Review: Biome - Layers EP

Following a relatively quiet 2013, Biome returns and takes the release process into his own hands with the Layers EP. Encapsulated in the EP's title is a sense of moving up and down through the tempo spectrum: this is Biome's first release to fully engage with his cross-tempo experiments. Though best known for his work around the 140 notch, pitching things down is nothing new to the Manchester producer, having released previously on fellow Mancunian Indigo's Mindset label. In fact a useful touchpoint here would be Indigo's own Akkord project, whose album Biome also contributed, as we see a similarly raw, almost industrially approach to the blend of style and influence on show. In many ways, what we're seeing here is Biome showing off the full potential of a sound that has been undeniably his own, despite the many imitators, for the last half decade.

'Happiness' eases proceedings in with airy pads, delayed vocals and shuffling hats, whilst 'Broken' and 'Rise Up' provide more familiar territory for the majority of Biome's fanbase, and are a deft reminder of why he continues to hold such stead within the scene. 'Layers' and 'Philly Blunt' meanwhile, provide the EP's standout moments; the former is tightly-coiled, pounding UK funky rhythms married with characteristic dashes of reese, and the latter a rolling, pummelling junglist history lesson. Winding down, 'Foreigner' and 'Hajime' are both beautifully spacious, and further demonstrate Biome's remarkable versatility - it's rare to see a producer able to imbue such a varied spectrum of musical tone and movement with their own unique sound and presence.

Preview and purchase the Layers EP from the Bandcamp embed below.



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Shop: Hedmuk X Generic Greeting #2 - Tee #006

Now on general sale, the second collaboration with the Manchester-based Generic Greeting collective, whose noble head lines up against Hedmuk's own on this latest tee design.

This is also the first design to be available in two colourways, with just a handful of the black on marl grey being printed to accompany the already-limited white on black.

Cop one here: http://hedmuk.bigcartel.com/product/hedmuk-x-generic-greeting-2-tee-006

Postage and packaging to addresses within the UK is free, with an additional £2.00 added for each extra garment.

Postage and packaging to addresses outside of the UK is priced at £6.00 for a single item, with an additional £2.00 added for each extra garment.

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Competition: Win a copy of Akkord's debut LP, plus 2x guestlist for the album launch party @ Project 13, Manchester

One of this year's standout releases, and from two of the UK's most exciting musical minds, Akkord's debut long-player is the sort of record you might play to someone trying to write off electronic music as mere button pushing. Forward-facing, progressive, original, genre-defying, interesting and - an adjective not often seen alongside those descriptions - genuinely danceable, Indigo and Synkro, along with the likes of Troy Gunner and Biome, who also feature on the album, have delivered on the huge promise of their early limited-press releases. Recent mixes for Resident Advisor and Boiler Room, meanwhile, have seen the duo applying their years of experience behind the decks.

To celebrate the release, Project 13 will be hosting the official album launch party in the basement of Manchester's 2022NQ.  Support comes from fellow Mancunians Biome and Acre, as well as Edmondson - a recent signing to Indigo's own Electromagnetic Fields imprint.

We've linked up with the guys at P13 to offer the chance to win 2 spots on the guestlist for the launch party, as well as a copy of the album in the format of your choice. To enter, simply head over to the Hedmuk Facebook Page and publicly share and like this image. The competition will close at 5pm on Thursday the 5th of December, a winner will then be selected at random by an independent third party and announced via Facebook and Twitter.

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

The album is also available to purchase from the Houndstooth store now.


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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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Preview: Akkord - Conveyor

Since first launching as a silhouetted collective based in Manchester and self-releasing two of the most essential records of 2012, Akkord have been difficult to ignore. And it's only become more difficult since the geometrics obsessives were picked up by Rob Booth-run Fabric offshoot Houndstooth, resulting in the stunning Navigate EP.

