Categories
Buzz Chart

My Left Retina

My Left Retina is a producer out of London with a penchant for grog.

His new EP, Fever Ate My Fist, is a masterclass is dirty basslines, high-end bleeps and shuddering rhythms and promises that there is a lot more to come from the beat maker. Opening track Chocolate Lime Dub [is there a better name for an opening track ever?] enters the fray with some sinister chords before shaking things up with a ridiculously lo-fi bassline.

Whilst the common theme on the record is the basslines, tracks such as Last Kiss [Neck Tied] showcase his ability to switch things up, the melodic and tuneful track reminiscent of a less cut-up Prefuse 73 before melting into Self Tongue which takes thing to the other end of the spectrum, vibrating and wobbling its way around your head.

The track you can hear above is Gordon Bombay, which begins with a vocal sample today telling us we’re not going to the disco, before thumping your senses with a bassline so heavy, you might just shit your pants. You can hit up My Left Retina by clicking here, and make sure you get your orders in soon, this EP is going to be gone in no time!

Abjekt

Categories
Skateboarding News

New crete for Cleethorpes

Cleethorpes in Grimsby has a new bowl thanks to Gravity skate park builders.

The bowl is a 5ft and 7ft horse shoe design with a 5ft volcano and teardrop bulbous end, 2 7ft>5ft escalators and a 7ft tombstone. This is another example of how skaters who work behind the scenes to deliver these parks is the only way forward. Well done to all involved.



Categories
Skateboarding Product Reviews

Alien Workshop Wheels 52mm

How the hell do you review a wheel? They are the nubs that have always been there knocking about with your bearings. Not a great deal of thought has even entered my pringle* like mind of the pros and conʼs before.

To start you could comment on its width, kind of slim, not bulbous or tapered at the end. Weighing in a 52mm these arenʼt no dirt crushers, in fact there perfect in size; minimizing the overall rig weight yet not small enough to find yourself being slammed into the rear of a bus as you were looking a yet another banger in summer attire and not noticing the remains of a once loved mobile phone. I digress. The maiden voyage for this set of wheels saw a stealth session at Brixton beach, and yes sir, new wheels + new concrete = the mambo.

I did find myself hacking through Trafalgar square one night last week and, I don’t know if you have ever skated that strip, but its real haggard. A total feet buzzer and the rounded piles of urethane hanging off the end of me trucks, at the time 2 1/2 months old ripped! Not a single flat spot, chip or abrasion has occurred during my affair with these Alien Workshop pieces, so I can not say a bad word about them, they may not be for you vert or bowl bruits out there although I do like a bowl, no vert; canʼt seem to keep hold of the contents of my lower intestine. Oh and did i mention these are graced by the graphics of one of the best bands to grace our ears ever – Dinosaur Jr? Well, there’s another reason to have these beauties..

Razzler.

* Dr. Fredric J. Baur was so proud of having designed the container for Pringles he requested that upon his death he be buried in one. Dr. Baur, a retired organic chemist and food storage technician who specialized in research and development and quality control for Procter & Gamble, died May 4. Rest In Pringles!

Categories
The Library

Soviet Posters

The Sergo Grigorian Collection
Maria Lafont

Prestel

The Soviet Union has always been home to some of the most striking and socially-important artwork in the world, and being able to look at the Sergo Grigorian Collection that this book holds is certainly a treat. With the introduction taking up only a few pages to set the scene of the various ages of the USSR [as was], the reader is treated to a wonderful selection of posters through the 20th Century, mapping out the changes of the massive country.

From the 1917 Socialist Revolution, which used an alphabet on its posters based on colour and energy, teaching Suprematism inspired by “traditional art as well as introducing modern techniques” to the use of striking images aimed at gaining the support of the population, the majority of which was illiterate, the posters all held the same belief – that the workers were extremely important and must be loyal to the country.

Constructivist posters came about in the 1920s with the introduction of photo montage, using contrasting colours and shapes to provide a comparison of the country’s future and past. And from 1924, following Lenin’s death, the country found itself needing to uphold the man’s ideals despite him not being around to push them forward so images of industrial plants, power stations and people at work became the norm.

