For you chance to win 2 tickets to the night, all you have to is answer this simple question:

At the beginning of the Woody interview is a link to dope Mini Mix. The question is when did he record the mix?

a) 2005
b) 2006
c) 2007

Email the letter a), b), or c) to: freerangecompetitions (at) gmail dot com

Free Range: Shogun Assassins Tour

Date: Friday 21st November
Time: 11pm - 4am
Price: £15 in advance MOTD (discount for Bass Associates)
@ Oxford Carling Academy, 190 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UE

Tickets available from ticketweb or from the Oxford Carling Academy Box Office.
Tel: 01865 813 500

For more info on this event check out the Free Range Events page.

A member of the Free Range team will contact the winner via email.

1. Calibre – Carry Me Away [Signature]

Not a lot can be said about Calibre that hasn’t been said already. The term genius is usually bandied about and I for one think it is well and truly justified. A crisp rolling intro mixes sublimely into almost anything, and its subtle drop into a lush warm bass and haunting piano sample captures what the man’s all about. His tunes make a strong case for ‘less is more’ and although it must be said that his formula is a tried and tested one, the results are still beautiful, deep slices of drum & bass. The man really can do no wrong, and considering the amount of releases to his name that’s pretty impressive.

2. Dillinja (& Bert) – Lionheart

People talk about ‘old Dillinja’ and ‘new Dillinja’ as if they were two different people and if you didn’t know any better, you could be forgiven for thinking that they were. This is ‘old Dillinja’ at his absolute best, the man who could do things with amens that no-one else could, the man that made the most furious jungle imaginable, and comparing this to his recent ‘fast car’ efforts honestly brings a tear to my eye. This is 100% guaranteed to smash absolutely any and every dance floor across the land with its insane second drop, massive bass line and chopped amen. I paid a heinous amount for this on Ebay but it was the best money I ever spent. One of the prize jewels in my collection without a doubt.

3. Digital – Restless [Reinforced]

This is where I reveal myself to be a bit of a digital fanboy. I have more digital records in my collection than any other artists by a long shot. I love this man. I would have this mans babies if it were possible and I could walk around the proud dad like Arnold Schwarzenneger in ‘Junior’. He writes the biggest & baddest tunes out there, and this 2001 outing on the legendary reinforced is one of his best offerings. The intro is a DJ’s dream with its catchy drum rolls to cut in and out of the mix and the drop into a dubby bass heavy monster is befitting of Digitals ‘Dubzilla’ title. Massive in every sense.

4. Suv – Output [Full Cycle]

Whilst it was Roni Size, Die and Krust who basked in the full cycle lime light, Suv quietly went about producing some of the sickest beats to appear on this sadly now defunct label. The track is taken from the ‘Free Beat’ EP with which Suv developed the use of the ¾ time signature to devastating effect. The intro builds ominously with some bass weight to test even the loudest systems and it drops into an old school jungle style roller - definitely a tune for the heads. In much the same way I lamented the demise of ‘old Dillinja’, Full Cycle’s departure from the classic sound captured so well in this track to the ‘Clipzy’ sound it focused on at the end makes me cry.

5. Equinox – Ital Lion Luff Head [Intasound]

Equinox has been around a while but hes the leader of the ‘nu-skool’ breed of jungle producers and you can see his influence on artists such as Breakage, Dub-One, Nolige and the like. This track is pure equinox with its throbbing bassline, layer upon layer of crisply chopped amens and deadly second drop. Dancefloor destroyer as standard.

6. Drumagick – Night In Tunisia [Vinyl Vibes]

A tune that can work in large parts of Miles Davis & Charlie Parkers’ ‘Night in Tunisia’ gets a big thumb up from me. The intro to this tune is 128 bars long and its use of the aformentioned sample is inspired, making it the perfect first tune of a set as it builds and builds until the drop comes from absolutely nowhere, taking it from gentile jazz tune to bassy d&b roller. The main bass line ‘body’ of the song is only 64 bars long so you’ve got to be quick in the mix, but that again is what makes it so perfect to start with as it gets the ravers screaming for more straight from the off. And thats what its all about really.

7. Suv - Afromba Magica [Full Cycle]

Fast forward a few years from ‘Free Beat’, and Suv is still churning out little gems that seem to disappear under the d&b radar. You can hear the gradual progression toward the more jump-up sound mentioned earlier as the eerie, haunting intro gives way to a big squelchy bassline that does the business on the floor. One of Suv’s last releases on Full Cycle, but one of his best.

