Featuring: Boofy

As far as statements of intent go, 'Since When' is up there with the best. One of the sharpest instrumental cuts to have bust into the grime scene for some time, it's first play on Rinse FM - courtesy of Messrs Kahn & Neek - had a lot of heads turning. Though those already familiar with the name Boofy, most likely off the back of his earlier, sub-drenched dubstep beats, might not have guessed in his direction, this assault of flutes, skittering hats and belching bassline was no one-off. Since then - pun wholly intended - Boofy has come with a steady stream of perfectly balanced heaters, carving his own corner into grime and contributing, in no small part, to the sound's recent resurgence. And while some might complain of producer's of simply re-hashing old staple sounds and themes and presenting them to a virgin audience, Boofy manages to show off his influences proudly - everyone from Maniac, to early Dizzee, to Dot Rotten - without surrendering to them: his beats incorporate an inventive approach to rhythm, most notably in those hi-hats, and, perhaps most importantly, the structure and control of a tune's energy, effectively removing the need to ride a whole track out on one cliched sound or sample.

Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where do you hail from and how would you describe your sound?

Boofy: I'm Boofy. I sleep and eat in Bristol and my sound's heavily 140-based and with a major UK influence.

H: Some people may have first come across you through the deeper, rolling dubstep tunes you initially became known for, but had you always been making a broad style of music? How much has your recent grime output been a big switch in focus in terms of what styles you're making?

B: Well, I haven't made a great amount of material of every genre but I experiment a lot, if that makes sense. Regardless of my releases, I haven't really just stuck to making one desired sound, but I put out what I'm confident with.

And yeah, it definitely has. I still get a lot of people still reppin' my older sounds which is wicked because I didn't know it reached out to that many. I won't stop making what I want, but I think at the very least, I know what direction I'm aiming to head in.

H: Have you always been involved in making music?

B: I have. As long as I can remember. I started playing instruments from young and learned how to write and read music, but it wasn't until my early teens I had a chance to sit down on a computer and get to grips with the tech side.



H: An obvious characteristic of the grime tunes you've been coming out with is the clips cut from old radio sets: how much, would you say, is that about trying to capture that sense of energy from grime's early pirate radio days, where the MC took centre stage?

B: Yeah it is, but at the same time all I've done, without consciously thinking about it, was run through some of the old sets I had on my block tower of a PC that's been out of use ever since I got my Mac. Pirate days definitely had energy that we all still feed off. I think it was the rawness of the genre.

H: Have you plans to be working with any MCs in the near future? Are there any that you'd be particularly keen to hear vocalling one of your beats?

B: One of my favourite MCs at the moment is Merky ACE and there's quite a few MCs I'd be keen to get some vocals down from. But then again it's another one of those things where I'd want to focus on sculpting something with someone, rather than make a beat and fling an MC on top of it. I've sent a few bits off to some Bristol heads, old friends who've I've always rated and other guys who have put in work so just got to see what we can come up with, but it's definitely in my interests.

H: Along with signing the Nank EP to Tumble Audio you've played at a one of their notorious Nottingham label nights; how did you get first get involved with the label, and how important is it, do you think, for labels to be getting involved with the actual live/performance aspect of the music that they're releasing?

B: The involvement with the label was due to a mutual hook-up with this skeng-man called Willum. Pretty sound guy, you should meet him (laughs). In all seriousness though, it was shortly after 'Nank' was uploaded to your YouTube channel that we got in touch with each other, so big ups to you.

What those guys are doing in their city is important, they've got a sound and a live audience along with it: it goes hand-in-hand. I now think it's essential for other labels to do the same, or at least something similar. You can see how a DJ reacts to their crowd and whether they can play the right stuff; anyone can make tunes, but not everyone's a "selecta", if you know what I mean.



H: You took the step of setting up your own label recently, alongside Lemzly Dale; what was it that made you want to take things into your own hands and start doing things independently, and how important was it that you'd be releasing on vinyl?

B: The whole vision started off as "I miss grime white labels" and not many people were doing them as much as they used to - obviously due to the way the industry has rapidly changed over time. Then before I knew it, I was on a roll getting it all sorted. Releasing on vinyl is something, in my opinion, that you aim towards. As well as that, Bristol has a healthy vinyl culture: I thought it would be important to get involved and play my part in it.

H: What are your plans for the future of Sector 7?

