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NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Free Rotation Festival
Author: estelle
8th – 10th Of August 2008
Move D
Lawrence aka Sten
Sven Weissamann
REAGENZ ( Exclusive live debut featuring Jonah Sharp and Move D )
Andy Stott
Anton Zap
Shackleton
Mala ( Digital Mystiks )
Portable aka Bodycode
Raudive aka Oliver Ho
Dandy Jack aka Junction SM
Sonja Moonear aka Juntion SM
Jackmate aka Soulphiction
Lakuti
+ Many more
Location : Baskerville - A Historic country Mansion on the Welsh / English Border
Ticket Price : 50 pounds & it Includes free camping
More details available from :
http://www.frerotation.com
A Faktion Dance Party
Author: estelle
Shackleton - Live (Skull Disco/Perlon)
Mooken - DJ (Technicolour/Red Bull)
Faktion DJs
Saki Bar, Wilmslow rd,
Rusholme, MCR,
14th August,
9:30 - 1:30am
5Pounds
www.faktionmcr.blogspot.com
www.skulldisco.com
under_score
Author: estelle
2nd august 2008
under_score special edition : residents only summer party.
jim petherwick
luke malcher
placid
paul purgas (emptyset)
@ the tube, bristol, 9pm-4am, 3pounds,
free b4 11
http://www.underscoremusic.co.uk
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
JOHN BAKER - John Baker Tapes Vol. 1 (Rare & Unreleased Workshop Recordings)
Trunk
CD //
£8.99
SOUNDTRACKS
Catalogue Number: JBH028CD
This week Manchester University announced that it is in possession of over 250 reels of lost Delia Derbyshire tapes. So far they've ony released a handful of snippets, but among them is a track from the late 60s that seems to prove that the girl invented Techno 40 years ago - with a cluster of blips and rhythms that would make Aphex Twin blush. It was further proof, if it were needed, of the legacy and importance of the BBC Radiophonic workshop, the collection of innovative souls who continue to define British electronic music to this day. John Baker was at the Radiophonic Workshop from the beginning and was one of the core three composers who conceived the sounds we came to know and love. Baker's work on Doctor Who is probably best known, but this forty-nine track disc of previously unreleased material delves deep into his career and has been painstakingly put together by people that truly love his work. Alan Gubby was contacted by Baker's brother who had discovered over thirty reels of tape, and on hearing that they were likely to end up in a skip Gubby spent a year fixing them up, digitising them and preparing them for release. Sooner or later he realised that the task was a little too much for him to handle solo, so musical superhero Jonny Trunk was called in and the rest, as they say, is history. Co-incidentally the disc has hit on the fiftieth anniversary of the Radiophonic Workshop, so it is a fitting celebration and has been lovingly handled by Trunk as usual with extensive liner notes and gorgeous artwork. The techniques pioneered by these musicians are just astonishing. On 'Womans Hour' we can hear Baker going into his sound process as if it were something anyone could do, talking through the creation of rhythms from slowing down and chopping up the sound of cider being poured out of a bottle. This use of sound crops up again and again as Baker takes absolutely any sound available to him and uses his extensive musical training (he was a well respected jazz player) to re-frame these sounds as musical compositions. Where Derbyshire's music often focused on the character of the sound itself, Baker had no problem in revealing his classically-trained roots and the hooks and catchiness of his jingles and themes are comparable to American early-electronic pioneer Raymond Scott. Subtle stabs and pre-synthesizer hiccups are crafted lovingly into wordless nursery rhymes with the greatest of ease. Apparently Baker was at his happiest at the Radiophonic Workshop, after which he never wrote or performed another note so this really as a rare treat. Utterly indispensable music yet again from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop - now we've just got to wait for Volume 2, and for those Delia Tapes to get a public airing! Essential purchase.
