Friday 19 July 2013

DJ Kakarot - July Mix

Stream/Download the June edition of Musically Mad's DJ Kakarot Mix Series.

Tracklist:
Strict Face - Shibuya Gunner
J.T - ???
WZ - Wibey
Arctic - It's Not Beef
Moony - Miyagi Dan
Noaipre - Trampa
Rabit - Black Dragons
Llesca - Sharks (Neana Remix)
Kowton & The Kelly Twins
Circula - Seaview Gardens
Llesca - 7 A.D.
Annoy - Fort 2
T1NY - Wowzerrr
Breen - ...For Life
Tony Phorse - Destro
Lington - Gum Gum Fruit
Bookings/Dubs to dididoesmusic@gmail.com

Saturday 13 July 2013

Bone Squad - Skal & Bones (Total Fantasy Records)

The first release on Deadboy's label, Total Fantasy Records, comes courtesy of Bone Squad. They deliver a varied EP consisting of one hardcore, one bashment and two grime tracks. These days it's quite easy to feel jaded when listening to new grime, especially when the first track on the EP samples “Ice Rink” so blatantly. But Skal and Bones is a release so well produced, that captures a mood and carries it so effectively through genre barriers that the listener is convinced that this isn't another soulless pastiche, but a great work in it's own right.

The opening track "Skal & Bones" is the first grime cut. It's a minimal composition with a deep sub, a haunting synth and reverberant keys that work to create a dark atmosphere drenched in dread. The hardcore track "Valkyrie" maintains this atmosphere effectively, coupling a strikingly out of tune pad first with a ravey synth lead, then with an arpeggiated flute.

Personally, it's the second grime track on the EP, "Vvinter", that impresses me the most. Clearly Ruff Sqwad influenced, Vvinter is built around a beautifully simple cello riff, that comes in and out throughout the track. A deep sub-cum-atmospheric pad provides the low end while intermittent church bells and sirens contribute to the heavy, sinister character. "Danskhall" is the final track from the EP and, if I'm completely honest, a bit of a black sheep. Fundamentally bashment in terms of sounds and rhythms, it seems to lack bashment's playfulness and dance-ability (to be expected given the rest of the EP) which gives it a slightly lacklustre feel. However it's not a bad track, the bass hits hard on a system, the percussion is impeccably programmed and the FX are exactly what you'd want from a track like this.

All in all I really do feel that this is a fantastic release, a nod to the past without ever feeling out-dated. An exciting start to Total Fantasy Records, a label I look forward to hearing more from.


 

Thursday 4 July 2013

10 Producer Shout-Outs This Week

These guys are killing it at the moment. 
1. Rabit. His icy, spacious and weighty Double Dragon EP was one of the highlights of last month's releases. Shouts to Logos and Epoch for the remixes. Cop Here.
2. Arctic. One of the ringleaders of a thriving OZ grime scene right now, his 12" on the ever dependable Coyote Records is a must buy. Cop Here.
3. Spooky. Perhaps the hardest working man in grime has released the powerful Gladiator RIP on Ghost House Records. Cop Here.
4. Annoy. He released this free track to celebrate his 150th soundcloud follower not two weeks ago. Now he's almost passed 200 and banging out tracks with an impressive work rate. Cop Here.
5. Llesca. Received widespread support for Sharks EP (rightly so!) featuring Neana, Pedro 123, Checan and Elsewhere on remix duty. Cop Here.
6. Tony Phorse. He's given away the eski banger Destro to promote his Zartan EP, dropping in September on District Sound. Cop Here.
7. Mumdance. Logos-collaborator Mumdance returned from a two year musical hiatus first with a release on Keysound and now with this brilliant experimental mixtape. Cop Here.
8. E.m.m.a. As we wait for her debut album to drop on Keysound, we've been given a glimpse of what to expect with this bonus track from the LP. Bass music that's colourful while still maintaining a link to the darker side of 2-step. Cop Here.
9. Kid D. The veteran producer has just given away 3 tracks that have been "sitting down collecting dust since 2005". Cop Here, Here and Here.
10.Neon Beats. Dutty Bass EP out now on Mixclique records. We've looked forward to this one for a while. Cop Here.