Free Download: Coleco - Hedmuk EP

Criminally underrated, Bristol's Coleco (follow him on Facebook here) is one of the most consistently exciting producers working in the UK right now: able to pull an immense amount of space from pretty much any tempo, his recent output has stretched all the way up to the too-often-static 160bpm range, and with impressive results. When Skream made a return to Rinse FM last month - alongside Loefah and Route 94 for an extended one-off show - he played 'Hypnagogia' from Coleco's last Soul Motive release and with it caught the attentions of a previously-dormant audience.

And it's to this audience that this free EP: a collection of tunes ranging from tight-stepping garage on 'Lovin Me' to a stretching cross of jungle, juke and breakbeat on 'Prime', and from the indefinable 'Coleco sound' of 'Automatic' - which manages to introduce more ideas over the course of one track than some producers could handle in an album's worth of material - to the pure bliss 'Smokey', with Victoria Klewin's vocals contributing a generous helping of soul. Enjoi:


Download: Coleco - Hedmuk EP [.zip]


Download: Coleco - Lovin' Me [320kbps mp3]
Download: Coleco - Lovin' Me [WAV]


Download: Coleco - Prime [320kbps mp3]
Download: Coleco - Prime [WAV]


Download: Coleco - Automatic [320kbps mp3]
Download: Coleco - Automatic [WAV]


Download: Coleco - Smokey (feat. Victoria Klewin) [320kbps mp3]
Download: Coleco - Smokey (feat. Victoria Klewin) [WAV]



Preacha.

5 More Classic Sets/Mixtapes

Since we got such positive feedback for our last collection of classic sets and mixtapes, we've decided to make it a semi-regular feature and will be posting old, and sometimes hard to find, mixes in slightly nostalgic bunches like this from time to time.

Radio 1's Essential Mix show has a simple formula, and that is to put some of the world's biggest DJs to the two-hour test and see what sort of a set they can come up with. Few Essential Mixes have retained as much legend in the UK's bass music scene as the dubstep and grime special hosted in 2006, which featured the newly-renamed Plastician, Digital Mystikz and Roll Deep taking shifts around the decks.


Download: Plastician / Digital Mystikz / Roll Deep - Essential Mix [2006]


A legendary Stella Session in which Skream is joined by Mala and Chef. All three DJs have a huge selection of dubs with them and vow to keep playing 'until the dubs run out'.


Download: Skream - Joined by Mala & Chef: Rinse FM [2006]


The set in which Wiley's mouth may have got the better of him as his constant sends for God's Gift eventually saw the studio rushed and the show ended early, and would also contribute to Geeneus' famous ban on grime at Rinse in 2007.


Download: DJ Maximum - Wiley sending for God's Gift, Lethal Bizzle & Logan Sama (and getting rushed): Rinse FM [2006]


A genuine rarity, this live recording from Transmission in Leeds is a run through of much of the material that has made DMZ and all involved with it such an institution within dubstep.


Download: Digital Mystikz, Loefah & Sgt. Pokes - Live @ Transmission, Leeds [2006]


Dubstep's American ambassador, Joe Nice, is reputed for the wide selection of dubs he carries as well as his passion for the music. This mix goes down as a catalogue of some of the tunes that have been lost to the scene's celebrated dubplate culture.


Download: Joe Nice - Lost Dubs Mix [2008]


.Preacha.

Featuring: Thelem

Through acute attention to detail and with precision bordering on perfectionism when it comes to creating and layering sounds, Thelem's tunes are a showcase of balance and a sense of control. Making sub-heavy music, but without overdoing the sub, he may be included in the new breed of producers who are more audibly influenced by the spacious sounds of early-noughties producers such as Cyrus, Loefah and D1. There is no nostalgic emulation, however, as subtle differences in basslines and a greater emphasis on percussion set this sound apart; a degree of respect for the eyes-down origins of Dubstep is prevalent here but, with that same sense of balance, remains progressive and forward-thinking. This is something furthered through Thelem's record label launched earlier this year, Orientis Records, which maintains a dedication to vinyl with its releases. We caught up the man himself and got him to lay down the latest installment in our exclusive mix series, which is another deep selection strewn with dubplates.