- Tracks on JOHN BAKER - John Baker Tapes Vol. 1 (Rare & Unreleased Workshop Recordings):
JOHN BAKER : 01- JOHN BAKER : 02
- JOHN BAKER : 03
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
GOLDMUND - The Malady Of Elegance
Type
CD //
£7.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: TYPE039
The second, and highly anticipated album from Keith Kenniff under his Goldmund guise follows the artist's recent stint of releases as Helios, and finds him returning to the beautifully economical and organic sound world offered up by solo piano music. As with Peter Broderick's recent solo piano musings on his Docile mini LP, this isn't the work of an extravagant virtuoso, but rather a composer plotting routes, and finding narratives between the key strokes, slowly meditatively creating an air of understated melancholy and atmosphere. From the very beginnings of the introductory composition 'Image-Autumn-Womb' you'll be sucked into this sound world on the basis of its incredible intimacy - thanks to the detailed recording style it all sounds so very close up. Not only can you hear the notes themselves, but the depression of the actual keys, and you really feel like you're caught up in the mechanics of the instrument. Many of the pieces here are suggestive of the warmth and graceful ambience of Harold Budd ('Subtle The Sum' being one such example), but when it's most necessary very clearly defined melodies rise from the revereberant mists. 'The Winter Of 1539-1540' would be one such instant, although the significance of the dates cited remains unclear (I've just checked Wikipedia for an inventory of notable events during the time, and unless you were thinking of marrying Henry VIII there doesn't seem to be much going on). Something slightly more timbrally sophisticated and layered crops up during 'The Gardener', which represents one of the few instances on the album that seems to deviate from the lone pianist format. Another is the excellent 'Mound Builders' which embraces a more modernist approach to harmony with some Feldman-esque intervals, as filtered through the sort of sounds Kenneth Kirschner laid down for his post_piano work with Taylor Deupree. Over the course of much of this album Kenniff's music has a weightless, free-time quality that finds it floating by in a stately, unhurried fashion, but when he does knuckle down to something a little more structurally intensive - as on the magnificent closing piece 'Evelyn' - it has all the more impact. A perfect successor to Corduroy Road, The Malady Of Elegance is every bit the album Goldmund fans would have hoped for, and another quiet triumph for the Type label in 2008. Essential Purchase.
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
L.V. FT DANDELION - CCTV / Dream Cargo
Hyperdub
12" //
£4.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: HDB011
Injecting a bit of dark dancefloor energy back in to the label, Hyperdub drop this double badboy from L.V feat Dandelion to make up for the plethora of deeper downtempo cuts of late. 'CCTV' harks back to the hyperdub sound of old, flexing out on a proper forward styled 2-step mutation oozing with dread and paranoid sonic visions, and manifesting themselves in the sticky percussion and sweltering bass drive that we haven't heard since Kode 9's seminal 'Stalker', in case we need to spell it out for you, this is absolutely f**king killer! The styles get put on ice on the flipside though, with L.V returning to the deeper dubbed styles of last years 'Globetrotting' 12", settling into a rootsy dub vibe with supremely squelchy FX and a glorious vocal contribution from Dandelion. As ever Hyperdub keep us guessing and we still haven't worked it out. Utterly Essential.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
A GUY CALLED GERALD - Black Secret Technology (2008 Edition)
A Guy Called Gerald
CD //
£6.99
DRUM & BASS
Catalogue Number: AGCG01
Where to start with this album? Firstly, I should say that it ranks in my personal top 10 albums of all time and never fails to absolutely destroy me. Secondly - the abysmal sound quality of the original 1995 issue has now at long last been replaced by this brilliant new master - finally doing justice to the material and playable at loudest volumes imaginable - which we heartily encourage! 'Black Secret Technology' came out just before Goldie's 'Timeless' and was soon overshadowed by its commercial success, but Gerald's album remains a milestone in British electronic music and somehow sounds more relevant today than pretty much any Jungle/Drum & Bass album we can think of. Gerald brought together elements of Hardcore and Jungle with a melodic, evocative sound layering that could best be described as appropriating the chords and strings of Detroit techno. The resulting sound is both luxurious and oppressive, despite the harmonies it's a much less polished piece of work than Goldie's "timeless' and is somehow defined by that sonic dichotomy. The opening 'So Many Dreams' is both emotionally overwhelming and relentlessly cavernous - even the widescreen strings are squashed by brilliantly unstable production, the drums layered and impossibly intricate, the bassline nothing short of heartstopping. 'Energy' (interestingly co-produced with Goldie) is another indefinable piece of engineering, samples and vocals submerged by wonky synths and amazingly clever arrangements that leave you emotionally drained yet exhilarated. But it's tracks like 'Cybergen' that no one quite seemed to understand back in '95 that really leave you awestruck by this amazing album. It's a fierce, almost deranged alignment of grinding hoover noises and stripped drums in a proto 2-step formation that will absolutely destroy you when played loud - hard to overstate just how righteous it is. If you don't already own this landmark album - what the f*ck you waiting for???? Utterly Essential for all bass, drums and next-level fiends = every home should own a copy.
