOWKEY - REVOLUTION MUSIC (ft FAITH SFX, REVEREND & THE MAKERS)

Janiece Myers Ft. Wiley - Underground Love

P Money - Sweet Shop (BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury 2010)

P Money - Left The Room (BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury 2010)

Kano freestyle 1Xtra Westwooood

Man Like Me - London Town (Doorly Cockney Wideboy Remix)

Plan B - Prayin' (Breakage's Bad Week Remix)

G Frsh - Fire In The Booth

Miss Piggy - Fuck The Pain Away

Jason Lewis NEW Jay-Z Spoofs for BBC

Maxsta feat. Kano - East London Is Back Remix

Rusko - Hold On (feat. Amber Coffman)

Skandal Ft Black The Ripper - Everyday

Maxsta - East London Is Back

Why I Love The Thirst

Magnetic Man - I Need Air

Donaeo - I'm Fly

Jammer - '10 Man Roll' feat. Boy Better Know

Bertie Signs New Act

CLOSED

What better day to end this blog then on my birthday! Best time for a fresh start!!
My new home can be found at http://inyourbass.com.
Keep checking it.
x

TONIGHT

http://www.myspace.com/cafebotastereo

Reset IV

21/03 @ Hallen van Schaarbeek

Princess Superstar
Red Snapper
Coldcut journeys by vj
Daedelus
Benga [Tempa - UK]
Mala [DMZ Crew]
Sgt. Pokes [DMZ Crew]
and
MORE

Dyno presents Nasty Freshh

Check out this mix made by Dyno: big producer/mc/dj coming out of Ghent!















1 Dyno - Superhero On String
2 Heralds Of Change - Alone
3 Onra - Last Tango In Saigon
4 Rustie - Dog Mask
5 Infinitskills - Inhale
6 Jazztronik - Prelude (Grooveman Spot Remix)
7 Dyno - Koffie
8 CuppCave - Breech This Trust
9 Flying Lotus - Trapteez
10 Sotu & Aïscha - Give It To Me (Dyno Remix)
11 Made In Japan - Babyspace
12 Comfort Fit - Everyday In Everyway
13 CuppCave - Metal Max
14 Sterile Action Figures - Lies
15 Dyno - Fuh Real (feat. Naboobia)
16 M.I.A. - Bamboo Banga
17 Justice - One Minute To Midnight
18 Hugh Masekela - Mahlalela (Fulgeance's Bicoquet Remix)
19 Radio Citizen - The Hop (Hudson Mohawke Mix)

http://media.libsyn.com/media/trueradio865/Nasty_Freshh_Mix.mp3

Untitled yesterday

First Untitled for me and didnt regret at all making the trip to Antwerp!
Quest did it for me!! Huge set he played! All about variaton and thats what keeps it interesting.
I expected a big crowd, but because of the change of date there was probably a lesser turn up then expected. Anyway for me the amount of people was just perfect.
Big up Untitled crew, sound was good, location was really nice and heard a lot of good music!
This was definitely not the last Untitled for me, so you can expect me at the Deep Medi Night.
Cool to see everyone who is coming to DMZ/FWD, it's gonna be a blast I'm sure :).

Shouts to Rosa for making the big trip ;), check out her pictures at http://flickr.com/photos/21386374@N05/sets/72157603840847882/.
More pictures at http://www.allnighters.net/gallery/thumbs/C228/

Live Mixes (CBS) 12/01/08

Vanno Mix
BunZer0 Mix

Rustie Mix

Great mix by Rustie.
http://www.northsouthdivide.com/podcast/nsdpodcast_061129_stuff.mp3

NSD - episode #12 - Stuffrecords present... Rustie - Gutterish Mix

1.mark one - slang (tectonic)
2.dj marsta - gridlock 4x4 (a.r.m.y bullet)
3.dj mentat - what's happ'nin' instrumental (?)
4.otto von schirach - trick snitch (touchin' bass)
5.rick ross - hustlin' remix instrumental (def jam)
6.loefah - mud (dmz)
7.wiley - flat derik (dump valve)
8.??? - b2 (d&g)
9.matty g - for the smokers (argon)
10.dj nessbeth - respect (4 player)
11.mrk 1 - empire (tyke)
12.newflesh - wherever we go space engine mix instrumental (?)
13.juelz santana - oh yes (def jam)
14.es-pee-dee & d.j distro - a2 (b.p.s.i records)
15.ripper man - rubble (white)
16.stacs of stamina - roll wonder refix (werk)
17.wonder - what geeneus rmx (dump valve)
18.mondie - straight feat. all in one (white)
19.spac hand luke - sidthug (rephlex)
20.the dexorcist - connect one (control tower)
21.slew dem - da firing range (slew dem)
22.b.i.g - spit your game remix (bad boy)
23.dj urban - bang that shit up (kne' deep)
24.nephets - bounce lady (pro-jex)
25.dizzee rascal - give u more feat. d double e (xl)
26.feadz - go on beef (bpitch)

