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 →])

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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Ninja Tune is releasing an epic compilation album called You Don’t Know: Ninja Cuts that drops March 11th. It weighs in at 3 CDs, stacked with 50 Big Tunes from 1998-2008, from Mike Ladd to Pop Levi and from Roots Manuva to Wiley! Last year, HearingTest featured a few of the tracks that made the cut:

The version of “Free” by DJ Kentaro on You Don’t Know: Ninja Cuts is actually an “Armani XXXChange Remix” and the version here is the original edit from Kentaro’s Ninja Tune LP Enter. (I don’t have the remix yet)

Ever wonder what everyone else is listening to? Today’s list of Top Rankin Tunes is compiled from what was most popular among ([HearingTest]) readers in 2007. This is definitely the most pop-oriented of all the lists; starting with the the most-played tune: Alicia Keys and Jr. Reid’s reggae soul remix of “No One” followed by the tune that Jah Cure released at the same time he himself was released from Tower Prison. These two tunes were receiving thousands of plays per day for weeks! Recently, the audio CD that comes with Ghostface Killah’s new book “The World According To Pretty Toney” has been streaming pretty much round the clock on computers around the globe and linked to on numerous hip hop BBs. Other big contenders include Foxy Brown’s don diva anthem with Mavado – “We’re On Fire” – released during her incarceration in Rykers Island and the club anthem of the year in UK – T2 and Jodie Aysha’s incredible infectious “Heartbroken” which puts the bounce in Bassline music! ([More →])

Crazy blip-hoppers – Bangers and Cash a.k.a. Spank Rock and Benny Blanco – present an all new weird video for our amusement! This one does not feature bold cartoon vaginas, but it does have Santogold. Score! ([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 →])