Hiatus – real name Cyrus Shahrad – has long been fascinated by the events of April 1981, a violent retaliation against years of joblessness, segregation and police intimidation among Brixton’s black community, and which shook Thatcher’s Britain to the core.

“It seems a potent time to release Insurrection,” says Hiatus, “partly because of the anniversary, but also because we’re once again staring into the cold eyes of a Conservative government oblivious to the dangers of racial and social profiling.

“We’re facing financial meltdown and mass unemployment, we’re having our libraries closed and our forests sold, and we’re seeing disabled protesters ripped from their wheelchairs when they try to sound the alarm on the streets of London. If there was ever a time to reflect on the UK’s largest outpouring of community anger in recent centuries, this is it.”

Like the punk movement that flowered amid uncollected rubbish in 1979’s ‘Winter of Discontent’, Insurrection is the sort of urgent protest music that can only be born of disenchantment: part warning, part clarion call to action, and a sharp contrast to the strings-driven nostalgia of Save Yourself, the sweeping debut single released to widespread acclaim last December.

The track opens with distorted dub organs and Linton’s smoke smothered drawl, before bottoming out with a speaker-shaking bassline and a building sense of menace lent a melancholy edge by a distant piano. It’s a tune both brutal and unexpectedly beautiful, and one paired with a video compiled from archive footage of the riots by Hiatus himself.

“Not that I want to paint Brixton as a war zone,” he adds. “I’ve lived here for years, and can honestly say that it’s one of the most peaceful and culturally harmonious places imaginable. But some injustices are hard to forget, and now more than ever it seems important to remember the dangers of ignoring people under intense pressure.”

The new single from Hiatus, Insurrection (featuring Linton Kwesi Johnson) is due for release as a digital download on 11th April 2011.

London club Rhythm Factory celebrates its monumental 10th anniversary

This October, Whitechapel’s Rhythm Factory celebrates its monumental tenth anniversary as East London’s musical backbone with a highly-charged month of specially selected parties from MODE:PLAY, CODE, Technicality, Gutterslut, Supertronix, Rhyme & Slang, & more.

FRIDAY 15 OCTOBER – S.T.U.N. LONDON

RAY KEITH (EXCLUSIVE DUBSTEP & D&b SET), REFLEX (RINSE FM), MACPHERSON (FABRIC LIVE), SNATCH & UNION

Times: 11pm – 6am
Price: Free entry all night

Since starting up in 2008, Stop That Urban Noise (aka S.T.U.N. London) has been growing from strength to strength, and is fast becoming the most talked about new drum and bass and dubstep outfit in the UK.

STUN’s policy of taking established and well connected acts and DJs from all over the scene and placing them alongside fresh, up and coming talent has meant STUN are one of the few in the urban scene to successfully make the leap from one off events in make shift venues and warehouses, to running festival stages and having solid residencies at London’s biggest clubs.

Stop That Urban Noise events have been headlined by the likes of Pendulum, Chase and Status, Rusko, Andy C, Subfocus and Friction, and with their DJs playing regularly at Fabriclive, Movement, Rinse Fwd, UNION and at Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Burning Man and Rocket Festivals to name a few….there is no end to their experience!

Stop That Urban Noise can always be counted on to present a night full of energy, good times, and of course, a selection of the best dubstep and drum and bass around.

SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER – ORGANIX PRESENTS:

ONLY JOE (LIVE), PLUS EXEL (REGGAE ROAST), MR GREGGAE (SKANK OUT OF BABYLON), LOUIS.LOU.I (MAKING BREAD), HYLU & JAGO (ONLYJOE), D-TEK (ONLYJOE), DR. COOL (ONLYJOE)

Times: 10pm – 4am
Prices: Free Entry All Night!

Many of you will be aware of the fresh sounds brewing in the onlyjoe camp, and now, the time has come – everything is ripe for onlyjoe as they share their ten-piece band with you at the Rhythm Factory, delivering a fusion of reggae, dancehall, dub, dubstep, and jungle.

The live ten-piece band onlyjoe will be supported by the well-known Reggae Roast selecta Excel. Mr. Greggae will be taking time to Skank Out Of Babylon and Louis.Lou.I will be selecting conscious roots and mash-up jungle bass.

