Wednesday 23 April 2008

Kontakt!!!



My next DJ gig. Alongside my boy Reso. Should be fundiddlyum

Kontakt is Leicester and, i should probably say, the midlands finest dubstep night. Seen the likes of Skream, Benga, Chef....etc etc etc....all the top brass deck wrecking. So am priviledged to be asked to spin.

Big up Felis. Just need my train tickets now bruv ;-}

Sunday 20 April 2008

Charlie Dark's "Have Box Will Travel"



Saturday night I took my girlfriend to see my friend Charlie Dark's new show "Have Box Will Travel" at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. If you know Charlie, you'll know he's a creative dynamo. Ever organising, performing, teaching and of course, DJing. I'm lucky enough to have brought him in on a youth project I was working in Lewisham back in 2005-2007 called Live Recordings, teaching a bunch of 'at risk' kids from South East London how to run a record label. So, as soon as he'd told me about his latest project I had to go.

"Have Box Will Travel" is a strongly auto-biographical play about Charlie's musical coming of age: from the halcyon dreams of a child bedroom DJ hyperactive on the fumes of Public Enemy's revolution, via larger than life characters like Sweaty Tony and the most perfectly realised of all, his confused and hilarious 'Nubian Queen' mother. Charlie takes us on a journey, pulling us down into the isolation of his breakdown post major label rejection, only to brought touchingly back into focus again with the birth of his first child, Naima (named after a John Coltrane song, but shhh, don't tell mum). All to a sound track of classic funk, afrobeat, hip hop and jazz.

A warm, touching and very funny insight into an all too familiar story of hopes, dreams and growing pains all told with Charlie's usual storytelling panache. "Have Box Will Travel" is a musical trip down memory lane that made me rush straight back home and dig out my old soul, jazz and hip hop records to relive the very same fuzzy nostalgia. Go see this, only one week left!

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Show synopsis:
It’s hard being the king of the turntables when you live in South London and your African mother doesn’t understand her Hip from her Hop.

Charlie Dark’s new show Have Box Will Travel
is a rites of passage story that takes you from a bedroom in South London, round the world, and back again, with life-changing tracks and slick direction from Hip Hop theatre favourite Benji Reid.

Charlie Dark is a dynamic part of the UK’s poetry
and performance scene as a writer, producer
and DJ known for his flamboyant gestures and vocal gymnastics. Charlie founded Blacktronica, a monthly showcase of the Black electronic music scene in Britain.


More info and booking details here - http://www.lyric.co.uk/fromhomepage/pl333.html

Wednesday 16 April 2008

Red Bull gives you....Music!


Skream playing and talking about his music at the Red Bull Academy

THE RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY TURNS TEN!

APPLICATION PHASE FOR BARCELONA 2008 NOW OPEN
March 14 – May 05, 2008

 
Workshop Term 1: September 21 – October 03, 2008
Workshop Term 2: October 12 – October 24, 2008

It’s double digits for the annual Red Bull Music Academy. The tenth Academy hits Barcelona this autumn and they are now accepting applications from passionate producers, singers and DJs who want access to mind-blowing lectures and access to jaw-dropping studio equipment. The Academy takes place during September and October and applications can be made between March 14th and May 5th 2008 at www.redbullmusicacademy.com
Each year two groups of thirty participants cherry-picked from all over the world – there have been house DJs from Khazakstan, hip hop producers from Colombia and multi-instrumentalists from New Zealand – are accepted into the Academy for a fortnight-long term. They are joined by a colourful list of musicians and musical experts who share studio tips and the stories behind the tunes during informal lectures and lab lessons. Gigs are then played by the guests and Academy attendees in different venues around the city.

The Red Bull Music Academy first opened its doors in 1998 and has become a platform for those who shape our sonic future. Since then over 450 pioneers of modern music have spoken at its various editions held around the globe including ‘90s hip hop godfather DJ Premier, Planet Rock producer Arthur Baker and The Mizell Brothers as well as a host of young producers from Sinden to Skream. In addition, many of the 600 alumni have gone on to collaborate with the experts they met at the Academy and  have written albums or started their own labels. Previous participants include Buraka Son Sistema, Mr. Hudson and the Library, Aloe Blacc and Flying Lotus.  