- Tracks on A GUY CALLED GERALD - Black Secret Technology (2008 Edition):
- A GUY CALLED GERALD : 01
- A GUY CALLED GERALD : 02
- A GUY CALLED GERALD : 03
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
KONTEXT - Falling to Weightlessness
IMMERSE
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: IME009PT1
Absolute killer 12" alert! One of our favourite Bristol bassed labels Immerse have dug up a couple of complete shockers from a name soon to be very familiar to many dubstep and Techno heads, Kontext. This is the first material we've heard from this fella and it's quite easily some of the finest gear we've clapped lugs on this year, fusing the much loved tech styles of T++ with some proper Bristol bass science for two tracks that have totally ripped the head off it. 'Falling to weightlessness' introduces himself with a devastatingly minimal riddim constructed from pure bass pressure punctuated with skittering off-kilter percussion akin to Torsten Profrock's finest moments, while the spectral synthline and deep electronica vibes could be cut from an Autechre side project (well, in our dreams maybe?). 'Aeromonarchs attacks' on the flip cuts into a much deeper rhythm, flexing some scarily toned bass muscle with a honed dancefloor intent that will politely ask any shit dancers to kindly step off the floor please. This is without a doubt the best thing to have emerged from Immerse and quite possibly one of the finest 12"s you'll hear all year. Listen!
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
KONTEXT - Plumes / Blinkende Stjerne
IMMERSE
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: IME009PT2
If you've managed to pick yourself off the floor after ingesting the first 12" from Kontext, sit yourself down for a second and check the styles on this badboy. Not content with mastering the art of 140bpm dubstepXtech on the first 12", Kontext turns his hand to two brutally bass laden techno cuts for the second installment. 'Plumes' sits heavy on the A-side with a purest subbass driven tech-house cut speckled with lush synthwork, but it's the flipside track 'Blinkende Stjerne' that really takes the piss, charging up another divebombing subbass mission with dry funked and brittle techno percussion before introducing awesome Monolake style atmospherics of the highest calibre. It's safe to say this an absolute essential, and fans of everyone from Peverelist to Villalobos need to give this some very close attention. Recommended!!!
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
OREN AMBARCHI - A Final Kiss On Poisoned Cheeks
Table of the elements
LP //
£12.49
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: TOELP95
**EXTREMELY LIMITED, UTTERLY GORGEOUS BLUE VINYL WITH AN ETCHING BY SAVAGE PENCIL** Another ridiculously limited 12" from Table of the Elements celebrating not only their 15th anniversary but also the humble guitar itself. This time we have a one sided, etched blue slab of wax from the unshakable Oren Ambarchi, a man whose name has become synonymous with quality electronic production. In recent years he has been seen next to Stephen O'Malley and the Southern Lord lot, but here we find him back to doing what he does so well - a gorgeous long-form guitar drone piece taking in all the elements of his best work. I have yet to be disappointed by the man, and this particular LP continues his upward journey into God-like status in the scene. Sure Fennesz might have the column inches but Ambarchi is quickly becoming the man's closest rival and this piece is a testament to that with its slow burning harmonies gradually building into a cacophony of noise and drone. What strikes me more than anything is Ambarchi's ceaseless attention to detail and his clear love for the art of recording - this is so utterly precise but none of that academic rigour loses the sense that this is real music at its heart. Ambarchi comes from rock and metal, and there is always a feeling that what he's doing is first and foremost music, and secondly art - that's what sets him apart in my mind from so many of his contemporaries. As with all these Table of the Elements releases there aren't many to go around - we have a measly twenty copies only so be quick if you want to bag one. Awesome.