Bunzer0 doing it big in London!

8th of February he's playing in the Dubstepforum room at the Drum&BassArenaAllstars Party!
29th of February he's doing FWD!

Go check him out if u have the chance.
Count me in for FWD!

Date Change Untitled

Now on SATURDAY (2/2) instead of friday.

Untitled: Unfortunatly, due to a double booking of Pier19 (which was only brought to our attention a couple of days a go) we are forced to move our party to Saturday instead of Friday. We've tried everything in our power to find a decent replacement for the venue but none was found. Hopefully this doesn't interfere too much with everybody's plans and hope to welcome another overwhelming turn-up like our previous editions. Let's make this another memorable party!

But not only has the date switched, the line-up has undergone a slight change as well. Since Silkie has to play in Leeds on Saturday we've invited Cyrus. A top producer and dj with several releases on Tectonic. So for those people who were still buried in books two weeks ago when he played in Brussels, this is your chance to check him out!

Please spread the word as much as possible. Tnx!

Untitled on Sub FM

Check now Kastor & Dice every 2 weeks on Sub Fm!!!

Listen every monday from 7 till 9 pm CET.

Stream:http://www.subfm.com/listen.html
Archive: http://archive.subfm.com

New BunZer0 Mix!

ENJOY!

BunZer0 : Dubstep Mix XIII

01. Beezy Intro
02. Claw & Ultrablack : Manenuff. (Unreleased).
03. Dz feat. The Fix : Boss. (Independents Forthcoming).
04. Goldfinger : Erratic. (Unreleased).
05. Goldfinger : Machine Riddim. (Unreleased).
06. Dz : Machinery. (Unreleased).
07. Mac Koall : Panic In The Streets. (Unreleased).
08. Natasja : Ildebrand i Byen - 2000F Remix Vocal. (Unreleased).
09. Saviour : Darkness Fall. (Unreleased).
10. 12th Planet : 28 Hours Later. (Redvolume Forthcoming).
11. Dz : Pretty Ugly. (Unreleased).
12. Stenchman : Kaniving Guttersnipe. (Unreleased).
13. Babylon System vs Noah D : Examination Of Time. (Argon Forthcoming).
14. Slazenger : Eightball Dutty Dubz Remix. (Unreleased).
15. Dz : Head Cold. (Unreleased).
16. Dz : Break It Down. (Unreleased).
17. Vista : Fiyah. (Unreleased).
18. Stenchman : Beat The Banker. (Unreleased).
19. Mike Lenon : When Science Fails Rusko Remix. (Z Audio).
20. Wascal : Badder Than You. (Unreleased).
21. Reso : Identity. (Unreleased).
22. Eskmo : The Grail Castle. (Unreleased).
23. Untold : Kingdom. (Hessle Audio Forthcoming).
24. Grimelock : Parc Station Gaz. (Unreleased).
25. BunZer0 : My Lova. (Unreleased).
26. Marlow : Bodycount. (Black Acre Forthcoming).
27. Vista : Exit Wound VIP. (Unreleased).
28. Saviour & Kursk : I Want Mine VIP. (Unreleased).
29. Planas & Quark feat. Bongo Chilli : Genetic Warfare. (Unreleased).
30. Templer : Some Shit Like Hey. (Unreleased).
31. Osc : Bless Up. ( ?)
32. Tes La Rok : Money Dub. (Unreleased).
33. Quark & Planas : Sorry Rmx. (Unreleased).

http://bunzer0.blogspot.com/2008/01/bunzer0-dubstep-mix-xiii.html

Happy 2008!