In the run-up to one of the most anticipated LP releases of the year, namely Akkord's self-titled debut, the shadowy duo - since revealed as Mancunian pioneers Synkro & Indigo - have been sharing previews of  album material via their akkordmusik.net site. Last weekend, 2000 people leaving Manchester's Warehouse Project were handed flyer packs containing the QR code sticker shown on the left, scanning which will take the savvy fan to an exclusive stream of 'Conveyor', the third album cut to be previewed so far.

'Akkord' will be released on the 25th of November 2013 on 12" vinyl, CD and as a digital download, and is available to pre-order from the Houndstooth Store now.

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MisDigest 1st Birthday Rumble - Swing Ting, Fullfat & Tumble Audio

This Friday, MisDigest turns one - and quite the year they've had, bringing Paleman, Happa, Noodles, Walton, Sully and NDread and plenty more to play in Leeds. To celebrate the occasion, they've invited crews from Manchester, Leeds and Nottingham to bring their own unique flavours to the dance. The Swing Ting 'trainers only' policy means anything from garage, to grime, to jungle, to hip hop, to bashment, ragga, rap and UK funky; Fullfat bring the steppers, with Geode, J. Robinson, Onset and Sun Of Selah; and Tumble Audio, represented on the night by Sergic & Lyka, come with their distinctive brand of dancefloor-projectiles. With that lot on offer, the only thing that can be guaranteed is that this'll be a party, but without the posers and pouters.

For more details you can visit the Facebook event page over here, and to purchase tickets online from Ticket Arena head over here.

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LEVELZ - LVL 01.1

We've been saying it long enough, and our friends at Hit & Run have always been ready to provide lineups that attest: Manchester is the UK's leading light when it comes to MCs. Anyone needing a convincer might listen to the cypher cut, 'Bun Ya', from DRS' 'I Don't Usually Like MCs But...' LP. And whilst the likes of Strategy, T-Man, Skittles, Fox and Sparkz may be familiar to some from their appearances in the 'feat.' bracket on some of the biggest beats from the past couple of years - without even having to mention 'Marka' - there's no better place to catch them than passing a mic, stood in between a DJ and a bopping crowd.

And that's exactly what we have here, the first in a three-part cypher session (with future episodes seeing Chimpo and Dub Phizix take to the decks): Jonny Dub mixing slick with a whole host of Manchester's finest trading bars.

Levelz is the start of something very exciting, believe us.

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Shop: Hedmuk X Generic Greeting - Tee #004

For our fourth limited run of t-shirts we've collaborated with Manchester-based illustrator and friend of the blog, Will Berry of the Generic Greeting collective: the design has been hand-drawn by Will and screen-printed to premium, 100% cotton T-shirts.

Head over to the Hedmuk BigCartel store to grab one of the few:

http://hedmuk.bigcartel.com/product/hedmuk-x-generic-greeting-tee-004

Shipping is, as previously, free within the UK and also available worldwide at a small additional cost.

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Competition: Win free guestlist to Project 13 Secret Sessions Pt. 1, a Project 13 T-shirt, and Leadbelly & Acre limited white label vinyl

Despite now having established themselves a staple on the Manchester club circuit, the guys at Project 13 have never been about finding a laurel to rest on and continue to dedicate themselves to trying new things - and, not unlike ourselves here at Hedmuk, always to retain the music as the centrepiece. Their latest venture comes with a little more mystery then usual, though, as they announce the first of a run of parties held in a warehouse space in Manchester, featuring as-yet-unannounced headliners representing Deep Medi, Hypercolour and Hyperdub respectively; and with all this in mind we thought it best to hit them up for a little more information on what to expect from their upcoming Secret Sessions parties, as well as to get some prize together for a big giveaway:

Hedmuk: What was the thinking behind moving P13 out of a more regular club environment, as it were, and into the more neutral warehouse setting?

Jacob P13: It’s a project we’ve been contemplating for a while now, the resources have been there and we felt now was the perfect time to execute. Our nights at Joshua Brooks have all been smashes but, as great as the venue is, our music policy and following doesn’t tend to gel as well as there as we’d like.

