Spor - Knock You Down (remix)

Spor / Apex"Knock You Down (remix)"Lifted Music 3/5/2010

After a string of great releases from the likes of Spor, The Upbeats and Apex, Forward thinking Drum 'n' Bass Label Lifted Music broaden the field with their first Dubstep release, a remix 12" of Spor's "Knock you down" and Apex's "Nowhere to Run" by Eskmo and Datsik & Excision respectively.
Knock you down is a powerful Stomping take on the original accompanied by a heavy guitar style riff.
On the flip Canadian producers Eskmo and Datsik deliver a gnarly twisted bassline remix that would give 16Bit a run for their money.
We look forward to more Dubstep being release on lifted soon.

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

Flying Lotus
"Cosmogramma"
Warp 03/05/2010

There are very strong links between the worlds of Electronic(a) and Jazz Music; both seek to discover new sounds and question the traditional forms that define a piece of Music.
Like his label mate Squarepusher did recently on Just a Souvenir, Flying Lotus delivers an album soaked in Jazz philosophy. Where Square's roots lie in UK Drum 'n' Bass, Lotus's are more in leftfield Hip Hop. But Steven Ellison is no stranger to the world of Jazz. As a member of the Coltrane family, he was brought up with its ideals of experimentation.
But make no mistake, Cosmogramma is more than an interesting, experimental record of which not a single melody will be remembered. Tracks like "And The World Laughs With You" with Thom Yorke on vocal duties and "Do The Astral Plane" with it's Barber Shop style loop re-contextualized over a swung house beat give more an impression of Lotus' live sets.
The wild bass guitar improvisations on "Pickled" and "German Haircut" help the music free itself from the often over structured approach that often comes with using sequencing software.
Cosmogramma lives up to the high expectations of this album to provide a more well rounded, textured and diverse journey than the critically acclaimed Los Angeles album.

The "Ran Out Of Tape" Mix

W
The "Ran Out Of Tape" Mix
2010

Well it's been a while since the last LFCast who knows whether there'll be another one but here's a DJ Mix by yours truly...

The "Ran Out Of Tape" Mix by willmunn

Tracklist:

1. Burial vs. Fourtet - Moth
2. Luke Vibert - Acid 2000
3. Boards of Canada - Midas Touch
4. Metro Area - Miura Bootleg
5. Bjork - Big Time Sensuality
6. Joy Orbison - So Derobe
7. Bop - Clear Your Mind
8. Falty DL - Anxiety
9. Martyn - Mega Drive Generation
10. Pangea - Memories
11. 2000F feat. J Kamata - You Don't Know What Love Is
12. Joy Orbison - Hymph Mngo
13. Ruckspin - Jibber
14. Millie and Andrea - Ever Since You Came Down
15. Prodigy - Out Of Space
16. Skream - Burning Up
17. Foul Play - Finest Illusion (Legal Mix)
18. Deep Blue - The Helicopter Tune
19. Origin Unknown - Valley Of The Shadows
20. Martsman - Hallow
21. Instramental - Watching You
--END OF TAPE--

King Midas Sound - Waiting For You

King Midas Sound
"Waiting For You"
Hyperdub November 2009

I first discovered the true meaning of dub in a Vauxhall basement where an art student friend of mine played me old Jah Shaka 7” off a rig with enough bass to destroy a whole block of houses.
Having learned from that experience, to understand this record, it should be enjoyed, not on puny bass free ipod headphones, but on a good sound system with a little vinyl crackle (let's keep our fingers crossed for the vinyl release).
Waiting For You is the album Massive Attack would have made with King Tubby in a post dubstep world. The album is full of minimal textures which are decorated with beautifully authentic analogue delays and reverbs; a wonderful mix with Roger Robinson’s poetic lyrics and sun soaked accent.
Earth a Kill Ya, one of the highlights describes his grandmother’s philosophy on poverty and a need for environmental awareness.

“Look how they poison all the water,
And sellin’ it back to us in plastic bottles”

Robinson’s deep warm voice is nicely contrasted with his haunting falsetto and occasional vocals from Hitomi. The record is itself has a haunting vibe about it, as on the ghostly metalophone melodies of Meltdown and Blue.
Lost, another highlight is a dancier number full of steppy rhythms and a wonky plucked melody.
Waiting For You exposes a whole new side to Kevin Martin who we know better for his dancehall infused Dubstep productions as The Bug. Together with Robinson, they have successfully managed to keep the records authentic and true to its musical heritage whilst giving it a very modern edge. Another great piece of Bass music from Kode 9’s Hyperdub imprint…

King Midas sound also recently did a very nice mix for Fact Magazine.

