<< Backwards / Forwards >>

First lets have a quick look back over the year and all that wicked music that has graced our ears, or mine at least. Have it in a vauge list based form:

1. Flying Lotus – Los Angeles (Warp)
2. 2562 – Aerial (Tectonic)
3. Starkey – Ephemeral Exhibits (Planet Mu)
4. Polar Bear – Polar Bear (Tin Angel)
5. Deerhunter – Microcastle / Weird Era Cont. (4AD)
6. Eero Johannes – Eero Johannes (Planet Mu)
7. Atlas Sound – Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky)
8. Trim – Soulfood Vol.3 (Self Released)
9. Gang Gang Dance – Saint Dymphna (Warp)
10. The Bug – London Zoo (Ninja Tunes)

11. Distance – Repercussions (Planet Mu)
12. Minilouge – Animals (Cocoon)
13. Adebisi Shank – This Is An Album By The Band Adebisi Shank (The Richter Collective)
14. Rolo Tomassi – Hysterics (Hassle)
15. DJ/Rupture – Uproot (The Agriculture)
16. Trouble Books – The United Colours Of Trouble Books (MIE)
17. Dusk + Blackdown – Margins Music (Keysound)
18. Down I Go – Tyrant (Undergroove)
19. No Age – Nouns (Sub Pop)
20. Dot Rotten – R.I.P. Young Dot (Rotten Riddims)

Any I’ve not talked about before on here look out for some words on them sometime no doubt.

It’s been a really good year for music, for me at least. I have really been feeling the dubstep, grime and bass music in general. There seems to be one hell of a vibrant scene that I had only vaguely dipped into in the past. It’s been the year of the blog for me as well, it’s got me talking to loads of cool people and hooked me up with some really nice music, so thank you to all of the people who have hooked me up and helped me out, you know why you are. Massive props to 3barfire and Drowned in Sound for letting me write for them as well.

Now lets move forward >>>

I’m really looking forward to a whole load of dubstep albums:

Kode 9 seems to be getting one ready to go and if his collaborations with FlyLo and LD are anything to go by it’s going to be special not to mention his funky shenanigans.

While I’m mentioning FlyLo I may as well say he will have the 3rd EP from the LA series dropping next year no doubt. No idea if he has other plans but lets hope so he has blown me away this year.

Antisocial Entertainment seem to be working on a load of albums. Kromestar has an album on the way for early next year called My Sound, which I’ve heard already and I must say it’s pretty damn nice. Other members I’ve heard are making albums are, Silkie, Heny G and ConQuest. No idea when they will see the light of day but I swear something is happening. Look forward to some new skool funky techy grooves with a fuck load of soul.

Martyn is working on an album that will drop sometime next year on his own label that will no doubt be very special indeed. Pretty much every track I’ve heard from him has moved me in some way, shape or form.

Maybe just maybe we will get some new stuff from Burial, but who knows hey he is a secretive chap and I doubt we will know anything until it happens.

Zomby has been killing me this year with his really deranged Zomby EP on Hyperdub, it seems like an age ago I started to hear these fucked up creations and now they are finaly out to buy. I will write about them soon no doubt, but I really hope he will make a wonky deranged bleepd fest of an album this coming year to follow up his backwards looking rave revival album Where Were You In 92. No idea if this will happen but I can dream can’t I?

A dude that goes by the name of Guido has been killing me recently with his futuristic R&B meets grime and dubstep creations. I really hope he is planning a follow up to his last mixtape collection at least a few 12”. I have heard Guido, Joker and Gemmy be described as the Purple Trio from Bristol so hopefully they will all kick off next year.

I’m pretty sure Rustie is working on an album for Warp or something like that anyway, if I’m not mistaken. Now that will be well worth a listen for fans of wonky as hell street bass and bleep-hop.

In a similar kind of vibe Samiyam is rumoured to be making an album for Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. Rap Beats Vol.1 this year was a wicked little CD and so was his Hyperdub EP.

Hudson Mohawk & Mike Slott are working on an album that is ready to drop early next year, which should be interesting.

Dalek have Gutter Tactics ready to go as well which will be a mad slice of forward thinking noise drenched hip-hop.

Grime is shaping up to be a bit special too. Trim will be dropping Soulfood Vol.4 and I hope to be getting this to write about when ever it’s ready and I for one can’t wait. Durrty Goodz is dropping the pre-album album (what ever that means) CD called Ultrasound and if the radio session on Logan Sama the other night is anything to go by then it’s going to be wicked. Goodz will also have his vocal version of Starkey’s Gutter Music appear on Dusk & Blackdown’s Keysound label early in the year.

Making some serious underground noise right now is the UK Funky scene. Grime and Dubstep headz are all taking notice along with the bassline and electro posse. Funky is some kind of bastard hybrid of funky house, grime and big dirty bass. It’s all pretty murky and fun sounding. I first heard about it after Kode 9 started shouting about it on a radio show and span a little set. Then I got hooked when hearing Markus Nasty, Mac 10 and Spyro on Rinse FM playing it all the time. In recent months it’s really kicked off with people from all areas jumping on the sound and doing there own thing with it. Big productions from Roska, Apple, D Malice, Crazy Cousins and Geeneus have all blown me away. Dubstep is already getting into the vibe of it all with the most notable playas being Kode 9 & LD who dropped the amazing Bad EP with one side being a funky tempo and the other being dubstep tempo. I think there is going to be some BPM wars going on in coming times as headz from all scenes try and blend everything together.

Now I have got the bass and beats out of the way I may as well give you some guitars hey? Dananananaykroyd will release their debut album Hey Everyone! I for one am excited about this one.

Grizzly Bear have been working on one as well I think and if the few tracks they have played live and stuck up online are anything to go by then it’s going to be pretty special.

There has been a hell of a lot of hype and noise about Animal Collective already, well if you hang around with music geeks on forums there has been anyway. The few tracks I’ve heard sound damn nice to me too and I’m not really much of a fan.

Maybe just maybe Final Fantasy will drop Heartlands on us, I know I would really like to hear another album from him.

I’m really looking forward to hearing Worriedaboutsatan’s next album entitled Arrivals. It’s dropping early next year I think and it’s shaping up to be beautiful, a real mix of minimal techno and post-rock soundscapes.

Bradford Cox will hopfuly decide to finish off Logos after all that drama of it leaking all over the place in unfinished form earlier in the year. More Cox is always welcome round these parts.

Some Tubelord would also go down a treat, I saw them a few times this year and really enjoyed what I heard. There progression has been quite something too, so I think they can pull off a wicked album.

Just for the sake of dreaming I will also mention Daft Punk and My Bloody Valentine as who knows they might make something happen…

What I’m looking forward to most though are all the surprises, bring it on!