8. Cyantific – Little Green Men [Hospital]

Quite a dramatic shift away from the traditional Hospital sound with this release. Another slow building intro (I do seem to like those), it breaks down into frantic, sometimes glitchy drums, thumbing b-line, and wailing female vocal. Another DJ’s dream with lots of little bits to play around with in the mix.

9. Mutt & Outlook – Dreams [Xtinction Agenda]

Yes, you’ve guessed it another epic intro. Soulful female vocals, strings & keys all combine to add to the very orchestral feel. This tune is such a favourite because the drop, with its ferocious drums, is something totally unexpected from the build-up, much like ‘Night in Tunisia’. The theme continues throughout the tune and takes the listener (or the raver…) on a journey through a lush drum & bass soundscape like no other.

10 . 4Hero – 9×9 (MIST Remix) [Reinforced]

Everybody who buys records has these moments – you trawl through box upon box of tunes for hours until all of a sudden, BAM!! A diamond in the rough. I had one of these such experiences with this tune, finding it deep within the murky depths of avid records basement. A very happy man I was indeed, as this tune is an anthem in every respect. Marcus Intalex & ST Files’s classic reworking of 4Hero’s ‘9×9′ is the very definition of ‘liquid funk’ with Imani Uzuri’s unfathomably catchy vocal over some warm bass and rolling drums. Sounds good whether played out on a big system or through some simple ipod headphones. Quality through and through.

Words: Fonik

After arriving at 11.30 I eventually got inside at 11.50 and the club was rammed but I managed to take up a position with drink in hand and I settled in for Appleblim’s set. He came on at 12 o clock and entered at a restrained pace, minimal influenced rollers dominated the early section of the set and created space and atmosphere. The pace was increased gradually, the set moved into more up tempo territory as kick drums propelled the set into more overtly techy sonic regions. Detroit and deep house style chords provided a soulful edge to much of the middle of the set and added a healthy dose of colour which both soothed my tired head and kept my pissed body dancing.

Appleblim added some two step flavours into the mix creating an infectious rhythmic dynamic that went down a treat with the crowd and which led consummately into the end of the set, here the energy really picked up. The crowd had thinned and this created a more manageable amount of space within which to shake a leg as Appleblim dug deep into his bag and pulled out some stone cold classics, DMZ – Chamber (pure percussive cacophony) and Skream and Benga – The Judgement (a dark, two-step growler) were both in there and apart from absolutely going off, they also provided an historical tether to Appleblim’s futurist selection. By this time my dancing got more vigorous and my recollection got hazier (the two could be related) but I can assure you the set ended with a bang and at the end of it all I was very impressed with the way Appleblim built his set and kept the crowd along for the ride.

It’s a rewind, my dear

So my high hopes for Appleblim’s set were fulfilled but I did have two niggling reservations before I went out. Firstly: would the midweek student crowd be into Appleblim’s deeper take on things, secondly: would the sound system be up to the task of representing the all important sub bass of the music? I’m happy to say that my reservations were unfounded. The crowd got straight into Appleblim’s set and followed wherever he went, dancing all the way. Everybody was bang up for having a ‘spiffing good time’; and that, after all, is what these things are all about. The crowd did not seem massively clued up about who Appleblim is, at least not to the level you would expect at your average dubstep night, but this created a party atmosphere that was refreshingly free of train spotter chin-strokery. Although it did also produce some interesting misunderstandings: a special shout has to go out to the girl who wouldn’t leave my mate alone because she thought something was wrong when he was standing with his eyes closed listening to the music, and also to the girl who was confused after a rewind; the complete look of bafflement on her face when the music stopped was pure gold! A brief introduction to UK sound system culture and then off she skanked again.

As for the system: I was pleasantly surprised. In my opinion there is not a system in any club I have been to in Oxford that can do justice to the bottom end of dubstep, that considered I think the system at Baby Love Bar did a decent job of showcasing the tunes across all frequency ranges. So a success then, I would say, and with any luck this is an indicator of things to come within Oxford.

Appleblim is founder of the Applepips record label, co-founder of the Skull Disco label www.skulldisco.com. Dubstep Allstars Vol. 6 is available now from HMV. Find out more about Appleblim at www.myspace.com/appleblim.

This was a guest post by Interpolate

With the likes of Digital Mystykz, Loefah and Skream it was always going to be heavy. The night started off with the sound system a little quiet, but as it rolled on the bass got heavier and heavier and the tunes got sicker. Finding myself in the middle of an absoultely rammed dancefloor, the vibe was off the hook. 