B: Future plans for S7S, we're back in the blueprint stages again. There's quite a few projects that are possibilities but nothing's concrete at the moment; just planning for next year really and the aim is to step the game up after a successful first release. Just taking our time and not rushing, building on the foundation we have made for ourselves really.

H: Logan Sama caused a stir recently by suggesting that the current crop of producers making grime in Bristol were making life difficult by keeping things close-knit and releasing mainly on vinyl; how important to you, though, is that sense of community that is apparent between the Bristol school of producers? How much would you say that it's about keeping an aspect of dubplate culture going in a largely digital world?

B: I could say so much on that situation, but I think I'll keep it simple. Our community for music is important. We all constantly strive to better ourselves, and what's more motivating than surrounding yourself with people who all want the same thing? It's not like we don't send tunes out to people or whatever, because we connect with a lot of artists and producers all over, but our city isn't the largest so, being on the same page with music, we all bump into each other and just link up.

And as for Logan, he basically just said he plays what he gets sent and vinyl's dead ever since he stopped cutting dubplates. Don't get me wrong, I do respect Logan and he plays a big part in bringing in new producers, which is what the scene needs. But because he doesn't take vinyl out with him anymore, and some Bristol guys are doing physical only releases, he can't play it. The whole point of physical is 100% not because hipsters are trying to take a step back, we're just trying to keep an aspect of physical in an industry full of files and desktop folders. But I don't know, that's just my opinion.

H: Take us through how you approached the mix you've done for us.

B: I've got together a bag of tunes which are some all time favourites, personal favourites of today's age, vocal's I particularly rate at the moment and producers who I rate. Thought it would be important to start with one of my favourites from when I started producing back in 2007.

H:Finally, are there any forthcoming releases or anything else in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on?

B: Release-wise, there should be some news on one of my bits coming out next year, which I can't give specifics on just yet because I haven't been given any myself! But I'm looking forward to letting everyone know what we have in store for Sector 7: hopefully you'll all have a chance to come and see for yourselves!

Download: Boofy - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix

Tracklist:

Young Dot - Ride Or Die [Rotten Riddims]
Kahn - Burnin' Riddim [Dub]
Boofy - Bayonet [Dub]
J Beatz - Wave Down [Crown Jules]
Jakes - Certified (feat. Footsie) [Hench]
Saga - Friction [Lost Codes]
Lemzly Dale - Katana (Boofleg Refix) [Dub]
Wiley - One Step Further (LJ Remix) [Dub]
Commodo - Space Cash [Deep Medi Musik]
Merky ACE - Strawberry Rain [No Hats No Hoods]
Hi5Ghost & Trends - Duppy Maker [Dub]
TMSV - Gutter [Dub]
Boofy & Lemzly Dale - Banshee [Sector 7]
KIlljoy - Straight 2 Tha Neck [Dub]
Lyka - Whole Meal [Dub]
Exemen - Storm [Manchu]

Boofy - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

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Premiere: Boofy - Warzone [TUM006]

Without a doubt one of the most exciting new labels around at the moment, Tumble Audio rumble onto their sixth release, welcoming Bristolian Boofy to the roster in the process. The EP's title track - all rapid hi-hats, clattering snares and a bounding bassline - has been doing the rounds for a while now, cropping up in sets from fellow south-westerners, Kahn, Neek, Asa and Joker, and thus accordingly gets some remix treatment to keep things fresh: Hi5ghost adopts a classic grime pairing of distorted synths and skittering strings, whilst Nativ takes the tempo down a little and delivers a Champion-esque synth groove for a succession of claps and snares to bounce off.

The B-side, premiered here today, rounds off the release perfectly: all the raw, pirate radio venom that Boofy captures with such consistency, but with a bass lead and rolling rhythm that hits the mid-point between grime and UK funky that Tumble have been pushing since first leaving the blocks. That Wiley's choice words for God's Gift that are sampled here - and the sore jaw he received in return - would contribute to grime being banned from Rinse FM seems almost ironic considering the genre's recent ubiquity.

With every release, Tumble stamp their unique identity onto the UK's club scene more prominently, and long may it continue.



Boofy's 'Nank EP' will be released digitally on December the 2nd 2013.