Ideally, we’d like a big dark room, a quality sound system and quality artists - which is what we have at the Secret Sessions.

H: Have you got more of this type of event planned for the future, and will you still be running the more regular nights at Joshua Brooks too?

Matt P13: We plan on doing a short string of events like this in the future, although whether that’ll be at the same venue or not, we don’t yet know. I suppose it comes down entirely to how well the first one goes down, and if it captures the interest of our following as well as we hope it will. Running an event like this has so many more risks that your standard club event. If we do continue these warehouse-type parties they’ll be more spaced out than our club nights, and will crop up just as randomly as our club-based events. We will also be continuing at Joshua Brooks, although our next event won’t be until mid-May, for our 2nd birthday.

H: In terms of the music you're representing, do you feel like your new setting in the warehouse gives you more freedom when putting together a lineup as the venue does less to distract from the music on show?

J: Yeah fully, we can do our own thing in terms of orchestrating the fundamentals of the event - from the music policy, the sound, the staffing, the door policy and everything else in between - to make it a Project 13 party at its realist and finest.

It’s events like these that intrigued me the most about this scene, going to free parties over the country where you had no idea what to expect besides good music, good sound and good vibes. We couldn’t be happier with what we have in store for the event.

H: Is keeping the capacity low, at 150, something you've thought a lot about too?

M: Semi. It’s in our best interests as well as the audience’s that we keep the numbers down for safety purposes. However, having 150 people in a large industrial space keeps the intimacy there and gives people their own space to do as they please. When we put on nights in clubs, we put a lot of effort into filling the gaff. It can be going off on a next level, however if you’ve not got space to breathe let alone move to the music, it can seriously damage the vibe on a whole. I personally feel that having space to dance, mingle with like-minded people, or just lurk on your own in a dark corner is what people will take back from the night, and makes a good night just that.

H: What else have you got lined up for Project 13 over the coming year?

J: Event-wise we have the Secret Sessions party and the 2nd birthday at Joshua Brooks in May.  Our main focus at the moment is planning the next series of live streams which will be dropping in Spring. We’re also orchestrating the first release for the label that we are hoping to have out by the start of next year on vinyl.

[P13 residents] Leadbelly and Acre have just released a white label which has gone down great; Leadbelly and T-Man have a video dropping shortly which is looking big; Acre has a massive release out soon, so watch out for that; and there will be a few of our artist at Outlook this year too.

And to be in with a chance of winning one free guestlist entry to the first Secret Sessions party, a Project 13 T-shirt in the colour of your choice, and a copy of the aforementioned, strictly-limited white label from Leadbelly and Acre, simply send your answer to the following question to hedmuk@gmail.com with 'Project 13 Secret' in the subject line:


Which of the Project 13 residents playing on the night last year put out a vinyl release on Innamind Recordings?


The competition will close on the 27th of March, at which point a winner will be chosen at random by an independent third party and notified by email - as well as being announced via the Hedmuk Facebook and Twitter pages.


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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 Test Press of IMRV002 / Catacombs - Innamind Recordings Mix

It doesn't seem like anywhere near as long as a year since we announced the very first release on Innamind Recordings, but over the past eleven months the label has delivered an increasingly-impressive and challenging series of releases and this summer stamped it's iconic kaleidoscopic artwork on its first vinyl record. The latestt 10" from the imprint features two standout cuts from the North-West, with Catacombs and Knowledge teaming up for the 'Exodus' on the A-side - a hefty stepper, moving with old-school Oriental sampling that's been receiving regular rotation from the likes of Biome - and Catacombs' solo joint 'Organism', a grizzled favourite of Rinse FM legend N-Type, occupying the flip-side. The digital release will also feature, much to the delight of any followers of Catacombs' progress no doubt, 'East' as an exclusive third track.







In anticipation of this release we've once again linked up with Innamind, this time to offer the chance to win one of the super-limited Test Presses of vinyl release number two. To be in with a chance of winning, simply send your answer to this question to hedmuk@gmail.com with the subject 'Catacombs Competition':


How many releases to date - including singles, EPs, compilations and vinyl - has Innamind Recordings put out?