Hedmuk: For those who don't know, what's your name, where are you from and how would you describe your sound?

Thelem: Easy, my name's Matt aka Thelem and I am from the Hampshire area. I would describe my sound as the deeper and darker dungeon vibes.

H: Would you describe yourself as from a musical background, or is something that you have picked up yourself?

T: Well it’s quite a long story actually; I never came from a musical background but have always been the creative type. I don’t think I would have ever of got into music production if I hadn’t lived in a shared house with my mate Tom aka Risc Terilia. I was always into Hip Hop, Grime and a bit of D&B, but in 2006 when I moved in he showed me dubstep. I loved the sounds of Loefah as it was on a similar kind of tip to some hip-hop beats with the 808’s and that. From there I wanted to learn how to make beats, Tom and Coleco already being good producers taught me the basics in Fruity, I then moved onto Logic and it all developed form there really.

DRONES (CLIP)-ORTS002 12" by THELEM

H: What or who else do you take influence from when it comes to making beats?

T: Well I draw a lot of my inspiration from the earlier more original sounds of dubstep. Recently I have been getting more into sampling old sci-fi films, I have started to collect old sci-fi film soundtrack vinyl’s to find some more original sounds. Lately I have also been getting more into drum funk, taking a lot of inspiration from the producer Paradox, who to me is the master of atmospherics and drum work.

H: Your label, Orientis Records, has made a strong start this year with backing from influential names in the scene; what have you got planned for the label for the rest of the year?

T: For Orientis this year the main aim is to keep pushing it, making it more of an established label. I want to work more with the crew we got involved and release good music.

H: How important is it that all releases on the label are vinyl releases?

T: Well in my opinion I think that vinyl releases are important for the label. I believe that when you have a tune on vinyl it feels like you actually own the tune in a kind of physical way, rather than just having a digital copy sat on your computer. Without sounding arrogant or something, I think that pushing your label as a vinyl-orientated people tend too take it a little more seriously too. Saying all this though, I am aware times are changing and the digital format is increasingly getting more popular. So I think in the future we will be looking at doing some pure digital compilations with the artists involved, which will help to push and spread our sounds.

ILLUSIONS (CLIP) by THELEM

H: You play regularly on Rood FM; how did this come about and what sort of vibe do you try and achieve with your show?

T: My mate knew the guys who run Rood.fm and got me in contact with them, funnily enough they ended up living 2 minutes down the road from me. I messaged them about getting a set, explaining about Orientis and myself, it all went form there really. As for my show I want to push the sounds from the Orientis crew and my mates, I also like to play allot of older classics, which are sometimes forgotten about, or people are unaware of.

H: Can you take us through how you went about putting together a tracklist for the mix.

T: For this mix I wanted to keep it on an eyes-down vibe, showcasing some of the forthcoming Orientis tunes and a few of my own bits. Also adding in some tunes from producers I am really feeling and supporting at the moment.

H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you want to put the word out about?

T: Well I am putting out a few of my tunes, forthcoming on ORTS002. Clips can be heard on my Soundcloud page or on the Orientis Soundcloud. The tune ‘Constrained’ featured in the mix is forthcoming on Mindstep Music. Would also like the opportunity to play out more, so if anyone's interested they can hit me up on djthelem@gmail.com. Big ups!


Download: Thelem - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:

Kryptic Minds – Hybrid (Osiris Music)
Vivek – Feel It (Deep Medi)
Instinct & Thelem – Apocrypha (Dub)
Subreachers & Antics – Clairvoyants (Dub)
Antics – 4 Faced Liar (Dub)
Killa & Instinct – From The Dust (forthcoming Orientis)
Pressa & Crisp – Atom (forthcoming Orientis)
Thelem – Illusions (Dub)
Thelem – Drones (forthcoming Orientis)
Lurka – Run (Dub)
Thelem – Constrained (feat. Delta Labs) (forthcoming Mindstep Music)

Antics – Hunter (forthcoming FTW)
Subreachers – The Challenge (Dub)
Killa & Instinct – Halftime (Dub)
Coleco – Morbid Curiosity (Orientis)

Thelem - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

.Preacha.