2007 has been a big year for dubstep in Belgium!!
Parties grew a lot a bigger, starting with Bunzer0's dubstep night at Beursschouwburg, the Stainage Parties and their part in the Dour Festival, Mate who put dubstep on the Dissonant festival and 10 days off, Untitled organising regulary their events in Antwerp, climaxing at the end of the year with the Aeclectrick release party which attracted a big crowd, one that no one could have expected and the dubstep programmation at AB (twice this year!).
2007 was also the year for other crews to step up and start organising events like 54 kolaktiv of Brussels and Solpher with his Substyle parties.
Shouts go out to Psycho for his Blastoze magazine that will lead to a bigger impact of dj's/producers in other countries. This year Bunzer0, Grimelock and the Bambu crew already played outside Belgium and the list will probably grow bigger in 2008.
As for releases Aeclecktrick set the tone, but Stainage will see its release in 2008, with artist Grimelock, Alchemyst, Saviour and Bunzer0 (more about this later!).
Also our own webstream Reload Radio got bigger by attracting a wide selection of artists. But national radio showed some interest too in dubstep and asked dubstep artists on regular basis to come and play on the Jungle Fever show.

2008 already promises to be massive with parties like:

12/01: CafeBotaStereo
Cyrus (Random Trio - Tectonic - UK)
Vanno (Foton - T2X)
BunZer0 (Sub Stance - Sub Fm - Be)

@ Cafe Bota Stereo

236 rue royale, Bruxelles, 1210

free entrance !

01/02:Untitled
Quest (Deep Medi, Dub Police, Anti Social Entertainment - UK)
Silkie (Deep Medi, Disfigured Dubs, Anti Social Entertainment - UK)
Hijak (Deep Medi, Tectonic - UK)
Dice & Kastor (Untitled!, Bambu - BE)
Goldorak (Untitled!, Bambu - BE)

Location: Pier 19, 2000 Antwerp
Entrance: 8euro

15/02: 54 Cares Deeply
L-Wiz
Sweden

HOODZ (u-ome)
USA, Los Angeles

Dutty Dubz (Goldfinger, Templer and Rumble)
Germany


GAMILA
NL-Iceland-Israël-Spain
- Steindor Kristinson (beats/bass's) Iceland
- Michiel Claus (drums/percusion) Belgium - 54Kolaktiv
- Yamila Rodriges (cello/efx/voice) Spain
- Ofir Klemperer (synths/efx) Israël
- Ofer Smilanski (live prossesing) Israël

Support:

Phonetics (Dubstep) - 54Kolaktiv
Ezzy & Depancher (Dubstep) - 54Kolaktiv
Mezzdub (Dubstep) 54Kolaktiv
Yurin Rostislav & Viktor Sagat (Live set - Jungle, Dubstep, ...) - 54Kolaktiv

When?
Kick off @ 20h, Gamila @ 22h
Friday 15-02-08

Where?
Compilothéque
Quai des Péniches 50
(Across Rics art boat)
1000 Bxsl

Price?
5e - 23u - 7e

22/02: Stainage Release Party

CASPA (Tempa - UK)
NEW FLESH (NinjaTune - Big Dada - UK)

Alchemyst b2b Saviour - Grimelock - BunZero - MoMoneyHoney

05/04: Deep Medi Musik Night
Antwerp

Recyclart - Brussels - 8

As from my side, this blog has been really quiet for a while, but work is in progress to make me a new webspot (looking fwd to that!)! Watch out for that, more news on this soon!

Sensu

>Who is dj sensu?
I'm a DJ residing in Brussels. I've been DJ'ing for a bit more than six years now. When i started, i mostly mixed experimental and ambient stuff, but i switched to mixing beats as i felt the experimental and ambient scene was at times a bit too closed for me. I've been a resident at the Statik Dancin' minimal parties (the first two years of its existence) and play all over Brussels these days as well as for other venues all over Belgium and sometimes abroad.

>What is your musical background?
My dad is a classical musician, so i grew up in a very musical environment. I've studied playing the piano a bit, but was too impatient for it. Music has been around me all my life, and early on, i started listening to electronic stuff, moving into experimental stuff quite fast. A few weeks ago, i've performed with my father together for the first time, me behind the decks as he was reciting a poem. This meant a lot to me.

>How did you came in contact with dubstep?
By reading an article on grime, i was aware of what was going on in England, and when Hardwax in Berlin started selling Burial records (i go to Berlin regularly to buy records), i was hooked immediately.

