Dinosaur Pile-Up / The Federals / Littlemores / Ghosts On The Intercom @ The Basement Bar, York. 25th February 2009

It’s been a little while since I went to a gig with guitars involved so rocking out at the Basement Bar was a nice change. Lots of young York talent on show tonight in the form of everyone but the headliner, who come from down the road in Leeds so they didn’t have to travel to far in their, ‘Truck Delorevan Bigland’ as myspace tells me they ride in... Maybe I read to much.

Ghosts On The Intercom open up the night, I’ve seen these guys before supporting Rolo Tomassi in York but accidentally thought they were ‘in’ the intercom instead of ‘on’ it so sorry about that. They seemed a little tighter this time and rocked the hell out with their own brand of mathematical infused rock. I enjoyed it.

Littlemores are yet more young’uns from round the way and apparently this was only their third gig or somat. They played a brand of indie jangle in the vain of The Strokes or Razorlight you know a little bit garage a little bit ska a little bit indie pop. It wasn’t really my thing but it was by no means bad.

The Federals were the last of the support slots and the young York talent. They make a retro garage sound and are tight as hell with it as well. Nice short, dirty garage riffs with a fuck load of energy and throw back swagger they still managed to sound fresh even though it was all retro as hell.

Dinosaur Pile-Up have been making some indie waves in recent times with their own brand of grunge seeped indie rock, that’s equal parts low slung catchy riffs of Nirvana and fun time on form Weezer… kinda. I had almost seen them before at Nasty Fest in Leeds, but the room was so damn packed that you couldn’t get close so I jumped at he chance to see them in the intimate surroundings of City Screen’s Basement Bar. When Dinosaur Pile-Up really unleash the riffs and rock out like grunge never died it’s a joy to hear. The first track to really get the people dancing and people groping was Love is a Boat and We’re Sinking which is one of their ‘mellow’ ones that just happens to have one hell of a catchy riff and dancy drums. This band is tight, fun and can make one hell of a racket; Long live Dinosaur Pile-Up!

All in all it was a good gig full of guitars, bass and drums just like in the olden days. Everything was kind of retro sounding apart from Ghosts On The Intercom who kinda brought something fresh, angular and a little progressive to the night. All the rest killed it though and put in solid performances.

http://www.myspace.com/basementcityscreen

http://www.myspace.com/dinosaurpileup

www.myspace.com/thefederals

http://www.myspace.com/littlemores

www.myspace.com/ghostsontheintercom

Durrty Goodz – Ultrasound

Original writen for Sonic Router, see it and more here.

The long awaited next CD from Durrty Goodz is finally here and it’s taken time. Ultrasound is the pre-album to the highly anticipated album Born Blessed and the follow up to one of the top grime releases to date the on point Axiom EP.

It’s so good to have him back and Ultrasound doesn’t disappoint, it may not reach the heights of Axiom but it’s solid. There is no need to skip a track, which is good going for a grime CD.

There’s some big productions on here, every beat is huge sounding and punchy. Nocturnal, Rudekid, Taz Buckfaster, Bouncer, Demos, Maniac and Joker all pull out the big guns. A lot of the time they find the middle ground between grime and dubstep, which really suits Goodz not to mention, kills it.

Goodz deals with grime matters mostly, like people going mainstream and electro, the death of raves and the scene. But he does it with a big shit eating grin big bars and hooks.

Highlights include the hyper strings and bass of ‘Party N Rave’ about the state of grime raves. Buckfaster’s ‘Destruction’ is an absolute beast, pure gully. ‘Upset Me’ has a quite dig at Wiley over a minimal bleep beat. The radio sampling ‘Grime Killers’ is a banger and pretty much sums up the CD’s lyrical tip. ‘Forward Skip’ featuring MC Stephen Hawkins really gets in your head with its hype hook.

If this is just the warm up for Born Blessed we are in for a real treat as the levels are high on this one.

http://www.myspace.com/officialdurrtygoodz

Sub Dub Presents: Exodus / DMZ

I'm heading down for this today, I can't wait!

Kromestar – My Sound

Original writen for Sonic Router

Kromestar has been around for so damn long now and he has one hell of a back catalogue to match, the guy is prolific. Barely a week or two goes by without a new Kromestar beat being heard somewhere he’s got 12” coming out of his ears and only last year he dropped an album with Hatcha. This time it’s just his sound.