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Hit&Run - War Dub Special w/ Kahn & Neek, Wayfarer & Kanjira, Chimpo, Skittles & T-Man - 15/11/13

Antwerp Mansion plays host to the latest in Hit&Run's sporadic string of autumn events, this time calling in a few faces that should be more than familiar to the regular crowd by now.

Kahn & Neek will be in war mode already, following up the former's recent clash with V.I.V.E.K at SubDub in London, and packing the freshest batch of heaters and VIPs. Two more Hit&Run regulars, Wayfarer and Kanjira - both sitting on material produced especially for the night - will share the decks in a repeat of their last back-to-back session down at FWD>>, and man-of-the-moment Chimpo, straight off the back of recent mixes for 1Xtra and Trap Magazine, will be bringing his usual unique blend of bootlegs and dubplate specials. On mic, T-Man and Skittles will be proving Manchester's MC indisputable mettle.

For more information on the night, including how to secure £5 advance tickets, head over to the Facebook event page.

Download: Kahn Vs. V.I.V.E.K - Live @ SubDub London, 08/11/13


Watch: Chimpo turning tunes for some of Manchester's finest in LVL 01.2

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Comment: Apparently the UK has moved on from low-end frequencies. We beg to differ.

On Sunday just gone, a mildly amusing list-style article entitled '10 Things People Say To Pretend They Know About Dance Music' was posted on the blog space of Mixmag's website by Bass Editor, Seb Wheeler. It is, for the most part, a fairly accurate run-through of gripes that might be levelled at, well, someone pretending to know about dance music, in fact the list might even be commended for its rebuttal of those claiming that "Deadmau5 can't actually mix" or that "Analogue always sounds better than digital". However where it falls down, and heavily so, is the point at which it is claimed 'that the UK has moved on from low-end frequencies somewhat' and that 'America has become the new home of bass.'

The problem here is firstly in the suggestion that, in a post-internet world, something as broad as bass music could be considered to have a home. Dubstep is probably the finest example of the way in which the internet has globalised music to a greater extent than ever before - it still astounds me to see the huge variety of countries checking in over on Hedmuk's Soundcloud page. That, though, is another conversation entirely.

The issue I really took with the piece, though, was the apparent ignorance of the UK bass music scene's current state of health, and the general terms in which it was stated. The assertion that the UK has moved beyond an interest in 'low-end frequencies' would suggest that anyone from Mungo's Hi-Fi to Iration Steppas to Unit 137 to Manchester's Dub Smugglers had decided to pack it all in and play out off a radio set. 'Low-end frequencies' is not a suitable replacement phrase for "what Youngsta plays on Rinse". Semantics aside, the UK's long-term obsession with everything low and bold is arguably seeing some of its finest days in years: dubstep pushes on, led by the inimitable likes of Karma, Thelem, Taiko, Wayfarer, Biome and Kaiju; grime as a whole is seeing a resurgence that had been bubbling away long before the recent war dubs spat stirred things up, Boofy's 'Since When' is hard as a brick is, and Asa & Sorrow are showing that grime needn't lack the production value of its Croydon cousin; UK funky, through Champion, Killjoy, Brunks and Beneath, is still laying a claim to club space; house music is the sound of the charts, let alone the underground; and that's before you even start talking about the breaks-driven experimentalism being peddled by Etch, Special Request and Tessela.

What's more, and as good a sign of the UK's continued progression as any, is that there are so many names that don't fit easily into any of the categories above but who are carving out their own lanes regardless, and taking an open-eared following with them. Wen, Circula, Troy Gunner, Sepia, Blackwax, Facta, Underclass and Akkord are just a handful of the many defying the journalists' pigeon-holes.

As with anything like this there will undoubtedly be people I've missed, but if anything that only serves to make the point more strongly: there are literally too many names to mention.

It may well be the case that what was really meant by the offending remark was that the US has seemingly moved beyond its excitement over face-melt mid-ranges and car crash snares, and that what remains is a crowd highly receptive to a more subtle sound - speaking with Innamind Recordings boss, Jeremy, he couldn't emphasise enough how inspiring it was to see people so passionate about the sound that he and others like him are currently pushing. The US is, for want of a better term, catching up and is doing so - as exemplified by the likes of the Reconstrvct crew mentioned in the article - in fine style, however it shouldn't require a misguided knock of the UK scene to express that.