Free Download: Addison Groove - Footcrab VIP

The Christmas presents keep coming, this time from Loefah's Swamp 81 imprint and in the form of one of the most hyped and sought-after tunes of the year: the juke-infused Footcrab VIP by Bristolian Headhunter's Addison Groove alias.


Download: Addison Groove - Footcrab VIP


.Fukhed.

Featuring: Ken Evil

From having given the likes of Skream, Loefah, N-Type, Pinch and Kromestar their debut Manchester bookings to hosting the first Deep Medi showcase night, Ken-Evil's contribution to the scene has been huge. HEDMUK caught up with the man for an exclusive interview and mix featuring the tunes he's playing out at the moment:

Hedmuk: Would you say you were from a particularly musical background, or was it something you found yourself drawn to naturally?

Ken Evil: I'm not really from a musical family as such, although some of my earliest memories are of playing my Dad's records in the early hours of the morning when everybody was still asleep. There was always music in the house growing up and I have been an avid record collector from the age of 7.

H: What were your early influences in deciding to DJ and then produce?

K: My earliest exposure to mixing came from listening to early Electro and Hip Hop mixes from the likes of Afrika Bambaataa and Grand Master Flash from labels such as Tommy Boy and Def Jam. I didn't give it a go myself until relatively late on when I started playing Drum & Bass, being into the darker side from the likes of Dillinja, Lemon D, Spor, Evol Intent to name but a few.

H: Given your background in Drum & Bass, how did you come to find Dubstep so early in the scene's inception, and what motivated you to become part of it?

K: I guess you could say I followed the evolution of Dubstep from it's roots in UK Garage and later Grime when it was known as either Sub-Low, 8 Bar (as it changed every 8 bars) or simply 'Instrumental Grime'. One of the things that excited me most about it was that practically all the early producers were from my home town of Croydon - Plasticman (later Plastician), Skream, Loefah, Benga, Digital Mystikz, Hatcha, Artwork, everyone basically; and believe me, there's not much else that I can say I'm proud about coming out of Croydon for.

H: What was the motivation behind setting up Bass Camp?

K: Basically I'd found this new music and I wanted an outlet to play it. I'd previously been involved in running nights in Manchester and Madrid but was getting tired of D&B and this new sound excited me in same way that D&B did back in it's inception from Jungle and Hardcore Rave before that. It was something new and heavy and had lost the at-times cheesy elements of Garage and the self-aggrandizing ramblings of Grime. I remember tunes from Mark One (MRK1), Plasticman, Slaughter Mob, Kode 9, Pinch and Skream's first white label on Big Apple featuring in that first Bass Camp set.

H: Outside of FWD, which had been running since 2001, what was the Dubstep scene's infrastructure like in those early days and before the likes of Bass Camp here in Manchester and Exodus in Leeds, how limited was the North’s Dubstep scene?

K: Back in 2004 Manchester had producers such as Mark One, Omen and Zed Bias and the now defunct record shop Pelican Neck. Conor who worked there was the first to bring the likes of Vex'd up to Manchester and he always made sure the latest white labels fresh off the press were under the counter for my 2-3 weekly visits to the shop. Pelican Neck was run and owned by the Boomkat crew which was one of the first on-line or otherwise outlets for the emerging scene anywhere in the world. It was in the shop where myself and the likes of Se7en (now Indigo), K1, Mark One, Conor (U-Basstard), D'Script and Biome would meet up and discuss music and swap dubs; that was where it all began for me.

H: Bass Camp has been very influential, it was the first time many producers in the area were exposed to Dubstep. What does this influence mean to you, and how have you been able to witness it first hand?

K: It always gives me a great feeling of satisfaction when someone comes up to me and tells me that it was coming to Bass Camp or seeing me play that got them into Dubstep; I was recently told that Synkro found his inspiration from coming to one of Bass Camp's early events. Things like that mean a lot to me and is what makes it all worth while.