My Sound is a soulful slab of dubstep that’s perfect for the dance floor and home listening. You can really hear the Anti-Social Entertainment vibes all the way through this album; there are echoes of Silkie and Quest in places with their deep, warm meditative soul styles. Plastic horn stabs, big bass and skipping beats are the order of the day.

There really are some fantastic tracks on here one of the first standouts for me is the mad off-kilter bleep skipper ‘System Log’ I can’t get enough of it. The deep bass rumbles along as the electronic bleeps and bloops glide over the top and give the track a really bouncy feel.

My Sound really surprised me, as I’m not usually one for a Kromestar beat he does so many different styles within the genre that a lot of it had either not moved me or completely passed me by. This album really does showcase his talents so well though; it’s everything I want to hear from Kromestar.

Tracks like ‘Poltergeist’ and ‘Pass The Light’ could have easily been released on a label like Deep Medi they just have that dreamy heads down, blessed out feel to them. Oh plus ‘Poltergeist’ sounds a bit like Silkie’s last Egyptian style skanker and ‘Pass The Light’ Mala like.

For some reason a lot of these tracks, ‘Go Away’ especially remind me of DJ Shadow’s early work, I think it’s the soulful samples and dreamy soundscapes that do it. As Kromestar is far from hip-hop, there are just echoes of things like, ‘Midnight in a Perfect World’ and other sublime cuts from Entroducing.

If I had one criticism of this album it would be that some of it sounds a little samey after a while, like the clattering beats are mostly in a half step esq style a lot of the time and I like stuff to be a bit more rhythmically inventive. It fits though and doesn’t take to much away from the tracks. It’s also what kind of makes it flow so well as an album instead of a collection of songs and singles as so many dance albums are.

The tracks are so subtle with a mellow and hazy vibe to them you feel like your either deep in the dance with the lights low as you gently swagger to the bass or you feel like your on a sun drenched beach some place hot just feeling the flow.

There is a real Balearic tech house vibe to some of this stuff; to my ears anyway. It makes me want to grab a bus cruse past DMZ and FWD>> lure the lot of them into the back with Red Stripe and Rizzla’s then ship everyone off to Ibiza and take over the place with deep bass and pure vibes.

My Sound has a nice dubstep sound to it, like a traditional older sound it hasn’t got that aggravated wobble step thing going on or that techno infused tracky thing going on. There isn’t that southern hip-hop boom beat either, it’s just smooth, soul infused dub. It already sounds timeless and classic.

Kromestar’s My Sound really is a wicked album and one that everyone who grabs it will no doubt take a different track as their favourite. He’s done well here and I bet he’s got another million tracks done since. Kromestar, it’s your time.

Kwaidan

Space age techno maneuvers from the Highpoint Lowlife crew from London. Kwaidan is a one off project from Fisk Industries and I for one hope that it becomes more than just that, as these two tracks are something else.

Kwaidan melt together the feel and space of dubstep with some of the aesthetics and tempo of techno to make a deeply hypnotic, dark piece of work.

Plenty of dub techno just takes the four to the floor kick and dubs out some synth chords but the Kwaidan project spaces things out further by brining a swing to things with a stepping rhythm. Kontext and A Made Up Sound do similar things in this tempo.

A fairly aggressive techno synth growl drives things about half way through on ‘Hoichi’ and pulls you out of one hypnotic state of all the echoed samples, into another bass faced one, before both moods lock together and your really move with the track.

The deep down swagger of ‘Masaki’ follows a similar trend with a subtle build that just gets dirtier and dirtier as the bass locks and pumps with glitching minimal beats.

Two epic slices of dark and spaced out dubstep infused techno from Kwaidan, check it.

Lil’ Wayne

Now there has been some strange moves from Lil’ Wayne recently the maddest of which is that he’s becoming a rock star! I guess he has decided to take over rock like he has hip-hop in recent years with his huge selling album Tha Carter III last year.

Apparently the rock album will be called The Rebirth and it’s going to be interesting to say the least from the bit’s and bobs that seem to have leaked. Prom Queen is a cheesy Papa Roach meets T-Pain Auto Tune Metal track it’s pretty much the worse thing I’ve heard of his in ages and I heard two very weak mixtapes at the end of last year, Dedication 3 and The Empire. Then there is this track (see video) it’s alright I guess it even sounds a little like a fun version of TV on the Radio if you really really make your ears squint, oh and maybe ignore the Green Day vocal steal at the beginning...

