Category: Turntables

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Dubstep latest

Box Cutter: Brood b/w Sunshine

On Hotflush of course, Boxcutter shows off his phenomenal high tek skills — Brood is half step hyped up with vast timestretched breaks, and i wouldn’t be out of place in a Si Begg set. That’s a compliment by the way, I like Si Begg, and I like the way that a lot of Dubstep from Vex’d and Mark One outwards reworks the breaks blueprint. It’s not as good as the visceral cthonic impact of DMZ gear but then, what is? B-side Sunshine is, well, dubstep gone jazz funk — and it’s great!

Random Trio: Cyrus EP

Cyrus’ first proper release is an odd bag but it’s a grower. He doesn’t do the wobbly bassline thing (no, don’t tell me you’re bored with it, I don’t believe you), rather he focuses on extremely sparse tunes that lead on bongo hits with sub bass that is very, very subby — scarcely worth playing at home actually cos you simply won’t hear the bass (it’s present on my studio monitors but not on any of the hifi’s I’ve got). here is a bit of a “Cabaret Voltaire B-side” syndrome going on, but when it comes together on tracks like Indian Stomp it rocks — try this track in the mix, you won’t believe where it takes you.

http://www.randomtrio.blogspot.com/
http://www.randomtrioproductions.com/

submerged

Dusk and Blackdown: Submerged / Drenched.
On a similar note is Dusk and Blackdown, about whome one could almost say, welcome to the Drexciya of dubstep. We’re talkin widescreen, down-tempo, somewhat abstract dubstep that is occasionally (and wisely) laden with strings. It’s not a brilliant record, but it is very good, and it’s just a taste of what’s coming: the new EP, due in May, is vastly better and Lata in particular is going to catapault them into the stratosphere. Still, I’m glad I’ve got this one – though I quite fancy hearing it on CD. (Any chance, Martin?)

http://blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com

d1

D1: I Believe b/w Belong / Steamroller

I think this EP is maybe not quite as immediate as some of the D1 stuff out there; Steamroller is probably the most memorable tune here, but that might be just because it’s (to me) the most familiar. Even so, it’s brilliant music.

Loefah Vs Skream: 28g b/w FearlessLook, I’m not even going to review this. Just buy it while you can.

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Bash rocks

Me at Bash, rocking
The consensus is that Bash was a triumph. It was wild! I’m sure it’s partly to do with the fact that Dubstep is the hottest sound on the planet right now. For this was an evening where the leading lights of dubstep, convened by your hero and mine (and key link between Dubstep and its industrial forebears) Kevin Martin in partnership with Loefah (the best producer in the world right now? I think so), got together, kicked back, and played reggae, in the knowledge that by the end of 2006, they will probably all be so famous a relaxed night like this just won’t be able to happen.

So it goes with the historification process.

So get Bash while it’s hot. I think John put it best when he said it was like being in someone’s front room — someone with both fantastic taste in dancehall (and jungle, for that matter) and a HUGE fuck off sound system. (Not quite the best sound in London, not while Shaka’s alive anyway, but not bad.) And obviously, it’s not quite as good as being in John’s front room and playing his tunes, but then not many people have a collection as good as his.

I loved it from the first minute — yo know you’re onto a winner when Loefah’s on the door selling tickets (or in John’s case, crossing you off the guest list, jammy bastard) — I tell you, I nearly creamed myself. I met a bunch of other people that night and all I can say is, these dubstep folk are really nice. The picture above is me giving it up for Kode 9, who played a blinder and reckoned it was the most relaxed DJ set he’d ever done — “Play a record, hit stop, play another record” — though he still managed to play that DEVESTATING ragga jungle classic, Krome & Time’s “Studio 1 Lik”, which is a big fave of mine and went down an absolute storm. Pokes reached across the decks and rewound it straight off. Class.

Anyway. Bash. Dancehall power!!!

