Off the recent Step in Shadows EP (YT043) Look at Stars is an absolute killer of a track which embodies all of SBTRKT's achievements up to now and, at the same time, paves the way for music to come in 2011. Collaborating once again with London based artist Sampha, the smooth vocal rolls throughout the track as a perfect accompaniment to the sexy house rhythm. If you like this, check out the more lively Break Off from another of SBTRKT's recent releases also featuring Sampha.
Monday, 24 January 2011
JETHRO SLEAZE - SLZ 01
It's 2011 and our boy Jethro Sleaze has officially switched it up with his brand new mix, SLZ 01. Rising from murky New Cross South London, he's put together the perfect 45 minutes of sexy old school porn and horror soundtracks, cut up with the sleaziest of clips, soundbites and sexy synths. Looks good on paper and sounds even better. This mix is full of tongue-in-cheek evil humour- the Liz Hurley from Bedazzled kind of evil and has one of the most badass intro's to a mix i've heard in a while. It's recently enjoyed airplay on the Playedio Sessions and with Jethro starting to spread the sleazy vibes across venues in London, you can't miss this one. Stick this mix on if your feeling to get cheeky with the special one or even if you're stuck washing up, either way it's definitely the one to lift the mood.
And remember... "if these kinds of scenes and films would offend you, then we would urge you not to purchase a ticket to Jethro Sleaze Emporium."
This is a blinding track from the highly capable producer, Kelpe. He has released an avalanche of material over the past year, including his album entitled 'Cambio Wechsel.'
His music is made up of diversely picked sounds that are smoothly bound together. The result, is a reaaal rich sound. This track is the one for me that explains it best, good one for those drowsy mornings. It's taken from the 'Margins' EP, released on Black Acre Records.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Dead Red Sun - Facility
Majority of our posts are based on electronic sounds but friends of S • W • C, Dead Red Sun have just finished mastering their track Facility that is definitely worth a mention.
DRS hail from sunny New Cross, South London and have been tearing up parties, gigs and kitchens since last year. The three piece featuring Tom Murphy (drums) Ollie Bremner (bass) and Mike Guppy (guitar) has been carefully developing their math/post rock sounds that traverse different influences and genres. Their intense atmospheric live sets have been powering through various venues throughout London and with the latest release from their upcoming E.P. it’s all got very exciting. They have no vocalist, which makes their live shows all the more raw, highlighting the immense thought gone into building their instrumentals. The last time i caught them was at the Playedio vs Filth night last year and it was massive, with the band set up in the middle of the room surrounded by the crowd. That amount of exposure only fueled their energy. The recording, mastered by Dave Powell from Coach Road Studios has a super cathartic climax that is even better experienced in the flesh and we can't wait to see these bad boy extraordinaires again. Check the cheeky teaser-
They've also been super nice and released the full track for free download HERE. We'll be giving you a shout when they release their E.P. and no doubt will be putting in only the fattest GoldenEye N64 session while playing it. Don't forget to check out the details of all their latest shows on their Myspace, which includes a remix to Silo, titled Silo Waltz by our boy Phanes, featuring a beautiful marriage of two distinct sounds. And it does go off, both at their live shows and in the dance. More details of Phanes to come real soon.
Dead Red Sun's Murphy and Phanes are also continuing their collaboration as the newest addition to the Playedio roster- catch them on the Late Night Jazz Sessions every Monday, 10pm-12am.
The above pictures the four members of C.R.S.T in multicoloured glory, fresh out of South Wales. This quartet have caught my attention in prior months due to their releases on brighton's Well Rounded Records (WRND006) and No Hats No Hoods (NHNH013); their sound a Power Rangers style megatron of garage, 2-step and house that makes you want to move in several directions at the same time. I don't know if this admiration is steming from my becoming 'house-curious' to quote our man Deepo, but the snappy snares and early 90s female vocals appeal to me in a completely different way to recent productions such as that of Pearson Sound aka Ramadanman which are in the same vein...