>You combine minimal techno and dubstep, what in your opinion do they
have in common?
It's possible to mix them in my opinion. That's the first thing. People should mix up different things. A lot of dubstep records have a minimal techno influence and on the other hand, dubstep has been influencing minimal techno and house music a lot. I like music to be an open thing. A DJ should play (in my opinion) different genres and not necessarily stick to just mixing one genre. It's cool to surprise your audience and it's necesary i feel to give an underground answer to people like 2 Many DJ's who are mixing up different genres and styles, but do it in such a way that it becomes a commercial and not very artistic thing.

>What are your biggest influences now (dubstep, non-dubstep)?
My biggest influences are not necessarily musical, although i've been greatly inspired by avant-garde electronic music from the fifties and sixties, and many things after that such as Kraftwerk, Detroit techno, modern experimental music. I guess what influences me a lot these days is watching movies and reading about cinema. The way artistic creation takes on a life of its own is something that inspires me deeply. A few years ago for example, i became fascinated by the way MGM in Hollywood would recruit all the best theatre writers, dancers and choreographers to produce their musicals. These movies were at that time (the fifties) perceived as reacing very high artistic levels. I enjoy reading about stuff like that and it inspires me to aim for something that i guess one would refer to as quality.
As to modern music, these days, i'm very much impressed by house records coming from America and England as they deliciously update the Basic Channel style and include new influences (such as dubstep) easily into their sound.

>What is Manna?
Manna is a project that aims to organise things on Sunday afternoons in Brussels. The collective consists of people that are in Meakusma, Forwart and myself. We have so far organised two events ourselves (with guests Benjamin Brunn and Shackleton) and have participated in the Noûs Festival (where we highlighted the Workshop label) and the Open Circuit concept of Kunstencentrum Belgie in Hasselt. Our aim is to bring new and challenging music to people and do this in an accessible way. We have a cook that provides food for the occasion. Right now we're planning new things, but it seems to be very difficult in Brussels to find spaces where you can organise something on a Sunday afternoon in the kind of way we want to do it.

>What is your feeling about the belgian dubstep scene?
I honestly don't know what to say. Personally i think there's many talented people in the scene and i enjoy what they do enormously. On the other hand, i don't feel well placed to comment about it. I am not a dubstep DJ, i just play the records i like from the genre. I really hope that dubstep will manage to keep things fresh for a long time. There's many creative people in the genre that have produced beautiful records already. What i've noticed with young (Belgian) dubstep DJ's and producers is that they have a very big openness towards other genres and other ways of producing music. Let's hope this goes on a bit, as it's probably the only way forward.

>Is not promoting yourself on the internet a deliberate decision?
Like i said before, i do not consider myself to be a dubstep DJ. Next to that, i don't like forums on the internet very much. I use my myspace and my blog to provide info on myself and the things i'm interested in. Getting involved with internet communities would be too much work for me. I generally try to stay away from it a little bit.

>You mostly play for an audience that isnt too familiar with dubstep
,does that influence your selection?
My selection of records is basically my new stuff combined with older things i still play or have re-discovered. Playing dubstep to people not used to it is easy i find. Many people respond well to it. I remember playing Burial records in my sets at Statik Dancin' a few years ago and people discovering the genre through that and loving it.

>Do you have plans productionwise?
I produce and sometimes perform live with a friend. We have a project called Kiono in which we fuse many of the genres i play. Although we have a lot of tracks already, we do not play often as we try to play as live as possible. A lot depends on improvisation, which sometimes works and sometimes does not. But we definitely will continue with this.

>What is in your opinion your biggest achievement so far?
That is very difficult to say for me as i'm generally looking forward. I'm very happy that i've been able to work with some of the people that i have admired for a long time. Music has opened my eyes to the world. But i think i still have a long way to go. I've been lucky so far in the sense that i've been able to do amazing things already, but i still have a lot of ideas and desires.

>In what way do you want to see yourself evolve? (dj/production/promotionwise)
I cannot say. We'll see ...

