Looking Forward >>>

There is plenty of music to look forward to in ’11 as always, so much so that this list could go on forever. So I’ve chosen a load of people I’m looking forward to hearing more of in the coming year. Plus I’m keeping it to people that are either bubbling under, pretty new, just need shouting about or have something cool on the way I’m excited about.

LHF
They dropped plenty of teasers in ’10 their first EP for Keysound is just the tip of the iceberg just check out their massive radio/mix archives for proof. More EPs and hopefully an album on the way in ’11 means we’re all in for a treat. They’ve built their own world that sounds unlike anything else but gets close to what I’d imagine Flying Lotus soundclashing DMZ on a pirate radio station in another dimension would be like.

Martin Kemp
Easily sitting quietly at the forefront of the UK’s dance underground the Blunted one keeps the quality stuff creeping out consistently. His sound has so much bump, flex and weight that they’re a pleasure to dig out. Its got to be tough to make a tough yet supple house groove that really flexes but he makes it sound easy. More of that will make ’11 more than a pleasure.

T.Williams
He’s been so consistent with his deep techy bass addled vision of the UK house sound in ’10. I’m always reaching for his beats and those of his Deep Teknologi label mates. There is something about the dark side of UK Funky that really appeals to me, the balance of rough and raw with a subtle soulful flex is a killer combination.

Kassem Mosse
At the front end of ’10 I was still pretty bored of house/techno it had been years since I’d been excited by the sound. UK funky and its hybrids slowly brought me back to that tempo and this man Kassem Mosse alongside, MMM, Kyle Hall, Omar S and John Roberts feel it again. A steady stream of 12”s would keep me hooked for sure.

Bakey Ustl
His debut EP on Unthank is one of the most fucked up and compelling house 10”s I’ve heard for some time. I’m really looking forward to hearing what’s up his sleeve for ‘11. More curveballs and mad house grooves are more than welcome around these parts.

Jam City
He’s been taking it kind of slow in ’10 after some hefty hype before anything had really happened he kept his cool and a couple of 12”s later and I’m on board, expect big things from the Night Slugger next year. Rumours of an album on the horizon and god know what else should see that he has a big year. His sound is just infectious, that raw blend of eski grime, supple electro and an ear for turning things on their heads are a good combination.

Non Person
He just dropped a few hints in ’10 but its wet my appetite that’s for sure. The 12” on Clouds label Channel Zero is a killer slice of out there hip-hop with a heavy bass music thread running through it. Sitting somewhere in no mans land between Clouds, Brainfeeder and Mount Kimbie, Non Person finds a place of his own. I’d love to hear more.

Damu
Every time a track of his comes on the radio my ears prick up. There is something about his synths and infectious melodies that puts him next to the likes of Hyetal, Rustie and half of Night Slugs as someone that can bring a load of emotion to a dance floor in a twisted euphoric ball of energy. With releases on the way for Keysound and Local Action in the pipeline he’s going to be making moves and I can’t wait to hear it.

Esben and the Witch
Like quite a few tips here they where one of mine for last year as well and they delivered some quality stuff bubbled under and got singed to Matador, where they’ll be releasing their debut album ‘Violet Cries’ next year. Top quality brooding post-rock drenched indie music.

Dro Carey
Hazy dreamlike visions of hip-hop and R&B from a youngster from OZ, he’s had one 12” so far on Trilogy Tapes, a load of tumblr posted bootlegs and the odd mix. It all sounds pretty irresistible I’m intrigued. With forthcoming material on Ikonika’s Hum & Buzz label and god knows what else he’s got to be one to watch.

Golau Glau
The mysterious silver pop duo have been a top tip of mine for some time now, they’ve got an album in the works and have been in the lab getting their sound down. No one does the haunted silver pop like them and I for one can’t wait to hear what they come up with.

Murdz 86
He’s a UK Funky machine, raw house sounds with some of the most infectious percussion around. Its tough but with a load of flex, big bass and dance floor potential. Along with the likes of Funkystepz, Ill Blu, Coobe Beatz and Mad One, Murdz is someone I’d love to see releases from in ’11 because every time I tune into Live FM his tracks make my head turn.

Royal T
He’s been around a while but has built up a nice set of 12”s over the last year or so for the likes of No Hats No Hoods and Butterz, which are a solid foundation to build on for this coming year. He’s always switching up and coming differently with his sound by making grime bangers that fit his vibe and spread it out all at once. Alongside SRC, TRC, Teeza, Swindle, Darq E Freaker, Spooky and a load of others grime beats are in good hands.

