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.

W.

Feature: War Dubz II

It all started with Bless Beats and an awkward attempt at something he used to be pretty good at, and from there the thinly-veiled Lord Of The Mics 5 promo stunt began to spiral with constant back-and-forths between the likes of Jammer, Wiley, JME, Preditah and Rude Kid over Twitter. Following this was a whole bundle of short, thrown-together pseudo-trap (and, admittedly, the odd banger) from not only the few producers who had started the whole thing but also, it seemed at least, anyone who's ever downloaded Fruity Loops and fancied a shot at the fast-dwindling limelight.

Severe quality control issues aside, the whole thing has had a fairly positive effect in terms of not only getting more producers back in front of their monitors again but also reigniting a debate about how grime sounds in 2013. And since we're not of the opinion that grime in 2013 sounds like trap, we were keen to see some younger blood coming through.

Wen came with a beat and arguably cleared the floor with everyone, and then wasn't included in the GrimeForum nominations. So it was that another previous guest of ours, Threnody, took it upon himself to instigate a new set of clashes, enlisting 22 of the best emerging grime producers to go head to head. Names were picked at random on Threnody's Sub.FM last week, with each producer given seven days to write a beat in their opponent's style but at a level that they could never reach.

The clashes are as follows, and will be aired live tonight, from 10-midnight GMT on Sub.FM.

1. Filter Dread vs. Dark0
2. Mella Dee vs. Arctic
3. Breen vs. Rabit
4. Chemist vs. Zha
5. Legend4ry vs. Name Pending
6. Mad EP vs. Crackatoa
7. Glot vs. Strict Face
8. Epoch vs. Underclass
9. Kakarot vs. Marcx
10. Dellity vs. College Hill
11. Majora vs. Mike Midnight

An unofficial vote will be judged from chatroom hype during the show, and an official vote will follow directly after the show right here on Hedmuk.

--- VOTING ---

The vote process is a simple one: all the clashes are available to stream in the players below, and the beat in each clash that has been favourited by the most people wins. To vote, simply click the 'Like' icon in the top right hand corner of the player.

Voting will close on Monday the 23th of September 2013.

1.   Filter Dread vs. Dark0


2.   Mella Dee vs. Arctic


3.   Breen vs. Rabit


4.   Chemist vs. Zha


5.   Legend4ry vs. Name Pending


6.   Mad EP vs. Crackatoa


7.   Glot vs. Strict Face


8.   Epoch vs. Underclass


9.   Kakarot vs. Marcx


10. Dellity vs. College Hill


11. Majora vs. Mike Midnight



To listen back to the War Dubz II show in full, use the player below to stream or download from here.

Threnody - War Dubz II - Sub FM by Threnody on Mixcloud

W.

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.

12 Classic Sets / Mixtapes

With Outlook coming up next weekend, there will be many people making their way over to Croatia to experience one of the world's best and fastest-rising festivals and an equal amount of people (if not more) left sitting at home wishing they were there. With this in mind, we at HEDMUK have put together this collection of some of our favourite sets and mixtapes from over the years which should provide a perfect accompaniment for both long journeys to Pula and days sat at home wishing you were taking it all in at Fort Punta Christo. Moving chronologically from 2002 to 2009, and taking in a wide range of styles from dark garage, to grime, to dubstep and jungle, we start with dubstep sound-definer, Hatcha. Enjoi:


Featuring an unreal number of dubplates and exclusives, this mix from 2002 is indicative of the degree of influence that Hatcha had when it came to sculpting out the original dubstep sound.


Download: Hatcha - Studio Mix [2002]


Quality from start to finish, and a small piece of history in itself, Skream's promo mix for Big Apple Records has stood the test of time and serves as both reason and reminder for the unbridled success that the Croydon originator now enjoys.


Download: Skream - Big Apple Mix [2004]


The first of a CD series that only ran to two volumes, this live recording of one of Youngsta's sets at FWD>> is a snapshot of the dread-bass, dark halfstep sound that the legendary DJ made his own.


Download: Youngsta - FWD>> Live: Vol. 1 (feat. Crazy D) [2004]


Perhaps best known for their more recent '10 Year Anniversary' mixes, United Vibes had already shown their skills of observation in 2006 by tracing the history of dubstep back to its origins in this tight retrospective selection.


Download: United Vibes - Dubstep History Mix [2006]


Jumping on the mic for Kode9's show on Rinse, the self-proclaimed Godfather of Grime rides classic beats from the likes of Skream, Benga, D1, Mala, Coki & Loefah and asserts the potential for innovative crossover between the two genres.