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Competition: Win an advance copy of Boofy & Lemzly Dale - Catch A Body / Banshee [S7S001]

Icy synths, coarse strings and clapped snares - lots of clapped snares - are what make up Sector 7 Sounds' first release. 'Catch A Body' broods, with Boofy's trademark skittering hats skipping over kicks set deep beneath a taut, Lemzly Dale string arrangement. Lil Nasty, Dot Rotten and Big H are on hand with adlibs and the result, all stop-start rhythms and spluttered bassline, is greaze. The flip, more a AA than a B-side, takes the stop-start and gives it more strut with a swinging kick/clap combination and cascading hats. Both are heavy cuts and, hardly surprisingly, have peppered the sets of Bristol's most recent grime upstarts, including Kahn, Neek, Asa and Hi5Ghost. This is classic era grime resurrected, and what format could be more fitting than a limited press white label?

In the spirit of all things up-front and exclusive, we've got an advance copy of the record to give away for free - simply head over to the Hedmuk Facebook Page and give the competition image the usual 'like and share' treatment. The competition will close on Sunday the 25th of August; the winner will be chosen at random by an independent third party, and announced via Facebook and Twitter on that date.



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Featuring: Wen

Ever since 'Takin Over' dropped in midway through Etch's Hedmuk Exclusive Mix, Wen has been firmly on the "to-feature" list. Someone else with their ear in was Blackdown, who stirred things up by asking 'what's all the commotion about?' Those in the know, of course, already knew - and that the track referred to was to fill out 12 inches of wax a few months later on the Keysound imprint came as no surprise. This, for many, was the first introduction to the abrupt rhythms, guttural space and stretched synths of the young producer from Margate. And a successful introduction it proved to be. Since then - and by then, we mean since the 'Commotion EP' sold out entirely - Wen's tunes have been picked up and rinsed by everyone from Kahn, Akkord, Elijah & Skilliam, My Nu Leng and, of course, the interlinked collection of producers who have spent the last year and half bouncing off each other and providing us with some of the most forward-thinking music the UK underground has to offer. Producers like Facta, Sepia, Underclass, Threnody and Etch have featured heavily across Hedmuk's pages and work within context of the UK's rich underground heritage - and with the releases mounting, it may not be long before they're commanding their own shared shelf in the record stores that have been at the heart of that heritage.

Hedmuk: To introduce those who might not already know, how would you describe your sound?

Wen: Dark and kind of violent, I guess - there are moments of cold emptiness interrupted with bright bursts of energy, there's a sense of urgency in the rolling versus stop/start pace of it and lots of contrast in the palette of sounds.

H: Your beats are minimal in the sense of leaving a lot of pregnant space, in the same way in which a lot of early grime instrumentals were very stripped back, and yet they don't seem to be as inviting to an MC: do you ever find yourself writing beats with an MC in mind? Is working directly with an MC something you'd be interested in doing, perhaps in the future? 

W: I make my beats to hold their own on the dancefloor, it's never really been about making instrumentals for vocalists. They are sparse for the sake of being spacious and giving the rhythm some silent groove, not really to be filled with vocals. It's fun to chop vocals in like verses ([see] Patwah, Lo-Fidelity), but I prefer the impact of occasional lyrics - something to hold onto while the drums and bass roll out. So that's probably why they aren't inviting. Most of the time when I use vocals it's of a moment I enjoyed in a set, so I do write with that particular MC in mind, but I'm just trying to catch their vibe and energy, accentuate it a bit and take it further my way. I’d love to have the opportunity to work directly with an MC though for sure, it would be a completely different way of making music

H: And how does it feel to hear the likes of Wiley, Riko, Scratchy and God's Gift riding your beats on radio?

W: Yeah that was something else; it felt like a massive accomplishment, something I aspired to do when I started to make music and still will, it's not something that’s ticked off the list by any means. If I'm honest I kind of lost hope of that aspiration when the freestyle radio shows slipped away - Logan's show and Westwoods short lived 1Xtra Grime slot, they were the major ones I listened to potentially send instrumentals to. I sent stuff to a couple of blogs, Hyperfrank used one for an intro to a Griminal freestyle once, which was a bit of a tease, so it was great to finally hear some MC’s over my tune.



H: Your debut 12” on Keysound was one of the label’s biggest to date; how did you get involved with the label? Do you feel that working alongside a label which has a deep-rooted sense of influence and musical narratives with regards UK-based electronic music has helped with giving you a certain fixity and confidence when it comes to producing and pushing your own take on the underground electronic music of the last decade or so?

