ceo ~ illuminata

Brand new video for the second single from ceo's acclaimed album White Magic. It's my favourite album of the year by far!

omg

i'm so sorry dear blog, i have been neglecting you of late...

i promise to improve!

Infinity Guitars!!

Fresh off the internet, it appears that the almighty New York duo Sleigh Bells have FINALLY made a video. About time too! This shit ain't even on youtube yet!

Watch it here now

I knew it would have cheerleaders and fire in it, hey presto!

Glasser - Ring

I was lucky enough to catch this band opening for Jonsi in London in May and have slowly been catching little bits of their sound since. Now their debut LP is imminent, releasing on Monday. It's getting quite a bit of hype attention and deservedly so.
Glasser create beautifully crisp and vivid sounds that are at once low-fi fuzzy and celestically ethereal, primal and futuristic, glowing and cold. A really great debut with a huge amount of depth and texture.
You can stream the whole thing here, so check it out!

New Music Review; Mixy & Big G ~ MMX

24-year-old hip hop word smith Michael ’Mixy’ Riccardi has risen to prominence in recent years as quite possibly the saviour of Peterborough’s otherwise marginalised and secretive scene, uniting the younger beat hungry clubbers with the older literary aficionados of the poetry circles by becoming the youngest person and first ever MC to be awarded the coveted Peterborough Poet Laureate title, as well as releasing one of the best local mixtapes to be heard (last year’s MMIX Mixture Mixtape).
His succes has made him just as likely to be seen at a poetry workshop as rocking the mic in a sweaty dancehall and has even taken him as far as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with fellow scribes Keely Mills and Mark Grist (both ex Laureates and the latter forming the other half of Mixy's well lauded duo Dead Poets.)
His second full length mixtape, entitled MMX (which for anyone unfamiliar with Roman numerals means 2010) was released earlier this summer and continues what he and producer Gareth ‘Big G’ Smith started in 2009.
Calling it a mixtape is almost belittling to it’s unique quality, even though of course the word mixtape can in hip-hop terms mean a lot more than just a glorified compilation with guest rappers, it is still more like a complete album in its own right, lacking the peiced together shuffling plot line of some mixes you might hear.
In true hip-hop style the wealth of samples used, and the ingenuity with which they are implemented, is diverse and clever, deftly moving between obscure 70s Colombian salsa, Cretan folk music, luscious classical orchestration and famous popular songs such as Beverly Craven’s ‘Promise Me’. Still, the samples would be nothing without the production skills of producer Big G, who handles everything from classic hip-hop rhythms to dubstep and drum and bass with bombastic flare. Even the presence of my pet hate, sped up chipmunk vocals, on penultimate track My Love can’t detract from the great beat work that makes up the track itself; a genre sprawling floor filler with heartfelt vocal performance from Mixy.
Speaking of whom, Mixy is of course the star of this show and I haven’t even mentioned his output yet. So, has the Laureate title gone to his head? Does he still have the wry and clever charm that gave him the edge in the first place? The answer is a resounding yes, and indeed he is even better than when he first emerged, having gained confidence and scope, covering everything from his personal reflections on relationships to the well publicised struggle for interracial community cohesion in his native city.
His ability as a poet shines through in the tracks, all of which tell stories, some of them funny, some of them shocking but all with the same skill and ability that first elevated him above the jump-up-jump-up banality of so many other MCs. His sensibility is intelligent and tends away from too much of the exclusive lingo that may alienate some people from the genre.
Sometimes he may even be guilty of going into too much lyrical detail, spinning out on tangents of minute observations and aspects of the situations he is rapping about, but further listening enables everything to fall in to place, his verbosity simply too much to digest in one listen (which isn't a bad thing, as immediacy is not always a virtue).
Not just a great achievement on Peterborough’s scene, but good enough to impress hip-hop listeners up and down the country.
In summary then, Mixy and Big G are, to use their own words, merkin it!
To get it for a meagre £3 check out his website here...

And as a sneak preview grab one of the tracks, Peterbronx, here for free!

Big Boi - Shutterbug

So finally Shutterbug gets a release, hinting that maybe the legal battle with his record company has come to an end, meaning we should get the album soon? Until then enjoy the video.

Mount Wittenberg Orca *UPDATE*

So yesterday we were treated with a brief and mysterious teaser trailer for the impending new Dirty Projectors EP featuring Bjork. Today we not only get two more teasers but also tantalising new info and a tracklist.

01 Ocean
02 On and Ever Onward
02 When the World Comes to an End
04 Beautiful Mother
05 Sharing Orb
06 No Embrace
07 All We Are

The E.P. will be released on June 30th and can pre-ordered now for a minimum donation of $7, all the proceeds from which will be donated to The National Geographic Society.

This is the best news I have had all week!

Here follows a letter from David Longstreth of DP from Stereogum.com

In April 2009, Brandon Stosuy from Stereogum.com asked me if we wanted to play a benefit concert at a bookstore in New York. I said yes. He asked Björk the same thing, and she said yes. Then he asked us if we wanted to collaborate, and we said yes. Björk asked me what we should do, and I said, “I don’t know, I guess I’d really love to write a bunch of new songs for us to sing together?” And she said Yes.