The set of the night undoubtedly went to Skream, whose tunes were so bass shakingly heavy, I found myself needing a piss for about an hour but not being able to tear myself away for a single second. The real surprise was the sheer variety of tunes, proving that Dubstep can as diverse a genre as Drum and Bass. In the middle of the set I found myself entrenched in a head banging moshpit of sweat, with the lighter crew out in force.

Big props to Mr Lager and Alys Blaze, who had one of their tunes dropped with a rewind. Selctaaaa.

With grime, drum and bass, and hip hop influences there was enough variety to satisfy everyone without compramising on any quality, or more importantly Bass, there was no attitude from anyone, it was all love.

By 6am it was time to get booted out, I think its fair to say if you love Dubstep, get yourself down to the next night. If youve never heard Dubstep on a massive system, this is the place to do it. This night touched me in a way not even Micheael Jackson with small boys could be capeable of.

Overall verdict? unmissable

It seems that the margins in which a person is labelled a criminal are getting smaller and smaller. In Orwell’s’ 1984, he painted a portrait of a society that was watched over and moderated by authoritarian forces. Although at the time this represented an exaggeration of a view of society, years on the comparisons seem less far fetched. We are being made to fear a shadowy world where even your neighbour could be a potential threat, but does this world really exist to the extent that the press and government would have us believe? Are all these measures in their scope really necessary for our protection?

Newspapers like the Daily Mail are feeding into a distorted hysteria, portraying sections of society as the scapegoats of wider national problems. Their definition of people who are criminals is ever expanding, to now include Graffiti artists, people from minority backgrounds, and even a load of people standing muddy in a field, who just want to listen to music. The red tape is being bound so tight it now feels like an ever increasing struggle to breathe.

Labour’s prevailing legacy (apart from war with Iraq and Afghanistan) is their tightening up of anti-social behaviour legislation. In 2003, the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Act was passed. Championed by David Blunkett it strengthened existing laws. The act contained new measures of control, first on the hit list seemed to be Graffiti artists. Under 16’s were no longer allowed to purchase spray paint aerosols and councils were given new powers to order the removal of graffiti from private, yes private, premises even when it had been authorised.

Next on the hit list unsurprisingly were free parties, with a new zero tolerance approach. In 2004, the Act was amended, so that the number of people required to constitute a public assembly was reduced from 20 to 2. With breathtaking hypocrisy, this completely defies the European convention on human rights (ECHR), article 11 of which states that “everyone has the right to peaceful assembly, and the freedom to associate with others”. The convention goes further also stating that “everyone has the right to freedom of expression…without interference by public authority”.  In a statement issued by Blunkett, required of him from the convention, he stated that in his view “the provisions of the ASB Act are compatible with the ECHR”

Pirate radio stations are not escaping either. Currently there are about 150 in the country, most of which are centred round London. Last year there were approximately 150 seizures, and 2005 saw the launch of Operation Leopard (at taxpayers expense) where the police launched massive raids all over London to seize broadcasting material. Yet research from Ofcom, the office of communication, has found some interesting if not predictable findings. It found that 16% of the whole population of London listened to pirate for it’s unique music content that could be found nowhere else. In another report it was found that communities actually felt that pirate was an important medium for the “development and promotion of grass- roots talent”, and also important to give minority groups a voice. Of course pirate does have its issues, such as interfering with the signal of licensed radio stations, but surely a measured approach needs to be taken, against those that organise it.

There’s also the contentious issue of licensing music performances. On paper I can see why the Performing rights society want payment for the broadcasting of their music, but cases have come to light that show how the line has become blurred. One such example was a bike repair shop that played music in their workshop. Sometimes customers came into the workshop, in which case the owner insisted it was turned off. The owner then received a letter from the performing rights society, telling him that the music was to go off permanently, unless he paid £85 license fee, as playing tunes in the workshop constituted a public broadcast, and as such, had to be licensed.

In another case the owner of a record shop played tunes in the background for customers (as was the case with all record shops before most got squeezed out the market through exorbitant rent) He was also told unless he coughed up money, the playing of music was illegal and had to be switched off- despite the fact the owner argued that it was free promotion for the artists, because he sold their music. To add to the madness those who get caught breaking this rule can receive a maximum of £20,000 fine and six months in prison. Even charities are no longer safe; performances that are raising money for a good cause must also pay the licence fee.

