Friday 28 October 2011

REVIEWS #005: GREENSLEEVES DUBSTEP ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY @ YOYO


After panic buying an 'Innocent' smoothie in an attempt to convince myself that two of my five a day would somehow prevent alcohol from entering my blood stream, I made my way up to Notting Hill Gate anticipating another excellent night at YoYo. Despite initially forgetting where I was and having to ask an unfortunate looking man for directions, I found my way to the back of the queue for 10.30. Having struggled to get hold of T Williams who I was set to have a few brandy and cokes with, I spent the first hour on my own clutching can after can of Red Stripe and looking around for familiar faces.

 A brief catch up with Seb Chew was to precede Baby Blue's faultless rendition of tracks old and new however, in an extremely professional performance. Tipped to be one of the next big underground top 40 exports akin to good friend Wretch 32, Baby Blue displayed all the credentials required to make it at the very top. Suitably impressed, I made my way to the bar to claim my fourth can of the night and strategically placed myself by the decks. Leo G and Seb were to spin some classic Hip Hop whilst waiting for special guest headliner Terror Danjah to arrive. Just as I'd given up hope of having anybody to talk to all night, I turned around to see Williams looking a little worse for wear after 12 hours at his studio; "You look like you need a drink man" I said. Within minutes of Williams' arrival, I was also greeted by another late comer, Mr Mitch and suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed by having friends. That aside, Seb was warming the crowd up nicely, dropping Preditah's 'Gargoyle' to widespread approval; the 'PRE-DI-TAH' sound bite alone tends to signal something great is about to happen. Almost on cue, Preditah himself arrived along with Birmingham's enigmatic 'Stay Fresh' whom were celebrating the end of their successful 'Bigga Fish' tour. After talking quite a bit of what was no doubt rubbish to Williams and Mr Mitch, I wandered over to introduce myself and probably talk more rubbish to Preditah and co before heading back to count down the minutes until Terror was due to step up. Despite writing about music, hanging around with the people that make it is still something I'm not used to, a fact amplified by Wookie casually walking past and saying hello to Williams: "Who was that?" I asked. "Ah, that was Wookie man." WOOKIE?! I couldn't believe it. 


Now feeling quite the drunk, I made the excellent decision to swap Red Stripe for Jack Daniels before being introduced to Martelo and finally seeing Terror Danjah set up behind the DJ booth. The last time I saw Terror play back in April at Urban Nerds I lost my phone via a combination of having shit pockets and next hyping all over the Macbeth. Praying for better luck, it wasn't long before 'Full Attention' (arguably the tune of the summer) was reverberating around YoYo and Mr Mitch, myself and a tiring T Williams couldn't help but get caught up in the vibe. With Stay Fresh in celebratory mood, Macca and Casper were soon sharing mic duties too, adding polish to a set that was already gathering pace. Highlights included hearing 'Morph 2' and Preditah's 'Nosy Parker' VIP shake YoYo's foundations before Ray Keith's legendary anthem 'Chopper' and Shy FX's 'Original Nuttah' brought the night to a close in true Terror Danjah style. Although Macca and co were content to rave until 6 in the morning, another excellent night at YoYo had come to an end. 

Terror Danjah in the mix at YoYo

Thursday 27 October 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: MR MITCH LAUNCHES 'BEATFIGHTER'


Uncle Albert's latest piece for our friends over at Sonic Router sees us catch up with Mr Mitch on his new 'Beatfighter' concept, set to launch on November 1st. 

Friday 21 October 2011

#033 DJ MA1


After releasing the 'Do It Better' EP on Roska's 'RKS' label back in March, MA1 has spent much of the last six months putting the finishing touches on his next offering, the 'Elektron EP'. Released this week on T Williams' promising 'Deep Teknologi' imprint, the EP consists of 4 excellent tracks;  'Elektron' is possibly the stand out of the lot although 'Bora Bora' runs it a close second as an superb dance floor filler. Now working on new material for 'RKS' after returning from an eventful night in Cologne, I caught up with the man himself to talk about everything from mingling with Skream and Benga at 'Big Apple' to the difficulty he has naming tracks:

"I've been working with T Williams quite a bit trying to get various bits and pieces sorted in the studio. We've made 'two tracks called WBS'' and 'Capture'  which are both quite two-steppy but we're not sure when they'll be released yet. We've both played them a few times on Rinse and got good feedback though so that's cool. Besides that I've dedicated most of my time to getting this EP released - I made it earlier in the year and decided to send some of the tracks to T Williams. I sent him 'Stand Off' and 'Bora Bora' which were just unnamed tracks at the time but I wasn't sure if he'd like them. I'd made a track called 'High Definition' last year that got a lot of love from guys like L-vis and Danny Native that was more tech-house but then I started dabbling in bass-driven two-step stuff so I didn't know what Williams was gonna think - I do like to mix in and out of styles. Luckily he loved the tracks and asked if he could release them via his label and that was it.
Deejaying wise, I got back from a great night in Cologne in September. The guys who invite me over there are really clued up on everything we do over here and regularly lock into Rinse which is kinda weird but good at the same time. I never really considered people outside the UK would pay much attention to what we do here but the crowd we're really receptive and it was good fun. I played at Fabric recently too for Roska Kicks and Snares (RKS) alongside Roska, J:Kenzo and Jamie George which was cool. I like Fabric because I never feel I have to stick to a particular genre and the crowd are always up for t. I managed to showcase a few tunes from my forthcoming EP for RKS as well which was nice; 'Beyond the Sea' and 'Rockstar', both of which are two-steppy. 
I've also got my Rinse show too which I try and put a lot in to - I really enjoy doing it and I make sure I'm always letting people know track names and new EP information. I think its important for supporters to be kept in the loop!"


MA1 cites his journey through UK Garage as a teenager as one of the main reasons for first falling in love with music but also acknowledges the roles both pirate radio and 'Big Apple Records' played in his rise to the top:

"I started really listening to music when I was about 11 or 12 - me and a friend from school listened to pirate radio a lot when it was all proper exciting. I listened to a lot of hip hop too and spent my pocket money on Wu Tang CDs and quite a bit of East Coast stuff. I'd say that was what I listened to up until I was about 15 or 16 - I was too young to go out then but once I started going to college, i became aware of Garage. Once I started to go out and experience clubs, that was all I heard!
About that time, I knew a mate who lived not too far from me with decks and a load of jungle records and quite a lot of Andy C stuff - I started to go round every other day and tried to teach myself how to mix, not for any particular reason other than enjoying it. It was weird because I'd be mixing jungle but raving to Garage so I guess it was a natural progression to start buying the records I spent my life dancing to. I'd go up to Black Market Records and Uptown and make sure I was buying regularly and eventually found myself a slot on a really cruddy pirate station and ended up going down that route for quite a while. A little while after that, I managed to get on a quite a big pirate station in South London, 'Upfront FM', and before long I was guesting on stations like 'Freek FM' in North London and 'Delight' in South. I actually met Hatcha on Upfront and used to hang around with him a bit so I started to see Skream, Benga and Artwork quite a lot - they were always at 'Big Apple' too. The great thing about that place was that it wasn't in Central London so they got all the tunes!
Once Garage started to fade in 2004, I stopped deejaying for a while which was weird having being on pirate for so long. The whole grime thing had started but I wasn't really feeling it at the time so I started to get into House and by 2005-2006, I got involved with Supa D and started to play a lot on Deja Vu. About a year later, I got a call from Geeneus at Rinse and made the move just after Supa D and its been plain sailing ever since. It's a lot different being on Rinse, they've got an international audience now but even back when I started they were making full use of the internet where as other pirates at the time weren't. Geeneus isn't called a genius for nothing - he knows exactly what he's doing and I'm really happy to still be a part of the station."
Despite spending much of his time working on tracks at between 126 and 130 BPM, MA1 also experiments at 140:

"My style incorporates everything - garage, house and all the new sounds I'm hearing through Rinse. It's a weird combination really! One day I'll make a house EP like 'Elektron' and the next I'll do something completely different - I'm like water, I'll go anywhere. I try to keep things between 126 and 130 but I do make the odd tune at 140 - sadly I'm not confident enough to go anywhere near releasing anything. As production goes, I tend to just sit down, make a few loops and then just mess about with different sounds. I'm free to make whatever i feel like making because I'm not a part of any particular scene. It might take me longer having that outlook but you just do what you feel like. I did focus on making straight house a few years back but I dabble in a lot more these days - I found I'd get bored making and playing the same stuff."
With the release of the 'Elektron EP' this week still fresh in his mind, I asked MA1 about the thinking behind his latest offering:

"Initially, I had a load of tracks together and wasn't really sure what to do with them. I was thinking about sending them to Rinse but ended up sending a few to Roska to see what he thought. I ended up with two tracks left over so I decided to make a few more that'd fit the same vibe and before I knew it, I kinda had an EP on my hands. It was organic how it all came about really. Track names are a killer though - I'm just no good at it at all man. I had track 001 and track 002 just sitting there and you end up having to listen for a while until words come into your head; 'Bang, that's Elektron' , 'Hmmmm this reminds me a bit of Ibiza, lets call it Bora Bora after the beach'  - it is literally like that. I didn't have a name for the EP itself either but eventually decided to go with 'Elektron'. The whole process is a lot harder than it looks, trust me!"

Having set up his own label back in 2004 as an outlet for his own music, MA1's recent releases have come via 'RKS' and 'Deep Teknologi', a move he credits with opening up his sound to new audiences:

"I've got a label that i started in 2004 called 'Karnival Music' that I used to release my own stuff on. The whole purpose of that was just a different way of getting my music out there but I always recognised the importance of releasing on different labels. Roska and Williams started to hit me up about opening up my music and taking it down different avenues so it made sense to work with them. Both of them offered me the chance to send music that i thought would fit their labels and I know T Williams very well too so there was no better place to start really. It also helps take the stress away from releasing my own stuff, as well as opening up the music to different audiences - its a definite win-win. When I was younger, my attitude was much more, 'Nah, fuck it, I can do it myself' but it didn't get me very far. I remember getting lots of offers from various labels for a track I'd made called 'I'm Right Here' featuring Sophia Black but I turned them all down and opted for the DIY route. I'm much more aware of how important it is to release on different labels these days."


MA1 is also a firm advocate of the ever expanding UK bass music scene and explains how different things are now as compared to at the turn of the millennium:

"Its a lot different now to what I knew previously. Back in the day it was kinda one scene at a time; in '93-'94 you had jungle and then '96 to '00 was garage before that kinda split and we got the whole grime movement coming through and soon after that there was dubstep and UK Funky. They were all really clear and defined sounds you know? Today its all mixed in together and everyone's getting involved in different things. Everybody seems to know each other too now - somehow or another, deejays and producers have all crossed paths and get along. It gives artists and fans alike a lot more choice and variety."
With 3-4 releases already planned for 2012 and hopes for an album on the agenda, MA1's reputation can only continue to grow as we enter the new year:

"I'm going to be focusing on more vocal releases next year and trying to push my own sounds too - i want to mix it up a bit and play some different stuff. I'd like to do an album too but that's probably a little way off yet. I am looking to put out 3, maybe 4 releases next year though and I want to try and keep the bookings coming in. I've played out quite a bit recently so it'd be nice to keep that going. It's just a case of generally keeping it all moving in the right direction."

Details:



Roska Kicks & Snares: http://www.roska.co.uk/


You can also listen to an MA1's exclusive 'Elektron' promo mix via Hyponik too: http://hyponik.com/2011/10/ma1-drops-mix-in-anticipation-of-his-elektron-ep/

Thursday 20 October 2011

MIXES #006 - KID SMPL


The sixth in the series of exclusive Uncle Albert mixes comes via Seatte's 'Kid Smpl' whom Uncle Albert first discovered after hearing his masterful re-work of Trim's 'I Am'. Incorporating a series of his own dubs alongside tracks from fellow producers 'Ill Crosby' and 'Arae' amongst others, opening track 'Streetlight' sets the tone for a hauntingly good 45 minute offering that should please fans of James Blake and Pearson Sound. A refreshingly different mix, full of quality and craft that fully warrants a place on your Ipod. 

PS - Listen out for an excellent remix of Dizzee Rascal's 2004 classic 'Stand Up Tall' too.