Last but not least is Hylu & Jago, spanning across genres influenced by ska, roots, reggae and dub, with support from D-Tek and Dr. Cool bringing you a selection from ‘dutty’ jungle rinse-out, to roots, reggae and dancehall.

John Digweed and his renowned record label Bedrock are celebrating its 12th anniversary and are indeed celebrating in style with the release of the Ltd Edition Bedrock 12 Album, which is a magnificent feast of 21 outstanding exclusive tracks and remixes from established and new artists, whom together form the magnificent Bedrock 12.

This Ltd edition follows on from Digweeds outstanding mixed Structures LP and CD documentary ‘Eye of The Storm’.The Bedrock 12 album is without doubt a stunning creation of forward thinking deep house, tech-house and techno music that will delight the dance music tribes worldwide.

Sistemas track Krace Gelly is without doubt a stunning deep album opening and simply blew me away. It is exquistly stylish and its grace and beauty in my opinion, is one of the greatest opening tracks to an album I have heard in a very long time. This is a taster of greater things to come, as Digweed releases a debut EP planned for 2011.

The album consists of many artists including John Digweed & Nick Muir, Quivver, Nick Warren, Christian Smith, Misstress Barbara, Wiretappeur and many more.

Another Bedrock landmark comes in the form of a first time meeting  of musical minds in the studio between King Unique & Anthony Pappa who together formed the mighty creation of Vamoosh. I am without doubt this will not be the last time this UK and Australian team get together to form a delicious feast of globally recognised dance floor anthems and Vamoosh is a delightful cocktail of sounds that are incredibly infectious and dictate you head straight for the dance floor.

This Ltd Edition album is definitely going to fly off the shelves and will become as renowned in its musical supremacy as John Digweed himself.

Bedrock are throwing a celebration party for the masses on 2nd October at O2 Academy Brixton, London with special guest the legendary Carl Cox.  This is without doubt a celebration not to miss and will certainly be a delightful and bubbly musical champagne cocktail of Digweed and Cox having the party revelers dancing all night long .

Preview the Album here: http://www.bedrock.uk.net/12/

Bedrock 12 Album – Track List

Disc One

Sistema – Krace Gelly

Maetrik – Glob Monster

Wiretrappeur – Too Much Space

Vincenzo & Lovebirds – Epic

Quivver – Orgazoid/Mix 1

Misstress Barbara  - Azzuri/Luis Junior Rmx

KingUnique & Anthony Pappa – Vamoosh

Max Cooper – Ediolic Spectra

Christian Smith – System of Survival

Tone Depth – Rumblefish/Diyo Remix

Nick Warren – In Search of Silver/Ambient

Disc Two

Wiretrappeur – Too Much Space/Reprise

John Digweed & Nick Muir – Satellite

Maetrik – Funky Remix

Quivver – Orgazoid/Mix 2

John Digweed & Nick Muir – Bilder

Alan Fitzpatrick – Involve

Christian Smith – System of Survival/Dub

Wehbba – Mammut

King Unique – Spikes

Robert Babicz – Welcome To The 90’s

Nick Muir – Burkina Faso

Bedrock 12 compiled by John Digweed is released as a Ltd Edition 3×12″ Vinyl, 2xCD (£7.99) and worldwide digital (£7.99) release 04/10/10.

Discover more on John Digweed and Bedrock

http://www.johndigweed.com/

http://bedrockmusic.bigcartel.com/

http://soundcloud.com/bedrock_rec

http://www.myspace.com/johndigweedforever

http://www.facebook.com/djjohndigweed

Bonn Lewis pseudonym of Ben Wilson DJ/Producer from Bradford, has released a track called Brit Latin that crosses genres and provides the listener with some quality Electro, House, Filth, Dubstep and Maximal sounds . Bonn Lewis prides himself on not putting all of his musical eggs into one basket and his first ever live performance gained him residency at all Rusty Hat promoted events in the UK.

