Blunted, Meef Chaloin and Asher Dusts are pleased to present “Meef Chaloin & Asher Dusts - Revolution Solution”, available as an exclusive free download through Blunted. The “Revolution Solution” album is the resulting collaboration between Meef Chaloin and Asher Dust. The two started collaborating after meeting on Blunted, realising that their talents, goals and ecclectic musical tastes could be combined to produce something they both could be proud of. Meef Chaloin is an Oxford-based producer and musician. His previous works have been largely dubby instrumentals, but Asher’s vocals have provided a new depth and style for his writing, driving Meef’s talents into new and exciting areas.

Despite never creating together in the same room, I feel that this collberation has produced some timeless spiritual music. The addition of Mr Lager on remix/production duties has served to add an equally special dimension to Meefs productions. I feel this is some of the best work I have been involved in… and I meet both the Meef and Lager kid on the Blunted site… BIG UP!!! - Asher Dust

The collaboration started in late 2007 with the track ‘Jah Is Watching’. Asher provided Meef with a killer acapella and the first song was written from therein, rapidly leading to more and more shared ideas until the album ‘Revolution Solution’ was born. Mr Lager helped and coached both musicians, providing production advice, direction, two remixes and an ear to bend through the more stressful moments. All three musicians are planning to carry on and work closely together, possibly expanding the musical direction to encompass their diverse tastes.

Tracklist:

1. After A Storm
2. Jah Is Watching
3. Revolution Solution
4. Cosmic
5. While You Slept
6. Losing Grip
7. Burn To Learn
8. After A Dubstorm
9. Jah Is Watching Dub
10. Revolution Solution Dub
11. Jah Is Watching (Mr Lager Remix)
12. Revolution Solution (Mr Lager Remix)

Revolution Solution is a free download available in 192kbps.

Download: Meef Chaloin & Asher Dust - Revolution Solution (62)

Yet more sleeping with this, think it was out the first week of November… Anyway, “The Layover Mixtape” is the brainchild of DJ Skee and West-Coast resident Evidence of Dilated Peoples, as if you didn’t know that. This tape does a good job of raising the hype for Evidence’s new “Layover EP”, which is out November 25th, and the new album with The Alchemist, “The Step Bros” with is set to drop early next year I think. No real surprises with this tape, which is personally what I was hoping for to be honest, its consistent, its Dilated and does boast a few gems; ‘Recognize (Feat. Chace Infinate & Fashawn)’, Let Yourself Go (Remix) (Feat. Phonte) and ‘All Said & Done (Remix) (Feat. Bishop Lamont)’ to name a few. Guest on the tape include Defari, Bishop Lamont, Mickey Factz, Fashwan, Phonte and loads more.

Props have to go to DUBBCNN for the link. Jump on this, more neck-snapping goodness from one of the original indie Hip Hop legends.

Tracklist:

1. The Layover
2. Worldwide (Feat. Defari)
3. Free P
4. Tip The Scale
5. Recognize (Feat. Chace Infinate & Fashawn)
6. Beautiful Day (Feat. U-N-I, Big Pooh, Aloe Blacc, Fashawn, Mickey Factz,
7. Theo & Kes Kaos)
8. Beats Like This (Feat. Montage One, Mitchy Slick, Big Twin, Diz Gioran,
9. Stylistik Jones, Krondon, Rakaa Iriscience & Crooked I)
10. Let Yourself Go (Remix) (Feat. Phonte)
11. Calmly Smoke (Step Brothers)
12. Hits From The Bong 2008 (Step Brothers)
13. Hush Now
14. One SHot (Feat. Granite State)
15. All Said & Done (Remix) (Feat. Bishop Lamont)
16. For Whatever It’s Worth
17. Half Off (Feat. U-N-I)
18. Celeb Reality
19. Bigger Dreams
20. For Whom The Bell Tolls
21. Hot & Code (Remix) (Feat. Casual)
22. The Last Shall Be The First (Dilated Peoples)

Download: DJ Skee & Evidence - The Layover Mixtape

If you fancy getting your hands “For Whom The Bell Tolls, ft. Phonte, Blu and Will.i.am” straight from the “Layover EP” that isn’t mixed together, as on the tape above, you can download it here. Full version, for free.