Traveling to a new location every year The Red Bull Music Academy has previously touched down in Cape Town, Berlin, San Paulo, Melbourne and Toronto. Each editing involves setting up a bespoke campus filled with local art, and building both a live recording room and a labyrinth of studios – and filling a borrowing-room with desirable synths, samplers and keyboards ready to be borrowed by the participants. 

Applicants must be passionate about music, have a desire to learn and share ideas and be 18 before September 21 2008. Once the application process is completed, successful applications will be invited to participate in one of two terms: September 21 – October 03, 2008 or October 12 – October 24, 2008 in Barcelona.  

For those interested in finding out more about The Red Bull Music Academy check out www.rbmaradio.com  for on-demand access to over 500 exclusive shows, mixes, live feeds, tribute sets, guest DJs and interviews, as well as lecture podcasts from some of the Academy’s most inspirational guests.

All information and lectures are also available at www.redbullmusicacademy.com

Saturday 12 April 2008

Friday 11 April 2008

April 08 Top Ten

What's occuring people? April is swinging with a serious selection of fiya tunes in this months top ten +1!!! Most exciting of all is that we have confirmed LD's awesome future soca dub track, Green Ranger as the flipside to his Sully 'Give Me Up' remix, which both me and JBliss are stoked about. Taking 2nd Drop off in new sonic tangents and once again proving you can't pin us down to just one sound, style or vibe, LD is a very welcome addtion to the roster and a talent on the rise, keep em peeled!

2nd Drop Music - constantly moving and evolving, always forwards, never backwards. Zoop!

LD - Green Ranger - 2nd Drop
12th Planet ft Howard Marks -Untitled 65 (Unreleased)
Sully - Make Me (Unreleased)
Pinch - Chamber Dub (Soul Jazz Promo)
2562 - new LP ;-} (ForthcomingTectonic)
23HZ & Numaestro - Fantasmas (Dub)
Bowzer & DZ - Another Day (Mugwell Bill Rekids Promo)
Ges-E & Sukh Knight - Vengeance (Unreleased)
Martyn - Stormwatch (Forthcoming Revole:r)
Benga & Walsh - Addicts (Texture)

Special request non-dubstep killer
Sharon Brown - I Specialize in Love (Profile/ Virgin)
A disco/ boogie classic from 1981, killer piano stabs and a vocal that is soooo good, well, I would devote my life to the women if she were still with us (fact check: make sure she's dead first, apologies Sharon if you're not) Big tune!

Friday 4 April 2008

DOA - Norwich party vibes!


Skankin crew!

It's the day after the night before, and i'm tired, hungover and still buzzin from playing at DOA, Mustard Lounge, Norwich with Mala (DMZ), Sully and Innasekt. Managed to hear my new dubs of Skream, LD, Rusko, Clouds, Twisted and Sully on a reasonably decent system, which is always a blessing. Not having to play CDs was a joy!

The venue was probably just over half full (the Easter holidays don't help these things, especially when the most open minded crowd hail from the student quarters), but the vibes were in serious quantity. Everyone there was having it. I opened with Dead Prez's Hip Hop which makes perfect sense in a dubstep set. Mala subsequently opened his set with Witness by Roots Manuva, another stone-cold bassconductor. Got a rewind standardly. Then the DMZ head honcho went deep medi and played dub after dub of his truly unique style - no one makes tunes like Mala. Fact. The subs cut out a few times from the barrage of bass - heavyweight. And the only place you are likely to hear his selection is in the dance, where it should be. Sully finished off the night showcasing his stylistic range, from the ravetastic Give Me Up to his dubstep refix of boogie classic Heartbeat. A talent to watch.

Big up to Alec DOA for inviting me to play and looking after me. Top lad with some super cool and friendly mates. And special big up to Scandal for getting out of bed to support. A double zoop straight out to you...Zoop! Zoop!