H: What would you consider to be your personal highlights of running Bass Camp over the years?

K: When Skream came up to play we had people travel over from Liverpool, Leeds, Leicester and from as far away as Norfolk, Cambridge and London; by 11pm Jabez Clegg was rammed! Rusko recorded an exclusive 'Auld Lang Sine' version of 'Cockney Thug' for our New Years Eve '07 event: that was pretty special. Hosting the UK's first Deep Medi event was a real privilege, the vibe was amazing that night and Mala absolutely loved it. Cyrus, Heny G and Walsh at the Chapel was rocking until 7am and when MC Subz told the crowd to get down low the whole place was skanking down to its knees. N-Type b2b Walsh with Easy Rider on mic as secret special guests; Kidnappa's first Manchester show, the list goes on.

H: What’s been inspiring you musically recently, and what releases are you looking forward to this year?

K: UK Funky has been creeping into my sets more and more over the past year, I'm also feeling the new wave of cross-over Funky/Dubstep artists such as Joy Orbison, Shortstuff, L-Vis 1990, Brackles, Redlight, Untold, Cooly G etc. Anything on Night Slugs is worth copping and I eagerly await that labels future output. Truth from New Zealand, who've played Bass Camp twice now, have a Disfigured Dubz EP and long awaited Aquatic lab LP ready to drop and they're going to be massive. Kutz, part of the new wave out of Croydon, has some serious productions in the pipeline and Cyrus has an LP due any time soon.

H: We had noticed more UK Funky in your recent sets, what was it that encouraged you to make the move?

K: Put simply, it's good shit. Like early UK Garage it's image has been tainted slightly by the more commercial/cheesy elements, but look deep into the scene and there's some seriously heavy stuff in there.

H: So then, you’ve DJ'd at major British clubs and across Europe, produced your own tracks and run your own successful night since 2004: what do you see as your primary role in the scene: a DJ, Producer or Promoter?

K: My production has been pretty limited to this point, and Bass Camp has been my main vehicle for pushing the sound but DJing has taken me the furthest in my musical path; Creamfields, the Warehouse Project, Ape at the Apollo and Outlook in Croatia being the major highlights.

H: You’ve been part of the Dubstep scene since the beginning and it may be an over asked-question, but what are your views on the future of the genre?

K: Dubstep has begun to splinter into various sub-genres as was inevitable and a lot of new people have started getting involved and producing their own take on the scene. This has resulted in a dilution of the quality in many respects and there is a massive new wave of very popular 'Jump-Up', mask-wearing producers that make pretty generic, high pitched tunes which sound to me like the Drum & Bass that was around at the time when Dubstep was evolving. Dubstep to me at the time was the antidote to this kind of D&B but I've always known that this element of instantly gratifying, dare I say it, dumbed down Dubstep would come along. I don't like most of it but it's out there. The simplicity and subtlety of early Dubstep was what made it different and interesting and a lot of the 'Jump-Up' artists seem to have overlooked this, although I love the likes of Jakes and Coki and did used to like Caspa and Rusko.
On the other hand there are people still taking the sound to new and interesting places, Joy Orbison, L-Vis 1990, Untold, Scuba and Shortstuff in particular and these producers give me hope and are keeping the scene vibrant. Everything on Mala's Deep Medi, for example, is of the absolute highest quality but as the scene becomes more popular it's overall quality will unfortunately suffer.

