Step Up To Get Ya Rep Up

It's nice to take a break from listening to new music non-stop, step back and delve through the ol' record collection (otherwise known as my ridiculously large external hard drive) and dig out some old classics.

Here's a track from what I consider to be the greatest hip-hop album of all time - Gang Starr's 1998 comeback album Moment Of Truth. Feel free to debate/discuss this in the comments.

Fans of Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 might recognise this...

Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth (Zshare)
Buy Moment Of Truth @ Amazon.com

I've Got An Itch In My Brain

I've been looking forward to this moment for two years, it's seemed like forever in the making, but finally Kreeps debut LP is here.


Belly Full Of Razor Blades is released tomorrow. Here's a preview.



If you're too lazy to watch the above, or decide it's not to your taste - download the track below. It will change your mind.

Kreeps - Everyone I Went To School With Is Dead (Zshare)
Kreeps Myspace

N.B. No amount of Googling would come up with a pre-order link for the album, if you know of one then please drop us an email.

Album Of The Year

Out 29th September. Invest.

"The future of dance music." - i-D Magazine

"Sensational on almost every level, they'll make you dance with tears in your eyes." - Dazed & Confused

"Ali Renault and Sebastian Muravchix have just made one of the most intoxicating synth-pop albums of the last ten years." - Vice

I've purposefully held off from posting about Heartbreak as they are all over the blogs as it is, but as it's nearing the release date - I urge as many people as possible to check this album out.

I first heard about them when checking out the line-up for this years Dot to Dot Festival in Nottingham, and it seems I'm forever destined to regret not attending for the first time in three years.

Heartbreak = Love.

Heartbreak - Regret (Zshare)
Heartbreak Myspace
Pre-order from Puregroove

Circle SQUAREPUSHER Triangle

So after other plans had fallen through, I made a conscious effort to expand my musical horizons tonight, and came across the new album by Tom Jenkinson also known as Squarepusher.

An album of seriously epic proportions, and released through Warp, Just A Souvenir features elements ranging from IDM, Jazz, Prog, Garage Rock and Post-Punk and is apparently a concept - "This album started as a daydream about watching a crazy, beautiful rock band play an ultra-gig."

Once past the first few tracks (which I'm least fond of), the strangest thing about this LP is that there's only one song that's longer than five minutes, yet each of them seems like a fifteen minute prog masterpiece.

The Delta 5 inspired Delta-V flows effortlessly from freestyle jazz to bass-driven rock within seconds, shifting focus onto a seriously danceable spiralling bass line that's more akin to something you'd expect from Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, and then back and forth.

A definite stand out track for me is Quadrature, one which I'm not even going to put into words, I'm going to let it talk for me.

Just A Souvenir is out now on Bleep.com and will be released in tangible formats on October 27th.

Squarepusher - Quadrature (Zshare)
Squarepusher Website
Pre-order Just A Souvenir @ Warpmart

Guest Mix: Jamie Paton (Cage & Aviary)

In conjunction with our last post, we're starting a new feature which is simply entitled Guest Mix.

It will be an irregular affair, consisting of me asking people whom I know/love/respect in music to contribute a mix or mixtape of whatever material they like, as a sort of representation of their tastes.

First up is Jamie Paton of Cage & Aviary.

Multitrack Suggestion Mix // 01:00:14

Droids - Shanti Dance
Watussi - If All We Had Was Love
Vangelis - Multitrack Suggestion
Logun - These Things
Blackway - New Life
Material - Ciquiri
Ost & Kjex - Have You Seen the Moon in Dallas? (Murice Fulton Remix)
Matthew Dear - Elementary Lover
Roxy Music - The Main Thing (Extended Mix)
Chromatics - Hands In the Dark
Japanese Synchro System - Check It, Spread It (Carl Craig Remix)
Arthur Russell - Arm Around You

Jamie Paton (Cage & Aviary) - Multitrack Suggestion Mix (Zshare)

Exclusive: The Walls Have Ears

More evidence that labour bares fruit, or more importantly months of hassling busy people who actually have lives outside of the internet for mp3s pays off, here's something I've been wanting to share for a good while now... here's 6:42 of musical bliss.

Cage & Aviary are East London duo Jamie Paton and Nigel of Bermondsey who produce some absolute epic house music with Balearic, Cosmic Disco and Kraut influences.

You're going to be hearing a lot more of Cage & Aviary in the coming months with a 10" release of Friday 14th pts I&II through Parisian label Astro Labs in September, a yet to be decided 12" on Tiny Sticks and topped off with a January release of Television Train on 12" through the mighty DFA Records.

It doesn't even stop there, Jamie and Nigel will be releasing limited 12" of their remixes which will feature a Cage & Aviary vocal remix on the A-side and a dub on the B-side, all through their own imprint The Walls Have Ears.

First up will be Country Girls by Bow Mods in October, with more on the way from Toy Toy, Truck, F**, Artanker and SidWho?, most of which can be found on their Remix Myspace.

