Tuesday 14 June 2011

New Starkey Music Video.

Starkey's music for some time now has regularly touched upon a running theme of space travel and science fiction.

With the matching of spaced out synths with cutting edge production styles in his music it all isn't surprising that his track titles and artwork have reflected the sounds in this way from time to time.

Most recently however this has come entirely to the forefront of what he does with two EPs coming out labelled as volumes of a project entitled "Space Traitor".

With the second of the two EPs (which was released for sale on Monday)comes a new music video that brings to life the themes of the music for all to see.

Personally I really can't stand the vocals on the track at all (especially the female part with it's cheesy lyrics), however I think instrumentally it's great and I have a lot of respect for him with regards to trying to add a visual element and strong theme to the music on these EPs. It's something I feel is missing from a lot of electronic music today. I mean with 12"s being released that are intended to be heard out in a club it doesn't (and shouldn't) remotely matter but in regards to albums I will say that I miss the imagery that would be conjured up from something like Yes' Relayer where music, lyrics and artwork would gel to create an album that works as a whole.

In fact I miss the art of the creation of an album as a single body of work regardless of this in general in most genres of music today really.

Anyway check the video



Also I'd recommend checking out the two EPs overall as they do have some tracks I like on them and watch out for anything else coming from Starkey soon. I saw him DJ on Friday and he's sitting on some really good tracks trust me.

This one being the one I want a release for the most
J-Sweet "Kerb (Starkey Remix)" - as played by Elijah & Skilliam by starkey

I mean that's just fucking sick right?

Monday 13 June 2011

Memphis Beats.

During the 90s there was a huge hip hop scene in Memphis that released mainly on cassette tapes which has now become fairly lost to those who weren't involved in the scene at the time. Due to the nature of the music nothing was particularly well documented and so finding much information about rappers and producers from this area and time period is difficult enough let alone trying to get copies of the actual tapes over here in England.

However there are people out there good enough to rip the tapes and upload them to various websites for download so if you're at all interested you can still hear this music (don't start banging on about piracy now, literally there is no way of being able to get yourself legit new copies of a lot of what came out back then so you aren't ripping really anyone off).

Anyway the reason I like to try to hear these old Memphis tapes is from time to time you get some really crazy beats being rapped over. I mean these really catch my ear as being something interesting.

So here are a few tracks that have made it to youtube that I really like and think really have some unique sounds to them.





Sunday 12 June 2011

Some records out today.

Just a quick post once again about some nice records that have just been released.

A-List - The A-List EP (Illicit Trade)

First up is a four track EP from a real good up and coming producer who goes by the name of A-List.

This really really is a very strong record that nicely spans a good wide area of the dubstep spectrum without sounding like it's trying too hard to do so just for the sake of it like it can occasionally happen with some producers (not going to name names here though)

The first track off the record with Subfiltronik for me is the highlight with it's completely wonked out bassline and swung sounding drums which bring on a real head nodding feel that you'd normally get off someone like Kromestar. It's just a straight up dancefloor tune that does it's job perfectly.

Second up is a track that brings a totally different style to the last. This time bringing lush synth melodies over a deep and warm sounding sub bass. The production just sounds so clear on this one but in a way that brings a real chilled atmosphere rather than sounding clinical like how can happen from time to time with this style of track.

The next track up is close to being up with the first as being my personal favourite off the EP. It brings a much darker sound on the first drop than the other two and really succeeds in being crushingly heavy. There's enough percussion to drive it forward but not so much as to crowd up the track allowing the huge but tightly controlled reverb and dark droning cyclic bass to give the track a real huge and sparse sound. However once we get to the second drop a whole new character is added to the sound. The bass moves into a more melodic line and a synth part with a real flute-ish characterist joins in suddenly making all the long delays on sounds and huge reverb tails move into a dub based context rather than the dark and sinister feel of before. It's an interesting development and one that as a DJ can be a real nice tool to use for movment within a set.

To finish of the EP A-List brings a heavily dub influenced track again bringing back the lush sounds of the second track but this time with a much more skippy and lively sound and more of a late night stoned at house party after a show vibe to it. Very nice stuff.

Here's some preview audio.



Cyrus - Looking Back/Soul Seeker (Chest Plate)

So it's time for another release from one of the few labels that I seem to bag every release on sight from and this one is going to be no different. Continuing on with Distance's intentions to expand the label into something more than just an outlet for his own productions we get two tracks from legendary producer Cyrus.