That same month, Amber from Dirty Projectors was walking along a ridge on Mount Wittenberg, north of San Francisco. She was looking out at the ocean and saw a little family of whales, as you sometimes do in April on the Northern California coast. I wrote some songs about it and sent them to Björk, who agreed to sing the part of the mom whale. The songs became Mount Wittenberg Orca. Amber and Angel and Haley sang the part of the kid whales, and I sang the part of Amber. We sang all week long and learned the music just in time to perform it at the bookstore on May 8th.

Then our album Bitte Orca came out and we went on tour forever. We finally got a chance to record Wittenberg last month, almost exactly a year after we first sang it. We went into the Rare Book Room in Brooklyn and rehearsed it for three days, then we recorded it as quickly and as live as possible. We only overdubbed lead vocals and a guitar solo.

Now we’re making a website for it, which will be the only place you can buy it. It’s going be up June 30th (we are playing in Utrecht that day!) The music is going to be $7, because there are seven songs. You can preorder now if you click here.

We’ve decided to give away all the money that Wittenberg generates to the project of creating international marine protected areas. Only 1% of the oceans are protected in any way and this is a huge problem. We’re working with the National Geographic Society to create areas of sustainability, so the oceans don’t end up like a giant poisonous corpse hugging the continents. You can learn more about this project here and here and here and here.

We’re so psyched about how this recording came out and hope you are too. Don’t listen on those tinny computer speakers — put in on the stereo and blast dat shiiiiiiiiii!!

Enjoy.

–David

Check out the new teasers...

Bjork & Dirty Projectors! Teaser Trailer!

After their much talked about and exclusive live collaboration in a bookstore in Brooklyn last year, it now seems that the rumored and mysterious studio recordings will now see the light of day, as early as June 30th if the following youtube teaser trailer is to believed ... Very exciting times indeed!

Mana Wasa - Nic Sarno

Enchufada have just release the second volume of their Hard Ass Shaking series of Kuduro inspired EPs. Vol. 2 features tracks by Douster, BokBok, Zombies for Money and Nic Sarno, who has also made an awesome video for his contribution.



Fans of African house music or tropical club in general will love this, myself included!

My Radio Tracklist!

Day-Glow-Radio Peterborough FM Sunday June 13th 2010

Keep 'em peeled for a full download of the show! And don't forget I am on air again at 8pm this sunday June 20th! 87.7 Peterborough FM or www.pborofm.com!

1. Oh Yeh Soweto ~ Teaspoon & The Waves
2. Giving Up The Gun ~ Vampire Weekend
3. Gypsy ~ Oi Va Voi (Featuring Earl Zinger)
4. Outerspace ~ David Harks
5. '81 ~ Joanna Newsom
6. Aicha ~ Khaled
7. Golden Phone ~ Micachu
8. Go Do ~ Jonsi
9. Apply ~ Glasser
10. Warm Heart of Africa ~ The Very Best (Featuring Ezra Konig)
11. Elengwen ~ Emmanuel Jal
12. The Woods ~ Cartridge
13. Lauch Yourself (Tomas Erikson Mix) ~ Adem
14. Somlandela ~ Mariyube
15. Sihambile ~ Mahlathini
16. Bouger Bouger ~ Magic System
17. Eres Para Mi (Sonidera Nacional Remix) ~ Julieta Venegas Featuring Anita Tijoux
18. Rap De Felicidade ~ Cidinho & Doca
19. Dazeitlak Dezzelli ~ Omar Souleyman
20. Klara ~ Olof Arnalds
21. Paris ~ Patrick Wolf
22. Triangle Walks ~ Fever Ray
23. Cassandra ~ Joe Driscoll
24. It's Not Up To You ~ Bjork

HOME

Just sat in silence for 90 minutes watching this amazing film and strongly urge you to do the same. Thought I'd just watch the beginning to see what it was like then go about my day and watch the rest later as have loads I need to do but was totally unable to look away from the screen and hey presto, an hour and half had gone by!
Mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, brow-furrowing stuff!

WATCH IT FREE ON YOUTUBE, CLICK HERE NOW!

We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.


Yann Arthus-Bertrand

HOME official website
http://www.home-2009.com

PPR is proud to support HOME
http://www.ppr.com

HOME is a carbon offset movie
http://www.actioncarbone.org

More information about the Planet
http://www.goodplanet.info

David Harks ~ Outerspace

New music alert!
Hot off the press (not that videos are made in a press but yeah...) comes the debut video from David Harks, an up and coming singer songwriter with a soulful voice and an intergalactic groove!



Download the single over at iTunes or sit tight and wait for the album...

Directed & Produced by Emma Swinton { velvetswag.wordpress.com } See http://www.velvetswag.wordpress.com/ for full credits
http://www.myspace.com/davidharks
http://www.DRMRLLPLS.com/

Day-Glow-Radio finally on the actual Radio!

