Every time I see an amazing lineup for live music, like this one for Ninja Tunes’ record release party or the Bang Face Weekender, I have to ask myself an important question: Do I live on the wrong side of the pond? When every flyer and lineup that I drool over is happening in or near London, it gets more and more difficult to understand why I stay in the US, with the ever-weakening dollar. This is the time of year where party people in the UK and Europe start to promote major music festival weekends that have me gazing at my passport with longing. Next up is a Ninja Tune extravaganza at Electrowerkz in London. On 15th February, a massive posse of premier musicians will take over 3 whole floors of the Electrowerkz nightclub to celebrate the new release of YOU DON’T KNOW: NINJA CUTS - one floor for each CD in the monster compilation! (There’s a whole post about the Ninja Tune compilation too, so scope that next.) ([More →])

Make a date with dubstep in December! Plastician, purveyor of fine dubstep music, announced a few US shows during the first two weeks of December! He also told Danny Walker in an interview for RWD Mag that his album has finally come back from the plant and will be available to the rest of us before the end of the year. ([More →])

From all I have read on the web and in glossy magazines, few are able to decipher a complicated music subject and share it with the masses better than Martin Clark. Clark writes “The Month In:…” features for pitchf*#k, and I need to find out where else he gets published because I learn so much from each of his installments. I’ve mentioned his column before, usually in reference to grime, but I’ve never really drawn attention to the man and his writing abilities. I just wanted to point this out to you because I know some of you love to read and write about music yourselves. That, plus Clark’s gone and done it again - he’s written a fantastic article about what’s happening right now in dubstep and grime, how the music is beginning to draw from its rich cultural history, and how this will bode for the future. He weaves short stories together about the different musicians making moves right now, with commentary on the fresh and upcoming albums. He describes the hardships of urban youth in the UK and ties it into the music’s lineage, rooted in the UK Jamaican diaspora. ([More →])

MORE FIRE!!! Boh! This mix is hot! MORE FIRE, MORE BASS is by one of my favOrite producers, Matt Shadetek. I actually heard part of this mix when it originally aired on Mary Anne Hobbs’ show on BBC Radio 1 on March 16th. I was packing my bags to go snowboarding while the sounds coming out of my speakers were inspiring feelings of sailing down slopes of deep powder. Coz that’s what this mix is like, it’s deep and sludgey, with clean sweeps that sail over the heavy basslines. This mix clocks in at a mere 30 minutes of sonic rapture but contains a lot of original music by Shadetek and NYC neighbors 77Klash and Jah Dan. Don’t worry, I’m not teasing you with fond memories. Matt launched the mp3 on his blog today, where you can download it for yourself. I can even vouch for it being a pretty quick download, despite how clean it sounds. These boys know their bitrate technology and it was originally intended for radio play and streaming anyhow.

TRACKLIST

01. Can’t Breathe - Tanya Stephens (Matt Shadetek Remix) [Unreleased)
02. Untitled - Matt Shadetek (Unreleased)
03. Bumbaclat Badman - Chronik feat. Skepta, Wiley & Esco (Slew Dem Records)
04. Skynet Riddim - Matt Shadetek (Sound-Ink)
05. Walk It Out Remix - DJ Unk feat. Andre 3000 & Jim Jones (Koch Records)
06. Do It - Jon E Cash (Black Ops)
07. Go Home - Timeblind (Unreleased)
08. Gigantic Wings - Drop The Lime (Unreleased)
09. Vans - The Pack (Jive)
10. Reign Riddim - Matt Shadetek (Sound-Ink)
11. Reign - Team Shadetek feat. Skepta (Sound-Ink)
12. Gave You All My Dub - Matt Shadetek feat. Jahdan (Unreleased)
13. Separating - Team Shadetek feat. Jammer (Sound-Ink)
14. Cassava Riddim - Matt Shadetek (Unreleased)
15. She Told Me - Noble Society feat. 77Klash
16. Untitled - Timeblind (Unreleased)
17. Japan - Plastician (Terrorhythm)
18. Try Harder - Drop The Lime (Broklyn Beats)
19. Daylight - Team Shadetek (Sound-Ink)

Yep, all that in a seamless 30 minute mix (no breaks in between trax). Head over to Glaciers of Shade, the home of Team Shadetek.

If you like what you hear, please buy the latest release from Shadetek/77Klash/JahDan - the excellent Brooklyn Anthem featuring Courtney Melody from his classic "Bad Boy" hit. Released by Sound Ink and available on BLEEP. Team Shadetek also have a release on WARP Records called Burnerism among others.

Brooklyn Anthem:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/X1BzRw5Vnv0]

For more information about this song and its artists, please click over to Dangerous Bad Boy.

Links

Boomkat
ShockOut
BLEEP
discogs