Scheduled for a February 6th release, The Hope is the first single from Scuba’s forthcoming album Personality. A sinister ten-ton beat laced with down-pitched vocals and the occasional section of euphoric chords, it’s like being hit over the head with a groovy brick. The less abrasive but equally bassy ‘Flash Addict’ appears on the flip and was actually made available for free download this week, so you can grab that after the jump.

Just to clarify, when I mention Scuba, I’m referring to the seminal electronic artist, not Scuba Steve, the awesome toy diver.

Scuba – Flash Addict

Buy The Hope at Juno.

Slated for a late February/Early March release, No Sleep EP is the latest offering from Finland’s mercurial dubstep export Desto. I listen to so much future garage, post-dubstep and [insert other strangely coined genre here] these days, that I rarely seem to indulge in some good old chest-boxing dubstep, and this is exactly what Desto delivers. Accented with a cold melodious twist that transports me to the Arctic tundra, a blast of ‘Monsters About’ evokes vivid images of the outpost in The Thing (which is actually set in Antarctica, but whatever). You should probably appropriate a Russian Ushanka before you stick this on, although the bass will probably warm you up anyway. Have a listen below.

Out Monday on Push and Run, Treehouse is the second release from Ifan “not James Blake” Dafydd. Comprising title track ‘Treehouse’ with ‘To Me’ on the flip, it’s as stirring and symphonic as ‘Miranda’ and I’m not talking about the androgynous comedienne who looks to the camera after every single joke (kind of like a poor man’s David Brent).

As beautiful as this release is, it’s not likely to get much actual treehouse play because not many of those things are rigged for sound. Apart from the expensive ones Hollywood lawyers build for their kids in huge oak trees…but I’m pretty sure they only listen to remixed “kerching!” sounds anyway.

Buy Treehouse at Juno.

Personally, I am yet to attend Outlook festival. Last year, my tuxedo wasn’t ready in time and I simply couldn’t turn up in the same one I’d worn to the summer ball. My darling Miffy would have been too embarrassed to even look at me and I daren’t imagine what her father would have said…

Anyway, announced today, the line-up for this year’s Outlook festival is bigger than the ego of the guy who invented bacon. Featuring Fat Freddy’s Drop, Phife from Tribe, Scuba, DMZ, The Bug and a hell of a lot more, I would be able to feel my money getting ready for lift-off if I had any.

Of the vast and illustrious catalogue on offer, some personal favourites are Fantastic Mr Fox, Phaeleh, xxxy, Dark Sky, Mosca and Kuedo…but picking favourites out of a line-up like this is like Scrooge McDuck selecting his favourite gold coins from that huge fucking pile he’s always diving about in (with no trousers on, I must add).

Below is a video documenting the highs of Outlook 2011 and the entire line-up announced today lies after the jump. The official website isn’t up yet but you can head over to the Outlook Tumblr for updates.

Current List of Confirmed Acts
Fat Freddy’s Drop, Jah Shaka, Phife (a Tribe Called Quest), Digital Mystikz – Mala & Coki, Scuba, The Beatnuts, Gold Panda, Congo Natty & Family, Goldie, Kode 9, Joker, Hatcha, N-type, Pearson Sound, Loefah, The Bug, Flowdan & Daddy Freddy, Iration Steppas, Mungos Hifi, Gentleman’s Dub Club, Zion Train, Souls Of Mischief, Dbridge, Calibre, Youngsta, True Tiger – Sukh Knight, Stanza, Blue Bear, Zed Bias, Boddika, Addison Groove, Teebee, Calyx, Distance, Ben Ufo, Appleblim, Blawan, Icicle, Marcus Intalex, Klute, Jack Sparrow, Phaeleh, Onra (live), The Heatwave, Channel One, The Disciples Feat Jonah Dan, Conscious Sounds + King General, Remarc, Girl Unit, Gussie P, Soom T, Disrupt, Kuedo, Author (live), Mosca, Kryptic Minds, Submotion Orchestra, Stamina Mc, Yt, George Fitzgerald, The Prototypes, Quest, Darksky, Marcus Nasty, Pangaea, Navigator, Sp:mc, Vivek, Lenzman, Brother Culture, Obf, Mickey Pearce, Blacks, Tunnidge, Mensah, Jubei, Xxxy, Dub Phizix, Illum Sphere, Broke’n’£nglish, Akala, Skittles, Earl Gateshead (trojan Soundsystem), Stand High Patrol, Rsd, Kidkanevil, Blue Daisy, Fantastic Mr Fox, Eliphino, Flako, T Williams, Jacky Murda, Ant Tc1, Mc Drs, Liondub, J:kenzo, Octane & Dlr, Serum, Lx One, Mc Crazy D, Ossie, Aries, Digitron, Danman, Mc Lowqui, Commodo, Biome, Hyetal, Ruckspin, Planas, Riddim Tuffa, Jay 5ive, Steppa & Kitcha, Dauwd, Dub Boy, Lurka, Rich Reason, Alby Daniels, Inspirational Sounds, Gorgon Sound, Dj Fu, Adam Prescott, Hypeman Sage, G Double, Thinking, Lud Dub, Earthpipe, Finwa.

Posted today by the good folks over at The Guardian, this is a full-length stream of Be Strong, the forthcoming album from Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell, a duo collectively known as The 2 Bears.