***BLOG EXCLUSIVE***
Cage & Aviary - Hot Cancel (Zshare)
Cage & Aviary Myspace
Cage & Aviary Remix Myspace

Basement Champions

I can't get enough of this tune at the moment, taken from their new Planet 1 EP, Basement Jaxx have teamed up with Dev Hynes aka Lightspeed Champion.

Though not everyone's cup of tea on his own, Dev's voice compliments the beats perfectly and even the acoustic doesn't sound out of place in the middle of all the distorted bass, its just brilliant.

Basement Jaxx - My Turn feat. Devonte Hynes (Zshare)
Get Planet 1 EP @ Chemical Records
Get Planet 2 EP @ XL Shop

Mercury Know Their Arse From Their Elbow

"This is quite literally the best thing that's ever happened to us".

So... a band who created one of my top ten favourite songs of all time, has won the 2008 Mercury Music Prize in the UK, something that pleases me greatly.

A band and lyricist who have never quite made their mark on the mainstream, Elbow have finally received some sort of recognition with their fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid.

Guy Garvey is one of the best lyricists of his generation, Elbow are one of my favourite bands (something that I get quite a lot of aggravation for) and with songs such as Starlings, Mirrorball, Grounds For Divorce, The Fix and One Day Like This, Seldom is a deserved winner.

However, in my opinion it's not their best. That accolade would go to Leaders Of The Free World. Released in 2005, it features the song which I mentioned previously, a song called Puncture Repair.

Elbow - Puncture Repair (Zshare)

Burial's Untrue was the bookies favourite, and with half of the commentators not even caring to notice he had actually unveiled himself to be a a guy from South London called Will Bevan to prevent a UK tabloid from doing it for him, he didn't even turn up for the ceremony.

I'd have been almost as pleased if he had been victorious, though in an ideal world he'd have won it last year with his self-titled debut album, which wasn't even nominated.

Third choice would have been Laura Marling with a remarkable debut in Alas, I Cannot Swim.

Well done Mercury.

Adventures In The Southern Hemisphere

In the next few weeks, one of Nottingham's finest will soon be embarking on a tour of Australia, Lillica Libertine will be hitting up the following dates:

12 Sep 2008 20:00
Australian Tour Begins Sydney, Australian Capital Territory
13 Sep 2008 1:00
Yu - Sydney, Australia Sydney, Australian Capital Territory
14 Sep 2008 20:00
TBC TBC
19 Sep 2008 20:00
Berlin Lounge Surfers Paradise, Queensland
20 Sep 2008 1:00
Roxy Hotel - Sydney, Australia Sydney, Australian Capital Territory

To mark his expedition, he's let us in on a brand new tune, Communication.

Lillica Libertine - Communication (Zshare)

**Previous Blog Exclusive**
Late of the pier - Bathroom Gurgle (Lillica Libertine Remix) (Zshare)

Lillica Libertine's Myspace
Meal Deal Records

N.B. Resisted urge to title blog with "Loz In 'Oz".

When I'm With You I Am Hypnotized

I tend to keep away from posting leaks or reviewing things as I like to keep it fresh, despite this I felt compelled to plug this album because it's that damn good.

Norway's original pop-queen Annie is back with her second LP Don't Stop, and it's a real lesson in how to make a great pop record.

Featuring the likes of Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand) and Fredrik Saroea (Datarock) and with Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Gem, Kylie) and Richard X (Kelis, M.I.A., Róisín Murphy) on production, it's got it all.

Songs like My Love Is Better and current single I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me show she hasn't lost her touch for the bubble-gum pop, mesmerising choruses and catchy ditties that we expect.

A few ballads are thrown in for good measure such as Bad Times and Heaven & Hell but it's really the last three tracks that make this album for me.

First up, What Do You Want (The Breakfast Song) is ridiculously catchy, with a shout-out-loud chorus that will become ingrained in your brain to the point that it won't leave. Matched with with cascasding synths and marching drums it's a really fun song.

Take You Home is an altogether different animal, a sexually charged ode to seduction with trip-hop influenced beats - easily my favourite track on the album.

Don't Stop closes with Song Reminds Me Of You, a New Order-esque disco-pop effort with another trademark chorus which could easily be something Kylie would have a number 1 hit with.

Don't Stop will be released through Island Records on October 6th.

Annie - Take You Home (Zshare)
Annie's Myspace
Pre-order Don't Stop @ HMV

Justice Is Served

Justice. New. Justice. New. Justice.

I've been excited about this bad boy ever since I heard it had been commissioned, however I deliberately stayed away from the rips that were being thrown around and decided I'd wait it out until the high bit-rate was released.

And was it worth it...

Many thanks to Buzz End Direkt for suppling the .Rar file and all of it's 320kbps greatness.

I've heard some bad bad things about this magnum opus, which was commissioned for Dior's Homme Spring/Summer 09 show in Paris. However, I think it's just the usual Ed Banger backlash talking as let's face it, it's brilliant.