W: It feels right to be a part of Keysound, there's a lot of energy and a sense of focus within the crew. I got hooked on the label when I heard 'The Bits (feat. Trim)', it was one of those edgier instrumentals that Trim's known for but was actually accessible and had a path to follow (in contrast to Brain / T-Spark / Jerzey etc. who you didn't hear of, aside from on his mixtapes). I started checking Dusk + Blackdown on Rinse and eventually sent them some music. I think as a label it’s always been really quick to expose new sounds and make sure what it's doing is innovative. And that process feels continual, I find that important, it’s reassuring to know I can do my thing; I'm not expected to make tracks like the ones we did with the EP, it's more “cool, that was fun... let’s keep the momentum going".

H: In recent interviews with Threnody and Underclass, we touched on the idea of hybridity: in the mixture of influence, sound components and tropes or styles of music. Is this something that you can relate to in terms of your own music, and its apparent refusal to fit any preconceived or notional genre? 

W: I think that’s interesting, and I agree with the hybrid influences in my own music, but that’s probably as far as I consider it. I just draw from styles I like and found some space in 130 to try to do my own thing, the main reason I started to make beats at that tempo was 'cause I was listening to the Keysound Rinse show. I held that as a catalyst that I wanted to be a part of - through 2011 and particularly towards the end of that year there was something really exciting building, I wanted to be involved in that movement. I could never predict what they were going to play but I knew it was going to be cutting edge. I wasn't intentionally refusing to fit in with dubstep or grime, I was just addicted to this alien sound I discovered on their show.

H: Is this hybridity something that you see reflected in the 'cluster', as Blackdown himself puts it, of producers currently peddling this darker take on 130bpm music?

W: You can narrow it down to 'hybrid' but I feel it's quite dismissive, there's a lot more than a two-fold hybridity going on with us lot; if that was the case I'm sure a genre name would have been coined by us to label it and call it our own. We share a gravity, which is, in my opinion, UK underground music, LDN, no doubt it's the origin everyone draws considerable influence from. Blackdown talked about this idea of satellites before, it's the sickest image, every producer being a satellite, worldwide. It's important there are other styles and clusters in this thing, I kind of feel I need the colourful synths/rolling funky/zero rhythm grime/4 to the floor energy/swung 2-step/warm (and cold) jungle nods. All these sounds compliment each other and give me something to draw influence from, the scene's so healthy at the moment - "these are fine times".



H: You’ve since followed the Keysound release up with a vinyl-only 12" on Baitface’s Badimup; how important is it to you to be releasing your music on a physical format?

W: It's even more important than I thought it would be. I did two digital releases before the debut 12"; once that dropped and I held the full artwork record it completely changed the way I wanted to see my music being out there and represented. The first one with Epoch felt real 'cause he cut a few dubplates of it, so I did get my own physical copy. I'm not against digital by any means, just strongly prefer the idea of people buying my music in a tangible format. I felt really proud when I saw the record in shops, friends sending me photos of them buying it etc. I didn't feel that way when I saw my music up on a website for instant download - maybe a little bit at the time, but in hindsight it didn't compare at all. It's funny actually, I was more excited when my EP got leaked: despite it being annoying that someone we trusted had shared it, it was a compliment at the same time. Growing up hounding the grime forums for Rapidshare links, you know the hot music gets uploaded quick, so I'm quietly grateful. Anyway, yeah, the 'Swingin' vinyl: I felt I needed to balance out the physical/digital with the Badimup record, I'm glad Baitface was supportive of doing vinyl only. There was no process in choosing the tracks, I just sent him those two and they clicked with him instantly. In fact I thought the decision was kind of brash a couple of months later, it was a situation where there was such a big impulse connection between my music and Baitface it left me feeling it shouldn't have been so smooth, the whole thing was a natural process; even when he mentioned about 180g it felt like it would have been rude not to.

H: Bootlegs and versions have always been a big part of grime, and your ‘Strings Hoe’ refix has caught the attention of some of grime’s biggest DJs: how does it feel to be picked up on by the likes of Elijah, Skilliam, Score 5 and Logan Sama?

W: Yeah my favourite Dizzee instrumental. It was always a bit of a gamble doing that bootleg, but it seems to get nothing but love. Glad I finally have that connection to some of the grime DJs, particularly the Butterz guys I love what they're about.