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New Moll Selekta releases: Sugar Minott: the Roots Lover 1978 – 1983 and The Bunny Lee Rocksteady Years

Sugar Minott: the Roots Lover
I’ve just been sent two new releases on German reggae reissue label Moll Selekta (via the inestimable Steve Barker), a label I’d never heard of but seem to have over a dozen very interesting releases on their books. The Sugar Minott disc is a cracking double CD set of full-length, mainly early 80s roots and dancehall gems with an extremely high hit rate. We’re talking Channel One cuts with Roots Radics and Black Roots backing so musically most of the cuts are impeccable — and the mastering is by the maestro himself, von Oswald. Sleeve notes are fair; there’s a good biography, even if it’s obviously translated from the German (with somewhat error-prone typesetting), though the track information is a little sparse. But putting these minor quibbles to one side, there are HEAPS of absolutely KILLER tunes on this compilation. It’s well worth seeking out; go buy.

ROCKSTEADY!!!

Everyone likes a bit of rocksteady, if only to trace the evolution of riddims that later surfaced in reggae and dancehall. Here we are presented with the sweetest of r’n’b harmonies over just-shy-of-reggae jerky beats and it’s fab. Another sumptuously produced and mastered release, it’s the best possible introduction to Bunny Lee’s treasure trove of rocksteady stompers. Recommended.

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New Mix: Jungle Got Dub

jungle got dub

Part two of my voyage into 94-era jungle takes into dark and murky dub. The mix starts cool and slow and funky before getting progressively more spaced out, then gets itself together with some dark ambient bass weight, before piling on the energy until it reaches maximum dub heaviosity. I like it. Tracklisting, with each song’s timings in the mp3 file, is as follows:

0.00: Flex: Rude Boy. De Underground Records 1994
3:15: L Double: Break It Down. (Breakdown Records) 1995
7:36: Dextrous: Heavenly Body. 1994
12:11: Droppin Science: Vol. 3: Firing Line. 1994
16:31: Tom & Jerry Vol 9: Air Freshener. 1994
20:40: Dillinja: Deadly Deep Subs (VIP Mix). 1994
23:54: Ganja Kru: Vol. 4: Mash Up Da Place. 1994
27:06: Ganja Kru: Cops (Johnny Jungle VIP Mix). 1994
30:40: Boogie Times Tribe: The Dark Stranger (Origin Unknown remix). Suburban Base 1993
31:55: Dope Style: You Must Think First. 1994
35:21: DJ Crystl: Warpdrive Deejay Recordings 1993
37:42: Dead Dred: Dred Bass (Origin Unknown Mix) Moving Shadow 1994
41:05: The Dreamteam: Yeah Man (VIP Remix) Joker Records 1994
45:06: Jonny Jungle: Johnny 94 (Origin Unknown Remix) Suburban Base 1994
49:26: Amazon II: Booyaaa! Aphrodite Recordings 1994 (re-edit)
55:29: Rus De Tox & Teebone: Selectors Roll Subliminal Records (UK) 1994

