Monday 28 November 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: MERKY ACE PRESENTS 'CATCH UP'


Following on from the success of debut mixtape 'Blue Battlefield' earlier this year, Family Tree's Merky Ace is back with 'Catch Up', a 10 track EP set for release on December 12th. Featuring some excellent production from fellow FT members Faze Miyake and Splurt  alongside True Tiger's Sukh Knight, Flava D and Ipswich's Neon Beats, 'Catch Up' is further evidence of Merky's transition from promising emcee to dominant voice of an increasingly competitive scene. Numerous radio appearances throughout the year, particularly one memorable slot on Logan Sama's 'After Hours' segment in July, have also all but confirmed him as 2011's most consistent emcee. Uncle Albert recommends 'Everytime' and '1 Spliff' in particular although 'Catch Up' is a solid offering throughout. 

You can preview the EP via YouTube:


& then download via ITunes and Amazon as of 12/12/2011.


Tracklist:

1. Catch Up (Prod. Faze Miyake)

2. Everytime (Prod. Flava D)

3. 1 Spliff (Prod. Sukh Knight)

4. Grime Scene Undertaker (Prod. Flava D)

5. Think You Know Me (Prod. Relentless)

6. Aim & Bang (Prod. The Killa Omen)

7. Lead feat. Ego (Prod. Splurt Diablo)

8. £200 (Prod. Splurt Diablo)

9. Easy (Prod. Neon Beats)

10. War feat. M.I.K (Prod. Splurt Diablo)

Details:



Sunday 27 November 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: HYPERCOLOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY


For those of you who aren't content to celebrate Christmas with a box of mince pies, seasonal knitwear and 'Wallace and Gromit' repeats, a whole host of exciting bass-driven Christmas parties await. Uncle Albert recommends getting down to The Nest in Dalston on Friday 9th December to join in the festivities at the 'Hypercolour' Christmas party. It'll be headlined by Deep Teknologi's T Williams, who is set to throw in a few yuletide grime, garage and funky harkbacks alongside the deep, punchy house both he and the Hypercolour imprint have become synonymous with. Support on the night will come from Alex Jones, Cedric Maison and Ste Roberts and entry is a mere £6 all night.

Check this grime gem out - contrary to popular opinion, 'Invasion' was produced by T Williams and with gentle convincing, might get a spin at The Nest!


Details:

T Williams on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/hypercolour


Sunday 20 November 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUCEMENT: DJ CABLE '3 AM' MIX


Despite running exciting new imprint 'Triangulum', performing alongside Yasmin at events all over the UK and maintaining a residency with Sub FM, DJ Cable still finds the time to put excellent mixes together at 3 in the morning just for our listening pleasure. To honour the winning combination of generosity and imsonia, Uncle Albert thought he'd share the latest of his efforts, a concise 20 minute offering of everything current and wonderful in UK bass. Enjoy! 



Details:


DJ Cable on Blogspot: http://djcable.blogspot.com/

Triangulum Recordings: http://triangulumrecordings.com/

Saturday 19 November 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: UNCLE ALBERT X SONIC ROUTER X SPLURT


The second in the series of Uncle Albert x Sonic Router mixes sees Family Tree's Splurt serve up an exclusive 30 minute mix of some of his favourite instrumentals. You can check out the write up alongside a brief Q & A with the man himself over at Sonic Router here: http://www.sonicrouter.com/2011/11/splurt-diablo-sonic-router-x-uncle-albert-mix/

Details:


...and don't forget to keep your eye out for Splurt on Faze Miyake's 'Woofer Music' imprint over the coming months.

Thursday 10 November 2011

REVIEWS #006: SPOOKY - 'RUSTY BELL' EP


With current musical trends leaving even the most stringent of genre boundaries effectively confined to the past, the archetypal 'grime sound' is arguably something producers no longer feel the need to adhere to and in a world where experimentation is key and previously unimaginable collaborations are becoming an everyday reality, those loyal to its confines remain few and far between. This is not to say those few do not prosper however; with respect to grime, you need look no further than Spooky.

The unprecedented underground success of  his 'Spartan' instrumental late last year effectively re-invented the previously ailing 8-bar sound and paved the way for the likes of Faze Miyake and Splurt to have such a profound impact on the scene in 2011, restoring faith in not only the art of the producer but the genre itself. In that time, a series of impressive remixes, 'A Bag of Myths' volumes 1 & 2, guest mixes on BBC 1xtra and Rinse Fm and countless radio shows on his beloved 'Deja Vu' have all followed. The only thing left to conquer? A label. 