Thanks to the amazing people at 87.7 Peterborough FM, a new Grassroots community project here in Ptown, I will be taking to the airwaves on Sunday the 13th and 20th of June at 9pm and 10pm respectively. This is very exciting. I am currently in a training programme here at the station which is on a trial run at the moment with official launching on the 13th. A lot of my friends are also involved with their shows covering everything from Poerty, hip-hop, Techno and Drum and Bass so tune in or log on to www.pborofm.com to hear what's happening!
My show will obviously be of similar fare to the content of this blog; i.e. eclectic music from around the world, from vintage bollywood swing to thundering baile funk, contemporary alternative pop to retro afrobeat. I am thrilled!

The project is a really amazing thing for peterborough and has already brought an amazingly broad range of people and communities together from school children to pensioners.
This is just what the city needs... Please support us!

If you are on Facebook please join the group where you can find out all about what is coming up

I have read the right books...

...to interpret your looks!

Joanna Newsom - Peach, Plum, Pear from Kurtis Hough on Vimeo.

Favela Finally On Blast!

That new trailer I posted a few weeks back did indeed turn out to mean that release of Favela On Blast was imminent! Very good news!

Here's the press release from Mad Decent's blog...

DVD AND DIGITAL RELEASE COMING ON MAD DECENT JULY 20th

On July 20th the film will be available digitally and on DVD through Mad Decent. Fans will get an early chance to preview the film when it airs on Pitchfork TV's 'One Week Only' starting July 9th.

Favela on Blast, the directorial film debut from Grammy-nominated DJ and producer, Diplo, and his partner Leandro HBL, documents a vibrant and innovative musical subculture that has emerged in Brazil's impoverished slums, known as favelas. Well beneath the radar of mainstream society for the last 20 years, they have their own language, style and heroes. Their music and culture have gone mostly unnoticed outside of South America until now. Favela on Blast captures the rarely seen stories of MC's, DJ's, dancers, and cultural producers through the eyes of Diplo and Brazilian filmmaker Leandro HBL, with memorable appearances from funk superstars Deize, Tigrona, Mr. Catra, and Duda Do Borell.

Favela on Blast documents the culture surrounding "Funk Carioca," a musical rhythm that mixes the American electronic funk of the 1980's with the most diverse influences of Brazilian music. It is one of the most interesting musical movements in the world and it comes from one of the most violent and poorest places too: the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Bombastic rhythms coming from the Miami Bass and loops and samples are united to powerful rap vocals using Brazilian slang. This music is designed to be listened to as loud as possible and with high bass pumping through the tropical nights of Rio. The heroes are the creators- the musicians. Their pace is set between colossal street parties; propped with rudimentary sound-systems, warring drug factions, and an eerily tense city where the Police and societies elite have the upper hand until it comes to their musical culture, always Brazil's heart and nation's identity.

An Official Selection of SXSW Film Festival 2009, Favela on Blast was not an easy feat to be conquered. Little funding, unfamiliar territories, and broken translations proved to be harsh obstacles for Diplo and Leandro. However, to show the world the music that has helped acts such as Diplo, Bonde de Role, and a heap of Mad Decent artists rise to international prominence was worth the trouble.

Here's the trailer one more time...

Favela On Blast - Official Trailer from Mad Decent on Vimeo.

Rusko - O.M.G.!

The long awaited full length album by one of Dubstep's original pioneers and golden boys has arrived. Having been signed to Dilpo's super dirty label Mad Decent this is a slight change in direction. If you were expecting 12 tracks of Cockney Thug variations then you will be sorely disappointed. Dubstep purists too will probably bemoan the more 'cross-over' tracks on the album but then again if they had their way no one would know about dubstep except them so who gives...?
Any album that features Dirty Projectors vocalist Amber Coffman singing on a garage track has got to be worth a listen! And it is.
This a big album, with an epic foundation wobbling tone of voice, similar to the Crookers' debut earlier this year, in that it is going to be melting the speakers at a million parties for the duration of summer.
When Rusko makes dubstep he is of course a master having been very much responsible for making the genre known to a wider audience with his earlier releases, but here he stretches his producers muscles a lot more, covering old skool rave, garage and bassy ghetto party music that doesn't really seem to be have a specific label. With so many collaborations there's a lot of genre blurring making this a very interesting beast at times. It's always compelling listening; with moments of filthy bass heavy fun (Rubadub Shakedown) sitting alongside some breathtaking moments of deftly ambient beauty (District Line) and some just plain freaky (My Mouth and Oy featuring Crookers).
All in all a very satisfying experience, maybe not the album people were expecting, but OMG what did you expect?!

Download Oy feat. Crookers here

Around the World in 80 Minutes Volume 2!

~*~*~*~

~*~*~*~

So here it is at last, finally! I have been sitting on this for ages and have not given my self the oomph to get round to uploading it until now but after several months it is yours to keep.
As with volume one this is a rollercoaster ride around the globe and through time with no care for genres! 'World' music is such a tired old phrase, let's mix it up!