0.00 Flex: Rude Boy De Underground Records 1994
Marvellous bit of funky, rolling ragga jungle with ace funk samples
3:15 L Double: Break It Down 1995
Possibly also released as Music For the Nineties? Dunno. Very nice low-down crisp roller, with dubby stabs of Heavenly Body over the top.
7:36 Dextrous: Heavenly Body 1994
Did this get a release under this title? I dunno, but it’s ace, it fools you into thinking it’s a jungle take on ecstatic 80s nu-soul, but it keeps on turning into delightfully skanking ragga jungle.
12:11 Droppin Science Vol. 3: Firing Line 1994
Wa-hey! Wobbly bassline dub alert! Steppin’ breakz too. Love it.
16:31 Tom & Jerry Vol 9: Air Freshener 1994
Tom & Jerry’s inimitable sampled Rhodes chords blended with gorgeous ruffneck ragga. I’ve dubbed this to FUCK.
20:40: Dillinja: Deadly Deep Subs (VIP Mix) 1994
The sweetest, moodiest, most abstract, deep-down jungle dub tune you could wish for. We kind of “wake up” from the spaced dub with this one.
23:54: DJ Hype: Ganja Vol. 4: Mash Up Da Place 1994
A deep dark bassline wobbler. The perfect complement to…
27:06: Ganja Crew: Cops (Johnny Jungle VIP Mix) 1994
The CLASSIC DJ Hype tune with the coolest, most random sampled dialogue ever. Johnny Jungle adds considerably to the vibe.
30:40: Boogie Times Tribe: The Dark Stranger (Origin Unknown remix). Suburban Base 1993
Lovely spacey tune
31:55: Dope Style: You Must Think First. 1994
Extremely nice dubby jungle tune with wild syncopated breaks — another DJ Hype tune.
35:21: DJ Crystl: Warpdrive Deejay Recordings 1993
Steps UP. Absolutely MASSIVE, crushing breaks. Such a rhythmically sophisticated (yet mental!) tune I can’t believe it was made in 1993
37:42: Dead Dred: Dred Bass (Origin Unknown Mix) Moving Shadow 1994
A huge hit I know but Andy C and Miles’ mix is devestating. The other mixes haven’t worn quite so well, but this is still a headfuck of a record. But it’s just the prelude to…
41:05: The Dreamteam: Yeah Man (VIP Remix) Joker Records 1994
Achingly good, utterly savage, high tech jungle. If AC/DC made jungle, and used amens instead of guitars, this is what it would sound like. Marvellous.
45:06: Jonny Jungle: Johnny 94 (Origin Unknown Remix) Suburban Base 1994
Some funky 808-sine wave action to let you blow off some steam.
49:26: Amazon II: Booyaaa! Aphrodite Recordings 1994 (re-edit)
I just love this tune so much.The ultimate skanking ragga jungle record.
55:29: Rus De Tox & Teebone: Selectors Roll Subliminal Records (UK) 1994
Just a little bit of dubby jungle to take you out…

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Jungle Got Soul

Jungle got soul
Here’s my Christmas pressie for you all… a mix of vintage jungle. I don’t think any of the tunes on this mix are particularly rare, I just picked a load of good ones that I wasn’t bored of. The inspiration was Tom & Jerry’s peerless Maximum Style — present here in its original and “Lover to Lover” versions, and yes I could do with an expert to sort out what T&J tune is what, cos I am confused. In any event, I adore Maximum Style because it eschews Amen-style stentorian rigour for slinky soft soul’n’lovers rock groove, so I tried to put together all the good soul-influenced jungle I could find. A mix of raging Amen tunes is in preparation. There isn’t that much soulful jungle that still rocks, so the mix is a bit short, but that could be an advantage. The title refers back to the classic Toots and the Maytals album Reggae Got Soul: for if jungle reaches back primarily to reggae, and I think it does, then it also reaches ack to soul, as reggae does.

Most of these tunes are from 1994– not a deliberate decision but it does support the argument put forward by some that that was jungle’s best year. Here’s the tracklisting…

Lloydie Crucial: Ribbon In The Sky 1994
Tom & Jerry: Maximum Style 1994
Tom & Jerry: Lover to Lover 1994
Run Tings: Ruff Revival 1994
Firefox & 4-Tree: Warning (Powder Mix) 1994
Greenwood: Hold It Down 1994
Deep Blue: Helicopter Tune 1993
M-Beat: Style 1993
The Brock-Out Crew: Hardcore Romance 1994
M&F: How Many Ways 1994
Da Maytrix: Loverman 1994
DMS & The Boneman X: Sweet Vibrations (Push Up Yr Lighter) 1994
M-Beat: Surrender 1994
Undercover Agent: Oh Gosh! 1995
L Double Featuring Bassman: Da Base Too Dark 1995
Lick Back Organisation: Maniac Music (Lick Back VIP Mix) 1995

Jungle Got Soul
192K mp3; 47 minutes 34 seconds; 65.4Mb.
As ever, on Windows, right click and save as; on the Mac, option click (or right click if you are wise enough to have a two button mouse) and save as. This is likely to be the last “public” music mix released on this blog, since other sites leach our mixes, meaning loads of downloads but no feedback or contact. Anonymous leaching is not what it’s all about. There will be one or two non-music audio files however.