The competition will close on the 19th of October, on which date the winner will be chosen by an independent third party and announced on Facebook and Twitter, as well as via email.

But it doesn't end there, we've also got hold of a mix from the man Catacombs himself to accompany the release: stacked with dubs from start to finish, including plenty of as-yet-unheard new material from the Stoke producer, it's been racking up the playcount with us over the last week already.


Download: Catacombs - Innaminds Recordings Mix





Tracklist:


Catacombs - Badman Culture Pt. 2 (Dub)
D-Cult - Shifting Sands (Dub)
TMSV & Beezy - Crashing (Dub)
District - Locust (Dub)
Gantz - Catalyst (forthcoming Box Clever)
Thelem - Elemental Fears (Osiris Dub)
District - The Shift (Dub)
Sleeper - Zodiac (forthcoming Chestplate)
Demon & Catacombs - Searcher (Dub)
Razor Rekta - Taurus (Dub)
Kaiju - Double Dragon (Dub)
Gantz and J.Robinson - Misread (Dub)
Catacombs - Music Mi Luv (Dub)
Catacombs - Dimension (Demon Remix) (Dub)
Catacombs - Old Town (District Remix) (Dub)
Catacombs - Organism (forthcoming Innamind)
Sleeper - Dawn Of The Replicants (forthcoming Chestplate)
Catacombs & Knowledge - Exodus (forthcoming Innamind)
Ipman - Aight (Dub)


Preacha.

Competition: Win tickets to APE 7th Birthday @ The Warehouse Project, Manchester, 13/10/12 + APE Merchandise

The Warehouse Project has risen over the last six years to near-legendary status. Beginning in an old Boddingtons Brewery in Strangeways, before moving to the otherworldly underground car park space beneath Manchester's main train station and then, in Easter of this year, to the cavernous Victoria Warehouse in Trafford Park, the Project is seen as not just a series of top lineups but also as an experience in itself. It's difficult to talk about clubbing in Manchester without mentioning the Hacienda, and many perceive the yearly 12-week runs of WHP events to be an extension of that vibrancy and creativity that first put The Rainy City's dance music scene on the map.

And yet another staple of Manchester's ever-bristling nightlife is APE; a name synonymous with big raves, eclectic lineups and huge parties hosted at the Warehouse Project. This year's seventh birthday celebrations are no different, and that online tickets for the event sold out more than a week in advance is testament to both the quality of the music on offer and to APE's reputation when it comes to throwing a party. This Saturday's lineup mixes iconic performers across a range of styles, such as Sir David Rodigan MBE, Benga, Shy FX, Jackmaster, DOOM, The Bug, Andy C and DJ EZ, with some of the newer breed of talent, including Deadboy and Redinho, and is set to be an all-encompassing route through the realm of soundsystem and rave culture.

With all this on offer, we've hooked up with APE and the Warehouse Project to offer the chance for two winners to bag plus-one guestlist entry to this sold-out event as well as an APE hoody to pull up over your head for the cab-ride home. To enter, just send your answer to this simple question to hedmuk@gmail.com with the subject 'APE Competition':



In what year was the very first Warehouse Project event?



The competition will close on Friday the 12th of October, on which date two winners will be chosen by an independent third party, announced on Facebook and Twitter and notified via email. For more information on the event, including the full lineup and more information about the artists performing on the night, head over to the event profile page at the WHP website here.


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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.

Competition: Win tickets to see Riz MC, dBridge, Zed Bias, Biome and more at Hit&Run @ Corsica Studios, London.