H: As your music begins to attract more and more attention, do you feel a greater pressure to deliver or do you see it as an opportunity to push at your own creative boundaries?

W: It's all positive to be honest, pressure is good for me, I welcome it. I probably feel more pressure from the way my friends are getting exposure to be honest, not really in a seriously competitive way but there's this whole one-up ethos going on amidst the entire family moving forward. I'm just having fun with it right now, enjoying 2013 so far.

H: Tell us a little about how you went about putting together the mix you've done for us.

W: It's a collection of music I feel has been influential on me lately, lots of producers included who are new on my radar and others who I'm always listening to.

H: Finally, what do the coming months hold for Wen: are there any forthcomings or anything else in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on?

W: There will be new Wen records out before 2013 is over. Doing a small tour of Australia at the end of August, gonna finally link Epoch out there - he's just moved to Melbourne - and Arctic too, hopefully be the grounds of some new collab projects. Also come join our bi-monthly Sunday Keysound Sessions at The Waiting Room, London - the E.M.M.A album launch was special.


Download: Wen - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:

Skepta - Mastermind [Boy Better Know]
Walton - Haze [Dub]
Self Evident - Calgary [South Fork Sound]
My Nu Leng - Waltaknocks VIP [Dub]
Arka - Innamorta [Dub]
Akkord - Compound [Houndstooth]
Neana - Bow Kat [Dub]
Elmono - Shadows on the Moon [Cold Recordings]
Dizzee Rascal - Strings Hoe (Wen Refix) [Dub]
Luthor - STL [Dub]
Elsewhere - The Espers [Mindset]
Wen - Persian [Dub]
E.m.m.a - Nostrum (feat. Sully) [Forthcoming Keysound]
Facta - Hieroglyph [Dub]
>>> President T - Heard What I Said [Adamantium Music]
J-One - Ask Me [Dub]
LAS - Liketha [Forthcoming Signal Life]
Etch - Rise [Soundman Chronicles]
Teeth - Black Thigh Snakes [Forthcoming Signal Life]
K-Lone - Crunch [Dub]
>>> Lil Nasty - Firework [Rock N Rolla II]
Mickey Freeze - Carbon [Dub]
Kahn & Neek - Thief In The Law [Bandulu]
Dot Rotten - Give Me The Money [Ghetto Platinum Productions]
Epoch - The Steppenwolf (Gantz Remix) [Dub]

Wen - HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

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Asa & Sorrow - Grime Mix (Hosted by M.I.K)

Bristolian's Asa & Sorrow - perhaps best known for the sort of emotive, garage-flecked numbers that have made up recent releases such as Asa's stunning 'Arcane EP' or Sorrow's masterful debut album, 'Dreamstone' - have been redirecting grime's attentions towards the South-West with a series of short clips being uploaded to Soundcloud. Combining a noted homage to some of the genre's classic sounds (be it Eski, string-driven, or just plain moody) with the advanced production and acute attention to detail so emblematic of their individual genre-leaping endeavours, the results are intensely controlled exercises in shifting a rave.

Regular visitors to Hedmuk will be readily familiar with the MC gracing this production showcase, but what sets M.I.K apart for us is not necessarily just his diverse flows or witty one-liners but his ear for a beat: his versatility as well as his willingness to vocal a huge variety of different styles is the sort of refreshing approach to making music that has been catching the attention of new listeners daily. As something of a sequel, then, to his recent hosting a mix from another Bristol resident, Kahn (who has himself done remixes for the young MC in the past), M.I. has linked up with Asa & Sorrow to reset the levels and raise every bar in reach...



If you want to see Asa & Sorrow doing this live in your locality then asaofficialwhat@gmail.com is the place to begin the booking process. And if you want MIK down too, then bookmik@live.co.uk is the address.

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Competition: Win 2x guestlist to PYC Presents, 1z Anti-Long T-shirt, 1x Hedmuk X Generic Greeting T-shirt, 1x Hedmuk X Thelem T-shirt and a limited copy of BDMUP004 by Wen

Friday the 31st of May sees our friends over at PYC Sessions bringing Kahn & Neek, Wen and Alan Johnson to the Soup Kitchen basement for their biggest party yet. The night will see both Kahn & Neek and Wen making their Manchester debuts, as well as an introduction to new talent Alan Johnson (and that PYC have a strong history of introducing new talent is hardly a secret to anyone) and support from the PYC crew themselves.