Having listened to the whole thing this afternoon, I can assure you of its deeply groove-endowed and occasionally eccentric nature, which had me nodding my head like one of those springy door stops on a particularly funky dose of speed (in this instance, speed is a concoction of Ribena and Cherry Coke). Of the tracks that I had previously not heard, ‘Get Together’ really stood out for me, with the short portion of horns giving me a mad case of dance-by-yourself-but-still-look-around-to-acknowledge-fake-people. I’m pretty sure it will have the same effect on you. Unless you have friends because then you can dance with actual people.

I need to buy this and get it in my car, I’m pretty sure the engine would start to run on rainbow juice and the windscreen would transform external landscapes into Jet Set Radio Future style utopian cartoons.

Be Strong is out on Southern Fried on January 30th.

Buy Be Strong: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Juno

Bobby Champs may sound like the name of an early ’80s darts player, but he’s actually a rather talented music producer fellow man chap from Brighton. The newest addition to the Pictures Music roster, we’ve been assured that he’s hard at work DJing and remixing and that a single should be on its way soon.

For the impatient among us, you can sample Bobby’s style immediately with the rather charming ‘All Night’. I rather like it. I reckon could listen to it all night…I said, I reckon I could listen to it ALL NIGHT!

All Night by Bobby Champs

Forthcoming on Permanent Vacation, Fin (ƒin) is the debut album of Barcelona producer John Talabot, whom you may remember from last year’s transcendent Families EP. Due to drop on January 27th, my levels of excitement for this release exceed even the delirium I experienced when I first saw an advert for Aquila. You’ll see why when you listen to the track below.

‘So Will Be Now…’ featuring Pional is nothing short of hypnotic, as rich textures collide with mercurial, downtuned vocals to produce a captivating 7 minutes of deep, pulsing house. Without exaggerating, I must have played this 10 times in a row already this morning. Maybe 11 times.

So will be now… (feat. Pional) by John Talabot

Track Listing
1. Depak Ine
2. Destiny (feat Pional)
3. Oro Y Sangre
4. Last Land
5. Journeys (feat Ekhi)
6. Missing You
7. When The Past Was Present
8. El Oeste
9. So Will Be Now … (feat Pional)
1. Depak Ine
2. Destiny (feat. Pional)
3. El Oeste
4. Oro Y Sangre
5. Journeys (feat. Ekhi)
6. Missing You
7. Last Land
8. Estiu
9. When The Past Was Present
10. H.O.R.S.E.
11. So Will Be Now… (feat. Pional)

Pre-Order Fin: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Juno Records

Forthcoming on Modeselektor’s 50 Weapons label, Transistor Rhythm is the hotly anticipated debut album from Addison Groove, the alias of Headhunter who made a huge splash in 2010 with ‘Footcrab’. Slated for a March 30th release, the first snippet of the album was unveiled yesterday in the form of ‘Sooperlooper’, which you can cast an ear (or two) over below.

Personally I think it’s a darn corker and I reckon the barn dance will be a-jumpin’ when I drop it tonight. Tobias is gonna freak! He’ll probably throw his hat in the air again.

Addison Groove “Sooperlooper” (50WEAPONSCD06) Out March 30 by Modeselektor

Buy Addison Groove tunes at Juno.

Even though the last ever tune from The Streets was the conclusively titled ‘Close the Book’ — in response to the opening of Original Pirate Material which was ‘Turn the Page’ — indicating that the last page of that particular saga had been turned, it has now come to light that an actual book, written by Mike Skinner alongside Ben Thompson, is due for release on March 28th. There is currently very little information available on the memoir, dubbed The Story of the Streets, and all we know so far has been gleaned from Skinner’s recent tweets. “I wasnt going to have photos in my book,” he wrote earlier this week “coz i thought it was a bit silly but the wife said i had to”. Long story short, his mum gave him some pictures and no doubt some of them are in the book.

Personally, I’m going to buy it and read it. You should too. Unless you want to wait for my opinion on it first…although, I know you don’t really value my views anyway. ‘Close the Book’ is available for download below, because it’s relevant. I’m tired.

The Streets – Close the Book

Pre-order at Amazon UK.
Pre-order at Amazon US.

Via: Fact Magazine

The 2 Bears absolutely smashed it last year with their whimsical hit ‘Bear Hug’ lodging itself in the brains of many bear/electronic music lovers like a funky splinter. This year is set to be even more of a grizzly ride with their debut album Be Strong due for a January 29th release which will no doubt send us folks residing here in the ‘blogosphere’ (as people who write newspapers like to call it) bloody mental. First, however, we have been gifted — or at least, gifted the opportunity to purchase — a cracking remixes EP featuring some ball-busting edits of the Bears’ recent single ‘Work’ alongside the full version of the track itself. Employing the galactic talents of Toddla T, Oliver $, Supabeatz and Franky Rizardo, it’s a heavyweight line-up and the resultant tunes are more radical than your cousin when he wears that sun visor backwards AND upside down. Now that’s flippin’ cool.

Below is Toddla’s offering which features vocals from former Roll Deep member Trim as well as Scrufizzer and Trigganom and I guarantee that if you like it, you’ll like it. Have a listen and I’ll give you a bear hug…although I’m not particularly bear-like. It would probably be more of a bear skeleton hug. It would still comfort you though, you cold-hearted zombie you.

Work (Toddla T Remix) by The 2 Bears

Buy the Work EP at iTunes or Amazon.