After five years of legendary parties in Manchester, which have hosted many of today's biggest hitters' debut appearances in the rainy city, and a room 3 takeover at Fabric, the Youngsta- and Mala-certified Hit&Run crew are taking charge of Corsica Studios for their first solo venture in the capital. Headlining duties on the night will be taken on by three long-time friends and associates of the night, each bringing their own original styles to the dance: Riz MC - a familiar face from cult films such as Four Lions and, more recently, Ill Manors - with his fuming social commentaries; Exit Records boss, pioneering minimal drum & bass producer, and insistent boundary-pusher, dBridge; and UK garage don, cum-dubstep 'inventor', cum-Swamp 81 protege Zed Bias.

To add to this, the night will be hosting something of a showcase of Manchester talent; as a night known for a breaking rising talent, it seems fitting that Hit&Run should bring with them Skittles, Biome and Chimpo: three artists who have all been making major waves over the last year, and who all cut their performing teeth at Hit&Run. For more information on the night simply head over here, to the Facebook event page.

For the chance to win a pair of guestlist tickets to see all of this, and for a taste of that inimitable Hit&Run style, simply send your answer to the following question to hedmuk@gmail.com with the subject 'Hit&Run Competition', and your full name for the guestlist:

What is the catalogue number for Zed Bias's 'Stubborn Phase EP', released on Swamp 81 in December of last year?

The competition will close on July 5th, on which date a winner will be chosen by an independent third party and both announced on the Hedmuk Facebook Page and informed via email.

.Preacha.

Free Download: Catacombs & Knowledge - Tactics

In support of next week's M.U.D release, the Out Of Focus EP, Manchester-based pair Catacombs and Knowledge are giving away a beat put together in October of last year. 'Tactics' is an exercise in restraint: building from taut kicks and snare, a lilting synth-line and choral drapes into a swollen bassline drop and carefully-arranged hi-hats which undercut the eery top lines with a dose of swing. The second drop lets the bassline take over, slowing the drums into a march before picking up the pace again with that all-important swing.


Download: Catacombs & Knowledge - Tactics [WAV]
Download: Catacombs & Knowledge - Tactics [320kbps mp3]



.Preacha.

Competition: Win tickets to see Submotion Orchestra @ Hit&Run and a copy of the 'Finest Hour' LP

Next week sees the amazing Submotion Orchestra embarking on a month-long tour of the UK, including dates in London, Sheffield, Leeds, Brighton, Bristol and Exeter. First stop, though, is arguably city-of-the-moment for UK bass music: Manchester, and long-running clubnight Hit&Run. In anticipation of this show, and the tour itself, we caught up with Taz, who plays keys in the band, to ask him a few questions about Submotion and their forthcoming live shows.

We've also secured three tickets for Monday night's Hit&Run and two copies of the group's outstanding debut album, the aptly-titled 'Finest Hour', to give away, more details of which can be found below.

...

Hedmuk: To introduce the band, who is involved, what roles does each member play within the group and how would you describe the music that you make together?

Taz: Hello there. We've got Ruby Wood on vocals, Si 'Bobby' Beddoe on trumpet, myself Taz Modi on keyboards, Chris 'Fatty' Hargreaves on bass, Tommy Evans on drums, Danny T on percussion, and Ruckspin on FX and production. We're a dubstep-influenced band, but try to bring as many influences and sounds as possible to the group. We're all into a lot of different styles of music, and also enjoy mixing things up to see what happens, and all of that is part of the Submotion sound. People sometimes have difficulty trying to describe what the music sounds like, and that's OK with us - you don't need to pinpoint the style of any music in order to enjoy it.

H: The story behind your formation is an interesting one: can you tell us a bit about the initial York Minster gig came about?

T: The gig at York Minster was an experiment to mix contemporary dubstep with classical music, and in an amazing location. Only Tommy, Ruckspin and Fatty were involved in that and the results were pretty variable to be honest, but it got them all thinking about doing something further along those lines. They got some more people involved and we started to jam and experiment, and slowly it all started to come together. So it actually was more a catalyst for getting the group together, rather than our first actual project.

H: With a strong jazz element running through the band, to what extent do you feel that the freedom of expression commonly associated with the genre has lead to your unique amalgamation of traditional and more modern styles to achieve Submotion's unique sound?