- Tracks on OREN AMBARCHI - A Final Kiss On Poisoned Cheeks:
- OREN AMBARCHI : 01
- OREN AMBARCHI : 02
- OREN AMBARCHI : 03
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
QUANTEC - Distant Space Part 2
Meanwhile
12" //
£5.49
BASIC CHANNEL / RELATED
Catalogue Number: MEAN012
Sven Schienhammer emits some more incredibly deep dub techno transmissions from his base on a cloud somewhere above Berlin. Following on from his massively acclaimed first installment for Meanwhile earlier this year, 'distant space pt.2' contains two of the deadliest dub tech tracks you're likely to hear in 2008, with 'Greenfield Mill' carving out a comfortable slot next to the M-Series with a massively sub driven slab of skank house cushioned by those unbelievably deep atmospherics, while 'Affluent Society' toughens up the patterns for a deeply affected 4/4 roller, heaving under the pressure of dense kick/sub/bass pressure and licked by some luscious dub chord stabs that just leave us in a dribbling mess. It can sometimes be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff with the glut of dub techno in recent times, but we can definitely assure you this comes with the Ian Botham seal of approval. Good for your heart.
SONIC YOUTH WITH MATS GUSTAFSSON & MERZBOW - Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth
SYR
CD //
£9.99
POST-ROCK
Catalogue Number: SYR8
Sonic Youth's pioneering SYR series is one of those rare long-running series' of releases that has never once let me down. From the haunting droned-out beauty of the first instalment 'Anagrama' right up until the last 'J'accuse Ted Hughes / Agnès B Musique' they have consistently left me paralysed with jealous guilt - how on earth with a combined age of over two-hundred can these guys keep on doing this? This latest release which sees the band te... READ MORE ABOUT: SONIC YOUTH WITH MATS GUSTAFSSON & MERZBOW, Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth, SYR 
- Tracks on SONIC YOUTH WITH MATS GUSTAFSSON & MERZBOW - Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth:
- SONIC YOUTH WITH MATS GUSTAFSSON : 01
- SONIC YOUTH WITH MATS GUSTAFSSON : 02
- SONIC YOUTH WITH MATS GUSTAFSSON : 03
BURNT FRIEDMAN & JAKI LIEBEZEIT - Unlimited Edition
Non Place
Mini LP //
£5.99
MODERN JAZZ / RELATED
Catalogue Number: NON24
Burnt Friedman once again teams up with Can drummer (and one of the world's finest percussionists) Jaki Liebezeit to bring us two undeniably odd tracks. Here they're joined by Joseph Suchy and Hayden Chisholm to form a veritable supergroup, but there's no trickery on show here, rather the musicians are informed to play subtly and minimally, to suggest the skill within rather than show it. The tracks themselves are somewhat dubby, somewhat jazzy b... READ MORE ABOUT: BURNT FRIEDMAN & JAKI LIEBEZEIT, Unlimited Edition, Non Place
- Tracks on BURNT FRIEDMAN & JAKI LIEBEZEIT - Unlimited Edition:
- BURNT FRIEDMAN & JAKI LIEBEZEIT : 01
- BURNT FRIEDMAN & JAKI LIEBEZEIT : 02
CONGOTRONICS / KASAI ALLSTARS - Congotronics 3 : In the 7th moon, the chief turned into a swimming fish...