>Where can we see you play in the near future?
My full agenda is on my myspace. :-)


--
myspace.com/djsensu
djsensu.blogspot.com
myspace.com/peripheries
manna-bxl.be
myspace.com/mannabxl

(Mix still to follow, so watch this blog)

Rustie

Rustie killed it yesterday at Meakusma!! Combining glitch, crunk, grime and hiphop on a soundsystem with a big bass made me think that his live show was probably one of the best things I heard in a long time!!
Check out his own productions at his myspace
Too bad his "Jagz the Smack" EP was sold out immediately (you can still buy the mp3's on Boomkat though) , but watch out for his forthcoming beats on Stuffrecords.
For the dubstep fans, he made a banging remix of Zomby's Spliff dub.
Also check out the remix he made of Jahcoozi's Hitech.
Watch out for him!!


rustie is 24 years old. formerly of glasgow techno outift voltaic he now makes ridiculous street bass. his solo record is out now on stuff records. it's called 'rustie jags the smack'. any time he makes a bootleg it garners attention. lately ayres in new york was all over his 'throw some ds'.


Thump Crack Mix
three 6 mafia - rainbow colors
n.w.a - dopeman remix
cool kids - one two
guilty simpson - get bitches, get riches
e-40 - dusted n disgusted
hudson mo ft. olivier daysoul - bopgunn
quasimoto - greenery
machinedrum - crime reaper
lazer sword - gucci seatshirt
trill fam - wipe me down remix
tampa tony - cant juke without me (tactic re-edit)
mims - girlfriends fav mc
turf talk - bring the base back
dj amaze - lean
rich boy - throw some d's (starkey remix)
50 cent- she wants it
rustie vs vortex - deep fried
ludacris - splash waterfalls
three 6 mafia - lets start a riot
young jeezy & slim thug- diamonds (ayres & winslow remix)
spruce illest- bumper
famlay - no time 4 no's
traxamillion- from the hood

30/11: Aeclectrick Records present: SUB STANCE (Palace, Bxl)

More pictures here.

Mixes update

Here is a selection of mixes that I've been listening the last couple of weeks.
Going from downtempo, broken beat (ThinKing), to some grime classics played by Bok-Bok, a heavy bass/grime influenced mix by my favourite Starkey, a partymix with all kinds of styles (GUNIT, and ending with a mix of LA based Glitch Mob playing a selection of their own tracks.
Enjoy

Thinking - Broken Beat Mix
DOWNLOAD
U R (Yam Who? remix) - Alison Crockett - Wah Wah 45s
Sky's the limit (Yam Who? remix) - Raphael Saadiq - YAM records
Even if it is so - Q-tip - Ra Ra
Kissy face - Five Deez - K7!
The gnomes - Chris Joss - IRMA
Shifting - P.T.A. - EE Records
So you want more? (revox feat. Roots Manuva) - Ty - Big Dada
So long - Mr Scruff - Ninja Tune
Think twice - Detroit Experiment - Electric Soul
Happy - Max Sedgely - IRMA
Can you handle it? (Part 1) - Kenny Dope - BBE
Honest (Jazzanova remix) - Nu Spirit Helsinki - Sonar Kollektiv
>> Rainfall (Bugz in the Attic remix) - Nitin Sawnhey feat. Taio - V2 (tease)
Generations - Shur-I-Kan - Freerange
Spiritual (Seiji remix) - Reel People - Bitasweet
Wah Wah - Domu - Sonar Kollektiv
Get ya dub on (Jimpster remix) - Switch - Freerange
Love 2 Love - Just One - Neroli
Game of chance - John Tejada - Frenetik
I Look in your eyes (RIMA remix) - Korpi Ensemble - Archive
Mascarade - Franck Roger - Versatile
Melting blue ice (Seiji remix) - Joakim Lone Quartet - Bitasweet
Interstellar - Waiwan - Earth Project
>> Funky (a capella) - Five Deez - K7!
Turning the tide (broken mix) - Jinadu & Domu - Bitches Brew
I am the road (Bugz in the Attic remix) - Markus Enochson & E-Man - MAW