T: To a large extent. We've found that audiences really respond to seeing a group of musicians play bass-heavy music, and doing it all live, and we've always tried to get the energy and excitement that comes from improvised music into what is actually quite a tightly structured set. You're only able to go so 'free' - it's a thin line between pushing the sound of what you're doing through improvisation, and just getting a bit self-indulgent; but hopefully we've managed to avoid doing that! We do want to try to use some of the expressive qualities of jazz to play the tunes a bit differently every time we gig, and I think audiences can pick up on that, and respond well to it.

H: You're often referred to, perhaps unfairly, as a 'dubstep band'; how far do you agree with this label? Do you find it constricting in terms of how you're able to promote yourself, or can it equally be beneficial?

T: Like I said before, we're happy to be related to dubstep, since that's where the roots of our rhythms and the space of the production come from, but there's a lot more in it [than that], and most people can see that. it's always constricting to label someone's music, but that's the nature of marketing these days whether you like it or not - people think they need something concrete to name something. Our way of getting over narrowing interpretations of it is just to play in as wide a variety of places as possible, to as wide an audience as possible - we've done grotty dubstep nights, jazz festivals, concert halls, outdoor festivals, all sorts of places - and we've managed to fit in OK at most of them. Part of that is due to the mixture of sounds in our style, but really most of it comes from the fact that audiences are a lot more happy to accept music that's not easy to categorise than marketing and advertising people give them credit for.

H: How do you approach a live show? Is it a case of following a strict setlist or something more freeform?

T: We do usually follow a pretty strict setlist to be honest. We always have a few tunes in reserve, and have been known to change things around quite quickly, but when we tour we do stick 90% to a pre-agreed setlist. But we try to interpret the tunes differently each time, so that people who see us multiple times can get something different from it. We also used to do a lot of fully improvised gigs, and still try to fit a few in whenever the chance comes up.

H: Finally, what are your plans for Submotion Orchestra once this tour is finished? Can we expect more releases, another album?

T: The second album is 70% finished at the moment, and it should be coming out in the latter part of the year. It should be pretty interesting - there'll be enough to please fans of the first album, but also some stuff that should surprise people a bit. We've also got a full summer of festivals lined up and another UK tour in october, so there won't be much rest for us...

...

To be in with a chance of winning free entry to Monday night's show (which will also gain you free entry to the afterparty hosted, once more, by Hit&Run) and a copy of 'Finest Hour' just email your answer to the following question, along with a valid postal address to which prizes may be sent, to hedmuk@gmail.com with the subject 'Submotion Competition':

On which label did Submotion Orchestra release their debut EP, the 'Submotion EP'?

The competition will close at 12 noon on Monday the 12th of February, at which point two names will be randomly selected by an independent third party to win entry to the show/afterparty along with a copy of the album, and a third will receive the runner-up prize of entry to the show/afterparty.

For more details on this Monday's event in Manchester, including how to get hold of tickets click here.

.Preacha.

Free Download: Biome - Specimen

Reportedly as a result of clearing out old tunes (perhaps spurred on by Sleeper's similar decision yesterday), Biome has given away this free bit today. With his characteristic mid-range lines, big kicks and brooding sub-bass this is one which followers of the Manchester producer's recent rise to prominence will no doubt be keen to add to their collections.


Download: Biome - Specimen



.Preacha.

Competition: Win tickets to see DJ Madd, District, Sleeper, Thelem, Biome & more @ Subtitled #2

After the sell-out success of last month's Subtitled with Kryptic Minds and Biome, October brings a fresh lineup and another chance to win tickets to one of Manchester's most exciting new nights.

Featuring DJ Madd, District, Sleeper, Thelem and Subtitled resident, Biome all on the same stage, this is a finely curated event; to find out more about the night, including where to grab advance tickets from, click here.

Once again, we've linked up with the guys at Subtitled to offer the chance to win a pair of tickets to the event by answering this simple question:


What was the name of DJ Madd's very first release on Boombap Records back in 2008?