Looking back brings a slightly subdued but still dark and heavy vibe with some excellent drum programming and some recent Mala meets early Distance melodic parts over a nice thick low pass reece bass line.


Soul Seeker on the b-side is the track that really does it for me. It has a real feel of movement to it and brings a much more dark and intense vibe that is personally what I'm after in this particular style of dubstep.

Saturday 11 June 2011

Origin Audio 002

So yesterday (or technically the day before as it's past midnight now) the second record from the Origin Audio label was released.

This is the 12" of Tunnidge's remix of Truth's Puppets and one of his own original productions called Ghost Dance.

Honestly, I'll be amazed if there's anyone into dubstep who hasn't at some point heard either of the tracks from it. Both are just crushingly heavy and the Puppets remix has totally destroyed every dance floor I've seen it dropped at. It's a 12" that's gonna spend a long time in my record bag that's for sure

So really this post is kind of pointless as everyone who will like it probably knows about it and so really this is just to remind everyone to go buy it...

Here's some audio to check if you're not normally into this type of thing and haven't heard it yet.

TRUTH Puppet Master (TUNNIDGE Remix) by Tunnidge

TUNNIDGE Ghost Dance by Tunnidge

Thursday 9 June 2011

Favourite Sample Uses Part 1

I've decided that as a regular feature of this blog I'll just post up my favourite examples of sampling of any genre and why I rate them.

First up is J Dilla's Waves which is based largely around a sample of 10cc's Johnny Don't Do It

This track for me stands up so well for a number of reasons:

Firstly he's managed to take a track I would never think of using. It's super cheesy as far as I'm concerned and it's just from a band that personally I would never go for if I was to try make a beat like this.


Secondly it's just so far removed from the original. The way the sample has been used is so creative and the arrangement of the track in general is completely on point.

Last of all it's just very well produced as a track. The mixdown is excellent and it's just got that great sound Dilla brings on every one of his productions.

Just an all round great use of a sample.

What do you think

Here they are for reference if you don't know them.

This:

Becomes this:

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Big Like House.

So for today I've got a nice house mix for you all to check out.

Mixed by Exeter based DJ MTD comes the first promo mix for his night Big Like House.

Despite being a relatively new night Big Like House has already made a decent impact on the Exeter music scene attracting decent sized crowds and good vibes at every night they have put on so far.

The style of music BLH is known for is (quite obviously) house music, but more specifically UK Funky and the other more bass heavy styles of house emerging in the scene of late.

Anyway, Here's the mix to check out.


And look up Big Like House on facebook to keep up to date with them if you feel the style.

Monday 6 June 2011

This Blog Goes Daily.

Yep that's right.

To combat the patchyness of the posting on here I'm gonna post something about anything I have in some way enjoyed, found interesting or was amused by every day that I can physically get to a computer and the internet. Plus I'll try be at least vaguely informative about something on the odd occasion.

Today it's going to be a post for some nice deep late night musical vibes. Nothing special. Just some things I've drawn for tonight.

First up is the London based band Polar Bear who really know how to lay on some atmosphere in their music and are just fucking awesome live.


Second is someone from the legendary Kranky label. There's just been so much quality music released by them over the years and Pan American (Mark Nelson from Labradford) I reckon is one of the best the label has to offer.


One of the best tracks from one the of the best prog rock albums ever made.


The best Motor City Drum Ensemble track?


Still can't go wrong on this. Total classic. I don't think anyone could get bored of hearing this.


Sun Ra goes funky as hell on this one. Big track.


Just one of my favourite dub tracks. Rolls along so nicely


Another prog rock track.


And another total classic to finish. One of the nicest tracks ever.

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Zombie 90

So, what happens when you're hired to do an English language dub of a German movie that's just too fucking terrible to take seriously?

Make the lanky white guy sound like a stereotypical black pimp of course



And when you get an action scene that just consists of shoving some guy around, and a chainsaw death that looks like someone throwing a can of paint at the actor what do you do?

Add speech that isn't even supposed to fucking be there.



The worst thing about this film is it's also got an alternative title of Zombi 7 which makes it supposedly a sequel to the Lucio Fulci film Zombi 2 (known as "Zombie" in the US and "Zombie Flesh Eaters" in the UK).

I mean seriously? This film? Really?