Day-Glow-Radio presents Around the World in 80 Minutes Vol.2

1. (Algeria) Didi ~ Khaled
   
2. (Benin) Les Djos ~ Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo
3. (Bolivia) Le Gran Pelea ~ Los Ecos
   
4. (China) The Lady of Mount Ali ~ Koo Mei
5. (D.R. Congo) Loi ~ Koffi Olomide
6. (Egypt) Ya Ramal ~ Adel El Musree
7. (Guinea) Soko ~ Tropical Djoli Band De Faranah
8. (Iceland) Ruby Baby ~ Björk Gudmundsdóttir & Trió Gudmundar Ingólfssonar
9. (India) Aaj Mausam Bada Beimann Hai ~ Mohammed Rafi
10. (Iran) Tesh Bad ~ Mousighi Jonub Siraf
11. (Jamaica) Baltimore ~ The Tamlins
12. (Japan) うるま島 Huruma Island ~ The Hoptones ﾎｯﾌﾟﾄｰﾝｽﾞ
13. (Lebanon) Imminent Journay ~ Rabih Abou-Khalil
14. (Nigeria) Dancing Time ~ The Funkees
15. (Pakistan) Allah Hoo ~ Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
16. (Peru) Tookie Tookie ~ Telegraph Avenue
17. (Senegal) Africa Child ~ Abass Abass feat. Daby
18. (South Africa) Vuli Ndlela ~ Brenda Fassie
19. (Syria) Lanshob Sherek ~ Omar Souleyman
20. (Zimbabwe) Hende Baba ~ Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited
    

DOWNLOAD IT HERE (157.3 MB)

First off we are in Algeria and who better to show us around than the almighty Khaled, the biggest name in the Rai genre. Didi is his massive hit from 1992 which made him a name around the world and not just Arab speaking countries, resulting in nearly 50 million album sales round the world!


Next up we move down through Africa to Benin, home the Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo, a voodoo funk band who have recently seen a revival thanks to a series of reissues by the likes of Soundway and Analog Africa. Fela Kuti and the like dominates most people's image of 70s African funk but Poly-Rhythmo were a force to be reckoned with and I cannot recommend their Kings Of Beninalbum highly enough.



Now when you think of Bolivian music most people picture native dress and panpipes, not screeching psych-rock. But the makers of the Psicofásicos De Bolivia - Go-Gó A 4000 Metros compilation obviously knew different and dug out some rare finds up in the Andes, they must have felt like Indiana Jones in a record store!

Next up we are in China courtesy of the beautiful Koo Mei. Known at the height of her career as The Little Skylark, she started out as an actress and moved in recording jazz songs, which can now be heard on Pathe 100's series of reissues (Vol.14). Her beautiful voice and the classy arrangements bring to mind the high life of Shanghai Jazz clubs, you can almost smell the opium!



To the Democratic Republic of the Congo next, and the sounds of soukous are made for moving! Koffi Olomide is one of the big stars of the scene and even named his own personal style of the genre (Tcha Tcho). He was recently reported dead but made a tearful television appearance claiming he had not died in a car crash, much to his fans relief! This track features so many beautiful guitar riffs and clattering beats, it's impossible not to feel like dancing.

The next track comes from Yalla! Hitlist Egypt, a 1990 album of Egyptian urban pop music that can be found here for those wanting to hear more

More music from the golden era of African guitar music now, and we are in Guinea, straight after they became independent from France in 1958. The 60s and 70s saw alot of hardship in post colonial times but as a result a huge west African movement of musical freedom and expression that lead to such a rich and varied musical heritage, preserved in Guinea mostly by the legendary Syliphone label, responsible for recording all the major bands in the country.



From African heat to Nordic blues now, Iceland specifically. Taken from the 1990 album Gling Glo this cover of the Drifter's marked Icelandic punk singer Bjork's first experimentation away from guitar-based rock music. Guðmundur Ingólfsson was a great and famous piano player in Iceland and he remembered Bjork as a 16 year old girl who, obsessed with jazz, would hang around his recording sessions. The album was a huge hit in Iceland and since Bjork's success worldwide has become even more popular. Sadly Guðmundur died not long afterwards and the band disbanded.



Mohammed Rafi sings to us now, from India. His four-decade career as one of the greatest bollywood playback singers can not be argued with, having recorded an estimated 26,000 songs in this time! This track (Today The Weather Plays Tricks On Me) can be seen in the film "Loafer"


Iran next, to southern Iran and some Janub music. Iran has an incredible musical heritage that fascinates me and this is another example of how much cool music it has to offer. This is a little different from the usual you think of when you think of Persian music, but the banging rhythms and choirs have a really big hypnotic sound.

The Tamlins provide our next track, the 1979 hit Baltimore, which was also covered by Nina Simone in the same year. The Tamlins were very famous in the 70s and this is one of their classic songs. You can hear this and much more soulful reggae on the compilation Darker Than Blue; Soul from Jamdown.