To add to the blurring of human rights Ministers are currently considering plans to hold a database of electronic information. In this database will be very single phone call made in the UK and also every email that has been sent. Service providers, will then pass on the information for the government to scrutinise. A report from Richard Thomas, the information commissioner stated that in his opinion, by enforcing such big brother measures we are committing “slow social suicide” as mistrust is built up between communities and the fragile trust between government and society is eroded.

The big brother analogy is one seems increasingly relevant. The introduction of loudspeakers in town centres that bark orders at you, should you drop a piece of litter, smacks of the nanny state gone mad. Of course no-one is arguing that for social cohesion we do not need to control anti-social behaviour, of course we do, but to treat people like they are small children again is a regressive step.

Our right to free speech and action seems to be increasingly under threat, thanks to post 9/11 and 7/7 paranoia. There has been a whole raft of new legislation that has hurriedly been ushered into place to restrict people’s opinions and right to free speech. Norm Chomsky summed up the principals of democracy when he stated that “if you believe in the freedom of free speech, you believe in freedom of speech for views you don’t like”.

So now more than ever we must see the red tape that binds us, and fight for resistance, through music, creativity and art, no matter what the cost. In the words of a Zen proverb, ‘better to live one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep’.

All being well we should be done sooner than later and moving onto bigger and better things with the site. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our visitors for there continued support, with visitors going up the site each week it really give us the encouragement we need to keep on plugging!

UPDATE:

We are all done with the move, the forum is back online too.

Best,
Roscoe

Now here’s the deal. Illustrate aka Ollie Bates aka Wheres Wally, has put in so much effort on this with the support of the mighty Headcount Records. We all know in this day and age how easy it is to download tunes for free. I’ll say only this, follow the link to the Suspect Packages website, give yourself a cheeky preview of some of the tracks. If you like what you hear, then splash out £7.99 and feel great knowing you’ve just made a sound investment.

For more Illustrate and Headcount goodness check out their Myspace.

This is the latest EP offering from Digital Sin Recordings and Forensics titled “Exile” and features not just himself but Indi Kaur, Phaeleh and Not In My Name. Exile EP is further exploration into the minimal sounds coming of of the electronic scene at present and is Forensics’ 3 EP amongst 3 albums, countless mixes and releases on DubKraft & Eight:FX. On first looking at the track list you may be forgiven for thinking all these tracks may turn out sounding of a similar nature, well that asumption would be entirely false. Each one has its own unique angle and twist that’s brought to the forefront by each of tracks producer or vocalist.

Tracklist:

1. Original mix
2. Vocal mix (ft. Indi Kaur)
3. Phaeleh remix
4. Not In My Name remix

My favourite track has to be the ‘Vocal Mix’. Featuring Indi Kaur, a vocalist, songwriter and composer who has previously worked with Pinch and Atki2, ‘Vocal Mix’ shows producer and vocalist in perfect harmony. Indi Kaur brings a truly refreshing and unique style to the fold. Check out the full length version of track 2 ‘Vocal Mix’ below…

[See the post to listen to audio]

…and this is what the industry is saying: 

“I just think this is amazing. Like Radiohead chilling out by Everest, or something along those lines…. maybe I’ll stop those metaphors!” - Friction (BBC Radio)

“Forensics returns with another effortlessly, almost casually futuristic rhythm. Demonstrating why he has taken ownership of this dark and minimal style…” - Get Darker

“A fantastic example of Forensics’ ability to not only craft a track from a small numberof stems, but also to bring together an EP of such wealth from just a few producers…” - SittingOvation

The following is from the press release and mentions more about the artists involved with the release.

Forensics

Forensics has 3 albums (& now 3 EPs) out on Digital Sin (plus releases on DubKraft & Eight:FX). Previous collaborations include tracks/remixes with DZ, R.Demon, Threnody, MrJo, Alien Pimp & Two Oh One. He was interviewed by Plastician on Radio 1, co-runs the Ruffnek Diskotek night, and has been featured in Mixmag, ATM, Laif Mag, XLR8R etc. He’s recorded mixes/sets for BBC Radio, Resonance FM, Sub FM…. and has recorded a number of mix series, including ‘Dark Matter’, ‘Adventures in Death Star Valley’ & ‘Automatism’. For more info check virb.com/forensics, myspace.com/forensicdubstep or forensicdubstep.blogspot.com

