Another summer, another amazing music festival lineup. The 15th Annual Sonar Music and Art festival in Barcelona takes place 19-21 June this year and they just announced another amazing lineup. There is a strong female presence from M.I.A., Goldfrapp, Roisin Murphy, Kid Sister, Miss Kittin and an assault of amazing electro, techno, noise and pop from Shackleton, Diplo, SebastiAn, Justice, DJ Scotch Egg, Ove-Naxx, Neon Neon, Spank Rock and more! ([More →])

Philly-based beat meister Diplo and UK house/bass producer Switch have each assisted M.I.A. to create the sick riddims that she sings over, they’ve toured together, and now they’re finishing up a joint album. Diplo produced a lot of the music on Arul and Switch traveled all over the globe with M.I.A. to help her record the songs for Kala. Last year, Diplo went to Jamaica to record dancehall’s superstar deejays (rappers) for a new project with Switch. I can’t wait to hear these tunes, they’re going to be wiiiiiiiicked!! Diplo and Switch’s bumpin electro-influenced dancehall-hip hop hybrids with thick Jamaican patois rapping on top? Sounds perfect! ([More →])

A new compilation from Ninja Tune - You Don’t Know: Ninja Cuts - is filled with 50 tunes that map the sonic territory the label has explored during it’s 2 decades in the biz and adds sonar imagery of what lies ahead. The 3 CD set features tracks all the way 1998 reppin for the label’s early days (Mike Ladd’s rare classic “Blah Blah”) and big hits from every year since plus 9 tunes slated for release later this year! (Yet-to-be-dropped tunes like John Matthias’ fragile and ethereal “Evermore”, The Bug’s toxic dancehall slayer “Poison Dart”, and Pop Levi’s superb, princely “Dita Dimone”…) To celebrate such an amazing audio history, the Ninja Tune extended family is hosting a 3-room banger at Electrowerkz this month that features many of the artists on the 3CD collection!
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Mumdance and Jammer added to Diplo’s remix of Black Lips’ “Veni Vidi Vici” for an ultra-smooth grime tune:

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South Rakkas Crew has joined forces with Mad Decent (Diplo’s record label) and is set to release a full-length LP of bumpin choons! Their sound is a unique mixture of dancehall, hip hop, electro and Miami bass and they are set to release their debut album, The Mix Up on Mad Decent on October 29th. ([More →])

It’s Big Dada’s 10 year anniversary and it’s time to celebrate! UK’s best label for hip hop and grime is having a party and releasing a historic double CD compilation plus a DVD documenting a decade of music. ([More →])