You can download the mix via Mediafire here: http://www.mediafire.com/?ve74mes2ko764et

Tracklist:

Kid Smpl - Streetlight (dub)
Kid Smpl - Relief (Life Crushed free comp)
Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody (Screwed)
Oddlogic - Darling (Life Crushed free comp)
Ill Cosby  - Trap Riddim (Offshore Remix) (Forthcoming Car Crash Set)
Kid Smpl - Ur Back (Forthcoming Swing and Skip)
Kid Smpl - Inhale/Exhale (Forthcoming Subdepth)
Kid Smpl - Hope I Don't Forget (Forthcoming Subdepth)
Kid Smpl - Miles Above (dub)
Kid Smpl - Staring Up (dub)
Arae - Trouble Sleeping Refix (Free Download)
Archie Pelago - Solar Plexus (Forthcoming Car Crash Set)
Kid Smpl - Gbye (dub)
Kid Smpl - Collapse (dub)
Kid Smpl - End Scene (dub)
Kid Smpl - Sheets (Forthcoming Swing and Skip)
Dizzee Rascal - Stand Up Tall (Kid Smpl Remix) (Free Download)
Kid Smpl - Lifestream (Forthcoming Swing and Skip)
Kid Smpl - Healer (Car Crash Set)
Trim - I Am (Kid Smpl Remix) (Butterz Autumn Zip)

Details: 


Thursday 13 October 2011

#032 JAMMER


Firmly established as one of the grime scenes most legendary iconic figures, Jammer continues to push the genre in as many conceivable ways as possible. Whether it be via the influence of 'Boy Better Know', collaborations with exciting bass producers like Toddla T and Mumdance or through breathing new life into the genre-defining 'Lord of the Mics' series, Jammer's influence continues to define and shape the scene's inner-workings. With 'Lord of the Mics 3' due out before Christmas and new mixtape 'Jammer Time' expected in the new year, I managed to grab half an hour with the man himself on everything from starting out as a deejay to touring the UK with label mates Skepta and JME:

"I dropped my debut album 'Jahmanji' back at the end of 2010 and ended up doing a lot of launch parties all over the place before turning my attention to Lord of the Mics 3 at the start of this year. I've worked really hard and the whole project has proposed new challenges but its been worth it. We've featured guys like Sox and Kozzie, J1, Jendor, Tre Mission from Canada, Rival, Desperado, Marger, Merky Ace and loads more besides. The DVD will also feature a compilation of tracks from the likes of Ruff Squad and the Newham Generals - everybody who's been around from the beginning really and that'll be out in time for Christmas. 
I've also been working on my CD 'Jammer Time' too - my new single, 'On the Ball' will be on there but its not quite finished yet. I'm hoping to get into the studio with Boy Better Know and maybe grab a feature from P Money before its finished. I'm also ready to start work on my second album via 'Big Dada' too - hoping to get started on that in the new year. It's basically gonna be DVD - mixtape - album!"

Despite making his name as an emcee/producer, Jammer's first foray into the world of music was as a deejay back in his early teens:

"I was brought up around a musical family - my dad played in a band and had a decent record collection so I ended up getting quite involved in that. I remember playing his records and going along to some band rehearsals which really made me realise how much I loved music. I started to deejay when I was young, mixing bashment, drum 'n bass, jungle and garage but I didn't start taking it seriously until I was about 13. From there it just progressed really - I went from mixing to making tracks quite quickly and managed to get a job working at a big distribution centre called 'Essential Direct' alongside Sarah Lockhart. She's still a big influence within the dubstep scene but moreover UK music generally so I learnt a lot from her. I didn't really make a name for myself then - I was just getting into the swing of how the whole business worked. I started to save money while I was there though and before long, I started to buy equipment from the centre itself. Every time something was on offer, I'd buy it straight up!
After a while, I'd saved up enough to stop working and start focusing on making tracks - that was the start of everything proper. I started to link up with influential guys like Wiley and slowly started to get my music out there - that was a stem of everything really."

Now an integral part of the Boy Better Know label / collective, it was first hearing Skepta's 'Meridian Walk' that inspired Jammer to get in touch:

"It was all natural progression really. When I first started to make music, I remember hearing 'Meridian Walk' and knew I had to get in touch with Skepta. I rang him and we got talking and started to jam at each other's studios and that was it. I made 'Murkle Man' not long after that which had mad success and kinda got us travelling about a bit. We put a dub together with JME called 'Swag MC Burial' cussing loads of emcees too (laughs) and that got us a lot of attention. We ended up just touring country together and we were basically already a collective back then. JME always had the 'Boy Better Know' thing going on in his lyrics and then did the t-shirts so it kinda made sense to call ourselves BBK and that was that really. I guess it just feels like home to be honest - I've been making music with these guys for years so it made sense, especially after watching the whole BBK thing grow as quickly as it did."