Download: Kode9 - Wiley's Guest Appearance: Rinse FM [2006]


The beginnings of his now-renowned yearly mix series (recently rebranded as the 'Sound That Speaks Volumes' series) saw Plastician blending his own dark hybrid grime/dubstep productions with some of the year's biggest dubs and already-released tunes.


Download: Plastician - May Mix [2006]


Dizzee Rascal makes an appearance on Kool FM (a London pirate that was key in the development of the jungle scene, and not to be confused with Northern Ireland's Cool FM) and switches from his usual grimey flow to jump on a Ruff Stuff jungle set and Skibadee's reaction is enough confirmation of his cross-genre abilities.


Download: Ruff Stuff - Skibadee, Dizzee Rascal, Funsta, Harry Shotta & D Double E: Kool FM [2007]


Judge Jules' predictions of future success for Benga could not have been more on point, and the latter's Essential Mix remains as an example of the innovation and talent behind the widespread acclaim he and his music would garner over the following years.


Download: Benga - Essential Mix [2008]


To celebrate the Newham legend's birthday, Tubby and D Double E returned to their roots in jungle for this special set in 2008 which is packed full of stone cold classic tunes, bars and flows.


Download: Tubby & D Double E - D Double's Birthday Set: Rinse FM [2008]


Collaborating with their label -30, Cotti & Cluekid took an almost literal interpretation of the word 'dubstep' by creating a blend of dark garage rhythms and atmospherics and a heavily reggae-influenced approach to melodies, vocals and sampling. In this promo mix for the now-defunct label, Cotti takes the listener through this unique approach to the sound.


Download: Cotti - -30 Mix [2008]


A year after his seminal 'Dubstep Allstars: Vol. 5' mix, N-Type upped the ante with this tightly constructed mix for Radio 1 pioneer, Mary Anne Hobbs. Moving in one swift motion from jungle to garage to dubstep, N-Type shows why he's held up as one of the best and most respected DJs around.


Download: N-Type - In The Mix For Mary Anne Hobbs' Experimental Show: Radio 1 [2008]


After making the switchover from drum & bass to dubstep and linking up with Loefah for what would be the launch of his label, Swamp 81, Kryptic Minds made clear their true potential around the 140bpm mark with this mix for Blackdown. Dropping a few months before their debut dubstep album, 'One Of Us', this mix set them out as a duo that would become impossible to ignore.


Download: Kryptic Minds - Blackdown Studio Mix [2009]


.Preacha.

Free Download: Wiley - Chill Out Zone LP

Following last weeks release of both his 100% publishing LP and the 'Creating a Buzz Mixtape' with DJ Whoo Kid Wiley has today released another full album for free. Chill Out Zone features 14 tracks and is proof of the mans tireless work ethic.

Download: Wiley - Chill Out Zone LP

Tracklist:

1. Music Is Calling Me Ft. Meleka
2. If I Could Ft. Ed Sheeran
3. Seduction Ft. Alexa Goddard
4. Walk Away Ft. Sinead Harnett
5. But I Did..
6. Don’t Throw It Away
7. Romeo Ft. Cherri V
8. She Might Holla
9. Out The Box
10. Random Thoughts
11. New Discovery
12. Piano Cry
13. Pengting Ft. Opium
14. Born Into A Lie

Free Download: Ghetts - Merry Christmas EP

As one of the most consistent names in the grime scene, Ghetts' releases are always worth getting hold of for a few listens through. This free Christmas offering is no different as the twelve track collection points toward another good year for Ghetto as his uniquely verbose flows and metaphor-thick lyricism continue to progress to take in a more reflective side to both his vocals and his beat selection. With the usual high-profile producers (including Maniac, Lewi White, Dot Rotten and Zdot) lending beats and names such as Wiley, Griminal and long-time collaborator Devlin appearing as features, this EP delivers.

Download: Ghetts - Merry Christmas EP

Tracklist:

1. Merry Christmas
2. Freestyle (feat. Stutta)
3. Flee (feat. Mercston)
4. What Happened
5. Closer
6. Rain (feat. Raws Artilla)
7. They Don't Know (feat. Devlin)
8. Strike Me Dead (feat. Griminal & Dot Rotten)
9. Red Stripe
10. Spun (feat. Wiley & Dot Rotten)
11. Platoon (Old Skool Ghetts)
12. Star / Outro

.Fukhed.

