Hemlock label-mates Untold and James Blake are due to tear up DQ this Thursday as part of the Wee Bit Mean double header and after last week’s journey into the vibe vacuum, I’m excited. So much so that I got a copy of Airhead & James Blake’s latest release — MATH06 — and spent the majority of the last few days rinsing it. I’ve not even had time to feed the dog.
A-side ‘Pembroke’ is a fusion of contorted vocals and dulcet bass that feels like a bed-time exhale at the end of a long day. It percolates and swells with a tidal intensity, all the while exuding an inspirational air of ease and relaxation. On the flip side, ‘Lock in the Lion’ inexplicably evokes warped images of 1950s New York and hazy days with a broken vinyl player that skips and pops like a bowl of rice krispies. It seems to almost simmer, with synth flickers teasingly decaying before they peak and delightfully quirky percussion breathing an uncertain yet infectious rhythm into proceedings. I like it. I like both tunes, they’re both gorgeous…
Supremely chilled and tender on the ears, MATH06 is short but sweet. DQ on Thursday then, yeah?
Pembroke / Lock in the Lion (MATH06) is out now on Brainmath.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Ever the musical pioneers, Wee Bit Mean return to the slippery streets of Sheffield tomorrow to deliver a night of impeccable aural genius. Soulful Hyperdub trio Darkstar headline proceedings, with support coming in the form of ambient artisan Hyetal and Planet Mu’s vanguard Glaswegian, Rudi Zygadlo. It may not be the world’s most recognisable line-up, but it oozes pure quality and will no doubt have you bouncing around like a couple of conkers in a school boy’s satchel.
Tomorrow’s event also marks the first part of a double header which concludes next Thursday with an equally formidable line-up of Untold and James Blake. It’s probably best that you attend both nights because your feeble mind is falling apart in that run-down hazard that you call a body. You need something to invigorate you, you lazy shit. It’s the last bastion of hope for you, my friend!
Uhh…the venue? DQ in Sheffield, decked out with the Funktion One soundsystem. Tickets are £5 in advance, £6 on the door or £4 if you buy one for both nights in advance. I don’t like the technical stuff, head over to Facebook for more info.
It’s still as cold as a Nazi’s heart here at the moment, so there’s really nothing else for me to do except sit inside, cover myself in wool and goose fat and pound out…uh…massive tunes. I’m sure HxDB will be excited at the prospect of me in this state hypnotically swaying to his recently unleashed Sicknote Vol. 7 mix, an hour-long blanket of swelling atmosphere and bass, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Packed to the rafters with unparalleled ambient dubstep, Vol. 7’s roster includes Phaelah, Desto, Headhunter, Djunya, Mount Kimbie and a number of others who have the ability to instil a feeling of nebulous calm. Particular highlights, however, come in the form of Hyetal’s ‘Secret’ and Desto’s characteristically beautiful ‘Bounce’.
I’m getting a little bit addicted to these chilled out mixes, I reckon I may soon crumble into dust and spend the rest of my existence swirling around the scene of a Constable painting. It wouldn’t be so bad I guess…
Ho ho I selected words from the official title of the below video to throw you all into a veritable tornado of unexpected confusion. Did I just see a cow fly past in my tractor’s rear-view mirror?
Sheffield’s favourite genre-defying nutcases M.I.Loki have been ruling the roost for some time now, I mean their homemade imprint won Best Label at Breakspoll for crying out loud.
Likening these chaps to a couple of mad scientists is a tad cliché but definitely does the duo justice. Out of the M.I.Loki lab this time round then comes something no less bonkers. And I mean bonkers in the conkers with a B sense not the D.Rascal lovin’ life sense, because conkers are pretty crazy if you think about it.
The video doesn’t need explaining. I say that mainly because I can’t. Introducing M.I.Loki’s new video; a bizarre but very refreshing mix of 70’s harmonies, synchronized swimming and filthy filthy beats…
I spent a fair part of last year blowing my load to the squealing highs of ‘When I Look At You’ and now, faced with Emalkay’s latest release, it’s time to throw on a pair of clean undies and see if I can control myself. STORM016, which dropped on promo just over a week ago, features ‘Solid State’ and ‘Battle Suit’, two tracks laden with weighty expectation. Of course, I’ve heard snippets of them circulating the tubes and rearing their heads in various mixes, but getting your hands on the final incarnation always proffers an entirely different experience.
Although neither track is as mighty and affecting as ‘When I Look At You’, there is no lack of low frequency clout on offer here. The rasping and relentlessly pulsating heart of ‘Solid State’ would surely hit a rave like a hefty shot of benny and the monstrously heavy sub encompasses you like the middle of the ocean at midnight. ‘Battle Suit’, on the other hand, feels a bit thinner and seems to fizzle and whirr rather than electrocute and traumatise. I did, however, have a strange affinity with the snare which sounded nothing short of perfect and if I heard it on a huge system, I’d probably put my head between my legs and try and blow my sweater into a life jacket. ‘Solid State’ is the undoubted superior of the two tunes, but both stand as pretty respectable follow-ups to a classic.
STORM016 featuring ‘Solid State’ and ‘Battle Suit’ is out now on Storming Productions. Grab it at Chemical.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I don’t know how he does it, but Joker just keeps throwing out amazing tunes at an unbelievable rate. He’s like a supernatural sushi chef who slices tuna thinner than anyone else believes is possible. Elijah & Skilliam played his new collaboration with Terror Danjah, ‘Gully Goon Estate’, on their Rinse show last Tuesday and it’s huge, as you would expect. Occurring just under 16 minutes into the mix, it hits you in the head like a flaming molotov, making you want to pistol-whip your Grandma and skank until your little legs are mere bloody stumps. Hopefully this will make it on to the album, it’s dirt.
MP3 Disclaimer All MP3s posted on Box Musique are intended for promotional use only. We actively encourage our visitors to support artists and buy their music. If you would like us to take down a particular track, e-mail david@boxmusique.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
10 March 2010 
03 March 2010 
01 March 2010 
24 February 2010 
23 February 2010 
21 February 2010 