The original 'Lord of the Mics' series has remained a talking point amongst fans and artists a like for almost a decade. Early clashes between some of the scene's biggest hitters invited viewers to revel in previously unchartered and largely ignored inner-city culture. Watching a young Dizzee Rascal and Crazy Titch go at it bar for bar in Jammer's packed, graffiti-strewn basement still serves as one of grime's most iconic images and the series' mass appeal is not lost on Jammer. His decision to relaunch 'Lord of the Mics 3' seems to have recaptured the imagination of the scene's current stars and fans alike, and its release is now one of the most highly-anticipated of 2011:

"The original series were an an amazing thing for UK music - even before number 3 it was already highly regarded and artists looked back on it as legendary. There's loads of new talent coming through now and with so many artists deciding to try and make more commercial music, it felt like the right time to cast the spotlight on the new guys. It gives them a platform to show their talent and shows that they can provide us with good music and lyrical content. I think its already had an impact too - a lot of emcees featured in Lord of the Mics 3 are now getting recognised in the street and earning bookings here, there and everywhere. We've put a lot of money into promoting it and that in turn has provided a much bigger platform for the artists involved than the last two. It brings people together as well - people can buy the DVD, get their mates round, have a drink and watch it. Its entertaining but there's skill involved which I guess sets it apart as different. I honestly felt everything was getting a bit boring and new releases every 5 minutes via the internet weren't really exciting me - Lord of the Mics is definitely gonna be a talking point."
Despite admitting he's found the scene to be devoid of excitement with regards to how music is being released this year, Jammer is still full of praise for the new wave of producers in particular:

"Ah it's wicked at the moment. I'm really embracing the new wave of producers and Faze's track 'Take Off' is obviously part of the series. The new guys kinda remind me of me you know? I think sometimes it takes someone like me to take the time out and endorse their music and make people aware of the talent that's out there. Hopefully my involvement can do a lot for them in that sense."


Although regarded by many as synonymous with grime, Jammer has also been involved with some of bass music's most influential producers over the last couple of years, a move he sees as beneficial to furthering the grime sound:

"I see it all as underground music but I guess its got more electronic elements to it. I started to dabble in it at European shows - I'd check out guys I'd seen at festivals and exhibitions and slowly got into it. People started to send me beats and stuff after that and I was speaking to guys like Toddla T and Mumdance quite regularly. I just thought I'd embrace it in the end. 'Back to the 90s' did quite a lot but it was 'Party Animal' that really branched out to a new audience. I'm actually thinking of re-releasing 'Back to the 90s' because I think people would be more ready for it now. The genre of music hasn't changed my style though - I like dabbling in the electronic stuff but I'm still the same Jammer."


Despite already being involved in a series of big projects, Jammer insists that there is plenty more to come in 2012:

"I guess you need to keep an eye out for the Boy Better Know movement and all the projects I've got coming. 'Lord of the Mics 3' will be out by Christmas, there's 'Jammer Time' due in early 2012 and an instrumental CD called 'Remember Me' featuring all my beats from 2000 to present is also ready to drop. I've had quite a lot of demand for an instrumental release so it felt only right to put one together. The big one for the next few months is Lord of the Mics though - that's gonna be floating around a lot of living rooms, it should be a definite stocking filler."
You can catch Jammer live alongside Mumdance, Funkystepz and Vectra at 'The Nest' tomorrow night (Friday 14th October). He's reserved a special message for those thinking of going:

"Make sure you come down to the nest to see me, Jammer aka the Murkle Man, Boy Better Know! I might have a special guest with me too so be there. If you're not there, you're air. Dun know."