Lil’ Wayne: Hot Revolver


But that isn’t what is giving me hope about Weezy no that rock stuff is just a vaguely funny sideline for me, you know good that he is trying new things and all that but the dude really needs some quality control.

The stuff that is making my ears prick up are the mad and dirty tracks that seem to be leaking all over the place with The Neptune’s superstar Pharrell. The first that hit my ears was called, ‘Yes’ and it featured pretty much the only example I can think of to date of a dubstep wobble bassline in a hip-hop track. The beat was pretty sick, but some of the bits Pharrell did were kind of lame unfortunately. The next is the dirty gangster banger, ‘Ay Man’ it opens again with Pharrel on the mic and well he has never been the strongest in front of the mic as he has been behind but the beat and Weezy verses are sick. There are hooks all over the place; it’s kind of like a Wayne version of a Clipse joint but more about girls than crack.

Anyway Lil’ Wayne continues to confuse and entertain in his own retarded way so if you want to hear a snap shot of all these strange directions at once try and hunt down a mixtape called ‘Hottest Nigga Under The Sun’ it’s the best mixtape I’ve heard of his since Tha Carter III dropped and he seems to be back on some sort of track that varies from gang bangers, rock and unashamed R&B pop.

Go and check out ‘Yes’ & ‘Ay Man’ over at the excellent We Yo! Wzers blog here.

Sonic Router

http://sonicrouter.blogspot.com/

The new blog brought to you by the people behind 3barfire and The Sonic Mine Field.

We will be covering all that is good in the world of bass / dubstep / hip-hop and anything in-between.

The idea has been under way for a while now but yesterday we went live!

So far we have covered: Hermutt Lobby, Slugabed, Lloop, Rekordah, Mount Kimbie, Ramp Recordings, Dub Lime, Harmonic 313, Martyn, King Cannibal, 2562, Tectonic, Warlock and Noyeahno, Buddy Peace.

Exclusive Sonic Router mix by Rekordah is so sick you have to get on that. Plus the interview with Tom from Ramp is very informative. Dem's my top tips.


Have a read, bookmark it, whack it on your RSS feeder and feel the bass.


Shout us at:


sonicrouter (at) gmail (Dot) com

Restricted Hours – Live @ Club 85 (Live Album)

This is a rare live recording from the now de-funked Restricted Hours released on a nice CD-R, ask Joe (new_born1987@hotmail.com) nicely and it’s all yours for £2 + p&p. It’s a sublime mixture of post-punk, anarchic punk rock, paranoid folk and a slight hint of the psychedelic thrown in for good measure.

There is a really deep and paranoid vibe to these tracks. I think it’s the stripped back feel that helps with this; it’s just vocals and a few guitars from what I can hear. Restricted Hours have a truly addictive air to them, the songs sound simple at first with echo drenched yet jagged guitars and very distinct vocals, he reminds me of a post-punk Alan Moore somehow if you have heard him speak... But the highs some of these tracks reach is sublime, you really get drawn in by songs like, ‘Getting Things Done’ which just kills it for me.

‘Getting Things Done’, has balls and energy you can almost feel the spit going in your face. It’s probably the most punk sounding track here as well it makes me want to pogo and skank a bit even though its just a few guitars and no drums. It’s all electric mind and it sounds damn good, the quality of the live recording is excellent. The musicians really do a good job they are tight and make one hell of an atmosphere; it captures them very well indeed.

‘Big Ben’ at the start of a happy trio of songs as he calls them is a mini epic, echo-drenched beauty. Top marks for anyone that can spot the post-punk rendition of the Big Ben melodies in the vocals.

The two tracks after that make a long post-punk meets psychedelic soundscape, ‘New Dixieland Blues’ and ‘Living Out The Car Crash’ is a real treat, and they flow effortlessly. There is so much tension and pent up energy within them it’s pretty intense yet truly beautiful and dark all at once. You can really get lost in the highflying guitars and epic, anarchic vocals. It all builds and really takes you with it as they go.

The lyrics deal with some dark fears about things not changing and everything pretty much going to shit. The lyrics and music really reflect a pent up paranoid feel they work so well together. The song writing really is top quality. It kind of takes it out of you at times, as the intensity is so strong. Don’t worry though, they finish off with a nice little love song, I say love song it’s still a bit dark, called, ‘Midsummer Lullaby’ that really mellows things out in melancholic style. It deals with naivety, love and bigger things kind of screwing everything up.