Bok-Bok - A Mix of Classic Grime Riddims
DOWNLOAD
01 * DND - got myself together
02 * MUSICAL MOBB - pulse x
03 * YOUNGSTAR - dungeon
04 * DJ ODDZ & EASTWOOD - champion remix
05 * DJ ODDZ & EASTWOOD - champion remix of the remix
06 * EASTWOOD - elastik
07 * AGENT X - killahertz [ALIAS remix]
06 * OUTLAW BREAKS - dutty
07 * STARFOX - jumanji
08 * DJ ODDZ & EASTWOOD - toothache
09 * DIZZEE RASCAL - wheel
10 * BLACK OPS - black ops history megamix
11 * BIGSHOT - stomp VIP
12 * GEENEUS - thunder
13 * MR FIDGET - fidget's bounce
14 * WIZZBIT - jamnite
15 * 2ND II NONE - signal
16 * DJ MONDIE - straight [SCARE DEM remix ft VICIOUS]
17 * HINDZY D - soundwave
18 * WILEY - ice rink [RUFF SQWAD remix]
19 * WILEY - ice rink 3
20 * DANNY WEED - rate race
21 * WILEY - pingu
22 * WILEY - igloo
23 * MARK ONE - bring the law
24 * J-SWEET - on my knees remix
25 * DIZZEE RASCAL - hoe [MAK 10 remix]
26 * BIG E-D - gunshot rhythm
27 * DJ ODDZ - nightmare VIP
28 * DEXPLICIT - forward riddim
29 * DEXPLICIT - backwards riddim
30 * BOSSMAN - eyes on u 2
31 * BOSSMAN - bongo eyes
32 * BOSSMAN - bongo eyes remix
33 * BOSSMAN - bongo eyes VIP
34 * DAVINCHE - bump dis
35 * JAMMER - destruction VIP
36 * RUFF SQWAD - r u double f
37 * RUFF SQWAD - pied piper 2
38 * ELLIS - war riddim
39 * TERROR DANJAH - piano madness
40 * BIG E-D - backlash
41 * SKEPTA - pied piper remix
42 * WILEY - colder remix
43 * WILEY - colder
44 * WILEY - outburst
45 * WILEY - sidewinder
46 * WILEY - firefly
47 * SKEPTA - the end
48 * RIPPERMAN - rubble [DOK remix]
49 * TERROR DANJAH - freak show VIP
50 * YOUNG DOT - bazooka
51 * YOUNG DOT - bazooka remix
52 * YOUNG DOT - bazooka remix?
53 * YOUNG DOT - bazooka 2
54 * DAVINCHE - megadrive
55 * STATIK - charge remix
56 * RUFF SQWAD - anna
57 * VIRGO - down
58 * LOW DEEP - so right now
57 * WAIFER - grime remix
58 * SPOOKY - nightcrawler
59 * SKEPTA - duppy
60 * J-SWEET - kerb
61 * RUFF SQWAD - xtra remix
62 * WILEY - north london
63 * TERROR DANJAH - zumpi hunter
64 * WIZBIT - jamhot [DAVINCHE remix]
65 * SPOOKY - plastic gype refix 06
66 * WILEY - shower youth dub
67 * WILEY - crash bandicoot
68 * SKEPTA - stageshow riddim
69 * YOUNG DOT - er yeah

Starkey - XLR8R podcast
DOWNLOAD
1. Mathhead vs. Passions "Get Hype" (dub)
2. Starkey "Listen In" (dub)
3. Zomby "Darkness Fallz (Banana Tropicana Mix)" (dub)
4. Ghislain Poirier "Blazin' feat. Face-T (DJ C Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
5. Starkey "Roadblock" (dub)
6. L-Vis 1990 "Change the Game" (dub)
7. Starkey "Evil Eyes" (dub)
8. Dexplicit "Kinetic (Revelation 4x4 Remix)" (dxp)
9. Secret Angel Gel "This is Why I'm Dub" (dub)
10. Hue Jah Fink "Out of Reach feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw" (dub)
11. Art of Noise "Moments in Love (Caspa Remix)" (white)
12. Rusko "2 Far" (dub)
13. 2nd II None "Waterfalls" (Heavy Artillery)
14. El B "Ghost Rider" (Heavy Artillery)
15. Dev79 "Gully Ish Riddim" (Slit Jockey)
16. 6BLOCC "Give the DJ a Break (Remix)" (dub)
17. Atki2 "Fish Bone and Blood" (dub)
18. DeVille "Rumble" (Senseless)
19. Mothboy "Beg (Starkey Remix)" (Ad Noiseam)
20. The Bug feat. Killa P & Flow Dan "Skeng" (Hyperdub)
21. Starkey "Kick It" (dub)
22. Starkey "Noreaster Riddim" (dub)
23. T2 "Salsa" (Powerhouse)
24. Starkey "Swollen Glands" (dub)
25. Young Dot "I Got My Head Screwed On" (mixtape)
26. TRG "Killed It Dead (Emalkay Remix)" (Audio Freakz)
27. Drop the Lime "Try Harder" (Broklyn Beats)
28. DG Yola "Ain't Gon Let Up (Starkey Remix)" (Seclusiasis)
29. Gatekeeper "Tomb VIP" (dub)
30. Wonder "Can't Stand It" (Dump Valve)
31. Starkey "Menace" (dub)
32. Playaz Circle "Duffle Bag Boy feat. Lil Wayne" (mixtape)