and in this way, standalone from most recent releases. It appears as if, especially in London, house is making its way back into mainstream dance music for the masses as dubstep takes a back seat. Take, for example, the appearance of UK Funky pioneer Roska at this years Metropolis at the Warehouse Project, Manchester. Although the line ups of this popular club night in the first 12 weeks of every school year aren't exactly a showcase of credible, let alone tasteful, bass-led music, it does go to show who it's necessary to book in modernity in order to bring in the crowd when you compare this booking to that of Metropolis at the same venue a year before. While this post has already gone deeper than expected, there's still much of the rabbit still to be explored and it'll certainly be interesting to see what shape line ups will take in 2011. Remember to check out C.R.S.T and, if you get the opportunity to catch them live I suggest you do so. I'll leave you with this classic from 1993 to get your teeth in to and bare it and others of its kind in mind as the year progresses.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
S • W • C's brother Geo Siorvanes a.k.a Phanes showed us 'Scuba - Before (Deadboy Remix)' the other day, which definitely needed to be shared for your wonderful ears. Hotflush head honcho Scuba has released 'Interpretations' from his mighty Triangulation L.P. with Joe, Falty DL and Deadboy amongst the producers that had a hand in tinkering and rewiring selected tracks. The original 'Before' tune runs at 170bpm and Deadboy switches it up, hitting it with his future garage vibes. Less RnB influenced this time in the vocals but his pitch-shifting powers are interlaced with the ambient synths from the original, chopped up and injected with a fresh almost rattling drumbeat and heavy bass. Big tune - will be listening out for this one in the dance.
Talking of Scuba- who's label has put out releases from Joy Orbison, Untold and Mount Kimbie, I remembered the 'Fever Ray - When I Grow Up (Scuba's Straight Down Mix)' and dug it out of the fiery depths of Youtube for your listening pleasure. Caught Fever Ray (one half of The Knife) at Bestival this year who is definitely worth listening to and Scuba seems to have captured the atmospheric intentions of the original track, mixing in a big bass laden beat and liquidy effects that leans towards a deep house sound. Watching Fever Ray live sounded like she was on a complete different plane and the remix sounds like it does the same, like the music is coming from the same room but the vocals from elsewhere. Which is nice. There's a 'Scuba's High Up Mix' that's a bit more house oriented with a similar beat, laced with a choppy piano melody floating about on the internet but only released with other remixes on shiny CDs. Ch-check it out.
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Roska - Squark
As Roska continues to innovate in his productions and merge the lines between UK Funky, Garage and 2-Step productions such as Squark present themself as a bench mark for those sort of tunes that make you go mental in the dance. Why? Is the question. Squark's mixed pitch whistle sounds create a carnival vibe which, alongside the big kick drums and snappy snares, make a perfect sound track to get down to. Have a listen and try not to walk around squarking at stuff for the rest of the day. If you're liking what you're hearing, check out the Session this Wednesday (24/11/10) for DJs (Pass) and CLOUDHUNTER who'll be playing tunes in the same vein and much more.
GILES
The day Ian Gillespy aka Giles left Manchester was a sad day for all, with several years of DJ and production experience amassed in the city Ian's built up quite a reputation in the drum and bass and dubstep community. As well as smashing dance floors at internationally acclaimed events such as Religion, Pangaea and Hit n Run, Giles co-runs the University of Manchester Drum n Bass society which provides a safe haven for Drum n Bass heads from all Manchester based universities. In conjunction with UMDNB Giles also put on Elements - a weekly drum n bass night showcasing up and coming local DJs and supporting the local scene from the roots.
Ian's productions have come leaps and bounds since I first heard his tunes. Starting off in drum n bass, Giles has progressed through dubstep to future garage and continues to push the boundaries of genres to create tastefully deep sounds which leave you anticipating his next upload. Giles's influences include some real hard-hitters, ranging from High Contrast, London Elektricity, Random Movement, Marky, Bcee and Lomax, The Upbeats, Cern, Break, State of Mind, to MJ Cole, Joy Orbison, Burial and Submerse.
From his home in Cardiff Ian continues to make big beats and play out whenever possible so unfortunately you won't be hearing him in Manchester any time soon. Make sure you check out his soundcloud for updates and if you're interested what Giles is like in action you can download his mix for S • W • C Sessions HERE.