Check out some of the related projects as well; The Otters do a fantastic track called ‘Heresy’ that has a similar vibe to it but pushed through a dub punk aesthetic, you really can hear his song writing its distinctive. The Astronauts also feature one of the guitarists from Restricted Hours, which really do make this recording special, you can also check out a mini history of Restricted Hours on their myspace. They really are a good bunch of musicians and songwriters.

Restricted Hours conjure up some deep and dark images with their words and music. If you’re a fan of melancholic post-punk with a nice psychedelic, intense and slightly deranged folk edge to it then this is going to be right up your street.

Picture by Noel Pearce

Big up to Joe for hooking me up with the sounds!

Commix – Fabric Live. 44

D’n’B double team Commix mix it up for the next instalment of the Fabric Live series bringing there own flavour of drum and bass to the table. I haven’t really followed D’n’B for a very long time now, I had kind of left it for dead but the recent wave of producers crossing over into dubstep territory and making some of the best stuff I’ve heard in the genre made me want to see what the hell I had been missing. Turns out it’s a lot.

Some of the names in this mix are big, Commix them selves tern in some nice rollers as do a few from the Metalheadz label, dBridge, Calibre, Instra:mental, Photek and my personal favourite Breakage who is one of the crew who has been making some deep dubstep and made me want to rediscover D’n’B.

The mix starts of with some really deep and soulful rollers, the breaks ratel with a warm funk as string samples, the odd vocal snippet and of course some big sub action. Commix really draw you into their world with the first three; they sort of mesmerize you into it with hypnotic grooves before dropping a really big bassline on you and then its still only a tease, they build the tension well.

The track that really grabs my attention first is the mad groove of, ‘The Causeway’ by Data. When it drops into that robotic sub bass percussive loop it’s an eyes down no nonsense skanker. Some of the melodies on here are really dark, moody and beautiful when the samples sooth there way into the middle of, ‘Buried’ by SpectraSoul it’s a really nice moment and it really adds life to the non stop rolling breaks.

The minimal electro funk roller that is dBridge’s remix of Commix’s, ‘Belleveiw’ sounds like an anthem to me that bleeping melody has been in my head for some time now. It gets dropped in the mix about half way through to really perk things up a little and bring you out of the hypnotised bass state. You’re not aloud back in there for a little while either with the grimey bass dirt of SpectraSoul & Ben E then the dub infused, ‘In Denial’ by Calibre brings back that meditation vibe again, all be it with some hyperactive breaks and Zinc Esq basslines.

OAK really lets you sink into that bass state again it’s a sublime roller with bird samples and some inventive drum programming under some beautiful synth pads. It then melts seamlessly into Jonny L’s ‘Common Origin’ this final section of the mix is where it all happens for me. You can really feel the original D’n’B spirit. This is well reflected in Breakages aptly titled, ‘Old School Ting’ that really smashes it with a big break, bass and chopped female vocal rave samples.

The last few Instra:metal tracks that bookend the excellent jazz tinged shunter ‘Yendi’ by Photek are some of my favourite tracks on here they just have a really minimal vibe to them that adds space and beauty to the mix. Oh yeah his recent dubstep adventures on the 10” split with Breakage on Naked Lunch really is special as well, you have to check that. Final track, ‘Photograph’ just seals the deal and Commix exit in sublime style.

Over all Commix put in a storming mix for the Fabric Live series that really flows and rolls, it has an old school D’n’B feel to it like it could have been made at any point within the history of the genre really. It’s just quality breaks, bass and atmosphere all the way.

D’n’B double team Commix mix it up for the next instalment of the Fabric Live series bringing there own flavour of drum and bass to the table. I haven’t really followed D’n’B for a very long time now, I had kind of left it for dead but the recent wave of producers crossing over into dubstep territory and making some of the best stuff I’ve heard in the genre made me want to see what the hell I had been missing. Turns out it’s a lot.

Some of the names in this mix are big, Commix them selves tern in some nice rollers as do a few from the Metalheadz label, dBridge, Calibre, Instra:mental, Photek and my personal favourite Breakage who is one of the crew who has been making some deep dubstep and made me want to rediscover D’n’B.

The mix starts of with some really deep and soulful rollers, the breaks ratel with a warm funk as string samples, the odd vocal snippet and of course some big sub action. Commix really draw you into their world with the first three; they sort of mesmerize you into it with hypnotic grooves before dropping a really big bassline on you and then its still only a tease, they build the tension well.