Tracklist:

1. J A Capone / Estate (Mellow Vibes)
2. DJG / The Gate (Lo Dubs)
3. Filtercutter / 1UP (Ramadanman Refix)
4. Cluekid / Sector 9 (Sin City)
5. J:Kenzo / Counteraction (Argon)
6. Calibre / Tenopause (Deep Medi Musik)
7. Ruckspin & Visionz / Give (Transistor)
8. Ruckspin / Jibber (Ranking Records)
9. Ruckspin & Quantum Soul / Venus Project (Transistor)
10. J:Kenzo / Tropic Thunder (Argon)
11. Noob & Brodisnki / Peanuts (Bok Bok and Greena Remix) (Night Slugs white label)
12.Redlight / Stupid (Digital Soundboy)
13. Kalbata / Wallabee (Double Science)
14. Egyptrixx / Everybody Bleeding (Night Slugs white label)

Ken Evil - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

-SCHWIM-

Free Download: Loefah - Just A Beat

The past month has seen both Benga and Skream put up tunes for free download, and now another of the old school masters of the bass and beats combination has joined them. Loefah is often regarded as one of the producers largely responsible for the sub-heavy, half-step pattern that many subsequent dubstep producers followed, and 'Just A Beat' is a classic example of this influential sound:

Download: Loefah - Just A Beat

.Fukhed.

Ears to the ground...

Dubplate culture, although enviable for its sentimental value, is an exclusive one; the result of this being that many tunes never actually get a full release. Example: the VIP of Giant's banger 'Drumstick' was, when first played out, generally hailed as one of the best VIPs to be produced. Obviously, DJs and fans across the country begged for its release, but to no avail. The original tune was put out on Hench and that, it still seems, was that. However, there are definite positive aspects to this which must be noted. Firstly, the dubplate format is cheap enough to encourage producers to be more prolific and, furthermore, put much of their output onto wax to be played out by whoever is lucky enough to be getting a steady supply of these 'plates: this keeps the scene fresh. Secondly, hearing tunes played out on dubplate raises anticipation for tunes getting a full release; and these first few months of 2010 are looking ripe for such releases:


Kryptic Minds - Badman / Distant

Since the first airing of the smoke-drenched vocal that introduces this tune, 'Badman' has been on the wishlists of any and all fans of a deep, threatening bassline. The fact that N-Type, arguably the best tune selector in the game, chose to open his mix for Rinse 09 with it is testament to its weight. Yet, it did not make an appearance on 'One Of Us' (Kryptic Minds' outstanding LP released late last year on CD and to be pressed to 3-piece vinyl for early 2010). Dissapointment was not to be shouldered for long, though, as 'Badman', it was announced, was to be given its own release shortly after the album. Bad pressing, however, forced postponement on the release until early 2010 which, unless we are very much mistaken, is now. So: ears to the ground for this one.

Rude Kid - Electric

This one's on a grime flex, but is surrounded by similarly vague release news. Featuring as the instrumental for Scorcher's 'Spartan Gang', this tune can be heard in use as an instrumental countless times on any grime radio show. Despite the Kid's trademark "are you ready?" sample making consistent appearances in grime sets, he is also notorious for keeping his tunes to himself and putting very few out on general release. 'Electric', however, has been flagged for release this month on No Hats No Hoods. So: ears to the ground for this one.

Hatcha & N-Type Present: The Croydon Dubheadz Pt.II

Less ambiguity about this one, but certainly more anticipation as Hatcha (with easily one of the most upfront boxes around) and N-Type (also with a steady stream of dubplates coming his way) collaborate again for the second installment of 'The Croydon Dubheadz'. With the first installment housing its fair share of exclusives from some of the scene's biggest producers, the second looks to continue this idea. Hatcha revealed that the forthcoming double-pack will feature tracks from: Skream, Loefah, Hatcha, Kromestar, Lost, LD and Cluekid. Whilst lips have remained tight as to which tracks will appear, both Hatcha and N-Type have exercised their exclusive rights in playing tunes from the double-pack on their radio on shows on Kiss and Rinse FM respectively: Cluekid puts forth another unique blend of spacious, squelchy bass with a tune which apparently combines his early 'Toadstep'-era tunes with his more recent junglist output; Kromestar has, it would appear, found the middle ground between the deeper, ambient sounds of 'My Sound' with the thinner, more aggressive textures of his 'The Other Syde' collection; Hatcha's effort is a dark stomper in the form of a tighter, heavier take on tunes such as Coki's 'Goblin'. According to N-Type, pressing is now complete and the double-pack waits now on artwork and distribution only. So: ears to the ground...

.Fukhed.