To be in with a chance, just send your answer to hedmuk@gmail.com with the subject 'Subtitled Competition' before the closing date of the 20th of October. The winner will be randomly selected after the competition's close, and announced via the 'Hedmuk - Bass Music' Facebook page (aswell as being notified by email).

.Preacha.

Competition: Win tickets to see Kryptic Minds & Biome @ Subtitled #1

Subtitled is a new Manchester clubnight set to launch on the 21st of September with dubstep heavyweights Kryptic Minds receiving support from Subtitled resident Biome; and with their second lineup already confirmed for October, featuring DJ Madd headlining and District, Sleeper and Thelem all joining him to make their Manchester debuts, this is a night that we're backing.

Building their lineups by booking established artists alongside some of the scene's most exciting up-and-comers, Subtitled are looking to present the finest talents in bass music and to bring plenty of fresh debutantes to the city.

We've linked up with the guys behind the night to run a competition to win a pair of tickets to their opening night (see the flyer above or click here for further information) by simply answering the following question:


How many releases have there been, to date, on Kryptic Minds' label, Osiris Music?


Send your answers by email to hedmuk@gmail.com and a winner will be randomly selected and notified on the closing date of the competition, which will be the 19th of September.

.Preacha.

Featuring: Biome

There's a lot of talent in Manchester that tends to get overlooked, but it's a testament to the city's apparently inherent passion for music that this acts less as a barrier than as a hurdle that needs to be crossed at its highest point. Biome is a producer representative of this approach in that there is nothing rushed about his work and he only seems happy if what people are hearing from him is something that he can call fully-formed. After first breaking into dubstep with the sort of big kicks and dark mid-range found on tunes like 'Sonic' he has honed his sound to something genuinely original and he's now reaping the rewards of his patience and getting regular plays from some of the biggest names on the circuit. By considering the importance of the mid-range of a tune alongside the bassline and still keeping in mind the idea of space, Biome builds that ever-elusive sense of darkness into his beats whilst maintaining the energy within them that is necessary to get people moving on a dancefloor. We caught up with him for an interview and he's also contributed the latest mix in our exclusive series...

Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where do you come from and how would you describe your sound?
Biome: I'm Biome, I'm from Lancashire originally but now living in Manchester. I'd describe my sound as deep, dark and sub-heavy but mostly just dark.

H: How did you get into making beats? Are you from a musical background or was it something you picked up yourself?
B: It's something I've been interested in since being about 10 years old. I was brought up listening to and understanding classical music but fell in love with hip hop from the moment I first heard Onyx and Wu-Tang. I started messing with Ejay and music for the PS1 when I was 11 and my passion for creating got stronger. I purchased Ableton when I was 14 along with Reason and started out making drum and bass with Indigo. I was messing around with production for a while and then the dubstep scene started to emerge and it was at a time where both me and Indigo were looking for something new and exciting, as drum and bass around that time seemed to have lost its edge. Since then I've stuck to making dubstep and drum and bass, but I'm definitely pushing the dubstep a lot more at the moment.

Biome "Havana" by Dubstep For Deep Heads

H: Where do you draw your influences from, and are they mainly musical or do you take ideas from other things aswell?
B: My influence can come from anywhere: the best influence for me comes from films as I like to create a scene with my music. I like film soundtracks and the way they are constructed. I take my drum influence from hip hop mainly as I always loved the half step swing and have never been too much into 2-step or garage because I always preferred jungle when it comes to fast skippy beats.

H: Some of your earlier releases, such as that alongside Dom Hz on Subdepth, had a greater dancefloor focus; are you still making this range of sounds, or do you tend to focus in on building tunes of a certain style?
B: I still mostly make dancefloor music, I've just matured a lot within my style. I've finally begun to really mould my sound. I'm still making a lot of mid range bass within my tunes but with a much more tasteful nature than the screeching sounds of today's jump-up scene. I like to use synthesis intelligently and create a groove around the beat with the bass as opposed to just using the beat as the main rhythm. I'm very much into the deeper side of music and take a lot of influence from Indigo and Synkro and the music they play me, but I take that and interpret the sound in my own, usually darker, way. I've got a Mindset release forthcoming which I think will show another side to my production, a lighter and slightly more emotional style of production.