The track that really grabs my attention first is the mad groove of, ‘The Causeway’ by Data. When it drops into that robotic sub bass percussive loop it’s an eyes down no nonsense skanker. Some of the melodies on here are really dark, moody and beautiful when the samples sooth there way into the middle of, ‘Buried’ by SpectraSoul it’s a really nice moment and it really adds life to the non stop rolling breaks.

The minimal electro funk roller that is dBridge’s remix of Commix’s, ‘Belleveiw’ sounds like an anthem to me that bleeping melody has been in my head for some time now. It gets dropped in the mix about half way through to really perk things up a little and bring you out of the hypnotised bass state. You’re not aloud back in there for a little while either with the grimey bass dirt of SpectraSoul & Ben E then the dub infused, ‘In Denial’ by Calibre brings back that meditation vibe again, all be it with some hyperactive breaks and Zinc Esq basslines.

OAK really lets you sink into that bass state again it’s a sublime roller with bird samples and some inventive drum programming under some beautiful synth pads. It then melts seamlessly into Jonny L’s ‘Common Origin’ this final section of the mix is where it all happens for me. You can really feel the original D’n’B spirit. This is well reflected in Breakages aptly titled, ‘Old School Ting’ that really smashes it with a big break, bass and chopped female vocal rave samples.

The last few Instra:metal tracks that bookend the excellent jazz tinged shunter ‘Yendi’ by Photek are some of my favourite tracks on here they just have a really minimal vibe to them that adds space and beauty to the mix. Oh yeah his recent dubstep adventures on the 10” split with Breakage on Naked Lunch really is special as well, you have to check that. Final track, ‘Photograph’ just seals the deal and Commix exit in sublime style.

Over all Commix put in a storming mix for the Fabric Live series that really flows and rolls, it has an old school D’n’B feel to it like it could have been made at any point within the history of the genre really. It’s just quality breaks, bass and atmosphere all the way.

Out tomorow aka 9th Feb...

Free Minnaars EP

Minnaars have been within’ ear shot of me for a while and I was always kind of curious to see what they would record, extra curious as the producer is Tom Woodhead of the recently ‘on a break’ Forward, Russia! Who have to be one of my favourite live acts.

But then I spied they were having trouble and the EP is no longer happening with what ever label for what ever reason and have decided to put the EP up for free download and it’s quality stuff.

They are going back in the studio to record new material apparently so wish them better luck next time I guess.


So for fans of quality mathematical indie goodness cod this…

Download: Minnaars EP


http://www.myspace.com/minnaars

Hudson Mohawk – Polyfolk Dance EP (Warp) 12”

This is a six track mini album / EP from Aqua-Crunk beat master Hudson Mohawk and his debut on prolific, always on the button bleepy label Warp. Hud Mo brings some playful fun with Polyfolk Dance.

As you would expect from an Aquatic Crunk based bleep and beat instrumental Hip-hop EP it’s all off kilter and messed up, like you want to dance but you’ve got your wonk on and can’t stand up straight.

Every track on the EP is full of hooks and joyous energy, it’s no chilled out affair I can tell you that for free. The A-Side opens up with, ‘Polkadot Blues’ which has a mad high end spinning sound that ushers it in before the beats drop and the bass kicks. Helium vocal snippets get chopped and spaced around the messed up groves, it’s a bit like a day out at the fair ground, you know candy floss, bright lights and stuff spinning around.

Next up on this excitable slab is, ‘Monde’ has a similar vibe to the opener with toy town synths but with a slower groove, some epic chords and a little slap bass. This all opens up into a really sublime and hypnotic groove that just draws you in and gets so addictive. If this stuff is just a sample of what’s to come then Hudson Mohawk is going to be on fire this year.

‘Overnight’ comes in like all of UGK’s and Outkast’s beats put together, you know that Euphoric Southen Hip-hop boom bass and kick, knocked sideways and spat out for a hands in the air dance around that gives you a huge shit eating grin that just makes your face ache a little.

Half way through and it’s all to good to be true, flip it to the B-Side and let the needle glide, I’ll stop now.

The flip kicks off with a really mad rhythm called, ‘Speed Stick’ it makes you feel a little drunk as it skips then flows towards you. Twinkley synths, crashing drums and plucked up orchestral strings give it an Eski beat gone wrong feel.