Details:


Buy Jammer's debut album 'Jahmanji' via HMV: http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=617600

& check out full details of Jammer & Mumdance at 'The Nest': https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178882798855684






Tuesday 11 October 2011

COMPETITIONS #002: DJ EZ


The second Uncle Albert competition in quick succession gives you the chance to win tickets to see Garage pioneer DJ EZ at the Westbury in Kilburn this coming Friday. We've got 5 pairs of tickets to give away in 48 hours - all you need to do to stand a chance of winning is answer this question:

On what radio station does EZ host his now infamous show on Friday nights?

Send your answers along with your contact details over to tfraze@live.com to be in with a chance of winning! The competition closes on Thursday night at 9pm - winners will be notified on Friday morning.

Best of luck!

Don't forget you can also win tickets to see Wookie at the Westbury on November 4th via Uncle Albert too: http://unclealbertsays.blogspot.com/2011/10/competitions-001-wookie.html

Sunday 9 October 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: MIMM 002


Aspiring Nottingham-based clothes shop and exciting new imprint 'Mimm' (which stands for 'Music Is My Motive') are all set to release their second offering on November 14th. Established in 2010, the 'Mimm' brand encompasses clothing, music and in-store art exhibitions in the city and now sits at the forefront of Nottingham's independent scene. 

The release itself, the 'Cuckup' EP, comes courtesy of Wigflex virtuoso Spamchop, whose unique sound was dubbed 'rudeboy techno' by Mary-Anne Hobbs on Radio 1. Title track 'Cuckup' is backed up by two heavyweight dancefloor-fillers on the flip in 'Frames' and 'Blergzz' and will be available as a limited vinyl press as of November 14th. Also included with the package will be a limited edition jumper exclusively designed by Spamchop himself, a defining feature of MIMM releases to date. To celebrate the launch of MIMM 002, a launch party is also in the pipeline alongside ARP 101. 


An excellent prospective release that suggests an exciting future beckons for Nottingham's latest independent export.

Feel free to browse MIMM's online clothing store: http://mimm-shop.co.uk/

& sample MIMM 001 plus some other excellent tracks via affiliated artists on the MIMM soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/mimmlabel

There are also some excellent photos of MIMM's latest art exhibition held at The Nottingham Contemporary via 'Ashes 57' to look through too: http://ashes57.com/045_Mimm.html

Extra Details:


Thursday 6 October 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: ELIJAH ON 'RINSE:17'


Rinse:17 sees grime's irrepressible duo Elijah and Skilliam serve up a feast of all things 140 for our listening pleasure. Due for release on November 14th, the mix represents arguably their most notable achievement to date in what has been a startling couple of years for the duo and their highly-regarded 'Butterz' imprint. As documented in FrankieFrank's excellent preview of the mix itself, Rinse:17 offers the perfect insight into the exciting world of new school grime and its release marks a significant step for the genre. Uncle Albert was lucky enough to catch up with Elijah to get his take on the subject and what he hopes the mix can achieve:

"I've been on Rinse for just over 2 years doing the late night 1-3am slot and I have always felt like any show on Rinse is a prime time slot. We just tried to make that the number one show for Grime on the station. We got asked around March to do the mix, so it has been in the back of our minds all year and we knew how we would put it together from the day we got asked; the best of grime from this year, the best of the label, a couple of dubplates and one or two of our all time favourites are all included."

Elijah also explains that Rinse:17 casts light on the duo's involvement in all areas of the music they release:

"I think it is a good document to represent what Elijah & Skilliam bring to the table rather then just the label. Outsiders don't really know the role we play in making a lot of this music happen in the first place - we aren't just DJs in the sense of mixing two tracks, even though we are good at that too. Most of the tunes on here we have had heavy involvement in. Its also our first product that will be in the shops - we have always been releasing other peoples music, so hopefully it will give us a good platform to play in places we haven't before and work with some new people on different projects."

Looking to the future, he admits that the project has served as a 'wake up call':

"Following on from this I think it has really given me a wake up call in terms of pushing myself as a DJ. Sometimes I get so busy with doing label stuff I don't follow through my own personal projects or Elijah & Skilliam projects, so expect a serious project outside of random mixes at least once a year. Either that or i'll just retire!"


Details:



Everything Elijah & Skilliam: http://www.elijahandskilliam.com/
FrankieFrank's Rinse:17 preview: http://www.frankiefrank.co.uk/2011/09/rinse-17.html

Wednesday 5 October 2011

COMPETITIONS #001 - WOOKIE


As part of the first ever Uncle Albert competition, we've teamed up with 'Juice Box' to give away 2 pairs of tickets to see Garage virtuoso Wookie at the Westbury on Friday 4th November!

