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.

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