Another high-pitched vocal sample proliferates, ‘Velvet Peel’ the drums really do remind me of UGK this time especial the sublime, ‘International Players Anthem’ but with added wonk and shuffle. The synths are really fresh and they sprinkle over you like gleaming shards. It’s a joy to hear.

Now how the hell can you finish an EP this quality? Well go even more insane I guess, Bring in the electro drums and ere darkness. ‘Yonard’ just just that by coming on like a sparkly bleepyer version of Rustie’s ‘Jag The Smack’ or something like that anyway.

It’s so good to see the UK really pushing hip-hop instrumentals forward like this. Hudson Hohwak sound like he has a lot to give and Polyfolk Dance shows this in bucket loads. He brings together the ambient wonk of Flying Lotus, the Southern boom of UGK and the Electro madness of Rustie along with a really playful and unique vibe of his own. Grab it, put it on and fall over while you dance.

http://www.myspace.com/hudsonmo

Catch Me Twitting One Off

Just a quick post here, follow me on Twitter. I'll probibly just shout out music I'm listening to for a bit untill I get bored and forget it exists. Maybe it will take off I dunno...

http://twitter.com/jimitheexploder

Optikatechniqua – Sinister Dub (Alternative Blueprint)

South West England natives Optikatechniqua’s debut album Sinister Dub is full of that rude boy sound, which happens to be the name of the first track coincidently. They manage to make an electro meets dubstep hybrid that is really addictive.

Optikatechniqua uses a heavy electro influence along with squelching acidic synth lines at a dubstep sort of tempo along with some badass hip-hop vocal samples at times to make for a dark and menacing dance floor crossbreed. This mostly works a real treat even if ‘Stickle it’ grates a bit with its chipmunk vocal line on some occasions, that’s pretty much the only track that bugs me a bit though so that’s good going.

As you would expect from any steppa worth there salt Optikechniqua is heavy on the bass infact he is so heavy I heard he managed to play a set in a basement club once and knocked off loads of bottles from the Body Shop above, maybe the lotions and potions were trying to moisturise this rough beats and bass.

One of the standout tracks is the fantastic, ‘Rinse It’ which has had attention by the queen of bass herself Marry Anne Hobbs and Rob Booth of Electronic Explorations amongst others I’m sure. It’s a wonky one that skips and bleeps over any system; the mad digital rewind effect kills it as the beats just flop all over the place like a drunken dance machine. The cut up vocal sample adds a nice bit of melodic bliss within the madness, which kind of brings it together for me, well that and the bass.

That isn’t the only highlight though there are plenty here to keep you interested over a full album. The acid tweaks of ‘6 Month Flower’ or the mellow atmospherics of ‘Sloth Bite’ really do it for me. The rhythmic skip and flow of ‘She Can Hear It’ is pretty deadly, it makes me want to move in strange ways as the fucked up twanging out of tune tones of some kind of string instrument play off it. It’s like electro and jungle are meeting in the middle sometimes with Optikatechniqua.

I really like the low-slung electro blues of ‘Everyone’s a Suspect’ slide guitars meet drum machines and breaks with a mad spooky vocal that’s tweaked and delayed over the top. It has a paranoid and downright cool as hell vibe to it like a cowboy from the future telling a story in a smoky jungle rave / bar.

You can just tell he has grown up in a bass drenched rave scene for some time and is fusing all of those ravey influences into his own unique thing. So growling bass, break beat, cut’n’paste drum patterns meet booms and clicks of drum machines and blissed out synth lines or acid tweaks to create dance floor monsters.

If you’re a fan of people like WagaWaga’s acidic dubstep, Rephlex’s mad electronica and early Warp Records material (lets face it who isn’t?), or even someone like Neil Landstrumm then Optikatechniqua will hit all the right places for you. Sinister Dub is a wonderful experiment into the diverse range in sounds and tempo’s of underground electronica.


Optikatechniqua Myspace

Alternative Blueprint

Kotchy & Shunda K (Yo Majesty) - Le Passion, Yo!

I was listening to Starkey's radio show on Sub FM the other night and he pointed us towards this blog post on his myspace:

my main main (and seclusiasis signee) Kotchy dropped this FREE ep with Shunda K from Yo Majesty recently. It's called "Le Passion, Yo!" .....and it is straight FIRE. If you've listened to any of the radio shows lately, you know this guy is THE GUY to watch in 2009. We've got an EP dropping (Seclusiasis / Civil Music) in the very near future, followed by his debut full length, "89".