In light of this, we're offering the chance to win two spots on the guestlist for the night as well as three T-shirts (with designs from Anti-Long, Thelem and Generic Greeting) and a limited vinyl copy of Wen's latest release on Badimup, Swingin b/w Walk Tha Walk. To be in with a chance of winning all of this, simply head over to the Hedmuk Facebook Page and publicly share this photo, leaving a comment on the image as to what size of T-shirt you'd like to receive should you win.

The competition will close on Wednesday the 29th of May, on which date a winner will be selected at random by an independent third party and announced via Facebook and Twitter.

For more information on the event, including how to purchase tickets in advance, head over to the event page here.

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Free Download: MIK - Donny Don Acapella

No stranger to remix treatment, some of our favourites of which are available for free download here and here, MIK today unleashes a whole new selection of re-rubs via his Bandcamp site. Featuring a full range of styles - from zoners reminiscent of Fable's recent remixes for us, to percussion-driven numbers and greazy synth-led approaches - the EP showcases not only a fine selection of new production talents, but also the versatility of the MC's flow patterns.




With this in mind, we thought it pertinent to suggest, after MIK got in contact about the release, that we give out the acapella as a free download for a limited period to encourage more producers to take on the challenge of combining their sounds and styles with an MC who lends himself to such a breadth of approaches; and he agreed, so here it is:

And anyone who does finish a tune which incorporates the vocal is, of course, encouraged to send it our way, to the hedmuk@gmail.com.


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Free Download: MIK - Do It (Fable Remix) / MIK - Let's Get Busy (Fable Remix)

M.I.K, a core member of the inimitable Family Tree crew and one of grime's most exciting young MCs, has received some impressive remix treatment over the last year or so - be it Pedro 123's immaculately minimal remix of 'Donny Don', or Kahn's rework of 'Duppy & Leave' (which is available as a free download here) - and has an old-school flow which works hard in the spaces left by often threadbare instrumentals.

Fitting, then, that Fable, a producer who understands better than many the importance of space in a beat, should take on these acapellas for a revamp. In something of a follow-up to the DEM Recordings project which first surfaced around this time last year, 'Do It' is dubstep's mellow take on the rapid flips of 8-bar grime; rotating between an airy synth, hi-hat and vocal and an equally stripped-down pure beats and bass combination. 'Let's Get Busy' takes a similar approach but relies more on its synth for groove, though the warm bassline is still there and the drums are an almost minimal presence. Reminiscent of Wiley's legendary drumless 'Devil Mixes', the tune flows effortlessly with the looped synth and MIK's vocal forming the brunt of the driving force.

With grime having suffered somewhat at the hands of mid-range-driven dubstep, it's refreshing to hear them both reduced to their bare, and arguably most-effective, components.

Download: MIK - Do It (Fable Remix) [WAV]
Download: MIK - Do It (Fable Remix) [320kbps mp3]


Download: MIK - Let's Get Busy (Fable Remix) [WAV]
Download: MIK - Let's Get Busy (Fable Remix) [320kbps mp3]



Preacha.

Hit&Run 6th Birthday @ FAC251, Manchester

It's not often that a clubnight reaches its sixth birthday, less so a clubnight which has been running weekly and on Monday nights; such is the staying power of Manchester stalwart Hit&Run. Whilst the name may have changed over the years, and the venues too, the core concerns of quality music and sound have remained an unerring constant. What's more, is that a ticket will rarely set you back more than the price of a box of cigarettes.

So celebrating in the same vein, the 6th Birthday offers a stellar lineup for a mere 6 (no coincidence there) pounds: Zed Bias, Fallacy and Rodney P combining under the Sleepin' Giants moniker; dBridge and Marcus Intalex going back-to-back for an extended three hour set; and Om Unit and Kahn will both be demonstrating why they're considered to be among the most original and exciting artists working in electronic music at the moment. Support comes from the inimitable Hit&Run residents, who know better than most how to throw a party.

For more information on the event, including how to purchase cheaper advance tickets, head over the event page here or buy your tickets direct from Skiddle here.


Preacha.