So many more…

12”

Just before record buying Armageddon picks up again and decides to destroy everyone’s wallets with fresh platters of sound coming thick and fast again this year, here’s a little round up of some 12”s from my bag at the end of last year.

Royal T – 1Up or Shatup EP [No Hoods No Hats]
One of the grime instrumentals of the year, 1Up is Mario on the rampage, fuckin’ things up to get those coins, P Money kills the vocal but you’ll need to buy his mixtape for that. Martin Kemp turns in a funky remix with balls and Bok Bok maybe makes the best material I’ve heard from him yet.

Martin Kemp – After The Night/Aztec [Blunted Robots]
Funky manoeuvres with broken grooves, deep bass and twisted synths that sound like harnessed air pressure pointed directly at your feet to make you move. Martin Kemp does it again, the Blunted Robots crew are really on it right now.

Greena – Tenzado/Actual Pain [Apple Pips]
Finally we get a 12” from Greena on the mighty Apple Pips. Two slabs of chunky bass heavy funky that rolls with broken tribal percussion. Actual Pain’s devastating bass pulse and twisted vocal samples kill it. Greena has this huge soundsystem shaking carnival vibe going on here it’s addictive.

Breakage ft. Newham Generals & David Rodigan – Hard/(Caspa & The Others ‘The Police Takeover remix’) [Digital Soundboy]
The instrumental ‘Together’ was always big but the Newham Generals give it a new lease of life by making one of THE grime bangers of the year. The Gen’s kill it vocally and add extra hype to a deep track. I’d love to hear more of the Gen’s on dubstep.

Joker – Digidesign (Om Unit’s Pop Lock remix) [White]
Quality hip-hop re-fix of the Joker favourite that has been locked in my head since I first heard it gets the Om Unit aka 2Tall treatment. He gives it a digital b-boy flex with loads of snap. Added playtime for a track I still can’t stop rinsing.

V/A – 25/11/09 EP [Ramp]
Sampha/Slugabed/Tokimonsta/Shortstuff/SBTRKT/P.U.D.G.E. celebrate the night in question with a super limited 12” EP with one track from everyone that played. Irresistible for the frozen remix of A Rustling that takes that track and goes all Wiley on us. Getting an original SBTRKT track that isn’t a remix is bless too. Tokimonsta brings her own brand of off-centre hip-hop and kills it.

Julio Bashmore – Um Bongo’s Revenge/World Peace [Dirtybird]
It took me a little while to get into this one, Um Bongo… is like a straight up peak time techno track with a funky slant and cheeky vocal sample that gets people smiling. World Peace is a subtler affair that keeps growing on you.

Ikonika – Sahara Michael/Fish [Hyperdub]
Taster of things to come from the wonderful Ikonika, who is all set to release an album in 2010. SM was on the ‘5’ comp and with its catchy funk its still lodge in my head. Fish stands up too, with more of an epic sound. Her twisted synths are kind of special. Now what we really need is her track, ‘Idiot’ its insane.

Mickey Pearce – Innami/Martin Kemp – No Charisma [Blunted Robots]

Blunted Robots is a brand new label run by two young upstarts Brackles and Shortstuff. They are big in the game right now pushing new and exciting sounds that overlap somewhere in the fringes of both dubstep and funky. This first release reflects this perfectly.

Innami is a rough a ready bashment style house track with broken riddims and full on vocals. Its full of energy brought on by the freaked out bass pulses and deranged synth lines that twist into bleeped out shapes. Mickey Pearce has made a rudeboy hybrid of mutant funky and bashment that would make his Nan proud.

The flip No Charisma by Martin Kemp has been making a lot of noise and getting plays from everyone from Cooly G to brother Brackles and beyond. It’s a futuristic take on funky with dub wise sensibilities, broken beats that skip and bump with a chunky, punchy precision. The synth lines make this track for me the way they tweak and bubble gives a mad energy to the deep bass space and off-kilter rolling rhythms.

Here you get two badass productions, on a brand new label that’s owned by two of the scenes brightest shinning lights, with some killer artwork by the Wigflex crew. That makes for an essential purchase in my book. Rise up funky, dubstep, ‘Wot U Call It?’ hybrid crew it’s your time!

http://www.myspace.com/bluntedrobots

Originaly writen for Sonic Router.