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Kona Triangle - Sing A New Sapling Into Existence

Kona Triangle
"Sing A New Sapling Into Existence"
Porter Records 08/09/2009

Kona triangle is a collaboration between British producers Tom (AKA Keaver and Brause) and Matt (AKA Lone).
Remember those dreamy, floaty soundscapes you experienced when you first heard Boards Of Canada and those random sliced up swung drums you first heard on that Flying Lotus record? Well Kona Triangle combine the two in their debut album “Sing A New Sapling Into Existence” to give you a sonic depiction of the subconscious.
Although the mood of album is very much ambient, many layered sounds appear at different levels of concentration. There is a strong emphasis on creating original sounding synths, rather than emulating en-vogue sounds.
“Sing A New Sapling” is full of contrasts. Although the beats reflect the current LA club scene pioneered by Flying Lotus and the whole Brainfeeder crew. The melodies and textures are more introspective and relaxed perhaps adding a sense of Britishness.
The average track length is relatively short for an electronic album, more like atmospheric snapshots than high adrenalin dancefloor stompers.
Stand out tracks include “Long Mountain” with its cheerful filtered swells. “Craig y Don Lightshow” strongly evoking the surreal moods of Blade Runner. “Air Lock”, with its suitably vacuum sounding synth. The melodic syncopated staccato fragments of “Nemgo Broadcast Co.” and the detuned machinery of “Toybox Kona Remix”.
This album is perfect bedtime music, helping you channel your thoughts toward sonic dream worlds.

Links: Kona Triangle Myspace
Nice Little mix by Lone (one half of Kona Triangle)

Tracklist:

A1: Heavens Gate
A2: Shine A Light
A3: Pinchbeck
A4: Long Mountain
A5: Astorias Ascent
A6: Fresh Flowers Ahead
A7: Craigydon Lightshow
A8: Airlock
B1: Sings And Wonders
B2: Nemco Broadcast Co.
B3: Mango Rubicon
B4: Toybox (Kona Remix)
B5: Mauna Loa

Skream! accused of using Dub midi file

Croydon dubstep innovator Skream! has been criticized by dubroom.org (a website offering free midi versions of Dub tunes) for using their version of "Rock The Nation" by Messian Dread. In a statement posted on dubroom.org, They accuse Skream! of using the file in his "Blue Eyez" track featured on his 2006 self titled debut.
This is of course a slightly unusual example of the issues in sampling in hip hop and electronic music as midi files are not actual audio files in themselves but a kind of "digital score" which your computer plays back with whatever synth is available (often a nasty cheap sounding piano).
If Skream! in fact used the midi file, he mapped it onto a synth which, assuming he programmed it himself, means that he still had some creative input into the sound if the sample.
However, such blatant use of a melody could still be regarded as lazy composition. It would be interesting to see what legal rights Messian Dread and dubroom.org have in this case. However, since both releases probably sold too few copies in the grand scheme of things for any legal action to happen.
You can check out the similarities for yourself at:
Skream! - Blue Eyez
Messian Dread - Rock The Nation midi file

Radiohead live at Reading 2009

Radioheads Reading set was a classic performance encompassing songs from all of the bands eras from "Pablo Honey" to "In Rainbows". Unfortunately, I wasn't there to witness it first hand, but the lovely BBC have put most of the set up on the iPlayer. You can watch this until monday.

LFCast 003

Here's the next installment of the LFCast with a load of new music for you to enjoy. Comments appreciated.