Been a fan of Jamie Woon for a few years after finding out he's part of the One Taste Collective which is full of singers, spoken word poets and musicians. Jamie Woon adds his soulful vibes to the eclectic group and he's released 'Night Air', which is co-produced by the elusive Burial. So elusive, i only just found out he even put his touch on the track- adding a slightly different and interesting style, the vocals are untouched but the minimal and smooth percussion is still all there. You might also recognise Woon's track 'Wayfaring Stranger' that was remixed by Burial a while ago so a collab was definitely needed by the two artists. Woon's vocals don't sound forced and it's super refreshing to hear a singer that's fully understated and doesn't lean towards that pristine manufactured hype. Not really one for the dance but a track i'd be playing at home with my cotch pants on.
Equally as exciting is that Ramadanman did the flip and has a play with the vocals and bass frequencies. You can hear his established 808-style beats on it as well as his unconventional dubstep sounds, which fits perfectly alongside the original. Ramadanman- soon to be called Pearson Sound, has been killing it recently so it's definitely worth a listen.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Falty DL - My Friends Will Always Say
New York City's Falty DL continues to astound me every time I hear his most recent release and this tune is no exception. By blending many elements of the old school garage we all know and love with future bass synonymous with the Planet Mu label My Friends Will Always Say was born, a classic upon release and a banger in any set. With a wide range of remixes in different genres the artist displays his dynamic ability to adapt to any sound, definitely one to catch in the dance if you get the chance.
FORTUNE
James Montrose aka Fortune is a Manchester based artist and the co-owner of promotion collective Foundation. His beats stand-alone as a fresh and forward thinking form of drum & bass, in the same vein as artists such as dBridge and Alix Perez. Fortune's dubstep follows in a similar style, providing a fine example of the garage-based 140bpm sound done so well by north-westeners. The events put on by Jim and partner BOOKS have also made waves in the local scene, playing host to massive artists such as Icicle and Loxy and bringing some deep rolling high grade bass sounds to packed out crowds. We'll be having Fortune along soon on the S • W • C Sessions so stay locked in for what's set to be one of the many highlights we endeavor to bring you every week.
Found some words from Loefah, all the way back from 2005 on XLR8R. Loving his thoughts on these classics from the time- Digital Mystikz - Haunted This track is by Coki (one-half of Digital Mystikz), which-to those in the know-means that you best steady yourself for the sonic onslaught that will inevitably ensue. It opens with an ugly percussive-sounding synth which filters down into nothingness before a wall of sound explodes. In my experience, it‘s never got past eight bars before someone presses the button to reload.
Skream - I "I" is for incredible. Incredible bass, incredible beats, incredible melodies, incredible energy. A pad that lies somewhere between Blade Runner and Friday The Thirteenth builds a perpetual tension, coupled with a clockwork yet sparse rhythm that keeps the track‘s momentum upbeat.
Digital Mystikz - Neverland "Neverland" has been around on dub for over a year now and, if you‘re lucky enough to have a copy, is a standard in any dubstep set. It‘s got 808 beats, layered strings, percussion, and a bassoon-like sound provides the hook. It captures the same ambient dreaminess as LTJ Bukem‘s classic "Music."
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
This is an interesting mix sent in by a pair of upcoming DJ's from North London - EFRAFA. This collaboration sees friends of S • W • C (Pass) and CLOUDHUNTER team up to provide something quite special in this hour long mix, showcasing loads of tunes which you'll have been running round dancefloors asking 'what's this tune called?' recently and which are, in their own right, awesome. Alongside these contemporary bangers, EFRAFA include some proper classics which give the feeling that you're being taken on a journey through Dubstep past and future as soon as you press play.