Okinawa pop is up next, from the Hoptones. There is a great amount of rock'n'roll, rhythm'n'blues and jazzy pop from the pacific Asia during the 50s and 60s and it has achieved a very cool cult following. Labels like Sublime Frequencies release almost nothing else. This is a brilliant song from Ryukyu Rare Groove: Shimauta Pops in 60's-70's 琉球レアグルーヴ



One of the greatest Oud players in the world can be heard in the next song; the legendary Rabih Abou-Khalil. He has released scores of incredible jazz-fusion albums, mixing the middle east's traditional music with western jazz and classical. This is from his album Yara.

Nigeria is famous for it's funk and here from the Nigeria 70 series is a classic example of what makes the country so famous for just that! Pakistan next, and the renowned Sufi singer, easily the most famous of them all (in the west at least), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Allah Hoo is one of his most famous recordings and is a great example of devotional music.

More low-fi rock from the Andes now, except this time from Peru specifically. This track has a really funky feel to it and again, like the Bolivian track earlier, shows that Peru is not all about panpipes. Telegraph Avenue were a popular underground band in the 60s and often sang in english, being inspired by the American rock music of that era. Some hip-hop brings us to Senegal next, home of Abass Abass. This a great track that shows the depth and beauty of African hip-hop, which really is where it's at! There's alot of exciting hip-hop and ghetto music coming out of africa and always has been.


Speaking of African ghetto music, Kwaito is a form of house music from South Africa's townships, coming in many forms, from full on techy house (see DJ Mujava's huge 2007 tune Township Funk) to more pop sounding, like Brenda Fassie's classic song Vuli Ndlela. Brenda Fassie was one of the huge 90s stars of the electronic pop movement in South Africa and her song about Nelson Mandela (Black President) was a huge hit.



Another artist who mixes traditional with electronic beats is Omar Souleyman, Syrian music's wild card, this man has recorded over 500 albums and attained mythic cult status in the west thanks to the Sublime Frequencies label who started releasing hhis albums a few years ago.



And then finally, the Lion of Zimbabwe sings us out, Thomas Mapfumo. With his band The Blacks Unlimited, he became a massive icon of African music, just as much for his outspoken political views as for his music(of which Bob Marley was a fan), a trait which got his music banned numerous times and resulted in him having to flee to America. He still lives there, in Oregon to be exact and still tours the world.


............And there you have it, I hope you all enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
*GEEK*

DOWNLOAD IT HERE (157.3 MB)

Koffi Olomide

For those that downloaded and enjoyed my mixtape Around the World in 80 Minutes last summer, here is a preview of Part Two, which will be available to download here shortly!



Koffi Olomide is one of the biggest stars in the world of Congolese Soukous, a vibrant and uptempo form of African music perfectly exemplified above. Earlier this year the 54 year old musician was presumed dead but don't worry folks, he is still alive and well and churning out hits!

Robyn - Body Talk Pt.1

Her eponymous LP from 2005 was without doubt one of the highlights of noughties pop, an unashamedly good record that proudly sat atop the throne further cementing Scandinavia as the Pop capital of the world. She returns this year with not one, not two but three EPs under the name Body Talk. The first part is already all over the internet and is probably old news to most people in the habit of blogging but come June 13th when the first proper single from Body Talk Pt.1 is released it should very well be a dancefloor anthem for the summer.
Dancing on my Own is somewhat like With Every Hearbeat; The Sequel. Where the latter was her walking away from a lover and swearing she wouldn't look back, the former sees her slip up and follow him to a club to watch him dancing with his new girl. And boy does it hurt.
This is pure Robyn; Euphoric melancholic electro. The rest of the EP is similarly brilliant, featuring collaborations from Diplo and Royksopp among others, with ballsy lyrics and deftly handled production it quite frankly shits all over the competition.
She is the indie kid's favourite pop star, lacking the over the top trashiness of the likes of Gaga and having a clear knowledge of 'electro' as a beautiful form of music rather than a cliche that means it's perfectly hip to like her.
Here is one of the remixes from the forthcoming Dancing On My Own single release, by the joyous Rex the Dog. Enjoy.

Passing Judgement!

Once again in the absence of anything significant to post about I will instead pawn off some reviews of some new singles.
First up...

Roll Deep (feat. Jody Connor) - Good Times

If Roll Deep's manifesto was to become possibly the ugliest trio of rappers to ever appear on music television, then it would appear they have been entirely succesful in their endevour. However something tells me that they have actually set out to dominate the charts, and while it is true that they very probably wil achieve this (in the short term) it must be noted that this song is so bad that it makes N-Dubz look deep and positively genius by comparison.
Not only does the lead rapper's fascination with rhymes involving the term 'late-night shopping' leave the listener agog from the very beginning of the track, but he and his fellow MCs don't get any better than that, repeatedly repeating the same tired cliches about champagne and having an awesome time. Jody Connor seems to be enjoying herself though, fulfilling the 'Girl who sings the chorus and looks pretty' role with generic aplomb.
Then again I would probably dance to this if I was drunk enough but relying on the fact that most of your listeners will only dance to your shit if they are as a hammered as your Champagne-boasting lyrics would suggest isn't a good thing. Oh and at 3.23 you can actually see a minge. Avoid.
*