There's a 12" and 7" out now.... his 1st singles.... which you should pick up if you haven't already.



Anyways.... here's a link to the free ep --->>>>



Download: Kotchy & Shunda K - Le Passion. Yo! EP



It's sick so grab it and get excited about Kotchy's debut album later this year.

Cadence Weapon – Separation Anxiety

Mixtape time now this time in the form of Canadian rap supreme Cadence Weapon doing a pay what you like scheme not unlike the most recent Girl Talk album and Radiohead before it, I may as well mention Nine Inch Nails too while I’m at it hey.

Grab it from here:

http://www.cadenceweaponmusic.com/

It’s a really clicky electro house kind of affair really with loads of tracks / remixes / appearances all cobbled together as big hip-hop meets dance crossover party.

Artists involved in the mix up are people like A-Track, Herve, The Cansecos, Final Fantasy, Sally Shapiro, Sinden, RJ2D and Roots Manuva to name but a few highlights.

I really enjoy the hip-house style cross over stuff he does not enough hip-hop is really dancey anymore so it’s a nice refreshing change to see Cadence Weapon jump on some of these beats. Saying that a lot of these tracks are more like electro house remixes than anything remotely hip-hop. His remix of Rise Up by The Cansecos is a good example of this with subtle old skool pumping drums and electro abuse in a 8-bit sort of space invaders way.

When he does jump on the mic though he does it in his usual geeky pumping style talking about hipster and partying. The electro banger produced by Sinden, Count and Herve is a snap shot of this party style. A real highlight is the track right after Pretty Girls Make Raves, it’s the Final Fantasy collaboration that I have posted about before on this very blog. The violin skills of Final Fantasy meets the party beats and rhymes of Cadence in fine style with a killer hook.

The mellow melancholic tones of Italo songstress Sally Shapiro is another highlight for me, I’m pretty much in love with her sound though and this adds nasty bit of dirt to the proceedings which kind of makes me like it more.

No mixtape would be worth it’s weight in hip-hop history if it didn’t have a mellow girly number about heartbreak and girls and Cadence dos this with The Morning After which is all about a girl leaving, and it has a sad orchestral vibe to it.

Kennedy Curse is a wicked track with a well nice guitar loop and one hell of a flow. He makes me laugh by comparing lots of rappers to Girls Aloud as well, pity its so damn short. It drops into his jacking remix of Kid Sister that loops and jacks it up house style again but with some nice verses from the girl her self on top of some Rock The Bells break samples and electro bleeps.

The acid demo of Shout Out Out Out Out is an undisputed high light for me, I’m a sucker for a 303 bleepy bloop fest and it works so well with the rap and 80’s Esq. synth chords.

Chinball Wizard is pretty good as well but I only think I like it as the mad little horn loops remind me of that track used in the Spaced clubbing episode, you know the one where Brian breaks his fear of dancing and the starwars club manuva’s dooo dooo do do dooo dooo do do!

House Music Medley is a low slung dirty fucker as well, it takes the party central original version into down right dark and sloppy territory and though to bassline and allsorts of stuff like that it’s a medley like Jive Bunny and the mixmasters.

This mixtape is a little hit and miss in places but there is more that enough here to keep you interested and justify the price (ahem). Hip-hop mixtapes are usually a little all over the place in quality so I’m not to surprised about this, but then Cadence Weapon isn’t really your average hip-hop mixtape maker is he.

But if you are after a nice party sound track at a price you can choose then you really aren’t going to go to wrong with Separation Anxiety.

Murcof – Death of a Forest

I just remembered I had this little nugget in my in box from the lovely label Leaf I was kind of sleeping on it a little while so that I could put it up with a more substantial review of Murcof’s work, but I haven’t got round to grabbing any yet…

So here it is a sublime slice of orchestral beauty from The Versailles Sessions album, which was recorded a while ago with a baroque orchestra and then shaped into some deeply dark soundscapes by the man Murcof.

I really love his stuff; the deeply spacey album Cosmos is still one of my favourite late night sound tracks. He uses organic orchestral sounds in such a brilliant way by melting them seamlessly to warm electronics to give the whole thing a really beautiful contemporary classical feel.

If you’re a fan of deeply dark and wonderful soundscapes Murcof is the man for you.

Download: Murcof – Death of a Forest

I’m also really digging this video mainly for the sinister roller skate shots in the opening scenes you don’t get that very often.



http://www.murcof.com/