CRAMMED
CD //
£13.99
AFRICAN / WORLD
Catalogue Number: CRAW44
A new Congotronics cd is always cause for celebration here, and this latest rather oddly titled album is another shockingly great addition to the now classic series. What started with cult African-electronic smash Konono No.1 has now travelled and this latest disc comes from the twenty-five piece collective Kasai Allstars, who reside in Kinhasa. The songs here take their cues from a form of festive and ritual music which was banned by the Europea... READ MORE ABOUT: CONGOTRONICS / KASAI ALLSTARS, Congotronics 3 : In the 7th moon, the chief turned into a swimming fish..., CRAMMED
- Tracks on CONGOTRONICS / KASAI ALLSTARS - Congotronics 3 : In the 7th moon, the chief turned into a swimming fish...:
- CONGOTRONICS / KASAI ALLSTARS : 01
- CONGOTRONICS / KASAI ALLSTARS : 02
- CONGOTRONICS / KASAI ALLSTARS : 03
KALBATA FT. WARRIOR QUEEN - Shooting Range
Soul Jazz
12" //
£4.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: SJR19212
Ruff-as-fook dancehall weapons from Kalbata and Warrior Queen on a hard grinding ragga tip with the heavyweight riddim 'Shooting range'. Sounding uncannily like a Bug offcut and all the better for it, Kalbata works up a banging ragga riddim built from distorted kicks and natty 8-bit sounds providing the perfect bed of nails for Warrior Queen's gruff instructions, also coming in instrumental form for them what like a mix. A Soul Jazz sure shot - K... READ MORE ABOUT: KALBATA FT. WARRIOR QUEEN, Shooting Range, Soul Jazz
- Tracks on KALBATA FT. WARRIOR QUEEN - Shooting Range:
- KALBATA FT. WARRIOR QUEEN : ORIGINAL MIX
- KALBATA FT. WARRIOR QUEEN : INSTRUMENTAL
GARETH HARDWICK / TAIGA REMAINS - High Tension / Pantomime Bodies
LOW POINT
10" //
£6.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: LP020
Nottingham label Low Point returns with another terribly limited slab of wax, with tracks this time appearing from Label boss Gareth Hardwick and Students of Decay head honcho Alex Cobb. Regular followers of Hardwick's work should know of his deft hand at drone production and 'High Tension' (possibly based on the French horror movie of the same name? Maybe not...) is a veritable master class in the genre. The guitar might be his primary instrumen... READ MORE ABOUT: GARETH HARDWICK / TAIGA REMAINS, High Tension / Pantomime Bodies, LOW POINT
- Tracks on GARETH HARDWICK / TAIGA REMAINS - High Tension / Pantomime Bodies:
- GARETH HARDWICK / TAIGA REMAINS : GARETH HARDWICK
- GARETH HARDWICK / TAIGA REMAINS : TAIGA REMAINS
UNKNOWN - Alicia
unknown
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: I&I001
Greased up dubstep sexing styles from Mala with a butter rerub of Alicia Keys. This is a pure summer anthem, STRICTLY LIMITED COPIES ONLY!!!!