Crystal Castles - Baptism

OK so this isnlt their new single, most people are currently enthusing about the tracj 'Celestica' but I am totally in awe of this album track at the moment. Taken from their new and also self titled album (meaning they now have two albums called 'Crystal Castles', just to confuse the novice) this is like Courtship Dating on steroids. In a cathedral. In space.
Huge stabs of anthemic rave synths shatter the stained glass and rain around you in a torrent of lazer-fuelled angst and passion. This is what they do best. Furiously beautiful ravepunk, except this time they seem to have honed and polished their sound into something more streamlined and sleek, without losing the gritty charm of their debut. MEGA.
****

Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em

Much hype is currently surrounding this noisy Brooklyn duo, currently signed to M.I.A.'s label N.E.E.T. recordings. I am yet to hear the whole album but I can say that so far I am very impressed. This is messy joyous anarcho-pop of the highest order, and further evidence of just how much variety and creativity is out there at the moment in American ' indie' music (see also, Yeasayer, Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear etc). Certainly more than the UK indie scene which is still mourning due to the Arctic Monkeys' refusal to do the same thing twice.
Judging by this fanfare of an opening single, in which they combine screeching guitars, crunky baltimore beats with a half-time cheer-leader pom-pom waving rhythm and rainbow synths, and the other youtubes I have dug out, they promise to be a highlight of 2010's sound (which is going to be pretty loud). RAWR.
****

M.I.A. - XXXO

The third song to slip through the net ahead of her third album (out at the end of June) is yet another total change in sonic direction. First we had the dreamy and beautiful Rusko produced Space , followed by the explosive, raw, kraut rock sampling Born Free (a song which was almost totally eclipsed by the video that accompanied it) and now this. First listen was sceptical. Yes this has a very 'commercial' sound, as many furious fans have pointed out on youtube's comments section, but I am still willing to give it time, as I didn't enjoy Born Free at all on first listen, and consequently love it.
Yes it does have a commercial sound but only in that is more accessible than most of her other tracks. Compared to other commercial tracks (see Roll Deep, above!) this is still in a league of it's own. The beats are there, the sound is suitable M.I.A. without losing too much of her guerilla appeal, and who knows, flirting with the mainstream may just be the best idea she has ever had. Cross-over potential!
****

Big Boi- Shutterbug

This has been out for a while now but I still feel it is necessary to big it up, up, up!
One half of OutKast for those unfamiliar, Big Boi has come back with a huge hulking beat of epic proportions. This makes me want to be in a club. Yes that is a cliche, but that beat! That beat is "shittin on niggaz and pissin on the seat"
OutKast can always be relied on to come up with consistantly brilliant party tracks with significant lyrical and musical depth to lift them above their contemporaries. Of course it won't be as huge as Hey Ya! but few songs ever will. Produced by Scott Storch this funky riff is a perfect match for Big Boi's eloquent turns of phrase. Epic.
****

Justin Bieber Ft. Ludacris - Baby

No the title isn't referring to Justin himself, but to a school sweetheart; romance before pubic hair. Ludacris' rap reminicses back to when he was 13. Unlucky for some. This is a bit weird really isn't it. As for the music, it's alright as bubblegum goes but I just can't quite swallow this. It smells funny.
Justin's hand gestures seem to be a lot like those of Chris Brown, who dances alot like Justin Timberlake, who is a bit of fond of Michael Jackson, who was a child music star who got seriously fucked up. Oh shit! Someone call Childline and send this poor kid back to school quickly!
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Favela on Blast - New Trailer...

Favela On Blast New Trailer from Leandro HBL on Vimeo.

So a new trailer finally surfaces; could this mean that, after a triumphant round at the film festivals, this hugely anticipated documentary about the music of the slums of Rio could at long last see a release? It's about time, the film, made by superstar DJ Wesley 'Diplo' Pentz and filmmaker Leandro HBL, was finished two years ago and has attained mythic status.
Here's hoping for a UK showing sometime soon please!

Check out lots more trailers and clips and behind the scenes tidbits here at the Vimeo page

Also loving the track they have used for this new trailer, I need it!

Leja Leja Leja!

M.I.A. ~ Born Free

More new M.I.A. material has finally surfaced, ahead of her new album in June. At first listen I was taken aback by the massive change in direction and didn't quite know what to think, but I guess that's what she was aiming for and how could I really expect anything less? Then I saw it with the video and I am currently blown away. This is some seriously amazing shit right here!
The message is quite frankly mind blowing and I am still in shock. And people think Lady Gaga is 'provocative'...!

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

It's a shame it'll never get shown on TV...

Apparently it's already been banned but it still seems to be available... I can see the Daily Mail headlines already...

Omar Souleyman

CHOON!

I have been listening to his album Folk and Pop Sounds of Syria: Dabke 2020 alot lately and need more!