Girl U No It's True - Love me Right
DOWNLOAD
1. Fresh - Dum Dum Part 2
2. DJ Godfather - Let 'Em Buck
3. Dave Angel - Dimension Of Drums
4. Samim vs. Pitbull - Heater(Claude VonStroke remix)/Ay Chico
5. Debonair Samir - Samir's Theme (DJ Hardwell Mix)
6. Lumidee - Never Leave You (Acapella)
7. Knifehandchop - Dirty New York (Reverse)
8. Masters At Work - The Ha Dance
9. Cybotron - Clear
10. Soulja Boy/Benzi/Rashad -Crank Dat (Juke Jams mix)
11. DJ Godfather - Time To Jit
12. Two Of A Kind - Like This
13. Rhythm Is Rhythm - Strings Of Life
14. CeCe Peniston - Finally (Acapella)
15. Afrika Bambaataa - Planet Rock (Bonus Beats)
16. DJ Assault - Checkstub
17. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (DJ Assault mix)
18. Angel City ft. Lara McAllen - Love Me Right
19. Dj Funk - Fear
20. The Sweat Boys - Do You Want To Perculate?
21. L-Vis 1990 - Waltzer
22. Disco D ft. Chuck - Cannot Stop This
23. Bizarre Inc - Raise Me (Eon's Ascension mix)
24. Keyshia Cole ft. Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim - Let It Go (Kingdom's 909 Remix)

Glitch Mob - XLR8R podcastmix
DOWNLOAD
1. Ooah "Tuesday Again" (Interchill Records)
2. edIT "Straight Heat" (Alpha Pup Records)
3. Boreta & Eprom "The Good, The Bad, The Squishy" (Unreleased)
4. Dr Dre & Snoop Dogg "The Next Episode" (Kraddy Remix Instrumental) (Refiner Records)/Mr. Vegas "Under Mi Sensi" (Acapella)
5. edIT "The Sirens" (Alpha Pup Records)
6. Boreta & Eprom "Psyphy feat. Mc Epcot" (Unreleased)
7. Ooah "Stomp The Yard" (Muti Music)
8. Lupe Fiasco "I Gotcha" (Kraddy Remix) (Refiner Records)
9. Boreta "Lobegrinder" (Glitch Mob Unlimited)
10. The Grouch "Artsy (edIT Remix)" (Alpha Pup)
11. Clipse "Mr. Me Too (a.k.a. Jalapeno Body Poppers) (Ooah Remix)" (Unreleased)
12. BlackStar "Bright As The Stars (a.k.a. Mos Beautiful) (Kraddy Remix)" (Refiner Records)

Complete line up Exit 2007

EXIT 07 - ETIENNE DE CRECY - JERBOA ...
DIZZEE RASCAL - DJ MEHDI - PHILIPPE ZDAR

21/12/07

Ancienne Belgique

Main Hall
23:00 JERBOA
00:15 DIZZEE RASCAL
01:30 DJ MEHDI
03:00 ETIENNE DE CRECY live (Superdiscount)
04:00 PHILIPPE ZDAR (Cassius DJ-set)
06:00 curfew

Club
22:00 BUN-ZER0
00:00 DJ PINCH
01:30 MARY ANNE HOBBS
03:00 MALA (Digital Mystikz)
05:00 curfew

Agora
21:00 DISRUPT (JAHTARI)
01:00 FLOW & FHEX
06:00 curfew

Main Hall Standing , 22.00 Presales, 25.00

av. Anspachlaan 110 - 1000 Bxl - Be 430 973 770 -
tel. +0032-(0)2-548 24 24

Last night @ Warriorz

Just want to say that I was amazingly dissapointed by Rusko. The lack of variation in his set makes me feel like it was the worst dubstep set I saw in my life. Enjoyed about half an hour, highpoint was definitely when he played Cockney Thug, but after hearing the same kind of records over and over again I had enough. Hope he plays a better set in Antwerp.
Nevertheless I had a good time, mixingwise he is a really good dj, and the crowd seemed to like it as well. So the vibes were surely present, but I had a bit the feeling I was on a drum and bass party 4 years ago...
Wadadda couldn't convince me either, his live set didn't really look live, because he was actually just standing behind his laptop

Location was cool, and the bass was loud, a bit too much at times.
Can't really comment on the rave dj's because I left 20 minutes after Sike started, which sounded more like drum and bass then rave to me.
Big up on the organisation, was a great party nevertheless, just didn't feel it musicaly.