Justice - Planisphère Part 1 (Zshare)
Justice - Planisphère Part 2 (Zshare)
Justice - Planisphère Part 3 (Zshare)
Justice - Planisphère Final (Zshare)

Flick Through Photos...

Pin Me Down have just unleashed a new song on the world, entitled Ticker.

Far less in your face and bubblegum-pop than their debut hit Crptic, the Kitsuné beloved children of 2008 and side-project of Bloc Party's Russel Lissack and New Yorker Milena Mepris have gone for a lighter and more astral approach.

Anyway, I really like it so here it is...

Pin Me Down - Ticking (Zshare)

Listening to Pin Me Down also reminded me of this amazing remix by Paul Epworth, it's just mind-bending.

Pin Me Down - Cryptic (Phones Materialisation Mix) (Zshare)

Pin Me Down Myspace
Pin Me Down @ Juno Download

What Have I Said?!

For God's sake...

Q: Are you sick of me going on and on and on about The Shoes?
A: Tough shit.

The Reims duo seem to have an unbelievable ability to craft amazing remixes of well known and much loved songs, and turn them into arguably even better ones.

Reworks of Primary 1's Hold Me Down, Mystery Jets' Young Love and Wiley's Wearing My Rolex amongst my favourites, it's now the turn of Late Of The Pier's dance floor juggernaut Focker.

It's toned down the insane samples and replaced them with a dirty little piano piece and some rabid, rattling drums. It's not as schizophrenic, but instead given a more conventional pop-edge. I wouldn't say it was better than the original, but it's a damn good effort.

The Shoes are currently in the UK, following up last night's support slot for Santogold at Koko with a performance at Bestival and another support slot for Digitalism at London's Astoria on the 19th of this month.

Late Of The Pier - Focker (The Shoes Remix) (Zshare)
The Shoes Myspace
LOTP @ Rough Trade

Red/Orange/Yellow/Green/Blue/Indigo/Violet

Yesterday saw the online release of Roy G and the Biv's self titled EP, something I've been looking forward to since I first posted about them here.

It doesn't disappoint.

Lazy comparisons would put them somewhere in between Ghosthustler and Ghostland Observatory but these guys offer something different, something more.

With elements of R&B, Electro, Snyth-pop and Hip-hop, it's a bit of an ensemble peice, which encapsulates the duo's talents perfectly and is a great platform for them to show the true diversity of their sound.

Standout track Jungle Fever goes straight into some Timbaland-esque production before morphing into all sorts of synth driven madness, culminating in a disco-breakdown that would be at home on a Discovery-era Daft Punk record.

All tracks are streamable on their Myspace, where you can also find their online store. Think of it as a try before you buy, but if I were you, I'd just get it now. It'll also be on iTunes soon.

Roy G and the Biv - Jungle Fever (Zshare)
Roy G and the Biv Myspace

New Phantasy?

So everyone and their mothers are foaming at the mouth for US female duo Fan Death, including one Erol Alkan.

Having noticed yesterday that he's about to give birth to a remix of their heavily blogged Veronica's Veil, the label that it's released on appears to be Phantasy Sound - his own.

After confirming with sources, and it all but being announced on his blog, it's looking like it will be released on 12" through Phantasy Sound in the next few months.

First LA Priest, then Primary 1 and now Fan Death, it's not suprising it's a label aiming for quality over quantity.


Fan Death - The Constellations (Zshare)
Fan Death Myspace
Phantasy Sound Myspace

Not Suitable For Children Under The Age Of 3

A blog favourite and still one of the most underrated producers in the UK - The Aspirins For My Children (aka Daniel Barker) is back with another cracking track with his trademark sound and mastery of the sequencer.

I've still got my fingers crossed for some material to be released in the near future and there has been mention of Thecocknbullkid (aka Anita Blay) laying down some lyrics for my favourite TAFMC track, The Cutter.

In the meantime, here's Appendix.

The Aspirins For My Children - Appendix (Zshare)
The Aspirins For My Children Myspace

It's An Easy Life? Nah.

Knowing a good few people in bands, and having had the privilege to manage one - I know how hard it is to build up a fan base, juggle other commitments and get the word out there.

So when I come across bands that SEEM to "have it easy", I tend to form preconceptions and have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about them (must be the Northern working class in me?), and after reading about The Big Pink courtesy of Kev on No Pain In Pop's blog, I thought I might have to hold a grudge.

The Big Pink are Robbie Furze (guitarist for UNKLE amongst other things) and Milo Napoleon Cordell (founder of Merok Records), and when playing live; they're joined by members of Sunn O)), Planet Mu and Sunburned Hand Of The Man - you can kind of see where I'm coming from?

Not in the slightest... within seconds of TOOYOUNGTOLOVE, I realised how foolish I was, and with musical pedigree like that in their ranks - how was it going to be anything less than magnificent?

It got even better once I'd heard She's No Sense, 3:15 of drones, distortion and static held together with a vocal that keeps the song light prevents the whole thing losing it's self in it's own depth.

Also check out:

The Big Pink - Crystal Visions (Zshare)
The Big Pink Myspace