M.I.A working with Rusko!?

A recent article in the New York Times in which M.I.A's native Sri Lanka was numero uno of "The 31 places to go in 2010" was the apparent influence for her new track. Angered by the article M.I.A responded in two ways; first uploading gruesome images of dead bodies, apparently victims of civil war, lying on the apparent "pristine coastline", and the second was to call up Rusko to produce her new track entitled "Space odyssey". The dubby track, finished this Monday, will feature on her forthcoming album due this summer according to her label Interscope. Yeh boy!

Starkey: Building Beats.

Way back in the relative warmth of pre-snow December, Mary-Anne Hobbs challenged Starkey to build a beat in just 2 hours, live on air and from scratch -using loops and samples sent in by listeners. Last night, joined by producer/percussionist Reso and vocalist Anneka (whom Starkey handpicked for the project), the challenge was met with quite beautiful results.

The whole show: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wqb7

Listen to the finished track here:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio1/_ood/starkeymah/starkeymah_20100114-1207.mp3

SKWEEEEEEE

Skweee: a low-tech funky/dubstep hybrid from Scandinavia which is surprisingly listenable and in places not too far from any Hessle audio or Hemlock output. More information can be found at skweelicious, http://skweee.com/let-skweeedom-ring , the blogging authority for all thing skweee. There's also a really nice introductory mix to skweee which I borrowed from the good people of Sonic Router. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD: Stickem - Let Skweeedom Ring

Unearthed 001

Unearthed, as your remember, is a new sister label from Punch Drunk Records reviving classic Bristol soundsystem anthems of the past. Following the positive feedback received by the labels first release, Smith & Mighty 'Bass is Maternal' / 'U Dub' (Unearthed 002), Peverelist has chosen to stick with Rob Smith's music as his 'Living in Unity' along with Smith & Mighty feat. Fiji 40 'B Line Fi Flow' gets the remastering treatment. Pure fyah!

Joe Nice.2010.New Year.New Mix.

Joe Nice, our favourite DJ from across the pond, has put together the first mix of 2010 for his show on Gourmet Beats (http://www.gourmetbeats.com). As always with Mr.Nice there's a ridiculous tracklist and some insane dubs: worth a listen.


DOWNLOAD - http://joenice.net/mixes/2010_1_joenice.mp3 (right click, save as)

TRACKLISTING:

01. Earth Wind and Fire – Let’s Groove
02. James Blake – Buzzard & Kestral
03. Commodo – Crooked Law
04. James Blake – Drop It Like It’s Not
05. Mala – City Cycle
06. James Blake – Drop It Like It’s Not
07. DJ Eastwood – U Aint Ready (Untold Remix)
08. Distal – Serengeti
09. Kutz – Hypno
10. Addison Groove – Footcrab
11. Skream – Repercussions of A Razor Blade
12. Addison Groove – Dumb Shit
13. TRG – Strobelick
14. Boyz Noise – Transmission (Untold Remix)
15. F – Energy Distortion
16. James Blake & Mt. Kimbie – I’ll Stay
17. The Bug feat. FlowDan – Run
18. Kryptic Minds – Badman
19. Distance – No Warning

Dub-what? // What-step?

Similarly to the way in which any adult might dread being quizzed as to the origin of children by one much younger and more innocent than themselves, most dubstep fans would rather part with their copy of BAM001 than have to try and explain to someone where their beloved genre came from. By this of course, I don't mean the geographical question (to which most will reply either Bristol or Croydon, then run away), rather where did the sound actually come from? One of the most attractive things about dubstep is that its sonic origins are difficult pin down, due largely to the fact that it has so many. Borrowing from the whole range of underground, bass-driven dance music, dubstep is a hybrid and, more to the point, one that actually works. Among the most obvious contributors to the sound of dubstep is late-'90s garage of the sort produced by Zed Bias (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljz9XYbXsUs), and this mix put together by Sub FM's United Vibes way back in 2006 is as good a guide as any to how strong an influence garage had on the sound of dubstep so popular on the rave scene today: traceable basslines, two-step rhythms, intensely catchy riffs and wicked samples.

The mix is available for free download from here:

http://barefiles.com/?id=518

Tracklist:

Horsepower – Classic Deluxe [Tempa]
Artwork – The Soul
DJ Abstract – Identity Crisis [Vehicle]
Bogeyman Vs Lombardo – Disturbed
DJ Abstract Touch [Tempa]
Phuturistix – 551 Blues [Locked On]
El-B & Blaze – The Club [Ghost]
Horsepower – Let’s Dance [Tempa]
Horsepower – Electro Bass [Turn U On]
Nude – Digitize [Shelflife]
El-B & Roxy – Express [Ghost Ltd]
El-B – Lyrical Tempo [Ghost]
Hyper-Hypa and Julius feat. MC Juiceman – Congo Fever [Shelflife]
High Plains Drifter feat. Goldspot Productions – Sholay (epic mix) [Tempa]
Menta – Snake Charmer [Road]
Artwork – Red [Big Apple]
El-B – Two Thousand [Ghost]
Oris Jay – Biggin Up The Massive [Urban Underground]
Zed Bias – Pretty Pretty [Kritical Mass Productions]
El-B feat. MC Juiceman – Buck & Bury [Ghost]
Daluq – Supafine [Soulja]
Exemen – Far East [Manchu]
Darqwan – Confused ? [Texture]
Darqwan – Pipe Dreams [Soulja]
Menta – Rubba [Sounds of the Future]
Horsepower – Gorgon Sound [Tempa]
Groove Chronicles – Stone Cold [Groove Chronicles]

.Fukhed.

Menage a Trois? Yes please...

Besides the ridiculous line up Thrasher put together for its Warehouse Project event in October, this week's 'Menage a Trois' between Hit&Run, Prostitutes & Policemen and Format boasts one of the biggest bills to come to Manchester yet. Fyah!!!!