Nice and late with this one. Last month saw the “The Honor Roll Mixtape” drop from Mick Boogie to add to his ever expanding back catalogue. The tape features artists such as Freeway Little Brother, Talib Kweli, Evidence, Alchemist, 6th Sense Kidz In The Hall alongside the legends such as Slick Rick, De La, Cypress Hill, Naughty By Nature all packaged together as a homage to VH1’s Hip Hop Honors. The tape is hosted by MC Serch, the concept being that all the new artists ‘cover’ classic Hip Hop tracks from the old artists, all mashed up by Boogie. Its well over 20 tracks, super-dope and if you didn’t already know, its free. Bloody brilliant.

Two weeks ago, I was sitting on the beach in Miami with my wife and we were talking about how dope the Honors are every year. And the idea just hit me. So for the rest of our vacation she sat at the beach reading and sunning while I sat under an umbrella with my Blackberry and iPhone and got the thing in motion.

Two weeks later… 20 plus original tracks.. done by your favorite artists in the game… covering your favorite legends. - Mick Boogie

To read more about this release, check out The Smoking Section website where they have a full interview with Mick Boogie, Dan Solomito and 6th Sense.

Mick Boogie - The Honor Roll Mixtape tracklist:

1. Introlude: MC Serch & Mick Boogie
2. Children’s Story: Kidz In The Hall (Double O)
3. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright: Freeway & Young Chris (Kickdrums)
4. How I Could Just Kill A Man: Netic of Game Rebellion (M Phazes)
5. Cypress Hill speak…
6. Hits From The Bong: Alchemist & Evidence (6th Sense)
7. The Bizness: Rapper Big Pooh, 6th Sense, & Butta Verses (6th Sense)
8. Life Is Too Short: Fashawn (Ab)
9. Breakadawn: Tanya Morgan f/ Ragen (6th Sense)
10. Naughty By Nature speak…
11. Uptown Anthem: Marky and Phil Nash (Ab)
12. The Show: Daytona (4 Korners)
13. Insane In The Brain: Izza Kizza (Kickdrums)
14. Too Short speaks…
15. Short But Funky: Mistah FAB (6th Sense)
16. Mona Lisa: Mickey Factz & Jade (Precize)
17. De La Soul speak…
18. Stakes Is High Part 1: U-N-I (6th Sense)
19. Buy You Some: A Pinks & Emilio Rojas (M Phazes)
20. Dirt All By My Lonely: Skyzoo & Mazzi (6th Sense)
21. Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk: Joell Ortiz, Scram Jones, & Loot (6th)
22. Interlude: MC Serch & Mick Boogie
23. Hand On The Pump: Torae (nVme)
24. OPP: Pacific Division (M Phazes)
25. Lick The Balls: Donny Goines & Chip Tha Ripper (nVme)
26. Ego Trippin’: Asheru & The Els (The Els)
27. Stakes Is High Part 2: Talib Kweli (eJones)
28. Freaky Tales: Ra The MC (Judah)
29. Hip Hop Hooray: AP (6th Sense)
30. Hey Young World : 6th Sense (6th Sense)
31. Outrolude: MC Serch & Mick Boogie

Download: Mick Boogie - The Honor Roll Mixtape

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

GTA - Breakthrough 2008

GTA (Junior Doctor Chima Anya and Ineffable) are back with their new single taken from their imminent full length LP “The Way” out on Phoenix down. ”Breakthrough” - the third single from the highly anticipated debut album has already stood the test of time, having already established classic status as a local anthem in and around Oxford circa 2005. The 08′ version has some new delightfully endearing shuffling drums while retaining the triumphant horns and catchy chorus that made the original shine.

Sampling The O’Jay’s “Darlin, Darlin, Baby” GTA’s rendition is strong enough to stand side by side with the samples last notable outing on Big Pun’s “I’m not a playa” – and that’s really saying something.