PRURIENT - Arrowhead
Emego
CD //
£12.99
EXTREME / NOISE
Catalogue Number: EMEGO91
The New York skyline adorning the sleeve of Arrowhead could either be something you'd see hanging in a doctor's surgery waiting room, or perhaps a still from Cloverfield just prior to the monster first droping his fiery payload on the city. Both are fairly accurate signposts for the barrage of unpleasantness that awaits you on this latest emission from the House Of Dominick Fernow. Enter into this listening experience at your own risk: what await... READ MORE ABOUT: PRURIENT, Arrowhead, Emego
ARNE NORDHEIM - The Nordheim Tapes: Electronic Music from the 1960's
AURORA
2CD //
£21.49
EXPERIMENTAL
Catalogue Number: ACD5051
Arne Nordheim might not be the best known early electronic music composer, but with this fabulously presented double disc of work it should help his music achieve at least a little wider recognition. He might be best known (at least outside his native Norway) for the discs on Rune Grammofon, but here we get some of his earliest tape work from the 1960s, possibly his most interesting period, at least to me. As a die hard Radiophonic Workshop enthu... READ MORE ABOUT: ARNE NORDHEIM, The Nordheim Tapes: Electronic Music from the 1960's, AURORA
- Tracks on ARNE NORDHEIM - The Nordheim Tapes: Electronic Music from the 1960's:
- ARNE NORDHEIM : 01
- ARNE NORDHEIM : 02
- ARNE NORDHEIM : 03
Ø (MIKA VAINIO) - Oleva
Sahko
CD //
£13.99
CLICKS / GLITCH
Catalogue Number: SAHKO023
*NOW AVAILABLE ON CD!* I still don't know how to pronounce Mika Vainio's pseudonym of choice for this project, but under the Ø moniker he has proffered some of the finest electronic music known to mankind since way back in 1993 with the template setting series of 12"s for his native Sahko imprint. Now we're in 2008 and the man can't help but shock us to the core again with an album of pristine darkside industrial Electronic purism deeply engraved... READ MORE ABOUT: Ø (MIKA VAINIO), Oleva, Sahko
NITTY GRITTY - Turbo Charged
Greensleeves
CD //
£9.99
DUB / REGGAE
Catalogue Number: GREWCD93
`Turbo Charged' - one of the defining albums of the digital dancehall period finally gets a reissue. "Turbo Charged was Nitty Gritty's debut album, originally released on Greensleeves back in 1986. Produced by the legendary Prince Jammy (soon to be King), this album has stood the test of time, and with the current revived interest in the mid 80's digital sound, the timing of this reissue could not have been better. Features the killer hits `Hog I... READ MORE ABOUT: NITTY GRITTY, Turbo Charged, Greensleeves
CASPA & RUSKO / ELEMENTAL / L-WIZ / VARIOUS - Our Sound Volume 2
Destructive / Pitch Black
4x12" Box //
£17.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: DST006
The unruly crew from Destructive recordings join forces for the followup to the breakstep scene defining 'Our Sound' compilation. From OG dubstep heads S&D's initial lamp-out 'Transcend' this obese 4x12" pack moves through interesting developments from Funk Ethics with a well studied Breakstep-cum-Broken Beat effort on 'Blues is now', onto guaranteed floor fillers from L-Wiz, Scarecrow and Reso, but it's the final contortion from elemental, follo... READ MORE ABOUT: CASPA & RUSKO / ELEMENTAL / L-WIZ / VARIOUS, Our Sound Volume 2, Destructive / Pitch Black
- Tracks on CASPA & RUSKO / ELEMENTAL / L-WIZ / VARIOUS - Our Sound Volume 2:
- CASPA & RUSKO / ELEMENTAL / L-WIZ / VARIOUS : SULLY
- CASPA & RUSKO / ELEMENTAL / L-WIZ / VARIOUS : CASPA & RUSKO
- CASPA & RUSKO / ELEMENTAL / L-WIZ / VARIOUS : L-WIZ
TAYO / TRG - March of the Soundbwoyz (TRG Mix)
COOL AND DEADLY
12" //
£5.49
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: CAD003
Summer soundsystem testing business from globe trotting breaks maestro Tayo with a surprisingly heavy effort on 'March of the soundbwoyz', roughing up a body grappling soca rhythm with a snarling Breaks style bass for proper rave wrecking effects. TRG softens Tayo's original by dropping the clattering rhythms of the original and replacing them with the cool 2-Step swing that he's become known for. Breaks is great.