The Brit Latin Original Mix consists of a deep electro bassline, uplifting chorus and features two MC’s from the Yorkshire based hip hop band Freyed Knot and its released under Rocstar Recordings.The vocals sit with a very nice electronic Vocoder to give them a more electro edge.Ben explained “The Brit Latin Dub Remix replaces the MCs raps with effected vocal hits and textures”.Having listened to the EP over on  Soundcloud, I found the track extremly original in its production and the deep bass and vocals create an atmosphere you would expect from the Wild West.

I adored the Brit Latin Dub Remix and confess the Dub to be my favourite Remix. Its electro dub beatz dictated some seriously funky shoulder moves on my part, quite uncontrollable at times, which in my opinion denotes a quality Dub track!

The DivKid Remix is full of cut up basslines, chords and effects and in my opinion is exceptional in its complexity and technical detail;  it had me mesmerised throughout waiting to hear which effect would appear next. I am a sucker for special effects on a track, it makes the track more appealing to the ear and invokes some serious moves on the dance floor.

The Pitch Twit Remix is a very dark and dirty Dubstep and with its robotic vocals creates an interesting journey and may even encourage the listener  to sit back, close their eyes and take a journey into outer space and may the force be with them if they do.

Buy it here http://beatport.com/s/r1afyt

You can hear more Bonn Lewis tracks by visiting his Soundcloud.

http://soundcloud.com/bonn-lewis

Denis A releases a new 3-track single, Z

Denis Alentieff aka Denis A, one of Russia’s most exciting DJ/Producers releases a new 3-track single, Z.

Denis Alentieff became Denis A in 2007, when he first proved himself as a highly talented DJ at a party in Moscow alongside American DJ star, Christopher Lawrence. During the following two years he has developed his DJ skills to the highest degree, and is now regularly joined on the decks by the cream of international talent at his DAR label parties. Recent visitors have included Danny Tenaglia, Dave Seaman, Beltek, Nick Warren, Style Of Eye, Sebastian Leger, Danny Howells and Robert Babicz.

In 2008, Denis A launched the DAR label as a creative outlet for his studio productions. With Denis’ own highly distinctive style crossing genre boundaries via progressive, techno, deep dub and minimal influences, DAR has been steadily building a strong fan base. Releases have featured handpicked remixes by Style Of Eye, Solaris Heights, Pig & Dan, Wally Lopez, and Robert Babicz. A steady stream of DJ support for Denis A productions has come, most notably, from Laurent Garnier, Dave Seaman, Sasha, Hernan Cattaneo, Tiesto, Glenn Morrison, Desyn Masiello, Deepgroove, Josh Gabriel, DJ Vibe, Sebastien Leger and Nick Warren, since the label’s inception.

With a continuous flow of new singles, an ever growing international DJ schedule, big parties planned in Moscow, and his DAR label to rum, it looks like 2010 is going to be a very exciting year for Denis A.

Z is the 15th release on the DAR label and offers three stunning tracks. Z is a chilled minimal trance journey into space and time.  Fans of of that whole “Northern Exposure” vibe, will enjoy this track. Along The Coast takes off into a deeper hypnotic funky electronic direction. While, After Z delves deep into dubbed out late-night territory for those more mellow moments.

Denis has also unveiled some of the hottest new Eastern European remixers from Russia, Ukraine, and Slovenia, over two Remix EPs (DAR011 Part 1 & Part 2), with their interpretations of some of the DAR label’s best tunes to date… Chemical Test, Heaven and Mirage. Since then, Denis A has continued to blur the boundaries between genres with more timeless electronic dance music in the form of Brutalizm and Muai Thai In Bangkok (DAR102), and most recently the intense acidic analogue atmosphere of Test Drive (DAR013) and percussion fuelled Ahnenerbe (DAR014).

For more information visit www.darlabel.com and www.myspace.com/alentieff

Shifted + Dubpack + Football + DJs

SHIFTED + DUBPACK
SATURDAY 12th JUNE 2010
@ BRIXTON JAMM
261 Brixton Road
London
SW9 6LH

So the World Cup is upon us, but let’s not forget that the summer party season is getting well and truly underway. On June 12th Shifted and Dubpack are throwing a party to kick off England’s campaign and the summer in style, with an eclectic line up of DJs playing music across the board after the big game has been shown on an equally big screen.