Download LFCast003

Tracklist:

Fanu - Homefree [Lightless]
Radiohead - These Are My Twisted Words [Radiohead]
Bop - Nothing Makes Any Sense [Medschool]
Instra:mental - Watching You [Non Plus+]
Imogen Heap - Canvas [Megaphonic]
Hreda - New Pastures [Self Released]
Tokimonsta - Star Gazing Coma [Unreleased]
A Made Up Sound - Archive [Clone Basement Seies]

Links:

Free download of Radiohead - These Are My Twisted Words

Mary Anne Hobbs' Experimental Music Show on Radio 1 with an exclusive mix by Instra:mental (available to stream till next week

Tokimonsta Podcast for Brainfeeder

Hreda Myspace

Audioscope: Drum Eyes

Wednesday, 19/08/09, The Wheatsheaf, Oxford

Drum Eyes
Hreda
The Keyboard Choir

Tonight’s vocalist free bill takes place above Oxford pub the Wheatsheaf, with a crowd of about 50 mid twenties to mid thirties punters many wearing Mogwai T-shirts and drinking ale.
The gig opens with the Keyboard Choir, yes they do play keyboards and drum machines exclusively, however, they are not about perfectly harmonious melodies like most choirs. Pumping beats accompany the insane whirling synth sounds the various members create and distort with an array of effects pedals. Their sound relies on layers of sustained synths and basslines with one member experimenting at a time. This is all directed by an insane conductor to produce a pretty enjoyable live synth experience.
Next up, we have Hreda, a 3 piece and bassless post rock outfit who entice us with their intricately intertwined guitar melodies. Unfortunately, one of the guitars stopped working at a crucially epic point half way through the set forcing them to stop and play the outro separately, but on the whole a very hypnotizing set.
By this point, the venue is getting unbearably sweaty, it is august after all. The crowd empties into the tiny narrow alleyway that separates the pub from the high street, only to regroup when sounds of the headliners tuning up pour down the stairs.
Drum Eyes, (as many of the crowd are no doubt unaware) is the side Project of Japanese game boy gabber producer DJ Scotch Egg. They are a 6 piece consisting of 2 drummers, a guitarist, a sampler/keyboardist a synth/trumpet player and Shigeru Ishihara (Scotch Egg) on bass and laptop. Their sound consists of many layers of heavily distorted instruments over some heavy doom metal style drums. Though the idea sounds simple but the textures the band produce combined with the sheer noise they make is quite hypnotizing. There is not really any obvious need for the extra drummer most of the time apart from the added volume. About halfway through the set, Shigeru and newly recruited guitarist Kai, jump into the crowd adding an element of audience participation appreciated by all.
All in all, tonight’s bill is different and varied exploring 3 sides to forward thinking instrumental music in an intimate venue which, apart from the heat, was a very enjoyable evening.

Zomby - One Foot Ahead Of The Other

Zomby
"One Foot Ahead Of The Other"
Ramp 25/08/2009

Zomby is an artist that has generated considerable interest since his 2008 debut album “where were you in ‘92” and his self titled "Zomby EP" follow up on Hyperdub. He has established a characteristic aesthetic of retro 8-bit computer game sounds and disjointed melodies, whilst demonstrating an affiliation to both the old skool hardcore rave movement and the “wonky” dubstep scene.
After these 2 interesting releases, I was excited to see where zombie was going to take his sound to next. "One foot ahead of the other" confirms Zomby’s decision to stick to dubstep rhythms. It’s different from the Zomby EP, there is less focus on sound design as on previous tracks like “Aquafresh” and “Gloop” and although he continues to give tracks synesthesic titles like “Polka Dot” and “Bubble Bubble”, the sonic-visual connection seems a little forced compared to previous efforts. There is however more emphasis on tonal melody and maximizing the use of basic chip tune sounds to turn them into sonically interesting tracks.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t take many listens to discover that all the tracks on "One Foot Ahead Of The Other" are constructed in a pretty formulaic way. Each track consists of a basic 2-step or 4X4 rhythm made to sound more complex by layering constant triple time Nintendo arpeggios and melodies. Although this syncopated structure is interesting for the first couple of tunes, it's not enough to constitute the basis of a 9 track EP. Unlike the "Zomby EP" which showed us different sides to the artist, "One foot" seems a little 1-dimensional. There are some nice stand out tracks (“Polka dot”, “Godzilla” and the title track) all of which would introduce an interesting element to any dubstep set as something Link and Zelda might rave to in a digidub world. As a collective piece of work however, "One Foot Ahead Of The Other" lacks a sense of variety displayed in Zomby’s previous efforts.

Links: myspace

Tracklist:

A1:One Foot Ahead Of The Other

A2: Helter Skelter

B1: Pumpkinhead's Revenge

B2: Polka Dot

C1: Godzilla

C2: Expert Tuition

D1: Bubble Bubble

D2: Mescaline Cola

D3: Firefly Finale