November 21st will see the 'Rusty Bell' EP become the debut release on Spooky's 'Ghost House' imprint and as with almost everything he has been involved in this year, it does not disappoint. Title-track 'Rusty Bell' is, as typical of Spooky, invariably a 4-minute long musical embodiment of the genre with a series of crashing bass lines echoing 'Pulse X' whilst J-Sweet's excellent remix is arguably the stand out track of the EP. Not overly reworked, a series of samples and a heavyweight bass drop add a whole new dimension to its original counterpart. 

Also included is Mosca's exceptional dub refix of 'Spartan' which has been in high-demand since being uploaded to his Soundcloud back in April; huge reverb, excellent sampling and a deep but mellow bass line provide an ingenious take on the original and final track 'Snake Charmer' rounds off the EP in memorable fashion; a series of hypnotic, alternating bass lines are suitably complimented by deft, authentic sampling, which work together to leave you feeling more than a little bit spaced out. 

All in all, the 'Rusty Bell' EP can be considered a genuinely superb debut offering and one that should provide a solid platform for further releases on the 'Ghost House' imprint. 

You can preview the EP via Spooky's Soundcloud here: http://soundcloud.com/spookybizzle/gh-001-spooky-rusty-bell-ep

Details:


Everything else Spooky, including radio sets and free track giveaways: http://spookybizzle.com/

Monday 7 November 2011

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: MOONY PRESENTS 'I'M A UK G' VIA GOBSTOPPER RECORDS


Following on from the launch of his excellent 'Beatfighter' site on November 1st, Mr Mitch has readied the third release from his promising 'Gobstopper Records' imprint. In contrast to Deset's superb, hard-hitting 'Virus' EP which dropped on the label back in August, Gobstopper's third offering comes courtesy of Nasty FM's Moony. 'I'm a UK G' is comprised of 3 tracks, each of which explore a different side to the emerging sounds of UK Bass. Title track 'I'm a UK G' has its roots in old school garage and 2-step but intelligent use of sub-bass brings the track firmly into 2011, whilst sample-laden 'Distant Clubber' sounds a little like an ingenious 140 edit of Kanye West's 'Slow Jamz'. Final track 'Waiting' is a more subdued affair although the initial bass drop is quite unexpected; think Jamie Woon meets Darq E Freaker. The 3 tracks come together to form a well-rounded, versatile offering that fits the label's outlook perfectly. A sterling effort.

Moony's 'I'm a UK G' EP is set for release on Friday 2nd December and will be available for digital download from all the usual outlets.

You can preview the EP on Soundcloud here: http://soundcloud.com/gobstopper-records/moony-im-a-uk-g-gob003

Details:



Moony Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/moony

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: MUMDANCE LAUNCHES 'DIFFERENT CIRCLES' PODCAST


After first launching his 'Different Circles' night back in April, UK Bass stalwart Mumdance is back with the first in a series of 'Different Circles' podcasts, a personal, no holds barred take on music across a whole host of genres. The concept is typical of Mumdance's eclectic tastes although he ensures us that his focus is on quality rather than 'banging out a load of half rate mixes':

"Different Circles is my new podcast series. There is no set format and no set music policy. The whole point of the podcast is to play good music from a whole range of genres, while keeping it coherent. I'm aiming to do at least once a month, hopefully more, but I want to focus on quality rather than bang out a load of half rate mixes. It might even morph into a radio show style format over time, but for the moment it is all about the music."

Uncle Albert thoroughly enjoyed listening.
You can listen to the first in the series, 'Level One' via Mumdance's soundcloud here: http://soundcloud.com/mumdance/different-circles-level-one

Tuesday 1 November 2011

#034 PREDITAH


2011 has been a remarkable year for instrumental grime and one that has seen those involved make huge strides in their efforts to boost the profile of one of the UK's most exciting emerging genres. At the forefront of the resurgence has been Birmingham's Preditah, whose music has captured the imagination of both listeners and fellow producers alike right across the electronic music spectrum. A relative unknown at the turn of the year, the release of his excellent debut EP 'Solitaire' back in April catapulted him into the spotlight, with follow up project 'Eightsome' solidifying his position at the top of the grime pile. With lots in the pipeline, I was lucky enough to catch up with him on everything from playing the guitar to the story behind the now infamous 'PRE-DI-TAH' sample:

"There's a lot to say really but to sum up, this year's definitely been about exposure. I haven't actually done anything major or different to what I used to do, it's just been a case of more and more people hearing my music. I've done a few remixes and released the two EPs, 'Solitaire' and 'Eightsome' which I enjoyed. I always said I'd only release an EP when there was enough demand for my music so it felt like the right time to put them out. Now they're done, I've got quite a few lined up for release next year now!"