The focus of this night is squarely on having fun, with a retro tuck shop, barbeque, Slush Puppies (alcoholic or non!) and an exhibition of live graffiti painting to keep you fed, watered and entertained.

That’s not to mention the artists on the night…

Shifted and Dubpack have pulled together a mighty impressive selection of DJs, who will be serving up a veritable smorgasbord of music and who may not necessarily be playing what you would expect. You can catch the likes of CHEFAL and TUBBY playing Jungle, WALSH (alongside a special guest on the night) playing some classic UK Garage and turntable behemoths ROSSI B & LUCA playing – well – a bit of everything.

There will also be plenty of Dubstep, Reggae, House, Hip-Hop, Hardcore and even Disco to keep you interested throughout the night. A perfect way to celebrate England’s win and if you get there in time to catch the game, it’s just £5!

This all takes place at the Brixton Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 on 12th June.

LINE UP:

ROSSI B & LUCA / CHEFAL / COTTI / WALSH B2B SPECIAL GUEST/ TUBBY / UNDERGROUND ICE / RUCKSPIN / DUBALTY / BEAT ME UP / SHINOBI / DRU / RAGGS / FRISKIE / SLUGZ & BOYSON / G MONEY / ANDY P / SYNAMATIX

Hosted by: CRAZY D / TRUEZ / IRAH / TESTA

Prepare yourself for an unforgettable night…

…Shift Happens!

TICKET INFO
Tickets £5 until 10pm, £8 thereafter

Boredoms: Super Roots 10 (Thrill Jockey)

Boredoms – Super Roots 10 – EP review

Boredoms, the boundary- breaking, sonic-shifting, head-messing group are releasing the Super Roots 10 EP through Thrill Jockey, only available as a limited double 12” release. Super Roots 10 is produced by EYE, who equally created the artwork accompanying the release.

This new Boredoms EP includes a remix of the Antz 10 track by Lindstom, the critically acclaimed Norwegian dance/house producer who has remixed a whole host of artists, including Franz Ferdinand and LCD Soundsystem. Super Roots 10 also includes a remix from the Japanese artist Altz.

Ant 10 Original is nine minutes of buzzing, tribal, rhythmic intensity, with a small thirty second break in between. The drums are thick and saturate the track, as do the drones. The Mineral Dub Break Remix is almost unrecognisable whilst Linstrom does another full overhaul on his remix, bringing in some crisper beats, subtle 80s synths and keyboards, making the pounding drums part of the background arrangements. His style from his recent collaboration with Prins Thomas is certainly recognisable.

A studio album can be expected in 2010, whilst Boredoms member Yoshimi P-We is to release her new album with OOIOO entitled Armonico Hewa on Thrill Jockey in November.

Track listing for Super Roots 10:

1. ANT 10
2. ANT 10 / ESTEREO 10 (REMIX BY ALTZ)
3. ANT 10 (REMIX BY DJ LINDSTROM)
4. ANT 10 / MINERAL DUB BREAK (REMIX BY ALTZ)

Robert Logan's second full-length: Inscape

Following the brilliant Accurate Spit Boy EP released prior to this album, April 6th will see the release of Robert Logan’s second full-length Inscape.

Those familiar with Robert Logan’s work will know what a pioneering force he is on the electronic music scene: he makes dark, resonating electronic compositions suited to the abandoned areas of dank cities, the hazy glow of bedrooms in streetlight, and the darkest part of the uncertain subconscious.

‘Inscape’ is a term relating to artistic work, meaning its essential quality. This essentiality is what Robert Logan is searching for on Inscape, more so even than his previous effort, Cognessence.

Also central to the album, we are told, is the experience of stumbling on an abandoned factory that was becoming engulfed by forest in Hungary. The duel between nature and culture, then, is a tension explored on Inscape. In fact, Logan’s recording of both acoustic and electronic instruments is representative of this. Perhaps even the art of music itself, which explores something transcendent and intangible whilst being firmly rooted on earth, is an inspiration for Robert Logan’s sonic explorations.