[See the post to listen to audio]

myspace.com/gtaunderstand • gtaunderstand.com

The Community League - The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden featuring Special Opps, The Wize and DJ Thundercat produced by Jokz. This is the last song on The Community League’s brand new debut ep - ‘Community Spirit’. It is also the first time that Opp and I worked together on a song. For me this beat is the epitome of tranquility and it needed a suitably laid back subject so Opp and I headed for the hills and peaced out. So, enjoy the song and check out ‘Community Spirit’… or at the very least, go for a walk, it’s beautiful out there. - The Wise

[See the post to listen to audio]

Community League Blog

Capskey & The DON Delux - Beat’emDown (Demo 2008)

I wrote this song over the summer while I was in the United States and Canada. I was reading Micheal Parenti (’The Culture Struggle’), reading a lot of Gore Vidal’s political essays, and watching Alex Jones movies compulsively every day. The one common theme to emerge from all my reading and watching, was the growing power those in authority have over the wider population.

The song is about a policeman preparing to and then going to a protest, and an examination of what I think might be going through his mind. The right to protest is being slowly but steadily eroded in this country, it is reaching a point where any civil unrest is viewed as being in furtherance of terroism: domestic terrorism if you will. I didn’t want to write a simple ‘fuck the police” song. I wanted to show that most policemen believe they are right in what they do, and that is what makes them so easily manipulated, and dangerous.

My mate Joe aka The DON Delux did the beat, we recorded a Demo EP together a couple of years back as Capstar & The DON Delux with DJT (’The Nice to Meet you EP’) and this is the first song we’ve recorded together since… Anyway hope you enjoy the song, ‘innit! - Capskey

[See the post to listen to audio]

myspace.com/capskeyraps

Sloth - Earth Movin’

Huge! another 12″ from the guys who brought you k54! ‘clapback’ is a stonking re-work of shirley ellis’ classic ‘the clapping song’, re-jigged and brought bang up to date! this is a huge summer track! 3 rewinds from dj food at the big chill. carol king’s ‘i feel the earth move’ gets the remix treated via ‘earth move’, transforming the track into a dance floor destroyer! also some big plays at the big chill this year! with extra laid back beats in the form of ‘grace’ and ‘missy strut’ this is a killer 12″, essential for any dj’s record bag! - Rough Trade Record Shop

[See the post to listen to audio]

myspace.com/slothmakesbreaks

Illustrate - Broke

Debut album from the lyrical picture painter Illustrate aka Ollie Bates, outta the headcount camp, 14 choice cuts keeping you locked throughout with production largely from illustrate himself with added pressure from Sloth, DJ Tigerstyle, Rinse Dog and Mike Hostile… - Disorda (Suspect Packages)

[See the post to listen to audio]

myspace.com/olliebates

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.

Who better to give you a little preview than their producer Bare Beats -

“The Kemistry are a new group from East London blending different styles of music together. With different understandings and beliefs about the latest forms of fashion and the latest music crazes, the fusion or these three individual characters (The Kemistry) is a rarity yet a reality. As the one thing we all understood was the music we made, we loved it and it got our souls moving on the same path, like a chemical reaction, that worked in the flavour of it’s substances and the music being a catalyst of three great friendships.

This video was made by cutting up a Public Domain film ‘Frankenstein’s Daughter’ Enjoy .

The trio have a Digital Only EP dropping on the 1st December . ‘The Kemistry EP’ is 20 minutes of niceness and introduces this new act to the world. This video is part of a series of cutting up old b-movies too fit certain tracks . ‘The Core’ is taken from The Kemistry’s forth coming album ‘A Difference’, which is still be made. Look out for more odd music videos coming soon . . . .“

Here’s a little preview of what to expect from DJ Woody, something to keep your head nodding whilst you read this interview -

Download: DJ Woody Mini Mix

Yes Woody how you doing?

Extremely well thanks.

Introduce yourself to the fam out there –

My names Lee Woodvine aka DJ Woody, the Peter Kay of turntablism.

When did you start DJing?

I got my first pair of turntables back in 1992.

How do you think you progressed over the years in the game?