Justin Timberlake - My Love (Instrumental) Martyn - Mega Drive Generation FIS-T - Night Hunter DVA & Fatima - Just Vybe (Soul:Power Mix) Machinedrum - Mean Mean Breach - Fatherless SBTRKT - The Unspoken Neat - Lime and Sugar So Solid Crew - Oh No (Sentimental Things) Ramadanman - Glut Skream - Midnight Request Line Magnetic Man - Fire (Ft. Ms Dynamite) Mala - Level Nine The Bug - Ganja Guido - Mad Sax Kryptic Minds - 768 Silkie - Wind Tunnel Gemmy - 1987 Bounce Silkie - 80's Baby Kryptic Minds - One of Us Lauren Pritchard - Stuck (Guido Remix) TRG - Broken Heart (Martyn's DCM Remix) Zomby - Spliff Dub (Rustie remix) Ikonika - Sahara Michael 2562 - Enforcers Pariah - Orpheus Burial - Unite Kingdom - Seven Chirp Hackman - More Than Ever Kosheen - Catch Joe - Claptrap Girl Unit - IRL Lone - Once In a Whil
Monday, 25 October 2010
The productions of local artist Phil Keary rank as some of the best I've heard to come out of Manchester in my time here. Not confined to one genre, West Un Dubs produces a variety of Dubstep, Drum n Bass, Jungle and Garage music, all tactfully compiled on Reason with a style that suits all ears. We featured the track 'It's Over' on last Wednesday's show as part of our up and coming music feature and hopefully we'll have more exclusives from Phil in the future. You can check out more from the links below; subscribe or add West Un Dubs as a friend to keep updated with dubs fresh off the press.
Heard Pyrex play this tune last night at Heavy Rain and it's been stuck in my head all day. Don't know how i missed this tasty little jazzy one! Lenzman's had releases on Shogun and Metalheadz so check out his Soundcloud if you're feeling some Calibre and Marcus Intalex influences. You'll also be able to find the tune as part of the wonderful mix that Giles, Pyrex & Anon did for S • W • C recently. You can still download it from HERE. There's a tracklist and everything, aren't we kind.
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Brackles - Get A Job/Lizards
Brackles's trademark, clangy drums and videogame melodies were never put to better use than on Get A Job. It's got weighty drums, a massive second drop and it'll mix with anything. Lizards takes the wonky mids to the forefront of the tune and has more straightforward drums and again, a big second drop, which is actually pretty much identical to Get A Job, but that's OK, because they're both ace.
Friday, 15 October 2010
DOOM on Wednesday was epic as expected but it's important not to forget about the other acts that preceeded the hip-hop legend. The night was set in the main room with no music in the second, meaning a lot of hombres crammed in to one place waiting for one person at the end of the line up. This, I imagine, meant a hard choice for the promoters in picking artists to entertain the masses. With the first hour taken care of by Manchester future music specialists hoya:hoya and experimental hip-hop artist Dels the floor filled up quickly with nodding heads. Next came one of the acts of the evening for me - the knob twiddling and button pushing Illum Sphere who, accompanied by next-level visuals, set the mood perfectly for the evening. The other highlight of the evening followed in the form of Lucky Me'sHudson Mohawke. Wasn't sure what to think at first when the producer graced the stage with no headphones in sight, but aided by a space-age laptop he smashed it regardless. Lastly on the list of pre-DOOM artists came remix master and vinyl vanguard Jamie XX who, although lacking the crowd moverability of Hud Mo, took it down a notch for the star of the show to bring it back up again. All round an incredible night and one of the most refreshing line-up's on WHP's roster this year.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Kitsch
This week we're going to tell you a little bit about our man Kitsch in our weekly focus on an up and coming artist. Kitsch, or Rob to his mother, hails from Chiswell Green in St. Albans, just down the road from a Ferrari garage and minutes away from junction 21 of the M25. The man has been in various bands and musical projects since I met him around 10 years ago and continues to be more involved in making music than ever as he embarks upon the solo electronic musical project that is Kitsch.
Rob's productions are unique in their sound as he blends melodic chord progressions with subtle percussion. For example in 'Hornblower' where this effect is used to create a tune which, despite its verging on peaceful introduction, develops into something quite deep and soulful. The use of percussion in Kitsch's tunes is in fact one of the most interesting elements, with dynamic and very different uses apparent in the majority of tracks displaying a wide versatility of ability. When listening to 'Rum' the drum rolls create something of an early Joker-esque sexual sound, where in 'Afflatus' the mood changes completely as the drums are arranged to create a near beat-down effect sat suitably beneath epic synths, proving a perfect build up to the heavy second drop. The collaboration with Kluso in 'For All People' provides a great showcase of what Rob can really do and is certainly one of most interesting tracks to date. As I'm sure you heard on the Summer Sessions Kitsch is set out for big things, not only producing innovative electronic music at a 140 tempo but playing out a variety of dubstep, drum n bass and house music. S • W • C recommend you check out what Rob's got to offer by visiting his soundcloud and staying tuned to the sessions each week for more up and coming new music.