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Fantasy fuckmates

Simon suggesting that “Girls Aloud’s most passionate and unstintingly analytical fans cannot distinguish between the girls’ voices on record (although some seem to be able to tell them apart okay as fantasy fuckmates)” — while I am by no means an apologist for GA, though the odd tune is quite good, I cannot distinguish between them as fantasy fuckmates. I remember K-Punk’s post a while back about robot girls (in a Jaxx video) being unutterably sexy — well, maybe Girls Aloud are the pop prototype of that.

In other words — too plastic to be really attractive.

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Loefah interview on Blackdown

YES — the best music blogger working right now interviewing one of the four best producers working right now… Blackdown interviews Loefah… and it’s HUUUUUUGE. Get in.

AND… Blackdown is doing not just one end of year review, but a series, with interviews with a load of the biggest names in Grime and Dubstep… that is just awesome.

BTW… there’s a wiki on dubstep…

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OTW track listing and original file

 

On the wire, 17th September 2005: 21st Birthday Edition mix by John Eden and Paul Meme.

The file is up at http://www.grievousangel.net/GAMixes/On_The_Wire_21st_Anniversary_Mix_John_Eden_Paul_Meme.mp3

You can’t stream it, you can only download it.

More comments and notes on the music when I have time…

Note from 2020:

Awesome mix of dancehall and a bit of break core which still sounds fantastic today!

I’ve given it a quick remaster so it sounds even louder 🙂

1. Delroy Wilson. Keep on Trying. Music Lab
2. Carlton Livingstone. You Make Your Mistake. Black Joy
3. Lone Ranger. Collie Dub. Black Joy
4. Yellowman. Soldier Take Over. Sonic Sounds
5. Welton Irie. Army Life. Pressure Sounds
6. King Kong. Don’t Touch My Boops. Unity Sounds
7. Admiral Bailey and Chaka Demus. One Scotch. Unity Sounds
8. Shabban Rankin. Roots and Cultue. 1989. Digital B
9. Pinchers. Bandolero. 1991. Jammy$ Records
10. Frankie Paul. Tu Shung Peng. Greensleeves
11. Frisco Kid. It’s OK. Jammy$ Records
12. Trevor Sparks. Bye Bye Love. Jammy$ Records
13. Admiral Bailey. No Wey Better Than Yard. 1988. Live & Love
14. Pinchers. Agony. Live & Love
15. Admiral Bailey. Big Belly Man. 1987. Live & Love
16. Shabba Ranks. Trailer Load of Girls. Shang
17. Cobra. Yush. 1991. Penthouse
18. Cutty Ranks. Dominate. Penthouse
19. Killamanmachine. Amen. Clash
20. Bong Ra. 666MPH (FFF vs Dionysos Remix). Supertracks Records
21. LFO Demon. Utterly Wipeout (Rave for Communism). 2003. Sprengstoff
22. Prince Jammy. Jammin for Survival (Grievous Angel’s Jammin’ on Distortion Mix). 1979 / 2005. Attack / Morwell Esq?
23. Initial T. Tricks and Trade. 2005. Tree House Cannabis Music
24. Turbulence. Notorious. 2005. Tree House Cannabis Music

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Our first mix on the radio

Our first ever radio mix is going out on BBC Radio Lancashire’s fantastic On The Wire show on Saturday night — tomorrow, the 17th September, on the cusp of the full moon. Me and John Eden have been DJing together for ages and it’s been fantastic but this is just the bomb, we’re really thrilled. On The Wire is an institution and its founder, Steve Barker, is one of the real heroes of reggae and experimental music broadcasting. It’s a unique show and it’s a privilege to be asked to do a mix. We think it’s come out pretty well — a blend of 80s and 90s dancehall, ragga, breakcore and noise that smoothes you out, takes you up, blows you away and settles you back down in a completely different place from where you started.

If you live in Lancashire you can get On the Wire on Saturday at 10pm on BBC Radio Lancashire 103.9, 95.5 and 104.5 FM. On the Internet there’s a listen live button on the Radio Lancashire homepage. I aim to post a high quality mp3 of the mix on here after it’s been broadcast.