Everything I’ve done during my career has come from my original goal of becoming a good all-round DJ. I’ve gone from jamming in a bedroom in Lancashire to rocking crowds of up to 50,000 with some of hip hop’s most respected names; the goals stay the same it’s just the goalposts that shift.

In 2001 you won the World ITF title and made history as the first European DJ to do so. What did that mean to you and how did it affect your career?

Looking back obviously I’m very proud, I took my brand of turntablism to it’s creative centre, San Francisco and brought home the bacon, the previous years winner was A-Trak of Kanye West fame. In 2001 myself and Plus One (Scratch Perverts) started a wave of European domination in the battle scene. Career-wise at this point I was still in my day job at Granada TV, but the following year after I took my 2nd World title and was subsequently presented with a lot of opportunities so I took the plunge and I haven’t looked back since.

You’ve done a lot of work DJ Vadim and ‘One Self’. Can we expect more from this project in the future?

One Self, I honestly couldn’t tell you I know Vadim is doing another solo LP, Yarah Bravo is working on one, Blu Rum lives back in the US now and I’m busy on my own projects so certainly not in the foreseeable.

As for work generally with Vadim well we did over 400 shows together so obviously we keep in touch, I did scratches for his last solo LP ‘The Soundcatcher’ and no doubt well do other stuff in the future.

3 highlights of your career:

• In 2005-2007 I help Vestax to design the worlds first ever turntable musical instrument, the Controller One, this takes melodic vinyl manipulation to it’s obvious conclusion and enables you chose your root note and play full scales. I’m currently using the Controller One in my work with a 20 piece big band jazz orchestra for some shows next year.

• Aside from the battle success I’m actually more proud of the fact that I invented quite a few new scratches and beatjuggle techniques at a time when most people were stuck in a rut, I even had Qbert on the phone asking how to do my ‘Woodpecker’ scratch.

• I’ve been lucky enough to play some dope festivals from the Big Chill to Spain’s massive VinaRock but one performance that gave me goose bumps last year was when I was asked to play at a summer jam in Crotona Park in the Bronx, one of Hip Hop’s original locations. I was introduced by Grandmaster Caz and played alongside DJ Red Alert, Jazzy Jay and Lord Finesse, apparently I was the first white guy they’d ever asked, but more importantly I DJ’d with the people who invented Hip Hop, to the people who started it, in the location where it was born!

3 disappointments:

• I’m disappointed that I never got to rep the UK in the World DMC competition as I think I could have brought it home, but I felt strongly that the competition needed some kind of judging criteria and so boycotted it after 2002.

• In 2002 I toured the States with Madlib and other Stones Throw artists, we had a New York show where Madlib was supposed to be hooking up with pretty much every important NY producer you can think of Pete Rock, Premo et al. However the night before the show some politics went down which meant we had to cancel the gig, gutted.

• I was lucky enough to perform on 2 John Peel sessions at Maida Vale which was obviously a massive privilege but I wish I’d have had the bottle to try and have a proper chat with the great man.

Favourite meal:

Previously steak with stilton cheese n caramelized red onions, yum, but I gave up red meat so I’m on some sushi shit right now.

Favourite clothing label:

Adidas, for reasons outlined in the next question.

Favourite artist/act:

An impossible question but one act that I can honestly say have altered the course of my life immeasurably would be RUN DMC.

I imagine most people reading this interview are now ready to get a good listening dosage of Woody. What can you recommend from your back cat?

Go to my Myspace and I’ve put 2 of my mix LP’s ‘Bangers & Mash’ and ‘A Country Practice’ online to download for free, there’s some other too. Check out One Self’s ‘Children of Possiblity’ LP, the new Bomb the Bass LP or Aquasky’s new Breakbeat Bass mix for a taster.

For more info on the man himself, check out his website - woodwurk.com. To see the man himself, plus a lineup to make a grown man weep (Friction, Dillinja, Spectrasoul, Benga, Youngsta, Caspa & Rusko to name but a few), make sure you head to Oxford Carling Academy for Free Range presents The Shogun Assassins Tour on Friday 21st November. To buy your tickets in advance click here.