- Tracks on TAYO / TRG - March of the Soundbwoyz (TRG Mix):
- TAYO / TRG : TRG MIX
- TAYO / TRG : ORIGINAL MIX
SMILE DOWN UPON US - Smile Down Upon Us
Static Caravan
CD //
£9.99
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: VAN161
Just what the world needs - another twee Japanese electronica record, but Smile Down Upon Us are no ordinary act. Rather this is the meeting of two acts on two different sides of the world, Phelan Sheppard (Leaf) in London and moomLooo in Tokyo who collaborated via email to create this haunting disc. Initially the two bands met on Myspace but this soon flowered into a full-blown collaboration despite the acts never having conversed and knowing ne... READ MORE ABOUT: SMILE DOWN UPON US, Smile Down Upon Us, Static Caravan
- Tracks on SMILE DOWN UPON US - Smile Down Upon Us:
- SMILE DOWN UPON US : 01
- SMILE DOWN UPON US : 02
- SMILE DOWN UPON US : 03
TED BARNES - Portal Nou
MORNINGTON
CD //
£11.49
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: MORN001
Having made his name as Beth Orton's sideman, guitarist and writer Ted Barnes arrives at this solo album with a brace of collaborators including Francoiz Breut, Kathryn Williams and Orton herself, who co-writes and provides vocals on 'Caught Out', a strikingly lovely piece of contemporary folk right in the middle of a record made up of soundtrack influences and instrumentation with an expansive, European flavour. There are shades of Yann Tierson ... READ MORE ABOUT: TED BARNES, Portal Nou, MORNINGTON
ELECTRIC PRESIDENT - Sleep Well
Morr Music
CD //
£9.99
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: MM084CD
Electric President return for a second term after their well-received debut on Morr. The duo (comprised of Ben Cooper and Alex Kane) represent the closest thing to the shimmering, upbeat indie rock sound the label has flirted with elsewhere on its roster, and after a cursory listen you could easily think you were listening to some Death Cab For Cutie offshoot project, and certainly the first Electric President album accumulated plenty of Postal S... READ MORE ABOUT: ELECTRIC PRESIDENT, Sleep Well, Morr Music
- Tracks on ELECTRIC PRESIDENT - Sleep Well:
- ELECTRIC PRESIDENT : 01
- ELECTRIC PRESIDENT : 02
- ELECTRIC PRESIDENT : 03
JAMES BLACKSHAW - Litany Of Echoes
TOMPKINS SQUARE
CD //
£12.49
LAPTOP FOLK / AMERICANA
Catalogue Number: TSQ1783
We have more than just a soft spot for James Blackshaw here at Boomkat HQ, I'd rather say we had a wet spot, but that'll probably get edited out. Anyway, his last album 'The Cloud of Unknowing' was his finest moment yet, and I stupidly assumed his work couldn't get any better. I should have known he'd pull it out of the bag though, and 'Litany of Echoes' is every bit as triumphant as its predecessor, if not even better. Interestingly enough we be... READ MORE ABOUT: JAMES BLACKSHAW, Litany Of Echoes, TOMPKINS SQUARE
- Tracks on JAMES BLACKSHAW - Litany Of Echoes:
- JAMES BLACKSHAW : 01
- JAMES BLACKSHAW : 02
- JAMES BLACKSHAW : 03
STL - Klangbewegungen
SOMETHING
2LP //
£15.99
TECHNO
Catalogue Number: SOMETHING06
Stephan Laubner's STL project has really been pushing our buttons for the last couple of years, from his wicked Homework LP to his more recent offerings for Perlon the man's true school, rough and raw house styles really have hit the mark. 'Klangbewegungen' collates 7 cuts of prime tracky jams very much in the same vein as his recent gear, all stripped and purely analog house tracks bearing a remarkable resemblance to the works of Omar-S, Jus Ed ... READ MORE ABOUT: STL, Klangbewegungen, SOMETHING
VARIOUS / RINSE FM - Rinse 05 (Mixed by Paleface)
Rinse
CD //
£8.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: RINSECD006