Indi Kaur

Indi Kaur is a vocalist, songwriter and composer. She has released two albums, and within the dubstep world has worked with the likes of Atki2 (Werk/ Punch Drunk), and Pinch (Tectonic/ Planet Mu) - who released a track with Indi on his debut album ‘Underwater Dancehall’. She has worked with Talvin Singh, Paul Kwitek and continues to collaborate with longterm producer MaJiKer; and performances alongside Flook, Jym Dayly (Loop Guru), Camille, Julia Sarr & Seb Martel. She has strong folk roots, and is an extremely well educated musician. For more info - myspace.com/indikaur

Phaeleh

Phaeleh hails from Bristol, and runs the Urban Scrumping label (which has released EPs from Darkham, Gyu & Scilist). He has released two EPs himself (plus other works under his former electronica identity ‘Preston’), and his tunes have been dropped on Radio 1 & Sub FM. He has played nights such as Yardcore (London), Dissident (Bristol) and Square Roots (Brighton). A diverse range of influences results in an equally diverse musical output which can range from disturbing bass lines and heavy Dubstep/Jungle beats, perfect for the rave, to the more soulful, restrained tracks incorporating a variety of sound sources and vocal styles. To learn more - myspace.com/phaeleh

Not In My Name

Not In My Name is a new multimedia project spearheaded by leftfield bass, beats & breaks producer Threnody. The project also features a number of other artists and collaborators, and is all a bit mysterious really! Threnody has releases on/releases in the pipeline for labels such as Combat, Urban Graffiti, Red Volume, Creative Space, DubKraft and Rottun. Get onto myspace.com/notinmynamedubstep to hear more fine NIMN works, and check uktrendsmusic.co.uk for more info on Threnody and some of his extended musical family!

At this present time the release is available now, exclusively on digital-tunes.net.

Anyone who’s been involved with making music will appreciate how hard these guys have worked. I first got to know them when they submitted a track for LMFLH Vol.2 a couple of years back.  It would appear that the villages around Oxford are a hot bed of hiphop talent (take Reeplay or Random Hero as a case in point).  Anyways, 4 years of hard work later and Community League have just released their Community Spirit EP. It’s pretty special. I caught up with part-time MC part-time English teacher The Wise to ask him about the forthcoming release.

Easy, how you doing?

Que onda.

What’s good?

It’s been a good week, Community Spirit arrived at Opp’s casa yesterday.

Big. Tell me more about the release.

It’s an amazing feeling to have a finished piece of art, was reminiscing about all the times it took to put it together. Right now we are trying to get all our ducks in line, it will be sold on the internet and hand to hand.

So speak to me - why you so hyped about Community Spirit?

Because…we’ve been making music for, maybe, 4 years now. We have a lot of projects going on but 2 years ago we put our focus on Community Spirit, a collaborative work involving the whole family.

Creatively it has been great, sharing ideas and joining imaginations…not to mention travelling. These songs and concepts came about all over the world just because of how the League is spread out like that but they were all put together at home in The Shire

So who’s reppin on this?

The music is Special Opps and myself giving you our thoughts and tales in rhyme to the music of DJ Thundercat and Jokz. Opp and I worked together writing rhymes and bringing ideas and themes to the songs and, really, Thundercat put it all together, he is the producer. Jokz has some music on their and he is really a genius so he has taught us a lot and creatively is a great person to be around.

Lot’s of other people have been involved in helping the art to grow but those are the musical minds.

Augustus Rufff (known to many as simply Nick, jajaja) is the man with the vision behind the whole Community League. He always had it in mind to start a record label, he is a lifelong friend and one day wqe decided to start working at this and all the connections grew from there.

Well I’m hoping we have the chance to see some of this shit live. You doing shows soon?

damn, I don’t know about any shows any time soon you know. Right now we are all kinda disparate and mobility isn’t easy (for me anyway). It’s more likely we will be doing individual shows where ever we happen to be.  We have been gigging with this music though, a lot of people know the songs through live performance.I hope we can get together again soon, I need the guys to come down here to Mexico, maybe we can get some spring break shows popping or something?! jajaja that’s kind of a long way off though.

Me personally, I will be trying to get shows in my city and make connections here. I met a guy from Guadalajara the other day and he is into the scene there so who knows.

What tracks stand out for you on the album?

The intro track is one of the dopest for me, we had to set it off right. It is called The Garden Path…the funny thing is I loved the original version of this beat and was well opposed to Thundercat going back in on it but, shit, I was blown away by how he transformed it, he made the old one (which I loved) sound like I had made it on a toy keyboard.

Any anthems on there?

Ummm, maybe KONY (Kings of New York)…that’s like a national anthem right there, it is mad regal, my favourite loop we ever found. The story of that is simple, Opp and I were Kings of New York for 1 day and 1 day only…King’s for a day.

