Thursday 29 November 2012

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: DJ EZ



In my latest piece for Clash Music, I was fortunate enough to catch up with pioneering UK Garage legend DJ EZ on his 20 years in music and a planned return to the studio in 2013.

Read the piece in full over at Clash: http://www.clashmusic.com/features/garage-flower-dj-ez

Wednesday 28 November 2012

COMPETITION: WIN TICKETS TO GIRLS MUSIC WAREHOUSE PARTY



Top selecta Toddla T is hosting a Girls Music warehouse party this Friday at the Bussey building in Peckham and we're giving away a pair of tickets (for you and a friend)  - for a chance to win just email info@basslaced.com with the name of the site you found out about the competition (Uncle Albert) from in the subject header. Good luck! 

The line-up features label head Toddla T himself plus exclusive sets from The 2 Bears, Roses Gabor & Martelo plus rising star Walter Ego, who himself recently announced he will be releasing a two-track vinyl on my Coyote Records imprint in the new year. Paul Woolford will headline Church's room.


Sunday 25 November 2012

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: PEDRO 123 - SWAP NUMBERS



Following on from his debut release on Get Some earlier this month, rising star Pedro 123 is back with his latest outing on French imprint B Yrself. The 'Swap Numbers' EP is a ruffneck 4-tracker that, in similar vain to 'Slush', seamlessly joins the dots between the old and new sounds of inner city London. 

Title track Swap Numbers is a great example, blending the classic rhythms and chopped vocals of old school garage with a series of glorious little bass-laden interludes whilst on 'Touch Me', he looks to grime for inspiration; listen out for eski influence in abundance and some great synth work in particular. 'Coolant VIP' on the other hand lands somewhere in between the endlessly blurring funky / garage / grime hybrid to create a really smooth, club-ready joint. Proceedings are rounded off by a bold, jumped up rework of Swap Numbers by French beatsmith Kon. Highly recommended. 

Swap Numbers is out now on B Yrslf & available from all good online outlets.



Thursday 22 November 2012

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: SLIT JOCKEY PRESENT 'CHOICE CUTS 2'



Hot off the back of the release of Mr Mitch's excellent 'Mind Machine' EP earlier this month, US label Slit Jockey are back with 'Choice Cuts 2', the second volume of their compilation series. Featuring tracks from label boss Dev 79, Starkey, fellow stateside talent Kozee and producers closer to home in the shape of Moony, J-Beatz and Sheffield's DS1, Choice Cuts is a great snapshot of grime both here and across the pond. Look out for Starkey's 'DPMO' featuring Trim (previously only available on 12'') in particular. Great work. 

Choice Cuts 2 is available to purchase as a compilation / individual tracks from all good online outlets.


Tuesday 20 November 2012

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: RUFF SQWAD - WHITE LABEL CLASSICS



I was lucky enough to meet up with Magic at No Hats No Hoods last week to discuss the forthcoming Ruff Sqwad 'White Label Classics' compilation, a CD that chronicles the incredible talents of the East London collective and with it, a vital part of grime's fragmented past. 

Read the piece over at Sonic Router here: http://www.sonicrouter.com/2012/11/they-just-had-fun-with-it/

Sunday 11 November 2012

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: SR X UA MIX 014 - TRC



The 14th mix in our collaborative mix series with Sonic Router comes from Butterz alumni TRC. I managed to catch up with him briefly too to get his thoughts on grime, bassline and a relatively quiet 2012.

Saturday 10 November 2012

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: PEDRO 123 - SLUSH EP



Pedro 123 is a name I've followed closely over the past year, albeit initially for his flair for mixing grime, but as time has progressed, remix work for the likes of Trim, fellow Get Some affiliate MIK and more recently, Lakosa & iO has seen his production skills really come into their own. His debut release on Get Some's label arm, 'Slush', is the perfect testament to how his sound has developed and in my eyes, casts him in the same company as fellow grime-leaning, exploratory young producers like Visionist, Wen and Bloom.

The EP itself consists of 3 tracks; Slush, Jetpack Joyride and a remix of the former from UTTU's promising young beatsmith Checan. Title-track Slush is led by a chorus of eski-style synths, crashing kicks and timely sub bass, all of which bear the hallmark of a producer willing to take grime's iconic sounds in new and different directions in back to the future-esque style. B-Side Jetpack Joyride is a further example of this, although this time a little more fast-paced and garage-leaning in it's approach, again giving it a welcome nostalgic quality. Checan's tasteful remix of 'Slush' rounds off the EP in style with 4x4 swagger by the bucket load; heavy drums, chopped vocals and some exceptional re-worked synths. All 3 tracks come highly recommended. 

Pedro 123's Slush EP is out on November 12th, both on 12'' vinyl and digital.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: LIFE AT 140 #3



In my third 'Life at 140' column for Clash Music, I talk Lord of the Mics 4, new EPs from J Beatz, P Jam and Faze Miyake and look ahead to the fourth installment of Butterz x Hardrive at Cable on November 10th.

Read in full over at Clash here: http://www.clashmusic.com/features/life-at-140-3

Saturday 3 November 2012

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: HODGE - DUSTED EP



Alongside fellow Bristolian Artifact, Hodge is one of the city's most revered up-and-coming new producers and his forthcoming release on Deadplate is a testament to his undoubted potential. Dark, weighty and in places reminiscent of some of Pinch's early work, the 'Dusted' EP is comprised of three tracks; Tonda, Dusted and Turmoil, the latter of which also features a remix from Kowton. 

Tonda is a wonderfully stylish cut, blending the dark, primitive sounds of early Dubstep with up-tempo contemporary techno beats. Title-track Dusted on the other hand is less cluttered but equally as impressive; the same deep and dark undertones that are becoming something of a Hodge hallmark resonate throughout. Turmoil is far lighter in it's approach until we're greeted with another dose of deep, dark bass which underpins the edgy, dancefloor-ready tones of it's introduction with real verve. Kowton's techno-edged remix is a welcome addition too. All in all, a cracking effort.

'Dusted' will be released on November 26th on 12'' vinyl and digitally via Deadplate Records.