Competition: Win a Black Box T-shirt, Biome vinyl, TMSV vinyl and guestlist entry for Subtitled @ Moho Live, Manchester

A year old, and celebrating in style: Manchester's Subtitled crew are linking up with arguably one of the best independent labels that bass music has to offer to put on a huge night on the 27th of September, and we're joining in the act with a big competition of our own. Featuring Seven, TMSV (making his Manchester debut, no less), Kahn, Biome and label boss Thinking in the main room - with support from Subtitled residents - and the renowned Dub Smugglers soundsystem taking on hosting duties in room 2, this is set to be one of the biggest nights on Manchester's not-exactly-quiet calendar this year. The event is also being sponsored by Chemical Records, WeSC and Soundbase Manchester so if you aren't lucky enough to come up trumps from this competition, then there will still be an opportunity for free merchandise on the night through various giveaways. For more information, including the full lineup and how to purchase tickets, head over here.

With a first prize of a Black Box t-shirt, a copy of Biome's '2 Way EP' on vinyl, TMSV's 'Lost EP' on vinyl and 2 spots on the guestlist for the event, and two runners-up also winning plus-one guestlists, this is not one to sleep on. To be in with a chance of winning, simply email your answer to the following simple question to hedmuk@gmail.com with 'Black Box Competition' as the subject.


Who was the first artist to have a solo release on both the Black Box and Box Clever imprints?


The competition will close on the 24th of September, after which the winner and runners-up will be chosen at random by an independent third party and announced during the Hedmuk Rood FM show, with Subtitled and Biome stopping by for a guest mix.


.Preacha.

Free Download: Kahn - Remixes & Versions

Part of the Young Echo Collective and one of the most exciting producers to come out of Bristol, if not the UK, in recent years, Kahn has been gathering momentum with two 12" releases on scene veteran Peverelist's Punch Drunk label, the huge 'Way Mi Defend'/'Azalea' on Box Clever and a steady stream of much sought-after remixes and bootlegs. To celebrate reaching 5000 followers on Soundcloud, he has given away this four track collection of remixes and bootlegs which would otherwise go unreleased. Ranging from synth-led dubstep, to rumbling dub to straight-up grime in the form of his remix of M.I.K's anthem 'Duppy & Leave', this serves equally as a thanks to all those who have been following his progress over recent years as it does an introductory package to those not yet familiar with his productions. Follow the links below to preview/download the individual tracks or the download all four together as a .zip file.


Download: M.I.K - Duppy & Leave (Kahn Remix)


Download: Maddslinky - Further Away (feat. Tawiah) (Kahn Remix)

Download: Anneka - Shut Her Down (Kahn Remix)

Download: Rhythm & Sound - No Partial (Kahn's Vocal Version)

Download: Kahn - Remixes & Versions (.zip)


.Preacha.

Sureskank Convention Vol. 1: Kähn

Maybe it's youth, maybe it's the luck of the draw with which city's hospital you were in when you fell into the midwife's arms, or maybe it's that most terrible of abstract concepts: instinct. Regardless of the correct answer, some people just seem to have their head in the right space, an index finger bumping along to each beat of the pulse and, most importantly, their feet firmly on the ground. Joseph McGann, or Kähn as the posters would have him known, seems to be the entertainer of a rather subtle blend of those factors mentioned above: irritatingly young, at the tender age of 21 (if, in a post-Skream world, such a claim can really be made) and hailing from Bristol, most things seem, so far, to have gone his way. Working with and running Bristol nights Sureskank Convention and Shäkoom respectively, his productions cover the full range of intelligent bass music; blending aspects of Dub, Garage, UK Funky and the deeper, darker and denser end of the Dubstep spectrum to create a consistently intriguing sound. Having been producing for around three to four years now, he looks set to push out from the Bristol scene of which he has become such a part of as he offers the sort of diversity in his production which, up until very recently, there was no real demand for. As more nights (significant in being the best place to hear the newest tunes) begin to devote themselves less and less to a single particular style and rather present an increasingly wide selection of genres, opportunities for producers with strength in diversity (Scratcha DVA being perhaps the most prominent example currently) are growing.

This month sees the first in a series of mixes from the aforementioned Convention courtesy of Kähn (and Cölouryüm blog), and includes a whole of host of his own original productions; demonstrating the full spectrum of both his influences and abilities:

http://colouryum.blogspot.com/2010/02/mix-sureskank-mix-vol-i-kahn.html

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