H: Having been hailed as criminally underrated for so long, how does it feel to be breaking onto the scene via Youngsta's revered Rinse slot?
B: I'm pleased with how things are going at the moment. Youngsta's helped me a lot with feedback and promoting my tracks on Rinse: he's the one DJ who's always played the sound that I was massively into. I've always been into the techy side of music, coming from a D&B background and being heavily influenced by producers like Calyx, Teebee, Silent Witness, Spor and nowadays especially Noisia. I wanted to recreate this sound within dubstep but on a deeper, dubbier level and Youngsta was pretty much the only main DJ on the scene playing that style so it was good to link with him; we're definitely on the same wavelength when it comes to music so we get on well.

Biome - The Fear EP by Sub Pressure

H: Manchester is a city brimming with talent, yet it seems to be continually overlooked: what would you put this down to? With similar situations in both Leeds and Birmingham, do you think that the student-dominated/oriented nightlife of these cities is a major factor?
B: I'd say that as dubstep has been evolving it's taken time for producers from other cities to get involved due to it starting out as a London scene. As time has passed I think it has become a lot more open to producers all over the country and world. If the music's good and it's pushed with the right people it usually gets out there. I would say that within the Manchester club scene it hardly seems worth booking anybody but the really big names as it is student dominated and the crowds go for the names they know. It's more likely that Manchester artists get better gigs outside of Manchester. There is certainly a lot of talent within Manchester and other parts of the country but there is a feeling that you still need a helping hand from people primarily on the London scene to get you noticed.

Music should be universal and not really seen as a 'Manchester sound' or a 'London sound' etcetera. All music has to originate from somewhere and there will be a reason why a certain style has come from a certain background and the influences it's taken from that. I think within Manchester there's a much bigger call for the deeper soulful side of music because that seems like the main influence around us, and something I certainly draw a great influence from myself.

H: Talk us through how you went about putting together the mix you've done for us.
B: I went along the lines of a more listenable mix for this: strictly 140 dubstep but crossing a lot of sub genres within it. I wanted to show the true extent of my sound and also represent the artists whose work I'm massively into. I've tried to make it a journey of sound so it's not just bangers throughout or deep and musical throughout but a mixture of it all taking different directions to the groove of the mix without losing energy or interest.

H: Finally, are there any forthcomings or anything in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out about?
B: I'm in talks with a few different labels at the moment; nothings 100% yet but there should be some big releases heading out soon and one to look out for is the next Mindset release.


Download: Biome - Hedmuk Exclusive Mix


Tracklist:

Ruckspin & Quark - Roman (Dub)
Versa - Wisdom (ICU Audio)
Indigo - Neveah (Dub)
Sleeper - The 2nd Step (Dub)
Biome - Quest (Dub)
Killawatt - Critters (Dub)
Cymatic - Glue (Forthcoming Box Clever)
Sleeper - Untitled (Dub)
Biome & Fallen 45 - DMT (Dub)
Indigo- Creeper (Dub)
Versa - Lucid (Dub)
Biome & Versa - Untitled (Dub)
Synkro - Tribe (Box Clever)
DJ Madd - Dub Marine (Kryptic Minds Remix) - (Black Box)
Biome - Propaganda (Dub)
Sleeper - Kuruwai (Dub)
Thelem - Distilled (Dub)
Biome - Minus (Dub)
Biome - Moody (Dub)
Biome - Industrial (Sub Pressure)
Dom Hz - What Happened (Dub)
Biome - Nightscape (Dub)
Indigo - Bardo (Dub)

Biome -HEDMUK Exclusive Mix by Hedmuk on Mixcloud

.Preacha.