But, uh, I would say that Field of Dreams is really the community anthem:

‘It’s the Community’s roots and we branch like trees do
Not gonna fall off, no the League won’t leave you
The team is the truth
If you ain’t down with that bruv then I can’t believe you!’

Describe Community Spirit in 5 words

Postive Energy Activating Community Endevour

Haha, nice!  So where can we get our grubby paws on this ish?

Our shop is and will be ready soon (dunno when we’re going to press so it’s best to say that jajaja). You can check out another review and buy a copy here.

Besides that it is soon to be available in Oxford, New York, Philadelphia, and Mexico. Really this is where the work starts, the creation takes energy but isn’t really work cos it’s what we love but we are artists so selling and pushing it isn’t that fun. It leads you down some interesting roads tho.

Haha, yeah I learnt that lesson the hard way from LMFLH Vol.2! Links to yer sounds?

Yeah, check out my Myspace and also Special Opp’s.

Any thanks yous?

Yeah, thanks to you guys and everyone on Blunted who has supported us. I really appreciate it and I enjoy sharing with you all, I love Oxford and I love Hip-Hop so props to anyone who is striving to build. Viva Mexico and Viva Blunted Cabrones!

Wicked - good to link up mate.

Yes my friend, look forward to doing it again soon.

Following the release of Mr Manuva’s (aka Rodney Smith) fourth album “Slime and Reason” earlier this year, the veteran rapper returns to the Shepherds Bush stage to grace a happy crowd with his presence, with a good mixture of new tracks and more established classics.

Smith arrives on stage to rapturous applause, wearing sunnies and a shiny blue zip hoodie, not unlike a disco ball. He’s in a good mood; unfortunate incidents during previous shows seem like an age away, and the gig kicks off with a track from his new album. It’s a bit dancehall/weird, but nobody seems to mind too much. Then a bit of a rant about London – his home-town, he makes it clear, and he’s very happy to be back. We’re entertained with short speech about how great London women are. All 17 women in the audience cheer, the men don’t seem that convinced, so the show goes on.

‘Dub Styles’ from Run Come Save Me follows, and then a short commentary on Oyster cards (“it’s not worth getting into a fight if you forget your Oyster card in the morning, you know” – wise words indeed). Manuva definitely feels like he needs to impart a message to the crowd tonight – “Don’t do drugs!” he says. Everyone laughs.

Finally, the sing-along part of the evening starts. “Too Cold” gets people animated, as does “Stone the Crows”. “Witness”, however, predictably takes the trophy: most of those in the audience appear to have weed themselves in excitement.

Finally, the show ends with a good round of la-la-la (“Dreamy Days”). As the crowd chants in sync, it almost feels like everyone could start hugging each other. Then the lights come on, reminding everyone that we’re Londoners after all. Cue the return of everyone’s instinctive aggyness, a massive rush to the cloak room, a small punch-up by the toilets, and the usual hurl of abuse at the bouncers.

Good times.

As well as Yoda’s unique cut’n'paste style sets which are bound to go off, they also have Jungle Drummer vs DJ FU ft Stamina MC, Virus Syndicate, Count Skylarkin’ and Mr. Lager. The night’s proceeding will be hosted by the solid skills of MC Mantmast.

Win 2 tickets to Free Range feat DJ Yoda!

“Free Range is a brand new night brought to you by Hit&Run promoters DJ Fu and Charris. Catering to all of Oxford’s bass-addicted party animals, we serve up a diet of nothing but the finest drum&bass, dubstep and hiphop. No VIP room, no dress code, we simply mash up the hottest local talent with the biggest names in the scene to bring you an attitude-free night that’s all about the bass and the beats.

With a Bass Associates discount available for both Oxford and Brookes students, Free Range is one of the most affordable nights out in the city. Alternate Wednesdays at the Cellar bar and selected dates at the Carling Academy Oxford. Sign up to be the first to know what’s going on in the world of Free Range…” - Free Range

For you chance to win 2 tickets to the night, all you have to is answer this simple question

What is DJ Yoda’s real name?

a) Anthony Hor
b) Martin Reeves
c) Duncan Beiny

Email the letter a), b), or c) to: freerangecompetitions (at) gmail dot com

Free Range feat DJ Yoda’s Audio Magic Tour

Date: Friday 31st October
Time: 11pm - 4am
Price: £12 in advance MOTD (discount for Bass Associates)
@ Oxford Carling Academy, 190 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UE

Tickets available from ticketweb or from the Oxford Carling Academy Box Office.
Tel: 01865 813 500

A member of the Free Range team will contact the winner via email.