Bassline seems like the most maligned of genres to me at the moment. Whether it started ten years ago at Niche or in the backstreets of Birmingham, grime, garage and most obviously dubstep purists hate it for being too, well, populist. As much as I try though, there's something unashamedly great about bassline - the skittering beats, the squelchy bounce of the bass, and that R&B edge that makes it such a hit with the chicks. Yes, I admit it peopl... READ MORE ABOUT: VARIOUS / RINSE FM, Rinse 05 (Mixed by Paleface), Rinse
- Tracks on VARIOUS / RINSE FM - Rinse 05 (Mixed by Paleface):
- VARIOUS / RINSE FM : PALEFACE
- VARIOUS / RINSE FM : DEXPLICIT
- VARIOUS / RINSE FM : ILL MANA
BABYLON SYSTEM & SPL / SPL - Gangster / Lust
HOLLOW POINT
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: HPR001
Bellicose grimy gangster business from hardcore steppers Babylon System and SPL for new imprint Hollow Point Records. A-side effort 'Gangster' introduces itself with a snatch of Ray Liotta dialogue before aiming some well swung string stabs and evil grime rhythms inna Mr Slash style for a heavyweight grime styled dubstep winner, while SPL takes controls on the flip, deploying some snarling D'n'B style basslines under rude stepping dubstep pattern... READ MORE ABOUT: BABYLON SYSTEM & SPL / SPL, Gangster / Lust, HOLLOW POINT
- Tracks on BABYLON SYSTEM & SPL / SPL - Gangster / Lust:
- BABYLON SYSTEM & SPL / SPL : SPL
- BABYLON SYSTEM & SPL / SPL : BABYLON SYSTEM & SPL
DISTANCE - Headstrung / No Sunshine
Chestplate
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: CHST004
Saving his most experimental and esoteric works for his own imprint, Distance turns his Peavey up to 11 for two slabs of axe wielding dubstep on Chestplate. 'Headstrung' on the A-side bears some rather beastly guitar chops over a reinforced Distance rhythm, while 'No Sunshine' opts for a downbeat style over cool steppers arrangements. Proper rockin.
ESKMO - Jetski / Sand Dunes
BASSROCK
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: BROCK018
Great Breaks music from Eskmo for Bassrock records with two tracks of great breaks music, stretching from heavy bass lines with breakbeats on 'Jetski' to heavy breakbeats with basslines on 'Sand dunes'. Really good for dancing.
SYNKRO - Hold Tight
SMOKIN' SESSIONS
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: SMOKE001
Pumped up Caspa and Rusko styles from SYNKRO for the AudioFreaks imprint. 'Hold tight' is the big 'roid injected bassbin killer, rolling in with some West Coast G-funk styles before obliterating your dancehall with some reeling Caspa style midrange wobble outs, while 'Bitz' and 'Balls' on the flip get all sweaty and primed for the dancefloor. Obese.
KROMESTAR - High Is The Limit / Jumpin'
DOWN SOUTH
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: DSD001
Surely this guy has an army of tweed tooting monkeys shackled to macbooks running fruityloops somewhere in a basement in South London? Er... maybe not, but the man's work rate is beyond prolific but manages to keep the quality levels ticking high with two fresh dancehall wrecking bombs for Down South Dubs. 'High is the limit' rules this 12" with a rowdy blend of dubstep, garage and ruff-up 4/4 bassline, while 'Jumpin' on the flipopts for a Coki e... READ MORE ABOUT: KROMESTAR, High Is The Limit / Jumpin', DOWN SOUTH
L-OW - Rising (F-One Mix)
Z AUDIO
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: ZWHITE001
LEWI WHITE / SMASHER - Sideline / 2nd Floor
Z AUDIO
12" //
£5.99
DUBSTEP / GRIME
Catalogue Number: ZAUDIO004
Neat instrumentals from Lewi White and Smasher covering darker grime styles and wobbling dubstep for all the DJs.
- Tracks on LEWI WHITE / SMASHER - Sideline / 2nd Floor:
- LEWI WHITE / SMASHER : LEWI WHITE
- LEWI WHITE / SMASHER : SMASHER