The opening tracks ‘ Angels and Insects’and ‘Stalactite’ are less schizophrenic that his previous work, featuring an enduring synth undertone that is the lining for a coat of aggressive bass blows and flickering blips. Even the contrast of what sounds like a piano, as unmelodic as it is, lends a hopeful sound to the dark production – something like an essence, perhaps.

In terms of genre, Robert Logan strips elements from grime, dub, drum n bass and dubstep scenes, and uses them in much purer soundcapes. The previously released ‘Accurate Spit Boy’, a highlight on the album, is an example of this, as is the brilliant ‘Throb’ which sounds like Pendulum after too much coffee (and with a lot more talent…).

Most interesting is ‘Balaton’ (name of the expansive Hungarian lake), and ‘The Warmth‘ which after the bursting aggression of ‘Ultraflux’, comes as peaceful (if still dark) electronica. These glimpses of silence, evoking the vast, still, misty waters of that lake, recur throughout the album on various tracks and show not only Robert Logan’s perceptive and sensitive range, but also his ability to create something that acts as a complete album concept.

BBC Online said of Logan that he is “…something of a prodigy… a man that is already showing a maturity and a musical/textural understanding that many simply never find.” And frankly, I couldn’t agree more.

Inscape is available on Slowfoot Records on CD and digital download.

This is a link to Robert Logan’s MySpace.

Robert Logan's Accurate Spit Boy EP

There’s a lot of excitement around the career of Robert Logan. At only 21, he has opened for Massive Attack, co-written the score for the Oscar winning documentary Taxi To The Darkside and is involved with ongoing collaborations with the godfather of experimental music Brian Eno.

His previous album Congnessence was harshly experimental, and now the Accurate Spit Boy EP predicts a refinement of his sound for the his second album Inscape, to be released on the 6th April.

The EP is a testament to why Robert Logan is so lauded. The raw, haunting electronic blips and deep bass buzz that emanate from the five tracks inhabit an untouchable space of their own, resonating with the underbelly of human nature – these tracks evoke bleak fear and dark intrigue.

The opening track ‘Accurate Spit Boy’ takes the basic elements of other genres that have made waves through the underground – grime, ragga and dubstep – and hones them into a raw digital music that remains unique in its field. ‘Pigs’ also stands out as an example, beginning with frantic drum and bass blips before moulding itself around a cold dub-based sound.

But Accurate Spit Boy EP doesn’t belong in the dank underground clubs like some of these other genres, it rather inhabits the lonely parts of suburban bedrooms, industrial wastelands and vast cityscapes. The final track ‘Cut By Concrete’ shows the industrial influence in the relentless hammering of the opening which then goes on to drive the bass-heavy main section of the track.

Two of the tracks – ‘Accurate Spit Boy’ and ‘Cut By Concrete’ – are taken from the forthcoming Inscape, but remixed for this vinyl only release.

It may be that we look forward to the career of Robert Logan, but based on Accurate Spit Boy EP, it’s already arrived, and it’s frighteningly good.

The Accurate Spit Boy EP will be released on Slowfoot Records on 12” Vinyl.  If justice is done, his music will be as great a success as Burial’s innovation was last year. Visit Robert Logan’s MySpace to listen. This is the link to Slowfoot Records.

Another great release from Fat! Records.  Mystic Man & Eshamjaro get the dubstep remix treatment from two upcoming producers – Reso and Hektagon.

Mystic Man & Eshamanjaro is Mark ‘Merka’ Ford and MC Esha.  Together they released a retrospective, beat driven hip hop debut album, In Heavy Weather. From the album Reso remixes Minds I and Hektagon chips in with two versions of The Rambler, Vocal Remix and Dub Remix.

Reso’s Braindead Remix of Minds I is a richly layered mindscape, something that sets him apart from other more minimal dubstep producers.

Both remixes of The Rambler see Hektagon fusing sketchy freeform jazz horns with a heavy throbbing dubstep sub-bass wobble.  The Dub Remix works really well for me.  A great track; and one that makes it straight into my setlist.

For more information vist the Fat! Records website.