The question is:

What is Krafty Kuts real name?

a) Christopher Reeves
b) Martin Reeves
c) Vic Reeves

For your chance to win 2 tickets, email a, b, or c to: ed (at) steele-dixon dot co dot uk

Join the Facebook event. To buy your tickets click here.

When I heard a few years back that they were coming to play a gig at The Cellar in my then home town Oxford, I had to make the short pilgrimage to see them. I wasn’t disappointed. The 3 of them blend so well, Kathrin deBoer on lead vocals, Modest providing the cuts and Ricky on guitar. It was at that gig I purchased their 7″, Reflection / Bird Mess, absolute freshness.

From humble beginnings, they have now been snapped up by Tru Thoughts and bring you their 2nd album which launches at The Vibe bar on Saturday 11th October.  It’s a measly £4 to get in and tickets are only available on the door, so arrive early.

Here’s a video of the group playing in the Pussy Palure Tent at this years Glastonbury.

For more information on the launch night email: info@vibe-bar.co.uk or check out the event on Facebook. To hear more of Belleruche’s music check out the Belleruche Myspace

Yes Fu, you good?

Yes mate, good to be back on Blunted.

Too right, haha. Busy summer?

Yeah man been fairly busy, sorting out my new promo video with Jungle Drummer & Stamina MC filmed by Yakuza Studios (spot the Blunted t-shirt). I’ve been doing a few festivals Gatecrasher, Audio River (Poland) Summer Break (Romania), NASS Skate Festival, The Tuesday Club, One Nation and Random Concept.

Nice, glad to see some European bookings in there. First and foremost a DJ but you have been known to dabble in promotion and MCing(!).  You’ve been promoting Hit & Run for the last 5 years; tell us a bit more about that?

Sykane and Hassan asked me to get involved with running the night, I had been a resident for a while and helping out with the promotion was just a natural step.  To be honest, I never thought I would get so involved. It’s definitely very time consuming and has been difficult for me to balance relationships, practice and sleep with it.

I remember checking those nights back in the day.  All about Rich Reason wearing a skirt whilst playing the bongo’s, haha. Over time it’s reputation and attendance’s grew. It became extremely successful and now it’s come to it’s conclusion.  Why did you finish it up?

I never started Hit & Run and I wanted something that was mine and no one could ever discredit me for that. I felt the brand was being over-valued in relation to how much work I was doing and all the contacts that I brought with me.

Fair enough, but it’s not all bad news, you and your trusted partner in crime Charris have started another night called Free Range.  What’s the concept behind the name and the night?

Well I suppose the first thing is I’m free to do my own thing.  I think musically the night has a wide range of sounds and DJs.   Having all 3 rooms of the academy means you are all free to roam around the building and check out DJs and music you might not have seen and experienced otherwise.

Like it, like it. Can you give the people out there a flavour of the nights you have in store?

We’ve got DJs like Friction, Yoda, Dillinja, Benga, N-type, Logistics, Count Skyarkin’ and live acts such as Virus Syndicate, myself and Jungle Drummer and Leeds award winning band Gentleman’s Dub Club.  We are a strong supporter of up and comings DJs such as B-Ill, Flawless, Darkman, Heartless P & Mr.Lager. We boast the best residents in Oxford in my opinion. Since winning our DJ competition,  B-Ill has really come on leaps and bounds.  Now co-hosting the Free Range radio show on FM107.9, Flawless ranked in the top 20 in the Drum and Bass Arena DJ comp that had thousands and thousands of entries.  Mr Lager has recently had his tunes dropped on 1xtra and getting rewinds in The End night club. Heartless P another DJ to enter the Oxford scene through our DJ competition an excellent turntablist who has taken to the DMC DJ Championships this year and is soon to rank amongst the best in the UK.

POW!  Looks like Oxford’s in for some treats! You got Woody appearing soon and we have an interview with him coming up – you looking forward to having him down?

Yeah man I’ve always been a great fan of his and judging by the mix he’s passed to you guys it will be OFF THE SCALE ……

Yeah, I’ve had a preview of the mix, those Oxford students are in for a treat. Your scratch skills are almost un-paralleled but who do you look up to in terms of DJing?