Although citing Church as one of his most prominent musical influences, it was learning to play the guitar that first opened his eyes to the world of music:

"I grew up in Church so I was always hearing Gospel music but it was when my Nan bought my a guitar for my birthday that I really started to get into it. I taught myself how to play and through learning how to tune it, I discovered programs like 'Cubase' and 'Reason'. Back then, it was more about just giving it a go because I found it interesting but I guess its been a case of natural progression since then really. I'm still learning things about beat-making now to be honest but because of my musical background, I consider myself more of a musician if you know what i mean?"
Preditah describes his sound as 'fun' and 'catchy' and acknowledges the role his excellent 'PRE-DI-TAH' and 'Woah' samples play in the success of his instrumentals:

"My sound is fun and catchy - I can make complicated stuff quite easily but I choose to make tunes that I know will work. The soundbites are part of that - I know people respond well to them so I'll add them where I see fit. They all came about years ago - a friend of mine did an intro for me back in the day and I just sampled the 'Preditah' bit and that was it. I've always used it to identify my beats since I was about 13 and to be honest, I can't recall any other producers who have used something like that consistently which kinda sets me apart."
Despite being held in such high regard by fellow artists up and down the UK, he admits to still finding his whirlwind success 'a bit weird' but credits JME with playing a key role in winning such widespread recognition:

"I think JME co-signing me on Twitter played a big part in it because since then, I've had the scene coming to me asking for tunes really! My manager Jamie Dred also played a key role and made sure I was talking to the right people and that - I've actually had to say no to a few guys but its all worked out pretty well so far. Its a bit weird because I didn't think I'd be here now - I always believed I'd make it in music one day but when it does come your way it is hard to take in. I've had interest from labels but I'm trying to stay humble and focusing on making as much good music I can. I was really happy to produce Roll Deep's latest single 'No MC'  thought - that was honestly mad!  Looking back, it has been a good year but I'm hoping for a better one next year - I mean I've done remixes with Marger, Frisco and Trim which were all sick to work on but I really wanna take it to a new level next year."


With S-X before him and now the 'Stay Fresh' collective currently enjoying nationwide success, Preditah believes hailing from Birmingham has allowed him to develop his sound with minimal fuss:

"Being from Birmingham hasn't really hindered me in any way - its a second so lots of people tend to copy what they hear in London or in the US but I've just kept myself to myself and done my own thing. I've followed the grime scene for years and just focused on making tunes really. I guess it is the first time I've really had such success but that's no slant on Birmingham - i think I've actually opened the door to the city in a way. Teaming up with Stay Fresh has been cool too - they're all from Wolverhampton and Jamie Dred manages us both so that was always gonna be a natural thing. I didn't know much about them last year but via Twitter and that, we've got together in the studio and its gone from there."
...And in perfect testament to that development, Preditah's highly anticipated 'Eightsome' EP was released on Logan Sama's 'Earth 616' imprint in October to unanimous acclaim:

"It was a very calculated release - I worked on everything people were hyping about at the moment and it all came together nicely. Most of all though, I wanted the EP to show my versatility as a producer - each track has a different vibe you know? 'Nosy Parker' and 'Gargoyle' are hype tunes where as 'The One' is a lot more chilled out and even 'Big Mikee' is dark but less in your face - you can see I've used all sorts of beat patterns and really tried to mix it up. Its good to see that everyone who's bought it and given me feedback so far has really liked at least one tune as well. Its a bit weird because no one seems to like the same track either - one person will like 'Nosy Parker' but then the next person will be like 'Ahhh nah 'Hectic' is sick!"


Alongside his work in the studio, Preditah is also an excellent deejay, something he considers very important in an increasingly competitive scene:

"Deejaying is something you just have to learn to do - i always say that if you make music, you should know how to play it out too. I've been deejaying for about 5 years now and I really enjoy playing at venues all over the country, its good fun. At the minute, my whole selection seems to be 'Preditah' though, just because the demand for it is there. I've got a few specials and VIPs that I save just for the raves and seeing people's reactions is priceless, I love it. I'm looking forward to hopefully doing a lot more of it next year."
Despite an incredible 2011, Preditah is targeting even more success next year and admits he's willing to branch out too:

"I'm a music composer by nature so me only doing grime instrumentals for the next 5 years just isn't gonna happen. I'll still be looking to keep the same flavour out there, doing the same sorta stuff but I wanna explore other genres too. I think with the buzz I've got at the moment, it'd make sense to experiment and show people what I'm really capable of. When you look at guys like S-X and how far they've come, the sky is hopefully the limit."

Details:



Buy the excellent 'Solitaire' and 'Eightsome' EPs via Juno here: http://www.junodownload.com/artists/Preditah/releases/

& Don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for Preditah's 'Circles' EP due for release on Earth 616 in November!