Low-fi Syrian techno-pop is a bit tasty really!

Check out the amazing label Sublime Frequencies to buy his albums as well as a myriad of other amazing compilations of folk, pop, rock'n'roll and whatever else from all over Asia.

He is touring the UK very soon and I am gonna buy myself a ticket as I reckon it would be absolutely mental!

Here's his press release, give it a read and I challenge you not to be at least intrigued!

Omar Souleyman is a musical legend from Syria. For the past 15 years, he and his group have emerged as a staple of folk-pop throughout the country, having issued more than five-hundred studio and live-recorded cassette albums which are easily spotted in the shops of any Syrian city.

Hailing from the rural Northeastern city of Ras Al Ain, Souleyman began his musical career in 1994 with a small group of local collaborators that have been with him from the start. The group tirelessly performs concerts throughout Syria and has accepted invitations to perform abroad in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Lebanon.

The myriad musical traditions of the region are evident in their music, which reflect the sounds of Syia, Iraq, Turkey and the sizable Kurdish population. The moods swing from coarse and urgent to dirgy and contemplative in the rugged anthems that comprise Souleyman's repertoire. Expect the ultimate party music. Omar's superb and varied vocal stylings feature over high-octane Syrian "Dabke" (the regional folkloric dance music) and a host of other styles. Frantic Arabic keyboard solos provided by the incredible Rizan Sa'id intertwine with reeds, stringed instruments and percussion. Mahmoud Harbi, a long-time collaborator and the man responsible for much of the poetry sung by Souleyman accompanies Omar for an unforgettable onstage collaboration as they perform the Ataba, a traditional form of folk poetry, where Omar's unaccompanied freestyle "mawal" singing stands in a league of its own.

Sublime Frequencies & QuJunktions are honored to present the Western debut of Omar Souleyman and his group with this UK/European concert tour. This is a rare opportunity to glimpse into Syrian street-level folk-pop - a phenomenon seldom heard in the West in this form, and rarely, if ever, included on the import agenda of worldwide academic musical committees. Experience the genuine sounds of Syria and the Middle East without the condescending polish and shine of much exported "world beat".

Taken from his website, Click here for tour dates!

Bombay Connection

OK so I just found out about this and was instantly desperate to hear it, a fascinating musical relic from 80s Bombay that was so far ahead of it's time it's hard to believe...

This will blow your mind!

"Until recently it wasn’t much more than some rumours on the web: a 1982 released LP called TEN RAGAS TO A DISCO BEAT containing Kraftwerk-like acid house music, years before the genre was invented...

So it turns out, the record was no rumour. Only a few hundred copies of the LP were ever pressed, and only a handful seem to have survived. Moreover, the LP outdoes all expectations. Performed on the synths that would later define Acid House, the Roland TB-303 and TR-808, the album sounds light years ahead of its time with its repetitive beats and hypnotic electronic melodies. Its maker, Bollywood session musician Charanjit Singh, set out to translate ancient Indian classical Ragas to the modern synthesizer and in doing so seems to have invented House music along the way. The 10 tracks make a consistent listen from A to Z. Its restrained minimalism and lack of cheesiness makes it incredibly contemporary, sounding animated, fluid and unabashedly alive."

Taken from www.bombay-connection.com

Buy it HERE!

Kerry Devine ~ It's Morning

Beautiful song! From her forthcoming album out soon on Drip Dry Productions...

South African Rhythm Riot

The Indestructible Beat of Soweto Volume 6 is a brilliant foray into the 80s and 90s birth of electronic music in South Africa, known as kwaito. Featuring brilliantly retro sounds combined with traditional African beat patterns and instrumentation this is a fascinating and catchy album that features such Kwaito legens as Arthur Mafokate and Brenda Fassie. There is many a tune! Download download download!

Here as a taster is a couple of videos from youtube that feature on the album. The first, in addition to being terrible quality (sorry), is by Brenda Fassie, one of Africa's brightest stars. This song is wonderful! She tragically died in 2004 aged only 39.

Next up is the huge hit Oyi Oyi by Arthur Mafokate, while british teenagers were dancing to Spice girls and Blur, this guy had the hits in S.Africa. Still going strong today!

Micachu - Backchatter

Here's a little choon I've been bouncing in my seat to for the last hour and a half. It's taken from the Filthy Friends Mixtape that Micachu released awhile back via the internet and features a sample from Toddla T's track "Rice and Peas"

It's had me clicking repeat for some time now, I flippin well love it! Download it here!

Also I highly recommend getting the full mixtape as it is a glorious messy noisy celebration of Londonsounds! ( download it here)

Crookers + Roisin Murphy = ROYALTY

Ok ok ok, Crookers release their long awaited debut full length LP on Monday and if only half the tracks are as mighty as this one then it's definitely gonna be a winner. Roisin Murphy has long been in collaboration with the Crooks and one gets the feeling they always save their best for her, so feast your ears on this...

Crookers & Roisin Muprhy ~ "Royal T"



PS ; I have no idea what this image is about, I just googled Royal T and this is first thing that came up, it's strangely appropriate...