All you need to do to enter is answer this simple question:

In what year did Wookie's infamous 'Battle' chart at number 9 in the UK top 40?

Send your answers over to tfraze@live.com along with your name and contact details and you could get your hands on a pair of tickets! Closing date October 31st - the winners will be notified on November 1st. 

Good luck!
Wookie - Battle


'Juice Box' Preview:

"Friday 4th November sees seminal garage producer and mastermind behind club anthem ‘Battle’, Wookie, land at The Westbury in Kilburn for a headline set alongside key players within the scene, the resident Déjà vu FM DJs.

MOBO nominated “Best Producer” and “Ericsson “Best Newcomer” Award Winner Wookie (real name Jason Chue) is arguably the most talented producer to emerge from the UK underground music scene to date. Producing for Wayne Marshall, Dynamite MC, Doom Man, Soul II Soul, as figurehead of the UK garage scene and with a ridiculous number of club classics under his belt including his number 9 hit “Battle” and his underground sensation “Scrappy”, his is a story coming back to where it all began - the very roots of dance music…

Wookie has reproduced tracks for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Omarion, Amp Fiddler, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lily Allen, Jill Scott, Raul Midon, John Legend, Gabrielle, MJ Cole, Masters at Work, Nitin Sawhney, Brandy, Roni Size, Soul II Soul, Craig David, Texas, Angie Stone, Faithless, Sia, Sisco, DJ Zinc, John B, MC Dynamite and many many more… His unique sound and the high calibre of his productions have earnt him huge respect throughout the industry and make him one of the most sought after producers of our time."

Event Information:

JUICE BOX PRESENTS WOOKIE
8pm – 3am
04/11/11

£4 advance tickets available via https://thewestbury.ticketabc.com/events/wookie/

The Westbury, 34 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 5UA www.westburybar.com

Tuesday 4 October 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: 'THE' NEST PRESENTS


Yet another intriguing night at The Nest beckons as Uncle Albert found out after discovering this in his inbox:

"Friday 14th October welcomes the sounds of funky and grime to The Nest’s basement dancefloor. With a seven strong line-up of producers and DJs intent on maintaining the underground spirit of British bass music, The Nest presents welcomes grime forefather, Boy Better Know member and regular Rinse FM host, Jammer to headline proceedings. With various projects under his belt, including curating the return of grime’s Lord of The Mics MC clash and working towards a second solo album, Jammer’s unique flows bring an old school feel to 2011’s current grime output.   

At a time where eclecticism is celebrated and that ‘what do you call it?’ electronic sound is changing the fundamental rules of dance music, Mumdance is the guy paving the way for the scene’s ‘cross-breeding’ culture. As a DJ he’s just as much at home playing a Dirty Canvas grime rave as he is a nu-disco set at a Bugged Out! party, and as a producer he’s collaborated with the likes of Canblaster, Jammer, Brodinski, Drums of Death and Esser. He’s known for bringing both captivating energy and high-jinx to his sets (especially when Jammer’s on the mic) so he’s sure to have our basement brickwork rumbling on 14th.

Since Funkystepz’s ‘Fuller’ release on Kode 9’s Hyperdub imprint, the crew’s loop-based strain of underground house seems to have brought a revival to the UK Funky crop. Their beats are hard, their sets are uncompromisingly dance floor focused and the end of the year is looking neon bright for the London based outfit. Joined by Vectra, who’s daytime Rinse FM slot champions the best in vocalled grime and contemporary instrumentals, the bill is already shaping up to be a rave of cataclysmic proportions.

With Don’t Watch That TV’s Motive, Blackfoot Phoenix’s Skinny Macho and our longstanding club resident, Budakan also on board, we’re kicking off The Nest’s second year as we mean to go on."

Details:

The Nest Presents Jammer, Mumdance, Funkystepz & Vectra // Friday 14th October 

Free Before 10 / £5 after (ID required)

Don't forget to check out Uncle Albert's exclusive interview with Mumdance toohttp://unclealbertsays.blogspot.com/2011/02/011-mumdance.html