On the contrary the Radiophonic festival party one weekend ago, was one of the best parties I went to since a long time. Bunzer0 and Grimelock both played really good sets! Definitely the best set I heard of Bunzer0, nice 2step vibes, good mixing, and he seemed to have a good time himself! They both proved that they are our 2 best dj/production acts coming out of this country. Joker played more a dubstep set then a grimey one. His nerves didnt really have the best influence on his mixingskills, but that improved at the end.
Great party in a cool location (chapel). I hope to see more parties happening there in the future!

PICTURES WARRIORZ

27/10: COSMIC PIRATE FLAVE presents JOKER

Radiophonics festival invites Joker, 18 year old coming from Bristol, isn't really a known producer here, but has been described by Pitchfork as 'the hottest new instrumental grime producer'. He started out as a dj, but turned to production later. Now he has a release on Pinch's label Earwax (you'll probably recognise Stuck in the System and Grimey Princess).
Check out more of his tracks at http://www.myspace.com/thejokerproductions.
I sincerely hope a second time grime in Belgium works out!

DizzeeRascal@AB

Got this from the AB website:

JERBOA (Main Hall 23:00)
This local cut & paste hip hop hero has already scored this year with 'Number One' and 'What If', 2 fat hits which can be found on the 'Rockit Fuel' album. With his debut 'Music For My Instruments' Jerboa has nestled himself effortlessly beside DJ Shadow & co. With 'Rockit Fuel' he has taken a fresh new approach with more rock, vocals and fulfilling songs; each with that precisely chosen sample as its theme.
Watch the 'Number One' video here - - jerboa - myspace - last fm

DIZZEE RASCAL (Main Hall 00:15)
The uncrowned king of British hip hop is called DIZZEE RASCAL and has made mincemeat of the competition with his third album 'Maths & English'. His debut 'Boy In Da Corner' won the prestigious Mercury Prize and put British hip hop back on the world map. In the meantime he has worked with artists of all kinds, such as Beck, Basement Jaxx and Arctic Monkeys.
Watch the 'Sirens' video here - dizzee rascal - myspace - last fm

DJ MEHDI (Main Hall 01:30)
French-based DJ MEHDI is one of the leading names on the ultra hip Ed Banger label (the label of Daft Punk manager Pedro Winter, which has illustrious names such as Justice and Uffie). Since leaving his hip hop past behind him (he was part of Mafia K'1 Fry and produced the albums of 113) he has worked with Daft Punk and Cassius, and, as a DJ, will ensure a fat party with lots of hip hop and electro.
Watch the 'Signatune' video here - myspace - last fm

ETIENNE DE CRÉCY live (Superdiscount) (Main Hall 03:00)
To complete the party ETIENNE DE CRÉCY will be bringing his first ever live set onto Belgian soil. A first from the man jointly responsible with Alex Gopher for 'Superdiscount', the album that freed house from its shackles. He has made 'Superdiscount 2' with help from Cassius, the band with which he has already written the Motorbass story.
Watch the 'Am I Wrong' video here - etienne de crecy - last fm

PHILIPPE ZDAR (Cassius dj-set) (Main Hall 04:00)
Via de Crécy we come to PHILIPPE ZDAR (Philippe Cerboneschi to quote his official name) who found himself in the eye of the French Touch storm in the mid-nineties with Cassius and had mega hits with 'Cassius 99' and 'La Mouche'. With the new Cassius album '15 Again' he won over the AB and Pukkelpop early this year, and to close this fingerlickin' Exit line-up Zdar promises us a steaming DJ-set.
myspace - last fm

The Club is the place to be for a few leading names from the dubstep scene. Names will be released here later.

Main Hall
23:00 JERBOA
00:15 DIZZEE RASCAL
01:30 DJ MEHDI
03:00 ETIENNE DE CRECY live (Superdiscount)
04:00 PHILIPPE ZDAR (Cassius DJ-set)