Have One On Me

Joanna Newsom is by far one of the most exciting and talented artists to have emerged in the last decade. Her debut The Milk-Eyed Mender was a heart stopping collection of songs that sounded like the oldest folk tales passed down from generations ago, yet at the same time sounded totally new and unlike anything else you had ever heard. She followed it up with the bewilderingly complex Ys, an album which required a lot of work from the listener in this age of 3 minute radio edits, and the equally labyrinthine Ys Street Band EP. But for the avid music fan who has the patience to sit down and immerse themselves in an album, there were bountiful rewards to be reaped.
The same goes for her new album, a stunning collection of songs that is spread over three beautifully presented discs. There is over two hours of music here and most of the songs are between 6 and 10 minutes long, but having been listening to it all day I can safely say the desire to skip tracks is non-existent. Not that skipping tracks or dipping in and out would take away from your enjoyment, because as with Ys this is a long term relationship of an album. It's going to take several weeks, maybe even months before I've unlocked all of its treasures.

And as a taster for those not yet acquainted, here is the song Go Long, which have had on repeat for awhile now, to download for free
(click here!)

The Woods by Cartridge

I am absolutely in love with this song at the moment and thought I would share it with you



Download it HERE

Get their album Fractures it's wonderful

SAGA AFRICA E.P.

Radioclit proudly presents the Saga Africa E.P. featuring the first official release of Douster's almighty remix of Circle of Life from the Lion King entitled King of Africa, see below if you haven't already experienced it!


Head over to itunes and get it now, it's genuinely brilliant

Songs from Aleppo

If you;ve never discovered the hypnotic and relaxing sounds of Syrian Tarab music then feast your ears on this! It's about time I posted some far flung rarities for a change as opposed to all these oh-so-cool glimpses of future indie/dance albums. Back to the the silk road!

Sabri Moudalal is the main musician on this album, from the amazing Institute du Monde Arabe's stunning and exhaustive series of CDs covering just about every aspect of the Arab world's musical traditions you could ever wish to hear. He died in 2006 after a distinguished career as one of Syria's foremost performers.

This elegant traditional music has entranced me many times before and I thought I would share it. Huge thanks to the amazing welove-music.net for their tireless pirating, without which I would never have discovered the IMA's archives.

Download HERE! (65MB)

Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate release new album!

It seems every time I go on the internet I discover another forthcoming album that gets me excited, and this is no exception.
4 years after Ali Farka Toure's death, a second collaborative record made between him and Toumani has now been released by the wonderful World Circuit records. It's out on February 22nd and promises to be nothing but beautiful if their previous duet album In The Heart of the Moon is anything to go by. It also features Orlando 'Cachaíto' López (from the Buena Vista Social Club, sadly now also passed away) on bass.

Click here to see a video of them performing Kala Djula

Ali Farka Toure was simply one of the greatest blues guitarists/vocalists of all time and his haunting hypnotic, polyrhythmic laments put African blues on the map in a big way. Toumani Diabate, currently going from strength to strength having collaborated with Damon Albarn and Bjork to name but a few, is bringing traditional Malian folk sounds to the pop world without selling out or cheapening his musical traditions. Quite simply, two of the greatest musicians of modern times. Something to really look forward to.

Head on over to http://www.worldcircuit.co.uk to claim your free download from the album, a very beautiful track called Kenouna. Enjoy!

M.I.A. & RUSKO

Here is what must be the first glimpse of what M.I.A. has in store for us with the release of her third album later this year.



Early reports of her working with Rusko had many people theorising that she would be doing a dubstep album but come on people, this is M.I.A. we're talking about, she wouldn't want to jump on a bandwagon or make music that we would expect so thankfully this is a new direction for both her and Rusko. Mellow and hypnotic and beautiful, a year that has seen her work with A.R. Rahman, see the civil war in her homeland come to a bloody end, and become a mother has left her feeling less obligated to make club bangers and more interested in more musical pursuits, as she was quoted in an interview in NME's 2010 preview. I am sure we can still expect some CHOONS from her but it's very exciting to hear her doing something so different with a producer who is known for floorfillers. Yet anopther album I can;t wait for this year!

Come one, come all! To the Mystic Ball!

Gosh! I am on a flyer! Along with many other people. If you are unlucky enough to live in the cultural desert of East Anglia then pop along to this oasis of diversity and magical entertainment. There will be a strong Gypsy magic theme with fortune telling in the back room and everything from Django-style gypsy guitars and all out punk, to electro, hiphop, folk and techno in the main room. From the people who brought you The Glass Onion.

Parker - Where's my Monkey?

This has got to be one of the best remixes I have heard in a long time, by a very clever DJ known as Parker. 

Not only is it very funny, sending up the massively overplayed Where's my Money with its tongue firmly in cheek, it is also musical genius!

The opening parody of the sample from the original is funny enough, but when the beat drops you really aren't expecting what's next. 

If you still haven't heard it, I won't spoil it.

Enjoy