By 1945, the iconography had changed to the necessities of war, thanks in no small part to the leadership of Stalin though these faded into the promotion of family values once the war was over, with slogans such as “Make sure that serious boozers can’t get to your construction site” being slapped across the images.

Even if you’re not the keenest historian or Socialist, this book’s use of space, using one page for each poster, gives you an incredible array of art and colour. This is definitely a book to pick up.

Abjekt

Categories
Music News

UK DJ finals announced

The UK DJ Championships have been announced.

The best turntablists in the country will battle it out on July 17th to take their place as the UK representative at the world DJ Championships in Septemeber. With past winners including Plus One, DJ Blakey and The Scratch Perverts, it’s a good indication of the wealth of talent in the UK.

This year’s event will be hosted by Cutmaster Swift and Trip with PAs from Million Dan, DJ Skitz, Le Shadow and Beat Torrent [DJ Pfel and DJ Atom from C2C] and the finalists are:

Pandamonium
Loop Skywalker
Skully
Switch
Jeppa
Furious P
Rasp
Asian Hawk
JFB

www.dmcdjchamps.com

Categories
Music News

Birdy Nam Nam hit London

Legendary French turntable crew Birdy Nam Nam are hitting London.

The four man crew will be heading down to Koko on July 12th with supper from DJ Kazey and Ed Banger’s DJ Feadz.

With world tours, great albums, theatre scores and film soundtracks in their back pocket, Birdy Nam Nam are definitely a group to check out. Have a video to see what they do in their spare time:

www.birdynamnam.com

Categories
Music News

Swervedriver return to UK

Swervedriver have announced their UK return.

The band, who went on a decade-long hiatus, will be playing London and Glasgow in September with more UK dates set to follow. The dates are:

September 16th – London, Scala
September 18th – Glasgow, King Tuts

www.myspace.com/swervedriver

Categories
Music News

Millencolin announce UK tour

Millencolin have announced a UK tour.

The Swedish punks will hit the UK in September to support their latest album, Machine 15. The full dates are:

23rd – Birmingham, Academy
24th – Bristol, Academy
25th – London, LA2
26th – Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
27th – Nottingham, Rock City
28th – Manchester, Academy 3
29th – Glasgow, Garage

www.millencolin.com

Categories
Music News

Massive Attack have nearly finished album

Massive Attack have revealed they’re almost finished with their fifth album.

3D of the grop said that though they hadn’t released an album since 2003, they wouldn’t hurry the release adding:

“You develop as you get older and more mature, and as you change and move through life and experience stuff. Hopefully we’d like to think that that comes out in the music – so do it in your own time is my motto.To be honest, until its mixed I can’t even tell you that and the mix will probably be one of those long, drawn out processes which will probably see us scrap at least half our recording budget in two weeks as we do it all over again!”

www.massiveattack.co.uk

Categories
Skateboarding Product Reviews

Brixton Parlor Hat

This hat has already made it into my Facebook status, that’s how good it is. ‘Sarah is loving her hat. And she’s not even drunk.’

Alcohol tends to increase my love of headwear but I am partial to a hat anyway if it’s a good ‘un. And this one just happens to fall into that category. This Brixton hat is fairly sturdy considering it’s made from straw. And given that it is sturdy, it’s still remarkably light on your head. I almost forget I’m wearing it half the time and even in boiling weather it doesn’t seem to increase the heat of your head too much.

The best bit about this hat however is the silky chocolate brown polka-dotted ribbon wrapped around it and tied with a lovely bow (this also features on the inside – nice). And the fact that it covers up bad hair day dramas. Also to its merit is the fact that the brand shares a name with a part of south London. Well, I think that’s a good thing anyway.

Only complaints are that it is a bit annoying to transport if it’s not on your head (squishable in a bad way) so I’m not sure how long it will last in my hands. The fact that it won’t go over my bulky headphones means that carrying it off the head is necessary at points which means that I’m bound to put it down and leave it somewhere. And it’s definitely a summer hat. You’d look a bit of a plonker wearing it in bad weather. Apart from that, this hat is a keeper!


9/10
Sarah Maynard