Free Download: Stelf - Shake My Head

Stelf is one of a small number of young grime MCs who have spent 2010 steadily developing profiles for themselves. With a focus on a dedication to the grime scene which has been a popular topic for 2010, and a main feature of much of the output from other up-and-coming MCs such as Maxsta and Rival as well as more established artists like Ghetts and Lethal Bizzle. This, his first mixtape, provides a snapshot of the work Stelf has been putting in over the year and features beats from the likes of Wiley, Dot Rotten, Bless Beats and Zdot.

Download: Stelf - Shake My Head

Tracklist:

1. Shake My Head (Prod. By Wiley)
2. Welcome (Prod. By Bless Beats)
3. Hungrey (feat. Lil Nasty & Shrimpoz) (Prod. By Zdot)
4. Make My Doe (Prod. By Dot Rotten)
5. Check This (Prod. By Warnz)
6. Art Of Grime (feat. S-H & Shrimpoz) (Prod. By Bless Beats)
7. Takeover (feat. Maxsta, Shizz & Shrimpoz)
8. No Chorus (feat. S-H) (Prod. By Zdot)
9. I Grime (Prod. By Hazzy)
10. See You Go (Prod. By Skanka)
11. 1Xtra: Cameo Set (feat. Maxsta & Axeman) [Bonus]
12. HS Anthem (feat. Delirious, Kage, Jokez, Lexi & Lyttle Lyttz) [Bonus]

.Fukhed.

Free Download: Zdot - Route To Success: Parts 1 & 2

Having risen over recent years to establish himself as undoubtedly one of this years hottest grime producers, Zdot is the man behind the beats for the tunes such as Wiley's recent free release 'Roaming', Ghetts' war dub for P Money 'Destruction Of The Eiffel Tower' and Griminal's 'ET'. His beats are build with an old-school, minimal feel to them which provides the perfect platform for the increasingly lyrical approach of the new wave of grime MCs, yet this does not mean they don't pack a punch without the aid of a vocalist. The 'Route to Success' series is aimed at showcasing this sound, and furthermore delivers all of the tunes in a high quality format: something that is all too rare in the grime scene.

Part 1 features vocals from some of the biggest names about, including Ghetts, Doller Da Dustman, Shifty & Badness alongside a collection of instrumentals such as 'Gwop Likes Me' and the huge 'Me & Z'.

Download: Zdot - Route To Success: Part 1

Part 2 is similarly weighty, this time featuring stalwarts on the mic, such as Wiley and Mercston, alongside younger, rising MCs like Maxsta. The beats, of course, are as diverse and consistently well-produced as has come to be expected of the young producer.

Download: Zdot - Route To Success: Part 2

.Fukhed.

Free Download: Wiley - Roaming

On this new track the grime legend goes over a beat from one of this year's breakthrough producers, Zdot, exercising his unmistakable swagger on the mic and making reference once more to the retention of his status within the grime scene despite having commercial success. If there's more to follow this one, then fans should certainly have something to look forward to. Keep up to date with the free releases via Wiley's Twitter.

Download: Wiley - Roaming

.Fukhed.

Free Download: Terror Danjah - Shock To The System

Slept on this one slightly, but following Wiley's decision to make a whole host of his back catalogue available for free download, grime don Terror Danjah has hooked us all up with his supposed brand new album 'Shock to the System'. A member of the legendary and now defunct Nasty Crew, Terror Danjah is responsible for grime classic 'Zumpi Hunter' and has a slew of releases on labels as seminal as Hyperdub and Planet Mu.

Download via the link here as posted by Terror Danjah on his Twitter.

Wiley on the buttons.

Everyone knows that Wiley is easily one of the best grime lyricists that Bow E3 has thrown up, but what many are not aware of is that he is also among the most talented and influential producers of the last decade aswell. Lauded by such respected and prolific talents as Hyperdub don Kode9, longtime grime producer Terror Danjah (whose latest release on Butterz is also definitely worth a cop) and the UK's longest standing bass music shape-shifter Kevin Martin, Wiley's production talents are not to be sniffed at. However, grime instrumentals are certainly an acquired taste and, as such, do not often bring much cause for release unless they feature an MC going over the beat. The upshot of this is that instrumental album releases are few and far between, and that many of Wiley's beats have never been released in their own right. This changes now, though, as (finally) Avalanche Music: Volume 1 gets a release. Twenty-two previously unreleased beats from the man himself which act not only as a collection of evidence of talent, a document in favour of the value of standalone grime instrumentals and a CD's worth of essential listening, but also as a template for anyone wanting to hone their production skills and take the next ten years by storm themselves.

.Fukhed.