Originally I looked up to hip hop DJs, people like Mr.thing, Skully, Shorty Blitz and then I started learning about the American DJs people like Craze, Develop, P Trix.  I then started to appreciate all-round skills of a DJs like set structures and more about mixing and putting sets together rather than just technique.  I started watching more drum and bass DJs like Marky, Andy C, Zinc.  These days I’ve been checking DJ EZ, I don’t really like garage culture, being ‘bad boy’, wearing polished shoes and girls that don’t have a brain cell between them. Some of the tunes are pretty good accept the ones with sped up chip munk R’n'B bootleg vocals on them. Despite all those things I hate about Garage, EZ is still a sick DJ and is easily a recent inspiration to me.  I think someone who is a less obvious inspiration is the Jungle Drummer.  Despite being a drummer he is very clued up on what works and what doesn’t and has been great in pushing me musically and as a performer.

Some interesting names right there. Any plans for production?

Yes definitely, but more working with established producers. As I said earlier it has been hard trying to juggle everything with my time. I have taken a step back from the Wednesday nights (Free Range at The Cellar Bar, Oxford).  I have been talking with Logistics and N type about possible collaborations on production.

Cool, cool. Thanks for taking the time to speak to us.  As for Free Range, I’m already looking forward to checking some of the line ups. Can people get involved with your night?

Yes if you’re interested in getting involved email freerangepromotions at gmail dot com

Lastly – your shout outs, big ups –

Big up to the mighty Jungle Drummer, Risky @ Drum and Bass Arena, Logistics, N type, Charris, Mantmast, Script, all the Blunted crew, ss20, Ryouki, Stamina MC, Lowqui, Jerona Fruits, FM 107.9, Scheme, Subterra, B-Ill, Lazcru, Hydro, Commix , Harry Shotta, Yakuza studios, Knowledge

They have a very special guest in the form of DJ Mex (Black Grass).  He has just finished a successful tour of Australia as well as making various festival appearances including Beachdown Festival.

Here is more info from the Positivity camp:

POSITIVITY RETURNS WITH OUR 4TH NIGHT OF FUNK AND HIP HOP CLASSICS. ON THIS OUTING WE WELCOME THE LEGENDARY BRIGHTON DJ MEX AKA BLACK GRASS WHO WILL BE DOING A 2 HOUR HIP HOP & FUNK SET STRAIGHT FROM THE GOLDEN ERA OF THE BRIGHTON SCENE.

+ POSITIVITY residents SOUTHPAW, FOLY & BEATHOVEN.

The Loft, Ship Street, Brighton, 11pm - 3am, £3 B4 Midnight. £5 After. £3 NUS. selected shots & bottles £1.50.

MEX BIO
Mex, aka Black Grass, is happy around records. In the mid-nineties he fed his addiction by working in record shops, DJ’ing hip hop and funk breaks at seminal Brighton night Knowledge Of Self, warming up for the likes of OC, Jurassic 5 and Big L.

He soon began compiling breaks albums and battle weapons (including the essential “Ultimate Cakes And Sweets”) leading ultimately to his own Black Grass store (getting high off his own supply!) specialising in hip hop, funk and breaks.

After releasing singles on local label Catskills as the Mexican (achieving NME single of the week for the classic “Spunky Love Fun”), he took Black Grass from being a shop to being a production outfit, releasing the first album “Black Grass” on Catskills Records.

Working both with established vocalists (including Blak Twang & Maylay Sparks),and talented newcomers, Black Grass gained acclaim across the board from both DJs and music fans.

After spending time DJing and touring Australia, Mex recorded the second album “A Hundred Days In One”. Adding even more diversity to the mix than the eponymous album, it delivered enough hooks and beats to light up the dancefloor and get heads nodding in equal amounts, with guests like Jehst, Blu Rum 13, Micall Parknsun on mic duties alongside alt-country sensation Dominique Noiret, with a haunting rendition of Harold Melvin’s “Don’t Leave Me This Way”.

2007 saw Mex complete the third album, “Three”, with guests emcees J-Live, The Good People Rider Shafique and Brighton stalwart Koaste sitting alongside funk sensation Dionne Charles and reggae hotshots Jah Marnyah, Benjammin’ and Ruben Da Silva.

After twenty years behind the turntables in clubs and through his more recent series of mix CDs, Mex has developed a reputation as one of the world’s leading (yet still most under-rated) DJ’s. Influenced by the soundsystems of old (Wild Bunch, Good Times, Soul II Soul) and hip hop legends Jazzy Jeff and Cash Money, he’s admired as both a selector and a man of inimitable style by DJ’s as diverse as Andy Smith and Krafty Kuts.

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